For The Beta I Fell For (bl)

Joey

AN/ guess who's the queen, that surprised you with an update out of the blue?!
Me, me. It's meee!!!

He slept in Joey's room that night. They both shared the bed even when Leo's bed was empty. But Joey was afraid that Keith might die through the night, so he stick close to him. Resting his head to Keith's back, he would not feel relieved unless he could feel Keith breathing.

He didn't sleep through the night and neither did Keith. He would ask "Keith, are you awake?" And won't reserve an answer but he knew Keith was awake, he could hear his faint sobbing from time to time.

"I love you, Keith. You are my best friend, I don't know what I would do without you. Please, don't hurt me by hurting yourself. Please, Keith, be stronger than this. Plea-"

He couldn't say please anymore, he choked on that word, he can't keep on begging and he can't speak while crying, so he cried in silence or else his sobs would be loud and he didn't want Keith to hear his cries.

But it only made Keith more emotional and finally he cracked at dawn. It started with silent tears then he couldn't bare the pain in his chest anymore.

His heart expanded pushing his ribs through skin and crushing his lungs, is what he thought and felt, he sat up coughing through tears.

"It hurts." He let out hitting his chest with his fist. "My heart.. my heart is killing me."

Joey didn't know what to do, he pulled on his hair and almost screamed.

"What can I do for you?" He begged on his knees. "Tell me! I'd do anything!" But it only made Keith cry even more.

He bounced off and ran in the small room, while Keith fell with his weight on the bed screaming in pain.

"Caro!" He screamed through his phone. "Please, come."

[What? Why?]

Answered Caro from the other end of the call, her voice still sleepy, but her worry noticeable. She wouldn't answer any call so early in the morning unless it's from Joey, and his voice freaked her out.

'Keith is going to die' he wanted to say but he knew he was overreacting. If it's anyone else in Keith's shoes he would be more calm and collected even if it was Caro, but Keith has always been his soft spot.

He would not admit it others, he always worried they would use it against him. But he loved Keith as much as he loved his three brothers. He manipulated him to transfer schools with him to the other side of the country and followed him to Thailand, just so he could stay close to him.

He loved Keith so much he couldn't bear the thought of him gone, and at that moment he had a feeling Keith would not survive, he never saw anything like that, to witness Keith vomit his stomach on the floor just because he cried so much, it was possible his heart would just stop beating.

And maybe Keith knew about his friend's affection, maybe he was using it against him, Joey tried to convince himself, just so he could process what's happening.

But when he finally managed to calm Keith down, hugging him for a solid ten minutes refusing to let go until Keith pushed him away after being suffocated and heated. He was able to clean the floor and take his friend's shirt, that turned into a mess, off.

Then Keith fell into silence sitting on the bed and his eyes became unfocused. Joey was alerted but it was better than the panic attack earlier, this way he can actually help Keith.

He crouched wiping Keith's body, that was filled with fresh bruises, with a wet towel to cool him off, and cursed the day he chose dorms where bathrooms are shared, he wanted for Keith to take a shower, but Keith was too tired to move.