{Strangers}
ship: halsey x kehlani
genre: fluff
trigger warnings: n/a
word count: 818
other: requested by ImmaLilShy
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Ashley balled her hands into fists and shoved them into her pockets, kicking a pebble down the sidewalk and heading who knows where. She was sick of arguing with Peder. She just didn't love him anymore and she had to stay with him just for a little while more.
She went to kick the pebble again only to find a black Doc Martin boot on top of it. Ashley looked up at the wearer only to be rendered speechless.
The girl was tanned and a single cigarette hung from her lips, her Californian eyes glowing. She had a leather jacket slung over her tattooed shoulders and she looked at Ashley carefully, slowly eyeing her up and down.
"Hi" Ashley simply said.
The girl kicked the pebble out onto the road where the cars flew past and didn't stop, not for anything.
"Hi" the girl mimicked Ashley.
"Why would you do that?" Ashley asked suddenly.
"Do what?"
"Take it away from me and then kick it onto on-coming traffic" Ashley pointed to where the pebble was smashed by the almost flying cars.
The girl shrugged "I wanted to know what was wrong. Believe me honey, kicking rocks along the sidewalk won't solve your problems" she took a long drag from her cigarette "So what's up?"
Ashley shrugged "My manager is making me stay with this guy and I don't like him anymore"
"Oh honey, that's easily solved, talk to your manager and tell them you don't like this guy because you like someone else"
"How would that help?" Ashley asked.
"Simple. You can't hold two relationships, even if one is fake, and you need to focus on the real one"
Ashley chuckled "I don't have a real one, I wish"
The girl smirked "Pretty thing like you shouldn't have a problem. What's your name?"
"Ashley" she said, leaning back against the wall beside her "What's yours?"
"Kehlani. But my middle name is Ashley"
"Kehlani...that's really pretty. I sometimes go by Halsey" Ashley admitted "I like to sing"
"Me too" Kehlani told her, taking another drag from the cigarettes.
She offered Ashley one and together, they stood with their backs against the wall, smoke as black as charcoal filling their fragile lungs.
•
It wasn't until about a month after their first encounter that Kehlani and Ashley met again. Not that Ashley searched for her or anything.
"Hi" Kehlani was the first to speak this time.
"Hi" Ashley gave her a wide smile.
"Did you talk to your manager about that guy?"
"I didn't have to, I broke up with him. I didn't who said what. I was afraid and now, I'm not afraid anymore"
Kehlani chuckled "Good, I'm glad you're not afraid anymore"
"Me too" Ashley smiled "So what have you been doing?"
Kehlani shrugged, a mysterious smile on her face "Been here and there. Went back home. Came back. Wrote a song or two" she lit a cigarette and offered it to Ashley, who took a drag and thanked her.
"I'd love to hear you sing some day" Ashley told her.
Kehlani gave a small smile "Someday. Speaking of songs, I'm sure I saw the name Halsey in the credits of 'Fifty shades darker.' I'm intrigued, how did you get there?"
Ashley laughed "I don't know, it was something I did for fun, something different. I was offered to do a song for the movie and I'm not one to pass up a good opportunity"
"I liked it" Kehlani said simply "You've a pretty voice"
"You've a pretty face" Ashley was being bold today, she wasn't used to this.
Kehlani moved closer to her "I'm out of cigarettes, wanna come back to my flat to get some?"
Ashley silently nodded and followed the girl down the sidewalk to an apartment block about three blocks away.
She was brought to apartment number four and the door was unlocked quietly with a silver key.
The apartment was simple but spacious; it had a couch, a coffee table, a table and chairs set, a tv, a kitchen area, an en suite bedroom and a balcony overlooking the busy road and a part of the city.
"It's really nice here" Ashley told her.
Kehlani smiled "Thank you" she picked up a stray packet of cigarettes and threw one and a lighter to Ashley, who was also clumsy today and caught neither, making Kehlani chuckle.
Once Ashley eventually lit the cigarette, she looked up to find Kehlani missing. She frowned. She wasn't outside on the balcony or in the kitchen.
She mentally debated with herself whether to into her bedroom or not.
She rocked back and forth on her heels, thinking, when the decision was made for her by Kehlani, who called her into the other room.
Ashley extinguished her cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table and then, went into her room.
Her room was simple too, a bed, a bedside locker, a wardrobe and a dresser.
"Can you help me unzip this dress?" Kehlani asked "I think it's stuck"
Ashley gripped the top of the dress with her index finger and her thumb and with her other hand she took the zip itself, attempting to pull it down. It budged and she effortlessly unzipped the dress, letting it fall to the floor, exposing Kehlani's bare back. She wore nothing but a pair of black underwear.
Ashley breath caught in her throat "Um..."
"Thank you" Kehlani said lightly, grabbing the dress and putting it on a clothes hanger to hang up in the wardrobe.
Ashley could see her now, her stomach, her sides, her legs, and she was finding it hard to leave.
Kehlani smirked a little "I'm going for a shower, make yourself at home though"
She entered the little bathroom and closed the door.
Ashley's legs wobbled and she slumped to the floor. This girl was beautiful and Ashley wasn't leaving until she and her Californian eyes were hers.
