Perri paused, grey eyes watching from his position by the doorway. He wasn't angry enough to go any closer. He did value his skin over any advantage he may have if he physically awoke her.

And he could simply throw something at her. Soft, of course and hardly becoming…

But worth the argument he would have with Christian later. The rest of the group were content enough to just watch him get his ass kicked by Christian again.

Yelled at in a confined space as Christian prepared dinner. Christian knew better than to have Perri –help- him.

The list of exactly who could cook out all of them was still very small. Add in who was in the apartment…

Adela's reprieve was more for their own sanity and to not lose body parts, rather than the more edible meals she could produce. Her refusal to ask for help-

'Don't even have a pillow in your hand,' cut in a voice from behind him.

Perri shivered.

Still had enough of an effect on him, even with just the simple tone of his voice. Something he'd never have admitted years before, but the blasted old saying…

Perri's lips twitched.

Unfortunately true.

'Unless you're willing to sacrifice your pristine skin?' added the voice, the wood creaking underneath his feet as he stepped closer to Perri.

Perri's body responded again.

Another shiver. Another reason for the hint of amusement in the other boy's voice.

Another little prick of anger for Perri at being the one forced to wake up Susieve. He'd been looking forward to this one afternoon off-!

Yet Ric's inability to rein in his childish streak of having to argue with everybody-!

'Seems like you are,' said the voice, giving Perri a push as they moved around him.

But then gave Perri his needed space. Stood a foot away by Perri's side (still within touching distance unfortunately) but at least…wasn't right there.

Did not need Chrys (who had slammed the door when he had arrived several hours before) to be given an excuse. He should have remained in the bedroom, rather than venture out when Perri had slipped up to the second floor.

Perri hadn't wanted to catch Chrys' attention.

'If you wish to volunteer?' hissed Perri, turning his head to gaze at the dark haired boy next to him.

Or, man Perri guessed now. The years had passed, no matter what any of them have wished and now…

Now they were all supposedly adults.

Perri's lips curled as the green eyes of Chrys met his through long bangs.

'Heartily volunteer your skin,' replied Chrys.

Perri snorted softly.

'Not yours to volunteer,' he said.

Damn smirk. One that Chrys used to be unable to pass off (looked more as if he was either constipated or else a five year old trying to act) but too much practice…

And actual reasons to use it…

'Not what you said last night,' murmured Chrys, narrowing his eyes as he cocked his head.

'Only an asshole uses that against someone,' replied Perri.

Chrys' eyes lightened as he laughed.

'What else would you expect from someone like me?' he said.

Golden Boy who was viewed like a God, treated as a child, expected to be a Hero and then…

'Adel won't be pleased that she isn't an influence anymore,' said Perri.

'Hardly think her influence wouldn't make me one even more,' said Chrys.

Perri glared at him.

'She should have punched you back then,' said Perri. 'Insufferible little git-'

Chrys' laughter broke through Perri's tirade, bouncing off the wall as it resonated through the apartment, and undoubtedly through the thin walls into all the other living spaces contained in this building.

'Just wake her up!' screamed up the voice of Christian, accompanied by a bang as he threw something at the kitchen wall.

Wouldn't dare interrupt Adela's studying any further by having it fly past her.

'Stop flipping fooling around!' added Christian.

Shaking his head, Chrys' chuckled trailed off as he reached over and poked Perri.

Perri growled.

'Don't touch me!' Perri hissed.

'You deserved to be punched,' interrupted Chrys, with another smirk. 'And there's been countless times that Adel's shown me the –light-.'

Chrys made inverted commas with his fingers at the last word.

Adela's version of proving a point had only ever been hinted at back in their Third Year. Now that she'd dropped the pretence of being consumed by rules…

She only followed her own rules now.

'Not often enough,' said Perri.

'Oh for fuck sake,' whistled through the strained voice of the figure in the bottom bunk (undoubtedly through clenched teeth), 'what the two of you do at night is not fit for anyone else's ears! So shut up!'

Chrys snorted.

'Got you to admit you're awake,' he said, glancing down at her.

'Not,' replied the girl.

Chrys raised an eyebrow.

'You're speaking,' he said.

The blankets shifted, one pale hand visible for a moment as the cloth was pulled further over her head.

'At Perri's expense,' she muttered.

Since when had that ever concerned Chrys? Any means necessary…even used all those years ago when Chrys was supposed-

'Get up Sus,' cut in Chrys. 'Dinner is nearly ready.'

'Ric's not home,' said the girl.

'He'll be home soon,' said Chrys. 'Up!'

More movement from the bed. What could almost pass as a shrug and then…

'Fuck off!' growled the girl.

Chrys strode to the bunk beds, leaning down as he grabbed the blankets tucked tightly underneath the legs of Susieve and pulled. Bare legs exposed and suddenly…

Successful kick on Chrys' knee.

Chrys hissed.

A sharp slap on the aggressor's legs. Chrys blocking the next lashing of the legs with his elbow (bit back groan when she connected), grabbing her leg as she retracted it with her own squeak of pain and then…pulled.

Half of Susieve's body tumbled out of bed, dragging her covers with it.

'Chrys!' shrieked Susieve, her voice breaking. 'You fucker!'

'Up, Sus!' snarled Chrys, stepping back as she landed hard onto the floor.

Dodging another kick, Chrys took hold of Susieve's other leg as he braced himself before lifting her lower body up. She squirmed in his grasp, pounding the floor with her fists as she continued to try and hit him.

'Some help, please!' snapped Chrys, twisting his head to glare at Perri.

Perri rolled his grey eyes as he snorted.

'Complete over-kill,' Perri answered. 'You don't need me.'

'I need you to-!' said Chrys as he jerked his arm to block yet another attempt of Susieve to hurt him.

'What the fuck are both of your problems!' yelled Christian as he stormed past Perri, shoving Perri as he did so, and slapped Chrys on the back of the head. Chrys' jerk in reaction gave Susieve the needed chance to pull one of her legs free and she rebounded it on the ground to slam her foot back into Chrys' shin.

'What's yours?' roared Chrys, doing a little dance on one foot as he avoided her next round.

'All I asked was for Sus to be woken up!' said Christian. 'Not dragged out of bed and attacked!'

'Not all of us just have to ask her nicely!' said Chrys.

'Highly doubt you even tried!' said Christian.

Eyes flaring and breath whistling, Chrys swore under his breath before raising the one remaining Susieve's leg he held up higher, and then threw it on the floor. Susieve let out yet another shriek of pain before scooting away until her back was up against the bottom bunk bed.

'Take over for Adel, Chrys!' snapped Christian. 'Prove you can be useful at something!'

Chrys jutted out his chin, snarling out another curse as he stomped off, slamming the bedroom door behind him.

And then Christian was glaring at Perri.

'You were the one who was supposed to be waking her,' Christian said as the heavy foot falls of Chrys' feet thumped the entire apartment.

'I was,' said Perri.

Might have still been contemplating but anything concerning Susieve…always did.

'And couldn't do it without involving Chrys?' said Christian. 'After his day-'

'He came in here looking for another fight,' said Perri.

'And so you decided to just exchange witty rebate until Chrys lost his temper?' said Christian.

'Why the fuck would I want to be anywhere near Chrys when he's like this?' said Perri.

'Then why the fuck would you let Chrys near Sus?' snapped Christian.

Growling under his breath, Christian ran his fingers through his tangled hair as he bit his bottom lip. His head dipped, attention fixed on the floor before he raised it again to stare at Perri.

'Get downstairs,' Christian said. 'Stay away from the kitchen and from Adel. She's in her own little snit because of her studying being interrupted because I had to deal with the two of you's temper tantrum.'

Susieve's own little Guardian Angel, complete with his own unwanted past. But who could sympathise more with Susieve than someone else who had…?

But fuck it.

Leave it to Christian to sink back into what he couldn't have.

Turning on his heel, Perri threw the door back open. Didn't storm. He never would throw such a childish strop because bloody Christian was trying to order him around.

No one told him what to do.

He was still…

Half-way down the stairs and Perri… He might have to re-term it all. Even with Adela's over-sensitive hearing, especially when she was doing something she considered important, the glare he was on the receiving end of…

Reminded him that even with his best attempts, he couldn't hide it. Not all of it. Still too many ways for it to slip out and…

Perri's step slowed and softened. The stairs creaked in a more monotone tone as he carried on, earning him the slightest of nods from Adela, before she returned her attention on the enormous textbook on her lap.

On the dry and boring subject the book managed to turn everything into, even… Wasn't it the French Revolution? Adela had murmured something about borrowing a book from the local library a few days before, to help with one of her classes.

The one she had chosen, she had assured Ric, was much more capable of explaining than the textbook the professor had insisted upon.

Sometimes, Perri wished he had decided to follow her route. Returned to school to-

'Chrys!' hissed Adela, her shoulders hunched as her thing fingers gripped the edges of the textbook so tightly that her knuckles turned white. 'One more huff and not only will I be taking over dinner, but I'm kicking you out of the apartment and you can get food from somewhere else!'

Perri had barely heard the slight huff from the kitchen. But for Adela…it had been enough.

Still didn't explain-

'If you weren't at the library-' snapped back Chrys' voice.

'You'd still have to be taking care of it!' interrupted Adela. 'I'm not the reason you're stuck in the kitchen!'

'Certainly not helping matters!'

'Chrys! How many times do I have to tell you that you need to find an outlet for all that anger? Your boss is an asshole! Congrats! Quite a few of my teachers are too! So figure out a way to deal with it!'

'What I want to do is-!'

'Is not legal, Chrys! Something else!'

A round of curses (French this time) from the kitchen as something was smashed against another hard surface.

Perri quirked an eyebrow.

Better not be any of the crockery. Susieve and Adela were complete –girls- when it came to the few breakable items within their apartment.

Even if such things rarely survived any of their…day to day lives. There was a reason behind the rest of them insisting on tin plates and cups.

But those two wanted something nice within their possessions.

'How about I drive you to the library? You can study there and I can find ways to dismantle all the clocks in the building?' growled Chrys.

A snort from Adela.

'And why would I want to go there? No one knows the meaning of silence in a library. Might as well try to study in a tube station in the middle of rush hour!' she hissed.

'Then since you can't achieve the silence you need,' cut in the voice of Christian, 'why don't you take a break? After dinner we'll all be too full to make too much noise. You can study then.'

Voice of reason.

Of some sort.

Perri leaned against the arm of the chair, sitting half on, half off as he watched Christian at the mid ledge of the stairs. Tucked underneath Christian's arm, her body latched to his side, he slowly helped Susieve down the last few steps.

Susieve's eyes were barely open. Only a small glimpse of her grey-blue eyes underneath thick eyelashes. Hunched over, she looked even smaller than she was, already towered over by the rest of the group.

And once again…lost.

What the Hell had her dreams been about last night?