Daisy (lashton)

Chapter 7

"Late again, Mr. Irwin." Crystal leaned against the classroom door with her arms crossed and a small smirk on her face after Daisy ran past her and into the classroom to start chatting with her friends. Ashton sighed, running a hand down his tired face.

"I'm so sorry, Crystal, Daisy decided that she wanted to finger paint today while I was trying to prepare dinner and she ended up covering herself in paint and it took forever to get out of her hair." Ashton was all sorts of disheveled as he rushed Daisy to ballet this afternoon and Crystal could see just how stressed he was.

"Hey," She said as she placed a caring hand on his shoulder, "you're doing a great job. Stop being so hard on yourself." Crystal shot him a smile and before he could respond to thank her she had already pranced through the door and began class.

With a sign Ashton positioned himself into a chair nearest the door before pulling out his book and reading glasses from his bag, trying his hardest to ignore Calum who was waving him over. He was barely four sentences in to the chapter before the book was rudely knocked out of his hand.

"I get you laid for the first time in years and this is the thanks I get?" Calum scoffed as he threw himself into the chair next to Ashton and ignored all of the middle aged mothers sending him judgmental glares.

Ashton rolled his eyes before glancing around to the mothers in apology.

"Yeah thanks so much, for letting me go home with some young punk who hates kids. Do you know how embarrassingly fast he rushed out the next morning after finding out I have a kid?"

"Wait, how'd he find out about Daisy?"

Ashton threw his head in his hands and Calum could just barely make out the mumbled response of, "My sister brought her home early."

"Yikes."

"Yeah." The two men sat in silence as they thought over their Friday night.

"Well, at least you got some dick before he ran out." Ashton just rolled his eyes, ignoring his friend as he picked back up his book and prepared to tune out Calum's rambling for the next 30 minutes.

* * *

"What a great class today my little darlings, make sure you pick out a sticker before you leave! See you all next time!" Crystal's voice broke Ashton away from his book as she opened the door and the waiting room was immediately flooded by giggling five-year-olds.

"Dadda!" Ashton heard the familiar shriek of his little girl seconds before she threw herself into his arms.

"Hi Pumpkin, did you have a good class?" Daisy nodded her head of curls against Ashton's chest and he chuckled. "Let's get ready to go home, yeah? We have to make dinner. Do you want Dino nuggets and carrots or Mac and cheese and green beans?" Just as Ashton predicted, the moment the words 'green beans' left his mouth his daughter scrunched up her nose in the most adorable way.

"Want Dino nuggets, Daddy! Green beans are yucky!" He laughed as he ruffled his daughter's hair and pulled his bag over his shoulder.

"Okay, Baby, we'll have Dino nuggets, but that means you have to eat all of your carrots this time." He pointed his finger at his little girl and she giggled before skipping towards the girls locker room. "Hey Princess Nugget, where do you think you're going?"

"I gots to go potty, Daddy!" Ashton groaned as his daughter made her way into the women's bathroom on her own. Daisy had recently fallen into a phase of independence which meant menial tasks like going to the bathroom took upwards of 15 minutes, and with tights, there's no telling how long she would take.

"Okay Pumpkin, I'll be waiting right here on the bench for you. Yell if you need help." Ashton slumped down on the bench in the waiting room once again and picked up his book. He figured he could get through at least a chapter before she was finished.

Within 10 minutes all of the toddlers and their parents had cleared out of the studio leaving only the older dancers roaming about, and Ashton was left alone after waving goodbye to Calum and his girls. He had just picked up his book to begin reading again when Crystal's voice pulled him away from his paperback.

"You know, I love how fiercely independent Daisy has become... she wouldn't even let me fix her hands in fifth position." With a chuckle Crystal took a seat next to Ashton and he sent her a smile as he put down his book.

"Yeah, I basically have to fight her over breakfast every morning because she's decided to throw a tantrum every time I won't let her pour her own milk. She might look four but she's got the attitude of a preteen."

"Hey, she knows what she wants and doesn't rely on others to get things done, admirable traits in anyone, even more so in a toddler." Ashton nodded before turning towards his daughter's ballet teacher.

"I don't mean to come off as rude or anything, but you don't have to wait for us, she might be awhile and I'm sure you'd rather get home."

"Oh, don't worry about it, I have to wait for my boyfriend to pick me up anyways. He's perpetually running late for everything." Just then the door to the bathroom swung open to reveal Ashton's little angel grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's go, Dadda! Dino nugs are waiting!" Daisy screeched loudly and Ashton had to remind her to use her inside voice. The little girl wrapped her hand around her father's wrist and began pulling him towards the door.

"Patience, little one." Ashton sighed as he picked up his book and stuffed it in his bag, quickly throwing the tote over his shoulder.

"Do you want us to wait with you until your boyfriend gets here?" Ashton asked as the three walked towards the front door.

"Oh no, it's okay," Crystal said as she glanced at her phone. She glanced at the message from Michael explaining how he was stuck in traffic, but Luke would be there to pick her up and she immediately perked up, a sneaky grin spread across her face. She glanced out the front door to see Luke's classic black Impala sitting out front. "my ride is here actually!"

Ashton glanced out the front door to where Crystal gestured and his stomach sank faster than the Titanic as he locked eyes with the blonde stranger who had occupied his bed nights ago. She had said her boyfriend was picking her up... was that her boyfriend? It couldn't be. Bile began to rise in his throat at the sight of him and he could see the blonde boy looked just as surprised to see him as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. Before Ashton could say anything to Crystal she had quickly turned to the pair and smiled brightly.

"See you Thursday, Miss Daisy, you too Ashton!" Crystal wrapped her arms around the little girl before sending Ashton a wave and prancing out the doors to the car. Ashton desperately wanted to say something to her, but his mouth felt like it was filled with peanut butter. He watched as Crystal made her way to the car, hopping in and slamming the door as the blonde boy broke eye contact with Ashton and turned to give Crystal a small smile before revving the engine and tearing out of the parking lot.

Ashton stared dumbfounded at the spot where his daughter's ballet teacher and his one night stand left, only breaking out of his thoughts when his daughter began pulling on his arm.

"Daddy! Let's goooooo, I'm hungwy!" Daisy whined and Ashton simply nodded, lifting her in his arms and walking towards his car.

Daisy sat in the back of the car humming along to the radio the whole drive back to their apartment as Ashton drove on autopilot, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts, every single one revolving around the blonde headed boy and how he had been an accomplice in hurting the poor young ballet instructor.

As Ashton unloaded his daughter from the car he realized that he needed to say something to Crystal. 

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A/N: wow so sorry for that long ass break it was not intended I promise. Got really caught up in moving out of/in to my apartment(s) and school starting. 

But I'm back now (hopefully)! Sorry this chapter was definitely rushed and isn't edited, but I really just wanted to get something out there for ya'll! 

Dedicated to @its6inthemorning because they were the only one who voted in my poll for which story to update! 

Let me know what you think! 

-Emma