Party 'til you pass out / When the party's over

2.24

'I couldn't keep my eyes off you in your bikini,' Oliver then admitted.

'I know, I noticed. So did Ash.'

'She was right,' he said, looking up at me. 'I was interested in you.'

'Well, you had a hard time showing then,' I told him. Oliver smiled a bit.

'I was just fucking awkward,' he said.

'Was?,' I joked. Oliver laughed again.

'Fair enough.' He put his head back on my chest and closed his eyes.

'Or that one time on tour in Italy, when we went out for dinner with Jordan and Nicholls, and after a few beers Nicholls thought he could speak Italian?' Oliver laughed again at that.

'That was so embarrassing.'

'It was fucking hilarious,' I chuckled. 'He kept trying to flirt with the waitress, and she got more and more confused until we apologized and dragged him away.' Oliver chuckled, then fell quiet.

'I miss him. I miss all of the lads.'

'Then text them, Oliver!,' I said.

'In a few days, once I'm in a better place...'

'Alright...' I pulled him a bit closer and he hid his face in my neck again. 'You know they'll be there for you, right?'

'I know.'

'Then why are you so hesitant about contacting them?'

'Because I don't want to admit that I am struggling,' he said. I sighed and bit my lip for a moment.

'They're your best friends... Admittance is the first step of healing, or something like that.'

'Ew, you sound like dr. Baker now,' he said, his face frowned in disgust. Then he laughed. 'So not sexy.' I laughed too and nudged his shoulder.

'You know I'm right, though,' I said when we both quieted down.

'I know, that's the worst.' He sighed. 'Fine, I'll contact them tomorrow.'

'They only want the best for you...'

'Sure.' There was a long silence while he nestled himself back in my arms again until he was comfortable again. 'Tell me more memories, please?' I smiled at that and thought for a moment.

'Do you remember when we went on a vacation to Malta just after That's The Spirit was released, and management called us awake with the news that the album was breaking all charts in the UK and US?' Oliver hummed and I felt him smile against my skin. 'We celebrated with a champagne breakfast in bed.'

'Not just breakfast,' he muttered. I chuckled.

'No, not just breakfast...' I thought back of the amazing sex we'd had afterwards, and inhaled deeply to contain myself.

'That was a nice vacation,' Oliver whispered tiredly.

'Hmm, sure was,' I agreed. I thought of more happy memories and told him whatever came up in my mind, from Christmas celebrations to memories of tours I had tagged along with. Oliver laughed softly of hummed a bit every now and then, until I felt him melt into me and he stayed quiet, having fallen asleep.

*

The night was a nightmare, more for Oliver than for me, but still. He got out of bed to throw up a few times, and in bed he couldn't find comfort because he would either be so hot he was sweating, or tremble from being cold and uncomfortable. We both woke up feeling and looking like a zombie, him more than me, and he didn't want to get out of bed in the morning.