[ He tries for a good two minutes, and then just gives up. There's no fanfare, he just drops it and gives up, pulling his hands back under the blankets without a word. Fine. Whatever. Wasn't mean to be, he guesses. ]
[Alfie picks up the bottle. He fumbles with it too - cold fingers tend to do that - but he manages to get it open, and he shakes out two pills for Royce. Here you go, friend.]
[ He reaches for the pills, and pops them into his mouth, swallowing hard. Before Alfie can close the bottle, Royce reaches out and holds onto Alfie's wrist. ]
[ There is a very small frown on his face at that, but he doesn't argue. He closes his eyes. Fine, okay. He'll just silently wait for them to kick in, then. ]
[ It takes a while - thirty minutes or so - but slowly he starts to loosen up. He blinks his eyes open blearily, and stares up at Alfie, eyes fuzzy and vision slightly blurry. He's holding onto Alfie's hand though, stroking it idly every so often. ]
[ It's okay, Alfie. Royce looks at him the same way, eyes finally closing again after a moment. At least he'll sleep peacefully for a while, not letting go of Alfie's hand.
And - well, in his sleep, anyway - his stomach growls low and painfully. Not that Royce notices, but it's loud enough for Alfie to hear. ]
[Royce, you are immediately getting fed as soon as you wake up.
Alfie tries to settle, but he doesn't sleep - he just stays sitting up on the mattress, slumped against Royce. He idly scrolls through the network a bit, but doesn't talk to anybody. Not many people are talking in general, right now.]
[ He sleeps for a long time. Probably past the time that the sleeping pills work. If he ever actually does wake up, he doesn't show it; he feigns sleep, probably for a good while. It's easier this way, if he doesn't have to move, or think, or disappoint Alfie. ]
[While he's fake-sleeping, he might notice Alfie whispering - to him, to himself, even to people who aren't there, a couple of times. Usually, it's so quiet that it's unintelligible.]
[ He tries very hard to listen, honestly, but it's difficult to catch what Alfie's saying. Eventually he just sighs and rolls closer to Alfie, shifting slowly to put his pillow in Alfie's lap and his head and about a third of his torso on that pillow. Better. ]
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You can, too. With me. It doesn't matter.
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[He screws the top back on firmly.]
And you don't need more than two.
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And - well, in his sleep, anyway - his stomach growls low and painfully. Not that Royce notices, but it's loud enough for Alfie to hear. ]
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Alfie tries to settle, but he doesn't sleep - he just stays sitting up on the mattress, slumped against Royce. He idly scrolls through the network a bit, but doesn't talk to anybody. Not many people are talking in general, right now.]
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[He tugs him even closer, aiming to pull him up onto his lap - though they're light tugs, and easy to resist if Royce wants to.]
You're so little, mate; you've fucking shrunk.
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Was small before. [ Royce mutters. His speech is still sleepy-slush. ] You're just now realizing.
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[He fusses with the blankets, making sure Royce is still all tucked in.]
I could have carried you.
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I don't. I don't want you to hurt yourself. [ Royce mumbles. ]
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[He says, sadly.]
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