New Year, Same Us - Auston Matthews

ten

April 14, 2019 : Epilogue

"Babe?" Auston yelled from our room.
"What?" I popped the toast out of the toaster and mashed up some avocado on top, doing so with a little pep in my step. It just felt like a good morning. It was decently early, and the open concept windows of our apartment helped me wake up a little better as I put on my favorite playlist. The giddy smile that hadn't left my face since we got together was still on full display.
"Come backkkk." He whined. I was almost like I could picture him plopping down onto messy white sheets and groaning in annoyance- oh wait I can actually hear that.
"No you come here!" I smile knowing that he will. He can't say no, so I wait. There was a pause and then I hear the padding of his feet as he comes into the kitchen where I'm making breakfast. His t-shirt falls to my mid thigh but rises up higher as he wraps his arms around my waist from behind. He nuzzled his face into my neck and I squirm a little as it tickles, especially with his scruff of a mustache.
"Good morning." He plants kisses across the exposed skin on my collar bone as I turn to face him, properly greeting my boyfriend.
I kissed his lips, lingering a little before replying, "glad to see you're up."
"Yeah well we both could've been back in bed just saying." He playfully shrugs and I laugh, "your loss." He goes to the fridge pulling out some orange juice as he pours us a glass and I make some scrambled eggs. It was peaceful, being with him like this. Things weren't really all that different, except now we got to kiss each other and sleep in the same bed.
"I'm not really missing out." I joke.
"Oh really?" He smirked, sitting down at the island and I could already sense the competitive nature coming out in him as I finished making breakfast.
"What?" I grinned.
"Get over here and I'll show you what you're missing."
"Bring it on Matthews." I sauntered over to him, teasing him as he placed his hands on my hips and looked up at me, "go ahead, show me what I'm missing."
He yanked me down into his lap and I yelped as he peppered light kisses all over my face and neck while simultaneously tickling my waist. I giggled and leaned away, "stop!" I laugh, "seriously stop before we topple over- eek!" The bar stools were anything but steady as we swayed over it. "You secretly love it." he said as we caught our breaths. And I did, secretly love this, the lazy mornings with him, but I wasn't about to tell him that. I only smiled as I went to grab the eggs and toast I made before he interrupted the productive groove I was in.
I set our plates down but before I took a bite I gave him one last kiss, just because I could. And it's so good, so sweet, so right, I'm still not used to it. The butterflies were alight in my stomach as I pull away and sit down before he looks at me funny.
"What?" I asked finally taking a bite of my avo toast.
"I can't believe you're mine."
"Don't be cheesy Aus." But the blush on my face probably gives me away. And maybe the slight smile too.
He sticks his tongue out at me and I laugh at his childish nature. "I love you."
"Love you too." I stick my tongue out too.
He hums in acknowledgement, and kisses me on the cheek this time before muttering a "thanks for breakfast" and digging in.

-

It was weird at first, to say the least. When Mitch invited a couple of us to have a bonfire at his parents house I really didn't know what to expect. It wasn't at least half the team and their significant others that's for sure.
The fire was blazing as I zipped up my coat, going to find Auston in one of those adirondack chairs talking to Freddie in an identical one next to him. He smiled as I walked up and sat down in his lap facing Freddie. Freddie just grinned and I could feel Aus looking at me and whatever they were talking about before I got there seemed to cease.
"What?" I looked at him and he was already smiling, his gaze glancing down to my lips. "Nothing." He leaned in and gave me a sweet peck.
"I always knew you guys would end up together." Freddie stated. He let a little half smile grace his features.
"You did? Cause I didn't." I grinned. Auston swatted my hand lightly and then let his hand rest on my upper thigh.
"You two were so obvious before you both even realized that you had feelings for each other. I'm just glad you put yourselves out of your misery." He gave the two of us a side smile, "or at least everyone else out of theirs." We both had a chuckle at that.
"It wasn't that obvious." I tried playing it off but apparently Kappy caught wind of our conversation as he was passing and decided to invite himself in. "Yes it was."
"Kap!" I whined, turning my mouth into a pout.
"Oh you weren't too crazy." He leaned up against Fred's chair and gave Auston a little point, "I was talking about him."
"Oh shut it." He laughed and wrapped my arms around him and hugged him to me tighter. "You had a wittle crush?" I taunted, laughing as he tried to shake his head no and Kappy and Freddie were shaking theirs violently yes.
"(Y/N/N) the last month before New Years was the worst! He was all, 'I wonder what (Y/N) will think about my outfit, I wonder what she'll think of my goal, I should call her, when is she gonna call me?' Blah blah blah." Kap rolled his eyes and I looked at Auston to see his face was a little flushed.
"Alright detective we get the picture."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna go find some stuff to make s'mores."
"Kappy wait!" I called and he turned around raising a brow. "What was that bet you and Willy made at the bar that one time? Christmas I think?"
He laughed and gave me a little 'tsk' , "I told you (Y/N/N)!" He crosses his heart and my eyes were already rolling, "I know, I know!" And we simultaneously said "leafs honor."
Auston looked at me confused but I just patted him on the shoulder, "I know as much as you do dude." And he snorted at that.
"It's cute ya know." I continued, running my fingers through his hair, twirling the ends, "That you care that much. I never knew these things so it's nice to hear." An easy smile fell on my lips as those brown eyes looked into mine.
He leaned in and gave me another kiss on the lips, and just as I was about to pull away he pulled me back tighter and I smiled against his lips. "Get a room you too!" Mitch yelled.
"Are you sure it's okay in your parents house?" Auston chirped back and I burst into a fit of giggles along with everyone else at the look on Mitch's face.
"You wouldn't."
"Your childhood bedroom have a lock on it?" He smirked and elbowed him maybe a little too hard on that one. "Auston!" Although the laughter ricocheted around the backyard.
"Baby ow!"
"That didn't hurt, and that's weird!!"
"I'm only teasing." But the smirk was there all the same.
"Sure you are." Steph laughed.

It was nice having everyone gathered so close. It felt like a home away from home, but I knew I had already found mine long before we came to Toronto. It took forever but the build ended up being worth it in the end. No matter where we go, or how far along we get on our journey, we're always going to be the same  us.