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Chapter sixteen; all we ever knew Luke was nervously biting at the skin of his thumb as he starred out of the window and saw Sydney passing by him. Michael was driving, causing both Cal and Luke to white knuckle the sides of their seat for safety. After all, Michael drove like he was a cop trying to chase a getaway driver.
"We are not going to make it in time." Luke groaned as he tugged on his hair nervously. Ashton wasn't answering his phone, despite all three of them attempting to reach him. Ashton would fly to the other side of the world and Luke wouldn't be able to tell him he wanted him to stay.
"Stop stressing me out." Michael snapped back through gritted teeth, pressing his foot harder down on the pedal.
"How's Lexi?" Luke spoke up again, this time to Calum. Calum was in the backseat, Lexi beside him as she played with Luke's phone, the only way to get her from moaning about the long drive to the airport. Luke had no idea what she was doing on it, he only hoped it still worked when it was returned to him.
"She's fine." Calum sounded much more relaxed than the two boys in the front. "I'm teaching her how to use Snapchat."
Luke managed a frown at that, he should have sat in the back. "Shes two." He grumbled, "I don't want her using snapchat until much later in life. Put a drawing app on for her."
Calum rolled his eyes but nether the less took the phone from Lexi to change the app, deciding that arguing with Luke was not the best option right now.
Once they were parked up, Michael was pulling Luke out of the car, not giving him any option but to run while the blonde protested glancing over his shoulder to see Calum getting Lexi from the car. "Lexi will be fine." Michael sighed as he tugged On Luke's hard in attempt to quicken his pace, "However, if you let her favourite parent leave. She might hate you forever."
"Hey!" Luke protested, moving faster suddenly. "We've established I'm her favourite, okay?"
Michael snorted as he starred up at the big flight notification board, attempting to find Ashton's flight while listening to Luke rant about favouritism. "Yes but do you play the airplane game with her? I think not."
Knowing Lexi was safe somewhere with Calum, Luke set off running towards the gate that would hopefully take him to Ashton. Michael, of course, followed alongside him, managing to keep up with him somehow.
"It's gotta be this one, right?" Luke asked, rather breathlessly as he glanced around the gate that seemed to be...empty? He looked up at Michael for validation while his friend moved closer to the board, indeed confirming that this was the correct flight, correct airport, everything... but no Ashton.
"Please..." he started, before he looked over to see Calum had finally got them up. He looked like he had just ran a full blown marathon by the way he was breathing, Lexi still held contently in his arms smiling behind her pacifier blissfully unaware as to why Luke looked so sad all of a sudden.
Calum seemed to gather what had happened by the way his face dropped and Michael leaned over and placed a comforting hand on the blonde.
The flight had gone and took Ashton with it.
He was unsure how long he stood, helplessly starring out of the large window where the plane had been. But, the dada from Lexi was enough to have the blonde rushing over to her and taking the toddler from Calum's hood.
"Luke..." Calum started as the blonde begun to walk away now he had Lexi in his hold. As if Lexi could sense the uncomfortable atmosphere, she whined and held an arm out over Luke's shoulder, as the blonde continued to walk.
The car journey home consisted of Luke starring out of the window, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the car while Calum tried to lift the uncomfortable atmosphere by singing to Lexi, unaware that it made Luke feel worse. After all, Ashton's speciality was singing classic rock songs to Lexi to get her to go to sleep.
"Are you sure you don't want me and Cal to stay?" Michael asked as he parked up outside the house, Luke was already half way out of the car and about to unhook Lexi from her car seat. "We could have a sleepover? You don't have to be alone."
"Thank you." Luke managed a smile before quickly adding, "I'm okay with it just being me and Lex, right now. I'll call you."
Luke chuckled slightly when Calum pulled him into the tightest hug known to man, so much so that he had to push the dark haired man off him after a few moments to breathe. "I love you Cal." He hugged him again. "And you too Michael."
"We love you too. And we love you Lexi." Michael grinned as he lifted the kid from her car seat and passed her over to Luke. She smiled happily and leaned into his shoulder while the blonde entered the house alone.
"You go play, okay?" Luke smiled as he placed her on the ground while he kicked off his converses and pulled his jacket off. Lexi stumbled her way through the door, heading towards the lounge while Luke glanced through a bunch of bills that were for both he and Ashton. Great.
"Papa!" Luke frowned as he looked up from the letters in his hands, attention moving to the other room where Lexi was.
She missed him already, she was already calling for him, how was he supposed to cope without him?
"Lexi it's okay..." he headed into the other room, deciding that distracting her was their best option. Hey, he wasn't afraid of singing the Rolling Stones to get her to calm down. They'd both be okay in the end.
"Hey Le-" his words got caught up in his throat as he starred at the scene in front of him. Lexi wasn't calling for Papa, she was greeting Papa, because there he stood. Ashton, in his black ripped jeans and overworn leather jacket with a baby in his arms, smiling back at him as if they were seeing each other for the first time in years.
"Look here me out-" Ashton started as he placed Lexi down on the couch, the toddler crawling towards her drawings as a distraction. "I know I'm supposed to be on my way to London and you're probably mad that I'm here, but listen... I did go to the airport, checked in and everything but..." he paused, "I saw this couple and their baby. It made me think of you and Lexi and I decided that being across the world from you both was physically impossible..."
Luke's heart was beating so fast he was pretty sure it was about to explode, "And it's fine okay, if you don't want to be with me. I could go back to my old apartment and we could work out a system of when we both have Lexi and I promise, if you start seeing someone else, if you and that doctor make go of things I won't stand in your way... I'll just be here for you and Lex-"
Ashton was silenced by Luke's lips pressing against his own, the man stumbling backwards slightly because of Luke throwing himself at him. Of course, Ashton caught him, lips pressed impossibly close.
"I don't want the doctor, Ashton." He continued to kiss him between words, "I never did. I only ever wanted me and you." He paused, arms still wrapped around the other mans neck, glancing over at Lexi. "...and her."
When Luke's eyes returned to Ashton, he was smiling so much that it reached his eyes. "Thank God." Ashton chuckled as their lips met once more, only pulling apart when Lexi started making noise for attention.
"Yes, we remember you too!" Ashton grinned as he leaned over and placed her on his hip, holding Luke with the other arm. "My two favourite blondes, how could I ever think of leaving you both behind, huh?"
Luke smiled, not ashamed to say that a few tears fell from the corners of his eyes as he did, before he pressed a kiss to Ashton's cheek, holding him tighter.
"You're here now." Luke whispered, entwining his fingers with Ashton. "Just us three."
