Michael Vey One-Shots

A Happily Ever After

Hey guys! I apologize for how long it's been since I have updated. School is a nightmare right now but I'm trying my best! This update is going to be different from my normal one-shots. This is in the POV (point of view) of Jack's old best friend from grade school (before he met Wade). And since I hate when my OCs don't have happy endings, there's a bonus fluffy epilogue at the end featuring Matt and his future family! It's set around three years after he ran into Jack and Abi at the grocery store. Let me know what you think of this format, it's something new I'm testing out!

Matt adjusted the leather jacket he wore, shifting uncomfortably in the ninety-five degree weather. He knew he could easily take the jacket off, but he felt safer with it on - as if its very presence would scare off anyone who tried to approach him. Matt embraced his life as an outcast, skirting around the edges of society, keeping his head down and his outward appearance as unwelcoming as possible. After years of being let down by those he had let in, those he had trusted, it was the safest way to keep his sanity. As he stepped into the grocery store, he relaxed slightly as the blast of air conditioning washed over him. He was careful to keep to the edges of the store - the employees tended to be adverse to twenty-five year old guys in leather jackets, messy hair, dark jeans, and combat boots. Matt barely glanced at the items he carelessly threw into the handheld basket he snagged as he walked through the door. He just needed food, he didn't care how it tasted. He stopped abruptly as he realized he needed more bandages; his habit of street fighting hadn't improved over the past few years. "Bandages," he grumbled to himself as he weaved in and out of the aisles until he came to a stop in the newborn supplies aisle, his gaze landing on a large assortment of bandages of all sizes. Why the heck are the bandages in the baby aisle? he thought to himself as she strode over to the lined shelves. He had just started reading the packaging when movement in  his peripheral caught his eye, and he slowly turned to glance at the person a few feet away from him, their eyes trained on the equally large selection of baby formula a few rows down. Matt was about to turn back to his task when he finally took in the person's features, his brain moving a mile a minute trying to clock who the man was. The man had messy brown hair that hung in his eyes and a sharp jawline that reminded Matt of some of the street fighters he had come across during his time. He wore a uniform of some sorts - a white button down shirt and ripped black jeans, his jacket that bore a strong resemblance to the one Matt currently wore slung over his shoulder. The cart propped next to the man was filled to the brim with different household supplies and food, topped off with assorted baby toys and clothing. Suddenly, flashes of Matt's life before he ran away from home came back to him. He was ten, running alongside a boy his age with familiar, messy brown hair as they kicked a soccer ball back and forth. He was twelve, wiping a bloody nose as he watched the school bully's large frame retreat into the distance, and that same boy was helping him up, handing him a tissue and promising to punch the bully's face in. He was thirteen, standing in the boy's driveway passing a basketball back and forth as they both contemplated what the boy's recent news would mean for their friendship, their backs turned away from the moving van behind them. He was fifteen, beating up a small kid in his class because he had no one there to stop him - no one to turn to. And then he was twenty-five, standing in front of that boy who was now a man, watching him scan the bottles of baby formula, oblivious to the man stood who stood next to him, slack-jawed. "J-Jack?" Matt asked, clearing his throat quickly to hide his embarrassment over stuttering. Jack turned around slowly, confusion mixed with skepticism painted clearly across his features, his jaw clenched as if Matt was about to arrest him or beat him up. Jack's face twisted in confusion before recognition slowly dawned, his eyes widening and the hard look sliding off of his face. "Matt?" Matt nodded, still in shock. He had never thought he would see Jack again. He had convinced himself the moment the moving truck pulled out of the empty driveway that Jack would never come back. But yet, here he was, standing in a grocery store three states away from their childhood homes, his cart filled with confusing items that didn't match the intimidating man next to them. "God, I never thought..." Matt trailed off, unsure of what to say next. It almost didn't seem real. Jack was the only person who every truly understood Matt, who understood the struggles of having a drunkard father and an absentee mother. Matt wasn't the sentimental type - not by a long shot - but he had to admit that Jack had been the only true friend he had ever had. No one else had come close in the twelve years since Jack's family had moved to Idaho. Jack stepped forward, as they were standing about fifteen feet apart, and it would be awkward to have to yell to speak to each other. "Matt. How are you, man?" Matt twisted his leather bracelet around his wrist, contemplating how to respond to that question. It seemed like a throwaway question, one that required a minimal, surface-level answer. But if Matt knew Jack, he knew that Jack didn't ask surface-level questions. "I'm holding up," he chose to respond, looking anywhere but at Jack. "I mean, things are so different now." Jack nodded, his face filled with understanding, as if he knew exactly what Matt meant. What had happened to Jack? "That's the truth if I've ever heard it. How's your family? Your sister?" Matt inwardly smiled at Jack's remembrance of his baby sister Hazel, the one bright spot in his otherwise dim life. "She's doing well, actually. She's a senior now, captain of the cheerleading squad at Meridian High," he explained. Jack broke into a grin. "That's awesome to hear, man. Did you-wait," he answered, cutting himself off. "Did you say Meridian High?" Matt nodded, his confusion evident on his face. "That's my old high school," Jack replied, his face open in surprise. "My good friend Michael's wife used to be the head cheerleader there, back when we were in high school." Matt wasn't sure how many more surprises he could take that day. "Wow, small world, huh?" Jack laughed, nodding in agreement. "I'd say. Where you at now?" he asked, jerking his head towards Matt's overflowing basket. "Oh, I'm staying at an apartment about fifteen minutes from here. After mom and dad got divorced, Hazel moved in with mom who lives on the other side of town, and I hightailed it out of there and got my own place as soon as I could afford it. I've been living there since," Matt explained. Normally, he wouldn't feel comfortable sharing as much information as he did, but Matt knew deep down that Jack wanted to hear that he was okay. "I'm glad that things are better now," Jack replied, leaning casually against the wall of shelves next to him. "What do you do?" Matt was pleasantly surprised at his interest. "I'm a factory worker at the Amazon warehouse downtown. I pack boxes and sometimes deliver." Jack nodded with total interest. "What about you?" Matt asked, eager to hear about Jack's life. A ghost of a smile graced Jack's face as he registered the question. "I'm the head of security at Vey Industries, down in Boise. I sometimes work in California too, at the Pasadena facility." Matt's eyes widened as he took in the information. Vey Industries was one of the largest energy companies in the world at the moment. They had suddenly popped up out of nowhere, already on top, around four years prior and took the world by storm. To have a head job there was something no ordinary person could accomplish. "Are you kidding? That place is legendary," Matt replied, trying to keep himself from blurting out all of the other questions swirling through his mind. Jack chuckled, his cart moving slightly with the action. "I know the owner well." Matt glanced at Jack, trying to formulate his next question, but Jack seemed to understand what he was asking and spoke up before Matt could open his mouth. "I live in the neighborhood directly behind this grocery store, actually. My sister still owns her tanning salon and is planning on opening a few others around the area. My dad, well, he's in rehab right now. We're trying to get him off of his addiction. It seems to be working, at least." Matt nodded, almost satisfied. "That's great, Jack. I mean it. Anyway, what-" Matt's question was cut off by a sweet, soft voice behind him. "Jack, don't forget the baby formula. I can't go another day without it. I..." the girl's voice trailed off as she rounded the corner. Matt turned to look and his jaw almost touched the floor. The voice belonged to a small, pretty blonde wearing a pink sweater, white skinny jeans, and tall beige heels. She held a two grocery bags in one hand and a baby carrier in the other. At another glance, Matt noticed something else - she was pregnant. She only seemed to be a few months along, but with her small frame there was no mistaking the bump. She glanced at Matt curiously, her bright blue eyes shining with confusion and a hint of - fear? Fear? he thought to himself, am I really that intimidating? Matt turned back to Jack to see his face light up, in a way he never had thought someone's face could. "Abi, this is Matt, my old best friend from middle school." The girl visibly relaxed at Jack's explanation, her fear replaced by a large, blinding white smile that made Matt's heart skip a beat. Matt prided himself on being a lone wolf, but every once in a while he found himself staring a little to long at a girl he passed on the street, or in his apartment building. "Hey, Matt. I've heard a lot about you!" the girl exclaimed, shifting the baby carrier to her other arm so she could shake his outstretched hand. Wow, her hand's soft, Matt thought to himself. "I'm Abigail." Even her name's pretty. Okay, stop thinking about her, he thought again, instead choosing to shoot her a smile. Abigail waltzed over to Jack's cart and plopped her bags into it, before setting the baby carrier down gently. That's when Matt's mind finally decided to make the connection between the contents of Jack's cart and Abigail's baby carrier. His gaze drifted to Abigail's left hand, catching on the glittering diamond ring and wedding band, and then moved to where's Jack's hand rested on his cart, once again catching on his silver band on his ring finger. Jack chose that moment to slip his arm around Abigail's waist, pulling her into his side. "Matt, this is my wife, Abigail. And this," he nodded towards the baby carrier on Abigail's other side, "is Wade, our son." Matt was now positive he couldn't take anymore surprises today. "Y-your son?" Jack laughed knowingly, nodding. "Yeah, I still can't believe it either. He's around ten months old. And," he continued, looking down at his wife with a look of pure adoration, "we have another one coming in around six months." Matt couldn't help the smile that graced his face. "Congrats, man," he said, peering into the baby carrier. The baby was no doubt Jack's, as it had his facial shape and brown eyes, but Abigail's light blonde hair. Abigail smiled brightly, reaching in and stroking Wade's blonde hair softly. "What gave you the idea for Wade's name?" Matt asked conversationally. Abigail's gaze softened, and she glanced at Jack as a painful expression crossed his face. Matt felt guilty, he hadn't meant to hit a sore spot. "We named him after someone we lost a few years ago. My best friend from high school, Wade." Matt could register the pain on both Jack and Abigail's faces as they mulled over the memory of their lost friend. Matt wondered what happened, what caused them both to look so jaded. He didn't miss the scars littering Jack's arms, and Abigail's petite, thin frame that looked as if it bordered on malnourishment. But Matt also noticed the light in their eyes as they looked at each other, and their son. He knew that whatever they had been through, they were together, and that's all that mattered. Matt did something that surprised himself, he stepped forward and hugged Jack, trying not to show how much he missed his old friend. Jack seemed surprised for a moment before tentatively returning the gesture, pulling away after a moment. Abigail's eyes sparkled with something akin to love and pride, her hand covering her mouth. She shot Matt a look that he interpreted right away - thank you. He nodded imperceptibly. "Would you like to come over for dinner?" Jack asked, addressing Matt. Matt nodded, his walls that he had built to protect himself cracking every so slightly. It would take a long time for the scars to fade, but Matt knew that he was one step closer to a happily ever after - no matter how long it would take.

**

Matt turned the key in the door's lock, swinging it open as he shed his coat and hung it on the rack by the door frame. He took a deep breath, smiling as he registered the familiar scent of his favorite pasta. Stepping over toy cars and trains, he walked past the living room, the sound of a Disney movie leaking from the open doorway, and into the kitchen, where he caught sight of her. Her back was turned away from him as she hummed softly along to the song from the TV, stirring the pasta absentmindedly. Her long, waist-length auburn hair spilled across her shoulders, complimenting her yellow floral blouse and tan pencil skirt paired with forest-green flats. He set down his briefcase to alert her of his presence and walked up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and burying his face in her neck, breathing in her delicious vanilla scent. She giggled, turning off the burner and spinning around in his arms, placing her hands on his chest as she leaned up towards him and pressed her lips to his. "Hey, Ams," he whispered after he pulled back. Amberly kissed his cheek before turning back to the pot in front of her. "I made your favorite," she exclaimed as she dumped the pot's contents into the bowl beside her. He kissed the top of her head in gratitude before venturing into the living room, his eyes landing on the small toddler sitting on the carpet, pushing a toy car along with his eyes glued to the movie on the TV. "Daddy!" Oliver yelled, dropping his toy as he ran over to where Matt was crouched and into his arms. Matt scooped Oliver up, carrying him into the kitchen where Amberly was still humming along as she set the table. When she looked up, her green eyes catching his, he grinned and watched the blush rise on her cheeks. He walked over to where she stood and pulled her into an embrace, Oliver resting between them. She laughed as she kissed Oliver's forehead before kissing Matt once again. Matt smiled, the last of the walls crumbling as he realized that he had reached what he had never knew he needed - a happily ever after. As he gazed upon his wife and son, he finally was complete. 

So, what'd ya think? I am pretty proud of this one - sometime it's fun to take a break from writing about the same characters and incorporate some new ones, I actually had a lot of fun writing the mini epilogue for Matt, Amberly and Oliver! See you guys next time :)