𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘌𝘔𝘗𝘛𝘠 𝘗𝘈𝘙𝘛𝘚 𝘖𝘍 𝘔𝘌 - HOZIER

X

TEN.

"Lad, you need to calm down." Although his words were deceptively comforting, Ciarán's annoyed tone glared through each syllable he spoke to his best friend. "What's the big worry about this, anyway?"

"I don't know, Ci. I just-" Andrew whipped his hands around in the air, speaking in a low tone although Ivy and Gwen's excited conversation about Disney movies in the corner was enough to cover the boys chatter. "It's been really important to her. I thought tonight should be special but i've been so caught up with the damn tour starting tomorrow I feel like I'm losing my fuckin' mind."

"Special?" Ciarán questioned, leaning against the wall by Vivienne's empty drum set and crossing his legs in front of him. He watched with narrowed eyes as his best friend walked himself in circles.

"She took me to her favorite ramen place. And then taught me to play billiards- And last week she took me to a night aquarium!" Andrew bit the inside of his cheek as his words were getting a bit too loud, his lower shift in tone cued by Ciarán's eyebrows jumping up. "I feel like i'm falling behind, she's got every idea out there and I took her to a pottery shop where she made a giant dick out of hot pink clay."

Ciarán stifled his laugh. "It sounds like she's enjoying the dumb shit you do."

"Feels like you're not taking this serious." Andrew stopped his pacing, his hands rubbing together nervously.

"Feels like you're taking this way too fucking serious, mate." Ciarán couldn't help but chuckle through his words at seeing his friend's erratic behavior. Through 2 decades together he'd never seen him so worked up about something so simple. "You ever thought that maybe she actually likes your stupid activities?"

"Not funny, Ci."

"I'm being serious!" Ciarán justified, a hand pressed over his heart. "She comes into rehearsals the day after your nights out with a smile on her face— and she nearly never smiles. She's obviously happy with what you're doing and you're stumbling around here like a fool talking g about how she's going to hate you if you don't get this right."

Andrew rubbed his face, groaning through his fingers.

Ciarán lowered his tone to a whisper. "Fucks gotten into you, Andy? You're a wreck over her."

"It's nothing." Andrew fibbed, but Ciarán knew better. He could see it in the slouched posture, the unfocused eyes, the scrunched features.

"You're acting head over heels-"

Andrew shot back into a taut position, demeanor switched to something far more serious. "Don't start that."