christian's pov.

“I almost thought you were never gonna talk to me again,” Christian teases.

The comment seems to go unnoticed entirely, Casey's face completely flat as he continues loading equipment into a large truck docked behind the venue. “Kinda hard to work together if we don’t talk, right?”

Things are weird and Christian knows very well why. The tour, while wildly successful from an outsider’s standpoint, has been an endless supply of confusion and awkwardness, and Casey — rather than face it apparently — opts to give him the cold shoulder while attempting to process it. Christian wants to understand, tries to give him his space, but can't stand being treated like an enemy. Being treated like her. “Dude, what the hell?” He finally snaps, reaching out to grab Casey’s shoulder before he can walk away. “Casey —.”

“Don’t.” Casey immediately smacks his hand away, but as quickly as his flame erupts, it simmers and he recedes a few steps back, running his fingers through his hair. “Don’t, okay?”

Christian backs off, but can't bring himself to drop it entirely. “What’s your problem?”

“What do you think?” Casey leans his back on the truck, arms folded over his stomach as if to put as much of a barrier as possible between them. ( How is it so easy for him to block himself off when Christian can't stay away from him? ) He catches Casey’s eyes start to glaze over just before he turns his head away. “This whole thing is totally screwed up, dude, you know it is…”

“I mean, hell yeah it’s f***ed up, but it was both of us who did it, not just me, so I wish you’d quit treating me like I’m some kinda creep or something.”

Casey shakes his head, rolling his eyes.

“I told you we should talk about it, and you said you didn’t wanna think about it anymore, and that you just wanted to forget home for a bit. I didn’t think that meant you were just gonna blow me off forever.”

“I told you I needed some space, I don’t know why you’re acting all surprised right now.” Christian is usually the number one advocate for Casey's sass, but not when it's turned on him.

“Space is one thing, you’re just being cold at this point.”

Casey shakes his head again.

“I don’t like feeling like I was just a distraction to you and literally nothing else. And I definitely don’t wanna feel like you think I was making you do anything.” Christian's heard all about Sarah pressuring Casey into things, guilting him into things. The idea of being lumped into that makes him sick to his stomach.

“I don’t feel that way at all…” Casey mutters. “I don’t feel that way at all and that’s the problem, so I need to like… stay away from you for a minute.”

“That’s what you want?” Why did that hurt so much, even though he knew it?

Casey scoffs a little. “No, it’s not what I want…” He comes in closer finally, and though he doesn't unfold his arms, he leans his forehead on Christian’s shoulder. “It’s REALLY not what I want, but you’re right, I need to figure this out.”

Christian resists the urge to bring his arms around him for fear of being shoved away again. Instead, he folds his arms too.

“Sorry, Chris.” Casey lifts his head, but still can't look Christian in the eye. “I didn’t mean to get you involved like this. You weren’t just a distraction, and that’s exactly why I have to figure it out, okay?”

“I get you, man...”

“It really wasn’t meaningless to me, okay?”

Christian can't help but smile. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t meaningless to me either.”

“You always said I was a trouble-maker, right?” Casey smiles back, rolling his eyes, then turning to lock up the truck. “C’mon, we gotta go.”

Christian watches as Casey takes off toward their group. He's astonishingly able to turn it off like their conversation never happened, and even starts laughing with Jacob, but Christian isn't so sure he could do the same. He’d said back in the hotel room that Casey should figure it out without thinking about what he might do if the outcome wasn’t in his favor — without thinking of losing him. If he’d known, he might have savored the night more, though he instantly spites himself for thinking that.

Maybe he has some things to sort out too.