Omg, wow okay so this one’s a little tough because I only ever really picture Grayson as this beautiful ray of sunshine with a heart of gold… But the only way I could see this man ever becoming a douche canoe is if he were to join some frat, realize he is actually the hottest thing on campus, and have the entire Delta Gamma house kissing his feet and shedding their clothes for him.
But even if everyone on campus can see how high and mighty he stands, Grayson is one of those oblivious assholes who doesn’t really understand that sleeping with one girl on Tuesday, and then her roommate on Thursday is just a dick move. So while he may be the biggest player on the team, he’s always trying to be soft as well, which makes you completely smitten every once in a while, even though you’re only supposed to be his best friend and wing-women; the two of you met at freshman orientation, wound up on the same floor in the dorm hall, and then ended being recruited to the sister sorority of his fraternity.
When Grayson ends up getting himself in this predicament, it’s also you who’s finding yourself in a mess as well. It began about halfway through your final semester at university before moving on and entering the real-world. You and Grayson would have been working as a team all night; you running around trying to talk him up to all the girls who were there,
“Don’t look now, but Grayson Dolan is totally trying to give you the ‘fuck me’ eyes. Isn’t he just a whole snack?”
“Hey Amy, I heard Grayson talking with Josh about how hot you looked tonight.”
“Jen! Have you met my friend Grayson? Oh my god, you two would just be perfect for each other.”
Meanwhile, Grayson would be doing the same for you with all his brothers. Except, neither of you were aware of how much the other hated doing this. Grayson was just as smitten with you as you were for him sometimes. He just didn’t have the balls to say anything given how adamant you were to toss him into the arms of another and continuously let it be known that he was a ‘big ol’ frat douche’.
He was always so desperate for your attention though, it blew his mind how oblivious you were to it all on most ocassionas.
But tonight was a little different from the rest. As the house began to empty, neither you or Grayson had found someone to bring to bed for the night. So, naturally, Grayson had made a joke - never to him - about it being you’re lucky night, and you rolled your eyes with a shove to his shoulder. Except, the sexual tension in the room had been a little thicker that night given how tight your jeans were with a plunging neckline that led little to the imagination. Meanwhile, Grayson’s attire was no better with the plain white t-shirt hugging so tightly to his broad chest; you were convinced he bought them two sizes too small just to tease.
Maybe it was the liquor, maybe it was the way his tongue ran along his bottom lip with black eyes never leaving yours, or maybe it was just the desire to finally learn what all the hype was about, but your were jumping into his hold with legs wrapping around his waist as he carried you both upstairs easily before you could even second guess yourself.
You should have second guessed yourself.
You should have double-checked for the condom. Should’ve known he’s got the type of ego which boosted the strength of his pull-out game.
You didn’t think anything of it until a month later when your were sitting on your bathroom sink, 6 different pregnancy tests in hand - all positive - while your palm lay flat over your soon to be swollen belly.
When your phone buzzed - Grayson’s name flashing across the screen in irony - you felt like the world was taunting you.
But even worse was the words of his message.
“Wanna go to the bar tonight? Desperate for a quick lay with a Theta and need the help of my wing-woman.”
That night had obviously been a mistake to him, and in that moment when you realized it would just be you and the tiny alien growing in your belly from now on, what wasn’t a mistake was blocking Grayson’s phone number and never stepping foot on Fraternity road ever again.
Fifteen months later - after hearing endless rumors, realizing how much of a shit he’d been, feeling lost without you, and finally coaxing the address to your new apartment from one of your old sisters - Grayson Dolan was the last person you’d expected at your door with a bouquet of pink and blue baby’s breath, and a tiny teddy bear looking so small clutched in his large hands.
He’s at a loss for words the moment you open the door with a baby latched on your hip.
“Grayson,” you say in shock, stuttering the rest of the sentence out with your growing nerves, “w-what? What are y-you doing here?”
“You never texted me back,” he jokes, referring to the last message he’d sent before you’d blocked him.
Apparently joking isn’t the way he should have gone about this as he watches you lips press in a thin line.
“I was a little busy that day,” you sneer, eyes narrow in challenge.
“Cleary,” Grayson quips, hand with the bouquet awkwardly gestures at the baby on your hip,”I’d say you’ve been more than busy.”
On the insisde, Grayson’s just about ready to have a nervouse breakdown because wide, round, eyes are staring at him in curiosity - his brown eyes are staring at him with curiosity.
And his nose lets out a tiny puff of air when he huffs and hits a chubby fist against his mother’s chest.
And his mouth is blowing raspberries in self-entertainment.
This kid in front of him is not Grayson, but it belongs to him… and he’s just as quickly smitten with this tiny child as he became with his mom.
“Y/N…” Grayson trails off, trying to put the pieces together.
But you cut him off just as he begins, a huff of annoyance, “What are you doing here?” you ask again, this time your tone harsh instead of surprised.
Now Grayson is the stuttering mess, “I-I-I… Maggie said… Well, it wasn’t hard to find out where you ran off to. But, also, people kept telling me about you… about him, and when I finally realized what happened, you’d already blocked my number and left campus… I just think maybe I should, I don’t know, I should meet him… and see you because, god I miss you. I had no idea what happened when you shut me out.”
“Well, it’s not like you were going to drop everything and join us. I saved you the the trouble of having to let another girl down easy, and just dipped when I had the chance.”
Grayson’s jaw clenches when he hears you throwing those assumptions in his face. He hated the fact that his best friend, the girl he’d actually been chasing through all four years of university, was just another person in the crowd who’d assumed he was some asshole with no heart.
“You don’t think I would’ve stepped up? Wouldn’t have given you the absolute world? Taken care of you every morning when you felt nauseous? Helped you decorate the nursery? Bought you a body pillow to help you sleep? Bicker over baby names? Y/N, I hate that I never got to do any of this, and it’s because of some stupid assumption that I’m some asshole who would never care for a girl like you? Fuck you for thinking you weren’t already the world to me, and fuck you for thinking he wouldn’t have been either.”
Your mouth is pressed in a thin line as Grayson take a deep breath before continuing.
“I can’t believe you’d rather have your-our baby grow up without a father then maybe not just assume all the stupid shit people say about me.”
Grayson doesn’t mean to upset you, just another part of his unintentional douchebag charm. However, the minute he sees the tears welling in your eyes, he’s moving quick with wide eyes to wrap both you and the baby in his large arms with regret of the words he just spilled. He’s in full-on father mode at this point as he ushers everyone back inside, shutting the outside world away, and leading you to the couch.
“I’m sorry,” you sob, “I’m such a shit friend, such a shit person for doing this to you, such an idiot for thinking you wouldn’t be there for us.”
The baby in your arms his held protectively to your chest, your hand on the back of his head with lips pressed to the top of him in comfort.
Grayson is quick to attempt to quiet you, “Hey, shhh, it’s okay, everything’s okay sweetheart, yeah? M’not all that mad at you. Just a little upset. You try walking around knowing you’ve got this little family out there for six months that you aren’t even a part of.”
“That night seemed like it meant nothing to you,” you whisper, remembering the way he felt pressed flush against your body with a shudder.
Grayson hates himself at that point… really, sometimes it blows his mind that he could’ve even graduated from college in the first place. Whatever impression he gave that made you think this is an absolute lie.
“Y/N, that night meant everything to me. You don’t even know the half of it. The only reason I acted the way I did afterwards is because I didn’t think it meant anything to you.”
Whoever feels like the bigger idiot is up for discussion. Both of you are just at a loss for words by now with the stupidity of adolescence.
Maybe it wasn’t him that was the douchebag, but you with that same “fuck it” attitude that lead to a life lacking romanticism.
It makes you both laugh from pure, utter, stupidity.
You’re laughing so hard, even the tiny little creation nestled between you two joins in on the fun, making Grayson pause to watch the way his boy’s - it felt extremely crazy, but so good saying that - eyes danced the same way yours did.
When the musical sounds die out, Grayson is left to clear his throat, all seriousness back on the table.
“What’s his name?” he whispers hesitantly.
You give him a soft smile, kissing the baby boy’s head before saying, “Lincoln… do you wanna hold him?”
Grayson’s nodding eagerly before you can even finish the sentence. He sets aside the teddy bear, and holds out the bouquet to trade with you.
When the boy is in his arms, all the trivial issues vanish and he’s just smiling so wide, unable to contain himself.
“Hey bud…” he whispers to the little guy, “M’your Dad… sorry it took me a minute to find you, but I promise I’m not leaving you ever again.”
His conversation with the baby makes your smile widen, eyes staring at the pair in what looks like the most perfect sight.
In the midst of Grayson’s cooing at the tiny baby boy he’s now claimed as his own, he lifts his head for just a moment with this little glint of hope in his eye while he stares at you.
“Do you think Lincoln will let me take his momma out on a proper date? Make up for lost time so I can show her what I mean when I say I’m gonna make her my world?”
