Chapter Text
It took two weeks for Driver to stop running. Every time he tried, he would get an itch under his skin. He had been mostly living out of his car in that time, taking odd jobs whenever he could to save money. He’d occasionally sleep in a motel for a night if a job paid well enough, but that was a luxury he couldn’t afford most days. It didn’t help that he had to keep on the right side of the law lest anyone caught whiff of him. He knew he had to stop at some point; the question was where. He thought about going to a city, hiding in plain sight, but he couldn’t find it in him to settle every time he tried.
That was until he stopped at a gas station in a small town in Wisconsin, across from which was a mechanics with a hiring sign on the window. He was thousands of miles from LA now; it wouldn’t hurt to stay still for a while.
Within a few days he had found an apartment on the outskirts of town, was hired on the spot at the mechanics, and even found cheap furniture in the next town over. Everything was going smoothly, and even the people in town didn’t bother too much other than occasional questions he gave vague answers to.
He would go on drives around town after work, familiarising himself with the winding roads. There wasn’t a need to, really, it wasn’t like he would be going back to getaway driving any time soon – not in this town, anyway. It felt good to know the roads, though, even if he didn’t necessarily have to.
A couple days into his new job, he found a layby just up a hill from a lake. He knew the lake was there, but he had avoided it until now. One of the few things he enjoyed doing in LA was go down to the lake near his apartment. The only people he ever shared it with was Irene and her son, and he hadn’t been since.
Getting out the car, he carefully walked down the hill and sat down on the edge by the water, no doubt getting his already-stained jeans dirtier, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Before he knew it an hour had passed and the sun would soon be setting. He was lost in thought when he heard leaves crunch behind him. Someone was walking down the hill.
He jumped up and spun around, wishing he had thought to bring his hammer with him, but he soon realised the person wasn’t a threat. He was big enough to be one, sure, but the way he hunched in on himself and looked just as shocked to see Driver, he doubted he was going to cause him any problems.
After the man got over his initial shock, he looked around wildly for a couple seconds, gloved hands squeezing and relaxing by his sides, before looking at Driver again with wide eyes and lifting his left hand in a small wave.
Driver returned the gesture, finding himself intrigued by the man. He looked to be a little older than Driver, maybe late-twenties compared to his own mid-twenties. He was a little taller too, although he didn’t carry himself like it. The several layers of clothing made him look somehow soft, even with his large stature.
“I’m Lars,” The man – Lars – said as he hesitantly took a couple steps towards Driver. “Are you new? I don’t think I’ve seen you before…”
Other people in the town had asked him the same question, but he never gave them a real answer. Most of the time he’d just say ‘yes’ and leave it at that, occasionally giving that he moved from LA if he was in a good mood. He shouldn’t get attached to anyone, he doesn’t want word to spread any further than it already has, but for some reason he wants to tell Lars. It’s like the man has some gravitation pull that he couldn’t resist.
“Just moved from LA. I’m Driver.” The man nodded his head, easily accepting Driver’s choice of name.
“Hmm. I come here a lot. No one ever comes here,” He looked thoughtful for a second, staring at a point left of Driver’s face.
“Do you want me to…” Driver trailed off, gesturing up the hill behind Lars. The man didn’t look very comfortable being surprised by an unfamiliar face, and Driver didn’t want to impose. He wasn’t exactly comfortable right now either.
“No.” He said suddenly, voice rising slightly before he caught himself and lowered it again, “You can stay. I’m going to sit up the treehouse if you want to join me,” He had to admit Lars looked rather charming. He even bowed his head when he made the offer. He reminded Driver of a deer; intrigued, but ready to run if Driver made a wrong move.
He should refuse and go back to his car, but he found himself agreeing before he could really even consider it. He nodded his head and followed Lars when he began walking over to the small treehouse a few metres away. Lars climbing up ungracefully and Driver found a small smile making its way onto his face. He can’t remember the last time he smiled.
Once they were sat together on the edge of the treehouse, a respectable distance between them, Lars took out a plastic bag with a sandwich in it and wordlessly offered half to Driver. Lars didn’t look like the kind of person to do something they didn’t want to, so he took the offered half with a small “Thanks.” He didn’t realise how hungry he was.
They stayed there for another hour, talking occasionally – mostly Lars – but otherwise sitting in companiable silence. “I should go,” Lars said eventually, “It’s getting dark.” Driver hummed in agreement and they climbed down together and walked back to their cars. Lars opened his car door as Driver walked over to his, but he hesitated before speaking up, “I come here at the same time most Monday’s, Friday’s, and Sunday’s. You know… if you ever want company.” And with that he ducked into his car and drove away, not waiting for Driver’s reply.
Driver couldn’t help but look forward to seeing Lars again.
They met each other two more times by the lake before Driver spotted him in town. He tended to avoid busier times, but his fridge was completely empty, so he sucked it up and went to the store Sunday afternoon.
He made his way around half the shop without incident, but as he walked into the cereal aisle, he spotted a familiar body facing away from him – Lars. He was with an older woman, he would assume she was his mother had Lars not already told him she died in childbirth. Driver attempted to flee before he turned and spotted him. It felt oddly reminiscent to when he saw Irene and Benicio…
Shaking himself out of the thought, he moved to turn the corner before he heard his name called. Fuck. “Oh, Lars, do you know him?” Asked the older woman.
When he looked up, Lars was looking at him with wide eyes before blinking harshly and turning to the woman next to him, “Yes, Mrs Gruner, we met at the lake,” he mumbled. Drivers surprised to find a blush on Lars’ face; once which the woman – Mrs Gruner – seemed to notice as well, smirking as she was.
“That’s nice,” She said, walking down the aisle to Driver and lifting her hand for him to shake, grasping it tightly in both of hers before continuing, “I hope you’re taking care of that boy…” She trailed off, clearly wanting Driver to give his name.
“Driver. I will,” He had guessed that Lars didn’t have many friends, but he didn’t expect to get the talk from an old lady in the cereal aisle just for hanging out with him. It’s not like he talks much when they meet at the lake; do they even count as friends?
She, thankfully, decided his curt answer was enough, and walked back over to Lars. “We should get back to it. It was nice meeting you, Driver.” She seemed sweet, but he couldn’t help feeling a little intimidated – even Standard didn’t have him feeling like this the first time they met.
Once he was out the store and back into the safety of his car, he let out a breath and started the engine, letting himself feel the calming thrum of it under his feet. Maybe it would be best to pull away from Lars before he gets too attached, but it might be too late for that.
The next morning Driver was on his way to work when he noticed a man hunched over the bonnet of a hatchback parked outside a garage by the side of the road. He wouldn’t have stopped had it not been for him spotting the familiar puffer jacket the man was wearing. He found himself pulling over without thinking, parking behind Lars and accidentally startling him as he shut his car door and approached the man. “Need a hand?”
“Oh, Driver, hello. Uh I’m not sure. It just won’t start, so.” The man seemed flustered, stuttering out his reply and getting over the shock of seeing Driver when he didn’t expect to. Again.
“Let me see,” He approached him slowly to give him time to move away from the car. He had noticed Lars’ aversion to touch and didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. He wasn’t very fond of touch either.
Lars moved and Driver took his place look into the bonnet. “Battery’s dead,” he said after a minute, “It’s an easy fix. I can come round after work. Easier than going to the shop. I won’t charge you.” He straightened up and wiped his hands on his jeans, a force of habit even though there was nothing on them from just the quick look he had.
“That would be great, but are you sure?”
“I finish at 5. Do you need a ride to work?” Driver missed having someone next to him in his car. He always did enjoy driving people, even when he wasn’t getting paid for it.
“That’s fine but you don’t have to drive me. I can ask my brother…” He looked over at the house across from them. He had already told Driver that he lived with his brother and sister-in-law, as well as their daughter.
Driver shook his head and gave a small, reassuring smile, before speaking up, “Come on.” He shut the bonnet and walked back to his car, not looking to see if Lars was following him. He knew he would.
They drove mostly in silence, but Driver couldn’t help but notice the way Lars was wringing his hands together in his lap. “Are you okay?”
The question seemed to startle Lars out of whatever thoughts he was lost in, “Huh? Oh, yeah, just going to be a little late. They won’t mind or anything, but I still don’t like it.” His question seemed to relax Lars. He still seemed anxious about work, but he was talking again, rambling quietly the way he would by the lake. Driver couldn’t help but enjoy it. He even found himself missing it when he was alone in the silence of his apartment.
Once they were parked outside Lars’ building, Driver spoke up again, “I’ll pick you up when you finish,” he said simply. He already knew when Lars finished, he had revealed it the first time they met. He gave information about his life so freely. Lars didn’t reply, just looked at Drivers’ face, blinked hard, and gave an easy smile before opening the door, mumbling a thank you, and speed walking to the door.
He didn’t know why he was so drawn to the other man, but he wasn’t going to complain. He hadn’t felt this way about anyone since Irene.
After work Driver found himself back outside Lars’ office building. He was a good 10 minutes early with the way he rushed out of work rather than taking his time tidying up like he usually did. His entire shift was filled with thoughts of the other man, wondering what he was doing, who he was talking to. Lars had mentioned a couple friends he had at work, including the nice receptionist who called him ‘Sunshine’.
Sitting in the quiet of the car, his thoughts again wondered to Lars. He had told him on their second time meeting by the lake that he had a girlfriend that passed away; Bianca, he said. He didn’t say too much about her, nothing too detailed, but it made Driver wonder what he would be like in a relationship. Driver rarely ever had any urge to get in a relationship, not until Irene, really.
It didn’t take long before he spotted Lars walking towards him, eyes on his shoes as he closed the short distance. He’s not sure why, but he got out the car and opened the passenger door for him. He couldn’t regret it, though, when he saw the blush it put on the other’s cheeks.
Once they got back to Lars’ house, Driver got straight to work with the emergency toolbox he grabbed from his car. It was an easy fix, especially for someone who knew cars like the back of his hand. Lars hovered around him; he never was very good at sitting still. He thinks Lars needs to feel helpful, and his suspicions were confirmed when he started asking him to grab things for him, pretending his own hands were too busy to do so himself. He seemed a lot more relaxed after that, and they found themselves falling into an easy rhythm.
After about half an hour, Driver was almost done when he heard the door to the main house open and close. “Lars?” A woman’s voice called out; that must be his sister-in-law. “Are you alright? I was wondering why your car was here this morning, but you didn’t answer when I knocked.”
Driver stayed mostly hidden by the cars bonnet, but when he looked over, Lars was turning red again, “The car broke down this morning, but Driver gave me a ride. He’s fixing it for me.”
He heard footsteps moving towards them at that, before a woman appeared next to Lars, “Oh! Hello, Driver, Lars has told me a lot about you. I’m Karin, his sister-in-law.” She held her hand out for Driver to shake and he did so without hesitation. He didn’t want to make a bad impression on Lars’ family.
“Nice to meet you. I’ll be out of your hair in a bit,” He tried to smile but it felt forced. He liked the little bubbled he and Lars had found themselves in, and it threw him off having Karin there, no matter how nice she seemed.
“I was just about to make dinner; you boys should join us. We’re having lasagne.” Driver looked at Lars to see his reaction to the invite. He didn’t mind having dinner with Lars and his family. But Lars was already looking at him and, at Drivers questioning gaze, nodded his head.
“That would be nice. Thank you.”