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Not seeing the love of your life in five years really does a number on Matt.
Yes, he's had a few potential romantic encounters while he was fighting for the resistance. But thoughts of you never truly escape his mind. Daily thoughts of what you were doing left him holding his blushing face in his hands and groaning-because you probably moved on from him by now.
But he never stopped believing you remained faithful.
Maybe that's why he held off on pursuing relationships in space. Returning to Earth, to his family, to you, was what kept him going.
So, considering all this, imagine his elation when his space cruiser lands and you're the first one to greet him-'Greet him' being a major understatement.
You practically tackle him into the asphalt, your arms tight around his torso. He's stunned as you land on top of him and break out into hysterical tears. But after a few seconds he hugs you back, choking back sobs and disbelief.
"P-Please never d-d-do that again." You stammer between cries
"No promises," he chuckles, nuzzling his face into your hair-even after all this time, you still use the same shampoo and conditioner. He grins, "If being kidnapped by a star-faring alien race makes you miss me this much, then I might consider doing it again."
"God, I forgot how much of an ass you were." You say, swatting him on the shoulder.
He ruffles your hair and presses a chaste kiss to your forehead.
You raise an eyebrow. "You go missing for five years, and that's all the romantic action I get?"
He laughs and smirks. "Well, what did you have in mind?"
"Oh, I don't know," you say teasingly, eyes flickering down to look at Matt's lips. "Maybe something more like this."
Your lips meet his and his mouth cracks into a giddy grin. He closes his eyes and he feels absolute love and bliss as you work your mouth against his. And it's like he can't get enough of you as his hand roam greedily along your body, holding your hips, caressing yours sides, cupping the back of your neck, curling into your hair. He keeps his lips connected with yours the entire time, committed to not breaking the kiss no matter his body's demands for oxygen.
In this moment, he's brutally reminded of how much he's fucking missed you. How he gazed longingly into the sky almost every night and thought of you. Your eyes. Your smile. Your touch. How he foolishly flirted with other women because they possessed traits that remotely resembled yours.
It was torture having to wake up without you beside him.
Now, he realizes he was a goddamn fool for leaving you. For having this thirst for knowledge eclipse his love for you.
Then the kiss begins to taste like salt and you pull away.
He blinks up at you and lets out a little needy whine. "No, don't stop!"
You giggle as you gaze at him, your expression both happy and concerned. "Matt, are you crying?"
He brings up a hand and wipes his fingers across his eyes. His fingertips come back wet. He chuckles, "Yeah, I guess I am." You laugh as he nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck to hide his tears from any onlookers. Not that it would matter if Commander Iverson or the Paladins saw him bawling-Your opinion was the only one that mattered to him. He scoffs, "Excuse me for getting emotional after not seeing my girlfriend after five freaking years."
You squeeze his bicep teasingly. "Nice to know that beneath your beefy soldier façade, you're still a sentimental baby."
"Am not!" He shoots back with narrowed eyes.
"Are too!" You counter. "Just take it as a compliment, alright?"
He rolls his eyes playfully. "How so?"
You smile at him and his heart melts on the spot. "That no matter how different you look after this long, you're still the Matthew Holt that I know and love."
He's speechless as he takes in your words. It's the delivery that catches him; how you said each word with absolute love and devotion. It's like he's falling in love with you all over again. It almost makes him literally disappearing off the face of the Earth worth it. Almost.
He sniffles and pecks your cheek. Yeah, she's right: I'm definitely still a crybaby.
"Just promise me this," you say as you tuck a piece of hair behind his ear. "Don't go on another space mission again-"
He tenses. "It's my job, though. You know I can't control-"
You press a finger to his lips. "You didn't let me finish, Matt."
He snorts but remains quiet, awaiting your response.
"What I'm trying to say is: Don't go on another space mission, unless I'm there with you."
His eyes widen in shock.
"I know how much you love it out there," you say quietly, craning your head up to look at the blue afternoon sky. Your eyes focus on the cloud trail Matt's space cruiser left as he entered Earth's atmosphere and landed in the Garrison airport. The sight of it reminds you of what made Matt leave in the first place.
At first you were mad when he told you. But you didn't stop him, he was set in his ways-just like his father, adventurous and stubborn. But then he vanished, and you lived with the regret of not doing more to dissuade him. Until you broke out of your hysterics and realized that your boyfriend is the most resourceful, cunning, and stubborn cadet in the history of the Garrison. He'd find his way back to you. And you never gave up hope.
And it's that realization that makes you admit to him: "You're an explorer and a scientist at heart. I know I can't change that about you-hell, that one of the reasons why I love you so much. I just want to be with you, Matt. Whether it be here on Earth or in a spaceship at the edge of the universe."
When you finally look back at your boyfriend, he's bearing the largest smile you've ever seen and his eyes are flowing with a new wave of tears. Tears of absolute joy.
He kisses you once more before pulling away and saying, "I wouldn't have it any other way
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