The Distance Between

Angst!

Mathias woke up in a cold sweat. With a painfully quick motion, he jerked himself up to a seated position. Almost forcefully, he put his hand over his heart to stop the hard and fast beating.

Dazed and mildly nervous, he stood up and dragged himself over to the tiny bathroom. 

With some effort, the water turned on and the Dane began splashing his face with cold water to rid himself of his fearful shivering.

"What had me so nervous?" he mused to himself while drying off with a towel.

Lukas was safe, the conference was uneventful, and he managed to pay for the heating bill this month. It was a pretty good run in his book.

Removing the last of the water, he stumbled back into bed, hoping to find sweet dreams there.

Unfortunately, his sleep was fitful and unsatisfactory.

Mathias was woken up again later in the morning by loud footsteps.

He cursed the thin walls and moved to go yell at whoever was up running around the hallways at 4 in the morning.

Before he made it to the door there was a sharp knock on it.

Blinking in surprise, he paused long enough to grab a pair of shorts that were hanging over the side of his bed and pick up his gun from the nightstand.

Quickly, he unlocked the door and swung it open just far enough to see outside cursing the fact that he never bothered to install a chain lock.

"Mathias?"

The Dane sighed and opened the door all the way.

"What's up Alfred? Why are you here at four in the morning?"

"I got stuck with the early shift because I couldn't make it to the conference."

"Oh, why are you..."

"This is where you live?"

Mathias jumped at the interruption and surprise question.

"Uh, yeah."

"Dude, you make just as much as me, how can you not afford a place better than this?"

Mathias shrugged.

"I'm still working on paying off the bank for when I payed for my mom's hospital bill. The few months after I lost my job really spiked the interest."

"Oh."

"But seriously dude, why are you here?"

Alfred's eyes widened and he smacked himself on his forehead.

"Sorry dude, I got sidetracked. And you're probably gonna think I'm selfish for not saying this first."

"Just...what is it?"

He paused and took a long look at the frowning American.

"You look really pale. Are you okay?"

Alfred visibly swallowed.

"Gilbert was in a car accident."