"Alright. Come on. Damn, that went to your head fast."

He's not close to Stephen and it's true, he doesn't even terribly like him. But he was older than the Reagan brothers back in those childhood days, and growing up that way leaves its traces. The older ones watched out for the younger ones, from simply pulling them down from trying to climb the furniture to covering for them when things broke, corroborating lies that the Avoxes or pets knocked over the priceless vase or fine china. For all their infighting the children were often in collusion against their parents, unified in their bitterness at being toted to places where they were too young to participate.

He leads Stephen to a couch with one hand to his lower back, getting him sitting down with a protectiveness that's almost fraternal.

"You need water?"