Hey guys!

Thank you for the awesome reviews from the last chapter! I really glad that all you filthy minds enjoyed it ;)

Apologies for the delay with this chapter, school work is taking over my life and I've had little time to write over the past week :(

But I hope this chapter makes up for it!

Love you all!

oxoxo

Dawson

The profound smell of coffee teased me into consciousness the next morning and when I sleepily threw my hand across the bed, I found it empty. Whilst rubbing my eyes into focus I sat up, instantly feeling the cool air against my bare skin as the sheets bunched at my waist. I brushed my messy hair from my eyes but I had long come to understand that no matter how much I tried, the curls would never be tame.

I heard movement from the living room as the bedroom door was ajar just enough for me to hear Matt making coffee. My croaky sleep-filled voice called out to him as I pulled the sheets around my shivering body, my hands coming upon smooth material as I maneuvered the thick cream sheets. I knew instantly what it was, even if my mind was still foggy with sleep. My skin recognised the silky bounds from last night and I held the blue tie in hands with a sheepish smile on my face.

My cheeks flushed when Matt walked in and smirked when he saw what I had in my hands. I rolled my eyes, trying to hide how bashful I was feeling, and threw the material haphazardly onto the floor that was littered with our other articles of clothing.

Matt however, had on the sweats from the bag Kelly packed for him as he held a mug of coffee in each hand. But the rest of his pale skin was bare to my delight and I intently watched his stunning form move towards my side of the bed. He kissed my head and then handed me the coffee, careful not to spill any, and watched as I took the hot liquid to my mouth.

"Good morning," I murmured once the coffee had wettened my throat and allowed me to speak with some coherency. Matt smiled and stretched out on the large bed before me, propped up on one arm as the other held his mug, "Morning," he replied quietly.

"Some night huh?" I said with a grin and raised brow before I took the mug to my lips once more.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Matt chuckled teasingly, a flush arising in his cheeks too.

I shook my head, "I had fun... The party was great, thank you..." I retorted playfully and watched as he faked hurt, laughing at his insulted face.

"You started it!" I justified and watched as he placed his mug on the table, taking mine from my hands and placing it there too. Matt then jumped on the bed and gathered me up in the sheets, rolled our bodies and started an onslaught of tickles to my sides. I squeaked and squirmed underneath him, begging him to stop as his taunts were just too much.

Finally he did, whispering in my ear, "You weren't begging for me to stop last night..." as he held our bodies close together.

"And I never would have," I tell him boldly, pressing my lips firmly against his as I used my might to roll us over so that I was straddling his hips. I draw a line of kisses with my lips down his neck, feeling his body completely slack underneath mine.

"But I have to thank you for helping Antonio set everything up, it was a one of my best birthday's, thank you," I whisper appreciatively against the skin of his neck, placing another kiss there.

"You're very welcome Gabby," Matt chuckles into my shoulder, tightening his hug on me ever so slightly.

We settle into a familiar position for us on the bed. I sat up propped against a couple of pillows, as Matt lay with his head in my lap horizontally across the bed. I brushed my fingers through his hair and he held the other in his hand, haphazardly playing with my fingers.

"You looked beautiful last night, breathtaking really," Matt drawled as he looked up at me with those heart melting blue eyes and I could have melted into a puddle right there.

"Thank you," I mime to him, biting my bottom lip afterwards.

"Like whoa I thought, I can't believe that you're my girl," he continued and I laughed lightly as I knew that this was the beginning of his sweet rambles. But no matter what I knew his words were genuine and true, so I listened quietly to his soothing voice.

"You and me, a part of me thought that it would never happen. Us, together. You're way out of my league, you know and well, you were just so closed off... I wondered if I'd ever get to hold you again... I really missed you when we didn't speak because I'd long fallen for you.. But I like to think that everything we did to each other and everything we went through made us stronger," he murmured as he didn't really look at me, but instead played with my fingers that were intertwined with his.

I tuck a finger underneath his chin and tilt it slowly so that those blue eyes finally connected with mine, "It did."

Matt smiles widely and my heart thumped quickly in my chest. The way he looks at me, as if I was the most precious thing in the world, makes me fall in complete love with him all over again. Every single time. But I'd never tire of it, not in a million years could I tire of his smile.

"And for the record," I add, "I'm certainly not out of your league."

Matt raises his brows, "You're clueless aren't you?"

I shake my head with dire confusion, "Clueless to what?"

He springs out of the bed with a pace that challenged lightning and stands beside the bed, reaching his hand out to me. I take it, using one hand to clutch his the other to secure the bed sheets around my body. He shuffles me towards the long floor length mirror hanging on the wall of the hotel bedroom and stands behind me as he faces us into it. Matt clutches my waist with one hand, his warmth felt through the sheets clinging to my body and uses the other to brush my extremely wild and uncontrollable hair to one side.

"You're clueless to just how beautiful you are, and that whenever we're out, be at a bar, a restaurant, the firehouse BBQ, heck even out on calls, no guy can ever take his eyes off you... I notice it, but you never do... You're skin, so soft and gorgeous, is irresistable to not touch..." Matt says confidently, brushing his hand against the skin on my sternum.

"You're body, perfect in every single way with this cute little butt," he smiles as I squeak as he pinches my butt lightly.

"The way your cheeks flush this stunning colour of pink whenever you're laughing or embarrassed or angry," Matt runs his finger back and forth my cheek.

"These lips, pink and plump and so damn gorgeous that when I'm not kissing you, it's all I think about," his thumb brushes against my bottom lip, "And you don't know just how sexy you are when you're biting it in excitement or nervousness."

"You're eyes, the first things I saw when I knocked you down on that first day. The eyes that tell me everything about you when you don't say a word. The eyes that I fell in love with, and fall in love with all over again when you look at me... They're endless and I could happily spend the rest of my life just looking into these eyes, because they are you. And I'm completely in love with every single perfectly imperfect part of you."

Never had I heard such words spoken with pure clarity and honesty as Matt did, and they left me throughly speechless. My only way of communicating was to gaze into the mirror back at him, and allow tears to slip down my cheeks.

"Ssh," he soothes gently as I watch him reach up and brush the tears away.

I clear my throat and find the words I'd never tire of saying to him, "And I'm in love with you too," I say as I turn in his arms, pressing my lips desperately against his.

My hands quickly slip down his chest to the waist band of his sweats and smirking against my lips he said, "You're ready for round two?"

"Hmm," I hum, "Actually I think I'm completely worn out from last night," I tease, pretending to ponder on the idea.

"Really?" Matt questions with disbelief.

I shake my head, "Definitely not," I mutter before pressing my lips against his once more and pushing him back towards the bed once more.

"Now I'm worn out."

Matt chuckles at my words as he wraps the sheets around our bodies as they cradled each others.

"I'm sure," he mutters as I rest my head against his shoulder, feeling my body ache from our strenuous activities.

After a moment's pause Matt breathes out deeply and I could tell that he was trying to say something, "What is it baby?" I question.

"I've been wanting to ask you something..." he trails off quietly whilst playing with the ends of my hair.

I lift my head from his shoulder and scrutinize his face, "Then go ahead."

"Okay," he sighs, "... I want you to move in with me."

"But I already- Oh," I mutter when I realise what he's saying.

I knew what he meant. He wanted him and I to find a place of our own, and it's not that I don't love the idea, I do. But what about Shay and Kelly? They'd taken me in when I needed them most - how would they take it if I were to move out with Matt now? But I can understand where he's coming from. I know it's not exactly preferable for Kelly and Shay to overhear Matt and I, well... you know, and I don't like it either. And it's a step that all couples take, a step that we're ready for, to solidify our relationship in a place that we can call our own. I just didn't want to hurt Kelly and Shay by doing so.

Matt took my pause as a concern, "It's not that I want to"

"Yes."

Matt's face screws up in confusion, "Yes?"

"I want to move in with you."

He smiles and only then did I realise how much this meant to him, to me. It was a huge commitment, but a commitment nonetheless that we made to each other that we were in this for the long haul.

"But I want to spend Christmas and New Years with Shay and Kelly. And we have to talk to them about it, I don't want them to feel like we're abandoning them or not caring. They've done so much for me Matt and I don't want them to feel like I'm throwing it back in their faces."

Matt nods his head, "I wouldn't have Christmas any other way... And Gabby, they will never feel like that okay? Trust me."

"I do."

"Good," he smirks wickedly, "Because when I have you alone all to my self every single day, you won't know what's hit you," Matt whispers seductively before rolling us over so that I was straddling him once more.

And we drowned in the sea of each other once more.