July 7th: Early Morning

The last two days had taken their toll on her self control. The fight with Andre, the presence of Fiorella, Dulcie's calculating glances, Lisa's irritation, the pressing feeling that she was being followed, and most of all Alek's complete absence. She'd been trying to get a hold of him for the whole day, and nothing. In no mental condition to actually put her mind to something, she did the worst possible thing: she sat and waited for him and tried her best to keep a normal conversation.

"She's a big girl. And most of the time, she knows what she's doing. Just like the rest of us." Dulcinea turned slowly towards Noni, rubbing her cheek with two fingers. Dying drug insight. "Have you ever noticed the odd directions of our family?"

Tired chuckles fall from stiff lips at the question. "It's hard not to sometimes, Dulcie.." One tiny hand tames a wandering curl back from her brow and presses it down with the others. "Do they fascinate or annoy you?" That same hand whips out her phone and all but slams it onto the counter before her. It's a true test of self control whether or not she's going to get a hammer and turn it into a pile of metal and plastic. Now having nothing else to really occupy herself with, Noni gulps down her coffee, ignoring the urge to cough, and sets the empty cup down beside her phone, wiping her lips.

In through the Alley door, hoodie pulled up to cover most of his face. Wild-eyes glance left and right as he slinks in, keeping close to the walls. Alek grimaces as he quickly crosses the room and heads towards the bar where Noni was standing. He vaguely recognized Dulcinea as part of the family, but was more concerned with finding out what Noni was so upset about. As he drew near, his bruised and battered face may clue her in as to why he hadn't answered the first time.

"Well..." She spun her still mostly-full glass about. It went from palm to palm. "Both. I imagine you feel the same, prima?" Was this another moment shared outside of the family's eyes? "I like how we grew up. I like how we are, all of us. But..." She paused, and narrowed her eyes. "Doesn't it all feel planned, sometimes? I mean...we're all in the family business, aren't we? It's not like we can just..." She used her fingertips to walk along the bartop. It took her a while to formulate. Such was the way of Dulcie. She almost reached for the phone to toy with.

"Sometimes, but not really.. I chose what I do, and I chose it because I'm good at it. There's really nothing else I want out of life, so for me.. it's pointless to question." Dark eyes dart to the hooded figure and watch it closely with a narrowed, irritated look.. that melts once Noni realizes the individual's identity. It's uncanny the speed the tiny female possesses when she wishes. "Alek..? Jesus.." Being so short gave her the vantage point of easily seeing his face, even if it was cast downward. "What did you do..?"

"But..." Lost with Noni's shift of attention. She twirled to find the source of such concern, thinking family was behind it...and instead, she found someone else. Plus, a name that matched a certain whisper heard earlier.

He'd never be able to tell her that her incessant calling and texting had been the cause of his misfortune--that would only make her feel terrible and Alek couldn't afford to push her any further away. "Qu? tiene de malo, cari?o? You've got me worried." Words were slightly slurred, but it was as if he didn't care how he was feeling. He didn't even care that she assumed it had been his fault.

"Treat her well, hombre." Offered to Alek, along with the socialite-sweet smile, as blue-greys deciphered her cousin's expression. She slid the cup back into her palms and left them alone.

"Yeah well.." Flustered didn't sit well or look good on the assassin, and she whirled around to keep both Alek and Dulcie from seeing it. Eyes land immediately on the cooler, and she follows through with her only thoughts of ice. Bottles and cans clink together as she searches for a cold pack, but then gives up, scooping handfuls of shaved ice into a thin rag and making one of her own. She holds it out to him with both hands. When she heard Dulcie, her head snapped that direction, surprised. "What..?"

"Like you're the only one who can threaten and be protective?" She asked Noni, with one of those 'oh, come on!' looks. Dulcie wasn't the most...tactful of people, at times.

He wasn't startled that even Dulcinea knew. Apparently Noni was the only person who couldn't see it. Alek attempted to smile, but Dulcie only received a nod. He looked back to Noni, mildly depressed that she shyed away from anything romantic. He reached for the make-shift ice pack and held it to the side of his face. "Answer me."

There was something going on behind the scenes that she wasn't privy to, she knew it. Curls bounce with her quick head turns and water drips down her fingers at least until Alek takes it from her. Her wet hands shake violently, droplets flying this way and that. "I.. it's not that important, really. It'll get straightened out soon."

Alek would have frowned if he could have, but the split lip prevented such an expression. His gaze fell and drifted over to Dulcie. "How've you been, mami?" He blinked painfully, waiting for a response, but was disappointed to see she'd gone. Now his distraction had disappeared.

Her eyes wander, and she notes Dulcie's lacking presence, making a mental note to question her about that later. "Do you want to sit down or.. or maybe you should just stay here. You're not completely screwed up, are you?" Has to stand on tippy toes, but doesn't mind, and dances her fingers beneath the hood he has on, trying to shimmy it off his head in the most painless way possible, tutting as she does.

Caught between acting childishly by leaving and melting at her touch, Alek tensed. A few moments later he slumped onto a stool and let her remove his hood. She'd find an obviously broken cheek bone, black eye, dried blood from an earlier bloody nose and a split lip. Someone had gone to town on poor Alek's face. Not to mention other bodily harm he's acquired. Though, none of that is visible.

It's not possible, that thin of a line her mouth takes, or the severity of her gaze as she inspected him from top to bottom. "What happened." A no nonsense tone was taken; she wanted to know, and she wanted to know now, and his response would determine if he received any further injuries.

"You'd think a little warning about that would be included...." She spun on her heels, clicking back towards the bar. Her cousin was given a brief look, but the journey was really for the bloody mary left behind.

To tell the truth would mean Noni would feel terrible. To lie would mean she'd be pissed at him for not answering. He glanced briefly towards Dulcie, drew in a labored breath and spewed a lie. "Wrong place, wrong time, wrong crowd. Guess I should have been more careful. Sorry I didn't call you back." That last bit was mumbled.

Alek was lucky she was as easy to convince as she was. Either that, or she's just not ballsy enough to go through with what her glare suggested. Noni sighs forcefully, her eyes closing as she thought it over. "You're an idiot.. and don't apologize for that, it's obviously not your fault." Not realizing she's contradicting herself, she flicks a glance over her shoulder towards the ledger and pen, and makes a split second decision. "You're staying here with me." Moves to fill out the proper information.

Watching her cousin's movements, she almost smiled, but it wasn't as if it was an easy vibe. She sent a quick look over to Alek, again, cocking her head long enough to investigate.

"You don't have somewhere to be, do you." Severe, and clippy, assassin's expression being sent over to Dulcie, shadowing her face.

"Even I can't fill up my schedule that fast, Noni." She said, calmly, twisting the little vial open. She held it below her nose and took in a deep breath. It was all over rather quickly. "I'll be fine. It's not a long walk. Besides, don't they have cabs here, or whatever?"

"I can't promise I'll take care of you too at the moment, so you'll have to make do with your skills." Fluttering glance given to her cousin while she moved back to Alek, rubbing her cheeks.

"What do you mean I'm staying with you?" He looked almost alarmed. Dulcie got another look, but this time it was confused. "I'm perfectly capable of..." he trailed off, noting Noni was severely pissed.

She sets the pen down gently, and fishes out a fat wad of bills, fitting it into the nearby till. The voice she takes with Alek is quite different; softer, even tired sounding. "It means you're staying with me so I can keep an eye on you. I'll make sure you're settled, then get you some clothes."

She re-capped the little vial, and tucked it back into her purse. She smiled to her cousin in a very careful manner. "I'm a big girl, too, prima. Try not to have too much fun."

His pride reared it's head quickly. "Mujer, no necesito ver a usted despu?s de m?." Attempting a frown, he made his lip bleed and he cursed, getting off the stool. "Why do you have to make it sound like you have to keep an eye on me like I'm some child. Can't you just pretend that you're worried, Noni?"

Clapping her hands to her forehead as she closed the distance between them, mustering up a hurt look that was not completely fake, but not completely real. She was, after all, worrying about countless things at once, and to let one more thing tip the scale would be a catastrophe. "You think I'm not..?" she asked, nearly soundless.

Alek's hardened expression turned soft after a few moments, casting the melting icepack away while shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. I need to lie down. I came all the way here because you sounded frantic. You called and texted me nine times." Exasperation evident, as well as exhaustion, Alek slinked towards the stairs.

"You're always taking care of me, can't I take care of you just this once?" There was more emotion pushed into that simple sentence that she'd let show in weeks, and she resisted the urge to drop to her knees and cry like the little girl she was pretending she wasn't. Her head turned halfway over her shoulder to regard him, defeated. "I'll check on you in a bit, okay..?"

He paused, turning to face her. That small bit of emotion had been all he needed. The few times she showed she cared were enough to keep him going. "Come with me," he pleaded softly, needing to be with her. "Te necesito," he added just as quietly.

Noni sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed for a few seconds. Roses of pink blossomed along her cheekbones when she made another split second decision. She moved to silently collect her jacket. Luvvie's gleam was slow and calming, as were her own strides, bringing her beside Alek. "Do you need help..?" Noni asked quietly, nodding towards the stairs.

"Yeah," he lied, holding a hand out to her. He waited for her to draw close before putting his arm around her. After a few moments silence, Alek looked down at her. "Gracias, Noni."

Since she has no way to gauge his injuries, she's awkwardly trying to be as gentle and soft as possible while providing firm support. It was nostalgic, for there had been many times where these roles were switched. She slid up beside him, and shrugged her shoulders into his grip, her other arm ghosting around his waist. Once she figured they were alright for movement, she began the slow ascent. "Just.. heal up quickly, alright?" Nods, sending him a flicker of a watery eyed glance.

"With you poking and prodding me?" It was an attempt at humor. He gave her a light squeeze. "I'll heal just fine. You'll stay with me.. like when we were kids?"

She snorted. "Shut up.." But that snort quickly becomes unsmiling laughter, less restrained than she usually lets slip. Since childhood, even into high school, they had shared a bed with one another. It was a chaste gesture, something done because they both just wanted to be within each other's presence. Although it sometimes resulted in one of them falling onto the floor. Noni dipped her head in low nod, and not wanting to squeeze him back, gives him a soft look. "Yeah.. of course." Her tone was incredulous, like she'd already decided on this long before. God knew she was long overdue for time spent with him.

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