True Til Death

I stared up at the stars, my eyes widening in wonder at the beauty all above me.

I heard a soft chuckle and I turned at the sound.

Standing there was none other than Matt Sanders.

I smiled as I saw him walking towards me.

I would never admit it, but I've had a crush on Matt since we met in the ninth grade.

He's just got this attitude that draws me to him.

He's the bad boy.

Covered in tattoos, dark and muscled.

He's the first one to stand up for his friends.

Beat anyones ass if they look at him wrong.

But he can also be sweet, and caring.

And he's the best friend anyone could ask for.

"What are you doing here Matt?" I asked him with a grin.

"You think I'm gonna let you spend Senior Night by yourself? Come on Maddie." He laughed, coming over and sitting next to me.

I tried not to look too obvious that I was blushing at the distance between us, which wasn't much.

"I don't know what I was thinking. Should've known you'd come looking for me Matt." I smiled shyly, looking up at the stars.

They gleamed down at me and I felt Matt's eyes on me.

"Do you think my dad could be looking up at these stars, and the exact same time that I am?" I asked him softly.

Matt was quiet too and he scooted closer to me.

"I bet he is. He's probably looking up at these stars right now thinking, 'What's my baby girl doing right now?' " Matt said.

I giggled and nudged him with my shoulder.

"I'm serious." He said with a grin.

Matt scooted closer and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

I looked over at him questioningly but he didn't say anything.

"It's so beautiful tonight. It's kind of hard to wrap my head around. We're actually graduating. Never coming back to this place." I said.

"Thank fuck for that. I hate this goddamn place. We'll finally be able to focus on our music full time." Matt said.

I looked over at him and leaned closer.

"You guys are gonna be great. You know that right?" I asked him.

He looked over at me and stared into my eyes.

"How can you be so sure?" He said.

"I just know. Someone like you doesn't fail. They can't." I said with certainty.

He smiled and gave me a squeeze.

"Why the hell are you wearing a tank top out in the cold?" Matt asked with a laugh.

He ran his finger down my arm, lingering over the tattoos I had scattered there.

"I love showing off my tattoos. They're my proud and joy." I said sarcastically.

Matt laughed too.

"I still can't believe you have more than me." He said.

"I'm more manly then you." I joked.

He started to laugh and nudged me again.

It pulled me closer and our faces where only inches apart.

My breath caught in my throat and my eyes went down to his lips.

So plump and full.

And his metallic lip ring around his lip, only accentuated just how bad ass he really is.

Matt leaned forward and I felt frozen in place. I couldn't move.

And I really didn't want to either.

I have been waiting for this for as long as I can remember.

To see if Matt's lips felt as soft against mine as I think they would.

"Maddie, I've been meaning to tell you something." Matt said quietly.

I could feel his breath against my lips and my cheeks tinted red.

"What?" I asked, licking my lips.

"I---," He tried.

"Maddie. Maddie! Wake up!" A voice yelled.

I jerked awake with a start, banging my head on the table light at my station.

I looked up and saw my co-worker, Max, looking down at me.

"What the hell Max." I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Nick would kill you if he saw you sleeping again. Plus, you have an appointment in ten minutes." He said.

I stuck my tongue out at him and he tried to grab it.

I started laughing and swatted his hand away, standing up to clean my station and sanitize it.

If you couldn't tell, I'm a tattoo artist now.

Have been since I graduated.

And I've loved every single minute of it.

I get to capture beauty and art, and transfer it onto someone's skin, so they can forever carry it with them.

There's no greater feeling then knowing someone can carry something that means so much to them, with them forever.

"Max whose my next appointment?" I yelled, trying to make sure he heard me.

"Don't tell me you forgot about me already." A deep voice said from behind me.

I straightened quickly, my heart beating erratically and practically jumping out of my chest.

I know that voice.

I'd know that voice from anywhere.

I turned around and came face to face with Matthew Charles Sanders.

My mouth dropped open and I stared up at Matt, not able to believe that he was actually standing in front of me.

"Matt?" I asked softly.

He smiled widely and stepped closer.

He pulled me into his arms and held me close.

I took in a deep breath and wrapped my arms back around him.

I couldn't believe this was actually happening.

Matt is actually here.

Standing in front of me, with his arms around me, he's actually here.

"Matt?" I said again.

"I'm really here Maddie." Matt murmured softly.

"Maddie!" Nick, my boss yelled.

I jerked away from Matt and looked over at him.

"What?" I asked.

"What the hell are you doing? Were you sleeping again?" He asked me.

"Why the hell are you hassling me Nick! I have a client!" I yelled back.

"Get your ass to work!" Nick said back.

I smiled and flipped him off.

"Well get off my ass and maybe I'll be able to." I countered.

"Smartass." He said.

I laughed and sat down, pulling Matt into a chair in front of me.

"Pretty laid back boss." Matt commented.

I smiled and nodded, pulling all of my supplies out.

"Yeah he is. He tries to act like a hard ass but he loves me too much to do anything to me." I laughed.

He chuckled as well.

"So, what were you looking to get tattooed. If there's any room left." I laughed, looking over his now tattooed covered arms.

He turned his forearm over and showed me a tiny spot that was open.

"Once I sketch out what you want and we get to tattooing, then we can catch up." I said with a smile.

He grinned widely and started explaining to me what he wanted.

A flaming heart, bright red and black flames around the top of the heart and black lining around, a banner in the middle.

"What do you want in the banner?" I asked.

"True Til Death." He said.

I looked up at him and nodded.

"Nice." I said simply.

I made a stencil and perfected it until Matt was completed satisfied.

I cleaned his arm up and laid the stencil down.

"Are you ready?" I asked him softly.

"I think I've actually done this more than you have now." He laughed.

I laughed too and laid the needle down.

"So what has the great M. Shadows been up to for the past five years?" I asked him.

He started to laugh and shook his head.

"Keep still." I said, gripping his wrist.

He stayed still and looked at me.

"So you heard?" He asked me.

"I live in the same country as you. Of course I heard. Avenged Sevenfold is becoming a household name." I told him.

He grinned.

"I really love your music." I told him nonchalantly.

"Thanks. It really means a lot coming from you." He said.

I looked up at him and my needle stopped.

I shook my head so he wouldn't notice how much his words affected me.

I pressed the needle back to his skin and continued working.

It took about an hour but I'd finally gotten all of the coloring down.

"Would you be able to add one more thing?" He asked me.

"Yeah of course. What did you have in mind?" I asked him.

"M & M." He said.

I looked up at him and he didn't say anything else about it.

I added what he asked and racked my brain trying to think of what the 'M & M' could signify.

I tried not to let my mind wonder and think it might be a woman's initial but I couldn't help it.

A frown set on my face and I couldn't seem to remove it.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing." I said shortly.

I stood up and cleaned off his tattoo, bandaging it.

"You're all done." I said, turning around to clean off my station.

"Maddie, what's wrong?" Matt asked again.

"I told you. Nothing." I said, not turning.

If he saw my face, he'd know I was lying.

I felt firm hands wrap around my forearms and turn me around.

I faced Matt and he made me look him in the eyes.

"Do you know why I got this tattoo?" He asked me.

I shook my head, trying to get out of his grasp.

I didn't want to hear the story about the girl that swept him off his feet.

This 'M' person.

"Because I fell in love. With the most amazing girl. Had the sweetest eyes I'd ever seen. Glimmered like the stars in the sky, could make me smile, no matter what mood I was in." Matt said, his voice so full of admiration and adoration.

I closed my eyes, turning away and not wanting to hear it anymore.

"Man, she was funny. Could always make me laugh. And she had this laugh that was so addicting and made me want to laugh too. And those lips." He said, his hand coming up to cup my face.

My eyes widened in surprise.

"I always wondered if they were as soft as they looked. Wondered how it would feel to have them pressed against mine." Matt murmured.

Before I could even register what was happening, Matt's lips were pressed against mine and his arms were tight around my waist.

My arms went around his neck, wanting to keep him as close to me as possible.

Matt pulled away but kept my face cradled between his hands.

"That girl, I was telling you about, is you Maddie. You have had my heart, since the day I laid eyes on you in the eighth grade. And you're the only one whose ever had it. And now, I have a permanent reminder of that, on my skin. My heart and my love will always be True Til Death. M & M. Always." Matt said.

I looked up at him, my eyes still wide and now brimming with tears.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" I asked him, chocking on my words.

"I tried to, Senior Night. But it never came out. I tried. I really did try." Matt said.

There was so much sorrow and sympathy in his eyes.

"I've missed out on five years with you. And that's my fault. I should've said something. But I don't want to let another day go by, Maddie." Matt said.

"Neither do I." I said, pulling him back into my arms and his lips back to mine.

My hand went down over his heart, feeling the strong beat under my fingertips.

"It's yours." Matt murmured against my lips.

I smiled widely, knowing every word he said was true.

I felt it with every fiber of my being.

I grabbed his hand, lacing his fingers through mine and pulling it up to my heart.

"It's yours too." I said softly.