resplendent *gawsten* ✓

Chapter Twenty-Six

2.28.18
edit 8.25.20
1,086 words.
tw; mention of scars

geoff p.o.v.

day one of touring wales: we met up with our translator, william, who also happened to be able to come with us to the netherlands. william suggested that we go to some spa, since awsten kept dozing off, but he insisted that he wanted to go places still, and that he was fine.

awsten enjoyed the spa a lot. given, there was just so much he could do without showing his scars, but it seemed like he was enjoying himself. once, while i was relaxing in a hot tub, awsten had rushed up to me, his face red and his eyes wide. at first, i thought he was having a panic attack, but then i realised he was excited because he was squealing.

"gggee, william, look-"

he pointed to a hallway, and i promptly turned our attention from william, who was making out with a worker, his hands already up the guy's shirt.

day two: william and i arranged for the three of us to go horseback riding before the sunset. awsten was scared of the gentle giants at first, as it was his first time seeing one. once he saw me mount my ride effortlessly, he was determined to participate. william helped him mount his horse. the horse was incredibly patient.

awsten's face lit up at the scenery. i was amused with how easily he was entertained, and i was happy with how happy he seemed to be.

day three: william had reserved us a spot at a nice and dainty-awsten's words-little pub for lunch. awsten ordered some sort of crempog, which actually turned out to be pancakes. i ordered leek soup, which wasn't so bad. william just got something to drink, i think it was beer or something, but he never told us. awsten made a sound of contentment after every few bites or so, and eagerly attacked his food for more bites. he was bummed when he finished his food long before i finished mine.

after lunch, the three of us caught a cab, and william told us about the history of the village we were in. awsten looked out the window with both his hands on it, and in the slight reflection i could see his eyes were wide with wonder. i smiled and pulled him close to kiss him softly, smiling when he smiled into the kiss. 

we had to pack when we got back to the hotel around five, and our flight for amsterdam left at eight. it was difficult because awsten was drained, and kept trying to lean against me and fall asleep. we eventually packed in time, and caught another cab with william to take us to the airport. the flight was only about an hour and a half, thank god, and i was more than grateful when awsten fell asleep almost instantly.

when we landed in amsterdam, awsten was still sleeping soundly. william had no troubles with our suitcases added to his own. we were to stay at his parents' house for our stay in amsterdam, and awsten and i had our own room, which was really just the whole attic. awsten was hardly awake by the time i laid him down on our bed. his arms stayed around my neck, and he refused to let me change into pajamas, since he also refused to change into them himself.

on the fourth day, william, awsten and i went to the anne frank house. the tight spaces made awsten anxious, so william and i made sure that he was okay. he was fascinated by the history of anne frank and the house itself. i caught him crying when he watched the video of otto frank, so i pulled him away from it for a minute to allow him to recollect himself.

we did a bike tour on the fifth day. i struggled a little bit, disappointed in myself because i rarely rode bikes. i couldn't remember the last time i had. william laughed at me for it, and showed off by doing wheelies on his bike. awsten was struggling too, although he hid it much better than i did. i didn't point that out to william and took all the teasing alone because i knew it was enough for awsten to even be out and about. it was no secret to me that my boyfriend was struggling to act happy today.

william and i arranged a picnic for the sixth day. i helped william and his sister pack the picnic basket while awsten got ready. he dressed in a black jumper and grey skinny jeans, but he wore his yellow crocs, so i assumed that he was okay enough to go. i made sure to kiss him for longer than usual to let him know i was grateful that he was trying. 

we set up the picnic in vondelpark. awsten's eyes lit up at the pure beauty of the park. he would have ran off in the vast grass area if i hadn't held onto him. he opted for laying down in the grass instead of on the blanket, but he insisted that he was okay. i let it go when he kept rolling from side to side, ruffling up the edge of the blanket.

his good mood seemed to really droop by the time we were done at vondelpark. i kept my arm around him until we were in our room, where he plopped down into bed. i began to get us ready for what i had planned tomorrow, but then i heard his muffled sobbing. i stopped what i was doing to lay down next to him. "what's wrong, topaz?"

"sssorry..." he mumbled, rolling over to face me. his face was wet with tears, and i wiped them away. "th-this week w-was rrrreally fun, d-d-don't g-get me wrong. b-but...it was a-a lot..."

i pushed his hair back and kissed his forehead. he closed his eyes at the contact. "it's okay if you're overwhelmed," i said. "if you're not feeling well enough tomorrow, we can just stay in."

he opened his eyes, and his pupils were smaller. "nnno, we c-can go, i-i d-"

"stop it," i said quietly. his mouth clamped shut, and he looked close to crying. i sighed and kissed his nose. "it's fine. i insist. if you're not up to it, we'll just stay, william and his family will understand. okay?"

"oak-kay..." he whispered. i suggested that we get some sleep, so we changed into pajamas and got into bed without another word exchanged.