Coming Up For Air

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January, 2017

[London]

"What if we bought a house?"

"Said the first year school teacher to his fourth year university boyfriend, who literally just had to fight a bum off a dropped pound in the street so they would have enough money to pay the laundromat." Luke narrated sarcastically.

"Oh please, Luke. You didn't fight him." Ashton rolled his eyes at Luke. "At most, it was a heated discussion."

"The tension was real. I was ready to go for a right hook and take all that money in his hat, too."

"You punch like an eight year old girl with a compound fracture."

"That's it!" Luke announced dramatically, ripping his hand out of Ashton's and parading down their street toward the apartment they had shared for almost four years. "I'm breaking up with you. You're too terrible."

Ashton laughed and jogged after Luke, catching him in his arms and spinning the taller boy around. Luke pouted at him, scuffing his feet on the ground and crossing his arms like a mad little boy. Ashton smiled even harder.

"I like the new lip ring. Very hot." He said.

"Oh, you finally noticed, did you? I've only had it for three whole days." Luke narrowed his eyes accusingly and poked Ashton's nose for emphasis. Ashton giggled.

"I noticed. Trust me." He said, winking. Luke wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and then grinned and kissed Ashton's cheek.

"I would love to buy a house someday. When we can afford things like meals and electricity and stuff." He said.

Ashton nodded.

"Electricity would be nice."

"Imagine...hot water--"

"Microwaved meals--,"

"Charging your phone--,"

"Light."

"How long has our power been off again?" Luke asked.

"Seven hours."

"And when will it get turned back on?"

"The lady said by the end of the day. By five, probably." Ashton told him, smiling to himself at how absolutely inept they were at handling any kind of real-life problem, like paying your electricity bill late.

Luke nodded and grabbed Ashton's hand to continue the walk back to their apartment. There had been a drenched quality invading the air as they spoke, and he could tell a storm was on it's way. The shelter of their cold, lightless flat wouldn't be much, but at least he and Ashton could cuddle under their big comforter.

They were about 300 feet away from the door to their flat when the first big drops of rain came hurtling down around them, drenching Luke's sweatshirt immediately with the impossible wetness that only English rain seemed to posses. He looked at Ashton, who was streaming with sky, too.

"Ahh!" Luke yelled gleeful, waving his hands amidst the drops. Ashton grinned hugely, like he always did when it rained, as he pulled his hood up and took off toward the awning by the door of their flat. Luke sprinted to keep up, but instead of hurrying inside, he pulled on Ashton's sweater.

"Wait." He gasped, flushed and out of breath. "Ash, c'mere."

Ashton turned around, confused, but before he could enquire as to why Luke wanted him to wait, Luke was tugging him out into the soaking street so they were immersed in rain.

And then Luke was kissing Ashton.

Life was put on the shelf for a moment when their lips were slipping and sliding against each other, because to be honest the rain made things a lot more liquid than they were used to. Then Luke pulled away, grinning and resting his forehead against Ashton's as the world stormed around them.

"Kiss in the rain. Bucket list." He mumbled, sounding extremely pleased with himself.

And God, Ashton loved him so much.

He did.

And he loved him so much in the moment, he couldn't help but kind of violently drop to one knee and look up at the dripping boy above him, who he loved with his heart and his mind and his body and his skeleton.

"I don't really have a ring, but I mean, rings are kind of stupid, and I love you," Ashton said in a nervously matter-of-fact way.

Luke hadn't even quite been able to process what was happening when Ashton opened his mouth that always said the most wonderful things, and asked him the most wonderful thing.

"Will you marry me?"