When it's standing, Matt stands there for a moment, looking over it. He runs his hands over the keys and he simply can't wipe the smile from his face.
"Well let's see shall we?" he grins as he steps around it to retrieve the plug and place it into the nearest wall socket. That done, he heads to the kitchen and grabs one of the chairs from the table where their dinner still sits. Returning, he places it in front of it before sitting himself down and shooting a grin towards Nate.
Lifting his hands, he starts to play. It's just something brief, not some classical triumph, but it's intricate enough. He stops to adjust a setting before continuing.
Nate can't help but smile as soon as he starts to play. God, it takes him back. Slowly, he moves back to the sofa and takes a seat, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and watching Matt intently.
This is everything to him. This is all he ever wanted. He doesn't dare speak, doesn't want to interrupt.
Glancing over, he grabs his phone from the arm of the sofa and gets his camera open. This time, though? He films a short video of him playing. This is definitely a moment he wants to remember forever.
Lost in the music as he is, and concentrating deeply, Matt doesn't notice at first how Nate moves away, and he definitely doesn't notice the phone. It isn't until the piece he's playing comes to a close that he turns towards him and starts to laugh.
"You filming me, babe? If I'd have known I'd have done something with a bit more flair."
He looks back to the keys and briefly to Nate. "How about something festive?" And he starts to play the first few bars of Fairytale of New York.
"Listen to you, getting all arty again. Long as you don't go putting me in some exhibit." He wouldn't put it past him. He knows how he gets when he gets an artistic idea in his head.
"Yeah I got you your favourite thing. It's between my legs." He grins like an idiot. He's really not trying. But thankfully he's joking, it isn't his gift.
"Oh speaking of Christmas, babe, what are your plans? You back in Wales?"
"Oh, guess I can't open it until Christmas then, hm?" He jokes right back, knowing that there's no way they would wait that long.
"Mum actually called me the other day about it. Apparently dad's got some conference for work that will put them on the beach next week. She was asking without asking if I would mind them making it a bit of a holiday. So I told her to have fun. We'll get together once they're home at the start of the new year."
"Well you gave me mine early, I suppose I can let you unwrap yours." It's good to be able to laugh and joke like this. It feels right to Matt. Natural. How could this ever be wrong?
He shouldn't really feel glad that Nate says he's not going back to his family, but, well, he does a bit. He shifts on the seat, turning slightly back towards him.
"Soooo. You want to go to Ireland? Not my folks- In case you're worried. My cousin, he invited me to this family thing. And I mean, if you'd be up for it."
Matt just nods at first, almost bashful. Smiling a bit.
"It's not a big thing. Just him and his Mrs, his ma and da and a couple of friends. Christmas dinner, probably too much to drink --though not for me babe don't worry--, bit of a sing song. Typical Irish sort of thing."
He pauses and then proceeds, "Obviously I'd just introduce you as my friend. I mean, none of this boyfriend stuff yeah?" He's... joking. Badly. Very badly. Maybe because he's nervous. Maybe because he's an idiot.
It is a bad joke. And Matt's nerves make it harder for Nate to see the truth behind the joke so he just looks down and nods.
"Yeah- I mean, of course. Not going to rush you on that." He tries not to look hurt. He's serious about not rushing Matt but it does still sort of sting to think about.
He can tell as soon as Nate reacts that his comment was fucking stupid. He might be trying not to look hurt but Matt knows him better than that.
"Babe I'm joking," he says quickly, standing up to walk over towards him and sit himself down on the couch next to him. He reaches out a hand, putting it against Nate's leg.
"You go with me, you're going with me. The full boyfriend experience. Hand holding and PDA and all that soppy shite."
Nate looks down at Matt's hand, then up at his face and smiles a bit, nodding.
"I just don't want you to feel like you have to. I know it's still gonna be weird for you- being open about it with other people. Especially people you know."
"I don't feel like I have to," he assures, reaching up and cupping his hand against Nate's cheek.
"I'm not good at shit I have to. You know that. And yeah it's kind of weird for me, it all is. But I don't want to hide you away, I really don't. You're not some dirty secret. I'm not gonna pretend 'm shouting it from the rooftops. Not going to pretend that part of my brain still doesn't freak out by it, because it does. But I'm doing my best to get there, because I really want to."
"We've got time." He says quietly, turning to press a kiss to Matt's palm. "So Christmas with your cousin, hm? This the one you work with, I'm guessing?"
"Yeah?" he asked, enthused, but not over the idea of the chat, of course. It's because he'll come. Because they'll spend the time together. He can't think of anything he'd want more.
"Hey babe how about you go warm up that pasta. I'll go get us some joggers. It's getting a bit cold in here."
"Yeah, alright." He gets up to go see what he can do about heating up the food with all the power still out. All of this is still just...really nice. Having Matt here, staying with him. It's good. Really good.
Matt shoots him a grin before getting up from the couch. He moves past the keyboard with it's magical power source and towards the bedroom where he finds some tatty old jogging bottoms to wear and a tshirt that should be in the bin.
He finds Nate something a bit nicer, something that was folded and not found on the floor. He returns with it over his arm, stepping into the kitchen.
"It's just a bad storm. It'll pass." Nate says with a shrug, but he's already looking closer at Matt's face, like he'll be able to see something there.
"Right? I mean- do you think it could be something? They'd call you if it was something, yeah?"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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"Does she work?" It wasn't something he could check ahead of time, after all.
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"Well let's see shall we?" he grins as he steps around it to retrieve the plug and place it into the nearest wall socket. That done, he heads to the kitchen and grabs one of the chairs from the table where their dinner still sits. Returning, he places it in front of it before sitting himself down and shooting a grin towards Nate.
Lifting his hands, he starts to play. It's just something brief, not some classical triumph, but it's intricate enough. He stops to adjust a setting before continuing.
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This is everything to him. This is all he ever wanted. He doesn't dare speak, doesn't want to interrupt.
Glancing over, he grabs his phone from the arm of the sofa and gets his camera open. This time, though? He films a short video of him playing. This is definitely a moment he wants to remember forever.
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"You filming me, babe? If I'd have known I'd have done something with a bit more flair."
He looks back to the keys and briefly to Nate. "How about something festive?" And he starts to play the first few bars of Fairytale of New York.
"What d'you think?"
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"Guess it's appropriate since this is your Christmas present and all."
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"Yeah I got you your favourite thing. It's between my legs." He grins like an idiot. He's really not trying. But thankfully he's joking, it isn't his gift.
"Oh speaking of Christmas, babe, what are your plans? You back in Wales?"
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"Mum actually called me the other day about it. Apparently dad's got some conference for work that will put them on the beach next week. She was asking without asking if I would mind them making it a bit of a holiday. So I told her to have fun. We'll get together once they're home at the start of the new year."
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He shouldn't really feel glad that Nate says he's not going back to his family, but, well, he does a bit. He shifts on the seat, turning slightly back towards him.
"Soooo. You want to go to Ireland? Not my folks- In case you're worried. My cousin, he invited me to this family thing. And I mean, if you'd be up for it."
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"Sorry?" Genuine shock on his face right now. "I mean... Yeah of course, but-- you really want me to come? To a family thing?"
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"It's not a big thing. Just him and his Mrs, his ma and da and a couple of friends. Christmas dinner, probably too much to drink --though not for me babe don't worry--, bit of a sing song. Typical Irish sort of thing."
He pauses and then proceeds, "Obviously I'd just introduce you as my friend. I mean, none of this boyfriend stuff yeah?" He's... joking. Badly. Very badly. Maybe because he's nervous. Maybe because he's an idiot.
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"Yeah- I mean, of course. Not going to rush you on that." He tries not to look hurt. He's serious about not rushing Matt but it does still sort of sting to think about.
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"Babe I'm joking," he says quickly, standing up to walk over towards him and sit himself down on the couch next to him. He reaches out a hand, putting it against Nate's leg.
"You go with me, you're going with me. The full boyfriend experience. Hand holding and PDA and all that soppy shite."
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"I just don't want you to feel like you have to. I know it's still gonna be weird for you- being open about it with other people. Especially people you know."
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"I'm not good at shit I have to. You know that. And yeah it's kind of weird for me, it all is. But I don't want to hide you away, I really don't. You're not some dirty secret. I'm not gonna pretend 'm shouting it from the rooftops. Not going to pretend that part of my brain still doesn't freak out by it, because it does. But I'm doing my best to get there, because I really want to."
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"So you know. We'd be low on the list of weird at the christmas table."
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"Sucker...what?" Is that an Irish thing? He thought he knew all of Matt's weird Irish things.
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He waves a hand. "She's hot though. Boy did well. Though not as well as me, obviously."
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Which is to say that he'll definitely be going.
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"Hey babe how about you go warm up that pasta. I'll go get us some joggers. It's getting a bit cold in here."
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He finds Nate something a bit nicer, something that was folded and not found on the floor. He returns with it over his arm, stepping into the kitchen.
"Here you go babe, got them out the drawer."
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"Thanks, love. Can't hear this up, sadly. Just going to have to eat it cold tonight. Unless the power comes back any time soon."
He proceeds to get dressed right there in the kitchen because why not.
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"Bit weird a power cut like this isn't it?" he look a bit concerned. "I wonder if I should check in with work. Just in case it's something."
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"Right? I mean- do you think it could be something? They'd call you if it was something, yeah?"
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