Alfie scrambled to sit up when Julien did, ending up next to him on the couch and turned to face him. "No, that's not what I ... here..." He reached and turned Julien's face toward him, wiping away tears himself, which didn't seem to slow them down.
"It's okay. I mean, of course you'd be upset.... just don't like to think you're hurt about something, is all..." Which was closer than he'd ever come to saying how much he was starting to care about Jules, how important the other boy was to him.