Strawberries and Cigarettes (lashton au)

Chapter 13

Luke stumbled into a bedroom while Ben and Jack spoke quietly outside.

He tried to fall asleep but his mind was buzzing. He had never felt so weak. Luke felt like he deserved it; if he couldn't stand up to his father, or even Liam, how could anyone say that he wasn't a coward?

Eventually the pain overtook him and Luke drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

——

Bzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzzzzz.

Luke groggily raised his head, ignoring the sharp, shooting pains that coursed through his back as he looked for his phone.

"Hello?"

"Luke, what the fuck? You told me you'd call. I've been worried sick. I had half a mind to drive back to your house, but I've been surrounded by family members. Who knew I could have so many cousins?"

Ashton laughed to himself. "But seriously, are you okay?"

Luke paused. He could lie, but Ashton would find out eventually that his dad beat the crap out of him.

"Uh, I am now. M-My dad saw us kiss."

Silence on the other end of the phone.

"Where are you?"

"What? Ashton, you have obligations you can't-"

"I damn well can, and I will. Now tell me where the fuck you are."

Luke sighed. "I'm staying at my brothers apartment? Well, it's their friends but-"

"Your brothers? I thought they lived out of town? What are they doing back?"

"They decided to come home and surprise us for Christmas. I'll text you the address."

"Okay. Thank you, Lu," Ashton said. Then he paused.

"So, they know?"

Luke swallowed. "Yeah," he said softly. "Yeah, they know."

"I'm on my way."

And just like that, the call ended. Luke sat up on the edge of the bed. He looked across the room to see Jack asleep on the chair.

Luke stood up, careful not to wake his brother up, wincing as he made his way to the bathroom down the hall.

He carefully took off his shirt to examine his bruises in the mirror.

He had several bad ones along his torso, and a severe black eye. He flinched at the touch. Luke took a quick shower to make sure none of his cuts got infected and stole some of Ben's clothes from a suitcase in the room and the first aid kit from the bathroom.

Luke wrapped his ribs, not that it was too hard, considering he had done it many times before, and took some pain pills.

He felt slightly better, but still shitty. Luke made a game plan in his head.

Okay, when dad kicks me out, I stay with Michael for a few days, normally, and then sneak back in to my room. He's too drunk to remember anything from the week previous, so everything works out. Then, I just lay low til I'm eighteen. As soon as my birthday hits, I take my savings and rent a place as far away from here as I can afford. Maybe I'll live near wherever Ashton's going to college, so we can stay together.

Luke was deep in thought when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it to see Ashton, looking flushed and flustered, still in his pajamas.

"How did you get here so fast? It takes at least 20 minutes to get from your house to here and you got here in 10."

Ashton shrugged. "I may have run a few red lights."

"Did you at least tell your mom that you left?"

"I left her a note!" Ashton smiled, then frowned again.

He lifted his hand to cup Luke's cheek.

"Lukey, what did he do to you?" Ashton whispered to his boyfriend, who looked away.

"It's fine. It's nothing, really."

Luke had to blink away the tears in his eyes. All he wanted to do was collapse into Ashton's arms and feel safe, but that would make him seem weak.

"Thank you for coming," Luke said quietly.

Ashton looked shocked. "Of course I came. I love you, Luke."

"I love you too. Here, do you wanna, um, come inside?"

They sat inside, in the silence, Ashton holding the younger boy as if to protect him from the world.