heartbeat ~ a f t g

Neil

If Andrew was under the impression that he could protect Neil from his demons, then he was a different kind of crazy.

Really, if anyone was going to be able to protect him, it would be a line of SUV's, packed full of bodyguards carrying the latest weapons. Even that might not be enough however, because when faced with Neil's father and his abilities, not to mention Lola, Rodriguez, or any of the other hunters he employed, no-one stood a decent fighting chance.

But Andrew had looked so sincere, watching him through heavy-lidded eyes, legs crossed as they sat on the kitchen floor, that Neil was ashamed of how he'd reacted. He'd bolted, springing up and half running, half stumbling out the door. Now, he sat curled up on the couch, listening to the faint sounds of the house and Andrew making himself a cup of coffee.

Incessant buzzing surrounded him: the humming of phones, the soft whining of the TV left on standby, the whir of the coffee machine. He closed his eyes, letting his brain soak into those noises and felt his power fire up instinctively. When he opened them and everything took on a sharper clarity, he found himself relaxing into the cushions, feeling a sense of power. First, he flicked a finger, and the TV switched on to a news report. It was something about a fire in a nursing home, and Neil felt a pang of sadness. He changed channels with a tap of his nail against the sofa arm, eyes darting of the headlines and program descriptions until he turned the screen off entirely. He realised that Andrew had probably gone back to bed: the coffee machine had turned off and the kitchen was silent.

Neil curled his toes inward and thought of his dream from earlier. It was just his luck that the first dream he'd had in a year- or at least the first he could remember- would be a nightmare. But he was certain that even the nightmares he'd had before, while on the run with him mother, had never been that sharp. Sure, every time he got himself injured, shot, or bruised, they would haunt him with startling force, but they always died down after the first night. This was different. Nothing had hurt him purpose, and the Monsters, strange and slightly hostile as they may be, had tried to make him feel more-or-less welcome. With the exception of Aaron, of course.

******

Neil hadn't realised that Andrew was standing in the doorway until a cough jerked him out of his thoughts and directed his attention towards the small blonde man settling on the char opposite. He clutched a mug in his slim hands and watched Neil through hazel eyes, as if waiting for him to make the first move. Neil hesitated, knowing what he had to ask, but trying to figure put the best way.
"You really think that you can protect me?" Andrew nodded, and quirked his lips in a small smirk that produced butterflies in Neil's stomach. "Your demons don't scare me, new boy. Plus-" He waved a lazy hand in the air, and blood flooded Neil's cheeks, warming his face and causing him to scowl. "They should." Neil replied frostily. Andrew didn't seem bothered though, shrugging and taking a long gulp of his coffee. Silence descended over the two of them for a while, and Neil let his power fizzle and die out, his vision returning to normal.

"I don't break my promises."
He glanced up to see that Andrew was standing in front of him, a challenge buried in his insolent stare. "And I won't break mine to you, even if the mafia itself decides that I should. Loyalty is important." That was kinda funny, seeing as Neil's father was involved in the mafia, but he decided not to mention that. The less Andrew knew about his family, and who he was actually dealing with, the better.

Instead of speaking, Neil nodded and plucked the mug out of Andrew's hands, taking a swig. What he'd thought was coffee was in fact a disgustingly sweet hot chocolate. Way too much sugar, and the amount of melted marshmallows was appalling. With all the ranting Kevin had been doing earlier on the diet Neil would have to take, it was a surprise that he allowed this. Andrew glared and turned on his heel, stalking out of the room, and leaving Neil to put away both the cup of non-dissolved hot chocolate powder, and clear up the shards of china left on the floor from his meltdown.

He watched Andrew's small figure disappear down the hallway toward his own bedroom. He knew what Andrew's power was: the ability to control blood, of all things, but he didn't know how far that power stretched. If Andrew really could kill with simply a flick of his wrist, then he could be one of the most dangerous men in the state. There was a chance that he could be more dangerous than Neil's father, but Neil was determined not to think about his family for now, especially since he'd unwittingly joined a crime-fighting team. Though the team in question didn't seem to be doing much crime fighting at the moment.

He knew that joining the monsters were one of the worst ideas he'd ever had. He would be living with these people now, and it would be difficult to hide anything from them. Andrew has already noticed that his hair wasn't natural, so how long would it take the others?
Sighing, Neil pushed himself to his feet and trudged down the hallway. Light was shining faintly through his bedroom blinds- how long had he been up?- but he climbed into bed anyway, burying his head under the covers and tried to fall asleep.