Work Text:
Awsten loves being a musician. Honestly, he does, it’s the best thing in the world. He couldn’t ask for a better job, or imagine doing anything else. Being able to create whatever he wants - at his own pace now that they’re unsigned - is the best way his life could have gone. Especially with his two best friends, the most important people in his life, by his side. He wouldn’t be anywhere without Geoff and Otto.
Awsten also likes to talk. He always has, ever since he was a little kid, following his mom around the house asking her endless questions. Fortunately she was always patient with him. Some people aren’t, they find him annoying, but that has never stopped him.
He can talk and talk for hours on end and not get bored. Half the time, the person he’s with isn’t even responding to his rambling. Geoff has the courtesy to at least make noises indicating he’s still listening, but Otto will often sit in complete silence while Awsten talks to him. Or not reply to his texts.
The problem with being a singer and loving to talk is that those two things are not always compatible. They come from the same place - his vocal chords, which probably hate him by now. He puts an unreasonable amount of strain on them when he’s on tour.
Sometimes they give up on him. Like right now.
“Ughhhh.” Awsten complains, face down on the floor of the tour bus. Considering the lack of space, it’s impressive that he’s managed to stretch out so much.
“Stop whining, you’ll make it worse.” Otto pokes him in the back with his foot. He’s sitting on the couch, ‘supervising’ Awsten at Lucas’ request. Awsten isn’t sure why they treat him like an unruly toddler instead of an adult man.
Awsten grabs the whiteboard that Geoff gave him to communicate with and scribbles his response on it.
I’LL MAKE YOU WORSE IN A MINUTE
“Your jokes haven’t gotten any better.” Otto observes.
SHUT UP
“How are you doing?” Geoff crouches down in front of Awsten, his voice soft. “Does your throat still hurt?”
Awsten nods and whimpers. It hurts more when he tries to talk, an aching down his throat like he swallowed something too hot. The feeling isn’t quite the same he gets when he needs vocal rest. Maybe he’s getting a cold.
The pain isn’t too severe - he isn’t stupid enough to try and power through it. Even if he was, Geoff and Otto wouldn’t let him.
“Don’t fall for his tricks.” Otto says. “He’s gonna milk the hell out of this for attention.”
“Well.” Geoff pets Awsten’s hair. “He’s sick, he deserves attention.”
Awsten hums in agreement, then coughs a little as it stings his throat.
“Hey.” Lucas steps in through the open door of the tour bus. “I wrangled us a couple of hotel rooms so Awsten can rest. You three are gonna have to share, though.”
“That’s fine, thanks.” Otto pokes Awsten with his foot again. “Come on, up you get.”
FUCK OFF
“Come on.” Geoff scoops Awsten up into his arms.
Awsten does his best not to shriek dramatically like he normally would, because it will hurt. Otto grabs his whiteboard for him and follows them to the hotel.
Luckily, Lucas has already checked in for them so they get minimal questioning looks as Geoff carries Awsten through the lobby. Otto takes the lead, holding open doors and elevators so they can walk through. Lucas drops their bags off for them, grumbling about their stuff being heavy.
Once they’re in the room, Geoff carefully puts Awsten down on the bed. Otto sits down beside him and unlaces Awsten’s shoes, pulling them off for him.
“Do you need anything?” Geoff asks. “Food, or anything?”
TEA WOULD BE NICE
“I’ll see what I can do.” Otto gets up, without being asked, and leaves the room in search of what Awsten wants.
“You get some sleep, I’ll be here.” Geoff runs his fingers through Awsten’s hair.
It’s getting a bit long, like it always does this late into the tour. He doesn’t trust anyone but his usual barber to cut it, so he just has to live with it for now. Geoff seems to like it, though, taking extra care to pull small tangles out of it.
Awsten dozes for a while, curled up against Geoff’s chest. Geoff hums quietly, the vibration of it in his chest soothing. The hotel room door opens and closes. Awsten lifts his head groggily to see Otto carrying a plastic shopping bag.
“Ginger tea.” Otto holds up the box. He pulls another item from the bag. “And apples.”
“Apples?” Geoff asks, a hint of a laugh in his voice.
“Awsten is always trying to make me eat fruit when I’m sick.” Otto shrugs and puts them down on the side table. “He likes apples.”
Awsten picks up his whiteboard.
IT’S TRUE
“Alright. You take him, I’ll make tea.” Geoff says, like he’s handing over a toddler and not a thirty-three year old man.
Otto sits down on the bed and maneuvers Awsten so his head is in his lap. Then he pulls a flip knife from his pocket and starts slicing up an apple. Red ones, Awsten’s favourite.
WHY DO YOU HAVE A KNIFE???
“I always have a knife on me. They’re useful.” Otto feeds Awsten a small bit of apple that’s easy for him to chew and swallow with minimal pain. “There’s a lot of problems on the farm that I can fix with a sharp blade.”
YOU’RE A STEREOTYPE OF A COWBOY
“Thank you.” Otto feeds Awsten another slice of apple just as Geoff brings over his tea.
“There you are.” Geoff hands the mug to Awsten and sits down on his other side.
THANK YOU!!!
Awsten sips his tea between Otto giving him apple slices. Geoff wraps an arm around his shoulders and rubs his arm comfortingly. At some point the TV gets turned on and Awsten finds himself dozing off again, the warm mug still in his hand. He feels warm all over, with Otto the human space heater on one side and Geoff pressed against him on the other.
Eventually, Otto stops feeding him apple slices. Geoff gently takes the mug from his hand. It still wakes Awsten up enough that he can grab his whiteboard and write one last message before he falls asleep.
LOVE U GUYS
“I love you too, sweetheart.” Geoff whispers
“Love you too, baby.” Otto kisses Awsten on the cheek, and he drifts off in their arms.