SETTLE DOWN, matty healy

Chapter 22: Woman

Song Selection: Maybe by Janis Joplin

I looked down for a moment at the pen laying between the pages of my journal, finding my mind having too many incoherent thoughts that prevented me from venting to the journal as I usually did. Groaning in annoyance into my pillow I stayed there for a moment, sulking to myself. My door opening suddenly didn't have me move the slightest, even as my dad sat the edge of the bed. "You alright there?"

"Writer's block is a mess," I simply explained to him, having him chuckle as I began to sit upright, "Did you need to tell me something? You're never in here."

He shook his head for a moment, ruffling my hair. "Just heard your groaning and wanted to make sure you were alright or if you needed to talk. It's the holiday soon and I know it's not Halloween, but you do enjoy Christmas. Don't want you feeling sad."

I smiled at his attempts and shook my head. "I'm fine, just a bit stressed. Thank you though, I mean it." My dad nodded his head solemnly, stepping off to shut the door as I looked back down to the brightly lit phone screen in annoyance.

We need to talk, we can't ignore this? Call me.
~W.S.

I sighed deeply for a moment at the previous exchange I had with Matty, the annoyance still building up at the audacity of him today saying things like they mean nothing to him sometimes. The phone lit up again, having me frown slightly at my behavior. "Dammit why does he have to be so cute."

Sonnet 138
~W.S.

Shutting my journal back up and grabbing my car keys, I groaned in annoyance at him having to pick the right thing to send.

Poetry is off the table next time, Healy.
~R.W.E

***

I curled up in the couch for a moment as Matty handed me a cup of tea while Love Actually played on the television. His failed attempt at a Christmas tree lay at the corner of the room and I frowned slightly to it as he sat himself on the couch to have me lay into his chest. "I don't even think that's a proper Christmas tree," I explained to him, pointing to it expectantly.

He frowned slightly, tilting his head to eye it closely. "It's got decorations doesn't it?" He mentioned and I rolled my eyes, holding the blanket closer to me. "I've got a small apartment, love. Not like I can fit a giant tree in here if I wanted to."

I looked up to him with a small smirk playfully upon hearing this. "Wouldn't hurt to try though now would it?" I said, making him laugh along with me as he rolled his eyes. "I don't know, Halloween is my favorite but you gotta love the Christmas spirit sometimes."

"Well it does tend to be a bit enjoyable yea," Matty simply said, the sound of the movie playing now filling the silence between us.

I looked past him for a moment to see a batch of suitcases out, looking up to my mop of a head boyfriend expectantly. "You planning on going somewhere?"

Matty turned to me confused, looking over to the suitcases guiltily. "Yeah, going back home to visit family in Manchester for Christmas." I stood up straight upon hearing this, having him look to me with a small frown. "I thought I had told you, I'm sorry."

"Popping right out of the blue during the holidays would've had the same effect anyways. Nice of you to really be considerate enough to me these days Matty, really," I said, chuckling under my breath in annoyance, "God you really don't tell me anything do you?"

He looked to me in disbelief, as if I was wrong to be cross for something like this. "Emma I'm visiting family that I would very well love for you to meet, but can't considering our circumstances. I just forgot to mention it, it's not that big of a deal I'll be back by New Year's Day if I can."

"You don't forget to mention something like that Matthew, you know that." I shook my head to him for a moment. "You really do think I'm just some teenager don't you? Really- you must think that or you wouldn't forget to say things or treat me as if I'm lower than you or lack the better understanding that you seem to think you have at times."

Matty and I continued to look at each other for a moment, having him slowly shut his mouth at my fast moving words. The kitchen timer sounded off suddenly, the two of us whipping our heads towards the cookies that we had left inside when I first arrived at the apartment. "Better get those," I said awkwardly, pushing the blanket away to grab an oven-mit and take the tray of Reindeer shaped cookies out of the oven.

Fanning them with a rag for them to cool, I looked up to see Matty had shut off the movie and now was looking off to the ditsy looking Christmas tree. He stood up suddenly to walk past me in the kitchen to his bedroom, having me look on to the scene confused on what exactly to do. It wasn't until he came back with one of his guitars that he usually played when his friends were over that I thought the situation to be odd. "The cookies are-"

Matty interrupted me to strum the guitar for a moment and I leaned on the counter top expectantly, as he strummed the melody softly. "Guitar is supposed to help with thinking I guess I don't know, that's what my mate said," He explained to me and I couldn't help to laugh at this as he leaned on the edge of the instrument to look to me, "Emma you are the epitome of what is right for me these days. It's frustrating for me to have you think that I'm treating you like a child because you very well don't act like one. I've just got a poor choice of words."

"An English teacher with a poor choice of words, how ironic," I explained, having him roll his eyes at the comment as he continued to strum the guitar chords. "Nice to know now so I can give you your Christmas present before you leave."

He grinned widely at this, having me rush over to his side and have him tighten his arms around me as he straddled my hips. "Hoping you're not staying over because I've got your gifts out in the open back in my room." Matty said and I shook my head, spinning a strand of his hair around my finger with a small smile, "See I can get my woman back without poetry quotations."

"Just because you have a woman now doesn't mean I don't have a name Healy," I said, noticing him eyeing my lips again to have me lift up his chin to send him laughing, "Eyes front and keep playing, soldier. I'll pass you some of the cookies."

A/N lol this is so cheesy and such a filler, sorry not sorry

~Jane Smith 💋