butterflies ઇଓ matt sturniolo imagines

𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅˙ॱᐧ.˳˳.⋅ઇଓ

     you loved going to themed things- parks, restaurants, festivals- anything involving costumes and music and that tangible magic. you were a total nerd for it. and sometimes going somewhere huge like universal wasn't as practical as you wished it was, but there was always medieval times, and you abused that privilege with a smile.

     this time, instead of going with just your wonderfully patient boyfriend, you decided to invite his brothers and best friend along as well. you had somehow convinced nick, chris, and madi to stomach a night of jousting and bread and butter like it was going to be as exciting as a concert. in a way, it would be- well, for you, at least.
     you adore going to medieval times. there's a certain atmosphere inside the place that makes it completely impossible for you not to immerse yourself; the employees might as well be real townspeople straight out of the canterbury tales, defrosted from the middle ages. it was like game of thrones without all the nudity and murder, as you loved to jokingly describe it. you enjoyed going so much that matt has learned to appreciate it, too, in his own way; but for the first time since your 10th birthday (when everyone was forced to go for your sake), and every visit inbetween, tonight you finally have people willing to join you. and because of that, you have a job to do.

     being a seasoned patron of the thematic restaurant, you knew just what to wear. you reserved on special shirt for the occasion- a cream peasant blouse with a little lace-up front. it had puffy sleeves that billowed at your wrists, and when paired with a wine-colored skirt, you looked like a modern day mistress. matt had a silent love for that blouse, and you knew it- that made wearing it worth it. you were settled comfortably at your dresser in the room you shared with matt, nearly done with twisting you hair up in some aimless fashion when the boy walked in.

     "hey, are you close to being ready? madi's almost here."

     you pushed on last bobby pin into your hair and huffed, settling for the style and hoping it didn't look ridiculous from the back. "mhm," you responded, turning in your chair to face the boy in the door frame.

      there was a softness that overtook his face then, softening all those hard features of his; that angular jaw mimicked the roundness of a child's, the slope of his nose felt more inviting than impending, and the pointed nature of his arms and shoulders melted to a mushy stature. you watched as his eyes followed the soft details of your face. they slowly traced invisible lines around your black eyeliner and vampire red lipstick, and punctuated every little fake freckle you used to cover a spot. he was etching a mental picture in his mind right in front of you. you smiled at the change, and he smiled back, diverting his eyes as if they didn't tell you everything you needed to know already.

     "you look pretty," he smiled.

     you eyed his black longsleeve and blue jeans and photographed him the same, because he might be the only man that proves less is absolutely more. you sighed, "so do you."

matt waved your compliment away with cheeks flushed fever pink. he scurried into the room and sat down on the bed, flopping his head back into the pillows and closing his eyes. you watched his chest rise as the breath ebbed and flowed, and you wanted to abandon every plan and flop down beside him, but you just finished your hair and had matt make reservations a week ago. yet, it's always so hard not to stop the world when he's just laying there, waiting for you to do so.

"come on. i'm ready."

matt leapt up to follow you out of the bedroom with a goofy expression plastered on his face. you joined nick on the couch just as the doorbell rang, and watched matt and chris race to open the door like children; you heard a polite voice greeting the boys downstairs, and two "hey madi!"s followed. it only took a moment for you and nick to make your way down, and after a big hug hello, everybody piled into matt's car.