Room 323 [Saturday, Morning]

[comeoutwrong]

One of those benefits of being roommate-less, always gonna be there was no one to kick out when it came to the end of the night and, as planned, she didn't leave alone.

And still wasn't alone. Lying up against someone else, face turned into their chest, wasn't a bad way to wake up after all that. Enough so, that unless someone gave her a very good reason, she wouldn't be moving in any way other than a subtle shift closer.

It was not cuddling, no.

[[for that one that's there already, and a weetiny!]]

Comments

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I was the -- " He trailed off again, shaking his head and reaching backwards for the cigarettes he'd left on the table beside her bed so he could get started on that smoking.

The kid was far enough away to not get hit with the secondhand smoke, he decided. So, he lit one, took a few puffs and offered it to her. Figured she could use it too maybe even more than him.

"I didn't have a family," he finally said, lying smoothly. "You've got one up on me. Should be the expert on this, Effy."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"You have a family," Effy argued. She'd met his mum. Not wanting to think about it all that often didn't mean it didn't exist.

"And looking after my brother does not count as experience." He was eighteen when she had to do all that, not eight.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"My mother's a headcase, my father's a miserable sack of shit," he said, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. "No one took care of me. You have no idea. That's not a family."

Alex glanced over at the kid burrowing his way into her closet and let out a breath.

"Want me to take him downstairs or something?" he offered, keeping his whole experience under wraps. Probably more qualified than her, even. "I can figure out something for him to do."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy huffed a little amusement of her own along with a stream of smoke, slowly putting a little of that shell-shocked initial reaction behind her.

"Think you can handle our combined genes?"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Not like there's much of a choice, is there?" he asked, shrugging and getting off the bed to collect the rest of his clothes up before trying to pull Joshua out of the closet.

"Just come find me at some point today or tomorrow," he said, eyes on the kid and not her. "I'll deal with it."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy nodded, only a little hesitantly, adding a, "Right. I will," promise when she remembered that since he wasn't looking that gesture alone wouldn't tell him much.

He was being... surprisingly accepting of this, really. All things considered.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

The quicker he accepted it, the quicker he could forget a few things that were starting to eat at him again. It was unhealthy logic but it was his. Now that he'd gotten Joshua up and moving, he gave her a brief wave before following him out the door.

"Enjoy the quiet," he said as he passed her. Joshua yelled his own version of goodbye before they were out of earshot.