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Right Where I Belong Ch. 01

By: anon_temptations



Matt lay across his bed and stared up at the ceiling. Mitchell had just left after collecting the last of his belongings and he was now all alone. It had been two weeks since Matt had walked in on his boyfriend of two years having sex with Ben, a mutual friend who they'd both gone to university with. Matt thought back to that day when he had let himself into Mitchell's flat only to be greeting with the sights and sounds of his boyfriend fucking someone else. It had felt as if Mitchell had taken a sledgehammer to his heart. With Ben throwing on his clothes and fleeing, Matt had been left alone with Mitchell whilst crying and screaming that they were over. Mitchell had promised that it wouldn't happen again and that it was the last time he'd sleep around. Matt had been dumbfounded. So this hadn't been the first time? He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I can't stand the fucking sight of you. You can collect your things from my place in the week but stay away from me after that, Mitchell." Matt turned to leave, scalding himself for ever trusting Mitchell. He should have known that he couldn't be trusted. All the signs had been there and yet Matt had just ignored them. Mitchell had never wanted to give up his own place even after two years of being together and Matt had told himself that it didn't matter. He's probably been screwing other men here the whole time, Matt had thought. How could he have been so blind?

"Mattie, please. Don't be this way, we can sort this out." Mitchell grabbed Matt's arm to stop him from storming out the door.

"Don't touch me, you cheating piece of shit!" Matt screamed the words with tears in his eyes and pushed Mitchell's arm away from him. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Mitchell's hand came up to slap Matt hard across his left cheek. Matt reeled from the shock of it and was left staring open mouthed at his former lover.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry Matt. Holy shit. I shouldn't have done that, but you were shouting and I – " Matt held up his hand to cut Mitchell off.

"I don't want to hear it. We're finished." With that, he'd walked out with his cheek still stinging from the harsh contact.

Matt had been left with a bruise across his cheek as a reminder of Mitchell's sudden outburst of violence, and Matt felt slightly ashamed. His dark blonde hair wasn't long enough to cover it and he'd not wanted to see anyone and then have to explain what had happened. After a week, the bruise had disappeared and all that was left was Matt's damaged pride. He had made an appointment to see his doctor and got tested, and thankfully the results had come back negative. Mitchell had phoned many times over the following fortnight but Matt refused to pick up or return any of the calls or texts. He'd reluctantly had to answer in the end, simply to arrange a time for Mitchell to collect his things.

"I'm so sorry, Matt," he had said as he lifted the last box of his belongings. He gave Matt his infamous 'puppy eyes' look, something that would have previously worked for Mitchell. But then Matt remembered how crushed he'd felt when he'd found him on top of Ben, and the space in his heart that used to care for Mitchell instantly filled with anger and hurt.

Mitchell shuffled his feet as he stood in the doorway. "Where do we go from here, Mattie?"

"What kind of a stupid fucking question is that? We go nowhere, Mitchell. I can't even stand to look at you anymore."

"Don't be like that, Matt. I mean, we had a lot of fun together, didn't we? I was hoping we could be friends."

Matt couldn't believe what he was hearing. A lot of fun? That was how Mitchell defined their two year relationship? Matt shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "No. We can't be friends."

There were a few moments of silence before Mitchell spoke again. He took a few steps closer to Matt. "I really am sorry, babe."

"Don't give me that. The only thing you're sorry for is getting caught. If anything, I'm the one who's sorry. I'm sorry that I wasted two years of my life thinking that you loved me, two whole years of believing that you were faithful. I spent two years hoping that one day you'd decide to move in with me and finally open up. What a waste of time that was."

Mitchell looked down at the floor and didn't meet Matt's eyes. 

"Just go, Mitch. Please."

He had said nothing, simply nodded and walked out the door.

Now that Mitchell had collected his belongs and the relationship was officially at an end, Matt was unsure of what to do next. He continued to lie across his bed whilst he considered his options.

Matt had called work last week and put in his notice. He'd worked his last shift two days ago and was currently on the hunt for something new. Something he would enjoy. He'd majored in graphic design but had struggled to find a job straight out of university so had settled on a shitty desk job answering phones for 12 hours a day.

Matt had a fair amount of money; his parents hadn't been particularly rich but they had lived comfortably. Before they had relocated to Spain two years ago they had insisted on leaving Matt with a substantial lump sum in his bank account. It was their way of trying to neutralise the guilt they felt at leaving their only son whilst they vanished to live abroad. On top of that, a rather large sum had been left to him by his grandmother who had passed away a few years back. Matt had never had any need for this money. He wasn't a big spender and he lived a fairly humble lifestyle. His flat was by no standards small, but his job had pretty much covered all his costs. Consequently, he had enough to live comfortably off of for several months without working and so Matt was taking his time in the job hunting process and even considering a relocation to somewhere new. He'd always hated this area, anyway.

Matt was supposed to be staying with his best friend Tessa in a fortnight, but all he wanted to do right now was crawl under the covers and sleep until he felt better again. He didn't want to speak to anyone, he didn't want to leave the house, and he certainly didn't want to keep thinking about Mitchell and how much of a shithead he had turned out to be.

His phone rang and he considered ignoring it. He suspected it was Tessa though and he knew she'd only keep on calling until he picked up. Reluctantly, he pulled himself into a seated position and grabbed his phone from the nightstand, flipping it open and putting it to his ear.

"Is the bastard gone yet?" Tessa said in greeting.

"Yeah, he popped by first thing. He left about an hour ago."

"Mummy's on the phone, pumpkin, go watch TV for five minutes," Tessa said to her four year old son Joseph before speaking to Matt again. "Well, you know what I say, don't you? Onwards and upwards. You're better off without him anyway. Now go pack your stuff; I want you to drive over here as soon as you can. There's no point sitting alone and wallowing in that flat of yours for the next two weeks."

"No Tessa, really. I'll be fine."

"There's no point in arguing with me, sweetie. I already spoke to Chris and we both want you here with us. You'd be here anyway in two weeks, so what does it matter if you're here a little earlier? You quit your job, didn't you?"

"Yeah. But – "

"No 'buts', Matt. You're staying with us. Joseph misses his godfather and I miss my best friend." Tessa paused. "That week you booked off to visit can be extended now that you've quit your job and I was thinking that you could perhaps look for a job and somewhere to live that's a little closer to us..."

Matt sighed. "Can we talk about it when I get to yours? I'll pack now and set off this afternoon."

Tessa let out a squeal of excitement. Matt laughed a little, picturing her jumping up and down like she always did when she was excited. "Great, I knew you'd make the right choice. Well I won't keep you then since you've got packing to do. I love you, Mattie."

"Yeah, love you too Tessie. I'll call you when I'm almost there."

"Drive safely."

Matt hung up and collapsed back onto the bed. Tessa was right, there was no point in him staying here on his own, and he knew it. He'd originally planned to spend this coming weekend with a couple of his friends, but they'd all seemed to stop talking to him now that he and Mitchell had broken up. Now that he thought about it, most of his friends had been introduced to him by Mitchell. It depressed him to realise that they had probably only hung out with him because of his boyfriend and wouldn't bother with him now that they'd separated, especially considering the circumstances of that separation. Matt wondered briefly if they'd known that Mitchell had been sleeping around. Had they been laughing behind his back all this time?

Matt pulled himself up to find his suitcase and a backpack before packing up some of his things. It was a two hour drive to Tessa's house, maybe longer if he hit traffic. Matt didn't mind the drive and sang along to a CD he had burned with a mix of all his favourite rock songs. He rather enjoyed the journey and found that it really helped to clear his mind a little from the fog that had started to take up residence there.

Matt called Tessa from a service station when he was about fifteen minutes away, and she answered the door before Matt had even made it half way up her front drive.

Tessa was the same age as Matt but had always acted so motherly towards him. In fact, she was like that with almost everyone. She had been his closest friend since nursery school and Matt was so pleased – and just a tiny bit jealous – that her life had turned out so well for her. Tessa had gone off to a different University at eighteen and it was there that she met Chris. They made the perfect couple, and Chris had become a very good friend to Matt over the years. Chris had proposed to Tessa on the night of their graduation and she had announced her pregnancy two months before the big day. Now they lived a very happy life in Chris's hometown and Matt didn't see them half as much as he would have liked to.

Tessa ran across the front drive and pulled Matt into a huge hug, squeezing with much more power than she looked capable of possessing. She ushered him into the house, taking his bags despite Matt's protests and placing them at the foot of the stairs. She turned and rested her hands on Matt's shoulders, holding him in place so that she could get a good look at him.

"It's so lovely to have you here, I've missed you like crazy," she pulled him into another hug before shouting out, "Joseph, look who's here."

There was the pitter-patter of little footsteps from the lounge to their right before four-year-old Joseph poked his head out of the doorway and squealed in delight. Joseph was the spitting image of his mother – he had the same dark brown hair that was almost black and the same big chocolate brown eyes. However, where Tessa had always been petite, Joseph was quite big for his age. This he'd got from his father, who was 6"5 and had apparently always been much taller than everyone else, even as a child.

"Uncle Mattie!" Joseph ran up to Matt and hugged his leg, then lifted his arms in the air to signal that he wanted to be lifted up.

"Hey buddy! Haven't you grown since I was last here? You're almost as big as a giant!"

Joseph giggled and flapped his arms about excitedly as Matt lifted him up and held him high in the air, before pulling him into a hug.

"I'm four now!" Joseph exclaimed excitedly. He had been four the last time Matt had seen him too, but he decided not to point that out. "Come see my room!"

"He will in a minute, sweetie. Let him settle in and have a drink first," Tessa said.

Matt put Joseph back down on his feet and watched him run off into the lounge, then turned to follow Tessa through to the kitchen at the back of the house. Whilst Tessa put the kettle on, Matt plonked himself down on a stool at the breakfast bar. Tessa put a couple of mugs down on the counter then took the seat opposite.

"So, how are you holding up?" Tessa reached out and rested her hand over Matt's, patting it gently.

"Not too good, really." Matt sighed. "I don't know why I wasted two years of my life with Mitchell. I feel so stupid. I've spent a lot of time crying and sleeping since I broke up with him."

Tessa nodded. "Well I'm glad you don't have that bruise anymore. When you told me that he hit you, Chris had to hold me down and stop me from driving down there and beating the crap out of him. It took him hours to talk me out of it."

Matt shook his head. "It really wasn't that bad."

"Bullshit. He hit you, Mattie. There is absolutely no excuse."

Matt supposed Tessa was right. "I guess so. I just wish I had done more than cry, you know? It's not like I didn't expect something to happen. Two years and he rarely told me he loved him, he treated me like a doormat, and he refused to get rid of his own flat because he said he needed his own space. I think I feel more humiliated than heartbroken. I can't believe I let him get away with it. I should have known that something was going on."

"Well you're here now, and Chris and I are here for you. That scumbag doesn't deserve your tears. I never liked him but I just didn't want to upset you by telling you that. You were right to end it. You deserve so much more than that – you deserve someone special, someone who will love you and do right by you."

"I don't know, Tess. I'm just starting to think that maybe it's not the fact that Mitchell and I are finished that's upsetting me, but more to do with how stupid I was for actually putting up with his crap. I wasted so much time with him and now I'm alone and I feel like I'm running out of time or something."

Tessa laughed a little. "Matt, don't be so silly. You're only twenty-seven years old! You have all the time in the world to meet someone."

Matt shrugged. "All the time in the world? You're the same age as me and you're married with a son. I'm single, with no job and no prospects."

"Don't talk like that! That's complete rubbish, and you know it. You might be single, but you do have prospects and plenty of options. Talking of options, I was serious when I said I wanted you to move nearer to us. I miss you, and since I know you never spent the guilt money from your parents or the money that Grandma Maggie left you, you could easily afford to rent a place around here or even put down some serious roots and buy your first house."

"Maybe." Matt paused. He had been thinking about relocating, hadn't he? "I'd have to to think about it. I'd need to speak with my landlord and then clear out the flat and find a new job, and hunting for a new place just doesn't sound like fun to me right now. All I want to do is crawl into bed and stay there for a while."

"Well you can stay here until you find a place of your own, we have plenty of room. Chris and I could help you clear out your flat and I'd be more than happy to help you with the house-hunting too. Buying a house would probably be a smart move anyway, you need to invest in property and stop living in these characterless rentals you seem so fond of." 

Matt couldn't believe Tessa's persistence. "Fine, but even if you help me out with all that, I'd still need to find a job first."

"Well finding a job will be easy enough, since I kind of already got you one..."

"Tessa!" Matt exclaimed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tessa wanted him back so badly that she'd gone ahead and got him a job without even talking to him about it? Matt shook his head in disbelief.

"What?!" She exclaimed. "It's a good job working in graphic design, so your degree would actually come in handy, unlike with your last job. I knew it'd be ideal for you and it seemed too good to pass up. You have an interview the day after tomorrow but the job is pretty much yours if you want it."

"I – Tessa, I..." Matt was lost for words. "You really want me around that much?"

"Of course! We all do! You're family, Matt. You're my best friend and godfather to my son. Of course I want you closer."

Matt was embarrassed to realise that he had tears in his eyes. He ducked his head and tried to wipe them away before Tessa could say anything. She stood up and walked over to Matt before hugging him and kissing his temple.

"It's okay, Mattie." 

"They're happy tears, Tessa."

"Good," she said with a smile. She let him go and headed over to the kettle. Matt watched her make the drinks and then pull the biscuit tin down from the cupboard. Joseph suddenly came darting through the kitchen door.

"Biscuit please, mummy!" Joseph exclaimed, putting his hands out in front of him.

"I swear Joseph has a sixth-sense. Every single time I get the biscuit tin out, no matter where he is or what he's doing, he seems to sense it." She gave him two and watched with a loving expression as he ran back to watch TV.

Matt hadn't been here for more than an hour, and he already felt a lot better. It felt like home. He laughed at the realisation. "Okay."

Tessa turned to face him. "Huh?"

"Okay. I'll move here." 

*******

The interview went well, and Matt had to admit that Tessa had been right – the job was ideal. The pay was pretty decent and he'd have his own office, plus his boss seemed like a genuine lady who he had hit it off with straight away. She was not only a friend of Tessa's but apparently a neighbour too, something Tessa had failed to mention beforehand.

He was told there and then that, if he wanted it, the job was his. He took a stroll around town for a while in an attempt to familiarise himself with it before heading to his car and driving back to the house. No-one was there; it was a Friday so both Chris and Tessa were at work and Joseph was at play school. He headed straight upstairs to the guest bedroom that he was currently occupying and changed out of his interview clothes before phoning Tessa. Tessa worked part-time at a local advertising agency but she always seemed available to take Matt's calls, although he was sure it got her into trouble with her co-workers sometimes. Probably because she never made any effort to disguise that it was a personal call. Tessa answered on the second ring.

"You got the job, right?!" She asked straight away.

"Yeah, so it looks like I'll definitely be staying," Matt answered.

Tessa practically squealed in excitement. "Oh Matt! I am so happy! We need to do something to celebrate, how about a take-out tonight and then tomorrow I can make a home-cooked meal? I can make a roast dinner with all the trimmings; I know how much you love that."

"Tessa, you don't have to go to any trouble, seriously."

"Of course I do, this is big news. Have you called your landlord yet?"

"Yep, I did that this morning. I have three weeks to get my stuff out, and then I'm officially an ex-tenant. I'll have to start looking for my own place soon 'cos I don't want to wear out my welcome with you and Chris."

"You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you need, Matt. You know that. Chris should be home within the hour. Perhaps you could pick his brain about the best areas to start house-hunting. He's good with that sort of thing."

"Okay, I will do."

"I best get back to work, Mattie. I'm getting the evil eye from the old bag across from me."

Matt laughed and said goodbye. He collapsed onto the bed and grinned to himself. In just a couple of days, things had turned around so much. He felt good. Really good. He just hoped that it would last.

*******

"Matt, I hope you don't mind but Chris invited a friend from work to dinner tonight." Tessa was labouring away in the kitchen and Matt was leaning against the counter and occasionally passing her things as she needed them. Joseph was sitting up at the kitchen table, paying no attention to the grown-ups since he was fully engrossed in his finger painting. Or at least, most of the paint had ended up on his hands and fingers rather than on the paper in front of him.


Right Where I Belong Ch. 01



"Yeah, that's fine with me. It's your place, after all." Matt held the whisk out for her before Tessa had even asked.

"Thanks, sweetie," Tessa said as she took it from him, "and I'm glad you don't mind. He's a really nice guy; he comes here quite a bit after work for dinner or a few beers. He's been working with Chris for about three years now."

"Longer than that," Chris said as he walked into the kitchen and made his way towards the fridge.

"Don't you dare start on the beers yet." Tessa hadn't even turned to look at her husband. Chris raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Yes, ma'm," he mocked, before leaning against the fridge and speaking to Matt. "Tomas is a decent guy, I'm sure the two of you will hit it off straight away."

Matt couldn't help but notice the mischievous smile on Chris's face. "This isn't a set-up, is it?" He asked cautiously.

"Of course not!" Tessa and Chris both exclaimed together.

Matt didn't believe them for even a second and rolled his eyes, but he didn't have time to argue because there was a knock on the door and Joseph suddenly jumped up out of his seat excitedly. "Grandad's here!"

They could hear footsteps moving across the hall before Chris's dad Hank walked into the kitchen. Matt had only met Hank a handful of times – the first time being at Tessa and Chris's wedding – but they had always got on well. Hank was always smiling and you could clearly see where Chris got his height, his fair hair and his friendly personality from. Hank had raised Chris on his own after his wife had passed away when Chris was only a toddler, and Tessa had also commended him on what a wonderful job he had done.

Joseph ran towards his grandfather with his arms in the air and a grin plastered across his face, before stopping short when he seemed to remember that he was covered in paint.

"Look at you, little man, you look like a rainbow," Hank exclaimed before picking him up regardless. Tessa went to object, but Hank cut her off. "Don't worry Tessie, these are my gardening clothes anyway." He turned to Matt and grinned, genuinely pleased to see him. "Matt, it's good to see you again."

"You too, sir."

"We'll have none of this 'sir' nonsense, son. Call me Hank." He smiled before putting Joseph down and picking up the overnight bag that was sitting on the kitchen table. 

"We really appreciate you taking Joseph for the night Hank," Tessa said.

"No problem love, you guys have a nice night and I'll drop him back tomorrow around lunch time."

"See you later, little man," Chris said, kissing his son on the cheek. 

Tessa and Matt waved goodbye as Hank left with an excited Joseph in his arms. Tessa turned back to her cooking. "Now you can start on the beers."

"Thanks, sweetheart." Chris leaned over to kiss his wife on the cheek before getting himself a beer and passing one over to Matt.

"You're going to change before dinner, right?" Chris asked.

"Um, do I really need to? I thought this was just a casual dinner amongst friends."

Chris looked over at his wife for support. Tessa nodded. "Perhaps put on a different shirt. Keep the jeans though, they look hot."

"Yeah and perhaps wear that dark green shirt, or maybe even that fitted black one. Those two really suit you," Chris added.

"Oh God, this dinner thing is a set-up, isn't it?"

"No," Chris laughed at Matt's reaction, "but it doesn't hurt to make an effort when we have guests, does it?"

Matt just shook his head and made his way upstairs to change.

*******

There was a knock on the door at precisely 7pm. Matt and Chris had been sitting in the lounge whilst Tessa was in the kitchen adding the finishing touches to her dessert. Chris left to answer the door whilst Tessa joined Matt, a glass of wine in her hand.

When Chris re-entered the room, Matt was rendered speechless. The man beside him was gorgeous. Scratch that, he was stunning. The first thing Matt noticed was his height. Although not as tall as Chris, he was a good three or four inches taller than Matt's 5"10. He had stunning dark eyes and dark brown hair that had that sexy messy look that some guys could pull off effortlessly. He had a bit of stubble across his jaw line – something that had always been a strange turn on for Matt. Tomas had to be a similar age, Matt thought, or maybe a year or two older. Matt blushed when he realised that he was staring and stood quickly to greet Chris's friend.

"Matt, this is Tomas Owins, a colleague and good friend of mine. Tomas, this is one of our closest family friends Matt Webbe. He's relocating here and staying with us until he finds a place of his own."

Tomas offered his hand and Matt reached out to shake it. Tomas's hands were soft and Matt found himself reluctant to let go. "It's nice to meet you Matt."

"And you," Matt replied with a friendly smile.

Tessa greeted Tomas with a hug before pulling her husband away. "Chris, I need a hand in the kitchen. You two boys can sit down and get to know each other; dinner should only be another ten minutes or so." Tessa and Chris practically ran from the room. It was almost comical.

Matt sat down first and passed Tomas a beer from the table.

"Cheers," he said before sitting down on the opposite sofa.

"So, Tomas..." Matt started.

"Call me Tom."

"Right..." Matt paused - he was truly awful at making small talk and had no idea what to say without sounding like a total fool. Thankfully, Tom spoke first so that he didn't have to.

"So you're moving here, then? What made you decide to relocate?"

"Oh, well, it was pretty sudden," Matt started, "but I've been living on the outskirts of London since I graduated from Uni and I needed a change of scenery really. Plus it'll be nice to live closer to Tessa, Chris and Joseph. I've already got a job lined up locally and I start a week on Monday, so all I have to do now is find somewhere to live, and I'm planning to start house-hunting this week."

"Wow. It sounds like you've got everything sorted," Tom said, looking impressed.

"I guess so, which is kind of surprising when you consider that this time last week I was a complete wreck." Matt noticed Tom's inquiring look and darted his eyes away as he went on to explain. "I split up with my partner Mitchell a few weeks ago after I caught him in bed with a friend, and he pretty much admitted that it wasn't the first time he'd cheated either. We'd been together for two years." Matt blushed. He couldn't believe he'd told this to a man he'd know for barely more than a minute.

"Shit, man. I'm really sorry." Tom seemed to mean what he said – he appeared genuinely sorry to hear about Matt's relationship disaster. "I realise that it's probably not my place to say this since I don't even know the guy, but he sounds like a world class prick." 

Matt gave a small chuckle. "You're right, he is. I just didn't realise until too late. I'm doing pretty well now though and being here has definitely helped. This whole relocation thing has happened so quickly, but I really like it here."

"Yeah, it's a nice area. I've lived here all my life and I've never even considered moving. If you need a hand with finding a place, I could help. My sister's a local estate agent and I know the area really well."

Matt nodded. "That's really nice of you to offer, thanks."

"No problem." Tom gave Matt a wink, and Matt was sure his heart skipped a beat. "So what line of work are you in?" Tom asked. 

Matt had to clear his throat before he could speak. "Graphic design – I majored in it at university but until now I hadn't managed to actually get a job in that field. I tried to get work as part of a marketing team at a whole bunch of firms in London but I never had any luck. I think Tessa pulled a few strings and exaggerated a little to get me this new job but I'm pleased that she did," he laughed. "What about you? I know you work with Chris, but if I'm completely honest I'm not even sure what it is that he does. I just know it involves numbers."

"I'm a business analyst. And yes, it is as boring as it sounds," Tom joked. "It's actually not what I want to do forever; I'm waiting for a teaching opportunity to crop up at the local Uni. I do guest lectures for the Business School every now and then but I'd quite like to teach, eventually."

Matt was impressed. Tom certainly sounded like a smart, level-headed guy and he seemed genuinely nice too, which Matt felt was a winning combination. Matt was surprised by how well the two of them were hitting it off. When Tom laughed or smiled, Matt's heart fluttered and he was left almost breathless. He couldn't believe the instant attraction he had for the other man and he tried his best not to let it show for fear of making Tom uncomfortable.

The two men continued to chat until Tessa called them through for dinner. The conversation continued throughout the meal, and they discussed anything and everything; sports, music, work, and whatever else happened to crop up in the natural flow of the conversation. Tessa and Chris kept sending each other knowing glances that Matt didn't fail to notice. In fact, Matt was sure that Tom had noticed their smug expressions too.

After the meal, everyone headed into the lounge where Chris and Tessa cuddled up to each other on one of the sofas, leaving Matt and Tom to sit together on the other. As soon as he sat down, Tom lifted his arm and rested it along the top of the sofa behind Matt. Matt couldn't help thinking how natural it felt, the four of them sitting here like this and chatting away to each other. He shot Tom a sideways glance only to notice that Tom was looking at him with a beautiful smile on his face and a slight sparkle in his eyes.

"You two certainly seem to be getting on like a house on fire," Chris commented with a grin.

"Definitely," Tessa added. "That's always what I like to see; two of our closest single gay friends getting along so well together."

Matt blushed profusely. "Holy shit Tessa, did no one ever teach you of a little thing called subtlety?" Matt mumbled. 

Tessa simply shrugged and took a sip of her wine. Matt couldn't deny his attraction to Tom. The man seemed perfect – he was smart, gorgeous, funny, and he already seemed to have the stamp of approval from Matt's closest friends. Matt couldn't believe he was even thinking about this since he had only just met the man.

After some more chatter and a few more beers – on Matt and Chris's part, Tom wasn't drinking because he had to drive home – Tom stood to make his exit.

"Thanks for a great night guys, but I best be off."

"It's no problem at all honey. You know you're welcome here any time. Matt will walk you to the door, I'm absolutely knackered." Tessa stretched out further on the sofa and gave an exaggerated yawn, and Matt was once again left to wonder at her complete lack of subtlety. He got up from his seat and waited whilst Tom gave Tessa a kiss on the cheek, and then he headed out towards the door with Tom in tow.

"I really enjoyed chatting to you tonight, Matt." He paused. "This might sound kind of forward, but would you like to go to dinner some time?" For the first time that night, Matt thought that Tom sounded rather nervous and self-conscious.

"I mean, it doesn't have to be like a date or anything," Tom continued, "I haven't really been on a date since – never mind. I – I could show you around town, introduce you to the area a bit. If you'd like. You don't have to if you don't want to, obviously." Tom started to blush and nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, I sound like a complete idiot. Just ignore me." He turned to open the door.

Matt reached out to stop Tom from leaving. He wasn't sure if he was ready to start dating quite so soon after Mitchell, but he really liked Tom, and Matt didn't want him to leave like this. "Dinner sounds good, Tom."

Tom smiled and nodded. "Great, well I'll call you and we can arrange something." He pulled his phone from his pocket. "I have Tessa and Chris's house number but it might be easier if you give me your mobile number, if that's okay."

Matt nodded and took the phone from Tom. He punched his number in before handing it back.

"Thanks. I'll catch you later then, bye." Tom smiled before pulling the door open and making his way down the drive with a wave.

"Bye, Tom." Matt closed the door and spun around, heading straight back into the lounge. He stopped in front of Tessa and Chris with one hand on his hip.

"That was a total set-up, wasn't it?"

"Does it matter? You liked him, right?!"

Matt rolled his eyes. But truthfully, he did. He really liked Tom, and that scared the hell out of him.



Right Where I Belong Ch. 02



Part Two.

It was Monday afternoon and Tom still hadn't called. It had barely even been two days yet and Matt was already wondering why he hadn't been in touch.

"Stop moping, he'll call. Trust me, he was definitely interested." Tessa seemed to have an unnatural skill for reading Matt's mind and it unnerved him a little. Tessa hadn't even turned to look at him -- she was busy wiping down the kitchen table and putting crayons away. Matt had looked after Joseph whilst Tessa had worked a morning shift, and he suddenly felt slightly guilty for letting Joseph make such a mess and then failing to clear it up properly.

"I wasn't moping! I wasn't even thinking about him!" Matt protested as he started picking up toys from the floor and putting them away in Joseph's oversized toy box.

"Right," Tessa replied sarcastically. "At least it means you're over Mitchell now. I'd hate to find you moping over that arsehole."

Matt shrugged. "Mitchell really hurt me but when I think about the relationship we had, I honestly don't believe I was ever in love with him. Actually, I think I just liked having someone around."

"I suspected as much. The two of you just didn't have that spark, you know?" Matt rolled his eyes and pretended that he thought Tessa was talking nonsense, but in truth he knew exactly what she meant.

"So what's his story?" Matt asked, changing the topic back to Tom. Tessa stopped what she was doing and leaned against the kitchen counter to look at him.

"What do you mean?" She responded with feigned ignorance. Her voice sounded a little too nonchalant to be believable.

"Out with it, Tessie. There has to be a catch. Tom can't really be as perfect as he looks."

Tessa sighed. "It's not really my story to tell, Matt. Let's just say that you're not the only person to have had their heart broken by a man."

"Shit." Matt wasn't sure what he had expected when he'd asked Tessa about Tom, or whether he had really expected anything at all. He certainly hadn't expected something like this.

"When?"

"Oh, a while ago now."

"How bad was it?"

"The worst."

With that, Tessa headed out of the room with a carton of juice for Joseph. Matt chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment whilst he thought this over. The worst? Jesus, what had happened to him? Perhaps that was why he hadn't called, but then Matt had been part of a rather messy break-up himself just a few weeks ago and now he felt as right as rain. Granted, he'd been a mess at first, but he'd managed to shed Mitchell from both his life and his heart pretty quickly. But then, unlike Matt, Tom most probably had been in love with the guy who had broken his heart and perhaps he still wasn't over it. Matt was curious, but he realised that it would be wrong to pry the information out of Tessa. He wanted to get to know Tom properly and getting his secrets from friends behind his back would be both rude and insensitive.

Matt headed into the lounge and plonked down on the sofa next to Joseph, who was staring intently at the TV whilst drinking his juice.

"How you doing, buddy?" Matt asked, ruffling Joseph's hair.

"Good. Want some juice?" Joseph offered up his almost empty carton.

"No thanks, buddy. Is it alright if I stick around and watch cartoons with you for a bit?"

Joseph nodded his head and drank the last of his juice before pulling himself closer to Matt so that he could sit on his lap. Joseph was too big to fit comfortably and he kept shuffling himself about in an attempt to get comfy. "Come here," Matt laughed as he pulled him into an embrace and hugged his godson to his side. Joseph rested his head against Matt's chest before settling down to watch the rest of his show.

*******

Matt had dozed off with Joseph curled up against him. He woke suddenly to the feeling that he was being watched. Tessa was standing in the doorway with Tom at her side. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and gently pulled Joseph into his arms and stood. He felt a little embarrassed at being caught napping.

"Aww, you two looked so cute," Tessa cooed. Tom's eyes sparkled as he leaned against the doorframe with a huge grin on his face. It looked as if he'd come by straight after work and Matt couldn't help but notice how hot he looked in his suit and tie.

"Yeah yeah," Matt mumbled as he walked towards Tessa. Joseph was still fast asleep with his head resting against Matt's shoulder. "Perhaps we should put the little man up to bed."

"Give him here, I'll take him. You boys head into the kitchen, there's beer in the fridge and snacks on the counter," Tessa said before heading for the stairs with her sleeping son in her arms.

Matt made his way into the kitchen with Tom following behind him. "It's nice to see you again," Tom paused. "Sorry I didn't call you. I was actually going to call this evening, but then Chris invited me over for a few beers after work."

"That's fine," Matt responded, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. "Where is Chris anyway?" Matt asked, looking around.

"He had to make a quick run to the shops for Tessa."

"Oh." Matt was silent. He watched whilst Tom took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. Tom caught him staring and grinned.

"So, I was wondering... do you still want to go out some time?"

"Sure, when did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking Wednesday night, if that's good with you."

"Of course!" Matt blushed at how eager he sounded. He seemed to be blushing a hell of a lot more these past few days, he realised. "I mean, yeah, that sounds fine."

Tessa walked into the kitchen with a cheeky smile on her face. "What did I miss?" It was obvious that she'd been listening in, but Matt chose to play along.

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with, Tessa. We were just arranging a dinner date."

"Oh! How lovely!" Tessa did her little happy dance and Matt groaned in embarrassment. "I knew you two would hit it off! And didn't I tell you that he was interested?"

Tom laughed at Matt's obvious discomfort with Tessa's forwardness and then changed the topic, for which Matt was instantly grateful. "How's Joseph doing?" He asked.

"He's doing great, thanks. He's just completely wiped out since he had such an active day," Tessa said, giving Matt a pointed look.

"Hey, it's not all my fault! You never warned me that children had a sugar limit! Besides, Joseph and I had a great day. I think I might have developed an addiction to watching Spongebob Squarepants and singing along to the theme tune."

Tessa rolled her eyes and shook her head. "That theme tune is the bane of my life, I swear to God," she muttered. Matt and Tom both laughed heartily. Chris arrived a few minutes later and unloaded the bags of shopping. He took some snacks through to the lounge and placed a fresh case of beer on the coffee table. Matt helped himself to a can of lemonade from the fridge -- handing one to Tessa as well -- before following Chris into the lounge where everyone took a seat, with Tom sitting down next to Matt.

"Oh, Chris! Matt and Tom have made plans to go out to dinner, isn't that nice?"

Matt blushed whilst Tom laughed. Chris, at least, had the sense to realise that Tessa was embarrassing Matt and considerately passed over the subject in favour of sports.

After an hour or so of playful sports banter and the re-telling of some rather embarrassing moments from Matt's school and Uni life by Tessa, Joseph started crying. Tessa got up to see to him and came back downstairs a few minutes later with her son resting on her hip. She headed into the kitchen and Tom followed, leaving Matt alone with Chris.

"So you like him, right?" Chris asked.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?"

Chris laughed. "It's only me and Tessa. Besides, the two of you look great together. It's like, fate, or something."

"Fate has nothing to do with it. It's more like two meddling friends," Matt joked.

"Touché. But aren't you glad we did, huh?" Chris laughed.

Chris got up and headed to the bathroom, still laughing as he went, so Matt headed over to see what Tessa and Tom were up to. As he walked towards the kitchen, he could hear the two of them talking. He stopped just outside the doorway to listen. He knew it was wrong but he'd deal with the guilt of eavesdropping later; Matt had always been far too nosey for his own good.

"...so I really hope you don't mind me taking him out, Tessa, I know you're his best friend and all," he heard Tom say.

"Of course I don't mind Tom, just be careful with him. He's only recently single and although he seems to be doing alright now, I still worry. He's like a brother to me and I don't want to see him upset again."

"I'll be careful, Tessa, you know that," Tom paused. "I do kind of know how he feels, after all."

Crap. Now he felt really guilty for eavesdropping. Matt cleared his throat before he entered the room, faking nonchalance and pretending he'd not just been listening in. "Miss anything?"

"Nope, Joseph here was just hungry so he's having a snack, aren't you pumpkin?" Tessa said affectionately.

Joseph was sitting in his chair at the table, half asleep with a yoghurt pot in his hand. He waved it about when he saw Matt, the remainder of the yoghurt flying out and hitting the table.

"Joseph! You're a nightmare sometimes," Tessa joked, grabbing a cloth from the sink to clean up the mess.

Tom took that as his cue to leave and Matt offered to see him out. Chris was back in the lounge and watched them both head to the front door with a knowing smile and a wink, and Matt gave him the middle finger as he passed.

Once they reached the door, the two of them stopped and stared at each other. Matt looked up and lost himself in Tom's mesmerising dark eyes for a moment. They were the kind of eyes that seemed to pull you in and Matt feared he might lose himself in them. He had to make a conscious effort to look away, at which point he noticed how close together they were standing. Matt only just managed to hold back his urge to pull Tom forward and kiss him.

"I'll pick you up at 6 on Wednesday, that alright?" Tom asked.

"That's perfect."

Alright, I'll see you then."

Tom reached his hand out and gently brushed his knuckles across Matt's cheek. Matt froze. His heart gave a flutter and then started to beat hard against his chest. He closed his eyes and gave a contented sigh.

Tom chuckled softly and lowered his hand. "Bye Matt." He pulled open the door, flashing one of his trademark killer smiles that Matt was quickly becoming addicted to, and then left.

******

At 5:30pm on Wednesday, Matt was pacing about in the guest bedroom, trying to decide which shirt to wear. He could hear Tessa playing with Joseph downstairs and he was tempted to head down and ask for her opinion, but he knew she'd only end up trying to embarrass him with wolf-whistles or catcalls.

In the end, he settled for a navy blue shirt and a pair of dark tight-fitting jeans. He put on his best shoes, slid his wallet into his back pocket and then headed downstairs.

Joseph was sitting in the lounge wearing his Superman pyjamas and Tessa was sorting through a pile of children's books. Every time she pulled one out of the pile, Joseph would exclaim "not that one" and she'd move on. When asked which one he did want to read, he kept saying that he didn't know yet. Tessa was starting to look rather exasperated. As Matt walked in, she stopped what she was doing to give him an appraising look before nodded her approval.

"I suppose I can let you leave the house looking like that," she joked.

"I'm glad you approve."

Matt sat down on the sofa next to Joseph, who proceeded to climb into his lap.

"Where you going, Uncle Mattie?" Joseph asked.

"Out to dinner," Matt answered, lifting him up to put him firmly down on the next seat and ruffling his hair.

"Who with?"

"A friend."

"With Uncle Tom-Tom?" Joseph asked.

Matt snickered; he'd never heard Joseph call Tom that before and he couldn't help but find it rather cute. At that moment, there was a light knock on the door. Matt jumped up to answer it. He ran his hand through his hair quickly before pulling the door open.

Tom looked amazing. Matt couldn't help but stare; he just prayed to God that he wouldn't start dribbling. Tom had shaved and styled his hair in a tousled sort of look that Matt thought was extremely sexy. He wore a gorgeous baby blue shirt and black jeans. He smelled good too -- the scent of his cologne had drifted Matt's way whilst he stood there with his mouth hanging open. Matt finally came to his senses enough to speak.

"You look great. I mean... wow."

Tom laughed, but he sounded a little nervous. "Thanks, you look pretty good yourself. Are you ready to head out?"

"Yep," Matt grinned, heading out the door. "Quick, before Tessa shows up and says something embarrassing."

"Have fun boys," Tessa called out at that exact moment, almost as if she had timed it. Matt and Tom looked back to catch her shooting a wink in there direction, a huge smile plastered across her face. Matt groaned and grabbed Tom's arm to pull him away from the house.

"I'm surprised she didn't ask us to pose for a photo or something," Tom laughed as they left for the restaurant.

*******

Dinner was fantastic. Tom had chosen a lovely little restaurant that was described as the town's best kept secret. The conversation flowed throughout the evening and Matt learned a lot about Tom. He learned about Tom's family, his work and his dream of teaching.

Matt learned that Tom, like himself, didn't have much family. His dad had left when he was five and then his mother had remarried eight years ago before moving up to Scotland to live closer to her husband's family. Tom didn't see them much, but he didn't seem too bothered and it sounded like he was really close to his sister.

Matt told Tom about his own parents and their move to Spain, as well as how he met Tessa who was more or less the only family he had left, and anything else that Tom wanted to know. Matt had never thought he was particularly interesting, but Tom made him feel like he was. Tom made him feel as if he were special.

The two of them took a walk around the area before heading to the car. Matt was left in awe of both Tom and the town that he hoped to make his home.

"I know Chris and Tessa can be a pain in the backside with their interfering, but I'm extremely glad that they did this time," Matt laughed as they walked back in the direction of the car.

Tom grinned. "Yeah, me too."

Matt reached over to take Tom's hand and his pulse started to race when Tom responded with a gentle squeeze.

"I meant it when I offered to help you with the house-hunting," Tom said.

"I know you did," Matt answered.

"Then how about I stop by after work tomorrow? It make's sense to start looking as soon as possible, what with you starting work next week and all." He pulled out a business card from his wallet and handed it over. Ashley Owins, the card read, followed by the address of an Estate Agency and a phone number. "If you give Ashley a call in the morning and tell her what you're looking for, she can drop some information over before I get there and then we can take a look through it together."

"Thanks, Tom. That'd be really great. Are you sure Ashley won't mind, though?"

"Of course not, I already told her to expect your call," Tom smiled.

Matt laughed, sliding the business card into his pocket. "Well it seems like someone wants me to stay."

Tom grinned but said nothing. They reached the car and Tom held the passenger door open for Matt before getting in and driving them back to Chris and Tessa's.

"Tonight was wonderful," Tom said as he pulled up outside the house.

Matt smiled and reached across the car to hold Tom's hand in his. They were silent for a moment before Tom slipped his hand free to lean forward and gently frame Matt's face between his palms. He then slid them down to the sides of Matt's neck and leaned in to place a tender kiss on his lips.

What started off as a gentle kiss became increasingly passionate as the seconds ticked by, and Matt felt Tom's tongue searching for entry. He opened his mouth to let Tom's tongue in and moaned softly as it brushed gently against the roof of his mouth and then became intertwined with his own. Being with Tom like this felt so right, so natural. When they pulled apart they were both gasping for breath. One of Tom's hands was resting against Matt's shoulder whilst the other was playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Tom lightly caressed Matt's cheek before letting his hands fall away.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Matt nodded. He wasn't sure if he was able to construct any coherent sentences just yet and so he thought it best not to take the risk for a few more moments. His heart was still pounded and he was painfully hard in his tight-fitting jeans.

Tom stepped out of the car to open Matt's door. Once they were standing just outside Chris and Tessa's front door, Matt leaned up and placed one light kiss on Tom's lips.

"Goodnight, Tom."

"Goodnight."

Matt ignored Tessa questioning look as he walked into the house.

"Well?" Tessa waited for some sort of answer, before realising that she wasn't going to get one. "Oh come on, spill! How did it go?!"

He still said nothing, but he was sure that the huge grin plastered on his face gave him away. And if that didn't, then the bulge in his jeans certainly would.

*******

Matt spent a lot of the night lying awake in bed, replaying the kiss. He began to wonder whether he was really ready for a new relationship. He knew that Tom was nothing like Mitchell had been and that he had no real reason to be scared, but he still didn't want to rush things. He was scared of getting hurt and he hadn't known Tom for very long, but that still didn't change the fact that being with him felt right. He remembered what Tessa had told him about Tom, and about how he had been hurt too. Was he just as scared as Matt was? He found that thought oddly comforting.

In the morning, Matt phoned Ashley. He chatted to her over the phone for a good hour, telling her what he wanted for his new home. Matt was looking for a two bedroom place, maybe even three bedrooms if the price was right. He wanted something modern and that didn't need much work because he was terrible at DIY. He also wanted it to be relatively close to Tessa and his work. Ashley popped by a few hours later with a manila folder containing details and photos of several possible properties that she'd selected based on all the information he had given her. She seemed to have gone to a lot of trouble, and Matt was grateful.

Ashley wasn't what he had expected. She was younger, for a start. He'd pegged her as the older sister, but looking at her now he realised she must have been about mid-twenties. He'd already learned from their date that Tom was 29, and he'd guess that Ashley was no older than 25 or 26. She was a beautiful, petite woman with long dark hair that was pulled up into a loose ponytail. She had been very chatty and bubbly over the phone and Matt had liked her straight away.

"Hey Matt, it's so lovely to meet you in person!" She pulled him down into a hug as she stood in the doorway. Matt invited her in but she shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't stay or my boss will skin me alive. This is for you to look through." She handed over the folder and then gave Matt a once-over. She nodded her approval. "Nice, I can definitely see why my brother likes you so much," she said with a wink.

Matt just gaped. "Err, thanks?"

Ashley laughed. "I wish I could stay and chat but I'm not really supposed to be here. I just had to drop those off myself as an excuse to meet you, 'cos I worry that Tom will try to keep you all to himself. I'll catch you later, gorgeous."




Right Where I Belong Ch. 02



She blew a kiss before practically bouncing back to her car. She had sped off down the road and was out of sight before Matt had processed what had happened.

"You just got 'Ashley Owin'ed," Tessa called from the kitchen.

*******

Tom came over that evening to help look at the properties Ashley had picked out.

"Meeting your sister was an... umm... experience."

 Tom snorted. "She's a bloody nightmare but she's harmless enough and everyone seems to love her."

Matt nodded and Tom pulled the folder out of his hand. "Let's take a look at what we've got, then."

Matt had already taken a quick look through the folder with Tessa and there were a few houses that had caught his eye. Tom suggested going to view three of the properties that Matt had shown an interest in, and Chris even took a quick look and had agreed that they were the best of the bunch. Tom called his sister to arrange viewing appointments for the following week.

Once that was all done, Matt and Tom joined Chris in the kitchen. Tessa was taking Joseph up to bed, and they wished him goodnight before sitting around the kitchen table whilst Chris made everyone a coffee. Matt had the urge to hold Tom's hand again, but thought better of it. It wasn't like they were officially dating or anything, and he didn't want to put Tom on the spot in front of Chris.

"I meant to talk to you about heading back to your place, Matt," Chris started whilst making the drinks, "I was thinking we could drive down with both cars on Saturday to clear it out. That way it'll be done before you start work on Monday. You can leave your stuff here for as long as you need, we'll just put it in the second guest bedroom and the garage."

"Thanks Chris."

"Do you guys need a hand?" Tom asked.

"No, it's fine, but thanks --" Matt started.

"Actually, that would be helpful Tom. That way, Tessa can stay behind and since my dad is visiting a friend it means we won't need to find someone to look after Joseph. That's alright isn't it, Matt?"

Matt was a little hesitant but he realised that he had no genuine reason to refuse Tom's offer of help. "Sure, as long as you don't mind. It'll be a full days worth of work boxing up all my stuff though."

"I don't mind," Tom said with a smile that took Matt's breath away. He reached for Matt's hand under the table and gave it a light squeeze.

It was settled; they would head out first thing Saturday morning with Chris in his car and Tom riding with Matt. After coffee, Tom took his leave once again. This time, however, he grabbed Matt's hand and pulled him towards the door with him.

"Can I see you before Saturday?" He asked.

"Sure, pop by after work tomorrow and we can order Chinese food or something."

Tom smiled. "Sounds good." He hesitated for a moment, a twinkle in his eyes, then leaning in for a kiss. There was a sudden wolf-whistle from the top of the stairs and Matt laughed.

"Catch you later," Tom chuckled. "Hope you enjoyed the show," he called to Tessa before leaving.

Once the front door had closed, Tessa made her way down to the kitchen. "Enjoyed it? I bloody loved it. Who knew seeing you two guys eat face could be such a thrill?!"

Matt turned and headed upstairs to the sound of Chris exploding with laughter in the kitchen.

*******

Tom arrived at the house bright and early on Saturday morning. Matt and Chris loaded the cars with some empty boxes and the three of them set off for Matt's flat. The two hour drive was rather enjoyable. Tom spent most of the time laughing whilst Matt sang along to the every song on radio, even the ones he didn't know. They only stopped once, after Chris pulled over at a service station for coffee to keep himself awake, so they arrived at Matt's street well before midday.

"This is it," Matt said, nodding his head towards the five-storey building in front of them. Tom leaned forward in his seat to get a better look. "Looks nice," he commented. Matt shrugged before hopping out of the car to pull the back seats down so that there was more room to put all of his belongings. Chris did the same.

After rummaging for his keys, Matt let them into the building and took them up to his flat on the fourth floor. It felt strange coming back here, as if it was no longer a home to Matt. He supposed it wasn't anymore. He briefly wondered if this place had every really felt like his home, rather than just a place to sleep and eat in between shifts at work.

The flat was a good size; it had two bedrooms and one bathroom, and an open plan living space with a modern kitchen area and breakfast bar to the right. The front door led straight into the living area and Matt was thankful that he'd left the place in a relatively tidy state.

Whilst Chris headed to pack up the kitchen and living room, Tom and Matt made a start on packing up the guestroom that he'd been using as a study before heading into the master bedroom. A lot of stuff ended up being thrown out; Matt decided that most of the furniture was crap or too bulky to take back with him and he planned to buy nicer stuff for his new house. Everything that Matt wanted to keep was thrown into boxes and bags and taken down to the two cars.

Once most of the packing was done, Matt walked through the living area and over to the phone. Chris had done a good job of packing things away, but the phone still sat on the corner counter. The blinking red light had caught his eye, and he noticed that he had several voicemail messages on his machine. He hit the play button.

Mattie, will you answer my bloody calls? I shouldn't have let you go, alright? We need talk about this. Please call me back.

It was Mitchell. Matt deleted it, and played the next message.

For fucks sake Mattie, you're acting like a child. Call me back as soon as you get this.

Matt shook his head in disbelief. The next message started to play.

Hey Matt. It's Ben. There was a pause and Matt wondered briefly if that was all there was to the message, until he heard a sigh and Ben started again. Look, I'm probably the last person you want to hear from, but I just wanted to apologise. I realise how inadequate that sounds, but I really am sorry. And if it's any consolation at all, it was the first time Mitchell and I had ever -- well -- you know. No hard feelings, okay. Besides ...

The machine died and Matt looked up. Tom had unplugged it and was at his side. Chris was standing in the doorway holding the last of the boxes, a look of sympathy written all over his face. Matt didn't need it, so he looked away.

"The kitchen's all packed up, Matt. I'll just take this last box down and then we're pretty much finished," Chris said.

"Thanks," Matt couldn't meet his eyes.

"Give us a minute, Chris, and then we'll be down." Tom said. They listened to Chris leave and Tom propped himself up against the wall in front of Matt.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, actually. I think I am."

"You can be honest with me, Matt. You don't need to pretend you're okay if you're not."

Matt finally met Tom's eyes. "I'm not pretending. It's been about a month now since I caught him with Ben, but I really am fine. Well, I'm over Mitchell anyway. It's just..."

Matt paused and Tom reached out for his hand. "Just what?"

"I don't know. I'm just... scared, I guess."

Tom nodded. "You were hurt. You're bound to be scared. I'm here for you, okay? I promise that I won't let anyone hurt you again, baby." The term of endearment seemed to just slip out, but Matt didn't mind.

"Thanks," Matt smiled and squeezed Tom's hand. "Let's go." They left the flat and locked the door. Matt posted the key into the landlord's letterbox on the ground floor and then headed outside.

Chris was leaning against his car. He pushed himself up and took a step towards them both. "Everything okay?" His voice was laced with concern.

"Yeah, everything's great," Matt said with a glance towards Tom. They got in the car and headed back home.

*******

The return journey had been a quiet one, but it hadn't been an awkward silence. Tom had offered to drive, and Matt had been surprised to find himself drifting off to sleep in the passenger's seat. They arrived back in the early evening but no one was particularly eager to unload the cars, so they decided to leave it until morning.

"Would you like to come to my place tonight?" Tom asked. "I can order take-out and we could watch a film or something."

Matt hadn't been to Tom's place before, and he felt like he could really do with winding down after the day he'd had. "Sure, that sounds nice."

Tom's car was parked on the side of the road, where he had left it that morning, and they got in and headed to his house. It was on the edge of town, about fifteen minutes from Chris and Tessa's. The house looked nice from the outside, small but homely and with plenty of character. Tom unlocked the door and let Matt go in ahead of him. The first thing Matt noticed was how modern the place was. Tom clearly liked his gadgets and electronics, with his big flat screen TV, his games consoles and his laptop on the coffee table.

"Sorry it's a bit of a mess," Tom commented.

"No problem, I've been living with a four-year-old for the last couple of weeks so this is nothing," Matt joked. "How long have you lived here?"

"I've been renting this place for nearly a year and a half now. It's nothing special, but it's home," Tom said.

"I like it," Matt smiled.

Tom headed into the kitchen and picked up the phone. "Pizza or Chinese?"

"Pizza will be fine, thanks."

Tom put in the order and then they headed into the lounge to pick out a DVD. They chatted for a while about their favourite films and which ones they'd both already seen, and finally settled on an action film that Matt hadn't seen yet but had been meaning to watch for months.

Tom popped the disc into the player and they settled down on the sofa together. Tom put his arm around Matt's shoulders and gently pulled him into his side. Matt sighed happily. It felt so good to be this close to Tom. He leaned his head against Tom's chest and snuggled in further whilst trying to hold back a yawn. Tom noticed and chuckled softly.

When the pizza arrived, they tucked in before making themselves comfortable again. This time, when Matt laid his head against Tom's chest, Tom leaned down to kiss Matt's temple. He pressed pause on the remote before speaking.

"Matt?"

"Mmm?" He responded sleepily.

"This might be a stupid question, but...well..." Tom hesitated and Matt sat up to look him in the eyes.

"What is it?"

"Well, I wanted to ask if you'd be my boyfriend. You know, officially."

Matt was silent for a moment and Tom seemed to get nervous. "It's okay if you don't want that or if you're not ready. But please just know that I would never hurt you, never. I really like you Matt, and I'd love it if you'd be my boyfriend, or at least take some time to consider it."

Matt smiled. "I know you wouldn't hurt me, and I really like you too." He leaned in, pressing his body against Tom's. He kissed him softly on the side of his neck before bringing his mouth to Tom's ear. "And yes, I'll be your boyfriend."

Matt moved his head to cover Tom's lips with his own. Tom let out a soft moan and returned the kiss passionately, entwining his tongue with Matt's whilst pushing him down and into a lying position on the sofa. When they finally pulled away, Matt was out of breath and panted slightly. He lifted a hand to brush Tom's cheek. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"

Tom flushed and rolled his eyes. "All the blood must have gone to your dick, 'cos it's certainly not going to your brain." Matt laughed and ground his erection into Tom's hip. "I think you might be right."

Tom moaned. "Well perhaps I should do something about that, being your boyfriend and all," he responded huskily.

Tom kissed along Matt's chin and neck before lowering himself down Matt's body. He slid the bottom of Matt's t-shirt up just enough to place a few gentle kisses on the strip of exposed skin, then reached out to unfasten Matt's belt.

"Tom..."

"Is this okay?"

"Fuck yes."

Tom chuckled softly before pulling at Matt's jeans. Matt arched his back so that Tom could slide them down his thighs, and then he lost his mind as Tom palmed his erection through the material of his boxers.

"Fuck...Tom..." Matt moaned.

Tom pulled at the waistband of the boxers and stared up into Matt's eyes before pulling them down with the jeans. Once free, Matt's hard dick pointing up and at eye level with Tom, who just stared down at it for a few moments. Matt wasn't exactly huge, but he'd never felt like he had anything to be ashamed of. When erect, he was almost 6 inches long and fairly thick too. He kind of wished he'd copped a feel of Tom beforehand though, just to know what he was up against. Tom sighed. "Perfect," he murmured, before taking a long lick down the side and then sucking the head into his mouth. Matt gasped and arched his back a little before Tom took him deeper into his mouth and kept going until his nose was resting against Matt's pubic hair. Matt could barely think, and he was already so close. It had been quite a while since he'd been on the receiving end of a blowjob, and he had almost forgotten how good it could feel.

Tom continued his ministrations on Matt's dick until Matt though he was going to go fucking crazy. He was so close, and yet every time he reached the brink of orgasm, Tom slowed down and brought him back from the edge. Matt moaned and pleaded until Tom let his dick fall from his mouth and fondled Matt's balls whilst he spoke.

"Let go, Matt... go on, come for me..." Tom said, before sucking Matt's dick back into his mouth once again.

Matt didn't have to be told twice; he was coming within seconds. It was intense, and he was sure he blacked out for a moment or two. Tom swallowed as much of Matt's seed as he could, and licked up whatever cum managed to escape his lips. When Matt finally softened, he released his dick and pulled Matt's boxers back up, then his jeans, and refastened the belt. He peppered light kisses across Matt's face before tenderly kissing his lips.

Matt sighed happily then attempted to stifle a yawn. "Let me do you, too."

"No, I'm good. You're tired."

"No, I'm fine, Tom. Please."

"You're not fine, you can barely keep your eyes open," Tom laughed shakily.

"Well how about this then?" Matt said, reaching his hand down and palming Tom's rather impressive erection.

"Oh fuck." Tom moaned.

Matt slid his hand into the waistband of Tom's combat shorts, and slowly started to jack him off. Tom felt bigger than Matt, perhaps by an inch or so, but he wasn't as thick. Tom rested his head in the crook of Matt's neck, breathing deeply. "Shit...oh fuck..." he repeated. It didn't take long for Matt to send Tom over the edge, shooting his seed into Matt's palm. When Matt removed his hand, he licked most of the cum away before wiping what was left across the front of Tom's t-shirt.

"Bastard," Tom laughed. "I think I need to clean myself up a bit," he said as he collapsed down next to Matt. He kissed Matt's cheek before pulling himself up from the sofa. "Be back in a sec."

Matt tried to get up too, but he could barely move. He was tired and genuinely struggling to keep his eyes from closing. When Tom came back downstairs he was wearing a plain t-shirt and a loose fitting pair of gym shorts that hung low on his hips. If Matt had not been so tired, he was sure he'd have been hard again.

"Jesus Matt, you look like you're about to pass out."

"Huh? No, no, I'm good," Matt mumbled. He didn't want to go to sleep just yet. He wanted to stay awake and revel in what had just happened.

"Let's just lie down and watch the rest of the film," Tom suggested, climbed behind Matt on the sofa and pulling him into his arms. He reached for the remote and hit the play button, then nipped Matt's earlobe playfully before settling down to watch the rest of the film.

Matt must have fallen asleep, because when he opened his eyes the TV was off and he was lying across the sofa with a thin blanket over him and Tom spooning up behind him. Tom's arms were wrapped around his waist. God, it felt good. He shuffled around a little and Tom tightened his hold.

"You awake?" Matt whispered.

"I am now," Tom laughed, his voice sounding gravelly with sleep.

"Sorry."

"Don't be," Tom kissed behind his ear and nuzzled the back of his neck.

"It's late. I should probably get going," Matt said.

"Stay," Tom whispered.

"I don't know, Tom..."

"Please, babe. I just want to keep holding you like this, it's nice."

Matt grinned and relaxed into Tom's embrace. "Yeah, it is."

"So you'll stay?" Tom asked.

Matt twisted around to face Tom, and planted a quick peck on his lips. He pulled back and nodded. "I'll stay," he said before settling back into his boyfriend's arms.



Right Where I Belong Ch. 03



Authors note: Hey guys! I just wanted to post a quick thank you for all the lovely comments and feedback that I have received on my story so far (and on my other stories too) – I really appreciate it! This is the penultimate chapter to this series and the final chapter should be up by next week. Pretty please don't panic or hate me after reading this third instalment; I can promise you now that there will be a happy ending for Matt and Tom. After all, I am a complete sucker for a happily ever after ;)

Thanks for reading!

*******

Life was good.

Matt had started his new job on the Monday after he'd cleared out his flat. He had been nothing but eager to get going, even though he knew it would be a lot of hard work and that he'd have to spend the first few weeks learning the ropes and being filled in on exactly what was to be expected of him. Matt knew that he was the perfect guy for this job; he enjoyed a challenge and really thrived when working as part of a team. He was rushed off his feet during the first week but it felt good to finally be doing something he loved, and Matt could honestly say that he had never been happier.

Tom had taken Matt out for a meal to celebrate after his first day at work and had insisted on paying. They'd gone back to Tom's place afterwards, where they'd proceeded to make out on the sofa for hours before Tom took Matt back home. Matt couldn't wait until he had a place of his own since he could hardly bring Tom back to the house while he was staying with Chris and Tessa, although Tom had joked that Tessa probably wouldn't mind catching them making out on her sofa.

Matt had his first house-viewing the weekend after he and Tom had made their relationship official, but he hadn't liked the first house all that much. He hadn't been able to pinpoint exactly what had put him off and he hadn't wanted to sound silly, but he just couldn't picture it as home. 

Matt went to a second house viewing appointment the following weekend. He had brought Tessa to take a look since Tom had said he needed to catch up on some work. Matt still wasn't sure if that had been a genuine reason for not coming along, or whether Tom had just found the idea of looking at houses with his new boyfriend kind of weird. Matt hadn't pushed the issue.

Matt instantly fell in love with the second house and Tessa had agreed that it was perfect. It had a beautiful front garden, plus off-road parking and a garage. Inside, there were three good sized bedrooms, a large bathroom – with a huge shower that Matt was sure he could find more than one use for – and most of the rooms were spacious and modern. The place was immaculate too; Matt would have to do very little work other than move in his things and buy some new furniture and appliances. It was everything he had been looking for. It wasn't exactly cheap, but with his new job and his savings, he'd be able to afford it.

Matt could definitely see himself being extremely happy in this house, and he was shocked to realise that he was considering what it would be like to live there with Tom. For it to be their home, rather than just his home. They'd only been officially dating for two weeks, but Matt already considered Tom to be an important part of his life. In fact, Matt felt more for Tom after two weeks than he had for Mitchell during the entirety of their relationship. Matt wasn't sure whether to be scared or elated by this.

He called Ashley and told her that he wanted to put in an offer at the full asking price. She sounded more excited than he was. "I'm so pleased you like it. I knew you would!" He could hear her shuffling about paperwork and typing away at her computer. "This is so exciting! Can you pop by now? We'll want to get this sorted as soon as possible."

Matt's offer was accepted and suddenly he was on his way to owning his first house. It was both exciting and terrifying, but Matt knew that he was making the right move. It took a few days to sort through everything, but when it was all done, Matt had arranged a move in date of just four weeks away.

After finalising the purchase of his new home, sorting out his funds, and signing lots of paperwork, Matt drove straight over to Tom's house. He was eager to fill him in on the news and let him know that it really was official – Matt had his own place, and he would be staying for good.

Since Matt and Tom had made their relationship official, they had seen a lot of each other. In fact, they were finding it increasingly difficult to stay apart. They met for dinner after work most nights, usually at Tom's, and would always end up cuddling on the sofa where they'd watch a film or just lay and chat. The two of them even went to the cinema one evening after work where they'd sat at the back, snuggling close and holding hands. Matt had felt like a teenager all over again and they'd both laughed about it, but it had been an amazing evening and Matt thought it was probably one of the best nights he'd had in years.

Although their relationship was really starting to grow, the sexual side had yet to progress past blowjobs – of which Matt had been more than eager to reciprocate once he'd gotten over his tiredness from that first Saturday night. Matt was just trying to find the right time to take things further, and at the moment they both seemed more than content to cuddle, grope and suck each other off.

Matt pulled up outside the house and practically ran up the drive before knocking on the door.

"It's open!" He heard Tom shout.

Matt let himself in and was greeted with the smell of Tom's cooking.

"Wow, something smells good, what're you making?" Matt asked as he made his way through to the kitchen. Tom was standing at the oven, stirring a pan of sauce that he had simmering on the hob. He turned to greet Matt with a slow, hot kiss that got both of their hearts racing.

"Nothing too fancy, I just wanted to cook you dinner myself for once rather than order out," he said. "Although, I kind of cheated and got some help from Tessa."

"Well whatever it is, it smells delicious."

"Not as delicious as you," Tom said with a cheeky grin before ducking down to plant a wet kiss on Matt's neck, gently sucking at the skin there.

Matt laughed. "Wow, Tom. That was pretty cheesy."

"Yeah, but you loved it," Tom joked before pulling his mouth away from Matt's neck and pecking his cheek. He turned back around to check on the food, stirring the sauce and checking on whatever he had in the oven.

"Well I guess we can make this dinner into a bit of a celebration too, because I have some good news," Matt said with a smile.

"I know you do. Ashley called me."

"Damn her! I wanted to tell you myself," Matt pouted. He almost stamped his foot too, but thankfully managed to stop himself just in time.

Tom turned back around and laughed before wrapping his arms around Matt's waist to pull him in for a hug. "Okay, I'll pretend I don't know."

"No point. The moment's ruined," Matt mumbled.

Tom caught Matt's lips in another hot kiss. "I'm really glad you're here to stay, babe."

"Yeah?"

"No, I was kidding," Tom said sarcastically. "Of course I am, you idiot!"

"Good." Matt laughed. "Me too. It's a really nice house; I wish you could have come to the viewing with me. I think Tessa is a little jealous, which I'm secretly quite pleased about since I've spent half my life being jealous of her." Matt pulled away from Tom to steal a slice of fresh bread from the counter.

"Hey! That's to go with the dinner," Tom laughed, trying to snatch it out of Matt's hand. Matt held the bread out of Tom's reach and backed away. "Lesson one: don't ever try taking food away from me. I'm like an animal; I'll gnaw your hand off."

They sat down to eat dinner, and Tom dimmed the lights and lit candles. Matt was touched by the effort that he had gone to.

"This is really lovely, Tom. Thank you," Matt said with a warm smile.

"It's nothing, really. I like doing nice things for you. I like making you smile." Tom blushed at his own words but Matt's heart starting doing somersaults. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to find a man like Tom, someone so genuinely beautiful inside and out. Matt felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

After dessert, Tom ushered Matt to follow him into the lounge. He sat down on the sofa, where Matt pulled himself into his lap and started kissing his neck.

"Matt..." Tom tilted his head to allow Matt better access.

"Mmm, you taste good..." Matt said between kisses.

"God, Matt...I –" Tom didn't finish his sentence. Matt didn't have time to wonder what he had been going to say because Tom's body tensed a little, and when Matt pulled back to look into his eyes he noticed that they were glistening with moisture. Tom looked close to tears. Matt moved quickly out of Tom's lap to sit at his side, holding his hand and stroking his cheek.

"Hey, what is it? What's wrong?"

Tom laughed. "Nothing...absolutely nothing is wrong." He wrapped an arm around Matt's neck and pulled him closer for a light kiss.

"Did..." Tom paused, as if deciding what to say. "Did Tessa tell you much about me before we started dating?"

"Not much. She said that you were a decent guy and that you'd worked with Chris for quite a few years, but that was pretty much it. Why?"

"Did she tell you about my ex?"

Matt was silent. He wasn't sure what to say. He thought he knew where this was going and he knew he needed to tread carefully. "No. Well, she said you'd had your heart broken by a guy and that it had been pretty bad, but that was it. I didn't push for details."

Tom laughed. It wasn't a happy sound. Matt sat up straighter and looked into Tom's eyes. "It wasn't just my heart that he broke."

Matt didn't understand. Tom looked uncomfortable, and he shuffled a little in his seat.

"Tom, we don't have to talk about this. You don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to."

No, I want to." He paused. "I trust you."

"I'm glad to hear it," Matt said softly, giving Tom's hand a comforting squeeze before linking their fingers together and resting both hands on Tom's thigh.

Tom took a deep breath in an attempt to prepare himself for what he was about to say. "I was with Jason, my ex, for just under three years. I'd thought we were pretty happy, you know? I must have been so damn blind not to notice any of the signs, to take no notice of all the problems. Even now, I still can't believe how much of an idiot I was."

"You're not –" Matt started, but Tom cut him off.

"Please, babe. Just let me get this out."

Matt bit his lip and nodded. He understood that Tom needed to say all of this, to get it all off of his chest, but he didn't want to hear Tom berating himself for whatever it was that had happened. And yet, hadn't Matt done the exact same thing after his own break-up? Matt had blamed himself too, calling himself stupid and foolish for not seeing through Mitchell's façade sooner. But none of that mattered anymore, and Matt sat patiently as he waited for Tom to continue.

"I came home from work early and found Jason in bed with another man. Well, two other men, actually. Everything seemed to happen so fast but I got pretty mad and then we fought. I threw his clothes at him and screamed for him to leave, and he lashed out. I thought it would stop at one hit, but he just kept on going. It got pretty messy and it was Chris who came and found me. I was in a state when he got there. I had a fractured collarbone, a couple of broken ribs, two black eyes and a couple of broken fingers. All my knuckles were split from where I tried to fight back."

Matt winced. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could anyone have done something so cruel to Tom? Matt knew what it felt like to be hurt by someone he had trusted, but this was a whole new level of pain and Tom had been the one to experience it. Matt wanted to say something to try and comfort him but he could see that Tom had more to say, so he held his tongue until he was finished.

"Chris drove me to the hospital and then I stayed at their house for a couple of days. When they took me back to mine, the place was practically empty. Jason had taken almost everything. To add insult to injury, quite literally I guess, he also took every penny out of our savings account. And then he was just... gone." Tom looked away for a moment and sighed, and Matt was sure he felt his own heart break at the look of pain written all over Tom's face. He met Matt's eyes before continuing.

"After that I did some thinking, and I realised that he'd been playing me from the start. I mean, I'd basically just been a meal ticket to him. Chris and Tessa helped me get back on my feet since I was in a pretty bad place, but things got better and I've moved on now. Please don't think I'm not over it, because I really am. It just hurt, you know? I was so ashamed." His voice cracked a little, and he cleared his throat.

"I've not heard from Jason since. I didn't press charges because it was just my word against his and it seemed like too much fucking hassle. But Chris saw him at a friends wedding a few months later. He was arm in arm with one of the groomsmen and from what I hear Tessa gave him a piece of her mind, and rather publically too." Tom took a deep breath. "And... well... that's it, really." His voice was shaky.

"Christ, Tom." Matt didn't know what to say. "I think if I ever met the fucker, I'd kill him." Matt drew in a deep breath to calm himself. It wouldn't do to get angry. Tom didn't need anger, he needed love and reassurance. "How long ago did all this happen?"

"About a year and a half ago, right before I moved into this house," Tom said. "I haven't been with anyone since."

Matt pulled himself across the sofa to straddle Tom's lap, the same position he'd been in before Tom had revealed his big secret. Matt gently cupped Tom's face in his hands and looked into his eyes. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through that, babe." Matt leaned down and kissed Tom's neck. "I wish I could erase the pain you felt." He moved up to kiss behind Tom's ear and then nuzzled his cheek.

Matt pulled back and gazed into Tom's eyes. "You already have," Tom admitted. "Being around you makes me feel better than I've felt in a long, long time." Tom closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the sofa.

"Let's go upstairs," Matt whispered.

Tom kissed the back of Matt's hand and nodded. They both pulled themselves up and headed for the stairs. Neither let go of the other's hand, and the very thought of letting Tom go right now caused Matt's heart to physically ache.

They headed into Tom's bedroom before stopping at the foot of the bed, standing so close together that Matt could feel Tom's breath on his face. He reached out and slowly started to undo the buttons of Tom's shirt.

"You made me a promise a few weeks ago," Matt said as he continued to undress his lover, "and now it's my turn to make a few promises of my own. I will never do anything to hurt you, Tom. I promise that I will never betray your trust."

"I know," he whispered.


Matt pushed Tom's shirt from his shoulders before moving his hands down to his belt. "I don't want anyone else and I'm not looking for a meal ticket. I'm not planning on going anywhere, either. I'm right where I belong when I'm with you, Tomas Owins."

Tom leaned down and pulled Matt in for a fierce kiss. By this point he was wearing only his boxers, with his jeans in a pile at his feet. He stepped out of them before pushed Matt onto the bed, practically ripping his shirt in an attempt to get it off quickly. He made fast work of removing the remainder of Matt's clothes, with Matt arching his back so that Tom could pull his jeans and boxers down, and then throwing them onto the floor. Once Tom had removed his own boxers, he pulled himself on top of Matt and ground their erections together.

"Oh Christ..." Matt moaned. "I want you."

"You've got me," Tom said, kissing along Matt's collarbone and then down his body. He stopped when he reached Matt's erection. He kissed Matt's hip before taking the cock into his mouth, but Matt wanted more tonight.

"I need you, Tom," Matt panted. He needed Tom to slow down so that he could gather his thoughts and construct coherent sentences. "Wait... Tom - I need to feel you inside me."

Tom moaned around Matt's dick then let it fall from his mouth. "You sure?"

"Fuck yes," Matt laughed shakily. "I've never been surer of anything in my entire life."

Tom moved up to crush his lips against Matt's. Their tongues fought for dominance and the kiss left them both breathless. When Tom pulled back, Matt spread his legs and stared up into his partner's eyes.

"Please, Tom."

Tom broke eye contact to admire the view. "Oh God, your body is fucking perfect," he said in a whisper. He moved to kneel between Matt's legs, tracing his hands down the skin of his thighs. "So beautiful..."

Tom reached across to his nightstand and opened the top draw. He pulled out a small, unopened bottle of lube. He coated a couple of fingers before ducking his head to place a wet kiss on Matt's chest. He reached for Matt's pucker, resting his fingers there for a moment. Matt could see the question in Tom's eyes.

"Don't you dare ask me if I'm sure again. I want this. I want you."

Tom chuckled. "You're impatient, aren't you?" Matt rolled his eyes and went to say something, but it was in that moment that Tom pushed a finger in and whatever Matt was going to say was lost. The only thing he could concentrate on was Tom, and that one finger he had buried inside him. 

It had burned at first, but the pain quickly subsided and before long Tom was added a second digit, and then a third. Matt started to push himself back onto Tom's fingers, writhing and moaning and begging for more. Tom was mesmerised but the noises that Matt made, his own dick hard and begging to be inside his lover.

When Tom's fingers hit his prostate, Matt thought he was going to die. 

"Oh fuck... oh shit..."

"You're so vocal when you're turned on," Tom commented with a chuckle.

Matt couldn't understand why Tom was laughing. He felt like he was burning up. "Do it, Tom. Come on. Please."

Matt needed to feel Tom inside him. He was desperate. He wanted to make that connection with Tom, for them to become a part of each other in every sense. Tom removed his fingers from Matt's hole, causing him to groan at the horrible empty feeling he was left with. He heard Tom fumbling with a condom wrapper and looked down just in time to see the condom being rolled down Tom's hard-on. He watched Tom lube up and then rested his head back onto the mattress, pulled his legs back as far as they would go, and moaned in anticipation.

Tom leaned across Matt's body, his knees between Matt's legs and his dick positioned at his hole. They never broke eye contact as Tom pushed forward ever so slowly.

"Christ, Matt. You feel so amazing... so tight..." Tom moaned as the head of his cock popped in. He held completely still until Matt couldn't take it anymore. 

"Move, Tom."

Tom rested his hands on the mattress by Matt's head and began to push further into his body until his entire length was inside the tight passage. When Matt finally nodded to signal that he was okay, Tom pulled out slowly before thrusting back in. Tom kissed along Matt's neck and down to a nipple before pulling back once again.

"Harder, faster...."

They kissed deeply and Tom pulling out almost completely before slamming back into Matt's tight heat. He repeated the action over and over, setting a fast pace and hitting Matt's prostate with each thrust. Matt couldn't hold back his screams. He arched his back and pushed himself further onto Tom's dick.

"Baby... fuck... so good..." Tom panted, his body glistening with sweat.




Right Where I Belong Ch. 03



Matt could no longer speak. He was so close to losing it. He wanted to hold back and make this moment last longer, but there was no stopping it now. He reached down for his cock, wrapping his fingers around it and jacking himself off. He was teetering on the edge of his orgasm. He was getting closer...

"Come for me baby," Tom moaned into Matt's ear. 

It was Tom's words that sent Matt over the edge.

Matt shouted out Tom's name over and over as he shot his load between them. The muscles of his arse clenched around Tom's dick as Tom continued to pound into him. "Holy shit Matt, you're so beautiful," Tom panted. He was almost there, and within moments Tom's body tensed as he shot his seed into the condom and then collapsed on top of Matt. Exhausted but insanely happy, Matt wrapped his arms around Tom's back and held him tight to his chest. It took a while for either one of them to catch their breath.

"Bloody hell."

Tom laughed. "Yeah, that was... just... wow." He rolled off of Matt, sliding out of him as he did. Matt groaned.

"We've made a bit of a mess," Tom commented, looking down at their damp bodies that were covered in sweat and cum. Tom slowly pulled himself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Matt had no intention of following; he wasn't even sure he could walk. A few minutes later, Tom re-entered the room with a wet cloth. He crawled back onto the bed and wiped Matt's body clean. Matt groaned when Tom passed over his more intimate area – he was feeling a little sore. 

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Tom asked, looking worried.

"I ache a little but it's the best sort of ache," Matt said with a smile. 

"Good." Tom threw the cloth to the floor and pulled Matt into his arms. He sighed contentedly when Matt pulled himself closer, resting his head on Tom's chest. Matt fell asleep like that, listening to Tom's steady heartbeat as he too drifted into a peaceful sleep. 

*******

Being with Tom was perhaps the happiest Matt had ever been. They'd spent as much time with each other as they could, but over the last week or so the whole of Tom's department had been forced to work late, so he was usually too tired to do much more than grab a quick meal and cuddle on the sofa before he headed to bed. 

On the Friday, Chris had arranged for Tom and some of the other guys from work to go out for a few drinks to wind down from such a busy week, so Matt had decided to have a night in with Tessa. Once Joseph was put to bed, they popped in a DVD and opened a bottle of wine.

"I'll miss you once you move into your own house – it's been nice having you here," Tessa commented as they snacked on a bag of popcorn.

"I won't be far! I'm moving ten minutes down the road and I'll come see you guys all the time."

"Promise?"

"No. I'm deliberately going to spend the rest of my days avoiding you."

Tessa threw a piece of popcorn at Matt's head. It bounced off and landed in his lap. Matt laughed and threw it back at her. "I'm kidding! Of course you'll still see me, Tessie. I'm insulted that you even have to ask! You guys are the closest I have to family these days, you know that. Plus I'll be coming here every time I want a decent meal. You'll be sick of the sight of me soon enough."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to insult you. I've just got too used to having you around these past few weeks. It's going to be hard letting you go."

"You big softie," Matt mocked. He reached out and squeezed Tessa's hand before helping himself to more popcorn.

"You seem really happy, Matt." Tessa observed.

"I am," Matt responded with a grin. "Being here with you guys, and with Tom, just feels so right. It feels like home. Tom is just... he's incredible. He has all these big dreams and ambitions, and such an amazing heart. What I have with him is special; I don't think I ever felt like this with Mitchell."

"It's pretty serious, isn't it?"

Matt nodded. "I –" He paused. He was shocked to find that he was on the verge of admitting his love for Tom.

Matt didn't get a chance to finish what he was going to say, because there was a knock on the door. In fact, it had actually sounded to Matt as if someone had collapsed against it. He glanced at Tessa quickly, who looked just as confused as he was.

Matt got up to answer the door, only to find Tom and Chris leaning against each other and swaying. They were drunk. Not unable to talk and face-planting the floor kind of drunk, but rather the giggling and trying to shush each other type of drunk. 

Matt couldn't help but laugh. He'd seen Chris like this a number of times before, but not Tom. It both pleased and amused Matt to see that his boyfriend had let his guard down somewhat and had been able to go out and have some fun.

Tessa sighed at the sight of her husband, who pulled himself away from Tom and stumbled towards her. Without each other for support, both Chris and Tom seemed to wobble even more than before.

"Chris! I thought you said you were going out for a couple of drinks!" Tessa exclaimed.

Chris conveniently ignored Tessa's protest and threw his arms around her. "I love you, my wonderful Tessie. Have I told you that recently? Because.... it's true. Guys! Look! Isn't my wife so beautiful?" His was speaking rather slowly, as if trying to make sure he could pronounce each word correctly and conceal the fact that he was drunk.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "You are unbelievable, seriously." Matt was struggling to contain his laughter. Tom was laughing freely at his side, leaning against the wall for balance. 

"Okay, I'm going to get my idiot husband up to bed so that he can sleep it off."

Matt nodded and turned to Tom. "I guess I better call Tom a taxi, I can't drive him home after those glasses of wine."

"No, don't bother with calling for a taxi, it's late and it'll cost you a bloody fortune in this town," Tessa said as she pushed Chris towards the stairs, where he stumbled on the first couple of steps and started to laugh. "Tom can sleep here. He's stayed before, it's not a problem."

Matt nodded. He supposed that would be the easier solution, anyway. "Alright well I'll set up the sofa with sheets and things. Should I get the duvet from the second guest bedroom?"

"No, Matt. You're a grown man. Tom can stay in your room. Just don't...you know, do anything too loud."

Matt looked over at Tom, who was trying to stand and swaying ever so slightly. He looked confused, as if he wasn't quite sure where he was or why he couldn't stand straight.

"Yeah, not likely," Matt laughed. "And you're sure that's fine with you?"

"Of course! I wouldn't expect you to separate me and Chris if we ever stayed with you, so why should it be any different with you and Tom?" Tessa was almost at the top of the stairs, and Chris was on the landing looking lost. She lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. "I better get him to bed before he wakes Joseph. Goodnight, you two." She couldn't resist giving them both a quick wink before turning to grab Chris' arm and directing him towards their room.

"Come on then, babe." Matt hauled his boyfriend to his side and guiding him up the stairs. Once they were in the room Matt proceeded to help Tom undress, laughing every time Tom tried to kiss him and missed.

"Keep still!" Matt laughed.

"Can't. World keeps moving."

Once Tom's shoes, shirt and jeans were off, Matt undressed himself down to his boxers and pulled back the bed covers.

"You are so amazing, Matthew."

"Mhm." Matt shot a doubtful look Tom's way. "You really are drunk, aren't you?"

"And you're the most gorgeous man in the world."

"That's nice to know," Matt laughed. "So I take it you had a good night?" Matt approached Tom and guided him towards the edge of the bed.

"Fant- abulous," Tom stumbled a little. "But not... not as good as if you had been there, and not as good as the time I spend with you, though. Nothing could ever beat that. Life is always better when you are there. You mean... you mean everything to me."

Matt blushed at that. They were things that he really wanted to hear from Tom but he didn't want to let himself believe the words just yet, especially coming from a drunken Tom who probably had no idea what he was saying. He lowered Tom into bed and then got in beside him. Tom turned to snuggle up against him and Matt chuckled, relaxing into the warm embrace. Tom started to trace lazy patterns across Matt's skin.

They lay like that for a very long time until they both managed to fall asleep. A couple of hours later, Matt was jostled awake by Tom who was returning to bed. He noticed that Matt was awake and grinned sheepishly. He placed a glass of water onto the nightstand before settling onto his back and pulling Matt into his arms. Matt let out a happy sigh and smiled.

"Sorry I woke you."

"That's okay, how are you feeling?"

"Rough," Tom laughed. Matt rested his head on Tom's chest and kissed the spot just above his heart. Tom's arms tightened around him.

"I meant what I said before," Tom whispered. "I want to stay like this forever; I don't want to ever let you go." Matt's heart soared. He was unbelievably happy to hear those words. He prayed that Tom really had meant what he'd just said and that it wasn't just the alcohol in his system talking. Matt didn't want to get his hopes up but he was sure that Tom must have sobered up at least a little bit by now.

Matt lifted his mouth to claim Tom's lips with his own before settling back down to sleep.

*******

Matt was filling his car with all his stuff. Tessa and Chris were at work, and Joseph was spending the day with his grandfather. Matt didn't mind packing up on his own, but Tom had insisted on trying to get out of work early so that they could use his car to transport Matt's stuff too, and he'd promised to help unpack everything once they'd taken it over to Matt's new home.

Furniture-wise, Matt had let Tessa pick out the necessities and they were being delivered in the week. Matt had already had the bed delivered, which he had assembled himself yesterday, and the sofas had arrived that morning. His new fridge and cooker had been delivered and fitted too, so his kitchen was now complete and the place was slowly starting to feel homely. 

Tonight, Matt would be spending his first night there. Tom planned to stay too, but Matt was currently trying to work up the courage to ask Tom about the possibility of living together. When he'd first viewed the house Matt had pictured it as a home they would share together, and time had only made that fantasy grow stronger. They'd been dating for almost two months now but part of him worried that Tom would think it was too soon to take such a big step. Regardless, Matt needed Tom around. He hated being apart from him, and ever since that night when Tom had opened up, the night that they had first made love, Matt found it difficult to be separated from him. He'd hated leaving at night, or driving away in the morning. He wished he could wake up next to Tom every day.

"Mattie."

Matt was trying to fit a box of books onto the back seat of his car when he heard the voice. He recognised it instantly, and there was only one other person who called him Mattie besides Tessa and Joseph. Matt spun around in shock and took a step back towards the house when he saw Mitchell standing at the end of the driveway. He looked kind of worn down and tired. His car was parked on the other side of the road and Matt was surprised that he hadn't heard him pull up.

"What the hell are you doing here? How did you know where I was?" Matt asked, looking rather stunned.

"Of course I knew you were here! We were together for two years, remember? I know you." Mitchell stepped closer to Matt while Matt attempted to back up to the front door and escape. Matt hadn't expected to see Mitchell ever again; he hadn't wanted to see him again.

"You don't know me, Mitchell. And how could I forget? It wasn't me who decided to flush our relationship down the toilet by screwing around."

"I'm really sorry Mattie, and that's why I'm here. I miss you, baby. I need you back."

"No, Mitchell. You don't need me back, and I don't want you back."

"But I said I was sorry and I really mean it. I don't understand what more you want from me."

"I don't want anything more from you, that's my point." Matt stopped backing away and sighed. "You were never any good for me and I was a fool to stick around for as long as I did. I can't deny that you hurt me, but do you want to know the truth? I'm actually glad that I caught you with Ben because it opened my eyes to the kind of guy you really are."

"But I'm not that guy! Not really! I can prove it to you!" Mitchell had begun to raise his voice. Matt was reaching the end of his tether too.

"Mitchell. Let's get this straight, alright? You cheated on me multiple times and then hit me. You have to understand that coming back to you would be the single most stupid thing I could possibly do. There is no way in hell that you and I could even be friends anymore, let alone go back to what we were. And what's more, I don't want to. I've moved on and I'm happy." Matt sighed. "I suggest you move on too."

"You don't mean that, Mattie." Mitchell took a step forward and shot a glance towards Matt's car. "Why are you loading your car with all those boxes? Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm moving. I've bought my own place. And I meant every single word I just said, Mitchell, so I think you ought to leave. Please."

"No, I'm not going anywhere." Mitchell closed the gap between them and covered Matt's mouth with his own. He wrapped his arms around Matt, who was frantically struggling to get free. It was no use; Mitchell was bigger and much stronger. Matt placed his hands on Mitchell's shoulders and he tried to push him away.

At that moment, a car pulled up on the curb beside them. Mitchell finally released Matt to look over his shoulder at the vehicle. Matt's heart lurched when he saw that it was Tom, looking straight over at them with hurt written all over his face and tears in his eyes. Matt pushed Mitchell aside and ran towards the car.

"Tom! Wait! It's not what it looks like!" Tom didn't hang around and wait for an explanation. He had driven off before Matt could do anything to stop him. "Fuck!" Matt shouted, before turning to face Mitchell. "Don't you fucking understand? I don't want you here - we are over. I've met someone else."

"What? Him?" Mitchell pointed to the space that Tom's car had occupied just moments before. "You can't have! D-Do you love him?" Mitchell sounded both shocked and upset.

"Yes, I do." Matt had never said the words to Tom, but he knew with all his heart that he was in love with him. His heart fluttered at the thought, despite having known it was true for a number of weeks now. Matt wished more than anything that he had told Tom this before now. "I love him more than I ever thought possible. More than I've ever loved anyone before. And now he's hurt when I promised I would never hurt him, all because you never fucking listen!" Matt was almost screaming.

Whilst Matt was about ready to explode, Mitchell seemed to have calmed a little. "I-I don't know what to say." Mitchell paused. "I've screwed things up for you again, haven't I?"

Matt sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes. He wanted to yell some more but he just couldn't. He felt sick and he had a killer headache coming on. "It sure looks that way, Mitchell. But Tom should come around when I explain what happened." He sincerely hoped he would, anyway. It was almost unbearable for Matt to consider the possibility that Tom wouldn't hear him out, wouldn't give him a chance to explain. What if Tom didn't believe him? Matt stopped that train of thought before it smothered him with feelings of panic and despair.

Mitchell was quiet for a moment. He glanced down at the ground and didn't meet Matt's eyes when he spoke next. "Well I hope he treats you right. Better than I did, anyway. You're special Mattie, and I wish I'd realised that sooner."

Matt hadn't expected that, but he wasn't about to thank Mitchell for his kind words. Too little too late, he thought. There was an awkward silence until Matt spoke. "Look, I've got to find Tom. I need you to leave."

Mitchell nodded and headed out of Chris and Tessa's driveway towards his car. "Take care of yourself, Matt." He paused. "I really do hope you can sort things with Tom."

Matt wanted to yell again, to tell him that things wouldn't need to be sorted with Tom if he'd just stayed away. Instead, he remained quiet and watched Mitchell get into his car and drive away. As soon as he was out of sight, Matt locked up the house in a hurry and jumped into his own car. He sped down the road towards Tom's place. He needed to get to him.

Matt supposed he was lucky that he arrived at Tom's in one piece considering he barely paid attention to what was going on outside his own mind and that, once he'd arrived at the house, he could barely remember the journey at all. His mind was focused on only one thing. Tom.

Tom's car wasn't in the driveway. Matt jumped out of his own car and pounded on the front door anyway. Unsurprisingly, there was no answer. He peered through the front window, although he knew that it wouldn't help him find Tom. He flipped open his phone and dialled Tom's number. It went straight through to voicemail.

"Tom, it's Matt. Please call me, baby. It's not what it looked like, I promise. Please, we need to talk."

He hung up and stared at his phone for a few seconds. Perhaps even a couple of minutes, he wasn't sure. Tom wasn't here, and he wasn't going to answer Matt's calls. 

Matt really started to panic. His hands were shaking and he could barely stand. He collapsed to his knees and leaned against Tom's front door. He needed to find Tom. He needed to tell him how much he loved him. He would not let it end like this.



Right Where I Belong Ch. 04



Authors note: This is the last chapter of the series, so I hope you enjoyed reading Matt and Tom's story. Thanks once again for all the comments and feedback, it's lovely to hear from you all and I really appreciate your support!


This chapter is shorter than the rest (my apologies for that) but it's probably because I found it the hardest one to write. I wanted Matt and Tom to have the perfect ending, so this was actually my 'take two' because I didn't like my first draft.

Thanks for reading! I adore you all ;)

*******

Matt thought he might go crazy. He tried not to panic so that he could think clearly and plan out his next moves, but nothing could purge Matt from the feelings of despair and desperation that he was currently suffering with. His heart felt as if it were in a steel vice, on the verge of being crushed beyond all repair. His whole body ached with fear and he felt sick with anxiety and hopelessness.

Matt wasn't sure how long he sat in Tom's driveway, but his backside had gone numb and he was practically shivering when he realised that his phone was ringing. It was Tessa.

"Matt?! Where the hell are you? I got home and found boxes of your stuff in the driveway, and your wallet is on the side in the kitchen, and the front door wasn't even locked properly!" She sounded frantic with worry. "I've been calling you for the last hour!"

She had? He hadn't heard his phone ring. How odd. Matt realised that he couldn't really remember much from the past few hours. He'd been lost in his own mind, leaving him practically oblivious to the outside world.

Matt wasn't bothered about the boxes he'd left behind or the fact that he'd left the house without his wallet. None of that stuff was important.

"Have to seen Tom?" He asked. "I'm waiting for him to get home. He's not here yet. I don't know where he is. He's – where would he go, Tessa? I have absolutely no idea where to start looking, so I'm just sitting here, freezing my arse off, and he's not here. I – I..." Matt stopped talking. He knew he wasn't making any sense.

"What's going on, Mattie?"

Matt's eyes began to sting. He felt like curling up into a ball and sobbing his heart out right there in Tom's driveway. No. Matt knew that this was not the time for a breakdown, not if he wanted to find Tom and put things right.

"Mattie please, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Say something."

He took a deep breath and explained to Tessa what had happened. Matt told her about the promises he'd made to never betray Tom's trust and to never hurt him, and how Mitchell had turned up and ruined everything. Tessa sounded more and more outraged by the second, and by the time Matt had told her about Tom seeing Mitchell forcing himself on him, she was practically hysterical.

"I can't believe that bastard had the nerve to show up at MY house! If I had been there, I swear to God I would have punched him so hard..."

"Tessa!" Matt shouted. He shook his head, as if to clear it. "I honestly don't care, alright? Mitchell is not worth thinking about. All I care about is Tom. I'm head over heels in love with him, Tessa, and I need to find him so that I can make things right. Do you have any idea where he could be?"

Tessa was silent for a moment. "Have you tried calling Ashley?"

Ashley! Of course! Matt scolded himself for not thinking to call her sooner. He guessed he just wasn't thinking clearly at all right now. "That's probably where he is, with Ashley! You're a genius!" Matt couldn't wait any longer; he needed to call her right away. "I have to go, but thanks Tessa."

"No problem, Mattie. And don't worry, alright? Tom will understand once you explain the situation, just go easy on him. He's bound to be a little fragile right now. He told you about his past with Jason, so surely you must understand that this is going to be difficult for him."

"Yeah I know, and thanks again Tessie." He hung up then checked his phone. The screen showed that he had four missed calls from Tessa. None from Tom, though. He dialled Ashley, praying that she could help him.

"Ashley Owins speaking."

"Hi Ashley, it's Matt."

"Matt! I can't believe that you have the cheek to call me! What the hell did you do to my brother, huh?!" Ashley started. She didn't give him a chance to respond before continuing. "It makes absolutely no sense at all! I expected more from you, I really did."

"You've heard from Tom? Where is he? Is he with you? What did he say?" Matt couldn't hold back all the questions, but there was only one that really mattered. "Is he okay?"

"I'm telling you nothing until you explain yourself." Ashley sounded furious and it completely frightened him; Ashley had never been anything other than bubbly and friendly until today. It made Matt wonder what kind of a state Tom was in. His stomach dropped and he felt unbelievably sick. His whole body felt weak and shaky, and it was a good job he was already sitting down or he probably would have collapsed.

"It's all just a terrible misunderstanding. My ex turned up and he forced himself on me. I tried to push him away, but it's not like I'm a big guy and he wouldn't budge. I didn't want him to kiss me, I swear. Tom saw and he– he– Oh God."

Matt could barely speak and he had to pause and take a deep breath before he could say anything more. "I'd never cheat on Tom, never. I wouldn't hurt him like that. I love your brother so much, Ashley. I need to find him so I can tell him that, and so I can explain that what he saw isn't what he thinks it was. I'd never do anything to cause him pain. You have to believe me. Please, Ashley, please help me find him." 

Once again, Matt found that he was practically in tears. He lowered his head to rest it against his knees and wiped at his eyes to try and rid them of the moisture that was only moments away from escaping.

Ashley was silent for a moment before she sighed. "I believe you, Matt." She paused. "He left the office here about five minutes ago, and as far as I know he's heading straight home."

"Thank God." A spark of hope ignited in Matt's heart; Tom was on his way back here and Matt would be able to explain everything. Matt would get his chance to tell Tom how he felt, to wrap Tom in his arms and never let him go.

"He's really hurting, Matt."

"I know, and I can't put into words how sorry I am that I made him feel that way. I'd give anything to turn back the clock and change what happened. I just hope I can make it right."

"Yeah, so do I. I'll catch you later."

Matt hung up then pulled himself up from the floor. There was dirt on his jeans, and he tried to brush it away. He couldn't really see what he was doing; his vision was blurred by the tears in his eyes.

Matt couldn't keep still as he waited for Tom. He paced across the driveway, heart pounding and hands shaking, until he saw Tom's car round the corner at the end of the street. It felt as if he'd been waiting for hours, when really it could only have been ten or so minutes since he'd spoken to Ashley. 

When Tom noticed Matt in his driveway, he slowed. Matt suddenly panicked, thinking Tom would turn around and drive away again, but then he pulled the car into the drive and just sat there for a moment.

Matt did nothing. He didn't want to anger Tom or upset him further. He stood by the house and waited until Tom stepped out of the car. Tom wouldn't meet Matt's eyes; he just stood there with his keys in his hand, staring down at the ground. It broke Matt's heart.

"Hi," Matt's voice was shaky and thick with unshed tears. Matt cleared his throat. "Can we talk? Please?"

Tom didn't answer. After a few moments of silence he nodded, then moved past Matt towards his front door. He opened it and signalled for Matt to go in first but still wouldn't meet his eyes. Matt jammed his hands in his pockets and made his way inside.

Tom closed the door behind him and slowly turned to face Matt. There was an awkward silence while Matt tried to gather his thoughts. He didn't know exactly what he was going to say to make Tom listen, but he supposed the truth would be the best place to start.

"Tom, I am so sorry but –"

Tom cut him off mid-apology. "How could you do this to me, Matt? I trusted you. I don't understand; did I do something wrong?"

"No! Of course you didn't!"

"Then what is it? Why were you kissing that guy? He was your ex, wasn't he? I mean, he sure looked like the guy from the pictures at your flat. And fine, perhaps you don't want me, and perhaps you don't feel the same way for me as I do for you. But you'd go back to him? Really? After the way he treated you?"

"Tom, slow down a second and let me explain. You've got this all wrong –"

"You promised you wouldn't hurt me, Matt." Tom's voice broke at the end, and it was all Matt could do to stop himself from breaking down in tears and begging for forgiveness at Tom's feet.

"Please, you have to let me explain."

"Why should I?"

"Because I love you!" Matt hadn't meant to say it like this, but he'd felt as if Tom was slipping away. He sighed before rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'm in love with you, Tom. I know I broke my promise but I didn't hurt you intentionally and it's not what you think. Please, Tom, look at me."

Tom finally met his eyes. It pained Matt to see that they were full of tears.

"I'm not going back to Mitchell. He just turned up and forced himself on me. I was trying to push him away. I don't want Mitchell, or anyone else for that matter. I only want you."

"But I saw you... you had your arms around him. I – I mean, that's what it looked like."

Tom looked so confused and vulnerable. It hurt Matt to see this side of Tom, the side of him that was damaged and afraid. When they'd first met, it had been Tom taking care of him. The tables had turned now, and Matt prayed that he could find the right words to show Tom exactly how he felt and to reassure him that he had nothing to be scared of, just like Tom had done for him.

"I didn't, I promise. I told him that I had met someone else and that he needed to leave. I feel nothing for him, Tom. My heart belongs to you. It has done since the day I first met you, and it will remain yours for as long as I live."

A tear fell down Tom's cheek, then another and another. Matt took a couple of steps forward. He was itching to pull Tom into his arms and hold him close.

"Please don't cry, baby. Seeing you like this is killing me."

Tom wiped his eyes before he spoke. "You... you really love me?"

Matt nodded. "More than anything. I wish I had told you sooner, so that we could have avoided this."

Tom rubbed at his eyes again as a fresh batch of tears made their way down his cheeks. This time, however, he let out a shaky laugh. "I love you too, Matt. So much."

Matt was elated to hear those words. He rushed forward to wrap his arms around Tom, who leaned down and pulled Matt to him. They both held on tight and Tom rested his face in the crook of Matt's neck.

"I'm so sorry," Matt whispered, running his hands down Tom's back in soothing motions. "I spent the last few hours going crazy with worry. I thought I was going to lose you."

"I'm sorry I overreacted," Tom mumbled into his shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright. You don't need to apologise, I understand why you acted the way you did. I'd probably have been the exact same. It's sorted now and that's all that matters."

There were a few moments of silence where they just held onto each other. Both seemed reluctant to let go or pull away. Tom chuckled and lifted his head to meet Matt's eyes. His eyes were shiny and his eyelashes were damp from his tears. "I can't believe you love me."

"Well you better start believing it," Matt winked. 

"I think I fell in love with you straight away," Tom started, his voice barely above a whisper and rough with emotion. "That second time I saw you, do you remember? When you were sleeping on Tessa's sofa with Joseph in your lap? You looked so beautiful and peaceful. I think that was when I realised I needed to be with you. I had to get to know you; I needed to make you mine."

Matt gave Tom a quick peck on the lips. "Well I'm yours, babe. Please don't ever forget that."

"I'm yours too," Tom responded, nuzzling his nose against Matt's and claiming his lips in another kiss.

Matt pulled Tom towards the lounge and then signalled for him to sit down on the sofa. Matt sat next to him and rested his head on Tom's shoulder. He closed his eyes, listening to Tom's steady heartbeat and savouring the moment.

Matt suddenly remembered what had been going on before Mitchell had made his unwelcome appearance. He was supposed to be moving into his new home this evening.

"Crap. I need to head back to Tessa's and collect the rest of my things. I was in such a rush to find you that I think I left half of my stuff in her driveway," Matt said, thinking back to his frantic call from Tessa.

"We can go there now if you want. I did promise to help you, after all."

"Not yet, I want to stay like this for a little longer." 

Matt pulled himself even closer to Tom's side. He was so comfortable here, so at peace now that everything was sorted and he knew that Tom loved him back. He'd been working up the courage to ask Tom something for a while now, and he decided that this was perhaps an ideal moment.

"I want you to stay with me at the house."

Tom chuckled. "I promised I would, didn't I?"

"I don't just mean for tonight, I'm talking about forever."

"What do you mean?" Tom sounded confused.

"Move in with me." Matt bit his lip as he waited for Tom's response. His heart was beating fast and he was too nervous to look up at Tom to try and gauge his reaction. Tom gently cupped Matt's chin and lifted his face so that their eyes met.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do. I've been trying to work up the nerve to ask you for a while now. I love you, and I swear there's nothing I want more than to wake up next to you every day." Matt paused. He wondering briefly whether he'd end up scaring Tom away, being this open about his feelings. "You don't have to give me an answer now or anything. You can take some time to think about it."

Tom smiled but he looked like he was about to cry again. In fact, Matt felt pretty close to tears himself. Neither man had ever been much of a crier before, but the last few hours had been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster for them both.

"I don't need time to think, I already know what I want," Tom whispered. He pecked Matt on the lips. "Of course I'll move in with you. I love you so much, babe."

It finally got to be too much for Matt. After the awful fear of thinking he'd lost Tom, and then to the proclamations of love and now this, Matt couldn't hold back the tears any more. Tom cradled Matt's face and wiped the tears away with his thumbs before claiming Matt's lips with his own. The kiss was filled with passion and lust, but mostly with love. Matt wrapped his arms around Tom's neck and pulled him close. He broke the kiss but kept the embrace, gently resting his forehead against his lover's. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"As much as I'd like to stay in this moment forever, we ought to get a move on. We've got boxes to pack and a house to make a home."

*******

Matt and Tom held hands as they walked into their new house. It was pitch black, so Matt flicked on the lights and looked around at the front room that they were standing in. Matt was quite literally seeing the place in a whole new light, for this wasn't just going to be his home now, but their home. Matt loved the sound of that. The house was pretty bare at the moment, but once they moved in all of their belongings Matt knew that the place would look absolutely perfect.

"Shouldn't we make a start on unloading the cars?" Tom asked.

"Nah, we can leave it until the morning. Unpacking is the last thing I want to do right now," Matt said with a wink.

"Oh, you had something else in mind?" Tom laughed.

"I did, actually." Matt wrapped his arms around Tom's waist and pulled him in close, rubbing himself against his partner to demonstrate exactly the kind of thing he had in mind.

"I can't believe that I'm here with you, that you really want to share your home with me."

"This is our home, baby. What do I need to do to make you start believing it? We can start moving your things in tomorrow. We can decorate the rooms together and argue about what goes where, and you can call your landlord, and I can put your name on the deeds, and you can start posting out those little change of address postcard things that overly-organised people send."

Tom laughed. "I think I get the picture."

"Good. Now come with me, we have a new bed to christen and I want to show you just how much I love you."

With that, Matt took Tom's hand and pulled him upstairs towards his bedroom – their bedroom – and did just that. If Tom had ever doubted his love and devotion before, Matt hoped that he wouldn't any longer.

*******

One year later....

Matt was sitting on the sofa watching TV when Tom arrived home. He was late, but he'd called Matt to say that he needed to stay behind and help a few of his students with their dissertation proposals. 

Tom had been working at the local University for nearly two months now and he clearly loved every second of it, even with all the papers and essays he had to bring home and mark. Matt was extremely proud of him, telling anyone who'd listen about his genius boyfriend.

"Hey babe," Tom came over and planted a kiss on Matt's forehead.

"There's dinner in the microwave," Matt said without looking away from the TV. "It not been out for long so it'll still be warm, a minute or so should do it."

"Ah, I knew I kept you around for something other than sex," Tom joked.

"Oi! Watch it, mister," Matt laughed.

Matt listened to Tom moving around in the kitchen, heating up his dinner and helping himself to some juice from the fridge. He smiled to himself. Matt was insanely happy. His life with Tom was perfect. They had their share of fights and disagreements like every couple, and they argued about stupid little things like whose turn it was to pop to the shops and who used the last of the toothpaste and forgot to replace it, but they loved each other. In the end, that was all that mattered.

After Tom had eaten his dinner and washed his plate, he joined Matt in the lounge. Matt noticed that Tom seemed a little preoccupied, but he put it down to a long day at work.

"Get over here, gorgeous," Matt said, lying across the sofa and patting the space next to him. Tom made his way over with a smile. Even after being together for more than a year, that smile still managed to take Matt's breath away. 

Tom loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt before lowering himself on top of Matt and claiming his lips in a warm, passionate kiss. Matt pulled away to gently stroke Tom's cheek, and then turned onto his side so that Tom could wrap his arms around him and pull him close. Tom let out a happy sigh as he tightened his hold and placed kisses on the back of Matt's neck every now and then.

"We need to talk," Tom whispered into Matt's ear as he nibbled playfully at the earlobe.

"We do? I was about to suggest something a little different," Matt joked, pushing back to lightly grind his butt against the bulge in Tom's trousers.

"I'm being serious."

Tom pulled himself up into a seated position and Matt followed suit, suddenly feeling a little worried. He tried to rack his brain for what this could be about, but came up short. He reached for the remote and turned the TV off, giving Tom his full attention.

"What is it? Nothing's wrong, right?"

"No, everything's great." Tom paused to kiss Matt's cheek. "It's nothing bad, I promise. I just want to ask you something." Matt crossed his legs on the sofa and turned to face Tom. 




Right Where I Belong Ch. 04



"Okay then." He held Tom's hand in his own and rested them both on his lap. "Ask away."

"Well... you know I love you, right?" Tom asked.

"I know, baby. I love you too." Matt said with a smile.

"And you're happy with me, aren't you?" Tom was beginning to sound a little nervous and unsure.

"Of course I am! Why would you even have to ask that? You must realise that this is the happiest I have ever been. You make me so happy." Matt gave Tom's thigh a gentle squeeze in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture.

Tom's wide smile was beautiful, and Matt's heart fluttered. "Really, you mean that?"

"I mean it with all my heart. You're everything to me. "

"Well in that case, I only have one more thing I need to ask you." Tom paused as he slid off of the sofa and onto his knee in front of Matt. He pulled something out of his pocket before he continued. "I want absolutely everything with you, Matt. You are my whole entire world and I love you more than life itself. I can't even picture my life without you in it." Tom opened his hands to reveal a ring box, and inside sat a beautiful platinum band. Matt had tears in his eyes as he looked from the box to Tom. He couldn't believe this was happening; his heart was pounding hard in his chest and his palms were clammy with sweat.

"Matthew Webbe, will you marry me?"

Matt let out a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "Of course I'll marry you!" He flung himself at his partner, his fiancé, and the love of his life. Matt wrapped his arms around him and held on tight. "I love you so much. God, you scared me for a moment there. I thought you wanted to leave me or something."

"Leave you?" Tom laughed, tightening his hold on his partner. "Not in a million years, Matt. I'm right where I belong here with you."

Matt pulled away and smiled. He remembered saying the exact same thing to Tom a while back. "Wasn't that my line?"

"I think it was. You don't mind if I borrow it, do you?" Tom asked with a grin.

"What's mine is yours, babe."

Matt tangled his fingers in his fiancé's hair and pulled him down for a kiss. He held on tight, not ever wanting to let go. Life really was perfect, and Matt couldn't wait to spend the rest of it with Tom by his side.

~ The End ~