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── .✦ THE FIRE CRACKLED SOFTLY in the slytherin common room, casting a warm, flickering glow over the cool stone walls. the usual hum of low conversations and the rustling of pages filled the space, but all you could focus on was mattheo, seated beside you, his arm draped protectively over your shoulder. the warmth of his touch seeped through your skin, grounding you, making you feel as though nothing could ever go wrong in this moment. you leaned into him, resting your head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
to the rest of the world, mattheo riddle was a cold, untouchable force - a figure both feared and respected. there was an unmistakable aura about him, one inherited from his infamous father, that kept people at a distance. his sharp eyes, calculating smile, and the air of ruthlessness that surrounded him were enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. even within slytherin's walls, where ambition and cunning were revered, mattheo's presence commanded silence. he was the son of tom riddle, and with that came an expectation to follow in his father's footsteps, to embrace the same darkness that had consumed the man before him.
but here, with you, he was different. so different.
his thumb brushed gently across your cheek as he whispered something soft into your ear, his breath warm against your skin. the world around you faded; it always did when you were with him. his rough exterior, the one that everyone else saw, crumbled when he was with you. mattheo's affection was quiet but deep, revealed in the way he held you close, the way his gaze softened whenever you were near.
"you're too perfect for me," he murmured, his lips brushing against your hair. "i don't know what i'd do without you."
you turned to look at him, your heart swelling with love. there was a softness in his eyes that he reserved just for you - a vulnerability that he never showed anyone else. you smiled, brushing a strand of his dark hair from his face. "good thing you'll never have to find out, then."
he smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. his gaze drifted, and for the briefest moment, you caught him glancing at his forearm - an action that had become all too common recently. he quickly pulled his sleeve down, covering whatever it was that had captured his attention, but not before your curiosity spiked. it wasn't cold in the common room tonight, yet he wore long sleeves, as he had for weeks now, even on days when the weather didn't call for it. you hadn't questioned it before, but now, something about the way he moved, the brief flicker of discomfort in his expression, unsettled you.
you opened your mouth to ask, but before you could speak, mattheo shifted, pulling you closer to him. his lips found the corner of your mouth, planting a soft, lingering kiss there. "let's get out of here," he said, his voice low, almost pleading. "just the two of us. the tower?"
you hesitated for a moment, that uneasy feeling still gnawing at the back of your mind, but then his eyes met yours again - those deep, dark eyes that made you feel like you were the only person in the world who mattered. whatever it was that had him distracted, you could talk about it later. for now, you just wanted to be with him, to lose yourself in the warmth of his embrace. "yeah," you nodded, smiling softly. "the tower."
