Work Text:
A vacation in rural France has been an exhilarating experience for Matt. Being surrounded by nature gave him a plethora of inspiration and a break from all the unnecessary noise from the city. Not that he hates his homeplace, he just wants to get out of his shell once in a while for creativity purposes.
But, something felt missing.
No matter how many strolls he goes on, how many pastries he consumes, or sketches he does, he still hits a dead end. He hasn't finished his daunting commission from a big-time client. In fact, he's barely started. Sure, there are some concepts of the design, maybe some basic codes. But the developments are missing, he's slightly falling behind his deadlines, and while he won't say it, he's losing his mind.
He can hear a ticking clock in his head. Dark circles become more visible under his eyes and every morning starts with a deep sigh, pondering why he'd do this to himself.
In the night, Matt traps himself in his rental cottage. Lying down on the dark green grass, staring at the twinkling stars. The man has a troubling look on his face. Even with the lively rock music playing from his speakers inside, his frown doesn't contort. His hand pulls closer to his heart, feeling its soft, regular heartbeats. It's moments like these that he appreciates his peace, feeling like time has slowed down.
Matt clenches his hand, eyes darting to every dark cloud that gives the slightest inch of movement. As he bends his legs for a slightly more comfortable position, a feminine voice enters his ears.
"Is this a bad time to stop by?"
Oh, he forgot he "invited" Liz, too. He sensed she didn't want to be alone and looked frail when he asked if she wanted to stay with the others. It wasn't that Liz didn't like the rest, she just didn't feel as close or as comfortable with them as she was with Matt. He didn't know how she got to France without his help, but his body was barely hanging on to even ask.
The woman lets out a soft laugh, getting slightly louder. It would've given Matthias some scare, but his mind feels too absent to respond. Instead, he just removes his glasses and rubs his eyes. Double-checking if what he's seeing is true. His other arm stretches, a massive yawn leaving his mouth.
"I'm hallucinating, aren't I?" Matt asks.
"You wish!" Liz sits down beside him, her legs extended. Curiosity and optimism settled on her face.
The man glances towards his left, seeing Liz attempt to playfully shove his shoulder. Of course, to no avail since it only goes through him. He's not surprised she'd be here. But with all the weird stuff that's been happening, what else is there to be surprised about?
"So... Do you wanna talk about why you're feeling so down?"
His expression still looks gloomy. His lips were tight and flat, his shoulders slouched.
"Creative slump. It's been bothering me for a bit," Matt states, looking back at the stars.
That's all Liz needed to hear to not interrogate him further, and she simply nods. The ghost lets out a strained laugh and lies down on the grass beside him. She's surprised she didn't sink into the grass or something, but even that sounded too cartoonish for a ghost. Her lower back isn't aching, her eyes don't swell up or sting, and she hasn't felt any type of pain in a while.
Matt could feel himself itching from the prickly feeling of the grass. But he must admit, these moments of silence give him an ounce of motivation to finally do his work. Finish the things holding him back from having a wonderful vacation, given he's only got four days remaining. Liz's presence is helping him, too. Finally hearing a voice that could feel for him, understand him.
Matt doesn't mind the quiet taking up the open space. He and Liz continue to admire the starry night sky, mentally tracing the constellations they can see... or the objects they can create by connecting them with lines. Liz occasionally glances at the designer. Unconsciously, her brown eyes are dilated, giving him those unabashed puppy eyes, a faint smile appearing on her face. She continues admiring both the cluster of celestial bodies she's always been fascinated with—and the redhead lying next to her, taking his precious time to stare at those blinding, flickering points. The silence may be heavy, but it wasn't at all overbearing. It stays like that for a bit.
That is, until Matt notices something moving across the sky.
"Whoa. Is that a shooting star?" The enthusiasm enters the man's voice once again as he points to it. His exhaustion was fighting one last time to stay up.
By then, Liz was continuing to admire the designer's features. Even coming as close to almost reaching her hand out to him. But she quickly retracts it, being present in the moment again when Matt looks back at the ghost. His smile was so wide, but seeing her give him heart eyes made him raise his eyebrows a bit. Still not questioning what he witnessed. In embarrassment, Liz sits back up and looks at where Matt points to.
"I think that's only a plane..."
"Still, would it hurt to make a wish?"
Liz sighs in surrender. Despite struggling with his body slowly giving up, Matt sits down—knees up to his chest, brushing off the dirt that stuck to his scarf, shoes, and red jacket. He scoots closer to the ghost, unaware that a little bit of her body is going through him. A chill sends through him—he's unsure if that's from the weather or from his companion, but he doesn't exactly care about it.
"I... I guess not."
Both of them close their eyes to make their respective wishes for a few seconds.
Eventually, Matt breaks the silence, "So what did you wish for?"
Liz looks at him, slightly bewildered, but letting out a giggle or two.
"If I told you, it won't come true!"
Matt grins at her as Liz "shoves" him again. Even though it will catch her off guard, or leave the pair even more puzzled with each other, he leans closer to her. Whispering to her ear, closing his eyes to save himself from her reaction.
"I wish that you were here with me."
For a bit, that left Liz speechless. Her smile fades, eyes going wide. She wished the same thing he did, but it was how he said it that caught her attention.
His voice was airy, with no hesitation lying behind.
But she wanted that too. She really did.
She wishes she could cuddle with him under the stars while basking under the moonlight, tug on his red hair to bring her closer than they already are. Too close that the air would turn humid. He wishes to cup her face, brush the extra strands of hair that cover her sparkling eyes. Get close enough to pinpoint every feature on her face and worship it like a divine sculpture.
But alas, they're basically worlds apart.
"Well, I am here-"
"Liz, you know what I meant..." Matt drawled, his voice slightly quivering.
The man looks downwards, desperate to hold Liz's hand even if it'll only go through. Matt knows the same thought crossed into Liz's mind. It could happen, but not now. But if not now, when?
Technically, he's near her. Their shoulders touching—merely inches away, and their noses, foreheads, maybe even their lips would touch. And yet... she was out of reach, like the stars themselves. And until she gets better, that'll keep him pining, hoping, wondering what's next. What could be.