𝐓𝐇𝐄 ／ 𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮.

cassius always felt safer knowing that she was here with him, that if anything happened he would be here to comfort her, to make sure she was okay. it was weird how much he found himself caring about roxanne, an easy thing to do, but hard to explain. he had always been the one night stand type, don’t look back or ask any questions, but when she was around he wanted to know everything about her, and when she was gone he hoped she was thinking of him too. “i didn’t have to, but i wanted to.” he shrugs as if it was no big deal. “you’re never a bother, it’s basically your place to at this point.” he teases and leans into the kiss, a bad idea on his part. he joins her on the couch, “do you want to go change first? the pajamas i got are on the bed. then when you come back we could watch a movie? it could be whatever you want, i’ll even brave a romcom for you. just know i’ll be right there in whatever you decide to do.” he reassured her, awaiting a response.

cassius had hopen by now the nightmares may have stopped. as much as he loved roxie coming over, and getting to hold her in his arms, he knew that meant her well being, something more paramount to him than anything was at stake. “a scale from one to ten? hm, is there an option for me to say zero?” he asked opening the door, eyes searching for in the dark, a feat that proved to be useless since it was much too dark to see most things outside. “whenever you’re ready the door is open, and i have some pajamas i bought for you in case you came over in regular clothes.” he had never been the type to buy people sentimental gifts, due to his more guarded nature, but it was in this moment where he waiting for a girl he’d known for years to walk into his house that he’d realize he would do anything for her.

perhaps echo wasn’t the best person to come to about his girl trouble, actually he might be the worst person to come to about his girl trouble. but he was more a big brother than a best friend. “okay so let’s say you have three things that you really like, but they’re all completely different things. like you have a  a spicy italian sub, a bowl of oatmeal, and shrimp alfredo.” a food analogy was the best way he could think of not using names to describe the girls he liked was attracted to? had feelings for? “like a bowl of oatmeal is reliable it’s always been there, but sometimes it gets boring. so to spice things up you buy an italian sub, but you know you can’t keep buying italian subs, because you’re a spicy kind of guy. and then there’s shrimp alfredo, it’s new, you don’t think you like it because you’ve never be the seafood type, but one taste and you’re hooked.” he acts as if he just made perfect sense, and catches a breath after finally finishing his long winded analogy. “which would you choose?”

cassius navigated the familiar hallways of their new york penthouse, usually both of them would be asleep by now, but these days it seemed neither of them was getting much rest, perhaps for different reasons, but they went restless nonetheless. “you hungry?” he asks approaching the male sitting on the couch. “i could go for some really good chinese take out and some really bad television, what about you?” he questions, tempted to flop over the couch and annoy raf face to face but deciding against it last minute. “look all i’m saying is i know this really good spot i used to go with my buddies during college,” he avoids saying the word margo in their house like the plague, whatever tensions existed between them two, cassius preferred it stayed the way, “they’re open till like four in the morning, i could order some.”

it had been a strange couple of weeks, and the only thing that cassius wanted at this point was to see his best friend. or, the only of his best friends it didn’t seem like he was entangled in some kinda of drama with. “mari! i missed you!” he exclaims seeing the raven-haired woman from far away. he had a tendency to slip into a persona around other people, especially when said people were attractive, but with mariana she gave him the opportunity to be his most authentic self. he could let loose, and even though she would judge him for it, it was refreshing to do so nonetheless. “i wish you were here like all the time, i think you’re the closest thing i have to a platonic soulmate. which know that i think about it, isn’t saying much seeing how much you enjoy harassing me.” he says letting out a soft chuckle.

they weren’t good for each other. if cassius had half a brain he would know that, and maybe he did. maybe part of him had become addicted to wanted something unattainable, there was something in the way that they looked at each other, held each other in their arms. their kind of love could best be described as not being able to see the explosion because you are the one holding the bomb, and the bomb was also you. a fiery passion that ended with their demise. case in point, a few nights ago she made him jealous, and brushed it off, now it was his turn to do the same. inviting her out to her favorite club, buying her favorite drink, and being lead out to the dance floor by the first girl who tried ‘convincing’ him alanna was worth leaving. the music is loud, lights are flashing rampantly, and the smell of alcohol is stronger than it was at the bar. after an eternity of waiting she comes over, and part of him is appeased. “what no you’re jealous?” he questions with a triumphant look. “it was supposed to be fun and you ruined it.”

he was half asleep when his phone began to ring and, startled awake by the sound, cassius began searching through his blankets with a grunt of confusion. he didn’t know who could be calling him. his phone was still ringing when he found it. he read the name blinking across the screen and frowned. “...roxie?” he answered the call with the soft murmur, scrubbing his tired eyes and stifling a yawn. “hey. what’s up?” he can tell that something is off for more reasons than just the unusual circumstances under which she was calling him. “...is everything okay?” he just knows that it isn’t somehow. cassius sat up and slid his shoes on, feeling far more awake and alert than he did mere moments earlier. 

his immediate response to the struggle is slight laughter, “let me help you, milady.” he jokes in a horrible attempt at an english accent, “here we are, my damsel in distress.”