fangs / matt champion

part twenty one

I grabbed my suitcases from the baggage claim and tiredly walked to the pickup area. Matt hopped out of the car as soon as he saw me, helping me put my bags in the trunk. I was exhausted, physically and emotionally. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. I immediately began to sob into his chest with tears I didn't know I had left. The entire plane ride was a mess. I looked awful, felt awful, and more than anything felt completely broken. Rafa had been a close friend since childhood. We had grown up together. Everything we had worked on for the past couple of weeks was all for nothing. I had to start over. All I had was Joba's song. The label was super pissed when my manager had told them we'd be starting over. I was just so incredibly overwhelmed. Matt kissed the top of my head, rubbing my back supportively and whispering that it would all be okay. He didn't know what was happening yet, but I knew he would get really angry when he found out.

The drive back home was pretty quiet, Matt holding my hand the entire way there. I was happy to see him and have him with me, but I was so utterly drained that I didn't want to deal with anything right now. "So I think I should let you know what's going on." I mumbled, breaking the silence. He squeezed my hand, urging me to continue. "We were at the club, and Rafa's friend took a photo of us. I went to send it to myself when I found something on his phone." I explained, biting my lip as I felt the tears coming. "H-he's been texting my dad this entire time, telling him about my life and what I'm up to. He never gave a fuck about me." I admitted hoarsely, looking down at my lap. I let go of Matt's hand to wipe away at my tears, sniffling and looking away. "I'm gonna fucking kill him." he seethed. Matt's knuckles were white as he angrily clutched the steering wheel. "There's no point." I whispered, shaking my head and leaning back against the seat. I pulled up my knees to my chest and closed my eyes.

I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep, let alone that Matt had carried me inside and to bed. I groaned, yawning and stretching out my limbs before rolling out of bed. I rubbed at my eyes, walking over to the bathroom to wash up. Once I was finished, I made my way downstairs. I saw Bearface and Romil first, both of which smiled sympathetically. I assumed Matt had already told them what had happened, thankfully. That wasn't a story I really wanted to repeat. I walked past the kitchen and into the family room where Matt and Ian were watching a movie. I took a seat in between them with a sigh, leaning against Matt's frame. He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer against him. Ian rested his hand on mine, squeezing it supportively. I watched the screen emotionlessly, still drained from the events of the day before.  I wasn't one to easily let people in, and the fact that someone I had trusted my whole life had betrayed me like that, it was really fucking with my head. I was paranoid as fuck.

-

I woke up the next morning to a commotion downstairs. I emerged from Matt's room, dazed because I didn't see any of the guys. All of a sudden, they bombarded me with screaming and cheering. "Surprise!" they yelled in unison. Ian threw me over his shoulder, yelling loudly as he ran around in circles. I was still in shock, laughing loudly as I held onto him for dear life. "Happy birthday." he smiled, finally setting me down. "We figured you needed a redo." Joba smiled, patting my shoulder. I looked at all the guys in front of me and smiled widely, the tears forming. "Y'all are my fucking family. I love you guys." I smiled. We did a big group hug before pulling apart, the guys singing and yelling happy birthday while Matt brought out a cake with a "22" candle. I closed my eyes and wished for the best for my boys and for my mom. There was nothing else that I needed. I had everything I could ever ask for. Matt put the cake on the counter, the guys wrestling over who got the first piece.

Matt smiled as he approached me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I rested my hands on his shoulders, looking up at him. "I can't believe you did all this." I mumbled, pulling him in for a hug. He hugged me back, kissing the top of my head. "It wasn't all me." he defended, making me giggle. "Still, thanks baby." I mumbled, leaning up and connecting my lips with his softly. "Alright, alright. Cut the show for a second so y'all can have some cake!" Ameer yelled, making us both pull away with laughter. We each grabbed a slice of cake and leaned against the counter. "So, since it's your fake birthday, is there anything you wanna do, amiga?" asked Rob, eating a bite of his cake. Cat thought about everything she wanted to do, but realized she just wanted to be with the guys. "Can we just chill and watch a movie?" she asked. "After you take some birthday shots." smirked Ian, pulling a bottle of tequila out of the pantry. She took some shots with everyone and followed them out to the family room.

The guys excitedly piled around the TV, some on the couches and chairs and some scattered around the floor. A few joints circulated as they argued over what movie to watch. They originally asked her to choose, but she honestly didn't care. She just wanted to be with them. She sat in Matt's lap, her face hidden in the crook of his neck. Matt turned his head, his lips connecting with hers. She kissed him back, running her fingers across his chest. The movie started, but Matt and Cat were lost in each other. "I hope your birthday was less shitty." he mumbled, pecking her lips lightly. "Just having you with me made it better." she shrugged, snuggling against his shoulder. She took a hit from the joint, passing it on to Merlyn. They turned their attention to the movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, and spent the rest of the night watching the movie unfold in each other's arms.