All That's Wrong With Us

"You're at P'Johan's house."

Silence settled over the room, slow and heavy, draping itself like an unseen weight. It crept into the corners, stretching between breaths.

North blinked. Once. Twice. Brain felt sluggish, like a rusty old computer struggling to boot up. The name rattled around head, took its sweet time settling.

"Oh." His voice was flat. Then, belatedly, realization struck. "Huh!?"

Panic jolted through him before his body rudely reminded him he was in no condition for sudden movements. Instinctively, he tried to sit up, terrible decision.

Pain tore between ribs like white-hot fire, knocking the air from the lungs. A strangled gasp escaped him as he collapsed back against the pillows, flesh thoroughly rejecting any attempts at rebellion. Every muscle screamed, injuries pulsing a slow, miserable heartbeat.

"Ow... ow, ow, ow!" He squeezed eyes shut, clutching weakly at the side. 

A deep, exhausted sigh came from across the room. North cracked an eye open to see Easter watching him, dark circles under pupils, clearly beyond worn out. Hair was a mess, shoulders slumped with the kind of exhaustion that came from not sleeping all night.

"You done?" Ter's voice was soft, but undeniably weary.

North, still wincing, managed a small, pitiful, "... No."

His friend sighed again, rubbing at temple. "Yeah, didn't think so." He reached for the glass of water on the nightstand and held it out. "Here. Before you pass out again."

"How," he winced, "how did I end up here?" North hesitated before carefully taking it. Hands still a little shaky.

Ter exhaled, running a tired hand through his hair. "Ikkyu called me. Said you were in trouble. I didn't know how bad it was, so I called P'Hill." His voice was quieter now, like even saying it out loud made the memory worse. "And he asked Johan for help, who got to you before I could even think of going."

"Oh." North's chest tightened, not from pain this time.

As if on cue, Hill's phone buzzed. He barely glanced at the screen before sighing. "I need to take this," he muttered, giving Easter a look before stepping out of the room.

But North barely noticed. Heavy head lolled to the side, gaze landing back on his friend, who was still staring at him. A strange, uneasy feeling settled in North's stomach. Easter wasn't glaring. He wasn't even scowling. He just looked... tired. And disapointed. Like he had worried himself sick.

"Ter?" North's voice was quiet.

Easter's lips pressed together. He exhaled, slow and controlled, rubbing hands together as if he was deciding how to say what was on his mind. Finally, in a voice so quiet it almost hurt to hear, he said, "do you have any idea how scared I was?"

North's breath hitched.

"Ikkyu called me, and all he said was that you were hurt. He didn't know how bad. I tried calling you, but you weren't answering, and I..." He stopped himself, shaking slightly. Voice was thick when he spoke again. "I didn't know if you were okay." Hands curled into loose fists.

"I," North felt a lump form in throat. He hesitated, suddenly feeling incredibly small.

"And then I see you like this, and the first thing you do is fling yourself around like a lunatic." Easter shook his head again, running a hand down face. Tone softened, there was even the hint of a tired smile at the edge of the lips. "I swear, North, if worrying about you actually took years off my life, I'd be ancient by now."