Toxic Valentine. (Fransykes)

There's been a two day gap since either of them saw each other. Josh only left the You Me At Six tour bus to perform, and maybe sign things. Alex of course, didn't miss the agony written all over the cerulean eyed man's face as he stepped inside the tour bus to see the young man curled in a ball on the couch. He hears gentle sobbing and knows, even before he sees the tear tracks, that something has gone terribly wrong. "Oli?" He offers to the air, and Josh nods. Sighing, the Baltimore boy sat down and rests his hand next to him on the couch, he thinks he is getting worse at this, saying what Alex would need to get over the other one, the one he isn't supposed to love. Perhaps that is why he is projecting onto Josh, wanting to help him because he can't help himself. "What happened?"

There's a sniff and the other man winces as he sits up slowly. "I...we...we..." He rubs his eyes, now tinged red, and wishes for a dampness in his desert dry throat. "We did...had...we had..." And then he shoots up, bile rising in his throat as he remembers. His stomach twists and lurches, a burning sensation filling his chest as he leans over the bin and retches. "We had sex," It's blunt and Josh sounds so drained, like a zombie, his words are dry and his actions are limited. "And now I can't stop thinking about it," He slides down the wall next to the bin, his eyes closing. From across the couch, Alex tightens his hands into a fist. Oli did it on purpose, knowing Josh was vulnerable and not in a position to say no, unable to say no because he believed that Oli was the only person able to love him. Anger is replaced by fury and Alex has to bite his lip.

"How...How do you feel? Emotionally, that is," He knows that Josh, as a full grown adult, is capable of looking after his body, and yet his mentality seems like that of a teenager when he speaks about love, or friendship. For a moment, the Weybridge born boy seems to have no words to say, he simply stares blankly at the wall as he tries to produce sound, as he tries to produce a thought, even. Silence envelopes them and then finally he speaks again, one word, softly.

"Numb," And it's the most accurate thing he could have said, as he leans his head back to rest against the wall, screwing his eyes shut to stop the tears from streaming. This, this pain, it was so familiar, why he had thought that sacrificing his mental state for some temporary bliss was a good idea seemed now alien to him.

The problem with people feeling numb, is that they always try too hard to feel, and whilst Josh wasn't prone to self-harm, Alex had a perfectly rational fear he would try to see if it made him feel more than anguish. So in less than half an hour, it was decided that Josh would be staying in the All Time Low tour bus whilst the other man calmed himself, Zack and Rian didn't ask questions, they took one look at the shivering, shaking man with tears in his eyes and quickly offered up room. In the end he ended up staying in Rian's, just because it was a bottom bunk. Jack came in a little later, and was less inconspicuous. "What's up with him? Why's he here?" Came question after question until Alex hit him around the back of the head for being an "insensitive twat,"

"I'm just looking after him for the rest of the week, to see how he is, I talked to his bandmates and they're happy with it, a bit confused but they didn't ask questions," Alex's jaw clenched a little "But I swear I'm going to punch that...that..." His fists clench and, seeing warning signs, Jack immediately rested his hand over Alex's. There's a brief moment where they both seem surprised by the action and the elder forgets anger to succumb just this once to the comfort of the other, resting his head on Jack's shoulder.

"It'll all work out in the end," It was uncharacteristic of Jack to produce comfort from his mouth, at least not in the form of words. But when he did, Alex truly believed it, it's irrational and he doesn't care. He simply smiles and leans against the other boy, his heart beating in a fast rhythm.

"Yeah, I hope so,"

Notes

Whoop ok so maybe I'm a little behind, sue me.