Cut To Pieces [Complete]

Closer

I took a breath before plastering a smile across my face and letting myself back into the boys dressing room. I faltered slightly when the four boys were seated around a table that had been set up and the only chair left was between Ashton and Michael. Perfect, just what I needed. I beamed at the boys as I took the seat and Michael's arm went around my shoulder.

"I was worried about you, where have you been?" I pulled my most innocent look as Ashton's hand rested on my knee, causing my body to seize slightly.

"I was exploring." I cringed at the slight squeak in my voice. "My phone was on silent. Sorry." Michael nodded slowly before placing a kiss on the side of my head and Ashton's hand tightened on my leg. I wanted to push him off and the lean into Michael and be sure of what I was doing with my life, but I couldn't. I was closer to pushing Michael away than I was Ashton and the downward spiral my control over my emotions had taken in the last few hours was frightening the shit out of me. Ashton leaned in and gave my knee a reassuring squeeze.

"Are you okay, Allie?" Ash whispered as the three boys argued over Ninja Turtles. I gave Ashton a look which screamed 'help me' and he nodded quickly, jumping up from the table. "You boys hungry?" He asked, earning a cheer from the other boys. "I'll go pick up some food, what do you want?" Michael yelled for Pizza and Luke and Calum placed their McDonald's order. "Allie? Do you want to come?" Ashton smiled knowingly and I jumped up from the table and waved goodbye to the boys as I followed Ashton out of the room. We walked down the corridor side by side in silence. It wasn't awkward though, it was a comfortable silence which I would happily sit in forever. I slid into the passenger seat of the car Ashton had somehow procured and we took off through London in search of the nearest pizza hut. "I'm sorry." Ashton sighed as we pulled into the car park of some pizza place. I unclicked my seatbelt and swivelled around so I could look Ashton dead in the eyes, even if he refused to look at me. "For this. For coming between you and Michael. If I had just stayed away, you would have never doubted anything and you and Michael would be skipping off into the sunset. But I can't just ignore it, Allie." He pulled his bandana off his head and ran his fingers through his hair. My eyes were glued to his every movement and I couldn't look away. "Like, my whole body reacts when you walk into a room. My heart goes a little bit faster, my palms sweat, and I can't stand it when Michael kisses you. I know you need time, and I'm freaked out by how quickly I fell for you as well, but just know that I'm going to be here waiting. Because I would gladly be the guy who wakes up next to you in the morning. Unless, you're hiding some massive thing and this is all a front." Ashton chuckled, finally turning to lock eye contact with me. "Like you're a serial killer or something." I couldn't help but smile and Ashton shot me a wink as he slipped out of the car.

"You're going to be the death of me." I muttered under my breath as I caught up to him, matching his pace as we entered the store.

"A large pepperoni to go, please." Ashton called to the server and took a seat at the nearest table and gestured for me to sit opposite him. The moment I settled in the seat my legs were intertwined with his and the unfamiliar tingle ran across my skin as we made contact. We talked about everything and nothing for the time that passed as we waited for Michael's pizza. From our favourite colours to our tastes in music, to where we want to visit most in the world. And by the time our order number was finally called and Ashton handed over the money, I knew a great more number of details about Ashton than I did about Michael. The cold air of the evening whipped around us as we exited the store and I instantly regretted not bringing a jacket.

"Ah, shit." Ashton whined as a raindrop hit his forehead. He flicked his hood up over his head and pulled me against his chest, zipping his large jacket up around the both of us, my arms now pinned to my side. "Left foot, right foot." Ashton laughed as we made an awkward yet warm attempt to waddle towards the car. "Faster, Allie!" Ashton laughed as the rain started to fall sown in heavier clumps. Ashton whipped open one of the back doors and threw the pizza box in before turning us around so he could back into the car with me still attached. As soon as he had closed the door he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled us into a more comfortable seated position on the back seat. "It should rain when I'm with you more often." Ashton sighed as he rested his chin on the top of my head. "You're fucking warm." I rolled my eyes and squirmed a bit to let him know that I wanted to be set free but he only squeezed me tighter. "No, stay! I like cuddling you." I couldn't help but melt at the small lace of vulnerability in his voice and leaned back against his chest. "Thank you."

"We have more food to get, Ash." I said softly, not wanting Michael's pizza to get cold before we returned to the venue. "We should probably go." I felt Ash nod as he unzipped the jacket and I hesitated for a moment before climbing off his lap and over the console to the passenger seat. Ashton opted to use the doors, concluding that he was too big to pull a manoeuvre like mine without getting stuck somehow. I felt odd without Ashton's touch and leaned across the console so my head could rest on his shoulder. We used the drive through at McDonalds to pick up the rest of the food and hurried back to the venue. As we sat across the table from each other, our legs secretly intertwined out of sight, my head ran wild with the thoughts that within 2 days I had managed to fall for two boys, both so passionate and perfect in their own ways. In 2 days I had managed to find the perfect other half and then shatter my entire belief on what 'other half' meant.