On The Line (Ashton Irwin)

Chapter 30- Now

Chapter 30- Now

-Madison's POV-

It's finally time.

I'm going home.

Everything now seems so strange. Since I woke up, I think I've started looking at life with a different sort of perspective, just to put some things in order. In the past couple weeks since waking up, so much has happened.

My parents officially moved back to Sydney. About a fifteen minute drive from mine and Ashton's flat. They've come to see me every day since waking up, they'll bring breakfast, and we'll eat in my room, me, my parents, and Ashton. Then, they'll leave around eleven, and Ashton and I will go for a walk. No particular destination in mind, just to talk.

He tells me about things that've been happening since I've been here, and I tell him about stuff I'd done before the accident, while he'd been on tour. I didn't have much to say, just recurring memories of memories I'd had with his family, but he loves hearing the stories, no matter how small or insignificant they were.

Luke has a girlfriend now. Her name's Hannah, and she goes to Richmond, where Ashton and I had graduated from. They met that day when Luke and Ashton had gone to that free surprise One Direction concert. They'd exchanged numbers at some point during the show, which led to them texting, and then to him asking her out a few days after I'd woken up.

"Ready to go, Maddy?" Ashton asked, and I turned around to look at him from my spot at the window.

A smile crossed my face as I nodded. "Of course I'm ready. Let's get out of here."

Crossing the room to get to him, my hand slipped into his larger one, our fingers lacing together as he led me out of the room, and then down towards his car. I slipped in the passenger seat, resting my head against the headrest and closing my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"This all seems surreal," I mused, my turning my head and opening my eyes slightly to look at Ashton.

"What does?" he asked.

"That I'm going home after all this time. That I'll eat food besides the hospital food and the diner food my parents would bring for breakfast. That your next tour is just around Australia, when you finish up the Take Me Home tour, and I can come with you then. That everything's just falling into place." I said, still looking up at him.

"For weeks now, I've dreamed about you waking up and coming home. I have ever since the accident. What's surreal to me is that you're still here. I know I've had two weeks to get used to it, but that's the thing. I'm not sure I will for awhile." he said. "Just promise me one thing?"

"What's that one thing?" I asked him as he turned his keys in the ignition.

"Never scare me like that again." he said.

"I promise," I said, sitting up and leaning over, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Now c'mon Ash, let's go home."

****

Walking in the door, I was met with the sounds of celebratory kazoos as the ensemble of three boys and one girl jumped up from behind the couches, reminding me of Ashton's eighteenth birthday, when we'd first moved in here, and they'd unpacked everything for us, surprising us then. The only differences?

1. It wasn't my birthday.

2. Hannah was here now.

"Surprise!" they all yelled.

"Welcome home, Maddy!" was their next yell.

"You guys did all this for me?" I asked them, looking around in awe.

"Of course we did," Michael said.

"We're just happy that our sister's home," Calum said.

"Your sister?" I asked then.

"We're a family, Maddy," Luke said. "The 5SOS family. And you've always been a part of that."

"Except you're not Ashton's sister," Michael said awkwardly.

"Because that would be weird," Cal finished for him.

I nodded in agreement, shooting them a thumbs up as I walked over towards them, giving them all a tight hug. When I finally pulled away, I looked at the four of them in awe.

"I still can't believe you guys," I said. "I'm gonna go change quick, be right back,"

Running out of the living room and towards the bedroom, I opened the door to see Ashton's suitcase on the floor, still zipped up and packed from when he was gone on tour. Changing into a pair of jeans and a red and pink plaid button up, which I left unbuttoned and wore a black tank on under it.

"Ashton, are you serious?" I asked in disbelief, leaving the room. "Your suitcase is still packed?"

"It wasn't exactly at the top of my to-do list," he said, and I shook my head, a smirk tugging at the corners of my lips.

"Well, c'mon," I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him after me.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"To unpack your freaking suitcase," I said, full-on grinning now.

Reaching the bedroom, I unzipped it, opening it to see a small black box, Ashton's eyes widening as he saw that I'd seen it.

"Wait, Maddy!" he stopped me.

"What's that?" I asked nervously, picking it up.

He picked it up out of my hand before calling the others in. I looked at them nervously for a moment as Ashton got down on one knee. Hannah's jaw dropped and her arms wrapped around Luke's forearm her squeezing it tightly as she bounced up and down excitedly.

"Madison Taylor Holmes," he said. "For the past couple years, you've been my girlfriend, my best friend, the Batgirl to my Robin, and yes, I'm bringing up this because of your last name, the Sherlock to my Watson."

"Ashton," I breathed, happy tears filling my eyes.

"Will you marry me Maddy?" he asked.

I was speechless, and all I could do was nod, him jumping up excitedly and hugging me tightly before kissing me, the others cheering as he slipped the ring on my finger.

"Wait, I want a picture for Twitter," Luke said, holding up his phone as Ashton pulled me close, Luke snapping the photo.

5SOS: Guess who's getting married? pic.twitter.com/dihgptr

Holy crap. This is over.

Sorta.

Next part will be the epilogue, then the playlist and acknowledgements. But, technically, I just finished my first 5SOS fanfic. Thank you soooooo much for taking this journey with me. ily.

-xoxo Liv