"I know, I know," Ash whined, feigning distress at the realization that his naming of inanimate objects was just the<i>stupidest</i>thing a person could do. Impressively, Ash's face maintained a believable look of anguish as Casper continued to playfully berate him, but Ash didn't mind the teasing. In fact, he was rather enjoying it. Miles never teased him, he only got annoyed and frustrated whenever Ash wanted to play and poke fun, though he could never quite understand why. Casper was already proving to be more intellectually stimulating than his son, and although Ash enjoyed his cantankerous friend, there was something about Casper that simply left him charmed. "You're right, Mr. Hawkins. I'm a gigantic nerd and I should be incredibly embarrassed by all the silly shenanigans I get up to. Perhaps I'll find a way to be less dreadful in the future. But don't hold your breath." His sad face was dropped and a cheeky grin enveloped his mouth once more as he watched Casper move to the fireplace. He liked watching Casper. The man's muscles moved nicely underneath his skin, and the towel still hung precariously around his hips. Ash was rather impressed that the thing hadn't fallen off yet.<br/><br/>Ash tilted his head when Casper chuckled at him, claiming he didn't accurately interpret what Casper had said. He raised an eyebrow as a soft, rosy flush blossomed up his neck and cheeks. "I know what you meant," Ash countered, perhaps revealing a bit of his stubbornness a little too soon. The young man didn't like to be told he was wrong, even in a playful manner. "You like the idea of drinking wine out of a mug because it alleviates feelings of guilt and judgment, right? Like it's somehow more appropriate when the alcoholic paraphernalia is replaced with something innocuous, like a mug intended to house warm, stimulating drinks. Like coffee. I was relating your negative connotations with wine to my feelings of guilt whenever I eat too much ice cream. The justification is different, but the feelings are the same. Placing the offending substance in a different container changes the way we perceive it. I didn't misunderstand." Ash huffed, but it was small little sound, and the pink in his flesh subsided as quickly as it had come when he had finished explaining himself.<br/><br/>When he returned to his usual, charming self, he couldn't accurately gauge Casper's response to his mild flirting. Yes, Ash had decided it<i>was</i>flirting, but nothing that was supposed to result in anything or go anywhere. Casper was twice his age and his best friend's father. The idea was ludicrous, at best. Flirting was just how Ash spoke. Hell, sometimes Ash would throw a flirtatious statement or two Miles' way, though he would usually just laugh, call Ash a queer and tell him to cut it out. Ash was sure Miles was painfully straight and would never be interested in ever entertaining Ash's facetious advances, which only ever made them funnier. Ash had never spoken to Miles about his budding bisexuality, and he didn't plan on doing so anytime soon. Ash had never acted upon it anyway, and perhaps his interest in other males was just a passing phase, nothing to concern his best friend over.<br/><br/>This confident line of thinking was tossed out of the window when Casper crossed his arms over his chest and commented on how he needed a "good view." The older man's eyes were boring into him, but not unpleasantly, and for once Ash found himself at a loss for words. The teenager licked his lips instinctively, unaware of what he was doing, his chest rising and falling smoothly as he stared back at Casper. Was... was Miles' dad<i>flirting back</i>? Ash's fingers held the fan tightly, his knuckles beginning to go white. "Why, Mr. Hawkins, how kind of you to say," Ash finally spit out, attempting to regain his composure as Casper stepped toward him. "I do my best to stay pretty for all my friends' parents," he added, grinning. Casper then put a hand on Ash's chest sans explanation, pushing the younger male backward. Ash allowed this to happen, though he was incredibly confused and wore the emotion clearly on his face, not attempting to hide his feelings like he had while in Miles' bedroom. Casper then gave a flippant reason for his manipulation of Ash's position, and the young man smirked, furrowing his brows together. The air didn't feel much different from where he had been to where he was now, and there was a strange urgency to Casper's actions that merited a curiosity from Ash.<br/><br/>Ash was about to open his mouth and probe Casper for more information when a loud crash came from the back yard, causing Ash to snap his head back and try to peer behind him. "What the fuck?" Ash hissed, craning his neck before Casper redirected his attention back to himself.<br/><br/>"You? Not being honest?" Ash replied, shaking his head. "Well, that's a lovely way to start off our relationship, Mr. Hawkins." Ash snickered, but he listened to the older man's words, looking out through the glass when Casper directed him to, finally able to see the hovering shadow lurking in the backyard. "Well, fuck me right in the arse," Ash breathed, nodding when Casper suggested he go outside with him.<br/><br/>"All right, I can do that for you," Ash agreed, pausing only momentarily to watch as Casper crossed the floor. "Right, I'm with you," Ash confirmed, setting the fan back down on the mantlepiece and tailing Casper, sliding through the door when the older man opened it for him. The hot air immediately hit Ash like a thick, moist wall and staggered the young man for a moment, but he quickly composed himself. The darkly dressed figure had bounded off somewhere, but Ash could plainly see that yes, the ruffian had indeed trampled Casper's poor ferns.<br/><br/>"What a monster," Ash said, shaking his head in disapproval. "Those looked like they were quite lovely," he said, waiting for Casper to move in front of him and lead the way.