Alex cried until he couldn’t cry anymore.  He had learned a long time ago to cry silently and what little sounds that did manage to escape were concealed by the running water.   Alex resolved to stay in the bathroom under the beating water forever.  However, the water started to run cold.  He wasn’t sure how long it had taken, but it felt like a subjective eternity.<br/><br/>Alex started to shiver, then his teeth started to chatter and he finally turned the water off.  Everything was numb.   He pulled the towel around himself and padded to the door to press against it and listen, when he didn’t hear anything he figured the two men left to do whatever assassins do.<br/><br/>After drying off and brushing his teeth and braiding his wet messy locks, he got dressed in the baggy shirt and tight pants.   The braid hung over his shoulder, soaking that bare pale skin.  The water had made the bruise on his cheek brighten. It was very clearly a belt mark across his cheek bone.  Even his throat still had fingerprints bruised into it.  All the others were covered, but those were enough.  He hadn’t thought about how braiding his hair would prevent him from hiding in his hair until it was too late.<br/><br/>Alex opened the bathroom door to come out, saw the two men sitting there, waiting and promptly shut it again.