Chapter Text
The start of autumn had been a turbulent time, a lot of readjustment and change; the sprawling free-flow of the summer seemed far behind them. With a new school year ahead of her, Meg was busier than Matty had ever known her. Unavailable to him during the days and often occupied into the evening with planning and preparations for the week ahead. He understood the pressures, soon it would be him that was fully engaged with work and so for the time being he was happy to fit around her, seeing her when he could, often cooking her dinner and sleeping at her flat just for the few precious hours he would get with her at night and in the morning. He’d fill his days at the studio, writing or finalising tour plans with the guys.
After Reading festival a picture had begun circulating on social media of them kissing in the field. He had warned her that it was inevitable at some point and with her personal accounts set to private, she had avoided any unnecessary comments and intrusion. For the most part, she avoided being online as much as possible, not wanting to see the speculation about her. Matty admired her resolve to keep herself separated from it, something he was not inclined to do himself. As much as it could be frustrating at times, he enjoyed the spectacle of social media and the opportunity to poke and tease the public for his own amusement. He was protective though, he didn’t want his new relationship to be jeopardised by too much attention and he hoped he could keep Meg away from the worst of it. A few friends had sent her the photo, asking if this was her, and whilst she was happy to confirm, she offered no further information to anyone other than her closest circle. She wasn’t a teenager anymore, her friends were mature enough to respect her privacy and she felt confident they would not be drawn into online dramas.
Another grainy picture had also emerged from the night they’d been out in Primrose Hill. It was too dark to recognise their features and Matty having his hood up made it hard to identify him by his trademark curls. But she knew that people had been secretly spying on them and whilst she was initially unsettled by it, she refused to let it deter her from her happiness. With Matty going away she hoped the distance would take prying eyes off them for a bit.
The least turbulent part to all of this was how easy they’d transitioned into their relationship. They’d always been so comfortable with one another and nothing had changed there. It was easy, it just worked and they were both the happiest they’d been in a long time. They’d discussed his touring schedule and had made plans for her to fly out and meet him during half-term week in late October. Knowing that the longest they’d be apart was only 6 weeks made the prospect of him being away a little more bearable. He’d been and gone a few times in the summer for shows but only a couple of nights at a time, and that was before they were ‘official’. In the last few weeks she’d really let herself fall hard for him.
“What am I going to do without you?” she mused, her head tucked into the crook of his arm, her fingers idly tracing up and down his chest. Trying to memorise every indentation of his body and the feeling of his smooth skin, something to draw on for comfort when she was alone and missing his touch.
“You’re going to be too busy to notice I’m gone.” He said, trying to make light of things. Knowing the reassurance was just as much for himself as he was for her. Answering his own feelings of displacement and longing, as well as hers. He pulled out his phone and snapped a couple of selfies of them laying together, perfectly content. He sent them to her. “This is for when we’re missing each other, we can look at them and know that this is where we’ll be again soon enough.”
That night whilst she slept soundly, he crept out at 2am leaving the ghost of a kiss on her cheek – back to his house to collect his things and off to the airport.
I like it when you sleep…and so on, call you when I land xxx
***
Matty’s US tour was starting on the west coast so working around an 8 hour time difference meant that Meg often found herself calling him on her lunch break and waking him up. Not that he minded and she thought his husky morning voice was adorable. She’d secluded herself in a corner of the staff room, hiding amongst a pile of paperwork, hoping it would give an air of ‘do not disturb’.
“Morning, baby.” She whispered into the phone, she could hear him groan and yawn.
“Morning, darling. How are you?”
“I’m good, I miss you…”
“Miss you too. My body is missing you, just hearing your voice is making things stir this morning, if you know what I mean.” She could practically hear the smirk on his face and picture the mischief in his eyes when he said that. She started to blush.
“Matty, I…”
“I wish you were here, to look after me right now.”
She could feel herself getting hotter and since she’d said his name a few of her friends who were sat nearby eating their lunch and previously minding their own business had started to pay attention.
“I’m at work...I can’t really talk about this right now.” She said, trying to keep her voice down but increasingly the others could sense her embarrassment and started making kissy faces at her.
“It’s only been a week,” he continued “but I’m already thinking of all the things I want to do with you when you get here.”
She stood up quickly and started walking out of the room, shaking her head at them and trying not to cringe.
“Go and take your private sex call somewhere else Meg, we’re trying to eat!” yelled Jake as she left the room, knowing it would add to her discomfort. Hannah slapped him on the arm and scolded him but Meg could hear them all laughing as she paced down the corridor. She could hear Matty laughing too now.
“Darling, did I embarrass you?” he asked.
“I’ll be hearing about it for the rest of the day.” She sighed.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed, they’re only jealous.” He soothed.
“I know, and they should be. I’d be jealous of anyone getting a call like this from you.” She smiled before retracting. “Actually no, I’d be furious if anyone was getting a call like this from you!” He laughed at that.
“Don’t worry, I’m saving all my pillow talk and special thoughts for you. Promise.”
She truly didn’t care what her friends thought, she could take a joke but it just highlighted the disjointed nature of the situation. Something she was still getting accustomed to.
“I just feel like we’re out of sync,” she started “This time difference is annoying.” As if to perfectly punctuate her point the bell sounded loudly, signalling the end of lunch and corridors quickly filling with kids. She fought her way back to the staff room to finish up and grab her things.
“I know, we just need to find our rhythm…and darling, I know we have great rhythm.” He added just within earshot of Jake and Hannah as they passed her on their way out. Jake leaned in to Meg, tutting, with a look of mock disgust.
“Filthy, and in a school full of children.” He said, Meg laughed this time. “You’re corrupting her, Healy!” Matty was cackling now, somewhat pleased with himself.
“And on that note, I have to go now. I’m sorry, that was so rushed. Maybe speak later?”
“It’s ok, I will do my best to call you at a reasonable time!”
***
Meg was confused to be awoken by the sound of Blink 182’s ‘I Miss You’ at 3.30am. Matty. He had a habit of switching the ringtone attached to his name on her phone, any opportunity he got. Usually to something obnoxious like ‘Simply the Best’, ‘Sex Machine’ or ‘Hero’, just to try and embarrass her when he would call. In a sweet gesture, this was the ringtone he’d assigned himself before he left. She fumbled in the dark to find the handset, glowing and vibrating on her night stand.
“Matty, what’s going on? It’s the middle of the night!” Was this his idea of calling at a reasonable time? And on facetime no less, she could barely open her eyes, still adjusting to the glare of the screen. She could just about make out that he was backstage, somewhere. He was grinning from ear to ear but then held his finger up to this mouth in a shushing gesture, for her to be quiet.
“What’s going on?” she whispered before he turned the phone around to show her the stage he was stood to the side of. She didn’t recognise the band, it wasn’t his band and then a familiar song started up. “Oh my god!” her hand shot to her mouth and her heart started racing as she sat herself up in bed, reaching for her glasses to watch the screen properly. He was live streaming her from a Kevin Devine show. She could hear him whispering into the phone, keeping the focus on stage.
“I saw he was playing and thought I’d come check it out. Turns out he’s really fucking good, why didn’t you tell me?” She could hear him quietly laughing to himself. I did try and tell you! she thought Many fucking times! After a couple of songs she could tell that Matty was really starting to get into it as the picture was jumping around more. It made her smile to see him enjoying himself and even more so that he’d called her up to be a part of it with him. In a break between songs she heard him yell “My girlfriend fucking loves you!” and she could just about make out Kevin turn around and give Matty a thumbs up, they both laughed at that.
“Don’t you dare put me on facetime with him!” she whispered and he spun the phone round to his face again.
“I love your bed head and reading glasses, you look lovely.”
“Thank you baby,” she smiled “but turn the phone around please.” He did, whilst muttering ‘fucking hell’ under his breath, knowing full well she could hear him. It was nearly 5am by the time the set finished, she was really struggling to keep her eyes open when Matty appeared back on screen. He was buzzing.
“I think he might make my top five you know!” he said “I’m going to have to raid your record collection when I get back. I mean, I can stream the albums on the road but I want to go through all the lyrics and liner notes properly.”
“I’m glad you had a good time,” she said, stifling a yawn. “It was really sweet of you to bring me along, in your pocket.”
“Anything for you…you know, if I put you back in my pocket you’ll be right next to my…”
“Matthew!” she interrupted. “I’m gonna end this call now, before you even think about it!” He laughed then pulled a sad face. “And don’t even think about bringing out the puppy eyes, it won’t work.”
“Another time…” he said. “Good night darling, sleep well.”
“Night Matty.” She felt her eye lids dropping shut as soon as her head hit the pillow but a smile still lingered on her face.
When she woke again a few hours later she had a string of messages from Matty.
Bought you some merch! Well, you’re going to have to share because I will be wearing it for now xxx
Miss you, speak tomorrow xxx
Don’t call me from work, they’ll think I’m some kind of perv xxx
I am, but they don’t need to know that ;) xxx
Look who I met!!! xxx
The last was a selfie of Matty and Kevin, it was very cute they were both smiling with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
That’s my new lock screen photo xxx
As long as you don’t crop me out of it! xxx
Why aren’t you asleep?? And I would never crop you out xxx
Goooodniiiight xxxxxxxx