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?"
"Yeah yeah, it's probably nothing, yeah." But he looks... less than convinced. "Maybe I should just send a text..." he suggests, heading back to grab his phone.
Lifting it, he sends a quick text to Andrew. (Because more characters for you).
Power has been out ages, is this storm normal or something I should be worried about?
"As much as I'm looking forward to taking that arse of yours, I don't think it's going to save the world." He says with a little laugh, trying to make light of what they've previously talked about. Yeah, he didn't forget. That's still going to be a thing. Maybe not tonight, but also maybe yes tonight.
"Maybe a few. But nothing until after we've finished eating. Need to keep your strength up." He gives him a little teasing smile as he spears some pasta onto his own fork.
"What, so I can be a big strong boy?" He teases. It's still strange in some ways, being able to tease Nate like this, even strange for it all to just feel okay. But it's good, it really is.
"Something like that." But in effort to let them both finish their meal, he doesn't elaborate further. They're just going to get caught up in this sexy cycle all over again! Perpetual problem for them, it seems. So Nate focuses on his food, stealing little glances at Matt as he eats.
For Matt on the other hand, he can't seem to stop looking at Nate. He's eating, yes, but that's pretty much secondary. That and the fact he knows if he doesn't that Nate will only tell him off. And while that can be hot? It's not really what he wants to get into right now.
"So," he says around a mouthful of food. "Tell me something about you I don't know. There's got to be something, right?"
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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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Lifting it, he sends a quick text to Andrew. (Because more characters for you).
Power has been out ages, is this storm normal or something I should be worried about?
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Nothing weird about it as far as I know. If I hear different, I'll let you know.
[Nate tries not to be too nosy but...]
Well? Off to save the world?
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He texts back a response quickly, feeling a little relieved by it. That done, he sets the phone down and turns back to his boyfriend.
"Nope. Not unless I'll be doing that from bed. I mean I'm good, but I don't think I'm that good."
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"Oh, thinking about that, are you? Getting ideas now?"
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"What, so I can be a big strong boy?" He teases. It's still strange in some ways, being able to tease Nate like this, even strange for it all to just feel okay. But it's good, it really is.
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"So," he says around a mouthful of food. "Tell me something about you I don't know. There's got to be something, right?"
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"I... I don't know if there is anything. We sort of talked about it all back in uni, didn't we?"
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"No skeletons in the closet? No dirty little secrets? Nothing at all?"
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