Not Warriors- Awsten Knight

Chapter 30

"Hey Claire" Awsten mumbles softly, as the two of them sat outside of the bus.

"Yeah darling?" she replies looking over at him, her arms still wrapped around his torso.

"Did you want to stay here tonight? There's no bus call because we're so close to the next stop, so you could head back to your bus in the morning if you wanted." he tells her, pulling her tighter into his body.

Claire smiles, "I don't want to intrude, everyone else is sleeping so I would feel bad if they just woke up and I was there you know?" she tells him hesitantly.

"All of the guys love you, I'm pretty sure they miss having you here every morning." he says with a laugh and she nods.

"Alright if you're sure, I'd love to stay." Claire tells him confidently.

"I think I should call the boys and tell them I'm not coming back. I don't want them to wait up and worry about me." she adds in after the fact and Awsten hums in response nodding his head.

"What's wrong?" Claire asks him, her voice small and unsure.

"I just hope they know that I'm not going to hurt you again, I know they are protective of you but I really care about you and all of them for that matter." he says gently.

"I think they know that Aws, Collin actually came to my room to talk to me before we went out on our date. And Chris has told me that he just wants to see me happy, just because they're protective doesn't mean how they act with you is going to change." she says reassuringly.

As much as Awsten wants to believe her, he can't help but feel like this is going to ruin friendships with people that he's happy to have in his life.

"I know that you're scared, but we'll be okay I promise." she tells him lovingly, and he nods. 

"Go call them, I'll set up the bunk inside. Do you want to share mine?" he asks, while standing up holding his hand out to help her up. 

"If you want me to I can." she says quietly, with her phone pressed to her ear waiting for Tyler to answer the phone. 

"Hi Claire, you coming back now? I'll unlock the door." Tyler says cheerfully and she smiles. 

Every so often she is reminded just how lucky she is to have the friends that she has in her life, and right now is one of those moments. 

"No actually, I think I am going to stay here tonight." she says calmly, hoping that he didn't ask anymore questions. 

"You're staying with Awsten tonight." Tyler repeats questioningly. 

He can't say that he's surprised by the entire thing but he definitely didn't think that the night was going to end this way. 

"Whose staying with Awsten tonight?" Claire hears Collins sleepy voice from the background and she pinches her nose in between her fingers knowing that this phone conversation is about to be much longer than she had originally anticipated. 

"Claire." Tyler asks, and is met by complete silence. 

"Yes, to both of you I am staying with Awsten tonight okay? I know I am probably on speaker phone because that's the only way you have conversations which still drives me insane by the way. But I will answer questions tomorrow, or the next day. I just didn't want anyone waiting up for me when I was coming back." she says exacerbated.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Collin asks her, and she can tell that he had taken the phone from Tyler and she was off of speaker due to how close his voice sounded now. 

"I don't see how it could be a bad idea Col, I have to make these decisions without fear of the outcome okay? You told me that you just wanted me to be happy." she hisses in a quiet voice hoping that Awsten couldn't hear her through the bus. 

She didn't think that he would be eaves dropping on her, he had never done it before and she hoped he didn't start now because it almost seems like his fears that he expressed to her were right.

"I do want you to be happy Claire, that's literally all that matters to me. You could tell me you were leaving tour tomorrow, and I wouldn't care as long as what you were doing was what was best for you. I just don't want you to get hurt." he says sadly, and she feels bad for being so rude from the start. 

When she had left the bus Collin was sound asleep, so it wasn't any surprise to her that he was curious what was happening after waking up in the middle of the night to her being gone. 

"He's not going to hurt me, everything will be fine I am sure of it." she replies softer this time, hoping that her words would reassure her worried friend. 

"Claire I don't want to be negative here, but he's not the one thing in this situation that could hurt you. You guys are dealing with a lot more outside factors than you had back in the day. Just be careful, okay? I'll see you tomorrow." Collin says, and Claire can't exactly pinpoint what emotions he's feeling at the moment. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, love you Col," she replies tiredly. 

"Love you too." he replies hanging up the phone. 

Claire sighed softly, getting up and making her way onto the bus where Awsten sat on the couch in the common area scrolling on his phone. 

"Everything okay?" he asks her curiously, leading her to believe that he didn't hear anything that she had said. 

"Yeah of course, just lots of questions on their part. They're nosy." she says with a laugh and Awsten nods, smiling at her. 

"You ready for bed?" he asks, holding his hand out for her which she grabs firmly letting him lead her into the bunks where he climbs in first. 

Claire gives him a soft smile, getting in after him and settling herself into his side with her head resting in the crook of his neck. His arm wrapped around her. 

"It's been a long time since we squeezed into a twin sized bed together." she says teasingly and feels Awsten press a kiss to the top of her forehead. 

She lifts her head, looking for his eyes through the darkness of the bunk. 

"What's up angel?" he asks her softly, and Claire swallows thickly. 

"Can I kiss you?" she asks so quietly Awsten thinks he's imagining it. 

"Of course you can." he reassures her. 

Claire surprises the both of them with the passion behind the kiss, she presses her lips to his desperately almost as if she was trying to start a fire and the kiss was her matches. 

"I love you" Awsten mumbles against her lips in between kisses and Claire brings her hands up to his hair tangled herself within it. 

"I love you too." she replies breathlessly, placing one last kiss on his lips much more gentle than the others. 

She brings her head back down to rest in his neck, the both of them laying there in silence.

"Thank you for giving me another chance Claire." she hears Awsten say in her half asleep daze.