Oh My Goodness

The next day was our last day at the cottage before we headed home. I was sad leaving; it had been an... Eventful few days, to say the least, but they had been enjoyable.

I was a little bit worried that the magic of it all - the mountains, the snow, the coziness of the cottage - would somehow disappear when we left, and Gabe would change his mind about me. I tried not to show my insecurities, telling myself that whatever would be, would be, and tried to enjoy my last day there.

The boys headed out to the rink in the morning - it made me laugh, how they couldn't escape hockey - and I sat around, lazily eating cereal and watching an old movie on the TV.

About halfway through the movie, I heard the door open and I glanced up. Gabe smiled over at me, and I smiled back, surprised.

***
Gabe

Hey."

She smiled at me in response. As I pulled the door shut behind me, I couldn't help thinking of the conversation Matt and I had just had.

"I'm going to go check on Jess," I had told him nonchalantly. He had raised his eyebrows, before rolling his eyes.

"Just stay up there," he had replied. "I know you want to." His voice had a heavy note of teasing in it.

"Sorry, man."

"It's cool. You see us every day as it is. Which is too much, if you ask me."

I had laughed, before turning serious. "Are you okay with this? I mean.. Jess and I."

Matt had shrugged, leaning on his hockey stick. "Yeah, sure. Just don't do anything dumb."

I had nodded with a smirk. "I'll try not to."

It felt good to have Matt's blessing, strangely enough. It wasn't as if he was Jess' brother or father, but he had known her for quite a while. To have him on my side was a relief.

I stamped my boots on the rug as Jess looked down.

***

Jess

"You sure you didn't want to come down?" Gabe asked.

I nodded. "I'm good here," I smiled over at him again. He began to slip off his boots, and I began to protest, shaking my head. "I'm fine, Gabe, really. Go back out with the guys."

Gabe ignored me, hanging his jacket on the back of a chair and walking over to sit next to me.

"You've spent more time with me then with them," I pointed out. Gabriel shrugged as he sat back, his arm stretching out to rest on the couch behind my head.

"I see them almost every day," he stated simply. "When I told them I was coming to check on you, Matt suggested I stay up here with you, for that exact reason. That I see them all the time, but not you."

I sighed, but smiled over at him. "Okay."

His lips twitched up at the sides, and he held his arms out, beckoning me over. I bit back a shy smile as I moved over beside him. I pulled my knees up onto the couch, and Gabe's arm snaked around my shoulders, pulling me even closer into him. My knees gently rested against his thigh, and his fingers traced up and down my arm.

I tried to focus again on the movie, but I knew his eyes were on me. I slowly turned to meet his gaze. His lips lifted up into a crooked smile when our eyes met, and my stomach flipped. His eyes were a greyish-blue in the light, and his gaze nearly made my heart stop. I chewed the inside of my lip shyly. Gabe's eyes drifted down to my lips, and instinctively, mine drifted down to his.

He began to lean forward first. I followed, closing the distance. His nose gently brushed against mine, before his lips met mine softly. The kiss lingered for a moment, before he kissed me earnestly, one hand finding my waist, pulling me into him. When he broke away, he gave me a huge, admiring grin, and I let my head fall onto his shoulder.

When his head gently rested against mine, I felt my lips pull up at the sides. I snuggled into him, trying to memorize his scent and the way it felt being that close to him.

After a while of pretending to watch the film, Gabriel pulled me down so that I was resting on top of him. His hand rested on my lower back, holding me against him. A strand of hair fell in front of my face, and he lifted his free hand to tuck it behind my ear. "Vacker," he mumbled.

I chewed my lip, feeling my cheeks heat up. His knuckles brushed against my cheekbone, sending shivers up and down my spine. The previous worries immediately flooded my mind again. I broke his gaze, and rested my head on his chest, lifting up a hand to rest beside my head. I was perfectly nestled under Gabe's chin, and I paid attention to the feeling of his chest rising and falling as he breathed.

His fingers crept underneath my sweater, and he traced gentle circles on my lower back with his fingers. The action prompted me in to speaking, and I couldn't stop.

"Gabe?" He mumbled contentedly as a response, and I hesitated. I fiddled with his shirt, as I finally spoke again quietly. "What happens when we go back to Denver?"

Pause. "What do you mean?" His fingers had stopped their ministrations.

I pushed myself up, and looked down at him again. "Was this just a 3-day thing? Are we going to go back home and pretend none of this happened?"

Gabriel sat up, using his hands that were still on my waist to pull me closer. He spoke in a low voice. "How would that even be possible?"

I shrugged, looking down. Gabe lifted a hand to tilt my chin up, and he searched my eyes.

"When we get back, I'm taking you on a real date," he declared. "Sound good?" A smile spread across my lips and I nodded. He closed the distance between us as he smiled back, his lips brushing mine as he whispered, "Its a date."