(no subject)
Title: the words slipped through his fingers
Word Count: 960
Prompt: "I'd like nothing more than to kiss you right now." | Matt accidentally confesses his love while filming. On set. With everyone's eyes on them,
Rating: PG-13 for one swear
Written for: Anonymous on tumblr
Karen hears “Cut!” and drops Arthur’s hand, walking off shout and into Matt’s arms. He pulls her close, and they don’t move for the longest time, because when they break apart - when they let the routine and the congratulations and formalities wash over them - something will have ended.
Matt isn’t saying anything, just whispering karen karen karen over and over again into her hair, as if saying her name would keep her here; his shoulder is wet with her tears, and his own eyes aren’t alll that dry either. It’s not that they’re saying goodbye - because of course they’ll stay in touch, of course they’ll spend every free moment together now until matt starts filming again, of course they’ll see each other at official Who functions and TV awards shows and random places around London - but that’s not the point. This day has been looming for so long, now, that Karen thinks she has forgotten to prepare herself for it; the hugeness of it, the long, Amy-less, Doctor-less stretch of time in front of her seems impossible.
“C’mon, Kaz,” he mutters eventually, pulling himself away and holding her at arms length. She sniffs, nodding shakily, and turns to face the rest of the cast and crew. Everyone turns towards her slightly too quickly, and Karen knows they’ve all only just avoided being caught watching her and Matt. Still, the round of applause is nice, the brief hugs genuine, the kind words well-meant. It sort of…drags, though, especially when Steven gets up to make his speech.
Matt hand never quite reaches out to take hers, but their sides are pressed together, their fingers just brushing; his skin is warm wherever it touches hers.
“….three years on, we’re still missing deadlines, we’re still improvising madly at times, and we’re still making stuff up as we go along….and really, Karen and Arthur, we couldn’t have done with without you. To the Ponds!”
“To the Ponds!” The room chants, raising their beakers of bubbly and smiling broadly; there are more than a couple of moist eyes and half-hidden sniffs; no one is facing up to the sadness of this, it’s all about celebration, and Karen thinks that must be for her sake.
“Sorry, Kaz, be right back-” Matt bumps her lightly on the shoulder, and is gone before Karen quite registers his words; but now he’s snaking his way to the front of the crowd, now he’s up on the sound deck with Steven, now he’s waving at everyone to be quiet.
“I just want to say, for my part -” he hesitates slightly, clearing his throat before continuing. “That the last three years have been the maddest, best, most brilliant years ever, and I know I wouldn’t have been half as good without an Amy - and a Rory - by my side, and I’ll miss you - both of you - so much, and hey, Steven?” He turns slightly. “If you don’t write them back in for the 50th I will not be responsible for my own actions.”
A ripple of laughter runs through the crowd, and Steven shrugs his shoulders mysteriously, grinning slightly.
“And… Yeah. I mean, I know all my best acting has been because of you, Kaz,” Matt continues, and he’s apparently slipped out of the and Arthur habit. ”I reckon you’re probably the number one reason why this whole show was any good at all, so - um -“
A pause. Matt laughs softly, rubbing a hand over his face, and Karen tries to smile for him, tries to let him know it’s okay, he doesn’t have to put this into words, she knows.
“Sorry,” Matt’s voice is softer now. “I just - I’m not sure how to say anything at all right now, when really I’ve been trying to tell you I love you for three years straight and I can’t just say goodbye in a speech, who’s idea was it to let me speak, oh yeah, mine, well-“
Matt’s words catch up with him, and he freezes. Karen has stumbled backwards slightly, but her heart is pounding in her chest, and her eyes are steady and sure as they seek his.
It almost feels like there’s no one watching - when of course the opposite is true, everyone is just trying really hard to look like they’re deeply interested in their shoes right now - as Matt stumbles down off the sound stage, and takes a hesitant step towards her; Karen matches his steps, and then they’re standing opposite each other, breathing the same air, feet and hips and shoulders and noses almost touching.
“Matt, I -” Karen doesn’t know how that sentence is supposed to end; why the fuck are you doing this NOW? seems the most truthful option, but hardly appropriate.
“Karen, I’m…sorry, I shouldn’t have - it just sort of slipped out, and-“
“Yeah,” Karen nods at her toes. “It’s just that I… I sort of - well.” She stops to force out a laugh, but Matt is staring at her with something more than humiliated shame now.
“Kaz…” He reaches out to hold on to her waist with trembling hands, and Karen shuts her eyes briefly, feeling into his touch. When she opens her eyes again, he’s staring down at her with an unreadable force in his eyes.
“Stupid,” Karen notes, smiling slightly. “Us.”
Matt nods, his sudden smile broad and beaming, and pulls her close; there are dozens of people milling around, and Karen isn’t entirely sure that the Confidential cameras have stopped rolling, and there are a million and one reasons why they shouldn’t-
Except for the one reason why they should, which is that Karen would like nothing more than to kiss him right now.
Word Count: 960
Prompt: "I'd like nothing more than to kiss you right now." | Matt accidentally confesses his love while filming. On set. With everyone's eyes on them,
Rating: PG-13 for one swear
Written for: Anonymous on tumblr
Karen hears “Cut!” and drops Arthur’s hand, walking off shout and into Matt’s arms. He pulls her close, and they don’t move for the longest time, because when they break apart - when they let the routine and the congratulations and formalities wash over them - something will have ended.
Matt isn’t saying anything, just whispering karen karen karen over and over again into her hair, as if saying her name would keep her here; his shoulder is wet with her tears, and his own eyes aren’t alll that dry either. It’s not that they’re saying goodbye - because of course they’ll stay in touch, of course they’ll spend every free moment together now until matt starts filming again, of course they’ll see each other at official Who functions and TV awards shows and random places around London - but that’s not the point. This day has been looming for so long, now, that Karen thinks she has forgotten to prepare herself for it; the hugeness of it, the long, Amy-less, Doctor-less stretch of time in front of her seems impossible.
“C’mon, Kaz,” he mutters eventually, pulling himself away and holding her at arms length. She sniffs, nodding shakily, and turns to face the rest of the cast and crew. Everyone turns towards her slightly too quickly, and Karen knows they’ve all only just avoided being caught watching her and Matt. Still, the round of applause is nice, the brief hugs genuine, the kind words well-meant. It sort of…drags, though, especially when Steven gets up to make his speech.
Matt hand never quite reaches out to take hers, but their sides are pressed together, their fingers just brushing; his skin is warm wherever it touches hers.
“….three years on, we’re still missing deadlines, we’re still improvising madly at times, and we’re still making stuff up as we go along….and really, Karen and Arthur, we couldn’t have done with without you. To the Ponds!”
“To the Ponds!” The room chants, raising their beakers of bubbly and smiling broadly; there are more than a couple of moist eyes and half-hidden sniffs; no one is facing up to the sadness of this, it’s all about celebration, and Karen thinks that must be for her sake.
“Sorry, Kaz, be right back-” Matt bumps her lightly on the shoulder, and is gone before Karen quite registers his words; but now he’s snaking his way to the front of the crowd, now he’s up on the sound deck with Steven, now he’s waving at everyone to be quiet.
“I just want to say, for my part -” he hesitates slightly, clearing his throat before continuing. “That the last three years have been the maddest, best, most brilliant years ever, and I know I wouldn’t have been half as good without an Amy - and a Rory - by my side, and I’ll miss you - both of you - so much, and hey, Steven?” He turns slightly. “If you don’t write them back in for the 50th I will not be responsible for my own actions.”
A ripple of laughter runs through the crowd, and Steven shrugs his shoulders mysteriously, grinning slightly.
“And… Yeah. I mean, I know all my best acting has been because of you, Kaz,” Matt continues, and he’s apparently slipped out of the and Arthur habit. ”I reckon you’re probably the number one reason why this whole show was any good at all, so - um -“
A pause. Matt laughs softly, rubbing a hand over his face, and Karen tries to smile for him, tries to let him know it’s okay, he doesn’t have to put this into words, she knows.
“Sorry,” Matt’s voice is softer now. “I just - I’m not sure how to say anything at all right now, when really I’ve been trying to tell you I love you for three years straight and I can’t just say goodbye in a speech, who’s idea was it to let me speak, oh yeah, mine, well-“
Matt’s words catch up with him, and he freezes. Karen has stumbled backwards slightly, but her heart is pounding in her chest, and her eyes are steady and sure as they seek his.
It almost feels like there’s no one watching - when of course the opposite is true, everyone is just trying really hard to look like they’re deeply interested in their shoes right now - as Matt stumbles down off the sound stage, and takes a hesitant step towards her; Karen matches his steps, and then they’re standing opposite each other, breathing the same air, feet and hips and shoulders and noses almost touching.
“Matt, I -” Karen doesn’t know how that sentence is supposed to end; why the fuck are you doing this NOW? seems the most truthful option, but hardly appropriate.
“Karen, I’m…sorry, I shouldn’t have - it just sort of slipped out, and-“
“Yeah,” Karen nods at her toes. “It’s just that I… I sort of - well.” She stops to force out a laugh, but Matt is staring at her with something more than humiliated shame now.
“Kaz…” He reaches out to hold on to her waist with trembling hands, and Karen shuts her eyes briefly, feeling into his touch. When she opens her eyes again, he’s staring down at her with an unreadable force in his eyes.
“Stupid,” Karen notes, smiling slightly. “Us.”
Matt nods, his sudden smile broad and beaming, and pulls her close; there are dozens of people milling around, and Karen isn’t entirely sure that the Confidential cameras have stopped rolling, and there are a million and one reasons why they shouldn’t-
Except for the one reason why they should, which is that Karen would like nothing more than to kiss him right now.