First Dates

A/N: I literally wrote this in 20 minutes because twitter was giving me FutureAuslly feels so yeah

"So. Aaron." Austin said, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. The brown-haired boy stood across from him. Austin hadn't bothered to offer him a seat.

"It's Ashton, sir."

"Yeah, okay. So what are your plans for Alice tonight?"

"My plans? Oh, um, I just figured we'd get something to eat and then... see a moxie or something?" He trailed off as Austin's gaze hardened.

"Yeah, Aaron, the 'something' is what I'm worried about."

"Ashton." Ashton corrected him aagin.

"You haven't planned this date out very well, have you?"

"Mr Moon-"

"Austin, are you hassling Ashton?" Austin sighed as he heard Ally's light footsteps coming down the stairs. She was still as tiny as ever. She frowned in Austin's direction, folding her arms.

"I'm not hassling him. I just need to know he's going to take care of my daughter."

"Your daughter? Since when do you posses sole ownership? If I remember correctly, I actually grew her."

"Can't grow anything without seeds," Austin deadpans, waggling his evebrows.

Ally rolls her eyes, suppressing a smile and turning to a now blushing Ashton.

"Don't mind him. He has no filter at all. Take a seat," she adds, gesturing to a sofa. Ashton nods gratefully and sits. Austin pouts.

They trio sit in awkward silence, Austin's gaze falling on Ashton every so often.

Okay, he had known this day was coming. He had known Alice wouldn't be the little girl who needed him to sing her to sleep and scare the monsters out of her closet and give her piggyback rides when she got tired. He'd known this day was coming... But it still felt like it had come too soon.

It seemed like just yesterday he was hugging Ally tight as she told him she was pregnant, or freaking out because no matter what he did, Alice would not stop crying.

And now here she was... about to go on her first date.

Could he help being a little protective? Could he help thinking that no boy would ever be good enough for her?

He couldn't.

They all turned to the staircase as Alice started to come down it. Austin smiled. She looked very like Ally; like a smaller version of her. She had insisted on dying her hair blonde as soon as she turned twelve. Ally had wanted her to wait until she was a little older, but Austin, always the softie, had paid for her to change her hair color that very day.

She stopped when she got to the foot of the stairs. Ally beamed at her daughter.

"Oh, sweetie, you look beautiful,"

"Alice, you look great," came Ashton or whatever, who Austin had forgotten was still here.

Austin looked at his daughter, then back at Ashton. He knew a lot about him. Alice had been talking about him non-stop for the past few weeks, and when he asked her out, she had exploded with joy. And he knew he should be happy for her, and he was, but...

Yeah. But.

Ashton was a member of a band, and they were trying their best to get it to take off. They were doing very well, and Austin had to admit that their songs were good. He loved music, that much was clear, and in that aspect, he reminded Austin of... Well, himself.

Austin watched from his seat as his wife and his daughter's date fussed over her. She looked up suddenly, catching his eye and walking towards him.

"Dad?" her voice was a whisper. Austin smiled.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Do I look okay?"

"You look perfect." And with that Austin swallowed the last sour bitterness pill and stood and hugged her. He was letting her go, but not completely. Not forever. "Have a nice time, Als,"

She nodded. "Thanks,"

With that, she was walking back to Ashton, and they were out the door after Austin made Ashton promised to bring her back by eleven.

Once the door was shut, Ally reached up to hug him.

"It's weird, right? Watching our baby go on dates," she whispered against his chest.

He pressed his lips against her hair, then picked her up, laying her down on top of him on the couch. "Beyond weird. I guess we'll have to get used to it, though, right? I mean, if her experience is anything like yours, there's going to be guys practically battering down our door to be with her."

She laughed, smiling up at him.

"I'm glad I chose you, though." she smirks.

I brush a strand of hair out of her face. "I'm glad I chose you, too."