stay | found family au ⋆˚࿔
✩.* found family fics!
✩.* found family masterlist
summary: in which twenty-four hours of silence finally gives way to honesty.
notes: hi! i hope you're all well, enjoy! 💌💌
ꪆৎ
“baby.”
your face crumples.
garrett crosses the room before he can think better of it, dropping down in front of you. his hands hover near your face, the same way they had during the argument, waiting, asking.
you lean into him before he can say anything else.
garrett catches you, both arms wrapping around your body and pulling you against his chest as you break. he presses his face into your hair, “i’m here, y/n.”
you clutch the back of his hoodie. “he came here.”
“i know.”
“he knew where i lived.”
“i know.”
your body shakes against him. garrett closes his eyes, the guilt immediate and vicious.
he thinks about last night and how he had stayed away because he was hurt, all while you were sitting here, afraid of exactly this.
“i’m sorry,” he whispers.
you pull back. the anger returns through the panic, small, but still there.
“no.”
garrett looks at you.
“you don’t get to do that.”
“i know.”
“no, you don’t.” you wipe at your face, your breath hitching. “you don’t get to come in now and say sorry like that fixes the last twenty-four hours.”
the room goes silent.
allie lowers her gaze. dean stands near the desk with his arms folded tightly across his chest.
garrett sits back on his heels. “i know it doesn’t.”
“i needed you, garrett.”
his face twists. “i know.”
“you were angry, and you just left.”
“i didn’t stop caring, y/n.”
“it felt like you did.”
“i texted you.”
“you asked if i got to class and if i had eaten.”
garrett swallows hard.
for the first time since walking through your door, he doesn't seem like the captain who always knew what to do.
he just looks like your boyfriend. the one who had convinced himself that distance was kinder than saying the wrong thing. now however, he could see exactly what that distance had cost.
“i didn’t know what else to say.”
“you could’ve said literally anything else.” your voice rises despite the way it shakes. “that you still wanted this. that you still loved me.”
garrett’s eyes fill. “of course i still love you, y/n.”
“you could’ve said it then.”
garrett’s mouth opens, yet nothing comes out.
you let out a small laugh, not because anything is funny, but because if you don’t, you’ll start crying all over again.
“that’s what he used to do.”
garrett stills, knowing exactly who you're referring to. the room suddenly feels impossibly small as the weight of your words settles over him.
you wipe beneath your eyes with your hand. “when he was angry” your voice trembles. “he would just stop talking to me.”
garrett doesn’t move.
“he’d disappear until he decided i’d suffered enough.”
the colour drains from garrett's face. “i wasn’t doing that, y/n.”
“i know you weren’t trying to.” your shoulders rise with another shaky breath. “but silence feels the same when you’re the person sitting in it.”
the words land between you. garrett looks like they have knocked the air from his lungs. his head drops, one hand rising to cover his mouth as he blinks hard.
once, twice.
when he looks back at you, his eyes shine. “i’m sorry.”
this time, you let him say it.
he reaches for you carefully, slowly enough that you could pull away if you wanted to. his fingertips brush your wrist, “i was hurt.”
“i know.”
“i felt...” he swallows. “stupid.”
you nod. “i know.”
“every interview, every joke, every time i talked about him like he was just another captain.” he lets out a humourless laugh. “he knew something i didn’t.”
you watch him quietly.
“and i kept thinking” his voice catches. “if i stayed while i felt like that, i'd make you carry my anger too.”
“instead, you made me carry it alone, garrett.”
his eyes close. “yeah.”
the word barely leaves him. silence settles over the room, heavy, honest. dean shifts his weight beside the desk, the movement quiet against the stillness. allie glances up at him.
they don't say anything, they don't need to, because for the first time since garrett walked through the door, neither of them feel the need to step in.
this is no longer about choosing sides. it's about two people finally understanding the hurt they'd caused each other.
allie gives him a small nod before dean looks back at the two of you, a small smile gracing his features. “we’ll be outside.”
garrett lifts his head.
dean holds his gaze for a long moment, sending him a small nod of encouragement, while allie crosses the room. she crouches down beside you, brushing your hair back from your face. “i’m just going to be down the hall, y/n.”
you nod. “okay.”
she squeezes your shoulder gently before standing. dean waits until she has stepped into the hallway before following. he pauses with one hand resting on the door.
“call if you need me.”
he doesn’t specify which one of you he is talking to, quietly closing the door behind him.
the room falls silent once more. for the first time all night, it is just the two of you, and neither of you seems to know where to begin again.
garrett sits back on his heels, his eyes never leaving yours.
“i kept telling myself it was only one day.” his voice is rough. “i thought we’d talk tonight.” he rubs a hand across the back of his neck. “i was going to leave the party early.”
you frown. “what?”
“i called you before i left, but it went straight to voicemail.”
your breathing catches, garrett nods. “i figured maybe you just weren’t ready to talk properly.”
you stare at him before your eyes dart instinctively towards your phone lying on the bedside table. garrett follows your gaze.
“no, not at all. i was ready to talk but my phone was on do not disturb, that's why it went straight to voicemail.”
you exhale, sighing.
“i only realised after... after everything with tom.”
your eyes fill again. “i saw the missed call, but everything happened so fast. dean had to call you because i couldn't even hold my phone.”
you let out a shaky breath. “i never got the chance to call you back.”
garrett doesn't even look at the phone, he doesn't need to. he's looking at you, relief flooding his expression as the misunderstanding finally falls into place.
“i thought you were ignoring me.”
“i thought you stopped trying.”
the words overlap, both of you falling silent, because neither of you had been right.
garrett lets out a slow breath. “i had three messages typed.”
you look up. “what?”
“i kept deleting them.”
he gives a small shake of his head.
“‘i love you.’”
another breath.
“‘we’re going to be okay.’”
another.
“‘i just need tonight.’”
his eyes remain fixed on yours. “none of them felt good enough though.”
you stare at him.
“so i sent the only things i thought i couldn’t get wrong.”
his voice quietens.
“did you get to class?”
“make sure you eat."
he laughs once, but there is no humour in it. “i thought i was checking in on you.”
tears gather in your eyes again as you shake your head. “it felt like you were letting me go.”
garrett flinches, physically, as though your words had struck him. he drops his gaze, shaking his head, clearly frustrated with himself. “i know.”
you almost tell him that he doesn’t, except this time, you stop yourself, because now, the look on his face says that he finally does.
another silence settles between you, yet it's different now.
not because there is nothing left to say, but because, for the first time since everything unravelled, you are both seeing the last twenty-four hours through each other’s eyes.
garrett shifts a little closer, carefully, giving you every opportunity to stop him. “i can’t take yesterday back.”
you don’t answer.
“and i know saying sorry doesn’t undo any of it.”
his fingers find yours again, tentative, waiting. “but if i could do it again” his voice breaks, closing his eyes for a second before forcing himself to meet yours. “i would’ve stayed here, with you. fuck i never would've left."
you look down at your joined hands. “i’m sorry.”
garrett doesn't respond. he simply remains quiet, waiting for you to continue.
“i should’ve told you.” your voice shakes. “i knew every day i didn’t, it would only get worse.”
tears begin to blur your vision. “i kept trying to work out how to do it without making him part of this, us.”
you point between the two of you before letting out a broken laugh.
“i finally worked up the courage to tell you.”
garrett looks at you.
“i was going to tell you all about it the next day.” your lip trembles. “i’d spent the whole night going over what i was going to say, word for word.”
you swallow hard. “and then those photos got leaked.”
your shoulders cave inwards. “everyone knew before i could tell you myself. you found out from a stupid hockey gossip account instead of me.”
you shake your head, “and i am so, so sorry for that.”
garrett’s eyes close as he takes in your words.
“i never wanted to humiliate you.”
he squeezes your hand in reassurance. “i know, y/n.”
“i never wanted you standing beside him, talking to him and making jokes with him while he knew something you didn’t.”
your voice cracks. “if i could change one thing, it would be that.”
garrett’s thumb moves slowly over your knuckles, attempting to comfort you. “i know.”
you shake your head. “no. i need you to know that i’m not apologising because you were angry.” you meet his eyes. “i’m apologising because i hurt you, i took away your choice.”
you sigh. "i should’ve trusted you enough to let you carry it with me.”
garrett doesn’t answer immediately. he only looks at you, really looks at you, before his grip tightens around your hand. “i’m not leaving.”
your face crumples again, but the tears that fall now are quieter. “i don’t know how to believe people when they say that.”
garrett’s expression breaks. “then i’ll stop expecting the words to be enough.”
you stare at him.
“i’m still hurt” he says.
you nod. “i know.”
“and we still need to work on it all.”
“i know.”
“but i’m not doing this from across campus anymore.”
your eyes search his. “what does that mean?”
“it means if i need space, i tell you what that space looks like.” his thumb moves over your wrist. “i don’t disappear. i don’t leave you guessing.”
you swallow.
“it means i can be angry and still say goodnight.” his voice softens. “i can be hurt and still tell you i love you.”
your lips tremble.
“i should’ve. i usually do. i don't know… something about this just got under my skin more than anything else.”
you breathe out shakily, your mouth trembling. garrett lifts his free hand, wiping beneath your eye. “i hate that i made you feel like you were alone in all of this.”
you lean into his palm. “i hate that i hurt you.”
“i know.”
“i wasn’t trying to make you look stupid.”
“i know that now.”
you close your eyes. “do you?”
“yes.”
his answer is immediate. “i know you were trying to protect the first thing that felt safe.” your breath catches, garrett looks wrecked, “and i made it feel unsafe anyway.”
you open your eyes. for a moment, neither of you move, then you do. you fold into him, your forehead pressing against his shoulder. garrett holds you carefully at first, then tighter when you cling to him.
one hand settles against the back of your head while the other wraps around your waist. you breathe him in, his hoodie, his cologne, the warmth of him.
everything that has felt impossibly far away since he walked out of this room yesterday.
“i'm sorry” you whisper into his shoulder.
garrett presses his mouth into your hair. “i know.”
“i love you.”
his arms tighten. “i love you too.”
for a long time, neither of you say anything. the silence doesn't feel empty anymore, it isn't filled with anger or uncertainty, only understanding.
a soft knock eventually sounds against the door. garrett lifts his head, but he doesn’t release you.
“can we come in?” dean asks quietly from the hallway.
you glance at garrett before calling out, “yeah.”
the door opens slowly.
allie steps inside first, her eyes immediately finding yours. dean follows close behind her, stopping near the doorway when he sees you folded against garrett’s chest.
something in his expression softens. allie wipes quickly beneath one eye before pretending she hadn’t.
dean clears his throat. “we’re going to talk to campus security.”
garrett lifts his head, “so am i.”
“tomorrow.”
“now.”
“g.”
garrett looks down at you. you're slumped against him, utterly exhausted, the last few hours having taken everything you had left to give.
dean’s tone softens. “stay with her.”
garrett’s arms tighten around you. after a moment, he nods, “okay.”
carefully, he helps you onto the bed before settling beside you, his back resting against the wall. one arm stays around your shoulders as allie quietly crosses the room, pressing a bottle of water into your hands.
dean remains near the door for a moment, his gaze fixed on it as though he still expects tom to somehow force his way through. eventually, allie reaches for his wrist, gently tugging him down until he's sitting beside her on the floor.
no one says much after that, they don't need to.
you curl into garrett's side, your head resting against his chest. his fingers drift through your hair in slow, absent strokes, never once leaving you.
beneath your ear, his heartbeat is steady, constant, and for the first time all day, you let yourself believe everything will actually be okay.
✩.* taglist; @05gwyn | @alwaysclassyeagle | @casiiopea2 | @nexisphere | @imstressed17 | @legendarychrattgirl | @ethanthequeefqueen | @wiishies | @legendarychrattgirl | @tabisswag | @corvusmorte | @mariiibash| @stevesxwhore | @choppedpartymuffinwinner| @flannelshirts-and-fingerguns | @leilareads58 | @nikfigueiredo | @archxve | @s0ftdr1nks | @persasseajackson | @avengersheart | @brxght-world | @plants-w0rld | @hamilronweasley | @dyslexicepicfan | @livformadrid | @cosmosnkaz | @behindthescreenobsessed | @mothericraveviolence57 | @purplerainx1 | @dancerbailey3 | @kingshitonly | @melodypvnk | @mothericraveviolence57 | @danis-angels | @chronically-jess | @brekkershadowsinger | @run-for-the-hills | @rrosiitas | @nishiisdownbad | @angelnameddani | @simp4f1 | @ilocuras24 | @mattssweetheart | @scorpiodiosa | @sstevesgff | @katrinaellie | @jujubeaz | @straykids1011 | @idunnowhattonamethis | @olivetreesposts
























