"It's dangerous to be out here. You should go home." Twelve was looking at Lisa, the frail girl sat hunched over her bag. Dark moon crescents had bloomed under her eyes and her clothes were wrinkled. She turned her head, defiant and shivering, she remembered what Twelve had told her last, it was hard to forget. "Lisa"—Twelve began, but Lisa shook her head furiously. She sprang up from her seat and started walking away, her hands turned white as she clutched her bag. "Leave me alone, Twelve." Her eyes started to sting as she bit her lip. "Where will you go, Lisa?" He called after her, his voice was clouded and comforting. Lisa realized she stopped. "Nowhere, Twelve! My mother's going crazy with paranoia and I thought… I just thought that if I left everything would disappear. Shouldn't it be simple!? Why is it so hard to just live?" She paused, rubbing at her tearing eyes. "I don't belong anywhere anymore, Twelve. It's pathetic, I know, but right now… right now I need to run." And that's exactly what she did, she took off like a bullet, passing trees and empty spaces of darkness and it took her breath away.
Finally, she stopped. Her legs were burning and as she stared at her frozen breath decorated with the death of night time, a voice spoke to her. "Miss, it's a bit late to be out here. Let me take you home." It was a police officer. He must have seen her running. No, she thought, this cannot be happening. Lisa was about to run again, even if her lungs couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't go back to that house. But she couldn't be taken into custody either, Twelve was serious about this. The police officer's hand circled around her arm and pulled her forwards. "No! I'm fine, I-I promise…" Lisa begged and struggled against the officer, but he was almost twice the size she was and his grip throbbed against her skin. She wanted to scream. A roaring sound rushed past her and in a moment of surprise the officer had let go. Blinding lights flashed at them, and Lisa realized with a jolt that it was Twelve. "Lisa, come on!" He shouted and Lisa hesitated only for a moment before she grabbed onto her bag and sprinted, the officer's hands just missed her hair as he had lunged for her. For once she was grateful to her mother for cutting it short.
Lisa jumped onto Twelve's bike and pulled her arms around his waist. They sped off, charging past lamps and cars and after a while, Lisa felt as if she could breathe again. Her hands had curled unconsciously into Twelve's shirt and her head laid sideways on his back. Lisa could hear his pounding heartbeat, it seemed to vibrate from him. The city flowed past them like a river of blinking lights and ivory buildings, she inhaled the sight and realized if she could, she would have drowned in it. It was cold and the rushing air made goose bumps rise all over her skin, but Lisa knew what this was, she knew this fleeting feeling was freedom. "You are going to destroy it all, aren't you!?" She yelled, her chin rested on his shoulder. "Destroy what?!" Twelve called back, Lisa's breath was like burning coals against the back of his neck.
"You're going to destroy the world, Twelve! I'm right, am I not?!" A smile curved at Twelve's lips and Lisa couldn't bring herself to look away. She remembered the first day she'd seen him jump into the pool with his school uniform. Twelve had grinned at her and she thought of summer, the warm summer where the sun was like a burden on your shoulders and birds sung unmoving songs of drought. But it was strange and wonderful all at once. Just like the sly smile he wore now.
After a while, when Twelve was sure no one had followed them, he stopped. He parked his bike, just under a bridge and helped Lisa down. "It needs to cool down." Twelve said and Lisa nodded, he had built the bike all on his own, and every odd moment Lisa found herself wondering at the limit of his knowledge. "Thank you. And I-I mean it, Twelve." Lisa drew her arms around herself as she watched him. "But why did you come after me? I ran from you." She whispered, trying not to bite her lip against the cold. Twelve took a step towards her and in this spacious concrete constructed palace, the stars glittered from above. It casted shadows at Twelve's cheekbones and nose and chin. Lisa looked away. "I came, because I didn't have the chance to tell you something, Lisa." He took another step towards her and suddenly they were toe-to-toe, his gaze felt as is if it was pouring fire into her veins. "I have confidence in your belonging, Lisa…" He reached his hand up and touched her neck. Twelve brushed her face to the side with his thumb and when her gaze crossed his, a tenderness bloomed in her chest. He leaned forward as Lisa stared at the pouring invulnerability on his face. It felt as if centuries had passed before Twelve smoothed his lips over Lisa's. A kiss that pained them both at the slowness of it, swelled and made their pulses beat faster and faster as if each pulse was in a race with the next one. Lisa wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her until their chests were pressed against one another. She was knotted in his arms, the cold she felt before was gone now.
Sunshine. That was what he tasted like, liquid sunlight. It suited him, Lisa thought, as strands of his hair were twisted in conviction at her fingertips. Images of his kindness roamed the back of her mind and she couldn't help pulling him even closer. She wanted to protect this brightness, his brightness from the world. She wanted to take him away, like he had with her, to a place where he wouldn't be prosecuted. Where they could fly across beautiful plains on his bike. Twelve pulled back. He pressed her against the wall and leaned against it with his hands. They were breathless, both had been hit with a kiss that leaked too much emotion, too much bleeding. When Lisa looked at Twelve, they had mirrored expressions and he reached up to stroke her cheek. They were wet with all the things she couldn't say, all the things she desperately wanted to say. Lisa didn't say anything.
"I know." Twleve's voice was low and with his breath on her face, her legs felt weak. Of course he would know, he was Twelve. He bended forward and kissed her forehead, Lisa wanted to yell at the world, at the unfairness this boy had to go through, but she kept quiet as Twelve took her hand. And while he led her to his bike, she made a silent promise, one she willed to never be shattered.
They pulled away on the bike and Lisa clutched to Twelve, burying her face in his shirt. Twelve's grip on the handlebars tightened and tightened until Lisa was sure it would snap. Lights floated by and cars skidded along, but it was dark. And in that darkness, Lisa held Twelve. In that darkness, they never let go.