Work Text:
"Darling, are you-"
"Yes"
"But we-"
"No"
"Are you-"
"Yes"
"I do think-"
"No. And trust me"
Huffing at his short replies, Alex resolved not to say anything, and fell into step behind him as they traipsed through the strange forest Matt had insisted they go in for camping. It had been ages since they had had any quality time to spend together. As a result, as soon as the first free weekend rolled around, Matt made plans for them.
Topmost on his list was camping.
Camping itself wasn’t the problem.
"Matt, darling, I do think we are lost."
"NO. I know this trail, okay? I have read and re-read that map a hundred times. I know."
"Matt, I-"
Without turning around, he caught her hand in his, marching ahead like a soldier on a mission, “Come on, a little faith in your boyfriend, please?”
She pressed her lips together to hide the fond smile forming on her lips. There were times she felt unsure about this- them- where they were going with their relationship, and then there were moments like this, where he didn’t even have to look back to know where her hand was, that in their own wonky way reassured her.
"I still think we should ask someone for directions. There must be other people around here."
"A little faith, here!" he spoke a bit loudly to drown her complaints, and gripped her hand just that bit tightly. "I got this, alright. I got this. Trust your man a bit here, woman!"
This was the problem.
They were lost and Matt refused to ask anyone for directions. Deciding against it, Alex bit back the sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, choosing instead to dig her nails in his palm as a sign of protest.
After what seemed like hours of walking in circles, their legs protesting, they finally decided to stop and reassess their situation.
Taking a sip from her water bottle, Alex tried to be patient, “Matt, darling, I hate to tell you, but we have been walking in circles-“
"No." Cutting her off, Matt continued, "See? Look at this map here, we are at the right trail. Just a little down the hill, and a left turn there, and a bit of a walk, and we should be right at our spot- see the tiny ‘x’. I know this, okay. I know."
Patience was only going to last so long. “No, you don’t! If you could even bother to listen to me for a moment, and look around us properly instead of inside your larger than possible head, you would see we have crossed that same sign at least a dozen times in the span of 4 hours, and we are most definitely lost with no way out!”
With every word her voice grew louder. Taking a deep breath after finishing, Alex took a look at Matt who was looking at her, stunned into silence and eyes wide. The sudden burst of irritation fading, Alex slid down, sitting cross legged on the ground.
"Oh"
"Yes. Oh."
"I-uh-", without completing his thought, Matt turned on his heels and marched off in the other direction before Alex could think or say anything.
Great. Just great, she thought bitterly. At least the others had had the decency of leaving her- well- not in a forest. Too exhausted to be upset about it, Alex pulled her backpack closer for some semblance of protection, and leaning her head against the boulder behind her, closed her eyes. She only needed a few moments’ rest before she could think clearly.
Oh and who knew her imagination could be strong enough to make a large, rough and cold piece of rock feel like a warm, welcoming embrace?
The thought alone was enough to nudge her wide awake. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the first thing Alex noticed was the pair of arms holding her close and a heartbeat in her ear. She moved a bit, and came face to face with Matt. A breath she hadn’t realised she had been holding until now escaped her, and a few tears gathered in her eyes. Relieved, and a bit mortified at the tears, she quickly swiped them away and moved closer to Matt. As if on cue, his arms tightened around her and Alex moved her head to the crook of his neck, determined not to let him see the tears.
As much as she could, she tried to keep the sudden tremors away from her voice, “I thought you had left.”
She left me out, but he heard it anyway. Scoffing, he pulled her closer, dropping a kiss in her curls, “I wouldn’t leave you even if you wanted me to, Kingston. You are quite stuck with me, I’m afraid.”
She couldn’t hide her relief at his words and beamed up at him, before frowning at a thought. “Where did you go, then?”
Flushing a bit, Matt looked away, and quietly murmured, “Iwenttoaskfordirections.”
"Darling, I-", she looked up at him, clearly confused.
"I went to ask for directions! Alright? I went to ask for directions."
For some reason, it felt a little difficult to comprehend. Alex repeated, “You went to ask for directions?”
Bracing himself for a lifetime full of teasing, Matt admitted reluctantly, “I couldn’t just leave you here, could I? I had to find a way out. I did say “I’ll get us out of this place”, Alex.”
"Darling, if I remember correctly, your words were ‘I know this trail! Trust your man, woman!’"
"Oi!"