Just a Game | ASHANNIE | ✓

thirty-five

Annie had been doing a lot with physical therapy, but christmas was going great.

They'd made cookies, horribly misshaped except for Asher's. They'd made gingerbread houses, a team of Asher and Hayley versus Annie and Paige, with a tad bit of "help" from Anthem. Asher and Hayley's had stayed up for the most part, but Annie and Paige's decorating skills had been far superior.

Then, they were watching Santa Paws all on the couch. Annie had cried at the end, while Madre and Asher laughed at her for it.

And then it was time for bed, and Asher gave her a piggy back ride to her room. He even made noises like a space ship as he ran with her on his back, making her laugh and reminding her of how her dad used to do the same thing.

"Ash" she called out his name as he left to go back to sleep on the couch. So he stopped in the doorway and turned to her. "Come sit for a second," She asked, and he sat on the side closest to her while not being on her legs.

"Do you remember our first kiss?"

He nodded and then said "Yeah I wasn't sure it was the right thing to do at the time,"

Annie grinned. "You do realize it means that I had my first kiss on the floor of a basketball court, right?"

Asher laughed quietly at the irony.

"You told me one day that you were trying not to get hurt, by me—because I push people away." Annie told him, and Asher's smile faded. "What I didn't tell you was that I had tried to push you away, but you were always there, always a positive person in my life."

A few moments of silence passed between them. "What I didn't tell you was that for years I had been wanting and searching for the person that wouldn't be pushed away so easily, a person who wouldn't leave me. I realized that, that day." She paused "When you said you didn't want me to push you away I thought it was so stupid cause I already had and you wouldn't budge." Asher laughed at that and Annie had a content smile on her face.

"You've given so much of yourself to me, and I'm so thankful for that. So I guess that's what I wanted to say."

Asher smiled, a devious kind of smile like he thought of the best thing ever. "Someday I'm gonna give you something else, and I hope you love it."

Annie's eyes widened and a blush appeared on her cheeks. Asher grabbed her face and while laughing said "No no no no no no."

"I didn't mean anything like that—I meant my last name."

Annie's eyes softened but the blush stayed there. "I'd like that."