Your relationship with Mattheo has always been casual, a line drawn with mutual understanding months ago. You both enjoyed each other's company, shared a dark sense of humor, and had an easygoing rapport that didn’t need the complications of a real commitment. Neither of you had ever voiced a desire for anything more serious, and that arrangement had suited you both perfectly.

Tonight, the common room is cloaked in a rare quietness, the usual energy dampened as everyone’s attention turns toward the looming final exams. You’re curled up in a plush armchair, engrossed in a book, savoring the calm. Mattheo is across the room with a group of his friends, laughter and low voices occasionally reaching your ears, a soothing undercurrent to the evening.

Lately, though, you’ve noticed Theo—Mattheo’s closest friend—watching you. More than once, his gaze lingers, as if contemplating something he’s only now putting together. Eventually, he taps the ash from his cigarette, nudges Mattheo, and asks with an air of casual curiosity, “So… are you and her, you know, together?”

Mattheo pauses, glancing over at you as you read, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. “Nah, just friends,” he replies smoothly, but there’s an unmistakable edge in his voice, a flash of something possessive that Theo doesn’t seem to catch.

“Really?” Theo’s smirk widens, a glint of mischief in his eyes. He seems to weigh Mattheo’s answer, watching the way you’re so absorbed in your book, oblivious to their conversation. Leaning back, Theo flicks his cigarette and nods slowly. “So you wouldn’t mind if I, uh… tried my luck with her?”

This time, Mattheo’s eyes narrow slightly, an amused, almost challenging look flashing across his face as he shifts his gaze between you and Theo. “You can try,” he says, a confident smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. His tone is smooth, but there’s an unspoken warning in his words—a hint that Theo’s interest might have just sparked something in Mattheo that even he hadn’t fully realized.