“Actually It Has Been So Long Since I Act As Suho. I Prepared Throughly By Watching Whc1, I Was Really

Only If You Catch Me

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pairing: fred weasley x fem!reader

summary: fred had always been frustrated by your endeavors with other men, especially other men that always looked quite a bit like him. after a disastrous mistake during quidditch practice you find yourself wondering how you had never seen fred Weasley in the light you saw him in now

word count: 4.4k

warnings: jealousy, language (maybe?), only proof read once so sorry for any mistakes!

a/n: this is my first big piece in ages, I hope you guys enjoy and im so sorry for my prolonged absence i fell off on writing for a while and im just now getting back to it

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Some things were just facts, plain and simple; the sky is blue, two and two is four and you had a type.

“Another ginger I see.” Alicia murmured as you sat down across from her, pints of butter beer clinking together. Your eyes were locked with a pretty freckled boy by the bar. 

You huffed even though she was quite right, this must have been the third redhead that you set sights on this year. “Well William got boring and,” You paused wrinkling your nose, “-pushy” 

The Three Broomsticks was packed, the sounds of chatter and warmth guarding you from the icy cold of the blizzard that had swept through Hogsmeade. You and Alicia had joined the dozens of students seeking cover in the popular pub and quickly snagged a small table near a large fireplace where you now looked out on the sea of flushed faces and smiles. 

“With your type it's a wonder your last name isn’t Weasley.” Your friend chuckled and you laughed. 

“If I could have gotten my hands on Charlie, it would be.” You replied, your silly crush on the older Weasley brother lasting from your first year to what you were sure would be your last. 

Alicia giggled, taking a large swig from her pint, licking the foam off her top lip. “Why not one of the twins then?”

“What twins?” A voice asked from behind you.

“She couldn’t be talking about us now could she, Georgie?” Fred jested.

“No no,” The other replied, “I mean what could Spinnet possibly want from us?”

Alicia rolled her eyes with great effort, “Trust me when I say I want nothing to do with you. As for my friend here, I don't know if I can say the same.” she said with a smug grin and you sent her a furious look.

Fred smirked, leaning over the back of your chair, his large palms ghosting your shoulders, “Is that true? Do you need something from us?” He leaned in even further, his nose brushing your hair, “from me?”

You began to look a bit red as he pulled away, “Please Weasley,” you managed to scoff “since when do I need things from you? In fact, I believe you still have my Charms notes.”

Fred had come to stand in front of you now, George joining his side, “It's just that your notes are so much better for writing Flitwick’s essay. ” He argued. 

“You don’t even take notes.” You said, exasperated. 

“Exactly” The twins replied in unison. 

Alicia snickered beside you.

Chairs appeared and Fred and George sat. The table seemed half the size it was before as Fred's elbow knocked against yours.

“Made yourselves at home have you?” You spoke, wincing.

Fred just grinned and leaned purposefully closer, thighs now brushing.

You slid towards Alicia who was turning a laugh into a cough and set your eyes back on the boy with freckles. 

“You headed to the Slytherin match next weekend?” Alicia asked absently.

“Of course.” George replied, “I’ve bet Lee a galleon that Malfoy catches a bludger with his nose.” he chuckled,  “He reckons it’ll be his gut.” 

You all smiled at the idea, no one hated Malfoy more than those on the Gryffindor quidditch team. 

“We also have business to do.” Fred said, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously.

“You don't have any more of those nosebleed nougats do you?” You asked, eyes still across the room, “I’ve got to get out of Binns’ class tomorrow.” 

Alicia's eyebrows shot up, you hardly missed History of Magic, or as you liked to call it, nap hour. “Why's that?”. 

“No reason.” You mumbled, intently staring into your butterbeer. 

Fred’s eyes darted between the two of you. 

“Of course we’ve got some.” grinned George, oblivious, “2 sickles a pei-.”

“Or for free if you tell us what you're up to.” Fred interrupted, catching a strange look from his brother. 

“I'm not up to anything!” You gasped with a bit too much enthusiasm. 

Alicias eyes had narrowed to slits and Fred had never looked more unconvinced. 

Your face began to grow hot and you found yourself wishing you had more grace in the act of lying.

“Oh come off it,” George said, “If she wants to snog Murphy instead of hearing about the seventh generation of goblin rebellions, who are we to judge?” 

You were glowing pink now, sending a vicious look at George who had taken to sipping his drink innocently. 

Fred looked appalled, his face contorted like he had just caught a whiff of something horrible, “Murphy!” 

“Keep your voice down.” You hissed angrily, glazing across the room again to be sure he hadn’t heard, “I'm trying to keep it quiet.” 

Fred was fuming, “Who wouldn’t, swapping spit with a git like that.” 

You scoffed, pulling out a small coin purse, “Can I just have some nougat?”

“Nope.” Fred responded, voice suddenly ferocious, “We’re out.”

You were beginning to grow frustrated, “George just said you had some.”

Fred glared at you, “We’re out.” he repeated his nose high in the air.

You turned to George looking for help but he threw you an I’m-not-getting-into-this look and you were forced to round back on Fred. 

You glared at each other for a moment before Fred caved, "Fine we’ve got some,” He huffed, “Three Galleons.” 

Your mouth dropped, “George said 2 sickles!”

He crossed his arms, “They’re in high demand.”

You stood, chair flying back into the wall with a loud crack, “You’re a complete prick.” you said sharply snatching your bag and sweeping past Fred and over to meet Finn Murphy  who was now standing to leave the pub. 

“Well I think you handled that well.” Alicia said, grinning at Fred who looked as though he had been slapped. 

George, who looked all too happy with himself for instigating such an interesting conversation, helped himself to the remains of your butterbeer as you and Murphy bowed out into the flurry of white followed closely by Fred’s glare.

“Looks as though she's gonna snog every redhead at school before you.” Alicia snicked. 

“Yeah,” George snorted, “You might want to keep an eye on Ginny.”

Alicia giggled even harder, pressing a hand to her lips in an attempt to keep her drink in her mouth. 

Fred could hardly hear them, too busy envisioning your latest with large boils all over his face or perhaps vomiting indefinitely. 

Alicia managed to contain herself and shot Fred a sympathetic glance, “I've been trying you know, I keep bringing you up but she seems far more interested in Charlie.” 

“Charlie!” He guffawed, “But he's been gone for ages!”

“Well he seemed to have made quite the impression.” Alicia chuckled. 

“He was captain when she was appointed to the team.” George pointed out. 

“Yeah when she was TWELVE” Fred gasped. 

Alicia couldn’t help it, she had started laughing again, “Relax,” She spoke between breaths, “It’s just a silly school girl crush.” 

Fred looked unconvinced and began to tap his heel incessantly against the floor.

“Take it as a complement!” She continued, “Charlie looks quite a bit like you, I mean you are related after all.” 

Fred was not taking it as pleasantly as she suggested and began to rap his foot on the ground even faster, “We’ve got to do something.” 

“We?” George snorted, “This is all you mate. I’m not the one in love with her.” 

Freds ears grew pink, “I’m not in love with her!” he sputtered. 

“Whatever you say.” Alicia spoke rolling her eyes.

The truth was that if Fred wasn't in love with you, he was so close he may as well have been. At the very least he had been pining after you for years and he had never been particularly quiet about it. In fact he was the opposite of quiet about it. His flirtatious remarks and dazzling complements were quite consistent. Unfortunately so was his coursing jealousy as you paraded around with boy after boy who was not him.  Every year he swore would be the year. The year where you finally realized it was him you needed and all would be right in Fred's world. But time and time again he failed as you walked out the door with a different redhead. He was growing nervous, his seventh year was upon him and this may be his last chance before you were all carted off in different directions never to see each other again. The frustration of it all was turning him bitter.

That night Fred lay awake on his four-poster, staring at the ceiling venomously. What was it? He wondered, What was it that he didn't have that every other ginger you knew seemed to possess? Why was it never him pulling you into broom closets and meeting you after classes? What was he doing wrong? His thoughts spun until he drifted into an uneasy slumber. 

By the time he arrived at the quidditch pitch for practice the next morning, the rest of the team was already changing into their robes as Angilina scribbled vigorously on the chalkboard in front of them, already changed and ready. 

“Fred!” She shouted watching him try to sneak his way into the bustle of the team unnoticed, “What took so long? I was beginning to think I would have to send George back up to wake you.” 

He shrugged, “Sorry Cap, I didn’t get much sleep last night if you know what I mean.” he winked at her and she looked sorely unamused. 

You on the other hand perked up at the insinuation, finally looking at the twin who, in protest of his behavior the day before, you had been ignoring. 

“She gets what I mean,” He smirked nodding towards you, “Up late with Murphy boy last night?” He asked viciously. 

You flushed as the changing room filled with chuckles. 

“Murphy?” Angelina asked, turning to you, “Isn’t he a bit,” She paused, “dim?” 

You scowled at Fred silently before snatching your broom from the rack and marching so quickly out onto the pitch that you hadn’t even noticed you had hit Harry in the temple with its handle. 

As Potter groaned in pain and fixed his askew glasses Fred looked over to Alicia who was shaking her head slightly. As the rest of the team slowly followed you out onto the field she and George made their way towards him. 

“You’re an idiot.” Alicia groaned, “No wonder she won’t go out with you.”  

George chuckled.

Fred glared at the pair, “It’s not my fault she insists on only snogging boys who are 'a bit dim.'" he spoke, mocking Angelina.

“I know that this may be hard to wrap your head around,” Alicia spoke sharply, “But maybe she went out with Murphy because he was, ya know, nice to her.” She then shouldered past the twins leaving Fred gapping at his brother desperately. 

The day was crisp, the heavy licks of winter drawn in by a bitter wind. But the sky was clear and the sun was out, much to everyone’s appreciation. 

Fred mounted his broom still angry, feeling foolish for upsetting you yet again as you stood with your back to him defiantly. 

The whistle blew and the balls were released as the team kicked off, snow flying in all directions as you did so. 

Fred's head was not in practice as it should have been but instead on you, watching you speed towards the goal posts with the quaffle already under your arm. You scored easily on Ron with a feign left.

Fred was so absorbed in you that he had completely forgotten about the bludgers, one of which was hurtling at him with frightening speed. With little time to react he swung his bat wildly and pitched the bludger in the opposite direction, which with a sickening feeling he realized was right at you. 

He tried to shout but you must not have heard him over the howling of wind in your ears. Because when the bludger struck you heavily between the shoulder blades you were completely unprepared. Your vision danced as the air was knocked from your lungs. You were flung from your broom with a shriek and began to plummet.

Fred streamed after you, urging his broom towards the ground with a frightening speed. His Cleansweep shuttered under the immense pressure he suddenly held it in and never before had Fred wished so badly for Potters Firebolt. 

He managed to get beneath you mere feet from the ground. The force at which you hit him knocked you both into the snow with a heavy thud, and there was a sickening sound as his broom snapped in two. 

Neither of you moved for a moment, the snow settling around you and beginning to melt through your robes. 

“Are you alright?” Fred asked and was struck with panic when you did not respond. He sat up quickly pulling you with him, your legs tangled together in the snow. He called your name desperately, hands holding your face as you lay limp in his arms. 

Angelina landed beside the pair followed closely by George and Alicia both of whom were wearing nervous expressions. 

“Y/n!” Fred shouted again, tears stinging his eyes, fear gripping his throat like a vice. He was moments away from shaking you when your eyes slowly peeled open. 

“Fred?” You mumbled, confused. 

The boy let out a barking laugh of relief and then dove into a hug, almost knocking you back to the ground. 

Bewildered, you returned his embrace and realized quite suddenly how much larger than you Fred really was. You practically disappeared into his chest, his broad shoulders shielding you from the wind that whipped across the pitch. You felt frighteningly warm listening to his heart beat quickly beneath his robes. Your cheeks were hot as he pulled away from you and began to search for any look of pain or damage on your face. 

“Are you alright love?” He asked again and was washed with relief when you nodded. 

As you fully realized what was going on around you, you gasped, pulling the handle of Fred's broom out of the snow.

“Your broom!” You looked horrified, “Fred, your broom broke!” 

Fred on the other hand brushed it off helping you to your feet and beginning to pat the snow off your robes, “It’s alright, I’m sure it's fixable.” he shrugged, “Listen, I am so s-”

But before Fred could finish his apology George burst between the two of you, “I am so sorry!” He spoke hurriedly, “The bludger caught me off guard. I swear I wasn’t aiming for you.” 

You chuckled, giving George a pat on the shoulder, “I sure hope not, but 's not me you should be apologizing to anyway.” You said, “It's Fred’s broom that broke.”  

George did not issue his brother any regrets and instead sent him a wink, whipping his wand out of robes and shouting “Repairo!”

The broom snapped back together and Angelina, who was desperate to get back in the air, looked to you, “You alright then?” 

You nodded with a grin and turned back to Fred who was testing the strength of his brother's repair. 

“Thank you so much Fred,” You gushed, looking up at him through your lashes. 

The boy's heart skipped a beat, stomach lurching, “It was no problem really.” He breathed and miraculously found you in his arms for the second time as you lunged towards him.

“Thank you.” You murmured into his robes before disconnecting and swiftly boarding your broom again. 

Fred watched you leave struck for a moment. Alicia shot him a thumbs up and a grin before he was able to clumsily climb onto his own broom and follow you back up into the air. 

By dinner the story of your fall had been told and retold so many times that you were now said to have plummeted upwards of a hundred meters before Fred had heroically scooped you onto his own broom, saving what was sure to be your life. 

In the great hall you kept getting asked if you were okay as down the table Fred got clapped on the shoulder and congratulated for his great save. He seemed to be enjoying the new story a fair bit more than you were. 

Finn had come over to ask about you halfway through dinner but you found suddenly that he was no less than boring and he returned to the Hufflepuff table after a few short minutes with a look of disappointment on his face. 

Fred watched this with such delight he was sure he was glowing. George -who he had been applauding as the best wingman one could ask for all day- poked him hard in the side and pointed down the table to where you sat. Fred turned to catch your eyes already on him. He winked exuberantly and you turned away with a scoff, but your cheeks had taken a rather deep shade of red. 

He grinned so wide at George he thought his lips might split, “I mean this is some real progress!” He cheered, “Did you see that? She was staring at me!” 

Down the hall you turned to Alicia, cheeks still pink, “Have you ever noticed how tall Fred is?” You asked so suddenly she choked on her pumpkin juice. 

You stared at her curiously as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve smiling, “Oh yeah very tall.”

You hummed looking back down the table at the elder twin who was now laughing wildly at something Lee had said, “I guess I never really thought about it before.” 

Angilina shot Alicia a glance as you were distracted and the two of them broke out into giggles. 

“What?” You demanded though you were still smiling. 

“Oh nothing.” Angilina grinned and you huffed turning back to your dinner. 

You found yourself wishing Fred had chosen to sit a bit closer to you as you watched a group of girls across from him break out into giggles at something he said, “There's no way he's that funny.” You muttered knowing he in fact was. 

  Yet you couldn’t find yourself being all that jealous as he kept glancing up at you, as if checking to make sure you were still watching him and much to his delight you always were. His shoulders, you noticed from where you sat picking at plum pudding, were quite wide, his arms toned. It was no wonder that he had engulfed you completely out on the pitch. 

How had I never noticed this before? You found yourself wondering. How had he managed to escape your list of potential suitors when he was so obviously perfect for you?

The thought struck you rather abruptly and while you would have liked to have sat with it for a minute, Alicia was standing and you knew it was time to head back to the common room. 

As students began to flood from the hall you fiddled with the sleeves of your robes, thoughts full of brown eyes and freckles . 

As if summoned, Fred appeared at your side grinning widely, “Hello.”

“Hey Fred,” replied Alicia. 

“Have you guys heard the news?” He asked, throwing an arm around your shoulder. You tried hard not to blush and instead shook your head, staring at the floor. “Apparently, you owe me your life.” He was beaming down at you now and you found it hard to look away. 

“Oh yeah?” You smirked, “And I heard it was actually you who hit me with that bludger.” 

His smile disappeared only momentarily and you were happy to see it recover so quickly. 

“Ah well, I figured Angelina wouldn’t keep her mouth shut.” He shrugged, “Though I swear if I had a choice I would have knocked her off her broom instead.” 

And for the first time that evening jealousy took you strongly, “Oh yeah? I suppose she would have been a bit more fun to catch then?” 

Fred looked startled by your bristly reaction, “Nah,” He responded, “That would have been Georgie’s job.” 

You were satisfied with this answer and felt yourself leaning against him as you began up towards the tower.

George was delighted to see you still tucked beneath his brother's arm when you reached the common room. He called you over to where he sat and you placed yourself in a large squishy armchair as Fred perched himself beside you on an ottoman. 

You spent your evening rather uneventfully, finishing an essay for Snape as the Gryffindors slowly filtered off to bed in pairs. When George rose to take himself to the dormitory you expected Fred to follow but instead he stayed rooted by your feet where he now sat cross legged on the carpet looking over what looked like an extensive order form. 

Hours later you yawned, stretching when you finally finished your work. It was now well past midnight and only a few fifth years remained, cramming for a quiz in transfiguration the next day. You turned to look at Fred who had long since sprawled himself across the couch before the fire and found him snoring softly. 

A jolt of infatuation made your stomach flip. His messy hair glowed shockingly bright in the fire light, his pink lips slightly agape. You gathered your things slowly, sure not to wake him before you stood beside him.

You knew you should wake him, you were the reason he had not retreated to bed after all. But he looked so peaceful like this, so soft. Instead you found yourself slowly counting the freckles that sprawled across his cheeks, leaning close to brush a strand of his bright red hair out of his face. He woke immediately at your touch, large brown eyes locking with your own.

You felt your cheeks go hot, “You should go up to bed.” You mumbled beginning to pull away. 

He snatched your wrist with such haste it took you by surprise, “Do that again.” he spoke.

You furrowed your brow, “What?” 

“With my hair,” It was his turn to blush now, “Touch my hair again.” 

It felt as though the air was sucked from your lungs yet you found yourself obeying, fingers coming to comb through the soft waves that spread across his forehead. 

He hummed, leaning into your touch slowly, gaze still locked with yours. The two of you stayed there for a moment, you kneeling beside him fingers in his hair, his hand still loosely wrapped around your wrist. 

“I’m sorry.” He murmured and you looked at him confused. 

“For what?” 

“Hitting you with a bludger.” he responded remorsefully. 

You laughed softly, your head thrown back, “It's okay Fred.” you grinned. You were close now, so close Fred could feel the tickle of your breath on his cheek, “I forgive you. You made up for it after all.” 

He smirked in spite of himself, “I suppose I did, saving your life and all.” 

You were giggling again and Fred was sure he was in some beautiful dream where all he could ever hear or see was your joy. 

“I wouldn’t push your luck if I were you.” You grinned, “I may just chuck the quaffle at your head when you're not looking.” 

“Only if you catch me when I fall.” Fred whispered, leaning closer still. 

You let him, your lips connecting slowly. You were pleased to find he was a fantastic kisser, his lips soft and plush, eager to please. His free hand cupped your cheek as he pulled you closer still until you were practically on top of him.

One of the alarm clocks the fifth years had been attempting to turn to roosters burst to life and you pulled away abruptly remembering bitterly that you and him were not the only ones in the room. Fred chased after your lips with his own desperate for even a moment more with your mouth.

“You should get to bed.” You repeated standing now, knees a bit shaky. 

Fred was disappointed by your departure but grinned wildly nonetheless as you gathered your books into your arms and turned back to him. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow Fred.” You yawned and began up the stairs to your dormitory determined not to let him see the childish glee that had spread across your face. 

“Wait!” He called after you, lurching from the couch and stopping at the bottom of the steps. 

You turned back to him taking in the wonderful sight of him staring lovingly up at you. He looked delightfully disheveled, his hair a mess and his lips swollen from your touch. You took two steps down now only one above where he stood on the hardwood floor.

You looked down at him expectantly as his eyes bore into your own. 

He lifted himself onto his toes and grabbed your shoulders forcinging you forward where you connected for a second time. 

This time his breath was hot and heavy on your lips, his earnest intensifying to a level that you could only describe as hunger. Your feet dangled momentarily in the air as he lifted you fervently into his embrace. You were suddenly engulfed in Fred again, he was all you could smell sweet and cinnamon, all you could hear were his pants in your ear, all you could feel was him, his arms around your middle, his thigh pressed between your legs and his lips and tongue working so well together that it was you who chased after him this time, whining in protest when he pulled back.

You stared at him, out of breath and stunned to silence. 

Fred looked as though he had just won something very expensive the way he was grinning with triumph, his eyes dark with lust. 

 “Sweet dreams love.” He murmured leaning down to give you one final kiss, his lips moving sickeningly slow against your own, wet and warm. He hovered inches form your lips for a moment, as if debating diving back in, before he backed away tucking his hands casually into his robes.

“You should go to bed, love.” He smirked, “We’ve got an early practice tomorrow and I do believe you made me a promise about knocking me off my broom.” 

You bit your lip to keep from breaking into girlish giggles. Your heart was still pounding as though you had just run a long race. 

“Only if you swear to catch me though.” He added with a wink.

“I’ll always catch you Freddie.” you assured him before turning and hurrying back up the stairs, grinning so wide your cheeks had begun to ache.

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taglist: @accio-rogers @roslea @k3nz-dood13 @theseuscmander @sleepingalaska @chloe-geoghegan1 @coldlilheart @the-natureofme @trickylittlewitch @layaa-layaaa @sarcasticallywitty @rosieweasley @dracosgoodgirl @inglourious-imagines @princess-jules47 @daedreamss @d22malfoys @evyiione

m.list

~ First phrases in the Riordanverse books ~

Cover books: John Rocco 

Characters: Viria

Man In Love - Zhang Hao

pairing : zhang hao x fem! reader (established relationship)

genre : fluff, comfort

wc : 1215

cw : mentions of cigarettes and smoking

note : this chapter includes spoilers for boys planet finale

You made no attempts to calm your bouncing legs as you sat on your sofa, anxiously waiting for your boyfriend. You did however have to physically stop yourself from sending him another text to ask for his eta. The live streaming for the final episode ended four hours ago and you haven't stopped pacing around since Hao texted you that they were all allowed to go home or wherever they wanted for the night before they had to go back to film tomorrow.

You hadn’t met him properly in so long, especially since you missed the opportunity to be with him when the show took a break right before the third elimination and allowed the contestants to go back home. You had never hated your boss more than you did at that very moment for sending you on a business trip right before Hao came home.

You pulled at your fingers once again,ignoring the pop sounds that it made as you looked down at your phone. God, you felt like you were going to cry again. Watching the love of your life achieving his dreams was more than enough for broken sobs to come out of you but seeing him in person? That would wreck you in the best ways possible. You had offered for him to bring his best friend, Hanbin with him as well but you still don’t know if he would or not.

You jumped the second the doorbell rang and rushed to open it, while you weren’t an idol you knew how important it was to ensure that no one knew that Hao came here today. His relationship with you has been a secret for the past year and you intended to keep it that way. He probably shared the same sentiments because as soon as you opened the door he rushed in and closed it behind you.

He scooped you in his arms and nestled his nose into the crook of your neck, your name falling out of his lips like the first sip of water after being parched in the desert. Passingly, you wondered if your breathing was being cut off with how tightly he was holding on to you but to be fair, you were holding on to him just as tightly - to the point that the two of you were neatly one person.

“Hao, my love,” you struggled to breathe as you felt the clog in your throat building up, you couldn't cry again but god was it hard not to, “Please let me see you.”

He pulled away from the hug but refused to let you out of his arms, not that you ever wanted to anyway. He had removed his makeup so the redness of his eyes and nose were so much more obvious than they were on the live. Your fingers automatically moved to his face as you traced the skin under his eyes before leaning up to press her lips to his, taking in the scent of his favourite perfume and the taste of his chapstick. His lips were so cold, probably from the air conditioner but you didn’t care. It was a perfect contrast to your persistently warm lips.

Hao did not waste a single second and pulled you impossibly closer to reciprocate the kiss that he had been waiting for these past three months. He missed you so much that it was hard to describe in words, with every elimination he wondered if he would get eliminated and see you. With every day that passed in those studios he felt the lack of your presence so deeply that it made him want to take his heart out of his skin and rip it apart. Your lips were chapped - probably due to your horrid habit of chewing on the skin of your lips out of anxiety and the way you constantly forget to use a lip balm, remembering to do so once a week but god he had missed this. He had missed being able to feel you so close to him, to be able to take in the scent of your vanilla scented hair conditioner and your signature perfume. Warmth bloomed in his chest as you attempted to press yourself closer to him, the taste of the clove flavoured cigarette that you had probably smoked right before he came lingered on your lips.

You pulled away before pressing another gentle peck to the corner of his lips, “I missed you baobei.”

The foreign term of endearment fell easily from your lips, the memory of the two of you deciding to use terms of endearment in each other’s native languages fresh in your mind regardless of how much time had passed.

“I missed you,” your name tumbled out of his lips like a prayer as he proceeded to lean down and press soft kisses under your eyes and on your forehead.

“I’m so fucking proud of you Hao.” You took his hands in yours as you dragged him to your sofa, ignoring the bags that he had dropped in front of your door as soon as he had walked in, “You made history today my love and you are so amazing. You truly deserved it.”

“It doesn’t feel real at all,” Hao took off his jacket and placed it next to him to allow you to nestle into his arms without the fabric obstructing anything, “I feel so happy but so scared and guilty.”

You made yourself comfortable on his lap and wrapped your arms around him, “My love, you got the rank because you deserved it. People saw you, they fell in love with you and they voted for you. And Hanbin probably told you something similar right?”

“Mmmm,” Hao placed a soft kiss on your forehead, “He told me that he was happy to be next to me again and that he was proud of me.”

“I’m so proud of you baobei, you’ve gone through so much and worked so hard and you did it,” You pulled away from him to grab his face and look at him, “But I swear to god if your solo doesn’t have the violin in it, I will cry.”

Zhang Hao looked at his girlfriend, the red under your eyes, and the lips which had curved down to form a pout and he laughed. These past three months, and even before that, were hard. Forming connections with so many people only for them to be eliminated, seeing the racist comments directed towards him and his fellow g-group members and knowing that Mnet was fucking the global contestants over was hard. Hanbin was his best friend in the show, and he did go through the same experience but at the same time he didn't. The only members who would truly understand his experience were the g-group members. But right now, at this moment, with his beautiful girlfriend in his lap his brain stopped. He no longer wanted to ponder over the entire experience nor be overcome with anxiety about the future.

All he wanted to think about was his girlfriend, the one who has been a constant support throughout this entire time and kissing her senseless to take away that pout on her lips.

“I’ll do my best to add the violin, my love.”

don’t!!! fake!!!! your!!!! interests!!!! to!!!! make!!!! someone!!!! like!!!!! you!!!!

this was genuinely the most heartbreak one shot i have ever read.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤCAR CRASH * MATT STURNIOLO

SUMMARY　::　where an amazing date night leads to a devastating car accident, leaving Y/N severely injured and Matt hospitalized and feeling extremely guilt.

FEATURING　Matt Sturniolo x reader　REQUESTED?　yes.

WARNINGS　::　Car crash, blood, gore (nothing too extreme), mentions of surgery and death.

AUTHOR'S NOTE　::　that is my work, I DON'T authorize any form of plagiarism; copy, "inspiration" or translation! | english isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

The night had been perfect. The kind of night that made Matt wish he could bottle up every second and live it over and over again. As they cruised down the road, Y/N’s laughter filled the car, bubbling up with a joy that made his heart swell. He stole a quick glance at her, unable to resist the smile tugging at his lips as he watched her eyes crinkle at the corners.

It was all almost too serene. The road was deserted, stretching ahead like a long, winding ribbon through the dense forest. Trees lined both sides, their dark silhouettes swaying gently in the cool breeze. The glow from the dashboard lights bathed Matt’s face in a soft blue hue, highlighting the way his jaw clenched whenever he concentrated on the road.

Matt’s hand rested gently on Y/N’s thigh, fingers intertwined with hers. The music in the background was just soft enough to allow their conversation to drift through the air. Their fingers were laced together like they had been for years, her thumb softly brushing over the back of his hand in a way that always sent a thrill through him.

"You know." Y/N started, turning to look at him with that familiar, teasing sparkle in her eyes. "I still can’t believe you almost choked on that dessert tonight."

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Hey, those strawberries were huge, okay? It’s not my fault they didn’t fit in my mouth." Matt chuckled, his voice low and slightly raspy as he lifted her hand to press a soft kiss to her knuckles.

"Sure, that’s what she said." She quipped, sending a playful wink towards the brunette.

His laughter echoed through the car, his eyes crinkling at the edges.

"Hey, babe, we should-"

But before he could finish his sentence, Y/N's heart jumped to her throat as she noticed something.

"Matt!" Y/N’s scream pierced the air like needles.

Matt’s heart seized, his veins flooded with pure adrenaline. The world seemed to slow down, the seconds stretching into infinity as he turned his eyes from Y/N to the approaching car. It was swerving uncontrollably, zigzagging across the two-lane road, headlights blinding and erratic.

Panic gripped him like a vice. His instincts kicked in, hands flying to the steering wheel as he yanked it to the right with all his strength, desperate to avoid a head-on collision. The tires screamed in protest, the smell of burning rubber filling the car as the vehicle veered off the asphalt, gravel spraying against the undercarriage like bullets.

The seatbelt bit into his chest, and Matt let out a guttural grunt as the force of the swerve tried to rip him sideways.

"Hold on!" He shouted, the words raw and choked with fear.

But there was no time to process, no time to think. In the chaos, Matt’s vision narrowed to a tunnel. He could barely make out the blur of trees and darkness as the car skidded off the road. The other car blazed past them, its horn blaring like a scream of rage, disappearing into the night as if it had never been there.

Matt’s heart hammered in his chest, every beat like a drum of dread. He tried to correct the car’s course, but it seemed to be impossible with the velocity of it, and the steering wheel slipped under his frantic grip. The headlights illuminated nothing but shadows and thick trees ahead, and before he could even register what was happening, the world exploded into chaos.

The impact was instant. The front of the car crumpled like a tin can as it collided with the tree, the force of the crash sending them both jolting forward. Y/N’s scream was cut short as her side of the car bore the brunt of the crash, the airbags exploding around them in a cloud of powder.

Everything went black.

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

A few seconds - or maybe minutes, Matt couldn’t tell - passed before he came to. The first thing he noticed was the sharp, metallic taste of blood in his mouth, his head throbbing like it was being split open. His vision was blurred, darkness and flashing colors swirling together as he tried to blink them away.

"Y/N..." He croaked, his voice barely a whisper. Panic seized his chest like a vice grip as he turned his head, trying to see her through the haze. "Y/N!"

She was slumped against her seat, her head tilted unnaturally to the side, blood smeared across her forehead where she’d hit the window.

"No, no, no, no!" Matt’s voice came out in a broken sob as he reached for her, his hands trembling violently. Pain shot through his ribs with every movement, but he ignored it, his vision blurred with tears. "Y/N! Wake up, please, wake up!"

But she didn’t move.

"C'mon, please. Please- fucking shit!"

He could barely breathe, his chest tightening as though an invisible hand was crushing his lungs. Warm blood trickled down his temple, but he barely noticed it. All he could focus on was Y/N, slumped lifelessly beside him.

"What do I do? What do I do?" His bloody hands flew to his head, smearing it all around his skin. "An ambulance, I need-need to call an ambulance."

His trembling fingers fumbled with his phone, hands slick with blood and sweat, and his vision blurred with tears. He couldn’t think straight; everything was a whirlpool of noise, pain, and terror. As he finally managed to dial 911, he searched for Y/N hand, squeezing the cold, unmoving member, his other hand shaking so hard it almost dropped the phone.

"911, what's your emergency?"

Matt could hardly get the words out, his throat so tight it felt like he was being strangled.

"We-we've been in an accident! Oh god, please- please help us! I... I don’t know what to do!"

His voice was a broken sob, the words tumbling out in a chaotic rush, barely coherent. He was gasping for breath, panic clawing at him with icy fingers. He kept glancing at Y/N, hoping, praying that she would suddenly move or blink or give any sign that she was okay. But she was too still, her face shining with blood, eyes closed, and her chest...

He couldn't even tell if it was moving.

"Okay, sir, I need you to try to stay calm. Where are you? Can you give me your location?"

Matt’s mind was spinning, the world around him a dark blur. He tried to remember where they were, but it was like every thought was slipping through his fingers.

"Uh- I, I don’t know! Somewhere near... near Elm and... I think we’re by a park or something. There’s glass everywhere, and- she's not... she’s not waking up!"

As he spoke, Matt’s voice cracked again, his words coming out in choked sobs. His free hand kept shaking Y/N’s shoulder, trying to rouse her, to pull her back to him.

"Alright, I’ve got your location. Help is on the way. Sir, I need you to focus for a moment. Is anyone else in the car with you?"

Matt’s voice broke into a desperate wail.

"Yes, yes, it’s my girlfriend. She-she’s not moving! I tried to wake her, but... but she’s just lying there, and she’s bleeding. Oh god, there’s so much blood!"

He couldn’t stop his crying, his entire body shaking as if he were freezing. Maybe he was.

"Okay, I understand. Help is on its way, I promise. But I need you to check if she’s breathing. Can you see if she’s taking any breaths?"

Matt let out a strangled noise, almost animalistic, as he leaned back to try to see. His hands were unsteady and he wiped furiously at his eyes to clear his vision. He leaned closer to her, straining to see if her chest was rising, but everything was too dark and chaotic.

"I-I can’t tell! I’m trying, but she’s not moving! Please, just help her!" His voice rose to a scream at the end, cracking under the weight of his despair.

"We're doing everything we can, sir. You’re doing great, okay? Just stay with me. Take a deep breath. I need you to look at her chest. Is it rising and falling, even a little?"

Matt tried. He really tried. But all he could see was blood. Blood on her eyes, her lips, her collarbone. He could barely make out her features through the darkness and the horror of what was happening.

"I don’t know, I don’t know!" He cried, his voice breaking into another sob. "It’s too dark, and her hair- there’s so much blood on her face. I’m scared to move her, I don’t want to hurt her more! Y/N, baby, come on. Please, don’t leave me." He begged, his voice raw with desperation.

He reached for his own seatbelt, fingers fumbling as he tried to undo the latch, but it was jammed. Tears blurred his vision constantly, frustration and fear boiling over as he yanked at it, the metal digging into his palms.

When the seatbelt finally gave way, he turned his attention back to her face.

"I’m here, I’m here." He whispered, pressing frantic kisses to her forehead, ignoring the cold of her skin and the taste of blood hitting his tongue. "I’m not leaving you, okay? Just stay with me."

"You’re doing the right thing by staying with her, sir." Their voice made him remember that he was still with the call on-going. "Just keep talking to her, alright? I know it’s hard, but you need to stay calm for her. What’s her name?"

Her name. God, her name was everything. It was the first thing he thought of when he woke up and the last thing on his mind before he fell asleep. He let out a shuddering breath.

"Y/N... Her name’s Y/N." He whispered, his voice raw. He cradled her face with his free hand, gently brushing the blood-streaked strands of hair away. "She’s so cold. Why is she so cold?"

"Y/N is going to be okay, sir. We’re sending an ambulance to you right now. I need you to tell me: are you hurt? Are you bleeding anywhere?"

Matt’s mind was short-circuiting, the edges of his vision tinged with black spots. But he couldn’t focus on himself. He couldn’t care less if he was bleeding or broken.

"N-No, I’m fine. It’s just her. She-she hit her head so hard." His voice broke into a whisper at the end, as if saying it too loudly would make it more real.

"I understand. But you might not realize you’re hurt because of the adrenaline. Can you check if you’re bleeding or if you feel any pain?"

Matt’s eyes darted frantically between his phone and Y/N. He couldn’t think about himself, couldn’t even process what they were asking.

"I told you, I’m fine!" He screamed into the phone, his voice cracking with a desperate fury. "I’m fine! It’s Y/N! Just... please save her! She’s... she’s everything. I can’t-" His words broke off into a series of harsh, broken sobs.

"I hear you, and I promise we're doing everything we can. Help is almost there, okay?"

Matt nodded frantically, even though they couldn’t see him. He clung to Y/N’s hand like a lifeline, pressing it to his lips, whispering her name over and over.

"Please, baby, stay with me... Please. You’re so strong. You can get through this. Just keep breathing for me, okay? Please..."

Outside, the wailing sirens grew louder, the red and blue lights flashing through the shattered windows of the car.

"Please... don’t leave me." He whispered one last time, the sound of his door being ripped open sounding muffled before the darkness around him finally swallowed him whole.

The last thing he felt was Y/N’s cold hand slipping from his grasp as the world went dark.

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

A slow, rhythmic beeping was the first thing Matt became aware of as he drifted back into consciousness. His eyelids were heavy, as if weighed down by invisible anchors, and when he finally managed to pry them open, his vision was blurred, everything around him a hazy mix of white and blue. The smell of antiseptic stung his nostrils, making his head spin, and the low hum of machinery filled the air.

Matt blinked, trying to clear the fog from his mind. The room was dim, a soft light glowing from a corner lamp, casting long shadows across the pale walls.

There was an IV taped to his arm, the clear tube connected to a bag hanging from a metal pole beside the bed. His body felt like it had been crushed, every breath sending a dull throb through his ribs.

It hurt to move, but he turned his head slowly, trying to get his bearings. That’s when he noticed the figure slumped in an uncomfortable-looking position on a small armchair near the bed.

Chris.

His brother was fast asleep, his face drawn with exhaustion, dark circles etched beneath his eyes. The armchair seemed to have been pushed so close to the bed that it almost touched it, like Chris had wanted to stay as close to him as possible.

Matt’s mind was sluggish, like wading through thick mud. He couldn't remember how he’d ended up here. Why was he in a hospital? What had happened?

As he lay there, trying to piece together the fragments of his memory, a flash of vivid color cut through the fog like a lightning bolt; Y/N’s face, pale and covered in blood, slumped in the seat next to him.

The memory hit him like a truck, and suddenly everything came rushing back at once: the crash, the panic, the desperate phone call. Y/N’s lifeless body beside him.

"Y/N!" The name ripped out of his throat, raw and broken.

Adrenaline flooded his veins, pushing away the pain as panic seized him. He tried to sit up, ignoring the sharp agony that shot through his side and the dizziness that made his head sway. The only thought in his mind was finding her, making sure she was okay. He had to see her. He had to know if she was still-

His hands scrambled at the IV taped to his arm, trying to yank it free.

"No, no, no... C'mon, I need to find her!" He gasped, his voice frantic and uneven. His vision blurred with tears, anxiety closing in like a vice around his chest.

Chris woke with a sudden start, his eyes snapping open. For a split second, he was disoriented, but then he saw Matt struggling on the bed, clawing at the IV line.

"Matt! Hey, stop. Stop!" Chris practically leaped from the couch, crossing the short distance to his brother in a heartbeat.

Matt barely registered Chris’s presence.

"Let go of me! I need to find her!" His voice was wild, a desperate, guttural scream. He shoved at Chris with what little strength he had, the effort sending another stab of pain through his ribs, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was Y/N. She was out there somewhere, alone, hurt. He had to get to her.

Chris’s heart twisted painfully at the sight of his brother in such a state. He grabbed Matt’s hands, trying to stop him from tearing the IV out.

"Matt, listen to me! You need to calm down!" His voice was steady, but there was an edge of panic in it, fear for both Matt’s physical and mental state.

He pushed the call button for the doctor frantically, knowing they needed help, now.

Matt was beyond reason. He was sobbing, his voice breaking as he shouted like crazy.

"Get off me, Chris! Please, I have to find her! Y/N- where is she? Where’s Y/N?!" He thrashed against Chris’s grip, raw terror coursing through him. His mind was a whirlwind of worst-case scenarios, each one more terrifying than the last.

Chris used every ounce of strength he had to pin Matt’s hands down against the bed, his fingers digging into Matt’s wrists. He leaned in close, his face inches from Matt’s, forcing him to make eye contact.

"Matt, you need to stop!" He shouted, his voice cracking. "Listen to me, please! Nick is with her, and they’re taking care of her! You have to stay here and let them help you, okay? You’re hurt, too!"

But it was like Matt couldn’t even hear him.

"No, no, no! She’s not okay, she wasn’t moving! I need to see her, Chris! Let me go!" His screams were hoarse, filled with a raw, primal agony that tore at Chris’s heart.

Before Chris could say anything else, the door burst open, and a doctor, along with two nurses, rushed in, their expressions tense and focused.

"What’s going on?" The doctor demanded as she approached the bed, her gaze flicking between the brothers.

"He’s trying to rip the IV out." Chris said breathlessly, his voice shaking. "Please, he won’t calm down!"

The doctor nodded sharply, gesturing to one of the nurses.

"We need to sedate him before he injures himself further."

"No!" Matt screamed, thrashing even harder against Chris’s grip. "Don’t you dare! I need to find Y/N!" His voice was broken, desperate, his eyes wide and filled with terror.

Chris's hands tightened around Matt’s, holding him down as the nurse prepared a syringe. Tears streamed down Matt’s face, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

He was looking at Chris with an expression so lost, so utterly heartbroken, it nearly broke Chris, too.

"Matt, listen to me." Chris pleaded, his own voice breaking. "She’s going to be okay. But you’re going to hurt yourself if you don’t stop. I promise, I promise I’ll take you to her as soon as they say it’s okay. But you have to calm down, okay? Please, Matt..."

Matt’s eyes were wild, searching Chris’s for any sign of a lie, any hint that he was just trying to placate him. But Chris’s face was so full of anguish, so full of love and sincerity, that Matt’s resolve wavered for a moment.

The nurse took advantage of that brief second of hesitation, quickly inserting the needle into Matt’s IV line. Within seconds, the sedative began to take effect. Matt’s thrashing slowed, his screams dying down to broken sobs as the world around him began to blur again.

"No... Chris, please... It was my fault... Y/N..." Matt’s voice was barely a whisper now, his eyelids drooping as the drug pulled him under. The last thing he saw was Chris’s tear-streaked face, mouthing something he couldn’t quite hear before the darkness swallowed him whole.

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

The darkness that had pulled Matt under before slowly began to recede, but this time, it was different. Darkness enveloped him in a terrifying nightmare, pulling him under like the tide dragging him out to sea.

He was back in the car. The smell of gasoline and blood was suffocating, the crunch of broken glass grinding beneath his legs as he struggled to move. Y/N was next to him, her face ghostly pale, her eyes closed, blood streaming down her forehead and pooling beneath her. Her body lay limp, lifeless against the car seat, and no matter how many times he screamed her name, she didn't stir.

"... Y/N, please! Wake up!" Matt’s voice was raw, his throat burning with the force of his screams. He shook her shoulder frantically, his fingers slick with blood. "No, no, no... please, Y/N, don’t do this to me!" But she remained still, her head slumped to the side, blood trickling down her delicate features.

The world around him was spinning, the sound of sirens in the distance growing louder, yet somehow they never seemed to get closer. His breaths were short, and frantic gasps as he clutched at Y/N, his tears falling onto her lifeless body.

"God, no! Please!" He was breaking, unraveling, his heart tearing apart as he held her close, praying for a miracle that wouldn’t come.

"Matt!"

The voice was distant at first, barely cutting through the thick haze of his panic. But it grew louder, more urgent, like a beacon trying to pierce through the storm in his mind.

"Matt! Come on, wake up!"

But Matt couldn’t make sense of it. His eyes were still glued to Y/N’s lifeless form, his hands desperately trying to stop the flow of blood, his heart shattering with each second that passed. The voice was there again, louder this time, sounding so familiar, so achingly real.

"Matt, it’s okay. You're safe. Matt, listen to me!"

The scene in front of him wavered, flickering like a glitch in a broken film reel. The wrecked car, the blood, Y/N’s unmoving body; all of it seemed to blur, like someone was tearing the nightmare apart at its seams. Matt blinked, his vision shifting between the nightmare and something else. A figure - blurred, indistinct - hovered above him. He could hear that voice again, so much clearer now, so desperate and familiar.

"Y/N?" Matt’s voice was a hoarse whisper, his eyes darting around frantically. But his mind was still caught between the nightmare and reality. He could feel Y/N’s cold body beneath his fingers, could see her blood staining his hands. "No, please! Don’t let her die! God, please, don’t take her from me!" His voice broke into anguished sobs, raw and heart-wrenching, as he pleaded into the darkness.

The figure above him froze, and then, in an instant, arms wrapped around him. Matt was pulled into a tight embrace, warmth pressing against his trembling body.

"Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m here. Matt, it’s me. You’re safe." Chris’s voice was thick with emotion, his own tears spilling as he held Matt close.

The youngest dropped to his knees beside the hospital bed, leaning over Matt’s shaking form, one arm cradling the back of his head as he tried to bring him back from the brink.

"Shhh, it’s okay, Matt. Y/N is okay. I promise you, she’s alive. It was just a nightmare." Chris whispered desperately into Matt’s ear, his grip tightening when he felt his brother’s body shake with gut-wrenching sobs. He rocked them both slightly, his own chest heaving as he tried to keep it together for Matt’s sake. "I’ve got you, alright? I’m right here. She’s okay. I swear."

But Matt couldn’t process the words. His mind was still stuck in that twisted nightmare, where Y/N was cold and still beneath his hands, where he’d failed to protect her.

"No, no... I have to get to her." He choked out, struggling weakly in Chris’s arms. "I can’t lose her... I can’t..."

"Matt." Chris said more firmly, his voice breaking. He pulled back just enough to look Matt in the eyes, his hands cupping Matt’s face, thumbs brushing away the tears streaming down his cheeks. "Listen to me. You’re not in the car anymore. You’re in the hospital. Y/N is okay. She’s being taken care of. She’s safe."

Chris’s words were slowly, agonizingly, starting to sink in. Matt’s sobs grew softer, his breaths still ragged and uneven, but the desperate thrashing stopped. He could feel the warmth of Chris’s body, the steady pressure of his hands holding him down, grounding him in the present. The nightmare was slipping away, reality clawing its way back into his consciousness.

Matt’s fingers, which had been gripping Chris’s shirt with bruising force, gradually loosened. He blinked, his vision clearing enough to see the hospital room around him. The blinding lights, the beeping machines, the sterile scent, all of it slowly registered, pulling him further away from the nightmare’s grip.

"Chris...?" Matt’s voice was small, broken, like a lost child. His wide, tear-filled eyes searched Chris’s, looking for confirmation that this wasn’t another twisted dream.

"Yes, it’s me." Chris whispered, his forehead pressing against Matt’s. "You’re safe. I’ve got you."

Matt collapsed into Chris’s arms, his body going limp with exhaustion. The adrenaline that had kept him going drained away, leaving him weak and trembling. He buried his face in Chris’s shoulder, his hands clutching at his brother’s back like a lifeline.

"I thought... I thought I lost her..." He sobbed, his voice muffled and choked. "I couldn’t... I can’t lose her, Chris..."

"I know, I know." Chris murmured, tears streaming down his own face as he held his brother tighter, laying his cheek above his head. "But she’s alive. She’s okay. And you’re okay. We’re all here, Matt. You’re safe."

Slowly, so slowly, Matt’s sobs began to quiet. His breathing evened out, but that only brought the pain to control. Each breath sent a jolt through his bruised ribs. His head throbbed, the pain pulsing behind his eyes, and his skin was clammy with cold sweat. He shivered, his body exhausted and aching, but he let himself lean into Chris’s embrace, the warmth of his brother’s presence keeping him grounded.

Chris continued to murmur soothing words, his hands rubbing circles on Matt’s shoulder, trying to calm the tremors that still wracked his brother’s body.

"You’re okay, Matt. You’re safe. I’ve got you."

Matt let out a shaky breath, his body finally beginning to relax, the nightmare fading further into the recesses of his mind, the steady rhythm of Chris’s heartbeat against his ear helping to calm the storm inside him.

For the first time since waking, Matt felt like he could breathe again. He was still in pain, his body battered and broken, but Chris’s comforting presence kept him anchored, keeping him from slipping back into that dark abyss.

"Can... can you call me the doctor?" Matt whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible.

"Are you feeling pain?" Chris asked worriedly, receiving a small nod as an answer. "Okay."

Chris brushed back the damp hair on Matt's forehead while pressing his free hand against the red button.

"Chris." Matt croaked out again. "Y/N... how is she?"

His younger brother's face crumpled, and he let out a shaky breath. He looked away for a moment, trying to collect himself before turning back to Matt.

"She... she was in surgery." He said quietly, every word seeming to cost him. "Nick told me... she had internal bleeding, and they had to go in to stop it. She hit her head super hard, too. But... the surgery went well. She’s stable now and probably still asleep."

Matt’s heart shattered at those words, a cold, sick feeling twisting in his stomach. Internal bleeding. Surgery. Y/N had gone through so much, and it was all because he couldn’t control his own damn car. If he had just been paying attention... He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms as he struggled to hold back the tears.

"Can I... can I maybe see her?" He asked, his voice so small, so broken, it almost didn’t sound like his own.

Chris stared at him for long seconds, his eyes searching Matt’s face, like he was trying to read the thoughts swirling in his mind. And maybe he could see it. Maybe he could sense the guilt that was eating Matt alive. But Chris didn’t press him. Instead, he sighed heavily, searching for his hands and stopping him from hurting himself further.

"The doctor is the one who has to let you." He whispered, biting his bottom lip hard. "You know... I was really scared, Matt. I thought... I thought I was going to lose you forever."

Matt watched the pain swimming inside Chris's blue eyes.

"I’m sorry, Chris." He muttered, his voice cracking. "I’m really sorry for scaring you. You and Nick."

Chris looked down at him, his eyes shining with tears, and shook his head.

"No, Matt... no, it’s not your fault." He said, his voice fierce despite the tears. "I just... I’m just so glad you’re here. That you’re alive."

Matt swallowed hard, his throat tight. He didn’t deserve Chris’s relief, not when Y/N was still out there, hurt because of him.

Before he could say anything else, the sound of the door creaking open echoed, and a doctor stepped in, clipboard in hand. Behind her were two nurses, ready to assist with whatever was needed.

Dr. Patel, a middle-aged woman with gentle eyes, gave Matt a small, reassuring smile as she approached his bedside.

"Good to see you awake and calmer, Mr. Sturniolo. How are you feeling?" She asked, her tone soft yet businesslike.

Matt swallowed, his throat dry and raw from the crying.

"I... I’m in pain." He admitted hoarsely, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Everywhere."

Chris squeezed his hand reassuringly before turning to the doctor.

"Is there something more you can give him for the pain?" Chris asked, his voice thick with concern.

Dr. Patel nodded, her expression turning more serious as she flipped through the pages on her clipboard.

"We’ve been managing his pain with a mild dosage to avoid any complications, but given that he's more conscious now, we can adjust his medication." She gestured to one of the nurses, who immediately set about preparing a new injection.

Matt’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment as he tried to focus on breathing through the pain. Each inhale felt like it was slicing through his ribs, the weight of his guilt and worry making it even harder to catch his breath.

"Doctor, can... can I see her? Y/N, I mean... please." He pleaded, reopening his eyes before looking at her.

Dr. Patel paused, her gaze softening as she looked at him.

"Let’s take care of your pain first, Matt." She said kindly, her voice a steady anchor in the chaos. "I promise, as soon as you are stable enough, we’ll let you see her."

The nurse approached with the syringe, and Matt turned his head away, too drained to watch as she injected the painkiller into his IV. Moments later, a cooling sensation spread through his veins, slowly dulling the sharp edges of his agony, but it did nothing to ease the turmoil inside him.

As the medication began to work, Matt’s eyelids grew heavier, but he fought against the sleep that threatened to pull him under.

"I'm fine now... please." He begged, his voice wavering. "I'm fine, I need to see her. I... I have to make sure that she’s okay." His breath came in shallow, slow gasps, and his eyes darted to Chris, silently pleading for help.

Chris stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Matt’s shoulder.

"Hey, hey." He whispered, trying to soothe his brother. "Let the doctor decide if you're stable enough, okay? I promise you’ll see her soon."

Matt shook his head stubbornly, the panic still clawing at his chest.

"I promise that I'm feeling okay now, m-my pain is gone." His words sounded slurred, his eyes blinking slowly while trying to keep himself awake, looking at the doctor with determination.

Dr. Patel’s face softened as she listened to Matt’s broken pleas. The room was quiet for a minute, save for the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. She glanced at Chris, who was holding his brother’s shoulder tightly, as if trying to anchor him to the present moment.

"Please... I have to see her." He whispered again, the words more of a gasp now. "I just... I need to know she’s really okay."

The doctor sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She understood his desperation, his need to see Y/N with his own eyes. It was a common reaction, patients often believed that seeing their loved ones would somehow confirm their survival would make it more real. And judging by the fear and panic still etched into Matt’s face, this was something he desperately needed.

Dr. Patel turned to the nurse beside her, exchanging a brief, silent conversation before she turned back to the brothers.

"Alright." She said finally, her tone gentle but firm. "We can take you to her room, Matt... but only if you’re in a wheelchair. You’re still recovering yourself, and moving around too much could set back your progress."

Chris’s head whipped toward the doctor, a glimmer of hope lighting up his tired eyes.

"Wait... you mean... he can see her?"

"Yes, but only for a few minutes." Dr. Patel clarified. "And he must stay seated. We’ll have to monitor him closely."

Matt’s entire body seemed to sag in relief at her words. He would have agreed to any condition at that moment if it meant seeing Y/N, even if it was just for a second.

"Yes... yes, please. I’ll stay in the wheelchair. I promise." He breathed, the frantic edge to his voice slowly easing into something softer, more hopeful.

Chris nodded gratefully at the doctor, his eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"Thank you." He whispered, his voice thick. He turned to Matt, squeezing his brother’s shoulder. "Okay, Matt... just breathe, alright? We’re gonna see her."

The nurse quickly wheeled in a padded, adjustable wheelchair. Chris helped Matt shift carefully from the hospital bed into the seat, wincing with every grimace of pain that crossed Matt’s face. Matt tried to hide it, but his stiff movements and shallow breaths were enough to betray just how much he was still hurting. Once seated, Matt clutched the arms of the chair with white knuckles, willing his trembling legs to steady.

Chris crouched in front of him, locking eyes with Matt.

"Are you sure you’re good to go?" Chris asked softly, his voice laced with concern. "If you start to feel worse, we can turn back, okay?"

"No." Matt said quickly, shaking his head even though the motion made him dizzy. "I need to see her, Chris. I won’t... I can’t rest until I know she’s a-alive." His voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper now, but it carried a weight that cut Chris to his core.

The small entourage - Matt, Chris, the doctor, and a nurse - began their slow journey down the fluorescent-lit corridor. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air, and the occasional sound of distant monitors and hushed conversations drifted from other rooms. Chris stayed beside the wheelchair, his hand on Matt’s shoulder the whole time, a steadying presence as they moved.

Matt’s heart was a wild drum in his chest, each turn of the hallway only ratcheting up his anxiety. He felt like he was caught in a nightmare that he couldn’t wake up from, the fear that he might find Y/N still and lifeless on a hospital bed eating away at him.

Finally, they stopped outside a door marked with Y/N’s name on a small placard. Dr. Patel turned to Matt, giving him one last assessing look.

"Remember, just a few minutes." She reminded him gently. "She’s stable but still heavily sedated. It might be a while before she wakes up."

Matt nodded, barely hearing her as his eyes locked on the door. Chris leaned down to give his shoulder one last reassuring squeeze before opening it. The soft creak of the door seemed to echo through Matt’s mind, the sound like a gunshot in the quiet hallway.

As they wheeled him inside, Matt’s breath hitched. There she was, his Y/N, lying so still in the bed, surrounded by machines that beeped and hummed softly, tubes and wires connected to her fragile form. Her face was pale, bandaged in places, and her chest rose and fell in the slow, steady rhythm of sleep. But she was breathing. She was alive.

Before his eyes could drink in every detail of her condition, his attention was pulled to another figure in the room.

Nick.

Nick’s head shot up at the sound of the door, his eyes widening in surprise. Relief washed over his face, softening the lines of exhaustion and worry that had been etched there. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, his hair disheveled, eyes red-rimmed.

"Matt." Nick breathed, his voice trembling with emotion.

He quickly crossed the room in a few long strides, his eyes scanning his brother’s face like he couldn’t quite believe he was awake and here in front of him. Without a word, he dropped to his knees beside the wheelchair, wrapping his arms around Matt in a tight, desperate hug.

"Oh God, Matt." Nick’s voice cracked as he held on tight, as though letting go would make this moment disappear. "I thought we lost you... I thought..."

Matt weakly lifted one arm, patting his brother’s back as best as he could manage.

"I’m okay." He whispered hoarsely, though the pain in his body begged to differ. "I’m here, Nick... I’m here."

Nick pulled back, his eyes shining with tears, but he quickly wiped them away with the back of his hand.

"You have no idea how scared we were, Matt... but God, I’m so glad you’re awake."

Chris, standing close by, put a comforting hand on Nick’s shoulder, giving him a small, reassuring squeeze.

"He’s okay, Nick. We’re okay." Chris murmured, nodding assuredly.

The doctor and nurse patiently waited for the brothers to have their moment before gently nudging the wheelchair forward.

"Let’s get you closer to her, Matt." Dr. Patel said softly.

As they wheeled Matt to Y/N’s bedside, all the noise of the hospital seemed to fade away. All he could hear was the soft, steady beep of the machines monitoring her vitals.

Matt’s eyes welled up with tears as he took in her pale face, the bruises peeking out from under the bandages on her forehead and the soft rise and fall of her chest.

He reached out with a trembling hand, his fingers brushing against hers. Her skin was cool to the touch, and a sob tore through him. Without hesitation, he leaned forward, bringing her hand to his lips. He kissed her knuckles softly, over and over again, his lips lingering on every bruise and scrape he could see.

"I’m so sorry." He whispered, his voice raw with anguish. "I’m so, so sorry, my love. Please... please forgive me. I love you so much, Y/N. I need you. You have to wake up soon. Please."

He kept pressing gentle kisses to her hand, his tears slipping down and wetting her skin. His heart ached in ways he never thought possible, the guilt eating him alive. This was his fault. If only he had been more careful...

Nick watched silently, his own eyes filled with tears, and Chris had to turn away for a moment, pressing a fist to his mouth to stifle a sob. The sight of their brother - usually so composed - completely broken over the woman he loved was almost too much to bear.

Finally, Matt’s strength gave out. His body, already weakened and worn from the medication, was quickly reaching its limit. He slowly leaned forward, resting his head gently on the edge of Y/N’s bed, his cheek pressed close to her hip. He stayed there, clinging to her like she was his lifeline, his breaths coming in soft gasps as he struggled to stay conscious.

"I’m here, Y/N... I’m right here." He whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. "I won’t leave you... I promise."

The pain was slowly fading, his body seeming to finally allow the medication to work its way through his system. Matt’s eyes grew heavier, his body sagging with exhaustion. But he didn’t want to sleep. He wanted to stay with her, to watch over her, to be there when she finally opened her eyes.

Dr. Patel watched him with a soft, sympathetic gaze. She could see how much this was costing him, but she also understood that this was what he needed.

"We’ll let him stay for a little longer." She said quietly to Chris and Nick, who both nodded gratefully. "But you must agree that, if anything changes, if he starts showing signs of distress, you call for me immediately.”

"We will." Chris promised, his voice low and earnest. Nick nodded in agreement, his eyes never leaving Matt.

With that, the doctor and nurse quietly exited the room, leaving the three brothers alone with Y/N. The room was dim and quiet. The only sound was the soft beeping of the monitors and the occasional muffled sniffle from Nick or Chris.

Matt finally let the exhaustion pull him under, his breathing evening out as he drifted into a fitful sleep. His fingers were still wrapped loosely around Y/N’s hand, and his head rested against her side as if he could protect her even in his sleep.

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Several hours passed in quiet vigil. Chris and Nick stayed sat on the small couch by the wall, watching over Matt and Y/N like silent guardians, their hearts heavy with worry but relieved that, for now, their family was still holding on.

As the soft light of dawn began to creep through the tiny window in Y/N’s room, there was a faint stirring.

The world around her was a hazy blur, everything out of focus and spinning, like she was caught in a dream she couldn’t quite wake up from. There were distant beeps and muffled voices, but they all seemed so far away, like she was listening from underwater.

A faint, familiar smell flooded her nose. Matt. Or is it Nick? It was something like strawberries or maybe coconut. She couldn’t tell, but it was comforting enough. She tried to move, to lift her heavy eyelids, but her entire body felt like it was weighed down by an invisible force.

After what felt like an eternity, Y/N finally managed to blink her eyes open, the harsh bright lights above her making her squint. The ceiling was white and sterile, and as her vision adjusted, she could make out the faint sounds of machines beeping rhythmically around her. Her mind was foggy, like a thick cloud had settled over her thoughts, and it took her a moment to realize where she was.

A hospital. She could feel something tight around her ribs, a dull, throbbing pain in her head, and an odd numbness throughout her limbs that made it difficult to move. Her throat was dry, like sandpaper, and when she tried to swallow, it sent a sharp ache down to her chest.

Panic started to bubble up in her chest, her heart rate quickening as fragmented memories began to resurface - the blaring headlights, the screech of tires, and the sudden, jarring impact that had stolen her breath away. She let out a small, pained whine, her chest tightening as she tried to remember more, but it was all so blurry, so confusing.

A voice cut through the haze, it sounded quiet but rough, like it had been scraped raw.

"Y/N? Hey, it’s okay... you’re okay."

She turned her head slowly, every movement feeling like she was wading through thick mud. The face that came into focus was familiar, a face that brought her the feeling of home amidst the confusion.

Nick.

Y/N’s eyes blinked slowly, struggling to focus on the two faces in front of her. She was still groggy, the world around her hazy, but the concerned expressions of Chris and Nick gradually came into focus. Her brows furrowed slightly, confusion clouding her tired gaze.

"N-Nick...? Chris...?" She mumbled, her voice rough and barely audible. Her throat was parched, every word scraping against the dryness.

Nick let out a shaky laugh, tears gathering in his eyes.

"Oh my god, I was so... I'm so glad you're back." He whispered, his voice breaking with a mixture of relief and emotion. He stepped closer, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair away from her face.

Chris nodded, his face lighting up with the first real smile in what felt like an eternity.

"We’ve been really worried about you, Y/N." He murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "You’re a fighter, you know that?"

Y/N tried to smile, but even that felt like lifting a mountain.

"What... what happened?" She asked, her voice weak, her words slurred from the medication and anesthesia coursing through her veins. "I... I remember the crash. I remember..." She trailed off as she recalled the moment of impact, the way everything had gone black in an instant. "It all happened so fast."

Nick’s eyes filled with tears, and he traveled his hand from her hair to her shoulder, squeezing the covered skin tightly.

"It was... it was really bad. But you are here now, okay? You made it through the surgery. You’re safe."

"Surgery?" The word sent a chill down her spine. She tried to remember, but everything after the crash was a blur. "What... what happened to me?" She asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Nick took a shaky breath, his grip on her tightening as if he needed the contact to ground himself before connecting his eyes with Chris's, begging for him to answer her.

"You had internal bleeding caused by some broken ribs." Chris explained gently, cleaning his throat to disguise the emotion in his voice. "You’ve been out for at least 15 hours after a four-hour surgery. And... and you hit your head really hard. But the doctors said the surgery was a success, and your concussion is mild. You’re going to be okay."

Y/N let out a shaky breath, the reality of it all crashing down on her. Surgery. Internal bleeding. The thought of how close she’d come to... She couldn’t finish the thought, the fear overwhelming her.

"Where... where’s Matt? Is he okay? Oh god, he was driving-"

Chris’s eyes softened, and he exchanged a glance with Nick.

"He’s right here, Y/N." Chris reassured her gently, pointing towards Matt's figure with his head.

Y/N’s gaze flickered downward, and her breath hitched when she finally registered for the first time Matt slumped over on the edge of her hospital bed, his head resting beside her hip. His brown hair was disheveled, and his face looked paler than she had ever seen, decorated with a variety of bruises and cuts, but he was breathing, his chest rising and falling steadily.

It was then that she noticed the weight of his fingers against hers, holding her hand firmly as if she could disappear at any moment.

"He’s been by your side from the minute he woke up..."

The sound of the boy's voice, combined with the familiar touch of his girlfriend, pulled Matt from the depths of his medication-induced sleep. His eyelids fluttered, a groggy groan escaping his lips as he slowly stirred awake. For a moment, he looked confused, his eyes unfocused as he blinked against the harsh lights.

But then, as his gaze settled on Y/N’s face, now wide awake and staring back at him with teary eyes, everything clicked into place. His heart leaped in his chest, and any remaining fog of sleep vanished instantly.

"Y/N?" He croaked, his voice raw with disbelief. His eyes widened as he looked at her, truly seeing her awake for the first time. "Oh my god... you’re... you're awake."

Y/N managed a weak smile, tears gathering in her eyes as well.

"Hey, baby. I'm here." She whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "You look like you’ve been through hell."

Matt let out a choked laugh, a mix of relief and joy bubbling up inside him. He quickly pulled himself closer to her, his hands shaking as he reached for her face, brushing his thumb tenderly over her bruised cheek.

"I thought... I thought I had lost you." He confessed, his voice breaking. "God, Y/N, I was so scared. I... I couldn’t-" His words were cut off by a sob he couldn’t contain, and he buried his face in her neck, pressing desperate kisses to her exposed skin, his curls tickling her chin in a grounding way.

Y/N’s heart ached at the sight and feeling of him so broken. With what little strength she had, she squeezed his fingers, trying to comfort him.

"I’m here, Matt." She whispered. "We’re okay. You don’t have to worry anymore."

Matt shook his head, his tears soaking her neck.

"I’m so, so sorry." He choked out between sobs. "I’m so sorry, Y/N. I should’ve protected you... I couldn't even-"

Y/N’s brows knitted together in confusion as she tried to process his words. She lifted a trembling hand to stroke his messy hair, trying to calm him down.

"Matt, baby, hey... where's this coming from?" She asked, her voice soft and full of concern as her eyes traveled momentarily to Chris and Nick, searching for an answer in them that they didn’t seem to have.

Matt just kept shaking his head, his sobs growing louder, muffled by her skin.

"It’s my fault... it’s all my fault." He whispered, his voice breaking. "I should’ve seen the car... I should’ve done something... God, you wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me. I'm really, really sorry..."

Y/N’s confusion turned to anger as she realized what he was saying.

"Matt, look at me." She demanded, her voice suddenly stronger despite her weakened state.

He slowly lifted his tear-streaked face from her shoulder to meet her gaze momentarily, his eyes red and puffy.

"How can you blame yourself?" She asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. "You... Matt, there was nothing you could’ve done. A crazy driver was coming to our direction. You didn’t cause this."

"But... but I should’ve seen it sooner. I should’ve done more." Matt insisted, his voice cracking terribly. He couldn’t meet her eyes for more than a second, ashamed of the guilt that had consumed him. "You got hurt because of me... I should be the one lying in there, not you."

"Don't you dare say something like that, Matthew." Y/N said firmly, her fingers gripping his hand as tightly as she could manage. "Listen to me. It was not your fault. There was nothing you could have done to stop it." She let out a shaky breath, her eyes softening as her free hand traveled to his face, softly brushing away the tears from his cheeks. "I’m okay, Matt... because of you. You were there. You kept me safe until help came."

Her words only made Matt’s tears flow harder, dripping directly where her fingers met his skin, his sobs causing his body to tremble and his ribs to ache, but there was a shift in his eyes, a flicker of something like relief. He didn’t fully believe her, but hearing her say it, seeing the sincerity in her expression, it was like a balm to his raw, bleeding heart.

"You did everything you could, baby. You saved my life. If it wasn’t for you..." Y/N couldn’t even finish the sentence; the thought was too painful to bear. To lose a life with the love of her existence.

Matt sniffled, pressing the side of his face against her palm and wiping the other side of it with the back of his hand, still holding on to Y/N like she was the only thing keeping him afloat.

Nick and Chris watched the whole scene unfold in silence, their hearts heavy with the raw emotions in the room. Chris discreetly wiped away a tear while Nick stood there, his arms crossed over his chest as if trying to hold himself together.

"I love you so much." Matt whispered, nuzzling against her hand. "I can't even picture a life without you."

"I love you too, Matt." Y/N murmured back, her fingers weakly squeezing his. "But you don’t have to picture anything. I’m right here."

Matt let out a shaky breath, nodding.

"Now, why don't the both of you rest a little bit more?" Nick's voice seemed to remind them of the brother's presence. "It will do good for your healing process." Y/N's eyes lifted to the oldest momentarily before nodding slowly.

As the room settled into a comfortable silence, Matt gently laid his head back down on the bed, still holding Y/N’s hand as if it was his lifeline. Y/N stroked his hair softly, her heart aching with love and relief.

For the first time in what felt like forever, they could finally breathe. They were together, alive, and that was all that mattered.

© vanteguccir

im proud of everyone here for speaking up about the rg kar hospital rape case, for being brave today and everyone who has been talking about the palestine genocide, the bangladesh quota reform riots. never stop being brave. we need the fire. the revolution.

As a rule of thumb, don't reblog donation posts or people asking for donations unless they've been vetted and reblogged by Palestinian bloggers. We usually go to lengths to verify this shit because we know scammers have been faking to get people to send them money, using the urgency of our genocide as bait.

It's disgusting this is what we're dealing with, but people are losing money because of some truly evil people out there.

Accounts don't just randomly spring up on tumblr without gofundmes while asking for someone to help them create a campaign. Fuck out of here with that shit.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤA DATE WITH MY BOYFRIEND'S GAY BROTHER * MATT STURNIOLO

SUMMARY　::　Where at the Charlotte, NC show of the Sturniolo Triplets Surprise Party Tour, the surprise revealed by Nick is a date with Y/N, Matt's girlfriend.

FEATURING　Matt Sturniolo x reader || Nick Sturniolo x best friend!reader　　　　　　　REQUESTED?　yes.

WARNINGS　::　none.

AUTHOR'S NOTE　::　that is my work, I DON'T authorize any form of plagiarism; copy, "inspiration" or translation! | english isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

The big screen flicked for a millisecond before showing the banner with 'SURPRISE' written in big white letters, making the entire venue buzz.

On stage, the two orange couches sat like home, like that warm familiarity everyone already associated with the boys after three shows in a row.

Matt and Chris sat side by side on the right couch, Matt with his legs crossed and hands holding a mug, while Chris leaned comfortably against two cushions.

Y/N, whose eyes shined with pride and excitement, sat in her usual front-row center spot, the seat she’d occupied every night since the first show - a spot that the fandom named as her own little throne.

She wore her usual smile, the one that was soft and private when she was thinking about Matt, but also smug and knowing tonight, because this surprise... she knew exactly what it was.

The screen above the boys flickered again to show a countdown before finally transmitting them dressed up in suits, taking a collective inhale from the audience.

And then it finally stopped, fading into a crisp video of Nick standing in front of a camera, looking directly into it while adjusting his tie. The second he gave a crooked little smile, the entire theater erupted in cheers.

"I’m terrified." Nick's voice came from the mic in a singsong tone, scrunching his nose. "This is my first one."

Chris and Matt smiled widely, watching Nick's excitement as he explained the dynamics of the live broadcast channel and the hint he was going to show to the public.

As the crowd cheered louder, Matt and Chris got up from their current spots, changing to where Nick was seconds before while Nick himself made his way to one of the prop shelves on stage, reaching inside it.

His hand came back holding a single rose. Deep red, long stem, elegant as hell.

"A... rose?"

Chris tilted his head, already squinting like he was trying to read Nick’s mind. Matt just blinked at the rose, deeply frowning. Mutual laugh echoed from everyone as Nick made a show of putting the stem between his pink lips.

"Matt." Nick voice sounded muffle before taking the rose off of between his lips. "For you."

Matt cackled, taking it, then turned to the camera and pointed.

"It’s giving Bachelor a little bit. But I don't know."

Chris leaned in, taking it out of Matt’s hand when the middle triplet tilted it in his direction, resting his arm above his popped up knee.

"I’m guessing you went on a date or something."

Nick raised his eyebrows and gave a slow, knowing smirk.

Y/N could barely contain her own. Her right leg was bouncing slightly now, hands gripping each other above her jeans covered thighs like she was physically holding in the excitement.

"Alright, let’s have one person in the crowd to take a guess." Nick turned to the crowd.

Cheers. Screams. Hands flying into the air.

"One of the crew’s out there with a mic, they’ll pick someone. Choose wisely, we’re trusting you."

The spotlight scanned the crowd for a moment before it settled three rows behind Y/N. A mic was handed to a girl with long dark and a white shirt, trembling hands holding her phone and the mic.

"Hello! What’s your name?" Nick asked, the mic still in his hand, voice soft and sweet.

"Harlow." She said, a little breathlessly.

"Nice to meet you." Nick said, stretching his body above the cushions. "What do you think I did completely by myself, without Matt and Chris?"

She paused. A deep breath.

"You got a boyfriend?"

The crowd exploded in cheers, Matt and Chris laughing while holding up the rose. They knew that it wasn't that. I mean, they would know if it was. Right?

Y/N was laughing behind her hand, affectionately rolling her eyes with how Matt turned in his seat to look at her, silently mouthing 'WHAT IF IT’S TRUE?', and she just smiled, shaking her head.

Just you wait.

Nick turned back to the camera, now walking toward the empty couch again. He plopped down onto it, casually crossing one leg over the other.

"I hope you are all entertained." He started again. "And unfortunately, there’s a lack of a man in this surprise..." He paused, eyes gleaming. "BUT, let’s get into it and see what I actually did."

The big screen turned black for a second. A heartbeat passed.

Y/N inhaled, smile stretching wider.

The screen lit up with a soft, white light. The camera was steady on one very familiar hallway: the upstairs floor by Nick’s bedroom, right outside of it. There, standing right in front of the plain white wall, back straight, and plastic bottle of water in hand, was Nick.

Except, something about him looked... off. Not off in a bad way. Just... different.

And Matt, who had been watching the screen in full chill-mode, arms folded loosely, mic resting in his lap, squinted.

Because Nick looked exactly like him.

The jeans were wide-leg, same wash, same stitching, same fit Matt had been wearing during their trip to Milan a few months back - the pair that always sat too low on his hips unless he wore the belt that squeaked when you pulled it tight. He had on a black leather jacket zipped up halfway to the neck, and even though it covered most of the shirt underneath, Matt could already tell from the slightly bunched collar that it was one of his whites. The expensive kind. The kind he only let hang-dry. And the shoes?

Nick's body shifted ever so slightly, and Matt's confirmation was right there.

On Nick’s feet were Matt's black Prada loafers. The ones he was gifted by Prada itself.

Matt narrowed his eyes, eyebrows pulling slightly together as he leaned toward his mic, raised it to his lips, and with voice low but sharp enough to carry through the speakers, he asked.

"Is that my clothes?"

But Video-Nick’s voice just kept going, twisting the cap off the water bottle in his hand and taking a long sip before exhaling.

"I am so nervous." He said, eyes darting to the side for a second before returning to the lens. "Actually, that’s not true. I feel confident. I feel happy. And excited."

Chris snorted under his breath beside Matt, but Matt didn’t even look at him, didn’t move his eyes away from the screen. Brow furrowed, head tilted just slightly to the right with his mic still half-raised, resting lazily against his lower lip, but he didn’t say anything else. Yet.

"For this tour surprise." Nick kept going, stepping forward slightly so the camera picked up the shine on the leather of his - Matt's - jacket. "I decided I’m gonna do something that I have never done before."

Another pause.

"You’re probably asking yourself, 'Nick, what have you never done before?'" Nick continued, gesturing to the lens with the bottle. "And don’t worry. I’m about to tell you."

Chris's brows rose ever so slightly.

"Today, I'm going on a date."

The moment that word left his mouth, the theater shifted. Screams bounced around the walls, and every pair of shoulders jolted forward at the exact same time.

And then Nick's voice echoed again.

"But not with a man." He added, a twinkle in his eye. "I’ve never been on a date with a woman in my life, and it's happening today." He said, water bottle swinging from one hand. "Which, for me, is kinda crazy. Especially when you think about how me, Matt and Chris are literally the most emotionally avoidant men on YouTube. We don’t talk about this stuff. We don’t share this stuff."

Matt nodded sideways. Half truth.

"And yes, I am clearly a gay person." He went on. "So, this isn’t the beginning of some tragic reality where I go into conversion therapy. Absolutely not."

The audience snorted. Chris laughed out loud and dropped his head onto the back of the couch dramatically.

"But as a self-proclaimed gay best friend to many women." He said. "It occurred to me that if I’m gonna be giving them relationship advice, and dragging the men they date through the mud - which I will continue to do - then I need to know what I’m talking about. To have the certainty that I would, in fact, be a better boyfriend and man than whatever nonsense they’re dealing with."

And that’s when Matt’s brows twitched up again, this time with something behind his eyes.

Because Nick was smiling now.

Smiling that smile. The proud one. The one that only meant he was about to do something that absolutely no one ever thought that he would do.

"And as much as I may not like dating women." He said, shoulders rising with his grin. "I found the perfect ideal woman to share my first date with."

A long pause.

"And her name is Y/N L/N."

The theater cracked open with noise, a full screaming chaos.

Matt’s mouth dropped open.

His hand slowly went up to the mic, almost in slow motion.

"WHAT?"

The audience laughed harder.

Chris had thrown his head back, laughing so loud it echoed.

"Oh my God."

Matt blinked a few times, still watching the screen even though he wasn’t paying attention to anything Nick kept saying, then turned his head toward the audience.

"There’s no way. There’s no way."

He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees, soft blue eyes meeting Y/N’s.

"Nick thinks he’s gonna take my girl on a date and be a better man than me?" He asked, feigning dramatic disbelief.

Loud laughs echoed from the crowd while Y/N only watched her boyfriend with the widest smile, crossing her arms in front of her stomach, lazily shrugging.

Matt shook his head with the most dramatic eye-roll and leaned back in his seat.

"That’s my Prada jacket." He muttered into the mic, aggressively pointing at the screen. "And she's now apparently his date."

The video cut for a millisecond before Nick appeared again. In his hands, he held a bouquet of pink lilies - huge, fresh, wrapped in parchment-like paper, and tied with a silky pale ribbon that fluttered a bit when he moved.

"First step and it's already something that makes me a better boyfriend than all the boyfriends in the market, is that I'm showing up with flowers."

The flowers were beautiful. Soft pink petals curling outward like open arms, green stems still dewy.

"Obviously, pink lilies. She’s obsessed. And I don't know this just ‘cause I've heard her talking about it many times before, but because Matt literally never shuts the fuck up about how she likes this color, that flower, how she hates yellow roses and loves lilies ‘cause of the smell, the texture, the aesthetic... I could write a thesis on this girl’s floral preferences."

A gentle ripple of laughter ran through the theater. A few girls leaned into each other smiling, and a couple of people tilted their heads with soft little "aww"s.

On the orange chair, Matt blinked slowly, and then tilted his head back with a grin that couldn’t quite decide if it was amused or if he was just realizing how often he talked about Y/N without even noticing. Chris gave him a light nudge with his elbow, watching Matt shaking his head, laughing quietly, resting his cheek against his fist.

Then, in a single flicker of an edit, the video jumped forward.

"Okay, I'm going down now." Nick’s voice echoed in a hushed whisper, the camera following him from his right hand as he came down the winding staircase, kneeling down at the middle landing, right where the stairs turned, and left the bouquet there.

The video cut again, smooth and still steady, now framing the living room. Y/N was sitting on the cream-colored couch, legs crossed, her dress flowing around her knees in gentle waves. She had her phone in her hand, and she was scrolling with one finger, nails painted the exact color of dried roses.

"He-ey." Nick entered the shot again, adjusting the camera quickly as he placed it above the coffee table, tilting it just enough to frame both of them.

Y/N looked up, and her whole face lit up like the sun. Her smile came fast and wide, eyes sparkling even more than the subtle shimmer dusted across her cheekbones.

"Oh my God, hi!" She beamed at the camera. "Hi, people!"

Matt smiled quietly at her reaction, fingertips meeting the golden commitment ring decorating his left hand.

Nick turned to Y/N onscreen and grinned.

"Got something for you. Don’t move." He said, pointing at her with mock-seriousness.

She pressed her lips together, nodding like she was holding in a laugh.

"Okay, okay. I’ll be good."

As soon as he turned away toward the stairs, she glanced at the camera again, her eyes wide with playful disbelief. She leaned in just slightly, bringing her hand to the side of her mouth as if whispering to the camera.

"He's such a gentleman, right?"

A few girls in the audience audibly awww’d under their breath followed by a scoffed "yeah, right" coming from Matt.

Back on screen, Nick returned with the bouquet in hand, a gentle smile still on his face, holding it out to her like it was something fragile. Y/N’s mouth fell open, and then she gasped, eyebrows raising as she reached for it.

"Are you serious?" She said, her voice that high-pitched kind of delighted. "Oh my God- Nick!"

He handed it to her, and she buried her face in it for a second, eyes fluttering closed with the sweet smell of lillies. When she looked up at him again, there was a soft, wonderstruck little smile on her lips.

"How did you know pink lilies were my favorite?"

Nick tilted his head a bit, giving her a look that was fond and offended in the softest way.

"You really asking me that?"

Y/N laughed, the sound bubbling out of her. She shook her head as she leaned toward him, wrapping her arms around his middle in a hug. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he smiled while squeezing her back, resting his cheek on top of her head for a beat before taking a step back.

Matt let out a slow breath through his nose, blinking.

"Oh wow." He raised his eyebrows to the crowd, voice echoing from his mic.

"Kid really took your girl from you." Chris giggled a little, slapping a hand over Matt's thighs.

Matt shook his head like he couldn’t even process it.

"Yeah. You’re telling me he wore my shirt, my jacket, my loafers, brought my girl pink lilies, and hugged her like that?"

He laughed to himself, dramatically leaning back in his seat and covering his mouth with his fist for a moment before looking at Chris, defeated.

"Nah, I can’t compete with that, bro." He said into the mic, totally deadpan. "He’s literally the better man. I give up. The man brought her lilies. I barely even water the lilies I give her."

Everyone cracked up.

Video-Y/N then turned and started walking toward the kitchen table on the opposite end of the room.

"I’m gonna leave these over here and promise I’ll put them in a vase when we’re back, okay?" Her shoes clicked softly on the floor, and as she passed the camera still recording them from the coffee table, she glanced at it with the gentlest smile.

"Don’t forget." Nick called out, followed by her voice, 'Never!'.

Once she reached the kitchen table, she carefully set the bouquet down in the center before turning back around, her arms now free, and looked over at Nick with this childlike little grin on her face.

"So... what are the plans for our date?" She asked, tilting her head, the corner of her mouth tugging up even higher.

Nick let out a short laugh, rolling his eyes.

"I’m taking you to lunch. It’s a surprise, though... Well, not that much of a surprise since you’re gonna have to drive because someone." He said, pointing to himself dramatically. "Doesn’t have a license. But I’m putting the address on the GPS, so like... You don't see the restaurant's name."

Y/N blinked. And then snorted. Loudly.

"Wow. Romantic and chauffeur duties. I’m spoiled." She said with this exaggerated eye-roll as she walked over to the couch again, grabbing her purse and then her car keys from the small coffee table, right next to where the camera was still perched.

"I cannot believe you just told me that I'm a terrible date." He gasped, hand to his chest like she’d just stabbed him in the heart, reaching over and picking up the camera with one hand, rearranging it on his hands so it could keep filming her as she slung her purse over her shoulder.

Y/N raised both brows as she walked toward the front door.

"I didn't, but if the shoe fits..." She mumbled under her breath with a smirk, not even turning around.

The screen cut abruptly with a soft pop. When it came back on, they were already in Y/N’s car. The camera was above the dashboard, framing both of them perfectly from the passenger and driver’s seat.

Nelly Furtado’s "Say It Right" played in the background, just loud enough to be heard over the gentle hum of traffic through the closed windows. Y/N had her hands on the wheel, sunglasses on, her mouth mouthing part of the chorus.

Nick leaned back against the seat after making sure that the camera was recording.

"Okay, so we’re on our way." He said, voice smooth. "Probably almost there, and Y/N hasn't complained about not knowing where we're going not even once."

"Do I have an option?" She cut in, raising one brow without taking her eyes off the road.

Nick grinned, shaking his head.

"No."

Y/N turned her head just slightly toward the camera, her lips curling up with this sly glint in her eye.

"So that's how it feels like to be Matt." She teased, lifting her hand from the steering wheel to move it around, indicating the driver's seat and the camera.

Nick cracked up instantly, his laugh loud and sudden.

"Yeah, but he's usually quieter."

"Hey!" Matt shook his head with a half-smile, hiding it behind his mic. "That was rude, Nick."

"Oh, shut up."

The video kept rolling.

Nick glanced toward Y/N, the sound of the turn signal clicking as she slowed near a red stop sign.

"So, am I doing good? Like, for a first date? How’s this holding up against all your past ones?"

Y/N slowed the car and gave him the most incredulous look.

"Nick. Literally... Matt was my only first date ever."

Nick blinked like his brain had short-circuited for a second.

"Oh my god. I forgot that you guys are, like... literal high school sweethearts." He said, squinting at her. "Like, you’ve been together since you were fifteen. That’s wild."

Y/N nodded.

"And you’re still winning the first date contest." She said with a small shrug, tossing him a look that was half playful, half sincere.

Nick smiled smugly.

"I knew it. I knew I was the man. I am the man."

"Okay, straight man." She said with a snort, rolling her eyes again, but grinning wide as the light turned green and she stepped on the gas. "Sounding just like Taylor Swift right now."

Nick leaned forward toward the camera.

"Someone put that on a t-shirt. 'I Am the Straight Man'."

Y/N was still giggling.

"You should create merch with that." She said through a breath. "But like, my first date with Matt was cute too, okay? He planned this whole picnic thing at our neighborhood park, and he brought that one book I was obsessed with and read it out loud to me while we sat under the big tree near the swings. And he made Mary Lou help him cook pasta salad in a mason jar. I still have the jar back in Boston."

Nick melted visibly, slouching against the seat with a hand over his heart.

"You guys are disgustingly adorable."

"They are, aren't they?" Chris chuckled from the couch, shaking his head while pressing the mic against his bottom lip, turning his head to Matt just to see him looking down at Y/N, who blew a kiss to him, causing his ears to turn into a pinkish hue.

The screen cut for a second again, and now they were at the restaurant.

The camera was slightly tilted, clearly propped up on the table against something - maybe a water glass or the pepper shaker - because the angle was a little off-center, catching more of Y/N than Nick.

The lighting was warm and golden due to the afternoon hour. Behind them, there were plants hanging from the ceiling, twinkle lights twisted around exposed wooden beams, and the soft murmur of background chatter and clinking forks.

The plates in front of them were full of pasta. Y/N’s was some creamy, tomatoey mix with melted cheese bubbling on top, while Nick's was a simple Mac n' Cheese.

The camera cut in right as Y/N was mid-bite, talking around her fork.

"... but I told him, like, if you say one more word about this shit in front of me while I’m reading-"

Nick was already laughing as Y/N pointed her fork at him dramatically.

"I’m serious! He ruined the book ending three chapters early." She said, shaking her head, but there was a grin tugging at her mouth. "He was like, 'well obviously the main character isn’t gonna die', and I was just sitting there, waiting for my next class, like... wow. Thanks for nothing."

Nick put his hand up.

"In his defense, the man was clearly not gonna die. He had 80 pages left and a dog to save. You told me this before."

"But that’s the whole point! The tension!" She said, laughing as she stabbed her pasta dramatically and took another bite. "Ugh, straight men are dumb."

Nick snorted.

"That’s homophobic."

Y/N almost choked on her bite, laughing into her napkin as she wiped the corner of her mouth.

"Okay, fine, not all straight men. Just ninety percent of them."

The camera then caught Nick leaning slightly into the frame, his fork twirling through his pasta as he pointed it at her.

"Okay, but be honest. Out of all the pasta in LA... this one’s still the best? Because I need to know that I choose right."

Y/N didn’t even hesitate. She chewed one last bite, swallowed, and placed her fork down.

"The best." She said, eyes wide as if to make a point. "If I was ever on death row- which, like, I hope I’m not, but if I was, this is my last meal. No question."

Nick nodded solemnly.

"Noted. Putting it in your file."

"Thank you, you do that."

He smiled, resting his chin in his hand for a second like he was just watching her.

"You’ve brought Matt here before, right?"

"Duh." She said, gesturing vaguely with her hand. "He actually found this place on TikTok like, two years ago, and he knows how obsessed I am with pasta, so it was easy to love here."

Nick grinned.

"Pasta is the best meal ever."

"I know, right?" She said with a smile so soft it was barely there, but her eyes crinkled at the corners. "We’ve been coming here for date night's and stuff ever since. One time the waiter gave us free tiramisu because Matt told him it was our engagement dinner."

Nick blinked.

"Wait. You’re not even-"

Y/N burst out laughing.

"No, of course not! That’s the thing! We were like nineteen! He just wanted the free dessert."

"Oh my god. Matt having criminal behavior, who would've thought? I love that." Nick said, covering his mouth like he was shocked.

Chris, still curled up on the couch with a throw pillow now half-over his lap, glanced toward Matt, whose lips were slightly parted in that soft half-smile. His arms were crossed, head tilted slightly before moving his mic to his lips.

"The dessert was worth the lie, guys."

Screen-Y/N pointed a fork at Nick with mock seriousness.

"If you add me eating on the video and I get messages about how messy I eat pasta, I’m blaming you." She said, laughing as she twirled another bite.

Nick rolled his eyes.

"I only capture the truth, Ratatouille."

"Ratatouille." Chris’s voice came from his mic, cutting in half with laughter that seemed to bounce in the walls. His body dramatically moved to a sitting position on the couch, looking at Nick with the widest smile. "That was such a good one, Nick."

Nick just affectionately rolled his eyes at his brother. Chris really thought that he was the funniest person in the world.

"Way to treat a woman on the first date, Nick." Matt snorted.

The video cut again.

Now they were outside, the soft sound of wind rustling through trees and birds chirping layered under the video. The camera was balanced on Y/N's purse, and slightly tilted but perfectly catching the scene.

They were sitting cross-legged on a picnic blanket in the middle of a park. A soft purple print spread under them, surrounded by open gel pens, markers, and two thick coloring books - big, chunky Bobbie Goods ones with rounded pages and pastel covers.

"Shut up- no way you guys got Bobbie Goods!" Matt's voice sounded high-pitched, his eyes running directly to Y/N's. "We were planning on buying those to color it together."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it." Y/N yelled from the first row so they could hear her from the stage, shrugging. "It was for a date, you know?"

Matt scoffed, looking at Nick, who simply ignored him, keeping his eyes on the screen.

Video-Nick reached toward the camera, adjusting it a little to make sure they were both still in frame, and gave a casual smile to the lens before speaking low and relaxed.

"Okay, so we stopped by this tiny bookstore a couple blocks from the restaurant, and they finally had these Bobbie Goods books that Y/N’s been, like, dying to get her hands on for weeks." He said, gesturing lazily with the blue pen in his hand. "She’s been checking online every day like an obsessed."

Y/N, still focused on the page in front of her, didn’t even look up.

"Lies. I checked every other day."

Nick laughed.

"Same thing."

He held up the coloring book to the camera for a second, the page half-filled with a very dramatic-looking bear wearing green sunglasses.

"So, naturally, we bought two of ‘em. And also... like. Sixty pens." He turned to look at the rainbow explosion of pens inside the small black bag.

"No exaggeration at all." Chris muttered inside the mic, giggling.

"You know that the bag comes with sixty, right?" Matt looked at him with raised brows, scoffing with how Chris just waved him off.

"Oh, and we also got ice cream." Video-Nick added, turning the camera a little more to show their cups. "Y/N got this vanilla-strawberry flavor with rainbow sprinkles, because she’s a little kid-"

"Excuse you." Y/N interrupted, finally glancing up. "It's called taste."

"And I got chocolate oreo. Obviously superior."

In the theater, Chris chuckled, arms folded.

"Okay, but like, he’s not wrong. Chocolate oreo hits every time."

"I will have to agree with it." Matt smiled, purposefully ignoring Y/N's devastating look at him.

Before Nick could say anything else, Y/N leaned a little to the side, catching a glimpse of his page.

"Why is your bear wearing green sunglasses?"

Nick blinked.

"Because he’s a cool bear." He said without missing a beat, eyes flicking back to the coloring book like it was obvious.

Y/N giggled.

"That is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen."

"Excuse me, he has style." Nick shot back, finally glancing at her with wide eyes.

Y/N flipped a page in her own coloring book, revealing a page full of tiny mushrooms with smiley faces.

"Mine is objectively better."

"This one's going to our fridge. 'You still have it?" Matt turned so he could look at Y/N, gently smiling with the way her head moved up and down with excitement.

Video-Nick leaned over slightly to peek, squinting like he was analyzing it.

"Okay, it looks cute. I’ll give you that."

A pause, the sound of Nick's pen brushing over paper echoing.

Then Y/N made a soft noise and peeked into Nick’s ice cream cup.

"Can I try yours?"

Nick didn’t hesitate, just picked it up and handed it over without even looking.

"Knock yourself out."

Y/N took his spoon full of oreo ice cream and took a bite, the softest little noise of approval immediately escaping her throat, head tilting back slightly.

"Okay, that’s good."

Nick just smirked like he knew it would be.

"You want mine?" She asked, already passing her cup over.

"Sure." He said, trading cups without even a blink. Nick took a bite of hers and immediately nodded. "Yours tastes like my childhood."

Y/N blinked.

"What, trauma?"

"No way you just said that, kid." Chris's voiced echoed mixed with a loud giggle, looking down to Y/N with an exasperated gaze.

"Well, she wasn't wrong." Nick shrugged.

Video-Nick nearly choked laughing, ice cream in one hand, and marker in the other.

"Okay, rude. I was gonna say like birthday parties and move nights."

"Oh." She grinned. "Same thing."

They both laughed again, heads a little closer now, their bodies leaning in just slightly.

Y/N scooped another bite from Nick’s ice cream, observing him changing his pen color. A sudden breeze rushed from the trees around them, causing a shudder to run from Y/N's spine to her legs, her hand feeling extra cold with the freezing cup.

"Ugh. I’m cold now..."

Nick didn’t pause his coloring, taking another bite of ice cream.

"You want my jacket?"

"Last romantic man on Earth, I know." Nick muttered against his mic, smiling.

Y/N’s eyes snapped up, her face lighting up immediately.

"Yes please."

Nick sat up, his now free hands meeting the top of his - not actually his - leather jacket, unzipping it and handing it over. Y/N smiled gratefully and pulled it around herself without even thinking, snuggling into it like it was the coziest thing on Earth, inhaling Matt's and Nick's mixed perfumes. She tucked the sleeves over her hands and tilted her head with a grin.

"Thanks." She said, then glanced at the camera with a glint in her eyes. "This is Matt’s jacket, by the way. His perfume is still here. I don't think he washed it since Milan."

In the theater, everyone cracked up, some "ew's" echoing with the last part.

Matt blinked.

"That’s not true, I washed all of our clothes from that trip as soon as we got back and you know it." He pointed at Y/N with raised eyebrows before squinting his blue eyes, watching her playfully pretending to ignore him.

The video cut again and this time, the lighting was low and warm, the sun had fully dipped, and the only light came from the soft overhead bulbs inside Y/N’s car.

The camera was wedged on the dashboard, the lens slightly angled toward the two of them inside her car. You could hear the faint beep... beep... beep of the car backing into their garage, followed by the slow whir of the gate closing.

Y/N was mid-sentence, hands loosely on the steering wheel.

"... so you would have a different shirt for every single show, you know? Like, just plain shirts with something different written on each one." She said, eyes flicking between the mirror and Nick. "Could be something funny, something iconic from the city, something random..."

Nick blinked, then broke into a slow grin.

"Wait... that’s actually a really good idea."

Y/N smiled proudly, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.

"Right?!"

Nick gave a single, very approving nod.

"I’m doing it. You just became my tour stylist."

"She is amazing, huh?" In the theater, Matt softly mumbled, earning a quiet chuckle from Chris beside him.

"Amazing and demanding." Nick complement. "I had to do two of each shirt so she could match with me."

Video-Nick reached over, picked up the camera, and flipped it to face him.

"Okay, so we’re back home now." He said, the light from the dashboard casting a soft glow across his face. "And before this perfect date ends, I have one more surprise for Y/N."

Y/N turned to him, eyes wide, a hand already on the key, the car now parked.

"There’s more?"

Nick nodded.

"Just one last thing. You ready?"

She turned the key, the engine turned off, and the whole car dimmed into quiet.

"Let’s go." She smiled, already cracking her door open.

They got out at the same time, Y/N bouncing on her feet as she waited for Nick to catch up before she pressed the car remote to lock it with a little beep-beep.

The camera cut to Nick holding it up now, slightly shaky from his movements as he trailed behind Y/N up the stairs from the garage to the main floor of the house.

"Oh my God!" Y/N visibly flinched and let out a little squeak of surprise when she stepped into the living room and saw Matt and Chris already home, lounging on the couch, faces lit up by their phones and the TV playing a random show.

Matt looked up at the sound and smiled so genuinely, like his whole day just got 10x better in one second. His hands immediately tossed his phone beside him on the cushion and sat up, grey hoodie rumpled and his hair a little messy, like he’d run his fingers through it too many times that day.

"Hey, baby." He said softly, voice a little scratchy. "You’re back."

Y/N blinked, laughing from the scare, then lit up.

"You scared me, I thought no one was home yet!"

Chris looked up too, his expression confused for a split second before raising a brow.

"Nick, what the fuck are you doing with the camera?"

Nick, as quickly as possible, turned the camera toward himself and backed up toward the stairs.

"It’s for the next vlog, like, a mini segment- weeks ahead, you know?" He walked as normal as possible to the stairs leading to his bedroom.

But before he disappeared to the stairs, the lens briefly caught Matt patting the space beside him and looking at Y/N with that lazy smile, his arms open.

Y/N dropped her purse by the kitchen table without even acknowledging Nick anymore, beelining for the couch and flopping down next to Matt like it was instinct. She curled up against him immediately, fitting right under his arm like that was her designated spot. He kissed the side of her head like he’d been waiting to do that all day.

"How was your day?" The middle triplet asked, voice low and warm.

Nick's background turned to white as soon as he got to the stairs, the camera lens now pointed toward his own horrified face.

"They weren’t supposed to be back yet, what the hell-"

Up in the theater, everyone was smiling with the real couple's scene. The fans loved when the triplets exposed a bit of Matt's and Y/N's relationship.

Nick was almost at the top of the stairs, still whispering urgently to the camera.

"I swear I thought they’d be home later." He paused. "Also. Pretty sure Chris saw me using Matt's clothes but I’m just gonna pretend he didn’t."

Then, from downstairs, off-screen, Matt's voice echoed loudly.

"Also..." His tone sounded casual. "Why were there flowers on the table when we got back?"

The camera immediately cut to black.

In the theater, everyone cracked up.

Screams. Laughter. Clapping. A few dramatic gasps from fans in the front rows who clearly hadn’t expected this as a surprise for tour.

The second the screams started to fade just enough, Nick leaned forward, gluing his mic to his bottom lip.

"Okay, so before we even say anything about that." He said, waving his free hand around like he needed everyone to pause. "I just feel like... we’re missing someone?"

The crowd was already catching on, shouts of 'Y/N!' were echoing around the arena in random waves.

"I mean, we can’t talk about the date without the actual date." Nick finished, raising his brows at his brothers. "Right?!"

And the screams just went off again.

Chris leaned forward, laughing into his mic.

"Y’all are crazy."

Matt was already smiling so big, shaking his head before meeting one of the security guards eyes stationed by the stairs, giving him a subtle nod, which the man was quick to understand, stepping toward the front row.

Still in her seat, hand half covering her mouth in that shy expression from all the attention, was Y/N, looking at the stage with a gaze that screamed 'you guys are NOT doing this', but she was already standing.

People were cheering, standing halfway up from their chairs, some of them even waving as she passed by with the security as if she was their best friend.

Chris cupped his mic dramatically.

"Be honest... do you guys love Y/N more than us, or-?"

The crowd didn’t even hesitate, they roared.

He winced playfully.

"Wow. I walked right into that."

Matt nodded, completely straight-faced as he spoke into his mic.

"Do you doubt it?"

Another explosion of laughter.

And then Y/N finally climbed the few small steps to the stage with the bodyguard guiding her halfway. She paused right at the top and glanced out at the crowd, her expression cracking into this huge, huge smile, and she lifted both hands and waved at every direction of the theater, her rings shining below the yellow lights.

"HI!!" She shouted into the air like she belonged to the stage.

The crowd? Lost it. Like, genuinely went feral.

Someone screamed "WE LOVE YOU Y/N", and without missing a beat, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted back an "I LOVE YOU TOO!!".

Matt’s head dropped slightly with a laugh, watching her with a proud, full of love, look.

Y/N then finally turned to the boys, walking over to the couch setup, and Chris moved to give her space on the right corner of the couch beside Matt’s chair.

"Alright, sit here." Chris told her, gesturing to the spot.

Y/N dropped onto the couch with a little bounce, immediately tucking one leg under the other, but before she could even settle in fully, Matt reached over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders like it was second nature, pulling her into him so that her upper body was kind of half-laying against his side.

He laced his fingers around her arm, holding her close, and then raised the mic to his mouth.

"So like... how’d you manage to hide a whole date from me that well?"

Y/N burst into giggles, leaning her head back just enough to look up at him.

"I’m just really good at secrets."

Chris was already shaking his head, bringing his own mic up.

"I’m not gonna lie, I’m still dizzy from that whole video."

Nick was laughing too, adjusting in his seat.

"Okay, yeah, what are your takeaways?"

Matt was about to answer, but Y/N was quick to grab his hand holding the mic, her soft skin meeting the cool metal of his commitment ring as she wrapped her own hand around his and dragged the mic toward her lips.

"This was definitely one of the best first dates I’ve ever had." She said into it, smiling like a menace.

Chris let out this little cackle into his mic, the sound mixing with the crowd's yells.

"Kid, you’ve had like, one first date besides this."

She shrugged.

"Still counts."

Nick brought his mic up again, leaning forward dramatically.

"Probably one of the best dates I've been on in my entire life, and it was with a woman."

Y/N beamed at him, visibly proud.

"The best date, thank you very much."

Matt smiled, resting his chin lightly against the top of her head.

"I feel like what’s so funny about this." He said into the mic. "Is that like, we never talk about stuff like this in our videos. Ever. Like, dating or anything romantic... that’s always been off limits for the most part. And you showing a full date to the world was crazy."

Nick held up his hands.

"Honestly, no regrets. It turned out perfect."

Chris nodded, agreeing with him before turning his head to the side, smirking a little while looking between Matt and Y/N.

"Matt, do you, like, feel jealous? At all? That Nick took Y/N out?"

The crowd ooooh’d as if this was some kind of high-school gossip.

But Matt didn’t even hesitate, shaking head.

"Nah. Of course not." He turned slightly, speaking into the mic. "I mean, Nick’s my brother. He’s gay. Y/N’s his best friend. And I’ve watched them do everything together since basically the beginning of time... shopping trips, movie nights out, car trips just to find a diner that serves something they want past midnight. This just felt like... another version of that. Just with... flowers? I guess."

Y/N laughed, her head falling back a little against Matt’s shoulder, bumping his cap slightly before bringing the mic back to her lips.

"It really was so fun. I feel like me and Nick already have our 'besties routine', like, we’re so used to doing stuff together, just the two of us. But this felt... different? In the best way. It actually felt like a date."

Matt looked down at her, that soft glow in his expression like he hadn’t stopped smiling since she walked on stage.

"I’m glad you had fun."

Chris was still laughing, shaking his head.

"I still can’t believe we’re all talking about Nick going on a date with a woman like it’s a press panel."

Nick grinned, turning to the crowd and raising his free hand in the air.

"Welcome to the first ever official 'Sturniolo Triplets Love On Tour'."

Matt snorted.

"Coming to all streaming platforms."

Y/N leaned into the mic one more time.

"Spoiler alert: I’m dating this one." She started, pointing her thumb at Matt. "But I’ll third-wheel Nick anytime."

Nick placed his hand on his chest like he was touched.

"An honor."

The crowd cheered again, louder this time, as the lights dimmed slightly to start the goodbye session, Nick fully turning to the audience and thanking everyone for their presence tonight.

Matt didn’t let go of Y/N’s hand, and she didn’t move from her spot curled against his side, attentively listening to Nick as Chris leaned back in his seat, smiling.

© vanteguccir

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