HeartBLOOD

Chapter twenty-four

Cold water ran down Alec's forehead as he closed his eyes. His hair needed a cut as it already seemed to be sticking to the sides of his face. But now were not the times to worry about a haircut- the premiere was in two weeks and their first dress rehearsal was less than a week away. Massaging his stiff neck, he enjoyed the cold shower. His heart was pounding, but thankfully his headache seemed to be getting better. It has been a rough few days and today, he had spent eleven hours in the studio with Valentine. Now his entire body hurt, but at least he made some good progress. With a sigh, he switched off the water and stepped out of the shower, throwing a towel around his waist. He was exhausted, but not tired at all. With a scoff, he dried his hair with a towel and left the bathroom, searching for a pair of fresh sweats to put on. For years, he tried to make it a habit to bring fresh clothes to the bathroom before taking a shower but somehow he always forgot, no matter how hard he tried. It seemed to be one of those things you just couldn't make a habit of. The cool air inside his' and Magnus' dorm room felt like an icy wind against his naked, still slightly wet chest skin. Afraid to catch a cold, he closed the window in the kitchen and shut the night air out. "Magnus?", he asked, without getting a response. When he walked into the bedroom, he saw Magnus laid on top of his blanket, his phone still in his hand, eyes closed. Smirking, Alec covered his boyfriend up and pulled some clothes out of the closet to get dressed. He knew, if he was to go to bed now, he wouldn't be able to fall asleep anyways. For a glimpse of a second he considered going for a run, but his body quickly convinced him of giving it a rest. Instead, he poured himself a bottle of water and put some magnesium powder in it to try to prevent being too sore the next morning, though he felt like it probably wouldn't have much of an effect. Accepting his fate, he took the bottle with him as he made his way downstairs. The halls looked even more imposant at night, when the dim light of the hallway reflected itself in the mirrors. Naturally, he went to the first training room which he found empty. With a sigh, he let himself slide down the wall opposite of the mirror until he sat on the dancefloor, looking at his reflection. This room was where most of his past year have gone down. Glancing at the bar, he felt an itch to get up and work a bit more on his extensions, but the soreness in his hip was a clear signal not to do so. It felt weird being in there without working out. He just sat there and looked at the city lights through the huge window front. Taking a sip of his drink, he couldn't help but remember all the things that have happened in here- the training as well as the bullying, the laughs and the blood. Sweat on icepacks, tape on tights. It was insane, he was going to leave this place behind in the summer- so much has happened here. Suddenly, the clicking of the door made him wince, as he looked to the left. Entering the room was a girl whose hair was up in a bun, who he quickly identified as Alyssa. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think I'd have to book a room that late.", she excused herself and was about to hurry out. "I didn't book it either, you can have it, I should probably leave anyways.", Alec explained and got away from the barre. Only as she stepped out of the shadow, he could see she wore a leotard and had pointe shoes in her hand. "Aren't you here for training?", she asked when she started warming up. "Nah, I couldn't sleep and didn't want to wake up my boyfriend so I came here.", he chuckled, "But wow, training at that time takes a lot of dedication." "Well, gotta do what you've got to do in order to get where you want to be.", Alyssa grinned. "I guess so.", Alec sighed and leant his head against the wall. "Tired?", she asked whilst putting on her pointe shoes. "Exhausted.", he chuckled, "Though compared to you, I feel lazy right now." "No need to, I passed by the studio a couple of times today- were you in here all day?", she asked. "Pretty much- eleven hours with Valentine, it's a miracle I'm still breathing." "It is.", she laughed, "So, what are you doing down here?" "Thinking.", he sighed and looked at the barre again. "What's there to think about? Didn't you get the male lead in nutcracker?", she asked which upon he nodded. "Well, that's only one side of the medal." "If you say so.", she replied and got ready for her turning section. "Try to turn out more even when you're in passe, that'll help with balance.", Alec commented. "Thanks.", she chuckled and tried again, clearly trying to follow Alec's advice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be that type of person. I'll keep my mouth shut.", he chuckled. "Please don't- I'll take any free advice I can get.", she laughed, "It's not every day you meet a senior willing to help you in the middle of the night." "I guess not.", he grinned, "But you're really good, there's not much advice I can give you. Just try holding your turnout, apart from that you've got it." "Thanks.", she smiled, "Is there any thinking I can help you with in return?" "I don't think so- some decisions are only meant to be made by yourself.", he sighed, taking another sip of his water, "Though I appreciate the effort." "Well, whatever you chose, I'm convinced you'll choose he right thing.", Alyssa replied and got ready for another turn. Alec hoped so too- after all, whether he did the surgery or not might determine his further career in ways he feared more than anything.