unruly ⇉ chris sturniolo.

under the stars.

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The air felt thick tonight, something about how risky this was for Chris to be doing again wasn't fairing the boy well. Normally the thrill of sneaking out to hang by the river a few blocks down added a little fizzle to his late-night rendezvous with the stars, but today, it did quite the opposite. The fire that once burned up a flame of anticipation in the pits of his stomach as he strolled with his hood up and hands in his pockets were nothing but dust, leaving a wary something instead to still his blood and make his heart pound furiously simultaneously. His fingers fiddled with the grinder and the pack of rizlas in his pockets to stop them from picking themselves raw like they always did, though that didn't last very long. Brutal winter chills were seeping right under his skin and it made it practically impossible to control his fingers well enough for anything at all; a slight panic set in as his fingertips grew numb along with his ears and his nose too, sniffling as he felt it run suddenly like he'd just done a line or two. Rounding the corner and weaving through a few trees and bushes, relief overcame the boy as his special spot came into view, which was quickly relinquished again by the sight of the spot being occupied. His feet came to a halt in a rather unfortunate place over a pile of wood but he couldn't find it in him to continue as his brain boomed with far too many thoughts for his sensitive head. If it weren't for the moonlight reflecting so beautifully off of the river and illuminating the mystery figure he would've immediately thought one of his brothers had come to catch him in the act and have him busted, instead he stared and racked his brain for a moment he may have let slip this secret location. Alas, not one came up. So this wasn't someone he was acquainted with, which made him equally relieved and uneasy. From what he could see in the dim lighting with blurry eyes it was a girl, with blonde hair tied up into something messy and a dress he assumed. It didn't look like much fabric and hardly anything suitable for the season but who was he to judge? Chris had come out in the minuses without a winter coat himself. He'd hesitantly taken another step after working up the courage and regaining control of his body once more, feeling a twig break under his beat-up Air Forces and hearing the crack echo across the water. The mysterious girl's head swung in his direction obviously startled by the noise, making eye contact with Chris and sending a shiver down his spine.

"Are you gonna come sit or keep starin' at me?"

Chris felt obligated now, to rush over and take his rightful seat on the log he'd found months before but he'd waited for a second longer just in case she was about to murder him or whatever, why on earth he was only becoming so worried about his safety now and not earlier when he left his front door he didn't know. He couldn't imagine someone with such a sweet face committing a crime like that anyways. Gross. A rosy blush crept over the boy's face leaving a trail of heat behind and he wasn't too sure why he was burning up, whether it was from cringing at his inner monologue or the fact a pretty ass girl had just called him over was hard to pinpoint. Eventually, though, Chris had sat down not so gracefully on the tree branch, letting a chuckle pass his lips in pity for himself before looking up and seeing a small smile on the girl's face. Now right next to her, the reflected light lit up her whole complexion, putting every crease and freckle on display for him and Chris felt his cheeks heat up even more. He'd seen his fair share of the stereotypical pretty girls with bleached hair and those silly tooth gems they'd so obviously seen on TikTok, yet not a single one he recalled could compare to the girl in front of him. Too caught up in being mesmerised by her, he'd forgotten entirely what he'd come here for and was simply lost in his head for far longer than he'd ever care to admit. She'd laughed out loud this time and it'd snapped him back to reality with a jump and an even deeper blush caressing his face.

"Fuck, sorry"

His eyes were darting everywhere now: across the water at the passing cars on the highway, the full moon, hell even the barely visible ants crawling on the dirt. They'd seemed to have lost their bearings after being so engrossed in another green pair and couldn't grip a single thing if his life depended on it. Chris tried to get back on task, stuffing his shaking hands into the pockets of his sweatpants and retrieving a grinder, a pack of rolling paper, some filters and a baggy of weed, but no lighter. Shit.

"You got a lighter by any chance, sweetheart?"

It was an idiotic question, given the fact the blonde was in fact already puffing on a half-whittled joint between her fingers, but he let it slip without a second thought. A newfound confidence was bubbling in his chest as the pet name simply flowed off his tongue like water on a fountain, something he never even considered saying any other time. It just felt so fitting now. Before he knew it, a glittery pink lighter was landing in his lap from his right, the girly design making him chuckle as he started putting together his joint with eagerness flowing through his fingers.

The pair of teens simply sat together and smoked their lungs away for the next half hour, or at least much longer than the joints had lasted whilst they watched the world in front of them in a comfortable silence. Gradually, they'd inched closer and closer to one another, now shoulder to shoulder and feeding off one another's warmth. Though the nameless girl was hardly warm, in fact, she was so cold she was shivering and rubbing the sides of her arms to generate any heat she could, tucking even further in on herself with her knees now pulled to her chest. It was most definitely not the smartest way to be sitting with a skirt on and she hoped the boy beside her couldn't see much, but she wasn't exactly thinking so logically with her smoke-clouded head. She was lost in her mind thinking about the beautiful boy and wondering if they'd ever see each other again that she had failed to notice him sitting up and slipping off his grey Fresh Love hoodie; it was shoved into her hands and that's what pulled her from her conscience.

"You're fucking freezing, have it"

The pair locked eyes, gazing into one another's souls and being sucked in with no remorse. It was all far too much for either of them but neither could bring themselves to avert their gaze; they were tethered by the eyes it felt like. She had to admit, she would do that forever and ever if it was possible, because the boy's blue eyes were mesmerising on a level she'd never experienced and staring into them made her feel like she'd known him her whole life, filling with the warmths of comfort and safety she'd never felt. Slowly, the blonde slipped the hoodie over her head and pulled it down over her knees, smiling small at the sheer size difference as she took in the scents of him. The hoodie smelt sweet like vanilla and something musky she couldn't quite put her finger on but it was surely warming her up one way or another, filling her cheeks with the same shades of blush that filled the boy's when they first met. He'd turned to leave having checked the time and realising he was most definitely going to be in trouble with his parents when he got back, no excuse of Nate's house at this ungodly hour. But he couldn't leave, because a hand was pulling at his wrist and keeping him there.

"It's Tori"

Hm.

"Chris"

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