terrible things - ashton irwin

forty seven

The house was a three-story Victorian with a high, round turret, stained-glass windows, and an enormous porch. The foot steps bowed in the middle, and the paint was beginning to fade and peel. But it was picturesque that way, a little bit of shabby chic.

There were rosebushes everywhere, blossoming in all different colours: snow-white, yellow tipped with sunset orange, the soft pink of a ballet slipper. The roses climbed a trellis on the porch and spilled over the railings., filling the air with their glorious perfume.

I climbed the steps after Ashton, cold with nerves. He gave me a quick squeeze and than rang the doorbell.

For a moment, nothing happened. I heard a voice and barking inside, and then a woman who I assumed was Ashton's mother appeared in the doorway. When she saw who had rung, she opened her mouth as if to shout, but instead she fell to the floor, she just sort of crumpled in the hall, like a marionette whose strings has been cut.

Ashton yelped, "Mum!" And he went to help her get up, but before he got to her, a man who had to be Ashton's dad appeared in the hall. He saw Ashton, and for a second he just gaped at him.

They were acting like they'd seen a ghost.

Awkward! I thought, and they had yet to even notice me, the other unannounced visitor.

Of course, if I showed up at my apartment after vanishing the way I had, my mum would probably assume I was some booze-induced hallucination and slam the door in my face.

Ashton's dad slowly bent down to pick up his wife. It was like they were in some kind of slow motion. When they both were finally vertical again, their shock started giving way to a kind of joy I couldn't remember seeing in my mother since I was a little girl. Ashton's mum grabbed her son and squeezed him hard. "Oh my God!" she cried. "You're here! I missed you so much!"

Ashton's dad was wiping his eyes, trying yo keep it together. He reached out and grasped Ashton's shoulder. "Ash," he said, his voice full of wonder and relief, "you came back."

Ashton was blinking hard and fast maybe sniffling a little bit. And I was crying, too, at the sight of their reunion, and at the same time thinking, Ash? That's new.

The barking began again, and a small brown dog came waddling up as fast as her short legs would carry her. "Mable!" Ashton cried.

She was as fat as a sausage, and her whole body wagged while her tail stayed still. Ashton got down on the floor, and she proceeded to attack him in an ecstasy of yipping and licking. "Sit, girl," he said, laughing, and she obeyed him for about five milliseconds before launching herself at him again. "I love you, too," he said, rubbing her long brown ears.

Then a tall man who looked almost exactly like an older burlier Ashton came into the hallway and said, "What's all the ruckus?"

When he saw Ashton, he rushed forward. He looked like he was going to tackle Ashton, and without thinking I jumped in and shot my arm out, as if I , all five feet five inches and 120 pounds of me, could block his charge.

The man stopped short and said, "Wow, hot body guard, man."

I flushed as Ashton and his brother hugged and slapped each other on the back.

Then Ashton stepped away and put his arms protectively around my shoulders. "Everyone," he said, "this is Lavender." He looked down at me and smiled. "My partner in crime." And then in front of everyone, he kissed me, a little less chastely than I might have expected.

"Well, well," said his mother, sniffling and trying to smile at me, too. "Lavender, I'm glad to meet you." And then instead of shaking my hand, she pulled me close into her rose-smelling neck, and I realised how long it had been since my mother had held me. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear," she said, patting the damp spot she'd made on my shirt. She laughed, embarrassed. "I'm a bit overwhelmed."

Ashton made the rest of the introductions. "That's my brother, Jonathan. He's twenty, but probably still living here, because he's a bum like that." The affection was obvious in Ashton's voice.

Jonathan pretended to take offense. "I've got my own place," he said. "I'm just over here borrowing Dad's tools."

"And waiting to see what your mother will make for dinner," his father added.

"Maybe," Jonathan allowed.

Ashton said, "And this is my step-dad, Joe, and my mum, Ann Marie, but everyone calls her Ann." 

"And what about you?" I whispered. "Ash?"

He gave a slightly embarrassed shrug. "You can see why I now go by Ashton," he said. Then pulled me close to him again.

"I promise," he whispered, "that's the last of my secrets."

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word count - 863

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Finally updated again, feel like its been agesss. But i hope you liked this chapter now that you now know Ashton's family. I know that it isn't like his irl but I wanted to switch it up a bit after all it is an AU. Hope you guys enjoyed, please vote and comment it would mean the worlddd xoxo