ｃｈｒｙｓｓｉｅ

ａｌｏｎｅ

Frosted air bit at the tip of Grayson's nose as he walked Hermes down the street, turning the corner.

He really wasn't sure if Kingston would be home, but then again, he really didn't care. After all, he knew where they kept a spare key (top of the door under a thick layer of dust) and the thought of breaking and entering didn't bother him in the slightest.

He might as well have thought of it as payback, considering that Kingston had broken into his house so many times he had stopped keeping track.

As the apartment building came into view, Grayson came to a halt, unclipping Hermes' leash and picking the small dog up and wrapping him in his coat. His snow-encrusted paws started to melt against Grayson's shirt, but he didn't really mind much.

"Morning," he said to the woman at the front desk as he walked in, heading towards the staircases. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

She didn't even bother to look up, but that was fine because he preferred it that way. He didn't like it when people paid much attention to him - when they didn't, it was easier for him to conduct his business and leave without complications. Then he could get back to his Chryssie, burn all of the money that Thaddeus had left for him (out of spite, of course, Grayson had always been quite petty), and live out the rest of his day without being disturbed by stories of evil old women and deaths of the innocent.

But unfortunately, it was never that simple.

"Care to explain why you're trying to get into my apartment?"

Whirling around, he saw Kingston standing there, his hands on his hips, a camera hanging around his neck.

"Hello," he finally said in a calm voice, suddenly feeling like a naughty toddler that had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Needless to say, that feeling annoyed him.

"Why are you here? I thought I told you I'd pick the dog up tomorrow." Kingston muttered, reaching up and feeling along the top of the doorway for the key. When he found it, flecks of white paint came off on his fingertips.

"Thadd - my father - came over while I was gone and he tried to tell Chrysanthemum about all sorts of familial issues that I had no interest in bringing up and she had no interest in hearing."

The little dent between Kingston's eyes reappeared all of the sudden.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," Grayson replied quickly, feeling the dog squirm against his chest, reminding him that he was indeed there, and still very much alive. "He didn't tell her much, I don't think."

"I mean," Kingston began softly, opening the door and letting him inside. "Maybe you should tell her about some stuff. It might help you deal with it if you talk to somebody."

Grayson closed the door quietly behind him, knowing that James was probably asleep and deciding to have some consideration for once in his life.

However, just because he was being nice didn't mean that he was going to go and do something stupid.

"I've talked to you," he pointed out in a sour voice, pulling Hermes out of his jacket and placing him onto the floor. "Last I checked, you were a somebody. Why would I need to talk to anyone else?"