#anyways god praise benadryl

[hoseokked]

allergy meds.....actually......stop your nose.........from running..........

[helplessly-nonstop]

Quarantine Cutie (A.I. imagine)

As a celebration for finishing my finals, I decided to finish my Ashton quarantine fic! Thank you so much @wrestlingfae​ for enabling in writing this piece! She’s a true all-star! Anyway! Let’s get into it! Ashton and OFC reader are roommates. Reader has a cough from their allergies so Ash quarantines them to their room. 

WC: 4659 

Warnings: bit of angst, fluff, kisses, that’s really all 

Ashton was always a good roommate, I truly couldn’t ask for anyone better. But being in quarantine brought out the affectionate side of him. At first, I thought nothing of it. It started when I had coughed out on the patio, due to the smoke that had blown in with wind. The glass door slid open and Ash raised an eyebrow at me, asking, “Is everything okay? Heard you cough.” 

I laughed quietly and gestured towards the neighbor’s firepit, chiming, “They’re having a bonfire, just got some smoke in my face.” He nodded in understanding then stretched out his water bottle to me as he offered, “You want a drink to wash the smoke away?” Thinking nothing of it, I took a sip and passed it back, watching as the smoke rose into the sky, forming clouds that complimented the midnight sky. 

Ashton waved me inside and I leaned into him, muttering, “I’m so tired. How much longer do you think we’re going to be quarantined?” He shrugged then tugged me onto the couch, curling underneath a blanket before he turned on Netflix, replying, “I dunno, hoping not long. Whatcha wanting to watch tonight?” I curled into his side and muttered, “Hell, you pick. I really don’t care.”

One of the perks of being in quarantine was that Ashton was home much more. The only time he really left the house as of right now was to get groceries. But since he was the one bringing home groceries, I was often the one in charge of putting the food away. One day I decided to bake but unfortunately, I couldn’t find sugar. 

“Yo, Ash, do we have any more sugar?” I called out, rifling through the cupboards in search of sugar to mix into my coffee. When I didn’t receive an answer, I grumbled and walked into his room, pausing when I noticed that he was on a Zoom call with the boys. I snuck behind him and formed bunny ears with my fingers, moving them. Calum grinned as he realized that Ash wasn’t alone then Luke and Michael took notice of my presence. My roommate glanced up at his own square and pursed his lips as he turned to me. 

“Need something, sweetheart?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as I dropped my bunny ears. I waved to the boys then answered, “Sugar. Do we have anymore or are we out?” He paused at the question and I let him mull over the question before he replied, “Cupboard beside the fridge behind the brown sugar, there should be a small bag of sugar cubes. I’ll put it on the list.” I nodded in understanding then kissed his cheek, saying, “You’re the best. See you guys later!” 

I grinned when I realized that his cheeks were now pink then left the room, delighted that I managed to draw a blush from my cool headed roommate before I returned to the kitchen, prepared to make cookies. By the time Ashton had ended his call, I was nearly finished with banking, content with the size and taste of my delicious creations. 

“Looks good. Mind if I have one?” he asked, gesturing down to the counter covered with cookies. I waved an inviting hand towards the baked goods and answered, “Be my guest, I’m not going to eat them all.” He grabbed and grabbed two cookies off the wax paper before gifting me with a kiss on the cheek. I ducked my head as I felt my face flush then pulled the last batch of cookies from the oven, placing them on the last bit of space on the counter. 

“Mm, these are amazing. I can’t believe how good you are at making cookies.” he praised as he finished his first cookie. I smiled at him then replied, “All you do is follow a recipe, Ash, it isn’t hard.” He ruffled my hair then chimed, “Eh, Who needs to follow recipes when you can make them for us?” 

Having such a good roommate, I was sure that I wouldn’t go stir crazy with him. But that was before the pollen came in. My allergies began to flare with the spring season and this year decided to gift me with an awful cough. The first few times, my roommate just glanced over at me with concern in his eyes but let it slide nonetheless. As my coughing became more violent, however, he decided to draw the line. In fact, the line rested at the doorway of my room. 

Ashton had shoved me inside my room with a bag of snacks then slammed the door behind me, locking it. In the moment, I remembered that I never switched my door handle to have the lock on the inside of the door then I pounded at the door and snapped, “Ashton Irwin, what the hell do you think you’re doing?! I told you, it’s just a cough, I have allergies!” 

“Sorry, kid, I can’t risk it! Just lay down, relax for a couple days, doctors recommend fourteen days actually!” he replied, clearly leaning against the door. I paced at the foot of my bed and retorted, “Oh my god, I don’t have the coronavirus, would you let me out already? This is ridiculous.” He unlocked the door and peeked his head in as he said, “Let’s make a deal. You self isolate for a week. I bring you meals and meds, do the cleaning. You can just relax, no big deal.” 

I narrowed my eyes at him and muttered, “Fine, whatever. Can I have some Benadryl?” Ashton raised an eyebrow at me then asked, “When was the last time you ate?” I began thinking back to when I last ate and apparently, I took too long to answer because Ashton chirped, “I’ll bring you something to eat, don’t move.” 

Sighing, I settled underneath my covers and turned on Netflix. Being isolated to my room would allow me time to start and possibly finish a show, which made this isolation a bit better but overall I wasn’t thrilled to do this. 

Sure enough, however,  Ash returned with a bowl of soup with an old bandana modified into a mask. I pursed my lips at him, unimpressed with the caution he was taking, then stated, “I told you, it’s just allergies. You can’t catch allergies, Ash.” 

“Sorry, sweetheart, can’t risk it. Here, it’s vegetable beef soup, nice and hearty to knock that cold. Yell for me when you’re done and I’ll bring you Benadryl.” I nodded in understanding then began eating my food after Ashton disappeared back into the living room. The soup was warm and managed to quell my cough long enough for my roommate to check back in. 

“Hey, kid, how you feelin’?”he asked, claiming the foot of my bed as I passed him my now empty bowl. I cleared my throat as I sunk deeper into my blankets then answered, “Pretty okay. My ribs hurt from coughing though.” He cradled my side and murmured, “I’m sorry, I know how that feels. You ready for some allergy meds?” I nodded and he passed me my water that was sitting beside my bed then shook a pill into the palm of my hand. 

I took the medicine and Ashton stood up before brushing the hair out of my eyeline then stated, “I’ll be back in to check on you in an hour, sweetheart. Make sure you stay propped up, ‘kay? If it is just a cough from allergies, it’ll help it drain and make it easier to cough.” I nodded in understanding then he left my room, allowing me to settle back into my Netflix binge. 

When my roommate did return, the allergy medicine had already taken effect, luring me into a delightful nap. As I woke up, I realized that Netflix was currently wondering if I was still there, which meant that I had slept longer than I intended. I began to crawl out of bed, just as my door opened, revealing Ashton holding a plate. 

“Hey; you’re awake! Only took you three hours to wake up. I’m guessing you’re hungry though.”he stated, handing me my plate. I smiled in thanks then murmured, “Starving actually. I appreciate you making me food. I really do have the best roommate a person could ask for.” Ash flushed with color and scratched the back of his neck as he chimed, “Yeah well, you’d do the same for me. Alright, I’ll leave you be, let you eat. Lemme know when you’re done so I can grab your plate.” 

I nodded in understanding and Ashton took his leave once again, desperate to stay healthy as possible. 

The first two days went smooth, with Ashton checking on me occasionally through the day, bringing me water, food, and medicine when I requested it. However, by the third day, the annoyance had set in. Isolation makes even the kindest person cranky and when your roommate actively avoids you aside from bringing you the essentials you need, it only brings out the worst of a person. 

Ashton had peeked in once again, a half an hour before he was originally “scheduled” to, just to question, “You good, bro?” I pulled a stray pillow from the pile then threatened, “Ashton, I really do appreciate you checking in on me but I swear to God, I’ll chuck a pillow at your head if you ask me if I’m good again.” He flashed that familiar smile then tipped his head at me before leaving me once again. 

But just an hour later, he gave a soft knock to my door, allowing me time to grab a pillow but as he began to slip inside and took notice of my weapon, he shouted, “Wait, I have food! Don’t fire!” I began to lower my pillow then questioned, “What kind of food?” 

“Your favorite, nice and hot. C’mon, you don’t want me to drop this!” he insisted, offering the food to me. I pursed my lips at him and asked, “Is this a peace offering for you being so overbearing?” 

“You think I’m being overbearing?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing together as he frowned. I paused  at the tone of his voice before taking a bite then answered, “Kinda? Not in a bad way, more of a big brother way.” Ashton stared down at me in silence, those hazel eyes churning with a multitude of emotions, and backed out of the room with a quiet, “Just set your bowl on your night stand.” 

I stared down at the meal he made and cursed the way that my stomach turned in protest, desperate to find out what I had said that made him turn away so quickly, but decided that I needed to eat before I began to construct possible theories behind Ashton’s sudden departure from my room. 

Unfortunately though, I didn’t get the chance to ask him that night. My allergy medicine had already taken root and I was asleep by the time that he had come in to collect my dishes and give me a fresh water bottle. 

When the morning came, I had decided to get up and walk around the house for a bit. Unfortunately Ashton was out doing errands so I was unable to ask him. I made me a bowl of cereal and settled at the dining room table in hopes that my roommate would be back soon. But alas, an hour passed and he still wasn’t home, so I resigned to my bed once again.  

Just as I cracked open the door, my phone began to ring with the FaceTime tone and my heart leaped with the possibility of it being Ashton, once for my hopes to be cracked. It was Michael, likely calling to check in. Knowing my roommate, he had told the boys what was going on. 

“Hey, Ash told me you’re sick. What’s goin’ on, you catch corona?” Mikey asked after I answered the FaceTime call. I scowled at the mention of me being sick then protested, “I do not have the fucking coronavirus, I just have allergies, so he’s isolating me.” My friend raised an eyebrow at the statement and replied, “You know he’s just doing it because he cares about you.” 

“Yeah, I know, he’s in full big brother mode but now he’s not talking to me.” I said, shifting against the mound of pillows I had constructed behind me. I could see the confliction in Michael’s eyes as he became silent, clearly debating on how he was going to respond to what I said, then he asked, “Ashton… not talking to you while you’re sick. What’d you do?” 

“I- I kind of told him that he was being overbearing in a big brother sort of way then he left and I’m pretty sure that he’s avoiding me now.” We stared at one another then Michael stated plainly, “You’re pretty dense if you haven’t figured out that Ashton doesn’t want to play the big brother role with you.” 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I demanded, sitting up. His emerald eyes narrowed at my question then he answered, venom lining his tone, “Ask him that yourself.” Almost on cue, I heard the front door open and shut, alerting me that Ashton had returned from his errands for the week. I glanced back to the call then Mikey assured me, “Just go talk to him. I’ll check on you later.” I nodded in understanding and slid out of bed before I peeked out of my room, surprised to see that Ashton had brought back takeout for lunch. 

I shut my door behind me and he glanced towards me, surprised to see that I emerged from my bedroom then he gestured towards one of the bags, murmuring, “Your food’s in that one.” My chest panged at the coldness of his gesture but still, I smiled and took the lunch he brought, chiming, “Thank you, I appreciate it.” He nodded and turned away, as if he was willing me to disappear before I stated, “Listen, I wanted to say I’m sorry. About last night, I’m sorry that I called you overbearing. I know that you’re just trying to take care of me.” 

Ashton kept his back to me for a few seconds then he turned with a bright smile across his face, assuring me, “Kid, it’s no big deal. I know I can go a little far with people who I care about. I’m sorry if I crossed a line. You should take your food and go back to your room though, I really don’t want to catch anything.” I nodded in understanding then grabbed my food before making my way back to my room, satisfied that we were back to normal. God I was fucking wrong though. 

For the next two days, Ashton actively avoided me at every turn. He brought me an unopened pack of allergy pills, both drowsy and non-drowsy, along with a small case of water to keep at the foot of my bed. Anytime he brought me food, he would simply hand it to me and walk right back out. 

Thankfully my cough was finally gone, so I emerged when I heard him play his drums, the sounds vibrating through the walls of our home. His practice room was at the far end of the house and I couldn’t help but hum along to the beat he was playing. If memory was serving me correctly, it was Thin White Lies, a song that had broken my heart the first time I was allowed to listen to it.  

I cracked open the door wide enough to slip into the room and watched as my roommate continued to drum, losing himself in the music that he had worked so hard on. His hair flopped with the beat and I couldn’t help but snicker at the sight, shaking my head. And silly me, I just happened to do so, just as he started a rest. 

I cursed under my breath when Ashton glanced up, shoulders heaving as he caught his breath then he said simply, “Sup kid.” 

“You’re avoiding me.” I pointed out simply, toying with the hem of my shirt. He blinked up at me, setting his drum sticks at his feet, then asked, “Why do you say that?” I stared at him and took a small step forward, exclaiming, “You’re not even denying it! Ashton, you’ve barely said ten words to me in the last three days! Was it because I called you overbearing?” 

He took a deep breath and claimed his water bottle from the floor then began making his way out of the room, only for me to grab his hand, insisting, “See, you’re just brushing me off! Listen, just tell me what I did wrong, I’m sorry! I’m not a damn mind reader!” He brushed me off and replied almost coldly, “You don’t need to be a mind reader to know why I’m avoiding you, kid.” 

“Dammit Ashton, just give me a straight answer, why are you pissed off at me!?” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. He sighed and glanced over his shoulder before he replied, “You called me overbearing, said I was acting like your big brother. I don’t want to be your brother. Simple as that. Now, please, just let me have a few hours to myself.” 

“That’s why you’re avoiding me? Why didn’t you just say that before, I told you I was sorry about it!” I insisted, half tempted to stomp my foot to get my point across. My roommate stared at me for a few moments then he snapped, “I’m avoiding you because I’m tired of having this same damn argument with you. So just get out of my practice room and leave me alone.” 

We glared at each other for a few seconds then I stormed out, slamming the door for good measure before stalking into my room. I paced the length (and width) of my bed before I finally got dizzy and decided to take a seat. I tapped my fingers together and laid back, staring at the swirls of my ceiling then I considered calling Michael, only to decide against it. Something told me that if I called him, it would only end in an argument much like it did with Ashton and I. 

A few hours later my stomach began to growl so I decided to go make food, quickly deciding on grilled cheese as my simple dinner. After fixing my sandwiches, I considered sitting at the table, hoping that Ashton would come out for his own food but returned to my room nonetheless. Whenever we had a fight, it would take at least a couple hours for both of us to become level headed once again, so it was better for us to stay on opposite sides of the house for now. 

I tried falling asleep after finishing my dinner but insomnia decided to make a pit stop inside my mind, driving me to watch Criminal Minds before my stomach began to growl again. I frowned at the sound and grumbled when I realized that I would need to eat before I was able to fall asleep, so I walked out of my room in search of something to eat. 

I rummaged through the cabinets, quickly eliminating anything that I had to stand and cook, then decided on a bowl of cereal to sate my hunger for the night. I grabbed a bowl and spoon then pulled the milk from the fridge after pouring my chosen cereal before completing my simple one in the morning meal. I glanced to my bedroom door then decided against taking the cereal to bed and curled up on the couch to eat while I continued to watch Criminal Minds on my phone.

I was so engorged in eating my cereal and watching the current episode of Criminal Minds that I didn’t even hear Ashton approach me until he asked, “What are you doing? It’s one in the morning.” I glanced up at his question and back down at my cereal before I answered, “I uh… I got hungry. I guess grilled cheese isn’t all that satisfying unless you have something else to eat with it.” 

“So you’re eating cereal?” I stared guiltily down at the floor then replied, “Cereal is filling, especially at one in the morning when you’re too tired to make yourself an actual meal, Ashton.” After a few more moments of silence, he claimed the space beside me and settled into the cushions, watching as the BAU chased after an unsub, then I returned to eating my food. When I finished my bowl, I set it on the small coffee table and murmured, “Mind if I lean on you?” His eyes flickered towards me in surprise and he gave a small nod, saying, “Go for it.” 

I curled into his side and he sat stiffly against me as I tried to focus on my show once again. But our argument from earlier in the week was weighing on my mind and the tugging in my chest refused to quit until I murmured, “I want to talk about our fight.” 

“I was being overbearing, you didn’t want me to be. So, I stopped. In my eyes, there’s nothing to talk about.” Ashton stated, focused on the television. I sat up and stared at him as I insisted, “I wasn’t being fair to you! You were just trying to take care of me and I was a bitch to you.” 

“You really want to talk about this at one in the morning?” he drawled, coming to a stand. I huffed and jumped to my feet, snapping, “Yes, I know it’s one in the morning, would you quit bringing that up?! You refuse to talk to me through the day, so yeah, why not the middle of the fucking night?” He tilted his head at me then asked, “Have you even considered why I don’t want to talk about this? Why Michael told you that I didn’t want to play big brother to you?” 

“Yes! I know I’m not a child, Ashton, so of course you don’t want to play big brother! You already have to do that with your actual siblings, why would you want to do that with your roommate?” I retorted, running a hand through my hair. He gave a small chuckle, void of humor, then stated, “I’m well-aware of the fact that you’re not a child. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why I didn’t want to be seen as a big brother to you. God you’re fucking blind if you really don’t know the real reason why I took care of you when you had your cold.” 

“Then call me Ray Charles because I can’t see what everyone else can apparently!” I snapped, throwing my hands into the air. He stifled a small chuckle and replied, “You’re so much more beautiful than Ray Charles is.” I paused at the compliment, not expecting that statement before the pieces of this unnecessarily difficult puzzle known as Ashton and I’s relationship began to fall into place. 

“Y-You call me sweetheart. You just called me beautiful. Oh my fucking god, you didn’t want me saying that you were acting like my older brother because you like me. You like me even though I exceed the dense meter. I’m a thousand on a one to ten scale of how blind I am to how people feel about me.” I stuttered, raising my hands to chew on my nails, only for Ashton to place a gentle hand over my fingers before they met my lips. 

“Don’t… I should’ve been more straightforward like the boys suggested me to do.”my roommate replied, shrugging. My mouth fell open then I rushed out, “How long have you been flirting with me?” 

“Probably about a year and a half? Maybe more, lads probably know the exact amount, bastards would always ask me if I made an official move on you but the answer was always the same. Didn’t seem like the right time.” I stared at the dark haired man then sunk to my knees, whining, “Oh my god, you’ve been flirting with me for the last year and a half and I never noticed. Someone take my vision away, I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve my common sense either, holy shit, I really didn’t realize that you were flirting. I thought I was just projecting my feelings onto whatever you said so I did my best to ignore it but fuck, you were actually flirting. And I blew you off.” 

“On the bright side, I won the bet that I’d admit my feelings to you during quarantine. Granted, this wasn’t exactly the scenario I was imagining, but oh well.” Ashton laughed quietly, scratching the back of his neck as he settled beside me on the floor. I pressed my face to his shoulder then groaned, muttering, “Why didn’t you say anything? I’m so blind to actual advances and you just let me continue thinking we were only roommates.” 

He cupped my face and I met his gaze, nearing sighing at the softness of his eyes before he admitted softly, “You were the best damn roommate I ever had. I didn’t want to lose you just because you knew that I had been crushing on you for the last year and you didn’t feel the same way.” I pulled him into a tight hug and mumbled, “You're going to make me cry then I’m going to be mad cause my sinuses are going to act up.” He laughed quietly and tugged me to my feet before he assured me, “I’m not trying to make you cry, I’m just being honest with you, sweetheart.” 

Ashton glanced down at me and flashed a smile, brushing my hair out of my face then he asked, “Can I have a kiss?” I smiled softly at him and replied, “Are you going to stop quarantining me in my room when my allergies flare up again?” He chuckled and cupped my face, murmuring, “I suppose it could be arranged, sweetheart.” 

“Kiss me then.”  He leaned into me and kissed me, a hand sliding into my hair as I grabbed his shoulders, sighing into the kiss. He pulled back with a grin across his face and murmured, “I’ve been waiting to do that for so long.” My eyes fluttered up then I replied, “Do it again then.” 

The next day, Ashton was once again on a call with the boys and I was on lunch making duty, since he had been so kind to make all of my meals during this last week. I knocked quietly on the door and he turned in his chair to face me, that bright smile across his face, chirping, “Oh, food! Thank you, sweetheart, you’re the best!” 

I blushed at the attention he had drawn to me and I could see Michael grin as Calum and Luke exchanged impressed glances before I quickly kissed Ash on the cheek, beginning to walk back out, only for him to grab my hand and tug me backwards, whining, “Come back, baby, I want an actual kiss.” 

I laughed at his insistence and leaned down to meet him for a kiss as he set his food on his desk. He groaned as I pulled away then waved at the boys, chiming, “See you guys soon hopefully!” They waved back in return and I bent down to whisper in Ashton’s ear, “You hurry up with your call and food and there might be a little surprise for you in your bedroom.” 

His eyes widened at the implication and bit his bottom lip before he muttered, “You’re going to be the death of me.” I let out a laugh and exited the room, shaking my head. Quarantine wasn’t so bad after all.