Archive of Our Own

Of all the childhood memories Andrew had, he would only save the ones that had Freesia. For long lonely nights, the fire fox was his only company. When he was outside, they warmed him up. When suspicious footsteps stopped at his door, they would protect him with a spit of fire or baring they teeth. When he felt alone, trapped in cages like an animal, they licked his face.

Freesia was his calm.

Freesia was not yours.

Freesia was not always with him.

And before they was, he wanted to pretend that time didn't exist. If his life with that patronus was complicated, without they it was hell.

It had been years since he'd been back to that apartment in the most fucked up part of town. He remembered part of his childhood there, even if it was his greatest desire to forget. Walking on the worn floorboards, on the stained and pitted carpet, he could still see the ghosts of his adoptive father's cigarette butts from the time, scattered around the sofa, which was now covered with a white sheet.

“It will be three hundred dollars a month." said the owner standing in the doorway, chewing on a disgusting toothpick. “And I'm making that price because you're an old acquaintance. Your father was a nice guy.”

" For sure.” Andrew hissed, running his tongue behind his teeth to control his mouth.

He needed that place, his money wasn't much and he had two more to shelter. He was in no position to demand justice. Even more so when it was really lucky that greasy pig recognized him, even if he hadn't set foot there for almost ten years and, out of "friendship" with the family he "tragically" lost, he would make a discount.

“We have animal rules. " Said the landlord taking the chewed stick out of his mouth and pointing to Freesia, who was sniffing around. "Is it going to stay?"

“It's a patronus.” Andrew said, rolling his eyes when the landlord's expression didn't seem to be understanding. “It is a vital energy animal. A power. He doesn't eat or shit.”

" Oh, yes! " said the other in realization and Andrew went further into the apartment to get out of sight of that imbecile man. “ These animals were trendy back in the old day. I remember another boy who had two pets, I don't remember what kind. I think they were dogs. Your generation was lucky. In mine, at best we were born able to shoot things from our fingers or make things fly. Although that boy's father could create blades with blood…” Andrew walked out of the bathroom and glanced at the owner, seeing him standing in the doorway, rubbing his throat. “That man… poor boy. I called the police so many times and they never did anything. Do you remember them, Andy?”

" No.” he replied dryly, going to the room that used to be his, hesitating with his hand on the doorknob for a few moments, before turning it and taking a tentative step inside.

“Oh boy! You must remember! The boy was a grace. A beautiful child, you were too. The ladies on the street were crazy about getting them to grow up and be able to present their daughters.” The owner laughed. “He lived next door. You must have seen him at the window, they shared walls.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Andrew murmured without paying much attention, still standing in the bedroom doorway, unable to actually get inside.

Everything was still in the same place.

His shabby single bed, the desk with elementary school books, the shelf with a few cheap toys, which by miracle and a lot of care from Andrew, lasted for years. He knew he wouldn't get new or better ones in the first month there. Those were just what his adoptive parents at the time had bought to win him over and make him feel loved.

Fucking motherfuckers.

“Well, you might not remember him. It will be better that way. " said the man, oblivious to Andrew standing in the doorway of the room for a good few minutes. “That boy suffered so much… you moved before, of course. But a month later there was a horrible fire. I think the woman got tired of life and let the gas escape. She and the boy died in the explosion. Dad was badly hurt, but demons don't die in fire, right?”

“Did the fire cause problems with the structure of the building?” Andrew questioned, finally working up the courage to enter the room, stopping beside the bed, feeling his stomach churn and his hands tremble at the sight of the scratches on the headboard.

He turned away immediately, darting out of the room and slamming the door.

“Nothing severe.” said the owner. “We renovated everything. The apartment next door is for rent too, cheaper because people died inside. The people are very superstitious!” he complained, putting the toothpick back in his mouth. "But he's nice and well "groomed." I think a girl could easily live there now. Dark walls and redesigned tile aren't in fashion anymore, you know? Now the apartment is as white as milk! Brand new!”

“Hm.” Andrew murmured in agreement, feeling Freesia brush his feathers. "When can we move in? Let's move most of the furniture out here as well. We don't need toys.”

“Oh, of course! You can throw it all in the bucket back there, nobody will want to buy those old things. You can move out as soon as the girl comes to clean up.”

" Girl?” asked Andrew, frowning.

“Yes, kid! Consider it as a gift. I'll hand everything clean to you. It's been closed for years. No one wanted to live here because of the fire. You are three guys, right?” Andrew nodded. “They must not be so neat. God forbid they die of infection or allergy here. My business doesn't live if someone dies here again.”

" It makes sense.” he replied, putting his hands in his pockets. " Let's go?”

"Did you just look?" asked the man, raising an eyebrow.

"What else is there?" asked Andrew, already walking to leave.

“Well the other room. You didn't even go in there.”

“I don't need to see it.” he said, moving his arm so that Freesia would climb onto his shoulders. “I already know what I need and you'll clean it up. If I had known, I wouldn't have even come to look.”

“Oh, if that's the case.” said the man, stepping aside, and Andrew passed. “Let's sign the contract then, Andy.”

______________________________

The change took less than an hour. Nicky and Aaron didn't have many things and Andrew, compared to them, was almost a beggar. Accumulating little, without attachment to anything. He always did this so as not to put down roots when he needed to leave. He had left too many times for him to learn in two years that staying was possible, no matter how hard his cousin tried and his brother showed he needed him.

This was who Andrew was molded to be.

And now the three of them were inside one of the worst, most suffocating homes Andrew had ever survived.

“What a shitty little place.” Nicky hissed as he threw himself on his sofa, one of the few pieces of furniture he managed to bring from his parents' house, because his mother was sorry for letting him be kicked out by her husband and condemning him to sleep on the floor.

She could just fight for her son, but a couch was the ultimate show of appreciation. Andrew could cry from the emotion of the act. Well, she probably cried when she saw that all the upholstery in the house had been rescued with razors. It was nothing more than a small compensation, after all, justice did not exist for him.

“Okay, rooms." Aaron said crossing his arms inside the kitchen, looking at everything with disgust. "Seriously, did he clean that up?"

"He said he paid someone to do it." Andrew said leaning against the wall, Freesia in his arms, sleeping peacefully. “Are you stupid to think that he cleaned and not just had the dust vacuumed?”

“I expected some consideration, but well, it's your contact.”

"Oh, shut up, you two!" Nicky hissed and flinched when he got an irritated look from Andrew. "I mean, we're in this together. We can make this something good.”

“Us, Stuart Little, and Ratatouille.” Aaron said, kicking a bucket and making two rats run.

Freesia, seeing the animals, jumped out of Andrew's arms after the game, making Nicky laugh and Aaron smiled a little, but soon the expression of disgust returned.

“Like I said, the rooms.”

“We can share. There are two good bedrooms.” said Nicky. " I well. Andrew can have what was his and we can share the biggest one, Aaron.”

"Why does Andrew keep one for himself?"

“Because I'm not going to sleep in that room.” Andrew replied, fishing his backpack off the ground and slinging it over his shoulder. " It's decided.”

"But- Oh that's not fair!"

“Come on, Aaron. In the old days, you liked to sleep in the same room as me.”

“I'm not eight anymore, Nicky! " Aaron released irritated, picking up his bags and going to the master bedroom.

Andrew stopped in the doorway of his old/new room and heard Nicky sigh.

They had gone through a lot to get here and Nicky had tried everything and more to keep them together. Andrew remembered how he'd first met him, how cheerful and full of life he was, so spontaneous and energetic that he felt his energy was sucked out of Nicky and he was exhausted within ten minutes.

But he would give a lot to be able to see that boy again, when he saw his cousin barely keeping up the mask of good humor and hope. Nicky's dark circles were now as deep as yours, her hair that had been so perfectly styled in waves was now something combed just to get out of the way of slovenliness. Andrew wanted to think that it wasn't his fault things were the way they were, but it was inevitable when the only one who had ever changed in their family history was him.

Once again inside his old room, things seemed less worse than the day before when he went to see the state of the apartment. The old bed was replaced by a double box. No wood, no headboards, no place to be stuck. His toy shelves had been dumped in the Dumpster, his old chest of drawers now supposed to be part of a beggar's fire somewhere on the busy avenue below.

Now it was just him, the spring bed, a new white dresser, Freesia, and a desk stolen from his biological mother's house before the brokers confiscated everything for the back mortgages and kicked him and the rest of his family out.

Life was shit.

With a long, tense exhale, he tossed off his backpack and lay down on the bare bed. Arms spread around and legs drooping to the side. Freesia looked too excited to be back somewhere familiar to go sit on his chest like they normally did, and Andrew knew they was out on the balcony, trying to sniff the apartment next door.

“He's not there.” he said after a few minutes of hearing the claws against metal.

Andrew heard a sound like a cry from the fire fox's throat and soon it was curled up, lying beside him. He looked at they, blinked, and reached up to stroke they fur.

"Come on, at least we know he's alive." Andrew said, raising a hand to block out the light in the room.

The itch of magic in his veins was always strange. No matter how much he was used to using it. It was a blessing with a curse. The power to defend himself, but which he could never use for himself. He waited then, it took time sometimes because of the distance, but he always managed to make visible the single golden strands of light, thin as a hair, which he was used to keeping constant, wrapped around his little finger. The only indication of his real power. He stared at the tangle, his eyes darting along the loops of thread until one broke loose and dropped lightly in the air, like a rope loose at one end, falling painfully to the floor and stretching toward the balcony and beyond. Lightweight and easy to lose sight of. But existing. Even if only two people in the world knew it existed.

"He is alive.” Andrew said again and Freesia whimpered snuggling closer to him. “I don't know how, but he managed to get away from that demon.”

____________________________

The worst part of going back to a place that has so much trauma is definitely the memories coming back and invading your head like popcorn in a pot, dying to pop and cause damage. Andrew thought he was over most of it, but that clearly wasn't the case.

For a week, exhaustion would quickly bring him down as he lay in his bed, sleeping without being able to dream and finding himself just barely hours later into a new day. But when Nicky and Aaron got jobs too, and their athletic scholarships at Palmetto University gave them something else to do besides nursing old scars, things finally calmed down.

And along with the calm came memories in the form of nightmares.

It wasn't once or five times that he woke up in the middle of the night with his body sweating after a memory that was too strong for him to control his feelings. It wasn't just ten or twenty that he refused to sleep after finding a new and old mark of his childhood on the wall, afraid of what that discovery might have awakened in his fucked up head. It was not less than thirty or fifty he had found another bed for the night or taken someone to keep him awake until the sun rose.

And in that escape routine, he'd wasted months in that damned apartment.

And yet, even with so much time gone by, he managed to find things that brought back memories.

It was Nicky's idea to change the carpet in the apartment. The landlord accepted, but said he wouldn't deduct a penny from the rent. Nicky decided it was still a good idea, as they didn't plan or be able to leave that filthy place any time soon. Since it was his room, Andrew took it upon himself to pull the hideous, stained thing off the floor.

He loved having bad ideas, which he appreciated.

Starting from the balcony window was a mistake. He should know. You should remember. But he buried so much stuff in the back of his mind that when he found the words "please" scratched into the floorboards a hundred times, his stomach churned so hard that he almost threw up on the spot. Throwing himself back was easy, the patio door to the porch was open and he had a place to fall and get away. And, like a child, he crawled to the railings, sucking in breaths of air through his mouth as he pressed the iron between his fingers and against his face as he looked out into the street.

"Does he still look at you with that scary face?"

The childish voice made Andrew look to the neighboring balcony, finding nothing but vines in the metal. His eyes were bloodshot, sweat gathering on his forehead. Being blindsided by the past was one of the big shits about that apartment. Even what had come before being in that place had been deeply imprinted there. On the floor, on the headboards, on the walls, behind the shelves. Every crisis. Every pain.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened up, running his hand along the top of the iron eaves and saw Freesia run to the neighboring balcony, sniffing the balcony door.

"Come here.” he called with a snap of his finger and the fox looked at him, sniffed again, huffed smoke under the door and then ran back, leaping into Andrew's arms, burying his muzzle in his chest as he curled up.

“They has something with that apartment.” Aaron said as he entered the room and Andrew looked up.

"I didn't let you in."

“I don't need your permission. " Aaron countered with his hands in his pockets and looked back, closing the door behind him. “We have to talk.”

" We have?”  Andrew smirked. “What a strange moment.”

“Nicky is busy with Erik on the call. Speaking of the carpets and all. We have time now.” Andrew narrowed his eyes and saw Aaron sit on his bed. “I come in peace.”

" Difficult to prove.”

"It's not my problem if you don't believe me."

Andrew blinked and took a deep breath. Aaron could have his face and everyone thought that was the biggest similarity between them, but stubbornness and sharp tongue, oh the sharp tongue, it was what actually proved that they had divided Tilda's womb. Not that it helped either of them at all.

"Just say what you want before your ass smears my bed with germs." he said, impatient to keep arguing over something banal.

If Aaron was going to be a sucker, ignoring and pretending he didn't exist was always better than pandering to his rudeness and irony. Andrew lit a cigarette and Aaron waited for him to take a few puffs before he started talking.

“There's a theory about Quirks.” he began, and Andrew blew smoke, not looking at him. On the avenue, people lived their lives without worrying about anything. They were so lucky and didn't even know it. “Familiars are said to be more likely to develop similar spells. The closer the blood ties, the more similar.”

“Should I be interested?”

“It is a valid theory and well accepted in the academic community.” Aaron added, and Andrew rolled his eyes impatiently. “But strangely, you have a Patronus. And I shadow lines.”

Andrew stopped the cigarette halfway to his mouth, pressing his lips together as he stared at the billboard of a woman in a bikini and holding up a can of beer.

" What you mean?”

"It makes no sense.”  Aaron said. “We are identical twins. My DNA is practically exact to yours. Our spells should be pretty much the same, but you have a patronus. And oh come on! No one in our family has a fucking Patronus! Our family on my mother's side is always vines and lines! Our father, by Uncle Luther's records, had poor ways of manipulating light and shadow. Nicky makes vines grow out of the ground!”

" What do you want me to say?”

"Freesia isn't yours, is it?" Aaron released without hesitation and Andrew was forced to turn around and face him, the cigarette being thrown over the balcony. “Freesia is not your Patronus. It's someone else's.”

"Want a star for cracking the mystery with your powers of deduction, Sherlock?" he questioned mockingly, tilting his head to the side, but Aaron just looked at him.

"Do you have powers, Andrew?"

" I have.”

" Which?”

"Aren't you the lord of genetics and theories? What do you think?”

"Freesia has been with you since when?" Aaron insisted and Andrew gritted his teeth, snapping his fingers for Freesia to follow him into the room and walked towards the door. “Andrew!”

" What does it matter? What changes?”

"Andrew, if someone lets you have the Patronus, that person could be watching you! It might be hurting you!”

"Does freesia seem to be making me sick?" he snapped and Aaron fell silent, looking at the fox.

"It makes no sense. Why the fuck would anyone give a dense, physical Patronus to someone else? Patronuses are beings of light and energy, without bodies. Freesia is like a real animal!”

“Well, then whoever made it is very powerful.”

"Or dangerous!" Aaron took a few steps toward Andrew. “Why do you hide it? Why do you say they is your conjured?”

“It's easier than being questioned and hearing nonsensical theories.” he murmured, offering a bit of sincerity, seeing Aaron step back looking at him for what felt, for the first time, like someone he cared about. "Satisfied? Will that make you shut up and stop bugging me?”

“Andrew, I'm your brother.” Aaron said crossing his arms over his chest and Andrew felt the thin smile spread across his face.

"And that's supposed to mean shit to me?"

“At this point, I thought it did. " Aaron countered shaking his head and leaving the room, closing the door.

Andrew felt a lump in his throat, but he shook his head, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it on Freesia's fiery fur.

The smoke burned his lungs, numbed his senses and came out of his nostrils. He heard a sneeze and looked at the fire fox, who imitated him, making smoke come out of their nostrils, but they didn't have his mastery and coughed before finishing, shooting a small ball of fire to the ground. The ball burned, but with nothing to burn but the floorboards, it went out, leaving only a black mark.

Andrew chuckled softly, stroking the fox's ears, seeing the shadows of Nick's and Aaron's feet under the door.

"Your fucking son's patronus keeps coming into my house! That shit scares my little brother! Snarls at us! They already burned my leg!"

"And you expect me to care?"

"A way on you little brat, Wensky!"

" Or what, little soldier? What you gonna do, ah? Beat me? Call the police? Take me to your ship and throw me overboard to the sharks? Don't make me waste my time with a piece of shit like you. You are weak to the point that Nathaniel scares you? It makes me like that blueprint of heartbreak a little more that Mary gave birth to."

"I'm just saying, if he keeps bothering me, I'll take action."

"Take them. Make yourself a challenge to my son then. But don't cry to me again when your arm is burned by his foxes or I'll cut your tongue out with your own blood. Oh, and don't think I didn't see the shape how you look at him. But you know, until I completely give up on Nathaniel, I won't allow you, or anyone else, to touch him. So put yourself in you shoes. Nathaniel is not like that skinny kid you pulled out of the garbage."

Andrew blinked at Freesia touching they warm muzzle to his face and the sound of someone knocking on the door.

“Dinner, Andrew.” said Nicky's voice sounding excited. “I got lazy, so we ordered pizza!”

A positive murmur was the only thing Andrew gave Nicky before he closed his eyes again.

That day, so many years ago, was the first time he realized that there were people who could intimidate the man who tortured him. It was the first time he realized that someone was doing something for him and that, even if it was because no one cared enough about either boy, he got him peace and protection.

It was the first time Andrew hadn't felt so alone and scared in that apartment.

___________________________________

"You're in the same school as me, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I stay away. If my dad knows we're friends, he might... do something. He said I don't seem to be so useless since I raised the foxes, but that only made him angrier with me. I said. that I'm absent minded and don't know how to do anything right. That I'm a waste."

"Are you afraid of your father?"

"Don't you have yours?"

"Yes...but not that much."

"I still can't believe you went out alone, Drew."

"Mom is sick, he doesn't buy medicine. I had to go!"

"He's going to hit you again!"

"If getting beaten was always the worst thing I had to put up with for her... I guess maybe it wouldn't be so bad."

"Is bad."

"I know…but it doesn't hit me like yours hits you."

"Did you hear yesterday? Sorry."

"What there was?"

"My dad is a bad guy. He's the kind the police want to arrest."

"Ah,... yesterday they came here. I remember. Drake has been in town for the fortnight, got scared when he saw them at the door, told me to stay in my room and promised to give me candy later if I didn't tell to pigs about his cuddling. He told me gave a bar of chocolate afterwards."

"Yeah, they were here for my dad, not Drake. The landlord who called after seeing me yesterday... I told the fat guy I fell down the stairs, but he didn't believe me."

"He's dumb."

"He is."

"Does it hurt? You've been holding your belly for too long."

"Only when I move a lot. If I stay still it doesn't hurt. Mom sewed me up, she's good at that, but it stung."

"I wish I knew how to sew. I was going to sew my pants to my shirt so Drake wouldn't have to awkwardly touch me underneath them saying it's affection. I don't like it when he does that. There was a man who adopted me before he... did bad things. Drake doesn't hurt me like he does, but I still feel bad and the way he looks at me is so much like that guy."

"I don't like the way he looks at you either. I don't like the way he looks at me either."

"I heard your father saying he was supposed to stop looking at you once."

"Really? Wow!"

"Are you happy? This is nothing."

"Dad has never said anything to defend me before. I'm glad! But... ugh, Drew, if he gets Drake's eyes bad enough to say something, Drake must be dangerous. Dad doesn't give warnings. You have to be careful ."

"I wish my powers would awaken soon. It's so unfair! You're younger and you already have one!"

"It's luck! When yours wake up, I'm sure it will be amazing!"

"Amazing enough that we could run away together?"

"Try!"

"Excuse me.” asked a girl in the bus aisle and Andrew blinked, coming back to reality.

"Clear.” he said turning around so she could sit by the window.

"Do you have a Patronus too?" she questioned smiling as she sat down and Andrew saw an astral hummingbird jump on her fingers.

“Not my patronus.” she replied, looking straight ahead and ignoring the girl's expression of surprise and shock, which gradually turned to embarrassment.

Freesia, who was lying on his lap, lifted they head to him and Andrew stroked they ears, making they rest again. It had been a tiring day. So many documents were needed to register that damned enrollment that he wanted to turn around three times and leave, giving up. But unfortunately for Andrew, he cared about people, no matter that he told himself he didn't, seeing Nicky and Aaron excited to play and be able to study was mostly dependent on Andrew making the exy team.

Apparently someone had seen him play and seen he had a future and told Wymack. Andrew didn't know what to feel for this person, he preferred to accept that he was angry rather than deal with the fact that he felt grateful for being able to help give his family more opportunities.

Ah, it was all too tiring.

It would be easier if he really was the stone and the monster everyone talked about.

When the bus stopped, Freesia crossed the bodywork, jumping directly to the steps of the building and Andrew was already taking a cigarette out of his pocket when he saw some boxes on the steps.

“Andy!” said the owner coming out of the building with some objects in hand. "You came! I knocked on his apartment, but it didn't look like anyone was home. Can you help our new tenant with the boxes?”

Andrew blinked and took a step back, just in time to see Freesia push Nicky against the window, giggling for wanting to be held. The blonde took a deep breath throwing the cigarette on the floor and stepping on it.

"Sure, why not?” he said bending down to pick up a box and the owner smiled happily.

"I knew I could count on you! I'll give you some change later.” he said smiling with that damn toothpick in his mouth and Andrew rolled his eyes as he followed him down the stairs. “You know, I didn't think anyone would rent the apartment from the fire, but who would have thought? Today a good boy came for cheap rent!”

“Hm.” he murmured without wanting to drop the subject and the man smiled with satisfaction.

“See, he's the same age as you boys! Maybe they'll become friends. He goes to Palmetto too. You three are always cooped up in the apartment! Well, you at least bring some... ahm, guests. I have no problem, you know! I'm more worried about those other two!”

" They are well.” Andrew murmured as he set the box down next door to his. “I can't help you anymore, I have to study.”

" Yes! It's been a lot of help! Just one more to go and Josten from the account. He is a good boy. Educated! Who knew there would be education in this building?”

"Goodnight.” Andrew said, stepping into the house and closing the door with an irritated sigh. “You have to have compensation for me if you don't want to lose your hand, Nicky.”

"Hot chocolate with marshmallows!" he offered, holding out a steaming mug.

The smell was so sweet that Andrew gladly accepted it as he went to the couch, hearing a sigh of relief from Nick.

"How did it go with the lawyers?"

"Good. Because I stayed the course and got a job at Edens, they'll leave me alone. No anklet and no medicine for my mood swings.”

"God is good.” Nicky said, and Andrew preferred to drink his chocolate rather than the grimace on his face. "Have you decided on the course yet?"

" Right.”

“Aaron wants medicine.” Nicky smiled in the kitchen, cleaning the pans. “He seems excited in a way I haven't seen in a long time. It will do him good.”

“Hm.” Andrew murmured, watching Freesia sniff the door out of the apartment. "What's up girl?"

“I think they are curious about your neighbor.” said Nicky, draining a glass. "I looked up here, it's hot. Came alone, little thing.”

"You went into hiding for gaypanic then? Wasn't it an escape from work?”

"Andrew, if I get this far into this ghetto I'll be dead before the season starts!" he protested and Andrew rolled his eyes. "You have luck! no one looks at you and thinks you're gay. They'll think you're going to kill someone, but eat an ass? Never!”

“Your words make me consider turning homophobic.” he said without containing his grimace this time and Nicky laughed. "Did you ever think that I can fuck guys just to piss off Aaron?"

"Yes, and you wouldn't bother, even if pissing him off is fun."

" Fair.” he agreed and Nicky looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Are you in a good mood?" he questioned leaning over the counter.

Andrew blinked at his gaze.

" Why do you think that?”

“We're having a non-monosyllabic dialogue here. It's rare!”

"Do you want me to stop?"

" No way! Don't you dare!”

Andrew looked at him and felt Freesia nuzzle his glass. He knew they couldn't taste, it wasn't a real animal, at least not on this plane, but he let they lick the chocolate anyway.

“I remembered something coming home. From an old friend I had when I lived here.”

" I thought it was all hell.”

" And it was.”

"And yet you made a friend?"

“He was hell with me, Nicky. So I'm... nostalgic.” he murmured lower, and Nicky shifted uncomfortably behind the counter. “But that's in the past. Apparently he is dead.”

" I am really sorry.” murmured Nicky and Andrew shrugged, placing his mug on the coffee table and heading into the bedroom, listening to Nicky sigh heavily, tiredly, before turning on trendy upbeat music while he washed the dishes.

Inside the room, Andrew just threw his jacket on the bed and went out onto the balcony, lighting a cigarette and leaning both arms on the iron frame, watching the busy avenue begin to lose people as the doors closed at the hour.

"This is a good place, don't you think?" asked a voice beside him and Andrew glanced out of the corner of his eye.

On the next balcony, a young man looked at him curiously. Andrew had to admit he was handsome, his features interesting, the mouth full, the nose pert that gave him an air of sass. The earth-colored hair and eyes seemed to emphasize those features.

"All good?” the boy tried again and Andrew turned his face away, exhaling smoke. “Oh, okay, no talking. You are the quiet type.”

"I'm the type who likes to smoke in silence."

“Smoking is a bad habit, you know that? “ the other let out, and Andrew took a deep breath.

“You smoke too, can you judge me?” he questioned, inhaling once more and the other lifted the cigarette in his fingers, laughing softly, as if he now realized it.

“It's a bad habit, but it brings back necessary memories. I blame a friend for teaching me this.”

“Good friend you have.” Andrew sneered listlessly, tapping the metal so that Freesia jumped up beside him.

“Nice patronus.” said the other and Andrew exhaled impatiently, putting out his cigarette on the iron. "Ah-Hey, no need to-...”

Andrew knocked on the glass doors behind him, facing his own room, ignoring Freesia as they dug them way out again, walking outside in search of a hot bath.

_____________________________

“Let's go to the legal right to use individuality. " began the professor waving his hand in the air, while the words were written on the blackboard by a floating brush. "Does anyone know when it started?"

Andrew didn't even consider the people around him, already looking at Matt when he energetically raised his hand. The teacher looked at everyone in the class, wanting any further participation, but no one was really interested in the subject. The professor sighed.

“Boyd?” he called, not forcing the friendly smile he had at the beginning of the term, and Matt straightened up as if he didn't even notice.

“The legal right to use individuality was born when humanity began to awaken individual and distinct abilities intrinsically linked to genetic variation. The law was needed to prevent states from treating individuals with offensive abilities as threats and having them arrested or preemptively restrained. The law guarantees the freedom of use of individualities in any environment, as long as no property or subject, also holder of rights, were harmed in the process.”

“Very good, nerd.” said one of the most petulant students Andrew had the displeasure of meeting and the teacher just rolled his eyes.

Matt didn't seem to be downcast, he just smiled satisfied with the teacher's look of agreement and sat down.

“As Boyd brought us up in a very special way, the law serves to keep us in a civilized society. Of course, some find it unfair that they can't blow things up or let their patrons roam around restaurants, but for the majority with simpler skills, it's a guarantee of safety.”

"Sounds like envy to me." muttered the same idiot as before and the professor snorted.

“Jack, you seem very keen to join class today. You can come to the board if you want. I'll love a day off.”

Andrew lowered his head on his arms crossed on top of the table, giving up on the class in the face of the mocking laughter that followed. He always wanted to study law so he could join the police and do the damn justice that he couldn't see happening and that he missed so much, but day after day in those classes, he questioned himself if it wasn't business anymore to join a gang and become a vigilante.

" Sorry. I arrived late. I was in the rectory. I can enter?”

“Sure, you think we're in high school to ask for permission?” the teacher questioned mockingly, drawing more laughter and Andrew looked up from his arms only to see his new nosy neighbor at the door of his classroom with a sharp smile.

“Oh, with that attitude and need for attention, I could've sworn I was in preschool talking to one of the kids. " countered the rookie and the room fell silent, looking at the teacher who was staring at him.

"Do you think you're funny?"

"I think a bad answer deserves an equivalent. Anyway, I'm coming in.” he said at last with a shrug and Andrew watched the professor follow him with his eyes until he sat down.

" you are…?”

“Josten. Neil Josten.”

“Josten. You think you're smart and funny, tell us about the right to use quirks.”

“I think Boyd over there has already given a very good explanation. What do you want to know? How do they use this law to oppress those who have more offensive power? Or how do we become easy prey if we are in a fight? Frankly, the use of a skill depends a lot on the wielder's intention, if anyone wants to use it as a weapon, it will be. Not only those who are born offensive develop that way.”

“Nice speech from an offensive.”

“Oh no, don't take me that way, I'm not offensive. I became one.” Neil smiled as he rested his face in his hand. “So I can tell you, regardless of your skill, you can be a threat.”

The class fell silent and Andrew found himself sitting up properly, paying attention. Freesia that was in the patrons' corner began to smell around the class, until it was at Neil's feet.

“MINYARD, CONTROL YOUR PATRONUS!” The teacher spat, throwing the paintbrush at Freesia, but Neil caught it in the air, making the class gasp.

“It's a dense patronus, professor, they feel some level of pain.” he explained. He looked up at Andrew's row. "Right, summoner?"

"How do you say.” Andrew said, snapping his fingers, and Freesia ran to him, jumping into his lap.

“You must learn to control your Patronus, Minyard. " the teacher hissed, chewing the probable curse word that he would direct at Neil, before the accusing looks of the class.

Nobody particularly liked Andrew, but Freesia was almost a collective mascot. They almost forgot who they belonged to by the way they always patted them on the head when they walked into class or down the halls.

“Not my patronus.” Andrew said, stroking the Patronus slowly. “But I guarantee you that if I had hit them, I wouldn't have stopped them from attacking you.”

“you—” began the professor, but fell silent in the face of Neil and Matt's laughter.

“Well, no one was going to stop it.” Matt said.

"Enough! Since you all have energy like that, I want a 3-page summary of chapter 7 and a conclusion about the benefits of the law by the end of class worth two points.”

" What? There's no time!” hissed Jack and the professor smiled sadistically.

"Then I hope you run."

Andrew finished his assignment ten minutes before anyone else, handed it to the professor, and left without saying a word. Outside the classroom, he decided that after that terrible class, he needed some air and walked into the garden to give Freesia some time to play with the autumn leaves.

"Well well! If not the summoner!”

"Jack, did you finish your assignment?" Andrew questioned without even turning to him heard. Jack snort.

“You're shit, you know that? If I wasn't so naughty in class"

“You're the one who's always getting in the way.”

"Are you going to blame me then?"

“I'll ignore you. My time is worth more." he let out starting to walk forward, towards the benches.

Probably human beings have only two ways of doing stupid things: stupidity and courage. In Jack's case, Andrew figured it was brave stupidity to try to hit him with a punch. Brave because Jack already knew the outcome, dumb for even thinking about doing that.

Whatever it was, faster than the blink of an eye, Jack was on the floor, one of Andrew's blades at his throat while the other hand kept him down, holding him by the shirt. Out of habit, Andrew glanced at Fresia, who was just scratching they fur a few feet away, not even looking at them. A thin smile played on her lips as he looked back at Jack.

“You know, Fresia protects me. Them senses danger before it happens and reacts before it happens. They sees the intent. And jack, they didn't even turn to us. You're pathetic. I won't waste my time trying to show you this obvious fact.”

“Does it protect you? you're a fucking psycho! How's parole going? What about the open inquiries into two homicides? You shouldn't even be enrolled in this college!”

"You guys seem to be having fun."

Andrew looked up to see Neil standing beside them, his hood pulled over his head and his hands in his pockets.

"Just a joke, want to join in?" asked Andrew, forcing the knife into Jack's throat when he tried to get up.

“Tempting, but I think I have to go out handing out resumes. I came to ask you if you know something.” he commented taking a step back and looking around.

People milled around the trio, as if he didn't even see them, Andrew frowned and stared at his hands, seeing the strands of light glow and then glared at Neil, who blinked, cocked his head and then smiled.

"My power lets me see through some things," he said only and Andrew snorted.

“You're annoying through and through.” he murmured as he got off Jack, who remained lying there, looking up without moving. “My reflective barrier of light should make us disappear.”

“And it did, even more smells show up, even with barriers.”

"Do you have a super sense of smell?"

" Something like that.” Neil said, scratching the back of his head. “So, resumes.”

" I do not know anything.”

“Hum... company to go home?”

Andrew frowned and glared at him, Neil looked at him for a few seconds and then pressed his lips together as he looked away.

“You're not subtle, josten.”

“I try my best and most of the time I succeed, but let's just say the situation is unfair to me.” He confessed, shrugging his shoulders.

“Then I'll make it simple for you and keep you from starting something: I'm not interested. You're hot and handsome, but I'm not fuck with a guy who lives next door to me and takes the same degree. I don't want someone to be on my toes.”

"Me? What?” Neil blinked a few times, but Andrew was already on his way out, pulling out a cigarette and undoing the barrier, leaving Jack lying on the floor, visible to everyone, with Neil at his side questioningly.

It didn't take long before someone screamed at the sight of Jack's bloodied neck and Neil looking around confused and scared. It was a suspicious situation and management was immediately sent. Andrew stopped near a tree, using the barrier only on himself, turning invisible and watching with a crooked smile when Neil was questioned by security and Jack confirmed that Neil had attacked him for no reason as he walked, knocking him down without warning and cutting with something he didn't see.

_____________________________

"One day, I'll get out of here."

"You can. You have the power to create almost anything with light! I wish I could do that."

"Nate, you can bring fire foxes! You can do whatever you want!"

"I can't. They're puppies. If I disobeyed, Daddy would hurt them. I feel when they get hurt. It hurts. They cry."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"My dad would like me to use them to defend myself against him. He thinks it's more fun to hit me when I try to defend myself. Mom told me to suck it up and take it quietly, then he gets tired faster. But that's so unfair!"

"Ah! Your fox is on fire!"

"It happens sometimes when I'm mad."

"Ah... well, it's pretty."

"Your power is more beautiful. You can create practically anything with just light!"

"I can weave things, Nate. Not do."

"Same thing!"

"No, it's not! I can make objects out of thread, as if I sewed, but it's not the same as your foxes. They're... real. I feel them. Nobody sees my threads."

"I see."

"But our pinky promise doesn't count! I've done too many laps for you to see!"

"I still see!"

"You're annoying, you know? Why am I your friend? Stop laughing!"

"Drew, why don't you use the lines to create something so Drake doesn't…you know…stop touching you in that weird way?"

"I can't. He said if I do something, he'll ask Cass to give it back to me. I don't want to go back to foster care and Mommy treats me right."

"But she doesn't even defend you from him! You already told her you don't like it, didn't you?"

"I know…but she still treats me right. I don't want her to stop liking me. I can't use that to protect myself. If Drake finds out, he'll send me away."

"Well, you can't use your power and neither can I use mine, how about we switch?"

"What you mean?"

"I leave a fox with you. It will keep that guy away from you."

"And what do I do in return?"

" you already did."

"Nate, I told you the pinky promise doesn't count!"

"But it's worth it! I'm going to leave a fox with you, and one day, if I need help, you'll come and save me!"

"Like those superheroes who show up at the last minute to save the day?"

"Try!"

"Then fine!"

“Minyard! Control your patronus!” demanded the professor of criminal law practically throwing his paintbrush at his desk.

The room shrank from the sound and many who sat near the corner of the patrons covered their eyes to protect themselves from the light cast by the flames of the fox made of fire.

“Not my patronus.” Andrew said listlessly, glancing sideways at Freesia, frowning at them odd behavior.

Unless Andrew was in danger, Freesia's flames were never violent, always calm and gentle in a comfortable orange. But now it shimmers in red, yellow, and sometimes a streak or two of violent blue.

“Oh right, here we go again.” the teacher mocked and Andrew blinked slowly so as not to lose his temper when the class laughed. "A stranger left you this powerful patronus in childhood and you've been together ever since?"

“It's like I said in the training interview.” Andrew said with a shrug. “Freesia.” he called, snapping his finger and the fox looked him deep in the eyes before running towards him, rubbing themself on his shoes and jumping on his desk. " What it was?”

"Now the Patronus will respond as well." Jack sneered, but Andrew didn't even look at him.

Freesia in his hands was boiling hotter than usual. They were shivering and clearly agitated as they tapped their warm muzzle against Andrew's hand, searching for something he couldn't decipher. He pressed his lips together and tried to scratch behind their ears, which usually soothed them, but then shook they head, making a sound in the back of their throat as they pulled away and jumped up, rearing up on their hind legs and slamming their front legs into Andrew's face.

"Minyard, if you can't control your powers, stop messing with my class and get out of my classroom! I already have a peaceful day without Josten here, don't ruin my day!" complained the professor again, moving his hand in a brute movement that made the classroom door open by itself with his average telekinetic powers.

Andrew glared at him. It wasn't his fault Freesia behaved like that, but they definitely weren't their normal self.

Reluctantly, Andrew got to his feet, throwing everything into his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. Freesia seemed to take that as a sign that he understood what they wanted and without anyone expecting it, they jumped from Andrew's desk to the open area of the room, growing in size, becoming a fox the size of a horse.

"Fuck!” Matt said, sitting in the front row, rising from his chair and slamming his hands on the table. “Andrew, your Patronus is so badass! I've never seen Freesia do that!”

“Minyard! Out!” screeched the professor, glued to the wall, afraid to burn himself in the Freesia fire.

Andrew on the other hand just stared at the fox, as shocked by Matt as the Patronus size change. That had never happened. In more than ten years when he had that Patronus, Freesia had never been more than a normal fox.

That was not a good sign.

“Matt, can you let my family know that I might not be back today?” he questioned as he passed the boy and Matt winked at him.

"Me?” he asked, pointing to himself. "Dude, I don't know if you're kidding. we don't talk” How am I going to get a message across to them and have them take me seriously?”

“You're on the team. At least let the coach know. Don't make my life difficult.” Andrew complained, approaching Freesia carefully, touching the flames with his hand, as if stroking the fur and them bent down, turning they big head towards him.

With a deep breath, Andrew swallowed his fears and mounted the fire fox, which wasted no time, leaping straight for the wall, passing through the bricks and landing outside, starting to run across the campus, over buildings and trees. Until he was on the avenue between the cars, stepping over them without so much as a sound, without weight, just a light, warm spirit leaning on matter from a lower plane.

Andrew hated the feeling of not existing on the mortal plane, but it didn't look like Freesia was going to argue with him about his travel preferences.

It was just a few minutes. Probably less time than it took him from the classroom buildings to his apartment, but he knew the distance he traversed was greater. Much bigger. His feeling was that of traveling in a horizontally launched rocket that never ran out of fuel.

How powerful had Freesia's true owner become? When they were children, Nathaniel was a thin figure with cute features, even if the mistreatment was constant. But in personality and strength, he was never an example.

Andrew had sometimes called him a coward.

He didn't want to think about it, not when Freesia was taking him to an unknown place without any warning or sign, after more than a decade without seeing his childhood friend, but a twinge of envy made him curl his lips.

It's funny that he thought that at that time and realized so late, after all, Freesia was a spiritual being, a patronus of physical and dense form. It wasn't just anyone who could do that, that control of power. And yet, for more than half his life, he had that patronus by his side without ever wavering in his form.

Perhaps he had turned a blind eye to the reality that Freesia was part of someone else's power and ignored the danger of keeping it. He just wanted his mate by his side. But he should have known that one day that gift would take its toll.

From the beginning Nathaniel had given that condition.

He was grateful for Freesia, for Nathaniel, but rushing into the unknown at the speed of sound, he questioned whether he was ready to pay the price. After all, his powers were something to be proud of, but Andrew well remembered the kind of strength Nathaniel faced at home.

And Nathan's blood blades were never very friendly to his eyes.

Andrew wasn't sure he was ready to assume his role at Nathaniel's side. Mainly thinking that, being so powerful as to make Fresia, whatever the problem Nathaniel faced, he still needed help. And Andrew! Someone he hadn't seen for many, many years and he didn't even know if he was still up for that fight.

It seemed like a desperate measure. Andrew was not the superhero they played as kids! Cum!

His power was just a reminder of his injustice. And it never served to save him from anything, just to commit petty crimes and make the fucked up life he had a little bit easier. Protection during the night by hiding behind a network of light wires that camouflaged it. A fishing trip that amounted to a small theft of a fancy purse to pay his rent and food for that week. An invisible shield and armor that was probably a form of cheating when getting into tough fights or participating in an illegal fight club for some change. A rope to tie the stubborn hands of his lovers to the beds so he wouldn't be touched when and where he didn't want to be touched.

His beamlines were useful tools, but nothing grandiose.

When Freesia stopped running, it wasn't to calm Andrew down. They were in an endless desert, but full of people. Lights flashed as powers were thrown and bounced.

They were in the middle of a battle and it was clearly not a clandestine teenager where they just played at abusing their powers and showing off to each other. This was war.

And Freesia knocked him right in the middle of it, making him land sitting next to a strange group of people dressed simply, like people he would pass in the street but not even notice. But he knew they weren't simple people. They couldn't be. Not when one of them floated above her head helping to propel the rocks another produced.

Andrew blinked, not knowing what to do.

"What is that? " questioned one of them looking at Andrew, the green eyes without any white part, intense and bright.

"Don't pay attention to this, Kevin!"  squeaked a female voice and Andrew stared at a girl in a pink hood swinging an electric current like a whip at people who tried to approach. “Where is Abram?”

“Do you think I know?” asked Kevin and Andrew saw him look at Freesia, who was now attacking another Patronus, this one in the form of a bear.

Andrew swallowed hard as he saw they bite down on the large black animal's neck, making it scream so loudly his ears hurt.

"Is that Aster?" asked the girl and Andrew got up.

"I don't know. They brought this guy with them.” Kevin said looking at Andrew. "Who are you?”

"I'm the one asking." he hissed and a great light caught his attention, making him turn immediately to Freesia, who had their neck tightened by the huge arms of the spiritual bear.

Andrew didn't think. Freesia was his only friend. If their physical form was destroyed, he might never see them again. He didn't know where his fucking owner was so he could get it back. And even if he did, would Nathaniel give it back?

Cum! No way was Fresia being destroyed!

The golden threads shot out of his hands in an instant, quick as light itself, enveloping the huge bear completely, over and over again, until he was in a golden cocoon visible to anyone and impossible to break.

He didn't need to tell Freesia what to do. Shaking their fur as they got up and flames growing, they grabbed a section of the wires, dragging the giant pod, picking up speed, only to skid meters forward and use the enemy Patronus' weight to create a huge wrecking ball, knocking most of the enemy group like bowling pins.

Andrew felt his lips curl upward in satisfaction, ignoring the pain in his fingers from the overuse of his power and the exhaustion of the massive energy he unleashed from his body.

"Good.” said the girl from earlier and Andrew looked at her.

"He came with the fox," said Kevin again.

"Must be an ally." said the girl, still staring at Andrew.

“I'm not an ally, I'm just here by chance because Freesia brought me.” he hissed, moving to stand close to the group, taking a deep breath so he could cast his threads of light again if he needed to. " Who are you?”

"Wouldn't you better introduce yourself, shorty?" asked the boy floating above the group and Andrew glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “You're the odd one out.”

“Seth, sweetie, less. He took down half the guys and you only five. The score is not good for you. " Said the same girl from before and that Seth snorted as he launched another sphere of air. “Introductions can wait. We need to live for it to make a difference.”

"Remind me to beat whoever threw me in here later then." Andrew murmured and heard Kevin chuckle.

" If you can.”

"If he survives." said Seth above them. " Oh shit! Abram, no! Dam!”

"Holy crap! stupid boy!” cursed a black girl somewhere in the group, and before Andrew could question what was happening, a wave of water rose up from the sandy ground.

Muddy red water poured from a crack in the earth, plentiful and circling them like a filthy protective bubble. But none of that stopped the heat from seeping in, the steam making Andrew's lungs burn to breathe and the coughing felt like it would rip his throat out by force.

When the bubble fell around the group everyone was sweaty, coughing and gulping for air. But nothing around compared.

It was pure black.

Bodies burned to the bone, earth black as coal. And above the wreckage, two fire foxes sniffed suspiciously, as if unsure they had correctly recognized their twin. Andrew blinked, feeling his heart sink.

“Freesia!” he called nervously, stepping out of the clay circle on the floor.

Freesia looked up at him from where they stood, the flames swaying like silken fur in the sun. they jumped up, gleeful, running to him, shrinking to size. With a relief he would never know how to name, he opened his arms and took them in, circling them and letting them make themself comfortable.

“Freesia, you say…” Kevin chuckled from behind Andrew and he turned instantly, strands gleaming at his fingertips.

Needless to say, it was a dumb idea to try to attack that group when they were outnumbered. Andrew ran his tongue over his teeth and sucked in a breath, letting Kevin study him up and down, seeming to size him up, then glared at the fox in his arms.

“It's a beautiful name.”

"Do you own it?" Andrew said forcing the magic back inside and the other stared at the tips of his fingers that stopped glowing.

"I wish.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “A power like that would be very useful, but no. It's not me. “ he said smiling a little and taking a step to the side, opening his arms for the second fox to climb through them, but unlike Freesia, the other fox climbed up to Kevin's neck, lying on them as if it were a scarf alive. “And this is Aster.”

“Why am I here?” asked Andrew without giving the other time, who faced him again.

" I don't know.“ Kevin said, lifting his shoulders and Aster made a sound in their throat.

"How do not you know? you have a fucking fox like mine.” Andrew hissed, narrowing his eyes at Kevin, who shrugged again.

“Well, that's something Abram was supposed to answer, but apparently, Aster came alone.” Kevin said, reaching up to stroke under Aster's chin. “Abram is usually with they, but I don't see him.”

"He is not here.” said the girl in pink from before, lowering her hood irritably, showing a pretty face and messy blonde hair underneath. “Seth doesn't see him anywhere. He just threw Aster at us and went up in smoke.”

" Again." sighed the black girl who protected them with water. Andrew remembered his name was Dam.

" AGAIN!”  the blonde pointed out, clenching her fists where electricity enveloped them and she pointed to the ground in the distance, hitting a sand dune square, which boiled, shimmered and then was glass. "I hate that irresponsible boy!"

"He must have gone to help the others." Kevin tried, but only got an annoyed look from the group. "Oh, fuck you! Jean is on our team!”

"Jean was one of them!" Dan spat, and Andrew saw the others nod.

"Who's to say this isn't a trap?" Seth accused.

"I was one of them! Are you going to accuse me too?” Kevin questioned irritably, his eyes turning completely green and Aster on his shoulder grew them flames.

“Abram trusts you.” said the blonde. “That's what matters.”

“He trusts Jean.” Kevin spat and the girl glared at him.

“I don't see him with one of Abram's patronus. On the other hand…” The girl's eyes fell on Andrew and she smiled sourly. “This stranger has an identical one.”

"Does this stranger have a name?" Dan questioned, looking at Andrew suspiciously.

" No. Not for you." he said moving his hand and making Freesia climb on his shoulders like Aster did with Kevin, thus allowing Andrew to shove his hands in his pockets. " Who are you?”

“You insist on thinking you're the one asking the questions here. " mocked Seth, shaking his head.

“I'm the one who showed up and saved your asses before that second fox showed up. So I guess I deserve some fucking response.” he snapped and Seth glared at him.

"He is right. Without that wrecking ball that took half the crows, we wouldn't have made it out on our own. " Said the girl in pink crossing her arms. " What it was? Are you going to cry, Seth?”

"Fuck off, Allison!" he complained, shooting into the sky and Kevin snorted when Dan sighed.

“Anyway, little one." Allison said looking at him. "Are you coming with us for answers?"

_____________________________

"Drake said the navy was boring, that he's coming to live on the mainland."

"It will? But... what will happen?"

"He says he has some money. He says he's going to buy a farm and he's going to take me. He's taking them all. He says there's nothing left to stop him from showing me how much he loves me there."

"What will you do?"

"What am I supposed to do? I don't know."

"Drew, you can't go with him! You can't! He's going to hurt you!"

"I know! Don't look at me like that. I don't have anyone but Cass! There's not much I can do. When we leave, Freesia will stay. they're yours. Since you lent me them, he doesn't come near my room for fear, but away from you..."

"Take them."

"What?"

"Take them! Take them with you. they'll protect you! I promise! You can run! You just have to run."

"Nate, how? Professor said Patronuses don't stay away from their summoners for long. And Freesia is dense! You'll get tired and it'll disappear."

"Don't worry about me. I've had them like this for months, haven't I? It won't be a big deal to go on."

"I can't" don't lift the promise world for me!"

"You promised that we would be free one day! That we would help each other and go see the sea together!"

"And?"

"You won't make it if you go with Drake to that farm."

"Nate"

"Freesia is yours. they won't leave you. So when you think you can, run! Run away from here and from Drake."

"But... will you still be here?"

"Maybe. But not for long. Mom has a plan to get us out of here. So don't come back here either!"

"So we're both leaving? Not together?"

"I want to go away…I want you to go away."

"But I thought we were going to be together."

"Let's stay! But not now. I'm still weak, Drew. But Mom said I could be a lot. Dad said I could be more than him one day if I wasn't a coward. I can be. And when I am strong, I'll come back and find you. I'll be able to take care of you."

"I don't want you to take care of me. I can protect you with my power. If we move away, who's going to put a barrier on your bedroom door so your father can't get in?"

"I'll do something!"

"Nate!"

"Andrew, promise you'll leave. That you'll run! And I promise that one day I'll find you and fulfill our promise."

"But... if you're so far away, how can I save you when I need to?"

"You'll save me more if you stay well. That way I won't be afraid and I'll have a reason to put up with my dad."

"Is not fair!"

"Nothing is fair! Look at you! Don't cry... I... drew, please."

"Not say it."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to- just promise!"

"Only if you promise to try too! When your mother's plan begins, be brave!"

"I promise."

"Little finger promise?"

"Little finger promise."

Andrew expected to go many places with this group of strangers, but not his own building. The owner, when he saw them coming, looked at them suspiciously, but when he saw Andrew following them, he smiled relieved and even offered the girls a handkerchief to wipe their faces dirty with mud and dirt.

“Why are we here?” he questioned, seeing Freesia and Aster run together on the stairs in front of them.

Kevin looked at him and shrugged.

“Abram lives here. At least now. And don't mind this filthy place, he has a really bad taste.”

“For everything in life it seems.”Allison added. “Seriously, someone has to burn his clothes.”

“Someone has to furnish his house. He uses the boxes as furniture!” Seth pointed out.

"Abram... what's his last name? Never heard of him around here. " Asked Andrew suspiciously, unable to contain it, feeling his heart tighten and lose beats with each step.

“Oh well, he's using a different name now, Neil Josten.” Kevin said and Andrew stopped walking.

“Kevin!” said Dan.

" What? He has the fox! Abram wouldn't mind!”

“are you kidding?”  asked Andrew, ignoring them.

“Why would I play? Do you think we have time for that?”  Kevin questioned snorting and Andrew clenched his teeth.

"Son of a bitch!” he screeched, quickening his pace and practically running up the stairs, outpacing the foxes. “Nathaniel, you son of a bitch!”

“Hey! Where are you going? You don't know where he lives!” Allison snapped, but Andrew turned down the hall with certainty at the bottom of the third-floor stairs.

“Andrew, I'm going shopping. " Aaron said when he saw him at the end of the corridor, while he locked the door. " Want something?”

“A knife and a rope.” He spat back and heard a sound of surprise from the group when they saw Aaron.

“Okay, no orders then. See you later,” he said, raising his hand and Andrew didn't bother to pay attention as his brother walked down the stairs, ignoring the group.

His focus was on that new door next to hers.

“Okay, I think he knows where he's going.”  said Seth's voice, but Andrew paid no attention.

He wasn't one to use his powers for something a kick would fix, but he wanted to scare the fuck out of the asshole and catch him off guard in his lie. The light strings were easy to use if it was for something as small as unlocking a door, and without too much trouble. Inside the apartment there wasn't much, as they had already said. Just the essentials. Andrew strode in, watching the foxes run through the room, following Aster into one of the bedrooms.

Inside, Neil was tending to another boy, cleaning the wound on his hand with medicine and a cloth that once should have been white but was now stained an orange-red.

Andrew didn't say anything, but Neil lifted his head from the wound as if he'd called his name and looked back.

"Ah, now you break down doors?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow and Andrew clenched his hands into fists. "I thought you made it clear that you're not interested in me."

“Have you been kidding me?”

“I don't have time to play, Andrew.” he said, exhaling. “As you can see, I have an injured person who needs care.”

“Josten!” he called irritably, but his voice was interrupted and swallowed by others calling for "Abram".

This time, Neil stopped what he was actually doing and glanced at the door, seeming to study what was going on, and then realization dawned in his eyes.

"Shit," he snapped, turning his eyes to Andrew. "Freesia took you there?"

" What do you think?

" Holy crap! They wasn't supposed to be summoned either.” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “ The chaotic situation made me lose the stability of the foxes. I ended up calling the two in the heat of the moment.”

" Cool. So I ended up on a battlefield where I could have died from an accident ?”

“You happened to be on a battlefield, but I would never let you die. You should know.”

"I should have known you were here, and look how I find out!" Andrew took a step into the room. "Were you kidding me or something? What was the big idea?”

"Would you have believed me if I introduced myself the moment you saw me as the boy you thought died?" Neil countered and Andrew gritted his teeth. “Astes has been with Kevin since I moved in to protect the group. I had no way to prove it and you didn't even give me a chance! You've slammed the door in my face so many times it's ridiculous!”

“You wanted me to just strike up a conversation with a stranger after everything I've been through?”

“And you expect me to just walk up to you and tell you the truth to your face?”

“Okay, we're going.” said Allison, pulling some by the arm. “this is completely out of line with what I expected.”

“You could have given me hints.”

“I'm sure I gave a few, but you were so focused on not allowing me to get close that you must have ignored them.”

Andrew wanted to hit back, but he had no arguments. Neil looked him in the eye for a few seconds and then they heard someone clear their throat.

“not to pry, but Neil, I need stitches before I can get out and leave you two with the privacy that… well, I think you need privacy. " said the boy still sitting on the bed and Neil turned to him with a sigh.

“I'm sorry, Jean.” he asked, sitting on the bench in front of him, but Andrew moved his hand first.

Its threads made a barrier so that Neil could not touch the injured boy, while other beams of light sewed up the wound quickly and effectively. In a flash, the wound was closed and glowing faintly with a golden line that no one could see. Jean whistled massaging her hand and smiled at Andrew.

" thanks.”

"Get the hell out of here, I'm not done with this guy yet." he squeaked, not looking away from Neil, who looked over his shoulder at him.

Andrew expected a lot of expressions, not that relieved, amused smile. It made him feel nostalgic for his childhood. There were a few times that he saw Nathaniel smile, and each time he had tried very hard to commit it to memory as accurately as possible, going over and over the image in his head until he felt it was perfect, but at the same time it made him angry.

Anger at knowing that precious person was in front of him now and that he didn't know what to do. Anger for looking at that boy and not recognizing Nathaniel, even though he knew he was that boy. Anger at the thought that this stranger from his past might take his Freesia forever and Andrew couldn't do anything about it.

“Andrew?” Neil called and Andrew gritted his teeth as he walked into the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

" Why did you come back?” he questioned looking at the wood and heard Neil sigh.

"I needed. Wymack is giving my friends shelter and protection. Crows want to capture them because they are powerful. I cannot fight alone.”

"Do you think I'm going to believe that? That I'm going to believe that you went back to that apartment that you suffered so much for?”

“You would not understand my motives.” Neil hugged his body. “But I could ask you the same question.”

“The rent was cheap and the landlord recognized me enough to give me a discount. I have a brother and cousin to take care of now, I can't afford to choose.” Andrew looked at Neil and smiled sourly. “Some of us don't have to make up stories.”

“If I told you I came looking for ghosts, you'd believe it as much as you would believe me if I said I was Nathaniel right off the bat.” Neil cocked his head to the side. “but I'm glad you found your family and that you love them to the point of protection. But it pains me that you have to sacrifice yourself like this.”

" You do not care about me. You do not know me.” he snapped and Neil blinked, looking surprised and about to purse his lips.

" I don't know you.” he agreed. “but don't say I don't care about the only person who really cared about me when I had no one else.”

“Do you feel indebted? What a beautiful speech. You think you owe me something for being a fucked up kid who talked to you from the balcony?”

“I don't feel like I owe you, Andrew.” Neil snorted, standing up and waving his hand, summoning the two foxes on top of the bed. ‘look, I don't know what you expected from this reunion. But it's definitely not what I expected. Are you disappointed? All good. But I have a lot of work. The timing was definitely not the best.”

Andrew stared at him trying to absorb the cold words and chuckled dryly.

" Oh yes. Clear. Am I disturbing you?”

“That's not what I said.”

"wants to know. Fuck it.” he hissed open the door and Freesia got up from the bed jumping to his side. Andrew stared at they and pursed his lips.

“They's still yours.”

"I don't nee-..." he began but stopped, pressing the doorknob.

“Stubborn as ever.”

“Oh, fuck you!” he spat as he bent down and let the fox climb onto his shoulders as he left the room slamming the door.

Neil's laughter followed him out of the apartment and onto his bed, his face buried in the pillow seriously contemplating choking himself to death so he wouldn't feel so embarrassed.

But there was no regretting giving in. He would not give up Freesia. If Neil was going to allow they to stay by his side, he wouldn't risk being ungrateful and losing them.

____________________________

It was almost midnight when someone knocked on the apartment door and Andrew didn't even have to leave his room to know who it was. Amidst the college textbooks, he felt his little finger pull slightly. Long ago he had decided to keep that cord loose enough that he never knew when Nathaniel was near, no matter if it was a street or a continent away. Andrew wanted to protect Nathaniel as much as he could and not be a weakness to him, he couldn't risk running into him around a corner and having each other to worry about besides themselves. Life was complicated when he only had to ensure his own safety, let alone keep someone else alive. Who will say be someone else's concern to keep him alive.

He didn't want to see Nathaniel sacrifice himself for him. He knew he had already weakened him too much by being with Freesia.

But knowing Neil was Nathaniel completely changed things. It wasn't Andrew's choice to find him and he definitely didn't have as dangerous a life as before to try to protect him. He didn't even want to protect him.

He didn't need to protect him.

Nathaniel had grown up to be frighteningly powerful. And even though his blood ran faster with rage for him showing up like that and turning his monotonous, boring life upside down in one afternoon, he knew that things hadn't stabilized for Nathaniel.

Nobody got so strong without needing to have that strength to defend themselves. And Andrew knew well the enemy Nathaniel had. He still dreamed of the screams and the sound of blows.

So, regardless of what he told himself, that it was for his family's safety, that it was to keep an eye on him if he decided to take Freesia, deep down Andrew just didn't want to lose the ghost of the boy on the balcony again and he was afraid that he disappeared forever without them really being able to sort themselves out.

And to have that, the golden thread on his finger was now a straight, steady line of light that only he could see. Only he felt. Nathaniel would not disappear again.

“Andrew?” Nicky called, knocking on the door. “You have a visitor.”

“I'm not expecting any visitors. Send the shit.”

“Stop being childish, Andrew.” Nathaniel complained, pounding on the door. “We have to talk. We started wrong.”

“ We started ?” Andrew rose from the table and opened the door, staring into Nathaniel's blue eyes with narrowed hazel eyes. "Don't put me through this! You started! You decided for me. You threw me into a dangerous situation!”

"It was an accident!"

"You could have told me who you were weeks ago! I would have gone without a problem, but you decided to do everything your stupid way!” Andrew reached up, grabbing Neil's shirt and pulling him down. “I promised to save you and protect you if you ever needed it. You say I wouldn't believe you if you just said who you were and I wonder who the fuck you think I am!”

“I didn't mean to hurt you.”

"I'm not hurt, I'm pissed at you, you asshole!"  Andrew pushed Neil who staggered back running his tongue over his teeth.

"Oh... I'm going to get some tea. Make yourself comfortable, Neil.” said Nicky nervously and forced a smile as he practically ran to the kitchen.

“Get in this fucking room before my cousin freaks out.” he commanded and Neil walked in, hands in his pockets and stopping practically in the middle.

“It's weird being here.” he said looking around. “Mostly because it's the first time and knowing the horrible things that happened here. Or that almost happened.”

“I don't need you to remind me of the things I've been through here.” Andrew leaned against the door. “You have five minutes before I wrap you in a cocoon and throw you out the window.”

" What do you want to know? Will it do any good to try to talk?”

“You haven't tried until now and you've already fucked up. How about trying?”

Neil seemed to take it as a slap and scratched the back of his head, turning away.

“For starters, I didn't know you were here.” he said quietly, leaning over to caress Freesia, who was smelling his foot. “When I gave you Freesia, I disconnected our connection. Aster became my main patronus and Freesia a residue. I don't feel them like I feel Aster. So I haven't been watching you for all these years or anything. When I saw you on the balcony that time, I was just trying to talk to the neighbor. I didn't know it was you until I saw Freesia and felt the connection reestablish.”

"And I'm supposed to believe that?"

“You asked me to be honest, I am. I said you won't believe anything, so I didn't even try.”

“You have no idea who I am, do you?”

“I know what you mean to me. I don't care who you are or what you've become, Andrew.” Neil sighed and sat down on the floor. “Things haven't been easy so far, all right? I know you haven't been through paradise either. I knew you weren't going to take it all so easily.”

"And that's why you took another name and passed yourself off as someone else?"

" No. This is different. Neil Josten is who I am now. Nathaniel attracted many enemies, I changed my identity five years ago and joined a resistance group against a group of power dealers.”

"I've heard of them."

“Everyone has, they've become urban legends. But they exist. They have a guy named Riko with them, he can control people's minds by drawing on them with his blood. The son of a bitch started tattooing people with his blood and selling them to armies, militias and gangsters. They call themselves crows.”

“The blonde commented on them.”

“Her name is Allison.” Neil pointed out, gesturing with his hand, smiling the tiniest bit, as if it was amusing Andrew not knowing the girl's name, but soon his expression became serious again. “But Andrew, I'm serious. When I summoned Freesia, it wasn't on purpose. I had been shot, Jean was bleeding in my arms and I had to defend my friends. I just used a lot of energy, which got a lot stronger thanks to Kevin's power to enlarge and empower, and ended up summoning Freesia along with it.”

"And why did they take me?"

"Why did you ride?"

Andrew chewed on his tongue and turned his face away in annoyance.

“In the end you did what you said you would do years ago. You appeared as a hero at the crucial hour and saved everyone. I have you to thank.”

" No. I didn't do it for them. Freesia would be hurt by the other patronus, I just saved them.”

“Even so, you still saved my friends.”

“Don't think that changes anything. You still could have talked to me and made it clear from the start, when you knew who I was. You didn't trust me.”

"Andrew..." Neil began with a sigh and running a hand over his face. “I haven't seen you in ten years. How was I supposed to know?"

"Has anything changed for you?" he questioned, crossing his arms and staring at him, seeing Neil look up at him. “Are any promises no longer valid? Did any dreams stop making sense?”

" No. No, I said before. I kept Freesia with you all this time because-"

"Then why do you think it changed for me?" Andrew moved his hand, making its threads of light glow and the ring of threads he had made on the two pinkies become visible. “I've kept this all my life. Why do you think it would change for me if it didn't happen for you?”

Neil stared at the tangle on his finger and smiled a little and fondly as he ran his fingers through the strands. Andrew ran his tongue over his teeth and left the room, heading for the balcony, leaning against the frame and facing the avenue.

“I should have trusted you. I was an asshole. I understand you're angry.”

"I'm not angry. I'm not hurt. I don't know what I feel. But I'm not like that because you lied and hid things in you.” Andrew stared at the neighboring balcony. “But it pisses me off to the core that you put me on the same level as the people who said you weren't worth it and didn't care. We were kids, that's fine, what the fuck does it matter? We were in the same shit. I knew what you were going through, we promised a lot together. You gave me strength to flee and protected me. What makes me so angry is that you think that even though you are all that to me, you think I don't know how to give you the value you deserve. That I wouldn't take you back right away.”

“Too much has happened.”

" I know.” Andrew turned to the room, seeing Neil still sitting, facing the door, his back to him. “You're not skinny anymore.”

Neil looked back over his shoulder, staring at him for a few seconds looking surprised and chuckled.

" Well no. " agreed getting up and going to the balcony door. "And you don't look so cute anymore."

“Oh, fuck you, I'm still totally adorable.”

“Ah yes, with those holes and iron in the face, very adorable.”

Andrew narrowed his eyes at him, but just rolled in his sockets, throwing his head back, letting Neil walk over and lean on the railing beside him.

" Lets start all over again?’ Neil asked in a low voice.

"Ask me tomorrow. I am tired. You left me exhausted.”

"Too much emotion?" Neil chuckled and Andrew slapped his shoulder without even noticing his hand move.

Neil just laughed harder.

“I'll let you rest, Grandpa.”

“Fuck you, it's only been two years.”

" Grandfather. Do you want a hot milk with cinnamon to help you sleep like an idiot?”

"If I say yes, will you go away?"

"I'll give you the balcony." Neil said, getting up and walking away from Andrew, who just followed him with his gaze until he was at the door, his hand on the doorknob. "Drew, can we be friends now?"

“I don't know how to be friends with anyone.”

" We can try.”

"You can do whatever you want, if you piss me off, I'll tie you to a pole."

" Fair.” Neil chuckled, turning the doorknob.

“Oh! Neil! I'm already finishing the tea!” said Nicky's voice in the distance and Andrew turned back to the avenue, taking a deep breath of pollution.

“Okay, Nicky, I'll be right there. Thanks for letting me talk to him.”

“Oh, it was nothing... Is everything okay?”

" Yes, do not worry.”

"Sorry about anything if Andrew has-"

“Andrew didn't do anything.” Neil cut in, and Andrew snorted. “But again, thanks.”

“You already gave me a fox, don't growl at my family.” Andrew spoke louder and heard Neil snort.

“Force of habit.”  Neil replied. “Sorry, Nicky.”

“No, oh, it's okay.”

It didn't take long and Andrew heard the apartment door close. He knew Nicky would give him two minutes to put the tea away and go after answers, so he moved his fingers, slinging wires and locking his own bedroom door before his cousin had time. Fresia beside him was sitting on the floor and looking at him curiously, Andrew narrowed his eyes at them.

"What? I'm done fighting with life, okay?” he murmured, taking a cigarette out of his pocket and feeling the fox brush against his legs.

When Neil appeared on the next balcony, it was one with an old, stained yellow plastic mug that caused Andrew to blink and straighten up, making him chuckle.

“I hid our mugs under the floorboards back then, the fire didn't reach them. “ he said smiling as he passed Andrew's, drinking from his blue one. "Tell me if it tastes the same."

Andrew didn't answer, taking the mug in his hands and feeling the heat seep into his palm. A small smile tugged at the edges of his lips as he remembered the times Neil made that milk with cinnamon and sugar for them behind their parents' back.

"Should I steal Nicky's cookies for good measure?" he questioned looking at Neil, who blinked and smiled to the point of reaching his eyes.

"Do you need to steal yet?"

Andrew blinked a few times and looked at the milk in his mug, exhaling slowly and feeling his heart warm a little.

" No.”

“I also don't need to hide and be in danger of getting punched to do this.” Neil said, leaning against the side rail, facing Andrew, holding his mug by his ear and smiling as he tilted his head.

Andrew looked at him for a few seconds and put himself in the same position as Neil, leaning on the bars and looking at him.

“To our new beginning.” Neil said, lifting his mug.

For a second, Andrew hesitated. A new beginning was something he didn't think he would have, especially with Nathaniel , or better, Neil in your life again. And the prospect of it made him slightly nervous. Good things happened only to complicate everything later. He didn't know if he was prepared for more complications. Neil wasn't coming alone, he was bringing a war with a group of powerful people smugglers. He brought in a group of unknown people that Andrew knew would be a part of his life if he opened up that space.

He didn't know if he was ready for that and finally stop fighting alone.

But even so, he raised the mug, tapping Neil's lightly, sipping the milk and feeling his body warm, both for the sweet taste, the warm temperature of the drink, and for the nostalgia that it gave him.

Drinking that with Nathaniel was one of the few things he remembered from childhood that he really felt like he was a child who had a little friend who shared lunch and talked about a TV show they liked.

"Tastes better." he finally said and Neil blew on his drink.

" I also think.”