heartbeat ~ a f t g

Neil

His power was working.

This was a surprise: it meant that the NeuroPatch wasn't doing it's job and Neil had modified it so that nothing could interfere. But Neil could sense the electric field of almost every device in the room, but not the steady pulse in his right temple. He panicked, heart jackrabbiting in his chest, but forced himself to stay calm and mentally assess his situation. Very slowly, and without opening his eyes, Neil took stock of his body. He was lying down on a bed: he could feel the papery sheets against his fingers. There was an overhead bulb above him, and the florescent burned through his eyelids. Strangest of all, was the heavy, relaxed breathing Neil could hear from someone sitting on his left. But before he could turn his head to look, voices appeared, getting louder as their owners got closer.

"He's kinda cute, you know, when he's asleep."

There was a retching noise, then a second voice answered, "We're twins, so you're calling me cute as well"

"You probably could be, if you tried a bit more. You might even be able to get a girl-"

"Shut up," The second voice hissed as the first cackled with laughter. But the laughter stopped abruptly when a third voice cut into the conversation.
"Aaron knows what will happen to any girl who takes an interest in him, don't you, dear brother?"

"You're fucking sick," the voice Neil took to be Aaron said. "In case you forgot, I'm the one who took are of you're new pet for you."

There was a crash as the person beside Neil leapt up from the chair, followed by a yell, and then the first voice, the one without a name yelled, "Bye Andrew!"
And then Neil was alone. With Andrew. The silence only lasted a brief second though, before Andrew spoke again. "You've been awake for ages. And don't try to deny it." His voice was scratchy and rough, an obvious sign he was a smoker, but sleep-thickened. Neil cautiously opened his eyes, wanting to see this mystery man that had his two previous visitors leave in such a rush. He glanced to the left, adjusting his mind and vision to the brightness of the naked bulb.

Sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed Neil was lying in, was the most beautiful man Neil had even seen. Gold strands of hair caught the light in such a way that it mimicked a halo, floating in the air. Hazel eyes watched Neil with a detached interest, and his lean body was clothed head-to-toe in black. But Andrew's face was so completely devoid of emotion that it resembled a black page.
He leaned forward and picked up Neil's missing NeuroPatch from a small table. He waved it in the air above the bed and asked, "What's this for?"

Unless you'd lived under a rock fo the past 20 years, you'd know what a NeuroPatch was. A small, round pad fixed to the right temple, it's wires snaked under your skin and into your ear, attaching directly onto your brain. They could be used for a number of reasons: to enhance memory, powers, or natural abilities. But it was useful for other, more 'black-market' reasons too.

"It-" Neil hesitated warily. He didn't know these people, or why they'd saved him. Being completely honest, he didn't even know how he got here, wherever here was. For all he knew, the sort-of kindness could be a trick. For all he knew, they could be working for his father-
This news hit him like a brick, and while he couldn't register what his limbs were doing, Neil was pushing himself off the bed and preparing to bolt for the door. But before he could, a excruciating jolt richocheted through his chest. Neil yelped in pain and clutched at his heart, glancing sideways to see what effect this new development in his health had on Andrew.

But Andrew's eyes were closed, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration and his fists clenched in front of him.

It was as if all the lights in the room had gone out at once. He stared as Andrew opened his eyes to fix Neil with that same, hollow stare as before. And though there were so many other, more profound words for this situation, "Fuck," was all he managed.