"Are you okay?" I asked Ashton as we sat together on the subway train.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I overreacted earlier. I'm just tired, but that's no excuse for how I acted back there. You're a strong, independent woman, and you are more than capable of taking care of yourself. He wasn't even doing anything wrong, so I shouldn't have reacted that way."

I nodded. I was capable of handling myself. But I also wanted to tease him.

"You're right, but also, I kinda liked it, daddy."

I got up as the train slowed, barely glancing at Ashton because I was nervous about how he was going to respond. A good nervous, if he took it the right way.

"Let's go, gang. This is our stop, then we've got three blocks to walk."

Michael groaned at that, but everyone got up and exited the train car. I was the third person out, and Ashton was the last. I expected him to catch up to me, but he didn't. He stayed in the back behind everyone, hands in his pocket and a dark look on his face. He seemed to be deep in thought.

I turned around and talked to Michael.

"What was your favorite part of the day?"

"Definitely getting to eat Calum's face." He grinned. I was confused for a moment as to...what he meant by that before he pulled an M&M out of his pocket. My eyes widened and I laughed.

"Not where I thought you were going with that, but I'm glad you had a good day."

He nods as we walk into the hotel and head to the elevator.

Calum runs ahead to push the button.

"What's your favorite part of the day, Vi?" he asks me. I think about it.

I was going to say something about getting to spend the day with all my friends, but Ashton cuts me off.

"Her favorite part of the day hasn't come yet. I'm gonna need everyone out, goodnight."

The elevator opens on the third floor landing and he pushes our friends out, furiously pressing the "doors close" button.

"See you tomorrow." He calls as the door shuts, leaving five of our friends shocked as we continue the ride to our room. I hear Michael laugh as the doors close.

"A-Ash?" my voice catches in my throat as he faces me and lazily stalks towards me.

"You have no idea what you do to me, do you?" he brings his lips to my ear and starts kissing me, caging me against the wall with his arms.

I have no idea what just happened. It's like he flipped a switch from annoyed with me to turned on, and I'm still queasy from riding the roller-coaster.

"What are you-"

The doors open onto our floor and he doesn't seem to notice. I'm stuck in my spot as he continues, until the doors open again moments later and someone tries to get on.

"Oh, uhm..." the middle aged woman said. I push Ashton's chest and he lets me move him, nodding to the lady like he wasn't just sucking my face off as he takes my hand and brings me to our door.

I can't even reach for my bag to pull out my room key and just let him take the lead. I know what he wants to do, and I'm incredibly nervous.

But it's Ash, and I know I have no reason to be.

But also, what's he doing? What's this new attitude he's taken tonight? I'm just so confused.

I don't want to resist though, because I don't know what'll happen if I do. It's Ash, though, so of course he'd understand if I'm not okay.

I'm really nervous.

He opens the door, quickly shoving the room key through the slot and throwing it open.

He steps inside, turning around and noticing I'm not following.

"What are you waiting for, baby?"

I just shake my head, not able to form words.

His brow furrowed in puzzlement before he stepped forward, gently raising his hand and offering it to me.

"Would you like to come inside, Vi?" he asked quietly.

I nodded slowly, walking in. I don't want him to think I'm scared, so I take his hand and bring him closer, pressing our lips together.

He responds, but pulls away moments later.

"Vi, love, you're shaking. What's the matter?" He brushes my hair out of my face and I flinch.

He recoils away from me.

"What did I do?"

Tears fall down my face and I shake my head. How can I tell him about what happened in my past without him looking at me differently after?

He takes a couple steps back and turns a light on, I hadn't even realized we'd been in the dark, then walks over to the bed, sitting down.

"I'm sorry if I freaked you out, Vi, it really wasn't my intention, shit." He puts his head in his hands. "I-I just had a plan, and got too excited, and you said...you...I just thought..."

I start sobbing, realizing he was upset that I lead him on. That wasn't my intention at all, I just wanted to tease him. He's going to hold this over me forever.

"I'm sorry, Vi, this is all my fault, I'll go see if Sammi or Sarah will come stay up here with you."

Now he doesn't want me? Just because I didn't want to have sex with him, he's going to leave me?

"N-no, I just-" I try to speak, but keep choking on my tears. I start coughing and he gets up and stops a couple feet away from me.

"I'm going to touch you, okay?" He warns, slowly moving towards me to tap my back and rub it until I calm down. He gently pushes me towards the bed and sits me down, staying a respectful distance away but still rubbing circles on my back.

I try to shrug my jacket off, but I can't undo the zipper with my shaky hands. I'm too hot.

"Can I help you, baby?" He asks, kneeling down in front of me. The tenderness in his voice and compassion in his eyes throw me off and I nod.

He unzips my jacket slowly, then helps me pull it off.

"Better?"

I nod.

He sits down next to me and I want nothing more than to throw myself into his arms and stay there for the rest of time, but I don't want him to get the wrong idea again.

Although, if that's what I have to do to get him to stay, would it be so bad? I love him.

As if sensing the war waging in my mind, he interrupts me.

"Vi, what do you need? I'll do anything you want, I'm so sorry."

"Y-you're sorry?" I ask. I should be the one apologizing.

"Yes, I'm sorry if I went too far too fast. We never talked about it, and I'd been dropping hints all day and just assumed you were thinking the same thing as me. I didn't mean to get too intense and overwhelm you. For that I'm sorry."

I can't hide the confused look on my face. He thinks this is his fault? I thought he hated me because I wouldn't do anything.

"Is there anything I can do to get you to forgive me? I'll stay somewhere else, I'll sleep in the bathtub, I'll get on a flight right now and go home if you tell me to."

"No, stay." I tell him. This is new to me. Everything in my life has always been my fault. I'm used to always being the one blamed, the one who caused everything to go downhill. This is new. This...is real love.

"If that's what you want." His hand twitches towards me but he pulls it back at the last second.

"C-can I hug you?" I ask shyly. He lets out a shaky breath and smiles, relieved.

"Of course. Please." He opens his arms and I scoot closer and wrap my arms around him. He presses his cheek against my head.

"I'm really sorry, Vi."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"You did nothing wrong, baby. I should have made sure you were okay with it. Consent is so important, and like an ass I just assumed."

I should tell him. Let him know I have very little experience. That would be a reason why I'm so hesitant and he wouldn't look at me weirdly because of it.

"What is it?" He whispered, rocking back and forth, dragging me along with him. "I know you're thinking, is there anything wrong, did I do something today?"

"No, it's not you." I sit up, looking at his face. "God, this is embarrassing. I'm..."

He lifts my chin with his fingers so we're looking in each others eyes.

I open my mouth but I can't say it while looking at him. I pull away and flop backwards on the bed and pull a pillow over my face.

"I'm a virgin." I mumble.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

I whine.

"I've never had sex before." I remove the pillow and say it a little louder.

It's quiet and still from his end of the bed. I peek over the pillow at him and see him grinning.

"Oh, you have no idea how relieved that makes me." He gets up and laughs, spinning around before diving on the bed and lying next to me, head propped up on one of his arms, his breath fanning over my face.

"Why? Because no other man has had me before, so somehow that makes you--"

"No, nothing like that." he cuts me off, pressing little kisses all over my face. "I thought I did something to make you mad at me, or said something insensitive and you were doubting us. I thought you hated me and that's why you didn't want to have sex with me."

"Of course I want to," I scoff. He smirks and I roll my eyes. "Shut up. I just wasn't ready for you to get so...intense so fast."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, baby." He coos and strokes my cheek with his hand, the other one holding his head up. "It's just..I got way too excited when you called me that name, and the boys had been teasing me all day. When we do it, I'm going to make sure it's so special, and gentle, and you'll be properly loved and cherished the way you deserve."

I'm breathless when he captures my lips in a searing kiss. He acts like he can't get enough of me, cradling my cheeks with his hands and holding me gently but firmly. It's a love like I've never experienced before in my life.

"You said when, y-you don't want to do it now?" I ask, confused. I thought he wanted me.

He chuckles.

"Of course I want to now, but you're not. And since it's your first time, I want to do something special."

It's my turn to laugh.

I gesture around us. "A private hotel room in New York bathed in candle light isn't special?" I scoff. "That's what everyone aims for, Ash, and you know I wouldn't care, anything with you would be special. I just care that I'm with you."

He shakes his head.

"Nope, I've made up my mind. You're my princess and deserve to be treated like such. It's not going to be on some random Tuesday after I practically groped you in an elevator and you got so freaked out I made you cry." He shook his head. "That's not the story we're going to tell our...friends." He finishes, like he wanted to say something else but thought better of it.

"First of all, it's Friday. Second of all, I don't need all that, Ashton. All I need is you." He smiles cutely, showing his dimples. "And a condom. That seems important too."

His eyes bulge out of their sockets, and I can't help but roar with laughter, falling backwards onto the bed, and holding my stomach. His reaction was so much better than I thought.

"Stop, Vi, don't laugh at me." He pouts, but I can't stop.

I'm still laughing when he gets up off the bed and throws something at me.

I sit up and pick up the box.

Of condoms.

It's my turn to look shocked, and he smirks, failing to hold back his chuckle.

"I think I win this one."

"Shut up and cuddle me." I make grabby hands at him and he smiles.

"I love you, you know."

"Yeah," I say, snuggling up to his chest. "I do know."

***
Here's cute ashton with a puppy to relieve any tension 😍

I don't know how I feel about this chapter. I'm thinking...bad.

Hope you all have a good day!! I probably won't be able to update for a while, I'm moving to a new place today and the next couple days will be spent with my friends helping me move all my stuff across town. It's only when I have to move that I realize how many things I own and I hate it. Anyway thanks for reading ❤️
~ashtonfortherwin