(possibly) sweet chapter just to make up for the time i didn't update, i don't know when the next update is but i'm trying okaaay

i hope you're okay and nothing is troubling you :) can you believe it's already february? time is passing by so fast whoa

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Ashton moved in his bed once again. His mind was more focused on the sounds outside rather than going to sleep. He is sleepy, sleeping is just the thing he needs right now - but it's not like he can fall asleep that easy. It happened sometimes, not being able to fall asleep quick, but tonight it felt different than the other nights.

He tried to deny it, and by 'it' he means Luke. He tried to deny Luke randomly getting into his mind in the middle of the night or the day, where he can't stop but wonder what the blond might be doing or if he is thinking about Ashton too. Of course, he does his best to forget about Luke and the weird feeling he got whenever he was around the blonde. He wants to talk to someone about it, but it's not like he has someone (thinking about it makes him also feel lonely, so he spends nights trying to figure out what is going on with himself).

Someone knocked on the door and Ashton got up, walking there and opening it slowly just in case it was someone he didn't trust. His heart felt warm when he saw the boy that had been stuck in his thoughts right in front of him, holding a fluffly red blanket with stars on it and wearing dark red pijamas.

"Hum... hey Ashton."

"Hi Luke, hi. Come inside." Ashton said, opening the door to let Luke in and closing the door once the blonde was inside the small room "Is everything alright? What are you doing here?"

"I... can't fall asleep." Luke said, looking down and blushing "S-So I thought, hey ma-maybe if I try he might help me fall asleep, you know?"

"Oh." Ashton said.

After that they just stood there. It wasn't awkward, at least Ashton didn't feel awkward. He took time to admire the small blonde standing in the middle of his room, a blush on his cheeks and his pink lips a little bit chapped because of the night cold. Luke was switching looks between Ashton and the floor, a little bit awkward that the curly-haired boy didn't stop looking at him with a smile.

That kind of smile.

"I should go, I probably bothered you and-"

"No, stay! It's okay, I wasn't sleeping too."

"Why weren't you sleeping?" Luke asked, getting closer to Ashton "Are you alright? Do you have a fever or something?"

Luke's shaky hand went to Ashton's forehead. The curly-haired boy chuckled at the blonde's actions, grabbing his wrist in a delicate way. He knew Luke was not made out of porcelain, but the boy was so precious he was afraid to damage such masterpiece.

"I'm okay, don't worry about me." Ashton said, letting the words come out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"I just couldn't stop thinking about you, Luke." Ashton said.

He felt his cheeks heat up as soon as the words left his mouth. Luke's eyes widened and he could see them shining, the moonlight his the blonde's face just perfectly to show the glow in his eyes and the smile Luke was avoiding to show. Ashton smiled and looked at his hand that was still holding Luke's wrist.

The prince started blushing, feeling his heart beating faster as the seconds passed. When Ashton caressed his wrist he could feel himself leaning closer to him, eventually laying his head on Ashton's chest and wrapping his other arm around the older boy's torso. Luke let out a shaky breath from his nervousness but still held a content smile, the kind of smile that showed what your heart truly felt. It was glowing, it was happy and it was one of the most beautiful smiles Ashton had ever seen.

"D-Do you want to go outside?" Ashton asked "See the stars? We could talk about... anything."

Luke nodded and grabbed his blankets, grabbing Ashton's hand and taking him around the small building Ashton stayed in. The went to a small hill nearby, laying down the blankets and sitting a little away from each other.

As the minutes passed they had started talking. It was either about the Pride Lands, Luke's childhood, favourite foods or just simply admiring the stars. They sat close to each other, to the point where their shoulders were touching and Ashton had his arm behind Luke.

"That one looks like a hamster!" Luke said "With their cute little ears."

"Oh, and that one!" Ashton said, pointing to a group of stars near the figure Luke had pointed out "That one looks like... two people, fighting for the last piece of food."

Luke pouted, knowing Ashton saw it like that because he had grown in the middle of poverty. Luke wonders what his family was like, if they were sweet to him or if they were as bad and rather abusive like his father had told him the Outsiders were. Of course, he doesn't believe that anymore because he has met Ashton. He knows there are evil people outside and they want to hurt other people, good people, but he knows Ashton is not like that.

Ashton is not part of the Outlands anymore, Luke can assure it.

"Have you ever done this?" Luke asked him, leaning his head against Ashton's chest as the boy caressed his hips

"Done what?"

"You know... see the stars." Luke said, feeling Ashton rest his head on Luke's "Point out figures and just talk about them. Have you ever done that?" He felt Ashton shake his head like he was saying he hadn't "Dad used to do it with me all the time. He always told me that when people died they would become a star, so they would watch over us and protect us no matter what."

Ashton looked up to the stars "Do you think Hayden is up there?"

Luke lifted his head up and looked at Ashton, who immedeatly got up and moved away from him. The curly-haired boy looked down, playing with his fingers.

"He-He was not my father." Ashton said "I never knew my father or anything about him. I don't know if he died or if he left my mom. All I know is that... Hayden took my mom in and raised me with her. Even with that I couldn't see him as a parental figure but he was still part of me and who I am."

Luke got closer to him, lacing his fingers with Ashton.

"My dad said there was... a darkness inside him, one that he couldn't escape."

Ashton sighed and looked at Luke "I wonder if that darkness is inside me too."

Luke sat up and rested his forehead against Ashton's, closing his eyes and sighing. He bit his bottom lip and started caressing Ashton's hand with his thumb, doing his best to comfort the boy.

"You're better than him. I know it and you know it too, there is darkness inside you but everyone has darkness inside themselves -- even the kindest people. But those kind people, like you, can escape it because they know they're better than that."

Ashton bumped his nose against Luke's and brushed their lips together. He could feel the younger gasp slightly as Ashton caressed his sides.

"I think... I think you're helping me, helping the darkness go away. Everything is just more bright when I'm with you."

He wanted to kiss Luke, he really wanted but he felt like that moment wasn't perfect enough because they had just talked about a sensitive and sad subject. That's not how he wants Luke to remember their first kiss, he wants Luke to remember it after a happy time.

Ashton kissed his cheek near his lips and then his forehead, going below Luke's ear.

"Do you want to go on a date with me?" Ashton asked him, blushing when Luke smiled and nodded happily. Ashton let out a breath with a big smile on his face, feeling his heart fluttering at the sight of his (not-official) boy looking at him with so much love.

I love you, they both thought, I love you so much.

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so... i have a crush on this guy again and probs will write more often because i feel too much

-ana rita (moony)