[ A pause, and he reaches to skip forward a few pages. Soft: ]
"When Matt woke next, things were blurry, but it didn't matter, much. The fact that his vision was impaired paled in comparison to the incredible amount of relief he felt at the sight before him. There he was. His best friend, waiting in the chair next to Matt's hospital bed, fast asleep. Matt smiled, the warmth of his happiness at seeing his friend making the pain not quite so bad."
[ Relentless optimism, here. Royce traces the same few words over and over with his fingers, falling silent. Making the pain not quite so bad, over and over. ]
Nothing is. [ He lets go of the book to take Alfie's hand. ] I told you my first answer and you didn't like it. You're my second answer. It's good enough to stop me from feeding myself to anomalies.
[He stops. He'd been about to say It isn't that I didn't like the first answer - but that's not true; he hadn't liked it. Just not, he thinks, in the way that Royce had meant.]
no subject
[Alfie murmurs, closing his eyes.]
no subject
no subject
no subject
"When Matt woke next, things were blurry, but it didn't matter, much. The fact that his vision was impaired paled in comparison to the incredible amount of relief he felt at the sight before him. There he was. His best friend, waiting in the chair next to Matt's hospital bed, fast asleep. Matt smiled, the warmth of his happiness at seeing his friend making the pain not quite so bad."
[ Royce reads, voice hoarse. ]
no subject
[Alfie mutters.]
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
What would do it for you?
no subject
no subject
Besides death.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
[He stops. He'd been about to say It isn't that I didn't like the first answer - but that's not true; he hadn't liked it. Just not, he thinks, in the way that Royce had meant.]
no subject
What?
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
[Alfie twirls a lock of Royce's hair around his finger.]
That transfusion, it really did fuck-all, didn't it.
no subject
no subject
[He presses their heads closer together.]
It's Karkat, isn't it.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
what the fuck apparently i never pressed enter on this
iddy pls
i'm so mad; i stayed up for like three more hours and i figured you had gone to bed
IDDY!!! oh my god
I KNOW
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
... oh my god if you can believe it I DID IT AGAIN what the fuck is wrong with me
LMAO i was wondering!!!
sighs @ me
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)