(mine all mine) 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

nick never told you?

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ೃ༄

the silence couldn't have been louder. tension rose in the air, it was thick and palpable; you could cut it with a knife. all the things left unsaid hung heavily in the environment. matt's eyes focused on the rain-splattered window, watching as raindrops repeatedly hit the glass. you stared at your lap, toying with your fingernails anxiously. each heartbeat against your rib cage only amplified the deafening silence. raindrops drummed against the roof of the mini-van, mirroring the turbulent of emotions within.

matt drummed his fingers against the steering wheel as the two of you waited for chris to come back to the car. usually the sound of matt's tapping on the wheel would irritate you, but seemingly for the first time you didn't mind. you sighed, wishing you could say all the things you wanted to say, but you simply just could not. there were many many things you wanted to tell matt, but you couldn't find the willpower or the courage to say them; to let them roll off your tongue like it was nothing. it was hard to speak your mind when matt wasn't even acknowledging you. it was as if you weren't even there. you shifted in the leather seat, suddenly feeling really hot in the car.

"i wonder..." your voice trailed off, a minuscule part of you hoping matt would prod you to continue. but he didn't. you looked at him. "does chris ever talk about me?"

    matt closed his eyes, sucking in a breath as he winced. he tensed up, all the muscles in his body contracting in an action of dread. he bit his tongue hard, and through a clenched jaw, he said: "don't."

"don't what?"

"don't talk about him. i don't wanna talk about this with you." matt said, but he still hadn't looked at you. by the tone of his voice, you knew you and chris were getting on his last nerve, and so you dropped it.

matt had always been in love with you. ever since the beginning, he knew he was destined for you. from the moment your paths converged like two rivers merging, he had found his heart inexplicably tethered to yours. matt absolutely adored everything and anything about you; your laughter was a melody that played through his mind on repeat. and like a moth drawn to a flame, he found comfort in your smile and your voice and your small habits and the way you'd blush every time he complimented you and your everything. you two shared everything, your conversations flowing effortlessly through mutual passions and dreams, forming an unbreakable bond. you and matt fit together like puzzle pieces, harmonizing in perfect sync, an undeniable connection present. you were his missing piece. but apparently he wasn't yours.

you started dating chris almost a year ago. he had asked you out in the spring, and he was a perfect boyfriend. he'd spoil you with gifts, give the world's best hugs, and he made you feel so special. everything was perfect- until you went and messed it all up. and through a tear-stained face, chris had broken up with you because he knew it wouldn't work out when you still had feelings for someone else. it was known that chris liked you for a while, but you honestly had always felt something for matt.

    you were always drawn to matt- there was no denying that. but even after years and years of yearning, when it seemed like matt never saw you in that light, you felt depleted. you felt you had wasted all your energy and time on this one silly boy who you thought was the love of your life, but in the end he never reciprocated. you had just wish that for once, matt would've just shown some sort of sign that he liked you, and still to this very day, you had no idea that matt had felt the exact same way you had.

    it wasn't that chris was a second choice- the backup when matt didn't work out. it wasn't like that at all. chris showed you the purest form of love you had ever experienced. it was smooth sailing, he was a gentleman in every way possible, but sometimes you just missed the rocky roads of your love for matt. and even though you two were never together, you just missed matt.

    matt felt like he had been living in chris' shadow his entire life. even in sports, like hockey and lacrosse, chris was the star of the movie and matt felt like he was just the supporting character. like he was second to chris in everything, and he wouldn't let you settle for him just because you could not have chris. but he knew that's not how you felt. he knew, deep down, that you had never felt such electrifying love for anyone other than matt. he knew that those feelings you had for him had never gone away, and he knew you two would always end up together. it was you and him till the end.

    "what has gotten into you?" your face crumpled up in irritation, confused why matt was acting so moody. and that's when matt realized that you never knew. you never knew that he liked you just the same way you liked him. you never knew that he was lying awake at night hoping you'd text him, and you never knew that he was smiling just as wide as you would when you texted him.

    his tense figure eased up, shoulders dropping as he finally looked at you. his voice was quiet, soft and raspy. "nick never told you?"

    your brows furrowed. "never told me what?"

    he looked at you. really looked at you. and that's when you knew. that's when you heard all the things unsaid, when you saw that gleam in his eyes you had never noticed before.

and it wasn't long before you lurched forward and kissed matt. you kissed him like your life depended on him; it was as if without matt you would never breathe again. he was your lifeline, and he always would be. he dipped his head to the left, and you dipped yours to the right. his hand was shaking against your cheek, and you ran your fingertips through the soft strands of his dark hair. his musky, sandalwood scent was so strong in your nose that it tickled down your throat. his lips moved seamlessly with yours, and he kissed you desperately. there were so many things you wanted to say to matt, but now you didn't need to. this said everything it needed to.

you pulled away, whispering against his mouth. your foreheads were resting against one another's, and you were out of breath. "do you still-"

he nodded before you could even finish. "yes. yes, i still. i always will."

he kissed you again, and this time it was tentative and gentle compared to how he kissed you before. it was still raining outside, and you found yourself comparing the smell of fresh rain to matt's kiss. his kiss was far superior. and he must've made some sort of noise, because you and matt broke apart, looking out of the window to find chris standing like a deer in headlights. his fists were bunched up tightly, and his jaw was clenched, and you knew that this car ride home was going to be unbearable.

    "shit."

—

AUTHOR SPEAKING !!
this one is a lil angsty lol

idk how if i like how this one turned
out but i have nothing else to
publish so here it is! enjoy this angsty
love triangle between matt and chris

xo