Matthew woke up a few hours later, his curls wild and disheveled on his head. Running a hand through his hair, he pushed them back away from his face, smiling as he saw Monsieur Copeland walking up to him. Two men followed in his wake, both of them apparently servants.
“You fucking whore..”, Adam grit his teeth, his jaw clenched as shoved Matthew. The brunette’s brow furrowed, his eyes suddenly taking on a hard edge.
“What are you talking about? I didn’t fucking do anything..”, Matthew frowned, staring up into the blonde’s green eyes. Adam almost chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Christopher told me you slept with Christian! You fucked him, didn’t you?”, Adam sneered, reaching over to grab two swords from one of his assistants, gripping the metal handle tight in his fist.
Matthew paused. Damn. He hadn’t even remembered. Nodding, he admitted to his seduction. What else could he do?
“It is true...”, the brunette glanced down, catching the sword that the blonde threw to him. He was a skilled swordsman. He had trained for 18 years, and was the elite of his class. To say that he could defeat Monsieur Copeland easily was a total understatement.
Placing one hand behind his back, the one that still held his journal, Matthew lunged forward, listening to the clink of the swords as the metal viciously met time and time again. With a swift flick of his wrist, he flipped the blonde’s sword out of his hand, watching it fall to the ground. Nodding, he allowed Adam to reach down to pick up the weapon, their duel continuing as he maneuvered the blonde over to the grass, quickly stabbing his shoulder with the small edge of the blade.
Adam gasped, blood staining his overcoat, frowning furiously as he removed it and threw it to the ground. Matthew studied him closely, removing his own overcoat and handing it to one of the servants. Twirling the handle in his hand, his chocolate eyes studied the light footwork of the taller man, their swords meeting once more.
Matthew blinked. It was as if the scene was happening in slow motion. With a breath, he thrust forward, smirking as Adam stabbed him lightly in the abdomen. Blood trickled out of the mediocre cut, his breathing shallow as his wrist expertly waved the sword, tearing Adam’s shirt completely off his body. With a grunt, the blonde ran forward to back the brunette into a small tunnel, tiny sparks flying off the weapons as they fought back and forth. The blonde was soon of out breath, panting as he dueled Matthew, their detest for one another clearly evident.
Knocking Adam to the ground with his fancy swordplay, he placed the tip of the weapon at the blonde’s chin, tipping his angry gaze up to meet his. He stepped back, allowing the man to get up once more and continue. He could have killed him right then, or even injured him. But something inside told him this wasn’t how it was supposed to end.
Matthew sighed, becoming dizzy as he staggered backwards. The brunette gasped, a sudden image of Jeffrey flashing into his brain. He saw the younger man on his lap, riding him in the throes of passion. He recalled the exact way his own lips trembled as he whispered soft words of love to Jeffrey, the way his cock fit perfectly inside the younger man’s body. Gulping, he barely dodged Adam’s sword, his focus completely lost. His sword swung against the blonde’s, his movements uncoordinated and lacking their usual grace.
Matthew fell against the wall of the tunnel, resting his forehead against the stones as he desperately fought to regain his breath. His fingertips traced the smooth pattern of the rocks, reminding him of the way those very same fingertips encircled Jeffrey’s nipples. He could feel the younger man’s breath whispering into his ear, his dark almond gaze filled with tears and blurring his vision. He couldn’t go on. Breathing deeply, his eyes flickered closed, the three words he murmured against Jeffrey’s lips ringing in his ears.
‘I love you..’ Matthew had whispered so passionately, his words sincere and true. The brunette silently cried against the wall, the warm tears leaking from his eyes, and the curls spilling against his face to shadow his expression. His voice soft, he remembered how he sang to coo Jeffrey to sleep. Biting his bottom lip, he knew what he had to do. Die.
Letting his sword drop to the ground, he especially made sure Adam didn’t see he was unarmed before turning to dart forward, the blonde’s blade stabbing deep within his chest. Monsieur Copeland stood in shock, watching as Matthew blinked, tears running down his flushed cheeks before crumpling to the ground. The stained weapon dropped to the ground with a clang, a few inches of the tip stained with crimson. The brunette breathed in short gasps, openly crying as he held his journal close to his heart, his blood thick against the smooth cover.
“P-Please give this to Monsieur Jeffrey Nero...”, Matthew’s voice was immensely pained, his hands trembling, “And tell him that I love him...”, the brunette choked out, his fingertips splayed against his chest. Blood poured from the wound, staining his hands and his clothes. He shakily handed his journal to Adam, his eyes red as he quietly sobbed. Closing his eyes, his breathing began to slow, the shock to his heart simply overwhelming. With his last thoughts, he saw Jeffrey shuddering in his arms, their bodies pressed close together.
‘As I love you...’ The four words that Jeffrey spoke. Matthew smiled to himself. He felt Adam’s hand holding up his head, the other gripped tight around his journal. He almost didn’t want to let go, but for his sake, for Jeffrey’s sake, he let out a soft sigh, giving up his life. Nothing was left to live for. He had to start over. If he couldn’t have Jeffrey, he didn’t want his life. And that was the most honest thing he had ever thought.
“Get a fucking doctor! Get some help!”, Adam screamed, holding Matthew’s lifeless body in his arms. His green eyes were wet, his breathing quickened as the brunette’s scarlet blood soaked his fingers.