if the mafia can learn to love

[assassinrue]

Nikolai smiled awkwardly at her. "Yeah it might be."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Avi let out a soft sigh. "I'm tired," she murmured. And she sure as hell didn't want to go home. Not after today. "Can I... sleep here? I can stay on the couch..."

[assassinrue]

"Don't be ridiculous, you are my guest. You can take the bed, I'll be on the couch. If you need anything, just come out."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Avi felt bad about taking his bed, but she knew he was too much of a gentleman to accept any arguments from her. So, she kept her mouth shut and just nodded. "Can I... Borrow a tshirt or something?"

[assassinrue]

Nikolai ginned slyly at her. "Oh of course. Follow me." He winked and led her back to the bedroom.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

That grin made Avi a little tingly, but she followed without a word.

[assassinrue]

Nikolai flung a few shirts on to the bed and looked back at Avi, "Chose whichever one works for you."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Avi stepped toward the bed and inspected the shirts. She brushed her fingers against each one, finally picking up the softest, a faded green tshirt.

[assassinrue]

Nikolai smiled. "That's one of my favorites."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Avi grinned at him. "So dudes like soft things, too."

[assassinrue]

Nikolai chuckled. "At least this one. I'm all about comfort. Life is too short to deal with bad clothes and bad beds." He frowned a little and looked down at the loose thread on his bed he was tugging. "I don't seem to have applied that theory to bad people though."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Avi held onto the shirt's collar and let gravity unfold it. "Well, it's never too late to start, right?"

[assassinrue]

Nikolai looked at her in surprise, as if he hadn't thought of that himself. "Maybe it's not too late."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Avi gave him a wry smile. "Although I can't say you're on the right track yet. You might want to find a good person to befriend."

[assassinrue]

Nikolai's eyes softened as he took a step toward her. "I think I already found one." He said quietly.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Avi raised a slender eyebrow. "Is that what you think?"

[assassinrue]

Nikolai smiled and cocked his head. "Oh yes I do."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Hmm," Avi said, sounding more amused than anything else, but a somewhat bitter note lay underneath her joking exterior. "If you say so."

[assassinrue]

Nikolai looked at her quizzically. "I suppose we should get some shut eye."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Yeah, I guess so," Avi said. She sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at him. "See you in the morning?"