Yours Truly, Austin Post - Post Malone

42

Italy is beautiful and so is France, Spain, Germany, Poland, and Sweden. By the time they get to Russia Ava needs to start sorting out her photos because she has so many. Most of them have Grayson in them but she can't help it he is just so adorable and she wants to take a million photos of him and capture every memory which only serves to solidify Austin's mumbling's of her being a stalker, but when she hands him her phone to look at the photos he can't stop sending them to his phone to keep too.

Austin does not know Russia well so mentions to Ava that perhaps she and Grayson should keep their galavanting to a minimum. Ava agrees, she would never do anything with Grayson that would make Austin feel uncomfortable. One day while Austin is busy with sound check Grayson asks for ice cream and Ava remembers that they had passed an ice cream shop on the way to the stadium and it's within walking distance. So she wraps him in a warm jacket and steps out of the stadium with him. Austin has a bodyguard for them just in case but he lingers behind them so they don't feel like they are being constantly watched. They walk through some die-hard fans who had camped out the night before and none of them take any notice of Grayson or Ava - Austin has continued to keep Grayson out of the spotlight to give him a taste of a normal life.

Grayson skips to the ice cream shop trying to decide which flavor he is going to get and when Ava says he can have sprinklers too he almost wets his pants with excitement. He chooses a mix of strawberry and chocolate with multi-colored sprinkles. While they are watching the ice cream being scooped Ava notices a crowd of photographers gathering outside, the fans may not know who Grayson is, and even if they do they are always respectful for Austin's sake, but the media never are and the more Austin hides Grayson the more savage they get.

"Grayson put your hoodie over your head, love."

"Aww, why?" he groans. "There are photographers outside and you know your dad is trying to keep you out of the spotlight. Don't fuss, please do as I have asked," Ava says. Grayson groans but pulls his hoodie up, hiding his face. Ava does the same, she's not too keen about being in the spotlight either. Grayson is handed his ice cream and Ava takes his hand tightly. "Head down and as soon as we are far enough away you can eat your ice cream," Ava says. "Ok," Grayson replies slightly annoyed - not at her but at the photographers and Ava feels the same. Grayson is just a kid, he should not have to deal with this shit. It's not Austin's fault either this sits squarely with those money-hungry assholes.

Ava walks out of the ice cream shops walking as quickly as she can with Grayson through the crowd. They are almost at the end when she suddenly feels Grayson being grabbed and when he whimpers it only confirms her suspicion. Her blood boils, how dare they. "Hey! Let go of him!" she warns. "Oh come on miss we just want one photo. Look up kid," a photographer says. Ava sees red and gets in between Grayson and the photographer then shoves him away. "I said don't touch him!" she warns again, she can hear Grayson crying softly behind her which only makes her more angry. "He is just a fucking kid," she spits out. "What the fuck! Don't push me!" the photographer says then lunges at her, she holds her ground fully intending to punch his stupid face if it means getting to leave Grayson alone but Austin's bodyguard suddenly appears and grabs the photographer. "Not today," he growls in his ear then flicks his head to Ava. She turns and sees the black SUV arriving so she grabs Grayson and hops into it with him.

She cradles him to her chest as he cries, the SUV speeding off toward the hotel. Austin is going to be furious with her and she can't deal with an angry Austin and a sad Grayson right now. So she is happy to hide in the hotel till Grayson calms down before Austin tears into her. She feels awful for putting Grayson in that position, he must have been so scared. "It's ok, Gracie, we're fine now, darling," she says trying to soothe him. "That man made me drop my ice cream," he sniffles.

"Is that why you are crying?"

"Yes, I wanted it," he says now angry. Ava has to hide her laugh, she's relieved he is not traumatized by some random man grabbing him - he is just mad over his ice cream.

Once at the hotel, she orders a huge bowl of ice cream for Grayson and lets him cuddle in his bed watching cartoons as he digs in. But, she's a wreck. How is she going to explain this to Austin? He is going to be so mad at her. She should have let him know that she was taking Grayson. What if something more serious had happened? The thought makes her sick to her stomach. He is going to kill her. She jumps when she hears the key in the door and then stands wringing her hands as the door opens and Austin walks in.

He looks at Ava, raising one brow as he closes the door and throws the key on the table. "Ava," he says greeting her with suspicion. Ava bites her lip then takes a deep breath, she might as well get this over with. She can't do anything else.

"Grayson and I ran into trouble today."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Yup, my bodyguard told me what happened."

"I am so sorry. It just all happened so quickly and I didn't think anything would happen. It was so close to the stadium I didn't think...I am so sorry. I would never place Grayson in danger intentionally."

"I know that."

Ava wrings her hands again and bites back tears. "I am so sorry," she mumbles. Austin smirks and walks closer to her. "My bodyguard says you got in that photographer's face. You were ready to punch him...I never took you as a violent woman, Ava," he says. "He grabbed Grayson and I just...I got so angry. He is just a kid," Ava says. Austin nods and moves a little closer. "He says you were like a wild mama bear," Austin says. Ava shrugs and looks away, she had felt like a wild mama bear when that guy touched Grayson.

"I trust you with my son, Ava."

"You do?" she asks looking back at Austin with a frown. "Mhmm, I do," he says wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in tight. "Don't beat yourself up about it. I have had to deal with that too - they are bloodsucking assholes," he says then kisses her forehead as Ava closes her eyes and gets a little lost in how soft his lips are.