Reality of Darkness

Chapter 2

A/n: Mature warning for this chapter. ✌🏼

***

"Pee wee!" Aaron yells across the hotel lobby as myself and Zak walk in.

"Jesus, could he be any louder?" Zak mumbles as people turn to look at us.

"Yes." I answer before I call back to Aaron. "Bone crusher!"

Why do I call him that? Because the second I stop, I'm enveloped in a hug so tight, I have to remind him that I can break and I'm not made out of steel.

"How you holding up?"

I frown "What do you mean?"

"Living with Grumpy guts. What's up with you bro?" Aaron laughs looking between me and Zak.

"We're fine." I laugh, giving Zak an extra glare to make an effort.

"Sup bro. I'm just tired from the drive that's all."

Aaron nods. "That's why you should fly dude, so much easier."

Zak grumbles under his breath before walking towards the reception desk to get our room key.

"So, how are you?" Aaron grins.

"I'm great. Thank you for asking. You?"

"Good. So...." He looks down at my bag and back to me waiting.

Since joining the crew for their travelling, I've seen them go through a lot, I realise that this is no easy job and whilst they have a day off within filming, they are left to their own devices.

Usually that time is spent with their heads in their phones, inside their hotel rooms brooding. Which didn't sit with me.

So now, that designated day off has became my day, as I find them something fun to do to break up the darkness they deal with.

Last lockdown we went on a paint balling tour. We all had a paintball gun each, whilst we were loaded into a bus and taken through a forest and abandoned area to shoot at 'zombies'. Zak's skill in shooting was soon made evident, as well as Billy's.

"Well we've done shooting, bowling and paintball." I say making Aaron nod his head.

"So this time we got Go- Karting, and there's a museum tour, it's haunted, obviously but it also tells you about the vampire that is supposedly to have lived there once upon a time."

"Vampire?" Aaron asks, making me nod. "Zak will love that."

"I know. He's been off since leaving Vegas." I answer, watching as he answers his phone at the front desk and scurrying away.

"He's always off. Very few catch him in a good mood lately. He's a proper boss in lockdowns now. Ordering us about.... Not sure I like it." Aaron frowns in thought.

"What me have a word?" I ask. Not really sure on what I could do to help, but I felt compelled to say something...

"I don't know if that will be a good idea. Where's Bacon?" Aaron asks as I head towards the desk to collect the key.

"Outside having a cigarette." I call, leaving Aaron to shoot outside to find his friend.

"Thanks." I smile at the receptionist before picking up Zak's hold-all, lugging it onto my other arm and getting into the lift that a couple just came out of.

As the doors close, I watch the couple wrapped around each other leave the hotel, making me wonder if myself and Zak are still like that to everyone else. Loved up. Or whether it's all kept on the down low?