ain't it funny how life changes?

Matty waited for Milo to join him, knowing it was just a matter of time before his boyfriend followed him into the water. He could be persuasive when he put a lot of effort to it, not that it always worked with Milo but he knew there were certain moments where he had an advantage. Like this. Grinning as the other swam towards him, his arms moving quickly around his waist when at reach, Matty hums into the kiss. “It’s definitely magic.” He admits as though offering an actual fact. “And just how hot we are makes it even better.” He laughs, already predicting a roll of Milo’s eyes back at him for his silly joke. “Definitely worth jumping in, huh? We won’t tell Brooks. It’ll be our little secret.”

“You’re incorrigible.” Milo says with a laugh, rolling his eyes as predicted. “If this is the biggest secret we’re keeping from Brooks, then we’re fine. Though let’s be honest here, he knows we do a lot more than sleep in our bedroom. He did share a room with you growing up, after all!” Matty Goldstein had always been a flirt, though Milo never would have guessed that his high school crush would end up turning his sights onto him. “I do have a pretty hot boyfriend though, I can’t deny that. We both know that I’ve always had a thing for you.” 

“I am being considerate of my new car. I’m just also very considerate of my hot boyfriend!” Matty adds, smirking as he feels Milo slowly but inevitable give into him. “We always have some here, babe, is that your only request?” Matty would take care of everything else. The fire. The pizza. Making sure the car was spotless. Feeding Brooks and Vera. He was just happy he had won this one, too, stealing a kiss before he started pulling his shirt off his shoulder and getting rid of his pants and shoes, and jumped into the water making a big splash. Once he emerged, Matty pushed his hair away from his face, floating as he looked back at Milo. “Your turn.”

Milo remembered the first time it had been just him and Matty at this very spot. How nervous he had been to take his shirt off in front of the firefighter. How sweet Matty had been with him then and every day since. They were both still navigating their insecurities and their relationship, but they were doing it together. 

Laughing as he watches his boyfriend jump into the lake, Milo quickly follows suit, swimming towards him once he surfaces. “Hey, you. Fancy seeing you here.” The brunette teases, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek. “This is nice. How come the water’s always perfect here? Must be magic.” 

Matty knows what he’s doing. He also knows he’s being successful. “The upholstery!” He laughs, shaking his head. Keeping the upholstery dry was the very last thing on his mind right this very second, if he was being honest. “We can always just wait before we go back. That way nothing is ruined.” He adds quickly with a shrug and a mischievous grin on his face as he pulls back softly from the kiss, kept close by his boyfriend’s arms around his neck. “I know.” Touching his nose to Milo’s, he smiles, arms moving around his waist. “I also know you love it.” He grinned. “Just one quick swim?” He tried again, pouting. “I’d take you right back home but Brooks is there so, you know.” Matty shrugged. As much as he loved his brother, and living together, there were slight inconveniences to their arrangement every now and then.

"You really should be more considerate about your new car!” Milo chuckles, shaking his head. This charade was all working in Matty's favor, a fact that Milo wasn’t about to admit just yet. Matty was insufferable whenever he got his way! “Mm, well...you think we can find enough to start a fire? We could warm up and dry off after...two birds, one stone.” He suggests, taking a quick look around. He was sure that they could find enough to get a small fire going. “”We can hang out for a bit, pick up a pizza on the way home. Maybe more than one if we’re feeling nice and wanna feed Brooks and Vera too.” Milo says teasingly, knowing full well that they would. “One swim. Only ‘cause you’re so cute when you beg.” 

“Oh, absolutely! I’m just always trying to get you naked. It has absolutely nothing to do with swimming!” Matty was not even trying to be funny as he said that, a wide grin taking over his face. They had take things slow in the beginning of their relationship. It had been good for both of them, easing into each other. Now that they were past all those initial insecurities, there was no stopping Matty from showing just how much he constantly and relentlessly wanted his boyfriend. “Fine, we won’t get the car wet this time.” He adds, walking to the dock, an arm resting behind Milo sitting next to him as he takes in the view for a moment before his eyes fall back to his boyfriend. “Are you really sure you don’t wanna go for a swim?” Matty teases, his hand moving to run down Milo’s back, leaning in as he chases after his lips. “Last chance.” He was already kissing Milo, pulling him closer because if they weren’t going to jump into the water, then he was definitely getting his make out session. 

Rolling his eyes at his boyfriend’s teasing, Milo gives Matty’s shoulder a light shove, chuckling quietly. “We’ll bring towels next time.” He replies, leaning into the other man’s touch. “Mm...I mean, we’d have to stay until we dried off. We really can’t ruin the upholstery!” Milo knew Brooks and Josef would never let Matty hear the end of it if he did. He’s quieted by Matty’s lips on his, arms instinctively wrapping around the other man’s neck as he leans up on his toes to kiss him back. “You really are very convincing, you know.”

At that moment, Brooke only knew to hold onto her papa and trust him when he said they would all come around this. Emmett. Their dad. The boys. Them. As a family. Nodding as she tried to furiously wipe a tear away, Brooke bit on her lip, working up the strength to speak again without letting more tears out. The memory of the station played too vividly in her mind, how it all happened both as if in slow motion and all too fast. She didn’t want to cry but her eyes were bloodshot. She didn’t want to give her parents more reasons to worry. “I love you, too.” She finally whispered, clearing her throat softly. “I just- I need to do something. They won’t let me get back to work and the wait is- I just can’t sit around and wait. I don’t know what to do.”

"Hey...hey, it’s okay. Cry if you need to, Brooke. I’m right here. I’ve got you.” Milo says gently, leaning over to press a kiss to the side of his daughter’s head. “Why don’t I take you back to your place to get a shower and a change of clothes? I’ll check in with your grandpa Brett, see if he needs anything. Last I heard he was heading to the grocery store and then over to the Scavo-Healy’s place to start cooking. Maybe he could use some help, if you want to be there. Or I can bring you back to the hospital, if you’d like. Whatever you want, Brooke. Whatever you need.” 

“We can test it out.” The firefighter smirks back, turning on the driver seat just enough to face his boyfriend. The spot was no longer just Matty’s or his siblings’ or his parents, but theirs now too. “Me too.” He says quietly as he leans in for a kiss, his hand cupping Milo’s face, thumb brushing softly over his lower lip as they take a breath. “In case you haven’t noticed.” He smirks softly as he pulls back, opening his door, calling over his shoulder for his boyfriend to follow. “Let’s take a walk.” Matty’s holding out his hand for Milo as they meet around his car, leading the way as they move closer to the water. “There’s a lot more space here anyway, we’d definitely be more comfortable if anything.” He was teasing, of course, though both of them knew Matty wouldn’t entirely put it past him if Milo wanted to.

"I like the reminders.” Milo murmurs back, leaning his cheek into his boyfriend’s hand for a moment before he follows Matty out of the car, lacing his fingers through his. “What is it with you always trying to get me to swim when we’re never dressed for it, hm? Admit it, you just want to get me out of my clothes!” Milo jokes, nudging Matty in the side lightly. He’s mostly teasing, but he also wouldn’t put it past Matty to want to go for a swim now that they were there. “Josef might actually kill you if you ruined the interior of the car because we went for a swim though so...rain check? I will, however, happily make out on the dock with you if you want.”

Even if Brooke loved reminding her brothers of her seniority, it was often hard to remember they were not really just a set of quadruplets. Emmett, Oliver and Benjamin had been around for as long as she could remember. She had no lasting memory without them in it. She didn’t want to ever have to know how that was, and that had come too close for comfort. “How about us?” The brunette asked quietly. “You, dad, the boys, me? Will we come back from this?” They all blamed themselves one way or another, even if they each tried to lift the guilt from each other’s shoulders. They all knew better and yet, it was hard not to think of all the what ifs.

The worry and the pain that’s apparent in Brooke’s quiet question makes Milo’s heart hurt. He knew how close Brooke and Emmett were and he couldn’t imagine how awful it was for both her and Matty to be there in the moment. “We will.” The brunette finally says quietly, nodding. “Together, as a family. We have each other to lean on. Always.” Milo’s words are both a reassurance and a promise, his lips pressing to the top of his daughter’s head lightly to comfort her. “I love you, Brooke.”

“I mean, these probably recline all the way back, and that backseat is not very big but it might just fit us right.” Matty shrugged, endless possibilities playing through his mind. “When there’s a will there’s a way, Milo… and there is always a will for sex.” He had been impatiently patient when it came to sex with Milo, which he didn’t regret, but they were past that stage now and Matty didn’t mind making it very clear just how into his boyfriend he was. He was in a good spot. He was happy. He felt okay, mentally, physically and emotionally. There were still nightmares, but even those had began to dwindle. With his hand in Milo’s, he turned and smiled. “It’s a damn good place to be.” The spot had many different meanings throughout the years. Most recently, it had also become their place. It brought them closer. “Everything always comes right back to this spot right here. It’s crazy how much has changed since I left, since I got back, but this place? Nuh-uh. Not one bit. Fell in love with some cute curly-haired guy? Brought him over. Got a brand new car? Drove straight here.”

"Lucky for you, I’m pretty small. I fit on your lap nicely.” Milo replies with a smirk, knowing that they could definitely figure it out if they really wanted to. Reaching over to rake his fingers through the hair at the back of Matty’s neck, he smiles, humming quietly. This place had been an important spot for the Goldstein family, Milo knew that. He had been lucky enough to be invited along on camping trips when they were growing up, and after he and Matty had gotten together, just the two of them. The spot meant a lot of things, but mostly it was a place where you could go and just be. It was a quiet, safe space. It was special. “I’m glad I’m here with you, Matty. I really, really am.” 

Hanging in there. They were all just hanging in there. Her dads. Her brothers. Herself. Emmet, especially. They were all beating themselves. It was a family trait, apparently. In an effort to be reassuring, sensing her papa’s own feelings, Brooke smiled softly. “Gramps and Sabba will hold the fort. It’s okay if you just need a break. They’ll understand.” It was easier said than done, she knew that much. She knew mostly because she was telling her papa the same words she won’t accept herself. Chewing on her cheek for a moment, she shrugs, looking up at her father. “It’s kinda weird to see him so still, isn’t it?” Emmett was no Benji, but he was no Ollie either. Brooke hated seeing him in that hospital bed. It looked wrong. So off character. “Dr. Olsen says he’s doing really good but full recovery might take some time. Time. He’s been waiting to get back in the truck for so long since… since the other accident, and now this.” She wished there was something more she could do but Brooke Goldstein felt completely useless for a change. 

A break. They all needed more than a break. If they could turn back time, Milo swore he would’ve found a way to keep any of this from happening. Emmett had been trying so hard to get away from Brad, to move on from him, only for things to end the way that they did. Milo couldn’t imagine how scared his son must have been at the station. The full story was still a little fuzzy, but Milo didn’t need to know all of the details right now. The only detail that mattered was that Emmett was okay. “Yeah. You and your brothers have been running around  together since you all could walk.” The brunette replies, shaking his head. Seeing Emmett sedated in his hospital bed broke his heart, it really did. “I know. He’s not going to be happy about it, but...we should all be happy that Emmett does have time. If that bullet had gone even a little closer...” Milo didn’t want to think about it. He couldn’t possibly imagine a world without Emmett Goldstein in it and he hoped he never would have to. “Emmett’ll come around. He’s going to drive us all crazy along the way, but he’ll get his strength back. He’s a fighter.”

Having the whole extended family in town was usually an occasion to celebrate. This time around, it felt different. Overwhelming, to some extent. Even if Brooke loved having them over, their support, it also meant something very serious happened and it only made her worry more about her brother. She couldn’t shrug off the guilt either, pushing her food around her plate a little too distracted to put her perky face up before she noticed her papa approaching and, by then, it was just no use. “Yeah.” Offering him a smile, she sighed and pushed her plate away before wrapping an arm around his, letting him lead the way. They had all been on their toes and Brooke only realized she hadn’t really had some one-on-one alone time with her papa since the accident. Leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked, she turned to kiss his cheek for no apparent reason but, in truth, she was just quietly thanking him for taking her away for a second. “How are you feeling, papa?” She asked almost instinctively. 

Truth be told, Milo was exhausted. Beyond exhausted, really. He was worried about Emmett, scared even though he knew that Brad was in custody. Upset and angry that none of them had seen this coming. How could they have all been so blind? Even though Milo knew better than to place blame on anyone but Brad, it was hard not to. “Oh...you know. Hanging in there. I’m glad everyone’s here, but..it can be a little overwhelming.” He admits, shrugging his shoulders a bit. “Emmett will appreciate it though, once he’s a little more alert. The pain meds are really knocking him out.” 

“Fucking Brooklyn Goldstein!” Matty laughed, shaking his head with a playful shrug. It was comforting just how well Milo seemed to know him and Brooks, and how he understood their dynamic, but not entirely surprising. Both Milo and Vera had been around for so long. Matty was actually relieved when his brother started dating Vera. It meant he didn’t have to get to know someone from scratch and potentially dislike them for his brother. Even if his relationship with Milo had been a surprise to even himself, Matty was sure that Brooks probably felt the same way. “I love Brooks. We shared a womb. It’s part of the deal. You know who else I love in a completely, luckily non-incestuous way?” He grinned, leaning to the passenger seat to kiss his boyfriend, grinning into Milo’s lips. “We don’t have to tell anyone but we’re so doing it!” With a playful wink, he sat back against his seat, hands on the wheel and the shift stick, driving away. His route was similar as the one he took with Brooks, idly driving towards the spot without planning. “I don’t know why whenever I don’t know where to go, I end up here.” It ranged from moments of pure happiness to uncontrollable rage or complete despair. He felt good that evening, though, parked to overlook the lake and the setting sun. Matty sought for Milo’s hand, lacing their fingers together, his eyes focused on the display of colors before them. 

"He’s the worst.” Milo jokes, even though both know that Brooks is the complete opposite. He was a genuinely good guy and he knew that they were lucky to have him in their lives. Anyone who knew Brooklyn Goldstein was. Milo knew the bond that Matty and Brooks shared went beyond words. It wasn’t something that could be understood until you witnessed it for yourself. Milo could still remember all of the times in high school where Brooks came sprinting over from track practice to check on Matty. It’s a twin thing they would both say in unison, shrugging at the confused looks on everyone’s faces. Milo was no stranger to it though, always amused by their antics and happy to be part of their world. “Hm, me?” The brunette murmurs into the kiss, smiling when he feels his boyfriend’s smile. “Oh, for sure. We’ll find a way.” Milo jokes back, pressing a kiss to Matty’s cheek as he starts to drive. It doesn’t take long for him to realize where they’re headed, The spot. It was a special place for the Goldstein family. Giving Matty’s fingers a squeeze, he presses his lips to the other man’s knuckles, gaze focused on him. “It’s a pretty good place to be.”

It had been a couple of days and while Emmett was out of the woods, everyone was still on edge. Basically everyone in their family had flown in to Nashville to be there for them, and while Milo appreciated it so, so much, he also couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed at times, and these was one of those times. 

Spotting Brooke sitting at a nearby table picking at an almost empty plate of food, Milo walks over, giving his daughter’s shoulder a light squeeze. “Hey, sweetheart. I was gonna go for a quick walk...you want to join me?” He asks, offering her a small smile. “Some fresh air might do us both some good.” 

Matty just chuckled when his boyfriend admitted he was in on it all. He knew how close Milo and Brooks were so it really wasn’t a surprise to him that the two of them would confabulate against him or, as in this case, for him. “Yeah.” He agreed, his hands still holding the wheel, voice quiet. “Yeah, he did, that fucking asshole.” He meant it with all the love in the entire universe, too, grinning as he turned to look at his boyfriend. “How am I going to top this, really? It’s not fair, you know.” He was obviously kidding but he didn’t have to explain that to Milo. Milo understood his and Brooks’ relationship, had witnessed it so closely and for so many years now. “It’s not fair.” He repeated, shaking his head slowly, smiling. He loved his brother and he knew the love was reciprocated tenfold. He didn’t need a car to know that. “I guess we won’t be telling him if we end up having sex in the backseat, though… I don’t think he can stomach it.” He joked, grinning. “Wanna go for a ride? This baby is a beast.”

"Yeah...what a jerk. that Brooklyn Goldstein. What’re we gonna do with him?” Milo teases gently, reaching out to give the back of Matty’s neck a comforting squeeze. “We both know you don’t have to top anything. This is a gift. You don’t owe Brooks anything other than you being here, safe and happy. That’s all he wants.” It was all Brooks ever wanted. Milo remembered how wrecked he had been after Matty had left for basic training, and later, overseas. How he wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t sleep, and when he did...the nightmares. It was hard to explain the bond between the twins, but there was no doubt how strong it was. Anyone who knew Brooks and Matty Goldstein could see it. “I know. That twin of yours...he’s one of the good ones. He loves you with everything he’s got.” Milo murmurs, reaching up to ruffle his boyfriend’s hair. “Yeah, it's probably best we leave that information for ourselves. Brooks definitely might steal the keys back if you tell him that.” He adds jokingly, leaning forward to press a kiss to Matty’s lips. “Take me away, hotshot. Show me what this thing can do.” 

Matty still couldn’t believe his twin had gone out of his way not just to get him a car of his own but for putting so much thought into it and working with Josef. It meant a lot to him despite his teasing and joking on how it was all so he would stop borrowing Brooks’ truck. There were really no words but that was okay. Matty didn’t always need the right words around Brooks for his twin to know exactly what he wanted to say and what he meant. They took a drive in his new car just the two of them, dropping Brooks off where he needed to be and driving back on his own, windows down and some old school rock music station playing on the radio. He killed the engine once he parked in his driveway, even lowered the music, but he didn’t step out of the car. His hands remained on the wheel for a moment, running them through his hair later, massaging his temples. He wasn’t surprised when he noticed his boyfriend at the door making his way to the passenger seat, unlocking the doors before Milo reached him, smiling quietly. “Did you know?” It was all he said, his voice carrying more emotions than he was ready to admit.

@milolivcr​

Milo, of course, had been in on the secret about Brooks getting the car for Matty. He had run interference that morning to make sure that his boyfriend didn’t accidentally ruin the surprise for himself, peeking out the front window to watch the twins’ interaction when Brooks finally gets to reveal his surprise, smiling softly to himself. The bond that Matty and Brooks shared was unparalleled. Just seeing the way the two of them interacted made him smile, the same smile still playing on his lips as he watches Matty and Brooks drive off, busying himself with some sketches until he hears the car pull back in the driveway. When Matty doesn’t come in right away, Milo walks outside, climbing into the passenger side. The softness in Matty’s voice makes him smile, reaching for his boyfriend’s hand to kiss his knuckles lightly. “I did, but only so you didn’t ruin the surprise for yourself. Brooks did good, huh?”

“I can do that.” Matty looked straight back into his boyfriend’s eyes, smiling as he pulled Milo closer, hands framing his face and bringing their lips together for a kiss. He didn’t think he was a big romantic like his twin, and he surely wasn’t the perfect man or the perfect boyfriend, but he did love Milo. Even if the feelings were new and unfamiliar, he had never been as sure of loving someone as he was now. “I’ll remind you every day.” He adds, holding Milo to his chest, eyes closing. “Even when I’m being intolerable, especially when I’m being intolerable.” He laughed. Matty knew he was a handful. Luckily, Milo knew that too but that hadn’t scared him off. They both had a past but neither focused too much on it. “Remember when I asked you if you thought this was weird? How easy it was between us, just talking and stuff?” Matty smiled, his voice quiet. “You’re definitely more than just kinda okay in my book but I’m sure I’ve made that clear by now.”

Never in a million years did Milo actually think that he would ever have a shot with Matty Goldstein. Boy, was he wrong about that. If his high school self could see him now! Sometimes he was sure that he was still dreaming, that this wasn’t actually his life. Except that it was, and Milo was so, so grateful for that fact. Wrapped up in his boyfriend’s arms with his head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, felt like some kind of paradise. “I love you, Matty, even when you’re being intolerable. Especially then.” Milo finally says, chuckling quietly. Those late night texts that turned into phone calls and eventually in person sleepovers meant everything to him. “You have. And you’re definitely way more than okay in my book too. You’re one hell of a guy, Matty Goldstein.” 

Matty didn’t take every situation as seriously as they most often called for but despite the grin on his face and the glint in his eyes, he meant every word he said at that moment. He had been falling in love with Milo gradually. He couldn’t say he hadn’t really noticed, though. It was more of a him not wanting to admit it or, rather, not being ready to. Being in love scared him but being in love with Milo, well, as scary as it was, it was also nice. It wasn’t just how Milo made him feel but how comfortable they were around each other. For two people who, despite their contrasting differences, had a hard time doing just that, feeling truly comfortable around others, their true selves being so exposed and vulnerable, they had found each other at the perfect time and Matty didn’t regret a second of it. “Well, to start with, you’re signing up for a long, long life of headaches. Just ask my abba how it’s been for him and dad!” The firefighter shrugged, his lips tracing his boyfriend’s jawline distractingly. “And since only the good die young, I’m going to live a very long life and you’re just gonna have to deal with me until the very end cause us Goldstein, we’re in for life.” He continued to kiss Milo as he spoke before taking a moment to just stare into Milo’s eyes. “But for as many times I fuck up, which I promise you I’m gonna try very hard not to, I’ll make it all up to you tenfold, Milo. I just want you to be happy, to know you’re worthy, and to not feel, for a second, that you’re not deserving of love, because you are and I’m really fucking head over heels for you. Don’t you forget.”

Milo knew that he wasn’t an easy person to get close to. Despite his familiarity with the Goldstein family, he was closest to Brooks. Though he had kind of grown up with him and Matty, he wouldn’t say that they had ever been particularly close to one another. They had only started to get close after Matty returned home from the army after he had hit on him at the bar. They understood each other on some level, connecting through their late night texts and phone calls when nightmares made it impossible to sleep. Opening his heart up to Matty Goldstein hadn’t been a choice he made lightly, but it was also one he made willingly and with eyes wide open. “You’re plenty good.” Milo finally says softly, brushing his fingers over his boyfriend’s cheek. “But I’m happy to have you for life. I don’t expect you to be perfect or for things between us to always be easy. That’s not real life. What’s real is this, us. Me and you, facing life together. That’s all I want.” He murmurs as he rests his head on the firefighter’s chest, listening to his heart beat. “I’m happy. Especially with you. I know that you love me and I promise that I won’t forget, but I definitely wouldn’t mind a reminder every now and then too.” 

There was no point for Matty to be nervous around Milo, and he really wasn’t, but delving into feelings had never really been something he was entirely comfortable with. He rambled and stuttered as he tried to organize his thoughts, hoping he made sense and didn’t say the wrong thing. Milo seemed to be picking up on it more and more. Pressing his lips to quiet himself when his boyfriend calls his name, Matty sighs. Milo’s words immediately made him reach out to him, pulling him closer, kissing him. His experience with intimacy and relationships, serious or not, were very different and far too many compared, perhaps, to Milo’s. He knew how to flirt, say the things he knew his partners wanted to hear at the right time. It was always some sort of easy fill-in-the-blanks game. It got him what he wanted, too, but it was mostly vague. The words were heavier with Milo because he meant them in a different way. He didn’t just want to make him feel good at that moment to get what he wanted but he wanted Milo to believe him, whether or not he got what he wanted or not. He didn’t say them expecting something back. “I’m just saying the truth.” He said quietly as he leaned back, resting his head against the pillow again. “You’re stuck with me for the long run, you know? I don’t think you’re fully aware of what that means. Be careful what you wish your, Milo.” The firefighter grinned, his heart full at that moment.

Curling into his boyfriend’s embrace, Milo exhales quietly, not meaning to have gotten so emotional. Matty’s words meant a lot to him, and he knew that his boyfriend was being honest when he said them. Milo knew that their relationship and their feelings for each other were real. He didn’t doubt that for a second. “I wouldn’t mind being stuck with you forever.” The brunette finally murmurs, trialing his fingers along his boyfriend’s chest slowly. “I think I am, but please feel free to enlighten me. I’d love to hear your take on it.” Milo adds, pressing his lips to Matty’s jaw. He had everything he could possibly wish for and more. Milo had never really imagined a life like this for himself, one where he was happy and in love. It was more than he could ever ask for, and he was so, so grateful to be living the life he was living. “I mean it, though. I’m with you for as long as you’ll have me, Matty. I love you.”