Chapter Text
Auston remembers exactly where he was when it happened. It being the deafening, most insurmountable amount of memories that rushed back into his mind and infiltrated his body when he realized the date the night before. He was ready to go to sleep. Actually, he was quite tired. If you really want to know, he had a long day. Had a coffee pretty late. Maybe three-ish. But still, he was, to be honest, tired.
He didn’t know what awaited him that summer evening.
He was living in blissful ignorance on July 28, 2026.
And when it ticked to midnight, it finally clicked in his head.
The wedding.
The night he had lost everything.
The night he lost him.
And then, all of a sudden, that coffee seemed to kick in. He wasn’t feeling that sleepy. In fact, he was feeling the exact opposite.
Because all that was on his mind was the person who made his blood run along his veins like he was on drugs—the person he could’ve had a future with. If only Auston didn’t ruin it all.
If only Mitch Marner loved him enough to convince Auston to hold on.
If only.
It was a sunny day in Toronto when Mitch told Auston his plan. The Knights had just recently won the cup, (“fuck ‘em,” Mitch had said after watching the game, “that’ll be us next year.”) ending the season. The season where everything had changed for the team. Everyone had faith. Everyone. The players, the fans, the fuckin’ front office, even fans of other teams had been supporting them online. It was different. Electric, unreal. And hell, Auston really thought they would go all the way this time.
Mitch did too. But he had more faith than anyone. He was the one who somehow had enough confidence to be the one saying, “next year” when no one else could.
That season was the most stable time between the two. No weird strikes where they would simply stay away from each other, just simple and pure truths that would remain between them.
Everything was great for them, until Mitch dropped a bomb.
They were sitting out in a backyard of some downtown café that was dead inside. Mitch was sipping on some sort of a sweet icy coffee while Auston gulped down his Americano.
“I, uh, had something I wanted to talk to you about,” he had said, sounding hesitant.
Auston’s first thought? Alarms. Shit like this always went to let’s try not to, or I want you, we can’t.
“What’s up?” Auston smiled. Mitch smiled back. He knew they were fucked, but he ignored it.
“Steph… she wants to get married. And, she knows about it all—us—but she... I don’t know. I don’t really know. She wants to get married to me, Auston.”
Every word, like a beat to his chest, rang in his ears and simmered in his belly along with his black coffee.
Nausea. That’s what came first.
Then, confusion.
“Why?”
Was all he could choke out. He thought that they were finally happy together, that they could constantly just live in this current state of peace. He knew damn well that Mitch loved it too, so why would he even think about marriage if it wasn’t to Auston?
In hindsight, Auston admits the confusion might’ve been mixed with a little anger.
“She brought it up outta nowhere, really. I’m stuck. I don’t know what to do.”
From there, the memories are jumbled up. Auston vividly remembers getting mad, questioning, then quieting, and then getting upset all over again, until he finally realized it.
“Is this about your dad?”
Mitch’s face had broken a little then, like he didn’t expect Auston to figure it out. Mitch didn’t need to say anything more. Auston understood.
He spent the afternoon, until sundown, comforting him.
It was a fast process. Uncommonly fast–especially for weddings as big and expensive as Mitch’s. But it happened. Save the date–July 29th, 2023.
Auston learned quickly that it had been in talks for a long time–so long that Steph had half the wedding planned already, which was how Mitch popped the question, planned a wedding, and attained a bachelor party all in a month’s time. Mitch just never had the nerve to tell him previously. Auston didn’t care that much, or maybe he did and was denying it to himself.
In those three weeks, Auston never got the chance to see him often. He was going into it blind as he readied himself for the bachelor party the day before his wedding.
Auston checked his phone again. How should he approach it? Should he tell the truth or conceal his genuine intentions?
His phone constantly buzzed with message after message, ones that he didn’t care, nor want, to read. Maybe he should act like none of it exists. That they’re just buddies. That makes the most sense.
Buzz! Buzz! Ding! Ring! Or maybe he should pour his soul out to Mitch? Be a selfish idiot and take him for himself.
Ring!
Ring!
Ring!
Or he should just ghost everybody and never show his face in public again.
Auston picked up his phone.
“Yo! Where the fuck are you?!”