𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬【𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧】

4

The couch was fairly comfortable. It was much better than the ground where Aubrey and Geoff would be sleeping. Awsten set his sleeping bag down on it and began his attempt to fall asleep.

He wasn't really that tired anymore after his interaction with Geoff. Even though he talked to Geoff all the time, all of their history still hung over their heads like a relentless storm cloud. Geoff had to know what he was doing to Awsten.

Awsten could hear Aubrey snoring beneath him. All he could think about was how badly he needed her boyfriend. The smell of his soft brown hair, the taste of his lips. He felt so fucking guilty. This girl didn't even know that her boyfriend used to kiss his best friend all the time, and that they really might have loved each other, and that she came and ruined it all with her perfect blonde hair and the fact that she was a girl. No- she didn't ruin anything. They weren't gay and they weren't in love, and that was that.

It was nights like these where all Awsten could think about was the lazy summer blackness. Geoff would take him under the stars, where no one could see them, and they'd kiss until their lips went numb and the sun peeked through the clouds. That was last summer, though, and everything was different now. That was when Awsten's lips belonged on Geoff's.

The bathroom door creaked open again and Geoff emerged. Awsten always loved how he looked in his pajamas.

In fact, sometimes they'd lay there together in their pajamas, pretending that the world did not exist except for them. But that was when Geoff's nights belonged to Awsten.

"Hey, Aws," Geoff's words cut quietly through the silence, "can I sit here?"

"Sure."

Awsten scooched over so that Geoff could fill the empty space. His warmth was so addictive.

"I'm not very tired," Geoff murmured.

His nose ring caught the last drops of light and glowed in the dark room.

"Neither am I."

Geoff moved a bit closer to Awsten, so that their legs were touching. The younger slowly put his head on Geoff's shoulder. He didn't care if Aubrey's belonged there now- in this moment, everything belonged to Awsten.

Geoff put his arm around Awsten's smaller body, squeezed him tight, and planted another kiss on his soft green hair. A shiver ran down Awsten's spine. This was all he needed to be lulled to sleep. He curled into Geoff's body and closed his eyes.

"I miss you a lot," Geoff whispered against Awsten's hair. "I really, really, really miss you."

But Awsten had already fallen asleep in his arm.