Darkness

Groceries

"Has Avi answered yet?" Mitch asked on Monday evening after they had returned from the studio. He was currently getting a plate for the pasta he had picked up on the way to the baritone's place while Scott sat on the counter and shoved cereal into his mouth. 

"No, he hasn't even opened the message. But I'm picking up groceries tomorrow morning and check what he's up to. Probably just more sitting around in bed."

Mitch frowned and took cutlery. "Why didn't you visit him yesterday?! Scott, if something happened-"

"Shelly talked to him this morning and texted me. He's fi- he's okay." He wiped some milk from his chin and looked at his best friend. "And I am not his babysitter. He kicked me out, Mitch."

"Because he doesn't know what to do! He snaps at you to hide how insecure he is!" The smaller man sighed and looked at him. "Please don't be mad at him, you don't know how you would have reacted if you were in his situation, all by yourself with a hurting shoulder and no vision, dumped for something you had no control over. And you know that Avi is usually the sweetest man on earth."

Scott just nodded and looked down on his bowl before he drank the leftover milk and slid down form the counter. "I know. That's why I am so hurt and confused."

"Maybe his painkillers are affecting his mood, maybe his shoulder just hurt or he just thought about Caleb, we don't know. Just don't be so harsh on him, both of you are adjusting to his new situation."

"If you're so smart, why don't you go and visit him?" he snapped and yanked open the dishwasher. "Why do I have to be the one?"

"Because you-  he trusts you more than he trusts me. You two are closer, and you're not an asshole."

"You aren't either."

"Honey, have you met me?" Mitch asked almost offended. 

Scott sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, sorry. I take that back."

He woke up early the next day, took a shower and got dressed before he left to go to the store to pick up groceries for Avi. Flour, pasta, beans and lentils, potatoes, both fresh and frozen food, rice, bread and canned goods all made their way into the cart Scott was pushing through the store before he stopped in front of the meat and reached for both steak and some lunchmeat. On the way to the checkout area he picked up cookies, goldfish crackers and chips, ice cream and a bag of tater tots and spring rolls, things he thought Avi would enjoy and were easy to prepare. The baritone paid, carried the bags to the car and then headed south to his friend's apartment. 

It didn't take him long to get there, barely ten minutes, and he took the bags to take them upstairs. Scott knocked before he unlocked the door. 

"Avi? It's me, Scott. I brought food!" He sat down the bags and turned on the lights, noticed that the blinds were still down and it was dark. "Avi?"

"Hm?"

"Where are you?"

"Kitchen.."

The baritone walked through the apartment to the kitchen and gasped when he saw the condition of the kitchen after he turned on the lights. There was a cutting board on the counter, a knife next to it, halfway and messily peeled carrots and potatoes and an onion covered in blood. 

He turned around and saw the bearded man sitting with one knee pulled against his chest against the wall next to the doorframe, one of his hands covered by a kitchen towel. Avi was wearing mismatched socks, one black and the other one green, shorts and a dark blue shirt. Scott noticed the many bruises on his legs from bumping into furniture, especially the coffee table that had left a couple of marks on his shins. He got down on his knees and touched the basses knee. "What happened to your hand? Did you cut yourself while making something to eat?" he asked carefully and instead of being yelled at, as he had expected, Avi just nodded. He seemed exhausted.

The bearded man slowly held out his hand in Scott's direction and allowed him to unwrap the towel to reveal the cut. "I-is it bad?" he asked almost shyly and took a deep breath to prepare for the worst. His beautiful, green eyes darted from left to right, trying to remember where Scott's face was.

"No, its just a little cut, nothing too bad. It just bled like hell. Where do you keep your bandaids?"

"In the drawer on the left..upper left one, uh..somewhere in there."

Scott dug for a bandaid, soaked a paper towel in cold water and gently dabbed Avi's finger while he was holding his hand, rubbing circles against the back of his friend's hand to soothe him. Then he applied the bandaid and made sure it stuck to his skin. "There you go."

"Thanks" Avi mumbled and sat up. "I'm hungry.."

"When was the last time you ate?"

He shrugged. "I don't know what day it is, or what time.." Avi slowly confessed. "My phone died at some point and I couldn't find the charger, I forgot where it is."

The baritone stood there for a moment. "Oh Avi" Scott said and helped him stand up and find his balance before he looked at the smaller man and just pulled him into a hug. "I'm here to help you. Not to judge or hurt you. And I am sorry for not checking in on you earlier, I just- I think I just wasn't aware of how bad it is."

"It's really bad" the bass whispered and buried his nose in his shirt while he wrapped his hands around his waist. "It's so bad, Scott. I don't know what to do."