Lashton One Shots (Reasons)✓

[ such a brilliant star you are ]

This is all Michael's fault.

"Hi," he says, smiling weakly. "So, um, what's-"

"I was just thinking we could go and get some coffee?" Ashton shrugs. "Like, that's totally cliche, I know, but I thought we could just get to know each other?"

Luke takes a few seconds too long to reply, evidently, pre-occupied with thoughts on how he can actually get himself out of this situation without either looking like a creep, a stalker, an idiot, or just hurting Ashton's feelings.

"Um," Ashton clears his throat. "Niall did tell you about this, right? Like. That this is a date? That he set up? Because if not that'd be a bit awkward-"

And here is when Luke should stop and gently explain to Ashton the scenario, and admit that he is kind of socially inadaquate, and that he's really very sorry.

Luke does not do that.

Luke panics.

Luke is a fucking idiot.

"No, no, he did," Luke hears someone say. Apparently it's him. He wonders why he's doing this to himself while he says it. Maybe he's a sub-conscious masochist. "I don't know Niall very well though, it's mostly through a friend?"

"Yeah?" Ashton says, with a nervous but relieved smile on his face. "So you're alright with this? It's just, you look a bit freaked out right now?"

"Oh, I'm just - I'm just kind of shy."

"That's okay. I'm not shy at all, so maybe I can help get you out of your shell," the grin on Ashton's face is adorable, and Luke is a terrible person.

"Um, yeah, maybe. Hopefully. You seem nice. Really nice, I mean-"

"Relax, Luke, it's okay," Ashton's unbearably nice. Luke is going to hell. "So, um, shall we go?"

And so that's how Luke, social failure and a physical embodiment of human awkwardness, ends up on an accidental blind date with the prettiest boy he's seen in a while. He can't think of a single way that this can't go wrong, but there is one thing that he's sure of:

He's going to murder Michael Clifford.

::

The place that Ashton takes him to is nice. It's low-key and quiet, quaint and on the edge of town. Somehow, conversation hadn't been too bad on the way here. Like, for Luke's standard, it'd been pretty good. So he's hoping it won't be a total disaster.

(And then he has to stop and remind himself that he's not actually Ashton's date, and that is definitely something that is going to come up. Maybe not now, but Ashton will probably have some questions when the aforementioned Lucas calls him up and apologises for missing their date. Luke imagines that he might be quite confused in that situation.)

"Is this place okay?" Ashton asks him, nervously. He's cute when he's nervous, Luke thinks; he avoids eye contact, looking down at the table with a little anxious half-smile, and he threads his fingers together.

Luke likes noticing people's nervous habits. He finds it interesting, because sometimes it's the only thing that will give away that somebody isn't as confident as they think. They'll be smiling all over and they can appear as charismatic as anything, but the bitten nails or chapped lips will still remain apparent. And he likes that, likes that he's not the only person who feels shy or out of his depth, it makes him feel more on the same level with Ashton, more comfortable, somehow.

"Yeah," Luke says, smiling shyly. "It's nice here. I like it."

Ashton looks relieved. "I was worried you'd find it boring, or too quiet," he admits. "But, like, first date, especially when we don't know anything about each other - I kind of wanted to get to know you a bit? Otherwise what's the point, really," he shrugs. "I don't know. I'm not great at this."