Strings Attached (lashton, editing)

Twenty.

Ashton stayed with Luke for the entirety of the last week of his Christmas break and up until the custody hearing Luke had the following week. The man tried to hide how nervous and anxious he felt for it, not wanting his son or boyfriend to worry about. But Ashton could see right through it. 

"Good luck for today, Luke. You'll be fine," Ashton smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm positive there's nothing Michael can say that won't let you win this."

"Thanks, Ash. I do wish he'd have just let us settle this with our lawyers, I didn't want to bring it to court. It's going to be so hard on Tim," Luke sighed, furrowing his eyebrows and letting his pretty face settle into an ugly frown. "I gave him a chance, why didn't he just take it? It didn't have to be this difficult."

"I don't know, Luke. I don't really know him but he seems like he has some issues to work through. You'll be fine, after today you'll have Tim," Ashton pulled Luke closer in hopes to calm him down. 

Luke always tried to suppress the anxiety that over took his body when he was scared and nervous. He always felt the need to be strong, never wanting people to worry or fuss over him. 

Sighing as he looked at the time, knowing he had to take Tim to his pre-school and drop Ashton off for his morning lecture, Luke didn't want to move. He wanted to stay in that moment, where things were calm. 

He knew as soon as this trial was over his relationship with Michael would only worsen. When the two first broke up, they had done just fine being co-parents and friends. But as time went on and Luke moved on, their relationship worsened. Michael stopped acting like he truly cared, getting angry and snappy at Luke any time they disagreed on something or things didn't go his way. 

Luke knew things weren't going Michaels way now, and he didn't want to see the aftermath of it. 

"I'll go get Tim, yeah?" Ashton kissed Luke on the cheek once again before walking out of the small kitchen to fetch the young boy. 

Taking in a deep breath, Luke forced his body to relax and stood up smoothing out his suit. Making his way through the apartment, he got all his things together and made sure Tim's bag was all packed for the day. He smiled at the thought of his son, Tim always calmed him down. 

From the moment Tim was born he had been a constant source of happiness for Luke. As he lost both friends and his boyfriend in college, he always had Tim. Everything he did was for Tim. Even if it meant further ruining his relationship with his sons father, he would do anything for Tim. 

"You ready?" Luke walked into Tim's room, to see Ashton helping the young boy put on his shoes and jacket. Both turned as soon as he walked into the room and nodded their heads, smiling at the man dressed in his only suit. 

The drive to Tim's preschool was quiet, Luke was nervously biting his lip and Ashton was holding his hand over the centre console. Tim, as usual, was basically asleep in the back seat. 

Ashton watched Luke, seeing the man he cared so deeply for feel so nervous. He had never seen Luke so anxious about anything before. Luke surely wasn't the bravest of people, but he was never one to be dead afraid. 

"Luke, you okay?" Ashton squeezed Luke's hand to gain his attention. 

"I-I, yeah I'm fine," Luke responded flashing a small smile to his boyfriend. "I'm good."

"I don't know whether you're trying to convince me or yourself more of that."

"I promise, I'm fine," Luke insists. He doesn't want Ashton to spend his day worrying about him. He knows he has little to be scared about today, he knows things will be okay. 

Pulling up outside of Tim's pre-school, Luke squeezed Ashton's hand back quickly before getting  out to say goodbye to his son.

"I love you, Tim. Don't you ever forget that," Luke pulled Tim into a tight hug after making sure he had his jacket and bag on his back. "Have a good day, be good and I'll see you this afternoon."

"Love you too, Daddy," Tim smiled up at Luke and hugged him back just as tight. Luke gave his boy one more squeeze before pushing him towards the front doors of the school and climbing back into his car. 

"Are you sure you don't want me to come today? I don't mind, I can catch up on my classes later," Ashton asked as soon as Luke was back in the car and driving towards his college. 

"Ash, no. It's fine, I promise. I also don't think having you there will make Michael any happier about the situation," Luke smiled over at Ashton in attempt to reassure the man that he really will be just fine. "I'll see you tonight, yeah?"

"Okay, yeah. I'll come by once I'm done for the day, let me know how it goes when you're out," Ashton looks over at Luke again as they pull up outside of his college this time. "I'll see you night."

"Tonight," Luke smiled again before leaning over the centre console to kiss Ashton. "Have fun at school, kid."

"Don't...don't ever say that again, please," Ashton pulls back from Luke to see him silently laughing to himself. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," Luke steals himself one more kiss before Ashton slips out of the car and makes his way into the large college campus before him. 

Taking a moment to breathe, Luke forces his body to calm down once again before starting up the car and driving off to the court house. He knows he can do this, he knows he is doing the right thing. 

- 

This is gonna be two parts because I wasn't expecting this to be as long as it is and I like to keep my chapters around the 1000 word mark !! There's also a lot I want to put in, so I'll have that up ASAP. 

Thoughts on Ashton trying to comfort Luke?

Luke keeping in his anxiety?

Luke saying goodbye to Tim?

What do you think is going to happen?

Let me know what you think and vote/follow me if you like it! It really does mean a lot. 

I'm on uni break now, so hopefully I'll be back to getting up a few chapters a week :) 

- Grace