Matty Healy Imagines

Over The Fence

Word Count: 1,451
Summary: In a friend's backyard in America to write, Matty overhears a very familiar group of songs playing in the neighboring backyard, accompanied by a sweet voice singing their heart out to it.

Matty sometimes needed to get away from it all.

Not in a necessarily moody celebrity 'oh it's all too much for me to handle' way. It was more a need for a change of scenery, a skip in the monotonous day-to-day nature of his life that was needed to be able to let his ideas flow onto paper. The new album did not get written out of thin air. As easy as the ideas did flow onto his paper when they began, it took so much out of him to get that mode to start. It was so difficult this time around that Matty found himself across the pond in America, seated in a lounge chair beside a friend of his' pool in the backyard with a paper and pen in his hand, and his shades on. The ideas had not started flowing yet, but he was getting there. He was feeling at ease hearing the water gently lap at the sides of the pool in the wind, and the leaves in the trees bristling. It was only a matter of time.

A soft sound, to the way that she wears her hair down, covering up her face!

Matty could recognize that lyric anywhere.

Someone is listening to Settle Down.

Getting up, he wondered briefly if it was his friend playing a trick on him. However, one glance inside and his friend's sleeping figure told him that that was very much not the case. He got up to inspect further. It did not seem to be coming from the direction of the house, so it could only be one of three places: the neighbor to the left, the neighbor to the right, or the neighbor in the back of his friend's home. He snooped. It wasn't the one in the back. It wasn't to the right. Upon approaching the left, a voice joining the song clued him in. It was there. It was a girl, a beautiful girl, with a beautiful voice. She knew the song well, it sounded like. He paused, waited with his ear pressed up against the fence, trying to see if she knew any more of their songs. A chorus later, and Robbers began playing. Matty waited until she started singing to smile. A fan. A true, fan.

Little did she know, her band's lead singer was a fence away from making her day.

And he intended to make it.

It had to have been fate working, because a little down from Matty's spot on the fence was a gate. It probably was there in case of emergency, allowing for quick access nextdoor, or quick escape. Whatever the reason, Matty was grateful. He stepped over to it, careful not to make much noise and startle his fan, you, and then slid open the latch. Gently pulling back, the gate swung open. He thanked his lucky stars that your head was turned from him. This way, he could take in the appearance of you without freaking you out. You were resting on a lawn chair with pen and paper in hand much like he had been. The music was coming from speakers sitting nearby. He spotted them, cherry red and glistening in the sunlight. They were beautiful. He had to mention that to you. Just as the song hit its bridge, he decided it was time to move and do so. A few steps forward, and he chose to move to your line of vision.

You jumped at first, and then gasped.

You had to be dreaming.

"Love those red speakers of yours. Love the songs they're playing more."

The look on your face was priceless. Pure, unadulterated shock. If it wasn't so amusing, Matty probably would have felt a bit apologetic for it. He smiled and cocked his head to the side, studying you. You took this opportunity to quickly shut your book and check your hair, making sure it looked good. That only made Matty's smile grow wider. He had such a stunning smile. You had to have been going mad.

"M-Matty?"

"In the flesh," he spoke, his thick accent contrasting harshly against your American one.

"What are you doing here?"

"My friend owns the house next to this. I came here to get some writing done for the new album and well...I heard someone with fantastic music taste that I just had to meet for myself." His smile was blinding. "What's your name, love?"

You could have fainted. "{Y/N}. H-Have you always known my neighbor?"

"Why, have you lived here long?"

Chuckling breathlessly, you nodded. "Only my entire life! He moved in six years ago though, right?"

Matty nodded back. He didn't have the heart to tell you that he had been there that day, not when he was already causing you to nearly have a heart attack before his eyes. "We've been good friends."

"I thought he was mine. That fucker knows I like your band!" You blushed. "I-I like your band, by the way."

Grinning, Matty tossed a look back towards his friend's residence. "He probably was trying to protect me or something. But thanks! I can tell. I heard you singing. You were pretty good, just so you know."

"Really?"

He nodded. "You know our songs well. I'd offer to sing some along with you, but my voice is pretty wrecked from touring, and I've still got that writing to do."

"I-I don't want to keep you-"

"Hey," Matty said, smiling at you warmly to let you know not to panic, "it's alright. If it was a bother, I wouldn't have come over here at all. Do you want a picture?"

Your eyes widened. As if he had to ask. "I-I would love one! Here, let me go run and get my phone."

You were back so fast, Matty wondered if you sped just to make sure he wouldn't disappear before you got back. He took your phone once you had it on camera mode and held it up. His arm snaked around your waist, and instead of doing his normal relaxed look into the camera, he gave a toothy grin. In seconds, the photo became immortalized on your phone. Matty handed it back to you, and you accepted it into your hands with a multitude of thanks his way.

"I can't believe you're...real."

A bubbly laugh left Matty, and you swore you heard angels sing. "Well, last I checked I am. Though, I should apologize for giving you a bit of a scare. I swear, I do not normally barge into fan's backyards on a constant basis."

You laughed back at him. "I'm glad you did, though! I would've never met my idol had you not."

"You idolize me?"

Blushing, you gave him a nod. "At least, musically so. You're a lyrical genius."

"Thanks," he said in that way his accent twisted his words to sound more like 'fanks' than actual thanks. You giggled, admiring it. "That's really nice of you to say. Was that what you were working on in that book? Lyrics?" Your eyes went to the book, still sat on the chair. Matty laughed. "Don't worry, I won't go and steal it. You wrote lyrics in it though, no?"

"I did actually," you affirmed, stuffing your phone in your back pocket. "I'm just sort of getting into songwriting. You guys sort of inspired me."

"Seriously? Aw, that's so lovely. I wish you the best of luck with it."

You smiled. "Thank you. Hopefully you'll be hearing a bit of my stuff on the radio alongside yours one day."

Matty smiled back. "I cannot wait for that. Look, I've got to head back and get to writing or I'll never forgive myself, but it was lovely getting to meet and chat with you for a sec."

"Of course! Thank you for basically making my day."

"No problem love," he replied softly. Before turning to leave, he brought you in for a warm hug. He smelled like a mixture of cigarettes and a hint of vanilla, an intoxicating scent that you frankly felt compelled to. It fit Matty. When he pulled away, you felt sad to not smell it anymore. He sent you a smile.

"See you around, love."

"See you, Matty."

And off he went, throwing one more wave back at you before stepping back through the gate and closing it. He went back to his chair, picking up his pen and paper and going straight to writing. He found his inspiration for sure. From the sound of your radio blaring Heart Out, you seemed to have done so as well.

He really did hope he'd hear from you again, be it on radio or over the fence again.