5sos Fluff

Crush Next Door

Ashton

I glanced across the street after hearing a car pull up through my open window. I watched as Ashton stepped out of his car before going to get stuff out of his trunk. We'd known each other since he moved in across the street years ago. I'd had a crush on him for about the same amount of time. I smiled to myself knowing what happen tonight since he was home again.

Just like I knew it would, just after my parents went to sleep I heard something lightly fall against my window. I smiled throwing the covers off of my body to reveal my loose white t-shirt and shorts. Stepping into flip flops I rushed out of the room, down the stairs and out the door. I leaped into his arms as they were held out open for me. I heard him chuckle above my head as he held me tight against him.

"Hey Y/N, I'm back." He said softly against my hair. I giggled stepping back from him.

"I see that, so, what's the plan?" I asked. Whenever we met in the middle of the night we would just walk wherever just letting our whispers hang in the silent night air.

"Just a walk." He said softly stepping down from my porch. I fell easily into step beside him.

"So, how are things?" I asked softly. We were like ghosts in the town drifting through.

"They're good. I'm glad to be home for a little while." He said laughing and shaking his head. "Thanks for babysitting Henry and everything..." He said trailing off and I shook my head.

"No need, he's a great kid but he said something a little strange last time I was with him, just after he heard when you'd be back." I said and Ashton turned to me with bewilderment evident in his eyes in the dim moonlight.

"What did he say?" He asked his brows furrowing together. I thought back to that day. I'd been watching Henry while his mom was out and he'd just learned Ashton was coming home. He was saying that Ashton would be excited to be back but the reason wasn't what I was expecting. Henry said that Ashton would be almost equally as excited to see me as he was to see his family.

"He just said that you'd be really excited to see me..." I said with a shrug. There was no way it could mean anything.

"He wasn't lying or anything. I am excited to see you. Aren't you excited to see me?" He asked and I smiled.

"'Course I am. I missed you." I said looking at the pavement in front of me. I didn't want to see if he picked up on the deeper meaning in my words. I just wasn't ready to let go of my crush yet.

"...I missed you too." He said but his words weren't light like they usually would have been. They hung heavy in between us weighing the open air down.

"...Oh." Was all I could say. We were broaching new territory.

"I kept wanting to see you, to have you with me while I was gone..." He said and I nodded.

"I really did miss you, too." I said echoing the sentiment.

"No... I uh – There's something I want to tell you." He said stopping on the pavement. I turned back to look at him knowing it was my turn to be bewildered.

"You can tell me anything." I said cocking my head to the side. He ran his hand through his hair looking down at the ground.

"It's just... I like you." He said finally.

"You...what?" I asked immediately wondering if it was a trick. This just couldn't be real.

"I like you, seriously." He said looking at me through his eyelashes. The pounding of my racing heart overwhelmed my ears as my head spun.