Pairing: y/n x enemy!matt
Backstory: Y/n and Matt are childhood enemies forced to be around each other by their parents who are good friends. On top of that they’re neighbors and y/n is best friends with Matt’s triplet brothers Chris and Nick. The undeniable pull Matt and y/n feel for each other doesn’t help in the slightest. Will they continue pretending they’re enemies or will they snap and give in?
Warnings: being drunk, underage drinking at a party, hurt, mention of erection, mention of cheating, swearing, ambulance, doubt
Matt smirks at me, getting closer. He stops for a second after he spills a little beer from his red cup onto the floor, looking down at the mess for barely a second before continuing like nothing happened. “Hey, princess. Drink.”
He holds the red cup toward me, the corner of his mouth still pulled into that irritating smirk. “No thanks.”
He pouts playfully, tilting his head. “You’re no fun.”
I roll my eyes at his face. This needs to be documented. Matt Sturniolo, the guy who apparently thinks drinking beer at every possible opportunity is a personality trait, is pouting because I rejected his drink. I should take a picture. Actually, I should take several. Maybe I’ll frame one. Maybe I’ll put it on a billboard.
“I’m responsible. Unlike you.” Matt sneers, pulling the cup back toward himself. “Whatever…”
I almost laugh. He’s so predictable. We’ve been doing this for so long that I can practically predict what he’s going to say before he opens his mouth. I know the exact look he’ll make when he’s annoyed, I know when he’s about to roll his eyes, and I know when he’s going to make some sarcastic comment. And apparently, he knows me just as well. It’s annoying. Very annoying.
The party is loud around us, music shaking the walls while people talk over one another. There are cups scattered across tables, half-eaten snacks sitting on plates, and people constantly moving between rooms. We’d won earlier, which apparently meant everyone had decided tonight was the perfect excuse to get completely wasted. Matt seemed especially committed to that idea. I glance at his cup. He takes another sip. I shake my head.
Before I can say anything else, Nick spots me. His face immediately lights up. He grabs Liam’s hand and starts dragging him through the crowd toward us. Liam laughs as he tries to keep up. “Liam, this is y/n. Y/n, this is Liam.”
I smile at him. “Hi.” “Hey.”
Liam seems like a good guy. Nick’s type, after all. Shaggy blonde hair and brown eyes, contrasting Nick’s brown hair and blue eyes. They seem like a perfect couple. I look at Nick. He’s smiling. Not his usual smile, either. There’s something different about it, something softer. His eyes keep flicking toward Liam, almost unconsciously, and every time Liam says something, Nick looks at him like he’s genuinely interested in every word. It’s obvious. Painfully obvious. Nick really likes him.
I don’t say anything because I know Nick would probably deny it if I pointed it out, but I can’t help smiling slightly to myself. Matt notices.
“What are you smiling at?”
“Nothing.” He narrows his eyes. I ignore him. Nick looks between us.
“Is Matt causing you trouble? I told him not to go too heavy on the alcohol but when does he ever listen to me?” I look at Matt. He raises his eyebrows as if he’s completely innocent.
“No worries, I’ll just go find Chris. By the way, where is he?” Nick points toward the other side of the room. “Oh, right by the balcony.”
I grab two cups of soda from the table nearby. One for me, one for Chris. I turn back toward Nick and Liam. “Bye.” Nick waves. “Bye.”
I look at Matt. He looks back at me. I smile sweetly, then flip him off. His eyebrows shoot up. “Seriously?”
I grin before turning away. I hear him mutter something behind me, but I don’t bother turning around.
I make my way through the crowded room toward the balcony. The closer I get, the quieter everything becomes. I push open the door and step outside. The cool air immediately hits my face. It’s a relief. Inside, the party is loud and chaotic. Out here, everything is calmer.
Chris is leaning against the wall beside the balcony railing, staring out into the distance. I walk over and hand him one of the cups. “What’s on your mind, Chris?”
He glances down at the cup before taking it. “Thanks.”
I lean against the wall next to him. For a few seconds, neither of us says anything. The music from inside is muffled through the closed doors, and I can hear occasional bursts of laughter from people inside. Chris takes a sip. Then he smiles. “We won.”
I look at him. “Yeah, sure did. Matt’s gonna be so smug about it tomorrow.” Chris laughs. “He definitely is.”
I sigh. If I had a gun to my head and the shooter asked me who the most arrogant person I ever met was, I’d say Matt. But on a deeper level, I wouldn’t.
It’s weird. Matt is smug when he wants to be, when he’s in the mood to be. Usually, he’s the quiet triplet. That’s why he got his driver’s license right away at sixteen, so he could get out of situations he didn’t want to be in.
Matt hides it. And the fucker is doing a pretty good job at it. Most people probably wouldn’t even notice. They see the sarcastic one, the confident one, the one who always has something to say. But that’s not all there is to him.
Nick told me about Matt’s anxiety one day after a deep conversation. I never would’ve guessed. Not in a million years. I remember being genuinely surprised when Nick told me.
Matt? Anxious? It didn’t fit the version of him I’d always known.
So why does he act like a total asshole? Is it a way of coping? I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. I’ve never asked him, and I never will. Not unless someone forces me.
Chris looks toward me. “Does he know that you know about his…”
He doesn’t even have to finish his sentence for me to know what he’s talking about. I sip my drink, rolling my eyes as if.
“Of course not. That’s deep conversation material. Me and Matt aren’t nowhere near friends who have deep convos.”
Chris laughs quietly. I look out over the balcony. The night is darker than I expected. I can see lights from houses in the distance. For some reason, I start thinking about how long I’ve known Matt.
I don’t even really know when or how the hostility between me and Matt started. I’ve known him my whole life, and I’ve hated him for as long as I can remember.
As kids, it was little things. Silly pranks. Putting ants in my kindergarten backpack. Stepping on my sandcastle when our families went to the beach together. There were countless little moments like that. I’d build something, he’d ruin it. I’d get annoyed, he’d laugh. I’d try to get revenge, he’d get me back. It became a cycle.
As we got older, the insults intensified. But they don’t hurt. At least, they never used to. They became background noise. Something familiar. Something expected. Matt would insult me, I’d insult him back. We’d argue, then we’d move on. It was always like that.
I can’t deny that Matt grew up nicely. I got a great view of it twice today. But whatever. He just looks fine. That’s it. Nothing more. As if I’d ever think of dating him.
Chris suddenly looks amused. I immediately know he’s about to say something. “Not to be a snitch, but you know he got a hard on today, and I’m guessing it’s because of you.” I choke on my soda. I cough, staring at him with wide eyes.
“Excuse me?” Chris starts laughing. “Yeah, you didn’t notice? Ever since you guys came into the cafeteria he’s been shifty.”
I stare at him. There is no way. Matt? Because of me? No. Absolutely not. Chris looks at me like he knows everything. I already know what’s coming. I’ve heard shit about it for years.
“Seriously, when are you two finally gonna give in? You’re obviously crazy about each other.” Chris has that look on his face like he’s pointing out something obvious. I stare at him. I’d rather lick the bottom of a zoo worker’s shoe. I don’t even bother saying it immediately. The thought alone makes me grimace.
“I’d rather lick the bottom of a zoo worker’s shoe.”
Chris bursts out laughing. I roll my eyes. He laughs for another few seconds before finally letting the topic go.
Doesn’t sound right. He spends every day of his life annoying me. He’s spent years finding new ways to irritate me. Why would he suddenly—No.
Probably Chris just trying to set us up. That’s all. It has to be. I take another sip of my drink. I try to push the thought out of my mind. It doesn’t work.
Eventually, I head back inside. The moment I step through the doors, the noise hits me again. Music, talking, laughter, people shouting across the room. I look around for Nick, Liam, and Matt.
Nick is nowhere to be found, probably getting drinks with Liam. I start walking toward them.
Then I hear a familiar voice. Andrew. My ex.
My steps slow. I recognize his voice instantly. I don’t even need to see him. My stomach twists. Matt is standing beside him. They’re talking. Laughing.
I stop a short distance away. I don’t know why I don’t walk over. Maybe I should. Maybe I should just grab Nick and leave. Instead, I stay where I am. I hear Matt speaking.
“Yeah, dude, can’t believe you managed to be with her for 4 months. That’s crazy. All that chitter chatter in your ear every waking second must’ve been annoying, right?”Andrew laughs.
“Can’t believe it myself. But hey, I’m free now. And I’ve got an amazing new girlfriend now.”
Matt snorts. “Yeah, at least you got rid of the biggest bitch ever. She ain’t even that pretty though. No wonder she got cheated on.”
At least, that’s what it feels like. The music is still playing. People are still talking. Someone laughs somewhere behind me. But it all sounds distant.
I stare at the back of Matt’s head. I know it’s him. I know it is. But it hurts. It shouldn’t. I’ve heard worse from him. I’ve called him worse. We’ve said horrible things to each other before. But this is different. Because he knew.
He knew what Andrew had done. He knew I’d been upset all week. He knew exactly how much it had bothered me. And he still said it.
Chris’s words come back to me. Maybe Matt actually—
I turn around. I walk out of the party.
Nobody stops me. Nobody calls after me. Maybe nobody noticed. Maybe that’s better. The second I’m outside, the cold air hits me. I take a deep breath.
My voice sounds quieter than I expect.
I look toward the sky. I thought Matt wouldn’t go that far. Maybe that asshole of a person had some sense. But I guess not.
I hate him. I hate him so much.
And then it starts to rain. I stare upward. “Well isn’t that absolutely majestic.”
Of course. Because apparently the night wasn’t miserable enough already. Rain starts falling harder. My eyes burn. I refuse to let the tears fall.
I’m not going to cry over Matt fucking Sturniolo. We’ve been doing this for over a decade. Get it together, y/n.
I wipe at my eyes aggressively. I walk toward my car. My clothes are already getting damp. My hair sticks to my face. I don’t care.
I unlock the car and climb inside. I shut the door. For a moment, everything is quiet. I lean my head against the wheel. I close my eyes. I just sit there.
I don’t want to think. I don’t want to feel. I don’t want to replay what I heard. But my brain does it anyway. The words repeat over and over.
Biggest bitch ever. Not even that pretty. No wonder she got cheated on.
I pull my phone out of my purse. I stare at the screen. No messages. No calls. Good. I don’t want anyone asking if I’m okay. Because I’m not. And I don’t want to explain why.
I lock my phone and place it beside me.
The worst part isn’t even what he said. Okay, that’s a lie. It is absolutely what he said. But it’s also the fact that I genuinely thought he wouldn’t.
Matt and I have spent years insulting each other. We’ve embarrassed each other, pranked each other, gotten into arguments over the stupidest things imaginable. He’s called me annoying, dramatic, spoiled, stubborn, messy, loud, and about a hundred other things. I’ve called him arrogant, insufferable, stupid, ugly—Okay, maybe not ugly. But that’s beside the point.
Our insults have always had some invisible line. Some boundary neither of us crossed. Until tonight. And the worst part? He knew exactly where that line was.
He knew what Andrew had done. He knew I’d been upset all week. He knew I’d just walked into a party where my ex was openly talking about me. And he still said it.
I stare through the windshield. Rain runs down the glass. For a second, I wonder if Chris was wrong. Maybe there was never anything behind Matt’s behavior. Maybe there was never anything hidden underneath all the teasing. Maybe he really does think I’m annoying. Maybe he really does think I’m ugly. Maybe he really does think I’m a bitch. Maybe I made everything else up in my head.
If that’s so, why am I even talking to him? Why am I spending my precious time insulting him? Why do I care so much about what he thinks?
I don’t have an answer. And I don’t want one.
I turn the key. The engine starts. I pull away from the party. The loud music fades as I get further from the house.
I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding in. The streets are almost empty. Rain continues tapping against the windshield. My thoughts are still racing.
Maybe I got it all wrong. Maybe there was no line. Maybe Matt really does genuinely think that about me.
I grip the steering wheel tighter. I just want to get home. I need to be as far away from him as possible.
Eventually, I reach my house. I pull into the driveway. I kill the engine. For a few seconds, I sit there. Then I open the door and get out. I reach into my purse.
Still nothing. I check my jacket pockets.
Nothing. My stomach drops.
I forgot them at the party.
I walk back toward my car with my shoulders hunched forward. Could this night BE any worse? I open the car door, get inside, start the engine again, and head back toward the party.
The rain has gotten heavier. The windshield wipers move back and forth. I squint through the rain. Then I see something ahead. Flashing lights. Red. Blue. My stomach drops. An ambulance.
I slow down. It’s stopped near the house. People are standing outside. I can’t see what’s happening. My heart starts beating faster. I pull closer. And then I see him. Matt.
He’s being carried inside the ambulance. I freeze. “What the fuck?”
My hands tighten around the steering wheel. I stare through the windshield. I can’t move. I can’t think. A few minutes ago, I hated him. Now all I can think is one thing.
a/n: A bit of a cliff hanger hehe, took a break but am gonna start writing
