resplendent *gawsten* ✓

Chapter Twenty-Five

2.24.18
edit 8.25.20
1,247 words

awsten p.o.v.

sunlight flashed at me behind my closed eyelids. i hissed and drew my blankets over my face. i heard geoff laugh, and then my bed dipped.

"sapphire, guess what?" he asked softly. i groaned in response and jammed a pillow over my head. i could still hear him chuckle. "we're going on a trip..."

"fave-fav'rite rrrocketsh-ship..." i sang back, my voice scratching me. i grimaced and let the pillow slip off my head as i reached for my water bottle that i kept on my nightstand. i took a sip from it before replacing it.

geoff tickled my arm softly. "that sounded like it hurt." he murmured. i nodded to affirm his assumption. he crawled onto the bed with me, facing me, with an arm under mine and wrapped around me. he nuzzled his nose against mine, making me smile widely against his lips that were fairly close.

"i have some news." he said. i hummed for him to continue. "we're gonna go on a trip, away from town." i moved a bit back to look in his bright, stellar blue eyes. i furrowed my eyebrows to signify i was orange-blue paisley.

"you and i are gonna have some alone time." he said, kissing me softly. "we're gonna go to wales and the netherlands, and we're gonna relax and have a good time."

when i didn't change my expression, geoff sighed. "my parents, otto's parents, and your grandparents paid for it. they insisted!" he added when i shook my head. "they insisted that they would once they heard of the plans. we leave in a week, and we're there for a week and a half."

he planted daffodil bulbs all over my face as i grasped his shirt, upset. "don't worry, aws." he said. "everything'll be okay. i-i-otto and i just thought you could use the vacation..."

i nodded and whispered, "i-i know. i c-could...th-thanks..."

he offered a watery smile and kissed my nose. "do you wanna help me make the packing list while we eat breakfast?" i nodded and we held hands as we walked downstairs.

******

"swimsuits?" geoff called from the living room. my feet red-black thundered down the stairs as i hurried to hand my boyfriend our swim trunks and my swim shirt-it was really some snorkeling shirt or other-and handed him sunscreen. he laughed and gave it back. "baby, it's an indoor pool. i didn't look up any beaches."

i shrugged and went to put it on the kitchen table before i ran back upstairs. i grabbed my entertainments bag and rushed downstairs, where i saw geoff shoving something into his pocket. i paused to watch him for a second before i asked, "w-what w-was that?"

his head snapped up to look at me, and his eyebrows furrowed with orange-blue paisley. "what was what?"

"in-in your pock-pocket."

"a pack of gum," he answered, continuing with packing.

i paused. "b-but you don't...y-you don't ch-chew gum."

"...yes i do." he hesitated.

i sighed. of course. of course. i was a fool. i was a fucking fool. i shuffled uncomfortably. "o-ok-kay." i bit my lip instead of the inside of my cheeks. i wheeled around and fled to my room, muttering about planning more for tomorrow, since our friends were coming over. i ignored geoff as i shut my door and locked the two locks.

i threw on some socks. i shoved my feet into my silver creepers as i dialed ash's number into my phone.

"aws?" she greeted me in her husky voice. "what's up? why'd you call?"

fuck. i never call people. i didn't back out though, and instead painfully stuttered out, "c-can-can you c-come 'n pi-pick me up? st-store?"

it was very obvious how she was trying not to be audibly excited about hearing my voice. geoff's calls from behind my door were very obvious, too. i ignored that and listened to the rustling on ash's end.

"okay, okay. sure. i'll be there in ten." she hung up without waiting for my gratitude.

i finished shoving my feet into my shoes and snatched my wallet from my nightstand. i unlocked the door locks and opened it. geoff almost tumbled into my room if he didn't catch himself. "what's wrong?" he asked, concern tattooed into his eyes. my anger and disappointment immediately melted.

i held up my wallet. "st-store. a-ash comin'. that oh-okay?"

geoff watched me carefully. i rocked on my feet with my hands holding my wallet behind my back and looked down. after a moment, he sighed, and pulled me in for a hug.

"yeah, of course. i'll just, uh - i'll finish packing. there's just a little bit anyway."

i nodded, and he let go of me. i combed my fingers through my hair as i stepped outside in the sweltering heat. i huffed, disappointed that i could possibly forget that we lived in texas, and it got fucking hot in texas.

i didn't have to wait long before ash pulled up in front of my house. "where to?" she asked when i got settled. i told her our destination and we got going.

"so..." she paused to move a strand of black hair from her face. she seemed to have gotten impatient with the red side because it was already held back with a bobby pin or hair-clip. "so how have you been?"

i shrugged. "g-good...y-you?"

she smiled. "i'm good, too." there was a small pause before she blurted, "i'm proud of you. and-and your voice is cute." i raised an eyebrow. her brown eyes glanced at me before paying more attention to the road. "what? i know you're datin' geoff. just sayin'."

"th-thanks."

"you bet." her smile was quite contagious.

******

our friend zakk draped himself over geoff and i at the airport gate. "don't leeeaaavvee!" he cried. travis pried him off us so that we could grab our luggage and go after we said our goodbyes.

the plane ride wasn't so bad, it was just long. i took several, several naps, but none of them were ever long enough, with the longest one being only half an hour. geoff was patient with me and my whining that i tried to keep to a minimum for other passengers' sake.

when we landed in wales nearly the next day, we got our luggage and got a taxi to take us to our hotel. i was hardly able to roll my suitcase inside the room before i collapsed on the bed, my legs dangling to the floor.

geoff chuckled and i felt the bed dip, and him kiss my faded hair. "ten more minutes, and then we get to sleep." he said. i groaned and rolled over, splaying my arms out.

"d-don't wa-wanna."

geoff pulled my shoes off my very sore feet. "we gotta, peach." he insisted, taking his shirt off. "get into pjs. i'll do the same, and once we're done, we can cuddle under the blankets until we fall asleep. how does that sound?"

i huffed, slid off the bed, and made my way to my suitcase to get my pajamas. i went into the bathroom to change as fast as i could. i waited for geoff to call out an okay for me to come back out.

the bed covers were already drawn back, so i flopped onto the bed and snuggled into its soft, pink-silver butterfly material. geoff laid down, facing me, and covered us with the blankets. i nestled my head into where his shoulder and neck met and sighed, content.