Mellow Drama

[mostlyajerk]

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[mostlyajerk]

"Are you awake?" Hartley had been sitting in the chair next to Axel for quite some time, studying from a book he'd brought, but now he noticed him stirring and so he looked up, closing the book with a finger between the pages. He waited to see whether Axel would open his eyes.

Hartley wore a dark jacket over his shirt, dressed relatively casual on the whole - for him. This wasn't anything official, but his wardrobe didn't really do casual that well, so he still looked a lot more formal than most people would have. "You're going to be fine, but you're in hospital. No need to worry."

[trickedya]

"Aww, shit." Axel muttered as he tried to blink through the fuzzy haze and work out what had happened. He was struggling to connect the dots of how he ended up here and mostly he was just freaking out that he was here. Just what he needed, a massive hospital bill. Axel groaned in annoyance and sat him, shaking his head to try and clear everything up.

"What-- huh?" He was going to ask what happened but the words sort of died from his sluggish brain as he looked at the guy across from him, entirely baffled. He was cute, he was dressed all nice and fancy and he was sitting there. With a book? ... Did he have the wrong room?

[mostlyajerk]

"Hey." Hartley smiled, holding his hand out, "I'm Hartley. Nice to meet you." Technically he supposed they had met before, but he wasn't so sure he could count that. After all, only one of them had been aware at the time. "I found you by my building and had to do some first aid, everything should be fine now. You're a fighter, according to the doctor."

He wasn't surprised, he certainly looked it.

[trickedya]

"What do you m-- oh God." It slowly dawned on him what Hartley was talking about. Oh man, he was sensing he accidentally overshot how much heroin he needed. He ODed like some common junkie outside some nice guys apartment. Great. As if he couldn't get any lower in the world, that happened. He raised his hand and idly ran it up the arm he'd injected, feeling the needle marks. There were a few of them.

He eventually and reluctantly took the offered hand, shaking it loosely and swiftly. Well, this was embarrassing. "I'm Axel." He bit his lower lip as he tried to think of a good excuse for why this happened. "I, er, I was just dicking around. You know? No big deal. Sorry about ruining your evening"

[mostlyajerk]

Of course he pulled his hand back, simply nodding. "Please. I'm just glad that you are all right. That would have really put a damper on my day otherwise." Hartley sat back and the bent to pick up the bag on the ground next to his chair, holding it out to Axel. "I had to wait around for a while, so I got you some chocolates."

And a card and a tiny "Get well soon!" rat, but he supposed that needed no further explanation. "You should at least stay overnight. Is there anyone you want to contact?"

[trickedya]

"You got me stuff? Why?" Axel squinted, unable to buy this was real. Was he dead? He had to be dead or in a coma and this was some weird hallucination. Some handsome guy had gone and gotten him some stuff and took care of him, stuck around to make sure he'd be okay. It just didn't seem right. He pulled out the stuff with a small confused frown, looking at the rat as he tried to work out why this was happening. "Thanks."

That was the cutest rat ever. He was so keeping it. He looked at Hartley and laughed, unable to help himself. "Nah, can't afford it. I need to be out of here like yesterday." There was no way he could ever pay for this shit. Not in a million years. "I'm good, I don't really have people. It's cool, I got this." And with that, he threw back the covers and stretched a little. Time to make a run for it.

"Hey, where's my shit? Like my clothes and stuff?" The ones covered in vomit and God knows what else from when he seized earlier.

[mostlyajerk]

"Oh. Don't worry about that. Someone already took care of your hospital bill. Anonymous donation." Hartley hoped that in this light, his blushing was less noticeable. He was a good liar, but under the circumstances it was a bit of a challenge. "You are covered until Wednesday at least." Maybe he'd like to stay longer. Get detoxed. But he didn't think now was the time to mention that.

"There's a laundromat in the building and I got your clothes there. They'll be ready in a bit, I'll bring them back up before I have to leave. Is there anything else you need? I'm afraid you missed dinner time, but there's a sandwich and soda on your nightstand."

Hartley frowned, then shrugged. "If it helps, you were very polite before you passed out. You even complimented me."

[trickedya]

"Well, this place is... cute." It wasn't that great but it was indoors. That was something. He had to share a room with about fifty other dudes, the whole floor had to share one bathroom and there was like two tables to sit at and a crappy old TV but it still beat out where he'd been crashing before. His bed was between three other guys and one girl, it had a horrible greenish blanket that screamed cheap. He guessed he couldn't expect much.

He only had a small bag of stuff and all of that stuff was pretty much what Hartley had given him at this point. "Thanks for this."

[mostlyajerk]

"It's something." Hartley wasn't about to praise it as being better than it was. "But the heating is always on in winter, the sheets are cleaned regularly and we're constantly looking into making improvements."

He really wished he could give more, but it was all rather tricky to arrange for. Hartley handed Axel a key with a number on it. "There are lockers in the back, you can lock up anything you want to in there. But usually these places are pretty safe, nobody wants to risk being thrown out."

[trickedya]

"Thanks. I don't have much I need to worry about, I just got a few things." He dumped his bag onto the bed and removed a bundle of letters, well worn and well read, kept together with string. He'd had them in a bus locker for a while now and he was ready to import them to somewhere a little safer. He set them on the bed for now as he checked around for his phone, the only other important item.

The letters looked cute. The envelopes were all different colours with fun little drawings on the front, all address to Axel Walker in such erratic handwriting. "So you work here a lot, huh? Looks good on a job application, I guess."

[mostlyajerk]

Hartley looked at the letters, but only a glance. He certainly didn't mean to pry. Instead he focused on Axel himself and nodded. "I suppose so, though that wasn't really my concern. I just like to do something worthwhile with my time. The people here all deserve a lot more dignity and better chances. I don't know how much I can do, but something is better than nothing."

[trickedya]

"you're such a boy scout. It's cute, I like it." Axel grinned as he carried all of his important stuff over to his locker and unlocked it. He stashed it in careful and made a mental note to rig his locker with a trap. Once he was back with Hartley, he dropped onto the cheap, hard bed and looked into his bag at the cute cuddly toy Hartley got him. "I guess I gotta get a job now. I need money."

[mostlyajerk]

"I'm not. I just believe in social justice and I also believe that in this country, we have to fight for any of it to happen. Spending my free time here is just one way to fight." Hartley looked down at Axel after he had sat down and nodded. "I suppose so. There are always some jobs hanging out here and they know who's willing to hire, so definitely ask around."

[trickedya]

Hey, thanks for ditching me at that party

I od-ed btw

AND I MET A CUTE BOY

[midastouches]

omg sry, glad you're okay! I did wonder where you went off to.

How did you meet a cute boy while od-ing?

[trickedya]

I tried to find you, you were just gone. So I left the club and I ended up... in like the middle of nowhere.

Then I saw some apartments and this figure

and I literally fell into his arms and he saved me <3

[midastouches]

...you dreamed that, didn't you?

I don't blame you, the other day I thought I was in Antonio Banderas' arms. And not current Antonio Banderas, Zorro Antonio Banderas.

[trickedya]

He's real!!! He took me to the hospital and he visited me and he gave be a soft toy rat.

I sent you pictures.

He's older and he has college courses and he's smart!!

[midastouches]

He looks a bit familiar. But he's definitely cute. You're so lucky!

So, how is the sex?

[trickedya]

Hello Hartley.

Can I come see you some time today?

[mostlyajerk]

Certainly.

Do you need something?

[trickedya]

I want to see you, if that's okay.

I have some news too.

[mostlyajerk]

Do share.

I have some time around three, if that works for you? We could get coffee.

[trickedya]

I got a job :D

Yeah, that'd be awesome. I really enjoy seeing you, it's nice to have a friend.

[mostlyajerk]

Oh! What is it? I knew you would!

There's a café near my place that I go to a lot, my treat of course.