You Have Us... Always.

Chapter 46- New Year.

"You've got to stay here for tonight, okay?"

Brynn folded another thick blanket. "Only for tonight."

She placed the blanket beside the other ones that made up Nudger's space on the floor, next to his pile of hay, which he was presently munching on. His food and water bowl were refilled, and the bandage was checked for any bleed-throughs.

"I'll be back in the morning." She told him.

Checking him once more and concluding that he was fine, Brynn got up. She moved the pen door so that it was closed and watched him for a minute or so. He seemed content enough. She sighed, making her way into the wardrobe to change into pyjamas, and when she came back out, she hovered.

She'd be staying in Brayden's room tonight, per her request mere minutes ago, but she didn't want Nudger to be scared. Or lonely. And she didn't think he'd be as well-behaved with a new environment, like Brayden's room, to explore. His first night, all she heard was his pattering feet scattering across every square inch of her room. She didn't want Brayden to be woken up by it.

Thus, she decided to keep the side lamp on so the dark didn't scare him. Not like it did Brynn sometimes.

She also kept the door open a sliver, too, as she crossed the hallway to knock on Brayden's door, waiting until he said to come in.

Brayden's room was similar to Zayne's, at least from what Brynn remembered of Zayne's. Brayden was fixing the pillows and smiled when he saw her. "Rabbit put away?" he asked, pulling the thick sheets back and gesturing for her to get in.

Brynn nodded and padded over to the bed. " Yes." The sheets were brought up over her. "I kept the light on for him, so it wasn't too dark."

Brayden grinned, "That was nice of you." He walked around to his side of the bed and got in. "Have you brushed your teeth?"

Brynn shuffled down into soft pillows, "Yes."

She wasn't sleepy at that moment, but as Brayden switched off the lamp, she closed her eyes anyway.

It was silent for a while, and Brynn assumed that Brayden had fallen asleep. She tried scrunching her eyes harder to catch up with him, tapping idly at the pillow until her fingers felt heavy.

Nothing.

And then, "You are abysmal at pretending to be asleep, you know that?"

Brynn opened her eyes. Brayden still had his shut. How did he know?

She narrowed her eyes until they blurred out Brayden's face, and her own tapping fingers came into clearer view.

Oh, she stilled them.

Brayden moved, causing Brynn to focus on him again. He opened his eyes. "What are you thinking about, zusje?"

Brynn chewed on her bottom lip, focusing on the fabric of the pillow instead of looking at Brayden.

"It's New Year's Day tomorrow."

Brayden hummed. "Yes, it is."

"Don't grown-ups go out tonight to celebrate it?" She asked.

That's what she thought. At her old house, she used to hear people in the streets celebrating until dawn; Milo cursing them out downstairs. She didn't understand the significance of starting a New Year, not when she knew every year would be the same as last.

Curled up in threadbare sheets, stomach growling and listening to Milo's drunk friends talk loudly and shout at the television was never what she wanted for the New Year.