Here to Stay || Ashton Irwin (completed)

Chapter 32

The next day, Anne let Ashton sleep in. Normally she insisted on waking him up early and not letting him have a day to go to waste. Due to his sickness, Ashton had missed a lot of school and he intended on catching up as soon as he could, much to my and his mother's disbeleif. Though waking him up was the real issue, once he was focused and on track, one could be easily impressed by his motivation. 

It was around 1 pm when the knock finally came. I was wrapped around Ashton, my hands gripping his t-shirt as if he would slip away at any moment when he shook me awake. "Em, wake up, wake up, we're going out to eat tonight. Mom said she'd pay for it."

I blinked away the sleep and dreams I had been emerged in and smiled at his news. I looked up at the boy above me unable to believe everything that had happened these past few months. His hair was stubbly, but it was beginning to grow back and already his face looked fuller and more full of life. I traced his jaw with my finger tips and smiled. He smiled and pushed his cheek against my hand, his eyes falling shut at my touch, "I love you," he murmured.

I bit my lip and my smile grew wider, "I love you more."

He laughed and shook his head, "Okay, as if." 

Suddenly his fingers were on my stomach and he was tickle attacking me like there was no tomorrow. I screamed and tried to push him away, but despite his bedridden few months, he still managed to beat me in strength. "Ashton!" I yelled, "Ashton please stop please!"

But of course, he denied my request. His tickling continued and he moved his hands lower. As he moved past my hips, he stopped tickling me.

At least I thought he did.

I looked up to see Ashton staring at my legs. 

"I can't," he said, his voice defeated, as he tried to touch my leg.

I frowned and let my head fall back onto my pillow. I bit my lip and closed my eyes, trying to not lose control of my emotions. 

"Ashton, let's not let this ruin our day. I know it's shitty, but,"

"You're being like me. You have become me. You are the optimistic one," he cut me off, "Now you can't complain," he teased me.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" I asked my voice rising trying to sound angry. I held the anger for a long time, painted across my face, but soon broke into a laugh after Ashton's face fell. "I'm sorry, I'm not actually mad, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You better be, I was trying to make you happy," he pouted.

"And you did. Thank you. So about dinner...." I drew out the question, "Where are we going?"

Ashton smirked at me, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, actually I would."

Ashton shrugged, "Then I guess you'll have to wait."

I frowned, suddenly considering a key point. "Wait."

"What," he asked.

"You said your mom was paying for us. Does she know?"

Ashton nodded, "I told her I wanted to take you out."

"And she's not weirded out by that?"

"No, she knows what you've done for me. She told me about how you went to her and all that, she's cool with it."

I felt my heart warm up. Being what I was, I was sure people would scare away from the idea or think I was a freak of nature. A mistake. But seeing how Ashton's friends accepted me and now his mom, made me feel better about what I was, whatever that was.