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

It's much harder now the police have come

Matty found himself in the bathroom of a small diner they'd decided to eat breakfast at since their supply of food was running low the next day, his nose tingling thanks to the line he'd just snorted with the hope that it would give him the courage he needed to talk to George.

George was still cross at him for the stunt he'd pulled with the gun yesterday, he'd barely muttered three words to him since last night, and although Matty thought George was throwing too much of a fit about it, he hated when George was upset with him, and he was going to make this right.

Matty unfolded the napkin he'd snagged from the table before he had ducked away, taking an old pen from the pocket of his torn jeans which he used to scribble a few lines across the rough fabric.

I love you

You're everything

I'm sorry

His apology idea was a bit silly, but George was nothing if not a romantic, and Matty hoped that this would break the air of tension that had been hovering around them, allowing him the opening he needed to earn George's forgiveness.

Matty took a deep breath before exiting the toilets, his eyes immediately gravitating toward George who was sitting alone in a booth at the back. Adam and Ross had sensed the hostility sparking between them immediately and had chosen to go off on their own, not that Matty blamed them, although he sort of wished he had them here to act as a buffer in case George decided to yell at him again.

Matty made his way to where George was seated quickly, hoping to get this over with before he lost his nerve completely, which was bound to happen soon given the way his heart was already stuttering in his chest. He slipped into the booth wordlessly, the sleeve of his shirt slipping down his shoulder as he pushed the napkin across the smooth table, keeping his eyes trained downward so he wouldn't have to see George's reaction just yet.

George retrieved his note without asking what it was, his large hands unfolding the flimsy fabric quickly as Matty began picking at his food that George must have ordered for him while he was in the loo.

Matty dared a short peek at him after the silence seemed to stretch on for ages, and when he spied a small smile breaking out across George's face, he knew that they were going to be all right.

"I really am sorry," Matty spoke up before George could say anything, his fingers tangling with George's as he leaned over the table. "I shouldn't have joked around like that, not that I was fibbing about wanting to lead a robbery, but I was acting stupid, and that wasn't the way I should have asked."

"I'm sorry too," George murmured quietly, "I overreacted because I was scared of you getting hurt, and I sort of panicked. It's fine though, I'm not cross at you anymore, and if you want to try your hand at stealing from the till, I'm sure Ross would be alright with it."

"Really?" Matty gasped excitedly, his hand tightening around George's as he tried to refrain from bouncing in his seat like an excited child.

"Yeah, I want you safe, but I also want you happy, and if it's something you actually want to have a go at, we can work it out."

"I love you," Matty grinned, the prospect of taking a more active role in their robberies leaving him giddy and affectionate as he got out of the booth only so he could plop down next to George, giving him the freedom to place a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"I love you too, but I'm also hungry, so scoot over a bit so I can eat before this goes cold," George chuckled as he elbowed Matty in the side teasingly.

By the time they left the diner, Matty was pleasantly full, not to mention a bit high, the sensations erasing all effects of their short fight as if it had never happened, and Matty was more than happy to remove it from his memory entirely, because having George not speaking to him had been debatably more painful than the worst of his father's beatings.