Shelter Me, Feed Me~Mathew~

As soon as a Mathew heard the thunder ring out, shaking the castle a smile perked its way upon the young Cossu’s face. This was the kind of weather that he had always appreciated. When the snow had started to melt down and the ground was soggy. It made the perfect somber climate for an excellent lope. He vaulted himself from the comfort of his bed.

The echoing sound of soft rainfall hitting the shingles of the roof ticked rhythmically. Mathew always became quite gitty when days like this came around. From within his wardrobe he removed a pair of loose fitting black sweatpants and a grey vintage tee reading “Beauxbatons” in faded baby blue. Mathew’s feet slipped into a pair of black trainers.

Now that he was fully dressed and ready to get down in the mud. Matie’s sneakers echoed off the cobblestone as his steps took the staircase three at a time. His muscular arms pushed open the giant oak entrance with easy. The rain was pounding down harder than he first had thought. The wind ripped through the doors and pulled Mathew outside. The castle doors slammed behind him and the wind summoned him forward.

With a giant grin alongside slicking his hair back he was off. His legs pumped with each lunge and his meaty arms shifted as he began to feel weightless. Mathew wiped the hair from in front of his face while the rain plastered it to his face. The smell of the rain made everything deliciously fragrant. The Frenchman’s feet sunk into the mud as he slowed to a walk upon reaching the forest entrance. He slunk under the overgrown ivy and vines to find himself under the confines of the treetop canopy.

Once he walked past the overgrowth he picked his speed back up. He jumped over fallen logs and agilely crossed over intertwined roots. He sped pass an area where the trees faded out and a giant tree over took the entire zone. But as soon as he passed the tree he stopped dead in his tracks. Mathew’s rapid breathing slowed and his eye brows furrowed together. Did he really just see what he thought he had saw? He back peddled to the gigantic tree, his mixmatched eyes narrowed on the petite girl shaking on the ground.

”Rach?” he called out quizmically. Mathew dug his fingers through his drenched hair and took one cautious step closer ”What are you doing out here?”

Relaxing under a tree? In the rain at night? Something about this story was just not adding up in his mind. However, it was not for Mathew to judge his friend’s choices. He just peered down at her happily and retorted with, “Well what a strange coincidence, I was just thinking how lovely it would be to take a rest under this giant tree.” Mathew gave Rachele a warm smile.

Something was off. Something was wrong with Rachele and it scared the brutish man. It was rare to not see the strong woman as feeble as she appeared. It was almost as if she was shaking and sick. It was impossible for her to be ill, wasn’t it? This set in the worry for the Cossu. He had only seen this once before and he was hoping that it was not what he suspected.

“I always run in the rain. Cleans the mi…” Mathew paused midsentence, his hands jolted out as if to steady his friend, ”Rachele, what the bloody hell is going on with you?” It was not a good sign to see her struggling. Mathew cared for her and seeing her like this was heart breaking.

Mathew had never given it two thoughts about being there for Rachele. She had been in his life for so long that it was like she was a piece of him. They were connected. If she was not well, he was not well either. Matie was strongheaded about fixing whatever was wrong with her. She deserved it.

Mathew was a typically could come up with quips and retorts but his personality flipped the moment he could tell that Rachele was not up to her normal self. It was like a light switch flipped in his mind. His heterochromic eyes gazed softly at his companion. His sight switched to the lollipop that was swishing around her mouth. It was all beginning to become clear to him.

Rachele. Rachele Mistrot. The girl who Mathew use to trail after. One of his most dearest friends. And now she was in need, he would do whatever he could to remedy this situation. However, when she named herself a monster he knew in a moment what the situation was. He knew that he was not probably much of a help in this area. At least he could take her mind off of life for the moment being.

At least he could be here for her, of all people he was the best for the position. He highly doubted that she smelled anything but nasty wet dog when she was around him. Mathew covered up the best he could with his musky fragrance. He gave her a weak grin before speaking, “You are not a monster, dear.” He put a finger under her chin to perk her up. “Rach, you are wonderful, every bit and piece of you.” Mattie reminded her. If she was anything less, she wouldn’t have gotten his time of day.

“ Maxime’s Biggest Bra!” He exclaimed. How long had it been since she had last feed? Mathew didn’t care how much Rachele did not want to worry him. The moment he knew that was she was not well was when the worry set in for the young man. Could he help? He knew her aversions. ”Is there something that I can help with?” he pleaded.

”You know that I am always here for you, you know that.” It was hard to imagine where and what Mathew would be without his dear Rachele. It was almost as if everything that they did together altered each others lives. They were meant to be connected and he was grateful for the universe.

Mathew kept his eyes on her to watch all of her movements, to monitor how Rachele was doing. If she was a monster they were monsters together.

He, for one, was glad that they could be fiends together. He slipped his arms around her waist when she seemed uneasy on her feet. Mattie liked that they fit together so snuggly. Mathew did not know if it would be too much for Rachele to be this close but holding her up in an embrace would be better than her falling on the twisted tree roots.

”Well, I’ve got six quarts of it on me at all times.” he suggested. He knew that unfortunately she would never go for it. Rachele had scruples and morals that she clung to. Since Mathew had his accident, he had lost all of his morals. It was like they were the cliché movie trope, Rachele was the Angel and Mathew was the Devil. Maybe that is why they stuck so well together. They were two parts of a whole and when they were together they were complete in so many ways.

He plopped himself on the moist forest floor and patted the spot next to him for his friend to join him on the ground. ”I have a lot of tree relaxing to do and I would like some company.” Mathew did not know how this felt for the young woman but he did know it would be easier if she did not have to waste her energy by standing up.

It was obvious now that he had to stop treating Rachele like the same girl he had met when he was only a first year. She was not naïve and she was not asinine. She was strong and brazen. They had grown together not just physically but in all senses. Rachele, despite her tough façade, was feeble and she needed his help. Hearing her admit that she needed him brought a bright grin to his face. It was a wonderfully pleasant feeling.

Mathew smirked to himself when she accepted his offer and slid herself next to him under the cover of the bushy trees. He swung his arm around her boney shoulders to pull her body close to him. Mathew softly pecked the crown of her raven head with his cupid bow lips. It was nice. Despite the circumstances of the evening, it was shaping up to be a lovely unexpected surprise.

What was not a surprise was that Rachele was against feeding off Mathew. He wished sometimes that she was not so stubborn, But, a while back he made the realization that he probably would not love her so much if she was not as hardheaded as she was. ”You’re are beyond bullheaded.” he rang exasperated ”Geeze! I mean yeah I don’t seem like delicious hors d'Oeuvres. But, I got to be better than starving to death.” He shook his head out of disbelief.

Mathew’s tongue tisked against his teeth, his eyes gazed down to her. Her head a few inches lower than his. Even during her weak period now she was stunning. His mixmatched orbs flickered to her elongated hands. Mattie’s hand subtle intertwined with Rachele’s. When their hands connected, for Mathew, it was like all the things that made sense in the world did not matter. What mattered was that he was here to support his Rachele.

There it was again that possessiveness he had for the young Sournois. His Rachele. He had a constant reminder that she was no longer his. He had made that mistake many years ago and he had chosen his path. He preferred to pick and choose a new girl every night. He wanted to be the guy with the legacy. What he wanted was not who he knew he should be.

Mathew shook his head slightly out of joyous disbelief. He peered down to see her inching closer to him. He settled his back against the knotted tree and shifted softly to his most relaxed position. His eyes fluttered shut to enjoy the sounds that surrounded him. The soft rain pattering, the subtle cooing of an owl housed in a tree, and most importantly the delicate laugh that escaped his companion’s lips. That was the most beautiful sound of them all.

It was like only his appearance was all that was needed to remedy his friend’s situation. Of course, he knew the only true thing that could fix what was broken inside of her. It was only his own self centeredness that made him think that she was doing better all because of him. She was just hiding it better all because of him. Sometimes he wished it was not a crime to stalk people, that way he could follow Rachele around to get the scoop about her life. She was so secretive and protective. She never just let herself loose and she never told Mathew when things were wrong. She was too proud for that.

”Do what to me? Please, Rach! You are the only person who knows, no offense, that you could not hurt me if you tried.” In reality, Rachele was the only one who knew that he had turned because of his cousin Aubrianana. She was the only one who knew his secret. He was glad that he had someone to confine in, only if she would do the same. The vampiric twins, that Rachele often found herself in the company of, also knew but they were no matter to the young Cossu. A grimace or a scowl was enough to let them know to back off his trail.

The moment that Rachele let, ’this might be a little more serious’ slip from her lips, Mathew went into his protective mode. His soft and cuddly yet very protective mode. His hands scooped under her light frame and pulled her up to his lap. His brutish arms wrapped snuggly around her body as he held on to her in an embrace. He had no idea where he was going with this but, he needed her close to him.

Mathew tilted her head towards him once again ”Rach, stop being so brave.”

Had Rachele masterminded ways to kill off Mathew in the past? Yes, he had done some less than honorable things to her and yes they use to date. But, kill off? Hmmm… He skeptically looked at his company. Maybe she was not all that she appeared to be. Obviously, she was a hitwoman who had it out for him since the very first time they met. It was glaring now. The only reason that she was not successful yet is due to his overwhelming charming and his desire to not die.

So maybe that theory was a little off handed. Rachele was definitely, most likely, not a hitwitch. She was however, his best friend. Of course, Kabes was high ranking on that list but, she was family and everyone knows that family cannot count because they are forced on you. Here he was offering her a way for her to get better that did not hurt either one of them and she was denying him. It was almost as if she did not want to get better. What if she came out here to sit and mull her over her suffering? Naw, that did not seem like the Rachele he knew. On the other hand, what did he really know about the Sournois?

The gentleman let out a throaty chuckle when his petite friend let out a squeak. Not the reaction he thought would occur but just as well, he enjoyed it ”Well guess what Miss Prideful, that is not all you have right now.” his French accent deep rooted and rolled over every word ”Right now you have me so cut the courageous act.” Mattie smiled brightly at her and brushed at her bangs with his rough finger tips.

”You are asking a werewolf who takes night runs if he has ever seen a hungry vampire before?” Mathew raised one cynical chestnut eyebrow at her. Really? Of course he had however, he could not let on to Rachele that he had. ”No because none of them are as appalled by me as you are, that when someone offers them a disgustingly deliciouslessness meal that they do not take it.” He was no longer going to press the issue despite the fact that he thought she was just being headstrong