𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 (𝘣𝘹𝘣)

thirteen

Benjamin sits up in bed and sees Noah sliding a shirt over his body. He yawns and stretches his hands. "Hi."

Noah turns around and smiles. "Oh, hey. I didn't wanna wake you."

"No, you're okay."

Noah grabs his hoodie, sitting down on the bed. "How'd you sleep? Did you get any?"

Benjamin brings his knees up to his chest, laying his head down. "A little bit. Couldn't sleep well, though. Kept thinking of stuff."

Noah nods his head and puts his hoodie on. "Well, you're welcome to stay and get some more sleep. I have to go to a doctor's appointment, so I'll be gone for a few hours."

Benjamin shakes his head. "You don't have to do that. I can go back home."

"Seriously. Get some sleep and, I'll bring you some food back. Then you can shower and go back home, alright?"

Benjamin nods his head and looks down at his hand. "Sure."

Noah smiles and stands up, grabbing his keys off his messy bedside table. "Cool. See ya later."

He watches as Noah walks out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind himself. He can hear him exit out of the front door.

**
Benjamin did eventually fall back asleep to get his well-needed rest.

Noah had come back, with food as promised. He sets his papers from the doctors down before walking back into his bedroom, seeing Benjamin fast asleep.

He leans over the bed, tapping his shoulder a few times. Benjamin wakes up, slapping Noah's hand away.

"Woah! Easy, it's just me, just me."

Benjamin lets out a deep breath and places his hand on his chest. "S-Sorry. Nervous habit."

Noah frowns a little before standing up. "I got some food. You hungry?"

Benjamin nods his head and pushes the comforter off of himself and stands up. "Yeah. Uhm...How'd your appointment go?"

"I'll get my results in a few days but they took the stitches out of this knee."

Benjamin sits down at a barstool. "So, what exactly happened? That made you need all these surgeries. All Lucas said was that you got hurt on the court."

Noah reaches down into the fast-food bag, handing Benjamin a chicken sandwich and some fries.

"Uh...When my mom first got sick...Or diagnosed I was kind of out of it. I guess I misstepped and I tore my ACL in both legs."

Benjamin shrugs. "What's that?"

"Basically tore a ligament I guess. In both knees and on top of that, as I fell, some guy tumbled and we fell together and I fell down right on my knee and it shattered."

Benjamin makes a disgusted face, just imagining the pain Noah was in.

"Mind you, this guy was bigger and, taller than me so...I passed out cause of all the pain, I don't really remember much until I woke up in the hospital."

"I'm sorry. I-."

"You don't need to apologize, Benny. I just...It's hard, I guess. Hate being in and out of the hospital. I just want my life back."

Benjamin nods and looks down at his food. "Yeah...Yeah, tell me about it."

Noah chuckles and sits down. "Who knew we'd be the sad ones."

Benjamin laughs alongside him and shrugs. "I dunno. Maybe we're special in some way."

**
Noah walks into his dads' restaurant. He had his work uniform in his hands as he forgot to get dressed.