AN: Bit longer than normal. Hopefully everyone enjoys as always along with the addition of a character that until now had yet to be seen. Enjoy!

When Alastair felt like it, James made him food as well around noon. They talked, James always attempting to create the greatest ease. When they spoke of the lack of objects around the house, James said that they needed to have a day where they just went out and took as many pictures as possible. Alastair responded with it sounding like a stupid idea yet he released a hint of a smile.

Eventually they stayed distracted for so long that both had long forgotten about their cloths. When Alastair finally went to fetch them, he found them plenty dry but very wrinkled.

"Shit. I'll go iron it."

James rolled his eyes and snorted. "There's really no need. I'm going to work in a few hours. Here, let me change into it and I'll head over now."

"But I can't—"

"Alastair, it's no big deal. Besides, I'm going to stop by my apartment later. If it makes you feel any better I'll change into something cleaner there," James replied.

Still looking uncertain, Alastair murmured, "I suppose that's fine. I should probably—"

"If you were going to finish that with 'go to work' I think I would have to kill you. Don't go to work. Even if you do, I'm sure Merlin would probably yell at you to go home anyways. Just rest and then come in tomorrow. You'll certainly perform better anyways."

"You're right. Of course you're fucking right but I just hate doing nothing."

"Don't think of it like that. You're helping yourself feel better. Now, is there anything you want me to get before I go?"

Alastair shook his head and afterwards, James quickly got dressed and gave the other cloths back to Alastair. He left after double checking that Alastair didn't need anything and then quickly headed over to his apartment. He was only slightly surprised when he walked in and saw Lily there.

"Did you seriously break in?"

"Can't really call it breaking in when you have a key."

Letting out a small snort, James asked, "Why the hell are you even here? And don't you have work?"

"Vernon came back around. First at work and then here. After he left I came here just in case he came back. If he does come back, I figured he would be to stupid to think I might have just come across the hall."

"Wait, that asshole? I thought you got a restraining order on him," James said as he hurried about.

"I did and I called the cops but they didn't get here in time. They said they'd call if they found him," Lily muttered with a tired sigh. She looked almost as exhausted as Alastair had yet she perked up somewhat and asked, "So…who's the mystery someone?"

"What? No I slept over at Alastair's."

"Damn it. You always steal the attractive ones."

"No! Not like that. He was drunk and I helped him home and he wanted me to stay," sighed James. He would have continued getting ready to go to work when suddenly an idea entered his head. "You're majoring in psychology right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Okay you have to help me!"

Lily reeled back as James got up in her face. "Kay honey! Calm down! Now, does this have anything to do with the drunken friend?"

"Yes, and oh god I don't know what to do! I mean, more honestly I know what to do. I have to make Alastair as comfortable and feel as at ease as possible but I don't know what to do with myself," James said hurriedly as he started pacing back and forth. He probably wouldn't have exploded like this until months later. It was only luck, really crappy luck though, that Lily was here and he could vent to her. "He freaking kissed me! And all the crap he went on about and he said none of it meant anything and that was an obvious lie and he's hiding something and I want to know what but I also don't want to break him because fucking god Alastair can be cold as hell but he's damn brittle too! That much is obvious and he was so close to losing it and I can't hurt him but I fucking felt something and I feel like shit for it and—"

"Woah! I may be majoring in psychology but I work in an ice cream parlor," Lily quickly said. "I mean…holy shit. Start from the beginning. How the hell did Alastair even end up drunk and why did you get him?"

"Something bad happened at work involving me." When Lily's eyes became worried he quickly said, "It was just a small accident but Alastair witnessed it and thought the worst before he knew all the facts. He left, drank a lot, and I was finally able to get him away from the pub when he shoved me against the fall and started yelling at me."

"And then kissed you?"

"Yes."

"Well it sounds like you know what Alastair wants."

"No I don't!"

"No, you don't know his reasoning and despite wanting to understand, it seems like you could care less as long as he's happy. You, on the other hand, sound extremely conflicted."

A pained expression came across James' face.

Letting out a groan, Lily said, "You fell for him didn't you? Actually, why is that even a question? You did."

"And I feel goddamn terrible about it."

"Why!?"

"Because even if he wasn't straight, I'm pretty sure the idea of a relationship would give him a heart attack!"

"If he kissed you, even while drunk, I doubt he's straight."

"It still doesn't matter. The point is it freaked him out and of course now I start to like him in that way!"

"James, out of all the people I know, you are one of the last to 'like' someone just because they fucking kissed you. I may only have an associate's degree but even when I first met him and saw you two together I knew you were head over heels for him."

"Was not."

"Don't be childish. Ever since you got that job you've barely been home and if you are, you're either with Alastair or with me and talking about Alastair. You love him more than-oh god I don't even know it's that bad!"

"But what the hell do I do!"

"Well obviously you don't want to hurt Alastair so you're either going to have to somehow figure out what the hell are his reasons without tearing them from his mouth or you're going to have to suck it up and let it hurt. Come on, you're an adult."

"God, I know. I do! I just didn't expect this when I god damn walked up to him. Honest!"

"Of course you didn't. It's usually the unexpected love that hurts the most."

"Thank you oh wise ice cream lady. I shall go and sob into my pillow now."

"Don't be an ass. You're the one who asked for my advice."

"And now I'm starting to wish I hadn't. Then I could at least fake being blissfully ignorant." James ran into his bedroom, grabbed a few things and then came out and gave Lily a quick kiss on the cheek. "Stay here as long as you need and try to get in touch with me at this number if Vernon shows up again. If I can, I'll be here as soon as possible. Love ya about as much as I hate you right now."

"Glad to know you appreciate me so much," Lily replied sarcastically.

James rolled his eyes and quickly left for work. Around that same time, Alastair had decided to finally just lie in his bed. He was curled up on one side, covers forming more of a nest around him rather than actually covering him, when the house phone began to ring. He had a connection in the bedroom and now contemplated on answering it.

At the last possible second, he did so on the off chance that he was needed. However, before he could even ask who it was a voice said, "Thank god you're home. I thought I would miss you."

After all that had happened, Alastair honestly didn't know how to respond. It was odd hearing a voice that had been constantly nagging him as a child and yet was so rare and fleeting in adulthood.

"Hey, you there?"

"Yes," Alastair quickly said, breaking away from his trance. "What do you want Kenton?"

"Are you kidding me? I call my little bro and the first thing he wants to know is why I'm calling. Does there need to be a reason?" pouted the elder.

"You're in the Middle East and it's been over a year since I've last heard from you. Yes there needs to be a reason," Alastair replied irritably.

"Christ I just wanted to talk to you," Kenton grumbled. For a moment there was silence and then, "Actually there was an accident. A bomb went off near my truck."

In milliseconds Alastair was sitting up and throwing the phone across the room as he put his hands over his ears. "No! No! No!" Images of Kenton getting torn into tiny bits filled Alastair's head as he saw James sliced in half. He'd nearly lost them both at the same time, even if he hadn't known it. It was an overreaction, Alastair rationally knew that, but for the moment he was more emotionally overwhelmed than ever before and after his brother just throwing that at him, Alastair felt even more torn up.

It took him nearly a minute to calm down and grab the receiver which thankfully hadn't been damaged.

"Alastair! Fucking hell are you there!"

Alastair's response was quite, so quite that he had to repeat himself a bit louder. "Yes."

"God damn it bro don't fucking do that! Was that you screaming? What the hell happened?! I mean—"

"Nothing," whispered Alastair. "I'm fine."

"Okay, you are most definitely not fine. What's—"

"Why did you call?"

"What?" asked Kenton.

"Why did you call?"

"Because of the accident. I'm fine, no one was seriously hurt thank god, but I realized how fucking far apart we'd grown and just needed to hear your voice. That's not a crime is it?"

"No."

"Then why do you sound like you're fucking dying inside?"

Alastair didn't answer right away as he lied back down and turned away, the cord on the receiver getting wrapped around his body. He asked, "Are you alive?"

"Yes. I'm not calling you from the goddamn grave," growled out Kenton.

"I almost lost a friend today."

"Okay, fucking subject change. Is that why you got so upset?"

"In a way. I didn't expect it to hurt so much. He's fine but…I screwed up," Alastair whispered. "I screwed up and I can't take it back."

"Are we having a heart-to-heart because I may need some resources for this. Is this just because of when I called or what? I mean, whatever you did can't be that bad."

"I slipped up. I did it again."

"Oh Christ is this about-brother you are never going to be happy if you just do what mother tells you to. Why do you think I put countries apart from us?" asked Kenton, immediately knowing what was going on but not needing the details to get a fairly clear picture.

"It was wrong."

"Oh just stopping beating yourself up! I swear to god you've screwed yourself over more than mom. And why do you have to throw this at me while I'm not even there to comfort you? You're probably curled in some fortress somewhere, mentally or physically, am I right?"

Alastair looked at the mound of blankets. "More or less."

"Ally do not let this stew and bubble! Whatever feelings you're trying to repress are just going to hurt you later on."

"I told you never to call me that."

"Well you can't do shit about it cause I'm countries away. Now tell me who the guy is. Is he nice? I'm sure he is."

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course does! Ally—"

"Am I really having this conversation with you?" interrupted Alastair softly. "It doesn't feel like I am. I feel like I should be waking up and the past few hours will have been nothing but a dream. I feel like I'm crumbling inside but I'm so numb."

"It's called feelings which certainly says something in and of itself because damn you must have fallen hard if you're tearing yourself up this much!"

"I haven't fallen for anyone."

"Alastair, you wouldn't be so messed up if you hadn't. You've clearly fallen—"

"Don't say that!" Alastair breathed heavily into the receiver and curled in even tighter. "If you say it then it's true."

"Fine, I'll talk to you about this later."

"Please never bring it up again."

"Alastair, if I don't you'll bring it back up through some stupid action or phrase that you execute in anger or extreme sadness," sighed Kenton. "Is there anything I can do right now though?"

"Shut up. Please just stop talking about this."

"Fine, but it's not over."

For a moment there was silence on both ends and then finally Alastair asked, "Are you're sure you're okay?"

"Couple of scratches but nothing permanent. Certainly nothing to get worked up about."

"It's been a stressful twenty-four hours."

"I can tell. You going to bed?"

"It's only four here."

"Still, you sound exhausted."

"Yeah, I guess I'll probably—" Before Alastair could finish he heard words coming through the phone but they weren't the plain, clipped sounds of talking. It was singing. The singing of a lullaby that Kenton had always sung to him in the very rare times he'd been distressed, in some cases even worse than now.

"Sleep my child and peace attend thee/All through the night/Guardian angels God will send thee/All through the night."

It felt wrong to hear the words after so long, the entire conversation seemed wrong, yet the familiarity was calming in its own odd sense. Before Alastair even realized it, he was falling asleep, curled into a tight ball and the receiver slipping from his hand.