somehow i managed to make it through last night. and today,
i woke up to my nose bleeding again.
i guess theo really threw that ball with intent.
i'm still mad at asher, by the way. a stupid kiss and a declaration of his concern for me doesn't change the fact that he fought my own fight for me after i already handled it.
'he needed more than a slap and a shove.' shut the fuck up, asher. men have nothing but the audacity.
i get that brothers fight. those two in specific threw hands with eachother all the time when i would go over there, it means nothing to them. but that doesn't mean i want to be involved in that.
asher also texted me this morning. he said-
wait. texts. fuck.
i jump up and run into jack's room to see him laying in bed with his phone up to his ear.
"did jules ever text you yesterday?" i ask quietly.
jack smiles and pulls the phone away from his ear, putting it on speaker.
"aria says hi" he says, still smiling.
"aria! i miss you!" i hear juliet's sweet voice sing from the phone.
i hither to jack's bed and take the phone from him. "hi! are you still coming round for new years?"
"i should be able to as long as my flight is on time!"
i tilt my head to the side and furrow my eyebrows. "thought your mom was sending you back on a private jet?"
"not anymore, apparently. she's staying in england until last minute before the wedding, and she refuses to send me on her private jet alone" she sighs.
"guess you'll just have to settle for first class" i sigh dramatically. we both laugh, then i hand the phone back to jack. "text me if you can, i'm gonna head out soon."
"where?" jack and juliet say in sync.
"asher's" i reply, exiting and shutting the door behind me.
back to what i was saying. asher texted me this morning to apologize.
he knows he fucked up. i didn't look him in the eyes once after putting my shoes on to leave.
asher
'i didn't mean to lose my shit as much as i did last night btw'
'u wanna stop by today quick? ig it would prob be better to say that in person' 11:17am
aria
'k' 11:22am
asher
'aria.'
'please' 11:22am
aria
'fine'
'20 mins' 11:25am
all i decided to change into for this was a pair of black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt i found on my floor when i was packing.
i have no reason to wear anything special.
once i have everything together, i yell through jack's door to him that i'm taking his car.
"whatever just don't crash" he yells back quickly.
and then, i'm off.
i haven't gotten to drive jack's car in awhile. i would drive mine, but it's way past due for inspection and no one ever took it in because i wasn't even gonna be home for months.
jack's car is that car. the car that everyone car pools in, the car everyone eats full course meals in, passes out drunk in, you name it. and he's more than happy to be the owner.
i'll let you guess how often we need to clean it out.
the short drive is really nice today. there's sludge on the roads because the snow is melting, but other than that it's a nice day out.
as nice as it can be, anyways. it's still cold as shit.
before long, i return to the griffin household.
i text oscar instead of asher out of pettiness, and he soon opens the door to let me in.
"didn't know you were coming" he says, sipping his coffee.
"didn't really want to" i shrug. "is theo home?"
asher is quite literally the last person i want to see right now. and i wanna talk to theo while i'm here anyway.
oscar nods, swallowing his drink. "he's in asher's- his room. i'd say let yourself in, but it'd probably be better for me to check first."
"probably" i agree, following him upstairs to theo's room.
once theo lets him in after knocking, oscar peaks his head in.
"can aria come in?"
"sure?" he responds skeptically.
oscar opens the door all the way and walks in with me. i sit down on theo's gaming chair at his desk and oscar stands next to me, resting an elbow on the tall of the chair.
it's quiet for a minute. no one really knows what to say, and no one wants to be the first to speak.
i doubt oscar plans on talking anyway. he's probably just here to observe.
no apologies are needed. he didn't mean for the ball to hit me, and i'm not the one who gave him his bloody nose. if anything, asher should be in here apologizing to both of us.
and i'm not accepting an apology from asher until he apologizes to theo first.
the dickhead annoys the shit out of me, but i still love him like a brother.
"so..." theo starts.
"so" i nod awkwardly.
nothing follows that up. we just continue avoiding eye contact.
i pick up a controller from his desk and start fiddling with the joysticks, just giving myself something to do.
"you're being weird" oscar whispers to me.
"what do you want me to do?" i whisper back defensively.
"i don't know, just say something, weirdo."
i can feel theo's gaze on us, so i look back and take a deep breath.
"um... i didn't mean for last night to escalate like it did. i'm not apologizing for my actions because i wouldn't actually mean it, but i will apologize on asher's behalf" i sigh. "he's a dick, i'm sorry you guys fought because of me."
"pffftt" theo laughs, "you're sorry on his behalf? jesus, aria, you sound like a mom. i know you're getting old, but you literally didn't do anything wrong."
"okay ass hat i was trying to be nice" i snicker.
theo sits up and chuckles. "i had it coming, anyway. all these years of me pissing you off and you finally had the balls to snap. how'd it feel?"
"relieving" i smirk, "how'd it feel for you?"
"eh," he shrugs, "i thought you could hit harder than that. kinda disappointing, to be honest."
"round two, then?"
oscar covers my mouth with his hand and smiles. "she didn't mean that."
"she doesn't want the smoke" theo accuses, staring me in the eyes.
suddenly, oscar's hand flies away from my face and him and theo look at the door.
great.
"aria? the hell are you in here for?" asher asks, slowly entering theo's bedroom.
"you said you wanted to apologize to me in person, right?"
he nods slowly and crosses his arms. "yeah, so why are you with them instead?"
i stand up from the chair and walk right up to asher, crossing my arms as well. "i'm not accepting any apology from you until you apologize to theo."
asher squints at me, glances at theo, then back to me.
"i already explained to you why i did tha-"
"that doesn't make it okay" i interrupt. "go on, say you're sorry to him."
i can hear theo trying to stifle a laugh behind me, but i keep staring at asher.
he sighs, then steps around me.
"sorry i beat your ass last night."
"i literally won that fight and you know-"
"theo" i interrupt again, "let him fucking talk. and asher, stop being cocky."
asher rolls his eyes and continues. "i shouldn't have lashed out. or forced you to apologize. i probably shouldn't have stepped in at all, and it's my fault for acting on impulse."
no way he's actually doing this just because i won't let him apologize to me. simp behavior.
theo cringes and covers his face with his hands. "god, aria, can he be done now? this is painful."
"after you hug it out" i smile innocently.
"no" asher replies instantly.
"absolutely not" theo agrees.
i start walking towards the door with a shrug. "i guess i'll be going then."
asher's hands grips onto my wrist and turns me back around.
"fine."
my eyes widen before a grin forms on my face, then asher turns back around and approaches theo.
"get the fuck away from me" theo defends, sitting up more and scooting back.
asher holds his arms out and rests his knee on the bed. "come onnn, you don't want a big fat hug from your big bro that loves you? you know you do" he teases.
oscar and i let out laughs that we couldn't contain as we watch asher crawl onto the bed, going for theo.
"ash i swear to god i'll extract every single one of your teeth with a wrench."
asher replies by laughing and wrapping theo up in his arms, swaying him side to side enthusiastically.
"awww you do love me!" he grins.
"oscar please fucking get him off me" theo muffles into asher's chest.
oscar picks up a random t-shirt from the floor, balls it up, and throws it at asher.
"off, adult" he demands.
asher finally releases theo and ruffles his hair once before walking back over to me, taking my hand, and leading me out.
"show's over, everyone. i'm not making another public apology after that one" he announces before we exit.
i give a departing look to oscar as i'm dragged out of the bedroom.
"jeez, you really are my bitch" i snicker as asher is guiding me to the basement door.
he doesn't respond. he just continues dragging me by my wrist until we're in the basement.
i go straight to the unfolded futon and lay out on it, tucking my arms behind my head.
"you seriously did all of that just because i said you had to? you wanna apologize to me so badly that you would embarrass yourself like that?" i tease, letting out a cackle. "i'm flattered."
asher sits on the edge of the bed and lies onto his back, his head landing on my stomach. he looks up at me, "yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, chica. i hugged theo like you told me to, so can we talk now?" he asks. i glare at him. "please?"
"go ahead" i nod.
here we go.
"i've finally been trying to control my anger issues" he starts, "...it's been getting kinda better, but last night was just different for some reason. i was so fired up, i couldn't have controlled myself if i wanted to."
"what are you saying?" i ask, searching his eyes.
asher's hands rest on his stomach, and i notice him start to leisurely slide one of his rings up and down his finger.
"you might be the problem."
me? 'the problem'?
what the fuck?
"i'm the problem?" i repeat. "what the hell am i the problem for?"
he sighs. "with just about all of my episodes lately, i've been able to somewhat chill out instead of lashing out. then all of a sudden, that streak was broken when you got hurt."
"so you're blaming me?" i snap. "you're blaming me for your inability to chill the fuck out?"
"no!" he retaliates quickly. "well... maybe? or it could just be a coincidence that the time i failed was also the time you were involved."
i swipe some hair out of asher's face as he looks back to me, frustration in his eyes.
i can tell he isn't trying to accuse me of anything. he's genuinely stressed about it.
"i think you're over complicating things" i answer honestly. his face relaxes. "it was just a set back. there doesn't have to be a reason why you weren't able to hold it in that time, sometimes it just happens. it's not like you can just wake up and decide you aren't gonna have any more episodes, right?" i smile, "it takes time."
asher sends me a half smile and a quick nod.
"you're... yeah, you're right" he exhales. "sorry, i didn't mean to single you out. i'm just so annoyed that i let it happen, i was trying to figure out why."
"shit happens. there doesn't always have to be a 'why', you just move forward from it."
he sighs with another nod before sitting up.
"but i guess that wasn't really an apology, was it?" he chuckles, lolling his head to the side. "i can-"
"i get it" i interrupt. "i'm not mad. plus, i think your apology to theo was plenty enough for me to forgive you" i smirk, to which he rolls his eyes.
"are you sure you're fine though? do you need anything else?"
now that he mentions it, i think there is something i'd like to bring up.
"the kiss" i blurt out. "why did you kiss me?"
asher's cheeks burn red, looking completely caught off guard. he turns his body to face me better. "well, i had to convince you somehow, didn't i?"
"with a kiss?" i ask, raising an eyebrow.
"yes, aria, a kiss. you thought i didn't care about you, so i showed you how much i really do" he explains plainly. "was it a problem?"
i'm... speechless.
was it a problem?
to juliet, maybe. to me, not at all.
but why the hell did he switch up so fast?
"not a problem at all" i smile. "but what changed your mind? you used to get pissed at me when i would try to initiate shit like that."
"...what?" he asks quietly.
"you were always so stern with telling me we aren't having sex or doing anything, like.. sexual."
asher scoots back a tiny bit, looking concerned.
"chica..." he starts nervously, smiling sideways, "it- it was just a kiss. we still aren't having sex or anything."
so close.
"so what was your little stunt under the dinner table about?" i huff. "cause i wouldn't say it's fair for you to be able to tease me like that, but i'm not allowed to finish what was started" i say, lowering my voice.
"then i'll stop" he shrugs.
wait. fuck.
"i wasn't saying you had to stop..."
"so deal with it, or i'll just stop altogether."
i think what he's saying here is that he's willing to sneak around with teasing and shit, but sex is completely off the table.
i can work with this.
"whatever" i mumble. "are we all still going to your friend's house for new year's eve?"
asher stands up and stretches his arms up, his shirt riding up his stomach a bit. "yeah. juliet still gonna be here in time for it?"
"she should be" i smile.
he sighs dramatically. "thank god. jack has been such a mood killer since they've been apart."
"tell me about it" i sigh. "he's been moping in his room since the night we got home."
although, i don't blame him.
but that doesn't mean it isn't annoying.
"speaking of, i should probably get going" i smile, standing up. "i promised him i'd go to the arcade with him today."
once i'm up on my feet, i pull my oversized hoodie down and roll my shoulders. out of the corner of my eye, i see asher smirking.
"what?" i ask, turning my head to him.
he walks up to me, snaking an arm around my waist. "it suits you" he chuckles.
"...thanks? it's just a hoodie?"
"it's my hoodie" he informs, his devilish smirk growing wider as his eyes darken and pulls me closer.
no it's not... no fucking way.
goddamnit. so much for not dressing special.
"shit, sorry, it must have gotten mixed up in the laundry" i ramble, grabbing the hem to take it off. "you can have it ba-"
"keep it" he cuts me off. he lowers his voice, "looks better on you anyways."
i laugh once, licking the inside of my cheek. "is this what we're doing now?"
"maybe" he smiles, letting go of me and softly pushing me back. "now go ahead. do a spin."
"i am not doing a spin" i deadpan, crossing my arms.
"oh come on. for me?" he pleads.
rolling my eyes, i spin in a circle once and dash for the stairs.
"what the hell?" he calls from across the basement.
i laugh and shout from the top of the stairs. "i need to go home! i'll see you saturday!"
***
i liked this chapter a lot
fluff >>> smut
unpopular opinion but it's true
<3
also i gaslighted tf outta u guys during their talk in the basement LOLL