In Search Of The Neon City

31 - Lo

"Are you okay?" I asked cautiously and put a hand on Tristan's forearm while he sat staring blankly in front of him. He nodded a little but I immediately noticed that he was hiding something from me.

"I just thought of something," he replied evasively, and began to change into the clothes the rebels had given us.

"You don't trust me" I sighed and leaned against the carved rock wall.

Tristan stopped before pulling the shirt over his head, his eyes looked at me searchingly but I had no idea what he was thinking behind that hard facade. "I trust you Lo" he finally replied but I was not convinced.

"So why are you hiding things from me?" I muttered and got up on my feet, "don't you think I noticed?"

His tongue moved over his lips before looking up at me again, "I don't want you to think anything of me that I'm not." he finally answered and to my surprise I realised how nervous he was.

"About your past?" I asked, leaning my head to the side "everyone change Tristan" I said with a smile on my face as I approached him "I don't need to know who you were back then to see who you are now."

He let out a deep sigh and pulled me into his arms "they hate me here, and rightly so."

"You were their enemy" I stated and he nodded heavily.

"I have killed many of their friends and families Lo."

I bit my lip and leaned my forehead against his shoulder, it was so hard to understand that he was once part of the Vegas machinery. Someone who obeyed their slightest order.

"Are you afraid of what's going to happen next? After we help them and everything's over?"

He nodded and let his fingers move through my curls that hid under my beanie. "I don't know what kind of life we ​​have in front of us Lo" he sighed "everything feels so fragile right now."

"Maybe, a life in the Wilderness isn't so bad after all?" I asked, glancing up at his face, it was a thought I couldn't let go of. Was a life in Vegas really worth all the trouble?

With a sigh, I took a step back to get out of his arms and start working on the radio signal that would send out a new message to Hannes. It felt like an eternity of work because we were deep underground and the signal had to be boosted.

Tristan sat down next to me and connected himself to the Link I had on my arm.

"We need to move upwards" I stated and got an agreeing nod in response. But both knew that Galwa would not agree to our proposal.

The rebels' camp spread out in a huge system of tunnels and platforms.

We had seen glimpses of it on maps but we were not welcome to visit any other camps. Galwa said it was not needed and explained that the message had been sent and anyone who wanted to help would come to us.

They took all the precautions they could around Tristan and now I began to understand why. "We can't stay here" I admitted and met his questioning eyes. "I know you do this for my sake, but I can't live here with people that hate you for something you were brainwashed to do."

Tristan leaned forward and kissed my lips, it was a soft and loving kiss and I knew it was his way of trying to make me think of something else. "We don't know what will happen Lo, there is no point in us making future plans right now."

"You sound like a soldier" I sighed and moved to sit in his lap.

"I am a soldier" he grinned and took the screwdriver out of my hand and started adjusting the frequencies according to my calculations.

"We're sending a message to Hannes, then we'll see what Carl has to say. Okay?"

He nodded and pressed his lips to my temple "if your family wants to come here we will stay with them."

"And otherwise?"

"Otherwise we will find a new home."