One Moment

*Austin p.o.v*

I wiped my face off with the towel my tour manager threw at me as I ran off the stage, large smile present. The first actual smile all day. Performing really did make me feel better, just letting it all out, breathing in the joy the fans bring me.

Aaron gave me a pat on the back as he too came off stage, all of us going to get some water as we cooled off. "That was fucking awesome, as always," Tino came over, laughing as he whipped his sweat-drenched hair out of his face. I agreed, sparking up a small conversation with him and Phil as I caught my breath, slowly starting to relax again, even though I can still hear the chatter of the fans as they start to disperse.

"I could really go for some chicken right now. Chicken is always the best after shows," Tino announced, making me roll my eyes and chuckle as I looked to the side while taking another drink of my water. I let my eyes bounce around at the people I could see walking around from side stage, but my face fell when I saw Mike and Vic walking by.

I didn't think twice before I dropped my water onto a stool nearby and took of in a jog towards them, ignoring the confused calls I got from the guys. "Hey!" I yelled roughly, getting Mike and Vic to turn their attention towards me as I stomped over. Mike pulled his cigarette out of his mouth, taking a step back as he saw how fast and hard I was coming, Vic putting his arm out to hold me back when he noticed too. "Why? Why'd you fucking do it, man?" I hissed over to Mike.

"Austin? What's going on?" Vic asked, holding me away protectively from his little brother.

"Maybe you should ask your brother," I snarled. "Ask him about how Hazel got fucking kidnapped yesterday."

"What?" He looked taken aback, looking between Mike and I, confused. I now noticed the rest of the guys had now came over, standing behind and next to me. "What do you mean kidnapped?"

"I mean that this piece of shit helped get Hazel and shove her in some car! Kidnapped," I was pointing over at Mike.

"He would never do something like that.. She's fine, right? Mike wouldn't-"

"Why don't you fucking ask him?!" My body tensed, watching as Vic looked back to Mike who was standing there, glaring at me. "What did you do, Mike?" Vic asked, almost as if he was scolding. Mike was quiet, avoiding eye contact. "Mike? What did you do to Hazel?!"

"Nothing!" He cautiously yelled back, but I called him out and Vic gave him a look. He couldn't be the dick that he always was to us, to his brother.. "I didn't do shit to her! I just.. I just got her to come over to us.." He mumbled the last part.

"To who, Mike?" Vic looked disappointedly at him. Mike stayed quiet, looking down, so I answered for him.
"To her ex husbands brother who wanted her dead. He took her and we couldn't find her for hours until she called us, somehow got away. He hurt her! He fucking hurt her!" I moved to get at Mike again, but like always, I was held back, being restrained.

Vic was shocked, looking at me to see if I had actually said it, then to the guys who all had looks of agreement on their faces. "What the fuck, Mike?! You could have gotten her killed!"

Reminding me of this, I started pushing closer to Mike threateningly. Vic no longer held his hand on my chest, so I was able to get close to Mike. "Why?! What has she ever done to you?!"

"I don't know, she's just a fucking bitch!" I tensed, wanting to hit him, but Vic doing it for me as he slapped Mike upside the back of the head. "You're an idiot," he shook his head.

"He offered me 500 dollars, Vic. It was more than enough for me to just get Hazel over to him! I don't even like her," Mike said, like it would make it any better.

I scoffed, getting in his face. "You're just a piece of trash, you know that? What if she was killed? Or hurt seriously? Huh? Would the 500 dollars have made you feel better? Or are you just a stone cold on of a bitch?" I didn't let him speak, knowing it would just piss me off more. "You're lucky all these people are here, or else I would have beaten you to a pulp. Hazel is a better person than you ever will be, and her life is worth much more than 500 fucking dollars. So if you ever go near any of us again, or do something stupid like this, I will not hesitate to hurt you like she was hurt." With that I shoved myself away from him, swallowing my anger as I started to walk back to the bus, the guys following after. So much for feeling better..

Once we got back to the bus, hope sprouted up in me that Hazel would be up. Maybe she'd be sitting on the couch watching TV? Or maybe she would come great me?

When I walked up the steps and neither of those came true, just seeing Sam on the couch, I immediately went to the bunks to go see her after giving Sam a nod. I sighed sadly when it appeared obvious that she hadn't moved from her spot on the bed. I moved the tray of food that was still there to Tino's bunk, which was on the opposite wall from mine, before getting up on the bunk with Hazel.

I brushed some of the hair that seemed to have fallen back on her face, over to behind her ear, watching as her eyes fluttered close when I did, only to open back up and stare blankly at the wall again. I stayed quiet for a while, continuing to brush her hair with my fingers, trying to comfort her. I loved just being in her presence, and I could only hope she liked me being here now.

My mind was wandering as we laid there. Instead of thinking about all the bad times the past day, I thought about all the fun times we shared, ending up smirking at some. "Remember that one town in.. Crap where was it?... Kansas?.. I can't think of it, but the place had some sort of outdoor mall and a fountain in the middle of it.. I don't know if we were drunk or just crazy, but we started to play in it, nearly freaking out everyone around us," I laughed. "And then that one, little old lady came over and started yelling at us, saying 'you kids need to start acting your age!'" After realizing it was sad to be laughing and basically talking to myself, I sighed, moving one of my hands to wrap around her and grab onto her hand, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. "And I remember that one time, we had been at the beach all day.. And you got sunburned sooo bad that you looked like a bright red tomato, but you'd get mad and pout if I called you that," I smirked. "You had to sleep on your stomach that night because it hurt too much on your back," I realized I was kind of getting off topic. "But anyways, I just remember that in that position you were forced to look right at me, your eyes never leaving mine as we stayed up all night and just talked," I sighed, wishing we could do that right now. "We talked and talked and talked and I realized that you were everything I'd ever wanted. It sounds cheesy, yeah, I know," I laughed weakly. "But I fell in love with you, even with your tomato face and grouchy attitude because you were in so much pain."

I let my eyes close, smiling at the memories, but still feeling sad that Hazel was still in pain. It was a different kind of pain, but it still hurt because when she's hurting, I am too.

I was about to get up, but when I felt her hand latch onto mine that was holding hers, I froze. She was barely squeezing it, but it was enough to make my heart flutter.

It was something. It was a response.

A smile returned on my face and I moved back so I was lying close to her again, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Notes

yay another chapter! Kind of a short one, but

Hazel responded to Austin? Mike got paid by Ian?

Let me know what you think!<3