organic. ➵ lashton

one>

normally, he would put his car in his tiny garage, but the tiny garage was occupied by a new art project luke had been working on.

when asked, luke called it 'love, loss and tragedy,' but to most it just looked like dismal acrylic colours on watercolour paper.

he didn't mind.

pulling out of his driveway, he began the long drive to his workplace, thoughts of ashton invading his mind.

/\/\/\

"do you need tanning goggles?" luke asked softly, his lithe fingers probing at the drawer in which they kept the odd-looking devices.

the woman nodded and he opened the drawer, grabbing a pair of goggles and handing them to her with a pensive smile as she walked to the tanning beds.

he directed his attention to the line of women waiting for him and he smiled.

"what can i help you with?"

"just a gift certificate is all," she said, holding out the small card.

"and how much credit would you like to put on this?" luke asked, typing on the computer beside him.

"fifty," she said, opening her wallet to hand luke a credit card, which he scanned, and soon the exchange was finished and he looked back up, startled to see the teenager who'd been occupying his thoughts for far longer than anyone else in a while.

"hi, ashton."

ashton grinned, leaning against the desk.

"hi!"

luke couldn't help but smile at ashton's pure giddiness.

"what's got you so happy?" he asked, typing some numbers into the computer.

"i didn't know you worked here," ashton admitted, as if it were some big secret that ashton hadn't ever told anyone else, "and when i saw you, i got really happy."

luke let out an embarrassed, shy little laugh as his cheeks heated up a bit.

"oh, really?"

"yes, really!"

luke smiled at the joyful boy and wished somehow that he could find happiness in the small things like ashton could.

"so, do you need anything, or are you going to keep standing there grinning like a moron?"

ashton seemed to snap out of a trance. "oh, right. what do girls like?" he asked.

"i wouldn't know," luke shrugged, "i'm a guy."

"oh."

luke continued typing away, trying not to focus on the fact that ashton's 'oh' sounded like he hadn't even noticed that luke was, in fact, a male.

"i figured that... if you were working at a salon and day spa, you'd know what, like, girls were into."

"are you looking for a present for your girlfriend, or something?" luke snapped. "because we're closing in ten minutes and i'd say just get her some kind of nail certificate."

ashton gnawed on the inside of his cheek.

"no, i... i'm gay."

luke's jaw nearly dropped.

"oh, shit, ashton i'm sorry, i didn't mean to."

"no, it's fine. you see a handsome guy and assume he has a girlfriend, i get it."

"i'm bisexual, if it helps any?" luke offered.

"i think, what would really help me, is if you would accompany me on a date tonight."

luke stood, stoic. a good-looking teenager, ashton irwin, was asking him on a date?

he realised that he was taking too long to answer.

"unless you're already dating someone, which would make this encounter entirely more awkward than it has to be."

"no!" luke nearly shouted. "i'm not dating anyone. i'd love to go on a date with you."

ashton grinned, just like he had in the beginning.

"great. i'll drive?"

"nah, i took my car here. i'll just follow you, good?"

ashton nodded, walking with luke out the door and watching as the teenager locked up.

"see you there, gorgeous."

luke nearly melted. he'd never thought of himself as gorgeous. then again, he'd never thought of himself as skinny, either.

/\/\/\

well that's the first chapter oops