Yours Truly, Austin Post - Post Malone

41

The tour is a little chaotic and very busy, there are always people buzzing around and Austin is pulled in so many directions with sound checks, concerts, interviews, and music promotions. But, he always finds time for Grayson and will halt a sound check if Grayson runs on the stage to ask him something. It does not matter to Austin that he is now Post Malone - his son will always come first. The only time they get alone is during dinner and bedtime - Austin is very strict on reserving that time, ensuring that it always happens, and then listens with full attention as Grayson gives him a full detailed account of his and Ava's adventures for the day.

Grayson has a lady that is employed to care for him while Austin works but Ava prefers to keep Grayson with her even when Austin tells her to go and do something for herself, she shakes her head and insists that her day would suck if Grayson was not in it. So Austin relents and lets her choose what to do with Grayson while he works - he trusts her with him. She and Grayson find a list of places the Queen visits and they visit as many places as they can while in London - they don't get to meet her, but they have fun looking for her. When they travel to a new city they find new things to do and new people to stalk, they never find any of the people but their days are never wasted. It's a ton of fun and Ava finds herself almost painfully attached to Grayson - she could just not imagine a life without him.

They attend all Austin shows, standing at the side of the stage and singing along to his songs. Gracie had been a fan but, Grayson is a super fan - he has stars in his eyes as he watches his father and during one concert he tells Ava that he wants to be just like his dad one day. Grayson never quite makes it through a full show often slumping his tired little body over Ava near the last few songs, she cuddles him to her chest till Austin is finished, and then when he gets off stage he takes him from her. On the way to the hotel, Ava always shows Austin the pictures she took of Grayson - he looks like Gracie by the way he stares at his father in the pictures.

They drive around Britain for the first two weeks of the tour and Ava finds she grows closer to Austin with each passing day. He is Post Malone but he is still the same Austin he has always been - fame does not change him. He is kind, considerate, and funny no matter how many red carpets people lay down at his feet and for that, Ava finds she too respects him along with all the other feelings she feels towards him that are growing at an alarming pace. She feels like he fills a missing link that she had never realized was missing. Their relationship is unique - it stands alone and Ava cherishes it. He feels comfortable enough to talk about Gracie and she always listens when he does encouraging him to go into detail when he shares a story or a memory. When she speaks of Carter, Austin will give her his full attention asking her to elaborate as he smiles fondly at the recount of her life with Carter and although Ava has found many things over the years that have helped heal her a little - she has never felt more healed than by the way Austin ensures that Carter is never a forgotten memory, just like Gracie.

When they leave on an early flight from Brittan to Italy, Ava has to give herself a talking to quietly. The cell phone reception will be bad in the air so she knows she will have to skip Carter's morning joke. She keeps herself busy helping Grayson build a Lego car while Austin dives into a meeting with Dre about the next leg of his tour. Halfway through the Lego car, she hears Austin call a flight attendant over to him and she looks at his back while he talks to the attendant.

"You have a radio on this flight?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can you tune it to an American station?"

"We can sir."

"Please tune it to Radio 97 and turn it up loud enough for us to hear," he says quietly then goes back to his meeting with Dre without turning around to look at Ava. He needs no accolades for the things he does, it's not about that for him - he knows it's important to Ava, and that's all that matters to him. She listens carefully to the joke then laughs when Grayson falls back in a heap of giggles. "That's the worst one I have heard so far!" he says giggling. Ava looks up and sees Austin and Dre have turned around, watching Grayson with soft fond smiles on their faces. Austin's eyes dart to her and then he winks at her before turning around and continuing his meeting.

In Italy they do not stay in a hotel, rather, they are placed in a villa. It's very private and has a pool overlooking the sea. It's beautiful and Ava takes a million pictures. She has never been out of the US and regrets not having been brave enough to travel sooner - but she feels pretty dam brave with Austin around so she thinks she might just try a bunch of stuff she has been putting off for years. They will only be here for a week before they move on to another country so she needs to get planning on what she is going to do with Grayson while she is here. Standing out near the pool and looking down at the warm inviting beach she knows a morning of seashell hunting will be on the list.

She hears movement behind her and turns to see Austin walking out onto the patio. "He is out cold. Traveling takes its toll on him. Sometimes I feel a little guilty about dragging him around," he says walking up beside her and watching the sun slowly set.

"Grayson would be gutted if you ever left him at home while you are tour. He loves everything about his life, Austin."

Austin is quiet for a long time, not moving, just taking in the sight before him then he sighs softly and turns to Ava. "You love him, I can tell and it's not just because he is Gracie's child...you love him because of the beautiful boy he is all on his own. That means something to me...it means a great deal. I wrestled with that while he was in Hope's belly. Would I only love him only because of Gracie? Would I try and shape him to be a carbon copy of her? Am I doing this because I want to feel the love I felt with her again? I miss that love so much. There were so many things...until I held him for the first time. I saw him, not Gracie and I knew we would be different...not Gracie and Austin but Grayson and Austin. He has so much of her in him but he is his own person...he blows my mind."

Ava smiles at him which only prompts him to smile back at her. He looks so lovely in this pink hue from the setting sun, she sees him so differently now. So very different from the man she first met. Her feelings scare her but at the same time they don't - it's an odd place to be.

"Ava, I...I have been wrestling with my feelings toward you lately. Something inside me has changed, there is a want...a desire, and I feel guilty but not remorseful. I don't know where I stand, Ava, and I don't want to be unfair to you...but I do like having you around. There are no expectations...I don't expect liberties...but if you would be patient with me I think...well, I know, that I would like to see where this goes."

"I would like that too."

Austin scans her face then sucks in his lips and nods, turning back to the setting sun. Ava turns too then feels Austin's hand find hers and he laces their fingers together gently as they watch the sun finally dip behind the horizon.