Imagines and One-Shots (Book Three)

My Perfect Person (Ashton Irwin)

this has been on my computer for like 5 months (a pretty short amount of time for me but still) so i decided to finish it up to post

it's pretty short and i'm impatient and didn't want to wait until valentine's day lmao

~

"What's their story?" you asked randomly as you were sitting underneath a tree at the park with your best friend.

"Whose story?" Ashton asked, looking up at you as he raised an eyebrow. He found you sitting so you were facing the tree – which didn't help his confusion much before you spoke again.

"Theirs!" you chirped, causing him to look at where you were pointing to a carving in the bark just above your heads, "You're not gonna carve into a tree without a story! So what do you think..." You trailed off, leaning closer to see the letters. "What do you think 'R+E's story is?" you asked.

"Well..." he started, repositioning himself to face the tree as well, putting his hands on the ground behind him and leaning back, "I'll bet they met in kindergarten, and lost touch after one of them moved away when they were 12. But they always promised each other that they'd find their way back."

You giggled softly, "Do you think they were always in love with each other? Or did one of them come back and ask themselves how they were just now starting to feel that way?"

"I think they were always in love with each other," he said, his eyes not leaving your face as you stared at the etching in the bark, "And I think now was finally the right time for them."

"Do you think you'll have a story important enough for a tree carving someday?" you asked curiously.

"I like to think so," he nodded, "I think everyone will."

"Everyone but me," you laughed light-heartedly, causing Ashton to shift so he could look at you better.

"What about Luca?" he asked you.

"I told you I broke up with him like, three months ago," you raised your eyebrows, surprised he'd forgotten, "Remember? He told me to stop hanging out with you?"

"You broke up with him because of me?" his expression fell.

"Ash, I wasn't in love with the guy," you shook your head, "It wasn't because of you – it was because he was trying to tell me who to talk to. You're my best friend; I would choose you over some stupid guy that clearly doesn't trust me any day."

"You never carved a heart into a tree with him, did you?" he asked. You laughed loudly, throwing your head back as Ashton smiled slightly.

"No, we never did that," you told him, "I'm not gonna carve a heart into a tree unless I'm 100% sure about the person first, and I definitely wasn't 100% sure about Luca."

"Why not?"

"Aside from the obvious in trying to control who I see?" you raised an eyebrow, "I guess the point where he started suggesting I can't be loyal to him if my best friend is another guy was the point I knew it wasn't going to work."

"He thought you would cheat on him with me?" Ashton asked.

"He was probably intimidated by your good looks and muscles," you snickered, only laughing harder when you felt him shove you playfully as he rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Y/N," he insisted, "Everybody knows you wouldn't cheat on anyone – especially not with me."

"Why wouldn't I cheat on someone with you?"

"Why would you?" he shook his head, "You're the most loyal person I know – especially when you're dating someone."

"But if I wasn't, I could see myself cheating with someone like you," you shrugged. Ashton's expression looked like that of shock mixed with confusion – but you didn't notice as you weren't even looking at him. "Whoever 'R+E' are probably dated tons of people before meeting again," you shook your head, tilting your head to look at the carving above you again, "Maybe they even almost gave up trying to find their perfect person. I bet it was really magical, don't you?" The smile on your face made Ashton's heart flutter. "Can you imagine how excited they must have felt finally seeing each other after so long apart? And then realizing that everything they wanted and everything they'd been looking for had been with them the whole time?"

"I think I have a pretty good idea," Ashton mumbled softly. You turned your head and your eyes met his again, finding him already staring at you. "Do you think everyone has a 'perfect person'?" he asked you, still speaking lowly. You simply nodded.

And it was in that exact moment – the exact moment you noticed Ashton gulp slightly as he chewed on his inner cheek – that you realized just how similar you and Ashton and 'R+E' really were. So much so that, much like the couple whose initials were carved into the tree, you didn't even need Ashton to speak to know what he was thinking.

"I think you're my perfect person too, Ash," you whispered. A small smile pulled at the corners of your mouth as Ashton blushed in response. Your smile instantly got bigger as you perked up. "You know what this means?" you asked, earning a cocked eyebrow from Ashton.

"What?" he asked.

"This was 'R+E's perfect tree," you announced, hopping up to your feet, "Now we have to go find our own!"

"I thought you said you wouldn't carve a tree unless you were 100% sure about it," he shook his head. You bent down, grabbing Ashton's hands and pulling him up with you.

"I know what I said," you smiled, standing on your toes and making him blush again as you kissed his cheek.