"Reapplying makeup before bed?" Mal questions. "When did that start? I thought you were worried about acne and skin discoloration."

"That was my mom's old policy." Evie puts on another layer of waterproof mascara, "Now she says I'm old enough where I should be wearing it all the time. You never know when a prince is going to come in and swoop you off your feet."

"Don't you mean princess?" Mal asks from the black beanbag chair.

"No. Prince." She turns to explain, "My mom—" but then she shakes her head and turns back around to finish her makeup. "Just because. Okay?"

"Alright," Mal scoffs. "What do you want to talk about, then?"

Evie's mind turns to one thing: Mal and how she's doing, but like she doesn't want to talk about her problems, she also knows Mal won't want to talk about hers, "I don't know."

"Okay," Mal responds, before she finds herself shivering.

Evie spins the vanity chair around, "You're cold."

Mal laughs, "The heat from the pan only absorbed into my hands. What did you expect?"

She shakes her head, "Well, we can't sleep now. We need to find you someone."

Mal grins questioningly, "Can't I just have you?" She sees Evie purse her lips, as if trying her hardest to say no. "We've done it before."

"Yeah," Evie acknowledges. "But you just kissed me. Is tonight the best time for this?"

She shrugs, "Look. I won't make you do anything you don't want to do, but I'm asking." She looks off to the side, "And I do kind of need it."

Evie lets out a huge breath in defeat, "You know, I'm not exactly the warmest person, and it's been over a year since you broke up with your boyfriend—"

"Harry Hook was not my boyfriend," Mal exasperates.

"Boyfriend, boy toy, heat source, or whatever. It's been a couple years," She makes a point. "Isn't it about time you got back out there and found someone else to suck the life out of?"

Mal shakes her head, "No. I need someone I can trust. I'm not going out to grab ahold of some stranger." She whispers, "Not again."

Evie huffs, "What did he do to you anyway?"

"Doesn't matter," Mal bypasses. "Are you up for a cuddle tonight or not?"

She smirks, "You know I am."

"Okay, then," Mal breathes out, relaxing for what seems to be the first time all day.

Evie steps across the wooden floor and crawls into the purple bed. When she's all snug under the covers she entices, "Well. Aren't you going to come get me?" Mal smirks and walks over to the other side of the bed, but at the last second she jumps onto it and places a hand over where her friend's arm would be under the covers. She squeals before giggling, "You're a feisty, little dragon, aren't you?"

Mal repositions herself under the covers, wraps her arm around Evie's waist, and leans her face against her neck, "Yes, I am."

Evie calms her breaths, as she tries to adjust to the cold. I think her touching my neck makes it worse, but darn it. Why does she have to be so cute when she does this?

Mal whispers, "It's official. You're now my most favorite person."

"Yeah, right. What about Jay? You've been friends for like forever."

"No, actually we weren't." Mal explains, "He was my mother's friend's son. We just knew each other. We just hung out. We didn't become friends until much later."

"Still," Evie smiles. "You're only saying I'm your favorite person, because I'm one of your heat sources and you need me."

Mal inwardly laughs, "So, I need you. Shouldn't that be reassuring?"

"You love all of your heat sources," Evie mumbles. "It makes me pretty insignificant."

"And if I told you I loved you more than those hot baths I sometimes get?"

Evie huffs in disbelief, "I'd say you're lying. You probably get more heat from that bath than you ever do from me." Evie rolls her eyes when she feels a kiss on her neck. "I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?" asks Mal.

"When you flirt and kiss me." Evie complains, "You're just going to tell me it meant nothing later."

"But I do love you. You must know that."

Evie lets out a breath, "I know you do. That's what makes this so hard." She holds Mal's hand. "It gives me hope that this could actually turn into something, when it never could."

It takes a moment for Mal to respond, "I'm sorry."

Evie comments in unsureness, "You never say that."

"Well, I am."

Evie tries to smile but finds herself incapable of doing so, "No. I'm sorry. You always get affectionate and frisky when you need heat, but as usual in the morning you'll be distant and unsure of things as you always are. I should just know better by now."

It takes a moment for Mal to respond, "Even if I don't love you in the morning as much as I do right now, I will still care about you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I do." She's quiet for a second, "But what happens when you meet some guy and he becomes your new heat source? Would you still care about me then?"

"Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you, E," Mal reassures. "Besides. It would never happen."

"Right. You have trust issues since Hook." She feels Mal's hand grasp hers tighter, "I would still like to know why you broke up with him. What did he do?"

Mal tries to keep a strong, steady voice, "He's not rotten to the core. He has no core." but inevitably it cracks. "That's all you need to know."

- Sorry. You're just going to have to wait until tomorrow to see how Jay and Carlos are doing. That's it for tonight guys. Let me know what you thought.