Chapter Text
It’s silent in the house when Matty wakes. He saunters down the stairs in a daze and flicks on the coffee machine without a thought in his head, it’s just routine. He rubs his eyes and ambles about the kitchen to fetch a cup, popping two slices of bread into the toaster and reaching for his jar of marmite in the cupboard. Knife, plate, auto-pilot on. It’s not until he settles himself at the table to eat that he notices something sat in the middle. It’s vinyl and he’d recognise that sleeve a mile off - Loveless. Meg must’ve been listening and left it out? A little careless of her not to put it away, he thinks to himself. He’s annoyed then, noticing a bunch of pink post-its dotted all over the sleeve. Love hearts and kisses scrawled on them in marker pen. He lets out a sigh. Why would she put something sticky on his precious vinyl? He pulls them off, eyeing the black marks beneath where the marker pen has seeped through. He sighs again, this time louder even though he’s alone in the house, wetting his finger to rub at the black marks when he finally realises. This isn’t his vinyl. This one is signed! He involuntarily sucks in a breath before the penny finally drops. My Bloody Valentine, shit! It’s valentines and he forgot!
He thanks his lucky stars that he was asleep when she left the house and didn’t have to muddle his way through an awkward conversation. Right. He’s got time, he can sort this, think Matty think.
“George, I am royally fucked!” He announces as he bustles in the studio, breathless and flustered. He all but ran there this morning, needing some solidarity and sage advice from his friend.
“You forgot, didn’t you?” George spins around in his seat like a bond villain, laughing at Matty’s misfortune.
“It gets worse.” He says, holding his phone out to show the photo of a bouquet of red roses Meg has sent him with a simple ‘thanks babe xxx’ attached.
“How is that worse?” George asks, acknowledging the picture.
“I didn’t send those!” George’s immediate laughter does not break Matty’s frustrated glare. “Oh, this is bad.” He continues.
“Just tell her, time to fess up mate.”
“Oh, she knows they’re not from me. She knows. She better know! Red roses? I would never. She hates red flowers, she likes the pastel ones, peaches and pinks. Plus tulips are her favourite. I would never send her anything as cliché as that for valentines.”
Meg had recently gotten into a habit of watching Gardeners’ World on a Friday evening, she said it was the ideal way to unwind to after a busy week, with a cup of tea. Matty would usually sit and pluck at his guitar in the corner of the room but had found himself getting drawn in to the point that he was now engrossed too. He’d get the kettle on ten minutes beforehand, ready to settle down and cosy up with her finding it perfect viewing to clear his noisy thoughts, soothing, and he could confidently now identify his daffodils from his dahlias. He pauses, thinking hard, massaging his brow.
“That’s a supermarket bunch. I’m getting mugged off by a teenager! Fucking sneaky boys.”
“Got to admire the balls, trying it on with a teacher!” George cackles. “Especially one that’s publicly linked to you.”
“Yeah, they fucking know that, the little shits.” His eyes narrow, scheming.
“What’s your romantic plan then? How are you going to respond?”
“For starters, I’m going to send her a proper bunch of flowers.” He’s already searching florists in the area. It’s their busiest day of the year but he doesn’t care, he’ll pay the extra, whatever it costs. “Not letting people think I sent her that, it’s pathetic.”
He taps speedily before tossing his phone down with reckless abandon and stretching out his arms in satisfaction. If he was going to get into a pissing contest, he was damn sure that he was going to win. Not about to be shown up by some pretentious prick of a teenager; that was very safely ground he was used to occupying and was not going to be beaten in impressing his own girlfriend.
“What’ve you sent?” George asks curiously, noting the smug look on his friend’s face. “She’s going to be mortified isn’t she? Probably something totally over the top.”
“What do you take me for? It’s perfectly modest and acceptable. I don’t need to be over the top, I know her, I know what she likes. Those boys can do one.”
“Oh my god, I can’t believe you’re seriously jealous of a teenager!” He laughs. “What else have you got up your sleeve then? Good luck getting a dinner reservation for tonight, everywhere nice has been booked up for weeks.”
Matty hummed as he thought, he wouldn’t want to go out for dinner anyway. Over-rated. He’d much rather get something at home, order in her favourite or better yet, attempt to make something himself. That would take a decent amount of time and planning though, neither of which he really had going for him at the moment.
“What are you doing tonight?” He asked with genuine interest.
“You’re not tagging along with me, mate! I love you and all that but I do not want to spend valentines evening with you, thanks.” George laughed.
“Cheers mate, nice to feel wanted.” Matty playfully sulked.
“Charli’s organised something, some fancy spa and couples massage.”
“Fucking hell, you’re in there, that sounds decadent as fuck!”
Matty’s eyebrows raised in wonder. Maybe he could get some nice bath oils? He’d like a nice soak in the tub with her, that could be an option. Or maybe a night away somewhere? He could still surprise her if he moved quickly. A nice hotel out in the countryside, quiet and secluded. Yeah, he could definitely get on board with that. Maybe a combination of all three – room service, bath and hotel. It was all coming together nicely. He could pick her up from work, whisk her away. He liked that idea and it gave him the added flex of being able to show up at the school in his car; rubbing it in the face of those non-driving little bastards.
He reached for the phone again and immediately started searching.
***
Meg has proudly had her roses sat on the corner of her desk all morning. She knows Matty’s been busy and a bit distracted lately but the flowers are a sweet gesture. Or so she thought until she’s summoned out of class to sign for a special delivery. An abundance of tulips await her, the most gorgeous arrangement she’s ever seen and a note that simply reads ‘All my love, Matty xx’
Clear as day, these are from him, no room for misunderstanding.
Well, this puts a change of perspective on things and immediately sets the cogs turning in her head. Where exactly did those roses come from? And if it’s one of her students, as she now suspects, has she made things worse by openly admiring them all morning? She can’t help but let a smirk escape her face when she realises her text earlier must’ve panicked him and triggered this second bouquet. She loved the idea of unknowingly getting him flustered at the thought of someone else showing her a bit of interest.
“Well, well, well, somebody’s popular!” Hannah remarks, seeing the gorgeous blooms in her friend’s arms.
“So lucky.” She replies, beaming with joy and inhaling their scent.
“I’m going to take a wild guess that the roses weren’t from Matty then?”
“No.” She shudders. “And I’ve been fawning over them all morning like an idiot. Probably boosted someone’s ego through the roof!”
“Then you better help your man assert his dominance and get those flowers on your desk, pronto.” Hannah laughs teasingly. Heeding the advice she proudly walks back to the classroom, placing them front and centre before settling back into her seat, subtly checking for any signs of response from within the room though personally, she’d really rather not know who her secret admirer is.
When the bell rings and class empties out she takes a photo to share with him.
They’re beautiful, love you xxx
This is what flowers from a man look like xxx
Monty Don would be proud ;)
I think you’ve safely marked your territory xxx
Too right! Love you and thanks for the vinyl, I’ll try not to take your choice of Loveless too literally xxx
Not in a million years my love xxx
Pick you up after school? xxx
Sorry, I’ve had a better offer xxx
Excuse me?! xxx
You snooze you lose, Healy xxx
You’d better be joking xxx
Relax. Got roped into chaperoning the school disco, they needed extra helpers. Sofa cuddles when I get back though? xxx
***
Matty breathes a sigh of relief knowing the flowers have been delivered and he’s knocked his competition back into place. He’s still disappointed that the last minute plans for a hotel break he’d literally just thought of are off the agenda though. But, if he can’t take her away then he’ll do his best to make her evening memorable still.
“Are we getting any work done today?” George asked. His tone was tinged with humour but it was a genuine request. Matty mumbled and cursed something under his breath before his head shot up.
“She’s got a disco anyway.”
“New lyrics for Sex?” George sniggered at the lameness of his own joke and earned himself the hardest eye roll Matty could deliver.
“Sorry, I’m gonna have to tap out.”
“Where are you going?”
“School disco, mate. Got to go and get ready!” He said.
“Are you serious?! Taking this competing with a teenager thing a bit far, aren’t you?”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
***
Once the final bell rings, Meg and Hannah are straight to work hanging streamers in the hall. A few of their colleagues have pitched in to help, most have seized the opportunity to slink off to the better plans they have at home.
It felt much later than it was, fully dark by 6pm, when the boys and their dates started to filter in for the disco. Memories of her own school days started flooding back, the awkwardness of mingling with the opposite sex, girls timidly standing to one side of the room, boys on the other, she could feel the tension in the air. The novelty of the boys having girls in their space; the over-excitedness of the girls mixing with different boys. She couldn’t help but smile watching all their little interactions.
“Who do you think sent the roses then?” Hannah whispers into her ear, scouring the room, assessing the potential candidates.
“Oh god, I really don’t want to know!” Meg bristled with discomfort, not wanting to be the subject of anyone else’s desire but Matty’s. Especially not someone half her age! It was then for the first time she felt a pang of longing, perhaps she shouldn’t have been so quick to volunteer for this. She knew he was a romantic at heart, maybe she should’ve made more of an effort to have a special evening with him.
“Well, I’ve got my eyes on them.” Hannah joked, pointing to her eyes and then gesturing around the room.
“Thanks, appreciate you looking out for me.” She grins.
“Hold up, looks like the Alpha has arrived.” Hannah quips and Meg turns sharply to see Matty stood in the doorway, looking around cautiously. He only had to go and wear the bloody suit, didn’t he. She immediately felt her pulse increase as he spotted her and strode over.
“What are you doing here?” She breathed into his neck, his aftershave overwhelming her more so.
“Heard you needed more adult helpers.” He says with a grin and she smiles hard back at him. “What? You think I’m going to just sit around whilst some young upstart is trying it on with my missus?”
“As if!” She laughed.
“Well, I’m here now so there’ll be no messing about from this lot.” He gestures broadly across the room before fully taking in the scene. “Fucking hell, what is this?”
“It’s a school disco.” She says plainly.
“But, they’re like…zombies.” He raised his lip slightly in distaste.
“What did you expect? It’s not an orgy. They’re teenagers, they’re shy and awkward.”
She knew he spent a lot of time in the presence of teenagers at his shows, but that was a whole different ball game. Some of those crowds were wild! Revealing outfits, reckless abandon. That was teenagers in a sense of hedonistic freedom, watching their idols. This was a school hall with a bunch of kids coming to terms with the reality of socialising with their crush, possibly for the first time, in a pretty sterile controlled environment.
That said, from the way some of the girls had clocked Matty things were possibly about to change and soon enough he found a swathe of girls making their way over, egging each other on to get the courage to speak to him, ask for a photo.
Matty, of course, obliged and smiled his way through an hour of signing arms and posing for selfies.
“We’ve still got it, babe.” He said. “Teenagers are still into us.”
She laughed and held up her hand for a high-five which he willingly reciprocated.
“Come on, let’s go break some hearts.” He took her hand pulling her onto the middle of the dancefloor, amongst the carefully swaying couples, sweeping her into his embrace.
“School appropriate hands, yeah?” She shot him a warning look as he quickly moved his hands from her lower back to a more respectable height.
“Sorry, habit.” He smirked and she leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder as they danced.
“You know, I had big plans for tonight…” He started and she pulled her head back to give him a puzzled look.
“Oh please, you clearly forgot.” She challenged, watching him fluster.
“Ok, initially I forgot but then I made plans, I promise.” She giggled and let her head rest back down on his shoulder.
“What plans?”
“Hotel...” He says, his cheek against the top of her head. “…roll top bath with a view…”
“Sounds nice.”
“Would’ve been, but someone got a better offer.” He squeezes her waist and she jolts with a laugh.
“Maybe we could just re-schedule?” She suggests.
“Maybe we could.” He says wistfully, gently moving them around to the music. “Erm, school appropriate lips please, Miss White.”
She was so caught up in the moment she hadn’t realised the soft kisses she’d been pressing on to his neck and quickly withdraws, collecting herself.
“Sorry, habit.” She smiles. “And your fault for wearing this damn suit.” He laughs, taking her hand and twirling her under his arm. They watch in amusement as some of the other couples around them start trying the same move with mixed results, some comically colliding into each other. It at least proves a welcome ice-breaker between them.
As the last of the kids leave they collect up cups, tossing them into bin bags and pulling down the streamers they’d hung only hours earlier.
“Did you have a good time?” She asks him and he takes a minute to think.
“Of course, I got to spend valentines with you. Wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Unless we were in that hotel…”
“Maybe don’t leave it to the last minute next year then, hey?” She teases, poking his arm.
“Maybe don’t go offering your services to the disco next time.” He retorts. “Though, this was fun, I could do this again.”
“Afraid you’re not invited again, Mister.”
“What? Why not?”
“Sorry, some of the boys have asked that you specifically not come to any more school dances, you took too much attention away from them!”
“Yes! Too fucking right!” He says with a big grin, snapping his fingers proudly. “Maybe they’ll get the message and leave you alone now. I see another bunch of flowers showing up for you and I am all over their prom!”