"Babe, move."

A whimper erupted from the blonde girl curled up on the gruff Canadian's lap.

"I'm just gonna get a beer then I'll be back on this couch, under that cute little ass."

"Mathieu!"

"Madeline."

"Ugh, you're such a jerk."

"Never said a wasn't, sweetness."

The smaller blonde moved off her warm throne onto the tan fabric of the cushion, wrapping herself in a cacoon of soft blankets.

Mathieu grinned teasingly and climbed over the back of the couch, striding to the kitchen.

"You know, you could just stand up normally and walk the the kitchen like a person instead of whatever that is."

"This is faster, lord knows you want me back ASAP."

Madeline rolled her eyes and returned to watching her documentary. She already knew so much about polar bears, she had to so she could take care of Kumarie, but she still loved to watch their magesty. She heard a faint crack and hiss of a bottle opening.

"Are you going out tonight?"

"Wasn't planning on it. Allen's been testing my patience lately, I don't wanna deal with people."

"Then you're gonna hate this, shoes go by the door."

"You're right, brat. I did hate that."

Mathieu begrudgingly took off his heavy boots, shuffled into the living room and tossed them into the hall as he sat back on the couch, propping up his sock-clad feet on the coffee table. He took a swig of his beer and pulled the shorter woman back onto his lap.

"Keep pouting, princess, and I won't pick those up after the credits."

"You really are a jerk."

"Oh really? You gonna say that to my face or just watch your bears?"

Madeline always had trouble making eye contact, and he loved to find ways to make her look. So he could gaze into those beautiful violet pools of hers, to watch the blush invade her cheeks and the goosebumps pepper her arms.

"What'd I say about pouting?"

"Don't tell me what to do."

"Feisty tonight, are we? You wanna maybe repeat that, sunshine?"

Mathieu knew she only acted up like this when she was frustrated with things like Francis, or Alfred, or even Elizabeth; but he also knew that he didn't like being talked back to.

Spinning her to face him, he kept his eyes on her face, waiting for her to look him in the eyes. He kept a grip on her hips, he wasn't gonna let her just get up and walk away from him when he was talking.

"Look at me. What's your deal?"

Only a quiet mumble escaped her throat as she shrugged. His calloused hand held her chin up, forcing her to look at his eyes.

"I will say it again. What. Is. Your. Deal. You're usually a fuckin' mouse. Who pissed you off?"

"N-no one."

After her initial shock caused a slight stumble in her words, her answer seemed so confident.

"Fine, so not a who. Then what?"

Once again, a tiny mumble. He hated when she mumbled, almost irrationally.

"Speak up."

"It's the fourteenth."

Finally, it dawned on him. The 14th. Her period was coming up.

"So, PMS. That's why you're acting tough with me."

"It's all of it. It hurts and I feel terrible and everything just sucks!"

"You're an idiot. Just fuckin' tell me this shit. Don't act tough and pick a fight. I was 20 seconds away from bending you over my knee. If you weren't so cute, I might've still done it."

Madeline let out a sigh and let her head rest on her lover's shoulder.

"Just, the cramps started today. No blood yet though."

"Hm."

She began rubbing her thumbs together, he observed. She wanted something but was embarrassed to ask. He decided to let her try anyways.

"Um, hey, Mattie?"

"What?"

"Would you absolutely despise rubbing my lower back for me? Pretty please with syrup on top?"

"God, you're lucky you're fucking adorable."

To much of Madeline's surprise, the grumpy punk generously picked her up and turned off the television before making his way to their room with his little cargo. He even remembered to pick up his boots.

"Thank you, Mattie."

"Yeah, yeah. This doesn't leave the house. Last thing I want to be dealing with is Al saying I'm whipped. Got it?"

With a blush and a nod, she reached down for the doorknob, seeing that her steed had his hands full.

"What do you want in the background?"

"Um, I guess, an audiobook?"

"God, not fifty shades of stupid."

"No, not that. The one with all the cute animal legends."

"You mean the one with that rabbit? The one on the moon?"

He watched her nod before hooking up her phone to the small speaker system in the bedroom, remembering how she insisted that a tv in here would be terrible for their sleep schedules. He hated to admit it, but he was sleeping a bit more regularly with the audiobooks setup.

The sound of a woman's voice recounting the tales of a mischevious raccoon dog settled in the room as he crawled into bed, next to a caccoon of blonde pigtails and blankets.

"C'mon, out of the nest. I can't help you through five blankets."

"It's only two."

Regardless, Madeline let her "nest" come apart before settling onto her stomach, raising her shirt a bit to give him access to her back.

Mathieu's fingers gently explored all her soft curves before flattening out so his palm was flush against her back, slowly moving up and down in little circles. He could feel some muscles tense and cramp before he set to calming them.

"Please tell me you were smart enough to take a painkiller."

"I did, but it's been a while."

"Alright, ride your high and go take another. I'll get ready to crash."

Mathieu had already begun taking off his black, form-fitting tank top by the time she left the room and with a slight smile, he began to think about how this night could've gone. Sure, she could've screamed at him for treating so "unfairly" or she could've liked it, as he would've strongly hoped.

He shrugged, unbuttoning his pants before switching into some plaid pajama bottoms, making sure to think hard about saying the alphabet out of order before his little dear came back.

"Shit."

Suddenly the memory of his bottle in the coffee table popped in like the annoying little brother he punched earlier that day. It'd be flat and a tad warm by now.

He decided to make his way to his unholy grail.

"Where're you going?"

"Forgot my beer, babe. Get in bed, I'll be there in a bit."

"C-can I come with you?"

"Why? I'm literally just grabbing my beer."

Wait, he recognized that blush. She was just a little embarrassed but she wanted something.

"It's your house, you can do whatever you want."

The unspoken permission was greeted with a gentle smile and two hands holding one of his. He felt his heart skip a beat as he wondered if she could and/or would get any cuter.

Upon completing the quest to find the bottle, Mathieu was reminded that he would not be permitted to bring the drink back into their room. In response, he chugged.

"Oh, god. Why don't you just put it in the fridge like a normal person?"

"I flipped over that couch for this beer, I'll be damned if I don't finish it."

In under two minutes, the alcohol was gone and the glass bottle was in the recycling bin. Mathieu smiled triumphantly and in his victorious euphoria, picked up his lady, carting her back to their den.

In the room, he finally set her down on the bed with a crooked smile on his lips. He strolled over to his side.

"Did you wanna change to some fresh pj's? You've been in those since last night."

Madeline nodded and seemed to have an idea. She was sure he would greatly enjoy it and she would love to not need to stand up again.

"Do, um, do you wanna pick out my pj's?"

A huge, sly smile crept across Mathieu's features.

"You know exactly what offers I can't refuse, sweetness. So, what're my limitations?"

"Well, I put on a pad just in case. So nothing that requires a change of underwear."

"That all?"

"Mhm."

He knew just the one. A beautiful, lacy black babydoll nighty. She never wore it, said it was too much. Never elaborated on it, but he assumed it was just because it was a dark colour. Or maybe the way it was sheer over her stomach. She looked absolutely incredible in black, the way it contrasted against her pale shoulders but was accentuated by her tanner arms. And it was such a cutesy style, matched perfectly with her personality. She wouldn't even need to wear the g-string.

"Oh, god. I forgot I even had that."

"I'm not hearing a no, and it fits your panty rule."

"Fine."

Mathieu couldn't peel his eyes away from the angel before him. Watching the fabric caress her upper thighs as she moved to turn out the lights made him crazy with need.

"Not yet."

"Huh?"

"Don't turn it off. Not yet. I don't get to see you in that nearly as often as I should."

Her blush spread once more as she felt his eyes exploring her every inch. She unknowingly covered her lower half, coveting the opaque fabric on her chest.

"Baby, come here."

Madeline could feel her face get hotter, she wondered if she should turn out the lights so he couldn't see her face. But, she conceded to his command. Even when he patted his lap for her to sit on.

"Mattie.. I don't think I can tonight."

"Shh. If I wanted to fuck, I would've pounced when you got naked. I mean, I do want to, but I wanna do something else first."

He slowly ran his hand up her thigh, lingering on her hip before finally resting on her lower back, under the lingerie.

"I just gotta look at you, princess."

"You're drunk."

"You know it takes more than a single beer to even get me tipsy. Just relax, let me hold you."

"Mattie.."

"Yes, princess?"

"I- um, I have a question."

"Babydoll, please not something headache-inducing. I've had enough today."

"I don't think it'll be bad."

"Alright, ask."

"Why are you being so sweet today? Especially after I was acting all funky earlier."

Mathieu's hand curled around the back of her neck, holding her face closer.

"Listen to me. You're my girl. Not Allen's, not Oliver's, not anyone else's. My girl. And as my girl, I'm allowed to spoil you whenever I want. You're already making it up to me by wearing what I tell you to. And you know it's hard to stay pissed at you. So, remind me to punish you after your little storm passes. Got it?"

God, the way she bit her lip and nodded. He wondered if he could wait that long.

"Just a heads up, princess, but any subsequent bad behaviour will be lumped together for a bigger punishment. So, behave."

He honestly enjoyed being like this, he even enjoyed punishing her. The only problem was, she was a good girl.

Not like the girls he usually wasted time with. But if there was one thing he wasn't, it was unjust. He would just wait till she fucked up.

"Alright, I'm fuckin' beat. Now, you may turn off the light."

Madeline hesitated before getting off her lover's thighs, debating on if she wanted to place a kiss on his cheek, maybe tease him. It was so unlike her normal, pushover mannerisms and she had trouble wrapping her head around why he loved being teased and talked back to, but she knew she wouldn't have to stay bratty for long. He would always find a way to get her back.

"Babe, the light?"

Madeline came back out of her thoughts as Matt leaned his face closer to hers, examining her blush.

"Uh, right, yeah! I'll um, go do that."

She struggled to keep her balance as she crawled out of the punk's lap and made a beeline for the lightswitch, she heard him stifle a laugh as she nearly fell over.

With the lights off, she could think about anything without being found out. And he could sleep. But first she would have to find her way to the bed.

"Ow! Mmmfuck that huuurrrrt! Owowowow."

Her weight flopped onto the bed in pitch darkness, the woman's voice in the background seemed very annoying in the face of the pain shooting up her leg from her toe.

"Shh, just relax your leg. Chill out, it'll stop in a second."

"But Mattie.. it huurrrts. A lot."

"I know babydoll, it's gonna. You smacked it."

"What if it's broken?"

"That only happens when you do stupid shit like kicking a wall. You're fine, c'mere."

Matt guided his pained girl into his arms and draped a blanket over them. Slowly he kissed up the back of her neck to her ear, gently caressing the lobe with his teeth. His hands grabbing her hips and pulling them against his.

"M-Mattie.."

"Shh, this ain't foreplay sugar. Tell me, your toe stop hurting yet?"

"Uhm, yeah, I guess."

"Good, now go to sleep, will ya? And try not to wriggle around so much? I'm struggling enough as it is."

She hadn't even realized that she had begun pressing back into him. She had to admit though, it was a clever way of distracting her. She attempted to get more comfortable without stirring any more arousal from him.

"Babyyy, you're not makin' this easy."

Her hair stood up when she heard that half-growl/ half-whimper. Now she knew why she liked teasing him, but that would wait for morning.

Because now, was bedtime.