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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Dec 19, 2012 18:50:59 GMT -5
Ashton couldn't keep the grin off his face as he drove the familiar road back into the city and he knew that if he took his hands off the steering wheel he would probably be shaking from the contained excitement. He'd whooped and cheered and hugged the nearest person to him when he'd gotten the news that he qualified for the national competition he'd been shooting for but there was still so much energy he had yet to work off. This was everything to him, everything that he'd wanted since he realised that he could take his love of snowboarding to the next level and turn a hobby into a little bit more of a career.
Unfortunately, and he realised this as he thought about everyone he had yet to share the news with, there were a few hitches in his plan. His mother, for one. He'd reviewed the travelling times for the competition and realised that he would have to take a little bit of time off from college in order to compete. And if he made it to the international level, what happened then? It would be held outside of the country. He'd need to book plane tickets and hotels and take even more time out of his education. School isn't for me. His gut twisted nervously as he wondered how on earth he was going to explain this to his insistent mother. She'd never gotten a college education herself and she seemed determined to push her son into following a different path than she had. "My books are successful enough," she'd told him, "but we'd be nothing without your father's job. I don't make enough as a writer." He respected that she was trying to do what was best for him but it didn't feel the best to him.
And then there was Lark.
He liked being in a relationship. He'd always been quick to feel lonely when he didn't have the close companionship of another but relationships often involved sacrifices, too. Compromise at the very least. What would Lark think about him disappearing for weeks at the time? She certainly wouldn't be able to come with him most of the time. Maybe for the smaller-scale competitions when it would only take a couple days but she had an education of her own to worry about. An education he was pretty sure she was intent on completing. Would it cause problems? He chewed his lip as he decided against going home and instead turned down a road that would take him to his girlfriend's apartment. Better now than later. It was like ripping off a band-aid. The quicker he got it over with, the better.
He cracked a smile when she opened the door, pulling her into a hug and kissing her nose as that smile widened into a grin. "Look who's back. Didya miss me?" It had been close to a week since he'd been able to see her in person and while he'd kept in steady contact through texts and phone calls, nothing was quite the same in a relationship without face-to-face contact. "So I have good news and possibly-bad-news. Which one should I go with first?" His characteristic smile turned awkward now as he flopped down on her couch and looked up at her, hoping she wouldn't be upset with the things he had to tell her. He wasn't sure what she'd think of it all.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Dec 20, 2012 22:33:05 GMT -5
The house had been loud most of the day, so when Lark finally fell back on the couch with a long sigh the silence was welcomed. Carter had spent a good portion of the day visiting, which entailed a great deal of play time. Even someone with a lot of energy would eventually wear down from several hours of non-stop sword fights and piggy back rides. Still, she wore a content smile on her face; things between she and her mother were...well, as well as they could be considering the past. Most everything Lark did was for her brother though. She could not live with the guilt of leaving Carter out of her life. There was a faint hum as the TV flicked on, her finger hitting the button lazily to surf the channels. Homework would be in order at some point, but right now she was content to take a breather and relax.
Briefly--and out of habit--the girl checked her phone. It wasn't too late in the afternoon but she wondered if Ashton was back in town yet. They had kept in contact for the past week or so that he had been gone but she did miss him. It made sense, right? She was independent and did not need the constant presence of others but that did not mean she went for days on end perfectly content to be away from the people she cared about. I'll call him later. With that thought in mind, Lark stretched out, emitted a yawn and got up to change into something comfortable. A pair of pajama shorts and a tank top later she found herself on the couch again, curling up with a nearby blanket. Her knee still ached from the rug burn she received while playing mini-rodeo with Carter. Rug burn was such a bitch, but it was worth it. The kid had fun and she was glad to make him happy.
About the time Lark began to drift off into a very light sleep, there was a knock at the door. She jumped, completely caught off guard, and nearly fell onto the floor in the process. "Coming!" She called out, cursing under her breath as she patted her chest. Her heart was having a hissy fit from the jolt. Once calm, she half skipped towards the door and opened it. The smile on her face widened as Ashton pulled her into a hug, chuckling as he kissed her nose. She leaned up and returned the kiss. "Nah, in fact I was about to invite some people over and have an orgy and get wasted. But I guess I'll have to cancel that now." Her expression was serious as she put a finger to her chin, looking almost upset before eyeing him. She flicked up the edge of her mouth into a smile. "Joking~ Of course I missed you. Why wouldn't I?" She amended herself before letting him inside and shutting the door. Despite being together over a year Lark was still not sure if Ashton always fully understood the difference between her being serious and joking. To an extent it gave her a sense of satisfaction; being able to make a joke seem real was not an easy feat for a lot of people. Josh understood, at least.
He settled himself on the couch willingly, Lark about ready to follow suit when he spoke up. She frowned. "Either way I'm going to hear the bad news so it's up to you," She offered with a shrug, feeling a faint tug at her shoulder muscles. What sort of bad news? Although her expression was calm and relaxed as she finally sat down next to him, her mind was fumbling over itself in a brief rush of anxiety.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Dec 22, 2012 0:31:59 GMT -5
Hearing the faint but discernible sound of his girlfriend's voice from behind the door, Ashton smiled and his heart seemed to jump with excitement as his stomach twisted. He wasn't used to being apart from the people he was close to for extended periods of time. A week wasn't all that long but when one considered how close he was to Lark, it felt like a long time. He didn't mind the time apart but it felt good to be home. I just hope she's okay with everything I'm about to tell her. The anxiety clawed at him from the inside and he tried to swallow it down without success. It was a familiar sensation to the worry-wart of an Earth elemental. Worried or not, nothing could stop the swooping feeling when Lark opened the door and his lips split with a broad grin.
Ashton blinked with a mixture of surprise and alarm flooding his green gaze at her words. A what? Had he heard her correctly? Flustered, he was going to tell her that she didn't have to cancel any plans for him before he realised that his girlfriend having an orgy wasn't exactly the most appealing idea. That was cheating. That would hurt. Thankfully Lark reassured him that she was only pulling his leg before his thought process could really sort itself out enough to speak. He had opened his mouth with a befuddled expression and he closed it now, looking relieved as he ducked his head with a laugh. "Gets me every time. You need to stop doing that!" There was no trace of seriousness in the Earth's tone, which was light, for he did not actual mind Lark's sense of humour. He was very gullible and fell for it more often than not but he was always understanding once he caught on and he had never found himself offended by her kidding around. "I don't know," he said, smiling and closing his eyes for a moment to take comfort in her close presence. "I missed you, too."
Perhaps he should have thought more about how his mention of bad news would worry Lark but Ashton wasn't exactly the master of forethought. He tended to ramble in the moment without giving a whole lot of thought to the implications of what he was saying. "Potentially bad," he corrected, sounding anxious about stressing how she should interpret that. "I don't know whether it's bad news or not. Maybe." His mouth felt dry and he licked his lips. Goodness, this was hard. Ashton wasn't very good at this. He was always afraid that things would go south if he said the wrong thing. "I-I guess I'll go for the good news first," he said, stumbling a little over the words, "since it'll make a little more sense that way." She was going to need context either way and telling her about how he'd won the competition was certainly going to be context enough.
Taking a deep breath, he flashed her a nervous smile and said, "I did it, L. I won. I made it to the nationals." He still sounded breathless when he spoke about it, hardly able to believe it himself. He'd always known that he was good at snowboarding but Ashton was the type of guy that could realise the potential of others more than himself. If his friends were good at sports he would go in confident that they'd come out on top but he had a lot more doubt in himself. That was everyone, he supposed. "It was really hard but I did really well and the judges were really impressed. I might have lost to one of the others if they hadn't fell on their second run." His brows furrowed now, concern flooding his expression as the happiness melted away like ice in sunshine. "I never got to find out if he was okay, they brought the medics in and everything but..." He swallowed, shaking his head. I hope he's okay. Realising he was doing his usual and getting sidetracked, he said, "But I did it! I'm in!" He hugged her again, needing to do something with all of his pent-up energy and excitement.
Now he bit his lip. "And, well, that's kind of what I wanted to talk about. I'd need to travel a lot for nationals. I'd be away from home more often..." He trailed off, pausing to see how she'd react before he went further into the maybe-bad-news. Testing the waters.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Dec 22, 2012 23:31:48 GMT -5
"Sorry Ash, can't help it," She shrugged and chuckled. Lark did not sound the least bit remorseful as she apologized, just as he did not sound the least bit bothered by her joking. That was a good thing. She liked that, although he could not always discern between something serious and a joke, he took it all in stride either way. It was an admirable trait. Her smile seemed to carry a bit of a glow; knowing he missed her made her feel good. She did not expect Ashton to fall apart without her but it was still comforting.
It was when he sat down and talked of bad news that the happy butterflies drifted away and left a knot in its wake, her frown not fully betraying the anxiety clawing at her stomach. She crossed her legs and turned to face her boyfriend, tucking strands of hair behind her ear and watching him intently. Saying the word potentially did not exactly alleviate how she felt. "Well...I guess we'll find out." Her voice was quieter than usual. She tucked her hands into her lap and shifted to get comfortable. The first thought that crossed her mind was 'is he going to leave me?' which even to her sounded silly but there were not many moments where Ashton had bad news to share.
She tried to shove the paranoia down. "Okay," Lark agreed, nodding slowly as she prepared to listen. Good news was good. Yeah. She stared at him with baited breath as he inhaled, his smile at least bringing a small sense of comfort. Then she offered a smile in return. "Oh, wow! That's great babe, I'm so proud of you." For a time the churning in her gut ebbed away as she ran a hand through his hair and gave him a kiss. "I knew you could do it." Lark had a great level of faith in Ashton, him more than most people, and his accomplishment made her happy. She listened as he talked, offering a brief frown at the mentioning of an injury, then emitting a small laugh as he embraced her in his excitement. She hugged him back. "I'm so happy for you. You deserve it." She thought he deserved the best of everything.
He was talented, good at snowboarding. The guy never gave himself enough credit. This was finally solidified proof that her thoughts on his talents were not simply because she admired him. Boyfriend status did help but she wouldn't complement him if she didn't think it necessary. Then, as he bit his lip, Lark's mind drifted back to the previous anxiety she felt when he mentioned the possible bad news and her smile disappeared. She leaned her head on the back of the couch and watched him, dark eyes scanning his face. "So...what does 'more often' mean? A week at a time? Or...?" Her voice drifted away, though it was not out of emotional weakness but uncertainty about the answer. She glanced down at her hands, wrapping her fingers together. She knew he was not cut out for school; he had said so himself several times before. There was no need to ask about whether or not school was going to play a part in the equation. Even if it were to remain, he couldn't keep up with the Academy, could he? "I mean, no matter what I'll miss you but..." Lark bit at her lip, for once in a long while feeling uncertain. Not because she did not want him to follow his dreams, but because it was an unexpected thing. She still glanced back up and offered him a small, supportive smile. "I want you to be happy, Ash. I think you were made for this."
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Dec 30, 2012 20:18:53 GMT -5
He only chuckled in response, having known that the moment that he caught onto the joke. He would never want his girlfriend to change who she was because of him and that was why he found it so easy to brush off her teasing once he figured out that she was not serious. She never meant any harm by it and so why would he go so far as to hold it against her?
Lark was not the only one who had the anxious churning in her stomach. Ashton was terrified that she was going to take the news badly or that she wouldn't want him to pursue his dreams and so he was hesitant to so much as open his mouth and start in on his explanations. She'd always been a reasonable and supportive person and she'd been there for him any time he needed someone to lean on but this was different. It felt different. It took trust to allow your significant other to disappear for weeks at a time. There was no way of knowing what they would do under the influence of alcohol with strangers in an unfamiliar place and so you had to trust that nothing would go wrong. He trusted her but did she trust him? And then there was the issue of loneliness. Would she prefer someone who could be around all the time? He didn't know. He was scared to find out.
There was relief when she seemed happy for him, though the paranoia did not allow it to hit full force. He managed to keep the bright smile on his lips—he was happy, after all. Just nervous. "Thanks," he said sheepishly, ducking his head as she expressed her pride and excitement for him. She was so much more enthusiastic about these things than his mother. He had his father's support through everything but his mother was a tough shell to crack.
Then came the hardest part. He was tense as the smile faded from her lips, fearing the worst. He had to breath slowly to stop from panicking and his teeth continued to worry at his lip, brow furrowing. "It depends on where they're held and how much training I want to put in." No one could be good at something without practice. Not good enough to beat those that worked as hard as they could, at any rate. He liked to be ahead of the curve. He was confident in his abilities but he had never been cocky. "Maybe two weeks at the most for nationals, but then what if I win?" He didn't know if he would win, of course, but he always had to keep the possibility in mind. "I'd need to go out of the country and train as hard as I could to make sure I'm ready. It might not be for all that long each time but I have to keep that option open depending on my competition." He dragged a hand through his hair nervously. A slow and slightly shaky breath pushed its way past his lips. He was talking quickly and rambling due to his anxiety, wanting to get this over with. "I plan to enter as many competitions as I can. I'll need the money, especially if my mother keeps her promise." He'd mentioned to Lark in the past that his mother seemed adamant about throwing him out if he dropped out of school. He always kept a light air about him when he talked about his family problems, not wanting anyone to worry, but there was nothing cheerful about being kicked out.
He scratched the back of his neck, wishing that the knots in his stomach would go away. "And, well, I'd have to drop out of school." He was more worried about his mother's reaction than Lark's when it came to school. His girlfriend knew how much he hated it. "It's going nowhere for me and there's no way I'd have time to catch up on the backlog of assignments if I was away often. Andy's already told me that I can work for him whenever I am home for the extra cash but alone it wouldn't be enough for an apartment." He was going to take snowboarding on as a career and so that meant entering all the competitions he could sign up for to earn money. Only then would he make enough to keep a roof over his head and food in his stomach. His father had promised to help him out if he were ever in a real bind (this had been after the argument with his mother) but he couldn't pay to keep an apartment and a house. It would only be for small things. Ash appreciated it nonetheless. "You... you really think so?" His smile was shaky but it was there. "So you're... you're okay with it?"
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Jan 2, 2013 13:41:41 GMT -5
To some degree, Lark should have expected something like this. It was more in his nature than school was, which was fine. She was never the type to judge others for their strengths and weaknesses, for their likes and dislikes. It was what made the human population so vastly different and unpredictable. Which, to her, was a good thing. Still, she was not fully prepared for the news and probably looked a bit dumbfounded as he talked. Her mind buzzed and tried to wrap itself around the concept that Ashton would not be around all the time. Independent yes, but it would be different. Strange. Something to adjust to. She still smiled at him though and tried to keep the other emotions off of her face. She wanted him to be happy. He deserved it. Her eyes darted to and fro across his face, absorbing the information like a sponge. What would happen if he did win nationals? That would mean a lot of extra time away, right? Two weeks was not too terribly long but going out of the country would mean even longer. Ashton looked nervous or anxious as he ran a hand through his hair, breathed a shaky breath. Instinctively Lark reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle but supportive squeeze. She felt more sorry for him than herself at this point, wondering why he was acting like this. Did he think she would get angry? Lash out? Dump him? While she was a Fire and had a temper, this was not one of those instances where she freaked out over something. There was no need to. Not to mention dumping him was out of the question.
"Well, keep the option open then," Lark encouraged firmly. Her voice was still a bit quiet, but it was more because he was still talking than anything else. After mentioning his 'mother's promise', her placid expression switched to more of a scowl. "I really don't understand her. You'd think, of all people, she would be accepting of your decisions." That's how parents were supposed to be, anyway. Then again, Frank and Paula were not exactly model parents. I'll never treat my kids like that. And that was a mental promise to be made then and there. Ashton should have the full support of his mother. Oh well; there was nothing she could do to make the situation any better other than be a support for her boyfriend in the best ways she knew how.
Lark nodded and did not look the least bit surprised at his statement. Had he been someone like Josh, that comment would have probably sent her reeling and speechless. That would be completely out of character. For Ashton, this was something she could anticipate. He had talked about it on and off before. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well that's nice of Andy," She said with a smile. "And you know you don't have to worry about staying somewhere while you're home, right? You can always stay here. My home is yours." It was not much of a 'home' necessarily but she had places to sleep and food to eat and a roof overhead. That was better than nothing. In a way it was further approval of his snowboarding endeavors. She did not want him to struggle unnecessarily. Life was cruel and knew how to hold you down but there needed to be spaces of relief. Lark would offer what she could. Had this been months ago she would have hesitated but over a year in a relationship left her more comfortable."Yeah, yeah I think so. You know me, Ash. I don't say things just to be nice."
Sugarcoating had never been her thing. At work she tried her best to avoid insulting her customers because earning the store money was important, but outside of business there was hardly a hesitation with the outright truth. His question left her silent for a moment, but not a long enough moment to seem like she was truly halting on her decision. It had practically been made. "Of course. As long as you try your best, stay safe, and always come back to me, I'm okay with all of it." Lark leaned over and wrapped her arm around his waist, nestling her face into his neck and planting a light kiss below his jaw line. Missing him would be inevitable but they would have time in between. She would take whatever she could get and love every moment of it.
[Hello muse. <3]
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Jan 9, 2013 5:46:32 GMT -5
He was anxious, he was scared, but that all shuddered to a halt for a moment when Lark closed her hand around his. The contact jolted him from his internal panic and a small smile formed on his lips as he ducked his head. Glancing back up, he told her softly, "Thanks, Lark. It... it means a lot to me. You know that, right?" He always felt sheepish when he tried to talk about his feelings. He liked letting people know what he thought of a situation but he worried that they might think he was being silly. He worried about a lot of things.
His relationship with his mother had deteriorated slowly over the years. It had happened at a snail's pace and so he had refused to take notice of it until the final warning had slapped him across the face and left him stunned. He was not the son she wanted him to be and that hurt. His father had remained a steadfast supporter of Ashton's wants and dreams throughout the years but his mother had slowly distanced herself. It had all started when his powers surfaced. She'd never approved. It hurt more than he could put into words and his smile wavered for a moment as he thought about it. "She... never really understood the sports thing." He shrugged and tried to look nonchalant, like it didn't matter to him, but Ashton had a bad habit of wearing his heart on his sleeve. He was easier to read than an open book. "I think... I think sometimes she regrets not going to college herself. She's a good writer but she doesn't make as much as she wanted to and so she thinks that following your dreams is the wrong way to go." He never talked about his family problems. Rather than for the purpose of being secretive, he kept people in the dark because he didn't want them to know that anything was wrong. "Dad'll support me, though," he added. Dustin had always been there. Always.
He nodded and the smile returned. It wasn't hard to cheer him up, he was a naturally sunny person. "Andy's a great guy. I'm glad he hired me." The job thing had been something that made him hesitate at first, assuming that it would take far too large a chunk out of his freedom, but he was glad for it now. "I know. I never doubted for a second that you'd help me out if I needed it." Lark was much like his father in that she'd always been there. He lifted a hand and brushed it against her cheek fondly.
Apart from her sense of humour, Lark's lack of sugarcoating had been one of the more difficult adjustments he'd needed to make for their relationship. It was not something he was used to. Most of his friends would lie to his face to save his feelings and so the fact that she spoke her mind had been dizzying at first. Now, far from resenting it, Ashton appreciated her honesty. It meant that when she told him that she was all right, he believed her. The Earth elemental wrapped his arms around her and held her for a moment, taking comfort in the contact and her presence. "Thanks. I love you, you know that? And I'll always come back. Even when I leave, I'll call you every day if you want. We could Skype, too, so that we can see one another." It wouldn't be in person but it would be something. He'd get to see her face. He'd miss her, too, but he knew that he was doing the right thing. This was his future.
[Aww, yay! <33]
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Jan 13, 2013 22:40:40 GMT -5
The contact seemed to help a little when he smiled at her, her own expression gentle and understanding. She knew how hard it could be to talk about certain things, especially considering who she was. Lark always struggled talking about family, past, or any instances that she did not deem important to discuss with others. This was different than that, she supposed, but the anxious feelings were probably the same. "You're welcome," She replied, rubbing his hand with her thumb. "I'm glad it does." He might have worried about feeling silly but Lark didn't think anything of it. He was who he was and she adored him no matter what.
If anyone understood mother problems, it was Lark. Well, at least in more recent years. Life had been good when she was little. Paula supported her in her endeavors and seemed genuinely interested in motherhood, but of course not everything could stay afloat forever. She frowned and let out a light sigh, giving his hand another squeeze. "Well, you have other people that support you at least. You aren't alone." It would suck to have his mother be the only means of emotional support but Ashton had his father, and herself, and probably a handful of other friends too. She couldn't bear not to be supportive of his endeavors. Perhaps because she was not a parent. Of course his explanation did make sense, but still Lark shook her head and nestled the side of her head against the couch. "I guess, but she shouldn't push her regrets on you. Let's face it, the arts are difficult to make money in. Music, writing, drawing...it's rough. But if you've made it snowboarding then even if you lose there are people who will still admire you and look forward to seeing you race." Every athlete has their down moments or time of failure, but if they are good enough--which she knew Ashton could be--that would not alter his chances at moving forward or having some popularity. "I'm glad you have your dad's support though."
Lark was honestly unsure as to how his parents even managed to find common ground; to her they seemed very different. Opposites attract. She had to remind herself that she and Ashton were not alike either. Fire and Earth, temper and gentle, guarded and open. Their relationship worked out well enough, she thought. She smiled at him and nodded a little in agreement on Andy; having a job was not always fun but it did have its perks in the long run. She came to love her work at the music store and knew that the experience would give her the boost she needed when looking for something in the area of teaching. "Good," Lark replied. "But you have to pay rent. And wear a maid's outfit. And massage my feet." She gave him a serious look before smirking, hoping he would get that she was only kidding. Maybe not the massage thing but the maid's outfit would be creepy.
It was nice to have his arms around her. She felt safe and comfortable. Her eyes fluttered closed as he spoke, feeling the rumble of his voice. She pulled back just enough to look at him and gave a small smile, hand on his cheek. "I love you too, Ash. If you can't call it's okay but it would be nice whenever you can. And Skype works too. I charge for virtual strip teases though." She chuckled, joking. Strip teases, while common, would probably be weird to do over the internet and Lark couldn't see herself doing that. Not exactly part of who she was. Inwardly, now that the main topic of the conversation had ended, she let out a small sigh of relief. She was happy that things were okay and the anxiety was gone. Feeling the knot in her stomach dissipate she gave him a brief but meaningful kiss. Afterwards she searched his face. Hmm. Biting at her lip thoughtfully, Lark leaned in and kissed him again, this time a bit stronger and let it linger for a while. "I...know of one way I can congratulate you," She said quietly, raising her eyebrows and looking sheepish but suggestive. Her hand gripped at his waist. "If you're interested."
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Jan 21, 2013 18:12:50 GMT -5
The Earth boy nodded without hesitation, smiling. "I know I do." He'd always been a very kind and social person and it had allowed him to acquire a large circle of friends and supporters over the years. He appreciated each and every person that simply gave him the time of day and even though he rarely talked about his problems, he trusted every one of them to be there for him when he needed it. It was unbelievably naive, given human nature's often selfish ways, but he trusted more than most.
He was never sure which stance to take when talking about his mother. On one hand, the boy loved her and did not like to say anything that put her in a bad light when discussing the woman with his friends. On the other, he was not a complete fool. He knew that she was not right in the way that she treated his wants and desires like they were somehow wrong. Usually he chose to avoid the issue by not bringing it up but Lark was different. "I hope I can prove her wrong," he said, chewing the inside of his lip. "I mean, maybe if she sees that this is really what I love... if I can somehow prove to her that I'm happier making less money and enjoying my job more in the long run..." He trailed off. Would it happen? He truly hoped so. He just wanted things to be all right with his mother. Everything had went downhill since the discovery of his powers.
The idea of having fans still baffled him. He had friends that supported him and he'd even been on TV a few times when the competitions aired but he'd never had a stranger approach him and express an interest in what he did. He didn't know how he'd react to it if it happened, but he liked the idea of being able to inspire others.
This time he managed to catch onto the fact that his girlfriend was joking, mostly because the boy didn't actually believe she'd force him to wear a maid outfit just to live with her for a while until he got on his own two feet, so he laughed and pouted. "So mean to me, you are. Do you also want me to bow on your arrival and kiss your feet? Because it looks like that's the kind of path this is taking." His green eyes were bright with amusement and he could feel himself calming down already. Ashton loved nothing more than to be in high spirits and so it was not hard for him to shirk any kind of negative feeling as soon as he found a way to do so.
He looked a little sheepish and blushed for a moment when she spoke of virtual strip teases, his thoughts dipping into an area he hadn't been intending for them to go. "B-But Lark, I'm not going to have that much money..." He decided to play along regardless. They were a couple, this sort of talk was more unexpected than awkward. It wasn't like he'd ever seen her without clothing before. Oh, god, his thoughts were going from bad to worse. It didn't help that they were kissing, lips locked together and skin brushing. He could feel a lump in his throat as he contemplated how much it might ruin the moment if he tried to take things a little further. Fortunately for his floundering hormones, Lark seemed to get her own mind onto a similar track, grabbing at his waist and making him blink with surprise that was nevertheless pleasant. "I... yeah," he said, leaning forward to claim her lips once more. He waited until he was forced to draw back for air before continuing, "I'd say I'm interested."
[Bam, FTB & Fin <3]
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