For One Beat More

Later that night after a pleasant meal together everyone had gone their separate ways. Most of the boys had opted for the casino, a few for some sightseeing but Matt and Lexi had decided to return to their room. They were curled up on the couch together in the semi-darkness, looking out at the bright lights of Vegas.

For the last ten minutes Matt’s gaze had been fixed on the bright white and blue sign of The Little White Chapel further down the strip, “Ye ever thought ‘bout it?” he asked Lexi out of the blue, not really realising it had escaped his lips.

“Thought about what?” she asked, mildly confused.

He motioned to the illuminated sign with the arm that wasn‘t around her shoulders, “Gettin’ married.”

She shrugged against him, “I guess, every girl does I suppose.”

“Would you ever do it here or d’you think that’s cheesy?”

She tilted her head to the side as she thought about it, “I think it’s kind of sweet, just wanting to do it, not bothering with the hassle of all the planning and the getting the family together and stressing about every little thing.”

Matt nodded thoughtfully.

“Why?” Lexi asked, turning around to face him.

He was about to shake his head and not answer his question but thought better of it, “Do you want to do it?”

“What?” she frowned, looking into his hazel eyes.

“Do you want to get married, in Vegas?” he asked with a smile, “I mean it’s a bit of a shit proposal and I don’t have a ring or ‘out-”

Her hands on either side of his face and her lips on his cut him off and he couldn’t help but laugh into the kiss before pulling her closer to him.

She pulled away but stayed close enough so they were nose to nose, “I’d love to marry you,” she said softly.

Matt beamed, “Ye sure? I mean, I know this is Vegas an’ everythin’ but are ye sure ye want to do it here?”

She nodded, “Why not?”

He grinned, “An’ yer not worried about having yer family here or yer friends?”

“No, I’ve got you and the boys and Amanda and we can have some sort of party or something when we get home,” she shook her head, her mind racing at the thought of all the organisation but the one prevailing thought was how much she wanted to do this. How much she wanted to marry him, to continue building their lives together, to get a house and have babies -, “This isn’t because of everything that’s happened is it?” she asked, removing her hands from his face.

He looked at her sad eyes and shook his head, “I’m not goin’ to lie that I hadn’t thought about it seriously until then. I mean, I thought about us gettin’ married, just cause I’ve always known we would but I hadn’t thought abou’ doin’ it this soon ‘til everythin’ happened.”

She nodded and couldn’t help but smile, “You always knew?”

Matt blushed and looked down, tracing circles on her bare knee with his fingertip, “Well, ye know. Couldn’t imagine doin’ it with anyone else.”

She kissed him again, “I really love you Matthew Nicholls.”