Page 31 of Should Our Stars Collide

Kieran grunts in response, noting with dissatisfaction that none of them has an issue walking in a straight line even after chugging down three full pints of beer. Ugh, why is life so unfair?

Without company to distract him, dull as it was, it’s hard not to let his eyes wander. Inevitably, he ends up looking towards the bar again and, to his surprise, Ash is already looking at him. Kieran stares back out of sheer stubbornness, satisfied when Ash looks away first. He’s about to mind his own business when he sees Ash move. He pulls the twink close, whispering something in his ear.

Gritting his teeth, simply because everything Ash does annoys him, he turns back to his drink, stabbing the bottom of the glass with the rapidly dissolving paper straw until it bends.

He’s not sure how long he stays like that, glaring at his drink as if it has personally offended him, but when his eyes involuntarily steer back to the bar, he stills.

Ash is alone, the twink nowhere to be seen. He says something to the bartender, who nods and presents him with a card terminal. After tapping his phone to it, Ash stands up and starts to turn around.

Kieran looks away before he’s caught staringagain.The twink has probably gone to the loos before Ash takes him home. His home, or the twink’s? Who knows? Not that Kieran cares. He’s just a teensy bit curious if Ash is the type of person to bring someone to his place, or follow them to theirs. Probably the latter. Less hassle for him. He can just slip out in the morning. Or the middle of the night, more likely. Asshole.

“Hey, there.”

“Eep!” Kieran grips the edge of the tablejustin time not to topple backwards. Shit, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

His heart rate doesn’t even get a chance to slow down when Ash takes the chair opposite him.

“Do you mind?” Kieran snaps. He fights the urge to look for the twink, but that would be too conspicuous.

Ash smiles, saccharine. “Not at all.” He smiles wider the more Kieran glares.

“Wild night for you, huh?” Kieran nods at the tall glass of water in front of Ash, filled with ice and decorated with a slice of lemon. Secretly, he wishes he had the foresight to get one for himself. His body is practically screaming for hydration.

He blinks when the glass is pushed towards him.

“That’s for you. Your liver could use some H2O.”

He’s thirsty enough that the ice looks pretty fucking delicious right now. He swears he can feel his kidneys do a little celebratory dance inside him. His hand twitches as if to move towards the glass, butthankfully his brain catches up. He curls his fingers into his palms just in case anyway.

“No fucking way am I risking drinking some spiked shit.” Fuck, he can’t believe he almost went for it. He’d frozen the moment Shane slid the beer towards him, but Ash fucking Cleaver shows up with his stupid water and Kieran’s brain cells start popping one by one. God, he hates this guy, hates how out of character Ash makes him feel every time they meet.

He nearly laughs at the dumbstruck expression on Ash’s face, and prepares himself for a counter-attack if Ash tries to gaslight him into drinking it.

‘Don’t be so dramatic’or‘You’re being so unreasonable right now’or‘I was being nice and you’re being a jerk’or, his absolute favorite,‘Why are you being so difficult?’

“Ah, yeah, you’re right. Apologies. I should’ve thought of that.” With a wince, Ash withdraws the glass, giving Kieran a smile that actually does look apologetic, ashamed even.

Um…okay.

What the hell?

It takes Kieran a good long while before he stops staring like a moron, fumbling for words.

“Twink didn’t wanna put out?” is what eventually comes out of his mouth. It must’ve been at least ten minutes since the twink in question disappeared.

Ash’s teeth flash in a grin. “If you’re referring to Cory?—”

“He has a name, huh,” Kieran mumbles, abandoning the nearly completely dissolved straw and bringing the whole glass to his mouth.

“He’s a friend visiting from Perth. He wanted to catch up,” Ash explains. As if Kieran cares.

“He sure was looking at you in a very friendly way.”

With an elbow on the table, Ash rests his head in the cradle of his palm. “Are you always so perceptive?”

Perceptive, his ass. What was happening at that bar could easily qualify for soft porn. He’s not gonna point that out, though. “Nothing gets by me.”

Ash hums. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”