Take My Hand - Lashton

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

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Ashton sighed with relief as he entered his third coffee shop. After already buying two drinks, he didn't think he wanted to spend any more money on coffee he didn't particularity like. But there in the corner sat the blonde man he had been seeking all morning.

After finding Luke's social media he discovered that Luke wrote in a coffee shop every Wednesday to mix things up. He never specified where, but Ashton had hopes that he could find where.

And here he was now, standing awkwardly in front of Luke's table. Looking exactly like he stalked the younger man. "Luke?" he said softly, still causing the blonde to jump.

Luke looked up, his eyes wide and they then relaxed. His frown formed a friendly smile. "Ashton! Hi!"

"Didn't expect to see you today!" Ashton lied nervously, scratching the back of his neck. Luke nodded in agreement. Looking down at the empty chair, Ashton asked. "Can I sit? It's pretty full in here?"

Luke nodded, biting his lip. "Of course."

Before he sat, he asked, "Do you want something?" Ashton asked, pulling his wallet out of his coat pocket and staring at Luke's empty cup. He had hoped that the invitation would mean he and the blonde could sit and talk for longer, allow a friendship to flourish with the potential of meeting again.

Luke shook his head nervously. He had never been good at saying no to the older man, and he was finding that he still hadn't developed that skill. He found it hard to say no to anyone. "I've had enough thanks! I shouldn't have had it really!" he laughed quietly, tilting the cup to look at the brown reminiscence in the bottom. He bit his lip deep in thought.

Pulling out the chair, Ashton decided to sit. "What was it?" he asked sceptically. He wasn't much of a coffee expert, they often looked the same to him till he was hit by an intoxicating bitter taste. It didn't look like tea, what he knew the younger boy to consume. But he knew that with age came the necessity of coffee. People changed and Ashton was beginning to realise he didn't know the man sat in front of him anymore. There was only some faint recognition.

"A hot chocolate. I usually have black tea," he admitted, rubbing his neck with his thumb and index finger. He felt a sudden lump form, restricting his breathing. He suddenly felt silly, ashamed. He couldn't pinpoint why. Whether it was because sitting in front of Ashton he felt unsure why he ever felt guilty for drinking it in the first place. Or because he knew that if Aaron found out he'd be called irresponsible.

Ashton let himself frown, enough to stir uncertainty in the blonde. But, he decided to divert the topic to the laptop in front of the blonde, the screen half pushed down to allow room for a conversation. A polite gesture Ashton found sweet.

After reading most of Luke's work, from his blog and other commissioned pieces he had done, Ashton felt excited about something new. "What are you writing about?" he asked curiously, resting both arms against the table and leaning into the conversation.

Luke looked down at his laptop, eyes wide. "How do you know I'm writing?" There was a joking tone to his voice and Ashton couldn't help but grin.

"Well if I remember correctly you were never one for porn so-"

"Ashton!" Luke gasped, looking at the people sat working silently around them. Most of them had headphones in, and no one was looking their way. Either they had not heard or they were politely ignoring what was said.

Ashton laughed once again at the flushed red complexion. "And you still don't like public embarrassment!" Ashton said, recalling the time Luke sat on his lap one night at the pub. "So what are you writing about?"