Scrawny: Short Story (boyxboy)

Do Not Wait

Work was quiet, and Finn was the only one there. Patrick and Astrid were rehearsing for a gig they had that night, so the boy had cancelled his shift the day before. Their manager wasn't too happy about that, but clearly Patrick's charm helped him get away with it. 

He'd been there a few hours now, and was wiping down tables since there was no line. It was oddly quiet for a Friday, but he suspected it was because of the blizzard outside. It wasn't snowing that badly when he arrived earlier that morning, but it had escalated very quickly since starting. 

He hoped Patrick was alright at rehearsal, but he wasn't too worried since Finn dropped him off at the venue before work. He had stayed the night at his apartment, and the venue was on the way to work anyway so it didn't harm him. Plus, any extra time he could spend with his boyfriend was always worth it. 

That's right. Patrick was boyfriend. Their first date was two months ago, and the way Patrick asked him was incredibly endearing, but very Patrick. Way too cool for his own good. Very smooth.

It was straight after a gig, and Finn had been watching from the side of the small stage. Astrid had ran off the stage, adrenaline obviously flowing through her veins. Her pink hair was braided back, and her eyes were coated with glittery eye shadow that had fallen and dusted her cheeks too. 

"Our band has been invited to a party, you coming?" She asked. 

"I'm not sure I'm invited. I'm not in the band, remember?" Finn pointed out. 

Suddenly, an arm was wrapping around his waist and he felt someone press their lips to his cheek. "Yeah, but your boyfriend is in the band so I see that as an invitation right there," He said, seeing Astrid wink at him before walking away. 

"Boyfriend?" Finn raised an eyebrow. 

"Boyfriend," Patrick repeated, chastely kissing his lips before grabbing his hand and leading him backstage. 

Finn smiled at the memory as he mopped the floor of the cafe. In that time he had also received a reply from an internship he applied for. A marketing firm in Seattle had offered him a place, and he started next week. Although he would have to keep this job for now, it was definitely a step in the direction he wanted to go in. 

Just as he was about to clean another table, the door to the cafe opened, letting the cold breeze drift inside. 

Confused, Finn put down the mop he was holding and walked to his boyfriend. Since the cafe was mostly empty of customers, Patrick kissed him and they walked to the counter.

"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you had rehearsal," Finn asked, going behind the counter to make his boyfriend a coffee. He was sure his manager wouldn't mind (or notice) him giving away a free coffee. 

The worried look on Patrick's face was enough for him to completely disregard the fact he was supposed to be working. 

"Yeah I thought so too, but Astrid didn't show up. She's two hours late and I can't get hold of her either. The other guys are worried too, and I thought she might have stopped by here," Patrick explained. 

Shaking his head, Finn said, "No I haven't seen or heard from her. I'm sorry." 

"Shit. We have a gig tonight and it's a pretty big one. What if she doesn't show up?" Patrick asked nervously. 

"Hey, hey don't worry. It's Astrid, I'm sure she'll turn up," Finn reassured him softly, handing him a warm cup of coffee to try and calm him down. 

Gulping nervously, his boyfriend nodded and sent him a small smile. "You're right." 

However neither of them were sure that was true. Astrid always replied to messages, especially if she knew she was running late. Though she was often chaotic, she let them know some way or another that she was alright. But she was never this late, and this gig was important to her. It was all she had been talking about for the past month, as it was the same venue they played when they opened for Another Winter.