A/N: Wow! I've been gone for a while! Sorry about that! But uh... long story short, pay attention when skateboarding. 'Cause, when I looked down at my ipod, I went one way, the board went the other, and then smack! Concussion and a broken bone. Sucks, I know. :P

Anyways, this will be the last chapter of the story, but no tears! I demand there be no tears!

Also, I have started a story in Ficitonpress, if you would like to check it out, that is not fan related in anyway. Just a story I started for fun! If you'd like to read it, please ask and I shall send you the link (since we all know I can't just post it here without repercussions).

Hope you like, review if you can, and enjoy!

(Mello P.O.V)

I didn't leave Matt's side very often anymore. Maybe it was because we'd gotten closer to each other, or maybe it was because I constantly thought I'd lose him to someone else, but I needed to be closer to him each day. Ever since he'd given himself to me I'd been this way. I'd been paranoid and protective of him, like I thought everyone knew just how great of a person he truly was. I never was possessive of anything in my life until Matt gave himself fully to me. Especially when he'd admitted that I'd been his one and only.

And I wanted it to stay that way.

In school it really showed how much I clung myself to him. I didn't like the way the cheerleaders, the math geeks, the band nerds, or even the way the teachers looked at him. As if they all wanted him for themselves. I tried to remember that Matt always wanted me and only me, but it just became problematic the more the days went on. Come night time though, and he was all mine and the worry vanished. I don't know what caused my possessiveness over him, but it was there and it would not calm down. Certainly during the days we were around people.

I tried not to glare as Matt spoke with one of the younger teachers about his grades. He was doing a lot better than normal and this cheap – unnatural blonde – was fawning over him. At least… it looked like she was fawning over him. It could just be my jealousy.

Matt finally got away from her and turned back to me. "Mrs. Reid is awesome! She always puts a smiley on my paper when it's one hundred percent!"

I blinked, not caring – nor trusting myself – to speak.

The red head blinked back. "Err… something up?"

I pushed off the wall I was leaning on before hooking my arm into his. "No. Let's just go home now."

He suddenly chuckled at me. "You are terribly adorable some days. You know that right?"

I backed away from him angrily. "Excuse me!?"

"There he is!" He said happily. "There's the jealous blonde I know and love!"

"Jealous?" I said incredulously. "I am not…!"

"Oh please," he interrupted, "I know when you're jealous, Mello. Your eyes slit into a death glare and your bottom lip pouts out like a puppy. Not to mention your silent treatment could kill someone in one fell swoop. And you've been so silent in school it's like you aren't even there! I swear, it's like you're dead until we get out of school. Then you're all over me!"

I growled slightly, turning away from him. "I can't help it. It's like everyone wants you all of a sudden. Like they know you're way more perfect than they first believed."

"Okay, first off, I am way more perfect than they think!" He joked. "And secondly," he said as he wrapped his arms around my waist, "even if everyone was after me like you believe, I'd kindly let them down and explain to them that you're my everyone. As cheesy as it sounds, you're the only one I ever want and am going to want. It's been like that since we were kids. You know that."

He kissed my cheek, making me blush slightly. "No need for jealousy, blondie. I'm not a cheat."

I grinned slightly at this then cuddled into his arms. "I'm sorry, Matt. I know I can trust you." I then got dark. "It's them I don't trust."

"One and only, Mel." He reminded me. "And school will be over in a month, so we have an entire summer together. Don't forget that."

That thought did calm me down. "I guess. We could go to the beach or a cabin this summer. Alone."

"If our parents don't invite themselves to keep an eye on us, yes." He reminded me of our – rather protective – parents.

I sighed heavily at this. "Try not to remind me anymore, Matt."

Although our parents more than trusted us to be alone, my father was a bit wary of the situation and always seemed to check on me as if I were about to die at any moment. Matt's mother was also being a bit protective ever since she learned of my past. I suppose she didn't trust me to stay true to Matt. If only she knew how scared I was of losing him.

The school day came to an end and the bell rang in time for us to leave and go home. Now that it was the weekend, I had time to recuperate and calm down from the week of pent up anger I'd been feeling towards the other people at my school. The only person I wasn't too angry at was Near, and that's because he had no interest in Matt other than his friendship. I simply hated Near because he was a kiss arse beyond compare. Not to mention he used his tiny stature to his advantage. No gym, no homework, no nothing! You named it, he could get out of it. Lazy little shit.

We'd decided to go to Matt's place since I didn't want to deal with my father's wrath at having Matt over for the night. Lord only knows what he knew what was going on between me and the gamer. Besides, Matt's parents were gone for a date night and only his brother and sisters were home. This would lead to a bit of teasing, yes, but the soundproof basement would help with most of that.

Lucky me, both Jason and my brother Chase were there. This would surely be a fun filled night!

Sarcasm greatly implied.

The moment we stepped into the house we were greeted by Chase's loud hello, with a slight glare to Matt.

"And how is the happy couple?!" Chase asked happily, knowing his attitude got on my nerves most times.

But I was prepared.

"You tell me." I demanded. "How are you and Jay doing!?"

His smile turned into a sarcastic laugh. "So funny, blondie. That was one party, and you know we were both drugged up."

"You were drugged up!" Jay exclaimed from the kitchen. "I was merely drunk off my ass and mistook you for Cheryl! Damn you and your curves!"

"Oh Jesus, just get married already you two!" Matt retorted. "We all know you two have repressed homosexual feelings for each other, so just get it over with already and fuck!"

Before we could even question it, the two older brothers of ours ran after us down the stairs and almost caught up to us in the game room before Matt locked the door. On the other side we could hear half-serious threats being spilled from their mouths. Neither one would act on them, but it would be nice to see them try.

Matt rolled his eyes. "They're adorable."

"I know," I agreed, "like kittens trying to hunt balls of string!"

We shared in a laugh before relaxing on the couch in front of the flat-screen. We decided to just watch a quiet movie in order for us to talk more than sit in silence. It wasn't my cup of tea to be silent anyway. I liked attention, and Matt liked to listen. It was a good combination we had, and he always knew that I would listen to him as well if ever he needed someone to talk to.

I hummed peacefully as Matt combed through my hair. "I love you, Matt. You know that?"

"Of course I do, Mello. And I love you too."

It was just a daily thing we did now to say we loved each other. We'd only been together a few months…

…but it felt like years to me.

It felt like I'd been with Matt since the beginning. I guess I had been. But now it was different. Every minute felt like an hour, and every hour felt like a day. Every moment I spent next to him was like another year we'd spent side by side. My mother always told me that that was what true love felt like. Like having the world slow down in front of you whenever you were with that person. And I couldn't help but almost agree with her. Even when we were kids our time together seemed to take forever in a day. We were always happy, always warm, and always close to each other.

And I never wanted that to end.

But then there was my father's side of love. Where there was trust and kindness. Where everything was equal and safe with each other. Again, Matt and I had this. We trusted each other, and never once did I feel belittled or betrayed by him. He didn't drag me along with him on the path, and I didn't drag him. We walked side by side. Equal in life and in our partnership.

So then… was this meant to be?

I guess Matt could tell by the look on my face that I was thinking too hard about something.

"Is something wrong, Mels?"

I took a moment to think about this before enclosing my hand into his, intertwining our fingers. "I was just thinking… well… about us, really."

He blinked. "Dear lord, are you pregnant?"

I punched him for the joke but he only laughed. Damn him and his mind some days.

"I'm serious, Matt! I'm thinking about how well we work together, and I… well… I don't know. I'm wondering if we should maybe…"

Now he saw the seriousness in my voice. "Woah, wait, are you talking about marriage!?"

I jolted at this. "What! No! Never! I mean- ugh! Not now, not while we're eighteen! Jesus, Matt, do you think I'm just willing to jump into marriage the first moment it's offered?!"

"Depends on how rich the guy is."

Another punch to his stomach and he shut up.

"Matt, I was talking about living together. Just to see how this would work out. I mean, you never really know someone until you see them every day and every hour. We're going to be finished school soon anyway. Why not… try it out for a while?"

He relaxed into his seat slightly. "Oh thank god. I mean- uh… you're right about us being way too young for marriage! But, finding a place might be difficult."

"Well, my dad has a place out of town we could take up from him. He's ask us to pay rent, but it's a nice place. Three bedroom, two bath, plus a fireplace and new kitchen."

"And as for rent?" He asked, almost knowingly.

I crossed my arms at this. "I know you get paid for testing games, Matt, and it isn't cheap minimum wage. Not to mention I get paid for editing and proofing at my dad's company. I think we could go through with it."

He seemed a bit nervous about this. "But… you know I'm not… how to put it? Extroverted. I've always caged myself in my house the entire time I've lived here. Moving out so suddenly…"

I hugged Matt to me tightly for reassurance. "You won't be leaving here alone, Matt. I promise I'll stick with you until you're comfortable. Plus, I'll let you turn one of the bedrooms into a game room. We can even soundproof it if you want. Though it won't matter if we're there all alone."

I suppose the thought of both being alone, and a new game room, intrigued him since his eyebrow cocked and his look was less fearful.

"And… how far is it from your parents again?"

Another punch for that one, but less hard since he wasn't the only one looking for alone time. "If things don't work out, Matt, and you want to leave… I won't stop you. Not everything turns out perfect in the end, and I won't guilt you into staying with me."

"Mello, I want to stay with you." He reassured me. "I'm just… nervous, I guess. The thought of leaving home…"

I gave him a peck on the lips at this. "Don't think of it as leaving home. Think of it as… a trial run of the real world. Like I said, if you don't like it, you can leave. No strings attached. I won't hold it against you."

The look on his face returned to fear as he bit down on his lip nervously.

In the end, he had one condition.

"After school is over, for two months. If things get rocky, or I'm not getting used to it, then we go back home until we're a bit older. Deal?"

"Deal." I promised him, sealing it with a kiss.

Those two months came by in a blink of an eye, and my father got everything ready for us. Since we were out of school, he couldn't care less what we did with our lives. Though he was more than wary about having Matt be all alone with me for more than an hour. The man would forever be overprotective of me. It was something I just had to deal with.

And our two months began…

…then there was a third month…

…then six…

…then a year…

…

…and then… we were in our twenties.

I wondered if Matt even remembered our two month promise, or if he just didn't care anymore. I think he was too happy to care. I'd like to think it was me that helped him get over his nervousness of the outside world, but maybe it was just the freedom all around. I knew Matt didn't like his school, or being treated like a child. He wanted to be taken seriously, and now that he was it was like he was proving himself worthy of his freedom. Not only that, but he loved having a home to call his own. Where he didn't have to follow anyone's rules but ours. Mostly mine. But ours.

Although he didn't notice – I would think – I watched him grow into the man I saw within when we'd first met back in high school. That soft spoken man who had a million thoughts and feelings, who was so shy and unsure of himself, who was now a heartfelt and open to the world around him. He didn't fear going outside anymore, and wasn't worried about losing me. Albeit the first two months together he'd more than clung to me out of fear, but now… now he was different.

And I liked his new self.

Especially with his old self still in there, always welcoming me with open arms.

Our parents never fought for our attention. We all had our holiday dinners together – at either home – then we stayed the night before heading back to our own place. My father did learn to trust Matt after he saw the change in demeanor, and his mother more than accepted me into the family now. But there was still on matter that hadn't arisen yet.

Joining our families together.

I loved Matt. With all my heart I did. And I didn't want to scare him off with the thought of marriage again. I'd only ever brought it up once as a joke and he still took it in all seriousness. I was scared if I brought it up with him again he'd run for the hills.

So I bided my time and waited.

…and waited…

…

…and waited.

Though we were only twenty-five now, I still waited for him to ask me. I guess I could have asked him myself, but he was more sensitive to the topic than I was. And again, I didn't want to scare him off.

So I kept on waiting.

Even when we were driving to my parent's house did I wait for him to ask me. I didn't need anything romantic, just that I knew he wanted me as his partner. Forever and always. That was the point of us living together, wasn't it? To prove we could be together as a forever couple?

Maybe Matt didn't see it that way…

…maybe he didn't want me that way.

I was brought out of my thoughts when I felt the car stop and I saw that we were nowhere close to my parents.

I looked outside my window to see a small carnival that was set up before us. It looked just like the one we'd gone to first as children, then second as teenagers. Where we shared our first date… our first kiss…

Why did Matt bring me here?

He opened the car door for me. "Are you not coming? I though you loved the carnival!"

I stepped out into the slush of snow that had just fallen before Matt closed the door and took my hand. I'd still been confused, but enjoyed my time with him anyway. On the rides, at the prize tables – where Matt once again won me something like he always did – then food and other sights to behold. It was like going back in time and enjoying everything we'd done together as kids. But I still had no idea why I was here instead of at my parents. Did Matt just lie to me about my father being ill to get me into the car with him? That's low… but I respect him for being sneaky.

I'd almost been expecting it. And low and behold, our last stop was the photo booth. Old and barely used. But it was there.

He opened the curtain. "Shall we?"

I could only smile as I entered the booth with him crawling in beside me.

He put the coins in, and spoke.

"Six pictures, six poses. Get ready, blondie!"

My first pose was to kiss him on the lips. Because I could and I wanted to.

The camera flashed. One down.

I cuddled under his chin. "I love you, Matt."

He hugged me back. "I love you too, Mels."

Another flash. Second picture done.

He pulled me away slightly to look me in the eye. "And that's why I never want to let you, or the memories I have with you, go."

Third shot done.

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

He only smiled back as he dug into his pocket.

Fourth shot.

He pulled out a small box and I could swear I felt my heart stop dead in my chest.

"I hope you don't mind, but I made a little adjustment to our necklace."

Fifth shot.

He suddenly got down on one knee and opened the box revealing two little M's attached to a ring. On that ring was the chain we'd used to keep the M's together in the past.

"Mello, will you be mine, forever and ever? As promised?"

The sixth photo shot and I immediately jumped into Matt's arms, kissing him happily. I had no other way to say yes at the time, so I hoped that this would suffice.

Once my excitement died down Matt happily put the chain around my neck.

"I know you aren't much of a ring person, so I hope you don't mind that I did this."

"It's perfect, Matt!" I said happily before cuddling into him. "This was perfect. All of it. How long have you been planning this?"

About a year or so, now. My challenge was getting you to suspect nothing, so I had to tell you your dad was sick to get you a bit worried. Glad to see my plan paid off!"

"Oh, right. About that." I reminded myself, then punched him square in the gut. "That's for telling me my father was sick! You know I worry about him!"

He only laughed. "Jesus, you act as if he's on his death bed! The man is never going to die! Believe me, I've been counting the days."

I went in for another punch but Matt just caught it this time and pulled me in for a kiss. After that he merely smiled at me.

"Did I surprise you, my love?" He asked happily.

I huffed slightly before resting my head on his chest. "Yes… you did."

"Don't be pouty. Now we get to tell your parents about all this! Surely that'll send dear old dad to the hospital!"

I didn't even bother to punch him. I just smiled and cuddled under his chin. "I get his Mercedes."

"Cool. I get his laptop and flat-screen!"

"Good luck prying that from my brother." I commented, taking his hand as we walked back to the car.

"I'll just threaten to tell your mother about him hooking up with Jason. I knew those two were cute together."

I sighed heavily. "My poor parents. They'll never get grandkids."

"We could always adopt." The gamer suggested. "Or try out one of those surrogate programs."

"Who would donate the seed?" I asked daringly.

The red head was quiet for a few moments before looking back at me.

"We both fill up the cup and whichever one fights the hardest becomes our kid?"

"You're on, goggles! My guys are hyped up on sugar and chocolate! You don't stand a chance!"

"We'll see blondie!"

But that would be a tale for another time.

For now, we had to tell my parents – and his – about our newly planned engagement.

Lucky for us, our brothers decided to come out that same day right before we told them. So… at least some of the heat was taken off of us.

Suddenly, my father was a whole lot more accepting of Matt being in the family.