Matt Brown: Collection of Short Alaskan Bush People Fan Fics

Coming Back

The two men stood silhouetted against the early evening sun, their hands raised to shade their eyes.

"When is she coming back?" Gabe asked quietly.

"I don't know, man. She didn't say." Matt answered just as quietly and with a sadness that would have broken your heart if you had been close enough to hear it.

You held the throttle on the small boat as you sailed toward town and forced yourself not to look back at the beach. Matt and Gabe had both walked with you to the beach after your date with Matt in Browntown.

"My brother is here to watch out for bears while I kiss you long and hard and say goodbye." Matt's eyes had been sorrowful as he wrapped his arms around your waist and pressed his soft lips to yours.

But you knew the day was long spent and you didn't want to be caught on the open water at night. The time you spent with Matt had been silly and fun and quiet and thoughtful. There were so many sides to that complicated man and you smiled as you realized you were falling in love with all of those sides. His laugh had been loud and booming all day, but his words whispered in your ear had been gentle and soft.

"I wish she had let me take her back to town. I don't like the idea of her going alone." Matt stomped his foot in frustration.

"You know she wouldn't let you. And if you had asked one more time I'm pretty sure she would have slugged you." Gabe remarked.

"That's true. She was getting really mad there at the end wasn't she?" He grinned at the thought of your cute angry face before you climbed into the small skiff.

The waters were calm and there was still plenty of light left in the day. The angle of the sun shifted across your face and bathed you in shades of orange and red and white. It was a beautiful time to be out on the water and you were on your way home. Your home had always been the place you retreated to. The place you could always be yourself. But with a surprising and happy twinge in your soul you realized you could always be yourself when you were around Matt, and being with him had become like a sanctuary for your heart.

The two men started to turn away from the darkening waters and toward the path that led back to their campsite. But out of the corner of his eye, Matt noticed something odd about your boat floating far out in the waters.

"Hey, man look at that." He tapped Gabe on the shoulder and pointed out to your boat.
"She's not moving. You think there's something wrong?" Gabe asked.

"I don't know." Matt replied and shaded his eyes with his hand again.
"What is she doing?" Gabe took a couple of steps toward the water as he spoke.

But Matt was already jogging back toward the beach and he didn't stop until he was almost knee deep in the cold water. Snatching his hat off his head, he began waving his arms toward you and laughing louder than you had ever heard.

"What's going on, Matt? What is she doing?" Gabe's confused tone made Matt laugh even louder.

The joy on Matt's face matched the joy on yours and your hand on the tiller couldn't move the boat fast enough.

"She's coming back!" Matt shouted and started to laugh again.