@thewholecrew: what on earth did i just walk into / grant & nick
octavia sat at the end of the kitchen island, content to continue working silently while nick paced continuously on a loop between watching tv in the living room and disappearing to the garage to smoke. each time he huffed, pulling himself from the couch, octavia carefully watched him over top her laptop. sometimes he'd simply pace, stop at the window and stare before coming over to make idle conversation with grant while he made a list for some groceries. more often, he approached one of them to double check that he wasn't smoking anything he had personally rolled before disappearing out to the garage. "has he been doing that a lot today?" octavia finally asked grant after nick stepped out again. while grant mentioned it was no more than usual, and that he was following her rules she reminded grant of each time she left the house, octavia closed her laptop. "gimme a second," she muttered curiously, getting up to wander down to nick's master suite.
at first glance, nothing seems to spark her further attention, though as she went into his bathroom, slowing opening drawers as she casually checked, octavia wasn't even really sure what she was looking for. it's not like he's doing anything unusual. nick's been okay. testy at times, but for a man who's been cut off his drug of choice, for nick to be regulated this way, she's honestly been bracing for worse. her head shakes as green hues lift to his bathroom mirror. maybe she's a little too blinded by her history to separate his from hers, but still, she felt skeptical as she left his bedroom.
octavia offered a silent shrug as she passed grant in the kitchen on his way out, taking her seat again as she waited for nick to return. when he did, he seemed to float a little passed her completely. "grant's going to make dinner when he's back if you're hungry," octavia offered nick, but he skated passed, "nah, i'm good," he said dismissively before flopping himself down on the couch. as he did, octavia sat a little straighter, glancing over to the living room as she watched nick scan through the guide on the tv screen. after a few moments, she let out a soft breath. he seems fine, she told herself as fingers lifted to open her laptop.
he really did, until she noticed the tv switch into standby. the painting that takes its place courtesy of a clever design choice by her best friend displays itself as emerald hues narrowed, "nick?" she called over to him, but without a response, her heart sped as she got to her feet. "hey nick..." she tried once more as he seemed to startle, jolting awake with the remote still in his hand. "what, what're you, what're we," nick stumbled over his words a little slowly before he sat himself up, "you gonna watch with me?" he finally spat out.
hues narrowed as her jaw clenched tightly, offering him a tight lipped smile, "mhm," she agreed as alarm bells started sounded off in her head. they've been here two full days by now. a whole forty-eight hours and...he's not nearly as sick as she's been. sure, he's bigger. people react differently but. suspiciously, she slowly walked along the kitchen island, hues flickering back to nick as he seemed to nod off a little again as the tv started another cartoon. no. he's not nearly as sick as someone should be coming off all the crap she had sprawled out in his office.
instead of joining him at the couch, octavia quickly set off toward the garage. he's got something. he has to!! grant's had the bottle of meds they've given nick to help ease him off, but none of the doses she's allowed would keep him this even. he has to have fucking something. of course he does, of fucking course he does, she curses herself as she stormed into his garage. hues quickly scan, shifting over his work space, his workout equipment, the cabinets, the car. she should've done more checks. should've looked harder. she should've done more to keep nick safe from him damn self!!
she moves to his sitting area, frantly looking over the ash tray that's filled with cigarette butt when the garage door is yanked open. "the fuck're you doing out here?!" nick asked, his calm centered mood ruined by his sister's fucking invasion. does she have to be everywhere? "can i not have one fucking place in MY OWN HOUSE that i can have a little privacy?" he demanded an answer, sharp hues focused on her as she stood there, shaking her head, scanning past him like he's not even fucking there.
finally, hues snap to nick as he stormed into the garage, wandering himself into the centre. "where is it, nick?" she asked in disbelief. in her active addiction, she's done a lot of things. a lot. but never has she faked it through a process like this. it breaks her heart to see him this way but as she really takes him in, she can't help but shake her head. "you're going to run out...whatever it is," she told him, watching as crystal hues ever so slightly drifted to the side.
the car...instantly, her hues followed his and octavia moved forward, rushing toward nick as he turned back toward the old car he had out from beneath the usual white sheet. "stop! octavia stop, you don't know what're you're talking about!" he furiously shouted, reaching out to wrap his hand around her wrist, to drag her back away from his hidden stash. "im trying to help you!" she yelled back, hitting at his arms as she kept trying to move forward. "no one asked for it!" nicklas! what on earth did i just walk into? she heard grant's voice but focused on the car, on tearing from nick as his grip loosened at grants voice. he had something, he has something!!
nick’s gaze turned toward grant, his body vibrating before dark hues flashed back to his sister, her hand coiled around the door handle. seeing her so close to his stash, every thought about her or grant, or himself fly out the window. suddenly, all he sees is a threat. to himself. to his habit. his need. “fuck octavia!” his tone quickly shifts to outrage as he towers over her, using his body to try to shove her out of the way as his other hand reached around to forcefully remove her hand. but the more he tries to force her, the tighter she holds as they struggle. when her elbow lands in his stomach, he groans, releasing her, “you’re being fuckin’ crazy!” nick expressed.
“am i!?” octavia shouted with her back turned on him, finally pulling open the front door to the car. instantly, she rushes to dash inside the car but nick reacts, shoving her into the car door before she can get inside, fighting to keep her out. despite her training, octavia doesn’t want to hurt her brother, nor fight with him. but it isn’t until grant intervenes to pull nick back away that octavia gets free without fighting against nick.
wildly, nick turns on grant, throwing fists and his body because o can’t get inside! as octavia dove into the car, he launches forward to keep the door open while she tries to close it on him. o struggles with the door, but nick roughly grabs her jeans, reefing on her leg to drag her out. octavia kicks, shouting at nick to stop while grant gets ahold of him again, forcing nicks arms back like he’d done in the bathroom. as much as she hates it, octavia takes her chance, pulling the door closed before locking the two men out.
“get the fuck outta there octavia! you’re such a fucking bitch this is none of your business, you don’t know anything! DONT FUCKING TOUCH ANYTHING!” nick shouted his demands outside the car, thrashing against grant even as he’s locked out of the car.
octavia pays the boys no attention, hues scanning the old car now that the locked door gives her time. but as she reaches out to the lonely CD case sitting on the dash, her heart shatters. sad hues taking in the left over powdery remains of a substance. slowly, she reaches for it, holding the CD as nick shifts to pleading, begging her to get out of the car, uses pleases as he does. again and again, his voice getting smaller as he pleads with her to stop, to leave it. octavia shakes her head, opening the glovebox to find nothing but a manual. but as she tugs open the centre console, her teeth grit, hand pulling out the two pill bottles and one last heroin baggy. holding them all in her hand, she gazes up finally through the passenger window, disappointment and sadness colliding together. staring at nick now, as he turns to grant to plead his case, octavia feels a sense of defeat wash over her. they haven’t been helping…not nearly as much as she thought.