takes a bit more • matthew healy

xxxv.) birthday

it's 3am and i can't sleep for some reason.

my phone had died mid-conversation with matty, and unfortunately my charger stopped working the moment i tried to plug it in the socket.

what a ripoff.

i go to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. there's not much to do in my room anyway; i'd rather force myself to socialize than to stare at plants.

there's a sharp-looking man in the kitchen when i enter.

sharp because he's got a sharp jawline, tousled curly ginger hair, and james dean-like eyes, and he's holding a mug of coffee while scrolling on his laptop, the reflection of the blue light reflecting off his glasses.

he looks up when he sees me come in.

"hi." i say awkwardly.

"hey." he chuckles, pointing at me. "rhiannon, is it?"

"yeah." i clear my throat. "and you must be..."

"william." he says, scratching his head. "nice to meet you, er, this early in the morning."

i smile at him a little. "you too." i reply dumbly.

i proceed to get cold water from the fridge. william's typing something on his laptop.

"i work with troy." he shares as i sit down on a stool across him. "i suppose eunice has told you that?"

i take a gulp from the ice cold water. "it didn't come up, really."

"oh. well, we've been friends for quite a long time, your sister and i." william looks at me. "i was also a bit oriented about you, being her sibling and all."

i chuckle bitterly. "yeah? what sort of poor-me stories has she told you then?"

he smirks. "hardly a hundred."

he looks terribly attractive.

not exactly my type, but attractive. he's got this different aura compared to matty... a bit more put-together.

samantha must have jumped in his bones a few times.

i erase that thought from my head as william continues to ask me questions. "she says you lived in a tourbus?"

i blow air out of my nose. "technically. i lived with my boyfriend."

"the one in a band?"

i chip off the remaining electric blue nail polish left on my thumb. "yeah." i say. "his name's matty. he's from—"

"the 1975." he cuts me off with a grin. "of course i know them. everyone knows them. you must feel lucky about that, yeah?"

sounding a bit nervous, i say, "i suppose so."

"sorry. i am not one to pry." william shakes his head.

of course you're not.

"it's okay." i smile a little. "i really just need someone to talk to. i couldn't sleep and staying in the room feels quite exhausting."

"not used to sleeping in a real bed, i see?"

"well.... matty and i barely slept."

"what with touring around cities, i don't see that as a surprise."

i rub my eyes. i need wine.