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nick goes to open the back drivers side door of the car, before chris quickly places his hand over the door handle.
“you can sit in front again, i wanna sit with y/n.” chris suggests, trying to sound casual but the hint of desperation in his voice is apparent to all of us.
nick raises an eyebrow, “you’re actually ridiculous chris” he shakes his head before walking around to the other side and sitting up front.
i smile almost teasingly at chris, a pink tinge becoming present on his cheeks.
“you want aux?” chris asks.
“no, i’m okay with whatever yall want to play.” i tell him.
“you sure?” he asks again, just to be sure.
“chris this is literally like suffocating.” matt pipes up, peering back at us through the rear view mirror.
“i’m just making sure.” chris defends.
chris and i have always had a flirty friendship, but lately i’ve noticed a new intensity to it all. it’s like every time i turn around he’s there, primed and ready with a new excuse to be close to me. it seems like the entire dynamic of our friendship was changing right in front of me.
but i wouldn’t call it a bad change.
while he used to casually brush his hand against mine, or throw out a teasing, flirty comment here and there, he now finds every excuse to touch me- whether that be his knee pressed against mine whenever we sit next to eachother, much like right now as he sits beside me, occasionally stealing glances at me, or moving past me with his hand pressed against the small of my back.
he takes any chance he can get to compliment me, telling me how pretty i am, that i’m smart, talented, even things as random as he likes the way i look in green.
and then of course, the way he looks at me.
he has a longing eyes that weren’t there in boston, like he’s trying to tell me something without words.
i’d be lying if i said i didn’t love every part of it.
we pull up to the restaurant and matt throws the car in park. chris opens the door for me, of course, extending out his hand for me to take in assistance.
“i can’t remember if i told you already, but you look really nice y/n.” matt remarks, a warm smile playing on his lips.
“thanks.” i smile, accepting the compliment.
i glance over at chris, his jaw slightly clenches at the compliment. i brush my fingers against his to ease the tension.
once we enter the restaurant, the host escorts us to our seats. chris’s hand planted on the small of my back, guiding me.
we get sat in a booth and chris slides in next to me. his legs brushes against mine under the table, sending a jolt of electricity up my spine. the soft hue of the overhead lights casting a warm hue on chris’s features, illuminating them perfectly.
chris’s arm drapes casually on the back of the booth, his fingers grazing my shoulder gently. it’s a small gesture, but it feels so intimate, almost as if he’s taking a silent claim over me. i try focusing on the menu, but it’s almost impossible with him this close.
“what’re you thinking about getting?” chris leans down to speak to me, his breath warm against my ear with the close proximity.
“i actually don’t know. this is the biggest menu ive ever seen in my life.” i laugh, glancing around at the endless options.
“i recommend the alfredo, just sayin” he suggests with a casual shrug.
“you always recommend alfredo.” i roll my eyes playfully.
“and it’s always the best thing.” chris defends.
“actually, it doesn’t sound half bad.” i admit.
“see? what did i tell you?” he says confidently. earning another eye roll from me.
a little while after we take our order, our food arrives.
as we eat and talk casually amongst ourselves, matt interrupts the conversation.
“oh y/n, you kinda got something right there.” he gestures to the corner of my mouth. “here i got it.” he leans over the table with a napkin, gently wiping the sauce from my face.
“oh thank you.” i murmur, feeling slightly flustered from the interaction, but i shake it off when i notice chris’s sudden change in demeanor. he goes quiet for the first time tonight, i give his hand a gentle squeeze under the table.
surely not. why would he be? matt is his brother, and im his best friend.
after dinner, the drive home was painfully quiet. you could cut the tension in the air with a knife.
now chris and i sit silently in his bed. i excuse myself to go take a shower, in hopes that maybe he would get over whatever had his so pissed off by the time i was done.
“i’m gonna go shower.” i stand up, grabbing a pair of pajamas out of my suitcase.
“k.” chris replies coldly.
i stop myself from saying anything, i didn’t want to argue with him.
i walk back into chris’s room, and sit back in his bed. chris had turned on netflix, and was watching love island.
“watcha watching?” i ask, desperate to break the silence.
“what’s it look like?” he responds sarcastically.
i was done holding my tongue, “chris what is your problem? why are you so mad?” i ask, my patience finally snapping.
“maybe next time you want to gawk over my brother, don’t do it in front of me.” he snaps back.
“are you serious?” i scoff. “that’s what this is about? matt wiping sauce off my face?”
“you’re fully capable of doing it yourself, no?” chris retorts.
“you’re acting as if i asked him to do that, he was just being nice.” i defend, my voice tinged with frustration.
as i sit there, facing chris, a whirlwind of thoughts race through my mind. i can’t believe we were arguing about something as trivial as matt wiping sauce off my face. it seemed so insignificant, yet chris was clearly upset. i can’t help but feel a mix of frustration and confusion. why is he making such a big deal out of this? does he seriously think i have any control over matt's actions?
deep down, i wonder if theres more to chris's reaction. is he really that jealous? the idea of that seems almost absurd, but there’s no denying the intensity in his eyes. i try to push the thought away, focusing instead on defending myself. i hadn't done anything wrong. matt was just being nice, and it felt unfair to be blamed for something so innocent.
yet, despite my in doubtable irritation, a small part of me couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. if chris actually is jealous, does that mean he cares more than he lets on? was the flirty behavior more than just chris being typical chris? the thought is both thrilling and terrifying. i don’t want to read too much into it, but the possibility lingered in the back of my mind, adding another layer of complexity to our already tangled relationship.
chris’s expression softens when he sees the frustration in my eyes. he sighs, running his hand through his hair.
“i’m sorry.” he says quietly. “i overreacted. it’s just, shit, i don’t know. maybe i’m just jealous.” he admits.
“chris you don’t have to be jealous.” i tell him.
he looks at me, eyes full of sincerity. “yeah i know, i just care about you, a lot and sometimes it just gets the best of me.”
a small smile tugs on my lips. “i care about you too chris. more than you know.”
“but, can you just promise me you’ll talk to me when things bother you before you go an be a dick about it?” i tease, extending my pinky out to him.
“i promise.” he laughs, interlocking his pinky with mine.
a/n: sorry i didn’t know how to really end this LMAO. i don’t really know how to feel about this part tbh. PLEASE lmk your thoughts/ what you would like to see in future parts. my requests are ALWAYS open and highly appreciated and encouraged.
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