Aftermath // 5SOS Fanfic // Ashton Irwin

You Shouldn't Have Done That

Claire's POV: We're all staying in Calum's house while we're here which is convenient but not fun for a girl used to a clean house. The boys are horrible about cleaning up after themselves and after only a few hours of being there I leave to sit outside.

Michael follows after me. "Claire?"

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to ask you if... well... if you're okay, I guess," he says kindly.

"I don't know. I'm just ready for all of this bad stuff to go away. The murder. The girl. The blackmail. All of it," I sigh.

Michael shakes his head. "Me too. What I've come to realise though is there are very real consequences for our actions. Like after a war a country has to be rebuilt. Deal with the aftermath. I hate that you have to see that part of it."

I don't reply. We just stand there silent for a while. Finally he says softly, "Tomorrow's gonna be hell."

I look at him. "Could it really be that ba-"

"Yes." He looks at me with an expression on his face I've never seen before. "You haven't seen every side of Ashton. When he's afraid... Just remember the man you love is who he really is." And then he walks away leaving me to decipher what he had said. Leaving me to wrestle with my thoughts.

///

Ashton's POV: I tighten my grip on Claire's hand as we walk toward the mansion. "Maybe we shouldn't talk to Jake. I mean, if he does have the photos then he'll come find me," I say nervously.

"I don't know about you, but I'd rather catch him off guard than have him find us after intense preparation," Calum says.

I take a deep breath and push the doorbell.

"Why hello," Jake smirks, "do come in."

Claire squeezes my hand as we step inside. "Who is this?" asks a female voice approaching from the hallway. Joy. "Ashton?" Her eyes flicker to Claire, and she glares.

Jake puts his hand on Joy's waist. "You know him?"

So he hasn't found the pictures.

Joy smiles slyly. "You do too. Excuse me for a moment." She disappears into a room and emerges with an orange envelope. "I've been waiting for you and Mr. Irwin to finally meet."

I think about running. He begins to open the envelope with the pictures I've been trying so desperately to hide. What could I possibly do? "I'm so sorry!" I burst. "I'm sorry for accidentally stealing your girlfriend and vandalizing your house and killing your personal assistant! I'm so sorry!"

"You killed Peter?" Joy gasps.

"Is there no proof of that in the envelope?"

"No," she answers.

"Wait," Jake cries digging through the pictures, "you're the bastard I've been looking for for months!"

"Yes, it's me! I confessed! I'll leave forever! Please, just leave me alone!"

He drops the envelope and steps toward me. He looks Claire up and down. "So this is the next little slut you're manipulating. Who'd you steal her from?"

I step in front of Claire and look at Jake with pure hatred. "She was single and didn't throw herself on me like Joy did," I say in a low voice.

"Joy is an angel!" Jake shouts.

"You're just upset because I proved your girl and your house can be destroyed! You don't have anything but possessions!" I yell back.

"Well at least my possessions are worth something! Unlike the little rat you're standing in front of!"

I don't think. I just swing my fist at his jaw as hard as I can.

"You shouldn't have done that," Joy says softly covering her face with her hands.

Before I know what's happening, Jake knocks me to the ground and kicks me. Again. And again. Calum flings himself in front of me and swings at Jake, but he just shoves him aside. I find Claire's face as my vision begins to blur. Darkness starts surrounding me, and the last thing I see is her face, and the last thing I hear is the click of a loaded gun.