sturnioloarch1ves

[sturnioloarch1ves]

i need more of close calls i love it so so so muchhhh

omg this means so much. i will put another chapter out soon but im just confused with where to take the plot

[sturnioloarch1ves]

Dividers!!!

Reblog this post and tag @bernardsbendystraws when using. Credit tag must be by image.

[sturnioloarch1ves]

defence line

inspired by this clip: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2MdmScD/

The cold bit at Matt’s skin as he skated onto the ice, helmet tucked under his arm, jaw clenched. The arena lights were bright, reflecting off the freshly resurfaced rink, but he wasn’t paying attention to any of that. His eyes flickered to the other end of the ice—where she was stretching near the boards, rolling her shoulders like she was preparing for war.

It sure as hell felt like it.

She was the only girl on the team, the other half of their defensive line. And for some reason, every striker on the opposing teams had decided she was their favorite target. Maybe they thought she was an easy hit. Maybe they just wanted to see if she could take it. Either way, Matt was done watching it happen.

He pulled on his helmet, tightening the strap as the ref blew the whistle.

"Alright, Matty," Nick chirped from the bench, smirking. "Let’s see if you can make it through this game without ending up in the box."

Matt ignored him, tapping his stick against the ice. The second the puck dropped, the other team’s forwards exploded forward, and just like clockwork, one of them—number 12—set his sights on her.

Nope. Not today.

Matt skated hard, cutting off the angle before 12 could line up his hit. The guy barely had time to react before Matt shoved him hard into the boards. The whistle blew immediately.

"Come on, man!" The guy groaned, picking himself up off the ice.

"Play’s dead," the ref said, already signaling the penalty.

Matt lifted his stick in mock innocence. "What? Just playing defense."

She shot him a look as he skated toward the box, frustration flickering in her eyes.

"Seriously?" she hissed as he passed her.

Matt just shrugged. "Looked like he was about to hit you. Thought I’d get there first."

She rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. Maybe she was used to it by now.

Nick, from the bench, just let out a laugh. "Dude, you’re gonna spend more time in the penalty box than on the ice at this rate."

Matt ignored him. Because the thing was—he didn’t care how many penalties he racked up.

No one was touching her while he was on the ice.

The penalty box wasn’t unfamiliar territory, and as he sat down, arms crossed over his chest, he could hear the ref calling out the infraction. He wasn’t even listening—his eyes were glued back on the ice. The second he was out, he was making damn sure they kept their distance.

She moved smoothly across the ice, clearing the puck from their zone with practiced ease, but the moment she regained possession, another forward went after her. Matt’s jaw clenched as she narrowly dodged the hit, her blade slicing through the ice as she twisted out of reach. But he saw it—the smirk on the other guy’s face, the way he skated after her just a little too aggressively.

Matt’s fingers tightened around his stick. That wasn’t going to fly.

The second his penalty expired, he was back in the game, skating hard to cut the guy off. He timed it perfectly—right before the guy could get near her, Matt dropped his shoulder and sent him sprawling onto the ice. The hit was clean, but it was forceful, and the guy slid for several feet before coming to a stop. The ref’s whistle echoed through the arena.

"Oh, come on!" Matt groaned, throwing his hands up.

"Are you serious? That was textbook!" someone from the bench yelled.

The ref wasn’t having it. "Two minutes, roughing!"

She skated past him as he made his way to the box, shaking her head. "You’re impossible."

Matt smirked. "And yet, still your favorite defensive partner."

She scoffed, but he caught the ghost of a smile before she turned away.

Nick just laughed as Matt took his seat in the box again. "Dude, at this rate, you might as well set up a permanent residence in there."

Matt rolled his eyes, but deep down, he knew he wouldn’t stop.

If they wanted to go after her, they’d have to go through him first.

[sturnioloarch1ves]

close calls pt 2

character desciption

part one

The office was silent, the kind of quiet that wrapped around Jules as she sat at her desk, the faint hum of the air conditioning the only sound in the room. She leaned over her laptop, chewing on the corner of her lip as she stared at the mockups she’d been handed earlier. They were… fine. Generic. Completely lacking in personality, much like the email from the design team that accompanied them. She couldn’t help but frown, her creative instincts rebelling against mediocrity.

Jules sighed, leaning back in her chair, her hands falling to her lap as she tried to push the gnawing dissatisfaction away. Just let it go. It’s not your job. But the blandness of the designs wasn’t just bad—it was wrong. She’d spent hours immersed in the chaotic energy of the triplets’ online presence. Their brand was loud, vibrant, impossible to ignore. These mockups didn’t reflect that. If anything, they dimmed the light of what made them unique.

Her fingers hovered over the touchpad, indecision clouding her thoughts. The design team would probably resent her meddling, and Chris… well, she didn’t even want to imagine his reaction. But the nagging creative itch was relentless, like a whisper in the back of her mind.

“Fine,” she muttered under her breath, opening her personal design program. “But just this once.”

The hours melted away as Jules lost herself in the work. She scrapped the uninspired fonts, replacing them with bold, clean typography that commanded attention. She swapped the sterile stock photos for real moments she’d pulled from the triplets’ social media—Nick grinning mid-prank, Chris rolling his eyes, Matt with his hands in the air like he’d just lost an argument. Each choice felt deliberate, like she was stitching together a narrative that celebrated who they truly were.

She added vibrant colors that popped without overwhelming, subtle patterns that hinted at their playful nature, and even mocked up a refreshed logo—sleek and modern, but with just enough whimsy to keep it from being too serious. She couldn’t help but smile as the designs came together. For the first time since she’d started this job, Jules felt like she was doing something that mattered.

The clock on her screen blinked 7:42 p.m., and Jules groaned. She’d meant to leave hours ago. Her stomach rumbled in protest, reminding her that she’d skipped lunch in her frenzy of inspiration. Quickly saving her work, she closed her laptop and started packing up her things. Just as she slung her bag over her shoulder, the sound of voices drifted through the hallway.

“Nick, you’re literally the reason we can’t have nice things,” Chris’s voice carried, sharp and exasperated.

“Me? You’re the one who—”

The door swung open, cutting off whatever Nick was about to say. All three brothers stepped into the room, halting when they saw Jules standing there. Their expressions shifted from animated to surprised in an instant.

“You’re still here?” Matt asked, his tone polite but surprised.

“Yeah,” Jules replied, fumbling with her bag. “Just finishing up.”

Chris’s eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking to her laptop, still glowing faintly on the desk. “Finishing what?”

“Work,” she said quickly, a little too quickly.

Chris wasn’t buying it. Before she could stop him, he crossed the room and tilted the screen toward himself. His brows furrowed as he took in the designs she hadn’t closed. The room seemed to hold its breath.

“Wait,” he said slowly, “did you do these?”

“It’s not a big deal,” Jules said, her voice tight. “I was just—”

Chris let out a sharp laugh, the sound cutting through her like a blade. “Not a big deal? Are you kidding me?”

“Chris,” Matt started, his tone a warning.

“No, seriously,” Chris continued, ignoring his brother as he turned to Jules. “You’ve been here for what, two minutes? And you think you can just swoop in and redo everything? Like, wow, thanks for saving us from ourselves, oh mighty designer.”

Jules bristled, her grip tightening on her bag strap. “I wasn’t trying to undermine anyone. The designs just felt... off, and I thought—”

“You thought what?” Chris interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “That we’d be lost without your creative genius? Newsflash, this isn’t your brand. It’s ours. So maybe stay in your lane.”

Jules’s cheeks burned, but she refused to back down. “I was just trying to help. If you don’t like the designs, don’t use them. Simple as that.”

Chris smirked, leaning against the desk as he crossed his arms. “Oh, don’t worry. We won’t. But maybe next time you could, I don’t know, stick to the job you were actually hired for? Unless you want to add ‘wannabe designer’ to your résumé.”

“Chris, come on,” Nick said, though his tone was more amused than chastising.

Jules squared her shoulders, meeting Chris’s gaze head-on. “You know, for someone who talks a lot of crap, I’m not sure you could even tell the difference between Helvetica and Times New Roman.”

Chris’s smirk widened, his brown eyes glinting with something dangerously close to amusement. “Oh, I can tell the difference. One’s boring, and the other’s you.”

“Funny,” Jules shot back, “because if anyone here’s giving boring, it’s you. That hoodie you wear every other day? Groundbreaking.”

Nick snorted, barely hiding his grin as he watched their back-and-forth like it was a tennis match.

Chris stepped closer, his voice dropping just slightly. “You’re awfully defensive, Jules. Feeling guilty about overstepping already?”

Jules raised an eyebrow, refusing to step back even as he invaded her personal space. “Nope. Just wondering why you’re so threatened by a little creativity.”

“Threatened?” Chris repeated, his tone a mix of disbelief and mockery. “Trust me, Princess, the last thing you are is threatening.”

Her lips twitched. “Good. I’d hate to think I scared you, Christopher.”

That seemed to catch him off guard for a split second, but he recovered quickly, his grin turning wolfish. “Oh, trust me, Jules. You’re not scary—you’re just... entertaining.”

“And you’re exhausting,” she shot back. “But I guess we all have our roles to play.”

“Alright, both of you,” Matt interjected, stepping between them. “Save it for the team-building exercises, yeah?”

As Chris backed off with an exaggerated shrug, Nick leaned closer to Matt and muttered, just loud enough for Jules to hear, “I give it two weeks before they’re making out in the break room.”

Matt snorted. “Two weeks? Please. Did you see the way he looked at her? One week, max.”

Jules froze, her jaw dropping as she turned to glare at the two of them. “Excuse me?”

Nick grinned innocently. “What? We’re just saying it’s a little obvious.”

“It’s not obvious because it’s not a thing,” Jules snapped, her voice tight.

“Sure,” Matt said, dragging the word out. “And I’m a world-class chef.”

Chris rolled his eyes, but his faint smirk betrayed his amusement. “Don’t let them bother you, Jules. They’ve got the emotional maturity of toddlers.”

She snatched her bag and stormed out of the room, but her heart raced for reasons she didn’t want to admit.

[sturnioloarch1ves]

close calls pt 1

character desciption

The café was bustling with mid-morning energy: steaming lattes being handed over the counter, the low hum of conversation, and the occasional sharp clink of a spoon against porcelain. Jules stood at the pick-up counter, clutching her tote bag and nervously tapping her fingers against her phone. Today was her first day at her new job, and she was already in her head about it. Was the blazer too formal? Should she have worn flats instead of heels? Maybe the lipstick was too bold?

Stop it, Jules. You’ve got this. Deep breaths.

“Medium latte for Jules!” the barista called out.

Snapping out of her spiralling thoughts, Jules stepped forward, juggling her phone and bag as she reached for her cup. And that’s when it happened. Her elbow bumped against something—or rather, someone—and in an instant, the lid popped off, and the hot latte spilled across a stranger’s hoodie.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” Jules gasped, frantically grabbing napkins from the counter and dabbing at the spreading stain. She didn’t even look up, too mortified to face the victim of her clumsiness.

“Seriously?” came a low, unimpressed voice. “Are you even paying attention?”

Jules froze. The exasperation in his tone cut through her embarrassment. She looked up slowly and felt her stomach sink. The guy standing in front of her had sharp brown eyes, messy dark hair tucked under a baseball cap, and an expression that screamed annoyed beyond belief. He glanced down at his now-ruined hoodie, then back at her, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“Uh...” Jules stammered, her cheeks burning. “I’ll buy you another coffee?”

“Oh, great,” he said flatly, peeling off the stained hoodie to reveal a plain black T-shirt underneath. “Because that totally fixes the problem.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“Yeah, I’m sure you didn’t,” he cut her off, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He shoved the hoodie into his bag with a sharp movement. “Maybe next time, try looking where you’re going.”

Jules opened her mouth to respond, but he was already walking away, leaving her standing there with a handful of napkins and her dignity in tatters.

“Great start, Jules,” she muttered to herself.

By the time she arrived at the management office, Jules was practically vibrating with nerves. The receptionist had directed her to the conference room, where her new bosses—the infamous Sturniolo triplets—were waiting. Adjusting her blazer for the hundredth time, she took a steadying breath and pushed open the door.

The room was less intimidating than she’d expected, but only slightly. The triplets were scattered around the table, their casual energy filling the space. Matt was scrolling through his phone, Nick was doodling on a notepad, and Chris—

Her heart dropped.

Chris, the guy from the café, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed and an incredulous look plastered on his face. His eyes flicked to her, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward in a way that made her want to simultaneously scream and hide.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jules muttered under her breath.

Chris tilted his head, clearly relishing her discomfort. “Wow, Latte Girl. Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.”

Matt looked up, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Wait, you two know each other?”

“Not really,” Jules said quickly, shooting Chris a pointed glare. “Just a minor... incident earlier.”

“Incident?” Nick chimed in, perking up. “What kind of incident?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Chris said, leaning forward with exaggerated nonchalance. “She just decided my hoodie would look better soaked in coffee.”

Jules’s face burned. “It was an accident.”

“Sure it was,” Chris replied, his tone razor-sharp. “Nothing says ‘I’ve got my life together’ like spilling coffee on a stranger and then doubling down on excuses.”

“Chris,” Matt said, his voice carrying a note of warning. “Let’s at least try to be professional.”

“Why start now?” Nick quipped, grinning as he leaned back in his chair. The brothers burst into laughter, and Jules fought the urge to sink into the floor. Instead, she pulled her laptop out of her bag and set it on the table. Then, noticing Jules’s expression, he straightened up and added quickly, “Hey, I’m kidding. Chris is just being Chris—don’t let him get to you.”

“I’m here to make your lives easier, believe it or not,” she said evenly, trying to keep her composure.

Chris raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. “Easier? Bold promise coming from someone who can’t even handle a coffee cup.”

Jules clenched her jaw, refusing to take the bait. “Jules Leblanc,” she said, addressing the room as professionally as she could manage. “I’m your new marketing coordinator. I’ll be handling brand partnerships.”

“Brand partnerships,” Chris echoed, as if tasting the words. “Translation: endless emails and meetings about things we don’t care about.”

Jules shot him a glare, but before she could respond, Matt stepped in. “We’re glad to have you, Jules. Don’t mind Chris—he’s just... like this.”

“Thanks for the clarification,” Jules said dryly, earning a snicker from Nick.

The meeting that followed was a chaotic mix of actual work and relentless teasing. Matt tried to keep things on track, but Nick kept throwing in jokes, and Chris seemed to make it his mission to poke at Jules whenever he got the chance. By the time it was over, she was exhausted and more than ready to leave.

“You seemed a little overwhelmed in there,” Nick teased as he walked past her, giving her a friendly nudge on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to us.”

“Somehow, I doubt that,” Jules replied under her breath.

As the others filed out, Jules lingered behind, gathering her things and mentally replaying every awkward moment from the past hour. Of course, Chris was the last to leave. He paused by the door, glancing back at her with a look that was equal parts smug and insufferable.

“You know,” he said casually, “if you were trying to leave a lasting first impression, mission accomplished.”

Jules looked up, sighing. “I’m sorry about the coffee, okay?”

“Don’t be,” he replied, his tone cutting. “At least now I know what to expect.”

And with that, he was gone, leaving Jules to wonder how on earth she was going to survive working with him—and his brothers.

comment for taglist ;) pt 2 coming tomorrow

[sturnioloarch1ves]

Close Calls

introducing...

chris sturniolo age: 21 Charismatic, effortlessly confident, and always ready with a teasing remark, Chris knows how to get under people’s skin—and he enjoys it. He carries himself with a relaxed ease that makes it seem like nothing ever rattles him, but beneath the smirks and playful jabs, there’s a depth he doesn’t show just anyone. While he may seem like he never takes anything seriously, those who know him best understand that when he cares, he cares deeply.

jules leblanc age: 20 Ambitious, sharp-witted, and fiercely independent. She’s meticulous about her work, always three steps ahead, but when it comes to her personal life, things tend to get a little… chaotic. With a guarded heart and a sharp tongue, she rarely lets people in—except for her Nonna, who remains her softest spot.

chris x jules

"You drive me insane, Jules. But somehow, you're the only kind of chaos I never want to live without." "You make everything complicated, Chris. But for some ridiculous reason, you're the only complication I don't want to let go of."

all the chapters:

chapter one chapter two