Heavy Wears The Crown

Forty Two

 "If you just say the word I'll be there by your side. You make me more, you make me superhuman. And if you need me to, I will save you."

------------- Halo - Starset -------------

                I slept. And I slept more. 

I slept for over twelve hours before waking up well into the middle of the night, making a bowl of ramen, washing the dishes I'd used, and going back to sleep.

When I did finally wake up at some point when I couldn't get back to sleep I just laid, staring at the television I hadn't bothered to turn on. I hadn't showered, or changed, or anything really. Nolan's couch was comfortable, too comfortable. What was the point of having a couch this comfortable when you did so much traveling? I could count on one hand how many times I'd seen him make good use of this couch. It wasn't fair, someone who would actually use the couch should own it.

Maybe I should just steal his couch while he was away. It's not like he would ever know it was me. Who would suspect goodie two shoes Carter Reid would break into someone's house let alone steal something? Probably the same person who would expect her to break a bottle over someone's head.

Well into my detailed theory of how I could possibly get the couch down the stairs by myself and transport it I heard the sound of the door unlocking and keys jingling followed by pin pad beeping. 

I don't know I who I was expecting. The police for breaking and entering? A house keeper who would surely report my presence? A burglar breaking into the house I'd broken into? Kaleb coming to finish what he'd started? I don't know why I did it, but I jumped to my feet and hid. The closest place to me was a closet designated for coats but Nolan, being Nolan, threw his coats on the couch or floor so the closet was really just useless storage and clutter.

Hobbies he'd taken up for half a week or had forced on him, hockey sticks, golf clubs, decent shoes he had no interest in still in the box, a mop and broom he probably didn't even know how to use. Junk to him.

From inside the closet I squinted to hear as conversation trickled through. It was Derek's soothing and calm tone that I first registered. "You need to sleep. Shower, eat something. Come on man, you're going to lose it."

My heart rate must have doubled instantly. Derek was here... There was a long silence before I heard another familiar voice. "Are you okay?" Gunner was here...

The hair on the back of my neck was sticking up, I held my breath waiting to hear his voice but instead heard only crashed. Many crashes. It sounded as though someone had just swiped their hand across the table and thrown all of the contents on the floor, perhaps thrown something into a well stocked area to get the most mess and disaster they could.

"Come on man! That's not going to help anything!" Gunner yelled to be heard over more noises of destruction.

"Calm the hell down!" Derek yelled.

"Calm down? Calm down!" Nolan yelled.

My stomach did some sort of flutter and a frog climbed up my throat at the sound of his voice. Despite the obvious rage and destruction, he sounded bad. Like he'd been on some sort of binge and hadn't slept for days. Perhaps we could finally share something in common.

"How the hell can you guys be so calm? It's like you don't give a fȕck at all!"

"Of course we do! How can you even say that?" Derek yelled back