"Dude, virtual reality technology is the next frontier… I'm telling you, in a few years we aren't even going to have televisions anymore!" Chris strolled into Josh's bedroom, his backpack sliding off his shoulders as he plopped onto the large bed, sinking into the thick black duvet. His voice was brimming with excitement, the words spilling out of his mouth as his grin widened. He kept his palms down on the dark comforter, the cool material brushing against his skin.

Josh furrowed his brow as he followed into the room. He kicked the door with the tip of his boot, reaching out with his leg to close it. His backpack had been stashed under his desk, empty since he returned his textbooks, and collecting dust since its last use. As he reached down to untie his shoes, he glanced up at Chris, "You don't think that's a bit of an overstatement? No more TVs? I don't see it happening, bro."

Chris mirrored Josh's movements as he leaned over the bed to unlace his own dark boots. He tossed them toward the door, listening to the thud as they crashed against the wall, earning a stern look from the brunette.

"Dude, I just don't get why you're so against technology, especially considering all the cool shit you've got in here," He hopped up from the bed and headed over to the wooden drawer that had been placed catty corner along the wall. Chris reached out and grabbed a small device that left a rim of dust behind when he lifted it, "Like this… Bro, you don't even use this! This had to have cost, like, at least three hundred."

"Then you just have it," Josh snapped as he pushed the sleeves of his red plaid button-up to his forearms. His face was expressionless as he turned his back to his friend, arching over to collect the discarded boots and place them upright near the door.

Chris narrowed his eyes, limply placing the accessory back in its place. Taking a step toward the brunette, he tilted his head, "I was just kidding, Josh," He caught glimpse of a brief flash of agony wash across his friend's face. Reaching out, he placed his hand on his shoulder, "You alright, man?"

Josh nodded, his head bobbing back and forth one too many times. His front teeth scraped against his bottom lip, and he chewed on the spot, keeping his green eyes lowered to the ground. "Yeah, I'm fine… Sorry… I didn't mean it."

Chris drooped his shoulders as he kept his eyes on the brunette, "I know, but if you need to talk about something, I'm always here for you, dude."

"It's alright," He shrugged, sauntering toward his bed and tumbled onto it, laying on his stomach as he dangled his sock-clad feet in the air. He reached beside him and dug around in a laptop bag until he pulled out a silver computer and placed it on the bed in front of him. Looking back over his shoulder at the blond, he patted the spot next to him, "Are we gonna play or not?"

With a slight nod, Chris rubbed the nape of his neck as he retrieved his own laptop and crawled onto the large bed, his legs swinging off the side of the mattress. The tune of the familiar, intense timbre filled the room, a bit static from the computer's speaker quality. He ran his mouse over the black duvet, clicking around his home screen until he brought up his gaming application.

"Alright," Josh started, clearing his throat as he kept his eyes glued to his bright screen, "I'm close to a level. And, I need your help with this quest, bro; it's fucking killing me and the guide sucks."

Throughout the afternoon, their voices drained, replaced by the perpetual clicks and keyboard hits. Every once and awhile, a string of curses would come from one of the guys as they sighed in frustration. Out the windows, the sun began to sink below the horizon, leaving the two friends comfortable in the dark room, the only light source coming from the flashing screens before them.

"Hnng," Josh grumbled, the noise coming from deep within his chest. He pinched his eyes shut as he brought his palm to his forehead. With a deep sigh, he rolled onto his side, his breath coming out of him in a shaky gasp.

Beside him, Chris raised an eyebrow as he tore his glance away from his laptop screen. "You doin' alright, man?"

Without response, Josh lowered his head, pressing his face against the dark comforter and burying it there. His breathing had become unsteady and his body trembled, his back jerking as he clenched his fist around the blanket.

"Oh, shit," Chris jumped up and sat criss-crossed next to the brunette, hesitantly reaching out to place a sturdy hand on the upper portion of his back. His fingers grazed across the dark fabric of Josh's sweater, circling over the exposed skin of Josh's neck. "Hey, Josh, dude… What's wrong?"

This hadn't been the first time Josh had a break down on him. Throughout their long friendship, Chris had experienced Josh crying and melting down in front of him many times. Sometimes, Josh seemed like he was perfectly fine and then one small thing would set him off, sending him down a spiraling pit of distress. Other times, he would call Chris during the night, his voice breaking as he begged his best friend to remind him what he was seeing wasn't real. The agony that Josh experienced on a near daily basis made Chris' heart swell; the medicines that the doctors had put him on throughout his lifetime never seemed to do quite enough. Sure, they could make him stable, but they were never enough to fill the emptiness inside of him.

Chris pulled away from Josh's trembling body and wriggled to the top of the bed, pressing his back against the dark wooden headboard. He reached out and patted the space next to him, shaking the mattress as he did. "Josh, come here."

A deep sob came from Josh's body as he kept his face buried in the duvet. As Chris parted his lips to repeat his statement, Josh lifted his head, his eyes puffy and red as his bottom lip quivered. Chris nodded his head and widened his arms, pulling Josh into his embrace when he crawled over to him. He tightened his arms around the shorter man's body, placing his palm on his back, rubbing the area in rhythmic patterns. Josh shoved his face into the blond's shoulder, shaking with sadness as he bawled into his dark green sweater.

Chris rocked slightly, bringing his hand to the back of Josh's head, letting his fingers glide through the dark hair as he gently hushed his friend. "It's okay," He whispered running his palm along his neck and back. He brought his lips to Josh's ear and gently murmured, "I'm right here, man… You're okay...It's gonna be alright. Wanna tell me what's bothering you?"

Against his shoulder, Josh nodded, a deep sniffle coming from his body. He pulled himself away, his face red from the pressure beneath him. His bottom lip jutted out as he wrapped his arms around his body, swaying slightly as he did. "...medicine...it hurts…" Chris had been able to make out just a few words from Josh's incoherent mumbles, but it was enough for him to understand Josh's medication had been causing him much more pain than it should have been.

"Hey, breathe for me, Josh," Chris' voice was soft, just above a whisper, as he kept stroking the brunette's back. Josh did as told, a raspy noise rattling from his chest. He nodded as his brought his green eyes to Chris', his mouth twisting as he did. "Do you want me to stay the night with you? It's just my afternoon class tomorrow."

Josh nodded, swallowing hard as he bit his lip. He was digging into the skin hard, blood threatening to pour out of his self-inflicted wound. "Please don't leave me," He whispered, his voice shaking.

Chris reached out and pressed his cool palm on the side of Josh's cheek. The brunette's eyes fluttered shut as he buried his head into Chris' touch. He could feel Chris' thumb on his bottom lip and his body trembled. The physical contact triggered the endorphins, sending a wave of relief throughout his body. His heart rate began to settle as his headache began to fade. The world around him began to calm as his brain cleared up, the fog inside of him evaporating.

"I have an idea," Chris leaned away, getting off the bed, causing it to slightly creak. Josh tilted his head as he watched Chris make his way toward his bookshelf lined with hundreds of DVDs. Chris lowered his body as he scanned through the perfectly organized collection. His eyes searched the selection until he grinned, pulling one of the cases out of its spot. He held the DVD up, "Psycho. Always a good choice, right?"

A smile tugged at Josh's lips as he moved over to the other side of the bed, watching as Chris popped the disc into his laptop and set the computer in front of them on the comforter. With a slight grin, he hurried back onto the bed, keeping his body as close to Josh's as the space would allow. He reached for one of the thinner blankets underneath and draped it around their bodies, wrapping his long arm around the brunette's shoulders.

They had been in situations like this many times before. There had never been anything intimate about them, but that didn't stop Josh from imagining what it might have been like to spend a Friday night with Chris on their couch as they watched a good movie and shared takeout food. But, the comfort of knowing his best friend was curled up beside him, willing to do this for him, was enough. With his breathing steadying, Josh leaned his head onto Chris' shoulder, his eyes darting back and forth as he took in the film. His nostrils filled with the scent of Chris' soft cologne, a smell that had calmed him throughout the years.

The opening crescendo filled the silence as Chris traced circles on Josh's upper arm. His chest heaved slightly, and Josh watched as the fabric of his light t-shirt rose. His eyes travelled from Chris' chest to his jawline, where a barely noticeable stubble had begun to grow. The blond's lips had parted as his light eyes remained glued to the screen; he was great at pretending to be interested in a film he had already seen hundreds of times before.

Chris felt Josh's eyes on him and he peered down, a soft grin tugging at his lips. The look on Josh's face was foreign to him; it was an expression he couldn't quite place. His heart began to race as he studied his friend. "What's up, dude? You feeling any better?"

He paused as he fixed his gaze on Chris. His lips parted, the words spilling out faster than he could stop them, "I really love you."

Chris' eyes widened as his mouth opened, his jaw slack as his body froze. He and Josh had exchanged countless expressions of admiration throughout the years, but this was different. There was a sincerity and tenderness he had never heard before.

Don't mess it up, Chris thought as he kept his gaze locked on Josh. Gently, he reached out with his free hand to cup Josh's chin, his pointer finger sinking lower to raise his head in his direction. When their eyes matched, he held his breath for a moment, searching Josh's eyes for something he never knew he wanted, before he whispered back:

"I love you so much."