Well, I'm back with the next chapter of this story for you guys. Sorry it took a little longer than planned, but hopefully it's worth it. I've got more to say at the end of this chapter, but for now, I just hope you enjoy!
Thanks for reading!
part four
"So, um, do you wanna get your bags and I'll get the food?" Gabby suggested as she put her car in park, Matt nodding softly before he opened his door, Gabby quickly following suit. He looked out at his new surroundings, Matt taking in the string of apartment buildings in front of him, his eyes quickly moving around before the sound of Gabby's door shutting brought him back into the present, Casey stepping towards the back seat to grab his suitcase and carry on. Once they had all their things, Gabby locked her car before coming to stand with him on the sidewalk, Matt following her lead as they began walking towards one of the buildings. Having no idea where they were going, he was content to walk behind her, Casey breathing in the humid evening Puerto Rican air as they began climbing the steps up to the second floor.
They hadn't said much since they got out of the car, Matt focusing on taking everything in as they walked down the hallway towards the last apartment. Casey glanced down to the parking lot as they got to her door, seeing Gabby had chosen the spot that was in direct line of sight from her place, conveniently located right under a street lamp. And the thought made him smile slightly, Matt knowing that was a very Gabby thing to do.
Shoving the keys into her door, Gabby unlocked her apartment, pushing the door open and walking inside. Matt followed after her, the temperature cooling off considerably when he stepped into the dark apartment, Casey closing the door behind him as Gabby flipped on the lights.
It was impossible for him to hide his reaction as he took in her place, his eyes widening slightly as he looked at the modest apartment she'd called home for the better part of a year and a half. It wasn't anything too crazy, but for the state he knew the city had been in since the hurricane, it was very nice.
She locked up the door as he took another step inside, Gabby turning the deadbolt and clasping the chain in place, turning to see him still taking everything in, giving him a moment to do so.
Gabby had a decently sized living room, holding a couch, chair, and a small TV, Matt noticing the sheets and pillow placed on the end of the couch, but he chose to ignore that as he continued looking at everything. The kitchen and small dining table were directly across from the living room, and then further back was the door to what he assumed to be the bedroom, Matt seeing the bathroom door in between the bedroom and the kitchen.
"Well, what do you think?" Gabby prompted when he had yet to say anything, Matt smiling softly as she came to stand by his side.
"I was expecting a tent." He replied without missing a beat, his teasing words earning a light scoff from Gabby, the woman shaking her head before walking towards the couch, setting their food down on the coffee table.
"Don't worry, the tent comes tomorrow." She answered, Matt chuckling softly as he placed his carry on bag in the chair, leaving his small suitcase beside it. "You want a beer? Or water?"
"Beer's good." He responded, Gabby nodding before moving towards the kitchen, Matt sliding his shoes off and placing them by the front door. He walked back towards the couch as Gabby came back from the kitchen, giving him a nod to sit down first before she followed suit, the pair sitting comfortably close together. Part of the reason they were was because of the items she'd sat out for the makeshift bed, but he was trying not to read too much into that, at least not yet.
"Here you go." She spoke up, holding out one of the beers she'd gotten towards him, Matt graciously accepting it before taking a drink, the cold liquid wetting his dry throat as Gabby began pulling their food out.
Casey fought off a yawn as she began placing the plates down in front of them. It was late, his watch telling him in was a little after ten, and even though he couldn't wait to get some sleep, his long day of travel having worn him out, he was definitely wanting to eat first.
When they'd stopped by the small restaurant to get their food, Matt let Gabby take the lead in ordering their meal. Admittedly, he didn't really know what they were getting, and he trusted her to choose things she knew he'd like, as he'd so often done in the past whenever they'd go outside of his comfort zone. And, like she'd also done in the past, Gabby got them way too much food. Even after all these years, he still didn't understand why she did it, but it was something he'd known about her even before they got together; she always ordered way too much, and rarely would they ever finish it. He knew it had to do with her loving to always have a variety of options, but he also assumed part of it stemmed from her inability to make a decision. When it came to little things like this, food being a perfect example, Gabby was always pretty indecisive, and it was a comforting thought seeing that hadn't changed.
"So, um, what exactly is all this?" He asked as she placed the bag down on the ground beside her feet, Gabby grinning up at him.
"Food you'll love." She responded, Matt raising his eyebrows as she picked up one of the to-go boxes, handing him that and a plastic fork. "Just eat it, you'll like it. I promise." She assured him, her words enough for him as he dug into the food, not missing the satisfied smirk on her face when it was clear he enjoyed whatever he was eating. He knew it was some kind of meat, but other than that he couldn't even begin to guess what it was. But Gabby was right, it was delicious. "Told you." She added after he'd taken a few bites, Matt shaking his head in amusement as she began eating what she'd gotten for herself.
"It is really good, I'll give you that." He replied, taking a drink of his beer before he continued eating, the two sitting comfortably beside one another. "You've got a really nice place here." He spoke up after a few moments, Gabby turning to look at him. "It's homey… feels like you." Matt added, seeing the soft smile that graced her lips. "Is this where you've lived the whole time?"
He was trying to make conversation, Matt wanting to know more about her life here now that he was actually here with her, but it still stung a bit, every time he thought back to where they were when she'd first left. How he always assumed she'd be coming home. Admittedly, it stung more than a bit, but he still wanted to know more about her life since she'd been here, even if there were hard memories attached to it.
"No, I haven't… When I first started, I was just in a hotel, when I wasn't out on the sites. But when, uh-..." She cut herself off, clearing her throat before continuing, Gabby dropping his gaze as she looked down to her food. "When this became permanent, I got this place." She finished, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as he nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "I'm only here about half the time, mostly I'm out in the field, but it's nice to have a place to come back to, you know?"
"Yeah, I get it… It's a nice apartment."
"Thank you." She responded, both of them feeling the slight uneasiness that had settled around them, like they were both afraid to near the topic of her leaving again. Even though it would be unavoidable. "So, um… what happened?" She asked, Matt looking towards her, his eyebrows raising curiously. "On the call, where you got hurt." She elaborated, nodding towards the bandage covering his cheek.
"Oh, it was nothing really." He started, shifting in his seat. "We were sweeping a building, the fire was in the basement and we were making sure everyone was out… the floor gave underneath me when I was trying to leave." Matt felt her tense beside him the second those last words left his mouth, Casey glancing towards her, finding her worried eyes on him. "But I'm good." He was quick to add, not meaning to scare her. "I held on until Severide got there, there's nothing to worry about." Matt assured her, Gabby's eyes tracing over his face, like she was looking for any signs of deception. It was a game they'd played before, especially after rough calls that Gabby hadn't been there for, where she'd be able to tell with one look whether he was telling her the complete truth or not.
What he wasn't sure of was whether or not she was still able to read him as well as she used to.
But, regardless of if she thought he was telling the truth or not, she didn't push it, Gabby simply nodding before taking another bite.
"How'd the cut happen?" She asked after she'd swallowed, Matt glancing towards her, seeing her eyes focused on his cheek before she found his gaze again.
"I uh… my head hit the ground when I fell." He started, Matt wincing before the words even left his lips, knowing he was bound to worry her more, and by the way her eyes widened, he knew he had. With his history of head injuries, and with how concerned Gabby had been in the past whenever it came to him getting hurt, especially above the neck, he knew she would be worried. Or at least he knew she always used to be.
But with one look at her, it was clear that hadn't changed, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she looked him over once more, a deep look of concern etched into her features.
"My face got cut when my head hit, but I'm fine." He tried to assure her, Gabby's tongue poking out to run over her bottom lip, a pensive look covering her face.
"You didn't get a concussion or anything?" She asked softly, her eyes never leaving his, Matt shaking his head quickly.
"No, it's just the scratch." He confirmed, Gabby pursing her lips together before she nodded slightly, thinking over her next words carefully, like she was trying to determine whether or not she should continue to ask him about the call.
"And you didn't hurt anything else?" She questioned, catching the flash of hesitation in his eyes. It was quick, anyone else would've missed it, but Gabby saw it, Dawson taking a deep breath. "What else is wrong?" She asked, her tone leaving no room for debate.
"I tweaked my shoulder a little bit while I was holding onto the floor, but it's nothing bad. I just pulled a muscle." He explained, Gabby drawing in a deep breath. "Really, it's nothing. It's still a little sore, but that'll go away. I promise, I'm good."
From past experience, Matt knew how shaken Gabby would get whenever he'd gotten hurt. It didn't matter how severe the injury, whether they were together or not, she always worried about him when things on calls went sideways. And while he'd never want to be in a position to worry her, it was comforting to see that hadn't gone away. That even after all this time, she still acted the same way she did when they were together.
"Alright…" Gabby reluctantly said, her eyes narrowing slightly as Matt raised his eyebrows. "But I still say you could've rescheduled, that flight had to have been hard on you."
"It wasn't too bad… Plus, it was worth it." He added softly, Gabby feeling heat rush to her cheeks as she ducked her head, focusing her attention on her food, Matt chuckling lightly beside her.
"Mhmm, whatever you say." She replied, moving her food around with her fork before slowly lifting her eyes up. "But you better not be lying to me, or else I'll make you sleep outside." She added jokingly, Matt shaking his head with a soft grin, turning his body towards her.
"Well, you've already banished me to the couch, outside wouldn't be that much worse."
The words left his lips lightly, he had said it as a joke, but what he wasn't counting on was the uncomfortable feeling that immediately settled in the air around them, Gabby averting her eyes as she shifted in her seat, Matt pursing his lips together as he realized what he'd done.
This is what he'd been worried about, was them not knowing how to act around one another whenever they even got close to any real conversation. And while Gabby leaving out some sheets and pillow for him wasn't a topic that was too heavy, it went into much deeper issues. How, in any other situation, one of them sleeping on the couch wouldn't have ever crossed their minds.
In fact Matt could count on one hand the amount of times he'd been banished the couch. Even after their worst fights, Gabby was rarely the one to kick him out of their bedroom. When they did start off the night separated, it was usually on his own accord, Matt deciding to bunker down out in the living room for the night so they could get some space. But during those rare occurrences, more often than not did he end up back in their bedroom pretty quickly; whether he took it upon himself to go in, or Gabby came and got him, rarely did they every sleep apart if they were both home. If anything, Matt knew there had been more times they'd fallen asleep on the couch together than when he'd done it alone.
But that was a long time ago. They weren't that couple anymore, they weren't a couple at all, so of course he shouldn't have assumed they'd just be sharing her bed.
But he did.
Or at least it wasn't something he'd thought about it. It never crossed his mind that Gabby might want to set boundaries for them while he was here, Matt focusing more on how excited he was to get here than how they'd handle the status of them once he did.
He couldn't say he blamed her, considering they last time they were together they'd fallen into bed rather quickly, and then she woke up alone. So no, he didn't blame her for seemingly wanting him out here, but it had taken him a bit by surprise, Matt getting hung up on it more than he cared to admit.
Because it was just another reminder. Another reminder of how far they'd fallen from one another, how much pain and hurt, and love was still between them, but how they didn't really know how to act around one another. There was so much uncertainty, and he hated it.
Never in his life had he not known how to act around Gabriela Dawson, but now he wasn't sure. He had come here, she wanted him to come here, but now that he was here, he had no idea what any of this meant. And he knew there would probably be some painful conversations along the way before he found out.
"Um, yeah…" She cleared her throat, still refusing to look his way as Matt's gaze snapped into focus. "I was actually gonna sleep out here, give you the bed." She responded quietly, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as she reluctantly glanced up at him. "I wasn't sure what you wanted to do. I know there's things we need to talk about, so I wasn't sure if we should sleep-" She cut herself off, plastering a weak smile onto her face before preparing another bite of her food. "I just didn't know." She corrected, Matt giving her a slight nod before they both went back to their food, neither of them sure what to say next.
He understood her reasoning. Hell, he knew it was probably the smartest course of action for them as they began to navigate these murky waters. But, logic and reason aside, he didn't want to be spending his nights out here, because even if she didn't want to share a bed there was no way he'd let her sleep out here instead of him. Although ideally he didn't want either of them out here, he wanted to be with her.
That's why he came here. He came here for her, for them, and he didn't want to waste any more time apart than they already had.
"So," Gabby spoke up, Matt looking up from his food, finding her eyes waiting for him. "I'm going to the site tomorrow." She steered the topic away from their sleeping arrangements, Matt giving her an interested nod, the intrigue in his eyes telling her to continue. "I'm supposed to be there for a few days. I know we didn't really talk about what all we'd be doing, but-"
"I'm excited to go." He spoke softly, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly, a soft smile forming over her face when she saw him grin. "I wanna see you in action."
A light scoff left her lips, Gabby putting her makeshift plate back onto the coffee table before leaning back into the couch, shaking her head. "Well, don't get your hopes up." She warned him, scrunching her nose up slightly. "It's nothing too impressive."
"Somehow I doubt that." He responded, Gabby's smile never faltering. "And, regardless, I believe I was promised a tent." Matt added, biting back a smirk as she laughed at him, the firefighter taking a sip of his beer.
"Well, you'll get your tent, don't worry." She replied, Matt nodding before the two went back to their dinner, the food having started to get a little cold.
Over the next ten minutes, they finished their meal, Gabby having given Matt some of hers, the firefighter finishing her last few bites while she put the other leftovers away. After downing the last sip of his beer, Matt gathered his trash, pushing himself up from the couch before walking through the living room, coming to join her in the kitchen.
"Can I just put this in the trash?" He asked, Gabby turning around from the fridge, giving him a nod before gesturing towards the trash can in the corner, grabbing the beer bottle from him and placing it by the sink.
"So, I know it's late, and you've had a long day…" She started, Matt turning around to face her, wiping his hands on his jeans, "and I'll be putting you to work tomorrow," He smirked softly, taking a step closer to her as she shifted on the balls of her feet, "So I guess we should probably get to sleep here soon."
"Yeah, I'm a little beat." He agreed, Gabby giving him a nod. "But is it okay if I shower first? The plane made me feel gross."
"Of course, yeah." She replied, leading him out of the kitchen, Gabby stopping by the chair and grabbing his suitcase before he could protest, pulling it towards her bedroom. Blowing out a breath, Matt followed after her, his steps slowing when he got into the doorway, gnawing on his bottom lip as he got his first look at her bedroom as she placed his suitcase on the small bench at the end of her bed.
Matt felt Gabby watching him as he took in her decent sized room. It was pretty simple, Gabby not having much past her bed, dresser, a chair in the corner of her room, and a few personalized touches. But it was very Gabby; it was neat, there being little clutter around the room. It reminded him of how she liked to keep their room at home.
"Your room is nice." He spoke up, wincing slightly at how lame the words sounded as they left his lips, Gabby flashing him a soft smile.
"Thanks." She replied softly, pushing her short hair behind her ear before stepping back towards the door. If she noticed the weird tone to his voice, she didn't acknowledge it, Matt turning sideways in the doorway so she could get past him. "Make yourself at home, I'll get the shower started for you."
He didn't object, Matt giving her a nod before she walked the few steps into the bathroom, Casey pursing his lips together before stepping into her bedroom, moving towards his suitcase at the end of the bed. He still didn't intend to have her being the one to sleep out in the living room, but it was a discussion that could be had once he'd cleaned off, Matt rolling out his neck as he began unzipping his suitcase. Standing at the end of the bed, he began fumbling through his folded clothes, quickly finding a fresh t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, Matt pulling those out before flipping his suitcase closed.
Casey turned to leave, his clothes clutched firmly in his hands, but his eyes caught sight of something familiar resting on her dresser. He almost missed it, the framed photo sitting partially behind her jewelry box, but he'd recognize that picture anywhere. Matt didn't even realize it was gone, that she had taken it with her when she left, although with what little had survived in the wreckage from their apartment burning down, he guessed he shouldn't have been too surprised to not remember it missing. But it was a picture that used to sit above their desk, a photo of them taken without warning.
It was from their impromptu wedding reception at Molly's, the one Severide had kind of taken over in organizing. The night he gave her back the wedding ring, the ring that always belonged to her. The one that never should've left her finger.
They were sitting together at the bar sharing a slice of their cake, Gabby having perched herself up in his lap, his hand resting on her hip to keep her balanced, Kidd having snapped a few photos of them while they were messing around with one another. Neither of them knew the pictures were being taken, the two so engrossed in the other they hadn't seen Stella pull her phone out. It wasn't until days later when Kidd sent them to Gabby that they even knew they existed, but they quickly became some of their favorite pictures, the two deciding they needed to have one in their home.
He knew the photo by heart, that day forever ingrained into his memory, Matt remembering how happy they were in that moment. How, aside from their wedding day, that might've been the happiest they'd ever been since they got married... And how he knew they hadn't been that happy since.
If someone would've told him that night that everything from then on in their marriage would've been unsteady, he wouldn't have believed them. And he certainly wouldn't have believed their marriage ever would've ended at all. With as happy and content as he knew they both felt that night, he never would've believed things would've taken such a dark turn for them.
But they had.
Things hadn't been all bad since that night nearly three years ago, of course they hadn't. Their marriage was full of love and there wasn't a day that had gone by where Matt didn't absolutely love being married to her, and there had been plenty of days since where he wished they were still married. Even through all the rough times, he would never regret their marriage. He just never expected it to end.
And he never expected things to be so damn hard for them, either. It was almost like they never got a second to breathe; from dealing with the fallout of losing Louie, to him getting trapped in that factory fire, then the tension that came from that situation with Bria, to what might've been the biggest blow to them as a couple.. them finding out about Gabby's aneurysm, and what that meant for them.
Then there wasn't even a them anymore. Because she left him, and he let her go.
It was like for all the good things that happened to them since the night that photo was taken, they got dealt even more bad. It had been one hit after another, and he wasn't sure what either of them had done to deserve that. He knew they didn't do anything to deserve that.
But he also knew they didn't help themselves, either. They stopped leaning on each other, they stopped working through things together. Things got hard, and instead of dealing with it, they ignored it. They let life tear them apart, until there was nothing left.
Except a whole lot of pain, and even more regret.
There was so much regret. So much he wished he could take back, so much he wished he could change… And he was sure she felt the same way.
But they couldn't take it back. They couldn't undo the pain they caused each other, they couldn't take those awful words they'd said back. They couldn't undo giving up on one another, or the choices they've made. They couldn't take back any of it.
But they could fix it.
He just wasn't sure how. Not when he didn't know what this trip was, not when he didn't know what this meant for them. There was so much they needed to work through, so much they needed to figure out. But there was a small, nagging thought in the back of his head that made him wonder if there was a reason to do any of that. Was there any reason to try and fix this, if this trip is all there relationship would be? There was so much they needed to work through, but if she was still staying in Puerto Rico, and he wasn't leaving Chicago, was there even a point? A part of him couldn't see a reason to try and fix what had been so badly broken between them, if occasional weekends and visits were all they had.
He loved Gabby. He knew without a doubt in his mind that he still loved her, just as much as he always had. And he knew that would probably never go away. But love was never an issue with them. He loved her, and he was sure she loved him. But love couldn't erase the fact that there were thousands of miles between them.
Love hadn't been enough to save them last time. He couldn't see why now would be any different.
And that was something he might have to come to terms with, that these few weeks could be all they had. He had no idea what was going on in her head, something that, admittedly, had been a problem for them towards the end of their relationship. But even though he wasn't sure what this trip meant, and he knew that wasn't something he'd be finding out tonight, he was determined to enjoy it.
He came here to spend time with her, to be with her. And he had every intention of enjoying her company while he was here, in whatever ways she'd let him.
"Everything's ready."
Gabby's voice broke him from his thoughts, Matt's head snapping towards her to find her standing in the doorway, her head tilted to the side slightly.
"You okay?" She asked softly, Matt giving her a soft smile, continuing his walk towards the door.
"Yeah, I'm good.. Just zoned out for a second. I think I'm more tired than I realized." He responded lightly, Gabby nodding as she shot him a gentle grin.
"Well, once you get your shower, you can rest. We don't have to be out of here until ten tomorrow, so you can sleep in a bit." She told him, Matt giving her a nod before sliding past her, moving towards the bathroom.
"Sounds good." He replied, giving her one last smile before closing the door, effectively separating them from one another.
His shower was quick, Matt not taking up too much time, his words to Gabby true about how exhausted he was, the long day of travel quickly catching up with him. He was in and out in a little under ten minutes, Matt drying himself off and putting on his pajamas, hanging up his towel before he left the bathroom, flicking off the light as he went.
When he stepped back into the apartment, he was surprised to see Gabby nowhere in sight, his eyes moving around the living room. She had already made the makeshift bed up on the couch, and had turned off all the lights except for one small one in the kitchen, but she was nowhere to be seen. His eyes moved towards the bedroom, Matt noticing the door slightly ajar, a dim light peeking out through the crack between the door frame as he stepped closer.
"Gabby?" His soft voice filled the otherwise quiet apartment, Matt tapping on the partially open door while he spoke, the door opening slightly against his touch.
"Come in." She responded, Matt pushing the door open the rest of the way, quickly seeing her standing by the dresser, placing some clothes in a small duffle bag in front of her. "Hey, sorry, I'll get out of your way, I was just packing up some stuff for tomorrow." She spoke with a gentle smile, Matt nodding as he stepped further into the room, come to a stop a few feet from her. She had already gotten dressed for bed, Gabby wearing a small pair of shorts and one of her old paramedic t-shirts, a slight smile pulling on his lips as he saw the faded CFD crest over her chest.
"You're fine." He replied softly, Gabby nodding as she zipped up her bag, placing it down on the ground by the dresser. "And uh, thank you, by the way…" He started, Gabby glancing back towards him, her eyebrows raised, although they quickly furrowed when she looked at his face. "For getting that soap for me and everything."
When Matt had gone to clean off, the last thing he expected to see was his favorite soap and shampoo sitting alongside her things in the shower, as well as the razors he always used sitting on her sink. He hadn't expected her to get those things for him, but it had been a nice little surprise.
Her face softened, Gabby taking a few steps towards him, effectively closing any distance he'd left between them. "Well, I know you're gonna be here for awhile, I wasn't sure how much of your stuff you brought… And I know what you like." She added softly, a slight grin tugging on his lips as he watched her, Gabby's eyes trained on his face.
"Yeah… you do." He replied just as quietly, her eyes snapping from his cheek towards his own gaze, his body flooding with warmth as he locked onto her deep brown eyes, Matt nearly getting lost in them as he had so many times in the past.
Moments passed before they broke eye contact, Gabby looking away first as her gaze moved back towards his cheek, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she slowly lifted her hand up, her fingers grazing the bruised skin. It was then Matt remembered what she was looking at, and he realized what had caused her concerned look when he first came in; he hadn't bandaged his cheek, giving Gabby her first look at the cut covering his skin.
He let her access the injury, Matt knowing better than to try and say anything right now, Gabby's narrowed eyes focused on the cut across his face. It wasn't anything too awful, she had definitely seen worse injuries on him over the years, but still, she worried.
"It doesn't look too bad." She murmured, her delicate fingers brushing gently over his cheek, careful to avoid the broken skin as her eyes found his again, Matt giving her a slow nod. "Although I'll definitely be keeping an eye on that."
She brushed her fingers against his skin one last time before she dropped her hand, Matt missing the warmth instantly as her arms hung by her sides, Casey clearing his throat before nodding. "I told you it wasn't bad."
"I know you did, but you tend to leave out things." She replied with a knowing look, Matt raising his eyebrows as he ran his teeth over his bottom lip. "Don't give me that look, you always have." Gabby challenged with a soft smile, earning a slight shrug from him.
"Yeah, maybe." He responded softly, Gabby shaking her head before her gaze moved past him, like she was looking out towards the living room, Matt seeing her take a slight step back from him.
"I'll, uh-" She cut herself off, clearing her throat as she looked back towards him, wearing a soft smile on her face. "I'll get out of your way, let you get some sleep."
His neck clenched, Matt not giving her much in the form of a response as she bit down on her bottom lip, hesitating for a moment before she began walking past him. But he didn't let her get very far, his hand moving faster than his brain as he reached out and grabbed her arm gently, effectively stopping her movement as she stood beside him.
"Wait." He spoke hoarsely, Gabby's eyes wide with anticipation as he turned towards her, Matt taking a deep breath as he loosened his grip, keeping his palm against her bare arm. "I…" He cut himself off, unsure of what exactly he wanted to say, Matt not having thought any of this through.
But he was tired of thinking. He was tired of second guessing himself around her, tired of second guessing her. She had invited him here for a reason, and he had come for a reason. Even though those actual reasons were still unclear, it didn't matter. Not right now. Not when he had her so close, when he wanted to do nothing more than to fall into bed with her and drown out everything other than her.
So that's what he did.
Without another word, he grabbed her face, pulling her quickly towards him, their lips connecting in a fiery kiss. He could tell he'd surprised her, that she wasn't expecting him to do that, but it was clear she had no objections as he felt her melt into him, Gabby smiling against his lips before putting her hands on his waist, clenching his shirt tightly in her fists. Casey deepened the kiss, one of his hands sliding around towards her back while the other stayed resting over her jaw, keeping her as close to him as possible.
Without breaking their contact, Matt led them towards her bed, carefully guiding her back onto the mattress, the two only disconnecting long enough for her to slide towards the middle of the bed, Matt hovering over her, capturing her lips in his the second he could as his hands came out to rest on either side of her head. One of his legs was in between hers, the other resting on the other side of her thigh as she began desperately yanking at his shirt, clearly trying to rid him of it. He complied easily, Matt pulling back long enough to discard to material, tossing it aside without a care, Gabby grabbing ahold of his face as soon as he was within reach, guiding him back down towards her. She needed to feel him close to her, their movements picking up speed as she clung to him, Matt's hands roaming her body.
With each moment that passed, more of their clothes were pulled off, until there was absolutely nothing left between them, their warm skin pressed into one another as Matt reached back for the sheets, pulling them up to rest over their bodies. Settling himself in between her legs, the two began the familiar movements they'd become so accustomed to over the years, Gabby and Matt both moving in perfect sync just as they always had, gasps and moans being heard throughout the otherwise silent apartment as they held onto one another. Each movement was needy, and desperate, and full of more emotion than they could ever put into words as they did whatever they could to stay as close to one another as possible.
They both knew there were still discussions to be had. That there was so much still undealt with between them that they couldn't go on ignoring. They knew that. But tonight they didn't care.
Tonight they just wanted each other, to feel each other in the way they both craved, the way they both needed. Everything else could wait, all they cared about was making the most of the time they had together.
They just wanted to be able to enjoy this. For right now, that was enough.
Thoughts? Feelings? I'll take whatever you got.
I'm sorry this one took a bit longer than I planned, trying to keep up with three stories is a lot. But I really enjoyed this one. It's been interesting for me to write this, and try and put myself in their shoes of how they'd be feeling, especially considering how out of all my stories, this is the closest one to following what's actually happened on the show. I don't know, but it is fun for me to get to write this, and I appreciate all the support you've given me so far. It means the world.
I can't wait to hear what you think. I'm still not entirely sure what my plan is for this story, I'm just kind of going wherever my mind takes me, but it sure has been fun. Thanks for reading!
I'll see you next time!
