Status: Completed
Protect Me
Epilogue
Austin and Alan lived happily ever after. Austin's dad was right and Austin proposed at Graduation in front of everyone. But before that, Austin always protected Alan from the bullies and jerks. And after a while, people caught on that Alan was protected.
They currently live together and they did get Jesse to photograph their wedding. They have all the pictures in a wedding album that Alan designed. They also got the cat Alan always wanted, Sophie.
They lived in a small, little house that Alan picked out. It was one story and had two bedrooms, a bathroom, living room, and kitchen. They had a small table for eating with three chairs. They had some pictures of them together on the wall, a picture of Kellin and Vic who lived next door and got married a year after they did.
Alan was currently in the living room on the couch. He had a book in hand and his legs were tucked to his side. He cooed at the book in hand and smiled when the couple kissed. He was in his own little bubble with the monitor on the table beside him that he jumped when the door was slammed open.
He tensed and listened to the monitor carefully. For a while, he stays silent and then he breathes a sigh of relief. He was still sleeping. Alan gets up and walks to the front door and sees his husband standing angrily at the door.
"Aust," Alan begins, walking towards him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Alan," Austin snapped and Alan frowned. Austin never called him by his name, it was either Princess, Love, Kitten, or Ally. Never Alan unless he was being serious and telling Alan he loved him.
Alan walked closer and placed a hand gently on Austin's cheek. "Aust, please tell me what's wrong." And Austin pushed Alan's hand away, albeit gently, but it hurt Alan. "Alan, please, just shut up. I need peace and quiet."
Alan nods quietly. "Okay, I'm here for when you're ready to talk." He then turns to walk away, but an angry voice holds him back. "Jesus Christ, Alan, I don't need to talk. I won't need to talk."
Alan jumps, Austin never shouted at him. "I-I'm sorry. I just - "
"Alan, just shut up. Shut up." He had gotten closer to Alan and his hand was raised. Alan's eyes widen in fear before he clenched them shut and waited for the impact. But it never came. He slowly opened his eyes and stared at Austin who had lowered his hand. He held a look of shame.
"Au-Aust?"
"I'm sorry, Alan, I'm so sorry," he brings his head to Alan's shoulder and cries. Alan whimpered and hugged Austin. Austin never cried. Alan's never seen Austin cry. "What's wrong, Austin?"
Austin pulls back and leads Alan to their bedroom. He made sure to grab the monitor. He sits at the edge of the bed and made sure to keep some distance between them. "Today at work, this jackass at work. He apparently knew us from high school. He used to bully you." He raises his head and stares at Alan. Alan's eyes held concern.
"Anyway, he told me you were only with me out of fear. He said you stayed because you were scared that if you left, I'd hurt you. And I guess I proved that when you flinched at my raised hand." Austin sighed and he began crying again.
Alan got up immediately and went in between Austin's legs. "Austin, I-I'm not with you out of fear."
"You flinched, Alan! You are scared of me."
"No, Austin. I'm not scared of you. I was bullied and beat up most of my life. I'm scared of getting hurt, but I'm not scared of you. Austin, I love you. I love you and I have no reason not to. You've never hurt me, never broke my trust. What is there to be afraid of? You promised to never hurt me and you haven't. I love you."
Austin smiled through his tear and connected his lips to Alan's. "I love you more, princess." And Alan smiled at the pet name. Before either could speak, a small voice rang through the air. "Daddy, Papa? Why were you guys yelling?"
They both pulled back and smiled. Alan walks to their three year old son and crouches down in front of him. "Don't worry about, Justin. It's all okay now. Come on, let's get you back in bed." Alan picks up the smaller ginger and carries him to his room.
He places him gently in bed and pecks his forehead. "I love you, baby."
"I love you, too, mommy."
Alan smiles and turns off the light, leaving the night light on. He walks back to his and Austin's room to see Austin getting ready for bed. He walks up behind him and wraps his arms around Austin, placing his head on his husband's strong back. "I love you so much."
He pulls back and begins changing into one of Austin's tank tops that was way to big for him. They both climb in bed and Austin holds him close. They fall asleep in each other's arms like always.
~~~
At work the next day, when the same guy from before came in, Austin punched him and told him to leave. It was his tattoo shop, after all. That was also the first time he's punched someone in the four years he's been married to his Kitten.
They currently live together and they did get Jesse to photograph their wedding. They have all the pictures in a wedding album that Alan designed. They also got the cat Alan always wanted, Sophie.
They lived in a small, little house that Alan picked out. It was one story and had two bedrooms, a bathroom, living room, and kitchen. They had a small table for eating with three chairs. They had some pictures of them together on the wall, a picture of Kellin and Vic who lived next door and got married a year after they did.
Alan was currently in the living room on the couch. He had a book in hand and his legs were tucked to his side. He cooed at the book in hand and smiled when the couple kissed. He was in his own little bubble with the monitor on the table beside him that he jumped when the door was slammed open.
He tensed and listened to the monitor carefully. For a while, he stays silent and then he breathes a sigh of relief. He was still sleeping. Alan gets up and walks to the front door and sees his husband standing angrily at the door.
"Aust," Alan begins, walking towards him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Alan," Austin snapped and Alan frowned. Austin never called him by his name, it was either Princess, Love, Kitten, or Ally. Never Alan unless he was being serious and telling Alan he loved him.
Alan walked closer and placed a hand gently on Austin's cheek. "Aust, please tell me what's wrong." And Austin pushed Alan's hand away, albeit gently, but it hurt Alan. "Alan, please, just shut up. I need peace and quiet."
Alan nods quietly. "Okay, I'm here for when you're ready to talk." He then turns to walk away, but an angry voice holds him back. "Jesus Christ, Alan, I don't need to talk. I won't need to talk."
Alan jumps, Austin never shouted at him. "I-I'm sorry. I just - "
"Alan, just shut up. Shut up." He had gotten closer to Alan and his hand was raised. Alan's eyes widen in fear before he clenched them shut and waited for the impact. But it never came. He slowly opened his eyes and stared at Austin who had lowered his hand. He held a look of shame.
"Au-Aust?"
"I'm sorry, Alan, I'm so sorry," he brings his head to Alan's shoulder and cries. Alan whimpered and hugged Austin. Austin never cried. Alan's never seen Austin cry. "What's wrong, Austin?"
Austin pulls back and leads Alan to their bedroom. He made sure to grab the monitor. He sits at the edge of the bed and made sure to keep some distance between them. "Today at work, this jackass at work. He apparently knew us from high school. He used to bully you." He raises his head and stares at Alan. Alan's eyes held concern.
"Anyway, he told me you were only with me out of fear. He said you stayed because you were scared that if you left, I'd hurt you. And I guess I proved that when you flinched at my raised hand." Austin sighed and he began crying again.
Alan got up immediately and went in between Austin's legs. "Austin, I-I'm not with you out of fear."
"You flinched, Alan! You are scared of me."
"No, Austin. I'm not scared of you. I was bullied and beat up most of my life. I'm scared of getting hurt, but I'm not scared of you. Austin, I love you. I love you and I have no reason not to. You've never hurt me, never broke my trust. What is there to be afraid of? You promised to never hurt me and you haven't. I love you."
Austin smiled through his tear and connected his lips to Alan's. "I love you more, princess." And Alan smiled at the pet name. Before either could speak, a small voice rang through the air. "Daddy, Papa? Why were you guys yelling?"
They both pulled back and smiled. Alan walks to their three year old son and crouches down in front of him. "Don't worry about, Justin. It's all okay now. Come on, let's get you back in bed." Alan picks up the smaller ginger and carries him to his room.
He places him gently in bed and pecks his forehead. "I love you, baby."
"I love you, too, mommy."
Alan smiles and turns off the light, leaving the night light on. He walks back to his and Austin's room to see Austin getting ready for bed. He walks up behind him and wraps his arms around Austin, placing his head on his husband's strong back. "I love you so much."
He pulls back and begins changing into one of Austin's tank tops that was way to big for him. They both climb in bed and Austin holds him close. They fall asleep in each other's arms like always.
~~~
At work the next day, when the same guy from before came in, Austin punched him and told him to leave. It was his tattoo shop, after all. That was also the first time he's punched someone in the four years he's been married to his Kitten.