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“Fuck.” Joel swore as their phones lit up with an alert from the airline; their flight had been delayed another two hours due to the storm. Everyone groaned at the alert and settled deeper into their chairs.
Tommi glanced out the large windows of the little lounge area they had found to be blissfully empty, most likely due to the early hour, rain pounding against the glass. By now the sun should be starting to rise but it was still as dark as it had been when they left the hotel.
Niko sighed, and readjusted the neck pillow he was wearing, “We’ll be fine.” he said.
"We've already been here for two hours," Joel groaned, "we were supposed to take off an hour ago."
"So what?" Niko waved his hand, "nothing we can do."
“So we’re going to be late,” Joel said, “the festival is sold out and we’re headlining, we’re going to let down so many of our fans!”
"They'll understand, film something for Insta and TikTok." Niko sighed, an irritated note to his voice.
"We're headliners, there's people that bought tickets to the festival to see us, I don't want to just tell them we're not going to be there! There has to be something we can do-"
“Whining and panicking about it isn’t going to help us!” Niko snapped. “We can’t control the fucking weather.”
“I’m not panicking! I’m just fucking pissed!” Joel tossed his bottle of water down on the little table between his and Joonas’ seats with more force than necessary.
“Yeah, because acting like a petulant child is going to help,” Niko told him, standing up to loom over him in his seat. “Grow the fuck up.”
"Niko-" Aleksi tried to break in.
"I'm not acting like a child," Joel glared up at him, the dark circles under his eyes almost shining in the florescent lights, "I'm pissed and I'm letting it out, don't act like you're not just as frustrated!"
"Oh suddenly you can read emotions?" Niko rolled his eyes. "When did hell freeze over?"
"I'd rather be honest about how I'm feeling then try to act like I'm never bothered!" Joel snapped.
"Joel," Olli groaned, "stop guys."
"Whatever, at least I don't burden everyone else with my crap." Niko muttered.
Oh, fuck. Tommi thought, hearing Joel’s small, sharp inhale at the words, everyone going quiet.
All the fight seemed to go out of Joel at once; he unfolded himself from the seat and muttered he was going to go see if there was any food nearby as he quickly walked out, somehow getting around Niko without touching him.
“Oh great and now he’s gone to sulk.” Niko threw up his hands.
“Niko!” Olli frowned disapprovingly, "that's enough."
“He was just venting,” Joonas said quietly, “You know he wasn’t upset with any of us, just the situation.”
“Well good for him.” Niko snarked back.
“Look,” Santeri tried to make peace, “we’re all low on sleep-"
“If any of us should be used to having so little sleep it should be him, maybe he could hold it together just one time!” Niko cut him off.
“What’s going on with him?” Janne muttered to him.
“I’m not sure,” Tommi muttered back, “but its going to stop right now.” He got up and crossed over to Niko’s side. “We’re talking a walk.” He told him firmly.
“I’m not-“ he cut off when he saw the look on Tommi’s face; it was one he didn't pull out often but brokered no argument, “fine.”
“Joonas, Olli, go find Joel.” Tommi directed, “Allu, come with us.”
He pulled Niko down to another part of the lounge while Aleksi followed, once again grateful it was so empty.
“Ok what’s going on with you?” Tommi asked once he was sure their crew couldn’t hear them.
“Nothing.” Niko muttered.
“Really?” Tommi raised an eyebrow, “because you just went at Joel for being “childish”, but you might as well have been stamping your foot.”
“Why does he get a pass on acting out?” Niko asked, “Why does Joonas always defend him? I thought we’re all supposed to be equal in this relationship.”
“We are equal.” Tommi frowned.
“He doesn’t always get a pass, kulta.” Aleksi said, “all of us have called him out plenty, Joonas more than anyone; but in this case we’re all exhausted, and it just got to him. Like Joonas said though, he was venting about the situation, and you went at him specifically.”
A flash of bright lightning illuminated Niko’s face, his eyes electric green as thunder clapped overhead.
“I know we’re all tired,” Tommi said gently, “but we can’t just go at each other like that. If you need to step away or if we need to all talk away from the crew, we can do that. But that could have been any combo of the six of us and I would be saying the same thing; it’s not a “you versus Joel” thing.”
Niko hung his head a little at that; it had been a growing pain for the band and for their relationship. Every once in a while, their two singers seemed to find themselves in a competition with each other; Joel would feel like Niko wasn’t listening to him on something, generally lyrics or a concern he had, other times Niko would get annoyed with Joel for not doing a chore as well as he thought he should or trying to push his opinion. They both had moments they felt like their other four boyfriends were taking the other’s side without hearing them out.
They were similar in so many ways it almost hurt, but that was what made them occasionally fight; they would have the same thought but usually had different approaches. It made them a great team most of the time, but when tensions were already high, like their hectic festival schedule taking them to four different countries in four days with very little sleep in-between, it was a recipe for disaster.
"I wish he would just listen to me sometimes, he worries about everything even when it's something like the weather that we can't control." Niko sighed.
"That worry drives him, helps drive the band." Tommi pointed out, "and when he starts to go too far we pull him back."
"His whole heart is in the band and this relationship," Aleksi added, "it's a big reason I started hanging out with you guys."
Niko gave a little half smile at that. "I know, I just... Fuck I haven't really slept in 5 days you know? I guess he just pushed all the wrong buttons."
Tommi eyed him, "are you feeling better now?"
Niko nodded.
"Anything else you want to talk about?"
“You know how long it’s been since the six of us had some time alone?” Niko asked quietly, “that we could just relax at home or even just go get dinner by ourselves?”
“It has been a while.” Aleksi agreed, speaking a little louder as the rain increased against the window, “but you know he’s feeling that just as hard as you are right?”
Tommi nodded and tucked some of Niko’s hair behind his ear, “we all are.”
Niko nodded a little and leaned into Tommi’s hand. “Where do you think Joel went?” he asked, the anger that had been in his eyes earlier had completely been replaced by sadness.
“Let’s go find him.” Tommi suggested.
The three of them walked down the other way, out of the lounge and empty gates. There was a sign for food up ahead, so they decided to go that way in case Joel had actually gone to do what he had said.
Sure enough, they saw Joonas and Olli sitting at an empty gate across from an open fast-food joint, Joel between them as they seemed to be in deep conversation.
Olli looked up as the three of them approached, giving a small encouraging smile and asking Joel something quietly before waving them over.
Tommi couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for the other man, he had slipped on his sunglasses even though the sun wasn’t up yet and Tommi would bet anything his eyes were red-rimmed.
“I’m sorry,” Joel said as they approached, “I was basically throwing a fit over the weather and I shouldn’t have been like that, especially in public or in front of the crew.”
“No, we’re all frustrated at the storm and the tight schedule.” Niko took the seat Olli vacated for him so he could sit by Joel and take his hand, “You weren’t yelling at any of us and there was no reason I should have gone off on you like that.” Niko leaned so his head was on Joel’s shoulder, “I just haven't slept and I miss getting to just spend time with you guys.” He said softly, “no interviews or gigs, just us for a bit.”
Joel leaned his head so it was on Niko’s, “me too,” he sighed, “I didn’t know it would be so hard to spend time with my boyfriends with all of us being in the same band.”
All of them chuckled at that, cutting off for another loud thunderclap.
"Do you both feel a bit better?" Tommi asked.
They both nodded, "thank you boys." They both chimed.
“How about we do this?” Joonas suggested, “no one has ate yet, we’re going to be here a while; let’s go get everyone food and just take ours to relax together for a little while.”
“Pretty sure the crew would be glad to have a break from us too.” Aleksi laughed.
“Let’s do it.” Olli agreed.
Tommi felt a little bad for the barely awake workers that had to deal with their larger order, but soon enough they were back to their group, Niko and Joel apologizing for the scene they caused.
Any ruffled feathers were soothed by the offer of hot, fresh food and coffee and their normal relaxed atmosphere was restored.
No one questioned the six of them taking their food further down the lounge so they could have a little bit of time to themselves. Niko and Joel were already back to their normal loving selves, feeding each other bites of their hash browns and muffins, Joonas whining at them and trying to get a bite for himself while Aleksi laughed.
Tommi smiled and leaned back against the window with Olli, the raging storm behind him all but forgotten as he caught up with his five favorite people.
They could weather any storm as long as they had each other, he knew that with absolute certainty.