"Really Matty?" Gemma's voice interrupts Matty's ramblings, her scolding tone emerging through the speaker of his phone so sharply it actually manages to shock him into silence. "I mean, as perfect as this bloke sounds, did you have to fall for someone who's taken?"

"Well I didn't mean to," Matty huffs, a sudden rush of irritation flaring through his body due to Gemma's interruption, but it dissipates as quickly as it comes, "and it's not like I'm in love with him or anything, he's just really nice, and pretty, and caring, and his boyfriend's a dick anyway."

"That's a bit hard for me to believe after you've spent the past half hour basically singing his praises."

Matty responds with a sharp sniff, a part of him regretting ringing Gemma up in the first place since she's nowhere near as ecstatic for him as he assumed she'd be.

He'd called his friend after he'd gotten off to catch up; Gemma had been on holiday with David or whatever his name is and had only just gotten back tonight, so once she'd finished telling him about how lovely Scotland was, she'd asked how he was doing, which had ended with Matty gushing about George in extensive detail since he'd much rather talk about him instead of his monetary problems until he was so rudely cut off mid-way through his narration.

"It's just a bit of a crush," Matty protests, even though he knows it's not, not anymore, but that doesn't mean he isn't still stubbornly trying to convince himself that it is.

"I don't know Matty, you sound quite smitten with him," Gemma tries and fails to stifle a laugh when Matty whines petulantly, leaving Matty to roll his eyes obnoxiously although she can't see him, both hating and loving the way Gemma can read him so easily, "and how do you know his boyfriend is a prick, have you ever even met the lad?"

"Well...no," Matty admits, his cheeks flushing hotly when he realizes that Gemma has brought up a good point, "but he really is awful, I'm not even exaggerating for once. He stands George up all the time, and they're always arguing, honestly, if I was George, I would have left him ages ago."

"Matty," Gemma sighs, sounding a bit exasperated with him although Matty doesn't think he deserves the tone of voice she usually saves for when he really fucks up, "I want to be happy for you, and I am...mostly, but maybe being friends with George isn't the best idea."

"Fuck off Gem," Matty snaps, desperate to defend his mostly completely platonic relationship with George until Gemma sees his side of things, "I'm not going to do anything with him, and yes - I fancy him, but I care about him too, and it's not like we've shagged, or even kissed, so I'm not doing anything wrong."

"I know love, just calm down for a minute," Gemma soothes him, and Matty tries to do just that. He's not really cross at Gemma, he's just tired, and a bit put out since he hasn't seen George in a few days, not to mention that the sight of his block of flats in the distance has reminded him of the bills he's got to sort out when he gets home, and all of those things combined have managed to deflate his mood by a large margin. "George sounds lovely honestly, and if you weren't so caught up on him, I'd be ecstatic that you've found a nice friend, but I'm worried you'll end up hurt if you keep hanging around with him, and I know you Matty, you're attached, don't even try and say that you're not."

"So you're basically saying I'm fucked," Matty groans, tugging at a stray curl that's brushing against his cheek as he turns the corner slowly, "but I can't just stay away, I don't even see him all the often now, we just text mostly and such, but you're probably right, doesn't mean I'm going to take your advice though."

"I'm always right," Gemma adds on, leaving Matty to snort unattractively at her cockiness, "and I'm not saying ignore him or anything, you don't have to listen to me, it's not like you ever do. I just want you to be careful. I haven't seen you show any interest in a guy in ages, and I don't want you doing something you'll regret or ending up with your heart broken."

"I probably will either way, no matter what happens," Matty confesses quietly, his feet dragging as he draws closer to his building so he can prolong their conversation. "I really like him Gem, probably more than anyone I've ever met, but even if he didn't have a boyfriend, I doubt he'd be interested in me. He seems uncomfortable with the idea of strippers in general, and given the fact that I am one, that presents a bit of a problem."

"Oh sod off Matty, I've never even heard of the bloke before tonight and I'd bet a hundred quid that he adores you. I mean in all seriousness, why else would he show up at the club that night he was so upset if not for you, especially if he doesn't like those places? I'm sure he has other friends he could have gone and seen, or stayed home, but he didn't, and that has to mean something."

"I thought that too, really I did," Matty tries to argue, but that's a difficult task when his mind is busy painting his previous evening with George in a new light thanks to Gemma's words, and no matter how hard he tries, he really can't find any fault in her logic. "I was convinced he had a bit of a crush on me, he always used to blush and get shy when I was around at first, but now I can't tell, and I mean, I shouldn't be looking for proof of it anyway, because he's taken, but that doesn't mean I'm not trying."

"Honestly love it seems like you've gotten yourself into a bit of a mess..."

Gemma continues speaking, and although Matty tries to listen, he's distracted by a sniffling sound that keeps punctuating the air at random intervals, the noise confusing Matty since he can't see anyone else nearby that could be making it.

Matty actually gasps aloud when he finally spies a figure huddled near the base of the steps leading up to Matty's flat that he'd missed before thanks to the dark shadows draping across the building. Matty freezes in place, trying to figure out if they're hurt or just drunk before he decides what to do next, but as he inspects them closer, he recognizes the person as none other than George himself.

The messy blonde hair that's actually a bit neater than usual gives it away, and for a brief moment, Matty wonders if he somehow managed to summon George with his mind since he'd been unconsciously longing to see him all evening, or maybe George missed Matty too and decided to wait for him here since he couldn't stop by the club, which is a thought that pleases Matty more than it should, even if it is a bit farfetched given the cold temperature and the fact that George most likely would have texted him if that had been the case.

But when George makes another stifled sound which seems to be laced with pain, Matty forces himself to stop being ridiculous, and really, the why of George's unexpected presence doesn't matter, because it's apparent that he's crying given his hitched inhalations and his heaving shoulders although Matty can't see his face since he's got it buried in his large hands.

"You okay?" Gemma asks, which means she must have heard Matty's startled exclamation although George hasn't seemed to notice that he's no longer alone.

"I've got to go, call you later," Matty hisses as quietly as he can, stuffing his phone into his jacket once he ends the call before taking a tentative step closer to George.

George lifts his head slightly then, his red eyes meeting Matty's briefly before he presses back against the wall like he wants to sink inside of it. George's sobs instantly stop once he's aware that he has company, leaving Matty's unsure of if he should continue his advance or retreat and give George some privacy, even if he thinks he might be physically incapable of leaving George alone now that he's seen him.

"George...are - what happened?" Matty changes his query at the last minute, because he was going to ask if George is alright, but it's obvious that he's not. Matty takes a few more hesitant paces forward when George doesn't immediately ask him to leave, pulling his coat tighter to his body as a particularly frigid gust of air sweeps through the open area.

"Nothing," George chokes out weakly after a few seconds of silence, his fingers wiping rapidly at his eyes in an attempt to hide all traces of the tears staining them, "I'm so sorry, I don't - I..."

Matty's heart aches in his chest as George trails off without finishing his statement, because he might not understand why George is so upset, but seeing him this way hurts Matty so much it has him on the verge of tears himself.

Matty's never been good at comforting people, just Louis really, but he's overcome with the urge to fix everything that's ever gone wrong in George's life, and just like that time at the club in which George was in a similar position, Matty finds himself moving without thinking, his feet taking him to George's side as his arms wrap their way around his shuddering middle, his knees smarting slightly as he sinks down onto the unforgiving concrete so he can hold George loosely.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Matty murmurs, doing the best he can to keep his mind blank when George turns into Matty fully and tugs their forms closer together, knocking the air out of Matty's lung as he feels George's nails digging into his hips desperately as if Matty is hiding the answer to all of his problems under his skin.

"Everything's fucked," George sighs against the top of Matty's head, his voice breaking halfway through his sentence in a manner that's so tortured Matty truly thinks he's about to start crying just from seeing George in such a state. "I - I don't know what I'm doing, or why I'm here," George continues speaking when he's able to, and Matty stays quiet, not wanting to break the moment or to lose the fleeting warmth that's radiating from George's chest.

"Was it Kyle?" Matty dares to ask, praying that he's not wrong so he doesn't come off like the jealous prick that he actually is, but honestly, he really doubts that it could be anything else.

"Yeah - I...he - it doesn't matter really, it was just another fight, but it was worse this time, but I'm probably just overreacting, and I hate the way I always do this, look at me bothering you again, you probably need sleep, just - I'll be fine, you should go on up."

Matty bites his lip to keep from protesting when George pulls away from him suddenly, leaving Matty shivering and bereft, his skin tingling gently as if his body's trying to imprint the way George felt against him into his memory, but now isn't the time to be focusing on such things, not when George is so visibly upset, so Matty does his best to pretend like his next statement is for George only and not at all selfish in nature.

"It matters to me, you matter to me," Matty's stomach flips uncomfortably when George doesn't respond, so he continues onward with the hope that more words will erase his previous sentiment, "and I can't leave you like this. Do you want to pop up to mine, I can make you some tea if you'd like?"

"I shouldn't," George instantly protests. Matty recognizes the panicked look in George's eyes that hasn't been present since their first few conversations, which means that Matty has unintentionally crossed the line that he's carefully been dancing around for the entirety of their friendship.

Matty doesn't mean anything by his offer, he just wants George to calm down and get out of the cold, but the last thing he desires is to make George uncomfortable, which he apparently has done. Matty wracks his brain quickly, trying to think like the friend he should be and not the person who fancies George more than he should, coming up with a solution that worked once before, and will hopefully do the same again.

"That's fine," Matty smiles, placing his hand gently over George's which is clenched into such a tight fist that Matty's surprised he hasn't drawn blood from his palms yet, "I need to walk Allen anyway, and he'd love to see you again. You could come with us if you'd like?"

"That sounds nice," George nods slowly, his muscles visibly relaxing under Matty's touch, "I think I'll wait down here though, not really feeling up to all those stairs."

"All right then, I'll be back in a mo." Matty shoots George a grin as he hurries away, a part of him fearing that George will be gone if he doesn't return quickly. He recognizes George's excuse for a paltry attempt at a cover-up, but he's not stupid enough to point that out, so all he can do is keep his fingers crossed that George will still be there when he gets back.

Matty's a bit confused over why George is so reluctant to set foot in his flat though, it's not like he's never been in it before, even if it's usually only for brief moments after walking Matty home or before they head out to get a bite to eat, but Matty does have a theory, he just can't allow himself to ponder over it for too long in case he gets his hopes up.

But as Matty rushes inside and tries to get Allen to sit still so he can clip his leash on, he can't help but wonder if George is afraid of coming into Matty's home because he wants to be behind a closed door with him. Kyle has obviously done something truly horrendous this time to have George so broken up over it, maybe he'd even left George, and if that's the case, perhaps George is finally starting to feel something for Matty as well.

But no - Matty's probably fabricating his own desires into reality here, and even if he's managed to unearth some truth with his musings, it doesn't matter, because George is hurting right now, and Matty's only goal is to make him feel better, not to find out if he's now got a chance with him, that can come later if his suspicions are correct.

Matty heaves out a sigh of relief when he arrives back on the ground floor and finds George exactly where he'd left him. He had been truly afraid that George was going to run off the second Matty left, but he hadn't, he's still here, turning to Matty with a slight smile on his lips that quickly transforms into a true grin when he spots Allen trotting along happily by Matty's heels.

"Hey boy," George coos softly, his voice clearer than it's been all evening. Matty's glad that he's composed himself a bit, otherwise Matty isn't sure how long it would have been before he started sniffling himself. "You get bigger every time I see you, it won't be long before you're taller than Matty."

"Very funny," Matty chuckles, his stomach tying itself into knots when George's gaze meets his for a brief moment, which is ridiculous, because it's just a look, but George's irises are glittering slightly, and he looks so fucking beautiful in his fancy clothes even with dark circles under his eyes and tear-stained cheeks, and really - Matty thinks he deserves an award for not leaning in and kissing him then and there. "I usually just let him run around in the back lot, he's good about staying close, but if you want to go on a proper walk, that's fine too," Matty rambles quickly, hoping that if he keeps speaking for long enough, his attraction to George will fade back down to its usual, manageable level.

It doesn't though, of course it doesn't, because there's something about the fact that George always turns to him when he's upset, and the way that Matty's already managed to cheer him up without really doing anything at all that leaves Matty overcome with a rush of emotions all centered around George, which means that Gemma is right, and he's most likely going to end up hurt in the end, but he can't give up, not now when George might be beginning to feel something for him as well if the way he leans closer to Matty means anything at all.

"Whatever you usually do is fine." George's low voice breaks the spell that Matty's been trapped in, unlocking his limbs and allowing him to move forward at a slow pace. George follows him instantly, his attention captured by Allen who is busy darting in between Matty and George like he can't decide whose attention he wants more, giving Matty a chance to pull himself together before he ruins everything with his unruly attraction to George. "Thank you by the way," George speaks up again just when Matty is debating over what to say next, "I really feel terrible for always dumping all of my problems on you, but seeing you helps, and I just - I'm really grateful that you're here."

"Stop apologizing love, seriously, I'm your friend," Matty keeps his spine locked straight so he won't cringe at the term, because being George's friend is truly wonderful, even if he's constantly craving more, "and if you're upset, I want to be there for you. I hate the thought of you having a sob in the cold all by yourself."

"I haven't been here long," George shrugs like that somehow makes it better, which it doesn't, at least not to Matty. "I was going to try and phone my friend when I'd calmed down a bit, but he's probably asleep already."

"You can ring him up now if you like," Matty suggests, not wanting to stop George from speaking with someone who probably knows him and his situation better even though he'd much rather George tell him about it instead.

"Nah," George shakes his head slowly, his eyes following Allen's bouncy form as Matty unhooks his leash and lets him wander around the small grassy area they'd stop in. "I'm alright...sort of, or I will be."

"Well if you want to talk about it, I'm always willing to listen," Matty reminds George gently, unsure of if George wants him to pry or not.

George usually calls Matty and spills everything without any coaxing when he's in the mood to chat, but this is the first time that Matty's seen George so vulnerable, even that night in the club during which Kyle had canceled their date was nothing compared to this moment.

Matty follows George lead when he slumps down onto the curb with a heavy sigh, swallowing back his curiosity induced questions since he can tell by George's conflicted features that he's trying to decide what he wants to say next. Matty tells himself that he only places his body so close to George in an attempt to create a barrier from the harsh wind that's buffering at them, and not for any other reason, but when George leans against Matty heavily, Matty gives up on trying to convince himself that he isn't enjoying every second of it.

"It's just, Kyle - it's always Kyle, and you know enough about him by now to guess that he's a bit of a tosser, which I shouldn't be saying, but he is." Matty opens his mouth to reply, but George barrels over him, so Matty closes his jaw with a soft snap, subtlety pressing closer to George as another chilly burst of air swirls around them. "So we were at that rehearsal dinner right, and as we're leaving, he casually announces he's going out of town without asking me about it first, which means he's going to miss the bloody wedding, and I'll have to go alone. He was such an arse all night, and then he drops this on me and expects me to be happy for him because it's a big case, but honestly, I'm starting to despise his job, it's all he cares about lately."

"What a prick," Matty huffs without thinking, earning himself a short bark of laughter from George in return, which has Matty's insides warming up despite the icy temperatures.

"I called him that tonight actually," George continues to chuckle, one of his arms wrapping around Matty's shoulder when he shivers slightly, the motion appearing to be almost instinctually, and fuck - Matty would gladly freeze to death if it meant George would do this for him more often, "but it wasn't just that honestly. We got into a bit of a row, and I - I asked him if he was cheating, and he says he's not, but nothing else makes any sense to me. I ended up walking out, I honestly don't even know if we're together anymore, I told him we'd talk when he got back, and the worst thing is that he seemed practically unbothered by it all, like it didn't really matter either way if I stayed or left."

"Fuck - you really think he's seeing someone else?" Matty gasps, because George has never mentioned this before, but it explains so much of Kyle's abysmal behavior if it's true.

"I don't know for sure," George sniffs sharply, and Matty can feel how his breathing is starting to become labored again thanks to their close proximity, inspiring him to place his hand on George's knees, rubbing his thumb over the stiff fabric of his trousers in a way he hopes is comforting, "and that's the problem really. If I did, I could break things off and move on, but I could be imagining things too, I just don't think I am, it's too similar to how he acted before you know?"

"Wait...has he done this in the past?" Matty asks, his heart dropping into his stomach when George shifts away from him slightly without providing an answer. "Has he George?"

"I - it's not really all that bad, it was just...I mean -"

"George," Matty repeats sternly, his eyebrows furrowing downward as he captures George's chin in his thin fingers without thinking about his actions, forcing him to look directly into his eyes, "has he done his before...yes or no?"

Matty knows this isn't really his business, and he shouldn't be pushing George, but despite society's image of strippers, Matty is appalled by cheating, and he can't understand how someone could do that to the person they're supposed to love.

"Yes," George admits weakly, the answer leaving him in a rush of air that hits Matty so hard it's as if he's the one with the unfaithful boyfriend, causing his eyes to sting slightly as George visibly crumbles in front of him. "Once, but it was ages ago, we were in uni still, and we hadn't been together all that long. He swore it was a one-time thing, and that he'd made a mistake. He promised me it would never happen again, and for so long things were good, but now it's all gone to hell."

Matty's never cheated or been cheated on, not that he knows of anyway, hell - he hasn't maintained a relationship long enough for that to happen to him. He's had friends who have suffered through it though, and knowing that Kyle has done that to George has him seething and saddened all at once. Half of him wants to cry, while the other side of him is thrumming with anger, leaving him eager to hunt down Kyle and hope he's nowhere near George's size so Matty can tell him exactly what he thinks of him.

"That's not okay George - fuck, why are you still even with him?" Matty blurts out before he can stop himself. He'd never put up with someone if they'd done that to him, and the fact that George is acting like it's not all that big a deal shows how little he truly thinks of himself. "That's awful - appalling even, you don't deserve that shit, fucking hell...I'm so sorry." Matty ends on a bit of wail, his throat aching with suppressed tears that are seconds away from forcing themselves out.

"Oh god Matty, please don't cry over me," George exclaims when he notices how worked up Matty's gotten, but his words have the opposite of their intended effect. Matty is helpless to stop the small whimper that escapes his lips, and even when he squeezes his eyes shut, they continue to burn as Matty's composure shatters from one second to the next.

Matty ends up sobbing softly against George's shoulder when he pulls him into a tight embrace, which isn't how this was supposed to go, but Matty hates knowing that George has been betrayed like this so much that he feels as if it's all happening to him as well.

"I'm sorry - I..." Matty tries to apologize for his ridiculous behavior, but every time he attempts to speak, he starts to cry even harder, so he quickly gives up on explaining himself, letting George hold him as his tears soak into his nice button-up shirt.

"It's alright love, I'm fine, he might not even be cheating," George soothes him, his fingers brushing Matty's hair back from his face as he bites his lip roughly, choking back his sobs with a supreme effort of a will that he wishes he possessed a few seconds ago.

Matty's distress seems to catch Allen's attention as well; the tension of the moment breaks when the dog hops on the curb next to them, his broad side pushing against Matty's arm as he noses his way in between Matty and George as if he wants to make sure that they're okay. Matty pets Allen weakly before sitting up, dragging the hem of his jumper over his face although he knows he's probably only making himself look worse in the process.

"I'm sorry, I cry pretty easily, I just - that's so fucked up George, because it's not fine, and the fact that he did it once means he most likely will do it again." Matty hiccups unsteadily, but George has to hear this from someone, and Matty isn't just bashing Kyle in the hopes of receiving a chance with George if they break up, for once his own attraction to George is absent from his mind. Matty doesn't care who George is dating at this moment, he just wants George to be with someone who will treat him right, and Kyle obviously isn't that person.

"John keeps telling me the same thing," George chuckles quietly, his thumb brushing over a stray tear that Matty had missed earlier, "he's my friend by the way, the one that's getting married."

"He sounds like a bright lad."

"He is, and a part of me knows that you're both right, because I see him with his fiancé and I know that Kyle and I don't have that sort of love, that we won't ever look that happy, but then I try to convince myself to leave him, and I just - I think about how much I'll miss him, no matter how awful he is to me. I don't do well on my own, and then what if I'm wrong and I call things off for no reason...I don't know, my head's a mess honestly."

"Well you don't have to figure it all out tonight," Matty points out once he's regained control of his emotions, "and if he's leaving like you said, maybe take the time away from him to properly sort through everything, like weigh out the pros and cons, so when he gets back you'll have a better idea of what to do and where to go from here."

Matty wants to say more, to press his advantage, to bring up all of the terrible things Kyle has done during the short time that Matty's known George, but he doesn't, because he thinks that deep down, George knows that Kyle and him aren't working anymore, but that's a decision that George has to make on his own, Matty can't do that for him.

"That's probably for the best, I'll see how I feel in a week or so," George agrees before standing up when Allen removes himself from his lap, pulling Matty to his feet with a gentle grip around his wrist that leaves Matty breathless even after he's regained his balance and George is no longer touching him. "Now come on, you need to get back inside, your lips are turning blue."

"I'm fine," Matty waves George off, but he proves his own words wrong when he attempts to clip on Allen's lead only for his numb fingers to drop the metal clasp. George grabs the leash before Matty can reach for it, attaching it to Allen's collar easily which has Matty scoffing under his breath. "I could have done that you know, it just slipped."

"Sure it did," George grins in an infectious manner that has Matty mirroring the expression even though he means to pout instead, but it's impossible not to smile when George ruffles Allen's ears quickly before enveloping Matty's icy hand with his free one and leading them both back in the direction of his flat, and although Matty knows George is only trying to warm him up, the kind gesture still means so much more to him than it should.

"Are you going back home or..." Matty allows his questions to fade away into nothing when he realizes that he was about to ask George if he'd rather stay at his place for the night, but he doesn't want to scare George off again like he did earlier.

"I guess, might text John actually, see if he's up so I can sleep there. I don't really want to face Kyle again right now, not when I'm finally starting to feel better."

"I've got a spare room," Matty cuts in despite his earlier intentions, "it's still furnished and everything. Gem never came by to pick any of it up, think she used it as an excuse to go shopping actually, and you don't have to of course, but if your friend doesn't answer, I've always got space for you."

George pauses abruptly on the landing they've just arrived on, and as much as Matty wants to see his face to try and gauge his reaction, he's too afraid to meet his eyes just in case they're full of rejection. It doesn't matter really, George doesn't have to stay with Matty, even though the thought of him going back to his boyfriend has Matty feeling a bit ill, but if he wants to, that's fine, and Matty's already overstepped enough boundaries for one evening as it is.

George surprises Matty by pulling him into a quick embrace instead of replying with words, his lips brushing against his forehead in what has to be an accident, and honestly, the contact is so brief Matty might have imagined it, but his skin burns where he swears George touched it, leaving Matty giddy and lightheaded when George steps back with a sheepish expression on his face.

"I'd really appreciate that," George agrees while Matty is still reeling slightly, and although he doesn't mention his unexpected show of affection, he also doesn't appear nervous or guilty either, which most likely means the chaste parody of a kiss was completely unintentional, "and Matty, thank you, for everything. You're just - I really...I don't know what I did to deserve you."

Matty almost starts crying again then and there, because George deserves so much, he deserves the fucking world, but he manages to contain his emotions this time, busying himself with digging out his key so he can hide his blushing face and watery eyes from the man that Matty thinks he might be starting to fall in love with despite his best intentions.

I always think I can't love this story any more than I already do and then I manage to prove myself wrong.

Honestly I am so emotional and gay right now I'm a bit overwhelmed fuck I should sleep.

Votes and comments always make me smile if you feel like leaving one.

Love you all loads xxx

- starr