Alex cuddled tighter into Charlie's chest as the pair desperately tried to slumber against the stiff hospital chairs. Justin had days, hours even, and both Charlie and Alex's hearts were in their mouths, anxiously waiting for some news, good or bad. Most people had gone to grab just a few hours of sleep, but ever since Zach had gone off the rails, Alex wanted to stay in the hospital to make sure he was there for him as soon as he finished his talk with Justin.
Charlie had decided to stay with him, gently stroking the boy's fluffy hair as he laid against him. He sadly sighed as he watched him try to find comfort, the stress and exhaustion evidently taking a toll on his TBI, his body and mind beginning to grow weaker.
He admired Alex's kindness, his ride or die love for his friends, but couldn't deny the pang of jealously in his stomach as his boy continued to move heaven and earth to make sure Zach was okay, even if it affected his own health and recovery.
If he was being honest with himself, he'd been thinking about it all night. His brain still on the kiss that Alex was yet to tell him about, his brain still on the fact that Alex once liked Zach, a friendship that until tonight he thought of as platonic. He tried to shake it off, instead focusing on Alex's shallow breathing and painful expression as he tried to sleep.
Alex was exhausted, his head hurting, his limbs aching as he slumped against his boyfriend for support. They had been in the hospital for nearly three days, and he didn't want to admit that he was feeling rubbish. This wasn't about him, it was about Justin who was going through far worse at the moment. He strived to be there for his friends, ignoring his Dad's frequent texts that begged him to take a break.
For once he wanted to be strong like everyone else, not a burden with a hole in his head that was currently spinning. Stress combined with lack of sleep messed with his TBI, making his legs more tired and his balance wobbly. He felt shaky, disoriented even. He was hoping that a nap would sort it, desperately trying to catch a few minutes before Zach came out.
As his eyes fell shut, beginning to suck him into dream world, he felt a hand rest clumsily on his shoulder.
"Jesus Zach, don't wake him, this is the first time he's slept in 3 days." Charlie warned, his tone more forceful than usual. Alex didn't want to think too much into it, but forced himself awake, pulling his body up slowly into a sitting position.
"I'm awake, I'm awake." He yawned, sluggishly rubbing his eyes. "How'd it go?" He asked, smiling sadly at Zach as he stood before them with puffy eyes and a disheveled expression.
"It was really hard, but I'm glad I did it." He smiled, finally swigging from a bottle of water rather than whiskey.
"Proud of you." Alex nodded, grimacing slightly as he tried to move his bad leg. "I think we are staying for the long haul, wanna join us?" He mumbled, earning a look of concern from Charlie, as he stared him up and down.
Zach sighed as he looked down at his water bottle, finally feeling the effects of his excessive drinking, and now banging hangover. "I reckon I might need to sleep this off, before I'm of any use to Justin or his family right now." He huffed, his head in his hand. "I'm sorry to be such a pain, but there's no way I'm over the legal limit, could I get a lift home St. George?" He asked, smiling down at Charlie, who was currently more worried about Alex instead.
"Why don't we all go back home for a few hours, you can rest at mine Alex." He suggested, his hand resting on Alex's as he shook his head. "You look exhausted Lex, you need to take a break." He smiled, pressing a kiss to his hair.
"I'm okay, take Zach home and get some rest, I'll be here when you get back." Alex mumbled gently.
"Yeah, I'm sure Alex is a big boy he can take care of himself." Zach joked, winking at Alex, the pale boy who inaudibly chuckled.
"Well maybe if he hadn't been taking care of you for the past month instead, he would have taken care of himself." Charlie spat, his eyes rolling as he stood to grab his car keys. "And maybe if you weren't so drunk you could drive your own ass home and let me take care of my boyfriend."
Alex was dumbfounded. For Charlie this was out of character, a side he'd neither seen or wanted to see again. Zach's demeanour changed instantly, his stance suddenly aggressive as he stood over Charlie.
"Have you got a problem Charlie?" It was evident that stress and alcohol had become a bad combination for the former jock, and for the first time in his life, Alex was scared of the pair of them.
"Oh I don't know, maybe if you stopped drinking yourself into oblivion and actually thought about your friends for a second we wouldn't have had to drag you to see Justin, and you'd notice that Alex, who is unbelievably shattered, has waited here for you this entire time, and you don't even have the decency to say thank you." Charlie was ranging, lack of sleep, and jealousy fuelling his fury as Zach stood back with wide eyes, his own blood boiling.
"Oh that's it St. George, you're only being a dick because you found out Alex kissed me first." Zach's words hit low, and as Charlie went to raise his hand Alex gasped.
"STOP, please, both of you-" As he went to stand up the world felt fuzzy, his vision blurring, his head spinning. He felt his legs give way, and stumbled limply, falling as Charlie quickly turned to catch him.
"ALEX?" Charlie fretted, supporting his weight as he fell limp into him, quickly lowering him back into the chair. Alex's head was killing, his own hand pressed against his eyes as he tried to slow the world down. He was having a sensory overload, the lights too bright, the room too hot, voices loud and piercing. He felt as if he was floating. "Alex, talk to me, are you okay?" Charlie was now kneeled in front of the chair, hands on his boyfriend's knees incase he fell forward.
Zach had rushed to the other side of him, unscrewing his water bottle and placing his hand behind the boy's head, helping him take a sip. "Here, take small sips, you'll feel better." He breathed, worried as his friend looked deathly pale.
"M' fine" Alex croaked, swallowing a painful breath as he tried not to grimace. "J-Just stood up too fast." He mumbled, a small curl of the lips forming to try and reassure Charlie, the boy who was currently panicking.
"No Lex, you've overdone it, you're not okay." Charlie insisted, catching his boyfriend's chin as his head lolled forward again. "We need to get you home and in bed." He urged, caressing his cheek with his thumb. "Will you let me do that?"
Alex had no willpower left. He wanted to be strong, strong for Justin, but he couldn't even speak, his eyes threatening to close. He wanted to stop his friends from fighting, but he couldn't find the strength.
"Yeah, come on man, let us help you, you've done so much, it's okay if you need a break." Zach backed Charlie up, nodding at the jock apologetically. "You've helped me so much over the last few months, let me repay the favour."
All Alex could do was nod, his eyes welling as Charlie began to loop his arms into his coat for him, not letting his arm move from around his waist in fear that he'd completely fall forward.
"Do you reckon you can walk Lex?" Charlie questioned, as he motioned for Zach to take the weight on Alex's left side as they pulled him up into a standing position. He smiled encouragingly as Alex weakly nodded his head, heavily leaning on the pair as they more or less carried him to the car.
As they got into the parking lot he felt his legs go weak again, feeling incapable and embarrassed as Charlie lifted him up, sitting him in the front seat of his car, before reclining it back slightly.
"Try and rest on the drive home." Charlie kissed his forehead, wrapping his jacket over the top of his thin frame before starting the engine. Zach stared sadly at the pair, before climbing into the back.
"Look I'm sorry about earlier." Charlie gulped, breaking the silence with Zach as they pulled into Alex's driveway. "I suppose the whole situation at the moment is just heightening emotions." He relented, finally smiling at Alex's sleeping form as he got out of the car.
"No, man, I'm the one that's sorry." Zach apologised, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. "I'm mad that I've been putting so much on Alex, he's come so far that sometimes I forget how fragile he is." He looked over at his friend, curled up under Charlie's Liberty jacket. "I haven't seen him this run down since last year in PT." Zach sighed.
"It's happened a few times recently, he just hides his struggles well I guess." Charlie murmured. "I think he's been so focussed on helping everyone else, he's neglecting himself"
Zach shook his head, his eyes welling as he looked over at Charlie opening the car door, gazing at the pair as Charlie caressed his boyfriend's cheek.
"You're good for him." Zach assured, his lips pursed in awe. "I know you're mad he kissed me first, but I've never seen him happier with anyone than you." He quickly rubbed the tear from his face, his gaze falling to the floor. "You've got nothing to worry about St. George, he loves you." He smiled, giving the jock a friendly pat on the back before turning to walk home.
"Thanks for the ride man." With that Zach began to head down the drive, smiling as Charlie mouthed a thank you, as he proceeded to scoop up Alex and carry him through the door.
After making it up the stairs to Alex's room, Charlie let out a sigh of relief as he finally placed his boyfriend under the covers. Alex was completely unconscious, in dreamworld Charlie hoped as he laid down beside him, looping his arms around his small figure and spooning him in an attempt to comfort him.
It wasn't until the next morning that Charlie woke to see Alex laying beside him, eyes groggy but open, his blue orbs shining, his complexion a little less pale.
"Morning you." Charlie mumbled, pressing his lips to Alex's head. "How are you feeling?"
"Achey, tired, but ready to take another day on." Alex smiled, nuzzling his nose next to Charlie's as he moved himself to rest in his embrace. "What happened between you and Zach last night?" He questioned, his expression soft with confusion.
"I got over protective Lex, I'm sorry, I was worried about you." Charlie hummed apologetically. "I may have taken the whole kiss thing slightly too far." He admitted, biting his lip in regret.
"Firstly." Alex chuckled. "You don't need to worry about me." To that Charlie rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disagreement. "And secondly, you have noting to be jealous about baby, the kiss with Zach was impulsive, more a crazy moment of intimacy after he saved me from falling off a building." He smirked as Charlie gasped.
"You nearly fell off of a building?" He panicked, squeezing his boy tighter.
"That's a story for another day, but my point is, I've never enjoyed kissing anyone more than you, I love you Charlie, and only you." Alex confessed, smiling as Charlie began to well up.
"C'mere" He whispered, pressing his lips to Charlie's, their tongues twisting together slowly, passionately. "Thank you for helping me last night." Alex continued as he pulled away. "You're right, I need to take it easy for a while."
"That can be arranged Standall." Charlie smirked, pulling the covers back on his side as he proceeded to stand. "How about breakfast in bed before we head to the hospital?" He suggested playfully.
"Perfect." Alex smiled.
.
.
A/N: Thanks so much for reading so far! Wanted to try and have more coverage of Alex's TBI as I think they forgot it a lot throughout s3+4 and unfortunately that kind of injury doesn't just fade away that fast in the real world, so it is interesting to play around with it in these Oneshots and create a more realistic picture! ❤️