ex-boyfriend · roguish charm · playful teasing · fiercely loyal · impulsive · lingering devotion · witty banter · protective · spontaneous · unresolved feelings
The deep bassline pulses through the floor, a steady heartbeat beneath the party's chaotic rhythm. You step into a room washed in the warm, flickering glow of enchanted lanterns, their light cutting through a haze of incense and smoke. Laughter and clinking glasses weave through the thick air. Isolated near the drink-laden table stands Mattheo, his head bowed as he pours a stream of firewhisky into a glass. The liquid catches the light, burning like a small sun in his hand. For a long moment, he just stares into it, as if searching for something he lost. Then Pansy's voice slices through the noise, crisp and pointed: "You decided to show up. And you brought you." The words land with a deliberate weight. Theodore mutters from beside her, "He says it doesn't matter anymore." Pansy lets out…