Home is wherever I'm with you.

by Starry_Sturniolo

Summary:

Their bond is fading. Nick hasn't seen his brothers in two years. That ends when he gets a one way ticket to Boston, with the permission of his mom, to surprise his brothers for Christmas. With no set date on when he's gonna be back to LA, he has to work hard to fix what he's broken between the three of them. Can he do it?

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Nick has been in LA for two years now, obviously he visits his family in Boston every once in a while, but, he hasn’t recently.

He’s been busy making videos with other influencer’s, such as Tarayummy, Sam and Colby, Larray, and others. He, Matt, and Chris talk, but not a lot, their relationship isn’t the best..

Nick has his own apartment, it even has a guest room in case Matt or Chris wanna visit, but they haven’t wanted to, they claimed they were too busy.

So today, while he was sitting in his apartment, looking through old photo albums of pictures he printed out, he decided he needed to start building his relationship with his brothers again. His fans don’t even know he has any brothers, he hasn’t really talked much about them, he’s implied it, sure, but he hasn’t posted any pictures of them cause they had told him they wanted nothing to do with the internet, and he respects his brothers’ boundaries.

Anyways, he decided he should probably call his parents before booking any flights, so that’s what he did.

Nick picked up his phone, doing the face ID since it was more efficient than typing in his passcode at the moment.

He went to his contacts and scrolled down, his dad was probably at work, so he’d have more luck with his mom answering.

He clicked on the familiar contact, clicking the call button and bringing his phone up to his ear, listening to the steady ring.

She answered pretty quickly, way too quickly in Nick’s opinion. “Nick?”

He smiled, it had been so long since he’s heard her voice, which was shocking to actually admit, he’s been busy..

“Hi mom! How are you?” His voice was soft, careful, as if he was worried his voice was too rough.

“I’m doing good sweetheart! We all miss you though.” She sounded… sad all of a sudden.

Nick knows they miss him, he knows for sure his brothers would probably rather him living with them than in LA, but, it is what it is.

“I know mom, I miss you all as well. That’s actually what I’m calling about,” he paused. “I wanted to see if you guys might want me to come home for Christmas?” he bit his lip, preparing for the worst.

The other side of the line was quiet for a moment, Nick nearly thought his mom had hung up or they lost service, but she ended up speaking up a few minutes later. “We’d love that!”

Nick let out a breath of relief, thank fuck.

“Alright, I’ll get the ticket soon then!” He flopped down onto his couch, phone still up to his ear.

He stayed on call with MaryLou for a while, just listening to her talk about what they’d been getting up to recently and how Chris just recently landed a job as a music producer for a big company.

—-------------------------

Nick did it.

He bought the ticket.

Boston Massachusetts | December 5th 7am.

It’s been two years since he’s set foot into his hometown. That’s two years he’s selfishly missed due to his YouTube career. Two years that he could’ve been spending with his family, and instead of that he decided to move to LA on short notice, barely doing as much as hugging his brothers goodbye, and he hasn’t seen them since.

Two years of accidental missed calls, and ‘I’ll come home soon, just be patient.’

Two years he’s missed with his brothers, and their lives.

He doesn’t even know what Matt’s doing for work.

He only knows what Chris’ doing because his mom mentioned it last week while they were catching up.

Nick takes pride in his work, in his editing, in the way other YouTubers compliment his attitude, how it’s the perfect mix of sassy and sweet at the same time.

When he left Boston, his family, his friends behind, he didn’t think he would drift away from them, he didn’t think about his future at that time, just the present.

No one on the internet knows about Chris and Matt.

They don’t know he’s a triplet.

He had decided it was for the best when he left, that it would be easier to leave if the internet wasn’t always talking about his brothers.

He looks at their private instagram accounts every once in a while, in hopes it would reveal something he’s missed, maybe a sign that they want him to come back, that they know he wants a relationship with them that isn’t over a phone a million hours away. (That’s a bit over dramatic but still.)

But as Nick stared at the plane ticket in his hand, a one way ticket, no set date on when he’d be back to LA, it hit him.

He’s alone.

Yeah, he has friends here, but it’s not the same as Chloe, or Alahna, or Nate.

Nick set the plane ticket down on his nightstand before laying back against the pillows on his bed.

His room was bland.

White walls, barely any decor, his aesthetic is supposed to be colorful, but the only hint of color he has in his room is the small mlm flag he has in the pencil holder on his boring desk.

There’s a small picture on his nightstand, right next to his lamp, of him, Chris, and Matt at their high school graduation.

He stares at the photo, at how happy they were. He’s jealous of past him, of how he lived so carefree, how he doubted the time he had with his brothers until he fucked it up.

The last thing he sees before falling asleep is Chris’ big smile.

He’ll be home for Christmas.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Summary:

Chris sighed as he pulled into the driveway of his parents house. He and Matt have their own apartment but their mom and dad convinced the two of them to come stay at their home for Christmas so they wouldn’t have to drive for hours through the obnoxious amount of Boston snow for Christmas eve.

He turned the car off and pulled the keys out of the ignition, rubbing at his face sleepily. Since Matt won’t be home, he’s gonna collapse into his bed and sleep for HOURS.

Notes:

Sorry it took so long but it's here now! Enjoy!

Boston, Massachusetts. 6:40 pm.

“Alright, will that be all for you today?” A brunet man asked the couple.

The guy smiled and nodded. “Yes, how much will it be?”

The man looked at the screen of the cash register and printed out the receipt. “10.99 please. Would you like your receipt?” he got a drink tray out, placing the coffees into the brown holder with fast, experienced hands.

“No thank you.” the guy said as he took out his wallet and got out 15 dollars and handed it to the worker, smiling brightly at him. “Keep the change.”

The brunet’s eyebrows raised in surprise. He muttered out a small thank you and handed the drink tray and pastries to him. “Have a nice day sir.”

The dude waved with his free hand and then laced his fingers with the woman’s. “You too brother.”

With that, the couple walked out the cafe doors and the brunet leaned against the counter with a tired sigh.

“Matt! No slacking!” Oliver smacked his arm. “You only have an hour left of work, you don’t want boss to see you slacking off.” he exclaimed as he walked into the back.

Matt rolled his eyes and groaned, straightening his posture.

Matt Sturniolo is 22 and has three brothers. Justin, Chris.. And Nick..

See, Nick decided to leave in 2023 after his YouTube career took off. He left his family behind with no more than a goodbye.

Matt’s resented him since that day. When people ask how Nick’s doing, he changes the subject.. Because he doesn’t know what Nick’s doing. Nick doesn’t talk to them anymore.. He doesn’t fill them in, he doesn’t call to say hi.. He just.. vanished..

Okay, maybe saying he vanished is a bit dramatic, but that’s how Matt views it.

The Nick he knew disappeared when he left for LA. The Nick that’s on his screen now.. That’s not Nick. At least, not HIS Nick..

Matt rubbed at his tired eyes. He’s been working for 8 hours and he still doesn’t have enough money to afford this stupid Harry Potter book he wants.

He’s considering working late tonight.

 

Yeah, his mom, dad, and Chris are probably gonna be waiting, dinner on the table and a movie with hot coco ready, but Matt really wants this book, and he needs to work for it himself.

Another customer came in and he gave them a smile, ready to take their order.

—--------------------------------------------------------

Chris clenched the steering wheel of his car tightly, clearly agitated.

He had just gotten a text from Matt saying he’s gonna be working late again tonight.

He’s been working late every night for the past two months, which is putting a dent in the time they have that they’re able to spend together.

He’s been begging, and begging, and BEGGING Matt to come home on time at least one night so they can at least watch a movie before bed, but no, every single night it’s the same text message. It’s to the point where Chris is expecting it now.

He had to deal with a really rude client and all he wanted was to curl up with his brother and watch a Christmas movie and drink hot chocolate, but no, of course he can’t do that. He’s starting to think the universe is against him!’

Chris sighed as he pulled into the driveway of his parents house. He and Matt have their own apartment but their mom and dad convinced the two of them to come stay at their home for Christmas so they wouldn’t have to drive for hours through the obnoxious amount of Boston snow for Christmas eve.

He turned the car off and pulled the keys out of the ignition, rubbing at his face sleepily. Since Matt won’t be home, he’s gonna collapse into his bed and sleep for HOURS.

He finally got out of his car and locked it.

He walked up the porch steps and stopped in front of the front door, digging through his pockets for his house key. There was another car in the driveway, which told Chris his mom and dad were home.

He unlocked the front door, wiping his snowy boots off on the welcome mat before stepping into the warm house. He took a deep breath in, slowly exhaling seconds after. The house smelt of cinnamon and freshly baked cookies, just as it has always smelt.

He took his jacket off and hung it on the coat stand, taking his boots off right after.

Chris ran a hand through his hair as he walked up the steps to the kitchen where his mom, MaryLou was cooking.

She turned to Chris, who gave her a tired smile and started walking over to her.

“Hi mom.” He said, fighting off a yawn as he fell into her open arms.

She enveloped him in her warm arms, holding him close. Yeah, he was 22, but he was also one of her only sons who she gets to hug like this now. He’s the only one who hasn’t changed in a bad way.

Nick barely talks to them, Matt’s more angry now, and Justin rarely visits anymore, so she cherishes whatever love she gets from her sons when she does.

She was decently shorter than Chris, but that didn’t matter. She eventually let him go due to the timer on the stove beeping and moved to stir the noodles. “How was your day? Do you know if Matt’s on his way home yet?”

Chris leaned against the cool counter, “It was pretty good. I had one client who was a jerk but other than that it went pretty smooth.” he paused. “Matt texted me saying he’s gonna be home late again tonight. He’s taking up Oliver’s shift for him.”

She paused her stirring, sighing quietly to herself. Matt’s been overworking himself a lot recently. Every time she sees him he’s on the verge of passing out.

Chris rubbed at his eyes again, obviously exhausted from the day he had.

MaryLou turned to face Chris. Her lips turned into a frown when she saw how exhausted he looked. “Hey, can you go tell your dad that dinner’s ready?”

Chris nodded and walked away to the living room to tell his dad, Jimmy.

They ate dinner, saving a plate for Matt so he had something to eat when he gets home.\
Chris ended up helping his mom clean up the dishes and then went and watched a lacrosse game with his dad.

He fell asleep halfway through it though.

Jimmy turned his head towards his son, noticing he went quiet all of a sudden. He wasn’t shocked to be met with his youngest’s soft snores given he had seemed really sleepy when he got home.

He got up, stretching a bit. Trevor had been laying against him and let out a whine when his sleep was interrupted.

Jimmy lent down to scratch behind Trevor’s ear so he’d settle down.

After Trevor was settled, he went over to the basket where they keep the throw blankets and grabbed Chris’ favorite one.

He carefully laid the blanket over Chris, making sure it went up to his chin before ruffling his hair and sitting back down.

—-------------------------------------------------
The Sturniolo household. 10:20 pm.

Chris awoke to the obnoxious sound of the doorbell ringing loudly.

He expected that his mom and dad would answer it so he curled closer to Trevor and was just about to fall back asleep when-

DING

The doorbell rang once again.

“Chris! Please go get that!” MaryLou’s voice echoed from the kitchen.

Chris groaned but knew better than to not do what his mother says. That’s not how he was raised, so he reluctantly got up, disturbing Trevor in the process.

Chris shushed the now whining dog and started walking towards the front door, rubbing his eyes as he did so.

He unlocked the door and opened it, shivering when the cold air hit him. “Can I help yo-..” he looked up to see none other than the brother who left them. The brother who they haven’t seen in two years.

“Nick?”

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed!

Cross posted on Wattpad under SlayBeeLovers

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Summary:

Chris had been Nick’s number one supporter through everything. Through the bullying Nick had gone through in high school, through panic attacks and breakdowns, through that one time Nick had an eating disorder and it got really bad. Chris had been there for him through everything, and what did Nick do in return? He left him alone. There were multiple nights where Chris had called him but Nick was at a party with his phone on silent. Nick hasn’t done shit for his younger brother, and the fact that he’s just now noticing it is awful. Nick’s an awful big brother.

Notes:

Hi! I hope you guys enjoy this!

Word Count: 2239

“Nick?” Chris’ eyes were wide in shock, his breathing was a bit labored due to the surprise. This had to be a joke.. Right?

Nick was dressed in a jacket and lightwash jeans, obviously not the best attire for this weather. The expression the eldest held was a mix of sadness and guilt, at least, that’s what Chris made it out to be. “Hey Chris..” Nick’s voice was more mature… He looked more mature in general.

Chris was frozen in shock. When he had heard the doorbell he had thought that it was the mailman, hell, maybe even Matt. Nick was the LAST person Chris would’ve expected to be standing in front of him right now.

Nick clutched the handle of his suitcase tighter, not quite sure if Chris was either about to hug him or sucker punch him in the face. Yeah, he gets it’s been a while, and he regrets leaving them for as long as he did, but he saw an opportunity, and he took it.

All of Nick's worries faded away when Chris practically jumped at him, knocking them and his suitcase down to the ground due to the impact from the hug. That was NOT what he was expecting.

Chris buried his face into the crook of Nick’s shoulder, savoring the warmth his older brother carried. Tears welled up in his already icy blue eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. There was no way he was gonna be emotional in front of Nick, not right now.

Nick sat frozen, shocked from the sudden affection, but he eventually wrapped his arms around Chris, cradling him in his arms for the first time in years. This made him feel guiltier than he had before, and he had felt REALLY guilty.

Chris had been Nick’s number one supporter through everything. Through the bullying Nick had gone through in high school, through panic attacks and breakdowns, through that one time Nick had an eating disorder and it got really bad. Chris had been there for him through everything, and what did Nick do in return? He left him alone. There were multiple nights where Chris had called him but Nick was at a party with his phone on silent. Nick hasn’t done shit for his younger brother, and the fact that he’s just now noticing it is awful. Nick’s an awful big brother.

With every thought he had, Nick pulled Chris closer, or held on tighter. He could feel the younger's shaky breath against his neck, making him tense. Chris was close to crying because of him. He had caused this.

Neither of them spoke a word, just taking in each other's warmth and affection for the first time in a while.

They sat there for a bit, embraced in each other's warmth.

The night was silent, their soft breaths breaking through it.

Eventually footsteps could be heard coming towards the front door, moments later their father was standing behind them.

Nick looked up at his dad who gave him a stern look in return. “What are you boys still doing out here? You’ll freeze to death. Get inside!” His voice was just as Nick remembered, raspy with his thick Boston accent. He obviously hadn’t changed a bit.

Chris reluctantly got up, turning his gaze down to his feet as their dad helped Nick get up.

Jimmy ushered them inside and practically dragged Chris up the stairs while Nick took his jacket and shoes off.

As Nick took off his jacket, he inhaled deeply, the familiar scent of freshly baked cookies and cinnamon making him feel right at home.

He eventually got up the stairs, leaning his suitcase against the wall. Just then, he was nearly knocked to the ground AGAIN, but this time, it was his mom hugging him. The hug was warm, a stark contrast to the cold Boston weather outside. “You’re home! Finally!”

Nick leaned into the embrace, wrapping his arms around his mom in return. He couldn’t believe he left his family for as long as he did. “Yeah, finally.” His voice was nothing but a whisper.

He’s been lonely in LA for 2 whole years, when his family had been here the whole time, waiting patientally for him to finally come home.

When he went to pull away, she held on tighter, just for a moment though.

MaryLou reluctantly let him go, giving him a bright smile. “We’ve missed you Nick, a lot. Especially Chris.” Her voice trailed off as she turned her attention to Chris and Jimmy sitting on the couch. His head was down instead of focused on the game playing on the TV in front of him, which was unusual for Chris.

Nick’s eyebrows furrowed in sadness, sighing at his mothers words. “Yeah, I know.. I promise I’m staying for a while though..” His voice was strained, as if his own words were unbelievable to him.

His moms expression saddened but she nodded anyway, placing a quick kiss on his head and pushing him gently to coax him into going to sit with his father and brother. “I’m glad you’re home Nick,” She said, her voice a whisper as she walked back into the kitchen.

Nick frowned, watching his mother walk away. Not only did he cause Chris pain, he caused his mom pain as well. Probably his dad too but his dads too stubborn to admit that.

A sigh escaped his throat as he walked over to the couch, nudging Chris’ shoulder a bit to get his attention. Chris looked up at him, the dark bags under his eyes being a stark contrast to the icy blue eyes looking up at him.

Nick gave him a smile, his voice a whisper as to not wake up Trevor who's sleeping beside Chris. “Can I sit next to you?”

Chris smiled back, and nodded quickly, scooting to the side so Nick could sit next to him.

Nick giggled a bit at his enthusiasm and sat down, the old couch creaking under his weight.

They sat there talking for a bit. Nick filled Chris in on whatever he had been doing in LA, the things he saw and the people he had met. Chris listened, not making a single peep besides a question every once in a while.

Chris had missed Nick, and even though he’s upset he left for so long, he’s glad at least one of them got out of here and made a life for their own.

As Nick spoke, you could see the pure admiration shining in Chris’ eyes for his brother.

Nick was telling him about a rapper he met that he thinks Chris would REALLY like, and it made Chris smile to know that Nick HAD been thinking about him all along, apparently he just didn’t care enough to at least call back every once in a while.

“He was super cool! He seemed right up your alle-” A weight dropped on his shoulder, familiar and warm. His story came to an abrupt stop and he slowly turned his head to see the culprit of this affection. Chris.

Nick just sat there frozen. Chris wasn’t asleep, but he seemed close to it.

Anyone would be able to tell by the way his eyes drooped in exhaustion, or the way he got more clingy, but the biggest sign is that he hasn’t talked. Chris obviously loves talking.

Chris looked back up at him, now muttering. “Keep talking? Please?” He asked in a polite tone, even going as far as giving Nick his famous ‘Puppy eyes’ to convince him further.

Nick hadn’t expected Chris to already be THIS warmed up to him again. Well, his mom DID tell him CHRIS missed him the most, but still, he wasn’t expecting.. This? If that makes any sense at all..

His head started to slowly shake in a nod, fixing his position so him and Chris could be more comfortable.

Chris’ blanket that Jimmy had put over him earlier was still close by, so Nick grabbed it, draping it over their bodies. He basically owes Chris his life now for how easily he had just curled up to him.

Nick watched as the youngest curled up on his chest, his ear positioned right over the elder’s heart. Nick knew it was a thing Chris did for comfort. The youngest liked knowing that there was someone close to him, that someone he loves is actually there and it’s not a pillow. That’s the way Chris has always been, and Nick admires Chris for never changing.

At last, Nick cleared his throat to start talking again, his voice now a tad bit softer so Chris could peacefully fall asleep to his voice, to his stories. He loved being someone Chris was comfortable being this vulnerable with, and to be honest, he’s missed this.

“Back to the rapper, his songs were pretty cool. I don’t understand a thing about rap but I was thinking that… Maybe when I leave for LA, I can bring you.. I think you’d love it there…”

Chris hummed, curling farther into the warmth of his older brother. It felt nice to be held like this again.

Even though Chris IS enjoying this… He can’t help but feel like something is missing…

That thought faded as Nick’s fingers started to draw through his restless curls carefully.

And with that, he slowly drifted off to Nick’s soothing touch and words.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sturniolo household. 8pm.

Matt pulled into the driveway, immediately getting out of the car, obviously wanting to get inside the warm house as soon as he could.

His hands searched through his pocket for his keys as he made his way up the porch steps.

The lock made a clicking sound as it unlocked. He took out the key and opened the door quietly. The minute he walked into the house, he was met with darkness. His footsteps went quiet as he froze in place.

That’s weird… the lights are usually always on… They must’ve gone to bed early.

He made sure to put his hand firmly on the door to make sure it closed slower and proceeded to take his boots and jacket off with a sigh.

Matt made sure his footsteps were quiet as he went up the stairs, just in case he was right and his whole family WAS asleep.

When he made it to the top of the stairs, he paused for a moment and rubbed a hand over his face in an attempt to keep himself awake. Matt’s fallen asleep standing up before and he does NOT under any circumstances want to try it again.

He slowly walked into the kitchen, grabbing a protein bar out of the pantry. After long shifts like the one he had tonight, actual DINNERS are hard for him.. It’s just too late and it makes him feel sick, so he usually just has a protein bar or a short snack. Is it the healthiest thing to do? Nope. Would he rather do this than get sick in the middle of the night? A hundred percent yes.

He ate, silently staring at the wall. He knew he was zoning out again, it was obvious, he just didn’t care much anymore. Beats biting his nails.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a sound coming from the living room. Was Chris still up..?.. No.. He would’ve been clinging to him by now, fussing over how late he had come home and how he needed to stop being so hard on himself, so it wasn’t Chris…

His feet made a soft thud against the floor as he hopped off the island, slowly trailing into the living room.

As he got closer, he could recognize the noise he heard as TikToks.

He was really starting to think that it was just Chris and that he’s finally pissed the younger off enough to not even get the slightest ‘Welcome home’ from him.

But he was wrong… Very wrong.

He stopped in his tracks as he saw a brunet head of hair and a figure sitting longways on the couch. Chris’ hair was longer so that had to be…

“Nick?” Matt’s voice came out as a croak.

Nick turned his head towards the new voice, tensing at it being Matt. Shit. How did he forget about Matt??

They stared at each other for what felt like hours when in reality it was only seconds.

The oldest of the three finally mustered up the courage to respond. “Hey.. Matty…”

The use of the old nickname made Matt tense up. Matt adored that nickname, he always has. But hearing it come out of NICK’S mouth?? It rubbed him the wrong way.. “What.. What are you doing here?” Matt said, his gaze trailing down to the sleeping Chris on Nick’s chest, Trevor not being too far away from them.

“I’m staying for a while… At least until after Christmas.” Nick’s voice was a mix of guilt and panic. This interaction could go VERY wrong VERY quickly..

Matt opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut himself up, simply nodding instead.

The middle turned away quickly, rushing off to his room. He couldn’t do this.. Not right now, not when he was already in a weird place emotionally.

Nick stared at the hallway Matt had disappeared down, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Shortly after a door could be heard slamming from the other room.

Well.. That went great.

Notes:

I LOVE Y'ALL! NEW CHAPTER NEXT WEEKEND!

- Noelle

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Summary:

Things take a turn????

December 8th, 11am. Sturniolo Household.

Nick was unpacking in his bedroom since he had been unable to the night before.

He and Chris had basically slept all the way through the night. The couch was pretty uncomfortable but his sore back in the morning hadn’t mattered because he was holding his brother, which he still finds unbelievable.

His parents had left a little earlier to go to work, so it was just him and Chris home.

Well, at least he thinks it’s just him and Chris? The point is, he has no clue if Matt’s home or not.

Nick had honestly blocked the interaction he had with Matt out of his mind. The middle child hadn’t looked too happy to see him.

Nick gets it though. It’s not everyday that your brother who left you years ago comes home without speaking a word to you first. Maybe Matt just needed time…

Just then, the sound of two muttered voices talking over each other broke through Nick’s thoughts.

The eldest’s eyebrows furrowed. His bedroom was right next to the kitchen so it was hard not to hear anything that went on in there. It sounded like Chris was in there, but there were two voices, which meant Matt was still home as well, which surprised Nick because with what he’s heard, Matt’s a bit of a workaholic.

He took the last shirt from his suitcase and hung it up in his closet before somehow stuffing the suitcase in there as well.

The voices grew closer, leading Nick to open his bedroom door out of curiosity.

“I really think he’s trying to fix things Matt-” A cupboard slammed shut, cutting Chris off mid sentence. Matt gripped the edge of the counter, his fingers turning white from how harsh he was pressing his hands into it. “Fix things? FIX things??”

“He left us for YEARS! No texts, no calls, not even the simplest ‘I miss you’ from him! And you REALLY think he just showed up randomly, no warning at all, to fix things??” Matt turned to face Chris, the dark eyebags under his eyes being very noticeable against his pale skin. “I’m sorry, I’d love to believe you Chris, but I’m not stupid, I know what he’s doing and I don’t like it. Not one bit.”

Chris sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Neither of them noticed the oldest standing there, too caught up in their argument. “Oh, so you’re calling me stupid now?” In all honesty, Chris has NO clue what’s gotten into Matt. He used to be desperate to get back in touch with Nick, but now he’s just… avoiding him.. It’s pissing Chris off.

Matt’s face dropped, freezing in place as he thought back to what he had said before. He has this thing where he’ll speak without thinking and it usually ends up with him regretting something deeply. The middle child picked up his thermos from where he sat it down just a second ago, bringing it to the fridge to fill it with water. “No, I didn’t mean it like that, I just..”

Chris cut him off, obviously pissed now. His least favorite thing has always been the fact that his brothers keep doing this thing where they forget that he’s not naive, that he’s not stupid. He despises it with every fiber in his being. “No, I don’t wanna hear it. I know what you meant.” His socks acted as a silencer as he moved closer to Matt, now whispering to him as he noticed Nick standing there. “At least I’m giving him a chance.” With that, he pushed off the fridge door, and left the room.

Matt stood there, frozen in place.

He did it again. He spoke without thinking and now Chris hates him for it.

Water dripped down the side of his thermos from being overfilled, but he was too far in his head to realise.

Nick cleared his throat, shutting his door to get Matt’s attention. The brunet jumped as he snapped back to reality, silently curing at himself as he took his now very overfilled cup from the dispenser.

Matt quickly grabbed a ton of paper towels and crouched down to the floor to clean up all the water that had spilled. How had he let himself zone out that hard? He should’ve been paying closer attention to the damn thermos, but no, he had one of his stupid ‘I fucked up and now everyone hates me’ moments and now the water is all over the fridge and the floor. Why can’t he just be normal-

His thoughts came to a stop as another set of hands started to clean up the mess alongside his, causing him to freeze. The nails were painted which could only mean that it was…- His blue eyes turned up to see the other person's face and he was right, it was none other than Nick.

Matt sat there, frozen in place as his older brother cleaned up his mess.

“I’m sorry I didn’t step in earlier- I just didn’t think it was my place to.” The eldest told him, his voice bringing Matt some form of comfort. He allowed the eldest to take the now soaking wet paper towels from his shaking hands. Why was Nick being so.. Gentle with him?

His gaze followed Nick’s movements as he threw the paper towels away, wiping his hands dry on a dry kitchen towel before bringing it over to Matt to do the same for him.

Nick wrapped the younger's hands in the towel to dry them, not even noticing his older brother tendencies taking over until Matt pulling away quickly snapped him out of it. “I need to go.” The middle muttered, grabbing his thermos and his gym bag off the floor and sprinting out of the house faster than you could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Nick was left feeling shocked, taken aback by Matt’s sudden exit.. For a moment there he had really thought he had been breaking through Matt’s protective wall he puts around himself. The same wall that he’s been building around himself since age thirteen that Chris and Nick have always been able to break through.

And you know what, Nick’s realised that he’s lost Matt’s trust, and even though it hurts him to know that, he thinks he’d do literally anything to get Matt’s forgiveness. Anything.

—------------------------------------------------------

Matt wiped at his eyes, driving down the familiar roads of downtown Massachusetts. Why did he let that happen? Why did he let Nick see him like that?

Nick’s barely like a brother to him anymore, and that’s Nick’s fault. He left when Matt had needed him the most. He hadn’t called back, texted back, let Matt know he’s okay, so that’s on him. It’s all on Nick for the way things turned out.

The familiar gym came into sight no more than 5 minutes later. Matt’s usually either at work, or at the gym. It’s easier to hide from his feelings when he’s not around family, but not by himself either, so he throws himself into working out or his job.

Plus, it didn’t hurt to workout everyday. He’d decided long ago that his one goal for this year was to get fit, and he only has a few more days to complete that goal, no matter what.

—-----------------------------------------------------
5pm. Chris’ music studio.

Chris was sitting in the uncomfortable studio chair, going over a few things some rapper just sent in for him to review.

It was 5, which meant he COULD leave if he really wanted to, but in all honesty, he’s a bit pissed at Matt and really doesn’t wanna see him right now.

Anyways, he had decided that it would be best to throw himself into work.. Very Matt of him..

Ding.

His phone screen lit up with a new text message, the profile picture he had selected for Nate suddenly getting his attention as he immediately went to check it.

Nathan

N: Hey! What are you doing tonight?

C: Nothing. Just got done with work.

C: Why? What’s up?

N: Good! Can you come to this party with me?

Chris stared at the message with a tired look. Nathan knows how he feels about parties. He hates them with a burning passion..

So why was his best friend, who most DEFINITELY knows this, asking him to come to a party with him?

Nathan

C: Nate, you know I don’t like parties..

N: I know! But hear me out!!

N: A girl I like is gonna be there and I REALLY need you to be my wingman, PLEASE!

Chris thought long and hard about his answer. It’s not like he has anything to do tonight.. I mean, yeah, he hates parties, but Nate does so much for him, and without a single complaint... What kind of friend would Chris be if he didn’t return the favor?

So reluctantly, he typed out his answer.

Nathan

C: Fine. What time?

N: 8pm!

N: Thank you!

And with that, Chris shut his phone off, and started packing up his stuff. He had a feeling this was gonna be a VERY long night…

—----------------------------------------------
12am. Sturniolo household.

Chris had NOT expected the party to go like that.

Nate and the girl had hit it off straight away, which led to Chris leaving them alone so they could.. Chat.

See, Chris has never been a big drinker, not at all. He’s had a few before, but that was for his 21st. The hangover was the worst thing ever.

But there Chris was, staring at the alcohol as he thought ‘it couldn’t hurt to have ONE.. Right?’

So that’s what led to now.. Nate drove him home after he had around 8 drinks.. And more if you count the few shots of corona he had.

But now, he was drunk as shit, emotional, and very VERY clingy.

The youngest Sturniolo fumbled with his keys as he tried to get them into the hole of the door. It shouldn’t have been THAT hard, but it was..

When he finally got the door open, he stumbled inside, tripping over his feet as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Through his loud thoughts, he could hear Nick’s voice coming from the kitchen. Perfect. Just perfect.

His feet caught on one another as he walked up the stairs, feeling dizzy and out of it.

When he did eventually make it to the kitchen, Nick was standing there, presumably waiting for Chris since he most likely heard him struggle to get up the stairs.

Nick looked at him with an expression that could only be taken as concern, but all Chris saw was the man who took his brother away. A carbon copy of him.

“Where have you been? I was starting to get worried!” Chris stared at him in disgust before walking over to him and getting right in his face. “T’s none f ur bsiness.”

Nick stared at the younger in shock. It was very clear he was drunk. Since when did Chris drink?

The oldest opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by two hands on his chest, shoving him backwards into the wall.

Chris’ eyes were glazed over, proving Nick’s idea of him being drunk even further. “Leav’ me ‘lone dipsh’t.” with that, he stumbled off, leaving Nick in shock. What the hell just happened? That made absolutely no sense at all…

Just then, Nick realised, maybe Chris wasn’t actually that fond of him.. Maybe he just pretended to be since he was the peacemaker of the three of them.. The life of their bond if you will.. Although, Nick isn’t sure there really is much of a bond anymore..

That’s besides the point though.. The point is, Chris is drunk and very clearly pissed at him for whatever reason, and he needed to figure out how to fix it.. And quick…

—------------------------------
12:20 am. Chris’ bedroom.

Chris had flopped onto his bed, not bothering to take off his jeans or shoes. Even if he DID want to, he’s not sure he could look down without vomiting…

His eyes slipped shut just as a knock on his door sounded through his room.. Perfect..

The youngest groaned, shoving his face into his pillow to pretend he’s asleep. Hopefully whoever it was would go away if he was completely silent..

But no, knowing his luck, they didn’t.

The hinges of his door creaked open as the person stepped into the pitch black room. A light flicked on, causing Chris to whine in annoyance. Who the hell did they think they were? Strolling into his room and invading HIS space??

The footsteps grew closer to his bed, and soon enough, the presence of the person was right next to him.

“Chris… Hey buddy, can you look at me?” a few seconds passed by. Still nothing. The voice spoke up again. “Please?” Chris counted this time.

1. 2. 3. 4.

But instead of the voice this time, there were hands at his feet, pulling his shoes off and getting the blanket over him. The hands were warm.. Familiar in a way that Chris’ jumbled mind couldn’t place right now.

Another few seconds passed by. Chris was starting to think the person left. Abandoned him. But then, that gentle, comforting voice spoke again, whispering to him. “I don’t know what I did, but I’ll fix it. For all of us. I promise.”

A hand laced into his hair, petting at his silky curls in a calming, soothing way. The same way his mom would run her fingers through them after he had a nightmare, or when he was sick. It made him sleepy. Really, really sleepy.

The voice spoke again, right before he let sleep take him. “I’ll be here when you wake up.. I promise. I won’t leave you again.”

Black.

Notes:

Word count: 2308

I love y'alllll <3

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Summary:

Tears stained the second borns shirt as the youngest let out heartbreaking sobs, crumbling more and more every second.

Matt said nothing, just held him against his chest like they’ve done a million times before, shushing him softly every now and again.

Chris burrowed further into the safety that was his brother's embrace, his sobs progressively starting to slow down, leaving him with hiccups from his mini breakdown.

The bathroom was now quiet besides Chris’ now evening out breathing and the air conditioning.

They just sat there, Chris taking as much comfort from Matt as he possibly could. He needed comfort more than anything at the moment.. Except water.

Notes:

1997 words... let's do this :')

From the moment Chris woke up, he KNEW he had fucked up.

The youngest stumbled out of his bed and into the bathroom, falling to his knees in front of the toilet.

Through the ringing in his ears, beyond him emptying his guts into the porcelain bowl, his bathroom door opened.

Chris felt a familiar, cold hand lift his bangs up and away from his head.

The person was muttering soft words of comfort to him, reassurance to soothe his worries and pain.

Chris let out a whine, a tear slipping down his face from the aching in his throat and the burning feeling in his nostrils. There was a sigh behind him, presumably from whoever was holding his bangs away from his sweaty forehead, and then a hand reached to flush the toilet.

Chris started letting quiet sobs rack his already shaking body. A warm jacket embraced him as he was tugged into none other than Matt’s arms.

Tears stained the second borns shirt as the youngest let out heartbreaking sobs, crumbling more and more every second.

Matt said nothing, just held him against his chest like they’ve done a million times before, shushing him softly every now and again.

Chris burrowed further into the safety that was his brother's embrace, his sobs progressively starting to slow down, leaving him with hiccups from his mini breakdown.

The bathroom was now quiet besides Chris’ now evening out breathing and the air conditioning.

They just sat there, Chris taking as much comfort from Matt as he possibly could. He needed comfort more than anything at the moment.. Except water.

Matt’s fingers scratched at Chris’ scalp in a soothing manner, his other arm cradling against his chest in a protective manner. Matt can’t say he knew this was bound to happen.. But he did know that everything was gonna come crashing eventually, he just hadn’t expected today to be the day.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Matt continued to focus on Chris and Chris only. The hand that had originally been scratching at the youngest’s scalp was now drifting down to where his curls ended, brushing his fingers through the mocha brown strands.

Chris’ voice eventually broke through the silence, hoarse from the sobbing and vomiting. “I-I’m sorry.” The apology was quiet, but noticeable.

Matt’s hand froze, still buried in his brother’s messy brown curls. That caught him off guard. What would Chris be apologizing for? He did nothing wrong..

“For what? You’re fine Chris, I’m not mad..” Matt made sure to use the ‘soft big brother’ tone with him, as if he was scared to speak normally at the moment. It did wonders for Chris’ hungover mind though.

Chris sniffled once more into the crook of Matt’s neck before seemingly fighting out his next sentence. “I think I hurt Nick’s feelings..” Tears began to brim in his eyes once again as he thought about the small argument he had with Nick last night.

Matt’s heart began to break even more at the wobbly tone to Chris’ voice. How had he not heard this happened? He was literally down the hall from Chris’ room all night and he didn’t hear a thing..

The older of the two cleared his throat as he attempted to comfort Chris enough to get him to calm down again. “Chris, I saw Nick just a few minutes ago and he seemed alright, I’m sure you didn’t hurt his feelings, I promise.” Matt knew there was no point in trying to convince Chris otherwise from his opinion, he knew it wouldn’t work anyway.

The thing about Chris, is he’s probably one of the sweetest souls ever, and the moment he feels like he fucked something up, he immediately blames himself. No matter who started the argument, or even a little disagreement, Chris is dead set on fixing it himself.

Chris groaned and pulled away from the embrace, moving to sit back against the sink cabinet. “I did though!” a sniffle, “I went to a party with Nathan and got home a bit late.. Apparently Nick had been waiting for me,” a pause so he could take a deep breath. “So he asked me where I had been and said he was worried.. But I ended up telling him to fuck off and that it was none of his business.” Chris’ voice cracked as he ended his rant, more tears welling up in his eyes.

Matt’s eyes were wide as he sat there, obviously baffled. Chris never snaps at anyone like that, even when he’s drunk. He himself has encountered Chris while he’s drunk and he’s usually just super clingy and emotional… This was.. Different in a way.

Chris took the lack of words from Matt as a bad thing and buried his head into his hands, bringing his knees up to his chest. “I’m an awful little brother!”

Matt snapped out of his thoughts, immediately making a move to console Chris. “What? No, no! You’re not an awful little brother Chris-” the youngest cut him off with a sob.

“Yes I am! I’m so stupid! Nick’s only been home for two days and I’ve already ruined it! And now he’s gonna go back to LA and ignore us for the rest of our lives!” His sobbing began to shift into full on tears streaming down his face, his breathing no longer even but quick and sharp.

Matt grimaced at the loud crying, but didn’t hesitate to pull Chris back into his chest, holding him tightly to his chest. “Alright, it’s alright, I’m here..” his voice was nothing but a whisper, soft with a tone he only uses for Chris.

Chris sobbed into Matt’s chest for the second time in the last 30 minutes. The feeling of Matt’s fingers running through his hair and the tight, but comforting embrace, it all made him feel wanted in some way, made him forget his interaction with Nick last night.

He has Matt, and he’s been mistreating that bond between them. In all honesty, it shocked Chris to his core that it took him getting drunk as fuck for them to make up.

Matt continued his comforting words, not shushing the younger to shut him up, but trying to control Chris enough that he could calm him down.

Chris’ skin was burning up, which made Matt even more concerned than he originally had been.

As Matt was checking his temperature, Chris was attempting to calm himself down, listening to the comforting rhythm of Matt’s heartbeat.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

His breathing evened out again, eyes drooping in exhaustion. Matt didn’t say a word, just held him close as he drifted off to sleep.

The last thing he remembers is being lifted off the ground, and then black.

—-----------------------------------------------------

Chris awoke to a hushed voice. He shifted on what he could only assume was his bed, maneuvering his right arm to rest under his pillow, sighing in relief at the cold feeling. His mind focused on the voice- wait no. Voice’s. Plural. As he didn’t have much else to do.

“How long do you think it’s gonna be until he wakes up?” The voices were muffled to Chris, his head still aching from his wild ass hangover. His bed sheets rustled and part of the mattress beside his head dipped under a newfound weight. A hand started brushing through his unruly curls in a soothing motion.

The voices were closer now, more clear. He could make them out to belong to none other than Nick and Matt.

“I’m not sure. He was a wreck earlier. This hangover is taking a lot out of him.” Matt sounded concerned, but stable. Usually, when Chris has these episodes, he dotes on him and makes
sure he knows he’s not angry, which he did earlier, but now Nick is right next to them as well, and Chris knows Matt’s still a bit iffy showing that side of himself around Nick. Now that Chris thinks about it, Matt’s not in the wrong in this whole situation, but neither is Nick.

It was silent for a moment, the only sounds being their soft breathing and the air conditioning.

Nick spoke up, breaking the peaceful silence. “I’m sorry. For everything.” The apology caught Chris off guard, but he waited for Matt to respond to it, curious on how Matt would take this.

“It’s.. It’s alright. I just need time.” Matt’s voice was nothing but a whisper, the tone he had used while they were talking about Chris long gone by now. His voice gave off a sense of sadness. Maybe acceptance if you looked too far into it.

Nick hummed in response, the comforter of Chris’ bed rustling a bit more as the eldest inched closer to them. “I get that. I really do. I just… I missed you guys, and I wanna try and get that bond back.” A pause. “That’s only if you’re comfortable with that of course. I know you’ve been pissed at me and I obviously wouldn’t wanna force you into hanging out with me.” The eldest’s voice trailed off at the end, and the silence returned.

Whoever was running their fingers through his hair carefully unlaced it from his curly strands. The weight on his bed lessened as they stood up and soft footsteps echoed through the room as they walked to the door.

Chris let out the smallest whine in protest but quickly got over it.

The door creaked open, but just as Chris thought they were gone, a voice broke through a silence. “I’m free Saturday.. I’m not sure about Chris though.” Matt. He sounded slightly uncomfortable, but this was progress. Chris felt sorta bad for eavesdropping on their conversation, but they’re the ones who decided to have a heart to heart in HIS bedroom.

There was the sound of someone’s breath hitching, probably Nick’s as he was the one who spoke up next, his voice soft. “Okay… Thank you.”

The door squeaked as it shut.

His comforter was lifted, causing him to shiver a tad bit. His room was freezing and the blanket had been the only thing keeping him warm beforehand. Chris made a noise of protest but was quickly shushed as Nick laid down next to him.

Chris forced his eyes open to look at the older. Nick had dark bags under his eyes, but still gave him a smile of reassurance. “Hey sleepyhead.” His voice was soft as he spoke, giving Chris a sense of protection.

Chris let out a hum, letting his eyes droop as he curled closer to Nick. “m’still sleepy..”

Nick hummed back, re-positioning himself to be fully laying down. “That’s alright. You can sleep for a little longer. I’ll be here when you wake up.” His hand drifted towards Chris’ mocha colored hair, letting his fingers drift through the knotty curls.

Chris nodded against Nick’s hand, pulling his comforter up to his chin as he allowed himself to drift off once more. “Promise?”

Nick’s lips curved up into a smile at the youngest’s sleepy tone and carefully linked their pinky together in a promise. “Pinky promise.”

Chris let out a small sigh and allowed his pinky to curl tighter around Nick’s as he finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep, their fight long forgotten by now.

Upstairs, in Matt’s bedroom, the window was wide open.

The middle was sat on the roof, given it was flat there. It’s something he’s been doing for a while now. His place that he goes when he wants peace and quiet. He was bundled up under multiple coats, a cigarette in between his fingers.

Chris has his problems, and he has his.

Maybe his are less important at the time being though.

Maybe he’ll never tell his brothers about it.

It’s not like it was an addiction, just a cure for his anxiety.

The only thing that worked.

His bones would ease up, he would feel numb for the time being.

What they don’t know won’t hurt them.

Right?

Notes:

Thank you for reading! I hope you tune in next weekend!

With much love, Noelle!

Notes:

Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll be posting every weekend unless it's a big holiday!

Love, Noelle

Cross posted on Wattpad under the username SlayBeeLovers