Family Troubles || Redlyn

Good for Her (truly, this time)

A/N: gaspppp this chapter is so long- I'm low key proud of it soooo

Big Red's POV

"My mom gets here in about 10 minutes." Ashlyn told me. I nodded, adjusting to hold her by the waist as we continued the movie we had started about an hour earlier when we arrived there.

"And things will go great." I responded.

"I— yeah." She nodded. A minute passed, my girlfriend occasionally adjusting. It become constant, she couldn't sit still. "Can you pause it?"

"Of course." I nodded, extremely concerned. It showed. I paused the movie, setting down the remote. Ashlyn got up, fiddling with the multiple rings on her hands. She nearly sat back down, before starting to pace the room, shaking her head.

"What if she overreacts? I know I need to tell someone at the school or something, but I don't want her to do it... as much as I don't want to."

"If she's that concerned, she'll listen to you."

"Yeah, I guess... that's true." She nodded. "But then again... what if she barely reacts? I know she... loves me... and cares, but— but what if she just brushes it off?"

"She won't, Ashlyn." I promised.

"No, but— well, yeah, I just— and then there's telling... anyone else." She said, stuttering. I didn't respond for a moment, studying her face.

"Come here."

"I don't wanna sit." She shook her head.

"Ashlyn." I said. "Come on."

"Why?" She asked. "It's not gonna take my problems away."

"Ashlyn." I repeated, standing up. She made her way to the couch. I hugged her, bringing us both onto the couch and sitting. I hugged her tightly, hearing her muffled cries. "There's no need to panic."

"I'm just scared."

"I know." I nodded, unable to say much more. I believed it would be fine, but I knew she couldn't listen to much reasoning while anxiety was taking over. "When things go bad you always get past them."

"Y- Yeah, eventually, but—"

"I know it isn't easy to execute, but you're gonna feel so much better once you've told her." I promised, kissing the top off her head.

"Yeah..."

"Just take deep breaths. Don't say anything. We'll just sit here."

"Thanks..." she said, trying to regain a steady breathing pattern. A few minutes passed before her mom arrived.

"Ashlyn! You wanted to talk?" She asked, mostly aiming her words up the stairs since that's where Ashlyn would generally be.

"In here!" She replied, sitting up. She tightly gripped my hand, squeezing and letting go of it from time to time. She hadn't been calm enough for the stress to not come right back the second she was really faced with her problem.

"Oh, Big Red! Hi!" She greeted me.

"Hi." I forced a smile, too worried about Ashlyn for it to be genuine. She glanced at me.

"Can you..."

"Yeah." I nodded, standing up. Her mom sat down. "Oh, but, um... I wanna keep hanging out after, just, uh- wait in my room?"

"Sure." I smiled at her, before making my way to her room. I closed the door. I hoped her panic wouldn't come back. I distracted myself by looking around at all Ashlyn's pictures she had hanging up (there were a lot). Of course I had seen them all the time, but most of them at least had Ashlyn in it, and I never got tired of them. Plenty of them included myself, which made me smile. I lost track of time, and around 10 minutes later I heard Ashlyn calling up the stairs.

"B- Biggie! You can come back!" She stuttered. I frowned, since she only tended to stutter when she was anxious, and walked downstairs. She was in a hug from her mom, briefly making me smile, before realizing she was still anxious. I sat beside her.

"It's okay, it's over with." I whispered. She moved from her mom, hugging me. I put her head against my chest.

"But... I have to tell other people... I just don't wanna... feel like th- this..."

"Hey, hey, I know." I said softly. "Have you asked your mom about..." I asked, which caused a few tears. I hugged her a little closer to me.

"About what?" Her mom asked.

"I..." she cried.

"I, uh, I'm not sure if it was easy to tell or whatever, but she's having a panic attack." I said. "Well, kinda calming down from one."

"They, um, kinda happen a lot. I mean, not a lot a lot... but it's not that uncommon. I wanted to ask if I could go to therapy." Ashlyn mumbled. "But I know you don't really—"

"We'll look into it." Her mom interrupted.

"Really?" Despite her stress, Ashlyn looked up with her eyes shining. I smiled.

"Yeah. I guess it's easier to think you need it when... well, this is happening."

"Thank you." She let go of me, hugging her mom instead. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna clean up." She walked to the bathroom, leaving me and her mom there.

"She's gonna be really happy if you let her go." I said.

"Yeah. And I am gonna look into it."

"Good." I smiled slightly.

"You're really good for her, you know that?"

"I... like to think so." I nodded.

"I'm glad she has someone like you. Thank you."

"Yeah, of course." I smiled.

"And I'm sorry about the no-dating debacle. Her father got into my head, I was also just less educated. She's definitely way happier with you."

"Yeah, um... not to be weird, but do you know how I can convince him I'm good for her? After Ash's ankle thing happened, in the hospital, he told me I was holding her back."

"Does she know?" She asked.

"What?" I asked. "Oh, right, Ashlyn. Yeah, I told her." I confirmed. "It's kinda why she doesn't talk to him much. I want them to be on good terms again."

"I do too. Maybe he'll learn you're good for her eventually, but I don't think you should try hard." She advised me. "If he can't figure it out, after Ashlyn trying to convince him, then... as hard as it is, I don't think she'll want to talk to him. We're stubborn."

"She has a right to be."

"She did with me, too. I'm glad she's forgiven me now, I'm not sure how easy it'll be with her dad."

"Thanks for the advice anyways." I nodded.

"Yeah, sure." She smiled slightly. "You two have a good time." She said, getting up as she noticed Ashlyn coming back. The two of them shared a smile, before my girlfriend sat beside me. I put my arm around her.

"Let's finish the movie." She leaned onto my shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too."