Found- Crygi

Chapter 12

Crystal POV-
It was finally the day, quarantine lifted. Well... sorta. No big groups, no concerts and things like that, but as long as you haven't been in contact with anything you're free to mostly live life. And now, I suppose that means meeting Gigi half way. Unlucky for us, that is Colorado which maybe isn't ideal but if it means I can see Gigi I'm going to go anywhere. Even where the land is so stupidly high that nobody can breathe.
I had woken to a text first thing this morning from them, asking if we were going to make the plans today and obviously I responded with a yes. We've picked out the state, the general area, all we need is a hotel reservation. Which, is a little interesting because I don't want to ask if we should share a room or get two different rooms. Gigi has also not mentioned it. After lots of searching we settle on a three star hotel in the middle of Denver. It's got little rooms but it's cheap and has a pool. "Alright, how are we booking a room?" I ask, trying not to sound weird.
"Room? Singular?" Gigi says, and I can hear the question in their voice.
"Well we don't have-"
"One is fine." They interrupt. "If that's fine with you."
"Uh yeah, no that's great." I reply and can't hold back a smile. It's a good thing that they can't see my face over the phone because I'm grinning like an idiot.
They pause for a moment as we look through the sizes and options. "This one has two queen beds and a bathroom?"
"That'd be good." I reply, finding the same on my screen. "You want to book it or do you want me to?"
"If you will I'll Venmo you half the price and stuff, if that's easiest."
"Okay. Sure we're doing this?"
"Definitely." They reply, and I charge the room to my card.
"Done."
They cheer from the other end of the line and I wish we were already in the same room. Four more days and we will be, that's not that long. Right? My phone gets a notification with Gigi's half of the hotel payed for. This is real is all that I can think.

It's only been a few hours since we booked the hotel and I've already decided to start packing. I don't need that much to wear because we're only staying for two days and three nights. 5 pairs of clothes, 2 days of driving, 2 days of Colorado. However, I've always been an anxious packer. My brain goes through all the "what ifs" and I end up with an incredibly long list for only 3 nights. After that it takes another long bout of thinking to decide what doesn't really need to be on the list. I decide that I don't need to bring 2 toothbrushes because CVS is in Colorado too. When I'm done with my list I don't have the motivation to actually put anything in the suitcase so I give it up for the day and make pancakes for dinner. Liam is at one of his friend's apartments so I have the place to myself which is nice. I eat in silence, drowning pancakes in syrup that's overly sweet. For once in my life nobody is trying to contact me. There isn't really anything to worry about. The sun sets slowly and I decide to go to bed early after scrolling through my phone for a while. After quarantine it feels good just to have plans.

Gigi POV-
I start driving the night before Crystal leaves as I have about 4 extra hours to drive. As the sun goes down the roads clear which will knock off a few hours if I play my cards right. After about 11 the only things left are me and truckers which means everyone is going way over the speed limit. It's so quiet that I hardly have to turn the radio up to hear it. I love to drive at night out in the open. It's great, so long as you don't stop, which I don't intend on doing. When I get to Nevada it's a little more lively than California was at this time which slows me down but I'm still ahead of plan. I just plan to get near Las Vegas where a friend from school lives where I've arranged to crash for the night. When I get there I text Crystal and my mom like I'd promised because both were convinced I was going to get murdered driving on empty roads, alone, at night. They both immediately respond telling me they haven't gone to bed yet, which is slightly surprising given it's already 2 in the morning. I tell them both to go to sleep and that I'll text them in the morning. I'm exhausted when I get inside with my suitcase.
My friend, Jenna, shows me a pull out couch and tells me I can sleep there, I thank her and we only talk for a moment before she goes to her room. Our friendship was mostly based on the fact that we were safe in each other's company and not based on conversations and deep secrets. That is coming in handy right now as all I want to do is sleep. I don't even change before curling up on the pull out couch, I just go straight to bed.

I get up at 8:30 and have a text from Crystal that says he left at 5. Hopefully we'll get there at similar times but at this point it all depends on the traffic situation. I thank Jenna for letting me stay and she brings we breakfast for the road which I really appreciate. Once I'm driving I only stop twice before making it to the hotel.
When I get in I'm immediately hit by the smell of chlorine and a lobby. The butterflies in my stomach hit as memories flood to the forefront of my thoughts. When I check in it's almost 10 at night and Crystal has already been here for a few hours. Unfortunately for me, I'm so tired from driving we probably won't be doing much of anything tonight. The elevator I step into has a family with kids in it and I try to ignore them on the way up to my floor. For the most part, the hotel is empty and quiet. Our room is hidden in a little back corner and I have to make a few turns to find it. When I do I knock gently.
Before I can think or say anything Crystal has pulled me into a tight hug. "How was the drive?" He asks.
"Long." I reply, squeezing him tighter. "But worth it."
     "I have a dumb documentary on right now, but we can do something else if you want."
When we pull apart I drag the suitcase to the corner of the room and sit on the bed. "Is there anything to eat up here." I ask.
"There's chips on the desk and fruit in the fridge, I can get something else though if you want."
"I could eat anything right now." I laugh. "God I'm tired."
Crystal smiles and after I grab an apple and a bag of chips we sit on the two opposite beds. "I'm so glad you made it tonight."
"Me too." I reply. "With all the dumb roads I was starting to think it would take another night."
After a bit Crystal unpauses the tv and a monotone voice fills the dim room. "I hope you know if the lights are off and that tv guy is talking I'm going to be asleep in like 5 minutes."
"I can turn it off." Crystal tells me, reaching for the remote.
"Just leave it on." I laugh, we can actually do stuff in the morning."
He smiles and puts the remote back on the nightstand between the beds. "Night." He says. "I'm so happy we're finally here."
"Me too." I reply, already feeling my eyelids getting heavy. "I'm excited for tomorrow."
The tv drones in the background and all I can think about is the fact that Crystal is in the same room as me, and that a hotel bed has never felt more comfortable. It only takes minutes for me to fall asleep.

Crystal POV-
I wake up with my heart pounding out of my chest, my head dizzy, eyes blurry. Why does this always happen at the worst times. It was only a nightmare, I tell myself over and over. And I would be totally fine if I was in my own room, with enough light to see a little bit, if I knew exactly where everything was. But hotel rooms are the worst because there's never any light at all and the familiar sounds of home are all gone. The images won't leave my head, pouring from the back each time I try to push them away. I can feel panic rising even though I know it's irrational. "Breathe." I whisper to myself, sitting up in bed, squeezing my arms around myself. "It's fine."
I sit like that for a few minutes, trying to get the fear and panic to cease but it only works slightly.
"Crystal?" I hear through the darkness. I freeze. I didn't want to wake Gigi. "Are you alright?"
It's then that I realize how shaky and tense I am. "Yeah. Just a stupid nightmare."
I can feel through the silence that they can tell I'm slightly panicked. They reach over and turn on the little light at the bottom of the lamp which only illuminates a small portion of the room to a dim yellowy gray. Gigi sits at the edge of their bed. "We can keep this on if you want."
Despite not really wanting to tell them that I do like the little light, I feel myself nodding and settling back into bed. "Thanks."
"Yep." They reply. "You sure you're alright?"
"Yes."
When I pull the covers back on I feel a little better and closing my eyes isn't so terrible anymore. Whenever I see the images again I just open my eyes and remind myself of where I am. It's fine. Just the hotel room with Gigi. Nothing scary, nothing worth worrying about. Just a hotel room, in Colorado, with the person I think I might be falling for. That thought is another whole can of worms though and it's scary in a different way.

Gigi POV-
     I stay awake a while longer in the quiet, making sure Crystal is asleep before I drift away. I wish I could cuddle him, his head on my shoulder. I wish we were touching, skin on skin in the sticky hot hotel room. But even though I know he's awake and afraid I don't say that. I don't want him to think I'm trying to baby him.
     After a few minutes I can hear his breathing even out and I open my eyes to double check that he's asleep. He's right at the edge of his bed with an arm thrown over the edge. It would feel so nice if he was over here in my bed, if I could feel his even breathing around me. But he's not, which makes everything seem a little empty. I roll over and face the wall on the other side of me and close my eyes waiting for sleep to take over once again.

This was a bit of a longer chapter, hope ya'll don't mind :p
Next update should be tomorrow

Have the best day <3