Chapter Text
Chris lounged in the living room, his phone in hand. The light from the screen flickered across his face as he absentmindedly switched between apps, going through Instagram, TikTok, and then YouTube. While scrolling through TikTok, it didn’t take long before he came across an edit of himself, and he paused to watch it – different short clips of him were used, with a black and white filter over them, some trending song playing in the background. Damn, I really look good in this, he thought, smirking to himself. Some skilled editors could really boost his ego.
He instinctively tapped on the comments, wanting to see what their fans were saying about this edit, maybe he’d even like a few, to make them happy. As expected, the comments were mostly positive, but it didn’t take a lot of scrolling before one particular comment caught his eye; it was from a user named 'Chrissysmine4evr' and Chris frowned as he read it, his brows furrowed in exasperation, "My love is soo hot, I need to know where they live so I can watch him through the windows for more content."
"What the fuck," Chris muttered to himself, a shiver running down his spine. He quickly closed the comments and scrolled away, the uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't feel like watching TikTok anymore. Some of these fans are actual creeps, who the hell says something like that?
Suddenly, Nick's voice called from the other room, "Chris, can you come here for a sec?" Grateful for the distraction, Chris leaped up and hurried to his brother, happy to have something to do.
He found Nick struggling with some video editing. "Look at this part, which do you think would be funnier, the …," Nick started explaining, gesturing at the screen. Chris, always full of opinions, dove into helping Nick, their heads close together as they focused on the task.
It didn’t take him long to completely forget about the weird comment.
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A few days passed and life went on as normal. It was now Tuesday night, the day in-between their videos, so Chris decided to upload a post on Instagram, the series of photographs showing himself and himself with each brother enjoying an evening walk, posing in various parts of the park they liked to visit.
The problem came later, as he scrolled through the comments. It was that same account from before, ughh, not her again… he groaned internally. But it was, 'Chrissysmine4evr' had left another comment, a crazier one than the one from before; "Omg, I love how he keeps posting pics outside, giving me clues to find him, taunting me like a bad boy."
A wave of discomfort washed over Chris. He felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, like he was being watched. The comment was beyond creepy, unsettling, but Chris tried to brush it off as just some weird person online, I know she’s probably just trying to be funny, but DAMN, can she like… not?
He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes, and decided not to mention it to anyone yet. He locked his phone and tried to shake off the unease, but a lingering sense of apprehension stayed with him.
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The next time he came across one of her comments was just two days later, when he scrolled through the comments under their most recent YouTube video – a random vlog of them going through the city and enjoying their time together.
At some point during the video, the guys went into a clothing store and tried on a few things before buying them, so while they obviously didn’t film the actual changing, they showed themselves going in and out of the changing rooms, posing a bit in each new outfit.
The comments were pretty standard, with the vast majority of them being nice and positive. But, there it was again, user ‘Chrissysmine4evr’ seemed to be active on YouTube as well. “He did this on purpose, I know it, he wanted me to imagine him changing. He was in there so long too, I swear he’s imagining me running my hands all over his body.”
Chris read her comment over and over, unable to turn his head away for some reason, feeling sick to his stomach as he did so… he really didn’t like how much power one creep on the internet had over him, but he couldn’t help it, her comments made him feel somewhat… dirty.
That’s disgusting, she has to be deranged, this legit isn’t even funny anymore, he thought. Not that it was before…
“Chris? What’s up with you, kid? Your face looks like you’re sucking on a lemon, geez.” Matt’s voice made Chris snap from his thoughts, and he closed his phone immediately. “Nothing, don’t worry about it. Come on, I want food and you’re driving me.”
He got up not a moment later and pulled Matt along with him. He needed a distraction… again…
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Several weeks had passed since Chris first spotted ‘Chrissysmine4evr’s comments, and they hadn't stopped or decreased in the slightest. Not only did he see them literally everywhere, but they were growing increasingly weird and deranged as well.
Chris, though usually unfazed by fan comments, found these particular ones crossed an unspoken line. Sure they got hate, criticism and sexual comments every so often, but these were different. They felt unnaturally invasive, making him feel somehow wrong, uncomfortable in his own skin. They slowly chipped away at his confidence and made him second-guess his every move in their videos and posts. This discomfort began to seep into his enthusiasm for filming. His usual loud, energetic presence in their videos and TikToks had dimmed.
Late one night, or early morning, after wrapping up a car video shoot, the three sat in the car, parked in a random empty store parking lot. Matt noticed Chris lost in thought, his mind clearly elsewhere. "Chris?" Matt called out, trying to get the other’s attention. When he didn’t so much as twitch, Matt looked back at Nick, sharing a concerned glance, before speaking up again. “Chris, you okay, buddy?”
He laid a hand on his shoulder as he said that, which seemed to be what pulled Chris back to reality, making him look up, blinking away his distant thoughts.
"Hm? What's up?" Chris asked, trying to sound casual.
In the car, the silence hung heavy until Matt broke it. "Chris, you've been staring into space for the last five minutes. What's going on with you?"
Before he could deny it, Nick added on, agreeing with Matt. “Yeah kid, you never used to daydream, now you’re constantly spaced out, it’s freaking me out, honestly. What’s got you acting all possessed?”
Chris hesitated, his fingers drumming on his knee. "Nothing… It's just... It’s stupid, it’s not even that serious…”
“Okay… While I’m sure you’re being at least a bit overly-dramatic, I’m also sure that it’s not nothing, seeing it’s got you all weirded out, so…” Nick said sarcastically, motioning for his brother to go on and explain.
Chris just sighed and gave in, no sense in hiding it. “There's this account, 'Chrissysmine4evr.' She comments on everything we post these days and for some reason it’s getting to me."
Nick turned in his seat, concern etched on his face. "The creepy one? I've seen those. I didn’t say anything cuz’ I didn’t wanna bring more attention to it.”
“Is that the one who said that weird shit about kidnapping you and keeping you in her basement?” Matt asked, his own expression revealing his disgust. “I saw a few of her comments, but thought it was best to just ignore her, wait for her to lose interest and move on.”
“Oookaay, that’s literally, clinically insane,” Nick looked as creeped out as Chris felt.
Chris was growing more anxious now that they were finally addressing it, his leg bouncing as he turned to face the other two directly. “Yeah, I shouldn’t be surprised you saw it, she’s legit everywhere, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok,… no matter what app I open, she’s always there. And I swear her comments are getting freakier…”
“I saw the shit she wrote about wanting to cook for you and feed you, made me want to projectile vomit over the screen, for real,” Nick said, watching Chris nod along, indicating he’s seen that too. “What else had she said?”
Chris swallowed, "Stuff like watching me through windows... using pics of us outside to determine my location… that she knew I wanted her to imagine me naked… that I probably imagined her touching me...” He started shaking a bit saying that, gaze fixed on a random spot in the car, unable to meet his brothers’ gazes after the nasty shit he had to explain. “It’s just... too much."
“Ho-ly fuck, no, no, no, that’s soo beyond fucked up,” Nick made a face and brought his hands to cup his face.
Matt's brow was furrowed in concern and disgust. "That's beyond creepy. It's like she’s genuinely obsessed or something."
"Yeah, and it’s not even like, every now and then, ya’ know. It’s constant. Every post, every video," Chris added, his voice tinged with frustration.
Nick leaned back, his expression hardening, forgoing his ‘scared’ faze and entering his ‘no bs, protective’ mode. "Yeah, that’s literally insane, I’m not even joking, she needs to be locked up. And with how it’s affecting you, we can’t just let this go. We need to do something about this. You aren’t obligated to take this, no one is allowed to make you feel unsafe."
“I agree,” Matt nodded, placing his hand gently on Chris’s, “I get that you feel bad about upsetting a fan, but this isn’t right. You’re not required to just take this emotional abuse, that’s not part of the job description.”
Chris looked at his brothers, a mix of gratitude and relief in his eyes. "I thought about blocking her... but she’s probably just young and doesn’t know how to express her fangirling better… I wasn't sure if I was overreacting."
"Overreacting?" Nick scoffed. "Hell no. Let's block this psycho on all our accounts. Right now. If she makes new ones we'll block those too."
“Way ahead of you,” Matt nodded, already pulling out his phone.
Chris felt warmth bloom in his chest and a weight lift off his shoulders. He smiled while looking at his brothers, his two biggest supporters. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate this, really.”
“Of course,” Nick reaffirmed, “I couldn’t care less what the bitch’s ‘shining’ intentions were, no one’s entitled to this kind of uncensored, borderline criminally insane bull shit.” He was loud and a bit aggressive, beyond annoyed with whoever made Chris of all people feel insecure and timid.
It didn't matter who they were or what their intentions may have been; no one had the right to make his brother feel uncomfortable.
"Thanks," Chris said, a sense of relief washing over him.
"Always," Matt and Nick responded in unison.
Eventually, they finally finished their exhausting conversation and Matt started driving them home.
"Though next time,” Matt started saying, glancing between the road and his passenger princess #1, “just tell us when something happens at the start. Don’t let the issue build up for weeks, you dumbass.”
“Good point, Matt, thanks for bringing it up,” Nick sounded like he just remembered something important, “seriously Chris, you goof, I thought you knew better than that by now. How many times do I-…”
As they drove home and Nick continued to lecture him, Chris cranked up the music, singing along for the entire ride. The dark cloud that had been hanging over him had lifted, and he almost didn’t remember why he had felt so bad in the first place.
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The next day, Chris sat on the couch, his phone lighting up with notifications. The atmosphere in the living room was relaxed until a new message notification caught his attention. His heart sank as he read the username, 'stillmychrissy4evr,' and the accompanying comment on their group Instagram: "omfg, my love has noticed me!! I know he wants me now fr, I'll never give up on us, I'm close to finding you, just wait for me, my love!!"
His face drained of colour, a chill running down his spine. No, not again, he thought, feeling a lump in his throat.
Nick, lounging across the couch, noticed the change immediately. He put away his phone and shifted in his seat, giving him his whole attention. "Chris, what's wrong?"
Reluctantly, Chris handed his phone to Nick, waiting passively as he read the comment and grimaced. "What the fuck? This is getting out of hand."
Matt, hearing the commotion, joined them. “Lemme see.” Reading the message, his face twisted in disgust. "This person is seriously messed up. We need to do something."
They discussed their options, frustration and anger simmering beneath their words. Yet, with no direct threat, they felt powerless. They couldn’t go to the police with this, and short of deleting their accounts, there was nothing they could do.
"We just keep blocking them," Nick said, his voice shaking with a barely restrained anger.
Chris just sighed defeatedly, slumping back again the couch, knowing how annoying this would prove to be.
Over the next week, a relentless stream of new accounts appeared, popping up one after another, each one blocked, only for another to replace it. Chris's nights became restless, plagued with nightmares that left him feeling drained and tense throughout the day.
The rare nights he used to sleep alone diminished completely, and he now switched between his brothers’ rooms every night, too freaked out to sleep alone.
Then, unexpectedly, as suddenly as they started, the comments stopped. Two weeks of silence followed. Nick and Matt were relieved, but Chris couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom.
Nick was looking at him confused. “Come on kid, why are you so tense? I thought you’d be the most relieved.”
"I don't think it's over," he confessed during their late-night conversation in the living room.
Matt scooted up close to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Why do you say that? She’s probably just an overly-obsessed fan who got a rush from being noticed by us, but now after a few weeks, the high wore off and she moved on."
Chris, however, shook his head. "I don't know, guys. It feels too easy. Like the calm before a storm."
Nick sighed, "Chris, you need to relax, you’ve become too paranoid. It's probably over."
But Chris's gut feeling lingered, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Turns out he was right.
One morning, not long after their conversation, Matt found a package outside their door. "It’s a package! Who ordered something?" he called out, bringing it inside.
“Chris! You got a package!” Nick yelled from the kitchen, not looking up from his phone.
Chris came in a moment later, looking between them confused. “Um… My package came two days ago, I didn’t order anything after that.”
“Well, whose is it then?” Matt asked and placed it on their dining room table.
The three went quiet for a second, looking between each other, and a sense of dread filled the room. Nick's hands trembled, "You don’t think it could be-…?"
Chris couldn't move, his mind going blank.
Matt was still in denial, shaking his head, now anxiously going to open the package to prove it’s all okay. “No, no, there’s no way. It’s a misunderstanding, you just forgot you ordered somethi-“
All three were staring intently as Matt opened the box, and for the next few minutes, they were rendered speechless. They sat around their table, Nick and Matt shifting to look between the opened package and each other, while Chris just stared at the items inside, unable to tear his gaze away.
For a while, nobody spoke.
They were shaken to their core, frozen in their panic and at a loss for what to do.
Inside the box were what appeared to be homemade cookies in shape of hearts, an obviously used pair of women’s underwear and – worst of all – Chris’s GAP hoody, with a sticky note with ‘returning this covered in my scent for you, my love :)’ written on it.
That was Chris’s hoody. Not a similar one, not a copy, his actual hoody. From his closet upstairs.
Chris was pale, sweating all over, he couldn’t hear over the too-loud beating of his heart.
The realisation was too much. Because at some point, without any of them knowing…
… she was inside their house.
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“… so that’s everything. If you have any questions or notice anything not working properly, don’t hesitate to give us a call,” the man said, handing Nick his card.
“Got it, thank you so much for coming at such short notice,” Nick took it gratefully and locked the door behind him after saying their goodbyes.
Two days after the chilling arrival of the package, the atmosphere in the triplets' home was still thick with tension. After the initial shock and the consequent outburst that followed, the brothers thoroughly searched their entire house, needing to make sure no one was still there. They checked everywhere, from their closets to larger boxes, but found no traces of anyone. After that, they made their plan; they called all security services in town and ordered the one that could come the quickest. They also filed a police report, just to be safe, in case any other incidents pop up. They also agreed to take a temporary break from their channel – a decision that came harder, but in the end felt necessary. Any new content could potentially fuel the deranged stalker’s obsession even more. They hoped a break would help her move on, plus if they were honest, they kind of needed a bit to focus on their mental well-being after this whole drama.
So now Chris sat at the kitchen table with Matt, his gaze distant, lost in thought. The recent installation of a new security system eased his mind a bit, but given the circumstances, it would take a while before he was able to relax completely.
The echoing bang of the front door snapping shut roused him from his thoughts, and he looked up to see Nick entering the kitchen. "Alright, that's the last of it. We're set up."
Matt looked up from his phone, where he'd been exploring and learning the new security app. "Cameras and sensors are all functional. We'll all be notified the second anything bigger than a fly so much as moves anywhere near the house."
Chris nodded, trying to muster a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, great... but it's just," he paused, struggling to find the words, "I hate that we have to do this, you know? In our own home..."
Nick leaned against the counter, his expression serious. "I know, Chris. But this isn’t something we can take lightly, we're not taking any chances. Not with this fucking psycho out there."
Matt chimed in, his voice firm yet comforting. "We've got heavier locks over all our doors and windows, the new security system and cameras up and running, and we've filed a police report. We're doing everything we can."
Chris sighed, his fingers drumming anxiously on the table. "I know, I know… It's just that... I don't feel safe. Not really. Not even here."
Nick moved to sit beside him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Listen, we're here for you and we’re taking this 100% seriously. You won’t have to face this alone. We're not leaving your side, not until this is over or they catch that lunatic."
From his other side, Matt started rubbing small circles over Chris’s back, knowing his brother responded best to physical touch. “It makes me sick to my stomach too… Hopefully this break will send a clear message that we’re not just gonna accept this kind of behaviour. We tolerate a lot, but our safety is where we draw the line. She won’t get the chance to get near you again.”
Chris looked up, meeting his brothers' determined gazes. "Thanks, guys. I know I’ve got you both, but I guess it’ll take a while to feel normal again.”
Matt nodded in understanding. "Understandable. Tell me if there’s anything I can do to make you more comfortable.”
Beside them, Nick was shaking with barely contained anger. While Chris was freaked out and Matt focusing on supporting him, what Nick felt was pure, raw hate. How dare some random, unimportant low-life make his happy, lively and energetic brother feel like this? Make him feel scared in his own home, leaving him quiet and subdued… Nick was so angry he felt physical pain clawing at his chest. “Don’t even think about that fucker anymore Chris, seriously. It’s done, it’s over, she’s never coming anywhere near you. If I ever catch her even looking at you, I’ll be going to prison for life. I swear it, kid, you’ve got nothing to worry about now… Actually, I hope I see that freak, I’ll show her just how-“
Chris leaned his head against Matt’s shoulder, smiling softly as he watched Nick rant and even laughed as his descriptions of what he’d do if he ever saw her got more and more creative.
“C’mon Nick, oh my god,” Matt laughed, rubbing a hand over his eyes.
I really am the luckiest guy in the world, Chris thought smiling, glancing between his brothers, feelings of love replacing his previous anxiety, I guess I didn’t need to worry after all.
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Walking down the mostly empty street adorned with small shops, the trio engaged in a light-hearted debate, when Chris noticed his shoe was untied and stopped to retie it.
"Seriously, Nick, twenty bucks for a single mug?" Matt side-eyed him.
Nick defended, "It’s literally hand-painted, you cheap fuck. Adds character, value and supports local artists."
The two continued walking at a slow pace, not yet noticing Chris wasn’t following.
It only took a moment before Chris was done, but as he straightened up, a tap on his shoulder made him turn. A slightly taller man, who looked to be in his mid-thirties, stood there, looking at Chris with a hopeful expression. "Hey, sorry to bother you, do you happen to have change for a twenty?” He asked, gesturing to the wending machine behind them.
Chris, relieved at the mundane request, nodded. "Oh, yeah, I think I have enough."
“Thanks man, appreciate it.” The guy smiled.
Chris reached for his wallet. “No problem, lemme just-“
He was interrupted when out of nowhere, Matt and Nick appeared on each side, their protective instincts kicking in. They took a small step forward, pushing a startled Chris behind them, all the while glaring at the now confused man.
Nick was loud, his eyes narrowed. "Uhm, who are you? Why are you talking to him?"
The man looked both annoyed and bewildered. "Just wanted to break a twenty..."
Chris snapped from his shock and quickly interjected, "It's okay, guys. He just needed change."
Nick and Matt glanced between Chris and the man, noting the bill in his hand and internally confirming their story. Their posture softened a bit, but they still remained alert. The man’s expression was drawn up in annoyance, he turned away, shaking his head, mumbled something about them being weird and quickly left before anyone could add anything.
Once he was gone, Nick and Matt turned to Chris, concern evident. "You alright, Chris?"
Chris, a mix of shock and annoyance, nodded. "I'm fine. He was just a normal dude, completely harmless."
"Yeah, well, you never know," Matt added, his voice gentle yet firm.
Nick raised a hand to Chris’s shoulder, where the man had tapped him before. “We had our eyes off you for like thirty seconds and there was already some rando standing over you. My fight or fight harder instincts kicked in immediately.”
Chris sighed, the initial annoyance fading into understanding. "I know, I know... Just caught me off guard, is all."
They resumed their walk, with Nick and Matt lingering just a bit closer than before.
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Three days later Matt needed to leave the house to go pick up Nick, who was out with a friend.
“Chris, come on, Nick just called to pick him up,” Matt said, grabbing his keys from the counter.
Chris, lounging on the couch, frowned. “Kid, you’ll literally be gone for like half an hour, I think I can manage.”
Matt hesitated, his concern evident. “It's not about the time, Chris and you know it. We’re still not sure if the stalking is over with, I can't leave you here by yourself.”
Chris rolled his eyes, his annoyance clear. “Oh fuck off with that. You're being overprotective. I'm not a child. Besides, nothing’s happened for weeks now.”
“I know you're not, but this is different. We agreed to stick together, remember? Please don’t make this more difficult than it already is.” Matt’s tone was firm, but his eyes were pleading.
Chris sighed, sitting up. “Fine, fine. But this is ridiculous, Matt. We can't live like this forever.”
Matt nodded, understanding Chris's frustration. “I get it, but right now, this is how it has to be. Let's just make this quick.”
The car ride was spent in tense silence, since Chris was pouting and Matt didn’t want to say anything to upset his brother further. I feel like I’m on a leash or something, Chris thought as he stared at the passing scenery, it doesn’t even matter that it’s just Nick and Matt, this still feels suffocating.
Later, when they got home, Matt put on one of Chris’s comfort movies and prepared their favourite snacks. But despite his effort and being surrounded by his two favourite people, Chris couldn’t bring himself to enjoy it.
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“Okay this is getting ridiculous,” Chris complained, looking back at Nick with a disturbed expression.
Nick just rolled his eyes and shot back, “What? Me making sure that you don’t get randomly attacked?”
Chris didn’t bother hiding his scepticism. “Yeah, but do you have to follow me to the bathroom?”
“Kid, we’ve been over this – either someone is with you at all times, or this whole thing is pointless. We’re out in public, the lunatic broke into our house, what makes you think public restrooms are her limit?”
Chris just sighed at that and didn’t bother arguing further, he knew he wouldn’t win. Out of all of them, Nick was the most freaked out and furious, plus the potential harm this posed to Chris’s safety sent his overprotectiveness into overdrive.
So now, despite there being no new incidences in days, Nick was accompanying Chris to the bathroom of the restaurant they were in.
After he was done, Chris went to wash his hands and made eye-contact with Nick through the reflection in the mirror. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, both of them thinking how they ended up in this situation. Then suddenly, the door swung open and another guy entered the bathroom, breaking the moment.
Chris finished washing his hands, and went back to their table together with Nick.
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It took Chris three weeks to reach his breaking point. The constant overprotectiveness from Nick and Matt, while initially reassuring, had become suffocating and almost unbearable. Normally, Chris relished being with his brothers, but their incessant vigilance was now overwhelming, even for him.
In hindsight, it was surprising he lasted this long, anyone else would have reached their limit much sooner.
The beginning of the end started when Chris bounced into the living room with a spring in his step, an excited grin on his face. Nick and Matt, lounging on the couch, looked up, instantly curious.
"Guess what? I've got a date tomorrow night!" Chris announced, his eyes shining with excitement.
Nick raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? That’s unusual, who’s the special lady?"
"It’s Anya, the influencer I've been texting," Chris replied, his cheeks slightly flushed. "We're going to go see Dune 2."
"That's awesome, man, you’ve had your eye on her for a while" Matt chimed in, smiling. "And we wanted to see that too anyway."
Chris, still buzzing with excitement, didn’t catch Matt's implication right away. "Yeah, apparently she’s a big fan of the books and wants to go see it asap."
Nick nodded, casually adding, "Great, luckily we all saw the first part, so this works out perfectly."
Chris paused, his smile faltering. "Wait, what do you mean 'we’?"
"What do you mean ‘what do I mean’? We can’t let you go alone, right? Not with the whole stalker thing," Nick explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Chris's excitement quickly turned to disbelief and then to anger. "You're kidding, right? You're not seriously thinking of crashing my date?"
"It's not crashing, we'll be discreet," Matt tried to reassure him, sensing his brother’s rising frustration.
"It’s a date, guys! I’m not arguing about this, this is too much, even for you," Chris protested, his voice rising in exasperation.
"We're just looking out for you," Nick defended, his tone firm. "It's still risky out there."
"Don’t fuck with me, Nick!” Chris's voice rose in anger. "There hasn't been a single comment or incident in like three weeks!"
Matt tried to mediate. "We can sit away from you two, keep an eye on you from a distance while still giving you some alone time."
Chris's frustration boiled over. "Oh yeah, sure, I’ll just be the freak with brothers as my bodyguards!"
Nick shot back, his own temper flaring. "Well so-rry that our existence is sooo inconvenient for you! Sorry for trying to keep you alive and well from a deranged psycho that has literally broken into our home less than a month ago!”
“You’re insane Nick,” Chris continued, shaking with anger, “you’re going too far and you know it, you’re not being fair! You know we can’t live like this forever, it has to stop at some point, and it might as well be now, since I literally can’t take it anymore!”
“I seriously can’t fathom how it’s possible for you to be so fucking stupid at times,” Nick spit out, as if truly disgusted, “did you not hear me? She was in. our. house. As in, inside of it. Even ignoring the batshit crazy comments, she was literally obsessed and deranged enough to find our home, to break inside and go through your stuff. I don’t think you get how serious of a situation this is! What if she came when we were home? When we were sleeping? You have no idea what she’s capable of and what she has planned!”
“Watch how you fucking speak to me you fucking moron!”, Chris screamed back, “We’ve secured the house, no one’s even tried to come near again! You’re talking like a known serial killer is after me, not some mentally challenged teen girl!” Chris was hot with anger, no matter who was right or wrong, he couldn’t handle anyone yelling and insulting him like that.
Nick has apparently reached a new level of anger, where he schooled his expression to appear neutral, his voice even. “If you want to get kidnapped, fine, feel free to go ahead and risk ruining all of our lives because you couldn’t handle having one of your brothers in the same room as you anymore. I’m done putting my own life on hold for someone who clearly doesn’t even appreciate it.”
Chris was momentarily shocked into silence, then turned to Matt for some support, expecting him to back him up. “Well? Aren’t you gonna say anything? You don’t seriously agree with him on this?”
“Sorry Chris,” Matt said sheepishly, “I understand you’re frustrated, we all are, but I don’t get how spending more time with us is such a problem for you. Especially if it helps keep you safe.”
Chris's face reddened in embarrassment, his heart beating painfully fast in his chest. "You're being a real fucking bitch, Nick! You too, Matt! I can't believe you’re twisting my words like that!"
“Come on Chris, try to see this from our perspective, we only want what’s best for you.” Matt attempted to calm the situation, but it was too late.
Chris, feeling betrayed and cornered, yelled back at them, his voice laced with bitterness, "You know what? You can both go fuck yourselves!" He stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
“Chris, wait!” Matt wanted to run after him, but was stopped by Nick. “Leave him, there’s no reasoning with him when he gets like that. Let him cool off and be prepared to go pick him up from whatever random shithole he ends up at.”
After he said that, Nick turned away and left to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. Matt took one last, lingering glance towards the front door, a silent plea for Chris to just change his mind and come back. But that didn’t end up happening, of course, so Matt just sighed sadly and slowly made his way to his own room, feeling oddly defeated.
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Chris, his heart racing almost as fast as his mind, continued in a random direction after storming out of the house. His posture was tense and his pace quick and determined, as if trying to outpace his frustration. The cool evening air did little to soothe the heat of his anger. He walked aimlessly, no destination in mind, his thoughts preoccupied with their argument.
Why can't they see my side of things for once? Chris thought, the weight of the last few weeks pressing down on him, before we were equals in everything, now it just feels like they’re micromanaging me, like a child. He had always valued the close relationship he shared with Nick and Matt, but their recent overprotectiveness made him feel weirdly exposed and helpless, like he wasn’t his own person.
"I can handle myself, it’s not like I can fight off one little girl even if she does try anything," he muttered under his breath, his frustration simmering with each step.
After about twenty minutes of that, Chris found himself at the entrance of a small park. He hadn't planned to go there, but now that he was here, he figured it might be a good place to clear his head. He sighed, the anger slowly leaving him, but not enough to turn back just yet. It’ll be dark in an hour anyway, he thought, I’ll head back before that.
Wandering aimlessly through the park, Chris admired the scenery, from the small pond, the squirrels running around, to the trees swaying gently in the breeze. Eventually, he settled on a park bench, taking deep breaths, trying to find some semblance of peace in the quiet of nature. I just want things to go back to normal… I don’t know when was the last time I was able to relax…
Suddenly, a vaguely familiar voice called out to him. “Oh, it’s you!”
Chris was startled from his thoughts and turned to see a man standing a few feet away and quickly recognised him as the guy who had asked him to break a twenty a few weeks ago. The one Nick and Matt rudely drove away, with their obsessive overprotectiveness, Chris thought bitterly, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.
The man approached with a concerned look. "Hey, dude, you alright?"
Chris exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumping. "Uhm, yeah, just peachy. What’re you doing here?"
“I could ask you the same thing,” the guy snorted, “I visit this park almost daily, and have never seen you here before now.”
“Oh…,” Chris said lamely, “well, I just needed to get out of the house for a while, I guess.”
The man sat down next to him, his expression sympathetic. "Want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps to vent to a stranger."
Chris looked at him, a bit surprised by the offer. I genuinely can’t tell if this is weird or not. He hesitated for a moment before opening up. "It's just... I needed some space from my brothers, they’ve been too… attached to me recently. They're really worried about me, which I get and appreciate, but it just feels too much at times and it’s become too suffocating."
“Oofff,” the other huffed, “can’t say I know how that feels like, being an only child an all.”
Chris snorted, “Now that’s something I can’t even imagine.”
They continued talking casually for a while, the tension slowly leaving Chris’s body, allowing him to relax a bit as he got more comfortable with the stranger, effectively distracted from his earlier inner turmoil. It honestly felt good to talk to someone else without one of his brothers next to him for a change.
.
.
.
Back at home, Matt caved first and eventually went up to Nick’s room to talk, finding the other on his computer, sorting through his recent pictures, deciding which ones to keep.
“Hey,” Matt started gently, “you good?”
“Still pissed,” Nick replied shortly, not looking up from his screen.
Matt snorted, having suspected this. “I kept an eye on Chris’s location, he’s at the park down the road. I’ll go pick him up in half an hour if he doesn’t come back on his own.”
“Don’t care,” Nick dismissed.
Matt came up to him, pulling the extra chair closer and sitting beside Nick, looking through the photos with him.
Despite the chaos of the last three weeks, they’ve taken quite a number of photos and videos; they still went out after all. They looked through them quietly, with only a few passing comments from Matt, saying which ones looked good and which to delete.
They just finished going through the pictures from a restaurant they went out to eat in and moved on to a new set, from when they went to play minigolf.
They sorted through the first few photos when suddenly, Matt’s heart stuttered, his brow furrowing in worry and apprehension. “Wait, stop, go back,” he instructed Nick, his tone betraying his growing panic. Nick turned to look at him, confused, and was about to ask what he was on about, but Matt couldn’t wait any longer and snatched the mouse from the other’s hand, clicking on the previous photo.
“The fuck are you-“, Nick started, but stopped himself when he noticed how freaked out Matt looked.
“Look!” Matt pointed to a guy standing in the background in one of the pictures, “I swear I’ve seen this dude in one of the earlier photos. I know because I remember his stupid baseball hat.”
Nick’s eyes opened wide, his own heart picking up the pace. “Wha- what, are you serious?”
Matt was already clicking back, to the previous photos they’ve already gone through, stopping only when he found what he was looking for. “There! See? It’s the same guy!” This photo was taken in the restaurant, on the other side of town, days apart.
“Holy shit, you’re right,” Nick was already freaking out, “this can’t be a coincidence, can it?”
“I mean, it’s not impossible,” Matt’s voice was unsteady, not fully believing himself, “let’s see if he’s in any of the others.”
“Fuck, shit, this is too freaky,” Nick was muttering to himself as they clicked through the rest of the photos, both of them focused on their task, scanning each photo with their eyes.
Then they saw it, their breaths hitched at the same time, hearts dropping to their stomach –
the same guy, lingering in the background of yet another photo, taken only two days ago at their local shopping centre.
Matt and Nick stared at the photo in complete silence for a few seconds, both of them starting to sweat profusely.
“Oh fuck, no!” Nick yelled, breaking their tense silence, jumping up from the table, unable to sit still any longer. “Matt, does this guy look familiar to you?”
“What? No, I-“ Matt started saying as he turned back to the photo, to inspect the man further. He scanned his face, trying desperately to remember if he’s seen him before, but unable to put his finger on it.
“It’s him, he’s the guy that approached Chris and asked him for change a few weeks ago!” Nick yelled, an edge to his voice, sounding truly horrified.
“Oh fuck, holy fucking shit,” Matt stood up so fast he knocked over the chair behind him, bringing his hands to grip at his hair, “Nick…” he trailed off, looking at his brother with watery eyes, voice small and desperate. They both knew what this meant.
“No, no, no, nonono, this cannot be happening,” Nick covered his face with his hands, his voice breaking.
They’ve found the stalker. And it wasn’t some misguided, but ultimately harmless teenage girl – it was a grown man, older, taller and seemingly stronger than any of them. The stalker hasn’t given up like they had suspected - he was in the background of several photos they’ve taken in different locations throughout the last few weeks, the most recent being from just two days ago. It wasn’t over with, not by a longshot.
Nick felt like throwing up. Matt’s vision started swimming.
The stalker was actively following their every move… And Chris was out there alone.
.
.
.
Jarred, as he had eventually introduced himself as, laughed loudly as Chris finished telling him about his favourite funny memory with his two triplets. “That’s hilarious, dude, great story.”
Chris laughed as well, then glanced at the time on his phone and noticed more time has passed than he had thought. “Oh shit- I didn’t notice how late it’s gotten, I have to get home.”
There was now less than half an hour before it would get dark, the park was mostly empty already, and Chris still needed to walk all the way home.
He stood up and looked at Jarred, who got up as well. “Thanks for the talk, man, it was just what I needed.”
“No need to thank me, it was nice talking with you,” Jarred smiled, then gestured towards the street behind them, “my car is actually parked right there and I’m going down the Theirstreetname street anyway, I can give you a lift if you want.”
I never told him where I live. Chris felt his heart skip a beat, an alarm going off in his head. He was in danger.