Chapter Text
After walking out on his father, White was alone.
The realization dawned on him as he drove away from his childhood home. House. It was not a home, could never be. Not when White's real family was not there.
His real family was out cold in a hospital bed. And he might never wake up again.
No. White couldn't think like that. He had to remain optimistic. Black would wake up and he would see him again. Hopefully soon.
Where to now? White thought as he parked his car in the middle of nowhere to try and stop the tears that were threatening to fall. He could go to the garage. Gumpa did tell him to stay there, after all. But White didn't want to impose. It was enough that the older man had offered to train him. And while he didn't really think the gang was responsible for Black's attack anymore, he still didn't fully trust them. They were all a bunch of strangers, after all.
Where would he stay anyway? With Sean? The guy didn't seem to like Black very much. He probably wouldn't agree to share a room with White. And it was for the better because he was…distracting. White had to focus. He had a mission and no time to think about how attractive his brother's friend was.
He could, of course, stay in Black's apartment. But it felt wrong somehow. To be in his twin's space all the time, which was kind of absurd of him to think, wasn't it? He had taken his brother's clothes, bike and place in the gang. What was one more thing added to the list? Why was sleeping in Black's bed where he drew the line? Maybe because White's thoughts were the loudest during the night.
Thoughts about whether he was doing the right thing or not, what his brother would think of him when he woke up, and who to trust. Add his crippling loneliness on top of that, and you get the perfect recipe for bursts of insomnia. White needed to stay with someone to keep himself sane. Plus, the attacker might know where he lived, and it might be dangerous to stay there for longer than necessary.
But who could he possibly call when he had just moved back to Thailand and had no friends in the country? Not that he had made any real friends back in Russia. But that's besides the point.
The only childhood friend he was still in touch with was Todd. Well, saying that they kept in touch was maybe a bit much. They hadn't talked at all in the 10 years White was in Russia. But Todd was Black's emergency number and knew about the handkerchief. That had to mean something, right? If Black hadn't even told the gang he had a twin, but shared a personal story with Todd. He must trust their old friend more than the gang.
White turned the car around.
Todd had given him his address after their hospital visit. In case you ever need it. His friend had said, giving White an encouraging pat on his shoulders. Todd's it is.
When White got in front of the building his GPS led him to, he was shocked, to say the least.
White knew Todd was rich. He was too, it would be hypocritical of him to act like he wasn't, after he had just made a scene in front of his father to get away from everything all that money meant.
But he didn't know his friend was rich enough to live in a skyscraper.
"White? What brings you here?" Todd asked, making his way out of the tub he was chilling in. He didn't seem happy to see White there, at least for the first few seconds in which they made eye contact.
"You said I could come if I needed to." White replied, uncertain. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, after all. He should have stayed at the garage. Or Black's place.
"Of course you can. I just wasn't expecting you to drop by at this late hour. Did something happen?" Todd gave him a worried smile, and that was enough for White not to backtrack.
"Yeah. Kind of. I had a fight with my father. And I didn't know where to go. Like, being in Black's apartment might be dangerous, in case the person, or the people, who hurt him know where he lives, you know."
He explained with bated breath. If Todd didn't let him stay he had two options: crawl back to the garage and hide under Sean's bed in case the other boy didn't want him either, or sleep on the streets, because there was no way in hell he was going back to his father.
Todd studied him for a moment with a weird expression on his face, one that White couldn't really decipher. And then he just started laughing. Full-on throwing-his-head-back laughing. Huh. White was mortified. Did Todd think he was ridiculous for being afraid that something could happen to him in Black's apartment? It was a fair concern.
"Sorry, sorry." Todd shook his head, still smirking. "You just reminded me of Black, the night he came here, after he fought with your mother. You two really are the same."
And what was so funny about that? White would probably be more offended if he didn't feel a strange sense of satisfaction at being compared to his brother for doing something 'rebellious'.
"Sure you can stay, I'll even take you to the room Black was supposed to sleep in."
"Was supposed to? So he didn't?"
"Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't."
"Where did he sleep then?" White frowned, thoroughly confused by the whole conversation.
"In my room." Todd replied, weirdly proud of himself.
"You have two beds in your room?"
"God, no." Todd chuckled again. "My bed is big enough." Oh. Wait. Did that mean? Or maybe not. Two friends can share a bed in a platonic way.
"Does that bother you?" Todd raised an eyebrow at him.
"What? No, of course not." Did Todd think White was homophobic or something? Would be weird of him to, considering the way he caught himself staring at Sean the other day…
Anyway. Blak and Todd seemed to have had a thing, after all. Turns out they were even closer than White thought. Were they lovers? He wanted to ask, but he felt like he had already managed to piss his friend off.
"Good." Todd replied, turning his back to White and leading the way.
This was going to be interesting.