#gabi: i really hope selene understands us and is cool with this

[gabriellereed]

Matty wanted to be as cool as Ashitaka growing up.

That was funny, because the Matty she was staring at now was cool in a way that seems as effortless as breathing. Like when Gabi first saw him. He was perfectly askew and undone; hair mussed, pupils as big as saucers. Shirt artfully unbuttoned. He looked gorgeous— and not in despite of the disarray, but because of it. Matty was the person everyone wanted to be close to at the party. Gabi immediately understood why every pair of eyes in the room gravitated towards him.

He looked like some kind of ... bacchanal deity. And Jesus, he was so nice too!

"I mean-" Her face still feels a shade red. "I've yet to see you shoot a bow yet, but. I do understand why everyone in the room was looking at you." Another twitch of her lips. "I think you turned out pretty cool."

Even if he was now congratulating her for living out fantasies.

She only smiles at that, the expression quickly replaced by the look of one gobsmacked when he starts insisting his movies ... weren't any good.

'They're bad,' he purports.

Bad haircut. Bad editing. A much tinier Matty!

Gabi makes a noise of indignation on behalf of his younger self, seizes his arm again and gives it another silly little shake.

"That seems extremely untrue." There's a heavy undercurrent of skepticism coloring her voice. How could his videos not be good? When his room was so cool, so different than the tastelessly sleek quarters of so many other wealthy men. When Matty himself had such .... charisma. "I can already tell you're a creative type. And I feel like I would have loved little Matty and all his movies."

An exhale, and a fond smile. A pause before she presses a kiss to the corner of his eye.

Gabi thinks, but doesn't quite say aloud: I already love this version of you now

Even if she has to scour youtube like a private investigator, she still wants to watch his movies. If only to smile. Appreciate the person he was ten, fifteen years ago, see what kind of artistic choices he leaned into. There's so something so ... goddamn charming about it, it makes her heart twist.

Just like when he smiles at her again. Makes a joke about keeping a ball of yarn on hand. It felt ... freeing, honestly, sharing these things with him after their intimate encounter in bed. It felt easy. The memories weren't all pleasant; that doesn't change how nice it feels to watch Matty receive that information, respond with affectionate smiles or the assuring rub of her back.

It just reinforces what she already knows about Matty: how kind he is to her, how easily they mesh.

And then there's the other topic.

'How did you meet Selene?'

Oh. Right.

Gabi feels something cool seep over her, a tiny pinprick of worry. That was her best friend— how was she going to receive the news of this? And how could she best convey to Selene that for her, this wasn't just ... a one stand or hookup. It was the farthest possible thing, what she felt for him.

"I met her at a women's leadership conference, actually." Gabi twines both arms around Matty's neck, enjoying the feeling of being so secure. There's a smile at the memory. "I was just out of college and I thought she was the coolest thing ever. So self-assured, you know, already doing crazy stuff at this huge company? But I made myself go up to her and it turns out we were so similar. She was really reassuring."

Gabi knew what Matty meant to Selene— she could see it in the way her eyes crinkled up with fondness. Protectiveness, too. And since Gabi has plans to be around Matty for a while, as long as possible, for as long as he'll have her ... she really hopes she'll understand. Hopes, that when she talks about him, Selene will be able to sense all the care and affection and love behind her words.

Matty loved hearing all about … everything. The fact that she had a thing for Ashitaka, who Matty wanted to be like more than anything in the world growing up. It just seemed perfect. Twin flames, right?

"Yeah? I wanted to be as cool as him when I was growing up."

Matty grinned, charmed by the fact that she thought they looked alike.

"Not many people get to live out their childhood fantasies. You're welcome," he teased, grinning as she rolled away, laughing.

It seemed to be the YouTube videos that really drew her in. She was grabbing his arm, crawling on top of him, insisting that they watch them together. Matty grimaced.

"They're bad. We're talking about pre-puberty Matty. Short. Skinny. Bad haircut." He shook his head. "Not to mention the really poor editing."

Matty wasn't sure if she could handle that!

At the mention of her sister, and her childhood temper, Matty smiled. The more she spoke, the more she seemed like an incredible person. The kind that had the strength to still have a relationship with her sister, despite how complicating it must've felt. And still working on her crocheting, all these years later.

"I'll try not to upset you, then. And if I do, I'll keep a ball of yarn around."

Matty kept his arm around her, smiling when she kissed the corner of his mouth.

"How did you meet Selene?" Matty wondered. There was no use in avoiding the topic any longer. He wanted to be with Gabi, and he was sure that Selene would understand, right? Even if things had moved kind of quickly.