and oh, my love, oh my love (part two)
Rich wants to take Alo to hospital, but Alo won’t let him.
“I’m fine,” Alo says, keeps insisting, voice hoarse and horribly wrecked. “It’s nothing. Just a misunderstanding. I’m fine.”
Rich can’t believe him. Alo was beaten bloody and being strangled when they burst in to rescue him.
Grace was checking on Franky and Mini at the time. The first she knew of it was Matty marching Nick along the hallway, Nick fighting him the whole way.
Grace carefully wraps a blanket around Alo. Liv makes tea with honey and lemon. Rich lets Alo hold his hand. Alo grips so tightly that they’ll both have bruises.
“You’re not fine.”
Alo shrugs one shoulder. “I don't need a hospital.”
Matty knocks gently on the open door. Alo jumps, startled. Matty gives him an apologetic look. “Nick’s asleep. I wanted to check how you are.”
“He won’t go to hospital,” Rich replies, looking cross and concerned.
Matty looks at the bloodstains on the carpet, then at Alo’s rapidly swelling bruising face. “Did he knock you out?”
Alo shakes his head slowly, carefully.
“Any double vision, dizziness or nausea?”
“I’m fine,” Alo repeats stubbornly.
“That’s not what I asked, Alo.”
Alo sighs. “I feel a bit sick. Mostly just cold and achy.” He doesn’t mention his throat. He’s trying very hard not to think about it. When Matty had dragged Nick out, Alo had reached for Rich, pathetically, and Rich had knelt next to him with an arm around his shoulders and a hand resting gently on his chest while Alo tried to remember how to breathe. It was fucking terrifying.
“You’re maybe a bit shock-y, but I think you’re all right. I’m sorry, Alo.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Maybe. What happened?” Matty asks, sounding serious.
Rich looks serious too. It’s all so serious that it makes Alo want to laugh, and he would if he didn’t think it’d hurt.
“Nothing, just a misunderstanding.” Alo waves his hand dismissively, wanting that to be the end of it, hoping that it will be the end of it but he knows better.
“A misunderstanding,” Rich echoes, flatly. “Alo. He would have killed you. Actually killed you.”
Alo shudders and squeezes Rich’s hand impossibly tighter. “It was a misunderstanding. I don't understand what happened. I don't understand.” He’s shaking hard now, teeth chattering.
Rich puts his arm around Alo’s shoulders, gently tries to rub warmth into him. Grace tucks another blanket around him, then leaves with Matty to give them some space and privacy. Liv puts the tea on the desk and quietly shuts the door behind her.
Alo clings desperately to Rich and tries very hard not to cry. He maybe whimpers when Rich frees himself and gets up from the bed.
“Hey, I’m just getting your tea.”
“S-sorry. I’m being stupid.”
“No, you’re not.” Rich hands him the mug of tea before climbing back onto the bed next to him. “Except... why won’t you tell me what happened?”
“Because I don't know.”
“You know more than I do. Help me fill in the gap between me talking to Nick and Matty dragging him away.”
Alo drinks his tea. “Did you have a fight? He said not, but...”
“No, not really.”
“Then what were you talking about?”
“Honestly?”
Alo nods slowly. He’s not sure he wants to know.
“We were talking about you. I caught him staring at you. He said he likes you.”
“He told me ages ago he had a crush on someone. I asked him, tonight, if I knew her, and he said it wasn’t a her. I asked if I knew him and he kissed me then he... he hit me and he kept hitting me and then his hands and I thought, I really thought... I thought I was going to die.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He can’t like me. If he can hurt me like that, he can’t. It’s too fucked up.”
Rich takes the empty mug from Alo and reaches down to put it on the floor. “Don't think about it now. You should sleep.”
Alo’s whole body tenses up and he looks scared again.
“I’ll stay,” Rich offers. It won’t be the first time they’ve shared a bed.
“Thank you.”
“I’m fine,” Alo says, keeps insisting, voice hoarse and horribly wrecked. “It’s nothing. Just a misunderstanding. I’m fine.”
Rich can’t believe him. Alo was beaten bloody and being strangled when they burst in to rescue him.
Grace was checking on Franky and Mini at the time. The first she knew of it was Matty marching Nick along the hallway, Nick fighting him the whole way.
Grace carefully wraps a blanket around Alo. Liv makes tea with honey and lemon. Rich lets Alo hold his hand. Alo grips so tightly that they’ll both have bruises.
“You’re not fine.”
Alo shrugs one shoulder. “I don't need a hospital.”
Matty knocks gently on the open door. Alo jumps, startled. Matty gives him an apologetic look. “Nick’s asleep. I wanted to check how you are.”
“He won’t go to hospital,” Rich replies, looking cross and concerned.
Matty looks at the bloodstains on the carpet, then at Alo’s rapidly swelling bruising face. “Did he knock you out?”
Alo shakes his head slowly, carefully.
“Any double vision, dizziness or nausea?”
“I’m fine,” Alo repeats stubbornly.
“That’s not what I asked, Alo.”
Alo sighs. “I feel a bit sick. Mostly just cold and achy.” He doesn’t mention his throat. He’s trying very hard not to think about it. When Matty had dragged Nick out, Alo had reached for Rich, pathetically, and Rich had knelt next to him with an arm around his shoulders and a hand resting gently on his chest while Alo tried to remember how to breathe. It was fucking terrifying.
“You’re maybe a bit shock-y, but I think you’re all right. I’m sorry, Alo.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Maybe. What happened?” Matty asks, sounding serious.
Rich looks serious too. It’s all so serious that it makes Alo want to laugh, and he would if he didn’t think it’d hurt.
“Nothing, just a misunderstanding.” Alo waves his hand dismissively, wanting that to be the end of it, hoping that it will be the end of it but he knows better.
“A misunderstanding,” Rich echoes, flatly. “Alo. He would have killed you. Actually killed you.”
Alo shudders and squeezes Rich’s hand impossibly tighter. “It was a misunderstanding. I don't understand what happened. I don't understand.” He’s shaking hard now, teeth chattering.
Rich puts his arm around Alo’s shoulders, gently tries to rub warmth into him. Grace tucks another blanket around him, then leaves with Matty to give them some space and privacy. Liv puts the tea on the desk and quietly shuts the door behind her.
Alo clings desperately to Rich and tries very hard not to cry. He maybe whimpers when Rich frees himself and gets up from the bed.
“Hey, I’m just getting your tea.”
“S-sorry. I’m being stupid.”
“No, you’re not.” Rich hands him the mug of tea before climbing back onto the bed next to him. “Except... why won’t you tell me what happened?”
“Because I don't know.”
“You know more than I do. Help me fill in the gap between me talking to Nick and Matty dragging him away.”
Alo drinks his tea. “Did you have a fight? He said not, but...”
“No, not really.”
“Then what were you talking about?”
“Honestly?”
Alo nods slowly. He’s not sure he wants to know.
“We were talking about you. I caught him staring at you. He said he likes you.”
“He told me ages ago he had a crush on someone. I asked him, tonight, if I knew her, and he said it wasn’t a her. I asked if I knew him and he kissed me then he... he hit me and he kept hitting me and then his hands and I thought, I really thought... I thought I was going to die.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He can’t like me. If he can hurt me like that, he can’t. It’s too fucked up.”
Rich takes the empty mug from Alo and reaches down to put it on the floor. “Don't think about it now. You should sleep.”
Alo’s whole body tenses up and he looks scared again.
“I’ll stay,” Rich offers. It won’t be the first time they’ve shared a bed.
“Thank you.”