Next Door

Thoughts of Childhoods (and Throb)

A/N: Yes that's the title no regrets ✌️ I apologize for nothing (except I mean stuff but this not at all Throb is hsmtmts fav character)

The next day, Big Red knocked on Ashlyn's door. She had been prepared to get it earlier, as it was their plan. But she had forgotten, and her mom opened instead.

"Hey bab— oh." His face fell. "Hi Mrs. Caswell." He forced a smile.

"Hi Big Red, come on in." She said. "Sit, sit."

"Thanks..." He sat on the couch.

"How are you?" Ashlyn's mom sat across from him.

"I'm good." He said simply. Her mom's attitude quickly changed.

"So from that and that you were clearly prepared for Ashlyn to answer the door and you to call her 'babe' or whatever, I take it she hasn't told you?"

"I, oh, uh, she did. It was... a force of habit. I'm, you know, still her friend." He said, nervously laughing.

"Okay. Go up there, then, no funny business."

"Wouldn't dare." He muttered at an inaudible volume. He walked upstairs and to Ashlyn's room, closing the door behind himself. "Maybe you should start coming over to my place more often, your mom almost caught us." He laughed, before turning to her. When he did, he realized she was lying in bed crying.

"Oh, hey. Sorry." She mumbled.

"What is it?" He laid beside her, pulling her into his arms and rubbing her back.

"It's all so stupid."

"Hm?" He kissed her forehead.

"I've just been falling apart all day. I don't care if it's just a few weeks. It's so stupid."

"Oh, that." He sighed. "Come here." He hugged her tighter. "I know it's stupid. One day it'll just be us."

"If my parents don't chase you away before then."

"Hey, I'm not going away. And if the world turned upside down and I did, it wouldn't be because your parents don't approve."

"I take it that's what everyone says."

"Take it as what I mean." He managed to pull her closer to him.

"Wish there was a way to elope but you're dating instead of being married." She mumbled. "That made no sense, did it?"

"I believe that would be running away, which I believe would be a horrible idea."

"That adds up. But at least I'd be with you instead of Jack."

"Jack? Oh, the guy." He nodded. "Stupid guy."

"He's actually pretty nice, I think. It's stupid parents."

"Right."

"I've got to suck it up, don't I?"

"Have to say it, but to a degree. Feel the emotions, yes, but I do think you have to do it." He sighed. "I love you."

"Love you too." She wiped her tear stained face. "Let's go out, I really wanna be normal, and I feel like there's an impending doom upon us." She said dramatically. He looked confused. "Also known as my mom walking in on us hugging or whatever."

"Fair enough." He kissed the tip of her nose. She giggled.

"I've gotta change. Hide under the pillow like we'd do when we were little or something." She tossed a pillow over to him, which landed on his face.

"Thanks." He mumbled into it, smiling. "Tell me when you're done."

"Mhm!" She said, quickly changing out of her pajamas and into an outfit. She pulled on pants, getting stuck in them at the quick speed and falling onto her bed.

"You alright?"

"How does this always happen?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm good."

"Good." He smiled. She finished and sat by him, taking the pillow off of his face. She set it down and he hugged it.

"Let's go." She smiled.

"Okay. But just because we're dating doesn't mean I can't miss throwing pillows at you." He threw it back at her. "Even if we stopped doing it years ago."

"Stopping was a stupid decision. Did we think we were too mature or something?"

"I doubt it. We stopped before Ricky and I ever used Throb, so I don't think we could've been very mature."

"Okay, not Throb. I wanna forget about Throb. I wanna stop staying Throb too, because I can smell it every time I say it." She laughed.

"I can smell it in my dreams." He laughed. "Or rather nightmares."

"Come on." She grabbed his hand. "Let's go." They walked downstairs, letting go of each other's hands until they got outside.