Haley POV
After a minute he pulled away, both of us breathing heavily, both of us oblivious to the rest of the world.
'My names Ashton,' he spoke suddenly, his voice hoarse.
'Yeah,' I breathed, 'I know your name.'
I looked at him. His faced flashed with confusion.
'What?'
'Yeah, I know who you are.'
'But you were...'
'Yeah I was.'
He hugged he then. What the fuck. Where did that come from?
WHAT THE FUCK. I was hugging Ashton Irwin in the middle of a futball game in the middle of my hometown. And he wasn't letting go. And I'd also just kissed him. WHAT.
I slet go. He looked at me. I looked at him.
'What,' I breathed, 'is going on?'
'I don't know,' he replied, 'but I'm not going to complain about it.'
'But... But we just met! And you're... You're Ashton Irwin! And I can't just kiss you because you're Ashton Irwin! And why did you kissing me? I mean who am I? I literally live in an apartment with my best friend and I work at a diner and I hate it! It's not even my favourite diner! And I'm not that happy, and I don't know why I'm still talking, and I don't know why YOU started talking in the first place and I'm really a bitch, Ashton. I really am. So I don't know why you're still here. Like... Why are you here? And why didn't you come back to Jake's? And why are you...'
'Shut up, Haley. For some reason, I like you.'
You can probably guess what happened next. Erin scooted behind me, slapping my ass as whispering a 'she's a catch' in Ashton's ear before going and sitting next to Luke. I could hear him blushing. That boy was OBVIOUS.
Erin screamed as a goal was scored, but I was still looking at Ashton. And he was still looking at me.
Finally, I couldn't hold it in anymore.
'But how did,' I started before he put his finger to my lips.
'Lets leave.' He simply stated. I wasn't going to argue.
'Erin,' I abruptly turned to her, 'Ashton and I are leaving.' She smirked.
'Use protection, kids!' She yelled, drawing a laugh from the boys and a blush from me. She went back to watching the game.
I was just ready to leave.
***
The apartment was strikingly silent. We stood 10 feet apart from each other, just staring. I couldn't stay quiet. I didn't know how.
'Why are you still here?' I said, my voice cracking.
'Why am I still here...' He retorted, his tone incredulous. He stared at me.
'Yeah! Why are you... Here?! In the first place? Why did you... Take me here? What do you expect to get out of this? What do you want from me? Why were you at the futball match you could NOT have known I was going to go. And like... I'm just me! I am LITERALLY not worth your time. I already told this too you. So why are you here?'
'Haley.'
'...yes.'
'Will you please shut your pretty little mouth for one minute. Please. And Jesus, really? The bandana? What are you trying to do, make me want to fūck you in public?' He groaned, his accent thick.
I didn't say anything.
'Did you know that right when you and Erin were discussing going to the match, Luke and I were standing outside planning to ask you two out? And did you know that for the past two weeks we have been at the studio, running 36 hour sessions, so we haven't been able to come see you? Did you know, Haley, that I watched you come up those steps in that stadium and I PAID the man with the camera to point it at us? Did you know that I have spent every waking minute thinking about the tired, raving, bitchy, beautiful girl that I met at 1 in the morning at Jake's diner 16 days ago? I don't think you knew that.'
I didn't know how to reply. I stood there, still 10 feet away from the man I KNEW I would fall in love with, staring at him, not speaking. And then, in an instant, my energy drained from me. I could barely look up. But I did.
'I feel empty, sometimes. Did you know that? Sometimes I wake up and wish that I was something. I wish that I didn't hate my job, and I wish that I had the balls to go get that tattoo I've wanted for 7 years and I wish I was the kind of person people remembered. I don't know how to react to you, Irwin. I can't figure you out.'
He took a few steps closer to me and warped me into his burley arms.
'I can't figure you out either.'
And so the night went on. Erin came home a few hours later and played guitar for a little while while Ash and I talked. She probably fell asleep on top of it.
We just... We talked. He asked me why I hated my job, and why I didn't get one I loved. He asked me about my family and my hobbies, he asked me about Erin, and revealed to me Luke's not so subtle crush on her. He asked me about my tattoo and immediately told me we would leave first thing in the morning to go get it.
He asked me why I felt empty.
He asked if he helped.
I said he did.
And we fell asleep, curled up in blankets and clothing and each other.
You know, we didn't kiss again that night. We were too busy laughing. And talking. And listening.
And I mean, who knew. Maybe we would kiss in the morning. I mean I'd like that. But if we didn't... I wouldn't really mind.
He was already mine anyway.
