Eleven

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The next weekend I decided to visit Alex in his own apartment for the first time since we had made whatever it was we had "official." I drove over at around 5:30, and planned to stay the night, something Alex didn't know yet.

I knocked on the door to be polite at first, but after too long of a silence, I opened the door with the key Alex had given me a few days ago. It felt creepy and too invasive, but he gave it to me for a reason. 

"Al?" I called through the apartment. It felt very absent, and I wondered if he might be asleep. I wandered around the flat until I found him in the living room. He was asleep, but not in the way I had assumed.

His head was slumped against a small armchair pillow on the ground and I noticed a beer bottle not too far from him. That's when I turned my head to notice the kitchen counter absolutely littered with bottles and empty glasses. My throat closed up and my hands felt damp. I rushed to Alex on the pillow and shook him frantically to dull the ringing in my ears.

"Alex! Alex, wake up! Fuck, goddamnit!" I shook his body until my hands hurt, but he remained limp.

"Alex please, you're scaring me to death. Wake up!" I grabbed his cheeks and shook his face, falling into him helplessly and sobbing into my shaky hands. I scrambled for my phone in my back pocket, and with my arms around Alex's head in my lap, I struggled to dial 999. As I was about to hit 'call' I felt stirring in my lap. I gasped, and looked down to see Alex's eyes opening slowly and his hands fumbling. 

I dropped my phone and grabbed his head, pulling him up to look me in the eyes. I felt my heart beat slowing to normal again, and waves of relief wash through me.

"Wha-" Alex muttered, still out of it. 

I pulled him into a hug, stroking the back of his head and gently still crying. 

"Becoming a bit obsessive?" Alex joked after a minute, of course he fucking did. 

"Alex, what the hell!" I choked out, pulling away from his body, half angry and half laughing.

"What do ya mean?" he spoke in his calm voice, leaning back on the floor in front of me where I was still sitting on my knees.

"I came in and you were out cold on the floor! I was worried sick, ready to call 999 when you finally woke up!" 

Alex turned to look at my phone where it had skidded across the floor. 

"Damn..." he muttered more to himself than me. He looked back up at me and furrowed his brow.

"Wait..how'd you get in?" 

"You gave me a key, you stupid bloke," I explained, still agitated with him ignoring my questions. "That's besides the point, mate. Why were you passed out, what the hell happened?"

I leaned down, sitting cross legged now like he was. 

"Dunno....passed out drinking I guess...don't really remember.." he carried on, fiddling with the ring on his finger. 

I sighed in defeat. He wasn't in one of his talkative moods, obviously. I found that to be a popular theme in Alex's personality; his changes in moods that seemed so drastic and left me with too many questions. 

"You were....drinking by yourself?" I asked timidly, trying not to upset him with my prying concerns.

"Yeah, mate," Alex said so effortlessly, stretched back on his hands with his hair falling in his eyes and his face flushed. That stupid asshole. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt his hands come up to touch my back. I breathed out shaky, scared breaths and smelled his hair that smelt like home.

"I was really worried, " I reiterated. Alex didn't say anything so I just kissed his head and got up to fetch him some Panadol for the headache I'm sure was killing him. He followed me into the kitchen where I handed him two and a glass of water. 

"Take them," I instructed.

"Alright, mum," he teased. 

"I hate you," I said, smiling too much. 

He grinned and kissed my cheek sweetly before taking his pills. 

I turned around to start the coffeemaker, and felt Alex's arms snake around my waist and his chin on my shoulder. 

"I'm glad you came over," he mumbled, his warm body lightening my mood despite whether or not I wanted him to or not.

"And I'm glad you didn't die," I retorted, turning around to face him after starting the coffee. He was pouting at me and I just shook my head. I tried to walk away but Alex blocked me with his arms, pushing me up against the counter and laying his hands there. 

"What's your hurry?" Alex asked, smirking and coming in close to my face. He closed his eyes and I debated stopping him, but it was so impossible when I saw his innocent face and remembered the way he kissed. I leaned into him and let my hands wander into his hair. I sighed, finally feeling relaxed after the episode earlier. I got so carried away in him, that I almost forgot about the coffee. It beeped and made the both of us jump. I smiled at him when he pulled away, feeling too affectionate for my own good. 

I poured Alex his coffee and one for myself. 

"Now, go get in bed and rest. I'll fix supper for us while you do."

"C'mon, Miles, I'm not a child," Alex grumbled. 

"Alex, please, you really scared me earlier. I'm just trying to take better care of you," I pleaded.

"You're acting like it's your fault or something.." he said quietly, looking into his coffee mug. 

I didn't speak for a moment, just watched Alex search his drink. He looked upset, but I couldn't place it.

"No....I just want you to recover properly from it is all..." I struggled for words, trying to look into his eyes. "Please just get in bed. I'll join you soon, don't worry." 

Alex smiled at the last part of my sentence, but still avoided my eyes. I tucked a piece of loose hair behind his ear and he blushed so softly it was almost unnoticable. He lifted his chin and I kissed him very gently, enough to make him smile against me and pull away with our foreheads still touching.

"Alright, 'long as you really do join me soon, babe," Alex smirked, switching gears back to his playful self once again. I was stuck on him calling me 'babe' and I couldn't find anything to choke back out to him. He left the kitchen with the last word, winking at me as he sauntered off. His charm never failing to reel me all the way in.

a/n: this was gonna be longer but since i havent updated in forever i decided to just split it up into two separate chapters. the next one will be up in a few days. sorry for the inconsistency!

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