⋆˙⟡┊ ⤿ 🥂🔧 ⌗ ⌞ uptown! reader x downtown! matt ⌝
⤑ in which.. you graciously return something of his that he left at your estate
It’s been a few weeks, Not that you’re counting.
The fridge was fixed. The truck drove away. Your mother said it was “for the best”—as if your heartbeat wasn’t still playing tug-of-war with your ribs every time a low engine rumbled near the driveway.
No one mentioned him again. Not the staff, not your parents, not the neighborhood ladies who wore perfume like armor and spoke in hushed, judging tones. And yet, you kept catching yourself glancing out the window. Listening for the familiar growl of his engine. Wondering if he’d left anything behind.
You shouldn’t be thinking about him. But one late afternoon, while wandering the property, you remember the sunhat you left in the old garage during that dreadful family brunch.
It’s the kind of heat that glues silk to skin. Honeysuckle-sweet, thick, the sun hanging low and mean. You make your way to the far end of the property, heels clicking against the stone path as if trying to make your presence known. As if daring anyone to stop you.
The garage creaks when you open the door. It smells like dust and old wood, still and hot inside. Light filters through the slats, soft and gold. The sunhat sits on a hook near the door, forgotten.
And beside it, against the far wall—his toolbox. Not yours. Not anyone else’s. His. It’s unmistakable. The handle is worn in a way that says it’s been used. A few tools lie nearby like they were set down with the intent to return.
You pause. You could leave it. Let someone else deal with it. Call someone from the staff, pretend you never saw it. Pretend he never existed.
You don’t. You walk over, crouch carefully, and pick it up.
Downstairs, your mother is having tea on the terrace.
“Darling, where are you going with that dreadful thing?” she asks, eyeing the box like it might stain the marble.
You don’t answer right away.
“Returning it.” She sets her cup down, chin lifted in warning. “A woman like you doesn’t chase a man like him. You never, ever pursue a man who belongs in a garage. You are not a hobo off the street. You are a woman of class.”
You smile, but it doesn’t reach your eyes. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not chasing.”
You leave before she can stop you.
Two hours later. You don’t know what possessed you. Maybe it was boredom. Maybe it was the scent of pine and gasoline still haunting your memory like a ghost.
But here you are. Downtown. In your car, parked outside a narrow brick building that smells like motor oil, metal, and faint cigarette smoke.
It’s louder here. A different kind of loud. Horns and bass and kids shouting from across the street. Graffiti snakes up the alley walls. Someone blasts music from a porch stereo. A dog barks nonstop.
And you don’t look away. You grab the toolbox from your passenger seat, heart pounding like a warning bell, and step onto the sidewalk.
The garage is open. Music buzzes low from inside—a gritty rock song that sounds like it’s lived through three decades and three divorces.
And he’s there. Matt. Bent over a motorcycle, back damp through his shirt, silver chain catching a flicker of light beneath the collar. Grease stains his arm. His curls are pushed back by a backwards cap. He wipes his hands on a rag without looking up.
You pause, heart stupid in your chest. Then he turns. His brows lift slightly. “Well, well.”
You hold up the toolbox. “You left this.”
“Did I?” he asks, slow grin tugging at his mouth. “Thought I might’ve.”
You step closer, trying not to flinch at the oil under your shoes. “I figured I’d return it.”
He nods, taking it from your hands. His fingers brush yours—brief, electric. “You didn’t have to come all this way, princess.”
You shrug. “I was bored.”
“You get bored in a palace like that?” You glance around the space. Tools, wires, a folding chair. The humming fridge in the corner.
“Sometimes,” you admit. He leans against the bench, towel slung over his shoulder. “You gonna hover, or you want a drink?”
Your lips twitch. “Do you always offer sparkling water to surprise guests?”
“Only the ones wearin’ designer heels in my shop.” You roll your eyes but sit. He pulls a Coke from the fridge—glass bottle, ice cold, no label.
You sip. He returns to the bike. It stretches between you, the silence. After a while, he breaks it. “You ever ride?”
You raise a brow. “Do I look like I ride?”
He grins. “You look like you haven’t had fun in a long time.”
Your stomach twists. He keeps working. Eventually, he speaks again. “You watching for fun? Or you tryin’ to learn something?”
You tilt your head. “Are those my only two options?”
He glances over his shoulder. “You haven’t looked at your phone once.”
You blink. You hadn’t noticed.
You set your drink down, watching him with a tilt of your head and a spark of amusement behind your lashes.
“I don’t think I’ve formally introduced myself,” you say, placing your hand lightly over your chest, a faint smile tugging at your lips. “How unprofessional of me. I’m Y/N. In case you were wondering.”
Matt turns slightly, smirking as he catches your eye. “Y/N, huh?”
You nod. He tosses the rag on the counter, wipes his palms on his jeans. “Well, hell. Guess I should clean up, now that I’ve got royalty in the room.”
You laugh. “Too late for that.” He grins.
“Good. I don’t clean up well anyway.” The moment stretches, just a little too long.
“Shouldn’t you get going, princess?” he asks. “I thought you’d be busy with country clubs… or whatever fancy thing it is you do.”
You raise your brow. “You think I golf in heels?”
He grins. “Wouldn’t put it past you.” You take another sip. Slowly. Then set it down.
“I’m not really in a rush.” His eyes meet yours again.
“You sure this is your crowd though? Grease. Noise. Boys with dirty hands—”
You cut him off. “Maybe I like the mess.” His smile is slow. Dangerous. “Yeah? Then maybe you should come back.”
Your throat goes dry. “I might,” He picks up the wrench again. You make it halfway to the door before he calls after you.
“You looked good up there,” he nods toward the stool. “Sittin’ pretty in my garage like you belonged.”
You don’t answer, but your cheeks burn the whole drive home.
immaqulate's notes ✎ᝰ.ᐟ.. 🤭 i was literally so giddy writing this part THEY'RE SO CUTE
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