i'm sorry but this a shitty chapter (yet i posted lmao). i tried to write something good and bigger, i really did but my mental health isn't letting me because i don't feel motivated or can bring myself to write something that is actually worth it. i'm trying to get better x

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"I am ready for another day!" Luke said as he got closer to Ashton, a big smile on his face.

He was wearing a red flannel on that day, his hair was kind of messy but Ashton still thought he looked adorable. He was feeling a thing he had never felt before, and he knew it wasn't friendship because friendship felt a lot different. It was stronger and warmer, something new that was rather small but could grow over time.

[a/n: like an erection ❤]

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Luke asked, blushing.

Ashton shook his head and chuckled. He lifted his hand a little, feeling the need to caress Luke's face. He brought it down before Luke could notice, he was not going to give up becaue of his feelings. He couldn't even have feelings for Luke, not only because he was Andrew's son but because he was a boy.

"It's nothing." Ashton said, smiling "Let's go?"

Luke nodded and they got out of the castle. Guards looked at them with disapproving looks, none of them had something against Luke but they had against Ashton - which was enough to blind the happiness Luke gave just by existing. Ashton looked back at the guards and smirked when one of them looked away.

They walked around and Luke took random pictures sometimes, he even managed to sneak some of Ashton while he was distracted. Luke found it beautiful how someone could look so in love with a simple field that had nothing but trees and random parts free of grass. It was all covered in the same yellow and some mixes of brown or even green.

Truth is, when he looked at Ashton he could understand why he felt like that. He saw the Outlands, at least parts of it, and he would probably have that look. Ashton lived his whole life surrounded by a dark cloud, he lived in a place where everyone was mean and trying to survive poverty - and if Luke had lived like that too he would be surprised to see that beautiful fields and pure happiness actually exist.

"What do you do most days?" Ashton asked as they sat on a rock, enjoying the shadow from a tree and eating "That house is so damn big! Don't you get lost?"

"Well, I carry a map with me." Luke said and Ashton let out a small laugh that made Luke smile too "It's true! I can't imagine how many times I got lost when I was a kid, they had to create a map for me!"

"Well, I guess you'll have to show it to me sometime." Ashton said and looked at Luke, his smile growing as he stared into the shiny blue eyes that seemed to glow even more as the boy's smile grew.

"I will!" Luke said, coughing "Look, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You don't have to reply."

"You can ask."

"I just don't want you to get upset because-"

"Luke!" Ashton interrupted "It's fine."

Luke took a deep breath and sat up straight, turning to Ashton.

"How... how were the Outlands?" Luke asked "It's just that everyone talks so bad about it! I haven't seen it besides from that time, it's like I'm sinning just by looking at the Outlands."

Ashton pursed his lips and looked down, sighing. Luke immediatly regretted asking that, seeing it upset Ashton a little bit. That's the last thing he wanted to happen.

"Don't go there." Ashton said, feeling protective over the younger boy.

He should be convincing Luke to go there not to step away from it. Why was he even acting like this?

"It's dangerous." He kept going "There is theft, there is poverty and there are certainly deaths. I don't want you to see something like that Lukey, I want you to stay like this, pure."

Luke nodded "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, it's not your fault."

They get out of the spot they were sitting on and started walking around again. They walked through a few hills and Ashton glanced at the Outlands whenever he could see them, making sure both boys were as far away as possible. The last thing he wanted was to go there or even see someone who lived there.

He didn't know the ways around the fiels like Luke did, but he still made sure he had a hand on Luke's back just to keep him protected. He glanced at Luke sometimes, catching small glances of the blond whenever he could. Ashton wonders how someone can be so pure and perfect, he didn't know it was possible until the first time he saw him.

"Oh, there is Michael and Calum!" Luke said, pulling Ashton to hide behind a tree while he smiled at Ashton "I want to scare Calum."

"That seems enjoyable."

"You mean fun?" Luke said and Ashton nodded, smiling.

Ashton made sign for Luke to make silence and started walking quietly to Calum. The raven-haired boy was on top of the hill screaming at the birds who were eating. Ashton touched him and screamed, making the boy fall on the floor and yell.

"W-What the fuck?!" Calum said, looking at Ashton and realising who it was "Don't murder me, please! I never met Hayden but I heard he was a really nice guy, really good with people a-and I would have gone out to drink strawberry lattes with him!"

Ashton furrowed his eyebrows, what was even a latte? It seemed like something typical that someone would say they hate but they secretly love it. Like pancakes or even Tom&Jerry.

"It was just a prank, Cal!" Luke said, laughing "What are you even doing here? It's so far."

"Me? Oh honey, this is where the best organic products are! I saw a bunch of healthy food online so Mikey and I are trying to get healthy. I planted them here but now the birds are trying to eat them!" Calum pointed "See? Michael is trying to scare them!"

"Go away, go away!" Michael yelled, making weird sounds with his mouth but the birds still didn't move "CALUM! THEY'RE NOT GOING AWAY. TELL PRETTY BOY TO HELP US!"

"Yes! Ashlynn, help us." Calum said.

Luke giggled and held onto his bag, noticing Ashton's look when Calum had mistaken his name for a girl's name.

"How would I even help you?" Ashton mutters but it was still loud enough for them to ear.

"You're a though kind of guy, you know how to handle this situation!" Calum said "Come on! Growl, cooperate!"

Ashton went to scare the birds and they went away, only taking Calum's belongings. He saw the three boys going after the birds and followed them, trying to run at the same speed.

"Why are we going? It's not our business!" Ashton asked Luke, crossing a fence.

"To see his face and have some fun!"

They stopped when they hear Calum -who was was faster than them - scream and run back with Michael. They heard dogs and started running too, realising they had just invaded a private area.

Ashton spotted a small cave and grabbed Luke's hand, motioning for the others to go there too. They managed to fit, being lucky that the dogs didn't trace them. Once the animals were far they started laughing, making Ashton actually feel happy for the first time in a while.

"Private property!" Michael said "Why didn't we notice!"

Luke fell on Ashton's chest as they struggled to get out of there. The blond looked up and felt Ashton's breath on his face, blushing as their lips brushed against each other. Ashton felt like leaning in a little bit closer but when he was going to do it, Calum talked.

"Well, that was fun!" he said, cleaning himself up "We're going to our business, be careful!"

"Y-Yeah bye." both boys said as they pulled away.

***

Ashton and Luke giggled as they arrived the castle. It was the sunset, which meant Luke had to go back or people would think he was being killed for being far away.

"I'm so tired... we probably won't see each other anymore, at least today." Luke said and looked down, playing with his fingers.

"It's alright, we still have tomorrow and the next days." Ashton said and Luke nodded "I... I really had fun today, Luke. I really did."

Luke's face lit up as he smiled "R-Really? You mean it?"

Ashton nodded and opened his mouth but Luke's brother, Ben, showed up on that moment. He glared at Ashton and told Luke to go inside, leaving again.

"Well... I guess I have to go." Luke said, smiling sadly "Goodnight Ashton."

Luke bit his bottom lip and put his hand on Ashton's shoulder, kissing his cheek near his lips. He felt his own heat up as he left his lips lingering there for a little bit, pulling away (secretly afraid that Ashton might feel his heated up cheeks).

Luke rushed inside and Ashton touched the spot Luke had kissed, feeling a tingling sensation [fancy words amirite] and a good, warm feeling inside him.

He blushed and smiled "Goodnight, Luke."

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merry christmas my lovelies, i hope everything good happens to you ❤

-ana rita (moony)