"Cashile," Aiden greeted with a soft smile. He opened the door wider in invitation and Aisa tugged my hand, dragging me inside of my apartment.

"Aiden—" suddenly I was crushed in a hug, full of expression that I couldn't seem to read.

"Thank you," Aiden whispered fervently, voice choked, embracing me tightly.

I stiffened at first, and then relaxed. Right. Saving Aisa's life. Aisa must have told him about what happened. And now Aiden owed me even more. Good.

Aiden's hands tightened around my shoulders as he inspected me closely. "How are you? How are your wounds? Does anything hurt? I can run to the store to get you some medicine, some food, anything?"

I raised my eyebrows at his desperation to wait on me hand and foot. Of course he'd feel grateful to me, and guilty that his brother's actions almost had me killed. I shook his hands off and rolled my eyes. "I'm fine, Aiden. If I wasn't, this would be the last place I'd be," I responded smartly.

"Sit down," he continued stubbornly, eyebrows still furrowed in worry. "I'll make you some tea."

And who could refuse tea?

I let him lead me to the leather sofa, my sofa, and settled comfortably in it. Maybe, seeing as Aiden was clearly refusing to leave my apartment, I would steal this couch. I really did enjoy it.

"How was the rest of your mission?" He asked, heating up the tea water in a kettle.

"Could have gone better," I admitted, letting my shoulders slump a little. My eyes drooped slightly, showing how tired I really was. "But could have been worse."

He poured in a little milk before the tea, just how I always did, then handed me the cup with the bag still submerged in the sweetened water. He laid a hand on my shoulder. "We can talk more tomorrow. You should get some rest."

"I claim your fridge as my own for breakfast," I replied as way of agreement. It only made sense to stay here: it was late, there was fresh food, and it was my apartment.

"Sure," Aiden laughed, pushing Aisa into his room. "Whatever you want."

I smile at that. Because it showed how open he was to manipulation.

I curled up onto one side of the couch, listening as Aiden forced Aisa to brush his teeth and brush his hair and put on pajamas before tucking him in. I burrowed deeper into the couch, throwing away an uncomfortable decorative pillow that I had no memory of ever buying. They were just so... Domestic.

Aiden returned from Aisa's room, gathering up a book and his reading glasses before settling into the other side of the couch. A soft light came from a lamp beside him.

"Does the light bother you?" He asked quietly.

I studied his profile in the golden light, shadows softening normally sharp edges. "What book are you reading?" I asked instead.

"The Winter's Tale," he responded.

"Still on that Shakespeare marathon, huh?" I mumbled, turning my head back into the couch. "'Though I am not naturally honest, I am sometimes so by chance.'"

Aiden gave a soft laugh. "Goodnight," he murmured, shaking his head with a fond smile.

"What's your quote, then?" I pushed.

Aiden stared at me for a long moment with unreadable dark eyes. Then, finally, "'O, she's warm!; If this be magic, let it be an art; Lawful as eating.'"

"You've already read the ending," I accused. "When she comes back to life."

He shook his head again and smiles. "I'm almost finished. Goodnight, Cashile."

I slept.

***

When I woke at 2:37 in the morning, I couldn't breathe.

I was pressed into the corner of the couch, shivering violently. Aiden was sleeping on the other end, sprawled out, completely comfortable and asleep. My knees were drawn to my burning chest, my muscles were taut and panic was clouding my mind because something was coming, something was coming and I needed to be ready to fight or run or get away and I couldn't breathe.

I was freezing cold but the blankets and pillows and long trench coat were just too constricting so I ripped them all away, threw them to the floor and shivered in the corner and tried to calm my racing heart and panicked breaths.

There's no reason to be panicked. I couldn't understand why I was so terrified; there was no threat, no enemy, and fear gave you no advantage in a fight. So why couldn't I control this, push it down, and ignore it?

My eyes were open but I wasn't seeing anything and I couldn't breathe I couldn't breathe I couldn't breathe I was going to die I couldn't breathe—

"Cashile?"

Aiden's voice registered dimly, but I wouldn'tshouldn'tcouldn't  respond. I brushed at my arms, desperately trying to wipe something away and discover a way to breathe.

Aiden was truly awake now; no more of the stirring, half open eyes, and muffled voice. He'd realized that something was wrong and I couldn't truly process anything that was going on around me because I was terrified.

Suddenly, someone's hand was on my shoulder, and I instinctually grabbed the offending appendage and twisted.

There was a cry of pain and the hand was snatched back away from me. The sliver of control I felt I had disappeared with it and I clawed at my chest, trying to catch my breath. "Cashile!" Someone was saying a name, frantic and worried and desperate. "Cashile, what's wrong? What's wrong?!"

I had no idea where I was due to the panic and that just made the panic worse and I had no idea if the voice belonged to someone who could help me but all the same I gasped out, "Can't breathe!"

"Aiden? Cashile?"

There was someone new in the room and my panic increased because now I was outnumbered.

The atmosphere grew more tense as someone snapped, "Go to bed, Aisa!" There was a long pause, then the sound of pattering feet as the newcomer ran away, ran away from the room and the panic and me.

I had no idea how much time had passed, but it felt like hours. I realized suddenly that I was babbling words under my breath and stopped talking. The only sound was my harsh breathing and the pounding of my heart in my ears.

"Cashile?" The voice was hesitant and soft and worried and everything that my panicked thoughts were not. "Cashile, I'm still here. It'll be alright. It's okay. I'm still here."

I opened my eyes (when had I closed them?) and focused on the face of the boy in front of me. His cheeks were shiny with tears but his voice was firm and kind. My breathing was still harsh and my heart was still racing and the fear was still there but I was a little more grounded.

"Still here, Cashile," Aiden said softly, and instead of the shallow panicked pants a huge, shuddering sigh ripped from my lungs. "That's good," Aiden murmured. "Deep breaths. Deep breaths."

"I can't—"

I cut myself off with another huge breath. Aiden nodded encouragingly. "Good, good," he praised and it sort of made me want to hit him. Instead I bowed my head into my knees and focused on breathing.

"What do you need, Cashile?" Aiden asked. "What can I do to help?"

I couldn't respond so I didn't, simply focusing on the air rattling in my lungs. The weight suddenly disappeared from the couch and I made a small noise of protest in the back of my throat.

"I'm just going to go make some tea," Aiden reassured me. Face still buried in my knees, I shook my head. I couldn't handle him leaving right now; I needed some sort of presence to ground me.

"Okay," Aiden agreed, sitting back down. "Whatever you need, Cashile."

I breathed slowly, hearing but not listening to Aiden's constant stream of words. Bringing my breathing back under control was a harder task then I had ever imagined, but I managed slowly.

"Cashile?" I snapped to attention when I heard my name. "I'm going to touch you, now, if that's okay? I'm going to touch your shoulder."

I nodded my consent but his touch is fire and I couldn't help but flinch away. He removed his hand immediately. "Okay, okay. Not yet, then. Can I get you a drink? Water? Are you too warm—"

"Cold," I rasped in reply.

Aiden froze and then he was all flurried motion. "Ah, shit, shit; I left the window open. Shit, I'm sorry, Cashile, it gets so warm and stuffy during the day so I opened a window and I forgot how cold it gets at night."

The window snapped shut, but Aiden was still moving around, gathering materials. "Here, I'm going to put a blanket on you," he warned.

"No!" I exclaimed. Aiden stopped, surprised, and I had to take a few long moments to bring my hard fought breath back under control. My head remained buried in my knees. "I... It's too constricting. I wouldn't... I wouldn't be able to move, to escape."

"Okay," Aiden agreed. "Okay. I'll just, um, sit here, then."

I nodded again, and took in a deep breath. I noticed that the sink is dripping. Normally it would irritate me. Now it helped.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

In. Out. In. Out.

My breaths evened. My heartbeat slowed. I reached out blindly and found Aiden's elbow. I held on to the fabric of his shirt there, allowing his steady presence to pull me back into reality.

Aiden made an aborted movement and I realized that he wanted to help me but was scared of throwing me back into a panic. I nodded shortly, and he let out a slow breath, large hand loosely circling my wrist. His grip was gentle, unrestraining, easily breakable. The breath I had been holding shudders out of me.

"Cashile?" Aiden murmured questioningly.

"I'm here," I replied softly. I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince. "I'm still here."

***

My eyes flitted open as a steady stream of disarrayed light lit through the window.

Memories of last night immediately crossed my mind as I glanced at the half filled cup of tea next to my sleeping space. Then my eyes lowered to the floor, where Aiden laid quietly, breath even and nearly silent; the sleep of someone who was used to hiding, used to needing to awaken in a split second to defend himself and his family.

A blanket was wrapped around my legs, hugging me tightly and protecting me from the cold. Aiden must have draped it over me once I'd finally fallen back asleep. I removed the blanket, now feeling warm from the sun. Aiden stirred at my movement.

"Cashile?" He murmured groggily. "Did you push me off of the couch?"

"I'll make breakfast," I replied, dodging the question.

Aiden stumbled in soon after, watching as I made rice and fish for breakfast. His hands fumbled with the tea kettle, still half asleep as he started to heat the water.

"Have you seen a doctor?" He asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "We had this conversation last night," I reminded him. "I'm not injured. If I was, I wouldn't be here."

"Not for that," he shook his head. "But for... Y'know."

I had indeed figured out what he getting at. But I wasn't going to help him out any. He could say it himself if he was that concerned. "No. I don't know."

He looked distinctly uncomfortable, and I reeled in a sigh just before it could escape. "You remember last night, don't you?" He mumbled, twisting the teacup in his hands.

"Yes."

"Then you know why I'm wondering if you've seen a doctor or something," Aiden latched onto my admission.

"No."

"But you... That's not healthy, y'know, flashbacks of panic attacks or whatever," he stuttered.

I stared at him in open challenge. "I've been through worse than.. Than a nightmare. I'm fine."

"Tell me what's wrong," Aiden begged, eyes suddenly flashing up to mine as he tried to hide the desperation in his voice. "Please, I can help you, just tell me what happened, what's wrong, what I can do!"

I narrow my eyes. "You can—"

Before nasty, acidic words could come lashing out, the teapot whistled. I jumped, hand tightening around the chopsticks I was holding. Aiden picked up on it, eyes darkening with sorrow. The silence hanging over us was heavy with the weight of things left unspoken, but I didn't move to break it. Aiden moved to the stove in quiet concession—at least for the moment.

"Dammit!"

I was by Aiden's side in a second. He had picked up the kettle only drop it again immediately, clutching at his wrist and sporting burns on his hand from the boiling water that had splashed out.

"What happened?" I immediately questioned, taking his wrist and examining it closely. The burns from the boiling water didn't appear too severe, but all the same I turned on the tap and ran cold water over them. Aiden hissed at the contact, teeth gritted and eyes squinted in pain, but otherwise he didn't make a noise.

I prodded at his wrist, ignoring my sleeves as they soaked in the running water. It appeared to be swollen, hot, and discolored.

"I think it's sprained," we spoke at the same time. I watched him closely. The silence reappeared between us, the rushing tap water unable to drown out my river of thought.

"I did that," I finally said quietly, eyes lowered to further examine his wrist, unable to meet his eyes. "Didn't I?"

Aiden didn't speak, and I'm eventually forced to look up to gauge his reaction. He was watching me closely, as though unsure if I was really there, or maybe as though he didn't quite know who I was. We looked at one another for several long moments.

Finally, he nodded.

I was simply holding his wrist at this point, observations complete, supporting it under the rush of cold water. His skin was warm beneath my fingertips.

"It's fine," Aiden spoke, words breathless and quiet. "Just leave it. It's fine."

"No," I contradicted. "No, it's not fine."

I didn't quite know how to put it into words; I'd injured him; I'd hurt him; I'd physically harmed him. It was wrong, wrong, wrong.

"Let me get some bandages and tape it up," I ordered.

"No, no, it's okay," Aiden attempted to wave me off. "I'll be okay."

My fingers tightened on his arm for a brief moment before letting go. "No," I said again."Just let me help, Aiden. Please."

My plea at the end seemed to throw him off, and he nodded unsurely. I took  a deep breath and let it out.

"Let me help."

__________________________

Hey guys! Your comments are motivating us to update more, keep it up! Sorry for the super short author's notes, I've been super busy in college. If any of ya'll are college students give a gal some advice haha.

Anyways! Comment more! Vote and the likes :)

-S

HI GUYS!

Thank you for the SUPER inspiring comments lasts chapter! It helped us get this chapter out despite super busy schedules! I know it takes a little more time but keep up the inspiring comments! It really does help us update more quickly!

On a side note what the hell was I thinking I have such a hard schedule I'm literally basically taking a year f college:

AP Environmental Science
AP Physics
AP Calc
Senior creative writing 1st semester/AP Comparative Gov 2nd
AP Lit
AP French

(This is S, I already knew she was insane, she just proved it to you ^^^^^ <333)

I will literally be taking all AP (advanced placement, kinda like IB. Basically college courses) 2nd semester. Shoot me in the face.

I may only have had four days of this schedule so far but even though it's way harder I am enjoying it more than junior year. I feel much more engaged with the higher level classes lol

OKAY to sum it up please post more super inspirational comments so we can get another update out soon despite our respective uber busy schedules!

COMMENT!

gaara119

Comment, Vote, and Fan!

Ja ne!

Insomniac_Lullabies