ARTIFICIAL // B.E

24

billie

"i love you, i love you, i love you," i murmured as i pressed slow kisses across aspen's face. "so much."

aspen smiled sleepily. we had just woken up from a nap that we took on the tour bus while on the way to our next venue.

"i love you, i love you, i love you," she echoed. she wrapped her arms around me, and she pulled me to lay beside her, instead of me hovering over her. "let's go back to sleep though. i'm exhausted."

"i think we're about to be at the next venue, baby," i told her after i pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. "i don't know if we have time for another nap."

"we won't have to do soundcheck for another while; let's sleep. please," she pouted as she pulled me as close as she could.

i stared at her for a moment. she had already closed her eyes again, though her lips were still pouted adorably. i couldn't help but cave.

"okay, okay, we'll take another nap," i pressed a quick kiss to her pouted lips. she smiled as i did. "i'm sure my mom will wake us up when we have to do soundcheck and everything."

"definitely," she agreed with a yawn. "maggie always makes sure we're on schedule."

"yeah, she does," i giggled. "always."

she tucked her head under my chin. she nuzzled her face into my chest. i lifted my hand to gently massage her scalp. i kissed the top of her head.

§§§

"slow motherfucker," i flipped finneas off as i passed him on my scooter.

"i wasn't even trying to go fast," fin huffed.

"yeah, sure," i said sarcastically.

"you're slow," aspirin stuck her tongue out at me as she passed me. "don't worry about finny being slow if you're being slow too!"

my jaw dropped. "wait, 'cause i wasn't trying to go that fast!" i claimed.

"right," she giggled.

i tried to catch up to her. as i did, i passed xavier.

"stop this tomfoolery!" he shook his head.

i decided to circle around him. "why?"

"because you always end up running into my ankles!" he claimed.

"it's only happened three times," i pursed my lips.

"that's three times too many!" he huffed. "my ankles can't take it anymore!"

"you want my workout routine or something? my ankles are strong as hell now; i haven't sprained one in, like, two and a half years now!" i boasted with a grin.

he glanced down at my ankles. he pursed his lips, and he gave a small nod of approval. "you know what... maybe," he hummed.

"it works wonders, dude," i continued to grin. "aspirin does it too! she was jealous of my muscular legs, so she—" i started to say with a smirk, but i was cut off.

"i was not," she scooted over here. "don't lie to him!"

"you totally were!" my eyes widened. "'bro, you got some muscular ass calves. drop the workout routine right now,'" i mocked.

"i wasn't jealous though!" she narrowed her eyes.

"yeah huh!" i argued.

"i literally wasn't," she claimed.

i set my scooter to the side as i got off of it. aspen did the same, while xavier slowly walked backwards to walk away. "you literally were. it's okay that you were, so just admit it!"

"i wasn't!" she huffed before she suddenly jumped up to wrap her legs around my waist.

i stumbled back as she did, and i fell backwards onto the floor with her. we both groaned in pain as we hit the floor, though we soon bursted into a fit of laughter.

§§§

"please, stop crying, baby," i frowned as i wiped aspen's tears with my thumbs. "it's okay."

her bottom lip quivered. she moved her head so that she could bury it into my chest. i cupped the back of her head, and i kissed the top of it as i tried to soothe her.

honestly, i'm not even sure of what exactly happened. aspen apparently had some bad interview, and then some bad experience with paps. she came onto the tour bus, found me, and tried to explain it all before she started crying.

my poor baby.

"i hate paps, i hate doing interviews, and i fucking hate the m-media," she ranted shakily. "i'm so tired of it all."

"i know, my love," i murmured. "i know. i hate it all too."

i rubbed her back as i still tried to calm down. i thought for a moment.

this is my fault. if i would've never asked her to open for my tour, then she wouldn't have this much attention. she would've been better off if i hadn't of asked her to.

i mean, she only had, like, six million instagram followers before i announced that she was opening for my tour, and now she's nearing thirty million; that's a huge difference, and to get that much attention so quickly was no doubt hard to adjust to.

not to mention, our managers forced us to be in a pr relationship; that definitely made her gain this much attention.

if none of this would've happened, she wouldn't of gotten so much attention so quickly. i have no doubt she'd eventually get there, because she's extremely talented, but maybe then it would've been easier to adjust to and wouldn't have been so bad.

"i'm sorry," i apologized. "this is my fault, i'm sorry. m-maybe we shouldn't be together, it'd get a lot of attention off of you, and you'd be better—"

"what?" she pulled her head away from my chest to look at me with teary eyes. "no, we shouldn't. billie, you're, like, the only thing making this all worth it, i can't— don't do this. please."

"but i— this is my fault, i'm sorry, i..." i stopped as cupped my face.

"even if we break up, we still have to act like a couple for pr; there's no point in breaking up," she reasoned. "please, don't do this."

"right... i'm sorry, i love you," i sighed as my shoulders slumped. "i just that maybe if we— i just hate to see you so sad, especially since i caused it."

"it's okay. i love you too," she mumbled as her thumbs rubbed my cheekbones. "i'm okay, i just hate paps and shit."

i pulled her close to me again. i kissed the side of her head.

i thought for a few moments again as we sunk into each other's embrace. i pursed my lips. "tour is almost over... after it's over, i'm taking you somewhere. we'll get away from paps and the media and everyone for a while, okay? it'll be only us, i promise."

"really?" she asked quietly. "would you really?"

"really," i confirmed. "just wait a few more weeks, baby."

§§§

a/n ayoo

thoughts?

predictions?

ending this next chapter 😍‼️

finally LMAODKF

words:
1150