Seeing Through (Scomiche)

Chapter 28

A/N: Earlier than what I thought, but I'm not complaining. I don't really know what to say guys, just..enjoy it.

See you soon with the epilogue :)

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Waiting can be extenuating.

It's not even the passing of time that makes you want to cry in frustration, although that doesn't help. It's the not knowing. That fear, deep inside your stomach, of the unknown. The breath halting in your throat every time your phone chirps, the momentary anxiety before you cast a look at it, and the sinking disappointment when you realize that it's not who you wanted it to be. You let out a sigh, telling yourself that you're delusional and that you should stop - and maybe you do, before going back to counting seconds, minutes, hours.

And the process begins once again.

We waste most of our lives waiting. Waiting for answers, waiting for opportunities, waiting for chances. Waiting in lines, waiting in classes, waiting at work. Waiting for beginnings and waiting for endings.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Time passes by and you still feel like something is missing. Whether it's for a job opportunity, for a grade on a paper, for someone's reply when you ask them out. The unknown eats you alive. At some point, it doesn't even matter how it ends. You just want to know, to understand what will be of you once everything settles so you can move on with your life without feeling tied down to the seemingly endless anxiety.

We need closure for everything.

And that's exactly what Scott did, why he waited and waited. For days he stayed in a limbo, not really sure how he kept surviving. The only source of light in that everlasting pit of darkness was the fact that he had, at least, seen Mitch. Granted, they hadn't spoken, and they had not been alone, since the whole band had met at the tenor's house to talk about the upcoming summer tour with Kelly Clarkson and what they had to do until Mitch could go back to work.

He had noticed the worried looks that his friends had given him, and he even noticed the brunette casting a look at him when he thought Scott wouldn't see him, but the baritone had kept silent, not wanting to think too much about it. He lied to himself and to everyone around him, faking a smile when Esther asked him how he was holding on. He tried to tell her that he was fine, that he was still living, but he could notice that she wasn't fooled. Thankfully, she didn't insist, giving him some space.

He had thought that it would be easy to stay focused just on the work and not let his horrible love life cloud his mind, but he was wrong. His eyes were never leaving Mitch; no matter how much he forced himself to move his gaze, the tenor was still capturing crystal blue, making everyone uncomfortable and frustrated with them.

Even after Mitch had his stitches removed, rehearsals were taking place in his living room, so that the boy didn't have to strain his still weak body. It wasn't the most comfortable option, but no one felt like complaining after seeing how quickly the tenor became tired. It was painful for Scott to be so close to him and so distant at the same time. The last memory he had of that apartment was their bodies getting tangled on the couch, his heart filling up with both sadness and contentment as he remembered the moment when he had realized how deeply his feelings truly were.

Being close to him wasn't easy at all, so different than how it used to be. It was even more hard these days, because they hadn't had time to really talk about Scott's confession, always surrounded by so many people. And even when he thought he could be brave enough to stay behind so that he could try and understand what Mitch really wanted, he always changed his mind, unable to find in himself the courage to ask for a truth that maybe he wouldn't be able to bear.