Best + Bitter = Better

Twenty days after

"What the hell is this?" Mark snaps, standing over the two in the bed. They are cuddled up together, with Geoff's strong arms wrapped around Awsten.

Awsten jolts awake at the harsh sound, blinking away the blurriness to reveal his boyfriend. He sits up in bed. Because Geoff is still sick (probably even more sick) he only cuddles closer to Awsten in his half-consciousness.

"Get off my boyfriend." Mark shouts and tears Geoff's arms off of Awsten. Awsten jumps up and out of the way, however Mark corners him.

Geoff, who is now wide awake, sees the fearful look in Awsten's eyes. "Hey, " Geoff speaks, his nasal tone even worse due to sleep. "It's my fault. Leave him alone." He goes to stand, but gets dizzy and falls back on the bed.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Yells Mark. Awsten flinches at the loudness and looks to Geoff. He's worried Mark might hit him or something.

Geoff stands up, slowly this time. "Calm down, okay? Nothing happened." He tries to reason, but he can see Mark's nostrils flaring and his ears getting red.

Mark glares at Geoff to Awsten and back. "Sure, and I'm supposed to believe that!" Mark grabs Awsten by his shoulders and starts shaking him. "I came home early to surprise you, and here I find you with another man!"

Geoff steps in between them and makes Mark let go. "Don't touch him. You're scaring him!" Geoff exclaims. Awsten clings to his arm, while Geoff puffs out his chest to create more of a shield for Awsten.

Mark's eyes widen, then close. He takes a step back and says, "I left my sick mother to come home to you." Geoff is taken aback; he may be sick, but he knows Awsten said brother. "I'm sorry I shouted. Come here." He opens his arms and Awsten runs into them.

Geoff crosses his arms and frowns. Mark looks at him while hugging him. Geoff mouths, 'I know you're lying'. Mark only smirks and kisses Awsten.

Mark stands to his full height. "I think you can go now, Geoff." Geoff glares at him, but smiles when Awsten looks at him.

Geoff rests a hand on Awsten's arm, "Are you going to be alright, Love?" He gets a nod in response, so he grabs his stuff and leaves.

He closes the door and waits for a few seconds. In his imagination, Awsten comes running out, confessing his love for him and how much he appreciates him. He doesn't, of course, but a guy can dream.

Geoff gets back to his own dorm, opening the door and seeing five girls. One is Lucy and he has no idea who the others are. They are all in their underwear, sat across the beds and floor. They all turn to look at him, but he just closes the door, sighing. He resolves to just go to Jawn's and ask him if he can stay there for a while.

At Jawn's, he knocks on the the door twice and is greeted by silence... Or what Geoff hears is silence, but his ears are kinda blocked. The door opens to reveal a very joyous face and he is tugged in quickly.

Jawn then takes a look at Geoff's face and sees how pale and dead-looking he is. "Shit man, are you okay?" He asks, pulling Geoff gently to the sofa.

Geoff waves him off tiredly, "Just a bit sick." Saying 'under the weather' is too much effort, so he just accepts the label 'sick'.

"Yeah, I can tell. Why aren't you in bed?" Jane asks, leading Geoff over to the sofa. He looks at Geoff as he lays down on the sofa. "I mean your bed." He chuckles.

Geoff sniffs and closes his eyes, he's tired from the drive here. "There's half naked girls on it." He sounds so nonchalant and Jawn's jaw drops.

"I know you're gay, but I didn't know you were that gay." Jawn says, but frowns after at his words. They had never discussed what Geoff identified as and he didn't want to upset his best friend.

He looks at Geoff, who is glaring at him. He still has a playful smirk on his face, so Jawn breathes a sigh of relief. "They were Lucy's friends - believe me, you don't want to go out with them." He groans.

"I wasn't talking dating, I was talking... y'know..." Jawn murmurs. Geoff rolls his eyes at him, then closes them again.

"Go over there if you want, mate, I just want to sleep." Geoff mutters, tired and uninterested.

Jawn looks at him in pity and just leaves him to it.