Chapter Text
As May — and graduation — came and went, Neil was itching to get out of Millport. He thought retreating to a small town would help him hide from strangers, but he felt too exposed. Too many strangers wanted to know too much about him. Big cities — Neil makes a point not to think of Seattle — offer cover, alleyways to duck down, crowds to disappear in, desperate people willing to help him out for a bit of cash. And, though Neil refuses to admit it, he’s longing for more familiar territory. He knows how cities work, how the people move and the night glows and the streets roar louder than the blood in his ears.
Millport was the worst.
·◊◊·◊◊·◊◊·
So here he was, on May 18th, duffel and forged passport clutched close to his chest as he boarded a plane to Columbia, South Carolina. Though he’d lived in four countries and twenty-two cities, he still had a soft spot for the east coast. And since his mother had just died, the last thing Nathan would expect is for Neil to come closer — Nathan will be searching Europe, and Neil will (hopefully) have some breathing room.
During the flight, Neil calculates and recalculates how much cash he has left. He knew he’d burned through a lot trying to survive a year in Millport alone, but this didn’t seem right. It couldn’t be right. He had enough for maybe another six months, not counting the twenty thousand his mother had always insisted on saving for emergencies.
He’d always known they — he — would be out of cash eventually, but he didn’t expect it to be so soon. He was going to...shit. He was going to have to get a job. He had a forged social security card, but the number wasn’t likely to hold up for a complete system check, which immediately eliminated any ‘respectable’ (read: high income) office jobs. His options were limited to selling his labour on Craigslist or selling his body on street corners.
Neil is suddenly very aware of the binder inside the duffel at his feet and the money it holds. If it comes to that, he might have to call his uncle. The idea makes him feel nauseous.
A flight attendant appears at his shoulder and passes him some mid-flight snacks.
“Oh, thanks.” He mutters, avoiding eye contact. He stows the Goldfish in his backpack for later and tears into the granola bar.
The woman next to him shifts in her sleep and sighs, leaning further into Neil’s personal space. Sitting in that aisle seat, at the very back of the plane, surrounded by murmuring strangers and a squalling baby, Neil is suddenly very aware of this moment; the air seems to still and time seems to stretch as he considers all the lives all these other passengers are leading. All the lives of the people the plane is flying over. The size of this massive planet and his tiny little place in it. It’s almost comforting — he likes the feeling of impermanence that comes with being just another face in the crowd.
He looks back down at the calculations scrawled across his napkin, how small the numbers have gotten, how little cash he has to spare. Takes a deep breath. Flips his pen through his fingers.
Alright. He’ll bum a ride into the city and figure something out.
·◊◊·◊◊·◊◊·
The plane lands, and he makes his way through the airport. The crush of people is overwhelming, and his nerves are on high alert as his eyes constantly track across faces in the crowd. That warm, fuzzy feeling he had on the plane is long gone, and his hackles are raised, half out of habit.
“Hey man, you okay?” A hand touches his shoulder, and he flinches, whirling around. Goddamn stupid disorienting crowd. The man who approached him steps back, both hands in the air. His hair is dark and floppy, and his skin is perfectly tanned. Neil’s eyes don’t miss the beauty mark under his right eye or the creases on his cheeks, likely from smiling too much. A short, blonde guy stands behind the stranger, looking irritated and impatient; his all-dark clothes emphasise the scowl on his face. Neil notices and processes all this in less than a second.
“I’m fine. I’m waiting for my dad to pick me up.” Neil lies easily, right on time. “He’s late, I guess.”
“Oh, okay. Not gonna lie, man, you look pretty jumpy right now,” the man laughs, “the name’s Nicky.” The stranger — Nicky — looks at him expectantly. He didn’t ask a question, so Neil stays quiet. “Uh, when’s your dad gonna be here?” Nicky asks after an awkward pause.
“I don’t know.” Neil’s mind is running a million miles a minute, tallying gains and risks and making what is admittedly kind of a stupid call. “Actually, I think he might be a while. Is there any way you could help me find a ride?” He ducks his head, using Nicky’s impression against him. If this guy thinks Neil’s some lost, deer-eyed kid, all the better for Neil. The blonde one scoffs.
“Nicky, we’re already late.” He says, scowling straight at Neil. Friendly guy.
“Hmm, I could probably help you out. As long as I’m getting something in return.” Nicky looks Neil over and smirks, causing the blonde to make a disgusting gagging noise. Neil has no idea why, so he ignores it.
“I’m low on cash.” Another lie. He’s got maybe three thousand in his binder right now, in a variety of bills. “But, uh…” He runs through a mental inventory of his duffel. “I could give you some Goldfish?” Nicky’s face twitches, somehow conveying disappointment and amusement at the same time.
“Sure, man. That sounds great.” He slings his arm over Neil’s shoulder and starts to guide him to the door. Neil can’t help how he stiffens, just for a moment. On some level, he recognises how unlikely an attack is right now, but instinct is a terrifying beast. He unfreezes himself in an instant, following Nicky’s lead as casually as he can. Nicky’s friend groans obnoxiously loud and follows behind them.
“That’s Aaron back there, by the way. Real charmer.” Nicky grins at Neil like he just made the funniest joke in the world, and Neil manages a tight smile back. He was right — this was a terrible decision.
Nicky chatters continually for the entire drive, making up for Aaron’s stony silence. Neil sits in the back, looks out the window, and tries to be friendly. Really, his priority is scoping out and beginning a mental map of the parts of the city they pass through. Knowing which alleys are through streets could be the difference between life and death one day.
“What were you guys doing at the airport in the first place?” Neil asks once he can get a word in edgewise.
“We were going to pick up my girlfriend,” Aaron answers. Neil does his best to not look surprised — both at the fact that Aaron is actually speaking and the fact that a guy like him could actually get a date. “But her flight got delayed. She’ll get here tomorrow.”
“Yep! Aaron’s stuck with us for another sixteen hours.” Nicky laughs, looking away from the road for the umpteenth time to elbow Aaron in the ribs.
“Us?” Neil asked. Surely Nicky didn’t plan on keeping Neil overnight. There was no way in hell he was entering a stranger’s house.
“Hyup. Yours truly, Andrew, who’s Aaron’s twin brother and an absolute menace, and Kevin, who’s good enough to eat but definitely not friendly waters, if you get what I mean.” Neil doesn’t. “The four of us are roomies.” Roomies? Oh — roommates. Neil isn’t sure why that word needs an abbreviation. Having gained the information he needed — these two are not assassins working for his father — Neil leans back and lets Nicky prattle on about various hijinks the four have gotten up to while living together. He makes Andrew sound like quite the character, and Neil can feel his curiosity piqued, though he makes a conscious effort to suppress it. Now is not the time to get distracted by interesting boys with knives.
He knows he should be focusing on mapping the streets, but he can’t help but zone out. The car moves rhythmically and Nicky sings duets with the radio and Aaron’s phone buzzes with texts and, for some inexplicable reason, Neil feels secure.
·◊◊·◊◊·◊◊·
To Neil’s surprise, the car doesn’t stop in a residential district. Instead, Nicky tries and fails to parallel park in front of a storefront. The orange and white paint on the window reads Palmetto Creamery. An...ice cream shop?
Nicky and Aaron get out of the car like it’s perfectly normal to go straight from the airport to an ice cream parlour. Somewhat belatedly, Neil realises he would rather follow Nicky and Aaron than sit alone in a strange car. He scrambles out, tugging his duffel with him, and half-jogs to catch up with Nicky and Aaron just as they pass through the entryway.
The creamery is...surprisingly nice. The big window lets sunlight pour into the room, making the whitewashed walls glow. The floorboards are ancient and terribly scratched, but it somehow looks more like an aesthetic choice than the result of years of mistreatment. Booths line both walls, leading the way to the ice cream counter on the opposite side of the room. Random orange art prints — California poppies, oranges, an abstract sort of cat — hang on the walls and complement the paint on the window.
Behind the counter stands a tall man with dark hair and light eyes, a peculiar little “2” tattoo on his left cheekbone. He looks up with recognition as Nicky and Aaron walk in, and Neil watches Aaron’s stride stutter for a moment.
“Hey, Kev. I thought Renee was supposed to be working today?” Nicky falls into the booth closest to the counter, and the man leans over the register to look at him.
“Something came up. She said a friend needed her help, and it couldn’t wait.”
“Uh,” Aaron makes a squeaky sort of noise and clears his throat. “Hey, Kevin.” The man — Kevin — doesn’t respond. He just levels a look at Aaron and nods his head.
“Who is this?” Kevin asks, turning to face Neil and giving him a penetrating stare.
“That’s our new buddy! Kevin, meet…” Nicky trails off and gives Neil an embarrassed look.
“Neil.” he gives a quick sort of smile to all three of the people now watching him, but it feels more like a grimace.
“Neil! We gave him a ride from the airport for the low, low price of some Goldfish. Which I still haven’t received, by the way.” Nicky lifts an eyebrow at Neil, who blushes and scrabbles through his bag for the pack the flight attendant had given him.
“You gave a ride to someone when you didn’t even know his name?” Kevin’s asking a question, but it doesn’t sound like it.
“Aw, Kev, don’t be such a stickler! I mean, just look at him. You think I could leave a hot piece of ass like that sitting on the curb? Pun absolutely intended.” Kevin’s eyebrows furrow and Aaron blanches, looking like he’s about to be sick. Neil isn’t sure why — puns aren’t that bad.
“You’re disgusting, Nicky.” Aaron manages to bring his face back under control but looks like he’s narrowly avoiding spitting into the trash can at his side.
“Ah, what can I say. Which way do you swing, kid? Please save me the trouble of figuring it out.” It takes a moment for Neil to realise that he’s the kid in question.
“I don’t.”
Nicky laughs. “Everybody swings.”
“I don’t.” There’s heat in his voice this time. “Look, do you need anything else, or can I go now?”
“Aw, so soon?” Nicky pouts. “Kev, can we please keep him?” Aaron scowls for the hundredth time.
“People aren’t something to be owned, Nicky.” Kevin’s voice is deathly monotonous, making Nicky flinch. Neil doesn’t even know the guy, and he’s still sensing the ‘back off’ vibes.
“Oh, shit. Right, sorry, man. Bad choice of words. Can we please offer him something to entice him to stay?” There seem to be two or three other conversations happening underneath the one the three are having out loud, and Neil is frustrated that he can’t track it all. Kevin sighs.
“Janie quitting left an open spot in the schedule. I can interview him for it if you really want me to.” Neil’s insulted but manages to bite his tongue. A job at a tiny little ice cream parlour could be exactly what he needs to stay under the radar.
“Do I get a say in this?” He manages to bite out instead.
“Nicky, you were supposed to be taking him to his dad’s house. Why are we even here?” Aaron tears his gaze away from Kevin to give Nicky a sharp glance.
“Oh, shit! Right, I totally forgot. Well, before we head out, do you want a job, Neil? A face like yours would be great for business.” Nicky winks at him — actually winks — but Neil is too busy trying to find a way to get out of a second car ride that he doesn’t even notice.
Damn. Neil totally has to take this shot, if only to get Nicky and his car ride off his back. And the prospect of working at an ice cream shop isn’t totally revolting. He thinks about the numbers he calculated earlier and nods.
“I guess I might as well interview if I’m already here.” Nicky’s smile and Aaron’s frown grow in equal amounts. Kevin sighs.
“Okay. Let me go get—”
“Ooh, Kev, can I do it? Pretty please?” Nicky’s hand shoots into the air like a third-grader answering a math question.
“You’re just gonna give him the job no matter what, Nicky.” Neil’s surprised Aaron can stay so involved with the conversation when his eyes flick to Kevin every time Kevin moves.
“Yeah, Aaron, that’s the idea.”
“You’re going to be a total pain in my ass about this, aren’t you?” Kevin asks with a sigh. Nicky grins the affirmative. “Okay, whatever, you’re hired. You start tomorrow. Good luck making it to Friday.” With that, Kevin turns away from the conversation and disappears into the back room. The creamery is totally empty, so Neil figures it’s mainly for the sake of a dramatic exit.
“Aw, Neil, this is gonna be so much fun!” Nicky smiles. “You gotta watch out, though. Kev is a total hardass, and he’s absolutely willing to fire you if you serve an asymmetrical scoop.” Aaron glares at him again — Neil isn’t sure he’s capable of making any other facial expressions — and trails after Kevin.
What did he just sign up for?