Reed runs his hand through Ben’s hair, before leaving the room. “Breakfast is ready if you want it.”

 “Okay.”

(He’d rather sleep forever, or do something to get rid of this tiredness. It takes forty-five minutes of him convincing himself to get out of bed, and go eat. But his exhaustion wins, so he lies there and stares at the nightstand, trying to pick out the different grains of wood. He figures he’ll get up when he’s not so worn-out. There’s and small, minute part of him that tells him not to bother.)

 “I’m going to work now,” He was so into his own business, that he doesn’t hear Reed until he’s poking his head through the door. Reed smiles, but it’s a strained, messy thing. “Have fun.”

 Ben waits until the front door closes, before rolling over face down, and groaning.

 The thing is, he could go out. He should go out and do something. Everybody is always telling him to (not everybody just Reed, and no, he does not want to analyze how much that hurts). Reed doesn’t really that about the fact that he’s Ben’s only friend. Ben thinks it doesn’t really matter, to Reed at least. Well, it doesn’t really matter to him either, but lately when he can’t sleep and the dark presses in a little deeper, and that tiredness claws itself out of his ribcage with the tenacity and ferociousness of a man buried alive, he thinks. He thinks about everything. He thinks a lot. He thinks himself to sleep, only to wake to more intrusive thoughts and unanswered questions.

 He has to take care of Reed, he tells himself.

 What would he do without Reed, he asks himself.

 ---

 “Ben.”

 Reed is calling his name, shaking him. He opens one eye to stare at Reed, before he looks across the room. It’s a lot darker, than it was forty-five minutes ago. He just wanted to take a nap. The clock displays six in the evening. No wonder it’s darker, he fell asleep again.

 “Did you eat today?” Reed asks, knowing full well what the answer is.

 “I’m not hungry,” Ben says, rolling over. He doesn’t want to see Reed’s fake hope, or disappointment, or any of those difficult emotions.