-{ꨄ︎} au series masterlist } garrett graham x reader; with features of dean di laurentis, john logan, john tucker, allie hayes, grace ivers, sabrina james
-{✩} found family groupchat leaked! }
-{⋆˙⟡} found family fics!
-{ꨄ︎} found family cabo trip!
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Slowly, then all at once (AU Series) ⋆˚࿔
-{⋆˙⟡} au series masterlist } single!dad garrett graham x reader; with features of dean di laurentis, john logan, john tucker, allie hayes, grace ivers, sabrina james
-{₊˚} slowly, then all at once fics!
-{✩} slowly, then all at once blurbs, thoughts
-{𑣲⋆} private text messages between garrett & y/n leaked!
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Just a Secret (AU Series) ⋆˚࿔
-{⊹ ࣪ ˖} au series masterlist } dean di laurentis x fem!maxwellreader
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Garrett Graham #44
Imagines:
⋆rekindled love⋆
garrett graham x fem!reader }
in which y/n finds herself in a slightly compromising situation with a classmate at one of the highly anticipated briar u parties, hosted by none other than her ex-boyfriend, garrett graham and his friends. what happens when garrett is the only one to notice y/n be whisked away by a classmate?
⋆girls night⋆
garrett graham x fem!reader }
in which garrett receives an almost unreadable message from you while you're out celebrating one of your close friends birthdays. offering to pick you up, garrett has an interesting car ride home and rest of the night.
⋆after hours⋆
garrett graham x fem!reader }
in which you arrive home slightly inebriated after a late night out with allie, craving nothing more than garrett’s touch, and end up testing every last limit of his restraint.
⋆no promises⋆
garrett graham x fem!reader }
in which garrett spends an entire night spiralling because he’s convinced beau maxwell is your boyfriend.
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Dean Di Laurentis #66
Imagines:
⋆best friend's brother⋆
dean di laurentis x fem!reader }
in which a dull night at a bar turns into something far more complicated when your best friend's older brother steps in to protect you against an inebriated man who won't take no for an answer. what happens when you get a lift home with dean, and the years of unresolved tension between you finally starts to fade away, replaced with something much more intense.
⋆caught on thanksgiving⋆
dean di laurentis x maxwell!reader }
in which beau walks in on his younger sister tangled up in dean’s lap moments before thanksgiving dinner, forcing the entire hockey house to endure one painfully awkward meal filled with knowing looks, relentless chirping, and dean very seriously considering transferring schools.
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John Logan #22
Imagines:
⋆toxic⋆
john logan x fem!grahamreader }
in which your brother's best friend, john logan, helps you find yourself after a toxic breakup.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ part 2!
⋆late night⋆
john logan x fem!reader }
in which a drunk y/n arrives home after a night out and logan is forced to endure the torture of helping her take off her jewellery and dress while she looks far too pretty, far too affectionate, and far too tempting for his own sanity - only for him to prove, once again, that he’ll always put taking care of her before anything else.
⋆you're it for me⋆
john logan x fem!reader }
in which john logan spends an entire night accidentally proving that he's completely and utterly whipped for his girlfriend.
⋆home is wherever you are⋆
john logan x fem!reader }
in which logan proves, once again, that loving someone means making space for the life they actually want, not the one everyone expects.
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John Tucker #46
Imagines:
coming soon!
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Beau Maxwell
Imagines:
⋆a summer secret⋆
beau maxwell x fem!dilaurentisreader }
in which dean notices the quiet, suspicious intimacy growing between beau and his sister.
how would garrett react to lily having a nightmare? also, what if lily was desperate for reader/won't calm down during a tantrum and keeps begging for her? im obsessed with dad!garrett and this series 💞
hi! thank you so much, i'm so glad you're enjoying! <3 🥹
this was such a lovely idea to write, i've combined it with another request, i hope you enjoy! 💌 🤍
hii just wanted to say I’m so excited abt the slowly, then all at once au. I had a thought on how y/n might have gone out for abit while lily was asleep and when she wakes up, she can’t find her and freaks out. Everyone is trying to calm her down even garrett and nothing seems to work until y/n comes back and only she can cause they’re so close together. hope this made sense 😅
hi!! thank you so much for your request, it was so sweet to write! 🥹 i hope you enjoy! <3
i've combined your request with another, i hope this is okay 🤍
summary: in which lily has a nightmare that nothing, not even garrett, can soothe, until she tearfully asks for y/n, forcing him to confront just how deeply attached she has become.
notes: hi! thank you both for your requests <3 this story was so sweet to write! 🥹 i hope you all enjoy! 💌 💌
ꪆৎ
garrett hadn't planned on having everyone over, friday nights simply had a habit of turning into this.
dean had shown up first, claiming he was 'starving'.
tucker wasn't far behind.
logan wandered in a few minutes later, a bag of takeaway balanced against his hip. he dropped it onto the counter without a word before helping himself to a drink.
somewhere along the way, the four of them had ended up spread across garrett's living room, half-watching a movie while arguing over whose turn it was to buy dinner next friday, despite none of them keeping track anyway.
upstairs, lily had been asleep for almost an hour, exhausted after a full day of running around.
you'd finished work not long after.
garrett had walked you to the front door like he always did.
"thank you again, y/n."
you had rolled your eyes, smiling. "you're welcome."
"drive safe."
"i will."
he had held your gaze for another second before giving a small nod, "goodnight."
you laughed softly, "goodnight, garrett."
then you'd gone home. everything had been completely normal.
until-
a scream split through the house.
"daddy!"
garrett was on his feet before he'd even realised he'd stood.
the television became background noise, dean stopped talking mid-sentence, logan looked towards the stairs, tucker had already put his drink down.
another cry echoed through the hallway. "daddy!"
garrett took the stairs two at a time. "bug?"
he pushed open her bedroom door. lily was sitting bolt upright in bed, her cheeks soaked with tears. her little chest rose and fell in panicked gasps, tiny hands gripping desperately at the blankets gathered around her waist.
she looked completely terrified.
garrett crossed the room immediately, "hey."
his voice was gentle, soft enough that only lily could hear. he was beside her before she'd even looked up. "i'm here, bug."
lily threw herself into his arms. garrett caught her easily, settling her against his chest as he sat down on the edge of her bed.
"i've got you."
she buried her face into his shoulder, her entire body shaking.
"bad dream?"
she nodded frantically in response. garrett rested his cheek against the top of her head, "okay."
his hand rubbed slow circles across her tiny back. "it's alright."
lily let out another sob.
"you're safe."
despite garrett's words of comfort, she only cried harder. by then the others had reached the doorway. dean stayed back, keeping his voice low. "everything okay?"
garrett gave a small shake of his head, "nightmare."
logan quietly disappeared before returning a moment later with bunny tucked beneath his arm. "thought she might want him."
garrett smiled gratefully before nodding his head, "thanks."
he held lily's bunny out. "lil! look what uncle logie found." normally, bunny fixed everything, yet today, lily barely looked, only clinging tighter to garrett's shirt.
"okay," he whispered. "that's okay."
he wasn't worried yet. she'd had nightmares before, they'd always been hard, yet he knew what to do.
garrett held her closer in his arms, rocking gently back and forth as he hummed absentmindedly beneath his breath. only once her sobs had softened did he set her carefully back down on the bed.
brushing the hair back from her face, his voice comes out soft, "we'll check together."
he crouches to look beneath the bed first, "nothing."
then he opens the wardrobe, "nothing in here either."
finally, he crosses to the window, pulling back the curtains. "all clear, bug."
he crouches down beside her, resting a hand gently against her knee. "there's nothing hiding."
lily looked towards the window where garrett had pulled back the curtains. for one hopeful second, he thinks he's done it, until her bottom lip begins to wobble.
another sob breaks free, even louder than the last.
"daddy..."
garrett immediately gathers her back into his arms. "i know lil, i know."
ten minutes pass, then twenty.
lily wasn't getting worse, yet she wasn't calming down either.
she was simply stuck.
dean tried distracting her with stories about dinosaurs, nothing.
tucker balanced bunny on his head until he toppled onto the floor. normally she'd giggle, however tonight she didn't even notice.
logan filled a sippy cup with water. lily took one sip before bursting into tears again.
garrett had lost count of how many times he'd kissed the top of her head. he had tried everything, whispering the same reassurances over and over.
"i'm here."
"you're okay."
"daddy's got you."
each one eased her breathing for a few seconds, until she would cry again.
the room had grown unusually quiet. the guys had stopped trying to help, simply watching. garrett had been doing this for almost forty-five minutes, never once looking frustrated, never sighing, never asking lily to stop crying.
he just held her, exactly as he'd held her every time she'd ever needed him.
dean looked away first, his chest tightening. there was something quietly heartbreaking about watching garrett like this, doing everything right, and still being unable to stop her tears.
garrett brushed damp hair away from lily's forehead. "talk to me, bug."
she shook her head against his shoulder.
"what do you need?"
another sob. garrett waited, patiently.
"want."
his hand paused. "what do you want, lil?"
lily pulled back just enough for him to see her face. her eyes were swollen, her little nose pink.
"...want y/n."
the room fell silent, garrett blinked. "what did you say, bug?"
fresh tears spilled immediately from her eyes, "want y/n."
she buried her face against him, repeating the same words as before, "i want y/n."
garrett swallowed. his first instinct was to soothe lily. "we'll see her tomorrow."
lily cried harder.
"no!"
"she's at home, sweetheart."
"i want y/n!"
he kisses her hair again. "i know."
"i want y/n!"
every answer became the same. every question, every reassurance, every attempt, they all circled back to one thing.
"i want y/n!"
garrett looked helplessly towards the doorway. dean rubbed the back of his neck.
"...g."
garrett didn't answer. logan sighed, before finally speaking up, his tone calm.
"maybe."
he hesitated.
"...maybe call her."
garrett looked down at the little girl trembling against him. she'd cried herself hoarse, her breathing hitching every few seconds.
he hated this.
god, he hated this.
you'd finished work hours ago, you deserved your evening, you deserved to switch off.
the last thing he wanted was to make you feel responsible.
garrett closed his eyes briefly, "i'll be back."
he stood carefully before stepping into the hallway. his phone felt unusually heavy in his hand as his fingers shifted across the screen, pressing on your contact.
you answered almost immediately. "garrett?"
your voice was soft, sleepy, instantly concerned. "is everything okay?"
he leaned against the wall outside lily's room, "i'm really sorry."
there was no hesitation from your end. "what happened?"
"lily had a nightmare."
"is she okay?"
garrett shifts his gaze back through the open bedroom door. lily was still crying, still searching the doorway every few seconds between sobs.
he lets out a quiet breath, "no."
another pause.
"we've tried everything." he glances back into the room. “i've been holding her for almost an hour."
"dean's here."
"logan."
"tucker."
"we've checked the room."
"read stories."
"given her water."
"bunny."
his voice softened. "she just won't settle."
silence.
"what does she keep asking for?"
garrett briefly closes his eyes, clearly debating on whether he should give you all of the details.
“you."
he almost expected you to hesitate, yet you don't.
"i'm leaving now."
"y/n, you don't have to-"
"i'm already grabbing my keys."
"i feel awful calling-"
"garrett."
your voice was gentle. "it's okay."
another pause.
"i'll be there soon."
half an hour later, headlights sweep across the front windows.
garrett hadn't told lily.
he hadn't wanted to promise something he couldn't guarantee. if traffic got bad or something came up, there was every chance you wouldn't make it.
he was still sitting in the rocking chair, gently rubbing circles across her back, when the front door clicked open downstairs. soft footsteps followed, then the familiar creak of the hallway floorboard.
"garrett?"
lily froze. for the first time in nearly an hour, her sobs stopped. her little head lifted from garrett's shoulder, listening to the footsteps outside her bedroom.
"y/n?"
hope. pure, unmistakable hope.
you appeared in the doorway a second later, still wearing leggings and an oversized hoodie, your hair pulled into the messy ponytail you'd clearly thrown together before leaving your place.
the second lily saw you-
"y/n!"
she reached. both little arms stretching desperately towards you. garrett barely had time to stand before you were crossing the room.
"oh, sweetheart."
you gathered her into your arms without a second thought. the moment her cheek rested against your shoulder she exhaled.
one long, shaky breath, followed by nothing.
no sobbing, no panicked gasps, no frantic searching, she simply melted against you, like every muscle in her tiny body had finally decided it was safe to relax.
garrett stared.
he'd spent the better part of an hour trying to slow her breathing, and here, you'd done it in seconds.
your hand rubbed gently up and down her back. "i know."
you kissed the top of her head, "i'm here."
another shaky sniffle.
"bad dream?"
a tiny nod. "it was scary."
"yeah. i thought it might've been."
lily only clings tighter to your hoodie.
"do you want to know what i did before i came upstairs?"
lily blinks, you lower your voice. "i checked outside."
"why?"
"to make sure your bad dream didn't follow me."
she looks at you very seriously.
"...did it?"
you smiled. "no. your daddy already scared it away."
her shoulders finally relax completely. "really?"
"really."
you look over at garrett, sending him a warm smile of encouragement. "didn't you?"
he smiles softly in return. "every monster in the neighbourhood knows not to come near this house, bug."
a tiny laugh slips from lily. it's barely audible, but enough.
you tuck her back beneath the blankets, settling bunny beneath one arm before carefully tucking the blanket beneath her chin.
"story?" she asks quietly.
"of course."
you grab lily's favourite picture book from beside her bed. garrett leans against the doorframe, arms folded loosely across his chest.
he'd watched you read this book dozens of times. you always did the same voices, paused in the same places, let lily finish the last few sentences herself.
halfway through, her eyelids begin drooping and by the final page she's asleep, peacefully this time. you gently comb your fingers through her hair, humming softly as the boys stand around outside together.
for a long moment nobody speaks, all four of them simply watching you, crouched down beside lily.
dean breaks the silence first, "well."
logan doesn't take his eyes off garrett, "you're in trouble, g."
garrett looks over, meeting his gaze. "what?"
logan nods towards lily. "she's attached."
garrett glanced back through the bedroom doorway, his gaze settling on you as your fingers continued to comb gently through lily's hair. he'd known she was attached to you, he just hadn't realised how deep those roots had grown.
logan shoves his hands into his pockets. "you wanted someone she'd feel safe with."
another beat.
"...mission accomplished."
the words settle somewhere deep in garrett's chest.
logan was right. he'd wanted consistency, someone gentle, someone lily trusted, someone who made this house feel lighter whenever they walked through the front door.
he'd gotten all of that.
beside him, dean bumped his shoulder, his next words coming out quiet enough that only garrett could hear. "good luck, captain."
garrett didn't answer.
his eyes stayed fixed on lily's bedroom, on the soft bedside lamp still glowing, on you sitting inside, humming quietly to his little girl while she slept.
for the first time since hiring you, one thought settled heavily in his chest.
this is a little bit of a jump but i've been trying to brainstorm garrett and y/n's first kiss...
i was thinking it happens a few weeks after y/n moves into the guest room.
by then they've settled into this weird little routine where they're no longer just employer and nanny.
they're roommates, they're raising lily together, they're cooking dinner together, they’re watching movies after lily goes to sleep together.
the feelings are already there, they're just pretending they aren't.
i don't really want their first kiss to happen after some huge declaration of love. i almost want it to happen by ‘accident’, like one tiny moment where months of tension finally outweigh their self-control.
dean, naturally, gets sick of everyone acting like they're forty instead of twenty-eight, insisting on a proper night out.
garrett immediately says no because he has lily, y/n offers to stay home with her.
dean shuts that down quickly because summer is in town for the weekend and happy to watch lily, meaning both of them are coming, (we all know exactly what he’s up to! 🤭)
at this rate however, dean’s not pushing them together, he's simply removing the excuses.
it's probably the first time y/n has ever really seen garrett outside of ‘dad mode.’
he's relaxed, he laughs more, he teases everyone.
he's confident in a way she hasn't really seen before, and just a little bit flirty.
the line between employer and employee starts feeling very blurry.
then some guy won't leave y/n alone. garrett tries incredibly hard not to care, yet he fails spectacularly.
from that point on he's basically glued to her side. guiding her through the crowd with a hand on her waist, dancing with her, making her laugh, finding excuses to keep touching her without either of them acknowledging why.
by the time they get home they're both a little tipsy, and all of that tension they've been pretending doesn't exist finally snaps.
one kiss becomes another. for a second it almost goes further, until one of them quietly says they should stop.
not because they don't want to, because they do, but if this is going to happen, they owe it to themselves, and to lily, to have that conversation properly, sober.
i think that's such a garrett thing to do. every major decision he makes comes back to lily in some way, and i don't think he'd ever want something this important to start because they were drunk. he'd want to wake up the next morning, look at y/n, and choose it with a clear head.
the next morning is nothing dramatic. shy smiles, far too much eye contact.
simply two people who suddenly have absolutely no idea what to do with themselves every time the other walks into the room.
it feels awkward, yet exciting at the same time.
or would you guys prefer something a little more wholesome, for things to progress without intoxication? this is still a little while away, but wanted to hear your thoughts on it too! ☺️💌 <3
I’m not from USA so idk but would it not be CP or sharing CP if he shared those photos around. ARREST HIM
yes! once i finished writing this, i realised the distribution (or even threatening to distribute) such photos would almost certainly be enough to warrant an arrest!
i didn't want to go into too much legal detail in the story, however, i think for everyone's peace of mind we'll go with the fact that tom never actually had the photos. he'd deleted them back in high school, but knew y/n believed they still existed, so he was merely being a complete asshole (i fear there are no words to accurately depict tom, so this will do), using it as a threat to get under garrett's skin, knock him off his game, and win.
there would definitely be serious consequences & repercussions associated with tom's behaviour. threatening to share someone's intimate images without their consent and weaponising that during an ncaa game would be more than enough for it to be raised with the league.
i could absolutely see him losing his captaincy, his 'golden boy' reputation completely imploding, and being removed from the scholarship program he was a part of.
actions have consequences, and i'd like to think tom would finally have to face them.
summary: in which tom finally pushes garrett too far, an old betrayal comes to light, and victory suddenly becomes the least important thing on the ice.
notes: hi! this is the final part to the angst for found family, i hope you all enjoy! 💌 thank you all for your patience <3
warnings: mentions of violence, blood, manipulative ex-boyfriend
*please note some of the technicalities/terminology of the game may be incorrect!
ꪆৎ
the game had been tense from the beginning.
not bad, not dirty, just tight.
the kind of game where every pass was measured and every hit carried a little more weight than it needed to.
the score had remained tied through most of the second period, neither team willing to give the other enough room to breathe.
garrett had been focused, at least, he was trying to be. he'd noticed tom during warmups, it would've been impossible not to.
tom carried himself like the ice belonged to him, skating lazy circles around centre with his helmet tipped back, same infuriating smirk sitting comfortably across his features.
he'd looked towards the stands once, only once, but it had been enough.
his eyes found you through the glass before settling on garrett. the smile that followed made something cold settle in garrett's stomach.
you hadn't noticed.
you'd been talking to allie at the time, leaning closer so she could hear you over the music pouring through the arena speakers.
garrett had forced himself to look away, convincing himself that it didn't mean anything. tom liked attention, he liked reactions, the best thing he could do was refuse to give him either.
for most of the first period, it worked.
tom chirped after faceoffs, commenting on small things, predictable things, such as the rivalry, garrett's captaincy, his statistics.
garrett ignored every comment, checking tom cleanly into the boards midway through the period, stealing the puck before moving forward.
garrett didn't glance back, didn't chirp him, he simply did nothing. tom hated that, garrett could tell.
he saw it in the way tom began lingering after whistles, in the way he started skating a little too close whenever the officials separated them, in the way his comments gradually stopped being about hockey.
the whistle sounds after a scramble in front of the net.
players from both teams separate slowly, sticks dragging across the ice as they move towards the next faceoff. garrett adjusts the cuff of his glove, pushing away from the crease as tom falls into step beside him.
"c'mon, graham."
garrett doesn't respond, he simply keeps skating. from behind the glass, you watch tom say something else. you can't hear him, not over the crowd, not through the thick barrier separating the seats from the ice.
all you can see is the smug tilt of his mouth. garrett's face however remains completely blank, controlled.
"enjoying my sloppy seconds?"
garrett's jaw tightens, barely, the kind of movement most people wouldn't notice. tom does, because of course he does.
"or maybe she's just got a thing for guys cleaning up other people's messes."
garrett's grip tightens around his stick, "fucking move."
his words come out low, quiet enough that the official skating ahead of them doesn't react. tom's smile widens, clearly pleased with himself, because there it was, the first crack.
he skates closer, eager to get under garrett's skin. "there he is." tom grins, "knew i could get to you."
garrett pushes off harder. he doesn't look at tom, doesn't look toward the stands, simply keeps his eyes on the bench, on the next shift, on anything that isn't the man beside him.
your stomach turns from where you're standing. you don't know what's being said, which almost makes it worse. you know tom, you know the expression on his face, the casual cruelty of it, the satisfaction.
allie shifts beside you. "he's trying to get a rise out of him."
you nod, your fingers curling around the railing in front of you, anxiety coursing throughout your entire body. "garrett won't give him one."
you say it with more certainty than you feel. allie looks at you for a moment, before turning her gaze back on to the ice.
"no." she agrees quietly. "he won't."
the game resumes.
for the next few minutes, garrett makes himself disappear into the game.
he wins a battle along the boards, breaks up a pass through the neutral zone, sets up a shot that glides off the post hard enough to make the entire arena groan.
tom is still there, always a few strides away, watching, waiting.
when the next whistle blows, garrett turns immediately towards the bench. tom cuts across his path, eyes bright with amusement. "you know the funny thing?"
garrett keeps skating. every instinct tells him to turn around, instead, he repeats the same words over and over.
ignore him.
"i've still got something that's hers."
garrett stops, only for a second.
"…what?"
tom smiles, knowing he has him now. "nothing."
garrett stares at him. "what the fuck are you talking about?"
tom shrugs. "guess i never was very good at letting things go."
he starts to skate away, garrett doesn't follow.
he knows better, he knows that's exactly what tom wants, however, it doesn't stop his heart from beginning to race. he can feel it beneath his chest protector, harder, faster.
tom glances back over his shoulder. "don't worry about it, captain."
another smile.
"you'll catch up eventually."
the linesman gestures for both of them to move. garrett forces his feet forward, one stride, then another. he's trying, desperately trying.
he tells himself tom is bluffing, that this is just another attempt to get under his skin, that whatever he's alluding to either isn't true or isn't as bad as he's making it sound.
garrett swallows, focusing his attention back on to the puck.
the faceoff begins, the game carries on.
you can see something has changed. it's subtle at first, garrett's shoulders sit tighter beneath his jersey, his movements are sharper, less fluid. he misses a pass he would've taken cleanly any other night.
dean notices too. you see him lean over the boards, saying something when garrett returns to the bench.
garrett shakes his head once.
dean looks towards the opposing bench, his eyes finding tom, his expression hardening.
you try to catch garrett's attention, but he doesn't look up.
it's not because he's ignoring you, he's trying not to, it's because he knows that one glance at your face will make whatever tom is doing harder to tolerate.
the period continues, the score remains tied.
with less than three minutes left, both teams are playing cautiously, waiting for the other to make the mistake.
tom stops waiting.
the whistle sounds after an offside call. garrett turns towards centre, tom glides up beside him again, closer this time, close enough that their shoulders nearly touch.
"she always did hate when i kept things."
garrett doesn't respond, his eyes remain fixed ahead.
tom watches him carefully, "old messages."
nothing.
"old videos."
garrett's grip shifts against his stick, tom lets the silence stretch.
"photos."
garrett stares at him.
tom smiles. not big, not obvious, just enough to confirm that he has said exactly what he meant to say. garrett stares at him. for the first time all night, the rest of the arena fades around him.
the crowd, the music, the scoreboard, all of it.
"what photos?" his voice is almost too quiet to hear.
tom looks towards the stands, towards you, before back at garrett. "you know."
garrett's stomach drops. he doesn't, not fully, but something in tom's expression makes the answer settle anyway.
private photos, old ones, ones that had never belonged to him, ones you must have trusted him with once, ones he should have deleted the second that trust ended.
garrett's entire body goes rigid, tom chuckles. "she asked me to get rid of them."
the words are delivered casually, like he's discussing an old jersey, something forgotten in the back of a cupboard.
"more than once, actually."
garrett feels sick. "you still have them?"
tom tilts his head. "didn't see the point in deleting them."
for one second, garrett considers hitting him, not shoving him, not checking him, hitting him. he pictures the movement with startling clarity. his glove coming off, his fist connecting with tom's mouth, the satisfying split of skin.
he doesn't do it, rather he forces himself to skate away, except tom follows.
"that's it?"
garrett says nothing.
"thought you'd have more to say, graham."
nothing.
"she looked good."
every syllable is laced with something vile. not because of the words, but simply because of the way he says them.
garrett's jaw clenches so hard it hurts. "fucking move, langford."
tom laughs.
from behind the glass, all you can see is garrett trying to skate away, and tom following closely behind, talking the entire time.
your pulse starts to race. you can tell garrett is angry now, not irritated, not competitive, angry. the tension in his shoulders is unmistakable. even from here, you can see how rigid he's become.
your chest tightens, "what's he saying?" you ask.
allie shakes her head. "i'm not sure, y/n, but whatever it is, it can't be good."
dean looks towards the stands from the bench, his eyes immediately finding yours, sending you a look of confusion.
he clearly didn't know what was being said either.
tom skates right beside garrett again.
"you know..."
his voice drops.
"a few of the guys would probably appreciate seeing what you get to go home to."
garrett stops, completely, his skates scraping sharply against the ice. tom stops with him, while the linesman ahead slows, already glancing over.
garrett turns. "say that again."
tom's eyebrows rise, innocent, mocking. "what?"
"say it again."
tom smiles, he knows he's cracked him, finally.
"all sweet and innocent until-"
garrett doesn't let tom finish his sentence, spinning around so quickly that tom barely has enough time to brace himself. both of garrett's gloves slam into his chest, the sheer force driving him backwards into the boards.
the impact echoes through the rink. the crowd erupts, not cheering, not yet, just reacting to the chaos beginning to unravel in front of them.
it's a single collective sound of shock, and you can't help but flinch.
"garrett."
his name slips from your mouth, despite there being no chance he could hear you.
officials move immediately yet garrett barely notices, his forearm pressing across tom's chest, holding him against the glass.
"you're fucking sick."
every word is bitten off, tom laughs in his face. "touchy subject?"
garrett shoves him again, hard enough that tom's helmet knocks against the boards. "talk shit about me all you want."
another shove.
"keep."
another.
"her."
another.
"name."
his voice drops. "out of your fucking mouth!"
a linesman grabs garrett around the shoulders, while another wedges himself between the pair. tom's smile never disappears, if anything, it only grows.
he likes this.
he likes knowing he finally made garrett snap, likes knowing the captain everyone praises for being controlled and disciplined is now being dragged away by an official.
"hit a nerve, graham?" he coaxes.
garrett lunges again, clearly attempting to grab hold of tom one final time however the linesman tightens his grip, dragging him back.
garrett's eyes never leave tom's. "those photos go anywhere, and i'll make sure you never set foot on another hockey rink again."
for a moment, tom's smile falters, only for a moment, then he shoves forward, his glove catching garrett across the face. garrett tears free, his gloves hitting the ice, with tom's following a heartbeat later.
the arena explodes.
players surge towards them. dean is over the boards before the coaching staff can stop him, officials intercept him halfway across the ice.
garrett gets one hand twisted in the front of tom's jersey. to his dismay however, it's tom who throws the first punch, catching garrett high across the cheek.
his head snaps to the side, you gasp.
allie's hand closes around your wrist, her mouth open in shock. "y/n, don't."
you hadn't realised you'd moved, hadn't realised you'd taken a step towards the opening near the bench. you can't get to him, you know that, still, every instinct in your body is screaming at you to try.
garrett swings back immediately, his fist connecting with tom's mouth.
the crowd roars.
the officials are between them almost instantly. one grabs garrett from behind, while another pulls tom in the opposite direction.
both of them continue shouting over the officials' shoulders. you can't hear a single word.
garrett's face is flushed red with anger, blood pooling at the corner of his mouth. tom is laughing, completely entertained by it all.
that's the part that frightens you the most.
not the fight, not the blood, but the fact that tom looks pleased, like this is exactly what he wanted.
garrett is dragged towards the penalty box. he doesn't resist the officials, only wiping his hand on his mouth, attempting to stop the bleeding. his chest rises and falls heavily as anger continues to course throughout the entirety of his body.
his eyes remain fixed on tom until the box door closes behind him.
then finally, he looks towards you.
the anger disappears from his face so quickly it hurts. one second he's furious, the next he almost looks afraid.
not for himself, but for you.
your hand lifts instinctively to the glass, garrett's expression tightens.
the final two minutes of the period blur together. you don't remember the plays, you don't remember the shots.
you barely register the clock running down.
garrett sits in the penalty box with his elbows resting on his knees. his helmet is gone, blood continues to gather slowly at his split lip, one cheek is already beginning to swell.
he stares at the ice, his gaze looking empty.
tom sits in the opposite box, talking to one of the officials as though nothing has happened, as though he hasn't just taken something deeply personal and dragged it into the middle of a rink, as though he hasn't threatened to humiliate you.
garrett's hands shake, he curls them into fists, a clear weak attempt at trying to calm himself down.
tom's voice keeps playing over and over in his mind.
she asked me to get rid of them.
didn't see the point.
the casualness of it makes him feel worse, because tom knows what he has, knows what it means, knows you trusted him once, and he kept them anyway.
not because he had forgotten, but because he could use them, because some part of him wanted to preserve that power over you.
garrett swallows hard at the thought before looking towards the stands once again.
you're still there.
allie stands close beside you, one arm wrapped around your shoulders in a clear attempt at comforting you. you look terrified, confused.
the realisation hits him with almost as much force as tom's punch. you didn't know what tom said, you didn't know what he had admitted to.
you only knew that garrett had lost control.
he hates that.
he hates that he has to be the one to tell you, hates that the truth is waiting for you at the end of the game.
the final horn echoes through the arena.
for half a second, no one moves, then, like clockwork the entire arena erupts.
briar have won.
players pour over the boards, sticks and gloves lift into the air, the bench empties around dean as the crowd surges to its feet. garrett doesn't look at the scoreboard, doesn't look towards the celebration, doesn't even look for the trophy.
his eyes land on you.
the penalty box door opens as he steps onto the ice. one of the officials says something about waiting yet garrett barely hears him. he skates towards the bench, his stick slipping from his hand, falling onto the ice beneath him.
garrett heads straight for you. allie says something to security, dean reaches the boards, pointing towards the access gate.
everything happens quickly after that.
someone opens it and you immediately step through. the second garrett sees you, his expression breaks.
you meet him halfway, your arms wrapping around his neck before either of you says a word. his hands find your waist automatically, pulling you against him.
close, impossibly close. as though the last twenty minutes have hollowed something out inside him and this is the only way to fill it again.
"hey."
his voice is quieter now, nothing like the tone he'd used against tom. he buries his face against your shoulder, breathing you in.
your perfume, your hair, the warmth of you. simply proof that you're here, with him.
your whole body is trembling, he feels it immediately, his grip tightening around you.
"i'm okay," garrett says. the words crack, and somehow they're enough to undo you.
your eyes burn, and a tear slips free before you can stop it. you try to pull back, wanting nothing more than to see garrett's face, wanting to inspect the cut on his mouth.
he doesn't let you, not yet. instead, his arms tighten around you more.
"garrett."
your voice is muffled against his jersey. he presses a kiss into your hair, "i'm alright."
"you got hit."
"i know."
"you were bleeding."
"i know."
you hold him tighter. somewhere behind you, his teammates are celebrating, cameras are flashing, the crowd is chanting, yet none of it seems to reach the small space between the two of you.
eventually, garrett lets you lean back.
your heart sinks the second you see him properly. his cheek is already bruising, his lip is split, angry red scratches run beneath one eye.
your stomach twists at the sight of him, all battered and bruised.
"oh my god."
your fingertips lift carefully towards his mouth. you barely touch him, yet he winces anyway.
"i'm sorry."
he catches your wrist gently. "don't apologise, y/n."
"we need to ice that."
"probably."
his hand settles over yours, warm, steady.
you stare at him. "are you okay?"
he nods, then hesitates. "yeah."
you don't believe him, not for a second.
his eyes search yours. "are you?"
you nod.
he leans in to kiss you, but you hesitate. his eyebrows pull together, clearly confused. "what?"
"your lip."
you press the gentlest kiss against the corner of his jaw instead. "it looks sore."
his mouth curves despite the swelling. "you're making it worse."
"how?"
"by not kissing me."
despite everything, a tiny laugh escapes you. "i thought you were the one always saying kisses fix everything."
you raise an eyebrow. "i'm pretty sure that only applies to headaches."
"same principle."
you roll your eyes, shaking your head in disbelief. "garrett."
"y/n."
another reluctant smile pulls at your mouth. he closes the distance himself. the kiss is impossibly gentle, barely there, careful of his lip, careful of you.
when he pulls away, he rests his forehead against yours, clearly taking in the moment.
you let out a quiet laugh. "better?"
"much better."
his thumb moves slowly across your waist. for a few seconds, neither of you say anything.
"you're a frozen four championship winner, baby." you say.
the corner of his mouth lifts, "damn right i am."
you grin, nudging him lightly with your shoulder, "try not to let it go to your head."
garrett huffs a laugh, before letting out a long breath. "guess i can kiss the sportsmanship award goodbye."
you stare at him before sighing.
"i'm just trying to lighten the mood, y/n."
a tiny smile flickers across your features, however it fades quickly. garrett sees it happen, watching as your eyes drop to the deep bruise forming beneath his cheekbone.
"what did he say?"
garrett goes completely still.
you can see the shift immediately. his shoulders tighten beneath your hands, while his fingers stop moving against your back.
"garrett."
he looks over your shoulder towards the ice, trying to fix his gaze on anything else but your face.
"he was just trying to get under my skin, y/n."
"what did he say?"
he doesn't respond.
"garrett."
slowly, you cup his bruised jaw, careful not to touch the worst of it. you guide his gaze back to yours. his eyes soften the second they do.
"please tell me."
his jaw works, once, twice, before he exhales. "he said he still had photos."
your brows pull together, clearly confused as to where this conversation was going. "what photos?"
garrett's expression crumples, just slightly, enough to make your stomach drop before he even answers. "private ones."
the world seems to stop. your hand falls away from his face. for a second, you don't understand, or maybe you do, maybe your mind simply refuses to accept it.
"no."
garrett's grip tightens around your waist.
"baby-"
"no." your voice is barely there. "he deleted those."
garrett doesn't say anything. your breathing changes, quickening. "he told me he deleted them."
your eyes search garrett's face as though he might be able to give you a different answer. one that makes sense, one that doesn't make your skin feel too tight around your body.
"he said they were gone."
garrett swallows. "he told me you asked him to delete them."
your face drains of colour as realisation begins to sink in. "i did." your voice cracks, "i begged him to."
garrett closes his eyes for half a second, pain clearly moving across his features. when he opens them again, he looks wrecked, completely, undeniably wrecked.
"i know."
"he said he deleted everything."
"i know."
"garrett, he promised me."
your breath catches. you look towards the rink, your gaze landing on the tunnel that tom had disappeared through minutes ago.
it feels as though he's still standing there, watching you. your arms fold instinctively across your body like a shield.
garrett notices immediately, his heart breaking. there's no discomfort, no hesitation, only concern for you.
you rest your forehead against his chest, while garrett instinctively wraps both arms around you, holding you carefully, like he's afraid the wrong movement might break something already fragile.
your voice comes out muffled against his jersey.
"god."
you squeeze your eyes shut. "i was in high school."
garrett's arms tighten instinctively around you.
"i was stupid."
he shakes his head before you can keep going.
"baby-"
"i thought it was fine," you whisper. "i trusted him."
your breathing catches. "they aren't even...they're not proper nudes." shame floods every word. "they're just stupid lingerie photos."
you let out a broken laugh that sounds closer to a sob. "i honestly forgot they even existed."
garrett closes his eyes, pressing a kiss into your hair. "i know."
another.
"i know." his arms tighten. "i'm so sorry, y/n."
you shake your head against him. "you didn't do it." your fingers curl into the back of his jersey. "did he threaten to send them?"
garrett goes quiet, you feel the answer in the way his body stiffens.
"garrett."
"he implied it."
your breathing catches.
"he said other people would want to see them."
your face crumples, garrett immediately pulls you closer. "but listen to me." you don't move, his hand settles against the back of your head. "he doesn't get to do that."
"you don't know that."
"i know he doesn't get to control what happens next."
his voice is steady now, captain-steady, the voice he uses when everything around him is falling apart and he needs everyone else to believe it can be fixed.
"we'll deal with it."
"how?"
"properly."
he leans back enough to look at you. "with the team, the league, whoever we need."
panic flashes across your face. "people will know."
"only the people who have to."
"and if he already sent them?"
garrett's jaw clenches at the thought. he forces it to relax before answering. "then none of that is your fault." he holds your gaze. "if he's done that, there are consequences. we'll go to the league, we'll go to the police if we have to."
your eyes close. "it'll feel like it is."
"i know." his thumb moves gently across your cheek. "but it isn't."
"you trusted someone you loved," his voice softens. "he's the one who betrayed that."
your lip trembles. "i should've known."
"no."
the word is immediate, firm.
"you don't get to be blamed for believing someone when they promised not to hurt you."
another tear slips free, garrett wipes it away. "he doesn't get to make you feel ashamed of something he chose to keep."
you breathe out shakily, while garrett's forehead remains resting against yours. "they're yours."
he says it quietly. "your body, your trust, your choice."
your eyes close. for a long moment, you simply stand there, breathing the same air, holding onto each other while the arena carries on around you.
eventually, your hands return to his waist. tentative at first, then tighter. garrett feels it, the smallest release in his chest. "he doesn't get to have any part of you anymore."
his forehead remains pressed to yours.
you nod, weakly, but you nod. garrett kisses your forehead, then your temple, then the corner of your mouth, careful of his own split lip.
"i've got you, y/n."
your fingers tighten in his jersey.
this time, when you lean into him, he holds you without hesitation.
somewhere behind you, dean calls garrett's name, while allie speaks quietly to one of the team staff.
the celebration continues without either of you.
you stay there for another long moment, listening to the roar of the crowd echoing through the arena. eventually, your breathing begins to steady. you pull back just enough to look at him.
your eyes are still red, your cheeks are damp, but you manage a small nod.
"okay."
garrett searches your face. you swallow hard before nodding again. "i'm okay."
garrett doesn't look convinced.
"baby-"
"garrett."
your hand comes up to cup his bruised cheek. "go."
he frowns.
"this..." your voice catches before you find it again. "this is everything you've ever wanted."
your thumb brushes gently across his cheekbone. "go celebrate. be with your team."
"i'm not leaving you, y/n."
"you're not." another watery smile. "i'll be right here."
his eyes search yours for another few seconds. "promise?"
"promise."
you lean forward first this time, pressing one more soft kiss to his lips. "go get your trophy, captain."
something in his expression breaks before he kisses your forehead gently, "don't go anywhere."
"wasn't planning on it."
he doesn't move.
his hands linger at your waist, his forehead resting against yours for one last second, as though he's trying to convince himself it's okay to leave.
it takes dean's hand landing firmly on his shoulder to finally pull him away, "c'mon, g."
only then does he finally let you go.
he glances back twice before dean catches him around the shoulders, practically dragging him towards the rest of the team.
you watch him disappear into the celebration.
a few seconds later, the championship trophy is lifted high above his head.
i was just thinking about how garrett accidentally bought y/n her oat latte on the sunday she wasn't working & wanted to dissect her reaction to garrett and lily knocking on her door sunday morning, coffee in hand.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ read the full fic here! 💌
from y/n's perspective...nobody ever really does things for her. she gives, constantly. she isn't really used to people remembering her.
-
garrett kills the engine.
for a long moment, he just sits there.
the oat latte warms his hand through the cardboard sleeve.
what am i doing?
this is ridiculous, it's coffee. you have your own coffee machine. you probably haven't even gotten out of bed yet.
he should just-
"we seeing y/n?"
lily's already halfway out of her seat, bunny tucked beneath one arm.
"yeah, bug."
before he can overthink it, he's climbing out of the car.
your apartment building isn't much to look at. garrett has dropped you home a few times, but he's never actually seen inside.
lily skips beside him, clutching her hot chocolate. "i knock?"
"gentle."
she gives exactly one enthusiastic bang before he catches her little fist.
"gentle, lil."
another knock.
a few seconds pass, then footsteps sound before the door creaks open.
you blink at them from behind a pair of oversized sunglasses despite the fact you're very obviously indoors.
your hair is piled into what might've once been a bun, there's faint mascara smudged beneath one eye, and an oversized hoodie hangs off one shoulder.
"oh, hi!"
your voice is hoarse, lily lets out an excited squeal.
"y/n!"
you wince immediately. lily slaps both hands over her own mouth before whispering just as loudly.
"y/n!"
garrett bites the inside of his cheek. "rough morning?"
you let out the most pathetic groan he's ever heard.
"please don't judge me."
he holds out the coffee. "figured this might help."
you stare at it. "is that..."
"your order."
you look between the cup and him. "you bought me coffee?"
garrett rubs the back of his neck. "it was an accident."
"well." you take it carefully, like you're worried it'll disappear if you move too quickly.
"that's the nicest accident anyone's ever had." you crack the lid immediately, inhaling the steam with your eyes closed.
"oh my god."
it's somewhere between relief and reverence.
garrett laughs, it's impossible not to. you look genuinely tragic.
"i don't usually look like..." you vaguely gesture towards your face, "this."
lily studies you with the intense concentration only three year olds seem capable of. "you got black under your eyes."
your shoulders sag, entirely defeated, "i know."
"like a raccoon."
"...thank you, lil."
garrett can't help himself, he laughs outright. you point a finger at him without looking up.
"you're my boss."
another sip.
"you're not supposed to see me hungover."
"noted."
"and for the record, this was a result of peer pressure."
"sounds serious."
"my friends wouldn't take no for an answer."
"mhm."
"don't mhm me."
he grins. "well you survived, y/n."
"barely."
lily wanders closer, her little brows knitting together. she stares up at you for a moment before quietly holding her arms out.
"up?"
your entire expression softens. "of course, lil."
you crouch carefully, still moving like your head hurts, and lift her onto your hip. lily immediately curls into you like it's the most natural place in the world.
one tiny hand keeps hold of her bunny, the other reaches up to cup your cheek. your sunglasses slip down your nose slightly. lily squints at your face with complete seriousness.
then she smooths a few messy strands of hair away from your forehead. her little thumb brushes beneath your eye, trying to wipe away the leftover mascara.
she smiles proudly. "pretty."
the words are so matter-of-fact that your eyes sting before you can stop them.
"thanks, bug." you kiss the top of her head. "you're pretty too."
"i know."
garrett snorts, lily beams at him.
your phone buzzes in your hoodie pocket. balancing lily with one arm, you fish it out. the second your eyes land on the screen.
"oh no."
garrett raises an eyebrow. "what?"
you instinctively angle the screen away. "nothing."
"y/n."
"some guy."
"some guy?"
you sigh dramatically. "i don't even remember giving him my number."
garrett tries very hard to keep his expression neutral. "productive night then."
you groan. "don't."
"i'm just saying."
"i'm deleting his number."
you glance across the road. the little playground is almost empty this early. you smile, lifting your coffee. "do you guys want to sit over there for a bit?"
garrett looks at you. "thought today was your day off."
"it is." you shrug. "but i've already got the coffee."
you smile over the rim of the cup. "would be rude not to drink it with the people who brought it for me."
garrett doesn't hesitate. "okay."
-
five minutes later, you're sitting on a park bench with your sunglasses still firmly on, both hands wrapped around your latte while lily chatters happily between trips down the little slide.
every now and then she runs back over just to announce something incredibly important.
"i did fast!"
"i saw."
"bunny did fast too!"
"she sure did."
then she's gone again.
you lean your head back with a long sigh. "i think i might love you."
garrett nearly chokes on his coffee. your eyes widen behind the sunglasses.
"the coffee."
you point at it immediately. "i meant the coffee."
"...right."
"god."
you bury your face in one hand. "please pretend i've said absolutely nothing for the last five minutes."
he smiles into his cup. "i'll consider it."
you peek over the top of your sunglasses. "you're never letting me live this down, are you?"
"probably not."
"great."
he watches lily race across the grass, bunny bouncing wildly against her side, then he looks at you.
hair a mess, mascara still smudged despite lily's best attempts, hungover enough to look absolutely miserable.
yet somehow still making him laugh before ten in the morning.
i got super carried away with this, but i loved the idea of garrett seeing y/n outside of work for once, where she isn't carrying herself as perfectly as she usually does. he's seeing a more relaxed, unguarded side of her 🤭
am i the only one who doesn’t think garrett’s in the wrong for walking away bc he’s angry? i get where r’s coming from, i hate even the concept of silent treatment, and i’m glad they figured out that it was all a big misunderstanding (re: not checking in, it was more of an accidental semi silent treatment than the full cold shoulder) but i don’t love that none of garrett’s friends seem to be “on his side” (for a lack of better words, i’m too emotionally distraught to find the right one aha soz) in the sense of understanding why he did what he did - why he had to - and being there for him while he’s hurting; not “on his side” as in “not on her side”
it makes me sad :(
it’s a shitty situation but the only one who deserves shit for it is the ex.
i’m excited to see what’s next for them please don’t take this as anything but appreciation for how well you’ve written them: i’m so attached i’m ☹️ this emoji right now (and that’s after sitting with the fic for two hours)
hi! 🤍 firstly, i'm so sorry for such a delayed response! thank you for your message, i 100% agree with you!
i don't think garrett was wrong for walking away. if anything, i think it was probably the healthiest thing he could've done in that moment. he knew he was angry, hurt and overwhelmed, and staying would've risked saying something he could never take back. it was never meant to be a punishment or a deliberate silent treatment, more that he genuinely needed space before he could have that conversation.
i actually think you've made me realise something too. i focused really heavily on y/n's side of everything because we were experiencing it through her perspective (and previous trauma with tom), but i probably could've honed in a little more on garrett's support system as well. not in a "pick sides" way, because i don't think there are sides here, but just showing the people around him recognising that he was hurting too and understanding why he reacted the way he did.
because at the end of the day, as you mentioned, they're both victims of the same person. the only one i ever wanted people to blame was tom!
i'm so glad it came across as more of a misunderstanding than a deliberate cold shoulder though, because that's exactly what i was aiming for, thank you for caring about them this much, makes my heart so happy 😭🤍
Omg I haven’t been on here much but I can’t wait to binge read ‘slowly, then all at once’!! I already know I will love it. Can I be tagged? I don’t want to miss anymore chapters 👀
I’ve read snippets and some thoughts and I’m so excited to find time to read them all at once🤭
yes! i have just added you to the taglist! 🤭 💌
i'm so excited for you to read! genuinely obsessed with lil 🥹
one medium oat latte | slowly, then all at once au 𝜗ৎ
✮⋆˙ slowly, then all at once au masterlist
✮⋆˙ slowly, then all at once au fics!
summary: in which garrett accidentally orders you a coffee on your day off, having a quiet realisation he wasn't expecting.
notes: hi! thank you all so much for the love on this au series <3 i hope you enjoy! 💌 🥹
ꪆৎ
garrett doesn’t realise until he’s already halfway home.
the morning had started the same way most of his rare days off did. lily had climbed into his bed before the sun was properly up, pressing both of her freezing feet against his legs before announcing that she was hungry directly into his ear.
he'd managed to convince her to stay under the blankets for another ten minutes.
which quickly became three.
then she'd demanded pancakes, only to burst into tears because the first one was shaped like a circle instead of a heart.
by the time they left the house, lily was wearing a purple tutu over leggings, one of her braids was already beginning to fall out, and garrett hadn't had nearly enough caffeine to deal with either problem.
the café near the park had become something of a sunday ritual.
the air smelled of fresh coffee and buttered pastries, the espresso machine never seemed to stop hissing, and the line snaked almost to the door with families stopping in after the playground.
lily stays tucked beside garrett, one tiny hand wrapped around his finger while the other absentmindedly drags her stuffed bunny along by one floppy ear.
“daddy."
"yeah, bug."
"bunny wants a drink too.”
garrett can't help but smile, shaking his head. "bunny doesn't have any money."
lily looks up at him, deeply unimpressed. “you have money.”
garrett glances down at her. “that sounds suspiciously like something dean taught you.”
she beams, clearly taking his answer as confirmation, swinging their joined hands between them as they approach the counter.
garrett barely looks at the menu, he never really does anymore.
“large black coffee,” he says, shifting lily higher against his side when she reaches up to be carried. “a small hot chocolate, extra whipped cream.”
lily nods seriously, before leaning towards the counter.
“sprinkles," she whispers.
the barista laughs softly.
"and sprinkles please," garrett amends.
the barista smiles at lily before looking back at garrett. “anything else?”
“and a medium oat latte, please."
the words leave his mouth without hesitation. it's automatic, thoughtless.
garrett pays, moving to the end of the counter, spending the next few minutes stopping lily from touching every packet of sugar within reach.
when their order is called, he balances the cardboard tray in one hand and lily’s bunny in the other while she carefully carries her own hot chocolate with both hands.
“slowly,” he warns as they step outside.
“i am slow.”
she isn’t.
she’s taking tiny, hurried steps, staring down at the whipped cream piled beneath the plastic lid like it might disappear before she gets the chance to drink it.
garrett keeps one hand hovering behind her back the entire walk to the car.
he straps her into her seat, rescues the hot chocolate before she can tip it into her lap, before setting the tray carefully in the cup holders between the front seats.
his coffee fits, lily’s hot chocolate fits, yet the oat latte doesn’t.
he frowns at it for a second, irritated by the inconvenience, before wedging it into the spare holder near the centre console.
it isn’t until he’s driving that something about it begins to bother him. not enough to understand why, just enough that his eyes keep dropping towards the pale cardboard cup every time he stops at a light.
a medium oat latte.
your order.
the same one you always got when the three of you stopped at that exact cafe.
the one he'd started remembering because you always wandered off with lily to look at the pastries before you'd ordered, and he'd grown tired of calling your name across the café.
the one he'd ordered often enough that the words no longer seemed to require conscious thought.
garrett turns onto his street.
lily is humming to herself in the back seat, a ring of whipped cream already clinging to her top lip despite garrett's repeated instructions to wait until they got home.
he reaches for his coffee.
his fingers brush the second cup instead, and then it hits him.
you aren't working today.
he glances at the clock on the dashboard, as though it might somehow prove him wrong.
it's sunday, your day off.
you had reminded him twice. once on friday when he’d asked what time you were coming over, and again yesterday when lily had started planning what the two of you were going to do together.
“y/n isn’t coming tomorrow, bug” garrett had told his daughter.
lily had frowned. “why?”
“because she has a life outside of us.”
he’d said it lightly, teasingly, but the sentence had lingered longer than he’d expected.
garrett looks at the untouched latte again.
he had bought you coffee.
he'd simply stepped up to the counter and ordered three drinks.
one for him, one for lily, one for you, as though there had never been another option. as though three was simply the natural number now.
something unfamiliar settles low in his chest. not panic, exactly, not yet. just a quiet awareness that hadn't been there before.
you’ve worked for him for months. you’ve become part of lily’s routine, which was expected.
you know which socks she’ll wear without arguing and which spoon she wants with her cereal. you know how to coax her into the bath when she’s overtired, how to tell the difference between her genuinely being frightened and simply trying to delay bedtime.
yet somewhere along the way, without garrett noticing, you’ve become part of his routine too.
your shoes beside the front door, your lecture notes scattered across the kitchen table, your voice answering when he calls home from the road, your coffee sitting beside his.
“daddy?”
garrett’s eyes lift to the rear-view mirror. lily is watching him, her brows pulled together.
“yes, bug?”
“you missed our house.”
he looks ahead, their driveway is disappearing behind them in the rear-view mirror.
“...shit.”
lily gasps, garrett closes his eyes briefly.
“no.”
“jar.”
“lily.”
“one monies.”
he lets out a quiet sigh, signalling before turning at the end of the street, "okay."
instantly satisfied, lily settles back into her seat. “where we going?”
garrett glances once more at the oat latte beside him. he could take it home, put it in the fridge, throw it away later when neither of them inevitably drink it.
“we’re going to visit y/n's place.”
lily’s entire face brightens. “we see y/n?”
“we’re dropping something off.”
“my hot chocolate?”
garrett huffs a laugh. “absolutely not.”
she hugs the cup protectively against her chest. garrett shakes his head, unable to stop the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he turns the car around.
he tells himself it's because the drink would only go to waste otherwise.
you don't live too far and lily will be happy to see you.
all perfectly reasonable explanations.
yet none of them explain why his chest feels lighter the second he decides to go.
Heyy so excited for all the new updates for slowly, then all at once. I totally see y/n doing something stem related like health sciences or even psychology!
hi! thank you so much!! 🤍
i was actually thinking the same! i definitely picture y/n studying psychology, i feel like it suits her really well!
she's naturally patient, observant and incredibly empathetic, so understanding people just comes naturally to her. i also love the idea that she's balancing college with nannying, constantly juggling lectures, assignments and work.
i think it also explains why she's so gentle and emotionally attuned with lily, not because she's trying to be perfect, but because caring for people comes so naturally to her 🥹🥹
i absolutely see her specialising in developmental or child psychology!
What happened to lily’s mom? Was she ever in the picture or just a one night stand or what I’m dying to know
i've thought about this a lot because i wanted it to shape who garrett is as a dad without making it feel like there's a 'villain' standing in the way of the romance.
my idea is that lily's mom was in the picture at first. she and garrett weren't in a serious relationship, they'd been seeing each other casually when she unexpectedly fell pregnant. they decided to try and make co-parenting work, but it became obvious pretty quickly that they wanted completely different lives.
garrett fell in love with being a dad almost immediately, every decision he made started revolving around lily.
her mom however, unfortunately didn't.
not because she was evil or cruel. she was twenty three, overwhelmed, and realised motherhood wasn't something she wanted or felt capable of.
after the first year or so, she made the incredibly difficult decision to step away rather than keep drifting in and out of lily's life. garrett fought for full custody, and she signed over primary custody willingly.
she isn't a dramatic ex constantly causing problems, she's simply absent.
garrett never speaks badly about her, especially not around lily. if lily asks where her mom is, he answers honestly in age-appropriate ways
"she loves you in her own way, bug. she just isn't able to be here, but you've got me, and i'm never going anywhere."
i also think that's part of why he's so cautious with y/n.
it's not because he's scared of dating. he's scared of introducing permanence into lily's life that might not actually be permanent.
he's already watched one important adult leave her. he couldn't bear to let her get attached to someone else if there was even a chance they'd disappear too.
which is why the slow burn matters so much. by the time either of them admits their feelings, y/n isn't just 'dad's girlfriend' anymore, she's already become one of the safest, most consistent people in lily's entire world.
for garrett, loving y/n isn't the frightening part.
the frightening part is realising that, if he ever asks her to stay forever, he's not just asking for himself. he's asking for his little girl too, and he refuses to make that promise unless he's absolutely certain they both mean it.
what do you all think of this? or did we want something a little more complex/toxic, leaving it open to potentially create some issues in the future? 🫣 🙂↕️🙂↕️
