Authors notes: this story has been written by both IllKeepdancing and Nicoforever97 and is a collaborative story. It will be published on both authors pages (eventually) and updated when 2 chapters have been written (one by each author)

Disclaimer we don't own the characters

Chapter three

It's late when Nico finally gets home, the tube taking later than he'd originally thought. He takes the stairs up to his apartment, forgoing the lift that's been broken since he got here. He knows what's waiting for him as soon as he gets in, and even though his sister is merely a year younger than him, they are worlds apart in maturity.

Hazel Levesque is his half-sister, and he does love her dearly. But it's never been about them. It's always her, and then him. She gets first priority. When his older sister Bianca died, he'd stepped into the provider role, he took a year out of school to attempt to put their lives back together. When it became clear he wouldn't be able to hold down a job, he discovered the club. He began working there almost 4 years ago. The authorities hadn't cared much when his sister died, she'd been part of a cult and that had disgusted them beyond release.

'It had been suicide,' the police officer had informed the smaller than normal fourteen year-old. His gaze had been detached, his voice monotone as he didn't even attempt to comfort the children standing in front of him. Nico could remember the disgust rolling of him in waves, he'd wanted to fall to his knees and sob and hit the ground and-and/and-

He didn't do any of that. He'd stayed dry-eyed and shaking with anger. Holding Hazel in his arms and rocking. Because he's always taking care of someone, always needing to take care of someone, make sure they're okay, that they get to bed on time, that they have something to eat even if it means going to be hungry himself.

He can't remember the last time someone did anything like that for him. He wants to be cuddled. He wants to feel safe and warm. He wants someone to tuck him in and just do something to make him feel loved. And not the 'oh god, you're so tight! I love you!' he gets almost every night at the club. If he's honest, Nico just wants a hug.

The police officer told them to expect a social worker to come about and sort them out, no one had arrived. They'd survived that first year on the jobs Nico had been able to keep for a while and Bianca's mediocre life-insurance. It had been horrible, Nico had mostly been attempting to keep them a small room in the lotus hotel with mostly bread and milk to feed them. But then Nico started working at the club and life had gotten better, they'd moved to this flat, ate better food, had new things. Hazel had gotten anything she wanted, anything to keep her happy and he'd buy it. He'd been a hit right from the start. Everyone wanted to fuck the brooding, troubled emo boy.

Nico snorted as he unlocked the door, those four words pretty much summed him up.

It's nearing one o'clock as he finally gets in, toeing off his well-worn sneakers in the flat that's mostly packed up, they're moving again, in two days time on Saturday. To a nicer place with two bedrooms so he'll stop having to sleep on the couch and finally get his own room. He knows Hazel will be up, talking about him on the phone to her boyfriend Frank. Hazel, she loves him. She does, honestly. Somewhere deep in the pit of her black heart, she loves her brother. She just doesn't understand him.

They don't get on. When they were younger, Hazel didn't understand why she couldn't have new shoes, or go to that new cinema down the road. Why did they live in such a dump? Why did Nico have to work? Why did Bianca die? Why this, why that. Eventually Nico just gave up explaining and they grew apart. She doesn't know what he does, it's better that way. She'd be even more disgusted with him.

"Where've you been!?" She demands, almost as soon as he steps into the kitchen. Nico flinches as he pulls as glass from the cupboard and turns on the water. She's in a bad mood, which isn't good for the pair of them. They have school in the morning, their in the same year, Hazel's the popular girl. With her bright shoes and her handbags, nobody associates her with the lanky, stupid boy that was kept back a year.

"Working." He replies, deflecting her question with a shrug, he takes a gulp of water, "Shouldn't you be asleep by now? You've school in the morning." She knows why she wasn't asleep, she's terrified of being by herself. Nico understands, he really does and he wishes it didn't have to be that way. But it does, and she needs to grow up a little bit and get the fuck over it. Nico's grown up in ways she can't even imagine, the least she can do is to go to sleep when she's told.

Hazel doesn't even phase herself, "I had to make sure you got home. You're so weak you could probably get raped in a ditch somewhere." Nico fights a bitter smile from forming on his face, oh Hazel really doesn't know how close to the truth she really is. 'Godly's better than a ditch', he doesn't say that though. He never tells her. She wouldn't be able to handle it.

"My heart bleeds for you." He says dryly instead, placing his glass on the draining board and turning to face her, he weakens slightly at the look of her, she's pale and shaking. Although he knows it was more for her sake than his own. "Just go to bed Hazel." He sighs tiredly, rubbing a hand across his eyes. He's tired and sore and he really just wants to sleep thanks very much.

"Where were you?" She repeats, folding her arms and glaring at him. Nico shakes his head, she really doesn't get it. If she did, she'd be on he é knees and sobbing. They'd probably both be able to manage with normal jobs if Hazel worked too, but she refuses point blank and so Nico sells himself to,pay for her goddamn things.

"Just go the fuck to bed Hazel!" He snaps back firmly, for once just growing a pair and telling her what to do. He's sick of being bullied by his younger sister, the Italian gets enough of it at work, he doesn't need it at home too.

"Why don't I know where you work?" Hazel asks again, glaring at him, and Nico just looks at her. Let's her see him all laid out and vulnerable. It's warm in the flat but she shivers. Yeah, he has that effect on most people.

"Because if I told you, I'd have to kill you." He tries for light-heartiness but it just sounds exasperated. He runs a hand through his hair and slips past her into the living room, "G'night Hazel."

When he wakes up light is barely filtering through the partially closed window, his spine aches from sleeping on the sofa but he doesn't let the pain stop him when the Italian sits up, groaning. The pain from yesterday night's activities is worse from usual, his regular had been in a bad mood last night and had taken his anger out on him, his wrists throb were he held them and other parts of him hurt for being too rough.

Nico ignores it though, he's always ignored it.

Standing up, he stretches and glances at the clock, it's half seven and Hazel needs to be up if she wants to be on time for school. He's not going today, he'll stay at home and pack up what's left to be packed. The lanky teen also has to go sign the lease on the new flat. He'll wait for Hazel at the gates when she comes out, she'll yell at him for it. Then on the way home, he'll get them food from some take-away and they'll eat it. Around seven, he'll head to work.

Sighing, he bangs on Hazel's door and yells for her to get up.

Just like every morning.

Finishing note: This chapter was written by IllKeepdancing.