14 days

nineteen // day 12

"I'm seriously struggling right now, are you not going to help me?" I look over at Ashton desperately, unable to tie the strings on the back of my apron.

"I did it myself, you can't?" He looked shocked.

"Not my fault your fingers are so long."

Ashton smirks, walking over to me. He takes the strings from me and whispers in my ear huskily, "I should put them to good use, shouldn't I, babygirl?"

I roll my eyes, squirming slightly. "Don't say that."

"What? Did you think I was talking about something dirty?"

"Um."

"You're such a naughty girl."

"Shut up." I groan, putting my hair in a hair net.

Ashton shuffles to the other side of the room where we were supposed to be, and I follow him.

"I still can't believe Mr. Brass literally let us off the hook with barely any explanation." I laugh.

"It's because of my irresistible charm, Zara. Why is that unbelievable?" Ashton says, a serious expression on his face as he spooned soup with a large ladle.

I just laugh, also ladling up some soup and placing it in a paper bowl. The two of us were volunteering at a soup kitchen today, and so far, so good.

"I can't believe they're using alphabet soup." I comment.

Ashton smirks. "Excuse me? Alphabet soup is amazing, isn't it?"

"It is great, just think it's funny."

"There are kids here, Zara. Gotta make sure the kids have fun soup."

I snort. "You're weird."

"You love me." He says jokingly, but I took it seriously.

I shrug, lowering my eyes, continuing to spoon in soup.

He falls silent as well, the tension between the two of us growing thicker.

Nobody else was here spooning the soup, everyone else was delivering the soup or greeting the guests or cooking the food.

Ashton suddenly grabs me and plants a quick kiss on my lips.

"Ashton, why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Kiss me."

"Because we're dating? I already told you I have to practice. But practice will hopefully end later today."

"You make zero sense." I mumble.

And that's when I hear a loud clatter to my left.

My eyes widen as I take in the sight in front of me.

Ashton was sprawled across the floor, the white apron now heavily covered in alphabet soup. It was all over his skin and his hair, and he had a grimace on his face.

I laughed. "Ashton, what even?"

"I fell, okay? God, help me up."

I extend my hand for him and his large hands envelop around mine, as I try my best to heave him up.

Just as he's about to get up, his shoes slip on the soup and he nearly falls, but luckily I'm strong enough to hold him up so instead of crashing to the floor, he gracefully fell. Ashton tries again and succeeds this time, wiping some soup off of his face.

"People are going to ask us what's going on!" I whisper scream frantically. "What happened?"

"Kissing you always makes me dizzy, I wasn't focusing on anything. But then a fly flew in front of my face. I tried swatting at it, but I lost my balance, and the entire ladle of soup including the three bowls I already prepared fell on me as I crashed onto the floor. I think I might've broken my butt."