As They Were || Stephen Strange ✓

xviii

Asking Veronica if he could crash at her place for a while was really hard for Alex but he promised her an explanation later. Stephen hasn't tried to call Alex and Alex hasn't tried to him which honestly hurts Alex because he thought Stephen would have some reaction.

Alex knows that Stephen and Him are going to have to talk about everything, Alex doesn't think they will break up but honestly, Alex doesn't anymore and the lack of communication worries Alex. He didn't realize he was crying until a tear fall onto his hand, sniffing he wiped his eyes.

Alex sighed and got up walking towards the kitchen, he coughed and adverted his eyes when he saw Misty and Veronica making out on the bar. "Oh! Alex, I'm so sorry." Veronica jumped back from Misty cheeks tinted pink.

Alex waved her off. "Don't worry about it, just be as cute as you guys would like. Just because my heart got hurt doesn't mean you shouldn't act like you are in a relationship just to preserve my feelings." Alex walks over to the fridge grabbing a drink.

Veronica's eyes looked at Alex sadly. "I'm sorry about whatever happened Alex, we're here for you." Veronica looked at Misty who nodded in agreement.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, It's fresh but later I promise."

Alex walked back towards the guest room he was staying in, looking at his phone he saw that he still didn't have any texts from Stephen and that made Alex's heartbreak just a little bit. He stopped himself from grabbing his phone and sending a text to Stephen, Alex tried to rationalize it by telling himself it was only to make sure Stephen was well but in his heart, Alex knew that's not why he would be texting him.

Alex wanted to scream at Stephen for making him feel this way, he can't get Stephen's words out of his head. I'm just a charity case that's what Stephen yelled that hurt Alex the most, it wasn't the fact that Stephen didn't want the white picket fence which is Alex wants but the fact that Stephen thinks so low of himself.

Alex closed his eyes tightly and tried to let the thoughts go or he would cry again, he grabbed his journal and he started to write everything almost like a note but he wouldn't actually give it to Stephen.

When Alex was done writing he felt better, he felt less bottled up and like he's worried he's gonna steam over. He moved his journal aside and laid on his bed, he grabbed his phone again and checked his schedule to see his hours and patients this week, confident in what he saw he grabbed the patients files and began refreshing himself on his past notes. 

He finished with one file and soon finished the other, he was about to move on to the last one but a knock stopped him. "Come in!" Alex yelled from his bed, Veronica walked in.

She stepped into the room hesitantly and Alex urged her to sit on the bed after moving the files away so she can sit down. "What's up?" Alex sat up and propped himself against the headboard.

Veronica rubbed his nose which Alex knew was a sign of nervousness from Veronica which made Alex worried. "What happened between you and Stephen?"

Alex closed his eyes and sighed before getting ready to explain, he sat up straighter and wiped his hands on his blanket. "Stephen was getting these operations and I was worried about him, worried that he would take it too far and hurt himself doing something stupid. The day it happened I had a stressful day at the office and then when I went home he instantly brought up this new procedure in Tokyo and I didn't want him to do it because I would afraid something would happen, it sounded very risky. One thing led to another we were in a shouting match, he said that He was just a charity case and I was only with him to fix him, he also said that he didn't want the white picket fence life so I guess it's a good thing he said no huh?" Alex huffed a wet laugh.

Veronica sighed sadly and rubbed Alex's back soothingly. "That's not all." Veronica nodded showing Alex her support. "The next day I was upset, so I went out to get some coffee and across the street, I saw a grocery store."

Veronica gasped as she knew all about Alex's smoking addiction. "You didn't?" Alex nodded sadly. "I went to the park and I drunk my coffee, grabbed a cigarette, and lit it but I get the feeling I thought I would. It felt gross and it tasted bad, I threw it away after I put it out and threw the fresh pack away but when I got home Stephen and I were trying to make up when he smelled the smoke that I tried to hide from him."

Veronica made a noise in her throat and leaned to hug Alex tightly. "What happened then, Alex." Alex sniffed before he replied. "He thought I was lying when I said I didn't smoke the whole thing, I didn't even smoke a half of one but he thought I was lying." Alex put him over his face as the tears flowed freely.

"Oh, Alex."

Veronica hugged Alex tightly rocking them back and forth, they parted when Veronica pecked Alex on the cheek. "I'm so sorry that happened to you Alex, you didn't deserve that Alex."

Alex sat back up and wiped his nose-blowing his nose. "Thank you, Roni, I appreciate it so much. I don't know where we stand though. He hasn't texted me at all though, It makes me sad if I'm honest." They were cut off by Alex's phone ringing.

Alex grabbed it and saw it was Christine so he answered. "Hello?"

"What?"