Hello You

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

A fortnight later, and Lockdown was no nearer coming to an end. The news was filled with heartbreaking statistics of the thousands of people losing their lives to Covid. Food supplies were running low in supermarkets and every day Alex and Miles' parents were messaging them to make sure they were okay.

Miles was more than okay, he was worryingly, blissfully happy. For someone who had always enjoyed the good life, suddenly going back to basics was strangely satisfying. He got to wake up next to Alex every day, spending his day writing songs or giving impromptu acoustic gigs to his Instagram followers, who – if they listened really really carefully, would have heard the faint sound of the new Arctic Monkeys album being written, upstairs. Alex always hid himself away when Miles spoke to someone online, unless they were family or close friends, because the fans weren't allowed to know he was there.

It was April already, and the weather was beautiful. Miles woke up early, looking at the sun shining through the curtains. He wanted to go out. He had a meeting at one o'clock with his American management in New York, but he still had time to go for a run.

Alex was still asleep, lying on his back with his arm across his eyes. He looked a mess, his chest covered in melted chocolate. Yesterday had been Easter Monday and they'd got drunk on cheap Cava Alex had picked up in the convenience store, and Alex had demanded Miles eat Easter egg off him. It was sexy last night, but now Alex and the bed looked like he had been staging a dirty protest!

Miles leaned over and kissed Alex's arm.

"Baby...."

Alex grumbled and moved slightly.

"Hello..."

"Baby I'm going for a run. Can you put this sheet in the washing?"

"I wanna come with you," Alex mumbled.

"What?"

He finally lowered his arm and looked at Miles, blinking the sun from his eyes.

"Can I come with you? I could do with some exercise." He smiled out of one side and stroked Miles' face. "Unless you wanna give me a full body workout."

"Now, now, remember the rules. Don't be long getting ready."

An hour later and Alex was finally ready to go. Thankfully him and Miles were the same shoe size and he could borrow a pair of trainers, along with shorts and an old Liverpool FC T shirt, which Alex moaned about, because he felt he was being disloyal to his beloved Sheffield Wednesday. Miles ignored him, and they set off. Running was something that Alex did better than Miles. Most of Miles' strength was in his upper body, making him good at lifting weights and contact sports; but Alex had always had long, powerful legs, and of course, he didn't have the unpleasant sensation of asthma making the air seem to drain from his lungs.

But Miles found his rhythm and controlled his breathing to match his pace and found himself enjoying the peace and quiet. Along the normally busy high streets of East London, the only sounds that could be heard were him and Alex's feet pounding the pavement. Neither of them tried to speak as they ran – they didn't need to, their companionable silence said a lot about their relationship. Miles cleared his head of all thought and focused on the here and now....the sound of birds chirping in the trees and Alex's steady breathing. He only became alert when a car drove past, afraid it might contain a paparazzi photographer. Their little idyll would be over if the papers got wind they were together.

They ran to the Olympic Park, by which time Miles' lungs were starting to pack up and he needed to take a breather. They found a bench near to the canal, and Miles flopped down, gasping, getting his blue inhaler from his pocket and taking a deep inhalation.