Chapter Text
The tall mans arms clung around his chest tightly as he wept, drunk and alone.
It was a hot summer evening, and the nokia headed young adult was curled up on the floor of a bathroom in his college dorm, having his usual breakdown of the day. The reason for this could be very easily brushed off by most, so he didn't even bother expressing his distress to his family or friends, if he had any of course.
That wasn't the case ever since his family cut contact with him not long after he moved out, seeing he wasn't really useful to them anymore and the only person that Randy could call somewhat close to a friend was his flat mate. Even though most of their conversations were casual small talks and occasional grocery shopping together, he still had a lot of respect for the younger man.
Yet, he was the only one in their home for more than a week now and he didn't feel this alone for years. He cried out, the ache in his chest intensifying when he felt pain as sharp as needles piercing his heart, making it impossible to breathe. Suddenly, the air he didn't even realise he was holding escaped from his lungs, followed by a loud sob that made him realise how pathetic he must have looked from someones point of view.
During the last few days, he hadn't attempted any of his lessons and lived off the leftover scraps of various fast foods and booze, which he just finished the last bottle of. He would have to buy some more, but that meant he would have to actually go outside, which is not something he was looking towards to.
But for now, he sat. His head rolled back softly hitting the cold blue tiles of the bathroom he was in. Pounding and spinning from all the crying and the cheap red wine he drank, his fingers bruised the soft tissue on his sides. The bandages on his hands were now more red than usual from the liquid he earlier spilled over himself as he was stumbling down to meet the bathroom floor. The whole apartment looked thrashed, including the room he was in, dirty laundry covering most of the floor. He knew he would have to clean it up eventually, but Oliver wouldn't be back for another three days, so he didn't bother doing it yet.
The apartment felt crowded and small with all the junk laying around, and still, in between all the sobs and hiccups there wasn't a lot of noise around the man, not counting the occasional car honk outside that could be heard through the window.
Though to him, there wasn't anything louder than sitting in silence.
Silence meant no sound to numb the constant stream of thoughts running through his head, that he so desperately wanted to get rid of. That's why he drank in the first place; it helped him with his overthinking. But alas, he doesn't need to overthink to have feelings. And that's why he sat there, burrowed in self-pity and sorrow.
He wondered what exactly lead him to this point in life; he was failing most of his classes, his love life was a complete mess, his life in general was a mess and he was a mess, a black void that was draining every good thing he had out of happiness... No wonder nobody cared for him! Nobody would want to be friends, or god forbid, something more with him!
He could feel his breath hitch, his lungs quickly inhaling and exhaling air, causing him to move his legs even closer to his chest, it felt like he was trying to compress himself into non-existence with his arms wrapped around him tightly.
It was all too much to bear.
He burrowed his face between his crossed arms, trying to calm down from this painful experience. His whole body trembled, the dark thoughts overpowering the drunk student.
'You're a disgrace' he thought.
'A selfish asshole, so self-absorbed in yourself that you're crying over nothing! oh, boo-hoo, they left you.' His fingers dug deeper into his already bruised ribs at the memory. Their first partner left him. That's why he was crying. It may be childish of him, that's what he thought at least, but they really made him feel like he was special, that he wasn't bound to doom, his luck was finally on his side! For a while at least...
'Did you really think it was real? That they really cared about you?! What a joke! They probably only talked to you out of pity!' the venom in his head made him want to vomit.
-... Stop…
Quietly, he wished for the ever judging voice in his head to go away, yet it showed no sign of respecting his wishes.
'Nobody would ever love you. You're completely and utterly fucked, nobody would even look at you and not want to vomit at the sight. Everybody hates you.'
Tears fell harder as he tried to cover his sound receptors, his hyperventilation only worsening.
-Please... Shut up…
He cried out, almost wheezing, his voice more fierce now. He felt he was reaching his limit.
'You shut up. You know I'm right. Everybody knows you're a total disgrace! That's why you're always alone! Nobody wants to talk to you! And that flat mate of yours-'
-Stop! Please! Shut up already!
He loudly cried, desperate for an end of all of this.
'He hates you the most. That's why he left. He couldn't stand to look at you any longer. I'm sure that if he could get rid of you, he would.'
He couldn't stand it anymore. With all the power he had left inside himself, he fell on his knees and screamed while punching the ground with his fist.
-SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT! THE FUCK UP!
His knuckles bled, staining the floor before he fell down, absolutely drained of energy, his mind only speaking loud static as numb pain sent waves over his whole arm and all he could do is groan and quietly sniffle.
He felt like he lied there for hours. Numbly crying, not even trying to regain energy to get up. He didn't want to get up at all.
What snapped him out of this state was a sound of the bathroom door opening behind him, a long squeak followed by a worried voice.
-... Are you... Okay..?
A concerned familiar voice asked from the direction of the door.
Fuck.
Randy panicked instantly. Oliver wasn't supposed to be home for another 3 days! What was he going to do?! This was bad. Very, very, very bad.
As slowly and as soberly as he could, he lifted himself off of the ground, quickly wiping the tears that were still running down his nokia face, before turning himself to face the man.
The shorter of the two, stood unsurely in the entrance to the bathroom. For randy, he appeared blurred from all the crying, only his voice and the color of his red flannel revealed his identity.
-Randy..? What... What happened?
The confused man took a couple of slow steps towards the crying man, which made Randy unsurely lean back, back touching the wall now. Observing the situation and analyzing. The whole flat was trashed, his roommate is crying on the bathroom floor with a blood stained broken tile next to him...
-H-hey, uh- I-I-I didn't-t know you'll be b-back early..!
He tried to pretend nothing happened, poorly. Instinctively, he hid his injured hand, not wanting to cause more trouble than he already did.
-I-I'm sorry the flat is a m-mess! I'll clean e-everything up!
He was fucked. There's no way Oliver wouldn't just throw him out instantly! His hands shook as he struggled to get up from the floor, stumbling as he did. He didn't even notice that tears started rolling down his face as he leaned against the wall for support, not even able to look Oliver in the face. He was terrified.
His mind told him he ruined the only good thing in his life, and once more the sept into the spiral of panic and self-hate he was in earlier. He didn't even notice Oliver getting closer to him, only a warm hand on his arm shook him back into reality, as he jolted away, clearly scared of the touch.
But when he lifted his head up, he saw that his flatmate didn't look mad. His body language seemed soft, more so than usual. Most of the time, he had this cheery and energetic attitude, even on his off days. This is the first time randy saw him act like this, which confused him. What did it mean? Was he not mad..?
-Randy...
His voice sounded soft as well, comforting even, standing out from his usual tone. The hand on Randy's arm remained, Oliver slowly rubbing it with his thumb. The touch felt reassuring, even through the hoodie he was wearing. Randy could feel the warmth of his hand and subconsciously (or not) leaned into the touch. It felt like it's been ages since he's been touched, especially this gently.
Tears still fell down his dials, seeping from under the screen, his heart still racing. He didn't know what to expect anymore.
-Just... Breathe okay?
Was he... Comforting him? After he trashed the place?
-... It's okay.
His voice was quiet, filling the otherwise quiet room with calm.
Randy stayed quiet, looking down towards the floor, still unsure and ashamed. Though, his crying was reduced to sniffles, his breath while still rapid and shallow seemed to calm slowly.
In the corner of his sight receptors, he could see Oliver look at his injured hand, then back at the tiles. He didn't comment thankfully, yet it filled Randy with even more shame that Oliver had to see him like that. He finally got the courage to speak, maybe just to get rid of the uncomfortable silence that fell between them.
Furthermore, he didn't exactly know what to say, but he knew he had to say something.
-... Oli... I-
He got cut off almost instantly.
-Shhh... Come here, giant.
Randy's heart fluttered at the nickname, it was something Oliver used to call him at the start of them living together, due to the huge height gap between them. The nickname seemed like nothing, but it felt special to randy. It was a much-needed break from being called 'fuck face' by everyone...
Much to the 'giants' displeasure, the warmth of Olivers hand was gone. When he lifted his head again, he saw the smaller mans arms shyly opened, like he was waiting for randy to hug him...
His heart started beating rapidly again, for a different reason this time. He didn't know why Oliver was treating him so nicely, he wasn't really expecting a reaction like that. He wasn't even sure how to react!
Very unsurely and slowly, he came closer, only now remembering how small the man in front of him was. He wasn't leaning against the wall anymore, and even though he was still hunched over, a tactic he developed to not seem intimidating, he was still at least 30 cm taller than Oliver. His hurt hand clung closely to his torso as he took a step forward, while his healthy hand reached forward slightly, but not enough to touch Oliver. He was too scared, too unsure. His hand actually stuttered back, but before he could take it back, Oliver closed the distance between them.
-... Don't be scared, it's okay now.
He heard Oliver say, more quietly now. He stood there, paralysed, Olivers head burrowed in his chest. It felt like ages before he actually moved, once he figured he won't let him out of the hug for a while. His hand fell softly on Oliver's back, barely holding him.
For someone so small, Oliver sure was strong. He held Randy strongly by the torso, stabilizing him since he was still very drunk. Randy could feel Oliver's warm breath on his chest as well as the overall warmth he emitted. Slowly but surely he relaxed into the hug, letting his wet from tears head fall onto Oliver's shoulder.
They stayed like this for a while, at a certain moment Randy hugged him back fully, his breath finally calming down and tears stopping. Oliver rubbed the small of his back in a way he never felt before, and he swore that every time Oliver whispered something to him, either that 'it was okay', that 'he was there for him' or any other sweet thing he could feel his stomach twist uncomfortably, but he told himself that it was just alcohol making him feel dizzy.
The fact that he could smell Oliver, feel the slightest shift in his stance didn't help the feeling. He smelled like his cologne, a gift he got from his father on Christmas last year and would put on religiously every day before his classes. He also smelled a bit of a bus or a train, and his clothes had a hint of food... something home cooked.
He always loved cooking, and Randy always watched him as he added spices and cut vegetables to whatever he was making from the couch in their living room that was linked with the kitchen. Not in a creepy way though, he just admired the man work.
Oliver was very talented, not only in cooking. He also played guitar and piano, took photos, wrote songs and made amateur movies. He often told stories about his adoptive father, the cinema and how he always wanted to go to film school to follow in his footsteps, but it unfortunately didn't work out.
Randy could listen to this man for hours, both talk about his projects, his past, the future he dreamt of having, and the soft sound of the guitar he would sometimes play in his room, the thin wall not canceling as much noise as Oliver thought. Hell, even listening to him humm something when he cooked or did chores was enough to make Randy's day better.
He didn't even realize that the smaller man let go of the hug, Randy being the one still clinging on, holding him for his dear life. Once again, a soft voice took him out of his thoughts.
-Can I see your hand..?
Oliver sounded unsure, his voice kind of... nervous? Randy lifted his head from the other man's shoulder, blushing when he realised how he clung to him. He really didn't realize how touch starved he really was...
Randy let go of Oliver, even though he didn't really want to, and looked at his hand. It was pretty badly swollen and bleeding through the bandage.
-... It will be fine.
Randy said after a while. the truth was he could barely move his fingers, but he didn't want to be an even bigger burden to Oliver, so he lied. He was instead met with a serious look and Oliver's hand reaching forward, waiting for him to give him his hand.
-No, it will not be. Let me see.
This time, Randy didn't protest, only nodded his head obediently and slowly gave him his injured hand.
Oliver barely even touched it, and Randy already flinched from pain. Oliver muttered a quick 'oh geez' at the sight of his colleague in pain, before very carefully taking off the bloodied and dirty bandage.
Upon seeing the damage done, all the bruising and swelling, as well as various other scars and markings which looked older than the rest, silence fell between them.
Randy was embarrassed of his self harm and scared of Oliver's reaction to it. He just stood there in silence, while Oliver went over to the medicine cabinet above the sink. Once he got the essentials he needed, he gestured for randy to come closer.
The injured man obliged, standing next to the sink with his hand out towards Oliver. He winced when his wound got disinfected and gently patted it down with gauze. All the time they both stayed silent. That was until it was clean, and the smaller man started to apply a fresh and clean bandage.
-... Is this why you cover your arms in bandages?
His tone felt more firm and serious now. It didn't sound mad or upset with Randy, it didn't seem to hold any emotion at all, feeling... Weirdly cold, especially in contrast to the soft side Randy experienced first hand not long ago.
Randy didn't respond, the silence doing a better job confirming than he ever could using words. He felt pathetic, like he just let someone down...
Oliver was finishing up the bandaging, tying it up past Randy's wrist to stabilise it when he spoke again, this time emotion seeped through his voice.
-... Why didn't you tell me?
He sounded... guilty. His gaze didn't leave the Randy's hand, even though he already finished what he needed to do, he still held it in his hands.
-I-I could have helped... If I knew that you were struggling, i wouldn't have left! I c-could have prevented this!
His voice was full of emotion now, getting louder with each word, intensifying with the feelings he got until he quietened, finally looking up at Randy who was clearly feeling guilty as well.
-... You could have called...
He spoke softly again, and you could just feel the utter sadness he felt for not being there for his friend. Randy didn't answer for a while. He didn't know how to respond. He wanted to lie in order to comfort Oliver back, but at this point he needed to just, for once in his life, say the truth about what he's feeling.
-I... I was scared I'm gonna be a burden... You always say how you miss your dad and just spending time away from here... I didn't want to ruin it by bothering you...
He rubbed his forearm with his hand anxiously as he spoke. Weirdly, he didn't really stutter as much as usual...
Oliver waited for him to finish before reaching his hand to cup his flatmates face with the palm of his hand and return to his soft and caring voice.
-Randy... You're never bothering me. You're my friend.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Oliver saw him as a friend..? Him? Out of all people?! But even more confusing was the hand holding him by the corner of his face...
-I... Your presence is actually very comforting to me. You let me calm down when I'm feeling blue... if I only knew I wouldn't leave you all alone for so long... I could have taken you with me, you'd meet pops and we'd have a gnarly time!
Randy could hear the excitement at the idea of him coming with Oliver to his home... He never knew his flatmate felt like this, and for the first time in his life he regretted not sharing his emotions...
-... I'm sorry.
The tall man said, almost in a whisper. Oliver stayed silent for a moment, only to take a cautious step closer to the man. The hand still remained on Randy's face. It felt so tender...
-Well... There's always the next time, right..?
He responded with a question, just as quietly as Randy. His voice seemed sweet like butter though and... Was he blushing?! Because Randy definitely was-
Their faces were so close together, the nokia head didn't know what to make out of it. Was Oliver trying to- no! That can't be right! He could actually feel how sweaty his hands got, while his stomach twisted from the nerves. That couldn't be it!
-I... I think t-that w-would be n-n-nice...
He responded, stuttering worse than usual. Yet, Randy didn't lean away from the shorter man, quite the opposite. He felt drawn towards the man, very slowly he inched forward, hoping he didn't interpret this wrong...
-You really mean a lot to me...
Oliver's other hand touched Randy's healthy one, holding it softly. Randy could swear he was getting lightheaded. His stomach was doing twists, his hands trembling softly. All out of nowhere the air in the room went dense and hot, the flustered man couldn't get a proper breath because of it. The tension he felt was... Intense, to say the least.
-... C-can i...
With a shaky whisper, Randy tried asking, but his heart stung so intensely of nerves he couldn't even finish the sentence.
-... N-nevermind.
It was stupid. He obviously just interpreted this wrong, and there's was no way that Oliver wanted to kiss him. He shook his head slightly, trying to shake away the feelings, the urge to grab the smaller man and press their faces together so desperately close. At this point he was red like the flannel Oliver always wore, and there's no way this wouldn't all haunt him for weeks, if not months. Being so close to someone, especially him... he doubted hell sleep tonight.
But Oliver didn't step away. His palm left Randy's face in order to softly lift his chin up and make him look at Oliver, face to face. They were inches apart again, and Randy could once more smell his cologne...
-Can you..?
The confident one in the room urged Randy to finish his question, clearly knowing where Randy was heading with it. What a tease.
-N-nothing! It was d-dumb anyway...
Randy responded quickly, clearly embarrassed and flustered by the question. He was already beating himself up mentally for even opening his mouth.
-Okay, so you don't want to kiss me right now?
It was obvious he was trying to fluster Randy even more, teasing him, playing with how easily he panicked...
Randy could only muster out a stuttered "I-" before being cut off by Oliver, whose hand went up Randy's and made its way to softly hold at his waist, the other following soon after.
-Do you?
If he had any eyebrows, he'd raise them while he waited for the response.
Randy felt like he was about to faint again. But he was so sick with all this feeling, the need to kiss him, he just couldn't say no.
-I... I do.
He could feel Oliver pulling him down to his level, and before he knew the smaller mans mouth apparatus was already open, revealing his slightly pink full lips that were grinning at him. They looked so soft...
-What are you waiting for then?
Oliver simply responded. With a shaky hand, Randy reached for a button under his phone, pressing it to unlock a lower part of his head that revealed his mouth. In contrast to the soft looking lips Oliver had, Randy's were pretty slim and clearly scarred from chewing on them from stress. His lips were slightly parted, and you could still feel the smell of alcohol as he breathed.
This earned a smug smile out of Oliver, his hands travelled up to wrap around Randy's neck, pulling him closer, linking their lips together. It was subtle and gentle, you could tell that Oliver was clearly way more experienced even though Randy was the one operating a sex hotline.
At first, Randy didn't know exactly what to do, his heart was beating hard and fast, but as the kiss continued he slowly began to relax, allowing himself to just lean into the soft and welcoming lips. His hands reached towards Oliver's waist, wrapping them around and earning a soft whimper from the smaller man. Their chests touching, heart near heart, they lost themselves in the intimate kiss.
It was Oliver who broke the kiss. He leaned away, a smile still remaining on the part of the face he had, his arms still loosely wrapped around Randy's neck.
-I... This... T-that was-
-Wonderful? Incredible? Gnarly?
Oliver joked, earning a quiet snicker from randy, who then responded shyly.
-Well... My first kiss.
-Oh.
This came as a shock to Oliver. He knew randy wasn't experienced much, but... This much? He took a moment of considering what to respond to that.
-Well, I hope it was okay... Even under those circumstances.
He chuckled nervously, and randy was pretty sure this was the first time he saw Oliver so shy. Their hands let go of each other as they slowly separated, covering up their mouths again.
-It... It was amazing if I'm being honest... Thank you.
Oliver smiled underneath his phone cover. This meant a lot to him. After so much time of hiding his interest in Randy, he finally managed to kiss him. Earlier he was too nervous, too unsure of the other man's emotions.
-... It's getting late. You need to sleep it all off for your hand to heal better.
Oliver stretched and yawned, meanwhile looking at both of Randy's arms. He noticed how dirty one bandage was in comparison to the freshly changed one.
-Can I see your other hand?
He asked, and Randy followed his instructions. He stretched out his arm, presenting it to Oliver, which took it into his hands. Furthermore, he tugged at the bandage slightly, shooting Randy a look that basically asked if he could take it off. The bandaged man nodded and lifted the cuff of his jacket.
Very delicately, Oliver took off the bandage, wanting to disinfect any potential wounds that might await and change the dirty material into a new one. To his surprise, all the wounds that were hidden were pretty much done healing, so he just washed it with soapy water.
-Would you mind leaving this one unwrapped tonight? Your skin could use some air...
Oliver asked, checking if the other man is comfortable with that. Randy just shrugged, not really caring.
-You already saw it, I don't think there's any reason to hide it anymore.
He took his arm away and dried it with a towel, while Oliver put away all the medical stuff he used earlier.
-Hey, how about we eat something, go to sleep and deal with everything else tomorrow, hm?
Oli asked cheerfully, his tone finally returning to his usual one. He wrapped his arm around Randy while he wasn't looking, giving him a heart attack in the process and making him jump unexpectedly, which earned a chuckle from the shorter man.
-... I have the stew you love~
He basically sang it out, which clearly got Randy's attention. He turned to him in a fast manner, and if he had any, he'd have the biggest puppy eyes in the world.
-R-really??
Oliver just laughed and nodded his head, confirming. He always brought some for Randy because he knew how much he loved it and no matter how much he tried, he could not recreate it. He wasn't even a big fan of the dish, but he took it just to see randy happy. Randy grabbed Oliver with his healthy hand and like an excited puppy tugged to make his friend follow him.
The friend in question just laughed and did as the other wanted, taking the bag with food he brought and setting it on the kitchen table. Randy helped him prepare it, took out plates and utensils. They ate in the kitchen, talking some about what was Oliver's trip, then about some issues that Randy has, briefly about what happened before Oliver got back but not enough to get in depth. Oliver knew randy will open up to him more, but he knew how tired he must have been after today, he didn't want to push. Sleep first, problems later.
Once they filled their stomachs, they left the dirty plates in the sink and headed towards their rooms. However, Randy stopped before entering his room, grabbing Oliver's attention.
-Uhh... Oli..?
-Yeah?
The shorter man responded, stopping to look at his friend curiously.
-So... You know how my bandages and jacket were covered in wine..?
Oliver crossed his arms, waiting for him to get to the point.
-Mhm.
-Well... I k-kinda spilled wine all over my bed yesterday… And then some more in the b-bathroom today… T-that's why I stink so much a-and, uhm, my w-whole bed reeks of booze and it's still wet.
Randy admitted nervously. This would mean he didn't have anywhere to sleep but the floor, since they didn't buy a couch to their apparent yet. Scared, the nokia head quietly asked.
-Could I... I-i-if it w-wouldn't bother y-you, m-maybe sleep on the r-rug in your r-room..? I-it's pretty soft...
He rubbed his neck nervously while asking, to what Oliver laughed.
-Dude, we literally kissed not long ago. You can share a bed with me. I don't want you to sleep on the floor!
-I j-just don't want it to be weird...
-It would be weird if you were sleeping on my rug!
Oliver laughed before opening the door to his room and inviting Randy in. It wasn't the first time Randy went in there, but each time he was amazed at how pretty it was. It wasn't big, but it was decorated so well. Posters and albums hung on the walls, red elements were seen everywhere. There were of course his guitar and camera, his most prized possessions. Everything was clean and organised, the room definitely contrasted with Randy's always-a-mess room. It was a bit bigger too.
-You mind if I change near you? The heat and travel made me sweaty...
Oliver asked, which snapped Randy out of his thoughts, taking off his flannel, only a black t-shirt covering his chest. Randy blushed once again, swiftly (ha) turning away and covering his sight receptors. Oliver just laughed and undressed behind him. After some time, randy heard the shuffling of clothes come to a stop and Oliver's voice.
-You can turn around now.
Randy carefully peaked behind him, seeing if Oliver is not just screwing with him. He saw the man prepare the bed while only in a t-shirt that was way too big for him and black underwear. Seeing his crush friend bent down over a bed in their undies definitely didn't make his blush disappear, only making it stronger. But before he could say anything, Oliver jumped on the bed and loudly announced to Randy, "I call dibs under the wall!" and giggled.
-C'mon! Get over here!
He seemed so excited, patting down a place next to him for Randy to lie down. Hastily, Randy took off the jacket he was in, as well as his pants, leaving him in his shirt and boxers only. He sat down on the bed, and before he knew he was pulled down on the mattress by warm hands, pulled into a hug by Oliver.
-This is gonna be fun! Like a sleep-over.
Oliver quickly turned off the lights before saying something to Randy again.
-Your shirt stinks so much of booze, though, would you mind taking it off? I really don't like the smell...
Randy doubted only his shirt stank, but after a moment of consideration, he obliged. He took it off and looked around the room for a spare one.
-Uhh... could I get a shirt then..? A clean one?
He chuckled slightly, waiting for a response. Oliver didn't have the response he was waiting for.
-Uhh, yeahhh... Kinda don't have any at the moment. I only got winter sweaters, everything but the shirt I'm wearing is all sweaty and dirty.
He explained, petting Randy on the back reassuringly while he talked.
-But it's okay! It gets pretty hot in here at night, so no shirt needed.
He laughed again, seeing how nervous randy got once more.
-Just lay down with me~
He pulled him into laying down again and yawned. The bed was a single person one, but it wasn't the smallest. You could feel comfortable while pretty close with another person, well, you didn't really have a different choice than to be close while sleeping with another person.
-You tired?
-Y-yeah...
-Let's go to sleep then...
Randy just nodded. He was too tired and still a bit drunk, so any warmth and physical contact was nice. They hugged, the taller man spooning Oliver, Randy's hurt arm was laying wrapped around his torso, at first very nervously, but then relaxing into the hug, enveloping them both in a pleasant warmth and comfort.
-Oliver... Before we sleep... I j-just wanted to thank you, for everything today.
The smaller of the two smiled, warmth washing over his heart.
-I'm always here if you need me, Giant.
No other words needed to be exchanged between the two of them. Silence washed over them, only a passing car made a noise outside the window, the two men closer than ever, slowly falling asleep. It was all that was important, a much deserved silence after a storm.
Everything else can be dealt with in the morning.