The Sinner's Saint

DAY OFF 3/3

Inside is its own world.

She's been in a lot of rooms in her life. Rooms like this so it takes her only about thirty seconds to read the general vibe.

Money and danger wearing the same face. Men in suits next to men who look like they've never owned one.

Multiple languages are happening simultaneously, she catches Spanish, Italian, Albanian, something else she can't place. The room is dim and loud in the way that means it's been going for hours and has no intention of stopping.

Nobody looks at her like she doesn't belong which tells her Lev mustve told someone she was coming. He puts his hand briefly at the small of her back steering her through the crowd, drops it when they're through.

Then she hears it.

"ALEX."

She turns. Seb is coming through the crowd with the energy of someone who has been waiting to do exactly this, arms open, absolutely zero chill.

"Why are you so loud," Lev says flatly.

"Because I'm happy to see her and im just a happy person unlike some people-" He doesn't finish the sentence before he's got her in a headlock that is technically a hug. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

He's got a big smile and bigger energy and the specific chaos of someone who was clearly raised with too much love and not enough quiet.

"Seb I will bite you-"

"She'll do it, I have proof" Niko says from somewhere behind them, unbothered with two drinks in hand. One's prolly Seb's.

Seb releases her only to hold her at arm's length and inspect her, like she's been gone a month, which she basically has and he has too, a modelling thing in London.

"You look good. Better actually, it's nice to see,"

"Aww, Thank you. I missed you,"

"Ew, you ruined it" he gags even though his arms are still around her shoulders

"Hey," Niko appears closer this time and moves Seb out of the way to hug her properly. "Lev never brings anyone. I'm glad." As always hes Quieter, calmer, like the human equivalent of a hand on a shoulder.

"Have I ever told u i like her more than you," Seb says to Lev, already drinking from one of Niko's cups.

"Ignore him." Lev mutters rolling his eyes

"I never ignore him, he's entertaining." Seb points at her.

"See. She gets it." Lev looks at all of them with the expression of someone who has accepted his life.

Then Malik appears and the whole temperature shifts slightly, not in a bad way, just in the way it shifts when someone who means something walks into a space. He goes to Alex before anyone else, pulls her ina proper one-arm hug. Let's go Then He looks at Lev,.

"You finally told her," he says to Lev and Lev nods.

Then.

"And?"

"And nothing," Alex shrugs. "Hes still the Same Lev." Malik is quiet for a moment Then something in his face settles, warm and decided.

"Good, id hate to hate you," he says and She laughs. Hes so Big Brother energy Alex thinks to herself.

"You look rough."

"Wow thanks, I look great actually,"

"Yh you look rough aswell."

"Do you hate me Malik?" hes about to answer when an older woman with sharp eyes, the kind of beauty that has survived a lot and the kind of stillness that means she's already assessed everything in the room and decided what matters