Favorite Record (a.i.)

Starlight

When Caroline let herself and Calum in the next morning, she found neatly packed boxes of Ashton's belongings waiting by the door and a scarily calm Casen, drinking a cup of coffee and making pancakes.

Calum gave her a quick hug and went to play with his favorite godchildren while his wife settled right into the kitchen next to Casen, cracking a few eggs into a bowl.

"I opened our prenup last night." Casen said, as nonchalantly as if she was discussing the weather or plans for dinner. "I think I'll make out just fine."

"I'm glad. You deserve to be treated better than he's treating you." She whisked the eggs and poured them into a pan.

"After breakfast, will you go with me into the office while I call a lawyer?"

"Of course." Caroline held out her pinky and Casen linked their pinkies together. "I'm always by your side, no matter where."

A Week Later

Ashton woke up to a pounding headache that flared with the pounding on the hotel room door.

He took a moment to swallow some ibuprofen with a water bottle he found under the minibar and stumbled to the door, still in the clothes he wore last night.

A small blonde woman stood on the threshold, a file in her hand.

"Can I help you?"

"Ashton Fletcher Irwin?"

When she said his name, he slid into a more relaxed position, a fan was something familiar he could deal with. "Yeah, sweetheart, that's me. Have something for me to sign?"

The only thing that changed about her serious face was a self-satisfied smirk that flashed for a second before it disappeared. She held out the folder and when he took it, she smiled. "You've been served."

His chest felt heavy as he took the papers, the world slowing down around him.

He closed the door in a daze, backing up until he felt the back of his knees hitting the bed.

Somehow, he didn't need to open the papers to know what they were.

Throwing them on the nightstand, he grabbed the small waste backet on the ground and proceeded to throw up the water and ibuprofen he'd taken just moments prior.

After emptying the basket and cleaning it, he climbed back into bed, staring at the ceiling and letting his mind wander back to a date he'd long forgot about.

A Crisp November Day, somewhere in New York, 2018

It had taken a lot to get Casen to agree to go out with him on a real, fancy date, in public.

Even this venue wasn't necessarily public, a small country club in the New York countryside that he'd rented out the restaurant and ball room for the two of them.

He'd sent her a dress earlier that week, a dark blue ballgown he saw in the window of a boutique in Manhattan that he knew would be gorgeous on her.

On one of their many late night phone calls, the topic of prom had arisen, he couldn't remember how, but he did remember her sounding almost wistful when she recalled the way hers had fallen apart around her.

Her date hadn't shown and she had tagged along with Caroline and her date, feeling like a third wheel all night.

Something about that had tugged at Ashton's heart strings, so with some help from Luke, he set up their own private prom, complete with a limo and a corsage.

He'd even purchased a diamond tiara, set with a beautiful, rare sapphire, perfect for his vote for prom queen.

Casen had already been in New York, performing at the end of Caroline's tour in Madison Square Garden and hadn't needed much extra persuasion to stay a few days after Caroline headed back to Los Angeles.

Flickers of hot temper had been slowly igniting between the two best friends after what had seemed like the longest tour yet.

Casen, worried about the self-destructive path Caroline was hurtling herself down, had opted to keep her budding romance with Ashton to herself.

That night, Ashton showed up to pick her from where she was staying in a black limo, wearing a sleek tux.

When she stepped out of the door in the blue dress, he lost track of time, watching her float across the grass towards him.

He nearly dropped the corsage watching her, but caught at the last moment and gently put it around her wrist.

"You look incredible."

She looked between him and the limo, eyes wide. "Ashton Irwin, where are we going?"

"To prom, babe."

She broke into joyous laughter, "Are you serious??"

"Does this tuxedo look like a joke?" He gently kissed her and then held the door open for her to get into the limo.

He didn't remember much else from that night except for one vivid memory.

They were slow dancing in the middle of the dance floor and Casen had looked up, pointing out that the ceiling was completely glass.

"Can't you see the starlight?" She'd whispered into his ear and he'd looked up. "Have you ever dreamed impossible dreams?"

"Like what?" He'd said, waiting for her to talk about an album hitting number one or a house with a view, but to his surprise she looked up at him, those blue eyes shining with love.

"You know, like we could get married, have ten kids and teach them how to dream?"

The admission stopped him in his tracks and he couldn't help the words that spilled out of him next, "Those sound like very reachable dreams, Case." He paused for a moment. "Hey, I love you."

A sweet smile crossed her lips and she leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you too, Ash."

Later, giggling and drunk off champagne, they had a mock crowning ceremony for his prom queen.

Current Time

Tears were streaming down Ashton's face as the memory faded away. He'd fucked up royally this time and he didn't think there was ever anything he could do to fix it.

Resigning to his fate, he got in the shower and let the hot water wash away his sins.