Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x M!Reader

Twenty-Nine

"My babiiiess!", with absolute delight on her face your mother stormed down the driveway of her small Scottish cottage, arms wide open.

As soon as Kyle had switched off the engine, Elli began to tug at his seatbelt. With a sigh, you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes and helped him.

"Granny!", faster than you could look he had slipped between your legs and jumped into your mum's arms.

"My little one!", she covered his little face with kisses.

"Mum, he'll probably give you another cold, don't do that.", you remind her.

She happily hugged her eldest grandson. Elli giggled.

"Granny!", Matti tried to free himself from his seat. "I want too!"

Kyle took him in his arms. Your mum's eyebrows raised in surprise. Then her eyes narrowed.

"I know you.", she tilted her head. "Ben!"

Your father stuck his head out of the door with a grumble. He hasn't had a reason to wear jeans since he retired. Jogging bottoms had become his best friend. He had let his hair grow, at least as much as he could at his age. He was starting to go bald.

"Flower?", he asked with a sober smile in your mum's direction.

She laughed, then looked at Kyle too.

"Doesn't this face look familiar?"

He lifted his chin scrutinisingly to look at him over the rim of his glasses. His dark eyebrows slowly began to turn grey. A hum made his chest quiver. And the belly he'd put on over the last few weeks.

"Oh yeah. We know that face.", he confirmed and came closer.

Kyle smiled.

And suddenly your mother recognised him. Excited, she bobbed on the spot, so indignant that she had to push Elli into your father's arms to stop him falling.

With both hands in front of her mouth, she approached Kyle to take a closer look at him. Her eyes sparkled with memories and surprise.

"Oh my goodness!", she breathed, daring to put a hand on his arm. "That's not..."

"Little Garrick.", your father confirmed and offered him a hand.

Kyle shook it, let Matti down on the floor and then allowed your mum to hug him tightly.

"Kyle...", she sobbed on his shoulder as if he were a lost son she hadn't seen for years.

Somehow he was. The sight almost brought tears to your eyes. Smiling quietly to yourself, you waited for your mum to get rid of all her questions at once.

"When were you going to tell us you were bringing him?", your mum whirled around to you in excitement and punched you in the arm. "You're such a bad son!"

"Ouch...", you rubbed your arm contritely. "We met by chance."

You held Matti by the collar so he couldn't run down the street to explore the neighbourhood on his own. Again. Elliot tried to free himself from his grandad's arms.

"It wasn't planned.", Kyle agreed. "All very spontaneous."

"I want to go down!", Elliot screeched.

With one eye closed, your father turned on his heel and carried the little one to the fence to lift him over it and set him down in the enclosed garden.

"You too!", he threatened with a mock scowl and grabbed Matti to do the same.

He bounced around in the grass, laughing. One more time, he held up his arms.

"Up again! Up. Up!"

"Not now, my darling.", you patted his hair. "Play in the garden first. We'll call you when it's lunchtime."

"Okay.", without further protest, the two of them turned round and raced off across the vast property in search of the sheep and the cow that shared the property with your parents.

"Quite large.", Kyle remarked, looking in all directions.

"Oh, it's only two acres.", your father shrugged his shoulders. "It was cheap. There's nothing else here but acres."

"And old people.", your mum added.

"Mum.", you chuckled sarcastically. "You two count as old too..."

"Hush!", she slapped your arm again.

"Come in first.", your dad hugged you.

"I hope you like tea, Kyle.", your mum immediately grabbed his arm and patted his hand. "My goodness, you've grown so much! How old are you now? No, wait, you and (Y/N) were almost the same age. Oh, you've grown up so much. What did they give you to eat?"

Embarrassed, you pushed her away from him so he could have his space.

"Sorry. She still loves to talk.", you whispered.

He grinned.

"No problem.", he smiled softly, eyes locked with yours and completely blocking out the fact that both your parents were watching with utmost interest. "Tea sounds good, ma'am."

"Ma'am.", your mom stopped dead in her tracks. "Ma'am? Don't be ridiculous, Kyle. I'm still Margret."

"Right. Sorry."

"Don't apologise, son.", soberly, your dad sucked in a sharp breath that made his stomach move. "Ben's just fine."

"Nothing changed much, huh?", Kyle threw a glance over his shoulder to you. "Only for the better."

Taking a deep breath, you had to turn your eyes away to keep yourself from making your head glow like a lightbulb.

You cleared your throat.

"I would have given you a heads up, but I needed to get out the house.", you said. "If you don't want him to stay we'll get a hotel."

"Don't sweat it.", Ben placed four teacups on the counter while your mom ran around the kitchen to her everything that was needed for a proper round of teatime.

"We expected you anyways.", she said and put on some hot water in a kettle on the stove.

"Old-school.", Kyle smiled, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah...", a little embarrassed, you let yourself sink onto a chair. "It's that time of the year..."

"How long will you stay?", Margaret placed bags of tea on the counter. "Oh, Kyle, sweetie, what do you fancy?"

"Whatever your son's having.", he took a seat next to you.

"I'll stay as long as you'll have me.", you sighed.

"Oh, move in then.", your mom said with a smile.

"No."

"Why not?", she looked at Kyle. "You should tell him. It'll be great."

"Actually, there's a very old cottage at the other end of the road.", Ben took a seat, folded his hands and looked at Kyle. "It's spacious. Not that expensive. Schools are just next town over."

"Cottage needs a bit of love."

"And it has acres."

"Dad...", you frowned.

Confused, Kyle looked at you and then your parents. He chuckled.

"I don't think I could get him to move.", he said and accepted a cup of tea.

"Why not?", your mom eyed him. "You don't want what's best for your family?"

Confused, he smiled.

You frowned, then realised what she was referring to.

"Mom, we're not...", you panicked.