Fan Fic; Facebook Series - It's A Date
title: it's a date
rating: mature [slight language]
summary: ashton and noah step outside to talk
notes: <3
When Ashton came outside Noah was already waiting for him, leaning on the pillar to the left of the entry way into the apartment complex. His jacket was on and he was staring out over the parking lot that was cast in red shadows. The sun was low in the sky, barely hidden by the other buildings and trees. Ashton quietly came up and stood beside him, looking out at the red horizon as well.
“I’m sorry,” said Ashton quietly. Neither moved.
“For what?”
“Don’t make me say it again,” he sighed, shoulders falling. Noah finally turned to him.
“Ashton, I’m serious. Stop apologizing,” Noah demanded. Ashton burned red, a bit taken aback by Noah’s forcefulness.
“I can’t help it, Noah! I feel like an idiot right now. I know what you’re going through, I’ve tried to be a good friend-”
“And you have been a good friend!”
“Yeah, until I decided to make a move on you and fuck up whatever the hell it is we had,” Ashton said angrily, stepped forward and bringing his fingers to his mouth. He paused. “I’ve been telling myself for god knows how long to just ignore this. You were always unavailable, one way or another. You were with Luke, or at least in love with Luke. You were in therapy, with Richard, in the hospital, something! And now, you’re still hung up, still coping with what happened with you and Luke, with his new relationship with Reid, and I knew that!”
“Ashton,” said Noah quietly, stepping forward. Ashton shook his head.
“I was being careful and today I slipped up.”
“I’m glad you did!” Noah shouted. “I’m glad I know how you feel, that you aren’t lying to me anymore! Ashton, c’mon. We’ve been friends for years. I hate thinking that you didn’t trust me a enough to be honest, I hate that I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me.”
Ashton laughed mockingly. “I wasn’t lying about some guilty pleasure or about how I secretly can’t stand James Stewart, Noah. I was protecting myself, and you, by not telling you that I had feelings for you! For one of my closest friends, for the guy who has been depending on me for support while he goes through all this crap.”
“If I’m not mad, then why are you?” Noah asked calmly. Too calmly. Ashton stopped, red in the face again. He hadn’t expected that reaction.
“Because I knew better, and I let myself slip up.”
“I already told you I was glad you did-”
“I know, I know, the whole honesty speech, I got it.”
“I should be honest, too, Ashton.” That got Ashton’s attention. He turned to Noah, nerves taking hold again. “I didn’t freak out because I was against the idea of going on a date with you. I freaked out because honestly, I hadn’t even considered it.”
Ashton’s shoulders fell. “Well that makes me feel better,” he muttered.
“Please, just listen,” insisted Noah. “I’d been spending so much time worrying about the things I couldn’t change that I didn’t even entertain the possibility that I was allowed to move on, too. When you asked me out, it was like someone snapping fingers in front of my eyes. I realized that I can move on, that I have to. One way or another, I have to start letting go.”
Ashton didn’t realize at first that he was smiling. “I’ve been telling you for weeks that you need to move on,” he laughed. Noah smiled sheepishly. “Have I told you that you don’t give yourself enough credit?”
Noah laughed. “I think you’ve mentioned it.”
Ashton smiled. They stood side by side, close but not too close and smiling embarrassedly at one another.
“So what does this mean? For us I mean,” Ashton dared to ask. Noah shifted his weight.
“Well,” he began, voice cracking a little. “I’d understand if you didn’t want to anymore, but I’d like to take you up on that movie, if you’re still offering.”
Ashton actually bit his lip, smirking a little and forcing some of his confidence to return. “I think I’d still like that,” he laughed gently.
“It’s a date,” said Noah. Ashton inhaled sharply.
“I like the sound of that.”
rating: mature [slight language]
summary: ashton and noah step outside to talk
notes: <3
When Ashton came outside Noah was already waiting for him, leaning on the pillar to the left of the entry way into the apartment complex. His jacket was on and he was staring out over the parking lot that was cast in red shadows. The sun was low in the sky, barely hidden by the other buildings and trees. Ashton quietly came up and stood beside him, looking out at the red horizon as well.
“I’m sorry,” said Ashton quietly. Neither moved.
“For what?”
“Don’t make me say it again,” he sighed, shoulders falling. Noah finally turned to him.
“Ashton, I’m serious. Stop apologizing,” Noah demanded. Ashton burned red, a bit taken aback by Noah’s forcefulness.
“I can’t help it, Noah! I feel like an idiot right now. I know what you’re going through, I’ve tried to be a good friend-”
“And you have been a good friend!”
“Yeah, until I decided to make a move on you and fuck up whatever the hell it is we had,” Ashton said angrily, stepped forward and bringing his fingers to his mouth. He paused. “I’ve been telling myself for god knows how long to just ignore this. You were always unavailable, one way or another. You were with Luke, or at least in love with Luke. You were in therapy, with Richard, in the hospital, something! And now, you’re still hung up, still coping with what happened with you and Luke, with his new relationship with Reid, and I knew that!”
“Ashton,” said Noah quietly, stepping forward. Ashton shook his head.
“I was being careful and today I slipped up.”
“I’m glad you did!” Noah shouted. “I’m glad I know how you feel, that you aren’t lying to me anymore! Ashton, c’mon. We’ve been friends for years. I hate thinking that you didn’t trust me a enough to be honest, I hate that I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me.”
Ashton laughed mockingly. “I wasn’t lying about some guilty pleasure or about how I secretly can’t stand James Stewart, Noah. I was protecting myself, and you, by not telling you that I had feelings for you! For one of my closest friends, for the guy who has been depending on me for support while he goes through all this crap.”
“If I’m not mad, then why are you?” Noah asked calmly. Too calmly. Ashton stopped, red in the face again. He hadn’t expected that reaction.
“Because I knew better, and I let myself slip up.”
“I already told you I was glad you did-”
“I know, I know, the whole honesty speech, I got it.”
“I should be honest, too, Ashton.” That got Ashton’s attention. He turned to Noah, nerves taking hold again. “I didn’t freak out because I was against the idea of going on a date with you. I freaked out because honestly, I hadn’t even considered it.”
Ashton’s shoulders fell. “Well that makes me feel better,” he muttered.
“Please, just listen,” insisted Noah. “I’d been spending so much time worrying about the things I couldn’t change that I didn’t even entertain the possibility that I was allowed to move on, too. When you asked me out, it was like someone snapping fingers in front of my eyes. I realized that I can move on, that I have to. One way or another, I have to start letting go.”
Ashton didn’t realize at first that he was smiling. “I’ve been telling you for weeks that you need to move on,” he laughed. Noah smiled sheepishly. “Have I told you that you don’t give yourself enough credit?”
Noah laughed. “I think you’ve mentioned it.”
Ashton smiled. They stood side by side, close but not too close and smiling embarrassedly at one another.
“So what does this mean? For us I mean,” Ashton dared to ask. Noah shifted his weight.
“Well,” he began, voice cracking a little. “I’d understand if you didn’t want to anymore, but I’d like to take you up on that movie, if you’re still offering.”
Ashton actually bit his lip, smirking a little and forcing some of his confidence to return. “I think I’d still like that,” he laughed gently.
“It’s a date,” said Noah. Ashton inhaled sharply.
“I like the sound of that.”