Chapter Text
People always say that your twenties are the prime time of your life but everything Neil experienced in his so far were far from anything you would call a prime time. Though considered to his childhood in Baltimore It could be worse.
But his life really had better moments than sitting in a dark alley and questioning his choices. It really wasn’t his best idea ever to just leave Andrews house with nothing more than his clothes on and just thinking he would figure something out. But now, after a week on the streets, he had to admit that he couldn’t go far without any money.
It would be so nice to have access to his folder, wouldn’t it?
But his folder was probably currently searched through to find any information they could find. It was lost anyways, no way he can get it back from Lola. She wouldn’t exactly give it back If he asked nicely.
Slowly getting up to his feet he felt his joints crack due to the cold, hard ground. Maybe he could try pick pocketing and collect a few dollars to buy food or a bus ticket to the next city.
The town was quiet, it always was. Not a lot of people are out during the late morning hours and jogging might be a good idea.
Except that he would sweat and has no clothes to change into. No way he could go unnoticed while smelling like an old sock.
So he settled into a fast walk.
Traffic usually wasn’t something that freaked him out but that’s another case when you hear someone slowing down. Especially when you can feel someone grab your shirt before you can even run away. Nice. Looks like Lola and Romero finally caught up to him. It would just be too nice of them to lose track of Neil and forget his existence. All those years of running away and escaping by a small breath stopped again just for him to get caught and killed in the end.
His mother fought for him.
And he wasted the life she gave for him.
She was strict, she was harsh, he knew that. But he also new that she just wanted to keep him alive. She could’ve just ran and leave her troublesome son behind for his father and his people to play with but no, she took him with her and did the best she could. Now he let himself be caught far too many times and he didn’t know If he had the strength in him to escape another time. Not eating well really got him, didn’t it? They used no not eat often and a lot so he thought he would be fine.
“Are you done having an internal breakdown now?”
That was…unusual? Nobody of his fathers men would talk to him like that.
Slowly turning around he saw that it was in fact, not one of his fathers men but Andrew.
Something messed up inside him wanted to laugh at how easily it could’ve been anyone else but Andrew. Another thing in him was confused though, the man shouldn’t be here. If he was seen with Neil it would kill both of them and Andrew really didn’t deserve to die for helping Neil out. Okay, maybe his questions were annoying, but Neil wouldn’t go that far and wish someone death who put a roof over his head. Neil wasn’t going to be the reason for another death of someone who doesn’t deserve it.
“You need to leave.”
“Fist off,” Letting go of Neils shirt he took the helmet off instead of just talking though the open visor. “I was in Columbia first. Second, you’re the one that should get out of plain sight.”
“I’m trying to do that right now. Wait, what?” Neil didn’t tell Andrew anything about him that would let the man connect anything like that. When Neil kept scowling at Andrew for a few seconds the man finally gave in.
“Someone seems to be looking for you.”
“You looked for me, and you found me.” Neil stated while staring at Andrew which earned him a raised eyebrow.
“I’m not the one declaring you as missed.”
No, no no no no.
There was information about him out on the public. There was no chance to go unnoticed now. There are too many people in the city that could recognize him and by now Lola and Romero would look around Columbia and neighbour cities and search of a clue of him being around.
“You have so much luck that there’s no traffic right now.” Andrew said while trying to shake Neil back into the here and now.
Dammit, he had to stop being so carried away, but one thing after another.
“Thanks for letting me know about the missing thing I guess.” Neil said while starting to walk away. He needs to get a train ticket to a city far away at best. But there’s chance that the train stations are supervised, so no chance of getting out unseen with a train.
Neil had one question though, why didn’t Andrew get out of here and choose to calmly follow Neil on his motorbike? He had to be honest, it looked hilarious with Andrew struggling to reach the ground with his feet and trying to push himself forward with them.
“You really shouldn’t follow me.”
“And you really shouldn’t walk around here.”
“And what’s your genius plan? Drop me off at the police station or driving me to the next city?” Neil started go get annoyed.
“Those are nice options, really, but I have a better idea,” when he stopped and turned around to look at Andrew he found the man watching him like an exotic animal. Though, he didn’t feel uncomfortable like he does when others look at him like that, he felt more...conscious and curious.
“come back at the house and hide from whoever is looking for you for a bit.”
At that a small laugh escaped Neils mouth.
“You can’t be serious,” some people might say that Andrew is hard to read but when you were used to watch for small changes in peoples faces It really wasn’t that hard to figure him out. And right now, he wasn’t joking. “do you even have an idea in what trouble you’re getting yourself into?”
“Another mouth to feed, issue to keep.” Andrew said without really looking at Neil.
Neil started to walk away when he heard Andrew. “Make a deal with me.”
“What?”
“Make a deal with me.” Andrew repeated slowly like Neil has a hearing problem.
“Why should I?”
“Because it’s beneficial for both of us.” Neil raised an eyebrow, gesturing Andrew to go on. “I keep you safe and you stop going around causing problems for me.”
“I’m not causing problems for you.” Scowled Neil.
“Who had two breakdowns in the middle of the street in the last five minutes?” Okay, that was true.
Andrew raised himself up from the motorbike and fetched a spare helmet out from under his seat and tossed it to Neil before he put on his own helmet again and pat the space on the seat behind him.
Awkwardly standing on the sidewalk might have looked weird to anyone else but Neil had to pause and think about was just happened.
Good things didn’t happen to him easily and Andrew just provided Neil with a chance to stay alive for a bit longer.
“Earth to Neil, are you coming or do I have to defreeze you first?”
Putting on the helmet and sitting down behind Andrew felt more freeing than it should. But who would Neil be If he didn’t take any chance life threw in his face to stay alive?
“It’s not my fault If you fall.” Said Andrew over his shoulder before suddenly speeding up and almost sending Neil to the pavement, luckily he held on tight on Andrew before any of that could happen and for the first time in months he genuinely felt happy.
Maybe It would be nice to stay with Andrew.