Matchmaker

AFTER THE MATCHMAKER by Magic Malcolm. (malcolm@malcolmcowan.co.uk)

Usual disclaimers apply. Don't read if you're under 18 (21 in some places), I don't personally mind if you are under-age, but they get so stuffy about stuff like this...

Now, on with the story. Part Six of AFTER THE MATCHMAKER.

Part Six - Christmas Chaos

"You look gloomy," I say as Stephen enters our apartment looking much more than gloomy, he looks downright depressed, "Bad day?"

"You don't know the half of it...but enough about me, how's your arm?"

One thing has remained constant since the last time I sat down and wrote stuff down...Stephen being overprotective of me. Sure I need his help for some stuff, like getting washed and having a shower...which is probably not such a good thing, because things tend to happen when Stephen and I end up showering together. To wit, we spend more time fooling around than we do getting clean. And it's pretty hard to wash dried in sperm off the walls of the shower with only one working arm, let me tell you.

"Stephen, my arm is in a sling, I am not crippled. Amazingly, I can take care of myself."

"That's not what I asked, was it?"

"The arm is fine," I sigh, wishing it was totally fine so I could strangle him for asking me that same question for TWO WEEKS now..."Now that's settled, why the lack of happiness on your part?"

"My parents want me to go over for dinner tomorrow night..."

"That doesn't seem so bad..."

He takes his time before going on, almost as if he was nervous about saying what it was, "They want you to come too."

"Me? Can't imagine why."

"Actually, the way they put it was more...'bring over that person who you fell so much in love with you upped and moved out before we hit you with heavy objects.'"

"Well, I can totally imagine your mother saying that last bit..." And apparently I am not the brightest star in the galaxy after all, "oh."

"What am I gonna do?" He looks panicked. In another time and place, it would be funny. But taking the implications of this dinner into context...

"You could always...not go. Or go, but say that I couldn't make it..."

"That's not it. I totally want to take you to them and say that you make me feel like no other person could do."

"Aw. I think I need to hug you now."

"I have the feeling you're not taking this seriously."

"You think?"

"It's not that simple. I mean, coming out to my parents, you coming out to my parents. Are we really ready for that?"

I have the feeling he could take on a boardroom full of important executives, but would quiver and crumble before his mum and dad in an instant. I walked over to him and wrapped my working arm around his shoulders and kiss him on the cheek.

"Well, I'm ready if you are," I say, in total honesty. I'm totally fed up with people seeing the gorgeous ring Stephen got for me and not being able to tell people who it's really from. I suppose coming out to Stephen's parents would be the first step to that...a very large and ultimately scary step, yes, but the first step nonetheless.

And Stephen looked more than relieved when I said that. And, yay, he smiled, I like his happy face much more than any of his other faces. That smile could disarm countries, I swear.

"That's...encouraging," Stephen says, hugging me tightly, "Are you really sure?"

"Call them, tell them we'll be there. Now," I playfully order, pushing him towards the telephone with my free arm, "Oh god, what am I gonna wear? Should I dress smart to try and impress them? Or, is it going to be a casual dinner...oh, should I bring something? Dessert? Do they like pineapples?"

Stephen chuckled, "How about I ask them all that on the phone, love?"

"Yeah, good plan..." I smile in response, "I'd better check if my suit needs pressing..."

"Deep cleansing breaths..." I look over at Stephen, who looks quite possibly the most handsome I've ever seen him look. He totally suits the tuxedo he's got on. More importantly, he looks quietly confident. I however, am pretty sure that I look like a nervous wreck.

Stephen entered reassuring mode almost straight away, "It's okay, they know you already."

"They knew me as your best friend, not your boyfriend, who really thinks he looks stupid in this suit and sling combo."

"You look perfect to me..." He frowns, "No, that so didn't come out right."

"Ah shush, I got what you meant. Are we gonna stand out here all day?"

Stephen rings the doorbell, and my heart skips quite a few beats. He gives me a quick comforting hug before the door opens. It's his mother, Melissa. Wearing...um...a "Free Winona" t-shirt and jeans.

"Boy, do I suddenly feel overdressed," I muttered.

"You're early, so where is she?" Melissa finally noticed me, looking all 00-oh in my suit, "And why's Matt here?"

Melissa has always called me Matt. Most people tend just to call me Matt anyway; I think I'm more of a 'Matt' than a 'Matthew' anyway.

"I'll tell you when we get inside, it's bloody freezing," Stephen says, giving his mother a hug. I couldn't help feeling slightly jealous of them, they were a close family, something I never quite managed to have with my parents. I managed a half-hearted smile as I walked in the familiar hallway. A quick inspection of Stephen's room sees that not much has changed. It's been converted into a spare room though, so I suppose that's a bit of a change then. It's still pretty cluttered though.

"Mother, you asked me here because you wanted to meet the person I've fallen in love with...right?"

I break out of my trance quickly as I realize that, oh-oh, it's time. Luckily I don't have to say much, poor Stephen has it all to say...at least, that's the plan anyway. He suddenly seemed nervous.

"Yes, that's right."

Stephen turned deathly quiet, leaving Melissa completely hanging on waiting for an answer. Since it seemed he wasn't going to answer here at all, I walked up beside him and took his hand in my free hand, he turned to look at me and suddenly seemed much more confident, while I suddenly felt like throwing up. I think that's what the more knowledgeable people call 'Transference.'

"He's right here, mother."

It was the bravest thing he's ever done...even more brave than saving me from getting hit by that car, even more brave than coming out to me and admitting he loved me...I think I managed to smile and nod, I know I felt Stephen squeeze my hand, his way of thanking me I guess.

"Oh," Melissa said, there was a bit of a pause, and then she shrugged, "Well as long as you're happy. At least I know I can trust Matt to take care of you."

Stephen positively beamed, seriously. I can imagine why, that must've been such a burden removed from his shoulders right there. He gave his mum another hug, before turning back to me, grinning in a slightly goofy way.

"Don't look too happy Stephen," I said, trying not to smile myself. I was very happy at this turn of events too, "We still have your dad to deal with."

"That'll be easier," Stephen was this close to dancing on the spot; it was wonderful seeing him like that. Then I felt him spinning me around with him, and I couldn't help laughing at it. "Hey, if things go well, maybe we could all have Christmas dinner together,"

I seriously loved that idea, "I'd like that. Always pays to get in good favor with the in-laws," I smile impishly at that.

"I don't think you were ever not in their good favor," Stephen replied, stopping as he heard the door opening.

"Are they here yet, Melissa?" Came the voice of Stephen's father, funnily enough his name is Matthew too.

"Yes they are dear, but there's something you should know..."

"Tell me later, I can't wait to meet this girl of Stephen's."

Which should've tipped me off as the first bad omen of the day,

"Oh, hi Matt, here to help Stephen in case he goes off at a tangent again? So where is she, son?"

Stephen never got the chance to answer, due to the fact his dad had done a double take and saw that Stephen and I were holding hands again. I suddenly felt an abnormal chill in the air.

"So...you're...together" He said, and I was spooked by the tone of voice he used. It was almost spiteful, definitely with a hint of hatred. He looked about ready to erupt. I heard Stephen gulp, and I knew his resolve had quickly dissipated. It was up to me again, unfortunately.

"Um, yeah we are Mr. Lawson," I said, trying hard to make it sound like no big deal, not such an easy task, "And we're both happy with that, and that's all that matters, right?"

Wrong.

It's not what he replied that made me think that, more the case of the fact he punched me right in the face without warning. And there was a lot of power to that punch too, I fell to the floor hearing Melissa's screaming and Stephen gasping in horror.

"Neither of you are welcome in my house," He roared, and turned to leave the house again, "And when I get back, you'd both better be gone."

The door slammed shut. I heard Melissa start crying as Stephen helped me back up. Stephen looked mightily pissed off.

"You okay?" Stephen asked.

I touched my face where the blow had landed, "I may have to suffer the indignity of a black eye, but otherwise fine."

Of course I wasn't completely fine. It was going so well up to then, trust Stephen's dad to be a damn homophobic bastard. I chose to keep that one to myself, considering the state Melissa seemed to be in. I walked over to her and hugged her, "I'm so sorry," she kept saying.

"It's not your fault," I replied, turning back to see Stephen, who still looked extremely angry.

"No, it's not your fault mother. Don't let yourself think that."

"We'd better go, before he gets back," I said, "Let's go."

"Yeah, okay," Stephen replied, as Melissa showed us out of the house.

And as soon as the door had shut, Stephen positively erupted himself.

"I could kill him for this, it's one thing to attack a person for being different, but to attack a defenseless one...god Matt, I'm so sorry."

"I'm not exactly defenseless, let's just go home already...I think I need an icepack or something...and don't ever think that you're different. We're just like any other young couple in love. Remember that. Come on, before I...oh crap."

Which is when we saw Stephen's father walking back towards the house, and he saw us pretty much right away. I heard him yell "What did I tell you?" as he ran in our direction. Stephen looked ready to attack his own father, even as I tried to get him to just leave. But I guess we wouldn't have made it, he was pretty close.

But he was too blind in his rage to see the car speeding towards him as he ran across the road, Stephen saw it, but said absolutely nothing. I opened my mouth to shout a warning, but it was way too late. The car slammed into Stephen's father. It was only then Stephen came back to his senses, and ran over to check his father while I quickly fished out my cell phone and called for an ambulance...

Despite the fact I work in the hospital I now sit in, I never really had to worry about patients where I worked, up in personnel. Stephen's distraught, his mother equally so. I just sat there, trying to comfort them both as best I could. I called Stewart, Stephen's brother, earlier, but he must've been out with Martin. Odds on at the cinema. It's getting pretty late now; I realize I'm trying to suppress a yawn. Unsuccessfully I should add.

"Matt, you can go home," Stephen said, looking over at me, "There's no reason for you to be here."

"Yes there is," I reply, taking his hand in mine, "And as long as you're here I'm staying."

He tried to smile, but didn't quite make it. He looked more tired than I feel, which was saying something. He looked ready to fall asleep right there and then, and his head suddenly tips forward, before darting back up.

"Rest up already," I chided, letting him use my working shoulder as a makeshift pillow, "Before you fall out of the chair."

He was asleep before I finished the sentence. Looking over at Melissa, I realize she's fallen asleep too. Which kinda meant I had to stay awake in case something developed. Fantastic.

I'm trying not to think about Stephen's expression when the car hit his father. I'm glad Melissa didn't have to see it, but Stephen did. And somehow that makes me feel worse. I chuckle bitterly at the irony, saving me from one car accident and then his father getting hit only a few weeks later. Only I came away with a slightly bruised bone, god knows what his father will come away with...

"Mr. Phillips?"

I look up to see the consultant approaching, "How is he?"

"Stable. And conscious, thankfully."

I nod, glad to hear that in actuality, listening on to the doctor's prognosis.

"He's quite lucky, nothing we can't deal with. He'll have to stay in intensive care for a while though."

"Can I see him?"

"No more than five minutes."

I think about waking Stephen and Melissa up, but decide against it. They both need the rest. So, gathering up an amazing amount of courage, feeling that ever so familiar 'I wanna throw up' feeling, in I went.

He looked awful. There was no other way to describe it. As naturally squeamish as I am, I can't help shivering as I sit down beside the bed.

"I have nothing to say to you," He says, weakly, but still pretty hateful.

"Good, because I'm going to do all the talking," I reply, trying not to smile at that considering the circumstances.

"Who says I'll listen?"

"There's not much else you can do," And while I mentally slapped myself for saying that, I continued, "I don't care what you do to me, and I personally don't care what you have against me and Stephen being together, but you can't just shut him out of your life because of it."

No reply. Pushing my luck totally, I decide to continue.

"He's out there right now, and he's totally losing it because he thinks it's his fault you got hit by that car. All he wants to do is say he's sorry, and I sincerely doubt you would let him somehow. How do you think that makes me feel? And he feels even worse!"

Silence.

"Dammit! He is still your son, no matter what he is! It's not his fault he's turned out this way; he can't help it if he's in love with a guy instead of a girl. Don't you want him to be happy?"

I feel a couple of tears fall down my cheek, and I curse myself for being so weak in such a tense situation. Finally he spoke up.

"Do you really love him?"

He's caught me off guard. Not exactly a desirable situation, "If I didn't, would I have come in here and told you all this?"

"That's not what I asked."

I'm starting to see a father-son resemblance here..."Yes, of course I love him."

"And...he loves you."

It didn't seem like a question, not that I had an answer to give anyway. Luckily I didn't have to give one.

"More than anything," Stephen said, catching me by surprise. I never realized he'd came in, and neither it seemed had his father.

"...I see." Was all he said.

I walked over to Stephen, "Talk to each other," I smile, trying to reassure Stephen mostly, "I'm fed up talking for you."

I left them alone and returned to the waiting area. Melissa was still asleep, and as soon as I sat down again, so was I.

My eyes flickered open, and I realized that I had just spent the entire night asleep in a hospital waiting room in a very expensive suit. I suddenly longed for a shower, as my eyes darted around looking for any sign of Melissa or Stephen. Since neither seemed to be here, it was natural to assume they were both in seeing Stephen's dad.

I suddenly catch a glimpse of the clock on the wall, 8:55am.

...okay, good time to panic. I'm supposed to be upstairs in five minutes to start work. And they're very strange people up there who will rip me to shreds for being dressed in a very expensive suit. Can't wait to try explaining this one to them.

But first I stop by Mr. Lawson's room. Sure enough Stephen and Melissa are in there, I cough gently to announce my presence. The atmosphere seemed much more relaxed now, which was undeniably a good thing. Stephen walked over, and I'm happy to say he was smiling again.

"We talked," Was all he said.

"Good," I replied, "Now maybe both of you should go home now? I take it you've spent the entire night here?"

They don't say anything, but look guilty enough to confirm it.

"Have you had any sleep at all?" I ask, mostly playfully.

Again, no response, unless you count Stephen yawning. Good enough I guess.

"Go home, sleep, I'll see you both later."

We leave the room, and Stephen ambushed me with a hug, "Thank you," he whispered in my ear, before leaving with his mother.

"I'll try and get home early," I call after him, before heading towards the elevators.

Oh joy, time to go to work...

"Check out tux boy!"

I roll my eyes as I head towards my desk, "Check out slacking boy, back to work Thomson."

"Yes Mr. Bond..."

"Black eye, oh Mr. Phillips..."

"Yes, do bring that fact up as much as possible..."

Sitting down, and repressing the urge to bang my head against the desk, I see my assistant, Tracy if you're caring, handed me my mail.

Tracy has this unfortunate habit that all secretaries have of picking up on people's feelings, and she's very good at it, "Bad night?"

"Well I spent all night in the hospital trying to get my best friend and his father talking again, after said father punched me in the face and then got hit by a car. And to make matters worse, I had to sleep in those damned waiting room chairs. Oh fabulous, and now I get to go through application forms."

"Coffee?"

"Please."

"Oh, your tickets for the Christmas night out arrived," She added, conversationally.

"That's nice," I say, taking a sip of coffee, and then double taking, "'Tickets?' As in, plural...as in, more than one?"

"Yep. Two tickets."

Puzzled, I felt it had to be said, "I didn't ask for two tickets."

"No, but I figured you could bring along that girl of yours that's made you all Mr. Happy Chappie."

I entered condescending mode, "Tracy..."

"It's not like it'll cost you anything extra boss," It's then I suddenly realize how much of a evil planner Tracy can be, I think she should get a promotion, "We all want to meet the girl who's got you all ringed up," Tracy pointed at my ring, "Go on."

"Fine, whatever," I mutter in defeat, "Now can I get on with the application forms?"

"Sure, no problem!"

It's only after Tracy left that I realized what I had said. Blinking, then slapping my forehead in true Homer Simpson fashion, and this time I do let my head fall onto the desk.

Looks like I'll be springing a surprise at the Christmas night out then...

The rest of the day was uneventful, most of it spent trying to sort through an inhuman pile of application forms, I decided to pop in to see Mr. Lawson before heading back home.

He's looking a lot better now, thankfully. So I skip the traditional 'how are you feeling?' and launch straight into it with a "Did you two talk?"

"Yes, we did."

I wait for him to continue, which he doesn't, "...And?"

"And you were right."

"I was?" I ask, obviously surprised.

"I'm not totally comfortable with it yet," He says, there is a twinge of sadness in his voice, "But Stephen's happy...and that is all that matters to me."

"I hope you told him that," I say, not trying to keep the relief from my voice.

"I will."

"It'll mean so much to him, you know that," I add, before turning to leave.

"Matt."

I turn back around, he continued, "If you ever do anything to hurt him, I'll give you a lot more than that black eye you got before."

I laugh, couldn't help it, "If I ever do anything to hurt Stephen, I'll give you permission to do so."

Managing to keep myself from saying 'Honey, I'm home' as I walked into the apartment, I smile as I realize Stephen's standing there with what appears to be a mug of coffee for me.

"Thanks a lot," I said as he handed it over, "Finally something seems to be going right today...did you get any sleep? How's your mother?"

"Yes I got some sleep, and mother's still sleeping. She's in the bed."

I nod in approval, "It sounds like you and your father managed to clear the air. Shame it took a car accident to do so."

"Even if he didn't approve, I wouldn't stop loving you," He smiled as he cuddled me.

"Well, there's one thing the two of you seem to have in common," I said, quite happily, "You're both stubborn bastards at times."

"Shush you, drink your coffee."

"Yes sir," I replied, happily cozying into Stephen's embrace on the couch, "You're very comfortable, you know that?"

"I'll be sure to add it to my CV."

Which led me to the whole night out situation. It was fun to recall it to Stephen then, and I tried not to laugh as I retold it. Stephen didn't bother trying not to laugh.

"So basically I now have a spare ticket," I turn my head to look up at him, "And there's only one person I'm going with."

"I am not an object to be paraded about you know," He joked, "Are you sure about this though?"

"Of course. I've dealt with your parents, how hard could a room full of personnel workers be?" I snuggle in closer, "Besides, if anybody gives me grief I can always fire them."

"You wouldn't..."

"Nah, course not. I'll be too busy having fun to notice," I can't seem to stop smiling, I think I'm insane, honestly, "Although Tracy will give me grief for it later, she's expecting a fiancée, not a boyfriend."

"I could be a fiancé if necessary," He sounds deadly serious, "That would be kinda cool."

"Still, she's expecting a girl...and if you say you'll try to be one of those, I will kick you...I can't wait to see Tracy's face," My grin widens, "It'll be more than worth the price of admission."

It's at this point Melissa makes her presence known, guess she woke up a little while ago. You know, I bet she was listening into our conversation...nah. We're still all curled up on the couch as she passes.

"You two make an agonizingly cute couple," She said, walking through to the kitchen, "I remember when me and Matthew used to cuddle up just like that...where's the coffee?"

"Top cupboard on the right," I say, although at the same time Stephen said it too. We giggle after a moment, realizing what had just happened.

"So when is this party anyway?" Stephen asked after managing to recover his composure.

"Christmas Eve," I say, trying hard not to recite Tracy's speech on how perfect that night is for a party, "That okay?"

"Perfect, I have no conflicting plans," Stephen places a gentle kiss on the top of my head, "Party with my boyfriend, then Christmas the next day."

"Ooh, I like that plan," I reply, turning my face just enough for him to brush his lips against my own.

The rest of the week went past uneventfully. Melissa stayed with us, since there was no real point in her staying on her own right now. Every night they went to visit Mr. Lawson in the hospital while I was left to cook dinner...you know, somehow I think I got the bum deal somewhere...then the night of the Christmas party. Nobody got any serious work done that day, except me of course - trying to be all responsible and stuff, despite Tracy's best effort to decorate me with tinsel (I ended up with a gold tinsel tiara, blah, just nicely clashed with my still dark eye and all...). And how mean was it having to work on Christmas Eve anyway?!?

"Nervous?" I ask Stephen, who's getting ready to go.

"Why'd you think that?" He asks, looking a lot more relaxed than I thought.

"Well...your shirt is inside out for one thing," I say, flicking his nose, "Silly, why are you so nervy?"

"I'm NOT nervous," Stephen laughs, taking his shirt off to reveal his yummy body, "I'm excited, actually."

"Excited? Just be glad I managed to convince them to can the party games idea."

"So what exactly, urgh," He's fumbling with his bow tie now, "Little help?" He continues as I try to fix it, not easy, "So what's going to happen."

"Mingling, alcohol, secret Santa, alcohol, dancing, alcohol, buffet, alcohol and more alcohol," I smile as I finally manage to get that damn tie fixed, "All in all it's a pretty fun filled evening. Only I've no idea what you're going to do during all the alcohol segments, Mr. Perrier."

"Well I fully plan to spend that time kissing the boss."

"Oh, that's an excellent plan, which I thoroughly encourage. Just make sure I get some kisses too, okay? Although if anyone could turn my boss, it would be you and that smile of yours."

"You are such a tease," Stephen chides, embracing me in a lovely hug, "But you know what I meant."

"Duh. Now as much as I hate the idea of you letting me go, I still have to finish getting ready."

The plan was simple really. We take Melissa into see Mr. Lawson, then hell breaks loose as the entire personnel department get way into the Christmas spirit. Oh, and the whole coming out to said personnel department bit, yeah no big deal.

Have I mentioned lately that I might just be insane?

"God, you look handsome tonight Matt," Stephen said, breaking me out of my little trance as I notice his eyes devouring me totally, "How am I supposed to remain composed around you when you're looking like that?"

"Do it, or I'll get fired for sure," I reply, not really serious, at least I hoped not, "Besides, I was thinking the same thing about you too."

Stephen smiled and walked over, hugging me again. I never considered myself a really cuddly person before Stephen, but I guess when it's with the right person then it's the nicest feeling in the world. Being held by someone who loves you is amazing. Try it sometime.

"I hate to break this touching moment up," Melissa said, announcing her arrival, "But it is time to go...how'd you get your tie perfect Stephen? You could never manage it before..."

Stephen nods his head in my direction, "Matt's handiwork."

"Brings out his eyes," I smile, "Don't you think?"

"I suppose you're right there," She admits.

"Just want my man to look nice," I grin, wrapping my arm around his waist.

"What are you like?" Stephen asks, placing a kiss on my cheek.

"You should know by now," I reply cheerfully, "Now let's party...god help us all."

We all stopped by Mr. Lawson's room first since we arrived at the hospital early. He seemed much more jovial now, a sure sign of him getting better. I note that he never apologized for that punch before, but I guess I can forgive and forget. It's nice to know he's not totally homophobic after all, just misguided. And as long as Stephen's happy, it seems Matthew...both Mr. Lawson and I...will be happy too.

"Ah well, so we'll never have grandchildren Melissa," Mr. Lawson jokes, "I was almost looking forward to being called 'Grandpa Matt'."

"There's always Stewart, remember," Melissa said in reply, causing me and Stephen to bite our lips and look at each other, sharing the private joke.

"Oh, look at the time," I say hurriedly, nudging Stephen gently, "We have to go..."

"Yeah, guess we do," Stephen replies, "We'll pop back in afterwards, okay?"

"Now remember you two..." Mr. Lawson began.

"Yeah, yeah," Stephen interrupted, "Back before 11 or we're grounded, got it."

I can't help smiling at that one, as bad a pun as it was.

"I was gonna say have a good time, but now that you mention it..."

"Okay dad...we'll be in by curfew..." Do I really need to point out the sarcasm here?

And with that parting comment we headed to the elevators. The party was being held in the big conference room upstairs, we're too stingy to rent out a place you see. The elevator opened, and a sudden wave of anxiety overcame me, only to be instantly washed away as Stephen took my hand and led me into the elevator. Feeling much more confident than before, into the party we went...

For a cheapskate Christmas party, the room still managed to look extremely nice. I'm blaming that one on Tracy, who is probably wearing baubles for earrings knowing her. ^_^

There's the Christmas spirit, and then there is Tracy. If anything it made the place look a lot more jovial than what the room is usually used for...totally boring meetings. To wit, an obscene amount of tinsel hanging around, and a Christmas tree (real, I note) that must surely be considered a fire hazard with all those fairy lights on it.

"Is this a party, or a visit to Santa's grotto?" Stephen asked, trying hard to keep the bemused look off his face.

"Go. Mingle. I have to deal with the all important people before anything...oh, the fun of it all."

I was betting Stephen would learn and remember everybody's names, ages, heights and shoe sizes within around half an hour or so. It was when Stephen left to integrate himself into the crowd when Tracy decided to pounce on me, armed with ribbons and even more bloody tinsel.

"I draw the line at the pink ribbons, Tracy," I say curtly, in welcome, "Merry Christmas."

"One strand of tinsel on your jacket pocket?" Tracy egged me on, "Hey, I even got Mr. Reynolds wearing it."

"That I have to see," I smile at the thought of Mr. Reynolds, a.k.a. 'The Boss', so not in a Springsteen way, wearing tinsel in any manner, "Fine, as long as it's gold tinsel."

"So who's the bloke you came in with?" Tracy asked, attaching the tinsel to the pocket of my suit jacket, "Couldn't your girl make it? Oh look, he's coming over..."

Which was true, he was carrying two glasses of what I hoped was punch, but was probably something a lot less expensive. Stephen handed me one, and Tracy the other. I almost laughed at Tracy's expression, like a lovesick puppy. Oh, this was going to be good.

"Stephen, Tracy. Tracy, Stephen," I say, pointing at the necessary person at the necessary time, "Tracy's my secretary."

"Ah, the busybody."

Tracy shot me such a look at that as I continued, "And Stephen...well, he's my...Mr. Reynolds!"

Tracy and Stephen turned their heads as one to see the approaching form of Mr. Reynolds. He's basically the head of hospital itself, so it's pretty much his fault the hospital is in the state it's in...thankfully it's a pretty good state really.

"Ah, Mr. Phillips, your timing is impeccable as usual," Wow, I never knew I had impeccable timing, cool, it's going on my résumé, "The entire apartment is looking forward to meeting this girl of yours."

"The, um..." Gulp, "Whole department?"

"Of course, we want to meet the secret behind your turning from moaning Minnie to smiley Kylie."

...Did I mention Mr. Reynolds is a frustrated ex-poet?

"I wasn't a moping Mickey, or whatever..." The urge to ram my head against a solid object was rising, "Oh, manners. Stephen, Mr. Archibald Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds, Stephen Lawson. He's the boss of us all. And no additional running commentary needed on that one."

Stephen hastily closed his mouth, but I'll have to pressure him into telling me what he would've said later.

"And Stephen...is my..."

"Mr. Phillips?"

ARRRRRGH!!!!

Turning around I see Dr. K. Mitchell. And no, I don't know what the "K" stands for.

"May I see you a second?"

"Urgh, sure. Be right back..."

I sincerely hoped this was important. Typical, just when you're trying to say something important, interruptions come thick, fast, and heavy.

I was so wrapped up in thinking that that I almost missed what the Doctor said. Needless to say it was very good news indeed...

Walking back to the party, I had this sudden ill feeling. The kind I usually get when something has gone horribly wrong.

For once, I'd like my feelings to be wrong. It'd be a nice change, don't you think?

Stephen for a start looked ill at ease, Mr. Reynolds looked really uncomfortable, it seemed as if all eyes had suddenly turned in my direction as I walked in.

"What? Is my tie crooked? Is it my hair? What?"

Being the center of attention really makes me feel uncomfortable, and I didn't even know the reason WHY yet.

"Will someone put me out of my misery and tell me what's going on?"

Stephen gulped, "It kind of slipped out..."

"What did? My arm? No, it's still in the sling and...Oh."

So despite my impeccable timing, I really seem to suck at picking up on the obvious.

"Sorry," Stephen looked really disappointed in himself, "I think they spiked the punch or something..."

"It's okay. They were gonna find out anyway," I shrug, trying my hardest to make it seem like no big deal, "Is that why everyone's staring at me like I grew a second head?"

"We were just...surprised, is all," Came a random voice.

"Well, if you're all done gawking at me, we're supposed to be having a party, remember? As you were, as you were..."

All eyes sharply turned away from my general direction, well apart from those belonging to Tracy, Mr. Reynolds and Stephen that is.

Tracy was first to recover, "You bastard! I can't believe you of all people can get such a handsome guy and I can't! Oh my god, I'm jealous of my boss...um, excuse me..."

I think I managed to keep the grin off my face as Tracy stumbled away into the throe of the party.

"Well Mr. Phillips, you are full of surprises aren't you?" Mr. Reynolds said, also trying to keep from grinning at Tracy's expense, "And I must say you are a much braver man than I am. Excuse me."

And with that, Mr. Reynolds left the party, leaving me to think about what he just said. This time I think I got it right away, and I let out a little chuckle of utter surprise. That was gossip Tracy would kill for. ^_^

"So...you're not mad at me then?" Stephen looked and sounded awkward.

"Mad? I'm relieved! That was so much easier than having to tell them myself!" I think I'm beaming, not done that for a while. I wrap my non-slung arm around his neck and pull him in for a quick kiss. I highly suspect people are watching, but if they're so put out by two people in love kissing, then blah to them, "You know, I think your theory about the punch might be accurate..."

I can't help turning to see if hyper Oliver is anywhere in the vicinity, but he appears not to be. Which leaves nobody to blame, so I'm guessing something else might be to blame. I'll just attribute it to a mixture of the Christmas environment and a little bit of love too. Nice combination, bet it would taste great with eggnog.

"Well, I don't think I quite deserved that," Stephen's grinning now thankfully, "But hey, at least nobody seems to care too much."

I nod in agreement, "Yeah, and Tracy's face was priceless."

I wink cheekily after saying that, causing Stephen to giggle.

"Hey, what did the doctor want you for anyway?"

"Oh, well...he might've said something about giving me a clean bill of health."

Stephen's eyes seem to light up, he got it right away. I remove the sling and throw it away rather haphazardly, "Finally, that's such a relief and...mmph!"

I was cut off by Stephen suddenly wrapping his arms around my neck, slightly too tightly, but why complain, and being silenced by his lips brushing against mine, gently at first, but with more passion after a few seconds after it was more than evident that I was willing to let him (the clue was me wrapping my arms around him in return). Although I couldn't quite bring myself to involve the tongues, I'm still in the place I work you know...I have some standards...

So instead I just leaned into the kiss as much as possible, for he hasn't really kissed me like that for quite a while...I'm guessing it was because of the arm and all. So I was resolute that I would enjoy it as much as possible, and of course I did, despite the mock wolf-whistles from the party people. Eventually we had to come up for air, but the only thing that mattered was the smile on Stephen's face, which I strongly suspect was made even bigger by the smile on my own face.

At some point music started to play in the room. Don't really know when exactly, don't exactly care either, I'm too busy losing myself in his eyes. They're sparkling with love. Or it might just be a trick of the light...personally I'm leaning towards the former.

He smiles as he realizes the music has started too, "Dance?"

"Of course."

We don't actually bother moving from where we were standing, since we're already in a suitable embrace for dancing anyway. His arms are around my neck, mine around his waist. It felt absolutely amazing being able to hold him properly again, it didn't particularly matter why, and all I knew was that it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

You're probably expecting me to write down the lyrics of the song we danced to. Well, I would have done, if I had been paying any attention to the music. For the purists among you, it was some girl singing something about "Living before your love" or something like that...I doubt we were even dancing in time to the music, I was too busy enjoying holding, and in return being held by, the person I love. And you know...that's all that matters in the end. It shouldn't matter to a person if other people are against you being in love with a person because of their gender, or religion, or age, or even the color of their skin. Because if it feels right, then that's all that matters in the end.

And by god this feels right.

I have a feeling the song ended a long time before we finished dancing. It was nice, if only for a moment, living outside of reality and in a mini fantasy world. But now it's time to face reality...which is infinitely nicer than fantasy given the right circumstances.

"Let's go," I whisper, "I think we've pretty much done what we set out to do here."

"You've not got other plans, have you?" Stephen grins cheekily.

"Well...just maybe," I smile in return, "And I sincerely doubt the people here would appreciate us doing that here somehow..."

Well, maybe Mr. Reynolds would...hee hee.

The car trip back was deafeningly silent, mostly because of my slight apprehension of cars and his concentrating on the road. Not much speech was needed anyway; unspoken words of love seemed to be circulating around us. I felt a little nervous, like a schoolgirl meeting her pop idol or something. I could almost imagine Stephen saying something like "We don't have to do this if you're not ready," and me replying with something along the lines of "Shush, I'm more than ready..."

But he never had to say that, mostly because deep down I think he knew it was the right time. In fact, I bet he's almost as nervous, maybe I should say giddy instead, as I am. I chance a look at his face, and he's smiling again. I can't tell if that was because I had turned my attention to him or not, but it was reassuring somehow. Eventually the journey was over, and we stood outside the big doors marking the entrance to the block of apartments. Now I'm smiling, mostly because I'm glad to be out of the car, although the fact Stephen's hand has found it's way into mine doesn't hurt matters.

As soon as the door behind us closes, and we enter our apartment together for the first time in a while, come to think of it, I feel his arms move around my waist. I suddenly feel all warm inside, and more importantly, felt a real sense of belonging too. As if I belonged in his arms more than anywhere else. I feel his lips caressing my neck, which was enough to make me shiver in utter delight. I move my head to the side, allowing him further access to my neck, which he fully takes to his advantage. Every little kiss from Stephen makes me elicit a small moan of delight, which only makes Stephen continue. If I hadn't stopped him, reluctantly I assure you, he would've just stood there all night, like a little Vampire at my neck. Only without the biting, last thing I need is a hickie.

I turn around to face him, and I'm met by his hand caressing my face, particularly the bruise from where his father punched me before.

"Why'd you stop me?" He complains, and I almost think he's serious.

"Because, there are other places that deserve the attention of your wonderful lips too..."

He smiles before I kiss him, and this time there's no hesitation with the tongues. Our tongues swirl together playfully, reflecting the general mood of the whole situation. I note that I'm the one moving things forward, which almost makes me stop. But I don't, as I become the one placing kisses on Stephen's neck, and it's his turn to moan with pleasure. Liking that reaction, I run my finger up the middle of his neck, tickling his adam's apple gently, which elicitated a giggle from Stephen. I move behind Stephen, still nuzzling his neck as I go, my left hand moving down to feel his chest through his shirt, unbuttoning the top buttons slowly, just enough for me to slip my hand through to properly caress his chest. My reward for this is a delightful little moan from Stephen, which turned into a rather large moan as I brushed my fingertips against his left nipple.

"Wha...what are you doing?" He manages to ask, as I slowly begin to remove his jacket.

"Well, it could be considered foreplay..." The jacket tumbles to the floor, "Or, if you prefer to call it 'teasing' then I'll allow that too..."

The remaining buttons of the shirt flicker open easily under my slightest touch, fully exposing his chest and abdomen. The shirt itself soon joins the jacket on the floor; I trace his spine with my forefinger, enjoying myself as Stephen shudders as I do so. I place a gentle kiss on his right shoulder as I run my hand down his chest and over his abdomen. Stephen shivers again, so obviously I am doing something right. He catches my hand in his and spins me around, and before I know it we've switched positions, with Stephen now behind me again.

"No fair!" I playfully moan, "I wasn't finished yet!"

I don't get the chance to do much more as suddenly my own jacket is blessing the floor with it's presence. His cheek brushes against mine as he tiptoes over my shoulder to attack the buttons on my shirt.

"Why'd you have to be taller than me?" He groans. I am, but not by THAT much.

But I decide to milk it anyway, "Do you want me to get you a stool?" I retort, feeling like I'm slowly regaining control.

"Cheeky bastard..." He replies, kissing me on the cheek.

I can only smile at him, and soon my own shirt joins the rest of our already discarded garments on the floor. I spin myself around to face him, and find myself captured under his gaze. His eyes are crystal like, sparkling under the light, just like before at the party. It's a lovely effect, one that I could've lingered on for quite a time. It's only Stephen's touch that brings me back to reality, his hand placed on my chest creating a warm, fuzzy feeling inside of me. I respond by cupping his chin in my hand, allowing me full access to his lips, which, duh, I take full advantage of. Stephen doesn't hesitate as I feel his tongue demanding access into my mouth, and I don't hesitate to let it in. I feel his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me in as close as he can. His other hand, the one that was on my chest before, is slowly trailing downwards, caressing my upper body gently.

My hands meanwhile feel slightly lost. My left hand has found itself on Stephen's cheek, while the right is resting on his hip. I feel him gently tugging at the waistband of my pants. But he's not tugging at them to try and take them off, more like trying to pull me in closer. I respond by pulling at the waistband of Stephen's pants, pulling him towards the bedroom. He complies easily enough, wordlessly of course as our game of tonsil hockey is still in progress (the score is tied).

I break the kiss as we enter the bedroom, to look at Stephen's face, trying to read his emotions. I think he wants me to take control, as if he can't.

"What do you want?" I whisper into his ear.

Stephen looks confused, precisely as I wanted. "Um, well you obviously."

"And how do you want me..." I lie down on the bed, "Like this? Or perhaps you'd rather be lying on the bed instead..."

I stand back up, feeling slightly guilty at playing games at a time like this, but I just couldn't resist.

"Do you want me in front," I kiss him once more, before moving around him, "from behind perhaps..." I move back in front of him, "Your choice."

"There is one thing I want..."

"And what's that?"

"You naked."

I don't get the chance to respond, as he pulls me in close to him once again, catching me slightly by surprise I'll admit. He unbuckles my belt slowly, hushing my ever so feeble protests with gentle kisses. In that moment I lost control of the situation again, as I feel him gently pushing me onto the bed. He's misjudged the distance, I think, as I end up flopping backwards onto the bed. But Stephen rebounded nicely, catching my feet as they rushed up to meet the rest of my horizontal body. My shoes and socks are no match for Stephen, which is probably a good thing considering, and he tugs my pants' legs, getting him nowhere fast.

I sit back up and wrap my arms around Stephen's neck, pulling him in for another round of kisses. This allows me to easily get back to my feet, which is where my pants fall down to the second I stood up. So for those keeping score at home, I'm down now to my underwear, and Stephen still has his shoes, socks, pants and underwear on.

Now that's hardly fair, is it?

I hear a faint clunking sound, which probably means Stephen's kicked his shoes off. Quick inspection with my own feet confirms it, of course Stephen just assumes it's part of the games and responds in kind. He's distracted, and doesn't immediately notice me loosening his belt, and it's only when his pants fall to the floor that he realizes the obvious.

"You're a little trickster, do you realize that?" He mutters.

"Oh yeah...full of tricks I am."

One quick spinning motion later, and Stephen finds himself falling onto the bed this time.

"Absolutely full of them," I smile, looking down at his surprised looking face.

I quickly straddle his stomach before he can get back up. I let my hands roam free on his chest, smiling again as Stephen gently submits to my touch. Gazing down at his tranquil face makes me realize how much I've really missed this.

"What? No witty retort? No attempt to regain control?" I tease, running my hand over his cheek.

"I hardly think this is the time for witty retorts," He replies, curtly.

"Well that's no fun," I moan playfully, running my hands down his chest.

I feel him growing more and more impatient with me as I continue to massage his upper body. I lean down and kiss him gently, feeling his hands move around my neck, pulling me closer.

I really should have suspected something then, but you should know by now how much his kisses affect me. But it wasn't a quick or sudden maneuver; instead he gently rolled me over and let him fall on top of me, our lips never breaking contact. I feel myself overcome with happiness, and moan slightly to let Stephen know about it.

"Mmm..." I whisper, feeling Stephen's hands working to remove my underwear, "Okay, you win..." I don't feel defeated though, just extremely happy.

He slides them down slowly, caressing my legs as he does so. And as he moves down lower my legs, as does his lips on my skin. They gently tickle my neck, causing my moans to become much more lust filled, and possibly a little needy. So in response, he moves slower, down my chest. Agonizingly slowly, I only know he'll go slower if I make a sound, and it's not easy being quiet at the sensations I'm feeling. I'm not surprised that he stops around my belly button; Stephen's toying with me now, and I'm practically under his thrall.

He looks up at me with those impishly sparkling eyes of his, almost inviting me in to take control. I sit up gently, causing Stephen to jerk back. Our lips meet halfway, my hands already heading down, half tickling/half teasing, but being fully appreciated. My hands run down his hips, and for some reason I can't help thinking something's missing. Then it becomes painfully obvious as my hand brushes his fully erect penis; he's taken off his underwear and I never even noticed. Stephen moans gently against my lips as I massage his penis with my hand, he leans further into the kiss, and I fall back down onto the bed under his weight. I feel our penises rubbing together as we kiss. Stephen utters another guttural moan at the sensation, and I can't say I was totally silent either. I look deep into his eyes, and I know what he really wants now.

He wants what I want.

"Need you," I whisper.

"You've got me," He whispers in reply, "Always."

His right hand caresses my cheek, as his left retrieves the lubricant from the bedside table.

"Always," He repeats, before kissing me one more time.

Stephen coats his fingers with the lube, and I soon feel the familiar feeling of Stephen's fingers at work. I feel him slowly insert one finger into my hole, my mixed gasp of shock and pleasure cut off by Stephen's lips. Another finger soon follows, and another, each bringing a new level of pleasure. My body reacts, betraying my calm expression. I feel something being pressed into my open hand; I already know what it is. It doesn't take me long to open the pack, revealing the condom inside. A familiar scent emanates from it, and I tentatively sniff it.

"Pineapple?" I question, taken quite by surprise.

"Thought you might appreciate it," Stephen replies, grinning idiotically, but in a cute way.

"I do."

I slowly roll the condom down Stephen's penis, deliberately taking my time, only serving to increase Stephen's enjoyment. Taking the lube, I casually smear the condomed covered penis, feeling it grow at my touch. Stephen kisses me one more time as he prepares to enter me. I grit my teeth in preparation, as I wrap my legs tenderly around Stephen to support him. I feel him enter, and almost immediately I moan. And I don't stop moaning, as he slowly slides all the way in. He takes a second to let me adjust, and soon begins to withdraw. He goes slowly at first, taking great care not to hurt me. I think he doesn't want to be too rough because of my arm, but that's fine. It's so intimate, our bodies close and our unspoken words of love float around the room.

I feel him tense up; a sure sign that climax is near. I reach up and gingerly brush his cheek with my hand, only now realizing just how exhausted I am. He smiles at my touch, and then continues. It's not long after this he moans loudly, and I can't help but echo it. He collapses gently on top of me, and I'm not too surprised to find that I've climaxed too. It was pretty intense, no wonder I'm feeling so tired. I see him smile, and I return it with one of my own. My eyelids flutter closed, and I feel sleep beginning to overcome me. I feel his lips gently brushing against my own one more time.

I hear him whisper "I love you" into my ear, and I feel a smile forming on my face.

Then sleep cruelly claims me...but at least for now, I'm happy.

The smell of coffee wakes me from my fitful slumber, so therefore it's no great surprise to find Stephen sitting on the bed beside me with a cup of coffee waiting for me. And let's face it, when the first thing you see in the morning is the person you love and a cup of coffee, you know it's gonna be a pretty good day. :)

"Morning," Stephen says, ruffling my hair with his free hand, "Merry Christmas."

"Mmm," I mutter happily, sipping the coffee, "It is now. This is why I love you."

"My coffee making skills?"

I smile, "Your kindness and your apparent mission in life to keep me happy."

"Well, it is a worthy mission," I kiss him gently, pausing briefly to let him finish, "Lots of perks and benefits."

I set the cup down, and slip into a pair of black boxer briefs, before being ushered into the living room by an unusually giddy Stephen (who is also wearing black boxers...we match! ^_^). I can only blame Christmas...or...more than likely...presents.

Well, THAT explains everything! ^_^

The room itself, spartanly decorated the previous day (YOU try decorating a room with one arm!), has now been transformed into something resembling the front of a Christmas card. Which leads me to believe Stephen has had some outside help setting this up, because there's definitely a woman's touch to the style of decoration. I'm blaming Kara for this one, but if she did help then she's totally earned the gold bracelet I got for her.

I find myself glomping Stephen, almost knocking him down. An overwhelming sense of happiness, the Christmas spirit if you will, takes me over.

"I take it you like?" He's got this idiotic grin on his face, and I suddenly realize how true my previous statement was. He truly does want me to be happy, which in turn seems to make him happy too.

"Like? I love it!" I yell, a little too loudly, but whatever, "I can't believe you did this!"

"There's more," He teases, "Oh so much more."

I'm not really paying attention though, still staring at the multitude of decorations.

"Matt?"

I'm immediately broken out of my tinsel induced trance, "Present," I say cheerfully, glancing over, "Ooo, presents!"

There's a little fiber optic tree on the table, and a few presents underneath it. This only confirms my suspicion that Kara got involved, since I gave her Stephen's present to keep safe from his curiosity, and it's there too. Stephen seems to have retained his childlike attitude to Christmas, and I'm quite convinced that he would happily open every last one of those presents and then sit quite contentedly in the middle of the torn up paper looking innocent.

In fact, if Kara hadn't been here, I fear that is exactly what would have happened. :p

Stephen looks at me with a certain puppy dog look about him, like a child waiting for a parent's permission. It's cute, but certainly annoying.

"I don't see what you're waiting for," I say, trying to keep the smile off my face, "Go on, you know you want to."

I choose to sit down by the window as Stephen attacks the poor defenseless presents. There are only four presents, two for him and two for me. I assume then that Kara has bought something for Stephen too. Stephen happily sits down on my lap, handing me my two presents before unwrapping his own. I decide to let him open his presents first since he's all excited about it.

"Oh, that's nice," Stephen holds up Kara's present.

It's a watch, leading me to question Kara's obsession with giving watches as gifts...

And now he's opening my present. It's a pretty tense moment, although I really shouldn't have worried so much about it.

"It's beautiful," He croons, turning around to kiss me, "Thank you."

It's a gold ring with his initials inscribed in it, very expensive. But totally worth it to see him happy.

"You really like it?"

"Of course I do," He grins, "You gave me it."

Awww. I kiss him again, wrapping my arms around him. I reluctantly let him go when I realize he's waiting for me to open his present. And I do so, slowly just to antagonize him further. I open the box to reveal a gorgeous neck chain, not too heavy or bold. It's, and there is really no other word for it, perfect for me. I realize then that I'm now the one grinning like an idiot, but I honestly didn't care.

"It's perfect," I finally say, giving it to Stephen to help me put it on, "Thank you so much."

I feel Stephen's hands caress my neck as he clips the chain on; he's got such a gentle touch. He returns to his seat, my lap, and I hold him close to me. It really has been an extraordinary Christmas, on reflection. All we need now is...

"Hey look," Stephen says suddenly, "It's started to snow."

...for it to start snowing.

"Well, that just makes this Christmas all the more special," I happily say.

"Yeah, it is special," Stephen suddenly frowns, "But I can't help feeling that something is missing."

"Like we've forgotten something," I say, "Yeah...that's weird."

We sit watching the snowfall, trying to remember what we might've forgotten. Okay, Stephen's thinking about what we might've forgotten, I'm too busy enjoying holding Stephen in my arms. That, to me, is all I really needed for Christmas.

"Oh crap," Stephen exclaims, realization obviously dawning.

"What is it?" I ask, curious.

"We left my mum at the hospital..."

I blink in surprise, and then realize that he's totally right, and then I burst into hysterical laughter. Stephen leaps up and runs out the door to the car, still only in his boxers, not helping me stop laughing at all.

"Crap!"

He runs back in, over to the table and grabs his car keys...

And then he promptly turns back around and ran right back out the door. I watch him run all the way to the car through the window. He gets in, and turns on the ignition...and then I see the priceless look on his face as he realizes he only has his boxer briefs on. He turns his head towards the window, and scowls playfully as he notices me giggling...

Oh yes, this definitely IS the best Christmas ever. And if it is any indication, I wonder what New Year's will be like... ^_^

But I suppose it won't matter, because we'll be together for it.

And that's all that really matters in the end, isn't it?

Gotta love happy endings.

^_^

Okay, I gracefully accept your criticisms and whatnot. Did I do something wrong? Tell me! It can only make me a better writer.

malcolm@malcolmcowan.co.uk

And so with a heavy heart, I bring the story to a close. I'd just like to thank everyone who read the story, thanks to the nice people who put my stories up on the website and extra big thanks to those who E-Mailed me about the story (you guys know who you are!).

Do I have another story planned? Yes I do, and hopefully I'll start writing it soon. Hope you enjoyed The Matchmaker story, and with any luck my next work will be even better.