Title: Graduation
Author: Fyre_Myst
Email: fyre_myst@hotmail.com
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Matt, but Sam is mine (it's me!! YAY!!) Oh, and I do not own the song "Friends Forever (Graduation)" by Vitamin C, it is used without permission (song lyrics at the end).
Distribution: Ask first
Summary: Matt and his girlfriend (ME!!) discuss their lives after Graduation (I can't write summaries for sh!t!)
Feedback: Send send send!! Ok, I think this fic's pretty crap, but it's saved by the thought of me and Matt : )

"Ssh..." Matt whispered as he led me out of the school auditorium, away from the lights and music, until we had reached our special spot, the large tree, under which we'd shared our first meeting, our first lunch together, our first kiss. We both sat on the grass, Matt behind me, his arms encircling my, making me feel safe, not caring if we ruined our clothes. We both knew we'd never wear them again anyway.

"Wow..." I whispered. "Senior prom, and all I can think is how sad I'll be to go...you know, I'm actually gonna miss this place."

I could feel Matt smiling against the back of my neck, as he nuzzled me. "I can't believe it's almost over, it feels like yesterday that I was a freshman."

"Hmm...I know what you mean, I can't believe that it's been three years since I moved here, almost two and a half that we've been together..." I drifted off, thinking about all of the amazing things Matt and I had been through. As if reading my thoughts, he spoke.

"Do you remember when we first met?" he asked, "Underneath this here tree...?"

"How could I forget, my first day, and we ran right into each other..." I smiled at the memory, damn, I was lucky to have run into such an amazing person. P> "Maybe from your point of view," Matt said sweetly, "But from where I was standing, I got knocked head over heels by you."

"Aww...Mattie...how did I get lucky enough to be with you?"

"I don't know...I guess someone up there likes you..." he joked, and grinned as I slapped him playfully.

"Don't worry, baby," he ammended, "someone down here likes you, too..."

I blushed slightly. I could never grow tired of hearing him speak. The things he said, and the way he said them always put a smile on my face. "Hey, do you remember when Bobby Reeves totally choked on final Maths Exams last year? That was classic, dropping from an A+ like that, just because he tried too hard..."

"Yeah," Mattie laughed, "Or the time that Andrea told off Mr Anson for giving her a D-, when it was a B-, and she just misread!"

I sighed, realising that I would be leaving for California in a few days. "Mattie...?"

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Well, we only have two days until I leave for California...and..." I take a deep breath, trying to hold back tears, "and I...I'm gonna miss you so bad, Matt...I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do it."

I felt my tears slip down my cheeks, and noticed one land on Matt's hand. He reached up to brush away the others.

"Baby, this is what you worked so hard for...you tried so hard to get into UCLA, and you've done it. I don't wanna hold you back, you know I'll always support you..." I heard Matt's voice crack, and felt a warm wetness on the back of my neck. It was then that I realised, Matt, my evercalm, perpetually strong Matt, was crying too. This only served to increase my tears.

"Oh, Mattie...I don't...I can't...I just..."

"Ssh..." Matt said, pressing his thumb to my lips, and leaning in to whisper in my ear. "I know..."

"I just feel like we'll be coming back next year...I guess I just thought we'd always be this way together, you and me...you know? I'm really excited, but I'm scared, too. I didn't ever think that things might change."

"They won't, not with you and me...no matter how far away you are...so let's not say goodbye...?"

I smiled, "It's not goodbye..." I agreed, "It's just our time to fly, Mattie."

"Yeah," he smiled sadly, "but wouldn't it be nice if we could fly together?"

"Do me a favor Mattie...? Talk to me. If there's anything you need to say, it has to be now...because in 48 hours, it'll be too late...and I don't want us to regret that...I don't want there to be anything left in the air between us..."

"What do you want me to say...?"

"Anything...everything...I just keep thinking that we're not gonna have times like this anymore. We can't spend all our time sitting together, and talking like we have in the past. It'll all be harder, and..."

"I love you." It was so soft, I almost didn't hear it. More of a release of breath than a confession that he'd never made in the past. We both knew that we loved each other, but we'd never said it, it had never seemed the right time, but now that it had been spoken, it seemed perfect.

"I love you, too," I whispered, before tears took over. Matt pulled me closer to him, and kissed the top of my forehead, before turning my head with his hand, and kissing away more tears.

"No more tears, okay, baby?"

"I should say the same to you," I joked, wiping the few tears that had escaped this control. He smiled at me, and kissed my lips lightly.

"Do you wanna get out of here?"

"Yeah."

Matt helped me up, and we walked slowly to the limo, Matt's arms firmly around my waist. He helped me into the limo, and we sat in comfortable silence, for the first few minutes of the ride.

"What are you thinking about?" Matt asked me.

"My birthday, last June...it was so perfect, Mattie...you were so careful with me, like you thought I would break..." I smiled softly, and saw my statement mirrored on his face.

"I thought you would. I was so nervous...I just wanted our first time to be special, and it was your birthday, I just wanted to make you so happy..." Matt confessed, smiling a little at the memory.

"I was scared," I admitted, "But I knew you wouldn't hurt me..." I laughed a little, "I think Mom knew...but she would never say anything. I think that all of the hours of phone calls day after day following might have clued her in."

"Matt chuckled, interlacing our fingers. "Yeah..." He sighed. "Damn, I'm gonna miss this...you...us...all of it."

I looked up at him, and smiled sadly. "Me, too, Mattie, but we don't have to miss it..."

"Huh?"

"I love you, Mattie, you're my life, I'd do anything for you. I want us to be together, but I know you can't leave Jeffy. Just say the word, and I'll stay..."

I could see the tears welling up in Matt's eyes again, and for a second I thought he'd do it. "I...I can't," he answered. "I can't be that selfish, baby, what about your degree?"

"How can it be selfish, if it's for us? I can get a degree anywhere, Mattie..." I said, trying to convince him. For some reason, I felt that if he didn't ask me to stay, I couldn't. I needed to hear it from someone more important to me than myself, and that someone was Matt.

"I...I could come with you..." I knew he didn't really mean that. He would if I wanted him to, but all of his dreams were here, they weren't exactly 'transferable' like mine...

"No, you can't, Mattie. Your dream is to wrestle with Jeffy, and you know you can't do that is one of you is across the country. Stop thinking about me, and think about us Mattie. Think about it logically. I can still do what I want to do. It may not be on as large a scale, but I don't care about that...I just wanna be with you..."

"But your education...it's what you've..."

"...always wanted, I know, but...but Mattie, what good are my dreams if I can't share them with my soulmate...? Please Mattie, just say it. I need this so much. I need to be with you...please..." I pleaded, my tears soaking the boddess of my dress.

"I...I...I love you Sammy, please stay? I don't want you to go," Matt said honestly, letting the tears flow freely down his face.

"You know I will, Mattie." I nodded almost imperceptibly, tears streaking down my face, as he wiped them away. "It's all priorities, and our relationship will always be my first. I can fulfill my dreams here...I guess I just wanted the extra sparkle on my degree," I joked.

He grinned honestly, with more light in his eyes than I'd seen since we first talked about my moving. We were silent for a few moments, just content to be together. It was Matt who broke the silence.

"I was thinking," he said. "I'm gonna be getting my own place soon...and...I'd hate to live all alone..."

My eyes widened, and I stared at him, shocked.

"What?" he smiled, "You didn't think I wouldn't take full advantage of you staying, did you??"

My smile broke into a full on stupid grin, and I flung my arms around him, and kissed him with all the love I had for him. When we finally broke apart, I nuzzled into Matt's chest, and once again, Matt was the first to break the moment. "Wow..." he whispered, "Does that mean you'll move in with me?"

"Of course!! I love you, Mattie."

"I love you, too, baby."

"Mattie? I told you it was a time to fly."

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Graduation-By Vitamin C

And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25
I keep thinking times will never change
Keep on thinking things will always be the same
But when we leave this year we won't be coming back
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track
And if you got something that you need to say
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day
Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down
These memories are playing like a film without sound
And I keep thinking of that night in June
I didn't know much of love
But it came too soon
And there was me and you
And then we got real cool
Stay at home talking on the telephone with me
We'd get so excited, we'd get so scared
Laughing at our selves thinking life's not fair
And this is how it feels

1 - As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever

So if we get the big jobs
And we make the big money
When we look back now
Will our jokes still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?
Still be trying to break every single rule
Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?
Can we ever find a job that won't interfere with a tan?
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly
And this is how it feels

Repeat 1

La, la, la, la
Yeah, yeah, yeah
La, la, la, la
We will still be friends forever
Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there?
Can we make it somehow? (somehow...)
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?
Will these memories fade when I leave this town
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly

Repeat 1 (3x)

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