Barty tossed the loose-fitting fit at Ces - light linen trousers and a soft, cuffless shirt. Giving him a wave to go get dressed. 

"I rolled the cot out in the office. You kids sleep up here for the night." It was curt, but somehow nurturing. "And kid... if I catch you on the damned floor or sleeping in a fucking chair, I'll box your ears. Understand?" 

There was a bit of shuffling as Barty tried his best. "Still gonna have that chat... but... for tonight you can 'do right' by sticking close and being a comfort." It was clear he didn't like it -- not at all. But as he looked back over his shoulder from the stairwell, for the briefest moment, Ces saw that same familiar look in Barty's eyes. The curse-cure longing that he'd come to recognize in Nico, reflected back tenfold with a spark of aching envy. 

"Make sure she sleeps well," was all he offered as he turned and disappeared for the night. 

In the morning, a new, perfectly tailored suit would be laid at the top of the stairs. And atop it... a set of custom cufflinks, set with the twin halves of an almost perfectly split bullet. A reminder. And a promise. And a badge of honour... all wrapped in one. 

Nodding to Barty, Cesare watched as the older man wandered off down the stairs. Sleep? How the hell was he supposed to sleep? No... He'd be up the entire night watching over Nico! There was absolutely no way he would allow himself to sleep.

But he could lie in the bed beside her and keep her warm. Keep her company. Keep her feeling safe. And most importantly, keep her from flopping around too much and injuring herself more.

No way would he sleep.

It took little time for him to convince her to get comfortable in the bed. Barbs really did their job tonight. She was asleep and sawing logs. He'd never heard her snore yet. It was sweet, in a way. He didn't listen immediately, knowing he wouldn't be able to lie still enough to keep from jostling her, so instead, Cesare cleaned up the room. All the other dresses? Neatly hung in the armoire. The mess of blood and leftover bandaging? Cleaned, bagged, and prepared to take out. Nico's bandages? Checked... Still holding well and not in need of changing already. That was a good sign. Seemed Barty had packed it well.

Finally, with nothing left to do but sit in the chair and watch over her, he did just that - and then immediately stood up. No- no, Barty had said NO chair...

So, alas, with a grunt of resignation, Cesare climbed into the bed, putting her between himself and the wall so she couldn't roll off the edge during the night. Not that she would, because he'd be awake and watching her the whole time...

*YAWN*

Mmmhmm, awake the whole........

ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz