Norma wants to knock on the wooden door of room four but thinks better of it. She had promised Alex that she would be back to check on him after making dinner; dinner wasn't close to being done, but since she had time to spare, she chose to check on him instead.

A smile emerges as soon as she sees that he is sleeping. He is still in the same position that she left him in; right after he called her beautiful. Closing the door after her, with that same grin coated on her face, she marches her way to him. He looks so serene. Not as troubled as to when he's awake and half the time, sullen. He doesn't seem so stoic when he's in profound slumber.

Norma tucks a curl behind her ear, examining him casually and very discreetly. There is something distinctive about this man, and she wants to figure out exactly what. Perhaps the similarities between them are what attracts her more. They are so different and yet, remarkably similar in a lot of ways.

But he trusts her. He trusts her enough to call her and unashamedly ask for her help. He trusts her sufficient to tell her about his mom. He thinks of Norma when he is not his full self; Norma Bates is always in his mind, and that was something that she couldn't neglect.

Norma grins while still scrutinizing him. She feels important. It's been a long time since she's perceived something so pure; so personal. As much as she tries to deny it, she can't dismiss the chemistry between them. She thinks back on the way he held her hand an hour ago. How he tugged her closer to him—what that moment represented.

She ventured to move imminent to him; to inhale his masculine scent. A weird mix of alcohol and aftershave. It was something powerful yet essential. A smell that, in other circumstances, was meant to be unwelcomed. Is such a delicacy to her because the man passed out in front of her, unmistakably drunk, is Alex and not Sam.

Alex stirs a bit, and Norma catches her breath. She thinks he can perceive her proximity, perhaps her perfume or the way her heart was pounding aggressively against her chest. It feels ominous and intimate to be here with him, alone in that room, secluded from the rest of the world.

But it also feels ideal; exactly where she craves to be right now. Alex grumbles something under his breath, something Norma can't quite comprehend. She sits on the very edge of the bed, the same place she sat an hour ago while he emptied his heart out and for the very first time, after all these years, talked to her about the most important person in his life—his mom.

He stirs a bit more, and she smiles again, halting both of her palms flattened on the bed. Alex senses her movements and opens his eyes gradually, discovering her gazing back at him thoughtfully.

"Hi," his voice melodious and almost subtle.

Norma beams. "How are you feeling?"

"Are you supposed to be revolving around the room?"

Norma chuckles. "No."

"Then I'm extremely dizzy," he says coolly. "You're all over the place."

"Let me go get you some water."

"I don't want any," he protests with no shame. "I'll throw up."

Norma stops dead in her tracks, gazing back at him through her eyelashes, giving him a knowing look. He rolls his eyes, recognizing more than anyone what that expression meant. He thought he saw a faint smirk forming on her lips before she disappeared into the restroom, but he was too dazed to discern.

Norma walks back into the room holding a glass filled with tap water, including two washcloths and a towel.

Alex looks at her, and she articulates. "In case you throw up."

"I'm not going to throw up, Norma."

She lifts her eyebrows. "You just said that you'd throw up if you drink water."

He leans his head back and groans in displeasure. He feels sick, and he hates it. He was sure that the pain he tried to anesthetize a few hours ago was more significant than the consequences of the alcohol in his system.

"Fine."

"Here," she sets aside the set of towels and places the glass of water right next to the clock on the bedside table. "Sit up."

Alex stretches his right arm for her to grasp. He needs assistance due to his left arm being utterly ineffective just now, limiting him from executing this mild task, hating that he needed her help just for that as well.

"Stop being a big baby," Norma buzzed when he lamented about feeling dizzy and in pain. "You're going to make it out alive."

Once he was sitting up fully, his back reclined against the headboard, he looks at her stoically. "You have like... five heads."

Norma lets out a small chuckle, reaching over to grab the glass of water adjacent to him. "That's not good. You might be going crazy."

He takes a deep breath, leaning his head back a bit, closing his eyes in wonder. "I think so. Imagine having five of you... They'd drive me even more crazy."

Norma grins. "Oh, I drive you crazy?"

With his eyes still shut, he speaks. "Yes. All the time."

She knows that it's the alcohol doing the talking, without taking offense to it, she savors in the idea of disturbing him, being sufficient to drive him crazy and get under his skin.

"I think five is enough," she replies mildly, the glass of water still in hand. "Six of us are a little bit too much."

"No," he stares back at her. "One Norma is enough."

She snickers at his words, more than likely at the way he scrunched up his nose when he said it.

"Is she?"

"Yes," he murmurs. "One Norma is more than enough."

She grins. "Okay."

After a moment of blankly staring back at him with no remorse, taking advantage of Alex not paying the inadequate attention to her, she clears her throat and waits for him to take the glass of water from her hand.

"Oh," he discerns her handing him the glass. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she states. "Drink up. You need to hydrate."

"I'd rather drink juice," he pouts.

Norma lets out a deep sigh, she suspected Alex would give her a hard time, but she couldn't bring herself to get upset about it, for some reason she likes seeing him in this state. Exposed. Not as tough as he makes himself out to be. She likes that behind closed doors, he is his true self and Norma is the only one able to see that, among other things.

"But I only have water, so drink up."

"No," he whines, closing his eyes again and tipping his head back. "I don't want water."

Norma tries to hide her smile but fails inadequately. "What do you want, then?"

"I want juice."

"And I want my motel to be sold out throughout the year, but we can't have it all, can we?"

He meets her gaze and keeps his glare soft but steady on her. "You see why dealing with one Norma is enough for me? You can't lose. Ever."

"That's because I never do," she says contemptuously. "Now, drink up."

His eyes traveled from her face to the glass and vice-versa. Norma Bates always wins. He loathes that she has that power over him. No matter how hard he tries, she still wins.

As soon as he takes the glass from her hand, she grins gleefully. He rolls his eyes in advance. "Whatever."

"You should know better," she teases. "I don't know why you keep wasting your time. That's time you won't get back, you know? Just let me have the last word."

"I will never."

"You just did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, Alex... You did."

"Well, I'm not exactly aware of what's going on here. Your headcount went down to three, but the room is still spinning."

Norma holds the back of her hand against his sweaty forehead. "You'll feel better in a little bit. It's not the end of the world."

Alex opens his eyes and catches the clear crystal blue of her eyes. Her perfume was exhilarating him; it was too much.

"You know, for a Motel owner, you have no sympathy at all."

Norma drops her hand but lingers imminent to him. Her blue eyes blazing his skin. "I have plenty, thank you very much."

"Where is it? Because I don't see it."

His appearance dissolves in a matter of seconds. He is teasing her, and she is letting him get under her skin—the way she always does.

"You just make a big deal out of everything," she pants. "I can't imagine you with a headache."

He laughs, and she isn't able to hold it in either, laughing out loud with him.

"Thank you for taking care of me," he says after their laughter had dissolved. "I appreciate it. And for letting me stay here."

Norma shrugs indifferently. "It's not like I need the room."

"I know," he states. "But I asked you to take me home, and you still refused."

Her eyes abruptly concentrate on anything other than his caramel orbs. "I wasn't going to drop you off like that," she looks up at him, finding his eyes stinging her all of a sudden. "I wanted to look after you."

"Well, thank you very much."

"You're welcome," she says as she crosses her arms over her chest. "And don't ever say I don't have compassion. I do. I may not show it as often as I'd like but..."

"I was kidding," he whispers. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't," she admits, shaking her head. "You didn't."

"Alright," he gives her a slight smirk.

After a non-awkward silence, an enjoyable one, she utters. "Does it hurt?"

"What?" Alex asks innocently.

"Your wound."

His eyes stretch. "Oh! Not right now. But it went right through me, so I guess I'll be fine."

Norma sees the smirk on his lips but she doesn't smile.

"What is it?" he asks concern.

"I'm sorry I was so rude to you," she says in a low voice. "I didn't mean to be such an ass."

"Really?" he gives her a knowing look. "You didn't?"

Norma frowns at him and nudges his leg. "I'm serious."

He could see that she was. His face relaxes almost immediately, taking in her demeanor.

"I was such a jerk," she remembers. "I should've shown that I cared."

"Did you?"

She looks back at him. "Of course I did!"

"It didn't show," he states casually. "I was worried sick about you. I really thought you were dead, Norma."

"I understand your frustration," she confirms, her fingers fidgeting with each other. "You know, how bad it looked, uh, not being able to reach me after almost getting killed," she finishes her rant with a slight sigh. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Norma," he tries to reach for her hand, and she lets him. Her sad eyes showing traces of unshed tears. "You didn't know, and you had your own thing going on."

"I tend to forget how grateful I am to have you in my life," she says. "I would've been dead if it wasn't for you."

"Don't say that," he frowns. "That's not true."

"But it is," she sniffles, holding back tears. "I'm so ungrateful."

"We all have things going on in our lives, you see, being shot isn't the least of my problems. I have to deal with this lady, and she's the biggest pain in my ass, but there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her."

Norma smile grows instantly. "Is she rude to you?"

Alex scrunches his face and leans forward, his hand still clutching hers. "All the time, and when I say all the time, I mean all the time."

A tear escapes her tired blue eyes, but she wipes it incredibly fast. "That can't be," she says with a grin. "She can't be mean all the time."

"Well, you certainly haven't met her," he responds, looking down and playing deliberately with her fingers. "But I guess she's got her good side."

Norma chuckles. "She must have a good side."

He looks up at her; his eyes traveling down to stare at her lips. "I think she's not all bad."

Norma keeps her eyes on him. "Well, she was worried about you, even though she didn't show it. She was scared for you. I think that shows that she's got a heart somewhere, right?"

Alex grins. "Maybe... Maybe that's what it means."

Norma licks her lips involuntarily, staring back at his lips. "She cares about you... She might not show it, but she does."

"She does?" he whispers, her fingers toying mischievously with his own.

She leans forward, shifting her body and bringing it closer to his. Her left-hand rests passively between his knees; her knuckles pressed gently on the bed.

Her heart wants to come out of her ribcage. She's suddenly unable to breathe. "She always has... And it's not going to change."

Alex squints his eyes. "How do you know this? Do you know her?"

Norma relishes on the way he keeps talking about her... to her.

"I believe I do," she answers indifferently. "She's pretty cool."

"She's kind of cool."

"Pretty cool," Norma corrects him.

"Okay," he admits, rolling his eyes playfully. "She's pretty cool."

Norma wipes her nose with the back of her hand, smiling softly at him.

"How do you feel?"

He shrugs. "Better?"

"How many heads do you see?"

He simpers. "Just one."

Norma nods. "Good to know. See? My water worked."

Alex leans back casually, permitting the back of his head to rest fully on the headboard. "That was just luck."

"Say what you want to say, Sheriff. It worked wonders."

Alex gazes intensely into her ocean blue eyes, locating nothing but beauty in them. He wants to tell her that the water had nothing to do with it—it was all her. That his solution to getting sober was a whiff of her fragrance, of her scented lavender hair—the light blue of her eyes.

Norma stands up, fixing her long skirt. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I have to be," he states gradually. "That's if I don't want to be called a big baby again."

She smirks. "Sounds good to me. Man up, Sheriff. Someone has to."

Her hand was still clasped to his. He wasn't letting go and neither was she.

"You can stay here for as long as you need to, okay?" she whispers, tightening her grip.

"You won't need the room?" he jokes openly, beaming at her.

"No," she says distinctly. "Very funny."

"Had to go for it."

"Of course you did."

His eyes betray him and he closes them for a moment, never letting go of her hand, though.

"Rest," her voice kind and quiet.

Alex opens his eyes again and feels as she gets closer.

"Huh?"

"Try to rest, Romero."

"Okay," he agrees drowsily.

Norma smiles at him, noticing how his face was turning back to the not-so-stoic-Sheriff look. That peace entirely drawing him in. Very, very moderately.

Against her will, and loathing it more than ever, she lets go of his hand, blandly placing it down on top of his stomach, exactly where it was a while ago. He doesn't move so she stays there, both feet planted solidly on the ground, examining him once again.

She would stay here all night if she could; watching over his sleep. But she has to go take care of dinner—duty calls.

As soon as Norma spins around, her hand gripping the doorknob tenaciously, his husky and sleepy voice brings her back to her senses.

"Norma?"

Turning back to face him, she finds him staring back at her, the same privation and desire as always.

"Yes?"

"I know I'm drunk, and maybe drunk people don't remember much..." he trails off. "But I'll remember everything we talked about."

Norma beams. "I know you will, Alex."

"Will you?"

"Of course," she admits. "Always."

"Okay," he says gratefully, feeling free of blame. "I will too."

"You better."

"Don't start. I know what you're doing."

She snickers. "You do?"

"Yes. You want to have the last word."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Alex!"

"Norma!"

"Alex!"

He grunts. "Like I said... Biggest pain in my ass."

She grins playfully. "But it's a good type of pain, right?"

He looks back at her. "Not quite."

She snorts. "Rude."

"Norma, just go," he beams.

"Okay," she gives him one of her sweet smiles before shutting the door after her. She leans against the closed door, satisfied to breathe in fresh air. She is glad Alex can hardly move because if by any chance, Alex would open this door, the ground would have to open up and swallow her whole.

Because she is falling for this man—hard.