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"George... I- I'm sorry, alright. I didn't mean it. Would'ja just open the door please?"
He sighed, taking another weary look at the bruised face in the mirror. A smarming black eye and green blossoms on his jaw made George all the more thankful covering his face was the norm for his work.
"George I'm serious," came the muffled voice through the bathroom door as Alex knocked again, insistently, and more for his growing headache than anything Geroge finally gave in to his friend's demands. He offered no more than a deadpan, "What?"
Alex looked sheepish, as the fucker should, but held out an icepack wrapped in a tea towel that George was more than happy to accept. "You're a dick," he said, skirting past his roomate to fall with a huff onto the sofa as said roomate trailed behind him, half-muttered apologies tumbling out of him like a waterfall.
The broken cup had been swept up, and the table set upright from where George had fell face first onto it earlier. Well, fell was a light word, but that was the story for now. "You know I didn't really mean it, right? I just lost my temper for a second normally I wouldn't have done anything like that, I-"
"God, I get it. Just shut up a minute will you?" He didn't mean to snap but, damn, he'd fallen hard and his head was still pounding. Trying to appease Alex's guilt was not priority right now. The cool press of the icepack onto his face was like bliss compared to everything else, and Geroge intended to soak in the feeling in relative peace. "I'm not gonna tell anyone if that's what you're worried about, alright?"
George pretended not to see the sheer relief that cleared Alex's face. He didn't want to admit how often he had to reassure Alex that he wouldn't go around gossiping about his composure slipping more and more recently. Poor mental health, stress with work and some kind of relationship trouble that he wouldn't talk about; all of it was really taking a toll on Alex. George wanted to be there for him, as a coworker, roomate, and close friend, but...
"Well, 'course you wouldn't tell. It was an accident."
Oh that cheeky fucker.
"Ha," Geroge said dryly, pressing the icepack closer to his face even as the tea towl became itchy with damp. "Sure, man. An accident."
Alex frowned, "What? You think I- really? You don't believe me?"
"How do you accidently push someone head-first into a table like that Alex?"
"Oh, don't be so fucking dramatic," Alex turned and walked over to the kitchen side, waving one hand dismissively, "We were arguing, you shouted at me, I lost my temper and gave you a nudge, and you tripped into the table. I obviously wasn't trying to kill you or some bullshit like that!"
"I didn't-"
"Do you- do you really think I'd just shove you over on purpose? You could've broken your nose for God's sake George. And what about after? I wanted to make sure you didn't have a concussion, 'specially when you went and hid in the bathroom like that. Why do you think I was so worried?"
Because you regretted it.
Because you didn't want me to tell anyone.
George swalled his initial rebuttals. He and Alex were close... It wouldn't really make sense for his roomate to want to seriously harm him. George knew Alex. That wasn't what he was like. George sighed.
"No, yeah, sorry man."
Alex's face was a twisted mix of concern and hurt. "Right. It's okay. I should be apologising to you whether it was an accident or not." He laughed. "Just didn't expect you to accuse me of attempted murder." Alex's joking tone was, unfortunately, infectious, and despite the (frankly quite morbid) situation, George decided to let the whole thing go for now. Just keeping the peace.
"Yeah, next thing you know I'll be ringing up the cops on you."
"What are you like, ey?" Alex sat beside him. "But seriously, man, I apologise. It'll never happen again."
George smiled, "Forget it Alex, its fine. Already forgotten."