In which little Luke catches a fairy named Ashton.

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Luke climbed up onto his little couch that was under the windowsill and pushed the window open.

He put his head in his hands and sighed dreamily out the window.

He loved being outside, 'cause that was where the fairies were. Luke was six and a strong believer of fairies. He had drawings of them all over his room. He talked about them to his parents, brothers, friends, anyone who would listen basically.

He made little houses for them, but mostly only bugs lived in them right now. He had a little journal he wrote in about fairies too.

He hadn't ever seen one actually...but he knew they existed.

Seeing isn't believing. Believing is knowing, even if there is no evidence.

Luke looked up at the moon and sighed. "Dear God, please let me catch a fairy one day. Thank you, amen."

-

Ashton knew humans existed. Everyfairy told him they were just huge, lumbering monsters but he didn't believe them.

They prevented him from leaving the home because "the outside world was too dangerous for a baby fairy like him."

"I am not a baby!" He would shout, stomping his foot. "I'm six!"

Everyday he would just sit and stare out his window, waiting for the day he would be old enough to go outside and play with the other fairies.

But until that day came, Ashton had to settle for drawing humans and writing about them in his journal.

-

Surprisingly, his day came the very next day. Everyone was bustling around the house. It was a birthday for someone famous, and everyone was zipping around, trying to get things done.

Someone had left a window open and Ashton saw his chance.

He made sure no one was looking and spread his tiny wings, lifting into the air.

He was a bit unsteady at first, but then he gained control and flew out the window.

-

Luke was staring out his window again. It was a beautiful day outside. He slipped outside.

He always tried to go unnoticed when he was going outside for fairy purposes, his family wouldn't understand.

He walked to a meadow and laid down in the middle of it. The clear, blue sky stretched above him, streaked with fluffy white clouds.

Suddenly he heard a buzzing noise. He dismissed it as a bug, but then it buzzed right next to his ear.

"Ah!" He cried, sitting up. He slapped his ear. When he pulled his hand back he realized it was holding something.

He gasped.

Ashton gasped too.

He had been flying around when he spotted what he thought was a rock, but suddenly the rock came to life and snatched him up!

He squirmed in the rock's grip, but the rock had his wings pinned.

"Let me go you rock!" Ashton shouted.

"I'm not a rock!" Luke said indignantly.

"Then what are you?" Ashton asked.

"I'm Luke." Luke said. Ashton tilted his head to the side. "What's a Luke?"

"I'm a Luke! What are you?"

"Ashton. Ouch, you're squishing my wings!"

Luke gasped. "Whoa, are you a fairy?" Aston nodded.

"I knew you guys were real!" Luke shouted. He spread his hand and Ashton stood on his palm.

"You're tiny." Luke commented. Ashton glared. "Nuh uh, you're just really big."

Luke beamed. "I am? Everybody in my family calls me short."

Ashton shook his head. "No way, you're huge!"

Luke smiled and carefully stood up. "Wanna come to my house? I have cookies!"

"Sure!" Ashton flew up to Luke's face and rested on his shoulder.

"So how old are you?" Luke asked as he walked.

"Six." Ashton said proudly, swinging his feet. "Almost six and a half."

"I'm almost six and a half too!" Luke said happily.

"We have so much in common!" Ashton laughed. "I wish I had found you earlier. My family always said you Luke's never existed, or that you were monsters." The fairy looked at the Luke quizzically. "You're not a monster right?"

Luke frowned and shook his head. "No! I would never hurt a fairy. My family always said you were never real either."

"Well obviously I am." Ashton said, motioning to himself.

They reached the house. "You can play in my room while I get the snacks." Luke whispered. "I don't want my family to meet you just yet."

Ashton flew off Luke's shoulder and crash landed onto his bed.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked in concern.

Ashton stood up shakily on the uneven mattress. "Yeah, still getting used to these wings. My parents said I wasn't allowed to use them in the house."

"So why didn't you practice outside?" Luke asked.

"I wasn't allowed outside." Ashton pouted. "My mom said you Luke's were evil monsters that would hurt me. But I see that's a lie." Ashton smiled up at him and Luke and he smiled back.

"I'll get the snacks." Luke said and left.

A few minutes later, Ashton sat in the middle of a giant chocolate chip cookie.

"These are so good." He said, happily breaking out a chocolate chip and munching on it.

"They're my favorite." Luke agreed.

Ashton carried the chocolate chip to Luke's window. Luke got up and followed him. "Where do you live?" Luke asked.

"Um..." Ashton looked out the window. "I don't know, I can't see my house from here."

"Do you know your way back?" Luke asked with a frown.

Ashton slumped down. "No. I wasn't paying attention." He started to cry. "I miss my family!"

"Sh, it's okay, I'll help you!" Luke said, patting the little fairy's head gently. Ashton wiped his eyes and looked up at him. "Really?"

Luke smiled and nodded. Ashton beamed. "Yay, thank you!" He flew up and rubbed his tiny nose against Luke's. "Let's go find my family!"

Ashton sat on Luke's shoulder again and they went outside.

Clouds gathered overhead. The temperature was cooler now.

"Uh oh." Luke said, looking up. "I think it's going to rain."

"Rain?! No no no, I can't fly in the rain!" Ashton cried, climbing up Luke's hair and hiding on top of his head.

"Then you probably shouldn't be up high where the rain is." Luke said, carefully grabbing the little fairy. "You can stay in my pocket, it's dry there." He opened his jeans pocket and slipped Ashton inside.

Ashton poked his head out. "This is better."

Luke walked around the meadow, while Ashton kept a lookout for anything familiar.

"It's no use, I don't recognize any of this!" Ashton cried.

Raindrops fell from overhead.

"It's okay Ashton, we'll find them." Luke said confidently.

But a few minutes later, it started to downpour.

Luke sighed. "Sorry Ashton, but we wont be able to find your home today. It's raining too hard. But we can try tomorrow."

Ashton hung his arms over the side of the pocket. "Okay." He mumbled into the denim.

Luke ran quickly back, getting soaked by the time he reached his front door.

Ashton shook his head wildly, shaking off water that had fallen on him.

Luke pushed his door open and his mom was all over him in an instant.

"Luke! There you are! Where have you been? It's raining out and you're all wet! Get in the bath tub now."

She pushed him into the bathroom and shut the door.

Ashton struggled out of the pocket and sat on the sink. He grabbed onto his toes and watched as Luke ran the water.

"Do you wanna take a bath too?" Luke went under the sink and pulled out his swimsuit. "I don't have one in your size though."

"That's okay." Ashton said, taking off his shirt. "I can go in this."

"Hey! Bubble bath!" Luke dragged a bottle of pink liquid out. "Let's take a bubble bath!"

He poured half the container into the tub and bubblegum smelling bubbles bubbled up. (haha, that was fun to type)

Luke climbed into the warm water happily. Ashton flew down and settled himself on the edge of the tub.

Suddenly the little fairy pointed. "What's that?"

Luke followed his tiny finger. "My ducky. You wanna ride it?"

He picked up the yellow duck and set beside Ashton.

Ashton climbed on it and Luke set it down in the water, splashing a little to make waves.

"Wheee!" Ashton cheered. "Make the waves higher!"

Luke made a giant splash and Ashton went flying into the air, landing on the soap in the soap container.

He slipped on the soap and fell into the bubbly water.

"Ashton!" Luke gasped. He cleared bubbles away and felt beneath the water.

He felt something move in his hand and quickly brought it to the surface.

Ashton spat out some water and laughed. "Do it again!"

Nearly an hour later Luke's mom pounded on the door.

"Luke! You've been in there for an hour, what are you doing in there?"

She opened the door and Ashton quickly hid behind the soap.

"Did you even wash your hair?" She asked, getting down the shampoo.

"Yes. Hey, moooooooom!" Luke whined. "Stop it, I can do it myself!"

"And why are you in your swimsuit?" She frowned.

Ashton stifled a giggle, watching Luke and his mom.

"It's time to get out now. It's way past your bedtime."

She grabbed a towel from under the sink and Luke dried himself off with it.

Luke turned around and scanned the tub for Ashton.

Ashton waved behind the giant soap bar and Luke smiled. He held out his hand and Ashton flew into it with unsteady wings.

Luke hid his hand in his towel and walked to his room.

Once the coast was clear he spread his hand open and Ashton flitted down to Luke's bed.

Luke changed out of his swimsuit and into his pajamas.

He got under the covers next to Ashton.

"You smell like bubblegum." He said and the fairy laughed.

"You smell like bubblegum!"

Rain pelted the window and Ashton sighed.

"It's okay," Luke said softly. "We'll find your family tomorrow."

Ashton smiled and settled down into the pillow. "Alright."

"Good night Ashton." Luke mumbled.

"Nighty Lukey."