Chapter Text
Another easygoing night in the Sturniolo household. Matt sits at the dining room table, poking disinterestedly at his half-eaten bowl of spaghetti. Chris sits two chairs to his right, both simultaneously scrolling on Instagram and watching the football game on the TV while he eats his food. Nick has taken to the couch, already finished with his dinner. Chris is mid-bite when the game is interrupted by an LA newscaster delivering an urgent report. It draws the attention of all three brothers.
“This just in: A fire has broken out in the northern Los Angeles area, causing for the police to urgently evacuate the following counties: *****. If you live in these areas, please, leave your home and get to a safer place immediately.”
“Holy shit, that's on the other side of town,” Nick mumbles, eyes glued to the TV.
“Additionally, a fire has caught in an office building in the area, stranding multiple people inside. Authorities are currently trying to find a way to free them. Sharon, how is it out there?”
“Ugh, I don't want to listen to this. I'm going to bed,” Matt says, rubbing his eyes and picking up his bowl as he stands, bringing it down the hallway with him.
“Really? It's kinda early,” Chris questions, turning down the volume on the TV significantly with his power as the triplet in control of the remote.
“Yeah,” is Matt's only response, immediately before he closes his bedroom door.
Matt pinches his brow, wincing at the beginnings of a headache rooting into his skull.
Great. A fire. Just what he needed tonight. For once he thought maybe he would be able to get a decent night's sleep. Seems like climate change has other plans.
He puts his unfinished bowl of food onto his computer desk and kneels at his dirty clothes basket, pulling out garments until he reveals his suit. The perfect place to hide it, somewhere nobody but him will ever look: the laundry.
He changes faster than any regular person might think possible, throws on a bigger jacket and some sweats for the night chill (though he won't be needing them for long, seeing as he's probably going to have to dive headfirst into a burning building in t-minus 10 minutes), and creeps up to his bedroom window. He gently eases it open, being careful not to bump anything as he ducks out. It's a long way to the ground, but that hasn't ever been an issue. He shuts the window behind him and digs his mask out of his jacket pocket, pulling it over his head as he shoots off into the cold night air.
Chris blinks and looks over at Nick, who only shrugs. There's an odd silence for a minute or two. The TV drones on at little more than a mumble in the background.
“I'm kinda worried about him, y'know” Chris says, rather quietly.
“Really? Why?”
“I mean, have you seen him recently? He's always got these huge dark circles around his eyes, looking tired all the time. And always going to bed early. He's taking naps, now, Nick, is that not weird?”
“I guess a little, yeah. Maybe he's just been working too much lately.”
“I don't think it's that, I think there might be something wrong. I saw him walk by shirtless the other day? He's got some pretty bad bruises, Nick.”
“Bruises? Okay, yeah, that's weird. Go ahead and ask, I guess.”
Chris stands up, leaving his food, and goes down the hallway to Matt's room. He raps his knuckles on the door twice. “Matt? You okay? Can we chat?”
There's no response from inside. Chris looks at Nick again, who looks clueless and unhelpful over there on the couch.
Chris knocks again. “Matt?” Still nothing.
“Just ask tomorrow, he's probably trying to sleep.”
“Yeah, okay,” Chris concedes, wandering disappointedly back to the kitchen table. Nick glances back at the TV before looking down at his phone, then double-takes.
“Wait- waiwaiwait, turn it up.”
Chris snatches the TV remote and puts up the volume again.
“Ah! It appears that Spider-Man has arrived on the scene of the office building fire! He–”
The reporter is drowned out by the immediate uproar of celebration from the remaining two triplets.
Hours later, so far into the night that it's almost morning, Matt slings himself back to his window, sticking gracefully to the wall next to it and resting there for a moment while he pulls his mask off and stuffs it back into his jacket pocket. He sits against the wall for a moment more, trying to relax. He hadn't meant to be out so late, but the fire was more complicated than expected, and he ran into a mugging on his way home that he had to take care of. He earned himself a pretty sock to the face on that little side quest because of how exhausted he was (and still is), which is almost certainly swollen and red by now. Great. Just great. He'll just have to hope it doesn't bruise in the morning.
He pries the window open and ducks inside, squeezing his torso through the gap. As he straightens, he hears the doorknob turn. With cat-like—or maybe spider-like—reflexes, he zips up his jacket in a fraction of a second, concealing his suit before the door has opened fully.
Chris peeks his head into the room, his expression constricting into shock when he sees his brother, fully dressed, one leg out his second-story bedroom window, looking just about as surprised as he does.
Chris steps fully into the room, Matt still frozen in terror.
“Where are you going?” Chris asks accusingly.
“Uh- nowhere.” Technically not a lie. He's not going anywhere. Matt pulls himself fully back into the room and shuts the window again. “Why are you here?”
“We're going to sleep and Nick doesn't want me in his room. That doesn't answer my question, though, where are you going?”
“I told you, I'm not going anywhere. Sleep in your own room or something, I just– I can't do it tonight.”
“Why not? So you can sneak out? We're not teenagers, Matt, we've moved out. Just tell us when you leave.” Chris reaches back to the light switch.
Matt remembers the red spot on his face and shoots his hand up to halt Chris. He almost webs Chris's hand to the wall out of instinct. “No– Stop, don't– turn on the light.”
Chris lowers his hand. “What the fuck? Matt, what is going on with you?” Chris pushes further, his volume rising.
“Shhh, would you shut up? You're gonna wake up Nick,” Matt hushes.
“Maybe I want to! This is important, Matt.”
“Please don't, please, let's keep this between us?” Matt begs, grabbing Chris by the shoulders.
Chris seems to sense the desperation in Matt's voice, because his persistence dies down a bit. “Okay, okay. But… Can you give me any explanation as to what's going on?”
“Yeah, yeah, sure… Right after you leave so I can change?”
Chris examines him for a moment, trying to read him; Matt knows that Chris is reading him like a damn book. “Yeah, okay. But don't lock the door on me.” Chris pulls out of Matt's grasp and heads to the door.
“Well… I’m gonna lock it… I don't want you to walk in on my bare ass.”
“Right, right, just promise me you'll let me back in,” Chris says from the doorway.
“I promise.”
Chris nods and shuts the door, and Matt immediately follows up by locking it. He changes once more, tucking his suit stealthily back into the bottom of his laundry basket. He throws on a pair of pajamas and reopens the door for Chris, just like he promised.
“That was fast,” Chris says as he walks back in, his finger flicking the light switch on before he can even think it all the way through. He sits down on Matt's bed and asks, “Are you going to tell me what's going on now?” Only to look up and see Matt's swollen and mortified face. “What happened there?!” Chris shoots up from his spot on the bed before Matt can get a single word out. He gets right up in his brother's face to assess the damage, his worry evident.
“I–” Matt starts.
“Wait,” Chris interrupts, “you weren't leaving, were you? You're coming back!”
“Chris, listen,” Matt tries.
“Where were you? Who did that to you?”
“I–”
“Matt, what's going on?” Chris talks over him again.
“Can I get a word in, dickhead?”
Chris goes silent.
“Thank you. I needed to get out of the house to… clear my head. I ran into a mugger on my way home—don't freak out, I'm fine, they didn't take anything—and snuck back in because I didn't want you or Nick to worry. That's all,” Matt explains. He's honestly surprised at his ability to conjure up a story so quickly.
“Matt, please, if something like that happens, just come to us. Honestly, I'm already worried about you. I was talking to Nick about this earlier. Are you sure you're okay?”
Matt hesitates, and Chris notices. “Yeah, I'm sure.”
Chris hesitates, and Matt notices. “Okay.” He steps back and sits on the bed again.
“Just one thing, Chris. Please don't tell Nick. I still don't want him to worry too much.”
Chris sighs. “Alright, alright, fine. I'm still sleeping in here, though.”
Matt shrugs. “Sure.”
Chris grins and swings his feet up onto the mattress. Matt climbs in on the other side, and they both get settled under the covers.