Chapter Text
Alex spat on the ground, feeling the dried blood on his molars from the fall that made him bite his cheek earlier. The disgusting blob quickly got washed away on the pavement by the pouring rain, along with other filth. It was wretchedly cold right now, every breeze of wind felt deep to the bones, and considering how wet he was it was a miracle he didn’t get hypothermia. Wiping his overgrown hair out of his eyes, he entered the building.
It was the middle of the night, so the lobby was dark. Alex did not feel bad for dripping water all over the carpet. The lobby didn’t feel that different from outside, but at least it was slightly warmer. He looked around for an elevator, but as he expected there was none. Of course Ben wouldn’t choose a complex with elevators, those things are surprisingly easy to hack into. It was smart, but it wasn’t in Alex’s favor considering the half-tied wound on his right leg. This day wholly sucked.
Heaving a sigh, he walked over to the stairs and began a slow climb up, moving one step at a time while clinging to the rails. They left a rusty smell on his hands, but it could just be the dried blood already on his palms. The heavy rain pattered outside, accompanied by Alex’s breathing, his footsteps echoing through the empty hallways.
Eventually, he reached the fourth floor. By this time, his leg wound had ached again, every walk sending a jolt of pain upwards. His clothes had dried a bit, still damp but not dripping wet anymore. Still, it clung slimily to his skin. He knew he looked like crap right now. His nose may or may not be bruised from a punch, the same punch that made him fall and bite his cheek, his clothes were stained by grimes and other substances, and he hadn’t slept in three days. Alex sucked it up and dragged himself over to Ben’s door, door number 405, and knocked. The corner of his eyes were beginning to blur. He hoped Ben wasn’t asleep, or else he’d have to ring the doorbell, and he didn’t want to cause more attention to himself.
Luckily, he heard footsteps. Then the sound of the lock being turned. Then the sound of multiple locks being turned, then finally the creaking of the door knob. By this point, he had to stabilize himself with a hand on the door frame and was seconds away from passing out. He realized that passing out was inevitable, so it was either the cold ground, or inside Ben’s flat.
The door opened, and warm light poured out. Ben stood, eyes wide open.
“Hello, Ben.” Alex croaked, before his eyes rolled back and he fell forward.