Nothing Revealed In A Common Crisis

Heart Out (5.4)

Make sure you read 5.3 first x

~*~*~*~ April 2007 ~*~*~*~

"Wheels, it's so good to see you. Thank you for coming," Matty says over the music in the large function room that held his own 18th birthday party.

He'd just spotted you walk in and Matty abandoned his boring family member to hastily make his way over to you.

"I've missed you Curly," You say as you throw your arms around his waist.

He was now taller than you so it was a new interaction. It used to be Matty's arms around your waist and yours over his shoulders.

But Matty loved this new dynamic nevertheless.

"Missed you too," He told you with a huge smile as he kept you trapped in the hug a little longer.

"Happy birthday Matty," You softly say into his ear before you kiss his cheek.

The action surprised him, but he didn't let it show. It may now be seared into his memory for the rest of his life but he wasn't going to let you know that.

"Thank you Sweetheart," Matty grins before he reluctantly releases you from the hug.

You grin back at the birthday boy before saying, "I got you something."

"You didn't have to," Matty shakes his head, being polite.

"I mean I did," You laugh a little, "I've known you for a long time, I'm not gunna not get you a present for your eighteenth."

"Anything that needs to be given in private?" Matty smirks, letting his tongue run along his bottom lip as he studies your face.

You grin back, nudging him a little, "You wish."

"You're right..." Matty grinned at you, "I do."

Matty loved that you laughed a little at his flirting. His fingers were once again crossed that the prick you were going out with wasn't in the picture anymore but he somehow doubted it.

Since the club incident the previous summer, you had gotten closer to Matty. Whether it was just a stupid late night phone call where you needed to vent your feelings and you knew Adam would be asleep or just a little catch up.

Yours and Matty's phone calls always seemed to coincidentally start at 1:02am. And so all of Matty's favourite conversations were made in the a.m., because that's when he could speak to you openly without questions from anyone else around you.

He'd heard about your rocky relationship that you were still trying to hold on to. About how things had really changed with Peter and you were having arguments with him nearly all the time now. Matty even heard you stressing out over your degree that you'd now very nearly completed.

You'd grown a lot closer as friends, and Matty was happy about that. Even if eventually he couldn't call you his, he could at least say that you were now good friends.

"It's in the car outside but I'll give it to your Mum before we pack up and head into town if you want," You ask him and Matty nods gratefully.

"Of course. Thank you," Matty says, bringing you into another hug.

You murmur a 'you're welcome' into his ear and give him a tight squeeze. After that Matty directs you over to your Aunt, Uncle and Adam, Ross, and George were sat with them too.

Each of them gets up to hug you and Matty has to hold in his smile whilst he waits till George greets you last. He knew you were going to be shocked.