It’s Hard to Leave When You Can’t Find the Door: Studio 60
Title: It’s Hard to Leave When You Can’t Find the Door
Author: blueeyelinerx
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1396
Pairing/Character: Matt/Harriet
Summary: There is an awkward silence where everyone looks at each other and nobody looks at each other before Harriet says, “If you want me, I’ll be at the bar” and it is a general statement but she is looking at Matt when she says it.
Spoilers/Warnings: The Christmas Show
Author’s Note: A sort of post-ep for The Christmas Show, weeks and weeks late. Takes place at the wrap party and it’s my first stab at Matt+Harriet and Studio 60 dialogue, so any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. Title from the song “Life’s Been Good” by the ever-amazing Eagles. Oh, and the movie Matt references is Love Actually.
--
Matt sits at a table at the edge of the dance floor and he is alone and not surprised and maybe even half expected it. He drinks his beer and thinks about getting another one, getting a few more, getting black out drunk when he feels, rather than hears, something behind him and says, “What do you want Danny?”
But it is Jordan that sits down ungracefully and stares at her water bottle like she wishes it was straight vodka. “Not Danny,” she says with a smile in her voice and Matt knows it is forced. Her eyes still hold a dazed quality to them and Matt does his best to not to grin.
“No, you wouldn’t be because I’m now watching Danny dance with Harriet,” Matt says as he notices Danny bring Harriet close to his body and move in tune to the beat. They are his two best friends and he squashes down the desire to run full speed at them, yelling at the top of his lungs and chooses to run a hand through his hair instead. Better for everyone involved, he decides.
“Slow dancing, no less,” Jordan observes. “You look like your head might be exploding.”
Matt tears his attention from the way Harriet is whispering in Danny’s ear and looks at Jordan, a questioning look on his face. “Did Harriet say …?” he trails off because Jordan’s face is just as confused as his. “Never mind,” he sighs.
“She looks beautiful,” Jordan says after a while and she isn’t saying it to get a reaction from Matt. It is the simple truth: Harriet’s emerald green dress, loose blonde hair, and easy laugh simply enhance her natural beauty. “She’s my friend, you know.”
Her tone tells Matt that this is something more than the typical non-sequitor comment from Jordan, that this may actually relate. “Really?” he says cautiously, and flinches for inviting more conversation on the topic because he is either going to get the friend to ex-boyfriend lecture about hurting her or if he is going to get a confession and he wants neither.
It is the latter. “I don’t have many friends,” Jordan whispers. Matt notices she places her hand on her growing stomach and caresses it lightly but he doesn’t comment.
“Danny wants to be your friend,” he smirks because comedy is what he knows and Jordan is still so unfamiliar. He’s good with Harriet - maybe too good - and he’s good with Danny and he doesn’t even know where to start with Jordan.
“Let’s leave Danny out of it,” Jordan requests but her voice is sharp and it is not a request. She leans back in her seat, running a hand over her tired eyes.
“Ok,” agrees Matt and Jordan is surprised.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Well…ok, then.”
Matt cannot resist. “But I am required by the … laws of brotherhood or whatever - to say something. Danny is - ”
“Standing right behind you,” interrupts Danny and he has an arm around Harriet’s waist and his eyes are tight. Don’t finish that sentence, they say. Please, God, don’t.
There is an awkward silence where everyone looks at each other and nobody looks at each other before Harriet says, “If you want me, I’ll be at the bar” and it is a general statement but she is looking at Matt when she says it.
“I’ll come with you!” Jordan jumps up from her seat. “Not that I’m, you know, drinking. Just I’ll be in that area, hanging out, and stuff.” She trips slightly in her heels, gives an embarrassed smile, and practically runs from the table.
“God, Danny, what did you say to her?”
Danny sits down. “I just did what you told me to - I said it. And now she’s avoiding me,” he says heavily and he eats a few peanuts from the center of the table.
“A little bit.”
“She needs some time.” A breath. “Harriet looks beautiful.” Like Jordan, it is a simple statement of a fact.
“She does.”
“She also looks lonely, all by herself. You should go talk to her. You know, ‘If you want me, I’ll be in the bar’?”
“Danny, you are the last person I want to take romantic advice from. Also, that was a terrible impression of Harriet.”
Danny doesn’t want to hear it. “Go. Now.”
And then Matt is getting out of the chair and walking towards Harriet and she really is all alone in the crowded room. She stirs her gin and tonic and watches the liquid swirl and doesn’t look up when he slides onto a stool next to her.
“Why did you kiss me?” she asks after a moment and she looks at him this time, her blue eyes cobalt in the lighting.
“You were standing under mistletoe,” Matt grins and falls back on his comedy for the second time in minutes because it was an impulse and it felt right and why did he have to have a reason?
“Matthew.”
Matt takes a deep breath and decides to go with the truth. “Because I can’t work with you every day and see you every day and not kiss you. Because it’s all I’ve been thinking about since Danny and I took the job and I thought maybe if I got it out of my system, I could move on.”
“It didn’t have to do with the fact that Luke Scott was in the audience?”
“No. Well, yes. But that doesn’t make what I said less true.”
Harriet sighs. “Did it work?”
“Did what work?”
“Did you get it out of your system?”
Matt groans and puts his head in his hands. “No,” he mumbles. “It all came rushing back to me: the taste of your lipgloss, the little sound you make when I surprise you, the way my hand feels on your waist. And now all I want to do is kiss you again but this time, you won’t be surprised since I just told you and you’ll probably slap me.”
“I wouldn’t slap you Matthew,” Harriet says softly and she is as surprised as Matt at this admission. “Why are you being so honest?”
“I pushed Danny to ‘say it’ and I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t do the same and I was flipping channels the other day and there was this movie on and some guy was holding cue cards up to some girl and talking about he’d always love her and one of them said something about telling the truth at Christmas and it’s been on my mind ever since.” Dear God, he thinks. Is there anything you will keep to yourself tonight? Just how much have you had to drink?
“Oh, Matthew,” Harriet breathes. “Why do we do this to ourselves?”
“Do what?”
“This,” Harriet gestures between them. “Have these moments that in no way overshadow our fights and arguments but are enough to make me think maybe it’ll work out.”
“I don’t know, Harry. I really don’t.”
It is the answer that she comes up with too and Harriet has nothing to say to that so she stays quiet. She takes a sip of her drink and it dulls the taste of Matt. She takes another sip and pushes it away. It is not what she wants.
“Come on,” she says, standing. “Dance with me.”
Matt follows her to the dance floor and pulls her close. They sway slowly to music no one else hears and it looks ridiculous in the sea of drunken grinding but they are oblivious and don’t care. “I better not be a conciliation prize,” Matt jokes. “I saw you with Danny earlier.”
“He was updating me on the Jordan situation. He’s in it deep.”
“Yeah,” sighs Matt. “He is.”
They both know he is not talking about Danny.
When the song ends, she steps back and her eyes are suspiciously bright. “Thank you for dancing with me Matthew.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” Matt says and squeezes her hand. He attempts to let go only to have Harriet tugs him back to her, lean in and kiss him lightly on the mouth. She rests her hands on the lapels of his suit and gives him a shy smile before walking away.
As Matt watches her disappear into the crowd, he puts his hands in his pocket and says to himself, “Enough. That is enough for now.”
Author: blueeyelinerx
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1396
Pairing/Character: Matt/Harriet
Summary: There is an awkward silence where everyone looks at each other and nobody looks at each other before Harriet says, “If you want me, I’ll be at the bar” and it is a general statement but she is looking at Matt when she says it.
Spoilers/Warnings: The Christmas Show
Author’s Note: A sort of post-ep for The Christmas Show, weeks and weeks late. Takes place at the wrap party and it’s my first stab at Matt+Harriet and Studio 60 dialogue, so any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. Title from the song “Life’s Been Good” by the ever-amazing Eagles. Oh, and the movie Matt references is Love Actually.
--
Matt sits at a table at the edge of the dance floor and he is alone and not surprised and maybe even half expected it. He drinks his beer and thinks about getting another one, getting a few more, getting black out drunk when he feels, rather than hears, something behind him and says, “What do you want Danny?”
But it is Jordan that sits down ungracefully and stares at her water bottle like she wishes it was straight vodka. “Not Danny,” she says with a smile in her voice and Matt knows it is forced. Her eyes still hold a dazed quality to them and Matt does his best to not to grin.
“No, you wouldn’t be because I’m now watching Danny dance with Harriet,” Matt says as he notices Danny bring Harriet close to his body and move in tune to the beat. They are his two best friends and he squashes down the desire to run full speed at them, yelling at the top of his lungs and chooses to run a hand through his hair instead. Better for everyone involved, he decides.
“Slow dancing, no less,” Jordan observes. “You look like your head might be exploding.”
Matt tears his attention from the way Harriet is whispering in Danny’s ear and looks at Jordan, a questioning look on his face. “Did Harriet say …?” he trails off because Jordan’s face is just as confused as his. “Never mind,” he sighs.
“She looks beautiful,” Jordan says after a while and she isn’t saying it to get a reaction from Matt. It is the simple truth: Harriet’s emerald green dress, loose blonde hair, and easy laugh simply enhance her natural beauty. “She’s my friend, you know.”
Her tone tells Matt that this is something more than the typical non-sequitor comment from Jordan, that this may actually relate. “Really?” he says cautiously, and flinches for inviting more conversation on the topic because he is either going to get the friend to ex-boyfriend lecture about hurting her or if he is going to get a confession and he wants neither.
It is the latter. “I don’t have many friends,” Jordan whispers. Matt notices she places her hand on her growing stomach and caresses it lightly but he doesn’t comment.
“Danny wants to be your friend,” he smirks because comedy is what he knows and Jordan is still so unfamiliar. He’s good with Harriet - maybe too good - and he’s good with Danny and he doesn’t even know where to start with Jordan.
“Let’s leave Danny out of it,” Jordan requests but her voice is sharp and it is not a request. She leans back in her seat, running a hand over her tired eyes.
“Ok,” agrees Matt and Jordan is surprised.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Well…ok, then.”
Matt cannot resist. “But I am required by the … laws of brotherhood or whatever - to say something. Danny is - ”
“Standing right behind you,” interrupts Danny and he has an arm around Harriet’s waist and his eyes are tight. Don’t finish that sentence, they say. Please, God, don’t.
There is an awkward silence where everyone looks at each other and nobody looks at each other before Harriet says, “If you want me, I’ll be at the bar” and it is a general statement but she is looking at Matt when she says it.
“I’ll come with you!” Jordan jumps up from her seat. “Not that I’m, you know, drinking. Just I’ll be in that area, hanging out, and stuff.” She trips slightly in her heels, gives an embarrassed smile, and practically runs from the table.
“God, Danny, what did you say to her?”
Danny sits down. “I just did what you told me to - I said it. And now she’s avoiding me,” he says heavily and he eats a few peanuts from the center of the table.
“A little bit.”
“She needs some time.” A breath. “Harriet looks beautiful.” Like Jordan, it is a simple statement of a fact.
“She does.”
“She also looks lonely, all by herself. You should go talk to her. You know, ‘If you want me, I’ll be in the bar’?”
“Danny, you are the last person I want to take romantic advice from. Also, that was a terrible impression of Harriet.”
Danny doesn’t want to hear it. “Go. Now.”
And then Matt is getting out of the chair and walking towards Harriet and she really is all alone in the crowded room. She stirs her gin and tonic and watches the liquid swirl and doesn’t look up when he slides onto a stool next to her.
“Why did you kiss me?” she asks after a moment and she looks at him this time, her blue eyes cobalt in the lighting.
“You were standing under mistletoe,” Matt grins and falls back on his comedy for the second time in minutes because it was an impulse and it felt right and why did he have to have a reason?
“Matthew.”
Matt takes a deep breath and decides to go with the truth. “Because I can’t work with you every day and see you every day and not kiss you. Because it’s all I’ve been thinking about since Danny and I took the job and I thought maybe if I got it out of my system, I could move on.”
“It didn’t have to do with the fact that Luke Scott was in the audience?”
“No. Well, yes. But that doesn’t make what I said less true.”
Harriet sighs. “Did it work?”
“Did what work?”
“Did you get it out of your system?”
Matt groans and puts his head in his hands. “No,” he mumbles. “It all came rushing back to me: the taste of your lipgloss, the little sound you make when I surprise you, the way my hand feels on your waist. And now all I want to do is kiss you again but this time, you won’t be surprised since I just told you and you’ll probably slap me.”
“I wouldn’t slap you Matthew,” Harriet says softly and she is as surprised as Matt at this admission. “Why are you being so honest?”
“I pushed Danny to ‘say it’ and I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t do the same and I was flipping channels the other day and there was this movie on and some guy was holding cue cards up to some girl and talking about he’d always love her and one of them said something about telling the truth at Christmas and it’s been on my mind ever since.” Dear God, he thinks. Is there anything you will keep to yourself tonight? Just how much have you had to drink?
“Oh, Matthew,” Harriet breathes. “Why do we do this to ourselves?”
“Do what?”
“This,” Harriet gestures between them. “Have these moments that in no way overshadow our fights and arguments but are enough to make me think maybe it’ll work out.”
“I don’t know, Harry. I really don’t.”
It is the answer that she comes up with too and Harriet has nothing to say to that so she stays quiet. She takes a sip of her drink and it dulls the taste of Matt. She takes another sip and pushes it away. It is not what she wants.
“Come on,” she says, standing. “Dance with me.”
Matt follows her to the dance floor and pulls her close. They sway slowly to music no one else hears and it looks ridiculous in the sea of drunken grinding but they are oblivious and don’t care. “I better not be a conciliation prize,” Matt jokes. “I saw you with Danny earlier.”
“He was updating me on the Jordan situation. He’s in it deep.”
“Yeah,” sighs Matt. “He is.”
They both know he is not talking about Danny.
When the song ends, she steps back and her eyes are suspiciously bright. “Thank you for dancing with me Matthew.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” Matt says and squeezes her hand. He attempts to let go only to have Harriet tugs him back to her, lean in and kiss him lightly on the mouth. She rests her hands on the lapels of his suit and gives him a shy smile before walking away.
As Matt watches her disappear into the crowd, he puts his hands in his pocket and says to himself, “Enough. That is enough for now.”