Hello everyone, I'm back with the next chapter for you guys. I don't really have much to say, just I appreciate you all reading my work, and I can't wait to hear what you think.
Again, just a disclaimer, my knowledge of Puerto Rico is very limited, so I'm sorry for anything that's inaccurate.
Hope you enjoy!
part six
Casey slowly came into consciousness as he felt fingers rubbing along his bare chest, Matt's face scrunching up as he tightened his grip around the woman in his arms, her steady breath hitting his neck as she continued trailing her fingertips over his warm skin, the air around them thick with humidity.
"Good morning." He murmured, his eyes staying closed as he registered the amount of light in their tent, telling him it wasn't too early, his body feeling well rested after their long day yesterday.
"Morning." She repeated, Matt feeling her lips brush over his chest, Gabby placing a kiss against his breastbone, the action drawing a content sigh from the man partially beneath her. Slowly, his ran his hand along her hip, Gabby's hand moving up towards his collarbone, the two content to enjoy this moment for a few seconds longer.
Today was their fifth day at the worksite, and, just as they had every other morning, they woke up huddled together in the same cot, Gabby partially on top of him. And, also just like every other morning, they woke up covered by nothing but the thin sheet resting over top of them, Matt relishing in the warmth that her skin provided.
While Matt definitely didn't know exactly what to expect when coming to work with her here in Puerto Rico, he hadn't really expected this, but waking up with her like this was something he thoroughly enjoyed. It was a feeling he didn't want to take for granted, and he hoped she felt the same way.
"I like this." He murmured into the quiet air, Gabby stroking her thumb along his chest as she nuzzled herself deeper into his embrace.
"Hmm?"
"Waking up like this…" He continued, his hand ghosting over her side. "It reminds me of when you'd sleep in my office at the firehouse." A slight smile tugged on his lips as he spoke, Matt feeling her smile, too, his words bringing up happy memories for them both. "Though it wasn't nearly as hot. And we had clothes on… well, not always." He corrected himself, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head, Matt feeling her place another kiss over his chest.
"I like it, too." She agreed, Matt hearing the sincerity in her voice as she hooked her leg across his waist, the firefighter finally opening his eyes when he felt her shift her body weight on top of him, Gabby straddling him as his eyes instantly met hers. "We have a lot of memories in that office…" She added, Matt nodding slowly as he brought his hand up, brushing back some of her hair that had fallen behind her ear, Gabby resting her hands on either side of his head for support.
"Yeah, we do." He replied, his free hand sliding down under the sheet, coming to rest low on her back. "Great memories." His words earned a hum in response from her, before she leaned down, capturing his lips in a slow kiss.
Their movements were tame and innocent, despite the very adult position they were in, Gabby setting the pace as they enjoyed this moment, Matt's palm cupping her neck gently.
When air became an issue, Gabby pulled back, Matt opening his eyes to find a content look covering her face, her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth as they locked gazes. Her warm brown eyes completely captivated him, just as they always had, Matt unable to stop his grin from widening, his hand continuing to move along her back, wanting nothing more than to keep her this close to him.
"What time is it?" He asked softly, disturbing their peaceful silence as Gabby took a deep breath, the woman reaching over to grab her watch from their small table and check the time.
"A little after eight." She replied, placing her watch back down before settling into him, Matt pressing a soft kiss to the top of her shoulder. "You're meeting up with Travis today, right?"
"Mhmm.. He's got me booked all day." Matt responded with a smile, a grin of her own forming on Gabby's face when she saw how happy he looked, the former paramedic ecstatic to see how much he had been enjoying himself here.
Since they got to the work site earlier in the week, Gabby wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Matt, and how much he'd want to help out here. Her biggest concern was that he'd get bored, Gabby worried that if he stuck to just tagging along with her, he'd not enjoy himself at all, seeing as her work was more logistical than anything else. She was worried that he wouldn't find any place he'd truly enjoy helping and he'd have a hard time here. But, unsurprisingly, he'd fit in seamlessly, and both Matt and Gabby had fallen into a good rhythm over the last few days.
Ever since working together that first day, Casey had practically become best friends with Travis Dayton, the two men enjoying working together as they helped build the new school, Matt not learning until a couple days in that's what they were working on. But everything had been going smoothly, Matt absolutely loving all the construction work he was getting to do here, and all the people had been amazing, too.
All the men and women on the sites were great, whether they were volunteers from other countries, or locals who were pitching in to help, every person here had been incredible, and so accommodating. But Matt had been spending most of his time with Travis, Casey knowing that some days he'd spent more time with Dayton than he had with Gabby, and while that wasn't the most ideal situation considering he'd come all this way to be with her, they were making it work. And it made the time they did have together that much more special, both Gabby and Matt becoming quite fond of the little routine they'd found for themselves.
Every morning they would wake up and get ready, then usually go and have breakfast together before they'd split up and go in different directions for the day, Gabby going to oversee all the work being done, while Matt would go help at the school. They'd always meet back up around lunch time so they could eat together, then once they'd finished they'd go their separate ways again, the pair being apart usually for the rest of the day. They would try to eat dinner together, a couple of days it's hadn't worked out, but they tried to eat their meals together when they could. Then when their work day was done, they'd meet back at their tent and share how their day went with one another while they got ready for bed, the two only apart long enough for their showers. And once they got back, they more often than not ended up in bed together, both of them doing what they could to make great use of the time they did have together, even though a cot wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world.
But they had found a great routine together, one they both enjoyed, one that Gabby would definitely miss when he went back home.
It was something she tried not to think about too much, at least not yet. Not when they still had over a week left to spend together. They both knew there were still conversations that needed to be had, that there were probably some hard conversations coming, ones that couldn't just be swept under the rug like the last fight they had before she left. They had to actually sit down and talk things out, and figure out what this visit meant for them, if it meant anything at all.
She hoped it did. More than anything, she didn't want this little visit to be all they had, but she knew there was a chance it might be. And if that was the case, if after these two weeks were up, Matt would be returning to his life, and she'd continue on with hers, and this time was all they had left, she wanted it to mean something. She wanted it to be memorable, and so far it had been.
And she couldn't wait to spend the rest of his time here with him.
"Well, hopefully you can make some time for me in your busy schedule." She replied lightly, Matt's smile growing as he began running his fingers through her short hair, scratching lightly over her scalp.
"I'll see what I can do." He countered, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully before leaning down to kiss the smirk off his lips, Matt gripping her hair tightly in his fist as he kept her close to him, a low groan escaping the back of his throat as she ground her hips down into his. "You've gotta stop, or we're gonna be late."
"I think Travis would understand." She spoke in between kisses, Matt doing what he could to control himself, but her bare body pressed into his wasn't helping matters, Gabby trailing her lips across his jaw down to his neck, the warm air around them making his already warm skin that much hotter.
He took slow breaths as her lips marked his skin, Matt's hands gliding over her body as she continued her assault on him, both of them knowing he couldn't say no to her even if he wanted to.
"We don't have very long… Maybe ten minutes." He breathed out, feeling her smirk against his neck before her lips moved towards his ear.
"Ten minutes is plenty of time… That's never been a problem for you in the past." She reminded him, her voice barely above a whisper as a knowing grin spread across his face, Matt sliding his palms along her side.
Without warning, Matt flipped them over onto the unoccupied cot placed beside his, a slight squeal of surprise leaving Gabby's lips as he pinned her down, Matt's lips immediately finding hers.
"No it has not." He agreed, his mouth moving down to her chest, Gabby's breaths shallow as he began showing his appreciation for her, the former couple making the most out of the few minutes they had.
Casey wiped away the sweat forming over his brow as he stood under the blazing sun, the air around him thick with humidity as he worked diligently through the afternoon. It had been a long, hot work day on the site, but their small team had been making tremendous progress on the foundation of the school, and Matt could really see it all coming together. It was tiring work, there was no way around that; in fact he was sure the five days he'd been working on the job site had kept him more in shape than an entire month of firefighting could. Each job was physically demanding in its own way, but these last few days working on this school had been very labor intensive, and his body was surely feeling the effects of it.
But he absolutely loved it. He loved being here with all these amazing people, and seeing everything slowly come together. The volunteers were incredible, and the people who lived here, the children especially, were so grateful. He had met some wonderful people here, but his favorite thing had to be those times he'd take some breaks from work and play with the groups of children who always seemed to be around, Matt usually playing a game or two of soccer with them, something all of them equally enjoyed. But there wasn't any part of being here that he didn't enjoy. Even though he hadn't gotten as much time with Gabby as he would've liked, being here and meeting all these people had been an eye-opening experience for him, one he was grateful to have.
Everyone here was so gracious and they had incredible outlooks on life, and it was something that was incredible to experience. Even after everything they've lost, they were still willing to give whatever they could, and there was a light within these people that was impossible to explain unless you were here to witness it.
It was one of the most rewarding things he'd ever been apart of, and every day he was understanding more and more of why Gabby felt compelled to stay here.
He didn't get it at first. When everything happened between them when she left, he couldn't understand why she would just up and leave her entire life; leave him, just to come work. And maybe a part of him still didn't understand how she could leave him, but what he did understand was why she felt like she had to stay here.
He had gotten a sense of it his first day here, but in the days since, he was seeing more and more of why Gabby made the choices she did. Regardless of what it did to them, she was impacting so many lives here. She was helping thousands upon thousands of people get back on their feet, and it left him feeling amazed by the women that used to be his wife.
Before things had blown up between them, in that lost chunk of time between their fight, and then Gabby deciding to stay here for good, he never really took the opportunity to learn about the work she was doing here. He was hurt, and angry, after everything that had happened before she left, and during their minimal conversations, he never tried to really grasp the magnitude of what she was doing here. But now that he had, he couldn't believe how much incredible work she was doing. She had accomplished so much since coming here, she had impacted so many lives, and even though he still felt that lingering hurt from how things transpired between them, he was grateful that he came here to see it all for himself.
He was glad to get the opportunity to see what she had been doing, to see how much she'd helped the people here already. From what he could tell, she was seen as a superhero around here, and he wasn't in the least bit surprised.
What she was doing here, that was the work she was meant to be doing. She was born for this, for helping other people, and Matt could hardly even fathom the amount of lives she's impacted since coming here. He just knew he was damn proud of her because of it. And being here to see it first hand gave him a whole new appreciation for the woman he knew would always be the greatest love of his life.
"I'm so glad you and Dawson decided to stay a few more days."
Travis' voice pulled Matt from his thoughts, the firefighter looking up in time to see his new friend walking towards him, holding out a water for him, something Casey graciously took.
"Yeah, me too." Matt agreed, downing the cup of water in his hand. Originally, Gabby and Matt had planned on leaving the work site yesterday afternoon and heading back to her apartment, the former paramedic wanting to make sure she got plenty of one on one time with the man who had flown over two thousand miles to see her. But when the time came, the pair ultimately agreed to stay an extra day or two, both of them happy to stay and get a little more work done. As far as Matt knew, they were leaving tomorrow afternoon to go spend a few days away from the craziness, before they would be back again next week, but they were pretty much just taking things day by day at this point. "I'll be around tomorrow morning and afternoon, but I think we're leaving during dinner." He added, Travis nodding as he shifted around on the balls of his feet, Matt wiping away the sweat building on his forehead with his t-shirt.
"Will you guys be back?"
"Next week." Matt answered, Travis giving him a nod. "I'm not sure the exact days, but we'll definitely be back, and I can help you guys get more work done."
"It's definitely appreciated." Travis replied, taking a sip of his water, Matt stretching out his back while they took a small break. "And, uh-... Will you be back more often?" He asked, Casey glancing towards him with a questioning look, waiting for Travis to elaborate. "I know you said you were just here for a few weeks to visit, that you've known Gabby and Antonio a long time and wanted to come see them, but I wasn't sure if that meant you'd be back again, or if this was just a one time thing."
"Oh…" Matt breathed out, his eyebrows furrowing as he thought over Travis' words. "Honestly… I don't know." Casey responded after a few long seconds, Travis giving him a slight nod. "We haven't really discussed it yet."
"Well, I know one guy who would love to have you come back." Travis responded, Matt shooting him a warm smile. "But for however long we have you here, we'll take as much of your help as you're willing to give us… I know you didn't really sign up for this like the rest of us, but I swear, this has gone about ten times faster with you here." Travis told him, Casey shaking his head slightly. "You've helped out so much, all of us are glad you're here."
"I'm happy to help out however I can." Casey replied, his eyes moving around the partially-completed building. "I really had no idea what I was getting myself into when coming here, but I've had a lot of fun."
"I'm glad to hear that… And I'm sure Dawson will be, too." Travis responded with a pointed look, Casey ducking his head as his tongue poked out between his teeth, running along his bottom lip. "But really, we'd be lucky to have you back here again."
"I appreciate that." Casey spoke, looking back up towards his friend. "I'm not sure if I'll be back or not, but I can give you my number, if you want." He offered, seeing Dayton raise his eyebrows. "That way if you have any questions, or need any logistical help at least, I'll do what I can to be useful."
"That'd be great, yeah." Travis replied, Matt giving him a nod.
"I'll make sure you have it before I leave." Casey told him, patting Travis' shoulder before the two men went back to work, knowing there was still so much that needed to be done.
"So, you ready to get back into a real bed tomorrow?" Gabby asked as they threw away their trash from dinner, Matt chuckling softly as he followed her through the dining area in the church.
"I don't know, I've kind of enjoyed our set up here." He replied softly, a smile tugging on his lips when Gabby reached for his hand, lacing her fingers through his as they navigated the crowds of people.
"Yeah, I guess it hasn't been too bad." She agreed, the pair heading for the stairs up to the main level so they could exit the church. They kept their hands conjoined as they climbed the steps, Matt walking behind her so they didn't take up too much room as people were walking down. "Though I think more space, and more padding will be nice." She added, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he bit back a smirk, the firefighter nodding in agreement.
"I won't argue with you there."
When they got close to the exit, Gabby grimaced when she saw the rain falling down outside, puddles of dirty water and mud littering the unpaved roads. They knew it was going to be a rough, and wet, walk back to their tent. And by how unpredictable the storms here were, Gabby didn't want to try and wait it out, knowing the rain would probably get worse before it got better.
"Well… guess we won't need to come back over here to shower tonight." Matt spoke as they stood at the exit, Gabby shaking her head as she glanced towards him, seeing a proud look covering his face. "...Are we just running for it?"
She answered his question with a nod, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he dropped her hand, Casey following her lead as they walked out into the rain, beginning to trek back to their tent.
About halfway through their near jog, the rain started picking up, water pounding down heavily on them as they began running, the wind blowing crazily around them as the storm got worse. By the time they made it back to their tent, they were completely drenched from head to toe, the sound of the rain hitting their shelter the only thing that could be heard as they hurried inside the tent, desperate to escape the storm.
Their chests were heaving as Gabby secured the entrance to their makeshift room, effectively cutting them off from the outside world as Matt took deep breaths, trying to regain the air he'd lost from running here. Turning to face him, Gabby was unable to stop the soft laugh that escaped her lips, her breathing choppy as well as she took in the sight of his wet form. He looked like he'd just taken a shower with all his clothes on, and she was sure she looked the same exact way, Gabby biting back a smirk when she noticed his eyes flicker down to her rapidly moving chest, both of them still trying to get their breathing under control after running through the rain.
"Are storms usually like that here?" He asked in between breaths as he met her gaze, Matt feeling his cheeks turn red with warmth when he realized his less than subtle stares had been caught, Gabby giving him a slight nod.
"Yeah, usually… They can come in pretty quickly." She responded, Matt giving her a nod of his own before his eyes trailed over her once more, the wet clothes feeling uncomfortably tight against her body.
The air around them was shifting, they both felt it as they locked eyes, Matt focusing on the way her wet skin glistened as they stood together in the small space. Without a word, he slowly took a step forward, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as he continued closing the distance between them, his blue eyes, full of want and desire, flashing quickly towards her lips before meeting her gaze again.
Her eyes stayed focused on him until there was no space left between them, Matt grabbing her hips and pulling her close to him, her breath catching in her throat right before he captured her lips in his, their wet bodies pressed together as they kissed, each movement full of heat and passion.
When air became an issue, Gabby pulled back, Matt trailing his lips across her jaw before landing on her neck, marking her skin while he began to work on removing her clothes. The familiar process took longer than normal as the soaked material clung to their bodies, but they soon were down to nothing but their underwear, Matt leading her back towards their cot, the one they'd shared a lot of moments like this on over the last few days, Gabby pinned underneath him as his body covered hers. The air around them became thick, Gabby struggling to catch her breath as they got lost in each other, Matt's hands roaming every inch of her.
Within minutes, they were completely bare, the former spouses giving themselves to one another just as they had every other night since he arrived, the sound of the heavy rain beating down around their tent drowning out all other noise, both of them knowing they wouldn't have to worry about keeping quiet.
"Oh God, air conditioning, how I've missed you." Matt breathed out dramatically as he stepped into Gabby's cool apartment, the former paramedic raising her eyebrows in amusement while he shut her door, locking it in place as he effectively shut them off from not only the outside world, but the intense humidity. "Was that van ride longer that before? It felt longer on the way back." He continued, placing their duffle bag down by the door before he took off his boots, Gabby placing hers in the entryway as well.
"It definitely wasn't." Her nose scrunched up as she answered his rhetorical question, Matt shooting her a small grin before they stepped further into her apartment.
Gabby released a soft breath as they walked towards the couch, both of them glad to be back at her apartment for a few days. They had finally returned from the work site after six days of demanding work, and while they had both enjoyed it immensely, Matt more so than he anticipated, a little break was exactly what they needed. And they were more than looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed.
"I think I'm gonna start a load of laundry." Gabby spoke up as Matt collapsed down onto the couch, sinking into the pillows as he stretched his legs out in front of him. "And I know we both need to shower, then I figured we could make dinner." She relayed her plans for the evening, Matt giving her a nod as she moved to grab the duffle bag full of their dirty clothes.
"Sounds good." He replied, watching her closely as she moved through the comfortable apartment, Gabby disappearing around the corner to go start their laundry.
She was gone for all of five minutes, Matt having stayed rooted in his spot on the couch, his head leaned back as he relaxed into the cushions, the couch feeling insanely comfortable after nearly a week sitting on nothing but plastic chairs and hard cots. His breathing had slowed significantly, Matt's eyes closed as his hands rested over his stomach, the man doing what he could to fight off the exhaustion he didn't even realize he had. It wasn't until he heard a soft chuckle that he opened one of his eyes, Matt turning his head slightly to see Gabby walking towards the couch.
"Sleepy?" She asked with a soft grin, Matt nodding as she stopped in front of him. He held his hand out towards her, Gabby raising her eyebrows before she grabbed ahold of it, Matt pulling her closer.
"I am… I didn't really realize it until we got here, but I'm kinda tired."
"Well, you've had a long week." She replied, Matt shooting her a soft smile as they laced their fingers together, Gabby standing in between his legs.
"Yeah, we both did. It was fun, though." He responded, Gabby unable to stop the small smile that pulled on her lips, Matt matching her grin before he pulled on her arm, silently encouraging her down onto the couch with him. A sound of surprise escaped her lips as she was dragged down into his lap, Gabby straddling his waist as her arm came up to wrap around his neck.
"Hi." She spoke in amusement, Matt dropping her hand to place his palms on her hips, effectively pulling her closer to him.
"Hello." He replied, leaning forward to give her a quick kiss, Matt feeling Gabby relax into him as she clasped her hands together behind his neck, his hands sliding around to her back.
"Did you need something?" She asked when they pulled back, Matt settling his hands low on her hips, responding to her question with a shrug.
"Nope." He spoke, popping the word as it left his mouth, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully before she began to get up off of him. "...Where are you going?" He asked with a slight pout, Gabby shaking her head as she stood up.
"I'm going to take a shower, because the sooner we shower, the sooner we eat. And I'm starving." She replied, Matt nodding in understanding, his eyes following her as she began moving towards the bathroom.
"Is, uh-" Matt started as he cleared his throat, Gabby turning around to look at him. "Is that an open invitation to join you?" He asked with a sly grin, Gabby raising her eyebrows challengingly as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Is that what it sounded like to you?" She questioned back, Matt giving her a quick nod as he pushed himself up from the couch, Gabby keeping her gaze on him as he walked towards her. "I mean, you've been in there, it's pretty tiny."
"We've done more with less." He replied without missing a beat, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip, Matt smirking as he saw the reaction his words elicited from her.
"Fine…" She ultimately agreed, Gabby taking a few steps backwards towards the open bathroom door, Matt smirking as he followed after her. "But I don't want to hear any complaining."
"Yes ma'am." He responded, pulling his t-shirt over his head as he stepped into the bathroom, Matt closing the door behind them.
Matt crossed his arms down against the mattress before he rested his head on the back of his hands, the firefighter lying on his stomach on her bed as he listened to Gabby walk around the room. Clad in just his boxers, Matt relaxed into the sheets, patiently waiting for Gabby to join him.
They had finished up their dinner about ten minutes ago, the two feeling refreshed and ready for a peaceful night after they'd showered and eaten the meal Gabby had prepared for them. And to help them relax before bed, Gabby had offered to give Matt a massage, knowing he was hurting more than he cared to admit. She'd noticed it pretty quickly in how he carried himself, Gabby assuming the more intensive, and constant, labor was taking its toll on his body. And she was sure the close call he'd had on shift before he came here hadn't helped things either, Gabby knowing his body was still feeling the effects of falling through that floor. He was definitely sore, and worn out, and she figured the least she could do was try and help soothe his aching muscles, Matt having always enjoyed the intimate action in the past.
Matt smiled softly when he felt the mattress dip down from her body weight, Gabby sitting low on his waist as she straddled his hips. "I'm not hurting you, am I?" She asked as she pulled his boxers down a little farther so she had access to his lower back.
"Definitely not." He replied quietly, Gabby nodding before she squeezed some lotion into her palm, Matt taking deep breaths as he waited to feel her hands on him.
A slight shiver coursed through his spine when she began rubbing the cool lotion over his back, Gabby starting easily as she pressed her palms into his shoulders. "You gotta let me know if it's too much, it's been awhile since I've done this." She told him lightly, Matt nodding as he closed his eyes, focusing completely on how content she was making him feel.
"This is perfect." He murmured, Gabby smiling as she continued working his tense shoulders. "Although you don't even need to be doing this, I feel fine." He tried again, repeating the same words he'd told her when she suggested this during dinner.
"Mhmm… You know, I've never heard you complain about getting a massage before."
"I'm definitely not complaining." He clarified, wincing slightly when she worked diligently on a pretty big knot in his shoulder, Matt having been feeling that one since his accident on shift. He was definitely sore, and he knew this massage would only help him, Matt releasing an involuntary moan as she rubbed out the kinks in his back. "This is very much appreciated… You'll just have to let me return the favor at some point."
"I don't have any objections to that." She responded softly before the two fell into a comfortable quiet, Gabby's skilled hands roaming his skin as she slowly worked down his back. Most of the bruising he had from his fall was gone, but Gabby was still a little cautious as she rubbed over the areas that had some lingering discoloration, knowing he was sure to be a little tender there. But Matt was thoroughly enjoying every move she made, her fingers digging into his tight muscles relieving all of the aches and pains he didn't even realize he had. It had been an enjoyable type of discomfort, up until she reached his lower back.
He knew that area had been hurting him the most, that the long, grueling work days, coupled with the cot he'd been sleeping on, usually with Gabby on top of him, had led to a fair share of back pain. But he hadn't expected it to be this sore, Matt groaning and shying away from her touch when she reached the most painful spot thus far, Gabby immediately stopping her movements over his lower back, just above where she'd moved his boxers down.
"You feel fine, huh?" She teased, her fingers lightly tracing over the sore area, Matt lifting his head to glance back at her.
"Don't be mean." He muttered before dropping his head back down, Gabby shaking her head lightly as she continued focusing on the area, slowly applying a bit more pressure, but not enough to hurt him.
"I'm sorry." She replied, unable to hide the amused tone in her voice. "But I knew you were more hurt than you were saying."
"Yeah, yeah, you were right…" He breathed out, Gabby biting back a smirk. "Don't look so smug." He added, even though he couldn't see her. "You being right isn't surprising."
"Well, I'm glad you haven't forgotten that." She played along, gently pressing a little deeper into his lower back. "...Do you want me to keep working on it, or no?" Gabby asked, hearing him sigh deeply. "I can stop."
"No, no don't." He responded, Gabby nodding as she applied more pressure, Matt sucking in a sharp breath as she worked the sore area. "...Just don't mock me if I start crying." Matt said, Gabby chuckling before she continued massaging his back, knowing he was probably only half joking.
For the next ten minutes, she focused her sole attention on his lower back, her actions drawing groans and content moans from him as she worked, Gabby continuing for as long as he wanted her to.
"God baby, your muscles are so tight." She spoke softly as she moved further down his back, his hands sliding partially under his boxers, Matt biting back a smirk at the name she let slip. He was sure she hadn't even realized she said it, that it came out by accident, but he couldn't help but smile when he heard it. He wasn't going to mention it, or question her for it, Matt knowing it would probably just embarrass her if he did, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't feel nice to hear her say it.
They continued for maybe five more minutes before Matt had her stop, the man feeling much more relaxed than he had been in months as she lightly scratched her fingers along his back, Gabby leaning down to press a soft kiss between his shoulder blades.
"That was great, thank you." He murmured, Gabby smiling against his skin, giving him another kiss before she leaned back up, sliding her palms up and down his back.
"Happy to help."
As the words left her lips, they heard Matt's phone ding on the nightstand, Gabby glancing to it before she looked back to Matt.
"Can you see who that is?" He asked, knowing he was in no position to get it, Gabby giving him a nod before she climbed off of him, resting on her shins beside his torso as she grabbed his phone, picking it up and glancing at the screen.
"It's Kelly, he's just checking in." She responded as she quickly read the message. "You wanna answer him?"
"Nah, that's okay, I'll text him back later." He replied as he slowly rolled over onto his side, Matt breathing out a sigh of relief at how much easier it was for him to move now than it had been an hour ago.
Gabby gave him a nod, placing his phone back down on the nightstand before she made herself comfortable, her body facing Matt's as he kept his eyes on her. "How, uh- How are they doing? Everyone at the house..." She asked softly, fiddling with her hands in her lap, Matt raising his eyebrows. "I mean, I know I just saw them, but I didn't really get a lot of time with everyone."
While the time she got with them during her quick visit to Chicago was nice, it had been fleeting, and, aside from Matt, she hadn't gotten nearly as much time with them as she wanted; she hadn't even gotten as much time with Matt as she wanted. Luckily he was here with her now, and she was getting more time with him, but the same couldn't be said for the rest of the people she left behind in Chicago.
When she first left, she'd kept in contact with some of them; Kidd and Herrmann, and sometimes Severide, mostly, but as more time went on, the more infrequent that contact became. She still checked in with them, but it wasn't very often. When she visited Chicago those few weeks ago, that was the first time she'd spoken to some of them since she left, and admittedly it had been a little weird at first. There was no denying that. She knew she left abruptly, and not on the best of terms with some of them. But these were still people she cared about, and she wanted to know how they were.
"They're doing well." Matt responded softly. "Everyone's good… I know you met them when you were there, but we've got some new people the house. Although I guess they're not so new anymore, but it's been good." He told her, Matt catching a look her couldn't read flash in her eyes. "It's been different… since everything, but we're all doing well."
Gabby gave him a nod, her gaze moving down towards the bed, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he watched her for a moment. He wasn't sure what exactly was going on in her head, but he could tell there was something she was holding back. Like there was something else she was wanting to say, or felt like she needed to say, but she wasn't.
"You okay?"
"Hmm?" She hummed, her gaze snapping into focus as she glanced at him, the curious look never leaving his eyes.
"You just seemed a little out of it there, I wasn't sure what you were thinking about." He elaborated, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip as they locked eyes, Matt seeing a hesitance he didn't understand, and he wasn't sure where it came from.
"I'm good." She replied, forcing a soft smile. But he didn't buy it, Matt knowing her well enough to sense that something was going on in her head. Something that had caused this obvious shift in her demeanor.
They sat in silence for a few seconds, Matt taking a deep breath as he pushed himself up, resting his back against the pillows as he shuffled closer to her, his leg brushing up against her knee.
"...Do you wanna talk about it?"
His question hung in the air momentarily, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip as she met his gaze again, Matt giving her an encouraging nod, silently reassuring her as she clasped her hands together. But she never said anything.
"Gabby…"
"I-" She cut herself off, taking a deep breath, shaking her head slightly.
"What's going on?" He asked her, a slight bit of worry settling in his stomach as he watched her struggle with whatever had suddenly popped into her head. Clearly, something was bothering her. He just didn't know what it was, and her next words didn't do much to help clear anything up.
"...I don't wanna ruin this." She eventually murmured, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he sat up straighter, unsure of what she was talking about.
"What are you-"
"I've kept ignoring it." She interjected, Matt slowly coming to understand what she was trying to say. "Since I found out you were coming, I've tried to ignore it, because I don't want to ruin this… We still have another week together where we don't have to worry about it. We don't have to try and figure out anything, not right now...But I can't stop thinking about it."
"About us." He clarified, Gabby taking a deep breath before she nodded, Matt seeing a million different emotions playing across her features.
"Yeah." She spoke, her voice barely audible as she looked back down to her lap, Matt releasing a heavy sigh. "But I don't want to-... We've been in this little bubble, and I don't want to mess that up…"
"We have to talk about it, Gabby." He told her, watching as she clenched her eyes shut for a split second, her entire body tightening. "I know how you feel, this past week has been… It's been incredible. It has… But we can't keep going on without talking about this. About all of it." He spoke the words she already knew, but didn't want to face. Neither of them did. But they had to. They had been ignoring it since he got here, and they couldn't anymore. Not with the subject now out in the open. They couldn't go the rest of this trip without knowing what was going to happen between them once he left. There was too much uncertainty that it almost felt suffocating, and they needed to figure it out. They needed to sit down and talk through all of it.
But they both knew that would be a painful conversation, one they weren't exactly eager to have. That it might have an outcome neither of them liked. But they couldn't keep walking on eggshells around one another, not when they had no idea how much time they had left.
"I know we do, but I just-" She cut herself off again, waving her hand around in the air, trying to express something she didn't know how to voice.
"We can't ignore this anymore." He practically whispered, Gabby releasing a heavy breath before giving him another nod. "This time with you has been wonderful, I wouldn't trade any of it. And I'm so glad I came, I am… But I don't know what this- us, I don't know what any of this means." He spoke, his vulnerable words hitting her hard. "I don't know what we're doing. And I need to know… We both do."
"I know." She replied, pursing her lips together as she locked eyes with him, silence falling over them for a few long seconds before she spoke up again. "I… I don't even know where to start." She admitted quietly, Matt giving her a nod.
"Can I…?" He asked after a beat of silence, Gabby giving him a slow nod, Matt taking a deep breath as he thought over how to best begin this conversation. There was so much he wanted to say, so many things they never dealt with. So much pain they ignored and pushed away, so many conversations they never had. But he couldn't throw that all out at her at once, they had to take this one thing at a time. And there was one question that kept coming to the forefront of his mind, one question he desperately needed the answer to, Matt clenching his hands together before he spoke up again. "...Why did you come back to Chicago?"
Well, as I'm sure you all can tell, the big conversation is coming. I haven't gotten it written up yet, but I have all the parts mapped out, and let's just say I hope you guys are ready for an emotional chapter. Because it's coming.
Thank you all for reading, hopefully my next update won't take as long. I appreciate your patience with these sporadic updates.
Until next time.
