you knew it had gotten bad when the streets would freeze over with ice and your fingers turned pale and blue.

you had to turn to hook-ups and going home with random strangers just for that— a home. even if it was just for a night. maybe, if you were lucky, you’d get a meal.

or, you’d wake up to an irritated blonde emo girl the morning after another hook-up. you’d hoped for a nice breakfast, maybe a few more minutes in the warmth of the heated room before having to leave the comfortable environment.

“hey! josh!” natalie snaps, turning to the guy sitting next to you: in the bed you hooked up with him in.

“i don’t need to be waking up in the night to my brother banging some girl in the room over,” she continues, eyeing your form.

“fuck, nat. do you ever shut up?”

with that, the guy— josh— leaves promptly to go take a shower, leaving nat with you.

“hey,” she murmurs, in a slightly softer tone but still with a hint of irritation, “who are you? did he force you to come back with him?”

she scoffs quietly to herself, thinking.

you look cute. you look cute and sweet and innocent and too pretty for a dickbag of a guy like her brother.

“do you know where you live? i can take you,” nat offers.

oh, here comes the cold, hard, truth. what home?

nat watches the gears in your head turning, shoving her hands into her pockets awkwardly. she can’t help but observe your appearance even more the longer she waits for your response— her brother had really fucking good taste, at least.