Chapter Text
“Charlie, where the hell did you put my charger!” Neil huffed, waving his hands.
“The fuck would I know? It’s not my charger.”
“You used it last.”
Road trips were always chaotic. Getting seven boys into a car packed to the brim with things that no one would need was just a recipe for disaster. Two people had already stopped the car to throw up from car sickness, three dead phones, endless moaning about how long the drive is, four arguments, and the never ending need for more food. An elephant could conduct a choir better than Neil was handling things.
Just to add the cherry on top of the disaster of a road trip, they were 100% going to be late. Keating had booked them all a dinner at an expensive restaurant for 7.00 pm sharp. It was 5.45, and there was still an hour and a half left of the drive.
Todd, placed in the passenger seat of the eight seated van Knox owned was quietly fretting about the time.
Neil, driving the dingy car that was currently stuck in traffic was desperately looking for his charger, the one that Meeks had stolen about an hour ago.
Meeks, Pitts and Cameron sat in the middle row. Pitts was shoving a chicken roll down his throat, Meeks was blasting music in headphones that leaked, and Cameron was— somehow —peacefully asleep.
Knox and Charlie were in the back, both trying to beat a level of some game. Thankfully, the two had kept the arguing to a minimal level, but Neil and Charlie weren’t.
“Charlie, I know you took it! I saw you take it when we were still at home!” Neil shouted from the front.
“I didn’t take it!” Charlie insisted.
“I swear to god, if I get to the hotel and find that you have it. I’m seriously going to strangle you.” Neil pinched the bridge of his nose.
A car beeped behind them and Neil jumped back into action and pressed his foot on the accelerator. The car surged forward gaining a few grunts from people.
The car quietened down— a rare occurrence—and Todd spoke; “Neil.”
“Hm?” Neil hummed, turning his face to the blondes direction but his eyes remained on the road.
“What time is the show tomorrow?” Todd asked, voice soft.
Neil finally looked over to Todd for a moment, face adoring the sweetest expression ever. “I think it was 6-8 pm. Why?”
Todd kicked his feet up on the dashboard, knees close to his face. “Jeffery said he tried to get tickets. He hasn’t messaged me back yet about if he actually did, but he wanted to get dinner anyway.”
Neil’s face brightened. “Does that mean I can finally meet him?”
“Hopefully.” Todd breathily chuckled, a smile creeping onto his face. Maybe this time, he might even be able to meet Jeffery’s fiancée. Her name was Marguex, she was born in France and they met when Jeffery was on holiday at their grandmothers house a few years ago.
He had always wondered who Jeffery was going to marry. When they were little, Jeffery was practically in love with a girl in his class. She was short and stubby, short, blonde hair cut into a bob— the ideal girl in the eyes of a young boy. He was convinced he was going to marry her, and somehow he had convinced Todd that he was going to marry her sister who was also ‘perfect’ for him. Of course, when Jeffery had confessed his undying love for the girl, she had freaked out and ran away. She left the school not long after. Coincidence or not, Jeffery was heartbroken.
Todd had apparently dozed off not long after his brief conversation with Neil. His neck ached, rubbing through the fog in his eyes.
Quiet chatter bubbled through the van, they had reached their destination; Boston.
“Turn right on the next turn.” Meek called out. “I think.” He added.
After some struggle to get to their hotel, and some more struggle getting a car park the boys all piled out of the van with their backpacks filled with unnecessary things. Todd climbed out the car, tugging his bag over his shoulder in the process.
They all manage their way to the front desk to claim their keys and head to their respective rooms. Neil and Todd shared one, gaining a few wolf whistles from Charlie but Neil got him to shut up when he pointed out that he was sharing a room with Charlie.
Todd pushed the door open to their room, Neil trailing behind. They wandered down a short hallway— peeking into the bathroom that branched off from it —to the main room. Neil charged for the bed and Todd would’ve been soon to follow but his phone buzzed in his pocket. Jeffery.
“Jeffrey, hi!” Todd chirped, turning away from Neil.
“Hey, J'ai eu les billets!” Jeffrey said from the other line; unexpectedly chipper.
“super. alors, dîner alors?” Todd nodded, which when he glanced back over his shoulder got a dazed Neil lying on the bed.
“oui, si j'amène mon fianceé, est-ce que tu amèneras le tien?”
“He’s not!- ce n'est pas mon fiancé”
“Pas encore.”
“au revoir. I am hanging up now.” Todd hummed, turning back to Neil and falling onto the spot beside him.
“au revoir.”
“I thought you spoke English with Jeffrey.” Neil tipped his head, leaning back on his elbows.
“I do.” Todd replied as his hand fell to his lap.
“Then why French?”
Todd shrugged, the wave of exhaustion finally hitting him. “I think he speaks French with Marguex a lot.”
A silence stilled in the air when Todd lent over and pressed a soft kiss to Neil’s lips sluggishly. He slumped down beside the other, groaning.
Fuck the reservations, they were going to be late. It was already 6.53 pm… there would be no way they could all make it to the restaurant in time.
Although he was starving, Todd could just skip dinner and fall asleep right here. Beside Neil— who was running his hand through Todd’s hair —and sleep forever.
But he couldn’t.
Not now at least, and probably not for a while at the rate things seemed to be going these past weeks.