Settle Down (Gawsten)

gay breakfast club

Geoff

Otto shook me awake at six am exactly, whispering for me to get dressed.

"Where are we going?" I groaned, sitting up and promptly hitting my head on the ceiling.

"Shh, we're getting breakfast so we can talk." I suddenly remembered our conversation last night and looked around for some clean clothes.

Finally locating my blue and grey striped sweater and some black jeans, I quietly slipped down from my bunk to wash up and get dressed.

Otto was waiting for me outside the bus, his curly hair poking out from underneath his knit beanie and his nose red from the chilly morning air.

"Where to?" I asked, making sure no one else was outside yet.

"Smoothie place down the road." Otto answered quickly, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket. It was cold, but the cold didn't bother me as much as it was bothering him.

A short walk later, Otto and I were each holding a fruit smoothie and sitting at a little table near a window.

"So," Otto took a long sip of his smoothie deliberately, "Awsten, huh?" I nodded slowly.

"I mean, I'm not gay or anything, but-" Otto interrupted me with a loud fit of laughter.

"Ha! Do you hear how loud I'm laughing? That means I think you are gay!" Otto said loudly, his beanie slipping off his forehead and his unbrushed hair sticking out everywhere. I turned red with embarrassment, and looked around nervously at the other people in the shop.

"Otto, quit." I hissed quietly. We were getting a funny look from a woman behind the counter, and Otto was still cracking up. He finally stopped laughing and wiped a tear away from one eye.

"Ah yes, where were we?" I rolled my eyes but cracked a smile.

"Awsten."

"Oh yes, your boyfriend." Otto said firmly, taking another long sip of his smoothie. I sighed and shook my head.

"No Otto, I'm not gay." I was scared he was going to have another outburst, but thankfully he didn't.

"Well then, why all the sudden interest in Awsten?" Otto asked calmly.

"I don't know!" I said a little indignantly. Then I inhaled and organized my words inside my head. "You're going to laugh, but here's the truth- every time he flirts with someone, I get really jealous."

"Why? You've practically had him to yourself since the beginning of the band." Otto responded with raised eyebrows. He was right, Awsten and I had always messed around more than Awsten and Otto or Otto and I, but it was different then. I wasn't sure how, but it was.

"Its just different now, Otto. We aren't teenage boys making jokes about sucking dicks anymore." Otto slowly drank the rest of his smoothie and inhaled deeply before answering me.

"Well," He fiddled with his napkin as he spoke, "Have you considered the possibility that Awsten really liked you all that time, but was convinced you weren't into guys, so he's given up?"

"Wait, what?"

"Look, it's just a thought." Otto said, standing up and tossing his smoothie cup in the trash.

"Otto, that was awfully specific for just a thought." I said, finishing my smoothie and throwing it away. As Otto pushed the door open and we stepped back outside, he gave me a sideways smirk.

"Hey, you didn't hear anything from me, alright?" I nodded, but rushed to ask him more questions.

"How long did you know he was interested in me?" Otto laughed sarcastically.

"Since he lay eyes on you, idiot." I sighed loudly and gently shoved Otto. Otto shoved me back in a jesting manner as we always did.

"Well, if I wanted to talk to him about it, how would I go about that?"

"Hold up just one minute, if I remember correctly, you 'aren't gay'." He did quotations around the words he'd quoted me on for emphasis.

"I'm not gay, I just-"

"Do you want him or not? Because if not, it'd be much better to just leave it." Otto said, suddenly getting more serious. His words made a sudden impact. I needed to figure a few things out before I approached Awsten about anything.

-

Happy 2018 lads!!