𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗢, chris sturniolo

⁰⁰⁸ no fucking sock

as he rubs his eyes, the events of last night begin to flood back into his consciousness like a series of disjointed snapshots, each one carrying a weight of its own.

he turns his head slightly, and there she is ― coraline evans herself, lying next to him, her features softened by sleep.

for a moment, he simply watches her, the rise and fall of her chest with each breath, the way her hair spills across the pillow in a tangled mess. she looks so... peaceful. it was a sight he could never even think he'd see.

the memory of the party flashes through his mind ― the laughter, the music, the way coraline had leaned on him as they stumbled out into the night... he remembers the concern in her eyes when she told him there was no way she could go home in the state she was in, and it just made chris realize even more how much the whole fake dating thing means to her.

that's probably why he took her to his house, because he felt like he has some kind of responsibility with her now. still, it makes zero sense to him that she's in his bed right now.

and then he thinks about what she said to him the other night, as she laid her head on his arm ― a touch that he can't seem to get out of his mind, and it's annoying him.

"i don't think you're the worst fake boyfriend ever", her voice replayed in his head, her words carrying a weight he can't quite explain.

coraline shifts beside him, causing him to freeze completely, until she goes still again. he slowly reaches over her to take his phone of his nightstand, quickly pushing the bright screen against his chest to not illuminate the room.

he gently gets out of the bed, trying his very best to not make any sound as he walks to the bedroom door. he shoots one last glance at the sleeping girl before opening the door, closing it softly behind him.

he sighs as he moves trough the hallway, glancing around for any signs of life in the house. he knows at least one of his two brothers is home, since matt didn't go to the party yesterday. chris had tried to convince him, because jake's a good friend of theirs, but matt's the most stubborn person on earth and if he doesn't feel like partying, his decision is made.

nick did go, he was picked up by a good friend, as he claims the boy is. chris smiles to himself thinking about it, because he knows that guy is more than a good friend, his oldest triplet brother is just too stubborn to admit it.

he has no idea if nick came home last night, but he'll find out later, he figures.

chris enters the kitchen, his footsteps echoing softly against the tiled floor. he scans the room, noting the presence of his middle triplet brother sitting at the table with a coffee in his hands.

"morning, sunshine," he greets, his tone laced with sarcasm, "you're up early."

"morning," matt mumbles in response, his gaze fixed on the steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

chris arches an eyebrow, his smirk widening as he leans against the counter. "what's got your panties in a twist?" he jokes, his tone dripping with amusement.

matt shoots him a glare, his irritation palpable. "nothing," he grumbles, his voice gruff.

chris chuckles, unfazed by his brother's sour mood. "sure about that?" he teases, pushing for a reaction.

"yeah, i'm just having a headache," matt grumbles, rubbing his temples in frustration.

chris's smirk falteres slightly as he notices the hint of genuine discomfort in matt's voice. "again? you should really get that checked out, man," he says, his tone softer now, tinged with genuine concern.