𝟓𝐬𝐨𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐕𝐨𝐥.𝟏

Home (Ashton Irwin Angst/Fluff)

Summary: (Y/N) has been acting a bit strangely, so Ashton is baffled... Until he finds out.
This chapter contains content that might be triggering. It contains mentions of abuse (physical and emotional). If you feel uncomfortable with this type of material, please, scroll through the chapters to find something you might like.
(Request) (Words: 1.8k)
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The first time Ashton noticed something was off with (Y/N) was the first time she stayed at his place. Ashton was cooking and (Y/N) wanted to help, so he asked her to set the table, handed her some plates from the cabinets, and went back to mindlessly stirring the sauce that was bubbling in the pan. Mindlessly, until he heard a shutter and a gasp from the dining room.
He rushed there, only to find (Y/N) shaking over the broken plate, crying as she tried to pick up the pieces.
"I am sorry. I am so sorry." She kept repeating, over and over again, avoiding looking at him.
"Hey, it's ok..." He said as he knelt down next to her to take the sharp pieces from her, but she jolted back as he tried to touch her wrist.
His voice was soothing, but (Y/N) could only remember her mother's poisonous words the last time this happened.
"Hey, darling. Leave them on the floor, I'll bring a broom to pick that up." He suggested, but (Y/N) was shaken to her core.
"Baby, it's ok. It's just a plate, nothing to worry about." Ashton was finally able to pry the shards away, while his girlfriend sobbed silently.
"Come on, let's get you away from the glasses. We don't want you cutting yourself with those pieces." He helped her up, picking her and carrying her to the kitchen island, letting her sit on top of it as he swept away the broken plate.
The rest of the night went on silently, the tension in the room thick, but Ashton didn't think much into it.

Then there was the time they got into a fight; Ashton couldn't even remember what started it, but it ended with (Y/N) trembling and hiding in the corner as if she was afraid of him actually hurting her.
And she was; he was physically her superior and his voice getting louder was triggering for her.
But Ashton could and would never hurt her; not her, not anyone.
Ashton tried all he could but he was not able to get the picture of her being scared of him. The way her eyes stared at him, the way her lip quivered, and how she was silently pleading for him not to hurt her. He didn't want to experience anything like that again.

Of course, the fact that she had never invited him to her house, that she didn't even let him park anywhere near her place every time he dropped her off, was something also peculiar. In the beginning, he thought little of it; maybe she didn't want her parents to see them this early on in their relationship.
But they have been together for months, and she has yet to even suggest a meeting.

The last straw was the nightmare he had one night. (Y/N) had been distant and not answering his texts, returning his calls. She even canceled their last few dates for petty reasons.
He went to bed one night, and his sleep was filled with the worst images; (Y/N) hurting and him trying to get to her but failing every time.
He woke up sweating and gasping for air, his instinct kicking in as he reached for his phone and looked for her contact.
It rang and rang and rang, and (Y/N) rejected every call.

She was curled up on the small couch in her room, crying as she saw how persistent her boyfriend was. She knew if she picked up the phone, if he heard her voice, he would understand that something was wrong with her.
But the constant ringing, the fact that he was simply not giving up, made her pick up the phone, just to stop him from calling over and over again.
"I need to see you." It was the first thing she heard the minute the line went live.
"Are you crazy? It's nearly 2 in the morning." She whispered, praying on the inside she wouldn't be heard by the people in her house. Her dad, well, he was particularly irked if he was awakened in the middle of his sleep, and an irked father was the last thing (Y/N) needed.
"I don't care. I am driving to your house in 5 minutes. I need to see you. Don't make me burst into your house." He wasn't demanding, no. His voice was too similar to pleading.
"Ok, ok. Meet me where you usually park." She ended the call quickly, huffing and closing her eyes.