"Hey" I felt him kissing my head softly, waking me up. "It's five I didn't know how long you wanted me to let you sleep" he said softly.

"It's five?" I asked sitting up straighter. "You just sat here and let me sleep on you all that time?" I looked at him curiously.

"Of course I did...but now I have to go to the bathroom" he kissed my forehead quickly getting up.

I shook my head with a light laugh.

"So" he started as he threw himself on the couch in the spot he had been previously once he had come back "you have any plans for dinner?"

"Not one" I breathed out, leaning back on the couch. "Emily is going out to dinner with some people, want to stay for dinner? I can figure out something to make"

"I have a better idea" he looked over at me with a smile.

"Oh yeah?" I rose an eyebrow at him.

"Let me take you out for dinner" he turned to face me. "And before you ask, yes I will use it as an opportunity to show you why you should marry me and how great we would be together "

"Will dessert be involved?" I asked with a slight smirk.

"All the dessert you want sweetheart" he grinned, knowing he had me.

"I'm in, but I have to go change first" I explained moving to stand on my feet.

"Actually" he pulled me back gently by my arm. "I'm going to go home and change too, I'll pick you up at seven?" He looked at me hopefully.

"Sounds perfect" I smiled at him.

"I can't wait" he barely whispered leaning to kiss my cheek gently. "Wear something nicer, not overly nice but definitely nice" he said as he moved away from me.

"Got it" I breathed a laugh moving to close the door after Tyler left.

I quickly showered, curled my hair, did light makeup and picked out the perfect dress. I found myself hoping Tyler would like the dress I picked or the way my hair had been done, it was starting to throw me off.

Just as I finished getting ready, there was a knock at the door.

"Ready?" He smiled at me when I opened the door.

He was incredibly handsome. His casual dress clothes laid on his body perfectly, his hair was styled just right and he smelled amazing. Not at all how I had remembered him smelling growing up.

"I'm all ready" I smiled grabbing my keys.

"You look...breath taking" he ran a hand down my arm to take my hand in his.

"Thank you, you're quite handsome if I may say so" I spoke with a smile.

"Let's go beautiful" he gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

I looked at our hands with a smile realizing the night was going to be full of surprises.

"This is...not what I was expecting" I said taking in the moderately upscale restaurant as Tyler pulled out my chair so I could sit down.

"What were you expecting?" He asked with a chuckle taking his own seat. "Burgers at a local fast food place and eating outside?" He looked over at me with a smile.

"No" I nervously laughed with a shake of my head. Tyler gave me a look. "Ok kind of. But. To be fair that's more of the Tyler I'm used to, the Tyler I'm familiar with." I shrugged.

"Really?" He rose an eyebrow at me.

"We always had fun Ty, it didn't matter what we were doing"

"You know what? You're absolutely right" he said getting up from his seat and extending a hand to me.

"What are we doing?" I asked confused.

"We're going to be us and do what we do best, we're going to have fun. We're going to go to a place where we can talk and laugh as loud as we want, a place where we feel like we don't have to hold our breath...a place where we can just be us. Tyler and Mads."

"Burgers at a local fast food place?" I looked at him with a smile.

"We can eat outside" he answered with a light chuckle.

"Let's go" I took his hand as he pulled me up from my chair.

He muttered something to the hostess as we passed, resting a hand on my lower back and guiding me out of the restaurant.

"You know, I like this setting a lot better" I giggled looking over at Tyler.

We sat on top of a picnic table outside of a small, hole in the wall fast food place. His shirt was unbuttoned, my hair was thrown up sloppily and we both looked and felt much more comfortable. Plus the food was spot on, greasy and delicious just the way I liked it.

"Me too, reminds me of when we were younger. When our worst worry was the math test we had to take that week or what the cafeteria would be serving the next day"

"That was a good time in life...but you know it wasn't because our worries were minimal, it was because I got to spend it with you"

"I thought I was the only one that felt that way when we were kids" he grinned over at me.

"What way?" I rose an eyebrow at him.

"You know, that I enjoyed our time together. It wasn't the same when you weren't always right there"

"I had no idea you felt that way" I put my food down. "I just assumed you-"

"That I left, had a great life and never even thought about you?" He cut me off.

"Pretty much sums it up"

"Mads, I thought about you almost every single day. Did you think I didn't miss you?" I couldn't do anything but shrug. "I missed you like crazy but when you never returned my letters I just tho-"

"Hold on" I cut him off. "What letters?"

"I wrote you letters, kept you updated on how things were going in my life. I would have texted or called but I knew how much you liked the idea of letters and when you never wrote back or even called or texted or anything I just...I thought you moved on from me"

"I never got any letters" I said not even bringing my eyes to his.

"Well I wrote them, seven or eight of them and they never got sent back"

"I would have written back if I got them, I promise" I looked at him seriously.

"That makes me feel a little better" he chuckled through a breath.

"Alright let's go, I ate way too much and I need to get out of this dress" I hopped off the top of the picnic table offering out my hand.

"You know I can help you with that right?" He smirked at me as he took my hand and hopped off the picnic table as well.

"You wish Seguin" I giggled tugging him towards the car.

When we got back to my place, he surprised me yet again when he walked me all the way to the door.

"Thanks for what turned out to be a fun night" I stopped pulling out my keys. "You wanna come in?"

"Early practice tomorrow or I would, I just wanted to make sure you got in safely" he rubbed my upper arm.

"Wow, very gentlemanly of you" I joked nudging him a bit.

"Well" he started as he picked up my left hand. "You're wearing my ring and that makes me happy so I'm going to do anything I can to make you happy as long as you wear it"

"That's probably the sweetest thing you've ever said to me" I barely breathed out.

"You should really find those letters" he smiled leaning a bit closer. "Might help explain some things"

"I'll do my best" I stated as he brought his hands to either side of my face.

"Thanks for coming out with me tonight, that's the best time I've had in awhile. You know other than your birthday"

"Will you text me when you get home?" I wrapped my arms around his middle.

"Will you text me back?" He grinned at me.

"Definitely" I smiled as he brought my face to his and pressed his lips against mine.

After all the time I had known Tyler, with everything we had been through...that was our first kiss together. It was nothing like I would have expected. If I had thought about it I would have thought it would feel like kissing a relative, a brother even. But it ignited a fire inside me I didn't know existed.

I was falling for Tyler Seguin.

"Goodnight beautiful" he whispered his lips barely centimeters from mine still.

"Night" I managed to choke out as he walked away with a smile. "Ty" I called out after opening my door.

"Yeah?" He stopped turning around to face me.

"I never moved on from you" I said with a slight smile.

"Good" he returned the smile turning to leave again.

As I made my way inside to change, my entire body felt like jello. The night had proven to be more exciting than I would have ever thought.

I didn't know what ever came of the letters, I figured I would ask my parents if they knew anything about it in the morning. Had I known they existed, would it have changed anything? Would it have been a change for the better? Would things be any different today?