(Ashton Irwin X Fem! Reader || Angst/Fluff)
Summary: Part 2 of âI donât knowâ Ashton said heâd do anything to be your friend. You arenât so sure if you should believe him.
Warnings: ANGSTy (not so much but still) Strong language, mentions of: anxiety, suicide, toxic relationships, abuse. Bad English (not my First language)
AN: This is part 2 of a slow burn angsty fic! I really hope you like it. Remember, feedback is always appreciated it and please donât throw hate to any of the 5SOS girls. I absolutely love and respect KayKay and I love how happy she makes Ashton, and even though they have their problems in the story, she will have the respect that she deserves. Same goes to the boys and their respectives s/o. This is a work of FICTION so if thereâs any conection with real life is purely coincidental. Oh and side note, I threw a little reference there if you can catch it đ
âHuh, he really said that?â KayKay asked while taking a long sip out of her iced coffee.
Every other week you hang out with her to catch up. It has become a tradition between the two of you since you became close when she was dating Ashton and you really didnât want to end the friendship when they had their on and offs. For a while you thought that maybe that was the reason Ashton hated you for a long time, but later you realized it wasnât that. You didnât know the real reason and apparently neither did Ashton.
It was only last week when you finally made amends. He came into your apartment in the middle of the night to apologize for everything, specially for what he did earlier that night by putting you on blast without really knowing you at all, and you had enough.
You told him, after he practically begged on his knees for forgiveness, that you accepted his apology but couldnât forgive him just yet. And, honestly, you were right to be mad at him, after all he did treat you like shit for all the time that youâve known him without any real reason and hurt you badly. But you couldnât hate him, not after seeing the pain, regret and guilt build up in his eyes that night.
To be honest, you could never hate Ashton nor anyone, really. No matter how many valid reasons you might have, you just couldnât. So when the raven haired man told you he really wanted to be friends and that heâll do anything to make it right, youâd let him.
âYeahâ you said, making origami out of the napkin the coffee shop gave to you âHe really did. Do you think he truly meant it?â
âI honestly think he did. Donât get me wrong, I know how scary Sierra can be when threatening someone, Iâve seen it. But I also know Ashton and he would never lie about his feelingsâ She took another sip, carefully thinking about her next words âAvoid them, yes. But heâll never lie to you. Thatâs one of the things I love and hate about himâ
She laughed a little bit with that. It has been a couple months since the couple has splitted up, and this time seemed definite. But they would never deny how much they care for and love each other âBut itâs not the kind of love you look forâ you heard KayKay say once âIt was like a storm, no matter how much you enjoy the rain, you canât ignore the damages it causedâ
âHe never said anything to you?â You asked carefully. You werenât completely sure you wanted to know the answer, but you had to.
âNot really. I mean, I could see he was being an ass and I confronted him about it several times but, like I said, he ignored it. Maybe he really didnât knowâ she shrugged.
You changed the topic, giving up on finding a reason, at least for today. So you asked her about her plans for the new year. You saw her eyes light up when she started talking about launching a new clothing brand inspired on âscience fiction/horror literatureâ and her photography project. âBut no boysâ she said decidedly âThis year is all about confidence and self love. And no crazy hair colors as well, my roots have been asking for a break or theyâll go dying on me if I keep that upâ you agreed with her with an âAmen sisterâ and a laugh.
You really enjoyed your little talks with her. She, just like Sierra and Crystal, were like the sisters you never had. KayKay was the cool sister with the artsy âtoo cool for schoolâ attitude that made everyone (including you) fall in love with her or want to be her. Crystal was the softy one, always ready to give you a hug and watch cheesy rom coms with, but boy oh boy, lord save anyone who gets on her bad side because she will not hold back to cut a bitch when defending her friends. Sierra was the typical mom friend, always there when needed and very protective of the people she cares about, she was the first one of the group to make you feel welcomed and you thanked your lucky stars everyday for the opportunity of being friends with these amazing people.
Your role, you decided, was yet to be defined. You loved them all very much, and you knew they loved you as well. But you couldnât help but feel as âthe filler friendâ because you felt like if you werenât there then nothing major would happen. Itâll all stay the same.
You shook yourself out of your thoughts when you felt like you were spiraling again. Now not being the time for self pity and harsh truths.
**********************************************************
You said goodbye to KayKay an hour after that, making sure to set another coffee date in two weeks and giving her the origami duck you made with the napkin.
You got home and kicked your shoes somewhere next to the door. You were contemplating on if you should shower first or make yourself dinner⊠But your inner debate was cut short thanks to the familiar vibration of someone calling your phone.
âHey, babyâ you heard Sierraâs voice as soon as you picked up âHope youâre not too busy right nowâ
âIâm never busy for you, whatâs up? Do you need anything?â
âI need you to get your ass up in your car and come have movie night with the guys!â She laughed âCome! Weâre at Ashtonâsâ
Your smile fade away with a sudden shock.
And as if Sierra could see you tense up, she let out a sigh and tried to cheer you on âYeah, I know you said you guys will try to be friends and all, but if you donât feel like it then tomo pressure hunâ
Your mind drifted of to a memory a few days ago. Ashton had already apologized and the guys convinced you to go and hang out with them before another concert. You remember walking up the door and having two bodies crashing with you and pulled you into a hug.
âY/Nâ they screamed into your ears. Neither Sierra nor Crystal wanted to let go.
âIâm so sorry hunâ Crystal said, muffin her voice in your hair âWe didnâtâŠâ
You mumbled âItâs okay. Iâm okayâ Not letting go of the hug until you couldnât anymore âGuys, you know I love you but I literally canât breatheâ
The girls let you go with a laugh, Sierra wiping up a tear that escaped her eyes as you gasped for air. Of course that also didnât last much before you had three other gigantic bodies colliding against you, pulling you into another (and far taller) rough group hug.
âY/Nâ âIâm so glad to see youâ âIf he ever does something like that again Iâll kill himâ âWe missed you!â You barely heard the boys say while they were crushing your body.
âAgh⊠I missed you⊠tooâ you managed to say âBut I need to get out of this three layer 6 foot Australian sandwich before I broke a ribâ
The guys laughed and mumbled a few sorrys before giving you your space and you felt like you could breathe again. Thatâs when you saw him.
Ashton was sitting in one of the couches, he was looking at his friends quite amused, but when his eyes met yours theyâve soften. You could still recognize the look from a few nights before, it warmed your heart that the sincerity was still there.
He gave you a soft smile and said: âHeyâ
âHiâ you answered, giving him the same light smile.
You kept staring at each other for a few seconds before realizing that the whole room was watching you guys interact without hostility for the first time. Their eyes were fixed on the both of you, kinda expecting something else.
âAwkwardâŠâ Michael said in a not so quiet whisper, earning him a slap on the neck provided by Calum âOuch! Okay⊠So, who wants to play something?â
âY/N?â Sierraâs voice woke you up from your memory âItâs okay if youâŠâ
âI knowâŠâ you answered âI just donât want to make it awkward and Iâve never even been invited to his house before!â
âHoney, he insisted that youâd be here! Itâs not gonna be awkward⊠well not that much I think. Iâll send you the address if you wanna comeâ
He wanted you there? Huh, he must be really serious with the whole âtry to be friendsâ thing. You smiled at the thought.
âSure, Iâll be thereâ
*******************************************************
Two hours later you were standing in front of Ashtonâs door. You didnât know why but you were hesitant to ring the bellâŠ. Of course you knew why, you were just trying to ignore it.
You were scared. Maybe of him, that he might kick you out as soon as he sees you, or that heâll ignore you again or that heâd say something mean. You werenât used to people staying with you and actually being nice to you. And with the guys you finally started to feel safe, but now you think that youâve become too comfortable with them. Maybe you were scared of fucking it up.
âY/N!â The sound of your name startled you. Youâve been thinking too much lately, people might think youâre crazy.
âCalum! You scared me.â You said giving him a slight slap on his arm as he approached the door. You were too immerse in your fears that you havenât heard him park.
âAnd it was a priceless reaction, thank you. Have you knocked already?â
You looked down and bit your lip, shaking your head.
âHey, itâs gonna be fine, darlingâ he said wrapping an arm around your shoulders âItâs a great opportunity for you to meet, like really get to know each other as you really areâ
You looked at him, scared he might catch a glimpse of fear in your eyes.
âAnd besidesâ he added while ringing the bell âLuke, Michael and I are ready to beat his ass if neededâ
âI think Sierra and Crystal got that coveredâ you said, making him laugh.
Suddenly, the door opened. Ashton was standing there, he was wearing a black t shirt and sweatpants. You realized itâs the first time youâve seen him dressed down and it amazed you how him (and the rest of the boys, really) could look so good with so little effort.
âY/N! You cameâ he said, almost surprised that you actually did.
His hazel eyes lighted up when they met yours. You felt a strange warmth running through your face. It wasnât the first time he looked into your eyes, but it was the first time he did it with a hint of joy.
âTold ya sheâd be here, mateâ Calum said, bringing Ashtonâs attention to him for the first time. Well, not only to him but also to his arm wrapped around you. Ashton closed his mouth and gave you both a tight smile as he welcomed you into his home.
Once inside, Calum let go of you and went straight to a room that seemed to be the kitchen. Leaving you alone in a house you werenât familiar with.
âHiâ Ashtonâs voice made you jump. Causing him to suppress a laugh âSorry, didnât mean to scare youâ
âWell, itâs not nice to sneak up behind peopleâs back, you know?â
âDidnât know youâre easily scared. Maybe I shouldâve picked another movieâ
âThere are a lot of things you donât know about me, Ashtonâ
âAnd I told you Iâll do my best to change thatâ he gave you a shy smile, looking into your eyes again âEveryoneâs in the back, just go straight and then to the rightâ he said breaking eye contact and following Calum, wherever he was.
You found everyone cuddled up in sofas and puffs in front of a big screen. Luke was the first to spot you.
âHey Y/N! Just in timeâ He greeted you, calling everyoneâs attention.
You said a collective âHiâ and went to sit next to Crystal and Michael. You did a little bit of small talk, trying not to think too much on anything. Not long after, Calum plowed down next to you and rested his head on your lap, your hands immediately going to play with his hair.
Ashton came after, carrying two large bowls of popcorn in each hand, giving one to Sierra and the other one to Crystal.
âSo whatâs todayâs special?â
âTonightâs horror nightâ Ashton said with a devious smile on his face âHope no oneâs seen this movie yet, itâs called âHereditaryââ
Everyone said no, but Ashton caught your eyes expanding at the mention of the movie.
âYouâve seen it?â He asked you.
âNoâŠbut Iâve heard things about itâ you answered shyly.
âGood things or bad things?â
âHow does âTruly twisted and horrificâ sound to you?â Ashton smiled, making his whole face glow while looking at you.
âBe careful, mateâ Calum laughed âShe gets scared easilyâ
You smacked him in the forehead with a âshut up, Hood. I do notâ but your giggling betrayed you.
Ashton nodded, looking at both of you and started the movie.
âWhat the fuck did we just watch?â Michael broke the silence once the movie was done âBaby itâs overâ he said to Crystal that was curled up and had her hands covering her eyes.
âI⊠I think Iâm gonna throw upâ Sierra said closing her eyes.
âI didnât get it⊠so whoâs the grandma now?â Luke chimed in, oblivious as usual.
âAll in favor that Ashton never gets to pick up another movie say âIââ
âIâ everyone said in unison, even Ashton.
Minutes later you were in the kitchen with Sierra making more popcorn. You all decided to watch a Disney movie to erase the horror movie out of your memory and so you could go to sleep without nightmares.
âIâm telling you, itâs trueâ You rolled your eyes at your friendâs comment âHe was barely paying attention to the movie, he was looking at youâ
âI swear. Lookâ Sierra put a hand on your shoulder, just like a mother would do before giving life changing advices âI know itâs kinda weird, but we can all see heâs really trying. Yes, he was an asshole and yes, you have every right to be mad. Hell, even Iâm still mad. But he truly wants to make it better and I promise you, heâll see what everyone else see in youâ
âWhat if thatâs the problem?â You said quietly.
âWhâŠ?â Sierra started but quickly shut up when someone came into the kitchen âAsh! Just in timeâ
Your eyes winded at her, almost pleading. Still not turning around to face him.
âI really really really need to go to the bathroom. Could you stay here with Y/N and watch the popcorn?â
âOh thereâs no needâŠâ you started.
Itâs not like you didnât like Ashtonâs company. The problem is that youâve never been with him on your own, and even if you were, he never spoke to you. So of course you were nervous. But you never thought that heâll be too.
He was standing next to you, resting his body against the counter. He was tapping his feet against the floor, maybe to the rhythm of a song you didnât know, and had his head laying low. Not looking at you.
You broke the silence a few moments later, not being able to take it anymore.
âI wonât burn down your kitchenâ you said, trying to sound chill âI can handle it, donât worryâ
He chuckled âI know, I want to stay thoughâ
âHey Y/Nâ You both said at the same time. Making you both laugh for the first time.
âY/N Iâm sorryâ he said giving you a small smile.
âAsh, I think youâve apologized enoughâ
âNo, not enough thoughâ
Ashton was standing in front of you now. He was much taller than you, so you had to tilt your face upwards in order to look him in the eyes. His gaze was intense and pleading, but the hurt and the hate that once filled his eyes were gone. Somehow, that made you feel safe.
âI know Iâll never be able to apologize enough for all that Iâve put you through, but Iâll try to at least come close. But tonight I want to apologize for⊠well I know this is not easyâ
âCâmonâ he said with a smile âAdmit this is hella awkwardâ
That comment made you laugh. You nodded.
âIt kinda is, isnât it? Iâm sorryâ
âNo no no. You donât have to be sorryâ he rushed âI mean, this is all my fault after all. Contrary at what you might believe, Y/N, Iâm a very shy personâ you raised your eyebrows, questioning âI am! At least when Iâm meeting a person that Iâm actually excited to get to knowâ
You thought you saw a glimpse of blush in his face, but thatâs impossible.
âAshton, weâve met beforeâ
âNo, we didnât. Not really. Those guys..â he gestured towards the others âTheyâve met you, and got to know you. I stayed behind on that boat and I really want to catch up.â
You stared at him. He was nervous, you could tell. And youâd be lying if you said you didnât want to get to know him as well.
âItâs a good thing you started swimming already, thenâ You said, making his dimples show when he smiled.
The conversation was cut short when the faint smell of burnt corn graze your noses, bringing you back to reality.
âShitâ you said, taking them off the fire with Ashtonâs help.
âThought you werenât going to burn down my kitchenâ
âShut up, I didnât!â
You laughed, finally clearing the air between the two of you⊠not literally though because the smoke of the burned popcorn was filling the kitchen.
*******************************************************
After that night, the week flew by. You kept yourself busy with lots of work and household chores. Hoping for the weekend to arrive so you could finally relax.
You were daydreaming about a Criminal Minds marathon when your phone âdingedâ
Unknown: Hey Y/N! Itâs Ashton. Iâm not sure you have my number.
You: In fact, I didnât. How are you?
Ashton: Iâm great, actually. U?
Ashton: ⊠Texts arenât supposed to be awkward. Sorry. Maybe we could meet up?
Your heart stopped⊠he wanted what?
Aston: you know, to get to know each other.
You ended up deciding that Ashton will pick you up and youâll go grab a coffee later that afternoon. You loved the fact that he was indeed trying to get to know you. It it worried you that he might not find you âworth knowingâ after a while.
It scared you. The possibility of him leaving you behind again. The possibility of the others doing the same when theyâll realize youâre not worth it.
You really didnât want to mess this up. But you werenât going to pretend either. Not with something as important as this. âLet it beâ you said to yourself in the mirror, almost like a prayer âBut please, let it beâ You were almost ready when you heard the knock on your door.
Ashton smiled at you when he saw the door opening, thankful that you hadnât closed it when you saw his face, his foot hurt for three days after that.
âHelloâ you said, letting him in âIâll be right back, I just came back from work and Iâm still a messâ
âYou look amazingâ Ashton said without thinking twice.
You blushed and waved your hand dismissively.
âShut upâ you laughed while disappearing through a door Ashton assumed was your bedroom âMake yourself at homeâ
And how could he not? Everything in your apartment seemed cozy enough, it was almost like one of those Pinterest pictures that just screams: home.
Ashton took a deeper look this time. He noticed how well the sofa matched the bay window, the walls filled with Polaroid pictures (mostly you and the other guys) the bookcase had a wide variety of classic literature, your camera, some potted plants and framed pictures. A record player caught his attention and, next to it, layed a wooden box filled with vinyls of all colors.
He smiled to himself. This apartment doesnât scream home. It screams Y/N. And he loved that.
âIt seems that weâre gonna have a change of plansâ You said as she walked into the room, waking Ashton up from his discoveries âYou okay?â
âYeah, yeahâ He said way too quickly âChange of plans, why?â
You pointed at the bay window, where rain was pouring down outside.
âOhâ he said and started giggling âWhy do everytime I come here it starts raining? In LA out of all places?â
âWell, youâve only been here twice so letâs just say itâs a coincidence?â You joined with his little laugh âI can make us some coffee, if you want. Itâs not going to be a super macchiato butâŠâ
You trailed off when you catch him staring at you. His whole demeanor was relaxed, almost like he was trying to capture this moment.
âOr, if youâre not comfortable with that or youâre afraid I might poison you, you can leaveâ
âWhy would I leave? I came here to spend time with you. So no death threat is going to change thatâ he said with a smile âDo you want me to leave?â
You pretended to think about it âHmm⊠Iâm just kidding. At least I know youâll be safer here than driving in the rainâ
You made two cups of coffee and opened a can of cookies and laid them down on the coffee table in the living room. You sat on the bay window, looking at the rain. Ashton did the same.
âOkay, if weâre gonna do this we should start with the deep stuffâ He said after having the first sip of his coffee.
âYeah, like whatâs your favorite color?â
âI think you just crossed the line there, Irwinâ he chucked.
âNo, but seriously though. What is it?â
You thought about it for a moment.
âGreen. Whatâs yours?â
âLike the 5SOS hoodie?â
âNoâ He laughed âLike a sunset kinda orangeâ
You went on like this for hours, making more coffee and eating more cookies. Some questions were very simple like: Favorite animal, food, celebrity crushâŠ
âWhatâs your biggest fear?â He asked.
Your stayed quiet for a while, that question took you by surprise. Ashton seemed to catch up and quickly apologized.
âHey if you donât want toâŠâ
âBeing like my motherâ you said, not being able to look at him in the eyes âItâs okayâ you assured him âPeople used to tell me all the time how we look alike⊠I used to hate thatâ
Your gaze was now fixed at the window and the silent rain pouring outside. Ashtonâs was fixed on you.
âIâm scared Iâm gonna end up like her⊠thatâs why I donât drink or have any pictures of her. I donât need a reminder of what could be. I have enough memories that do the jobâ
âItâs okayâ you said looking at him, forcing a smile and patting his knee. Ashton places his large hand above yours and you stayed like that. Not saying anything, not taking your eyes of each other.
You decided to broke the comfortable silence after a while.
âI have to ask⊠Why did you hate me?â Ashtonâs eyes pulled away from yours âDid I do something wrong? Something to upset you? I just⊠I need to know, Ashâ
âY/Nâ he said âI wish I could tell you. I really do, maybe that way I wonât seem such a dickâ guilty eyes stared at you âBut I donât have one, nor I think I will ever find a reason valid enough to justify it. Nothing can justify it and I wouldâve never done it if I knew what I was missingâ
You were speechless. The answer came too quickly, it seemed so honest and real. But you couldnât afford the luxury of thinking like that, it was too much. But when you looked up and saw those beautiful hazel eyes staring right into your soul, everything seemed right. You felt a tear rolling down your cheek, but Ashtonâs thumb was quicker in catching it. You laughed and he did too.
âWhy do you need to know?â
âI thinkâ you gulped, having second thoughts on telling him but at the same time saying âscrew itâ âI think that people always pushed me away for some reason. They all had one and they always told me why, they made sure I knew what I was doing so wrong in order for them to leave. I got used to it after a while. So I guess that, if I knew why⊠maybe itâd hurt less?â
Ashton stayed silent for a while âWell Iâm sorry for them. Because theyâll never get the chance to know you. I almost miss it and thereâs not a day that I donât regret thatâ
You looked at him through teary eyes. This time you smile wasnât forced. He meant that, he really did. And that made you happy. For the first time you truly considered Ashton Irwin a friend.
âBut now I do have to askâ he continued âWhy didnât you hate me? I was an A class asshole to you (and Iâm sorry, again, for that) but you never showed the sameâ
You smiled and got up. Ashton follow your movements until you stopped in front of the record player. You bend down and grabbed one vinyl from your collection.
You sat down on the bay window again and you handed the record to him.
âSounds Good Feels Good?â He asked âAre you bringing our dirty laundry into the conversation?â You laughed.
âI could never hate you, Ashton, because you gave me thisâ you pointed at the vinyl. Ashton was confused âYou wanna know why I was a fan of your band? Itâs because this album literally saved my life and helped me get through the most horrifying years of my lifeâ
Ashtonâs grip on the record tighten. He clenched his jaw as you talked. Not able to find the words for what you just confessed to him. It was too personal, too raw. It was you.
âI remember listening to this album all the time. Knowing that, or at least hoping that, everythingâs gonna be okay. Because I wasnât so alone anymore, it didnât feel like it, at least. If it werenât for you⊠I might not even be here and not be able to tell you âthank youâ in person. So, thank youâ
Ashton pulled your hand and pressed you against him, leaving the vinyl behind and hugging the hell out of you. He felt warm and smelled like sunshine and, as you wrapped your arms around him, you felt like never wanting to let go.
He kissed your head, softly and drew circles on your back. His breathing was uneven as he tried to put himself together.
âYou will never be aloneâ was all he could manage to say without feeling like a shattering glass.
And, against your better judgement, you believed him.