Sturniolo Triplets - One Shots/Short Stories

Living Life on Pause - C (pt.2)

Warnings: Anxiety, Emotional Breakdowns, Fights, Cursing, Hospitals, Minor Character Death, Disrespecting the Dead, Drinking to Cope, Nightmares, ...

Chris wasn't made to be alone and suffers

A/N: Please don't give up before finishing the first part haha. This chapter took me forever, I didn't want to make it too obvious and predictable, so I decided to make Chris suffer a lil bit.

Serious question, please give feedback so it can help me decide how to continue - I'm getting a bit bored of writing one-shots, because they are too predictable & follow the same pattern... so I was thinking of writing another longer story, but those usually don't 'do' as well as these one shots... 

So my question is, as readers, do you get tired of these one shots, since they are mostly following the same pattern, and would want another longer story? Or would you prefer if I continue these one shots, without expending any plot lines?

Thanks for your feedback!

The Story:

Three months had passed since the fateful night that forever altered their lives. Their previously lively and happy home was now deathly quiet, empty more often than not, and filled with sickening tension when it wasn't.

Both Nick and Chris tended to stay away for days on end, each finding their own ways to occupy themselves and only coming home for brief periods of time, mostly just to shower and change clothes before leaving again.

Given how everything played out, no one could blame them. The first weeks after were downright horrible, filled with misplaced hope, denial and random bursts of anger. Then, as time passed, it got even worse; neither could handle the guilt festering withing them, both brothers blaming themselves for starting and escalating the argument that drove Matt to leave that night.

Nick and Chris were both the type to lash out when the guilt, pain and frustration got too much to handle, and without Matt to mediate, their fights got too vicious, they lasted too long. Before long, they could hardly stay around each other anymore, not lasting even five minutes without arguing over something or other.

Until a month ago, when they stopped talking for good.

Now, Chris found himself standing alone in a desolate graveyard. He was in front of a grave, his expression blank, eyes empty. There was not a hint of emotion on his face, no sign there was anything inside him.

Everything was cold and grey, dark clouds were gathered overhead and thunder rumbled in the distance, like an ominous soundtrack to Chris's life. Lightning intermittently illuminated the sky, casting eerie shadows across the graveyard. The air was heavy with the promise of rain, a natural event that seemed almost ironic in its timing.

Chris's eyes flickered over the headstone, and he vaguely noted dried urine stains. Nick must've been here earlier, Chris thought emotionlessly, not really caring, just accepting the fact.

His gaze lingered on the grave, his mind quiet. There was nothing to overthink, he knew what he was here for, plus he was honestly too empty for it anyway.

Thunder rumbled again, louder than before, it felt like the ground shook with the intensity from it, as the wind picked up at the same time.

Finally, Chris moved, stepping forward onto the grave with a tense, deliberate motion. Slowly, he raised one leg in the air, then in a sudden burst of pent-up anger, he kicked the gravestone, his shoe connecting with the cold stone repeatedly until it cracked and fell, a symbolic shattering of the respect normally afforded to the dead.