Just a Game | ASHANNIE | ✓

thirty-six

She honestly didn't know how he had scored these tickets. Front row seats were very expensive, and she'd likely interrogate him earlier on the matter but right now it was okay.

Asher surprised Annie for their ten year anniversary since they got married when Annie was 18. He told her to get in their car and that Hayley was coming over to watch the kids. He told her not to worry about anything for the first time in twenty years, and she did it.

She hadn't been able to tear her eyes away from the game, and felt kind of bad that maybe she shouldn't have been able to tear her eyes off of her husband. But during half time she noticed how long it took his eyes to stray back to her, and she smiled back at him.

She texted Hayley, asking about the kids when he wasn't looking. She got a text back pretty quickly.

Hayley: Izzy and Gray and I are watching Disney movies and Noah is asleep in his room. They're fine, enjoy your date and leave us alone

Asher snatched her phone out of her hand before she could reply. "Do you not trust her?" He teased, and Annie made a face that said she was thinking hard about it. "She's watched them every since Gray was born. Seven years. She's an adult." He accentuated every word in the last two sentences.

Annie smiled. "Don't remind me, it makes me feel old."

Asher's face deadpanned. "We have three kids, Anns." Annie shifted in her seat, getting uncomfortable without something to distract her.

"I know I still haven't lost all the weight from the third." She grumbled, looking down on herself and Asher held her hand, bringing her attention back to him.

"Even if you never do, you're beautiful."

"Would ya quit you're yapping, the game is about to start." Asher turned to his side, and Annie realized that his best friend might be why they had the tickets in the first place. Jack.

"I gave my kid your name, could you leave us alone?" Asher joked back, and Annie grinned.

"Only the middle name, and no I can't tune out lovey dovey bs." Jack threw back, and Annie turned back to the game, but she heard Asher reply back.

"Just because you can't keep a supermodel on your arm for more than two weeks doesn't mean we're disgustingly in love." Asher mumbled.

"We're not?" Annie sat up straighter and turned to him, and Asher's eyes widened.

"No of course we are angel." He immediately said.

"Whipped." Jack mumbled this time.

"Sure am." Annie replied this time, holding Asher's hand tighter and then focusing on the game.

-

Annie and Asher made sure to be quiet coming in, because putting small children to bed is exhausting. When they walked into the living room, Hayley was on the side of the couch, her phone half falling out of her hand with Izzy laying on her side.

Izzy's dark blonde hair fell over her face, and Annie walked over to move it behind her ear. "Should we move her?" Annie whispered to Asher, who shook his head at the pair. Instead they wrapped a blanket over them, and mumbled a goodnight.

As they got to the top of the stairs, Asher wrapped his arms around Annie, lifting her up and dragging her into their room in order to not check up on the boys.

He kissed her, and she pulled back "But we should check on Noah-" He kissed her again.

"There's a baby monitor, he's fine."

Another kiss.

"What if Gray is having nightmares again-"

oh look another kiss.

"Angel, you're a great mother, but it's our anniversary. We deserve a break."

Annie debated it before she said "Don't get me pregnant again."

-

The next day they were having a cookout with just the family. Asher was playing basketball with Gray and Izzy, while Paige, Hayley, and Anthem all crowded little baby Noah Jack Angel. Annie had just been on the phone with work when she came out and tried to decide which group to join.

"Mommy!" Izzy came running at her legs. "Gray kicked my shins to make me drop the ball again!"

Annie huffed, Asher would just about let that boy get away with anything. "Grayson Caleb Angel!" She called him, and both he and her husband turned like a deer in headlights.

Gray looked like a mini Asher, with darker hair and Annie's nose. It was annoying because Gray copied him too. "What mommy?" He asked, Annie noted he still hadn't dropped the ball.

"What did I say about a fair game?" She walked closer with Izzy behind her legs. "If you want to play when you get older cheating won't do you any good."

And then Annie added "Plus hurting your sister is wrong. You're supposed to protect her."

Gray looked between her and Asher. "But I do protect her! From other people." Annie glanced at the small five year old girl, those green eyes nearly always took her breath away.

They were her shape, but his eye color. Stunning.

"Sometimes you need to protect her from yourself too." Annie looked back at Gray. "If you kick or hit her again, I'll allow her to hit back," he didn't seem too mad at that until she added "Twice."

"But that's not fair!" He called out and Asher laughed, Annie gave him a look that said this wasn't the time. "That should give you more incentive to not hit her then huh?!" Grayson mumbled under his breath and Asher picked him up, tossing him over his shoulder.

"Hahaha!" Izzy teased at her brother and Annie flipped on her.

"Isabelle Parker Angel, that doesn't mean you can tease him into hitting you either!"

Izzy paled and ran off to behind Asher's legs, who shrugged at Annie.

Her face softened at the sight, before she walked over to Anthem holding her baby.

-

So the kids! Woo!

There's

Grayson Caleb Angel
- seven years old
- Annie's brown hair and nose
- Asher's....everything else

Isabelle Parker Angel
- five years old
- Annie's eyes, lips, and cheeks
- London's kind of color hair?
- Asher's eye color, nose, and face shape

Noah Jack Angel
- seven months
- Annie's eyes but in hazel, nose, and cheeks
- Asher's lips, dimples, and hair color

Thank you for all the comments on names! I really appreciate them!

I would like to thank everyone for their comments and votes on every chapter, and for enjoying this story. I know so many of you wanted it to continue, and I'm thankful for those that despite that understand that I'm just kind of running in circles at this point. I love all of you for your support on this story, and I hope you all have enjoyed it. If you want you can go check out the parallel universe story to this called "Karma's a Very Nice Lady" or the ashannie hogwarts au called "Broken Daydream"