Totally Enemies

Tyler

CW: Mentions of abuse, description of injury, implications of anxiety attack, implications of past abuse
———————————————————————————

His breathing doesn't slow. If anything, its worse..I don't know what to do...Maybe..?

I carefully move one of his hands to my chest. "Alex, Alex honey copy my breathing."

I breathe slowly but I can hear my heartbeat. It's fast, too fast to keep him calm but I see him try to copy my breathing. It's shaky, too shaky, he's never been like this before, not even after running or chasing someone. Never in P.E. at school, never when running from people while laughing, never while dancing with or without singing...He's not okay...What happened to him?

As I scan him my eyes catch the bruises on his cheek...his split lip that looks like it's still bleeding, at least partly...the tears stains down his face..I don't think he's ever cried at least, never in front of me...I keep looking and notice the hand shaped marks on his neck starting to bruise, the small cuts on his collarbone and arms from a ring I'm guessing...Did Jameson do this to him?

I get drawn from my thoughts by a soft but hoarse voice.  "I can tell you're thinkin, Ty. Talk to me."

I look him in the eyes and smile faintly. "I'm alright Al, thanks though....Are you okay?"

"Me? Yea, yea I'm fine. Just...A bit beaten." He forces a small smile but I can see how hurt he is...How hurt he feels.

"Stoooppp." He whines. "I can practically hear you worrying about me."

I laugh lightly despite myself. "I can't help but worry about you when you come in covered in cuts and bruises."

"The cuts and bruises are nothin important." He mumbles, his words slurring together slightly.

"Nothing important? Nothing important, Alex? You came back from talking to my ex covered in cuts and bruises, that's incredibly important."

He flinches slightly at the tone of my voice and instinctively puts his arms up to block his face like waiting to be hit causing my face and voice to soften as I say, "I'm so sorry I asked you to tell him to leave."

"Don't be sorry, he only got mad cause I lied to him." He mumbles and starts taking care of the cuts randomly covering his body.

My eyes widen at his statement. "There's no way you lied to him."

"It's not like I was gonna let him get near you again. I said you weren't here and that I hadn't seen you. He let me go when he was tired of me." He mumbles quieter, sounding numb.

"That's not something to just casually say."

"Well it's not like I'm gonna lie to *you*. You've given me no reason to."

"You shouldn't have been able to lie to him, Al."

"I've always been able to lie to him."

"What d'you mean always?"

"I mean since way before I dated him I always had be-"

I cut him off. "You dated him?!"

Realization crosses his face and he suddenly looks more awake, his eyes wide. "I...no? Yes...maybe? It's complicated."

"It's complicated? Al you dated my boyfriend...Ex, my ex boyfriend but still."

He doesn't answer, focusing on the cuts on his arms causing me to sigh. "Are you gonna answer me?"

"Just drop it, Ty."

"No, I'm not dropping it, you didn't tell me."

"Ty, please. Drop it."

"I don't get why you won't just tell me, Alex."

He snaps. "Because he fucking beat me, Tyler! I left him because he beat me and then when you told me that you were getting with him with that soft ass smile on your face that said you were truly in love with him I forced myself to smile and play nice while dying inside because of what he fucking did to me and I knew he'd do it to you but it's not like you'd fucking believe me because you were head over heals with him so I just sat back. I watched everything happen, helpless and heartbroken"

I look at him, my eyes wide.

He looks away, hugging himself slightly. "There...I said it..."

"Alex....."

"No, don't 'Alex' me...please I'm done with the pity"

"But Alex he-"

"I said don't, Tyler!" He snaps then takes a deep breathe, trying to calm himself. "....Please don't..."

I sigh softly and mumble a reluctant "Fine."