Show Me That I'm Better | Post Malone

XX

*Austin's POV*

It took a second for her eyes to refocus before they locked on to his. They were red raw, streams of tears still pooled on her cheeks.

"Fuck, Del..." he reached forward, gently brushing her hair out of her face before wiping the tears away. He sat patiently, watching her gently breathe, hoping that if he was still and silent for long enough she would speak.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was so soft it was almost a whisper.

"What for darlin?" He could see the pain on her face, hear it in her voice, but by now had lost track of what she had to apologise for.

"Over reacting."

He shook his head slowly. "Del, you don't ever have to apologise to me, for anything."

"I do." She whispered, blinking out a fresh new stream of tears.

He repositioned himself, sitting cross legged on the floor in front of her, his right fingers lacing with hers as he continued to comb her hair gently with his left. He didn't want to overstep, didn't want to push her to expand on what had happened this morning if she wasn't ready to discuss it, but also wanted to let her know that he was here if she was.

"This is really hard for me." She spoke after several long moments of silence.
"The last time I went anywhere alone with a man..."

He didn't need her to finish her sentence to understand, in fact her really fucking hoped she wouldn't. He knew where she was heading with it and didn't think his stomach was strong enough to hear it out loud.

His mind momentarily allowed itself to wonder if that had somehow been the underlying issue, if she was worried about that happening, with him. He felt himself instantly because nauseous, his whole fucking body become painful as the thought crept slowly into his mind.

"I'm not saying that I'm worried... with you..." Fuck this girl could read his mind, her words quickly putting his mind at ease a little.

"I don't... I'm not..." she stopped herself, letting out a deep sigh as she tried to collect her thoughts.
He patiently waited as she stumbled over her words, realising that what she was trying to say needed to be said.

"I know you wouldn't. It's just being alone with you, in another state, and no one else knowing where I am already has me nervous. When you aren't honest with me, my thoughts, my anxiety just spirals. I just really need you to be honest with me."

Being honest was one of the skills he had put to the wayside the more famous he became. He had quickly realised that people were much more impressed by Post Malone than Austin. They wanted the hyped up, over exaggerated version of reality more akin to Posty's lifestyle than Austin's. Without him even realising it, he had filed honesty away as one of the more useless qualities in his life, managing to exist much more easily without it.

"What if I'm worried you won't like the honest version?" He asked softly, his stomach and nerves tingling with the rawness of his response.

"I mean, he can't be worse than the version who called me a brat and threw up on me..." Her words remained serious but the glimmer in her eye was slowly trying to return, reassuring him she was joking.

He groaned at the memory of that night as her lips tugged upwards, a soft giggle leaving her.

Honestly she could make fun of him all she liked, bring up the night any fucking time if it meant her got to hear her laugh, the sound bringing a smile to his face.

"Okay" his tone turned serious again, bringing the conversation back. "I promise you, complete honesty whether I want to or not. But you need to promise me something in return."