Baller, Shot Caller

While she spoke and retrieved utensils, Ashton took it upon himself to start pulling their dinner out from the bag. They weren’t usually ones to order take out, but with their overlapping schedules and Ashton’s new job, neither had time to really come home and make meals. He smiled to himself at her words, pleased to know that he made some progress in his life– in her eyes. “It was stupid… But if stupidity got me here then… I guess I’m fine with it.” The guy laughed to himself, sitting down beside the girl now that she joined him at the table. As he began to plate their food, he snorted at her words. “Fine, fine… I’ll let it go. For now.” Ashton teased again, side eyeing Natalie to prepare himself in case she smacked him. “You barely talk to her. It’s kinda weird. How do you think it’s gonna go? I mean, like, when was the last time you guys saw each other?” Her relationship has always been rocky, and it has caused a strain on her family. Before shoveling food into his mouth, he asked: “I never really asked, but, what ever happened between you and your sister? What’s this life long beef all about? It’s worse than Biggie and Tupac.”

Natalie’s first instinct was to reach out and slap her boyfriend, but she hesitated because of the food in her hand and just aborted the mission altogether. “Yeah- and forever. Otherwise I’ll have my mom tell you the story herself,” she threatened jokingly. She thought about his question, letting a ‘hmm’ escape her lips as she contemplated it, “probably the same as it always goes, we’ll casually get along for a while until I try to do something nice and she takes it in the wrong way and brings up how spoiled I used to be.” She scoffed remembering every last meeting between the two that went the exact same way. She thought about where her and Val began to fall out, after all their relationship was phenomenal for so long, most days Natalie and Val couldn’t even be separated and their teachers practically had to rip the two apart after recess to go back to their own classrooms. “Well... I was my dad’s first, you know? I was all the firsts- and so it was always so special for me, and by the time Val hit it, it all seemed repetitive. Not that my parents were ever less enthusiastic it was just more familiar for all of us. I got a huge eighteenth birthday gala, they assumed Val would want a birthday gala. I got the BMW for my sixteenth, so did Val. And I’m not going to say I wasn’t spoiled because I was- and god bless the day I woke up and realized that Prada and Audi’s didn’t make the world go round. But she wasn’t any less spoiled, she just wasn’t spoiled the way she wanted to be I guess. However, she never let us know this. It was just tantrums and eventually resentment that we never even knew the reason behind. And then there was her freshman year-” Natalie began laughing at the memory, she probably shouldn’t have thought it was funny but couldn’t help herself. “Some asshole released her nudes all over campus. Still hoping he got his karma. But my parents lost it, on her and coincidentally me. My dad said some not so sweet things about the image she was portraying of herself and flipped on me for being practically a frat party flunk out. She got a terrible rep at school and lack of support from my parents, and i got threatened to be cut off and a wake up call. I guess I blamed her a lot for my dad cracking down on me, and she blamed me for painting this ‘perfect daughter’ image that my parents always compared her to.” She sighed before eating some more fried rice, “I tried to make it better, for a long time. Then i tried to keep my distance. Then I over compensated and just felt like it was all my fault as an older sister I should have been the bigger person. But I don’t think she’ll ever get over it.”

“…You are still dating that guy… but he’s not some little freshman pining over the girl of his dreams. It’s much more than that now.” Ashton retorted, sighing as he glanced up at Natalie. “If you want my babies you’re gonna have to keep that in mind more than the other, stupid, shit I did.” Which, of course they wanted and would talk about more times than not. Ashton was a mess back then. Constantly sleeping, smoking, surfing. Those were his life in college. Well, he’s still a student but he didn’t live on a campus anymore. There was no time to slack off with Natalie beside him. When she woke up, he was awake too. When she wanted things done, or errands ran, he happily obliged. They were practically a dynamic domestic duo. “Yeah, no offense, Nat… I fucking love hanging out with you? But I wanna hang out with Carson too. That’s my soulmate for real.” Ashton teased, grinning at the woman cockily. “Plus, it’ll be a full house with my mom and Kehlani there? It’ll be crazy in the kitchen. Your Nona won’t need me in there. She’ll wanna talk to them.” As Natalie explained her assumption regarding her mom’s visitation, Ashton only shrugged, sitting up when she moved to grab the door. After getting the food, he stood up to walk over to the dining table. “You can’t just say your mom is all about sex and then drop it off right there.” He laughed. “How are you and Val anyway?”

“Hey, those two things weren’t stupid, they were so cute. Huge part of what made me love you. Every single part of you. Plus I know you’re so much more than the freshman boy I started dating- that journey is a huge part of why I want to have your babies.” She rolled her eyes as he mentioned his relationship with Carson, the only person who ever stood a chance at being chosen by ashton over herself. “Who would I be to stand in the way of you and your one true soulmate?” She asked rhetorically, following Ashton and the food once he headed towards the table. She went to grab some napkins and forks for them, “Here.” She handed him a fork before reaching for the fried rice, “Nona will be fine without you in the kitchen, I’ll make sure of it. And I can drop it off right there because I don’t want to give you the same terribly terribly scarring visual of my mom on top of my dad- that I have. Trust me. You don’t want me to carry on.” Her nose scrunched up in disgust as the image took over her mind. “Eh, I’m just happy it’s not as bad as it used to be. But now that we aren’t in school together we don’t really have reason to talk anymore and I feel like she’s taking as much advantage of that as she possible can.” Natalie sighed, thinking about the last conversation they had, “I just don’t get her sometimes. I’m excited she’s coming for Thanksgiving though.” She shoved some rice into her mouth still attempting the remove the visuals of her parents from her head. 

Ashton could only laugh, Natalie’s response causing him to roll his eyes. “I resent that comment. I’m not some child anymore.” Which was true, as he found ways to grow up. Sure, Ashton still sleeps in, goes out to surf too long, and even sometimes falls asleep at Carson’s place after smoking too much. Yet his personality has changed significantly, he’s done a lot to keep up with her. One day she’ll learn to consider him a potential father figure to a child, and not as a person she has to look after. “And yeah, I did…” He grinned to himself. “I hope so. I mean they’re kinda laid back people, I don’t think they’re gonna care about telling them what to do. Who knows, maybe they’ll help out and I’ll finally get to sit around with the other guys.” Ashton offered, raising his eyebrows at the thought. That would be nice, to stand with Carson and his male cousins and uncles. Learn more about the males in the family rather than impressing the females. “Now that you guys are older, she probably misses being involved. But I mean… shit… she already calls you a lot. What do you think, she’s gonna pop up more than call now?” That made him a little nervous, considering how much they liked to stay in on their days off and… spent time together. He couldn’t imagine her mother barging in while they were fucking on the couch or something. Knowing Natalie’s mom, she would want a key. Snapping back into the conversation, he scoffed at her comment. “Damn.. That would be hilarious to see though. I’m gonna get him a pair and see if he’ll wear them.”

“I know babe. You’re not a child, it’s just some days I wake up and look over and I still think I’m dating the guy who wouldn’t come inside the door before asking me out on our first date because he was worried if I said no things would get awkward. Or the guy who lied about a dare on dare night to sneak in a first kiss.” She giggled at the combination of memories, a huge smile forming on her face of what was now almost three years ago. She couldn’t believe how much they had both changed- or the fact that this is what she got all from inviting him to her Thanksgiving. “You’re already trying to ditch me for the guys, huh? I knew you were too good to be true.” She teased, but thought of his fitting in with the family, “How about I just got ahead and give you the pass now, I don’t want to hold you hostage in the kitchen. You can play football and drink beer and do whatever it is the cult of my cousins do.” Natalie liked the thought really, it was just like more pieces of her life falling together exactly how they were supposed to be. “Mmm, I don’t think she’ll check in. Well she will, but she’s going to be more of a ‘weekly dinners and brunches’ bridging the gap between Val and I kind of clingy if she moves here. Plus, don’t let the woman fool you. She’s all about sex. I once walked in on her and m- never mind I don’t want to remember that right now. But I’m sure she’d be more than supportive over our privacy- for obvious reasons- being that I’m her daughter and she has to assume I got my sex drive from her because she’s an animal.” Natalie laughed, pressing a small kiss to ashton’s face, right before the doorbell rang. “Oooh food.”

“So that’s what this is all about? Is Oreo your training for future mommy duties? Because, babe, you’re gonna be let down… majorly… cats are nothing like children. You know that.” Ashton practically caught Natalie as she fell beside him, wrapping his arms possessively around her legs. “I don’t know.. I guess I’ll warn them in advance. I tried to get Kehlani to make me coffee when she visited once… and she practically much flooded out my coffee maker, so. It won’t surprise me that she might be a little hesitant.” The guy shrugged again, pursing his lips. Ashton couldn’t help but smile as she halfheartedly mentioned their future. To hear her even consider spending the rest of their lives together always melted his heart. Resting his head on her thighs, Ashton sighed softly. “I hope so too.” He murmured with a nod before peeking up at her again. Of course he wasn’t thrilled about her parents being so close, but at least he wouldn’t have to travel into some city or wait patiently at home for weekends while Natalie and Carson visited their family. “Are they moving here here or just closer? I never thought your dad would ever wanna be a California guy.”

“Psh noo..... He can’t talk to me or anything and I don’t have to change his diapers. You’re better mommy practice then he is. But he’ll look at me like his mom, that’s pretty special.” Natalie laughed at the picture of a failed coffee mission, “Poor Kehlani. You did that on purpose didn’t you?” Her brows perked up in question, “I doubt Nona is actually going to make them do much, I just think it was mostly her way of inviting them. You know how she can be.” She ran her hand over his head, playing with the small curls that made up his hair, she nodded in agreement and confusion, “Here here. And I’m just as lost as you- but I think it’s my mother’s doing. She’s been whining about missing us all and wanting to be closer, and my dad’s business decided to open a branch out here, so he is taking the opportunity to make my mom happy I guess.” She shrugged, but she was excited about it, nervous but excited. Her parents didn’t know much about how her life operated in San Diego, and she highly doubted she was prepared to feel the close up scrutiny she’s been feeling from across the country the past five years from her father. But a lot of her hoped he would approve of where she was at in life, and how much she had improved with school since her sophomore year. “You probably still wont be able to catch the man dead in flip flops or shorts though.” 

“Oh, you had a talk with him?” Ashton questioned sarcastically, knitting his eyebrows at Natalie. “My bad, I didn’t know. Here’s hoping it all didn’t go through one ear and out the other.” A scoff escaped him and he followed suit before ending up on the couch across from her. He listened to Natalie explain everything going down for Thanksgiving, and Ashton was happy to know his family would be included in this years’ Torres dinner. “I don’t think they’re gonna cook, I mean– I don’t think either of them know how to cook.” Not that he was the best, at first, but more that he worried if it would be too much pressure for them. “Hey, I warned her that my first day was that day… I either keep my job or eat… I think I chose wisely. “He shrugged. “I already did… I ask for a few days but it’s not guaranteed, you know? I am new to the job and all.”

“Don’t mock me, I’m getting my mommy on.” She squinted her eyes at him before chuckling. “That’s the great thing- it’s not a matter of knowing how it’s a matter of tasks. At least that’s what Nona always said. They can chop some things and roll out dough or other things. I mean look at you- you’re practically a pro at the pie now.” She stood up once her shoes were off and went over to sit next to Ashton, letting her body fall against his after she grabbed the remote. “Well I hope you get them. Adulting sucks. I hope we get to retire early and spend lots of time with family. I don’t want to turn out like my dad forever.” She scrunched her nose up looking up to Ashton, and then clicked through the channels, “Speaking of, I think they are moving down here- they’ve been talking about it for awhile, but my mom told me when they come over for Thanksgiving my Dad is actually going to bring her to some properties he is considering. I hope they find something, save a lot of time not having to fly to New York whenever I want to see them.” 

“I think your brain works not so quickly, like, all the time.” Ashton teased, watching Natalie watch their new cat for only a moment. “That’s not funny. You would regret it the most– what– with the new carpet and nice tile and the expensive furniture?” Hell, when he moved in, they had an hour long argument about Ashton using the decorative hand towels and not the ones that were apparently bought to be used. He couldn’t know the difference, and he sure as hell knew a cat wouldn’t. “Christmas shit? Already?” The guy cocked his head, laughing some. He nodded about dinner, satisfied with the decision she made. “Well, that’s great. I’m starving and I was just about to pop some pizza rolls in the oven!” Ashton beamed, bouncing his head as he thought some more. “Well, what we need to do is discuss the holidays. Thanksgiving is coming up, and so is Christmas.. and New Years. You know, what’s the plan and all? We’re both working and I need to know if I need to ask for that time off or not.”

“So rude, dude.” She shoved his shoulder lightly. “He’s not going to ruin anything. I have him a really big lecture about it on the way home, he knows better.” She proudly stood up for Oreo. “Yes, already. It’s only like five Friday’s away. ‘Tis the season.” She moved towards the couch setting her purse down on the side table and leaning over to start taking off her booties. “Oh I was going to tell you, I talked to Nana- she said your mom and sister have to come prep for Thanksgiving or she’s going to grab you by your ear to do it all yourself. She might be a little upset you didn’t make it to brunch.” She laughed remembering her Nana running on and on about all of them being together this year- she was so excited it got Natalie all ready for the holiday. “So that’s a yes, request it off ASAP, I don’t want you missing out on all the Torres fun. And please tell them too so they know to get the days free if they want to come. They’ll want to come right?” 

“No you didn’t.” The guy taunted, grinning at his girlfriend. “Okay… So Oreo it is… because mime? Really? And there’s only one Ashton, so no.” That grin only grew. Once upon a time, he would have willingly and impulsively gone along with Natalie. There was a different person developing inside of Ashton– someone familiar yet more mature than before. He was clearly logical about this decision, but couldn’t help but glance over his new family. Natalie has always been his closest family, but the cat added something rather remarkable. “Looks like you got it all figured out,” He chuckled under his breath, releasing Oreo at the same time to roam around. “Fine. Plus holiday at BNU, and the internship is ending in five months, so… I guess he won’t be alone.” Turning back to Natalie, he sighed, reaching out to wrap his arms around her waist. “I just really hope you bought a litter box too, on top of that food. Because cat poop is gnarly.”

“I’m kidding.” Ashton said under his breath. Of course he wouldn’t leave her to heavy lifting. Never has, never would. “I’ll grab it in a minute. I left my lighter in your car this morning, I gotta grab it anyway.” He explained as he leaned in to finally greet Natalie with a simple peck on the lips. A smile grew on his lips at her statement, but he rolled his eyes to pretend he wasn’t entertained by it. “I may be part French, but I don’t speak it. I’m American and I speak American.” The guy stated jokingly. “I’m gonna name him Obama… since he’s half black and half white too.” He peeked at her devilishly. “Or Oreo.” That seemed to be the obvious pet name right now. “Cats are independent, but you don’t know what he’s like, you know? Like, is he inside or outside? Lazy or active? You know, cats have feelings too. Can’t just train a kitten to be alone.” Ashton explained, shrugging a shoulder.

“I knew you would say that.” She said smugly, before leaning into him, returning his kiss. “Okay Mister America.” She mocked, shaking her head with laugh. “Obama, Oreo, Ashton, Piano, Mime- you can name him whatever you please baby.” She smiled proudly of all her suggestions. “I know he’s perfect. We will get a feel for what he’s like, plus after next week I have a month off of school and I’m only going to be working two days a week because of holiday hours- I’ll have him all settled in. He won’t be alone.” She took the kitten back and rubbed it’s nose against hers, staring in his eyes. “I know he’s an animal- it’s a serious move. And we’ll have to take care of him.... but I really want to. I think we can handle it.” 

“Come on, babe, I’ve been someone errand boy all day! The last thing I wanted is to come home and grab cat food for– a cat– that I didn’t ask for, by the way.” Yet he knew Natalie; he knew better than to think she would leave an innocent animal on the street by itself. Ashton approached cautiously, biting his lip as he lifted the kitten out of her purse and into his arms. “I definitely don’t hate you for one, but you’re not naming him… I am. Knowing you he’ll be named Givenchy or something.” Which Ashton himself pronounced incorrectly. “Like, you know I love animals. Biggest animal lover over here.” He began, stroking the cat carefully before meeting Natalie’s eyes. “But school, work? I barely see you as it is. You think we can really care for a cat right now?”

“Fine, fine, fine... I’ll drag the bag in all by myself...” She sighed, in hopes he’d do it for her, but not minding either way. “Well, you can name him I guess. Because I was having a hard time choosing anyhow. And no- that wasn’t one of the options, but it doesn’t actually sound bad when you completely butcher the name.”  She laughed at his pronunciation of the word. She swooned as he picked up the kitten, falling in love all over again. “You see- I already thought about all those things. And that’s what made him so perfect, see, we are both busy... but cats are so independent. We don’t have to walk him or let him out to pee, that will all be handled. So we get a pet that just blends right into our lives. Plus- he’s black and white.” She noted pointing out the cats fur. “I love him - almost as much as I love you.” 

The typical smile that came with greeting Natalie soon washed away. She sure knew how to set the tone for the rest of the evening. Ashton’s eyes shot down the kitten now peeking its head out of her purse. A sigh escaped him. “…Did you at least buy it some food and stuff? I took the last can of tuna with me to work today.”