45" ▪︎ a.i.

8"

I got woken up by a knock on the door and the creaking when it did open. I sleepily looked up to see Ashton standing there, telling me to get up and come down when I'm ready. I could already smell the coffee and 10mins later found the source of it in the kitchen. Ashton handed me a cup, suppressing a yawn in the process. 

"5 hours of sleep just aren't for me.", he admitted, and continued: "I don't regret it though. It was an amazing night." I agreed with him, took my cup over to the piano I had seen yesterday and sat down in front of it. He joined me and put his cup down on top of it. 

"I've seen enough videos to know you can play, so play.", I encouraged him, and he chuckled at the glimpse of my prior fan life. He breathed out and started playing, glancing at the sheet in front of him. I slowly got up, putting my coffee cup down next to him and stopped behind him, to film his playing. I managed to get around 30s until he stopped to turn around and smiled when he saw my phone, which I luckily captured as well. 

"Please, please will you let me post this?", I begged, and he took my phone from me, rewatching it and giving me his okay. I opened the Instagram app and prepared a story, tagging him and posting it, after showing it to him for review. 

"You know everyone's gonna assume things? You see the sun rising, you see your coffee cup, if someone thinks you didn't spend the night, they're fooling themselves.", he told me after I posted it, and I sighed. 

"Yeah, I know. Can't avoid life forever though and I used to post so many stories every day."

 "That's what I meant. You have to keep living. Of course, you have to think a second before posting anything, but in the end, you have a normal life with some normal friends, even though their life isn't the norm.", he assured, and I know he was right. Doesn't mean I was prepared for the messages and tweets flooding in already. I looked at my phone, scrolling through some of it. Most of them were freaking out over Ashton playing the piano. 

I would too, I mean, I just did. Some of them noticed the second cup and assumed I stayed the night. Some on my timeline already came to my defense, telling people to back off, because it was none of their business what Ashton or I were doing and to just enjoy the video. I noticed Ashton standing beside me, looking at my phone, reading what I was. 

"It outweighs the bad ones, you know? Try focusing on them. It really isn't any of their business. I don't go around telling them they shouldn't spend the night with their friends. I'm gonna repost it, it's gonna get worse, but just turn off notifications for the day. You'll be distracted anyway, at least if we get there on time. We should get going.", he tells me, looking at the time. I nodded, turning to hug him shortly. 

He wrapped his arms around me, rubbing my back, and soon we let go, leaving in his car. 

We arrived late at rehearsal. When we walked in the boys were already settling behind their instruments and looked at us smirking as we entered the room. 

"Short night?", Michael asked, grinning knowingly. I rolled my eyes and ignored him. 

"Yeah, indeed.", Ashton replied and walked over to his drums as if nothing happened, leaving Michael standing there, eyes darting back and forth between us. 

"Oh, leave it Michael. We had some wine, watched the stars, and talked until 2 in the morning. Is that satisfying enough for you?", I shushed him, and walked over to my camera, which I had left here yesterday. Luke laughed at Michael's expression, and I turned around just in time to see him pouting. 

"Really what did you expect?", I asked, but quickly added: "Oh, never mind, I don't even want to know.", turning back around to finish getting my camera ready just when Ryan entered the room, greeting everyone.