heartbeat ◇ stoley

seven.

alex had put justin's phone down where he had found it, laying back into his bed. his face had done a lot of healing in the last few days; you hardly could tell he had gotten beaten weeks before. the water stopped, and alex could tell justin had finished in the shower.

he figured that if justin were staying, he had better clean up somewhat, so he shoved all of the main mess into his closet.

alex had left justin with a pair of sweatpants to wear to bed, a shirt if he wanted. when he walked into alex's room with only the sweatpants on, he guessed he didn't want it. "thanks for this, alex. really-"

"don't worry about it. seriously. any time your friends are dicks, i'm here." justin had climbed into his bed, leaning against the headboard, staring off. he looked dazed. alex turned to him, unable to stop himself. "are you okay, justin? like, really okay?"

justin looked over at him, scanning his face before he looked away completely. "yeah, fine. why?" alex only shook his head. justin was watching him now. "your face is looking a lot better."

alex snorted, his eyes flicking up to the ceiling. when he finally went to meet justin's gaze, his eyes were closed, and he was using his shoulder as a pillow. alex didn't want to know how many times he had to do that when his friends didn't answer him. he shook his head again, clearing his head of justin.

just for that foley boy to come back into his thoughts seconds later.

alex realized that justin really had fallen asleep, soft little snores coming from his side of the bed. alex grabbed the covers from off the floor, straightened them over justin after he forced him out of the sitting position and into a laying one. he looked so young while asleep. everything was real about him now. he wasn't faking anything in this moment. alex wouldn't have realized that justin had shifted onto his arm if it hadn't been for his wet hair.

alex too laid down, not bothering to try to and steal some of the blanket from the boy. he lifted the arm justin was laying on, slowly and carefully rolling the sleeping foley in his bed into his side. justin sighed contently in his sleep, arm draping over the torso of the blond.

alex came to the conclusion that he liked sleeping justin a lot more than the one that faked his happiness. enough to kiss the boy's messy, wet hair before he went to bed himself, thumb grazing the brunet's cheekbone to his jaw in soft, circular motions.

if only he had known that justin had woken up.

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