#Too Far Gone | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

leafs-lover · 1 year ago

Note

Happy birthday!

I didn’t pick a prompt but had an idea for Auston with one of his daughters? I can use something cute/ fluffy and want to see him being a girl dad😍

Daddy's Girl - A Too Far Gone One-Shot

A/N: This is very delayed, and I'm sorry about that. This is a bonus chapter set in the future, after the timeline of TFG. It can be read as a stand-alone piece.

Warnings: None - just pure fluff, maybe some minor spoilers if you haven't been following the asks?

Series Masterlist

Word Count: 2,700

Auston loves coming home from road trips. He always has. Years ago, in the start of his career, leaving wasn’t so bad because there was nothing waiting in Toronto except a cold and empty condo. The most he missed was his own bed, some of the restaurants he’d grown to love.

Now he doesn’t care about the bed but who is waiting for him in it. It is not the food being served, but the smiling faces that surround the table. So, when the plane landed at 1pm and Auston knew the house was going to be empty for a few hours, he did what any logical person would do. He dropped his bag at the door, loaded Felix into the back of his car, and set out to spring his children from school.

Only, he couldn’t break all his kids out. Taylour had a math test and Tia would scold Auston if he made him miss that (even though Taylour would appreciate it), and this would be a real scolding not the fun kind he spent days missing. Maddie was having a class party, and even though she was a huge Daddy's girl there was a small possibility she would want to stay in class and Auston didn’t want to subject himself to that kind of disappointment. Even worse, if she said yes and left early, Auston knew she’d be disappointed come tomorrow when all her friends were talking about the party she missed. Benjamin was struggling to adjust to school and make friends, he had been all year. Auston knew that as much as he wanted to see his son, it was best for him to stay put. On top of that, he largely favours Tia, he often is reluctant to join in with Auston’s shenanigans, what if today was one of those days? That left Quinn, and even though she loved daycare, she was his partner in crime, always willing to do anything he suggested.

Auston put his car into park and left it running with the heat on low. He stepped out into the crisp Toronto air then muttered a curse word under his breath. He quickly shoved his hands into his pockets and tucked his ears into the collar of his coat.

He should have brought a beanie; Tia would have made him wear a beanie.

The snow crunched under his feet as he walked through the parking lot. Before he even reached the door he could hear the room kids – excitedly screaming, laughing. For a moment Auston felt guilty, pulling her from the fun solely because he didn’t want to spend a few hours alone, but her face lit up brighter than a Christmas tree when he stepped into the room, and it reassured him it was the right decision.

“Daddy!” She squealed. Excitedly, she jumped up and down a few times, her blue Cinderella dress (the one Tia spent three nights working on instead of sleeping because Quinn kept asking when it would be finished) sways side to side. The tiara atop her honey-blonde hair caught the light the moment she took off running for Auston.

“Hi Quinnie Bear.” Auston welcomed her, immediately wrapping his arms around her small body, and placing a kiss on her temple.

“I mith you Daddy!” She kissed him back, with a wide toothy smile stretched across her face.

“I missed you too.” Auston tossed her playfully into the air, electing a shriek, then brought her in for another tight hug. “I missed you so much Quinnie!”

“How much?” She probed. Her sweet innocent voice makes his heart flutter -she, like all his kids, has that effect on him.

Keeping Quinn on his right hip, Auston stretched his left arm out as far as it can go. “This much,” he told her.

“That’s a lot.”

“Mhm.” Auston nodded and kissed her temple once again. “What are you up to?”

“Making Fwostee.”

“Making Frosty?! Can I see?”

“YES!” She immediately and enthusiastically agreed.

Auston set Quinn down and she quickly wrapped her tiny hand around two of his fingers, then tugged him toward one of the tables. They stopped at her workspace, and she released his fingers, then pointed to the chair. “Sit,” she demanded of him.

From the outside, Quinn looks nothing like her parents. Her hair is light and straight, where he and Tia have dark and curly, her eyes are hazel – sometimes looking more of a green – and again, theirs are both dark. He can look at any of her three siblings and immediately see himself or Tia in them, but when he looks to Quinn, he struggles to see any part of them. Then she puts her hand on her hip, has a sassy comment, orders him around with a sweet yet devious little grin, and Auston instantly knows that is Tia’s daughter.

So, just like with her mom, Auston does what she says. Even if that means folding himself into a tiny plastic chair where his knees are taller than the table. Even if he is worried about the structural integrity of that tiny plastic chair as it creaks and sinks with his weight because it was made for three-year-olds and not the stature of a professional hockey player, he promptly sits in the chair without so much as a hesitation.

Quinn reaches out to the desk, grabbed a mess of construction paper, then shoved it into his hand, and smiles.

“You didn’t make this.”

“Yes, I did,” she is quick to protest.

“No way! This is the best snowman I’ve ever seen!” The snowballs are misshapen and boxy, the black blob on what Auston assumes is the head, looks nothing like a hat and the “buttons” are just a bunch of scribbles. There are three eyes glued and the nose that should be carrot shaped, is misshapen, but at least orange. “This was made by a professional.”

“No Daddy,” she giggled. The sound instantly made Auston smile. She brought her face closer, and pressed her forehead against his, staring directly into his eyes, she dropped her voice to try and sound serious. “I made it.”

“You made this?” Auston held the snowman up to get a better look at it. “You, Quinn Leigh Matthews made this?”

“Mhm.” Quinn proudly nodded. “Look at the eyes.”

“I see –“

“They move!” She squealed. Grabbing the snowman, she flipped it upside down, the black pupil of the googly eye moving with her.

“I see that. This is going on the fridge tonight.”

“Yay!” She jumped into his arms, the smile on her face somehow continued to get wider.

“Do you want to stay at daycare, or want to get some hot chocolate and take Felix to the park with me?”

“I want to go wif you daddy!” Her face scrunched as she gave him her signature grin, his signature grin. One of the few physical traits she took from him.

“Okay. You get your boots and I’ll talk to your teacher.”

The conversation with Quinn’s teacher was quick, they were accustomed to Auston sneaking her from daycare early. Like every time before, they reminded him that Tia specifically said Auston wasn’t to pull her from daycare early (she knew him far too well), and just like every time before, Auston rolled his eyes said he wasn’t going to listen to Tia (even though history had taught him otherwise). Quinn’s teacher just laughed, like she did every time Auston said that, then she wished them a good afternoon, and Auston went to gather her belongings.

Auston found Quinn sitting in front of her cubby with her purple butterfly boots on the wrong feet. He knelt down in front of her, set the snowman on the bench, then tugged at the Velcro to switch the boots around. As he reached for Quinn’s coat, he felt his watch vibrate - he knew who it was, didn’t take a genius to figure it out - but of course he flipped his wrist, saw Tia’s name and the beginnings of her lecture, and laughed. What was he supposed to do? Sit at home for three hours in an empty house?

He slipped his thick, muscular arm through the straps of Quinn’s sparkly pink unicorn backpack, fisted her jacket, then scooped Quinn up. When the door opened, he felt her nuzzle into his chest, and he tightened his grip. There was no point putting her jacket on to walk twelve feet to the car, only to take it off for the car seat, but he still hated the shiver that always erupted following the temperature change.

“Felix!” Quinn shrieked when she saw his head sticking out the window. The pup let out an excited whine. Over the low hum of the engine they could hear his tail eagerly smacking against the seat. “Daddy is taking us for tweats!” She told him through the window as she scratched behind his ears.

It took a bit to get her in the car seat. Felix kept wanting to be close to her, which lead to him sitting in the car seat, licking her face, and lots of laughter. If Auston didn’t know better, he’d think Felix was the one who went eight days without seeing her.

The drive was short and Quinn had a million things to tell Auston, most of which she told him during their daily FaceTime or video updates Tia would send, but he didn’t mind. He loved listening to her excitedly ramble about everything that happened while he was gone, the highlights of her days. It was less than twenty minutes, but the only time Quinn wasn’t talking was when she was laughing because Felix had snuck in a kiss or two. Even in the drive-thru while Auston was ordering she didn’t let up for a second.

With the vehicle off, Auston opened the back door and squeezed himself in. He gently shut the door behind him to keep the heat trapped inside, then turned to Quinn. He softly brushed some hair behind her ear and let his thumb rest on her jaw while examining her face. He knows it isn’t possible, but every time he comes back from a road trip the kids look different, older somehow.

“Alright,” his voice cracks.

Smiling through the pain of being gone, he unbuckled the car seat, gave Felix a few pets, then turned his attention back to Quinn. She had jumped out of the car seat, so Auston held her coat out for her to slide her arms into the sleeves. He zipped it up, wrapped a scarf around her neck, then rummaged around her unicorn backpack for the pink sparkly beanie shoved to the bottom. “You have to wear a hat sweetie; your ears will get cold.”

“But my tiara.” A large pout formed, and her words were barely over a whisper.

“You can put it back on when we leave.” Auston offered, but the faint quiver in her lower lip told him that wouldn’t be acceptable. “What if I wear it for you at the park, then you can have it back when we’re done.”

Quinn takes a second to think it over, her lips slowly curling in the process. She nodded, then reached up and got to work positioning it on his head. “You’re a pwetty pwincess,” she said.

“Not nearly as pretty as you.” Auston pulls the toque over her ears. “You’re the prettiest princess ever.” Quinn blushes and sways gently from side to side, then gives Auston a quick kiss. “You ready, Quinnie the Pooh?”

She laughed at the nickname, like she always does. “Can I hold his leash?”

“Of course.” Auston kissed the tip of her nose.

He helped Quinn out of the car and waited for Felix to jump out to shut the door. Stacking their hot chocolates, he held them in one hand and passed Quinn the leash. Like he is with all of the kids, Felix was gentle. He didn’t pull or yank even though he wants to sprint ahead, he stayed right beside Quinn, matching his pace to hers. Auston reached over the fence and popped the latch, he waited for the two of them to step in before letting it close. He bent down and unclipped Felix’s leash, looked at Quinn, then nodded.

“Go pway Fewix!” She squealed.

The energetic pup took off and ran to a tree, then the bench, and a garbage can, carefully sniffing everyone. Quinn reached up for Auston’s hand and the two of them moved to the bench. Auston sat down first and placed his hands under her armpits, helping her up beside him, then passed her Felix’s ball which immediately caught the pups attention. He scurried over, then jumped up and down, tail rapidly wagging from side to side. And when Quinn threw it a few feet he eagerly retrieved it and dropped it on the ground at their feet.

“Good boy.” Auston told him. This time he throws the ball quite a distance, working to burn off some of his energy. “Is that good?” He chuckled at the hot chocolate moustache on his daughter's upper lip.

“Mhm.” She beamed. “It’s the best hot chocowate ever.”

Auston bent down and once again retrieved the ball, then tossed it to the other end of the park. “Sure is, princess.” After a few of his tosses, trying to tire him out, he passed the ball to Quinn. She quickly accepts and throws it, smiling, even though it only went about six feet.

Felix bit down and a loud squeak erupted through the ball. His tail excitedly wagged, and he wandered back to them, dropping it at their feet once again. Auston hands the ball to Quinn, who had set her hot chocolate on the bench, and threw it again, shorter than the time before. After the fourth throw that barely had Felix moving, Auston took the slobbery ball and launched it to the other side.

A loud, whistling wind enveloped the park, the branches creaking with every gust. A shiver erupted through Quinn’s tiny body, and she curled herself into her bright pink jacket. Auston scooped her up and tried to use his large body to shield the wind, sharing his body heat with his tiny daughter.

Felix dropped the ball at his feet and when Auston didn't immediately move to pick it up, Felix barked, then knelt his head down and rapidly wagged his tail from side to side, barking again.

“So impatient.”

Auston shook his head, smirking towards the youthful pup. He bent down and collected the ball and tossed it. “You want to go, Quinnie bear?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I like spending time wif you Daddy.”

Auston melts and tightened his grip, bringing her in as close as possible. “I like spending time with you too, Quinnie, but it’s a little cold out.” Auston said. Even though he is keeping one eye on Felix to ensure he doesn’t get into trouble, he can’t help but notice the rosiness in her cheeks and the tears clinging to the corner of her eyes.

“No, Daddy, I not cold.” She promptly replied. But like her mother, she is a terrible liar.

“Daddy is getting cold.” Auston told her, knowing the only way to make her leave would be with a small fib.

“Oh, no. Daddy okay?” She asked, then brought her tiny little hands up and cupped his ears, attempting to shelter him from the wind.

“Thanks Pumpkin.” Auston smiled sweetly at her. One of the things Auston had noticed of his youngest child was her selflessness. She was always checking in on her siblings when they were sick, and whenever he would huff or Tia would let out a frustrated sigh, she would immediately ask if they were okay. She picked up on their subtle cues, sometimes Auston thought she could sense things before they did.

“How about one more throw each, then we go home and watch a movie?”

“Tweee more.” She offered.

“Two.” Auston laughed when her entire face scrunched up before she emphatically shook her head no. She really is her mother’s daughter. “Fine,” he huffed. “Three more, but you can’t tell your mom I kept you outside in the cold.”

Her signature grin exploded on her face. “We get ice cream too.”

It’s Auston’s turn to showcase that signature grin. He can already hear Tia’s hushed whisper as she once again tells him all the reasons, he shouldn’t be pulling Quinn from daycare, does he really need to compound that by ruining her dinner? His move already has him “on thin ice” as Tia will undoubtedly tell him, one that has him dangerously close to not touching his wife that night, is it worth cementing that for a bowl of ice cream?

He glances down ready to deny his daughter's simple request, then he sees those wide hazel eyes practically glowing with hope, and sighs. There is no way he can say no to that face.

“You won’t tell your mom?”

“No.” She shook her head, the devious grin on her lips says otherwise - Quinn cannot keep a secret.

“You got yourself a deal, Quinnie-Bear.”

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leafs-lover · 11 days ago

Text

Too Far Gone - Part Fifty Seven

A/N: I was going to let this sit while I focused on the next part so there wouldn't be a huge gap in between. I also wanted to review it one more time. Then I said f*ck it. So enjoy.

A/N/N: This was supposed to be the last part but I was really struggling with what writing what comes next. Ultimately I decided to split it up, I am not sure how many more parts there will be, at least one more!

Warnings: Swearing, fluff, angst, some fighting (I think that's it)

Series Masterlist

Word Count: 6,000

Nothing was going to get Auston to stop.

Absolutely nothing.

He had Tia right on the precipice of her first orgasm, and he had every intention of getting her there.

Nothing except his mother would get him to stop. And she brought them to a screeching halt.

Being a professional athlete, Auston surprised himself by how quickly he reacted. In only a few seconds his bathing suit was above his hips, and he used the damp material to wipe his fingers clean. Pink was flaring under his cheeks, and his head dropped for a moment.

Tia felt more exposed than she ever had, and as a former stripper who had her identity broadcast around Toronto, that said a lot. She quickly hugged herself, attempting to cover up, her spine tenses and heart pounds erratically inside her chest. Her cheeks flush red and her entire body begins to tremble with a mixture of shock and embarrassment. Instinctively, Auston wraps an arm around her. Instinctively, her head lands on his shoulder.

Despite the air conditioning that floods the house, the air inside the kitchen is stifling hot. Sweat gathers on her forehead, the nape of her neck, the valley of her breasts. Her skin itches.

Auston’s lips move toward her ear, and in a soft and calming tone he whispers, “it’s okay.” He tries to reassure her with a gentle kiss to her hairline, but it only makes her heart palpitate.

She is absolutely mortified. Never in a million years did she expect them to be caught by his family, by Ema. The only person whose opinion matters more than he’ll ever admit. The one person with the ability to tear them apart without even trying. There is no way to recover from this, no going back, but there also isn’t a way to move forward. Not one that Tia can see.

But she tries not to focus on that, instead she tries to focus on Auston, his thick bicep wrapped around her torso, the way his heart rhythmically beats, his voice whispering in her ear. She tries to ignore everything and calm her emotions, but it is no use, tears that had been threatening to spill over began to trickle down her cheeks and she worries they may never stop.

“It’s okay.” Auston repeats. His thumb rubs in circles across her back, gentle, slow circles. “I promise.” Even through a whisper his voice carries so much power. “Everything will be okay.”

Tia immediately felt four sets of eyes on her. Brian was blinking rapidly, still attempting to process the shock, Ema was carefully observing everything about them. She saw the way Auston’s first instinct was to shield Tia, she heard the way he tried to reassure her. She saw the way Tia welcomed his touch and how his calming presence seemed to soothe her. An overwhelming sense of déjà vu consumes her, a pit develops deep inside her gut.

“You gotta trust me, T.” Auston speaks a little louder now.

“Yeah.” Tia chokes out with the faintest of nods.

He turns his gaze ever so slightly toward the door but never loosens his hold on Tia. “Mom, Dad, you’re early.” Auston chuckles, uncomfortably. What else can he do?

“We sent you a text,” Brian informs him.

“He was clearly busy.” Alex quirks a brow.

While Alex and Brey felt some secondhand embarrassment having caught their brother in a compromising position, neither one is surprised. The moment they found out Tia was coming to Arizona due to the lockdowns; they placed bets on how long until they ended up in the same bed. Breyana said one night. Alex, having a little more confidence in their willpower, said a week. So, as everyone else in the room tensed up, the two of them shared a look.

“Alexandria.” Brian scolds his oldest child. Ema’s eyes bulge and she slowly yet forcibly exhales, expelling all the air in her lungs at once.

“Fuck.” Tia mumbles just loud enough for Auston to hear. She still can’t believe this is happening. She keeps hoping that when she opens her eyes they will be gone, and this will have been some fever dream.

Slowly, Auston pulls away and tries to showcase Tia his signature grin, the one that aways brings her to ease, except she doesn’t even flinch. Nervously, she chews on the inside of her cheek, eyes still glossy as tears freely flow.

Auston ignores the pinched mouths and tightened stares being cast from his family and focuses all his attention on Tia. He gently tilts her chin and watches countless thoughts flicker behind her dull and lifeless eyes. Finally, because he can’t wait any longer, he places a tender yet reassuring kiss on her forehead. “I need you to trust me.”

Tia hears absolutely nothing. Her heart thumps so hard her brain rattles around; a deafening ring floods her eardrums. Auston gently soothes his thumb over her jaw. “T,” he hums, then smiles when she looks at him - that nickname always did the trick. “You good?” Tia gulps, hard. Following a very shaky exhale, her lips open and nothing more than a croaked ‘yes’ slips out.

Even though there is no weight behind her words, Auston doesn’t back down. At this point it’s somewhat out and if they try to ignore it, it will only lead to more questions. While not easy, Auston knows the best thing to do is to jump headfirst and with a little time everything will be fine. That’s why without Tia’s reassurance Auston finally looks his father in the eye and prepares to tell the truth. Only he doesn’t get the chance. The patio door is tugged open and little feet followed by the soft click of nails stampede on the hardwood. “Auntie Bree! Auntie Alex!” He excitedly squeals. “You want to see my puppy?”

“Of course we do!” Breyana turns and is quickly welcoming Taylour’s hug. “What’s your puppies name?”

“Felix! His name is Felix, and he knows tricks!” Taylour explains as he squeezes his arms as tight as they can around her neck.

Auston’s face crinkles and he lets out a chuckle.

“A trick? Can I see?” Alex probes, gaining a quick nod from Taylour.

“Yes! I need tweats first!” Taylour explains.

Noting the distraction Taylour and Felix have caused, Tia slips off the counter. “I’m gonna go…” her voice is barely over a whisper as she attempts to step out unnoticed.

Only a few seconds had passed when Auston found her, but it was more than enough time for her to completely unravel. She looked defeated, broken, crushed into a million pieces. Her hands were bound tightly into a fist, so tight Auston could see her knuckles turning white as she manically paced by the front door.

He sighed, heavily, all he wanted was to engulf her in a hug and make it all better. “Hey babe.” Tia jumps as his 6’4” presence somehow sneaks up on her. He gently grips her waist, and she just collapses against him. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

She doesn’t answer. Instead, she fidgets, clicks her nails together and the edge of her chapped lips twitch. She tries to convince herself she doesn’t care because the alternative threatens to consume her.

“They were going to find out eventually.”

Tia scoffs. She isn’t naïve, of course they were going to tell his family…at some point in the future. She was going to talk to Heidi about it, a lot. She was going to prepare herself mentally and emotionally for what may come. She had a plan of what was to come and now everything had completely unraveled.

“You saw the way she looked at us, right?” While she said us, Auston knew she was thinking me. “The disappointment that you’re fucking me again.”

“I think if you give her a chance…explain this is more than a quick fuck on the kitchen counter –“

Tia is quick to shake her head. “It won’t matter. I saw the look, the ‘my son is fucking an ex-stripper’ look plastered all over her face. She’s never going to get over it, not that I blame her. Your dad…you could practically see the vein bursting from his neck. Your sisters are the only ones who will be happy for us, but they won’t be able to show it, they’ll be awkwardly thrust in the middle. They’ll be like kids with divorced parents being shuttled around for holidays.” Tia knew she was word-vomiting now. She couldn’t help herself, the life she had planned for them was slowly slipping away. “You’ll say its fine, that if they can’t accept it, you don’t want them in your life but not having them will wear on you. It’s going to drive a wedge; I am going to be the wedge.”

While Auston listened to everything she said he couldn’t process a single thing after the words ex-stripper fell from her lips. He knew she had work to do to see herself in the way he did, that years of being told she was less than a human being had worn her down. He also thought she had been making progress, that he was helping, Heidi was helping, but when he heard the revulsion in her words, he realized just how far she had left to go.

“What is this ex-stripper bullshit?” His tone is scathing and unlike anything Tia has ever heard before. “You did what had to be done to raise our son. Own that shit and be proud of it. I am.”

It gets quiet but only for a moment. When Tia finally speaks her words are strained, as if being honest with him physically pains her. “What if she can’t get past it?”

“What if you gave her a chance?”

Tia hates the defensiveness coming from her boyfriend. She doesn’t need someone to lie and tell her it will be okay, she doesn’t need reason, she needs someone to be on her side and let her vent.

“What if she can’t get past it?”

“Does being a hockey player define me?” Auston asks, running a hand down his face. “Does it?” He quickly repeats when she doesn’t immediately respond.

“No.” She rolls her eyes.

“Then being a stripper doesn’t define you. Stop letting it.”

“Aus –“ Her voice fractures and she is unable to stop the tears that form in her eyes. “What if it’s too much for her?”

Auston tugs her hair and slowly tilts her chin up. He is quick to swipe at the stray tears that cling to her lashes. “That would be her issue, not ours.”

“Auston.” She cautions, then trails off for a second, unable to say what she is truly thinking out of fear it could come true.

“If you try babe, give them a chance and they can’t get past it, I will 100% be in your corner. But you have to remember she loved you back in Zurich, used to say you were the best thing to happen to me.” Auston leans down and places a soft kiss on the bridge of her nose. “She was right too.”

“I’m not the same person I was then.”

“No, you’re not.” Auston sighs, then sets his chin on her forehead and wraps his arms around her, trying to hold her as tight as possible. “You’re so much better.”

Auston doesn’t say anything else. He doesn’t have to. He could tell she was deep in thought. He felt her body shake and hands tremble, her breathing was uneasy, and her brows would randomly furrow against his chest. As time went on, her breathing began to settle, chest rising and falling along with his. She finally pulled back and looked up at him and Auston could see the look in her eyes. She had something to say, she was close to saying it, but she wasn’t going to.

“Okay,” she whispers.

Auston leans down to give her a soft kiss. “Okay.” He repeats, finally letting himself smile. “I love you, T.”

“I love you, Auston.” She lets him kiss her again, but this time leans into him, welcoming the warmth that radiates through.

“Does this mean I can introduce my girlfriend to my family?” He wonders with a sheepish grin.

Her stomach is in knots, but she musters up half a smile, then nods. “I need some clothes.”

Auston eases his grip then moves to the bench by the front door. Hanging on a rack is his black Givenchy sweater left a few days ago. He hands it to her, but, for the first time since they met, she hesitates to accept his clothes. As if wearing something that is his will leave her more exposed.

“Come on.” He chuckles, pushing the sweater over her head. “When it’s over we will curl up on the couch with our boys, and you,” he playfully bops her nose, “can pick dinner.”

Tia couldn’t remember the last time she felt that stiff. Maybe it was when that tiny plus sign appeared in front of her. Maybe it was her first shift at the Brass Rail when the bright lights drowned her out, maybe it was the day Auston opened the door to her best friend’s apartment. But as they walked down the hall hand in hand, Tia felt like a passenger in her own body. She was silently screaming at herself to get out, run fast and far, if only she could listen.

Auston stops a few feet away and Tia tucks herself at his side, wishing she would fade away. Fred and Trevor had ventured back inside, oblivious of the situation that had unfolded. Alex and Breyana were crouched on the floor, scratching and loving Felix, letting Taylour excitedly chatter about how they were already best friends and all the things he was going to teach him to do. Brian’s arms were crossed over his chest as he spoke to Ema in a hushed tone. Ema had yet to say a word, too disgusted to even consider opening her mouth. But she wasn’t disgusted by what she saw, it was all the things she had been missing.

“Mom, Dad.” Auston draws everyone’s focus except Taylour’s - nothing was going to pull him away from Felix. “I uh...I want to introduce you to my girlfriend.” He peers down at Tia and immediately smiles. “You might remember her from five years ago…but we’re dating again.” Auston chuckles briefly when Alex lets out an excited eep. “We have been for the last two months, and we’re really happy.”

The words hang in the air for a minute, six sets of eyes stare back at them. But Tia doesn’t notice the way Fred quirked his brow or how Trevor was relieved this was in the open. The only person Tia focuses on is Ema, poor disappointed Ema.

Auston knows the last thing he should do in this situation is kiss Tia. She is still flooded with embarrassment, shame, confusion, and a million other things she has yet to tell him. But with the weight lifted off his shoulders, he doesn’t even think about it, kissing her comes so naturally to him.

“Daddy can kiss Mommy ‘cause she is his…she’s his girlfriend.” Taylour casually explains to everyone.

“It’s about damn time!” Alex shrieks. She practically shoves Auston out of the way and wraps her arms tightly around Tia. “Can we have a girl’s night tonight?” Alex pulls away, beaming from ear to ear.

“She’s my girlfriend,” Auston quickly protests.

“Oh, shut up!” Alex gives Auston a look, one that makes him roll his eyes. “We’re having a sleepover.”

“Face masks, really cheesy romance movies –“ Brey forces herself into their hug.

“You can tell us all the non-disgusting details.” That only makes Tia’s cheeks heat up more.

“We’re having dinner on the roof.” Auston is almost shocked, but not entirely. His sisters always loved her.

Taylour opens the cupboard and shoves his hand inside the ceramic cookie jar and grabs a handful of treats. “I have dinner with you Daddy,” Taylour offers.

“Boys night?” Auston grins.

“Mhm.” He opens his palm and lets Felix take the treats. “You come too,” he sweetly tells the pup.

“Oh! We’re gonna need pizza, popcorn and candy - KitKats, M&Ms, Mike and Ikes,” Alex lists off to Auston.

“I want pizza!” Taylour pops his head up, golden brown eyes glowing with excitement.

“Of course, you can have some!” Breyana tells him. Taylour quickly scrambles to his feet with Felix in his arms and runs over to his aunts.

“What about our boys’ night?” Hurt comes through in Auston’s question.

“I want pizza and candy with Mommy and my aunties.” Taylour informs him.

Tia knows she shouldn’t walk away from Auston’s parents. She promised Auston she’d try, and walking away shows an unwillingness on her end. The last thing she wants is to give them another reason to disapprove of their relationship, but when Alex tugs her wrist and drags her down the hall, there is nothing to hold her back, at this point she could float away.

As footsteps are heard on the stairs, Fred and Trevor slip back outside. While they don’t know exactly what happened, they knew long before his admission that something was going on.

“We brought the crate.” Brian blurts out, trying to avoid silence.

“That’s great, thanks.” Auston awkwardly cards his hand through his damp locks.

The air that follows is thick, suffocating. Ema looks physically uncomfortable, shaken deep to her core. Auston wants nothing more than to reach out and comfort her, he doesn’t know if it’s his place.

“You’re happy, Mija?” Ema probes, catching Auston completely off-guard.

“Yeah.” His head tilts and lips part. “So happy. I got my girl back.”

Auston’s parents didn’t have anymore questions, not even a comment. Brian and Auston gathered the dog supplies they brought for Felix, the superhero shirts Ema bought for Taylour – she always had something for him. They didn’t linger, nor did they venture to say goodbye to Taylour. They just left. The hug from his mother was hollow, broken, filling him with dread for what was to come.

He went out and picked up the pizza for the girls, then stopped at 7/11 for drinks and candy. He spent the night with Fred and Trevor. They had a few beers by the pool, nobody talked about what happened.

It was after midnight when Auston ventured into his bedroom. Tia, Taylour and his sisters were occupying the king-sized bed, sleeping peacefully with Felix curled at their feet. He tried to be as quiet as possible while navigating the darkness, grabbing a shirt, toothbrush, and charger. Once he had everything set up in the spare room – because he had been exiled from his own – Auston scooped up Felix and took him outside one more time. It took a moment for the young pup to wake up, and even then, he barely did, struggling with heavy eyes to stand upright. After Auston rewarded the dog for using the bathroom – something that did capture his attention - he took the dog to the crate and placed him inside.

With the spare room being at the top of the stairs, Auston heard Felix whine on and off, but that wasn’t what kept him up. Nor was it the fact that the bed was cold and empty. It was the text his father sent shortly after leaving that had his brain swirling.

Dad: Bring Tia for dinner tomorrow. The four of us have lots to discuss.

It easily took him two hours to fall asleep, and even then, he never fell into a deep sleep. Constantly tossing and turning, in and out of consciousness, twice he ventured downstairs for water. He considered forcing his sisters from his bed, he contemplated trying Taylour’s, but he had a feeling there were Legos or toy dinosaurs buried within the sheets. It was one of the worst sleeps he had in a while, and just when he finally began to doze off the bedside lamp was aggressively flipped on. He winces at the intrusion and buries his face into the pillow then feels a hand on his back, frantically shaking him.

“Auston!” There is panic in Tia’s voice. “Auston get up! It’s Taylour…” She throws the duvet off his legs and shakes him again. “He’s gone…he’s not in our bed; he’s not in his bed. I don’t know where he is!”

“What the fuck.” He mutters, arms stretching under the pillow.

“GET UP!” She shakes him again; anger comes through at his lack of urgency. “AUSTON!”

He rolls onto his side and reaches for his phone. With a dramatic sigh and one eye closed, he fumbles to unlock the device.

“What are you doing?! Taylour is missing!”

“Relax.” He sleepily grumbles and hands his phone over.

The tremble in her hand remains as she grabs the phone. Looking at the picture she slowly slides to the edge of the bed. “He’s in the crate?” She shrieks through some tears. “Did –“ She pauses to zoom in and get a better look, then continues, “did you latch the crate with him inside?”

“No.” Auston’s arms wrap around her waist and pulls her down to the mattress. Not willing to spend another second without her, he throws a thigh over her legs. “Found them like that. He must have locked himself inside.”

“What?” She laughs again. “We can’t leave him down there.”

“Have you met our son? He’s not leaving.”

“We can’t be the parents whose kid sleeps in a dog cage. We have to –“

“Tia!” Auston frustratedly groans. “He’s excited about the puppy, it’s fine for one night.”

Tia grabs at his bicep and tries to wiggle her way out, but it’s no use. Auston has the lamp off and is practically using his body as a weighted blanket, trapping her beneath him “We’ll get one of those…”he trails off as a long yawn tumbles from his lips. “One of those pens, he can put his mattress in there, it’ll be fine for a month or two, until Felix can jump over it.” His eyes are shut, and words slow as he settles in.

“That doesn’t solve anything.” Tia argues. In fact, letting Taylour move his mattress inside the puppy pen only enhances the problem.

“We’re not solving anything at 5 am.” He informs her. Auston shuffles closer and lets his head nestle into the crook of her neck. His breathing slows and becomes steady, she can feel every exhale against her clammy skin.

“How are you doing?” His voice is hoarse. “Yesterday was nothing like you thought it would be.”

“I’m not in shock anymore.” Tia pauses thinking over her next word. “I guess I’m scared of what will happen.” Scared is one of the ten or so emotions Tia is grappling with. It’s also one of the few she can say without needing further explanation. It’s not the time for further explanations.

“Understandable.” Auston murmurs. “You have a call with Heidi today, right?”

“Yeah, 10:30.”

“M’kay. Let me know if you need anything.”

Not long after, Tia felt his body relax and she knew he was sleeping. She put one hand on his, her other ran gently up and down his spine. She wished she would fall asleep, but as much as she needed it, she knew sleep wouldn’t come easy to her.

She found herself on her back, Auston was using her chest as a pillow and had one arm tucked underneath the sheets. His dark hair was everywhere, stuck to the pillow and covering his eyes. He was deep in sleep, heavy snores escaping with every inhale. Unsurprisingly, when she found her way out from under Auston, Taylour was giggling from downstairs.

She ventured toward her son, and before she even made it down the stairs she was smiling. She knew Taylour was inside Felix’s crate, but those soft giggles as he scratched behind Felix’s ears warmed her heart.

“What are you doing?” Tia crouches down beside the crate. “You have a bed upstairs.”

“He was lonely.” Taylour shrugs somewhat absentmindedly, his attention locked on Felix.

“Was he lonely, or did you miss him?”

“Yeah.” Taylour giggles again.

Tia unlatches the crate and the door swings open. “Lets get him outside to pee, then you can get his breakfast.”

“Okay, Mommy.” She reaches in and scoops Felix out of his arms, then waits while Taylour squirms his way out of the crate. Once outside, they meandered over to the patio and Tia sets Felix on the grass. He immediately starts running. Sprinting laps around the pool, under the loungers, tripping over his feet, doing somersaults.

“He’s so fast.” Taylour giggles, trying to keep up.

“He has the zoomies,” Tia explains to him.

“The zoomies?”

“Yeah. Sometimes dogs have a burst of energy or get really excited and they just run, really fast, all over the place. When he’s bigger he might jump on couches, or beds, spin in circles, or grab a toy. Dogs just get a little crazy for a couple minutes sometimes and it’s called the zoomies.”

Taylour jostles left and right, engaging with the dog, trying to fake him out. “I have the zoomies too.”

“Trust me,” Tia shakes her head, “I know.”

Taylour and Felix ran and played for a few minutes. Tia kept reminding Taylour not to run near the pool, which earned her a grumble because Felix was running by the pool. Tia took no less than twenty pictures, and multiple videos. She sent snapchats to everyone back in Toronto, Auston, Mitch, Fred, Alex, Trevor, and Breyana . Anyone she could think of.

“Breakfast time?” Tia asks after Felix flops on the grass with his tongue dangling out the side.

“Yes!”

Once inside, Tia pulled Taylour’s step stool over to the sink and he retrieved Felix’s water bowl. He climbed to the top, turned on the sink, waited for the cold water then held the bowl underneath. Once full, Tia turned off the tap. She held the full bowl as he retreated down the steps, then returned it to Taylour to place it on the mat. He collected the second bowl and brought it over to the pantry where the dog food was being stored.

“Can I watch Paw Patrol?” Taylour questions once Felix was eating.

“Of course.” The two of them walk to the living room and she gets the TV set up for him. “Do you want waffles or French toast for breakfast?”

His entire face glows. “Waffles.”

Tia returned to the kitchen to make breakfast, but first she needed coffee. While the smell of hazelnuts began to fill the kitchen, she started finding the ingredients. She knew that making waffles for seven people – three of which are professional athletes – would be a lot of work, which is why she decided to add some hashbrowns, bacon, eggs, and a few other items.

Fred was next to wake. He joined Tia at the island and they drank their coffees together. Then came Trevor, and shortly after Auston’s sisters. A second pot was brewing, and the kitchen was getting louder and louder. Once everyone drank their coffee, they all picked a task and set out to get breakfast ready. Tia started measuring everything into a bowl and whisking it together. As the waffle iron began to heat up, she gathered the various berries, bananas, pineapples, and kiwi then washed them in the sink. Trevor started on bacon – pork and turkey in one pan and had homemade hashbrowns cooking in another. Alex opted to do the scrambled eggs, Fred set the table and said he would handle the toast – the lowest responsibility items as he called it. And Breyana was summoned to the living room by Taylour and spent her morning discussing why Marshal is clearly the best Paw Patrol member.

Auston wasn’t sure if it was the smell of hazelnuts or the overlapping chatter that woke him, but when he ventured downstairs, everyone was awake and breakfast was almost ready. He stopped in the living room and found Felix, fast asleep on Taylour’s lap. He gave the small pup a few scratches, then placed a kiss on Taylour’s forehead.

“Morning.”

“Good morning.” Tia closes the lid to the waffle iron, then turns to properly address Auston. Since she last saw him, he found a t-shirt but didn’t bother to find a comb, his bedhead proudly on display.

“How are you?” He kisses her.

“I’m okay.” Tia admits. “What about you?”

“Tired.” She could tell by the sleep crusted to the corners of his eyes. “Next time you have a sleepover, you guys get the guest bed.”

Tia ponders it for a moment, then smiles. “We’ll see.”

Auston huffs in disappointment. “Can I do anything?”

“I just have to cut the fruit.” She tells him, placing a chaste kiss to the edge of his lips. “Why don’t you get some coffee.”

Auston smiles, and returns her kiss with one of his own, then moves over to the cutting board. “You hate cutting pineapple.”

When everything was ready and everyone gathered around the table, Taylour made sure to claim the seat beside Breyana. Tia put a little bit of everything on a plate for him. She cut the food into small, bite-sized pieces. Auston grabbed the ketchup and syrup and poured some on the side of the plate so Taylour could dip his food. Slowly, more bodies began to fill the seats around the table.

“So,” Alex starts, cutting a piece off her waffle, “You waited two months to tell us?”

His sisters already discussed their displeasure over being kept in the dark with Tia. Clearly her explanation wasn’t suitable.

“We weren’t really telling people,” Auston shrugs, shoving some eggs into his mouth.

“We’re not people.” Breyana says teasingly as she gave him a look.

“Besides, they knew,” Alex motions to Fred and Trevor. “Shouldn’t your own sisters have been told.”

“They’re together because of me.” Fred proudly puffs his chest with a snort. “I think that earned me the right to know.”

“It was me.” Tia pipes up, repeating what she told them last night. “I wanted it to stay quiet.”

Everyone knows there is more to it than that. Tia had no issue letting everyone in Toronto know. She didn’t want it to be quiet, she wanted it to be kept quiet from Auston’s parents.

“Auntie Alex, do you want to swim with me after breakfast?” Taylour interrupts everyone. “We have a basketball net.”

“I love basketball.” They smile at each other.

“Can you two stay again tonight?” Auston asks as he grabs at a strawberry and tosses it in his mouth. “In a spare room.” He is quick to clarify. One night away from Tia was more than enough.

“Of course.” “Sure.” The two girls beam back, never ones to turn down an opportunity to spend time with Taylour.

“Are we going somewhere?” Tia probes. She brings up a napkin and wipes at the edge of her mouth.

“Uhhhh, yeah.” Auston shuffles in his chair ever so slightly, just enough for Tia to catch the shift in behaviour. He drops his head and scoops some eggs onto a piece of toast, doing his best to avoid the stares. After he swallows and takes a sip of water, he speaks in a soft tone. “My parents invited us for dinner.”

“Your parents?” Tia repeats, blinking widely.

“Yeah…they text me after they left last night.”

“Right.” Tia clicks her jaw and lets her nose scrunch.

She knew there would be a conversation with the Matthews in the future. She just thought it was a distant future, one where dust had settled.

“That’s okay, right?”

Tia hates the way he posed that. And that he did it in front of everyone, with no way for her to say no.

“Yeah. Of course.”

When breakfast was over, Tia began to clean the dishes. Alex and Brey changed into their bathing suits and Auston helped Taylour into his, then coated him in a layer of sunscreen. He gathered some towels and left them on the patio, then went back inside to see Tia, who was finally alone.

“Hey.” Auston comes up behind her. He grabs the plate in her hand and sets in in the sink, then wraps his arms around her center. His head nestles into the crook of her neck and he places a kiss to her collarbone, immediately noticing the way her body tenses under his touch. “What’s going on?”

“How could you do that?” She didn’t intend for her tone to be as sharp as it was, but it’s all that came out.

“They are my parents.” Auston retorts.

“I know that. And I know that means we will need to talk to them, but does it have to be today?”

“If not today, then when? Next week? Next month? Six months from now?” The question doesn’t irritate her, it’s the way he asks it that slowly has her blood boiling.

“I don’t know.” Tia snaps back.

“Why's that?" His brows furrow and he let out a forceful breath.

There is a moment of silence. When she finally looks at him, she shrugs. Tia knows she is being selfish, not considering him and his feelings in this scenario, but after everything, hasn’t she earned the right to be a little selfish?

“Explain this to me, Tia!” Auston bites, his tone slowly becoming sharp. His hands fall and he moves to create much-needed space. Normally she’d hate to be away from him but at this moment she can’t be far enough. “Explain to me how everyone including your father is allowed to know but my parents can’t?”

“Did you stop and think for one second how this is impacting me?”

“Did you consider how not telling my family would impact me?” He yells, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “How I am madly in love with this amazing woman, and I can’t share that with some of the most important people in my life. All I’ve been wanting to do is tell my mom about my girlfriend and you have no idea how much my heart breaks every time you scurry up to your office when their car pulls into the driveway.” He opened the floodgates and was releasing everything he’d been holding onto for weeks. “This would have been so much easier if we just had a conversation with them. It never would have turned into all this if we just talked to them.””

Once again, Tia doesn’t say anything. She aches for him and wants to reach out and comfort him, but something is holding her back.

Auston’s head falls into a shake. “It shouldn’t be this hard, T. I love you. But –“ Tia immediately gulps at that, nothing good can come next. “I can’t be with someone who isn’t willing to try.”

Tia closed her eyes and made sure to breathe in then out, as slow and steady as she could manage. When she finally mustered the strength to open them, she stared up at him, his normally warm and golden eyes were now cold and volatile.

She stifles a sniffle and swats away the tears that have yet to fall. “I have my appointment with Heidi.”

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