Chapter Text
There’re colours. Mostly blue and black and fluorescent white, burning into his eyes as Troy tries to focus on what’s in front of him. He blinks, over and over, until he’s not even sure if his eyes are open still. And then it’s like a smack to the face. Everything begins to make sense.
“...Wha…?” he manages out, blinking at the two people in front of him. Paramedics? Maybe? They don’t exactly look like normal paramedics. Though it’s been a little bit since he’s paid attention to what paramedics wear. They look more like cops. He can’t tell.
“Good to see you’re back with us, Mr Barnes.”
Troy glances around, still dazed, even if he can see better now. Everyone’s being looked at by the paramedi-cop-people. It comes dawns to him. Or it kind of does. The party. Halloween. There was punch?
“Do you remember anything about the party?”
He tries to think. He really tries, but his mind is empty of it. It’s kind of scary. Blank, like moments of his childhood. Blank, no memory of why his shoulder hurts or why Annie’s getting her knee wrapped up in gauze along with a bunch of others being treated-
Abed.
He whips his head nearly violently in search of him, panic tightening around his lungs and making it hard to breathe.
“Mr Barnes-”
“No, I don’t,” he answers quickly, eyes still going frantically all around, neck aching as he turns it in every direction. “Where’s-”
“I don't remember anything.”
He turns his head in the direction of the voice, and there he is. God. The panic settles almost instantly.
“Mr Barnes,” one of the maybe-paramedic-maybe-cops starts again, but Troy is already moving towards him. Off-ballance, sure, but steady nonetheless.
“I don’t remember,” he says again. “I want to see my friend.”
They don’t try to stop him, thank the lord. He already feels like he’s been fighting all night, and he’s not in the mood to have that get worse. He plops down next to Abed once he reaches him, and the people talking to him start to walk away. He waits until they’re probably out of earshot before he speaks.
“Hey,” he says quietly. “What was that about?”
Abed looks at him, then down. There’s a bandage right on his forehead, and Troy feels concern pool in his throat. “I don’t know. I don’t remember anything.”
“Oh.”
“They said someone roofied the whole party.”
Troy’s stomach hurts at the thought. He glances down, too. “Geez.”
Abed hums. “Yeah.”
Like clockwork, Troy’s eyes are on him again. And he’s reaching out to run his fingers carefully over the bandage on his head before he can think twice. “You okay…?”
Abed blinks as he meets his eyes. “I’m okay.” His hand moves up, and Troy nearly flinches. He doesn’t. He lets the hand rest against his cheek, palm press agains the slight sting that he realizes is there. “What about you?”
He smiles. A tiny bit. “I’m good.” He lets his fingertips drop, but his eyes stay steady. Completely focused now. On Abed. Only Abed. “Wanna watch a movie?”
Abed’s mouth quirks into a half-smile for a moment. “Sure.” His hand drops too. “Aliens, cyborgs, or zombies?”
Troy shudders involuntarily at the word, and he lets out a huff of air. “I don’t know why, but…I’m kinda over zombies.”
They get up at the same time. “Yeah. I don’t feel like anything action heavy. How about something light?”
“You seen Marmaduke?”
“Nope.”
He smiles. “It’s good. Sweet.”
Abed smiles too. The small one, again. Genuine, but only half-there. Troy’s favourite. “Cool, cool, cool.”
Outside. The air is fresh, and Troy takes a deep, deep breath until his lungs hurt from how much oxygen is in them. He holds it. And then breathes out. Abed stops next to him.
“You sure you’re okay?”
Troy looks at him. He isn’t. He doesn’t like not remembering things to begin with. The whole night? It’s frankly terrifying. So much could’ve happened. So much he’s afraid of. And yet…
The stars twinkle around Abed, the half-moon right behind his head like a halo. He looks pretty. So, so pretty. Troy can’t even try to stop himself from thinking it. It’s so true, and who could deny it? Like this? Ethereal.
“I love you,” he blurts. Can’t help it. Just feels right, in the moment. Just fits, like a puzzle piece, like Abed fits with him. Something’s different. He doesn’t know what. Maybe the blackout wasn’t so bad, afterall. The cuts and bruises might be worth it.
“I know.”
Something about that has Troy desperate. He bites his tongue as he searches Abed’s eyes for something. The eyes that rarely betray his next move. And they don’t need to, this time. Because when he steps closer, Abed moves with him, and they’re kissing. Properly kissing. Like it’s been eons. Like they’re dying of thirst. Like they’ve been waiting far too long, and maybe they have been. Maybe they’ve been waiting all their lives. Troy feels like he has. Like he’s been stuck for so long. Afraid.
But kissing Abed beneath the moon and stars makes him realize he’s been pulled out. No explosion. No rain. Just moon and stars.
~
And staying up all night watching movies, and to watch the sun rise, it makes him feel so utterly alive.
With Abed. Abed, Abed, Abed.