The Therapist's Son // Ashton Irwin [AU] ✔

26.

"How are you today, Natalie?"

I don't want to be here.

"I'm fine," I said. "I'm just..Tired."

"Physically or...?"

Mentally.

"Yeah," I lied. "School's kicking my butt."

Over the past few weeks, I still hadn't been thrilled about seeing Doctor Irwin. I still despised therapy, I still hated talking about my feelings. So I didn't. I lied. Eventually, she'd assume I'm getting better and she'd tell my mom weekly therapy sessions were no longer needed.

Besides, normally Ashton and I would spend time together once I was done. One would have thought the fact that I stayed in my therapist's home after my session just to spend time with her son was extremely unprofessional, but she never said anything about it. Frankly, Ashton and I wouldn't have cared if she did. There's always the treehouse.

Halfway through my appointment, while we were talking about absolutely nothing in particular because at the moment, nothing really seemed to be very wrong in my life, we were interrupted by a sudden rhythmic beating coming from upstairs. Immediately, I knew Ashton wanted to steal me away by causing a distraction.

"I told him not to-" Doctor Irwin pretty much muttered to herself before shouting: "Ashton Fletcher! Stop banging those drums! I'm with my four o'clock!" Even if Ashton did hear her - which I doubt he did - he obviously was aware she was with her four o'clock, just like he was sure of who her four o'clock was.

Needless to say, the banging continued. My therapist pinched the bridge of her nose, closed her eyes, stood up and calmly got up, and walked upstairs. The drumming continued, and even I could hear her shouts. He was deliberately ignoring his mother, and kept hitting the drums again and again. I was both shocked and entertained.

Finally, he stopped, only to shout something at her that I didn't quite catch. I could hear footsteps stomping down the hallway, and the drumming eventually continued, so I assumed Ashton had won the battle.

"Your appointment has been cut short, Natalie," Doctor Irwin said, taking a sip of water before swallowing what appeared to be an Advil. "I'll see you next week. Or whenever my son has you over again."

I nodded, standing up and walking past her towards the stairs. She mumbled something under her breath, taking her clipboard and scribbling something down while I walked away.

I walked into Ashton's room, smiling, watching him continue to keep rhythum, biting his bottom lip as he concentrated. His room was small enough already, and normally he didn't keep instruments in his room. The drum set was in front of his closet door, so I was wondering what he would do when he needed clothes tomorrow, but I figured that was the least of both our worries.

"Great beat." I complimented him after standing in the doorway for a minute or two. Ashton jumped, halting his motions for a moment, a drumstick in each hand. He didn't look at me at all, and he didn't seem happy.

"Mum didn't think so." He continued tapping away, and I frowned. I genuinely had thought that was part of his plan.

"Well, I think you're amazing."

"Thanks." He said, his tone somewhere between numb and sarcastic. I was growing concerned, wondering why he seemed so unhappy to see me.

"Where'd you get these?" I asked, pushing my curiosity and hurt as far away as possible.

"Calum's." He curtly responded, still refusing to look me in the eye.

"Ashton? What's wrong?" I asked him, sitting cross-legged on his double bed.

"Nothing."

"Please tell me."

"I said it's nothing!" He snapped, the drumming ceasing as he stood up and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, his back turned towards me. I didn't understand. I had never seen him so upset over what appeared to be nothing. Suddenly, what sounded like a mix between a loud cry and a sob escaped from his lips, and I got up, rushing to his side.

It wasn't nothing if it was making him cry. Whether he was going to tell me or not, I didn't care, but he was not okay, and I was going to help him.

I led him back to the bed, sitting next to him as he wrapped his arms around me and cried on my shoulder. What did his mother say to him? I ran my fingers through his hair, which he had recently cut shorter, trying to figure out what was wrong with them.

"I miss them, Natalie." He cried out, his tears wetting the shoulder and sleeve of my sweater. I realized he meant his brother, sister and father, and I felt my heart break and tears of my own gather as I thought of Ashley. I missed her.

"It's okay, Ashton," I tried to soothe him. "It's okay. They're okay. You're okay."

He sniffled a bit, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. He sighed, finished with his mini-emotional breakdown.

"Nat...I need to tell you something," Ashton muttered quietly. "I..."

He trailed off, twiddling his fingers in his lap. My heart sped, beating rapidly in my chest. I had a feeling whatever he had to tell me wasn't going to be good. His hazel eyes flashed up to finally look at me, but he looked away just as quickly.

"Ash, what is it?"

"I...I just," He gulped. "I love you."

I let out a sigh of relief, thanking God that was all he wanted to tell me.

"I love you too."

*****

A/N: Awww my poor baby :(
So, I have some questions for you guys.

First of all, do you think that's really what Ashton wanted to tell Natalie? What else could he have wanted to say?

Also, who here ships Michael and the flawless Ashley Frangipane? I'm considering writing a fanfiction about them based off Young God but I wanted to know who would want to read it first.

Please vote, comment and suggest to others. Love you all. xx

Callie