Gloom & sunshine

Chapter 5: Limerence

"Where is he?" Geoff panted, running down the path with Otto in tow.

"In the bus-ah!" Their ears were assaulted by a roaring clap of thunder as the sky quickly darkened with the impending storm.

"Shit, shit, shit, Awsten!" Geoff yelled as the bus came into view, it felt like the faster he ran, the farther the bus was from him. The farther Awsten was from him.

Finally, they reached the bus door, wrenching it open and scrambling inside as the heavens opened with another startling crack. Otto went for the driver's seat, Geoff went for Awsten's bunk.

"Get us the hell out of here!" Geoff yelled over the thunder, jerking a bit as Otto slammed the vehicle into drive, flying them down the highway, trying to outrun the monstrous storm that was chasing them. Geoff pulled back the curtain of Awsten's bunk, his heart breaking as he saw the singer curled tightly in on himself, hands gripping his head as he tried to push his headphones firmly over his ears, trying to block out the noise. He was shaking... he was crying.

"Find something, anything!" Geoff shouted at Otto while he clambered into the small space, pulling Awsten close to him. The blue haired boy clutched to Geoff's striped shirt, jumping when a crack of thunder warned that the storm was gaining on them. "Otto!" Geoff yelled again, urging their drummer to drive faster.

"I'm going fuckin' 90, I can't outrun a storm, it's going to get dangerous!!" Otto shouted back, white knuckling the steering wheel.

"It's okay, Aws, It's okay, I'm here--" Geoff held him tighter as a roar of thunder drowned out every noise, signaling they were being taken over by the storm. The bus slowed significantly, between thunder claps, Geoff could her Otto swearing colorfully about the blinding sheet of rain. Awsten had his face pressed into Geoff's chest his shoulders shook as he cried silently. Geoff's heart broke more hearing the slightest whimper as a far too long string of thunder assaulted over their vehicle.

"I'm here, Awsten, I'm here, I swear to you I'm not going anywhere." Geoff tried to soothe, but it didn't seem to be working as Awsten jumped with every thunder roll. "I'm not, I promise, I--" Then he noticed how loudly Awsten was playing music through his headphones. He could easily make out Sum 41 blaring into the Awsten's skull. He wondered if his words were even reaching him. "Aws?" He tested lightly, Awsten didn't react, just pressing his face into Geoff's chest, a vice grip still on his striped shirt.

A flash of lightning assaulted them, so Geoff closed the bunk curtain, he could feel Awsten relax slightly in the darkness. His neck was crooked awkwardly to keep from banging against the bunk above them, it was starting to shoot some uncomfortable pain down his back so he adjusted, laying them down, keeping a firm hold on Awsten, as it was the only option to keep them both in the bunk. Awsten didn't seem to mind, keeping his grip on Geoff's shirt, scooting closer to keep his eyes hidden in Geoff's broad chest.

Geoff felt the bus slow to a stop, he blinked when Otto pulled back the curtain a bit. Otto couldn't help but grin at the two tangled together.

"Why'd we stop?" Geoff asked, another crash of thunder had Awsten shivering a bit.

"Highway's starting to flood, I pulled us over at a weigh station." He handed Geoff his phone. "I couldn't figure out how to pull up the weather app, but Jack texted you saying the stretch of highway we were about to hit was badly flooded." Otto stretched, popping his back. "I'm gonna take a nap, you good to take the wheel when the storm stops?"

Geoff nodded, his arm tightening around Awsten when more thunder roared. Otto chuckled a bit, winking knowingly at Geoff before clambering into his bunk. Geoff closed the bunk curtain again, turning a but on his side, keeping his arms around the singer.