Doe's POV:

I didn't get much sleep that night.

Neither of us did.

Xander stood and waited for Nico until about two in the morning before calling it quits.

I called it quits a few hours earlier, just needing to lay down for a bit.

I honestly couldn't tell you whether or not I actually managed to fall asleep at all.

My guilt had turned into a constant weight in my gut mixed with a headache.

It was different from the ones I had when I was sick because I knew how to make these feel better.

I needed to apologize on my behalf.

Xander can handle his own daunting repentance process to his brother on his own, but I needed to talk to Khloe.

Preferably without Nico being there, but the chances of that happening were slim, especially now.

I let out a long, frustrated sigh, looking up towards Xander on the couch as he finished getting ready for breakfast.

And by that, I just mean fixing his bedhead and watching him try to rub away his dark circles.

There was a thick tension, not necessarily between us, in the air that I knew both of us could feel.

Neither of us had said a word to each other since last night.

I guess we were just too wrapped up in our own wrongdoings at the moment.

All I knew was that he was hoping more than anything that Nico was going to be there for breakfast.

He wanted his reprimand more than anything at this point.

I guess even if that meant it happening in public.

Which wasn't really something I wished to witness, but I had my own things to worry about.

If there was even the smallest chance I could talk to Khloe, I wanted to take it.

"You really think he's gonna show up?" I spoke softly as he walked from the bathroom.

He was carrying his guilt in his eyes as he looked at me, taking a moment to give me a response.

"I want him to, but I'm not getting my hopes up," He cleared his throat, rubbing one of his long sleeves, "You ready?"

I nodded and stood to make my way over to him.

Xander was the only way that I was going to be able to do what I wanted to do, but I also rarely asking things of him.

At least not things like these... I felt weird when I was genuinely asking for most things that weren't just necessities.

But for my sanity, and to maybe convince Khloe that not everyone who lived in this room was a monster, I needed to try.

Xander went to turn towards the door as soon as I reached him, but stopped as soon as I grabbed ahold of his sleeve.

Whether it was my weird asking-for-things complex or just a mix of everything that's happened recently, I couldn't meet his eye and instead looked towards the floor.

"Do you... do you think you can get me into Nico's room?" was all I said.

With my question being done followed by a long silence, I finally lifted my gaze.

He looked confused but still seemed to be pondering the question.

"You want to get to Khloe?"

I hesitated, wondering if my answer was going to affect his.

All I gave was a nod.

He gave me that same look for a bit longer, eventually turning his head to face the door with a slow nod of his own.

"I'll certainly try."

~~~

I thought that the tension up in our room was bad but god this one was suffocating

Surprisingly, Nico showed up, but as soon as I saw him, I wished he didn't.

He was livid.

One look and you knew. Everyone knew.

Whether he was physically expressing it or not you could just feel it.

And the feeling alone was enough for me to sit still in the hopes that he wouldn't even look at me.

I'd seen this sort of thing from his past pets, but it took me a while to understand it.

How some days they'd be completely fine and normal, and others they'd be shivering in his presence despite having no sign of any physical ailment.

There was just something about Nico that you came to understand once you've known him long enough.

He was terrifying, even without trying to be.

Which was part of the reason I hadn't even touched my food yet. I didn't want to move and attract any unnecessary attention.

It was something that came naturally to him and was able to convey it without having to left a finger.

He could silence you with just his eyes alone.

I've seen it work on vampires and humans alike.

All except for his brother, who was currently blabbing about something I couldn't force myself to focus on over my racing heartbeat.

One look and Xander and I both knew that Nico was well aware of what had happened, yet hadn't said a single thing about it.

Which I guess lead Xander to panic and try to dig himself an even deeper hole.

I could just barely tell that it was working.

The way Nico would twirl his fork, and stop it with the prongs facing downwards, unmistakably towards Xander's thigh.

I shifted myself a bit more to the right.

If he wanted to go for it, by all means, don't let me get in the way.

If anything Xander also encouraged it the second he asked where Khloe was.

The grip on his fork, as well as his jaw, tightened, causing the twist in my gut to do the same.

I just barely felt Xanders body tense as well.

I think we both hoped that Nico would just get it over with right there and then, but his response proved otherwise.

"She told me that she wasn't feeling well this morning so I let her stay in the room," his voice was tight.

It had a forced calm to it that only succeeded in making it sound worse.

He knew. He absolutely knew.

So why wasn't he doing something about it?

The suspense of it shouldn't have been affecting me as much as it was.

It wasn't me who bit her.

But I figured that my chances of getting into Nico's room weren't as high if Nico was mad at him.

"That's too bad," I felt Xander's arm snake around my middle, causing me to lean back against him.

Whether it was for his comfort or mine, I didn't know, nor did I think it was working either way

I didn't exactly wish to be anywhere near him once Nico finally snaps on him.

We all knew that once he did, it was going to be anything up pretty.

"What could be wrong with her?" he finished with a slight mockery in his voice that made my chest tighten

He wasn't just digging himself into a hole at this point, he was digging his grave.

He must have pulled this random bravery out of his ass to be saying things like that.

Nico's eyes just barely furrowed as he cleared his throat, not even looking at Xander while he answered.

"I don't know, I planned on figuring that out after breakfast," was all he responded.

Still nothing...

I sighed silently at the knowledge that meant that Xander was only going to push harder to get what he wanted from Nico.

Grabbing the glass that sat on the table, he lifted it and brought it to his lips.

"Interesting," He forced a purr.

Oh god, get me out of here.

"Anyways," Xander interjected with a brisk change of tone, "Enough about your pet and moving on to mine,"

My back straightened as he spoke, wondering where he could be going with this.

"She told me that her stomach has been feeling weird ever since last night." he finished.

My brows furrowed.

Now?! You're doing this NOW?!

I guess I can't complain, but...

Oddly enough, what he said caught Nico's attention.

With how he cut us off of his medical help, I wasn't expecting that to work.

I looked away once he looked at me on an instinct, keeping my head down.

"Maybe she's pregnant," Xander quipped.

I shuddered, wondering why of all things he decided to say that.

That oh-so-familiar sigh of disappointment rang from Nico.

"No, Xander, she's not pregnant. You know that's physically impossible." He corrected.

Xander didn't miss a beat, "Well what is it then? Cuz it obviously wasn't something that she ate. If it was, Khloe would be having stomach problems too."

"What makes you think that Khloe isn't having stomach problems?" Nico shot back almost immediately.

Yikes.

I felt Xander shrug.

"Well, you never said that she was,"

Nice, Xan. Real convincing.

Maybe that's what he was going for.

Since nothing else was making Nico give the reaction that he wanted.

There was a long silence between them. Too long.

Long enough to where I thought Xander would have stepped up and killed the silence but he hadn't.

"Anyways," Nico broke the silence "I can take a look at her as well if you want me to, and I'll bring her back to your room when I'm done. Maybe with the absence of your pet, you'll actually get some work done."

My eyes widened.

No way that actually worked.

Xander tapped a finger against my stomach at the small victory.

But once He tossed the end of my leash towards Nico, my excitement quickly diminished.

No, I needed to get this done.

"Are you gonna get your revenge on me while you're at it?" Xander then asked.

Nico physically froze, and I was prepared right then and there for all hell to break loose.

Why would you say that?!

I understand that he wants Nico to get his revenge, but don't bring me into that!

Even if I doubt that's how Nico works.

He was undeniably terrifying, but he didn't seem like a 'shoot the messenger' type of guy.

"What the hell have you done that I would need to get revenge for?" His voice was low and gravely.

It sounded like a warning in of itself, nearly daring Xander to just come out and say it.

And for a moment, I thought that's exactly what he was going to do.

"Oh come on Nicolas, we both know there's plenty of things I've done. Which one were you thinking of, hm?" He challenged right back.

I didn't like this.

I didn't like this at all.

Primarily because I unwillingly was placed right in the middle of it.

Both physically and literally.

The silence that followed again made me want to just curl up and die at this point.

Anything if it meant not being a part of the battle between these two.

At least put me in a room with Khloe first.

"Nothing," Nico broke the silence again, taking my leash in his hands and promptly standing.

Xanders tap against my back snapped me out of my panicked daze.

I hurried to remove myself from him and stand beside Nico, Not wanting to inconvenience Nico in any way that could possibly set him off.

"Take care of her, Nico," Xander spoke, the tone nearly sounding like a threat.

I don't think I've ever heard something like that come out of his mouth.

"Who? my pet, or yours?" Nico's tone matched Xander's exactly.

So, like any smart person, I continued to keep my head down as Xander stood with a slight chuckle.

I fought to stand still as he took a step closer to us.

"You decide."

I saw Nico's grip tighten in my peripherals, but luckily Xander turned and walked away before anything else began.

Nico and I just stood there for a moment, watching him go

I just barely caught him taking one quick glance back at me before disappearing into the crowd.