Stephew One Shots (MatPat x Stephanie)

Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars

Thanksgiving was easily Matthew's favourite holiday, hands down, no questions about it. Seeing family and friends, being thankful for everything one has, plus eating as much food as physically possible; what's not to love?

That hadn't stopped him from being terrified about it this year. Not only was he far away from his family in Ohio, but he was instead in North Carolina. To make things even more terrifying he was spending the holiday with his girlfriend Stephanie's family for the first time.

However, somehow things hadn't been a total train wreck, he even had made a good impression on Steph's grandparents.

And now he and Stephanie had thrown on every scarf, sweatshirt and coat they had with them before trekking out into the cold night air. Steph had suggested they go for a walk to a nearby park, and Matt had agreed it sounded lovely. As soon as they left sight of her house, Matthew felt a weight slip off him, finally away from the scrutinising eyes of his girlfriend's family. For the first time in hours, maybe days even, it truly was just the two of them.

With a hint of shyness, he slid his fingers between hers, still marvelling at how even in gloves their hands fit together like two pieces in a satisfying game of Tetris.

A shy silence filled the air, as neither was quite ready to speak. They had barely been dating over a month, but seeing as they'd been friends for many months now Steph had felt it'd be rude to not invite him to Thanksgiving, especially considering he had no plans to return to Ohio for the occasion.

"So, did you go to this park often as a child?" His curiosity broke the quiet, his breath catching like fog in the cold air.

"Yeah, pretty often. When I wasn't playing with the neighbourhood kids or off exploring the forest behind my house, if I was outside I was probably at the park." A smile of fond memories played at her lips.

"I loved the park near my house growing up because it had the best playground. Swings, multiple slides, you name it, it felt like the playground was sure to have it."

"Yeah, the playground here has certainly had an update since my days," she said, nodding to the colourful metal and plastic construction that shone in the moonlight, a faint hint of snow still embedded in some areas giving off a glint of white. Briefly Matthew's mind suggested it looked somewhat like the cheeky glint Stephanie would sometimes get in her eyes.

Silence settled between them again, but it was the comfortable quiet in which everything felt at peace. The slightly orange lights of the park gave everything a soft glow and made every small patch of ice shimmer.

There was a quaint bench right near the middle of the park facing the pond where a few brave ducks were still paddling around in the icy waters. Together they spread out the rug they had brought with them out on the bench before sitting down, Matthew wrapping his arm around Stephanie and pulling her close. In the stillness, he was sure they could both hear his rapidly beating heart, which still practically had a heart attack anytime he and Steph touched.

"Thank you so much for inviting me over for Thanksgiving Steph, it really means a lot to me. Your family are lovely, just as I imagined considering how lovely you are. I really hope I managed to make a good impression between stuffing my face with turkey and accidentally burning my toast because a certain someone caught my eye," his free hand ran through his hair as he remembered the many ways he had managed to embarrass himself over the past few days.

But then Stephanie laughed, and he couldn't hold back his smile at the adorable sound. She really was the most beautiful person on the planet.

"From what they've told me so far, they all like you quite a bit, despite your goofiness," she said, a grin spread across her face from the joyful memories. "Besides, when you weren't making a fool of yourself, you were really helpful and considerate, and had some really interesting discussions. And I think some of my relatives enjoyed your puns a bit too much."