these darkened stars {andy biersack}

prologue

a/n: a little insight on andy's character and where his love for driving began :-)

amy biersack/andy biersack- age 4

andy's mother watched over him as he played with his new toys he received for christmas, completely oblivious to the world around him and the fact that there were still more presents to open. it was a snowy christmas morning in ohio, and the biersack family was scattered across the living room all facing the christmas tree as they watched the children open the gifts they received from santa claus first.

andy's aunts and uncles came, too, as did his older cousin, joseph. he was three years younger than his cousin, him being four years old and joseph being seven, but they still always found themselves playing together whenever their parents were visiting.

currently, though, joseph was on the opposite side of the christmas tree, covered in discarded wrapping paper. andy sat at the other end, his mother clearing away the decorated paper and helping him open them when needed. the last few presents, though, he missed out on opening because of the new cars that sat in front of him, stealing all of his focus away.

andy's mother smiled affectionately down at her child as he played happily with his toy cars, shaking her head lovingly.

andy biersack/age 8

"dad!" the young boy cried out with a sudden excitement, tugging on his father's navy blue button up shirt in frantic motions. "dad, look!"

with feverish hands, he pointed out the window  of the camping trailer towards a large white truck that was headed down the dirt road towards them, hauling two smaller off-road vehicles on a trailer.

the man chuckled at andy's antics. "i see it, son. that's uncle ajax and uncle silas, see?"

the two men parked near the trailer and got out of the truck, heading up the steps that led to where the biersacks where staying. sure enough, they were his uncles, and they had been expecting the couple all day.

not bothering to knock, the two let themselves in and closed the door after them. ajax was the first to greet the family, silas following close behind. hugs and hellos were exchanged before they all settled on to the small couch and chairs that the camper provided to catch up on the happenings of the past weeks that they hadn't seen each other.

"dad," andy tugged on his father's shirt once again, his eyes falling to the two vehicles still hooked up on his uncles' trailer. longing and excitement glimmered in the young boy's eyes, feeling the urge and curiosity that drew him towards them. "dad!"

it was a few minutes before the older male finished speaking and turned to look at the boy squirming in his seat. "yes, andy?"

"can we please take those out driving?" he asked hopefully, scrunching his eyebrows together and pouting his lip for the extra effect, even though he knew that didn't work on either of his parents anymore.

chris biersack sighed and turned to his brother and his husband. "would you mind if i took andy out on a drive for a while?"

"oh, go for it," silas waved him off, leaning back into the couch. "you don't have to ask, chris, he's just a boy, of course he can take one."

the older biersack smiled graciously as andy hopped out of his seat and rushed to the front door, flinging it open dramatically and practically dancing to one of the rangers. his dad followed with the keys and chuckled. the boy and his driving.

andy biersack/age 12

the boy sitting in the backseat of the car had been quiet for hours now, clutching on to the old scruffy brown bear his mother had once gotten him from the time they took a vacation down in florida. he refused to let it go, letting it keep him warm and detached from the world inside the car.

andy had been crying for the last three consecutive days and refused to eat. he felt sick to his stomach each time food was even mentioned. he was tired, worn out, and it felt like he had cried so much that all of his tears were gone. they probably were. tear stains marked his cheeks that had only started to begin losing their baby fat. he was old enough to understand that his parents had just died, and how they died, too.

his eyes drifted open and closed, as if he couldn't decide whether to fall asleep or not. the thrum of the car's engine and the passing by of the trees outside were the only things he had been paying attention to, anyways. it eased his mind, if only a little. now, the clouds had moved in and a gentle rain pitter-pattered against his window.

early in the morning, his grandparents had woken him and taken the rest of his bags to the car. he had been staying in his house with them for the last four nights, trying to sleep as much as he could to stave off the devastation and grief. he was young and he knew he didn't know how to cope with it, so all he did was cry and sleep until he couldn't cry any longer. then, the last of his things were packed up and he was currently on his way across the country, from ohio to los angeles.

he wished the pain he was feeling would leave him as easily as he just left his hometown.

andy biersack/age 16

"i know, i know!" andy dismissed his grandfather for the millionth time in the last five minutes. "i got this, i promise."

"just remember to use one foot when you're driving, and always adjust your mirrors and make sure-"

he sighed and turned the radio up, drowning out his guardian's words. he loved his grandfather, and he knew he was just playing around with him, but sometimes he needed a break. the old biersack had a tendency to ramble and repeat things over several times, which got old after a while. that, and he was just starting to go through the whole 'rebellious teenager' phase, it was getting hard for the couple to keep an eye on him at all times.

the boy put the car in reverse and backed up into the street, twisting the wheel and then pulling forward like he had been doing it all his life. he hadn't really had the chance to drive much, but it was still something they came natural to him. he had been watching, observing, and learning about cars and driving almost his entire life. his old man knew there was nothing to worry about, but he still worried nonetheless.

they drove for half an hour before andy got tired of the music on the radio and plugged in his aux cord, playing an alkaline trio song and laughing as his grandfather's eyes widened for a solid minute and a half.

another half hour passed and he made his way down the road that led back home . his grandfather was still rambling about what to do in emergency situations at intersections when he pulled into the driveway.

"grandpa i got thi—"

he cut his own words off as he accidentally pressed his foot down on the gas pedal instead of the brakes, causing the vehicle to go flying forward and slam into the side of the garage. he immediately pressed down on the brakes, then proceeded to back up and put the car in park.

andy looked over with a hesitant oh no smile, which faded immediately when he looked to the older biersack who was holding his chest and coughing, shooting him an angry glare.

oh no, he thought.