Fan Fic; Facebook Series - The Date pt. 2
title: the date pt. 2
rating: g
summary: the second half of noah and ashton's date!
notes: <3
They ended up at a small strip just off campus. There was a deli, ice cream shop, Chinese buffet, and a pizza shop called Angelo’s. The smell is what won them over and they found themselves walking into the small pizza shop and choosing a table near the front window. It didn’t take long for someone to come by and take their drink orders and give them menus.
“It all sounds good,” chuckled Ashton.. “How am I supposed to pick?”
Noah smiled over his menu. “I think I’m going with one of the calzones,” he said. “I haven’t had a calzone in ages.”
“Where are those?” he asked, leaning forward and looking Noah’s menu. Noah sat his down and reached forward, pointing out the section on Ashton’s menu and then closing his own. “Oh, those do sound good.”
“You gentleman ready to order?” asked the waitress as she stepped up to their table. Noah looked at Ashton, who was biting his tongue and taking a final look at the menu.
“Yeah, I think so,” he said, still glancing at the many options before him. “You go first.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “I’ll have a tomato and mushroom calzone,” he said, handing the waitress his menu. She turned to Ashton expectantly.
“Er,” he stalled. “I’ll have the… how about a, mushroom and spinach calzone.”
“You sure?” the waitress teased. Noah choked back a laughed and Ashton just smirked.
“Yes, I’m sure,” he laughed along, handing her the menu.
Their breadsticks arrived five minutes later, followed closely by their entrees.
“Holy cow,” exclaimed Ashton. “There is no way I’m going to be able to finish all of this!”
“Eat half now, take the other half home,” suggested Noah with a smile as he separated the two halves of his own massive calzone. “I have a feeling that’s what I’m going to end up doing.”
Noah was true to his word. They both left the restaurant with white to-go boxes tucked under their arms. Ashton was moaning dramatically, a hand over his stomach.
“I ate too much,” he whined as he got into the car. Noah laughed, dropping into the seat beside him. “So… homeward bound?” he asked cautiously. Noah smiled sadly, looking down at the time. It was nearly midnight.
“Well, I don’t have to work until three, but don’t you have to be at the studio early?” Noah asked.
“Sadly,” Ashton groaned. “Why did I want this internship again?” They both laughed.
“You’re gonna love it,” said Noah encouragingly. “I mean, it can be a bit boring or tedious at times, but I know I learned a lot while I was there, and it was great to get some experience, see what it is really like to work on a set, even if it is just for local programming.”
“True. Let’s just hope I don’t screw up and, I don’t know, break a camera or something on my first day,” Ashton laughed nervously.
Noah just smiled. The way he was staring, Ashton felt his face turn red.
“You’re going to be great, Ashton,” said Noah confidently. Ashton bit his lips.
Beat.
Ashton laughed a little and shook his head. “Let’s hope you’re right!” he said happily, starting the car and putting it in reverse.
Noah’s apartment building was only about six or seven minutes from the restaurant and with the lack of traffic on the road at midnight in Oakdale, it took even less time than usual. There was no hesitation, no questioning glances as both men got out of the parked car and walked with each other into the building. Ashton had been here numerous times over the past few months. Along with Richard, Ashton had been another friend to give Noah rides to and from the hospital or to therapy, so he’d been here enough times that the short walk up the stairs and down the hall was more than familiar to him. Tonight, though, it felt ominously foreign.
He could hear Noah pulling out his keys and his throat tightened mercilessly.
The door was opened and Noah took a half a step inside before pivoting to face Ashton, keys returning to his pocket.
The moment of truth.
“Thanks again, for coming tonight,” began Ashton. He looked down and hesitantly reached for Noah’s hand, thrilled when Noah reached forward as well, their fingers linking easily between them. “I had a great time tonight. I hope that maybe, we could do this again?”
“I’d like that,” replied Noah with a kind smile. Ashton’s breath hitched for a moment, their fingers tightening. He boldly stepped closer to Noah, watching his face for any sign of uncertainty. He didn’t see any.
Cautiously, and without looking away from Noah’s eyes, he leaned forward, amazed as Noah did the same. Their faces were already close and slowly, oh so slowly, that small distance began to close.
“Hey, Noah, how was.. Oh!”
Maddie’s voice grew louder with each word as she drifted into the living room from the hallway. She stopped abruptly as she saw the two men standing together in the door, her face taking on an impressive shade of pink that rivaled the tank top she was wearing.
“Sorry!” she exclaimed sheepishly, tip toeing quickly back down the hallway. Ashton let out a staggered breath, shoulders slumping and falling away a bit. Noah dropped his hands and Ashton felt his stomach sink.
Then came the awkward silence. Ashton was barely containing the urge to turn and run.
“Sorry about that,” Noah said softly, scratching the back of his neck. Ashton was happy to see that he wasn’t the only one turning red.
“I guess our luck only lasts til midnight,” Ashton said with a forced laugh. Noah smiled.
“Maybe.” Beat. “But maybe, this wasn’t such a bad thing,” Noah began again. Ashton’s smile quickly fell. “I had fun tonight, Ashton. I really did,” he said, reaching for Ashton’s hand again. “But I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I want to take things slow.”
Ashton paused for a moment, replaying Noah’s words three times before their meaning completely sunk in. He nodded, shifting uneasily on the balls of his feet.
“I understand,” he began half heartedly. Noah frowned and Ashton tightened his fingers around Noah’s, stepping close again. “Really, I do. Hell, I’m still shocked you agreed to even go out with me in the first place!” he laughed, and thankfully Noah laughed along.
“Thank you,” Noah whispered appreciatively. “And I really would like to do this again,” he added. Ashton’s smiles finally reached his eyes again.
They stood there for a moment longer, fingers playing over the others palm absently and smiling nervously at one another. It was sickly sweet and so typical of a first date.
“Well I should get going,” said Ashton. “And I’m sure Maddie is just waiting to pounce on you,” he added with a laugh.
“Ugh, I bet you’re right,” chuckled Noah. “Alright. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”
Ashton beamed. “Definitely.”
------
“Spill. Now.”
Noah had barely closed the door when Maddie was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed anxiously. He grinned, rolling his eyes and moving directly to the couch, dropping down with a soft thud. Maddie joined him, curling up in the opposite corner.
“So how was it?” she asked after a few moments of silence. She was leaning on her elbow, propped on the back of the couch, and grinning insistently. Noah leaned into the corner, smiling back.
“Honestly? It was… it was wonderful.”
rating: g
summary: the second half of noah and ashton's date!
notes: <3
They ended up at a small strip just off campus. There was a deli, ice cream shop, Chinese buffet, and a pizza shop called Angelo’s. The smell is what won them over and they found themselves walking into the small pizza shop and choosing a table near the front window. It didn’t take long for someone to come by and take their drink orders and give them menus.
“It all sounds good,” chuckled Ashton.. “How am I supposed to pick?”
Noah smiled over his menu. “I think I’m going with one of the calzones,” he said. “I haven’t had a calzone in ages.”
“Where are those?” he asked, leaning forward and looking Noah’s menu. Noah sat his down and reached forward, pointing out the section on Ashton’s menu and then closing his own. “Oh, those do sound good.”
“You gentleman ready to order?” asked the waitress as she stepped up to their table. Noah looked at Ashton, who was biting his tongue and taking a final look at the menu.
“Yeah, I think so,” he said, still glancing at the many options before him. “You go first.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “I’ll have a tomato and mushroom calzone,” he said, handing the waitress his menu. She turned to Ashton expectantly.
“Er,” he stalled. “I’ll have the… how about a, mushroom and spinach calzone.”
“You sure?” the waitress teased. Noah choked back a laughed and Ashton just smirked.
“Yes, I’m sure,” he laughed along, handing her the menu.
Their breadsticks arrived five minutes later, followed closely by their entrees.
“Holy cow,” exclaimed Ashton. “There is no way I’m going to be able to finish all of this!”
“Eat half now, take the other half home,” suggested Noah with a smile as he separated the two halves of his own massive calzone. “I have a feeling that’s what I’m going to end up doing.”
Noah was true to his word. They both left the restaurant with white to-go boxes tucked under their arms. Ashton was moaning dramatically, a hand over his stomach.
“I ate too much,” he whined as he got into the car. Noah laughed, dropping into the seat beside him. “So… homeward bound?” he asked cautiously. Noah smiled sadly, looking down at the time. It was nearly midnight.
“Well, I don’t have to work until three, but don’t you have to be at the studio early?” Noah asked.
“Sadly,” Ashton groaned. “Why did I want this internship again?” They both laughed.
“You’re gonna love it,” said Noah encouragingly. “I mean, it can be a bit boring or tedious at times, but I know I learned a lot while I was there, and it was great to get some experience, see what it is really like to work on a set, even if it is just for local programming.”
“True. Let’s just hope I don’t screw up and, I don’t know, break a camera or something on my first day,” Ashton laughed nervously.
Noah just smiled. The way he was staring, Ashton felt his face turn red.
“You’re going to be great, Ashton,” said Noah confidently. Ashton bit his lips.
Beat.
Ashton laughed a little and shook his head. “Let’s hope you’re right!” he said happily, starting the car and putting it in reverse.
Noah’s apartment building was only about six or seven minutes from the restaurant and with the lack of traffic on the road at midnight in Oakdale, it took even less time than usual. There was no hesitation, no questioning glances as both men got out of the parked car and walked with each other into the building. Ashton had been here numerous times over the past few months. Along with Richard, Ashton had been another friend to give Noah rides to and from the hospital or to therapy, so he’d been here enough times that the short walk up the stairs and down the hall was more than familiar to him. Tonight, though, it felt ominously foreign.
He could hear Noah pulling out his keys and his throat tightened mercilessly.
The door was opened and Noah took a half a step inside before pivoting to face Ashton, keys returning to his pocket.
The moment of truth.
“Thanks again, for coming tonight,” began Ashton. He looked down and hesitantly reached for Noah’s hand, thrilled when Noah reached forward as well, their fingers linking easily between them. “I had a great time tonight. I hope that maybe, we could do this again?”
“I’d like that,” replied Noah with a kind smile. Ashton’s breath hitched for a moment, their fingers tightening. He boldly stepped closer to Noah, watching his face for any sign of uncertainty. He didn’t see any.
Cautiously, and without looking away from Noah’s eyes, he leaned forward, amazed as Noah did the same. Their faces were already close and slowly, oh so slowly, that small distance began to close.
“Hey, Noah, how was.. Oh!”
Maddie’s voice grew louder with each word as she drifted into the living room from the hallway. She stopped abruptly as she saw the two men standing together in the door, her face taking on an impressive shade of pink that rivaled the tank top she was wearing.
“Sorry!” she exclaimed sheepishly, tip toeing quickly back down the hallway. Ashton let out a staggered breath, shoulders slumping and falling away a bit. Noah dropped his hands and Ashton felt his stomach sink.
Then came the awkward silence. Ashton was barely containing the urge to turn and run.
“Sorry about that,” Noah said softly, scratching the back of his neck. Ashton was happy to see that he wasn’t the only one turning red.
“I guess our luck only lasts til midnight,” Ashton said with a forced laugh. Noah smiled.
“Maybe.” Beat. “But maybe, this wasn’t such a bad thing,” Noah began again. Ashton’s smile quickly fell. “I had fun tonight, Ashton. I really did,” he said, reaching for Ashton’s hand again. “But I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I want to take things slow.”
Ashton paused for a moment, replaying Noah’s words three times before their meaning completely sunk in. He nodded, shifting uneasily on the balls of his feet.
“I understand,” he began half heartedly. Noah frowned and Ashton tightened his fingers around Noah’s, stepping close again. “Really, I do. Hell, I’m still shocked you agreed to even go out with me in the first place!” he laughed, and thankfully Noah laughed along.
“Thank you,” Noah whispered appreciatively. “And I really would like to do this again,” he added. Ashton’s smiles finally reached his eyes again.
They stood there for a moment longer, fingers playing over the others palm absently and smiling nervously at one another. It was sickly sweet and so typical of a first date.
“Well I should get going,” said Ashton. “And I’m sure Maddie is just waiting to pounce on you,” he added with a laugh.
“Ugh, I bet you’re right,” chuckled Noah. “Alright. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”
Ashton beamed. “Definitely.”
------
“Spill. Now.”
Noah had barely closed the door when Maddie was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed anxiously. He grinned, rolling his eyes and moving directly to the couch, dropping down with a soft thud. Maddie joined him, curling up in the opposite corner.
“So how was it?” she asked after a few moments of silence. She was leaning on her elbow, propped on the back of the couch, and grinning insistently. Noah leaned into the corner, smiling back.
“Honestly? It was… it was wonderful.”