hello again, new chapter for y'all :)

Karen still held the phone tightly to her ear, eyes burning with tears still waiting to be shed. Matt's arms slipped down to Karen's hips, unknowingly reminding her of a previous night where she drowned herself in alcohol and the feeling of metal scraping against skin, opening up to provide evidence she was still here and alive. Though she wasn't sure that's how she wanted to be.

"Karen? answer me Kaz." Matt's voice broke her out of her reverie, refuelling the anger. She spun around, finger hitting the disconnect button on her phone, leaving Alex on the other end.

"What Matt? What are you going to try and say that'll make me feel any better, which it won't." her eyes were red, though the earthy green and deep hazelnut brown mixture of colour was still shining through.

"I'm-I," he sighed, giving up with words. He moved so he regained the distance that had been lost from Karen turning around. He put his hands on her hips, she flinched slightly and he knew, just from one slight hitch in her breathing, he knew. One hand came away from her hip, instead coming up to cup her cheek, moving a strand of fiery red hair behind her ear, and back to her cheek once more. His touch was so delicate she barely noticed it, a harsh contrast to the roughness of her own touch to her skin. His eyes searched hers, both of them deep in the other's irises, noticing the slight changes in colours. Slowly, he began to move his head forward, tilting slightly to capture her lips with his. He expected her to push him off of her, force him out of her apartment. But she did the opposite, her phone discarded on the table, to allow both of her arms to come up and wrap around his neck, kissing him back with the same fervour he remembered all those years ago when they had to keep reshooting that scene because he was kissing back. His arms moved from her hip and cheek to pull on her waist, crushing her to him. She let out a tiny moan at the contact, something she'd never thought she'd feel again. Her hands went and tangled in the little tuft of hair at the base of his neck. In turn he pulled slightly at her hair, lips disconnecting, breathing erratic.

"I love you." he said between gasps, still holding her to him. She smiled up at him, a genuine smile.

"I love you too." she replied, biting her lip, playing with his hair. He smiled back at her, relieved that the feelings he felt were indeed shared.

"Okay, come this way." Matt said, pulling Karen by her hand. Leading her back to her bedroom. Once inside Matt said:

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do, why wouldn't I?" she replied, quirking her eyebrow at him.

"I want you to show me everywhere you have cut yourself." she sighed, looking to her long sleeves and high waisted joggers. She did as she was told, lifting her sleeves, rolling up the bottom of the shirt and then pulling her bottoms down to her knees. Matt gave her a small smile.

"Thank you." he said as he took her left arm into his hand, minding the numerous marks, old and new, he raised her arm up to his mouth, kissing each individual cut delicately as to not hurt her further. Repeating the same to her right arm, then to both hip bones that stuck out a little more than normal, then to each of her thighs both with marks about 1/4 of the way down.

"I love you and I'm never letting you go through this alone ever again." he said as he rose to his feet to be eye level with her again, to notice the streams of tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I love you too, thank you." she replied, smiling through the tears at him, leaning to kiss him again, words not good enough for the way she was feeling. He returned the kiss, pushing her bottoms down further, all the way to the floor, she stepped out of them to push him closer to her bed. Reaching for his top, tugging at it for him to put his arms up and lift it over his head. Once that was gone, Karen couldn't help but notice the muscles Matt seemed to have, and she felt the urge for a little joke.

"Been working out have we? Getting all buff," she giggles "I like it." He quirked his eyebrow at her, putting his hands on his hips.

"Oh really? You like the body I put hard work into getting? I think it's worth it for your compliment." Matt replies, chuckling. He shrugs his joggers down as well, left in his boxers. Then taking his turn to tug at her top, waiting for her to reach and pull it over her head as well. As soon as she does, he's back against her, holding her tightly against him, breathing in her scent. He steps back to take her in, stood there coyly, in her deep blue underwear. He sees the marks on her thighs rise up and underneath her knickers, and peeping out again just above the hem line.

"You are so beautiful." he says, lifting her into his arms and draping her into bed, crawling in the other side to hold her. She turned to face him, stroking his chest.

"How come you've stopped here?" she says, smirking at him.

"Because that can wait until later," he replies, winking at her then kissing her lips delicately "now sleep."

So I hope you enjoyed this new chapter, it was longer as requested and I hope that you all like the way I'm portraying Matt and Karen :)

Reviews are what keep me writing :) x