For the writing-prompts I'm doing on tumblr. walkingmadness asked for "Just don't write a song and play it in front of everyone again… it's embarrassing." for BusterXAsh.
A Very Special Gift
Buster helps Ash into the taxi. She's a little unsteady on her feet - which is not surprising after a night of celebrating her birthday.
It's four o'clock in the morning, and Buster can't remember when it was the last time he stayed at a party till the very end.
But it's Ash's twenty-first birthday, and he simply had to stay.
Not only because of Ash, but because he was having so much fun.
Which was partly because of Ash.
Okay, mostly.
Watching her having fun, talking to her, dancing with her - he could stay awake for the rest of his life and still wouldn't have seen enough of her.
It was a bit weird to walk into that room hand in hand, showing their friends how they feel about each other.
Because tonight, they made it official.
After almost a year of keeping it a secret they finally told them that they are a couple.
Most of their friends had assumed it, some of them had even known, but they knew how to keep a secret.
And now it is no secret any longer.
It still makes this warm feeling spread in his chest. It still makes him smile. It still makes him want to kiss her. Again. And again. And again.
He turns to look at Ash, and what he sees makes him frown. Ash has her eyes closed, her head titled back.
Maybe she's asleep, Buster thinks, but something tells him she isn't.
He waits a moment, unsure what to do.
"Ash, are you okay?" he finally asks.
"Yeah," Ash replies, without opening her eyes.
"You aren't feeling sick or anything?" he asks further. Really, it would be a surprise after tonight.
"Nah, I'm fine," she says.
"Okay." Buster bites down his lip for a moment. "So, did you have fun tonight?"
"Sure did."
Okay, something about her tone seems off.
"Ash, what's wrong?"
"Why do you think something's wrong?"
"I don't know." Buster shrugs. "It's just a feeling, I guess."
"Okay," Ash says with a sigh. "I'm going to tell you."
"Okay." Suddenly, Buster feels his throat tighten.
"I did have a lot of fun tonight," Ash says. "And I am happy that our relationship is finally official. But … it's just that…" She breaks off and takes a deep breath.
She finally opens her eyes and looks at him.
"Just don't write a song and play it in front of everyone again… it's embarrassing."
Buster's throat tightens a little more.
He knew it! Writing a song and singing it in front of their friends - of course that was embarrassing!
Really, what was he thinking?! He can't even sing!
It was just an idea, writing a song for her and singing it to her, a special gift because it's her birthday and they made their relationship public tonight, a very special gift. And he thought it was a good idea. It felt like one, back when he was working on the song. He even thought it was a good idea when he climbed on that table and gave a little speech, congratulating Ash again and then singing this song.
Now it doesn't.
He would leave the writing songs- and singing-parts to Ash from now on.
But suddenly, Ash giggles.
He looks at her, confused.
"You believed that?" she asks, giggling a little louder. "I was joking!"
"You were?"
"Of course! Because," - she shifts a little closer to him, taking his hand into hers - "that was the most romantic thing someone's ever done for me!"
"But I can't sing!"
"You tried!" she says, giving his hand a little squeeze. "And it's the thought that counts."
She smiles at him so warmly, he simply has to return it.
"So you liked it?" he asks.
"No." She shakes her head, and the tight feeling in his throat is back, but then she places a quick kiss on his lips.
"I loved it!" she calls out.
He looks at her for a moment, surprised and still a little confused.
Ash places a hand on his cheek, stroking it with her thumb before she pulls him into another kiss. A long and deep kiss this time. A kiss Buster never wants to end.