LES || matt sturniolo ( ✓ )

𝟎𝟑𝟗. family

CHAPTER 039 -
╰┈➤ ' family ' ೃ⁀➷ 
「 real life 」

─ real life ☾

THE GROUP HAD DECIDED TO MEET UP AT THE TRIPLETS' HOUSE, the usual hangout spot. as matt wandered down the stairs, he was greeted by the familiar chaos that always filled the space, his brothers and their friends, all together under one roof. the living room was a mix of laughter and banter, the atmosphere lively and warm.

"look who finally decided to show up," nick called from the couch, his tone playful as he waved a chip at matt.

"as if i'd miss out on this," matt replied, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame. "you know i can't say no to free snacks."

vivienne was sitting on the floor, her legs tucked beneath her, laughing as hope showed her something funny on her phone. when she looked up and caught matt's eye, a bright smile broke across her face. it always made his heart race a little when she looked at him like that.

"you're just in time," hope said, glancing up with a mischievous grin. "we're about to start a game. wanna join, matt?"

"of course, what are we playing?" he asked, walking over to the couch where the others had gathered.

"it's called 'who's most likely to'," chris explained, grinning as he spread out some cards on the coffee table. "you pick a card, read it out loud, and we all vote on who we think fits the description best."

"sounds like trouble," matt chuckled, taking a seat next to vivienne. he felt a warm buzz of energy between them, the way they casually leaned into each other.

"oh, it's going to be amazing," nick said with a wink. "i'm ready to expose some secrets."

the first few rounds were filled with laughter and playful teasing. the questions ranged from silly to surprisingly insightful. "who's most likely to forget their own birthday?" prompted nick, which immediately led to a chorus of laughs directed at chris.

"hey! that was one time!" chris protested, but he was laughing, too.

as the game continued, matt found himself feeling more relaxed, enjoying the rhythm of their friendship. when it was vivienne's turn, she drew a card and read, "who's most likely to start a fight at a party?"

without hesitation, everyone pointed at matt, their laughter erupting around him.

"wow, thanks, guys," he said, feigning offense. "i'll have you know that i'm a peaceful guy, unless someone tries to kiss my girlfriend." he shot a teasing grin at vivienne, who blushed slightly but rolled her eyes.

"don't flatter yourself," she shot back, laughing. "i think you just have a flair for the dramatic."

"that's a compliment," he said with a cocky smile, leaning closer. "it means i'm entertaining."

"entertaining? more like exhausting," she retorted, but her playful tone softened the words.

after the game, they shifted to the kitchen to grab snacks. matt found himself standing next to vivienne as they dug through the cabinets. he could feel the warmth radiating from her, a familiarity that was comforting. he turned to her, leaning casually against the counter.

"you know," he began, glancing over at her, "you're pretty good at this game. maybe we should team up next time."

"team up? why? so you can drag me into all your chaos?" she replied, raising an eyebrow but smiling.

"exactly," he said, grinning. "it'll be fun."

vivienne laughed, shaking her head, and matt's heart fluttered. he was about to say something more when nick and chris wandered into the kitchen, arguing about the next movie choice. "we should totally watch that new action movie," chris insisted, grabbing a bag of chips.

"no way!," nick shot back, pulling the remote from the couch.

matt and vivienne exchanged amused glances, shaking their heads. "they're never going to agree," vivienne said quietly, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"maybe we should just let them fight it out," matt suggested, leaning closer, their shoulders brushing.

"matt! no," she giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

as the bickering escalated, they decided to let the two figure it out themselves. instead, vivienne and matt found a quiet corner in the living room where they could escape the chaos for a moment. he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching her with a soft smile.

"so, what do you think of all this?" he asked, nodding back to the ongoing debate.

"it's nice," she said, her voice thoughtful. "i like how comfortable everyone is with each other. it feels like a family."

matt felt a warmth spread through him at her words. "yeah, it's pretty great. but you know, it's even better with you here."

her cheeks flushed a little, and she looked down for a moment, then back up at him. "you're not too bad yourself, matt."

just then, nick called from the other room. "hey, you two! are you going to join us or just stand there flirting all night?"

"shut up!" matt shouted back, though he couldn't hide his grin.

vivienne laughed, shaking her head. "we better go before he comes over here and drags us back himself."

"good idea," he said, following her into the living room where the others were still debating over what movie to watch. as they rejoined the group, matt felt a sense of belonging, a warmth that came from being surrounded by his friends, and especially from being next to vivienne.

they finally settled on a movie, and as the night wore on, they settled into their usual banter, sharing popcorn and teasing one another over various scenes. the laughter filled the room, a sweet reminder of how much he valued moments like these.

evie speaks
there hasn't been a group hangout in so long i HAD to write one