ashes to ashes. [ashley.]

[damien jonathan harris]

damien had planned on going to the pier just to take photographs for an art project, but after an hour of doing so, he began to feel slightly...hmm...lonely? was that the word he was looking for? he had walked around getting lovely shots of almost everything he could think of, but nothing felt good enough and damien deleted almost all of them. there was almost no one on the pier today and damien needed his muse more than anything in the world.

ashley.

she would give him a burst of inspiration and damien took out his cell phone, hoping that ashley was free. they were best friends after all, right? damien hesitated for a second, considering the fact that she might be with that...that boy. he had blocked his name out of his brain. not that he was jealous of anything...not at all. he was perfectly fine that ash was falling for some cute, talented musician...

damien's teeth grinded a bit and he quickly pushed the thought out of his mind. he just wanted to see his best friend and that was it. no strings attached. no negative thoughts. he just wanted to be with her. damien wasn't exactly good with the whole cell phone thing, but he gave it a shot anyway. normally he'd call, but if she was with the boy, he'd rather not have to hear it. he scrolled through his contacts and found ashley's name, with a little heart next to it. girls tended to do this, whenever damien handed over his phone. ashley's was the only one he kept. shh.

come hang with me at the pier? pretty please? i have cookies.

if she did show up, ashley was probably going to beat him over the head when she realised he didn't actually have any cookies available. damien hit the send button and plopped down onto the edge of the pier. waiting. the story of his life.

[ashley shaine avery]

there was absolutely nothing to do today. nothing nothing nothing nothing. not even this kid from school who had been wanting to get to know her better had called. she sighed, getting out of bed. she'd been sitting there, all day, doing nothing. she got dressed, figuring it was something to do. she pulled on some tight pants, a turqoise shirt and her hoodie, not bothering to do anything with her hair. she took out her septum ring, though, seeing that it was bothering her lately.

then her phone buzzed. damien? peers? cookies!? she was there. she practically ran to the beach, a place not too far from her house and headed to the pier, seeing the sitting-down shadow of damien. she thought she would surprise him, and grabbed him around the neck, pulling his head to her lap.

"hey damien," she said, looking down at him through a curtain of hair, brushing it out of her face, and then doing the same to his messy mop herself. "what's going on? and where are my cookies!?" she giggled a little and waited for him to say something.

[damien jonathan harris]

only a few minutes later, damien heard the sound of running coming towards him. he could just tell it was ashley and he didn't move an inch. she probably wanted to scare him. normally she would have, but damien was ahead of the game today. "oh no", damien mumbled, his head now resting on ashley's lap. "you came! thank you! i miss you." damien usually saw ashley everyday, but lately it wasn't like that. she seemed to be, well, having a life! a life that consisted of boys. boys were bad. damien was the perfect guy for ashley. he let out a sigh. forever stuck in the dreaded friend zone. it wasn't fair, but than again...life wasn't fair. one day, one day. maybe. possibly. probably not.

"i've been terribly bored trying to take some le photos. i figured you could give me some inspiration", damien said, pointing at his camera. he looked up and ashley and gave her a big, award winning smile. "play with my hair?" girls are their long fingernails. nothing was better. it was heaven. "oh...the cookies...oh right...umm. well you must understand. this big man in a clown suit came by and he threatened to eat my future babies if i didn't give him my cookies. i was going to fight him off, but he had this really scary red ballon...and he took the cookies." damien shielded his face, afraid to get smacked or pinched or something horrible like that. "but i'll buy you cotton candy! we are on the pier after all!"

[ashley shaine avery]

ashley pouted when he didn't get scared. he must have hear her. "aww, i didn't scare you," she whined, looking sad. she then quickly changed her expression to a smile, looking down at damien. "of course i did! i have no life, remember?" well, that was a lie. she'd been doing a lot of things lately--and she wasn't hanging out with damien as much. ahh. that was bad. "you know i still love you, right best friend?" she said, flicking his nose.

"inspiration? ehh, i'll try," she said, a teasing smile on her face. she ran her fingers through his hair, remembering how much he liked that. "you're like a little puppy, you know that right?" she asked him, smiling. she scratched him behind the ear jokingly and then sat him up, waiting for him to turn around. "gimme a hug quick," she said, opening her arms. she hadn't really gotten to saying hello to him--just sort of tackled him.

she narrowed her eyes. "so you don't have my cookies?" she said, looking threatening. eh whatever. but she decided to go with it. "you do know that i must kill you now, right?" she told him, pursing her lips. "so yeah, look out for that. it'll happen at any time now.."

[damien jonathan harris]

"adorable, skinny girls don't scare me, love. try against next time", damien teased. "no life? seems to me like you've been having quite the life lately", damien mumbled, a sad expression on his face. he rubbed his nose after ash had hit it and gave her a look of mock anger. "yeah, yeah. you still love me. i love you too." but to damien, i love you meant so much more than it would to ashley. he was completely in love with his best friend. and that was bad. bad damien! she was perfect, everything he could ever ask for. his muse. his best friend. she was just...well...perfect.

"oh you'll be lovely inspiration, i promise. with you in a shot, the entire shot seems to get that much better. and yes. i'm quite aware that i am like a puppy. i just love the feeling of getting my hair scratched and---"

"fine, a hug will do i suppose", damien grumbled, sad that his head scratching was no more. but a hug would be even better. damien fell into ashley's open arms and gave her the biggest hug he could muster. she felt amazing in his arms, how could she not feel the same? girls were so blind at times. or maybe she just didn't have those same feelings. "you? kill me? i'm down. at least the last person i see would be someone extremely beautiful", damien said, a smirk resting on his lips. he stood up and brushed off any traces of dust or dirt, his camera smacking against his chest. he held out a hand to ash. "off to go on an adventure then, eh? there's candy involved."

[ashley shaine avery]

ashley pouted, despite the heat in her face when he called her adorable. she tilted her head in confusion. "life? since when?" she asked, a smirk on her face as she ruffled his hair. "i'd hope so, or it might be a little awkward if only i loved you," ashley told him seriously.

"damien, i'm not that special," she said, still feeling flattered by his words either way. the way he talked to her always brought her confidance up. he thought she was perfect, for some reason. she did love damien, like a brother, and thought he was amazing himself, but she truly felt cherished around him. she would never lose him as a friend. "yes, i know. i have to do it all the time," she said with a laugh.

ashley buried his face in damien's neck, loving to give him hugs. he always held her like he would never let go, making her feel safe and secure. she stayed there for a second, not feeling like letting go. she fit perfectly against him, like her arms were made to fit around his waist and her head designed to fit in between his neck and shoulder.

she broke away after a second, smiling up at him. "i love your hugs," she told him seriously, standing up with his help. her face flushed red when he said she was was beautiful. "damien, stop it. you don't know what you're talking about," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "candy! as long as there's candy, i'm game!" she flashed him a smile, following behind him.

[damien jonathan harris]

"since...ugh...that'd be creepy if i could give you the exact date and time." damien could barely remember what he had for breakfast. the boy had the memory of a goldfish. "you--you love me?" damien said, with a mock look of awe on his face. "i--i--i am so shocked. why---why thank you!" he embraced ashley in another bone crushing hug. "my life is now complete." at ashley's next words, damien got a very rare actualserious face on. "did you just say that you aren't that special? you are perfect. end of story. i know all." he made a bunch of ending and zippering motions with his hands, as if it would convince ashley not to say anything else. "end of story." he giggled a bit, when ashley sounded like a hair slave. "you know deep down you love running your hands through my luscious hair." damien winked and tried to make his hair do the "perfect hair flip, only to fail. his hair never seemed to want to listen. it had a mind of it's own.

damien sighed when he gave ashley a normal hug, enjoying how amazing it felt for the short time that it lasted. he could hold this girl forever, really. they fit together perfectly. like a puzzle. she was peanut butter to his jelly. or was damien the peanut butter? he didn't really like peanut butter, but peanut butter is definitely a bit manlier...

"well i love you, so i guess everyone wins! and of course i know what i'm talking about. if you keep rejecting my compliments, i swear i'll---"

damien tried to think of something scary. "do something terrifying!" however, remembering that candy was to come soon, damien just mumbled something along the lines of "girls." there was a small sweet shop not too far from where they were standing. the perfect little place where you could find fresh salt water taffy and any kind of chocolate covered something you could ever dream of. "you can pick out anything you want, my treat. because you aren't special or anything."

[ashley shaine avery]

"yes, it would. so let's not," ashley told him playfully, sticking her tongue out jokingly. ashley shook her head as he hugged her, almost squishing her. "damien, you know that i love you! you're my best friend!" she told him, feeling as though she was suffocating. she tickled his sides, "let goooo! i'm suffocating....suffocatingg...!" when he finally released her, talking about how perfect she was she had to shake her head again.

"damien, just shush,

[/b]" she said, putting her hand over his mouth. "shhh, shhh, shh," she told him seriously. sticking her tongue out.

"oh of course. even though i don't know when the last time you washed it was. damien, if your hair is gross, i will disown you!" she said quickly, flailing her arms. she burst into laughter. "i'm weird."

after the hug was over ashley noticed she'd been closing her eyes, her body relaxed completely. well, that was weird. she got up after that, chuckling. "yup. we're all even." then damien attempted to be threatening, which just set ashley off laughing again. "damien, dude, i'm not threatened at all by tall lanky dudes. try again," she said, giving him a smirk. she followed behind him heading over to the small candy shop near by. candy candy candy!![/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/sub]

[damien jonathan harris]

"i better be your best friend. i know you better than you know yourself." which was almost true. damien wasn't too sure what colour underwear ashley was wearing or the exact time of her birth, but he knew pretty much everything else! they had been best friends since they were in diapers and the two had been inseparable since. damien's mom was convinced that they were going to get married some day, but he would just mutter something about "crazy" women and go into the other room, blushing like an idiot. only his mother and his cat, hannibal knew about his feelings for ashley. hannibal wouldn't tell a soul and his mother just enjoyed teasing damien greatly about it. thankfully not in front of ash.

damien grunted and mock glared at ashley, when she told him to be quite. "i shall not be silenced. but for now, you win." she usually won. usually be the key word. damien had won once or twice, but it was a rare occurrence. women! "hey, i washed it this morning thankyouverymuch." damien ran a hand through his hair, making sure that it was still human looking. it kindasortawas. ish. maybe. he wished he could be a girl at times and carry a mirror around in his pocket. maybe get a satchel like indiana jones. "you're weird? i'm perfectly normal. you weirdo. ew. i don't like weird people."

"hey, you best not be calling the dude that is going to be buying you your weight in candy, lanky! even if it's true." damien held the door open for ashely and the bell gave a little jingle as they walked inside. it was like damien had died and gone to heaven. there was a little old man behind the counter who smiled at them, but didn't ask them if they needed any help. damien liked that. "oh god do we want to start off with gummy or chocoaltey?" damien walked over to the shelves where they had all the candy lined up, that you could throw into a bag. "look ashley, chocolate turtles! look what those oompa loompas did to those poor turtles. probably snatched them right when they were leaving to head to the ocean." evil oompa loompas.

[ashley shaine avery]

as much as ashley didn't like the fact that damien was right (tehe) she knew he was. damien knew her better than anyone. she kind of liked that idea of their friendship, knowing that she could turn to him for anything in the world and he would understand. he was the best friend in the entire world. "of course damien! i wouldn't want it anyyyy other way," she said, a smile on her face. she quickly gave him another hug, a sign to show she was sincere and then continued to follow him into the candy shop.

ashley stuck her tongue out. "good, or else i'd have to burn it all off," she said teasingly, giving him a little wink. her mouth fell open. "weird!? i might just walk right away from you right now, damien harris! she put a pout on her face, pretending to walk away. take that.

but after a second she came back, following him into the shop. "oh, but i just did," she said, a coy smile on her face as she grabbed some things to eat. chocolate bars and stuff like that. "chocolatey," she said, holding up the mars bars. she rolled her eyes at that second. "damien--oompa loompas donot exist, okay? how many times have we been over this?"

[damien jonathan harris]

"that's what i like to here." damien almost melted once more, at ashley's hug. really, he needed to stop getting all warm and fuzzy when she touched him. they were best friends. not lovers. he needed to stop being a weirdo. and talking to himself in his mind. it was not healthy at all. damn emotions. damn hormones. damn ashley. damn oranges. "i'd like to see you try, midget", damien teased, poking his tongue out at her. "my hair cannot be burnt. it is resistant to the elements. oh come on, you know you are weird. i can't help it that you aren't normal, like i am. it's okay to be different, FREAK!" damien giggled to himself and beamed at ashley.

as they browsed, damien stopped and stared at ashley. "did you just...did you just say that they don't exist? why do you always have to crush my dreams?" damien looked away, as if he was truly hurt by her painful words. "i'll have you know that they do exist and i have documented proof. yeah, the real kind. photographs. they are real, like mole people and moustaches that come alive at night." damien paused and another thought popped into his head. "so sunday, you and i, we are going somewhere special. you are going to be so excited."

[ashley shaine avery]

ashley let a little smile cross her face, releasing damien from the hug. she followed him into the store, beginning to feel like, literally, a child in a candy store. there was so much to chose from. she grabbed some pixystix and some chocolate bars, a 3 musketeers and a mars bar, looking over at damien's things. "we need something cotton-candy-like," she told him, a smile on her face.

"i have to crush your dreams damien because that's my job." she flicked his nose again, something she loved doing and waited a minute before putting her things down, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. "NO OOMPA LOOMPAS, KAY? THEY'RE A MYTH, A LEGEND..." she had to stop cause she was laughing so hard and she heard someone else laughing too. turned out it was the older man behind the counter, looking at the two like they were crazy. ashley buried her face in his shoulder in embarassment.

"that didn't just happen, i didn't just shout that in the middle of a candy store," she said softly, her face burning from the heat. her body was shaking with laughter.

she was only like this with damien.

[damien jonathan harris]

damien reached up from a hanging thing from the cieling, and took down a stick of cotton candy, all wrapped up nicely. he bowed down to ashley and handed it to her. "my lady", grabbing ashley's hand and giving it a kiss. "for you, i have traveled far and wide to find this mystical cotton candy. fit for a queen." damien couldn't help but start to laugh at his terrible british accent. it was really horrible. he calmed down for a few seconds, only to have ashley yell out in the middle of the store. damien was in hysterics now, so much that tears rolled down his eyes. funniest. moment. ever. the old man behind the counter had to laugh.

"i'm--sorry...that...my...friend...is...a...bit...looney", damien choked out, through his hysterical laughter. damien patted ashley's head and let a few more chuckles escape, before he could finally breathe again. "that was the best thing i've ever seen. too bad my shitty phone doesn't have a video camera." priceless. he would have replayed it over and over and over again. "no i believe you did love, don't take it back now."

"oh and ashley, can we get a hairless cat?" now seemed like a good time to ask. "now before you go ahead and say i'm crazy, i saw this poor hairless cat in the window of the pet shop next door and i feel so bad for him. he's all lonely." damien pulled out his cellphone and showed ashley a picture.

bestiarumvocabulum.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/hairless_cat.jpg

"see, he's so sad."

[ashley shaine avery]

she took the cotton candy from his with a smile, placing in the pile next to her things, only laughing harder at damien's ridiculous excuse for an accent.

ashley clung to damien's shirt, her face having tears roll down it as she laughed, harder and harder. this was just so hilarious, she didn't know why. but even damien was having a fit. she wiped off her face, still leaning against him for support. "is he still looking?" she whispered loudly in his hair, keeping her voice low and close to his neck. she stood there, waiting for his call.

finally, after like ten minutes, everything was calm. ashley broke off from damien, not too far, though. she never did stray too far away from him--they were always together, inseperable. "a hairless cat?" that almost set of off again, making a chuckle escape her mouth. "you're crazy," she said anyway, a teasing smile on her face. she rolled her eyes jokinging, looking over at his phone.

she burst into giggles at the picture. it had to be the scaries thing on the planet (not really). "oh damien," she said, laughing harder at his words. "if it makes you happy, then fine," she said, still giggling. "fine, fine. let's go get us a hairless cat."

[damien jonathan harris]

damien glanced up at the old man, yep. he was still looking. "yes, he is. but it's not in a creepy way, he's sort of adorable." damien smiled and grabbed all of their candy and walked to the register. "i'd let you get more, but we need to save money for our hairless cat!" at this point, the man behind the counter must have thought that the two were either smoking pot or were completely insane. either way, he served them with a smile and sent the two teens on their merry little way. "i am so not the crazy one here, miss iscreaminthemiddleofcandystores." damien smirked and handed ashley her bag. "a present for you, my love." candy, candy, candy. the two were going to be so hyper later. damien wasn't too sure if ashley was actually serious about the cat thing, but he was. at least she could look at the hairless cat. damien needed to give it a home and they were giving him away for barely anything. the poor thing needed love. the damien jonathan harris way.

a few shops down on the pier, there was a shabby looking pet store. damien once again held open the door for ashley and listened to the little ping of the door. it was a small shop and it wasn't too hard to find the poor hair less cat. no one seemed to want the poor thing and the sign said that he was two years old. "ashley, how can you resist poor...poor..." what was the cat's name? it said harriet on the sign, but he needed something more suitable. "you pick the name?"