robbers// the 1975

he's begging, "babe, stay"

allie watched matty sleep from the other side of their bedroom. she wanted to scream at him. she wanted to punch him. her bloody, bloody love.

he slept on top of the comforter, the white bandages around his midsection clearly visible. as allie crept toward the bed, gently lying next to him, her eyes fell on the bloody spot where the bullet had been, grazing his waist.

"baby," she said softly when he stirred. "babe."

matty winced as he woke up. he rolled onto his back and smiled at her. "hello." he cradled her to the side of him that wasn't hurt and let his fingers play in her hair.

his cheekiness was getting old. "you can't do this to me again."

he was silent.

"we will find another way to support ourselves. this has been my worst fear since this whole thing began. i don't wan't you to be hurt anymore." her voice cracked, choking on tears. "and if you get caught, matty? i just...how do we go about having a future when you're in jail, huh?"

"allie," he said softly. "i will always take care of us."

"i don't believe you."

his fingers were still, frozen within the strands of her hair. she felt his breath stir the baby fluffs at the base of her neck. "what...what does that mean?" he asked quietly.

allie was glad she didn't have to see his face, but with the cracking of his voice, she might as well have looked into his melancholy brown eyes, framed in brown spiral curls. "i don't know," she replied. "this...living with your friends, smoking and doing lines all day, the holdups...it's what you want. not me."

matty sat up in bed, hissing as a sharp pain shot through him from his wound. he held allie's face in his large hands. she couldn't help but let her breath catch and her eyes close as he pressed his forehead to hers.

when she opened her eyes again, he was staring intently into them. "what is it you want, then, love? tell me and i'll try."

"a home, matty," allie said without hesitation. "i want to feel safe." she took took his hand, wrapping her fingers around his.

"i want a home with you."