Last time:

"I did! Matt and I told her about our relationship in person right after we got together with her today. We were also honest with the seriousness of our relationship."

"And what would that be," Lizzie and Gordo asked in almost identical tired voices.

"Well…," Matt began.

"Well…," Matt began, "I think that Miranda should go order the pizza, don't you," he asked, giving both Gordo and his sister pointed looks.

"Matt, honey, you could just ask me to leave. I know that you get embarrassed to talk about this stuff in front of me. Okay," Miranda started while standing and giving a kiss to Matt before turning to the others, "do you guys all want your usual toppings?" After hearing a round of 'yes' from the other people in the room, she left the living room and went to order their dinner.

Watching to make sure Miranda couldn't hear what he was about to let slip, Matt turned back to the couple in front of him and lowered his voice so that only they could hear him.

"Okay, you know how when Grandma died, she left Mom her whole jewelry box?" At his sister's nod of recognition, he continued, "well, I asked Mom to bring up her old Claddagh ring the next time that she visits. If Miranda and I are still going strong by then, I'm gonna take Miranda out for a nice night out and give it to her as a promise ring."

"Oh my God! Matt," Lizzie started, but didn't get much farther before Gordo clapped his hand over her mouth. Giving Gordo a look, she pried his hand off of her face. "What was that for? Oh, wait; this is a surprise for her isn't it?"

"Well, duh, Liz, why else would he have asked her to leave before telling us? It kinda seems fast, but you guys have known each other for so long and have known about your feelings for each other for about as long as they've existed."

"Hey guys," Miranda yelled from the kitchen. "Is it okay for me to come back yet?"

"Can we have just a few more minutes honey," Matt hollered back. After hearing Miranda's affirmative reply, he just turned back to Gordo. "Well, I guess it does sound kind of fast, but the second we got together we said that when we picture our futures, we are marrying each other and having children with each other. I suppose it's all just a matter of perspective. I'm just glad that I finally worked up my courage and got together with her. She's the best."

"Well, you have been together for a few months now. But by going by what you said when you got together, we won't have anything that serious happening in our relationship for a few years, and that is not the pace that I want Lizzie and I to be going at. Don't get me wrong, it's just that I think I waited long enough just to be able to kiss her and tell her I'm in love with her." Lizzie just sat there staring at her boyfriend after hearing how serious he was about her.

"Gordo, do you really feel that serious about us as a couple?" At his girlfriend's question and curious gaze, he simply nodded. "Wow… I never really expected to have a conversation about how serious we were by now, but I'm glad you started it. I feel the same way Gordo, but lets not take Matt's thunder away from him, okay? So, when did you arrange for Mom to come up here with that ring? We've been living here for two and a half months and school starts in another two weeks."

"Wouldn't you like to know," was Matt's only response before calling out to his girlfriend and pulling her into his lap once she re-entered the room.

"Hey, Gordo," Lizzie started, sliding into bed next to her boyfriend. When she got a 'hmmm' as a reply, she decided to continue. "How serious were you this afternoon when you were talking to Matt about the future of us?" Hearing the question, Gordo decided this was a conversation that needed his full attention, and, marking his page, put his book down.

"Well, that all depends," he answered.

"On what?"

"On how serious you wanted me to be." At her smile, he decided to continue. " Look, Liz, I know that we've wanted to be with each other, at least on my end, since we could remember. I'm in thins for the long haul. Kids…rings…a house with a while fence and a dog out front, the whole damn thing. If that scares you because of how young we are, then I'm sorry, but there is now way that I'm giving you up now that I've got you, you understand?" At her quick nod and flash of a broad grin, he sat up further and simply pulled her closer, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "I hope you know how much I love you and how much I would give up just to have you in my life."

At his very bald statement, she perched herself up on the elbow closer to him and turned her head to face his. She quickly captured his lips causing him to encase her in his arms. Sliding down into a more comfortable laying position, Gordo leaned so that he was over Lizzie. Looking into her eyes for permission, he found only love and began to pull her shirt up over her head. Kissing down from her lips to her neck, he moved to lay on top of her and let his hands roam, letting his lips up every so often to tell her three words. Hearing her moan in response, he began kissing down to her chest and, taking one breast into his mouth, he covered the other in one of his soft hands, kneading it. Letting up just long enough, he looked into her eyes,

"I love you Lizzie," he said, searching her face for every emotion there was.

"I love you too Gordo. Please, don't stop," she asked, letting him know she was enjoying the way he was making her feel and react to his own body. As Gordo lowered his head back down to hers, he let his hands roam more, landing on the waist line of her pajama pants. Looking to her face and seeing her nod in approval, he gently slid them down, over her hips and off of her lower body altogether. Lizzie let her hands roam as well and, feeling the bulge in her boyfriends flannel pants, started removing his bottoms as well. Left with nothing but his boxers separating their bodies, they let their minds slow to a stop and their instincts take over. Removing the only barrier that there was left, Gordo reached into his nightstand and grabbed for a condom. Lizzie simply watched him pull the foil open and, seeing that her soon to be lover was having trouble, helped him put it on.

With one more deeply penetrating look between the two, Gordo and Lizzie let their bodies come together for the first time. Feeling complete, they murmured expressions of love to one another, knowing that their relationship would never be the same from that moment on.