Cassandra was. . . confused, to say the least. It was like she'd stumbled upon a truth and her whole world, as she knew it, had been turned topsy-turvy. She'd always loved Nigel, also known after a while that he didn't love her so much as before. He did care for her but would never take it past the fringes of platonic friendship anymore. She understood him. Really, she did. But she'd always been greedy and she'd never really stopped hoping.

Until now.

"Cassie." That effectively snapped her out of it and she raised her gaze, only realizing now that he'd walked across the room and come to a stop in front of her. His gaze was open and it made the small curve of the smile she was trying to keep up wobble the slightest bit. He was endearing and had always loved sincerely and far more intensely than was supposed to be capable. Only one of the many qualities she'd adored.

"You like her then?" she asked. She hadn't noticed it, too lax as she did some offhand flirting with Glenn. She'd been pretty confident he, at least, wouldn't love another so soon. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"Yeah."

"I understand." And she did. When Hayley had integrated with her other friends, she'd been ecstatic at the merging of her two circles. She still was, just now needed to come to terms with it.

"Thanks, Cas," he smiled, knowing that she meant it. They were the easiest persons they knew and nothing could keep them down for long. It was why they'd worked together as a couple, and why they worked even better as friends. "I've got to run. I'll see you Monday?"

"Monday," Cassandra replied, raising her hand in a small wave.

But Nigel was gone already, tearing in search of the direction through which Hayley had left. He burst through the front doors, drawing short at the sight of Aries on the patio, arms folded as he leaned against a white pillar.

He followed the jerk of his friend's thumb to the left side of the street and rushed out a short thanks before running along in that direction. Many minutes passed as his foot fell lightly on the concrete pavement, trying to use the street lamps to see ahead of him. He was almost tempted to believe Aries had led him the wrong way out of spite when he finally saw her a couple meters ahead, stumbling a bit and then leaning against the brick walls of a boutique.

He hurried to catch up, bringing his palm to guide her elbow and gently turn her around despite how dizzy he himself felt. "Hey." Her eyes widened in alarm and then quickly relaxed on seeing who it was, a relieved sigh escaping her lips. Then his heart was hammering, leaving him strung up with emotions and to promptly deflate, when she suddenly shoved him off of her.

"Hayley," he called, having nearly gone through another rollercoaster of emotions until he saw her waving her hand frantically at him before stumbling over to the rose bushes hedged around the store and promptly puking her guts out. He rushed over to the convenience store just opposite to get a bottle of water and packet of medicine.

"Thought you left," she murmured glumly, accepting the bottle and uncorking it so she could give her mouth a good rinse. She handed it back to him before fumbling with her heels and collapsing to the ground, enjoying the cool breeze for the briefest of moments before cold actually started to set in.

"I wouldn't," he reassured, slipping off his jacket so he could slip it on her and then crouching in front of her once he'd buttoned it up for. "Get on, I'll take you back home."

"Why'd you come back?" she mumbled once she was properly balanced, cheek pressed against his light dress shirt and legs crossed around his torso, the sight of her flawless creamy skin doing nothing for his senses.

"Was worried," he said. "It's not safe."

Hayley grunted something in reply and he only smiled softly as he continued the brisk walk. They could always talk about this later since it wasn't really likely she'd remember much of a conversation with how out of it she was. Luckily, both she and Gabe lived close enough that it was just a short walk.

He patted through her purse to retrieve her keys, letting himself in and then taking her up to her bedroom. "Do you still want to throw up?" he asked when she jerked awake as soon as he gently lay her on the bed, hand coming to fist in the front of his shirt. At the slight shake of her head and the dazed look in her eyes that only made his heart soften into one mushy mess, he continued his interrogation, "more water?"

She nodded slightly, taking urgent gulps and then rubbing her chest with an annoyed expression. "Too tight," she murmured when he asked what was wrong, dropping her head to his shoulder and nuzzling him with her cheek.

Nigel pursed his lips, throat rolling with the reality of the temptation in front of him. Quietly, he slipped his hand to her back so he was tugging on the lace corsette and freeing her upper body of its confines, keeping as little contact with her bare skin as he could. For his own sake. She nuzzled into his shoulder again and made no objection when he laid her back down on her bed.

He moved to retrieve a pair of PJ bottoms from her wardrobe before coming back to the bed. She just lay there serenely, his jacket wrapping her up and leaving her looking all snug, easily coming down to her thighs.

His gaze lighted on the hem of her leather skirt which he could barely see with its disappearing act into his jacket ever now and then. In the end, he didn't trust himself to smoothly change her into the PJs and kept it aside, merely bundling her in her thick blanket so she could at least ward the cold off somewhat.

He waited until she was fully asleep before going to bring a bucket out to her side, placing the pack of medicine on her side table and then taking his leave. He locked her door before sliding the key underneath it and then starting his own journey home.

Home? Was that where he'd grown up in but was only a structure and lacking any other thing that made up a home? Or was that Alfie's?

In the end, he squatted on the pavement, back against a wall a few streets away from Hayley's as he pondered what to do. Giving in to the niggling voice at the back of his head, he called the first person he was positive wouldn't waste any time coming to get him.

"Hello?" It didn't waste any time connecting and Nigel almost regretted his decision at the sound of his hoarse, definitely troubled voice.

"Saxon."

"Nic?" he called. A pause. It was almost two in the morning so he understood him sounding befuddled. "There something? Can it please wait till morning?"

Nigel paused, hesitating. He'd spent his life learning to read people since he was always walking on eggshells around his parents, having to recognize their moods and attitudes so he didn't offend people he cared about when it wasn't even his intention. This tone was one he recognized the easiest. The one that said they really, really couldn't be bothered to deal with him right then.

And he got that. He could be a handful sometimes. But understanding didn't help his already crippled sense of security.

"Not really," he mumbled, hating how strange his voice sounded even to his own ears and coming to understand with every passing moment that he shouldn't even have made the call. "Could you come get me?"

Silence. But it comforted him. That was because he knew Saxon was refraining from saying whatever was actually on his mind and sure to leave them both sour in the end.

"Sure," he finally said and Nigel collapsed with relief, relaxing into the wall when he heard the sound of him shuffling around his room. "Where are you?"

"I-" he glanced up briefly at the sign a few meters away from him but knew even without trying to reel in his focus that it was a lost cause. He could hardly see his hands in front of him. "I'm not really sure."

Saxon cursed under his breath. "Okay. Fine," he said. "Just turn on your location."

The call cut and Nigel knew he just didn't want to end up saying something he'd end up regretting. The thought warmed him and he did as he asked. He'd briefly entertained the thought of finding his way back to Gabe's for his bike since he'd been the one to take he and Aries over but only saw that ending one way.

With a broken neck.

"Nic." He glanced over, an easy grin softening his features as he glimpsed Saxon making his way over. He only had a simple overcoat thrown haphazardly over his pajamas, the dark circles under his eyes leaving his face quite tired. "Are you drunk drunk or just drunk?"

"Drunk drunk drunk." He couldn't help a shrug at Saxon's tight-lipped expression. "It was only one or two. But I guess the content was high off the charts."

Saxon grimaced but helped him to his feet, stumbling when Nigel leaned into him, relaxing the near entirety of his weight on him.

"Sorry," Nigel mumbled.

Saxon didn't respond, sure there were the chances he wouldn't even be able to understand a word of reprimand in this state. He quietly helped him in shotgun before slowly driving off.

Nigel frowned when they finally got home, the glaring light and then the soft voices coming from inside the living room making something click even in his foggy state. "You said they went on a trip," he said.

"I'm sure they had," Saxon responded with a frown. "Just wait here a second. I'll see what's going on."

Nigel just wanted to bolt but upon surmising he wouldn't get very far before collapsing, decided to just stay put. "Did they cancel their trip?" he asked once he'd returned. He didn't really care. He'd immediately flee if they actually had.

"No," Saxon didn't elaborate much. "They'll leave tomorrow. Come on, we'd go in through the back."

Nigel just counted on his support, not even minding when he helped him into bed and he was sinking into foam so soft he had no doubt that it wasn't his. "Thanks for coming to get me," he said when Saxon came to join him, tugging the covers over them and promptly let his boozed mind pull him under.

"I'm just glad you're back, Nic." Saxon felt his lip curl at the sight of him already knocked out cold, knowing that he'd be back to normal by the next morning. Thick walls would be back up in full defense and if he wasn't running for the hills, then they were ignoring each other. Or well, he was.

He blanked out as he stared at the ceiling in a daze, knowing sleep wouldn't find him so easily. Insomnia was the bitch he'd had to deal with and when the call had woke him up after only finding sleep for barely half an hour, he'd just wanted to ignore it and try to go back to sleep. But that was pushing it. He hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in days because he was always worrying about them.

Worrying about his twin, his parents and worrying about what could make things revert back to normal. Well, at least, semi-normal. There was nothing okay about this family but they'd always just danced around the topic to prevent things from tipping over the edge and preventing things from blowing up.

Then something had happened. Something he wasn't privy to.

And now nothing was ever going to be the same again.