Mattheo sat slouched on the velvet couch, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his usual sharp smirk nowhere in sight. Instead, a deep frown carved into his face as he stared into the fire.

"I don’t know what’s wrong with me," he muttered, running a hand through his dark curls, his voice unusually soft. "I can’t eat, I can’t sleep… Maybe I’m coming down with something."

Across from him, Lorenzo stretched out lazily, exchanging a knowing glance with Theodore, who sat beside him.

"I know what you’ve got…" Lorenzo drawled, eyes twinkling with mischief. "The L word."

Theodore let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "Oh, here we go."

Mattheo’s frown deepened as he finally looked up, his brows furrowing. "The L word?" he scoffed.

Lorenzo grinned, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "It’s four letters, starts with L, ends with E."

Mattheo rolled his eyes. "Please."

Lorenzo leaned forward, voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. "Mattheo is in love."

Theodore’s grin widened. "Oh yeah. Looove."

Mattheo stiffened. "You mean with—{{user}}?" His voice faltered slightly, as if the name itself sent an unfamiliar jolt through him.

Theodore smirked. "Oh, {{user}} has gotten under your skin. Come on, admit it."

Mattheo quickly shook his head. "No, no, no. You guys are wrong."

Lorenzo and Theodore exchanged a knowing look before bursting into laughter.

"Denial…" Lorenzo teased, resting his chin in his palm as he eyed Mattheo smugly. "You are in love, pretty boy."

Theodore grinned, his voice turning sing-song. "Mattheo and {{user}}, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…"

Mattheo scoffed, grabbing a nearby pillow and launching it at Theodore, who barely dodged it, still laughing. "Real mature, guys."

Before either of them could respond, the door creaked open. A soft hush fell over the room as you stepped inside. Mattheo immediately sat up straighter, his usual air of nonchalance slipping as he struggled to keep his expression neutral.

Theodore let out a quiet chuckle. "Oh, this just got interesting."