Stuck {A.I.}

five

(unedited so be nice)

The last thing Bayla felt like talking about was her break up with Ashton. She knew he was trying to be friendly about it, but the memory of what her life was like at the time wasn't something she particularly wanted to think about it. When she spotted the wine out of the corner of her eye, it felt like a relief to suggest they get drunk.

However, Bayla wasn't a very heavy or frequent drinker, so after only a bowl of macaroni and cheese and roughly two glasses of wine, she was fairly tipsy.

"You know, this is actually pretty peaceful." Bayla slurred, swinging her feet off the countertop she was perched upon. With the snow still falling heavily outside and the buzz from the wine, she was relaxed for the first time since Ashton had stepped foot in her house, and wasn't even thinking about the safety and well being of her dad and sister.

"You have a bad habit of sitting on counters and tables." Ashton laughed from the table where he was sitting. He was onto his third glass of wine, but unlike Bayla, he handled alcohol a hell of a lot better.

"So I've been told." She swung her legs back and forth. "Remember the time I did it at that coffee place and the barista almost kicked us out?"

"Of course," Bayla expected Ashton to laugh again at the goofy memory, but instead his expression turned serious. "That was the day I realized I was in love with you."

Bayla exhaled, her chest growing tight. "Shit Ashton, why do you have to say things like that?"

They both grabbed their wine glasses in the awkward pause that followed. Bayla could see that Ashton's hands were shaking as he put the glass down, and that he kept reaching into his pocket for cigarettes that weren't there.

"I don't know," He heaved his shoulders up and down. "We had some good times together. It's easier to think about those."

"Yeah," Bayla sighed. "We did, didn't we?"

"C'mon slow poke, I'm hungry." Bayla whined, tugging Ashton along the middle of the sidewalk. She was wearing one of his flannels that flapped around her frame in the breeze.

"It's too early for this." Ashton complained in response. They'd stayed up the whole night before to have a Harry Potter movie marathon, and were now going to get coffee before actually going to sleep.

"That's why we're getting coffee!" She said a little too perkily for six in the morning.

The coffee shop was nearly empty when they walked in, as very few people were insane enough to be up and about at this hour. The cozy little place was filled with beams of light, and Ashton could hardly stand how adorable Bayla looked with her hair and freckles glowing in the sun.

"Two black coffees please." The half-awake barista nodded.

"How do you stand to drink yours black?" Ashton teased, slipping the sugar packets he knew he would need into his pocket.

Bayla just shrugged, hopping up onto the counter. "I'm trying to eat healthier, remember?" She said it too casually.

"That doesn't change how disgustingly bitter black coffee is." Ashton chuckled, leaning forward to wrap his arms around her lower back.

"Here you go, two black-hey! Get off of there! What do you think you're doing?" The barista scolded crankily. Bayla burst out laughing, snatched the coffees up, and hurried out of the cafe, Ashton waving awkwardly at the barista and jogging to catch up with his girlfriend.

Bayla was bent double outside, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. For some reason, she found the debacle a lot funnier than it actually was. Ashton didn't mind though. The warm feeling he got in his stomach when he looked at Bayla was growing; he felt as if he'd just done a shot of tequila.