Relocating

Back to Back

So. Ashton is pretty normal. Which is not normal. By normal, I mean boring as hell. He hasn't been wanting to do anything since he got back a week ago. Usually he's all over being together and having fun. Now, he'll ask me how my day was and pretty much ignore me after that. I have to force a conversation, or he'll stay silent all night. I plan to talk to him after I finish my walk home on this lovely Friday.

I stroll through the door and he doesn't even look up. Swell. I sit next to him on the couch and sit back to start watching TV.

"How was work?" He asks.

"Fine. How was your day?"

"It was alright. I just scanned through my pictures all day looking for ones to put in the brochure."

"Oh fun. That's all?"

"Yeah."

"You still like your job right?"

"Yup."

"Cool."

"Okay." He responds flatly and stares at the TV.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" I ask and he doesn't answer. He just looks nervous.

"Earth to Ashton?" I ask.

"I have not." He responds.

"You have a flat tone whenever I talk to you. Why?" I say. And he doesn't answer.

"Really?" I ask and stand up. He still says nothing.

"I'm going to bed." I say and walk up to our room.

I curl under the sheets while I think. Why was he being so distant? I didn't understand and hated that. I've always hated being on the outside.

At around 1 am I was shaken awake by Ash. Now I was pissed off.

"What Ashton?" I asked aggravated.

"I want to show you something."

"Why?"

"It's why I've been so quiet. I didn't want to spoil the surprise, but I can't wait until next Saturday." He says.

"What?" I'm still really tired.

"Next Saturday is 2 months that we've been going out." He says and I smile. At least he remembered.

"Fine." I say and sit up.

"C'mon!" He shouts and pulls me by my arm out of bed.

We head downstairs and I'm still groggy and pissed. At the bottom of the steps he covers my eyes with his hands. He leads me to couch and tells me to cover my eyes with my own hands while he gets the present.

"Don't look until I tell you." He says and I follow his instructions.

I hear paper rustling, but resist the urge to look. He pulls my hands off my eyes and kisses my forehead. I look in front of me and see a black and white picture printed on canvas. It's two pictures split. One side is me on the Golden Gate Bridge resting my back on the cement baracade. The other is Ashton doing the same, making it look like we are back to back. I smile at the picture and stand up to hug him.

"So you like it?" He asks.

"I love it! I like how it looks like we are back to back." I answer.

"It took me awhile to get it. That's why I've been so quiet lately. I didn't want to spoil the surprise." He says embarrassed.

"You never spoil surprises."

"And I definitely wasn't going to spoil this one." He says and chuckles slightly.

"My gift is never going to be as good. I love this."

"I'm that good?"

"Yeah. You're that good. Just don't get cocky." I say and kiss him lightly.

The gift was honestly perfect. I couldn't think of anything I'd want more. It showed how close we were and it was art that we could put anywhere in the apartment. It was cool, beautiful, and bittersweet. It was us.