Work Text:
It was a private party, a New Year’s get together before New Year’s Eve, since everyone had their own plans.
As Matt got in, he immediately spotted Karen talking to Arthur and went to them trying to not run excited.
They talked a bit when Karen interrupted their conversation to say “And who is that?”
“Where, Moon face?”
“There talking with Alex.”
There was a young man, blonde in his early 30s at most, talking with Alex. He went closer to her and kissed her cheek before going in the direction of the drinks.
Karen held Arthur’s hand and started pulling him with her, and like that, the three of them got to Alex.
“Mind sharing with the class who that was,” Karen asked.
“Hello to you darling, I missed you just as much.”
“Don’t run away from the question, young lady.” Karen said wanting to look cross.
“That, mother dearest, is my date.” Alex answered smiling, but not daring to look at Matt.
“Ooh, Alex’s got a new a pup”, Karen then started making kissing sounds. Matt stood there uncomfortable and so did Alex, though she laughed, so Arthur stopped the kissing sounds with a kiss.
“Ooh, Karen has a new pup, then.” Alex said.
“I’m the one with the pup; her hair makes her look like a cocker spaniel.” Arthur said and Karen simply glared at him, he took the opportunity to pull her in the direction of the small dance floor.
“Hello, Miss Kingston.”
“Hello, darling”. She smiled.
“Since when are you back into the dating-circle,” Matt asked, trying to make small talk.
“Darling, I’m hardly one to fall into celibacy,” she said with a smile. She was confused with his body language and voice tone. Was that jealousy?
“How old is he?”
“Are you Jealous, Matt?”
He didn’t answer, they stood there in awkward silence, Matt seemed to want to say something, but stopped himself when Alex’s date came back with their drinks.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us,” Matt asked.
“Matt this is Owen, Owen this is Matt.” She said.
“Oh, I know who he is,” Owen exclaimed before shaking Matt’s hand excitedly.
“Where did you too meet,” Matt asked.
Owen took it as honest interest while Alex stood there knowing it was something else, but she didn’t quite know what. Matt hates small talk even with people he just met.
“I’m the father of one of Salome’s friends and...”
The song changed and Matt interrupted him “Excuse me; I have to hide before Kazza comes and tries to make me dance this one,” and left.
Alex thought it was all weird, Karen had always hated that particular singer.
“Is everything alright,” Owen asked, with so much concern in his voice that she couldn’t help but look up to him and smile.
“I’m fine, dear,” she assured him.
Alex and Owen danced and at some point in the party, Owen started talking with Arthur leaving Alex in Karen’s hands.
“So… Is he the one who is the father of one of Salome’s friends,” she inquired.
“Yes, that’s him.”
“Isn’t it a bit early to put him out in the open?”
“He is from Cardiff and came here to visit his family for the hols. I was going to be here anyway so I invited. That’s all; don’t put too much thought into it.”
“Isn’t this date number three?”
“Maybe…” Alex then gave Karen a sinful smirk as she kept looking to Owen.
“Oh, someone will get properly shagged tonight.” Karen started making some silly dance and that’s when Matt appeared next to them.
“So, Miss Kingston, how old exactly is your date?”
“He is you age, Matthew.” She said. Karen eyed them both with an eyebrow raised and then looked at Arthur and Owen.
“If I knew you were going to try out men at my age, I’d have volunteered.”
“Oh, Darling,” she said as she laughed.
“I’m serious, you should have warned me first. The benefits of being Alex Kingston’s number one fan is being allowed to know such things first handed. I thought you had the memo!”
“Clearly someone forgot to give it to me.”
They were joking, except they were not. Alex often wondered how his hands would feel on her skin, but she always put the thought aside because she felt old, and then Owen happened. Owen opened doors and windows in Alex’s mind making it full of light and suddenly very clear; if Matt asked, she would go with him anywhere.
However, Matt had other things and girlfriends and trips to Brazil. And Alex had a family.
“Well, now you know.” He said into her ear, his breath hot on her skin leaving goose bumps behind and making her shiver.
After that Alex became more aware of Matt’s presence; she could feel him bumping gently into her as he passed her by; she could feel his body close as she danced with Owen and he danced with some random girl. Sometimes she would look in his direction only to find him looking back at her.
She wanted to hit her head against a wall, hard, for she had never realized he looked at her like that. It made her feel vulnerable, completely open almost as if she was naked, not of clothes but stripped out of her walls.
She fisted Owen’s shirt and went closer to him, she rested her head on his shoulder, looking to her right, and there he was, Matt, looking straight into her eyes and not even bothering to pretend he didn’t want her.
“We could go now, you know?” she whispered to her date.
He pulled her closer to him, “If you say so.”
She grabbed his hand and turned on her heel, pulling him out of the dance floor and close to where Karen was. “We are leaving, Karen.”
“Oh, already?” she sounded a bit disappointed.
“Yeah, we have an early morning tomorrow.” They didn’t.
Alex wanted to run away, to be honest; she had found something that could work in the long run in Owen, though they were only on their third date, and she didn’t want to ruin it all by feelings she had been neglecting for years.
“Weren’t you going to say goodbye to me,” Matt asked, he was near Karen and Alex hadn’t realized in her rush.
“Of course I was, darling. Bye bye.” She turned to leave only to remember it would seem odd if she left like that. She let go of Owen’s hand got closer to Matt and kissed his cheek.
He hugged her close and said “Goodbye, Mrs. Robinson” into her hair, to which she answered “I hate you sometimes.”
They parted from the hug giggling, but when they looked into each other’s eyes it died out. “Good Night, Alex.”
“’Night, Matt.” She held Owen’s hand and left.
Owen and Alex got in a cab and headed to the hotel she was staying.
“I know we are quite early in the relationship, but I need to know something.”
Alex had been looking at the window when he said that, she turned looking to him as if she had been zapped. “What is it?”
“Have you and Matt ever had an affair?”
“What,” she asked in what actually sounded like a squeak.
“Look, love, if we are to have something, we need to be honest with each other and I need to know if I have a reason to be jealous of him.” His voice was calm and smooth, but to Alex was as if he was accusing her.
“I am not one to have affairs, especially with co-stars, Owen.”
“I know that, and I’m sorry.” He sighed before continuing. “I just heard a conversation between Salome and Emma, Salome said that you ‘liked liked’ Matt and I don’t want to force you into a relationship if you are in love with someone else.”
Did she? Alex’s mind started running wild, she remembered of the laugh that she apparently reserved only for Matt these days, and coffee cups, and crappy telly and flirting.
“Are you,” he asked, breaking her out of her trance.
“What?”
“Are you in love with him?”
She didn’t know what to answer, so she just stayed in silence, looking at him with her mouth open.
The cab came to stop.
“I…”
“I think it’s safer if I don’t go up with you,” Owen said it and then kissed her, a small peck on the lips, full of care and longing.
Alex went up in the hotel, got to her room and she couldn’t understand what had happened. What did she feel?
Karen called, since for once they were all in the same place, they were going to have breakfast at the same hole-in-the-wall they used to.
When Alex got there, Karen and Arthur were already sitting at the table.
“So, how was it,” the girl asked, she had a naughty look in her face.
“I can fairly say it wasn’t.” Alex answered.
“And what do you mean by that?”
“He decided it was for the best if we broke up.” Alex explained.
“He seemed like a nice guy, not really right in his head, surely, breaking up with you with your father in town.” Arthur said and Alex was thankful for that, he always knew what to say to make her laugh when she needed to.
And that’s when Matt decided to make an appearance. “Good Morning!”
“And here is the bloody bride!” Karen exclaimed, rather loudly.
“Sorry I’m late, actually no, I’m not sorry.” He said before sitting down next to Alex. “Where is the boyfriend?”
“Matt! Rude!” Karen said kicking him under the table.
“What did I say?!”
“He broke up with her, mate.” Arthur said.
Matt tried not to, but he was happier after that.
They flirted as usual and, just like in the party, Alex was aware of every single movement Matt did.
“Could you guys shag already and move on?” Karen screamed suddenly. It was completely out of the blue. Matt was talking about Alex’s magical hair while she was carling him darling and giggling. They had already asked for the check at that point.
When Karen said what everyone has been thinking for a long time out loud, Alex’s eyes widened while Matt froze in his place. They looked at each other and started stuttering excuses.
That’s when Arthur’s phone started ringing. He talked but neither Alex nor Matt paid attention to the content.
“We will have to go; my mum wants us at her house now to start getting the things ready for the family dinner.” He told Karen.
They paid the bill and Karen sighed. “Look, I’m sorry to say that, it’s none of my business, except it is because you are both driving me mental. So…” she stood up with Arthur and kissed both Matt and Alex’s cheeks before leaving.
“I haven’t got a clue what she’s talking about, do you darling,” asked Alex, her voiced sounding a bit strangled.
“Not even the slightest.” He said not looking at her.
“I think I should go.” She announced, standing up, gathering her things and leaving.
Alex was sitting on her couch at the Hotel she was staying. It was cold and she was drinking hot chocolate when someone knocked on the door.
She sighed angrily for she had put up the ‘do not disturb’ sign, she was simply not in the mood for much, and even her thoughts were betraying her mind.
“I didn’t ask for room service…” she said opening the door.
“The thing is, I do have a clue of what she is talking about.” He said, all in one breathe and looking as if he was barely keeping himself straight as his body trembled with anxiety.
“What are you on, darling?” she put her hand on his arm and ran it up and down, caressing him lightly.
“I do know what Kaz meant and she is right.”
Her mouth fell open and she didn’t know what to say. She gave one step back and he went in.
“I don’t know about you, but I am just…” he kept taking steps forward making her walk back until her back hit a wall. “I am crazy about you.”
His breath was hot on her cheek, his hands on the wall next to her, as if just waiting for a sign. His heart was rushing in its beat and her breath quickened.
“Kiss me, darling.” She purred.
And he did, fiercely, with an almost hunger. His hands grabbed her waist and she locked her legs on his, grinding her hips on his. And then they were all over and in each other.
When they went to the bed, he slowly undressed her, kissing every inch of exposed skin; he sucked on her breast, and neck and hip bone. He left her shaking with anticipation; he melted her down into a wanton quivering mess.
It wasn’t fast and quick, it was a passionate, long act; both wanting to discover each other, each sweet spot, and each little thing that made the other moan, purr or scream.
Hours later they laid in bed, stated, drunk in each other’s smell and presence.
“We need to thank Kazza.”
“Not yet, we have a lot to talk about before we can go out talking about it with others, darling.” She told him, smiling with her face on his neck.
“Would you have considered me shaggeable before Owen?”
“I have always considered you.” She answered before kissing him.
Everything else could wait, in that moment, they had a private party to attend.