The Citizen Soldier (DNF)

5) New Friends

*George POV*

I woke up much earlier than intended, at about 1 PM. I still didn't want to get up, but I made myself do so. I looked around the car, my home. I sighed and shook my head, shrugging the blanket off and opening the door. Once outside, I went through my old routine of folding the blanket up, putting it down gently, and hiding the pillow underneath the passenger seat. I still didn't know why I bothered.

I guess that I just wanted to feel like I at least had some control over the environment that I lived in. Even so, I don't think that I'd trade this for the world, this car was home and that was how it would likely stay for a long time. I didn't mind it all that much, but she was having some trouble with her engine, and that needed to get checked as soon as possible. It just so happened that this day was today, and with only about five hours of sleep, I was bravely marching toward the place that I knew wanted my soul.

The car dealership was always a scary place, even when buying supplies for a simple oil change. This was a bit more complicated than an oil change and I couldn't just do it by myself this time. I knew cars inside and out, but I didn't know how to fix them, and I certainly didn't have the materials to do so anyway. I looked around at the forest, and I had to admit that even though I was biased, it looked nicer at night. The alabaster moon and the howling wolves made everything much prettier.

I knew that I was just looking for a distraction though, and with yet another heavy sigh, I got into the front seat. I ran my hands over the familiar feel of the steering wheel, grabbed the key out of the center console, and turned it in the ignition.

"Alright girl, let's get you fixed up, yeah?" I asked, patting the steering wheel a couple of times as the engine started up and I backed onto the streets. I drove down the main road until I saw it. "Okay then, time to get my soul sucked out of my ears." I parked the car in front of the dealership workshop and got out of it, putting the key on one of my belt loops. I walked up to the front doors, pushing one open and walking up to the desk. The receptionist smiled sweetly at me.

"Hello there, how may we help you?" They were slightly more flirty than the job probably warranted and that made me feel a little uncomfortable. I looked at their name-tag, it read Ammon. You'd think that someone named after a biblical figure would be less flirty with strangers. Then again, who am I to judge character off of a name? I nodded.

"Hi, my name's George and my car has been having issues with its engine recently," I said conversationally. It felt a bit strange to be saying things so casually with random people, seeing as most of my socialization was with people who wanted to commit die. All my good friends had attempted in the past, being from the bridge. I knew few people outside of that environment.

"George, that's a nice name. My pronouns are he/him. What about you?" Ammon said.

I responded without thinking. "He/him." Ammon smiled widely.

"Well, let's see about that car you've got there then." He walked to the coat rack that was stationed behind him and grabbed an apron that had a few oil stains on it and had his name embroidered into the top. "I'm a mechanic here, but I was standing in for Bad, he's normally the one here. Here he is now! Hey Bad!"

Bad looked up from his book. A smile graced his face, and I instantly felt an incredible urge to protect him with my life. Sure, he was attractive for one, having brown hair and brown eyes, but he had this aura of innocence and squishable-ness that I don't think that I could escape if I wanted to. I reciprocated the smile, he just had that effect.

"Hi Ammon, how are you? Thanks for manning the station for me while I was reading."

"Oh, you know it was nothing. You looked stressed, and it got a lot calmer pretty fast anyway." Ammon waved it off and Bad's smile brightened, my own following his example.