The Unwanted Encounter (Ash Lynx x Reader)

August 12

Nothing. I didn't know shit. Pacing back and forth in the corridor, itching my forehead out of stress, fixing my rings for the umpteenth time on my fingers, I stopped in my never-ending-circling track, listening in on their conversation.

"Isn't it your birthday in like.." He said, face contorting into a confused one. "Umm.." He umm-ed in deep thought, taking his hands out of his hoodie, holding it mid-air as he started counting down using his fingers.

"..." Ash looked back at Shorter deadpanned, staring at the childish habit he never let go of.

"... seven days?" Shorter asked after subtracting the days and numbers using his fingers like a second-grader.

"I swear to god if you'd gotten it wrong, I would've smacked you," Ash murmured, narrowing his eyes at Shorter.

"Yeah yeah.." Shorter nervously chuckled, bringing the original topic back in the spotlight. "Anyway! What are you planning on doing?"

"Nothing, never really celebrated it so it isn't a big deal, and it doesn't matter either way." Ash shrugged off, chugging down a can of cola.

But it was a big deal, and it did matter, to me at least.

"Dude, you're so boring." Shorter whined as if it was his upcoming birthday.

"Hmmph." Ash hummed, chugging down the drink. "How long is y/n gone for, by the way?"

"She should be back any time normally, but she might be late since it's a rush hour at the snack bar."

"probably."

I twisted the hold of the plastic bag between my fingers, hurling a better grip on it as I felt the little plastic rubbles and cracks of the bag wedged between my fingers. Lightly kicking the door open with my foot, I entered the room, waving the plastic bag in the air. "Food." I smiled, closing my eyes as I took the lavender scent of the living room in.

"Finally!!" Shorter fisted his hand in the air, getting up from the couch.

"Don't stand there like a moron, go help her." Ash rolled his eyes, turning a page by its corner as a bookmark.

"Oi oi." Shorter warned him, holding his finger up at him. "Don't be calling me that, words hurt!"

"Are you guys done?" I asked out of annoyance from hearing them brawl at each other for the millionth time that week.

"Yes." They both said, turning their heads at me in sync.

"Weirdos," I muttered under my breath, turning my form towards the dining table.

"What did you say?" They asked, almost perfectly in sync, again.

"Has the match started yet?" I wondered out loud, completely disregarding their question as I took my phone out of my back pocket.

"Oh, I completely forgot about that." Shorter said, getting up from the couch as he made his way over to the plastic bag resting on the tabletop.

"Doesn't it start at like, nine?"

"Yeah, people at the snack bar have started piling up already like crazy." I filled in as I took the food out, feeling the slightly hot aluminum that was wrapped around the meal.

"Sheesh." Shorter sheesh-ed, stuffing his mouth with a fry.

"I think a fight almost broke out cuz two people were betting which team would win." I said, recollecting the memory of hearing drunk millennial men screaming at each other before the match had even begun.

"Typical." Ash joined in, taking a seat at the table. "What's so interesting about football either way?"

"Everything." Shorter and I replied, chuckling at each other's in-sync reaction.