Chapter Text
"So Matt, care to indulge me why I've called you in here today?”
"Urgh, umm. Well Steven, I'm uh not too sure"
"I think you do Matt and its fine you know, I know I said no dating between co-stars but I think you could be together. After everything and with leaving so soon as well Karen’s lucky to have but just try and work through things when they get tough I hate to see such close people lose friendship as well because of romance. All I ask of you Matt is to keep things professional on set and during promotional work yeah?"
"I, urm, you think I'm dating Karen?"
"Well yes, I thought it was pretty obvious with walking past the set closet, definitely your voice bear in mind before you try to blame someone else, and you and Karen both came back with mussed up hair, so unless you’re telling me Arthur has a girlish whine which I don't really want to know to be quite obvious I would say Karen yes."
Matt sits there stunned, all the time Steven was talking he thought they'd been rumbled before it all started then he said it was Karen. After getting over the initial shock he could have laughed, Karen was not the person he would describe his sex life with. Then Steven jolted the memory where his girlfriend snuck on set and they went to the set closet trying to be quiet with these two was not an option but they sure they covered it up well. Thinking back now obviously not but Arthur rubbing a balloon over Karen's hair to make it static did help his case a bit especially on Stevens’ terms.
"I, yes, no, no definitely not Arthur. Sorry Moff, I should've said but we just thought of your no dating rule and we didn't know. We should have been honest with you. Sorry but yes definitely professional, no one will know. Promise."
"It's alright Matt, I understand working so closely with people can help you develop feelings towards each other. Yes thank you Matt that's what I want to here. I’ll let you go now, ice held you up long enough. Have a nice weekend off."
"You too Moff and thank you again."
He shut the door and sagged against it, all the tension he'd been holding up leaving as he slouched and breathed. He made his way out of the building and walked aimlessly around Cardiff thinking of what to do. He needed to talk to Karen really explain what happened and go from there but that being the obvious of course that’s not what he did. Two hours later Arthur and Karen were peeling him away from the bar stool, prying his god knows how many pint from his tight grasp of his hand and guiding out the door of the pub to their block of flats, all the while he babbled nonsense against their shoulders slurring most of the nonsense words. They reached his flat and laid him on the bed just about to leave him to go to bed but he grabbed onto Karen’s arm slurring her not go yet they needed to talk and with a sigh she agreed crawling next to him and waving Arthur off goodnight.
“Right come on then stupid, spill. What is it we need to talk about and it better be important because I need my beauty sleep.” He told her, well slurred and flailed his arms around while trying to tell her. She thinks she got the latter of it and rubbed her temples on her forehead to steer away the headache that was starting to form. Processing all the information he just gave her, she knew he was seeing someone but never knew it was a co-worker and to think he was dating her, she loves him but not that sort of love. No that’s for Arthur if he’d ever take any notice of her, he’s always on date nights with Alex, taking her to dinner or the theatre. They were soon going every weekend, she loves Alex and is glad they’re both happy she just wishes it was her going out with him not stuck with numpty next her who has now fallen asleep. “Great.” What was she even to do, pretend she was actually going out with Matt so he could play secret happy families with his girlfriend that she needs to question about more in the morning clearly now, she always thought it was him mooning over Alex to begin with, being jealous at Arthur over her but clearly that isn’t the case now. But then where does that leave her? She’ll be in a false relationship closing off any hope with Arthur and other potential suitors, lying to her family and friends while Matt gets the golden life. Oh this was going to be one long discussion and plenty of bribing and grovelling off one hangover Matthew in the morning.
They both woke in the morning to the sound of a cup smashing against the floor beneath them. Startled eyes looking over at the source, they saw his girlfriend, eyes glistening from the tears starting to form and threatening to spill down her cheeks whispering the few words that broke Matt’s heart completely. Forcing him out of the bed to follow her, she slammed the door on her way out in his face. He made his way back to the bedroom where Karen was clearing up the broken cup repeating the same words his distraught girlfriend had whispered to him then.
“How could you?”