BLOOM • awsten knight

38

JUNE 2018

"I think I'm gonna pass out," Elle sighs, watching another minute tick by.

"You're not gonna pass out," Awsten chuckles lightly, pulling her closer to him.

"I don't know, I f-"

"Nora, look at me," he instructs, softly, tucking his finger under her chin, and tilting her head up so that she meets his gaze. "What are you so worried about?"

"People might not like me," she pouts, earning a frown. "And if the single goes bad, then the EP will go bad, and-"

"People already love you," Awsten's hand runs along Elle's jaw, to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

The tension is thick for a moment as she stares back at him, before simply letting out a breath and allowing her head to fall and rest on his shoulder.

"You seem tired," Awsten huffs a laugh, as she buries her face in his neck.

"I am," Elle mumbles against his skin, the feeling sending shivers down his spine. "Stressed, too, I think."

"Maybe you should go to bed," he runs a hand through her hair, as she shakes her head.

"Have to stay up for the release," she mutters.

"Are you sure?" Awsten asks. "You'll be exhausted. It'll still be out when you wake up, you know. It's not going anywhere," he reminds her.

Elle is quiet for a long moment, moving impossibly closer to him. "Maybe you're right," she hums.

"I know I am," he plants a kiss in her hair. "Come on," Awsten begins to move.

"No, wait," Elle stops him quickly, and he pauses immediately. "Stay," she hugs him tighter, to prevent him from moving.

"I don't have to go just yet, if you-"

"No," she shakes her head. "Stay the night?"

Awsten's mind goes blank for a moment, unable to focus on anything other than Elle in his arms.

"You don't have to, sorry," she sits back and looks at him, searching for his eye contact.

"No, it's not that," he meets her gaze, finally. "I just- are you sure?" Awsten raises his eyebrows.

He knows that they shared the same bed while in LA, but this feels different; it's her bed, in her apartment - he just wants to make sure.

"Yes, angel," Elle assures him. "I asked you," she states. "I'm comfortable, if you are," she adds, knowing that that's what he needs to hear to be able to relax; which he does.

Awsten smiles softly, before letting her pull him up from the couch.

The two of them prepare to go to bed, and Awsten can tell that in the back of her mind, Elle is counting down the minutes until her debut single is released.

When she joins him in her room again, she seems too tired to feel overly stressed about anything right now; she's been working insanely hard to get everything prepared, and by tomorrow, it'll feel like half a weight has been lifted off her shoulders - even more so next week, when the full EP will be out in the world.