The Babysitter ≫ lashton

nine

When Harry and I returned to the house Ashton was sitting on the couch watching tv. He didn't even take notice to us as his gaze remained glued to the show that was currently on.

"I'll be upstairs!" Harry smiles, kicking his shoes off at the bottom of the stairs.

"Alright, I'll be up in a minute." I respond, shrugging my jacket off my shoulders. He rushed up the stairs to get the card game I had sadly agreed to playing: Go Fish. I hung my jacket up on one of the free hooks and walked into the living room, tossing a McDonald's bag on Ashton's lap. "Harry ordered it for you." I mutter before heading towards the stairs.

I heard a muffled thanks as I reached the top step and shrugged to myself, walking into Harry's room. He had the cards shuffled and ready to be dealt as I sat across from him on the bedroom floor. We each got fourteen cards since it was only the two of us; Harry ended up with four matches in the beginning and I ended up with three.

"Do you have a five?" Harry asks and I huff.

"Go fish. Do you have an eight?"

"Go fish. Do you have a jack?" Harry asks, his eyes barely visible under his eyelashes as his head was tilted down.

"Here." I say, handing him my jack. "Go again."

We continued this back and forth until Harry won and I was honestly surprised because I was doing well after he had taken my jack. We played two more rounds before Harry yawned and I smiled at that, knowing he was tired.

"Come on, bud, let's get you to bed." I say, beginning to clean up the cards. "Get your pyjamas on." He obeyed my orders and rushed off to the bathroom to change his clothes. When he returned he jumped into bed and I walked over to his tv, putting on Netflix. "What do you want to watch?"

"Can you put on Ride Along?" He asks with a wide smile.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure you're allowed to watch that?"

"Yes!" He exclaims. "I've watched it before with Ashton!"

I purse my lips, trying not to laugh. "Okay, Ride Along it is." I turned Ride Along on for him and made sure he was comfortable in his bed before leaving the room.

I headed down the hall to my current room and almost collided with Ashton as he emerged from the bathroom. He flinched away and kept his gaze on the floor.

"You okay?" I ask and he flinched again.

"I'm fine." He mutters, quickly walking pass me and into his own bedroom. He closed the door softly and I saw the light turn off under the door space.

I shake my head at his weird behaviour and sigh as the front door is pounded on, a lot. Who would be at the door at nine thirty in the evening?

I look through the peep hole and roll my eyes at the two gentlemen outside the door. I unlock the door and pull it open a bit, eyeing them both.

"Is Ashton home?" Calum asks, pushing pass me.

"Yeah, he's in his room. Why? What's going on?" I ask, turning my attention to Michael since Calum wasn't going to give me any answers quickly.

"Kyle, our goalie, broke his wrist and he can't play for the rest if the season." He explains. "He was our only goalie. The coach doesn't know what to do."

"You don't have a back up goalie?" I scoff. "That's stupid."

"Our back up goalie quit a few weeks ago and we haven't filled his place yet." Calum explains.

"What is with all the noise?" Ashton groans, trudging down the stairs in sweatpants and a bare chest.

"Kyle's injured, bad." Michael says.

"What do you mean?" Ashton's face twists with confusion and anger.

"He broke his wrist trying to do something stupid and impress a girl - so cliché right? Anyways, he fell and snapped his wrist. He's out for the season, Ash. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know." Ashton runs his fingers through his hair and I try not to gawk over his muscles as he flexes. I look at the floor and begin rocking back and forth on the balls of his heels. "We'll have to get Nick to do it then."

"But Nick's not as good as Kyle." Michael stated, causing Ashton to groan again.

"No one's as good as Kyle." Ashton mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose with his index and middle fingers.

Why was I even standing here still?

I quietly backed up until I was far enough away to turn around and walk into the kitchen. My fingers ran through my hair and I sighed, knowing I still had to shower. I wasn't gonna get up early in the morning tomorrow to do it.

I made my way back down the hall and started up the stairs, only to be stopped my Michael Clifford himself.

"Hey, you played goalie for a little while when we versed you back in Michigan. You were good." He says.

I continue to stare at him blankly. "And?"

"You should join the team! Be our goalie." He says.

"No." I respond immediately, continuing my walk up the stairs.

"Come on, dude, we need you desperately." Michael pleads.

"Don't keep asking him. If he doesn't want to join the team we'll figure something else out tomorrow, when I'm actually fully awake and not ready to punch you two in the face." He gives them sarcastic smiles. "Now get out of my house; I'm going to bed." He says, shoving them towards the door.

"Whatever, Ash. We better get this settled tomorrow or we're screwed." Michael says before following Calum towards Michael's car. Those two were always strangely together.

"Sorry about them." Ashton mutters, shutting the door and relocking it.

I shrug, "I don't care." I finished my walk up the stairs and headed towards my room, shutting the door behind me. I tore off my shirt and rummaged through my duffle bag for a pair of sweatpants and a tank. When I found what I needed I headed back down the hall and into the bathroom. After turning on the light I shut the door and locked it before turning on the water.

Once I was done showering I got dressed and dried my hair the best I could with my towel before tossing it in the hamper. I was definitely going to have to do a lot of laundry after school tomorrow.

I headed back down the hall to my room when Ashton was walking up the stairs. He kept his head down and quickly walked towards his room. My eyes furrowed at his back and I frowned at the bruised skin. Did I do that when I shoved him into the lockers earlier? I opened my mouth to speak, but decided against it, simply walking into my room and shutting the door.

-

Yeah, this wasn't as long as I hoped it to be but yolo? Anyways, here's Wednesdays update because you're all rad. Next chapter is cute. I promise you. Anyway, yeah. This was a boring chapter, but I don't give a crap. If you have a problem with it keep it in your head because I'm not gonna read stupid comments (even though every comment so far has been so nice and incredible and I like love you all).

june 2016

spoiler alert: luke falls down the stairs and breaks his leg and ashton takes care of him. 

i'm lying none of that actually happens