A big problem with Cassie Hack was that he could rarely tell if she was being sarcastic or not, because when she said she was sleeping in his room because the movie she had forced him to watch with her reminded her too much of her real life, he hadn't taken seriously, but of course, around one o'clock in the morning, she was knocking on his door and letting herself in before he could even tell her to go away.

He groaned and turned his back to her. "Go back to your own room, Cassie," he said.

"Relax!" she said quietly, crossing the room. "I'm just gonna go sleep at the desk; go back to sleep."

"That film was idiotic and there's no reason for you to still be thinking about it," said Herbert, turning over and doing his best to ignore her as she sat down on the creaky wooden chair. "Go back to your own room."

"Nope, can't," said Cassie, folding her arms and putting her head down. "Too many weird dreams."

"Not my fault and certainly not my problem," said Herbert. "Out."

"Tch, the more time you spend bitching, the less time you spend sleeping," said Cassie. "Just ignore me – you do it all the time during the day, why should this be any different?"

"Cassie, I don't like having people in my room," he said firmly, sitting up. "So, if you please!"

She picked her head up and gave him that customary look that came along with an inquisition. "Why?" she asked. "Afraid I'm gonna find something you don't want me to?"

"Precisely somewhere along those lines," said Herbert. "Now get out."

Cassie laughed. "What the hell does that mean?" she asked. "First of all, with maybe the exception of Dan, there's not a lot I don't know about you already, at least where all the weird stuff is concerned. Second of all, I'm pretty weird too, so I can't exactly pass judgment over anything weird about you I ever find out, and third of all, stop being so goddamn paranoid. You're like a little rabid squirrel or something for crissakes– just shut up and go back to sleep!"

He sighed irritably. "Do I have to physically make you get out?" he asked.

"Oh, I'd love to see that," said Cassie, smiling, turning in the chair and leaning closer to the edge of the bed.

"Would you?" he asked irritably.

"Yeah," said Cassie. "Considering you can't even see me in this light without your glasses."

"That can change," he said, reaching back to the nightstand, wondering why he was having such a hard time finding them.

"No, it can't," Cassie said quickly, holding them up. "It turns out I'm pretty good at stealing things, too."

She laughed before he could say anything, handing them back to him. "You seriously didn't notice me take them when I came in?" she asked. "I almost tripped over the rug when I came by."

"No," he said, yanking them away from her and sliding them on. "I didn't realize I needed to be so vigilant in my own home."

"Never hurts to be too careful," said Cassie, leaning back in the chair. "Unless of course, you're you, which means you're entirely too careful about everything all the time. You better watch out – stomach cancer is looking for you in your old age."

"You're one to talk," said Herbert. "I've treated your injuries before. With as many contusions as you suffer, you'll be developing cancer sooner than I will. Now go back to your own room and your own bed – there's no experiments running about at this hour and doing what you do in your infinite spare time, I'm surprised you're even bothering me about such a thing. Please…"

"Anyone ever tell you you're extremely verbose?" Cassie asked. "And I'm not leaving. Part of the reason you're bitchier than usual is because you've been lonely since Dan left. So unless you get up and physically move me from this chair like you said you would, I suggest you just go back to sleep, Dr. West."

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, with Cassie silently daring him to try and move her. Finally, she just got up and sat down on the side of the bed.

"Scoot over," she said, roughly shoving him onto his back. "I knew you wouldn't do anything."

"Lay down and see what happens," he replied as she casually climbed under the sheet and laid down with her back to him.

"What's gonna happen?" Cassie asked skeptically. "You liiiike me."

"I dare you to find evidence to prove your theory," he replied.

"Careful what you ask for, Doc," she said slyly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped, scrambling away from her and off the bed, standing up as if something had just burnt him.

"Jesus, calm down!" she said, sitting up. "I was only teasing you! What do you think I'm gonna do, molest you?"

"I think you should go," said Herbert.

"God, you're so weird!" said Cassie, standing up as well. "We've slept on the couch together before, what makes this so different?"

"It just is," he snapped quickly.

"How?" Cassie asked.

"Well, for one thing, I wasn't in my right mind at the time thanks to the medication I was on, but now I am and I…"

"You know what?" Cassie asked, coming around to his side of the bed. "Shut the fuck up."

She didn't waste any time – she put both hands firmly on his shoulders and pushed him backwards into the closet door. Her kiss was angry this time, and shoving her away after she bit his lower lip only seemed to anger her further. "What?" she asked. "If we keep doing this, are you afraid I'm not gonna like you anymore or something stupid like that?"

"I don't like you," Herbert persisted as she shoved him again and put her arms around his neck.

"Oh yeah?" she asked. "Then why are you letting me do this?"

She kissed him again, digging her nails into his back so he'd open his mouth for her. He hadn't realized it before, but she tasted like all of those weird teas she liked to drink and that digging his own nails into the skin of her hip seemed like the perfect way to retaliate.

It at least got her attention. She pulled away from his mouth and smiled at him. "See?" she asked. "Not so bad, huh?"

"This never happened," he insisted.

"Whatever you say," said Cassie, before ducking her head to give his neck the same attention she'd been giving his mouth. "We gotta get this over with at some point in our lives, right?"

The next morning, it would be hard to deny. Especially since Dan still had a key to the house.