Power & Control

18: Primadonna

~A

Two weeks had passed from that night in my hotel room, from that weekend I gave in to the temptation that was the broody guitar player of my band, who had a habit of ruining everything for me. He even ruined himself. Ruined what we could've had which would've been nothing more than just a very efficient stress reliever, a fun way to get rid of any unwanted frustration that inevitably came with both our jobs. Instead, he added to that frustration by pushing me to do something I've repeatedly refused.

I was sure that at this point everyone has had enough of our fights. And they were always so incredibly stupid and pointless. It started in the bus drive from Moscow to Minsk, where he got annoyed because I managed to snatch the last fuzzy blanket before he did, though I doubt he really wanted it. He slept shirtless as I discovered the next morning while walking past his bunk at the very bottom, meaning he didn't really even need a blanket to stay warm.

He had all those tiny little habits that could drive someone crazy. Like how he always, without fail, every single time managed to spill water all over the counter after making himself tea, or how he'd restlessly bounce his leg like a maniac while sitting on the couch to watch TV. Those were things I inevitably had to get used to over the period we travelled solely by bus. I shared one with the band, Louis and his assistant while the crew shared another. It was during this time I deeply wished I was a lot more famous and able to have my own bus away from him.

Tiny little fights were almost a daily occurrence after the first week trapped in that bus between shows. So much so that everyone had made a mockery out of it. I honestly felt bad for the band that had to deal with Niall and I shouting at each other constantly. And to no one's surprise, there we were again, stood at the door of the tiny bathroom fighting.

"There's nine more people other than yourself in this bus, Niall! And only one teeny tiny little bathroom! We can't all collectively wait around until you decide you're done using it!" I ranted in frustration, doing my best to keep my eyes from flickering lower than his neck. Not only did he have no regard for other peoples' needs, but as it turned out he also had no shame getting out of the shower in just a towel with so many people around. His hair was still wet, practically dripping with water and his skin rosy from the warm steam coming out of the room.

"Yet only you seem to care about what I'm doing! What, were you standing outside timing how long it took me to shower? Is your life that boring you constantly have to occupy your time following after me?" I scoffed at his rude tone and accusations, wanting nothing more than to shove him out the way and finally go to pee.

"I wasn't following after you! I'm fucking forced to spend every second of every day with you, like everyone else! The least you could've done is be a bit more considerate. But I guess that's too much to ask of you." I snarled right back, getting the anger out of my system. I could see his aggravation in the deep blue of his eyes practically penetrating my skin as he stared me down, a muscle ticking in his jaw as he clenched it.

"Mum and dad are fighting again." Ty creaked, pushing himself between us before walking past us towards the small living space consisting of a couch, TV and tiny kitchen. I sent him a glare as he glanced back with a proud smirk, the sound of laughter being heard from a distance. If I had to guess, it was most likely Perrie.

"If we go to court for custody claims, I want Lex to win me." Duncan added to the joke as he pulled back the curtain of his bunk, high fiving Ty on his way out. I groaned, shoving Niall away from the door before going into the bathroom. After waiting for a while, I was finally granted with the relief of peeing. Going back to take my previous seat on the plush couch, I ran into Niall again as he stood at the counter making tea. At least he had the decency to exchange his towel for athletic shorts, though I had a feeling that was the only piece of clothing he had on.