Chapter Text
He'd been hiding out for only a week, wrapped up so tightly in the bandages she hates to change because the smell of blood invades her nerves. Hospitals were not to be trusted, especially if she'd have to explain anything. More to the point, of course Adam knew too much, so it wasn’t even an option. The slow internet in her apartment was her friend, and Amanda had just enough reckless, stupid confidence to treat her new unwilling roommate herself. There was no point in dragging him out of that grimy bathroom if she let him bleed out from his bullet wound.
Unfortunately, she didn't keep as many drugs around as she used to around for obvious reasons, so it wasn't long before she'd run out of substances to keep him quietly asleep and healing. Only a week and he had finally woken up enough to argue.
"You can't leave the apartment yet," Amanda explained in her usual blunt tone, for what felt like the hundredth time in a day.
"You can't just keep me here!" He argued and winced, clutching his shoulder. Amanda reached for him instantly; he dodged her. Well, fine, if he wanted to ruin her handiwork and hurt himself in the process, no skin off her nose.
"Hah." She laughed without humor. They were both so close to being caught, walking such a fine line-- it was a miracle Adam hadn't been dragged back and Amanda herself hadn't been caught and. . . Well. The least he could do was cooperate with her. "You can't leave unless you want John to know. He will know."
"Maybe I want to take my chances."
"Don't be a fucking idiot. I saved you."
"Well, you can't stop me from leaving," Adam said. She paused to see if he was serious, then let out a dry laugh.
"You won't tie me up, you’ll tear out my shitty stitches.” An uncalled for insult. She thought her stitches were fine, especially given the circumstances. “Even if you did , I'll do anything it takes to get out. And then I'll--"
"You'll what? Leave? You can't get far enough. You think John won't be able to find you?" She snapped. "Do you even have enough money to get out of the state?"
Adam glared. But he did sit down on the sofa after a moment passed.
"He trusts me not to do something like this. We were lucky when I was dragging you here. But he will find out if you leave, and once he learns you're alive, he'll do anything to get you back in there."
He shuddered visibly. Amanda almost pitied him for a moment.
"I still think it's bullshit," he mumbled.
"Trust me, the only reason he doesn’t already know you’re gone is that he’s extremely busy."
"With what?" Adam said, flopping on his back onto the sofa and closing his eyes. "More dumb God complex trap bullshit? Jesus, when's he gonna be satisfied? What is he even doing?"
She didn’t know. The sneaking suspicion that he had managed to find another apprentice to train made her feel queasy, and the legitimacy of such a possibility made it worse. And why else would he be keeping it a secret from her ?
"Don't worry about it. He thinks you're dead, he's not going to be thinking about you anymore while he has more work to plan."
"Whatever." Adam grumbled. “Fine. So, new question: when will you be back?"
Ah, yes. The source of the argument. Adam had caught Amanda heading towards the door with her keys in her hand after emerging from his makeshift room (her bedroom, a bit tidied and with the necessities moved out to where she was sleeping on the sofa) for the first time. He had been less than pleased, but for reasons she hadn't expected. Instead of being angry and accusatory that she was betraying him, he was mostly… upset he was going to be alone.
Amanda rubbed her arm self-consciously. She knew he didn’t mean to, but those hours in the bathroom had done something to him that had made him need her around constantly, even if he didn’t like her personally. Every time she’d tried to leave the room after he woke up, he’d grab her arm, or pick a fight so she’d linger. It was like he had developed a chronic fear of being alone in less than a day. It made sense, in a logical way, but that didn’t stop her feeling a bit strange about the whole affair.
“Soon,” she said. “I’ve got to get groceries, and some more painkillers. You eat too much."
Adam turned over and stared at her for a moment. “God, I hope you’re gonna pay for shit like a normal person.”
She was offended. “What, you think I steal things? That’s horrible.”
“THAT’S horrible?” He barked out a laugh. “You’re completely crazy, aren’t you?"
"Says the guy who stalks people for a living."
"At least I'm not part of a torture porn cult!! Huh?" His eyes were wide with mania. "I'm the sane one here!"
"Like I'm any fair comparison." Amanda snapped.
That shut him up. Adam looked her over again, expressionless. She felt like she was under some kind of stupid microscope. Having been in charge all this time, Amanda had nearly forgotten that Adam was more than just her newest burden, responsibility, testee.
She hated it.
Only when she turned to the door again did he break his silence. "Bring me some cigarettes, why don't you? I'd get them myself, but since it's such a risk.." He gestured widely, raising his eyebrows.
Amanda scowled at him, had he learned nothing ? "Smoking is--"
"It's addictive, it's harmful, it's cancer, I heard it from enough doctors and priests and concerned friends to recite the shpiel. Who put me in a bathtub and shackled me to a grimy pipe? I feel like that's a little more detrimental to my health and wellbeing, if you're so concerned about that."
She dragged her hands down her hair. Tired of this exchange. Exhausted . Why did she do this? She created this problem for herself. She went back into the tomb, she brought him back to life like Lazarus, if Lazarus emerged from the cave bitching and smelling like shit and blood.
"I will… get you nicotine stickers. I don't want the smell here."
"Good enough."
Amanda watched him roll over again and sighed.
"Do . . . Do you have anyone you want me to call?" She asked.
"Huh?"
"I mean. They can visit or something." That would be an enormous risk, but seeing the way his face lit up in (albeit confused) surprise, still looking at her, made it... worth it? Amanda fidgeted. "Sometime. Is there anyone you'd like to see? That friend who's in the band?"
"Oh, you actually remembered that conversation. Silly me, I thought you just took me for some dipshit stranger who talked for too long."
"...Well?"
"Nah." Adam turned back around. After a few seconds, he elaborated, voice muffled by the couch cushions. "My parents dipped a while back, and I wouldn't want anyone potentially getting in the crossfire. Since he's watching and all."
He's alone, too.
"I will be back soon."
He said nothing. Maybe he was falling asleep.
"I'm sorry you got sucked into this."
"Whatever, you know? Turns out following an asshole who was cheating on his wife was a surprisingly life-changingly bad move. Shocker. You win some, you lose some."
Dramatic ass.
Amanda walked out the door and closed it behind her, locking it firmly. A second later, she opened it again, popping her head in.
"Be here when I get back."
Adam turned over at this, surprised and a bit confused. He was thrown off.
"I mean, I don't really have a choice anyway."
"There's always a choice." Amanda shuffled. "Stay or leave. Live or die. Just because ones the obvious answer doesn't mean… I mean, you were right that I couldn't force you, and--"
"I'll be here." He interrupted.
"Okay."
.
And he was.