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Ah. The wonders of being heir of the Riddle family. First forced to marry, coincidentally and thankfully, his best friend, then pressured for an heir of his own.
Mattheo adjusted the sleeve of his dress shirt, soon offering a hand for her to take ahold of. "I don't want you straining in anyway, darling." He informed lowly, his tone of course dry and his voice harboring a sort of rasp. "So please, for the love of Merlin's Beard, don't be fighting me on this." He both informed and warned.
She placed her hand softly in his. "I'm pregnant, not ninety." She grumbled even though she had a smile placed on her lips.
He sighed, rolling his eyes as he squeezed her hand ever so softly. "I know that, dear. But you're also going on six months. If your father were to know you were doing any form of strenuous activity.." He stopped. "You know he'd kill me, right?"
"All I'm doing is walking." She exclaimed dramatically. He was acting as if she were lifting weights.
He scoffed, shifting her hand to his pocket as he guided her forward. The two stepped together as he spoke. "That's not the point. You shouldn't even be outside at all!" He said, the two stopping at the entrance of the Riddle Manor.
"The cold air isn't going to bite me, you know." She shook her head in disbelief as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
"You know damn well that's not what I'm worried about." Mattheo muttered, rolling his eyes in slight annoyance. The two stepped up the few stairs leading up to the house, Mattheo opening the door. He glanced around, eyes searching for anything out of the ordinary before he gestured for her to enter. "You should be in bed right now, or at the very least, sitting inside."
She let out a small groan as she walked inside, her small heels clicking against the tile floor. "I don't want to be a prisoner in my own home. I want to continue my normal life." She spoke quietly, unaware if anyone was listening in.
"You're not-" He started before cutting himself off. She was right. Regardless of how much he hated to admit it, the woman was carrying their child. The least he could do was let her continue some form of normalcy. His jaw clenched as his eyes flickered to the side. "Fine. Just don't over do it."
A smile overtook her frown as she placed a sweet kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. I'll remain careful."
Mattheo nodded, his face softening as she planted the kiss on his cheek. His smile was faint, more faint than that of a smile you'd deem a smirk. "Just don't overexert yourself. We're going to need to speak to the healers at some point this week so they can check on you and the little one."
She gave him a soft look as she nodded in agreement. "Of course." She spoke, taking her jacket off, hanging it up.
"And if the healers tell you to rest more." He warned lowly. "Then you're going to rest more. Do I make myself clear?" He asked, his tone was stern as he shifted his hand to the side. "Any complaints of discomfort or pain should be met with either myself, or one of the healers immediately. Understand?"
She closed her eyes for a brief moment to try to prevent herself from saying something snarky. "I understand, my love. You need to stop worrying so much."
"I can't exactly stop when I'm about to be a father. It comes with the package, darling." He murmured, his tone shifting from one of stern to a more light and warm one. He smiled softly, placing his hand on her side and squeezing slightly.
She tilted her head as she looked up at him. "Go get your work done. I'll go rest on the couch with a book."
"Are you absolutely sure?" He asked lowly, his eyes flitting to the various rooms off the entryway. As he shifted his hands into his pockets, he spoke once more. "You're not too tired or anything?"
"I'm fine. If I need you, I'll call for you." She reassured him as she rubbed his shoulders gently.
He couldn't help but smirk softly as she rubbed his shoulders. He leaned into her touch slightly as she rubbed, as if asking her to continue to do so. "Alright. If you feel any need to, call. I'll be upstairs." His voice was calm, yet stern.
"I will." She pushed herself up onto her toes to place a soft kiss on his lips. Pulling away, she took the opportunity to take off her shoes.
Mattheo felt a flicker of fire in his chest, a sort of pride that flooded his veins as she pushed herself up to give him a kiss. "Do take care, darling." He murmured. He began to walk away, but after a few steps, he called back once more. "Oh, and darling?"
She paused on her way to the living area, turning her head in his direction. "Yes, my love?"
Mattheo smiled as he spoke, the faintest hint of a smile gracing his face. "I love you."
