BLOOM • awsten knight

45

JUNE 2018

The mood on the bus is good today.

Everyone seems to be settled into the tour now, and slept a little better last night than they have so far.

Awsten isn't even up out of his bunk yet, which means he must have fallen into a deeper sleep than he has since they left for tour; even Elle is awake before he is.

"Holy shit," she looks around the lounge, a little confused, her eyes bouncing to each person, counting who's present. "Am I up before Aws?"

Geoff chuckles at her shocked expression, as Elle looks back towards the bunks.

"He's gonna have to get up soon, though," Lucas says, glancing at the time.

"Elle, you can wake him up," Jawn suggests, quickly. "He won't get mad at you."

She rolls her eyes, though there's still a smile playing on her lips, as she wanders off, heading for Awsten's bunk.

Knocking lightly, Elle hears him begin to stir after a moment, but barely.

"Aws?" She taps on the curtain, lightly, hearing a little more movement. "Angel, it's me," she says softly, and Awsten begins to pull back the curtain.

"Hi," he mumbles, a small smile playing on his lips, as his hand reaches for her.

"Lucas says you should get up soon," Elle informs him, allowing him to take her hand.

Awsten hums, keeping his eyes closed. "C'mere," he shuffles backwards, so that he's pressed up against the wall. "Just for a minute."

Without much hesitation, Elle climbs into his bunk, and Awsten wraps his arms around her waist, resting his head against her chest.

Her hands run through his hair, while she can't help but smile at the way he pulls her closer.

"Don't go back to sleep," Elle reminds him, and she can feel him nod.

"Mhm, just stay," Awsten insists, and Elle hardly thinks she could say no to him like this.

He wriggles in her arms after a minute, shuffling upwards so that they're at eye level, and smiles.

"G'morning," Awsten mumbles, close enough to Elle's lips that she can feel his words as they come out of his mouth, holding her gaze firmly.

No matter what goes on inside her head, Elle knows that her her heart will always skip a beat when he looks at her like that.

Instead of leaning into her lips further, though, Awsten places a quick kiss on her cheek, wearing a sly grin as he hops out of the bunk, all too quickly for Elle to keep up with.

He wears a proud smirk as he makes his way to the lounge, aware that Elle hasn't followed him just yet.

"What's that face for?" Jawn observes, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Yeah, hi to you, too," Awsten ignores his comment, as Elle re-enters the room.

"What's up with him?" Jawn turns to her, knowing she'll give him at least some sort of an answer.