Looking for a Lifeline

When I woke up it took a minute to remember where I was. Arms wrapped around me tight, my face pressed into a chest, legs inertwined. My mind didn't have to work too hard though, because with one deep breath, my nose was filled with the smell of Matt.

I smiled and kissed his chest, feeling his fingers strum against my back "Morning." He whispered, kissing the top of my head gently, not trying to be sexy, but everything he did that involved touch just came off that way to me. He was.... sexy.

"Morning." I mumbled and moved my legs from his. I felt him shiver, and I let out a small laugh "What?" I asked, looking up at him, pulling my body slightly from his.

"God no, don't move." He laughed, pulling me back "You're so warm."

"Well, if you insist." I smiled back into his warm, comforting chest as he breathed steadily.

A few moments of silence went by before Matt started to talk again.

"Corinne? Can I ask you something?" He asked quietly.

"You just did." I yawned and burried my face into the pillow, moving away from his body as he propped himself up on his elbow and stared at me. No, I couldn't see him staring, but I could feel those eyes burning into my skin. I knew the feeling. Both good and bad, but this felt more good than bad to be honest, and to my relief.

"Smart ass." He laughed deep in his throat, causing goosebumps to cover my body. I quickly shimmied under the covers further to hide this, warming my skin up so they went away.

"So ask away, I'm not going anywher." I said, looking over at him, mimicking his position and resting my head in my hand as my elbow sunk into the pillow.

He paused and nodded to himself "Uhmm..." He kept stammering.

I groaned and fell flat on my back "Spit it out Sanders."

The air grew thick with silence as we laid there. Matt quiet, and me just wondering what he wanted to say. So many possibilities running through "Never mind..." He mumbled and got up. I took a deep breath, nice going Gavern, real nice going.

"What was it, Matt? You can't do that to meee." I whined and grabbed his hand as he moved, letting him pull me onto the floor "Matt!" I whined, he just laughed. I held onto his ankle as he walked, whining into the carpet as he laughed and kept walking. I stopped making noise after a while and let go when we got to the stairs.

He looked back at me as I pouted at him "You wanna know?"

I nodded "Yes."

"Then c'mon." He motioned for me to get up but I shook my head "You're so demanding." He snickered and walked over, picking me up with one arm and carrying me down the stairs. I smiled at my view.

"Someone works on their ass." I smacked his ass as he flinched.

"Someone works on their arm strength, since when do you hurt?" He sat me down on the couch.

"I learned to fight back." I stuck my tongue out and flexed my arm "See?"

He rolled his eyes "Wait here." He ran into the kitchen and appeared with a card in a white envelope. He launched himself over the couch, landing on it with a thunk.

"You'd think, a man of your muscly size would break this couch." I laughed as he threw the card at me.

"I know, no matter how much you just sugar coated that sentence, that it was a fat joke." He pointed at the card "Open it open it open it."

"See, I live with children." I laughed and slid my finger under the card and opened it up. It was red and white, my jaw dropped. Fuck... Valentines day was tomorrow, who the fuck forgets that? How the fuck did I of all people forget that? Fuck fuck fuckity fuck!

I smiled sheepishly "I forgot it was Valentines Day."

He shrugged "Who cares, read it. It's tomorrow anyways."

I laughed and read the card to myself, small tears welling up in my eyes. I looked up at Matt with a smile.

"Will you be my Valentine?" He asked, his smile somewhat nervous.

I nodded "Yah, of course." I smiled and lunged at him, tackling him back onto the couch "I've wanted an ecxuse to do that this whole time I've been back." I smiled.

"Yah, the whole one week." He laughed. We had decided to ship my things up via air mail, and we called the lawer in Dallas that was representing me against Ben and told her that traveling wasn't going to work and she said it wasn't mandatory I was there anyways, the cops had seen the damage and he was destined for a few months in jail anyways.

"Exactly." I smiled "Now I gotta go get you something." I snickered to myself "Oh this could be fun.."

"Well now I gotta get you something, and I know just what." He winked.

I groaned and smacked my forehead "Nothing crazy? I kno you and-"

"Oh yes, you know me, Cori. You do... and you know, no matter how much you bitch to me, you're going to LOVE what I get you."

I smirked "Or will you just love it more?"

"Well, yah, that too." He smiled as I stood up "Where you off to? We have to-"

"I'm making coffee before everyone else wakes up." I said and walked around his side of the couch to the kitchen. I felt something hit my ass and looked back at a smirking Matt "You know... I'm technically not 'your's'," I airquoted "Until tomorrow."

"Well, I can slap your ass." He smirked "Because you know you won't complain."

I raised my eyebrows, since it seemed physically impossble for me to raise just one, and placed my hands on my hips "Excuse me?" I asked.

"You know you can't resist me, I can get away with anything, Cori, you know it." He smiled and kicked his feet up.

"So you think, Sanders. You wanna play that card with me? Now?" I asked, his facial expression changed from cocky to apologetic as his words and the situation sinking in to his thick skill "I'll play it right back. I'm not afraid of you, and I know that I have a house full of guys to back me up now. I'm not taking anyone's shit."

"Cori... you know I didn't mean that." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Yah? Ben didn't at first, but I was afraid of losing someone, again. It turned into this, and I'm not letting that happen again. Losing things is part of life now, Matt. So if I lose you again, it's just another notch in the bedpost of life so don't even try with me." I turned abruptly, not letting the words escape his open mouth, and walked into the kitchen.