Superstar | | ACOTAR AU

23

Azriel was already seated in his favorite spot on the jet with a book and a pen by the time Rhys and Cassian trudged aboard.

"Fuckin' nerd," Cassian mumbled with a laugh, "it's not even eight in the morning, how are you awake enough for that?"

"How did car crash girl handle her entire apartment building getting surrounded?" Rhys questioned as he plopped down onto the seat next to Azriel. Cassian sat across from them, kicking his feet up onto the table and earning a scowl from Azriel as he moved his book further away.

"Her name is Gwyn," Azriel corrected Rhys, "and she seemed okay. We talked about getting her a new place. Amren said that building is a nightmare for security."

"Getting serious quick then," Cassian concluded, "you're sure about her?"

"As sure as I can be about someone I've only known a few days," Azriel answered, "I might fly her out in a few weeks—she has three days off school and work so I can send the jet to pick her up and bring her over since we'll be playing the same venue for four nights."

"I'm glad you found someone you like," the sincerity in Cassian's tone caught Azriel off guard. "I know this tour has been rough on you, it's nice to see something good coming your way."

"Coming his way with her car."

"Rhys, shut the fuck up, I'm trying to be sappy!"

Azriel smiled to himself as the pair devolved into bickering while the crew finished boarding the plane. They took off once everyone was seated, and an attendant came around and got orders for drinks and breakfast for everyone. The food options were limited, the drink options less so.

"It was nice that everyone was focused on Az instead of us last night 'cause I got messy as fuck," Cassian said as he cut into his stack of pancakes, "that girl I went with last night didn't mention that she has a fiancé and he was at her place when we got there and, fuck, he was pissed, which I totally get, I'd be pissed too. But he was more pissed at me than her! Like, hey, man, it's not my fault, I had no idea you even existed. So I left and he fuckin' chased me out of the house calling me the nastiest names he could think of and my security guy almost tackled him thinking I was about to get punched. Then I went back to the hotel and ordered room service and ended up hooking up with the girl who brought it in and that was cool."

"That was cool," Rhys kicked, "who says that about sex? That was cool. You're such a loser. But, yeah, it was nice not being hounded last night. My night wasn't even half as messy as that but it was nice to have some fuckin' quiet for once. We didn't even get followed back to her place! Az is probably going to be the center of attention for a while now."

Azriel's pen stilled for a moment at that before he finished whatever he was writing in the margins of his book.

"What are you even reading?" Cassian questioned, snatching the book from Azriel the moment his pen lifted from the page. "I'm honestly shocked there's anything left you haven't learned."

"I've already read this one," Azriel said as he took it back, "I gave my other copy to that kid we met, so I needed to get a new one and redo my notes."

"Oh, yeah, for that exam on Friday," Rhys teased, a grin on his face. "I'm sure you'll get an A."

"I'm so sorry for being interested in things other than sex," Azriel scoffed, earning protests from both Rhys and Cassian and laughs from a few nearby crew members.

"I have other interests! The gym is an interest, right? Fitness. That's totally an interest. See? I'm interested in two things, I'm such a well rounded individual. Rhys though? Yeah, no he's only got sex," Cassian ranted, "I mean, he does that whole song writing thing too but, I don't know."