Ughhhhhhhhh.

Why had she woken uppppp?

Sounds hurt. The light hurt. For a younger girl with a fully functioning liver, she sure had gotten hung over, hadn’t she? Maybe it had been the volume. Or the— the freaking things she’d drunk. What even had she had? What had Juniper done to her?!

Amelia picked up her plugged in phone on the nightstand and stared at the clock. Then she slapped it back down. It made no sense. She should have slept far past that time. So what was the reason she had woken up?! And what was that— sound?!

Had someone next door ordered a freaking pizza? Knock knock knock.

“FOR GODS SAKE, OPEN YOUR DAMN DOOR AND GET THE PIZZA!!!” She shouted at her rude neighbor.

Insufferable person. So rude. And there, that was another knocking. On her wall. And a small voice screaming back “IT’S SIX AM! SHUT IT!”

What?!

Shifting his weight and readjusting the bag in his hand Sam started to wish he just created an ice clone to carry the two coffees instead of him willing a hand of ice to knock. It wasn’t as loud as he wanted it to be but it seemed that the party member he had come to see was up and moving.

After a nice talk with her the night before Sam couldn’t sleep and decided to go ‘on patrol’ he was still getting the hang of it but at least he didn’t get shot, just a little sooty from a small kitchen fire he happened to be passing over to the mansion. Luckily for Ami, the place was known for breakfast burritos and coffee and seeing as he was going to check on her anyways he figured he’d take the owners offer up on some free grub.

”Hey Ami. It’s Sam open up, rise and shine.” he knocked again with his third arm of ice. ”I’ll stand out here all day knocking if I have to. Just making sure you are still alive.”

Ughhhhhhh.

Oh.

Huh? Sam?

Amelia ran a hair through her hair, which was a mess, and contemplated her makeup (probably a mess), and her clothes. Her clothes were also a mess.

The day before, she had done a lot of things. She’d met Evelyn and tested her powers, met Adelynn and tested her flirting powers, and helped out Juniper, thus testing out her powers yet again, by being shot. She was fine. Just some bruising. The actual injury had been more from how she’d fallen after being hit than it had ever been from the actual hit. Then, she’d gone drinking... and made it back to the mansion, apparently. A lot was a blur... except maybe the conversation with— Sam!

That was no pizza guy! It was Sam... knocking at her door. And she was in a dirty hoodie and clothes from the night before. Her head hurt. He was loud. It was freaking six AM.

Amelia stomped over to her door and opened it to glare at him.

“Who the heck is up before six AM?” She growled. Her eyes dipped to the ice arm, and the food, and the coffee. She reeled herself back in, and tried to stop being such a surly witch. The glare lessened to a pouty frown and uncertain eyes. “For me? Uh. Come on in, I guess?”

She stepped out of the way, so he could enter. The bed was unmade and the clothing bags were still on the floor in the center of the room. Amelia rubbed at the side of her head, grimacing.

”Someone who doesn’t need to sleep.” Sam said with a shrug, his ice hand dissolving. ”Honestly I thought everyone he was supposed to be responsible. Who sleeps past four am?” Sam said trying to make a joke.

Nodding his head and offering up the coffee to her Sam entered her room. Just like he left it last night. Though Ami wasn’t yawning on her bed. ”Normally you get breakfast in bed after I sleep with you but, it seemed you got lucky. Owner had a grease fire and I just happened to be passing by.” Sam took out one of the burritos for himself and then pointed to a corner of the room and formed a stool of ice and sat on it.

”Told you I’d check on you. Wanted to make sure you weren’t dead. Between the drinking and the gunshot.” Sam pointed to where she got shot on his body. ”How’s it feeling? Ice help at least?” he sipped into his piping coffee and then took a bite from the burrito.

Was he trying to— make a joke? Hungover Ami was not having it. She did not lambast him for the attempt at humor. Did not groan. Did not do anything. Ignored it. But focused on coffee.

Coffee was much better than bad jokes. He would live. For now.

Amelia took her coffee, and stalked over to her bed, leaning over it to test the heat. Still hot, despite having been in an ice man’s hands. Good. She took the smallest of sips, and suffered the smallest of tongue burns. As always. She had little patience for letting things cool down.

Worth it... ow.

Her brain stopped when she heard him talking and actually registered what he’d said. If she had not already swallowed the coffee, she might have spit it up in surprise.

Normally... you get breakfast in bed... after I sleep with you... hrm. It seemed she got lucky? Amelia mulled over that lovely thought as he explained how he’d gotten his food, and gave her more stuff. He set the bag down.

Begrudgingly, Amelia took the other breakfast burrito.

“How convenient,” she said, re: grease fire burritos.

Was she ticked off at him, or herself for all the pounding headache she had, and the hangover? Could it not be both?

There he went, with the ice stool again. She would need to get some more furniture to furnish this room.

Her ire lessened as he explained himself. His intentions had been good. Bit silly, with the timing. But good.

“Still aches. Probably gotta get the doc guy to do something to it. Ice helped though... I think.” She almost shrugged, but caught herself. Amelia raised one hand, like ‘what can you do?’ Instead. Then, she seized the topic he’d idly mentioned earlier, like a schnauzer with a rat.

“So. Sam. You said, and i quote. ‘Normally you get breakfast in bed after I sleep with you.’ Did... did something happen I don’t remember? Because—“

A voice from the hallway interrupted her query.

Who gets up before 6am? Silly not-assassins who go to bed too early and wish to rise earlier to make up for lax American attitudes with excess cardio.

Lenna was in exercise gear. Black sweatpants and a black hoodie over an orange t-shirt, with orange and white sneakers. Her hair hung to her shoulders, wind tossed.

She had just finished running for an hour around the mansion grounds. Was just heading back to her room in the women’s half of the mansion, for a shower, when she saw it. The man. In the women’s quarter. With a bag of food and coffee. Going to visit some woman, no doubt. Up to scoundrel ways!

She clenched one fist. Then, she set to following him.

As a rule of thumb, she moved silently, creeping along behind him at a distance and keeping to one corner of the hall. Lenna thought invisible thoughts.

She had been trained in stealth skills, alongside the fighting and languages and other useful things... and she was pretty good at moving undetected, she thought.

What was this rogue doing in the women’s quarters? Lenna would find out. If it was something lewd, he would need a new face. This was the WOMEN’S quarters. Have some decency, man!

He stopped in front of a room and knocked. It took a long while for the woman inside to open the door. She thought she might have heard some shouting, and tried to listen, but she was too far away. She did not get close enough to hear until after he had entered the room with his dark intentions. And then—


>>”So. Sam.” The woman began slowly. “You said, and i quote. ‘Normally you get breakfast in bed after I sleep with you.’ Did... did something happen I don’t remember? Because—“

”You scoundrel,” Lenna said, stepping into the doorway. From the outside the room, she pointed in at the man on the stool of ice. ”You monster. You, you— NERF HERDER!” she shouted.

Her voice was low and husky, with a Spanish or Columbian-sounding tilt to it. Like maybe Shakira.

The girl in the room stared at her. It was not a woman. It was a girl who looked to be about Lenna’s age. And she looked confused.

Lenna blinked. ”How dare he?” She said, suddenly uncertain. ”Sneaking into the women’s quarters and doing that.”

Lenna had no problem with people being intimate, within reason. But what she had just overheard sounded entirely unreasonable. And lewd. And wrong.

Mid bite of a burrito and he watched as Ami took what he said wrong. Still chewing his shook his head and his hand ‘no’ when she asked what happened last night. He meant something else entirely but she probably would have picked up only key words. He tried to finish chewing when another woman appeared in the doorway.

If he was anyone else he would have been surprised to the point of jumping but Sam just started to choke on his burrito when the woman called him a scoundrel and a Nerf Herder. He never heard of that before so he only raised an eyebrow after he beat the food free in his chest. Sam coughed for a second catching his breath, ”No. I was trying to make a joke. We didn’t sleep together. Honestly what does everyone really think of me. Don’t get me wrong Ami, if I was your type and you were a bit more level headed.” he gave her a thumb up. Taking advantage of someone wasn’t his cup of tea in fact he was often voiced his opinion to people who did that. His opinion usually resulted with a fist.

Sam sipped his coffee, eyes to the newcomer standing outside Ami’s room. ”She got shot, I found her in the halls drunk. Walked her back to her room with her stuff. We talked, only talked and then I left when she got to bed. Sides. She is into chicks anyways. We have a lot in common.” Sam said sipping his coffee again.

”I was just being a friend dropping off a breakfast burrito for a hung over friend.” he then raised an eyebrow at the new comer. ”I’d offer you some but I only got this bit left.” Sam said raising the burrito and biting into it.

Sam’s little joke went down like the Hindenburg. In fire and death. Amelia hadn’t seen him miming no or trying to shake his head, because she had turned towards the sound of the voice to see a girl in black sweatpants and a black hoodie. Calling Sam names.

Honestly, the girl was kind of cute. In a windswept way. But Amelia was utterly confused why she was there, or what she was up to.

“Uh...” She croaked.

Another sound caught her attention. Was Sam choking on his food? She shifted her attention his way just in time to see him save himself... and then attempt the same feat, twice. Only this time, with words.

So, they had not boinked. Good. He’d been trying to make a joke. Bad. Bad Sam. Bad joke. She shot him The look. The one she got from her mom, whenever she was in trouble. The one she had inherited.

“Level headed.” She repeated, tersely. My, but he was shoving a lot of things into his mouth he would regret later. First the choking hazard, and soon, his own foot. “Good to know.”

Sam turned his attention back to the mysterious room invader, and tried to summarize the entire situation. When he said ‘sides, she’s into chicks durr hurr hurr,’ Amelia... rolled her eyes. They had a lot in common?

“I’m bi, actually. And past me might have honestly given you a shot. But now. I don’t know.” She eyed him with annoyance.

Sam offered up the fact that she was hung over, and gave an excuse why he couldn’t share. Men. Maybe she was not so bi, after all.

“I do appreciate the thought, Sam. It’s the execution that could use some work.” Amelia said carefully. Yes, she realized she was being hard on him... kind of a B, actually... but that was due to his numerous failings, not his good intentions. Those were Sterling.

The man nearly died on his own, without any assistance from herself. He managed to pull through, but it was hardly an attractive sight.

The other girl had made no move to help him. Clearly, she had not cared much about his fate. Or else, she had not noticed. And he had resolved it on his own.

The other girl also had not rushed to defend his honor... but she had not vehemently agreed with Lenna, either. Generally, if a person moves to defend your honor you acknowledge the effort, at the very least. This perplexed her. Then, the man tried to explain every thing away.

The girl had gotten shot? Clearly, not a lethal shot. Quick healer, her. Perhaps, he’d offered her medical assistance? No. He simply walked her back to her room... while she was drunk. Potentially bleeding? He was a real winner, this man.

Poor Sam. The combined scorn filling the room was not going to be good for his complexion. It only grew worse, when he assigned a sexuality to the girl. Which the girl promptly rebutted.

Lenna tsk’d. She would have offered more comment, but the girl had handled her piece fairly well. For a drunk, she currently seemed to be handling herself.

It was only logical to hold any comments she had until after the man had finished speaking. He might have some incredible statement that changed her opinion of him, skewing it towards the positive side.

His last comment didn’t help. The girl’s comment did.

Lenna’s shoulders lost some of their tension. She had been holding herself as if ready for battle, resting her weight so it was evenly distributed, to make it possible to respond with movement in any direction at a moment’s notice.

This Sam man was not being blamed for something lewd. He was being blamed for his foolishness, both in action, and in words.

”Yes.” Lenna agreed. ”Your execution could have been better. I worried for this girl’s safety. Walking through the girl’s dormitories at this time? It was suspicious... lousy way to treat a hang over, though.”

Lenna eyed what the girl was holding. What this ‘Sam’ had brought. ”What is that? Coffee? And what you Americans call a burrito? Wait. Breakfast burrito ?” Lenna grimaced at the thought of what Americans considered breakfast. It was probably full of ridiculously sweet things. Or grease... which probably was not the worst thing for a hang over, come to think of it.

”You did not even bring her the hair of the dog, or even more alcohol to help with her headache? Not even a mimosa? I stand by my comment, monster.” Her words were harsh, but she was smiling. Teasing? Maybe.

To the girl, she added ”You we’re shot? Do you require any first aid?”

Clearly he wasn’t s welcome as he was last night. Sam shrugged off any feelings of hurt into his coffee still not burning his tongue a little cold breath and it was perfect temperature every time. Here he thought he was being a good friend.

”Bi?” Sam repeated surprised, ”Oh. Good to know, my mistake for assuming.” Sam said, she said she wasn’t his type and well, yep his ego just made his brain assume that she was into just women. Now he was more curious as to why he wasn’t her type. He sipped his coffee again trying not to think about what was wrong with him. There was nothing.

Sam’s eyebrows raised to both women. Both of which seemed he failed in his intentions. He didn’t think so, Ami got checked up on, and he brought her something to help soak up the liquids. He didn’t want to start drinking because his older self was a recovering alcoholic and he didn’t want to start towing that line.

When the woman finished calling him a monster he shrugged and took a bite of the burrito. ”If I wanted to not be seen I’d just use the window easier and less people see me. Not the first time and not the last.” Sam stood up and snapped the stool out of solid existence he sipped his coffee. ”Well, know when I’m not wanted.” Sam said for the first time actually caring when he wasn’t wanted.

”Seems she can do the follow up.” Sam raised his coffee in a cheers and headed towards the door. ”Talk to you soon, gods speed on the recovery.”

First, she had gotten on Sams case. Then, the new girl had gotten on Sams case. It only stood to reason that after enough heat, he’d get tired if all the personal attacks. She’d realized she was being harsh, but it had been a little too late.

He’d gotten up to go.

Amelia pointedly had ignored the prodding if the woman. Her focus was in Sam. Her burrito plopped in the bed as she rose to her feet.

“No, Sam! Don’t go! I’m sorry. being hungover is no excuse for being a bi+$#.” Amelia said.

“And you-“ She turned her attention the girl in the doorway, currently in Sam’s way. There was heat in her voice. “Don’t call him a monster. This guy helped me when I was shot and drunk. Then brought me breakfast the morning after. It’s not his fault I’m grouchy when I wake up. Or that you misunderstood the situation and thought he was some sort of weirdo.”

Her mouth had opened to say something, then rapidly closed as the situation changed. He wanted to leave. She had said too much and injured his pride. And she was in his way. Lenna started to move out of his way— the girl shouted stop.

Lenna stopped. Then, she realized the girl had not said stop. She had told the Sam man not to go. Hm. She continued to stand in the way.

It seemed the girl was... apologizing? For what she had said. She had been a— well okay. Maybe Lenna had also been that.

Suddenly, the attention was on herself. The girl sounded angry. Apparently, this Sam man was a saint. When the girl out his deeds in that way, they did seem far better than first assumed.

”Yes... it seems I did misunderstand. I apologize. Maybe my training has taught me to react too quickly to certain things.” Ahem. That sounded like an excuse. A lousy one. ”Or maybe I just felt like assuming you were a scoundrel because I did not know any better... you sound like a nice person. I should not have talked down to you like that... though I still think hair of the dog would have helped the girl.” She coughed into her fist. It was an embarrassed cough.

The name monster never really bothered him too much he had been called that thousands of times and worse he was a former assassin so when he heard those kinds of names he just got so used to hearing it he was no longer bother by it. No he was more hurt about misunderstanding, Sam was new to the whole ‘let’s be friends’ thing that was happening in the mansion he didn’t have ‘normal’ friends. His usual term for friend was someone that usually had a tally system about who owed who a favor. Not this, Ami didn’t have a tally system with him yet.

He stopped then watched an exchange between the two women as they both apologized. Feeling both eyes on him he visibly turned his head to the window. He hadn’t made it to the door yet but the woman was still in the way. ”Again, no saint.” Sam said as he tried to diffuse the situation between the two and him. He shrugged and smirked trying to not be bothered from earlier. ”Hangovers suck, buy me a coffee later.” he said to Ami like she had a choice.

Sam then looked to the other woman and raised his voice like he was upset with her, ”Yeah, and it’s not Ami’s fault she can’t appreciate a balanced breakfast first thing in the morning!” Sam smirked and then lowered his voice to normal talking so it didn’t make things worse for Ami.

”Not the first time I’m part of a misunderstanding. Hair, probably would have but I wanted to make sure she was alright before she turned back up. I’ll accept your apology over dinner and drinks.” he said flatly before offering up some of his burrito. ”Wanna bite?

The girl had apologized. Sam has turned, and tried to smooth over the situation with at least one ounce of grace. Maybe two.

He wanted her to buy him a coffee? And then they’d be cool?

“Gladly,” Amelia said.

She was thankful she hadn’t totally chased away someone who could become a friend, just because she’d been mildly annoyed by them. It was kind of a... dare she say it... wake up call.

No, she didn’t dare say it.

Sam turned his attention to the other girl, whose name Amelia still did not know. And he got a little sassy and a little flirty. Sam was Sam. She winced a little, and the noise, but dealt with it.

Nobody was gonna break Sams stride. Great. Now she had a song stuck in her head, in addition to the headache and the lingering shoulder pain.

As Sam spoke with the other girl, Amelia unwrapped her burrito and started eating.

How would the other girl react to the sudden flirting? Maybe she liked girls, too?

He said not saint’, like he had read her mind. Then forgiven the girl like it had been nothing. After that, he had turned his attentions to her.

Bad assumptions had lead to embarrassment. Lenna was still getting over her apology. Sam did not push things on her too hard. He did not moan and yell and try to make her feel low. He merely... told her he would not accept her apology unless she went out with him for dinner and drinks. And offered her a burrito bite.

Lenna’s brow arched at the sudden shift. The way he had phrased it, he had left very little room to navigate without error. Should she deny his request, she would offend him. Should she take it... somehow, it felt wrong to go out for dinner when she was still waiting on someone else to call her up. It was unclear where she stood with that person. But she stood somewhere... unless he never called her back.

At least, Sam had his proud swagger going for him. It mildly amused her, alongside the frustration it brought like the wind from a storm. The girl’s mouth twitched slightly at one of its corners. The start of a half smile. He had earned some small concession.

”Sandwiches and Coca Cola,” She said. ”It is the best I can do. I will make you an empanada. I make killer empanadas. You, will die. And go straight to the heavens.” She looked him dead in the eye. There was a mischievous cast to the look. And the smile. Surely, that would be acceptable. ”As for the burrito...”

Lenna had planned to tell him no thank you, and to move on. But she had yet to have eaten, that day. Her stomach growled. Hrm. ”Yes.” She said.

Lenna walked up and took a dainty bite. Just to try the thing. She took a step back from him, and finished chewing. ”It is not bad. I am Lenna, by the way.” People who shares their food could learn her name.