"being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." – lao tzu
-
their hands remain joint, resting in her lap, as the soft splitter of rain hits the windows of shawns jeep ever so gently, whilst the two of them take the drive to his parents' house, where both the families are meeting for a dinner.

"i'm scared," aria mumbles, looking out of the window, as she passes her high school. "what if they freak?"

"they won't freak," shawn says, trying to calm her down a little. "but if they freak and kick you out, you're gonna live with me."

"that's really helping the situation," aria mutters sarcastically, making shawn sigh softly. "sorry."

"don't be, i understand," he squeezes her hand reassuringly. "but hey, once we're done with this, and they are happy for us, we can tell the world, one step at a time, baby." he says, lifting their hands, and pressing a kiss against the back of hers.

"can we go get ice cream after?"

"aria, it's october, it's freezing."

"that didn't stop us from getting tea in summer," she points out, as shawn chuckles, coming to a stop, parking the car in his old parking spot. "don't laugh at me."

"fine, we'll go get ice cream after."

"love you," aria grins, leaning over the console, and pressing her lips to his cheek.

"love you," he chuckles, breathing out his laugh. "are you ready, gorgeous?"

"as ready as i'll ever be," she mumbles, sending him a reassuring smile. "like you said, we don't have to worry."

"exactly, so, let's go tell them."

shawn and aria both climb out of the car, immediately linking hands, and walking up to the porch of the house, unlocking the door, and stepping inside.

"mum? dad? aaliyah?"

"mum? dad? liam?"

the two young adults laugh at each other, noticing how immediately, both of them yelled for their parents, and siblings.

"in the kitchen!" they hear shawns dad call back. the two of them slip off their shoes, followed by their jackets, before walking into the cozy kitchen, seeing both of their families.

"shawn! thank you so much for picking aria up, we would've gone, but we were getting so late-"

"mrs tate, don't worry," shawn chuckles, making aria smile in glee. "aria was only a few minutes away from my condo, of course i would've picked her up," he chuckles, greeting mrs tate, ashley, with a hug.

"how many times do i have to tell you? it's ashley, dear," arias mum laughs, making shawn chuckle nervously.

"aria, how was barcelona?" karen, shawns mum, asks the teen, greeting her with a hug. "you were there whilst shawn was too, did you meet up?"

"no, well, we tried to, but with the schools schedule, we couldn't," she explains, letting go of karen, and going to greet manuel, and aaliyah, before saying hi to her parents.

"you didn't forget anything at ballet, sweetie?" ashley asks her daughter, holding her glass of wine in her hands.

"no ma, i'm pretty sure i didn't," she shrugs. "speaking of ballet, you need to sign a form so i can go to the meet."

"yes, i will do that as soon as we get home, and did you talk to ms emily about getting that new leotard?"

"yes i did, she said she would order one in for me," aria nods, looking up at shawn, who's sneakily glancing at her, whilst he engages in a conversation with arias brother, who's only a year older than shawn.

"let's all go sit down?" karen suggests, as aaliyah eagerly bounds up to aria, wanting to talk to her desperately. aria and aaliyah both sit down at the table, shawn to arias right, and aaliyah to her left. , followed by liam seated next to shawns right.

"so shawn, how was tour?" arias dad, peter asks him, cracking open a beer and handing it to shawn.

"no thank you, i'm driving back home tonight," shawn chuckles, politely declining the drink. "and tour was amazing, thank you. it definitely was exhausting, but nevertheless, incredible."

"aria, how was barcelona?" aaliyah asks the seventeen year old, as the two families help themselves to the dinner laid out in front of them.

"it was great, thanks! i loved it!" aria chuckles. "we should go there together sometime."

"you should come with us next time shawn goes on tour there!" aaliyah chuckles, as shawn admires his girlfriend and his sister getting along well. silently, he gently slips his hand under the table, reaching for arias, slowly knitting their fingers together, grasping her small hand in his.

"trust me, she'll be the first person invited," shawn butts into the conversation, as aria looks up at shawn with nothing but love.

aaliyah gazes at the two curiously, wondering why their still looking at each other, smiles over their lips. but then she sees shawns eyes, shawns eyes, which are completely and utterly brimmed with love, and then it clicks. one of her best friends, and her brother were in love.

and she knew exactly why they were there at dinner.
-
"um everyone," shawn clears his throat, as himself and aria both nervously walk into the lounge, to their parents and siblings awaiting faces. "can we talk to you guys?"

"of course you can?" karen chuckles at her son, confused at why he's asking to talk to his own family. "come sit down kids."

"no, we'd rather stand," shawn says, anxiously looking at aria, who trails into the room after him. karen notices the serious tone shift, and turns down the noise of the television, letting aria and shawn stand in front of the families.

"we need to tell you something," aria begins nervously, fiddling with her hands.

"well, what is it?" her dad asks, suddenly concerned over the expressions over the twos faces.

"i um," shawn says nervously, looking at arias parents. "i'm in love with your daughter."

silence overcomes the room, sudden shock envelopes the individuals, casting an uneasy feeling over shawn and aria, as they look at each other nervously, completely and utterly worried. aria turns to her mother immediately, who has a small smile resting over her face, before looking at her dad, who's chuckling to himself, before sending a smile to shawn. this eases shawn immediately, before he turns to his parents, seeing them both smiling, and manuel offering his glass up to shawn, making shawn let out a sigh of relief, followed by a chuckle.

"we knew," all four of the parents say. "it was obvious."

"wait, what?" aria says, looking at shawn, who has the same confused expression over his face.

"oh come on aria, you always go to shawns to do everything, even study," ashley chuckles, making shawn and aria both flush their cheeks, before aria grips onto shawns hand, her other hand finding its way up his forearm, resting over his guitar tattoo.

"and you're happy with shawn, you've always been happy with him," her dad says, making aria smile widely. "but shawn, if you break her heart, i'm afraid i'm going to have to break you." a laugh is heard by everyone in the room, along with a slightly worried and nervous laugh from shawn.

"look, mendes," liam says, standing up from his seat, and walking towards him. "as the older brother, i have to warn you that i will be on your back if you ever even try to hurt her. she's my baby sister, and i swear to god if you make her cry even once i will beat you," liam says sternly, making shawn gulp nervously, and aria chuckle to herself. "other than that, welcome to the family bud!"

in that exact moment, aria and shawn were both sure, certain, that they did the right thing.

"i love you," aria whispers to shawn, as the two of them settle down on the spare couch, snuggled up to each other, the chimney fire kissing their skin.

"i love you," he whispers back, kissing her cheek gently, tracing little patterns over her shoulder with his fingers.
-
"i'm happy they took it okay," aria says gently to shawn, spooning her ice cream, picking up some of the dessert in the little pink spoon. "actually it's kind of scaring me how well they took it."

"don't be scared," shawn chuckles, leaning over, and holding onto her hand.

"shawn," aria says, immediately pulling her hand away. "just because we told our parents, it doesn't mean we can show affection in public yet. who knows who's watching?"

"aria tate, you genuinely are the most worried person i know," shawn chuckles again, grabbing onto her hand. "we're gonna release it anyway, so what if people see?"

"you're annoying," she says, as shawn grins at her, making it hard for her to keep biting back her smile. she finally gives in, smiling softly at shawn, before she scoffs, taking another lick of her ice cream.

"are you staying at my place tonight or do you want me to drop you back home?" shawn asks her, as she smiles nervously.

"staying at yours," she says, trailing off her voice, making shawn laugh softly.

"you should just move into my place, you're there often enough."

"i wouldn't be able to live with your annoying ass," she mumbles, making shawn chuckle to himself. "joking, honestly living with you would be great, because i'd have the place when you're on tour."

"oh, okay then," he says sadly, making aria immediately think that he's acting serious about it.

"shawn, i didn't mean it like that-" shawn however, cuts her off with a laugh, leaning back in his seat.

"oh my god you should've seen your face-"

"damn you!" aria screeches, hitting his arm with her hand. "you made me fucking scared!"

"okay, let me make it up to you then," shawn chuckles, leaning over the table, and taking her ice cream cup from her hands, and instead, holding onto her hands. "how about we have a party at mine, next weekend, to tell my friends about us."

"by party, what do you mean? and please don't say your 19th because i remember you waking up and walking up to me and saying that you don't remember a thing apart from-"

"shh!" shawn chuckles, making aria smile. "and by a party, i mean the condo, some music, drinks, food," he lists, making aria smile widely. "how does that sound?"

"it sounds perfect."