"Good morning."
I nearly choke on my Corn Flakes as Ashton's cheery voice sounds from the corner of the room and the light fixture above me flickers on. I can't help but squint at the bright, bright light, too shocked to move.
It's so bright. So bright.
The only reason I hadn't put the light on earlier was because I didn't want to startle Ashton with such bright light so early into the day, but now I realize that I should've been worried about him starting me all along, not vice-versa.
My eyes are still focusing as Ashton himself comes up from behind me with an alarmingly bright smile, something I have to blink a couple of times to process.
But there he is standing in front of me, his teeth perfectly white and his bandanna, miraculously, still perfectly tied around his messy curls.
"Well, someone's up early." I can't gasp, regaining my voice and vision.
"I'm always up early." Ashton shrugs, his hazel eyes already full of life. "The question is, why are you up so early on a Saturday?"
I simply yawn, widening my own eyes as his statement processes. "Wait... It's Saturday?"
"Yes, yes it is." He laughs at my delayed reaction, I pout.
"Hey. It's too early. Cut me some slack and stop laughing, God dammit." I groan as Ashton's gaze drops down to mine again.
"Oh, anything for you, Nickels."
Then he cracks a sly grin: a slightly mischievous and overly suspicious one that suggests at every angle that he's up to something.
And, from the looks of it, I probably won't like it one bit. Whenever he gets 'that look' on his face, I know it means trouble.
After moments of him intensely smiling at me and yet still saying nothing, I finally crack. "Okay. Spit it out, Irwin."
His smile slightly fades. "What? What do you mean?"
I try again, rolling my eyes at his weak attempt to sound completely chill. "What's with the, you know, creepy smile?"
At this, he shrugs innocently, but not so innocently at the same time. "I-I don't know- is it really such a crime to smile?"
I pause, considering this, and decide once and for all. "Well, when you're staring at me like that, then yes."
"Like what?" Ashton smirks again, I audibly groan.
"Like you want something from me." I finally accuse, sighing.
He doesn't confirm nor deny it. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't."
"Hey, that's my line!" I pout, he continues to laugh.
"Nickels, since when do we have lines? I can say whatever the fuck I feel like."
At this I glare at him, throwing up my hands in surrender. "Okay, that's it. What, may I finally ask, do you want from me?"
He takes a moment to consider this. "Well, at first nothing, but since you mentioned it... Some food would be nice."
I mentally face-palm.
Of course.
"Jesus. You went through that whole scheme just for food?" I roll my eyes at him, hugging the cereal closer to my chest.
"But hey: it worked, didn't it?" Ashton smirks, and in this moment he's lucky because his adorable dimples are the main reason I don't just chuck the whole cereal box at him and leave the room.
