Starlight

X: You Matter To Me

Come out of hiding, I'm right here beside you
And I'll stay there as long as you'll let me

Because you matter to me
Simple and plain and not much to ask from somebody

-'You Matter To Me,' Waitress

_____

"So, what time is your date tonight?"

Robbie would have rolled her eyes if she hadn't been doing her makeup; it would have completely ruined the cat-eye line that she was painstakingly painting. "6. But it is not a date."

"Okay, so you're just going over to a man's house." Finn nodded, his signature sarcastic tone in full swing. "Yeah, that doesn't sound like a date whatsoever."

Robbie huffed, finally turning around to look at him. "May I remind you that I'm bi?"

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Well, I have the potential to be attracted to anybody. By your logic, any time I hang out with anybody else, it could be seen a date." She stuck her tongue out at him, turning back to the bathroom mirror to finish fixing her face.

Finn came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder, watching her in their reflection. "True. Good point. But Hidgens isn't just anybody, is he? You've been sending emails back and forth all day; I've seen the way you smile at your phone. You've got a little cruuuush!"

Robbie swatted him away, grabbing her mascara. "He's just a very lovely man who's looking out for me. Besides, I'm only going over to his place to discuss the whole Scott situation. It couldn't be any further from a date."

Finn took her hand and span her around until she finally broke and chuckled. "I know. I know, I'm sorry. And all joking aside... I really am proud of you. I can only imagine how difficult this must be. You know you're welcome to stay with me and Danny as long as you need, right?"

She give him a playful punch on the arm. "I know. Stop being soft."

"Okay then. I'll see you later tonight, I've got a singing lesson." Finn gave her a kiss on the cheek and sauntered out of the room. Just as Robbie began checking her face in the mirror, he reappeared from behind the door. "That is, if you don't end up staying over at his place."

Before Robbie could stammer out a reply, Finn winked and disappeared off to class.

Her cheeks burning, she looked in the glass to see if her blush was visible. Of course it was - her skin was pale enough that everything showed up. Freckles, pimples, little scars, the tired pink rings under her eyes.

She often felt her face was a gallery of imperfections. Her nose, too large; her eyebrows, too thick; her grey eyes, too tired.

Then again, she was able to appreciate her appearance nearly as often, allowing herself to praise the mischievousness in her smile, the way that one strand of her dark hair would always fall away from the rest, framing her cheekbone.

Just as her mind began to wander, she thought of the Professor, and her skin was again inflamed. They had been emailing all day, and it had been confusing to say the least.

He'd given her directions to his place, but he'd warned her that the way he lived was... unconventional.

When she'd been told that Hidgens was a recluse, she had imagined him living in a little apartment by himself. Someplace stocked full of books, scattered papers: the organised chaos of an eccentric academic.