Daisy (lashton)

Chapter 22

**IMPORTANT UPDATE: THIS IS CHAPTER 22!!!! I'M SORRY FOR ANY CONFUSION THIS CAUSES, BUT IT COMES BETWEEN THE EVENTS OF CHAPTER 21 AND THE ORIGINAL CHAPTER 22!**

"Hey Ash, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"

Ashton turned around from where he was finishing up the plating on the last bunch of hors d'oeuvres to go out during the lunch hour and smiled as Wendall walked into the kitchen, buttoning up the top of his chef's coat. "Hey, Wendell, yeah it's been a while. I don't think we've worked overlapping shifts since that party a couple months back! I'll have to get on Clement about that." Ashton laughed as he finished plating up the first course and sent them out before turning to where Wendell began scrubbing his hands. "How've you been?"

Wendell smiled back as he finished washing up his hands and began preparing his station for the dinner rush in a few hours time. "I'm doing pretty well, got that new apartment I told you I was looking at."

"No way, that's so awesome! Congrats, Wendell." Ashton smiled wide at his friend before beginning to clean up his station. He loved working the morning shift because it was relatively calm with only half as many people in the kitchen as the night shift. Sure, the night shift made more money, but Ashton was perfectly content with what he was given, especially since it was catered so that most days he would finish up in time to pick Daisy up from school. The time he spent watching his daughter was time he didn't have to pay for daycare, so the morning shift really ended up evening out with what he would be paid if he worked nights.

"Thanks, Ash." Wendell began laying out his knives. "So, what's new with you since I last saw you?"

Ashton shrugged as he began cleaning up his own knives and packing them away. "Not much really, Daisy's birthday is coming up so fast and she's lost another two teeth, she's basically toothless at this point." Ashton laughed as he was reminded of the image of his daughter with four of her baby teeth missing. "Other than that, not much..." He trailed off as he bit his lip, the thought of Luke making him pause.

"What's got you all blushy, Ash?" Wendell teased as he turned towards his friend with a playful grin.

"Oh, well, I um, actually started seeing someone." Ashton scratched the back of his neck nervously as he finished packing away his knives and turned to face Wendell with a hesitant smile.

Wendell looked surprised at first before his smile dropped, but he covered it with a cough before plastering another, larger smile on his face. "That's, uh, great Ashton. Who's the lucky guy?"

Ashton blushed as he remembered the only time he'd ever even mentioned Luke to Wendell. "Remember that guy I drove home after that big party we both worked?"

Wendell furrowed his eyes. "You mean the drunk college kid?"

Ashton couldn't help as his cheeks burned in embarrassment. "Yeah, um, him. That's Luke. We've kinda been seeing each other the last few weeks..." Ashton shrugged, "It's nothing serious yet, but I really like him, and he's great with Daisy." The honey haired dad couldn't help but smile as he remembered the way that Luke taught Daisy how to draw a person the night before.

"Well, I'm uh, happy for you, I guess?"

Ashton furrowed his eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Wendell's eyes widened when he realized how it sounded. "No, no, I really am, Ash, I just uh, I worry about you... I mean, he's pretty young isn't he? And last time you mentioned him you didn't seem too happy..."

Ashton sighed as he turned to leave the kitchen and Wendell followed him. "He's only like four years younger than me, so it's not that big of an age gap. Plus, there's a lot that's happened between now and then... He's... changed." Ashton so desperately wanted to believe what he said, and he really was starting to as he watched the way Luke interacted with Daisy. It had been almost three weeks since the ballet breakfast, and ever since then it's been like living in a fantasy world with Luke.