Watch Over Me ☆ a.i. [complete]

◌ f o u r ◌

I smiled weakly. “Alright, let’s go.”

He stood up, grabbing my bag in one hand and extending his other one towards me. I took it gratefully, and when I stood up he hastily let go.

The very short walk back to my apartment was quiet and awkward. At the doorstep, he handed me back my bag and smiled slightly at me. “Have a good day, Y/N.”

"You too, Ashton," I smiled slightly. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to leave, but I grabbed his arm. "Wait… Where are you staying?"

He avoided my gaze, and ruffled his hair. “Uh, well, around.”

He tried to move out of my grasp, but I held on tighter. “Around? Ashton, this is a big city. Are you staying somewhere safe?”

He chuckled. “I’m an angel. It would take a lot to take me down.”

He seemed to confident in his response but I was still unsure. I bit my lip. “Look… I’d sleep better knowing that you’re safe. You can come in, stay with me for today at least.”

He shook his head, his hair bouncing around. “No, I can’t.”

"Why not? Are you not allowed to?" I asked sincerely.

"I’m allowed to, but I don’t think it’s a-"

"Isn’t your job to protect me and make sure I’m safe, and healthy?"

He nodded vigorously. “That’s my sole purpose of being here.”

"Then come in, please. It’ll give me some peace of mind…"

I gave him a pleading look, and it took approximately 30 seconds for him to agree. “Alright, fine.”

I grinned, before turning to open the door. I raced up the stairs, relieved to just go home and lie in bed, and I unlocked my apartment door, waiting for Ashton to catch up.

"It’s not much, you know, but… This is it."

He grinned at me, suddenly looking shy as he shoved his hands back into his pockets. “It’s really nice.”

"Thank you," I smiled as I stepped in, throwing my keys on the kitchen counter and dropping my bag on the floor. I heard the door close and turned around to see him standing against it, eyeing the place attentively.

"Do you want to maybe watch some tv? It’s been a weird day, and it’s only… Wow, it’s only 10:56."

He nodded. “Sure, that sounds fine.”

I smiled. “Alright. You can go ahead and sit down, I’m just going to change.”

I turned around and padded down the small hallway to my bedroom, making sure to close the door behind me. As I pulled off my shirt and rummaged through my closet for another one, I couldn’t help but think about today. I started off by hating Ashton and ruling him off as my stalker. And now, I know he’s my guardian angel, and he’s sitting on my couch because I invited him in, feeling that I needed him to be safe. It’s crazy, right?

I shook my head. This was all just too much for one day, let alone one morning.

Once I was done I headed back to the living room to find that Ashton was just sitting there. He hadn’t turned on the tv or anything. He was just staring at his long hands as if willing them to provide him with some sort of entertainment or distraction.

"Ashton?" I asked softly, but still causing him to jump slightly in surprise. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you."

"It’s fine," he shrugged, eyeing me carefully as I sat down on the couch, at the opposite end from where he was sitting.