Only You (Matty Healy/George Daniel)

21: Wars

Matty jolts awake violently, the remnants of a terrible dream ghosting across his brain before the images evaporate in a puff of smoke, erasing the pictures that had been tormenting him, but not the after-effects.

Matty's head is hurting and everything's spinning. He thinks he's going to be sick for a brief moment even though he's not hungover at all so his stomach has no reason to be protesting violently.

Matty wrenches the curtains to the bunk out of his way, breathing heavily as he tries to calm his racing heart. He feels oddly disconnected as he watches his limbs move almost on autopilot as if his mind is trapped in a panic-induced haze that hasn't leaked down into his bones just yet.

Matty tries to relax, to close his eyes and will his body into a calmer state, but his lids flicker open again instantly, the fear of being dragged back into the terrible nightmare that has left him this shaken keeping him alert and borderline panicked, his fingers trembling minutely as he attempts to even out his erratic breathing.

But then George shifts in his sleep, subconsciously throwing one arm over Matty's waist, and the pressure of his touch grounds Matty, pulls him back down to earth and suddenly, everything's bearable again.

Matty gazes up at George after reclining against the sheets, finding a rare sense of solace in the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathes evenly. George is shirtless, and even though the lighting's bad, Matty thinks he sees small marks on his collarbone from when Matty bit down on him during their shower together. He finds himself wanting to leave a darker bruise the next time he gets the chance.

Matty's just beginning to settle back into the divide between sleeping and waking, George's soothing presence allowing his thoughts to cloud over as his lids grow heavier by the second when someone rolls out of their bunk with a loud thump, the sound jolting Matty back into full awareness much to his chagrin.

Matty lifts his head curiously, seeing Ross pulling on a pair of shoes while somehow managing to make an inordinate amount of noise in the process. Matty just wants to get a few more hours of shut-eye before they stop for the day, but he knows that isn't going to happen until Ross vacates the area.

"Hann, you owe me fifty quid," Ross chortles gleefully as he passes by Matty's - well, George's bunk, the curtain which Matty had left open revealing George still securely wrapped around Matty's smaller form.

"What the bloody hell for?" Adam's voice yells back before the man himself appears in the hallway, a piece of half-eaten toast hanging out of his hand, spreading crumbs everywhere most likely. "Oh, that - fuck you Ross I told you that bet was off ages ago."

"What bet?" Matty sputters indignantly, tearing himself out of George's hold roughly so he can sit up, shooting both of his friends a spiteful glare. He's already irritated at being disturbed at such an ungodly hour, and it shows in his emotions which are turbulent enough without him having to deal with whatever wager Adam's going on about.

"The one in which you two are fucking of course," Ross sighs, rolling his eyes like it should be obvious.

"I - what, we aren't...I just slept in his bloody bunk, I've done that before," Matty protests hotly, looking to George for help when the younger man rolls over with a soft groan, not wanting to be found out so easily even though the sinking feeling in his gut leads him to believe that it's a bit too late for that.

"Oh sod off Matty, Ross and I usually get the hotel room next to you, and the walls aren't that thick," Adam cuts in, earning himself the brunt of Matty's wrath which he tries to convey with his lowered lids and crossed arms.

"So you heard something - I could have been with a fan you know?" Matty continues to argue although it's obvious that his and George's secret has gotten out.