Ameliorate

Chapter 15: Ameliorate

Did you miss me?

Also this is not my art it's by X_Finny_X on Twitter, make sure to check them out.  It wasn't intended for this fic but still, I thought it was fitting.

The next morning, Darryl walked out of the room he shared with Zak and quietly went downstairs. As he turned the corner to go all the way downstairs, he glanced at the doors that hid his friends from view.

Likely against his better judgement, he gently opened the door of George, Clay, and Nick's room.

His glance rested on the futon nearest the door before realizing no one was on it.

Eyes wide, he scanned the room, quickly finding the three on the ground between the two beds, blankets strewn about themselves.

Clay was in the middle with his back to a bed, head slumped with a blue neck pillow around his neck.

George was on his left, head against Clay's shoulder.

Nick was sprawled across the pair's legs, head resting on Clay's legs.

Light from the cracked door flashed across Clay's face, causing him to open his eyes slightly and raise his head, squinting at the door and seeing Darryl.

"Sorry!" Darryl whispered, quickly closing the door.

He turned and looked at the door to the other room before opening it quietly.

Dave's head snapped up from where he'd been seated against the post of the bottom bunk nearest the door, eyes wide and panicked.

Darryl held his hands up, shrinking back slightly. "Sorry," He whispered again. "Just wanted-"
"To check on everyone?" He supplied, fidgeting with his hands in his lap.

"Yeah." A silvery flash caught his eyes and Darryl looked closer.

Dave was fidgeting with a brown handled knife.

"Is that-"

"Yes, I stole Addison's knife, what was I supposed to do, smuggle one through TSA?" Dave defended.

There was a faint sigh, causing Dave to freeze and look down and to his left.

Darryl took that as his cue to leave.

He walked down the stairs and rounded the corner to the kitchen, seeing Alistair and Niki seated across from each other, both nursing mugs of presumably coffee.

"Morning," Alistair greeted.

Niki turned and saw Darryl. "Morning," She offered.

"Morning, guys," Darryl greeted, walking to the coffee maker. "How are you two?"

"We're doing well, thanks," Niki answered.

"How's Zak doing?" Alistair asked.

"Still asleep. Have you seen Addy, Wes and Elizabeth or are they still asleep?"

"I haven't seen them," Niki told him. "But Elizabeth's still asleep.

"I saw them, they went paddleboarding at five in the morning, if you'd believe that."
"Why?"

Alistair shrugged. "I dunno, I've been up since then, though. I heard them start the coffee maker." He frowned down at his coffee. "Not like I was sleeping anyways."

Darryl glanced at the time on the microwave. "That was two hours ago..."

"Oh, believe me, I'm aware."