🍓🍓🍓

୨⎯ "𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒙 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆" ⎯୧
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : little freak - harry styles
ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▯▯▯

But your gift is wasted on me
I was thinkin' about who you are
Your delicate point of view, I
Was thinkin' about you

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. . .

gemmaevans

gemmaevans thankful for my darlings 🕊️🫶🏼

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user SO CUTE I CANT

user matt getting his own solo slide
user so did chris and josie?
user yeah but matt is matt and memma is real 😗

nicolassturniolo i love u

nicolassturniolo so much

user MATT AND GEMMA ARE BACK??? OH MY GOD

madifilipowicz i can't wait to see you 🤍🤍

user did chris dirty with the last slide💀
gemmaevans he knows i love him 🤭
christophersturniolo 😐

user i love these sm

matthew.sturniolo i love ducks
gemmaevans he didn't rlly like u tho 😔
matthew.sturniolo why are you reminding me???

user memma memma memma memma !!!!

jadeyfrench look at how cute we are

jadeyfrench not chris tho
josiegordon real!
christophersturniolo ???

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

matty boy 🍓
Gemma

matty boy🍓
Gem

matty boy🍓
Gemmy

matty boy🍓
Sunshine

matty boy🍓
Hello may I pls speak to my girlfriend

gemma evans
i'm not ur girlfriend

gemma evans
what the fuck is this contact name matthew bernard.

matty boy🍓
Oh fuck

matty boy🍓
I'LL CHANGE IT BACK

gemma evans
fuck you

gemma evans changed matty boy🍓 to matthew sturniolo

gemma evans
you are the dirt on the bottom on my shoe

matthew sturniolo
I can't believe you just compared me to finn

gemma evans
i

gemma evans
ur so funny matthew

matthew sturniolo
I know

matthew sturniolo
Can u change my name back now

gemma evans
no😘

matthew sturniolo
😐 gemma pls

gemma evans
no

gemma evans
can't wait to see u today

matthew sturniolo
I can't wait to see you either

matthew sturniolo
Neither can my mom and dad

gemma evans
oh

gemma evans
i forgot abt that

matthew sturniolo
Is that a problem?

gemma evans
no!!!!

gemma evans
I want to meet them, they seem like lovely people

matthew sturniolo
Buttttt

gemma evans
but i'm absolutely shitting myself

gemma evans
might pass out 🤭😝😃😇😌😗😁😛

gemma evans
it also doesn't help that we're literally sneaking around

matthew sturniolo
Gem

matthew sturniolo
You're gonna be fine, they're meeting Josie as well

matthew sturniolo
And we're not sneaking around bc no one has asked us abt anything

gemma evans
josie doesn't have anything to worry abt

gemma evans
and no one has asked us anything bc they think they know what's going on

matthew sturniolo
And neither do you, mom and dad know what had happened bc I told them abt Finn. You'll be fine Gem

gemma evans
do they know you're absolutely head over heels in love with me

matthew sturniolo
...

matthew sturniolo
when did I ever say that??

gemma evans
you don't have to

gemma evans
you are so down bad for me it's pathetic

matthew sturniolo
you... literally write songs about me

gemma evans
that's my job

gemma evans
if i said jump you'd ask how high

matthew sturniolo
Gemma.

matthew sturniolo
Stop.

gemma evans
AHAHAH

gemma evans
you love me so much

gemma evans
come back

gemma evans
HELLO????

gemma evans
okay i'm joking pls come back idk how to meet ur parents i'm not even ur girlfriend

gemma evans
MAAAAATTT PLEASE

matthew sturniolo
Ur gonna do fine, okay?

matthew sturniolo
They're gonna love u

matthew sturniolo
We can fix the girlfriend problem all u have to do is ask me to be ur boyfriend

gemma evans
maybe when you start kissing the ground I walk on xx

matthew sturniolo
I basically already do

gemma evans
basically isn't the same as actually doing it

matthew sturniolo
I refuse to kiss the actual ground be so serious gem

gemma evans
😐 wow so u hate me huh

matthew sturniolo
I definitely do not

gemma evans
you do omg you despise me

matthew sturniolo
😐

matthew sturniolo
Yeah I do

gemma evans
wow okay

gemma evans
don't ever contact me again

matthew sturniolo
I'll see u soon ❤️❤️

gemma evans
kys 😌

matthew sturniolo
You treat me so good 🙏🏼

gemma evans
of course I do stink 😘😘

matthew sturniolo
Never say that again

gemma evans
okay SuNsHiNe

matthew sturniolo
I THOUGHT YOU LIKED THAT NICKNAME???

gemma evans
i do

gemma evans
it tells everyone that I'm the light of your life

matthew sturniolo
Yeah ur right

gemma evans
k gotta go byeeeeeeee kisses 😗😗😗😗😗😗

Gemma sucks her lips in an effort to conceal the ever growing pathetic smile on her face. She places her phone face down on the bathroom counter and goes through her makeup bag to find her bronzer, not noticing Josie standing at her door quietly.

"You feeling okay?"

Gemma jumps when she hears the unexpected voice behind her and swiftly turns around "I'm feeling great, are you feeling okay?"

Josie huffs in frustration "No! I'm not okay! I feel like I have so much to live up to!" she steps into the bathroom and slides down the wall, crossing her legs as she goes "They loved Charlie and I don't know how to compete with that."

Gemma dusts her bronzer on her face and looks in the mirror at Josie "Marylou and Jimmy aren't going to judge you because you're not Charlie, you're a great girl Jose"

"Yeah but Charlie is... Charlie"

Gemma quirks her brow "That doesn't really mean anything to me"

Josie's head clunks back on the wall behind her "Enough about me. How are you feeling since you and Matt aren't exactly how you were?"

She opens her mouth to protest before stopping herself upon realisation that their friends, don't know anything beyond what Gemma and Matt let them know "We're fine. We've been speaking here and there and he asked about songs I've been working on"

That gets Josie's attention.

Her mouth drops into an O shape and she quickly stands, leaning on the sink "You two have been talking? like, more than once? on your own terms? and you didn't tell us?!"

Gemma clicks her bronzer closed and shrugs "It wasn't that much of a talk, all we really have been doing is clearing the air and kind of just becoming friends again. Nothing more"

All Josie does is stare in skepticism and tilt her head. She wants to ask the obvious question but judging by the way Gemma metaphorically waves her off and goes straight back to doing her makeup, it seems like the two of them really didn't do anything but clear the air. It's a relief really. No hostility or awkward tension will mean that the group can finally exist in harmony, and it'll make thanksgiving at Madi's that much easier today.

You know, if Josie didn't have to focus on the fact that she's meeting Chris' fucking parents. The reminder she gives herself is enough to snap her out of the Matt and Gemma daze and she hurries out of the bathroom without so much as a bye to Gemma.

Gemma watches Josie go and breathes a sigh of relief. She just lied straight to Josie's face and she's going to have to lie to everyone else for the whole day whilst simultaneously trying to get to Matt's parents.

She leans on the counter and looks at herself in the mirror, quirking her top lip "You'll be fine"

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

Technically, Gem was right. They're all sitting in various places around Madi's kitchen and living room chatting and eating away, and so far everything has gone fine. Josie settled easily once Jimmy got her talking and Jade was quickly pulled into a conversation with Marylou, Oliver and Nick.

All she's done this evening is actively avoid Matt's eye whilst also trying to not come across as a stuck up bitch to his family. She's standing at the kitchen counter putting a second serving of potatoes and pumpkin on her plate when Justin slides next to her.

"Matt says that you guys are working on another album already?"

Gemma smiles kindly at him "Yeah we are. We've been writing a whole bunch and recording a few demos"

Justin nods as he listens "When do you guys think you'll drop the first single?"

She shrugs and wraps the tinfoil back around the porcelain dish "Sometime next year, we're dropping a short EP for our fourth anniversary before then since the new album is gonna have a bit of a different sound"

Justin is about to reply when Matt appears beside him and reaches for the dish Gemma is holding. Their hands touch on the rim and they lock eyes, completely forgetting Justin is even standing next to them until he pushes himself off the counter and walks back over to join in on Josie and Jimmy's conversation.

Gemma clears her through and pushes the dish towards Matt saying nothing. He stands closer to her, lowering his voice "This isn't so bad"

Gemma rolls her eyes "You don't sound so sure of that"

He stands up straighter and shakes his shoulders "I forgot that Chris and Nick don't know anything and just started talking about the other day when you let me hear that song you wrote"

She walks around the other side of the kitchen island and sighs, pressing her lips into a thin line "If they ask I'll just pretend I have no idea what they're talking about" Gemma shrugs and smiles before waking off, leaving Matt by himself.

Matt uses his fork to move his pumpkin and potatoes around on his plate to make room for other food. As he reaches for an identical white porcelain dish, Laura takes Gemma's spot across from him and smiles.

"They get along well"

Matt quirks his brow "Josie and dad? Yeah I think that's because she has her own dad jokes that she uses so they're basically just laughing at eachother"

Laura shakes her head "I mean your mom and Gem. They've been talking non-stop"

Matt looks over Laura's shoulder and sees Gemma sitting on the arm rest of the couch and MaryLou sitting beside her. They're engaged in what seems to be a really interesting conversation and Matt's mom begins to laugh, placing her hand on Gemma's knee for support.

A feeling of warmth blooms in his chest as he looks at two of the most important people in his life talking away like they've got all the time in the world. From just looking at her you wouldn't know that Gemma was freaking out this morning over it, barely being able to make a coherent sentence whilst also trying to think of things to talk about, because right now she's talking to his mom like she's known her forever.

Matt can't help but grin before catching himself and looking back at Laura, shrugging to try to play it off "It's good that they're getting along"

Laura rounds the island and goes to the fridge to refill her cup, turning to Matt as she opens the door "I think it would do you both a favour if you weren't introducing her as your friend, though"

His eyes widen and he tries to save himself by sticking a piece of pumpkin in his mouth. He chews extra slow but all Laura does is stand there and look at him like she's trying to communicate something with her eye. She huffs when she realises he's doing it on purpose and taps his shoulder before walking away to join Oliver and Madi on the couch, once again leaving Matt to his own thoughts.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

He stays up thinking about it. Gemma had been the one to kind of push the secrecy of their... relationship, but it's not like Matt had gone against her at all. He likes the peace and he likes the privacy but he would also like to openly talk about how he feels towards her.

He feels the same when it comes to keeping a relationship offline and with him and his brothers almost being at four million subscribers, he knows that it's for the best for now. The drama with Finn was enough for him but that doesn't mean that he wants to keep them a secret forever.

Private maybe but secret, no.

He wonders what Gemma would do if he just. Stopped. Stopped making up excuses for where he was going or stopped hiding his phone everytime she called. Stopped keeping the person he loves a secret.

He wonders if the pressure would make her crack, if having eyes on them would make her regret her decision. He knows now what it's like to watch her slip through his fingers all too easy, knows what it's like to shut her out and he doesn't want to know that feeling ever again when it comes to her.

It takes Matt all of five minutes of sitting in absolute silence and darkness to whisper the words out loud to no one but himself.

He breathes in deep and closes his eyes "Gem, I'm in love with you"

The words feel natural rolling off his tongue but he cringes at himself anyway for saying it out loud for the first time in the darkness of his own bedroom. A smile graces his face as he thinks the words over, flipping them over in his head every-which-way as he imagines just saying them out loud to her.

Then he thinks more about the words she writes and how she has the ability to turn her feelings into songs that are loved by so many and how she can waste all that talent on him. He loves everything she writes and his heart does a little flip when he gets to hear songs that are about him but despite all this and every ounce of reassurance she's ever given him, sometimes he still wonders why him?.

There is no room in Matt's life for feelings of doubt or insecurity when it comes to her. He knows that now. But when he sees her doing what she loves and being loved by people all around the word, Matt can't help but think how she came to the conclusion that he is the one she wants.

He considers himself very lucky.

His phone lighting up on his nightstand catches his attention, a message floating on his lockscreeen.

iMessage
gemma evans
ur mom and dad are so cool pls tell them I say hi

iMessage
gemma evans
I had a really good thanksgiving with you today❤️

💌
early chapter posted bc I couldn't resist hehe

matt doesn't get a realisation because he's known he's in love w gem btw 🤭🤭

also meeting the parents omg 🫶🏼🫶🏼 it happend and it was so cute slay

laughing abt the fact that matt thinks he's slick and then laura bursts his bubble, i thought it was a nice lil detail since usually madi is the one to do it hehe

i also only made this a thanksgiving chapter so you guys could have a sense of the time frame, i have no idea what the fuck thanksgiving is for and don't celebrate it which means i didn't feel the need to write a proper celebration ya know?