the warm familiarity of his hand just resting on her leg makes her smile grow even wider, her hand landing on top of his as she fully takes in the fact that they’re together… in the city of lights. of course, she’d dreamt of going away with him, but this was more than she’d ever imagined. her dreams were always just trips somewhere a few hours away. even if they ended up somewhere boring, they’d be together, so it’d be worth it. 

❛well, it’s a good thing you don’t have to miss me anymore. ❜she turns to face him, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she just stared at him. there weren’t words to describe how happy she was to see him again, it was like a missing piece of her had been returned and now she just felt whole. 

Matt continued driving for the rest of the short distance until they arrived at the hotel. It was grand, to say the least. His art history program had spared no expense when it came to their interns. “Come on,” he said, getting out of the car and walking to the other side to open Natalie’s car door. “I’ll grab your luggage and we can head up to the room. And then maybe you want to do some sightseeing? There’s something important I want to talk to you about, but I want to save it until later.”

she listens to him intently, loving to see him talk, in real life, without a computer screen or two between them. it’s tough but she fights the urge to just pull him back towards her and into another embrace, another kiss. if she had her own way, they’d still be standing in the airport, arms wrapped around each other. but she understands his excitement to get back to his ‘place’.  ❛ i don’t think lonely even begins to describe how it’s been without you back home. ❜ she mumbles, her lips pulled into a grin as she looks up at him and then starts to glance around, taking in the sights of paris. 

Matt starts the car and glances over at Natalie as she looks out the window. He allows himself a moment just to take her in, to become reacquainted with the shape of her smile and the way her hair falls on her shoulders. He’s disrupted by a car honking at him, waiting for him to move. He jerks quickly, shifting the car into drive and puling away from the airport.

Once they’re onto the main road, Matt removes his hand from the steering wheel and rests it on the blonde’s lap, his thumb stroking her leg lightly. “I’m really glad you’re here,” he mumbles, knowing he’s being corny and emotional by telling her this fact so often. “I knew I’d miss you while I was gone, but I didn’t know it’d be this much. It’s hard.”

❛ oh, come on… ❜ she groaned playfully as he teased her about her height. as he took the bag off of her shoulder, she leaned into the kiss, her stomach rolling with butterflies as she realized that they were actually together again.

as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that they were actually together again, she glanced up at him, her lips pulling into another wide grin.   ❛ ooh, is it a fancy hotel ? ❜ she wriggled her eyebrows as she followed him towards the front of the airport. 

“It’s nice,” Matt said, smiling as they walked hand in hand. “The internship program set me up really nicely. I thought I’d have to stay in a shared room with another intern, but they put all of us up in five star hotel rooms for the duration of our time here. I think you’ll enjoy it.” 

He squeezed her hand, grateful to be holding it. He’d prepared for her visit for the past week, making sure to take time off from work in order to be with her. He led her to the car and opened the door for her to get in. “You’re going to like it here,” he told her as she was getting into the car. “It’s beautiful, just like you. And it’s been lonely without you.”

she didn’t know if she’d actually pushed past people, time seemed to disappear and before she knew it, she was in his arms and she’d forgotten just how tired she was a few moments ago. ❛ i missed you more ! ❜ she squeaked as she squeezed him tightly, not wanting to let go.  this was so strange, being in his arms again after seeing him through a computer screen for the past month or so. she pulled back, turning her head to look up at him, and actually freaking look at him for the first time in what felt like forever. ❛ you’ve got a tan, i think… ❜

Matt laughed down at her, taking it all in. Natalie was finally back in his arms, the way it should be. “Yeah, well I think you’ve gotten shorter,” he joked leaning back to get a better look at her. He smiled her way again, before taking her bag off of her shoulder and carrying it for her, dropping a kiss on her lips quickly as he did so.

He grabbed hold of her hand and jerked his head slightly in the direction of the exit, signaling that they should head out. “I’ve got a car to take a us back to the hotel.” He tugged her gently, leading her to the front of the airport.

He made sure to clear up an evening so that he could video chat with her and watch her open the letter he’d sent back home to her with the plane ticket attached. He sat on the edge of his seat as he watched the screen, anxiously waiting for his girlfriend to pick up the call.