Tom left two days later, that evening.

It was a bitter thing. I'd fought tooth and nail to see him off from the airport, but Bear hadn't budged—I wasn't strong enough to travel yet, even just a couple hours in the car. I'd risk tearing my stitches. I'd muttered some choice words under my breath, but he'd just laughed.

We'd made the most of yesterday, and the guys had mostly let us have our space. While he'd also take an hour to help me re-dye my hair (as it was fading yet again, since the last time I'd touched it up had been almost a month ago), we'd spent most of it talking, mostly about him. He was attending an international school, which was good, because according to him, he couldn't speak Italian for shit. I laughed, and offered to give him lessons, but he scowled and waved me off.

Currently, he was on the soccer team, and he mostly got on with the rest of the blokes there. He wasn't Captain, since he'd transferred sol late, but the current Captain—a guy named Ahmad—promised that if he stuck around long enough, the position was his. I didn't doubt it—Tom was one of the best footie players I knew.

Unfortunately, though, he also had school, which he was missing quite a bit of. He'd never been the most academically motivated, and while he was passing all his classes, he couldn't afford to miss more than a couple days of school on his wild expedition for his long-lost best friend, as he put it.

That was how I found myself in the foyer, knuckles screaming as I tightened my fist around my crutch, watching Tom heave on his backpack.

We'd already said most of our goodbyes in Elliott's room, complete with an exchange of numbers and another demand from Tom for a text at least every couple days. I'd scoffed and called him an overbearing mum, but I'd obliged, nonetheless.

"Text me when you're back in Italy," I requested as Tom finally situated the bag on his back. Bloody hell, the thing probably weighed as much as he did. "And tell Jerry I hope he's doing well."

"Yeah, I will," Tom assured, pulling a face as he tightened the straps of his backpack. "You're going to text me every couple of days, right?"

I scowled as Tiger snorted, twirling the keys in his hand. Bear was at the youth center, so he'd already wished Tom a safe journey, so Tiger would be driving Tom to the airport in London. "Yeah, you bloody nursemaid. I will."

Tom smiled, eyes still worried, but less so. "Okay. Just…don't go looking for trouble, yeah?"

"I'll try, but it seems to find me anyways."

He chuckled, though it was a little darker than I'd expected. "Yeah. I know. Just do your best."

I nodded, and he didn't give me a chance to say anything else before he gave me a hug, minding the crutches and my injuries.

I could tell Tom was reluctant to leave me, and if I was being honest, I was reluctant to let him leave, as well. It had been so long, and a few days seemed…so inadequate. Unfortunately, he couldn't crash on the floor of Elliott's room forever.

I knew that he had to go, but it was still bloody hard to watch.

He let me go, stepping back and giving me a smile, then turned his direction to Tiger and Lion. "Please don't let him get himself killed. He's got a knack for close calls."

I rolled my eyes as they laughed. "If nothing else, we've noticed that," Lion said, shaking Tom's hand. "Nice to meet you. You're welcome round anytime."

A few more pleasantries, a final wave, and he was gone again.

I blinked, already feeling the loss, though even I knew how stupid it sounded.

"Want some tea?" Lion asked, making his way to the kitchen.

"Actually, do we have any Coke?" I eased myself down onto the couch, hissing as the stitches in my leg pulled. It'd been really aggravating me; maybe I'd have to forfeit and ask Bear for some pain medication when he got back, after all.

"Yeah, hang on." Lion returned a moment later with a Coke and a Pibb. He sat beside me in one of the armchairs, glancing out the window to the setting sun. "Are you hungry? You didn't eat much."

I shrugged, taking a sip of soda. "M'okay. Wasn't very hungry to begin with."

"Right."

Somewhat comfortable silence lasted for a couple minutes before Lion spoke again. "I met my goal today."

I smiled in his direction, the news improving my sour mood somewhat. This was the third day in a row—I hoped it would continue. "I'm glad. What d'you want to ask?"

Lion glanced up at the ceiling, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. "You can veto, and I won't be upset. I'm just curious, really." He glanced at me, asking permission, and I nodded for him to continue. "Are you comfortable around Fox? Really?"

I blinked in surprise, unprepared for the question. Upon closer inspection, I could see the tension in Lion's shoulders and the suspicion in his eyes, his patented expression of worry fighting to shine through the mask of indifference.

I smirked a little. Just curious, my arse. "You really don't like him."

An unsubtle shift, a tiny shrug of noncommittal disagreement. Ever the diplomatic leader. "Well, I wouldn't say I don't like him—"

"No, you don't. I think it's funny. You're actually kind of similar." I knew I was right when I saw Lion's eyes darken in something like reactive offense, and I laughed. "In good ways, I promise."

"Okay, then…tell me about him. Because you looked really uncomfortable the first time you saw him, and he's been pestering you every time he's been round, and you really don't need that right now, kid."

The seriousness of Lion's tone eased me back into the present, and I glanced at him, slowly frowning in thought. "I don't…it's not that I'm uncomfortable. I really do…trust him. I mean, we didn't speak much at Brecon Beacons the first time, so it was mostly irrelevant. But the second time…"

I paused, wondering how best to go about it. Damn, it would be so much simpler if they just…knew I went on missions.

"…let's just say I was in a bad situation, and he knew how to help," I said slowly, knowing the answer was painfully vague. I couldn't think of another way to phrase it, though. "He was… supportive, and I needed a friend."

Especially after I'd found out about Ash. That had been…debilitating, for a little bit, and knowing that Fox was there and knew—even if not about Ash's identity, then about everything else—had been comforting.

"I was a lot younger, too," I admitted, glancing at the ceiling. "I was a little more willing to ask for help, and he knew what to do when I didn't know how to handle something. We lost touch, but…I knew I could count on him, if I ever needed anything. I guess that was enough," I admitted, glancing at him to see his reaction.

Lion still looked a little dubious, but it seemed like my explanation had taken the edge off of his suspicion. "Okay, well…I'm glad. How are we alike?"

I laughed a little. "Still hung up on that?"

"Just answer, Jag."

I grinned, glancing back at the ceiling in thought. "Well…he's a lot more impulsive than you, but you're both pretty kind. You just show it differently. He's really protective, like you. He's also a little like Bear—he gets mad when people don't take care of themselves, and sometimes it can come across a little strongly. Um…yeah, I think that's most of it. He doesn't seem to have changed much."

I saw Lion nod out of the corner of my eye, looking thoughtful. "Okay. I suppose those aren't the worst similarities to have."

I laughed again. I didn't think it was possible for Lion to dislike someone. Other than his father, of course. "Why do you dislike him so much? You barely know him."

Lion shrugged, a reluctant smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'm allowed to dislike people, squirt. I dunno. I didn't like how either of you reacted when he first saw you, and I suppose it left a bad impression."

"I was also in a pretty bad headspace," I reminded him.

Lion scowled a little, his expression blackening, and I kicked myself for reminding him. "I know, but that's not the point. The point is you were nervous around him, and I wasn't okay with it."

I looked away, humming thoughtfully, even as warmth blossomed in my chest. I knew by now—it was impossible not to know by now—that he cared about me, and what happened to me. That they cared about me, and that I had a place here. But still—hearing him say it so casually, so off-handedly…

…it was nice.

"Tiger said you haven't done anything with your room," Lion said after a moment, and I refocused on him.

I shrugged. "I don't have a lot of stuff."

Lion raised an eyebrow.

I glanced away, pursing my lips. Damn, he was observant.

"Alex…Elliott's gone. We miss him, yeah. It still hurts, yeah. But that's your room, now, as long as you want it to be."

I couldn't look at him for a second, and he didn't push me for a response. Instead, I turned the words over, searching and scanning for answers, for some type of sign that he was being the least bit untruthful. [A/N: Bonus points if you know where I got part of this line ;)]. When I found none, I glanced at him.

"You guys are mental," I admitted, smiling when he chuckled. "I've been nothing but trouble."

"That's true."

"And I literally have two of the world's most dangerous organizations after me."

"…we only know the one, but I'll take your word for it."

"Lion, I brought an assassin to your door."

Lion shrugged. "Like you said, we're mental."

Reluctantly, I smiled, shaking my head. "I dunno how of all the SAS units, the Sergeant put me with you." I don't know how I was lucky enough to be placed with them.

"He has a knack for that. How d'you think K-Unit ended up working so well together?" Lion got up, reaching for my empty can to throw away. "He knows what personalities work well together and which don't. Granted, we gave him a run for his money for a while after losing Elliott, but I'm glad we did. We got it right eventually, didn't we?"

I hummed in acknowledgement, watching as the last traces of the sunset, a warm tingle in my chest.

"In a couple days, if you're up to it, we're going shopping," he called from the kitchen.

"I don't need stuff for the room."

"Well, maybe I hate watching you wear the same three outfits on repeat, Alex."

I blushed, and I heard him snort at my silence.

Well, he had a point there. There were only so many times I could wear the same t-shirt and cargo pants before I got sick of it, and admittedly, I was steadily approaching that point. Besides—I missed what I used to wear. Faded jeans and baggie hoodies. I supposed I couldn't really get a lot of those, because they made me look so much younger, but…one outfit couldn't hurt.

I smiled. I'd miss Tom, yeah, but…I had something good here, too.

Lion went to church for a better portion of the next morning, and Bear slept late, so Tiger brought me Moroccan coffee and a scone from the shop down the block.

"How's your weight?" Tiger asked suddenly, a few seconds after I'd finished telling him about Tom's schooling, since he'd asked. We were both early risers, and since Lion was out most Sunday mornings, that left us to our own devices.

We'd been having a normal conversation, I'd assumed, but the conversation threw me. I blinked a couple times. "What?"

"Your weight," Tiger repeated, scowling a little over his Rwandan blend. "It was low in the hospital, and I'm asking how it is now."

I blinked again. "It's been a month."

"Bloody hell, kid. I didn't want to badger you about it, and I didn't want to say anything in front of the other two. Now, how's your weight?"

Oh. Well…that was considerate of him. I shrugged a little. "I mean…I dunno, really. I don't feel much different."

Tiger's eyes narrowed a little. "We'll buy you a scale when we go out. Start keeping track of it, yeah?"

I didn't particularly know why, but the thought made me uncomfortable. "Um—I'm really not sure I need—"

"Just do it for my peace of mind, kid."

I pursed my lips. Tiger never had peace of mind to begin with. "That's not fair."

"It's not that hard. You don't have to tell me what it is. I just want you to keep up with it, so you know what you need to do."

I tapped the rim of my glass with my stub of a fingernail. "I really don't know if I can afford all this," I admitted pensively, running numbers in my head as well as I could without a calculator.

I'd gotten my first paycheque, and it was…well, substantially more than I thought it would be, honestly. And then I had the money I'd managed to scrounge and save on the run, starting a fund for when I turned eighteen and have to move again.

I wasn't sure what would happen now, but…even if I didn't want to leave, I wanted to be prepared.

The first thing I'd done was transfer an appropriate sum to Lion to cover my portion of the rent, after doing a bit of research into the flat's rates, since they wouldn't tell me how much I owed. He'd scowled and tried to return the money, but I suppose after a few moments he'd figured that it was better not to argue. I couldn't accept anymore charity from them than I already had, at least not then.

After that, I'd taken half of the remaining money and transferred to a legitimate account in a distant cousin's name that Smithers had help me set up—it wouldn't be traceable by MI6, even if they discovered my other dummy accounts. After I'd deposited the rest of my physical money in the same legitimate account (with Bear's help) I didn't have such an impressive amount left.

Buying clothes, things for my room, and a decent scale…plus I still had to give them money for food and bills…

"I can see the gears getting stuck," Tiger commented after a moment of agonizing silence, in which my mental math skills floundered hopelessly. "We'll spot you the money for what you need. It's not charity," he said quickly, holding up a hand when I tried to interrupt. "It's an investment, or a loan, or however you want to look at it. We'd do the same for each other, and we have on multiple occasions."

I opened my mouth. Closed it again. Opened it again, and scrapped another argument.

Tiger raised an eyebrow.

"But I really don't—"

"Zip it."

And that was it.

remembr that cute Indian girl i told u bout

That was the text from Tom that woke me two days later. I wasn't used to my phone going off, honestly—the only other people to text me were the others in the flat, and I was around them most of the time, anyways, so there was no need. The innocuous ding startled me enough that I almost jumped out of bed, and my side flared in startled discomfort.

"Bloody hell," I muttered, running a hand through my hair as I fumbled for the phone on the nightstand, reading the text with bleary eyes. It took my sluggish brain a moment to translate the incomplete words, and I scowled. It was bloody eight thirty in the morning. Just because he had class didn't mean I did.

Clumsily, I typed a reply, my knuckles aching, though far less than before. Physically, I was actually doing much better—I'd switched to one crutch now, instead of two, and was able to put some weight on the injured leg. After the gunshot wound to my chest, it seemed like nothing, and I'd mentioned as much in a moment of inattention.

Dark eyes and tight faces had reigned for a couple hours after that comment, and I resigned myself not to bring it up again.

Despite that, the wound on my side was much better—it was slowly knitting itself closed, and though there would be a gnarly scar to add to my impressive collection, it would heal with no complications. Bear was helping me do some minor stretches on it and my leg to test the healing process, and he was pleased so far. Snake, who had a bit more medical training had come over the day prior to help him with my progress.

I liked Snake. Of all of K-Unit, besides Fox, I got on with him the easiest—I supposed because of his easy-going personality and soft-spoken nature, we were a bit alike. It would be nice to have that buffer going forward, anyways. He wanted to get his medical degree once he left the SAS, so he thanked me for giving him a trial patient. Bear told him he was likely to get plenty of practice with me.

I'd had to laugh at that.

Rhea? What about her? I typed, focusing back on the present. I closed my eyes and almost dozed off before I got another reply, clumsily reading the next message.

she's in2 me.

You think everything with a pulse and a skirt is into you, Tom.

It took him a minute to reply to that one, and it was with a flat-face emoji that I assumed was meant to be unimpressed. ur a terrible wingman.

I smirked, and sent a thumbs-up. Don't show her the scar. It's not as cool as you think it is.

Arse.

I smiled, liking his message, then told him to pay attention in class and let the phone fall on the comforter beside me, staring up at the ceiling.

Hm. That wasn't so bad. It felt almost normal.

I closed my eyes. This afternoon, we'd be going shopping, despite my inordinate requests not to do so. This morning, though, was free.

I'd put it off long enough. I needed to think about what I'd do about SCORPIA.

To be practical, there wasn't much I could do, especially in my current condition. And it seemed, no matter how many times I'd destroyed them, they still had the resources to hire two of the best contract killers in the world in a comparatively short amount of time—Hollis and the assassin from Cookham Bridge. Besides that, they'd had the time and resources to organize his rescue and exportation, even if it hadn't gone as planned.

I blinked, narrowing my eyes in thought and worry. Were they spending all their time trying to get revenge on me, or were they planning something else? It was frightening to think about what they could do even with so little, compared to what they used to have.

In a burst of curiosity, I wondered if there was still a copy of Operation Horseman hidden away somewhere. I laughed under my breath, closing my eyes. That would be wonderful leverage against MI6, but it wouldn't help me with SCORPIA. In fact, they may even help me publish it. Before or after they killed me, I couldn't be sure.

I narrowed my eyes in thought.

It was a dangerous, stupid idea. The others would never, ever let me do it, and I didn't know how I'd get permission, access, or the courage to go through with it.

But…I'd killed the other assassin, and…

…that left Hollis.

Even as the thought entered my mind, goosebumps lined my arms, and I closed my eyes, pushing the flashes of terror and cold and creeping death away as quickly as I could. I hadn't had a panic attack in a few days, and I didn't want to break that streak now.

But…he'd dealt with SCORPIA, even if just through a third party, and he was my only lead.

Maybe it wouldn't be for a while, but…I knew I'd have to talk to him sooner or later.

Preferably later, but I didn't know how long SCORPIA would let me wait before they struck again.

I was terrified that next time, someone would get caught in the crossfire, and I couldn't let that happen.

I opened my eyes and took a slow breath, staring at the ceiling I'd become so familiar with over the last month, and let it out.

December had finally hit, and the drizzling rains were wet and miserable, turning into slush in the streets on particularly cold days. I mostly watched it from the safety of the warm indoors—Bear had unequivocally told me that if I tried to set foot outside he'd tie me to the couch—but I missed the tepid warmth of fall. I'd never been one for winter.

Today, though, we'd be going out, and it wasn't supposed to be terribly wet.

I took another breath, closing my eyes, smiling as the phone dinged next to me again. No wonder Tom did so poorly in his classes—he was smart, he just didn't listen.

Maybe I didn't have all the answers now, but…I at least had a plan for the future, when I was more able. That was better than yesterday, and it would be better tomorrow, and…I just had to hold onto that.

I wouldn't let myself return to the place I'd been in last week. It had been a mental nosedive of kamikaze proportions, and—and I couldn't let it happen again. For Tom's sake, for L-Unit's sake, for my sake.

I wouldn't let it happen again.

If I could control nothing else, I could control myself, and…and that was a start.

I smiled a little as two more dings interrupted my musings, finally checking my phone.

I was grateful I wouldn't have to do it alone this time, at least.

I hadn't been to a department store in a while, mostly to avoid the crowds and the noise. As soon as I walked in, I realized I hadn't missed it in the slightest. I felt even more self-conscious than usual—while the bruises had faded, I still got some odd looks. Lion ruffled my hair when my shoulders tensed, sending me an encouraging smile.

L-Unit had tried to come at a time when there weren't many people—I knew, because I'd overheard them talking about it—but I supposed they'd forgotten about the pre-Christmas hubbub that started each December, or they'd had to work with the circumstances. It was still during working hours, so it wasn't as crowded as it would have been otherwise, but there was still an impressive number of people milling around.

"At least Christmas means we should be able to find you some stuff on sale," Lion said quietly, patting my shoulder as I glanced dubiously around the mall, sighing.

"Yeah, hopefully," I said, and he smirked at my obvious lack of enthusiasm.

Tiger grabbed a cart, letting it trail behind him as he pushed it along with one hand on the front of the basket, looking almost as uncomfortable as I felt. I knew Bear didn't really like crowds, either, but he seemed to be doing fine, as he was already beelining for the clearance section.

"I probably shouldn't try anything on," I admitted as I got closer to Bear, who was already rifling through the men's pants. My muscles were pretty stiff, and the thought of wrestling in and out of clothes for an hour was less than inviting.

"That's fine. We'll buy a few pairs and bring back what doesn't fit," he conceded. Lion busied himself by checking the price tags of the things Bear had taken off the rack, and I was glad someone was being practical about it. I saw Lion wince and put a couple of things back, but Bear didn't seem to notice. "What do you like to wear? You can't tell me you're comfortable in cargo pants all the time."

"Um…I like jeans, mostly. And t-shirts. And hoodies, but I think they're out," I said, glancing past them at an empty rack. No wonder—the sign said they were sixty percent off. There were a couple left, but they looked far too small for me; I assumed they were girls' sizes. That sucked. I missed hoodies.

I supposed it was a psychological thing, but I liked baggy hoodies that I could mostly hide in. It was a stupid feeling of safety, but it helped on bad days. I supposed I'd have to wait a little longer.

"We'll get you some later, then," Tiger said, glancing at the empty rack. "How much do you have in your checking account? Will you be able to buy a few extra things without an overdraft fee?"

I blinked, narrowing my eyes. "A what?"

Tiger didn't say anything for a moment, then sighed. "Kid, where the hell did you go to school? You should know that. It's what happens when you take more money out of your checking account than you have in it to begin with. If that happens, they charge a fee."

I blushed a little, looking away. That was pretty self-explanatory—I should've picked up on that. "Oh. Um, I think I have enough."

Tiger looked at me for another second, then sighed, scratching his ear. "Lion and I can help you come up with a budget sometime this week, okay? Bear's not allowed to help. He blows money faster than a billionaire in an electronics store."

I laughed a little at Bear's indignant expression, but he couldn't deny it—not with the pile of clothes in his arms. "What? I'm giving you options," he defended at my dubious look. I needn't have worried—Lion was steadfastly plucking the expensive stuff from his hands and returning it to the rack.

Tiger smirked, patting my shoulder. "Well, as long as you have enough for some clothes and a scale, we'll be fine for today. If you have some extra money, then you can get a couple things for your room."

I nodded, satisfied with the compromise. I didn't know how comfortable I'd be spending a lot of money, so that seemed reasonable.

All in all, it was a better day than I thought it would be. Bear made me find benches and rest my leg frequently, but one of them always stayed with me, which was comforting. Lion mostly had to chaperone Bear when he was piling clothes into the cart, so Tiger used the time to go find a scale. He found a cheap white one and paid for it before I even knew he'd gotten it, and he ignored me when I told him I'd pay him back.

Dammit. Tiger's way of showing concern was infuriating sometimes. Appreciated, but infuriating.

Bear, who would have done quite well on Say Yes to the Dress with the inordinate amount of clothes he picked out, wouldn't let us leave until I'd picked at least three pairs of pants and three shirts to add to my humble rotation, but Lion had done well in his oversight—the price was more reasonable than I thought it'd be.

I didn't end up buying any decorative things for the room, but I bought a couple paperbacks that looked interesting, which mollified them for the time being.

After confirming that I still felt okay, albeit a bit tired, Lion suggested we go out to eat. We'd had a lot of takeout, but aside from our visits to the coffee shop, I hadn't been out in a while. Bear picked, claiming he was sick of Indian food, and chose a little Thai place a ten-minute drive away.

Lion looked a little put out, as Thai food was one of his least favorite kinds, but I was kind of excited—I hadn't had Thai in a while. I helped Lion find something palatable while Tiger and Bear fought over which appetizer to get.

The day was good, and the dinner was a really nice way to wrap it up, and I forced myself to push everything from my mind. For just a couple hours, I refused to think about MI6, or SCORPIA, or my mental health. I refused to think about Hollis, or the looming threat of more assassins, or my future, or the lies and secrets.

For a few hours, I was just Alex, out to dinner with my…my almost-family. Almost, and getting closer every day.

I was just Alex, and I could be a kid for a few hours, and it was…awesome.

It had been a great day, but the ending was…incredibly comforting.

I was listening to music, resting my leg on a pile of pillows. It ached after spending so much time out and about today, but it was a good ache—at least I knew I was healing. I was halfway through a playlist of upbeat music I'd made when I heard a faint knock on the door.

I opened my eyes, popping out one earbud. "Come in."

Lion came in a couple seconds later, a bundle of fabric in his hand. "Hey. How're you feeling?"

I smiled, pausing my music and wrapping the headphones around the phone. "Good. A little tired, but I'm glad I got to go out."

Lion grinned, sitting on the bed. "I'm glad. I was worried Bear ran you ragged."

I smirked. "He tried."

"Yeah, he gets excited," he said, glancing to the living room. After a second of silence, he said, "I was so distracted I didn't even get a chance to smoke today. I think it's the first time in a while I haven't smoked all day."

I perked up at that, a genuine grin on my face. "That's awesome, Lion."

He smiled at my enthusiasm, light red creeping up his neck as he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I was…pretty happy about it when I realized."

"I'm glad. What do you want to ask?"

"Well, nothing, today," he said, tossing the bundle of fabric at me.

Surprised, I caught it, and felt the familiar threads of a thick hoodie in my hands. "What's this?"

He shrugged, looking unconcerned. "An old hoodie of mine. I don't wear it anymore. It's a little small on me, so it'll probably be a little big on you, but it'll work until we can get you a new one. Or you can keep it, I don't care."

I blinked, glancing at him, turning it over in my hands. "Are…are you sure?"

He smiled, nodding. "Sure, kid. Try it on, make sure it's okay."

I glanced at the front, stalling a little, to see Saint Francis Xavier 6th Form College in teal letters emblazoned on the faded grey thread. Minding my side, hissing a little, I threaded my arms through the sleeves, letting it fall over my head.

I blinked, staring at the sleeves which fell well past my fingertips. "I'm drowning."

Lion laughed, loud and long, and pinched the bridge of his nose after he'd gotten a good look at me, cackling towards the floor. "Holy shit, you are. I didn't think it would be that big on you."

I laughed a little with him, glancing down. After I let myself feel the familiar comfort of the hoodie, I felt…a feeling of familiarity and peace wash over me, and it was so stupid, because it was just a clump of fabric, but…it felt really good, and it was warm, and it was exactly what I'd wanted. I'd left most of my hoodies at the Pleasures' because they took up space, and the one I'd brought had been slashed to ribbons and stained in blood last week.

And I would never, ever, admit it, not even to myself, but the fact that it was Lion's made it…a little better. I remembered wearing Ian's sweatshirts or t-shirts after particularly bad nightmares, or on bad days, and he'd always smile in fond exasperation. When I got older, he started trying to talk me out of it, but it had been a habit I'd stubbornly held onto.

I was glad I still didn't have to give it up.

"Thanks, Lion," I said with a small, genuine smile, and I was glad that it was getting a little easier everyday to be vulnerable like this. In small moments in private without the weight of consequences. "This is awesome."

Lion, still on the tail-end of his fit of laughter, glanced up. "You're welcome. Glad you like it."

He ruffled my hair and stood. "Get some rest, ok? I think Snake's coming back again tomorrow for another PT session."

I fought the urge to groan, because even though I liked Snake, and I liked the fact that I was healing, those PT sessions sucked. "Okay."

Lion paused in the door, glancing back. "By the way…thanks again, for helping me with…the whole smoking thing." He didn't look up, rubbing the back of his neck. I could see the hesitance in his eyes. "It's…it's helping a lot. I think I'm getting a lot better."

Warmth flooded my stomach, and I had to physically restrain myself from grinning like a little kid. I didn't want to seem any younger than I was in this damn swamp of a sweatshirt. "I'm really glad, Lion. Honestly."

He smiled, inclining his head. "Me too, kid. Sleep well."

Lion softly closed the door, and I was left alone with my thoughts and this stupidly large hoodie.

Blinking, already feeling tired, I lay down on my good side and popped my earbuds back in. I listened first, and made sure no one was around my door, before I gave into my childish desires and burrowed into the sweatshirt, closing my eyes in contentment.

I let my music play and I let myself feel warm and safe just for a while, and it was one of the best days I'd had in a really, really long time. And…and I could get used to them.

One day, maybe they'd be normal, and for the first time in a long time, I smiled while I thought about my future.

A/N: I wrote this instead of studying for the GRE that I'm probably going to fail. Oh well. You're welcome.

*inhales* OMG THAT WAS SO CUTE I HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THAT! My boys deserve a few fluffy chapters after everything I put them through. I love them. Agh. I'm also getting to really love Snake. Hehe.

Anyways! I hope you liked this chapter! Lion is precious and the best big brother ever and I stand by that. :D

Reviews! Omg thank you guys so much for your continued influx of amazing encouragement! I love you all: Guest, Em0Wolf, Owlqueen08, otterpineapple06, Fangirl all da way, ArchiveFanatic, Guest, Melloonnnn, OnlyABookworm, Padfoot's Marauder, Guest, Oceanlily, Guest, DaisyLyn21, Shae, Asilrettor, Gabrielle Nightingale, Guest, Weirdo, AlexRiderFan, Riderkitty, Luna Space reginamare, ClarenzaK, KC, Guest, X4uth0r, Weirdo, sp013, Rodney 0854, Guest, and Dobby and Padfoot!

Guest (Love it. So down…): Thanks! Happy to hear that!

Em0Wolf: Omg thanks so much! This one was also wholesome, so I hope you liked it XD

Guest (I'm so glad you updated…): Thanks so much! I appreciate it!

Guest (First of all, AAAAAAAAAAH! Update!...): Omg thanks for such an awesome review! Me too! Hehehe thanks, I love Tom. I know, geez, Wolf. We just went over this. Bro for real! Hahahahahahaha XD AWWWWW THANK YOU because I feel like my fluff is always a lil subpar, so I'm glad you like it all! SPIDERBRO HANDSHAKE! Of course! XD thanks for letting me know! Aw thanks so much! You're awesome!

Oceanlily: Hi! Thanks so much for the review, and for reading! Omg you're so sweet, thank you so so much! *cries* thank you! OMG OKAY I will for sure think about an AR/CM crossover! Omg wow; thank you for sharing that, and I'm so glad you could personally connect to the story, even if it's something difficult in your life. I sincerely hope you get to be reunited with your friend soon, and thank you for sharing :) I'll be praying! Thanks for the amazing comment, and have an awesome day!

Guest (So well written I'm unbelievably happy…): omg thanks so much! Hahahaha I love Tom XD Haha I'm glad you like the idea! Thanks!

Shae: Hahaha thanks so much! Hehe I love them. Omg I'm glad you like it! XD

Guest (love it!): Thanks!

Weirdo, #1: Hahaha Im' glad you're back! Lol I eagerly await it XD HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

AlexRiderFan: Haha I'm so glad! I like both of them, so I try to slip little moments in where I can XD I know I adore Tom. He's so precious. Yeee thanks, I love character development XD Thank YOU so much! God bless! You too!

Reginamare: Hahahaha me too XD Thanks so much! Lol Wolf. He's trying. They do indeed. Thanks so much!

KC: Thanks so much!

Guest (Yay! So happy you're back…): Omg thanks so much! I appreciate it!

Weirdo: Omg me too, and thank you so much! I LVOE TOM! Lol me too XD Pettiness is so underrated sometimes. Haha I know. We've still got a ways to go, but yeah, Tom leaving was sad. Hehehehe yeah the age reveal is still a ways away, but other things will be revealed before then. Lol. I'm awful. Hehehehe even I don't know yet! OMG YOU DID! I'M SO HONORED! MARVEL IS INCREDIBLE! Omg I'm crying. Thank you so much. I'm so honored that you watched the movies literally to read my stories. I hope they lived up to your expectations :D Thanks so much, you too!

Dobby and Padfoot: Aww thanks so much! I love Tom XD hehe it'll be a while. Thanks so much!

Guest (I love Tom): Dude you and me both

Again, thank you so much for all the support, and buckle up, because we're in for a wild ride…this is gonna be a long, LONG story, folks XD I have like a page and a half of very loose notes, and I'm not done yet. Lol. Love you all! Hope you stick around!