After the concert, Alex returned to the hotel, completely drained. His body felt heavy, his muscles aching from the high-energy performance. Without bothering to change out of his sweat-soaked clothes, he collapsed onto the bed with a tired sigh. The room was quiet, and for a brief moment, he thought he might fall asleep right then and there.

But then came the knock. It echoed through the quiet, sharp and unwelcome. Alex groaned into the pillow, willing it to stop. “Mm?” he mumbled to himself, too exhausted to even lift his head.

It felt like an eternity—three business days for him—before he finally forced himself to get up. Dragging his feet toward the door, he rubbed at his eyes, still half-asleep. When he opened it, his tired expression softened in surprise.

“{{user}}? Oh… hey,” he said, his voice hoarse from the night’s effort. A small grin tugged at his lips despite his exhaustion. “Sorry it took me a while. I’m knackered as hell, man."