Trigger Warning: Mind the Tags –Forced drug and alcohol use.

She was sleeping so peacefully. It was hard to believe she had any troubles like this...Then again, every other moment her eyebrows would scrunch together and he'd wonder (and worry) about what was going through her mind in her sleep.

Now that Nolan knew about her and what she'd been through, he could give a few guesses.

"My sister didn't let anyone in or let anyone help her," he murmured, brushing her hair out of her face. It was thankfully smoothed out and peaceful again. "Don't do the same...She'd pushed me away, but I won't let you do the same."

Even if he had to be this possessive asshole that would potentially scare her off, at least he could make sure that she wouldn't go into this downward spiral and go to a place he wouldn't be able to follow.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead and that's when her eyes fluttered and then slowly opened. She gave him a sleepy smile.

"Hey," she greeted softly. "What time is it?"

Nolan shrugged with his free shoulder. "Don't know. Don't really care," and he leaned in again, this time kissing her lips.

She kissed him back but pulled away after a bit, giving him an amused look. "Don't you have work?"

"I'm the boss," he said smugly.

Wade laughed and he wondered if she was really actually happy.

"You know...the night we met?" Nolan started, watching her closely. She looked uneasy, if a bit confused. "I'm really glad I ran into you," he murmured, watching her cheeks go pink.

"That's... sentimental," she nibbled on her lip, looking at her pillow. Then she peeked up at him. "I, um...that night, I was in a really bad place. So...I'm glad I met you too. I don't think I'd be really happy right now, if I hadn't."

He was surprised that she had actually admitted that to him in the first place, especially face to face. But he was pleased too, because it meant she trusted him. Or at least he hoped that was what it meant.

Making a decision, he pulled up his interface and sent her a friend request, including his contact information. She saw him do so, eyes widening.

"Nolan?"

"If you need to contact me, or just...need me in any way," he told her firmly. "I'm there. No matter what."

"Oh! R-really?" she asked, looking beside herself and fully confused now.

"Yes," he told her. "I promise, Parzival."

She continued to look taken aback before she looked at him in scrutiny. Then her lips upturned a little, a bit bittersweet, a bit sad, but also a bit happy.

"My name is Wade Watts. I'm 16 years old and I'm a huge gunter. I used to think you were this awful jerk and asshole."

"And now?" he asked, watching her closely.

"I think you're the most amazing man I've ever met," she said quietly.

Nolan stilled. He didn't think anyone would've ever said that about him, and she was probably the only person to even think that.

"C'mere," he muttered, pulling her along as he got off the bed. Confused, she followed along and let him guide her. He momentarily left her side to mess with the controls of the room, played a song, and then returned to her.

She looked at him uncertainly, while he held out a hand. When she tentatively placed one of hers on his, he took it and pulled her closer to him, placing his other hand on her waist.

They swayed together and he could feel the contentedness building in him.

He imagined it could be like this in the real world for them.

~*~

Blissfully, Wade lay in her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Last night had been...it was incredible and then after she'd fallen asleep and woken up to a strangely tender Nolan, the sweet, intimate dance they shared had been full of silent promises and genuine affection.

Part of her had always thought, unhappily, that this was at most just sex, even if it was now between 'sort of' friends. But now she was scrambling to understand where the two of them stood now.

Wade also now was privy to his contact information and an implied open invitation to talk to him whenever.

It made her kind of...giddy.

After all, the idea that Nolan Sorrento of all people trusted her enough with it, liked her enough to share that information with her...It was nothing short of amazing. She was pretty sure Nolan didn't just share his information with just anyone, especially his personal contacts.

She really wanted to call him now, to hear his voice, and maybe thank him for it —

"WAKE UP!"

Wade quietly groaned and glared at the door, reluctantly rolling off of her makeshift 'bed'. She left her so-called room to travel to the main part of the trailer, where her aunt was sitting at the table, waiting for her.

"Hurry it up," her aunt snapped at her. "You're always wasting time."

Wade clenched her jaw but said nothing. At least it looked like Rick wasn't there.

"I'm tired of you being useless," she said immediately, as soon as Wade sat down across from her. "You need to help support us."

She stared in disbelief at Alice, feeling speechless.

"I wasn't kidding before," Alice snapped at her. "Go get hired as an escort. The pay isn't bad and is something you can easily do and get hired as. If you want to continue to live here and eat and have a bed, then you better damn well start earning your keep."

Wade flinched, feeling tears prick her eyes. She didn't want to be an escort. She didn't know why her aunt had to be like this. She didn't know why taking care of Wade was such a burden to her aunt.

"Are we clear?" she snapped at Wade again.

"Crystal," she muttered, refusing to cry.

She stormed out of the trailer, angrily wiping at her eyes.

~*~

In the safety of her hideout, Wade put on her new haptic bootsuit and entered the OASIS. Taking a deep breath, she was very tempted to call on either Nolan or Lacero, but didn't want to scare them off by being so clingy. Aech was, according to his status when she looked him up, currently in a match.

Which left her to wander around alone and miserable.

Recalling the bar she was beginning to semi frequent, she headed over and wondered if she could order a drink. She felt like having one, after dealing with her aunt and now anxious about the prospect of finding a job. More so over the idea of actually getting hired to be an escort...

The bar was mostly empty, which wasn't surprising since it wasn't night nor Happy Hour, so she sat down at the bar top and perused their specials tiredly.

"What's with the long face?" Collins asked as he came over.

She gave a halfhearted grin. "Family troubles."

"Something you want to talk about?" he asked and she shook her head. "Alright. M'here if you want to talk though," he gave her a supportive smile. "So what'll it be?"

"A Hurricane?" she asked for hesitantly. "Is that sweet?"

He nodded. "Mmhm, it is. I think you'd like that one."

She watched him make it and then pour it into a small glass mug, presenting it to her with a playful flourish. She took it and gave a thankful smile before she tasted it, beginning to chug it a bit after.

She needed to find a job, but she was going to save money and get the hell away from there. She couldn't stay with her aunt anymore, especially if she seemed so unhappy with Wade there and desperate to get her out of her hair. And if she had to keep dealing with Rick...

"Is anyone hiring around here?" she asked Collins, who looked thoughtful.

"Unfortunately no," Collins said, looking apologetic. "You looking for a job?"

She sighed. "Yeah." A job that didn't involve selling herself.

"I don't know of any," Collins reiterated. "You should ask your boyfriend."

Boyfriend?

Her cheeks went bright red as she realized that Collins was referring to Nolan.

"H-he's not my b-boyfriend," she stuttered, feeling mortified.

"Uh huh," he said skeptically. "In any case, you two are close, so why don't you ask him? He might know something."

She blinked and realized that Collins was right and was onto something. She should probably end up asking Nolan, especially as this was the kind of thing he'd definitely know.

~*~

Nolan typed furiously on his keyboard, focused on his current work and hoping to finish it soon. He was eager to contact Wade and do so as himself.

Which meant finishing all this work he'd put off, and then be able to be free to do as he wished. Wade would hopefully be free too and maybe they could meet in the OASIS and do something other than fuck. Not that he was opposed to having sex with her —he just felt suddenly eager to be around her and just do other things, act like a couple even.

They were taking bigger and bigger steps together, and he could only hope that Wade wouldn't be opposed to such a thing in the future.

He still had to figure out the whole Lacero thing though, but he was sure it wasn't a big deal and that she wouldn't be too upset in the end. It would mean that she had both of them in one and wouldn't have to split her attention between them or choose between, just as Nolan had been struggling with Parzival and Wade (only to be guiltily relieved they were the same person).

A ping alerted him and he clicked on the notification, pleased when it was the information he'd been waiting for.

Wade's address and pictures of her trailer and neighborhood stared at him in the face.

Nolan was in no way a stalker or had wanted to be. But, after hearing about Wade's home life and hearing her feelings, he wanted to be able to know where exactly she lived. While she'd told him she lived in the Stacks, he wanted to make sure he was sure about where exactly and be certain he'd be able to reach her or be able to lend her her an easier hand.

"This isn't too obsessive, right?" he muttered to himself. "Besides, I'm just trying to keep her safe and be reachable."

Really, he wasn't trying to justify himself.

Maybe just a little.

~*~

Her feet slowed as she saw the commotion. Wade stared at her Stack, her tower of trailers just loud and raucous. Some of the neighboring Stacks were the same, and she grimaced as she realized what she was coming home to.

A party.

She wavered and wondered if it was too late to go back to her hideout and stick it out there for the night, when lo and behold Rick saw her. He made a beeline for her and she tried not to turn and run.

"WADE!"

Maybe she should run after all.

Too late though, he'd grabbed her arm. He laughed obnoxiously, his face red-hued and the smell of alcohol wafting from him. He was obviously drunk, making her even more wary and increasingly panicked.

"L-let go," she stuttered, starting to pull her arm from him. He held on tight.

He snorted. "Don't be such a snobby bitch. Come join in! Party's going full throttle."

She tried to pull her arm, but he turned and started to drag her after him. Her protests died on deaf ears and then they were climbing up the creaking stairs and in their particular trailer before she knew it.

Horrified, she watched the mess and crowd of bodies in the trailer, the way she saw white powder on surfaces and being snorted up, the smell of sex and alcohol in the air...

"I'll just go to my room," she forced out, finally snatching her arm from Rick and rushing to her room, pushing passed people.

She heard Rick laugh loudly behind her but she ignored him, focusing on her door. She yanked it open, only to stop and stare at the people fornicating on her little bed. It was such a small space, she couldn't imagine why anyone would want to do it in there.

Slamming the door close, she backed up, only to back up into someone.

"I tried to warn you," Rick slurred in amusement, slinging an arm around her shoulders and holding onto her tight. "C'mere, Wade."

She was dragged to the couch, where so many was already sitting. A bottle was forced into her hand and she tried to give it back, only for Rick to grab it and harshly grab the hair at the back of her head, forcing her head back as he squeezed his hand around hers on the bottle and tipped it into her mouth. The initial splash of the alcohol made her gag as it dropped unexpectedly into the back of her throat. As it kept pouring, she was forced to swallow or else she'd choke on the alcohol, only managing to barely not gag.

Her eyes watered and she didn't know how long this kept going. Once he'd let go, she righted her head and coughed several times, tears spilling while she felt the burn of the alcohol against her throat still. She didn't like it. Not only had she not managed to drink it properly, but what taste she did get, she hated. It wasn't sweet like she was used to, and it was Rick who'd forced it on her.

She heard Rick chortling and others laughing around her. She shook her head.

"Please, Rick. Let me leave," she begged. She wanted to just get out of there.

"Geez, don't be a killjoy, Wade!" Rick said. "Enjoy the party! Let loose, you tight little bitch."

"I bet she is tight!" someone yelled and she bit down on her lip, trying to not actually cry in front of these people.

"Stick around," Rick said, forcing her head up. "Here. Take this. This'll loosen you up."

He shoved his fingers in her mouth, letting go of something, and she wanted to bite his fingers. He'd already removed them though, and before she could spit out whatever he'd forced into her mouth, he forced her mouth shut and kept his hand around her jaw, locking it up. He pinched her nose, making it impossible for her to breathe, and her lower face spasmed in his grip. In her struggle, she swallowed and whatever it was slid down her throat. He finally let go and she went into a coughing fit.

"Have fun with that, slut!" someone shouted in glee and there was a round of mocking laughter around her.

She shoved Rick away and darted to her feet, running out of there and not caring how many or whoever she pushed out of her way. Already, her body felt hot and there was a sense of nausea creeping up, the urge to throw up coming on strong. She gagged several times.

"What...what's happening?" she moaned, pressing her palms against her eyes. Her head was pounding and she dry heaved.

She stumbled around, feeling like she was dying. She didn't know where her feet led her, but she couldn't think any more.

Wade had ended up stopping and throwing up several times, just dropping to the ground of wherever she was and relieving her stomach. By the time she just collapsed in the middle of nowhere, her whole body ached and was screaming at her, and she had nothing left to throw up.

"Nggh, God make it stop," she cried, weakly turning onto her side.

Reaching into her jacket pocket with what energy she had left, she fumbled for her IM Interface and brought it as close to her mouth as she could, while pressing a button.

It called whoever was first on the list.

"H-help," she gasped out. "Please...help."

She didn't know if she could hold on any longer like this.