Ashton

[evieholt]

evie could talk to a rock, she had spent weeks talking to a lentil in a yogurt cup just to make it grow because her teacher told her that would help a plant. being locked up with someone wasn’t going to stop her, in fact, she would’ve hated being there alone, she would’ve just sat down and stayed there until someone came to save her, not in a dramatic way, just waiting, alone with her thoughts. it was clear they were opposites, evie came with color, loudness, and chaos, while he seemed contained, neat, and organized. as he admitted he was a bit of a control freak, she smiled. "i knew it," she chuckled, letting him continue explaining how he wasn’t as rigid as people thought. she could read that, he just wanted to feel safe. she had never really known what being completely safe meant; her mother died when she was too young to even remember her voice, her dad started drinking, and her brother had to take care of both of them, evie thrived in chaos. "i’m good at filling gaps," she winked playfully. maybe others would’ve felt bad being called loud and chaotic, but evie didn’t take it that way, maybe she wouldn’t even see him again, if he didn’t like her, they’d just go their separate ways. "thanks for saying loud and chaotic, at least you didn’t say weird," she added, raising her eyebrows. when he said she made it easy for him not to feel alone with his thoughts, she smiled. "thanks, that’s really nice," she nodded, a soft smile on her lips. "it’s nice hearing that, others would’ve told me to shut up," she admitted, "i don’t like being alone with my thoughts either, if i talk it’s because that way my mind doesn’t take over," she explained, "people don’t usually like it, at work they do because they pay for a visit, but after that… they don’t want the ramble," she said, a hint of vulnerability slipping through as she spoke to the handsome stranger stuck in the lift with her. "do you think they’ll save us before one of us needs to pee?"

[ashton-torres]

Ashton watched her with a quiet steadiness, leaning back slightly against the lift wall, arms loosely folded as if he were trying to occupy as little space as possible. Evie’s words kept coming, bright, quick, filling every corner of the silence he usually relied on. And strangely, he didn’t feel the usual urge to retreat from it. Her comment about filling gaps earned the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth, not quite a smile, but close enough to count. “Yeah,” he said quietly, his voice even, measured. “You seem good at that.” His gaze shifted briefly to the floor indicator, unmoving, before returning to her. “And loud and chaotic wasn't meant as an insult by the way ,” he added after a beat, almost like he felt the need to clarify. “Just the truth." When she admitted people usually told her to shut up, something in his expression tightened, not dramatically, just a slight narrowing of his eyes, like he was filing that information away. “They’re impatient,” he said simply. “Or not listening properly.” He shrugged one shoulder, subtle. “It's not you. It's them." He hesitated for a moment after she explained why she talked so much, his gaze drifting to the closed doors again. That part, he understood more than he wanted to admit. His voice softened, almost reluctant. “I get that. Keeping your head busy so it doesn’t go somewhere you don’t want it to.” A pause. “It works out sometimes." Her last question pulled a quiet exhale out of him, something just short of a laugh. He tilted his head back slightly, eyes flicking up to the ceiling like the answer might be written there. “Statistically?” he murmured. “We’ll be out before it becomes a problem.” Then, after a beat, he glanced at her again, a trace more relaxed than before. “But if not, I’m blaming you for putting that thought in my head and making me thinking about needing to pee." A faint smirk tugged at his lips. “But if not, I guess we establish some kind of bathroom protocol. Rotations. Boundaries.” He huffed softly, shaking his head at himself. Another small pause, then he added, a touch more awkward but trying. "But yeah,” he added, almost as an afterthought, “hopefully it’s a number one and not a number two.” A small pause, then a faint, understated smirk. “That’d be a lot worse.”

[evieholt]

evie honestly had no idea where the bird-poop comment had come from; when her brain got going, the thoughts could get unbelievably random. “it really would, though—not fun at all,” she nodded with a small sigh, glancing around the elevator like maybe a new conversation topic would magically appear written on the walls. it was pretty obvious to her that ashton wasn’t faking being anxious in the small space. “yeah, imagine if you were on your way to your wedding when this happened,” she mused, looking over at him. “stuck in a lift, late to the ceremony, and freshly fired… that’s a really sad wedding. you might want to rethink the marriage at that point.” she started laughing at her own joke and tried to stop, but it didn’t really work. “people used to notice faster when lifts stopped like this,” she went on with a shrug. “but everyone’s got the attention span of a goldfish now. if the elevator doesn’t show up in two seconds, they groan and take the stairs—so let’s just hope someone doesn’t do that today.” when he loosened his grip a little she let out a quiet breath; apparently the tower of terror comparison hadn’t landed, which was disappointing because she’d been proud of that one and was already planning to reuse it someday. “i can tell,” she nodded when he admitted he wasn’t loving the situation. “but hey, i can keep talking. i’m very good at that. that and choosing restaurants— ugh, i’m amazing at that,” she added, rambling again without noticing. when he told her to wait, her eyebrows lifted. “wow, the ‘please keep rambling’ phase didn’t last long,” she teased lightly. she watched him press the emergency button and nodded approvingly. “that’s a good idea. good job.” when he stepped back into his little safe corner again, she gave him a small reassuring smile. “you’re welcome, by the way. honestly, without me you probably would’ve already written your will in your phone notes, frantically searched your bag for emergency snacks, and decided which corner of the elevator would become the bathroom.” she tilted her head, amused. “am i wrong? you seem like a tiny bit of a control freak—no offense,” she added with a friendly smile.

[ashton-torres]

Ashton leaned back slightly against the wall of the elevator, letting his shoulders loosen as Evie kept going. He nodded along at the absurd little scenarios she painted, the wedding disaster, the tower of terror comparison, the goldfish attention spans. Her words tumbled over themselves, endless and bright, and he found himself quietly entertained. It wasn’t that he had anything to add, he didn’t need to, but there was something satisfying about watching her let the thoughts spill out, so different from his own measured pace. When she mentioned keeping him from panicking, he gave a small, almost imperceptible smile, pressing the emergency button with one hand while keeping the other tucked neatly in his pocket. “Yeah,” he said simply, voice calm, nodding again. “Makes sense.” It was enough, a single word, but his quiet attention was a kind of acknowledgment that she seemed to notice. Her jab about his control freak tendencies made him lift an eyebrow, but he only nodded, unoffended. “Fair,” he murmured, almost grudgingly, as if conceding the point. He didn’t need to argue, he knew exactly what she meant. Organisation, preparedness, a corner marked as ‘safe’ in a stuck elevator, those were just the small ways he kept the world in order, even if she found them funny. Despite his usual desire for quiet, he found himself glad she was there, filling the air with motion and noise, keeping the space from feeling too small or too still. He let another slow nod punctuate her next comment, enjoying the contrast between her ceaseless chatter and his own steady, observant presence. Ashton let out a small, quiet sigh, leaning back just enough to meet her gaze. “Yeah,” he said finally, his voice low but steady. “I guess I am a bit of a control freak. Not always in ways people notice, though.” He ran a hand along the side of his neck, thinking for a moment. “It’s not about bossing people around or being rigid. It’s more like trying to make sure nothing catches me off guard. Little things, routines, corners, habits, they give me some sense that the world isn’t just going to fall apart.” He paused, letting the words settle between them, watching her eyes light up with curiosity rather than judgment. “But that’s not the whole picture,” he added, tilting his head slightly, a flicker of openness in his usually guarded expression. “I like having control, yeah, but sometimes, it’s just about feeling safe. And sometimes, it’s nice when someone else fills the gaps I didn’t even know were there.” He gave a small, almost shy smile, a rare softness in his features. “Like now. I don’t have to be completely on edge because you, well, because you’re here talking. It’s loud, chaotic, but it’s also… kind of good.” He leaned a little closer, the elevator’s confined space giving their words a weight they might not have had elsewhere. “I don’t usually, I don’t usually talk about it like this,” he admitted quietly, “but I guess it’s easier with someone who just, keeps going. You make it easy to, not be alone with my thoughts.” Another small nod, almost imperceptible, punctuated the moment, grounding the conversation in the quiet, steady way he navigated the world.

[evieholt]

as he apologized, she brushed it off. “i get startled easily, don’t worry, you’re not scary at all,” she joked with a small smile. “yeah, i was busy listening to people gossip about their lives like i actually knew them,” she chuckled, sounding surprisingly calm for someone stuck in an elevator with nowhere to go. when he mentioned it hadn’t been the best day, she nodded. “i can tell. at least a bird hasn’t pooped on your head,” she mused, then added, “well, never say never—when we get out of here, maybe cover your head just in case,” she chuckled. she wasn’t trying to force conversation, just being herself. when his reaction faltered, she pressed her lips into a thin line. “yeah, i probably shouldn’t have said that,” she admitted. “just think… at least it’s late, so you’re not wasting your whole afternoon trapped in here,” she added, convinced that was somehow comforting. when he said he barely had any signal, she sighed. “i left my phone in my car,” she nodded. “so i can’t even check,” she said lightly. “that’s why i was kind of hoping you’d be the hero who gets us out,” she added with a half-smile. she noticed how tense he looked and sighed softly. “it’s not that bad—at least we didn’t go full disneyland tower of terror. we’d be telling people to get out of the elevator, you know, because we’d be the ghosts,” she mused. she glanced around, then back at him. “your knuckles are turning white. you really don’t like tight spaces,” she observed gently. “will telling you to chill help, or should i come up with another strategy?” she chuckled under her breath. “can you call someone—or at least tell me to shut up before you strangle me?”

[ashton-torres]

Ashton let out a small, breathy laugh at her joke, rubbing the back of his neck. “Right, good. Glad to hear that,” he said, voice steady but a little tight. “I didn’t mean to you know. Startle anyone.” When she mentioned the gossip, he huffed softly. “Yeah, people watching. You learn way too much about strangers in like thirty seconds by doing that." At the bird comment, he blinked, then managed a polite smile. “That would really finish the day off,” he said, dry but not unkind. “I’ll keep that in mind for when we get out of here.” When she corrected herself, he shook his head quickly. “No, it’s fine. Really. I get what you mean.” He glanced up at the ceiling, then back to the floor. “Late is good. At least I don’t have anywhere urgent to be.” When she mentioned her phone, he exhaled. “Yeah, my signal’s awful too. I sent something out, but I don’t know if it went through.” He hesitated, then added, trying to sound reassuring, “They usually notice pretty fast when an elevator stalls. Building management, I mean.” At the hero comment, he smiled faintly. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint.” When she pointed out his hands, he consciously loosened his grip, flexing his fingers. “Yeah… not my favorite situation,” he admitted, honest but measured. “But I’m okay. Talking helps, actually.” He glanced at her, then added gently, “And you’re fine. You don’t need to shut up. Just maybe keep me distracted until someone lets us out.” Ashton’s eyes flicked to the panel beside the doors, landing on the small red emergency button he’d somehow ignored until now. “Oh, wait,” he said, a little more firmly, like grounding himself through action. He stepped forward, pressed the button, and held it for a beat longer than necessary. The faint buzz that followed seemed to ease him, at least a little. “Okay,” he murmured, mostly to himself. He stepped back to where he’d been standing before, shoulders squaring as if returning to a safer position. He took a slow breath in, then out, and glanced at her again. “I’m thankful I at least have you in here with me,” he said, voice quieter but sincere. He offered a small, sheepish smile, eyes dropping briefly before meeting hers again. “I think I would’ve gone a little crazy if this happened while I was on my own.”

[evieholt]

evie had her headphones on, listening to a podcast that had been interesting at some point but now was just background noise—nothing serious, just two friends talking about their lives and random topics. she stepped into the elevator and leaned against the wall, not saying a word, just zoning out, until the lift suddenly stopped. she hadn’t heard anything, her headphones were probably too loud to notice. she pulled them off and looked around, realizing the space was darker now. when she heard someone behind her, she startled, her heart racing in her chest. “holy shit,” she said, pressing a hand to her chest. “when did you get in here?” she asked. he must have stepped in while she was distracted on her phone, or maybe he’d been there before she even walked in. she noticed his nerves right away; it was obvious he wasn’t exactly having the time of his life. “it’s fine,” she brushed it off. when he mentioned hating tight spaces, she nodded, trying to steady herself. “yeah, you definitely picked the wrong option, man,” she said, her lips pressing into a thin line. “sorry about your job, that really sucks,” she added. “uh… i guess this is one way to meet new people?” she said, the joke falling flat almost immediately. she cleared her throat. “i should probably warn you, this could take hours, not my first lift-rodeo” she mused. “do you get any service in here?”

[ashton-torres]

Ashton flinched when she startled, shoulders tensing before he caught himself. He shifted his grip on the handrail, then gave her a quick, apologetic look, more reflex than anything else. “Yeah, sorry,” he said, exhaling through his nose. “I was already in here. You had your headphones on.” There was no edge to his voice, just mild strain, like he was choosing calm on purpose. He nodded once at her comment about the stairs, a dry huff escaping him. “Trust me, lesson learned.” At the mention of his job, his jaw tightened briefly before he smoothed it over. “Thanks. It’s been a day to say the least,” he added, measured, not looking for pity. Her joke earned a small, tired smile, polite, appreciative of the effort even if it didn’t quite land. “Guess so,” he said. “Not exactly my go-to icebreaker if I'm being honest." When she mentioned it could take hours, he glanced up at the ceiling, then back to the doors, annoyance flickering before he reined it in. “That’s reassuring,” he replied lightly, though his fingers curled a little tighter around the rail. He reached into his pocket and checked his phone, brow furrowing. “Barely,” he said. “One bar if I stand just right. How about you?” Ashton let out a long, shaky sigh and closed his eyes. He took a slow, deliberate breath, trying to will the tightness in his chest down a notch. “Today is not our day, huh?” he muttered, voice low, a mix of tired humor and mild frustration.

[ashton-torres]

The lift doors slid shut with a soft ding, and Ashton let out a quiet breath as it began to go down. His shift was finished, tie loosened, suit blazer slung over one arm, finally. He leaned back against the lift's wall, eyes fixed on the glowing numbers above the door, already counting down the minutes until fresh air. Then the lift shrieked. Metal groaned, the cart jolted hard enough to knock him off balance, and Ashton's hand lunged for the handrail on instinct. The lift shuddered once more before lurching to a dead stop, the lights flickering ominously overhead. Silence followed, thick, heavy, wrong. “Seriously?” he muttered, He exhaled sharply and thumped the back of his head against the wall behind him, more frustration than pain, eyes squeezing shut for a second. Of all the days. Of all the places. He straightened quickly after, forcing himself into control, fingers tightening around the rail as he took a slow, deliberate breath. The space suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier, and he swallowed hard, fighting the creeping panic. Stay calm, he told himself. Responsible. Rational. He reached for his phone, knuckles white, before noticing someone else in the lift with him. “Shit, sorry,” he said quickly, voice strained but controlled. “I hate confined spaces.” He swallowed, jaw tight, then added with a rough exhale, “I’d usually take the stairs, but I just got fired and wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.”

@evieholt

[ashton-torres]

The core truth

Their father is gay. He loved their mother. He loved his sons. But he was never fully living as himself.

The split wasn’t explosive—it was honest.

When they separated: • The father took Ashton (older) — practicality, stability, familiarity. • The mother took Elio (younger) — warmth, creativity, emotional fluency.

No one was rejected. But each boy grew up missing exactly what the other had. They had one night a week where both brothers would be together at one parents house, then the next week, the others.

⸻

How this shaped them

Ashton — raised by his gay father • Grew up in a household that was calm, controlled, adult. • His father taught him how to survive the world.

What he didn’t get: • softness without structure • emotional permission • a nurturing, intuitive presence

Ashton loves his father deeply—but feels stuck, like life is something to endure rather than inhabit.

He longs for: • a woman’s guidance • someone who sees beyond function • affection that isn’t instructional

unpredictableness and someone to make him not feel so boring

This feeds into: • emotionally restrained relationships • staying in situations longer than he should • a quiet fear of wanting too much

_____________________

The quiet ache between the brothers

They never say it—but they know: • Ashton had the father, but missed the nurturer.

Each brother believes the other got something essential that he didn’t.

And still they are each other’s balance point.