Fell In Love In Stages // a matty healy fanfic

Babe, You Look So Cool

Standing outside the Mercury Lounge with Noah, I stared up at the scrolling marquee: The 1975 Live at Mercury Lounge. The diodes glowed, bright against the night, casting a haze over the crowd lined up along the sidewalk. I tried to hold myself together, but the sight of those words sent me spiraling back in time. Back to Drive Like I Do days; back to the the sleepy streets of Wilmslow. Back to dive bars and the clatter of Matty's untamed ambition echoing in the dingy rooms where it all began.

I heard Noah clear his throat beside me, snapping me out of the daze. "Hello? Earth to Maple?"

"It's May," I snapped, harsher than intended. His startled expression made guilt flare in my chest. Softening, I added, "Sorry. Just... don't call me that. Call me T, please."

His lips twitched, but he nodded. "Okay."

I didn't explain the name's significance—or the memories it stirred. My mother was Maple, and I'd always been just May. Partners in crime. It wasn't until the day of her funeral that the name began to feel like a weight too heavy to bear.

The line shuffled forward. I smoothed down my dress, pretending my fingers weren't trembling. I'd agreed to come to support my old friends, but seeing Matty perform again? That was another story entirely. One Noah didn't know, and one I couldn't explain without unraveling myself.

"You're quiet tonight," Noah remarked, his hand brushing the small of my back as the line moved.
"Just tired," I lied, staring straight ahead.

When we stepped inside, the energy hit me all at once—bright lights, sticky floors, the buzz of anticipation crackling in the air. Noah kept close as we pushed through the crowd, his hand steadying me, but my attention was already elsewhere.

The stage was a blur of instruments and shadows, but I caught sight of Adam and Ross setting up. My heart surged, a giddy grin slipping onto my face before I could stop it. Ross looked leaner now, Adam taller and more confident. And George, well... He may have gotten a cooler haircut, but George was ever George, flipping Hann off with a cheeky grin as he twirled a drumstick in his fingers.

I let out a laugh, unable to help myself.
"What?" Noah asked, glancing at me curiously.
"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. "It's just... it's good to see them like this."

His brows furrowed. "You've got a bigger smile right now than I've seen in months."
I shrugged, deflecting. "Guess I didn't realize how much I missed them."

The lights dimmed, and my chest tightened as the spotlight snapped on, illuminating Matty Healy in all his glory. He was dressed in black from head to toe, the tight T-shirt that accentuated his toned arms, his sleek mohawk framing a face that had aged—but only in the best ways.

Noah leaned in, shouting over the crowd, "Iov this song!"
I blinked. "What's it called?"
"It's The City," he hollered back, grinning as the crowd surged around us.

I'd spent years avoiding their music—ducking Tumblr posts, sidestepping their rise. It seemed fairly easy. But standing here now, hearing them live for the first time in so long, I'm certain that very soon, there will be no escaping the entity that is Matty Healy.

"They're insane live," Noah said, shaking his head in awe.
I didn't answer, too wrapped up in the sound.

He gulps down wine straight out of the bottle between songs. Fuck.
He's still got it.

When Milk started, the room practically vibrated with energy. Lights pulsed in time with the riffs, smoke curling at the edges of the stage. Matty prowled through the song, gripping the mic stand like a lifeline. I couldn't look away.

I nudged Noah again. "This is incredible. What's this one called?"
He turned to me, his voice barely audible. "Robbers" he said, smiling wide.

The opening chords hit, soft yet searing. My breath caught in my throat as Matty's voice wove through the melody, haunting and vulnerable. He was commanding the stage, his movements sharp yet graceful. His gaze swept across the crowd, and for a fleeting second, I could have sworn his eyes locked with mine.

"Hey, you don't seem to know a lot about your friend's band" Noah points out, but I don't answer because right then, the music crescendos and the guitar riff breaks into a hauntingly beautiful melody.

They continued playing the rest of their set list and I was lost in their music. There's a sense of connection and unity in the crowd, as if everyone is caught up in the same collective experience that was uniquely ours. At that moment, it seemed like nothing outside these four walls mattered.