Oliver didn’t have to say anything to George as they arrived moments apart on Alicia’s doorstep. He looked at George, their eyes both solemn and red rimmed, and gave him a pat on the shoulder before knocking on Alicia’s door. She answered with a bit of hesitation, and the sight of her tear streaked face was enough to make him bite his cheek to avoid crying himself. He’d had quite enough of crying in front of people lately, between obviously Penny and recently Hermione, he was done with it. He sucked a breath, and stepped past her into the entry way.
Oliver ran his hand through his hair and stared at the floor. He was worried that he would not be so successful in holding in tears if he actually looked at Alicia’s face again. “Alicia,” he said hesitantly, hoping to temper is emotion. “Alicia...I can’t even start. This is just...fucked,” he said, the curse cutting the tension in the room. He looked up at her, realizing that the anger in his words kept him oddly calm. “I’m so sorry...I miss her too,” he said, and walked to her and enveloped her in a tight embrace.
~*~
Had George cried? He couldn’t remember. It was very likely that, amid his yelling and smashing things, he had been lost to tears. Rage and sorrow were so close together, it was hard to tell which had pushed him over the edge.
He slipped into the flat after Oliver and went straight for the coffee table where he set the bottle of Ogden’s down and pulled off his cloak. He slid his hands into his pockets and watched Oliver pull Alicia into a hug. He wasn’t sure he could do the same, not without losing it altogether.
“Why does this keep happening?” He asked in a low voice.