Book of Ruel

Tired

I listen to the pilot announce that we will be landing shortly, before glancing down to my beautiful boy sleeping on my lap, completely drained from the tour he just finished. I heave out a sigh, knowing that I need to wake him up, even though the last thing I want to do is wake him up. I comb my fingers through his hair, watching him start to stir, before leaning down and pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. As soon as I pull back, I watch his green eyes start to flutter open, before they close and he lets out a tired groan pressing his face into my stomach.

"Bubs it's time to get up, we're landing in the next couple of minutes, you can sleep once we get in the car, okay?" I whisper softly into his ear as I lean down, he turns his head and presses a fast kiss to my lips before I can sit up. I give him a small smile, my face heating up, as he gives me his signature boyish smirk, just a more tired version of it. He sits up and makes sure all our things are put away in our personal bags, before leaning to rest his head against my chest. I hold him against me as tight as I can, knowing all he needs and wants right now is affection, he presses his face further into me with a light sigh.

The plane finally lands causing us to both get up silently, he reaches into the overhead compartment to grab both of our bags, before taking off down the walkway. We get off the plane and wait near the doors for the rest of the crew, I reach into my bag and pull out two hats and two pairs of sunglasses, in hopes that neither of us will be recognized today in the airport. His fans are amazing, but today just isn't the day for him to give forth the energy and attention they deserve. Once everyone makes it out, he hands me my bag and then interlocks our fingers as we make our way out, but the peaceful atmosphere doesn't last for long. Next thing we know, a swarm of girls surrounds us, all screaming at him to take pictures with them. Ruel gives a tired smile and wave before asking them to quiet down so that they can all hear him.

"I love you all more than anything, but I'm really tired and not feeling the best you guys. You guys deserve more than what I can give you right now, I'm sorry." He croaks out, the exhaustion of everything finally hitting him. The fans go silent and stare at him with round eyes, all just as heartbroken as me to see him in such a state. They all give him smiles before telling him different variations of "I love you" and "it's okay, don't be sorry". He passes me his bag so that he can hug his fans, before giving them a small smile and wave, grabbing my hand to head in the direction of where the van should be waiting. I softly rub my thumb on the back of his hand, knowing that having to turn down fan opportunities like that tears him apart. He glances at me with watery eyes before lifting up our hands and giving the back of my hand a soft kiss, expressing his appreciation for me being there for him. I squeeze his hand in return, frowning at the bags under his eyes and the slight slouch he holds as he walks.

We reach the van and I instantly toss our bags to one of the crew members waiting for them, before turning back to watch my boyfriend wiping at his watery eyes. I feel my heart ache at the fact that there is nothing I can do for him to truly help him feel better, knowing I can only hold him and talk to him until he gets out of the little hole he's dug himself into. I walk back to him and hold his hand silently, I might not be able to help him, but I'll be with him every step of the way until he feels better. Especially since I know he's not just tired physically from the tour, but he's mentally and emotionally drained.

"Thank you. I love you." He whispers out, pulling me into a tight hug, swaying us side to side, while the crew loads the van with everyone's bags. I squeeze him tighter and run my hand through his hair, feeling him exhale deeply against the crook of my neck as his face rests on my shoulder. We pull apart and head into the van once everyone's done, Ruel instantly putting himself on top of me in the backseat so he can use me as a personal pillow. I shift myself so that he can lay across the seats with his body between my legs, but his legs are a little too long to fit so he turns onto his side and has his legs partially curled up against the seats as he wraps his arms around himself and just rests against me. I watch him in pure adoration, loving the way his hair softly falls onto his face, the rosy hue his cheeks get when he's tired and cuddly, the way he unconsciously pushes himself into me for more physical contact, and the way he trusts me to take care of him when he's vulnerable like this.