The Setup » [lashton] √

1.0

Luke was wiping down the barstool carefully; Ashton was in the shower, showering, he supposed. And they still hadn't had a conversation about what the sex did or didn't mean or why Ashton had been so good at it. If he were honest with himself, he doubted they would ever discuss it. Which he supposed had its good and bad points; before he could start dwelling on the bad, though, there was a knock on the door. Who the fuck was dropping by unannounced at this time?

He didn't even have to think, though; there was no way whoever it was could know there was someone else here. If it were any of his friends, they'd gossip, and it would get back to Calum, and if it were a delivery person, well better safe than not, he reasoned.

"One Second!" he called out as he raced toward the bathroom, pulling the door open quickly and sliding the glass shower door back before Ashton could even realise what was happening, "someone's at the door," he told Ashton's panicked face, his eyes widened even further, and Luke continued, "go get in my bedroom,"

The older man didn't argue and quickly climbed out of the shower; Luke shoved a towel into his hands and watched as he fled, shampoo still in his hair, into the bedroom. It was then he looked down at himself and realised he was only wearing his briefs and chasing after Ashton to get his towel back.

"Who is it?" Ashton asked, bringing the towel up to stop his hair from dripping down his neck and shoulders.

Luke held out his hand, waiting for him to realise he wanted it back, "I honestly don't know, they didn't say anything when I called out, but just stay in here I'll get rid of them as soon as I can," he gave the other a tight smile before going back into the living room and pulling the door firmly closed behind himself. He realised a towel probably wasn't appropriate to answer the door in, but he'd already taken so long to answer he didn't have time to think.

When he finally got to the door, he made sure to stand with his legs hidden behind it; just his shoulders and his head were visible as he peered out at the person on the other side.

Calum.

Which was sort of the last person he wanted to see after all this, but it did mean he could step out from his awkward position behind the door, opening the door wide for him to come in.

"Whatever it is that you're here to say, make it quick; I was about to get in the shower," he lied.

Calum made the eye contact he'd been avoiding up until now, and he sighed, "I just wanted to come over and apologise properly. I talked to Michael, and he helped me realise that you were right; what I did was manipulative and cruel to both you and Ashton. I mean, even if he is gay, it has nothing to with me, and it's up to him to figure it out when he's ready,"

He let his shoulders soften as he the words turned over in his head, "I honestly wasn't expecting that, but yeah, it was shitty and dumb, but I forgive you, I can tell you're actually sorry," and then he remembered Ashton was standing on the otherside of his bedroom door, "I thought you should know that I told Ashton what you did as well,"

Calum nodded, "understandable, I'll go talk to him after work, I'm on lunch right now," Calum didn't have to say that; Luke could tell from the slacks and the button up he was temping at some office job clearly, "I just- I spoke to Michael last night, and I couldn't get through today without coming and talking to you, I just feel like shit,"

"Well, thanks, I appreciate you not being an ass; I'm not used to being this mad at you," he told him honestly.

He grinned in response, "I gotta get back to work, but I'll text you later?"

Luke nodded, and then Calum was pulling him into a hug; as he pulled back, his face looked thoughtful, "you smell like sex," he told him, and for less than half a second, panic ran through Luke as he tried to think of a reason. Still, Calum continued, "ugh, let me guess, that guy from Grindr, what was it, Joe? Who's named Joe in this day and age," he asked, laughing.

And Luke laughed along, more out of relief than anything else, "who knows, but his dick is the size of my forearm, so I'll forgive him,"

"You're lying!" Calum told him.

Luke was laughing for real now, "a little bit,"

"Okay, I do have to go; I'll talk to you later, love you," he told him, disappearing as quickly as he'd arrived.

As soon as the door had closed on Calum, the one behind him opened and Ashton stepped out into the living area.

"Okay, so what did Calum do that he should be apologising to us for?" he asked quietly, he was butt ass naked still, and Luke threw the towel from around his waist at him.

He sighed again, "so you heard all of that?"

Ashton nodded, and the tall boy just started walking toward the bathroom; he could feel the other following him and left the door open behind him, "You can wash that shampoo out of your hair while I explain," Luke offered, sitting down on the floor, so he was facing the shower.

"Is this so that you can perv on me?" Ashton asked, dropping the towel again and climbing in the shower to fiddle with the temperature.

Luke just rolled his eyes and shifted, so he was leaning against the sliding door instead, unable to see Ashton, "so you know how I said Calum wanted us to get together? Well, he knows you're straight, but he decided he thinks you're gay and that we would be good together. So before that lunch, he tells me that he has this amazing friend, funny, attractive and smart and that he wants to set us up but doesn't want to tell the guy cause he just got out of a relationship. So it's going to be a setup, but not really and that I should hang out with you and see how things go."

"That explains so much," Ashton said, a small sense of awe in his voice, "that's why you were surprised that I didn't know you were gay, and why you hit on me at Calum's," Luke was nodding his head, assuming the older boy was looking at him. "You aren't like, into me. Like you don't have feelings for me or anything?" he asked apprehensively.

"No," Luke said with a pointless eye roll, "Calum just really wanted us to work out, and I didn't know you weren't gay, so I was actually trying, well until last week, and then I didn't want to vanish on you. I was so uncomfortable yesterday, and I felt so guilty hanging out with you when you didn't know," Luke told him, and it felt nice to admit that.

"It was kind of a dick move, but really he hurt you more than me, you know? People always think I'm gay or bi; I don't know why," Ashton confessed, and Luke imagined him shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

Yeah, I wonder what makes people think you like men, might be because your cock fell in my arse, Luke thought somewhat bitterly.

"Come on, Luke, stop brooding; if you come and sit by the door, I'll shampoo your hair for you," Ashton suggested; he complied, taking his shirt off and sitting just inside the shower for Ashton to start washing his hair. His fingers dug into his scalp perfectly and made Luke want to moan as he felt some of his tensions leave him; even if he knew he'd have to deal with the situation sooner or later, later sounded better.