Triangle Love ( Palletshipping vs Comashipping! 🤍🤎 )

Chapter 20 - Small Suffering

A/N: hi here's a new chapter! this will have a bit of Ash's dating background, i thought it'd be nice to add that in. 😊💞 plus cute Ashley moments will shower!!! 🥰🥰🥰

also sorry it's a bit short i will write more when i get my day off from work again shdghd i'm just so tired lately. 😭💞

i hope you enjoy thank you for reading, votes and comments are appreciated <33

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"hi Ashley" Ash smiled sitting by the girl in the car
"hi" she giggled and hugged him
"she's excited for that project you assigned her" Gary grinned as Ash smiled
"oh really? I'm glad, I've always found career day fun" Ash smiled sweetly at the girl who nodded smiling
"I've always loved December" Ash smiled looking out the window seeing the many Christmas lights and decorations on people's yards as they drove by
"same even though it's not really the same" Gary said with a small sigh as Ash smiled sympathetically

"Sawyer you may drop me off at the grocery store" Ash said as the chofer nodded
"yes sir" he said as Gary blinked
"you need grocery's?" Gary asked as Ash nodded
"yeah, but it's not many" he smiled
"nonsense, I'll go with you, all this snow and your grocery's and then having to walk to the bus stop it's too much for you, i insist" Gary smiled as Ash couldn't help but blush he loved Gary's gentleman side

Once walking through the market Ash went to get milk and excused himself from Ashley and Gary who stayed with the shopping cart while he walked to isle he suddenly bumped into someone
"I'm sorry!" the two said as Ash blinked getting startled by who he bumped into
"Andy?"
"Ash?"
the two blinked before the brunette haired man smiled
"it's been a while, how are you?" he asked with a gentle smile

Ash thought it out it's not everyday you see your ex at the grocery store
"okay i guess" Ash blinked
"how's teaching going for you?" he smiled again
"g-good" Ash nodded
"what have you done lately?" he suddenly asked

"I'm just a vice principal at a university" he smiled lightly with a nod
"oh that's great" the boy mumbled
"how's your kids?" Ash mumbled again
"they're good" he smiled
"I'm a grandpa now" he added with a small chuckle
"oh? Congratulations" Ash said in an unknown tone he didn't really know how to react, if he had ended up with this man he would've been a grandpa at his early 20's

"anyways I better go, it was nice seeing you after . . . so long" Andy smiled
"yeah same to you" Ash mumbled
"bye, and Merry Christmas" he said before turning and leaving

"here's the milk" Ash said with a small smile
"alright what's next?" Gary smiled as Ash looked at his list
"cereal" Ash lightly giggled as the three walked to the cereal isle

Once getting home Ash went straight to his room after putting away the groceries and took out an old teddy bear and a case with dead roses and just thought about Andy and sighed lying down remembering his first meeting with this man

*1 year ago*

The boy carefully walked to his classroom with boxes covering his view as Ash feared to drop the boxes it eventually happened once bumping into a man
"hey!" the man said
"ah! i'm so sorry!" Ash said quickly going to the man's assistance who was on the ground
"it's fine" the man shook his head dismissively as Ash grabbed his hand to help him up as their eyes met
"beautiful" the man suddenly said
"what?" Ash blushed
"n-nothing I'm sorry" the man got up himself and helped Ash pick up the boxes
"where would you like these?" he smiled as Ash smiled and lead him to his classroom

Ash lied down thinking about the man in some aspects Ash had to admit he missed him a lot
but the day they broke up was the most hurtful day of his life

*flashback*

As Andy and Ash shared a kiss in his office Ash smiled against his lips and loved the man's touch as he held him so gently
"And–" a woman started walking into the man's office and froze as the two pulled back
"so this is what you've been doing all this time!" the woman shouted at Andy who sighed
"I can explain" he said
"who is she?" Ash blinked as the man gave Ash a look with sorrow
"I'm his wife who else??" she yelled at Ash who flinched lightly
"whore!" the woman suddenly said and slapped Ash who touched his cheek trembling in fear
"stop!" Andy said holding her back
"let me at him!" she said as Andy did the best to control her and turned to Ash going to comfort him but Ash stepped back and looked at the man in his eyes

"don't talk to me . . . or touch me . . . I hate you" Ash mumbled with tears welling up in his eyes and left his office

Even the memories made Ash shed tears just thinking about them made Ash relive all the hurt again he then put his roses away and the teddy bear as well before his mom got home and took a deep breath to calm down

With Ashley's Christmas Carol coming up and Career Day the girl insisted to Gary to go look for outfits with her and Crystal
"how's this? I think it looks cute" Gary smiled with a green dress in hand
"that's not her style at all" Crystal blinked as Gary rolled his eyes
"I gave birth to her thanks" Gary mumbled
"you did not" Crystal glared
"I watched Angie give birth to her and it was painful so in a way I did" Gary smiled sarcastically looking through the dresses earning an eye roll from the maid

"how about this?" Crystal said holding up a red and white striped sparkly dress with a few pom poms on it
"she's a kid not a Christmas tree" Gary snorted making her scowl
"it's always competition with you" Crystal mumbled as Gary glared at her making Ashley and Sawyer sigh

"how does it look?!?" Ashley giggled in a red Santa dress with a tiny Santa hat clipped onto her hair
"adorable, does it feel comfy?" Gary smiled as the girl hummed in approval
"good sweetheart, then let's go buy it and then we'll look for a lab coat for Career Day" the man smiled once more as the girl turned back to the dressing room

"you look so cute" Gary said in a soft tone seeing Ashley with a tiny lab coat, purple shirt, jeans and brown boots
"thank you" Ashley giggled giving Gary a small bow which melted Gary's heart
"my precious baby" Gary said hugging the girl tightly giving her kisses and hugs
"daddy! That tickles!" she giggled as Gary pulled back
"I made a cute baby didn't I?" Gary chuckled making Ashley giggle and Crystal roll her eyes
"you didn't give birth to her" she cooed
"but I helped in making her"  Gary mocked making the woman sigh 

"hey Paul" Ash said popping his head in Paul's view as he was looking at the celling, listening to music
"hey Ash" he said sitting up from the bed patting a place next to him which Ash sat at
"I was showering so I couldn't go to pick you up but it's good to see you again" Ash smiled as Paul smiled back
"thanks" he said hugging Ash who smiled and peck his cheek
"so how's your hip?" Ash said
"better, it doesn't hurt and the wound sealed up pretty much" Paul shrugged
"good to hear" Ash smiled again
"so I was wondering if you'd like to join me and my class on Career Day, I'd really like it if you'd explain to them about business and how it works" Ash smiled as Paul nodded
"of course" he smiled

"thank you" Ash mumbled and gave him a kiss and hug making Paul smile as he held him for a couple minutes
"you okay?" Paul suddenly said making Ash lift his head up from his chest
"mhm, why?" he blinked
"you just seem off or something" he shrugged as Ash kissed him again
"no, I'm just happy to see you is all" he said still hugging Paul and burying his face into his chest again as Paul made the boy straddle him and then fell back as Ash giggled
"here listen to music with me" Paul said offering Ash an AirPod as Ash accepted it and listened to the music

"I love you" Paul smiled
"I love you too" Ash smiled back with a light blush as the two kissed once more and lied there enjoying each other's company and shared a couple of cuddles and kisses.