Matthew Gray Gubler Short Stories - Christmas Edition

Winter Wonderland #2

"Later on we'll conspire,

As we dream by the fire.

To face unafraid the plans that we've made,

Walkin' in a winter wonderland."

Littered with cushions, beanbags and blankets, the apartment floor had never looked so inviting to Y/N and Matthew. They were officially on winter vacation – Matthew from work and her from university – and never had the dark, cold nights had never been so welcomed. If only it could last forever. All too soon it would be time for him to take off for work again and she would be back roaming the halls and going to classes. Matthew had spent the day on a flight back from the UK on a promotional trip whilst Y/N had been wrapping up her last lecture of the year and now it was their time to just relax and hide away from the demands of their lives. Takeout boxes lay scattered on the coffee table to their left that they had moved out of the way in favour of sitting on the floor and putting the world to rights.

Cosied up against the sofa by the fire as they tried to defrost from their walk in the snow after dinner, Matthew traced lines up and down Y/N's side as she lay her head on his chest. Their chatter soon turned to sleepy talk of where the future would take them.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" He had been thinking of asking her this for a while now. They had been together for almost two years now and he couldn't visualise his life without her. He just hoped that she felt the same.

Y/N closed her eyes, "Hmmm... let's see. I want to be done with school for good and to have opened my own flower shop."

"What about us?"

"I have no doubt that we'll still be together." This warmed his heart. "What about you? Where do you see us in five years?"

Matthew didn't even have to think about it. "Hopefully married or engaged at the very least."

"Mhmm. I can get behind that." She could feel his presence change and she opened her eyes to glance up at him," Unless you were kidding about that then... "

"I've never been more serious in my life." He was now sat upright, intently staring in her eyes.

She smiled and he mirrored her tentatively.

Her eyes twinkled. "Then I stand by my words."

"So let's do it."

"Hang on, hang on. I want a proper proposal first – but when the time is right. We're both far too busy to take on planning a wedding as well." Her need for practicality was something that he adored. Whereas he could be impulsive and spontaneous, she had to think things through and in a way they levelled each other out.

"Who says I don't want you to propose to me?"

"Seriously?"

He nodded and she couldn't quite tell if he was joking or not.

"OK, then." She rubbed her hands together as she thought about all the ways she could surprise him. "You're not going to know what's hit you."