Uneven {Lams}

Chapter Thirteen

John Pov
I leaned on the wall of a thrift shop, going through study notes and quizlet on my phone. I have midterms on Friday and I ain't gonna fuck that up. I took a drag of my cigarette, looking back up to Alex who was getting his ass kicked.

"Hey! Off of the twink!" I exclaimed, furrowing my eyebrows.

I watched Alex spit out blood and tackle a guy. I sighed , muttering curses under my breath, as I put away my phone and jogged to Alex.

I pulled a guy off him and shoved him onto his knees, drawing my leg back and kicking him in the stomach.

"Don't fuck with him." I hissed angrily.

I glanced to Alex who was sitting by a guy that had passed out. I looked back to Alex. He was holding his nose, tears in his eyes.

"Are you..
are you crying?"
I asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Fuck off," He hissed, stumbling to his feet, and pushing past me.

He didn't make it very far before he collapsed, lying on the sidewalk. Remind me why I'm friends with him again? I jogged back over to him, pulling Alex to his feet, and holding him up as we stumbled to the subway together.

"T-thanks John." Alex choked out, wiping his bloody nose.

"No problem." I muttered, watching my footing.

We were silent as we walked to the subway.

"..Should I even ask?" Dale said, looking up from a newspaper, sitting on a bench in the subway.

"No."
I replied, getting onto the bus.

~•~•~•~

Alex and I sat down. I scanned the people in the bus. A mother with her child, a teenage couple, and a few homeless people. Alex sniffled, trying to wipe his nose.

"I'll patch you up later okay?" I said.

He nodded.
"T-thanks."

I gave a short nod, taking out my phone and going through my notes again.

"I t-think I broke my nose."
Alex muttered.

"This is why you shouldn't get into to street fights." I said. "Stay home."

"I can't just 'stay home'. I don't do that." He said.

"Then I guess you'll have to change that because I don't want to see you get into a fight and not make it out." I said.

"I'm not gonna die."
He muttered.

"If you can handle it, then I can."
He said.

"I haven't died yet, so if those are the rules you want to play by, I wouldn't recommend it." I hummed.

"Why do you do this to yourself?"
I asked him.

"D-do What?"
He asked.

"Put yourself into fights."
I said.

"Same reason you do." 
He said.

I shut my mouth after that.

I looked to the littler girl.
Her eyes nervously looked over Alex.
I glanced to him.

Alex at the moment is not the pretty sight. Though when he's not beat up, he looks pretty damn good.
Who am I kidding?
He looks pretty damn good all the time. Despite the black eye, bruised jaw and busted lip, he pulls it off.

Those purple bruises match his weird (yet somehow beautiful) eyes.

"Are you alright sir?"
The little girl asked nervously.

Alex smiled, giving a nod. If you're going to lie, do it because it helps someone sleep at night.

"What happened?"
She asked.

Alex shrugged, his smile not faltering. "Some people don't like me very much." He told her.

"Why not?"
She asked.

"I don't know."
Alex replied, with a shrug.

The girls mother seemed pretty pleased Alex wasn't telling the truth. He wasn't necessarily lying, I suppose, but he wasn't telling the truth either.

"They hurt you for no reason?"
The girl asked.

Alex opened his mouth, then paused. He shrugged. "..You could say that."
Alex said slowly.

The girl raised an eyebrow with a questioning look on her face. The bus slowed and shuttered to a stop.

I got up and muttered,
"You need help?" He gave a short nod, and I helped him up.

He held onto my shoulder, limping lightly.

"Would you be angry if I let you go?"
I asked.

"Extremely,"
He hissed, clawing my shoulder.

"Whoops!" I exclaimed, letting go of him. He yelped, clinging onto me.

"You bitch,"
He hissed.

"Help me or I'll fucking lick you."
He said angrily.

"You wouldn't." I said.
"I would." Alex told me.

"You underestimate my lack of dignity." He said.

"Okay, Okay Fine." I said, wrapping my arm back around him.

"My nose really hurts." He said.

I looked at his nose and muttered, "Yeah that's broken."

I paused, adding,
"Or dislocated. I'll look at it more later. Just..try and endure it for now, I'll help you later."

He nodded. "Promise me you won't get into another fight." I said.

"You're speaking to me with a black eye John. I hardly find that fair."
He replied.

"How about this, neither of us fight anyone." I said.

"Unless they deserve it." He added. "Unless they deserve it." I repeated.

~•~•~•~

I sat on the bathroom counter next to Alex.

"This is gonna hurt like a bitch." I said, lightly touching his nose as he winced.

I handed him a rag and Alex sighed, putting it in his mouth.

"Alright..
You ready?" I asked.

"Mhm."

I tried to push his nose back in place as quickly as possible. He yelped, crying out in pain though it was muffled by the rag. I saw tears fill his eyes and he gripped the counter.

I didn't stop.
It'd be worse to drag it out.

I heard a crack and his nose looked better than before. I put my hand on his knee and softly asked, "You okay?"

He took the rag out of his mouth panting. Alex nodded slowly, muttering, "Thanks."

"No problem." I hummed.

We both sat there for a moment, my hand on his knee, both of us with our eyes averted. I felt him put his hand on mine. It was quiet between us.

"Okay this is weird now."
Alex said, getting off the counter.

"Yup." I agreed, walking out of the bathroom.

What the hell.