At that moment, in this solitary second, Alex doesn't know what to do for Neil. Alex is woefully unprepared for this--what do you say to your young lover when his head has been ripped apart by a sociopath?-- No, honestly. Alex has never been close enough to a person to watch them cry and want to comfort them. He doesn't know how. And he doesn't even know if comfort is something Neil would want--or accept.

But he is here. And that is all Alex can offer.

He crosses the room, boots heavy against the floor, and he reaches--touches Neil's arm and keeps his hand there. "Take all the time you need. A few more minutes won't make a difference."

The impatience he had been holding has vanished. The anxiety that causes him to need to move shifting to something thicker, heavier--a steady fear instead, tempered only by the lack of distance between them.