Jack left Alex's flat around supper. He offered to return with food for both of them, but Alex convinced him to eat in the hall. To keep Warren company. To give back Ellie's thermos and thank her for the tea if he could find her. Alex attempted to get through the chemistry problems he hadn't managed to finish the day before, but they were somehow harder without Matthew's distractions. After thirty minutes and three probably wrong answers, he was ready to give up when he heard the flat door opening. A couple moments later there were two short knocks on his doorframe. Alex looked up from the nonsensical chemical equations to see Matthew standing there with a large paper bag in his hands.
"Hey," he said, his voice small. "Farrow said you were feeling better?"
"Yeah," Alex said, trying not to read too much into why Matthew looked hesitant to enter his room.
"You scared me this morning."
Yup, AJ said as a wash of shame spread through Alex's chest. There it is.
"S-sorry. I would never- I mean I wouldn't- Not on purpose, at least, I just... Sorry."
Matthew tilted his head and scrunched his eyebrows in confusion as if he couldn't figure out what Alex was apologizing for. After a couple of seconds, he shook his head and walked in with a small smile on his face.
"I wasn't scared of you, dude," he said, sitting sideways in Alex's desk chair. "I was scared for you. You were giving off heat waves and looked as pale as your cousins."
"... Oh."
"You look better now, though. You feel alright?"
"For now, yes."
"Farrow told everyone you caught a bug. Might've believed him if I hadn't touched your forehead or known that Bayer called in Alvaro as backup."
"Right."
Matthew quickly glanced at the pills that were still on Alex's bedside table, and then just as quickly acted like he hadn't seen them. "Your Spanish is better when you're delusional, by the way," he said suddenly.
"What?"
"You kept muttering in different languages while we waited for Alvaro to show up. That's why Bayer called Sanders too. In case you didn't stop, and she needed a translator."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot he was a lingual wyvern. He said he just came because he was bored."
Matthew chuckled. "Sounds like something he would do, to be honest. He gave us a free period during class today since his earlier classes had substitute plans. Probably for the best. I'm sick of Emilio and his tin foil hat brigade."
"Were you alright today? Is... was anyone rude?"
"Your fiancée is something, you know that?"
Alex groaned. "Oh no."
"She's convinced I'm too chivalrous to punch her in the face but one of these days I will be forced to prove her wrong."
Oh, please wait until I'm around to see, AJ said. Alex rolled his eyes without meaning to, making Matthew raise an eyebrow.
"That wasn't for you," Alex said quickly. "It was for... AJ."
Matthew's mouth ticked up into a grin. "What did he say?"
"To not hit Hannah until he's around to see."
Matthew let out his cackle again, looking a little embarrassed when it ended with a snort. You should let me talk to him more, AJ said as Alex's chest warmed slightly. Bet I could make him do that as many times as you want.
Shut up, Alex pleaded, afraid of losing what little control of himself he had left.
"Warren told me she was being a dick to you guys yesterday," Matthew said once he was done laughing. "So, say the word and I got you."
"She's not worth the trouble it would cause," Alex said. "And not that I doubt your prowess, but she's a bit underhanded in fights. She doesn't hold back her powers, either."
"What's her type?"
"Shapeshifter. She uses her powers to make her nails as sharp and strong as her talons. She got into it with a year 12 girl last year who thought she was going after her boyfriend. Natasha was her name, I think. She got a nasty scar on her neck and was so thoroughly scared that she transferred to Laughlin."
Matthew frowned. "Hm. Maybe I'll let Farrow take that leap then."
"He's too chivalrous," Alex said. "And I have a feeling you are too, by the way."
Matthew shook his head adamantly. "Uh-uh. If they got it coming, they got it coming. I don't usually start shit but if she does, I won't hesitate."
"What did she say to you, today?"
"Nothing worth repeating," Matthew said, opening the bag he brought in. "I shouldn't have even brought her up, I just..."
"Just what?"
"...Nothing. It doesn't matter. I got some stuff for you," Matthew said, decidedly changing the subject as he took things out of his bag. "Leftovers from the stuff everyone made at McAvoy yesterday. And those macrons I promised you. I had to get Ellie to sweet-talk Olena into letting me take as many as I did."
"Olena is that Irish girl, right? Who wears dark makeup."
"Yeah."
"She seemed upset yesterday morning."
"She was just mad I wasn't supporting Emilio's bid for a crusade. She's been waiting for a chance to start a revolution since we got here. I heard she was kind of a dick to you at Ellie's party. Sorry. That was probably my fault. I, uh, complained about you a lot back then."
"It's alright. I think she was worried I had ill intentions with Ellie."
"Hm. Makes sense. She likes her, I think." Matthew paused in the middle of placing a takeaway box on Alex's desk. "Pretend I didn't just say that."
"Say what?"
Matthew smiled and leaned forward to tap Alex's forehead. "Smart boy," he said. "Hungry?"
Alex looked at the several containers Matthew had placed on his desk. "What do you recommend?"
"We've got several varieties of fried foods. Many types of cooked potatoes. I recommend the macaroni and cheese Mikayla made."
"I'm lactose intolerant."
"So am I but some things are worth it, you know?"
Alex passed on the stomachache in a bowl and settled on some soup Connor and Ellie made. A recipe from the pub Connor's family runs. Matthew heated up enough for the both of them, and Alex braved his lingering dizziness to make it to the lounge to eat. Once again Matthew ignored their actual dining table in favor of their coffee table and the floor.
As Matthew blew on his food to cool it down, Alex's mind went back to Alvaro's trick earlier. Was he controlling Alex's temperature? Siphoning off his heat? He never imagined that was something they could do. But he shouldn't be surprised. It wasn't like he had ever researched his powers. He never really wanted anything to do with them. They unsettled people. They unsettled him. They were dangerous and unruly. At best a party trick and at worst a source of pain and death.
You don't hate them because they're dangerous, AJ chimed in. You hate them because you get them from your mother. But they're still yours. Start acting like it.
"Matthew?" Alex said.
"Hm?" Matthew said around a mouthful of food.
"It's okay if you were. Scared of me. I'm not in control of my powers. I haven't ever really been, which is irresponsible of me."
"Alex-"
"I could have hurt you. I didn't, but I could have. And I'm sorry for that."
Matthew didn't respond right away, chewing on a piece of meat while he looked like he was chewing on a thought. Alex was worried he was going to brush off his apology like everyone else had that day, but instead, he nodded.
"Apology accepted," he said. "But... I don't know if scared is the right word. I just... Well, to be honest, I forgot."
"Forgot?"
"You've never gone to a human school, right?"
"No."
"There were a fair number of wyverns at my old one back home. And we all had to pretend to be human so much that it was really easy to forget we're not. I didn't even know most of their types. That was one of the weirdest things about coming here. Getting used to all the ways everyone reminds me of what we are. I mean there are the big ones. The unpleasant ones. But there are the little ones too. The nice ones. Bayer is on staff. The electives on wyvern history. Ellie asked my type when we first met. I thought I was finally done forgetting, but..."
"What?"
"Well," Matthew said, looking slightly bashful. "I don't know. Most of the other old family kids remind me we're wyverns by reminding me I'm a lower wyvern. With the slurs the snide comments and open hostility. And even with the other scholarship students... So many of them keep expecting things from me. Want me to be their hero or leader or some shit. But you're... different. And yesterday, at the library... When we were hanging out, it reminded me of my human friends back home. There wasn't that... baggage anymore. So, I kind of forgot. That I was me and you were you. That we were dragons. For a second."
"Oh," Alex said, his stomach fluttering slightly.
"You almost combusting was quite the reminder, though," Matthew said with a smile.
"Sorry," Alex felt the need to say again. "Alvaro offered to help me with advanced exercises. Hopefully, I can keep it from happening again."
"Hm," Matthew hummed as he stirred his still-too-hot soup. "Maybe you'll get good enough to make me forget again."
Alex's stomach fluttered again, as his brain read too much into Matthew's tone and still slightly sheepish expression. He could practically feel AJ pulling it back from whatever insane conclusions it wanted to draw.
Hold it, he said. You need to stop that train right now before it sends you off a cliff. He is him and you are you, remember? No amount of wishful thinking or breathing exercises is going to change that, mate.
What train? Alex thought back, his confusion half sincere and half feigned.
Hey, you don't need to play dumb with me. So long as you stay off it.
Alex couldn't stop himself from sighing out loud, getting Matthew's attention again. He raised his eyebrow when he saw Alex's expression.
"AJ talking shit again?" He said. "What's he saying now?"
Warning this shite not to catch feelings for you, AJ shouted as if that would help Matthew hear him. The last thing we fucking need around here.
"Self-deprecating stuff mostly," Alex said, hoping there was enough truth in that not to activate his terrible liar alarms.
"Well, he was right about Palmer, but don't listen to whatever he's saying now. He doesn't know what he's talking about."
He most certainly does, AJ said while Alex muttered, "Okay," with a smile.