The castle was quiet at this hour. Your heart beat a little faster as you slipped through the common room.

Mattheo’s dorm door creaked slightly as you pushed it open. You slipped inside and closed it gently behind you.

Empty.

The sound of running water drifted in from the adjoining bathroom. A smirk tugged at your lips.

He’s still in the shower.

You moved silently across the room, dropping your jacket onto a chair, and climbed onto his bed. The scent of him clung to the blankets: warm and familiar. Then, faintly, you heard it.

A voice. His voice.

First, softly humming. Then he started to sing, his voice low and unguarded.

"With you between my arms..."

You froze. Your heart did that fluttering thing it always did around him, but this time it was different. Vulnerable. Real. It was as if he wasn't trying to appear cool, tough or unreadable. Just Mattheo.

You curled up against his pillow and listened until the water stopped running.

Moments later, the door creaked open.

He emerged, a towel slung low around his hips, his hair dripping wet.

Then he saw you.

He stopped in his tracks. “How long have you been here?” he asked, his eyes wide.

You grinned, resting your chin on your hand. “Long enough.”

He groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “Oh lord.”

You laughed. “Why’d you never sing for me before?”

He smirked, walking toward the bed as he dried his hair with another towel. “Because I knew you’d make it kinda awkward.”

You grabbed the nearest pillow and chucked it at him. He caught it one-handed, grinning like the cocky idiot he was. That grin always made your stomach flip.

You let yourself fall back onto his bed with your arms spread out, sighing into his blanket. “You are an artist… you can paint, you can sing… anything else I should know about you?”

He climbed onto the bed beside you, settling close. “I only started when I met you,” he said softly. “You are my muse, mi amor... cheesy as it sounds.”

Your breath caught in your throat. “I like cheesy,” you whispered.

He smiled and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “I know,” he murmured. “That’s why I love you.”