Coming Up For Air

0.7

"'Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need
Chasing relentlessly, still fight and I don't know why"
-Zedd, 'Clarity'

⚑ Luke ⚐

As soon as the door shut behind him, Luke had to restrain himself from punching a wall. The only thing that held him back was the fact that Ashton would hear it and he couldn't deal with the possibility of having to face him right now.
Why
Why
Why had he had to hug him and complement his dimples and be weird and awkward and God, I'm so stupid. Luke was walking down the hallway, cursing himself and wondering why he cared and then suddenly something slammed behind him and he turned around and oh, look, there's Ashton I wonder if he hates me yet.

"Luke!" Ashton called even though Luke was already looking at him with wide ocean eyes. He cleared his throat and shifted. "Um, Luke?"

"Yeah?" Luke said, sounding oddly wrecked and kind of rough and very shocked. He was superglued by his shoes to the dented wood floor that smelled like cologne and feet, hooked there by Velcro and the way Ashton kept staring at his hands.

"I, um." Ashton began. "I...thank you."

"For what?" Luke asked, feeling confusion and something warm bubble in his chest. Ashton had this quality about him that made Luke's fingertips tingle. He didn't know what was going on with his brain lately, but when Ashton was around he felt like he was floating.

"For...hanging out with me. Talking to me. Calming me down. Taking me out for food. Just...just being there for me, I guess. It was nice. It was really nice." Ashton wasn't exactly looking at him, but he wasn't exactly looking away either. It was a strange mix of comfortable and cliff diving and Luke was walking off the edge of his every word with a smile on his face.

"You're welcome. Anytime," he said while suppressing the sunshine beaming from behind his lips. "It was cool to hang out with someone other than my co workers and my roommate."

Ashton finally cracked a little grin and Luke grinned at him and they were just smiling and experimenting with the light reflecting off their teeth, trying to blind each other so they could look for a little longer without getting caught. Luke noticed he was staring too long and tried to care but he didn't didn't didn't. Apparently Ashton did, though, because he cut the shoelaces they had tied between their eyes with a sharp glance at the ceiling.

"Yeah. Yeah, I don't really have any friends...other than Zayn. So yeah. It was good." Ashton said, fingers in pockets. "Yeah."

"Yeah?" Luke said teasingly and immediately regretted it because Ashton's face turned bright red and he was looking at the floor again. "I mean, yeah. I feel the same."

Ashton nodded and said nothing and Luke stood there shifting awkwardly for about seventeen hours before he realized he should have already walked away.

"Well I'm going to--," Luke started.

"Can I have your phone number?" Ashton said at the exact same time, cutting him off and turning into a cherry. Luke was mute for a moment before he could gather himself up enough to reply because it was hard to concentrate when faced with the definition of adorable.

Wait, what?

"I mean just so we can hang out again like if you don't want to it's fine it's okay you know I get it I'm going to just go inside my room now so see you later actually probably not okay so--"

"No!" Luke stopped Ashton mid-ramble, realizing he had been gaping at the poor guy for an uncomfortable amount of time. "No, I'll give my number. To you, I mean. I give it to people who ask. And you asked and...um yeah so let me see your phone?"

Luke took the phone Ashton thrust at him and typed in his number so quickly he worried he might have messed it up. He double checked just to be sure because he didn't want Ashton to not be able to get ahold of him. Then he gave the phone back and Ashton closed the door and it finally dawned on Luke that he should probably wonder why they both blushed so much.

x

Unknown: hey
10:55pm

Unknown: this is ashton. probably should have said that first.
10:55pm

Unknown: sorry
11:03pm

You: Hey! Sorry...I was in the shower. Now I'll put you in my phone.
11:06pm

Ashton: okay
11:07pm

You: So how was your day?
11:07pm

Ashton: well you should know you were there for a lot of it.
11:08pm

Ashton: lol
11:08pm

You: That's true. How was the REST of your day?
11:09pm

Ashton: well i just chilled in my dorm so not terrible. boring thigh
11:10pm

Ashton: *though
11:10pm

You: Pretty much the same for me. My roommate wasn't home so yeah. It's 11:11...make a wish!
11:11pm

Ashton: i did.
11:12pm

Ashton: did you?
11:12pm

You: Yeah. What did you wish for?
11:12pm

Ashton: a unicorn.
11:13pm

You: No way. Same.
11:13pm

Ashton: really?
11:14pm

You: No.
11:14pm

You: What did you actually wish for?
11:14pm

Ashton: can't tell you or it won't come true:)
11:15pm

You: Oh.
11:16pm

Ashton: yeah
11:16pm

You: Sooooo....
11:17pm

Ashton: i don't know what to talk about
11:19pm

You: Me either.
11:20pm

You: I know it's late, but do you maybe want to do something?
11:23pm

You: I'm just super bored.
11:25pm

You: Never mind...goodnight.
11:29pm

Ashton: no sorry I had to yell at the guys in the room next to me. yeah that sounds good. meet at bridge park in twenty?
11:30pm

x

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