[CHAPTER 13]

───🦋･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.🦋───

───🦋･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.🦋───

TITLE  : EVERYTHING HE'S BEEN HOLDING BACK

ELLIE BARELY HAD TIME to think.

One second, Mattheo was looking at her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

The next—

His lips were crashing onto hers.

It wasn't soft. It wasn't careful.

It was desperate.

Raw.

A release of every emotion he had buried over the past few months.

His hands tangled in her hair, gripping tightly as if she might disappear.

Ellie gasped, her fingers clutching at his Quidditch jersey, her entire body melting against his.

And Merlin, she could feel it—

Every ounce of frustration. Every stolen glance. Every time he had wanted to do this and held himself back.

Not anymore.

—

Mattheo's mouth was relentless, pressing against hers like he was making up for lost time.

Like he was angry with her.

Or maybe just angry at himself—for ever pretending he didn't want this.

He kissed her deeper, harder, his grip on her tightening.

Ellie let out a small, breathless sound—

And Mattheo growled.

His hands dropped to her waist, yanking her against him, fingers digging into the fabric of her jumper.

Ellie barely registered being lifted, her back hitting the lockers with a dull thud as he pressed into her.

The metal was cold, but Mattheo was scorching.

Everywhere he touched, she burned.

—

She kissed him back just as fiercely, fingers threading through his hair, tugging hard—

And Mattheo groaned into her mouth, deep and low, like she had just set him on fire.

His lips left hers only to trail down her jaw, his breath hot against her skin.

Ellie's head fell back against the lockers, her chest rising and falling rapidly as he kissed a line down her throat, his hands still tight on her waist.

She didn't recognize this version of him—

This Mattheo, who kissed like he was claiming her.

Who held her like he was starving for her.

Like he had spent weeks holding himself back, only to snap the second she finally said the words.

—

He pulled back slightly, forehead pressing against hers.

Both of them were breathless.

His hands flexed against her waist.

"Ellie."

Her name was rough, shaky on his lips.

She met his eyes—

And Merlin, they were dark.

Darker than she had ever seen them.

Like he was barely holding on.

Like he was terrified of what would happen if he let go.

Ellie exhaled.

"I'm here," she whispered.

That was all it took.

—

Mattheo lost it.

His lips were back on hers in an instant, his grip bruising, his body pressed against her so tightly she could feel the rapid thump of his heartbeat.

It was messy.

Unrestrained.

Nothing like their careful touches before—nothing like the teasing, the slow build-up, the fake-dating charade.

This was real.

This was everything they had been pretending wasn't there.

His teeth nipped at her bottom lip, making her gasp—

And Mattheo groaned, tilting her head back so he could kiss her deeper, harder.

His hands slipped under the hem of her jumper, fingertips skimming her waist, her ribs—

And Merlin, her entire body shivered at the feeling.

Mattheo felt it.

Because he let out a soft, ragged laugh, pressing his lips just below her ear.

"Tell me to stop," he rasped.

Ellie's breath hitched.

She clutched at his shoulders, pulling him closer.

"I won't."

—

Something snapped in him at that.

His lips crashed back onto hers, his grip tightening, his hands sliding further up her waist.

Ellie felt everything he wasn't saying.

The frustration. The want. The fact that he had spent weeks pretending she didn't mean anything—when in reality, she had meant everything.

And Merlin help her, she was just as lost in it as he was.

—

Minutes passed. Maybe hours.

They didn't stop.

Didn't pull away.

Didn't care about anything but the heat between them.

Ellie wasn't sure when Mattheo finally rested his forehead against hers, their breaths ragged, their bodies still tangled together.

But when he spoke—his voice was hoarse.

"This isn't fake anymore."

Ellie swallowed hard.

She knew.

She had known the second his lips touched hers.

But hearing him say it—

Hearing Mattheo Riddle , who had spent months pretending he wasn't affected, admit it—

It made her chest tighten.

Because she had been pretending, too.

For so, so long.

Ellie exhaled.

"I don't think it ever was."

Mattheo let out a rough, humorless chuckle.

"No," he agreed. "I don't think it was either."

—

For a long moment, neither of them moved.

Their breaths evened out.

Their heartbeats slowed.

Ellie's fingers traced absent patterns against the back of his neck, and Mattheo closed his eyes, exhaling as he leaned into her touch.

The weight of it all settled between them.

The shift. The truth.

They had started this as a game.

But there was no more pretending.

There was only this.

Only them.

—

And neither of them were ready to let go.

───🦋･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.🦋───

SO HERE IT IS!!