"Wonderful that you finally decided to come in. It was as if you were warming up for a marathon as you paced around in the hall."

"Trust me, Luke, it's not the first time I have been asked to discuss my behavior with a teacher." Ashton rubbed two clammy palms together, watching the dark flicker in Hemmings' eyes. It made his heart speed up, pushing blood until it pooled in his dimpled cheeks.

"Hopefully under different circumstances. Are you kissing other staff members, Ashton?"

Ashton winked, closing the door as he walked in. "I don't know, dude, you can't blame me. They're so tempting, and I am a teenage boy. My history teacher's eyes are beautifully glazed over with the cataracts. Mesmerizing. Really turns a guy on."

Luke chuckled, for the sarcasm was almost palpable. His jaw relaxed, but he fought off any other emotion. Jealousy was foreign to him. He grew up sharing with his brothers, but he supposed there were some things not worth sharing. That smile on Ashton's face was one of them.

Ashton wandered throughout the room, opening cabinets and creating a mess. He enjoyed what the room had to offer. He silently read the summary of a dusty book, finally finding the desk where Luke now stood. Of course, he kept the book in hand. Ashton had every intention of taking it with him.

"Shakespeare." Luke observed, reading the title and summarizing its contents in his head. "Now I understand where your syntax comes from."

"What can I say? You're rubbing off on me." Ashton chewed the mint gum in his mouth, pushing it around before he could conjure a large bubble. He wished his sentence had a double meaning.

Luke rounded the desk, leaning against its front before Ashton. His back cracked, causing a moan of relief to slip from his lips. Ashton stopped breathing, and Luke began to smirk.

"I went to church yesterday." Luke stated, hand gently touching Ashton's fingers. He longed to twine theirs together, but tension held him back.

"That's hot."

"We are learning about acceptance."

Ashton hummed, mind wandering just as he had seconds earlier.

"I was wondering if you would like to join me next time." The teacher offered, "You can finally see where I spend my Sunday mornings."

Ashton smiled, blushing. This was not what he expected. He suddenly felt childish for waiting in the hallway. But the offer was enough to capture his undivided attention.

Then, the stubborn boy nodded. "I would like that."

It was a confidence booster; it gave Luke the power to take Ashton's hand in his and squeeze. He felt, in that moment, that he might fall. Fall into a fit of speechlessness and mesmerization. Fall into the lull of those green, caramelized eyes. It made him squeeze even harder. He was falling.