Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

(M/N) sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes focused on his laptop screen. He was 2000 words deep into his essay. He was doing quite well so far, especially when he had Jacob nagging him all afternoon.

"I'm thinking of hitting up Blondie's room again, maybe a paint bucket? Payback for what she did to you." Jacob was lying back on his bed, throwing a baseball at the ceiling and catching it when it came back down.

(M/N) groaned. "Please don't. The first time was bad enough and Emmett will smoke my ass for revenge again. Also, that was your fault. You're lucky I didn't throw you out the window after that."

"I didn't mean for you to get caught in the crossfire, but these things happen. It's inevitable when we're at war," Jacob stated.

(M/N) threw him a deadpan look. "We're adults. That's what we are."

"We're only twenty. And besides, who says pranks are for kids?" He grinned.

(M/N) grinned back. "I'd say that doesn't apply to you because you act like such a kid."

"Oh come on, you love it."

"No. I really don't."

Jacob waved him off. "Sure, sure."

"Why don't you go bother Paul or Jared? Hey, I'm sure Seth would entertain your fantasies," (M/N) said, back to typing away on his laptop.

"It's more fun teasing you–"

"So it is just to annoy me."

"Stop complaining. Also..." Jacob frowned. "I think Seth likes you a little too much."

(M/N)'s fingers halted once again and he looked up at Jacob questioningly. "What?"

"He's always trying to follow me back whenever I mention you being here, it's annoying. Getting rid of him is a full time job," Jacob said, huffing loudly.

"I don't see what the big deal is. I like Seth, he's the only other one of your childish gang that actually likes the Cullens, and doesn't, you know, bring their wrath down on us. Or more specifically, me."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "You would call us childish? And side with the Cullens?"

(M/N) looked at him for a long moment before sighing and shutting his laptop. He stood up and headed for the door.

"I need some peace. I'll go hang out with Seth, or maybe Bella if she's in."

Jacob wrapped his arms around (M/N) and literally carried him back to his bed, dropping them both down.

"I won't let you conspire with our enemies," Jacob said as (M/N) struggled in his grasp.

"Jake, let me go."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

(M/N) stopped struggling, it was pointless. "Seriously? Can you be normal for one day?"

"Give me one good reason as to why I should let you go."

(M/N) thought for a moment. He didn't really want to play into Jacob's games, but he also just wanted to be free.

"I'll let you pick matching costumes for the halloween party this weekend."

(M/N) was released in an instant. He regretted his decision once he saw the wide grin stretched across Jacob's face.

"I'm gonna hold you to that," he said.

"You're evil, you know that?" (M/N) said before he left the room.

I think I'll go check in on Bella. (M/N) thought about getting payback on Jacob and smiled. He would hang out with Seth after, just to rub it in.

He had been roommates with Jacob for nearly 10 months. He quickly found out that most people avoided this area of the residential hall, because of the weird rivalry that was going on between the Cullens and Sam's gang–as (M/N) liked to call them–which Jacob was a part of. A few people moved in at the start of the year, but the only ones to stay were Bella and (M/N). Both ended up on opposite sides of the "war". They bonded quickly and liked to talk about how ridiculous this situation was. (M/N) originally only chose this area because it was like its own little section. No one wanted to come anywhere near the people here in fear of getting caught in the crossfire. It was pretty unbelievable at first–(M/N) was surprised they could even get away with half the stuff they were doing, but then he found out that the Cullens' foster parents owned the estate on which the university was built on. And apparently they had no problem repairing walls and fixing doors after all that went down. It was definitely mostly because their kids were attending, (M/N) was certain.

Jacob warmed up to (M/N) pretty quickly, happy to have a roommate, but was disappointed when (M/N) didn't want to take part in any pranks. It honestly felt silly to even call them that. With how heated they would get sometimes, the phrase domestic terrorism came to mind quite frequently. (M/N) would be lying if he didn't admit it could be funny sometimes. He still had fond memories of when Paul, Jared, Embry and Jacob ran past the Cullens when they were all leaving their dorms for an event and showered them with coloured powder. Both the Cullens and the entire hallway looked like a rainbow, and for the ones with lighter hair–Rosalie and Jasper–the mixture of colour didn't come out for a couple of weeks, which the former was very angry about.

It was funny until they retaliated, in which of course, (M/N) was caught in the crossfire. He had walked into his dorm room a few days later and was hit with the most rancid smell to ever enter his nose. Whatever they had used, they used on everything. So (M/N) had to spend hours just getting the stench out of his side of the room. It included all his clothes as well, so he was left having to wear the same thing for multiple days. But it still didn't smell as bad as the others. Jacob was a lot slower at cleaning than him so he still had to deal with the stench for that much longer.

On one particular day, the entire residential hall was woken up by Rosalie's fury, which turned out to be because someone had filled all her shoes with mud, and she didn't realise until after she put them on. That someone was also seen by Alice leaving her room earlier that morning. (M/N) wasn't surprised in the slightest to know it was Jacob. He was surprised, however, when he became Rosalie's next target.

Jacob and the others always had a way of evading the Cullens' pranks when they knew to expect something. (M/N) was oblivious to this, and it came as quite a shock to him when he entered his bathroom, and a full bucket of manure fell off the top of the door directly on top of him. He nearly whooped Jacob to hell and back for that, but Jacob made sure to keep a distance. (M/N) had to miss class just so he could get the smell off his skin, and then he had to dispose of the bucket and all its contents. He did consider leaving some of it in Jacob's bed, but ultimately decided against it.

He later found out through Bella that Rosalie had tasked Emmett with collecting the manure and putting it in (M/N)'s bathroom. Only Emmett would commit to something so stupid, and everyone knew about it afterwards. The only sensible people on either side were Edward and Sam, who mostly disapproved of everyone else's antics but didn't particularly do anything to try and stop them. They enjoyed watching from the sidelines.

Speaking of Edward, (M/N) arrived at his and Bella's room. He knocked on the door and Bella answered with a knowing smile.

"Jacob driving you crazy?"

She moved back to let (M/N) come in, flopping down on her bed. "As per usual. He was conspiring against Rosalie again."

"Uh oh, that's bad luck for you," Bella said as she joined him on the bed.

(M/N) groaned. "Like, why does she have to target me? Why not just go after him, or any of the other boys?"

Bella raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? I mean, I thought it was pretty obvious."

"What was obvious?"

"That Jacob likes you. I mean, it's pretty obvious to... literally everyone else except you apparently."

"How so? He's never said anything to me about that," (M/N) countered. Jacob just spent all his time annoying him, (M/N) didn't know what signs she was seeing.

Bella stared at him for a moment, unsure of whether or not he was being serious. "Have you seen the way he acts around you?"

(M/N) shrugged. "He's always been like that."

"My point exactly. But that would be why she went after you."

Was that really it? (M/N) didn't really get any signals from Jacob hinting at that, he would have to look into it later.

"Oh, that reminds me, are you going to the halloween party this weekend?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, I am," (M/N) said. "What about the Cullens?"

"I'm pretty sure they're all going. It sounds like everyone's gonna do matching costumes this year," Bella said.

"Tell me about it, Jacob was bugging me about it for weeks," (M/N) sighed.

Bella smiled. "And did you cave?"

"Only to get him to leave me alone," (M/N) defended, seeing the suggestive look on her face. "Stop."

"This is one of those things I'm talking about. I heard from Sam that the others were trying to convince him to do a big group costume theme or something, but he wouldn't give them a clear answer. He never told them why, but clearly..." Bella trailed off as she smirked at him.

(M/N) rolled his eyes at her. "Either way, I'm terrified. He's gonna pick the dumbest costumes possible, I just know it. You should have seen the creepy ass smile on his face when I finally agreed."

"Couples costume, I bet," Bella said matter-of-factly.

"Shut up. What about you? You gonna dress up with Edward?" (M/N) teased.

"Probably. I was only going because he wanted me to, but now I have more motivation. I'll make sure to take some pictures of you."

"You do that and I'll make sure the boys' next scheme is focused on you," (M/N) warned.

"You would never," Bella said without worry.

They spent the next hour talking about their various classes and other things that had been going on, until eventually Edward returned. He wasn't at all surprised to see (M/N).

"What have you two been up to?" he asked casually as he put his stuff away.

"Nothing much," (M/N) said.

"(M/N)'s gonna do matching costumes with Jacob, isn't that cute?" Bella said and (M/N) glared at her. Edward laughed.

"I can't wait to see that. I think everyone will be eager when they find out."

"Don't you dare–" (M/N) was cut off by Rosalie's furious voice.

"JACOB!" she roared from down the hall. Jacob's faint laughter could be heard as well.

They all looked at each other knowingly.

"I'm so screwed," (M/N) said.

"Yeah," Edward and Bella said at the same time.

(M/N) quickly scrambled off the bed and to the door. "I was never here." Then he ran off. He just caught sight of Rosalie–covered in white paint–running down the other hall after someone who could only be Jacob. (M/N) hoped she caught him, then maybe he wouldn't have to suffer.

Please let her kill him today. It would save me a lot of problems.

Well, if she didn't catch him, (M/N) wanted to be somewhere safe. Sam's gang was usually outside the library around this time, and that seemed like a better place than any.

He walked out of the main building and down the path towards the edge of the woods, where the giant library building was situated. Not far in front were a set of park benches, and he wasn't surprised to find Sam, Paul, Jared, Embry, Quil and Seth all sitting there.

"Hey, (M/N)!" Seth waved and they all turned to look at him as he approached.

"Oh, it's the target dummy," Paul joked.

(M/N) smiled slyly at him. "Yeah, otherwise who else would protect your fragile ass?" He leaned forward and pouted, as if he were talking to a child. "Don't worry, Paul. Those big scary Cullens won't hurt you while I'm here."

Everyone laughed at Paul who mumbled insults meant for (M/N).

"Speaking of the Cullens..." Sam trailed off. (M/N) knew what he was implying.

"Yes, Jacob struck again. Rosalie will probably be breathing down my neck soon, seeing as she'll unlikely be able to kill him," (M/N) said.

Sam shook his head in disappointment while the others nudged each other excitedly.

"What did he do this time?" Quil asked eagerly.

"Paint bucket," was all (M/N) said.

"I think we should hit 'em again," Embry suggested.

"They'll be expecting it," Jared countered.

"You're all children, I swear," (M/N) sighed and he went to sit down next to Seth, not missing the way his face brightened slightly. "You guys are going to the party, right? I heard you were gonna do a group costume thing."

"Yeah, we're gonna be werewolves!" Seth said excitedly.

(M/N) raised a brow. "Werewolves? Like all of you?"

"Like a pack," Quil said, like it was the coolest idea ever.

(M/N) laughed. "Now I've got to see that."

"So you're going?" Seth asked.

"With me."

Everyone turned to see Jacob approaching. He looked slightly annoyed as his eyes moved from (M/N) to Seth, and (M/N) wondered about what Bella said. If Jacob really did like him, then maybe he could make him jealous, for fun.

"I mean, I don't know Jake." (M/N) slung an arm around Seth's shoulders. "Maybe I should go with these guys instead, specifically Seth, it would probably be a lot better."

Seth seemed at a loss for words and (M/N) grinned as Jacob's jaw tensed up. So Bella was right. It felt like a superpower knowing he had a head over Jacob in this regard. He could definitely get used to more of this.

"You promised," Jacob grumbled. He looked like an angry child and (M/N) tried to keep his laughter in check.

"You know I'm joking," (M/N) said. "But the poor gang, what will they ever do without you?"

"Come on, Jake. You said you were gonna dress up with us ages ago, remember?" Paul said.

(M/N) gasped. "You didn't tell me that, Jake. How could you go back on your promises?"

"See? Listen to your boyfriend," Jared said.

Jacob took a swing at him, but Jared was already out of the way. "Shut up, he's not... my boyfriend."

"Aww Jake's embarrassed!"

"Look at him!"

"Someone take a picture!"

"I'll kill all of you," Jacob said through gritted teeth. "Fine. I'll join your stupid dress up group." He turned to (M/N). "But you aren't getting out of this."

"I'm not dressing up as a werewolf," (M/N) said.

Jacob smirked, and his eyes lit up at a new idea. "No, but we'll still be matching."

Once again, that scary look was on his face. But now (M/N) had a way to deal with it. He turned to Seth with a curious look. Seth seemed nervous at how close (M/N)'s face was to his.

"What's wrong, Seth? Are you sick?" (M/N) leaned in closer and heard some of the other boys snickering to themselves. Clearly, they knew what he was doing.

"I uh–no, I mean–" Seth stammered over his words as his eyes darted from (M/N), to Jacob–who looked increasingly irritated–and back to (M/N) again.

(M/N) hummed as he examined Seth's flustered state. "It sounds like you've got a lot on your mind. I'm free tonight if you wanna talk–"

(M/N) was interrupted when Jacob forcibly picked him up and put him on his feet, pushing him towards the main building.

"We're leaving."

"I was in the middle of a very important conversation," (M/N) said. He tried his best not to laugh while Jacob mumbled to himself until they made it to the front doors.

"Do you want a pacifier?" (M/N) asked.

"I hope blondie gets you good this time," Jacob said.

"Yeah, of course I take the fall yet again. I knew I should have left the manure in your bed," (M/N) said. It wasn't until then that he really noticed how dispirited Jacob looked. "Are you gonna be like that all day?"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Why don't you ask Seth."

"Maybe I would have if you didn't drag me away." Jacob didn't say anything and (M/N) sighed. "Jake, it was a joke. Chill out."

"Didn't seem like one," he responded.

"Well, it was."

"And how can I trust you?"

(M/N) smiled cheekily, and grabbed Jacob by his jacket, yanking him forward. Jacob was startled, and that shock only extended further after (M/N) planted a kiss on his cheek. "That proof enough for you?"

Jacob couldn't seem to find any words until after (M/N) started walking away.

"Where–where are you going?" Jacob asked.

"Gotta do some research for... something. You'll see when it's time. Later," (M/N) waved and walked off. Not missing the loud hoots coming from Sam's gang. Jacob was definitely not living that down, but at that moment he didn't care. He brought a hand to his cheek as he watched (M/N) leave.

"Look at this," (M/N) turned his laptop screen to Bella. She tore her eyes away from the front of the room and to his screen. She raised an eyebrow.

"Do I want to know why you're interested in that?" she asked.

"Well, Jacob caved and now he's gonna dress up with the other guys as werewolves, so..."

She laughed quietly. "Oh, that's dirty. You really think he's gonna let you just put that on?"

"Oh, he won't have a choice. I'll drop by the store this afternoon." (M/N) leaned his head back against his arms. "I can't wait for the party."

(M/N) made sure to keep his purchase hidden from Jacob as the days crawled by at an incredibly slow pace. Not only because he was excited for the weekend, but also because he was still on red alert when he wasn't in classes. The Cullens were tight lipped and (M/N) hadn't heard anything from Edward or Bella about what Rosalie was planning after Jacob's stunt–he caught a glimpse of her yesterday, and could still see white stains in her hair. He knew she had something. She could be waiting for him to let his guard down, but that wasn't going to happen this time.

Well, he was sure that was the case.

He was pulled from his sleep early Saturday morning when he subconsciously felt something weird on his face. It was wet and small, being dragged under his eyes, kind of like–

A marker.

(M/N)'s eyes shot open and Emmett froze, marker in hand. He dropped the marker and quickly turned around and dumped a bucket of freezing water all over (M/N) and his bed.

(M/N) wiped his face and glared at Emmett."You're dead," he said through gritted teeth as he launched out of bed and chased after Emmett, who laughed loudly as he bounded down the hall. (M/N) shouted insults at him as he disappeared from sight. Damn Emmett and his long legs.

He walked back to his dorm, soaking wet, and glared at Alice, who stood by the door with her phone in hand.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. I didn't plan this, you have Jacob to blame for these events," she said in a light tone as she skipped away.

(M/N) refocused his glare on Jacob, who stood by his bed while trying to hide his pleased expression.

"Are you satisfied? Enjoyed watching them?" (M/N) asked.

Jacob grinned. "I did, actually."

(M/N) quickly went into the bathroom and looked at his reflection. He had large circles around his eyes, and whiskers on his cheeks. The tip of his nose had been painted black. The words Jacob's little kitten were drawn on his right arm in big letters. The water did nothing at all to wash the marker away.

"There's no way!" (M/N) yelled. He tried washing it off but to no avail. "How am I supposed to go outside looking like this?!"

"I don't think you need to worry about that..." Jacob's voice echoed from the other room. When (M/N) went to investigate he found Jacob staring at his phone.

"What are you talking about?" (M/N) said in a low voice as he moved over to look at the screen. Alice had posted a picture of him, with Emmett's work on full display. "I'm gonna kill every single one of you."

"Oh come on, it's not that bad," Jacob tried to pacify him.

"Yeah I bet you asked them to do this!" (M/N) hissed. He went through his closet and picked out a long sleeve shirt. At least he could hide the writing on his arm, his face on the other hand...

"I'm taking these and you don't have a say," (M/N) said as he grabbed Jacob's sunglasses.

(M/N) wished classes were on today, because then he wouldn't have to deal with Jacob following him around like a lost puppy. It just brought more attention to him, as if the whiskers and the black nose weren't enough. He didn't take the sunglasses off for anything.

"I saw the post," Bella said. "It's not... that bad."

"That's what I've been trying to tell him," Jacob said.

(M/N) huffed. "You, shut up. I don't want to hear you speak at all."

"I mean, everyone's gonna be dressed up tonight anyway," Bella shrugged. "I don't think anyone will notice."

She's not wrong.

"It looks cute anyway."

(M/N) grabbed Jacob's ear and twisted it.

"Ow! Sorry, sorry!"

That afternoon, (M/N) begrudgingly made his way back to the dorm with Jacob in tow.

"Are you still mad at me?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know, maybe we should ask Seth–"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, please can you forgive me? I have our costumes for tonight..." Jacob's voice lowered in volume as he spoke, worried (M/N) would back out on the matching costumes.

(M/N) sighed. "What did you get me?"

"Wait, let me get changed first." Jacob moved to the bathroom and (M/N) stood there impatiently tapping his foot. Jacob returned a few minutes later.

"Really?"

Jacob was wearing shoes, cargo shorts, and wolf ears. Nothing else. (M/N) couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"That's your werewolf costume? Are all the guys gonna look like that?"

Jacob smiled as he watched (M/N), glad he was in a better mood. He pulled out some red articles of clothing and handed them to (M/N). It took him no more than a few moments to realise what it was.

"You're joking."

"Nope," Jacob said.

"If this is a skirt, I swear I'll–"

"It's not. I knew you would kill me." Jacob was quiet for a few moments. "So... will you wear it?"

"On one condition," (M/N) smiled slyly and reached for the small box under his bed. He handed it to Jacob. "You have to wear this, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Jacob's face dropped when he opened it. (M/N)'s smile only grew as he pulled out the bright pink dog collar with the words Daddy's little princess on it, the little bell jingled as he moved the item.

"What's wrong, Jakey?" (M/N) said with false concern. "You didn't think I wouldn't get my payback, did you?"

Jacob looked at him nervously. "(M/N) please don't make me–"

"You know, Seth's a nice guy, I think I'll ask him out tonight–"

"Seriously, can you stop doing that?" Jacob groaned.

"Put the collar on," (M/N) stated, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Jacob puffed his muscular chest and swiftly clipped it around his neck. "Fine, but we're going as a couple. No more moping about what happened this morning."

(M/N) smiled and flicked the bell, not missing Jacob's annoyed look. "Of course, princess."

Jacob took a deep breath before moving towards the door. "Put yours on, now. We need to go."

(M/N) did so and they left the building. (M/N) was going to drive there himself, but Jacob insisted that he drive them both, so (M/N) hopped in his car and they drove off up the main road one of the mountains behind the University estate. There was a big open clearing up there amidst the forest that the students used every year for the big halloween party. By the time they arrived, the sun was lowering behind the horizon.

(M/N) pulled the red hood over his head when they arrived, hoping to hide his face, but Jacob just pulled it down again.

"Come on, I meant it when I said you look cute. I'm so glad I found a 'Little Red Riding Hood' costume, but the marker honestly just makes it better."

(M/N) groaned. "You realise we look like those losers who do everything together? Why couldn't you pick any other costume for us to match?" He was just thankful this costume wasn't a skirt, because there was no way in hell he would have worn it. Rather he just had long tight-fitting jeans with heaps of straps and high boots. The white shirt that came with the costume had buttons trailing all the way up, and was short sleeved, so he had to try and hide his arm under the cloak.

"You look great, kitten," Jacob said with pure taunt.

(M/N) laughed dryly and smiled threateningly. "Call me kitten one more time and I'll drag your face through the concrete."

"You know I'm just teasing," Jacob smiled and wrapped his arm around (M/N)'s waist, pulling him into his bare chest. "I know you're not afraid of the big, bad wolf."

"Damn straight. I look like a cat crossed with a raccoon." He rubbed at his face again, even though it was pointless. "This better come off with my next shower."

The open field was already pretty packed. There was a small platform with giant speakers playing music, and some foldable tables had been set up with snacks and drinks.

"Hey, (M/N), Jacob!"

They turned to see Bella waving them over. (M/N) could tell she was meant to be snow white. Edward–who stood next to her–looked like he was aiming for prince charming.

"You guys look awesome!" she said once they made it over.

"So do you. Is this your prince charming?" (M/N) asked as he examined Edward.

"Vampire prince, to be specific," Edward said.

(M/N) snorted. "Vampires and werewolves, how cliche." He turned back to Bella. "If you want to take your pictures, I'll allow it now," he smiled as he flicked the bell on Jacob's collar. Bella and Edward looked at the collar and burst out laughing, much to Jacob's dismay.

"Oh, absolutely." Bella wasted no time snapping some pictures of them.

"You do realise you still have raccoon eyes?" Jacob grumbled, trying to sway (M/N)'s decision.

"It's already been posted online. 'Daddy's little princess' has not, however. Consider this payback. Now smile!"

Edward shook his head. "You're plain evil, (M/N). You know that?"

"Blame your nightmare of a sister. This is my villain origin story."

(M/N) scanned across the field and managed to spot Alice and Jasper, but couldn't see the others. He could see Sam and his gang approaching, though. They were all dressed the same as Jacob–or as underdressed as Jacob, for a better description–minus the collar, obviously. (M/N) gripped the arm around his waist to keep Jacob from running away.

"Come on, (M/N). You already got your revenge–"

"As if. You need to see your pack. Group costumes, after all," he said sweetly.

"Oh my, little red, what dark eyes you have!" Paul exclaimed.

"Almost as dark as my heart." (M/N) could feel Jacob standing behind him, trying to hide, so he looped two fingers through the collar and yanked him to the left. "You like my dog?"

The boys howled in laughter when their eyes landed where (M/N)'s fingers were. Jacob was beginning to realise just how much (M/N) wanted him to suffer for all the shit (literally, in this context) (M/N) was put through because of his pranks.

"I hate you all." Jacob groaned in annoyance as they took pictures.

(M/N) rubbed his cheek with over exaggerated affection. "That's my line. Now, I hope you'll refrain from using me as a shield against Rosalie from now on."

Jacob sighed. "Yes, I give in."

"Good boy. Now you have fun, I'm gonna get a drink."

He slipped away to the tables to pour himself a drink as he scanned all the dressed up kids dancing to music. He heard laughter nearby and turned to see Rosalie and Emmett looking at him. He glared back and vowed to get his revenge one day.

"You're cruel. Heartless, I'd say." He turned to look at Jacob as his arm snaked around his waist again. "We're a couple, remember? You can't leave me like that."

"You'll manage."

Jacob hummed. "Maybe if I had some incentive."

(M/N) raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly where this was going. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"Well, after all that, I think I deserve a kiss. A proper one."

(M/N) slowly leaned in, watching as Jacob did the same. Right before their lips touched he pulled back his head and pretended to think about it. "I don't know. I still don't think we're even. I might just hold onto that kiss for now."

He moved to walk away from Jacob but he was pulled back. There was a dangerous glint in Jacob's eye. "Careful now. You don't want to test the big, bad wolf. He might get angry."

"The fairy tale's different these days. The wolf should be scared of little red," (M/N) smiled cheekily as Jacob pulled him closer by the waist, putting a hand on the back of his head, locking their lips together.

(M/N) slung his arms over Jacob's bare shoulders as their lips moulded together. His mouth opened and Jacob's tongue fought against his. For a moment they forgot they were surrounded by people. The need for air eventually became too great and they pulled away, breathing heavily as they stared into each other's eyes.

"I've been wanting to do that for ages," Jacob breathed out.

(M/N) patted his chest. "Well, good for you. That can come off your bucket list now."

He grabbed Jacob's arms and pulled him closer to the platform. A lot of students congregated there, all dancing.

"What are you doing?" Jacob asked.

(M/N) rolled his eyes. "What does it look like? We're dancing, genius."

"You can dance?"

(M/N) grinned. "Nope. Can you?"

Jacob smiled. "Guess we'll learn together then."

They moved to the beat of the song as others moved around them in waves. Everyone was caught in the moment, and it was rather fun.

Not long after a bunch of shouts could be heard further out. A lot of people went to see what was going on, (M/N) and Jacob included.

They showed up just in time to see the Cullens–minus Edward–run past Jared, Embry and Paul with buckets. (M/N) didn't have to wonder what was in them for long, because the Cullens dumped them on the boys, covering them in green slime. Sam was off to the side and Seth stood by him, his face proving that he was clearly glad he wasn't with them. Everyone laughed as the boys stood there in shock, which soon morphed into anger.

"Karma's my new best friend." (M/N) laughed and had his phone out instantly, taking pictures. Their expressions were priceless, and he managed to get a good amount of photos before the three boys ran after the Cullens, shouting insults. "These are going to the vault. You're lucky you were with me tonight."

"For someone who thought these pranks were childish, you seem to be awfully happy about it," Jacob said.

(M/N) sighed thoughtfully. "Alright. Maybe pranks are okay."

Jacob grinned and hugged (M/N) close. "I knew you'd come around."

The rest of the night was full of laughs and joy as they partied the night away. Jacob was all too eager to brainstorm new ways to get back at the Cullens. (M/N) couldn't put away the smile on his face.

Yeah, Jacob was right. Who's to say pranks are only for kids?

End

Chapter Text

(M/N) trudged along the beach, kicking up the sand between his feet. It was times like this where he wondered if in a past life he pissed off a wizard or something. Life could be so miserable sometimes, what was the point of trying anymore?

A sick joke, he thought bitterly. That’s what his life felt like. Struggle after struggle, every time he thought he could finally get a break, that maybe things would start to get better, life just took another giant shit on him. No job, no money, in debt, and alone.

Living the fucking dream.

“Oliver, look out!”

Something slammed into (M/N), knocking him forward. He stumbled but caught himself.

“Sorry…”

He turned around and looked down to see a boy, maybe ten years old, backing away from him. An older man came running up behind him.

“Sorry about that, he doesn’t pay much attention to his surroundings.”

(M/N) took in the man’s somewhat scruffy appearance. He had relatively short, somewhat shaggy black hair and facial hair. He looked to be around his mid twenties–not far off (M/N)’s age. But there was something familiar about him. (M/N) tried to match the voice to the face. His eyes widened.

“Rey?” A shocked expression made its way onto the man’s face. “Reymund Hightower?”

The man scrunched up his face as he analyzed (M/N), then he seemed to make the connection. “(M/N) (L/N)?”

(M/N) couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped his lips. “It is you!”

Rey smiled in wonder. “Holy shit, how long has it been?”

“Eight years, I think?”

“Rey, who is this?” the boy asked.

“Uh, this is (M/N), we used to go to high school together,” Rey answered. “(M/N), this is–”

“Oliver, I can tell, even if I hadn’t heard it before,” (M/N) said. “He’s grown, last time I saw him he was still a baby, two years old?”

“About that.” Rey gently nudged Oliver. “Hey, why don’t you go down to the rocks? I want to chat with (M/N) for a bit.”

Oliver didn’t say anything, but kept walking further down the beach. The two watched him for a bit. Then (M/N) turned to Rey.

“So, what are you doing in California? We’re pretty far from the desert,” (M/N) said.

Rey’s face tightened. (M/N)’s did in response.

“Oh. It’s about her, isn't it?”

Rey cracked a small smile. “Didn’t think you’d remember that much about me.”

(M/N) frowned. “I suppose you don’t remember much about me, then.” Why did he care? They moved on with their lives, of course he shouldn’t expect Rey to remember anything.

“Of course I do. I’d never forget.”

“Then you should have known I’d feel the same way,” (M/N) said as they sat down on the sand. They had bonded back in high school over their unfavourable family situations. It made them feel better, having someone to empathise with, rather just sympathy, or people trying to tell them it isn’t that bad. Even when they didn’t know half of it. Rey’s Mother, Lola, was a horrible person, a drug addict. She would beat him all the time, screaming and yelling until little two-year-old Oliver was bawling his eyes out. Rey’s real father had died not long after he was born, and Lola’s new husband, Bo, stayed out late working a lot, so no one was there to help Rey. Sometimes after he lulled Oliver to sleep, he would sneak out and meet up with (M/N). (M/N) would try to ignore the markings on his skin, it had become fairly normal for them, so Rey just wanted the meetups to forget about his pain.

“Well, she was released from prison the other day. She… she wants to take Oliver, ‘raise him’,” Rey said like it was a stupid joke. “She says she changed, but I didn’t want to risk it.”

“So you took Oliver and ran?” (M/N) guessed. Rey nodded.

“Her and Bo are here, though. Oliver… he wants us to be a happy family, but that won’t happen. I can’t–” Rey breathed in deep. “I can’t just move past everything she did.”

“I don’t blame you. But do you think she’s changed?”

Rey shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m going to see her tomorrow, and I’ll figure it out. If she has, then…”

Talking like this brought on a heavy sense of nostalgia. (M/N) felt like almost no time had passed since they last saw each other. Rey didn’t want to lose Oliver, but if Lola had really improved, then she and Bo could give Oliver the upbringing Rey never got.

“You raised him yourself this whole time?” (M/N) asked.

“Basically,” Rey responded.

“But, after we graduated, you went to college–”

“For barely two months, then she got arrested and since Bo is always working, I came back home to take care of Oliver,” Rey said, then laughed pitifully. “Been stuck working in the gas station ever since. I threw my whole life away just for her to turn around and say she wants to take him. I can’t imagine what that sounds like to you.”

“It sounds like you’re still the same Rey I liked all those years ago,” (M/N) said. Rey looked at him in surprise and (M/N) realised he probably shouldn’t have brought up history that would do them no good. “Sorry, I didn’t–”

“No, no. It’s just… how can you say that after what I just told you?”

“Because I saw in you the things I wished I could have. Oliver is so lucky to have you as his older brother. My brother, well, you know…” (M/N) sighed. His older brother left home as soon as he legally could, which was when (M/N) was barely a teenager. “He wanted no more to do with me than Mum and Dad did. But watching you look after Oliver all those years ago, it was so admirable. Why wouldn’t I like you? I couldn’t even find it in myself to be angry at you for wanting nothing to do with me.”

Rey frowned. “What? You think I left because I didn’t want you?”

(M/N) cocked his head slightly. “You’re telling me that isn’t true?”

“Of course not, (M/N)! I really liked you, but I left because I knew I would never measure up to you. I could never give to you what you gave to me, even when I was shutting you out. I was scared you’d get bored of me after we graduated, feel like I was chaining you down with all my baggage. So I just ripped the bandaid off nice and early.”

“Why in any universe would I get bored of you?” (M/N) said in disbelief. “You were the only other person I could be myself around.”

“Because I realised I couldn’t have a life of my own. As soon as I found out Mum went to jail, I knew I would have to drop everything to go look after Oliver. I didn’t want you to be stuck with me. You had a life of your own to live.”

“Rey, you know better than anyone how alone I was without you,” (M/N) said. “I was heartbroken.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. But it worked out for you, didn’t it? You got to make a life for yourself out here,” Rey gestured to their surroundings.

(M/N) scoffed. “I wouldn’t call it that. You think too highly of me.”

“I never thought highly enough of you, (M/N).”

(M/N) smiled slightly. After all this time, he thought he had moved on. But here he was, with a warmth long since lost as he talked to Rey. It seemed as though his feelings had never disappeared, just stayed dormant, hoping for the day they would cross paths again.

“Yeah? I’ve been on my own since you left. I have nothing,” (M/N) said. He didn’t think anyone in his family had ever loved him, which had him wonder why he was born to begin with. His mother left early on, and they never heard from her again afterwards. His good old big brother left as soon as he could, which just left him and his father. His father always looked at (M/N) with distaste, like something he wished to get rid of, but couldn’t. He was always drunk, and seemed to forget about (M/N)’s existence most of the time. (M/N) couldn’t count on both fingers how many times he’d had to sleep outside because his father passed out and kept the doors locked. When he did acknowledge (M/N), it was always to hurl insults at him. Waste of space. Pathetic excuse of a son. Can’t even bear looking at your face. Rey was (M/N)’s only source of comfort. “Of course Dad kicked me out as soon as I turned eighteen. After that I had to do everything on my own. I’ve just barely been managing to stay afloat all these years. And now I’ve lost my job, so I’ve got no way to pay off my debts. Not like I was getting paid enough anyway.”

“What debts?” Rey asked.

“Dad finally kicked the bucket a month ago. Not surprising. All that drinking was bound to catch up with him eventually,” (M/N) said, no sadness in his voice. “But since the others in my ‘family’ haven’t been seen since I last saw them–they could be dead for all I know–his debts fell into my hands. They must have completely disappeared for that shit to fall on me, quite impressive, really. So yeah, one last ‘fuck you’ to me. And I really thought he wouldn’t be able to screw me over anymore.”

Rey opened his mouth to speak, but (M/N) cut him off.

“Anyway, my point is that I didn’t have anything beyond you. I don’t know how I even made it this far on my own.”

Rey sighed. “I’m sorry, (M/N). I thought… well, I thought that at some point your mother or brother would have reached out to help you. You haven’t heard from them at all?”

“Of course not. Even if they’re still out there, I want nothing to do with them. They made their choice, just as you did. That’s the way life goes.” (M/N) leaned back on his hands, feeling the cool breeze. “I’ve tried so hard to keep pushing forward. I don’t even know why, but it doesn’t seem worth it.”

“Oliver is the only thing that kept me going,” Rey said. “Finding someone like that, to spend your days with, is the best way to do it, I think.”

They were silent for a few moments and Oliver came running back.

“Can we leave now? I’m tired,” he groaned.

Rey gave him an annoyed look, like there was more he wanted to say. (M/N) got up and brushed the sand off his pants.

“I should probably get going, anyway. It’s been a long day.”

Rey quickly moved to get up. “Wait, did you want to get a drink later or something? I’ll drop Oliver off at the motel first so he can rest.”

(M/N) debated it. Was this really a good idea? They had gone their separate ways years ago, reconnecting now might just make things worse. Or maybe that was just (M/N) predicting that it would end badly, like everything else in his life so far. He caved.

“Sure, I guess.” They exchanged numbers and (M/N) watched them leave before heading back to his car. Unless he found another job soon, he was going to get kicked out of his apartment. It wouldn’t be the first time he had to sleep in his car, though. He didn’t want to dwell on that, so he pushed those thoughts away. When he got home he took a shower and dressed a bit better. After a good thirty minutes or so, Rey texted him the address of a pub, and he got back in his car and drove off.

He still couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t the best idea. They were both struggling with a lot of issues. (M/N) was on the verge of losing everything–though he supposed he always had been, and Rey could lose the only family he’s ever known. No matter how much he loved Oliver, the kid wanted the whole family together. Rey would never be a part of that, not after everything he went through.

Maybe I should just call it off, (M/N) thought. But he would feel too bad bailing on Rey. No point in piling onto his problems.

(M/N) parked and entered the pub, looking around. Rey said he had already arrived not too long ago, and (M/N) found him sitting in a booth towards the back, two drinks already on the table. He was wearing a jacket now, and looked to have fixed his hair a bit, trying to be more presentable. He looked a little anxious, bouncing his leg impatiently. He stopped once he saw (M/N).

Good thing I didn’t bail.

Rey smiled. “You made it.”

“That I did. Though, you didn’t have to buy me a drink, I could get one myself,” (M/N) said as he sat down.

“It’s fine. I’m just glad you’re here.”

“Then tell me, what else is on your mind?”

“I just wanted to catch up some more. We didn’t get much time before and with everything going on… it’s been a nice distraction.”

(M/N) cocked a smile. “So that’s all I am now? A distraction?”

Rey held out his hands defensively. “No, that’s not what I–”

“Relax, I’m just joking.”

Rey sighed in relief.

“How is Oliver holding up?” (M/N) asked as he took a sip from his glass.

Rey did the same. “It’s been hard for him, and for me. I don’t know what’s right anymore.”

“You’ll make the right choice, I know you will. Because it will be what’s best for him,” (M/N) said.

Rey clearly didn’t want to talk about it anymore. He quickly changed the subject.

“So… you said you’ve been alone since I left. Was there never anyone else that you…”

(M/N) shook his head. “No. I never made an effort to go looking for someone. I just thought it would end the same way as everything else. Plus, I’m not exactly the kind of person people look for. Too much shit to deal with, no one wants to be burdened with that if they don’t need to.”

“If the person is good enough, I’d say it’s worth the effort,” Rey said as he looked out the window.

“Then why didn’t you let me stay?” (M/N) asked in a soft voice. “You know I would have.”

Rey looked annoyed. “Yeah, I know. That’s what made it worse. That you would stay with me even though I didn’t deserve it. Why couldn’t you just yell at me?”

“Because I wanted to be with you, Rey. Be serious, did you really think someone in my discount family would come back for me? Don’t lie.”

Rey was quiet for a moment before speaking.

“I guess not. I hoped someone would, though. So I could feel better about what I did.”

“Do you still feel like it was the right call? Or do you regret it?” (M/N) asked. He remembered that day clearly, the memory never left him.

(M/N) stuffed his hands in his jumper pocket as he moved through the night. It was cold, but that wouldn’t stop him from seeing Rey, who was unusually quiet at school earlier that day.

(M/N) moved through the bushes until he saw the old treehouse. Well, the house part was gone, it was just a platform high in the tree now, but it was a spot they liked going to quite frequently.

(M/N) climbed up the ladder until he reached the part where it had snapped off, and went climbing through the branches instead. He pulled himself up onto the platform and found Rey sitting there, watching the sky. The platform was half on the tree and half in the air, so the branches didn’t cut off the sight above, which made for a pretty sight at night. At times like these.

Rey was wearing his old worn out jacket that he loved so much. He turned to offer a small smile at (M/N) who walked over to sit beside him.

“Hey,” (M/N) greeted.

“Hey.”

(M/N) examined Rey’s exposed skin, trying to find any sign of markings. He couldn’t.

“She didn’t do anything today,” Rey said.

(M/N) crossed his legs and kept his hands close, trying to keep them warm. “That’s good.”

Rey noticed and took one of (M/N)’s hands in his, stroking it softly with his thumb. Rey’s hands always felt warm, no matter the temperature, which (M/N) liked. But right now, Rey seemed off, so (M/N) didn’t care much for anything else.

“Is everything okay?” (M/N) asked. Rey’s hand stopped moving and he frowned slightly.

“I’ve just been thinking.”

(M/N) cocked his head slightly. “About what?” Rey always liked when he did that, said it was cute. So (M/N) was hoping it would help lighten the mood that seemed to be in the dumps.

Rey’s eyes softened slightly, the way they always did when he watched (M/N). Then a nervous look made its way onto his face. “What I’m gonna do after graduation.”

(M/N) looked down. He could tell from Rey’s body language that the answer wasn’t going to be something he would like. His heart started to beat a little faster as he thought about the possibilities.

“And?”

Rey sighed and pulled his hand away. He looked like he was in pain. “I… think we should end things.”

(M/N)’s heart dropped to his stomach and he tried to keep a tight lid on his emotions.

“What, why?”

“Things will just be easier if we go our separate ways. We’ll be happier.”

(M/N) was beyond shocked. And devastated. But he didn’t argue any further. He respected Rey’s decision and left after he turned 18. Though, now he realised that when Rey said ‘We’ll be happier’ he was really just talking about (M/N). He didn’t realise (M/N) wouldn’t be happy, either.

“Yes, I regret it. I wouldn’t if you had created something for yourself, but it looks like I just caused you even more pain. I was more scared of you leaving me than sending you off myself,” Rey explained

“Well what about you, did you find anyone else?” (M/N) asked.

Rey smiled longingly. “No. There was never anyone who could measure up to you.”

(M/N) looked off to the side slightly, trying to ignore the warmth in his chest. This wasn’t going the way he imagined. How could this end well after everything? He quickly downed the rest of his drink and got up, confusing Rey.

“This was a bad idea. I’m sorry Rey, I wish you the best.”

“Wait, (M/N)–”

(M/N) was already up and out the door, but he didn’t feel like going home yet. He thought about heading back down to the beach. It was mostly dark out so there wouldn’t be too many people. He could banish his thoughts with the sound of the waves.

He was passing through an empty park when he heard footsteps behind him.

“(M/N), please!”

(M/N) sighed and came to a stop as Rey caught up to him. Rey hunched over for a moment to catch his breath before righting himself and speaking again.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable–”

“It’s not your fault. It’s just better if we don’t do this again,” (M/N) said.

“Why? I thought… I thought you still wanted…” Rey couldn’t seem to find the words, but (M/N) knew what he was trying to say.

“I do,” (M/N) whispered.

Rey stepped forward. “Then why not try? We could give it another go. Make things right.”

(M/N) stepped back, ignoring the hurt look on Rey’s face. “Nothing in my life has ever worked right. Not now. Not ever. How could this end any differently?”

“Because we understand each other's struggles better than anyone else. You said it yourself, didn’t you?”

“I’ve gotten used to being alone all these years. If I get attached again and you leave…” (M/N) shook his head. “Things are hard enough.”

“I won’t leave you again, (M/N). We can figure things out as we go. Push forward,” Rey smiled as he repeated (M/N)’s words.

Could they really do that? (M/N) didn’t know for sure. Things could just get worse. But maybe… maybe they could get better, as well. Perhaps something like this was why he kept going. In hopes that eventually, his life would start to get better.

“Do you really think so?” (M/N) said.

Rey gently reached out to grab his arms. “Yes. Please, will you stay?”

(M/N) stared into his eyes, trying to find some sort of doubt. There wasn’t any. He slowly nodded.

Rey pulled him close and moved his head in. He hesitated for a moment, silently asking if it was okay. (M/N) closed the gap for him. The feeling of Rey’s lips on his was nothing short of bliss. When was the last time he had even hugged someone, let alone kissed them? Well, he knew the last time he kissed someone was Rey before they broke up. He brought his hands to the back of Rey’s head, lacing his fingers through his hair as their lips moved in sync. Rey ran his hands down (M/N)’s back, causing a shiver to pass through his body. His hands felt so hot against the back of his shirt. He reluctantly stopped Rey once his hands slipped under his shirt. He pulled away and took a deep breath.

“Maybe not right here,” (M/N) said with a small smile. They were still in the middle of the park, out in the open. Rey smiled back at him.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

They walked for a while, hands intertwined as they caught up on the things they had missed. Rey mostly just talked about Oliver growing up; his likes, dislikes, how he was doing in school, baseball and so on. (M/N) told him about his first few years away from home. He spent a lot of time job hopping, taking anything that would give him even slightly better pay. There were some times where he’d have to sleep on the streets, but once he got a car, that wasn’t an issue.

“I never should have left you, I only made your life harder. Guess I really do screw everything up,” Rey said with a sigh.

“Your intentions were in the right place, you can’t blame yourself. Even if I do wish you’d’ve let me stay with you. You know I would have helped with Oliver,” (M/N) said.

Rey looked up at the sky. “Yeah, I know. I wonder how different things would have been.”

(M/N) smiled a little. “Honestly, I can’t imagine anything being worse than it already is.” He noticed Rey’s face drop a little. “For me, that is. Sorry.”

Rey pushed back his feelings. “It’s getting late, I should head back before Oliver starts to panic.”

“Where are you parked?” (M/N) started pulling Rey back the way they came.

“Car broke down yesterday, so I’ll just catch the bus,” Rey told him.

(M/N) chuckled a little, Rey raised an eyebrow at him. “Sorry, it’s just… we really do have absolutely shitty luck, huh?”

Rey smirked. “Can’t argue with that.”

“Here, I’ll drop you off.” (M/N) led Rey back to his car. They were mostly silent on the drive back, chatting a little about various things. When (M/N) pulled up in front of their motel room, Rey’s expression hardened again.

(M/N) gently grasped Rey’s hand, who returned the pressure. “Hey, whatever happens, I’ll be here for you.”

Rey nodded. “I’ll call you.”

“Night, Rey.”

Rey let go of his hand. “Night, (M/N).”

When (M/N) woke up the next morning, he decided to do some job hunting online. He wasn’t expecting much, but he was still slightly annoyed when he couldn’t find anything he’d be suited for. Being alone all this time definitely didn’t help. He had to find his way through the adult world with no help, but that in itself probably counted for something.

After a few hours of that, he instead moved to do some cleaning up. If he was going to get evicted, might as well make the process easier for himself. It wasn’t until 4pm that he started to get a little worried. He wondered how Rey was doing, surely he had already talked to his mother. If all went well, (M/N) was sure he would have called already. In that case, maybe Rey just needed to be alone.

It wasn’t until 40 minutes later that (M/N) received a message–not a call. Rey asked him to meet at the beach, same as yesterday. The sun was nearing the horizon as (M/N) drove down to that spot. It was less windy than yesterday, and no one was around. (M/N) didn’t spot Rey until he looked further down at the rocks where Oliver was the previous day and saw Rey standing there, looking at the waves. Even from this distance, (M/N) could tell what had happened.

Rey didn’t hear (M/N) until he stopped a few feet behind him. (M/N) saw the pain on his face.

“I’m sorry,” (M/N) whispered.

Rey shook his head. “Oliver needs her. It’s better for him this way.”

He paused for a moment, he looked like he was on the verge of crying. (M/N) waited.

“I wish I had your strength. You fought for so long with no one at your side, and you’re still much more put together than I am.”

(M/N) shook his head and walked up to interlace his fingers with Rey’s, leaning into him slightly. “I’m really not. I’ve just learned to hide it well. It doesn’t do much good to have everything out on the table when you can’t rely on anyone else. But even so, you’re way stronger than me, Rey. You literally sacrificed your chance at a good life, love… so you could raise Oliver. And letting him go after all these years, it’s the strongest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do.”

Rey pulled (M/N) into a hug. “I really don’t deserve you.”

(M/N) hugged him tighter. “You deserve the world.”

Rey pulled back to kiss him again, with more desperation than he had the night before. (M/N) gave into it completely, letting all his emotions out. It felt like eternity before they pulled away for air.

“So, what happens now?” Rey asked.

(M/N) smiled weakly at him. “Fight. We keep fighting until we don’t need to anymore. Things will work out. With you, I know they will.”

Rey caressed his face, some tears had escaped Rey’s eyes, but he didn’t seem to care. “Pushing forward, right?”

“Pushing forward,” (M/N) confirmed, putting his hand on top of Rey’s.

End

Chapter Text

A truck sped down the windy road. Nathan clasped onto the front of the car as he leaned against the windshield. Shouting as loud as he could as he egged the driver, Jake, to go faster. The brown-haired teen obliged, pushing down further on the gas pedal. Nathan looked back at the dark skinned boy with a buzzcut in the passenger seat.

"Gilly, get out here!"

Gilly stuck the top half of his body out the window, cheering Nathon on as they surpassed the speed limit. The trees surrounding the windy road opened outward, revealing the city, outstretched as far as the eye could see under the fading sun.

Elsewhere, (M/N) was scrambling to put his shoes on as a car horn honked repeatedly outside his house. (M/N) stuck his head out the window, catching a glimpse of the driver through the car window.

"Yeah, Felix, I'm coming!" (M/N) shouted before hopping out of his room, jamming his foot into the shoe. He grabbed his keys and ran halfway down the stairs, before jumping over the railing and hitting the floor, jogging towards the front door. Once he was outside, he could see Felix and now Vanessa, sitting in the passenger seat, singing loudly to the song blasting from the car radio. They looked at him expectantly as they sang their hearts out. The whole neighbourhood must have been able to hear them, but (M/N) didn't care.

He joined in, singing the words with his whole voice as he dramatically approached the car. They swayed to the beat and bowed towards him as he hit the final high note before they all burst out laughing.

"Get in here, dude! The party's started already!" Felix urged him on, revving the car for effect.

(M/N) quickly hopped in the back of the car, sitting in the middle so he had a good view of them both. "Whose fault is that?" he said with an eyebrow raised at Vanessa.

She reached back behind her seat and lightly smacked him. "Shut up, loser. Maybe you should take the extra time to perfect your appearance." She flipped her wavy, shoulder length brown hair for dramatic effect.

"You still want to put makeup on me, huh?" (M/N) said.

"You should be begging me for the honor," she said with an eye roll. "If you let me have my way, you'd have guys lining up around the block for you. They'd be chasing you for just one kiss."

(M/N) and Felix chuckled at her as the latter started the car, driving off down the street. He took one hand off the wheel and looped his fingers in with Vanessa's. Their banter was something they enjoyed a lot.

"Please, I'm on the track team, no one can outrun me," (M/N) said cockily. "And I look good anyway, thank you very much." He had fixed up his hair and dressed in a long-sleeve white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and tight fitting black jeans. He only ever wore his running shoes, but they still looked rather good for all the wear and tear over the last year.

Felix smiled in the rearview mirror. "You're just full of it, aren't you?" His shaggy black hair had been left untouched, which (M/N) already knew Vanessa would have fought with him about, probably saying he needed to look his best. He was wearing a t-shirt and baby blue jeans, a necklace given to him by Vanessa hung around his neck.

Vanessa also eyed (M/N) in the rearview mirror with narrowed eyes, taking in his appearance. "You could still be better," she said, but it was clear she had given up on arguing about it. She was wearing a floral strap dress that stopped just above her knees, her white converse looked brand new. She fiddled with the golden bracelet on her wrist.

(M/N) rolled his eyes. "I don't know why you're so passionate about it."

"We can't baby sit you forever, you know. We need our alone time," Felix said as he brought Vanessa's hand intertwined with his up to his lips to kiss, she laughed.

(M/N) grinned. "Yeah, like you guys want to get rid of me." They had been friends for years. Thicker than glue.

Felix hummed. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

Jake, Gilly and Nathan drove down the crowded street. Nathan was still sitting atop the car's hood, resting back against the windshield now that they had slowed down to a leisurely pace. Once they reached the front yard of the house at the end of the street, Jake slammed on the breaks, making the car lurch forward and sending Nathan tumbling onto the grass. They all laughed as Nathan righted himself and fixed the buttons on his blue shirt–some had come undone. Jake parked the car and he and Gilly got out, running over to Nathan. Jake gripped his hand and pulled him into a hug.

"Dude, you're crazy."

Nathan patted his back, embracing the hug. "Damn right."

Gilly gripped his shoulder and then gestured to the house. Loud music could be heard from inside.

"Let's do this." They all walked into the house, past the small groups of kids grouped out the front. The party was mainly situated in the backyard. The back exit was a large deck that moved further down to an open area next to a crowded pool surrounded by fairy lights. The place was a congregation of kids from school, music blasting from speakers nearby.

"Now this is a party," Jake said as he nudged Nathan.

"Gilly!"

The three of them turned to see two guys wearing football jackets, they gestured for Gilly to walk over to them.

"Ah, give me a second, guys." Gilly hurried towards them and pulled out two fake Virginia IDs with the boys' faces on them from his pocket. They handed him two hundred dollars in exchange, and he walked back to Jake and Nathan, flaunting the money.

"Two-hundred bucks guys!" he gloated.

Jake laughed and shook his head. "That's insane."

Gilly took on a serious tone. "No, it's fair price. After all, I make the best fake IDs in Pennsylvania."

Nathan snorted. "You should put that on your college application."

Outside, (M/N), Felix and Vanessa pulled up along the street, getting out after the car was parked.

"I was fully expecting this place to be packed. We didn't have to walk two blocks, score!" (M/N) pumped his fist as they walked towards the house.

Felix raised an eyebrow. "You go running daily, why would that bother you?"

"You have to nitpick everything, don't you?" (M/N) shot back at him.

"Are you guys ready to get your shit rocked tonight?" Vanessa spun around and danced a little to the music they could faintly hear as they approached the house.

"I'm sure your boyfriend is." (M/N) snickered as he nudged Felix. Felix laughed and pushed him back. Things had been pretty stale recently, so everyone at school was more than hyped when a party was announced on Friday–today, earlier that week.

Sunset wasn't going to last much longer, and they stepped into the backyard. The music blaring in their ears.

"I like tight jeans, dark shades

when I walk the ground shakes..."

They scanned the area, deciding where to go first. (M/N) spotted the large coolers on the other end of the deck up at the house.

"Drinks first?" (M/N) asked.

"Hell yeah." Vanessa grabbed their arms and pulled them towards the steps. "We're getting drunk immediately."

"...Wanna take me on a date

you've got what it takes..."

"You're so eager for this aren't you?" (M/N) laughed and turned to Felix as he walked up the steps ahead of them. "Better keep an eye on her tonight."

Felix wrapped an arm around Vanessa's waist. "Was already planning on it."

Jake caught sight of them and tapped Nathan's shoulder. "Incoming."

"Here we go again." Gilly elbowed Nathan, his voice teasing.

Vanessa's smile dropped slightly when she saw them. "Oh."

"What?"

"...I like, how I'm catching your eyes

I like, how I don't even try..."

(M/N) and Felix followed her gaze. (M/N)'s eyes landed on Nathan, just as Nathan's eyes landed on him.

Oh, that was what. Everyone was silent as they watched the two boys stare at each other. (M/N) always compared his 8th grade memories to present day whenever he saw Nathan, which wasn't too often, but he couldn't help it. Even after all this time, it still surprised him just how much Nathan had changed since then. His hair was a little shorter, but he had way more muscle. His facial features were way sharper, and (M/N) could see his jaw harden even from this distance.

(M/N) never went into much detail about what happened between them when talking to Felix or Vanessa. But ever since then, things had been a little awkward between their friend groups. Between (M/N) and Nathan.

"...I like you

I like you boy

I like you, boy..."

"Should we... keep going?" Felix asked cautiously. Neither (M/N) or Nathan looked away.

Vanessa waved a hand in front of his face. "(M/N)?"

(M/N) finally looked away, refocusing on his friends' concerned gazes. "Uh, yeah. Let's go."

"Here they come," Gilly whispered.

Vanessa and Felix stayed close to (M/N) as they walked towards Nathan, Gilly and Jake. It was the only way to get to the coolers. Nathan had dropped his gaze right after (M/N) did, but brought his eyes back up when (M/N) went to walk past.

"Hey (M/N)," Nathan greeted. Gilly and Jake whispered something to each other, but he paid them no mind.

"Hey Nathan," (M/N) greeted him back.

A new voice spoke up. Someone they had all come to hate.

"Uh, oh. Look who it is boys. The fairies."

Jake and Gilly lost their playful grins, and the other four turned to look at Sam and his friends. (M/N) scowled at them. He wasn't sure exactly why Nathan stopped talking to him all those years ago, but he was certain Sam's comments played a big part. He knew they made Nathan uncomfortable, at the very least. (M/N) wasn't as easily swayed.

"Watch your mouth, loser," (M/N) snapped as he turned to leave again with Felix and Vanessa. They both shot Sam dirty looks. (M/N) could see Nathan watching them with narrowed eyes, his fists clenched. When they were younger, Nathan had never been one for confrontation. It was always (M/N).

"I'd tell you to suck a fat one, but I bet Nathan doesn't leave much to desire in that department," one of Sam's friends–Jason–said, and the others laughed with him.

Nathan looked furious and moved forward, as if he were going to fight, but (M/N) beat him to it. Within a second, he swiftly turned around, lunged forward, and swung his leg with full force right into Jason's groin. The boy shouted in pain at the top of his lungs and collapsed to the floor, a string of curses leaving his lips.

"Next time I'll make sure your balls pop." (M/N) glowered at him, then at Sam and the others when they stepped forward, anger clouding their features.

"You're gonna regret that you little shit–"

"Try it, I dare you." Nathan butted in, surprising (M/N). Nathan walked up to meet Sam. A warning to back off. Felix had let go of Vanessa, prepared to step in if things got ugly. Jake and Gilly seemed to do the same.

Sam sneered at him, then looked back at (M/N) whose angry eyes bore into his. A crowd had gathered around them, eager for a fight. But Sam just flipped them off before gesturing to his friends to follow him back. One of them helped Jason up, who cussed (M/N) out one last time before they left.

"Come on, let's go." Vanessa grabbed (M/N)'s arm gently and pulled him away from the crowd. He met Nathan's gaze one more time, trying to see if he was uncomfortable with what happened, but his face was blank as he stared back at (M/N). (M/N) was surprised at his willingness to jump into a fight. He hadn't really spoken to Nathan properly since 8th grade, and it seemed like more than just his physical appearance had changed over the years.

Once they were gone and the crowd dissipated, Gilly whistled and grabbed Nathan's shoulder.

"That was crazy."

Jake laughed and jabbed Nathan to lighten the mood. "That power play? Didn't want (M/N) doing all the work this time?"

Nathan smacked him lightly and joined in on his laughter. "Oh, shut up."

"Let's go get drunk!"

Once (M/N) made it to the table, he poured himself, Felix and Vanessa a drink each.

"(M/N), are you okay?" Felix asked.

"You can tell us if you aren't. Though, I won't say I didn't enjoy watching that giant baby get the sack crack," Vanessa said.

(M/N) huffed in amusement. "Guys, of course I'm okay. Just forget about it. The whole point of tonight is to get drunk and forget about our problems. We've only got like two months left until we graduate, enjoy the moment."

They smiled at that.

"Sounds like a plan!" Vanessa whooped and grabbed her cup, downing the whole thing in one go as (M/N) and Felix cheered her on. The sun dipped over the horizon and the night took over as the hours passed. (M/N) didn't know where it happened, but one minute he was partying with his friends, the next he was waking up on a couch in the living room, a heavy weight on his back.

He groaned at the bright light peeking through the shutters and tried to push himself up. The weight came with him, and groaned. The voice was familiar.

"Vanessa?"

He felt her shift and tumble off of him onto the carpet.

"Ouch!"

She picked herself up and moved her hair out of her face. She looked like she was going to throw up.

"Are you gonna hurl? Because not on me, please," (M/N) croaked as he stepped back. He cleared his throat and stretched his back. He must have been yelling last night, because it hurt to speak. His throat felt dry and sore.

"No, I think... I think I'm good. Where's Felix?" Vanessa asked. There were some people moving around them, mostly cleaning up, and a few others who seemed to be just waking up as well.

They looked around before (M/N) spotted movement outside.

"Out there maybe."

They opened the front door and winced at the sun beaming down on them. It was too bright for the morning. (M/N) checked his phone.

12pm.

Nevermind, not morning.

"God, I'm so hungover," (M/N) said as he shielded his eyes.

"Tell me about it," Vanessa said with a drawn out sigh.

"I tried to warn you guys not to drink so much." Felix chuckled as he walked over. "You wouldn't listen."

"I can't remember much. What happened?"

"I tried to get you guys to chill out but you were taking the whole 'getting drunk' thing very seriously," Felix said. "I honestly don't know how much you guys drank, but it was a lot."

Vanessa hurried over to the bushes nearby and emptied her stomach. They watched her as she walked back to them with a disgusted look on her face.

"Let's just leave. I'm going to sleep, forever."

Felix held up the garbage bag in his hand. "Thought I'd help them clean up first, it seemed right."

"Were you here all night?" (M/N) asked.

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Obviously. I couldn't very well just ditch you guys. Plus, I did still drink a bit, so driving wasn't a good idea anyway. I just slept in the car, you guys seemed peaceful on the couch."

"Well your girlfriend is heavy, I think I have back problems now." (M/N) groaned as he twisted left and right.

Vanessa lightly elbowed him in response, but seemed too preoccupied with sickness to throw a comeback at him.

He scanned the front lawn. There were some kids with identical bags, picking up cups and other rubbish. It didn't take (M/N) long to notice Nathan. One, because his shirt was gone, his abs on full display. And two, he was standing very still, watching (M/N). He only looked away once (M/N) noticed him.

(M/N) moved to the curb and sat down. He didn't feel very sick, but he still didn't want to push his luck. It looked like the cleanup was nearly finished, they would leave afterwards.

A familiar car pulled up past (M/N), honking the horn. Nathan looked over and groaned. It was his father's car. (M/N) was glad his parents were on vacation, he didn't have to deal with them breathing down his back about being home on time. He kept his head in his arms in front of him and tried to massage his headache away. He hoped Nathan's father, Kevin, wouldn't recognise his hunched figure on the curb. He didn't know where Nathan's parents stood in the information circle, but honestly he didn't want to find out, because he and Nathan had moved on already.

Well, tried to... (M/N) thought. He would be lying if he said it didn't bother him to this day how Nathan just suddenly acted like what happened during 8th grade never did happen.

(M/N) sighed, banishing those thoughts from his mind. There was no point in dwelling on such things. He needed water, how much longer until Felix was done? He looked back and saw him holding his garbage bag out to a girl who (M/N) presumed lived at the house. Vanessa was staying close to the bushes, anticipating a round 2, probably. (M/N) looked to his left when he heard someone approaching. It was Nathan.

"My dad is asking if you want a lift..." he said, eyes focused on the road.

Of course Kevin saw him. (M/N) dropped his gaze, focusing on the road as well. Where was Nathan's damn shirt?

"Tell him that's alright," (M/N) said.

"(M/N). You're sitting on the street and you look terrible. I'm not going to leave you there," Kevin's voice called from the car.

"I have a ride already," (M/N) called back as he stood up and wiped the back of his jeans.

"Well, about that..."

(M/N) turned around to look at Felix, who wore a guilty expression.

"Vanessa still isn't feeling too good, so I don't want to drive yet. I don't feel like cleaning out puke from my car. So we're gonna wait until she feels better, which could be a while..."

(M/N) resisted the urge to groan. What a lovely position he had been put in.

"You can wait with us, if you want," Felix still offered.

It was too late, though. Considering (M/N) lived right across the street from them, if he denied Kevin's offer now it would just sound completely rude. So he had no choice.

"No, that's fine. I'll just... ride with them," (M/N) said as he walked towards the car. "I'll call you later."

Felix sent him an apologetic gaze as he waved. "Yeah, see you."

Nathan didn't say anything, but he seemed just as unwilling to be in this situation as (M/N) was. It had been years since they properly talked, and now (M/N) kept being forced into close proximity with him. He was really starting to regret coming to the party in the first place.

Nathan hopped into the passenger seat, which offered them both the option to not talk to each other, if (M/N) sat behind him, which he did. Kevin looked between the two, but (M/N) couldn't tell if he understood or not.

"First time I've properly seen you in years, (M/N). You're not a little kid anymore. But I can't lie, this isn't a very good reunion," Kevin said, disappointment in his voice. "You guys aren't far off being adults, you need to be more responsible."

"Yeah, I shouldn't have come," (M/N) mumbled, his face was in a permanent frown. He couldn't help it, his head was killing him.

"And you?" Kevin turned to Nathan.

"Please don't tell Mum," Nathan said.

"She already knows."

Nathan groaned in annoyance. "It's not my fault. Jake and Gilly left me on the lawn."

"These are the consequences when you make bad decisions with your friends," Kevin said. "I don't imagine your parents are okay with this, (M/N)."

"They're out of town. A business trip that they decided to extend into a small vacation. So I'm by myself right now," (M/N) said. Admitting that right now made him look like a rebellious teen who went out of his way to do stupid stuff when his parents weren't around. He just wanted to party for a bit, but now he decided he shouldn't have gone. All this awkwardness and physical pain was just not worth it.

"Really? When do they get back?"

"In a couple weeks. My uncle checks up on me every now and then."

"I see."

(M/N) hunched back in his seat and kept his fists to his head. God, he couldn't wait for this ride to be over. It was quiet for a few minutes before Kevin spoke up again.

"So, how have you been?"

"Um, pretty good," (M/N) said.

"You still on the track team? Fastest kid there?"

(M/N) smiled a little at that. "Yeah."

"Nathan used to talk about that all the time," Kevin said. Nathan glared daggers at him. Kevin didn't seem to care. "How come you never stop by anymore? We used to see you almost every day."

Nathan looked back out the window. (M/N) pushed his tongue against his teeth as he copied Nathan's movements, looking out his own window. He tried to think of what to say without making things more awkward than they already were.

"I don't know I just... we aren't in as many classes as we used to be, I guess we just kind of... drifted." (M/N) resisted the urge to bite his hand. Really? That was the best excuse he could come up with? Kevin glanced at them both. He seemed to realise there was more going on there, but didn't say anything about it.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived out front of Nathan's house. They all hopped out and (M/N) hunched over.

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked.

(M/N) waved him off as he eased himself onto the grass. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just... need to sit down for a minute. Then I'll go home."

"You can come inside, grab a glass of water first," Kevin said before shooing Nathan inside. "Put on a shirt."

(M/N) sighed. Fine, he would go get a drink, chill for a minute, then head home. Easy.

He stayed on the grass for a minute before following them inside. It didn't feel weird being there, like the last time he was over at Nathan's house was yesterday and not 4 years ago.

"Meet me outside, Nathan!" Kevin shouted as he opened the back door.

(M/N) moved into the kitchen and grabbed a glass, filling it up from the tap. He downed the whole thing and sighed in relief as he leaned against the counter. He felt slightly better now. He heard someone coming down the stairs. Given the silence, it was probably Nathan, so (M/N) kept his head down. He heard the footsteps stop in front of him, on the other side of the counter.

"You good?" Nathan's voice filled his ears.

(M/N) nodded and reluctantly stood back up straight. "Yep."

Nathan was wearing a white t-shirt now. He looked like he had more to say, but Kevin interrupted him.

"Nathan, get your ass out here!"

Nathan grumbled to himself as he went outside. Kevin had boxing pads on, and Nathan grabbed some boxing gloves from the box outside.

Well, time to take my leave.

Right as (M/N) reached the front door, Nathan's mother, Mara, came down the stairs. She looked surprised.

"(M/N)? What are you doing here?"

He looked behind him, across the house, at the backyard, where Nathan and his father were training. (M/N) felt bad for him. He imagined Nathan felt as bad as he did after the party, and now he had to fight. She followed his gaze.

"Were you at the party, as well?"

"Yeah, I was just grabbing a drink before I head home," (M/N) said. "A bit hungover."

"You don't have to go, you can stay if you'd like. Catch up. I haven't seen you in ages."

"I'm just really tired right now, I wanna head home." (M/N) moved closer to the door, hoping she wouldn't push it.

She sighed. "Okay. You should come by again at some point soon, though. It's been a while."

"Sure." He didn't plan on it. This day had only just started–for him anyway, since he was passed out the entire morning–and it was too awkward for his liking. He opened the door and walked out. As he went to close it, he caught one more glimpse of Nathan fighting. Kevin was urging him to swing harder, and Nathan was moving his hands incredibly fast. He did an elaborate roundhouse kick that Kevin barely dodged. It was impressive. "Do they always do that?"

"Yeah, almost every day. Kevin tried to get him to do it when he was younger, but he didn't really want to until a few years ago."

(M/N) watched the way Nathan's muscles moved as he fought. He quickly shook those thoughts from his head as Nathan turned to look at him, and got hit in the stomach. He doubled over and puked everything up.

"Kevin, enough!" Mara yelled angrily as she walked towards them.

(M/N) closed the door and walked down the driveway. Yet another person puking in his line of sight. He wasn't that hungry anymore.

"You guys need to relax," Mara said.

"Nah, we're just training, right Nathan?" Kevin held up a pad for Nathan to fist bump, but he just rolled his eyes and walked back inside with Mara.

"Did (M/N) leave?"

"Just now. Said he was hungover and wanted to rest. No more partying kiddo. You're grounded for a week," she told him.

Nathan groaned. "Of course." But his thoughts drifted to (M/N).

(M/N) trudged his way through the door and headed straight for the couch. He felt gross and wanted to have a shower. But he decided to stay there for a while first. He drifted off to sleep and was woken later by the sound of his phone ringing. He opened it and checked the time, he had slept for three hours. He answered the call.

"Felix?"

"Yeah. Vanessa's home now. Her parents weren't happy. Neither are mine."

He heard Felix groan and laughed.

"Karma for putting me in that situation before."

"Speaking of that. Did everything go alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, at home. Is Vanessa feeling better?"

"I think so. Well, she's good enough to not worry about puking now."

"Good to hear. I'm gonna go take a shower then go for a run, I'll see you guys at school tomorrow."

"Yeesh, while hungover? You're stronger than me. Whatever floats your boat, I guess. See you tomorrow."

(M/N) hung up and went to have a shower. After sleeping, he did feel much better. He still didn't really want to go for a run though, but if he didn't, then it would be easy to skip out again tomorrow, and the day after, and so on. Being on the track team meant he had to keep his stamina up. So he begrudgingly put on his running clothes, sneakers, and started his run down the street.

His mind drifted to the party, and he wondered what would have happened if Sam pushed to fight them, would Nathan really have stopped him? Very quickly, the pain in his body became too much for him to focus on anything else.

By the time he got back, he felt he was dying. He leaned forward and heaved as he tried to catch his breath. It seemed his body hadn't recovered as much as he thought. No more parties for a while, that was for sure.

He looked over to see Nathan taking out the trash. Nathan spotted him pretty quickly and nodded slightly, meant to be a friendly gesture. (M/N) returned it with a small smile before stiffly making his way back inside. Whatever caused Nathan to stop talking to him seemed to not be as important anymore, given Nathan's behaviour. (M/N) could tell the difference. He thought Nathan still wanted nothing to do with him at first, but he had been making small gestures that said otherwise. It was like he wanted to talk to (M/N), but also tried to keep his distance. (M/N) felt the same, but he didn't want to be the one to bridge the gap between them. The whole situation was pretty annoying, and he tried to ignore it the best he could.

Chapter Text

Nathan leaned back in his chair and moved his gaze towards the window that ran from the roof to the floor, overlooking the city.

“All the time, I just feel the same way,” he said. “I walk around like everyone else, but inside… I look at my own life and I just don’t feel like I belong there.”

“Don’t you think everybody feels that way growing up?”

He turned back to his therapist, Dr. Bennet, who was sitting across from him. She had a pen and paper in hand, but she was watching him. The glasses on her face pushed up, keeping her red hair back from her face.

“Not really,” Nathan said. “And I’m pretty sure most kids don’t see a therapist.”

“Well most kids don’t have as much trouble controlling their emotions as you, Nathan,” Dr. Bennet spoke calmly.

“I never used to. It used to be the complete opposite.” Nathan thought back to the party. “I used your technique yesterday.”

Dr. Bennet smiled and leaned forward, implying that she was listening. He continued.

“This guy was having a go at my… friend. He was looking for a fight, and I was about ready to bash his head in…”

“But you contained it,” Dr. Bennet said proudly.

Nathan smiled a little. “Well, it was mostly because my friend kicked the other guy in the balls first. It didn’t really leave me much of a chance to do anything before him and his cronies backed away.”

“Was it this ‘(M/N)’ I’ve heard about?” Dr. Bennet asked. Nathan nodded. “It sounds like he’s helped you a lot.”

“Not really, technically we haven’t been friends for years–I can barely remember the last time we actually talked. It’s really awkward now, and I wish it wasn’t.”

Dr. Bennet shrugged. “Have you tried talking to him?”

“If he wanted to talk to me, he would have done it already,” Nathan said with a sigh.

“I don’t know. You haven’t told me much, but it sounds like there’s a lot more going on there. He might feel the same way, waiting for you to make the first move. You never know until you try.”

Nathan nodded slightly. “I guess. It just hasn’t been a main focus since I’ve been dealing with all this other stuff.”

“Well, I think you’ve made great progress,” she said.

Nathan crossed his arms. “I still have the dreams.”

After a moment of silence, Dr. Bennet spoke again. “When was the last one?”

Nathan thought back to the last time he had the dream. It was always the same. A woman, standing by a window. There were loud noises before people barged in, and knocked her out. Then it was over. “Two nights ago.”

“Nathan, some dreams are based in reality, and others are simply our mind’s way of handling anxiety. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.” Dr. Bennet glanced at her watch before smiling. “Our time is up.” She stood up, opening her arms for a hug. Nathan followed suit and embraced it. “Have a good week.”

The next day–Monday–rolled around and Nathan rode his motorcycle to school. He parked out front of the main entrance. Students were still rushing all around him, but his eyes focused on the field to his left, specifically three familiar faces. (M/N) was in his sports clothes, and Vanessa was in her cheerleader uniform, jumping around. Felix sat on the grass watching them.

(M/N) crouched down and prepared to run.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for!” Vanessa moved her pom poms as she spoke, jumping about like she was actually performing. “The one and only, (M/N) (L/N), about to perform his incredible stunt!”

(M/N) sighed. “Why do you always go so overboard?”

“Because otherwise it would be peaceful and quiet, and we can’t have that,” Felix said with a laugh and Vanessa shot him a glare.

“I’m trying to hype you up, so shut up and let me finish.”

(M/N)’s silence was all she needed.

“Are you ready, folks? Here he goes! Three, two, one, go!”

(M/N) ran forward, pushing off his feet as hard as he could. He sped past Vanessa who was now just jumping up and down. Once (M/N) had enough speed, he outstretched his footfalls and crouched lower. He pushed off his foot and shot forward in a dive-like motion. His hands hit the grass and he bent his elbows, grounding himself as much as he could while pulling his legs in. The slowed movement of the front half of his body sent the back half flying up over his head. Using the force of his momentum along with the slight push of his arms, he swung his legs back out and went flying through the air in a backflip, but fumbled towards the end and landed in a heap. He winced as he got up and brushed the dirt off his body before he walked back to his friends.

“Well, it looks like you almost had it,” Vanessa said, no longer moving erratically.

“I’ve been stuck on that part for weeks. I just can’t do it. And if I can’t land the initial jump then obviously I can’t do a follow up.” He was practising for the big performance in a couple of weeks. There was a game being played at their school, and as usual, the band and the cheerleaders would perform beforehand, but they also picked out students with acrobatic skills to do some stunts. He was one of the chosen students, despite not really wanting to do it. Their P.E. teacher asked him if he would participate, and he felt too bad to say no, after watching three other students deny her.

“It’s still weeks away. You’ll get it,” Felix said casually.

That’s when (M/N) noticed Nathan watching him with a small smile. When their eyes met, Nathan quickly looked away and walked off.

Vanessa snickered. “Dude, he’s still totally into you.”

(M/N) rolled his eyes, but was slightly embarrassed at the thought of Nathan watching him fumble his flip. “We’re not having this conversation.”

“Why not? Why are you so against reconciling with him, didn’t you guys literally kiss?” Vanessa asked.

“Four years ago! It’s ancient history,” (M/N) said. He held out a hand to stop her from saying anything else. “Let’s just get to class, please.”

(M/N) thought about that every so often. The time he and Nathan shared a kiss, but back then Nathan was practically a different person. He stopped talking to (M/N) not long after anyway, so (M/N) thought their intimate moment was a mistake. But now, he wasn’t so sure where Nathan sat in regards to their complicated relationship. Things were just weird. Well, they had always been weird, but more so after their interactions at and after the party.

Classes felt sluggish. It was a rather boring day. By the time lunch finished it felt like 200 hours had passed. (M/N) and Vanessa walked to their lockers, finding Felix already there. Nathan and Gilly went to their lockers nearby.

“You guys are unbelievably slow. Can we pick up the pace?” Felix said with an exaggerated yawn.

“Stop being so dramatic, that’s Vanessa’s job.”

She scoffed. “You guys are so annoying.”

As Nathan took out his books, he noticed Gilly’s locker was filled with pictures of rifles.

“What the hell is that?” Nathan asked.

Gilly examined his locker and then looked at Nathan with a defensive look. “What? I go to the gun range a few times a week, sue me.”

Nathan shook his head. He heard (M/N) laugh and looked over at him. Gilly noticed.

“Oh, here we go again. You look at him, he glances back at you–”

He paused and waited for (M/N) to flick his eyes towards Nathan, which he did without stopping his conversation.

“You both totally dig each other, and yet nobody pulls the trigger.”

Nathan rolled his eyes as he leaned against his locker. Gilly looked back at him.

“Grow a pair and make that happen, man. You act like you’re afraid to talk to him, is it because of Sam?” He glanced at Sam, who was walking down the hallway with his friends. “Who cares what he thinks?”

“I’m not afraid of Sam.” Nathan thought about what Dr. Bennet said. That (M/N) could be waiting for him to make the first move. “Maybe (M/N) cares what he thinks,” he lied.

Gilly snorted. “Please, you and I both know that’s a straight lie. He isn’t scared of confrontation at all. He eats that stuff up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

“Yeah, you think I don’t know that? But if he really wanted to, he probably would have talked to me.”

“Or, stop making excuses, and do something,” Gilly challenged.

“You never know until you try.”

Dr. Bennet’s voice echoed in Nathan’s head. He stood up straight and closed his locker with force. “Fine.”

(M/N) glanced at Nathan again when he heard the noise. Felix sighed. “Are you just gonna do this all the time, now? I thought you guys moved on.”

Vanessa leaned in to whisper in his ear, but made sure it was loud enough for (M/N) to hear. “Because they haven’t moved on, but they just like to pretend they have because they’re both too scared to make the first move.”

“That’s not true.”

She sent him a doubtful look. “(M/N), we’re your friends. You don’t need to hide the fact that you’re scared of getting rejected by Nathan again.”

“I’m not–” (M/N) found himself at a loss for words. He didn’t like admitting that, because he had grown up as someone who didn’t shy away from anything. To admit he was scared about Nathan felt wrong, even if it was true.

Felix and Vanessa raised their eyebrows at his silence. (M/N) rolled his eyes and closed his locker. “You guys are ridiculous. We’re gonna be late.”

“Oh, how I would hate to miss Mr. Miles’s Sociology class,” Vanessa said as they walked.

Gilly nudged Nathan. “Here he comes.”

(M/N) eyed Nathan as they walked past him. He slightly puffed his chest and put on a tough look.

“Hey… (M/N)...”

(M/N) would be lying if he said it wasn’t cute to watch–Vanessa clearly thought so based on her giggling. He couldn’t stop the smile adorning his face as he watched Nathan. It wasn’t until they had walked past him that (M/N) realised he was so caught up in staring that he forgot to say something.

Cool, now he was embarrassed.

He quickly averted his gaze from Nathan as he internally berated himself. There was no way he just had that interaction. He didn’t want to know what Nathan thought of that. Probably that he was weird.

“Smooth,” he heard Gilly say.

Nathan smacked his arm to get him to shut up.

“That may have just been the funniest thing I’ve seen all year,” Venessa snickered. “You both looked so awkward, it was too good!”

(M/N) ignored her. His head was still turned to the side slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of Nathan in his peripheral vision. He was startled when his books were flipped out of his arms, all his stuff falling to the floor in a heap.

“Too busy ogling your boyfriend–” Sam hissed the word, like it was contagious. “–to watch where you’re going, queer?”

He laughed and kicked (M/N)’s books out of the way. (M/N) looked at him with disgust as he and his friends walked past, but he made no move to do anything back. He couldn’t care less if Sam insulted him. Sam nudged Felix, who held Vanessa back when she moved forward with an angry look on her face.

“What are you looking at, freak?” Sam said when he saw Nathan’s pissed-off expression. Nathan clenched his fists. All Sam’s friends were laughing.

“Back the hell up,” (M/N) warned.

“Or what? Why do you like this freak so much, anyway? I hear he goes to a therapist. He must be pretty screwed up.” Sam laughed and shoved Nathan harshly in the chest. He tried to hide his surprise when Nathan didn’t budge.

Then suddenly, (M/N) grabbed Sam by his collar and yanked him backwards. His face slammed into the locker behind them. It made a loud bang that startled everyone nearby as he tumbled to the floor, clutching his nose. When he pulled back his hand, it was covered in blood. He scowled at (M/N).

“You piece of shit, you broke my nose!”

“Stay the hell away from us, or next time it’ll be something more permanent,” (M/N) practically snarled at him as Sam’s friends stepped forward to help him. (M/N) could hear Vanessa and Felix right behind him.

Passerby students looked on in shock, and eventually a teacher came by to see what all the fuss was about. She moved through the crowd of students and stopped when she saw the sight in front of her.

“Ms. Lane, he just broke my nose! He’s insane!”

(M/N) realised he couldn’t really defend himself in this situation. What was he supposed to say? He couldn’t very well justify assaulting a student because they said mean things. He stood there for a few moments while Ms. Lane watched him with a stern expression, waiting for his excuse. Suddenly Vanessa burst into tears.

“No, Ms. Lane! Sam was trying to put his hands up my skirt and (M/N) was just trying to help. Please don’t blame him!” She buried her face in her free arm, books clutched in the other, as Felix quickly moved to comfort her, hiding his surprise.

Sam’s face fell. “What? No! I was–”

“It’s true,” Felix told the teacher. She looked at them, then back at Sam before she moved to help him up.

“You, off to the nurse’s office, then we’ll talk about your behaviour.” She turned to (M/N). “I would talk about possibly suspending you…”

(M/N) tensed, but then Ms. Lane looked at Vanessa again, and her expression softened.

“But I suppose you were just trying to help. Still, I can’t let you off without a punishment. We’ll talk about detention.”

(M/N) sighed in relief. “I understand.”

Ms. Lane looked around at the crowd. “All of you, off to class. Nothing to see here!” Then she walked off with Sam.

(M/N) looked at Vanessa as he picked up his books. “Holy shit, thanks. How did you do that?”

Almost instantly, her sobs stopped and her expression reverted back into one of indifference as she wiped her tears away. “I’m dramatic, remember? And it was no biggie. Actually, it was my pleasure. That wankstain had it coming.” She grinned and grabbed his arm. “Come on, off to class. And yes, we’re fine, Nathan. I know you’re worried.”

(M/N) looked back at Nathan who looked just as shocked as he did. Did all of that really just happen? (M/N) felt bad, he didn’t know Nathan was seeing a therapist, but now the whole school knew. He imagined that wasn’t something Nathan wanted as public information. Vanessa dragged him and Felix off to class and Nathan and Gilly weren’t far behind. Jake was already there, and must have heard the commotion because he looked to the two for answers. Gilly whispered to him and he looked at (M/N) in surprise before whispering back.

(M/N) didn’t really pay attention for most of the class. He vaguely heard the teacher droning on.

“I’m sure you’ve all heard about the Maritime kidnapper. He struck again last night. Fifth child in less than three months.”

(M/N) fought the urge to look at Nathan, who was off to his left a row down, and would definitely catch him staring. He opted for staring out the window instead, frowning a little when he realised what might be the reason for Nathan distancing himself: Because he thought (M/N) was too intense, or scary. He supposed that might be true. He did just break a kid’s nose in the middle of the school hall. He didn’t regret it, though. It was the best thing he had ever done, and thanks to Vanessa’s surprisingly amazing acting, he barely got in trouble for it. He did regret the part of it that affected Nathan, though. He thought about what Vanessa said.

“He’s still totally into you.”

(M/N) jumped when Mr. Miles slammed a ruler down on his desk.

“Pay attention, please,” he said with agitation before moving back to address the rest of the class. “You may think this class is a stupid elective, people, but it goes on your report card all the same. All I’m asking for is to raise your average class grade above a ‘C’. Which really shouldn’t be difficult, but I still have to say it.”

Quiet snoring could be heard at the back of the class, which irritated Mr. Miles further.

“You guys will be writing a three-thousand-word essay on the subject of missing children. Percentage of disappearance rate, how often they’re found, under what circumstances and so on. This will be due next Friday, but I want a FULL draft by this Friday. Anything less and you’ll receive detention.”

The class groaned. He couldn’t be serious, that was barely any time at all–four days.

“I know, I know, you think your lives are ruined. But to lessen the workload, I’m going to assign you each a partner, and then you can share the responsibility, as well as the grade.”

Mr. Miles picked up a piece of paper.

“Vanessa, you’ll be working with Jessica. Gilly with Felix. (M/N) meet Nathan…”

Nathan raised his eyebrows at Gilly who shook his head with a smile. Nathan turned to look at (M/N), and redirected his gaze once he saw (M/N) already looking at him. (M/N) didn’t know how he felt about this. Nathan wasn’t exactly someone who did a lot of work…

Felix and Vanessa dropped by (M/N)’s house for a bit after school and they all headed up to his room, sitting on his bed. Felix had his laptop out, outlining some stuff before he and Gilly grouped up to work at some point. (M/N) flipped through one of his comic books while Vanessa laid across Felix’s lap.

“What’s on your mind, (M/N)? Is it Nathan?” Vanessa teased in a sing-song voice.

“Not in that way,” (M/N) said disapprovingly. “Just thinking about what I’m gonna do for the essay.”

“You’ll be fine, as long as you don’t spend the whole time making out–”

“Can you think of literally anything else?” (M/N) asked. “I swear, you’re obsessed.”

“No, I’m just waiting for you guys to finally admit that you like each other, it’s so obvious.”

(M/N) just watched her with a tired expression before looking at Felix. “How do you put up with her?”

“Lots and lots of practice,” Felix answered immediately without looking away from his screen. Vanessa didn’t even acknowledge him this time, sick of it clearly.

(M/N) replayed the events of that day. It felt like a rollercoaster. A bunch of ups and downs and he didn’t know where he sat amongst it all. He had a lot of feelings he needed to work through, but that would have to come at a later point.

Faint singing could be heard coming from outside. Vanessa stood up to investigate, and laughed, pointing out (M/N)’s open window.

“Check it out!”

The other two moved into view and were surprised to see a ladder leading up to the roof of Nathan’s house, where he was adjusting some of the shingles. He had earphones in, dancing to music.

Felix chuckled. “He’s so weird.”

(M/N) stared at him for a few moments before a smile crept onto his face. Nathan seemed to get more into the song as he glided across the shingles as gently as he could.

“Oh my god, you’re totally blushing!” Vanessa accused (M/N).

He looked at her but couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “No, I’m not, shut up!”

“Yes, you are! Look at him Felix!”

“Will you stop screaming?!”

Nathan turned his head towards (M/N)’s house. He saw the commotion, and (M/N) realised they had been caught. He laughed sheepishly and wondered what Nathan would think. To his surprise, Nathan didn’t seem embarrassed, half smiling at (M/N). Suddenly, a shingle slipped from underneath his foot, and he lost his balance, two more shingles ripping off. He slid down the roof and flipped over the side of the house, barely catching the gutter. He desperately tried to reach for the roof’s edge, but the gutter bent back and snapped in half, causing him to fall twenty feet into the bushes with a thud.

Vanessa and Felix were still laughing, but (M/N) was slightly concerned. Was he okay?

His question was answered when Nathan sat up and examined himself. He seemed fine when he got back up and observed the damage to the house. (M/N) thought it appropriate to shut his window now, let Nathan deal with that without prying eyes.

“Stop laughing, you two,” he said.

Eventually their laughter did die down, and they went back to other matters. After about an hour, they decided it was time to leave, since they all had that essay to work on.

“I’ll see you guys later,” (M/N) waved them off as they left. He realised he should probably also get to work, and grabbed his laptop bag before heading out the front door and over to Nathan’s house.

“(M/N), good to see you again,” Kevin said when he walked past the garage.

(M/N) nodded. “Yeah, just dropping by to see Nathan.”

He made his way around the side to the front door, knocking before Mara answered. She looked pleasantly surprised.

“Oh, (M/N)! I didn’t think you’d stop by so soon.”

(M/N) smiled. “Yeah, we’ve got an essay due for school.”

“No worries, he’s in his room.”

Nathan quickly closed his door and moved to clean his room when (M/N) moved past Mara, towards the stairs. Nathan picked up all the xbox disc cases and shoved them in the drawer. He grabbed his clothes off the floor and shoved them into his hamper. He quickly slid a bunch of stuff under his bed before glancing at himself in the mirror. Once he was sure everything was presentable, he stood next to his bed and waited, arms crossed.

“Come in,” he said when there was a knock on the door.

(M/N) walked in and dropped his bag on the bed. “I’m not doing all the work for you, got that?”

“Never expected you to,” Nathan said.

(M/N)’s eyes focused on Nathan. Whenever he wore t-shirts, he really liked to show off his muscles. (M/N) would be lying if he said he didn’t find it attractive, though. He looked around the room, seeing how much had changed since the last time he was here.

“No bunk bed,” (M/N) said.

“Not anymore.”

His eyes settled on the TV screen at the wall opposite the bed, Nathan had clearly been in the middle of a game right before he showed up. He smiled. “Still into Halo, huh? I bet I could still destroy you.”

“You wish.”

Mara knocked on the door before opening it.

“Hey, do you guys want something to eat or drink… or some pillows to sit on the floor?”

Nathan sighed. “Mum.”

She took the hint. “Okay. You want the door open or closed?”

(M/N) felt pretty awkward right now, was she really suggesting…

Nathan scrunched up his face. “Close it. Please.”

She gently closed the door and it was silent for a few seconds.

Why did he want it closed?

(M/N) brushed a hand through his hair. “Um, well… we should probably get to work.” He pulled his laptop out of his bag. Nathan flipped open his own laptop and sat on the bed, so (M/N) moved to the desk and they started researching. It was easier after that. The awkwardness mostly disappeared once they had something else to focus on.

(M/N) was cross-checking facts with a book called America’s Missing.

“Listen to this. Apparently over twenty-three-hundred Americans are reported missing every day. And even though most of them voluntarily return home, there are still over one-hundred-thousand active missing person cases today.”

“I found a website for missing kids here,” Nathan said as he picked up his laptop and walked over to (M/N). “They have height, weight, age, favourite foods, medical reports. Check it out.”

(M/N) moved his laptop out of the way and let Nathan put his down in front of him.

“Wow. Last place they were seen. People they were affiliated with. Everything.”

Nathan’s arm touched (M/N)’s as he leaned it against the desk. (M/N) glanced at it awkwardly and Nathan tried to move on.

“I’ll uh… send you this link.”

Nathan’s awkwardness reminded (M/N) of what he saw earlier that afternoon, and he stifled a laugh.

Nathan raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”

“Just remembering your little performance earlier, you didn’t get hurt did you?”

Nathan chuckled. “No, I’m all good. Not a scratch on me.” He was silent for a few seconds before continuing. “Did you… at least enjoy it?”

(M/N) smiled. “Yeah, it was pretty hilarious. What were you even doing up there, anyway?”

“Fixing some of the shingles on the roof. Mum said she’d lessen the time I was grounded for if I did.”

“Because of the party?” (M/N) guessed.

“Yeah. How were you after that, by the way? Saw you running.”

“I felt terrible, running was not a good idea.”

They laughed and Nathan grabbed his laptop, moving back to his spot on the bed.

“Hey, I’m sorry about what happened in the hallway,” he said. “You surprised me, though.”

(M/N) didn’t need to think to know what he was talking about. “It’s fine, Sam had it coming. I probably shouldn’t have done that, but it felt so good. And Vanessa got to play off of it… Really, I should be apologising to you.”

Nathan frowned. “What for?”

“Because of what he said. I should have shut him up sooner. I didn’t know you were seeing a therapist, but I’m sure you didn’t want the whole school knowing that, either.”

Nathan shook his head. “It’s fine, (M/N). I don’t really care. Outside of Gilly and Jake, I usually don’t feel like I fit in, anyway.”

(M/N) spun around in the chair to face Nathan fully. “What do you mean?”

Nathan shrugged. “I don’t know. Sometimes… It just feels like I’m a stranger in my own life. It’s like, I look at my parents and I wonder… Do I really know these people?”

(M/N) didn’t know what to say to that so he moved on after the silence started to get awkward. “I will say, seeing you actually stand up to Sam was something. It was…” Cool. That’s what (M/N) wanted to say. “Surprising.”

“Well, these muscles can’t just be for show,” Nathan said. “And… you always used to do that, so I wanted to change things.”

“I see.” (M/N) spun around to look back at his screen after his eyes lingered on Nathan’s flexed arms for a little too long. He stumbled upon something interesting. “Hey, check this out.”

Nathan moved to the edge of the bed and (M/N) sat down next to him, laptop in his lap. “I found this site that shows you mockups of what missing kids might look like today. And if you recognise a person, you can click on their childhood pics.”

Nathan hummed in interest and (M/N) scrolled through them. He snickered.

“Check this guy out.”

“Jason Statham meets Justin Bieber,” Nathan said with amusement.

(M/N) nudged him. “Seriously. Uh, next.”

“Ryan Seacrest meets…” Nathan trailed off.

“Lady Gaga,” (M/N) finished. They laughed and he moved onto the next one. It was a teenager who looked a lot like Nathan.

“Matt Damon meets… you,” (M/N) said with a surprised voice.

Nathan looked at the image, then back at (M/N) in slight doubt.

“What? That doesn’t look like me.”

(M/N) clicked to see the picture of the kid. “Nope. You’re right. Definitely not you. He’s too cute.”

Nathan didn’t share (M/N)’s joking mood as he looked at the picture.

“Um, could you send me the link to that site?”

“Yeah, sure.” (M/N) did so and then his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and opened it, clicking his tongue when he saw what was on the screen. “Oh, I forgot. My uncle’s coming to check on me tonight. I need to be there.” He put his stuff away and slung his bag over his shoulder. “When did you want to start outlining?”

Nathan stopped frowning at his screen and glanced at his watch. It was nearly 7pm. He looked at (M/N). “How about I come over in an hour?”

(M/N) nodded. “That sounds good. I’ll see you then.” Then he left and made his way downstairs. Kevin and Mara were in the kitchen, making dinner.

“Leaving already? Are you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner? Kevin told me you’re on your own right now,” Mara said.

“Oh no, it’s alright,” (M/N) declined.

“You sure? We’ve got plenty.” Kevin gestured to all the food they were preparing.

“My uncle’s arriving soon to check up on me, and he usually brings food with him anyway, so I’ll be okay. Thank you, though.” He waved at them before he left.

Nathan watched (M/N) leave from the window before returning his focus to the kid on his screen. The face seemed too familiar. He looked at the mockup again, and was starting to realise just how similar it looked to him. This couldn’t be real, could it? He focused on the kid’s picture again, more specifically the shirt. He could have sworn he owned one similar to it.

He looked around his room before moving towards his closet. He rarely ever emptied it, so a lot of his old clothes were still in there. He grabbed a torch from his bedside table and reached into the back of the closet, ignoring the front since that was where his current clothes lived. He sifted through every pile and nearly gave up until the very last one. At the very bottom, there it was. The same shirt.

“No way,” Nathan whispered.

He moved back to his laptop and clicked to print out the picture on his printer. He waited for about thirty minutes before he slipped his laptop into his backpack and folded the paper, quietly heading downstairs.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

He turned towards the kitchen, where his parents looked to be nearly finished with preparing dinner.

“What?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

Mara waved him over. “Come here, did you forget you were grounded?”

Nathan rolled his eyes but walked over anyway. “I fixed the roof shingles, remember?”

“Yes, and then you snapped the gutter in half,” she said disapprovingly. “What’s up, are you going to (M/N)’s?”

Nathan nodded. “School essay.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that why he came over earlier?”

“Well yeah, but he had to go home to meet his uncle. We planned on continuing it afterwards.” Kevin and Mara exchanged a look while Nathan stood there impatiently. “Can I go?”

“Do you have to work on it more tonight?” Kevin asked.

Nathan shrugged. “Pretty much.”

Kevin looked at Mara. “He’s still grounded.”

She held up her hand. “Yes, I know, but it's for school.” She looked at Nathan. “You can go, but don’t be too long, dinner’s nearly ready.”

“Understood,” Nathan said as he walked towards the front door.

“And behave yourself,” Kevin said in a slightly teasing tone.

Nathan sent a questioning glance back at him before he left. Why did Kevin say it like that?

Mara smiled and turned back to the food on the counter. “I can’t believe I just agreed to that.”

Kevin laughed. “(M/N)’s grown a lot, and I’d say Nathan’s noticed, too. Might have to give him the talk again.”

Mara shook her head. “Oh, leave Nathan alone, he’s not a child anymore. They’ll be fine.”

(M/N) cleaned up the kitchen and chucked away the takeaway boxes that his uncle had brought by. He had brought quite a lot of food so (M/N) put the leftovers in the fridge. His uncle had left just a few minutes ago, a fairly short visit. He asked (M/N) for updates on everything as per usual. It was a bit exhausting, but it was the only way to keep his parents from worrying, so he put up with it. He made sure to leave out any mention of the party and getting drunk though, obviously. He was confused when he heard another knock on the door. He opened it, coming face to face with Nathan.

“It’s only been like thirty minutes,” (M/N) said. Nathan came inside instantly.

“I know, but this is important.”

They walked up the stairs to (M/N)’s room. (M/N) sat at the edge of his bed and Nathan handed him a piece of paper. (M/N) took it and unfolded it. It was the picture of that boy and the mockup. The name read Steven Price. Parents: Martin and Lorna Price.

“What about it?” (M/N) asked.

Nathan gestured to the kid’s photo. “You don’t think that’s me?”

(M/N) looked at it again. “I can see the resemblance, but I don’t think it’s actually you.”

Nathan paced in front of him. “Okay, good. Tell me why.”

“Well, kids usually look pretty similar…”

“Yes, but we have the same exact chin,” Nathan argued.

Okay, getting slightly weird now.

(M/N) shrugged. “Sure, I guess. But that’s not a lot to immediately start jumping to conclusions from.”

“Fine, explain this.” Nathan grabbed a shirt from his bag and chucked it to (M/N). (M/N) caught the shirt, examining it then looking back at the kid’s shirt.

“Okay, same shirt.”

“Not just the same shirt. Look at the stain on the left shoulder.” (M/N) did see the stain on Nathan’s shirt, then Nathan brought his laptop closer. It had a bigger image of the kid, so it was easier to see everything in the picture, including–

The stain on the left shoulder.

“Oh,” (M/N) breathed. This was crazy, but it was the exact same stain. Now all the other similarities clicked together.

Nathan sat down at (M/N)’s desk and (M/N) hovered next to him, both their eyes focused on the laptop screen. Nathan clicked the ‘contact’ button below the picture which brought up a chat room.

PLEASE ENTER THE NAME OF THE MISSING PERSON THIS IS REGARDING.

“Wait, are you actually doing this?” (M/N) asked.

“I have to make sure,” Nathan said as he typed in ‘Steven Price’. After a few moments a new message popped up.

Hello. My name is Marisa, I’ll be helping you with this case. What is your name?

Nathan typed in his name. ‘Nathan Harper.’

Do you believe you’ve seen Steven Price?

‘Possibly. Can you tell me more?’

The next message was unsettling.

What is your location, Mr. Harper?

Nathan and (M/N) looked at each other in confusion. Nathan’s hands hovered over the keys and it was (M/N)’s turn to pace back and forth.

“That’s not right. Why would she want to know your address?”

“That doesn’t help with missing persons cases, does it?” Nathan asked, looking for confirmation.

(M/N) shook his head. “No way. That’s not… it’s just not relevant information. Why does it matter where you are now? You could just be tipping them off. This is really suspicious to me, Nathan.

“Don’t you think you should talk to your parents about this? I mean, if anyone finds out, then you could get in trouble because it could be a false accusation, and then I’m gonna get in trouble because I’m involved now, too…”

Nathan looked away from (M/N) as he rambled on. Nothing about the situation made any sense. When he looked back at the laptop, he noticed the greenlight on the camera. He quickly shut the laptop and blinked in surprise. Was that… was someone watching them?

(M/N)’s ramblings died down. Nathan sighed heavily and spun around in the chair to face him. No way, he was probably going overboard, this was all just a lot.

“Maybe you’re right. This could all just be a big mistake.”

“You could be adopted. Dropped on a doorstep, maybe. You never know,” (M/N) offered.

Nathan pressed his lips into a line, tilting his head to look off to the left slightly. “If I were adopted, why would my picture end up on a missing persons website?”

A scary thought occurred to (M/N) when he said that. It must have showed on his face because Nathan noticed.

“What? What is it?”

(M/N) frowned. “It’s just… I suppose a better question would be, if this is for real… then who are those people living in your house?”

Chapter Text

(M/N) paced by his locker at school. Classes would start soon, and he hadn't seen or spoken to Nathan since last night. This whole situation had (M/N) feeling nervous for multiple reasons, and he wanted to know if anything else had come up.

"What's going on? You've been real quiet, didn't speak at all on the drive here," Vanessa said.

"It's nothing, just a lot on my mind."

"Are you sure? Because you're eyeing Nathan's locker as if staring hard enough will make him materialize," Felix said.

The bell rang and (M/N) moved to grab his books. Was Nathan skipping, or had something happened?

As he went to follow his friends, he spotted Nathan running around the corner and scrambling to open his locker. (M/N) quickly paced over to him. He seemed slightly startled when (M/N) entered his line of sight.

"Did anything happen?"

Nathan shook his head. "No, I haven't talked to them about it yet. I want to be sure before I bring anything up, it's not a simple conversation."

"So what are you gonna do?"

Nathan grabbed his things and closed his locker. "Come to the library after school," was all he said, then he ran off to class.

(M/N) made his way to the library once the final bell rang, assuring Felix and Vanessa that they could leave without him–he would find another way home. It took him longer than he would have liked to get to the library, which was on the other end of the school and hall traffic was still bad. It took about 10 minutes, but he made it and found Nathan and Gilly sitting at one of the tables. There were a bunch of pictures of Nathan at various stages growing up scattered on the table.

"He knows," Nathan said when Gilly saw (M/N) approaching.

"So, what's the goal here?" (M/N) asked as he looked over the pictures.

"Looking for anything that could suggest something is off," Nathan told him. Gilly examined the photos one by one. The back, the front, the edges, the thickness, the amount of glare, then he scanned them for blowups on his Ipad.

"Definitely not photoshopped. It looks legit," Gilly said before moving onto the next one.

"I take it you haven't found anything yet?" (M/N) guessed as Gilly swiped through each photo.

"No. Honestly, my parents are too boring to be psychos. This is just stupid, I shouldn't–"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second..." Gilly brought up two photos and they looked at the screen. (M/N) leaned down behind them to see.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"See this picture of you, from when you were two? It's cropped weird." Gilly zoomed in. "Slight outline of a person's shoulder." Then he moved to the other photo. "And the same thing in this one."

There was someone off to the side in both pictures, cropped out.

"Maybe it was taken that way," Nathan suggested.

"Nope. Clearly zoomed in a touch, like whoever it was didn't want to be seen. Any more photos of you and your parents?"

Nathan shook his head. "Just a ton more of me, by myself."

Gilly looked at him with confusion. "Really? This is it?"

Nathan shrugged. "That's all I could find."

"Nathan, I've got a million embarrassing family photos. Enough to make me want to vomit. And you're telling me this is all you have?"

"That is weird," (M/N) said. But he supposed this was it. All these little things were adding up to one big fact. Nathan seemed to come to that conclusion as well.

Nathan started to gather all the pictures up. "I should get going. Thanks for your help, Gilly."

"Anytime, man," Gilly packed up his own stuff and gave them one last look before he left the library.

Nathan took deep breaths and shoved everything into his bag.

"Are you okay?" (M/N) asked, but quickly answered himself. "Sorry, stupid question."

"No, I'm... I'm okay. It's a lot to process, I'm more worried about how to bring this up."

"You'll find a way."

They left the library and walked to the other end of the school, where the front parking lot was. It was practically empty now. Nathan looked from (M/N) to his bike.

"You need a ride?"

"Yeah, that would be good."

Nathan hopped on his bike and moved his bag around to his chest, waiting for (M/N) to sit behind him. (M/N) didn't say anything, just stepped over the back and wrapped his arms around Nathan's waist. It was hard to ignore how muscular Nathan was when his arms pressed against Nathan's stomach and his body pressed against his back. He could feel Nathan tense, but they didn't say anything as Nathan drove off, heading back to their street.

Kevin could be heard banging away at something in the garage when they arrived across the street. Just who were Nathan's parents? (M/N) hopped off the bike.

"Will you be alright?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, I'll call you later, tell you what happens."

(M/N) half smiled at him. "Good luck." He walked up to his house and Nathan drove back to his driveway, parking his bike by the curb.

"No hello?" Kevin asked when he passed. Nathan stopped for a moment.

"Hello."

He went straight up to his room after and emptied his bag, putting all the pictures on the bed as he examined them one by one. Was it really all a lie? He sat there for ages, contemplating everything.

(M/N), on the other hand, tried to keep himself busy. He did some more work on his part of the essay, watched some TV, thought about calling his friends, but decided against it. He got more anxious as time passed. Was Nathan okay? What was taking so long? Should he call first? No, he needed to wait.

It wasn't until it was dark out that (M/N)'s phone finally rang. He reached over to the coffee table in front of the couch and picked it up immediately.

"Nathan?"

"(M/N), It's true. All of it. My mum just admitted it."

(M/N) didn't need to guess how Nathan felt, he could hear the pain in his voice.

"Really? God that's insane, I'll be over in a minute."

"Come in through the back door."

He hung up and (M/N) sat there for a moment. This was crazy, he couldn't imagine how bad Nathan felt. His whole world must have been turned upside down.

(M/N) moved to his room, grabbing his keys and slipping on his shoes before heading back downstairs. He hesitated outside when he realised he forgot his jacket. The cold nipped at his skin, and the white t-shirt he was wearing did absolutely nothing to stop it, but he couldn't be bothered going back in to get his jacket. He would only be outside for like a minute anyway.

He made his way across the street and around the side of Nathan's house, making sure to stay out of sight since Kevin was still loudly tinkering away in the garage. He paused when he heard muffled noises coming from inside. It sounded like... fighting? He hoped it wasn't Nathan–

He jumped when a man went flying through one of the glass doors onto the back patio, shattered glass falling everywhere. He peeked in through the closest one and saw Mara fighting off another man.

(M/N) resisted the urge to rub his eyes, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Mara fought on equal terms with the man, honestly even better. The way she moved held the status of someone who knew what they were doing. Each attack, each block, all looked calculated. She was a professional at this, whatever this was. (M/N) couldn't believe what he was seeing. Who were these people? Why was she fighting them? Why was she beating them? Where was Nathan?

The guy who went through the glass door stood up, and (M/N) had to choke back a shocked gasp when the man pulled out a silenced pistol and shot Mara twice. He quickly stumbled back behind the side of the house out of sight and kept his shaking hands over his mouth. His heart was rocketing against his chest as he processed what he just saw. Nathan's mother was dead.

Nathan's chest heaved as he watched his mother's body fall to the floor. He quickly looked away from the scene and flew back up the stairs, closing his door behind him. He was panicking and tried to stay quiet. He needed to get out of here. His eyes landed on his window and he didn't have to think before he was climbing through it, ignoring the loud banging on his door. That man must have seen him. He was more careful this time, hanging down from the window sill and preparing to catch himself. He dropped onto the soil behind the bushes, bending his legs to lessen the impact. Where was his father? Nathan moved around to the front of the house towards the garage–where he last saw Kevin–and stopped when he heard more fighting. The familiar voice filled him with slight hope. He looked through the open front door and recoiled when Kevin pulled a gun on him. The man that shot Mara was on the floor beneath him, probably dead. Kevin relaxed when he realised it was Nathan and hissed at him to run. The sound of another pistol shot was heard from the stairs and Kevin jolted. He brought a hand to his neck before he collapsed. Nathan watched in horror before backing up and running down the street before he could be seen. He choked down his pain and in the midst of his panicked thoughts, he stopped.

(M/N).

(M/N) looked around as he surveyed a way to escape, taking in shaky breaths. All had gone silent inside the house, but that somehow made things scarier. He was worried about Nathan, but he also didn't want to die tonight. He needed to run. After a few moments, he quietly moved to the driveway. The garage was empty now, but he didn't stop to investigate. He hid behind cover for as long as possible before he was forced to walk into the open. He didn't take his fearful eyes off the house as he backed up down the driveway. He flinched when he heard a click behind him and spun around.

"Get back inside the house," the man ordered, gun pointed at him. (M/N) shakily obeyed. The man followed him, not lowering the gun once. (M/N)'s panic rose when he saw the three bodies on the floor. Mara, Kevin, and the other man.

"Where is Nathan?" the man said, putting the gun closer to (M/N)'s face.

(M/N) raised his hands with terror. "I don't–I don't know!" His mind couldn't focus on why these people were looking for Nathan. He couldn't focus on anything other than the gun pointed at him.

The man growled in agitation and moved closer.

"Really! I'm telling the truth, I swear!" (M/N)'s whole body shook as tears flooded his vision. He was going to die here. This was it.

"Hey!"

Nathan grabbed a small glass statue from the table and threw it at the man. It hit him in the head and he staggered as Nathan ran at him and drop-kicked him. (M/N) stumbled back against the fireplace as soon as the gun fell to the floor, and Nathan punched the man repeatedly. (M/N) caught himself against the rack of fire pokers, grabbing one defensively before looking back at Nathan. The man beneath him wasn't struggling anymore, and Nathan stood up to look at his parents' bodies. He breathed heavily and tears filled his eyes.

This couldn't be real. (M/N)'s arms were shaking so hard as he slowly moved towards Nathan, not taking his eyes off the man on the floor. He had nearly died and Nathan's parents were dead. He blinked away the tears and tried to calm himself. Nathan eyed the fire poker in his hand before grabbing it. His body shook with anger as he swung at the man over and over.

"Who are you?! Why are you here?!" Nathan demanded.

(M/N) flinched as the man heaved and shouted in pain with every swing.

"You killed my parents!" Nathan cried.

(M/N) tried to calm him down, grabbing onto his arm.

"Nathan, stop! It's over..."

The man breathed heavily as he watched Nathan, he didn't say anything and passed out a moment later. No answers from him, it seemed. The teens looked at eachother, sharing in each other's pain and shock, silently asking each other if this was all real, and if so, why. Why was this happening to them? In the now silent house, a soft beeping noise could be heard from the kitchen.

"What is that?" They manoeuvred around the bodies and into the kitchen. The noise was coming from the oven. Nathan opened it and came face to face with a bomb, counting down.

They had 5 seconds.

"Run!" Nathan grabbed (M/N)'s arm and they bolted out of the shattered glass door. They wouldn't make it off the property in time. The bomb went off as they dived into the pool and an unbelievably loud rumbling filled their ears underwater as the house exploded in an infernal display. The lights in the pool went out leaving them in darkness as the water surface turned orange with the blazing light. Large pieces of debris hit the water while smaller pieces dived under, and (M/N) felt a sharp pain go through his right shoulder.

They swam back up again once the worst seemed over. (M/N) groaned as he heaved himself out of the pool, sitting by the edge and clutching his injured arm. Despite being soaking wet, (M/N) didn't feel cold at all. The air was hot and dry and smoke rose up all around them. Nathan held onto the ledge beside him from in the pool as they looked on at the flaming remains of the house.

Nathan had just lost everything. His whole life. All of it gone in the blink of an eye. He looked away with heavy eyes and focused on (M/N)'s panting form. (M/N) noticed the anger, sadness, and confusion in his eyes and weakly put his hand on top of Nathan's. His eyes burned in the smoke but he ignored it. He wanted to say something, but what could he say to make this situation better?

Nathan stared at his hand for a moment before speaking.

"We need to get out of here."

(M/N) nodded. Nathan climbed out of the pool and guided (M/N) up. (M/N)'s phone fell out of his pocket, but he left it there. There was no way it still worked after being soaked. They walked slowly at first, but faster once (M/N) picked up the pace. They moved off the property and back around to the front street. (M/N)'s sleeve was ripped but that was the least of his problems. Nathan's bike had survived the explosion from its place on the street, and they quickly got on. (M/N) wrapped his arms around Nathan as tightly as he could without worsening the pain in his arm.

(M/N) wanted to ask him what the hell was going on, why those people killed his parents, why they were after him, but just focused on breathing steadily as the wind whipped past them. Nathan tried to stay off the main roads as much as possible, driving through the parks around the neighbourhood up until they reached the main highway.

Nathan's silence worried (M/N). It was obvious that he wasn't okay, who would be? He just lost the people who raised him–watched them get murdered.

Nathan sped up as they passed over a bridge and (M/N) clutched onto him tighter, hissing when the movement caused pain to shoot through his shoulder. Now that the adrenaline was fading away, it was starting to feel a lot worse. He could see red trailing around the seams of the rip in his shirt.

"How bad is it?" Nathan shouted.

"I don't know, but it hurts and I'm bleeding a little," (M/N) shouted back.

"I'm taking you to the hospital." Nathan veered off the first exit and drove through the city. They passed a firetruck on their way, no doubt going to Nathan's smouldering house. When they arrived at the hospital Nathan quickly guided (M/N) inside, calling for a doctor. They didn't have to wait long before a nurse showed up and took (M/N) to get treated while Nathan went to the closest pay phone–his phone had also been fried in the pool. He dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"My parents were just murdered and I think the people who did it are after me, too," Nathan said quickly.

"What's your location, sir?"

Nathan relayed the hospital's address, and then the address of his house.

"Please hold."

Nathan frowned in confusion. "What, hold?" But the person he was talking to was already gone. While he waited he noticed loud murmurs all around him. He followed everyone's gaze to the TV screen above the waiting room that showed footage of the fiery remains of his house before a new voice filled the phone.

"Nathan, are you there?"

"Who is this? How do you know my name?"

"My name is Frank Burton, I'm with the CIA. I need to know if you're okay."

Nathan frowned. Why was he talking to the CIA? "I just watched my parents die, what do you think?"

"Have you spoken to anyone besides (M/N) (L/N) about the incident?"

"No."

"Good. Don't contact anyone. Stay right where you are, I'll be sending two men to get you."

"Why should I?" After what had just happened, he wasn't so eager to trust anyone he didn't know.

"You have to trust me."

"Trust needs to be earned," Nathan said before hanging up. He needed to get out of here, but first he needed to find (M/N).

Nathan walked down the halls, trying to find his way around this place, when someone holding a dozen balloons came up next to him. He couldn't see the person's face, but they held out a hand with a grey hoodie.

"Put this on."

He grabbed it, confused. "What?"

The person lowered the balloons to reveal their face. Nathan blinked in surprise.

"Dr. Bennet? What–"

"Just put that on, walk behind me, cover your face from the cameras," she said.

Nathan had a million questions, but settled for the obvious one as he moved his arms back through the hoodie's arms and pulled the hood over his head. "Why are you here?"

"I'm getting you out of here," she said.

He stopped. "Wait. (M/N)."

She stopped as well, scanning their surroundings. "There's no time."

"I'm not leaving without him," Nathan told her.

(M/N) sat on the edge of a hospital bed, his shoulder patched up.

"Does it feel okay now?" the nurse asked him.

He nodded.

"One of the ER doctors will come check up on you shortly," she told him before leaving.

(M/N) sat there anxiously. So much was going through his head. Part of him wanted to believe he was dreaming, but he knew that wasn't the case. After a few minutes, the curtain was pulled back and (M/N) saw Nathan standing there.

"Hey."

(M/N)'s gaze moved across from him to the woman he hadn't seen before.

"Hi," she said.

"Who is this?"

"She's my therapist," Nathan said. "Dr. Bennet."

"What's your therapist doing he–"

"Not now, we need to leave," Dr. Bennet interrupted before bringing a hand to her ear. (M/N) could see an earpiece. Someone was talking to her. "They're already here."

"Who's here?" (M/N) asked, but she didn't answer as Nathan got him to stand up and follow them.

Dr. Bennet guided them through the hallways, avoiding people and making sure they stayed close and constantly checking their surroundings. They reached a corner with an exit door.

"Take the exit!" she said. Nathan opened the door and they all ran through. It took them into one of the parking lots and they followed Dr. Bennet to a car. She told them to get in and ditched the balloons. Nathan hopped in the passenger seat and (M/N) in the back. Not moments after getting in and starting the car, Dr. Bennet slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. The teens gripped onto their seats as the car sped forward, the tires screeching loudly in the parking lot as they swung around a corner, heading for the exit. A few men came running after them, shouting at them to stop.

Dr. Bennet didn't speak until they made it out onto the road.

"Nathan, there'll be time for you to deal emotionally with all of this, but right now you have to get your shit together."

Nathan was breathing heavily as he looked at her. "Who are you, really?"

"I'm one of your father's friends–your real father. I'm one of your keepers and I was put in place to look after you, just like Mara and Kevin were. They died protecting you."

"This is crazy, call the police or something!" (M/N) said.

Nathan groaned. "I already tried. I called 911 and some guy named 'Frank Burton' picked up saying he was with the CIA."

"Burton? I work for him. At least, I did," Dr. Bennet said.

(M/N) rubbed his face. "You work for the CIA? What the hell is going on?"

Dr. Bennet ignored him. "He can't be trusted. Only four of us knew your identity Nathan: Mara, Kevin, Frank and I. Now two of us are dead. Until I can get in touch with Martin we have to consider Frank unreliable."

She sped up and overtook the cars ahead of them. That's when (M/N) noticed another car not too far behind them in the rearview mirror, that also seemed to be picking up speed.

"I think we're being followed," (M/N) said urgently. Dr. Bennet looked in the side view mirror before digging a hand into her coat pocket.

"Here." She pulled out a key and handed it to Nathan. "Four-three-one-one Clarendon Boulevard, apartment two, Arlington Virginia. Memorize that address. Find a way there and just sit tight until someone contacts you."

"What, we're just supposed to wait for someone?!" Nathan asked.

"It was an arrangement I made with your father in case something like this ever happened."

"Who is my father?" Nathan demanded. "Who are my real parents?"

Dr. Bennet gestured her head towards (M/N). "He's heard too much already."

"What? Are you serious?" (M/N) snapped.

She eyed the road. "In less than twenty seconds we're gonna hit a soft curb just before the bridge. I'm going to slow down just enough for you to jump out."

(M/N)'s eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Jump?!"

"Their field of vision will be obscured. It's thirty feet down to the riverbank–"

"Dr. Bennet, this is insane!" Nathan said. She ignored him.

"Fifteen seconds. And remember from now on, don't trust anyone except Martin Price and Paul Rasmos."

"I don't even know these people," Nathan argued.

"You can do this Nathan, now you have ten seconds to open that door. After you jump I'll create a diversion.

(M/N) was panicking. "This is unbelievably crazy!"

"Five seconds, leave him, you're better off alone, he'll only slow you down."

"Like hell I will!" (M/N) yelled. "This can't be real!"

Nathan reached back and grabbed his hand, looking into his eyes.

"Just trust me. Take a breath, it's gonna be okay, get ready." He didn't sound very sure of himself, but they were out of time.

"Jump, now!" Dr. Bennet skidded the car around a bend and their speed faltered just a bit. (M/N) and Nathan opened their doors and leaped out. They hit the ground and rolled off the road, onto the steep hill that went down to the river, shrouded by trees. They got up and started running as they heard the car drive away, soon followed by more cars. The screeching of car tires continued all the way until they reached the bottom, then a loud explosion could be heard from the bridge.

Nathan grabbed (M/N)'s arm, pulling his attention away from the fiery display in the distance. Was that Dr. Bennet's car? Was she dead? "Come on, let's go."

They walked along the river side as Nathan observed their surroundings. They could hear sirens in the distance.

"We have to get in the river, they'll try and track us."

(M/N) wanted to object, but the approaching sirens had him agreeing.

They moved down into the dark water and swam into the river. Even though their clothes were still damp from the pool, It was incredibly cold, but they didn't let up. (M/N)'s shoulder wasn't causing him much pain after it was treated–even when he rolled down the hill–but he still tried to limit his movements. There was a large pile of driftwood floating down the middle of the river and Nathan pulled him towards it. It was big enough for them to hide behind without being seen. The sound of a helicopter flying overhead had them huddling closer. All of this, just for Nathan. Why?

"What is going on? Who are you, Nathan?" (M/N)'s voice was a mix of shock and fear. The helicopter headlight scanned overhead and Nathan put a hand on (M/N)'s neck, pulling him closer.

"I don't know, but we're gonna be okay. Just hang in there."

Once the helicopter was gone, they swam off to the other side of the river and fled into the trees.

"I can't believe this is happening," (M/N) said.

"Me neither." Nathan led (M/N) through the dark forest, not letting go of his hand. (M/N) thought about asking something. He didn't want to upset Nathan anymore than he already was, but given the fact that they had nearly died twice, he had to try.

"Didn't... didn't your parents admit the truth to you?" (M/N) asked cautiously. Nathan told him his mother admitted the truth to him, that they weren't his real parents, but did that encompass anything they had been through?

Nathan stopped at the mention of Mara and Kevin.

"Nevermind, forget I said anything–"

"No, it's... okay," Nathan said, but clearly he didn't actually think it was. "Mara... she only told me her and Kevin weren't my real parents before she went to get Kevin so they could explain everything together. But then..."

"I'm sorry," (M/N) said. The conversation was dropped after that and they started moving again.

Unlike before, there was no heat around, so their soaked bodies were shivering in the cold breeze, (M/N) more than Nathan since he had no layers. Nathan led him to a spot behind a tree.

"Stay here, I'll be back."

(M/N) nodded and hugged himself. He checked the bandage on his shoulder, it hadn't come off. Nathan moved further up the hill where he could see a caravan park. He snuck over to a clothes line and stole some blankets and towels before running back to (M/N).

"Here."

(M/N) turned around to see Nathan, blanket over his shoulders and one arm extended outward. (M/N) moved into his arm and sighed at the shield the blanket provided from the cool air. They walked until they found a big tree with a bunch of leaves on the ground surrounding it. It was probably the softest place in the forest they would find, so Nathan layed out one of the blankets and handed one of the other ones to (M/N) before sitting down. (M/N) sat down as well, pulling the blanket over his shivering body. Nathan was shivering as well, and watched (M/N) for a moment before scooting closer. (M/N) turned to look at him, and Nathan waited for him to move away, but he also moved closer. They laid down, resting against each other as they tried to keep in as much warmth as possible.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this," Nathan whispered, his breath hot against (M/N)'s face.

(M/N) lightly shook his head. "This isn't your fault. Let's just get some sleep. Figure out what to do in the morning."

(M/N) was exhausted. So despite the uncomfortable circumstances, he found himself drifting off rather quickly in Nathan's embrace.

Chapter Text

When (M/N) woke up, the sun was peeking through the branches above them. He moved to stretch, but found he couldn't due to the body pressed up against his back. Memories of last night flooded his mind, and he gently turned in Nathan's arms to look at his face. His shuffling must have woken Nathan up, because he slowly opened his eyes. The tear marks streaking his face proved he had been crying in his sleep, and he moved his arms away to wipe his eyes.

"It's okay," (M/N) found himself saying, without really thinking about it.

They sat up and Nathan sniffled. "I was dreaming about–"

"I know." (M/N) said. "You don't have to say it."

Nathan stayed there for a few moments before sighing and getting up. (M/N) followed suit, stretching his back, feeling his joints pop. He tentatively pressed against the bandage, and relaxed when he felt no pain.

"I have to get you home."

(M/N) whipped his head around and scrunched up his face. "What? Nathan, I can't go home!"

Nathan picked up the blankets and towels and started walking. "You'll be safe there."

(M/N) scoffed. "I won't be safe there, I won't be safe anywhere!"

Nathan ignored him as they walked, but he wasn't going to back down. "Nathan. My parents aren't in town, and even if they were, they wouldn't be able to protect me."

Nathan sighed and dumped the bundle in his arms next to a tree with a slight dip in the ground. He didn't want to leave any trace that they were here, but this spot wasn't out in the open, so it was a good place to leave them. "Look, whoever these people are, they're after me, not you. I think they'll leave you alone."

(M/N) moved in front of him to force him to stop walking. "Please, do you really believe that? Or are you just thinking about what your therapist said? 'You're better off alone'."

Nathan scowled. "No, of course not!" He took in a deep breath and calmed himself. "It's just... suddenly everyone around me is dying, (M/N). And I don't want anything to happen to you."

"We have to stick together, Nathan. Who else are we going to trust? And I guarantee you these people would come after me for information on your whereabouts if I went home."

(M/N) waited while Nathan fought an internal battle. "You won't change your mind, will you?"

"No."

"Fine." He grabbed (M/N)'s arm. "Let's get going."

(M/N) gripped his arm back, making him stop again. Nathan looked at him in confusion.

"You know that I can run circles around you, right? I'm the fastest kid at school, so I'm not slowing anybody down, got that?"

Despite how bad he felt about this whole situation, Nathan managed a tiny smile. "Yes, I'm well aware."

They started walking again. "Good, I was just making sure," (M/N) said.

They walked in the treeline by the road until a truck came by. They ran out, waving their arms for the driver to stop. They had no other way to travel without hitching a ride–Nathan's bike was still somewhere at the hospital. The truck driver slowed down and lowered the window.

"Can you take us to Virginia?" (M/N) asked. The driver gave them a once over, his eyes landing on (M/N)'s torn and blood stained sleeve, but he just shook his head and gestured for them to get in. They relayed the street name to him and he drove them there.

They hopped out and waved the driver off before scanning their surroundings, finding a small road going down from the main street.

"Clarendon Boulevard. This is it, I think," Nathan said, pointing at the street sign. They quickly walked down the street towards a building, heading inside. They looked for the apartment labeled with a 2. When they found it, Nathan stuck the key in the door and it unlocked. That meant it was definitely the right place.

"Hello?" Nathan called as he opened the door. There was no response as they cautiously moved further into the apartment. They relaxed when they realised it was empty.

"What do we do?" (M/N) asked.

"Dr. Bennet said to sit tight so... we wait, I guess." Nathan said. He looked around before moving over to the desk on the other side of the room. (M/N) sniffed himself and cringed. He scanned the wardrobe at the other end of the room.

"Well, while we're here, I'm gonna take a shower."

(M/N) opened the wardrobe and sifted through the clothes. If they were told to come here then surely it wouldn't be that crazy to assume they could take the clothes as well. He wasn't really aiming to be picky–he just wanted to get out of his tattered, once white, now ripped, dirt and blood stained t-shirt. He stopped on a red long-sleeved flannel shirt. It looked to be about his size. He also grabbed a new pair of denim jeans, underwear, socks and running shoes as well. The wardrobe was stacked with everything, and it was a rather nice apartment. (M/N) went to the bathroom. He didn't want to stay in there too long, so he washed himself off and threw away his tattered t-shirt. He peeled off the dirty bandage and wiped down his shoulder. The cut never ended up being that bad, just a little deep, but not deep enough to need stitches. It seemed okay now. He got dressed again and put on the flannel shirt, rolling up the sleeves to the top of his elbows–at least it would help if it got cold again. He felt much cleaner now.

(M/N) walked back out, rubbing his towel over his hair one last time to make sure it dry, and saw Nathan sitting at the desk, a variety of items laid out in front of him. A stack of papers or photos, rolls of cash, a phone, car keys.

And a revolver.

(M/N) threw the towel on the couch and came over to look at everything. Nathan picked up the stack and moved through it. He stopped on a picture of a woman peeking out of a note. He opened the note which read:

Lorna Price, 17937 Calvary Rd. G377

"Is that..." (M/N) started. Nathan nodded.

"I think it's my mother," he said and stood up, examining the room. "This must be Martin Price's apartment."

Nathan's real parents. Just who were they? (M/N) opened the phone on the desk, and was confused when all he saw was a bunch of numbers and letters moving across the screen. It looked like that phone wouldn't work for calls. He scanned the room and his eyes fell on another phone sitting on the table. He picked it up as Nathan took his turn to raid the wardrobe.

"I'm gonna call my uncle real quick, let him know I'm still alive," (M/N) said as he picked up the phone. He was only just now thinking about everyone else in his life. He wondered if his uncle had seen the news. He probably had, a house explosion was sure to be plastered everywhere. He would be worried if he stopped by and found (M/N)'s house empty. (M/N) also considered calling Felix and Vanessa–they would definitely be worried sick, but decided against it. They would live without him for now, and he didn't want them getting dragged into this, if they hadn't already been questioned. But (M/N)'s uncle might contact his parents if (M/N) stayed MIA. Seeing as his parents were out of the country, there was no way they would know about the explosion unless his uncle told them, and he didn't need them coming home early. Not when he was being hunted down.

(M/N) dialed his uncle's number. It barely rang for more than a second before he picked up.

"Hello?"

(M/N) paused at the unfamiliar voice.

"Oh, sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number."

"(M/N) (L/N), is that you?"

Not the wrong number it seemed. (M/N) straightened up.

"Who are you, how do you know my name?"

Nathan spun around instantly, looking at him.

"Someone is trying to help you and Nathan. You're in danger, there are other people trying to find you."

Nathan dropped the clothes he was carrying on a small table and walked over. He took the phone and put it on speaker.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"Nathan, listen to me. You can't hide from us, for your own safety–"

Nathan seemed to recognise the voice and hung up before he could finish and handed it back to (M/N). He grabbed the clothes he picked out and quickly moved to the bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later, fully dressed in his new clothes. Shoes, jeans, a grey t-shirt and black leather jacket.

"We should leave, they might know we're here now."

(M/N) moved back to the desk and grabbed the bag, putting all the contents back inside it. It must have been quick supplies for Martin to take if he ever needed them for a quick escape. Considering the situation, (M/N) thought it fair to assume he and Nathan needed it more. "You don't need to tell me twice." Before he left he messaged his uncle–seeing as calling didn't work. He told him he was sleeping over at a friend's house for a little while, and that he didn't need to worry.

They hurried down the stairs and headed towards the garage for apartment 2. Nathan opened the door and pulled out the car keys. (M/N) flicked the light switch, illuminating the dark room, and whistled.

A silver BMW was waiting for them.

They smiled at each other and hopped in, opening the garage. Nathan turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to life, before the engine lowered to a soft purr.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Nathan said.

(M/N) examined the note as they drove down the street.

"This address could be fifteen-years-old, Nathan. You know the chances of finding your mother living there are–"

"I know," Nathan interrupted. "But it's all we have."

"I mean, it's an odd address. I've never seen one with numbering like this," (M/N) said. After around 10 minutes they arrived, and it clicked instantly. They were at a graveyard.

"G-three-seven-seven," Nathan repeated with a dejected look on his face. "It's her plot number."

They parked the car and entered the graveyard. It was fairly big, and they followed the numbering until they reached a gravestone that matched the plot number a fairways down. (M/N) stayed quiet as Nathan leaned down on one knee.

Lorna Elizabeth Price

June 25, 1961.

Dec 18, 1995.

Nathan sighed and got up, walking off behind (M/N). (M/N) felt obligated to pay his own respects.

"You know what's messed up?" (M/N) turned around as Nathan spoke. "I never knew either one of my mothers. The one who raised me; I had no clue who she really was, what she sacrificed for me... And Lorna Price. All she was, was a face in a dream. Now she has a name, but she's still a dead end."

(M/N) gave him a soft look before turning back to the gravestone. He crouched down, eyeing the flowers there.

"Nathan, maybe she's not a dead end," he said hopefully. He picked up the flowers and showed them to Nathan. "Look, they're fresh."

"What does that mean?" Nathan asked.

"Well, obviously whoever put these flowers here knows about her, and probably you as well. Since if they took time to bring flowers here, they must have known you would find your way here at some point, so..."

"They might have the answers?"

(M/N) nodded. "At least, that's the way I see it." There was a building just to the left of the graveyard. (M/N) pointed at it. "I'm sure they keep records. Come on."

"You really think this person would let their visit be known, after the kind of people we've seen so far?" Nathan asked.

"If they wanted you to find them, then yes, I think so," (M/N) said as they ascended the steps to the front door.

The building looked rather luxurious, but was empty except for one receptionist–a guy sitting behind the front desk. (M/N) gestured for Nathan to wait. (M/N) put on his best smile and walked up, leaning against the counter while Nathan hung back.

"Hi there. Me and my step-brother just came back from visiting our mother's grave and we saw that some flowers had been delivered there? Would you be able to tell us who it was?"

The guy behind the desk looked sceptical. "I don't know..."

(M/N) tried to look exhausted. He glanced back at Nathan before returning his gaze to the guy behind the desk with a frown. "It's just, we came a really long way, and we don't have much family left. We'd really like to thank whoever it was."

The guy seemed to fight an internal debate before giving in. He sighed. "Okay, fine. What's the name?"

"Lorna Price."

The receptionist typed away at his computer and (M/N) sent a wink back at Nathan, who rolled his eyes playfully.

"Okay so, the flowers came from Omaha, Nebraska under a 'P. Rasmus'."

That caught Nathan's attention and he walked over. P. Rasmus could only be Paul Rasmus. "Have you got an address for that?"

The receptionist relayed the address to them and they thanked him before leaving. Nathan made sure they were out of earshot before speaking.

"Dr. Bennet said we could trust Paul Rasmus. We have to find him."

(M/N) looked at him in disbelief. "You want to drive to Nebraska? That's like, nineteen hours away."

Nathan shook his head and opened the car door for (M/N). "No, we've probably been in this car for too long already anyway, we need to ditch it."

"Well we aren't walking, so what's the plan? We'll never make it through airport security, they know our names and our faces."

"I have another plan. Do you still have that phone? The one you tried calling your uncle on?" Nathan asked.

(M/N) thought for a moment before he glanced back at the bag in the passenger seat. "Oh, I packed it with the other stuff by accident. Completely forgot to get rid of it."

Nathan leaned down and opened the bag, searching around until he found it. "It's fine, let me use it first."

(M/N) moved around to the driver's door. "Then you sit there, I'll drive."

Nathan opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it and hopped into the passenger seat.

"Don't get us killed," he said.

"I have my license, calm down," (M/N) said as they took off. Nathan called Gilly and asked him to meet them outside the train station with fake IDs. He hung up quickly after, leaving the phone in the car for when they ditched it.

By the time (M/N) pulled into the parking lot, they could see Gilly waiting for them, looking around like he was paranoid. He ran over to them when they got out, and followed as they walked to the train station.

"Dude, these guys came to my house asking questions, I had to sneak out back. This is some deep, deep shit!"

"Yeah, trust me, we know," Nathan said. "Did you bring what I asked for?"

Gilly pulled out 6 IDs. "Three different IDs for three different states." The locations were Virginia, New York, and California. There were different names on all of them. "(M/N) I went through your facebook photos, sorry if some of them aren't good."

"No, this is perfect, thanks. And also, could you let Vanessa and Felix know I'm okay? And tell them I'll try to get in touch soon."

"Yeah, sure," Gilly said.

Nathan was looking around and saw police officers nearby. "We need to move." They walked further into the train station, looking for any more officers. "We should get going now. This isn't safe for any of us."

"I'm... sorry about your parents," Gilly said. Nathan didn't speak, so Gilly continued. "Listen, if there's anything else I can do for you, like if you need cash or–"

"We're fine. See you, Gilly," Nathan said and lightly tapped his shoulder. "Thanks man."

(M/N) smiled at Gilly before he left. Then he and Nathan went to purchase train tickets to Nebraska. There was enough cash in the bag that it wasn't a problem.

"Just in time," (M/N) said as the train pulled in. They waited in line as everyone had their tickets checked by the conductor, trying to avoid the gaze of the police officer standing nearby.

They made their way through the food car, before entering the cabin car. Their room number was 42, and they didn't have to look for long to find it. The train began to move as they entered the cabin. Nathan closed the curtains for the window on the door.

"Well, not much to do other than sit and wait," (M/N) said, lowering himself onto the long seat on one side. The other side of the cabin was identical, they would have to pull out their beds later. "It's gonna be a long ride."

Nathan leaned against the wall awkwardly. (M/N) raised an eyebrow.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"What? No. Of course not."

With everything that had happened, it felt like they had been together for years. As if nothing bad ever changed after 8th grade. (M/N) thought maybe he should bring it up.

"Do you remember that summer when our families were both staying at the lake?"

"After eighth grade?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, in the boathouse when we, um... skipped the canoe trip?" When we kissed.

Nathan averted his eyes as he walked over to the windows, looking at the scenery speeding by. "Yeah, I remember... kinda..."

"Well, how come when we went back to school that year, you never asked me out?" (M/N) had his guesses, obviously. But he wanted to hear it from Nathan firsthand.

"I don't know. I just thought summer was summer and..."

"Sam?" (M/N) questioned.

Nathan clenched his fist. "Yeah... You know, I felt bad about it for years. I hated how embarrassed I was."

(M/N) smiled sadly. "Can't say I'm surprised. I figured you were embarrassed by me."

Nathan looked at him in confusion. "What? No! I wasn't embarrassed by you, I was just embarrassed of what people would think of me."

"Really? I thought that, having people know you kissed a guy, or specifically me, was too scary. I thought maybe you were scared of me because I didn't care the same way. I always just ran at people when I wanted to confront them."

"(M/N), that's why I liked you. I envied how brave you were. You never let Sam get to you over the years. It bothered me so... I trained more, with my parents–" Nathan's face morphed into one of pain at the mention of Mara and Kevin, but he quickly moved on. "I hoped that once I was strong enough, I could stand up to him the way you did. And then, maybe... I wouldn't be so scared to be with you."

(M/N) ignored the way his heart skipped a beat and remembered watching Nathan fight Kevin in the backyard. He looked pretty proficient in it to (M/N), as well as the fact that he knocked out that man back at the house pretty easily. "I never thought you were weak, Nathan, just because you were a scrawny kid with braces. I thought you were cute. But looking at you now..." He was very obviously looking at Nathan's muscles. "Do you feel strong?"

"Yes, but not in the way I thought. I think that tolerance just came from watching you over the years, but this helps, too." He smiled as he jabbed his muscles. "I thought you might get sick of me. I didn't even know how to kiss properly."

"Neither did I," (M/N) offered. "Doesn't mean I didn't like it."

"How come you only started getting aggressive recently?" Nathan asked, thinking back to the party and the hallway in school.

"Because he was having a go at you. He can say whatever he wants about me, I don't care. But I knew he bothered you, so..."

"You did it, for me?" Nathan whispered. "You kept standing up for me, even though I practically ignored you?"

"Yeah. Had to put my lack of fear of confrontation to good use in something," (M/N) said. "It's ironic, really, because I've never been more afraid than on this last day." (M/N) really thought about it. He couldn't remember the last time he was properly scared of someone before this whole experience. But he'd been crying and shaking and flooding with emotions since he showed up to Nathan's house last night. He had been so close to death, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. "Do you think we're gonna die, Nathan?"

(M/N)'s head flickered to an image of him and Nathan in 9th grade. He was scowling at Sam while Nathan shied away, clearly fearful. Now (M/N) was the one hunched over, full of fear, while Nathan looked more sure of himself than he ever had.

"No," Nathan said. He walked up to (M/N) and gently gripped his shoulders, guiding him to stand up. "I won't let that happen."

Nathan really had changed over the last 4 years. (M/N) would argue Nathan was way stronger than him now, but at the moment, he didn't care. Nathan looked into his eyes with such longing as he eased forward. He hovered there for a moment and gently put his hand on (M/N)'s neck. When (M/N) didn't push him away, he used that as his signal to go all the way. He connected their lips and (M/N) felt butterflies in his stomach. It felt nothing like the first time. (M/N) pulled away.

"Wow," he breathed out.

Nathan grinned. "What?"

"That was definitely better than middle school."

"That's because I know what I'm doing now," Nathan breathed out with confidence. He moved his hands to (M/N)'s waist and pulled him back in. (M/N) brought his arms up to Nathan's shoulders, caressing his cheek with one hand as their lips crashed together again. The next time they pulled away (M/N) traced a finger along his jawline.

"And no braces, either," he said with a smirk. The train lurched and he stumbled, but Nathan kept his grip tight. (M/N) chuckled slightly.

Nathan smiled. "Cute." Things got more heated as their lips met for the third time. (M/N) opened his mouth and felt Nathan's tongue move inside. He turned (M/N) around and pushed him against the wall. (M/N) pushed against Nathan's jacket, signalling for him to take it off. Nathan obliged and (M/N) ran his hands along Nathan's arms as they breathed as one. Nathan moved his hands down to (M/N)'s ass and lifted him up. (M/N) moved past his surprise and instinctively wrapped his legs around Nathan's waist, as they moved to the seat. He was straddling Nathan as they hungrily attacked each other's mouths.

Nathan moved to kiss down (M/N)'s neck, and he sighed in pleasure for a few moments, before reluctantly pushing away from Nathan. "We should probably get some food."

Nathan's half lidded eyes stayed locked on (M/N)'s lips. "Yeah," he breathed. "I'm starving."

(M/N) kissed him once more before Nathan's hands gripped his waist and stood up, putting (M/N) back on his feet. (M/N) hands lingered on Nathan's chest for a moment before he dropped them. "I'll go, you stay here."

Truthfully, (M/N) didn't want to leave Nathan, but he worried they would get distracted if Nathan came with, and he needed a breather. "I'll knock twice before coming in."

Nathan nodded. "Alright." But he pulled (M/N) in again before he could leave.

(M/N) laughed when their lips pulled apart. "Don't tempt me."

Nathan sat down and (M/N) stepped out into the hall. He winked at Nathan before closing the door. He leaned against it as he tried to calm his pounding heart. Nathan smiled to himself as he watched the scenery fly by.

(M/N) made his way to the food car. He waited in line and grabbed two boxed meals. His mouth nearly watered at the smell. He didn't realise how hungry he was until now. The last time he had eaten was at lunch during school yesterday. Nearly a full 24 hours. He picked out a chocolate bar. Nathan might like that. After grabbing a few extra snacks and two drinks, he picked up the tray and made his way back to their cabin car. He hummed to himself as he looked out for the number 42, when suddenly a hand wrapped around his mouth.

(M/N) dropped the tray as he was yanked to the side, his screams muffled. His attacker opened a cabin door and moved inside, still holding onto (M/N). He tried to pull the arm away from his face, but to no avail. He needed to do something.

"Sit down!" his attacker yelled. A man.

The man tried to force him down, but (M/N) jumped and pushed his legs against the opposite wall. The force pushed the man back into the wall, and he shouted in pain when (M/N)'s skull hit his nose hard. He momentarily loosened his grip on (M/N), which let (M/N) free himself and turn around.

It was a man who looked to be in his forties, dressed in all black. Whoever he was, he was clearly after Nathan. (M/N) swung his fist into the man's face, cussing at the pain when it impacted. His hand wasn't broken, but it hurt badly. The man looked at him in anger and stepped forward. (M/N) backed up and dodged the first hit. He tried to block the second but the man grabbed his head and slammed it against the glass.

Unlike Nathan, (M/N) wasn't proficient in self defence. He wasn't weak, but outside of his leg strength, compared to people like Nathan and... well, anyone who actually knew how to fight, he had nothing.

He hissed as his head throbbed in pain and he noticed a crack in the window. Before he could do anything else, he was knocked to the floor and kicked over. He quickly slammed his foot against the man's leg, causing him to stumble forward. (M/N) used that chance to swing his other leg up, and kick the man directly in the face. He moved to get back up but froze when the man pointed a gun at him while holding his other hand to his nose. It looked like it was bleeding, and the man looked furious.

"Tell me what room he's in, you little shit!"

(M/N) didn't say anything as he breathed in heavily. The man pulled out a cigar cutter and grabbed (M/N)'s left hand, moving it towards his finger. (M/N) tried to pull away, but the man slammed his foot down on (M/N)'s neck, pulling a choked noise from his mouth. He put (M/N)'s index finger in the cutter and applied pressure, clamping down on the finger, but not yet drawing blood. (M/N) was panicking now.

"You have three seconds to tell me or else you can say bye to your finger. Three..."

(M/N) stayed silent.

"Two..."

(M/N) began to hyperventilate.

"One..."

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you," he choked. "Room 42."

“Any signal I need to know about?” the man asked, applying more pressure on (M/N)’s finger.

“You need to knock twice,” (M/N) answered defeatedly.

The man smiled sickly. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" He pulled out a zip tie and looped it around (M/N)'s wrists, yanking his arms up and connecting him to a bar below the window before duct taping his mouth.

Nathan was getting anxious. He paced back and forth, checking his watch. (M/N) was taking too long. He left the cabin and made his way to the food car. He only grew more anxious as his search came up empty. Had he passed (M/N)? He made his way back to the cabin, and stopped when he saw the curtain caught in the door. A small part of the window wasn't covered, and he could see someone big moving around. He quickly but quietly moved into the cabin next door as the man stormed back out. Where was (M/N), was he in there? What had the man done? Nathan went to move back into his cabin, but the man turned around as soon as he opened the door. Nathan flew inside and tried to shut the door on him, looking around. (M/N) was nowhere in sight. He was pushed back when the man punched him in the face.

(M/N) struggled against the zip tie, not caring if it rubbed his wrists raw. He spotted two glass cups sitting on the sill by the door. It wasn't an unreasonable distance. He planted one foot on the floor beneath him and stretched his other leg out as high as he could. It nudged the cup, and he groaned in pain as he pushed himself up higher, trying to ignore the way his bonds dug into his skin as he pulled further away from them. He could feel the cup moving against his shoe and he knocked it to the floor, dropping his body right before the pain in his wrists became unbearable. Thankfully, the glass cup was high enough that the impact smashed it, and he manoeuvred to kick one of the big pieces up to his head. He needed to hurry, so he could help Nathan. After what felt like nearly breaking his spine, he got the shard close enough to grab, and quickly moved it up and down against the zip tie. It eventually snapped through the middle and he stood up shakily, snapping the rest of the zip tie off. He rubbed his sore wrists gently. On his way out, he grabbed the second glass cup.

(M/N) hurried to their cabin, and heard loud thumping. He swung open the door to see Nathan punching the man in the face repeatedly. The man looked beaten and bruised in many places as he fought back. He grabbed Nathan and slammed him into the window repeatedly. The glass splintered with each impact, and Nathan shouted in pain. The man reared his fist back as he held Nathan by the throat, but (M/N) quickly walked up and kicked him back against the wall. The man let go of Nathan and spun around, but before he could do anything, (M/N) slammed the cup against his face with as much force as possible. (M/N) felt the impact as it shattered, small shards getting stuck in the man's skin as he collapsed to the ground.

Nathan stood up, taking in big breaths of air. He looked at the splintered window and kicked it with all his might. It broke and came out from the hinges. Nathan rummaged through the man's pockets, putting the phone in his pocket, before picking the man up and throwing him off the train.

(M/N) closed the door behind him before looking back at Nathan. They both stared at each other for a few moments before (M/N) walked forward and pulled Nathan into a crushing hug, which he returned. (M/N) tentatively touched Nathan's red cheek.

"Are you okay?"

Nathan nodded before moving his hands to (M/N)'s red wrists. "Are you?"

"Yeah."

The train lurched, but stronger this time. They gripped onto each other for stability as they heard the wheels screech to a stop. Someone must have seen the man get thrown off the train.

"We need to leave, it's not safe here," (M/N) said.

Nathan grabbed his hand. "Let's go."

Chapter Text

(M/N) and Nathan left the cabin and moved to the emergency door, opening it and hopping down onto the tracks. People were shouting as they ran past, back to where the body was. When no one was looking, (M/N) and Nathan took off into the forest, down a steep slope, only slowing down once they made it to even ground again.

"Why'd you take his phone?" (M/N) asked.

"If whoever sent him tries to get in contact, maybe it will reveal some information that could help us evade them," Nathan said.

(M/N) shook his head in disbelief. "Seriously, who are these people? They're like professionals or something and they won't leave us alone."

"I didn't get it until now," Nathan said. "Mum and Dad wanted me to train for years. I never wanted to, until... after eighth grade. But now I understand. All that boxing, wrestling, sparring, they were preparing me in case something like this happened. Thanks for the help, by the way."

"I barely did anything. It looked like you beat the living daylights out of him beforehand," (M/N) said. "A couple of days ago we were just normal high school kids. No conspiracies or bad guys. Already feels like a lifetime ago."

"Because it was," Nathan said. (M/N) gripped his hand tight and they smiled comfortingly at each other.

"I guess we need to find another form of transportation," (M/N) said. "I can see the road from here."

They emerged from the forest and surveyed the road.

"That way back to town, I think" Nathan pointed to their right.

"No time to waste then," (M/N) said and they started walking. They would have to take another train, probably. They kept their heads low whenever cars drove past. It was fine for about an hour or so, but then two cars passed by and stopped. As soon as people started to get out, (M/N) and Nathan were sprinting. There was another car ahead of them, so they veered off into the treeline again. Nathan kept his hand clasped around (M/N)'s as they ascended the steep slope, climbing over bushes and loose branches.

"Nathan, stop!"

Nathan came to a halt and they both looked down at the group of people. They also stopped. The two focused on a man and a woman down by the road.

"Come on, why are you running? Look around, does it look like anyone's pointing a gun at you? We're not threatening you."

(M/N) recognised his voice. It was the same one he heard when he tried calling his uncle.

"Then why are you chasing us?"

"Because you damn kids wouldn't stay on the phone long enough for me to explain."

"If you're really the CIA, what's my name?" Nathan asked. So this was the same guy Nathan talked to at the hospital. Frank Burton, (M/N) recalled.

"Nathan Price," Frank said. (M/N) and Nathan shared a look.

"Steven, Steven Price."

"Steven's your middle name. They argued about it but your mum thought Nathan was better."

(M/N)'s footing was slipping, so Nathan helped him up the hill. "How do you know that?"

"I was at the hospital when you were born," Frank said.

"What do you want?" Nathan demanded.

"Well, I'd like to get out of this dirt for starters. You kids have been on the run for what, seventeen hours? Gotta be hungry. I'll treat you, if you come down."

Nathan looked to (M/N) for confirmation, and (M/N) shrugged sheepishly. He was beyond starving, and the proposition of food was too good to pass up.

"Okay, we're coming down."

One of the men moved to grab (M/N) on his way down but Nathan told him to back off. They still weren't comfortable with these people. They stayed huddled together in the back seat of one of the cars until they arrived at a diner. Most of the men set up positions outside across various buildings as guards, meanwhile Frank and the woman came inside. The woman sat on one of the bar stools while Frank gestured to the teens to slide into a booth while he sat on the other side. The diner was empty besides them, so their meals didn't take long to come after ordering and they immediately wolfed down their burgers. It tasted like the best food (M/N) had ever had. Going a full day without eating was not something he wanted to do again.

They eyed Frank carefully as they ate, still not ready to let their guards down around anyone else.

"(M/N), could I have some alone time with Nathan?" Frank asked after they finished eating.

"Yeah sorry, that doesn't work for me," (M/N) said.

Frank sighed. "It's a very discreet matter–"

"And I've had my life threatened by multiple people, multiple times all because I just happened to be in close proximity to Nathan. So I think I deserve the damn explanation as well. I don't care how private of a topic it is." (M/N) folded his arms and leaned back against the booth seat, making it evident that he wasn't leaving. Nathan smiled at him before turning back to Frank.

"Go on."

Frank looked between the two before rubbing his face in frustration. "Fine. You must have a lot of questions."

"Who killed my parents?" Nathan asked.

"You mean Mara and Kevin?" Frank said. Nathan nodded. "His name is Nikola Kozlow. He's an independent black ops agent."

"Like... my father?" Nathan guessed.

"Yes, but Kozlow works for the bad guys. Martin is–was one of us. The woman you know as Dr. Bennet trained him. Lorna, too."

"Dr. Bennet sounds like one hell of a therapist, I'll give her that," (M/N) said.

"She isn't really a therapist. That was just a guise to look out for Nathan," Frank said.

Nathan thought for a moment. "Whose idea was it to put me in foster care? Or whatever you want to call it."

Frank seemed to prepare himself for a tough conversation. "When your mother died, well, we weren't sure if Martin was going to crack or not. He was in no condition to raise a child, and he realised that. I told him I would make sure you were safe, so Martin could carry on doing what Martin does."

"And what exactly is that?" Nathan pressed.

"It's a messy world, Nathan. People like Martin and Kozlow are just two sides of the same coin." Frank's voice took on a serious note. "Listen kids, the world you've just been dropped into is a world very few people get to see, you're getting a glimpse behind the curtain.

"What we're engaged in here is a war. It's not about bullets or bombs or borders or territories. The currency of this war is information. Data, and that's what Kozlow's after."

(M/N) rubbed his head in confusion. "Okay, am I missing something? I understand all this secret-service-fighting-over-data crap, but what does this have to do with Nathan?" (M/N) asked. It seemed a bit dumb that both their lives had been uprooted due to ones and zeros.

"Martin recently stole something very valuable from Kozlow, and he wants it back. If Kozlow gets Nathan, it puts his father in a very compromising position."

Nathan scoffed. "Why should he suddenly start caring about me now?"

Frank's expression darkened. "Nathan, you don't know the first thing about your father."

"I can tell he scares you," Nathan said. Frank didn't say anything as the teens analysed his expression. Something more was going on here. "This thing that Kozlow wants so badly, what is it?"

"To the naked eye, it's a sequence of meaningless numbers and letters. It's actually an encrypted list of twenty-five people who have sold or traded state secrets."

(M/N) was reminded of the phone they found at Martin's apartment. Was that it? It matched the description, and it didn't sound like anyone knew besides them. (M/N) glanced at Nathan, who risked a quick look at him, and he knew they were on the same page. Nathan subtly pulled out the phone and opened it. (M/N) could see the letters and numbers from his spot.

"Do you have any idea how valuable that kind of information is?"

(M/N) looked back at Frank. His expression was stern and his eyes flickered downward. Had they been too obvious? Dr. Bennet said they couldn't trust him, and (M/N) had a good guess as to why.

"Sure, but, something in your story doesn't add up. You're hiding something," (M/N) said with a controlled voice. Frank and Nathan looked at him. The former with suspicion, the latter with confusion. "It sounds like Martin is a key player in all of this. If the list was with him, why do you care so much? It sounds like that's the ideal situation, and it can't just be because you need to protect Nathan." It also raised the question of why Martin left it in his apartment which (M/N) had a good guess was a location not a lot of people knew about, including Frank. Frank must know Martin's general whereabouts. If he really wanted, he could probably find him. Which would imply that, if Martin purposely kept the list out of his own possession, then that means he didn't trust Frank, and wanted it to be hidden. Now that (M/N) thought about it, with all this new information, it seemed like Dr. Bennet was a lot more trusting in the idea of Martin holding the list even with Nathan being a liability, considering how easily she decided to give her life to get Nathan away from the bad guys, which further made (M/N) believe Frank's main goal wasn't keeping Nathan secure.

Frank didn't seem to notice (M/N)'s implication. He said if the list WAS with Martin, not IS. But Nathan seemed to catch onto that, and he must have drawn the same conclusion as (M/N).

"Oh, I see," Nathan said as he turned back to Frank. "Your name is on that list, isn't it?"

Frank laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You kids have a vivid imagination. That's a very dangerous thing."

(M/N) sensed tension rising, and grabbed Nathan's hand under the table. They heard shouting outside and looked to see one of the guards waving at them to run, before he was shot down. (M/N) and Nathan dived to the ground not a moment too soon, as the window shattered when bullets whizzed through.

"Stay down, get behind cover!" Frank yelled, and the teens crawled back behind the front counter.

"Stay here and keep your heads down," the woman told them as she and Frank pulled out their guns. Nathan hugged (M/N) close as bullets ricocheted all around them, glass exploding. The woman moved forward to help Frank shoot back without exposing themselves. It wasn't safe here, with the attackers or with Frank. They needed to leave.

All the workers had disappeared through the kitchen, which meant there had to be an exit back there somewhere. Nathan and (M/N) crawled back through the door and into the kitchen, and (M/N) caught a glimpse of the men approaching the diner.

"We need to get out of here, fast," (M/N) said once they made it outside. The sound of bullets had stopped, they didn't have much time. Nathan pulled him towards a truck parked on the side of the road. He grabbed the gun from the bag and pointed it at the window. "Seriously?"

"We don't have any other options." Nathan shot out the back window and knocked the glass out of the way before they climbed in.

"We don't have the key," (M/N) stated. Nathan rummaged through the bag, pulling out a screwdriver. He pulled off the cover under the steering wheel then jammed the screwdriver into the ignition flaps. He turned it and the truck roared to life. "Nevermind."

"I'm glad Dad prepared me for everything," Nathan said as they took off. Frank burst out the back door not moments later, but he was too late as he watched them drive away.

(M/N) watched his figure disappear as they drove away before sighing and leaning back in his seat. "So... All this stuff we've been through is because of a list. And that list is on the phone. We can't trust anyone, including the CIA. We're on our own, so what now?"

"I don't know. Find another way to Nebraska, I guess," Nathan said.

Suddenly a phone rang. Nathan pulled out the phone he took from the man on the train. He answered it and put it on speaker.

"The convenient thing about cell phones is that they can be turned into listening devices as well."

"Kozlow," Nathan said. Who else would it be? And (M/N) had just revealed that they had the list in their possession.

"You have something that belongs to me. What use is it to you? Don't be foolish, hand it over and you'll be left alone."

"What kind of guarantee can you give me?"

"I can guarantee you this: If you don't hand over that list, I will be killing every friend you have. Jake, Gilly, your neighbours, even your teachers. And when I'm finished you'll be responsible for the death of every friend you have on facebook. But I think there's one friend in particular you don't want to see get hurt. Am I right, Nathan?"

Nathan looked at (M/N), who shook his head. "Don't listen to him."

Oh, but I think he should, (M/N). Your parents are coming back by plane tomorrow afternoon at 2:40pm. If I don't have the list by then, they're dead. Nathan can tell you all about what it's like to lose your parents."

"Don't you dare go anywhere near them," (M/N) snarled. If they were coming home already, then that meant his uncle must have told them he was missing after the explosion, before (M/N) messaged him that he was okay. He couldn't even count on them being safe anymore.

"I won't, if you do as I ask."

"Okay, fine. So how do you propose we do this?" Nathan asked.

"Simple. I give you a time and a place."

"No. I'll pick the time and place. Somewhere public." Nathan thought for a moment then glanced at his watch. "PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Three hours. See you there." He hung up and asked (M/N) to write down the number Kozlow called from.

"Why there?" (M/N) asked and handed Nathan the note with the number. He put it in his pocket.

"It's the twenty-second today, so there should be a baseball game on. Pirates vs Mets. The stadium will be packed. A better place than any."

(M/N) frowned. "Nathan, I don't like this. Who's to say he won't just kill us, anyway?"

Nathan's eyes hardened. He was keeping quiet incase they were still being eavesdropped on. (M/N) sighed.

"This is insane... No doubt the CIA would have figured us out by now. Hell, they could have been listening in as well."

"Either way, we need to ditch this truck soon. We'll need Gilly for the tickets, but we also need a new car. I'm sure they've been watching Gilly, they'll know if it's him."

(M/N) eyes lit up and he held his hand out for the phone. Nathan gave it to him and watched as he dialled a number. The receiver picked up after a few rings.

"Hello?"

"Vanessa, it's me."

(M/N) moved the phone back from his ear when she started yelling.

"(M/N)?! What the hell!"

"Yes, I know, you're worried and all that, but now isn't the time. We need your help. Can you get us a ride?"

"(M/N), people came knocking on the door last night. Felix, too. They've been watching us, they'll know if I take the car."

"Not the other one," (M/N) said suggestively.

"Oh... I guess that could work. I'll have to be discreet, though. Where are you?"

"We're heading to the PNC Park, but we'll need to meet in a spot nearby, where we won't be seen."

"Where?"

"They could be listening, so I'll try and jog your memory. Do you remember that place you, me and Felix passed through a couple years ago? Where you thought we would get murdered?"

"Yeah. I don't remember how to get there, though."

"I'm sure Felix will remember, get him to drive. Also, can you bring Gilly? Tell him to comp three tickets for the game at the stadium today." Nathan started to speak at that, but (M/N) shushed him.

"What for?"

"Just trust me, please."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"Bye. Don't call this number back."

(M/N) hung up and rolled down the window, throwing out the phone before rolling up the window again.

"Why three?" Nathan asked.

"Because I'm going with you."

"(M/N), I can't risk you getting hurt–"

"And I can take care of myself, Nathan," (M/N) interrupted. "You're going in there with a black ops agent. I'm not gonna just leave you alone."

"That's even more reason to stay away. This guy is dangerous."

"Nathan, look at me."

Nathan pulled over and turned his attention to (M/N). (M/N) grabbed his hand. "We stick together. We've made it this far, we'll see it through until the end. I won't let you die, so I'll be counting on you, as well. Got it?"

Nathan nodded. "Okay. Together."

"Now let's go."

Once they made it back to the city, (M/N) guided Nathan to an area under a highway. It wasn't too far off from the stadium, but far enough that he was sure they wouldn't get found there. He hoped Felix remembered where it was, and was relieved to see them pull up in Vanessa's classic Chevy that had been sitting in her garage for years. Vanessa and Felix were in the front, Gilly in the back. (M/N) and Nathan hopped in next to him.

"Will you tell us what the hell's going on?" Felix asked. "Gilly never gave us any details."

"It's..." (M/N) didn't know what to say. It also wasn't really his place to say. It was Nathan's life, after all. "A really long story that I'm not at liberty to tell. You'll have to ask Nathan about that. But now isn't the time. All you need to know is some people are hunting us down, and the CIA are also probably gonna show up."

"I wouldn't believe you if I didn't see the news and Nathan's house and those people interrogating us." Vanessa sighed. "You both disappeared. I tried calling like a million times but you didn't answer, we went to your house but you weren't there, we thought you were dead until Gilly talked to us. What's the PNC Park all about?"

"We need to get in there when the game starts." Nathan looked at Gilly. "Did you get them?"

Gilly handed them a bag and three tickets. "Patio section, VIP access only. It's under twenty-three-D."

(M/N) looked in the bag. There were team shirts for them to wear, to help blend into the crowd easier. Nathan gripped Gilly's arm reassuringly.

"Thanks, man."

"So, what's the plan?" (M/N) asked Nathan. Nathan pulled out the gun from his bag, and (M/N) shot him a concerned look. "Are you serious?"

"It's the only way," Nathan said. "You don't have to come, (M/N)–"

"Don't start this again. You aren't talking me out of this."

"What have you guys gotten yourselves into..." Felix said.

"Can you drive us to the stadium? I need to set up," Nathan said. Set up really just meant sneaking the gun in while the stadium was empty, because security wouldn't let him in with it. They changed into the team jerseys while Felix parked a few rows down from the main entrance, and then Nathan went inside. (M/N) paced outside the car impatiently.

"(M/N), relax," Vanessa said.

"This has been the longest day of my life. We've been on the run since last night. I can't relax until this is over."

(M/N) ran over to meet Nathan when he came back out. The park had started to fill up as people arrived for the game. They still had a little over an hour before Kozlow was set to arrive. Nathan put one of the tickets under the shoe of a large statue out front of the main entrance.

"You wait nearby and watch for him when he arrives, then let me know so I can tell him where the ticket is."

"Why can't I come with you?" (M/N) asked.

"You're the only one who knows what to look for. We saw some of them at the diner. And you'll be able to tell how many people he brought with him." Nathan grabbed (M/N)'s arms. "Please, I'm counting on you."

(M/N) stared into his eyes for a few seconds before pulling him into a hug. "Be safe, I'll come to you as soon as I can."

Nathan rubbed his back. "I know."

Nathan's phone rang and they pulled away to look at it in surprise. It was the phone with the encrypted list.

"Do you think..." (M/N) trailed off. Who else would have that number, other than Martin?

Nathan answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Nathan."

"Who is this?"

"It's me. I need you to drop this plan of yours."

(M/N) could just hear his voice through the phone.

"Martin?"

"You've grown, son. I know veteran agents that couldn't have done what you have these past twenty-four hours. But you can't go in there. Kozlow will take the list, and kill you."

"Not if I kill him first."

"You're not ready for that. Just trust me, I'm on my way."

(M/N) watched Nathan closely. Doubt flickered across his eyes for a moment. But it was gone almost as soon as it was there.

"You had fifteen years, Martin. I'm done waiting."

Nathan hung up. People were arriving in droves now, security set up at the gates.

"We'll get through this," (M/N) said, more so reassuring himself.

Nathan nodded. "See you soon." He walked through the gates after getting cleared by security, and (M/N) walked back to the car. "Can I borrow your phone?" he asked Felix. Felix gave it to him.

The parking lot was packed to the brim by the time (M/N) spotted two menacing guys walking down the path. The way they moved was calculated as they scanned their surroundings. It had to be Kozlow. (M/N) stayed out of sight and took a picture of them, sending it to Nathan. Kozlow's phone rang moments later, and after listening to the caller, he looked underneath the statue and picked up the ticket. The man with him disappeared around a corner as Kozlow went inside. He was probably going to try and sneak in, or find some other way in. (M/N) didn't doubt he would, being a black ops agent. (M/N) walked back to the car.

"Thanks for your help, guys," he said through the open window and handed Felix back his phone.

"Don't start with that. You guys are gonna make it out of this, no need for final goodbyes," Vanessa said sternly.

"I'll kill you if you die here," Felix held out his fist, (M/N) bumped it.

"That includes Nathan," Gilly added.

(M/N) half smiled. "Yeah. I'll see you guys later."

He promised himself this wouldn't be the last time he saw his friends. One way or another, this fight was going to come to an end.

(M/N) made his way back to the front entrance, it took him a couple of minutes to get through, and he quickly made his way to the area numbered on his ticket. It was around the other side of the stadium so it took some time. (M/N) spotted Frank halfway there, and made sure to stay unseen. No doubt there were other CIA agents around, but they couldn't be trusted anymore. It didn't look like they knew where Nathan and Kozlow were, thankfully. (M/N) made it to their section, but stayed at the top of the steps. After a few seconds, he spotted Nathan and Kozlow sitting in one of the rows further down. He would stay close in case anything happened, but he also wanted to keep an eye out for Kozlow's friend or the CIA.

Nathan hovered his hand close to the gun behind his seat.

"You got my list?" Kozlow asked.

"How do I know you won't kill me once I give it to you?" Nathan countered.

"You don't trust me?"

Nathan scowled. "You killed my parents."

"They weren't your real parents. I can tell you the truth, but you won't like it."

Nathan released his grip on the gun. "What truth?"

"Martin is class five, which means he has the authority to break the Geneva Convention. To kill women, children, whatever was necessary to accomplish his mission. But your mother, on the other hand, was incredibly loyal. Wouldn't give up Martin's location to save her life."

"You killed her..." Nathan said.

"Wasn't my intention."

Nathan stood up to let someone walk past. He was sure now, he had to do it. When he sat back down he reached behind his seat, but frowned when he couldn't find the gun.

"Is this what you're looking for?" Nathan turned to see Kozlow, with the gun in his lap, pointing directly at him. "Now you have to give me what we agreed upon."

Nathan immediately kicked his arm down and jumped over the seats, heading back up. Kozlow was right behind him. Nathan caught up to (M/N) and they started running.

"What happened?" (M/N) asked.

"He took the gun!"

They ran through the crowds, and managed to have Kozlow lose sight of them. They ran through some glass doors and hid behind a giant metal pole and Nathan's phone rang again.

"Martin?"

"You're alive, that's good. Where are you?"

Nathan looked around while (M/N) peeked out to look at Kozlow. "In a shop, on the upper level."

"Listen to me, I need you to lead him outside to the south parking lot."

"If I do that, I'm dead."

"If you stay where you are, you're dead for sure. Lead him outside, trust me."

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm here, son."

(M/N) spun around to look at Nathan, who did the same before putting the phone away.

"What's the decision, Nathan," (M/N) said.

Nathan thought for a moment. "I'll do it."

"Then I'm with you." (M/N) scanned the area and spotted the guy Kozlow arrived with. He had made it into the stadium. "We've got more company."

Nathan frowned as his eyes settled on the new threat. It would be harder to escape with two people chasing him. (M/N) pointed towards the south exit.

"Go. Get Kozlow after you, I'll stop this guy." Nathan shot (M/N) a concerned look. "It's your turn to trust me, Nathan. I'll keep him away from you long enough to lure Kozlow out. Go!"

"You better come back alive," Nathan said, then he was sprinting out. Kozlow saw him immediately and chased after him. When the other man started running, (M/N) also came out. He sprinted directly into the man's path. He leaped forward, drop-kicking the man with all his force. The man collapsed to the floor and (M/N) quickly scrambled to his feet. The man's furious eyes locked on (M/N) as he righted himself. (M/N) saw him reach into his pocket, and quickly sprinted off. He probably had a gun, so (M/N) would try to stay out of sight. The man chased after him, but no one was faster than (M/N). He needed to do something if he wanted to catch up to Nathan, though. He couldn't very well lead the man there.

(M/N) scanned his surroundings as he ran, doing his best to evade ramming into passerbyers. He wouldn't ever win in a one-on-one fist fight, so he had to use his strongest asset: his leg strength.

He quickly slowed to a stop at the densely packed crowd of people in front of him. He couldn't run through that, he was stuck in a corner, against a railing. He peered over the side, definitely not possible to jump from. It was maybe a 60 feet drop, he could jump across though. The other side of the railing was maybe two metres away. He looked back to see how close the man was and cursed.

Too late.

(M/N) ducked as the man reached out to grab him. He wasn't fast enough, and the man yanked him back by the collar. He took a punch to the face and nearby people watched with shock as the man moved to strangle him. (M/N) couldn't get his fingers under his collar to alleviate the pressure. The man was moving to put (M/N) in a headlock. He needed to think fast. The man's back was against the railing, (M/N) needed to somehow get him over it, but how?

Use your strongest asset, (M/N).

An idea popped into his head as he gasped for air. It held promise, but the man's grip on him was too strong to let him try it at all.

The sound of shouting filled (M/N)'s ears. Some other guy had walked up, clearly alarmed by the sight. He sounded aggressive and the man holding (M/N) moved one hand to his pocket to pull out his gun, scaring off everyone around them. That slight loss of strength on his part was all (M/N) needed.

(M/N) moved both his hands to grip onto the man's arm as tightly, then he bent his legs as much as he could in this situation, pulling the man's arm down with him before leaping upwards with all his might. The twist of his body caused the man to lose his grip around (M/N)'s neck. Once he was in the air, he planted his fists down on the man's shoulders, scrunching the shirt between his fingers, using that extra force to swing himself up and behind the man, over the railing.

The man was clearly shocked, losing his grip on (M/N) entirely as his neck was jerked back against the railing. He let out a choked gasp and (M/N) sucked in a deep breath as he pushed back against the railing, planting his feet firmly against the metal bars. He made sure not to look down, knowing it would be a long drop to his likely death if he let go. He pulled the man's collar as hard as he could, until the man started moving his body up over the railing to try and stop himself from choking to death. (M/N) moved his feet up and pulled even harder. The man's body hit a point once it was high enough, and slid right across the railing and over the edge. He shouted and tried to grip onto anything, but failed.

The sudden loss of pressure had (M/N) flying backwards. He quickly swung his hands up to grip the other railing over the big hole. His back hit the concrete and he yelped when he felt his arm bend backwards against the bars. He didn't dare let go, though, hissing through his teeth as he turned around and gripped onto the railing with his other arm. He heard an impact down below, as well as a chorus of screams, but he ignored it. As soon as he climbed back over the railing, he gripped his arm. There was a long, thick red line running up to his shoulder. It didn't feel broken, but god did that hurt.

(M/N) looked around. He hadn't run far, so the south exit had to be close. He scanned the floor for the man's gun but came up empty. It must have fallen as well. Still clutching his arm, he got up and started running again. He was slightly out of breath, but not enough to slow him down.

The surrounding area had been cleared out due to the man's threat, so (M/N) was able to practically fly through the exit at top speed with no obstructions. He spotted Nathan running down the street at the other end of the road, Kozlow not far behind him.

Nathan stopped by the carpark. That's when (M/N) noticed he was limping. What happened? Whatever it was, it impaired his ability to run any further. Kozlow stopped a good 20 feet from him, catching his breath.

"It's over, Nathan!" He pulled out Nathan's gun and aimed it at him. Civilians ran away as Nathan looked around, and (M/N) knew he was looking for Martin. (M/N) couldn't see him anywhere, either. Kozlow was going to shoot Nathan, he didn't see any other way this went.

(M/N) pushed himself to run faster, ignoring the burning pain in his legs. Kozlow's finger moved to the trigger. What was (M/N) supposed to do?

That's when he was reminded of the other day. Vanessa stood by, cheering him on while Felix watched as he practiced his stunt.

(M/N) was nearing Kozlow now.

"Hey!"

Kozlow's head whipped around to (M/N), and so did Nathan, panic etched onto his face as Kozlow redirected the gun to aim at (M/N).

(M/N)'s heart was rocketing against his chest so hard he was surprised it didn't burst out. He could very well die here. He was beyond terrified staring down the barrel of the revolver. But he didn't stop. He moved closer to the ground, extending his foot falls. He was within 10 feet now. Kozlow would fire. (M/N) unexpectedly pushed off his right foot in a half dive to the left as the sound of a bullet whizzed past his head.

Kozlow missed, he was still alive. He pushed back towards Kozlow, diving forward as he remembered. His damaged arm screamed at him when he pushed against the floor with his hands. It buckled slightly but he powered through it as his body moved up into a backflip. He felt his foot connect with some part of Kozlow's body, and he quickly oriented himself to land back on his feet. He didn't stop to celebrate his first success at the stunt as he reached for the revolver. Kozlow recovered quickly–(M/N) seemed to have kicked him in the cheek–and swiftly reached a hand around (M/N)'s neck and pulled him close, pushing the revolver against his skull.

(M/N)'s terrified eyes locked onto Nathan's, before catching a flash of silver from the highrise building behind Nathan. Nathan immediately followed his gaze, and just as (M/N) heard the click of the revolver, a strong force of wind brushed right past his face, and he was being pulled back onto the ground.

(M/N)'s body was in such an overstimulated state, he had to remember how to breathe as his exhausted body begged for air. He brought a hand to cup his right ear, which was ringing loudly. Nathan was suddenly next to him, pulling him off the ground. (M/N) stumbled and Nathan gripped him tightly.

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

(M/N) tentatively moved his hand away from his ear. The ringing was beginning to dull, but he panicked when he saw blood. Nathan calmed him.

"It's not yours."

(M/N) turned to look at the ground. Kozlow was there, unmoving, with a clear hole in his chest as blood trickled out. It was a bullet, and it had passed right next to (M/N)'s head. He felt dizzy and Nathan used his jersey to wipe the specks of blood from (M/N)'s face.

Finally it dawned on (M/N). "We made it."

"Yes. We did."

"What happened to your leg?" (M/N) asked.

"Dropped from a high ledge. What happened to your arm?"

(M/N) was reminded of the flaring pain there after putting pressure on it. The bruise was starting to go yellow, but that was the least important thing on his mind at the moment. "I nearly fell from a high ledge. The other guy wasn't as lucky."

Nathan's phone rang again and he pulled it out.

"I'll take that, Nathan." Frank had arrived, and so had other members of the CIA. They grabbed Nathan and (M/N)–who hissed at the pressure on his injured arm–and forced their arms behind their backs.

"What the hell?"

Frank took the phone from Nathan, silencing it.

"You're just like your dad, huh? Let's go."

Some more agents arrived to take Kozlow's body as they stopped in front of another group of agents.

"I told you we had the situation under control, sir." Frank held up the phone. "We have it."

The man he was talking to held out his hand. "Let me see it."

"It's still encrypted, let me take it to the lab first, and I'll make sure you have the decrypted file on your desk first thing in the morning."

"That's funny," the man said. "Martin said that would be the first sign."

Frank's face dropped. "You talked to Martin?"

"He said you'd insist on overseeing decryption yourself, so you could remove your name from the list. It's over, Frank." The man looked at the teens. "Let them go."

(M/N) pulled his arms away, gently holding his injured one.

"You okay?" Nathan asked, reaching for his arm.

(M/N) nodded. "I'm fine."

The man walked up to them both and gave them a handshake. "I'm sorry for everything you kids went through. But it's over now. You can relax."

(M/N) and Nathan stayed close, not prepared to give in yet, but then the man and all the agents started walking away, taking Frank with them.

Martin's phone rang again and Frank answered it. "Martin?" He stopped and walked back, handing the phone to Nathan. "He wants to speak to you."

Nathan brought the phone to his ear, (M/N) was still close enough to hear as the agents all left.

"You and (M/N) are very brave. I've handled things here. You kids won't have to worry about the agency from now on."

"Where are you?"

"Right here, watching from a distance. Just like I always have. All I ever wanted was to keep you safe. And while I couldn't be there, I watched you grow up on that street. (M/N), too. I'm glad you've found someone like him. I'm only sorry that I couldn't stop you from getting hurt."

"Well when can I see you?" Nathan asked desperately. "Why don't you come out here and talk to me in person?"

"I'd like that, more than you can imagine. But it's not possible."

"Why not?" Nathan demanded.

"I made certain choices a long time ago. I have to live with the consequences of those choices, but you don't have to."

"Then it's up to me. I want to meet you."

"You don't understand the risks."

"I don't care about the risks!"

"You remind me of your mother."

"Martin..." Nathan paused as he fought to control his emotions. "Dad?"

"Nathan. I'm your father, but I'll never be your dad. I lost that chance a long time ago. I don't know if you can understand my reasons–maybe someday you will."

"But you're the only family I have left," Nathan pleaded. "You're leaving me all alone."

"You're gonna be alright. You have someone just as strong as you. Someone who was willing to fight with you all the way–standing right next to you."

Nathan looked at (M/N), who smiled sadly and intertwined his fingers with Nathan.

"I'm sorry, son." Then he hung up.

Nathan let out a shaky breath and (M/N) enveloped him in a tight hug–as tight as he could with his arm. Nathan hugged him back immediately. They stayed silent, sharing in their emotions. Nathan looked up when he heard someone approach. (M/N) turned around to find Dr. Bennet standing there.

"Dr. Bennet?" Nathan said.

"Hello, Nathan, (M/N)," she said. (M/N) said hi. "Call me Jerry."

"Can't believe you're alive," Nathan said. (M/N) recalled that explosion on the bridge. It seemed she slipped away that night after all.

Jerry smiled. "Me? What about you guys?" Her smile faded a little. "How are you doing with all of this? You okay?"

Concern crossed (M/N)'s face. He couldn't imagine how hard this must all be for Nathan.

Nathan nodded, half for himself, half for Jerry. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"It's for your own protection," Jerry assured him.

"I know, but... where do I go from here?"

"About that... Your father wanted me to talk to you about making arrangements for a new home."

Nathan shook his head, an edge of pain in his voice. "Nothing can replace Kevin and Mara."

Jerry nodded. "I know. But we thought that, maybe you'd want to consider coming to live with me until you finish high school. Then you have college and... you know, whatever else you want to pursue. How does that sound?"

Nathan thought for a moment. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Okie dokie. Well then, should we get out of here?" Jerry asked lightly.

Nathan glanced at (M/N), who smiled sweetly at him. Nathan returned the smile. "Not quite yet."

Jerry looked between the two in surprise. (M/N) laughed. "I'll make sure he gets home alright."

"Oh, I see," Jerry said and chuckled. "Okay, that's cool, I'll just... I'll be here."

Nathan wrapped an arm around (M/N)'s shoulders. (M/N) allowed Nathan to lean some of his weight on him to alleviate the pressure in his injured leg as they moved back to the stadium.

"And Nathan," Jerry called to them. They stopped and turned to face her again. Her eyes flickered to (M/N). "About a certain young man. I was wrong. You should hold on to him."

"Yeah," Nathan smiled as he looked into (M/N)'s eyes. "He's worth it." (M/N)'s toothy grin beamed back at him.

It had been a long day, and even though it was empty now, sitting up high in the seats and watching over the field brought a sense of comfort to them. The golden glow of the soon-to-be-setting sun cast deep shadows over the stadium. Nathan didn't take his arm away from (M/N)'s shoulders.

"I'm sorry we missed the game," Nathan said.

(M/N) leaned against his shoulder. "That's okay. We can just go to another one."

Nathan chuckled. "It's a date."

"Soooo... you mean this isn't going to be like eighth grade after the boat house?" (M/N) already knew the answer, but he couldn't help teasing.

"You know what the problem was back in eighth grade?" Nathan said as he looked at (M/N). "With all my fears, I just wasn't ready for you yet."

"So I had to wait four years for you to ask me out?" (M/N) challenged.

Nathan grinned. "Yeah. But you've gotta admit, this was one hell of a first date."

(M/N) laughed. "Oh, for sure it was."

Nathan moved a hand to (M/N)'s cheek and leaned in. (M/N) beat him to it, wrapping his good arm around Nathan's neck as their lips connected. The sparks they felt had changed completely now. There might as well have been fireworks going off. Everything was let out and they revelled in each other's emotions, their bodies molded together right up until they pulled away, which felt like hours later.

The sun's golden glow washed over them as they made their way back down across the street, towards the parking lot.

"I can't begin to imagine how painful this has been for you Nathan. But I swear to you, I'm not going anywhere."

Nathan held him closer. "Just having you here with me, makes it more than bearable, (M/N). I wasn't planning on letting you go, anyway."

(M/N) smiled. "Good."

It had been one hell of a first date, but it was only the beginning. They didn't know what would happen next, but they would figure it out, together.

End

Chapter Text

“Sharkboy was not always half-shark, half-boy. He was a marine biologist, or at least, in training.”

Sharkboy stood at the edge of the dock on the ocean rig, a pan of sushi in his hands as his father rubbed his head affectionately.

“His father studied great white sharks, and called his son ‘Sharkboy’ because of how much he loved to care for sharks. He made them sushi, and gave them all names: Goodmilk, Piggy, Eggbattle and Kraken.”

Four sharks had their heads peeking out of the ocean, up at the small boy, who tossed each one of them a piece of sushi.

“But one day, an incredible, mysterious storm appeared. It swept away the entire laboratory. Thanks to the life rafts, Sharkboy and his father survived, but on opposite sides of the wreckage, each floating off in a different direction. Sharkboy was completely alone…”

Sharkboy looked off across the ocean. Past the sinking rig, was his father, calling out to him from his raft. His figure faded with each sway of the waves, until eventually he disappeared from sight.

“Almost completely. But one of the sharks recognized him. They took Sharkboy to their cave home, where he’d be safe and dry. His new family were hundreds of sharks.”

Sharkboy sat atop a rock in the cave, watching his new family swim around him.

“They raised him as one of their own, training him in the ways of the shark. To live by instinct, and instinct alone.”

As time passed, Sharkboy examined the changes his body had undergone through his tattered clothes.

“Eventually, he grew gills and sharp talons for claws. His teeth sharpened themselves to a point, and he grew a fin. But that was years ago. I first met Sharkboy while fishing on a dock this summer.”

Max was startled when his fishing rod was yanked down, he tried to reel it back in but the string snapped. A fin popped out from the water first, followed by Sharkboy’s head as he looked at Max.

“He seemed lost, so I snuck him home, when my parents were too busy to notice. I kept him fed, and in water.”

Max watched sharkboy through the shower. His dark blue clothes were accompanied by silver braces, gloves and a sort of chest guard with shark markings, the back had an opening to perfectly suit his fin. He leaned his arms against the top shower brace as he talked to Max.

“He had been traveling the universe in search of his father. He told me about his latest adventures on a planet so cool, it makes you drool. He said I, too, could go to Planet Drool someday. I asked him how he found it…”

Sharkboy’s face held a dejected look, reminiscing about something he had lost.

“He told me about someone he met; his first friend. A boy. But not just any boy, his friend came from the stars. He was not born on any planet, he was brought into existence by a supernova. He told Sharkboy of Planet Drool, but had disappeared not long after. Sharkboy didn’t know where he had gone.

Then one night, I was visited by a glowing light. Well… two glowing lights.”

Max sat opposite the shower, watching Sharkboy, when light poured in through the doorway. They both looked over in surprise. Max’s eyes first landed on the girl. Patterns and lines trailed up her whole body, flowing with actual lava.

“An amazing girl with purple flames for hair, and skin of molten lava rock appeared. I called her, ‘Lavagirl’. She smiled at me, for that seemed to be her name.”

Max’s eyes moved over to the boy, who held Sharkboy’s gaze the whole time. His long-sleeved white shirt and pants had a slight iridescent quality to them. Small golden patterns that matched his gold boots and fingerless gloves flowed in a swirl-like pattern up to the top of his shirt.

“The boy next to her was just as amazing. His hair always seemed to have a certain shine to it, no matter what light was shining down on him–if there was any. His skin looked like any other boy’s, except it had a kind of sparkle, like there were thousands of microscopic diamonds in it, flickering in tiny specks whenever he moved–not enough to be too bright or distracting, but enough to look mesmerising up close. I knew instantly that this was Sharkboy’s friend. I knew his name, too. It was ‘Starboy’.”

Starboy smiled softly at Max, before directing that smile to Sharkboy–an apology for leaving in the first place. Sharkboy swiftly hopped over the top of the shower, not caring how much water he trailed onto the floor. He walked over and swiftly hugged Starboy.

“Lavagirl told me they needed Sharkboy to return to Planet Drool with them, for a great crisis was developing.”

Max followed them out to the front lawn of his house. They turned to him.

“She asked if I could go with them. I told her, ‘I have school tomorrow.’ She gave me a sad look, before she flamed away, the other two right beside her. I haven’t seen Sharkboy, Starboy, or Lavagirl since then…”

Max lowered his journal as he looked at his class.

“And that’s what I did this summer.”

The class watched him silently for a few seconds, before an onslaught of scrunched up pieces of paper went flying at Max, who covered his face with his journal in defence.

“Enough! Someone is picking that up, and it’s not gonna be me,” the teacher, Mr. Electricidad said.

A kid at the back groaned. Linus. “We were supposed to tell true stories.”

“That is a true story,” Max affirmed.

“Does Lavagirl have special powers?” Marissa asked. She looked interested in Max’s story. The only one in the class who was.

“There’s no such thing as Lavagirl,” Mr. Electricidad said with a sigh, but Max ignored him, hastily flipping through the pages of his journal until he found one with drawings of Lavagirl. His dreams were unpredictable, and he hadn’t ever organised them in the journal. Everything was spread out unevenly at random parts, and it wasn’t always easy trying to find them, especially not quickly. But this page was good enough.

“She can–” Max opened his hand repeatedly in an outward motion. “–shoot lava from her hands.”

Marissa smiled and some of the other kids giggled quietly. “Cool. What about Starboy?”

“Uh…” Max flipped back through his journal. He looked for a few seconds, and came up empty. He scanned the pages closer to the beginning of the journal and sighed in relief when he found something. “He can release flares of energy from his hands, like small explosions–”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Mr. Electricidad interrupted. He stood up. “How many people think Max’s story is true?”

Marissa raised her hand, the rest of the class murmured a series of disagreements.

“Not true.”

“Made-up.”

“It’s just a made-up story.”

Linus smiled challengingly. “If it’s true, why don’t you bring them to class tomorrow?”

“They went away. I don’t know where they went,” Max said in a defensive tone.

“Have a seat, Max.” Mr. Electricidad gently moved Max down the aisle until he walked back to his seat. “Linus, you’re next.”

Linus made his way to the front of the class. “This summer, I met a new friend who was half-dork, half-boy. I called him Dorkboy, but his real name was Max.”

The class erupted into laughter as Max sunk further into his seat.

“We had him for dinner, but he stunk so bad that we all blew chunks–”

“That’s enough, Linus,” Mr. Electricidad interrupted. He was clearly getting fed up with them. The bell rang and all the kids grabbed their things and moved towards the door. “Max, Linus, stay.”

The two boys begrudgingly walked up to their teacher’s desk. He looked at them with disappointment.

“Linus, you just earned a minus for your behaviour today. This is a new year. Do you think you can be friends?”

The boys looked at each other in distaste.

“No,” they said together.

“Then it’s been decided; you’ll be the best of friends. Which means no more picking on Max, Linus.”

Linus rolled his eyes and went back to grab his stuff from his desk, walking out of the classroom. Max went to do the same but was stopped again.

“Max, you’re in the fourth grade. There are some good kids in this class. Find them, make friends with them. Dreaming keeps you from seeing what’s right here in front of you. This isn’t a dream, this is the real world.”

Max scribbled in his journal. “No dreaming, got it. I’ll try harder.”

Mr. Electricidad frowned as he walked away. “What have you got there?”

Max grasped his journal tightly. “It’s my dream journal. It has all of my most precious dreams in it. And I’ll never part with it for as long as I live.” He was slightly befuddled as he scanned the pages again, landing on Starboy’s page. He was sure there used to be more than what he saw, but he couldn’t find anything other than this page. Maybe he had forgotten to put down everything he dreamed of? He couldn’t remember. These thoughts followed him outside onto the main path from school, where he was stopped by Linus and his friends.

“Max! Let’s be imaginary friends. You can try and hang with us, and we’ll pretend you don’t exist.”

His friends laughed before refocusing on the book in Linus’s hands.

“Check it out. Sharkboy gets shocked by electric eels, and then they feed on his cooked flesh.

Max let out a sarcastic gasp. “Wow, Linus. Your skills are… weak.”

Suddenly, Linus stood up and grabbed the journal. Max tried to yank it out of his grasp, but Linus knocked him back and took it.

“I’ll bring you the revised version tomorrow,” he said tauntingly as he walked away. Max went to chase him but Linus’s friends knocked him down again, laughing at his pain when his head hit the concrete. He could only watch helplessly as they left with his most prized possession.

Max was devastated, having to go home without his journal, but he couldn’t do much else. It was stormy that night, and Max felt restless in his sleep, tossing and turning. Strange voices filled his mind.

Max, wake up. Open your eyes, Max.

A different voice this time.

Dream, Max. Eyes open and dream. Stay dreaming.

The last voice was different as well, and louder.

Don’t forget, Max. Wake up!

Max awoke with a start. A rumbling filled his ears from outside as his gaze settled on his rocket-clock.

4am.

He sighed and prepared himself to go back to sleep, but spotted wet footprints on the floor when a flash of lightning lit up his room. Confused, he hopped out of bed and followed the tracks through the hallway and down the stairs, into the kitchen. He stopped short when his eyes fell on the warped glass of bubbling milk, and the plate of half eaten cookies. That was definitely strange.

Max moved forward and touched the glass, hissing and retracting his hand from the hot temperature. He focused on the plate, and now that he was up close, he could see something unusual.

He picked up a cookie, examining the jagged bite marks.

Sharkboy.

He picked up another cookie. This one was black and hot.

Lavagirl.

He dropped it before it could burn his fingers, and picked up another cookie. He could see specks flickering when he moved the cookie into the faint light from the streetlight outside the window. Star dust.

Starboy.

Another flash of lightning had Max locking his gaze on the archway at the other end of the kitchen. It was so quick he would have missed it if he blinked, but he swore he saw three figures peeking out at him. There was nothing there now, though.

He let out a yelp of surprise when his father jumped into the kitchen, seemingly ready to fight. He relaxed when he realised it was just Max.

“Max? What are you doing?”

His mother entered the kitchen and flicked on the light switch. Her gaze fell on the plate.

“My giant cookies!” She sighed disapprovingly. “Max, those were for your class so you could make friends at school.”

“No! It was Sharkboy, Starboy and Lavagirl!” He hastily showed the cookies to his parents. “This one is burnt, a–and this one has shark bites. And look, star dust!”

His mother gave him a stern look. “They aren’t real, Max. There’s no such thing.”

“Well, I believe him,” his father said, but he quickly changed his mind after seeing the way she was looking at him. “Okay, your mother is right. When you go to sleep and close your eyes, they may come back. But when you open them again, they’ll be gone.”

Max tried to argue. “But–”

“Mouth closed. Go back to bed,” his mother said.

Max trudged off to bed. Maybe they were right. Maybe this was all in his head.

There’s no such thing as Sharkboy, Starboy or Lavagirl.

There’s no such thing as Sharkboy, Starboy or Lavagirl.

There’s no such thing as Sharkboy, Starboy or Lavagirl.

The lava lamp on his desk was flickering on and off, and he pushed on the power cord to try and move it in as he repeated those words to himself. He stopped, as if he had caught himself doing something wrong.

What am I saying, of course there is!

He flinched back when sparks flew from the outlet, then the lava lamp turned on again. He laid back in his bed and stared at the ceiling. He wanted nothing more than to stay away from school tomorrow. He didn’t want to deal with any more ridicule. He wanted to escape. And what better place to escape to than Planet Drool? Games, laughs, endless fun.

Lightning flashed through his window and he glanced down at it. He wished it would be worse tomorrow. Incredible storms that kept him from having to leave for school.

His dreams were different that night. Flashes of shadowy environments, Lavagirl unconscious, Starboy without his light, Max was crying. Then, it was all gone. His alarm went off and he laid there for a few seconds before he shot up, looking out the window.

It was sunny.

Guess I didn’t dream hard enough…

Max got ready and ate breakfast before his mother ushered him up. She took him out the front door towards school, which was on the other side of the road. She stopped to examine the burn marks on the grass.

“How did this happen?”

“It was dead anyway,” Max murmured.

“Why do you have to be so morbid?”

Max sighed. “I just wish something would happen so I wouldn’t have to go to school today.”

“It’s bad enough your father’s head is in the clouds, but not you too. Okay? Just push your dreams aside and move on.”

Max was getting that a lot, lately. He didn’t understand, what was so bad about dreams? Dreams were amazing. They offered an escape from his mundane reality. Anything he could imagine would seem real at night, when he was asleep, ignorant to the rest of the world. Today, though, he had to face reality. School was bland, it was boring. But he soon realised the sunny skies had turned grey, thunder rumbling through the building. A big storm was brewing. In such a short amount of time?

Max entered the classroom to Mr. Electricidad talking about how tornadoes were formed. He stopped when he noticed Marissa focused on her book, drawing something.

“Marissa?”

She smiled at him. “I dreamt of a story kind of like Max’s. Ice Girl and Dream Boy. Her powers come from her Crystal Heart.”

Mr. Electricidad sighed and closed her book. “No more fairy tales.” But the rest of the class had also come up with their own variations, moreso in a way to tease Max further, unlike Marissa.

“Piranha Girl and Beluga boy.”

“Plastic Boy, Wood Boy and Metal Girl.”

“Barf Boy and Vomit Girl.”

“Does everyone hear me? I’m a teacher, right? Wrong, I’m an awakener. Only I’m finding it more and more difficult to keep my class awake.” Marissa sneezed. “And no recess again for you, Marissa. Too many allergies.” Mr. Electricidad sat back down.

“I’m just cold,” she said.

Max walked up to her. “I’ll be happy to change places with you,” he offered. “It’s a lot warmer back in my spot.”

“But I have to sit up front,” Marissa said as she glanced at the teacher.

“You’re sitting right under the vent,” Max said as she sneezed again. “And it’s August and you’re sneezing.”

“Max.” Mr. Electricidad waved him over. “Are you trying to make real friends?”

“Yeah. Trying like you told me to.”

“That’s good. Just not with my daughter, okay?”

Linus walked into the classroom when Max went to sit down. Max dropped his bag next to his chair and stomped over to Linus’s desk.

“Give me back my journal,” he demanded loudly.

“Class has begun. Everyone, sit.”

Max spun around to face Mr. Electricidad. “Linus took my journal.”

“I did not.”

Mr. Electricidad shot him a look. “Give Max back his journal.”

Linus reluctantly handed it to Max who moved back to his seat, but he panicked when he opened the journal. He scanned all the pages; every single one had been scribbled over in black pen. He stood up.

“He ruined my dream journal!” Max yelled.

“No I didn’t. Mr. Electricidad, send him to the principal’s office and have him expelled!”

Max hurled the journal at Linus’s head, who looked at him angrily when it connected. Mr. Electricidad slammed his desk and stood up.

“You’re in my class, not the other way around. After class, both of you will report to the principal’s office with your parents!”

Max’s attention was pulled to the window instead as the loud whistling of wind outside filled his ears. The clouds had darkened and a large tornado was heading their way. The lights started flickering and the latches on some of the windows burst open, letting in the strong wind. Thunder roared as papers went flying all over the room. Mr. Electricidad tried to shut the windows, but they never stayed that way. The tornado was heading straight for the classroom now, seconds from hitting.

“Everybody down!”

The class screamed as the front windows and part of the wall caved in before ripping apart completely. Three figures practically flew in with the strong wind, skidding to a stop in front of the class. It was Sharkboy, Starboy and Lavagirl. Max looked at them with wide eyes.

Marissa peeked up from the floor behind her desk. “It’s them,” she whispered with wonder.

Their gazes swept across the room before Lavagirl spoke up.

“We’re looking for Max.”

Everyone immediately pointed at his desk, which he was hiding behind.

Marissa stared into Starboy’s eyes. He smiled at her before making his way down the aisle, with Lavagirl right behind him. Papers on the desks next to them burst into flames when she walked past. Starboy held up an arm towards the open wall, a faint glow coming from his hand that redirected the strong winds around him. Specks of stardust blew around the aura, onto the desks of the kids to his left. Linus picked up one of his non-burnt papers, examining the glowing dust.

“Woah, that’s like magic.”

He jolted away when Sharkboy ripped the paper to shreds, growling at him.

Starboy stopped at the desk, before looking at Lavagirl. She moved past him and picked it up with one hand. Max was balled up on the floor in a fetal position. He looked at them in shock and disbelief.

“We need your help, Max. Come with us,” Lavagirl said. She put down the desk right before her grip burned through the wood. Max stood up.

“What do I have to do?”

“Come with us to Planet Drool, and we’ll explain along the way. We don’t have time to sit around and talk,” Starboy said, moving back to the front of the class with Lavagirl.

“We’re going to Planet Drool?” Max asked, following them. This couldn’t be real. He, along with everyone else–except Starboy and Lavagirl, brought their hands to their ears as a loud screeching filled the room. Sharkboy had scratched a diagram of the solar system on the black board.

“It’s my home planet, just outside our solar system,” Lavagirl explained.

Starboy frowned at the confuddled look on Max’s face. “You made it up Max, remember? Don’t tell me you forgot.”

Max shook his head. “This… I can’t go with you.”

“Why not?”

“Because you guys aren’t real. You three are just a dream.” He clasped his eyes shut. “And when I open my eyes, you’ll be gone.”

This isn’t real.

Max slowly opened his eyes, but they were still standing there, looking at each other before looking back at him.

“We’re still here, Max,” Lavagirl said.

“If you wanna stop the darkness from destroying our worlds, come with us,” Sharkboy added.

Mr. Electricidad slowly stood up. “I think you should go with them.” He sounded scared, but that was to be expected given the current situation.

Max weighed his options. Well, he supposed he didn’t really have any. If this really was real, then wasn’t it what he wanted? He nodded. “Okay… I’ll go,” he said. Marissa clapped excitedly before they led him outside. The storm hadn’t let down–in fact it only seemed to get stronger as they ran across the field.

“I can’t believe I’m finally getting to ditch this place and go to Planet Drool, how are we getting there?”

“That’s what we need you for,” Starboy said like it was obvious.

Max didn’t need to ask any further, because a giant shark modelled rocket came into view from behind the trees. He stopped to take in the sight before quickly following after them. They climbed inside and lowered themselves into the seats. Lavagirl outstretched a handful of blue and pink goggles.

“Put these on, everybody. Blue goggles for the boys, pink for the girls.”

Sharkboy and Starboy put on their goggles, while Max looked at the pink ones he held in his hand.

“Do you have another pair of boy goggles?”

“Quick your whining and put them on,” Sharkboy said. Max obliged and the other three looked at him expectantly for a few seconds. A defensive look made its way onto his face.

“What?”

Sharkboy sighed in annoyance. “Are you gonna show us how to fly it?”

“You don’t know?” Max asked.

“Duh!”

“That’s been our whole problem, Max,” Starboy said. “We’ve been stuck here, and I can’t get us off the planet. I used to be able to fly, why did you forget that?”

“Well I’m sorry, how was I supposed to know any of this would be important?”

Starboy went to speak again, but winced in pain. Everyone looked at him.

“What’s wrong?” Sharkboy asked with concern.

Starboy opened his hand, letting his power flow through his finger tips. The light was bright at first, then dimmed slightly, almost flickering. He closed his hand again.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” he murmured, ignoring Sharkboy’s stare. “Just show us how to get going. We need to leave.”

Max pushed his foot down on a panel on the floor. The small platform in front of them opened up, revealing a green GO button.

“You press ‘Go’.” Max hit the button and immediately the ship took off. The land outside the window disappeared quickly as they passed through the atmosphere, out into space in a matter of seconds.

“How do you fly it?”

“It’s got an auto-pilot.”

Lavagirl smiled. “You thought of everything, didn’t you Max?”

“Not everything,” Starboy said solemnly. Lavagirl was holding onto a hope that he and Sharkboy didn’t share. But they would find out soon enough if Max really was up to the task.

“I uh… never thought of how to land it.”

Sharkboy rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

They watched the planets pass by with incredible speed. They were reaching the outer part of the solar system, close to their destination.

“You might want to hold onto something,” Lavagirl said. Everyone braced themselves as the ship descended. The rough collision shook the ship violently, but the seats kept them in place. After a few seconds, the hull stopped shaking and they came to a stop. They unbuckled themselves and opened the hatch, which revealed a dark landscape that stretched out for ages. A theme park could be seen in the distance.

“Recognise your dream world, Max?” Lavagirl asked.

Max walked out and frowned as he examined their surroundings. “Not really… I feel like I should, but I just don’t.”

Lavagirl sighed. “It’s affecting him, too.”

Starboy groaned. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

“I second that,” Sharkboy said.

“I thought he would just remember!” Lavagirl shot back at them.

“Remember what?” Max asked.

“Your dreams? This planet?” Sharkboy gestured to the three of them. “Us?”

“What about your powers?” Starboy asked. Max turned to look at him in surprise.

“I have powers?”

“More than any of us, don’t you know that?” Lavagirl walked up beside him. “Everything that is, or was, began with a dream. And you dreamt us, Max. Us and this whole place.”

“I did?”

“Every dream you ever had landed right here on Planet Drool,” Sharkboy elaborated.

It seemed wrong to Max, though. “Why is it so dark?”

“The planet is dying, it began yesterday,” Lavagirl told him. “What’s the calculation, Sharkboy?”

Sharkboy pulled out a scanner. “Forty-five minutes till the darkness destroys Planet Drool.”

Starboy looked at the stars. Their light wasn’t as visible as it used to be. Things were getting worse. Though, they had been getting worse for him since before yesterday. He needed Max to remember.

“We didn’t go to Earth to save you, Max,” he said. “We need you to save Planet Drool.”

“But how?”

Sharkboy pointed past the amusement park. “The Dream Lair is on the other side of the planet. That’s where your dreams are going bad. We have to go there and reverse it.”

“But to do that, we have to travel through the Passage of Time, catch the Train of Thought, swim down the Stream of Consciousness, and skate across the Sea of Confusion–now covered in ice,” Lavagirl explained.

Sharkboy growled. “Why’d you do that, Max? Why’d you freeze the ocean?”

Lavagirl burned his arm when he got too close to Max. Sharkboy hissed.

“Ouch!”

“Max didn’t mean to do it. Max is a good boy. Otherwise, we would be evil, and we’re not evil.” Lavagirl faltered and looked at Max. “I’m not evil… am I, Max?”

“I don’t–I don’t think so,” Max said, unsure.

Starboy scoffed. “See? He doesn’t even know. Why can’t you remember Max? Why can’t you remember me? My powers have been fading for ages now, and it’s only gonna get worse. Am I just not important?”

“You were just a dream, all of you were! I don’t remember every part of my dreams if I even remember them at all!” Max said.

Starboy crossed his arms and looked away. Sharkboy nudged him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it wouldn’t help you.”

“And leaving without saying anything would? I looked for you!”

Starboy shot him a sad look. “I was scared.”

Sharkboy looked at him pleadingly. “Then stay. How can I help if you run away?”

“Now isn’t the time, guys,” Lavagirl said. “We brought you here to put things back in order, Max.” She glanced at all three of them. “We just have to stay positive. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Not yet, it’s not,” Sharkboy murmured.

Chapter Text

“Wow,” Sharkboy said, looking around at the colourful landscapes on Planet Drool. “Do you really think my father could be here?”

Starboy shrugged. “I don’t know. But it’s a possibility, since all of Max’s dreams ended up here.”

“Including you?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that must be why it seems familiar,” Sharkboy said.

“You probably would have ended up here, anyway. I wonder why I found you, did Max dream that?” Starboy didn’t know who he was. He remembered nothing, then suddenly, there was everything. He was aware, yet the only thing he knew about himself was that he was a dream. One of Max’s dreams. A boy born from an exploding star. Max was definitely getting stronger, whether or not he was aware of it. More and more dreams were being pulled into existence, once long forgotten. Starboy hoped Max would remember the rest of him.

“I’m glad I met you.” Sharkboy smiled at him. Starboy smiled back. Had Max dreamt him up because Sharkboy was lonely, and needed a friend? They felt an instant connection, so it was very possible. But he wasn’t the only one…

“You’re back.” They turned to the new voice. It was Lavagirl. Her gaze fell on Sharkboy. “You found him.”

“Lavagirl,” Sharkboy said, as if he already knew her. Technically, he did. The three of them had been dreamt as a team. Starboy wasn’t entirely sure why, though. What correlation did they have?

A rumbling sound filled their ears. They looked back towards the ship, seeing dark clouds spreading out.

“It’s the darkness, run!”

They ran down a steep path away from the darkness.

“This is like a bad dream!” Max said.

Sharkboy scoffed. “Oh yeah? Just wait till you meet Mr. Electric, he’s the worst bad dream yet.”

The path ended at a platform that sped off as soon as they all jumped on. It took them directly down into the amusement park.

“Where is everyone?” Max asked.

“They’re mostly trapped on Mount Neverest by Mr. Electric,” Lavagirl said, pointing at the giant mountain ahead of them.

“But Planet Drool is a place for kids to dream and have endless fun,” Max countered. The platform arrived at the foot of the mountain. Next to it was a giant roller coaster spiralling in all directions. One of the roller cars came to a stop. The kids inside tried to unbuckle themselves, but it took off seconds later.

“It is endless,” Starboy said. “One you get on, you can’t get off.”

Lavagirl spoke. “Kids aren’t allowed to rest, because if they rest, they sleep, and if they sleep, they dream, and if they dream–”

“It takes power away from Mr. Electric,” Sharkboy finished.

Lavagirl smiled. “But we’re gonna stop him with our secret weapon.”

“Shouldn’t we save those kids first?” Max asked.

Sharkboy, Starboy and Lavagirl looked at each other before running off towards the roller coaster. They reached the bottom of the metal beams, and Lavagirl propelled herself up using the lava from her hands. Sharkboy leaped up in big jumps, and Starboy used the force of explosions from his hands to launch himself up, moving erratically with each burst. His powers faltered right as he reached part of the track. He landed suddenly on the edge and tried to balance himself as he fell backwards. Sharkboy grabbed him before he lost his footing.

“Thanks,” Starboy breathed out.

“Anytime,” Sharkboy responded. They looked above them to see Lavagirl bring a roller car to a stop. Sharkboy looked back at Starboy.

“Can you get up?”

Starboy flexed his fingers, his power was dwindling again. “Of all the times to do this.” He looked around and spotted a ladder that Max was climbing up on. “I can climb from there–”

He was interrupted when Sharkboy wrapped an arm around his waist and moved to jump. Starboy quickly recovered and used his powers the best he could to try and make the jump easier. They landed on the platform with Lavagirl and the other kids. Max had climbed his way up.

“Who is stopping my unstoppable coasters?” a voice boomed. It was Mr. Electric.

“Go, run, hide!” Lavagirl said to the kids.

They all ran off before Max climbed into the roller car and pulled down the metal bar.

“Who’s Mr. Electric?” he asked as the other three steadied themselves next to him and on the front of the roller car.

“He’s supposed to provide light to the planet, but all he brings now is darkness,” Lavagirl said. The roller car took off at incredible speed, and Max clutched onto the bar. They sped up and around in loops, heading towards the top.

“He’s taking us up!” Sharkboy said.

They flew off the top of the tracks at the head of the mountain, spinning in the air. Lavagirl pointed off at a large volcano in the far distance.

“That’s my home! At half its normal power…”

Starboy wasn’t the only one losing his powers. At the rate things were going, and if Max couldn’t fix it, they would all end up in the same boat. Starboy looked up through the clouds right before they dropped, he was still too far away from the stars for his liking.

They fell back onto another track, heading back into the mountain. They approached a large door that opened when they got close.

“Showtime.”

They slowed down tremendously as they approached the barrier. Sharkboy flipped off the front and Starboy and Lavagirl jumped off once it came to a stop. Max lifted the bar and stepped out, trying to combat the dizziness. Mr. Electric, a giant robot with electric limbs, was looking at a screen, monitoring all the kids. He turned around as the group approached.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Sharkboy, Starboy and Lavagirl.” His gaze fell on Max. “And an extra.”

“Why are you bringing misery to our planet?” Lavagirl demanded. “You’re supposed to be running it.”

Mr. Electric mimicked her. “I am running it. Right into the ground. Those are my orders.”

“Who ordered that?” Max asked.

“No school, no discipline, no rules. And most importantly: no dreams.”

Sharkboy huffed. “Dreams can destroy you, can’t they? My instincts tell me that is so.”

“We’re gonna stop you,” Starboy said.

Mr. Electric grinned. “You and what army?”

Large power cords all around the room began to move on their own, slithering towards them like snakes.

“Now?” Sharkboy asked.

Starboy and Lavagirl looked at each other, and nodded. “Now.”

They each ran off a different path to intercept the incoming power cords. Starboy’s hands lit up and he repelled any attacks with force, sending out explosions left and right. A cord moved to wrap around his waist and he clutched it in one of his hands, feeling it vibrate with his tremors before it collapsed below him. He swung his arm forward and a series of explosions went off in a line further down, hitting a bundle of cords. He went to attack again but felt his power dim. He flexed his hands and tried to keep his light.

“No, not again…”

He looked back in time to see a cord speeding straight at him, he dived off to the side and ran back towards the centre. He spotted Sharkboy and Lavagirl cleaning up. He kept trying his powers as he heard movement behind him.

Come on, come on, come on…

As soon as his hand lit up again, he spun around and slammed it into the cord. It shook violently before exploding in a flash of light. He stumbled as he caught his breath. Then he moved back to the others, who had grouped up not far behind him.

“Internal heat, shark-like reflexes, expulsion of energy… you guys are amazing!” Max exclaimed.

“But is it enough to defeat Mr. Electric?” Sharkboy asked.

“We have our secret weapon, remember?” Lavagirl said.

Mr. Electric laughed. “Did you really believe you could stop me?”

“Maybe we can’t, but he can!” Lavagirl pointed at Max, who looked confused. “Take it away, Max!”

The three of them swapped their gazes between Mr. Electric and Max as they waited for him.

“What am I supposed to do?” Max asked.

Starboy sighed. “I told you this would happen.”

“I thought he would just remember,” Lavagirl said. “I thought you agreed with me?”

“I hoped he would, but it seems like the only one whose dreams come true is Max’s!” Starboy hissed back.

“Not if he doesn’t remember,” Sharkboy said angrily.

Max bounced his gaze between them. “Remember what?”

In the blink of an eye, Mr. Electric’s long arms reached out and grabbed them, lifting them off the ground. They struggled against his grasp.

“The dream, remember the dream!” Lavagirl urged him.

“I don’t remember half my dreams,” Max shot back. “That’s why I write them in my dream journal.”

“Well, you didn’t write enough,” Starboy said as he tried to pry Mr. Electric’s metal fingers off his body. “Especially not for me.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it mattered,” Max said.

Sharkboy was dangling by his fin, flailing around. He shot Starboy a look before turning back to Max as Mr. Electric moved them through the air. “What half of your dreams do you remember?”

“This part I remember…”

“Where are you taking us?” Lavagirl demanded.

Mr. Electric smiled wickedly. “Where all the useless dreams go: the Dream Graveyard.”

He let them go over the edge of the platform, and they screamed as they plummeted through the darkness. The light above faded and they were shrouded in darkness. Starboy felt his back hit something smooth and suddenly he was sliding on an angle. Light invaded his eyes again and he and the others found themselves being pushed onto a platform outside. They regained their balance as the platform started moving. They were still a long way off from the ground.

“Well, at least we’re on the passage of time,” Lavagirl said. “Maybe it’ll take us to the Dream Lair.”

Sharkboy shook his head and flailed an arm angrily. “It’s going in the wrong direction.”

“What’s in the Dream Lair?” Max asked.

“It’s where all the dreams that fuel Planet Drool are stored,” Starboy said. They could see the Dream Lair far off in the distance. “But they’re being destroyed.”

“How?”

“That’s what we have to find out.” Starboy wondered if some of Max’s dreams revolving around him had already been destroyed. But his powers had been dwindling for longer than a day, so it couldn’t just be that. “Soon, all three of us will cease to exist. My power is already fading…”

Sharkboy put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll fix this. We won’t disappear, you hear me?”

Starboy met his concerned gaze. “I hope so.”

“Do you think you can save us, Max?” Lavagirl asked.

“I want to,” Max said. “I just don’t know how. I can’t remember what you want me to remember.”

Sharkboy thought for a moment. “Where is your dream journal?”

Starboy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, of course. Great idea, Sharkie!”

Sharkboy smiled warmly at the nickname. He had missed that.

Lavagirl caught on as well. “Brilliant. If we read his dreams out loud, we can turn everything back to the way it was. I may even realise my true identity.”

Starboy wished he could find out why Max made him, but it seemed like even Max himself didn’t remember.

Max tried to shy away from their eyes. “I… threw it away. My journal’s back on Earth.”

Sharkboy scoffed, clenching his fists. “We really thought you were the answer, Max.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Lavagirl reassured Max. “He’s just upset because you didn’t show up and make him King of the Ocean, with a giant fish army to back him up.”

“Look who’s talking,” Sharkboy said. “You thought you’d find a great use for your powers and heal the planet.”

Starboy stepped in between them and held his hands out. “Both of you, stop it.”

“Why? We wanted him to fix things. He thought his dream world would be a happy place, and your powers are still fading. We’ve all been duped. This was our best chance at saving Planet Drool,” Sharkboy continued. Starboy opened his mouth to argue again but the platform below them started to fold downwards. They had reached the edge of the ravine into the Dream Graveyard without realising it, and they couldn’t do much as they were dropped off the edge. Sharkboy grunted in pain when Starboy landed on his back, and then Max landed on top of him.

“You’re crushing my fin,” Sharkboy hissed.

Starboy groaned. “Please move, Max.” Max quickly rolled off of him.

“Sorry…”

Starboy moved off Sharkboy and stood up, looking around. It was dark and gloomy, and the landscape was littered with hundreds of different things, long forgotten. He had never come here before, but he knew it was a near endless place devoid of happiness. He was always scared he would end up here as time went on. If Max couldn’t sustain his belief, then eventually his light would burn out.

“What’s wrong?” Sharkboy was watching him carefully. He shook his head.

“It’s nothing, let’s get out of here.”

Easier said than done. After walking aimlessly for ages, they still couldn’t find a way out. It wasn’t easy when no one had prior experience in the damned place. The longer they were here, the more it drained their spirits.

“We’ll never find our way out at this rate,” Lavagirl said dejectedly. Faint rumbling could be heard in the distance. Not too far behind them, the darkness was closing in.

“We’re running out of time,” Starboy said.

Lavagirl turned back to Max with new determination and guided him to the floor. “Sit down.”

“What for?”

“Close your eyes and dream,” she said. “If you can’t remember your dreams, then maybe you can re-dream them.”

“He could dream us out of here,” Sharkboy realised. Starboy leaned against a nearby object and tried to focus on himself. He needed to draw as much power as he could, before it was completely gone.

Max closed his eyes for a few seconds and they quietly watched.

“Now, what do you see?” Lavagirl asked softly.

“I see a giant chocolate marshmallow cookie, with lots of warm milk…”

Starboy’s annoyed groan had Max opening his eyes again, to see Sharkboy and Lavagirl’s unamused faces.

“Sorry, I’m starving.”

Lavagirl pulled out a couple of lava rocks. “Here, eat this.”

“You’re not gonna like that,” Sharkboy warned.

“I’m so hungry, I could eat anything.” Max popped them into his mouth and almost immediately spit them out, coughing frantically. He cleared his throat once the coughing died down. “Okay, maybe not everything.”

Sharkboy rolled his eyes before holding up a piece of raw fish. “Here, have some real food. Fresh sushi. It’ll knock you right out.”

Max’s face twisted into a grimace and he leaned away from the fish. “That’s not fresh, I’m not even sure that’s sushi anymore.”

“It’s just a few weeks old,” Sharkboy defended.

“I’ll cook it for you.” Lavagirl wrapped her hand around it. It sizzled for a few seconds before turning black. Sharkboy looked at it in shock before shooting Lavagirl an angry glance. “Oops…”

“Star, you got anything?” Sharkboy asked. They turned to look at him when he didn’t answer. “Starboy?” His head was facing the grey rocky ground below him and a deep frown was etched onto his face. He didn’t seem to hear them.

“You okay?” Lavagirl asked as she approached. When she got no response, she sighed and put her hand on his shoulder. He immediately jumped and stumbled over, falling against the ground as he clutched his shoulder. Sharkboy glared at her.

“Ouch, seriously?!”

“You weren’t responding to us,” she said.

“You need to stop making a habit out of burning people,” Sharkboy grumbled and held out a hand for Starboy, who took it and was pulled to his feet.

“I was trying to concentrate on building my powers, it wasn’t really working,” Starboy said with clear anger. “Also, if he can’t eat lava rocks, then there’s definitely nothing I can give him that he would like.”

“That’s okay. I’m not that hungry anymore,” Max said. “Let me just rest a moment. Maybe I can sleep.”

Starboy walked up to a nearby hill, watching the dark clouds roll in.

“It’s spreading.” He looked at Sharkboy who came to stand next to him. Singing filled their ears and they looked up to see bubbles with faces floating towards them.

Starboy smiled. “Lalas. Didn’t think there were any left.”

Sharkboy growled as he swatted at them, popping the ones that got to close. “I wish they would disappear, for good.”

“I think it’s a good sign that the happy parts of Planet Drool aren’t completely gone yet.”

The Lalas faded away and Sharkboy returned his gaze to Starboy. “Are you still scared?”

Starboy nodded.

“You aren’t planning on running away again, are you?”

“I never wanted to, but I was trying to find answers for myself. That maybe somewhere on Planet Drool, or another place in the stars would hold the key to reviving who I was. Since Max can’t remember… I don’t know what to do.”

Sharkboy scoffed. “You didn’t think to ask me for help? Did you even think about how I felt?”

“You were looking for your father, I didn’t want to distract you.”

“So you decided leaving me alone was the best option? After I lost my father?” Sharkboy clenched his fists as he tried to contain his anger.

Starboy shook his head. “I didn’t leave you alone. Lavagirl was there.”

“We’re a team. All of us. That’s why you found me in the first place. But it’s more than that for you and I, and you know it.”

“What can I give you?” Starboy asked rhetorically. “I can barely hold onto my own life.”

Sharkboy grabbed Starboy’s hand, enclosing his fingers around it. “Everything. You give me everything just by being here. So don’t leave. Got it?”

Starboy felt the points in Sharkboy’s gloves, but they didn’t hurt. He was purposely being gentle, which was pretty uncharacteristic for him. Starboy didn’t really know what to think. He wanted to find out why he was disappearing, and he didn’t want to put that on Sharkboy or Lavagirl. But if Max was able to remember him, then he wouldn’t need to worry. Maybe then they could relax.

Sharkboy seemed to take his silence as rejection, though, because he pulled his hand away and stomped off.

“Wait, I–”

“Forget it,” Sharkboy snapped. He turned his attention back to the other two, and was displeased to see Lavagirl was talking to Max.

“No distractions. You steer him off course, we could be lost in the sea of dreams,” he said with a stern voice.

“I’m sorry, I’m desperate!” Lavagirl said.

Sharkboy huffed in agitation. “So am I, but you need to focus on the problem at hand.” He was angry with Starboy, and now that anger was furthered by Max’s inability to complete the task. He curled his fingers into a fist. “Max needs to dream us out of here, so how about I put him to sleep now?”

Max quickly stood up and backed away while Lavagirl tried to stop Sharkboy.

“No, Sharkboy.”

“Just one punch, he'll be out like a light.”

Starboy quickly moved in front of him and tried to help Lavagirl stop him.

“Sharkboy, stop. Seriously, this won’t help.” Sharkboy kept moving despite both of them pushing against him. “Sharkie!”

Sharkboy met his eyes but didn’t stop moving. Lavagirl heated her hands and he hissed, coming to a stop. He glared at Max before Starboy grabbed his hand.

“Just drop it, okay? You aren’t doing anyone any favours right now.”

Sharkboy looked down at their hands. “I thought you didn’t care.”

“I never said that. Of course I care. Maybe work on that temper of yours before you go jumping to conclusions,” Starboy said with a small chuckle. Lavagirl raised her hands, prepared to burn again.

“Are you good now?”

Sharkboy nodded and looked away in slight embarrassment. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Lavagirl shook her head disapprovingly. “You guys need to work on communication.” The three of them looked back at Max, who was no longer focused on Sharkboy, but a giant metal hand.

“Hang on…” He looked around and spotted another hand, before focusing on a metal face further down. “Yep, it’s Tobor!”

“Who?”

“Tobor! I dreamt him up when I was a kid. A robot that could help me with my homework.” Max walked closer to the head and the others followed. “I tried to build him once, but everyone kept telling me he would never work. So here he is…”

“A forgotten dream in the Dream Graveyard,” Sharkboy said.

“You won’t let me end up here, right?” Starboy asked Max.

“I didn’t even realise I was forgetting you, and now I can’t remember what I’ve forgotten,” Max said sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I’ll keep trying to remember.”

“Well, no pressure or anything. Just the weight of my life…” Sharkboy squeezed his hand.

“Maybe Tobor can help us,” Lavagirl suggested.

“He’s supposed to be very smart. I wonder…” Max moved forward. “Tobor, awake!”

The robot’s eyes slowly opened.

“Yes?”

“He works!” Max said, surprised. “We could ask him anything now.”

Starboy’s eyes lit up, but Lavagirl beat him to it.

“Let me, let me!” She moved past Max. “Tell me something about me, I’m clueless.”

“Actually, you are extremely bright.”

Sharkboy stepped up. “Am I King of the Ocean, or what?”

“No, sorry.”

Sharkboy looked dejected as he walked back. Starboy rubbed his shoulder before taking his turn. He was a little nervous.

“What about me? Who am I? What am I missing?”

“You’re not missing anything. You’re Starboy,” Tobor said. Starboy frowned. What was that supposed to mean? Max moved up in his place.

“How do I save Planet Drool?”

“The answer is in your dreams.”

“You mean if I put him to sleep, he’ll dream us out of this mess?” Sharkboy asked.

“No. At least, not here. Darkness is falling. Any dream of his will become a nightmare, and you don’t want those becoming a reality. But if you go to the Land of Milk and Cookies…”

“Of course,” Lavagirl said.

“...that’s where the good dreams are. Where the answers are.”

“It’s perfect, Max. The Land of Milk and Cookies is a safe, sweet place. You’ll be able to dream easily there.”

“Can you take us?” Max asked Tobor.

“I have no body. I can’t move.”

“You can move your eyes and your mouth,” Sharkboy said. “Can you detach them?”

Metal scraping against metal could be heard as Tobor’s head shook slightly. After a few moments, his eyes and mouth popped out, floating towards them.

“That actually worked? Well, at least we can get out of this dump,” Starboy said.

Sharkboy and Lavagirl climbed onto Tobor’s eyes, while Max and Starboy sat themselves on top of his mouth. They took off, flying out of the Dream Graveyard. It felt good for Starboy to be in the air again, even if he himself wasn’t flying.

“How come you never worked back on Earth, Tobor?” Max asked.

“Some dreams are so powerful they become real, like Sharkboy, Starboy and Lavagirl. I, on the other hand, am still only a dream. Oh…”

“What’s wrong?”

“The Train of Thought, I’m losing it.”

“You were taking us to the Land of Milk and Cookies, remember?” Lavagirl said.

“I mean, I’m literally losing the Train of Thought. It’s down there.”

They looked down and saw a train flying above the terrain. It looked erratic, like it couldn’t stay in control.

“That’s the Train of Thought? How do I keep it on track?” Max asked.

“With your mind. The Train of Thought gets easily distracted. Stay focused, and it’ll speed you directly to the Land of Milk and Cookies. The rest is up to you.”

He flew down next to it and let them jump onto the roof. Max thanked Tobor before following the others into the front with the controls. They had taken to flipping switches and pushing levers, hoping to gain control, but nothing happened.

“We can’t control it,” Sharkboy said.

Max moved to the front to take the wheel. “All you have to do is keep it on track.”

“There is no track. How can you stabilise it?” Starboy asked. Max didn’t answer him as he messed with the controls. Starboy took that as an answer. “You don’t know how to.”

Sharkboy rolled his eyes. “Looks like another dream gone bad.”

The train dipped and swayed as it lost control. Lavagirl moved to the door and opened it. “We’ll have to jump.”

“How high up are we?” Starboy asked.

“It’ll be okay, just jump!” Lavagirl was gone a second later.

“Oh, this is a bad idea.” Starboy moved to the edge and looked down. He could see the Land of Milk and Cookies.

“There’s a lot of soft falls down there,” Sharkboy assured him.

“Yeah, I’d hope so.” Starboy jumped out. The wind whipped past his body like it used to, but this time he couldn’t choose which direction to go, except straight down. A giant mountain of whipped cream was not far below him, and Lavagirl was about to land there. There was a giant cookie to serve as a platform, and she landed on it, with Starboy close behind. The cookie wobbled slightly when he landed.

“Careful,” Lavagirl warned.

Then Max and Sharkboy landed next to them and they felt the cookie slip.

“Oh no.”

They gripped onto the edge as it slid down the side of the mountain and plopped into the nearby stream of milk.

“Everyone okay?” Lavagirl asked as they righted themselves.

“Never better,” Starboy said. “How long do we have, Sharkboy?”

He pulled out his scanner. “Twenty minutes.” He leaned over the edge and dipped his hand in the milk. “It’s warm, he’ll be out in no time.”

Lavagirl guided Max to lie down, using one of the marshmallows as a pillow.

“If you could dream us into the Dream Lair, that would be really convenient,” Starboy said.

Max lifted his head. “The ground is thumping too much.”

“I can hear it, too,” Sharkboy said.

Starboy listened, but couldn’t hear anything. “What is it?”

Sharkboy poked Starboy with every word he spoke. “Boom, boom, boom!”

Starboy smiled and smacked his hand away. “Be serious, will you?”

“Let me hear.” Lavagirl put her head on the marshmallow before anyone could warn her not to, and it was burnt to a crisp immediately.

Sharkboy coughed. “Hothead.”

The thumping became loud enough for Starboy and Lavagirl to hear now.

“When you dreamt up these giant cookies, who did you expect to be able to eat them?” Lavagirl asked.

“I really didn’t think about it,” Max said.

They didn’t have to wonder for long, because two giants came into view from behind one of the whipped-cream mountains, and reached for their cookie. The group stumbled when they were lifted into the air.

“I’m not about to get eaten, jump!”

They leaped off the cookie and landed on a sponge cake, sliding down onto the ground.

“Ew, frosting,” Sharkboy said. Starboy reached over and scooped some off Sharkboy’s cheek with his finger, tasting it. He hummed.

“Not bad.”

Sharkboy raised an eyebrow before wiping more frosting off and reaching out to wipe it on Starboy.

“Don’t you dare.”

“You’re already frosted, what’s the harm?”

“I don’t want anymore!”

They were interrupted when Max spoke up.

“Those giants kind of look like my parents.”

Lavagirl walked up beside him, wiping her face. “They seem happy together, is that your dream?”

“Yeah. It hasn’t been coming true, lately.”

“Most dreams don’t come true on their own. You have to make them true,” Lavagirl assured him. “It takes a lot of work. Not easy, but not impossible either.”

“Do you think that works for us?” Starboy asked her. She smiled at him.

“Of course. We’re real, and we can make our own dreams as well, right Max?”

“I think so,” Max said. “You seem very real to me.”

“Damn right we are,” Sharkboy said before wiping more frosting on Starboy. Starboy glared at him before wiping it off.

“I was basically clean,” he whined.

“It’s barely anything, you’ll survive,” Sharkboy teased him before turning to Max. “You’ve had your cookies and milk now, so go to sleep.”

Max laid down. “I’ll try.”

“Not try. Do it.”

“Not like that,” Lavagirl chastised him. “We should sing him a lullaby.” She tried singing to Max, but it didn’t seem to help. “Maybe you do it.”

“Why me?” Sharkboy said.

Starboy shrugged. “You like talking so much, it makes sense.”

Sharkboy rolled his eyes in annoyance, but started singing.

“Close your eyes, shut your mouth, dream a dream and get us out

Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream

Hit the hay, fast asleep, dream a dream you little bleep

Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream.”

A sharkmobile appeared behind them. Starboy and Lavagirl smiled at Sharkboy.

“It’s working, keep it up, Sharkboy!”

Now he was into it. He got up and brought his whole body into the motions.

“Just relax, lay about, or my fist will put you out!

Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream

Take your time, but beware, there is darkness in the air!

Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream.”

Starboy grinned at him and Lavagirl leaned over Max.

“Dream about me next, Max. I need to know who I am. Not just destruction, or a simple flame. Dream of me as something good.”

“I could use some answers as well,” Starboy added. “If you can hear us, please dream of us.”

Rumbling filled their ears, and they looked up to see the clouds of darkness expanding overhead. Sharkboy’s singing was drowned out by the thunder. Max suddenly looked uncomfortable.

“He’s having a nightmare,” Starboy said.

“Wake up, Max! Wake up!” Lavagirl put her heated hand on his back. He woke up instantly.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“Was your nightmare about me?” she asked, ignoring his concerns.

“I don’t remember,” Max said.

Sharkboy’s loud voice caught their attention. “Plug hounds!”

They looked over the mountain to see plug hounds, being led by Mr. Electric. He signalled for them to chase after the four, who quickly ran to the sharkmobile. Sharkboy tried revving it, but nothing happened.

“It’s empty!”

“I may have forgotten to dream of fuel…” Max said in a low voice.

“Max!” Sharkboy snapped.

“We’ll have to fight,” Lavagirl said, hopping off the bike and readying herself. The others quickly followed.

Starboy tested his powers. He could barely manage a dim glow. But still, he fought off the hounds the best he could. He couldn’t form explosions, only a bit of extra force, so he resorted to using his fists. He spotted Lavagirl staring at her hands, were her powers fading as well?

A cord wrapped around his chest and yanked him back. He yelped as a series of electric shocks passed through his body and he quickly slammed his hand against the hound’s head repeatedly, trying to get his powers to work.

Come on!

He finally managed enough force to crush its head and make it drop him. He stumbled back to the group, who didn’t look like they were in much of a better position than him.

“I don’t have much fight left in me.” Sharkboy winced as he walked back to them, clutching his hip.

“It’s up to you now, Max. Dream us out of here!” Lavagirl said.

Max closed his eyes and concentrated, while Sharkboy chanted, “Shark boat with turbo boosters, Shark boat with turbo boosters!”

Max did not imagine a shark boat with turbo boosters. Instead, a banana split appeared next to the milk stream.

Sharkboy growled and held up his clenched fist. “Still hungry, Max? How about a knuckle sandwich?”

Lavagirl stopped him. “No, look. It’s a banana split boat!”

They heard a stampede of plug hounds approaching from the mountain.

“We need to get out of here!” They started running, but Sharkboy stopped when he noticed Starboy hunched over, hands resting on his knees. “What’s wrong?”

Starboy was exhausted. His powers hadn’t stopped draining, and now they were reaching very low levels. All his energy was being leached away. “I’m so tired…”

Sharkboy hoisted him up and half-walked, half-dragged him to the boat while Lavagirl urged Sharkboy to hurry up. They got the boat into the stream just before the hounds could reach them. Starboy collapsed onto his back and tried to catch his breath.

“This is great, Max. You’re starting to daydream,” Lavagirl said. “Keep that up, and they’ll never get us.”

“Why not?”

Lavagirl smiled. “Learn to dream with your eyes open, then you won’t have to be asleep to dream. You’ll be able to make anything happen at any time.”

“If you could dream my powers back, that would be great,” Starboy breathed out, sitting up while Sharkboy watched him with concern.

“It’s getting worse,” Sharkboy stated.

“So is the planet,” Starboy shot back.

“Just don’t try to use your powers anymore,” Lavagirl told him. “We’ll do the heavy lifting until Max fixes everything.”

Max frowned as he watched Starboy. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to fix anything yet. He successfully dreamed up a boat. He wasn’t confident he could dream back Starboy’s powers. He would try, though. They were passing through the Stream of Consciousness now.

“How much time do we have?”

Sharkboy tore his gaze away from Starboy to look at his scanner. He grimaced. “Don’t ask. The Dream Lair’s across the Ocean of Ice.” He shot Max a dirty look. “We’ll have to travel there by foot.”

“What was it you saw in your dream, Max?” Lavagirl asked.

“It was an object, shaped like… a heart, I think?”

Starboy thought for a moment. “The Crystal Heart?”

“What’s the Crystal Heart?” Max asked.

“That’s the treasure of the Land of Ice, in the Ice Castle,” Sharkboy explained. “It can freeze anything, even time.”

“I’ve always dreamt of freezing a moment in time,” Max said with wonder.

“The Ice Castle is ruled by the Ice Princess. I hear she’s the most beautiful girl on the planet.”

Lavagirl flared and shot lava at Sharkboy, who hissed and turned around.

“She is not! She’s cold and cruel and cares for nobody but herself.”

Starboy shook his head before turning back to Max. “She’s just saying that. Lava and Ice don’t mix, after all.”

“What about you?” Max asked.

Starboy smiled and looked at the sky. “The castle is amazing. Sleek ice reflects the shine of stars. It’s beautiful.”

Lavagirl huffed at them both. She was the only one with a vendetta against the Ice Princess.

Max turned to Lavagirl. “Have you actually met her?”

“No, but we’re enemies by nature.”

“Well, we need that Crystal Heart,” he said. “And Starboy can’t do much right now, so I’ll need you both to get it. If we have the ability to freeze time, we’ll be able to make it to the Dream Lair and save the planet.”

Lavagirl rolled her eyes as they reached a turn in the stream. “Fine.”

They brought the boat to the icy shore and climbed up to see a large ravine surrounding the Ice Castle. There was one narrow path heading in over the big drop.

“Behold the Ice Castle,” Sharkboy said.

“The Crystal Heart’s inside the castle?”

“So they say.”

Starboy peered over the edge of the narrow bridge. “This should be fun…”

They walked onto the bridge one by one, making sure to take their time. It was going well until they heard Lavagirl run back to the start.

“I can’t, I’ll melt the bridge!” she shouted. “This place irritates me.”

“Can you cool down enough to get across?” Max called back.

“I’d have to be asleep to do that.”

“Can you try sleepwalking?” Max suggested.

Lavagirl nodded and closed her eyes. She took a few deep breaths before she started walking, muttering to herself.

“My dream is to live on Earth, but somewhere warm, and that Earth will accept me. Even if I destroy everything I touch…”

They watched her anxiously as she moved further across the bridge, the slight sound of cracking ice was impossibly loud to them, but they relaxed a bit once her light died down. She had fallen asleep.

Their worries rose again when they saw the plug hounds leap over the crest of the hill behind her, heading straight for them.

“Lavagirl, look out!” Max yelled. Sharkboy and Starboy quickly slapped their hands over his mouth, but it was too late. Lavagirl opened her eyes and tried to get her bearings. She could hear the rumbling behind her, and turned around. Seeing the stampede approaching fully woke her and her hair burst into flames again. The ice cracking increased in volume and they all quickly ran off towards the Ice Castle. The bridge collapsed after every step Lavagirl took. She just barely managed to get to the other side, where the others went to grab her and pull her forward, but pulled their hands away after getting burnt.

The ice below them didn’t stop cracking.

“We’re on solid ground,” Starboy said, confused and alarmed.

The ground in front of them burst open and Mr. Electric jumped out, grinning.

“You can almost feel the electricity in the air, can’t you?”

Starboy moved to stand next to Sharkboy, but then he noticed how off their surroundings seemed. The air felt charged and his head was heavy. The others were experiencing the same. He tried to steady himself on Sharkboy, but fell to the floor as his eyes struggled to stay open.

“Star…”

Sharkboy collapsed moments later.

He heard Max groan right before he passed out. “This is wrong. Someone else’s dreams are here.”

Chapter Text

“Hey, Sharkie.”

Sharkboy’s fin was poking out of the water as he swam up to the spot where the water met the solid ground, peeking his head out. He grinned when Starboy laughed.

“You look so goofy when you do that.”

“Well, it’s fun. Maybe you should try it.”

Starboy frowned and looked down at his legs, submerged in the water. That was as far as he’d ever gone.

“You know I can’t swim. I was born up there.” He gazed up at the stars before looking back at the water. “I’ve never had to go down there, before.”

“So let me teach you,” Sharkboy said before jutting his thumb at Lavagirl, who was sitting further back, away from the water. “Even she knows how to swim.”

“Of course I do. Lava is a liquid–even if it is much thicker than water,” Lavagirl stated matter-of-factly.

“I fly, not swim. Or… I used to…” Starboy trailed off.

“You’ll be able to fly again one day, I just know it,” Lavagirl said reassuringly.

“I hope so.”

“Until then…” Sharkboy’s voice caught Starboy’s attention again, but before he could completely turn around, hands yanked him into the water by the legs. He shouted in panic as his body was submerged. His body lit up as he tried to use his powers, but he stopped when arms wrapped around his waist to stabilise him, and he clutched onto Sharkboy in response.

“See? Not so bad.” Sharkboy squinted. “If you could turn off the lights, though…”

“I’m gonna kill you,” Starboy hissed, but made no move to let go. His light dimmed enough to not be blinding.

Lavagirl shook her head. “Come on, Sharkie, don’t be mean.”

“I’m not,” he said before moving further into the water, speaking again when Starboy’s panic heightened. “Calm down, I won’t let you go.”

He grinned at Starboy, who glared back at him. It was obvious Sharkboy just wanted to hold him, and knowing Starboy wouldn’t fight him in this situation just had his grin stretching wider.

“Look, you move your feet like this.” Sharkboy gestured to his submerged lower-half.

Starboy tried to copy his movements. “This feels weird. Water is so weird. Space is much easier.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Sharkboy moved to release his grip on Starboy, but Starboy locked his arms around Sharkboy’s neck, keeping him close. Starboy felt the rumbling in Sharkboy’s chest when he laughed. “Okay. Baby steps.”

Despite the scare of nearly drowning, Starboy enjoyed moments like these, where they just got to spend time together. But he could feel it… he was slowly disappearing. He was scared. He didn’t want to disappear. He didn’t want to leave Sharkboy or Lavagirl, but he also didn’t want to drag them down with this. What if they disappeared, too? He had to find answers, but for now…

He rested his head on Sharkboy’s shoulder, face buried in his neck. The water wasn’t as cold now. It was sort of comforting.

“I guess this isn’t so bad,” Starboy said, closing his eyes.

Sharkboy hummed happily as he held Starboy tightly. “Glad you could see my world.”

The next time Starboy opened his eyes. He found himself suspended in the air by a coil. He looked to his left, Sharkboy and Max were in the same position as him. Lavagirl was to his right, her lower body encased in ice. They were in the Dream Lair, which was a massive bed sitting high upon a cliff.

“You’re all awake now.”

He looked around for the booming voice.

“Welcome to the Dream Lair. I am the ruler of Planet Drool.”

“No you’re not. Max is!” Lavagirl said as she tried to free her body.

“Max may have dreamed it originally…” A shadow sped across the bed, towards the chair at the other end. There was now a boy sitting there. “But I made it much cooler. I am Minus.”

Max scoffed. “How’d you get so powerful?”

Minus pulled out Max’s dream journal. “I do a lot of reading.”

So that's why everything was going wrong. Minus was changing all the dreams in the dream journal. He snapped his fingers and a pool of eels rose up below Sharkboy, who struggled against the coil.

“Electric eels. Shocking, isn’t it, Sharkboy? Reminds me of the time that electrical storm blew apart your father’s laboratory.”

Sharkboy froze and looked at Minus suspiciously. “Where is my father?”

“Hmm, let’s see.” Minus scanned the pages of the book, pretending to read thoroughly, before smirking at Sharkboy. “Check the bottom of the ocean.”

Sharkboy’s composure faltered.

“Leave him alone!” Starboy barked.

Minus looked at him, then back at the book, before shaking his head. “Right. I forgot you two shared a bond. I could barely remember you existed. After all, Max couldn’t be bothered to write more than a page about you.”

Sharkboy growled.

“That’s not true!” Max said, but he didn’t sound so sure.

“Seems true to me. His powers have almost completely faded already, which means it probably won’t take much to finish him off.” Minus waved his hand and a shadowy mist appeared, snaking its way towards Starboy. Starboy tried to get his powers to work, but it was no use. His senses were muffled as the mist enveloped him, but he could feel it draining him of what little he had left. He heard faint shouts of protest. Suddenly the mist dissipated, and he took in quick, shallow breaths.

Sharkboy was glaring at Minus dangerously, but he was ignored. “Just a taste of what’s to come,” Minus said before walking past Starboy.

“Lavagirl. Once I figure out how to freeze the planet’s core, all of your powers will disappear.”

He strolled over to the left again.

“And last, but least, Max. You thought you could escape fear by running away to Dreamland, but fear exists in the one place you can never escape. Your mind.

“I will show you the true meaning of fear. When darkness falls, the rest of your dreams will be destroyed, and I will rule Planet Drool. Blah, blah, blah… threat, threat, threat…”

Minus walked back to the chair. “You must all leave now. I have some dreaming to do.” He snapped his fingers and the floor beneath them all disappeared. The coils released and they all fell through the mountain and landed on a cold, hard surface. A scraping noise echoed as metal bars formed overhead, locking them in a bird cage. The cage moved through an opening out to the side of the mountain, leaving them dangling high in the air.

Sharkboy was by Starboy’s side instantly. “What did he do?”

Starboy gripped the bars and sat himself up right. “Drained me.” He lifted his hand, which felt heavier than ever. “I think my powers are almost completely gone.”

Sharkboy gripped his shoulder. “We’ll fix this. I promise.”

Starboy offered him a small smile, trying to ignore the fact that the slight sparkle to his skin was gone now. The iridescent quality in his clothes had dulled as well.

Max frowned at them. “If I could just get my dream journal, I could turn everything back to the way it was.”

Lavagirl looked out across the dark landscape towards the volcano. It wasn’t as loud as it was before. “My fire’s dimming.” She wrapped her hand around the metal for a few seconds, before sighing. “I can’t melt the bars.”

Sharkboy tried ripping the bars off. It was straining his body. “My strength is failing me as well.”

“So, we’re stuck,” Starboy said. He felt empty, he just wanted to sleep. A faint singing started.

“Lalas,” Lavagirl said as they floated into the cage. Sharkboy growled and swatted them away, but they kept gravitating towards him.

“They like you,” Max said.

Starboy leaned his head against the bars. It was like being sung a lullaby, he could easily doze off. Lavagirl smiled and held out her hands to touch them.

“I don’t feel destructive right now.”

Sharkboy groaned and tried to block the noise from his ears. “I do! This song is driving me crazy. Your hearing isn’t as strong as mine!”

Starboy was fully awake now, sliding back across the floor, away from Sharkboy. Max quickly followed his movements.

“He’s gonna blow,” Starboy warned. But Lavagirl brightened at that, and she urged the Lalas to sing louder. Sharkboy started shaking and Starboy sat himself back against the bars behind Lavagirl. She and Max joined him. “Oh, here we go. Shark frenzy…”

Sharkboy let out a roar and all the Lalas dissipated immediately. He sunk his teeth into the closest available thing, which happened to be the bars. He broke them off with ease and ripped a giant opening with his hands. He stood there for a few seconds as his body calmed down, before he slowly turned around to look at them, a bar piece between his teeth.

“Nice job channeling your anger, Sharkie,” Lavagirl said.

Starboy smiled. “I guess a temper can be useful sometimes.”

Sharkboy spat out the bar piece and grinned sheepishly.

Max looked down at the ground, then back up at the Dream Lair. “I need to get up there, and get my dream journal.”

“Time for some more climbing,” Lavagirl said.

Starboy leaned his head against the bars and took a deep breath. He looked up again when someone nudged him.

“I’ll carry you,” Sharkboy said. “I promise I’ve calmed down.”

“I thought you were losing your strength?”

He flexed an arm. “Still strong enough to carry you.”

Starboy was drained, but not drained enough that he couldn’t move his body freely. Still, that climb was decently far. Risking it in his current state had no merit…

“Okay.”

Starboy wrapped his arms around Sharkboy’s neck, who lifted him up. He wrapped his legs around Sharkoy’s waist and clung to him from the back at an angle–so as not to crush his fin. Starboy imagined it would be uncomfortable, but Sharkboy didn’t seem to have any problems climbing up the outside of the cage and across the beam that connected them to the mountain. Lavagirl and Max were right beside them as they ascended up the rocky mountain side. They remained quiet once they reached the top, and spotted Minus asleep on the chair, dream journal on his chest. Max tiptoed over and snatched it before coming back. There was a large pole protruding from the spot where the cage was, going all the way down, so they used that for a quick way down to the ground.

They landed and Max quickly flipped open his journal. “First things first, transportation out of here.” Max skimmed the pages and smiled. “My dreams, oh I missed them.” He stopped on a page in surprise. “Lavagirl, you have a Lava Bike!”

“I do?” On queue, a lava-powered motorcycle appeared in front of her, she grinned. “I do!” She revved it. “This is so exciting.”

“Everything we need is right here in this… book…” They looked at Max in confusion as the happiness faded from his voice.

“What is it?” Sharkboy asked.

“Your father really is at the bottom of the ocean,” Max said solemnly.

Sharkboy looked at the ground with a deep expression. Starboy moved to grab his hand, but stopped. He didn’t know how to comfort him in this situation. The one thing Sharkboy had longed for since he was little, he could never have. Starboy looked to Lavagirl for help, but she looked just as lost for words as he did. Max spoke again, with new hope in his voice.

“He’s in a submarine… looking for you!”

Sharkboy looked up and quickly ran to Max’s side, reading the page.

“He’s over the hydrothermal vents, mid-Atlantic Ridge. Forty-two degrees west by fourteen north. Depth, eighteen-hundred meters. Near Snake Pit.” He looked up at Starboy with newfound determination. “I need to get back to Earth.”

Starboy smiled at him, then frowned as he locked eyes with Lavagirl. They both wanted answers as to who they were, but Starboy wasn’t sure he would find any.

“Max… is there really nothing else about me in there?” Starboy asked.

Max looked at him guiltily. “I could only find the one page, I don’t know why there isn’t more. I didn’t forget about you, but…”

Then why did he exist? What purpose did he serve in Max’s dreams? Was it just to accompany Sharkboy? Did Max really not have any other goal for him? Sharkboy looked like he wanted to say something, but decided against it.

“Does it say anything about me?” Lavagirl asked hopefully.

Max flipped to a page and tilted his head in confusion. “I’m not… sure what this is.”

Lavagirl quickly bounded over. “I can figure it out! Maybe there’s even a section on my true identity.” She grabbed the journal from Max’s hands before Sharkboy or Starboy could shout at her to stop, and the journal went up in flames. She gasped as the smouldering remains fell to the floor.

“What have I done?”

“That’s terrific, LG,” Sharkboy said. Starboy smacked his arm angrily. Lavagirl clenched her fists and Max tried to comfort her.

“It’s… it’s okay, Lavagirl. It was an accident…”

Her hair flared up and she spun around. “Why did you make me out of lava, why Max?!”

Starboy stopped Max as she stormed off. “Let her cool down. She needs to blow off steam.” But Max ignored him and walked towards Lavagirl, who had sat down.

“I know I can be good, I can feel it. But everything I touch, I destroy.” She looked at Max with a pained expression. “Why’d you make me like that? I have more potential.”

“I’m sure you do,” Max said.

She shook her head and stood up, facing the other two. “And why’d you make us a team? We’re nothing alike.”

Max looked back at Sharkboy and Starboy, who frowned at her words.

“When I’m near water, I fizzle out. In a vacuum, lava turns solid.” She gestured to Sharkboy. “When he’s near heat, he shrivels. He would freeze in space.” Then finally Starboy. “He wasn’t even born on a planet, yet he can’t deal with heat, let alone Lava. The light from stars doesn’t reach below the ocean’s surface, they never meet, and he can’t swim. None of us are compatible!”

She flared up in anger.

“Your hair’s on fire…” Max said.

“Yeah, it does that.” Sharkboy sprayed her with water, to cool her off. “Thanks. Sharkie.” He nodded to her as she sat down again. “Maybe I really am evil. So far, everything else you’ve dreamed has been correct. Maybe I just need to learn to accept it.”

Starboy never knew how much Lavagirl wished her dreams could come true. They had been brought into existence by Max, but they didn’t know what the next step was. Dreams always exist within a moment, but what happens when that moment ends?

Starboy looked at his shineless skin. Maybe this was it. Dreams don’t exist outside the mind, unless they’re Max’s dreams. But even then, he never thought much about them. Starboy looked at Sharkboy, who seemed to understand his worries.

“That’s it!” Max said, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “Everything I’ve dreamed so far has been correct. The Crystal Heart. We were captured, because Minus doesn’t want me to get it. It’s not over yet. We can do this.” Lavagirl offered a small smile at his words and stood up. The dark clouds were rolling in again. “We have to get back to the Ice Castle.”

Sharkboy checked the scanner. “Ten minutes left, we’ll never make it.”

“Yes we will.”

“How?” They asked Max.

Max smiled at them. “You’re my biggest dreams. You can do anything.”

They looked at each other, before looking back at Max.

“Okay, what’s the plan?”

Max hopped onto the Lava Bike and gestured for Lavagirl to follow him. “We’ll ride there, Sharkboy can carry Starboy. You’re fast, aren’t you?”

Sharkboy smirked and puffed out his chest. “Obviously.”

“But I don’t go well with ice, Max. We don’t want a repeat of before,” Lavagirl argued.

“I saw it in my journal. There’s another entrance, from the back. It’s much thicker, you shouldn’t have any problems getting in with us.”

She nodded and hopped onto the bike. “Okay, let’s do this.” The tires squealed against the ice as she and Max sped away.

The iridescent quality on Starboy’s clothes had become a washed out grey. “I don’t have much longer. We need to hurry.”

Sharkboy nodded, but stopped Starboy when he went to climb onto his back again. “It’s harder for me to run like that.” Before Starboy could speak, Sharkboy scooped him up in his arms and took off running at incredible speed.

“Warn me next time,” Starboy said, wrapping his arms around Sharboy’s neck as he watched the frozen ocean landscape move by in a blur.

“You said it yourself, we don’t have any time to spare,” Sharkboy said. “We’ll fix this, and get your powers back. I won’t let you disappear again.”

Starboy smiled. Maybe Lavagirl was right. Physically, they weren’t compatible. But they were drawn to each other anyway, and it felt right when they were together.

It didn’t take them long to arrive at the Ice Castle. They followed Max and Lavagirl into an opening. They slid down a steep tunnel before eventually being deposited into a large open room inside the castle. Surrounded by large pillars stretching up to the incredibly high roof, was a large mountain of ice. A hand-sized crystal balanced at the very tip.

“That’s what I saw,” Max said as he stared at the crystal. He turned to Sharkboy. “You’ll have to climb the ice pillar and get it.”

Sharkboy accepted the challenge. He ran up to the mountain and started climbing.

“It’s as delicate as a snowflake, so don’t drop it,” Max continued. “Don’t touch it with your hands either. You’ll freeze! Use your claws.”

Sharkboy slowed down as he reached the top. It was steep and there wasn’t much room to grab onto anything. He reached up as high as he could, but right before he could grab the Crystal Heart, he slipped. He tried to grab onto anything but failed as he slid down the mountain, his fin digging into the ice, leaving a trail before he came to a stop near the bottom, hanging there.

“Lavagirl can you–” Max looked at her, and seemed to realise what he was saying. “Nevermind.”

Starboy concentrated as hard as he could until a very faint glow came from his hands.

“I can do it.”

Everyone looked at him and he continued.

“My powers are basically gone, but I can still make the tiniest bit of force. It should be enough for me to safely take the heart.” The limited power he had was just enough that he could feel faint energy coming from his hand. Not enough to make an explosion, but enough that the heart should be able to hover in his hand. It looked pretty light, after all.

“Are you sure?” Max asked.

“We don’t really have an alternative. It’s safer for me to grab it than you,” Starboy said as he moved towards the mountain. He tried to limit his movements, he still felt pretty weak. Sharkboy’s concerned gaze followed him as he slowly walked over and began to make his way up the mountain. Sharkboy took off one of his gloves and handed it to him.

“Put that on, it can’t hurt to have extra precautions,” Sharkboy said. Starboy nodded and slipped it on before climbing up. He reached the top and got a good foothold before reaching up. He made sure he could feel the faint buzz from his hand before enclosing the tips of the glove around the crystal. He was now glad for it, because his power wasn’t enough to make the crystal hover completely, but enough to not put weight on his fingertips. He held the Crystal Heart up in wonder.

“Great job, Star,” Sharkboy said, twisting to look up at him. The sudden movement made him slide further down, which cracked the ice further. The mountain became unstable and Starboy’s foot slipped. He panicked and lost his grip on his powers, and the Crystal Heart slipped from his grasp. He tried to grab it but lost his balance, slipping down the mountain.

“I’ve got it!” Lavagirl ran forward as the heart fell, and froze completely when her hand touched it.

Sharkboy tried to free his fin in time to catch Starboy, but he couldn’t. Starboy slid halfway down the mountain before hitting a bump and was knocked forward, hitting the hard icy floor with a thud.

“Ow…” he groaned. That hurt way more than it normally would.

“She’s frozen solid…” Max said as Sharkboy yanked himself free. He slid to a crouch beside Starboy.

“Are you hurt?”

“It’s not too bad, I think,” Starboy said as Sharkboy helped him up. He felt very cold now. He tried feeling his power, but he couldn’t. He was more drained than he originally thought. The miniscule amount of energy he conjured up just before was all that remained, and now that was completely gone. How long would he last without his inner light? Sharkboy looked worried and he imagined it was because of how washed out he was. His skin had no glow at all anymore.

New noises filled the room and they looked around to see ice giants forming around them. In their current state, Sharkboy was the only one who would be able to fight, so they had no choice but to comply when the ice giants led them into another room, to the bottom of a large staircase.

“Kneel before the Ice Princess.”

They all dropped to one knee and watched the top of the staircase. Two guards moved out of the way to allow the Ice Princess to walk through. Her eyes moved over each of them one by one. Something about her gaze was piercing, but not in a threatening way.

“You tried to steal the Crystal Heart. Why?” she asked.

Max stared at her in awe for a few seconds before Sharkboy smacked him. Max was pulled from his state of shock as they stood up again. Starboy stayed quiet despite the effort standing up required.

“We believe it can freeze time, long enough for us to defeat Minus,” Max explained.

“My Crystal Heart cannot help you, only I have the power to use it.”

“Then come with us,” Max offered.

One of the guards stepped up. “She can never leave the castle. The Crystal is the only thing that protects our kingdom.

“Please, Princess. We’re running out of time.”

Starboy nearly stumbled but kept his footing. His time was already up. Sharkboy noticed.

“Perhaps I could give it to you,” the Princess said. “But are you worthy to wield it?”

Max nodded quickly. “Yes.”

The Princess smiled. “The Crystal you stole was a decoy. The true Crystal Heart is somewhere in this room.” Dozens of pillars shot out of the ground behind them, all containing a shining crystal at the peak. “Choose the correct one, and you may leave with it.”

Sharkboy kept a steady hold on Starboy’s shoulder, to keep him upright, as he pointed at a nearby pillar. “Pick that one.”

Starboy pointed at one across the room. “That one looks shinier.”

Max looked at all of them for a moment, before turning back to face the Ice Princess. “It’s around your neck, isn’t it?”

“How’d you know?” Sharkboy asked.

Max started walking up the steps. “I saw it in my dream.”

“Usually, you snooze you lose. But with Max; you snooze you win.” Sharkboy shook Starboy when his eyes started drooping. “I wish he’d snooze a little harder, though.”

Starboy chuckled quietly. “Tell me about it.”

The Ice Princess held out the Crystal Heart. “Be warned, Max. If anything happens to my Crystal Heart, my entire kingdom will be destroyed.”

“Do you Max, take this Crystal Heart, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?” the guard asked.

“I do.”

The guard looked at the Ice Princess. “Do you trust him with your heart?”

“I do.”

“The Crystal will now work, but my daughter must stay here. Off with you, now.”

“Good luck,” the Ice Princess said.

Max regrouped with the others and another tunnel opened up in front of them.

“How do we get her out of here?” Max asked, looking at Lavagirl’s frozen figure.

Sharkboy gently moved her onto her side. “We’ll have to push. Star, you sit.”

Starboy could barely move his body now, but he managed to sit himself on Lavagirl while the other two pushed. It wasn’t too difficult, given Sharkboy was doing the heavy lifting, and sliding across the ice didn’t require too much effort.

Max watched Starboy with worry. “I hope this works. You don’t look too good.”

Starboy huffed in amusement. “You noticed?”

“We’re almost at the Dream Lair,” Sharkboy said. “If we’re gonna do this, we’ve gotta do it now.”

“How much time?” Max asked.

Sharkboy checked the scanner. “We’re out of time. Ten seconds!”

They came to a stop on the ice and Lavagirl started shifting around. Starboy moved to step off of her, but collapsed to his knees, his legs were too weak to carry his weight now. Sharkboy was by his side immediately.

“Now, Max!”

Max held up the Crystal Heart as Sharkboy counted down the seconds. Five, four, three, two, one…

They watched Max, who looked at the Crystal Heart in confusion.

“What happened?”

Sharkboy sighed. “It didn’t work.”

“How could it not work?”

Lavagirl freed herself from the ice at that moment and groaned. “I was trying to tell you, only the Ice Princess can use it.”

“It’s not her fault her father won’t let her leave the castle,” Max defended.

“Boo-hoo.”

Sharkboy checked his scanner again. “No underwater readings… No anything!”

A surge of electricity flew across the ice, splitting it apart. The water underneath was dark at first, then hundreds of dead marine animals floated to the surface. Sharkboy growled. “I’ll rip his circuits to shreds.” He stood up and moved forward but Lavagirl stopped him.

“Calm down, Sharkboy! Mr. Electric’s baiting you.”

Starboy noticed the ice cracking from the other direction, and it was heading directly for him. “Guys!”

They turned around just as the ice below him gave way. Starboy fell into the freezing water and felt a sharp pain from the electricity. He tried to swim up but he couldn’t move his body. Sharkboy quickly dived in after him, and pulled him back to the surface.

“Grab onto the edge,” Sharkboy urged him. He brought his hand up but couldn’t pull himself up.

“I can’t. I have no energy”

They both jolted as an electric shock passed through them. Looking down, they could see a dozen electric eels swarming them. Sharkboy quickly used all his strength to throw Starboy back onto the ice as the onslaught of attacks started. He tried to fight them off, but was quickly overwhelmed. He lost consciousness and sank into the water. Max tried dipping his foot into the water but pulled it back after being shocked.

“Can he survive down there?”

“He can hold his breath, but not forever,” Lavagirl said. “He’ll drown if I don’t go get him.”

“You can’t go!” Max said. “You’ll die, too.”

Starboy took shallow breaths and tried to get his body to move–even just roll over, but he was too weak. He couldn’t go after Sharkboy.

Lavagirl looked at Max solemnly, before her eyes landed on Starboy. His tired eyes met hers, they were telling her not to do it, but there was nothing he could do to stop her.

“Look Max. Starboy is dying, and so is Sharkboy. They’re my best friends. If I can make the situation better in any way, then I have to.”

She dived into the water before Max could argue. He looked to Starboy for help.

“My time is up,” Starboy whispered. Even just speaking took great effort now.

“Just… just hold on. We’ll figure something out,” Max said.

“I have been holding on, for a while. I hoped that you would remember what purpose I served, that I would stop fading. I guess I didn’t dream hard enough.” Starboy looked up at the dwindling stars. The darkness was taking over now. It had been quite some time since he had last seen those stars up close. He was sad he wouldn’t see them again. “At least the stars will carry my memory.”

Starboy’s eyes slowly closed. He couldn’t help but sigh out his last breath at the relief.

“Starboy…” Max watched his unmoving body as Lavagirl re-emerged with Sharkboy. Max quickly helped him onto the ice and Lavagirl crawled her way out. Her body temperature plummeted as she collapsed next to Starboy, all light drained from his body. She would end up like him, as well.

“Come on, Sharkboy. Not you too…” Max said as he tried to wake the boy up. He gazed back at Lavagirl to see her unconscious. Her body wasn’t even warm.

“No, no. Lavagirl, please…”

He looked at his friends one by one, tears filling his eyes. Once his most precious dreams, now completely beyond his help. He realised why now, though. His own desire to escape caused this.

“What am I supposed to do now…”

“What do you think you should do?”

Max gazed up at the new voice. It was Tobor, or rather, his eyes and mouth.

Max shrugged hopelessly. “Dream a better dream?

“Interesting. Explain.”

“I wanted all my dreams to come true, but I only dreamt for myself. I wanted to escape my real world, when this world needed my help to make it a better place.” He looked back at his friends. “Starboy and Lavagirl were my own ways of coping. They existed because I desperately wanted to live on Planet Drool and fly out there in the sky. But what about what they wanted? I don’t remember if I ever dreamt up a true purpose for them and they suffered for it… Selfish dreams shouldn’t come true.” He looked up at Tobor again. “What do you do, when your dreams have been destroyed?”

“Dream a better dream. An unselfish dream,” Tobor said as he floated away again. “You’ve become quite a good dreamer, Max. So if you want things to change, change them.”

Sharkboy gasped awake, looking around in alarm. He looked at Max before his gaze landed on Lavagirl and Starboy. He slowly crawled across to them.

“Lavagirl knew this would happen if she saved you,” Max told him. “Starboy… he ran out of time…”

“I promised not to let him disappear again,” Sharkboy whispered as he rested a hand on Starboy’s arm. “And now they’re both gone.”

Max watched him guiltily. This was his fault. His selfishness brought about their demise. Why couldn’t he fix their struggles? Why didn’t he ever dream of a solution? Lavagirl wanted to be good, and Starboy wanted a purpose that would keep him from fading…

A loud rumbling echoed from behind them. They looked back to see Lavagirl’s home. It seemed brighter than before, what changed?

Max gasped and then looked at the sky. Yes, the stars were brighter now. Their light shone brighter, the increased luminosity clearly pushing against the other side of the dark clouds. Tobor’s words echoed in his mind.

“If you want things to change, change them.”

Then he thought of what Starboy said.

“At least the stars will carry my memory.”

It all clicked in his head.

“You have to get her to the volcano,” Max said.

Sharkboy nodded and picked Lavagirl up in his arms. “Are you sure this will save her?”

“It’ll do more than save her,” Max promised. He noticed Sharkboy glancing back at Starboy. As if silently asking, who will save him? “Trust me. I understand what I was missing now. It all makes sense.”

“I’ve never wanted to trust you more than right now, so I will.”

Sharkboy took off, running towards the volcano as fast as he could. Max crouched down beside Starboy again.

“I understand now, Starboy. All this time, I thought because I couldn’t see the answers, they weren’t there. But they’ve been here the whole time.

I know who you are, both you and Lavagirl. Just as she isn’t fire, or destruction, you aren’t missing a purpose. Lavagirl is the same as you, yet so different.”

The stars were shining brighter now, prying their way through the darkness. Max could see a faint sparkle on Starboy’s skin again.

“She is the light of life. A symbol of all the potential good we can find around us.”

Just then, a surge of light burst forth from the volcano. Even from this distance, Max could see Lavagirl standing at the top. She outstretched her hands and large pulses of orange light shot up into the dark clouds above. Max smiled and looked back at Starboy.

“You’ve always been light, you were made by it. But not the light down here, the light up there. Out there in the universe where anything is possible. I get it now. I only dreamt up one page of you. But that’s because the rest is up to you. You’re a dreamer, Starboy. You just have to believe it, and you can do anything.”

Lavagirl’s light dispersed the dark clouds in a dazzling display. Nothing was holding back the starlight now, and it washed over the landscape, mixing together with Lavagirl’s light. Starboy’s skin lit up in a dazzling display of all colours on the spectrum, shining just as bright as Lavagirl, like a diamond reflecting across the icy ground. He gasped and quickly sat up as life flowed back into his body. A glow of golden light surrounded his body as he started hovering. He landed softly on his feet and basked in the feeling of his power surging through his veins–stronger than it had ever been before.

“Oh, it feels good to be back.” Starboy smiled at Max–even brighter now with all the light reflecting off his skin. Max smiled back. “Thanks, Max. I understand now. And it seems like you yourself benefited from your words.”

Max looked down at his hands and nodded. “You might wanna get off the ice.”

Starboy smirked as he took off into the air. Max disappeared in a flurry of speed, and Starboy followed after him, soaring through the sky like a shooting star.

Max appeared next to a startled Sharkboy near the top of the volcano.

“Woah, how’d you get here so fast?” Sharkboy asked.

“Hold off Mr. Electric while I deal with Minus,” Max said.

“I’ll need my fish army,” Sharkboy responded.

Max snapped his fingers and the ice sheet covering the ocean disappeared, revealing the now deep-blue water. “Good luck.” He sped off a moment later, just before Starboy arrived. He flashed Sharkboy a wide grin as he landed in front of him.

“Hey, Sharkie.”

Sharkboy grinned back at him and pulled him into a crushing hug. “You’re alive!”

Starboy hugged him back just as tight. “More alive than I’ve ever been. Everything makes sense now, thanks to Max.”

“Well, I guess he’s good for something,” Sharkboy teased before pulling away. “Now, promise me you won’t leave again.”

“You know I won’t.”

“Just promise me.”

Starboy winked. “I promise.”

Lavagirl joined them moments later, a large smile on her face.

“I guess you were right. Max was the answer,” Sharkboy spoke with slight distaste. He still didn’t like admitting he was wrong.

“I finally understand my true purpose now,” she said.

“It was always there. Max just helped us figure it out.” Starboy said. “Speaking of which, maybe we should go help him.”

“I’ve gotta find Mr. Electric,” Sharkboy said. Lavagirl pointed down across the ocean, below the Dream Lair.

“He’s down there.”

“Go on then. Figure you’d want to take him on by yourself,” Starboy said.

Sharkboy laughed. “Definitely. Time for some payback.” Then he sped off down the volcano.

“Everything seemed so hopeless just a few minutes ago,” Starboy said. “Now I feel like I can do anything.”

“We’ve gotta help Max finish things once and for all, first,” Lavagirl told him. “Then we can live freely.”

Starboy smiled. “I’ve gotta say, we aren’t as different as you thought.”

Lavagirl smiled back. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter, as long as we’re all together.”

Starboy nodded. “Let’s go, then.”

Starboy still couldn’t get enough of soaring through the air again. It was everything he had been missing. Lavagirl propelled herself not far behind with her lava. They found Sharkboy at the bottom of the Dream Lair.

“Where’s Mr. Electric?” Starboy asked.

Sharkboy smirked. “Swimming with the fishes.”

Starboy held out a hand, and Sharkboy took it, being pulled into the air as Starboy flew them to the top. They spotted Max and Minus when they arrived, it looked as though they had come to an understanding.

Lavagirl walked over to Max with a smile. “Max, I am light.”

He shook his head. “You were always that, had nothing to do with me.”

“But now I know, so thank you.”

“You and I both,” Starboy said. He and Sharkboy walked over as well, the latter huffing in amusement. “Okay, so you guys found your true purpose or whatever, big deal. The real news is–” he flexed his arms dramatically before brushing a hand across his hair. “–what I am.”

Starboy and Lavagirl raised their eyebrows.

“Annoying?”

“Prone to temper tantrums?”

Sharkboy rolled his eyes. “King of the Ocean.” Then he looked at Starboy expectantly.

“What, should I be impressed?” Starboy said jokingly.

Sharkboy crossed his arms in defeat. “A little,” he grumbled.

Starboy chuckled before pulling Sharkboy close and pressing a kiss to his cheek, leaving Sharkboy stunned as he pulled away. “Happy now?”

Sharkboy grinned triumphantly, wrapping an arm around Starboy’s waist and pulling him back in. “Extremely.”

“Well, everything will return to being the way it was,” Minus spoke up. “You’ll be able to travel to Earth and back again as you wish.” He gestured to Sharkboy. “You can search for your father…” Then Lavagirl. “You can rule Earth’s lava world…” Then finally Starboy. “And you can fly among the stars again.”

“And what am I to do, now that you’re all buddy-buddy?”

They turned to the new voice. It was Mr. Electric, who looked at Sharkboy with disdain.

“You can go back to being the good electrician of the planet,” Minus said.

“Oh, really? Plugging in power cords? Keeping this loud, obnoxious world a happy place? You’re dreaming.”

“I dreamt you up, and I can undream you,” Max said.

Mr. Electric laughed. “You think you can just make me vanish? Not so easy. I’m the danger of dreaming. For every person who dreams up the electric light bulb, there’s the one who dreams up the atomic bomb.

This is one dream you won’t be waking up from. I’m going to put an end to this ridiculous tangent at its source.”

Mr. Electric launched off into the sky, disappearing almost instantly.

“Where is he going?” Max asked, moving to the edge of the bed for a better view.

Sharkboy pulled out his scanner, homing in on the electric signal. “He’s headed to Earth.”

“He’s going to try to destroy you in your sleep,” Minus said.

Max turned around and looked at them with new fear in his eyes. “You mean all this time I’ve been asleep?”

Lavagirl shook her head. “No. You’re dreaming, Max.”

“With your eyes open,” Sharkboy added.

“Make the dream real,” Starboy continued. “You proved it to me and yourself. You can live out your dreams on Earth, if you make them real.” He gestured to Sharkboy and Lavagirl. “Just like you made us real.”

Lavagirl walked forward. “Blink your eyes three times. One.”

Max blinked. “Wait, what gonna happen–”

“Two,” Sharkboy interrupted.

He blinked again. “Will I ever see you again?”

Starboy smiled. “Three.”

When Max opened his eyes again, he was bombarded by the roaring of wind in his ears. He stood up quickly, and realised he was back in the classroom. Mr. Electricidad was trying to get all the kids up from under their desks. The tornado was still outside, except now Max knew it wasn’t a tornado. He rushed to the opening in the wall, and soon everyone else followed when they saw something strange. Stepping out from the thick, spiralling fog, was Mr. Electric.

“What is that?”

“He’s from my dream,” Max said.

Mr. Electricidad looked confused. “You mean this is real?”

“Some dreams are so powerful they become real.”

“Okay class, I’m just a teacher, and I’m here to inspire the answers from you.” Mr. Electricidad pointed at the giant evil robot version of himself. “And I think that’s some pretty good inspiration. So we need to deal with this situation, and remember, there are no dumb ideas.”

“Maybe we could freeze his circuits,” Linus said.

“That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.”

“Wait, that’s a great idea!” Max made his way back to the front of the classroom, where Marissa was. He pulled the Crystal Heart from his pocket. It was a good thing he took it, after all. “Is this yours?”

Marissa looked shocked. “How’d you find it? I’ve only ever seen it in a dream.”

Max looped it around her neck, securing it. “It can freeze anything.”

“Even time,” Marissa whispered.

“What are you doing? You’re not sending my daughter out there,” Mr. Electricidad said.

“Let her out,” Max said before turning back to Marissa. “Do you know what to do?”

She nodded and started heading for the opening. “I believe so.”

The other kids moved away to let her through and she walked up to Mr. Electric, who scoffed.

“This runt is your defence?”

He faltered when Marissa held up her hand, which adorned a blue glow. Her powers surged forth and froze him almost immediately, before he shattered into a million pieces, falling all around them as snow. The class cheered and ran out to play in the snow.

Then, Max spotted 5 figures approaching the school. His smile brightened when he realised who was approaching. Sharkboy, Starboy and Lavagirl smiled at him, and then he focused his gaze on his parents behind them, who quickly rushed past to meet him. He ran out and practically jumped into their arms. When he looked back over his shoulder, his friends were gone, but he wasn’t worried this time. He knew he would be able to see them again.

After all, he was the day dreamer.

Sharkboy, Starboy and Lavagirl walked away from the school grounds, the cheers fading away in the distance.

Lavagirl turned to look at the two. “You think he’ll be okay?”

Sharkboy waved his arm. “Pfft, he can take care of himself. We can focus on ourselves, now.”

“Then what happens next?” Lavagirl asked no one in particular.

Starboy smiled at Sharkboy, who returned the gesture. Starboy put his hands behind his head as they walked, redirecting his gaze up to the sky. “Anything we can dream of.”

Chapter Text

“Max. Your report, please.”

Max grabbed the papers on his desk and walked to the front of the classroom, which wasn’t far from his new seat. He waved at Marissa, who now sat in his old spot at the back of the classroom. She waved back and he returned his attention to the whole class.

“The following story is true. It might have started out as a dream, but as we saw last month, when we make our dreams reality, reality becomes a dream.”

Sharkboy travelled through the depths of the ocean in a shark submarine.

“Sharkboy lives out his dream as King of the Ocean, where he cares for all its creatures. He searches for his father’s submarine, where there is no light…”

As Sharkboy travelled through the dark murkiness, he caught sight of a faint light coming from far above. He smiled.

“But sometimes, when the sun sets and the stars come out, he’ll spot light coming from above. Far too bright to be moonlight, but he already knew what it was, or who it was, assuring him that no matter what, they would always be together.”

Sharkboy brought his submarine back to the surface once he arrived at a specific location. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow across everything, but it was dark enough that he could see the stars coming out. It was his favourite time of the day. When the light of the two people closest to him mixed in a beautiful display. His submarine emerged above water, and he almost immediately spotted Lavagirl, standing atop one of the many volcanoes making up the island archipelago.

“When he isn’t deep in the sea, he goes to a place where light shines brighter than anywhere else on Earth. It’s where Lavagirl lives out her dream, as Queen of Earth’s volcanoes that boil all the way down to the bottom of the sea. A force of life for all living things.”

Up above, a dazzling light grew brighter and brighter, until they saw Starboy’s figure, the source of that multicoloured light, flying down to land like a falling star.

“And of course, Starboy. He lives out his dream as King of the Stars, revelling in all the universe’s beauty. But he never stays away for long, always making sure to come back to his friends, especially for Sharkboy.

Protectors of Sea, Land and Sky, coming together to form the perfect team.”

The moment Starboy landed on the beach, Sharkboy had picked him up in his arms, spinning him around in delight. He buried his face in Starboy’s neck, who laughed in delight, his nose tickling Starboy’s reflective skin. Then he pulled back and kissed Starboy on the cheek. Lavagirl was with them a few seconds later, and Sharkboy put him down as they all walked along the beach, talking about their various adventures since the last time they grouped. Sharkboy and Starboy walked hand in hand, and Starboy absentmindedly brushed against Lavagirl while making a joke, and then recoiled at the burning sensation. Lavagirl shook her head and he grinned playfully at her.

“Sharkboy, Starboy and Lavagirl don’t visit me anymore, but I can visit them, in my dreams.

So dream a better dream, then work to make it real.”

End

Chapter Text

(M/N) sat alone in the dark living room. The fireplace was dimming, not fueled by any more wood. He let out a shaky breath, chilled enough to be visible in the shallow light. He heard faint shouts coming from outside and hunched over further, pulling at the hem of his thin red cloak to try and contain some heat in the cold.

Idiots. Complete morons.

Someone else would probably be banished. The village was surrounded by a magical barrier, and yet they still feared there was a monster among them. That was just it, though. Put enough pressure on people and they'll eventually break.

While (M/N) knew there wasn't a monster among them, he was certain of at least one lurking nearby. Vampires, to be specific.

What started out as folklore, became a living nightmare for many. The mere presence of vampires was always said to be a bad omen, a walking rejection of everything life stands against. So much so that a vampire staying in one area for extended periods of time quite literally leeches nature of its life essence. Plants wither away, trees die, animals flee. That's what had happened to their small village. The once vibrant forest surrounding it had died out. Now it was nothing but petrified trees void of any greenery. The lush landscape washed out until all that remained was dirt and rock. Now, when the sun went down, the forest would turn dark as the shadows stretched out like clawed hands reaching into the open.

(M/N) could smell something burning.

Another thing about vampires; they were sly creatures that, despite being incredibly fast, liked to savour in the kill, dragging it out for as long as possible. Whether that be physically, or through manipulation to break down the mind. They were said to be stunningly beautiful creatures whose mere gaze can be enough to hypnotize someone. If a person's mind is strong enough, they can resist the magical hold that would otherwise take them the moment they lock eyes with a vampire.

But then there was the problem of seduction. They were creatures of expert verbal manipulation, driving their prey into the open, away from safety. Even if the mind knows it's wrong, it's like a calling, one that dulls the senses, brings the guard down. Then they would feast on their prey's blood, relishing in the screams of agony until there was nothing left but a lifeless husk.

(M/N) had seen one.

The small house he resided in was situated right at the edge of the village, next to the magic barrier that was visible where the giant stone wall surrounding the village ended. There were only two entrances into the village, both were open, but had large gates that were always pulled shut. It wasn't to keep the vampires out, obviously, because that wouldn't stop them. Only the barrier did. No, the gates were to make sure anyone who was banished couldn't sneak back in later. But so far, no one had ever come back after a full night out there.

Sometimes (M/N) would see shadows passing through the dark, not ones being cast by objects, but ones that he would have missed if he blinked. Whatever casted them moved so quickly, it seemed like the shadows were unable to catch up, being left behind, slow enough to see if one looked hard enough.

(M/N) was walking down the dirt road in the dark, when he spotted movement in his peripheral vision. There weren't many other buildings around where he lived in the old abandoned house, mostly trees–now dead–and boulder formations. But eyeing his left from the safety of his red hood, he could see a figure standing on the other side of the barrier. (M/N) knew instantly that whoever it was, it wasn't someone to be trusted.

(M/N) had spent his whole life having to fight for scraps. He had never known his father. His mother never had much, and was a thief. It was just her, (M/N) and his grandmother, so as much as his mother didn't want to, she taught (M/N) how to get away with stealing. But once he was old enough, he realised he had his own talent: He was exceptionally good at reading people, and he quickly learned how to control his body movements in a way that would present himself to people however he wanted. That, along with his ability to lie incredibly well had his mother referring to him as "a snake in the grass." She wasn't around often before she died in his early teens, so his grandmother looked after him before and after his mother's passing. He grew close to her, and she'd tell him all sorts of stories every night, including the legends of vampires. His red cloak was something she made for him before she died almost a year ago, right after his 16th birthday. He absolutely loved it and only grew more attached to it once he was alone in the world. It was his only proof that he once had a family–no matter how imperfect that family was, but the cloak also helped him conceal himself when needed. He rarely went out into the village in broad daylight, and if he did, he left the cloak at home, only putting it on once it began to get dark.

The sun had long since dipped under the horizon by that point, and so the figure was shrouded unless (M/N) walked closer. But he knew that already. He had quickly deduced that he was looking at a vampire, and made sure not to turn his gaze so his face wouldn't be visible around his hood. This stranger was clearly using a purposeful tactic to lure in the curious. (M/N) didn't move from his spot and watched as the figure tilted their head slightly. It was in such a way that appeared harmless and curious, but (M/N) could see past that. It held hidden undertones of danger, as if daring him to approach.

The cloak hung behind his back but he didn't dare move his hands to pull it around his shoulders. Any form of vulnerability was hidden away–including his face–leaving the vampire staring at a hooded figure moving only with the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. It was meant to bring about weariness. Enough to make people stay away from him, but not enough to come off as threatening. This only intrigued the vampire more. (M/N) assumed that whoever it was, was probably also adept at reading people.

The vampire moved his head up slightly, to catch the moonlight. (M/N)'s heart picked up slightly when the vampire's face was revealed in the soft light. It was a guy, unbelievably attractive, who looked to be about (M/N)'s age. At the point he was turned, anyway. He had pale skin that held a faint luminosity to it, and swept back bronze hair. His bright golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly after a few seconds. He was clearly expecting his appearance alone to be enough to sway (M/N), but despite the slight heart rate jump–that (M/N) now calmed–nothing else happened. The vampire must have heard his heart, at the very least, though.

"Hello there."

The words rolled off his tongue in a low, enticing voice. One that sounded eager but in an alluring way. (M/N) stayed conscious of his thoughts, making sure not to get pulled in.

The vampire cocked a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes, as if (M/N) had said something he liked. That confused (M/N) slightly. "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Edward, what might yours be?"

"I don't see why it's your concern," (M/N) said, moving his head back slightly, as if he was bored of this conversation already.

"Well, you have me rather curious. A mysterious boy walking through the night, face shrouded by his hood."

(M/N) had used this tactic plenty of times. Although not exactly the same, the concept still held up. Redirecting one's attention to focus on something else, to make the original source seem less important. Edward was trying to make (M/N) seem like the scary one here, to downplay his own failure to lure in (M/N) with his appearance, which, by now, he must have definitely realised had (M/N) wary.

With how paranoid everyone in the village was, a tactic like that was sure to work on many. The idea of being scary during these times could lead to being banished as a sacrifice–as had started recently because some thought that these people were monsters, and that the real monsters outside would leave everyone alone once their 'friends' were let out. It was the product of steadily increasing fear, like an animal being backed into a corner with dwindling options for survival. Many were thrown out simply for trying to pacify the masses.

(M/N) wouldn't fall for that, though. He was more curious as to how Edward seemed so in the know with what was happening. Were there many other vampires out there? And if there were, were they also stalking them from the shadows instead of just waiting for some poor soul to be thrown out? Or was this part of the thrill? Trying new ways to lure humans out, for his own pleasure?

"My, oh my, what an interesting mind you have," Edward said, startling (M/N) out of his thoughts. "Never seen another like it. Not falling for me at all, it seems."

(M/N) stayed deadly still as he absorbed Edward's words. A cold sweat washed over his body. Could Edward... read his mind? Or was this another attempt at a trick?

"No, it isn't. No point in lying to you, is there?," Edward said, stepping closer to the barrier with intrigue.

(M/N) couldn't remember the last time he felt this scared. His mind was his only weapon, the only thing that couldn't be monopolised by anyone else, and now a vampire was peering into it. He sneered inwardly. No, he wouldn't let anyone in.

Edward raised an eyebrow after a few moments. "Oh, now that is beyond intriguing."

(M/N) took his words at face value, not letting them in any deeper. He forced his mind to stay blank as he focused on nothing other than what he was seeing. Dirt, rocks, Edward's slight luminosity.

What seemed like an involuntary chuckle escaped Edward's lips. "You're a clever one, Little Red."

"I'm sorry?" (M/N) asked, repeating the words in his head in an attempt to force out any thoughts trying to seep in.

Edward flashed a perfect grin. "Well, since you've managed to block me out and won't tell me your name, I have to call you something. Little Red seems fitting, cute."

Another attempt to irritate (M/N), it seemed. He wasn't little, they were about the same height.

(M/N) practically screamed the details of his surroundings in his head when he saw the triumphant glint in Edward's eye after hearing (M/N)'s disapproval break through.

"Whatever floats your boat," (M/N) said. Then, he turned to look at Edward fully, surprising the male, who stared into his eyes with fascination, trying to read anything else in his mind. (M/N) then looked up at the moon, his hood sliding off his head. "Well, it's rather late, I should be off." He offered a small, knowing smile.

Bronze hair, gold eyes–no, they're red now. Shiny skin. Dirt, rocks, trees.

"Pleasure meeting you, Eddy boy."

He turned around before he could see Edward's reaction, and walked with a slight skip in his step.

"See you around, Little Red." Edward's fading voice reached out from behind him. It held a different tone. Edward clearly wasn't trying to hide his intentions anymore.

(M/N) kept his mind busy with the beautiful night sky as he rounded a large boulder, out of sight. He slowed his pace until his footfalls were dead silent, before making his way through the backend towards his house with excruciating caution. He dared not leave himself visible in the open, swiftly ducking through the front door and quietly closing it behind him.

He slid down against the wood and let out a shaky breath, all the emotions and thoughts he was trying to keep at bay came crashing back in.

That was a few days ago, and (M/N) hadn't dared go outside in the dark since. He wasn't sure how Edward's mind reading worked–if he needed to see the subject or just be in the area, but he didn't want to take any chances. Still, he was running out of food, and people were getting more restless by the day.

So far it seemed the vampires only came out at night. Not because they couldn't survive in the sunlight, but because their skin shone like diamonds. Apparently they were a lot slower in the light, and couldn't move as quickly as they could in the dark. But (M/N) had never seen one during the day, so he wasn't sure, only having ancient writings to go off.

He wondered if Edward was still waiting out there. The idea sent a shiver down his spine.

Sometimes, hunting parties would leave in the morning, coming back only when the sun started to dip. Seeing as the daytime was their best chance to leave and come back without dying, a group of 'brave' people would venture off to either hunt the weakened vampires, or search for help. Really, (M/N) was certain the majority of those people were just forced to go, usually for their physical strength, as the alternative was banishment.

Their village was the only one for as long as the eye could see. So finding help was never a high possibility, and while they never caught any vampires, (M/N) did hear stories of massive beasts lurking in the area. He took to eavesdropping. One of the men that went out regularly talked about spotting massive wolves a few hours out from the village, near the large mountains that could be seen way off in the distance. He said they were big, unbelievably big, like horses. That did sound strange to (M/N), and he couldn't stop the scowl that crossed his face when he heard the man say they were looking to kill them.

(M/N) always hated the idea of killing animals for sport. For food, it made sense, but no one was eating wolves, so why? Why try to kill them? The man had said that the vampires were bad enough, and they didn't want to risk these ginormous beasts coming after them as well, but that made no sense. Even if they did want to come after humans as well, how would they get past the vampires? This is what happened when people stopped thinking correctly.

(M/N) was pulled from his thoughts when a mob of people rushed by outside his house, dragging a man with them. He stood up and moved to the edge of the window, watching the scene unfold. The man looked terrified as he tried to plead for them to let him go, but they ignored him as they opened the gates. Another unfortunate soul about to be thrown out.

"Hey, you there!"

(M/N)'s feet were moving instantly when he realised that voice was directed at him. He yanked open one of the creaky back windows and clambered out while loud bangs reverberated from the front door. Someone must have seen him, and he supposed hanging out in an old 'abandoned' house was suspicious enough now. Unfortunately for him, it was 1 against at least 100. He didn't make it far before he was yanked to the side by his arm.

He tried to fight himself free, but received a hard slam to the face that knocked him off his feet. He groaned quietly as black spots filled his vision. That was an incredibly hard impact, whoever hit him must have used a rock. He was surprised he couldn't feel blood. He was dragged towards the open gate by his arm. Whispers passed by (M/N) as he was pulled to the edge of the barrier. Both he and the man were then thrown onto the other side. So that was it, then? They wouldn't even question him? He acted with an ounce of suspicion, therefore he needed to be banished.

"Go back to where you came from, demons," a man hissed at them before the gates were pulled shut.

It took a few seconds for (M/N) to regain his bearings. The man next to him immediately jumped back to the closed gate, trying to climb back in. It was too high and jutted outwards at the top, so that wasn't possible, but even if it was, the mob on the other side would make sure they stayed out.

(M/N) didn't waste a second longer. He got up and broke into a sprint, his cloak flying behind him. It was twilight, so he didn't have long until he was completely shrouded in darkness, and he didn't want to be anywhere near the blubbering man or the village when that time came. There was nothing left for him there, anyway. With his family gone, and now the whole village driven to hysteria, he would have had to make a tough decision sooner or later. Though it would have been during the day, unlike now.

(M/N) didn't know how long scents lingered, but he prayed it wasn't long. He couldn't imagine Edward had gone far, and there were probably many other vampires in the area. Wherever they stayed shrouded during the day, he was sure they would be out soon, and he wanted to be as far away as he could. He brought a hand to the small pouch hooked to his waist, thankful that he had some food. It was better than nothing.

He tried to keep his thoughts quiet as he ran, not wanting to risk Edward catching them and realising he was outside the village. The dead forest was already starting to look sinister as the shadows crept up on him. Eventually his chest started to burn and his body was forced to slow down, but he didn't stop running, not until he felt like he was a breath away from throwing up and he physically couldn't keep going.

He allowed himself a moment to rest against a large tree and looked back the way he came. He couldn't see the village anymore, but he was still far too close for his liking. He tentatively touched his head, thankful that there was still somehow no blood. It hurt a tremendous amount. There wasn't much he could do about that, though.

After a few minutes, he got back up and alternated between a jog and fast walking for the next few hours. It wasn't as dark as he thought it would be, mostly because there weren't any obstructions in the way of the moon, given that practically all of the trees had lost their leaves. But eventually, he started to notice more signs of life as he progressed. Patches of grass, plants, some small animals scurrying across the earth. He even noticed some magical wisps in the air, the small blue lights dancing around in soothing patterns.

He was close to the large mountains now, and was pretty tired. He climbed up the deepening slope until he reached a little outcrop next to a large tree. All he had in his food pouch was an apple and a slice of bread. It was something, though.

(M/N) finally allowed his mind and body to relax as he sat there eating. He stared out at the landscape, bathed in the moon's soft light. The only question left for him to ponder was what to do now. He had no home, and he couldn't stay out here. Even if he was proficient in hunting–which he wasn't–there wasn't much to hunt when the vampires were killing the land. It seemed to only be in the area around the village, though. So if he went far enough, he was sure to find something, hopefully another village.

Once he finished, he stood up and brushed the dirt off his cloak. It wasn't as cold as he thought it would be, but the soft fabric still helped him retain some warmth.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

(M/N) froze at the familiar voice, before turning around. Edward was leaning against a large boulder, eyeing (M/N) with a blood-red predatory gaze.

(M/N) managed to keep a blank face despite his heart beating so hard he could feel it in his ears.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you, have you been following me?" That boulder is rather round, the grass is a nice green.

"For the most part," Edward said, pushing off the boulder. "Those weak minded humans cast someone else out tonight, but when I arrived I was surprised to hear thoughts that they had thrown someone else out as well. 'A boy with a red cloak'... It didn't take me long to catch your scent and find you after that." He smiled. "I probably should have waited some more, you were finally opening up your mind again."

Red eyes, unbelievably red.

"To think I'd see you again before another vampire," (M/N) said.

"We like to keep our distance, I had to make sure none of the others tried following your scent, though. Can't have them ruining the fun."

A breeze blew up the side of the mountain from below (M/N), and he was reminded of how far down that drop was. He didn't see how he was making it out of this alive. Edward's slight eye movements confirmed that he heard that, so (M/N) didn't see the point in trying to ignore it.

"So what, you're gonna kill me now?" (M/N) asked. "Taking your sweet time, that's for sure."

Edward hummed, taking an obvious, slow step forward. "That is the question, isn't it? While I do love a chase–the hunt, killing you would be a waste. You're fascinating, I'd just love to peek around inside that mind of yours some more, I barely had a chance to before." His eyes held a hopeful look.

As if.

Edward sighed and shook his head. "I thought as much, but I like that. A human has never caught my interest before, you should be proud. Even though it doesn't mean well for you."

(M/N) took a small step backwards, towards the edge of the outcrop. He was filling his mind with excruciatingly detailed descriptions of his surroundings, but Edward must have realised what he was trying to do anyway, as his eyes widened slightly.

Now or never.

(M/N) turned around and leaped off the edge. He didn't want to die, but he refused to give Edward the satisfaction of killing him. But he was surprised when a hand wrapped around his waist and yanked him back onto flat ground. Obviously he knew vampires moved fast, but it was still shocking. Edward had crossed that distance in the blink of an eye.

"I have to give you credit, I almost didn't see that coming," Edward breathed into his ear. "I'm not used to having to try this hard to read people."

(M/N) turned to look at him and tried to pull away, but the icy hand on his back under the cloak didn't budge in the slightest. His heart pounded at how close Edward's face was to his. Mostly from fear, but he couldn't deny the effect Edward's appearance had on him, no matter how well his mind fought against it. Edward smirked and (M/N) mentally punched himself.

"You hide your emotions so well. I can't rely on your physical reactions at all, and I'd argue you're even better at reading physical appearances than I am." Edward leaned closer and brought his other hand up to (M/N)'s face, brushing a thumb across his cheek, chuckling to himself. "Just the small glimpses into your mind are incredible. Your face is more of a stone than mine, yet your mind runs as fast as I do, and you still manage to hide it from me." His eyes narrowed in on the bruise of (M/N)'s forehead. "I'll kill them slowly for that, but I could never kill you. It would be an unbelievable waste."

Edward's skin looked even smoother up close, and (M/N) could almost see the sparkles in the moonlight. "So where does that leave us, then?"

Edward's thumb trailed to his lip.

The moon is rather bright, I can see the mountain peak from here. I wonder what's on the other side.

"You would make a great vampire, Little Red."

(M/N) had to do everything in his power to shut down his mind, going deadly still. Edward was still holding him up, keeping him from falling off the mountain. He could feel nothing in his body besides fear, and Edward's chilled hold on him.

"I would rather die."

Edward's hand moved back to his chin, tilting his head to the left slightly. (M/N) could feel Edward's cool breath on his neck and he was surprised his heart didn't burst out of his chest then and there. Anything but that, he refused to become anything like the monster in front of him. After a few seconds, he realised Edward had stopped. He looked at the male, who was looking off into the distance with a scowl.

"Of all the times..." he hissed. (M/N) barely caught sight of a giant blur before he was thrown back onto the soft earthy ground next to the tree. A sudden wind rushed by his ears and he grunted, quickly sitting up, catching sight of movement heading down the mountain. Edward was gone. He was alone.

(M/N) sat there, listening to his heart rocket in his ears. What the hell just happened? Why did Edward leave him? Where did he go? What was that blur? (M/N) brought his shaky hands to his shoulders and tried to calm himself.

You're okay, you're alive.

Why was he alive though? Why didn't Edward just change him then and there? What scared him off?

His mind only came to a halt once he realised there was a small rip in his cloak. He grabbed the end of the thin red fabric and moved it between his fingers, feeling the opening. He grimaced. He had never learned how to sew, so he had no way to fix it. He then realised how silly it was that that was his focus at this very moment.

(M/N)'s head shot up once he noticed movement in his peripheral vision. He was expecting Edward, but was surprised to see a giant russet brown wolf walking towards him with a snarl on its muzzle. As fast as he could, he dashed up the giant tree behind him. The wolf was as big as a horse–definitely one of the wolves that man had talked about–so (M/N) climbed as high as he could, which was only a metre or so above its head.

"Sorry," (M/N) said involuntarily. Then he sighed. Why was he apologising to an animal? He chalked it up to the incredibly long night he had experienced thus far.

The wolf had stopped snarling right after seeing him. Now it tilted its head slightly as it watched (M/N). It was a scarily human movement.

"Don't tell me the giant wolf can understand me as well." (M/N) laughed dryly. His head was a mix of fear and disbelief. "God I'm tired."

The wolf stared at him for a few seconds before moving back towards the boulder. As it walked out of sight, (M/N) noticed the pair of pants attached to its hind leg with string. Why did a wolf have clothes? His question was quickly answered when an incredibly muscular boy who looked his age walked out from the other side of the boulder moments later, wearing the pants and nothing else other than the string around his ankle. He had short black hair and a tattoo on his right shoulder. His tanned skin was highlighted in the moonlight.

(M/N)'s confused expression dropped immediately as the boy approached him. The boy seemed to notice.

This is a joke, (M/N) thought.

"You're not..." he started.

"That wolf? Yes," the boy said. "My name's Jacob, and you?"

(M/N) stayed quiet as he observed Jacob's confused expression. He was trying to figure (M/N) out. (M/N) kept his face blank, trying to sort through his own thoughts. Vampires were one thing, but he had never heard of shapeshifting wolves.

"Not very talkative?" Jacob asked after some silence.

"Well, it's been a long night, and I don't know you. Werewolves were not on my itinerary."

"I'm not gonna hurt you."

"You were snarling at me before."

Jacob shook his head. "I thought you might have been a bloodsucker." He spat the word. It piqued (M/N)'s curiosity. "After that other one got away, I thought I'd come back and check. The fact that you're still here confirmed that you weren't, even before the scent hit me." Jacob frowned while thinking something over as (M/N) cautiously lowered himself from the tree back onto the ground, dusting himself off with a look of disinterest, like this whole thing had been only a slight annoyance.

"I do want to know... Since you're human, what was going on before he noticed me? It seemed... intimate."

"Not by choice," (M/N) answered. "Edward had been following me from my village."

Jacob cocked his head slightly before pointing off into the far distance. "You mean that village? Why would you leave, and especially at night?"

"Not by choice," (M/N) repeated with slight humour in his tone. Then he realised he probably shouldn't linger. He didn't know where Edward was, but he didn't want to stick around to find out. "I should probably get going."

Jacob frowned again. "Why are you doing that?"

(M/N) feigned innocence. "Doing what?"

"That. You seem so hyper aware of what you're doing at all times, and your face hasn't shown a single emotion since I phased."

Well, (M/N) couldn't do anything about that. He couldn't help it before. Edward nearly bit him and then suddenly he was left alone with a wolf, he had no thought of presenting himself a certain way to animals. He obviously didn't expect that specific animal to turn into a boy.

"Why does it matter to you?" (M/N) asked. "You don't know me."

"No, but I'm curious. I've never seen a vampire act... that way with a human before. It didn't look like he was planning to kill you." Jacob's eyes fell on the cloak. "Little Red."

(M/N) raised an eyebrow at that. "How do you know about that?"

"It was the first thing I heard when I got into hearing range. That, and the vampire scent had me determined to investigate," Jacob said. " You said you 'would rather die'. Was he going to change you?"

"Yes, so I guess I should..." (M/N) mulled over the words in his head before speaking them. "Thank you?" He couldn't remember the last time he had spoken those words to someone.

Jacob smiled. "You're welcome."

What am I supposed to say now?

"Well... I don't wanna stick around so..." (M/N) went to leave but Jacob stopped him.

"I can take you back to the village if you'd like," Jacob offered. "Can't very well let you wander the forest alone with leeches about."

"I'm not going back to the village," (M/N) said. Jacob seemed harmless enough, and he did save (M/N), so (M/N) thought it couldn't hurt to open up a little more. "There's nothing left for me there, anyway."

"No family?"

"No."

"Then... where are you planning to go?"

(M/N) shrugged before realising it. That wasn't right, he usually didn't let mannerisms slip through for anyone. "Somewhere, I don't know. I don't have any other choice."

Jacob thought for a moment before smiling. "Yes you do. Come with me."

"Come with you... where, exactly?" (M/N) asked.

"I'll show you." Jacob moved back towards the boulder.

"You sound so sure I'll come with you," (M/N) said.

"Well you don't have anywhere else to go, and you can trust me," Jacob answered.

Trusting another person was a hard concept for (M/N) to swallow, but Jacob was right, he didn't have anywhere else to go, and staying with a werewolf did seem like the safest option.

He sighed inwardly. "Fine."

Chapter Text

(M/N) waited for Jacob to reemerge, this time in wolf form again, his shorts tied to his back leg. He walked back over to (M/N) and made a gesture towards his back. (M/N) looked at him in disbelief.

“You want me to get on your back?” (M/N) asked. Jacob looked at him pleasantly in response to his animated expression. Even knowing the wolf was really a boy, (M/N) couldn’t help letting his guard down around animals. “This doesn’t seem smart.”

Jacob huffed and gestured to his back again. (M/N) guessed Jacob was downplaying his fears, but he was only adept at reading people, not animals, so he couldn’t be sure.

I already thought my life was over tonight, how much worse can it get?

(M/N) steadied himself before jumping up and pulling himself across Jacob’s back. He made sure he was seated comfortably and gripped onto the fur around Jacob’s lower neck as tight as he could.

(M/N) kept his head low and watched their surroundings pass by in a blur. He guessed werewolves were fast after Edward was chased away in the blink of an eye, but actually travelling at that speed, it was unreal. The distance (M/N) covered over the last few hours was covered in no more than 10 minutes now. The longer Jacob ran, the more (M/N) was glad he took up the offer. There was nothing out here besides more forest. Vampires or no vampires, if he tried to travel on his own he would have been a goner.

(M/N) noticed more mountains rising up as they approached at incredible speeds. These ones curved around in an almost manmade fashion. They moved through a small opening in the large silver wall that (M/N) was sure would get them killed, but Jacob didn’t slow down, moving swiftly before the rocky walls around them opened outward into a massive stretch of land illuminated by the moon. At first glance, (M/N) could see some lights in the distance, peeking through the trees. There were more mountains all around, and the entire area was enclosed within. It was still an unbelievable size, though. The other end looked like it would take Jacob at least 5 minutes to cross at this speed.

Jacob slowed to a trot as they approached the edge of the forest and (M/N) looked around in wonder.

“This is beautiful.”

He felt rumbling beneath him, which must have been Jacob agreeing.

“You live here?” (M/N) looked down at Jacob for an answer, but he just slowed to a stop and waited for (M/N) to slide off. When he did, Jacob ran out of sight before running back over in human form, pants on.

“Yes, I live here, and so do the others.”

“By others, do you mean other werewolves?” (M/N) asked as he hugged his cloak tighter. It wasn’t too cold before, but after flying through the night at incredible speeds, the cold wind had chilled his body considerably. The cloak did help with retaining heat, but not beyond a certain level. The fabric was rather thin and it couldn’t enclose his body entirely, just his arms if he held them close.

“Yes,” Jacob answered before looking at him. “Sorry, you must be cold after that.”

“It’s nothing,” (M/N) waved off, but he gazed at Jacob’s body. Was he not cold after that? Especially wearing nothing but shorts? Jacob noticed.

“Werewolves run hotter than the average human,” he said.

“I see.”

(M/N) followed Jacob into the forest, taking in his surroundings. Unlike outside his village, this place was full of life. If all the werewolves lived here, then (M/N) presumed it was sort of a safe haven from vampires.

Not long after walking, they came across a small house, or maybe cottage was a better word. The lights were on and smoke rose from the chimney, creating a homey feeling, something (M/N) hadn’t felt in almost a year. His features hardened when four shirtless guys came outside and walked towards them, all sporting the same tattoo on their arm. If Jacob’s appearance was anything to go off of, then (M/N) was certain they were all wolves as well.

Jacob rubbed his neck sheepishly. “This might be a bit crazy to hear, but when we phase into wolves we can… hear each other’s thoughts. So they already know everything that happened.”

(M/N) kept a straight face and spoke in a bored tone. “Edward could read minds, so it’s not the craziest thing.”

Jacob watched him for a second before speaking. “Really? That’s good to know.”

The boys approaching looked various levels of annoyed.

“I’m not meant to be here, am I?” (M/N) asked with an amused huff, as if he was going to get a kick out of this whole interaction.

“No, you aren’t,” the oldest looking guy announced once they were close enough.

Jacob stepped forward. “Sam, just relax–”

“That vampire is going to come looking for him, and will follow the scent straight here,” Sam interrupted.

“So what, I should just leave him to die?” Jacob argued. “He had nowhere else to go!”

“Damn Jakey boy, you’re really fired up over this,” another boy commented.

“Shut up, Paul,” Jacob growled.

“I think it’s a good thing,” the third boy chimed in. “It’s like having bait, we can rid ourselves of another leech.”

The fourth boy nudged him. “Don’t talk like that Jared, we have to protect humans, not risk their lives.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “Don’t get your pants in a twist Embry, I meant that implying that he’d never have to come into contact with the leech, relax.”

“All of you, quiet,” Sam ordered. They shut up instantly. “This vampire can read minds, he'll know what we’re thinking at all times, this is serious. Especially since you forced us to come off patrol to stop you here.” That last part was directed at Jacob.

Sam was afraid of Edward coming to their sanctuary. (M/N) deduced that considering how big this place was, there would be many others living here, and Sam’s worry plus the fact they ‘patrol’ must mean that not everyone was a werewolf who could defend themselves. Therefore, the pack was this place’s only defence against vampires. Were these guys the only ones? Or were there more? It seemed as though this was it.

“I’m pretty sure Edward was alone, he seemed rather indifferent to any other vampires,” (M/N) spoke flatly. “But I won’t impose. It’s not like I planned on hanging out with a bunch of wolves, anyway.”

(M/N) felt rather weak in this situation, with people discussing him being followed and needing protection. He hated it. All his life, weakness never led to anything good. He’d had to fight tooth and nail just to be standing there alive, he wouldn’t let himself stay in this position, even if his chances out there were low.

(M/N) smiled inwardly at himself. He was so used to hyper analyzing every movement he made, he had made a subconscious habit of lying to himself, including in times like this. He almost didn’t catch it, but he was surprised when he did.

The idea of leaving was a little hard for (M/N) to accept, which was strange. Well, he knew he would be safer here. But he tried to remind himself–staying around others never ended well for him. He couldn’t rely on anyone.

That’s what normally drove him, but this was different.

Something about Jacob had him wanting to let his guard down. Perhaps knowing that Jacob could have killed him already if he wanted to, especially given that the people from his village tried hunting wolves–which (M/N) was now sure was just these boys. Yet Jacob caused clear disorder amongst the pack for one meaningless human. Knowing that this was Jacob’s home had (M/N) wanting to stick around, figure things out.

It felt weird.

He didn’t miss the unhappy look on Jacob’s face at his cold words, but he couldn’t help it. No matter his true feelings, he was accustomed to hiding any form of want or desperation in his being from others.

“If you go back out there, he’ll find you again,” Jacob argued. “I won’t let you get yourself killed–”

“Enough, Jacob,” Sam silenced him before moving his gaze back to (M/N). He thought for a moment before continuing. “As werewolves, it is our job to protect humans from the vampires. I wish Jacob had let us talk this through first, but it doesn’t matter now. Whether or not you leave, your scent already leads here. We don’t know for sure if this Edward is alone, or if he’s still around, but it didn’t look like he was going to give in anytime soon. There’s a good chance he was watching you guys leave, and knows you're here, so we’ll just have to assume that’s our situation and prepare.”

Jacob visibly relaxed and (M/N) did so internally. Sam gestured to the others.

“We’ll head back out for a couple of hours, scan the perimeter all the way around the mountains, and search for any trace of vampire.” He looked back at the two in front of him as the other boys ran off into the woods, probably to phase. He gestured to the house behind him. “Take him to Emily, get him settled in, then you’ll join us.”

Jacob nodded and guided (M/N) towards the house while Sam ran off to join the others. It was quiet for a few moments before Jacob spoke up.

“Do you really not want to be here?” he asked.

(M/N) kept a casual face as they walked, taking in his surroundings. He was glad he could stay, and felt the need to let Jacob know he had it wrong.

“I do, it’s just…”

Wow.

(M/N) was shocked at his own speechlessness. That wasn’t something he experienced everyday.

Jacob sighed. “You were just doing that thing again?”

(M/N) stayed quiet as they neared the house.

“Maybe I should hang around you as a wolf more often,” Jacob said. “You seem to be more relaxed when I am one.” (M/N) didn’t miss the slight disappointment in his voice. He must have thought (M/N) was like that to him specifically.

“It’s not you, it’s everyone,” (M/N) said. “I can’t just…”

He clicked his tongue at his continued inability to find the words he was looking for. It irritated him.

“I don’t entirely understand but, baby steps, right?” Jacob seemed hopeful now.

“Yeah. Sure.”

When they arrived, Jacob knocked on the door.

“Come in!” A female voice called.

They walked inside to see a girl who looked around Sam’s age. (M/N) deduced that she must be Emily. The most noticeable thing about her was the claw marks across her face, which (M/N) had no problem ignoring. He was used to controlling his mannerisms, after all. It still surprised him, though. That clearly looked like something from the wolves, but if what Sam said was correct, then why would she be in that state? She looked like she had been woken up not long ago, probably by the other boys, (M/N) assumed, but why? Was it literally just to deal with him when he showed up? She looked at (M/N) curiously. “Who’s this?”

“This is…” Jacob looked at him for a moment and (M/N) remembered that he never told Jacob his name. He didn’t see any point in hiding it now. If Jacob trusted these people, then (M/N) could try to lower his guard. He wouldn’t drop it completely, though. Not yet. That scar on her face reminded (M/N) to stay cautious.

“(M/N),” (M/N) said, mostly to Jacob. “My name’s (M/N).”

Jacob smiled before returning his attention back to Emily. “(M/N), this is Emily. Emily, could you let him stay here tonight? Sam’s orders. We’ll explain everything in the morning, but they’re out securing the perimeter and I have to join them. It’s pretty late, anyway.”

Emily hummed. “If Sam said so… You run along then, I’ll look after him.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jacob said before leaving the house. (M/N) turned back to Emily, who smiled at him.

“Long night, I’m guessing?”

(M/N) nodded. He wouldn’t admit it, but finally being able to relax after the last couple of hours had him realising he was unbelievably tired and desperately needed to lie down. “Incredibly so. I’m… sorry… to impose like this. I’m sure this isn’t something you’d be excited about.”

She waved him off. “It’s not a big deal. Seeing as you don’t have anything else with you, you can borrow some of Sam’s clothes from his room.” She moved to head down the hall, but stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot to ask, are you hungry?”

(M/N) shook his head. “I ate a little while ago, I’m okay.”

She showed him around the house. It wasn’t anything elaborate, but (M/N) had no complaints. It was better than hanging out in a worn down house that looked as though it would topple over during the next storm. The guest room wasn’t too big and consisted of just a bed and a small table sitting below a window. (M/N) washed up and put his dirty clothes in a pile after changing, taking the time to fold his cloak. The rip was bothering him quite a lot, and it had dirt stains and smudges all over. He would have to wash it at some point. He was out the second his head hit the pillow.

The next time (M/N) woke up, he was immediately hit with the smell of food, to which his stomach grumbled. He stretched and hopped out of bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He moved down the hall into the kitchen/living room and quickly composed himself when he saw a group of people at the table. All the wolf boys. Jacob waved at him.

Emily smiled when she noticed him. They must have already explained the situation to her. She was in the kitchen, cooking. “Hungry?”

(M/N) realised he was still wearing pajamas. “Yeah, just give me a minute.”

He hurried back to his room, ignoring the laughs from the boys at the table and quickly changed into something more presentable. He quickly realised his cloak was missing from the bathroom. He brought it up once he was back with the others.

“Hey… did you take my cloak?” he asked Emily.

She glanced over at him as she filled a wide plate with a very large amount of food. “Oh! Yes, sorry. I probably should have asked, but I thought you’d want your things washed. I hung them out this morning.”

(M/N) nodded and quickly made his way outside. The sun was directly overhead, so it must have been around midday. He didn’t have to search long to find his clothes hanging across a line, but he really only cared about the cloak. He ran the fabric through his fingers but frowned when they slipped through the hole.

“Emily can sew it up for you, if you’d like.”

The frown left (M/N)’s face as he turned to look at Jacob.

“I’ll consider asking her, then. Are you going on patrol today, or whatever?”

“No, it’s just Paul and Embry tonight. We didn’t find anything this morning,” Jacob said.

“I see.”

It was quiet for a few moments before Jacob spoke up again. “Should I phase again?” he joked.

“What?”

“That’s the only time you seem comfortable showing emotion.”

How could (M/N) go about this? He thought he was already being careless with how he presented himself, letting mannerisms slip, but apparently he was still closed off. What did that say about him?

“Hey (M/N), I’d get some food now if I were you, otherwise you’ll be too late!” Emily shouted from inside. (M/N) looked at Jacob before heading back in.

Emily wasn’t kidding. That giant plate of food was already half gone. Being a werewolf must bring about a massive appetite.

“You should grab something quick, Little Red,” Embry said. Jacob smacked him as everyone laughed. (M/N) rolled his eyes and moved to the kitchen. It made him slightly uncomfortable knowing they had all seen him in a vulnerable state through Jacob’s mind, but there was nothing he could do about that, so he played it off.

Emily was washing up and turned to (M/N) as he approached. He held the cloak in his hands.

“Jacob told me you sew, would you be willing to–”

“Fix it for you? Of course.” She wiped her hands clean and held out her hands. (M/N) looked at them for a second before handing it over.

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem.”

(M/N) went to sit down after Emily left the room. Jacob had filled him a plate with food, gesturing to the seat next to him. (M/N) sat down and dug in. Paul and Embry talked about the routes they would take on patrol while Jared talked to (M/N), Jacob and Sam listening.

“So the village you came from, what was it like?” Jared asked.

“You guys don’t know?” (M/N) asked.

“We try not to get too close to the humans outside this place, especially since they try to kill us.”

“Oh, right.” (M/N) wondered if they’d mention that. “They probably won’t last much longer. They were desperate enough to go out and try and kill vampires and then the wolves when they first stumbled upon you guys. What were you doing that far out?”

“It’s not that far for us when we run faster than vampires. We knew there were other vampires in that area, but we weren’t sure how many,” Sam explained.

“I only saw Edward,” (M/N) said.

“Why was he so interested in you?” Jacob asked.

(M/N) shook his head. “Because everyone else in that village is a moron, and I didn’t immediately roll over at the sight of him. That, and I wouldn’t let him read my mind.”

“You didn’t… how?”

“Years of practice. Not for keeping out mind readers, but it still applied in that situation.” (M/N) adjusted the shirt he was wearing. All the wolf boys were more muscular than him, so that meant Sam’s clothes didn’t fit perfectly. “I don’t suppose there’s anywhere I could get new clothes? I can’t very well stick to one pair, and I didn’t have time to pack before I was thrown to the vampires.”

“Yeah, we’ll get you some more clothes,” Jacob said. “Did you get kicked out of the village?”

“The land around it has been dying because of vampires, so everyone was slowly losing resources, and their minds. And of course, people’s true colours come out during times of need. They would banish people every so often. Anyone that seemed suspicious, really, because they thought monsters were lurking about. Oh, do you guys have a barrier here?”

“We did have one around the forest, but once we started phasing, it was keeping us out as well, so the council decided to dispel it,” Sam said.

“Really? Isn’t that dangerous for everyone else here?” (M/N) asked.

“That’s why we go out patrolling. As werewolves, we’re designed to kill vampires, so we made it our job to keep them away. It isn’t too hard, most stay away from our scent alone, but I have a feeling this ‘Edward’ might be an issue for us.”

“My fault,” (M/N) stated light-heartedly.

“It doesn’t matter, we’ll deal with it,” Sam said.

(M/N) went silent as he thought about that. His village was primed and ready to throw anyone and everyone out in hopes it would make the vampires go away. Here, they decided to remove the barrier protecting everyone just so that the five boys at this table could stay here. Clearly, this was a tight-knit community that actually cared about each other. The idea sounded impossible to (M/N), yet here he was.

And he was becoming increasingly repellent to the idea of leaving.

After some more time passed, Emily reemerged with (M/N)’s cloak.

“Wasn’t too hard, only a small opening,” she said as she handed it to (M/N).

(M/N) couldn’t stop the smile adorning his face as he felt around the now stitched up hole. “Thank you again.”

“Let me know if you need any more patchups,” she said.

“I might have to ask you to show me how to sew at some point,” (M/N) said.

“I’d be happy to teach you.”

“Hey, do you wanna go for a walk?” Jacob asked. “I can show you around some more, and we can grab some outfits.”

(M/N) got up and slung the cloak across shoulders. “Yeah, sure.”

They bid their goodbyes to everyone else before heading out. The forest stretched on for a while, yet the land beyond leading up to the surrounding mountains stretched on either further. It wasn’t so much a village as it was a large community, (M/N) noted as they walked. The cloak stayed behind his back, considering it was too hot to have it hugging him. He was just glad it was fixed.

“You really like that, huh?” Jacob commented while eyeing the cloak.

“My grandmother made it for me before she died. It’s the only thing I have that’s proof I once had a family.”

Jacob examined (M/N)’s face, expecting pain to accompany the words, but he looked calm as they walked, taking in their surroundings. (M/N) met his gaze and sighed.

“I don’t know why, but it’s hard to shut you out,” (M/N) said. “It’s annoying, really.”

“Oh, I’m… sorry?” Jacob responded, unsure as he scratched his head. (M/N) cracked a real smile which Jacob brightened at. Then (M/N) groaned.

“See? Like that. I’ve never had this problem before.”

“Is it really a bad thing?” Jacob asked. “Didn’t you ever have anyone you could be like that around?”

“My mother and grandmother, but no one else,” (M/N) said. “For me, it was a bad thing. Now I… I don’t know.”

“Open to share?”

(M/N) pressed his lips into a line. He had never properly opened up to anyone before, but Jacob seemed harmless in that regard. (M/N) had already started to open up, and he doubted anyone here would use his vulnerability against him. But that was just it. He wasn’t used to such a concept, how could he accept it so easily?

Then he was reminded of Emily’s face. A warning to himself. Were the wolves really protectors? Now seemed like a good time to bring it up.

“Emily’s face… those look like scratch marks.”

Jacob stiffened a little, as if he was dreading when this topic would come up. (M/N) made it clear he was implying that they looked like wolf claw marks. “We’re not dangerous, if that’s what you think. Well… at least not intentionally.”

“How so?”

“Sometimes, we can struggle with our anger. It’s a wolf thing, and when we lose control of our emotions, we can end up phasing involuntarily. When that happens, it’s not uncommon to slip the reins from our minds over to the primitive wolf.” He sighed. “Emily is Sam’s fiancee. One day he… got angry. He lost control for just a second and phased for the first time… and she was standing too close.”

“Doesn’t she resent him for that?” (M/N) asked.

“She was terrified at first. Anyone would be, really. But the look on Sam’s face for weeks to come… it was clear just how horribly in pain he was with the knowledge of what he had done. It’s even worse with the mind reading. All the time, we’re reminded of how bad he feels about what he did.”

“So it was a complete accident?” (M/N) tested.

Jacob frowned. “Of course it was. We know for sure because we can see into his mind, but he did everything in his power to make it up to Emily. That, and considering he was the first person in generations to phase into a wolf, it isn’t surprising he had no control–why would anyone be prepared for a situation like that? Emily came around eventually, she always did have a heart for forgiveness.”

“Well, good for her, if she’s happy, I guess,” (M/N) said.

“You don’t need to be afraid… if you are. That was a while ago, we’re all a lot better at controlling our emotions now. Rarely do we ever lose control like Sam did.”

Jacob was more worried about (M/N) being afraid of him specifically. It was obvious, but (M/N) said nothing of it. “I’m not afraid.”

“I hope so,” Jacob said.

They were quiet for the remainder of their walk, aside from Jacob describing certain things to him as they passed. This place was rather interesting to (M/N), and he had yet to really see anything beyond the forest up close. He did want to explore at some point.

They made it to a more crowded area in the forest, where the trees thinned out and larger buildings popped up within close vicinity to each other. Jacob led him to one that he could obviously see through the open windows held a variety of clothes. They weren’t there for too long, (M/N) wasn’t going to be picky, so he just picked out some things his size and they moved on.

(M/N) carried the clothes as they walked. “I should probably take these back to Emily’s.”

Jacob nodded. “Yeah, I’ll have to head home for a bit soon, but I’ll be back later.”

“You don’t have to,” (M/N) said casually, not necessarily a downplay but not a disappointing voice either. He liked the idea of getting to know Jacob better, but wouldn’t let that come through in his voice.

“Nah, it’s fine. I wanna chat some more,” Jacob said.

The other boys were still there when they made it back to Emily’s, and Jacob caught up with them for a bit while (M/N) put his things away. Jacob didn’t stay long before he headed home, and the rest of the boys also presumably went home–aside from Embry and Paul, who were getting ready to head out on patrol. Sam stayed with Emily.

“So, how long am I supposed to stay here?” (M/N) asked once it was just him, Sam and Emily. “I can’t stay here forever.”

“It’s fine,” Sam said. He was sitting on one of the kitchen stools, turned to (M/N) while Emily went about doing various household chores. “We can figure things out after we learn more about the whole ‘Edward’ situation.”

(M/N) nodded and left to go back to his room. Most of (M/N)’s days had always been keeping quiet and staying out of sight, whether that was at home or when he was out. After losing his grandmother he very quickly got used to being on his own, so he didn’t have much of a problem lying around for most of the day. There were some books in the other room which, after asking Emily, he took to skimming through, looking for something interesting. He almost completely forgot Jacob said he was going to visit until it was dark and said boy still hadn’t shown up. He didn’t think too hard about it, though. Emily cooked him and Sam dinner and afterwards he went straight to bed.

He made sure to get dressed before heading down the hall the next morning. Emily was already plating food.

“You’re just in time,” she said when she saw him.

“Thanks,” he said when he sat down and handed him a plate. Her and Sam joined him not long after. (M/N) mostly stayed quiet while he listened to them talk. The commanding persona wasn’t anywhere to be seen when Sam talked to Emily. He was a lot calmer, not stern at all.

Afterwards, (M/N) offered to help Emily clean up, which she quickly declined, assuring him he didn’t need to. When (M/N) went to leave, Jacob knocked on the door, leaning in. His eyes quickly landed on (M/N). He looked guilty.

“I’m sorry about yesterday, I got caught up with my dad and–”

(M/N) quickly cut him off. “Jacob, I don’t care.” Jacob looked slightly dejected, and (M/N) realised that came off more rude than he expected. “I mean, it doesn’t bother me at all.” It didn’t. Holding people to promises was something he very quickly learned not to do at a young age. He never placed any form of trust in others outside his family.

“Still, I’m sorry,” Jacob said. He looked outside, then back at (M/N). “Did you want to… hang out? See some more scenery?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Jacob straightened a little at that, and gestured for him to follow.

(M/N) offered Emily a small wave before he followed Jacob.

“So, what were you up to yesterday?” (M/N) asked. “With your dad.”

“Oh just… stuff. Was just talking to him about changes.”

Jacob was clearly deflecting, but (M/N) wasn’t one to judge. He gazed up at the trees that stretched up high above their heads.

“This place still amazes me.”

Jacob smiled. “Then I know just the place to show you. Come on.”

Jacob picked up the pace slightly, he seemed almost excited. They moved through the forest for what felt like at least an hour before entering a more secluded area. The trees grouped closer together, leaving less room for sunlight to break through the leaves.

(M/N) raised an eyebrow as they moved through the darker area. “Am I about to get murdered?”

Jacob laughed. “Just a little further, you’ll see what I mean.”

Eventually (M/N) could see light peeking through the trees again, and they broke through into a clearing. It was an open grassy area surrounding an incredibly large tree situated directly in the middle that was three times as thick and twice as tall as any other trees around them. The sunrays almost wrapped around it and over the open space.

“This is one of my many spots I like to go to relax,” Jacob said. He walked towards the tree and (M/N) followed him. The branches splintered off pretty low to the ground, so it wasn’t hard to climb up, which is what Jacob did. “Come on.”

(M/N) copied his movements, and they moved up until they were level with the tips of all the trees around them. Despite being very high up, the branches were incredibly thick and provided ample stability, so (M/N) wasn’t worried about falling.

“This is pretty cool,” he said, straddling a branch and leaning back against another.

“Thought you’d like it,” Jacob said. He leaned back on a large curved branch, stretching his feet out on the other end. “I used to come here a lot when I first phased. It helped me calm my emotions.”

The whole idea of werewolves was still a little bizarre to (M/N). The legends of vampires were pretty common among many other beasts. But he had never heard any stories of werewolves.

“How does the whole wolf thing work?” he asked.

Jacob stared off across the leafy plateau as he spoke “It’s a genetic thing. Every few generations or so, a few people phase. At least, that’s what the stories say. They’re all we have to go off of, considering our pack is the first in generations.”

So a few would phase until there was enough to form a pack, at least that’s what it sounded like to (M/N). “Do you know why the phasing happens?”

Jacob shrugged. “I guess maybe if there are a lot of threats around? I can’t think of any other reason.”

“Wouldn’t the barrier work for that though?” (M/N) asked.

“It can’t change our genetics,” Jacob said. “The phasing just happens, no matter what we want.”

“I guess that makes sense.” (M/N) traced the bark on the branch below him. “How do you feel about it?”

“About…?”

“Being a wolf.”

Jacob hummed. “It was definitely not something I ever imagined happening. I guess mostly I was just worried at the start. Controlling myself was hard, and after what happened to Emily… We were all just hoping to pull through.”

“And you did,” (M/N) stated.

Jacob smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Now, it’s not so bad. Being able to explore the world beyond the mountains is great, especially when we can cover a lot of distance in such a short time. I get to see so much, which is way better than being stuck here my whole life.”

“I bet.”

They stayed like that for hours, chatting until the sun started to go down.

“So, will I see you tomorrow?” (M/N) asked as they arrived at Emily’s house.

“I’m on patrol tonight, so I won’t drop by in the morning. Afterwards I will, though,” Jacob answered.

“You don’t need to. Sounds like you need sleep after that,” (M/N) said.

Jacob waved him off. “I’ll be fine. There’s something I’ve gotta show you, anyway.”

The next day, (M/N) spent the morning learning how to sew from Emily. She was more than happy to show him the basics, and he wanted to become proficient enough that he could patch up his cloak if ever needed again.

Jacob stopped by after midday, and once again whisked (M/N) away.

(M/N) walked beside Jacob, moving the corner of his cloak in his hand. “Are you showing me another one of your spots?”

“I wanna bring you round to my place first,” Jacob said.

Eventually they made it to a small house that had to be Jacob’s.

“Dad?” Jacob called out when he opened the door.

“Coming,” a voice called back. Moments later, a man in a wheelchair rolled into the front room. His eyes landed on (M/N).

“This must be (M/N)?” he asked Jacob.

Jacob rubbed his neck and turned to (M/N). “This is my dad, Billy.”

“Nice to meet you,” (M/N) greeted.

“Likewise. Your arrival certainly sparked some controversy among the wolves,” Billy said with a short chuckle. “We’d be happy to have you, though.”

(M/N) blinked. “What?”

Billy raised an eyebrow at Jacob. “You didn’t tell him?”

Jacob huffed. “Well, he knows now.” He looked at (M/N) again. “I talked to him about why you’re here and… since you don’t have anywhere to go, he agreed that you could stay here. Wouldn’t want to impose on Emily any longer.”

“But… you don’t really know me,” (M/N) argued. “And that would just mean I’m imposing on you instead.”

Billy shrugged. “I don’t care. And Jacob trusts you enough. That’s good enough for me,” he said. “Now if you kids will excuse me, I planned on going fishing with Harry. Jacob, show him around.”

He wheeled out of the house and Jacob took to showing (M/N) where everything was. Living room, kitchen, bathroom, Billy’s room, and finally Jacob’s room. It wasn’t too big, and the double bed took up most of the space, with a giant window right next to it.

“You’ll have to sleep in here, since we don’t have a spare room. But I spend a lot of nights on patrol, so you won’t have to share with me that much. Sorry it’s not much.”

(M/N) was used to living off the bare minimum, it didn’t bother him at all. “It’s fine, better than my old place.”

For most of the day after that, they spent the time helping (M/N) get settled in, bringing what little belongings he had from Emily’s–after thanking her for her hospitality–into Billy’s house. After that, they went exploring some more, for (M/N)’s benefit. Beyond the living spaces and the forest, the landscape stretched on and on. Even from far away, the mountains towered high into the sky, the rocky peaks adorning snow.

(M/N) stared at them from his spot in the grass, which reached up to his waist while sitting down. He twirled a flower in his fingers absentmindedly, thinking about the view he would get from those heights.

“It’s quite a place,” (M/N) said. “Did your people always live here?”

Jacob stared out at the mountains from a spot further down in the grass. “For generations. They settled here for that very reason. We’ve never been that open to moving.”

A breeze passed through, blowing (M/N)’s cloak. He brushed away some flower petals that got caught in his hair. “I wouldn’t either, if I lived here.”

Jacob smiled. “I mean, technically you do now.”

(M/N) looked at him with a slight frown. “How long are you planning to let me stay? It’s not like I can be here forever.”

“You don’t really have an alternative, though,” Jacob pointed out. “Why, do you want to leave?”

(M/N) shook his head. “No, honestly. I like it here, much more than expected. But what’s the plan? Are you just… gonna let me stay here permanently?”

“That’s the idea.” After a few seconds of silence, Jacob turned around to look at (M/N)’s confused face. “You okay?”

“Why?” (M/N) demanded. “Why are you doing all this?”

Jacob opened his mouth to speak, but (M/N) quickly added, “And don’t tell me it’s just because it’s your job to protect humans.”

Jacob looked down at the grass for a few moments. “No one ever really leaves the vicinity of the mountains, unless you’re a werewolf. So the humans from your village were the first ones I’d seen that didn’t belong to our community. Their hostility was surprising. I thought maybe they were all like that, and then I found you with that leech. I thought you might be a vampire as well, because I didn’t stop to take in your scent at first. But after I lost him, I realised you weren’t when you were still by that tree. The way you acted was confusing, and I could tell you weren’t like the other humans that attacked us. I guess I just thought you were really interesting, and since you seemed friendly, I wanted to know more about you.”

“You’re a strange one, Jacob.” There was warmth in (M/N)’s chest that he hadn’t felt in ages. It made him realise how much he missed that feeling. Of feeling wanted by someone. Could he really do it? Stay here for good? Live properly, instead of fighting as if the whole world was against him to live another day?

He really hoped so.

(M/N) was pulled from his thoughts when the glowing wisps entered his vision. They were floating all around the meadow, and he just realised how late it was. The sun had already started to dip below the horizon.

“They always come out when it gets dark,” Jacob said, lying back against the ground.

“With the barrier, I never saw them up close, and then they started to disappear after the vampires showed up,” (M/N) said. He held out his hand and let one bounce off. It tickled. “I wish I got to see more of this sooner.”

Jacob sat up and his eyes seemed to light up with an idea. “In that case, there’s something I wanna show you.”

He gestured for (M/N) to follow him.

“Another one of your spots?” (M/N) asked.

Jacob nodded and started moving further out into the field in a jog. “Yeah, come on!”

(M/N) followed him and quickly realised they were heading for one of the mountains. It was still a fair distance away, so they ran for most of it. The sun was completely gone by the time they made it to the base. The uphill climb didn’t take too long, since they stopped not too far up.

“Wow.”

They were on a large outcrop that dug slightly into the side of the rocky mountain. There was a giant pond that glowed a brilliant deep blue in the dark. Looking back out at the open landscape, they had a view of everything, all the way down to the forest.

“I know right,” Jacob said proudly. “I found this place some time ago. It’s pretty great.”

(M/N) sat by the edge of the pond, dipping his fingers into the cold water. It was like luminescence. He smiled slightly.

“I’ve made a breakthrough,” Jacob joked. (M/N)’s face dropped again. “Sorry…”

“No, I’m just not used to it. I’ve always–” Was he ready to share? Jacob had already done a lot for him, and it didn’t seem right to keep withholding things from him. (M/N) was adept at reading people, after all, and he could tell Jacob was genuine in the best way. He wanted to talk to Jacob, but he still found it hard sharing with another person.

Jacob seemed to understand his dilemma. “Hang on, I’ve got an idea.” Before (M/N) could speak again, Jacob ran out of sight. A few seconds later the big wolf trotted back over to (M/N), who couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped his lips. Jacob straightened up in triumph. (M/N) couldn’t lie, this idea did help him feel better. The wolf sat down nearby and watched him with interest.

“Okay, let’s try this, shall we?” (M/N) breathed out and collected his thoughts. “Me and my family never had much, so growing up I was taught how to steal. I discovered a natural talent of being able to read people really well, and started using that a lot. I’ve never been able to rely on anyone else other than my mother and grandmother. After they died, well, it’s been me against the world. I’ve spent my whole life reading people, acting in a way that will get me the things I need to survive.

“Being myself around others… It's terrifying. I’m always scared that if I open up, it’ll be used against me. I’ve made it this far fighting, it’s hard to just… let go of that, and be myself. Shutting people out is second nature at this point, a reflex I didn’t know I struggled to control until recently, since I’ve never had to control it before.

“But being here… it’s made me feel… safe. And that’s something I haven’t felt in a long, long time. So many conflicting emotions, I don’t know what to make of them.”

(M/N) went quiet, focused only on the pond. He couldn't bring himself to look at Jacob now, even in his wolf form. Having revealed everything, he felt exposed, and wanted to go hide. That was, until the wolf entered his vision. (M/N) quickly realised it wasn’t that hard to face Jacob, he just thought it would be. Maybe this would work. Jacob nudged him with his giant wet nose. Even in this form, (M/N) knew what he was trying to say.

“I know, I can tell you’re not dangerous. I’ve just conditioned myself to be wary of everything. But this…” He smiled a proper smile at Jacob, whose body rumbled in delight. “This is nice.”

Chapter Text

Relief. So much relief.

(M/N) couldn't remember the last time he felt this free. Sitting here, with Jacob, it felt like he had no worries for the first time in his life. It was exhilarating to feel so empty. All the baggage he had been hauling around no longer seemed necessary. He laughed, and the Jacob-wolf cocked his head slightly.

"I'm just now realising how miserable I was before I came here."

Jacob huffed and offered him a deep look. (M/N) didn't know what that look meant. It seemed almost... intimate, but he was too embarrassed to admit he didn't know what Jacob was telling him, so he said nothing of it.

"We should probably head back, it's getting cold." Jacob moved closer to (M/N), who could easily feel the heat radiating off his giant furry body. "That must be nice."

Jacob dipped his head, as if he was nodding.

(M/N) lifted his hand outward and held it there for a moment, before letting it rest against the soft fur. It was quite warm, how had he not noticed this the first time? Maybe because he was too busy coming to terms with the fact he had nearly been turned into a vampire after attempting to jump off a cliff.

Jacob lowered his stomach to the floor, wanting (M/N) to hop on. (M/N) noticed Jacob's clothes sitting behind a rock, and laughed.

"You don't wanna forget these, do you?" He said, walking over and picking them up before moving back to Jacob, who looked sheepish. (M/N) climbed over his back and got a good grip, then they were speeding down the steep hill and onto flat ground. Now that (M/N) was focused on the moment, he could feel the heat where his body made contact with Jacob's. (M/N)'s arms were looped around the wolf's neck, leaving him practically hugging the beast as his cloak soared behind him.

They were back in the forest in no time, but Jacob didn't slow down until they had arrived at his house. To not run into any trees at the speed he was going was quite impressive. The wolf stopped moving for a few moments, and (M/N) realised Jacob must have been waiting for him to get off. But when he did, Jacob seemed annoyed. Perhaps he liked the feeling of (M/N) hugging him.

He took his clothes from (M/N) in his mouth, disappearing behind the trees and then reemerging as himself again.

"Sorry, we stayed out longer than I planned, we'll have to settle for leftovers."

After they had eaten and washed up–trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Billy–they got ready to sleep.

"I can sleep on the couch if you'd like," Jacob offered.

"I'm not letting you sleep on the couch just because you offered to let me stay here," (M/N) countered. "I can sleep on the couch."

"Not a chance."

"Then I hope you don't move around a lot in your sleep," (M/N) said, climbing onto the bed. He took the side closest to the window.

"Not usually." Jacob laid down on the other side. It was quiet for a few moments, neither of them moving in the dark.

"I know I already said this... But thanks, Jacob, for saving me. This is quite literally the best thing that's happened to me in ages."

He could hear Jacob shifting in the dark. "I'm glad. I mean–not that you've been miserable, I was trying to say–"

(M/N) cut him off with a light laugh. "I know, relax."

He fell asleep quite easily. He was woken up once the sun had risen high enough to peer in through the trees and directly into his eyes. He felt uncomfortably hot, and when he tried to get up, he realised why.

Jacob had him locked in a tight grip and he couldn't get out.

"Jacob."

Nothing.

"Jacob." (M/N) nudged him and he groaned. He slowly opened his eyes, coming face to face with (M/N) who watched him with an unamused expression. He was still for a few seconds before he seemed to realise what was going on and quickly retracting his arms, practically launching himself off the bed.

"My bad..."

"Do you not feel uncomfortable when you're that hot all the time?"

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm hot?" he teased.

(M/N) narrowed his eyes. "Don't test me."

Jacob raised his hands in defence before leaving the room.

It was a rather hot day in general, so Jacob suggested they head down to the river, which (M/N) hadn't seen before.

"Every day you show me something new," (M/N) said as they walked through the forest. "I swear this place has everything."

"I mean, it kind of has to, since we've lived here for generations," Jacob answered.

"That makes sense."

(M/N) didn't know if they were heading in the same direction as yesterday. He recognised some buildings, but the wilderness beyond that was just indiscernible. Jacob always seemed to know exactly where they were going, though. If (M/N) lived here his whole life, he supposed he would also become adept at recognising where everything is based on small environmental cues.

The sound of running water filled his ears after some time, and he spotted part of the river flowing downwards.

"This way." (M/N) followed Jacob alongside the river, and the sound of water grew louder, until they reached a small waterfall that dropped into a small pool area much like the place Jacob showed him in the mountains, but there was a small opening at the other end that kept going into the river.

"So what are we doing?" (M/N) asked.

Jacob pulled his shirt over his head and smiled at (M/N). "Swimming, you said it was hot today. It would probably do you good to take the cloak off."

(M/N) rolled his eyes but unfastened the cloak from around his shoulders. He was quite warm, and swimming sounded fun. He pulled his shirt over his head and took his shoes off, Jacob did the same. After piling his things by the base of a nearby tree, he moved closer to the water, trying to see how deep the bottom was from his position.

"You can jump from anywhere, it's pretty deep," Jacob said. (M/N) crouched down to dip his fingers into the water where it flew over the cliff edge. It felt pretty nice in contrast to the hot sun beating down through the trees. (M/N) was startled when Jacob wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted him up, moving closer to the edge.

"Let me go!" (M/N) thrashed about, but couldn't break free. "I can jump on my own!"

"Nah, this is more fun!" Jacob leaped off the edge and they were very quickly submerged. The cool water immediately relaxed (M/N)'s body, but he was more focused on trying to get Jacob to let go as they resurfaced.

Jacob laughed. "See? Fun."

He finally let go of (M/N), who turned around and pushed down on Jacob's shoulders to submerge him again. When he came up, (M/N) splashed him with water.

"I should drown you."

Jacob smiled gleefully at him. "I'd like to see you try. Does the water feel nice?"

(M/N) rolled his eyes. "Now he asks me."

"Oh come on, the jump didn't hurt, did it?" Jacob asked teasingly, but also slightly concerned.

(M/N) gave him a deadpan look. "Just because I'm not a werewolf, doesn't mean I'm made of glass." He swam back a little, feeling the water flow around him. "It is pretty nice here."

"I like to sit under the waterfall, it's pretty relaxing," Jacob said.

"Yeah, getting pummeled by water. So relaxing," (M/N) said. Jacob smiled at him and reached forward. (M/N) tried to swim away but Jacob grabbed his leg, pulling him into his chest as he swam back towards the waterfall.

(M/N) didn't even try to fight him this time, just let himself be dragged through the water. Jacob's skin still felt hot against his back, even in the cool water. It was a strange contrast, but not unpleasant. Getting slammed in the head by water was unpleasant, though.

"I'm not a ragdoll!" (M/N) shouted over the roar of the water, he didn't even know if Jacob could hear him, since he was also getting slammed.

Then (M/N) was being pulled back further, behind the waterfall into a small cave area. Jacob finally let him go, but there wasn't any room to swim away, so they stayed huddled together.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Jacob said knowingly.

"Unlike you."

"True. I'm hot."

"Do you still feel hot in the water?" (M/N asked. He reached out slightly to touch Jacob's arm, trailing a hand up to his shoulder. Jacob was quiet the whole time, not speaking until (M/N) moved his hand away.

"Yeah I do," Jacob said in a quiet voice. He snapped out of whatever trance he was in and went back to his usual self after that.

The next few days passed by, and (M/N) grew closer to Jacob, and the other wolf boys. Sometimes they would go to Emily's to hang out. Today was one of those days.

"Hey, you wanna come with us?" Jacob asked.

(M/N) looked up at him from the table he was at. Embry and Sam had just left not long ago, heading for the mountains while Jared and Paul went home. Jacob stood there expectantly.

"What, on patrol?" (M/N) gave him a dubious look. "That doesn't make sense."

"I'm only patrolling the mountain's edge, all the way around, so Sam said I could bring you."

(M/N) raised an eyebrow. "Did he?" He couldn't imagine Sam just being okay with that.

Jacob gave a cheeky smile. "Well, he more so just doesn't care anymore, because he knows I'll keep annoying him. Anyway it's like I said; I'm not going far, so if anything happens, they'll be first to find out, not us."

"Well how long would we be out there?" (M/N) asked. It was late afternoon right now, and they usually stayed out for a while.

"Early morning, but I was just saying you could come for the first few hours, then I'd take you back," Jacob suggested.

"Sure, I guess," (M/N) said.

That was how (M/N) ended up walking through the forest outside the mountains with the giant russet brown wolf. It was his first time leaving the mountains since he arrived, and they looked even taller from outside. And uninviting.

Jacob kept a pace slow enough to match (M/N), which (M/N) was becoming increasingly conscious about.

"Are you meant to go this slow? Me being here just seems like a big inconvenience," (M/N) said, pulling his hood over his head. The sun was setting, and the air was getting cooler.

A low rumble filled Jacob's chest, then he shook his head.

"It's not?" (M/N) guessed.

Jacob nodded, then growled suddenly. (M/N) assumed the other boys were saying something to him, and he had to remind himself that they could hear everything happening through Jacob's mind.

"Sounds like it is," (M/N) said.

Jacob made a movement (M/N) couldn't understand, but didn't stop walking, so (M/N) dropped it. They kept going until it had been dark for a while, then Jacob insisted they go back.

"This seems really inconvenient to do," (M/N) said as he hopped onto Jacob's back. "It'd be better if I didn't come with you out here."

He said that, but he rather enjoyed it. They had been out there for hours, and still hadn't circled the entirety of the perimeter. Walking through the surrounding forest was relaxing though.

Jacob didn't bother arguing with (M/N) this time, just took off sprinting once (M/N) was seated comfortably. Of course, it took mere minutes to get back after how long they had been out. They stopped outside Jacob's house.

"Are you going back out?" (M/N) asked. Jacob dipped his head. "Okay then, have fun I guess." (M/N) felt the urge to pat Jacob's head, and laughed when his tail started wagging. "You're like a giant dog."

The next day was the same, as Jacob asked to patrol the perimeter again just so (M/N) could come. This time Paul and Jared were out while Embry and Sam stayed back. Most of the time it was the same as yesterday, with (M/N) having short conversations with Jacob. Well, more like one-sided talking, which he wasn't used to. But even when it was silent, it was peaceful.

They had gone the opposite way that night, and eventually they reached a drop-off. It was like a small ravine, the bottom filled with water that flowed out from small openings in the mountain. This must be where the river went.

Jacob gestured to his back, and (M/N) assumed Jacob was telling him to get on, probably so they could jump across or something. (M/N) spotted a large tree growing over the edge. The branches looked decently thick and they almost reached the other side at the angle they were on.

"What if I went across from there, instead," (M/N) teased. Jacob huffed in clear disapproval, but (M/N) liked how nervous Jacob looked, so he decided to do it. "Trust me, it's fine."

Jacob moved in front of him, but (M/N) swiftly moved over his back and ran to the tree, climbing up before Jacob could bite into his clothes to pull him back.

(M/N) climbed up towards the part where the branches moved over the ravine, watching Jacob pace back and forth underneath him anxiously. It was amusing, it felt nice to have some form of power over Jacob.

Jacob whined when (M/N) moved over the edge, balancing on the branch. It was big enough that he could walk across it, but halfway across, he pretended to slip, shouting as he dropped onto the branch. A loud yelp could be heard from behind, and he burst out laughing as he clutched onto the branch.

"What's the matter, Jakey?" he said once his laughter died down. Jacob growled, whether at him, or at the boys who (M/N) had no doubt were having a go at him right now, (M/N) wasn't sure. He grinned as he continued over to the end of the branch, jumping the short distance to the other side of the ravine. Jacob backed up slightly, before running forwards and leaping over to (M/N)'s side. He trotted over and nipped at (M/N)'s arm, who pulled it back.

"Ow!"

Jacob huffed angrily.

"You can't blame me. You had it coming after we went swimming," (M/N) said.

Jacob rolled his eyes. As he went to move again, he froze. (M/N) imagined one of the others was talking to him, but it didn't seem playful anymore.

"What?"

Jacob crouched down and quite literally pushed his body through (M/N)'s legs, which forced (M/N) to widen them to let Jacob through, or else he would lose his balance. Jacob very obviously wanted (M/N) to get on his back, so (M/N) sat himself there, and Jacob took off at top speed moments later. (M/N) kept a tight grip as they moved through the forest, until Jacob made a sharp turn into a small entrance through the mountain. In no time, they were back inside, and flying through the forest.

Jacob only came to a stop once they had arrived at Emily's house. Jacob pushed his head against (M/N)'s back until he was through the door, then he ran off back towards the mountain.

(M/N) watched him disappear in shocked silence. What happened? The mood had switched almost instantly, they must have found something, a vampire?

Probably Edward.

A shiver ran through (M/N)'s spine. He had nearly forgotten about the vampire in recent days, but now he was reminded that Edward was still out there, and probably close by.

"What was that about?"

(M/N) looked at Emily, who had seen the whole exchange from the living room.

"I'm not sure," (M/N) said.

The wolves didn't come back until the next day. When they got back, they told him and Emily that Embry had picked up on a vampire's scent, one that had been circling the mountains, and they were trying to find him. The chances of it being Edward were pretty high, considering they said that most vampire's kept their distance when they smelled the wolves, but (M/N) didn't know how they would catch him when he could read their minds.

The wolves started going out as a group a lot more. (M/N) couldn't say it didn't make him anxious, and that feeling in of itself made him more uncomfortable. Worrying about another person, it made things a lot worse, because he couldn't just focus on himself. Jacob said the wolves were made to kill vampires, but if they were all going out at once, it couldn't be that easy.

(M/N) quickly found out that Emily wasn't in that different of a position than him. She always worried when Sam and the others went out, and couldn't always sleep, so sometimes he went over and she would teach him more sewing, to keep their minds occupied. The boys always came back unharmed, but they did confirm that it was Edward running them in circles, Jacob saw him.

That also meant that Edward knew for sure that (M/N) was here now, no doubt seeing that in their minds, so they had to be more careful to make sure he didn't slip past them.

One night, (M/N) was woken up by voices outside. Jacob and Sam. It sounded like they were trying to be quiet, but their voices were harsh at the same time. After a little while the front door opened and (M/N) heard who he assumed to be Jacob approaching, Jacob froze when he walked into his room and saw (M/N) watching him.

"Sorry, did we wake you?"

(M/N) ignored him, more focused on the red marks and bruises covering his torso. He moved off the bed and walked over to Jacob.

"What happened?" he hissed quietly.

Jacob shrugged. "The bloodsucker's hard to catch when he can read your every move. I jumped him, but he's slippery."

"Slippery? It looks like he did more than just run away!"

"Relax, that's another wolf thing. We heal really fast."

So it was worse, (M/N) thought. He didn't want to imagine what Jacob looked like right after getting attacked. But he was right, Edward's ability to see what they were going to do before they did it made him dangerous to the wolves.

"You're ridiculous," (M/N) said, examining the long line trailing all the way up Jacob's right arm.

"It'll be okay. We'll catch him," Jacob said.

"He's gonna kill you," (M/N) added.

Jacob gripped his shoulders. "(M/N), you've gotta have more faith in us. Actually, I was gonna ask you how you kept him out of your mind, seems like a real handy skill."

"It's not something I just happen to be able to do. Years and years of manipulation just makes it second nature for me." (M/N) walked back to sit on the edge of the bed, Jacob joined him. "Even then, it's not a walk in the park. Trying not to think of anything all the time is difficult."

Jacob sighed. "It would be easier if you were a wolf and I could see your mind."

"Well I'm not," (M/N) said. "If you pay enough attention to people's features, it's almost like a form of mind reading, anyway."

"In that case... What am I thinking right now?" Jacob challenged. But when (M/N) looked at him, he looked nervous.

"You're clearly worried about something, I don't think that's hard for anyone to guess." (M/N) looked away and waited for Jacob to speak again, but he didn't. (M/N) looked at him again curiously. Jacob was still looking at him nervously, but there was a deep look in his eyes, one that was longing–

(M/N) blinked in surprise. "Oh." He suddenly felt warm, despite not touching Jacob. "I... don't know what to say to that."

Jacob seemed to take that negatively. "I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, I can leave–"

"No, that's... not it." (M/N) would have laughed at the flustered feeling he had, but didn't want to risk making Jacob feel worse. "I've never had anyone feel that way before, obviously."

"And... what do you think?" Jacob asked cautiously, moving a little closer.

"I think... I like that," (M/N) said. Jacob was evidently satisfied with that answer, and he gently moved his hand towards (M/N), palm up. (M/N) looked at it for a moment before placing his own hand on top, enclosing his fingers as Jacob did. His hand was warm, comfortable.

"We'll definitely get rid of the bloodsucker, I promise," Jacob said.

(M/N) leaned his head on Jacob's shoulder. He missed this kind of contact. Well, even with his family, it wasn't like this. This was something new entirely, and he didn't want to lose it. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

He felt Jacob shift, and lifted his head to look at him. Jacob's face was close to his, and (M/N) could tell immediately what he wanted. He did nothing as Jacob slowly leaned closer–his breath hot against (M/N)'s face–and connected their lips.

It was very warm, and his lips were soft. After a very long moment, Jacob slowly pulled away, and they looked at each other in silence. (M/N) tried to calm his heart.

"Have you ever done that before?" he asked.

Jacob shook his head. "Have you?"

"Of course not." He smiled softly. "I liked it, though."

"Well, there's plenty more where that came from," Jacob said, but (M/N) stopped him when he leaned in again.

"It's late, we should probably sleep."

Jacob sighed but moved away. "Fair enough."

When (M/N) woke up the next morning, Jacob was already awake, tracing a finger down his arm. (M/N) could feel the warmth pressed up against him.

"Sleep well?"

(M/N) sat up and twisted his back. Jacob wasn't kidding about that healing thing, (M/N) couldn't see a single mark on him anymore. "Yeah, what's the plan today?"

Jacob rose as well. "We're probably all going to go out again once it starts to get dark."

(M/N) nodded. "Emily's been teaching me to sew, so I might head back to hers again today."

"I'll come with you. Sam wants us to meet him there, anyway."

After getting ready and grabbing something to eat, they left the house and made their way to Emily's. Looking at the sky, (M/N) noted how dark and cloudy it was, blocking the sun from coming through. The air felt heavy as well, it was probably going to rain at some point, maybe even storm. Either way, it left an ominous feeling with (M/N).

The wolf boys–minus Embry–were already seated around the table, eating an exorbitant amount of food as usual.

"Took your time," Jared said in between mouthfuls when Jacob sat down at the table. Jacob elbowed him.

"Close your mouth, pig."

"You'd rather spend time with him, we get it," Paul snickered.

It took some time for (M/N) to get used to the fact that every time they phased, Jacob would inevitably let some thoughts of their time together slip, and the rest would hear it, so they had taken to teasing them quite often. It didn't bother (M/N) too much anymore, though. He didn't miss the look Jacob gave him, and he knew that the next time they phased, they would definitely hear what happened last night. At least (M/N) wouldn't have to deal with the aftermath of that before Jacob.

(M/N) moved to the kitchen, where Sam was hugging Emily from behind while she cleaned up. She smiled at him.

"More sewing today?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

"Of course not, I enjoy it. Just let me finish up here."

(M/N) turned back to the table, before looking at Sam. "Where's Embry?"

Sam didn't let go of Emily, but turned his head to look at (M/N). "He's still on patrol from earlier this morning, he should be getting back soon."

(M/N) nodded before returning to the table with the other boys while he waited for Emily to finish up.

(M/N) spent the next hour or so copying Emily's movements with a thread and needle, before a distant howl caught their attention. That couldn't be anyone except Embry, and they moved back into the main room to find all the boys except Sam already gone. He was about to leave as well.

"Embry must have seen him again, we have to go help him."

They watched as he ran out of the house with worry. (M/N) hoped Jacob wouldn't get hurt again.

"They'll be okay, it's what they're made for," Emily said. She didn't sound very sure, though.

A couple more hours passed and eventually they moved to the kitchen. (M/N) helped her cook up some food–enough for all the boys, but they didn't show up. He had started hearing faint thunder outside, the clouds were even darker.

After they ate, (M/N) helped Emily pack away the extra food before deciding to go for a walk, grabbing his cloak. He was too anxious to sit still. It was already weird enough that they caught sight of Edward during the day–though (M/N) supposed the thick layer of clouds in the atmosphere keeping the sun well away from reaching the ground meant that Edward wasn't as weak as he would be–but there hadn't been any sign of the boys since they left. Usually some would come back, or they would all be done within a couple of hours. At least, that was based off of when they patrolled while (M/N) was still awake. Majority of the time they would go out after midnight, but a fair few times they had left hours earlier.

(M/N) wandered through the forest for a while, passing the various houses and buildings. Everyone else seemed to be going about the day normally, but he supposed the whole wolf thing wasn't a concern to the general population, especially when they weren't filled in on any potential threats lurking beyond the mountains.

He went out to the meadow again, trying to calm himself with the view. It didn't feel as nice as the first time, though. Not having Jacob here and the strong breeze whipping at (M/N) made it hard to relax. The mountains surrounding the land didn't feel as protective as they did before. How close was Edward? Was he fighting the wolves? Were they hurt? Was Jacob hurt?

Eventually he got up again, walking off towards the place where the pond Jacob took him to was. He just wished they would get back already, he hated feeling like this.

It started raining and (M/N) brought the hood over his head, debating whether or not he should continue forward or go back. He was closer to the mountain than he was to the forest by now, so he decided to keep going, jogging to get there quicker. The thunder was much louder by the time he reached the base of the mountain, flashes of lightning lighting up the sky every now and then. (M/N) relaxed once he made it to the pond. He sat down in the under cover area, wringing out his cloak and flipping the hood back. It didn't stop the rest of him from being drenched at all, but he didn't really care, it was just water.

At some point he dozed off to the sound of rain, and he was startled awake again when a particularly loud rumble of thunder echoed through the air. It sounded as if it was almost directly above him. He didn't know how long he was asleep for, but it looked darker outside. It was hard to tell for sure, since the thick clouds still covered the sky, pouring down rain. However late it was, he was sure Jacob would have been able to pick up on his scent by now, so if he hadn't, that must mean he still wasn't back. Or maybe the rain washed away any traces he had come over here? His clothes weren't completely soaked now, moreso damp, so it had to have been a decent amount of time.

He hoped the rain didn't wash away his scent. If it did and Jacob had come back, he would be worried when he couldn't find (M/N). Maybe he should just tough it out and run back through the rain.

(M/N) jumped when that loud thunder rang through the air again. That wasn't right. It sounded like it was closer this time, but there was a slight difference to it. He stood up and moved closer to the opening. It sounded like it was coming from higher up on the mountain, further to the right a bit, maybe. It was almost like someone banging metal against something. But who would be up there, especially in the middle of this storm?

"That would be me."

(M/N)'s heart dropped at the familiar voice. How was that possible? He slowly turned around to see Edward standing at the other end of the pond, a giant metal pipe in his hand. (M/N) felt sick when he saw blood on it, trailing down to the bottom and dripping off when the rain washed it away.

Where were they? Where was Jacob? He knew this wouldn't end well.

He quickly made himself shut up, emptying his head the best he could in his panicked state as Edward stalked towards him, circling the pond. (M/N) copied his movements, trying to keep as much distance between them as possible, but he knew if Edward really wanted to, he could grab (M/N) in the blink of an eye.

"It's good to see you again, Little Red," Edward said. "Or should I say, (M/N)."

(M/N) couldn't stop himself from wondering how much information Edward had gotten from Jacob's mind.

"Quite a lot, actually. Including that you and that mutt got pretty close. A shame for you."

(M/N) resisted the urge to throw up and kept a straight face. He might have let his guard down these past few days, but he hadn't lost his touch. "You're just saying that."

Edward just smiled and held up the pipe, which had mostly been washed clean, but there was still some blood there, supporting his point. Someone had clearly gotten hurt. (M/N) wouldn't give in to his fears, though. Jacob was strong, they all were.

"It's a little funny you think that, I must say. Even with all of them at once, I still managed to slip through."

"Why can't you leave us alone?"

"This chase has been the most fun I've had in a long time. Making those dogs look like idiots, while finding you." Edward laughed. "I will admit, I did have thoughts about stopping when you first got away from me. I knew that mutt would take you back to this place–I'd passed by a couple of times–and I knew it was always heavily guarded. But after reading his thoughts... I knew you were too good to give up. He made it so much easier after trying to attack me." Edward smiled knowingly at (M/N), his blood-red eyes piercing through the dark. "Did you enjoy the gift I left you?"

(M/N) was reminded of when Jacob came back with red marks all across his skin. Edward clicked his tongue.

"I knew they healed fast, but not that fast. You didn't get to see just how badly–"

"Shut your mouth," (M/N) said, a hint of anger slipping through his voice.

Edward narrowed his eyes. "Letting the cracks in your facade show. It seems like you've gotten sloppy. This should be fun."

"They'll track you down," (M/N) said, but he didn't believe that, he didn't even know if they were still alive.

Edward was in front of (M/N) in the blink of an eye, the wind force blowing his cloak back. He barely had time to stumble before he was thrown over Edward's shoulder and they were soaring through the air. No, not the air, up the side of the mountain at an incredible speed. The rain hitting (M/N)'s body at this speed was incredibly painful, and suddenly he found himself standing at the top of the mountain. There wasn't a lot of room up here, barely any flat ground before it dropped off a couple of metres onto the steep slope moving down. The clouds were much closer now, and visibility was even worse. (M/N) could barely see Edward through the thick rain.

"Now let's see them try," Edward boasted. Did he mean to gloat that much? It implied the wolves were still around. They must have known he slipped through, if he brought (M/N) all the way up here. Edward's narrowed expression proved him right. All (M/N) had to do was hold out.

"You're too smart for your own good, Little Red." Edward grabbed his arm and pulled him in, the grip incredibly painful. (M/N) tried to wrench the icy fingers off his arm, but to no avail. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out you're a vampire."

"No," (M/N) hissed. "Over my dead body."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice."

(M/N) was panicking now and slammed his hands against Edward as hard as he could, but all that did was hurt him. Edward's arm stayed locked around his waist while the other moved his head to the side.

Immense pain shot through his body as Edward's teeth broke through his skin like paper. He yelled at the top of his lungs and thrashed. It felt like liquid lava was spreading through his veins. He had never experienced anything as painful as this, but Edward didn't stop. His body shook slightly as he moved closer. (M/N) barely noticed in his hysterical state. Did he lose control? It seemed like it. (M/N)'s body became incredibly weak in an alarming amount of time. Whatever happened, he was no longer turning. The venom had been sucked back out, but now his blood was leaving his body, too.

His voice died down and his movements became sluggish, until eventually he went limp. He felt so cold, and tired. Was this it, then? The end? His eyelids drooped as he tried to keep breathing, which got harder by the second.

Even with the roar of rain and thunder, (M/N) suddenly heard an incredibly loud snarl rip through the air. Edward seemed too out of it to realise, and suddenly his head had been ripped off his body. (M/N) barely caught the sight of a red wolf–no, it was Jacob, his fur was just matted with blood.

Edward's body lost its hold on (M/N), and he fell backwards. He expected to hit the ground, but remembered how high up they were, and how little stable ground there was. He was filled with a dreadful feeling as he fell a couple of metres. His back slammed into something hard and uneven–the mountain side. He barely had enough time to register the extreme pain before he kept falling.

(M/N)'s body was too weak to do anything, but he felt every bit of pain as he fell. Every single rock, scrape, smack. It shot through his body in full agony. He was still going to die.

He caught sight of a blur speeding towards him, and suddenly his body was covered in fur. It was Jacob, he had curled his giant body around (M/N)'s as they dropped. The pain lessened greatly as (M/N)'s body was no longer taking the brunt of the hits, but the damage had already been done, he could feel it. The smell of iron was strong on his nose, but he couldn't tell if it was from Jacob's blood or his.

He was completely disoriented as they spun, until eventually it stopped, and they fell straight down a great distance. After a few seconds a yelp echoed from Jacob as they hit the ground. (M/N) tumbled off of him and onto the grass. He could barely keep his eyes open, and felt warmth across his body, especially on his forehead. That was definitely blood. He wanted to get up, check on Jacob, who let out a deep whine, but he couldn't even lift a finger. (M/N) spotted more movement in his narrowed vision, and then familiar voices. The other wolf boys.

"What happened?"

"Is he still alive?"

"Jacob, stop moving!" Sam's voice ordered. (M/N) could feel a muzzle nudge his back gently, he knew it was Jacob, given the pained noises that were still escaping him.

(M/N) tried to lift a hand, a finger–even just let out a heavy breath, but he couldn't. He felt more movement, Jacob must have been trying to shift back. "Don't! Your bones are broken, you need to heal first!"

Jacob growled in protest.

"We'll take him," Sam assured Jacob. (M/N) felt his body being lifted into the air and suddenly the person carrying him was running. (M/N) was barely conscious, and only saw things happen in pieces, yet he didn't feel like he was unconscious. He vaguely remembered his body being lowered onto something soft, a bed maybe.

"He's lost a lot of blood."

"Look at the marks, he was bitten."

"But not turned."

"He needs blood, badly."

"Get some blood bags!"

"What's his blood type?"

"This one, I can smell it."

In and out of reality for a while. (M/N) had no sense of time in this state, on the brink of death. At one point he could hear Jacob's voice, but had no idea what words were being said. It felt like an eternity before he was fully aware of his surroundings again. His sight focused on the beige room. He quickly realised he was in a small soft bed.This must have been a hospital room of sorts. He winced when he tried to move and he focused on someone sitting in a chair by his bed. They looked like they were asleep, hunched over. It was Jacob.

"Jacob?" His voice was hoarse and speaking took a decent amount of effort.

Jacob's head snapped up almost instantly. He got up and leaned over the side of the bed railing.

"(M/N)! How do you feel?"

(M/N) smiled slightly. "Terrible." There were tubes connected to his arm. "How long have I been here?"

"A couple of days, you've been in and out for the most part."

"What happened to–"

"The leech?" Jacob spat with pure disgust. "I ripped him apart. The others burned the remains. He's gone." Jacob frowned and clenched his fists angrily. "I'm sorry I wasn't faster. I realised he had slipped past us too late. If I was quicker–"

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have been out there," (M/N) said, reaching out to rest his hand on Jacob's fist, which relaxed instantly. "It's over now though, right?"

Jacob nodded. "Yes. It's over." He gripped (M/N)'s hand gently. "I promise I won't ever let anything like this happen ever again. I'll keep you safe."

"What about you? You took most of that beating when we were falling. We fell a huge distance!" (M/N) winced at the pain when he spoke too loud.

"Hey, relax. You still need to heal. As for me, I guess it's a good thing I heal fast, right?" Jacob said with a smile, before it reverted back to a frown. "I thought you were dead. You weren't moving at all, and I could tell–you lost so much blood to that parasite."

"Well, I'm alive now. No point in dwelling on bad experiences."

Jacob stayed with (M/N) until he was deemed well enough to go free, which couldn't have come sooner. His body felt pretty stiff and sore at first, but he denied Jacob's offer to carry him everywhere. It got easier after some force, and eventually he could walk properly again. Once he was well enough, everyone went to Emily's for a sort of dinner celebration. It was rather fun, minus the boys' teasing (M/N) and Jacob, but even that wasn't too bad.

(M/N) stepped outside some time later, running the fabric of the cloak through his fingers as he sat by a bench next to the house. The cloak had gotten ripped up again, but Emily had it fixed up before he could even ask about it. Wisps danced about throughout the whole forest. They always made things feel magical. (M/N) snorted at that, as if werewolves and vampires weren't magical enough. He watched the night sky for a few minutes before Jacob joined him.

"Trying to escape, are you?"

(M/N) huffed in exaggeration. "Yeah, you're just too insufferable."

"You wound me," Jacob said. "What, are you afraid of the big bad wolf, Little Red?"

(M/N) raised an eyebrow at that. "You're bringing that back, are you?"

"I claimed the name, since I beat the bloodsucker. What, don't like it?"

(M/N) hummed. He hated hearing it from Edward, but from Jacob, it held a different meaning. "No, I don't care."

"Then what's the issue?"

(M/N) pretended to think for a long moment. "Big? Maybe. But bad? You're too cute to be bad."

"You wanna put that to the test?" Jacob challenged.

"Well it's definitely cute that you think you can challenge me." (M/N) nudged Jacob lightly. "Outside of raw strength, I've got you beat, sorry to say."

Jacob smiled and turned (M/N) to face him. He leaned in and placed a deep kiss on his lips that (M/N) happily reciprocated, bringing his hand up to brush across Jacob's cheek. When their lips parted, Jacob wrapped an arm around (M/N)'s waist, pulling him close while he rested his head on top of (M/N)'s. "Always, Little Red."

End

Chapter Text

(M/N) slowly opened his eyes and rolled over, away from the sun peeking in through his blinds. He sighed sleepily before his eyes settled on his phone on the bedside table. He looked at it through half-lidded eyes and reached over, turning it on. He stared at the numbers on the screen for a moment before the time registered in his brain.

His eyes shot open and he quickly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and practically jumping over to his closet. He skidded to a stop before redirecting to run to the bathroom. He had 5 minutes before the bus arrived. Did he sleep through his alarm? Or did he just turn it off without interrupting his sleep? Either way, it didn’t matter, he had to rush if he wanted to get to school on time.

He didn’t wait for the water to warm up before he jumped in the shower, washing himself down as quickly as possible before drying off and running back into his room.

He threw on his clothes, consisting of a flannel shirt and black jeans and his shoes before grabbing his bag and shoving all his stuff inside. He slung it over his shoulder and moved to leave his room, when his eyes fell on the small wrapped present by his closet. He quickly grabbed it and put it in his bag, running through the hallway towards the front door. He definitely did not want to forget that on today of all days. The house was quiet, which meant his parents had already left for work. No time for breakfast.

After locking the front door, he ran down the street towards the intersection. He could hear the bus approaching and willed himself to run faster, just barely making it before the driver would have driven past.

He hunched over for a moment, catching his breath, before he climbed into the bus. He scanned the students until his eyes fell upon Ella, whose eyes brightened when she saw him and then she was waving him over.

(M/N) caught himself when the bus moved, before dropping into the seat beside Ella.

She took in his heavily breathing form. “You woke up like five minutes ago, didn’t you?”

He rolled his eyes. “Leave me alone. I swear my alarm just didn’t go off, because I don’t recall hearing it at all.”

Ella shook her head disapprovingly before digging into her bag. She pulled out a packet of chips and handed it to him.

(M/N) took it. “Thanks.” That’s when he noticed the excited expression on her face. “What?”

“We’re finally doing it today,” she said.

“You and Joey?” (M/N) asked. She nodded. “Like, you guys are gonna have sex–”

Ella clamped a hand over his mouth, looking around at the others closest to them. “Yes, you don’t need to announce it to the whole bus. Lower your voice a little?” she spoke in a slightly hushed tone.

(M/N) pulled her hand away. “Sorry. When are you guys gonna…”

“At lunch we’re gonna head back to his place.” She grinned sheepishly. “I’m super excited, but also nervous.”

“Well, he really likes you, I’m sure it will go well,” (M/N) said. “Will you be back afterwards?”

“We shouldn’t be long.” She brushed a hand through her black hair. “Should I have styled it?”

“I think it’s fine, you’re not going out or anything,” (M/N) answered. She was wearing a simple shirt and shorts. “As long as you make it special for just the two of you, I think that’s all that matters for Valentine’s Day.”

“I hope so.”

They kept chatting for the remainder of the bus ride, which wasn’t too long, and walked up the steps towards the front entrance along with all the other students.

(M/N) chucked out the empty bag of chips after dumping them in his mouth previously. “Thanks for that. It’s a good thing you’re always prepared,” (M/N) said.

“I didn’t actually eat breakfast,” Ella said.

(M/N) looked at her in surprise. “What, you’re not gonna eat at all?”

Ella shrugged. “I just think it’s better to wait.”

(M/N) thought for a moment. “How about I save you a sandwich or something then?”

“Yeah, that would be good.”

Once they neared the front entrance, they spotted Joey, who was talking to Willy. (M/N) couldn’t stop the smile that crept across his face. Every time he saw Willy, his heart skipped a beat. Willy seemed so effortless, even now. His short hair, his elbow-length collared blue shirt, his jeans. It wasn’t impressive by any means, but Willy just always seemed perfect no matter what. Willy smiled back at him and said one more thing to Joey before walking over.

“I’m gonna go now, see you,” Ella said, winking at (M/N) as Willy approached.

“See you.” (M/N) waved at Joey who waved back before Ella reached him.

“Have fun at lunch!” Willy called out before leaning on the railing beside (M/N). Ella and Joey smiled at them before turning back to each other, sharing a deep kiss. Willy nudged (M/N) lightly. “So, what do you think?”

(M/N) raised an eyebrow as he pointed a finger at himself and then Joey and Ella. Willy was clearly implying that they could be doing the same as their friends at lunch. “We should wait. I just wanna enjoy today, you know?”

Willy seemed to think his words over before nodding. “Yeah, okay. Good.”

(M/N) could hear the slight disappointment in his voice. “Okay, maybe tomorrow.”

Willy’s expression brightened a little. “I’m fine with that.”

(M/N) chuckled and playfully slapped his shoulder. Willy smiled warmly at him before his eyes lit up–remembering something.

“Oh, that reminds me…” He walked back over to his previous position and reached behind one of the thick trees. (M/N) stifled a laugh as Willy tried to conceal the gift behind his back. (M/N) could easily tell it was a massive bouquet of flowers. Willy jogged back over when he realised it was showing and quickly handed it to (M/N).

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” WIlly said with a wink.

(M/N) happily took the bouquet, examining all the flowers. There were a variety of colours, and it was heavy enough that (M/N) had to use both hands after a couple of seconds, as his wrist grew tired. “Wow, where did you get this?”

Willy looked proud of himself as he spoke. “There was a flower vendor at the shops around the corner. I went there earlier. Do you like it?”

(M/N) beamed at him. “I love it.” He leaned over to kiss Willy on the cheek. Willy pouted.

“That’s it?”

“Oh you’ll get more later,” (M/N) assured him in a false fed up tone. He moved the bouquet under one arm and pulled his bag around to his chest, opening it. He dug through his stuff before pulling out the small gift he wrapped, handing it to Willy.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” (M/N) repeated with a grin.

“You didn’t have to,” Willy said.

(M/N) rolled his eyes and swung his bag back to his back, gripping onto the bouquet with both hands again. “Of course I did. Open it!”

Willy eagerly unwrapped the gift, not hiding his surprise when he saw what was inside. He pulled out a loose black bracelet.

“I made it myself,” (M/N) said.

“That’s… amazing.”

(M/N) frowned at the pause. “You don’t like it?”

Willy looked up in alarm. “No, I love it! I was just shocked, that’s all. It’s really nice. You really made this?”

(M/N) nodded excitedly. “I’m glad you like it.”

Willy put it on, looking at it for a moment before wrapping an arm around (M/N)’s waist. “Thanks babe.”

“We should probably get to class,” (M/N) said, and they walked towards the doors, Willy still holding onto him. He examined the bouquet again. “Do you think this will fit in my locker?”

Willy hummed. “Maybe. Guess we’ll see.”

They walked through the hall towards their lockers. (M/N) happily leaned into Willy’s side embrace.

“How are your classes going, by the way?” (M/N) asked.

“Not good,” Willy groaned.

(M/N) lightly tapped his chest. “Just let me help you.”

“Well not tonight, we’ve got plans, remember?” Willy reminded him teasingly.

(M/N) chuckled. “Like I’d forget.”

They arrived at (M/N)’s locker first, and he grabbed the things he needed first to make space, then tried to put the bouquet in without crushing it. He pushed the flowers together slightly and moved it in.

“You need help?” Willy asked.

“Nah I’ve got this.” (M/N) gently moved the bouquet to the back of his locker, and shut the door. “I do like the flowers, but maybe it would have been better to wait until after school.”

Willy rubbed his neck sheepishly. “Sorry, I was just excited to get you something…”

(M/N) smiled at him. “I know, you should probably get going as well, or you’ll be late.”

Willy looked at him expectantly as he leaned against the locker. He was purposely trying to look attractive. Like he needed to try at all when it came to (M/N). (M/N) rolled his eyes and pulled Willy’s head towards his. His lips met Willy’s, who let out a sigh at the feeling. Just as he tried to deepen the kiss, (M/N) moved away, leaving him disappointed.

The bell rang and (M/N) waved him off. “Don’t give me that look. Go on now.”

Willy grinned. “Fine. See you later,” he said as he walked off.

(M/N) walked off to his own class afterwards, sliding into his seat right as the teacher went to start the lesson.

“Cutting it close. You’ve gotta stop sucking face before class.”

(M/N) turned to look at the guy next to him when he made kissing noises.

“Oh, shut up Alex,” (M/N) said, shaking his head. “I was not sucking face.” Not now, anyway.

“That would be a first,” Alex said. He swept his shaggy hair back and gave (M/N) a hard stare. “‘Hey babe, you wanna skip class and make out in the bathroom again?’”

(M/N) raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his face. “You don’t seriously think he sounds like that, do you?”

“Do you two have something to share with the rest of the class?” the teacher called suddenly.

“No, sir,” they both said, and redirected their gazes back to the front of the room.

Sometimes (M/N) still felt like this wasn’t real. But being with Willy made him realise that real life fairy tales were real. Just because they don’t involve magic or mythical creatures, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. And (M/N) honestly felt like he had stumbled upon his own. Out of everyone, Willy found an interest in him. It was a little ironic, since (M/N) originally wasn’t that interested in him.

(M/N) made his way to his locker as the lunch bell rang, Ella and Alex also walking alongside him as they chatted about their last class.

“Did he say the assignment was due next month or next week?” Ella asked.

(M/N) raised an eyebrow at her. “Why would it be due next week? We just got it.”

Ella shrugged. “I wasn’t listening.”

“Yeah, you never do.” (M/N) shook his head. “That’s why we keep having these conversations, how you haven’t failed any of your classes yet is beyond me.”

“I’m not dumb, that’s why,” Ella said.

“Oh, that reminds me.” Alex tapped (M/N)’s shoulder, taking his attention. “Everyone wants to meet up after school for some extra practise.”

(M/N) groaned. “Do we have to?” They arrived at his locker first, and he quickly put his stuff away before following the other two to theirs.

“Why are you so against it?” Alex asked.

“Our next performance is literally three weeks away, I don’t see why they want to do this now. I did enough dancing today already, my feet are dead.”

Alex sighed. “Whatever, I’ll tell everyone you aren’t coming.”

They arrived at Ella’s locker and waited while she put her stuff away. Loud laughter pulled their attention down the hall. Not too far from them, Willy was with some of the other guys from the track team. They leaned by some lockers as they talked about something they clearly thought was amusing. A lot of kids walking past gave them weird looks.

“I swear they have no social awareness,” (M/N) said.

“Neither do you,” Alex countered, then a sly smile spread across his face. “Besides, haven’t you heard?”

“Heard what?” (M/N) asked.

Alex and Ella exchanged a glance, both smirking.

“Hey, none of this” –(M/N) pointed his finger at them accusingly– “tell me.”

Ella chuckled. “People have been saying that Willy likes you.”

(M/N) looked at her with an expression that was a mix of both disbelief and amusement. “Literally who is saying that.”

“Well, I heard it from Joey, and since he’s on the track team, he probably also heard it from someone there,” Ella said.

“Just because Willy’s on the track team, doesn’t mean that’s true,” (M/N) said. “I’ve barely spoken to the guy outside of classes.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not true,” Alex offered.

(M/N) shook his head as more laughter echoed down the hall. “Either way, I don’t like him, so I don’t see why it matters.”

Alex smiled before turning around. “Hey guys!”

Willy and his friends all turned around to look at Alex, who grinned at them.

(M/N) bit back a laugh. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Alex clearly just wanted their attention, but they waited for a bit to see what he wanted. When Alex didn’t say anything else, (M/N) realised what he was doing.

“Ignore him, he has issues,” (M/N) called to them, which was clearly not what Alex wanted him to say. Willy smiled and waved at him. (M/N) waved back to be polite. Once the boys turned away, Alex refocused on (M/N) and Ella.

“See?”

“What point did you think you were proving there?” (M/N) snickered. “I told you I don’t like him, it doesn’t matter if he likes me.”

Ella patted his shoulder. “Give it some time. He’ll probably start talking to you soon, and I’ll be surprised if you don’t fall for him.”

(M/N) flicked her hand away. “You wanna bet?”

There was a certain glint in Ella’s eye after he said that. She held out her hand. “Twenty bucks?”

(M/N) straightened up and gave her a cocky look while shaking her hand. “Deal.”

Alex clicked his tongue. “I wish I thought of that, it would have been the easiest twenty bucks of my life.”

Ella grinned at him. “Sorry buddy, you’re too late.” She turned back to (M/N). “Two weeks, I think it will take.”

“You’re on,” (M/N) said.

As they walked off, (M/N) spotted Willy looking at him again. He wasn’t going to lose this bet. It was too easy.

Well, that’s what (M/N) thought. Looking back now, it was kind of embarrassing how sure of himself he was, just to end up eating his own words.

There was a sports event starting from the next period that ran until the end of the day, so a lot of people were excited for that. It was better than most other classes, so (M/N) wasn’t complaining. Their current lesson was a double, so (M/N) and Alex had to sit there for a while before the bell finally rang, and they shot out of their seats, grabbing their things and making a beeline for their lockers.

“I’d have thought you’d be dreading this, since you complain so much after dance class,” Alex said.

(M/N) blew a raspberry at him in response.

“Real mature.”

(M/N) put his stuff in his locker as neatly as was possible with the giant bouquet taking up all the space. “Dance actually kills me. Most other sports aren’t as physically taxing. Except running, but it’s a good thing I’m not doing that.”

Alex winked. “But Willy is. Are you gonna cheer him on?”

“We aren’t all just gonna be sitting around waiting for the runners,” (M/N) said. “But I’ll try and watch his races while I’m doing my activities.”

“What did you put yourself down for?” Alex asked.

(M/N) thought for a moment. “Basically everything that isn’t running. What about you?”

“Uhhhh… javelin and shot put.”

(M/N) snorted. “And you say I’m lazy when it comes to being physical. Please.”

Alex smacked him lightly. “It’s only because I injured my leg in dance last week.”

“Thank you for proving my point,” (M/N) said gleefully. After Alex put his things away they went to the bathroom to get changed, along with an abundance of other guys, and then they all headed out to the main field behind the school.

Practically all the equipment for every sport had been set up, and students moved around as they looked at schedules set up on posts everywhere, showing what sports were taking place where and when, for each age group.

“Hey, (M/N)!”

(M/N) turned away from the schedule he was looking at to see Ella running over, she was also in her sports uniform.

“I thought you weren’t doing anything today, weren’t you and Joey gonna go to his place?” (M/N) asked when she arrived.

“We have hours, plus Joey really didn’t want to miss running,” Ella explained, then she peeked at the schedule. “When do the runners go?”

“Not for a while” (M/N) answered. He scanned their surroundings. “Have you seen Willy?”

Ella shook her head. “He’s probably here somewhere, maybe at the tents?”

“We should probably head over there, anyway. I have five minutes before high jump,” (M/N) said. It was only then he realised that Alex was missing, but couldn’t be bothered trying to find him, so the two just headed towards the crowded tents. There would be more room once people started heading off to do their activities.

It wasn’t until (M/N) left for high jump that he saw Willy. Or more specifically, Willy wrapped his arms around (M/N)’s waist and lifted him into the air, spinning him around.

A surprised gasp left (M/N)’s mouth, then it turned into a laugh as he accepted his fate, waiting patiently until Willy put him down.

“Sneaking off without even saying hi to me?” Willy pouted, clearly teasing.

(M/N) balled his hand into a fist and gently punched Willy’s right pec. (M/N) always loved seeing him in the sports uniform. The singlet left nothing to imagination, as Willy’s muscled arms were on full display. “I’ve got high jump now, so no, I’m not sneaking off.”

Willy put him down. “If you told me you were doing high jump, I would have put myself down for it as well. And whatever else you’re doing.”

(M/N) chortled, and Willy watched him with an enamoured expression. “We’re doing school sports events. It’s not a couple’s retreat, Willy!”

Willy smirked and pulled (M/N) closer, nipping at his ear, knowing full well the effect that had on (M/N). “It could be, though,” he spoke in a husky voice.

(M/N) raised an eyebrow. “Bold today, are we? Don’t forget, we’re still at school, surrounded by at least one-hundred people.” He pushed away from Willy, heading towards the other end of the field. He stopped when Willy started following him. “Uh uh, go back to the tent.”

“I don’t have anything to do yet, why can’t I go with you?” Willy argued.

“I don’t need you following me around. No extra attention needed, thank you,” (M/N) said.

“I can’t help that I’m popular,” Willy sighed.

(M/N) rolled his eyes playfully. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just fairly obvious to everyone else when you just stand nearby, watching. Go back to the tent.”

Willy stood there for a few seconds, a displeased look on his face. “Will you watch my races?”

“Of course,” (M/N) said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. That made Willy happier, and he finally left.

“You better!” he shouted as he walked back.

(M/N) shook his head before running over to the high jump area. He knew the main reason Willy wanted to do the events with him was because Willy liked showing off. It was rather cute, and (M/N) didn’t mind letting Willy do so. Seeing the way he would puff out his chest after ‘impressing’ (M/N) with some elaborate trick or something else on the field was fulfilling to (M/N). It was like that in the beginning, too.

“Close!” Ella shouted as they watched the track kids cross over the finish line. More specifically, Joey, who had come in at a close 3rd.

“He seems to be doing pretty well,” (M/N) said. He originally wasn’t going to come, but Ella accused him of being too chicken to lose the bet by being around Willy, so he couldn’t let that slide. They were sitting in the bleachers, watching the practice runs. There weren’t a whole lot of other kids around, so (M/N) couldn’t stay unnoticed for long, catching Willy looking at him every few minutes in between races.

“Seems like someone else wants you to know they’re doing pretty well,” Ella said in a sing-song voice.

(M/N) stayed silent as they watched the next race. He kept his eyes on Willy this time, watching the way his muscles moved as he pushed himself to run as fast as he could. He crossed over the finish line before anyone else, clapping his hands in triumph before doing a flip and high-fiving his friends. (M/N) smiled when Willy looked in his direction again. Willy wasn’t even trying to make it subtle at this point.

Ella’s face clearly proved that she was enjoying this whole situation a little bit too much. “Well, I think that was the last one. You should go talk to him, it looks like he wants to talk to you, anyway.”

“Stop talking and get moving,” (M/N) said as he gently pushed her forward so he could make his way down the bleachers. She skipped off to meet Joey once they made it to the bottom, and Willy was already walking towards (M/N) before he could think about leaving.

“Hey,” he said, still a little out of breath.

“Hey,” (M/N) answered briskly.

“I don’t usually see you around here,” Willy continued, a hopeful undertone present in his voice. “What changed?”

(M/N) shrugged nonchalantly. “Ella wanted me to come.”

Willy nodded. “Well, did you at least enjoy it?”

(M/N) smiled. “Yeah, your not-so-inconspicuous attempts at catching my attention were quite funny.”

Willy smiled back at him. “It made you happy, though. I’d say that’s a win.”

(M/N) couldn’t really argue with that. It did make him happy. “Whatever works for you.”

“As long as you stick around, I’ll give you more reasons to smile,” Willy promised enthusiastically.

(M/N)’s face held a playful look. It seemed like Willy himself was in on this whole charade now, though not betting on it like Ella was. “We’ll see.”

Once high jump was finished (M/N) moved back towards the tents. He was pretty sure he had long jump next, but that wouldn’t start for another 10 minutes. He could see Alex doing shot put across the field, and there were a bunch of hurdles set up for hurdling, which was another 20 minutes away. Willy and a few others were already on the track, running and jumping over them. (M/N) wasn’t surprised. The track kids always took the running events incredibly seriously.

It was while he was halfway across the field that he spotted a reporter and a cameraman not too far away. They were talking to some students, who then looked around as if searching for something. When their eyes landed on (M/N), they said something and pointed to him, which he found surprising. Then the reporter and the cameraman were walking towards him. He didn’t know what to do, so he just stood there, waiting in confusion.

“Hi there, are you (M/N)?” the reporter asked.

“Um, yeah. What’s going on?”

“Well we’ve been asking around to see if there’s any romance happening at this school, and you and Willy are the first names out of everyone’s mouth. Would you be willing to do an interview for us?”

(M/N) grinned. “Oh yeah, for sure!”

“Excellent.” The reporter turned to the cameraman, who fiddled around with the camera a bit. Then (M/N) could see the red light start flashing as it was pointed at them.

The reporter cleared his throat before speaking. “I’m Greg Gilgins, here at my old high school, Henderson High, and today’s subject: Young Love.” He turned to (M/N), who smiled and waved at the camera. “I’m joined by (M/N), whose boyfriend Willy is currently practising for his events, but may join us momentarily.” That was when (M/N) noticed Willy watching them from the end of the track, catching his breath. “So, he’s the star athlete, what about you, (M/N)?”

“Oh, I don’t do running. Ever,” (M/N) said animatedly. “I’m on the school dance team, though.”

Greg hummed in interest. “Maybe you could show us a little.”

(M/N) backed up a little and took a deep breath. “Five, six, seven, eight!”

He moved his body through the motions of his most recent choreography. It was only a small part, and after a few seconds, he twisted around and dropped to the floor, doing the splits.

“Oh wow, don’t hurt yourself,” Greg said.

(M/N) held up his arms to indicate he was finished with a proud smile.

“Nice!”

(M/N) looked at Willy who clapped for him as he jogged over, helping (M/N) stand up. He wrapped his arms around (M/N)’s waist and looked at him lovingly.

“Yeah that was really something,” Greg said. “You guys are…”

He trailed off as (M/N) and Willy started making out passionately. After a few seconds he cleared his throat and they pulled away, looking at him.

“So how do you two feel about each other this Valentine’s Day?” Greg asked, trying to move past the awkwardness.

“I totally love Willy,” (M/N) said.

“And I’m crazy about him,” Willy added with a smile.

“What is it you like so much about (M/N)?”

Willy hugged (M/N) close. “He’s handsome, he makes me smile and laugh… and he does my homework.” He laughed when (M/N) elbowed him. “You know I’m kidding. Oh, he also made me this.” Willy held up his wrist proudly, showing off the bracelet.

“How sweet. And (M/N), what is it about Willy that’s so cool?”

“He says I’m handsome, but he is next level, obviously. But aside from being super hot, he’s so much fun to be around, and he always makes my day better.” (M/N)’s eyes lit up. “Oh! And he’s super athletic, so we can do sick stunts. Let’s show them!”

“Like right now?” Willy asked.

(M/N) tapped his shoulder to get him to move. “Yeah, come on!”

They backed up a couple of meters from each other, then (M/N) yelled “Go!” and they ran forward. Willy did a forward twist flip before landing in a crouched position just as (M/N) reached him. He put his hands above his knee, and lifted them up as (M/N) jumped forward, planting his foot on them. He pushed against Willy’s shoulders and moved into a front flip over Willy before landing on his feet.

“So cool, right?” (M/N) said as they walked back to the reporter.

“Yeah, you guys are just full of energy, aren’t you?”

“Well he came up with that one,” Willy said, winking at (M/N). Then he looked back towards the start of the track, where some of the other guys were getting ready to run again.

“Go on.” (M/N) pushed him slightly. “I know you want to.”

Willy kissed his hand before moving back. “I’ll come back right after!” Then he jogged off.

“Yeah, he’s really into the runs,” (M/N) commented, watching him leave. “Like, super determined, but I like that about him.”

“Well, how did you guys meet?”

“Funny story actually; I wasn’t into him at first. My friends made a bet that I’d fall for him after he started trying to talk to me, and I thought it would be so easy to win that,” (M/N) explained. “I thought he was kinda weird at first–definitely funny, but weird–and he would shoot spit wads at me in class so I was definitely not impressed.”

“That’s nice, but I was asking how you guys met–”

“And then one night when I got home, I found another spit wad in my hair, but it was bigger than the others. So I opened it, and it said, ‘Wanna go out with me?’ and I won’t lie, it was kinda cute. I started liking him after that.”

Reporter just nodded before they turned to look at Willy. He and a few others took off running, jumping over the hurdles. He realised (M/N) was watching and waved at him excitedly, but tripped over the last hurdle and tumbled onto the ground at high speed.

“Willy, are you okay?” (M/N) called out, concerned. Willy got up and offered him a sheepish smile and a reassuring wave as he moved back over the last hurdle slowly. “Just walk it off, you’ll be fine! You’ll do great for the actual thing!”

“Wow he rolled out of that like a ninja,” Greg said with slight sympathy.

“He’s usually really good at those,” (M/N) said.

“Yeah well, he’s quite the athlete and you’re quite the dancer–”

“Five, six, seven, eight!” (M/N) performed another part of his dance.

“I think we’re okay… I–oh, we haven’t seen that one.”

(M/N) rolled his body before flipping backwards, landing on his feet.

“He’s amazing,” Willy said after he jogged back over, pulling (M/N) in close again. “Did he tell you the spit wad story?”

“He sure did,” Greg said.

“Yeah, he’s mushy like that,” Willy chuckled with a grin.

(M/N) let out his own chuckle. “Like you don’t enjoy it.”

“Oh you know I do.”

They started making out again and Greg sighed.

“Oh, I miss high school.” He turned back to the camera. “There you have it, young love. Full of promise, hope, and ignorant of reality. From Henderson High on Valentine’s Day, I’m Greg Gilgins and this is channel thirteen.” The cameraman stopped recording and they looked at the teens, debating whether or not to interrupt them. They decided against it and walked off.

Willy held onto (M/N) tighter and made a sound of content as his tongue explored the insides of (M/N)’s mouth. It wasn’t until a couple moments later that (M/N) pulled away, filling his lungs with air.

“I wasn’t done yet,” Willy complained, breathing against (M/N)’s face as he moved back in to kiss him again. (M/N) put a hand on Willy’s mouth and leaned as far back as he could while trapped in Willy’s arms, laughing.

“Well I’ve got long jump soon, so…” Willy grumbled at his words in displeasure, and (M/N) yanked his hand away when he felt Willy’s tongue on it. “Gross!”

Willy raised an eyebrow teasingly. “So on the hand isn’t okay, but when it’s in your mouth–”

(M/N) pecked him on the lips to get him to stop talking, which worked. Then he had to work his way out of Willy’s arms. “Come on, back to the track you go.”

“One more?” Willy asked hopefully. (M/N) pulled him in and gave him another long kiss, before pulling away. “See you soon.”

(M/N) walked over towards high jump, smiling to himself as he remembered the day it started.

(M/N) walked through the front doors of the school, Ella beaming as she walked alongside him.

“What’s wrong with her?” Alex asked once they made it to his locker.

Ella put on an innocent look. “Hm? Me? Oh, nothing. What about you, (M/N)?”

(M/N) groaned. “It isn’t that serious okay?”

Ella brought a finger to her chin, a thoughtful look on her face. “I do recall us making a bet of some kind…”

“I did not say I like him, how can you be so sure?”

She laughed dryly. “Please. I saw the way you were smiling like an idiot when the bus arrived at your stop. And I know that look anywhere. So spill it.”

“Oh, I wanna hear this,” Alex said.

(M/N) could tell he wasn’t getting out of this. He clicked his tongue in discontent. “Fine, okay, I like him. You happy?”

Ella held out her hand expectantly. (M/N) rolled his eyes before rummaging through his bag, trying to find his wallet. He pulled out the money he promised her. “Here, twenty bucks.”

She put it away. “Pleasure doing business with you. But spill, how did it happen?”

“He was shooting spit wads at me, and I later realised one of them was a note.”

“And what was on the note?” Alex pressed.

“He asked me out.”

They looked at him with wide eyes. “And?”

(M/N) shrugged. “I haven’t spoken to him yet.”

“Are you going to go out with him? Or are you too scared?” Ella snickered.

(M/N) narrowed his eyes at the challenge. “Please, I’m not scared of anything.”

“Prove it then.”

“Fine.” (M/N) walked off, Alex and Ella following close behind, as he searched for Willy.

It wasn’t too hard to find him, since he was with the other guys from the track team as usual. They were in the middle of chatting, but went silent once they noticed (M/N) approaching. Willy watched him as he came to a stop right in front of him.

“I got your note,” (M/N) said.

Willy nodded, his eyes a mix of worry and intrigue. “What do you think?”

(M/N) smiled. “Yeah, I’ll go out with you.”

Willy was still for a moment, before a grin stretched across his face. “Really? Awesome. Are you free tonight?”

(M/N) nodded. “Yeah, text me the details.” He waved before walking off, listening to the other guys tease Willy.

(M/N) crossed his arms and stood up straight, giving his friends a smug look.

“I’ll admit. I didn’t think you had it in you,” Ella acknowledged.

“I should have come up with the bet,” Alex complained. “That was free money.”

“Oh get over it, it’s mine now,” Ella said.

(M/N) hated losing bets, but right now he didn’t care. He had something better to focus on.

He was pulled from his thoughts when someone jumped onto his back, startling him as he stumbled forward before quickly stabilizing himself.

“What?–”

“I can’t believe you guys just did that on camera!” Ella shouted in his ear.

“They said the topic was young love, I don’t see the problem,” (M/N) said while Ella hopped down.

“You guys are so corny. And you really thought you’d get twenty bucks from me,” she snorted.

“Whatever. You’ve gotta move past that. You won, just be happy.”

Ella patted his shoulder. “Off you go then. The races start soon, and then afterwards…”

“You and Joey, I know,” (M/N) said.

About an hour later he moved back to the tents by the track to watch the races–the ones he hadn’t missed anyway. Alex joined him–the first time (M/N) had seen him since they arrived on the field–and they watched them together.

The races were usually the highlight of these events. Everyone liked watching them when they could, and (M/N) made sure to cheer loudly whenever Willy was up. He did pretty well, being in the top 3 spots for almost all of them, including hurdling.

Willy came bounding over after his last race.

“You really hit the jackpot, huh,” Alex said.

“Damn right he did,” Willy said, putting an arm around (M/N)’s shoulder. (M/N) shrugged it off.

“You’re all sweaty!”

Willy laughed and pulled him into a big hug in response.

“Why do you have to be like this,” (M/N) whined.

“Because you wouldn’t love me otherwise,” Willy teased.

Alex made kissing noises again, and (M/N) rolled his eyes.

“We could,” Willy suggested.

“Is that all you think about?” (M/N) asked.

Willy smirked. “You’re mostly what I think about.”

Alex whistled. “Smooth. Anyway, I've got javelin throwing to do, I’ll be on my way.”

“Must be so tiring, doing nothing all day,” (M/N) said.

“Shut up.”

After he left, (M/N) held out his sports singlet. “It’s all damp now. You’re so gross.”

Willy shook his head with a smile. “Come and catch the breeze then. Here, I’ll carry you.”

“Willy, you don’t need to–” Before (M/N) could finish, Willy knelt down and brought (M/N)’s legs around his shoulders and stood back up. (M/N) had to quickly balance himself so he didn’t fall backwards, clutching onto Willy. His head hit one of the bars in the tent when he went up.

“Ow!”

“Sorry, babe.”

“Be more careful next time, geez.”

Willy laughed again as he walked back out of the tent, and (M/N) sighed at the cool breeze. He didn’t mind sitting on Willy’s shoulders, it was nice being up high. He spotted Ella and Joey leaving the field at that moment. They also saw him, clearly laughing, and waved. He waved back before they left.

“So… you meant what you said, right?” Willy asked from below him, keeping his arms locked around (M/N)’s thighs. “That we could do that tomorrow?”

(M/N) smiled and ran a hand through Willy’s hair. “Yes, stop worrying.”

“Sweet!” WIlly exclaimed.

“You’re an idiot,” (M/N) said.

“Yeah, but I’m your idiot,” Willy answered lovingly.

“That you are.” (M/N) sighed blissfully. Things couldn’t get much better than this. He really was incredibly lucky, and he was going to appreciate every day of this. “My own idiot, in my own perfect fairy tale.”

End

Chapter Text

“Dude, get up.”

(M/N) groaned and put a pillow over his head. He didn’t want to open his eyes, it didn’t matter what time it was. He knew who was standing there, anyway.

“Get out of my room,” he mumbled.

All was silent for a few seconds, and (M/N) started to relax before the pillow was yanked from his arm and brought down on his head repeatedly. He raised his hands in defence before scowling at the person standing over his bed. “Riley, you asswipe!”

Riley flashed him a grin in response before dropping the pillow back on the bed. He was dressed in shorts and a jersey. His black hair had been brushed back and he stared at (M/N) expectantly.

“What?” (M/N) snapped.

“It’s like eleven,” Riley stated.

(M/N) sat up and brushed a hand through his hair. “And? I have no plans today.”

“You do now. We’re gonna head out soon. Francis is waiting downstairs.”

(M/N) sighed and stood up, stretching his body. “For what, exactly?”

“We’re gonna hit the shops first, then we’ll head to the quarry. There’s a party happening.”

(M/N) frowned. “Like, now? Didn’t you just say it was eleven?”

“Well, they’re setting up now, so we’ve got some time,” Riley said, moving to the door before looking back at (M/N). “Hurry up.”

“‘Hurry up,’” (M/N) mimicked as he grabbed a pair of shorts and a singlet. He had a quick shower and brushed his teeth before getting dressed and slipping on his shoes. He grabbed his phone, wallet and car keys before leaving the room and making his way downstairs, side stepping all the guys walking past. It seemed like everyone else really was getting ready to head to the quarry. It was always a popular spot, but all the college guys and girls basically took over, and think they own the place now.

Once (M/N) made it to the front door, he spotted Riley and Francis. Francis was wearing board shorts and a loose fitting shirt. He was planning on swimming, then. (M/N)’s eyes fell on his short blonde hair.

“You cut your hair,” he said once he caught up to them.

Francis shrugged. “It was getting too long, but I swear if you took any longer it would have grown back.”

(M/N) rolled his eyes. “Why do we have to do this? There’s a party at the quarry like every other week.”

Riley grinned. “It’s the Kappa Eta Sigma bond, (M/N), we gotta go. Plus, it’s fun, so stop whining.”

“‘Yeah bro, we’re all like, totally bonded or whatever so we gotta stick together.’” (M/N) scoffed. “What are we, five?”

They were all a part of the Kappa Eta Sigma fraternity, and lived in a frat house with around 20 other boys. It could get real annoying sometimes, but it was the cheapest option, so (M/N) settled for it.

“Yeesh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Francis quipped with a laugh.

“No one woke up on the wrong side of the bed because that doesn’t make any damn sense,” (M/N) said, moving out the front door. “It’s a bed, not a road.”

RIley and Francis exchanged a look before following him out of the large house and down the driveway. They crossed the street to get to the carpark.

“Maybe you should have let him sleep in,” Francis whispered.

“He’s slept enough, he would be like this no matter what,” Riley whispered back.

(M/N) stopped at the driver’s door of his car, looking at them with an irritated expression. “I can hear you idiots.” He sighed before getting in the car. “Actual five year olds.”

“We’re both older than you, so…” Riley trailed off as he hopped into the passenger seat while Francis got in the back.

(M/N) turned the key and the car came to life. “By a couple of months, don’t cream your pants.”

“I’ll have you know I’m turning twenty-one next week.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“You’re heartless.”

Francis leaned forward between their seats. “Are you sure you’re okay (M/N)? You don’t want anything like maybe some food… or a pacifier?”

“I swear if you don’t tell me where we’re going right now I will kick you both out and run you over,” (M/N) warned.

“Food it is,” Riley sighed. “We’ll get some breakfast–or well, lunch now I guess, and then grab some beer from the store before heading to the quarry. Sound good?”

(M/N) reversed out. “Do we need to get beer? I imagine there’d be heaps there already.”

“You can never be too sure.”

(M/N) rolled down his window to rest his arm on while he drove through town. Riley and Francis talked about everything while he mostly stayed quiet, only speaking every now and then. They came to a stop at a red light and heard loud music approaching from the left. (M/N) looked out as a convertible pulled up next to them. He immediately recognised them, as if their obnoxious singing voices weren’t enough.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” (M/N) hissed, shrinking back in his seat. He was just finally starting to lighten up.

“Is that Andy?” Francis said, trying to see through the window.

The guy in the passenger seat, Andy, had short black hair and wore sunglasses as he and his friends sang loudly, not caring in the slightest if anyone heard. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt that showed off his tanned muscular arms. He looked to the right slightly, then did a double take, narrowing his eyes in on (M/N). A grin stretched across his face.

“(M/N) bro, where have you been?”

My luck couldn’t last forever, I guess.

“Away from you.”

(M/N) had tried his best to avoid Andy this past week, which wasn’t an easy task considering they both lived in the same building. He was surprised Andy never barged into his room. Well, when it wasn’t locked, anyway.

Andy turned to the guy next to him, smacking him. “Shut up Milo!” Milo stopped singing and so did the two in the back, Cooper and Zac. Andy turned back to (M/N). “Don’t be like that, I know you like me.”

(M/N) laughed without an ounce of humour. “You’re so annoying. Like you couldn’t be any worse if you tried.”

Andy smirked. “I can think of something…”

“See, I actually don’t care.”

“I think you do.” Andy leaned back in his seat, arm slung over the door as he looked at (M/N) with a sexy expression. “You don’t need to play hard to get. I know you want me.”

“I want to punch you in the face.”

“Pick a time and a place, I’ll be there.” Andy looked past (M/N). “Are you guys going to the quarry?”

“Yeah,” Riley said. (M/N) glared at him.

“Sweet! See you there.” Andy winked at (M/N) before driving off. Only then did (M/N) realise the light had gone green.

“I hate him so much,” (M/N) said, driving off again.

“Do you really believe that? Because no one else does,” Riley snickered.

“He’s not wrong,” Francis added. “I haven’t once heard you specifically say ‘no’ when talking about whether or not you find him attractive.”

“That doesn’t matter, because every time he opens his mouth I just wanna slam my head against something hard.”

Riley’s mouth stretched into a wicked grin. “Like his abs?”

(M/N) slammed on the breaks, startling both boys. Luckily there weren’t any cars behind them. He glared at Riley.

“Get out.”

RIley held his hands up. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now, promise.”

(M/N) didn’t really hate Andy that much, but people like him–with inflated egos and all–were still a pain to be around. The last thing (M/N) wanted to do was prove Andy right by admitting he was attractive.

It wasn’t too bad a few months ago. Then Andy started talking to (M/N) more and more, and nowadays (M/N) had to avoid him as much as possible. Andy just wouldn’t back down.

They stopped at a diner to grab some food, and the whole time (M/N) was just debating whether or not he should bail. He didn’t really want to go to begin with, but now that Andy was expecting him, backing out would make him look like a wuss.

Why couldn’t I just be left to sleep?

They passed through a liquor store afterwards and Francis picked out some drinks.

“We don’t need that many,” (M/N) said.

Francis put down a 6 pack, holding onto the other one. “Fine. Let’s go.”

“Why can’t we just do literally anything else.”

“How long are you gonna complain?” Francis said.

“Until I’m satisfied,” (M/N) huffed.

They drove down to the quarry afterwards, reaching a secluded area where many other cars were parked. (M/N) left his phone and his wallet in his car, not seeing a purpose for taking them. There was a hole in the giant fence that surrounded the perimeter here. They ignored the KEEP OUT sign and climbed through, the sound of music getting louder as they approached.

They moved through the tree line and onto the rocky cliffs surrounding a large swimming hole. It was crowded with other college kids–dozens of them–most (M/N) had seen before.

“So, are we swimming now or later?” Riley asked, clutching the carton of beer.

(M/N) grabbed one from the carton as he scanned the area. “Not feeling it. You have fun.” He started walking but turned around when he saw Riley moving towards him. (M/N) gave him a warning glare. “You push me, I drown you.”

Riley rolled his eyes. “You’re no fun.” He moved his gaze to a group of girls dancing to the music nearby, one of them winked at him and waved him over. He smiled. “Well, there’s another way for me to have fun.”

(M/N) and Francis moved further along to a spot on the rocks that wasn’t as crowded. They sat there, leaning back as they watched everyone party. There were a few people swimming down below, but not too many. (M/N) could see a group of others on the other side of the swimming hole as well. They watched Riley and that girl jump off the cliff into the water where a bunch of others cheered them on.

Francis took a swig of his beer. “See? This isn’t that bad.”

(M/N) lulled his head back and closed his eyes. “Why were you so eager to come?”

“I wasn’t really, just wanted to chill.”

“So I had to be dragged here?”

Francis sighed. “I’m starting to think bringing you here was an act of penance, for me anyway. Riley’s too busy sucking face with his fifth girl this week.”

(M/N) looked back at the group in the water. Riley was indeed doing just that, seemingly oblivious to everyone else around him.

“Would it kill him to get to know the girl first?” Francis said disapprovingly.

(M/N) made a noise that was a mix of both a cough and a laugh. “Slut.”

“Her?”

“No, Riley.”

Francis smiled at (M/N). “He’s finally starting to enjoy himself, folks.”

Their attention was brought to voices on the other side of the swimming hole. There was a group of four older guys standing near the cliff edge, but it was Andy’s loud voice that had (M/N) look over there to begin with. Andy, Milo, Zac and Cooper were in some sort of confrontation with the guys. (M/N) was close enough that he could hear what was going on.

“This is Kappa Eta Sigma property, so you should get out of here and go back to your trailer homes.”

One of the older guys walked forward. “Okay, take it easy there Abercrombie. I think we’ve been around a little longer than you, been swimming here since we were eight years old.”

Andy stepped towards them. “Oh yeah, I’m sure it was the bomb! Cranking your Al Jolson tunes on your transistor radio, but it’s the twenty-first century now. And thicky-thick and the flabby bunch should never take off their shirts again.” He chest bumped Milo. “Boom! That just happened.”

“What is going on?” Francis asked (M/N).

(M/N) waved him off, eager to not miss any of the performance that was gracing his eyes. “Shh! Andy’s being stupid again.”

There were more insults thrown back and forth between Andy’s group and the older guys while (M/N) watched gleefully.

“I thought you hated him,” Francis teased.

“Yeah, but it’s entertaining when I don’t have to deal with him.”

Andy and Milo started doing an elaborate handshake and (M/N) snickered.

“It’s like how do they even come up with that,” he said.

“Probably while drunk,” Francis answered.

One of the guys spoke up again. “Okay listen, you guys can continue your clan meeting in a minute” –he gestured to one of the other guys– “he’s just gonna jump off, and then we’ll be on our way.”

Andy shook his head and stormed onto a large rock to gain some height. “I can’t–I can’t permit that. I just can’t permit it! You guys have ruined our celebration!”

(M/N) sat up and put an arm out in front of Francis, as if he was going to stop Andy. “Oh my god, something’s gonna happen.”

Andy held up his hands. “Look at my hands, they’re shaking I’m so mad!”

“There it is!” (M/N) said, nudging Francis when Andy dropped to his hands and kicked his feet in the air before doing a bunch of other flips. “He’s so random. Anytime he gets angry it’s like spin the wheel. You never know what he’s gonna do.”

“He should be a circus performer,” Francis said.

Andy glanced over when (M/N) started laughing, noticing he was there for the first time. Andy seemed to like (M/N)’s amusement and did a couple more flips.

Francis was laughing now, too. “Dude, he’s like a peacock, trying to impress you.”

“Okay well, this isn’t that bad,” (M/N) admitted.

“Hey, (M/N)!”

Immediately his smile dropped when he registered the familiar voice. He looked to his right and saw a brown-haired guy approaching, beer in hand. Someone who he hated more than anyone else.

“I spoke too soon,” (M/N) hissed.

“Ohhhh, it’s Odin everyone,” Francis announced with false excitement.

Odin bounded over to them with a big smile on his face.

“Didn’t know you guys would be here.”

“One can dream,” (M/N) said, rolling his eyes.

Odin’s smile widened to show off his teeth and he moved his hands in a circular motion. “I’m sensing hostility here.”

“Really, I wonder why? Or I guess, a better question would be: why are you talking to me right now?” (M/N) asked.

“Aw come on, (M/N), don’t be like that,” Odin said light-heartedly.

“Yo guys, we’ve got a problem!” Andy’s loud voice echoed. That, along with loud whooping pulled the trio’s attention back to the other side of the swimming hole. A bunch of other guys came to back Andy up. (M/N) had missed whatever drama just happened.

“Okay… it was nice to meet everybody but we’re just gonna take off now.” The older guys tried to leave but Andy stopped them.

“Not that way.” He pointed to the cliff edge behind them. “That way.”

“Seriously, you’re gonna make us jump?”

Andy smirked. “Naked.”

So then everyone had to watch four middle-aged guys jump off the cliff naked, hitting the water with a very audible smack. Andy and the others laughed at them as they threw their clothes at the guys while they swam away.

“Why can’t he just be normal,” (M/N) said.

“Because you don’t like normal guys,” Francis said as his eyes drifted to Odin, who hadn’t moved from his position as he watched the scene unfold. (M/N) grimaced.

“I don’t like him!”

“At the party last month you told me otherwise,” Odin stated, but his face had morphed into a frown–after hearing Francis’s words–as he stared at Andy.

“I was drunk and I still know damn well I did not tell you that. You were just too drunk to walk straight, let alone remember any sort of coherent conversation,” (M/N) said. “You’re drunk now, aren’t you?”

He didn’t remember much, but he remembered enough from that party to know that he did not give Odin any hints, even if Riley didn’t confirm it for him. Odin was just always drunk and apparently didn’t understand the word “no.”

“I only had a little.” Odin waved him off before sitting down and slinging an arm across (M/N)’s shoulders. “Why are you trying to brush me off?”

(M/N) immediately moved away from him. He noticed Andy looking in his direction with a newfound irritated expression.

“I’m trying to cut you off, that’s for sure.”

Odin kept trying to get close and (M/N) looked to Francis for help.

“What do you want me to do?” Francis asked.

“You’re actually useless,” (M/N) groaned angrily as he tried to push Odin away.

“Hey, Odin!” They all turned to look at Andy, who was now standing at the edge of the rocks. “He doesn’t want you touching him, back off.”

Odin narrowed his eyes and stood up, walking to the edge of the rocks across from Andy, like they were having some sort of standoff over the swimming hole. “And what does it matter to you?”

“Stay away from him,” Andy warned. “He likes me more than you.”

Odin scoffed. “I doubt that. He’s liked me longer.”

(M/N) laughed in disbelief. “Are we delusional, is that what’s happening? You guys are both morons.”

“Now this is entertaining,” Francis said with a grin. They had garnered attention from many others nearby as well, who watched on with curiosity.

(M/N) just wanted to get out of this situation. An idea popped into his head.

“Hey, Odin. You should do a flip off the cliff.”

Odin turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow at the unprompted request. “Why?”

(M/N) shrugged nonchalantly. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine I guess. Andy’s probably a lot more interesting to watch when it comes to flips anyway.”

Odin scoffed. “Okay then. I’ll show you something better than him.” He pulled his shirt off and prepared himself to jump. “Just you watch.”

Andy also took off his shirt, teetering on the edge. (M/N) bit back a smile at how easily his plan worked. “(M/N), I’ll show you a better flip.”

Odin moved back a bit before running forward and jumping off the cliff in a frontflip and then moving into a twist like motion, not stopping until he hit the water. He came back up, cheering for himself and looked at Andy.

“Beat that.”

Andy smirked and did a spinning jump before kicking off the ledge with his feet, backflipping over the edge before hitting the water in a dive-like motion. He resurfaced with a cocky look on his face.

“Smoked you,” he gloated to Odin.

“Too easy,” (M/N) said. He turned to leave, just as he spotted Francis running at him with a wide grin. He pushed (M/N) over the edge, but (M/N) quickly gripped onto his arms and yanked him off as well. He spun them around so Francis was falling below him, and his body hit the water with a smack before they both went under. (M/N) resurfaced and wiped the water from his eyes. He glared at Francis when he came back up. “That’s what you get.”

“I think that broke my back,” Francis whined in pain, his voice a few octaves higher. They could hear Riley laughing near the other end of the swimming hole, where they had to swim to get out.

“Oh stop crying, you big baby.” (M/N) started swimming over. Odin and Andy moved to meet him.

“Who won? It was me, right?” Andy said.

“No way, I was cooler,” Odin said.

(M/N) ignored their bickering while he swam to the lower rocks. They followed him, as well as Francis–who was still whining the whole time. Riley was sitting by the ledge with that girl when (M/N) climbed out.

“You killed poor old Francis,” he said, his voice full of amusement and devoid of sympathy.

(M/N) looked back at Francis, who pulled himself to shore, lying there and muttering in pain. Andy and Odin walked over to him, water glistening off their toned bodies. Odin slung an arm around (M/N)’s shoulder.

“I’m the winner, right?” he said.

(M/N) groaned. He didn’t at all regret using Francis as a shield. If it wasn’t for said male, (M/N) would have been out of here before they could swim back to nag him. He tried moving away from Odin. “Leave me alone.”

Odin didn’t let go. “Just tell me–”

He was interrupted when Andy roughly jerked his hand away from (M/N), the two glared at each other.

“Don’t touch him,” Andy said. “I won’t warn you again.”

Odin went to argue, but (M/N) quickly turned around and shoved him back into the water. Everyone laughed at him.

“Peace at last.” (M/N) pulled Francis towards the exit. “We’re leaving. That means you as well Riley, unless you wanna walk.”

Riley rolled his eyes and turned to talk to the girl next to him before he left, probably getting her number. Francis had to go grab his phone, wallet and key from their seating place–he had left them there before he pushed (M/N). Lucky for him, or it all would have gone under. (M/N) tapped his foot impatiently and Andy walked up to him.

“So, did I win?” he asked eagerly.

“Children,” (M/N) mumbled. “Fine, yes, you won. And…” He rolled his eyes. “Thanks for… you know.” He gestured back to Odin, who was coming out of the water again.

Andy puffed out his wet chest in triumph, winking at (M/N). “Anytime. You know, you should stop by tonight and we’ll–”

“And there goes that, I’m leaving,” (M/N) said, dragging Francis–who had just returned–with him. Riley caught up to them.

“Andy versus Odin, folks, who’s gonna win,” he teased.

“Garbage versus trash,” (M/N) muttered under his breath.

“It can’t be that bad,” Riley said.

“Actually it’s worse. At least, Odin is. It would be more like fresh garbage versus literal dumpster fire.”

Riley raised an eyebrow. “So you admit Andy isn’t that bad?”

“Compared to Odin, no. But he’s still annoying.” (M/N) huffed in annoyance. “Do I just need to become an absolute nightmare of a person? Because it seems like they won’t take any other hint to leave me alone.”

“You’re already a nightmare of a person,” Francis said.

(M/N) smirked, recalling Francis’s earlier words. “‘How long are you gonna complain?’” he mimicked. “Suck it up, princess.”

They moved back through the fence and Riley peeked under the back of Francis’s wet shirt, bursting into laughter. “Dude, it’s completely red.”

Francis groaned and pushed him away. “Shut up.”

“Did you leave the towels in the car?” (M/N) asked. Riley nodded. (M/N) fished his pocket for his keys, but came up empty. “Where are my–” He froze and glared at Francis. “Oh my god, I lost them when you pushed me in!”

Francis looked like a deer in headlights. “Uh… Sorry?”

(M/N) sighed in frustration and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “None of this would have happened if you didn’t drag me here. And I left my phone and wallet in the car, so that’s just great.”

“Why didn’t you take them with you?” Riley asked.

(M/N) looked in disbelief. “Because the chances of something like this happening” –he gestured to his wet body– “were too high!”

Francis moved forward, wincing at the pain in his back. “We’ll just get a locksmith to create some new ones for you.”

(M/N) crossed his arms and looked at him with an annoyed expression. “You’re paying for it.”

“Okay, fine.”

Francis called a locksmith and they waited there for a good 40 minutes before one finally showed up. It was another 10 minutes before he was finished.

Francis sighed as the locksmith drove away. “One-hundred-and-fifty dollars.”

“You deserve everything that’s happened to you today,” (M/N) said as he unlocked the car. They weren’t really wet anymore, but he still laid the towels against the seats. As they were about to leave, everyone started piling out from the quarry at a hurried pace. Had the party finished already? Seemed pretty early, still.

“What’s going on?” Riley asked one of the boys that passed them.

“Apparently someone trashed the frat house,” he said before running off.

“No way,” Francis said. “Who would do that, and why?”

“Let’s find out,” (M/N) said.

They quickly got in the car and (M/N) drove off back towards the house. It wasn’t hard to see the damage done even from a distance once they came into view.

“There’s no way,” Riley said as (M/N) parked the car. They got out and crossed the street, examining the damage up close. There were a couple of others there already as well.

There was toilet paper everywhere, strewn across the building and the yard. Garbage bags had been ripped open and thrown across the walkway. Furniture had been thrown outside and pulled apart. Graffiti was written all over the walls.

You suck.

Townies Rule.

Boom! That just happened.

Nice club house.

“It sounds like it was those guys Andy made jump off the cliff,” Francis said.

(M/N) sighed. “Of course this can be blamed on Andy.”

Riley had moved forward to peek inside the doorway, in which the door had been ripped off the hinges. “It’s just as bad inside.”

He wasn’t wrong. It looked like a tornado had ripped through the house.

(M/N) moved through the wreckage and up the stairs. He opened his door and was glad to see his room was untouched. The other two weren’t so lucky.

“You’re really telling me those guys did this? It looks like a stampede came through here!” Riley said as he examined his trashed room.

“Where’s my bed? The whole frame is gone,” Francis said.

(M/N) shook his head. “I just wanted to have a normal, peaceful day. But apparently, that’s not allowed.”

They heard more voices outside, and made their way back through the front door to see all the other boys had arrived, Andy included with his shirt back on. They were all standing around the front gate, examining the damage.

Andy clenched his fists. “We’re gonna find those fartheads, and we’re gonna kill ‘em.”

Milo started chanting “Kill!” and soon after everyone else joined. But then they all started swinging at each other.

“No guys, not each other!” Andy yelled. “We’re not killing each other!”

(M/N) watched as he tried to herd everyone back out of the property, which they eventually did.

Francis cracked his knuckles. “When I find them…”

Riley pulled him along. “Let’s go.”

(M/N) rolled his eyes as they ran off, walking over to Andy who was about to follow everyone, but stopped when he saw (M/N).

“Did you really have to provoke those guys at the quarry? Could have done without… all of this,” (M/N) said, gesturing to the house.

“They won’t get away with this.” Andy clenched his jaw. “They ruined our celebration.”

“It wasn’t that serious. The quarry, anyway, this… this is something else.” (M/N) let out a deep sigh which turned into a groan. “Man, I’m tired already. This day is just too much.”

Andy raised an eyebrow. “It’s only four.”

“Yeah well, you’re partly to blame for it,” (M/N) added.

“You haven’t told me ‘no’ yet,” Andy said suggestively.

“I hate you.”

“Still not a no.”

(M/N) opened his mouth to argue but stopped when he saw Riley and Francis driving out of the parking lot. In his car. He quickly patted down his pockets, coming up empty.

“Hey!”

Francis peeked his head out the window as the car came to a stop at the driveway. “We’re gonna get payback on those guys.”

“MY car!” (M/N) shouted. “And when did you take my keys?!”

Francis smiled apologetically. “Before, in your room. I mean, we knew you wouldn’t come with us if we asked. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.”

(M/N) laughed with dangerous intent. “I couldn’t care less what happens to you two, I care about my car. Get out now.”

“Not until we get our revenge. Everyone else is going out anyway. See ya!”

(M/N) growled in agitation as they drove off. “When I get my hands on them…”

Andy put a hand on his shoulder. “We could use that anger when we find those old losers.”

(M/N) had no choice but to go. He needed to get his car back.

“Ride with us,” Andy offered.

“Fine. I need to get changed first, though.”

Andy sniffed his own shirt, probably still smelling damp. “I do, too.”

They manoeuvred through the wreckage and to their rooms, Andy’s must have gone untouched as well. It actually seemed like most of them had, only a few had been ravaged. Clearly the culprits didn’t stay too long. (M/N) just grabbed some jeans and a t-shirt. He put on his other shoes since his current ones were still pretty damp–his socks, too. Andy came out with a similar look, but with an elbow length flannel button up shirt.

“So where are the other monkeys?” (M/N) asked when they made it back out to the driveway. Andy was messaging someone on his phone.

As if on cue, Milo, Cooper and Zac pulled up in the convertible, along with a girl (M/N) didn’t recognise. They were all sitting on the back, their feet resting on the seats. There was only one available seat, the passenger seat, which Andy got into and then gestured for (M/N) to join him.

(M/N) gave him a deadpan look. “I’m not sitting in your lap.”

Andy winked. “One day you will.”

(M/N) sat on the passenger door, gripping onto Andy’s seat above his head. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes when Andy wrapped a hand around his leg. “Yeah, when pigs fly. So until Milo can do so, you’re outta luck.”

“Think you’re real funny, don’t you?” Milo said as they drove off.

(M/N) hummed. “Absolutely hilarious.”

It seemed like almost everyone from Brunson University was out on the hunt, even the ones who didn’t live at the frat house. On every street they passed familiar faces. It was beyond ridiculous, but (M/N) couldn’t bring himself to care at this point.

“So uh, you and Odin…” Andy trailed off.

The wind blew by, keeping (M/N) cool while he turned to look at Andy. Fast turns weren’t too bad even though he was sitting on the door. He had a strong grip on Andy’s seat and Andy still had a strong grip on his leg, but (M/N) wouldn’t admit it greatly helped his stability.

“Not a thing, nor were we ever. He’s just an idiot,” (M/N) answered.

Andy clearly liked that answer. “Cool, just making sure.”

Zac laughed and kicked the back of Andy’s seat. Cooper was preoccupied making out with the girl. “Jealous?”

“As if I don’t beat him in every way,” Andy shot back before raising an eyebrow at (M/N). “Right?”

(M/N) allowed a small smile. “Sure.”

It wasn’t until the sun had completely dipped below the horizon that someone’s phone buzzed–Cooper’s. He laughed.

“They found ‘em!” he said. “They followed one of those oldies home, and it turns out he’s throwing a party with all the others there as well.”

Everyone cheered at that while Cooper relayed the address to Milo. By the time they arrived a lot of other cars were already pulling up. Unlucky for anyone who wanted to drive past.

Andy released (M/N)’s leg. “Watch this.” He swiftly leaped over the front windshield and did a walking flip off the front of the car.

“You want a cookie?” (M/N) asked. Andy just laughed and gestured for him and everyone else to follow as they walked up the driveway. Loud music could be heard from the house, and everyone moved around the side towards the large backyard, where people were visible. (M/N) stayed to scan for his car, first, and practically stomped over when he found it. Riley and Francis very quickly noticed him, and Francis pushed Riley in front of himself as a shield.

“See? Not a scratch on it–” Riley was interrupted when (M/N) kicked him in the balls. He hunched over and groaned in pain.

“Steal my car again and I’ll break your legs. You losers didn’t find them anyway, so it was for nothing.” He glared at Francis who held up his hands defensively.

“I feel like you already did your damage to me, can we just move on?” he asked, laughing nervously.

(M/N) held out his hand to Riley, who reached into his pocket and pulled out the car keys, handing them over.

(M/N) put them in his pocket. “Now we’re good.”

Riley put on a strained smile while giving (M/N) a thumbs up, before they walked after everyone else. Well, Francis and (M/N) walked, Riley waddled.

“Okay so pretty much every Brunson kid is here,” (M/N) said as they moved over the hill, joining up with everyone else.

“It’s the–” Francis started.

“If you say the Kappa Eta Sigma bond, I’m going to punch you,” (M/N) interrupted.

“Nevermind.”

They had walked in on the party Cooper said they were having. A pretty large party. There were about as many adults as there were college kids. They were very quickly alerted of the new arrivals due to all the whooping and cheering.

“We hit the moron jackpot!” Andy yelled excitedly. “Everybody who needs a beating, conveniently together on one lawn.”

A woman walked up. “Why are you here, what’s the issue?”

“Oh I’ll tell you what’s the issue,” Milo pointed an accusing finger at the guys who showed up at the quarry, “these old townies trashed our frat house!”

A younger looking guy walked out. “They didn’t do it. I did.”

“Don’t cover for ‘em. We know they’re trying to get back at us for making them do the naked plunge in our swimming hole,” Andy said.

Another woman spoke up. “Your swimming hole? I’ve been swimming at the quarry since I was eight years old.”

Andy scoffed. “Well apparently everybody in this crap town has been swimming there since they were eight years old. I guess nobody wants to leave this dump, because they’re too busy suckin’!”

There was a chorus of cheers and (M/N) rolled his eyes.

“I’m so over this circus act, I should just go.”

“We have to get our revenge,” Riley said. “Also you’re our ride back.”

(M/N) grimaced. “Okay? And I’m unbelievably tired thanks to every one of you muppets. Also, you stole my ride, why should I wait for you? Ride with someone else.”

“Come on, (M/N). Live a little,” Francis said, nudging him. “It’s time to kick some old ass!”

One of the older guys scoffed. “The only ones getting their asses kicked tonight are gonna be you spoiled, privileged, preppy d-bags.”

The last thing (M/N) expected when he woke up that morning was to get caught in a full on fight between the Brunson University students and a bunch of middle aged people in a backyard during someone’s house party. Yet here he was, watching people tackle, punch and kick each other all around him.

Francis ran past him, jumping on some guy standing by the pool, sending them both in.

My life is a circus.

(M/N)’s attention fell on Andy, who was fighting off one of the guys from the quarry. Well, it was mostly Andy dodging all of the attacks before delivering a flying roundhouse kick to his head. The man didn’t get up after that. (M/N) raised an eyebrow when a little girl walked up to Andy, holding out a red stuffed monkey plushie.

“You won, here’s your prize,” she said.

Andy took the monkey and smiled. “Thanks little girl, it looks just like you.” He examined the monkey and laughed, looking around. His eyes fell on (M/N)’s and he gestured to the plushie. “It’s a monkey!”

(M/N)’s amused expression morphed into one of shock as his gaze shifted to the deer charging straight at Andy. Andy noticed it a moment too late, and was knocked onto his back as the deer drove its head into his crotch, trying to rip the monkey apart. Andy screamed for help as he tried to push it away. (M/N) couldn’t stop himself from bursting out laughing.

He didn’t know why there was a deer here, but this night was crazy enough. It acted more like a bull, though.

I wonder.

(M/N) scanned his surroundings and spotted a red tablecloth on a picnic table nearby. He grabbed it and brought his fingers up to his mouth, whistling loudly. The deer stopped and looked over at him in alert. He stretched the tablecloth out in his hands to the left, swaying it slightly from side to side.

It didn’t take long for the deer to start running at him. He made sure to jump out of the way at the last second, which left the deer to charge into a group of people not far behind him. He snickered to himself.

“That was hot.”

Immediately (M/N)’s mood dropped again, and he turned around to look at Odin in annoyance, which quickly morphed into disgust.

“You’re even more drunk than before.”

“‘S’not that bad.” Odin shrugged and stumbled over to (M/N), who moved away.

“Did you stick a tracker up my ass or something? Why do you always just show up when I’m finally having fun.”

Odin took one last swig of his beer bottle, dropping it on the grass when it was empty, and pulled (M/N) close. “I could stick something else up your ass.”

(M/N) resisted the urge to gag at the smell of his breath as he moved in for a kiss. (M/N) quickly pushed him back and swung his fist at Odin’s face. It collided and Odin stumbled back into a post. He righted himself and scowled, holding his cheek. “What’s the issue, huh?”

“I’m gonna say this once more for you sweetie.” (M/N) put his hands together and leaned forward slightly, like he was about to tell a child they couldn’t have the last cookie in the cookie jar. “I don’t like you. And I never have.”

Odin moved forward again and gripped (M/N)’s arm before he could back away. An angry look on his face. “Is it because of Andy?”

It was at that moment that Andy entered (M/N)’s field of vision, harshly shoving Odin away. If Odin hadn’t pissed (M/N) off so much, he would have laughed at the way Andy wobbled while he walked, a hand clutching his crotch.

“Did you not listen to me last time?” Andy asked with narrowed eyes. “He’s not interested. Back off.”

“Like I’m gonna listen to anything you say,” Odin hissed. He charged forward and collided with Andy, who didn’t have to struggle too much to get Odin off of him, considering the guy was so drunk he couldn’t walk straight. Odin swung a few punches which Andy swiftly dodged. Odin stumbled back towards (M/N). The waistband of Odin’s pants had moved down far enough for (M/N) to see the underwear, and he got an idea.

He walked up behind Odin, gripping onto his underwear waistband, and pulling up as hard as he could. Odin howled in pain and tried to get (M/N) to let go, and Andy delivered a hard punch to his face. It knocked him out cold and (M/N) let go, watching him fall flat onto the grass.

“You don’t listen to me, let alone anyone else,” (M/N) said before turning away from Odin’s unconscious body. He allowed himself to laugh now when his gaze fell on Andy again, specifically the hand over his crotch. “You need some ice on that?”

Andy smirked. “Yeah, you wanna put some on it?”

(M/N) raised an eyebrow and jabbed a thumb at Odin. “You wanna end up like him?”

Andy nodded his head, as if (M/N) gave a good argument, while he walked closer. “You said you didn’t like him, that you never have. But remind me… I don’t think you’ve ever said those words to me?”

Andy stopped in front of him, waiting expectantly.

(M/N) rolled his eyes and went to move backwards. He stepped on the beer bottle Odin dropped and it had his foot slipping right out from underneath him. Startled, he grabbed onto Andy for balance, but Andy still had a hand on his crotch and couldn’t stabilize them, which sent them both tumbling onto the grass. (M/N) was on his back, while Andy hovered over him, arms beside (M/N)’s head. He laughed.

“Real eager for me, are we?”

“You’re so full of it,” (M/N) said.

Andy winked. “You love it.”

(M/N) grabbed onto his shoulders and moved up and to the side, pushing Andy down. Now Andy was lying on his back and (M/N) was straddling his waist. “I hate you.”

“Then tell me you want me to leave,” Andy said. He was smiling triumphantly even before (M/N)’s extended silence. “That’s what I thought.”

(M/N) resisted the urge to smile and shook his head. “You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?”

“Come back with me tonight, and I’ll show you a real pain in the ass–”

(M/N) clamped a hand over his mouth. “Do you and your massive ego ever shut up?” He pulled his hand away when he felt Andy’s tongue swipe across it. He wiped it on his jeans and sent the male a disapproving look. Andy’s smile didn’t leave his face as he brought his hands up to rest on (M/N)’s waist, tracing small circles with his thumbs.

“Make me.”

(M/N) huffed, grabbed onto Andy’s collar, leaned down, and pressed their lips together. It didn’t take long for (M/N) to feel Andy’s tongue pressing against his lips. (M/N) opened his mouth and deepened the kiss, snaking his hand around to the back of Andy’s neck, while Andy trailed one hand up (M/N)’s back, leaving the other on his waist. (M/N) completely forgot they were in the middle of an all out brawl until something hit the back of his head, making him break off and look up angrily. It was a tennis ball, and there was no immediate culprit at hand, so he just threw it away. He felt Andy’s thumb rub against his side again and he looked back down.

“I knew you’d come around eventually,” Andy said cockily.

“Oh, get off your high horse already,” (M/N) retorted, but leaned back in for another kiss.

This day wasn’t so bad, after all.

End

Chapter Text

Sitting by the window, drink in hand, while watching the sun climb above the horizon, eradicating the darkness as the light reflected off the high-rise buildings in a dazzling display. Basking in that warmth every time dawn came around, waking the city up for the start of another fresh new day. That’s how (M/N) envisioned spending his days in the beginning.

Reality was often much more disappointing.

“(M/N), you got that?”

“Yeah, just give me a second.”

“Get a move on!”

(M/N) hissed and yanked his hand away when the metal jug burned it.

That’s what I get for not paying attention.

He always had to do a million things at once during these times, though, so he tried to cut himself some slack.

He poured the frothed milk into the cups–being sure to not touch anything but the handle again–and added the remaining ingredients. He quickly walked back towards the counter, calling out the names for the drinks. He slid them across the surface before swiftly gliding towards one of the registers, where a long line of people were waiting. One of his coworkers nudged him before he could make it there, handing him two receipts. (M/N) groaned.

“Miles, I can’t do everything.”

“We’ve all got our hands tied, you have to take these.” Miles hurried off before (M/N) could argue any further. He slipped the receipts between two fingers before coming up beside another coworker, quickly jotting down more customer orders. In a brief moment of peace, he turned to the girl next to him.

“Rebecca, where’s Joel?”

Rebecca turned to look at (M/N), flicking her black ponytail behind her shoulder. “Fired, that’s where. No way will Rowan let him get off with being this late again.”

“Cool, so I’ve just gotta pick up his slack as well all day?”

Rebecca sighed. “I’m trying, (M/N), but there’s too many people for me to deal with alone. We just need to make it through rush hour.” She quickly put on a strained smile as another customer walked up to the register. (M/N) didn’t know why Rowan, the manager, kept putting her on registers. She wasn’t good at dealing with people, but neither was anyone else here–which was pretty ironic, considering they worked at a cafe. (M/N) was the only one here who was good with people, therefore he was always on registers, but also at least three other tasks as well, because balancing work loads was not something Rowan was good at. (M/N) couldn’t say that to him though, lest he could lose his job.

(M/N) alternated between taking orders, making drinks, bringing out food, and bringing back empty plates. As usual, things settled down after the first few hours, and they could relax a bit more. That, and some of the casuals came in for their shifts.

“Enjoy your meals.” (M/N) set down the plates at a table with a smile before heading back behind the counter. He glanced at the clock and let out an audible sigh of relief. Lunch break, finally. He passed by Rowan, on the phone, while everyone was watching discreetly from their positions in the kitchen. It wasn’t hard to figure out why.

“Why the fuck did you bother calling?” he said angrily. (M/N) had a pretty good guess as to who was on the other end of the line. “No, don’t bother coming in tomorrow. You’re fired.”

Definitely Joel. (M/N) saw Rebecca give him a knowing look before she slipped out the front of the store quietly.

Rowan hung up and sent a warning glance at everyone, and they immediately went back to working. (M/N) grabbed a toasted sandwich–he pretty much always got lunch from the cafe, since he had a small employee discount, which was better than nothing–and made his way outside.

It didn’t matter what time of the day it was, New York was always busy. (M/N) moved through people, walking along and down a couple of blocks, until he reached a small park. He always liked going there, it wasn’t that busy during the day, and it was a popular spot for parkour.

He sat down on one of the benches and ate while he watched people climbing on and jumping up and down the large boulders that occupied the hillside. He hadn’t done much of that recently, and he made a mental note to start doing more. He spent the remainder of his lunch break watching dance choreography on his phone, and even practising some–in a more private area of the park, he didn’t need people watching him. He reluctantly left once it was time to go back to work.

He really didn’t like his job, but he couldn’t be picky, since he desperately needed the money. Even then, he barely made enough to cover rent.

Stop complaining. It’s your own fault you’re in this position.

(M/N) moved along the pathways back towards the cafe. The endless honking of horns and chatter all around used to be background noise. In recent months, he had grown to hate it. He hated this city.

(M/N) had neared the cafe by this point, and heard strange noises coming from nearby as he moved to the edge of the street gutter to cross the road. Just as he looked up, a hooded figure jumped down in front of him, seemingly a miscalculated move, as it put them directly in front of oncoming traffic.

They leaped towards the path just as the taxi behind them swerved to the right, directly in front of (M/N). He backed up slightly in surprise, but had no time to do anything else when someone went tumbling over the hood of the taxi, directly into him.

The person’s body crashed into (M/N), sending him straight onto the road. He smacked his head against the asphalt and hissed, scrunching his eyes closed.

“Ow!”

Once the initial impact was over, (M/N) tried to move his body, but found that he couldn’t–the weight was still pressing down on him. He slowly opened his eyes and froze as he came face to face with a guy who looked to be about his age. A very attractive guy.

He was wearing a bike helmet, but (M/N) could still see he had short brown hair, tanned skin, and facial hair. But (M/N)’s eyes were pulled back to the stranger’s, which were a deep hazel colour. (M/N) quickly realised the guy was also staring at him, not moving from his constricting position–constricting for (M/N), since he couldn’t move with this guy almost lying on top of him.

A small part of him didn’t want the guy to move, instead wanting to stay there, locked in a deep stare with him. They were both in a state of shock, drowning out the rest of the world for what seemed like ages. It was the guy’s panting against (M/N)’s face–clearly out of breath, must have been riding, if the bike helmet was anything to go off of–that brought (M/N) back to his senses. A wave of nausea rushed through his body as he finally realised what he was thinking about this stranger, and quickly pushed him away.

The guy rolled off (M/N) and clutched his arm. (M/N) could now see he was wearing a backpack, hoodie, and shorts. He also spotted the bike lying a few feet away, the front wheel bent beyond repair.

“Are you okay?” (M/N) asked instinctively.

The guy nodded, letting go of his arm as he moved to his knees, scanning (M/N)’s figure. “Are you?”

Even his voice was soothing to (M/N). (M/N) forced himself to stop thinking about how attractive this guy was, which wasn’t too hard, considering his head was still throbbing. He brought a hand to the back of his head and winced at the pain he felt when applying a slight pressure. “I’ll live.”

“You guys alright?”

They both turned their heads to the sidewalk. The person who had jumped down was still there, and (M/N) could now see it was a girl. She seemed hesitant to stick around, like she was being chased and couldn’t waste any time, but also wanted to make sure she hadn’t caused any serious injuries. (M/N) scanned her figure and frowned slightly at the familiarity.

“It’s you,” he said, almost accusingly. She had brown hair and brown eyes, and (M/N) was certain he had seen her before.

The sounds of shouting caught their attention, and they looked past the taxi, a few cars down, to see a few police officers pointing at the woman and running over. She put her hat on and pulled up her hood, starting to back up.

“Sorry about your bike.” She took off, running up the back of a car and jumping across a large van, before disappearing out of sight. The officers ran past, chasing after her. The guy looked at his bike, and seemed to finally notice the damage. He cursed to himself as he stood up, before offering a hand to (M/N).

“I’m okay,” (M/N) said, standing up quickly to get away from the guy. His head swam as he did so, and he stumbled slightly. The guy grabbed his arm.

“You sure you’re okay?”

(M/N) pulled his arm away, still clutching his head with the other. “Yes, I’m fine.” He glanced at his watch. He was going to be late if he didn’t leave now. “I have to go.” He bounced his gaze between the guy and his deformed bike. “Sorry…” He didn’t say anything else and quickly walked away, silently berating himself.

Seriously? ‘Sorry?’ What the hell am I sorry for? Get a grip, (M/N), he thought. After what happened, you’re still giving in to attractive guys. Idiot.

“You’re late,” Rowan said when (M/N) rushed behind the counter.

By five minutes, asshole.

“Sorry, won’t happen again.”

Rowan walked off and Rebecca quickly came over to whisper to him while he grabbed some plates of food, about to take them out.

“Dude, do you want to lose your job?”

“It’s not my fault. I almost got hit by a car, then I got hit by some guy.”

Rebecca suddenly looked interested. “A guy hit on you? What did he look like? Was he–”

“No, like his body physically hit me. He went flying over the car directly into me.”

Her interest dropped. “Oh, nevermind then.”

(M/N) trudged his way to the closest bus stop when his shift was over. The sun was starting to go down, and he was tired as usual. The ride home was never too long, and once he arrived, he moved down the dingy street and into the small two story building further down. He made his way up the stairs and keyed into his apartment, which was just as small and subpar as everything else on the street.

He hovered by the bathroom mirror after getting out of the shower, eyes falling on the scars all over his chest and back. Permanent reminders of the past. He moved on, getting dressed in his pajamas before flopping onto the bed as he thought about his day. He couldn’t keep doing this, but he didn’t really have any alternatives.

His mind wandered back to the girl he saw, the one that looked familiar. He had seen her around with another guy sometimes. (M/N) didn’t know who they were beyond that.

The next day was pretty much the same: Miserable until lunch, when he left to go back to his usual spot in the park. He sat there for some time watching more dance choreography videos, when someone spoke to him.

“Hey.”

He looked up from his phone and was surprised to see the biker guy from yesterday standing there, dressed almost the same, excluding the helmet and backpack. Instead of the hoodie, he was wearing a t-shirt, which allowed (M/N) to see the skin tight long-sleeve shirt he had on underneath.

“Oh, hi,” (M/N) said, pulling out his earphones.

“I saw you just now, and I thought I’d quickly say sorry again for yesterday–” he started.

“No, it’s fine. It wasn’t your fault,” (M/N) interrupted. He gave the guy’s appearance another once over. “Is your bike…?”

The guy shook his head. “Trashed.”

(M/N) went to say sorry again, but reminded himself that it wasn’t his fault, so he just nodded quietly instead.

After a moment the guy held out his hand. “I’m Cam.”

(M/N) shook it. It was firm. “(M/N).”

Cam scratched the back of his head. “So, what are you up to?”

“Nothing much.” (M/N) gestured to his phone. “Just on my break.”

Cam nodded and glanced at the phone. “You dance?”

“Uh… yeah, I guess. Well, not really anymore. I used to do it some time back,” (M/N) said. He rolled the earphone cord around his hands before putting the earphones in his pocket, alongside his phone.

Cam motioned to the seat. “You mind if I sit?”

“Sure.” (M/N) slid across to make more room and Cam sat down. They were silent for a few seconds as Cam examined the park.

“Do you come here often?” Cam asked. “Because I spend a lot of my time here and I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”

“I’ve only started coming here recently,” (M/N) answered. “It’s nice. Peaceful.”

Cam looked behind them, towards the rocks. “Well if you come here, are you into parkour?”

(M/N) followed his gaze to the people climbing over the rocks, doing flips. “Yeah, it’s pretty fun. Good exercise, too.”

“Does it go well with dance?” Cam asked lightheartedly.

(M/N) cracked a smile. “Surprisingly well, actually. But it’s also just a fun pass time on its own.”

“We’ve got that in common, then,” Cam said. “I like to do it in my free time, which I suddenly have a lot of now.”

“No work?” (M/N) questioned.

Cam shrugged. “Not without a bike.”

“Oh, are you a bike messenger or something?”

Cam nodded. “It wasn’t much, but it's all I had.”

“I imagine bikes aren’t cheap,” (M/N) said jokingly.

Cam chuckled. “No. Definitely not. Can’t afford one. Anyway, what do you do for work?”

“I work at the cafe a few blocks down, not far from where we met yesterday.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve passed that a few times,” Cam said. “You like it there?” (M/N) scoffed. Cam smiled. “Clearly not.”

“Yeah but… ‘It’s all I have,’” (M/N) said, using the same tone Cam did.

“Well I have to admit… I’m curious about the dance thing,” Cam said, leaning an arm against the leg he brought up onto the bench. “Would you be willing to show me something?”

(M/N) wasn’t too eager for that, but he didn’t need to make up an excuse, because he had a very plausible one after glancing at his watch. “I’ve actually gotta run. My boss will kill me if I’m late again.”

“Oh, yeah, no worries,” Cam said. (M/N) quickly got up and started walking back the way he came, stopping to look over his shoulder when Cam said, “See you around?”

“Uh, yeah. See you.” (M/N) waved before continuing at a fast pace. He pressed his lips into a line. Was he really going to do this again? He didn’t know how to feel about this. He tried not to think about it at all. He really shouldn’t be, it was nothing. He had a tendency to overthink everything now, though. These feelings followed him to work the next day, up until lunch.

It felt dumb for him to even weigh whether or not he should head to the park. Especially since it didn’t even stop him from doing so.

It wasn’t hard for him to spot Cam when he arrived. The guy was doing flips off of benches and up and down the stairs near the spot (M/N) sat yesterday. (M/N) also saw the brand new bike nearby. Cam noticed him pretty quickly and walked over. He looked quite sweaty, so he must have been doing this for a decent amount of time.

“Is that yours?” (M/N) asked, looking over the bike.

“That girl got it for me,” Cam said.

“Did she?” (M/N) asked. “What did she say?”

“I didn’t see her, I just got a call from my boss, he said a girl dropped off my new bike. She wasn’t there when I arrived, but it was definitely her. Who else would it be?”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it? You can pick up work again,” (M/N) said.

Cam nodded. “Yeah. I do want to thank her though, because, you know, bikes aren’t cheap. Do you know where she might be?”

(M/N) raised an eyebrow. “Why would I?”

“You said, ‘it’s you’ when you saw her,” Cam said. “Thought you might know each other?”

“No. I’ve just seen her around a couple times. I’ve never actually talked to her before,” (M/N) answered. “I’ll let her know you wanna talk if I see her, though.”

“Thanks,” Cam said. “You on your break?”

(M/N) nodded and moved to sit down on a nearby bench. He pulled out his lunch and Cam wiped his hands clean before grabbing his phone from nearby. He was watching something.

“What’s that?” (M/N) asked. Cam moved his phone closer so (M/N) could see. He wasn’t surprised to see a video of people doing parkour.

“You wanna join me?” Cam asked.

“I want to eat my lunch,” (M/N) said, pulling out a wrapped sandwich.

Cam ran forward and jumped onto the concrete retaining wall stretching across the entire walkway. He pushed off of it and did a backflip, landing on his feet. “After, then?”

(M/N) didn’t see the harm. “Sure.” He watched Cam as he ate for a bit. Cam talked to him in between stunts.

“How’s work today?” Cam breathed out after landing on his feet.

“Nothing new,” (M/N) sighed. “You?”

“Just trying to avoid more crashes,” Cam joked. “So I can actually pay rent and not be homeless.”

(M/N) huffed in slight amusement. “Tell me about it.”

He finished eating and got up, stretching his limbs. Cam was catching his breath and gestured towards the rocks.

“You tried that before?”

“Once,” (M/N) said. “But not for long.”

He followed Cam over there–after they grabbed their stuff, including the bike, so nothing would get stolen. They moved to the base of the hill where the giant boulders were. There were a couple of others nearby, but not too many to be an issue.

They put all their stuff down nearby–but still in sight–and Cam got a good grip on the indents and footholds, lifting himself up. He started slow, then picked up the pace as he neared the small flat outcrop about halfway up. He hoisted himself up and brushed his hands, looking back down.

“You coming?”

(M/N) sighed, but moved up to the rock. He never liked people watching him do something, it always made him do it worse. But once he started climbing, he realised he wasn’t as rusty as he initially thought he was. He quickly followed Cam’s pace, picking up speed as he got more confident. By the time he reached the outcrop, Cam had already started climbing towards the top.

(M/N) was right behind him, and in no time, was pulling himself up at the peak. He stood up next to Cam and took in the view. There were similar areas all around, with others climbing up and down. The trees around them weren’t tightly packed at all, so there were no issues with them getting in the way. The backside of the boulders weren’t the same as the front. They were more flat, in the sense that there were more platform-like areas to stand on. Not quite close enough to be stairs, but enough to allow people to do flips on their way down. (M/N) quickly realised that was what Cam wanted to do.

“Right now?” (M/N) asked.

Cam shrugged. “You said you were into parkour. I just wanna know how good you are at it. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, it’s not a competition or anything.” He smiled. “Unless you want it to be.”

(M/N) was very familiar with flips, he just didn’t want to die. Although, it didn’t look that dangerous, and getting back into this after a while felt good. He didn’t want to stop the energy now.

“Fine.”

He took a deep breath before moving to the edge and swinging his body forward, aiming for exactly where the first platform was. He twisted until he was upside down, the rush of adrenaline bringing his body to life, and then he was upright again. It was a relief when his feet landed on the platform, and he took a moment to really feel the tingling sensation running through his body.

Cam was watching him like a form of entertainment, and nodded approvingly. (M/N) shook his head before refocusing on the next platform below. He wanted to go again.

He felt bolder this time, and he did a side flip, like doing a cartwheel without pushing against the ground. He wobbled slightly as he landed, but didn’t fall. He dropped to the bottom platform, and since it was so close to the ground, he turned around, bent his knees, and did a backflip, landing sturdily on the grass.

He looked back up at Cam. “Nice,” Cam said.

“Your turn,” (M/N) breathed out.

Cam did much of the same, flipping his way down. On the last platform he jumped onto his hands and managed to balance there in a handstand for a long moment before hopping back onto his feet on the grass. (M/N) clapped quietly.

“Riveting stuff,” he joked.

“What? That was some pretty good stuff,” Cam defended.

“I’m just teasing,” (M/N) said.

“Well, since we’re here, will I get to see some dance moves?” Cam asked. “We ran out of time yesterday.”

(M/N) debated this. That would definitely be embarrassing, but he was having fun for the first time in ages, and he didn’t want that to end so quickly. He caved. “Okay, I guess…”

They moved to a more remote area of the park and Cam sat down against a tree, leaning an arm on his knee as he waited. “Got anything in particular?”

(M/N) pulled out his phone and recalled the many dance choreography videos he had spent hours learning, really just for fun. He picked one before typing in the song name and pulling it up. He set his phone down in between them and backed up slightly. He purposely picked one that contained a lot of flips and tricks, because that was less embarrassing to him. He performed it basically perfectly, having practised it many, many times, ending with a flip, balancing on his right hand as he brought his left and his foot together, before pushing off the ground and standing upright again.

Cam whistled. “I can see where parkour would come in handy there.”

“Well what about you?” (M/N) said. “Don’t suppose you can do much with that on a bike.”

Cam raised his eyebrows at the challenge. “Maybe most people.”

So, (M/N) found himself sitting on a nearby bench as Cam grabbed his bike and rode over.

“You can do a lot more on a bike than most people think,” Cam said, circling (M/N).

“Like flying over taxis?” (M/N) asked.

Cam narrowed his eyes slightly, but then his mind seemed to be pulled elsewhere. (M/N) could still very easily remember that event. It’s not everyday that one runs into an attractive guy at such close proximity. Namely, directly on top of (M/N). Was Cam thinking the same thing? (M/N) quickly pushed the thought away, not missing the way his heart picked up. Why was it so hard for him to listen to reason?

“Yeah well that wasn’t my fault,” Cam said. (M/N) knew that. It was because of the girl that they ended up in that position.

Cam rode up around to the stairs and peddled forward as fast as he could. He flew over the stairs and leaned the bike forward slightly, landing on just the front wheel as he flew past.

“Wow that’s pretty… cool…” (M/N) trailed off as Cam didn’t stop, heading towards the edge of the park. His eyes widened as Cam pedalled straight towards a parked car, not turning. He was expecting to see another crash, but Cam hit the front brakes and sent the bike flying forward. He moved up and pulled the back of the bike as he rolled over the car hood, on his back, and then flipped back upright over to the otherside, still on the bike. The bike didn’t touch the car once.

“I thought you were gonna trash this bike, too,” (M/N) said as Cam returned.

Cam came to a stop beside him. “Got anything else to say?”

(M/N) sighed. “Okay, fine, you proved me wrong.”

“You wanna try?” Cam asked.

“No thanks. My skills on the bike are the same as ninety-nine percent of the population,” (M/N) said, then looked at the time. “Anyway, I should get going.”

“Well… do you want my number?” Cam asked. “It’d make it easier if you wanted to hang out at some point.”

(M/N) frowned. “Uh… maybe another time. I’ve gotta go, see ya.”

“Oh, okay.” Cam watched him silently as he walked away.

(M/N) was conflicted. He couldn’t let anyone get close again, but he would be lying if he didn’t admit hanging out with Cam made him feel happy. No, it didn’t need to get complicated. He could just have a friend, someone to ease away the time with.

He could do that.

As he left the park, he saw a familiar motorcycle riding away. He’d seen it a few times before. It belonged to that guy he had seen around, with the girl.

Chapter Text

“Three more,” Miles said, hanging (M/N) a couple of receipts.

“Awesome,” (M/N) mumbled. He got to work quickly, grabbing plates and taking them out. He tried to squeeze in making drinks in between runs.

“Hey, (M/N).”

“Not right now,” he answered without paying attention. Then, he froze, recognizing who had spoken to him through just the voice. He moved the milk jug away from the steamer and set it on the counter as he turned around. Rowan was watching him with narrowed eyes.

Shit.

“Too busy for me?” Rowan said, anger laced in his words. (M/N) frantically backpedalled.

“Sorry, Rowan, automatic response–just been trying to get these orders out and–”

“I don’t need your excuses. You answer me when I speak to you, is that clear?” Rowan demanded.

“Crystal,” (M/N) said in a reserved tone.

“You can clock out at two today. I’ve got a newbie coming in, we won’t need you for the last few hours,” Roam told him, shifting his attention to look at the list of orders as he spoke.

(M/N) frowned. “Why me? I really need all the hours I can get–”

“You’re leaving at two,” Rowan cut him off sternly, refocusing his gaze back on (M/N). “Got it?”

“Fine,” (M/N) sighed. He gave Rowan two middle fingers after he had turned around. (M/N) already wasn’t getting paid enough for how much work was thrown at him, and now his hours were getting cut. Rent was beginning to look like an issue, and it was due very soon.

That meant no lunch break, since he wasn’t working long enough anymore, so he trudged his way through the last three hours, then hung up his apron and clocked out.

Guess I’ll go home.

(M/N) left the cafe and walked back towards the bus stop. It was hotter than usual today, even for the time being close to midday. He wanted to get inside as quickly as possible. He was also starving, since he didn’t get to eat lunch. He would have to try and pick up more hours, otherwise he didn’t know what he would do. But trying to convince Rowan to ease up on him… like that was going to happen. (M/N) turned down a less crowded path, as there were constructions happening along the street. Among the typical sounds of cars and horns all around, a voice caught (M/N)’s attention.

“This is the second time you’ve been late, and that makes us… what does that make us?”

“Nervous,” another voice answered.

It was coming from a small alleyway only a few steps in front of (M/N)--if he could even call it that. It was more like a small gap between buildings that ran through to the street behind. Whatever was going on, it didn’t sound good. (M/N) was going to ignore it and walk past, when he noticed the familiar bike lying on the path next to the opening. It looked a lot like Cam’s bike.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

(M/N) recognised that voice. Even if he didn’t see the bike, he could tell that it was Cam. Despite his better judgement, he found himself walking forward to peek through the opening. He saw Cam leaning against one wall, across from two Chinese men–one with his back to (M/N), and from a quick scan, (M/N) could tell the one closest to him was incredibly muscular. The other one quickly noticed (M/N), and nudged the guy closest to him, making him turn around. Cam followed their gazes and worry etched onto his features when his eyes fell on (M/N).

“Cam?” (M/N) asked cautiously. “Are you… okay?”

Cam’s eyes darted between them. “It’s–”

“We were just having a little chat with Cam, nothing to worry about,” the guy closest to Cam said. Him and the other both moved out, and (M/N) backed up instinctively when they did so. That’s when (M/N) noticed what looked like a paycheck in the hands of the guy who was closest to Cam, before it swiftly disappeared into his pocket. He smiled at (M/N), but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“We’ll be off then.” He turned around and gave Cam a certain look.

“I know,” Cam mumbled quietly, then they walked off. (M/N) saw Cam put his wallet in his back pocket, and frowned.

“Do I need to call the police or something?”

Cam’s eyes darted towards the men, who (M/N) now realised were still close enough to hear them. They looked back ever so slightly at (M/N), then continued walking around the corner.

“No, it’s fine. Nothing the police could help with, anyway,” Cam said, distaste laced through his words. He roughly grabbed his bike from the sidewalk, putting his helmet back on with an agitated huff.

“Are you sure?” (M/N) didn’t know why he was pressing so much. He just felt the need to try and do something, even though the last thing he wanted was to be involved in any more shady business. He’d had enough of that already.

Cam hopped onto his bike. “Yes. I’ve gotta go, still need to do more deliveries.” As Cam went to leave, he seemed to really notice that (M/N) was standing there, and it was hours after lunch. “Done with work already?”

(M/N) exhaled loudly through his nose. “Yeah. Today is just not going the way I thought it would.”

“I know exactly how you feel,” Cam mused. It sounded like something he would say lightheartedly, but there was no trace of humour in his voice. (M/N) was smart enough to not push the subject any further.

“Well, good luck with the rest of your deliveries,” (M/N) said.

Cam gave him a swift nod. “Thanks.” Then he was pedalling away. (M/N) continued his journey to the bus stop.

I need to get out of this city.

As soon as he’d made enough money. He was leaving. He didn’t know where, but anywhere would be better than here.

The next day proved to be another complication.

The day started off the way it usually did. (M/N) got to work early and things were going smoothly. Well, as smooth as things could go when (M/N) had to juggle multiple different tasks at once. Rebecca was on the registers again, and (M/N) was in and out, walking out meals and drinks.

Things had started to cool down sometime before lunch. (M/N) moved back behind the counter just as the bell jingled, indicating someone else had entered the cafe, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rebecca freeze.

“What are they doing here?” she said quietly.

(M/N) followed her gaze to the door, and was surprised to see the same two guys that were harassing Cam yesterday. Other than them, there were only a few others in the cafe, seated off to the right. Most seemed indifferent, but one or two watched the new men with careful eyes.

(M/N) turned and stepped closer to Rebecca. “Who are they?”

“They’re from the Chinese mafia!” she hissed quietly.

(M/N)’s eyes widened slightly. Of course he would somehow find himself interacting with such people. He replayed yesterday’s events in his mind, trying to figure out if he did anything bad. He just saw Cam and wanted to check up on him. That was fine, right? Although, they did hear him talk about calling the police. But Cam said it was fine, surely it was nothing they could get caught for, so his “threat” wouldn’t actually have caught their attention.

He hoped that was the case.

His hopes fell when their eyes landed on him, and they started moving towards the counter. Rebecca clearly wanted to leave, but stayed put, gripping underneath the counter with one hand.

“How can I help you?” she asked in an even voice when they arrived. (M/N) had started backing up slightly, towards the kitchen. Most of the employees couldn’t see from back there, so they kept to their tasks. Rowan was watching though, and (M/N) would have found amusement in the evident fear on Rowan’s face if it were any other situation.

One of the guys–the one who took what (M/N) was sure was a paycheck from Cam–snapped his fingers, pointing at (M/N).

“You. Come here, I wanna talk.”

Rebecca was gone instantly, slinking through the door into the kitchen. Rowan made no effort to stop her, or tell (M/N) to keep away from the guys. (M/N) reluctantly moved closer to them, but stayed at least half a metre away from the counter, which didn’t seem like enough distance between him and the guys. (M/N) was now sharing Rebecca’s confusion. Why were they here? Clearly, it wasn’t for food. But that brought forth another question.

How did they know (M/N) worked here?

“So, you’re one of Cam’s friends?” the same guy questioned.

“Not really,” (M/N) said uneasily. (M/N) had already started to build a mental picture of the dynamics here based on what was currently happening and what happened yesterday. It seemed like this guy was the one that did the talking, while the other acted more like a bodyguard. Though, (M/N) didn’t doubt that this guy didn’t need a bodyguard. If they were part of the mafia, then there would definitely be a reason for that, but he wasn’t eager to find out. He hoped whatever was happening would be over soon, and then they would leave him alone.

“Either way, you must not be familiar with how things work around here.” The guy leaned forward on the counter, as if they were having a friendly casual conversation. “I’d suggest keeping quiet about anything you saw. Wouldn’t want to start blabbering to the police, or who knows what’ll happen to you?”

That was an outright threat. (M/N) was sure of that, at least.

The guy smiled that same smile. “Got it, (M/N)?”

They knew his name, and where he worked. If they wanted (M/N) to feel threatened, then they could rest easy, since he was terrified.

“Yes,” he said.

The guy straightened up again. “I just thought I’d stop by to make sure we were on the same page. I’m very busy, so now that we’ve cleared this up, you enjoy the rest of your day.” He turned around and moved back towards the door, the other guy following him silently. (M/N) didn’t move a muscle until they were out the door and out of sight. Then he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. (M/N) had tried so hard to move on, he hoped this wouldn’t ruin things for him.

“You. Back here. Now.”

He turned to look at Rowan–he was the furthest thing from happy (M/N) could imagine. He looked angry, but mostly scared. (M/N) instantly knew this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.

He walked back into the kitchen, and Rowan didn’t take his eyes off of the front cafe door until (M/N) was in front of him.

“I don’t know what shit you get up to in your free time, but I will not deal with you bringing the mafia into my business,” Rowan said sternly.

(M/N) tried to defend himself. “It’s not like that, it’s–”

“I don’t care,” Rowan interrupted. “I don’t want them here ever again, or you. You’re fired.”

That was the last thing (M/N) was expecting. His heart dropped to his stomach. “Please, this is a misunderstanding–”

“I want you gone within five minutes or I’m calling the police,” Rowan said, his eyes glaring at (M/N). “Leave.”

(M/N) bit down the angry words threatening to leave his throat. He grabbed his things, punched out–he was getting what little money he could get from today’s hours–and stormed out of the cafe.

Well, he was jobless and didn’t have a plan B. If his weak plans for the future had any legs at all, they were down the drain now. It was just his luck that rent was due soon, and now he wouldn’t have enough. Well, if he became homeless, then things couldn't get much worse than that.

Tires screeching and horns sounding up ahead pulled (M/N) out of his thoughts. His eyes very quickly landed on the familiar girl running across the street, hopping over a car with Cam chasing after her on his bike. What was going on here? (M/N) was starting to feel like he was running into Cam every single day. The courier company he worked for must be located somewhere in the close vicinity.

The girl climbed up the back of a parked truck with a crane, keeping her balance as she moved up into the small platform at the top.

“Wait!” Cam scrambled to secure his bike to a nearby pole, looping the lock around it.

“What do you want?” the girl demanded, looking down at him. (M/N) was close enough to hear the conversation, but not close enough to be seen when their attention wasn’t focused on their surroundings.

“To thank you,” Cam said.

“For what?”

“What do you mean ‘for what’” –Cam gestured to the bike, like it was obvious– “for the bike you got me.”

“You’re welcome,” the girl said briskly.

“How did you learn how to do parkour?” Cam asked. The girl raised an eyebrow. Cam added, “I like parkour as well, I was just curious.” She didn’t say anything so Cam asked something else. “What’s your name?”

“Why do you wanna know?” she asked.

Cam shrugged. “You did buy me a new bike, it just seems right to ask. And my friend said he’s seen you around. I thought I’d ask for him.”

“Nikki,” she said.

Cam nodded. “Well I’m Cam.”

“Nice to meet you Cam.” Nikki looked around, as if realising where she was. Then her eyes landed on (M/N). Cam followed her gaze, his expression changing into one of slight surprise when he saw (M/N). “This your friend?” Nikki was talking to Cam.

“Uh, yeah,” he said, then in a louder voice he asked, “What are you doing here?” It wasn’t an accusatory tone, rather, he sounded pleasantly surprised.

“I was just passing by,” (M/N) answered as he approached, coming to a stop near Cam. Cam’s eyes followed him the whole time. Cam smiled.

“What, are you stalking me?” His tone was anything but negative.

“It feels more like you’re always around me,” (M/N) countered, his own smile playing on his lips. Cam’s hazel eyes seemed more distracting than before. Suddenly, (M/N) realised what he was doing and looked away. That broke Cam out of whatever zone he was in as well. (M/N) redirected his gaze to Nikki. “Like she is.”

“I’m not following you,” Nikki said.

“So you just happened to be wherever I was frequently? You and that guy?” (M/N) asked.

“Yes,” Nikki answered casually.

(M/N) looked back across the street, then at Nikki again. “So do you just do this often then? Jumping cars and nearly causing accidents?”

Nikki raised an eyebrow. “You mad about what happened?”

She was obviously referring to causing Cam to flatten (M/N) the other day.

Cam shrugged. “I’m not.”

(M/N) eyed him for a moment before answering Nikki. “No. I was just curious.” (M/N) could just leave, but it wasn’t like he really had anything else to do. He was curious about who this girl was, since it seemed like there was more she wasn’t telling him, even though they were complete strangers to each other, which really just made his curiosity even stronger.

“Well, I’ve gotta go,” Nikki said, glancing at Cam. “Put that bike to good use, will you?”

“Do you ride?” Cam asked.

“No. Bike’s a ball and chain.”

Cam was very proud of his bike skills, so (M/N) knew he wouldn’t let that comment slide.

“Oh, really? Well, anyone can” –Cam tapped the back of the truck– “jump up and climb that.”

“I’d like to see that,” Nikki challenged cockily, then she balanced her feet against the top of the railing before jumping off and into the nearby building, still in the early stages of construction.

“Wait up!” Cam copied her earlier movements, climbing up into the platform, but a lot less gracefully. He moved up slightly before looking back at (M/N). “You coming?”

(M/N) shrugged indifferently. “Sure, I guess. Got nothing else on.” He climbed onto the back and followed after Cam, who followed after Nikki.

When it was his turn, (M/N) balanced on the edge of the railing, making sure not to look down as he leaped across onto the concrete surface. He could see Cam and Nikki moving to the top of the building up the stairwell, so he quickly followed. He was glad he only took the necessities to work, because the small bag on his bag didn’t hinder his movements at all.

The roof was a small car park, crowded with cars on either side, with a giant opening straight down the middle that looked like it dropped all the way to the bottom. Once they made it up the stairs, Nikki climbed onto the closest car and jumped from car to car until she reached the last one at the other side of the small roof.

“Come on, then,” she said, standing on the hood of the car expectantly. She had directed that at Cam, and (M/N) watched him as he assessed all the cars between him and Nikki before climbing onto the first car. He jumped to the second, and picked up the pace slightly, but right before reaching the last one, he slipped and fell, some part of his body hit the car loudly, and the alarm went off.

“You okay?” (M/N) called out, trying to get a glimpse of Cam, even though he definitely wouldn’t from that angle.

(M/N) climbed onto the first car with much more caution and jumped across each one. He stopped when he reached the one Cam fell off of. Nikki was crouched down, looking over the edge. Cam rolled onto his back with an arm wrapped around his torso, lying there with his eyes closed.

“You gotta learn how to see,” Nikki said.

“I can see just fine,” Cam groaned.

“Some advice for you guys. If you wanna vault the car, don’t look where the car is–look where it isn’t,” Nikki offered.

“Duly noted,” (M/N) said, watching Cam sympathetically.

Cam held up his arm. “Good to know.” He was looking at (M/N) now.

(M/N) sighed and slid off the car, helping him up. “You didn’t bust anything?”

“Never felt better,” Cam said.

Nikki rolled her eyes and leaped off the front of the car. She sprinted towards the edge of the drop and jumped off, much to the boys’ surprise.

They scrambled towards the edge, half expecting to see her body at the bottom when they looked down, but they couldn’t see anything. There were no walls surrounding the drop, just open platforms all the way down.

“That’s insane,” (M/N) said.

“Come on.” Cam took the stairs back down and (M/N) quickly followed. They scanned each floor as they passed it until they reached the 8th floor, two floors down, and saw Nikki on the other side of the opening, walking away.

“Woah, wait, how did you get over there?” Cam shouted, stopping at the edge.

Nikki turned back and gave a two-fingered salute. “Nice to meet you Cam, and…”

“(M/N),” (M/N) answered, trying to figure out how she made that jump so gracefully. She went to leave but stopped at the new voice.

“Who are these guys?”

She moved back closer to the edge and (M/N) and Cam looked to their right, seeing three guys approaching them. They didn’t look particularly dangerous, rather they just looked like regular guys, but looks aren't everything.

“What are you doing here Dylan?” Nikki called out almost accusingly.

Dylan put his hands in his pockets as he walked up to Cam and (M/N) in a casual manner with the other two close behind. “I’m just lookin’ out for ya Niks.”

“Oh, so you’re spying on me?” she asked.

“Working out alone you’ve gotta be careful, that’s all I’m saying,” Dylan said.

“You’ve gotta stay off my ass Dyl,” she reprimanded. He laughed and one of the others spoke up.

“Who are these guys?”

“Nobody,” Nikki said.

“Haven’t seen you guys around here,” Dylan said, eyeing them up and down.

“I don’t usually go climbing through under-construction buildings,” Cam said.

“It’s a big city,” (M/N) added.

“Where’d you find them?” Dylan asked Nikki, like this was amusing.

Nikki’s eyes landed on Cam. “He found me.” Then (M/N). “He found Cam.”

Dylan returned his gaze to Cam, not seeming so amused anymore. “You following her?”

“No, just saw her in the park,” Cam said.

Dylan nodded, humming. He gestured to their surroundings. “You know, this is dangerous stuff. You get hurt if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

(M/N) feigned a hint of surprise. “Really? What an eye opener.”

Cam’s gaze bounced between him, Nikki and Dylan. Dylan smiled challengingly.

“Well, if you’re so versed in parkour, I’d like to see you make that jump,” he said, pointing two floors down, the same distance that Nikki jumped.

“You don’t have to do anything,” Cam said.

Dylan raised an eyebrow. “Oh come on, what’s the issue? Unless, you can’t do it?”

“I can,” (M/N) said.

Dylan gestured to the edge. “Then by all means.”

(M/N) wasn’t actually certain he could, but he was confident in his odds. He didn’t even really need to do it, but he would look pretty chicken if he stepped down now.

“(M/N) that’s a long jump–” Cam started.

“I can make it,” (M/N) assured him. Cam watched him nervously as he backed up as far as he could. (M/N) took a deep breath and ran forward, leaping off the edge before his brain could truly comprehend what a horrible idea this was. It was hard not to look down at the long drop, and it was terrifying, but also exhilarating. (M/N) braced himself as his body neared the concrete, and he bent his knees as his feet landed, moving into a forward roll to lessen the impact. He came to a stop and tried to calm his beating heart. That definitely wasn’t graceful, but he did it. He stood back up, testing his joints for any pain, which he didn’t find, and looked back up next to the edge. Everyone was watching him. Dylan with a pleased expression, Cam with his nervous one, but it seemed to lessen after seeing that (M/N) was obviously fine.

“Not bad,” Dylan called out.

“I’m no stranger to parkour,” (M/N) answered. Everyone turned their gaze to Cam. From Dylan’s expression, he was clearly implying Cam should take his turn. Cam seemed indifferent to the idea, but didn’t actually give an audible agreement until after seeing (M/N) watching him curiously.

He disappeared from sight, and (M/N) heard his loud footsteps echo through the empty building before he leaped off the edge, down towards (M/N).

(M/N) had backed up to give Cam space as he rolled onto the concrete in a similar fashion. He straightened himself out, fixing his thin jumper. His eyes locked onto (M/N)’s, and his expression deepened every second they held each other's gaze, until the clapping from above pulled their attention away from the other.

“Huh, not bad,” Dylan said. “You guys should come hang out with us.”

“Where exactly?” Cam asked.

“We’re a tight group, like to keep to ourselves. Loujaine terminal in Brooklyn, you know it?”

“No,” Cam said, then looked at (M/N), who shook his head.

“Pier 62. Gowanus Bay. I’ll see you guys at dawn,” Dylan continued, then disappeared from sight along with the other two, the sounds of their footsteps fading. They couldn’t see Nikki from their floor, and they couldn’t hear any noises from directly above, so she must have already left.

It was silent for a moment as (M/N) stood there in the now quiet building, the sounds of everyday life could be heard at a low volume from the streets. He turned around and realised Cam was staring at him. (M/N) finally seemed to realise what situation he was in, his brain processing everything that just happened.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I’m gonna head out.”

Cam looked like he had a lot to say, but settled for an easy question. “Are you going tomorrow?”

(M/N) thought about it. Those guys didn’t seem as bad as his initial impression told him. Nikki didn’t seem all that dangerous, either. It wasn’t like (M/N) was forced to jump, he did so of his own volition, even if it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, no matter how confident he was in his abilities.

That was just it, though. Parkour was always fun. It started out as a form of exercise, but then he really got into it. Then life got in the way and he didn’t have as much time for it. Getting back into it now made him realise just how exhilarating it used to be. Though, he had never made such a big jump as he did just before, and the feeling was surprisingly freeing. He wanted more. Even if it only served as a distraction for the mundane life surrounding him. And he did have a sudden abundance of free time now, at least until he figured out what to do next.

“I guess. It could be interesting,” (M/N) said. It was just some harmless parkour with a group of parkour enthusiasts. It didn’t sound too bad.

Cam nodded, his expression brightening a little. “I’ll go too, then. Parkour with a group sounds fun.”

(M/N) pressed his lips into a line at the evident enthusiasm in Cam’s voice. (M/N) replayed recent events between them, trying to figure out what kind of a message he had been giving the guy. For the most part, he didn’t think he was doing anything bad. Just friendly gestures. Maybe some intense staring…

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow,” (M/N) mumbled before heading to the stairs at a quickened pace. He felt slightly nauseous, but he didn’t think it was from the jump. It was hard for him to maintain his idea of being friends and nothing more with Cam when they both obviously felt something deeper. But (M/N) couldn’t do that again. He wouldn’t.

The next day (M/N) made his way to the address Dylan provided, catching the subway to get to the area, then walking the remaining 5 minutes. He was glad he brought his hoodie. Usually his mornings consisted of bus rides and then straight into work, so he never had to linger in the chilly air for long. The sun had risen over the horizon, but it would still be a little while before it warmed up properly.

It didn’t take him long to find the familiar group: Nikki, Dylan and the other two. Cam still wasn’t there yet.

“Hey,” (M/N) said once he was close enough.

They all watched him for a moment before Dylan stepped forward with his hand outstretched. (M/N) took it.

“I’m Dylan,” he gestured to the two guys next to him, “this is Tate and Jax.” (M/N) greeted them as well before Dylan continued, attention focused on Nikki. “This is my sister Nikki.”

“(M/N),” (M/N) said. Then Cam’s voice could be heard.

“I’m Cam, in case you didn’t catch it yesterday.”

They turned to look at him as he approached the group. Clearly he had been close enough to hear the conversation.

“Yeah, we’ve met,” Nikki said curtly, not meeting their eyes. She turned around and gripped onto the chainlink fence, climbing up and flipping over, landing on her feet.

“Ignore her,” Dylan said with an eye roll. Then he and the other two did another round of greetings for Cam before opening the gate and moving in. Cam looked like he wanted to talk to (M/N), but (M/N) quickly walked in after the other four. He didn’t want to give Cam the wrong idea, though he worried he had already done so. He was just here to hopefully have some fun, which seemed to be such a rare commodity for him nowadays. He did need to start searching for jobs very soon, though.

They kept walking down the docks towards a large rusted ship. It looked like a platform supply vessel, and clearly hadn’t been used for an extended period of time, left tied to the abandoned dock. A gangway was already set up, offering an easy path onto the ship, which is where the group was headed.

“This is awesome,” Cam said as they dropped onto the ship. It looked even more worn onboard.

“You guys hang out here a lot?” (M/N) asked as he looked around.

“Pretty much,” Dylan said.

“What are we supposed to do?” Cam asked.

Nikki moved past him, jumping onto the ledge that looked down to the lower levels of the ship. “Try and keep up.” Then she jumped a considerable distance onto a lower platform.

The others quickly moved back around to the other side, hopping over the railings and dropping down floor by floor. (M/N) would have thought it somewhat dangerous, but there were plenty of mats and softfalls that they had clearly set up. Either way, the jump he made yesterday was a lot worse.

He hopped over the railing and dropped down, landing on the first pile of mats. Cam wasn’t far behind him, but he was already leaping onto the next floor. It was a longer drop, and he landed on his back against a mattress. He laughed and followed after Dylan, who ran down the side pathway along the boat towards the open back-end. The others were already there, hopping across the wide expanse.

(M/N) got caught in the moment as they moved. Parkour really was a rush. He almost didn’t notice when everyone came to a stop near the front of the boat, then he heard the sound of a metal contraption, and caught sight of the giant opening in front of him. He quickly skidded to a stop, peering over the edge into the blackness below.

“Woah!”

He turned around to see Cam had rounded a corner at full speed, only just seeing the massive drop as he looked forward. He was already too close to stop, so he leaped across, unprepared. His body hit the other side and he slid down, grabbing onto the chain that ran across the entire side, dipping slightly.

“Holy shit! He’s dead dude,” Dylan exclaimed.

Before anyone could say anything else, someone leaped across the hole onto Cam’s side. (M/N) very quickly realised this wasn’t someone from the group, but someone he recognised anyway. It was the guy he had seen around with Nikki.

“Hey there,” he said, crouching down over Cam who was struggling to keep his grip. “You must be Cam.” He glanced up at (M/N). “(M/N).” He continued after getting no response. “Dylan said you guys were getting into parkour, said you were pretty good. Nice jump yesterday.” He assessed the distance between (M/N) and Cam, who was still hanging by the chain. “Might have to work on this jump, though.” He finally offered a hand to Cam, who quickly took it and was pulled up. He dropped onto his back and caught his breath. “I’m Miller. Pick a fight with gravity before you’re ready and you tend to get a beating.”

Cam wheezed out a laugh. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

(M/N) and the others moved around to the side and around. (M/N) certainly didn’t want to test that jump. By the time he made it to them, Miller was helping Cam up.

“You alright?” (M/N) asked.

Cam nodded. “Don’t worry, I’m all good.”

Everyone moved back to the front of the ship, up to the top floor and into a room that they evidently used quite a lot, if all the empty cans on the table were anything to go by. There was a new pack on a nearby counter, along with some other food supplies that the group had clearly brought here prior. They each grabbed a can and offered for Cam and (M/N) to do the same, which they did. The two sat down when everyone else did, besides Miller.

“Cam,” Jax started. “That short for Camaro?”

Tate snorted. “He has a learning disability, excuse him.”

Everyone shared a laugh before Dylan asked, “Where you from?”

“Queens,” Cam answered.

“Play any sports in high school?”

Cam shook his head. “Nah, I barely went. I wasn’t the… best student. While I was there I tried baseball, did some martial arts.”

“Where did you do your time?” Miller asked suddenly. Cam looked at him cautiously, then at (M/N) who was watching silently, as if Cam was worried (M/N) would judge him for answering that question. Miller could sense the tension. “It’s okay. You’re not the only one in here with a record.”

“Abbot House. Hillside,” Cam said.

“Juvi?” Miller asked.

“Yep,” Cam said, looking at (M/N) again.

“Pretty sure he’s not judging you,” Miller added. It sounded pretty confident, which had (M/N) slightly confused. Did Miller know something?

“I’m not,” (M/N) said, not taking his gaze off Cam, who sat back slightly afterwards, relieved.

“Well what about you? Where are you from?” Dylan asked.

“Chicago,” (M/N) answered. “Moved here a couple years back.”

“With anyone else?” Miller asked.

(M/N) looked up at the unusual tone. This felt like an interrogation. “No,” he said. “Just me.” It wasn’t a lie, but he was hoping Miller wouldn’t ask him any follow-up questions about what he did when he got here. After a couple seconds of silence, he realised what they were waiting for an answer to a question already asked. “Didn’t do time anywhere. I just… had some bad experiences, that’s all.” He subconsciously tugged the sleeves on his hoodie down with his words, but they were already covering his arms. Miller’s gaze made (M/N) uncomfortable. It wasn’t just curiosity, it was something else, like he was in on some information (M/N) wasn’t aware of. Considering (M/N) had seen him around with Nikki–it really felt like they were following him–maybe that was the case. Did Miller know something? (M/N) hoped not.

Cam watched (M/N) curiously, not understanding his turmoil, but understanding that he wasn’t comfortable on the subject.

“Did six months in Otisville a couple years ago,” Cam said, bringing the attention back to him. (M/N) met his eyes, trying to read Cam’s expression, before Cam turned to the other guys.

“Damn, what for?” Dylan asked.

“B&E. Boosting cars,” Cam said, his eyes flickering to (M/N) again, “just bullshit stuff.”

“What do you guys do for money?” Miller asked.

“I worked at a cafe.” (M/N) sighed. “Not anymore.”

“What happened?” Cam asked, intrigued by the new information.

(M/N) shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”

“And you?” Miller said, bringing attention back to his question.

Cam watched Miller move around the table, behind him and (M/N), before settling into the chair across from him. “I’m a bike messenger.”

Miller hummed, leaning an arm back over his chair. “What do you guys deliver?”

“Documents. Just business stuff.”

“At least, that’s what they tell you,” Miller said.

Cam shrugged again, resting his arm across his leg that was propped up against the desk. “I don’t know. I mean, they hand me a package, I drop it off.”

“Sure, but it could be anything, right?”

“I guess?” Cam said, glancing around the table in confusion. No one else seemed particularly interested in the conversation going on. Drinking their beers or eating whatever food they grabbed from the counter, mostly snacks. Nikki seemed slightly bothered, but wouldn’t show anything more than that. (M/N) cracked open his can and drank some. They all seemed fine, aside from Miller. (M/N) didn’t feel anything proper bad about him, the guy just seemed strange, and made (M/N) slightly uncomfortable.

“You never look inside the bag?” Miller asked.

“No. Why would I do that?” Cam shot back.

“Just curiosity,” Miller stated, then he looked at (M/N). “Would you look inside the bag?”

“I’m not a bike messenger,” (M/N) said.

“Yeah, but if you were, would you look?”

(M/N) raised an eyebrow, bringing a leg up onto his chair, hugging it close to his body with one arm. “Probably not, since that wouldn’t be what I get paid for.”

“But you’re the one carrying the package,” Miller argued, looking at Cam again.

Cam sighed. “Look, as long as they pay me after I drop it off, I don’t really care what’s inside the bag.” No one answered him after that, and the silence soon stretched on to become awkward. “So… what do you guys do?”

Miller suppressed a smile. “We do whatever we can not to get caught.”

The vague but suggestive comment did give (M/N) a general vibe of what this group was. Something morally ambiguous. It didn’t seem like anything too terribly bad beyond that, though. (M/N) was only seeing the surface, though, and he knew things could be much worse than they looked.

“RIght,” Cam said.

Dylan stood up, smacking Jax’s shoulder and gesturing at Tate and Nikki. “Come on.” He left the room and they quickly followed. After a minute, shouts could be heard from outside and Cam and (M/N) moved to the window overlooking the boat. The other four were back out there doing jumps and flips.

“That looks like fun,” Cam said.

Miller came up to stand beside them. “There are no limits, my friends. Only plateaus.”

Cam chuckled. “Plateaus?”

Miller huffed in amusement, a smile playing on his face. “You’ve gotta constantly push past what you think you can do or else you stay stuck.”

That hit oddly close to home for (M/N), but he supposed that was his problem. He wanted to leave New York, but he didn’t have the resources to do so, but could he do it anyway? He didn’t want to leave his fate in such a situation, he’d rather solidify his plans. But first, he’d need another job.

“I like that one,” Cam said. “What else you got?”

“Well how about this?” Miller started, gesturing out the window, where the others were. “This whole thing–parkour, free running, tracing, whatever you want to call it–is just a state of mind. Now the real obstacles are not out there, they’re in your head. Okay?”

“I don’t know, those obstacles look pretty real to me,” Cam joked.

“And dangerous, especially if you’re throwing yourself into giant holes,” (M/N) added.

“Technically, you jumped over the giant hole first,” Cam teased.

(M/N) managed a small smile. “I guess I did.”

“You guys just have to start seeing the obstacles differently,” Miller said.

“Look where the car isn’t, right?” Cam guessed.

“Exactly.”

It was close to another hour when everyone got ready to leave. They all moved back down to the pier, by the fence.

“How’s that new bike treating you?” Nikki asked Cam.

“Yeah, pretty good. Where did you get it?” Cam asked.

(M/N)’s attention was pulled away when Miller spoke to him.

“You’re looking for a job right now, aren’t you?” Miller asked, leading (M/N) off to the side while the others unlocked the gate.

“Um, yeah?” (M/N) answered.

“I’d be willing to offer you a job, if you want,” Miller said.

“What kind of job?” (M/N) asked cautiously.

“Nothing too bad, but the authorities wouldn’t consider it nothing, either.” Miller patted his back before following the others out. “Think about it.”

“Hey Niks, let's go!” Dylan called out.

“You guys all work together?” Cam asked.

“See you guys around,” was all Nikki said before she ran up to meet the others. Miller got on his bike.

“Nice meeting you two, don’t let these guys get you in trouble,” he said, then rode off. A hauler truck drove by moments later and the other four jumped onto the back of it as it went past.

“What did Miller say to you?” Cam asked.

“He offered me a job,” (M/N) answered.

Cam blinked in surprise. “Really? What for? What do they do?”

(M/N) shrugged. “He didn’t tell me, just that I should think about his offer and talk to him tomorrow.”

“Are you going to?”

(M/N) sighed. “I don’t know. Either way, I’ve gotta figure something out.”

Rent was due the next day, though, and (M/N) couldn’t pay up, so he had to pack his things and leave his apartment with nothing but a duffel bag of clothes and a smaller bag filled with toiletries.

He told himself he wouldn’t do this again, but he really didn’t see another option. Trying to find another job that didn’t require any qualifications that also paid him enough would be tough. It wasn’t ideal, but (M/N) didn’t really see any other alternative besides accepting Miller’s offer.

(M/N) was never given a specified time, so he just went back to the pier in the morning.

“Back already?” Dylan asked when (M/N) walked into the room. He and Jax were playing ping pong while the rest sat around the room. (M/N) dropped his bags near the door, looking around.

“Where’s Miller?”

Nikki frowned at his words.

“He’ll be here soon,” Dylan answered.

(M/N) took a seat and after about 10 minutes, Cam showed up.

“Yo dude, what’s up?” Tate asked.

“I want in,” Cam announced.

Dylan glanced back at him and chuckled before hitting the ping-pong ball. “You are in. Both of you. We don’t just let anybody train with us.”

Cam walked up to the table. “No, I’m talking about work.” He met (M/N)’s eyes. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You’re accepting Miller’s offer?” (M/N) nodded.

“Wait, what offer?” Nikki asked.

“To work with you guys,” (M/N) answered.

“Huh,” Dylan said in a thoughtful tone.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Nikki said angrily.

“Whatever you guys got going on, I want in on it as well,” Cam said. He didn’t seem to care much about it yesterday. (M/N) wondered what changed.

“No,” Nikki said, talking more to Dylan than Cam. “It’s a bad idea, having either of them join.”

“Why?” Dylan challenged. “You know something that I don’t?”

Nikki didn’t answer him. She just rolled her eyes and dropped the paddle on the table before leaving the room. Was she hiding something? It seemed like it.

Chapter Text

“We’re in the transport business. We move valuables. People hire us to make obstacles go away, change hands, land on someone else. The difference is I provide assurances that other people can’t.”

(M/N), Cam and Dylan, all dressed in black in the dead of night, lifted up one of the glass panels on top of the warehouse, silently lowering themselves into one of the dimly lit hallways of the building. They ran as quietly as they could, looking out for any guards on watch–there were a few.

“It’s a profession. We’re not thrill seekers who pull any score that comes along. The key is speed and silence. In and out, fast and quiet.”

They made it to a large open room with large shelves towering up to the roof, each one stacked with boxes. The three climbed through any open spaces they could, avoiding line of sight with the guards until they made it to the row they were looking for. Cam singled out the box with the label they were after, and opened it, pulling out a briefcase.

“We do our research. Plan every move. Work as a team. Everyone knows their job. Documents, chemicals, technology, anything. We don’t take sides.”

Inside the briefcase were some vials of liquid. Cam quickly opened his backpack and put them all in.

“Now I have just two rules: The first is, if you get in trouble, I’m your first call. The second, you stay out of Chinatown, even if you’re not on a job.”

(M/N) turned to look at Miller fully. Cam did, too. Though that’s what had (M/N) so curious, since Cam owed money to the Chinese mafia.

“Why?” Cam asked.

“I’m inviting you guys to sit down at the dinner table, show me that you know how to be good guests,” Miller said. “That is, if you still want to sign up for this thing.”

(M/N) didn’t see an alternative. “I’m in.”

Cam nodded. “When do we start?”

The trio climbed back through the glass panel, lowering it once they were all out, letting out lengthy sighs of relief. They had done it, completed their first job without getting caught. They pulled off their masks.

“Nice work,” Dylan said.

“Let’s just get out of here,” (M/N) said. They went to leave, but when they turned around they saw a hooded figure standing across the roof. Within the next second, they pulled out a gun, and the sound of a shot firing filled the air, then Dylan fell over, not moving.

“Oh shit–”

“Run!”

Cam and (M/N) quickly bolted, and the mysterious masked person was close behind them. (M/N) tried a door leading back into some other part of the building, but it was locked.

“Keep running!” Cam yelled, then pulled down a bunch of corrugated metal panels leaning against the wall in order to slow down their pursuer. They each took their turn leaping up from a barred window to grip onto the top of the brick wall of the building next to them, pulling themselves onto the roof. (M/N) could still hear the person following them, but his heart dropped when two more hooded figures appeared at the other end of the roof, cutting them off. That left them no other option but to go right and drop down onto another building. They spotted another door, and (M/N) was relieved when he was able to swing it open freely, almost tripping to get inside. Cam was right behind him, and they heard the slam of the door as another followed. (M/N) had no idea who these people were, but he didn’t want to find out.

They burst through a large set of doors and found themselves inside a shopping centre, closed in the late hour. The footsteps following them were easy to pick up on with the loud echo. They dashed through the food court, towards the stationary escalators. (M/N)’s heart was pumping, urging him to go faster as he took in as many breaths as he could.

Cam kicked down a wet floor sign, using it to surf down the escalator without slowing down. (M/N) jumped over the side and slid down, before dropping onto the closest platform, then finally dropping onto the ground floor. They were outside in no time, but so was their pursuer–the other’s must have tried a different route to cut them off.

“There!” (M/N) ran towards the truck turning onto the street, knowing Cam was close behind. It had slowed down just enough on the turn for (M/N) to leap onto the back, gripping the back door handle as tight as he could with one hand, and turning around to outstretch the other to Cam, who was running as fast as he could to catch up with the truck that was now moving faster than they could run.

Cam reached out and (M/N) managed to catch his hand, using all his might to pull Cam forward, who jumped onto the back. They looked behind them to see that their pursuer had stopped in the middle of the road, growing smaller with distance.

(M/N) took deep breaths and leaned his head against the hard metal. His body needed a rest, but he held onto the truck, fighting back the nausea. He wasn’t expecting to see a gun, let alone watch someone get shot with one.

“You okay?” Cam asked in between breaths.

“I really need to start using my head. I keep getting myself into situations like these. I’m such an idiot,” (M/N) said.

“It’s not your fault,” Cam offered. “That was… I don’t even know. But Dylan…”

(M/N) shook his head. Cam misinterpreted his words, but that didn’t matter. “Let’s just get to the damn rendezvous point and hand this shit over.”

Once they neared their street, they hopped off the truck when it slowed down at an intersection and walked the rest of the way in silence. They walked down the empty street towards the van, but as soon as Cam opened the door, he was yanked inside. (M/N) didn’t have time to react before he was shoved in from behind, collapsing on the floor. It was the people chasing them. Up close, (M/N) could see they were all wearing masks. But as soon as a gun was pointed at him, he couldn’t focus on anything else. He felt Cam trying to thrash his way out of their grasp next to him, but it didn’t work. (M/N) stayed deathly still, but the hands around his wrists didn’t move. A ringing filled his ears as he stared down the barrel. Bad memories rushed back in, memories he had been trying so hard to suppress permanently, and the sick feeling returned tenfold. They were shouting, demanding to know what was in the bag, who they worked for. (M/N) said nothing, Cam refused to tell them, saying they didn’t work for anyone, they didn’t know what was in the bag. (M/N) waited for the sound of a gunshot as bile rose up in his throat. The ringing was louder now, and just before it all came out, everyone let them go, the gun was put away. The ringing died down.

“Good work guys.” That was Miller’s voice.

They all took off their masks. It was the group. Dylan was alive.

“What the hell is going on?” Cam demanded.

“You guys pulled some serious moves out there,” Dylan complimented.

“We just had to make sure you guys had our backs, you’re family now,” Miller said. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re a bunch of assholes,” Cam hissed, punching Dylan. “Especially you.”

They thought it was funny, laughing at his anger. That’s when Cam noticed (M/N) hadn’t moved, his eyes squeezed shut.

“(M/N)?”

“Still shaken up?” Dylan teased.

(M/N) smacked him. “Shut up,” he snapped. “Assholes, the lot of you.”

He moved to the van door and opened it, getting out after grabbing the bags full of his supplies–he had brought them along since he had nowhere else to put them.

“(M/N) wait!” Cam yelled, following after him.

“Let them go,” Miller said, his voice fading as (M/N) walked away. “They could probably use time to cool off. Let’s pack it up, boys.”

Cam didn’t seem to care when the others drove off, (M/N) certainly didn’t. He stopped and leaned against the closest wall, trying to relax. Cam put a hand on (M/N)’s shoulder but he shrugged it off.

“I get it, that stunt pissed me off as well,” Cam said.

“I wish it was that simple,” (M/N) muttered.

“Then what is it?” Cam pressed.

“Nothing, that’s what,” (M/N) shot down, then he started walking again.

“Where are you going?” Cam asked.

“Home, obviously,” (M/N) answered.

“You’re lying.” (M/N) stopped walking and turned to look at Cam, who walked up to meet him. Cam gestured to his bags. “It’s fairly obvious when you’re carrying them around the whole day. I know the look of someone who has nowhere to go, since that’s me now, too.”

(M/N) momentarily forgot about everything else, his anger and nausea fading away. “You don’t have anywhere to stay?”

“Well, I pitched a tent on the roof of an apartment building, so it’s better than nothing,” Cam said. “You couldn’t pay for your place without a job? Is that why you accepted Miller’s offer?” (M/N) stayed silent, and Cam’s next words surprised him. “You can come back with me, if you want.”

(M/N) raised an eyebrow. “What, to your tent?”

Cam smiled. “It’s more than big enough for the both of us, I promise.”

“Why?” (M/N) demanded, his voice now defensive. “Why do you care?”

Cam shrugged. “I don’t have any ulterior motives, if that’s what you’re worried about. I just thought I’d offer since I don’t want you having to sleep on the streets and I… well, you know…”

(M/N) noted to himself that he was doing a horrible job at keeping his distance from Cam. He tried to ignore the fact that he very clearly didn’t want to stay away from Cam, and Cam obviously thought the same, but it couldn't end well. Still, (M/N) didn’t want to sleep on the street.

“Fine,” he said defeatedly, readjusting the bag strap on his shoulder, “lead the way.”

Cam started walking. “It’s not far, just a couple blocks down.”

When they did arrive, (M/N) followed Cam up the stairwell in the building, going all the way to the top and onto the roof.

There was a small water tower on top next to an arched roof of glass panels. The tent sitting beside the tower was larger than (M/N) was expecting. It was one of the big ones meant for housing multiple people, so there was plenty of space for just the two of them. There were a couple of bags, a folding chair, and a large air mattress draped with a large blanket.

“It’s not much, but it’s better than sleeping outside on the concrete,” Cam said. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I uh… I can sleep on the chair, you can have the mattress.”

Cam’s kindness was really starting to make (M/N) uncomfortable, more uncomfortable than he would be sharing the mattress. The situation was reminding him of days passed.

“No, stop doing that,” he said.

“Doing what?” Cam asked.

“Being nice. We can share the mattress,” (M/N) answered. He put his bags down nearby, shrugging off his shoes, then his hoodie. When he pulled it off, his shirt came up as well, and he quickly scrambled to pull it down, glancing back to see if Cam was looking. From his expression, it seemed like he had at least seen some of the scars.

“Why is being nice a crime now?” Cam probed, but kept his eyes on (M/N)’s back until (M/N) moved to the mattress.

“It just is,” (M/N) said, shutting down the conversation. But he realised he was being a little harsh considering the situation. Cam was letting him sleep on a mattress with a blanket instead of out in the cold, defenceless. He felt obligated to give Cam something to work with. “Sometimes it makes me feel sick,” (M/N) offered.

That clearly just confused Cam more as he watched (M/N) lie down on the mattress, close to the edge, trying not to take up too much space.

“Do you just want me to… be mean then?” Cam said, unsure.

“No it’s just… it’s hard to explain,” (M/N) said.

“What was on your back?”

(M/N) didn’t answer. Cam sighed and brushed a hand through his hair, before kicking off his own shoes and hoodie, moving onto his side of the mattress. He made sure to give (M/N) ample space as they settled in to sleep. (M/N) was surprised at how easily sleep came to him when in someone else’s presence. He thought it would be a lot harder.

The next day didn’t go much like (M/N) thought it would. They had received a message from Nikki saying to meet up with her in the morning, then they would be going to pick up some supplies. Something the group did regularly.

They didn’t have time to do much of anything after getting ready–which just consisted of changing clothes and brushing teeth, using a water bottle to wash out their mouths. Cam didn’t talk much, whether that was because (M/N) made it clear he didn’t want to hold a conversation, or if Cam was still waking up, it was unclear.

Nikki didn’t look particularly thrilled when they hopped into the van. Then again, she never really did look happy since (M/N) and Cam joined the group. (M/N) was starting to doubt his decision as well. He never really wanted to get involved in this sort of thing again, but based on what Miller said, he thought it wouldn’t be anything that involved guns. Well, he supposed that part was technically true, since last night was just a set up to make sure (M/N) and Cam wouldn’t betray the group if it ever came down to it, but that’s how things always started. Then they spiraled out of control, like last time.

Stick it out until you’ve got enough money, then you can bail, (M/N) assured himself.

The ride to their destination–which turned out to be a warehouse–was uncomfortably quiet.

“Let’s get this over with,” Nikki said after parking the van. A man was standing next to a crate of boxes and packages. Nikki opened the back doors and they all stood back while the man loaded the things into the van.

“Did I piss you off or something?” Cam asked.

Nikki shook her head. “You guys shouldn’t have joined the group.”

“Why?”

She didn’t answer, instead moving back towards the van, hovering near the back to close up as soon as the man was done.

“What was that about?” Cam asked (M/N).

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, scratching his neck.

Cam nodded, kicking his feet slightly. “You feeling okay now? Did you maybe wanna get coffee after this or something?”

“I’m not going on a date,” (M/N) shot down.

Cam backpedaled. “I uh, didn’t mean it like a date, I mean maybe–”

“Like she said, let’s just get this over with. I’m pretty tired still,” (M/N) interrupted.

“Thought you’d be more energetic or something, since you said you didn’t work at the cafe anymore?” Cam said. “What happened? Did they fire you–”

“What’s with the questions?” (M/N) asked.

Cam let out an awkward laugh. “Was just trying to make conversation.”

(M/N) shrugged. “Yeah, well it’s not really working.”

Cam shoved his hands into his pockets, obviously not very pleased with the way this was going. “What’s your deal?”

“I don’t have a deal,” (M/N) said.

“Then why are you acting like this?” Cam accused, still trying to keep his easy-going tone. It wasn’t really working.

“Acting like what?” (M/N) challenged. He didn’t know why Cam cared so much. They barely knew each other.

“I don’t know, I just thought we…” Cam trailed off. He didn’t need to finish for (M/N) to know what he was implying.

(M/N) would be lying if he said that wasn’t true. They definitely felt a connection, and clearly liked each other. But it was so much more complicated than that. (M/N) couldn’t do it.

“I wasn’t giving you any signals,” (M/N) said, though he didn’t really believe that, and Cam didn’t either.

Cam scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “Really? I’d argue differently.”

“Good for you,” (M/N) sighed.

“You’ve basically been following me, you had no problem hanging out with me, and the way you’ve been looking at me–”

“I already said I wasn’t following you. And I was just being nice, that’s all,” (M/N) said. The sound of the truck doors shutting caught his attention, and he quickly moved back towards it, effectively ending the conversation. Nikki took them back to the pier, as Miller apparently had their pay ready from last night’s heist. They each got nearly 1500 dollars, which was way more than (M/N) was expecting.

The rest of (M/N)’s day was uneventful. He sought out a place with public showers, since he had already gone too long since the last one. After that he just went back to the makeshift home Cam had created. He supposed it would do good to be a little nicer to the guy, if he wanted to keep staying here. He was just uneasy all the time again, since last night. Being reminded of bad memories that he now couldn’t expel from his head again, it really sapped away his energy.

(M/N) spent hours watching dance choreography in the folding chair and eating what little snacks he had left until the sun was going down and Cam showed up.

(M/N) put his phone away, rubbing his eyes. “Hey look. I’m sorry about earlier–” He stopped when he actually looked at Cam, and saw the bag of ice he was holding to his face. “What happened?”

“What’s with the questions?” Cam said, mimicking (M/N)’s earlier words.

(M/N) sighed, moving out of the chair in case Cam wanted to sit there, which he did. “Guess I deserve that.”

(M/N) sat down on his side of the mattress, getting ready to settle down since it would be dark soon.

“Do you remember those guys you found me with?” Cam said suddenly. “In the alleyway?”

“The mafia guys?” (M/N) guessed. “Is that what happened?”

“Yep,” Cam sighed, popping the p.

(M/N) watched Cam pull away the bag for a moment, revealing the bruise on his cheek. (M/N) didn’t want to get any more involved in this stuff, but he was curious. “You’re in trouble, aren’t you?”

Cam shrugged weakly, closing his eyes as he leaned into the bag. “My mum got sick after she lost her job, so I borrowed some money from them to try and help her keep the house. It wasn’t enough, so the bank foreclosed on her a week before she died. I couldn’t afford the place I was at with them taking all my money, and I’m still nowhere close to paying it off.”

“They came into the cafe the day after I saw you guys,” (M/N) said. He didn’t know why he was sharing, but he supposed this piece of information was mostly harmless. “Threatened me. My boss freaked out and fired me on the spot, since he didn’t want anything to do with the mafia.”

“You should have stayed away,” Cam said.

“Yeah, no shit.” (M/N) was just glad Cam didn’t ask him anything else, though.

Not long after, both he and Cam got a call from Dylan, one after the other, who invited them out with the rest of the gang. It wasn’t a job, rather just some fun.

“Sure, why not,” (M/N) told him. Cam also seemed rather happy to go. If it really was just a night out, then (M/N) would happily welcome the distraction.

The address Dylan gave them was for a club which wasn’t too far from their current location, just a 20 minute trip. The blaring music could be heard from outside and only got louder once they opened the front door and went inside.

The place was crowded, but mostly on the dance floor, it wasn’t too hard to find the group seated around the wide circular bar table.

“Can I get a water?” Cam shouted to the bartender, while (M/N) asked for a beer.

“What happened here?” Nikki asked, gesturing to her cheek. Everyone waited for Cam to answer.

“Fumbled a wall trick,” Cam lied. “Landed on my face.”

“How’s the wall?” Tate teased. Everyone laughed. He lifted up his shirt, showing off a scar on his abdomen. “Check this out, got it on a broken rail.”

“That’s nothing,” Dylan scoffed, rolling up the leg of his tracksuit pants to reveal a jagged scar on his ankle. “Razor wire.”

Nikki laughed, pointing at the scar below Dylan’s eye. “Don’t forget about this one.”

“You get in a fight or something?” Jax asked.

“I met this cute asian girl, and we hit it off. But the next time I see her walking down the street and I try to kiss her, she goes crazy, pulls a pocket knife on me and nearly takes my eye out,” Dylan explained. “Shit got out of hand really fast, needless to say I never went back to Chinatown again.”

“Is that why Miller doesn’t want anyone going there?” (M/N) chimed in, taking another swig from his beer.

Dylan shook his head. “No, that has to do with him. He had some business over there that went south, he had to cut a deal and promise to stay away.”

That obviously meant more to Cam than anyone else. (M/N) didn’t think too much of anything else after that though. He listened to them converse, throwing in his own takes every now and then as he ordered more beers when he’d run out. He was starting to feel the buzz, which was like sweet relief, relaxing his body. Tate, Nikki and Jax had all gone off to do their own things at some point.

“Woah, slow down dude,” Dylan said as (M/N) ordered another. “You’re downing that shit insanely fast.”

“Yeah, are you feeling okay?” Cam asked.

(M/N) chuckled, pointing at Tate, who had moved to the other side of the dance floor. He was talking to a girl, but stumbled every time he moved. “Not as much as him.” (M/N) was definitely tipsy though.

“Still, you should slow down–” Cam’s concerned voice came to a stop when (M/N) reached up to brush a hand across his unbruised cheek, a humoured smile playing on (M/N)’s lips.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little face about it,” (M/N) said, before sliding off his chair and moving towards the dance floor. “Time to dance.” He let his hand trail around Cam’s neck until he was out of reach, then continued with his original goal. Cam watched him leave quietly.

(M/N) drowned out everything but the music after that, which wasn’t hard to do with how loud it was. He finished his beer and let his body move to the rhythm. He felt weightless as he danced around and time passed. The floor wasn’t crowded enough for people to be shoulder to shoulder, so it was obvious that whoever just touched him, did so on purpose.

He turned around and wasn’t at all surprised to come face to face with Cam, who was incredibly close to him. (M/N) was too out of it to really care, and continued dancing, trailing a hand up Cam’s arm before turning around. (M/N) felt Cam put his hands on his waist as he moved forward, his breath tickling (M/N)’s ear.

(M/N) subconsciously leaned into Cam further, enjoying the warmth. It was something he hadn’t felt in ages.

He felt Cam gently pulling at his waist to turn him around, and he complied. Cam’s face was so close to his, and Cam’s eyes were focused on his lips, moving forward slightly to meet them. It was only then that (M/N)’s mind really processed what was happening. The warmth he felt turned into an anxious feeling and he instinctively pushed away from Cam and quickly made his way back out the front door.

“Hey!” Cam called after him. He didn’t stop until Cam caught up to him and grabbed his arm, making him stop. “What happened?”

(M/N) pulled his arm away and breathed deeply, letting the cool air refocus his senses and bring him back to reality. “Nothing. It’s just stuffy in there.”

Cam’s hand hovered over (M/N)’s waist, but (M/N)’s unhappy expression stopped him. “Did you wanna get out of here? Go somewhere else?”

(M/N) looked around anxiously. “No I can’t.”

Cam tried brushing a hand across (M/N)’s cheek, but he recoiled. “Hey, what’s wrong?” (M/N) started walking away. Cam followed him. “(M/N), what are you afraid of?”

“Just leave me alone,” (M/N) said, not turning back.

“Come on–” Cam tried.

“Drop it,” (M/N) interrupted sternly, picking up his pace. Cam didn’t say anything, but stopped walking. (M/N) kept walking until he reached an empty alleyway, hunching over as he tried to calm his anxiety. After a few minutes, the nausea went away.

(M/N) pressed his fists to his forehead, internally scolding himself for letting himself do what he just did. He couldn’t blame Cam, he had been sending the guy mixed signals since they met, and now (M/N) had just hurt him. But (M/N) was scared he would be hurt more if he gave in.

He found a nearby motel, paying for a room for one night. He couldn’t confront Cam after what just happened.

However, by the next morning, the guilt had only gotten stronger.

(M/N) woke up late, and realised he was supposed to go pick up the supplies with Cam, but it was too late now. He walked around the city and as the hours passed, he realised just how bad he felt. He liked Cam. Really liked Cam. And Cam really had proven himself to be someone (M/N) could spend time with without worrying about any twisted motives. But more importantly, there really isn't anything for (M/N) to be scared of now. He already lost everything, why keep living into fear? At the very least, he could go back and apologise.

(M/N) waited on the roof by the stairwell door until it was dark. He was beginning to think Cam wouldn’t show up until he heard someone ascending the stairs, then the door opened and Cam came into view. He stopped when he saw (M/N) standing there.

“Hey,” (M/N) said.

Cam looked irritated. “What are you doing here?”

(M/N) shoved his hands into his pockets. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Cam rolled his eyes and walked past (M/N). “After continuously shutting me down? Yeah, okay.”

“Look, I'm sorry. I really am,” (M/N) said.

Cam stopped and turned around. “Really? I mean, I can’t tell with you. One minute I think we’re friends, then you’re avoiding me. Then you talk to me again, practically seduce me, and then snap at me afterwards.” Cam scoffed. “Seriously. Do you just enjoy playing with my feelings? Is that what this is to you? Entertainment?”

“No!” (M/N) said, louder than he would have liked. He leaned back against the wall below the water tower, rubbing his face. “I just couldn’t see how this would end well. But I know I’ve been leading you on. I don’t know about this group. I don’t think they’re as good as they seem. If you joined because of me, you can still leave.”

Cam stepped forward. “Is that what you want?” he demanded.

“I just don’t want you to get in more trouble because of me–”

“Do you want me to go?” Cam demanded again, much louder as he came to a stop in front of (M/N), watching him expectantly.

(M/N) couldn't deny it anymore. He didn't want Cam to leave, he enjoyed being around him, and was undeniably attracted to him.

(M/N) frowned as he moved forward, expecting nausea, but he didn’t feel anything other than the fast beating of his heart. His lips hovered in front of Cam’s.

“No,” (M/N) whispered, and then Cam’s lips crashed into his. (M/N) molded into the kiss without resistance, feeling all the walls he had built up over the months come crashing down, but in a way that was liberating. He felt so free, so relieved. He ran his hands through Cam’s soft hair, trying to pull him closer, even though their lips were already connected.

Cam snaked an arm around (M/N)’s waist, pulling him closer with an almost needy feel. He gently bit down on (M/N)’s bottom lip, asking for permission. (M/N) opened his mouth, letting Cam inside. It was almost painful when (M/N) had to pull away for air. He stayed pressed up against Cam–both willingly and because Cam had an iron grip on him–as he panted for air.

“Wow,” (M/N) breathed as he rested his head on Cam's shoulder, face pressed into his neck, fists gripping onto his shirt. Cam’s body was warm in contrast to the chilly evening air. “That felt good.”

“I’m not done yet,” Cam whispered into his ear. Then suddenly his hands moved down to grip onto (M/N)’s thighs, pulling him up. (M/N) wrapped his legs around Cam’s waist as Cam went back in for another kiss. (M/N) vaguely noticed that Cam had started walking again, presumably back to the tent. His guess was confirmed when Cam removed one hand and the sound of the zipper could be heard. Cam moved them inside before zipping the opening up again, and practically dropping (M/N) onto the mattress on his back. (M/N) barely had time to stabilise himself before Cam was on top of him, attacking his mouth once again, and then moving to his neck, sucking and biting on the soft skin, which would for sure bruise overnight.

(M/N) rolled his head back as quiet moans escaped his lips. He ran a hand through Cam’s hair again, almost like a massage. He felt good, and also slightly ticklish, with Cam’s beard.

Cam stopped for a moment and sat back on his heels, lifting his shirt over his head, revealing his toned chest. He moved back down to kiss (M/N) as his hands began to hike up (M/N)’s shirt. (M/N) hands instinctively shot out to grip onto Cam’s, keeping them in place. Cam pulled back to look at him in confusion.

“Is this not okay?”

“It is, it’s just…” (M/N) took a deep breath. “I’ve never shown anyone before.”

Cam watched (M/N) closely as he removed his hands, signalling that Cam was okay to continue. Cam slowly lifted up (M/N)’s shirt, and (M/N) lifted his arms to pull it over his head. He tossed it to the side and clenched his fists as he laid there, exposed under Cam’s gaze.

Cam’s eyes were fixed on the abundance of scars that littered (M/N)’s chest, hugging around his sides and obviously continuing onto his back, even without being able to see it. Cam gingerly eased open (M/N)’s fist with his hands, rubbing circles into his palms.

“What happened?” he asked softly.

(M/N) shook his head. “Not now.” Then he pulled Cam in again.

(M/N)’s arousal had reached its peak by that point, and from the bulge pressed against his leg through Cam’s pants, he could tell Cam was in the same boat.

“Do you wanna do this?” Cam asked in between kisses.

“Yeah,” (M/N) answered quickly, moving to try and pull down Cam’s pants. Cam helped him, and removed his pants and underwear in one move, letting his cock out. He quickly dug through his nearby bag while (M/N) yanked off the remainder of his own clothes. Cam pulled out lube and a pack of condoms.

“You just had those on you?” (M/N) asked. It was a good thing he did, though. It would save them a mess.

Cam quickly removed one from the pack, putting it on. “Well, they don’t take up much space, and I didn’t have much else to take.”

Cam captured his lips again. (M/N) dropped back onto the mattress as Cam crawled on top of him, applying lube to his fingers. He brought one hand up to the back of (M/N)’s neck, and lowered the lube-covered one to (M/N)’s hole, applying soft pressure as he pushed one finger in first.

(M/N) shuddered at the cold feeling. Cam leaned forward, pressing his forehead against (M/N)’s, still rubbing the back of his neck gently.

“Does it hurt?” he asked.

“No,” (M/N) assured him. “You can keep going.”

Cam added another finger, applying a little more pressure this time as he stretched (M/N) open. (M/N) moaned at the feeling. Being completely naked in a tent on top of a tall apartment building after dark wasn’t the most comfortable sleeping area, but being pressed so close to Cam did more than enough to keep him warm. Cam pulled his head back slightly to plant a kiss on (M/N)’s forehead, before moving down.

“This is okay?” he murmured into (M/N)’s neck, planting another kiss there.

(M/N) hadn’t been intimate with anyone for close to a year now–not any form of physical contact at all. He thought it would make him feel sick like he thought, but with Cam, it was the opposite. It reminded him of how nice it felt to do this with someone who held him lovingly. He craved it, finally ready to open up again.

“This is okay. More than okay,” (M/N) confirmed, his breath tickling Cam’s ear. “I’m ready.” Cam pulled away and retracted his fingers. He poured more lube on his hand and applied it to his condom-covered cock before lining up at (M/N)’s hole, hands gripping at (M/N)’s waist to keep him in place. He pushed in slowly, finding little resistance, and eventually bottomed out with a pleasured groan.

(M/N) let out a shaky sigh and curled his fingers around Cam’s. “You can move,” he said after a minute. It didn’t hurt, just felt filling.

Cam started moving in and out slowly, only by small amounts at first, but slowly built up the pace, moving further out before pushing all the way back in. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the air along with their moans. Cam leaned forward, kissing (M/N) for the umpteenth time, although with much sloppier execution, but neither one of them cared. They relished in each other’s pleasured noises. Their hot breath, their soft lips. (M/N) hugged Cam into his chest, breathing “harder” into his ear, nibbling on his earlobe gently. Cam happily obliged, moving his arms around (M/N)’s back, lifting him up slightly for easier access to his ass, before going even faster. (M/N) wrapped his legs tightly around Cam’s waist, enjoying the pleasure.

Suddenly, Cam hit a certain spot and (M/N) gasped, arching his back as much as he could against Cam’s toned body. He could feel Cam smiling into his shoulder. “Found it,” he murmured. Cam continued to abuse that spot, which left a string of incoherent noises falling from (M/N)’s mouth.

After a few failed attempts, (M/N) managed to say “I’m close” well enough for Cam to understand him.

Cam wrapped a hand around (M/N)’s so far touch deprived but near-bursting cock, pumping vigorously. “Me too, let it out for me.”

That sent (M/N) over the edge. He moaned loudly as his pleasure peaked, blowing his load in between his and Cam’s chests. (M/N) involuntarily clenched tightly around Cam, which did it for him. He slammed his hips against (M/N)’s ass one last time, and stayed there, moaning just as loud as (M/N) as he let go. (M/N) could feel Cam pulsing inside of him as Cam’s own orgasm rocked his body.

They both stayed motionless for a couple seconds after, catching their breath, before Cam slowly pulled out and removed his now full condom. He stood up, stabilising himself when he stumbled slightly, and moved over to the plastic bag he had been using as a trash bag. He dumped the condom in there before grabbing a towel from his bag and a half-full plastic water bottle. He used it to wet part of the towel and wiped (M/N)’s cum off his stomach. Then he crouched down on the mattress and cleaned (M/N) off as well before dumping the towel elsewhere.

“How was that?” Cam asked as he laid down beside (M/N), pulling the blanket up to cover both of them.

(M/N) pressed up against him, inhaling his musky scent. “Amazing.”

“So… Am I allowed to be nice to you now?” Cam asked.

(M/N) couldn’t stop the snicker that left his mouth. “You could always be nice, just not overly nice… But you can do that now, if you want. I think I’ll be okay.”

Cam wrapped his arms around (M/N), burying his face in his neck as they slowly drifted off to sleep, exhausted by their physical activities and comforted by each other’s warmth and soft skin.

Cam had forgotten to put the second door cover up, so (M/N) was woken up when bright rays of sunlight hit him directly in the eyes. He clamped his eyes shut and tried stretching, but couldn’t. He quickly realised Cam was still clutching onto him like a teddy bear, face buried in his neck. His soft breath on (M/N)’s skin changed in pace, signalling that (M/N)’s moving had woken him up. Cam moved his head back as he took in his surroundings, squinting at the light. (M/N) took this chance to stretch his back.

“Sleep well?” Cam grunted, loosening his arms and rolling on his back.

(M/N) rested his head on Cam’s chest. “Like a log. Feel a bit sore, though.”

Cam chuckled softly, which (M/N) felt as the motion moved Cam’s chest. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I don’t regret it.” (M/N) moved his head so he could see Cam’s face, pulling Cam’s palm to his lips to press a soft kiss. Cam brushed his thumb across (M/N)’s cheek affectionately. “Things haven’t been great recently, so at least I can consider something a nice experience.” Cam moved the hand onto (M/N)’s back, and (M/N) could feel him tracing the scars. “I had plans for the future–I guess I still do, but things keep going wrong. Still, I’ll get out of this city one day.”

“You don’t like it here?” Cam asked.

“Not anymore,” (M/N) answered. He sighed and sat up, leaning across Cam’s stomach so he was fully facing him. (M/N) trusted Cam, and seeing as they had slept together, he felt now was a better time than any to talk.

“I came to New York about a year ago. I didn’t have any family left in Chicago, and I’d always wanted to move here, so I decided to go for it. And… I met this guy. He was really nice at first and we started dating not long after. But then he started acting differently.

“At first I thought he was just going through something, but now I realise that was just who he really was. He slowly started becoming more controlling and angry. By the time I truly started to understand this wasn’t just some ‘phase’ he was going through, it was too late.

“He was a horrible person and whenever I tried to tell him no, or tried to leave… well, you can see what he did. Eventually I did get lucky. I managed to slip away when he wasn’t looking. That was something like six months ago now. I haven’t seen him since. I don’t know if he’s still in New York or if he left but I just don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to, just in case he’s still around. Once I have enough, I’ll get a car and leave this place. I can’t stand it anymore. I can’t stand a lot of things thanks to him. I’m still annoyed about the stunt the group pulled after our first job.”

Cam frowned. “Did he ever threaten to…”

“Shoot me? Kill me?” (M/N) finished. “Yes. I’m terrified of him finding me again, because I wouldn’t put it past him to take my life. He ruined everything for me.”

(M/N) averted his eyes from Cam’s concerned gaze and traced a finger down his pecs. “That’s why I kept pushing you away. Any time you were really nice to me, or wanted to hang out or whatever, it reminded me of him, how he was in the beginning.” He looked at Cam again. “But it doesn’t feel like that with you now. Maybe because you’re kinda in the same boat as me; I feel like you’re struggling just as much as I am, with your own problems. Being homeless is a very clear sign of that to me.”

Cam rubbed circles into (M/N)’s waist absentmindedly. “After my mum died, I found out that she had my dad’s old car, and she never told me ‘cause she was afraid I’d sell it to try and help her out. So she kept it a secret, wrote me a letter saying she wanted me to fix it up, get it running again. Just hop in and drive somewhere.”

“Where?” (M/N) asked.

“Somewhere far away,” Cam said. “California maybe.”

“What happened to the car? Do you still have it?” (M/N) questioned.

Cam sighed. “The mafia took it to cover the money I couldn’t pay them back last week. But once I pay them off, and they give it back to me, I’m gone.”

A particularly loud chorus of honking horns filled their ears. (M/N) chuckled.

“And this moment was brought to you by the beautiful harmony of angry idiots on the road.”

Cam laughed and pulled (M/N) in for another kiss, which (M/N) obliged happily.

(M/N) thought about Cam’s words, and imagined when that day would come for him, the day he would finally be able to get out of this place. Leave and never look back.

He’d fight for that day, no matter what it took to get there.

Chapter Text

“Heads up!”

(M/N) turned away from Dylan and looked up at the balcony above them. Cam flipped over and landed next to (M/N), winking at him before jumping over the next railing, going further down the boat.

“He’s certainly energetic today,” Dylan laughed. “Then again, it seems like a frequent thing now.”

(M/N) had a pretty good idea as to why, remembering that night in the tent the previous week. Miller had informed everyone of their upcoming job next week. So far they hadn’t had much, just a few small jobs here and there in between supply runs. This job would hopefully bring in some decent money.

(M/N) was still worried, though. He didn’t trust Miller, and Nikki’s ominous behaviour around them really made him think something more was at work–as if the hard-to-deny idea that Miller was watching him before all of this wasn’t proof enough.

At this rate, he would be stuck here for at least a couple of months. But after that, he could bounce, leave it all behind. He was fond of Cam, and wished that things could work out in a way where they could leave together. Cam had his plans already though, and so did (M/N). He’d be happy enough if he could just leave, even if it was alone.

Speaking of Cam, he had felt hard pressed during the last few days. He owed the rest of the money to the mafia, but had nowhere near enough.

The job went relatively smoothly. It was a retrieval mission to get some packages. Once they had obtained them, they quickly abandoned the property, running towards the back and hopping over the fence, where the van was waiting for them. Nikki was in the back while Miller had the wheel. He took off as soon as they pulled the van opening shut, disappearing into the night.

“Good job, everyone,” Miller said.

“Woo! That’s how we do it!” Jax cheered.

(M/N) slumped back in his seat across from Cam, who could clearly see the uncomfort (M/N) had being a part of this group. The rest of the ride was silent until they arrived at a small garage that Miller promptly reversed into. They all got out after he parked.

“Rest up, you’ve earned it,” Miller told them as everyone moved to disperse in their own directions.

“Wait, what do you mean? Where’s our money?” Cam asked.

Everyone stopped to look at them.

“Payday is next week, Cam. Same as usual,” Miller answered casually.

“Well–okay, when’s the next gig happening?” Cam pressed.

“Soon,” Miller said. He patted Cam on the shoulder and went to leave.

Cam pulled him back. “You don’t understand, I need that–”

He was interrupted when Miller grabbed his arm and twisted it, forcing Cam to lurch forward, nearly falling on his face before he caught himself. “Do we have a problem?” Miller’s voice was more authoritative now.

Cam swallowed. “No. There’s no problem.”

(M/N) moved forward when Miller let Cam go and pulled him back. “You okay?” he asked, not taking his cautious eyes off Miller.

“I’m fine,” Cam said, righting himself.

Miller looked at each of them one by one. “I’ve got a big job coming up next week. It’s worth fifteen to twenty grand each at least. Does that work for you guys?”

The others gave their round of agreements.

“How about you two?”

“Yeah,” Cam said.

Miller turned his gaze to (M/N), waiting expectantly. (M/N) didn’t think he was hiding his dislike for the guy very well.

“Works for me,” he mumbled. When he and Cam made it back, they moved into the tent to put their stuff away, then Cam went back out and, after a couple of minutes, (M/N) followed after him, very quickly finding him directly above, sitting on one of the metal beams holding up the water tower. (M/N) climbed up to sit next to him.

“What are you thinking about?” (M/N) asked.

“A lot,” Cam sighed.

“I know the feeling.” (M/N) scanned across the city expanse, all the lights filling the night sky. “One hell of a view from here, so that’s something.” (M/N) pointed off to the right. “You can see the pier from here.”

“Even though I’ve lived here my whole life, I haven’t been there since I was a kid. Pretty sure I still have the photo actually. Wait here.” Cam climbed down and disappeared into the tent for a couple of moments, then came back up and reclaimed his seat, handing (M/N) a picture. It was a man and a little boy who looked a lot like Cam. “That’s me and my dad.”

(M/N) gave a short closed-mouth laugh. “You look just like him.”

“It’s a nice constant reminder of the amazing father he was,” Cam said sarcastically.

“If it’s any consolation, I never knew my dad,” (M/N) offered. “He left when I was no more than a couple years old. Then he died a few years later.”

Cam hummed. “Dads. Gotta love ‘em.”

It was silent for a few moments, then (M/N) noticed Cam pull out a small toy car that fit easily in his fingers, turning it absentmindedly.

“You’re really gonna leave, aren’t you?” (M/N) said before he could stop himself.

Cam looked at him. “You should come with me.” He sounded very sure of himself.

(M/N) met his gaze. “Really?”

“Yeah. You want out of here too, don’t you?” Cam asked.

“Of course, more than anything,” (M/N) answered. After a few seconds he spoke again. “I’d like that–going with you, I mean.”

Cam smiled. “It’s a plan, then.” He offered the toy car to (M/N). “Not going anywhere without wheels though, so hold onto this for me.”

(M/N) took it, putting it in his pocket before leaning in to kiss Cam on the lips. “Thank you.” Cam tried to go in again, but (M/N) laughed, pushing him away. “Not so eager, now.”

“Why not?” Cam asked suggestively.

(M/N) leaned his head on Cam’s shoulder. “I just want to enjoy the moment.”

Cam held him close. “I’m okay with that.”

The morning of the job, (M/N) and Cam waited by the chain link fence at the docks, where Miller told them to meet up. They were both anxious, for different reasons. Cam because he needed the money desperately, (M/N) because the longer he stayed with this group, and by extension Miller, the worse he felt. If this job was paying so much, obviously it would be a lot different to what they had been doing so far.

They hopped into the back of the van when it arrived. Everyone was there, minus Nikki, which made (M/N) feel even more uneasy. Maybe she was the only one who wasn’t afraid to act like this group wasn’t as it seemed, and her absence on this mysterious high paying job just strengthened that theory.

Dylan threw masks to (M/N) and Cam. (M/N)’s eyes widened when Tate pulled out a shotgun. Dylan and Jax pulled out pistols.

“What the hell is this?” (M/N) demanded.

“Told you this job was big,” Miller said, not taking his eyes off the road.

Cam squeezed (M/N)’s hand before turning to Miller. “We didn’t sign up for this.”

“A bit late to back out, don’t you think?” Miller’s voice held a threatening undertone. (M/N) knew this was a bad idea. It was happening again.

“We’ll get through this,” Cam whispered.

“It's up here on the corner,” Miller added. The building wasn’t entirely identifiable from the plain exterior.

(M/N) took a deep but quiet breath. “What is it? A bank?”

“Old bank. New money. BTK bought it. Vietnamese bangers. This is their laundromat. They keep a big stack, couple hundred K.”

“How do you know all this?” Cam asked.

Miller glanced at him. “That’s my job.”

They parked by the sidewalk and a Vietnamese man walked up to the van. Miller rolled down the window.

“You’re risking a lot here, man. You better make this good,” the man said.

Miller turned to the group. “Okay, game time, let’s go.”

“I’m not touching a gun,” (M/N) said.

“That’s fine. You and Cam are carrying the packages anyway.”

(M/N) and Cam shared a concerned glance.

“You guys will be alright, we’ve done this before,” Jax said, waving his gun, “we don’t even shoot these things.

“Stay out of trouble,” Miller told them, then they were out and heading towards the door. They all put on their masks as the man buzzed in, getting whoever was inside to open the door. He must be a double agent.

As soon as the door was open they all ran inside and up the stairs. Dylan put a gun to the man’s head and he raised his hands as they walked into the room, catching the attention of everyone inside, as Dylan ordered the only one with a visible weapon to toss it to Cam, which he did. Cam grabbed it and ran to the otherside of the room to a door with an electric lock.

“What’s the combination?!” he asked no one in particular.

“Answer him!” Tate demanded. They got no response.

Cam tried to bust down the door but it didn’t work. He then moved around, examining the room. (M/N) stood back watching the scene unfold, a loud ringing present in his ears. Clearly this wasn’t going the way the group had planned it to go. He was brought back to his senses when Cam spoke.

“I can get in.” He pulled off his mask, eliciting protests from the group.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“I can’t see shit with this thing!” Then Cam ran forward and leaped up across a row of cabinets, drop kicking his way through the flimsy panels above the large glass window. He collapsed in a heap on the other side before quickly getting up and running through the back to where the money was stored. Tires screeching outside caught their attention as (M/N) quickly followed Cam’s path, jumping through the hole, landing on his feet. He stopped when he rounded the corner though, seeing Cam rummaging through empty storage units. Every single one in the vault was empty.

“Where’s all the money?” (M/N) asked, paranoid.

“I–I don’t know.” Cam ran back to the other room. “There’s nothing, it's empty!”

“Check again!” Dylan ordered, but the worry was clear in his voice as he turned to demand their ‘hostages’ to tell them where the money was. The buzzer went off multiple times as loud banging could be heard from downstairs. Clearly this was a setup.

Cam was frantically flinging open storage units, pulling out drawers, hoping he would find something. (M/N) yanked his mask off before scrambling to calm Cam, pulling Cam’s focus to him. “Cam, stop! There isn’t anything here. We need to get out of here.”

Before Cam could respond, the other three had joined them, urging them to run. (M/N) didn’t have to wonder what happened to everyone else for long, because as soon as they passed by the other windows to that room, guns were being fired, shattering glass as they practically dived for the solid wall.

Taunts and shouts echoed throughout the building, followed by a stampede of footsteps. The people outside had gotten in, and now the group was outnumbered greatly. No matter how fast (M/N) ran, bullets whizzed by all around, some sounding like they had barely missed him. Every turn, every hallway, their pursuers were always close behind.

“This way!” Cam shouted from the front. He veered off towards the end of a hallway, going left. They all hopped over a large cabinet blocking the path, but (M/N) could still hear someone closing in behind. When they all disappeared through a doorway, he slammed it as soon as his hands could latch onto it, hearing someone shout in pain at the impact.

Up in front, (M/N) could see Cam tackle someone through a wall before they could shoot. Everyone hopped over the body and Cam barreled through the nearest window, shattering it and rolling onto the roof outside.

Tate and Jax stopped to pull down a large cupboard, jamming the door as (M/N) breezed through the open window right after Dylan. They quickly bolted to the other end of the roof, dropping over onto a vent that allowed them quick passage to the lower building next to them. At the other end of that building there was a large gap, which (M/N) assumed was an alleyway. They could drop down there and escape.

Cam reached the wall just as more bullets were fired, flying all around them.

“Come on!” he yelled before jumping off. (M/N) heard a thud far too soon to be the ground–there had to be a truck there.

He didn’t have time to assess the area below. As soon as he reached the wall, he dived forward, the truck coming into view, but he went too far. Cam, Dylan and Tate had all dropped down the wall. Dylan and Tate sprinted off, but Cam was waiting for (M/N).

(M/N) barely managed to collide with the edge of the truck, his body sliding off and tumbling down. Cam jumped forward to catch him, sending them both tumbling to the concrete in a heap.

“You okay?” Cam asked quickly.

(M/N) nodded and they quickly scrambled to their feet, looking up as Jax leaped off. A loud shotgun round cut through the air and Jax jolted forward before hitting the floor, unmoving, red seeping through the back of his ripped jumper. He was dead.

(M/N) couldn’t bring himself to move, to tear his eyes away from the body, not even when he registered the sounds of sirens directly down the other end of the alleyway. Suddenly he was being shoved to the ground with his arms behind his back, handcuffs clicking around his wrists. Him and Cam were put into the back of a police car. They didn’t speak at all during the drive.

(M/N) wasn’t paying attention, and after being pulled out of the car, he soon found himself seated in an interrogation room. He didn’t answer any questions thrown his way. There wasn’t really anything the police could charge him with, anyway.

They left when they realised they were getting nowhere, but not long after, Cam was brought into the room, still handcuffed.

“The feds want to talk to you two,” was all the guy said before closing the door. They stayed silent for a few seconds before Cam walked over and crouched down, looking (M/N) in the eyes.

“(M/N), talk to me.”

(M/N) shook his head. “We’re screwed. This group just made things worse. I should have known, it wasn’t any different.”

Cam brought his cuffed hands up to (M/N)’s cheeks on each side, forcing (M/N) to look at him as he planted a kiss on (M/N)’s head before bringing their foreheads together. “We’ll be okay.”

Right as he pulled away, the door opened and Miller walked inside.

“Miller?” Cam said, clearly shocked. “What are you doing here?”

Miller wasted no time, pulling out a key and first freeing Cam’s cuffed hands, then (M/N)’s. “I’m James Hatcher. I’m with the DEA.”

“What–where’s Dylan and Tate?” Cam asked. “Do they know about this?”

“They’re in the van on the way home. And they all know.” Miller was scribbling something down on a clipboard as he spoke. “How the hell do you think I ran this circus? Miller’s a man on the ground, Hatcher’s upstairs. Neither one of them gets much sleep, but they work well together.”

“So this whole time, you’ve been a dirty fed?” (M/N) spoke up, pushing past his surprise. “They were really okay with this? Even Jax?”

Miller sighed. “Look, I got bad intel on this one, okay? And he paid the price. But dwelling on the past won’t do us any good. Right now, New York P.D. thinks you guys are my CI’s. That means you get to walk out of here under my protection.”

Cam scoffed, backing up. “Yeah? So you can dispose of us by tomorrow morning? Leave our bodies in a dumpster? No thanks.”

“That’s not my intention,” Miller spoke calmly, but it was a little too late for that. This man was dangerous, (M/N) could see it clearly now. Nothing about Miller was safe, and (M/N) had idiotically dragged himself into another one of these situations yet again.

“I guess you just forgot to mention your involvement with the police?” (M/N) snapped. “Real convenient.”

Miller’s hardened gaze fell on him. “Just like how you forgot to mention Adrian?”

(M/N)’s blood went cold as a flicker of horror passed through his eyes, enough for Miller to notice.

Cam narrowed his eyes. “Who’s Adrian?”

“You… how do you…” (M/N) struggled to find the words.

“How do I know about you and him?” Miller finished. “Well, I’m more surprised that Cam doesn’t know him. Didn’t want to tell him about your ex?”

“The guy you told me about?” Cam summarised. “(M/N), who is he?”

Miller let out a humoured chuckle. “Funny, isn’t it, (M/N)? You accuse me of ‘forgetting’ to mention my double life, but you also just happened to ‘forget’ you were involved with one of the most dangerous crime lords in New York.”

(M/N) kept his eyes glued to the table as Cam’s gaze fell on him. Miller continued.

“You know, he’s been a real pain in my ass. In everyone’s, really. I had a guy on the inside give me updates, and I was surprised to hear Adrian was involved with someone. It seemed impossible to believe with how much of a monster he is. For it to be someone like you, with no other ties to the criminal world, it just made it that much easier to get you in my grasp.”

(M/N) had pieced this together already. He was right to assume Miller was following him, because that was the case. Clearly Miller thought he could use (M/N) as leverage against Adrian in some way. Miller’s next words confirmed that, and made (M/N)’s heart skip a beat.

“Perhaps I should let him know you’re still in New York, strike a deal. He did just return after all.”

(M/N) looked up at Miller, involuntarily shaking his head as his chest tightened. “No. Anything but that.”

Miller leaned against the table, knowing he had (M/N) in the perfect position for what he wanted. “If you don’t want him to know you’re here, then you’re going to help me. Both of you. Unless” –he looked at Cam with a challenging expression– “you’ll abandon (M/N)? I understand you two have gotten rather close.”

Cam clenched his jaw, eyes darting between (M/N) and Miller. “What do you want?”

“The cops are rousting the whole gang. Sooner or later someone will talk themselves out of trouble, and that will lead back to me. It’s time for me to cash out–one last score.” Miller got up and walked to the door. “We’re going tomorrow morning. I’ll send you the details. Be ready.” He left, and soon after the other police officers came back and escorted the two out of the building.

It was dark out now, and (M/N) wasted no time in taking off as fast as he could without running. The sudden bite of the cold air surrounding him was nothing compared to the jarring revelation he just had. Nor was it overtaken when he was suddenly yanked to the side by the arm, into the closest open building, which happened to be a laundromat.

He was pushed against the closest washing machine, his field of view consumed by Cam’s angry gaze.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he snapped.

(M/N) gripped onto Cam’s arms, trying to free himself, it didn’t work. “There was no point.”

“Really? No point? Because it seems pretty important now,” Cam argued, the fiery anger flowing through his voice.

“I didn’t think it mattered–it didn’t! But I didn’t know Miller knew,” (M/N) whined.

Cam narrowed his eyes. “Would you have told me if that was the case? That you were involved with someone that dangerous?”

“Telling you would put you in danger!” (M/N) said. “I didn’t want to do that. He would threaten anyone I was close to. These are my problems. You were focused on the group. You wanted in–”

“I didn’t want in, I wanted you!” Cam yelled. “I only jumped, because you jumped. I only started hanging out with the group, because you did!”

Cam went quiet, breathing heavily as he waited for (M/N) to say something.

“I’m sorry,” (M/N) whispered. If what Cam just said was true, then that meant this was (M/N)’s fault as well. He should have disciplined himself more, stayed away from Cam.

But he didn’t want to. He never did.

“I thought about telling you, I really did,” he continued. “I was just scared. I like you Cam. More than I would admit to myself. I didn’t want you to potentially get caught in my issues. But it’s not too late–you can still leave. You don’t have to do this job, only I do.”

Cam’s gaze softened and he slowly released his grip, allowing (M/N) to move. (M/N) sighed and looked out the window onto the dark street.

“I can’t let him find me again. Never. No matter what.” He hugged himself tightly.

“Damn it,” Cam grumbled as he leaned back against the washing machine beside (M/N). He spoke after an extended silence. “Look, if I can get us a clean exit tomorrow–”

“Cam you can just walk away–”

“I’m not leaving you,” Cam interrupted, locking eyes with (M/N). “If I get us an escape route, will you come with me?”

(M/N) shook his head. “Miller will tell Adrian if I leave. We don’t have a car, how will we get out of here before he finds us?”

“Please, just trust me,” Cam urged, reaching out to grab (M/N)’s hand. “Will you come with me?”

(M/N) had never felt this trusting of someone he had only known for a couple of weeks, but here, he was okay with that. With any chance he could take. “Yes.”

Cam pulled him into a hug, and (M/N) clutched onto him desperately, burying his face in Cam’s shoulder. “You know Miller won’t let us get away scot free, even if the mission goes smoothly. Whatever plan you think of, it has to be when he’s distracted.”

Cam pressed a soft kiss to (M/N) head, rubbing his back. “I know. We’ll get out of this, I promise.”

“I trust you.”

(M/N) didn’t let go of Cam once the whole night. Cam had become a lifeline for him, and (M/N) desperately wanted to stay with him. He only reluctantly put distance between them when they saw the familiar van pulling up down an empty street the next morning, but he never went out of arm’s reach of Cam.

They hopped into the back, where Dylan and Miller were seated. Tate was driving and Nikki was in the passenger seat.

“Where are we going?” Cam asked.

“Safe house. Russians keep their VIP’s there, they stash other stuff too,” Miller explained. “The guys and I got a plane to catch when we’re done. We’ll drop you both on the way to the airport. No one will come after you.”

(M/N) knew that was directed at him. He also knew it was a bold-faced lie. Cam knew that, as well. There would be no future for them if they didn’t make an escape.

Tate came to a stop in front of a large building. Everyone got ready.

“Nikki, Tate and (M/N) are on lookout while we make the pickup, alright?” Miller said.

“I’m not going in?” (M/N) asked.

“No. We only need three.”

(M/N) frowned. “Then why not have Dylan stay–”

“Is there a problem?” Miller interrupted.

(M/N) averted his eyes. “No.”

“Good.”

Miller and Dylan hopped out first. Cam gripped (M/N)’s hand, leaning in to whisper, “We’ll figure it out. Just get out when you can.”

“Be careful,” (M/N) whispered back, then Cam shut the van door and Tate drove off again. The drive was silent for the first 10 minutes, but (M/N) kept noticing Nikki glance back at him in the rearview mirror.

“Pull over,” she suddenly said to Tate.

“Why?”

“Cos I gotta take a piss.” Tate made no move to stop the car, and Nikki got frustrated. “Tate! Come on!”

He shook his head. “I can’t. Miller said not to stop for anything. Not with him.”

(M/N) realised Tate was talking about him. So Miller was aware he and Cam were going to try and make a run for it.

“Stop the van,” Nikki warned.

“Can you just shut up already?” Tate yelled.

(M/N)’s eyes widened when Nikki pulled out a gun, pointing it at Tate’s head. “Pull the fuck over.” Tate went silent, but obliged, veering off towards the sidewalk and coming to a stop. “Now get out.”

Tate hopped out of the van, his hands raised as he backed away. “Miller won’t be happy about this.”

“I don’t care,” Nikki answered before looking at (M/N). “Get up here.”

(M/N) climbed into the driver’s seat, closing the door without taking his eyes off the gun. “What’s going on?”

Nikki put the gun away, unbuckling her seatbelt. “I didn’t want you guys to get involved with this group. Clearly I didn’t do a good enough job keeping you away, but it’s not too late. I don’t want anyone else to owe Miller, you still have a chance to get out.

“Miller knew you guys weren’t gonna stick around, so he planned to take Cam out first, then when the cops got involved, he was going to pin the blame on us.”

“He’s gonna try and kill Cam?” (M/N) asked.

“I don’t know how loyal Dylan will stay to Miller, but there’s a chance Cam could get away. You should, as well.”

(M/N) watched her hop out of the van. “What about you?”

“I’m leaving, I can’t stay with him anymore,” Nikki said, then before running off, she added, “Good luck.”

“Shit,” (M/N) mumbled as he quickly drove back onto the road. He turned around and went back towards the drop off point. If there was a chance Cam made it out, (M/N) had to try and find him. The handheld radio in the drink holder started crackling, and (M/N) quickly picked it up.

“All units, ten-ten. Shots fired at two-three-one West twenty-third. I repeat, shots fired.”

That wasn’t far from where (M/N) was, just a couple of minutes away. He went as fast as he could, weaving through traffic when there was enough space. Once he got close, he heard police sirens. He drove up towards an intersection, and was surprised to see Cam tumble into view from the left. Then (M/N) quickly saw the police car barrelling towards him. The person driving looked like Miller. (M/N) slammed on the gas and braced himself. He smashed right into the police car before it could run Cam over, knocking it to the side. (M/N) jerked forward and the airbag went off, but other than that, he wasn’t injured.

Cam quickly got up and moved around to the driver’s side, yanking open the door. “(M/N), are you okay?!”

(M/N) nodded and unbuckled himself before glancing at the police car. “Yeah, I’m okay.” The van was totaled though, it wasn’t going anywhere. Cam grabbed onto (M/N), gently but quickly pulling him out.

“Come on, we gotta go.”

Miller was struggling to free himself from the car, and the two wasted no time sprinting off down the street, away from the crash and all the onlookers.

“Please tell me you have a plan!” (M/N) yelled.

“Follow me!” Cam veered off to the left and (M/N) nearly slipped but didn’t slow down as he followed. They moved through an open space behind buildings, and Cam leaped up a dumpster and onto the lower roof of a building. (M/N) jumped up and glanced back to see Miller chasing after them with a gun. Cam slammed open a door on the other side of the roof and they both went inside. “This way!”

The small hallway opened out to reveal what looked like a restaurant. A Chinese restaurant. There wasn’t anyone else around, though. Cam flew down the stairs with (M/N) close behind, running out into the open floor before coming to a stop. (M/N) also stopped, looking at him questioningly, but Cam’s expression was one of determination.

“You better be right about this plan of yours,” (M/N) said.

“Trust me,” Cam whispered, then put his hands up in the air as Miller came down the stairs. (M/N) did the same. “I’m done!”

Miller cocked the gun as he crossed across the floor towards the two. “I’m not gonna give you a second chance, Cam. Hand over the diamonds.”

Cam didn’t do anything, and just as (M/N)’s worry peaked, the sound of a dozen more guns cocking filled the room. Miller looked up, seeing a circle of guns being pointed down at him.

“Agent Hatcher,” a woman’s voice filled the room. Miller whipped around towards the stairs.

“Chen?”

A middle-aged Chinese woman walked towards them with two guys in tow. (M/N) recognised them. They were the ones harassing Cam, the ones who came into the cafe. One of them took the gun from Miller, who raised his hands.

“Okay, listen. I can explain. There’s been a mistake.”

“There has, you made it,” Chen said.

“Yeah I believe it was rule number two,” Cam said. “‘Stay out of Chinatown.’”

Miller glanced back at him with a scowl. “You son of a bitch.”

“Watch your language,” the guy who took Miller’s gun threatened, pointing the gun at Miller. “You’re in Chen’s house now.”

“I told you a long time ago to keep your business out of my neighbourhood,” Chen told Miller.

“And I did, Chen, I did,” he said quickly. “But this is personal.”

She smiled. “So is this. You’ve been making too much trouble for too many of my friends. There is a boat leaving for Macau in two hours. Mr. Hu will make sure you’re on it. Time to close you out.”

Miller turned back to look at Cam and (M/N). “You’re dead. Both of you. I’ll make sure Adrian knows about this. One way or another.”

They said nothing as he was forcefully escorted out of the restaurant.

“Enough about him,” Chen said, watching Cam closely. “You have something for me?”

Cam reached into his pocket and pulled out a small satchel. That had to be the diamonds. He threw it to Chen, who caught it, opened it, and tossed a singular diamond back to Cam.

“If I were you, I’d seriously consider leaving for good,” Chen said, then walked off. The other guy came up and patted Cam on the shoulder.

“Congratulations, your debt is clear.” He looked between the two. “No hard feelings.” He went to leave, but Cam stopped him.

“What about our deal?”

The man smiled and gestured for them to follow him, which they did. He led them outside, across the street, where a shiny silver Mustang was parked. It looked brand new.

“Is that your car?” (M/N) asked Cam.

“Yeah.” The man tossed Cam the keys, and he and (M/N) hopped into the car. Cam started it, the engine coming to life. He rested a hand on the wheel, extending his other for (M/N) to grab, enlacing their fingers together. “Where to?”

(M/N) smiled at him. “Let’s just drive. Get out of here.”

Cam grinned. “New beginnings, right?”

(M/N) pulled Cam’s free hand into his chest as they drove off. “Yeah, the past is a little lame. The future’s where it's at.”

End.