Safe Place (Remington Leith)

3.

Days passed and Andy hasn't seen the boy since the night he gave him the concerning note. While he is working or studying or trying to sleep the blue eyed man keeps thinking about those words and the look in Remington's eyes. If he needs a safe space it means that either he lives on the streets or in his home he's in danger and both cases are driving Andy out of his mind.Being clueless of exactly what is going on, he's unsure if he has to go to the police or not, and not knowing what to do makes him feel powerless. He detests this feeling, Andy Biersak is everything but powerless, he has also convinced himself he isn't one who catches feelings but yet the pretty, innocent brunette made him change is mind, not that he is going to admit it anyways. <<Hey Andy? Everything's fine?>> Emerson asks a little worried because he has never seen his friend so...lost. <<What, I mean, yeah sure, I was just lost in my thoughts.>> He answers without actually saying anything, hoping that the man understands he doesn't want to talk. As an attempt to distract him, Emerson drives closer to Andy. <<The cute boy you say you don't want to fuck didn't come in these days... Did you two...? You know, usually we never see your affairs again.>> Rage was now taking over the taller man, so much it was making him turn red. <<He is nothing like that. and we didn't do anything. I don't want to, believe me or not. He's... He's different.>> His voice becomes quieter with the last few words, saying it out loud hits Andy differently. <<Shit man, you're serious, aren't you?>> Emerson looked astonished and Andy just nods not wanting to repeat what he has just said. <<Then why isn't he here, I mean, it's been days now.>> The older man rests his hands on the counter looking at the sink underneath him. <<I don't know Em. The last time he was so scared and when i asked him if something was wrong he gave me a napkin...Here- Andy gives him the note he still has in his back pocket- read it.>> Emerson takes the piece of paper and, reading it, he widens his eyes. <<Oh my... Something happened for sure.>> He says with a bit of panic in his voice and then tries to cover it since Andy looks like he is going to punch something. <<Or...maybe not? Maybe he is having, i don't know, school problems? He looked pretty young.>> Andy nods silently. Even though he wants to believe nothing bad happened he knows it's not the case. <<Try to relax okay? He will come back, I am sure.>> That is the last thing Emerson says before the both of them go back to work for the rest of the day.

After dinner Andy can't bring himself to "just relax", he tries to watch Netflix, play music, sing and even clean his house but the thought of Remington in danger doesn't let him rest. So the man gets up from the couch, wears a pair of skinny jeans, a deep v-neck shirt, grabs his phone and leaves: maybe a drink or two will help him forget the boy's sad eyes. As he drives to a nightclub he can't help but look carefully at the sides of the road in hope to see  Remington wandering around, lost. Disappointed because he didn't find him, Andy arrives at the club, parks his car and, as fast as he can, finds himself in the middle of a crowded room with a drink in his right hand. He does have to drive to go back to his place but alcohol has never had too much of an effect on him and he is sure he will make it home safely. The tall man dances to the music absently but he actually dislikes it. As much as he can seem like the kind of guy your mom tells you to stay away from he is the quietest and most harmless person and he hates places like this, where everyone is drunk or in worse conditions and the music is so loud you can't here your own thoughts. But tonight he needs this, he doesn't want to have nothing to do with his thoughts, they are all about different scenarios in which Remington ends up coming back hurt or not coming back at all.

As Andy is walking towards the seats that are placed along the walls in the dark room, he sees a familiar figure a little further on. Thinking he is imagining it, he nears the boy to find out if he's actually who he's looking for and, now, way closer,  Andy can definitely tell it is Remington. A breath of relief gets stuck in his throat when he has the scene before him clearer. Without thinking about it, happy to see the boy alive and apparently enjoying himself, Andy approaches him and, not even having the time to process the fact Remington is not dying somewhere alone, he now sees whats happening. A group of men, around Andy's age, are dancing next to the younger boy, well, they are not really dancing, two are grinding themselves on him, one is just touching him and meanwhile they are trying to bring him to the exit door. To Andy is clear that Remington is drunk or high and doesn't want to go with them.