Silver Lining

Summary: After leaking what really happened on set, MC (Adder) pays Matt another visit in the hospital.

Note: I haven’t been playing RCD recently, but I saw some screengrabs from today’s chapter, and this randomly popped into my head. A big thank you to my dear friend L for sending me the screengrabs and filling in some details. ☺

Adder doesn’t care about her contract anymore. She doesn’t care about being fired; she knew it was coming. The awful treatment, the manipulation, dealing with Viktor and Tad, and now with Matt lying in a hospital…she never thought she’d be so grateful to lose a job.

She rapidly blinks back the angry tears that fill her eyes and focuses on her fingers laced with Matt’s. He’s asleep, almost impossibly still in the hospital bed. Visiting hours are nearly over, and she hates the thought of having to leave again. Sleep has been coming more easily when he’s next to her.

The door opens quietly, and someone kindly but firmly tells Adder she has ten minutes. Wordlessly, she nods. As relieved as she is to not have to return to set, Viktor’s parting words play on repeat in her head and a pit forms in her stomach. Somehow, she knows the drama and backlash haven’t really even started.

“I hate this,” she whispers, to herself and to Matt. “This isn’t at all how this second movie was supposed to go.”

Matt’s brow furrows when she speaks, and he groans quietly as his eyes flutter open. They focus on her after a moment.

“Hi,” is the first thing he croaks out.

Adder almost sobs with relief at seeing him awake and at the simple word.

“Hi,” she manages to answer.

He squeezes her hand, then grimaces when he tries to move. Adder gently touches his shoulder.

“Don’t move too much,” she murmurs. “You have…a lot of injuries.”

“I can tell,” he grits out.

Matt’s eyes close when she gently runs her free hand through his hair.

“Mm,” he mumbles.

When he opens his eyes again, he locks his gaze with hers. Something about his expression breaks her resolve not to bring up that she’s been fired, to let him rest and recover.

“I leaked what happened to Leland St. James,” she admits. “Viktor fired me.”

Matt looks surprised. “What?”

“I couldn’t do it,” she blurts out, louder than she means to. “This…this…god, all of it. It wasn’t getting any better. It was getting worse and worse and now you’re in a hospital and…”

She realizes she’s started crying when the tears fall on the back of their joined hands. Matt squeezes her fingers again.

“I’m sorry,” she says in frustration. “You don’t need this.”

“Hey,” Matt says softly. “Don’t apologize. We’re in this together, remember? All of this.”

His hand slips up to cup her elbow and he pulls her towards him. Adder gently rests her forehead against his and sighs.

“I had to,” she manages to say. “I know I just destroyed my career, but Viktor and Tad and Tommy and the way they acted…it wasn’t worth it.”

“I know,” Matt murmurs, his voice reassuring. “I know, Adder. I couldn’t take how they were treating you. God, if-”

A flash of anger crosses his face. “If I wasn’t literally stuck in a hospital bed right now…”

He trails off, but she catches his meaning. Despite everything, it makes a hint of a smile cross her face. This man, this wonderful, wonderful man…the way he cares about her and makes her feel sometimes leaves her nearly breathless.

“Don’t even think about it,” she says.

“At least let me think about it,” he grumbles, and flashes her a familiar smile.

“Okay,” she allows, brushing her lips over his. “But only thinking.”

“For now,” he says under his breath.

“Matt,” she says, laughing quietly. “I don’t need you fracturing anything else.”

He frowns when he tries to shift in the bed. “You’re right about that.”

For a minute, they sit in a comfortable silence, her hand running rhythmically through his hair again. Matt stares at her with a soft expression on his face. Words rise in the back of her throat. They’ve been there for a little while, but after today, she doesn’t think she can bear not saying them any longer.

“I love you,” she murmurs.

She panics for a minute when Matt’s eyes widen and he just keeps looking at her. It feels like an eternity, but it can’t be more than a few seconds, when a smile spreads across his face, so wide it reaches up to his eyes. He nudges her back down again and presses his lips to hers with an urgent intensity that makes her suck in a breath.

“I love you, too,” he murmurs back.

She can’t stop smiling or kissing him after he says it. She purposely keeps her kisses soft, gentle, trying to keep him from moving too much, though she doesn’t miss his sharp inhale when he tries to slide his hand up into her hair. A knock at the door interrupts them. Adder leans back reluctantly.

“I’m sorry, but visiting hours are over,” a nurse says.

She’s certain the disappointment on Matt’s face is reflected on her own when she stands up. The door closes again.

“Hey,” he says, touching the back of her hand. “When I can finally get out of here, the doctor wants someone to stay with me for a little while.”

A playful smile dances over his face, and Adder smirks.

“Oh yeah?” she asks casually. “Are you asking me to be your nurse when you go home?”

“I can’t think of anyone I want there more,” he says.

He’s grinning, but his words are sweetly sincere.

“Can I use your French press?”

“Done,” Matt agrees.

“And your Jacuzzi?” she teases.

“Absolutely.”

Adder glances out his door, then leans back in for one last kiss, lingering a little longer than she means to when he softly groans her name.

“Can I sleep in your bed?” she murmurs.

Matt groans again. “God, yes.”

“Deal,” she breathes.