butterflies ઇଓ matt sturniolo imagines

𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳

ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅˙ॱᐧ.˳˳.⋅ઇଓ

on the list of things you expected to do in your lifetime, going on tour with your funny little youtuber boyfriend was not one of them. but alas, here you stood in some gas station in texas at two in the morning, in that exact situation.

     said funny little youtuber boyfriend was in the aisle across from yours, poking his head over the shelves to watch as you searched for a bag of barbecue chips. you couldn't see anything below his eyes, but you could tell they were smiling; it was as if those eyes had a mind and heart of their own.

"did you find them?" his voice drifted over the shelf.

"not yet. still looking."

"i don't know what i'm even hungry for. i'm just hungry," he chuckled.

"you're always hungry."

"you're so short. i can barely see you over the shelf."

"would you shut up?!" you feigned annoyance, but laughed at his insult anyway. even if he was a pain, you were no match for his humor.

you met matt through a string of tiktoker-youtuber types, the same way everybody meets these days. being a singer on tiktok was simultaneously the best and worst thing ever- but it led you to him, so you refused to complain. you didn't have much to show for yourself at first, just a few thousand followers and one viral video, and since you've met matt your numbers have skyrocketed; now you had one million, and all of his fans had a soft spot for you now, too. this was the dream- reaching people with your music. and you were doing it with the most perfect counterpart; he touched them with his humor and that comforting demeanor of his, and you with your voice and lyrics.
when matt suggested you come on tour as a performer, you were unsure to say the least. you've been releasing music independently and only had a few songs out, but you had so many more in your notebook, so there was plenty of set material; the problem was you hadn't ever gone on a real tour. you've played a few small shows with matt backstage cheering you on, but the majority of your performing was through videos online. this would be the first time people were coming to see you, and singing your words back. it sounded like everything you've ever wanted, and you were terrified. but everybody knows that matt is a master of persuasion- and it took him little to no effort to get you to go for it. it went sort of like...

"our fans love your music. it would mean everything to them if you came on tour!"

"matt, i've never done anything like this before. i don't know how it works!"

"you'll learn! plus, tril and malcolm will be there to help. come on, love, this is your chance! and we can do it together!"

"i..."

"just come with me. even if you don't sing, even if you just ride on the bus. i don't want to be without you for two months. i'll go crazy,"

"..."

"please?"

"... if i do this, you're gonna need to help me out. this will be the first tour of my life."

"i swear! i swear on nick and chris! and on trevor!"

"okay, okay! yes, fine, i'll go on tour."

it turns out that tour was nothing like you'd expect it to be- but, you also had to remember this was no ordinary tour. matt, nick, and chris were doing something completely different here. it was a show full of their friends, and of jokes and laughter, and of bringing everyone in a room together and finding family. this tour was special, and you were only just learning how special the life they've created for themselves was.
the first few shows were a bit bumpy. you were still getting used to performing so many songs at once, but you were getting far more comfortable on stage. all the technical difficulties and mishaps were ironed out quite fast. but the best part was the fans; matt's fans- your fans- were the kindest, most interesting people you've ever met. they sang your words right back, and they screamed and yelled and hollered for you. they wanted to meet you. that was certainly new- being the one people wanted to see, the one people looked up to. you didn't grasp any of it until you heard a room of kids repeating your words back to you on stage that first show, and seeing their glassy eyes and beaming smiles. that was when you felt it: this was what you were here for.