Dying Star

by NothingButCacoethes

Summary:

Neil Hatford, runaway bond, is forced into contact with his Bonds after years on the run. It was all for them, but he can’t really explain that without putting the whole world in danger, can he?

Nathaniel Hatford (Neil Josten) as Oleander Fallows in a AFTG / Bonds That Tie rewrite that NO ONE ASKED FOR.

(Not abandoned, I’m just shit at posting!)

Chapter 1: Run Down

---

Fic Run Down

 

I have no idea why this is what’s stuck in my head, but here we are. This first page/chapter is just to inform you what you’re getting yourself into. If this isn’t for you, right on, move along.

 

You don’t have to have read The Bonds That Tie series, but if you’re into urban fantasy RH books, definitely check it out. It’s a single woman/five guy group respectively.

 

Characters:

Nathaniel (Neil) Hatford as Oleander Fallows (Central Bond)

Ichirou Moriyama as North Draven

Andrew Minyard as Nox Draven

Jean Moreau as Atlas Bassinger

Kevin Day as Gryphon Shore

Aaron Minyard as Gabriel Ardern

(Siblings have changed, as have their abilities! It makes sense in my head.)

 

David Wymack as Vivian Wentley

Abby as Adella

Bee as Unser

 

Dan Wilds as Kerian Black

Matt Boyd as Sage Benson

 

Allison Reynolds as Sawyer Benson

Renee Walker as Gray

(Work with me here!)

 

Nicky, Erik, and two other men make another rare same sex bonds group.

 

This will be a retelling / AU with its own twists, obviously,  original characters and world building creativity goes to J. Bree and Nora. These characters will have bits and pieces of personalities from both series.

Chapter 2: Prologue

Notes:

Hey guys!! I’m posting two links below for some Pinterest mood boards for this fic! One is a by Maximussy and the other is by yours truly 🖤 They gave me permission to share it with you all and I absolutely love it and think you should check it out!

https://au.pinterest.com/yournewproblem/get-off-my-property-dying-star/

https://pin.it/2jYHklk2v

---

The nightmare plagues me once again.

My family and I are in the car, the shitty Corolla mom picked up last week, traveling the highway. I’m arguing with mom, again, because she’s making us pack up and move without notice. I didn’t necessarily care that we were leaving. I hadn’t made friends or anything, but I really liked my room this time. It was painted sky blue and calm grey. It was my safe space to retreat after a long day of middle school. 

It was the last time I would feel that way. Safe. 

Mom is driving, per usual, but she’s listening to what Alexander is telling her, frowning. She glances back at me in the rearview mirror now and then, checking to see if I’m okay despite seeing that I was just 10 seconds prior. She always has an eye on me. 

Alexander, one of her Bonded but not my father, sits on the passenger seat with his laptop open on his lap. He’s a serious guy, cold to anyone deemed unimportant and not a member of his family. But he’s nice to me, treats me as if I’m his blood.

Christopher, her third Bonded, sits beside me, attempting to distract me with our usual game or rock-paper-scissors. He’s always been the kind one. Often we’re among the non-Bonded community, and people assume he’s my bio dad because he would spend the most time with me. Teaching me how to play Exy and fix easy things so I can be the man the house once I’m older. He always said I give off the aura of a Central, even though we all know it’s impossible to tell without the blood work. He’s a stay-at-home dad, the type of man happiest taking care of his home and his Bonded.

I’m angry, but it’s also the last time I felt at peace.

I’m struggling not to pry, push for answers, knowing they’ll shut me down anyway once again. This is a conversation I’m not privy to. I never am when we move in the night. Christopher always insists that men are allowed to cry, and I can do that if I’m ever scared, but Nathan, my unfortunate bio-father, already beat that out of me. He’s trying to get me to talk to him, quiet words I can’t remember, but the sound is soothing. Mom looks back one more time and we make eye contact. She sends me a soft, sad smile before opening her mouth to say something, but… 

That’s my last memory of them.

Something hit the side of the car at high speed, pushing it over until the car flips and flies down the side of the small bridge.

In my shock, my Gift flows out of me, and I’m too stunned to reel it back. I try, I really do. But as the car rocks back onto its tires, my head cracks against the window, and I effectively black out.

They said I was unconscious for a week, and when I woke up, I was alone.

 

---

 

Chapter 3: Five Years Later

---

The interview room is cold as balls.

I’m still wearing the same clothes I had on when I was grabbed off the street by the Tactical Response Team, stuff that I really should have thrown out months ago, but I never wanted to waste money on. These were fine. Life on the run wasn’t easy, or cheap, but I wasn’t expecting to be dragged to an unknown building in South Carolina where they had the AC turned up to the max. 

I’m also pretty sure they’re trying to put me on edge. Assholes.

Running away from your Bonds, the people fated to be with you, is beyond delusional and doesn’t happen in our world. Running away from the people that complete your soul, only a fucking lunatic would do that.

Hi. That would be me.

But I did it for a reason, honest. Actually, I did it for a lot of reasons, and all of them were completely sane. They’re just not something I can explain without risking my life, my Bonds lives, or, you know, the whole goddamn world.

Guess I have to keep my mouth shut and see what consequences my actions brought about.

I try not to rub my arms or make it obvious I’m anxious because that’s what they want, I’m sure. My skin crawls with the need to leave, get out, run until I find myself in a big city where no one knows me. My eyes dart back to the door, but I know there’s a guard on the other side just waiting for me to make a wrong move.

They made sure to tell me all about him, and his abilities, when they’d thrown me in here, just to be sure I’d keep my ass seated like a good little… The thing is, I will keep my ass here because being paralyzed isn’t on my to-do list for today. Fuck that shit.

I seethe over the men again for a second before the door opens and a man steps through. He’s tall and imposing, a wall of a man, dressed in a tactical uniform. 

 

“Mr. Hatford. My name is Jackson Plank, and I’m here to go over a few key details before your Bonds arrive.”

“Sure, it’s not like you’ve given me much of a choice.”

He takes a seat opposite of me and slides a file across the table. “I don’t think you fully grasp the situation you are in, Mr. Hatford. It’s highly unconventional for a Bond to run away.”

I try to keep my face calm. “I haven’t broken any laws, you can’t keep me here against my will.”

As his eyes pick me over as he smiles, but it isn’t a nice thing. It’s slimy. “The Council has voted. While there may not be any laws against leaving your Bonds behind, special consideration has to be taken in this case. Ichirou Moriyama is on the Council, he’s a pillar in our society, and with his social standing, this entire… adventure of yours has been quite embarrassing for him.”

 

My teeth clench, jaw locking up at the fucking audacity of this man. The only thing going through my head is how badly I wish I could choke him out with nothing but my mind.

That would be an amazing Gift to have.

 

He nods like I’ve spoken and continues his condescending drivel. “So you see, we had to make a decision. You can’t go running off again, not with your Bonds being who they are, and your deceptions over the years mean that we cannot trust you.”

It takes more effort than I realized it would to spit out, “So you’re what, locking me up here? Keeping me caged here like some fucking pet? It doesn’t matter who my Bonds are, forcing me to complete the bond is rape and I won’t just bend over for them like a good little slave.”

 

All pretense of civility vanishes from his face. Just as he’s about to speak when the door opens and the hulking guard walks in from the hall. No matter how much I had prepared myself I still flinch as he steps into the room, and of course, he notices if the smirk on his face means anything.

 

“Dimaccio, thank you for coming in. I’m hoping Mr. Hatford agrees to this without having to use extreme measures.”

The guard pulls out a leather pouch and unzips it, pulling out a scalpel. “What the fuck do you think you’re going to do to me?”

 

Dimaccio smirks again and I feel the scalding touch of his Gift, numbing me and locking my muscles in place. I will never forget this man. Someday, I’m going to release my Gift on him and see how he fucking likes it. But for now, I just have to… take it.

For now.

 

“Now, now, Dimaccio. I thought we’d give him a chance to behave. Though, I’m rather glad he can’t run his mouth in this state. I’m not envious of Moriyama at all.”

The two men laugh as they move to stand behind me. “I dunno, breaking him in sounds like a good time to me. It’s always the ones with a smart mouth that break so pretty.”

 

That’s it, I’m using my Gift and getting the fuck out of here, there no way I’m being raped by this fucking pig. Never fucking happening.

The curls at my nape, which I really need to cut but I honestly don’t give enough of a shit about, are pulled up and out of the way. Panic sets in and my chest squeezes and my Gifts wells up, pushing and pulling on the restraints I have in place. I can barely breathe. It’s like a reflex, it senses trouble and is fighting its way out to protect me. My vision starts to go white just as a sharp pain knicks my neck, sending a stabbing pain down my spine. Then the skin is being pushed and pulled in ways I never wanted to remember until something is shoved into my nape.

One of them stitches my neck closed before they both round the table and I can barely snarl my complaints. Plank waves Dimaccio out of the room before reclaiming his seat. 

 

“Just a little something so we know where you are at all times, Nathaniel.” 

 

A GPS tracker. They just… They just shoved a GPS tracker into my skin. I haven’t even met them yet and I already hate them. I ran for a reason, not that I could ever tell them why but it still fucking counts. 

They don’t know everything I gave up for them.

Plank has been added to my list along with the Pig. I’m going to hunt them down once I can use my Gift and make a fucking show of it.

“Fuck you, you fucking prick,” I snarl. 

“That device can conduct enough volts of electricity to kill you if you attempt to take it out. I could also knock you out with it, your entire existence is in the palm of my hand, Hatford. Your Bonds will be here shortly, but I wanted you muzzled before they arrive. Moriyama is a close friend of mine, and there isn’t much I wouldn’t do to keep my Bond close and safe. You would do well to complete the bond with him sooner than later. Just lie down and submit, take it like a man.”

Bile creeps up my throat.

He stands and approaches the door. “The quicker you get into line, the better this will go for you.” Then he leaves.

 

---

 

I don’t bother picking up the file left on the table. I don’t want to know about the men I’m stuck with. Much more importantly, I have to get a hold of myself before I lose control of my Gift. I think of how I could use it to calm myself, which is more satisfying than I should probably admit. Walking through who I would use it on and how it would feel watching my payback unfold. Minutes creep to hours locked in the room. 

I’m hungry, I have to pee, and I’m still fucking freezing. All I’ve had since they snatched me up is a water bottle, and that was yesterday. No food or water since.

 

The door opens again and this time a woman stands in the frame. “Follow me, I’ll take you to freshen up.”

“Freshen up?” Sure, my clothes are ratty and I probably stink, but fuck my Bonds. They can get over it. However, I really do need to pee. “Fine.”

 

My head spins as a stand but I right myself before I faceplant into the metal tabletop. The woman just wrinkles her nose at me and turns on her heel, leading the way down the hall. It looks like an office building by the layout, not to mention the few people we pass wearing suits. Those who we do cross paths with stare, I feel it. Of course they know who I am.

 

Nathaniel Hatford.

The runaway Bond.

The Murderer.

 

Not that anyone knows I’m a murderer, I’m sure this would look very different if they did. A lump forms in my throat as I think about it. I give myself a shake lest I fall back out of control.

 

The bathroom is clean and the shower is a stall fitted with a white curtain. The woman gives me a bag, one I hadn’t noticed in her hands, and snaps, “I don’t have all night so be quick. I’ll drag you out naked if I have to.”

 

Right. Fuck her too then.

I give her a dirty look but ultimately take the bag and climb into the stall. I’d like to think I’m a mature 19-year-old, but oh, how I wish to stick my tongue out at her. I’ve survived five years on the run by myself, living on the streets when I need to. It hasn’t been easy but better than the alternative.

This.

Being chipped and forced to live with the men who are biologically fated to be mine… Worst outcome possible in my book. I’ve only seen photos that were handed over to me when my family was killed, but their actions are already very telling. I can barely remember what they look like, but I remember their names. Those are engraved into my psyche unfortunately.

I strip off and scrub down. The bruises littering my skin are nothing new to me but still painful to the touch every time I swipe over them. My hair is a mess, so I wash and dry it as carefully as one can with curly hair and no products. The sweatpants they gave me fit, but the sweatshirt is two sizes too large. The scent of the cologne makes me cringe; my bond is so freaking picky about scents.

 

I leave the stall when I hear the woman start tapping her feet. “Let’s go.”

 

My antagonistic self stops in front of the mirror anyway, finger combing out my curls and coiling them around my fingers before they dry just to spite her. Knots are as big of a bitch as she is. Thankfully she doesn’t try her hand at actually pulling me from the room, otherwise I’d have to hit a woman and that’s never a good look.

I follow her back to the locked room they've been keeping me in, where she leaves me alone once again. It’s still empty, leaving me to wonder what the rush was for. Instead of thinking too hard on that, my eyes zero in on the file. 

 

I finally crack it open. There are updated photos of my Bonds.  

I have no interest whatsoever in sex but I can acknowledge when someone is attractive. All five of them are unbelievably so. Two of my Bonds are brothers, twins no less. The athlete and his genius brother, Aaron and Andrew Minyard. Kevin Day hasn’t aged any from the older photo I saw, but his eyes are different in a way that’s hard to explain. Jean Moreau has more tattoos and his hair is grown out, much like my own. Then there’s the eldest, Ichirou Moriyama. He’s the council member those men were preaching about. 

I shift through their profiles trying to find some sort of escape route. Killer GPS tracker aside, of course, but I’ve gotten out of stickier situations. It takes me a second to realize some information is missing from their files.

Their Gifts aren’t listed.

There's a field for it, but they’re blacked out. There’s not a clue listed and I suddenly find myself desperate to know.

I’m still stuck on the page I’m reading when the door’s lock flicks and I freeze. My bond tugs in my chest, telling me one of my Bonds is on the other side and I quickly shut the file and push it away. I was prepared to see disappointment, maybe sadness, but not pure loathing on their faces. Four of my soulmates walk into the interview room.

One of them scoffs at me but I ignore it like second nature. I don’t need to see their hate, I hate myself enough for everyone in the room.  The fire in my veins from earlier is snuffed out, leaving me baron and hollow. I hear the scraping of chairs being pulled out and finally grow a spine enough to look up. I meet each of their eyes, slowly taking them all in. They’re easy to distinguish. Even without the photos in front of me. 

Kevin is scowling and grumpy looking, the scar running over his left hand standing out where it lays on the table. He looks exactly like his photo, right down to the frown.

Aaron fusses with the coffee cup in his hands, just as nervous about this as I am it seems. The smiling, easy going guy is nowhere to be seen. Instead, he looks miserable.

Ichirou sits in a perfectly tailored suit. He’s the only one trying to mask his loathing, but failing terribly. 

Andrew just keeps staring at me like I’m the worst thing that ever happened to him. And, fuck, maybe I am, but at least I won’t be the worst thing unleashed onto the world.

I can live with being hated.  

 

---

 

We sit in complete silence for five minutes.

It’s excruciating, a nightmare playing out before me. Four of the five men who are supposed to love me most sit across from me, looking at me with unmasked contempt. I get it, I do. I know what I did.

 

Finally, Aaron huffs and glances up at me. “Should we even bother asking where the hell you’ve been? Or why you left?”

 

Ichirou and Kevin watch me closely, but it’s the smirking glare on Andrew's face that has the hair on my neck rising. He hates me, that’s for sure, but there’s something more. I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. I can see the venom brewing on his face and wait for him to burst.

 

“You have been very hard to find. I’ve wasted a lot of resources tracking you down,” Ichirou says, flicking some dust on his suit.

 

He has bitch black hair and dark eyes, haircut short and styled to perfection. My bond is keening in my chest but I tell it to knock it off. I did what I had to do, and he wasted resources? No one asked him to. Kevin doesn't speak, just scowls at me like he’s trying to read me but I’m locked down enough to look like a blank page. 

 

Andrew sneers as he says, “I did wonder how you were surviving out there. I’m assuming you were selling yourself, or drugs since there’s nothing else you have to offer. I’ll have to wait for the test results to come back before I complete the bond and get what I’m owed from you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t touch you at all.” 

“That assumes I want you to touch me. Not a fucking chance, Minyard.”

His smirk only grows. “And how exactly will you stop me, bond? Your blood work didn’t show your ability, what are you hiding from us? Or are you ungifted and useless and that’s why you ran?”

 

Oh, he really just went there. How am I going to stop him? He’ll fucking find out. I’m about to reach over and slam his face into the tabletop when Ichirou saves him.

 

Ichirou slides a large envelope across the table to me, but he’s looking down his nose like I’m some peasant beneath him. “This phone is to be on you at all times. If I call, you will answer. You do not want to know what happens if I have to call a second time. If you don’t answer at all, I will assume you ran or were kidnapped and I will send my people to find you. Understood, Hatford?”

Through clenched teeth, I grit, “Understood.”

Andrew scoffs. “You’re pretty agreeable to him. Maybe you’ll get a bond, after all, Rou.”

My eyes snap back to him. “I’m not touching any of you. If you try to lay a finger on me I'll happily stand before the council and inform them I don’t want any of you, douche bag.”

 

Aaron stands and leaves the room, slamming the door behind him. I’m too fucking pissed at Andrew to care at the moment, but the blond in question looks to the door as it closes behind his twin. I can’t be with them. Their own abilities will heighten when the Bond is completed, fine. But if mine strengthens as well? Absolutely not.

 

“I’ll be back tomorrow to pick you up,” Ichirou informs me. “The file Plank gave you has everything you need to know about your life now. Study up. There’s no way out for you now, Hatford.”

 

Once finished, he stands and the others follow, leaving the room as one until it’s just me again.

I’m once again alone, stuck in this gods forsaken room, and still, no one has fed me.

 

---

 

I don’t sleep.

I’ve gone nights without rest before, and while the bed is terribly uncomfortable, it’s the nerves that keep me awake. A different woman comes in the morning to take me back to the bathroom, the clothes she hands me are better than the ones I’m currently wearing. Clean boxers and socks, dark khaki pants and a blue sweater, along with white sneakers. My stomach is aching, the crackers they gave me last night doing nothing for me, but this woman is nicer at least. 

She even attempts to help me with my hair, handing me a wide-toothed comb. She uses the sink to dampen my strands enough to work the comb through and the finger coils one side while I do the other. My curls aren’t much anymore after having been neglected on the run. Products are expensive. Now they stay curly while wet, but go flat and wavy once dried.  

I thank her politely enough and she smiles and apologizes for the woman last night, Olive, for being rude. “She’s… Well, she’s in love with one of your Bonds. I’m not sure if Kevin ever… reciprocated.”

 

Kevin. My silent, scarred, scowling Bond who looked at me like I was nothing. We may be in a same-sex Bond group, but he could be Bi. Fuck, any of them could be Bi. I ignore the ache that’s suddenly sitting heavily in my chest, but this is going to get annoying. 

 

“Thanks for telling me. I just thought everyone hates me for running.”

“It doesn’t happen often, but it’s ultimately your decision to be with your Bonds or not.”

My bio-fathers smile creeps on my face unbidden. “They have me chipped like their prized show bitch. It’s not my choice anymore.”

 

She ducks her head looking uncomfortable, which is appreciated, but not good enough. She was nice though, so I let it go. The woman escorts me back to the interview room where Ichirou is waiting, wearing another pristine suit with his phone in hand.

 

“Thank you, Della, he looks much better today.”

 

He speaks without looking at me but he offers a billion-watt smile to Della. So there is a soul in there, it just has no interest in me. Great. That’s what I want. Too bad my bond doesn’t get the memo.

 

He turns to me then, looking far less kind. “We have a meeting with the dean of MU, then I’ll take you to your dorm.”

 

Despite my internal freakout, (MU? Dorm? Dean? Holy fuck, am I being sent to College?) I give him a sharp nod. It’s not like I can say no, so I follow him out of the building. He waves at the suits as we pass, most, if not all, looking at me like I’m walking trash. I’ve always done all I can to blend in, not be seen, so being at the center of attention is uncomfortable.

There’s a Rolls Royce with a driver idling at the curb, because of fucking course this ass can’t drive himself. I knew he was a Councilman but fuck, this guy much be rich rich. My parents were well-off but even they didn’t have a freaking driver. Well…

 

“Are you going to get in or just stare at it?”

“Stare. Is your obscene show of wealth necessary?”

He opens the door to usher me in, “Yes.”

Right in time, my stomach growls loudly. “Well then, I’m glad your driver is a necessity but letting me eat isn’t.”

He slides in next to me, “They didn’t feed you?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “They’re your people. You should know that I’ve spent the last four days with only a single sleeve of crackers and one water bottle per day. I even offered to pay for something myself, but no, I had to wait for you.” He doesn’t say anything, just blinks. “Can we go? I’m about to pass out here, it’s not like I had much weight to sustain me as it was. I’m about to pass out.”

Another blink. “They know better than to starve you, you must be mistaken.”

 

My stomach growls again, drawing his attention this time, so I raise a brow in question. Yes. I’m totally pretending to be this hungry to gain sympathy from a man I want nothing to do with.

 

“Sure.”

 

I don’t speak another word as we’re driven to our location, a sprawling college campus with green lawns and a forest surrounding the gothic-style buildings. I knew this was going to suck. Not attending college itself. I think. More so being around my bonds. The one in my chest won't stop keening for attention from the man next to me. Every glare and harsh retort feels like another scalpel carving away at me, only my soul instead of skin now.

Ichirou steps out of the car, stepping around the rear to open mine for me. Fuck him and his false show of chivalry. He walks me up the stone steps and into the largest building, smiling all the while. It has to be fake, it’s too warm. The dean sees us straight away, seating us in his office before excusing himself to gather the paperwork. A good time as any.

 

“So, I should probably mention I didn’t graduate high school, huh?”

 

Being on the run called for skipping cities and pulling part time jobs under the table while other teenagers are in class. I know my stuff, I’m not dumb, just street-smart and self taught thanks to the many public libraries nationwide. That said, I’m nowhere near college level ready.

 

“What do you mean you didn’t finish school?”

His eyes are cold as he looks me over so I snark back, “I moved around too much.”

The dean reenters the room with a stack of paperwork, which he places on his desk in front of Ichirou. “I have everything you need here to enroll, you just need to supply your SAT scores and identification.”

 

Yeah, I don’t have those.

 

“We will have everything to you by this afternoon,” Ichirou assures him. “If that’s okay, of course. We have a few other appointments we must get to.”

 

The dean nods, handing Ichirou the paperwork as he escorts us back into the lobby. Ichirou is planning on handing stuff over that I don’t have but I keep my mouth shut. If he wants me to attend so badly, he can figure it out. Ichirou places his hand on the small of my back and directs me outside back to the car. I flinch at the touch but manage to catch myself before escaping his hand completely. I don’t think he notices, just continues pushing me until I’m in my seat. I was wrong.

 

“Something wrong, Mr. Hatford?”

“Nope. Nothing at all” I drawl as I face the window to my right. 

I see him narrow his eyes at me in the reflection. “I understand you’re a petulant teenager, but if you could attempt to be civil, this would go far more smoothly.”

It nearly kills me not to tell him, to keep my secrets and not throw them in his face. But those secrets are exactly what’s kept me alive all this time. Kept us all alive. I settle for, “Fuck you and your civility.”

“I wonder why I’ve been cursed with such a selfish Bond.” Selfish?! “Bad enough you’re practically a child, plain and simple. With the power of all of your Bonds, I had thought you’d be more…interesting. How disappointing.”

The driver stops outside of a different building, ‘Student Accommodations’ according to the plaque, and gets out to open my door. 

 

“Is there a reason we’re here? I can't attend university.”

Ichirou gestures for me to exit before him. “You will be attending. I will make the arrangements. I suggest you spend your time wisely. I will not tolerate laziness and you certainly will not fall back on your Bonds wealth to provide for you if that’s what you were hoping for.”

 

What. The. Fuck.

I don’t even want to fucking be here, what more do I have to do to get them to realize this? I would rather burn than bond with him. Fuck this guy. Don’t think I didn’t notice his name over the entrance of the building either. Moriyama University. No wonder it’s referred to as MU, what a mouth full.

 

“Fine.”

 

He dismisses the driver after stepping out of the car, then turns to me stating he’ll walk me upstairs to discuss further details. Fucking hell. I, obviously, am a clutz, and trip on the curb. Holy shit, this man is ripped under this suit. Yeah, he actually steadied me. Caught me off guard too. I need pepper spray at the least, a gun if I can get one. If the others are anywhere near as capable as he is, which I know for a fact Kevin is thanks to his photos, I’m screwed if they try to force the bond. 

We get a few curious looks as we move through the halls, more than a few flirty smiles directed at Ichirou. He puts up his act, wearing the charming smile of a schmoozing Councilman. I can’t contain my eyeroll, of course they all love him. He’s the type of guy girls and guys alike fawn over. Another flight of stairs later, seriously, why isn't there an elevator, he ushers me into a room at the end of the hall. The room is plain, a cheap-looking bed against one blank wall and a desk looking much the same under a window. 

 

“This is your room and where you will spend your evenings.  You will be here by six every night and will not leave until seven in the morning. Any exercise, study groups, or socialization will take place outside of those hours. You will attend all your classes, and pass them. I was unaware you were uneducated, but I’m sure you can play catch up.”

Uneducated. He says it like I’m fucking feral.

“And if I don’t stick to your rules?” I ask as I turn in a circle, taking in the measly space.

 

“Having you attend here where I can keep an eye on you is a freedom to you, don’t mistake it. The alternative is having you chained to the floor by the throat in my cellar. We could do that, if you’d prefer. You cannot possibly grasp the damage you’ve wrought by leaving us. I intend to make sure that never happens again. You’d do well to remember that and learn your place. Just submit.”

 

My mouth snaps shut from where it dropped. I don't move a muscle but he nods all the same and then walks out of the room like that didn’t just come out of his mouth.

My bond is a fucking psychopath.

I think I’d rather kill myself, thank you. 

Chapter 4: My names Matt by the way

Summary:

Neil makes a friend on his first day of classes and receives a text from his last Bond

---

I had once dreamt of attending Moriyama University if you can believe it. MU is known across the country for being the best for Gifted individuals. It offers the same courses that human schools offer, of course, but with classes specifically for us too, like History of the Gifted and Impulse Control 101.

While I’m pissed off about being forced to be here, I guess I can also be grateful for the opportunity. For as long as it lasts, that is. I’m still concocting a possible exit strategy. As long as the Resistance is after me, I will never be safe staying in one spot, but I’m going to soak in as much information as I can for the time being. I wake up a mess of nerves, I consider caring about my appearance but ultimately shrug it off. My bags were in my room when Ichirou dropped me off, I hadn’t realized the TRT had grabbed them when they grabbed me. I don’t own name-brand or designer clothes like most other students we passed in the hall, but what I do have is practical and comfortable. I dress to blend in, but that tactic might be what makes me stand out here. I look put together enough, so it’ll have to do. 

The new phone on my desk lights up with a text and I clench my jaw as I read Ichirou’s name.

 

Ichirou Moriyama:

Aaron will be stopping by and escorting you to your classes this morning.

 

 

Great, another babysitter. Anyway, I take a minute to change his name in the contact list to Bossy Bastard.

Out of all my Bonds, I guess Aaron is the one I’d choose to walk me, though. He looked as put out as I felt last I saw him, so hopefully he won’t get any bright ideas and try something; Like talking to me. Once I’m ready I sit on my bed and wait. I can do this, I can catch up in no time, totally reasonable. A knock on my door has my heart racing while I try my best to look unaffected when I open the door. My bond stutters as I meet green brown hazel eyes in my doorway, and then I remember I need to get the fuck out of here before we all get slaughtered by the Resistance. 

 

His eyes drag over my outfit, assessing me. “Better than the first time I saw you. How was your first night in the Dorms?”

“Fine. Better than the streets.”

 

His lips turn down in a grimace before he turns and walks away, expecting me to follow. Aaron pulls a lot of attention in the hallway, and while my brain knows I shouldn’t care, my bond is a little bitch and wants to reach out and publicly claim what's ours. Nope. Not happening. The lack of concern or care he’s sending me is like salt in the wound and I’ll be damned to give this asshole the time of day if he can’t return the favor. Does he notice my internal turmoil? No. He’s too busy flirting his way down the hallway, winking and smiling at guys as we pass. A fucking player if I ever saw one. 

 

As soon as we got outside he rounds on me. “Do you even fucking care? You didn’t even react!” 

I hold back my flinch at his proximity but can’t keep my mouth shut to save my life. “I’m sorry, but would that have made a difference? If you have something to say, say it.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper, shoving it into my chest. “If another guy, hell, a girl if you’re into them too, slipped their phone number into your pocket around me, I’d rip their throat out and yet here you stand, unaffected.”

“I didn’t see you stopping them, and by how comfortable you were with it happening I’m assuming it's a common enough occurrence. You don’t want anything to do with me, clearly, so why should I care where you stick your dick?”

His grimace turned into fury in a blink. “Andrew was right, you’re just a selfish whore. What did we do to be stuck with a Bond like you?”

 

He drops his hand from where it is still on my chest and stalks off, not waiting for me. I remind myself this is a good thing, it’s better that they hate me. It’ll make it easier when I run again, but my own bond is devastated by his words. I have to jog to catch up to him. I’d risk finding my way alone, only I don’t want Ichirou to be on my case if he knew I strayed away from my escort. As we make it to class, it becomes apparent everyone knows exactly who I am. Aaron and I have the same classes all day, something I know was planned out, but even knowing one face in class doesn’t make me feel any better. The seats around me always stay empty, Aaron sitting as far away from me as possible every time. 

After five years on the run, I’ve never felt so alone. The nerves from this morning turned into carnivorous butterflies in my stomach. I want to vomit. I want to call my Bonds out on it. Break down that I don’t want to complete the bond with them, and they’re giving me all the more reason why with how they’re treating me. I don’t. What I want doesn’t matter, and it hasn’t for a long time. The day doesn’t get any better by lunch, but that doesn’t stop me from piling my tray with plates of food. It was hard enough to come by on the run, but the past five days have been torture. I don’t even look at what I’m grabbing while Aaron on the other hand is much more selective. Poster-boy athlete has the tray looking like a sports diet catalog: protein, vegetables, grains, and fruit in proper proportions. I shake my head without meaning to as I look it over.

 

“What? Think I look this good while eating like crap?” Aaron asks, almost…flirting? 

“I don’t care what you eat. I, on the other hand, am starving, so I’m just gonna…”  

I let the sentence fall as I leave him in the line and sit at an empty table. He follows, of course, sitting across from me.

“Something else you need?”

His eyes narrow, “When was the last time you ate?”

“Uhm, other than crackers and water? A week ago.” I dig into the plate directly in front of me, a burger, with bacon. Fuck yes.

Aaron’s brows furrow in confusion. “They didn’t feed you back at-”

“No,” I interrupt. “Ichirou claims I must be mistaken. I’m not, and I’d really rather eat in peace now that I actually can, so is there something you need, Aaron?”

“You’ve been getting some interest. I want to make sure everyone knows you’re off limits.”

 

My mouth drops open but I quickly shut it to finish chewing my food and swallow it down before I spit it out at him. I am not wasting this burger and he has got to be fucking kidding me.

 

“Interest? People have been keeping at a distance of ten feet like I’m infectious. What’s your angle here?”

He shrugs. “I told you, I’m making sure you don’t run off with anyone else. You might not think your Bonds are good enough but you dressed up for someone today.”

 

Meanwhile, I look down to remind myself of what I’m wearing because there’s no way this guy thinks my distressed jeans and black tee are me dressing up. Here comes my smart ass.

 

“When do you want to bond then? We can get this over with.”

He jerks back with shock, “What?”

“That’s all you want me for, right? Bond with me and get what you’re owed as your brother stated so eloquently. I can pencil you in and then you can be done with me.”

“Fuck you,” he snarls, looking as if I slapped him. “I think I’d rather have any other Bond but you.”

“Feelings mutual, but it’s not like I can go anywhere now that you’ve fucking chipped me. Can I eat now?”

 

His brows draw in again like he doesn't know if he heard my right but stands to leave anyway. Good riddance. Hot-cold-hot-cold. Clearly he's a romantic and I’m just ruining everything for him but it’s not like I’ve said a single lie. A first for me, but do they know to appreciate that? No. Because they don’t fucking know me. If he and the others don’t believe me, that’s their own fault.

The peace and quiet his disappearance brought only lasted so long. A dark-skinned hulk of a man sat in Aaron's discarded seat. His smile is reserved, sheepish even. We’re silent for a few minutes until he speaks up.

 

“Hope it’s okay I join you.”

“Sure, so long as you’re cool sitting with the social pariah.”

His wide shoulders lift in a shrug and his smile turns more genuine. “The elbow room here is hard to beat, and no one else will come over here thanks to Aaron.”

My mood sours instantly. “You know him?”

“Everyone knows your Bonds, sorry. We’re not friends or anything, I just know about you because… Well, everyone knows about you.”

 

This isn’t news to me but still drills it in that everyone was indeed staring at me. I wonder how much shit they all got in for me leaving, but then I remember Andrews sneering face and no longer give a fuck again. 

 

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, man. Just wanted to eat in peace.”

Now that catches me off guard. I frown, “Why wouldn’t you be able to eat in peace?”

His tray looks more depressing than Aarons had, a salad and a lonely bread roll. “I’m a pariah too. My Bond prefers her other Bonded. Sarah has made it clear I’m not good enough for her. She’s older, and already graduated, but Jack still attends MU. He hates that he wasn’t the center of the bond, so he’s made it his mission to ruin me. There, I’d say we’re even now. You know all my shit, too.”

 

I don’t miss the term used. Bonded. In our world, there is always a Central Gifted person in the bond who is fated to be with two or more people. Once the Central has completed their bond, with sex, they become Bonded, something revered. Your power grows and you forge an unbreakable connection.

His Bond has chosen that with another guy but not him.

What a bitch.

But then I remember who he’s sitting at the table with.

 

“Are you sure you want to sit here, with me, the guy who ran from his Bonds?”

 

I should just be happy with having a potential friend and keep my mouth shut but I can’t help but look out for the guy across from me. Odd. Instead of looking upset though, he continues to smile at me. Straight white teeth surrounded by thick dark lips. 

 

“Makes it the perfect seat here, actually. You’re not biased about my situation, nor are I about yours. My name’s Matt by the way. I really wouldn’t mind hanging out. I could help you with your assignments. I bet coming in mid semester sucks.”

 

That’s one way to put it.

 

---

 

My first class after lunch is History of the Gifted, which would be right up my alley, except I read my schedule. Andrew Minyard is the teacher's aide for this class. Fucking hell. Of the four bonds I’ve met so far, he’s been the most vocal about his hatred towards me.

Matt walks beside me as we enter the lecture hall and I practically drown in his shadow. The man is over six feet in height and built like a brick wall while I’m pushing five-foot-three and 120. My eyes instantly lock onto Andrew at the front of the class, a taller man standing beside him looking like he’s hanging on to every word he’s spewing. My stomach drops and I tell my bond to get over it; he hates me and I think he’s a dick. It doesn’t help that every other eye in the room is on me as I follow Matt to a seat on the other side of the room from Aaron. He and his twin share a look when they see me with Matt but I ignore it all. 

I would have to end up with Bonds who are popular, pillars of our society even. And I’m the villain. 

I mean, I am the villain in this story right now. Even if they knew about the last five years of my life on the run, I’d probably still be the bad guy to them. Not that they ever will find out. If they do, they’ll be dead. It’ll be right when the Resistance comes here and murders us all. Except for me. They’d keep me. 

I’m too valuable to die.

Thank fuck I have Matt beside me to roll my eyes with over this bullshit. 

 

“Wow. He’s really pissed at you, huh?”

“Pissed means he might get over it,” I shrug. “I’m pretty sure we’re beyond that and he’s brainstorming how to get away with my murder.” 

Matt’s face twists, “That’s awful. Jack is like that too, the ass.”

 

I shrug again, nothing I can do about it. Even as the room fills up the seats around us stay empty. The whispers aren’t even a little subtle, no one here gives a fuck about what I think of them talking about me. The guy at the front finally leaves Andrew's side, taking a seat in the first row. My bond squirms deep in my chest at the look Andrew sends the man once he’s seated, legs spread wide and low in his seat. Entirely unhappy, but nothing I can’t handle.

 

“Alright, settle down. Professor Nox is out today, but he’s allowing me to fill in since I completed this course last year.”

 

The room quiets down quickly, everyone in the room holding their breath to hear what he has to say. The women aren't as openly interested in him, not like many were with Ichirou, so I’m assuming he only has eyes for guys. Whatever, I tell myself, it doesn’t matter.

He doesn’t look up at me once as he starts the lesson but he keeps eyeing the guy from earlier. I take the time to look him over while I can, not sensing eyes on me anymore. Andrew is shorter than me, like his twin, but only by a few inches. Pale blonde hair, almost translucent, is a neat on his head; longer on the top compared to Aarons and styled while his brother’s is in a ‘I rolled out of bed this way I swear’ kind of way. He’s dressed in all black from head to toe, a long sleeve button down and pants, both darker than night, combat boots instead of loafers or sneakers. He’s… good looking. The look works for him. Dammit.

 

“Last week we left off at the beginning of the Gifted split and the rise of the Resistance. Does anyone remember the very first thing the Resistance did as an act of violence against the Gifted?”

A girl from somewhere in the room answers without being called on. “They found all of the Ungifted that were born from the Gifted. The anomalies and those without Bonds. Then hunted them down and killed them all, claiming they were unworthy.” 

 

I know exactly what Andrew is thinking but that doesn’t prepare me for his next words. He has no idea what I’ve sacrificed for him, but I doubt he’d ever truly care either.

 

“Hatford, join me.” Andrew's hazel eyes bore into me as I shake my head and stay where I am. 

I don’t need to move or stand, everyone in the room knows where to stare. Fuck him.

“Alright then, just further proves my point. Ungifted Bonds are rare but, unfortunately, they do happen. Nathaniel is a prime example of when things go wrong.”

 

I keep my face blank as everyone in the room gawks at me. I see Aaron rub his hand over his face but doesn’t stop his brother, their loyalty to each other far stronger than our should-be bond. 

 

“He has five Bonds, all with above average strength and abilities, and yet he has… nothing. No ability, no affinity, nothing worth keeping him around for.”

The whispers are drowned out by the ringing in my ears. I know I shouldn’t, I know, and yet, “Yet, here I am, unable to leave.”

 

His carefully blank face turns to sneer at me for my remark. “Yes, but since we are not the Resistance, we don’t kill people for lacking any real use to us. It’s still important to remember our history, though, no?”

 

I could kill them all, right now, without breaking a sweat. But I’m not a monster like my father, I refuse to be.

 

---

Matt invites me over to his dorm after class, but it’s too far from my own so I have to turn him down. I head back to sit around in my own room for the rest of the day. The room is as bright and shiny as Andrew’s personality. As in it’s not. Blank walls, empty cupboards, and ratty bed fit for a homeless shelter. I also have about ten dollars to my name so making the place cozier is out of the question. I go through my things, pulling out the eight outfits I own, and hanging them in the small closet opposite the window. I have three pairs of shoes, my black boots and red Converse, and the new white sneakers given to me yesterday. They go under my bed.

I spend a few hours scrolling on my new phone, learning the ends and outs of the device itself, and then searching for jobs within the perimeter Ichirou put into place for me. However, all the ones that are close enough, don’t have the hours available within the timeframe I’m allowed out of this fucking room. 

Looks like earning money is out of the question.

Even on the run I picked up part-time jobs and could afford to get myself something to offer me comfort; a soft pillow, a fleece blanket, a book to read. I had a car too. I’ll have to talk to Ichirou about that because it’s registered in my name and I don’t feel like dealing with the parking tickets it's probably wracking up for being abandoned.

The real problem here is the killer GPS in my neck. If I could get it out and I could leave, take the next bus and go…somewhere. By the time it's dark out I’ve decided to take a shower and get ready for bed. I’m drying my hair with an old t-shirt when my phone dings with a notification; A text. Strange, only Matt has my number and he’s at work. Well, Ichirou too by default but it isn’t his name on the screen. Then I realize he must have given it out to all my Bonds, because the name I read is the one of my last Bond, the one I haven’t met yet.

I slump onto my bed as I read his text, over and over again.

 

Jean Moreau:

I think we should talk here first. 

My name is Jean, and I live on the other side of the country. 

I’m finishing out the current semester and then I’m transferring to MU. 

I’d be there now, with you, if I could be. 

Hope you can understand that.

 

I stare at my phone, hard, trying to decide if he’s fucking with me but he seems genuine enough. That can’t be right though.

 

Nathaniel:

Have you talked to the others? 

I’m sure they have plenty to say about why you

should stay where you are instead of rushing to my side.

 

I change my own name to Neil as his reply pops up.

 

Jean Moreau:

Fuck their opinions.

I spoke to them when my blood work came back and they told me you ran.

I’m not a dumbass, you ran because you had to. 

I know it.

I’ll be there as soon as I can and if that isn’t soon enough 

for you I’ll come now and restart the semester.

 

Neil:

No, you can’t do that. 

I’ve already made you wait around for me, 

and I might not even be here when you show up.

It hasn’t exactly been welcoming here.

 

Jean Moreau:

Fine then.

Introduce yourself, Bond. 

All I want to talk about is you and me 

until I can see you in person myself.

 

I can tell him the smallest of truths without endangering us all, right? No, bad idea.

 

Neil :

Not much to say. 

My name is Nathaniel, though I prefer Neil. 

I’m nineteen and I don’t want to be here. 

But I was brought in by a TacTeam and chipped like a dog, 

so there’s no way for me to leave. 

Yet.

 

I barely a received icon when the phone starts ringing and I freeze. Oh fuck…

 

“What do you mean, chipped?”

 

He’s speaking before I even say ‘hello’, but I can’t fault him. He’s seeing the big picture here. His voice is soothing and deep with a French accent. I feel my shoulders relax before my mind catches up to the action but he has me answering him without measuring the repercussions. 

 

“The Council had me held down and implanted with a GPS tracker. It’s got some safeguard that keeps me from digging it out. Apparently, one of my other Bonds is very important and I made him look bad, the poor lad.”

Silence a beat and then he says, “I’ll be on the next flight out, fuck my current courses.”

“It’s my own doing,” I try to convince him, and myself. “I ran. They won't let me forget that or let me go. Can’t say I blame them, I’d hate me too.”

I hear a grunt along with ruffling cloth in the background on his side. “You had a reason though.”

I scoff, “You assume I’m not the asshole here.  Just take Ichirou’s word for it like the rest of them and stay put.”

I have no idea what he looks like aside from the photo from the file, but there’s something in his tone that reaps smugness and flirting helped along with that accent. “No distracting me, Neil. No way you would leave me behind unless you had to.”

 

His confidence in me has me wavering, as does his use of a name I actually like. He honestly believes the best in me, and he’s right, and that fucking hurts more than I thought it would. Not him trusting me, but seeing how easy it could be and then watching my other Bonds fighting tooth and nail to push me under. I slump in bed, laying back against the flat-ass pillow.

 

“I might be a total dick. It doesn’t even matter though, because I can’t talk about it either way, no matter how nice you are.”

His tone darkens in a way I didn’t know was possible when he says, “That’s it, I’m booking the next flight right now.”

“You can’t,” I say, “They’ll only hold that, and you, against me as well. We can just keep texting, and calling too, maybe. It would be nice… Talking to a Bond who doesn’t hate me.”

His chuckle makes me glad I’m lying down, otherwise I’d be melting to the floor. A rare reaction for me but I blame it on the bond in my chest. “Yeah, we can do that. It will be good actually, getting to know you without the sex getting in the way. Though I gotta admit, I’m relieved to know I’m not the only one missing out. The longer they stay pissed the higher the chance I have of getting to taste you first.”

 

 

Notes:

Thank you for reading! I’m trying to blend Oli and Neil the best I can but they’re both very different characters. Also taking nominations for what Jeans new contacts name should be lol

Chapter 5: Utter fucking bullshit

Summary:

Neil attends his first Tac Training class 😬

---

Matt has claimed me as his official best friend, apparently.  

A few days have passed since my first day of classes at MU, each day the same as the one before. Classes drone on, professors are semi-spiteful, and the other students are still assholes.  Jack, especially. Not to me, but to Matt. My Bonds hate me, sure, but they have a reason to I suppose. They still see me as the bad guy, the one who abandoned them. Jack has the whole university turned on Matt for no reason. Sarah chose Jack over Matt and the prick won’t let him forget it either. And for what? To rub it in? Matt is the nicest guy I’ve met, he doesn’t deserve this shit.

Come Friday I’m ready for the week to be over so I can be done being gawked at and sleep in, if possible considering my uncomfortable-ass bed. There’s a change in my schedule though so I force myself out of my room early and to the dining hall for breakfast. I have a class on Friday afternoons, a three-hour block right after lunch titled TT, whatever the hell that means. I text Matt and he agrees to meet up to talk, but by the look on his face when I specify what class I'm curious about, I change my mind. I don’t want to do know anymore.

 

“What is that face for? What does TT stand for?”

 

Matt's face twists in a grimace and he sets his cup of coffee back on his tray. “It stands for Tactical Training. It’s a specified course for those planning to join the Tac Force in the future, but with you not having an ability… I don’t know why you’re scheduled for it, that class is brutal.”

 

Fucking hell.

When I’m long gone, I’m sending Ichirou a very detailed letter on all the reasons I despise him. 

 

“Tac Training… So three hours of workouts then?”

 

I have good stamina, I’ve had to outrun plenty of snatch attempts before the TRT actually managed to grab me. 

 

“Uh, yeah, for the hour maybe. Then the instructors put you through scenarios and active drills. That’s the part I think you’re going to hate.” I lift a brow in question and he continues after another gulp of his coffee. “There’s three different courses on campus, each one dangerous and you have to complete it as a group or team. You have to pass all three courses to graduate. So, let’s hope you get placed with a good team.”

“Gee, I feel your confidence in me radiating from here,” I deadpan.

 

There’s no way I’m getting a good team. Luck only finds me in the worst of ways.

After we finish our breakfast Aaron follows us both to our morning classes. I’ve gotten used to him as a shadow but the bond in my chest never lets me forget about him. Despite some of the professors obviously having it out for me, the others aren’t half bad. I’ve managed to keep pace with the curriculum and pay attention through the lectures, and the time I’m forced to stay in my room has been dedicated to studying. It’s only been a week but I’m confident I can keep this up.

Matt and I continue to sit together at our table in the dining hall, no one approaching us for obvious reasons despite what Aaron claimed the first day. 

 

“I can walk you over there if you want.”

“It’s fine,” I say as I nod toward Aaron who's making his way over. “Pretty sure that’s my brooding babysitter's job. I’ll text you later, let you know how it went.”

“Sure man, look forward to it. My dad actually wanted me to take it this semester, but my Moms taught me self-defense, not to mention I can literally set people on fire, so I told him I’ll pass on that hellscape. I’m more concerned over my control.”

“Fair enough,” I nod. 

 

Matt leaves and I watch him go, glaring at the people giving him a wide berth. Stupid fucking Jack.

 

“I’m starting to think you’re in love with him,” Aaron grumbles as he sidles up to me.

“Ah, well he does treat me like an actual person. Too bad he’s straight, huh?” 

 

Aaron gives me a deadly side eye but I only roll my eyes in return. “Torture session, let's go. I bet it’s your favorite.”

I follow him out after dumping my tray but listen to him talk as we walk across campus.

“I may be passing it but that doesn’t mean it’s my favorite. Wymack is a hard ass and tries to kill us all. Let’s hope you’re in shape or this is about fucking suck for you.”

“Wonderful.”

 

---

 

The training center looks like something out of a Navy Seals pamphlet instead of an obstacle course fit for college students. I may be fast, and I mean that, because I can run 4 minute mile, but I’ll be honest in saying I’m lacking muscle mass. I frown and shake out my arms, ignoring Aaron's laugh when he realizes I’ve gone quiet. He looks delighted at my discomfort and I want to deck the prick.

Other students are already gathered, each one looking taller and more athletic than the next. Matt should have taken the class, he could pummel half these idiots by sheer force alone. Meanwhile, I’m the shortest one here, girls included. Well, except for Aaron.

I know before I even open the door that another one of my Bonds is inside. I know it’s Kevin simply because he’s one of the four here that I haven’t been in much contact with. My own bond is familiar with Ichirou, Andrew, and Aaron, but there’s still a distance with Kevin. I’m put off immediately too, that he has to pick the one class I’m nervous about to show up to. 

I’m not the strongest here by any means, but I’m probably the fastest person here and I can use that to my advantage. I can hold my own in self-defense, but without releasing my ability, everyone here thinks I don’t have one in the first place. As much as that sucks, I’ll have to keep it up. 

That said, Kevin’s going to watch me make a fool of myself. 

Which sucks, because the bond in my chest is eager to please him, impress him. It’s dumb as fuck, as I’ve said. I don’t give a fuck about Aaron and Ichirou’s opinion of me, and Andrew can go to hell for all I care, but there’s something about Kevin. 

Aaron smirks as he opens the door, and I follow his lead, heading to the changing rooms to drop my bag in the locker assigned to me. There’s a uniform and a slip of paper with the lock combination on it. I keep my eyes down as I gather the uniform and head into a stall to change. I don’t even have to look at the guys in the room to know I’m the weakest one here. Aaron may be smaller in height but the guy is built and I’m just…here. 

The stall is cramped to move around in but I manage, slipping out of clothes and into a pair of athletic shorts that are far too short and a large shirt. Who the fuck thought a 4-inch inseam was a good idea? I shake my head in annoyance before exiting, only to find the locker room empty. I shove my clothes into my locker and slip the piece of paper into my pocket for later, then rush out and into the training room.

Aaron is lounging against the wall across from the locker room door, laughing and talking to some of his friends, presumably also on the University Exy team. They all fall silent when they notice me.

 

“I was about to come get you. No hiding out in there, Wymack would just go in after you. Where did you go, by the way? You didn’t change out with the rest of us.”

 

I shrug and lean back against the opposite wall, looking around the room. Aaron and his buddies carry on talking, this time about me like I’m not standing right here. Instead of snapping like I’m sure they want, I push off the wall and stalk further into the room, only to find Kevin. He’s dressed in full Tac hear standing next to an equally tall man with flame tattoos creeping up his arms, who looks like he’d rather be anywhere else than here stuck with a bunch of college kids.

I know the look, because same.

Kevin looks me over with cold disinterest before looking away, which my bond does not like. Wymack takes more interest in me, frowning as he observes me.

 

“You’re the bond? You look like you’re twelve years old, should you be here?”

I cross my arms and deadpan, “Nope. Does that mean I can leave?”

 

Kevin is having none of it, stalking around me to dismiss the class to start a training circuit. Wymack looks me over again and Kevin returns to his side.

 

“What’s your gift? You’d better have something good for me.”

“Nothing. Everyone here thinks I have nothing to offer, so, there ya go.”

 

Kevin's eyes shoot to mine as he frowns, either having his fears confirmed that he’s stuck with a giftless Bond or he can actually read between the lines. I’m not holding out hope. Wymack, however, narrows his eyes.

 

“I’m going to work that attitude out of you, you know.”

“Sure thing,” I shrug, then wait for him to dismiss me too.

 

Wymack instructs me to complete a separate circuit, and he observes me to determine my fitness level. Where I’m not losing my speed, my arms feel like jello, and by the last climbing wall, I’m running on sheer stubbornness. Just as I’m sitting down to stretch, Kevin's voice breaks through the grunts of the other students.

 

“Alright, warm up’s over. Into the control room so we can go over today's lesson.”

 

Right… Three-hour block.

I can’t use my arms to push off the ground so I rely on my legs to lift me. The ‘control room’ looks like a meeting space with security screens along one wall. They’re all on and showing a deserted optical course, each screen with a different objective. Aaron stands beside me, drinking from a water bottle as his eyes follow Kevin.

 

“We’re sticking to something easy today. You’ll be split into two teams and the first to get everyone through the course wins. Simple, right?” Wymack says, scowling at the class. 

 

Ha! Easy. Dude I still can’t feel my arms.

I don’t acknowledge the groans from the team I’m placed on. When everyone is divided up, we move into the next room, grabbing armbands in either red or blue. There’s no way I’m completing this course without help, and I know for a fact not even my Bonds are going to offer that much. I’m the last person to grab an armband and Wymack watches me tie it on with a scowl. When it’s secure I look up at him and he waves a hand for me to join him. I take a deep breath and do so, counting to 10 in my head. 

 

He’s an older man, my father's build which puts me on edge, and he’s got a white scar through his top lip that pulls as he speaks. “You’re at a disadvantage here, everyone else has already completed this course at least once before. I’m going to pair you with your Bond so he can get you through it.”

“No thanks, I’m fine. If I die, then at least I don’t have to come back to this class.”

He squints at me like I’m joking then glances over my shoulder in Aaron's direction, then shrugs. “Suit yourself, above my pay grade anyway. There are three other people in the class with low-level Gifts, they all do fine, but they have their Bonded with them and are in better shape than you. I’m sure you can manage, though.”

 

Yup. Awesome.

 

I nod and walk back over to where Aaron is glaring at the ground like it personally delivered me back into their lives and not Ichirou. The room is so loud I almost miss it when he mumbles, “Fuck, I wish you’d never come back.”

 

---

 

The blue team is let in from the left side of the course, and the red team from the right. I stay towards the back, watching what everyone else does. The aim is to complete the course without being taken out. Easy enough right? 

There's a group of guys at the front, jeering loudly and putting on a show for the girls giggling by them. Aaron is standing off to the side, talking to a girl in short shorts and a tiny tank top, and winks at her after making brief eye contact with me from over her shoulder. My bond is screeching in fury but I just push it down, down, down because fuck him. He’s already made it clear he doesn’t want me.

A buzzer rings overhead and the large double doors open to the course, and everyone springs into action. Aaron is one of the first through the doors, sprinting into the forest beyond the entrance. I approach slowly, glancing at Wymack and Kevin’s broody figures before I cross into the course. It’s so much bigger than the screens let on. I’d known that it covered a lot of ground, and the fences go on for miles, but the moment the doors close behind me with a resounding thump, I know I’m fucked. 

The only upside to this is that we’re not supposed to use our Gifts, so it’s an even playing field for me. Scratch that, never mind, because Wymack said the others had already completed it at least once. They have a home court advantage while I’m an outsider. 

First up is a jog down to a river that I’m sure can’t be real. The funding that must have gone into this program is insane. If I didn’t know the Moriyamas were filthy rich, I would now. Other students are all crossing together, laughing and joking like this is a leisurely adventure. I watch everyone else as they cross, noticing how they avoid the left side of the path and that there’s a sinkhole straight ahead in the middle. I cross it in a sprint, following the other's footsteps, only to grimace at my wet shoes once I’m on the other side. Finishing the course in soaking shoes is going to be brutal. I spot Aaron by the tree line and we stare at each other for a brief second before he turns into the trees. 

He was probably hoping I’d drown, at least that’s what I want to believe to make this bearable. In reality, there's a sadness that clings to him when I’m around, and I know he’s worried about me even if he doesn’t want to be.

Then I run for another quarter mile on rough terrain in wet, slimy shoes, all while my thighs are chaffing from my wet thigh hair thanks to these gods forsaken too short shorts. I’m calling Ichirou after this and ripping him a new one, watch me.

The trees clear again and I watch as a few students finish up the next obstacle. I spot Aaron's back as he finishes and leaves me behind without a second glance this time. Barbed wire is strung up along posts low to the ground, and students are expected to crawl under them. By the time they’re on the other side, they’re covered in mud and sliced along their forearms. 

Like before, I don’t hesitate. I throw myself into the freezing mud and shimmy my way through. My arms are burning but my frame comes in handy when my back doesn’t reach the wires above me, so I do not have to worry about getting cut by the barbs. Well, I still have pebbles and sticks embedded into my forearms and thighs by the end but I’m not bleeding so that’s a plus.

I keep up a running pace to the next course, wanting to watch the students complete it to gain more insight. The next obstacle is an A-frame with netting over it and a large pool of muddy water underneath it. This is fine. I’m fine. My arms shake and my fingers are numb as I try to grasp the netting, so I slow down to focus. Screw the race, I’d rather not fall into that shit water below. I can start thinking about the team when the team starts thinking about me. 

I have to pause at the top, the copper tang of blood filling my mouth as I bite the inside of my cheek, hard. My shoulder pulled on the last leg up and I can feel my heartbeat thumping through the muscle. I can see the end of the course from the top, the line of trees before the exit gate, so I climb down slowly, hellbent on finishing even if I’m dead last.

I don’t see anyone else on my job to the finish. I haven’t seen anyone else since I started on the climb up the last obstacle, and seeing as this is a race, I’m not surprised. Still, I push on until I reach the tree line. I’m so focused on crossing the threshold that I don’t notice the shadow behind me until a splitting pain in my head knocks me to the ground and out cold.

 

---

 

I wake up with a jolt, looking around frantically trying to figure out where I am.

All I see is white. White walls, white floor, white sheets on a white bed. It’s a relief, I tell myself. At least it’s the medical bay and not- Right, the medical bay, because I got knocked out. Just as I get my breathing under control a white door opens and Ichirou strolls in with a sour look on his face. 

 

“If your plan is to hurt yourself in hopes of catching my attention, I should warn you that I’d be happy to throw you into a padded cell until that compulsion dissipates.”

 

Wait, hold on.

 

“What, you think I knocked myself out with a punch to the back of my head? Please enlighten me on how you presume to think that is at all what happened.” His eyes narrow as I reach up to feel the pack of my head, feeling a large bump where the pain is radiating from. It’s clear he doesn’t believe me but my head is spinning and fucking throbbing and fuck him for assuming this is my fault. “Even if I could swing on myself from behind, why would I wait until the last quarter mile to pull a stunt like that? I was right fucking there, Ichirou. I ran through the freezing river, threw myself into the mud, and pulled my shoulder out of place just to climb that fucking A-frame, so tell me why I would do all that just to stop myself at the finish line. Jesus fucking christ.”

There’s a flash of something on his face before it’s gone in a blink. “You’re so desperate for attention, and with two of your other Bonds present you just couldn’t help yourself, could you?” 

“Right, because I want the attention of those two assholes. Aaron ran ahead without a second thought about me and Kevin didn’t even acknowledge my existence.” 

His face twists slightly like I’ve finally hit a nerve but fuck if I know what it is. “You should be thanking him, Kevin had you run the easy course.”

“Fuck you,” I snarl.

 

I grit my teeth and throw the blanket off my legs, not paying any mind to the grass and mud still coating them. I stand, then catch myself on the bed before I collapse. I feel Ichirou’s dark eyes on me but ignore him as I push myself up and stalk out of the room. I have no idea where I’m going and as much as I should probably be thankful when he grabs my elbow to steer me in the right direction, I stop dead in my tracks instead when he speaks. 

 

“You can’t just storm out when you’re called out for your toxic behavior.”

 

Rage takes hold just long enough to let my Gift slip through my control as I rip out of his grasp. His brows pull together in confusion like he’s trying to figure out if he felt that extra kick of power or if it was his imagination. He can think what he wants because I’m done with this shit.

 

“You’d know a lot about toxic, wouldn’t you? Did it ever occur to you to maybe not threaten your Bond on the first day you meet? The whole chain to the basement floor really set the scene for me.” 

 

I say it loud enough for students loitering can hear, and the murmurs instantly pick up. Ichirou for once looks halfway embarrassed, not for the threat, but for how people are talking about him. His lip curls as he grabs my arms again, and even though he’s careful with his appearance, he’s still yanking me through the halls to the waiting car. 

 

“I think if you hadn’t run away like a selfish, manipulative, childish little boy, we would have given you the world. Now you’re just facing the consequences of your actions for what I’m sure is for the first time in your life. It’s very clear you were spoiled your whole life and clearly your parents-”

“Don’t you fucking dare speak about my parents. I will dig the tracker out with my bare fucking hands and be gone by morning if you so much as mention them again.” 

 

The driver hears all of this as he opens the door and Ichirou all but shoves me into the seat and slams the door in my face without comment. He and the driver stand a few feet away and talk to themselves while I sit here fuming. My Gift is simmering in my gut, my skin is tingling and my eyes start to white around the edges. 

If I turn into a fucking glow worm while my Bond is right outside the door there's no way of hiding it anymore. I screw my eyes shut and slow my breathing, counting to 10 in English, French, and German. Thanks, Dads. Eventually, my Gift goes dormant again but the panic that I almost unleashed it has me shaking and sweating. Fuck, fuck, fuck, come on. 

A buzzing breaks me from my jittering mess. My phone, it’s my phone. 

Despite my raging panic and swirling thoughts, a small smile tugs at my lips when I find my phone at the bottom of my bag. A text notification.

 

 

French Fry:

I know Ichirou is filthy rich, but are the rest of your Bonds doing for cash?

I’m one more shitty econ class away from dropping out and and mooching off them.

Tell me one of them is loaded and decent enough to befriend.

 

 

I snort, mostly because our constant texting tells me he’s joking and would accept anything from them.

 

Neil:

I’d rather stab myself than accept anything from them, but hey, if you’re willing to

sell your ass to them who am I to judge.

Who knows, you might actually get along with them.

 

Ichirou finally gets in the car, taking the place against the other window without even glancing at me. Whatever, I just keep texting Jean and ignore him right back. Jean is easy to talk to, funny and kind, and willing to listen, even though I never go too deep. He’s more than happy to keep my mind busy when I tell him my other Bonds are being assholes. I’m not sure he’s ever going to get over the tracker they placed in my neck. He’s more pissed about than me most days. 

When the car stops I put the phone face down on my lap and look up, only to startle because where the fuck are we? We aren’t at the dorms, we aren’t even on campus anymore. No, we’re parked outside of a fucking mansion.

Ichirou brought me to his house of horrors it seems. Maybe bringing up the basement threat was a bad idea. I look over to find him already staring at me, cold and detached. 

 

“What?”

“Out.”

“No.”

“I know you enjoy being petulant, but get out of the car, Hatford. We’re here to eat dinner with the rest of your Bonds, so let’s go.”

 

I climb out of the car when the driver opens my door, only because I can’t argue anymore with Ichirou already striding up to the front steps. As I catch up to him at the door he halts to look down his nose at me.

 

“I’m sure you can eat here tonight without being a complete brat if you try hard enough. No self-mutilation necessary.”

 

No self– Oh, this mother fucker.

 

“You have my phone tapped?!”

“Yes. It’s my phone, I provided you with access to it so I could contact you. Not so you could gripe and complain to Moreau about the privileges I’ve afforded you. You have a bed, access to your Bonds, and a phone, thanks to me. And what do I receive in return? A brat who wants to sit and complain about the people he betrayed.”

 

“Betrayed… I betrayed you…” I whisper under my breath.

 

He doesn’t pay me any mind, opening the door and going inside without waiting for me to follow. I could run. Fuck the chip, at this point, my head exploding doesn’t sound like too bad of an alternative. I ran, for them, but I can't explain that, and fuck it might actually end up killing me in the end anyway.

But if I run, and the ticking time bomb in my head doesn’t go off, another Tac Team will surely bring me back in and Ichirou will make use of his basement after all. 

 

This is utter fucking bullshit.

 

 

Notes:

Because the siblings have changed, so have their Gifts. Ichirou has switched with Aaron, iykyk, and if you don’t you’ll find out eventually.

Chapter 6: Dinner Plans

Summary:

Neil has dinner with his Bonds and something has campus riled up

---

The mansion is massive. Well, obviously, but as I follow Ichirou through the place, I swear he’s trying to scramble my perspective of the place. Long twisting halls larger than my dorm, photos, and artwork lining the halls. I could get lost in this place and I’m pretty sure that’s his intention. 

I pause in the doorway of a large dining room, the table ahead large enough to sit 30 but currently occupying 1. Ichirou takes the opportunity to reach for my elbow but I pull back in time to avoid his touch. He huffs at me and continues into the room, stopping to pull out the seat beside Aaron for me. The blonde doesn’t look up as I drop down beside him and Ichirou moves to take the seat to my right at the head of the table. Aaron is already helping himself to the spread laid out and while I’m staring down at my lap Ichirou fills a plate with a little bit of everything before placing it down in front of me, then starts on his own.

I would refuse, but I'm starving after that hellish class, so I slowly dig in. The table is silent aside from forks moving across plates. The food smells good but tastes like ash on my tongue, I can’t enjoy the meal with the tension in the room. I wonder if the faster I finish my plate the faster I can go back to campus but knowing the controlling asshole to my right, I doubt it. 

 

“How are your classes, Hatford?”

“Fine. I’ve already caught up, and made a few friends.”

Dark eyes narrow on Aaron as he asks, “Who?”

 

Suspicions confirmed, Aaron is following me around as a spy. Wonderful.

 

“Matt Boyd. He’s a Flame and nice enough. Hasn’t encouraged any adventures,” Aaron mumbles. He almost sounds remorseful, but that can’t be right.

“Boyd? Stephanie’s son? Isn’t he one of Sarah’s Bonds?”

Aaron sighs as he looks over at me. “Yeah, him and Jack. He hates Jack as well, so he’s focusing on his studies. Nathaniel and Matt have been pulling doubles in the library.”

“Neil,” I correct. I put my fork and knife crossed over my plate. I’m not eating while they debrief my life like I’m not right fucking here.

Ichirou, of course, notices. “Food not to your liking? I’ll let the chef know.”

“No need, I won't be returning.”

Aaron stiffens beside me but continues to eat. Ichirou watches him before his eyes return to me. “You’ll be here every Friday night. It’s taken a great deal to narrow down a night that works for us all but now that I have this will be a regular occurrence.”

“Right,” I say as I wave to the table. “Because everyone is taking that oh so seriously. Can I leave now? Don’t want to be late, my curfew starts soon.”

 

Aaron winces and takes a gulp of his beer.

 

“Your curfew doesn’t apply during our dinners. My chef put a lot of effort into dinner, the least you could do is eat it.”

 

My lips curl in a snarl but before I can get a word out the door opens admitting Kevin. He takes a seat further down the table and doesn’t even look at me. Good. That’s a good thing. Before my eyes return to Ichirou to smart off, Andrew comes in next. He’s got the same guy from class following him like a lost puppy and my bond keens. I don’t give a fuck about this asshole but my bond still can’t read the room.

 

“Oh, if it isn’t my junkie whore of a Bond. Are you here to ruin dinner? How about you do what you do best and run on back to where you came from?”

“I tried,” I return dryly.

 

No one glances my way. I watch the guy Andrew brought in sit next to Kevin and lean into him to grab a plate and rage coils in my gut. Ichirou pays them no mind. When Kevin does finally look up, we make eye contact for an endless minute before he looks away, breaking the moment. I cross my arms over my chest, lean back in my chair, and stare straight ahead. 

I could unleash and kill them all in a millisecond. I could drop truth bombs that would destroy their perceptions of me. I could run. But I don’t do any of that. I want to outlast them.

Dinner passes by without further incident. Once everyone is finished dessert is brought out by a horde of Ichirous household staff. I once again refuse, I hate sweets, but Ichirou once again fills a plate for me. I don’t know if it’s him trying to prove his dominance or if he noticed just how thin I am, but I’m sick of it. 

I only touch one thing on my plate, a dark chocolate-covered pineapple chunk, and barely contain a moan. I don’t do well enough though because Aaron’s eyes fly over to me like he’s never seen me before. 

 

“So, Nate, I heard you have no Gift. That’s gotta suck.”

 

And there goes the one good thing to come of this dinner. I drop the rest of the pineapple onto my plate and cross my silverware over the top again. Kevin is ignoring the man, talking to Ichirou about a new training program with the TacTeams, and Aaron is consuming the desserts on his plate at an alarming rate. Andrew is staring me down from his seat across the table like a predator waiting for me to tuck my tail.

I shrug as I glance at the guy, “Not losing any sleep over it.”

He smirks, “I just can’t believe it. A Central Bond to these men and you have nothing? No wonder they all get around, you’re not worth a second glance.”

“What’s your gift?” I ask instead of throwing my knife at his face. Because I’m mature, see? Well.. “When I throw this knife at you will you heal instantly, or do you have something lame, like talking to Ravens or shitting gold?”

Aaron snorts and then covers his mouth like he’s been caught fraternizing with the enemy. I roll my eyes but lean over to whisper, “He looks like the type of guy who uses his Gift to make himself taller.”

Aaron clears his throat before replying, “Roland is an Elemental. He can conjure water but only a bottle's worth.” 

I can’t help but burst out laughing. Oh, I probably look like the child they think I am but this is too good. “Wow, that sure makes me envious, Roland.”

“Big words from a boy with nothing. Do you really have no shame for having nothing to offer to society?”

I shrug and lean forward a bit, “I guess you’ll never know.”

Aaron jumps in before things get fun. “I’m heading back to the dorms. Riding with me, Neil? Unless you want Rou to take you?”

Fuck that. I get up from my chair and push it back in politely. “Thank you for dinner,” I force out to Ichirou. Brat my ass.

 

I keep my eyes peeled as I follow Aaron through the maze of hallways. I will not be getting lost in here. My phone vibrates in my pocket as we reach the garage and pull it out to see a text from Jean.

 

French Fry:

I miss you, Mon Petit Lier

 

I don’t how to answer that, and remembering that Ichirou has my phone tapped just pisses me off all over again. I shove my phone back into my pocket and look up to see Aaron sitting on a sports bike, holding a helmet out to me. I glance between him and the ugly orange thing he’s holding and he smirks. 

 

“It’s this or you’re riding with Ichirou. Maybe Andrew can give you a ride back when he drops off Roland.”

 

Great point. 

I hesitate only for a second before I climb on behind Aaron and lean in, wrapping my arms around his waist. He kicks up the stand and maneuvers us down the drive, and he’s gunning it as soon as we're on the open road. 

Statistics on bike and automobile accidents keeps my mind busy on the ride back. Sometimes when my nightmare comes back, I dream about dying alongside my family instead. The looks on my Bonds faces is all I see as I imagine dying in a fiery crash now, and I’m disappointed to see more resignation than sorrow.

Aaron kills the engine after he parks us outside my dorm. He doesn't move but I swing off and hand him the helmet back. 

 

“Roland can be a dick but you should be prepared. Andrew is going to bring a new guy every week and you can’t threaten them all. Kai is a Flame and he’ll set your shirt on fire, and Damon is a living VooDoo Doll and won’t hesitate to stab himself.”

“Of course he fucks crazy dudes, he seems like the type.”

Aaron shrugs, “You can’t blame him, you’re the one who left.”

“Who says I’m blaming him for anything? He has a type, so what?”

“That’s part of the problem, Nathaniel,” he growls. “You don’t give a fuck and you should. You’re supposed to care.”

I scoff as I take a step back. “Right, like you care? What happened to calling me Neil?”

 

He looks down and adjusts his stand over the bike instead of answering. 

 

“Exactly. When you all actually give a fuck about me, I’ll return the favor.”

“You’re the one who ran away from us!”

“I wasn’t running away from you, I was running from-” Deep. Fucking. Breath. “You know what, forget it. Night, Aaron.”

 

I don't turn back to see his face once I’m jogging back to my dorm.

 

---

 

When morning comes around and Aaron meets me at my door, I’m too my head about what I almost revealed last night I don’t realize Aaron is fuming. It’s not until we reach the dining hall that I realize the tension that’s radiating off him is actually filling the whole room. I glance over and see his jaw set but everyone else in the room is more subdued.

 

“Something happened?”

 

Even being left on read last night, Jean would have reached out if it was something huge that reached the coast. It was local.

 

“You know how some Bonds and Bondeds are going missing? Three more were taken last night, and one was killed.”

“You knew them?”

 

He sounds so miserable of course he knew them. We sit at Matt and I’s usual table without trays, too uneasy not to eat. The resistance was here last night, right on campus, and I… 

 

“Yeah,” Aaron answers. “He was a senior on the Exy team, took me under his wing last semester.” 

“I’m sorry. I know how it feels to lose someone like that.”

 

I’m revealing too much but he’s so out of his he doesn’t realize what I just gave up to him. He shakes his head, trying to clear it.

 

“He was killed for trying to stop them, I know it. One of his Bonded was taken and I’d like to get her back. I know he’s gone, but she still has a chance, and I want to save her for him.”

 

My hands start to shake with the thought. I did everything I could to keep the resistance away from them and Aaron wants to waltz right into one of their camps. Fuck that. I’m still spiraling when Matt sits beside me.

 

“Heard about Brayden then?”

“Yeah,” I nod.

“How’s Sarah? I know she was close with Diane.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t know,” Matt grimaces. “She lives with Jack, we don’t talk much.”

Aaron’s face turns sour, “They’re Bonded. She’s supposed to want to live with him.”

“Do you have to be a dick about it? He didn’t say he was mad about it.”

“Oh, so your heart bleeds for him and his Bonds issues but not your own? Typical.”

I look to Matt, “I hope she’s alright and you all figure out your issues soon.”

Matt shrugs but fixes Aaron with a look. “It is what it is. I won’t force her to speak to me if she doesn’t want to.”

Aaron winces at that, “Sorry, Boyd. My head is fucked up over everything.”

Ignoring his useless apology I ask, “Want to hit the library later? We can go over that Econ assignment.”

“Sure, though I think don’t you need much help. There’s no way I’d believe you dropped out of high school with how fast you’re catching up.”

Aaron's head pops up from where he was resting it on his arms and looks at me with a frown. “What does he mean you dropped out of high school?”

“I moved around too much to go. I spent a lot of time in public libraries though so I didn’t fall behind.”

“You were so fucking intent on leaving us behind you dropped out of high school? What the fuck, Nathaniel?” He pushes up from his seat and stomps out of the room. 

“Sorry, man.”

“If it weren’t you, he’d find something else to take out me. Besides, I did run, he’s not wrong.”

“I’ve known you for a few weeks now and I know there must have been something else going on, Neil.” He stands and loops his backpack over his shoulders and I follow suit, heading to our first class. I look up at him and raise a brow, waiting for his explanation. “I’m not asking for details, I just know it must be bad if you can’t even lean on your Bonds with it. Whatever it is, I’d believe you.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I tell him as I grip my straps harder. “If I ever can tell anyone, you’ll be the first.”

 

Matt and I spent two hours in the library and the panic I initially felt over classes had finally subsided. I can’t wait to shove an A in Ichirous obnoxious face. I love proving people wrong. My stomach rumbles and I check my phone and realize there’s only 30 minutes until my curfew. I give Matt a self-loathing smile as I stand and start packing my things away.

 

“I better get going before my jailer throws a hissy fit.”

Matt bites his lip for a minute before asking, “How do you feel about tacos and beer?”

“Yes to the tacos but no to the beer, I don’t drink. We’d have to go to my room though, can’t even be in the common rooms after my allotted time is up.”

“Gods, that does not sound normal. Your Bond sounds like a possessive dickhead.”

“Ya don’t say?” I ask sarcastically. “Anyway, if you don't my plain as fuck room you’re more than welcome over.”

“Yeah, I’m totally down. My treat too, I know Ichirou won’t let you get a job.”

“I should be buying it, You’re the one who’s been helping me study.”

“Well, sure, but how good is your fake ID for my beer?”

“None existent.”

“That’s what I thought. Sarah got me a good one, so I’m set.”

 

His bright smile dims at her name so I take it as my cue to jump in. I haven’t had a friend in a long time and I don’t want to fuck this up.

 

“Alright, no more talk about Bonds. Let's talk about something else, like…” Never mind, I’m not good at this.

“Hair?” Matt offers with a rueful smile. “Your curls are flat as fuck.”

 

I genuinely laugh out loud, the second time since I’ve been here. He’s right, though, my hair is fucked.

 

“I think I might just cut it all off. I haven’t styled it in so long, and products were too expensive on the run.”

“Oh, no, I can work with this!”

 

We separate at the doors and Matt climbs into his monstrous blue pick-up and I snap a picture of him leaning out the window when he tells me he’ll be over after grabbing the food. I save the photo to his contact image. I should ask Jean for a photo for his, but he might get the wrong idea of what type of photo, and with Ichirou tapping my phone… Nope.

 

Notes:

Neil’s hair reveal is next 🙌🏻

I changed a bit in this chapter but it’ll turn out fine, I’m sure lol

Also! I talked about this in a comment but now I really want everyone’s opinion so I can decide.

Will the Minyard twins share the Shadows while Ichirou Shape Shifts into a Traditional Japanese Dragon. Or. Will Ichirou have the shadows and the Twins merge together to form the huge shift forms like something out of TeenWolf!?

Chapter 7: Exy

Summary:

Neil reminisces about time with one of his dads while returning to his natural appearance, then agrees to go to an Exy game with Matt.

---

“Hang on, you mean you killed your hair on purpose!?”

 

Matt looks personally offended by my life choices, which, I get it. I explained to him that I had to dye my hair every few months while on the run, causing my curls to be weighed down by chemicals. 

 

“Well, it was dye my hair or risk being caught, so, yeah,” I shrug.

“Alright, fair, but damn. I bet you had such nice hair,” Matt muses, pausing before asking, “Wait, so what’s your natural color?”

“Uhm, Auburn.”

“You mean the color you had me pick up?” Matt picks up the box of hair dye from the bed, wiggling it back and forth in his hand like a prize to be had. “Are you dying it back!?”

 

A month before the TRT grabbed me off the street, I bleached my hair a dirty blonde. I usually went darker with black or dark browns, but it was time to switch it up, and a coworker at the time offered to do it. Despite frying my curls, the color doesn’t look bad itself. However, I’m stuck here now and my roots are growing out, making the coloring obvious, so I might as well go back to my natural color and grow it out that way. 

 

“Yeah. Seeing as I’ve already been caught there’s no need to hide it anymore.”

 

While I did use the dye as a way to fly under the radar while on the run, it was also for my own mental benefit. I have my fathers coloring, his auburn hair, a rich brown and red shade, and icy blue eyes. I got my curls and tanned skin tone from my mom, and while she bought me all the products I’d need, Christopher was the one who helped me take care of them. He taught me how to use each cream or balm, making a routine that was easy to follow. No one knew I’d be a Central, or that I’d be the Central to a same-sex bonded group, but it didn’t matter anyway. Christopher valued good hygiene and self care, and he passed it along to me with long (age-appropriate) talks and reassurances that guys should take pride in how they look.

My father was a man’s man. While he cared about how he himself looked, if I so much as mentioned moisturizer or curl cream I’d get a lesson in masculinity. 

The less I look like him, the more I can convince myself to forget about him. 

It never works, but it's always worth a try. Until now.

While Matt munches away on a taco, I start mixing the dye solution at my desk. I texted him after separating and asked for the dye, promising to pay him back. He shrugged it off, of course, saying he was already at the store for a case of beer and also picked out a few extra things. The restaurant he had gone to was a make-your-own taco bar type of place, at least by the way he described it to me when he arrived at my dorm. Instead of two bags of ready made fast food he carried bags filled with aluminum foil tins and styrofoam containers filled with different ingredients and warm tortillas. 

Im not complaining. In fact, I make a point to ask for a list of every other restaurant on campus he recommended. Not that I could buy anything myself, but still valuable information to have.

Matt makes a comment about getting stains from the dye all over my room, but I've had plenty of practice and am well versed in the use of old stained shirts and Vaseline edges. He shut up when I said such. 

I eat my tacos while we talk, discussing everything from classes and assignments to potential plans we could make that fell in my allotted time outside of my dorm room. And because we agreed not to bring up our shitty bonds, I don’t curse Ichirou’s name regarding said allotted time, no matter how much I want to. Because seriously. I can’t rely on them for money, perfectly fine, then where am I supposed to get some? His curfew is so rigid I can’t work, it’s like he’s setting me up to fail.

Who am I kidding, of course he is.

The timer on my phone ringing brings me back. Time to rinse this shit out.

 

“I’ll be back, I’m running to the bathrooms to shower and rinse the dye.”

“All good, man. Cool if I stay here?”

“Unless you want to go somewhere else fuck if I care,” I reply. 

 

Not like I have anything he can snoop around in, and he’s not that type of guy anyway.

The bathrooms are shared by half the residents on this floor and I’ve already memorized the best times to go. I go to the closet shower stall to the entrance, an easy escape habit I haven’t broken, and strip, careful not to get dye on my face. I despise cold showers, and yet, here I stand. I’m not looking forward to ruining my single pillow case with red dye bleeding through, but the cold water should help set it. Noticing the water running clear, I hurry to wash my body and apply the post dye conditioner, then rinse before shutting off the water. Goosebumps litter my skin from the cold so I hurry to wrap up in the towel I brought. Also, my only one.

See why I need money? 

I slip into a pair of boxers, sweats, and a large grey Tshirt and walk back to my room in my socks. The bundle of fabric in my arms gets dropped into my duffle in the corner, my current laundry basket. Matt still sprawled over my bed, honestly falling out of it due to his size. I wonder if he has a bigger bed? Whatever. Doesn't matter. He’s using a broken hard shell to scoop up discarded ingredients that look to have jumped ship from a previous taco. No food to waste, I can fully support that. Two empty beer bottles are on the ground by the bed frame and a third is still standing half full. 

 

“Come here, I got some other shit for your hair.”

“Matt, you didn’t have to-“

“Shut up, it’s mine, I didn’t go out and buy it just for you. Let’s go, come on,” he ushers, waving his hand as he sets his food aside and sits up.

 

I do as I’m told and approach the bed. Before I sit though, Matt instructs me to bend over towards him so he can scrunch my hair, but swatting his hands away, I do it myself before straightening again. It’s not even that long, usually just a mop of frizzy curls on my crown, falling into my eyes, but I’ve always cut it shorter on the sides and back, hating how it stuck to my neck in the heat down south. He brought curl cream, a mousse, and an oil, and walks me through how to apply them and how much to use. It reminds me so much of my time with my dad that I don’t think before speaking about it aloud.

 

“One of my dads taught me how to do this…” I’m sitting on the floor now, directly in front of Matt on the bed but facing the far wall. We’re working together to finger curl each soaking wave, much like how Della helped me at the holding center. “I got the curls from my mom, but he stayed home with me, so he took over that front. It probably sounds dumb, a man teaching his son a curl routine, but he never cared about masculine stereotypes, and urged me not to either.”

“My mom is like that. She’s a big advocate of ‘boys can cry all they want’.”

“I like her already,” I huff with a small laugh. “My father, on the other hand, was not. It was a big shock to learn I was a central for an all male bond group after they were gone. Like my sexuality was assigned to me, like fate decided I was supposed to be a bottom and here I am. I was resentful for a long time.” 

Matt’s movements slowed, staying on one curl too long before moving on. “And now?”

“I’m honestly not sure. My bond feels it, the tug and pull to be with the other parts of my soul. But I myself have never been attracted to others in that way. Like I can find someone attractive, I know my bonds are hot and some people would kill for them or or their looks, but sex has always been… ugh. I mean, they’re assholes, why would I want to sleep with them?”

“Fair point with the asshole reasoning.”

“I think so. Apparently they don’t agree. Meanwhile I’m the one who has to take it up the a-“

“Oh-Kay, no more Bonds talk. Happy night, remember? If you want to shit talk, believe me, I’m down, but I’m already feeling these beers and I’ll be here all night if I start.”

 

I chuckle, because honestly, same. We have so much baggage between us we could make a Ted Talk for how not to treat you bonds if you want to get laid. This is supposed to be a good, laid back night, and I got carried away.

I don’t regret it though. I haven’t talked about my parents since they died. 

 

---

Matt retreated back to his own place last night, too tipsy to drive but sober enough to find his way while he walked home. I argued with him over how unsafe that was, especially with people going missing, but he didn’t listen. He claimed his build and gift would keep anyone from getting him, specifically asking if I knew what kind of damage a flame could do while drunk and out of control. That was exactly why I was concerned, but again, my complaints fell on deaf ears.

Sunday morning came too soon, for me at least. My internal clock is a bitch and I wake up at my usual weekday time, a ripe six am. Thankfully the dining hall is open, and that’s where I find myself, hugging a mug of black coffee under my nose between sips of the wake-up elixir. A few students stumble in, just as tired as I am, but they shoot me looks and I notice a few double takes. I’m sitting in my usual seat, so I don’t understand…

The hair.

Riigghhhhtttt. Yeah, I haven’t even looked in a mirror yet so I have no idea where I fall on the half dead appearance scale. Probably zombie level. All well. 

Aaron didn’t greet me at my door this morning, but seeing as it’s his day off of babysitting duty, makes sense. No classes on Sundays. I would be jealous of his sleeping in if I didn’t already suspect he was working out at a gym somewhere. Honestly a run sounds pretty good right now.

That thought in mind, I finish my coffee and head back up to my room and change into a pair of joggers and a shirt. I send a text to Aaron on my way out of my room.

 

Neil:

Heading out for a run in case his bossiness comes asking you why I’m not in my prison cell.

 

I pause, thinking, then send another. Because I’m mature.

 

Neil:

I’m staying on Perimeter Road. I have my phone if you need me.

 

Perimeter Road is what the University named the road outlining the campus. A sidewalk stretches along its sides, allowing students easy walking access to all the buildings within its barrier. I stick to the outside circle, not wandering the paths that lead through the quad and between buildings. My phone timer goes off thirty minutes later while I’m passing my four mile mark at a steady pace. I need to build up my endurance, my speed is already impressive. I walk slowly back towards my dorm, leisurely taking in the campus for the first time. I’ve obviously seen the place, but walking around on a Sunday morning puts it into a new light. 

I take a quick shower and change, then settle in at my desk to get some of my assignments done. Halfway through a paper that’s due Wednesday I receive a text. I’m half expecting it to be Aaron, bitching about me deviating from the schedule Ichirou put into place, but it’s Matt.

 

Matt:

Meet for lunch? 

I need carbs to curb this hangover

 

Neil:

Dining hall in 10?

 

Matt:

Fuck yes

 

I breath out a laugh at his dramatics and start picking up my desk.

 

---

 

Matt has on sunglasses and his hood is pulled low over his brows when I find him at our table. He has a tray in front of him, laden with a bowl of spaghetti, two servings of breadsticks, and a soda. I grabbed a fruit salad cup from the front before approaching, sitting directly across from him as usual. 

 

“How are those carbs helping?” I ask, now realizing half the pasta serving is already gone.

“Effective, but not efficient,” he grumbles.

“Works better if you eat said food between drinks, not the afternoon after,” I lecture. “You only had a few beers, dude.”

“I’m a light weight, fucking sue me,” Matt sighs dramatically, shoving his tray away and dropping his face into the crook of his elbow. “The lights are too loud, the sounds are too bright, and my stomach wants to shrivel up and die…”

“…why are you awake right now?”

“I need to get my shit straight before tonight,” he answers, but it’s muffled by his muscular arms.

“What’s tonight?”

“Exy.”

 

What the fuck am I supposed to say to that?

 

“A game? You’re going?”

 

He nods, then winces, then lifts his head to look at me pitifully. I can see the puppy dog eyes even through the tinted lenses. 

 

“Wonna come? It’s a big game. My sister is on the team, and I haven’t been to see her play since all the shit with Sarah and Jack. My dad's been hounding me about isolating myself and wants to see me there tonight.”

“I mean… Sure, yeah I’ll come. Why not? I’ll text Ichirou, I can use Aaron being on the team as an excuse if he really wants to argue about it.”

 

Matt looks hopeful so I pull out my phone and shoot him a message. 

 

Neil:

Can I go to Aaron’s Exy game tonight? 

 

Bossy Bastard:

There only.

You’ll be back in your dorm no later than twenty minutes after the match is over.

And do change the names back in your contacts list.

 

Neil:

I prefer Neil. 

I’ll change yours back when it isn’t befitting of you. 

 

I grimace at my own attitude knowing he’ll use it against me later but let Matt know I'm in the clear as long as I meet the new curfew. He looks equally annoyed but knows as well as I do that I’m taking what freedom I can get. We chat a bit more making plans for the night while we eat before we split off towards our own dorms. With the rest of the afternoon to kill, I’m finishing that paper. 

 

---

 

Five thirty rolls around, and I decide I should probably get ready. The match doesn’t start until seven, but I’m meeting Matt in the parking lot of my dorm at six, and then he’ll drive us over to the court early. His sister, Allison, is on the team and he wants to see her to wish her luck before the match starts as well as introduce me to her. Not sure how to feel about that, seeing as I only just now learned Matt even has a sister. 

I only have a handful of outfits to choose from and settle on a classic white tshirt with a pocket on the breast, some distressed light wash jeans, and my red Converse. I haven’t noticed my hair dye bleeding out at all, so the shirt should be safe. I run my fingers through my hair, thankful for the products Matt got me. My curls are now soft and shiny, less frizz than I’ve seen in years, though there are still a few flyaways. I shove my wallet in my pocket, uselessly only holding my student ID and a five-dollar bill, and do the same with my cell phone after texting Matt that I was heading down. 

The court parking lot is already filling up with tailgaters, more interested in partying in the parking lot than watching the match inside. Matt finds a spot to park his monstrous blue truck and then we walk inside the stadium, scanning our student IDs for a discounted entry, which Matt covers, then head over to the locker rooms instead of following the crowd to the stands. The Exy court is at the center of the indoor stadium, so we walk the looping passageway that encircles the entire building to the home team's private area. 

We approach a girl standing in front of a closed door that reads Girls Locker Room. A girl who looks absolutely nothing like Matt. In fact, the only thing they have in common is the jersey they’re both wearing, her jersey. 

Where Matt stands over six feet, Allison is only slightly taller than I am, maybe five-five. My friend's dark russet skin stands in stark contrast to her tan complexion without a single blemish. Matt notices my eyes scanning them both and rubs his neck awkwardly. 

 

“Different moms,” he explains, and I snap out of it.

“Sorry I was staring, that was rude of me.”

“It’s fine, Allison assures me. “It happened a lot growing up, but now everyone is used to it.” Her voice is melodic but attitude seeps through easily. “You must be Neil, it’s nice to meet you. Matt speaks highly of you.”

“The only one who does so,” I chuckle. “It’s nice to meet you as well.”

 

Matt is beaming beside her as his eyes dart between us, eating the interaction up. 

 

“Well, I gotta head back in to gear up. But first, Neil, would you mind giving Matt and me a moment? I need to speak to him about something.”

“Of course,” I say, already walking backward before turning around and wandering down the path to give them space. 

 

I spot an alcove at the end of a short hall to my right, probably for the team and staff, but I make the detour to the vending machine I see at the end. I slip my bill in, press E4 for a bottled water, and wait for the the drink and my change before turning back towards the main pathway. Except I don’t back before I stop again, peeking through a crack of a door to the side of the vending machine. The voices caught my attention, more specifically, Aaron’s voice.

Through the small opening between the door and frame, I see Aaron, dressed in his uniform, speaking to someone. Someone from the opposing team if his uniform says anything. More importantly, I see their hands mid-exchange. 

I wonder why MU’s star backliner is making a secret exchange with an opposing team player in a hidden storage closet. 

Drugs probably. It’s always drugs.

Green-brown hazel eyes snap to mine like he can sense my presence, and when I feel my bond tug towards him, I suspect his did the same, giving away my position. A blink and he’s there, standing in front of me with the door fully open and the other person gone from the room. 

 

“This isn’t what it looks like,” he says low and menacing, but his eyes are pleading.

“Sure,” I reply nonchalantly, then turn and walk away without another word. 

Chapter 8: I’ll take you

Summary:

Neil attends an Exy match and meets some new people

Notes:

Happy Valentines Day 🖤

For those here who have no idea what Exy is, imagine playing Lacrosse on a wooden court with the violence of Ice Hockey while locked in a plexiglass box.

---

I make it back to Matt with quick steps and find him leaning against the main hallway wall talking to a different girl. She’s wearing a similar uniform to Aaron but she’s tall. Not Matt’s tall, but tall nonetheless. They’re chatting like old friends, but my friend's shoulders are stiff and his smile is strained. Then I see her face, the barely concealed sadness, the misplaced pity. Matt hates that shit as much as I do.

So, I do what any proclaimed best friend does, I interrupt. 

 

I hold up my water bottle in explanation and announce, “Sorry I ran off, got thirsty.”

 

After these last weeks, he can read my redirection and excuses us, and we walk to the stands in silence. Matt’s Mom and Dad are sitting together in the stands with none other than Jack and Sarah sitting beside them. Un-fucking-believable. A trip to the concession booth is the only obvious answer to escape this near hell, so soda and nachos for Matt and cheese fries for me are just an extra benefit. Once we get back the cruel couple is long gone so Matt leads us up to his parent's spots, introducing me without batting an eye at their skeptical looks. 

Awkward.

We drift away after the fake pleasantries and find our own seats a few rows down. 

Matt's Dad is the Central to his Bonded triad and is pretty laid back, but Matt said he tends to be persuaded by his Bondeds for everything. Happy wife Happy life and all that bullshit. Meanwhile, Stephanie, Allisons Bio-Mom, works for the Council as a lawyer, and as one of Ichirou’s key advisors. She’s been less than enthused about our friendship, and one can only guess the shit she’s heard about me from that ass. She’s at a meeting with him now across the city. Randy, Matt’s Bio-Mom, and the one sitting behind us, is a badass through and through. I think Mom would have liked her. She’s not hostile towards me or our friendship, more so wary.

The roar of the crowd brings me back to the game starting below, our team has first serve according to the coin flip. I glance at Matt when he jumps up from his seat as his sister is called onto the court as the starting Dealer and see his wide, giddy smile. Once all the players are in their positions, we take our seats again before the whistle blows, starting the match. Aaron is helping to defend the goal as a Backliner, and I spot the girl Matt was talking to before across the court playing as a Striker. 

I haven’t played since I was a kid in Little League, and have never been to a collegiate or professional game. It’s intense. The fans scream and stomp in the stands, a chant going up I have no idea the words to, displeasure over a foul let known with loud “Boos” and curses directed at the referees. The game itself is fast too, the players racing from one end of the court to the other, avoiding stick and body checks like their lives depended on it. By the way a Dealer from the opposing team was eyeing our Number One, it probably did. Gifts aren’t allowed to be used on the court, but the players still train to win; Some schools by any means necessary.

The stands thin out when half-time rolls around, fans heading to the restrooms and concession booths. Matt and I stay seated and chat about the game plays so far and I’m pleasantly surprised he knows a lot about the sport. Yes, his sister plays, but for some, that’s where the interest ends. Apparently, he used to play too as a backliner, having only quit a few years back. 

Matt tensing at my side stalls the conversation, and I look over to see what has him freezing when he was so carefree a minute ago. A guy now sits in the seat right of him, a guy I have yet to meet or see before. A beat of silence passes before Matt’s people-pleaser instinct kicks in and he opens his mouth.

 

“Neil, this is Seth. His sister, Ella, is on the team.”

 

He doesn’t sound upset or angry so I follow his lead, holding out a hand to the new guy. Seth looks at it, then my face, and reluctantly shakes. He has a tanned complexion like myself, but not as deep, and a short, dirty blonde buzz cut. Tall like Matt too, just over six foot maybe, and muscular. 

Seth nods at me after releasing my hand. “Keeping our boy sane for me? He’s been too sad for my taste and won’t come party with me to cheer the hell up.”

 

Matt says nothing, doesn’t so much as twitch where he sits watching Renee rest on the bench. Seth might have meant it as a joke, but what the fuck? 

 

“More like keeping each other sane, as best friends do.”

That startles my friend and he looks over at me with those big brown freaking puppy dog eyes. “Least I could do in return when you risk the TacTeam just for hanging out with me.”

I roll my eyes, “Don’t remind me. So, Seth, which one is Ella?”

“Starting Striker, number 1. Did Matt mention she’s obsessed with him? Ella’s been fawning over him since Sarah became the biggest bitch on the planet, but he keeps ghosting everyone.”

 

I look up at Matt confused, he’s never said anything. Wait, has he? 

 

“I don’t want a pity date,” he says quietly but confidently. “I get that she’s Allison’s friend and cares for me, but I’m not going to make the situation even worse.”

Seth crosses his arms on Matt's other side. “She’s been obsessed with you for years, bro. She cried for days when she found out you and Sarah were Bonds. This has nothing to do with Allison, and you know it.”

 

Seth gets up with a huff and leaves when Matt doesn't respond. It’s not until after the game that Matt confesses inside the cab of his truck. 

 

“Someday, she’s going to find her own Bonds, and I don’t think I can take losing someone else. A long time ago I thought I was a Central like my dad and I could have them both. Moronic. I keep my distance from Ella now because even if we’re not Bonds, seeing her with someone else is going to hurt like a bitch. I can't know what it’s like to have her just to lose her.”

 

I nod because I get it. I get it better than anyone else. I may not want to sleep with my Bonds, but I want their attention and affection as much as the bond in my chest does. But, the best thing right now is their hatred towards me. It’s the only thing keeping us safe. 

When I found out I was their Central, and I saw their pictures all those years ago, I envisioned our lives together and what could have been. I lost them without even meeting them, and it tore me apart. If I just gave in to my bond and spilled all the secrets and got to have my men the way fate intended… I’d lose them for good in the end. I’d break for sure then.

 

---

 

My life falls into an odd but normal pattern.

 

Studying with Matt at the Library, going to classes with Aaron acting as my shadow, always coming in last during TT classes, and sitting at the table in Ichirou’s mansion, suffering through stilted conversations for Friday night dinners. It’s easy to fall into until I remember my past could find me at any minute and everything I’ve been running from for the last five years will destroy every bit of normalcy I’ve built up. 

My daily runs help to push the thoughts away when they get too loud.

I do what I can to avoid being on my Bonds’ radar, the tentative peace we’ve found is only possible because we avoid each other. Aaron still follows me to classes and Lunch, and I see Andrew in history, but I only have to face Ichirou and Kevin during Friday dinners. Jean and I still text, but less than before once I learned that my cell phone is tapped. 

A large body walking into my running path one morning is what finally throws off my routine. Seth stands tall with his arms crossed in a pair of athletic shorts and a hoodie, looking at me with intent. I come up short, stumbling a bit in my hasty stop so I don’t run him over full speed. Strong arms shoot out wide like he’s going catch me if I do fall.

“Sorry, man, didn’t mean to cause any problems. You’re impossible to find, so when I saw you running I had to seize the opening. Do you even have a phone? I’ve asked around and no one has your number. Well, I didn’t ask Matt, but he doesn’t answer me anymore anyway.”

“Can I help you?” I ask in a puff of air as I try to suck oxygen back into my lungs. 

“Right. Sorry. Matt’s birthday is this week. His parents are throwing a big party and inviting half the Council and a whole slew of other people who couldn’t care less about our boy. You in?”

 

Matt mentioned it a few days ago, but instead of asking if I’d like to come like the Exy match, he told me he’d rather I got to enjoy the night while he experienced his own private version of hell. Not like sitting alone in my dorm room all night was a joyful experience or anything. I shoot Seth a skeptical look.

 

“Look, I don’t want to be the one asking you either, but Sarah and Jack are going to be there and we both know the night will turn into one big dumpster fire. I admit, I’ve sat back and let a lot of shit slide when it comes to him, but this is his nineteenth birthday and he deserves to have a good night without those two ruining it.”

 

Considering Matt said all his friends basically abandoned him, sitting back and letting things slide in an understatement. Despite not trusting Seth, he has a point. Matt deserves to enjoy his night.

 

“Fine,” I say, waving my hand at him to move off the path. “I’ll talk to Matt and let him know I’m going.” 

 

I don’t mention that I still have to ask for Ichirou’s permission. I don’t trust the guy, and the less he knows about the issues between my Bonds and me the better. When I do call my jailor later that afternoon, he agrees easier than I thought he would. Suspicious. 

I tell Matt that I’m going to the party and his look of sheer relief hits me like a Mac truck. The moment only to be ruined when Aaron takes his place at my side on the walk over to TT class. We’ve come to an agreement that he doesn't speak or hover too close and I don’t rip him a new one. My bond enjoys his company and it kills me knowing I’m going to have to leave him again when I can. He’s been good about keeping that distance until this moment.

 

“What now?” I drawl. 

“I’m picking you up for Matt’s party tomorrow, don’t leave without me.” I roll my eyes but he just shakes his head, “This isn’t about me tailing you because I don’t trust you, this is… There’s a lot of Council members going because of Matt’s parents, and none of them are a company you need to keep.”

“Afraid I’m going to embarrass you, or worse, Rou?”

He grabs my wrist and pulls me off the Perimeter Road walking path to the side of a building. “The Council aren’t all friends. It’s not some boys club that Ichirou is in trying to ruin your life. They’re the leaders of our community, and half of them think Ichirou should force you to bond with him because you shouldn’t have the right to refuse. Half of them think rape is the appropriate course of action here.”

 

My stomach drops, along with my face, and nods gravely. 

 

“They’re not all good people, they’re just voted in as heads of their families. I’m taking you, and I’ll stay with you so you don’t wind up between Sharpe or Vititoe rummaging through your head with their Gifts.”

 

I take note of the names and file them away, swearing to avoid them at all costs. I have too many secrets that could ruin us all.

I stare at Aaron for a minute, wanting to trust him. There’s a throbbing tug in my chest that has me leaning into him just a little bit. There’s a tick in his cheek as he clenches his teeth, telling me he feels it too and I’m suddenly hit with just how dangerous this is.

 

They all hate me, remember?

 

I go to push him away from me only to realize my hands are already resting on his chest. After staring at each other for an endless second my brain catches up and informs me that my hands are still on him and I take a step back. I turn to stalk towards class, calling back over my shoulder.

 

“You can take me, but I’m hanging out with Matt there. You can follow us around like usual, but I’m not hanging him out to dry so you can get trashed with your friends.”

 

I hear his steps behind me, their usual distance and confidence. We make it to the training building and I pause opening the door when Aaron presses in close to my side. My bond stutters when his breath washes over my ear as he murmurs, “Maybe you’re not as ice cold as your eyes lead everyone to believe.”

 

---

 

Finishing today's training course in last place is nothing new. Still, I’m pleased to notice the strength building in my arms and core to match my legs. I’m willing to bet I’d be in the middle of the pack if the others couldn’t use their Gifts as advantages. Unfortunately for me, that isn’t the case. Shapeshifters can change into their animal forms and race ahead on all fours, and there’s even a girl who’s a walking dose of chloroform.

She also hates me, but what’s new. Wymack realizes her tactic of singling me out and does his best to separate us early on, mostly making it into a game of Mouse. She does her best to hunt me down while I do my all to evade her. 

Naturally, she’s in love with Aaron and spends any second not making my life hell flirting with him. He, of course, relishes the attention. Every time she brushes a hand over his arm or shoulder he glances at me, not so subtly waiting for me to react like the first day. I’m petty though and just watch with a raised eyebrow. Who’s going to tell her he’s gay? 

The only silver lining in sharing this class with Aaron is that he drives me over to Ichirou’s once it’s over. Friday night dinners are only slightly more bearable when I get to flirt with death on a sports bike beforehand. Aaron also doesn’t talk down to me for my general existence anymore, so more points to him. He always sits next to me at the table, adding little comments whenever one of Andrew’s guests starts shit with me, which is all the time. 

I’m convinced the twin only brings the most annoying and confrontational men to dinner just hoping for a scene.

While Oliver is seemingly less obsessed with Andrew, his words hit closer to home than any of the others before him.

 

“I heard that you lived on the streets selling yourself before your Bonds rescued you. Must be hard, going back to living a ‘straight’ life again after being used like that.”

 

Aaron stiffens beside me and shoots his brother and his date a scathing look, but says nothing in my defense. He believes him, at least partly, judging by the look he sends me next. Hesitant but hopeful that I’ll argue against the validity of such an accusation.

 

Ichirou takes that moment to speak for the first time tonight. “We need to discuss some rules for the party.”

I look at him incredulous. “Why? I’ll avoid you like the plague, Aaron will stick to my ass, and I’ll hang out with Matt while both of us pray that death will take us swiftly.”

Andrew leans forward and rests his elbows on the table, his hazel eyes flashing wholly black for a second, making me believe I imagined it. ”I could make that happen, though I’d prefer to drag it out.”

 

The food in my stomach sours instantly and I push my plate away from me. For the first time, the bond in my chest sits dormant at my Bonds proximity in the room. All of them can go to hell for all I care at this point. Andrew is a sick asshole, Aaron is complacent, Kevin is stuck too far up his own ass to care, and Ichirou looks at me like I’m less than a speck of dust on his designer suit. 

 

I stand up, shoving my chair in roughly, only for Aaron to regretfully say, “I have to go over some paperwork with Rou, we can’t leave yet.”

“I’ll run back,” I reply, gripping the back of my seat in an effort to stop them from shaking. “I’m not staying here with him.”

“I’ll take you,” Kevin says, and I still.

He hasn’t tried to talk to me, never looks at me, and honestly avoids me more than I avoid him.

“Sure.”

 

I can’t afford the room pleasantries and walk out ahead of him, not saying a thank you or goodbye to the table. I need to get out of here. Now.  

Kevin passes me in the hall and leads me out the front food instead of the garage where Aaron parks his bike. He unlocks the passenger side door to an older Camaro before circling it and slipping into the driver's seat. I follow along, settling into my own leather seat, and resist the urge to bring my feet up into the seat. It’s nice and well taken care of, and obviously something he cares about. It hits me then that that's all I know about Kevin. That he cares about this one fucking car. Well, that and the TacTeam.

Kevin does his best to distance himself from me and it pays off in this. It causes a harsh shift in my bond though, it strains itself trying to brush against him and gain his attention, desperate for his praise. That makes our connection the most dangerous.

We travel to the campus in silence and when he parks infront of my dorm building he cuts off the engine. He doesn’t say a word, making the previous easy silence in the car suffocating. I mumble a ‘Thanks’ as I get out and jog up to my room without a backward glance. My bond fighting every step of the way as I distance myself from the tall brooding man. 

 

Notes:

I’m fighting with myself not to follow the plot directly from the Bonds that tie series, so I’m going to try to shorten it a bit with key events going forward. Playing around with the characters may catch some AFTG people off guard but bare with me lol

Chapter 9: Well aware

Summary:

Matt’s Birthday Party and just another day in University

Notes:

So, I would blame the AO3 curse, but my life has actually always been this busy, y’all just don’t know that 😂

I forget that you all don’t know me, and that I’m anon for some reason, and that I might have set high expectations when I pushing out a chapter a day 🫠 So, sorry guys.

---

I’m starting to agree with Matt. I need new clothes.

The same basic clothing items I own can only be made into so many outfits, and even though I don't care about how I look, I know my Bonds do. Once again, fuck them, but have the urge to rub the muscle I’ve put on from TT in their faces. 

Irrational? Yes. Well aware, thank you. 

With no money for said new clothes, my usual Black Tee will do, especially with it fitting a bit more snug than it used to. I wear distressed jeans and Converse. Check. Because there’s no way I’ll wear those white sneakers Ichirou made me wear willingly. Damn, I miss my combat boots. The sole on them was thicker than Andrews, and would look stunning wiping that assholes smug grin off his face. 

I make it downstairs, finding Aaron leaning against his bike with his arms folded and the sight has my bond preening in my chest. Dark jeans, white tee, letterman jacket that’s loose and unbuttoned. I don’t have a thing for jocks so what the fuck was this nonsense? 

 

“Looking to pick up any guy in particular tonight?” I ask, trying to save face as I approach and grab the helmet from his outstretched hand.

“Nope. And who says it would be a guy if I were?”

“Because you’re gay?” 

 

I follow him onto the bike, swinging my leg over and settling a few inches behind him. He tenses slightly as I rest my hands on his shoulders instead of his waist, but there's no way I’m letting my crotch near him when my bond his yearning to get closer still. 

 

“Who says I’m gay?”

 

I don't answer him. His tone is off, and I can’t tell if he’s in denial, or genuinely curious about how I came to that conclusion. It’s obvious to me, but I learned to read people early on while living on the streets. Not to say my gaydar was 100% accurate, but I’m pretty confident.

 

“Are you?”

“No,” I answer flatly.

“Bi?”

“We’re going to be late.”

 

Aaron huffs, something that sounds like it came from a dejected cat, and turns the key. The ride over to Matt's isn’t as long as I thought it was going to be, the house nestled in a gated community a few miles from campus.  While it’s not as big as Ichirou’s, the place is still large and extravagant, with nice cars filling the drive and lining the road around it. Aaron pulls the bike between what looks like Kevins classic Camaro and a black fucking Masaratti before shutting off the engine. I climb off first, setting the helmet on the seat after Aaron follows suit, then wait for him to start towards the house in silence. 

Yes, I started the sexuality conversation, but I’m not in the mood to explain my own. It’s not like they would understand or care either way. 

 

Just before we reach the door he pauses, looking back at me with a raised brow. “You’re really staying close?”

“I’m following the rules so I can stay. The only reason I haven’t already ditched you is because you’d probably go running to Rou.”

“No,” he shrugs. “Then he’ll think I lost you and I’d get a fucking ear full.”

“Riigghhttt. Well, while you’re getting an ear full, I’ll get the privilege of leaving my room taken away, so excuse me. I’ll follow the rules tonight, if only so I can keep studying in the library with Matt.”

“Are you sure he’s not fucking you? Andrew-”

“Mention your twin again, and I won’t speak to you for the rest of the night. I’ll be that fucking difficult. It’s bad enough you look exactly like the prick but you’re at least tolerable when you keep your mouth shut.”

“Like you can talk,” Aaron snarks. “What about Kevin or Moreau, are they tolerable?” 

“Considering Kevin and I avoid each other like the plague and Jean is across the country, jury says more so. Neither of them rub the fact that I had to run in my face, like it was something I longed to do at the age of 14.”

“Yeah, well maybe if you had just explained why you ran then we can all move on from this!”

“Move on?” I ask incredulously. “This has gone past you all forgiving me, Aaron. I don’t know if I’ll forgive you.”

“Are you serious right now? You left us, Nathaniel!”

We should not be having this fight right now, not here. 

 

“And you all came in swinging! Accusing me of running from you and selling myself. Not a single damn one of you has asked why, Aaron. There are five of you, and only Jean had the decency to not blame me immediately and he isn’t even here to help me stand up against you all.”

“But you left-”

“Because I had to! I am so sick of repeating myself.” 

 

Our voices must have caught enough attention because the front door is ripped open by Matt wearing a scowl. “Come on, Neil, we’re out back.”

 

I glare at Aaron for another second, breathing too fast to calm down at this point. I turn and dog Matt's long strides through the house, avoiding cold stares and sneers. We cross over the boundary leading to the back patio and stop just long enough for Matt to grab two beers out of a cooler behind the bar. He hands one over and I take it hastily, no longer giving a shit about my self proclaimed drinking ban. 

 

“Heard us all the way from the back yard, huh?” I ask after a huge gulp.

“Nah, Allison came to get me. She overheard when she passed by the door.” Matt leads us further away from the house and towards an underwaterlit pool with a fire pit just beside it. Allison is there, leaning forward with her hands wiggling by the flames.

“Well, well, it took you a few weeks to put the asshole in his place but better late than never,” she greets.

“Hey, Allison,” I return, dropping onto a bench across from her with Matt at my side.

“As much as I love scoping out the juicy gossip, I’d recommend not having a conversation like that with an audience. Especially with the type of people who make up the one inside that house.”

“Yeah, I know. I was warned, he just got under my skin.”

“Understandable. Hey, did you happen to see Seth or Ella on your way out?”

 

I think back to our hurried trip through the house and come up blank. I kept my eyes down, so it makes sense.

 

“I did,” Matt cuts in with an eyeroll. “Seth was chatting with Kevin, and Ella was-”

“Here!” A feminine voice calls.

 

Ella comes into view looking cozy in leggings and an oversized sweater carrying a plate of…something. She sits beside Allison with the plate between them and I realize it’s filled with cookies and brownies. As they eat, Matt introduces Ella and me properly even though we probably know way too much about the other already. It’s not awkward though, falling into conversation with them. Exy is a key topic, the girls talking about their schedule, Matt and I agreeing to attend the next home game. I don’t miss the way Ella’s eyes sparkle when Matt says he can’t wait, and I’m sure he doesn't either. 

Allison offers me a brownie, and even when I decline with a grimace and an explanation of “I don’t like sweets”, she doesn’t let up. Instead, she leans forward to shove a small piece into my mouth with a wink, then flicks her eyes over to the side. I laugh while shaking my head without thinking and follow her eyes, only to meet Aaron's red face and Kevin's piercing stare from where they stand in the doorway watching us. 

Fuck.

My earlier conversation with Aaron surfaces in my mind a second later. 

 

---

 

It’s taken three weeks to get our midterm grades back, but the moment I step into the lecture hall where my History of the Gufted class is held I know something is wrong. The almost sentient thing in my chest twists uncomfortably, alerting me to something not quite right with this situation. It’s saved me a few times in the past, but this doesn’t feel like life or death. More like a warning that we’ll be leaving the room worse for wear.

After filling in for Professor Nox when he was sick my first day, Andrew returned to the front of the room the next afternoon announcing that the Professor was now taking a leave of absence. It made more sense when I learned that one of the recently kidnapped students was his daughter. I wouldn’t want to come back either.

Unfortunately for me, that meant that Andrew was now taking over as a Student Teacher, with his intellect and Ichirou’s pull over the University. 

The weeks have passed as easily as they could with our strained…relationship. He keeps his eyes off me unless to sneer, preferring to look lustfully after his latest conquest. I keep my head down and get my work done, only speaking to ask Matt for a note I miss. The midterm assignment Matt and I have been slaving away at is worth 60% of our grade, the rest falling to attendance and class interaction. 

Everyone else takes their seats like it's any other day and the air isn’t suffocatingly thick with tension. Only Aaron seems tense when he enters the room, sliding me a look before taking his usual seat beside me, with Matt on my other side. Great. If the only ones affected are Aaron and me, it has to be Andrew related. We’re the only ones who have a connection to him deep enough to sense these things innately. 

When the blonde takes his place by the podium, the room hushes instantly, without him even having to call everyone to attention. Not for the first time I wonder what his gift is, and what he’s truly capable of with it. I sense more than respect for him coming from our fellow students. He is a student too, we’re all his peers, but still. Everyone here, excluding me and his twin, gives off a glint of fear in his presence. 

Meanwhile I’m just frustrated that I don’t know what the fuck his Gift even is.

 

“Reacting will only make it worse,” Aaron warns, his breath warm on my ear. “Keep your head.”

 

I straighten in my seat, not willing to thank him for the heads up but equally not willing to let his brother get to me. Matt bumps shoulders with me, trying to lighten the mood. He can probably sense my unease and I try to reel it in before anyone else notices.

The class starts and continues on as usual, too, Andrew recapping the last term's focus on the Gifted community’s long-running feud with the Resistance. Everything I already know from studying with Matt or from personal experience. The next part catches my attention though, theories about which family truly started the Resistance. No one has actually taken responsibility for the group, though rumor has it that it was the older, more prestigious families. 

I’ve seen some of the inner circle of the Resistance. I can pick people out of a line-up, that's how ingrained their faces are in my mind's twisted memories. 

When the class comes to an end, Andrew assigns a student at random to pass back our midterm assignments that have been graded. And when the girl comes to a stop at our row and hands Aaron three folders, she giggles. My hackles raised instantly and it’s not because Aaron is flirting, but because he’s not. Why else would she be laughing if not for-

 

“What the fuck…” falls out of my mouth, not so elloquently. 

 

A large red F is written in the top corner of my paper when I open the folder with my name on it.  I glance over to Matt’s, his folder open in front of him, then meet his grimacing face. A+.

 

“What, the actual, fuck, Minyard,” I snarl.

 

Everyone in the room stops and stares, my outburst holding everyone's attention now. 

 

“It’s your paper, Hatford. Can’t even read your own handwriting now?”

“I can read just fine. I’m actually questioning your comprehension skills at the moment.” 

 

A chorus of low ‘oohs’ fill the room, and Andrew takes a step forward towards the aisle leading up to the rows of student seating. One step, and another, until he’s tilting his head in a silent prompt for his brother to move. He does. Aaron steps over into the aisle then makes his way down to the exit without glancing back. Filling his vacant spot, Andrew steps in even closer to whisper between us.

 

“Unless you want to flunk out, I’d be very careful with what you chose to say next.”

“Fuck. You.”

 

Andrew tsks and swipes my midterm folder from my desk, spinning around to leave. “Let’s go, Hatford. You’re familiar with the Dean, correct?”

 

---

 

The office lobby is quiet, only the sound of the receptionist tapping keys on her keyboard and the occasional phone ringing that she keeps putting on hold. I’ve been sitting here for ten minutes and have been told I will continue to sit here until collected. It’s fucking annoying but not the worse situation I’ve been in so I slouch down in my seat and cross my arms over my chest.

I don’t even know why I care so much, it’s not like I’m going to be graduating from here. I’m out of here the first chance I have to run. I should be figuring out a way to get this fucking chip out, not worrying about grades or friends or the bonds who clearly want nothing to do with me.

But it’s nice having friends, I guess, ones who I’ve actually managed to connect with. The school work and grades were more about proving to myself, and my bonds, that I could do this, anyway. I think that’s why I care; because it was to prove to them that I wasn’t some worthless, dumb drop out and that I could do this. All for Andrew to throw it back in my face, again, simply because he has the power to do so.

Fucking prick. I should have punched him.

 

“Thanks for calling, Peggy. I’ll get this sorted and get Nathaniel here out of your way.”

“He’s no trouble at all, Mr. Moriyama. I think he needs a bit of back up in there is all.”

 

I flick her a glare, only for her to smile politely back at me. Either she honestly believes he’s here to help me, or she’s also out to get me and too two-faced to show it. The former wins out when she speaks again.

 

“He’s so young, and without parents to help him along. It’s a good thing he has you lot looking out for him.”

 

I’m assuming she fails to see that Andrew is a part of that ‘lot’ and he’s the reason I’m here in the first place. Giving her a shallow nod, Ichirou finally turns to face me, eyeing my lazy position with distaste. 

 

“Peggy says this is all over a paper. Do you have it?”

“Nope,” I say, popping the P. “Minyard collected it before dragging me here. The Dean probably has it now if I were to guess.”

“I’m not one to care for your guesses,” he snarks. “Get up, we’re going inside to find out.”

 

Following him inside makes for an enlightening sight, I’m sure. For anyone looking in, it must look like one of my Bonds coming to my rescue against the school. Meanwhile, it’s really three against me. Only for a second though, because as we enter, Andrew crosses through the door to exit, brushing past me without touching. I watch him leave the lobby as well, and only then do I take an empty seat across from the Dean, accompanied by Ichirou a second later after closing the door.

I feel my phone vibrate, and I settle deeper into the seat like I did outside the door. I slip my hand in my pocket to flip it to silent mode. Jean sent me a burner cell a couple of days ago and I refuse to give it up. He’s the only one of my Bonds I can speak freely to, and if the burner means Ichirou can’t spy on me, it needs to stay hidden so he can’t snatch it away too.

 

“Mr. Hatford, this is an unusual situation we find ourselves in. While Andrew Minyard is an acting professor in a student teacher position, I can acknowledge that he is only a student and is capable of making mistakes. I also understand you all have a rather strained relationship that could unintentionally impact his grading.”

 

I nod and run my tongue over my teeth, fighting like hell not to roll my eyes right now.

 

“Councilman Moriyama has the same qualifications, being a History graduate himself, and has offered to grade your papers in Mr. Minyard's stead. I’m sure the board will have no qualms over this, but I’ll have a meeting to discuss the circumstances with them regardless. You will still attend class and due dates will be the same, the only difference is that your assignments will be sent to the Councilman now.”

 

Are you fucking kidding me? Like switching out one insufferable asshole for another will make a difference. They’re all betting on my failure and it takes all I have not to storm out of the room in blinding anger. I take a deep breath instead, trying to ground myself when my Gift starts to rise with interest.

 

“Thank you, I appreciate your leniency.”

 

We all stand as one then, Ichirou and the Dean shaking hands before we exit the office, leaving the older man behind closed doors. I’m ready to jog back to my dorm and be done with this fucking day when Ichirou brings my feet to a hault.

 

“Neil, I’ll drive you.”

 

What is up with this day? No derisive tone, no grimacing face. He stands there blinking calmly, his hands in the pockets of his pristine navy suit, waiting for me to reply. Honestly, why does he have to be handsome? Because when he lifts a perfect brow, and tilts his head the slightest bit, and quirks those pouty lips…

I turn for the doors without replying. This day has been far too long and my nerves, emotions, and the bond in my chest are getting jumbled. He catches up with long strides, taking the lead easily once we leave the building and take concrete steps down towards the parked car at the curb.

 

“I know you don't want to be here bailing me out, and you probably dont even think I deserve it, but I worked my ass off on that paper. I have done nothing but study and I know my work reflects nothing lower than a B.”

 

He stops when we get the car and opens the car door for me, ushering me in, and I’m too distracted by everything in my head that I completely miss Kevin already sitting in the rear-facing backseat, mirroring me and Ichirou once he slides in. I push myself into the door along the other side, wanting to keep some distance between them both in the enclosed space. I want to pull my knees to my chest but settle on crossing my arms as I look out the window, sick of Kevin only showing up to observe my failures.

 

“Andrew isn’t known for his subtlety. You’ve wronged him, and he will ensure everyone knows it. You can’t blame him for assuming you’d do a terrible job, he knows you dropped out of school on a whim.”

“Like I had a choice,” I grit out. “It’s literally his interim job to read the papers, then grade them. Not slap an F down out of assumption.”

Ichirou glances to Kevin, his dark brows furrowed, and Kevin shrugs. “He’s telling the truth.”

A dry huff laughter escapes me before I can help it. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Kevin. Why are you even here?”

 

He stares me down, his emerald green eyes narrowing when I don’t back down from the challenge. Ichirou breaks the stare off with his usual asshole tone, back in force now that I’m in his car with no witnesses no doubt.

 

“We weren’t planning the detour to deal with you, Hatford. Bonds and Bondeds are going missing, you know.”

“Well aware,” I force out. It’s like he knows exactly how and when to cut me the deepest and it isn’t fair.

 

The rest of the ride is blissfully silent. It’s tense, but I can handle that well enough. When the driver pulls the car in front of my dorm building, I open the door without waiting for someone to do it and slip out. I turn, leaning my forearm on the door frame and look back at the two of my Bonds.

 

“Did the Dean give you my assignment?”

“Yes,” Ichirou confirms shortly.

“I appreciate you offering to grade them. If you agree with his grade, I’ll accept it and apply for a make up or extra credit.”

 

Kevin's eyes flick to Ichirou’s, something passing between them I can’t make out. 

 

“Very well. You have no choice in the matter anyway, you will graduate. You’ll rewrite it until it’s adequate.”

 

I straighten and slam the door shut. I ignore all the stares and whispers as I jog up to my room. After I change into sweats and my only grey hoodie, I slump into bed face down and let the idea of suffocation take me under until I can’t breathe anymore. Only then do I roll over and drag in a ragged breath. I’m so done with this day.

 

Chapter 10: And then there’s a boot in my face

Summary:

Study sessions and TacTraining

Notes:

IM SORRY I SUCK 😩

I’m back though, so 👀

---

A week later, I receive Ichirou’s email. I guess he agrees with me that my paper is worth at least a B because that’s what it’s graded as. 

Matt books us a permanent study room at the library, which I didn’t even know we could do. His parents have eased up a bit about his self isolation lately, and I’m happy to hear it until he continues on to explain that they’re hoping that if he graduates with honors and gets himself a high-paying career Sarah might change her mind and accept him as one of her Bonds. It’s utter bullshit. Matt is brilliant and funny and easygoing and fucking catch, alright? Why should he have to make tons of money to earn a place beside someone who holds a part of his soul? 

Allison decides to join us in the library pretty early on, willingly agreeing to spend her free time with us hitting the books. She’s nice enough, if not a little pushy when it comes to my bond group gossip. There’s plenty there but she doesn’t need to know the ends and outs. Seth tried to join us after about a week of our routine study sessions, but Matt sent him on his way easily. There’s just something about him and the way he looks at Kevin that makes the bond in my chest twist and apparently, Matt caught on to my subtle tells. Equally unnerving but appreciated. 

It gets complicated when Ella shows up with Aaron, though.

They play Exy together, sure, but I haven’t seen them hang out or even talk aside from on the court. Ella is nice and I have no problem with her, but Aaron- 

Fuck, Aaron and I need to work our shit out before things escalate again like they did at Matts party. The way he’s staring Allison down at my side makes the issue all the more prevalent. 

 

“You know, Nathaniel. Maybe Andrew was wrong about you and Matt. Maybe it’s his sister you’re fucking.”

 

Matt speaks up before I have the chance to stand and yank him out of the room.

 

“Leave my sister out of whatever bullshit you have against Neil. I am a flame, after all, and while I’m not the best at control yet, I’m sure your bike is an easy enough target to melt down to scrap metal.”

 

I turn slowly to face my friend, confused yet in awe at his words. Where the fuck did that come from? Ella glances between them both before looking at me, raising a brow and cocking a hip with blatant attitude.

 

“Which one of us is stepping in here, Neil?”

 

I lean back in my seat and cross my arms over my chest, suddenly smug at how Aaron's eyes flashed to my biceps straining under my too-old blue tee. “I mean, I’m enjoying the show. Ally?”

 

Aaron’s eyes fly to mine when I say the nickname but I pay him no mind. He started this shit. 

 

“Oh, will you just sit down and shut up, Aaron?” Allison says, exasperated. “You don’t have to make a scene every time you enter a room.”

 

Ella drops into the seat on Matt's right, bringing her feet under her to sit cross-legged in the rolling office chair. She spins a few times, breaking the tension in the room when both Matt and Allison laugh, and Aaron takes the hint and sits across from me. Matts rolls his eyes but settles back into studying and I follow his lead. 

Every interaction I have with Aaron is hot-cold. We’re whispering together at Ichirou's dinner table, conspiring against Andrew's new boy-toy, and then yelling at each other over petty squabbles or old news. It’s getting old, fast.

By the end of the study session, the room has mellowed out, but Aaron’s quick to sneer and mutter a curse when Allison kisses me on the cheek as she stands. She pulls Ella out of the room, Matt following them out after sending Aaron a deadly glare, making sure his fiery threat reads loud and clear.

Tactical Training is next on my schedule, and Aarons, so we leave together. I can feel his temper brewing from the few paces we walk apart and decide to face the music, or whatever shit he wants to spew, before we reach class.

 

I turn around a few feet from the door, effectively blocking the path. Good thing we’re usually the last ones to arrive. “What now?”

Aaron stops short in front of me but doesn’t miss a beat, “How can you just let her hang on you like that in front of me?”

“Excuse me?”

“Allison. Or Ally, is it?”

“Aaron-”

“No! How the fuck did fate fuck up so bad as to assign a straight man as a central of a same-sex bond group? How did we get so unlucky to get you?”

“I’m not into her, asshole, for one. Allison and I are just friends who happen to enjoy making you squirm. There’s nothing there.”

“Really? That’s all?” He questions, unconvinced.

“I’m Demi, you dick! All your assumptions and yet you only ever considered me straight, gay, or bi. There’s the whole fucking Ace spectrum.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” I shake my head and run my fingers through my curls when they fall into my face. “Fuck I need a haircut,” I mutter under my breath.

“I think it looks good,” Aaron murmurs. 

 

He’s ducking his head but I can see the slightest flush on his cheeks, most likely embarrassment. Whether it’s over the scene we just caused or compliment, I don’t care to know. To be fair, I didn’t even know about the Ace spectrum until a coworker at one of the jobs I picked up came out as Pan…and I had no idea what the fuck that was. Taking pity on me, they explained it as best they could, and I realized I fell more into it than I had previously thought. Assuming he knows nothing about it too, it’s my turn to take pity.

 

“I’m not just into girls or just into guys, and it’s not that I like them both either. I don’t give a single fuck about gender, Aaron. I can appreciate someone's looks but I like someone based on who they are, not what parts they have,” I huff a breath at my poor wording choice but he needs to hear this as plainly as I feel it. “All your talk about me sleeping around and I don’t even get a hard on unless I have an emotional connection to someone.”

 

“Oh shit… Okay. I think I got it.”

 

“Good. Remember it.”

“But you have an emotional connection to Matt, don’t you?”

 

I turn and walk away before I can do something I can’t take back.

 

---

 

“We’re in the basement today, so plan your workouts accordingly.”

 

Students groan all around the room but move toward their gym equipment of choice nonetheless. I stay close to Wymack, tracking the students he’s watching. Everyone is taking their warm-ups easier than usual, but I shrug it off and hop on the treadmill. After running half a mile at a steady pace he walks over, nodding at the machine I’m on.

 

“Take it easy on there today, kid.”

“It is really so bad down there? Should I have updated my will? I was planning on doing it before I jumped off a bridge next week but I should have moved it up, huh?”

Wymack gives me a hard look, “As a professor, I’m a mandatory reporter for students in crisis. Don’t say that shit around me, too much paperwork.”

I smirk at him as I dial back the speed on the treadmill. “Got any teachers you want to weigh down with extra paperwork, then?”

 

He shakes his head and mumbles something under his breath about pay grade before wandering off. I stay on the machine but at a jog this time, pacing myself for whatever awaits us downstairs.

Once the warm-up hour is up, Wymack calls the class to attention at the far wall where he stands next to a black metal door. I take a sip of my water bottle, eyeing a few other students doing the same before dropping them to the floor without finesse. 

 

Aaron sidles up beside me and I sneak a glance at him, only to find him staring at me. “Watch your back in the maze. Wymack has people watching through cameras, but you’re going to get hurt if you don’t keep your guard up. This is the one place on campus where we’re allowed to use our Gifts to their full extent, and there are a few who like to flex that here. The entire basement is bombproof. Bee once went off down there, and the place is still standing, so we know it’s safe.”

 

Bee? I raise a brow in question but he only shakes his head and bends to tie his sneakers in double knots. Nerd.

See, this is the hot - cold I’m talking about.

And what the hell does ‘went off’ mean? Like a living bomb? The possibilities are endless in the Gifted community, so I’ll have to ask Matt about them later. Maybe they’re a flame who gets carried away?

A winding staircase leads us down to the basement, the temperature rising the lower we go. Panic seizes my chest, making breathing a hell of a lot harder than it needs to be. I should have known better. My previous nonchalance over the confined space has nothing on the guttural fear I have over being locked underground and I have to fight to keep my Gift under control.  

Basements have always only meant one thing to me. Torture.

When we reach the bottom of the stairs we form a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder along the exterior walls. The walls are made of stone, boulders more like it, except for one, because it’s a huge ass door. The seam is scorched like someone slammed it shut just in time to keep a fire from spreading. 

Wymack waits until we’re all settled before he steps into the middle clearing we created. I glance from one side to the other, cataloging everyone's reactions, their faces are locked down tight.

 

“Once inside, you’ll be split up into groups of three,” Wymack starts, his voice bouncing off the low ceiling ensuring we all hear his instructions. “No, you don’t get to choose your group. No, I don’t care if you think it’s fair. No, there is nowhere to file a complaint because I can’t give two fucks less about your opinions or feelings on the matter. The only thing I care about is training you to the best of my ability so you can protect yourselves out in the real world. I’ve had over two hundred students leave here and join Tac-Teams, and I’d like to think the majority of them are alive today thanks to this training. So, shut your mouths and get to the center alive if you wanna pass this class. The first group to the flag wins an automatic pass for the year.”

 

Right. Okay. Get to the center without dying. Easy peasy.

 

Well, I think that for all of two seconds before Wymack tells me who I’m paired with. The same girl who's obsessed with Aaron and hates me on principle, Kate, and some guy I’ve never met, Bennet. They don’t say a word to me as I approach them, and neither do I. 

 

---

 

I hang back and watch as the others sprint into the pitch-black room. It’s clear by now I’m faster than the lot of them, but I have no idea what I’m walking into, and they seemed to have been through this at least once before. Unfortunately, the tactic isn’t as effective as it usually is. As soon as I cross the threshold, all my senses are stripped from me. 

I can’t see or hear anything. 

I’m moving, I know I am. I can feel the faintest bit of control as my feet pad further into the room, but I have no idea where I am or where I’m going.

That must have been a gateway simulation to the course because once I reach the light at the end of the very bleak tunnel, everything comes rushing back. The light is blinding and makes my eyes water, and my head experiences a splice of pain down the middle that has me gritting my teeth. My bond immediately reacts to the pain, my Gift straining under my control. From what I can tell there’s no one around me, but I’m not risking using my Gift to see either. The others are either too far ahead already, or this… magic or whatever spit us out at different locations in the maze.

All I know is that the walls are black, and the ground is concrete with some suspicious-looking stains in a crimson color. No matter what Aaron said about the place being monitored, I have a feeling they don’t step in until it’s already too late.

I close my eyes to center myself, lowering into a squat as I do. It’s only a second later when I hear the footsteps. The ones that turn into paw treks, nails clicking along the concrete. The roar seals it in. There’s a Shifter nearby.

I push into a standing position but keep my knees bent in case I need to make a quick escape. Looking around I don't initially see anything, but a shadow catches my attention and I follow up to- 

A fucking tiger sits ready to pounce from atop the wall across from me. That is until the wall starts to move! 

The high-pitched screeching of brink sliding against concrete makes my ears ring but I fall into a roll to get out of the way. Just in time, too, the passageway I was just standing in is now two walls standing only a foot apart. A low groan pulls my attention then, coming from between the now cramped space. The Shifter must have lost their balance and fallen in the opening. Oof.

 

“What the fuck, Keith?! What are you doing getting trapped by the walls? That’s rookie shit!”

I have no idea who that is, but the Shifter calls back, “I smelled the runner, thought we could use him as bait for the pond bitch!”

 

What the fuck is a pond bitch? Wait… Is who more appropriate?

 

Turning away from the scene, I wander further into the maze. I’m already in it, no turning back now. You know, I don’t know why Wymack is worried about crisis paperwork when I am actively ignoring my classmates' screams of agony. Who needs to kill themselves when we can just go to class? I pick up some speed and start to jog along the outside wall that circles the whole room, keeping my eyes peeled for a passage leading inward. The previous torture motivation is only spurred on by the sounds filling the air now. 

Reaching a bend in the tunnel I pause to calm my breathing again, the panic settling in more than I’d like to let on. Whoever is watching me from the cameras doesn’t need to know my weaknesses. Turning the corner once I feel calm enough to continue, I stop in my tracks, this time in suspicion. It’s a room, a garden. There’s another door on the opposite side, so I just need to cross the room to move into the next layer of the maze. Easier said than done when my instincts are right. 

This isn’t a garden, it’s a trap. 

Plants fill the room from floor to ceiling, vines crawling up the walls and along the ground. Literally crawling, by the way. Flowers leak an obnoxious perfume, making my nose sting, and then there’s the thorns. Everywhere.

My Gift wouldn’t help with this even if I were to unleash it, but my speed can. I hop on my toes, getting some adrenaline pumping. The faster I get through this room, the faster I’m out of this basement. 

I take off, and when the first thorn embeds itself in my calf, I distract myself by thinking of how it would feel to prove everyone wrong about me. Proving to Ichirou that I’m not taking the easy way out of anything, and fuck him if he still believes that. When I realize the flower perfume is actually acid, eating away at the soles of my shoes, I imagine knocking Andrew out with the right hook my dad taught me. I’m not a fucking pushover. I think about proving to Kevin that I’m not weak and all I’ve ever done is endure, and Aaron- The thoughts of the things I want to scream at Aaron block out the pain of the vines wrapping around my ankle, tripping me into a bushel of thorns where I land hard on my left side.

The more pain I can ignore, the more aggressive the garden gets trying to stop me. 

When I finally get to the opening on the other side, the soles of my sneakers are completely gone and my shirt is in tatters, blood running down from wounds along my torso. Vines are still wrapped around my wrists and thighs, tightening and cinching with every second, and hurry to pry them off. I’m half stumbling down the hall when I stomp the last one into the floor, the thing disintegrating into black powder like it hadn’t just been very fucking real.

Shuffling from behind me catches my attention before I move further into the maze. 

I startle but catch myself as my brain catches on to what I’m actually seeing. In the doorway of the killer garden is what I thought was a tree trunk, but is actually a student wrapped entirely in vines. She’s alive, I can see her breathing, but she’s out cold. There are cuts all over her body from the thorns and her feet are bare like mine, but she looks almost peaceful now that she’s unconscious. 

What exactly is the protocol here? I’d rather not get myself killed or injured for another student who hates my freaking guts, but if there’s a chance this thing is going to kill her— am I really the type to just abandon her? 

Maybe.

 

“Wymack, a little advice here would been nice,” I mutter to myself, mostly so I don’t feel so fucking guilty for just leaving because, let’s just face it, I’m going to walk away. 

 

A light blinks to life on the wall.

It’s good enough and I take it as a sign. With that, I kick off my now dissolved sneakers and push myself back into a jog, ignoring the thorns digging their way further into my thighs with every step. 

As I look out at the other walls as I jog, I see other little blinking red lights and my heart finally sinks back out of my throat. It must be normal, something that happens when a student has been taken out of the race, and at a quick count from where I am, there’s at least ten people out. The screaming also quietens down a little the deeper into the maze I get, less frequent now, which proves there’s less people here being tortured. I have to duck behind one of the corners to avoid a trio of students. One of them was a girl holding a palm full of fire while one of the guys was holding out a forcefield and the other’s eyes glowed. They all look battered and bruised, but they’re alive and working together, so obviously they’re my pick for making it to the center and winning the passing grade.

I don’t even know where my teammates are, and honestly, I’d prefer to keep it that way if it didn’t disqualify us.

The guy with the glowing eyes glanced down in my direction but didn’t comment on seeing me or noticing anything out of the ordinary, so either he couldn’t see me, or he has no interest in feeding me to the pond bitch like that dickhead Keith.

 

Fucking Keith. What a cunt.

 

The real terror starts when I find another room, this time with a huge body of water, and I start to panic that I’ve found the infamous pond because I’m not sure I can fight the bitch right now. 

There’s only one way for me to go though, and it’s the doorway cut out of the other side, just like the killer garden. There’s no fucking way I’m swimming across, even if I hadn’t been warned, because the water stinks and I don’t want to puke my way across right now. There are rocks and boulders to one side that I could scale my way across but my shoulder hates that option, so I walk around the water’s edge for a second, looking for cheat code etched into a wall. No such luck.

Rock climbing it is. 

The small stones bite into my feet and the larger boulders move a little under my body weight, which is both insulting and unsettling. I scramble to the highest point and then take a second to breathe and attempt to get some stability back in my straining left shoulder. I know now how much those training sessions have done for me because even me six months ago would’ve been wrapped up in the vines. My tingling rotator cuff on the other hand, doesn’t give a shit. From this vantage point, I can actually see how close I am to the center and, fuck me, it’s close. I memorize the path, and thank God that I climbed this stupid thing because there’s three rooms I can avoid if I do this right.

I can’t see Aaron but there is a snow leopard in one of the rooms fighting against a plague of rats in one of the rooms and I suddenly understand all of the screaming because who the fuck comes up with this? 

My skin crawls like I’m a sitting duck, and I know better than to ignore that instinct. The second I start to crawl down the other side of the rock, I come face-to-face with the pond bitch and I wish so badly that I could scrub my mind of her because holy fucking nightmare is she disgusting. 

She was once human, I think. Her skin is gray and sliding away from the bone of her skull, her hair is mostly gone, only little tufts of it sticking up in small patches like black ink. Her teeth are broken and sharply pointed as she gapes up at me with milky white eyes, her jaw flapping like she’s gasping for air, and… 

 

Okay, so she’s freaky but not nightmare inducing considering the literal hell I’ve lived through.

 

Her hand wraps around my ankle, the dirty pond water dripping from her disgusting body onto the bare skin of my foot, and all I can think is that I’m going to get some flesh-eating parasite from her. My survival mode strictly in place by this point, I grip the edges of the rock and then swing my free leg up until I can get a good kick in, striking her shoulder first. When that doesn’t get her off me, I bite the bullet and kick her in the face, her teeth cutting the heel of my foot, but with a gurgling scream, her hand loosens enough for me to wrench my foot away.

I slide down the rock wall, skinning the backs of my thighs and shredding my hands, but desperate times and all that. When I land at the bottom, breaking my ass and knocking the wind out of myself, I scurry away as fast as my broken body will let me. 

Even when I get past the threshold of the room and back out into the hallway I keep at a walk, the gurgling sounds of the pond bitch bouncing on the brick walls. 

 

I’m quitting this goddamn class. Fuck Ichirou Moriyama and his goddamn rules.

 

I turn two corners before I finally relocate my shoulder myself once I feel isolated enough to do so. I grit my teeth so hard my jaw pops but a scream still works its way through. My nose is running, my eyes are stinging, and my chest rattles with every breath, but I’m alive. I’m going to need a Healer the moment I get out of here, and I will break Kevin in half with my bare hands if he tries to stop me from accessing one. Luckily, blessedly, the walls stay put and I make it to the center of this cock sucking, mother fucking, cunt faced maze. 

I fall into the wall at my back and slide down to my ass. I can’t grab the flag without a teammates, even if it is right fucking there.

I don’t have to wait long though. Kate and Bennet turn a corner not five minutes later once I’ve caught my breath. They have no intention of winning this with me though. I can see it on her twisted face.

Kate grins as she stalks over to me, the crop top she’s wearing is tight across her chest and soaked through from whatever she’s been up against in the maze so far, but overall she looks a million times better than I do. Whatever she’s been up against, Bennet has taken the brunt of it. He’s torn up like me but he’s still standing. 

I hate this bitch. It’s official.

I feel her Gift take me over, the poison of it touching my skin and floating through my veins. I’m not surprised when my nose starts dripping blood and my mouth fills up with it in response, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel it burn me from the inside out. It’s fucking infuriating, the way I can’t snap back with my own Gift and end her here and now.

I spit at her feet, my blood bright red on her white Nikes, and her squeal is fucking music to my ears. 

 

“You’re an absolute cunt and someday you’re going to regret this bullshit. I’ve been patient, and I can still wait you out, but killing you is getting a bit too tempting.” 

 

She smirks at me. “Like I’d be scared of some Gift-less runaway. Nighty-night, reject.” 

 

And then there’s a boot in my face.

Notes:

Real quick. Those who are here from AFTG, I need opinions.

Riko.

Do we want him to have a redemption arc, or is he still a dick? He won’t be the *villain* in this but I can still make him a bad guy. LET ME KNOW 🖤

EDIT: Y’all are right, and thank you being here lol The universal fuck Riko has been heard

Chapter 11: I can’t believe she just heard you say that!

Summary:

Neil heals after his run in with the pond bitch and then has a much needed conversation with Aaron.

---

“I can’t believe Kate would rather knock you out than win a pass in TT. It’s the hardest class at MU, everyone knows that you don’t throw that away.” 

 

I scoff, but Matt presses the ice against my temple a little harder despite my waving him off. The moment I’d woken up on the ground in the main room of the training center, I’d hobbled over to my bag to message Matt and cancel our plans for the night because there’s no way I can study and eat pizza on the floor of my shitty dorm room in the state I’m in right now. I just want to fucking sleep.

He immediately hauled his ass over to check on me, dragging Ella with him because she’s a Healer. The best one he knows, apparently. I tried apologizing to her, but she shrugged and started working on my wounds. There’s other Healers here but I’m the worst for wear, thanks a fucking lot, Wymack. 

Aaron is over on the far side, holding one of his friends down as a Healer resets the bone in his arm, and he’s only looked my way once this entire time. I’m not surprised.

 

“She’s crazy, Matt. I don’t condone abusing women, but she started it, and I will literally pay you all I have if you set her on fire for me. We can run afterwards. Let’s start a new life somewhere far away from here where Wymack can never find me and force me into a room with the pond bitch again.”

Matt winces at the poor joke choice, but Ella’s eyes widen.

“You went up against her, huh? She’s kind of an urban legend around here.” 

 

I scoff again, glaring at the other students while she checks over my shoulder, making sure I reset it correctly. I did, thank you, which she tells me with an odd look in her eye. Next are the thorns in my legs, though.

 

“Son of a mother cunt of a thing, I will honestly carve the skin off of that deplorable—” 

“Jesus Christ, you’ve got a mouth on you for being such a runt.”

 

I glance up at Wymack, standing over me with a scowl, and glare back. 

 

“We are not friends, I take back my offer of giving your teacher enemies paperwork for days.” 

Ella snorts at me, smothering it into her shoulder at the stern look on Wymack's face as the hardass checks over his handiwork. 

“You can’t pass Tac Training without going up against the worst of what our kind can do. You did good, kid. If you didn’t have so many of your own enemies, you’d be free and clear for the rest of the year.” 

 

He sounds a little too gleeful at this, and I’m about to mouth off at him again when Ella shifts to reset a broken rib I didn’t realize I had. Matt stops glaring at everyone around us for a second and checks on me, and I stop breathing when it feels like that rib is being ripped from where it might as well be embedded into my lung.

 

“Maybe if you didn’t pair me up with said worst enemy, I would be,” I grit out.

 

Wymack clears his throat and grumbles a little under his breath before finally speaking, “You should be proud of yourself. Everything you did in there was perfect. Half the others didn’t make it past their first room. Only a handful made it through a second. And only one other student has made it past the pond girl on their first try. She feeds on fear, and you barely gave her anything to work with.”

 

Makes sense. Well… 

Okay, that does make me feel a little better, I guess. The pond girl looked horrifying, but she wasn’t bad to get past. 

 

Wymack glances around at the other students and then drops his voice a little lower, “Thirty years in a TacTeam taught me that what your Gift is doesn’t mean shit about who you are… it’s what you’re going to do with it. Look at Kevin, with his career trajectory you’d be thinking he was a Shifter or some other physical Gift, but he proves every day that you don’t need it. If you’ve got nothing but your backbone, kid, you’re going to be fine out there.” 

 

That’s too fucking nice and sweet for me today, especially when he expects me to know what Kevin’s Gift even is. Which I still don’t.

I sigh and push away the ice from my temple a little firmer, wincing when Ella digs one of the thorns out of my calf. 

 

“Shouldn’t you hate me for rejecting your favorite student?” 

He shrugs. “The best things in life don’t come without hard work. If he wants you, he should prove himself to you. I’ve known a lotta bad kids in my time here, you ain’t one of ‘em.” 

 

Then he turns on his heel and stalks off, barking orders at the other students around us. He’s not even a little nice to any of them, and that makes me feel better for all of a second before Aaron shows up and collapses on the ground in front of me. His eyes narrow as soon as he’s settled, watching Ella’s hand working its way up, pulling thorns from my legs.

 

“How far did you get? I heard Kate sabotaged you, and she missed out on the flag because of it.”

I roll my eyes. “Oh fuck right off. You have no idea how pissed I am that I had a passing grade snatched away from me.” 

He straightens and blinks at me, the asshole exterior melting away in an instant. “You got to the flag?” 

I grit out from between my teeth, “Yes, asshole, I made it there first and then that-” 

“Back up. You made it to the flag and Kate knocked you out there? Are you fucking kidding me?” 

 

Are we hot or cold right now? Is he surprised I got that far because he thinks so little of me, or pissed on my behalf that I was crossed? 

 

“Like it was hard? I’m honestly a little disappointed in your abilities if you couldn’t get through without help.” 

Ella snorts again and then glances at Matt for a second, like she’s gauging his reaction to whatever she has to input here. When her eyes finally flick back to me, she gives me a lopsided grin. “The bones are all reset, but there’s a few thorns left on your thighs. Do you need help with those?”

“Thanks, but I can get those,” I answer honestly. I don’t feel like pulling my shorts down right now. Or ever.

“Alright. Can I put my hand on your chest to heal everything else simultaneously? Easier than going cut by cut.”

Aaron’s scowls, a fight already brewing and I just fucking snap, “Uh uh,  if you’re seriously about to start a fight right now, get your ass up and leave.” I don’t give him the chance to answer me, moving on quickly. “Could you actually put your hand at the center of my back instead, Ella? I’d be more comfortable with that.”

Not because it would comfort Aaron in anyway. No, this is for me. No one needs to see or feel my chest.

She agrees easily and lightly lifts my shirt to place her hand flat on my back and I feel her Gift flowing into me and healing everything it touches. I feel the moment it touches my own Gift, skirting around it respectfully. Ella’s eyes snap to mine. I give her the smallest shake of my head that I can manage and, fuck, she presses her lips together firmly in silent reply. Oh thank fuck.

The moment I’m healed and Ella steps away, my entire body checks out for a good nap time. Aaron grunts a little as he catches me, my body slumping down into his fully, and my last thought is about how lucky I am to have found friends like Matt and Ella, and maybe even Aaron too if we’re getting along enough.

 

---

 

I wake up in my tiny, uncomfortable bed in my dorm room. 

I’m still dressed in the rags of my TT workout gear and a blanket has been thrown over me and a glass of water left on the floor by my bed. I guzzle the whole thing down and then check my phone for the time, finding messages from Matt, Jean, and Ichirou waiting for me. 

 

Matt:

Aaron carried you the whole way back to your room and tucked you in. 

Ella and I came too, as back up. 

Call me if you need anything.

 

Bonus point to Aaron, rightfully but begrudgingly given.

 

French Fry:

I called Ichirou when you missed our usual call.

I’m having something delivered for you in the morning.

I told your jailer what it is, so he shouldn’t be too much of a dickhead about it.

 

 

Jean has taken to calling Ichirou as many derogatory names as I have now that he knows we’re being monitored on my regular cell, but I’m a little shocked that he called him over something as small as me missing a call. Then again, he's done nothing but look out for me since we first got into contact.

 

And then there’s Ichirou’s message. 

 

 

Bossy Bastard:

If you are too injured to study or attended classes, I will send another Healer to you. 

There are no excuses for failing your classes.

 

 

I reply to Matt and Jean straight away and leave Ichirou on read because he can choke on a dick for all I care.  I make the slow and painful trip to the bathroom to piss and stand under scalding water for as long as my skin allows. Ella did an amazing job of putting me back together, but there’s a leftover ache in my bones and muscles that makes breathing a little painful. When I get back to my room, I immediately pass out and sleep the day away. 

I wake up disoriented and starving, piecing together what’s happened bit by bit until I’m confident in my surroundings again. I pull clothes on, whatever is comfortable, and walk down to the campus dining hall by myself to eat an early dinner. I’m expecting to catch shit from Ichirou for missing ‘family dinner’, but again, he can choke on it. 

I eat enough food to fill an Exy team. Being healed by a Gifted always makes you hungry, but I don’t usually eat this much since my diet has evened out after being here a while now. No more rationing out meals or scarfing things down while I can. My walk back to the dorms is slower since I’m still sore, and there’s a package waiting for me at the desk when I get back to the building.

An edible arrangement from Jean, with my favorite fruits covered in chocolate and a card that apologizes for being cheesy. I should have known something was up when he asked what my favorite foods were. It’s honestly the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me and I have no idea of how to thank him without feeling like I’m leading him on.

But I’ve been honest with him, as honest as I can be. I’ve told him I don’t want to stay. I’ve told him I can’t be with any of them. I’m too freakin inept at dealing with emotions to navigate this without causing damage. 

I get back to my room and binge on the dark chocolate covered strawberries like I haven’t just eaten a huge meal at the dining hall. I send a short thank you to Jean and then turn my phone off because I have no idea where to go from here. 

I’m reaching for a pineapple star when there’s a knock at my door. Who the hell is it now? 

Matt would message first, and no one else I hang out with would show up without him. 

When I step up to the door, my bond gives a little tug in my chest, my hand pausing halfway to the door handle because there’s no way I want to face Ichirou or Aaron right now. I’m too sore to spar verbally with either of them, and I don’t want Ichirou thinking he’s broken me just because I’m not in my usual full-glory brat mode. 

 

“Open the door, Neil.” 

 

Of-fucking-course.

It would be Kevin showing up to mess with my entire freaking day because he’s the one that can actually fuck my shit up. He’s the hardest of them all to face. I think it’s the way he hasn’t confronted me, hasn’t tried to knock me down or take a jab at me, he’s just sat back and observed me, the look on his face always saying a lot about how much I don’t meet his standards. 

His eyes flick over my outfit, but I don’t give two shits that I look homeless. Then he steps into me like he’s trying to force his way into the room. It works. I scramble away from him like his touch would burn me, and he shuts the door firmly behind him. The lock is flimsy, and he scowls at it for a second before flicking it anyway. I understand the frustration. It's so flimsy that it wouldn’t keep anyone out if they really wanted in.

 

“The Healer did a decent job. I thought for sure you’d be bedridden from the bite.” 

I pull a face at him as my ass lands on my mattress, “She wasn’t that bad.”

 

As he leans back against the door, he stares me down, crossing his arms over his chest, and suddenly I notice just how freaking built he is. I knew it when I’d seen him next to Wymack, not as bulky as the old man but plenty muscled in a lean, cut sort of way. 

 

“She feeds on fear. You gave her nothing, she didn’t even spook you. That’s not a normal response.” 

 

Right, so this is an interrogation. 

 

“Wymack gave me the same spiel, and I never claimed I was normal.” 

 

If he doesn’t stop staring at me, I might just break down and spill my secrets. Is this his Gift? To just stare people into a complete mental crisis, because I can confirm that he’s pretty fucking good at wielding this power. 

 

“I think you made a mistake before, and instead of owning up to it and fixing it, you’ve doubled down because you’re a stubborn ass. You should have trusted us… Whatever happened in that hospital room that made you run away, you should have run to us instead.” 

 

The statement alone is like ice running rampant through my veins. Kevin’s eyes narrow at me, the clear emerald color of them striking and burning hot into my skin. All of the fight leaves my body at once; the loathing at myself and the hell I’m stuck in overwhelms me until my mouth starts running. I’d say anything to get him out of here before I lose my shit and say what I know better than to reveal. 

 

“I did the right thing, no matter how you feel about it. Because those are just feelings, Kevin. You can hate me all you like because at least you’re fucking breathing. Now leave. I’m exhausted, and I’m not having this conversation with you right now. Tell Ichirou I’ll be at dinner next week, I know he’s the one that sent you.”

 

---

 

I sleep the remainder of the weekend, only waking to drink water, eat my fill, and use the bathroom. Basic survival and nothing more. When Aaron greets me at my door Monday morning, the air is tense, and I already know something has happened. He looks fucking miserable, dark circles under his eyes and an invisible weight on his shoulders. 

We walk to the dining hall in silence, neither of us willing to speak first. He’s hovering closer this morning, scanning the area and other students constantly, head on a swivel. My senses go on high alert with his, and when my bond reaches out to brush along his, offering a semblance of reassurance, he startles and glances over at me. I get it. I haven’t let it reach out to him before, but he looks like he could use a little comfort in whatever form I can offer. 

 

His voice is a rasp when he finally speaks, “Three more Bonded were taken last night from one of the gated communities about twenty minutes from here. One of my cousin's Bonded is on the list.”

 

Fucking hell.

They’re getting closer. I’m pissed off more than anything. I’ve been careful about not letting my Gift slip, not even the smallest slip of power. Are they here because they know I am, or is it just a terrible coincidence?

I’m freaking the fuck out by the time we reach the dining hall, running every scenario in my head about one of the Resistance teams grabbing my Bonds despite all my efforts. Aaron makes me a plate of eggs and bacon and directs us over to our usual table before I snap out of my panic. It’s rude of me, I know, to not offer condolences, but I have a feeling he doesn’t want to hear them anyway. Speaking it into existence means there’s no hope left, and I don’t want to be the one to put that on him. 

I stew in silence while he returns to the line to grab his own tray of food. I want to ask him to let me go, to let me run. I can draw the Resistance's attention away from MU, keep them and the ones they care about safe. But he’ll never do it, none of them will.

The silence continues until Aaron is done eating, while I only manage to push my food around. 

 

“When you first disappeared… we all thought you were taken.” Oh fuck. “There’d been a lot of clusters in the area, and I was too young to know the details, but my uncle was on the Council, so I heard about the bodies showing up. I thought one of them had to be you. Why else wouldn’t you be with us? Every time news of a new kid showing up brainwashed, I hoped it was you so we could bring you home and save you. Yet all that time, you were just out there living your life.”

 

It’s a sad story, and I feel for him, but a few details are off. I’ve already said too much to him in the last few weeks, and if I say what I want to, he’ll start putting things together, and I can’t have that. But there is one thing I can set straight. 

 

“You know I was in the hospital because of a car accident, right? The only reason they did the blood test to find my Bond matches was because I had no one else to go home with. My entire family died in that crash. I was fourteen, and alone, and terrified. I didn’t just skip away down the yellow brick road to find some better life by a beach.”

“Really? Because Rou told my mom you were spotted working at a records shop in Florida without any markings or ties to the Resistance. He made it clear you ran away by your own volition. How am I just supposed to look past that?”

“You don’t have to look past it, but maybe try seeing it from my point of view. I can’t tell you what you want to hear, Aaron.”

 

He opens his mouth only to shut it again, furrowing his brows with the most conflicted expression I’ve seen him wear. Without saying what’s on his mind, he stands and takes his tray up to the trash. I just keep pushing my eggs around. I was a lot easier to be pissed at him when he was a jealous asshole, but we’ve warmed up to each other in some ways, and hearing what he went through on the other end of my disappearance hit a little close to my guarded heart.

 

“I didn’t make your plate for it to go to waste, you know,” Aaron says once he’s back at the table. 

 

I pick up one piece of bacon and shove the whole thing in my mouth while staring at him. He quirks a brow, his face otherwise blank,  but I see the amusement shining in those golden hazel eyes. He takes my tray with a scoff and carries it over to the trash, too, leaving me staring after him feeling some type of way. It’s new, a fluttering in my chest. I’m used to my Bond tugging towards him, but this is different. This is me.

Aaron follows me out of the dining hall, and we walk side by side towards our first class. His easy smile is back in place, and we stop a few times so he can chat with a few other school athletes. Some football players ask if he’s coming to their next game, a few Exy players ask about practice drills, a cheerleader hinting at wanting his number while I'm standing right fucking here. He doesn’t bat an eye to any of them, carrying on a casual conversation like he wasn’t flighty this morning and we didn’t just have our first ‘heart-to-heart’ without screaming at each other. He tactfully ignores the cheerleader, too. He runs his knuckles down my arm to my fingers, sending a shiver down my spine and putting a scowl on her face. 

Huh. That’s a nice feeling.

Matt meets us by the doors to our Econ class, and when Aaron takes the seat right next to me instead of his usual three down, he raises his dark brows but doesn't say anything. He’s my best friend for a reason.

 

I wait till class is in full swing and everyone is busy in their own worlds before I lean over into Aaron's shoulder and whisper, “I can’t bond with you, but maybe we can be friends if we put effort into not ripping into each other.”

He hums low in his throat, sending another shiver down my spine that I understand but still find nerve-racking. “Can’t, or won’t?” I meet his eyes, and he must see what I can’t say because his jaw loosens where he was clenching it. He sighs, then settles on, “I’ll give it a shot if you will. We can figure out the Bond shit later.”

I settle back into my seat until class finishes, and only when everyone stands to leave do I tack on, “Later needs to be at least a month out because I can’t handle any more emotional talk.”

“Yeah, yeah. We all know you have the emotional bandwidth of a Band-Aid. Just expect me to continue to watch your every move, and we’ll call it a day.”

“Stalker kink. Would call that hot, but I don’t really see the appeal.”

 

Matt burst out laughing the second it’s out of my mouth and too late to take back. Aaron looks at me with unfiltered exasperation, and I let out a chuckle of my own. It’s always fun to rile him up. We’re standing and walking out of the class when Matt bumps my arm, shooting me a look I can’t decipher until I do.

I just flirted. With Aaron. 

I shake it off and decide to change to subject, unwilling to dwell or admit to that revelation.

 

“Alright. The first rule of Reject Club is that we hate Jack and want to kill him. If you can’t get behind that, see yourself out now.”

Aaron shakes his head, but Matt, the puppy dog, is quick to intercept. “We don’t want him dead, we just wish he wasn’t such a dick and let Sarah actually talk to me.”

Aaron stills at that, turning around to meet Matt's eyes. “He won’t let Sarah talk to you?”

Matt shakes his head, now looking like a kicked puppy. “It started off small, our daily talks turned weekly, calls became texts, then they stopped completely. When I mentioned it to her, she looked to Jack then to me, like she was asking for permission to speak to me. She still talks to my parents, acts like nothing is wrong, but gives me the cold shoulder. And Jack is always picking a fight knowing I won't go song with it.”

“Fuck,” Aaron breaths out, running a hand through his short blonde hair. “I knew you all had issues between you, but I always assumed they were in the right. That’s my bad, dude. I’m sorry.”

Matts shrugs, “No worries. Jack’s a good actor.”

 

Aaron still looks torn, and I keep darting my eyes between them, unbelieving at what I’m seeing. They’re getting along. Freaky. 

 

“Fuck that. I want him dead. We can put Sarah in a safe house, and then you can pursue Ella. She has my vote anyway.”

 

We turn the corner to find Ella herself, eyes wide but a smile on her red face. I bring my lips between my teeth, trying to stifle my laugh while Matt's dark skin turns a shade of burgundy. 

 

“I knew running off to heal you would come in my favor. Thanks, Neil.”

 

She giggles as she passes us, slipping into the Econ classroom for the next class. Matt whirls on me while Aaron cracks up laughing. 

 

“I can’t believe you just said that. I can’t believe she just heard you say that!”

“Well, can you believe she didn’t deny it?” I ask cheekily.

 

Matt pushes my shoulder hard enough that I stumble into Aaron's side, and his hand finds my hip to catch me, instantly raising my heart beat. I ignore it. I swear I do. Only Aaron's smirk when I glance at him tells me he didn’t.

 

“This isn’t up for a vote, Neil,” Matt chides. “Now hurry up, we’ll be late for History, and Andrew will start a whole new smear campaign against you.”

 

I roll my eyes but feel Aaron stiffen before he pulls his hand back and straightens, stalking forward without looking back. I feel Matt's eyes on me, but I don't look up at him. Aaron puts a lot of Andrew’s hatred toward me on his own shoulders. Our truce, our friendship, is doomed to fail. But Andrew is his twin, so I won’t say anything on the matter. They’ll need each other to fall back on when I leave.

 

---

 

Matt is the first to point out the shift when we sit down. Everyone in the room is glancing over at the three of us, attention darting between Aaron and I talking about how angry Ichirou probably is over me missing Friday's dinner. 

 

“Kate looks a little lonely,” Matt whispers to my left.

“Serves the bitch right,” I murmer. I look over to Aaron, trying ot read his reaction, but he just comes right out and says it.

“She broke the rules Wymack set. You deserved to win, and he’s already thrown her out of class for it. Her parents are furious, but Kevin went to speak to them directly. You can’t join a TacTeam if you have no loyalty to your team.”

 

Despite that it’s not about me but her integrity, it still feels like a win. 

That good feeling lasts until Andrew walks in, wearing his usual all black. His eyes flick to where Aaron sits to my right, but he doesn't react. His face is as blank as it always is. He plugs in his laptop and stands infront of the desk centered at the front, leaning against it and crossing his arms over his wide chest.

 

“Someone tell me about the Tier System.”

 

Hands shoot up, most definitely not mine, because fuck that, and Andrew picks someone on the other side of the room.

 

“When the three Councils of the Gifted communities came together to create the Centralized Bonds network, they created a system of categorizing the Gifted and their abilities. The strongest Gifted have three levels of power; primary, secondary, and incidental. Most Gifted have primary Gifts, some have a secondary as well, and very few have an incidental.” 

 

Andrew nods at her and turns his back without acknowledging her. “Right. So the blood tests and DNA sequencing can tell us more than just who your Bonds are, it can also give signs of what your Gift is. Testing is then done within specially considered parameters to gauge what Tier your Gift is on. Why is this done?”

 

More hands shoot up but this is actually something that interests me, so I keep my snarky thoughts locked away for a moment so I can hear his reasoning. Not that I think he’s always right. There’s always a sugar-coated bullshit pill given out to the general public and then there’s the truth, and this is one case that I’m sure they’ll lie about. 

 

“Bragging rights. Everyone wants to know who the top dog is.”

 

I don’t know this girl but her shirt is so low that I’m sure Nox is getting a great view of her nipples right now if he actually cared to look. 

 

“You’re guessing and you’re wrong, don’t waste my time. Anyone else?” 

 

Fewer hands are raised this time, but Andrew picks Aaron to answer. I’ve never actually seen them interact with each other outside of the stupid Bond dinners we’re all trapped at, and I’m not enjoying having Andrew's eyes on me as he stares us both down. 

 

“TacTeams are picked with the highest Tier of the Gifted. The Council was originally picked from the strongest of our community, but these days it’s also a tag-and-release system. If the Resistance takes someone, then we need to know how strong they are for when they’re sent back brainwashed. Nothing more dangerous than a walking time bomb wearing your neighbor’s face.” 

 

Fuck. 

How close I’d come to being one of those brainwashed zombies put back into the community with the sole purpose of finding other high Tier Gifted and dragging them back to the Resistance, killing anyone who attempted to stop me… it’s terrifying. 

Andrew turns away and starts the lecture, highlighting everything Aaron said, because my Bond had gotten it right. 

Matt notices my mini freakout and shoots me a worried look, his hand knocking mine gently in reassurance, but there’s nothing either of us can do or say in the middle of class. Not without Andrew losing his shit at me in another public spectacle that I have no interest in, so I take a deep breath and just work through it.

As I take notes, my hand creeps up to the back of my neck, rubbing at the bump under my skin where the killer GPS chip is buried, like a reminder to myself that no matter how badly I want to run, I can’t.

Chapter 12: Spring Break

Summary:

A spring break pool party with a bunch of gifted asshole elitist. What could go wrong?

---

 

Who has plans for Spring Break? Not me. At least, I didn’t. 

Well, other than staying in my shitty dorm room and cramming when I’m not sleeping or stuffing my face. Low key spring break, I can work with that. I also plan to explore the campus more. I’ve run perimeter road a few times, but I never left the path. I’m in my own head when I run and just needed to blow off steam so I haven’t gotten a good look at the business around.

Time for that to change if I’m serious about getting a job.

If I can earn some money, then I can take the risk of having my brain explode from the chip when I make a run for it. At this point, I’m fairly sure Ichirou wouldn’t actually kill me, not unless I became a danger to them all, but without money, I’m still trapped here. 

There isn’t a person in this closed-off community who doesn’t know who I am and the fact that a TacTeam dragged me back here, so there’s no chance of me hitchhiking my way out of here. I need money and I need someone to dig the chip out from under my skin. Maybe I can bribe Ella? She knows I have a Gift and has kept her mouth shut so far. Something to consider.

There’s a cafe, a diner, and the campus bookshop as potential jobs but when I drop off my resumé’s, two shoot me down on the spot. I understand the bookshop because Ichirou probably forewarned them, but the cafe makes less sense to me. 

The diner it is, so long as I can convince Ichirou to actually let me work there.

Matt knocks my shoulder good naturedly. He forgot for a minute that I didn’t know every nitty gritty detail of literally everyone’s life on campus like him and Allison. He hands me a water bottle the moment we get into his room, and we find the devil herself already there, drinking, and even though I don’t want to go to the party they’re both attending, Aaron has already messaged me to say he got me a free pass from Ichirou to attend. Matt is now obsessed with the idea of me and Aaron working our shit out since we’ve formed some semblance of a connection. 

He’s obsessed enough that the moment he starts pre-gaming with shots, it’s all he can talk about.

 

“You’re going to end up Bonded to him. There’s no way you’re going to see Aaron fucking Minyard shirtless at the party tonight and not fuck his brains out.” 

I choke on my water so hard that it goes up my freaking nose. Once I can breathe again, I give Matt’s drunk ass a stern look. “I’ve seen it, and while there’s no denying he’s attractive, I’m not fucking anyone anytime soon. I haven’t even- Fuck. Nope. Not having this conversation.”

Allison pulls a face at me without looking in my direction, all of his focus on the phone in front of her face. “You haven’t even, what, Neil? I want details, babes.”

Matt ruffles her perfect blonde hair, earning a glare, but already stumbling across the line of tipsy and right into wasted, and pays her no mind. Sarah posted about her Bonded ring that Jack gave her. Bonded rings are kind of a big deal at the best of times, the closest that someone in the Gifted community gets to an engagement. Matt had wanted to give her one, had it picked out and everything. But then Sarah stopped talking to him completely.

From the look on Allison’s face, she’s equally pissed about her brother being abandoned when he’s, like, the best guy there is.

My second phone buzzes in my pocket and I check it.

 

French Fry:

What are you up to tonight, Mon Petit Lier?

 

 

His little Bond.

 

Neil:

Spring break pool party with the upper class pinheads. 

And Matt & Allison.

Wish me luck.

 

French Fry:

Everyone better behave themselves or they’re in for it when I transfer.

That goes for you too. Behave.

 

Neil:

Yeah, yeah. Behave yourself.

“If you and Jean start sexting, I will confiscate your phone. If I’m doomed to be unloved and alone forever, the least you could do is keep that lovey-dovey shit out of my face,” Matt pouts and I scoff at him. 

“Oh, please, I’m staying un-Bonded forever, remember? Not even if Aaron and I are finally able to speak to each other without going for the throat.” 

“Jesus fucking Christ, if you too keep moping, I’m leaving you both here. You're both ruining my buzz. Not cool.”

Matt pouts and crosses his arms, then leans forward to me to pretend to whisper, “Big sisters are the worst. Allison’s just mad that her girlfriend isn't coming tonight and she has to babysit us both without the promise of hooking up after we get back.” 

 

Wait a minute, she’s half the size of Matt, why would she have to babysit him? Never mind. It makes more sense as Matt reaches for another shot. 

Also? Girlfriend, not Bond. 

It’s a small word choice, but a clear distinction in our world that makes all of the difference. Whoever Allison is fated to be with, she hasn’t found them yet, and she’s not waiting around for them. I get it, I found my own Bonds at such a young age, which skewed my own decisions on that front. Matt also had his options ripped away from him. It's bullshit.

 

“Who’s your girlfriend? Is she nice?”

 

She scoffs at me but then she’s tapping on her phone and turning the screen around to show me a beautiful woman with dimples and rainbow tipped hair. Pastels too, pretty. I tell her as much and she practically glows with the compliment for her girlfriend.

 

Matt groans and collapses back on the bed. “Don’t get her started on Renee. I’ve already heard enough about how perfect she is, and what an amazing goalkeeper she is, and how beautiful she is and, ugh! She sent Allison a bouquet of roses! Just because! When I tried that last year, Sarah dropped them on my front porch that same afternoon.” 

“Fuck her, and Jack. I’ll send you flowers, Matt. Men deserve flowers, too.”

Matt almost cries, I swear, when he says, “This is why you're my best friend!”

 

We really should cut him off.

 

---

 

I’m right, per usual, but don’t tell anyone I said that. They’ll rub in my face how I’m anything but.

Allison and I make Matt eat something and sober up a little before she drives us over to the Halliwell’s mansion for the pool party in her Pepto-Bismol convertible. We look absolutely ridiculous. Apparently it’s the social gathering to be at though, so we have to park down the block and walk up, cars double parked all over the streets. Most of the gated communities around here are full of Gifted families though, so no one bats an eyelid as we all pile out. 

It’s warm and humid out now that spring is in full swing here in South Carolina. The house would’ve looked luxurious and amazing to me a few months ago, but after spending so much time at Ichirou's and then over at Matt’s, the whole mansion spectacle has worn off on me. I really don’t give a shit how many wood-paneled libraries and butler’s wings a house has. 

I care about whether or not the people in them are assholes. Spoiler alert, they usually are.

Allison tries to discreetly find wine glasses as we work our way through the kitchen and dining rooms but Matt’s not willing to wait around for that sort of luxury and drinks it straight from the bottle. I find a storage room somewhere on the first floor to hide in until the Council members all clear out of the house and into the garden. 

They’re acting like they need to be as drunk as freaking possible before facing anyone, but I need to be on alert. If the Council is here, that means the two Aaron warned me about are too. No way am I risking Sharpe or Vititoe rummaging through my head.

Because we’re in an obscenely luxurious mansion, there’s a couch and table in the storage room. Of course. There’s also some stacked barstools, and the wifi is so good in here that Allison just pulls out a seat and fucks around on her phone while Matt chugs down the wine and I stand guard like someone’s going barge in and steal them away. 

 

Matt clicks his tongue as he reads over his phone, “Ella can’t make it, she’s going to some study thing with the other pre-med students.”

I shake my head at him because he’s fooling exactly no one with his attempts at keeping her at arm’s length. 

“You should give her a shot. She’s nice and she obviously likes you, no doubt about that.” 

He groans and drops the wine. “She’s too good for me, man.”

Then his phone buzzes again and he gets back to texting Ella. The only thing that’s actually keeping them apart is fear and the damage that Sarah has done on Matt. I think with enough patience and gentle prodding, he’ll get past that and be much happier with the infatuated Exy striker. 

 

Aaron finds us an hour later, cooped up and talking over our phones together. He takes one look at us all and rolls his eyes. “Jesus, Matt, that’s a thousand dollar bottle of wine you’re chugging back here.”

Allison raises her eyes to meet my bonds, smirking. “I have good taste.” Then she turns a glare to her brother before snarking, “too bad I didn’t get any.

“How the fuck are we supposed to get him out of here? I mean, I’d offer to help carry him, but we’re all half his height, guys.”

 

Solid point. Too bad we didn’t think about that beforehand.

 

“Where’s Seth? Did he come?”

Aaron turns to blink at me while Allison is the one to shake her head. Eyes still on her phone she asks, “Why? Like he’d help.”

“Maybe,” I shrug. “It’s either him or Kevin, and fuck that option.”

 

Nope. Can’t deal with him again anytime soon after almost spilling all my secrets the last time.

 

“I’m fine, I swear! I can walk. Neil, come be my crutch just in case though.”

 

I do as Matt asks, moving over to him and he drops his arm over my shoulders like I really am a human crutch. Whatever works I guess, time to go. Halfway through the kitchen Allison curses under her breath and grabs Matt’s hand, pulling him through the throng of people. Matt simultaneously drags me along with Aaron at my side, pressing closer as we go. I’m about to snap at him to back to fuck off because bond in my chest wants to jump his fucking bones while I am perfectly fine with where we’ve finally found ourselves getting along. I don’t get a chance to because his palm covers my mouth the second I turn towards him.

 

He ignores my death glare murmuring , “Ichirou and Sharpe are having a disagreement over the protocol now that the Resistance is getting closer to the campus. He’s already made it well known that he’s not above coming after you. Hate Rou all you want, but he’s keeping you away from a whole lot of shit right now.” 

 

Dammit. I don’t want to owe that man anything, but even I can’t deny that he’s helping out big time with that shit. 

Distracting myself from the prospect of ever truly thanking Ichirou for anything, I head over to the pool house with Allison. Her bikini is on under her outfit, but I wore my usual jeans and sneakers so I go into the bathroom with the bag she hands me to change. Matt is sprawled out on a lounger when we get back and Allison throws a towel over his face. Allison had taken the liberty of buying my swim trunks for me after Matt filled her in on my wallet having exactly zero dollars in it. When I look up, I find Aaron staring at me like I’ve grown an extra head.

 

“What? What the hell are you looking at?”

 

They’re swim trunks, nothing fancy. A hot pink Allison insists is ‘in’, whatever that means, that falls to my mid thigh. Okay, they’re a bit short compared to everyone else’s here, but once again, she assured me it was perfect. Im also still wearing my black tee but I refuse to take it off, so that’s probably it.

 

He grunts at me, shaking his head and muttering under his breath as he jumps head first into the pool, “I fucking hate you.”

 

Well, what the fuck have I done to him now? 

 

Allison knocks into me as she shifts around to smirk at me. “C’mon, Hatford, you haven’t even drunk anything. Give the guy a break.” 

I’m lost, utterly freaking lost, but then Matt steps up next to me and drops, “Guess he had to cool down a little. Have you seen your legs, Neil?” I scoff at them both because it can’t be that. But then Allison adds, “or maybe your ass? Because, damn.”

 

I know I’ve gotten into better shape since I’ve arrived, especially with TT class, but it can’t be that. There’s plenty of guys and girls here but who look like they could pull Aaron, and based on his previous flirting, he probably has. He’s gay, I know he is, but he could have experimented with a girl or too. All this to say, his reaction couldn’t have been because of how I look.

Right?

I step into the pool, Allison following after and leaving her brother passed out poolside. There’s a huge tattoo spanning her entire right leg that I had no idea the little computer-nerd-slash-preppy-girl had. I’m impressed. The art’s beautiful and accentuates her curves. 

I keep half an eye on Aaron where he’s talking to some other Exy players, laughing and joking with them only a few feet away from us. Even when they attempt to talk him into a beer pong tournament happening as far away from the council bullshit as it can possibly be, he says no, jerking his head in my direction without any further explanation. It makes me feel like a burden when I can handle myself just fine.

 

"I don't understand why I have to be here," I practically whine. No, it's totally a fucking whine because I don’t understand why they're insisting on me being here if I’m just going to be everyone’s problem. A pool party. A pool party full of Gifted, Bonds and Bonded. The Council. Jack and Sarah and Ichirou and fuck knows who else?! I don’t want to be here.

 

Matt’s deep voice carries over from the lounge chair behind where Allison and I have taken post in the water. "Apparently it's a rite of passage. I didn’t want to come, but apparently this is supposed to be something we’ll look back on, years from now, and be so thankful we attended.” 

 

I already know which one of his parents had said it to him because Stephanie is so freaking obsessed with Matt being ‘normal’. She’s all torn up over the idea that Sarah rejected him and now he’s hanging out with me, what will that mean for the Boyd/Reynolds name? Yeah, he and Allison have their mothers last names. Something rare in the gifted community when they share the same father, but I don’t have my fathers last name either.

When the crowd starts moving towards the food tables being laid out by the caterers, because of course this college party is being catered, we take stock of how we’re feeling and decide food isn’t a good idea right now. Well, the food is a great idea, but I don’t feel like getting out of the water now that feels warm. 

Aaron offers to grab me something, his shitty attitude over with, but I brush him off, watching as he hauls himself out of the water and walks over to the tables without bothering to grab a towel or cover up. Jesus, he really is hot. His natural pale complexion has deepened into a golden tan over the last few weeks, I can see it in the tan lines and his large biceps. 

 

“You look like you’re about to start drooling. Are you sure you can’t just fuck him?” Matt whispers far too loudly at me and I splash him with the water where he’s finally sitting up. 

Allison rolls her eyes at us both from where she’s perched on the side of the pool. “Not without bonding to him, and apparently that’s off of the table. A shame.” 

I nod, pulling my face into the picture of seriousness. “Absolutely not, no bonding.” 

 

I glance over at Aaron and find him standing there with Ichirou, talking together before they both turn as one to look over at me. 

Goddammit.

 

“Fuck yes, Renee just got back. We need to leave here, now,” Allison says quickly, standing up and waving her hands at Matt. 

“I have to wait for Aaron, just to let him know you guys are taking me back to the dorms. You're still cool with that, right?” 

Allison scoffs at me, “Of course, we’re not leaving you here to deal with those assholes alone.” 

 

I grin at her and extend my thanks, happy at how easy it’s become between us. 

 

A low whistle carries through the air once I’m up and out of the pool, reaching down for a towel. “Nice legs, runaway. They must have gotten you plenty of customers on the run, right?”

 

I freeze at the sound of his voice and when I finally turn around, yup, sure enough, it’s fucking Keith. Matt scowls at him but I hold out an arm to stop him from doing anything about him. 

 

Allison, on the other hand, crosses her arms and cocks a hip. “Excuse you?”

 

I just want to leave, some coward’s opinion of my character or body means less than nothing to me. My Bonds opinions on me is steadily becoming a problem but fuck this guy.

 

“What the fuck did you just say to my Bond?” 

 

I turn and instinctively shove myself into Aaron’s heaving chest. It’s a bad move because he’s practically naked and I’m soaking wet and my own bond has a freaking field day with the warmth from his skin. He barely notices me though, the anger coursing through him is more than enough to distract him from me. It’s kind of hot and I have to remind myself that it has nothing to do with him protecting me and everything to do with his own reputation. 

 

“Just when I thought Aaron couldn’t get any more pathetic, he’s simping after the little boy who threw him away. Is he really that good on his knees, Minyard?” 

 

Aaron moves around me but when I go to block him again I hesitate. His arms are encased in black shadows. It’s spreading from his fingertips up to his elbow, wisps lick into the air like they’re breathing, seeking out the intended target. The crowd around us suddenly goes quiet, the fear rippling through everyone is so palpable that I almost choke on it. 

I step back and bump into Allison, who is frozen behind me, and when she comes to we both throw ourselves in front of Matt, which is dumb because he’s the badass who could light us all on fire if he wanted to and stands as tall as a mountain. There’s shouting over at the main house but I’m too busy backing Matt up against the pool fence, trying to keep him clear of whatever the fuck is about to happen. 

Instinctively, I know I’m safe. I don’t know how or why I feel that way, but my Bond is calm and my Gift is settled. I moved in front of Matt and Allison in fear for their safety, not my own. Matt sobers up instantly and grabs their bags, pulling Allison behind him now as they back further away into the yard.

 

“You two go, I’m staying.” I keep my eyes on Aaron, unwilling to look away even for a second

“Are you fucking-“

“Go!”

 

Matt grimaces but does as he’s told and they’re rounding the house before I even turn around to check. Aaron’s bare chest is heaving, like he can’t breathe, like he’s panicking. 

He’s losing control.

I don’t think. A very stupid thing not to do in hindsight but whatever. I step into Aaron's path, bracketing his face with my hands but don’t dare touch him. His eyes are black and I fight back my startle because holy shit he has them too. I thought I was the only one. He blinks once, twice, and the shadows begin to recede, his eyes turning back golden hazel.

 

“Aaron,” I whisper so no one else can overhear. “Breathe, Bond. I’m safe. I’m right here.” Just like how I know he’s not going to hurt me, I know that’s what the bond in his chest is worried about. “Let’s go, yeah? Drive me back? Just us. Matt and Allison went home.”

 

“What the hell is going on here? What have you done to my son?” 

 

I glance around to find a crowd forming around us, muttering and with a whole lot of phones pointed in our direction. I didn’t even know Kevin was here, but there he stands, looking at Keith with glowing white eyes. He’s using his gift to… Keith is standing a few feet away, fist raised at me and standing still as a statue.

Holy fucking shit.

Keith’s father is here with a savage look on his face. He’s shorter than Kevin and dressed in a suit, probably either on the council or works for someone who is. He looks a lot like his son, and he has the same gutless asshole air about him that sets my teeth on edge. Aarons rolls his shoulders back, coming back into himself completely. His jaw set like he’s planning on just taking whatever this dickhead says to him on the chin, and that doesn’t sit right with me at all.

 

“You always did have a vicious temper and little to no control over yourself. I’ll have you off of the Exy team for this—”

I jump in without thinking of how it looks or which of Ichirou’s rival councilmen surround us. “It was me. Aaron was defending me.” 

 

As if called over by my admission, the crowd parts and Ichirou appears at Kevin’s side. He's holding a plate of food, which my brain registers but doesn’t really do much with because his face is a mask of thunderous rage.

 

Ichirou’s eyes flick over the entire scene and then he says, “What’s happened, David?” 

No one says a word, so I take the moment to butt in, throwing myself under the bus. Aaron stepped in for me and I’m not letting him take the fall for that. Exy is his life, I have nothing left to lose. “Keith Shifted in the maze during TT and hunted me down to use me as bait for the pond… girl. He started mouthing off and Aaron was defending me.”

 

No, I will not be mentioning what was actually said. Aaron losing control was enough, and the shit Keith spewed is enough to have Ichirou at his throat if he gave even an ounce of shit about me. The look on Kevin’s face says I made the right call, but I also know we’re going to have another long conversation about this.

 

Ichirou’s eyes flick around the scene, taking it all in. He’s probably suspicious as fuck that I’m covering for Aaron but he only says, “You cannot fault Aaron for defending his Bond, nor Kevin for protecting him. Seems your son took it too far when he made to attack Nathaniel with his back turned.”

 

David’s eyes flick back over to me and when they begin to glow, Kevin shifts to plant himself in front of me, his hands relaxed by his side, but the tension in his shoulders tells me he’s ready to throw down with this Gifted man if he tries anything like his son. Ichirou shoves the plate of food at me and steps towards David.

 

“Take him home as he asked, Aaron.”

 

No one dares to question him. I don’t even question how he heard me whispering. Aaron doesn’t look fazed by the stern order either, he just grabs a towel and slings it over my shoulders. He takes my hand, and I let him, following along as he stalks through the house and to his bike. Allison’s pink monstrosity is gone when we get to the street. Aaron pulls the towel over my head, ruffling my curls and grumbling under his breath before shoving the spare helmet into my chest. 

Then, he pulls it back before I can take it.

“Why did you do that? Neil, I- I could have fucking killed you back there, what is wrong with you?”

“I knew you wouldn’t have hurt me.” 

His face is pure tortured confusion. “You-“

“I can’t tell you how I knew, but I knew. I know now. You wouldn’t ever hurt me, Aaron. Not with whatever the fuck your gift is, anyway.” 

Notes:

Real quick, I need names for the shadow creatures, iykyk 😉

Andrews is a fox and Aaron’s is going to be the original Doberman because, come on lol

Chapter 13: I deserve to have a turn!

Summary:

Aaron and Neil have a chat, and a morning workout doesn’t go as planned 👀

Notes:

Hi! So, I changed some small details in the last two chapters. Nothing major, just that Neil never takes off his shirt. Neil has scars, and while Oli doesn’t because of her bond, Neil’s are important to the story. Thank you, ShaHaveMercy, for pointing that out! So, if you want to go back to when Ella heals him after TT or the pool scene, you can, but it’s not necessary as long as you know he hasn’t bared his chest going forward!

Also! I know the term Bond is used a lot and with different contexts, so a briefing lol

Bond: The soul within your chest
Bond: A person your own Bond is matched to, essentially your soul mate
Bond: An attachment between two or more souls (ei. they’ve formed a bond)
Bonded: A person who you’ve bonded with, aka had sex with and your bonds attached 😂

I know, it’s a lot, but this should hopefully help 🖤

---

 

“So, care to explain to me what the hell just happened?”

 

Aaron is posted up against my door, arms crossed and brows furrowed like he’s debating even speaking to me. The bike ride over wasn’t as pleasant as it usually is, the wind making my wet shirt sticky against my skin. Aaron had slipped on his shirt before the ride, but his hair now stands up in every direction from wet helmet hair. I don’t even acknowledge how crazy my curls must look from the same treatment. I’m too occupied taking in his every detail.

 

“What do you mean? You were there, you saw,” he grumbles.

“Fucking obviously,” I start, falling onto my bed. “That doesn’t mean I know what I saw, or what Kevin’s Gift is. You're the poster boy for control, from what I’ve seen, so what did Keith’s dad mean about you not having any over your Gift? Oh, also, add in why you defended me in the first place, because I know we’re friends now, but I still didn’t expect that. Or Kevin to interfere, like, at all.”

 

I’m winded as I finish. Damn, I really just threw all that out there. 

 

Aaron raises his head back and it thunks softly on the door. We simmer in silence for a beat, taking each other in, like we’re trying to see how much we can safely say to each other without facing backlash. He won’t get any from me tonight. I want to know all the inner workings of his Gift, but I’m not naive enough to think he’ll give away Kevin’s. 

 

“Andrew and I are twins,” says lowly, which- “Yeah, yeah, obviously. Shut up and listen if you want me to keep going. Thank you. Twins are rare in our community, especially identical twins. We’re mirror images, except for a few things. We both control the Shadows, and we both have Nightmare Creatures. But where Andrew has complete control and confidence in his… Mine are faral. I never wanted them. I know what they can do and I never wanted- So I didn’t…”

“You haven’t used them enough yet to have control over them.”

Aaron nods as he brings his hands to his hair. “I may be the poster boy for control, as you put it, but that’s because I never use my Gift. Everyone knows what I have, and everyone knows that if I use it, everyone around is fucked, so I don’t. It’s on lockdown.”

“I…” Fuck. Too close to home. I want to comfort him, offer my own truth that is so much like his, but… I can’t do that. “Have you worked with Andrew before? Asked for advice or training?”

“Yeah, and we have before. Trained together, I mean. But we don’t exactly talk, I guess. We weren’t raised together, and it's never been smooth sailing between us.”

“You weren’t raised together?” Twins are rare, but nothing bad. I’ve never heard of splitting siblings up for any reason.

“That’s another story for another time, Bond. Tonight was just me snapping when I shouldn’t have. No, I don’t mean that I shouldn’t have defended you because fuck the shit he said. I wanted to fucking kill him. I shouldn’t have lost control like that, especially in mixed company.”

 

I promptly shut my mouth and drop my elbows to my knees. My fingers catch on tangles as I run them through my hair. He genuinely stuck up for me. Me, as a person, not because I’m his bond and my reputation affects his own. I don’t know what to do with that, not yet. I’m used to the tug in my chest when he’s around, but the one from my gut is new, and I don’t know what it means. 

Okay, I do, but what am I supposed to do with that? Because the tingling along my spine when he speaks in that low voice of his, the goosebumps on my skin when his fingers trail over my arms, the way my lungs seize when he looks at me like that. It all makes it very obvious I want more out of this than a friendship, and I can’t do that. 

I still can’t bond with him.

 

“Okay,” is all I can say.

“Okay.”

 

---

 

Aaron left last night looking like he wanted to ask for my own life story but held back, probably knowing I wasn’t going to say shit. He did leave with an order to be ready by 6am today, so here I am. My running shorts are tied tight, as are my Converse, and my gray hoodie hangs baggy on my frame. It’s snugger in the shoulders now from the muscle I’ve gained, but I’m not growing in the height department, so it still falls past my hips.

I meet him downstairs and find him on his bike in the drop-off zone of the lot. I pull the helmet on and swing my leg over, straddling the bike like a pro. The air is warm and dewy, but I still lean into Aaron’s back while I wrap my arms around his waist, letting his warmth seep into my chest. I enjoy it more than I should. 

I’m surprised when we pull up at the TT training center. Even more so when I spot Andrew in the far corner lifting weights in a black compression top. Since he’s always in long sleeves, this is the first time I’m seeing his bare forearms. Bare being a relative term because they are wrapped in a black smoke like Aaron’s had been when his Gift came to the surface. I see what he had meant by Andrew having more control over his shadows. They stay firmly in place on his arms, if not swirling tightly before flowing out around his wrists in waves before crashing back up to his elbows. Aaron has a key to place, not a shocker at all, honestly, but apparently, Andrew does too. He is interim faculty for the time being, so I guess it makes sense that he would have keys to the campus buildings.  He spots us when we spot him, and he comes to a stop mid-rep, holding the bench press to his chest for a breath before lifting it easily and racking it back. 

 

“The fuck are you two doing here?”

 

Ah, not a morning person, I see. 

 

“Kevin wants me to work with him on his stances and basic self-defense techniques. The only free time I have is mornings.”

 

That’s nice to know. I wasn’t told why the fuck I’m here, and now that I know, I’d rather ditch and go back to bed. I know how to defend myself. While Christopher taught me a curl routine, Alexander taught me how to hold my own, physically and mentally. He was a neuro and a tough guy, so while I wasn’t playing Exy outside, I was learning to block out a brain sweep and throw a right hook by the time I was 10. 

I don’t say any of that, though. I choose to watch the twins verbally spar.

 

“Why not night train with Kevin himself?”

“Why not use the gym at the house?”

 

“Alright, enough of that.” I pause before I continue, caught off guard by both their eyes looking me up and down. Aaron’s gaze is heated, but Andrew’s is… Intrigue, maybe? I clear the huskiness from my throat before continuing. “If I’m going to be here, I want to get this over with, so can we please?”

 

“Don’t say that word,” two eerily similar voices say, one a snarl and one a gentle reminder. And both faces are wiped clean now, blank and void of all emotion.

 

Also, a reminder of what, I don’t know, because no one said some words were off limits in the presence of the goth twin, but oh-kay. I offer two thumbs up in a clearly sarcastic manner and leave them to it, walking to the treadmill without glancing back, even when I hear them whisper-shouting. I yank my hoodie off, dropping it to the ground before I start up the machine. I start slow and plan to work up to my top speed like I usually do in class, but Aaron is standing in front of me a few minutes in.

 

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Get off after a mile.”

 

I nod and look around the gym, but don’t see Andrew anymore. Hopefully, he ran off to shower and leave. I do as I was told and slow the treadmill down to stop before hoping off, only to sit down on the mats to stretch because my dumb ass didn’t do it before the run, too caught up in wanting to get away from Andrew. I’m bent over one leg, the other folded in, when Aaron plops down beside me.

 

“So, can I know why you’re taking prerecs with me while he’s a TA made Professor when you two are only two years older than me?”

“I knew it would come up eventually,” he huffs, leaning back on his palms. He’s changed out now, but sweat-free, so he hasn’t warmed up any. “Kind of goes along with the not being raised together, but I can tell you this, I guess. I took a gap year to catch up with my cousin and get my GED, while Andrew graduated from high school at 16.”

“Oh, and you gave me so much shit for dropping out!”

“Yeah, I know. I had a reason for it, though. You just-”

“You say I just ran off without a care in the world, one more time, I will leave you here and call this friendship quits now.”

 

Aaron shrugs and starts stretching, telling me everything I needed to know about where that was heading. Fuck. He must have dropped out, too, if he got his GED, right? And Andrew graduated at 16? What the fuck? I knew the guy was smart, but damn.  

 

“Moving on, why am I here again?”

“Bonds are being taken daily,” Aaron says, looking at me like I just asked the dumbest question he’s ever heard. “You need to know how to defend yourself if you don’t have a Gift of your own to use. You’re doing well in TT, but we haven’t covered self-defense yet. Kevin and Ichirou both agreed you need all the help you can get when I mentioned training you.”

 

Ouch. So it wasn’t even Kevin's idea; Aaron just had to use his twin's best friend against him. Way to judge when they don’t know shit. I’m seeing a running theme here.

 

“I know how to defend myself,” I argue, all the good it does me when Aaron just fucking chuckles at me. “How do you think I lasted on the streets so long?”

“I mean, Andrew has his theories…”

“Andrew can eat a dick, I’m sure he’s a pro at it by now. I’m serious, Aaron. We talked about this, remember? I didnt do those things.”

“I remember,” he says softly, then lightly adds, “Have we reached an emotional connection yet, Bond?”

“Are you ser-”

“I’m joking!!” 

 

I shake my head at him and can’t help the small smile that forms on my face. I get back to stretching, this time straightening them both out and reaching for my toes. I hold for a few seconds before working down slowly until I’m holding my heels instead. A low groan from the side pulls me up and I shoot Aaron a look, because what the fuck was that? He looks sheepish, like he didn’t mean to make the sound, but his hand is pressing down on his crotch, and his cheeeks are red, and holy shit-

 

“I’m not joking when I ask, just how flexible are you, Neil, because this isn’t fair to watch.”

“Aaron…”

“No, I know, just. Fucking hell, you looked hot a sin bent in half like that.”

 

Did his voice drop a whole octave, yes, and it has the bond in my chest straining against my hold, trying to reach out to his. Who knew words in that tone was all it took to get my cock half hard? I stumble to my feet and put some distance between us, but the look of distress on Aaron's face makes my nerves settle a bit. He’s worried he’s pushed too hard or regrets saying anything. I run a hand through my hair and look anywhere else but over my shoulder as I turn my back to him, palming myself through my shorts and trying my damndest not to make a noise. 

 

“I’m done for the day,” I announce. 

“Uh, yeah,” he agrees from somewhere behind me. “Same time every day from now on. We’ll start with your footwork tomorrow. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

“Breakfast,” I mutter under my breath as I push through the exit doors. 

 

---

 

The cold shower does wonders as I stand under the icy spray and will myself to forget what transpired this morning. I cannot bond with Aaron Minyard. It can’t happen. No matter how hot he is, or how close we’ve gotten, or how his voice is rough and raw when he’s speaking with need directed at me. 

Nope.

I scrub myself raw and ignore the weight between my legs, even though I barely got a run in this morning. Dressed down because it's the weekend, I text Aaron that I’ll meet him at the dining hall. No need to wait for him to show up at my door. I take my time on the walk over, not wanting to show my face any time soon, but I have no choice in the matter. No one is at our table yet, so I take a grateful breath and fill my tray with fruit plates and a yogurt, along with a black coffee, before sitting down. 

Half my food is gone by the time Aaron shows up with a jock in tow, a football player by the lettermans jacket. They have different patches than the Exy teams. I’m introduced and I’m friendly enough, but I don’t go out of my way to talk to the guy. My circle is big enough with Matt, Allison, Ella, Aaron, and fuck Jean. It’s more friends than I’ve ever had before, and I don’t need any more people in my life. 

Too many potential targets. Too many people who might miss me when I run. Too many people for me to miss. 

The jock is long gone when I look up from my tray and glance at Aaron. He’s keeping his head down too, and hasn’t mentioned this morning so I think we’re okay. I’m still stuck in my head, though, so I tell him I’m heading back up to my dorm to work on assignments. On the walk back I text Matt and Jean to tell them the same story. My brain needs a break from social interactions.

I do get some work done, but only after I spend a few hours doom-scrolling on the internet. I don’t have any social media accounts, but I looked up a few of the latest Resistance articles to see just how close they are. The answer is the town over, which I already knew from Aaron, but reading the numbers printed hits a little harder. I skip lunch without even realizing the time, but decide to forgo dinner as well. I mean, I eat a granola bar. It’s not exactly a meal but noone cvase say shit about me starving myself.

I wake up at four in the morning to my phone ringing.

I reach for it instinctively. I set news alerts to push notifications when I researched the articles, but this was a phone call. I thumb the little green icon and bring the phone to my ear, mumbling a sleepy greeting.

 

“Thank fuck, open the door, Neil,” Aaron growls, a heavy thunk on my door singlaning he’s already here.

 

I’m out of bed and stumbling over my sheets before he’s finished knocking, and I dodge the next fist heading for the wooden door that's not swinging open. Aaron stands there panting in a pair of sweats hung low on his hips and a white muscle tee. His hair is as wild as it was the other day, and I want to run my hands through it. A few doors in the hallway creak open, but I grab his wrist and tug him inside before he starts yelling at me because I know it’s coming once he can breathe properly again.

 

“What happened?” I ask once the door is shut and locked behind him. He’s pacing the small space, a ring of shadows around his wrist. I’d think he took to wearing a bracelet if I didn’t know better. 

“Twelve Gifted were taken tonight. Three of them were from this building, heading home from a party off campus. Ichrou said your GPS hadn’t moved but..”

 

Mother fuck…

Too close, they’re getting too close, and I need to leave. I need to go now, screw the tracker, screw the bomb, these poeple can’t keep being taken just because I go to the same university! I shouldn’t even be here!

 

“Neil, calm down.”

“You calm down! We can’t both be spiraling right now, and I deserve to have a turn!”

 

Aaron huffs an aborted laugh but steps closer to where I’m leaning against a wall. I have a handful of hair, yanking enough to feel the pull, but Aaron's hand is on my wrist this time, slowly pulling my fist free. It’s disconcerting how quickly he went from panicked to protective. How I’m so okay with his simple touch. Then again, from the look on his face, he was panicked on my behalf. We’re standing too close, chest to heaving chest. The only light in my room is the shitty bedside lamp thats casting a dull orange glow over Aarons face, just bright enough that I can see the black ring around his iris’s.

Either he’s still on the brink of tipping over, or his Bond is just under the surface, watching me too.

 

“You’re safe. I just needed to know that you’re safe.”

 

I nod along with his words, agreeing that I am, in fact, safe, and acknowledging his worry. I hear my phone ping, this time the notification tone, but I don’t look away from my Bond. It still feels odd calling him that, calling any of them that. I know that's what they are, the other pieces of my soul, but saying it makes it real, and it hurts a hell of a lot more when it’s real.

The next notification from my phone is a text, and that breaks the spell because it’s Jean’s ringtone. Aaron scans my face, then takes a step back, letting me go to grab my phone from my pillow where I tossed it. That’s not the phone that he texted, though. Jean texted on the burner, the one he sent me. I feel Aaron's stare on the back of my head when I pull the second phone from my desk drawer. He could report it back to Ichirou, but I’m hoping we’re past the tattletelling phase. 

 

French Fry:

I heard about the abductions.
There were a few here, too.

I’m pushing for the transfer, I’m not going to sit over here and leave you alone to deal with this shit alone.

 

I want to tell him that I’m not alone. That Matt is the perfect best friend, and Aaron is coming around, and Allison is a catty bitch but one of my closest friends and they can all hold their own. I should tell him, too, then maybe he’ll feel comfortable enough to leave me be and stay as far away as possible. If he shows up, we can’t talk like we do now, I’ll have to push him away like the others because I can’t risk Bonding with any of them. Even more so since Jean and Aaron are both up there in the possibilities now as it is.

 

“And whose phone is that?”

“Mine. Jean sent it over when I learned Ichirou has mine tapped.”

“He’s just looking out for you,” Aaron says, willing me to believe him. I don't.

“No, he doesn’t trust me. Don’t get your relationship with him twisted with mine. He may look out for you like a little brother, but he doesn’t care about me.” 

 

I drop my phone on my nightstand and plop down on my bed, done with the night. Morning. Whatever. I don’t have the emotional copasity to deal with all this shit this early. I lie down and pull the thin covers up to my ears as I curl into myself, my back to the wall, and watch Aaron look around the room again. 

 

“What are you looking for?”

“Just taking in how shit your room is. I’m staying here tonight, and you don’t even have a spare blanket.”

He sounds really put out for a man who doesn’t live here. “Welcome, welcome, you won’t enjoy your stay. Just go home, Aaron.”

“Nah, I’m staying.”

 

My eyelids decide to take his word for it. Another thing to add to the list: I feel inexplicably safe with him, so much so that I’m not worried about being unconscious with him in the same room.

Chapter 14: Thank you, Charlene

Summary:

Neil gets to show off his self defense skills, until he doesn’t, and then gets dragged out to dinner 👀

Notes:

Uhm, hi. Honestly, I have no excuse. I mean, I have plenty, but y’all don’t know my life, so I’ll just drop this and I’ll be back soon lol

---

Classes start back like nothing happened, and I honestly expect nothing less from this fucking school.

Aaron slipped out of my dorm room after his impromptu sleepover and hasn’t mentioned the phone. I haven’t gotten berated by Ichirou, so I think Aaron kept that detail to himself like I had hoped. We do spend every morning working through Kevin’s self-defense routine, and when Aaron reluctantly admits I’m further ahead than either of them suspected, he comes back the next day with an updated version. We don’t run into Andrew anymore, which is a positive in my book. He’s either resigned himself to lift at the house as Aaron had suggested or he’s switched times to when we’re absent.

No one else seems worried about the abductions, but I do spot a few TacTeam operatives walking around campus in plain clothes. I suspect no one else notices them, but I've spent years evading them, and their tells are obvious to me. Matt glues himself to Allison’s side and only leaves her when he hands her off to Renee. She also takes more advanced classes since she’s older than us, which is the reason I hadn’t met her until then.

I finally met Renee a few days ago. She’s actually one of the Exy teams Goalkeepers and well toned under her dress and cardigan combo. She’s nice too, but her serene smile doesn’t match the darkness I see in her eyes. There’s something there, but I can’t name it yet. My bond doesn’t immediately want to kill her, though, so I know she means me no harm and that’s promising. 

After taking a closer look around campus I realize everyone is moving in groups of friends or Bonds, so maybe they’re not as unaffected as I initially thought.

On Friday, Aaron and I split off from Matt and Allison to head to TT. Once we’re changed out and back in the training room, I find a lot of TacTeam members standing around. Half of them turn to get a good look at me, which has the hair on my neck raising, and that’s before I recognize them. They’re the ones who grabbed me and dragged me back here.

I’m about to walk over to one of them, the girl who had tackled me and slammed me into the wall at the dinner I’d been working at, and threaten to throat punch her if she ever lays a hand on me again, when Wymack calls out to start the class, “We’re going to be working on self-defense techniques and head back to the mats.”

 

Instead of anxiety, everyone is buzzing with anticipation around me. I watch the girls look over each other, weighing up potential opponents, while the guys start jostling each other. I stay in my usual spot in the back, but Aaron comes to stand beside me with a few of his teammates following him, offering a friendly enough nod. Oh, so I’m considered a human being again now that Aaron and I have made nice. Awesome.

 

I bump Aaron's elbow with my own to get his attention, and when I have it, I nod across the room towards the dark skinned woman dressed entirely in black Tac gear. “What’s her name?”

He frowns at me but leans in to whisper, “Dan Wilds. She’s Kevin's second in command, and she’s got a temper. Don’t get on her bad side.”

“Too late,” I murmur to myself, and his eyebrows crease in the middle. Before he can ask, Wymack speaks up at the center of the room, though. 

“Let's see how much you maggots have forgotten, shall we? Aubrey, Knox, get on the mats and run through stances, hits, and blocks we’ve already gone through.”

 

A guy I vaguely recognize from the football team walks over, along with one of the girls from further down our row. She isn’t a flirt, and she’s built like a fucking runningback, so clearly she’s a badass. I like her already on principle. She’s also the same height as most of the guys here, which is well taller than I am. I should probably be intimidated by her, or really anyone in this room, but I’m confident in my abilities to hold my own. I was before Aaron started waking me up at the ass crack of dawn to train, but even more so now. 

Aubrey is solid on the mats, precise jabs, and sturdy on her feet, but Knox’s footwork is sloppy. I spot it at the same time as Wymack. His scowl turns sharp before he kicks out the guy's ankle, and the pair sprawl to the floor, Knox taking Aubrey with him in a flail of his limbs. I trap my lips between my teeth to keep from smiling, earning me a withering glare from the uptight bitch across the room. Kevin glances my way, but his eyes flick away just as quickly, making the bond in my chest tug for his approval. 

 

Once the pair is back on their feet, Wymack steps between them and calls out, “The rules are simple; first one to get their opponent's shoulders to the mat wins, and under no circumstances are you allowed to use your Gift. There’s evidence of the Resistance using Gift-blocking drugs, so you need to be able to protect yourself without it.”

 

That gets my blood bumping. Wymack's right, they absolutely have drugs like that, and it’s best to be prepared. 

 

“Hatford, on the mats. I need to see how far behind you are so I can figure out how to fix it.”

I roll my eyes and step onto the mats, taking Knox’s abandoned spot. “There’s nothing to fix, old man. Come on, I thought I was your favorite?” 

 

The TacTeam members standing around stiffen up like they can’t believe I just talked back to their beloved trainer, but Kevin just shakes his head at my antics. I’m stuck between wanting to pretend he doesn't exist in return, or pushing all of his buttons to get a reaction again.

 

“Quit your shit. I’m not letting you off just for running your mouth. Take Aubrey to the mats and I’ll be impressed enough not to make you run suicides for giving me lip.”

“Damn, I must be off my game if you think that’s lip.” I get into position, a stance Aubrey mirrors. Just one more thing, though. I focus my attention back on Wymack and ask, “Why Aubrey?”

“What, too high and mighty to fight a woman?” The girl in question snarks.

A few snickers reach me from our classmates, but I ignore them and smirk at my opponent. “Nah, but you haven’t done anything to earn my ire, so I’ll admit I’m a little reluctant.”

“As soon as I take your ass to the mat you’ll have plenty of reason to fight back,” she grins.

Wymack calls out, “Begin!” and we’re circling each other.

 

She feints right but I stay poised, used to Aaron pulling the same shit. I’m fast, and he’s made sure to drill in how I can best utilize it. A leg is aiming a nasty kick at my ribs before I block it, pushing it away, and I start circling in the opposite direction. Getting angry and impatient, Aubrey steps quickly and pulls an arm back to throw a punch, but I catch her wrist easily and twist it behind her back, kicking out her knees and sending her kneeling in front of me, her heaving shoulders square with my waist as she faces the class. 

We’re not done yet, though; her shoulders need to be flush to the mat. Now that she’s calming down, I’m not dumb enough to try my hand at forcing her down. She has too much strength on me and will outmaneuver me easily. Instead, I release her and step back, already bringing my arms up to protect my face. She doesn't go for another jab, though; she rushes me. Still angry then. I use her momentum to my advantage and flip her over my shoulder, a move Aaron taught me only last week. He's going to be gloating as soon as I step off here.

 

A grunt rips from my throat before the image of Aaron's smirk leaves my mind. Aubrey’s Gift is sending me flying into the closest wall, straight through a gap of students congregated around us. I’m rolling out my shoulders and fighting my own Bond and Gift back into submission as it feels we’re being threatened, when Wymack addresses the class.

 

“Fucking hell, can we get through one class without someone trying to kill Hatford? The kid is gonna need a fast pass to urgent care at this rate.”

“I’m fine, don’t kick up a storm over the paperwork.”

 

Wymack only rolls his eyes and ducks over to chat with Kevin, presumably about me. I run my fingers through my curls, grimacing at the sweaty tangles. I don’t expect Aubrey to be standing in front of me when I look up, and I definitely don’t expect her to be wringing her hands and looking distraught.

 

“I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I did that. I haven’t lost control in years, I have no clue why I did that. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I repeat, shrugging her off because she seems genuine enough. “Not the first wall I’ve been thrown into.”

 

She nods and stands beside me like we’re best buds now or something. I don’t care. I’m too busy gauging the tension in the room now, but I’m not sure where it’s coming from, so I focus back on the task at hand. Aka watching everyone else on the mats since Wymack makes me sit out the rest of class. The competition that starts up is entertaining enough that I’m not upset about it. Round after round, we watch as the groups get smaller and smaller. There's a weird Bond sort of pride in me that Aaron makes it to the top five before getting knocked to the mats.

He’s excellent, but his moves are choreographed and well thought out. There's no real-life experience honing his jabs and instincts making his split second decisions for him. Not to mention the fact that he’s the shortest one here. 

I make a point not to look at how close Wilds is leaning into Kevin when we head back to the locker rooms, done with the day. I grab my stuff and change in one of the shower stalls after washing quickly, per usual, then toss my dirty uniform into the class hamper and sit on a bench to tie up my Converse. Knox comes over to sit beside me, tying his own nicer sneakers, and starts talking before I can find Aaron and leave. 

 

“I forsure thought Kevin and his team was about to throw Aubrey out of the training room after the shit she pulled on you. She normally has perfect control, I don’t know what she was thinking.”

I don’t know what he’s thinking, talking to me, but I shrug and reply nonetheless, “Why would they?” Because really, why would any of them care when they treated me way worse? “I’m fine. She said it was an accident, and I believe her.”

Knox sits up and looks at me like I’m the delusional one here. “We all know what happened to Kate. No one here is stupid enough to pull anything close to that on you after that.”

“After what? Kate got cut from class because she broke Wymack's rule in the maze.”

“Uh, no man. Day went to Kate's family himself. Personal shit aside, you’re still his Bond, and Kevin Day is not someone you decide to piss off on a whim. By the time he’s done bitching you out you hope you’re dead.”

 

I shake my head and stand up, Knox following suit and swinging his backpack over his shoulders. Aaron is waiting at the door for me, his hazel eyes skipping between us but not in a hostile way. If anything, he seems at ease. We split off from the rest of the students, veering into the back parking lot towards Aaron's bike.

 

“Why did Kevin go to Kate’s house personally to kick her out of class?”

 

Aaron’s face says it all, and every bit of my confidence in knowing how my Bonds feel about me crumbles away.  

 

“She intentionally hurt you and broke a clear rule just to do so. You’re our Bond, Neil, we don’t fuck with that shit.”

 

---

 

When Aaron and I arrive at Ichirou’s mansion for our Bond dinner, I’m still contemplating everything I thought I knew. Aaron and I are fine now, friends even, and he’s clearly interested in more if I’m ever willing. I can’t.

It’s not a matter of want anymore, because Aaron is fun to bicker with when we’re having fun, and Jean is beyond kind, and there’s something with Kevin's brooding that draws me in... So, it’s not that I don’t want to anymore, because I think I do. 

I can’t, because bonding with any of them means my Gift getting stronger, and to hell with that shit.

Andrew and Ichirou can still go fuck themselves, though.

Aaron unlocks the front door like always, but when we step in, we’re immediately met with two house staff members and Ichirou’s usual driver. Aaron doesn’t seem worried in the slightest, but I’m uncomfortable. This is different, out of routine, and I don’t like it. The driver inclines his head at me respectfully and waves to the staff members.

 

“Mr. Hatford, Councilman Moriyama is attending a dinner in the city tonight, and you will be joining him. He’s on a call at the moment, but he’s left instructions for you to be ready in the next hour, so if you would.”

“Oh, no, I’m not-”

“Mr. Hatford, you really must hurry.”

 

I turn a pleading look to my friend, but Aaron just places a warm hand at the small of my back and gently pushes me in the direction of the house staff. I pout and all but stomp up the stairs, being the brat Ichirou always accuses me of being. The two women direct me into a bedroom somewhere on the second floor and immediately get to work once we’re inside. I’m handed a pair of black dress pants and a matching jacket, somehow tailored to my exact size, and a silk, dark green button-down with gold embroidery stitching. Then I’m sitting down on a bench at the foot of the bed, and while one of the women ties a pair of dress shoes that were shoved on my feet, the other starts putting gel in my still-damp hair and tousling my curls. 

I feel like such a dick because I still don’t know their names, so I take the chance of throwing off their groove to ask. The one now polishing my shoes is Percilla, and the lovely lady complimenting my hair is Charlene. I think I earned some brownie points because they share a look and then we’re heading downstairs and out a private back door. Charlene is a fucking godsend because as soon as we step out she’s packing a box of cigarettes with her palm and eyeing me up.

 

“You’re now my new favorite person,” I gush, reaching for the stick she hands me.

“You looked like you could use it. We have to go back to work, but take that hallway back in five minutes, and then take the first right to the garage. The car is waiting for you. Oh, here,” she hands me a travel-size bottle of cologne before walking back inside with a wink.

 

They put so much effort into making me look presentable, I don’t dare lean against the wall. I squat down instead and breathe in the acrid smell of the cigarette smoke. I’m only on my second drag when the door opens again. I look up expecting Charlene to be there, telling me I’m late, but it’s none other than Andrew Minyard.

 

Why is he always around when I least expect him to be?

 

“Huh. Quite the position you’re in for someone who claims to not be a whore,” The blonde drawls, waving to my still squatting form with a pale hand, an unlit cigarette between two fingers. 

I stand up, uncomfortable with him being so close, and take a step over. “Are you blind? I wasn’t on my knees, asshole, and you’ll never see me on them.”

“Oh, what a shame.” 

 

The sarcasm should irritate me, but after the day I’ve had, it’s almost a balm. He’s still the same, a bastard, nothing different there, nothing to think too hard over. We fall into a silence I didn’t think was possible with us in such close proximity. He’s not bitching at or threatening me, a first. 

 

“You and Aaron have grown close.”

“You are still a cocksucker.” At his raised brow and blank look, I ask innocently, “What? I thought we were stating facts.”

“Let’s play a different game instead.” What the fuck is happening? “Truth for truth. We each take turns asking questions, and we answer with the truth. No lying.”

 

“And if I can’t answer truthfully?” I play along, for shit and giggles, but also because I want to know more. No, I don’t, I hate him, why would I want to know anything about him?

“You can skip it, but you lose your turn.”

“Fuck it, what have you got Minyard? Must be something important if you’re willing to speak to me at all.”

 

What am I doing?

Andrew takes a long drag, then blows the smoke up to the sky, his head tilting back just so against the wall and why the hell am I staring at his his narrow, pale neck stretched back like-  Oh, fuck no! 

 

“You were fourteen and alone when you found out about us. Why’d you run, when they were so eager to have you?”

 

I weigh the truth I can give him, and ignore the splinter in my chest at the usage of they instead of we. It’s going to split his pea brain and every preconceived notion he’s ever had about me, but it also gives him information he doesn’t have. If I skip my turn, he’ll rub whatever he thinks in my face, something I’m willing to brush off. No. Time to fuck with his head.

 

“I didn’t run when I was fourteen. I ran when I was sixteen.”

 

With that, I drop my cigarette stub on the concrete and step on it, then yank open the door and leave Minyard on the patio. I spray myself with cologne on the walk to the garage, and find the Rolls-Royce like the ladies said, so I open the back door and climb in. I take a deep breath when I hear the locks click, effectively keeping me trapped inside. Thank you, Charlene, for the small sanctuary you offered. 

My mood is locked down tight when Ichirou arrives, sliding into the seat next to me. He doesn’t greet me or offer an apology for the change of plans or for making me wait, so I ignore him completely. That was the plan anyway. The trip to the city is silent aside from the soft music filtering through the speakers. I fight not to mess with the cuffs of my jacket, feeling out of place. I’ve never worn anything this nice before, and it makes me itch. Not because it’s uncomfortable, in fact the silk feels wonderful, but because it’s not me.

Meanwhile, Ichirou doesn’t even glance at me or his phone. No, he stays scowling out the window like this entire thing wasn’t his idea. It’s not until we stop outside the restaurant that he speaks to me.

 

“If you care about the Gifted community as much as you say you do, then you’ll be on your best behavior tonight, whatever that looks like. Understood?”

Fuck him.

“Yes, Sir,” I growl.

“Do not,” he grits out, low and controlled, even though he’s gripping the door handle like his life depended on it. 

 

Or my life. Definitely my life, he looks like he wants to kill me.

 

The driver puts the car in park once he reaches the entrance and gets out, then opens Ichirou’s door and holds it open for us as we exit. Ichirou waits until I step out, then places a hand at the small of my back and keeps it there, firm and unmoving as he guides me inside and to a long table already full of official-looking people. My bond is writhing at the touch, but I smother its whining. He’s not touching me because he wants to, not that I want him to, it’s because I’m just a pawn to him, and it’s time to put on a show.

The other council members are already seated at a long table at the center of the restaurant, but they stand as we approach. I endured etiquette lessons as a child at my father’s persistence and I try my best to remember them. Unfortunately for me, all I truly remember is his sharp orders to sit still and shut up, so that’s my plan going in. There’s at least twenty people here and all of them know exactly who I am and what I’ve put their colleague through. They greet me politely enough, then move on to welcome Ichirou. 

They each look me up and down, assessing every inch of me and I fight not to squirm under the observation. I hate being seen, being known. Even more, I hate the smirks and winks I receive while Ichirou is distracted with handshakes. I ignore them all and follow Ichirou to a set of chairs, allowing him to pull the seat out for me to take. I murmur a quiet ‘thank you’ in turn, but have to smother a flinch when he rests his hands on my shoulders and places a kiss atop my head. Right. We're putting on a show.

I hate everything about this man, but I can, begrudgingly, admit he’s a damn good councilman. Just not to anyone else, and if they ask, I’ll deny it.

I’ve silently agreed with everything political steps he’s taken, all I’ve eavesdropped from my classmates' conversations. The Gifted community should definitely be doing more to help the non-Gifted, and they should be finding better solutions for orphaned Gifted children who have lost so much at the hands of the Resistance. He doesn’t want to sit by and watch people get hurt while he stays protected. Ichirou wants to be proactive about safety and leveling the wealth gap between higher society families and the lower tiers. 

I’ll hold onto that during dinner. He needs to keep a strong hold on his place on the council, and I will not interfere with that.

The others have all taken their seats around the table now, and I smile as politely as I can, no matter how forced it feels. Ichirou takes his place beside me and I grin over at him, playing the part of the doe eyed Bond.

 

“So all is well in your world again, Ichirou?” Asks a man at the other end of the table, his eyes flicking between us under his sculpted brows. His smile puts me on edge, but Ichirou pays no mind to my tensing. Probably used to it, seeing as I’m always ready for a fight while in his presence.

His bonded sits at his side, sneering openly at me. I pay her no mind, uninterested in the drama sure to take place tonight. I sip from my glass of water instead.

 

“Nathaniel needed some time to find himself, and now that he has, we’re glad to have him here. He needed to come to terms with being the central of an all male Bond group on his own, as you can imagine how one might feel learning such news so young.”

 

My sip turns into a gulp. Does he have any idea how true those words are, even though that’s not at all what happened? No. No, he’s given me far too much shit to have any insight at all on my feelings. I watch as Ichirous hand leaves the table, only to feel it settle on my knee under it a moment later. I still, wanting to push him off but not wanting to make a scene. 

This isn’t him comforting me, it can’t be. It’s in my head, he’s doing this as a show of power. Hell, he’ll probably pinch me if I say anything unsavory.

 

“I, for one, am happy to see you two together. Ichirou has done too much for our people to be left behind by such an ungrateful child,” says the woman sitting to my left.

 

She’s twirling her index finger over glass and I belatedly realize she’s stirring the contents with her Gift. The thoughts of what these people are capable of coming rushing back and I double check that I have my mental shields up. I don’t ignore her like the woman before, this time I stare her down with a black face until she signs and directs her eyes to Ichirou. Her pale eyes trail over his expansive chest and down his grey suit clad arms, all the way to where it disappears beneath the table.

Oh, I’ve got the bitch. My hand seeks out his on my knee and I grip his fingers when I have it. Black eyes swing to meet mine as I’m already looking at him, and I smirk at the heat I find. It drops as soon as my brain catches up to the flirting the bond in my chest is pushing. 

What the fuck am I doing? Andrew and Ichirou are supposed to be firmly on the ‘go fuck themselves’ list! They’re not supposed to be getting to me.

Ichirou chuckles at whatever my face is doing now, but I don’t care, I’m lost to it. It’s not necessarily a playful thing, his laugh, it’s deep and short lived, smooth like his voice. The woman is scowling at us both when I look back, and I put the pieces together that my bond already puzzled out.

They’re sleeping together. Or at least they were.

For fucks sake, who haven’t my Bonds slept with?

This time it’s Ichirou’s fingers squeezing mine, in reassurance or reprimand, I don’t know nor care. I was just flirting with him, giving his colleagues the notion that we are a united front, and he’s slept with at least one woman present. With that, I let my acting skills dissolve and stuff my bond deep down into my chest for a time out. Yanking my hand free, I shove at his wrist, careful not to jostle the table, then promptly ignore everyone for the rest of the night.

Notes:

Yes, things are going differently! They have too! Neil isn’t sleeping with anyone unless they have a connection, not even the bond in his chest begging for it will allow that.

I just imagine Neil’s bond crying, like “But they’re the other halves of my soul and I need them!”

And Neil’s just there with his arms crossed and brow raised, “You have terrible taste, they’re assholes.”

Chapter 15: Are we really doing this right now?

Summary:

Aftermath of the Council dinner, and it’s not a pleasant experience for Neil

---

Dinner goes from bad to worse, but I manage to keep myself out of it. Ichirou is quick to steer conversation away from me when I come up in conversation, and he orders all my food for me like I can’t read the fucking menu myself. It’s just like our bond dinners, just with a different audience. The shrimp Alfredo is amazing, and I’ll give it to him; it’s exactly what I would have ordered.

Two of the councilmen spend the entire evening arguing with him and I keep my mouth shut. Father's lessons come in handy after all, as I sit still and silent, not speaking unless addressed directly. 

By the time we get back into the car, I want to die.

The dinner was a different type of torture, but it doesn’t compare to what’s happening in my head at the moment. Ichirou wisely doesn’t ask why I’m huddled against the door, my forehead pressed to the cool glass window in an attempt to find relief from the throbbing echoing my heartbeat. I would ask Ichirou to stop for migraine medicine if I thought he’d actually do it, but his face was stuck in a constipated state when I passed him at the door, so, not happening. 

They aren’t new, the migraines. One usually creeps up every few months and puts me on my ass for a few days, longer if I push too much. I was warned about what causes them, but that doesn't stop me from suppressing my Gift. No way in hell am I unleashing it daily, even the tiniest bit, just to save myself from these excruciating consequences. 

 

I can live through a migraine, but no one can survive my Gift if caught in its path.

 

I’m dropped off at the Dorms without so much as a goodbye, let alone a thank you for sticking it out tonight. I stumble along the sidewalk, stopping to lean against a light pole when a nasty bout of vertigo hits and has my ears ringing along with it. I blame the high-pitched sound for why I don’t hear them approaching. One minute I’m on my feet, even if I am relying on the metal post for support, and then I’m on my back with hands wrapped around my throat.

 

“Look who's outside without his shadow,” a familiar voice sneers. 

 

I can’t see her, not through the black spots clouding my vision. I’m trying to blink back into the present but the lack of oxygen gets to be too much and I start to fade, too weak to fight back. Air rushes back into my lungs as the hands release me, but the relief doesn’t come; a punch to the face does. Then to the side of my head, then a kick to my ribs, followed by another and another. I roll over into a ball, trying to shield the already bruised bones and agonized organs. It’s no use, a kick lands on my spine next.

 

“You don’t deserve him, you useless reject,” the voice snarls again, spit landing on my cheek. “You don’t deserve any of them.”

 

I hear it this time, finally recognizing her and putting a name and face to the voice. It doesn’t matter, though. I pass out as the clean oxygen I’m sucking into my lungs turns into the green, poisonous gas I loathe.

 

---

 

“Neil, open your fucking eyes!”

 

Oh, what a way to wake up. Come to? Revive? I feel like a dead man rising. Who the fuck is yelling in my face right now?

 

“Jesus, fuck, you little shit, what did you take?”

Take? “Seth?” 

“Thank fuck,” he breathes out. “What did you take? And why are you dressed like that?”

“Didn’t take anything,” I say, but it’s garbled and floating away from me without a filter. “Where am I?”

“I’m taking you to your room.” Oh, that explains the swaying motion. “I called Matt, but he didn’t answer, so I called Kevin.”

 

Fuuckkkk.

 

“Put me down,” I demand, only to be ignored. I push at the chest I’m smooshed into, repeating myself until Seth takes the hint and drops me. Drops me. 

“Fuck you too then, suit yourself.”

 

I stare after him as he marches away from my prone form in the grass. I don’t dwell on it, eager to lock myself in my room and sleep. I push up onto my feet, then make the trek up the stairs to my room, stopping a handful of times to steady myself. After a grueling 1o minutes, I’m leaning against my closed door. I make sure it’s locked before I start stripping out of my clothes, the pressed pants and silk shirt falling into a heap on the floor after the jacket is thrown over my desk chair. 

I’m slipping under my sheets in my boxers when there’s a knock on my door, but I have no interest in or energy to stand back up. The click of the lock has my head snapping up from under the covers, making me wince at my brain jostling against my skull. I think for a second about who could have a key to my room, but the answer is now visible as my door creaks open. 

Dressed casually for once, Kevin stands on the other side of the threshold with a glare directed at his companion, Andrew, dressed in all black. Seth either woke them up or interrupted their gym time because they’re both in joggers and sneakers over their usual cargo pants and combat boots.

I wrench the blanket off my body and make to stand, to demand they leave me the fuck alone, only to fall back into the mattress with a groan. Un-fucking-believable.

I fail to remember I’m wearing nothing but my boxers until their eyes trail over my body. My exposed torso. Sparkling emerald locks onto my neck, and I lift my hand to touch, only to wince at the sharp ache. Right. I was strangled. How could I forget that? Hazel eyes, though. Those hazel eyes are tracing my biggest insecurities. Why I always wear a shirt and change in the shower stalls during TT.

I shouldn’t have taken it off, but I run through cold and hot flashes like lightning when I’m pushing through a migraine, so I usually sleep naked. I’m lucky to be wearing boxers right now.

The shape of a clothing iron plate is melted over my shoulder in a pale scar of discolored tissue, steam holes left behind as raised circles along the edges. A looping scar crosses over my collarbone from escaping a chokehold with a knife to my neck, and slashes mar my chest at random intervals, thick and jagged over my abs, thin and precise over my now purpling ribs. 

So much for keeping them to myself.

I yank the covers back over and up to my chin, snuggling down as far as I can in this shit excuse of a bed. Kevin takes the action as permission to enter for some reason, and Andrew follows him in for another. I want to fight with them, yell at them to get out, push them away. All I manage to do is sneer and squint my eyes against the lamp light Kevin flicks on, surely making me look like some feral cat cowering in a corner. 

An accurate description of how I’m feeling.

 

“Turn that off,” I groan, dropping an arm over my eyes. A hand grabs it and starts twisting it this way and that until I’ve had enough of being a puppet. “The fuck off of me, what do you want?”

“I’m looking for track marks.” Andrew's typical bored tone is full of icy disdain directed at me.

“Why does everyone think I took something? I don’t do drugs, asshole, though I’m wishing I had some right about now. Then I could convince myself you’re only a hallucination and get some fucking sleep.” 

“Seth said he found you passed out on the sidewalk, defenseless and delirious,” Kevin snaps, and I flinch at his tone.

“I was beaten to shit, Kev, so sorry I don’t make a habit of sleepwalking while unconscious and concussed.” 

“What happened? Aaron said you can hold your own in a fight.” 

 

I ignore Kevin’s nod of agreement, and my bonds preening at his approval, and look at Andrew, shocked to see his previous stormy expression smoothed out to something…else, and his tone gentler. 

 

“I can. I get… migraines. Sometimes. They’re fucking debilitating and one came on during the ride home from dinner. I must have looked like easy prey because Kate made her move while I was alone.”

“Kate? Katelyn Mckenzie did this?”

 

I stare blankly back at Kevin, not sure what he wants to hear. Am I supposed to be ashamed that a girl beat me up, because while I sort of am, Kate has had it out for me from the beginning, and this doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. Andrew must agree because he raises a brow at Kevin’s incredulous tone. 

 

“I’d like to see you try to raise a hand in defense while your head feels like mine does right now,” I challenge. 

 

A challenge Kevin shrugs off and takes because he’s shifting into my space on the bed the next second, raising a hand to my sweaty forehead. I flinch back against the wall to escape his touch, and Andrew’s eyes go dark. Not dark, but black voids. Like Aaron’s had, like mine do. That shouldn’t be as surprising as it is, I know they share the same Gift over the shadows, and whatever the fuck Nightmare Creatures are. Andrew takes a step, then freezes as Kevin drops to a knee with a grunt and a curse. 

Kevin’s hand is heavy where it presses against my skull, but the throbbing lessens the longer he makes contact, easing down to a moderate headache now.

I practically moan in relief as I sink into the bed, no longer caring about the springs digging into my spine or him touching me because of the glorious relief Kevin is providing. My eyelids grow heavy with exhaustion, and I blink slowly, trying to stay alert while they’re both still here. I shouldn’t trust Andrew, don’t trust him, though even my bond is opening up to him now. Willing and wanting him to be in our company so long as he’s decent. 

Aka, not a raging asshole.

I needn't worry. After a conversation I’m not privy to, or maybe just too out of it to hear, I open my eyes to see Andrew stalk back towards my door, look back once he opens it, then slip through without another word, shutting it behind him. The lock clicks next. 

I don’t register that Kevin’s still in the room until my head falls to the side and I meet his emerald green stare. He’s still kneeling beside the bed, one hand to my forehead and the other clenched to his knee. My brows scrunch on their own, but I choose to speak my thoughts.

 

“Stop it, Kevin. This is hurting you,” I whisper. 

“And it takes a whole fucking lot to hurt me Bond. I don’t know how you’re still functioning right now.”

“I’m not, hence why I was beaten black and blue. We don’t both need to be in pain right now.”

“Yeah, we do,” he whispers back, his mint breath warm as it ghosts my cheek. “I’m not leaving you to feel this at full strength by yourself.” 

 

He sounds so resigned, I don’t argue anymore. Not when he stands to shed his own clothing, leaving me to fight through a bout of splintering pain that comes rushing back. Not when he places his phone on the nightstand next to mine. I don't argue when he slides into bed next to me, either. I just focus on breathing so I don’t pass out from holding it.

I tense when his arms wrap around me, pulling me in, only to relax into his chest when his hand starts carding through my hair, dragging his nails along my scalp. He’s pulling my pain again, however he’s doing it. I sink into him, draping my own arm over his tan, muscled waist, and resting my head on his chest.

 

“You have scars,” Kevin murmurs into my curls.

“So do you,” I deflect.

He hums in reply.

“Seriously, what’s your Gift?”

“I’m a Neuro.”

“So, you’re not healing me.”

“Simply numbing your pain.”

“Why?”

“You’re more talkative than I’ve been led to believe.”

“Then you either haven’t been paying enough attention or your sources are skewed.”

He doesn’t deny either and answers, “I don’t like seeing you in pain.”

“Could have fooled me,” I huff. “Wait, is that why Ichirou brings you along when he wants me to talk? Can you read my mind?”

“No, Bond,” he chuckles. “I can tell when someone is lying or speaking the truth.”

 

I fight against my hold tightening around him, not willing to show my hand at just how much I’m enjoying this. Him holding me, comforting me, calling me that. I thought I’d never have this, even if it is just for tonight.

 

“Do you know why you get migraines?”

 

I debate lying, but he quite literally just told me he can tell when I lie. Besides, we’re being honest, so might as well offer the truth. Some of it anyway.

 

“I suppress my Bond.”

 

He’s silent as the seconds tick by, and I start to fade into sleep before long. His voice is distant in my ears when he speaks, despite his being so close.

 

“Is the idea of being with us so unpleasant that you would willingly put yourself through this?”

 

My mouth moves on autopilot, steered by the bond in my chest and pure exhaustion, not my common sense or drilled safety standards. 

 

“I’ve never wanted anything more than to be Bonded to the ones my soul seeks, but I’ve accepted the pain as my punishment for refusing you all. Even if it is to keep us all safe.”  His arm around my shoulder pulls me tighter against him, and I breathe out what I can no longer hold in. “Pushing you all away is easier when you’re all pricks. You should go back to that before I do something dumb.”

“Like sleeping with one of us?” Kevin asks lightly.

 

“Like Bonding with one of you. It can’t have all been for nothing.” 

 

---

 

I wake up alone.

The splintering pain that normally shoots from the base of my neck to my eyes is dulled, but still present. The ringing is gone from my ears, along with the dizziness that accompanies it, thank fuck. They’re my least favorite symptoms. My old, dusty curtains are pulled closed, and I don’t dare peek through to see how high the sun is. I check the time on my phone after dulling the brightness, finding it to be early afternoon. Good thing I don't have classes on Saturdays. My walk to the communal showers is slow and blissfully quiet; everyone else is out enjoying the weekend or sleeping in, as I had.

My mind conjures the events of last night while the warm water cascades down my sore back. Fuck, how could I let that bitch get one over on me? I know better, I should have done better. Then there's letting Kevin into my bed, and spilling secrets that never should have left my lips. There's also the fact that he and Andrew saw my scars, but neither of them questioned them, and I’m not sure if I should be thankful for it or on guard now. Nevermind. If we play again, I have an idea of what Andrew’s next question will be in his truth game. Ichirou will have no doubt heard about this by now, and it’s only a matter of time before he comes to bitch me out. Unless he sends Aaron my way to do it for him, a high possibility.

I dry off and slip into my soft, grey sweatpants and black tee. I need new clothes, I miss the baggy feel of my shirts. I’m shoving an arm through its sleeve when my door opens, permitting Kevin once again. He doesn’t look my way until he’s shut and locked the door behind himself, and my shirt is in place when he turns around. I stand in the center of my room, barefoot and confused as to why he’s back.

 

“I grabbed you some pain pills from the pharmacy just off campus. Plus an eyemask and over-the-ear headphones at Aaron’s persistence.” I tilt my head and make a face. Kevin reads it for what it is, confusion, and continues. “He gets them from suppressing his Gift, like you do, so he knows what helps.”

“No, I don’t-”

“Want to lie to me, do you?” Kevin finishes for me, dropping the bag in his hand on the bed and crossing his arms. “I won’t push, not yet, but I know you have one. We’ll discuss that detail later, but I have a different question to ask right now.”

“And what makes you think I’ll answer?”

“I helped you last night, didn’t I?”

Yeah, and I already said too much as it is… “I’ll answer what I can.”

 

I shuffle over and sit on the edge of my bed, passing him on his way to my desk chair. He spins it around, then sits with the back of it propping up his arms. His stare is intense, no different than usual, but his jaw is set, and his lips are pressed into a thin line. This is serious.

 

“Did you run away from us, or were you forced?”

“I have a better question. Do any of you actually talk to each other? Because this has already been addressed.”

“Aaron said you told him you didn’t have a choice, and Andrew mentioned a gap in our timeline. I want everything clarified.”

“What did Ichirou say?”

His face falls into a scowl. “Not to believe a word you say.”

 

I let a pitiful chuckle slip out and start taking out the contents of the bag, already unwrapping the headphones. I need to thank Aaron for this. I would thank Kevin for buying them, but he’s putting me through this inhumane interrogation and I'm not too fond of it. Cat trapped in a corner indeed.

“Nathaniel, tell me what happened in that hospital.”

“I can’t do that,” I murmur, picking at the plastic wrapping in my hands.

I watch as he grinds his teeth and pushes to stand, shoving the chair away against the wall on his way to me. “I won’t tell the others. It can stay between us, and I can take care of the problem.”

“Andrew is your best friend and you’ve probably sworn your loyalty to Ichirou, no way you’ll keep this shit to yourself. Plus, there is no taking care of the problem, Kevin. I can’t tell you anyway, so drop it.”

 

His body is hovering over mine now, towering over me more like it with the foot he has on my height. Even more so as I sit here, not daring to stand and invade his space. His eyes bore into mine as he reaches into his leather jacket pocket and pulls out his wallet. A card is slipped out, then tossed to the bed beside me.

 

“That’s yours. Use it. Order food, more pain meds, a new fucking bed because that thing is shit. I don’t care, just use it.”

My brows furrow on their own accord. “Why would you do that? Ichirou made it very clear I’m not to mooch off of any of you, not that I ever wanted to. Keep the card and convince him to let me get a job.”

“Just use the damn thing.”

“No,” I snark. This time I do stand, pushing him back a little so we’re not chest to chest. Chest to abs? Fuck, why is he so tall? 

 

The thought is obliterated when he takes a step towards me, pushing me back and back until I’m against the wall by my door, his arms are caging me. My breaths come in pants against my will, adrenaline and something else rushing through my veins. I can’t stop the hitch that comes next as he raises his large hand to my face, his knuckles dragging down my cheek slowly.

 

“Ichirou will never risk losing you again. I don’t think he’ll ever let you go.”

“He-” fuck, what am I saying? “He doesn’t have to let me go, just loosen the leash a little. I don’t want to rely on any of you anymore than you all want me leeching off you.”

 

We stay locked in a battle of wills against the wall, his hand moving down my jaw until a buzzing in his pocket yanks his attention away. Pulling out his phone, he scowls and rips open the door without glancing back at me.

 

“Get your stuff, I’ll drive you to the dining hall for lunch.”

 

I grab the headphones from the bed and slip them around my neck, then shove my feet into my Converse, tying them quickly. I’m surprised to see him still standing by my door, expecting him to be down in his car already, eager to escape. The hallway is bustling again, those who had classes returning. While many stare, Kevin pays them no mind, sauntering ahead but slowing on the stares. He’s adjusting his stride for me. 

He needs to go back to being a dick, I can’t hold out much longer.

I should have higher standards than this. Truly. They’re only just now treating me like a fucking human being, nothing more, and definetly not to the standard Bonds are typically held. I’ve never even been interested in sex before and now I’m thinking about the act more than I care to admit. Kevin’s large, warm hands, Aaron’s flirty quips, Jean's soft words. Fuck, Andrews all knowing green-gold hazel eyes.

 

No.

 

Sending a text to Aaron, explaining to him who I’m with and where I’ll be, I'm perplexed to realise he hasn’t demanded where I’ve been. He usually collects me at my door for breakfast, even on the weekends. Shit, did Kevin answer the door this morning while I was still dead to the world? I glance over to the man driving, but he makes no move to acknowledge me. Not until we pull up outside the dining hall.

 

My hand is on the handle when he speaks. “Are you going to run off again?”

I frown and rub at the back of my neck, over the chip that’s still easy to find. I press it, digging it further into my nerves until it stings. “No.”

“Would you, if we couldn’t track you?”

“Yeah,” I answer honestly. I blow out a breath and shake my head. “I would have to. Safer that way.”

He nods slowly. “You could just tell me. It might change a lot of things around here, make them easier.”

“We both know it won’t. People will think what they want, and you said yourself, Ichirou will never let me go. If I stay here, shit’s going to hit the fan.”

“But it might not be as bad as you think if we all know what we’re getting into. If you really want to keep us all safe, tell us what we’re in for, dammit.”

 

There’s the growly bastard. I was starting to think he’d been body-snatched. Unfortunately, he makes a valid point, and I hate when that happens. I tongue my cheek, contemplating where to go from here. It can’t be that simple, can it? Just tell them all how it is? 

No, Ichirou would deny it, and Kevin would go off to battle blind and unprepared. Andrew would find something wrong with everything I’ve done and probably throw me to the wolves. Aaron would do whatever Ichirou or his twin told him to, even if he did want to support me. And Jean… Well, Jean’s not here.

I shake my head and jump out of the car, jogging to the building ahead of me and ignoring Kevin calling my name.

 

---

 

Aaron doesn’t question why I wasn’t at breakfast or why Kevin drove me. He gives me a side eye and a worried glance at my neck, though, so I shove him while in line for our food, still angry at him for pushing me to my doom yesterday. It’s not till we’re sitting at our table with Matt and Allison that we talk about all that happened.

 

“Wait, Seth is the one who found you in front of the dorms?”

I frown at Allison, “Only after Kate had her fun.”

Matt cracks his neck, releasing the tension put there by yours truly. “I thought Jack was bad, but he’s never been physical.”

“He knows you could pummel him,” I grumble. “I’m useless when a migraine comes on. I’m only here because Kevin eased most of the pain, and I downed some of the pills he got me. Thanks, by the way,” I address Aaron. “The headphones were a nice touch.”

 

He shrugs, his eyes distant, in some far-off place in his mind. He’s probably hung up on learning I have a Gift, after all, I just suppress it like he does. We have more in common than he thinks. Something is still nagging at me, though. Why did Andrew come with Kevin? He didn’t stick around, only made sure I didn’t take anything. If he wanted to play a round of his truth game while I was loose lipped he could have, but he didn’t. I dare say that was decent of him. 

 

“I think Seth is the one who started the rumors,” Allison whispers.

“What rumors?” All three turn to look at me, a mix of pity, worry, and a strong dose of anger from Aaron. “I woke up thirty minutes ago, guys. What rumors?”

“Word is you got high after the council dinner and then got beat to shit when you couldn’t pay.”

 

I look at Aaron absolutely dumbfounded. Seriously? This is what people choose to do on their weekends? Who am I kidding, of course it is. I’m fair game for shit talking. Aaron looks ready to blow, his jaw clenched and hands fisted on the table. 

 

“Well, that’s not what happened, and Kevin believes me. Andrew too for that matter.” Aaron shoots me a look I can’t decipher, but Matt’s is pretty easily readable. Allison gives me a sly grin before tucking into her pizza. Whatever that’s about. “What? He came with Kevin last night to get the story straight. I’m sure it was only to make sure his precious reputation wouldn’t be affected. Well, that or Ichirou sent him to deal with me if I was high.”

“So, they came to your room last night?” Allison asks innocently. “And Kevin just happens to drive you here today? He didn’t sleep over, did he, Neil?” 

“Oh shut up,” I groan.

 

Lunch carries on after that. Matt invites me over to his place to study, but I decline, wanting to go back to my dark dorm room and crash in silence. Allison stays texting on her phone, Renee probably. She stays off campus with her mom on the weekends. Aaron stays quiet, which is odd but I let it slide. I can tell he’s worried, I’m just not sure if it’s about my wellbeing or his brother suddenly being a relatively decent person.

He does walk me back to my dorm though, and stays leaning against my door frame once I unlock my door and enter. Only when we’re alone does he broach the subject that’s been weighing on him.

 

“I’m sorry. About Kate. I should have put her in her place a long time ago, not used her to get under your skin.”

“It's fine,” I offer. “She didn’t single you out, not really. She made a point to say I didn’t deserve any of you.” I kick my sneakers off and under my bed, then grab the black sleep mask on my pillow. I hold it up between us. “Thanks for this too.”

 

Aaron shrugs and crosses his arms, then changes his mind and steps fully into my room, shutting the door behind him.

 

“Andrew wasn’t worried about his reputation. And despite the fact that we owe Ichirou a lot, he doesn’t take orders from him.”

“Then why did he come? Kevin can tell when I tell the truth, could have passed it along.”

“No, he needs to see for himself when it comes to that shit. I, um… So I get the migraines too, but when I was a teenager, my mom gave me an Oxy to help with the pain. She didn’t know how to handle me, or my Gift. She’s the one that told me to suppress it in the first place. It became a crutch until her prescription ran out. And then-”

“Aaron…”

“I don’t do it anymore. Andrew made sure of it. He got me clean when we- Anyway, he takes that shit seriously. If you had been high, he would have gotten you clean just to threaten to kill you himself.”

“Sounds like him,” I try to joke. 

“It’s only part of the reason he’s hated you from the start. With you on the run, jumping city to city, he still believes you were either dealing or selling yourself. But you were skin and bones when you showed up, Neil, so you using wasn’t too far out of thought.”

“None of those things are true. I worked, picked up jobs at diners and cafes. Sustainable food is hard to come by when you’re living out of a car.”

 

“I know. I mean, I know that now. You need to remember that he may never come around, no matter how much of the truth he learns and chooses to believe. Everything about Andrew is complicated.”

“No shit.” 

 

Aaron starts shifting uncomfortably so I send him home so I can nap. He leaves easily enough, saying he’ll see me tomorrow morning for breakfast. The throbbing is starting to come back after being out in the bright sunlight and the chatter of the dining hall. I take out my second phone from my desk and send a text to Jean, letting him know how my day went and that I might not answer his usual check in because I’m going to sleep. I can’t force myself to stay awake any longer to wait for his reply. I strip from my shirt and sweats and slide between my sheets, pulling on the sleep mask once my head it’s the pillow. 

I’m in that weird place between consciousness and sleep when I hear my door open. I fling my body up into a sitting position, ready to throw myself at the intruder if I have to, until I realize it’s only Kevin. Again.

 

“You’re really not going to knock anymore, are you?”

 

He shrugs, as he kicks the door closed with his booted heel. I fall back into my spot and curl into a ball. My phone says it’s just past dinner time, which explains my stomach growling. Kevin must hear it because he smirks and sets a bag at the end of the bed. He slips out of his hoodie and hangs it on the back of my desk chair, leaving him in dark jeans and a crisp white tee. His boots are next to be discarded by the door, and then he’s approaching the bed again digging through the bag. Two styrofoam containers are placed beside me before he claims one for himself, along with a bottle of water and a package of utensils. My curiosity gets the better of me and I sit up to inspect the food while eyeing him suspiciously. 

The smell hits my senses as soon as he opens his box on my desk. Fried rice with orange chicken and steamed broccoli. My mouth is already watering when I open mine, finding noodles and peking chicken, along with a crab rangoon. 

Oh, thank you, Kevin and the mysterious workings that led him to my favorite Chinese food.

I find my own water bottle and utensils too and I immediately dig in. We don’t talk as we eat, Kevin taps through his phone every now and then and I fight the urge to check my other phone for Jeans response Kevin doesn’t know about the burner.

Kevin collects the boxes once we’re both finished and stuffs them back into the bag and ties it closed, dropping it unceremoniously into my small ass trash can. That’s it then. Weird dinner date done, he’s going to leave, and I get to go back to sleep. He doesn’t leave. No. He’s climbing into my bed and settling behind me, just like last night.

 

“Kevin.”

“Nathaniel.”

“What are you doing?”

“Going to sleep.”

“Are we really doing this right now?”

“I don’t know what you mean. We’re simply going to bed.”

 

I’m laying stiff until he pulls me into his arms, his warm chest to my back. He’s still in his tee, but he slipped off his jeans before climbing into bed, leaving him in his boxers. Kevin’s so tall that his body wraps around mine easily, his knees are tucked behind mine and his chin rests on my head. I should not feel as at peace as I do. One of his large hands rests on my side. Not the jut of my hip, not my thigh or ribs, but my waist. He doesn’t move it, either, doesn’t drag it down my goosebumped skin to elicit a reaction just because he can. 

 

I lose the battle with sleep, no longer willing to fight with myself over why he’s here at all.

 

Chapter 16: Best to be quick

Summary:

Wake up calls and special guests 👀

Notes:

Yeah, I know, IM SORRY 😭

---

This time when I wake up, there’s a firm body at my back and a hand settled on my chest.

Kevin must have ditched his shirt sometime in the night, because his skin is hot on my back. I tense at the realization. I was too tired last night to argue, but being held is a rather odd feeling. Feeling both vulnerable and protected. I’m not used to that. I kind of like it.

The tension slowly drains from my shoulders, but I stay as still as I can, not eager to wake the beast at my back. Then I’d have to look at the realization on his face that his morning wood is poking me in my ass. No need to worry, though, because my brain clocks Aaron's routine knock despite my being half asleep. Throwing an arm over my eyes, I groan at the 2-3-2 beat on my door, and at the pain I just inflicted on my bruised face, at the same time, Kevin launches himself from the bed. He’s grabbing a gun, one I had no idea he had in my room, from his discarded boot and throwing open the door before I’m finished yanking the cover up to my chin like a teenager caught in the act. 

Aaron hasn’t seen my scars, and he doesn’t need to know about them, either. Andrew and Kevin acted as I figured they would, indifferent. Aaron and Jean however… If they were to learn about my childhood, they would probably go on a murder spree while checking in on my well-being every 30 seconds. Golden retrievers, those two are, even under Aarons asshole jock exterior.

 

“Day,” Aaron announces, shocked yet amused all the same. Not at all fazed at having a gun pointed in his face. I should probably be concerned about that fact.

“Minyard,” Kevin grumbles, holding the door slightly open. Aaron waltzes into my room like he owns the place, a habit all of my Bonds possess, apparently. 

“Hatford,” I announce, my face still partially covered by one arm while the other is clutching the blanket. They’re silent, but I can sense their amused confusion clearly. “What? I thought we were doing morning roll call?”

 

A huff, and the door closes, but I still feel two other bodies in the room with me. They’re both staying then. The arm covering my face is removed, lifted up easily by a large, tanned hand, and placed back at my side. Kevins eyes narrow down at me, looking for fuck knows what, but backs away once he finds what he’s looking for. Then he’s throwing his hoodie at my face from across the room while he slips into his own crumpled white tee. I slip into it before sitting up, letting the blanket pool around my waist. Aaron is leaning against the far wall, his usual observation spot, looking far too smug for someone who wasn’t in my bed last night. 

 

“I am not going to the gym with you today if that's why you’re here. You’d have to bury me outback in an unmarked grave if you do, I can tell you now I wouldn’t make it through a half mile jog, let alone the shit you’ve been putting me through.”

“No gym,” Aaron says lightly. “Just breakfast, if you’re interested. You didn’t come down for dinner, but-” he pauses, pointedly looking at the takeout bag in the trash. “Looks like you got it delivered in.”

“Not by choice, but I’m not complaining. I love chinese food, especially the cheap kind from a mall.”

 

Kevin’s looking awfully proud of himself, and Aaron looks like he just learned key information and needs to go write it down somewhere. Idiots. It’s just food. Food… Yeah, I could go for breakfast.

 

“Burritos from that diner down the street?”

“Sweeties, yeah,” Aaron confirms with a nod. “Kevin, you in?”

“No, thanks. I need to get back to the house for a briefing.”

 

An easy escape if I ever heard one. He would still be dead to the world in my bed right now if Aaron hadn’t woken us up. An alarm has yet to sound. Whatever, not like I wanted to spend any more time with him anyway. Kevin is shoving on his boots and walking out the door the next second without a goodbye.

 

“What are you looking so smug about?” I ask Aaron, who’s still looking too happy for my liking.

“Looks like I’m not the only one you’re forming emotional connections with.”

“That is not at all what’s happening between me and Kevin. I don’t even know why he came back. I’m fine, and it's not like he cares anyway.”

“Do you really believe that?”

No. “Yes”

“Whatever. Get dressed, and let’s go. Sweeties might serve all-day breakfast, but the burritos are only available before the lunch menu rolls out. Plus, we’re stopping by the clinic to get you healed.”

“Fine, fine,” I mumble.

 

I don’t miss the way his hazel eyes trace over my exposed legs when I stand, flinging the blanket away. Kevin's black hoodie swamps my frame and falls to my mid-thigh. I look ridiculous, but that doesn’t stop me from leaving it on, or slipping my nose under the collar to breathe in his cedar and rain scent. It has my bond writhing within my chest, so I force myself to stop. Gray joggers and red Converse on, I follow Aaron out of my dorm and lock it behind us.

Ella heals me quickly, the only Healer that I let touch me. She’s at the top of her class and already volunteering at the clinic on campus, on top of her required training rotations. And, since she knows I absolutely hate it here, she tends to my beaten face instantly and sends me on my way.

Sweeties is a vintage retro-style diner just outside campus. It’s also the diner I applied to work at and got turned down instantly. I haven’t met the twins’ cousin, only heard a bit about him from Matt, since he frequents the place often enough with Allison. I quickly put together why the blonde spends so much time here of all places, when our waitress is none other than Renee. She’s as kind as ever as she takes our orders, a sausage and egg burrito for us both, along with a black coffee for me and water for Aaron. He waits until she’s back at the front counter to start a conversation.

 

“Nicky has owned the place for a few years now. He manages the day-to-day operations while Porter is the head cook in the back. He makes a mean burger if you ever get the craving for one.”

“Does he have others?” I ask, genuinely interested. “Bonded, I mean.”

Aaron nods slowly, then thanks Renee when she returns shortly with our drinks before disappearing again. “Erik and Xander. Erik quit his job in marketing to stay home with their daughter. They adopted Celeste last year after her parents were killed in a Resistance raid. She’s 3. And Xander…”

“He was the one taken?”

“Yeah. Nicky’s been drowning himself in work since. I had planned to come here regardless, needing to check in with him. I’m glad you accepted the invitation, though.”

“Me too,” I agree, and I mean it.

 

The Resistance are scum on earth. The things they do to their own people just to divide us all, to prove that they’re superior, it’s sick. 

 

“So, another all-guy group? Ours is the first I’ve met, I’ll admit.”

“It’s rare, so that makes sense. They all matched shortly after high school. Erik is actually from Germany and moved here to be with the rest of them. Nicky is their Central, though, so I guess he moved here for him specifically.”

“I wouldn’t say that. You all moved into Ichirou’s house together before I came into the picture.”

“He moved us in after you disappeared, actually.” Disappeared, not ran. “Andrew and I were 16 when Rou took temporary custody of us and moved us in. Kevin came a year later, after he turned 18 and enrolled at MU.”

 

There are so many questions I could ask. Why did Ichirou take custody of the twins? He was only 20 and had just taken his seat on the Council; that’s a big commitment. They didn’t grow up together. Did they at least know about each other? How did that go?  I steer in another direction because he already looks stressed as he sips his water, not making eye contact with me.

 

“What about Jean?” Aaron almost sprays his water on me, but forces himself to swallow before he causes a scene. 

“He’s a Moreau,” he states, like that's enough of an explanation. 

It’s not.

“And?”

 

He looks heavenward, like he’ll find the answers I want written on the water stained ceiling. I don’t understand what the big deal is. Jean, so far, has been the nicest of them all. Why would he not be included in their makeshift family?

 

“The Moreaus are an influential family over on the west coast. His Aunt, Daphne, is suspected of being a part of the Resistance. She’s also on the Council over there, so we think she’s covering her tracks.”

“What does that have to do with Jean?”

“Seriously?” Aaron asks, looking at me like I’m being purposefully delusional. Maybe I am.

“Yes? People aren’t their parents, and certainly not their extended family. He isn’t like them, there’s no way he’s a part of the Resistance.”

“He doesn't have to be a part of it to feed them information, Neil.”

“Well, he isn't doing that either, so no need to worry about it.”

“How do you know? You two have gotten chummy, and I’ve kept my mouth shut about the phone, but do you really think it’s a coincidence that the university has been a hotspot for kidnappings after he learned your location?”

Oh for fucks sakes. “I don’t know, Aaron, is it a coincidence that you also know my location?”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!”

“Nothing, and that’s my point, pea-brain. He isn’t slipping my GPS location to Resistance members and sending them after me. That's too Ichirou style.” My joke falls flat when his face stays stone. “He isn’t the reason they’re here, Aaron. He isn’t my enemy, and he isn’t yours.”

“But how do you know?”

“Because I trust him. Just like I trust you, Bond.”

Yup. I just called him that. Out loud. Oh fuck.

“You trust me?”

 

Renee has perfect timing with the food, setting it down between us with a polite smile. I give Aaron a single, sincere nod before I start eating. His smile is so bright I have to focus on my food so I don’t return it. 

Matt and Allison enter the diner just as Aaron snatches the bill, not that I would have fought him for it. All I have is Kevin's credit card, and I’m still determined not to use it. Matt waves at us and approaches with a wide smile, Allison on his heels after kissing Renee on her cheek at the counter. Aaron excuses himself to check in with his cousin, his original plan that I fully support. He still has family, he should spend time with them. Matt takes his vacated seat, and Allison scoots in next to me, squishing me into the corner of the booth by the window. 

 

“Nice hoodie, Neil,” she purrs, her fingers absent-mindedly twirling around one of the strings at my neck.

 

I swat her away and roll my eyes, used to her antics and digging. Matt just laughs at us and starts browsing the menu even though I know he’s memorized it by now. I wave Aaron on when he stops back by, asking if I need a ride back. Allison says she calls dibs on me for the rest of the day, and she’ll drive me back when we're done. I’m only slightly worried Ichirou will come hunt me down for being off campus without my escort, but she assures me and Aaron both that we’re only going back to the library to finish assignments once they’re done eating and Renee gets off. 

That’s exactly what we do, too. Matt and I are smooshed in the back of her Peptobismol colored convertible while Allison drives us back, Renee sitting shotgun with her hand drifting in the wind. The girls don’t study, though, they talk Exy plays while Matt and I work on our current History assignment. I do listen enviously though, wishing I could play again.

All in all, I almost forget I’ve had a terrible weekend.

 

---

 

Kevin didn’t come back to my room after that day. Whether it be from him getting tired of my company or my migraine finally receding, I’ll never know because I refuse to ask. It’s been a week since then, and everything is relatively back to normal. Friday’s dinner went… Well, it went. Kevin and I are back to ignoring one another, except for a few glances, so Aaron and I talked amongst ourselves. Andrew had been locked in his study grading papers, or so Ichirou had said. 

I shove myself out of bed and away from my racing thoughts, thankful my alarm did something good for once and woke me from a nightmare. I have roughly ten minutes before Aaron comes to collect me for our morning circuit. Good news, waking up at 5:30 am is getting easier so long as I actually sleep during the night. Bad news, however, is that since I’ve proven to Aaron that I've a good handle on self-defense, we’ve moved on to weight training. Despite having already gained more muscle than I’ve ever had before, he wants me to press more. I called him out on just wanting to see me sweaty and worn out one morning when I was particularly done with the day, and he had blushed red as a tomato. We left early that day.

Sure enough, my phone pings with an incoming text. I’ve switched to changing into our TT uniforms once we get to the training center since I only have so many clothes to rotate through, and I need something clean for our other classes. That being said, I’m exhausted after the nightmare and step out of my dorm in pajamas. Aka, blue plaid cotton pants and Kevins black hoodie, completed with my converse that would stand out like sore thumbs if I gave a shit. I don’t. 

Aaron scrunches his nose in distaste at my lack of color coordination. It’s a recurring argument at this point, something we fall back on to pass the time on the way to the training center. For now, we stay quiet in the halls. He walks at my side, first to the communal bathrooms so I can brush my teeth and wash my face, and then down the stairs and outside the dorms. 

 

“The shoes ruin it,” Aaron starts offhandedly once we’re outside.

“I’m in my pajama pants, Aaron. There’s nothing to ruin, as this isn’t an outfit.”

“Why red, of all colors? You couldn’t grab a neutral black or white?”

“I have black boots, and white gets dirty too easily,” I say with a shrug. 

“Weren’t your parents a part of the higher class of Gifted? Did no one teach you style?”

 

He asks jokingly, and I know that, but I still freeze up and stop talking. He must realize something triggered me because the look he gives me is concern mixed with guilt, a look I want to tell him to look away with. I don’t need it, and he shouldn’t feel guilty over a stupid fucking question about clothing choices. 

I did, in fact, grow up amongst the higher class of Gifter. Up until the age of 10, I was raised in a mansion, though a fraction of the size of Ichirou’s, up in Baltimore. Alexander had wiped all records of our whereabouts after every move thereafter, and, according to Mom, their bond to my father as well. On record, my mom was the Central to Alexander and Christopher, and I am biologically Alexander's. I wonder if Ichirou had put those pieces together during all his research and wasted resources. Surely if he had he would have said do by now. They've all held grudges for me running from them, when really, running is all I’ve ever known; Even if I had really wanted to run to them all along.

I lock myself in a shower stall per usual while Aaron starts adding weights to the bench press. Changed out and ready to go, I meet him there and get started, working my frustrations out on the bar until my arms are shaking. Aaron's look of concern only grows tenfold, but I brush him off when he tries to help me up from the bench. I move on to the treadmill without asking what he has planned for me next. I need to run until my mind is blank, until I don’t feel my Gift straining for release. It wants to protect me, but it can’t, not from this.

I wash off in the shower stall once I’m finished, then dress back into my comfortable pajamas. Kevin's hoodie makes me feel stuffy now that my body temp is so high, but I didn’t wear a shirt underneath, and I’m not putting my uniform shirt back on. Aaron is sitting on one of the benches lining the locker room when I emerge.

 

“Was it something I said?”

I shake my head, then shrug. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah, you’re anything but fine, Bond.”

 

My chest pinches, but I keep my face blank, refusing to show any weakness right now. I had meant it when I said I trust him, no matter how stupid that makes me, but this is different. This secret is mine to keep, mine to live with. If they knew who my biological father is, how I was actually raised…

 

“I’m as fine as I can be. You just made me think of my parents, is all.”

“Sorry,” Aaron offers quietly, but I shrug it off again.

“Let’s go, classes start soon.”

 

We retreat outside and into the approaching summer heat. It’s muggy as hell and I immediately miss the AC in the gym. How does Kevin wear a hoodie everywhere? And how the hell does Andrew survive in his all black? I ask Aaron and he laughs, long accustomed to their preferred attire. He claims he has no idea either but pointedly looks at the hoodie swamping my frame. I stuff my hand in the large pocket and tuck my nose in the collar to inhale Kevins scent because i'm weak and can’t help myself, all while Aaron cackles. 

The joyous sound is cut off as we broach the top of the stairs on my floor. I don’t immediately recognize the figure, seeing as they're the tallest person I’ve ever been around, but I tense along with the blond because the person is standing outside my door looking down at their phone with a scowl. I’m about to tell them to fuck off when the bond in my chest pulls taught towards the stranger…who isn't a stranger at all.

 

“French fry?” I ask, failing fucking spectacularly at hiding the excitement in my voice.

 

Jean stands tall at over 6 foot, just taller than Kevin’s obnoxious height. His inky black hair is wavy atop his head, curling over his arched brows and ears. He’s paler than I expect from someone who was raised on the California coast, but his base tan is still golden. Dressed casually in a pair of green colored cargo pants, a white T shirt, and black vans, Jean looks like any other college student, not some snob from a prestigious family on the other side of the country.

 

“Oui,” Jean says, turning to look over his shoulder with a sharp smirk. His bright silver eyes sweep over us and crease with annoyance before settling on me and softening. “Am I interrupting?”

 

I glance down at my pajama pants and belatedly realize Aaron as a hand wrapped possessively around my hip. I feel my face heat before I can help it and step out of Aaron hold, causing him to curse and shuffle forward as well. My head only reaches his chest and I have to look further up the closer I get to him. My bond is tugging and tugging and for once, I don’t yank it back. Stopping a foot away from him, I meet those silver eyes and return his smirk, then narrow my eyes.

 

“You couldn’t have told me you were coming?”

 

“So this is a walk of shame then?” He snarks, his voice teasing in a way I recognize from our calls. 

 

Aaron, however, doesn’t know that, and I can sense the shift in him from behind me. His gift is threatening to pull him under, and Jean with it. I step back and place my hand on his forearm, feeling him tense at my touch before relaxing against my hold.

 

“No, just getting back from our morning workout,” I say as Aaron replies with a snapped, “None of your business.”

“Oh, but it is my business seeing as I intend to be the first to savor him.”

I roll my eyes and remove my hand from Aaron’s arm, just to shove Jean lightly out of the way with it. “I need to get ready for class. Go to the bathrooms if you want to measure, no one wants to see that. Think you two can survive five minutes with each other without me?” I don’t give them time to answer before I step into my room and shut the door in their equally incredulous faces.

 

I have no idea what Jeans Gift is, but Aaron’s is unstable on the best of days when it comes to me apparently, so best to be quick. 

Chapter 17: Let’s go, let’s go!

Summary:

Jean is here 🖤

---

“See, I knew you could do it,” I say sarcastically as I enter the hall.

 

I’m changed into a pair of jeans and a soft grey shirt, my favorite thrift if I had to say, with my backpack slung over my shoulder. Red converse back in place. I lock my door then turn to face two of my bonds again, impressed to find them both still intact, if not glowering at each other. The height difference between them makes it borderline hilarious but I hold back my amusement. 

 

“Your hair is different,” is the first thing out of Jeans' mouth.

“I dyed it,” I reply dryly, not knowing what else to say.

“I meant the length. Has it not always been auburn?”

 

I shrug away the uncomfortable weight that settles on my shoulders as I start walking away, hoping they get the message that we’re moving. None of the guys mentioned my dye job from my first week, but they had all known my original coloring from the photos when we were first matched. They probably assumed it was bleached to deter them from finding me, but it was never to evade them. 

 

“Have you got your schedule, french fry?” I ask over my shoulder, peeking back to see them sending each other glares between steps. 

“Yes, here you are, mon petit lier.”

 

A paper is held out at my side and I snatch it, scanning the timetable for any classes that line up with my own. “Why am I not surprised that you have the same schedule as me.”

 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Aaron mumbles darkly and I slow down my pace to walk directly between them.

“Can we not do this? I’m starving.”

“Of course. You can show me around the dining hall, and everywhere else after that,” Jean says smoothly, his French accent curling around the consonants. 

“How did you get his time table, Moreau?”

“My name has pull, even here. I simply had to explain that I needed to be close to my bond after such separation if things are ever going to work out between us.” 

 

Smooth, I snort at his haughty tone while I hear Aaron muttering under his breath. I don’t dislike that he’s going to be around so much now, even if my other bonds are sure to be making a scene soon. Aaron is the most level headed out of them all if you can believe it and even he hates Jean simply because of his name. Oh if only he knew. 

The walk across campus is just as intense, however less claustrophobic now that students aren’t poking their head out of their rooms to gawk at the new arrival. They still stare as I walk between them along perimeter road, Aaron at my left and Jean my right. They fit into place so easily one would think it’s natural. I wasn’t lying about being hungry, my early morning meltdown elicited a growling stomach to accompany my still tingling legs. Matt and Allison are already seated at our table, Ella sitting between them. Aaron and I take our usual seats across from them after filling our trays, Jean plopping down to my right with an apple in hand.

 

“So you’re the french one?” Allison asks, already digging. I roll my eyes and stuff a spoonful of yogurt into my mouth.

“Oui. You must be the small sibling,” he replies, making me choke on said yogurt.

 

Aaron smirks in my peripheral vision, Matt smiling broadly while Ella snickers. Matt starts an easy conversation with Jean about his transfer and what he thinks about campus. I keep one ear tuned in but also listen in on the Exy talk happening between the players around me. They have a match this weekend that Matt and I have every intention of attending, and now I plan to drag Jean along with us. Breakfast comes to an end once we’re all finished, Allison demanding that I keep her up to date on all my bonding drama. I remind her to fuck off before dropping my tray off and heading to class.

The others branch off after quick goodbyes, leaving only Matt, Aaron, Jean and I to walk to Andrews lecture scheduled for today. The building he’s been teaching in is only a short walk across the quad and I walk alongside Matt, leaving my Bonds at my back again. They need to get used to each other's company eventually, no time like the present to push their boundaries in moderation. 

Dan Wilds, Renee Walker, and Andrew Minyard are the last people I would ever expect to be loitering outside the history building together. Andrew has an ever present cigarette in hand, taking a drag when there’s a lag in conversation. Upon closer inspection, Renee and Andrew are the only ones participating in the discussion, while Wilds seems to be standing guard over the classroom entrance. Matt looks equally as confused about what we’re walking into but it’s Jean sidling up to my side than has my rising to the surface in suspicion.

Wilds asks for Matt’s student ID, and while he digs his wallet out to retrieve it, Andrew cuts our group a look and explains.

 

“Security measures to make sure everyone here is supposed to be here.”

 

Makes sense to me so I shrug and pull out my own wallet. Aaron exchanges a look with his twin but steps up to go inside next, leaving me with Jean, and Matt who’s loitering in the doorway for us like a true friend.

 

“I don’t need to see your ID Hatford, everyone here recognizes you for who you are. Congratulations are in order for being standing and sober I guess.”

 

Andrew grins, a sharp, predatory thing, but it’s lacking the glee that’s usually found with it at my suffering behest. His eyes are narrowed in on Wilds, not me for once, but if he were going to say anything, Jean beats him to it.

 

“Why wouldn’t he be?” 

Wilds looks me up and down and I raise a brow at her disgusted look. “Your central is a junkie, or did he not tell you? Nah, he’s probably laying it on thick for you since he can’t get the others into his bed. Way to play dirty, Nathaniel.”

A dark, half snarling noise comes from Aaron who’s joined Matt in the door, but it’s my hulk of a friend who snarks my defense. “Says the bitch who tackled him into a wall and busted his face up just to drag him back here at her boss's orders. I thought response teams are supposed to be the good ones.”

“They are,” Jean says, barely restrained rage in his voice. 

 

Andrew raises two dark golden brows, either not knowing that detail or simply disappointed he had missed the show.

 

“Oh, please, he would have ran if he had known we were there for him.” Wilds ignores Andrews voided out glare, or simply doesn't see it. “I was given orders, by two of your bonds no less, and I follow my fucking orders.”

“Don’t say that word. And two of my bonds ordering you to incapacitate me just to get their hands on me didn’t raise any red flags to you?” I don’t wait for her planned response, or acknowledge Andrew's stare now focused on me. While no longer blacked out, it’s still intense. “If you know I’m supposed to be here then get out of the way so class can start.”

“Watch your fucking tone, Hatford. I haven’t cleared the tall one yet.”

 

Jean stands stock still at my side, arms crossed and head ticked to the side like he’s eyeing his next meal. Is he a shifter? He could be. All well. Let him go to town for all I care. Andrew takes a step forward and crushes his cigarette beneath a boot, glancing at me in a way I can’t quite comprehend before meeting the guards brown eyes.

 

“Moreau is permitted entry. Today’s his first day as a transfer and doesn’t have his ID yet. As much as I’m enjoying the spectacle you're putting on, the runt is right. Let’s get this show on a roll.”

 

Runt, like he isn't shorter than me. I can’t help the snort that escapes me.

 

“Agreed,” comes Kevin’s dry voice. My head snaps over to find him turning the corner and approaching us at a brisk pace. 

“Hey, look, it’s the bond I managed to get into my bed,” I announce dryly, low enough for only those in our makeshift circle to hear. I stare Kevins second down with the dead eyed look I’ve long since mastered. “Can we go now?”

“Go,” Kevin barks, and the scene breaks as we all finally walk into class.

 

Renee disappears somewhere behind Andrew after he throws her a two fingers salute before slamming the lecture hall doors behind him. Jean is stiff at my side as we follow Aaron and Matt up to our usual back row seats. We’ve exchanged a lot over the past months, but I may have intentionally left out my migraine and the events that came with it.

 

“I don’t do drugs and I haven’t slept with Kevin. I mean-“ I flounder and I catch Aaron’s smirk as he drops into his seat at my side between Matt and I. He’s usually to my right but I guess that’s Jean's designated place now and he’s not willing to leave my left. “I mean to say we’ve shared a bed, but nothing happened. We’re not bonded.”

“Calm down, mon petit lier. We can talk about it later, but I hold nothing over you. I never have.”

 

I slump in my seat and relax. I should have known he wouldn’t hold anything against me, he hasn’t up to this point. It’s odd that Andrew looked like he wanted to step in on my behalf though.

No. I must have been imagining that.

 

---

 

After classes and lunch we all congregate in our reserved library study room, falling into seats in a similar pattern to class. Jean and Aaron are on either side of me, Matt directly across the table with Allison and Ella around him. I catch Jean up on what we’re currently focusing on in our classes. He’s already taken some of them in California, but if he wants to be in my classes he has to retake them. He doesn’t seem torn up about it so I don't push. We crack down on our studying, because even though he’s taken the classes, that doesn’t mean he can’t earn a higher grade. We only stop when Aaron, Ella, and Allison leave just before dinner for Exy practice, then Jean, Matt and I escape to the dining hall for a much needed break. Dinner is uneventful, and terribly bland, but I eat it all without complaint. Matt leaves as soon as he’s done, leaving me with a fist bump and Jean with a nod. 

Then it’s just Jean and I walking along perimeter road back to my dorm. It’s awkward at first, walking so close that our arms brush. My bond strains to reach for him but I tuck it back down, unwilling to deal with it’s pinning right now. His silver gaze sweeps over me every minute or so, like he’s checking that I’m still at his side. He smiles every time I catch his eyes, and I can’t help but return the gesture. Jeans smile isn’t the fake kind I usually see on Ichirous face, or the sharp, unkind thing Andrew wears. It’s real, authentic, and it’s a nice sight. 

Ignoring the stares is easy. Word has spread as fast as I predicted, so everyone has their eyes on Jean as we stop at my door. I unlock it quickly, pulling him in by a grip on his wrist. I let go of him as soon as the door is shut behind us and I drop my backpack at my desk. 

 

“This place is shit,” Jean says dryly as he spins in a circle in the center of the room.

“Yup,” I agree, now sitting in my spinning chair. “Courtesy of one bossy ass councilman with a stick up his ass.”

“Maybe if he was nicer you could stick something else up his ass and loosen his ego.”

I choke on my spit, grabbing at my own throat for a breath. “Jean!”

“What?” He stops and turns to me with a brow raised, practically reaching his dark hairline. “You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”

“Sex with him? No!”

“Our dynamics, mon petit lier.” Jean sits down at the edge of my bed, made yet disheveled from my quick escape this morning.

“I- I mean I-“ why the fuck am I stuttering right now?! “I just assumed with me being the central that I…”

“That you would be our designated bottom?” I’m too embarrassed to speak so I only nod. He chuckles before sobering, noticing my being uncomfortable. “That’s not how that works, Bond. We form a tie between us, in whatever way we prefer. With that in mind, do you have a preference?”

I shake my head, my fingers tangling in my shirt. “I don’t think about sex like others do. I’ve never been interested before, let alone done anything with another.” 

 

Jean nods along slowly, absorbing the information I, also, intentionally left out. He’s been the most forward of them all when it comes to his flirting and advances, but I didn’t think he would actually show up here. Now that he’s here physically, he deserves to know how scant my arousal actually is. Well… was?

 

“We don’t have to figure all of this out now. There’s no rush, no pressure.” I let out a relieved sigh at that. “How about we focus on your sleeping arrangements. More so, where you’ll be moving to. This room will not do.”

“No can do. Curfew and GPS, remember? This place is fine, just needs a new bed. Day gave me his credit card to get a new one but I haven’t yet. I don’t want to spend any of your money.”

“Safe to say he requested a new bed because he was sharing it with you?”

“He only numbed my pain for a few nights, nothing more, but yes, he did so in my bed. It’s ass.”

“No, no, ass is much better than this monstrosity,” Jean teases with his lilting accent. “No need to knock it until you try it.”

“Sure, whatever. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m stuck with that one, and this room, for the foreseeable future.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it. What about just for one night? I have an apartment just off campus. You could stay with me.”

I’m already shaking my head before he finishes. “Not a good idea unless you want Ichirou raiding the place while we’re asleep. You should get going before it gets too late, though. I bet you’re tired after your plane ride.”

 

Jean hums and stands from my bed, and it only takes him two steps before he’s squatting down in front of me. We’re almost the same height in this position and it makes my head spin. He lifts a hand to my jaw and my bond has me leaning into the caress before I register the movement. It’s already so easy with him, like it has been since we got in touch. 

 

“I will leave you here tonight, but tomorrow I am speaking to Ichirou about new housing accommodations for you. You deserve more than this.”

“This is the least I deserve, Jean.”

“I disagree.” He leans in just enough to place a quick kiss to my forehead before he’s standing up and retreating to the door. “Get some rest, mon petit lier. I hope to continue our earlier talk tomorrow.” 

 

Jean winks before sliding out of my room, shutting the door behind himself. I’m fast to lock it and fall into bed, suffocating myself in my pillow until I need oxygen. The implication of that conversation stirs something deep in my core that only Aaron has managed to reach. Unfortunately for the bond in my chest, I grabbed the pillow that still smells faintly of Kevin’s natural musk. 

I can’t catch a fucking break from these men.

 

---

 

Tuesday starts off similarly, if not identical. I go to the training center with Aaron to work out, however this time I’m not trying to push myself beyond my limits. If Jean was serious last night about having a talk today, I’d much prefer to be able to walk straight while doing so. The Frenchman greets us at my door again, leaning against the wall to the right of it, leg kicked up and waiting patiently. His outfits are notably different from what I’m used to when it comes to my bonds, laid back and casual, but he’s no less put together with the versatile pieces still being name brand. Walking straight through the brooding contest, I slip into my room and change for the day. 

 

“Hey,” Aaron greets as soon as I join them again. “Instead of the dining hall, you down for Sweeties? I’m getting tired of the same food every week on campus.”

“Sure, but Jean is coming too so we’ll have to take his car.”

“I actually have a bike,” Jean cuts in with a smirk. 

“Then play rock paper scissors over who I’m riding with, because I’m not picking between the two of you.”

 

I leave them to it and start down the stairs, trusting they’ll follow when they figure it out. Ridiculous. The fact that the bond in my chest is pulling this way and that, wanting them both instead of choosing at all, and yes, in that way, has me skipping steps in my haste to put distance between us for even a moment. Aside from sleeping and showering, I’m never without one of them, and my damn soul wants them even more the longer I’m closer to them, the more I get to know them. Fuck my life and Aaron’s teasing. 

Forming an emotional connection is stupid compared to the other halves of your soul reaching for each other with such desperation it’s borderline painful. So fucking stupid. I’m suffering through both. 

Suffering being a relative term. Surviving?

I’d probably be fucking thriving if there was actual fucking happening, but that’s not happening.

Nope.

The other motorcycle in the student parking makes more sense now. As opposed to Aaron’s sports bike, Jeans is a Harley Sportster. Sleek matte black and gleaming silver in the sunlight. There’s two helmets resting in the seats, the same as Aaron’s, like they both expected me to ride with them. They definitely did.

Aaron passes me first while grumbling under his breath and settling in his bike with a glare pointed in Jeans direction. He lost then. I approach him carefully, resting a hand on his forearm in an attempt to make it up to him.

 

“I’ll ride back with you.”

 

The offer earns me an amused huff and a barely there nod, but I’ll take it. I smile at him and then turn towards Jean where he’s swinging his leg over his own bike. I climb on after him and pull the helmet on before leaning in, wrapping my arms around his trim waist. My bond settles in my chest at the physical contact, reaching out to prod at Jeans. It’s a new sensation and I jolt a bit, as does Jean. He turns back to me with raised brows and questions in his grey eyes, but I shake my head and tuck back down to tuck my face into his shoulder. They must have talked about our plans upstairs because Jean only pulls out after Aaron, following just behind him for direction. 

I order the burrito as always with a coffee, Aaron following suit with his water. Jean takes his time looking over the menu before deciding on the breakfast platter with an orange juice, making me grimace.

 

“What, do you not like juice?”

“He doesn’t like anything healthy,” Aaron grumbles. “Hates vegetables with a passion.”

“Just the green ones,” I argue, a perfectly legitimate opinion. “And just orange juice too.” I fake a gag, but really, I wouldn’t even have to fake it if I thought about pulp long enough.

 

Jean chuckles, a deep rumbling sound that has my chest constricting something different. Aaron shakes his head in amusement, their petty squabbles shoved aside for the sake of picking on me. We eat in peace, then Aaron leaves cash on the table as we stand to leave. I walk with him to his bike and swing my leg over without hesitation, then look over to see Jean waiting on us. 

The streets zoom by quickly before we’re back on campus, a portion of perimeter road is blocked off with traffic cones, so Aaron signals Jean with a hand gesture to take a sharp right and then we’re taking a different route to the main building’s. Other vehicles are filling most of the spots, but Jean finds an empty one towards the administrative office. Aaron pulls into the same spot and shuts off his bike, then we’re both climbing off.

 

“The road was open this morning, and Kevin didn’t say anything about road work,” Aaron says after setting his helmet on his seat. He takes mine gently from my hands and does the same with it.

“I didn’t realize Day spent his leisurely time directing school traffic.” Jean steps up to my side, so they’re both flanking me as we start our trek across the quad to our first class. 

“He doesn't, dickhead. He does usually let us know if anything is happening on campus though, he’s the one to check all security risks.”

I shrug my shoulders, belatedly realizing I hadn’t grabbed my backpack this morning before breakfast. “Fuck! I forgot my bag.”

 

I turn towards the dorms to grab it, I’ll run if I have to but I have got to keep my grades up. Jean stiffening and gripping my shoulder suddenly stops me cold. And then I feel it, and fuck me because I should have felt it sooner. I’ve gotten too comfortable here, and now my Gift is itching beneath my skin to make itself known in the eye of a threat. Aaron must feel it too because he curses and digs his phone out of his jeans pocket. 

Aaron’s eyes flash black as he scans the grassy landscape, and I’m again late in realizing something very important. We’re standing in the open, completely alone, in one of the busiest areas on campus. 

 

“Run,” I snap, grabbing jeans hand from my shoulder and Aaron’s hand that’s not holding his phone. 

 

They listen, thank fuck, and were sprinting towards an alcove between buildings when Aaron yanks me to a stop. 

 

“Here,” he whisper yells. We shimmy our way between the brick walls until we reach a pocket of space, a designed hiding spot. “Ichirou showed each of us this place when we started here in case we’d ever need it. No one other than our bond group and a few administrators know about it. There are others around campus that others know about, still secret between students and faculty. This one is just for us though.” 

“Handy,” I gasp, bending over my knees to catch my breath. Not from the run, but from the adrenaline. “Call him and see what the hell’s going on here.”

 

Aaron’s already bringing his cell to his ear before I finish speaking, while Jean is peeking through the narrow entry. 

 

“Rou is on his way. Andrew and Day are both here somewhere. Resistance members are swarming campus. We need to get you out of here.”

“We can just stay here and wait for them,” I try, but I know it sounds weak.

“No, they’ll have shifters and others with Gifts for sniffing out high potential targets.”

“Good thing I’m an UnGifted then, huh?”

“Not now,” Aaron snaps, his eyes voided out and shadows circling his arms from his fingertips to elbows. 

 

Jean is glaring at me in a challenge, daring me to say it again. They both know. Not all of it of course, but enough…

 

“So what do we do then? Go back out there where they can grab us?” 

“Kind of our only choice here, Bond. This spot was made as a rendezvous point, not a long term hidey hole from a swarm of resistance members.”

 

I roll my eyes but nod. I stand up straight, collecting myself and trying to tamper down my panic. All the good it does because an explosion has us all ducking down and falling into a squat, arms over our heads like we’ve been trained. It was close, too close, and the sound of rumble shifting tells me it was close enough, if not inside, a building. Aaron’s the first to move back toward the narrow opening between walls. I’m next with Jean right behind me. Aaron stops before he reaches the opening, glancing back at me. He opens his mouth once, twice.

 

“Evac point is back at the dorms. Straight there Neil. Do you understand me?”

“Yeah, yeah I got it,” I snap in defiance. I’m not dense.

“If I stop to help someone, you keep going.”

 

That- No, that’s not okay. He doesn’t trusts his own Gift, barely has control over it. I give my head a sharp shake but he only gives me a grim smile before running out onto the quad. 

 

“Now, Neil!”

 

I book it after him at Jeans sharp order. I can’t be the reason he’s at risk. Who am I kidding? They’re all at risk because of me, simply because I’m here. Fuck Ichirou for putting this shit on me! 

I feel it when my Bonds lag behind me, the distance between us stretching wider the farther I run ahead of them. A gunshot has me falling into a roll behind a tree, where I intend to stay just long enough to look back for my men. Aaron’s hands are raised in front of him, a black wall of shadow moves towards a group of resistance members, pushing them back and away from a group of students who just ran from a building. Jean is standing in the middle of the circular, grassy field, a goddamn light pole held like a baseball bat over his shoulder. I was as he takes a swing at two goons, but I look away before he makes impact. 

They’re fine, see? They can hold their own, just like I can. Get to the dorms, get out of here. Easy.

 

“Allison!” The raw agony in Renee’s scream had my head snapping to the left, away from my Bonds.

My eyes are searching the lawn before I second guess my intentions, but I already know I’m willing and committed to what’s coming. What I’m going to do. 

There.

Allison is being lugged over to a convoy truck over some asshole's shoulder. Her golden hair sways with every step the guy makes, her arms dangling around her head. Unresponsive. I can’t let them have her. She’s my friend, my best friend's sister, another person I care about when I shouldn’t. Fuck that. I’m glad I care, otherwise I wouldn’t be sprinting towards her. 

I may be making the biggest mistake of my life, because when I pass Renee, I see that it’s Andrew holding her back with a shadowed arm baring her chest. I want to say something, anything. 

 

I’m not running from you, but to her. I’ll be back, I promise. I don’t want to, but I have to. I always had to.

 

I don’t. Andrew wouldn’t believe me anyway. I pump my arms and run harder, knowing damn well once Andrew sees what I’m doing he’ll be on me in seconds. Seconds is all I need. 

All I need to get caught.

 

“Power surge! Grab that one!”

 

I throw an elbow into the gut of the man that reaches for me, only to be tackled to the ground by a woman my size. My Gift begs to be released but I yank it down. If they only sense that I have an advanced Gift, they’ll take me. If they realize just who they’re snatching, I’m dead on sight. I recognize the voice, belonging to one Blythe Gomez. A bitch of a woman. She’s the resistance’s sniffer dog, seaking out those with Gifts they want. Anyone else isn’t needed, therefore useless fodder to them. 

She doesn’t recognize me, at least not yet.

The woman yanks me to my feet and I take her in as a fair opponent, Gifts aside. I don’t know what hers is, but I could kill her in a blink if I really wanted to risk it. She’s wearing full tactical gear in all black, similar to our TacTeam uniforms if not for the patches on their arms and the full face masks they’re wearing to hide their identities.

The man I got in the gut twists my arms behind my back and directs me over to the same truck Allison was thrown into, and I let out a silent, relieved breath at that convenience. Transport trucks like to scatter after leaving a scene. No matter if that happens here, I’ll be with Allison and I can figure a way to get us out of this. 

I’m shoved inside and cuffed to a strip of chains that’s span the floor between two benches lining the covered bed. Allison is across from me, her head leaning against another student, still knocked out. She’s a techno, and a powerful one, so they may keep her alive to brainwash to become one of their hackers. If they already have enough of those, though… 

 

“Let’s go, let’s go! TacTeams are moving in with the Minyard brothers on their heels!” 

 

The man that escorted me jumps up into the bed, causing it to dip under his weight, then slaps the tailgate once it’s slung closed. The truck takes off with a jerk, making me sway into him. That gets me a glare and an elbow in the chin for my troubles. Pay back I guess.

There’s a shout from the cab and then the truck swerves on the road, hitting a bump that almost sends us into a ditch. I look back out of the opening to see Dan Wilds sprinting behind us, a gun in her hand, but there’s no clear shot for her to take without putting us all in danger. She’s lifting her phone to her ear the last I see before the trunk whips around a turn.

 

 

Notes:

Sooooo 👀

I reworked a large chunk of a chapter because I will NOT have Andrew pulling the shit Nox did. Iykyk.

Jean is probably the most out of character because while he begrudgingly respects Neil in AFTG, one of these men need to be obsessed with Neil from the start so here we are lol

Chapter 18: Time to go

Summary:

Let’s go to summer camp, shall we? It’s no a fun camp though, like, at all 👀

---

I admit, I may have made a sliiiigghhttt miscalculation. 

After 5 minutes on the road it’s blatantly obvious we’re dealing with experienced resistance members. There’s a power Dampener sitting at the head of the truck bed, rendering everyone within ten feet Gift-less. A Shield has got to be up front in the cab, otherwise the cars we pass would be calling it in and blaring their horns. Allison’s face is still tucked into the neck of the guy beside her, some guy I vaguely recognize from Econ class. I need her to wake up soon. I’ll carry her out myself if I have to, but I’m sure I’ll be in for a rude awakening if she comes to while over my shoulder, especially when her most recent conscious memory was being knocked out by the last man who dared handle her in such a way.

The GPS tracker in my neck is the only saving grace here, something I never thought I’d be admitting. Even silently in my head. With the lack of a formed Bond in place, my men have at least that as a guiding point. 

My training kicks in when I get a glimpse through the fabric back, flapping in the wind. I spot a speed limit sign across the highway we’re on, 55 mph. We’re passing vehicles left and right, so I estimate we’re pushing 80. We left campus approximately 8 minutes ago now, that's putting us at 10 miles off campus going southbound. Wilds saw which way the truck was heading, so here’s to hoping the TacTeams pull together fast. 

There are two ways things could go at this point. 

We’re either heading to a safe house, somewhere they have Shielded until the smoke blows over. Or they’re in the rush I think they are, meaning testing and transporting.

I hate transporting, I always get nauseous afterwards. Imagine Diggle when The Flash speed runs him literally anywhere. That’s me after a jump. No amount of beatings could rid me of that.

The Resistance only takes Gifted individuals worthy of their time and efforts, meaning high ranking or possessing rare Gifts. Allison is up there with the best of them, I know that, and while her Techno Gift is rare, she’s headstrong. I'm hoping she keeps her mouth shut, because if she fights them too much, they might see her as better off dead just so they don’t have to deal with her attitude during the brainwashing phase. 

Me on the other hand…

My choices are simple in the fact that there’s only 2 of them. Everything after that is ass. Sorry, terrible. I can bury my Gift, but then they’ll think I’m useless and shoot me, forcing my Gift to come out to play to protect me anyway. Or I can come right out with it and fuck shit up. 

Decisions, decisions. 

The truck suddenly veers off the road without slowing, jarring all of us in the back. My right shoulder blade rams into one of the bars holding together the tarp over the bed behind me, making hiss out a breath. A guy who sat further back towards the cab literally flips through the air and lands on his back in the center of the walkway, his wrists still cuffed to the chains lining the floor. Blood is rushing from a wound to his temple where they knocked him out before loading him up. The only good news is Allison is now awake, blinking around the truck bed. Her eyes catch on mine and stay, wild and pleading.

We all slide sideways when the idiot driving the truck slams its breaks. Tires would be screeching if we were on asphalt and not dirt. The Resistance member beside me bangs against the metal paneling, yelling at the guy driving to get his shit together before he kills us all. Doors are slung open and slammed shut as soon as he stops hollering, then the tailgate is being dropped and flaps tied aside. 

The masks they’re all wearing are starting to piss me off. If I can’t see their faces I have to go off voices and names to determine if I know them, and if they could recognize me. 

 

“Get them out, we’re being Transported out in five!”

 

The guy on the ground is uncuffed and dragged out first. I’m used to violence but I still flinch as they let his body drop to the ground from the tailgate. One of the resistance members finally takes off her mask and looks down at him as if she’s bored. I don’t recognize her from here, but that’s not saying much since dust is still settling back into the earth. I can see her black curly hair piled atop her head in a knot, a neck tat of a tarantula crawling up her skin. 

 

“He’s a shifter, but weak as fuck.” She shrugs lazily after giving her statement to her teammates, then lifts her pistol and shoots him in the same spot his wound was, through his temple. 

 

The others around me shriek, but I focus on Allison squeezing her eyes shut while tears leak from the corners. I’m paralyzed, cut off from the emotions I should be feeling at the moment. The blood and brain matter don’t bother me. Not anymore. To be frank, me and that bitch have more in common than I’d care to admit.

One by one we’re brought out and tested. Whoever the guy from Econ class is, I respect him, because he still keeps Allison tucked into his side after they both receive their passing grade from the woman. There’s a lining forming now of worthy candidates, and two other body’s have joined the dead shifter on the ground. I’m shoved in front of the tester last and I close my eyes while taking a deep fucking breath. 

I recognize her now. Rose Hatlin.

My options haven’t changed, but the probability of me having to use my Gift have just doubled. If she recognizes me in turn, I’ll have to do everything in my power to keep it contained lest I put the one person I came here to save in imminent danger. 

No wonder I didn’t recognize her. Rose was blonde the last time I saw her and missing the tattoo. However, I have a hunch why she changed her appearance and I have to hold back a gag at the mere thought. Her brows furrow as she takes me in, no recognition in her gaze, only frustration and confusion.

 

“What’s your Gift carrot top?” I only blink at her. 

“Well, are we keeping the little shit or not?” Asks the guy who initially tried to take me down and caught my elbow.

“I don’t know what the fuck he is! Power is literally leaking out of him like a broken faucet but I can’t get a read on what it is.” 

“No use in trying to get it out of him, Transport is here in less than a minute. Kill him so we can be done with it.”

“Did you not just fucking hear what I just fucking said?” She growls, holstering her pistol to her thigh. “I don’t take orders from you, and he’s too powerful to waste.”

 

I kept my mind blank in case they have a Neuro around with them, but I can’t help but wonder how she doesn’t recognize me. I look similar to how I had back then, if not a bit more filled out. I look more like him than I like, which I thought was going to be my dead give away. Guess not. Here’s to hoping she’s dumb or has gone half blind. All they really only need her for her Gift, reading what other people’s Gifts are just by being in proximity to them. She’s good at it too, so good that they’d keep her active even if she can’t see shit right in front of her. 

Oh she’s going to be so pissed when she figures it out.

Moving on quickly, all the Resistance members peel off their black leather gloves. Their left hands grab a student each, while the other clasps onto the member to their right shoulder until we’re huddled into a circle. There’s a popping sound and a man appears out of thin air, grabbing Rose by a shoulder too. 

The nest pop is louder and my stomach turns over itself and my breakfast burrito from that morning. If I throw up I’ll never be able to eat it again, and that would be a fucking shame.

We could be anywhere now. DC, Vagas, New York, Houston. Hell, if they have a powerful enough Transporter, we could wind up in another country, another godsdamned continent. 

With another deafening pop we’re jarred into our new reality and I drop to my knees and suck in air. Partly because of the jump, mainly because I know where we are. 

The same male guard that’s been glaring at me since the quad fiasco fists my hair and yanks me to my feet, uncaring of my curses and stomping feet trying to break his toes. Rude of him, however he didn’t give me enough time for the panic to set in so I guess I should thank him in a way. 

I do just that. With another elbow, this one aimed up higher before I ram it back into his nose. The sickening crack and his hiss bring a pleasant shiver down my spine that I don’t care to look too far into for now. I know what’s coming, no need to dwell now.

The camp is what’s referred to as a pit stop. Captured Gifted are gathered here and then further tested to see if they’re really of use. Some do squeeze through the initial cracks, but camps like these are to weed out the steel minded and strong willed. The only weakness they want is of the soul variety, that way they can ensure the brainwashing really takes hold. It's sickening.

We’re all moved into a tent towards the center of the camp, other smaller tents line the edges where the guards rest. The woman who tackled me to the ground took me from the other guy when he left for a healer. My arms are restrained, tangled behind my back, from where she made me step through my cuffed arms and pulled them taut up the center of my spine.

The cages are the first thing I see, all empty except one. 

By dumb luck Allison is put in the cage between me and her impromptu hero. We’re all uncuffed once the doors are latched and locked, and only after Rose and her goons leave do I look around. The sitters sit by the entrance, one inside the tent and one out. They pay us no mind, the one inside scrolling through their phone with their gun hanging off their shoulder by its strap. Lazy fuckers sitters, they only act when prisoners starts to reap havoc. Their patterns will be easy to mark, as they usually are. 

The tent flaps swing wide again for a different, stocky guy to waltz through with a resigned looking Renee in tow. 

Again, I close my eyes and take a slow, deep breath, because what the absolute fucking hell was she thinking?! That I came after her girlfriend for the hell of it? Oh fuck. Does she think I ran towards the resistance because she thinks I’m with them? When I open my eyes it’s to see her being shoved into the last remaining cage across from us. 

Renee observes the room before her dark eyes land on me and narrow, then soften a second later. She had thought I was in on this, and that…tracks, but also really fucking hurts. Allison’s shoulders are shaking with silent sobs as she grips the bars to her cage and Renee turns her attention to her girlfriend. I need to figure out a way to talk to them both without the sitters over hearing, or at least do something to let Renee know that I have a plan. 

A rustling from my other side catches me by surprise until I remember the already occupied cage. The man is huddled in the corner away from me and ducking his head into his knees, but his eyes peek out like he can feel my attention on him. 

Golden orbs glow back at me before they blink into a muted dark blue. 

They’re tired eyes, the kind that have been here too long and seen too many pass through while he’s left behind. I recognize it because that was me, for two weeks five years ago. 

I give him a shallow nod before turning back around. I know how this camp works, how all of the camps work. I also know that if I can escape once, I can do it again. We’re getting out of here.

Settling back against the metal bars at my back, I look up and blink slowly, finally letting my Gift fill my veins. It’s been years now since I last felt the rush of it, the sharpness it brings to my senses. It’s a heady feeling, though one I can’t say I’ve missed. 

I feel more than see Allison and the stranger to my left startle, feeling the shift in the air. Rose was right, my Gifts essence seeps out of me near constantly while I’m suppressing it, but when I’m embracing it? Accepting it? Gifted individuals all have one, primal, thing in common, even non-shifters. They have the uncanny ability to sense a shift in the food chain, when they're in the presence of a predator. 

Or in this case, when the suspected prey turns out to be the most dangerous predator here.

I tilt my head the slightest bit to the right and blink slowly as Allison and her widening eyes are all I need to see to know my own eyes are void of color completely. Shifting to peer at Renee, she only looks her fill, then nods slowly. Something I can’t name crosses her face, but I’m in no mood for puzzles right now. Finally I turn to my left, to the stranger, and lift a finger to my lips, a gesture he’s sure to know as keep your mouth shut. 

But nicer. 

 

---

 

The students in the other cages are speaking to each other in low tones, asking for names or discussing where they think we are. I don’t care for that information, so I keep my mind focused on what’s next. Plan half formed in my head, I use the others' quiet chatter to ask a very important question. 

 

“Aly, what’s Renee’s Gift?”

 

Allison turns her wide eyes to me but purses her lips into a firm line, clearly reluctant to tell me. We both flick our eyes over to the woman in question, and she nods her consent. She has no clue what I’m asking for, but she’s still willing to give it blindly. 

 

“She’s an Efialtis.” I raise a brow, because what the fuck is that? That’s not a registered Gift I’ve heard of before. “Nightmares. She can read your own personal nightmares and bring them to life in your head. She can also manipulate them once she’s implanted them.”

 

Shit… That’s handy.

A scream rips through the camp just as I’m about to tell Allison as such and I flinch, full body, because I know exactly what’s happening to that person. My slip of control extends to my Gift as well and a pulse ripped out of me. The man to my left groans and covers his ears, either because of me or the screams.  I’m reminded he’s probably heard them many times if he’s been here near as long as I think he has. 

 

“Hum,” I tell him, catching his eye when he peaks up from his knees. “Your favorite song. Hum it in your head.”

 

He blinks, then nods jerkily in acknowledgment.

My head is already buzzing when I glance back around the room, only to realize the sitters are staring me down with interest.

 

“That was you, wasn’t it? What the fuck was that?” One of them asks me, but I don’t feel like indulging her. “Clark, knock his ass out. Whatever it was, I don't want any part of it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the other one grumbles, sauntering over from outside the tent to kneel in front of me. His eyes glow white with his Gift but I only blink lazily back at him. 

 

I don't feel him attempting to knock me out, but I do feel my out giddiness from within me that isn’t completely mine. It’s about time I can release my power and not hide what I’m capable of. It’s refreshing, rejuvenating. 

Terrifying.

The sitter in front of me curses colorfully before rocking back in his feet and walking back to the entrance. The woman chuckles and walks over, assuming to give it a go as well, but the guy's voice makes her hauls a step away. 

 

“He’s a void, it won’t work.”

She smirks, “I like a good challenge.” She then takes his vacated spot kneeling before me, exactly like I wanted. 

 

The shifter to my left growls, sitting up straight when my power pulses again, this time in a warning all its own. It wants to come out to play after so many years locked away. It’s there, rolling over itself in my chest, right next to my bond, like a ball of energy ready to be unraveled. The shifter feels it, smells it in the air, on me. I’m not exactly surprised by his reaction, but Renee’s catches my attention. She gasps across from us, reaching out to grip the bars by her face to get a better look at him now that he’s not curled into himself. Allison is doing the same, straining to peek around me to see what has her girlfriend panicking. 

 

“Xander?” Renee asks in a broken whisper.

 

Fucking shit.

Could this get anymore complicated? I only needed to get Allison back to Matt, and then I had to add Renee to the list, and now Xander. The name clicks immediately since I make a point to remember them in any capacity. I planned on getting everyone out, yes, but my friends especially, and Nicky’s captured Bonded is added to the special list automatically. Aaron is going to be so relieved, maybe even Andrew too.

My thoughts are cut short when what’s-her-face snaps in my face on the other side of my cage, trying to catch my attention. I’m not a fucking dog, and I refuse to be treated as such a minute longer when I’ve come to the conclusion that we need to move now. I tilt my head to the side, letting my Gift surface and reveling at the way her breath stutters in my presence. 

 

“Oh, fuck fuck fuck!” She screeches, scooting away from me on her ass. 

 

Too late.

I merely blink and my Gift is reaching, gripping, twisting their souls. It wants to take everything they have but I temp it down for now, no need to draw attention when stealth is to our advantage right now. The woman collapses onto her back, convulsing while blood drips from her eyes, nose, and ears. Clark drops too, full body to the ground face first. He isn’t shaking, but his blood still leaks from his face as his brain shrivels and dies. The worst part about this particular Gift, that they’re still alive through it all. They’ll stay in that agonizing limbo until someone comes along to put them out of their misery.

It’s still as horrific as the first time, but it has to be done. That's what I tell myself anyway, what I’ve always told myself.

 

“Neil, what the fuck?” Allison whisper shouts, eyes dry but still red rimmed from her early crying. She doesn’t look scared of me, thank fuck, but no less shocked at what just happened. The others are looking at me similarly, but no one else says a word for now.

 

I don’t answer her, instead reaching for Clark, who by happenstance fell directly in front of our cages. Allison reels her panic in long enough to help me, pulling at his legs until the keys on his hip are in my reach. 

 

“What are you doing?” Xander croaks, speaking for the first in a while by the sound of it.

“Getting the fuck out of here. You’re coming too, I know a couple of blond assholes who would appreciate seeing you again.”

 

I work to get my cage open before immediately moving to Allison’s and then Renee’s. I rock on my feet while they nearly collapse in their embrace but clear my throat awkwardly.

 

“Aly, I need you to let everyone else out.” I hand her the keys, holding on the two keys that should fit the locks in an undetermined order. “I need Renee with me, if you’re both okay with that.”

Allison’s hand shakes when reaches for the keys, nods at me once and then kisses her girlfriend on the cheek. “Kick ass.”

 

I see Renee smirk but it’s in the corner of my eye while I direct Allison to get Xander out first. I commandeer Clark’s discarded water bottle and pass to him after he’s crawled free from his own hell hole. His eyes are glassy as he nods in thanks, clutching Alison’s hand in his trembling one not holding the water. He’s weaker than I thought, but the Resistance likes drugging higher ranking Shifters if their forms are strong, another way to control them. Renee squeezes his shoulder once before turning her attention to me. 

 

A split second decision has me shaking my head already. “Stay with him, he won’t be able to walk on his own and Allison needs to help the others. Not to mention he’s been here for over a month, he needs someone at his side until we get him to Nicky.”

 

Renee’s dark brown eyes soften but I simply roll mine, now is not the time to be fucking soft. I’m being practical. He could slow us down otherwise. Allison has worked fast while we talked, and 4 of the 5 others are standing around us now. The last one's cage is open, but shakes rack her frame and she’s shaking her head frantically, refusing to move.

 

I move towards her, making sure my eyes are blue once more, before crouching down at eye level. “We have to move. This is our only chance.”

 

She’s still shaking her head when Allison’s impromptu hero steps up and kneels at my side, shooing me away with a tilted up nod. I get the message and move on, back to my friends by the tent flaps. I have to trust that he’ll either man handle her out of there, or she’s staying by her own free will. 

This is it, I close my eyes and cast my Gift out, mapping our surroundings by the souls around us. I’m careful to avoid the high-ranking members' tents that line the east of the camp, determined to avoid Rose at all costs. I have nearly everyone here in my mind's eye when I feel it, the tug, and then I feel him. 

I find Kevin by the edge of the encampment.

He startles when my Gift hits him, curling around him like it’s found its long lost possession. I feel his adrenaline and relief that I’m alive and here. Wilds is at his side, but all I feel from her is disbelief and confusion. I want to be mad at her still for the way she’s treated me, but she brought him here, so I’ll let it go for now.

Then I find Andrew, a few feet away from them, pacing.

I feel him jerk to a stop at my Gift brushing against him, not nearly as eager as it was with Kevin but delighted still. He sends his own Gift towards me, getting a feel of his own as to what I’m capable of, confirming that I’ve been lying to them all this time. 

I pull away from them.

Renee has an arm around Xanders waist, holding up some of his weight. I place my hand on each of the girls shoulders from behind their interlocking fingers. 

 

“Time to go.”

 

I join Renee in supporting Xander, draping one of his arms over my shoulders so I’m a human crutch. I take one last, deep breath and canter myself. My senses are heightened more now than they have been in years and it’s only slightly overwhelming. Gunshots from across camp has me head snapping up and my Gift mapping out who is doing the firing. 

 

Unfortunately, everything’s just gotten a bit more complicated.

Chapter 19: And Matt, of course

Summary:

FREEDOM 🤘🏼

---

Econ guy, that’s his name to me now, had in fact pulled the girl from her cage. He stands at the back of the pack now, cradling her to his chest as he carries her bridal style. I glance around the rest of them, finding their attention already on me and waiting for instructions. I guess I’m leading this shit on our end since I’m the only one with the know-how to do so. 

 

“Care to share your Gifts?” I ask the tent.

“Lion Shifter,” Xander murmurs to my right. The admission is appreciated even if it is useless in his drugged state.

“Earth Elemental,” Econ says from the back. He then nudges the girl in his arm. “She’s a Siphon but I don’t think she’s up to using it.”

 

Agreed. Siphons have to get within touching distance in order to steal their opponent's, or victims really, Gift for an unassuming amount of time. Useful in general, but useless for us right now. I know Renee and Allison’s Gifts, and the others share theirs as well. A Cryo, similar to a Water Elemental but a specialty in ice. A Night-Vis, self explanatory and great for recon missions. No wonder the Resistance thought he would be useful. Lastly, an Animator. The smallest girl here and she has one hell of a Gift to bring any inanimate object to life under manipulation.

Very useful, the lot of us.

 

“There’s a TacTeam breaching the camp as we speak. We need to help them out and head there way before the Resistance members get one over on us if we were to wait. I need you all to use your Gift, and any other training you’ve got in you. Stick close together, no straying. I’ll lead you to the path out, but I’ll stay behind as a distraction after that if I have to. Once you see your way out, you run. Understood?”

 

Muted grunts and nods answer me, so I turn back to the tent opening, trusting they can hold their own. One last thing. 

 

“Renee,” I say, peeking over to her behind Xanders hunched back. “You got this?”

She nods, “I’ve been training, but this is a lot different than the training center.” 

 

Huh, she must go on a different day than Aaron and I. 

 

“Similar enough, only you’re actually allowed to kill people here. In fact, it’s encouraged. I’m sure your parents can afford the therapy bill and I can give you my top ten tips in compartmentalizing once we’re back on campus.”

 

I don’t wait for the quiet judgment. Even hidden behind her serene smile, I can feel it. Closing my eyes, I cast out my Gift and unfold the map in my head, only to find Wilds jogging towards already only ten feet ahead.

 

“That was faster than I expected,” I whisper to myself, and Allison raises a manicured brow in question. I nod towards the opening, right as Dan slips inside the tent.

She’s decked out in full gear, pistols strapped to both thighs and a belt with an additional holster, along with a tactical knife strapped to it. She’s not wearing a mask, but a helmet is strapped to her head under her chin, hiding the thin braids along her scalp I know she wears. I note the way her eyes widen when she sees us all out and about, and as they double in recognition of Xander between me and Renee. 

Look at me, doing her job for her.

She’ll still probably find something to bitch about too.

 

“Fucks sake, Hartford, your Gift is like a living lighthouse beacon. Injuries? We need to move. Kevin’s holding them off with Andrew, but even they have their limits against a camp this size.”

 

I straighten my spine in protest at that. My Bonds are the strongest there are, or so I’m told, and this testing camp is tiny compared to the real ones. Kevin and Andrew can hold their own, and if they’re having trouble it’s at the fault of their team.

Dan's eyes slide behind me to assess the others but land on Clark and the other sitter seizing on the ground, blood still trickling from their nose, ears, eyes. I haven’t looked at them since I got the keys off of Clark. I know damn well if I do my Gift will get a bit too excited at its handy work and I won’t be able to pull his grin from my face. 

Her caramel brown eyes glance back to me, wary now, and oh how good that feels. I’ve missed that, in a small, disturbing way that I’ve tried to forget. The surge of pride at being feared. She swallows hard at whatever she sees on my face.

 

“We’re ready,” Renee tells her, drawing her attention away from me and back to the mission at hand. 

“Nathaniel, you stick to my ass like glue, you hear me? You’re my priority here. If you want everyone else to make it with you, stay in line.”

 

Logically, I know Renee and Wilds must be friends in some capacity. From the scene outside the History building, Renee and Andrew must be too, but Wilds wouldn’t have talked to Andrew unless Renee was there. She had looked at him with too much hostility. Dan wouldn’t leave Renee, therefore Allison by extension. At least I hope her fetish for following orders doesn’t extend that far. Xander is a gamble, seeing as I have no idea if she even knows Nicky but she had recognized him all the same. That’s something.

 

“The only thing going near your ass is your own ego when I make you shove it up there. They’re all making it out, and if you want to fight me on that, I’ll have you brain dead on the ground in a blink. We're following, now lead before you bring them here with your postering.”

 

She’s moving as soon as I stop talking, out the tent and down the path I had originally planned to lead everyone down. I don’t look back to see if the others are following, keeping my focus on Xander in my grip, and the girls who have fallen behind us side by side. There’s a stark difference in the camp compared to when we were dragged in earlier, bullets and bodies scattered along the ground, smoke and gunfire filling the air around us. 

I lock my instincts down, but my Gift still simmers under the surface, wanting to just get it all over with so we can go home. Hasty little thing. I’m the only one having trouble holding it all in if the way Xanders skin ripples beneath his shirt under my arm means anything. He’s struggling not to shift in the panic, or struggling against the drugs to shift. It’s a gamble as to which but I’m not in the position to ask right now.

We breach a cluster of tents to come face to face with a wall of rolling, black fog. The way it’s moving, it’s like it’s calling out to me in waves of pushes and pulses only to retreat back again just as quickly once it finds me there. There are dark forms inside, forms I can’t make out as human or animals, but as creatures. Nightmare Creatures. 

Xander’s feet stumble, making me grip his hip tighter to keep him up, and I manage to keep us moving. 

Into the shadows. 

They won’t hurt me. I know it instinctively, like it’s a fact only left for me to face. The others are much more on edge about the experience. Rightfully so when we wade through the field and see what’s actually happening inside. Resistance members are being mauled and ripped apart with sharp teeth and strong jaws, no escape in sight from inside. I pause to watch one man in black get his head bitten off in one go by an overzealous wolf-thing, and my Gift hums within me in applause. 

 

“We don’t have for your gawking, Hatford! I get it, he’s a monster, now get your ass moving!” 

 

She moves to grab the arm that’s not wound around Xander, but I flick my eyes to hers, as blacked out as I’m sure Andrews are wherever he is in this hell pit, and blink slowly at her audacity. 

 

“What does that make me?”

 

---

 

Wilds transports us out of the Resistance camp. She grips Xanders shoulder instead of mine, while Allison makes up the last of the circle on my left, lightly holding my wrist. 

I’m gagging before my feet feel secure in the grass, retching into a ditch before my ears register Renee calling my name. The sound of Allison saying, ‘this is his thing, babe, like his only weakness,” muffled but still amusing to my psyche. I wave them off without looking.

Standing on slightly more steady feet, I turn to see Xander on the ground with both girls fussing over him instead. Transporting while dosed has to be a different sort of torture. Kevin approaches next, from where, I have no fucking clue, and places his palm of Xanders forehead, looking relieved rather than pained. 

Andrew stands a few paces back, staring directly at me with an unreadable expression. His hands are fisting at his sides like he wants to hit something. Me, probably, and I can’t say I blame him. They put together that I had a Gift when my migraine came wreaking havoc, but none of them know exactly what I’m capable of. Even now. 

Those were only my secondary Gifts. 

 

“Where are we?” I ask aloud, grimacing at how raw it sounds. 

“Wilds couldn’t get us all back to campus in one go without leaving anyone behind. Apparently you weren’t too fond of that idea, so she got us to a rendezvous point. We’ll be picked up before sundown, but I recommend resting until then. You look like shit, Bond.” 

 

A hollow snort sneaks free while I nod, walking over to a log and dropping my butt onto it. My brain could go for a rest, tired from the panic I kept inside and planning our way out. But my body is the same jittery mess it usually is after a nightmare. I suppose being in place that so closely resembles where those nightmares took place will do that to you. Looking around I realize that true to my word, everyone from our text made it out, and among them a few more TacTeam operatives walk. They must have come with Wilds and my Bonds. The rest of Kevin’s team. 

Andrew makes no move to integrate with the group, instead keeping his distance while he keeps his eyes trained on me. They’re no longer void, but no less guarded and dangerous. I break eye contact first, letting him have the win.

The longer I sit the longer the toll of using my Gift settles into to stay. The adrenaline had me jittery, but after keeping it under wraps for so long, using my Gift to any degree has my eyes drooping and muscles turning to stone. I scoot off the log, instead using it as a backrest and letting my head fall backwards like weight too heavy to hold. I lose time in the haze of my exhaustion but Dan's voice pulls me out.

 

“Are we expecting ground cover?”

 

I blink my eyes open, not knowing when they had shut, and am met by sunlight beaming down in my face. I groan and throw my arm over it, blocking out the blinding light. Hearing shuffling and shouts, I force my body to comply in sitting up, then pushing to my feet. A wall of convoy trucks is speeding towards us, presumably from where we just fled. 

 

“Shit! Sky, get us covered!”

 

Sky, a fitting name for a shield, gets to work and there’s a protective bubble surrounding us in seconds. TacTeam members get into position at the edges, but as Resistance members keep piling out of the trucks, I know we’re well and truly fucked.

 

“Wilds, get Neil out of here, right now!” Kevin barks. 

 

His hands are flying all over his body, scanning and cataloging all the weapons he has on his person. Dan was doing the same until he ordered her otherwise. She shakes her head before starting over again at the mini gun clipped to her ankle. 

 

“I can’t have enough in me to make a return trip.”

She turns to Andrew, but it’s Kevin’s turn to shake his head now. “He’s drained.”

 

Wilds opens her mouth to say something, a retort by the sneer already in place, but I’ve had it. Andrew looks dead on his feet, much like myself, but only if you know where to look. He looks solid, but I’ve studied Aaron’s face enough to know what the twins look like when they’re trying to hide their exhaustion. 

 

“I’m not,” I say, loud enough for Kevin and Dan to hear over the ruckus around us. 

 

It’s true. While Gifted aren’t typically limitless, and I am weak right now, I am not drained. I’ve never had the pleasure of feeling that level of fatigue. 

Sky collapses to her hands and knees, making all of our heads snap to her. Her nose is bleeding, the result of gunfire and a godsdamned truck being thrown into her shield. 

 

“Neil, what the fuck,” Kevin chastises, reaching for my hand. 

“We’re crawfish in a boil right now and the heat is only going to increase the longer we just stand here.”

“The fuck are you going on about right now?” Allison snarks, sidling up to my side with her arms crossed. Renee is standing with Andrew now, both squaring up to fight physically if that’s what it calls for. 

 

It won’t.

 

“We’re outnumbered here, Ally,” I whisper. “You saw what I’m capable of back there, and that’s not even the extent of my power. I can make sure we’re all home safe by nightfall.”

“But?”

“But Wilds is a bitch, my Kevin is overbearing, and none of you will ever look at me the same again after you see what else I can do.”

“Fuck it,” she drawls, entirely too laid back for someone so pale at the prospect of what’s to come. “I’d rather place my bets on you than be sitting ducks.

 

I nod, more to myself than any. In the peripheral I see her leave my side to approach the brooding operatives. I hear them exchange a few loaded words before Kevin curses, waving Andrew and Renee over. If he oversees all new trainees, he must know about her Gift and intends to have her use it.

While they’re all distracted, making decisions on my behalf if I had to guess, I roll my shoulders and let my power out once again. It doesn’t surge forward this time, but creeps out and links to each Resistance member one by one, drawing it out. 

They can’t feel me in their heads, or the hand caressing their souls like something to be cherished. 

My Bonds can though. 

The group has hushed behind me, Kevin and Andrew already staring at me hard when I turn to see their faces. Kevin looks conflicted, worried even. Andrew’s face is set in a challenge, one I’ll happily take. 

 

“Aaron told me what your Gift was weeks ago, so I guess I’ve owed you this on credit.” 

 

All at once I trigger my Gift, and 95 men and women drop to the ground seizing. I feel it in the sense of feeling a soft breeze against my skin, recognition but unbothered by it. That should probably concern me but my conditioning is still in place. 

Andrew’s eyes never leave mine, and instead of widening in shock, they darken in a way I’ve seen on Aaron. Not Voided out loss of control, but pure, primal lust. It’s overwhelming, and the smirk he gives me isn’t helping anything.

Unfortunately, while one of my Bonds matches my freak, the other one, along with everyone else, is steadily losing their minds.

Kevin stands above the huddle with his mouth agape, Dan in a similar state. Allison’s tan skin is as pale as her girlfriends where they stand pressed into each other's sides. 

The others around us remind me of their presence more aggressively.

 

“Fucking Hell…”

“I thought he didn’t have a Gift?”

“What the fuck is he?”

“A Monster, that’s what.”

 

Andrew is stepping up to my side instantly, shocking everyone, myself included. Kevin takes up a stance in front of me, blocking me from his team and the students I just helped escape using the same thing. They really have no right to look so spooked. Allison and Renee are at my back then, and Xander comes to stand on my other side, finally steady on his own feet for the first time in who knows how long. And he’s doing it to protect me, of all people.

I want to thank them, ridiculous as it sounds to myself, for stepping in, but my eyes hone in on where Dan places her hand on Kevin’s forearm, leaning in to whisper something in his ear.

Andrew is the first to piece it together. I’d say luck if I didn’t already know what it really is. He could read me like a book if I were to open my expressions more, but I typically keep my face blank or set in a scowl when I’m around him for that exact reason. This, though, is different. This is his Bond feeling mine, reacting naturally even if he hates that our souls are tied in the most basic way. 

 

“Dan, back up and keep your hands to yourself.”

“Excuse you,” she whips her head around to look at us with brakes raised, her hand still touching what’s mine.

“Kevin, either she listens or you push her off but Neil’s about to rip her head off like Orion did earlier,” Andrew snaps, gaining everyone’s attention.

 

Oh great, now they’ll look at me like a jealous little central. You know what, fine. I am, I can’t help it. I also can’t help the way my mind clings to the information Andrew just shared. Orion. That’s the name of the Wolf creature I was admiring in his shadow fog earlier. I wonder if he knows that I stopped to watch the show. 

 

“Suck it up, Nathaniel, I’m only-“

 

My Gift snaps, I snap, energy surges from my body in waves before I can rein it all back in. TacTeam operatives dive to the ground like that’ll help them if I were really aiming for them. Renee, Allison, and Xander duck. Dan is sprawled on her ass, while Kevin and Andrew stay standing, both now facing me completely with their arms raised in surrender.

 

“Told you,” Andrew murmurs, his lips twisted to the side, speaking to Kevin like a cartoon. 

“I didn’t kill her,” I say slowly. I don’t outwardly react to my voice, but I’m drawn back by how deep it is to my own ears. “Could have, but didn’t.”

The guys lower their arms slowly, Andrew smirking again. “A noble distinction, Rabbit.”

“Shut the fuck up,” I mutter, turning around and stomping from the scene I just made and not acknowledging the new nickname bestowed upon me. I don’t want to see Kevin’s reaction, so I don’t even acknowledge him in the aftermath.

 

I don’t have time to stew, the announcement of our plane's dissension cutting it short. There’s a few shouts, mock cheer really. The TacTeam recovers from my tantrum well enough, resorting to ignoring my existence. Can’t say I’m all too upset about being left alone. That doesn’t last long, Allison and Renee joining me at my side again, Xander off talking to Andrew properly for the first time. Maybe they spoke while I was asleep? I have no idea how long I was out. Kevin stands with Dan again, giving orders to the group after the plane's wheels screaming in protest come to a stop. 

My Bonds return to my side soon enough.

 

“How the fuck are we supposed to explain this is to Rou?”

“Don’t forget Aaron and Jean.”

“Oh, how could I forget,” Andrew drags out sarcastically. 

 

I smile something genuine at the familiarity. Then reality hits me like a bulldozer when I see Ichirou storming off the plane and the smile slips off my face. Here goes nothing. If Kevin starts asking questions, I can’t lie to him, even if I wanted to. And I don’t, not anymore. But once they start, I’m not naive enough to think they would stop at just today’s events. Not if Ichirou has anything to say about it.

Maybe this is what finally breaks Jeans resolve. Maybe this is what knocks Aaron off kilter enough to keep his distance. Fuck it. Maybe this is what gets Ichirou off my back about being some helpless, useless, spoiled brat. 

Waiting with Kevin and Andrew, the girls once again at my back, I find the only people I don’t have to worry about are the ones boxing me in. Oh, and Aaron and Jean who are now clambering off the plane in a rush a movement.

 

And Matt of course. He’s too loyal.

Notes:

Going forward we’re going to be seeing some of the other guys POVs! 👀

What do we think so far? Are my changes keeping your attention? Should I change more!? I honestly hate that ive followed so close to the original TBTT books, but it is more of a retelling than an AU…

ALSO, shout out to ShaHaveMercy for name recs on Andrews Nightmare creatures! We are, in fact, going celestial. Neil’s names for them though 😂

Chapter 20: Let’s go

Summary:

Short little chapter from Aaron

Aaron

---

Just because I know why I’m in this situation, doesn’t mean I’m going to regret it. No matter how much I loathe Ichirou’s posturing and Jean’s whining, none of it will change my mind.

 

“Ludicrous. Imbecilic. Nonsensical. Ignorant. Unintelligent. Moronic.” Ichirou continues to pace behind the desk in his private office back home, spouting words like he’s searching for the descriptor. He’s been at it for ten minutes now, cutting his hand through the air with each declaration.

“You could just call us all ‘dumb as fuck’ like a normal person instead of all that hoity toity bullshit you memorized from a thesaurus.” 

 

Jean is currently immobilized, in a chair, in the corner, like an unruly child. He was acting like one, of course, which is why we both find ourselves in our current positions. Him being restrained, me restraining him. The extra training with Andrew coming handy, if only to further tear apart our Bond group. Neil isn’t going to like this. 

Jean and I realized at the same time what Neil was running towards, all while Andrew had a front row seat and did nothing. Okay, that’s a lie. He had been holding Renee back from doing something equally as stupid. Something she did anyway after stealing a move from Neil himself only a minute prior. She elbowed my twin square in the nose before twisting out of his grip and running straight into the mess he had been keeping her from. Watching Allison being snatched before her very eyes had her moving on instinct to get there, help her, save her.

It had Jean and I doing the very same.

Only, of course, we were brought to an abrupt halt, while Renee slipped away into the masses to be captured along with her girlfriend. And my Bond. Jean, who had been at my side as we sprinted for Neil, was brought down first. Dark shadow tendrils snaked up his legs, sending him face first into the dirt as Andrew got ahold of his surroundings once again. I had wondered why he had gone for Moreau instead of me, but the thought died as soon as I followed Jean to the ground. Instead of shadows, I had the heavy weight of a paw pressing down at the center of my chest, making me wheeze until I resigned myself to meet Ichirou’s stare. His glowing purple eyes stayed pinned on me until I nodded and looked away in defeat. 

I damn well know how powerful Andrew and I are. How lethal our Gifts are. But even I wouldn’t go toe to toe with Ichirou when he’s angry unless I absolutely have to. 

After releasing me, clearing the scene was a quick affair. Andrew guided Moreau like a living puppet, apathetic all the while keeping him upright and secure to the car, to the house, and inside this office. I got the stare down of a lifetime, worse even than when I almost OD’d in the bathroom upstairs when I was first moved in. Once seated in the corner, Andrew handed the not so metaphorical shadow reins over to me before following Kevin out the door. They were off to save the day while Ichirou’s been lecturing us since. 

While Jean is being restrained physically, he seems to understand that I’m not any more happy here. That’s to say he hasn’t snapped at me at all. I want to be out there looking for Neil just as bad, I just know Ichirou has all of our best interests in mind. No matter how much it doesn’t show at the moment. 

 

“You are far too trusting of him. I knew he would run, and whether it be from us or to them, he’s still left us in a heap of annoyance. Once a runner, always a runner.” 

“Annoyance?!” Jean practically roars, like he’s the shifter in the room. “That’s what you call this? I am not annoyed, Moriyama, I am furious. I should be out there getting him back, and far away from you if you think that lowly of him. I should have taken him back with me instead of ever entertaining the idea that you ever had his best interest at heart.”

“His best interest?” Ichirou stops mid step and scowls. “He has never kept our best interest on mind, why should I? I have kept him housed, fed, and safe. The least he could do is stay put when told. You are blinded by his charade already.”

“You are the one who is blind, or you are simply playing the fool. Neither matter in the scheme of things. He will never accept you, because you refuse to see him.”

“I have seen all I need to know I don’t-“

“Enough, Rou,” I say, my voice obviously tired and worn as thin as my patience. “Neil ran to Allison, it was obvious. He was trying to save her. He wouldn’t have ran from us.” Not without saying goodbye at least. “No more speculation, not until we have proof. Not until we know he’s okay.”

“Speculation is all I have when he has only ever been a liar.”

 

I huff in exhaustion and hide it behind the hand I rub down my face. Rou is headstrong on his opinions of Neil yet oblivious to what’s in front of him. Ichirou is the only one who doesn’t know that Neil has a Gift, the only one who doesn't have the pieces to the puzzle the rest of us have been haphazardly trying to put together. Jean seems confident that he knows the full picture, while Ichirou is sure the mirage is the final image. Good luck explaining the difference to them when none of us truly knows the finished product. 

We can argue circles around each other, but Ichirou will believe what he wants until he’s proven otherwise, and that’s not happening until he’s forced to see it with his own two eyes. Fuck, he’ll still find a way to twist it just so he doesn’t have to admit to being wrong. He doesn’t do that with Andrew, Kevin, and I. Never has. He’s straight with us, apologizes when he knows he’s fucked up. Neil, though… That’s a whole different minefield and it looks like we’re starting to tread it for real now. 

Jean tugs against the bindings at his wrists and I twirl my finger to tighten them, only to earn a glare for my efforts. I raise a brow in turn, because what does he honestly expect me to do right now? I don’t follow Rou’s orders any more blindly than the rest of them, but I know when to follow the logical ones. Jean was radiating fury in the wake of Neil being taken. While I wanted to chase after the convoy too, I knew it would have been futile in the long run. The Council and Tactical Intelligence have been following the raids closely enough to know their next steps. Jean was only going to get himself killed or brainwashed, and then what use would he be in getting Neil back safely. 

Again, like talking to a brick wall. Jean and Ichirou are equally matched in their stubbornness over our Bond.

I peer over at the desk as Ichirou leans against it casually, in complete odds with how stiff his shoulders are. He’s scrolling through his phone with a pensive expression before sliding the device into his pocket and straightening. 

 

“I’ve just received confirmation that they’ve retrieved him. They’re at the rendezvous point waiting for extraction now. Let’s go.” 

 

He doesn’t wait for us before exiting his office, leaving Jean and I stare after him. We meet eye contact across the room, grim yet hopeful expressions mirroring each other. 

Retrieving him can mean many different things. 

Chapter 21: Because I was wrong

Summary:

Back to reality, aka South Carolina, aka Ichirou’s mansion 👀

Neil

---

We don’t have long to deliberate and get our story straight with Ichirou already heading our way. I figured we would all board the plane and be on our way, maybe I could catch a nap on the ride, and I then would face Ichirou alone after the others gave their statements.

Nope.

Ichirou is fast approaching, Jean and Aaron on his heels. Kevin stands tall and proud on my left, Andrew lazily lighting a cigarette to my right, while I shove my hands in my pockets and rock on my feet. It’s a nervous tell, I’m well aware, but one can’t help. I am nervous. Jean has been nothing but supportive of me, but seeing what I can do has a habit of making people keep their distance. Aaron, while initially an ass, has been an ally as of late, one I rely on more every day. Kevin, with all his experience, was shocked by the destruction my Gift dealt. Andrew, as of this moment, is the only one I can honestly say has no qualms with what I’m capable of. 

My Gift hums in my chest as the distance between me and my Bonds is eaten up by hurried steps. The rocking also helps my muscles stay awake, because I know if I still I’ll pass out without a word said in my defense. My head is pounding, my hands are shaking in my pockets, and I really could use that nap to recharge after exerting my Gift so much after so long. The word Monster is murmured behind us, some TacTeam Ops growing restless or bold while they’re forced to wait in my proximity. I don’t give a shit, but I see Kevin’s jaw tick in irritation at the same time I feel Andrews Bond brush along my spine in a barely there caress. 

 

“Looks like it’s time to trade out a few of my men,” Kevin declares idly.

Andrew hums as he takes a drag, not acknowledging the silent comfort he just afforded me. “Seems like.”

 

Dan curses under her breath when the word filters through again and turns on her heavy booted heel to deal with her subordinates. Kevin’s emerald green eyes meet mine, equal parts question and concern swirling in them. I shrug, unbothered. 

 

“What? I’ve been called worse, and it’s not like they’re wrong.”

Kevin scoffs before cracking his neck. “They’re idiots. You just saved us all and they can’t be bothered with some gods damned gratitude.”

 

I shrug again with nothing else to say. I don’t need anyone’s gratitude for killing nearly 100 people, even if it was them or us. I don’t want it.

Ichirou stops once he’s directly in front of me, but just as he’s about to open his mouth, probably to rip into me, he freezes. His dark eyes flick over my shoulder, and for a minute I think he’s just eyeing the girls, maybe Xander, but I already know it’s not that. His attention snaps to Kevin and harsh words are said between them in a language I don’t know how to translate. Japanese by the sound of it. With another glare my way, they step off to the side without a word to be.

I’m saved from a lecture but not a physical blow, in the form of a bear hug as Jean sweeps me off my feet. Literally. Andrew has taken a neat step further to the right and is in front of his twin when I get a glimpse mid spin. 

 

“That was beyond stupid, mon petit lier,” Jean murmurs into my hair. The tension I’ve been holding melts the longer he holds me. I let out a shuddering breath as he sets me back on my feet, but I leave my head against his chest, shaking back and forth slowly. 

 

“Nothing new, then.”

“That’s not funny,” Jean snaps. “I would have come with you. I tried, but Copy and Paste held me back.”

I chuckle at the weak nicknames before sobering. “I didn’t run, Jean. I did, but only to get Allison back safe.”

“I know, Bond, I know.”

 

Relief barrels through me like a freight chain and I’m no longer melting into his hold, I’m slumping in it. My legs give out beneath me, making Jean shout for a healer before sweeping me back up into his arms bridal style. 

 

“Oh, shut up, French Fry, I'm fine. I just need a nap.”

“Is that why you’re shaking like a leaf?”

 

I grumble…something. I don’t even know what. I look over his shoulder for the girls and find them between Andrew and Kevin, who are following us closely. Oh, we’re moving. Aaron is walking with Xander, talking quietly. Ichirou is off somewhere where I can’t see him, but my Bond feels him close by. It settles my Bond while simultaneously making me wonder if I’m concussed, because not having him in my direct line of sight should have me on edge, not falling into the darkness of unconsciousness. 

White overhead lights greet me as I blink open my eyes. It’s only been seconds, minutes maybe. The swooping feeling in my stomach is what woke me, the turbulence a short second. We’re in the air.

Aaron and Andrew are sitting side by side across from me, where I am sitting sideways across three seats, my legs draped across Jean's lap while my head is in Kevin’s. His hands are in my hair, combing through my curls and tugging at the tangles he finds. I need a shower. 

 

“How are you doing over there, Neil?” Aaron asks softly.

“Fucking fantastic,” I drawl, my head lolling to the side to look at him. “How long is the flight?”

“Just under an hour,” Andrew supplies. He doesn’t look up from his phone, but there’s a tightness in his voice, tension in his shoulders. 

“Seriously Neil, how do you feel?” Aaron insists again, his elbows now on his knees as he leans closer. 

“Tired. Weak.” He nods like he expects no less, and he would be the one to understand after suppressing his own Gift for years. “I need to recharge. A nap will do.”

“I’ll have a healer waiting for us.”

“Ella. I only trust Ella, especially if I’m still knocked out.”

 

Kevin agrees, his finger pulling on a particularly difficult tangle that has shivers wracking my spine and goosebumps erupting over my skin. A sound that can only be described as a moan slips past my lips, but I’m asleep again before I can feel embossed. Or hear what’s said.

 

---

 

The next time I wake, I’m decidedly not on a plane.

I’m in my dorm room either, a realization that has me scrambling to sit up, my back smacking against a headboard. Silk sheets wrap around my legs in my haste and kick my legs trying to free myself to no avail. 

 

“You’re safe, Nathaniel. Take a breath. Andrew and Kevin are in a debriefing, Aaron and Jean have stepped out to shower and get food. I told them I’d watch over you.”

 

I’m hallucinating, surely, because there’s no way Jean would voluntarily leave me alone with Ichirou. He’s sitting in a plush armchair on the far side of the bed, his suit jacket off and dress shirt partially unbuttoned, sleeves rolled to his elbows. One ankle crossed over a knee, he looks perfectly at ease here. 

He continues to stare at me as I observe the room. Dark blue walls, solid wood furniture, gold accents, white bedding. It’s immaculate, yet wholly impersonal. 

 

“We were starting to worry, you’ve been asleep for nearly two days. Do you need anything? Water, perhaps?”

 

I nod, not trusting my voice. I’d laugh too at his faux concern if I knew it wouldn't hurt my throat. Ichirou stands smoothly, walking around the bed to a small table with a water pitcher and a glass. I take it from him gingerly, careful not to touch him. I’m not sure if I could handle that right now. He takes it back after I gulp down the contents, then steps back as I move to stand. His dark eyes follow my every movement, ready to step in if I need it. I have to hold my hand up to halt such a thing when I have to stop to get my bearings, my head spinning and pounding along with my heart beat. Too fast.

 

“I am at your disposal, Nathaniel. Whatever you need.”

“Seriously, what the fuck happened while I was out?”

Ichirou’s face twists at my tone but I couldn’t give any less of a shit. “Details have been brought to my attention that I had not been aware of. We’ll discuss that later, with the other. For now, do you need help with anything?”

“Point me in the direction of the bathroom?”

 

He does, an en-suite behind him, and I slip past his lean frame and inside. After taking the longest piss of my life I wash my hands and face. I’m tempted to brush my teeth, and when I spot toothpaste and an unopened toothbrush, I get to it. I’m still trying to wrap my head around Ichirou’s body swap situation when I catch myself in the mirror. I typically avoid my reflection like the plague, for a good, logical reason, but I’m caught even more off guard than usual as I look myself over now.

 

“Who the fuck changed my clothes?” I ask as soon as I yank the bathroom door open wide.

 

Five pairs of eyes swing my way; Black, emerald, silver, and a matching set of green gold hazel. All my Bonds are gathered in the room. Tugging at the bond in my chest, wondering why it hasn’t warned me that they are here, I find it curled in a ball, content. Figures.

Aaron and Jean are on the bed, enough space between them to know the middle is saved for me. Kevin stands by the door, Andrew slouched in Ichirou’s abandoned chair, and Ichirou by the small table that holds the water pitcher. Only now he’s pouring coffee from a French press. My stomach growls as the rich smell hits my senses.

 

“Have a seat Nathaniel, we’ll be having that discussion now.”

There he is, the bossy bastard. 

“I’m not saying shit until someone answers my question.” Crossing my arms over my chest, my black and grey striped silk pajama button down clad chest, I wait. “Who changed my clothes while I was unconscious?” 

 

Andrew finally stirs at my tone, sharp and a little too intense for what I’m used to from anyone else. Aaron and Kevin shoot looks between him and I, watching and waiting for a reaction I’m not privy to yet. Ichirou however, looks as cool and indifferent as always.

 

“I had Charlene and Percilla tend to you after your friend Ella cleared you.” Nothing else follows.

 

Take a deep breath I nod at him and release some of the tension that crept into my neck and shoulders. Only Kevin and Andrew have seen my scars, and that was by accident. The others don’t have a right to them just because we’re Bonds. I’ll give it to Ichirou though. I trust Charlene and Percilla, and judging by the look he sends Andrew, I know who gave him the insider tip. Climbing over Jeans' long legs, I park myself in the middle of the bed. One of his arms comes to rest along my shoulders while Aaron’s hand finds mine and pulls it into his lap. I sit still and tense for a solid minute before giving up the pretense of fighting them. I’m no longer physically exhausted, in fact I’m antsy, but still exhausted from the game we’ve been playing. I’ve been playing.

 

“Can I have a cup of that?” I ask, raising my chin toward the coffee. Ichirou obliges and brings me a ceramic mug, half full and steaming hot. I hold it between my palms and breath in the aroma, hoping it’ll jump start my brain but calm my jitters.

 

Pulling another chair from the hall, Ichirou sits at the end of the bed and gets comfortable, crossing an ankle over a knee again, drumming his fingers along the armrest. 

 

“I mentioned I’ve been made aware of some things. I’d like to recap on those first, and I want you to agree or disagree if they’re factual. Fair?”

 

I nod, not trusting my voice. I know what’s coming by the guilty look on Kevin’s face, the way Aaron squeezes my hand in apology. 

 

“You’re Gifted, and chose not to correct us when we assumed otherwise.“

I nod, but catch Kevin’s hand motion to keep going. Right, human lie detector. “Agree.”

“I am the last one to know.”

He doesn’t sound upset about it, but I feel it somehow, somewhere in my own chest. The hurt. “Agree.”

“When you were captured on campus, you were running to save your friend.”

“I couldn’t let them have her. Allison is too bullheaded for her own good, she would’ve gotten herself shot after the shock of being taken wore off.”

Ichirou nods, glances back to see Kevin return the gesture. Great, I passed. 

“So, can I-“

“How do you know they would have killed her?” I freeze, my gaze subconsciously lowering to the mug in my grip. “She is strong, one of the strongest Technos I’ve seen in years. They brought her to the camp to keep, no?”

“Not everyone who goes into those camps leaves them alive. No matter how powerful their Gift.” 

“How do you know that, Nathaniel.”

 

It's there, it’s all right there in the tip of my tongue, but if I say the words, if I speak it into reality… I gulp them back down along with the black coffee. They each have scattered pieces of my truth, they can put them together themselves. They’ll be wrong, like they have been from the start, but that’s not my problem.

 

“Call it a hunch.”

“The students that were taken with you, they say the guards recognized you from your Gift alone. How did they know about it when we didn’t? It’s not in your records.” I shake my head, urging him to stop but unwilling to let my voice crack if I answer. “Andrew says you started running at 16, not 14, and Aaron that you haven’t just been lying about your Gift but suppressing it.”

“Shut up.”

“Answer the questions, Nathaniel, and I won’t ask them again. Where did they recognize you from?”

“Shut. Up.”

“Rou,” Aaron starts, but Ichirou bulldozes right over his warning. “What exactly is your Gift? We are obligated to know if it puts us in any dang-“

 

The shrill sound of ceramic shattering against the bedroom wall drops the room to a stilted silence. I’m heaving, deep and shuddering breaths I can’t control, and I just know my eyes are nothing but pits of black hole by the way Ichirou starts scrutinizing me like a lab rat instead of just a nuisance refusing to answer his questions. 

 

“Fuck you,” I breath, my voice distorted even to my own ears. I choke on a broken hysterical laugh but I don’t care anymore. “Fuck you.” 

 

I don’t have to climb back over Jean, he sweeps me off the bed and sets me down with a concerned glint in his silver bullet eyes. Asking is pointless when I know he’ll follow me out, so I just start walking. I don’t look back, not when Aaron calls my name, not when Kevin jostles Jean like he’s trying to come with us. Not when I hear Andrew say something that sounds unnervingly cold to Ichirou in that language I can’t understand. I simply don’t look back.

 

 

 

 

Ichirou

---

“What the fuck was that, Rou?!”

“I’m equally as interested to know what made you think that,” Kevin waves a hand toward the door, now firmly shut, “was a good idea.” 

 

I ignore both Aaron and Kevin. None of them understand, not really. Andrew might, simply because he’s known me the longest, but that’s still a stretch. 

Being handed a seat on the Council at 19 was no cake walk, and neither was navigating anything that’s come after. Learning that the one person out there who bares the other half of my soul, chose to leave me behind without even meeting me.  Taking in the twins at 20 when they too were bursting at the seams with hatred in different ways, but both directing it all at me all the same until we reached an understanding. Offering Kevin a room when he didn’t want to go back to living under the same roof as his adoptive father, only to be met with pushback from the man determined to keep him under his thumb. Being handed a file that claims the last member of our Bond Group has ties to the very enemy I’ve spent my already tumultuous adult life fighting against. 

None of this has been easy, but I am the oldest, and I am in charge. They follow my lead, and no matter how many times in the past I’ve owned up to my mistakes, I can’t this time. If I admit I was wrong, if I admit that there is doubt where absolution was only three days ago, I also have to admit that I am the one who doomed us from the start, not him.

I am the one who chased and practically kidnapped without apology. I am the one to accuse and blame and threaten. I am the sole reason Nathaniel will never give me the time of day now. 

Because I was wrong. 

By all accounts, even with just the bare minimum, I know he had no choice in leaving us behind. Leaving me behind. 

Instead of growing a pair and admitting to any of this, I kick the boys out of my room and pour myself a glass of whiskey. They can accuse me now. They can be the ones to blame and threaten, because I’ll deserve it. But that can wait till tomorrow, after I’ve pushed all these emotions back under lock and key where they’re supposed to stay. 

 

Chapter 22: Now you’re playing the right game

Summary:

Changes are made and conversations are happening 👀

Notes:

I know, I know, so much for being on a roll 🫠

---

Jean and I roam the halls for the better part of 5 minutes before I finally trust my voice again. “So, do you have any idea where we are?”

He makes a show of observing our surroundings, tilting his head to the side as we pass another door, glancing up and down the walls. “A hallway,” he offers, unhelpfully.

I stop dead in my tracks and have to look up to see his face. “Jee, you don’t say. Thank you, French Fry, for that revolutionary information.”

He shrugs, smirking at whatever expression my face is twisted into. “You asked.”

Letting out a deep breath, I start walking again. “I’ve only been on the second floor once, smart ass. I have no idea how to get out of MM.”

“MM?” he asks, matching my stride even though his steps are cut short to do so. 

“Moriyama’s Mansion. Equally as much of a mouthful as Moriyama University. Ergo, MM.”

“We are not calling it that.”

 

It’s my turn to shrug. I’m only trying to distract my mind from what just happened, not trying to start a debate on what I choose to call obnoxious places. Instead, I focus on the real objective here, finding my way out of this hellhole. 

 

“We are on the second floor, as you guessed. There have been some changes, one of which I’d consider significant. Here,” Jean waves a hand towards a door to my left, which I swear we passed earlier, “let's step inside.”

 

He opens the door without waiting for my reply, holding it open for me to enter behind him. I’m about to ask why we’re slipping into an unknown room when I stop within the doorframe. The room is familiar, it’s the one I got ready in for the Council dinner, but also different. I notice small things at first, such as the sheets that now glimmer in the sunlight that shines through the large window, and the desk now has books stacked on top of it. Then I realize those books are mine, as is the backpack hanging on the back of the chair in front of it. My shoes are under the bed, organized in a neat line.

 

“What the fuck is happening right now?”

Jean has moved to sit on the bed while I was frozen, and now he rubs the back of his neck with a pinched look on his face like he'd rather not say it, but he’s the only one here to relay the news. “Ichirou had you moved in while you were out. Aaron and Matt, who had been pacing outside your door, packed your things and brought them over.”

“Why?” 

He grimaces at my tone, dead and resigned wrapped into one hollow thing. “He claimed he wanted to keep a closer eye on you.”

“Right.” I nod, like that makes sense. 

 

It doesn't, because Aaron has been my shadow since my first day, and I know Kevin and Andrew have been reporting back to him too, whether they want to admit it or not. This is just an extra measure because he doesn’t trust them to watch me anymore, not since I slipped them to go after Allison. Turning to shut the door behind me, I spot Aaron sulking down the hallway, coming my way. I debate slamming the door in his face for all of 6 seconds before opening it wider in a silent invitation. One he takes with hurried steps and a relieved glance my way as he slips past. 

Opting to take the desk chair versus joining Jean on the bed, Aaron spins around to face me, his elbows propped on his knees, looking wholly exhausted. 

 

“You okay?” I ask, crossing my arms and leaning back against the door.

“Yeah, I’m good, Bond. Sorry about all that. I didn’t think he was going to rip into you like he did.”

“Oh, I expected no less. He was actually being nice to me before you all came back. It was freaking me the fuck out.” Aaron lets out a weak chuckle but Jean still looks pensive and frustrated on my behalf. My skin crawls and I start to get antsy again so I start towards the second door along the left wall. “I’m going to take a shower. You two behave, would you? You haven’t managed to kill each other yet, keep up the good work.”

 

Jean makes an affronted sound at my teasing but Aaron stands and steps towards me before I can make my escape. 

 

“What sounds good to eat? That coffee is going to wreck your stomach.”

 

He’s right, and we both know it, so I give it some thought. My stomach is twisted in knots, both in hunger and anxiety, and while the idea of food makes me nauseous, I know I need to eat something.

 

“Breakfast burrito?”

“It’s two in the afternoon,” he says with a wince, but it clears quickly and turns hopeful. His voice is low when he continues, his golden eyes softer in a way I can’t explain. “Actually, I bet Nicky and Porter will be willing to make one just for you. I didn’t get to thank you properly before you passed out on us. So, thank you, Neil. I know you went for Allison, but she and Renee, and Xander all said you held him up and made sure he got home. I appreciate that more than you know.”

I clear my throat and nod, though it's stilted and unsure. “Of course. He didn’t deserve any of it, and he certainly didn’t deserve to be left behind.”

“You prioritized him, Neil.”

“Well yeah, he’s your family.”

Aaron’s face breaks into a grin, a little too ooey-gooey for my taste, and it must show because he laughs. “I’ll go get that burrito. Moreau?”

“BLT?” Jean questions like he’s testing out the name. Meanwhile, I'm reeling because they’re genuinely getting along right now. “That was good.”

 

Aaron nods and says he’ll be back in a bit with the food. Jean lies down fully in my bed, head resting against an overly fluffed pillow with his hands crossed over his stomach. While his eyes are closed, I forget about my shower for a moment and take him in at my leisure. He’s wearing black cargo pants today, lightweight for the summer heat. An olive green graphic tee hugs his chest and shoulders but falls loose at his waist, and I know from that alone he’s lean and slim under the baggy attire like Kevin. I only just now realize he’s only wearing socks where shoes should be, but I shrug it off. 

 

“Like what you see?” a deep voice drawls, making my blink and look up to meet Jean's silver bullet eyes. 

“Mhmm,” I confirm with a hum, not wasting any energy on lying. “I’m gonna go take that shower now.” 

“Sure.”

“I am.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

 

He raises a pointed brow. I’m still standing here.

Shaking myself, I finally retreat into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I had showered after TT the last time I was here, so I hadn’t needed to enter the bathroom. Now that I'm here, I explore. White tiles, sky blue walls, marble counter and shower. It’s beautiful, and nothing less than what I expected. Reaching into the standing shower, I turn the water to lukewarm. There are shower products inside, none that I recognize as mine. High end shower gel, name-brand shampoo and conditioner for curly hair, a razor, a tub of something that reads “moisturizing hair mask”. I undress and step in, immediately relaxing into the warm water beating down on my flesh. The water pressure is spectacular compared to the communal showers in the dorms. I lather my hair and scrub my skin, shaving my face last with the help of an anti-fog mirror on one of the tiled walls. 

Steam has filled the room by the time I step out even though I never turn the water up too high. Scalding hot water makes my scars pull tighter when I dry. The room smells of cinnamon spice and a hint of sandalwood, and it takes me a minute to realize it’s me. The shower products to be more precise. I don’t mind it, in fact the bond on my chest is more than content. 

There’s a bottle of lotion on the counter that specifies it’s for burns and scars, and that it’s best used on wet skin. I tense at the reminder that two of my Bonds know about my scars, meaning either Andrew or Kevin left it for me. It’s considerate, nice even. I ignore the emotions that creep up and squeeze out a bit of the lotion and sniff it. My shoulders ease while my bond starts preening something embarrassing that I don’t care to mention. I brush it off and mentally flick my bond for being a little bitch. The sweet vanilla bean scent a balm over my frayed nerves. I rub it generously into my shoulder over the clothing iron burn, over my collar bone and ribs, along the ugliest scar on my hip that they guys hadn’t seen. It doesn’t leave a sticky residue thankfully, but that makes me realize I didn’t bring clothes in with me. 

No need in worrying if the fabric will stick to my skin if I don’t have anything to wear. 

 

“Jean!” I call out through the door. 

“Oui?”

“Can you grab some clothes for me? I forgot,” I say uselessly. 

 

There’s a tap on the door a minute later and I unlock it before cracking it open just enough to grab what’s offered. A pair of dri-fit boxers that look brand new, and an oversized black tee that looks too much like Jeans size to be a coincidence. I slip them both on regardless. I squeeze my hair dry one last time inside the shower and then wander back into the room. Jean is still, or back, on the bed, lounging, but he looks up when he hears the door open. My skin tingles where his eyes roam over me with obvious heat and I quickly escape his gaze by yanking the closet door open and striding inside. It’s a huge walk in, filled with my clothes and then some, and I pull on the first pair of sweatpants I find. 

 

“You’re not smooth,” I say as I stride back into the room and climb up onto the bed with him. Jean looks smug and doesn’t defend himself.

“Your phone is charging on the nightstand. Matt has been texting you nonstop, and I believe there’s some from the others as well.”

 

I find it where he said and unplug it, bringing it back with me to settle against the headboard. Jean stretches out lazily again, long legs crossed at the ankle and arms supporting his head now. My legs are pulled up to my chest in contrast, curling up into a ball because I’m not sure how to act with him so close and comfortable in person. Instead of dwelling on it, I check my messages.

Matt has been checking in daily by the looks of it, asking if I’m okay and telling me bits about his day that I missed while out. Apparently, MU has been undergoing renovations on the destroyed buildings, and classes start back up Monday. Allison has texted a few times; once to thank me for what I did, the rest is updates on the latest campus gossip. No other texts, but it’s not like I’m surprised; no one else has my number. 

Balancing my phone on my knees, I glance over at Jean. He’s still lying content at my side, and I fall right back into staring at him. The straight slope of his nose, the deep set of his eyes, the gorgeously long lashes hiding his alluring grey irises. There’s a few freckles speckling his nose, but otherwise his skin is flawless with its sharp features and soft edges. 

 

“You are very handsome,” I whisper without thinking.

“As are you, Neil. As are you.” Those long lashes give way to let his silver eyes trace my face. He moves to lean up on his elbows, and just when I think he’s going to lean in for a kiss, the bedroom door swings open.

“I was right, Nicky said he would have Porter make the entire menu for you personally but I talked him down to unlimited breakfast burritos for the foreseeable future.” 

 

Aaron saunters in with a bag in each hand, placing them at the end of the bed in a heap. Looking between us, he raises a brow in question but I only crawl down the bed in answer. I’m too hungry to parse out my feelings right now. Shrugging, Aaron unpacks a take out container for each of us and passes them out. We all tuck in without another word, Jean and I on the bed while Aaron plops himself on the floor. I wait until we’re finished before I look between them.

 

“So, you really tried to come after me, huh?”

Jean is closing the styrofoam box on his lap as he speaks. “I would have followed you even if you were running away, but I knew you would never leave me behind if that was your plan.”

 

I so totally would have, for his own safety, but I’m not telling him that.

 

“Sure he wouldn’t,” Aaron smirks, reading my mind as easily as ever. “I heard Matt yelling her name and I knew you were going after Allison. You two have gotten close, and even if you hadn’t, I know how much you care about Matt.”

I nod seriously, “He’s my first real friend. I couldn’t let him lose his sister, not if I could do something about it.” 

“And what is that something, exactly?” Aaron asks, his attention solely on me. “I’m against the way he went about it, but I want to know the same things Rou does. What exactly is your Gift, Bond?”

“Something they want, but definitely don’t need to have access to. I suppress it for a reason; it is dangerous, but it’s also like a beacon. That’s what Dan called it. They can track when I use it.”

“They being the resistance?”

I nod again, an easy out. “But I have control over it. Ichirou doesn’t need to worry about me putting anyone at risk.”

“None of us think that, not even Andrew,” Aaron argues. Jean continues to sit quietly. “Rou was just baiting you and it backfired like it damn well should have. He had no excuse for going after you like that.”

“I get it,” I concede with a shrug. “He just didn’t have to be a dick about it.”

“No, he did not,” Jean finally chimes in. “How are you feeling? You look much better. Well rested.”

“Better.”

“Good. We still have a few hours before dinner. How would you like to pass the time?” 

“I was actually thinking about going for a run.” Both men turn to look at me like I’m delusional. “I’m antsy after being in bed for so long. I need to move.” 

“It still astounds me that running is enjoyable to you,” Aaron sighs, standing up and collecting the empty food containers. “There’s a gym downstairs, and a pool if a treadmill doesn’t suffice.”

“You have a pool?”

“Ichirou has a pool,” Aaron says again.

“An indoor pool,” Jean adds helpfully.

“Ichirou has an indoor pool.”

“Yes.” Aaron drags out the word like it’s a full sentence.

“Can we please stop saying the word pool? It no longer sounds like a real word.”

“Don’t say the other P word again and you’ve got yourself a deal, French Fry.”

“Why can I not say the word ple-“

“Andrew doesn’t like it; therefore, neither do we.”

 

Jean’s eyebrows disappear under his shaggy black hair as he looks between Aaron and me, while Aaron looks on approvingly and nods. He turns to lead the way out of my room, but I stop him so I can run back into my closet and ruffle through the many drawers until I find the one I’m looking for. I find the trunks Allison got me for the spring break party in a small drawer, along with a few others, all new with tags. Predictable. Ichirou probably filled them all with anything I could possibly need. I can’t decide if I should thank him or dump them all in his pristine bedroom. I’ll think harder about it later. 

We spend the evening in the pool secluded from everyone and everything. I keep Jeans shirt on, along with my trunks, while I swim laps from the shallow to deep end. Jean and Aaron, miraculously, sit together on the steps on the shallow end, half underwater, and chat about who knows what until I exhausted myself. 

I love running. Oh, how I love running. My joints, however? The ligaments behind my knees and the tendons in my ankles? Not so much. While in hiding, I would crash at motels sometimes if I came into extra cash. The shower and free soaps always came in second to the shitty pools they had for this simple fact.

After an awkward Bond dinner, seeing as Ichirou and Andrew never come down, the rest of us retire to bed. I shower again before crawling into the large bed in my newly acquired room. Aaron and Jean stay, despite both having rooms here somewhere. I knew Aaron had a room, obviously, he lives here, but I didn’t think Jean had one. Aaron made it pretty clear they had never invited him to move in with them before I arrived, so I assumed he wouldn’t have a room. When I ask about it, Jean claimed Ichirou gave him one of the many spare bedrooms and he moved his stuff over from his apartment while Aaron and Matt had packed mine from the dorms. As it were, I fall asleep sandwiched between them both with only a few inches between our bodies. 

 

A similar routine formed throughout the rest of the weekend.

 

---

 

While I would give anything for another breakfast burrito from Sweeties, we’re running late to our first morning class on Monday. The boys left me in my room this morning so we could all go get ready for the day, but my brain was still so scattered I couldn’t figure out what to wear.

No. I have never, ever, given a shit on what I wear. However, the bond in my chest was being a right bitch about the smells of the clothes I put on. Jeans shirt had to be washed because I swam in it, and I realized Kevin’s hoodie had lost its scent when I tucked my nose into the collar. At one point, I wanted to stomp my foot like a child in a tantrum but ultimately threw on a pair of athletic shorts and my own old grey hoodie before leaving the room. I was the last one downstairs. 

Neither Jean nor Aaron says a word about my late appearance, turning to each other to play a round of rock-paper-scissors to see who I’m riding with this morning to campus. Jean had tried to argue we should skip until Monday anyway, but I need a break from this place. Aaron won on the first draw, and Jean shrugged his loss off easily and claimed he would be bringing me back this afternoon. No one argued. Seems like we have a running theme now and I’m not breaking their fragile truce. 

Because I made us late, Aaron stopped by the kitchens and grabbed some protein bars and an apple for me to eat before we got on the road. The trip to campus was made shorter on the bikes as we weaved through lanes of traffic to make up for lost time. A terrible sense of Deja-vu comes over me as we park by the admin building. I can’t help but scan every inch of the quad as I swing off of Aaron’s bike, but no eerie silence greets us this time. 

Matt does, along with Allison, Renee, and Ella. 

 

“Jesus, fuck, Neil. You scared the shit out of me!” Matt starts, wrapping me in a bear hug before I even set my helmet down. Aaron eases it from my death grip a second later while Matt still has me in a vice grip. “Don’t get me wrong, thank you, man, but seeing you both get snatched like that?! Not on my top ten wish list for this semester!”

 

He squeezes me one time for good measure before setting me back down on my feet. I hadn’t even realized I was in the air. Allison is next, ruffling my hair with a scoff before her bottom lip starts to tremble. I take one for the team and pull her into a hug this time, taking everyone by surprise by the look on their faces. 

 

“Alright, enough of this shit. I made us all late as it is,” I chide. 

“Well, we’re about to be even later because I’m headed to the admin office.”

“What for?” I ask Matt, only for him to hold up a slip of paper, wiggling it around aggressively like that answers my question. I raise a brow. 

“I’m transferring into TT,” he confesses.

“Seriously? I thought you hated the mere idea of that dreadful class.”

“Oh, I do. But I need to be able to protect Ally, and if that class helps me do that, then I’m joining.” 

 

All I can do is nod, not in the mood to explain to him that it wasn’t TT that trained me to go after his sister. It’ll help him with his control, with the added benefit of learning how to harness it to its full potential. Another reason I don’t say anything. Allison rolls her eyes but they soften when Renee bumps her shoulder with hers.

Soon enough, we’re splitting up at the lecture halls, Jean, Aaron, Matt, and I off to Econ. Allison, Renee, and Ella are off to their course-specific classes. Lessons fly by, along with the word Monster as it floats all around our group. Aaron tenses every time he hears it, while I roll my eyes at the petty name-calling. Jean seems otherwise unaffected, but I swear he sends glares to every student who says it. 

By lunch time the guy's nerves are rubbed raw while I’m annoyed beyond measure. Occupying our usual table in the dining hall, my eyes sweep over my friends and Bonds. Jean is talking with Matt and Ella, while Aaron talks about Exy with Allison and Renee. By the sounds of it, the match is still on for tomorrow night. 

 

Aaron catches my eye and leans in closer so his words don't carry. “You alright, Bond?”

“Fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” Aaron simply narrows his eyes, unconvinced. “I don’t care what they call me. This is the first rumor they’ve actually gotten right. Not like I can argue with anything they’re saying.”

“You’re not a monster, Neil. It’s what they've called our Bond group from the start. We’re not well-liked, like, at all. We are at the top of the top tier Gifted. People fear us, and they hate us because they fear us. That’s why Rou has you monitored, that’s why we all thought you had been taken as soon as you went missing…”

“You’re not a monster either, Aaron, none of you are.”

 

He takes a deep breath and rubs a hand down his pale face roughly, then runs said hand through his platinum hair until it’s sticking up everywhere. Without thinking, I fix it, twining my fingers through the soft tufts until the errant flyaways lie flat. His hazel eyes are incredibly soft when I meet them, and only then do I realize what I’ve just done. 

 

“We can talk about it more once we’re at home, yeah? The dining hall is not the place for this conversation.”

“Alright,” I agree easily, dropping my hand to my lap. 

 

---

 

Lunch passes and classes finish, and before long, we’re splitting up again. Matt, Jean, and I hunker down in the library study room while Aaron and the girls head off to Exy practice. We have an essay to write for History that I'm stressed about, only because my mind wasn’t all there in class. I’m not too worried about Andrew having it out for me anymore over my assignments, which is odd in and of itself to admit, but even if he did, Ichirou is still the one grading my work after the last fiasco. Matt is being helpful as always, offering me his notes but telling me not to stress too much over it. Jean, once again, advises me to remove the stick up Ichirou’s ass and replace it with something else to get on his good side. I don’t acknowledge it, nor him, for the next ten minutes.

I am not sleeping my way into a passing grade; I'm trying to prove myself here.

After practice wraps up, Aaron comes back for Jean and me. Matt follows us out and to the parking lot, climbing into his blue monstrosity of a truck while we get on the bikes. I’m Jean’s backpack for the night. First day back to campus has me worn thin, and I’m ready to eat and pass out. The universe has other plans, of course.

 

“So, here’s the thing,” Aaron hedges, rubbing the back of his neck. We were about to enter the mansion through the garage when he stopped us with a haand on the door knob. “Ichirou texted me earlier saying that our Bond dinners have been moved to Monday nights. Something about a scheduling conflict with the Council.”

“So, here's the thing,” I counter, “I didn’t get that text, so I know nothing about this change if he asks. In fact, I rode home with Jean, and you stayed back at practice, so you didn’t even get the chance to tell us. How does that sound?”

“That sounds ridiculous, if you’re truly asking,” says a smooth, deep voice on the other side of the door. The devil in Armani himself opens the door a second later, looking far too smug.

“I’m right, though. You didnt send me the text, so I plead ignorance.”

“I just heard him inform you of the change, Nathaniel. There is no getting out of this unless you are ill, and you look perfectly well to me, so don’t even try it. I would have texted you too, I’ll have you know, but I didn’t want to distract you on your first day back.”

 

Aaron and Jean are flanking me, but I swear to you, I can feel their dumbfounded expressions. I’m not going to lie, I’m caught off guard too. Not by his words, but by the tone he's using, and that he’s using it infront of the others. Calm and composed, a slow drawl like he’s…flirting? God, I am so sick of this man's emotional see-sawing. 

Ichirou holds the door open for us to pass through, and I do so with my arms crossed and an unimpressed look on my face that has him smirking. Jean and Aaron are steps behind me until we reach the dining room, where I find Andrew sitting at the table, swirling a frosted glass of amber liquid. Sitting in my usual seat towards one end, Aaron takes the seat to my left, and Jean takes the typically empty one to my right that separates me from Ichirou. Ichirou, of course, takes the head. He’s steadfast in preparing my plate for me like he always does, adding more carbs and protein than vegetables. Jean huffs out his nose but says nothing as he watches, not moving to make his plate until mine is set down in front of me. 

It’s not until we all start to eat that Kevin all but limps into the dining room with a black eye and a bruising to his jaw. I can’t strangle my bond in time and it snaps out as soon as Kevin sits down across from me, healing him in seconds. Emerald green eyes lock onto me with an emotion I can’t name swimming underneath.

 

“You did not have to do that,” he says slowly.

Shrugging, I say, “Can’t help it. My bond hates when you all are hurt.” I can feel everyone’s eyes on me but I stuff my mouth full of shrimp so I don’t have to speak. I’m being honest for once, they should appreciate that alone. 

“Well then,” Ichirou says after clearing his throat, “we should all do our best to not show up with injuries from here on out, now that his Gift is active again.”

 

Kevin keeps staring while Jean and Aaron nod along on each side of me. Andrew, however, scoffs at Ichirous words.

 

“We’re injured more often than not, he needs to get over it. I have a feeling his bond would hate it even more if we sought out a healer over him, too.” I ignore the pleased hum in my chest and snap my eyes from Kevin to him. “I’ll work with him on controlling it.”

 

The following silence isn’t as suffocating as it should be. Andrew, of all people here, teaching me something? Potentially in private? What the hell is happening? Aaron is the first to speak, glancing between the two of us hesitantly.

 

“I’d like to be there too.”

“What, you don't trust me with your precious little Bond, brother of mine?”

“Of course I do,” Aaron snaps, and I feel my eyes widen. “I need to brush up on my control too, figure we might as well do it together since we all have the…”

“The what?” 

“The void eyes,” Kevin answers my question. “You three are the only ones with the void eyes. Makes me wonder what else your bonds have in common.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

“Perhaps that conversation should wait until after dinner,” Ichirou butts in but I’m not having it.

“No, no, you asked your questions as soon as I was back in the land of the living. I have some of my own.”

“You didn’t answer mine, why should we answer yours?”

 

I glare at him but he looks as serene as ever at the head of the table, the true head of the house. I suppose I should be lucky he hasn’t demanded answers yet like he did last week when I woke up. I look back to Andrew instead of arguing, finding a strange sort of comfort in those apathetic hazel eyes that always see too much. 

 

“Truth for truth.”

 

Now that catches the whole table’s attention. Ichirous brows crease in confusion while Kevin’s hit his hairline in blatant shock; Aaron is looking over at me like I’m a complete stranger to him while Jean just looks lost.

 

Andrew, however, once again taking even me by surprise, winks. “Now you’re playing the right game,” he praises.

Chapter 23: Yeah, I’ll take it

Summary:

Uhm, truth game at dinner? Steamy work out scene that goes absolutely no where? Sorry not sorry. New privileges for Neil?

Notes:

I KNOW AND IM FUCKING SORRY!

 

Andrew and I stare at each other for what feels like an endless minute. I’m sure who else at this table knows of his game of truths, but by the looks of it, Kevin and Aaron are at least familiar with the words I just said. Jean has no reason to know, but I am surprised Ichirou looks just as confused. 

 

“Well then, since I have your approval,” I mock, “let’s play a table round. Everyone here gets a turn, directed at whoever they want answers from.”

“What is truth for truth?” Jean asks hesitantly. Unusual for him, not to outright demand answers.

“A game of sorts,” I tell him neutrally. “Questions are asked, and only answered honestly. If you can’t answer without lying, you can pass, but you lose your turn to ask your own question. That is, until you can answer it or a different question of equal value.”

“Why does Neil know about it?” Aaron asks his twin, a hard edge to his words, but still softened by worry.

“We’ve played before,” I dismiss with a wave. “Who’s first?”

“You are. It’s still your turn after all,” Andrew drawls before taking a deep pull from his glass.

 

He’s right, of course. It is his game after all, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that he keeps tabs on whose turn it is and who owes him answers. The question is, do I use my question on him to finish our previous round, or direct it towards someone else and make him squirm? Decisions, decisions… Actually, now is the perfect time to ask the questions I’ve been pushing off.

 

“Ichirou,” I say, and I only continue when I have his undivided attention. “What's your Gift?” A collective breath is released in the dining room as the others are spared, but Ichirou still looks put out by having to answer. “You want to know my life story? I deserve to know the bare minimum about the men who claim to have been so distraught over my disappearance. What is your Gift?”

“Do not insinuate that our distress was not real at the loss of you,” Ichirou starts haughtily. “And if you must know-“

“I must,” I interrupt, my tone low and grave. Aaron snickers softly at my side.

“I’m a shifter.”

 

That… is not what I was expecting. Aaron claims they’re at the top of the food chain so to speak, and I’m no genius, but even I know shifters can only be as powerful as they’re shifted forms. What could possibly be so special about him that makes him so powerful?

I've always known my face is expressive, and I’ve told myself I’m going to remedy that fact; however, I’ve had more important shit on my plate. This is to say, my face must be doing something because Ichirou shakes his head like he’s disappointed in my lack of confidence in him and his Gift. 

Placing his fork and knife down beside his plate, Ichirou steeples his hands under his chin, elbows propped up. In a slow and graceful show of his power, his skin begins to shift. His smooth, golden skin is replaced by a soft black coat of fur, and his near-black eyes are replaced by glowing purple orbs. His features stay the same, humanoid in every other sense. The black fur transitions into sleek black scales next, purple eyes for green slits of a reptile. A thin, forked tongue sneaks past his lips, giving that form away as a snake. The scales then shed into blue-black feathers, longer along his arms and shoulders, while soft tufts sprout around his face. Within only a minute, Ichirou is back to his normal handsome self, looking smug and full of himself.

 

“You don’t only have one shift form,” I deduce, dumbfounded. It’s unheard of.

“I do not,” he agrees, offering nothing more as he sits back in his seat and crosses his arms now that his point is made. “I believe it is my turn, then?” 

I incline my head and brace myself.

“Jean,” Ichirou challenges. “What do you know of your family's ties to the Resistance?” 

My eyes snap to Jeans as I feel his body stiffen at my side. Aaron might as well be holding his breath by how still he’s also gone, while Kevin hums something like agreement with wanting to know the answer. 

“I was raised on the propaganda they sell to people,” Jean confesses with no inflection, “but I know it’s all bullshit. My aunt is involved with them, as is her husband and my father, but I have distanced myself from them since I learned of it. My mother is obedient to my father, and my sister is bonded into a group that supports them, but I have never believed in their principles.” He turns to me then with a small frown and pleading silver eyes. “Another reason I came to you, here. I didn't ever want you to get the idea to come visit me and be in their company.”

 

My heart stutters to a stop in my chest and my Bond cries something desperate, fighting to hold on to him as a solid form of comfort and support. I could’ve crossed paths with his family, but I don’t recall ever hearing his last name at any of the camps I was taken to. My heart beats kick up double time in relief as Kevin nods, confirming Jean is speaking the truth.  

 

“You wanted information out of me, Ichirou. Why are you turning on him?”

“I am not turning on him, Nathaniel. It is information I’ve been curious about for sometime now, and this is an opportunity I could use. I won’t ask him any more questions if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Jean's hand slips onto my forearm, where it rests on the table and squeezes once. Ichirou tracks the movement with his dark eyes but keeps his face expressionless. 

I shake my head at Ichirou, “I’m not his keeper, I’m his Central, as I am all of yours. Ask me your questions, but I don’t want you all turning on each other, now or in the future.” 

“Understood.” There’s something soft in Ichirou’s tone at my confession of being theirs. It’s unnerving.

“I am skipping my turn,” Jean informs me with a wink, “until a more appropriate time.” 

 

Unfortunately for me, I know exactly what he’s going to ask. We never did get around to talking about our dynamics in the bedroom after he first brought it up. I have no need to actually think about it, seeing as I still can’t bond with them. That doesn’t stop my bond and subconscious from drawing up some interesting possibilities, though.

 

“Kevin?”

“Do you still want that job?” 

“Are you serious?” I ask, my eyes wide as they bounce from him to Ichirou.

Kevin shrugs like he didn’t just solve half of my problems with one sentence. “Rou and I talked it over, and we agreed it would be good for you. However, we decide where.”

I roll my eyes so far back I’m surprised I don’t see my brain. “Why? So you can monitor my every move? I thought that’s what the chip is for.”

“So we can ensure your safety,” is Ichirou’s answer. “If something were to happen, for instance like the last raid, we need to know where you are and who you're with to make sure nothing like last time happens again.”

Okay, that sounds fair, but it’s still extremely annoying. “Where, then? You wouldn’t have even brought it up unless you had all the details ironed out already.”

“Sweeties,” Aaron offers. “I talked to Nicky about bringing you on the last time I was there. He and Porter are all for it. They need another server since they had to fire Ruby.”

Andrew nods along, his face as apathetic as always but his voice is one of amusement. “Fucking finally. If that bitch attempted to sink her claws into my psyche again I would have had to sic Aries on her. She hates her just as much as I do.”

 

 

Having no idea of who this Ruby is, only that she’s probably a nosy Neuro, I hate her instantly and I’m glad to fill her position. Having no idea who Aries is, but knowing she’s most likely one of his Shadow Creatures based on the use of the word sic, I can’t wait to meet her. Sweeties has good food, and Renee isn’t so bad I guess. Yeah, this will be good. I can still see my friends when they no doubt up their visits, plus I get the money I need and the freedom that comes with it.

 

“I’ll take it. I can start tomorrow, or at least stop by after classes and speak to Nicky myself.”

“Sounds good, I planned on going there for dinner tomorrow night since I don’t have Exy practice. You, me, and your French Fry can all go. Now, it’s my turn. Still holding off bonding with us simply because you’re scared your Gift will gain strength?” Aaron asks with a teasing lilt. 

I elbow him, “something like that.”

Kevin smirks across from me but keeps his mouth shut. Andrew studies me like I’m an equation to solve from his seat and I can’t help but raise a brow in challenge. 

“We’re done for the night. We’ll play another round next Monday at dinner.”

Andrew's word is law tonight apparently because we all agree and finish our meal without any more questions, or the usual tension hanging over the table. How refreshing. How odd.

 

---

 

I  finally convinced Aaron and Jean to return to their own bedrooms last night. Sleep didn’t find me easily without their comforting weight at my sides, but it had to have pulled me under eventually, otherwise I wouldn’t be waking up bleary-eyed to insistent knocking at my door. After half-deliberately suffocating myself with a pillow, I manage to shuffle to the door in the dark without tripping. The hallway light is blinding when I crack the door open and I wince as I take in the body before me. Tall, lean, handsome, and broody Kevin stands there impatiently dressed in running shorts,  another black hoodie, and sneakers. 

 

“The fuck could you possibly want this early, Day?” 

“Since Aaron is joining you and Andrew for Bond control training at night from now on, I’m taking over your morning physical training. Get changed, we’re going for a run.”

 

I groan and shut the door firmly in his face, only for him to immediately open it back up and lean against the door frame while I drag my half conscious body to the closet. After changing and slipping on my converse I meet him back at my door and wave for him to get a move on. Once we’re down stairs and on the front lawn, I start stretching out. Aka, I plant my ass down on the dewy wet grass and touch my toes.

 

“You so owe me coffee for this,” I grumble around a yawn.

“I thought you liked running?”

“That doesn’t mean I want to wake up before the sun to do so.” 

 

Kevin shrugs and offers me a hand up. My stretching has turned into me laying flat on my back. We set off quickly and I follow his lead since I don’t know my way around here. He sets a brutal pace and I’m working double time to keep up but do it easily enough. I’ve solely relied on my speed and agility for years, and despite my aching joints, I refuse to let him show me up in a race. We run for at least 3 miles before coming upon a gym and slow down to a stop. I keep jogging in place to cool down while he’s sucking down air to even out his breaths. 

 

“This is where we’ll be training every morning-”  a panting breath “-You’ll meet me here at 5 am.”

 

Is that what time it is? That’s not so bad, I guess I did just sleep like shit last night. I say nothing in return and silently watch as Kevin wanders over to the front door and unlocks it with a keycard. While he opens the place up, flipping on lights and cranking the A/C, I drop down to a yoga mat that’s already unrolled and start stretching out for real this time. The gym is on the smaller side, but the equipment is brand new and the place is meticulously laid out. It’s exactly the place I’d imagine Kevin working out in.

 

“Going off what Aaron tells me, and what I saw the last time you were on the mats in class, you’ve got the basics down. That said, we’re moving on to more advanced techniques.”

 

Oh, thank fuck. If he was going to baby step me into this shit like Aaron tried to I don’t think I’d have the patience to play along now that it’s Kevin. We get into positions on the other side of the room on a thicker padded mat by a mirrored wall. After Kevin knocks me in my ass for the second time in 5 minutes, all while barking insults at my lack of skill, he steps back and yanks his shirt off by the back of his collar, wiping the sweat that drips over his face. He says something, but it’s lost to me, otherwise preoccupied, strangling the bond in my chest to behave whilst it plays visions fueled by lusts. 

Kevin’s narrow waist squeezed between my thighs, his dark brown hair tangled between my fingers, while his face disappearss, bobbing up and down on my-

 

“What the hell are you thinking about right now? Your bond is humming, I can feel it from here.”

 

I feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment. This isn’t even the first time those images have come to me, nor the first time it's happened in their company. I spin around, much the same as when Aaron pulled the same stunt, and rub a hand over my heated face while screaming internally. I avoid any and all movement that might cause me to moan, therefore I stand stock still and think about gross things like asparagus and orange juice with pulp until my dick deflates. 

 

“This is your fault, asshole. Learn some boundaries and put your fucking shirt back on!”

 

Laughter rings out, echoing off the mirrored walls of the small gym as Kevin tries to rein in his amusement. Suddenly, hands are gripping my shoulders from behind, and my mind stalls. I came a second too late, and while I’m proud of my execution, I logically know it doesn’t matter when I wasn’t mentally cognitive in the action. Kevin, tall-lanky Kevin, is sailing over my shoulder when I snap out of it. While I’ve grown comfortable with my Bonds at my back, even during the vulnerable state of sleep, I’m exhausted, and on edge because of the lack of, and Kevin just got a front row demonstration of my fight or flight reaction without the use of my Gift.

I follow him down and straddle his chest, committed to the movement now, and yank his hands above his head with one hand, slamming them into the mat, while my right is drawn back in a tight fist. Panting ragged breaths, I count to twenty in English, then in German when the adrenaline is still running rampant in my veins. Kevin, meanwhile, is wide-eyed but looks otherwise unbothered as he looks up at me from the ground.

 

“I shouldn’t have grabbed you from behind,” he acknowledges softly, and I barely hear it over the ringing in my ears.

“No, you shouldn’t have.” 

 

We stare at each other for an unknown amount of time while I catch my bearings, and as I take my first steady breath, Kevin pushes up to his elbows. My body subsequently shifts down his until I’m sitting in his lab, and it’s only then that I learn I’m still hard in my shorts. It’s only then that we both learn I’m still hard in my shorts. 

 

“So,” Kevin starts while rolling his hips experimentally below me. I choke back a groan as he keeps talking, like nothing out of the ordinary is happening right now. “Does this mean we have that connection Aaron mentioned last night?”

“You wish,” I grit out.

“Oh? What is it then that has you so worked up, Bond? Maybe it’s the fear you felt when I grabbed you from behind? The thrill of dominance, throwing me around with ease, even though I have a foot of height on you?” A moan slips through unbidden when he rolls his hips again, dragging his own hard length against mine as best he can without hands to direct me. “Perhaps it’s all three? Trusting me enough to scare you, trusting I can handle you and everything you have to offer?”

“Fucking hell, Day, you need to stop…”

“Why? That scared to bond with me, Neil?”

 

-and those words wake me up.  “Yes. I am.” 

 

With a growl I use the hand that was previously fisted to push myself off his chest. I don’t stop when he calls my name. Nor when I hear his quick steps as he tries to catch up with me. I leave him behind at the gym, opting to take the scenic route at a sprint back to the mansion. 

 

---

 

Thankfully a good sense of direction has been ingrained into me since I was a kid and I find my way back to my new ‘home’ after little more than an hour of running. I don’t pause to look around and see if Kevin’s made his way back already, instead opting to jog up to my room as a sorry excuse of a cool down. I do, however, pass Jean in the hallway that leads to my room. His hand extends in my direction but never makes contact with me, changing his mind after seeing or feeling something off with me. He does follow me into my room despite me not inviting him along, though I honestly couldn’t care less. I leave him in my room as I go straight to my en-suite, cranking on the shower and stripping quickly before slipping behind the curtain. 

After scrubbing the morning from my skin I re-enter my room with only a towel wrapped around my waist. A catch of a breath, a wheeze, a cleared throat. Jean. I forgot he was in my room in my haste to leave for campus, to forget about this morning.

 

“Don’t,” I warn without looking up from the floor where I’ve stopped dead in my tracks. 

“Neil-“

“I said don’t, Jean. Ple- I can’t handle anymore emotional shit, and I know you want to ask, and I know you expect me to answer you, but I can’t. Okay? Not right now.”

 

A shuffle of fabric, a creak of hardwood floor, and then mismatched socked feet appear an inch from my own. A crooked finger lifts my chin, and suddenly I’m drowning in silver seas and oak moss trees. His eyes always capture me, but his scent is what has my knees buckling. Jean wraps a steady arm around my waist, planting a large hand at the center of my back to keep me up and I grip his biceps, trying to maintain an ounce of composure. Like that’s any use. 

 

“Kevin-“ I’m forced to pause and shake my head in denial when Jeans face turns murderous. “No, he didn’t- he didn’t do anything I didn’t like. I stopped him when it went too far and he didn’t fight me on it.” Not like I gave him a choice because I ran, I don’t say. “We just got carried away, and when he asked me if I was scared to bond with him, it snapped me out of it.”

“Are you scared to bond with him? Us? Is that a reason you won't?"

“It’s the only reason and I’m hanging on by a fucking thread here.” 

He nods, something like understanding or recognition on his face. “Your Gift will gain strength.” 

“I can’t let that happen, French Fry. It can’t have all been for nothing. I’m already a Monster, and you all don’t even know the extent of my Gift. If it grows… If he-”

“You are not a Monster, my little bond. And nothing you have done to keep us safe has ever been for not. If you ever choose to complete the Bond with any of us, all of us, know that we will stand together in the face of it and support you through learning to control it.”

 

Sucking in a relieved breath, I nod and squeeze his arms in thanks.

 

“You’re not going to ask about them?”

“No, Neil, I am not. They are yours to bear, your stories to tell, but only when you are ready.”

 

After squeezing his arms again I side step him and finally enter my closet to get dressed. Boxers, cargo shorts, a white tee, and a hoodie I don’t recall having but recognize as Aaron’s from the Exy team. Socks are last and I carry them with me to bed, slipping them on after I sit. Jean is next to me, having waited for me to get dressed before we wander downstairs together for breakfast.

 

“So, why were you with Kevin before sunrise?” he asks lightly.

“Morning training,” I groan, slipping on my Converse. “He’s taking over for Aaron in that regard since the twins are helping me with control at night I guess.” 

 

He hums something to himself and stands when I do, then follows me out and downstairs. We’re not running late today, which hopefully means burritos from Sweeties if we can snatch up Aaron and get the hell out of here. Technically, he doesn’t have to be there with us, but I still feel awkward with the idea of asking his cousin for free food. Even though, or especially, since I might be working there soon, and I’m pretty sure that means I get free food on my break. I’m not trying to be greedy here. Aaron is already posted up by the garage door, waiting for us. His face is doing something complicated that I don't feel like parsing out so I simply grab his wrist and tug him along through the door. I appreciate Jean's understanding just minutes ago, but I need Aaron right now. I'm holding on tight to his obliviousness to get through the rest of the day.

As I wrap my arms around Aaron’s waist on the way to his cousin's diner, I can’t help but think about how much I appreciate all of my Bonds.

I’m not sure if Aaron knows how neurotic my bond has become over their scents, or if he selfishly just wants to see me in his clothes, but either way I’m grateful for his forethought at planting the hoodie. It’s white and orange with thin fleece lining so I’m not overheating in the late spring/early summer heat. The best part, of course, is that it smells just like him. His lavender deodorant, the expensive, woodsy cologne he uses that reminds me of hiking through a redwood forest, his natural musk from sweat. I tuck my nose into the collar and ignore his deep chuckle, having felt the movement at his back and knowing what I’m doing after seeing me do it so many times before now with Kevin’s. 

Speaking of, despite the less than smooth exit I made this morning, I can still appreciate Kevin. The way he took care of me when I had my migraine, the way he’s tried to earn my trust without demanding it like Ichirou. He didn’t baby me through the circuit this morning, but wasn’t as big of a hard ass as I know he could be from witnessing it in TT class. Kevin backed off when I needed him too, and he didn’t chase me when I needed space.

Jean and the way he always knows the perfect thing to say. His gentle words and even gentler hands, all while being one of the strongest, deadliest men I’ve met. I know instinctively that he wouldn’t ever turn on me, because he’s had every opportunity to do so with his family being on the wrong side of this war. 

Fuck even Andrew and his goddamn truth game. His all knowing hazel eyes and the way he sees me, even when I don’t want to be seen. He saw my scars and didn’t blink back in revulsion, witnessed my Gift in action and smirked at the face of it, came to my defense when it wasn't asked for. Andrew is steady and sturdy and just what I need at my back. 

Now, Ichirou… I’d say I appreciate the roof over my head and the food in my belly, but the man literally kidnapped me soooo. Yup. I’ll hold off on the fuzzy feelings for him.

 

---

 

After classes finish for the day we all head back to Sweeties together.

There’s no Exy practice today, like Aaron mentioned, and Matt and I are confident in our Econ project, so we’re free of the library. At least for a little bit. Renee is working her usual closing shift, so Allison tags along, as well as Ella since she and Matt are getting closer every day. We navigate through the retro diner until we find the largest round booth, sliding into the curved bench seat one by one. I’m squished between Aaron and Jean at one end, with Matt, Ella, and Ally taking up the rest of the booth. Allison has left a sliver of cushion at the other end beside her, no doubt so she can pull her girlfriend down for a kiss when she comes to take our orders. 

However, instead of Renee, a tall Hispanic man approaches us with excited steps. He’s not Kevin tall, and certainly not Matt tall, but tall enough to mention it. Dark brown hair, caramel eyes, tan skin, straight white teeth. I have no idea who this guy is or why the fuck he’s staring at me with a giddy expression. Certainly this can’t be-

 

“Jesus, Nicky, chill the fuck out before you scare him away,” Aaron chides with laughter in his voice. “He spooks easy and you’re looking at him like he’s your long lost Bond and not mine.”

 

Yes, I do in fact completely ignore the way my heart flutters at his claim. I’m not melting under the caveman words at all. Nope. Can’t be me. ANYWAY, so this is Nicky. The twins…cousin? By blood. Huh.

 

“You’re thinking awfully loud over there, Neilio,” Matt teases and I shake off whatever my face is doing to prompt such a claim. I really need to work on my expressions, they used to be locked down like Andrews.

“It’s alright, I get it.” Nicky says with a laugh, dropping into the empty sliver of seat beside Ally. “The twins' mom was my dad’s sister. He rescued my mom from Mexico, and I got all my coloring from her. Now the height difference? I’m clueless since I get that from our shared side.” Nicky taps his chin with a finger as he ponders. “Aaron, was your dad short?”

“How the fuck am I supposed to know that, I never met the guy.” 

 

The table falls silent, our friend's conversation coming to an abrupt halt at my bond's snappy tone. It’s not crass, but bitter. Hurt. I know Ichirou took them in at 16, and I know they weren’t raised together, but other than those details, I have no idea what they went through. If Aaron hadn’t ever met his father, safe to say Andrew didn’t either. Was Aaron angry that he never met him, or maybe upset that his mother interfered in that happening? No, that’s not fair. I can’t say shit about their mother without knowing more. I make a mental note to ask him about it soon, a game of truth or simply when he’s in a sharing mood.

 

“So, Neil,” Nicky redirects the conversation with practiced ease. “I hear you’re looking for a job, and I just so happen to be looking for a server.”

“You are?” Allison asks, ever the gossip. “Who quit?”

“Fired actually, unfortunately. Ruby. She got into a customer's head and convinced him to tip her a hundred dollar bill on a coffee order. Oh, Ruby is a Neuro,” he explains after glimpsing my raised brow, “but a weak one. She has to touch you to get in your head. Needless to say as soon as the guy stepped outside, her Gift was void and he lost his shit. That was unfortunately the last straw, after many previous broken straws. Anywho, when do you want to start? Pay starts at $7 an hour, and you get to keep all your own tips. Porter and I pay the busboy extra so you don’t lose out on your gratuity.”

“Take it, Neil. You're hot, you’ll be wrapping ones like a stripper with the tips you’ll bring in.”

“Can you not?” I ask Ally dryly while Jean mutters curses in French under his breath. 

 

I wonder if he’s figured out I’m fluent yet. He hasn’t asked if I know what his nickname means, and I haven’t asked because, well, I know what it means. Hmmmm. Does that count as keeping a secret from him? Them? I also know-

 

“She’s not wrong,” Nicky whispers in German. 

“Not you too,” Aaron groans in the same language. 

 

Another language I know. I’ll trade it to Aaron for a truth about his parents. 

 

“Yeah, I’ll take it.”

“Yes! Alright, come with me! I’ll take you to the back and introduce you to Porter, one of my Bonded and our head cook. I’ll give you the lay of the land for today, and you can start whenever you want. Just let me know when you want to start your training.”

“Tomorrow. I’ll start tomorrow.”

 

 

Notes:

So, I understand y’all don’t no shit about me, but I JUST GOT A JOB FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS AND IM FREAKING THE FUCK OUT OVER CHANGE ANS SCHEDULES AND ALL THIS SHIT 😂😂😂

I hope you enjoyed this measly update. I am not abandoning this fic! She’s my baby, I’m just preoccupied with real life at the moment no matter how much I want to spend all my time in this world.

Chapter 24: We’re done here

Summary:

Neil starts work and has a bumpy start to night training

---

 

Apparently Wednesdays in the food industry are busy for reasons unbeknownst to me. I've worked in diners and small town grocery marts before, but I guess I never paid much attention. Let's be real, as long as I worked my full shift or had at least ten good tables worth of tips, I didn’t care enough to keep track of the ebb and flow of customers. I was too worried looking for familiar faces and suspicious behavior.

Yesterday Nicky introduced me to Porter, one of his Bonded and the head cook, and a few other employees. Renee, of course, is a server like I am now, as well as Olive. Sweeties also has two bus boys, Declan and Danny, and Trever, a line cook. I expected there to be more but Nicky claimed the place runs like a well oiled machine and too many bodies isn’t always a good thing. Yes, he winked when he made the claim. Everyone ultimately seemed like good people, so working with them shouldn’t be a problem unless they start talking shit about me and my Bond group. I couldn’t care less about what customers and students have to say about me, but Jean and Aaron will be by plenty, as well as my friends, and if they hear anything unsavory about me I’m sure there will be a scene. 

Morning training went by without a hitch this morning, and classes passed by quickly, anticipation of my first shift making the day's events blur by unnaturally. I did receive an email from the administration office advising me that I should choose my major soon before the semester ends. Ichirou enrolled me under the umbrella ‘undecided’. I know, it’s a shock to me as well. But that means I’m free to declare whatever major I want so next year's courses are congruent with whatever track I decide on. I’m sure part of the reason I can’t remember anything from today’s English Lit 101 lecture is because I’m in my head over what to choose. I never even considered the possibility of getting a college education, and I’ve been fighting tooth and nail to prove Ichirou wrong since I’ve been here and trying to survive his rules that I haven’t given any thought to next semester. 

Truth be told, sometimes I still think about running, the self destructing GPS chip be damned. The Resistance is too close for my liking, and despite the fact that I literally ran into their clutches not two weeks ago, I’d rather not ever see them again. 

They know I’m here now. They’d have to after seeing what I left behind at that transition camp and the evacuation site. Sure, Ichirou and the Council had the evac site cleared of the bodies, but I know for a fact they wouldn’t have risked returning to the camp to scout out what was left. He will have seen my work, and he’ll put it together eventually. 

So much for proving Ichirou wrong. I am, indeed, incredibly stupid. On occasion.

Aaron stayed behind on campus for Exy practice today, so Jean is here with me. He’s decided to hole up in a corner booth with Matt until my night is over. It’s cute, enduring, and a recipe for disaster. I’m halfway through my closing shift and my Bond has already scared off two customers with his scowl alone when I attempted to take their orders. After the second time I whacked him over the head with the menus I had in my hand and told him to fix his face before he costs me this job. He knows how much I want it, and no matter how nice Nicky is, I’m sure he still needs people to come in so he can pay the bills. Matt only snickered and ordered a slice of key lime pie, tipping me a fat twenty dollar bill to make up for my abandoned table. I fully plan on sliding it into his pocket at some point before we all head home.

I don’t get the chance though. Practice must have ended early because Aaron, Allison, Renee, and Ella all stalk in around seven with an array of pinched expressions. 

 

 

“What’s got you all looking like your collective dog died?” I ask as I approach the now fully occupied booth.

“You know how we had to reschedule our last match because of the raid on campus? Well they pushed it back to this weekend, only the team we were supposed to play already had a match lined up and couldn't get out of it just to accommodate us.” Aaron explains. 

“Oh-Kay?”

“We’re scheduled to play against a different university, one we typically don’t. Only so many ungifted universities are willing to play against a Gifted only school, and we stay within that list so shit doesn’t hit the fan.” Allison chimes in.

“I’m still lost,” I say bluntly as I cross my arms.

“We’re scheduled to play against Edgar Allen U this Saturday.”

 

Why does that name sound so familiar?

Jeans choking on his sprite has the pieces clicking together. That’s the University he transferred from in California.

 

“They’re traveling across the country for an Exy match?”

“That’s normal,” Renee says, like it’s common knowledge, and it might be. I might have played a bit when I was younger but I never followed college level games. “We just don’t play against them. Ever. They’re a Gifted only school too, but the majority of them are known to have ties to the Resistance.” 

Ally not so subtly flicks her eyes across the table to Jean and it has my bond sneering and my hackles rising. “Don’t look at him like that. He’s not one of them.”

 

Both her perfectly plucked brows reach her hairline in response to my harsh tone but Renee gently places a hand on hers and squeezes. There’s a tic in her jaw but her face clears soon after.

 

“Sorry. That wasn’t fair, I’m just still pissed about what happened.”

 

Understandable, but Jean had no part of that. I let it go since Jean looks perfectly content, in no mood to start a fight for once. I take their orders and resign myself to asking Jean about his reaction later once we’re back home. I know he transferred here for me, and he was adamant about not wanting me to visit the west coast in case I ran into his family, but I don’t remember him ever saying he hated his old school. It makes sense though, if the majority of the students fell for the propaganda he spent his life ignoring. 

I steal my chance before bed. 

According to Charlene, Ichirou has been in meetings all day, while Andrew and Kevin are apparently out. No explanation given. Aaron and Jean dog my steps up to my room, and even if I told them to go back to their own, I doubt they would. They’ve become attached. Not that I’m complaining. I even contemplated asking them to stay last night after Monday's terrible night of sleep, but ultimately decided against it. They aren’t giving me a choice tonight, Aaron opening my door and waving me in like it’s his own, while Jean takes up the back and closes us in. I waste no time.

 

“What do you have against Edgar Allen?”

“It’s not-“

“Not you, Aaron. I get why you wouldn’t want to play against them. I’m asking why Jean nearly choked to death earlier when you mentioned them.”

“Oh, well,” my frenchman hedges. “For one it isn’t a good place, everyone there is an asshole. Elodie, my sister, still attends, as do two of her Bondeds. Liam is alright, I even kind of like him. Riko, however…”

“Wait, Riko Moriyama?” Aaron asks, almost scandalized. His face is fucking hilarious and I’d be laughing right now if I wasn’t as shocked as he is. 

“There’s got to be more than one Moriyama family… Right?”

“Non,” says Jean.

“No, his last name isn’t Moriyama, or no there isn’t more than one family with that name? Because that’s a fucking reach.” 

“Oui, Riko Moriyama, and I am sure there are other Moriyamas out there, but that does not apply here. Riko and Ichirou are cousins.”

“Cousins,” I uselessly repeat. I turn to look at Aaron who's leaning against my desk now. “Cousins?”

He nods slowly, then scrubs a pale hand over his face, suddenly looking exhausted. “Their fathers are brothers. When Kengo took the family’s seat on the Council here, Tetsuji was said to have thrown a conniption and flew out West to start anew or some shit.”

“Let me guess, Tetsuji found a way onto the West Coast Council?”

“Congratulations, would you prefer a sticker or a cookie?” 

“Ha ha,” I reply dryly, my mind still reeling. “Your family has ties to the Resistance. What about your sister?”

 

Jean offers a half shrug from where he’s plopped down onto my bed. I make my way over and sit cross legged in front of him in the center, allowing enough space for Aaron to join if he wants. He does so a second later.

 

“She’s always toed the line along with me. Not blinding following our fathers beliefs but not out right fighting him, lest we be taken to the camps ourselves.” The thought alone puts my bond on edge and sends a shiver down my spine. “I’m not so sure since I’ve left. Liam is against the Resistance, but he’s from a lower class Gifted family. Riko was raised on the propaganda as well, and Tetsuji has a lot of pull and a higher tier Gift, making them a top class. He tends to lead their Bonded group with a strict hand.”

“Hold the fuck up,” I snap. “Tetsuji, Ichirou’s uncle, has ties to the Resistance, and this man was questioning you?”

“He does not have ties to it, he is active in it to my knowledge. However, I still do not blame Ichirou for questioning my loyalty.” Jean says gently. 

Aaron then adds, “Ichirou has also long since denounced himself from his uncle and cousin because of their beliefs and has never even been in contact with them as far as I am aware.”

“Alright, enough of this shit. Go get changed, we’re going to bed. My brain is mush after my shift and all this talk.”

“Sleep over?” Aaron asks hopefully and I nod with a small smile. 

I watch as they both speed walk out of my bedroom to change into their sleep clothes. “Emphasis on sleep, Bonds!” 

 

---

 

Thursday repeats much the same, with two major exceptions. One, I slept sooo much better between Jean and Aaron. There was PG level contact, as in none at all, yet I felt as safe as when Kevin held me close. Two;

 

“Where’s Aaron and Jean?” 

 

Andrew is here to pick me up after my closing shift at Sweeties. I know for fact that Aaron doesn’t have Exy practice tonight, and Jean would be here unless he was expressly told not to be. Suspicious if you ask me, but Andrew doesn’t care what I think, therefore he doesn’t ask. He rolls his eyes instead and turns towards the only car left in the lot. A blacked out sports car with…Andrew’s doppelgänger hanging out of the passenger side window.

 

“Bond training starts tonight,” Andrew says as he walks, not waiting to see if I follow. I do. “The Frenchie is back at the house with Kevin and Ichirou, comparing notes on what we know about the West Coast's ties to the Resistance since we’re expecting visitors soon.”

 

I slide into the back as Andrew drops into the driver's seat, not bothering to buckle in. Aaron turns to look over the console between the front seats and offers me a wink.

 

“Tonight we’re on even footing, Bond.”

“Oh yes, couples goals. Even footing on crippled feet,” Andrew sneers and turns the key over in the ignition. The car engine rumbles to life and the whole car vibrates under me. I make a face in the rearview mirror in reply to his attitude.

“I can control my Gift, it’s my…”

“-bond that’s the problem,” Andrew finishes for me with a raised brow. 

 

I shrug in response since we’re already looking at each other. There’s that all knowing glint in his hazel eyes, more green than gold versus Aaron’s gold with green. Normally it would make me squirm, feeling so seen, but if anyone understands what I’m going through, it’s the two men ahead of me. They’re the only other people I know to have void eyes, which means maybe they’re like me. 

 

 

“How was your shift?” Aaron asks as his brother pulls out into the highway heading towards home. 

“Fine,” I answer, only to be looked at expectantly. I roll my eyes. “It was fine. Got good tables, got good tips, almost got to punch Roland in the face.”

 

A laugh escapes Aaron before he slaps a hand over his mouth and looks over at Andrew beside him. Andrew, on the other hand, looks ready to throw hands himself.

 

“Why?” His voice is deep and rough and raw in a way that makes me question myself on how I should answer. I don’t get a chance to think it through before he cuts me off with a growled, “The truth, Neil.” 

Neil. 

“He said a few choice words when he came in towards the end of the night.” The truth, if not watered down. Andrew knows this and waits, impatiently, with his head cocked. I sigh low and long as I pull my phone, shooting a text to Jean to let him know the twins have me and I’m good. It’s only when it sends do I continue. “He said how it figures I’d be matched to the Monster group now that everyone's heard the rumors about my Gift. That, in fact, I’m not a useless ungifted, I’m your perfectly matched unhinged partner.” 

 

I try my best to ignore the hatred rolling out of Andrew and check my phone. Confusion masks Aaron's face from what I can at this angle, and I’m right there with him. Andrew has many guys cycling through his bedroom, even though I haven’t seen any in a while come to think of it, but I can understand him being angry at Roland for viewing him that way. That’s the only reason I balled my fist at his venomous words. Andrew deserves better than me, because I am a monster, even if the others say otherwise. Andrew isn’t unhinged, he’s powerful and protective, and that combination scares the hell out of people. Plus I doubt he enjoyed hearing how anyone thinks we could possibly be a perfect pair when he’s only now able to bear being in a closed space together.

 

 

French Fry:

Good. Focus now and I will see you soon.

 

 

Huffing quietly at Jean's useless worry, I am always focused, I shove my cell back in my pocket. The burner is gone, disposed of during my time unconscious, but I can’t find it in me to care. If Ichirou insists on reading the insults we trade about him, so be it. Gravel crunches under tires and my eyes are tugged to look out the window to check our surroundings. We’re at the same gym Kevin and I train at in the mornings. 

 

“Why do you all insist on training here or the TT room when you have a gym back home?”

 

Andrew's eyes are assessing when he glances back in the rear view mirror again. Aaron, however, turns completely around again and smiles for some reason. 

 

“Rou bought the place when Kevin confessed to not being able to use it fully. To work out, yes, not to train his Gift. He’s a strong Neuro, and even when it wasn’t active he could feel anyone within a 20 foot radius when he came here. Their Gifts, their emotions. It was taxing on him.”

“He didn't have control over it before he came here?”

Aaron shrugs uncomfortably while Andrew’s eyes narrow, like how I react to what his brother says next decides my fate tonight. “He knew some. His adopted dad is a dick. Didn’t want him learning how to put up a shield, or how to get through one.” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” 

 

Shielding my mind was one of the first things I was taught growing up, and as a Neuro, it’s imperative to learn. Their literal neuro pathways are open constantly to incoming and outgoing stimuli, their own and those around them. It’s one of the harder Gifts to master control of, and Kevin had been cut off from key training when he has such a strong affinity for it. Calling his stepdad a dick is putting it lightly.

I pass, apparently. Andrew nods once to himself before throwing his door open and stepping out before immediately slamming it shut. Aaron winces at the jarring sound but follows his brother out without a word, so I do the same. They’re just as familiar with the place as Kevin is, Andrew unlocked the building and walks further into the darkness while Aaron finds the light switches and flips them on. I find a spot against the mirrored wall to lean against and watch them circle the room, twin looks of consideration on their similar faces. They may be identical by definition, but I can tell the difference between them as easily as it is breathing. 

Obviously, Andrew always has his shadow bands encasing his forearms, but he’s wearing a black  long sleeve tonight as usual. It wouldn’t make a difference to me, I can tell them apart by their faces alone, their posture, their stances. Andrew’s eyes are dark green flecked trees in an oak forest, while Aaron’s are a golden sunset setting over a mossy creek. Aaron has more freckles over the bridge of his nose and is more tanned from his time in the sun. Andrew stands spine straight and on the offensive at all times, imposing, while Aaron is relaxed yet defensive in his movements, prepared at any given moment to receive a blow but ready to throw one back all the same. 

I have no idea what’s expected of me tonight, which is probably why I’m casing the place like I’m not here every morning and wearily watching them like they’ll strike if I blink. This is a training I haven’t done in the presence of others, at least not in a very long time. I, like most Gifted, came into my abilities at age 10, and it’s not exactly a coincidence that that's when we ran from my biological father. Alexander, Christopher, and my mom all knew how dangerous my Gift was, and could become, so they started training me immediately. Mind shielding, breathing techniques, counting and languages to distract myself from the urge to unleash it in the heat of the moment. 

Bond training however… None of them knew how to navigate it. My biological father was the only one familiar with my type of Bond, and there was no way in hell my parents were sending me right back into his clutches, so they taught me how to suppress it. I don’t blame them, not really. They had good intentions, and when the migraines started, they were always there to help me through them. They didn’t shove drugs on me, not like Aaron’s mother, just talked me through how to tug and yank and bury until he shut up. Until the voice became an echo of a long ago familiar friend.

The instinct to do so as soon again as I escaped came naturally.

 

“So, what’s the plan here?”

“Well,” Andrew starts conversationally, “I can beat the shit out of Aaron and you could fight the urge to heal him.”

I stare at him, blank faced yet incredulous at his words, while Aaron outright balks at his side, mouth agape and eyes betrayed.

“What the fuck?!”

“Kidding, kidding,” Andrew drones dryly. “Today is simply answering questions. No game of truths, this is shit we need to know to move forward.”

“Got it,” I say as I drop down to the ground. I cross my legs out in front on me and lean back against the mirrored wall with my arms crossed. “So, who goes first?”

 

Andrew observes me before sitting down much the same across the room while Aaron drops into a criss cross between us, slightly out of line so he can see us both easily and he isn’t blocking out view of each other. 

 

“Your Bond.”

“What?”

“You heard me,” Andrew states. “Your Bond goes first, so let it out.”

 

My eyes bounce between the twins as my heart picks up its pace in my chest. ‘So let it out’ he says, like it’s that fucking easy. It might have been, at one point, but that time has long since passed. 

 

“Not going to happen.”

“Why not?” asks Andrew.

“He’s not at your beck and call for your entertainment, asshole. He’s where he needs to be.”

 

A growl, if you could call it that, escapes Andrew before his eyes flicker and he scowls. He’s not looking at me, but at himself through the reflective wall behind me. Huh. Aaron’s eyes are firmly tipped down to his lap and he shows no signs of participating. Rude, he volunteered to come here.

 

“If you won’t let it out this is a waste of time and energy that I quite frankly don’t have.”

“You’re the one who told everyone you’d train me. You did not mention how, and that’s not on me.”

“No, but being a chicken shit one hundred percent is. It’s the only one who can answer the questions.”

“Bullshit, I know everything he does,” I snarl, but at the look on their faces… “Wait, do you not?” 

 

Andrew and Aaron glare at each other before scanning my face like they’re the lie detectors in our group and my face holds the answers. It doesn’t, I promise you that.

 

“Only when it wants to share with the class,” Andrew says reluctantly.

Aaron’s pick up after him. “Ours are separated from us in a way I guess yours isn’t? We don’t share consciousness when it comes out.”

“Hang on, you want to teach me control when you don't even trust your Bond enough to share your thoughts with them?” I may not talk to him anymore but he’s still always there. 

“Why do you call it he?” asks Andrew. 

“Because he’s a he? Is yours not?”

“It’s an it.”

“Wow, this is rich” I huff, slightly amused and wholly out of my depth. At least I can say I’m the resident expert in something. “All of this… just… huh.”

“Spit it out, Bond,” Aaron whines while twisting his fingers and I take pity on him. He’s genuinely afraid of his, and it makes all the more sense now. 

 

I know from personal experience that having void eyes means a sentient voice in your head accompanies it. The Bond. Everyone has their own bond in their chest, but growing up I learned early on not everyone’s talks to them. In fact, no one’s did. No one but me. The best way I can describe it is like a fractured part of me: Still me, in a way, but separate and themselves. I don’t have to imagine what it’s like to hear a voice in your head and think your insane, but my parents were very understanding of my differences and never made me feel any more of an outsider than I already did. The twins though…

 

“Your bond is not an it. They’re a part of you, whether you always like them or not. You have a difference of opinions and thoughts but you’re wholly the same, sharing a mind and body and memories. Me and mine, we’re connected. I know him and he knows me, all the way down to our baser instincts which are different in certain situations. But you two.” I take a deep breath and consider how to say this nicely when being nice has never been my strong suit. “I can only guess you two had shit support systems if Ichirou took you both in, while I had my parents help me with accepting it.”

A silence so tense you can cut it with a knife ensues until Andrew scoffs. “We’re done here.”

“You don’t have to like it for it to be the truth. I can help you both, if you want.” 

“I want nothing,” spits Andrew before he stands and storms out of the building. He doesn’t look back. Andrew may have absolute control over his Gift, but I bet it pisses him off beyond measure to have no control over his bond. 

“I, uhm-“ Aaron stutters, pointing a thumb over his shoulder with a grimace. “We should probably go before he leaves us.”

“Go ahead,” I dismiss him.

“Bond…”

 

I stand and walk over to him, offering him a hand up and pull gently when he takes it. We’re close, chest to chest now and staring so intently that I almost miss the sound of an engine starting. It’s so easy now to get lost in him, them.

 

“I’ll see you back at the house,” I say quietly, then confess,“I need to run some of this off.” 

 

Aaron nods slowly before leaning forward, quick and sure and determined, and kisses on the cheek. He smirks at whatever he sees on my face before taking a step back. 

 

“Be careful, and don’t take too long. I’m sleeping in yours again.”

 

He’s gone before I reply, because I never find the words. Jean’s kiss on the forehead, Aaron’s kiss to the cheek. I’m a fucking imbecile because I find myself melting into the affection every time along with my bond, who’s constantly willing me to give in all while I fight to hold back, even if I hold it together until they’re out of sight. Aaron would just die if he saw me right now, pressing my fingers to my cheek and feeling how heated the skin is there. 

Notes:

😬😬😬

Was that too much or not enough? I honestly can’t decide but it’s going up anyway sooo 🫠

Chapter 25: King

Summary:

Neil comes back from his run to face the music and a new system is put into place to settle his bond.

Notes:

Shorter than most, but it’s something!

Anywho, is anyone interested in some Pinterest mood boards for this fic!? One is by yours truly and one is by Maximussy!!

https://au.pinterest.com/yournewproblem/get-off-my-property-dying-star/

https://pin.it/2jYHklk2v

---

A scene of dramatic proportions greets me when I finally return home. No, I also don’t know when the fuck Ichirous place became home but I suspect that’s what had Aaron grinning like a fool earlier. I have no time to reflect on it either because there’s a sea of tension to wade through once I reach the open garage. Andrew’s car is here, as well as the man himself standing next to his twin. Jean is looming over them both with his arms crossed, looking far too intimidating for a man I know wouldn’t hurt a butterfly unless it attacked me with a deadly weapon. Kevin and Ichirou stand off to the side, watching the spectacle with matching tension in their shoulders but I can’t quite read their expressions from where I am. 

As if hearing my arrival, which he most definitely did and that makes a hell of a lot more sense now that I know he’s a shifter, Ichirou’s dark eyes flick to mine and stick. There’s relief there, that is before it's swallowed up by resentment. 

 

“Where the hell have you been?” he barks.

And just like that, all eyes are on me. 

“What are you on about now?” I ask, but Jean's silver eyes glint before they swing back to pin the twins.

“You made him walk home in his godsdamned work uniform?” Jean snarls down at Andrew, who’s casually leaning against the hood of his car looking as bored as ever except for the tic in his sharp jaw.

 

I glance down at myself to see what all the hubbub is about. My work uniform consists of a light blue button down and whatever black bottoms I care to wear, and today I chose cargo shorts. We’re also supposed to wear black nonslip sneakers, but I listened when Nicky said he didn’t give a shit what I wore so long as I don’t sue him if I slip and fall. I also listened to a voice that sounded suspiciously like Aaron’s when I slipped on my new white sneakers over my beloved red converse. Progress, some would say.

It still doesn’t explain what the hell is happening right now.

 

“He didn’t make me do shit,” I defend because…because he didn’t. They didn’t. My bond is with me, on the edge of my subconscious, watching along for any danger that may come to any of my Bonds, even at the hands of another.

“See, I fucking told you,” Aaron says, his voice cutting but there’s hurt underneath. He and Jean haven’t fought since the first few days after he arrived.

“Then why are you-“

“I needed to run off some shit so I did. Aaron gave me the safety talk before I left so drop it already.”

 

Jean all but deflates on the spot but the others are watching me intently. My eyes are black pits of voided space, I just know it. Every time it happens Andrew looks a bit more intrigued than the last, even more so tonight after learning I’m closer to mine than he and Aaron are. Ichirou must see something else though because approaches me like I’m some wild animal, arms held loose at his sides and his face too soft after his cutting words minutes ago. 

The bond in my chest purrs silently at his proximity and I’m too distracted by his warm whiskey and leather scent to smother it down. Instead it pushes forward until my arms are moving without my say, reaching and gripping and pulling his solid body into mine until my face is pressed into his chest. Arms wrap around my shoulders slowly with pressure light enough to shrug off if I had any control to do so. 

 

What the fuck? We don’t like him, remember?

“Mine.”

Possessive asshole, that’s what you are.

 

It’s not until the chest beneath my face rumbles something similar to a laugh do I realize I spoke out loud. Oh this is great.

 

“What the hell is happening right now,” Jean mock whispers somewhere to my left but my head won’t move to see.

“His Bond is out to play,” Andrew answers.

“Seriously?” Kevin’s voice says from somewhere.

“Let’s get you inside, Nathaniel,” Ichirou says into my hair and I shiver. 

 

I let him clasp my hand and pull me towards the garage door. He doesn’t say a word to any of the others as we pass, and I don’t either, but my eyes do stray to Andrew as he straightens off his car. Smoke and shadows twist around his ankles until a small black fox is sitting prettily between his booted feet. Its fur is charcoal black and flickering listlessly at the ends, like it’s losing its solidity, and its eyes are a glowing red. 

Cute.

As Ichirou guides me through the foyer and up the stairs, I can hear the others bickering behind us as they follow. Jean explains to the others how sensitive I’ve been about smells lately like I’m not here and I may as well not be. Kevin’s huffs in amusement, muttering about missing hoodies and I can’t even duck my head in embarrassment. 

I do, however, follow that fox with my eyes as it trots along beside me now. I wonder what its name is, whether it’s Aries or Orion. Orion looked like a wolf-dog-thing back when he was eating the head off of a resistance member, but maybe he was just oversized then. The other creatures in the fog changed forms a few times, so maybe-

At my door everyone stops. Ichirou opens it wide but stays planted on this side of the threshold, never breaching the minuscule amount of sanctuary he’s afforded me. In this trance-like state, where I don’t have to worry about how to react or reading others body language or holding my tongue, I let myself finally consider him despite the audience.

Since I’ve known Ichirou he always has a reason for doing the things he does. How he runs the Council, the way he took all of my guys in, the way he’s been teasing and gentle and kind since his shit show of an interrogation. He even had a reason to question Jean, because in his mind it was necessary to protect me. But he was such an asshole when I got here and I can’t look past that. Can I? 

 

“Rest, Nathaniel,” Ichirou says as he releases my hand. I forgot he was still holding it.

 

My bond releases me in a rush and exhaustion bulls me over quickly. I turn without meeting any of their eyes, instead continuing to watch the fox. It prances into my room before me, leaping up onto my bed and spinning in a circle before jumping high and face planting into my comforter. It’s trying to burrow. I glance back at Andrew in question but he salutes me before turning away, leaving me without answers and with his nightmare creature to…cuddle? 

Aaron and Jean both step forward as if to follow with alarmed faces but Kevin raises his arm to block their path. They glance between the two of us but I’m just as confused by his actions so I shrug and wait.

 

“If your Bond is getting more sensitive to smells, maybe we should start considering what exactly that means.”

“Which is?”

“It’s trying to settle,” Kevin says resolutely. “We’re all here, but unbonded. It’s trying to keep us close since we don’t have that tether in place.” 

“Okay… I mean it makes sense but what can we do about it?”

“Bond-“

“No.”

“Or, help it settle as best we can. Let it have its fill of our scents.”

“Done. Give me more hoodies,” I say, and Jean and Aaron both chuckle beside me. Kevin and Ichirou do not.

“It will not be enough,” Ichirou replies. “The urges will get stronger to claim us, so we need to be proactive. I’m with Kevin, and I understand what he means.”

“Care to share?” Jean asks impatiently.

“Sharing a bed,” Kevin starts, “will help. You’ll be fully enveloped in us, and I know for a fact you sleep better with us present.”

“You're not wrong,” I pout. I hate being so seen.

“Well,” Kevin continues, “Jean and Aaron have been sleeping with you routinely, meaning you’ll need more of mine, Rou, and Andrew’s scents soon. What if we rotate, take turns?”

Oh. He’s asking me. “Uhm..”

“Nothing more, Bond, I swear to it. Just like when you had your migraine, we’ll only sleep.”

“I promise the same,” Ichirou adds. “Although, I’ll need to discuss this with Andrew first before this becomes an actual agreement.”

 

Jean and Aaron are quiet but nodding along with their words. I’m torn and angry because this is a weakness I did not see coming and it’s fucking stupid on top of that. We’re planning sleepovers because my bond is a scent snob? What the fuck?! I mean yeah, it makes sense, but it’s still outrageous. And what does Ichirou mean he has to talk to Andrew about this? Who am I kidding, of course Andrew doesn’t want to share a bed with me. I don’t want Ichirou convincing him to do it for my sake though, that’s just wrong. Maybe he can just give me clothes? I haven’t spent enough time with him alone yet for my bond to get attached to his smell yet so maybe that’ll work.

 

“Fuck it, fine. Kevin, keep it in your boxers, it’s your turn tonight.”

 

I turn without much thought or hesitation and kiss Aaron on the cheek. He goes still under my touch but his face turns pink before he leaves without another word down the hall. Jean is next, of course, and he’s polite enough to lean down when I tug at his shirt. He doesn’t blush but he does smirk before kissing me on the forehead, then turning to leave as well. Ichirou stands before me, looking entirely unsure of himself, and Kevin dismisses himself into my room and gently closes the door behind him to give us a hint of privacy in an open but empty hall. 

 

“Good night,” I whisper. I can no longer blame it on the bond in my chest when I lean forward. My arms circle his waist, his arms fall to my shoulders again, and then he’s kissing me atop my head. We stand there for an eternity, or maybe it’s just under a minute, before he squeezes me close then steps back. 

“Good night,” he returns, leaving me behind in the hall for his own room.

 

Kevin is sprawled out in my bed under the covers when I enter, with the still nameless fox at the foot of the bed. I relieve myself and change in the bathroom before climbing into my side of the bed. It’s odd at first since I’ve been squished into the middle recently, but the extra room is nice. It doesn't last, of course. I flip over twice before Kevin turns to his side and pulls my back to his chest suddenly, his large hand coming to rest on my side just like back in my dorm room. I settle instantly, burrowing my face into his inner arm with a hum like the fox at my feet. 

 

“Sorry to drop this on you out of nowhere. When Jean mentioned it, I remembered how Nicky was before Erik came to the states. He would have to ship bedding and clothing every other week to Nicky. He came here to visit once when they matched, and after his bond smelled him, it became needy for more until they bonded when he moved here.”

“You were here then?”

“Yeah, Nicky graduated a year ahead of me, and I had only just moved in here. Erik didn’t move to the states until a year later.”

“Hmm.. Here’s to hoping you're right about my bond settling, but I already know you were right about me sleeping better with you all with me while I sleep.” Between yawns and heavy eyelids, I keep talking. “No nightmares when you’re here.”

“Good,” he says softly in my ear and I shift back into his warmth without thinking.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I grumble before falling to sleep.

 

Kevin is, surprisingly, gone when I wake up. Only minutes ago by the way the sheets are still warm where he slept, and the pillow he used smells of him. The natural musk from his hair, what’s got to be his cedar and rain body wash and shampoo. I don’t think Kevin wears cologne, or if he does it blends smoothly into his already heady scent because it’s not overwhelming at all. It is for this reason and this reason alone I roll over and bury my head in the pillow, breathing it in like a lifeline.

Pathetic.

Sure enough I hear the snick of my bathroom door opening and I groan in embarrassment, no time to roll over and pretend I wasn’t just huffing his pillow. A smooth, deep chuckle is the only reply, until fingertips graze my exposed calf and I almost flinch. I lock it down, but Kevin must still feel the muscles there tense because lifts his hand away from my legs, only to settle it on the small of my back. That’s not so bad. 

 

“Enjoying yourself, Bond?” he whispers by my ear and I shiver in response. Damn him.

“No. I’m pathetic,” I reply, but it’s a mumbled mess from the fabric I’m now trying to suffocate myself with. Running out of oxygen so soon is also pathetic but I sit up with a gasp anyway. “I slept with you all night, he should be sated!”

Kevin blinks, smirks, winks, then turns towards the door without looking back. He does, however, say, “Wipe the drool off your face and meet me downstairs for training!”

 

-and just like that I’m smothering myself again.

Andrew’s Nightmare Fox, which is really no such thing because it’s fucking adorable, is sitting regally again when I finally lift my head to face the world. Front paws placed elegantly between its hind legs as it sits straight up. It tilts its head ever so slightly and looks me over like it’s trying to figure out why it stayed overnight in my room and not with its master. Same, Fox, same. I raise my hand to boop its nose with a finger, but it goes straight through its snout. 

Shadows. Figures. 

There’s still a weight to the bed though, warmth at my feet where it had slept. Curious, but not pressing right now. Kevin will come marching back up here and drag me down in my pajamas if I’m not ready in the next five minutes. I leave the Fox on its throne, aka my pillow, and drag my feet to my closet to change. I emerge from the bathroom a minute later and find the creature burrowing into my bed again. Shimmying and twirling this way and that, but only where I laid last night, staying away from Kevin’s side. As if sensing my arrival it freezes before scurrying under the covers. I follow the mound under the comforter until its face pops out at the end. 

Fucking. Adorable.

 

“C’mon, King,” I call, tapping the side of my thigh. 

 

A fitting name if I do say so myself. It seems to agree well enough because it all but falls from the foot of the bed and prances over to me. King follows me just like the night before, heaving in between my feet but never tripping me. Is that because it’s diligent, or because it’s made of shadows and my feet are just going through it? Never mind, it’s too early for this shit. 

Kevin is waiting on the front lawn like he always is when we emerge from the front door. He glances down at my ankles, and I can only explain the face he makes as shock. He shouldn’t be, King slept in bed with us all night, and I wasn’t going to leave it in my room all alone. I may be crude but I’m not evil. After dropping to the ground for stretches, King seizes an opportunity and jumps into my lap. Within a blink it’s shrunk in size, no bigger than my palm when it paws its way into my (Aaron’s)  large hoodie pocket. I say absolutely nothing, speechless at what I just saw, and continue my stretches while Kevin rubs the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable.

 

“What? Kings not bothering anything,” I argue on its behalf. 

 

“King? Are you fucking delusional?! No matter how well trained Andrew’s creatures are, they’re still nightmare creatures. They eat people Neil, for fun if he lets them!”

I sit with that for a minute, then shrug. “It’s not eating anyone right now, so what does it matter? It also slept with us last night, so weird timing for you to slip shit.  And yes, King. I got tired of calling it Fox in my head.”

“You got tired- Neil, you don’t have to call it anything. I let it stay in the room because it afforded piece of mind. It’s nothing more than Andrew’s little-“

“Stop it, you’ll hurt its feelings!” I hiss as I cover the pocket with my hands like it’ll smother the sound of Kevin’s voice. 

“Oh my gods. Come on, let’s go, I can’t deal with this.”

 

I shrug again and push myself up only to start running as soon as I’m on my feet. I can’t help but smile when I hear Kevin let out a curse from behind me.

 

---

 

Kevin and I may or may not have lost track of time this morning training, so Aaron and Jean may or may not have been told to leave without me, leaving Kevin to drive me to campus. His older model Camero is in pristine condition, but I doubt that’s why people look our way when we pass. They recognize the car as his, and I have to shove down my jealousy at the knowledge that he’s probably slept with a few of my classmates at some point. Kevin drops me off by the English department building and I run to class before I’m marked late and Ichirou has a new reason to rip into me.

I find Aaron and Jean at the back of the class with an empty seat between them, and the rest of the day passes by like that. Me walking and sitting between them until TT at the end of the day. Matt is waiting by the doors for us looking nervous, so I bump my shoulder into his side and all but push him into the room. King has yet to make an appearance but that’s fine, they’re probably snoozing. 

I almost forgot that Jean hasn’t been to Tactical Training either, at least not at MU. He claims he attended back at Edgar Allen, but also explained it was different and more extreme in its practices. Hard to believe until it’s not. I silently speculate that while MU is training their students to protect themselves and potentially join a Tac Team, Edgar Allen is training the next generation of Resistance members.

Changing out in the locker rooms is nothing new, but while Matt gives me a curious look when I take my clothes to a stall, Jean doesn’t even blink. Aaron’s used to it but doesn’t know what Jean does and that… Why does that make me uncomfortable? Aaron and Ichirou are the only ones left that don’t know about my scars, but maybe it’s time to change that. 

 

“Alright,” Wymack barks when we all congregate back in the main gym. “We’ve got a couple new faces, so we’re running through the course again today. Everyone warm up! Hatford, you’re on your usual circuit. Moreau and Boyd, get your asses over here.”

 

I don’t wait around to see what the old man has to say to them, knowing damn well he’s a big softy somewhere under all the gruffness. After a mile on the treadmill I move over to the weights where Matt is spotting Aaron. Matt has enough muscle on him that I’m not worried about how he’ll do in class, and Jean is literally indestructible. It’s actually pretty entertaining watching Wymack throw different drills at Jean only for him to match and then exceed the expectation. 

 

“Fine, we’re done here. Everyone to the obstacle course! You know drill, two teams. The first group to finish together doesn’t have to run a marathon this weekend!”

 

The entire class groans but we all move into the holding room regardless. Matt, Jean, and Aaron all stay by me, like that’ll persuade Wymack to assign us to the same team. Fat chance. A few TacTeam operatives are hanging out here, but I know Kevin isn’t instinctively. Dan is though, and she sneers at me before nodding her head in semblance of respect. I ignore her. 

 

Wymack is frowning at the class list when I near him towards the front. “Hatford, good see you still breathing.”

“Likewise, old man,” I say jovially. “I have a favor to ask.”

“Right,” he drawls, “and I seem like a man willing to do you one. Get lost kid.”

“Fine then, more paperwork for you.”

“What,” he asks haltingly.

I tsk myself for offering this information freely but it needs to happen. “My control has been slipping lately. Probably in everyone’s best interest that my Bonds are with me or Boyd is nearby. They’re annoyingly familiar and it settles my bond.”

Wymack stares me down for a beat before pinching the bridge of his nose. “I sure hope you’re working on that, in your personal time that is. You can all be on the same team, now off with you.”

 

I offer him a salute and turn on my heel to wink at the guys. King finally decides that now is a wonderful time to stretch its legs. It had materialized from my hoodie into my shorts pocket when I changed earlier, but now it sifts down in smoke form until it’s sitting at my feet. Wymacks eyes widen, but they don’t bulge out of his head like nearly everyone else in the room. Dan curses, Jean drops his head back to spew French at the ceiling and a student faints a few feet away. Dramatic. Aaron grips my hand tight and looks between me and the creature, a look of awe on his face.

It hits me then. He’s terrified of his own Gift, and here I am comfortable with a mirror image of something he could create as well. Aaron doesn’t interact with King at all, but he does nod, and the fox returns the gesture in an all too human way a minute later. 

 

Wymack finds his voice first after clearing his throat. “I don’t want to know, but Andrew’s little shit there better not interfere with my course. Get a move on punks, line up and let’s go!” 

 

Notes:

So I’ve been rereading through this 🫥 That no beta tag making good on its word because I am SORRY for all the vocab errors

Chapter 26: …he speaks French?

Summary:

Drama Lama? Exy game gone to shit? Crazed Bond?

---

The obstacle course is a shit show like it always is. 

While smaller, Aaron and I still walk ahead of Jean and Matt because they have no idea what's in store for them. At the beginning, Matt had asked why we weren’t running if it’s a race, and I had to explain that there’s no point in being fast if we’re knocked unconscious before we cross the finish line. He seemed skeptical on how bad it could possibly be since TT is counted as a gym credit, but he changed his tune when we found Keith knocked out with a leg facing the wrong way. A swinging log got him, and I can’t find an ounce of pity for the guy. Serves him right, honestly.

Unfortunately for us, Keith is wearing a blue flag tied to his arm, signaling he’s on our team. Jean takes the initiative by throwing the guy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and I grimace at their proximity. Keith is out cold, but I don’t like him so close to what’s mi-  Chill the fuck out! What is wrong with me? 

A mile past the swinging logs we find Aubrey lying prone on the path with a bleeding Knox bent over her. Light pulses from his chest and she starts to stir as we near.

 

 

“Healer?” I ask Aaron, but she shakes his head.

“He’s her Central. He can’t bring her to full strength, but he can at least get her back on her feet.”

 

Huh. It’s weird seeing what I did to Kevin from an outside perspective. Knox’s energy pulses in waves towards Aubrey and I watch as a gash above her left brow slowly closes. When I did it, it was over and done with in a snap. Maybe because I’m a higher tier? I shake off my intrigue and tell myself I’ll look more into it later. I also didn’t know they were together.

 

“Are you all okay?” Matt asks, worry evident in his voice. He kneels next to Aubrey but doesn’t dare reach out, knowing protecting his injured Bond is Knox’s priority, and Matt can be seen as a threat in the heat of the moment.

“She got knocked out, but we should be fine. Just a scratch for me,” Knox tries to joke, but winces when he prods at the top of his head. With the amount of blood gushing down the side of his face, I’d say it’s more than a scratch, but head wounds bleed like a bitch so I keep my mouth shut.

“Want some help?” Matt offers, still not touching until Knox nods, accepting the hand up. They work together to get Aubrey on her feet, then carry her between them. 

 

I would offer, and I know Aaron would too, but Aubrey stands a good 5 inches taller than me, 7 for Aaron, so we’d be no good. King trots closer, sniffing at their feet, and Knox about falls on his ass when he realizes what it is. Following directions like the good little Fox it is, King does not interfere with Wymacks course, nor does it help us out at all. By the time we reach the finish line, Jean has a girl I don’t know the name of thrown over one shoulder while Keith still hangs limp over the other. Aubrey is still leaning on Matt and Knox for support, but at least she’s trying to walk. Aaron and I walk along empty handed. Instead of lugging dead weight, we kept an eye out and warned the others of the booby traps we were wandering into. 

 

---

 

I’m lucky I didn’t get hurt in class because after a short, cold shower, Jean is rushing after me toward his bike. King had sat inside the shower stall while I washed, but kept its gaze facing the door like some kind of guard dog. I’ll have to ask Andrew what the purpose of having the nightmare creature follow me around is, but I’m busy at the moment. I’m covering a shift for Renee at Sweeties tonight, and I’m running late. We still don’t talk much other than pleasantries, but Nicky has a bulletin board hung up in the back that employees use to post their schedules if they need to switch or find coverage. There wasn’t a note on Renee’s schedule as to why, but her entire week was up for grabs. 

There’s Exy practice tonight, but Aaron, Aly, and Ella still stroll in ten minutes before close. Matt follows along behind them, and they all join Jean at the corner booth. Aly seems tense, but I can’t tell if it’s more than usual. Well, I can’t until she opens her mouth after I ask for their orders. 

 

“Renee would know what I want, why don’t you?”  

I blink, caught off guard by the hostility in her tone. Jean's fist clenches on the table but Aaron is the one to snap back.

“Don’t take your shit out on him, it’s not Neil’s fault.”

“He’s right, sis. Cut Neil some slack, he’s just trying to help Nicky and Porter out and get some spending money.”

“What did I miss now?” I ask, forever out of the loop it seems. You’d think I’d hear more gossip while working here, and I probably would if I didn’t ignore half the customers idle chatter. 

“Renee’s mom pulled her out of MU and is keeping her home. No more Exy or Sweeties either,” Aly supplies while ripping a paper straw cover into tiny shreds.

“Is it really that bad?” I ask the table. “I thought things had died down since the… Well, since the last time.”

Aly pins me with a hard stare. “Oh, you mean the time when I was kidnapped and you both ran after me, putting yourselves in danger for my sake? That time, Neil? Renee was adopted after her family was killed in a raid and her adoptive parents' children were taken. They’re not going to risk her.”

I shuffle on my feet, not able to meet her eyes. “My bad,” I offer softly. 

“No, it's not your bad,” Jean says in that deep, rumbling voice of his when he’s angry. “None of this is your fault, and she knows it too. You were just her scape goat but that stops now. Right, Reynolds?”

 

Allison doesn’t say anything, but does nod before hiding her face behind a menu that was sitting on the table. I leave them to it and bring out their usual drinks. I had asked for their orders, but I know them already by heart. Allison frowns at her iced lemon water before standing and pulling me into an awkward hug. I don’t do well with my own emotions, let alone other people’s. Happy hugs, sure. A pat on the back and they’re on their merry way. Sad, guilt ridden hugs? Matt stands and grabs his sister by the shoulders, pulling her gently back into the booth while I make my escape back to the kitchen.

I ended Friday night stuffing my face with cheese fries after my shift. Nicky locked up the diner while Ported closed down the kitchen, but they let Aaron, Jean, and I stay behind to eat after a long TT class and an even longer night on my feet. Erik came to pick the couple up after Aaron promised to lock up the employee entrance after we were done eating. Xander stayed home, soaking up lost time with their daughter, Celeste. Nicky introduced Jean and I to Erik, his tall, blond, and German Bonded. He’s nice but reserved, only speaking to rein Nicky in when he started rambling from exhaustion. 

I spot Andrew sitting on the front porch when we arrive back home. It’s nearly eleven, but I still waive the guys off to go see my own brooding, blond Bond. Jean doesn’t like the idea, but Aaron tells him point blank he needs to shove the possessiveness up his ass when it comes to my other Bonds. I can’t help but agree, and he must see it on my face because, after kissing my forehead, he follows Aaron inside through the garage door. 

Following the long sidewalk path to the front door from the drive, I take in Andrew’s disheveled appearance while he’s busy taking a drag of his cigarette. His eyes are focused somewhere off in the distance, but there’s dark rings under them. In grey sweatpants and a black pullover, he looks like any other college student rather than an interim history professor who’s held in such high regard around here. I take a seat on the step below him, off to the right side so I’m not directly between his spread knees. Andrew says nothing, doesn’t even glance my way, but a cigarette is lit and in my line of sight after a few silent minutes. It’s new, barely any ash at the end. I didn’t even hear his zippo.

 

 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Andrew says, his voice raw in a way I haven’t heard. Like his throat is sore.

“I don’t need your pennies. I’ve got a job now,” I tease, trying to keep the mood light.

A beat, then, “thought for thought, then.”

“Another game?” Silence. “We don’t have to attempt bond training again.”

“That is not your decision to make.”

“You’re not comfortable with it.”

“A lot of things that are necessary are uncomfortable. Now instead of me training you and my brother, you’ll be training us.”

“I don’t know how to do that,” I argue. “For me it just… My Bond and I have always been one. I can’t train that.”

“Maybe not, but we won’t know until we try.”

“Fine,” I relent. I flick the ash off my cigarette, then take a drag to settle my nerves. “Sunday then. Jean and I are going to Aaron’s Exy game tomorrow night.”

“Fair enough.” Andrew decides now to share his thoughts then, a fair trade. “You’re not afraid of her.” 

“Her?”

“Aries.”

“I don’t know who- Oh!” I reach into my hoodie pocket where the Fox is sleeping and gently pull it out. It stays in miniature form, but I set it on my chest and lean back against the concrete steps to offer a more secure position. “I’ve been calling it, her, King.”

 

Andrew’s hazel eyes scan his creature like it’s looking for injuries, but I have no doubt he would know, feel, if anything ever happened to it. Those eyes move to my face next, searing into me like he’s trying to see through to my soul. It’s not a place he’d enjoy, so I look down and run my hand over the fox warming my chest. She’s corporeal now, letting me pet her as opposed to my hand going straight through her.

 

 

“No, I am not afraid of her. She’s done nothing to warrant such feelings.”

“She’s a nightmare creature,” he admonishes. 

“Oh, gods, you sound like Kevin. She’s adorable and would never hurt me.”

“You sound awfully sure of yourself.”

“What can I say, I’m an animal person.”

 

Andrew lets out a breath that sounds suspiciously like an aborted laugh and I peek over under my lashes to catch a smirk on his red lips before they flatten back to their usual straight line of apathy. I flick my cigarette when he says nothing more and stand fluidly to step it out, making sure to keep King in my grasp. 

 

“Do you want her back?” I ask, albeit reluctantly. 

I can see consideration roving behind Andrew’s eyes, but he ultimately shakes his head. “She likes you.”

“Can I keep calling her King?”

 

Andrew blinks slowly as his brows furrow. His face is back to blank when he nods once. The confirmation is all I need, so I turn and ascend the steps. 

 

---

 

Aaron is nervous, Jean is anxious, Kevin is on edge, and Ichirou is stressed. Andrew is the only one other than myself that carries on as usual this fine Saturday morning.

The game against Edgar Allen isn’t until 6 tonight, and the closer it gets the jittery the guys become. I figured it would be like this for Aaron and Jean, seeing as one has a history with EA’s starting striker and one is actually set to play against him, however the others catch me by surprise at first. Thinking about it, it makes sense too. Kevin has every right to be on edge over an influx of fans from such a Resistance supportive community, and Ichirou will potentially have to see his sworn off family members. 

I still don’t have a story there and I desperately want to ask Ichirou for more information. I mentally add it to the list, right there with the twins' separate upraisings and Kevin’s asshole step father situation. Jean's childhood is the only one I know I know the ins and outs of. We still share tidbits of tales before bed every night if one of us can't fall asleep. I know Aaron listens in, but he hasn’t shared with us yet and I can’t say I’m offended. I’ve kept all my secrets too for so long it still feels unnatural to share them.

Anyway, Aaron is leaving soon before the rest of us for pre-game things I don’t know shit about and Kevin’s taking him so he can do another security sweep with his team. I’m going with Jean later, while Ichirou and Andrew are heading over to the stadium last after Rou finishes up a meeting and Andrew finishes grading out last assignment that was due yesterday. 

Maybe that’s why Andrew looked so worn out last night? Come to think of it, he looked tired during class yesterday too, but his voice still projected well in the lecture hall… Whatever. If he wanted to talk about it he would have last night.

 

“What if he’s too good for me to handle?” Aaron asks as he paces the length of the dining room. We’re all gathered here for now since Aaron is having a partial spiral and needs support. 

“He is not,” Jean says confidently. “You are a starter for a reason.”

“So is he,” Aaron all but wines and I drop my forehead to the table with a thud. We all know he’s referring to Riko. I should have more patience with him, I know, but it’s been the same back and forth all week since the team was told of the change.

Andrew, ever the blunt one, adds almost helpfully, “the only advantage he has over you is the ability to get into your head and you’ve already granted him access if you’re this torn up over a stupid stickball game.”

“He’s a Neuro?” I ask, rolling my head against the oak table to peer sideways at Andrew. He nods.

“With an Empath classification. He can only enhance and mute emotions, but he has a good radius with it unfortunately.”

“That doesn’t matter.” 

 

My remark earns a scoff from Kevin, the one who offered the information, but I ignore him. Scooting my chair back, I stand and approach Aaron. He keeps pacing until I step directly into his path and grip his shoulders. Now, instead of pacing he rocks side to side, twisting his fingers between us. 

That's enough of that.

 

“Look at me,” I tell him, grabbing his jaw and manhandling his face until he’s meeting my eye a few inches away. His hazel eyes blow wide before narrowing but I don’t give him a chance to snap at me. “I want your Bond. Now.”

 

“Neil, that’s not how-“

I interrupt Kevin. “Now.”

 

Aaron’s entire being changes before me, before us. His posture goes rigid before relaxing into my hold, tilting his face into my hand while his find my waist to cling too. The hazel eyes are gone, replaced by pits of black that swirl with silver specks, so pretty they resemble stars. I hear Andrew stand, but I don’t look away from the Bond in my clutches. Aaron is terrified of him, of what it’s capable of, the power it can hold over him. He, and Andrew, just don’t understand yet. I’ll make sure they do from now on. Bond training starts earlier than anticipated I guess. 

 

Leaning in closer, I whisper into Aaron’s ear. “Bond?” A slow nod is the only response, and I belatedly realize I’m still gripping his jaw. Releasing him, I rub my thumb over the juncture I held tight until the muscle relaxes. “Let’s try that again, yeah?”

“I’m here.” It’s Aaron’s voice, but not. Darker. Older.

“That’s right, you are. I need you to listen to me, can you do that?”

“Of course I can,” he replies instantly. “Anything.”

“Not anything,” I say, not missing Andrew’s deep intake of breath behind me. “Just listen for now, okay?”

“Yes, okay.”

“An empath will try to manipulate you all tonight. Don’t let him.”

“I won’t.”

“Can you shield your mind?”

“Easily.”

“Good. Aaron is worried, conflicted, about what you mean for him. Prove to him you mean no harm, okay?”

Aaron’s bond blinks, black eyes too dark to depict but I know they’ve narrowed. “I mean him no harm.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Andrew snarls, taking a threatening step towards his brother. I raise my arms at my side to hold him off, but he seems to realize his mistake quickly when those black eyes swing to him with suspicion.

“I only mean to cause harm to those who think to harm what is mine.” The hands at my waist tighten, pulling me closer to prove a point. “You of all people should know this.”

“You won’t harm me,” I agree, “or Aaron, or anyone else in our group, will you?”

“Absolutely not. Mine.”

“Yours,” I say quietly before kissing his forehead. “Andrew and his bond are a little torn too, like you and Aaron. Can I have him back?”

Aaron’s body goes stiff again before the hands at my waist fall away. “Shit, sorry- I don’t- I mean, I didn’t-“

“It’s alright.” Stepping back and giving us space to face each other, I see Aaron is back to himself if missing a few minutes of memory. “I had a chat with your Bond.”

“You did what?!”

“It’s fine.” Rolling my eyes I walk back to my seat and plop down. Andrew steps up to his brother, circling him and looking him over like a lab experiment. “You don’t have to worry about Riko getting into your head.”

“How the fuck-“

“Oh, would you look at that? Time for you and Kev to go before you’re late!” 

 

It’s an easy out but true all the same so I don’t feel bad. Aaron shoots me an emotionally constipated look, a mixture of relief and anger that I’m so used to I wave him off instead of wishing him luck. I’ve already said it and if he chooses not to remember, that’s on him. Kevin’s face is nearly identical, with more confusion than relief, so I ignore him again while he stalks after the shorter of the two out of the room. I meet Andrew’s eyes when he sits directly across from me at the table.

 

“Don’t ever do that to me.” It’s not a warning, it’s a threat.

“I won’t.”

“Just like that?” he asks derisively.

“Just like that. He needed it at the moment, but I also know he would be okay with it in any other situation. You wouldn’t be, and I would never put you two in the same box.”

 

Andrew’s face remains emotionless, at least to everyone else in the room. I catch the tic in his jaw though, the twitch of his pierced eyebrow. He’s fighting with the fact that I didn’t lie just now, and he knows it even without Kevin here to confirm it for him. Jean clears his throat beside me, and I turn to see him tilt his head towards Ichirou at the head of the table. Another constipated expression, Jesus Christ.

 

“That was extremely dangerous, Nathaniel. What if it hadn’t been as accommodating to you? Their father-“

“sperm donor.”

“-had the Gift for shadows as well and his creatures were volatile. They barely listened to him and he listened to no one. They-“

“That is not your story to tell,” Andrew interrupts once again and this time Ichirou doesn’t talk over him. 

I glance between them warily. “Their sperm donor is not my Bond, therefore I have no stake in whatever happened then. Aaron and his Bond are one, they just haven’t gotten there yet. His Bond wouldn’t hurt me either, and I knew that going into it.”

“How?! How could you possibly know that?”

“I…”

 

It’s my turn to blink, caught off guard by such a lack of basic knowledge but, no, it’s not. Andrew hasn’t covered it once in class, and neither did Mrs. Walsh in a Bond Connections class I took back in middle school. It was supposed to cover the mere basics of Bonds and their group connections, but she never mentioned it either. 

 

Bonds cannot physically hurt their Bonds with their Gifts. It is inherently impossible.

 

“I guess I didn’t. Just hoped for the best.”

 

My own bond told me about this fine print detail in the middle of a rather taxing emotional and physical experience I’d rather not mention, so if it’s not a commonly known fact, I’ll keep it to myself for now. King shifts in my hoodie pocket, popping her head out to peer up at me. I scratch behind her ears until she burrows into my warmth once more.

 

---

 

Jean and I find Matt in front of the stadium with little difficulty. My friend towers over everyone here, much like Jean. While we’re dressed casually in jeans and T shirts, Matt has gone all out. Only, it’s not his sister’s jersey he’s wearing tonight.

 

“Is that Ella’s number?”

“Uh, yeah?” Matt says unsure, rubbing the back of his neck while his dark skin blushes along his cheeks. “I might have asked her out yesterday, and she might have said yes, and who am I to not cheer her on in any capacity I can?” 

 

It’s official, my best friend is a golden retriever boyfriend. I’m not surprised. However, the thought of Ella getting a call for a match makes me queasy. Matt is so fucking happy, and I know this is why he’s pushed his attraction towards her away for so long. Since Sarah has practically abandoned Matt, he’s free to pursue whoever he wants, much to Allison’s mother’s ire, but Ella’s matches are out there somewhere. 

Once our tickets are scanned we follow Matt up to his family’s preferred seats where his parents are already seated. His and Allison’s dad gives me a firm handshake, thanking me sincerely for saving his little girl, and I tell him it was a team effort, and she helped save herself by keeping her head on her shoulders. He should be proud of his kids. 

Announcers' voices crackling over the speakers catches everyone’s attention, causing the crowd to hush to hear players names and stats as they enter the plexiglass chamber. They must have already completed their warm up. We all cheer when Aaron, Allison, and Ella are announced and they take their positions on the court. Edgar Allen’s theme song comes on the speakers once MUs players are set. Fans in the away team section start stomping their feet to the heavy beat, chanting along with the words. I have no idea what they’re saying but it sounds ominous as fuck. 

Jean tenses at my side, and I press into him while following his eye line. An Asian man stands at the front of EAs line up, still and stoic while the rest of his team bounces on their toes behind him. Riko Moriyama. He resembles Ichirou, but not remarkably so. Other than their last names and being of the same ethnicity, you wouldn’t know they’re related. The same raven black hair, parted down the middle with such volume Allison is sure to mention being jealous of. He has a tattoo on his cheek too, but I can’t make it out from here. 

Does Ichirou have any tattoos? I shake my head, not the time. 

We’re down by three points by half time, but the hostility in the air isn’t reminiscent of losing the lead. It’s heavier, more chaotic as it travels through the stands. Like your body knows everything is about to go tits up before it actually does. Survival instincts, and it has my Gift singing through my veins. 

 

“Neil?” Jean asks in my ear, but I don’t reply. My eyes are tracking every movement around us. Starting to our right, all the way around to the other side of the stadium, till I get to Matt on my left side. Both teams are huddled away in their locker rooms for a half time review, but that doesn’t mean much.

I open my mouth to tell them we need to get the hell out of here, but Dan makes her presence known first, popping into existence beside Matt in the aisle. 

“Hatford, we need to leave. Boyd, get your parents and head to the north exit now.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Matt asks as he stands, glancing over his shoulder to find his parents a few rows behind us.

 

They’re already jumping down over seats to get to us. I push my friend towards them, telling him to text me when they get home safe. He’s panicking, but I can’t reassure him right now when my Gift is begging to be let out.

We follow Dan down the stairs and to the exit by the locker rooms, but there’s already a crowd of people there trying to get out. Someone shouts about a bomb threat and Jean pulls me into his chest, no doubt planning to tackle me to the ground and cover me if it’s real. King barks, a sharp high pitched thing, before appearing at my feet. I almost forgot about her, she was gnawing on my shoelaces minutes ago in the stands. 

She’s looking up at me where I’ve frozen in place. Dan is still walking ahead of me, pushing Dan’s out of the way trying to make a path but I can’t. I can’t follow her into that crowd. Raising my hands in front of me, I glance down to confirm what I suspect. They’re shaking, and they’re glowing. I’m pretty sure my entire body is at this point. My Bond is here, watching at the edges, gauging when to step in. When I lift my eyes Dans are on my hand too, wide with fear. She yanks on her cell and dials, yelling into it as soon as it connects.

 

“Where the fuck are you!? Neil’s about to give everyone in these tunnels a brain freeze in the most gory way possible if I don’t- Copy.”

 

Dan is gripping my shaking hand the next second, her brown eyes glowing white as she calls upon her Gift. She doesn’t grab Jean. I don’t know why she doesn’t grab Jean but she doesn’t and we’re gone before I can threaten her to fucking grab him! 

My stomach plummets before rocketing back, bringing vomit with it. Staggering as my feet hit solid ground, I push away from Dan and spew my guts up. Opening my watering eyes, everyone in the room, whatever fucking room were in, shuts up. 

There’s a woman on Ichirou’s arm. Well, she’s gripping it in her too tight of a clutch like I’m here to murder her. I might be if she doesn’t get her hands off of what’s mine. My eyes narrow as I stand straight, slowly coming back to myself. Not myself, not really. I’m more him than me right now. I can feel it. I’m the one on the edges now. 

Dan is bitching, asking where Kevin is, and I catch Andrew look between me, her, Rou and whoever the fuck is still holding onto him. He smirks.

A door crashes open behind me, and just when I tilt my head and contemplate how to get rid of her in the bloodiest way possible, Kevin shouts.

 

“Get your fucking hands off of him unless you want your brain melted, Seph!”

 

The woman rips her hands away from Ichirou’s arm while the man himself is looking at me like I’ve grown a second head. Andrew is still smirking, but he’s stepped away and is now leaning against a desk. We’re in an office? Who the fuck is this lady and why is she in my Bonds office touching him? 

 

Dan groans from my side. “Day, do it!”

 

Do what, I don’t know, but my Bond doesn’t like the sound of it regardless. Nope, it’s pissed. 

 

---

 

When I wake up, I’m in my own bed this time. That’s nice I guess. What’s not nice is the interrogation that’s waiting for me when I open my eyes. They’re all here, I can feel it. 

 

“He’s awake.” Andrew.

“How do you know that?” Kevin.

“The fox.” Jean.

“Can it do that? Tell you?” Aaron.

“Of course it can.” Ichirou. “It’s his best spy.”

A hand brushes sweaty curls off my forehead and my eyes flutter open. Kevin is beside me in bed, looking at me with concern and trepidation. I don’t like it. I’m fine. I shut my eyes.

“You say you’re fine an awful lot when you’re very obviously not fine.”

My brow furrows. Is he reading my mind? He said he can’t do that.

“He’s delusional, of course he’s not fine. He doesn’t even realize he’s speaking right now.”

Because I’m not? What the fuck is going on right now. No, never mind, I don’t care. That smell… What's that smell? Cigarettes and spice, whiskey and leather. Mine. The room is full of smells belonging to what’s mine.

“Well. Clearly the sleep cycle shit isn’t cutting it anymore.”

“No shit, because he doesn’t sleep with you or Rou. He didn’t just pick out your scent for no reason.”

“It’s not. Fucking. Happening.”

“Why not? Don’t you care that he’s struggling?!”

Jean needs to calm down. Andrew has boundaries. I don’t want to cross them. I want to earn them. Even if he is an asshole most of the time. 

 

No one speaks for a bit and I figure I’ve been dreaming this entire thing so I open my eyes to see. Nope. They’re all really here, in my room, staring me down. 

 

“Can he sleep in your bed while you’re not in it?” Ichirou asks Andrew gently. “So he can get his fill of your scent without making either of you uncomfortable.”

 

Andrew shrugs, looking me over critically from where he stands beside the door. He nods once, then leaves the room, and I hear myself whimper. What the fuck?

 

“You’re in the Bond Haze, Neil. Your bonds impulses are getting stronger and harder to get a handle on.”

“What about you?” Kevin asks Ichirou. 

“He can come to my room, or I can stay here. It is his choice, whatever he’s comfortable with.”

“In here,” I tell him, my voice catching. 

“Alright,” he agrees. “Tonight.”

 

I close my eyes again and will myself to sleep before I do something I’ll regret. Impulse control has always been my specialty, but my bond clearly has other things in mind right now. Counting to twenty in English, then French, then German, my mind finally calms enough to drift into a hazy sort of sleep.

 

“…he speaks French?” Jean.

“And German.” Aaron.

“What the fuck?” Kevin, if not worn thin.

“Are you alright, Day?” Ichirou.

“I’m tapped out. I think I’m going to go lie down before I keel over.”

“What do you mean tapped out?”

“It took all I had to knock him out back there, Rou. Whatever gifted level you think he is, triple it. I’ve never felt that much power in one person.”

“How did you know he was reacting to Seph touching me?”

“He almost killed Dan when we rescued them from the camp for the same reason. Put her on her ass, but I think it would have been far messier today.” 

 

 

 

Notes:

Sooooo…. Some 🌶️ scenes are coming soon and I’m still so fucking torn on this. HALP 🫠

So, like, in the books, it’s a guy and a girl and they obviously just fuck. Right. And those who HAVE read TBTT series, you KNOW the situation. That can’t happen here, for very a many reasons. Sooooo 🫥 Handsy stuff? BJ bonding? 😂