august 2015
houston tx
After spending a little longer talking, Ashley and Geoff notice a familiar head of blue hair passing by the window.
Awsten has to do a double take when he sees them; he notices Ashley first, and offers her a small smile, before looking back, a little shocked to see Geoff sat opposite her.
Geoff offers him a small wave, to which Awsten nods in return, brushing off his surprise, before heading into the cafe.
"Hi," Ashley greets, turning around in her seat to watch him as he enters.
"Hey," Awsten replies, clearing his throat, as he looks between the two of them. "What are, uh— what're you guys doing here?"
"Just catching up," Geoff shrugs, casually, and Ashley contributes a hum.
"Oh," Awsten responds, a little quieter than intended. "Uh, I was just grabbing a coffee before practice," he tells Geoff, with a fairly blank expression.
"Ah, I'll join you on the way!" He replies, cheerily. "I don't think I need another coffee, though," Geoff adds, swirling the last mouthful at the bottom of his cup, before drinking it down.
"Right," Awsten nods, with a vacant look, as he glances towards the queue. "Well, I'm gonna hop in line," he announces, before swiftly stepping aside to join the row of people in front of the counter.
Ashley looks at him oddly as he walks away, slightly baffled by his odd demeanour.
"Is it just me or was he acting weird?" She turns to Geoff, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, definitely," he agrees. "Might just need some coffee if he hasn't had any yet," Geoff adds, quietly, nodding towards him. "Or maybe he's still being cautious with you, you know? Hopefully it'll pass once we get in the swing of practice."
Both Ashley and Geoff stand from their seats and wait for Awsten to grab his coffee; he notices them stood waiting for him, and makes brief eye contact with Ashley, before collecting his drink.
"You ready?" Geoff smiles.
"Mhm," Awsten answers, chewing on his straw, his eyes lingering on Ashley as they head to the exit.
"Awsten," she stops him, touching his arm gently, while Geoff walks out of the door.
He turns around, raising an eyebrow at her, before his gaze darts down to the grip she has on his bicep; it makes his body feel warm, since it's the first time she's been this close to him since their argument.
The two of them seems to realise the same thing, and Ashley slowly lets go of him, composing herself.
"Are you okay?" She asks, carefully.
"Yeah, fine. Why?" Awsten responds quickly, and calmly.
"You just seem really...off," Ashley replies.
"I'm fine," he relays, this time with a shrug.
She frowns at him, but it's clear that her expression is filled with more concern than anything, and it makes Awsten feel a little guilty.
