doppelgänger --> there's never just one {sequel}

scout & andy

That night as Scout and Andy got all ready and situated for bed he heard one twin shut off the shower and the other slam a door. He furrowed his brow, lifting up the sheets and getting in bed, wondering all the while what drama was happening now.

I swear if it's about the stupid dishes again.., Andy thought as he reminisced the past couple of nights that his daughters argued back and forth who's dishes were really whose and one refusing to wash them as she thought they were used by the other.

Exhausting.

Trying to put all of his worries aside and relax for the night, his head hit the pillow and he let out a sigh of relief, then feeling Scout's soft palm against his arm as she went on to hold onto his arm gently, leaning over and kissing his jaw from what she could reach. He grinned, heart happy and his mind now off of whatever he thought concerned him or that of which he believed he had an obligation of some sort to worry about.

He tucked himself into bed then, pulling the sheets up to his tattooed throat, forgetting about the new piece he had just been inked with, and felt a burning and cringed slightly, clenching his teeth. "Goddamnit."

"What?" Scout smiled softly, looking over at his face, with her hand on his chest and the other wrapped around his right arm. "Did you forget to get up and get something before you got all comfortable?"

"No, but that does remind me, I meant to set out the pill containers for the morning so I would remember to call for refills. Oh well." He turned his head to face her, "But I just said that earlier because... well, I forgot about my new ink and I rubbed the sheets all over it."

They laughed together.

"I know it's stupid," he admitted. "It just burns. Its such a normal thing for me now I guess I just don't even think about it..."

Scout watched his expressions and his face and his mouth as he talked, her eyes with practical hearts in them as she stared at him and adored him from up close. It was like she had a macro view of him and could see every little detail, every one of his little blonde baby hairs coming in that rested on his forehead as he laid there with her. Her love for him would never grow old.

She had made babies with this man and boy did he create some good looking children. She sometimes thought about how pretty her children were thanks to their father's handsome appearance and admirable, to say the least, personality and air about him, even. They were great people, just like he had always been.

She traced the lines of black tattoo ink along his shoulder just before lying her head down on him, smelling the faint scent of nicotine again like she always did. It was the smell of home. He was her home. He was what comforted her the most, and the man right beside her through everything, all the time and always there.

Smiling softly as she heard her children's voices down the hall, she got cozy under her man's arm and felt a soft kiss on her temple as he deep voice breathed, "I love you."

*

Was she his favorite or what.

That next morning, for what felt like the first time since they had been dating without kids — they were without kids. They were all out of the house and doing their own thing, whether it was a trip or visiting family or shopping or at their grandparents' house or playing video games at a friend's; the grand babies each lugged along with them to wherever their next planned destination would be. Andy and Scout, meanwhile, remained in their home being silly, messing around and spending time together.

Finally.

Andy felt entirely blessed to call this amazing human his — and Scout felt the same way but in reverse, about him. He smiled big, his nose scrunched up all cute when she climbed onto him and tilted his head back gently, avoiding the the area his new tattoo occupied but kissing him softly all over. His heart sped up some more. He had been with her, in all, for so many years, yet the marriage between them still seemed to stay simply magical.

Scout pushed his hair back, meeting his eyes and looking at him once again, adoringly. "You're a good dad. I hope you realize that, Andrew Biersack."

"Well thank you, but I must be a terrible life partner considering we're here together, alone and you mentioned my status as being a dad and not a husband," he joked lightly. Scout shook her head, smiling some.

"Shut up," she told him, still grinning, going in for another kiss. "And you're a wonderful husband, too."

"That's what I like to hear!"

"Just take a compliment, you butt."

He laughed, his shoulders shaking but his laugh mostly inaudible because whether you heard it or not, the way someone could tell Andy was laughing was by the movement of his shoulders. And Scout would always tease him about that — 'your laugh is silent but I can tell by the way you look right now'.

"Hey. Do you want to drive to the beach? Or how about we stay here — just watch tv. Alone," he hinted, and his wife laughed in response, nodding. He smiled, even though he knew, playing dumb, "What? What are you nodding yes to?!" He continued to laugh, "Good God woman, I can never get a straight answer from you, can I?"

She shook her head, laughing, and grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt collar when he picked his head up to kiss her at the awkward angle they were positioned in. He moved suddenly to readjust the way he was sitting, all sprawled out on the couch below her, and she rolled off of him, making her scream, but he caught her in time of course. He was such a jokester and it drove her crazy but made her laugh so hard. "Stop it, Andy —"

"Stop what?" he questioned, trying to keep the grin off his face as he jerked abruptly again, making her grab him again in shock, his hand lightly on her lower back just in case she were to actually fall. "Andy!"

"I'm not doing anything!" He smiled, pulling her against him, Scout's face above Andy's and his chest against her stomach/abdomen area. He buried his face into her, his cheek against her chest for a moment as he changed the position of his face and nuzzles against her skin until he picked what felt right. He ended up with his forehead rested under her collarbone and eyes closed, hands on her waist as he relaxed in her arms. They slowly transferred to her hips so he could pull her just another centimeter closer, as if there was still any room left in the nonexistent gap between them for her to squeeze in.

He adored her, as did she absolutely love him more than anything in the world. And those were facts. They had been through everything, had stuck together entirely, and would continue to up past their dying day(s).

"I love you, Scouty." He said onto her chest, sounding muffled, as she went back,

"I love you more, Andy baby."

And that was just it.