Next Door

Whenever

"Ashlyn, baby, wake up." Big Red whispered. "It's been hours, you've gotta head home."

"I love you." She mumbled, unable to form much more of a thought.

"I love you too." He giggled.

"I don't wanna go."

"Curfew."

"What time is it?" She asked, sitting up and opening her eyes before immediately shutting them. She buried her head in his shoulder, holding onto him.

"10:30."

"Curfew's at 11." She furrowed her eyebrows. She knew he knew.

But he also knew better. "Well yeah, but it's gonna take you 30 minutes for you to stop clinging onto me." He kissed her forehead.

"Are you complaining, though?" She smirked.

"Not one bit."

"Okay. Try not to let me fall back asleep." She said, cuddling against him.

"Mkay." He nodded, slowly rubbing her back mindlessly. They enjoyed each other's presence for the following 20 minutes. There were the occasional mumbles, endearing remarks, before Big Red spoke. "I'm gonna be your human alarm. You snoozed. We've got ten minutes."

"Fine." She pouted. "Why are you good at keeping track of time?"

"Because your curfew has gotten us in trouble multiple—"

"Right, thanks." She smiled. "Let's hope for no more being grounded for awhile."

"Sounds good." He kissed her.

"How much you wanna bet I jinxed it?"

"Nothing?"

"We'll see." She kissed him again.

"Why would you be grounded?"

"Eh, something might go wrong soon enough."

"I guess, but what?" He asked with a shrug.

"Um... they'll find something soon enough. I'll be a minute late for curfew." She joked, shrugging.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"I guess, I just hate what your parents put you through. We grew up together, I always thought they were so nice. I guess they were just being... gentle to younger kids."

"They haven't changed that much." She shrugged once again.

"They've always been this awful?"

"No, just strict. But the teenager thing comes with careers and relationships, and— I mean, I kinda have to hide from their judgement sometimes."

"Babe..."

"I promise, it is fine." She said definitively.

"Just talk to me whenever."

"I do." She smiled.

"Okay. Well, don't do that one minute later curfew thing."

"Right. Goodnight hon."

"Night." He hugged her before watching her leave.