There was a bird's nest sitting in a crevice between two neighboring windows across the street. Tiny branches stuck out of the tall, sleek structure like sprouts of fluffy hair. It was unclear if the nest was protecting any eggs, but it did act as a home to a multicolored Barn Swallow. The bird settled in with a quick shake of its soft plumage before proceeding to hide from the world.

Green eyes watched in fascination as Alessandro was sitting on the floor, his back propped against the wall.

Warm rays of yellow and orange came in through multiple windows. Clouds above were a gorgeous mix of pink, purple, light gray, and orange—seeing as late afternoon had finally shifted to a beautiful golden hour.

Distant honking could be heard from unseen city streets below. If one listened close enough, they'd also be able to make out faint warbles from pigeons sitting on cable lines.

Delicate fingers traced the lines of Alessandro's palm. The gesture left behind a ticklish sensation against his somewhat damp, heated skin. Black waves dangled over his shoulder since Lance's head was resting against it.

They were both quiet.

Neither of them spoke as it felt like doing such a thing would ruin a peaceful atmosphere. Loud yells, brutal arguments, and crippling fear had finally melted away into the background. Unfortunately, echoes of the intense meeting from earlier could still be felt lingering; whispering in the walls. 

With Lance sitting so close though, remnants of a horrible encounter didn't feel as suffocating. He wasn't doing anything, but just having him there for support was more than enough in that instance.

Even with intrusive thoughts trying to force their way to the surface, screeching silence had never felt more comfortable. More necessary.

Since everyone had gone home early for the day, the rest of the building followed suit in being a noiseless establishment. Abandoned corridors made the floor feel like an undisturbed habitat—one kept away from the chaotic motions of everyday life.

Two sets of tired eyes glanced at the open glass doors when a familiar 'ding' resonated from the elevator down the hall.

Stephan walked out with a set of drinks propped up on a disposable carrying tray. One of the beverages was purple, another orange, and the last green. They all had small objects grouped together toward the bottoms of each cup. With their straws being so wide, the drinks were deduced to be some form of bubble tea.

Stephan entered the room with a simple nod in greeting. He settled on the floor next to Lance while continuing to face the window. The tray was set down in front of him.

"I stopped by the boba place a couple blocks away. Figured you guys would like something cold. I got mango, peach, and passion fruit medley for you, Lance. And I got an iced matcha green tea for you, Alessandro. I know you prefer some drinks that are a little more bitter, so I figured you'd like that."

"I do. Thanks, Steph."

Drinks were passed around and sipped from without any further attempts made at conversing. For awhile, the trio simply stared outside and watched the sky. Fingers traced random shapes into white tiling, grazes running along the dark spaces between them.

It was a much needed break from... everything else.

"What happened to her?" Alessandro asked with a quiet voice.

"Security escorted her out of the building. She and her dickhead of a boyfriend are banned from stepping foot on the premises. Cops were almost called by a few people who witnessed what happened, but I told them that it was ultimately your choice if you wanted to pursue legal action. If you do, they're all willing to give testimonies to back you up."

"...I honestly don't know if I should." He sighed, glancing down at ice cubes covered in green powder. "I know bringing her to court would be the right thing to do, but I- I don't know if I'm comfortable with even being in the same room as her again. I don't know- I need a little time to think about it."

Stephan nodded his head in understanding. He opened his mouth to say something else but ultimately backtracked. His hesitation was enough to shed light on what he was going to ask though.

"Just like before, this wasn't the first time me and another possible employee knew each other from the past," Alessandro explained. "Kassandra... was the reason Lance and I broke up in senior year. She assaulted me, and that- as well as some miscommunication- kind of led to everything fucking up."

"Did you ever get anyone else involved? Like, police or anything?"

"Now that I think about it, I don't think you've ever explained that to me either," Lance added with an inquisitive head tilt.

Despite the seriousness of the topic at hand, the motion was still cute to witness.

"My parents and older brother found out the day it happened because I was just... this huge mess after everything went down. They couldn't console me for awhile. After they did though, we phoned her parents.

"I was kind of poor growing up, so we didn't really have money for lawyers and things like that. We couldn't make it a big legal spat. I didn't really want that at the time anyway because I didn't want to be anywhere near her.  We figured the best we could do was tell her folks.

"They were appalled by what happened and gave their sincerest apologies. After that day, I never saw her again. I'm assuming her and her folks skipped town out of embarrassment or some shit.

"But the things that happened- what she put me through- everything just really fucked me up. A goddamn decade later, and I'm on medication because what she did still fucks me up. My psychiatrist advised me to never see or look for Kassandra for the sake of my mental health. Believe me, I never wanted to do either."

"I'm sorry. If I'd known she was such a sore spot for you, I never would've let her into the building."

"It's not your fault, Steph. What happened today- it's not anyone's fault but hers. She's sick in the head and needs some fucking professional help. I'm just sorry that you had to witness something like that. I know it must've been difficult."

Stephan's lips briefly parted. His eyes darted toward Lance before refocusing on their boss. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. You didn't do anything wrong. And there's no need for you to worry about me. You're the one we should be worrying about." 

Alessandro didn't really like the sound of that.

While, yes, he wasn't in the best state regarding his mentality, he was also used to pushing his emotions aside. It was easier to pretend that nothing was wrong even if everything was falling apart. Normally, he wouldn't mind putting his mask back in place to fool others into believing he was okay. 

Sitting with his best friends though—it felt wrong to even attempt slipping on the facade of Mr. Bale.

It felt wrong to lie to them.

"Andro, you know you didn't do anything bad, right..?"

"I-I know, it's just..." He pursed his lips in frustration. "I'm not used to people openly worrying about me. I'm not used to sharing my feelings like this. I'm not used to sharing my problems or any of my hardships. I know I should, but I just- it's not something I've done in a really long time."

"Why is it so difficult for you to do so?" Stephan asked.

"Because Mr. Bale doesn't falter." The confession brought about a disgusted frown from Alessandro. "He's a Yes man. A people pleaser. The one who shoulders the pressure and the burden and the pain without being asked if things are okay. Nobody asks if it's ever too much because I'm the one who's supposed to be able to handle it all. I'm the one who's supposed to just grin and bear it. I'm the one who's supposed to do every single thing that I can with a smile and a nod, regardless of how many arrows and spears are sticking out of my back. If people can't depend on me that way, what value do I have? What am I supposed to do?"

"You ask for help. Because there's nothing wrong in doing so."

Stephan spoke with such certainty, it was difficult to not believe him.

Alessandro really wanted to, but a persistent little voice in his head kept telling him to shut everyone out. To distance himself because he wasn't worth the time or trouble. Conflicting emotions must've shown on his face because he was given a gentle smile in return.

Stephan continued. "At the end of the day, you and Mr. Bale are still the same person. You're still human. You have bad days and anger. Sometimes you just need to have a good cry. And that's okay. It's okay to not be the best all the time. It's okay to break every now and again. No one expects you to be perfect, Alessandro. 

"You don't have to go through these things alone. You may not have had the option to be open in the past, but you do now. There are so many people who love and care about you. So many people who are in your corner waiting for you with a bandage and a towel. There are so many people who genuinely want to be there for you. Don't push us away. You need help, and we want to give it to you. So, please, let us. And do yourself a favor by being selfish and taking the things you want. The things you need."

Take things for himself? The way Lance had said to all along? Was that... really okay?

"I can practically hear the gears shifting in your head, so let me chime in." Lance offered a lighthearted shoulder bump. "It's okay if Mr. Perfect doesn't exist. It's okay if you make mistakes and slip up sometimes. Because whether or not you realize it, we're always going to be here for you. All you need to do is take things one step at a time. And if you trip, we'll be there to pick you right back up."

Alessandro felt his eyes water. Warmth pooled in the center of his chest and in his stomach. 

Aside from the Bale family and Dr. Hall, no one else had ever told him that before. No one else had ever shown him such an honest and blatant display of concern for his well being. Hearing statements like that from his family and psychiatrist was different because it felt like, given their positions, they were supposed to say things like that. They were supposed to have his back and say that it was all going to be okay.

Lance and Stephan didn't owe Alessandro anything. They weren't expected to worry about him. They weren't expected to genuinely care about him.

But they did.

And in light of what happened earlier with Kassandra, their words felt even more truthful.

Alessandro had been seen in one of his darkest moments. Rather than ostracize him for it, they told him to reach out for help.

Maybe it was time he finally did.

"...I've been fighting on my own for so long. I've been so tired."

Tears began to fall once again. This time, burning sobs weren't stifled. Neither was a tsunami of jumbled feelings.

Each trembling hand was grabbed by a different person. They squeezed as a nonverbal gesture to show that, yes, they were there; and it was more than okay to depend on them.

"My mask has been breaking for a long time. I did my best to hold it all together. To ignore the cracks forming in a perfect ruse. But now you're telling me I can break free. That I can just... be me." Alessandro's voice wavered. "And I want to- I want to so badly. I just- I don't know how to take down my guards because they've been there for so long. I feel like a boarded up house, and everything inside is covered in a thick layer of dust. The nails keeping all of the planks up have been hammered in so tightly. I don't know how to take them down."

"It's easy." Lance kissed the hand in his grasp. "You pass us the crowbar, and you give us a chance to take down each plank one by one. Before you know it, all of your windows and doors will be open again. And you'll finally be able to take in some fresh air."

"What happens after that?"

Stephan caressed the other hand. "Your wounds can finally begin to heal. And you'll be given a chance to flourish again."

Alessandro was pulled into a tight hug. Strong arms wrapped around either side of his waist.

They made him sob harder.

He knew things weren't just going to mend themselves simply because he was finally opening up about his struggles. But he could admit that it was time for Mr. Bale to be put to rest, and for Alessandro to live.