Matty grins at his reflection when he hears his phone vibrating against the counter, waiting until he finishes highlighting his cheekbones with body glitter before allowing himself to look down and check the message that's just come through.

Matty backs away so Olly can step into the space he was previously occupying, a soft chuckle leaving his lips when Olly shoves him slightly when he doesn't move quickly enough.

Jamie's expecting a busy night at the club, so almost everyone is working, which means the dressing room is much more crowded than usual. Olly's sharing Matty's area since Harry and Nick have completely taken over half of the small counter with their things, but Matty doesn't mind, he's so close with everyone here it actually reminds him of the bathroom he and Louis used to fight over when they were younger.

"What's got you so smiley?" Olly asks as Matty checks his texts, finding a new one from George that is responsible for his current expression.

"It's that guy he's been talking to," Adam cuts in, "that George fellow, I bet all the tips I make tonight on it."

"Shut up," Matty whines, although he can't deny Adam's statement. He's tempted to try anyway to see if Adam will believe him, but he knows that Adam will only steal his phone if he does.

"Who's this now?" Olly turns his attention to Matty, neglecting his hair entirely as he places his hand on the back of the chair Matty's seated himself in. "You finally got a boyfriend and you didn't tell me about him?"

"No - just a friend, it's nothing really," Matty waves Olly off, glaring in Adam's direction when he scoffs affectionately and rolls his eyes at Matty's words.

"Come on Matty, don't be like that," Olly pouts, ignoring Matty's sigh of disgruntlement as he settles down by his feet and stares up at Matty with pleading eyes.

Olly's always been interested in hearing about Matty's romantic encounters since they dated for a short while, and not in a jealous fashion, but more of an "I'm your friend and I want to make sure you end up with a nice bloke sort of way", which Matty appreciates, but he isn't sure if he wants to share his attraction to George with the world just yet.

It's not that Matty doesn't want to tell Olly about George, because he does. He's already gushed to Adam about him practically every night after he caught them having a smoke together one evening, but Olly exaggerates everything, and Matty knows he won't believe that his relationship with George is strictly platonic.

It is though - at least on George's end. It's been a few weeks since their dinner at McDonald's, Matty isn't sure on the exact span of time since days blur together for him with his odd schedule, but what Matty is certain of is the fact that he's even more infatuated with him now than he was initially.

He had convinced George to give him his number after they'd spent a bit longer showering Allen in affection once George had walked him home. George had seemed hesitant at first, not that Matty blamed him, but he'd typed it into his phone before Matty could retract his query, gracing Matty with a way to stay in contact with him without having to wander the aisles of Tesco in the hopes of spotting messy blonde hair and a tall frame.

George had left not long after that, wanting to get home before Kyle did, and Matty hadn't protested even though it pained him not to. He couldn't come between George and his boyfriend though, not if he wanted to be able to continue to see George, so he'd bit his tongue and let George out with a wave, wishing that he was single so he could drag him down for a kiss like he would have done if not for his current relationship status.

Matty actually hasn't seen George much after that, he avoids the club mostly, claiming that it makes him a bit uncomfortable, only occasionally stopping by on his way home from somewhere to share a cigarette and his company with Matty during his break.

They had met up twice more though, once for an actual meal when George had asked Matty out to lunch and the other time at a nearby shop that Matty had begged George to come down to so he could get a second opinion on a top he liked which had turned into an afternoon spent wandering around town together.

They text almost constantly now as well, George says it helps keep him awake when he's supposed to be writing articles, and Matty uses that excuse to bother George as often as he can without coming off as too desperate. George always seems happy to hear from him, and even if Matty's pretty sure he's keeping George from his work instead of aiding in his concentration, he doesn't let that bother him.

Matty's learned a lot about George in the past few weeks and vice versa, nothing deep or particularly interesting, mostly things like his favorite color or the music he listens to, but still - each tidbit of information feels precious to Matty, and he's honored that George is slowly letting him in despite his obvious reluctance and worries involving Kyle and what he would think about their friendship.

Kyle - god, Matty already hates George's boyfriend, although he's never met him, and he hopes he never does honestly. Apparently he's been home more often lately, which Matty has tried to fake happiness about through his messages, but from what George has told him, he's distant and moody, which results in him ignoring George and upsetting him unnecessarily.

George had even called Matty one night on the verge of tears when Kyle snapped at him after he inquired about some wedding they were supposed to attend soon, and even though George pretended he was fine, the choked quality to his tone made it obvious that he was anything but.

George deserves better than that, and although Matty doesn't want to be self-centered and say he'd be a much kinder boyfriend than Kyle, he feels like he would. He's got his own problems of course, but he'd never be cruel to George, and he'd make sure that he didn't feel anywhere near as abandoned and neglected like Kyle seems to do more often than not.

Matty obviously doesn't know everything about their relationship, but from what he's gleaned through the small snippets that George has told him, it seems like George doesn't want to lose him simply because they've been together for so long, and although Matty hasn't mentioned his hypothesis, he's come to the assumption that George isn't all that in love with Kyle, just the idea of him, or maybe the memory of what they used to have.

Matty forces himself to keep his mouth shut though, continuing to maintain his role as the supportive friend George so desperately needs instead of the partner he'd rather be, and when George thanks him profusely for cheering him up or taking his mind off of things, Matty feels so accomplished that he isn't bothered by not having the chance to be with George as long as he gets to see him smile without any lingering sadness tugging at his lips.

Matty had originally thought that George had a bit of a crush on him as well due to all of his stammering and blushing, but now Matty's not so sure. George is a bit awkward around people in general which Matty's learned after seeing him interact with others while they're together, so he can't tell if it's his presence that leaves George red in the face and fumbling for words during many of their conversations or if that's how George is with everyone.

It doesn't matter really, because he's taken either way. Matty has to keep reminding himself of that fact, and even if George was attracted to him, he's doesn't seem like the type of person who would date a stripper, so Matty's slowly working on getting over George, although he's made very little progress in that area so far.

"Matty..." Olly whines, drawing out his name until Matty emerges from his thoughts and checks back into reality. "I'm not moving until you tell me, so you'll have to explain to Jamie why I'm not out there if you don't spill about this George fellow."

"Fine," Matty huffs, crossing his booted feet in a show of fake irritation, trying to hide how eager he is to speak about George behind an uncaring facade. "He's just a bloke I met at the club, I tried to give him a dance and he turned me down, but I ran into him at Tesco the next day, and we've sort of become friends since then."

"What Matty's leaving out is that he's completely smitten with him," Adam practically yells from his position on the other side of the room, causing Harry and Nick to shoot curious looks in their direction before going back to applying each other's makeup.

"Are you?" Olly presses when Matty glances back down at his phone, attempting to read George's message which he still hasn't gotten a good look at just yet. "Oh - you are!" Olly explains when Matty flushes heavily, clapping his hands together excitedly when Matty groans aloud at his reaction.

"Maybe a little," Matty admits, sending Adam another look that he hopes translates as 'I regret ever telling you about this, you're a twat', "but he's taken."

"I'm sorry Matty." Olly's face falls so suddenly that Matty is tempted to laugh although he's sure he looks similar when George mentions Kyle.

"I'm not trying to get with him - not really..." Matty pauses as he tried to straighten out his thoughts, one of his hands twisting through his curls idly as Olly waits patiently. "There's just something about George, it's like...he makes me happy simply by existing, and even if we're only ever friends, that'll be okay, because he's such a lovely person that I'm content being around him either way if that makes sense."

"Oh god, you really do like him," Olly smirks, dodging Matty's hand when he tries to swat at his shoulder gently," but honestly though, he does sound wonderful, and you better give me updates if anything does happen with him eventually."

"I will," Matty agrees reluctantly, glad that it's just the five of them back here right now instead of everyone employed at the club, not that Harry or Nick seem all that interested, which means that he'll only have to answer to Adam and Olly about his nonexistent love life for the time being. "He's going to stop by again later," Matty adds on when he finally gets a moment of peace to read George's text, "not sure when, but I can introduce you to him if you promise not to embarrass me." Matty locks eyes with Olly as he speaks, knowing that he's the one he needs to be worried about.

"I'd never do that to you Matty," Olly protests, "but I would love to meet him."

"I can see your fingers crossed behind your back in the mirror you twat," Matty scoffs, a chuckle breaking out of his throat when Olly blushes scarlet at being caught.

"I'll behave, really Matty."

"We'll see," Matty sighs, getting up before Olly can protest any further, making his way out to the floor after replying to George with maybe a few too many smiley face emoji's, letting him know that he can't wait to see him again.

~~~

Matty can't stop smiling as he works the floor, his legs aching from his recent stage performance as he makes his way over to a young boy with light hair who had waved in his direction while he was passing by.

It's one of those evenings where Matty is reminded of why he loves his job so much, everyone's in good spirits, he hasn't had any problem customers, and he's really enjoying himself. Matty tries to pretend that his buoyant emotions have nothing to do with the promise of George dropping by to see him later, but that would be a complete lie.

"Hey baby," Matty grins down at the boy, swinging onto his lap with practiced ease. "What's your name?"

"It's - uh, Cameron," he stammers out, his eyes going wide when Matty shifts against him subtlety. "I'm new here, but my friends said that you guys do things...like more than just dances?" Cameron blurts out in a mess of syllables, his cheeks darkening heavily as soon as the words leave his mouth.

"We do," Matty replied coyly, making a split-second decision that he's in the mood for a private session tonight. He really needs the cash after all, his rent problems haven't gone away, he's just ignored them in favor of focusing on other things lately - mainly George. "What did you have in mind?"

"It's...my...I haven't ever had a blowjob before, is that something I can get here?" Cameron continues to trip over his sentences, his face turning so red that Matty can feel the heat emanating from his cheeks when he leans closer to him seductively.

"If you've got the money, I'd be happy to take care of you," Matty whispers in his ear, biting the lobe briefly before pulling back when Cameron begins scrambling for his wallet.

Matty likes these type of customers although he doesn't see them often, the young, nervous ones with money to blow. They're usually virgins who are tired of their status, and Matty's found that they're typically much gentler than some of the older man, and they often tip better too.

"Yeah - is this enough?" he asks, holding out a handful of bills that Matty counts quickly before he's satisfied, sticking them into the waistband of his tight pants with a slow nod.

"That's perfect," Matty assures him, and it really is, it means he'll be able to get some toiletries and other things he's in desperate need of without dipping into his rapidly depleting saving fund.

Matty probably shouldn't have bought that blouse the other day after all, but once he saw George's face when he had modeled it from him, he just had to have it, although he really should have purchased some toothpaste instead.

"So...uh - are you going to do it here or?" Cameron asks shakily, earning himself a quiet giggle from Matty as he stands up gracefully.

"Of course not love, I'm not really an exhibitionist. We've got rooms in the back though."

"Oh - yeah, that's much better," Cameron sighs, allowing Matty to tug him to his feet easily, their hands linking together as Matty leads them through the crowd swiftly, ducking into a wide hallway after sending a wave to the bouncer before arriving at their destination.

Matty pushes Cameron back onto the low sofa filling the small space once they make it into the secluded room, making sure to close and lock the door behind him before sinking to his knees with an innocent expression on his face that he knows his clients love.

Matty nuzzles against Cameron's clothed crotch wordlessly, drinking in the hitched quality to his breathing and the way his hands clench into fists at his side when Matty lingers there for longer than he usually does.

"Just relax love," Matty murmurs as he begins unfastening Cameron's jeans, "and no pulling on my hair, let me do all the work." Matty grabs one of the foil packets from a basket to his left, tearing it open quickly before returning to his previous position.

"Got it." Cameron jerks his head stiffly, his muscles going tense when Matty rolls the condom over his cock and starts mouthing at it eagerly.

Matty isn't really sure why, but he's much more involved in this than he usually is, and before long, he finds himself really getting into the act, even going so far as to let Cameron slip down the back of his throat as he swallows heavily around him.

It's not until Cameron begins cursing in a low voice that Matty realizes what's come over him - he's imagining George in this boy's position.

Maybe it's because they're both a bit shy and out of place here, or maybe Matty's just so head over heels for George that he's projecting him onto total strangers, but once Matty understands what's going on in his head, it's impossible not to imagine it's George's cock sliding past his lips instead of Cameron's.

Matty loses himself in his fantasy, his eyelashes fanning across his painted cheekbones as he hums happily around Cameron. He doesn't even complain when Cameron's hips start jerking forward erratically, letting the boy use his mouth just like he would if this was George - not that he'd ever ask for a private session.

Cameron comes quickly with a choked off cry, his nails digging into the cushions as Matty strokes him through his orgasm, his own cock pulsing dully thanks to the mental pictures flickering behind his closed eyelids that all involve George falling apart thanks to Matty's hands and mouth.

Cameron composes himself after a few moments, letting Matty throw the condom in the trash bin next to him before tucking himself back into his trousers. He hands Matty a few more bills once he stands up, thanking him profusely the entire time as Matty leads him back into the main area of the club.

Matty doesn't immediately return to the floor though, instead choosing to dart into the bathroom to take care of the steadily growing problem he's given himself which hasn't gone away even though Matty's been trying to ignore it.

Matty can't remember the last time he's gotten so worked up over a simple blowjob, but he can't deny that his cock is starting to ache already, and he knows it's all because of fucking George who won't seem to stay out of Matty's mind no matter what he does.

Matty locks himself in the nearest stall before shoving down his leather trousers, whimpering under his breath once he finally gets a hand around his cock. Matty's almost embarrassed by how hard he is, fuck - he's leaking already, and it doesn't take long until he's arching into his fist, his eyes squeezing closed as he thumbs at his slit roughly.

Matty cries out softly when he lets himself pretend that its's George's large hand tugging at his cock, that it's his broad chest he's leaning against instead of the cold tile wall, that he's panting along with Matty as the heat in his stomach coils so tightly it's almost painful.

Matty comes across his knuckles with a choked off moan, his body shaking as his orgasm tears through him. Matty doesn't have time to bask in the afterglow, so he cleans himself up quickly, hurrying back out into the main room so he can make a few more tips before George arrives and he ends up taking his break so they can spend some time together.

Matty knows he has a problem, and that his crush on George is obviously getting worse by the day instead of dissipating as he had previously hoped, but he's got it under control - mostly.

And really - it's not that weird to think of one of your mates while having a wank, and as long as George never finds out, Matty can simply erase the incident from his memory and pretend like it never happened.

I wrote this all so fast my hands hurt now but it was worth it.

Will I ever stop loving this fic? I hope not tbh I am enjoying myself sm right now.

Votes and comments are always lovely if you feel like leaving one.

xo starr