Nick didn't even bother to raise his head when he heard the door to his room creak open, already figuring he knew who it was. "Alicia," he sighed, "I told you, there's nothing more I can say. I don't want to be bothered, I just want to sleep." The silhouette shifted as if they were suddenly uncomfortable but made no move to leave. "Alicia!" he started, jerking himself up and around, "I told you-" he stopped short. It wasn't Alicia. Standing there wrapped in his little zip-up jacket and khaki pants was his step-brother, Chris.
"I couldn't, I mean, I don't wanna sleep in the same bed as my, uh, y'know, my mom," he stuttered, scratching the back of his head. His entire body was wracked with shivers, horribly reminiscent of the post-drug seizures Nick was now plagued with, weaning himself off of his drug addiction. "I just, I want to-"
"Shut-up," Nick snapped, falling onto the bed, this time on his back. Chris nodded jerkily, moving to leave. "I didn't say you had to go." Chris' hand stilled at the doorknob as he watched Nick lift his arm up, a silent invitation. Chris didn't think twice, kicking off his shoes, laying his zip-up over the shoes, shimmying himself under the covers against Nick. Silence overtook the room, only the soft breaths of each boy was audible.
"This isn't weird, right?" Chris asked, twisting himself onto his side so he could face Nick. Said boy groaned and ran his other hand through his greasy, still unwashed hair.
"Not unless you make it weird," he retorted, flicking Chris on the forehead, the Manawa boy rubbing it and grumbling towards Nick, "so shut the hell up and go to sleep." Taking the hint, Chris quickly fell into a restless sleep, little shivers still contracting his body every thirty seconds or so. This situation was familiar in more way than one.
Alicia crept into the room, silent and stealthy as a little thief. But Nick was a better and sneakier thief than she and noticed her presence near immediately. "What, Alicia?" he grumbled, rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes.
"I can't sleep alone, I had a nightmare," she whispered, and Nick was only able to hear her because of the already suffocating silence in his room.
"Quit being a baby and go sleep with mom," he growled, turning back over to fall back asleep. But she didn't leave, always so stubborn his sister. Her footsteps were uneven, unsure, but they kept moving forward. Then she was standing over his bed, chest heaving up and down in sharp puffs, having obviously been crying. "Get in."
She didn't have to be asked twice, diving into the bed and clinging onto Nick, bodies suddenly overtaken with hiccupping sobs. "I want dad," she cried, "I want dad to come home, why isn't he home yet?" Nick turned over to hold her close to his chest, pressing his lips to her head.
"It's okay, I'm here. I'll always be here."
Nick had found his arms snaked around Chris, holding him close to his chest. The younger boys breathing had evened out some, body still shaking in what Nick could only assume was fear. With a few starts and stops, Nick pressed his lips to Chris' head. Now he had a little brother as well as a little sister, he supposed, fuck Travis, but he needs me, more than he likely needs an absent father. Who needs a junkie for an older brother though? Alicia made it very clear that no one did. When he pulled away, his own eyelids began to droop. "It's okay," he whispered against Chris' hair, "I'm here for you now." Chris' breathing hitched, then evened out, the shivers becoming sparse. Neither would speak of it in the morning.
