/ / R O B B E R S / / (Matty Healy/George Daniel)

Her balaclava is starting to chafe

The next time Matty's eyes opened, it was dark outside, and he appeared to be alone in the van which smelled strongly of weed and cigarette smoke, as well as the faint odor of what was possibly old fast food.

Matty rubbed his eyes groggily, taking care not to move too much in case he aggravated his sore ribs. His mouth was dry and his stomach was cramping with hunger, but Matty's immediate concern was discovering where George had gone off to.

Just when Matty was beginning to properly panic, the van door slid open, and as much as Matty hated to admit it, he breathed a sigh of relief when George squeezed himself inside quickly.

"You're up," George smiled, the simple expression doing something to Matty that he couldn't explain even if he wanted to. "Sorry I left you in here, I was just helping the boys set up inside and I didn't want to wake you until I had to."

"Thank you," Matty whispered quietly, his tongue licking across his dry lips as he tried to air one of the thousand questions he had fluttering around in his brain, but George opened his mouth again before he could pick where to start.

"Hey, can I have your name? I didn't get the chance to ask earlier."

"Oh yeah - I'm Matty."

"I like that, suits you well," George grinned as he stretched out his long legs. "I think you've probably already figured out that I'm George, the other two are Ross and Adam, Ross has the beard and Adam is the one who doesn't talk much and always insists on driving. I'll properly introduce you to them in a bit if you'd like."

"Why are you being so nice to me, it doesn't make sense," Matty blurted out when George reclined against his seat like he had all the time in the world, his heart racing in his chest as he waited for this perfect scenario to fall to pieces around him.

"Because you needed someone to be there for you," George explained like it was the simplest thing in the world, but it wasn't, no one had ever cared for Matty, and as much as he wanted to believe that George really did, it seemed too farfetched to be true. "I've been where you are right now, or somewhere similar at least. I remember how angry I was, how alone, but then I found Adam and Ross, or they found me. Now I have a family, and I wanted to give you that opportunity as well. I know I might seem creepy, or weird, but I'm just trying to help you."

"I - I don't know what to say," Matty sniffed, his eyes welling up again thanks to George's sweet nature. "I - I'm scared, I mean, I must be mental to allow myself to be picked up by people I don't even know, but I can't go home either...he'll hurt me again - fuck, I didn't mean to say that, please don't tell anyone," Matty babbled hurriedly, the pressure of holding everything inside becoming all too much for him as a few tears dripped down his cheeks.

"I won't, I swear," George promised, his tone calming Matty more than anything else, "but you can talk to me about it if you want. It'll stay between the four of us, or even just with me although I think Adam and Ross would warm up to you faster if they knew, and sometimes it helps to get things off your chest."

"And you won't send me back?" Matty asked again, his body instinctually shifting closer to George's, a few of the numerous walls he had built up inside himself falling into nothingness when George dragged him against his chest as if he knew what Matty was seeking. "I can't go, please...I can't take it anymore."

"I promise love, I'll protect you, no matter what happens."

And although Matty really should have known better than to trust George, he found himself spilling everything to him, from his mother's death, to his abusive father, to how he hadn't been able to stand it after the last beating, inspiring him to run away in the hopes of finding a better life, only to be met with starvation and loneliness instead of the freedom he'd been searching for.

George listened attentively the entire time, his face displaying no signs of pity or shock, just acceptance, which Matty craved more than anything at this point.

"You're alright now love, I've got you," George repeated his words from earlier when Matty dissolved into such heavy sobs that he was no longer able to continue, allowing Matty to bury his face in his shirt although his tears were soaking through the fabric steadily. "I'm so sorry you went through that, but you're safe now, I'll make sure of it."