boundaries [s.m]

chapter thirty

I could find the buried treasure of ancient kings, but it wouldn't mean a thing without you - Bruno Major, wouldn't mean a thing
-
"hey shawn, can we talk?" aria pops her head around the corner of the study, seeing shawn sitting at the desk, typing away.

it's been about three weeks since arias hospital visit, and about three days since she was officially told she could go back to classes, and be taken off her new diet.

"sure, let me just finish this up and i'll be in the kitchen, yeah?" he says to her, turning around, seeing her dressed in only one of his white button up shirts, and thigh high socks.

"okay, do you want some tea or anything?"

"i'm fine, gorgeous. you sit down and relax," he says to her, making her cheeks flush with adoration and love, before she walks away, back into the kitchen, and takes a seat on one of the bar stools.

although shawn has been incredibly affectionate and caring, aria still can't help being confused. after all, they really did not resolve anything between them, which deeply upsets aria, because she wanted to go back to normal.

shawn however, thought they were back to normal, especially after the past two weeks. he thought that the two of them were great, and they didn't need to touch the subject again, even though it was left unresolved.

but aria knew deep down that they weren't back to normal, in fact, they were far from it. aria felt awkward around him, and she hated it. she wanted to fix it.

"hey darling, what's up?" shawn asks, strolling into the kitchen, and sitting down next to aria on one of the bar stools.

"nothing, i just wanted to talk about things," she answers, biting her lower lip softly. "shawn?"

"hmm?"

"can we talk about what happened?" he sighs softly, nodding, before clasping their hands together. "shawn, i don't feel happy."

"why, baby?" he asks, a slight worried tone running through his voice.

"because, after what you said, i'm still thinking about it. do you really not like our age difference?" she asks him gently, squeezing his hands. "it's only three years shawn, and i'm 18 now."

"i know, i know," he sighs, looking at his girlfriend, who he knows he has hurt more than words can explain. "don't question my love for you, aria. and about the age, i don't know, i was just worried about how the world reacted. which was bad, but you know what? that's besides the point. i'm happy with you, and i want you to be happy too. your happiness matters more than mine now. and if you're not happy, i'm gonna do my best to make you happy again."

"shawn, i heard you at the hospital," she admits, biting her lip gently. "i know you and the doctors probably thought i was still asleep, but i was dipping in and out of consciousness, and i heard what you said."

"well there wasn't a lie in what i said," he says, still holding onto her hands. "aria, i'm crazy about you."

"well i want that too," she says gently. "make me happy again, shawn."

"i'll do my upmost best," he whispers.

"shawn?" aria says quietly to him.

"yeah baby?"

"i want to drop out of uni, i hate it," she says, shocking shawn completely. "i don't like it at all shawn."

"i thought you always wanted to go to uni?" he questions, concerned for the girl in front of him. "do you really want to drop out?" she nods in response.

"i want to," she says. "is there any chance andrew can hook me up with a job?"

"of course, hun. whatever you want, whatever you need. i'll support you in all of your decisions."

at that moment, aria knew shawn was the one for her. she finally understood the realisation married women talk about. she was certain.
-
"mum, dad, i'm dropping out of uni," aria says nervously to her parents, as the three of them sit in a café, quite close to the condo. "i haven't been happy, and i've slowly been turning into a person i don't want to be. uni has been making me so stressed, and really irritable, and i don't want to keep going on for the next three or so years as a person who i don't want to be."

"but sweetie, all successful people go to uni-"

"shawn didn't, a lot of people on his crew didn't. i spoke to andrew and he said he would offer me a job in AG artists," she explains. "that hospital visit was down to me not eating properly because of university. i don't want to go back there."

"if that's what you think is the best idea, then you do it sweetheart," her dad tells her, as she smiles thankfully at him. "uni isn't for everyone, and i already know that no matter what, you will be so successful in whatever you do, with or without a degree. you don't need a degree to be happy, and at the end of the day, it's your mental health that matters the most. i know shawn will help as much as he can to get you a good job, and get you on your feet, and this way you can travel as much as you like. i'm happy for you."

"thank you so much dad, i love you," aria says, leaning over the table to hug him. "and i know it's abrupt, but i spoke to shawn about it yesterday, and he assured me that he would help me with whatever i need."

"why didn't shawn come today?" her mother asks.

"oh, he's at the studio today, but he wanted to say hi, and give you guys these actually," she reaches into her bag, pulling out two john mayer tickets. "he knows how much you wanted to see him, so he asked john for some extra tickets, and now you can have them."

"aw tell him we said thank you," her mother says, taking the tickets. "well, we have to go. your father and i have an engagement party to go to."

"oh, who's engaged?"

"you know uncle peters half sister? she's engaged again," her father explains. "i guarantee we're still going to have to go to another three engagements of hers in the near future."

"that's messy," aria chuckles. "i have to go too, someone's gotta make dinner for tonight," she bids her parents a goodbye, before heading out of the café and back home.

"aria! we love your outfit today," a paparazzi shouts at her, as she sighs softly to herself, smiling and walking away, the cameras still following her.

"thank you!" she says back, bringing her hand to her eyes, blocking out the sun and her face from the cameras.

"how's living with shawn?"

"great, it's really fun," aria says again, continuing her short walk back to the condo.

"have you got anything to say about the rumours of shawn cheating?"

"excuse me?" aria questions, finding about this for the first time. "don't make shit up, that's just stupid."

she ignores them for the rest of the stretch, before opening the door to the lobby of the condo, walking in, and leaving the cameras outside. she sighs gently to herself, seeing shawn walking up to the elevator.

"shawn!" she yells, running forward, and into the elevator which shawn has just gotten into.

"oh, hey babe," he grins, leaning down to peck her lips softly. "how was coffee with your parents?"

"good, they accepted my decision," she responds, as shawn smiles. "how was the studio?"

"i'm glad," he tells her, hooking his arm around her waist. "studio was good, i got three songs recorded, it's just a matter of finishing the instrumental parts of it now," he chuckles, leaning down to kiss aria again. she smiles, kissing him back lightly.

although, the questions the paparazzi asked still lingered in the back of her mind.