With Me Tonight

"Wow, it's been so long since I've seen this baby that I forgot what it looked like!" Izzy laughed as we excited the hotel, only to be greeted by our tour buses. Since we were the last ones to get out of the hotel after the little Austin fiasco, we all hurried into the bus to make sure we wouldn't be late.

Once inside, my eyes scanned over everything, taking in every detail that I used to just ignore when I was on this everyday over the summer. The rest of my band dispersed, in their own little worlds, while my feet carried my body with a heavy heart down the bus.

I passed the couch which Kush laid me on after I had an emotional breakdown on stage the last day of Warped. I looked at it with a blank expression before pushing myself further down the hallway, stopping at the bunks.

I easily found mine and hesitated, but soon reached up to yank the curtain back. My bed was made and everything was orderly, but all I could see was when it used to be messy, filled with not only random articles of my clothes, but also Austin's. I could see us laying in here, laughing, sleeping, making love... I could see us together..

My jaw clenched and my teeth gritted together as I look at the empty space, but soon I angrily tare the curtain back to cover it. Fuck that.

I don't dare to go into the back room, not ready to uncover those memories. In fact, I just want off this bus. But, knowing that's not going to happen, I head to the front of the bus. "I'm going to sit up front," I mumble to my band as I pass, not even waiting for a response before I head that way.

And just like that, I'm in a sour mood again.

***

"So are you going to tell me what happened back at the hotel?" Alan asks in a hushed voice, doing his best to be quiet because currently, we are sitting at a long table surrounded by everybody at the nearest diner. I've already playfully fought with the Bring Me The Horizon boys about if we are out for lunch or brunch, so for now I'll just say we're out for a meal before rehearsals.

Austin is sitting at the complete opposite of me in the long row of tables we put together (with good reason), leaving Alan and I at the far end to the right. My head rests on his shoulder because it's feeling really heavy, weighed down by thinking about what happened with Austin.

I toy with the sleeves of my sweater, looking down at my hands that rest in my lap. "I guess it was kind of my fault..."

"What'd you do, Haze?" His head quirks to the side so he can glance down at me.

Huffing, I adjust my head on his shoulder. "I just wanted him to feel what it's like to be cheated on... even if we aren't together.."

Alan didn't respond immediately and I was almost afraid he couldn't hear me for a while because I had spoken so quietly. But then Alan put together the pieces. "You slept with Jason?!"

I quickly sat up, putting my hand onto Alan's mouth, shushing him. Luckily, no one was paying enough attention to us to have heard what he said so I let my hand fall back down from Alan's mouth. "Are you crazy, Haze? You had sex with Jason? What about Dom-"

"No, I didn't have sex with him!" I exclaim in a hushed voice over to him, watching as his face crumpled into confusion.

"Then what did you do?"

"We kind of... just... pretended to have sex.." I mumble, not daring to look at Alan because I'm afraid to see him ashamed. He's the one person here that I don't want to be disappointed in me, just like I wouldn't want Syd to be.

I take the risk to peek up at Alan, just in time to watch him burst out in laughter. "You pretended? How do you even pretend to have sex?" He laughed at me.

"Don't laugh," I mumbled, burying my head into his shoulder to try and escape him making fun of me. I got embarrassed for some reason, my cheeks tingling with blush. "I just... I wanted him to pay for being such a... dick."

Alan sighs, sitting up a bit so can get my head in a more comfortable position on his shoulder. "I know, Haze, I know. And trust me, if it wasn't Austin, I'd be highfiving you all day long because that's a genius idea, but it is him," he spoke while I stayed quiet, watching as the waitress made her rounds around the table to give people their food. "And just like you, Austin's my best friend. Sure, he can be an idiot sometimes-"

"Lot's of times," I interject with a sour mumble.

"Whatever, my point is, if you want things to get better between you two, then you can't purposely try to enrage him like that. You know he's not good when it comes to jealousy and shit like that," Alan reasons while the waitress sets our plates of food in front of us. I ordered an omelet to try and stay healthy while Alan got a giant plate of chocolate-chip pancakes and hash browns.

"Who said I wanted things to get better?" I mumbled as I sat up, scooting closer to the table.

"Don't talk like that, you don't fool me, girl," Alan says back as he too sits up, not hesitating to dig. I sighed and shrugged, letting the topic fall with one more glance in Austin's direction. He was laughing at something that Oli said which only reminded me of when Austin disliked Oli over the summer because he thought we had a thing. Especially when people started shipping 'Holi'.

That actually led to the small fight that led to us dating.

I shook my head as if it would shake the thought away and looked away from him, only this time I catch sight of Tino who literally has his cheeks stuffed like a monkey with blueberry pancakes. I laugh aloud, then Tino tries to smile through his mouth full, only make me crack up harder. I couldn't even help myself from pulling out my phone to snap a picture while still laughing.

The good thing about being in a bad mood here is that there is always someone to cheer you up.

I showed the picture to Tino after he chewed and swallowed his food, and in response he laughed, sticking his thumbs up. "Model," I teased winking at him.

He dramatically flipped his hair to the side, winking back at me. "Oh, you know it, girlfriend.'"

We laughed together once more before going back to our meals, embracing their greasy goodness while sparking up conversation with the Letlive boys near us. Jason catches my eye and smirks at me when he does, making me blush and shake my head while laughing.

I could feel Austin's eyes burning into us while Jason and I had this little exchange of smiles and I couldn't help but smirk bigger. I know I won this battle, even if that does make me a terrible person...

***

Alan's pov:

After we all split the bill for our meal and left the diner, we walked out to the parking lot, all of our giant buses awaiting.

I was still with Hazel and when I looked down at her to say bye because we had to split up, I can't help but notice the glare she gives to her bus. It's not like it's a person that could have pissed her off, so I didn't necessarily get it, but I got that she didn't want to go on it.

"Hey," I bump her hip, getting her attention. She comes back to the real world and looks up to me, putting on a smile. "Wana come on my bus?" I ask, glancing at her's to let her know I saw her hesitation.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "No, it's okay. That wouldn't be any better... But thanks," she smiles.

"You'll survive?" I ask lightly, raising an eyebrow.

She giggles and nods. "Yes, I'll survive."

"Alright, I'll see you in a few then, bub," I pat her head and she rolls her eyes, sticking her tongue out at me before heading inside of her bus.

I shake my head in amusement at her before turning and jogging up the steps into mine. I plop down on the couch and spend the ride playing on my phone, determined to beat Hazel's score in Flappy Bird.

"This game is such a joke!" I yell after being one away from beating Hazel and then dying. "It just wants you to be fucking angry!" I groan, hearing Tino laugh at me from the seat across from me. "Shut it, Ur Boii," I point at him.

Luckily, we arrive at the set before I can play another round and get even more pissed off. Thank the lord.

I groan and mumble curse words under my breath as I shove my phone into my pocket, following Austin out of the bus. He seemed to be in a better mood then he was when he shoved Jason up against the wall earlier, but it's always hard to tell with him. He got good at being the same, fun Austin, even when he was suffering...

I guess we got here a little later than everyone because we seemed to be the last ones getting off our bus and heading inside. In fact, when we got in and walked to the stage, I could already see Hazel who was jumpy with excitement as she stood on the stage.

I watched as she spun around with her arms in the air then started chatting with a large grin on her face as she spoke in excitement to Sam. I think it is an understatement to say she's excited.

I laughed at her as we came over, crossing the floor that will be filled with people in only a few hours. "Hazel!" I cup my hands around my mouth to call up to her and get her attention. She spins around and gets on her knees, letting her head hang off the stage so she can look at me. "Let me get a picture of you!"

"Yes!" She nods, shooting back up and striking a pose. Her hands end up in the air again, showing off her stomach while her head falls back, eyes closed as she breaths in the atmosphere. I laughed as I took the picture, "Okay! You're good!"

She goes back to normal position and claps. "Is it good?" She calls down to me.

I laugh and nod, teasing while I call back up to her. "Amazing!"

She gives me two thumbs up before turning and running off with a skip in her step. It was amazing how she completely forgot about anything bad now that she was here, fully happy knowing she was on stage. Hell, she even headed straight over to help the stage crew set up their props since they are the first to perform tonight. She didn't have to, but she did, convincing them to let her paint props with glow in the dark paint, too.

I shake my head in amusement at that girl, turning to go head up to the stairs so I can go back stage before we rehears. But on my way, I spot Austin who is leaning against the wall by the door, watching Hazel, too.

"Hey, man," I say as I get over to him. He looked like he almost had a smile on his face from watching her be happy (it is very contagious), but when he saw me, it fell away. "Whoa, what did I do now?" I hold my hands up in surrender of the daggers he's shooting at me.

"Nothing," he grumbles.

I raise my eyebrow, "Seriously, man? What's been up with you? I thought you decided you weren't going to be a grump."

"I'm not being a grump," he argued and I snorted.

"Yeah, right," I laugh a sarcastic laugh. "And I don't like cats."

Austin stands up and shakes his head at me, his glum face back on, showing off the bags under his eyes. "You just don't get it, dude, so let it go."

"No, you're right. I don't get it. So make me get it! Because I'm sick of this! You're not being yourself," I hold him back, sick of him being so lame. I care about the guy too much to watch him ruin his own time here, but also other peoples.

"You want to get it?!" Austin snaps, his voice raised as he turns back to me.

"Preferably, yeah!" I raise my voice back.

"How about this," he starts, jabbing a finger in my direction. "First I figure out that you, my best friend, is fucking my ex girlfriend! Then I get to watch you two be all cuddly and shit together 24/7! What if I just went and spent weeks with your ex? Then rub her in your face?! How would you like that?! Not very much, would you!" He fumes and I open my mouth to prove him wrong, but he doesn't let me. "And then I sit through her and Jason fucking for what felt like goddamned hours last night, only to wake up and have her rubbed in my face more! And then you don't even give a shit, you just go back to being all lovey dovey with her! Did you know that she was whoring around with other people?!"

"Austin."

"I think I have a good fucking right to-"

"Austin!" I cut him off, trying to stop his blabbering.

"What?!" He yells back, exasperated as his ams flailed in the air.

"They didn't fuck!" I didn't even realize I just spoiled Hazel's secret before it came out. I just really wanted Austin to stop going so crazy over it because one: it makes him a grump, and two: he'll never let it go and will let it destroy him.

Austin was going to yell back, but then actually heard what I said and hesitated. "...What?"

"They didn't fuck! We didn't fuck! No one fucked anyone! She has a boyfriend, man!.. Hell, she hasn't even fucked her boyfriend yet!" Another one of Hazel's 'secrets' came out of my mouth before I could stop it. Fuck. Dammit. Shit.

I'll have to make up for that one later with her.

Austin seemed to have relief wash over his face, but then it just tightened back up when he processed what I said. "...She... She has a boyfriend?" His voice was quiet again, making me sigh, feeling bad for yelling and telling Hazel's secrets. "Who?"

"They went to high school together or something, I don't know. He lives back in Washington," I say, watching as Austin's eyes cast away from me. He stays completely silent, lost in his head for a while.

"What's his name?" He finally speaks, still not looking up to me.

"Austin, I don't know why that really matters, I-"

"I just does, Alan," he cut me off, but then changes the subject when I don't respond quick enough. "How long have they been together? How fast did she move on from me?" The last question comes out with anger, almost like he is hissing it. I know he feels anger at her for having a boyfriend when he's still hung up on her, even if he does show it in the worst way possible.

"I don't know the details, but I don't think it's been too long," I sigh. "Look, man, I wasn't even supposed to be telling you any of this but I did anyway because you're like a brother to me, okay?" No response. "Just don't go making things worse between you two. Try to let it go if you can't work your shit out."

Austin take a minute to work out what's all in his head before scratching it and slowly nodding. For now, I feel relieved that he agreed, but mostly I just hope they both actually can either work things out or stop fighting because it's a pain in my ass.

This is actually all a pain in my ass, like honestly, since when am I the one who's all serious and takes care of bullshit? Man, what are these two doing to me?

"We good then?" I ask Austin.

"Yeah, we're good," he agrees.

"Awesome," I reach up and pat his shoulder. "Let's go kick some ass at this concert then, eh?"

Notes

title credit: Miserable at Best by Mayday Parade!!

Filler altert!!!

Alan being the voice of reason? Will Hazel and Austin actually be able to stop fighting? Let me know what you think!

I've already like brainstormed the next like 5 chapters that hopefully you guys will like very much since I have some stuff planned that I think y'all will like(; but with this being said, updates will be coming frequently!

Thank you SO much for the comments! They make my day all the time! And motivate me<3<3