ephemeral // matty healy

nightcap

Blair was the last person to leave the party. Some left after the video, most left before nightfall. Ronan left sometime between. Eventually, Blair and Matty were sitting on his couch with a bottle of red to share.

"Be honest with me," he started. Blair looked at him through her thick lashes. "Did you like the video? Like, making it." She laughed.

"Of course I did. It was fun to see it come together." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and he resisted the urge to touch her soft tendrils. "However, it is getting late," she began.

"Oh, it's not too late, is it?" He glanced at the clock. Matty huffed when he saw that the sun was starting to set on the party.

Blair shrugged her jacket back on and graciously thanked Matty for hosting. "This was nice. I don't get to see everything come together like this. Normally I have to find out what the client did with my work on my own."

Matty was scrambling to meet her at the door, while she floated away from the couch. His hand landed on the door handle first. "Please, allow me."

He opened the door to the corridor, the difference of a few degrees making the hair on his arms stand on end. Blair looked at him with a wide smile. Her eyes twinkled like diamonds. He thought that she looked warm, like a cozy blanket.

"I had a great time." She reached out an arm to give him a one-armed hug, but lingered in his soft embrace for a second too long. With her hand still touching his body, she swiftly pressed her lips to his cheek—sending bright electric shocks through to his body. When Blair pulled away he took a moment to scan her face thoroughly.

What did he see?

Her twinkling eyes now half-closed by heavy lids. Her soft lips now parted slightly as she tilted her head to the right. Her arms delicately reaching to hold his shoulders his neck. Matty barely had time to recover before Blair's cupids bow collided with his. He held her body close, as he felt all the nerves in his body ignite.

Matty moaned slightly into the kiss, feeling the years of yearning finally boil and bubble over like a neglected pot on the stovetop. They were out of breath now: Blair putting a hand on his chest and Matty holding their foreheads together.

"I'll see you soon, Matty." She said as she untangled herself from the kiss. He scoffed and smirked at her.

"Very soon, Blair."

-

Stella walked through the night alone, inadvertently meeting up with her flatmate in the middle of the street, who called to her through the night.

"Oi! What are you doing out here with no coat?" Blair jogged to meet her. She was only a half block away from the flat, but it was a chilly night.

"Nothing, just needed some air, I guess." Stella laughed a bit and Blair could tell that her averted gaze meant that she was lying. She placed her coat across Stella's shoulders and started to walk her back to the flat. "I can't go back in yet."

"Any reason why, babe?" Blair's game plan was more or less the same when Stella had an issue: it's best to let her tell you what's wrong instead of questioning her back into hiding.

"I think I like someone." Her eyebrows furrowed into a concerned expression. "Like, like someone." The emphasis was childish, but Blair didn't think twice about it.

"Are you going to tell me who?" Stella hummed and hawed as they walked in silence until the flat was just in sight.

"Bo."

Bloody Jesus holy fucking shit mother fucking cunt.

Blair kept her composure. "Wow. Are you going to do something about it?" Stella stopped in her tracks.

"He's one of my best friends. Plus, I started taking care of his mum. It's too weird." It was getting colder, the air was frigid. Stella's knees were knocking together trying to keep warm.

"Okay, if it's just a crush, that's fair. How long have you suspected you liked him?"

"About since you left." Stella didn't lift her eyes from the pavement.

"Left for the party?"

"No, left for New York." Blair's jaw fell open. She swatted Stella on the arm. "Ow!"

"First of all, how dare you keep this from me for so long. Second of all, if you have liked him for this long, maybe you should consider asking him out on a date." She resisted the addition of a 'you idiot' to the end of that sentence.

"What if he doesn't like me back?" The corner of Stella's lips curled downwards. Blair's brain flooded her with memories of Bo recalling his fondness for her lips.

She smiled reassuringly. "Babe, what if he does?"