Roughers | an Ashton Irwin Fanfic

Chapter 9

"No way." I shook my head, looking to Ashton.

"How are you gonna tell me?" he said, his voice high with playful irritation. "I'm 20. Whether you choose to believe it or not."

I continued to shake my head. My denial fueling my confidence. I picked up a rock from the grass around us, turning it over in my fingers. 

Ashton had dragged me down to a pond on the edge of The Pure. I hadn't even known this place existed before today; and it made me wonder, what else did I not know about the city I live in?

"You're just mad."

I glanced over at him. "Mad?"

He nodded smugly. "That you're only 17 while I'm 20."

I let my mouth fall open and eye brows furrow in defiance. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Ashton slightly sat up from his laying position on the grass and onto his elbows, his eyes glimmering in the dusk light as the sun began to descend. 

"Because,"

"Good reason." I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes and chucking the small rock into the water. The ripples slowly growing larger and larger as they cascading about the pond.

"Because," he began again, ignoring my remark and slowly smirking. "You have a crush on me."

He turned his head to wait for my reaction, which he seemed satisfied with when my cheeks quickly heated and I diverted his teasing gaze.

"Yeah," I began sarcastically, smiling. "That's the reason."

He chuckled and it quickly turned into a high pitched laugh; one that'd come from some kind of school girl. I immediately brought my hand to my mouth, trying to muffle my own laughs.

"Stop," he whined, still giggling. "Don't laugh at my laugh, the other lads already do it enough."

My laughs ceased immediately, suddenly curious to who he was referring to. "The other lads?"

He too, stopped short. Realizing his accidental reference. I could tell he was at war with himself; deciding whether it was something worth hiding, or sharing.

I brought my knees to my chest, resting my chin atop them. "You can tell me, Ashton."

He sighed, bringing his arms around the back of his head and laying back. "You have to promise me," he began, looking at me for confirmation, which I quickly gave. "That you'll never tell anyone. I don't want them getting hurt. Even though they're pain in the asses."

I nodded in confirmation once again, waiting for him to spill. Saying I was interested would've been an understatement. Ashton had never told me about his personal life before. This was the first time he'd mentioned something of this context. So of course, I had to know.

I wanted to urge him on but I also didn't want to scare him off. It felt like a chance I wouldn't again for a long time and I didn't wanna screw it up.

"Their names are Calum, Luke, and Michael." he sighed, peering up at the dark sky. I was past curfew by now but I decided to ignore it. It wouldn't be the first time. Not to mention Ashton and I had built a contraption to climb up to my window through so I wouldn't get caught sneaking through the front door.

"They live with me," he paused, grasping for words. "out there, I mean."

I assumed he meant outside the city and in The Rough, though I didn't know how he'd manage to get through the Bubble. It was like a transparent force field, curving over our entire city like a dome. The purpose of it was to keep us safe; from what, I'm not sure. I was never told.