Just Watch The Fireworks" - By Jimmy eat world

Here you can be anything.

I think that scares you.

I've been here before but only by myself.

What giving up gives you and where giving up takes you.

I've had and I've been.

Here in center frame, there's only air.

Just enough space to fit.

I said it out loud over and over but what do I know.

I said it out loud but it did not help.

I'll stop now.

Just so I can hear you I stay up as late as it takes, as long as it takes.

I promised I'd see it again.

I promised I'd see this with you now.



Lex's dark empty eyes fluttered open, everything was numb and blurry, he felt lost in a sense of confusion for a moment. After a short while he realized he was in Bray's arms whilst Pride was busy taking off the bandages from his wrists. He realized his sleeves had been pushed up, meaning the scars was revealed. He shifted uneasily in Bray's arms and immediately tried pulling his arms away from Pride.

"Hey settle down" Pride spoke calmly as he kept a hold of Lex's arms, carefully so not to hurt him. A clean bandage was draped over his knee ready to put around Lex's wrists. "We're just changing these" he spoke as he felt Lex weakly try to pull away again.

"Don't look at them" Lex spoke and stared at Pride with his dark eyes. Seeing Pride give Bray a confused glance he added, "the scars".

"I. I'm just doing this" Pride stuttered as he picked up the bandage and took Lex's wrist, watching him flinch as he started wrapping it around the thin wrist.

"Lex. about what happened earlier" Bray spoke up shifting a bit forward so Pride would be able to do his job easier.

"Earlier?" Lex asked a bit confused.

"Yeah when you. when you freaked out" Bray said and Lex turned his head to give Bray a very confused dazed look.

"I freaked out?" he asked with a waver in his voice that showed a slight detect of fear.

"Yeah you- don't you remember?" Bray asked.

"Remember what? I don't know what you're talking about" Lex said staring at him, "what did I do?"

Bray looked up and exchanged looks with Pride. He swallowed and shook his head slightly, "nothing much you just. got a bit. upset and started to cry and stuff" Bray said, deciding not to tell Lex the whole truth.

"Oh" Lex looked away. "I didn't do anything stupid did I?" he asked.

Again Pride and Bray exchanged glances. "Not really, you just freaked us out a bit is all" Pride said and finished bandaging one wrist and moving to the other. As he took Lex's thin wrist in his hand he couldn't help glance over the tones of scars. "God Lex.. there's so many" he felt Lex try to pull away again.

"I know but I don't want to talk about it" Lex mumbled and turned his dark gaze to Pride.

"Hey I understand, I'm um, sorry it's just. sorry" Pride mumbled and carried on with what he was doing.

"After Pride's finished, I think you should get some sleep" Bray told Lex.

"But I'm fine, I'm not tired or anything" Lex spoke.

"Well you need your rest, it'll do you good" Pride spoke looking up briefly.

"I don't want to"-

"Well it doesn't matter if you want to or not, just do it because you need it. Its been a long day" Bray spoke.

Lex sighed, "fine whatever" he muttered as Pride finished the other wrist.

"There you go. They're fine, not much bleeding" pride said as he stood up.

"Hmm" Lex said and stared at the new clean white bandages, "you're not going to tell anyone about my arms are you?" he asked quickly tugging the long sleeves down.

"No, its upto you who knows or not" Pride said.

"Okay, thanks" Lex mumbled and continued examining the bandages.

"Yeah Pride, thanks" Bray said meaningfully as he looked up.

"Well I better go and leave you to rest, so see ya later" Pride gave a small smile as he headed to the door.

"See ya Pride" Bray called as Pride softly shut the door behind him. He sighed and silence fell on the room.

Lex stopped looking at his bandages and looked up. He seemed to just realize he was still sitting on Bray's lap and was being held by him. "Um, so I should" he muttered as he got off Bray and stumbled up, quickly edging away towards the bed.

"Yeah" Bray said as he stood up and watched Lex stand at the side of the bed and stare at it. "Go on then"

"Um..okay" Lex said hesitantly as he pulled back the covers then sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked up at Bray and tilted his head as he stared at him. "Are you going.to like talk to the others or something"

Bray shook his head no, "I'll stay here and keep an eye on you"

Lex sighed. No point in arguing, he knew Bray would have his way so he slowly shifted on the bed and lay down on his back on it, letting out a sigh.

Bray chewed his lip and walked over, picking up the covers and laying them down over Lex, "there, comfy?"

"Hmm" Lex replied, shifting and lying on his side, curling up and clasping his fingers around the quilt, as Bray grabbed the nearby chair and sat down on it beside the bed. Lex stared at him and Bray stared back.

"I can't sleep with you watching me" Lex told him and shifted his face on the pillow.

"Well you're going to have to learn to" Bray shifted in his chair and rested his elbow on the arm of the chair, "we're going to be keeping an eye on you a lot"

Lex groaned and rolled his eyes, a dark strand of hair fell in front of his face, blurring his vision slightly, "Bray?"

"Hmm?"

"What was it like. when I freaked out. Really I mean" Lex asked, biting his lip.

Bray shifted, feeling more uncomfortable as he cleared his throat, "well.you, you started.screaming and"-

"Did I get violent? Did I hurt you or Pride?" Lex quickly asked.

Bray stared at him a moment, "no you didn't"

"So I just. screamed?"

"Well you cried and stuff, and tried running out" Bray told him.

"It just happened right. when did it happen?"

"You tried leaving but found the door locked. said stuff about being trapped"-

"Oh" Lex cut him off simply and looked away.

"Lex.has stuff like that happened before? I mean you freaking out and stuff" Bray asked.

Lex sighed and glanced up at him. "Yeah. No point in lying"

"What. I don't get it, what makes it happen?" Bray asked worried.

"I don't know. sometimes it just happens, I don't really remember it, its like I get taken over by something. Sometimes though, I sorta get flashbacks or something and I like daze out. I think its probably a fear thing"

"So like. panic attacks" Bray bit his thumb nail.

Lex nodded, "yeah. I've had those. I don't mean them to happen, so sorry if I freaked you"-

"Hey its okay. Now I know I guess I'll be more prepared for next time" Bray spoke and scratched his chin.

"Bray?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you. have you ever had like a flashback, that seems really realistic you know, and then you don't know whats reality and whats fake, they seem to blend in together?" he asked.

Bray leaned forward and stared at Lex. He looked so small, so frightened, so.innocent. Like a young child. "Lex. before you freaked out, did you have some kind of flashback?"

"I.probably, maybe" Lex bit his lip.

"You did look a bit distant, and your eyes looked a bit glazed" Bray told him.

"Then I guess I did"

"Can you remember what it was about?" Bray asked.

Lex shifted on the bed and frowned as he pulled the quilts up more over him, "I think so"

"Can you tell me what it was about?" Bray asked and watched Lex look away with a sad expression. "Was it about your father?" Bray asked softly. Lex looked up at him and Bray saw the eyes somewhat darkened and reflective like a dark pool of drowning tears. "Um, you should get your rest now, we can talk later" Bray said.

Lex sighed softly and rolled over to face the wall and away from Bray, he spent a short while shifting under the covers to curl up and get comfy, before he settled and snuggled in the blankets, closing his eyes and drifting to sleep with a soft sigh.

Bray sat by the bedside watching him.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Pride softly opened the door and glanced around the room. He spotted Lex lying asleep under the covers and saw Bray look up from where he was sitting. "Bray" he whispered and nodded at him to come over.

Bray glanced at Lex sleeping, before he quietly got up and walked over to Pride. They stepped out the room closing the door to.

"How is he?" Pride asked.

Bray rubbed his eyes and sighed, "well he could be worse" he frowned, "we managed to work out he has frequent panic attacks. probably caused by flashbacks"

"Really?" Pride's eyebrows raised, "God, poor Lex"

"Yeah" Bray sighed and glanced to the door.

"So I guess we'll have to keep an extra careful eye on him" Pride commented.

Bray nodded, "are we going to tell the rest of the mallrats about the panic attacks?"

"Well it would be wise, because he might have one on front of them. I can tell them if you want"

Bray nodded, "thanks Pride, that would be helpful"

Pride smiled at him, "yeah. Um, dinner's going to be done soon so I was wondering if you wanted me to bring yours and his over here, or if you wanted to eat in the cafeteria"

"Um, if you could bring it here, that'd be great" Bray replied.

"No problem. He's looking on the thin side isn't he"

"Yeah, among lots of other problems. He looks so ill, so helpless Pride" Bray sighed.

"Yeah well he's got all us by his side to get him better" Pride told him.

Bray looked sadly at Pride, "Do you think he will get better?"

Pride looked away, "let's just pray for the best"

Bray also looked away, down at the ground and frowned, "yeah" he mumbled.

Pride patted him on the shoulder, "don't give up on him Bray. By the sounds of it, too many people have done that already"

Bray gave a small lopsided smile, "I'll try not to"

"I know. Well catch you later" Pride said.

"Yeah later" Bray said before pushing the bedroom door open and walking in - to find Lex standing right in front of him staring at him.