Nah, you look plenty good without it. Just gives me something to remember when your birthday comes around. [He cracks a little smile to try to reassure him. The last thing Matt needs to do is buy anything more for these dates.]
If you'd like. [He nods, trying not to give away just how glad he is to hear that. The idea of Matt spending the night with this Sally girl eats at him.]
[It's too soon for Matt to have had actual dinner there, he thinks. Especially if they got drinks before. And after. He knows how Matt can be. And Sally probably wants the expensive cocktails. Ugh.
But no. It's only been a bit more than an hour. And the text itself is confusing. But Nathan doesn't say anything about that because he knows better.]
You reading my mind again? I'll order it. Pick it up on your way back?
[And he'll pay for it over the phone too because he's not going to let Matt foot that bill.]
[ And so he is, grabbing the pizzas and back at their halls within 40 mins. He doesn't look best happy, and his shirt is no longer tucked in. He walks in the room unanounced. It's a good job Nate is never doing anything personal when he does this. ]
She couldn't come. Something came up. [ Which yes, she's text him now, as an afterthought, way after. ]
[Nate is sitting in a chair, painting when Matt arrives. He doesn't even glance up as his friend walks right in. It's not until he says Sally didn't come that he glances up.]
Yeah. We're going to go next week instead, it's fine.
[ He doesn't look so fine though, he looks, well, almost upset. But he has pizza and Nate, so that helps. He puts the box down and opens it up, grabbing a slice as he looks over at Nate's half done painting. ]
That's fucking epic [ he says around a bit of pizza ]. All swishy.
[Nate looks about twice as mad on Matt's behalf. How could she cancel on him? After all the trouble he went to?! Huff.
It's almost as if he knows how much more grateful he would be if Matt ever tried to make that sort of gesture with him. But that's silly. They wouldn't ever go to dinner at a place like that.
Glancing at the painting, he gives his normal modest shrug. He's got some paint on his face and a bit in his hair. It tends to happen when he's painting more for him than for class. He loses himself in it. It's the only part of him that gets a little messy.]
Yeah well I love it. One day I'm going to buy shit tons of your work and put it up all over my house.
[ he moves over to sit on Nate's bed, making himself comfortable. Looking at his friend makes him lose a little of that annoyance and disappointment. ]
You've got a bit... [ he gestures to his hair and face where the paint has splashed. ]
I'm pretty sure these will just be filling up my cupboards so you can just..have them.
[He grabs a rag and tries to wipe off the paint but it's dry now so it's just...going to be a thing he takes care of later. It may or may not be a blue that's basically the same color as Matt's shirt.
No I'll be buying them. When you've got shows in posh museums. Cards with your name on them. I'll be first in line.
[ It's funny how you come to associate smells and things with people. Paint, that's Nate. Paint and that stuff he uses to get rid of it, sharp in the air. It always feels sort of inviting.
He briefly wonders just how many clothes Nate has ruined by splashes of blue and green. ]
Yeah fucking swanky, mate. Kept thinking security was going to have someone come and kick me out. Mind you they had a lounge pianist in there and he was shite.
[ Matt could have done way better. Not that he wants to be a lounge pianist. Balls to that tbqh. ]
[He ducks his head a bit as Matt talks about his stuff being in museums. He doesn't know if it will go like that. He's still so young and still learning a lot.]
I keep telling you it could be a better job than working at that bar. At least you could do something you love, yeah?
At least in the bar my boss is cool about people coming and hanging out. Long as you're drinking. Not sure it'd be the same if you came and perched on top of a baby grand.
[ Definitely bases his career choices around whether or not he can hang out with Nate tbh ]
Anyway, they've said I can go full time over summer if I want so I've said yeah. [ It's the first time Matt has said anything that even hints that he's not going back to Ireland at the end of term. First time he's even mentioned it at all, really. He doesn't tend to talk about home, pretty much ever. He just needs somewhere to live. ]
Too bad I can't sing, or I could just sprawl out like one of those fancy singers from the 40s. [Nathan those were women who did that. But he's joking anyway.]
Wait- you're sticking around for the summer? You didn't say anything about that.
[ It could almost be unnerving that Nate just gets who caused it, but in truth? It's a relief. It's something he always hides, from just about everyone, like a constant weight on his shoulders.
At first, he just nods. Like it's a betrayal somehow to admit. ]
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So I'll do? [ he asks, looking up and down himself. ]
So what're you up to tonight, mate?
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You know me, better with a night in.
[He doesn't really go out much unless it's with Matt. Weird, that.]
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[ Well, it wouldn't be the end to a good night if he didn't see his best mate, would it? Who is it he wants to spend the night with again? ]
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[ Remember you're not a gay man, Matthew. ]
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[And with one last smile, he'll head back to his room and...sulk for a bit. It's fine. He's fine. There may be some angsty painting happening though.]
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He waits for almost an hour.
Sally doesn't show.
He leaves and considers just going to the pub, but he doesn't, he pulls out his phone instead and texts Nate. ]
You eaten? You want pizza? I'm starving.
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But no. It's only been a bit more than an hour. And the text itself is confusing. But Nathan doesn't say anything about that because he knows better.]
You reading my mind again? I'll order it. Pick it up on your way back?
[And he'll pay for it over the phone too because he's not going to let Matt foot that bill.]
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[ And so he is, grabbing the pizzas and back at their halls within 40 mins. He doesn't look best happy, and his shirt is no longer tucked in. He walks in the room unanounced. It's a good job Nate is never doing anything personal when he does this. ]
She couldn't come. Something came up. [ Which yes, she's text him now, as an afterthought, way after. ]
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She..? Seriously?
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[ He doesn't look so fine though, he looks, well, almost upset. But he has pizza and Nate, so that helps. He puts the box down and opens it up, grabbing a slice as he looks over at Nate's half done painting. ]
That's fucking epic [ he says around a bit of pizza ]. All swishy.
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It's almost as if he knows how much more grateful he would be if Matt ever tried to make that sort of gesture with him. But that's silly. They wouldn't ever go to dinner at a place like that.
Glancing at the painting, he gives his normal modest shrug. He's got some paint on his face and a bit in his hair. It tends to happen when he's painting more for him than for class. He loses himself in it. It's the only part of him that gets a little messy.]
It's coming along.
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[ he moves over to sit on Nate's bed, making himself comfortable. Looking at his friend makes him lose a little of that annoyance and disappointment. ]
You've got a bit... [ he gestures to his hair and face where the paint has splashed. ]
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[He grabs a rag and tries to wipe off the paint but it's dry now so it's just...going to be a thing he takes care of later. It may or may not be a blue that's basically the same color as Matt's shirt.
He heads over to grab a slice of pizza.]
So did you get to check the place out?
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[ It's funny how you come to associate smells and things with people. Paint, that's Nate. Paint and that stuff he uses to get rid of it, sharp in the air. It always feels sort of inviting.
He briefly wonders just how many clothes Nate has ruined by splashes of blue and green. ]
Yeah fucking swanky, mate. Kept thinking security was going to have someone come and kick me out. Mind you they had a lounge pianist in there and he was shite.
[ Matt could have done way better. Not that he wants to be a lounge pianist. Balls to that tbqh. ]
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I keep telling you it could be a better job than working at that bar. At least you could do something you love, yeah?
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[ Definitely bases his career choices around whether or not he can hang out with Nate tbh ]
Anyway, they've said I can go full time over summer if I want so I've said yeah. [ It's the first time Matt has said anything that even hints that he's not going back to Ireland at the end of term. First time he's even mentioned it at all, really. He doesn't tend to talk about home, pretty much ever. He just needs somewhere to live. ]
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Wait- you're sticking around for the summer? You didn't say anything about that.
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[ When he heard him in the shower who knows, but he did. ]
Yeah going how would be... Well I'm not actually sure I'd have any home to go to.[ Hi Nate, things you didn't know. ]
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That bad?
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You remember that black eye I had when I came back after last Christmas break? Well it wasn't really too much drink and an angry cupboard.
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Your dad? [He knows some. Not much. Just that it's where Matt gets most of his ignorance about gay people from.]
Shit does that... I mean, does it happen a lot?
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At first, he just nods. Like it's a betrayal somehow to admit. ]
Used to. [ His voice is quiet. ]
But better me than the girls. Or my mam.
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