I Choose You // Ashton Irwin

Sparks Fly (Epilogue)

Hey Violet
Sparks fly
The best part of the movie every night
Tell me I'm the one
And I'll turn off the sun
Cause you're the only light I want
Sparks fly
There's a constellation in your eyes
The rest of the world is living in dark
When we light up the sky
And they watch the sparks fly
~
{Chapter dedicated to @those4aussies as thanks for her wonderful cover art}
> Six Years Later
Ashton sat on the couch in his and Mina's apartment tying his shoes.
"Hurry up, love!" He called to her in the bathroom.
She laughed, stepping out in her towel. "Pick out what I'm wearing to travel and for the reception and I won't take so long."
Ashton rolled his eyes with a smile and held up a sky blue dress.
She smiled, throwing off her towel and changing into the short dress. It fell to her knees, the soft fabric clinging to her torso and flaring out at her hips.
"You look nice." Ashton said, biting his lip slightly.
Mina took her hair out of the bun it was in and let it fall into soft waves down her back. She did simple shades of silver eyeshadow with a black eyeliner.
Ashton put on his tux jacket and kissed his love sweetly. "You look wonderful."
"Can't wait until I'm the one walking down the aisle and Taylor is a bridesmaid." Mina giggled, giving Ashton a squeeze. "No rush, babe."
Ashton tucked her hair behind her ear, again kissing her. "I know what you want and it will happen eventually."
Mina sighed happily, knowing she would be able to hide her jealousy over Taylor and Jack.
The wedding went as rehearsed, Ashton's sister Lauren and her friend Lucy as the flower girls and his brother Harry as the ring bearer.
Jack was Luke's older brother, whom Ashton had become close to in the year following graduation. They learned a lot about him after Luke graduated the year after Mina and Ashton, like the fact that he heart condition, but that was a different story. Ashton and Luke were great friends, and Jack considered him a brother as well.
Mina and Ashton took a gap year between high school and college, and spent it travelling the country together. They both kept in touch with Luke and Jack and Michael, Jack announcing his wedding date for the summer after Luke graduated.
Luke walked with his girlfriend, Rebecah, down the aisle after Lauren and their daughter, Lucy. Rebecah and Luke went way back, but that's a different story.
After Luke and Rebecah was Michael and Gwenn. Michael and Luke were best friends through high school, Ashton and Mina becoming good friends with them as well. They didn't really know Gwenn but Michael talked about her occasionally. Michael was an on-site med student, spending most of his time in the hospital in the Oncology department, but that's a different story.
Michael's hair was purple to match the wedding colours of navy and pastel purple. The pair were practically the same person; her hair was navy blue.
Then it was Ashton and Mina. The light purple dress complimented Mina's green eyes and brought them out against her silver makeup.
Finally, it was Jack's friend Calum and his wife Jayde. They also have a long story, but that's a different one too.
Luke and Jack's mother walked with Taylor's mother down the aisle, as maids of honour.
The wedding music slowed, and Taylor and her older brother stepped through the doors of the church. She didn't like her father, and he didn't like her, so her brother gave her away to Jack.
It was so beautiful.
Taylor's brown eyes watered, the smile on her face the biggest it had ever been.
Mina held herself together standing next to Rebecah and Gwenn.
Harry brought out the rings after the vows and the two were married.
The bridesmaids changed into their party dresses after all the pictures had been taken.
The group partied until midnight when the last slow song played.
Ashton didn't leave Mina's side for the whole night.
Gwenn and Michael stood in a corner together, watching Mina and Ashton laughing and dancing to dance music.
"They really love each other." Gwenn noted.
"How can you tell?" Michael asked, trying to watch the couple without being obvious.
"He looks at her like Jack looks at Taylor. Like she's the most amazing thing he's ever seen." Gwenn rest her head on Michael's shoulder. "It's almost as if she's the light in his universe." She sighed lovingly, pressing a kiss to Michael's cheek. She thought about how much she missed her own daughter, Cleo, as she watched the kids dancing with each other and laughing.
"Hm." Michael draped an arm around Gwenn, kissing the top of her head.
Everyone could tell that Mina and Ashton were more in love than anyone else in the room, even Jack and Taylor. The last song played, Ashton held onto Mina's waist. They danced, all the time keeping eye contact.
Everyone else stopped to take a picture or two, even Taylor. Taylor loved love, more than she loved anything else. She encouraged everyone prior to the wedding to take pictures of everyone else as well as her, she knew all of the wedding party were couples.
Their foreheads pressed together, Ashton took the diamond ring from his pocket.
"Marry me?" He asked in a whisper.
Mina nodded, smiling. She never wanted an extravagant proposal, just something simple and sweet.
He slipped the ring onto her finger and they continued their dance.
The music ended and they then realised everyone else was at a stand still.
Mina fiddled with her new commitment, her diamond, and blushed bright pink.
"Congratulations." Taylor said, hugging the two of them in her puffy off-white dress. Taylor had dreamed of a proposal at her wedding reception.
They hugged her back, not wanting to make a big deal of the matter.
Mina took the silver bracelet from the hidden pocket in her blue dress and got down on one knee in front of Taylor.
"Will you be my bridesmaid?"
Taylor laughed, helping Mina stand and accepting her offer.
"Absolutely. Thanks for being one of mine." She kissed Mina's cheek, giving the girl another hug.
Ashton and Mina left the reception for home to sleep.
"Ashton?" Mina squeaked over the quiet music in the car.
"Hm?" Ashton looked at her for a mere second. "Everything alright?"
She let out a shaky breath, staring out the window at a man getting gas a little ways ahead of them at a rest stop.
"It's him." She whispered.
Ashton turned sharply into the gas station, slamming the breaks and parking in front of the store.
"Stay." Ashton growled to Mina.
He walked right over to the tattooed man and punched him straight in the nose. Mina gasped and stepped out of the car, but froze as soon as she was standing up.
"What the fuck, man?" The man yelled.
"Don't fucking touch her again." Ashton growled, pinning the man to his car by the collar of his shirt.
"Fuckin who, mate?" He yelled.
Mina slowly stepped over into the light of the gas pumps. The man looked at her, a grin forming on his face.
"Oh, that little toy." He said.
Ashton used his elbow to hit the mans lights out, knocking him unconscious.
He let him fall to the ground, turning to comfort a shaking Mina.
She fell into a sobbing mess as soon as Ashton had his arms around her.
"Shh, shh. It's okay. You're okay." Ashton comforted her. "Let's just go home."
Mina nodded and they walked back to the car.
After That Day, Mina had only ever wanted sex once more. That morning in the hotel, and she was intoxicated at the time. Ashton dealt with it, with her nightmares and flashbacks. He still couldn't understand how anyone could take advantage of someone so innocent and small.
They headed home in silence, Mina still shaken up about seeing her rapist again.
They got into the building and took the elevator to the fourth floor instead of the stairs like they usually did.
Mina stayed pressed up against Ashton, terrified the man would take her again.
"You're okay." Ashton said, wrapping his arms around her and giving her forehead a sweet kiss.
She nodded, stepping out of the elevator at their floor and letting Ashton unlock the numerous locks on their door and step inside. Mina closed the door and redid all four locks twice, her OCD and PTSD growing ever worse.
Ashton helped her change out of her dress, drawing up a bubble bath for her to relax.
It was nearly 3am but Ashton didn't care about work in four hours, he needed to take care of Mina.
She stepped into the hot water and sat, pulling her knees up to her chest.
Her wonderful husband-to-be washed her up and gave her a back massage before helping her up and drying her off.
"You're alright." He said, giving her a kiss.
They went to the bedroom, Mina got herself dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a red tee shirt.
She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.
"Do you think he'd go to the cops?" She finally asked after a moment of silence.
Ashton sat next to her, "No, I don't think so. He looked legitimately scared of me."
Mina nodded.
A comfortable silence fell over them, no need for words.
"I'm sorry I've been abstinent for the past few years." Mina blurted out.
Ashton looked at her, shocked. "Mina you don't have to apologise for that."
She nodded. "I do." She looked at him, "I've let what happened to me overtake me and rule my life. And I'm sorry."
"No, you don't have to be sorry. Something like that will always-"
Mina cut him off by pressing her lips roughly to his. "I don't want it to anymore."
Ashton pulled her into his lap while kissing her and holding her hips. She ground herself to him, making him let out a groan of pleasure.
"Mina." Ashton stopped for a moment. "Are you sure?"
Mina nodded, flicking the lights off.
They made sweet, sweet love until the sun poked out above the horizon. Ashton called out of work and called Mina out as well for a 'personal health day'.
There was a knock at the door around 11 in the morning.
Ashton got up to answer it, giving Mina a kiss and putting on some sweatpants.
He opened the door to two police officers in uniform.
"Ashton Irwin you're under arrest for the assault of Stephen Churchill."