Coming Up For Air

2.3

"Wendy, run away with me
I know I sound crazy
Don't you see what you do to me?
I want to be your lost boy
Your last chance
A better reality"
-All Time Low, 'Somewhere In Neverland'

⚑ Luke ⚐

What Luke needed was a cold shower and some time to calm down, but what Luke wanted was to walk Ashton back to his dorm, so he changed into warmer clothes as quickly as he could and tried to think of saggy boobs and old people coughing.

When he emerged from his room, Ashton was just pulling on his jacket. His hair was a little messy and his cheeks were still a little flushed, and Luke couldn't think of anything more absolutely flawless than him.

"Ready?" He asked, smiling and tugging a beanie on. Ashton nodded.

"Yep. Yeah. Let's--you don't have to come with me, Luke."

"I don't have to. I want to, though." Luke shrugged. "Now let's leave so you can go get a good grade on that test tomorrow."

Ashton muttered something incomprehensible as they walked out the door.

"What was that?" Luke asked.

"Nothing."

"C'mon, Ash."

"I said, 'Not likely'." Ashton told him, a little bit of bitter seeping into his usually sunshine-drenched voice.

"What? Getting a good grade?"

"Yeah."

Luke frowned. "What class is it for?"

"History. Music History, actually. It's funny, because I know how to play almost every instrument, but apparently that's not good enough to be a music major. You have to know all these goddamn composers and the opening notes of their pieces and it just doesn't stick with me. I don't--I can't--," Ashton stuttered to a stop, looking frustrated and red.

Luke reached out in the dark and grabbed his hand, twining their fingers together. Ashton shot him a sideways smile.

"I could help you study." Luke said in a hushed voice, and then a little louder. "I could help you. We could make, like, flash cards and stuff."

"Luke, no."

"Why not?"

"You don't have to do this." Ashton told him. They were about halfway back to the dorms, and the chill in the air was invading Luke's jacket. He shivered and walked a little faster.

"I don't have to do anything, Ash. I want to. I want to help you because that means I get to spend more time with you and that's all I really care about." Luke told him, and he could see the sliver of whiteness from Ashton's smile cutting through the darkness.

"Really?" Ashton asked quietly, a smile thickening his voice.

"Yeah." Luke told him. "Yeah, really."

-

"Okay, who's Canon?"

"Pachelbel's." Ashton answered tiredly.

"What key?"

"Famously and originally in the key of D. Been transcribed into all the different ones you could fucking imagine since, though."

"Correct!" Luke cheered. "I might leave that last part out on the test, though. What time is it?"

"It is..." Ashton pulled his phone out of his pocket and Luke's eyes strayed to his sides where Luke's hands had been only hours before and oh, God, Ashton made him feel like a summer thunderstorm, all hot and electric and out of control.