[Caution: soft hours]

After Ashton and I left the roof, I was a little tipsy from the mimosas, which he told me he'd gotten with a fake ID he had back from when he used to party a lot. (I asked why we couldn't use that to rent the car but he said it wasn't good enough to pass the DMV, just for buying alcohol and getting into clubs). He had to help me over the gate again and hold me when we walked down the stairs. We ended up going to the elevator because I kept slipping.

"You're a lightweight, aren't you, Vi?" He asked.

I giggled. I don't have much experience with alcohol, this was only the second time I'd had some, but they were really good, so I drank four glasses.

"I...don't know what that is," I said, pointing a finger at him as he pressed the button to open the doors. "But if it's a bad thing, then...I just think you're really mean, and if it's good," I sighed. "Then I love you, Ashy-Ash."

Ashton laughed, looking at me with eyebrows raised and a huge grin on his face.

He helped me inside the doors and pressed the number button.

"Three? We aren't on three." I scrunch my nose up. "Right?"

"No, but it's okay." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text. I just waited, singing a song in my head as we went down to the third floor.

When the doors opened, Sammi and Luke appeared and entered the elevator, Sammi with a concerned look and Luke looking like he'd just rolled out of bed. His hair was all over the place and he was wearing a hoodie to attempt to cover it. I'd never seen him in something so casual, he was always dressed nicely.

"Hello! Look, Ashy, it's our friends!" I laughed and wrapped my arms around him, capturing his arms by his side because I didn't give him time to move.

"What did you do to her, Ashton?" Sammi growled, going to smack him, but I pulled him back out of her reach and frowned.

"No one hits my boyfriend. That's not nice." I told her. Sammi blushed and looked at Luke who was waking up and seemed amused at the turn of events.

"It isn't, is it, Vi?" Luke asked.

I shook my head. He should know that.

"What should someone do to Ashton when he misbehaves?" Luke asked, smirking.

"Oh, I think--"

"That's enough, hon, Luke's just trying to get you to be mean to me."

I stepped back and shook my head vigorously. Ashton and Luke grabbed one of my arms to keep me from falling.

I turned to Luke, making what could only classify as a duck face with my eyebrows furrowed.

"Lu Lu, is this true? Are you trying to trick me?" I put my hands on his face and looked directly in his eyes.

He shook his head, gently grabbing my shoulders and pushing me back a couple inches.

"No, Ashy is the one trying to be mean. He was bad and doesn't want you to be mad at him. I'm just trying to keep him accountable."

Ashton rolled his eyes and pressed the button to the elevator so we actually went to the proper floor.

"I...don't believe any of you. I think you all need to be punished." I declared, crossing my arms and tumbling to the side when the elevator shuddered to a halt on the fifth floor. "Hey! Five is where we live, yeah, Ash?"

"It is, baby, very good. Let's get you back to our room, Sammi, help?" he asked, and Sammi tucked herself under my arm to help me to the room. Ashton took the room key out and swiped it, allowing us to enter.

"Wow, this is a cool place." I looked around at the lights and out the window. "Hey, I have this shirt!" I picked up a blue and white striped shirt from a chair where it sat folded. "This is such a great shirt, don't you think?"

Everyone nodded and I sat down on the bed, almost missing, and I ended up sliding down and sitting on the floor. Ashton and Sammi rushed to help me, but I waved their hands away.

"I want to be down here. It's got a nice view." I laid on the floor and looked up at Ashton. He shook his head, smiling.

"Vi, I'm going to go clean everything from upstairs, Sammi is going to stay here with you while I'm gone, you just stay here and relax. Take a shower if you feel up to it, we'll have an easy morning." He bent down to press a kiss to my forehead. Before he was able to pull back, I grabbed the back of his head and kissed him.

"Thanks, mom, I'll be fine." I flopped back onto the floor and closed my eyes. When I did that, I could pretend I was on a roller coaster, it felt like I was floating.

"I'm not your mother, Vi."

"I know, I couldn't do that to my mother," I laughed. "But you're acting like one." I sat up. "I think. I've never really had a mother, she died. Is that what moms are like? Always caring about you and making sure you're okay and taken care of?"

Ashton gulped, looking around uneasily.

"Y-yeah, that's what my mom's like." He cleared his throat. "Why don't you relax, baby, and I'll be right back."

"Kay, bye!" I waved to him and Luke who walked out the door quickly. I looked to Sammi, who also looked a bit uncomfortable. My head felt a little bit clearer, but I still wasn't acting normal. "What happened, did I say something wrong?"

Sammi shook her head, hesitating before emerging from the corner by the door and coming to sit by me.

"No, you didn't say anything wrong, it's just...we all know you don't like to talk about your family. It was kinda shocking to hear you just blurt that out about your mom like that. And Ashton doesn't want to take advantage of you being drunk to get that information out of you, so he left."

I puffed a breath out of my cheeks.

"Wow. He's really great, isn't he?"

Sammi smiled, exhaling a relieved laugh, probably at the conversation shift.

"He is, Vi. I've never seen you so happy as when you're with him. I'm really happy for you."

I stand up, not as unsteady this time and reach my hand out to help Sammi. I crawl into the bed and pat the spot next to me. She climbs in next to me and I pull the covers over us and cuddle next to her. She giggles but puts her arm around me.

"I've never felt this happy. My life wasn't great growing up, but college has been amazing for me. I'm so glad I got to meet you, and Sarah, and Ashton—god I love him, and Luke. Even Michael and Calum are just...great." I can't stop the tears that spill over my face.

"Oh, Vi," Sammi laughs, squeezing me tight. "We all love you so much, there's no need to cry."

"I-I know, but it's just t-t-too nice..." the rest of my words dissolve into sobs and Sammi just sits with me, letting me cry my happy/sad tears. "I can't h-handle how m-much you all l-l-love me," Sammi shushes me and pats my head.

After I calm down, Ashton and Luke enter the room, laughing about something and I take one look at Ashton's face and burst into tears again. He rushes to me and replaces Sammi, holding me tight and rocking me back and forth.

"What happened," Ashton asked. I just shook my head. Sammi answered for me.

"She says she 'can't handle how much we love her' and that it's 'just too nice'."

"Oh, Vi, baby," Ashton laughed in a happily amused way. "We do all love you, you do so much for all of us. You're the best person on this earth hands down."

I sniffle and look around at my friends.

"I just appreciate you all so much." I tell them, wiping my tears.

"We know, Vi, and we appreciate you too." Luke says. Sammi sits on the other side of me and hugs me and Ashton, and Luke joins in on the group hug too.

I finally manage to calm my breathing and feel my eyes get heavy.

"Here, eat this before you get too sleepy." Ashton said. He turned around and took a paper place that Luke was holding. There was a piece of toast with raspberry jam on it.

"Raspberry?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm surprised they had it. Ashton said that's your favorite." Luke replied as I nibbled on the toast. I finished it quickly and laid my head on what I thought would be the pillow, but was actually my boyfriend.

"Go to sleep, babe, I'll be here when you wake up." I hear Ashton say. I snuggle into his chest and fall asleep as he wraps his arms around me.

***

I wake up and the sun is streaming in through the window. I'm lying on top of Ashton and his chest is rising and falling as he breathes. His eyes are closed and his face is relaxed, his lips slightly open and head turned to the side. I brush a piece of hair from his face and he sighs, a small smile gracing his face.

I blow him a kiss and gently peel myself away from him, desperately needing a shower. This mornings events come back to me and I feel my entire face heating up. I can't believe I got drunk off a couple of mimosas. Ugh, so embarrassing.

My head hurts a bit when I move too fast, so I quickly grab a couple Ibuprofen from the bottle in my bag and swallow them.

I grab fresh clothes I'd set out the night before on the chair, the blue and white striped shirt that was in a wrinkled lump on the chair, probably from when I was playing with it earlier, along with a pair of black jeans and the black jacket I'd stolen from Ashton a while ago when he left it at my apartment back in Minnesota.

I took a quick shower and when I was finished getting ready, Ashton was still sleeping. I thought about waking him, but he's already lost enough sleep because of me, so I decided to let him be. I'd already caused enough trouble for the day.

I texted Sammi, Sarah, and Michael to see if anyone in their room was awake, but only Sarah answered, saying the other four were still in bed. She asked if I wanted to hang out in the lobby, but I didn't want to leave without asking Ashton first, and he was still asleep.

I quietly brought a chair over to the window and looked outside.

Clearly being here was harder than I thought it would be. I didn't expect any problems, but with my nightmares coming back, it might not have been the best. I'm trying to stay away from the few places that hold specific bad memories for me, like my high school and where I used to live, and where my ex lived. As long as I stay away from there I should be okay.

Ashton mumbles in his sleep and I turn around to look at him. He rolls over onto his stomach, clutching a pillow in his arms. He squeezes it before letting go and sitting up groggily, wiping his eyes with his hands.

He blinks a few times before looking around, eyes landing and focusing on me. He smiles and nods at me.

"Good morning," I say, getting up and walking over to him.

"It is now," He says, taking my hand once I'm close enough and tugging me forward to sit on him. "What time is it?" He asks, keeping his face buried in my neck.

"Almost 11." I say when I check the clock on the bedside table.

"Hm," he says, rubbing circles on my hand.

"I'm sorry I got drunk and weird," I tell him, feeling embarrassed about what happened earlier.

He chuckled.

"I'm sorry I put too much champagne in the mimosas, I didn't realize you were a lightweight."

"I am not."

"Vi, you had four glasses. That's not a lot." I pouted.  "It's not a bad thing, babe, we'll just have to be more careful the next time we drink together."

"I'm sorry if I was too much to handle."

"You were fine, love, do you remember what happened?" He asked, shifting so we were face to face.

"We had a great time on the roof, then I couldn't really walk so you helped me. We stopped on the third floor to pick up Sammi and Luke?"

"Yeah, I needed their help. I couldn't leave you alone in that state and I knew Sammi would be awake. Luke just happened to wake up when she tried to get up, so he joined her and helped me clean up the roof."

"Thank you for taking care of me." The words felt strange coming out of my mouth. It's still so unusual for something like that to happen. I'm used to caring for others, then myself, not having someone here to care for me.

"Any time, babe. You know I'd move mountains for you."

"I don't think you're strong enough for that..." I  laughed and tried to put a hand around his bicep. Maybe my hands were small, or maybe he really was strong, but my joke kind of lost the point when it didn't come close to reaching with just one hand.

Ashton just smirked.

"Sure, babe. You can say that, but I know the truth and so do you." He kissed me before getting up. "I'm going to shower, do you need the bathroom?"

"Nope, I'm already done. While someone was being lazy, I got ready."

"I applaud your bravery," he chuckled, grabbing clean clothes from his bag. "And as much as I enjoy seeing you wear my clothes, I'd like my jacket back please!"

I wrapped my arms tighter around myself. He turned around to look at me.

"Nooo," I whispered and shook my head. He frowned, but I gave him puppy dog eyes and he groaned.

"I can't win against that. You've won this battle. For now." He winked at me before walking to the bathroom and closing the door.

"I'm going to go downstairs and try to plan out the day with everyone, is that okay with you?" I called through the bathroom door, gathering up my phone and laptop. He laughed.

"You're asking like you need my permission, baby, do whatever you want, I'll be down soon." He said that so easily, it confused me.

My ex always needed to know where I was and was very controlling. I guess I just fell back into that mindset being here. It's that stupid dream messing me up still.

"Right." I shook my head and headed to the elevator.

I walked to my friends room and knocked on the door.

***
OOF LOOK AT THAT SMILE 😍😍😍 LOOK AT HIS FACE AND THOSE DIMPLES. I CANT LOOK AT HIS FACE AND NOT SMILE HES FRIKIN ADORABLE OMG
~ashtonfortherwin