Ashton Enchanted » [cashton] √

1.5

It took longer than anticipated but Luke eventually made good on his offer to go to the Contemporary Art Museum together. It had been a long train ride into Circular Quay, but they'd chatted happily most of the way. It was the first time they'd been properly alone in- in well ever and it was going surprisingly well.

"You know what?" Luke asked as he looked up at the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

"What?" Ashton asked his voice half-amused, watching Luke watch the bridge as they walked.

He sighed happily and turned back to Ashton, "We should take the ferry to Manly one day,"

Ashton scoffed, "That's at least an hour and a half over there from home, that'll be a whole day trip,"

"Could be nice," he said with a shrug letting his hands slide into his front pockets.

They continued chatting as they made their way around toward the rocks, Ashton quietly thinking to himself as they spoke, wondering why he didn't come into the CBD more often

"Okay so we have to go up to this level first it's my favourite," Luke declared as they entered the sliding doors, he tugged on Ashton's wrist and led him up the flight of stairs to their left. They were only one flight up when the younger boy excitedly tugged him further into the museum toward a large clock.

It looked like a very large version of a clock someone might keep on their mantlepiece or even he supposed their bedside table. It ticked loudly, proudly showing off the time on its massive face. They both stared for a long moment at it until Ashton finally turned to Luke.

"I- Is it supposed to have some deeper meaning? Or is it just because it's big?"

He turned to face Ashton, 'If I'm being completely honest, I've got no idea. I just think it's neat," he shrugged giving Ashton a wry grin.

Ashton rolled his eyes fondly and stepped up to the plaque by the clock to start to read. The clock was by Stuart Ringholt and the only thing about the clock that differed from its smaller counterparts was that it measured days in 18 hours, 45 minutes an hour.

He stopped reading after that as he noticed Luke beginning to wander away in his peripheral vision. He led him through a series of artworks until they stopped in front of a large set of knitting needles and the start of a scarf? Suspended from the ceiling.

"This was Sierra's favourite when we came, you're allowed to touch it as long as you're careful," he told him, reaching his own hand out to run it down the side of the giant pieces of 'wool'.

Ashton mirrored him, and gasped at the feeling, it was like a big noodle, "that's so fucking cool!" he exclaimed.

"Right? I really just love it here," he sighed happily, letting his eyes wash over the room, "I told Calum he should bring you here for your first date, but he'd convinced you're not interested," Luke continued conversationally.

Ashton turned on him narrowing his eyes, "you're not slick you know?" he groaned, "the reason I seem uninterested is because I'm not interested,"

"Well Calum told me you nearly kissed the night on the beach," the tall boy had a smug look on his face and shrugged, turning away to pretend not to see Ashton's horrified face.

"I- Well, maybe we nearly did but that was a moment of weakness- Wait! Did you leave us alone on purpose?" he let out in a stream, following Luke as he continued to weave nonchalantly through the displays.

"Now, now Ashton, why would I do a thing like that? I mean if you're so uninterested I would have known it wouldn't have helped anyway," He stopped now, running a hand down the front of a giant crocheted thong that hung from the ceiling.

"Ugh, you're so frustrating sometimes I swear to god," Ashton rolled his eyes.

Luke just chuckled to himself, and grabbed Ashton's hand, tugging him again off into another section.

"Anyway," Ashton said, once they stopped again, "So, you bring all your girlfriends here?" he asked grinning up at him.

He laughed again, "something like that,"

"So, how long have you and Si been together?" He asked conversationally, as they continued through the museum.

"Must be a few months now, I've been hanging out with her friends a bit lately, they're all really nice. The one she was talking about the other day, KayKay is really fun but I get the feeling she doesn't like me very much. I think that's why she wanted you to hang out with us,"

"Oh! Now that you say that, I know her, she was in Crystal and I's bio class at the beginning of the semester, left for some reason but," Ashton said excitedly. "Wait, does that mean Sierra is in my grade?"

"Yeah actually, she said she was in your junior English class,"

Ashton chuckled to himself, "you can tell I pay no attention,"

"Yeah you do a good job of keeping to yourself, thank god for Crystal," he laughed.

"Yeah, thank god for Crystal," Ashton said trying to keep the sigh from his voice. He kept letting himself be led, but his heart wasn't really in it anymore. He couldn't manage to keep the intrusive thoughts out of his head as they moved through the rest of the floor. As much fun as he was having with his new friends, he'd just moved from being dependent on his mother to being dependent on Crystal. He guessed he could only be grateful Luke hadn't accidentally made him do anything today.

''You alright man? You seem like you've spaced out,"

"Yeah no I'm alright, just hungry, you want to go to the Macca's behind the train station?"

"Yeah whatever you want Ash," Luke told him, giving him a crinkly eyed smile.