The Setup » [lashton] √

0.1

[Wednesday - a week later]

He was speedwalking, well for straight people it was speedwalking. It was normal speed for him- that wasn't the point he was heading for; the point was he was on his way to the lunch he'd been roped into by Calum. There was a panicked sort of sensation running through him despite knowing that this was supposed to be a relaxed friend of a friend meeting their other friend. But Calum had never tried to set him up though. Actually, if he were honest, Calum had never really been... in the right place to be setting people up, and in the past few months, he'd found his feet, so to speak, and he was doing all sorts of things he hadn't done before. So he wanted this to go well, for Calum's sake. He'd also stopped hooking up with guys from tinder in case anything came of this, nothing more awkward than having to explain you were sleeping with someone else when you and your boyfriend first got together.

He was getting ahead of himself; he rounded the last corner before the coffee shop and started to wonder if Calum and this guy- Ashton would already be waiting there for him. He knew that if Calum and Ashton were there before him, they probably would have been discussing him; it was just what people did when they were introduced/introducing. It's what he and Calum would be doing if they were there before Ashton.

He was relieved when he started to wade through the tables at the familiar cafe until he found Calum at an intimate table tucked in a back corner of the outdoor eating area. When he saw Luke, he half stood up in his chair and started to wave frantically to get his attention.

Luke offered him an awkward wave hoping the reassurance that he'd seen him would encourage him to sit down and stop making a scene. He closed the distance in a few strides and slid himself down into the metal chair.

"Thank god he's not here yet," he sighed, helping himself to the table water, pouring a large glass in an attempt to calm his nerves.

Calum rolled his eyes, "I've already told you, it's not a proper setup, just chill," when he turned his eyes back on Luke, he gave him a small smile and then his eyes drifted, locking on something over Luke's shoulder. The frantic waving started up again, "here he comes!" he told him excitedly, "be good," he added.

His mouth dropped open in offence; when wasn't he good? Once, he'd picked his jaw up off the floor and let himself look over his shoulder to get a good look as the other approached.

Luke made the assumption that Ashton was the gorgeous guy waving cheerily back at Calum. With sandy shaggy hair, pulled back in a low bun (a look Luke had always wanted to attempt), baby hairs at the nape of his neck had come loose, making him look dishevelled and tidy all in one. Then there was the stunning smile and bright eyes. He was incredibly good looking, not too short either, Luke was pretty tall, so if he could help it, he liked when guys were a similar height to him. Calum had outdone himself.

"Sorry, I got a bit lost," He said, flopping into the chair between Calum and him, a puff of air leaving his lips as he settled in, putting his bag beside his chair before finally looking back up at them, Calum specifically to smile.

Calum smiled warmly back, "it's fine you're still early," he reassured, his fingers playing with the corners of his menu as he spoke. He had little nervous tendencies like this these days, thing Luke would never have associated with the brash persona his friend had once worn so proudly. "Anyway, this is my friend Luke, I'm sure I've mentioned him before, but I don't think you guys have ever met," he gestured to Luke, and he wanted to roll his eyes at him; he knew they'd never met before.

Ashton rolled his eyes, "you talk about him all the time, then he focused his attention on Luke for the first time, "it's nice to meet you; I'm Ashton, thought there was something wrong with me for a while," he laughed, "you know cause Calum hadn't let me meet you, thought maybe you were his secret boyfriend," he chuckled.

They all laughed at the comment, but it told Luke a little more about Calum and Ashton's friendship; they were close, but not let me tell you about my gut-wrenching breakup close.

"He must be up to something because he'd been very careful not to mention you to me," Luke pretended to think for a moment, "maybe we're both his secret boyfriends, and he's playing us off one another?" he said thoughtfully but punctuated it with a chuckle.

"Calum, do you have something to tell us?" Ashton asked, turning to face him with a serious face.

"This, this right here is exactly why you two have never met; I don't need you both teasing me all the time," he laughed good-naturedly, but Luke could see the small smile at the corner of his mouth, "wouldn't fuck the either of you if someone paid me by the way," he added faux bitterly.

Somewhere in his mind were the pieces to make a comment about Ashton and fucking him for free, but he swallowed it, remembering Calum's comment about good behaviour instead saying, "don't be like that; you'll hurt my feelings,"

"Yeah, I think that's a bit harsh; I am a whole snack," Ashton declared.

You certainly are, Luke thought to himself. Yeah, Calum was right; he did have a tendency toward inappropriateness. A voice broke his thoughts, "hi, are you ready to order?"

Calum turned to face the waitress now standing behind Ashton, "Sorry, our friend only just sat down-"

Ashton interjected, "no, it's fine. Do you guys have an all-day breakfast?"

She thought for a moment, "um, yeah- yeah, we do," she nodded, clearly not used to being quizzed on the menu.

"Okay, I'll have that and an iced latte, thank you," he nodded back at her as she wrote it down.

She then turned her attention to Luke, "I'll have an iced latte as well, and uh- the Big Newtown burger, please,"

"And you, sir?" her eyes focusing in on Calum who's eyes were doing the desperate last-minute skim of the menu.

"Um, can I have an iced long black with oat milk on the side and the roasted vegetable wrap thank you," Calum said, offering her a polite smile as she nodded.

"Alright, I'll go put that into the kitchen; your drinks will be out soon," she told them, nodding to herself and flattering for a moment before leaving.

It was someone's first day, but the looks of it.

"So what was I saying?" Ashton asked, turning back to face them.

"That you're a fuckable snack," Luke answered reflexively but thankfully, making sure to conceal the statement with a friendly smile rather than the smirk that had wanted to come.

Calum still sent him a warning look, but Ashton just chuckled, "the fact that you would write off two good looking blokes like us is just crazy; this is why you're single Cal," Ashton shrugged and sipped at his water.

"Oh yeah? Wouldn't be because I'm running around after you two hair bags all the time, would it?" Calum raised an eyebrow and sent a searching look over them both.

Ashton blushed sheepishly, but Luke rolled his eyes, "I think saying you look after me might be a stretch,"

"So you didn't get locked out of your apartment last week and call me to bring over the spare key?" Calum raised his eyebrows at Luke.

This time Luke had the decency to blush; suddenly, the napkin on the table becoming much more interesting. Ashton let out a cheerful giggle, and Luke pulled his head from its shameful slump to glance at him, a smile finding its way onto his face as he listened to the pleasant giggle bubble out of Ashton again.