Imagines (5SOS and 1D)

The Morning After (A.I)

Last night had been magical, absolutely magnificent. Ashton had been throwing hints left, right and centre about how he felt. It had taken me a while, however, to pick up on said hints and put two and two together. A party. Drinks. Music. It had all been put together quite nicely. Put together innocently by Calum, but the end of the night had gotten a little less innocent. With a substantial amount of alcohol buzzing through both mine and Ashton's veins things had become heated and another level had been hit. It started off with a surprise kiss from me to him and his eyes had widened in such shock. I had giggled and touched his face so softly, feeling the heat burning in his cheeks. He had been frozen, not quite sure what to do. I could see his hands by his sides, his fingers wiggling as if he itched to reach out and touch me. "Ashton," I had breathed. He blinked. "Kiss me." My voice, light and breathy, had broken the spell that had been cast on him making him motionless and he snapped back into reality, blinking rapidly. He had grabbed my face, slamming our lips together and we had sucked, tasted and moaned. We left the party, sneaking out of the back door and walked with quick paces down the street. Further down the quiet little street was a main road and along the main road a row of taxis, the drivers parked in the same spot each weekend awaiting their drunken passengers. We clambered into a taxi and I had immediately blurted out my own address, without even asking if Ashton wanted to go to his apartment or mine. After we had had the most mind-blowing sex I had lay awake staring at the ceiling and grinned. I was quite glad I'd picked mine own apartment as if we had gone to his I wouldn't be sure what would happen in the morning. Would he have preferred me to leave before he woke? Or stayed till he woke and said goodbye? With it being my apartment it meant I wouldn't have to make the choice. But now it hurt more because he did. If I woke and he left I would have been mortified and extremely embarrassed. I had lay awake for as long as my heavy eyes allowed me and dropped off into unconsciousness around 4am.

I checked the time now to see it was just gone 9. With my back to Ashton I feared turning over and seeing the empty bed. I held my breath and slowly rolled over. And as I'd expected he wasn't there. I'd wanted to cuddle him this morning, start a proper relationship, and begin a new journey with him. I guess it was all just wishful thinking. I should have known. It is Ashton, after all. I should have seen it coming. He never did manage to keep a girlfriend. And that wasn't because of him. It wasn't his fault. He wasn't a bad guy. I guess he's just not a relationship kind of person. He enjoys the flings, the casual sex. And I was just another notch on the bedpost. This was my worst fear. I feared he'd move on if anything ever happened between us, that I'd be left all alone. I had been so naïve and feel for the charm he oozed. I knew what he was like and I had been so caught up, so wrapped up in him that I had pushed as those thoughts aside and given him my all. Tears spring to my eyes and I wipe at the stupid things and shuffle into the bathroom. As I pass his side of the bed I check the floor, hoping that his discarded jeans and shoes are there, that he's only gone into the kitchen for breakfast. Why I even entertain the idea when the apartment is silent, no noises of a kettle boiling or plates being gathered, I don't understand. Of course the floor is clean, no clothes, no shoes. I keep going and shut the bathroom door behind me. I turn on the shower and step out of the shorts and tank top I wear, throwing them in a pile in the corner of the room, not even bothering to toss them in the washing basket only a metre away. I step into the shower, shut the sliding glass door and stand under the steady stream. My body, so exhausted, slowly droops and I drop to the floor sitting with my knees pushed up to my chest. I hold on tightly to my legs and rest my chin on my knees. My tears mix with the shower water and I sit there and sob.

I don't hear the door. I don't hear the footsteps. I don't even hear the noisy bags as they rustle when he puts them down on the counter. I don't hear a thing over the slapping of the water on the bottom of the shower, the sloshes of the drops hitting my skin or the sobs escaping my parted lips. I don't hear him calling my name as he goes from room to room searching for me. I don't hear the bathroom door creak open or the gasp as he finds me curled up on the shower floor. The shower door is flung open and only then do I hear something.

"Y/N!"

His voice sounds so far away, a mixture of shock and fear. He scoops me up pulling me out of the shower and moves around the bathroom. I stand, naked, shivering and silently crying. He wraps a large towel around my body and his hands rub up and down my covered arms.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asks, a hint of urgency behind his words.

I look up at him in confusion. I wipe a corner of the towel across my blurry eyes. "You left."

He looks back over his shoulder and then a half-amused, half-shocked expression flashes across his face. "I was only getting breakfast babe."

"Breakfast?" I sniffle.

"Yes. I didn't think just cereal would be special enough after last night." He smirks, his cheeks flushed. "I went and got pancakes and cream and Nutella. And some fresh apple and orange juice too."

He leads me back out and into the kitchen and sure enough there is a spread of food on the counter. On my red plates is a stack of steaming pancakes each, topped off with a dollop of whipped cream and smeared in between each one a slather of Nutella keeping the stack stuck together. Atop the dollop is a couple of strawberries and some multi coloured sprinkles.

"Oh Ash," I cry, in absolute awe of his sweetness.

"Why would you think I'd leave?" he asks, a raised brow as he ponders over my thoughts.

I straighten up the towel wrapped around my body, pulling it under my arms and tucking a corner in. "Because you always do."

He stares at me, pouting. "I always leave?"

"You don't do relationships Ashton," I remind him. "You only do flings. I thought I was the only one wanting something from this." I wave between us and he groans. His eyes close and he rubs a hand down his face in frustration.

"I'm so sorry," he apologises, his hands on my hips. "I didn't think."

"It's okay," I tell him, my arms snaking round his shoulders. "You're here now."

"No," he grunts. He steps back. "No, it's not alright."

He paces, his hands running through the sides of his hair.

"I didn't even think."

"It's o -"

"Don't." He holds up a finger and glares at me. I press my lips together and his eyes soften. "I didn't do relationships. Before." He steps closer to me. "I was waiting for you."

"What?" I whisper.

"I was waiting for you Y/N," he breathes. "Darling, I didn't want anyone else. I just want you."

"Ashton."

"If you'll still take me," he begs.

"Of course I will," I cry.

He kisses my lips, a smile creeping across his lips and his hands squeeze my waist. "Let's head back to the shower." I blush. "After we've eaten."

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