Nicotine | Ashton Irwin ✔

1.9

Ashton's heart pounded against his chest, as Ara stood across the street from him. It was nearly one a.m. yet there she was, dressed in only a sweater and some jeans. He gulped. "ASHTON FLETCHER IRWIN! YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK IN THIS FUCKING HOUSE RIGHT NOW!" James shouted.

Without thinking, he ran across the street, and took Ara by the hand pulling her with him. "ASHTON!"

"Don't look back." He commanded her, his voice shaky. Ara didn't reply, and just ran.

They ran for what felt like hours. Ara didn't think he could run for such long periods of time, but he proved her wrong.

When he finally stopped running, Ara hadn't the slightest clue where they were. Ashton collapsed on the ground, crying. Ara had seen him close to tears before, but she never thought she'd ever see him cry. He seemed too tough for that. But there he was, crying uncontrollably in front of her. Like a broken child at the grocery store who couldn't find his parents.

Ara took a few minutes to collect herself, and when she did, she dropped to her knees next to him. She placed a hand on his back, but he shrugged it off. Ara rolled her eyes, probably not the most appropriate time though. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and lifted him so she could look at him. His face was bruised even more than what it was earlier that day, his lip bleeding. He had a large cut over his eye. His eyes bloodshot. She gently touched his cheek and he flinched. "Oh Ashton." She whispered. She wiped away his tears, trying to be as gentle as possible so that she didn't hurt him any more than he already was.

"What happened?" She asked him.

"He's drunk." He cried. "He looses his temper and this is what happens." Ara shook her head, and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Ashton clung to her, afraid to let go.

"What are you doing out this late anyways?" Ashton asked, realizing how late it really was.

"Walking at night clears my mind from distractions." She said softly. "And it's a good thing I did go out tonight, because I don't want to know what would have happened if I hadn't found you." She added.

"I would've been fine." He mumbled into her shoulder.

"I don't want know." She repeated. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Ara opened the window of her room, and slipped inside it, followed by a tired looking Ashton. She quietly closed the window, and flicked on the lamp on the nightstand. "Stay." She whispered to him. She walked out into the hall, leaving him alone for a while. Ashton glanced around her room. It was a mess. Clothes were everywhere, the were a few candy wrappers on the ground. Band posters on the walls. It screamed Ara.

He jumped when he heard the door open. Ara came back holding a hunch of things in her hands. Ashton grimaced. "Yeah, I know, but trust me, you don't want that cut to get infected." She sighed. "Not to mention the fact that your face has blood all over it." She sat down cross legged on the bed. She motioned for him to face her. Ashton tucked his legs up underneath him, and let Ara clean the wound.

The silence between them was unnerving to Ashton. He hated it. It made him feel . . . awkward. "Why are you doing this?" He asked, flinching as she applied more disinfectant.

"Because it will get infected-"

"I know, but why are you doing it? Think Ara, you hated me. We did not get along at all. Now look at us. I'm literally in your bedroom." He said. Ara rolled her eyes again that night. She grabbed the damp cloth and began wiping away the blood on his face.

"I do it because I know exactly what you're going through. I used to do this for Teddy almost every night, and vice versa. I hate that I was abused. Some of my friends were abused, and you know what? Most them have died, whether it be at the hands of their parents or by committing suicide. You have a family, Ashton. How do you think they would feel if they lost you?" She asked. "I used to do things all the time that got me into trouble and every time I would think back and ask myself what would happen to Teddy or my mum if I died. Let me tell you, I did not like the answer to that." Ashton clenched his fingers into a fist, balling them up by his side. He felt like crying again, but he felt embarrassed because he'd done it in front of Ara. He showed her how weak and pathetic he was. Ara seemed to noticed this, because she placed a finger under his chin and lifted his head.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him. He just closed his eyes, fighting back tears. "It's okay to cry, Ashton. It doesn't mean that you're worthless." Ara straddled his waist, causing his breath to hitch. Not that she noticed. "It just means that you're strong enough to tell someone how you feel instead of bottle it up." Ashton let out a strangled sob, burying his face in her neck. He hugged her close to him like a giant teddy bear.

Ara ran her hand through his hair, soothing him. Very slowly, his sobs turned into labored breaths and then they too subsided into a steady breathing pattern. Ashton inhaled and then exhaled very slowly. "Feel a little bit better?" She whispered.

"Yeah." He mumbled. Ara leaned back to look at him.

"Are you going back?" She asked him. He sighed.

"I don't want to go back. I just want to forget what goes on in that house. But if I don't . . ."

"Stay." She whispered, not expecting him to hear.

"What? Here?" He asked. Ara nodded.

"Liam works early on Tuesdays. Teddy might give me a crazy look or two, but he won't say anything if nothing happened."

"I don't know Ara. . ." he trailed off.

"Please, Ashton. I- I'll sleep better knowing you're someplace safe." She pleaded. Ashton's heart skipped a beat. She looked so innocent and sweet. He swallowed.

"Okay."