PAINTS, WORDS, & LIQUORS [LASHTON AU]

eleven

Surprise! Turns out I can't go on in life without at least trying to finish this story. I read the previous parts the other day and all the plans I had for this story all came back and I ended up writing Chapter 11. So here you go and I hope you'll enjoy this one. :)

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I moved around the bed and I felt an arm tightening around my waist from behind me. I smiled knowing it was Ashton and opened my eyes as I turned around in his hold.

"Hey..." I softly said and Ashton pulled me closer in response before he slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey..." he said in his raspy morning voice. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

We smiled at each other and he leaned in, kissing me softly but deeply.

"I will never get tired of waking up like this with you next to me," he told me as we pulled away from the kiss.

"Even if I look like shit and have bad morning breath?"

"You'll always be beautiful and perfect to me."

"Fucking cheesy, Irwin."

He laughed lightly, making me smile fondly at him. He then looked at me with soft eyes and he said, "So, are we really back together now? Not just fuck buddies?"

I placed a hand on the side of his face and caressed his cheek with my thumb as I said, "A hundred percent 'yes' for me."

"Me too."

I smiled, "Glad that we're on the same page."

Ashton chuckled then tightened his hold on me as he pressed another kiss on my lips. "I love you."

"I love you."

He grinned big then said, "Damn, how it feels so good to be able to say that to you again and you saying it back."

I laughed lightly then confessed, "You know, I was actually having a crisis."

"What crisis?"

"Well, I initially really thought that I had moved on from us, you know. It has been six years and all that. Then we had our arrangement and I thought I was all cool with it. Like it was all for fun. But I realized that I am still in love with you. I mean, I was in denial and it was actually Michael who pointed it out and made me admit it to myself."

"Michael?"

"Yeah. Remember when they were here? He cornered me while you and Calum were outside. He told me that it's obvious that I'm still in love with you. Honestly, I still tried to deny it to him but then I realized there's no point in denying it to myself because it's true. At least I'd admit it to me, you know. Then last night happened and well, here we are..."

"Are you happy though? With us now being back together? Is this something that you'd really want?"

"Yes," I answered him with no hesitation.

Fucking hell, for a long time I felt dead inside and it was only when I got back here and being with him that I felt alive again. Honestly, this would have been something that I would never have admitted even to myself if what happened last night hadn't happened.

I can't even describe how lucky I am now that I am given a chance to be with the one person I have always loved and have always loved me.

Ashton smiled at me with that look in his eyes, which always gives me security and comfort. Fuck, have I wasted too much time, and how foolish was I to hurt this precious human.

I smiled back at him and as I looked back into his eyes, I made a promise to myself that I would never hurt him again and I would make up for everything.