"Carmy!.."

Oh, that's too loud.

Sydney's shrill voice rings through the quiet, rainy back alley when she spots you outside the back door of the restaurant, hands practically ready to knock.

It hurts your ears, makes them burn and sting uncomfortably. It's definitely not what you wanted to be greeted by after an hour of walking, and it almost makes you drop the backpack that's hanging questionably from your back.

Carmy has never moved faster in his life, because she sounded scared, for fuck's sake, he can't lose his CDC. But his heart drops when he spots you there, soaked to the bone, sniffling like an idiot, all wide eyed and panicked.

"Oh, fuck, mae..."

The car ride home is quiet. It's always quiet whenever it's you and Carmy. He knows you, he understands you. You'll talk when you're ready. He knew what it was like to be nagged as a kid, it's embarrassing.

You don't talk until you're sat in his apartment, in his old clothes, on the couch with a hot chocolate. You've always loved it. That's one thing he definitely remembers from when you were young.

Oh, you look so young.

He's been putting off going home, he knows he has. Nat doesn't go home anymore because of your mom, and to be honest, Carmy does the same. But you've been stuck there, with no other choice, left to wallow in memories of Mikey and put up with stick from an alcoholic mother.

He's a nasty big brother.

"Y'gonna tell me what happened?.. Can't believe you even remembered the way, kid..."