Neil got to Eden's later than he planned. It was nearly 10 at night by the time he made it to the parking lot and faltered, wondering how he was going to get past the bouncer.

Picking up the same burner he'd used for the last call was a little too dangerous now that he not only stopped driving, but he'd actually reached his destination, still he took the chance. When he called, it picked up immediately.

"You're late."

"I'm standing in the parking lot." Was all he said before he disconnected and took the phone apart, tossing it to the gravel under someone's shiny new Subaru. He couldn't risk the call being too long, not now.

He waited maybe three minutes before he saw the 5ft form of his blond partner coming out of the entrance with not even a glance at the smiling bouncer.

Intense hazel eyes locked onto Neil's and it was like he could breathe again for the first time in a little over three days.

"'Drew." Neil breathed as Andrew stalked his way over.

Neil didn't move, he just took in Andrew and breathed, it was all he could do.

When rough fingers gently grabbed his chin and dragged him onto soft, biting lips, Neil surrendered gratefully.

He fell into the kiss like a starving man, laying his hands lightly on Andrew's neck, digging his fingers into the blond hair that was velvet to the touch. He drowned in the familiarity and normality of giving himself over to Andrew.

"Fucking took you long enough." Andrew snarled into his face, both hands digging nimble fingers into his hips and holding him pressed bodily against the shorter man.

"Sorry." Neil struggled. "Had to pick up the stacks squirreled away. Take me home, 'Drew."

It was a plea without the word, but Andrew heard it all the same and he growled in his throat as he devoured Neil's mouth in another kiss.

"Fuck, 'Drew." His pants were tight around the groin and he could feel Andrew's answering arousal pressed into his hip as pale hands held them together. His own hands were buried in Andrew's hair not gripping nor pulling, just cradling the blond head as they fell into the rhythm of their kiss.

Andrew was the one to tear himself away, pushing Neil's hips and slipping out of those scarred hands' loose grip. He turned his back as he said "Come on." In the usual bored tone that always seemed exaggerated in these moments of intimacy. Neil smiled as he followed.

"You look like you're homeless." Andrew passed judgement as he took the duffle from Neil's shoulder when they were finally walking side by side.

"I sorta feel homeless." Neil confessed, cringing as he did. It'd been a long time since he felt like that. Since his freshman year at Palmetto to be exact.

And just like before, Andrew pressed a set of keys into Neil's hand without looking.

"Not anymore."

Neil didn't bother to hide the wide grin on his face as he fingered the teeth of the key to the house in Colombia. They had kept the house, even after they'd both graduated. Had gifted it to Robin who often brought her girlfriend Brook on Friday nights, just like they'd used to. Nicky's plan was for Robin to pass on the house to the next Foxes Captain, and so on and so forth.

There was a certain nostalgia to going backwards.

"I brought you clothes, and we've gotta dye your hair again, but get rid of the contacts. I'm not kissing you again until your eyes are back to normal."

Neil nodded for a moment, before frowning.

"My dad's alive, Andrew. If someone sees me without the dye or the contacts-" He stopped when Andrew rounded on him.

"I thought we already got passed this one. Do you honestly think I won't be able to protect you now? Now that I know everything, now that we know everything?"

Neil bit his bottom lip as he watched the fire blazing in Andrew's eyes and the tightness of his lips. He'd learn to read Andrew pretty well over their 7 years together, and he knew that his doubt would infuriate Andrew, but he couldn't help the old fear that ate at his mind. His demons were no longer dead and buried, he was no longer as free as he had been before.

But he trusted Andrew.

"Okay." He finally sighed after a few tense heartbeats. "Okay."

Reaching up, he peeled away the dull brown contacts and blinked past the sudden blurriness in his vision. When he looked up he stared at Andrew, who stared back passively.

"There you are." He whispered before turning again and heading straight for the car.

"I miss the Maserati." Neil says as he sees the sleek black car he remembers from before it was trashed by Raven fans. From when a sober Andrew picked Neil up from the airport pretending to be Aaron. Andrew's old GS.

"Don't fucking remind me." Andrew says as he pops the trunk.

He digs out a plastic bag and hands it to Neil before stowing the duffle inside. "Do you got your creepy binder?"

"Yeah. It's in there. The stash too, or whatever of it I could grab."

"Half mil?"

Neil snorted. "Mil and a half."

"Fuck, let's go get the Maserati now."

"Don't be stupid." Neil rolls his eyes at Andrew's impassive look as he pops the passenger's door open and slides in.

It's weird at first. The car is only sorta in his memory. He'd spent a good few months getting in and out of it, but it was the Maserati that had been cemented in his mind as Andrew's car. Even after they'd purchased the silver Aston Martin Vanquish for him at the beginning of his 5th year, it was the Maserati that meant anything to him. He'd spent countless nights driving around with Andrew after nightmares. They'd had sex in the back seat, countless blow jobs in the front, he'd been rimmed for the first time over the damn hood.

"I really miss the Maserati." Neil lamented as he stripped off the light grey t-shirt he'd been wearing and slipped on the skin-tight long sleeved black one Andrew had gotten him. The collar dipped a little below the hollow of his throat, but it covered all his scars, even the phantom ones on his arms that he no longer had.

Next, he shimmied out of his pants, already used to the movement in such a tight space from the countless times he'd done it in the Maserati.

Pulling the skin-tight midnight blue jeans though was a lot more trouble. Once he had them to his ass, he had to get out of the car to pull them the rest of the way up, not even sparing a glance to Andrew who'd been standing guard and staring unashamedly at all of Neil's bared flesh.

Familiar black combat boots were next, except his old pair had been worn and scratched. Seeing them shiny and new again gave him a pang of unexplainable sadness.

"Stop wasting my time, Josten." Andrew called out when Neil had gotten lost looking at the boots.

Meeting hazel eyes for a moment, Neil only sighed as he slipped them on, tied them up, and finally stepped away from the car to softly shut the door behind him. Andrew locked it immediately. A mil and a half in the trunk apparently made him a little more careful than usual.

"Come on." He said again as he turned to walk away. Neil only sighed before following.

To be honest, he just wanted to go home. He wanted to shower and sink into bed with Andrew beside him so he could finally sleep for more than a few restless hours, but he knew that first, he'd have to face Aaron and Nicky.

"At least I'm not getting drugged tonight." He said wryly as Andrew waved away the bouncer.

"I could change that, if you want." Came the bored response. To most, it would have been a threat, but Neil read it for what it was. An offer.

"No. I just want to go home and sleep, 'Drew. Haven't been able to sleep in peace since this shit started."

There was a hum in response before his hand was grabbed, and thin pale fingers intertwined with his own. It made him feel secure, safe as they threaded their way through the crowd of people. It was a Thursday night in April so a fare bit of the crowd was college graduates or seniors and juniors. The school year was coming to an end and everyone wanted to blow off steam before finals.

"Nicky and Aaron flew off to the dance floor around an hour ago. I say we've got another hour before they come find us." Andrew assessed as he steered them to the bar.

Roland's familiar face wasn't at all a surprise. The wattage of his smile however, was.

The second the man's eyes landed on Andrew, he lit up like a Christmas tree.

Unintentionally, Neil's hand squeezed Andrew's, but he relaxed a bit when he got a squeeze in return. He relaxed even more when Roland's eyes followed the lines of Andrew's body until they finally stopped at his hand, that was still firmly intertwined with Neil's.

They then followed the path up Neil's body to land on his face. The groan the man let out sort of startled him.

"Fuck. Andrew. A pretty boy? Where did you find him and are you willing to share?"

Roland's expression grew heated as he studied Neil, making him a bit uncomfortable if he were being honest, until Andrew finally had enough and stepped in front of Neil, using the hand he was still gripping to tug the slightly taller man behind him. That's when Roland finally noticed the glare on Andrew's face.

The bartender instantly paled.

Without a word he set down two shot glasses and poured whiskey in both before nodding and moving away to serve someone else.

Amusement shining in blue eyes, Neil pressed the front of his body to Andrew's back, sinking his free hand into the back of Andrew's hair to tilt his head slightly to the side. Neil kissed the long column of pale skin as he whispered.

"I think I honestly forgot what it was like to have you all vicious and jealous. It's kinda making me hard, 'Drew."

The shiver that passed through the shorter man's body was hidden in a scoff as he stepped forward and away. It had taken them a long time to get to this point, where the two could casually talk about sex, where they could make jokes. Neil always thrilled in these little victories.

"Keep it in your pants, Josten." He said as he reached for both shots. He passed one to Neil and together the two downed them in one swallow. Neil grimacing at the taste.

"Oh shit, I fucking hate whiskey."

Andrew ignored him.

When they were moving again, Neil couldn't stop himself from voicing his thoughts.

"Do you think it's better to introduce me to them as a friend? Should we tell them we met in juvie? Or Oakland? Do they know you're gay?"

His only response was a why-the-fuck-should-I-care look thrown over his shoulder.

Sinking a hand into his light brown bangs, and closing his ice-blue eyes, he sighed.

"Look, I know you don't give a shit. To an extent, I don't either. But you know Nicky. He's going to dig and he's going to ask and annoy us until he gets something."

"Yeah, a knife in the ribs."

"I'm just saying. We gotta give them something." Neil edged.

They found an empty table and took the only two seats left. They sat side by side, their backs to the railing overlooking the dance floor below. It took a moment of thought before the short blond found a solution he didn't mind.

"Juvie."

Light brown hair fell into his eyes as he nodded. "Okay. We've gotta go out tomorrow so I can get some new paperwork, I don't have anything with the name 'Neil Josten' on it."

"You know a place for that?"

Neil smirked back. "I know the perfect place for it. We're in for a bit of a drive though, the only contact I have nearby is in Charleston."

Andrew hummed. "I'll get you there."

Neil smiled and was about to retort when someone's yell stopped him.

"Andrew!"

Nicky's voice rang out behind them and they both turned to watch a drunk and high Aaron drag an even drunker and high Nicky towards them.

"That wasn't an hour." Andrew complained lowly as he stood from the stool, hand still holding Neil's causing him to stand as well. They usually didn't do this, but the confusion of the past few days made them both crave stability. If it meant holding Andrew's hand for the whole night, Neil wasn't complaining.

"Enough for tonight. Let's go." Andrew called into the distance between them before dragging Neil back outside. He didn't look to see if his twin and his cousin were following, but Neil did, and he even caught to look of sheer confusion and astonishment on their faces when they saw the two holding hands. It almost made him want to laugh.

Soon they were free of the crowd and making their way to the car, not even slowing when they heard Nicky's drunken "Wait, wait, w-who is that?! Andrew!" behind them.

Andrew unlocked the car and pushed Neil to the passenger's seat, before sliding in behind the wheel.

The second Nicky and Aaron were inside, the chatter started.

"Who is that!? Oh my god, are we bringing him home? Oh please can we bring him home Andrew? Fuck look at that pretty face, he'd look so good suck-"

"Finish that fucking sentence, Nicky, and I'll slit your throat." Andrew growled as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Instantly there was silence when Neil snorted.

Aaron sat quietly, confusion and vicious irritation clouding identical features as he studied Neil's face. Then his clothes.

"Are those the clothes you bought yesterday?" He asked snidely, his irritation so very clear in his voice, and oh yeah. Neil had not missed this Aaron.

Neil didn't even have to look back to see the shock on Nicky's face, he could feel it directed at the back of his seat.

"Yes." Andrew answered shortly.

"Is he the reason we went to the club today and not tomorrow?" Nicky asked giddily, suddenly finding this to be so much fun.

"Yes."

"What the fuck, Andrew?!" Aaron shouted while Nicky started laughing.

Neil could feel the headache starting right behind his left eyebrow.

"Shut the fuck up or I'm making you walk home." Andrew threated, a bored look on his face, masking the malice in his words and the tension in his body.

No one said anything during the drive back to the house.

No one said anything as Andrew unlocked the front door and walked in, leaving everyone in his dust.

No one said anything as Aaron stormed off to his room, and Nicky lingered to see where the new face would be sleeping.

And no one said anything as Neil dragged his weary body and his battered duffle into Andrew's room and shut the door behind him.

They all heard Nicky's cackle before he stumbled off to his own room though. As well as the yelled-out question: "Aaron! Fuck, did you know Andrew was gay?! Oh my god! Oh my god, he's like a mini-me!" Nicky was too drunk for his own good.

"I'm not sleeping in the same bed with you when you smell like stale sweat and runaway. Go shower." Andrew ordered as he rooted around his drawers for some sleep clothes.

Neil didn't even bother arguing as he made his way to the bathroom. He did, however, leave the door unlocked, something he'd grown so used to doing after nearly two years sharing an apartment with only Andrew.

As he expected, the blond joined him just as he was stepping into the water, sighing as he adjusted to the extreme heat, something he wasn't a fan of, but knew that Andrew liked. Andrew had always liked the steam.

It didn't take long for another body to step in behind him and Neil almost moaned out loud when he felt rough hands run gently over his back, catching for only a heartbeat on each of the scars there.

"Yes or no?" Andrew asked quietly into his ear, his body only centimeters away until Neil gave him an answer.

"Yes, 'Drew." Neil whispered, and then moaned as Andrew's soft pale skin slid up against his back. The hard cock he could probably recognize by touch alone pressing against his ass.

"Do you want to get off today, Neil?" Andrew's voice was soft, but his tone was calm and emotionless. Despite that, it heated Neil's blood and his own dick was starting to rise. Still, he had to assess himself. He was tired. Exhausted really, and if he were being honest, no, he didn't want to cum. He wanted to burrow into a bed that smelled like Andrew, curl up into a ball and sleep until this whole nightmare was over. So, he sighed heavily as he shook his head.

"No, too tired." He mumbled as he ducked his head under the hot water.

Andrew hummed his acceptance and moved back, making the taller man sigh in disappointment. That sigh turned into a long groan as strong hands ran over his back with a soapy sponge.

He let Andrew wash him, lifting his arms and legs when asked, moving sluggishly as every sleepless hour finally caught up to him. By the time he's rinsed off, leaning against the shower wall waiting for Andrew to finish, he almost can't keep his eyes open.

Without a word between them, Andrew slowly helped Neil dry off before slipping a pair of his own sweatpants over Neil's hips and pulling one of his bigger shirts over Neil's head. When they're both dressed, he drags Neil back to the bed room and lets him fall face-first into the mattress.

"Move, idiot." Andrew says pitilessly as he pulls the cover out from under the taller man.

With a groan, Neil does.

It isn't long until they're both nestled under the covers, facing each other, the slight space between them filled with the other's breath.

They don't speak as they fall asleep like that, but the peace they feel now that they're finally together, shines through in the way they relax into unconsciousness.

What wakes them up the next morning is Aaron's alarm clock in the room above theirs.

Andrew jerks awake first which startles Neil. Neither move as they stare at each other.

Slowly, Andrew's hand comes up to hover over Neil's cheek, pausing there until he is given a nod of permission. When the touch comes, ice-blue eyes close.

The pads of Andrew's fingers run gently over the unmarred cheek, marveling silently in the smooth skin.

Where there was once an unwanted tattoo, and then circular burns of a dashboard lighter, was now unmarked. Lightly dusted in nearly colorless freckles. Despite the cause of the scars, Neil can't help but miss them.

The marks on his face made him real. They were Neil Josten, and not Nathaniel Wesninski. Those scars had allowed him to look at his own reflection without seeing his father in it. Now, they were gone.

"You looked better with the scars." Andrew throws out in lieu of a 'good morning', and Neil knows that Andrew feels the same sense of loss that fills him at the lack of his scars.

He'd earned them. Fought to survive in spite of them. Learned to be comfortable and at peace in his skin because of them. The sudden loss was disconcerting.

"Maybe I should get a tattoo."

"Just so I can burn it off?"

"Maybe."

They spend a moment in silence before Andrew wraps his hand in the nape of Neil's neck.

"Yes or no?"

"Yes."

The kiss is slow. Neither one giving a shit about morning breath or anything else as they fall in each other.

"Where can I touch you?"

"Above my hips."

This dance is one they're still learning the steps to, but they dance it together regardless. Hands skim over soft and scarred skin, tongues explore and incite, teeth nip and bite, lips collide and pull away mapping and tracing areas already known but startlingly different than they remember.

They don't break apart until someone's knocking on their door.

"Andrew! You're going to be late for school!" Nicky's voice calls out.

They both glare at the door even as they pull away.

"We'll hit the road after school." Andrew says as he looks for clothes in his drawer. Neil nods silently as he also changes into one of his eight outfits, two of which are still dirty. They'll need to find a laundry place at some point. He'd need more soon too if he was going to start rebuilding Neil Josten from the ground up.

"What do you plan to do while I'm stuck in hell?"

There's a pause as Neil is peeling off the borrowed shirt. He stands there for a while going through his options before he answers.

"I need a new phone." He concedes, despite the sour face he makes at the thought.

Andrew hums.

"I need some new clothes too, I didn't stop anywhere but to collect the stashes in the cities I crossed to get here and even then, only if they were close enough to the highway to get away with it."

Again, there's a hum of acknowledgement.

"I need to get the paperwork required to enroll myself in your school. Without my mom it'll be a pain, and at the end of the year like it is now, it'll be suspicious, but I'm not going to spend nearly two months hanging around Nicky every week day morning."

"Too bad. You'll need him today."

There's a sigh of resignation because Neil can see Andrew's point. To do all of the things he needs to, he'll need Nicky. Adding himself onto the cousin's phone plan will keep his name out of anything. Andrew also won't allow Neil to go buy clothes for himself on his own due to his carelessness with his own style. He'll also need to buy hair dye. Most important though, he'll need the car. And he does not have a driver's license at the moment.

"Fuck."

When they walk out of their room, they come face to face with Aaron.

As hungover as the boy looks, his misery changes to murderous the second he sets eyes on Neil, then he looks at Andrew and there is clear disgust on his face.

"Fuck, Nicky was right. You're a faggot too?" Before Andrew could react to that, Aaron is already turning to Neil. "What the fuck are you still doing here? Don't you fucking know what 'one-night stand' means? You're supposed to be gone by morning."

"Shut up, Aaron." Neil mutters as they push their way past the furious twin. Andrew following behind, unaffected by the blatant homophobia. Andrew hates the word 'faggot' but right now, there was too much in his head to react to Aaron. They would need to set the other twin straight later.

They meet Nicky in the kitchen, whose back is turned as he flips slightly burnt pancakes.

When Nicky hears them come up to the kitchen counter, he turns, only to stop mid-sentence as his eyes snag on Neil. Glee overtakes his face in seconds as well surprise and pleasure.

"Oh god, I wasn't dreaming, you actually did bring an angel home. And he slept in your bed! Andrew, why didn't you tell me you were gay? I could have been your wingman all this time!"

Neil frowns while Andrew glares. Nicky, doesn't even notice.

"Hi, there, beautiful. My name is Nicky. It's so good to look at something so pleasant first thing in the morning!" He holds out his hand for Neil to shake, but Neil makes no move towards him, only stares unimpressed from Andrew's side.

It takes a while for Nicky's excitement to dim. Neil knew what the older man was trying, this was yet another attempt method to connect with his cousin, it hadn't been too long since Nicky came to take custody of Aaron and Andrew after all, so not being told that Andrew was gay wouldn't really affect him as much as it had when he'd learned that Neil and Andrew were a thing back in Baltimore. Still, Nicky's enthusiasm was less that appreciated.

"Geez, you two are like twins, which is saying something since Andrew already has a twin." Nicky says out loud to no one, before turning his attention to Andrew. "What's with the kid?" He asks in German.

It's Neil's turn to glare.

"Mind your own business." Andrew answers back, his own German fluent. It seems to throw Nicky for a second. Apparently, by this point in time, the twins hadn't quite mastered the language yet.

"Have you been practicing on your own?"

"Mind your own business." Andrew says again.

Neil's about to interrupt with his own bout of flawless German, when he smells the burning pancakes.

"Fucking hell, Nicky." He mutters as he pushes past the taller man, taking the spatula from his hand and taking control of the kitchen.

Startled, Nicky steps back to watch, completely taken aback by both the familiarity in the way this unknown boy talked to him, and by his cousin's complete acceptance of what was no doubt a stranger in their house. Nicky was speechless.

As Neil went about making the rest of the pancakes with the haphazard batter Nicky had started, Aaron made his way into the kitchen, scowling at Neil's back and turning to Andrew.

"What the fuck is going on? Are you really gay?" His German is lacking, stuttered and mispronounced, just enough to get his point across.

"Mind your own business." Andrew says for the third time, staring blandly at Neil's back.

"Can we at least know his name?" Nicky steps in.

Andrew spares him a glance before his eyes return to their usual target. "Neil Josten."

Neil doesn't react, but he can feel the attention of all three cousins on him. It makes him roll his eyes just a bit as he rushes through the last four pancakes.

Moving seamlessly through the kitchen, Neil gathers up two plates and two mugs. Three of the pancakes he made go on one plate while the last goes on the other. He pours two cups of coffee, one with a quarter of the cup milk and sugar, the other black. Setting the three pancakes and sweet coffee in front of Andrew, he goes back for forks and the maple syrup they always keep in the fridge. From the glance he got in there, he knows that his usual fruits aren't anywhere to be found.

When he takes his seat next to Andrew, he finally notices the looks of pure, unadulterated astonishment and incredulity on Nicky and Aaron's faces. Half of him wants to laugh at them for it, but the other half doesn't really care. He eats his pancake plain while he watches Andrew systematically cut his three into smaller bites before drowning each bite in syrup.

He's halfway done with his breakfast by the time Aaron finds his voice.

"What the fuck is going on?!" He sounds and looks confused and angry while Nicky looks both delighted and mildly unnerved.

Neil isn't even surprised when Andrew refuses to give them his attention.

With a smirk, he mimics in English this time.

"Mind your own business."

Understandably, both Nicky and Aaron are a little weary of Neil through the rest of breakfast and the ride to school. When Nicky goes for the passenger's seat, Andrew stops him with a sharp look that threatens violence and a curt "In the back, Nicky."

Neil doesn't comment as he gets into the car beside the more violent twin.

Aaron meanwhile, refuses to acknowledge any of what's going on, sullenly staring out the window and failing at feigning disinterest. No one speaks during the whole ride to school.

Once they arrive, all four of them get out. Nicky is headed for the driver's side when Andrew tosses the key to Neil instead. Without even a glance backward, he leaves everyone behind as he makes his way into the two-story school building. Aaron following with bewildered glances backwards.

Neil is almost amused by Andrew's antics as he makes his way behind the wheel.

"Close your mouth and get in the car, Nicky. We're going shopping." He says with a small grimace. It's enough to snap the taller man out of it though. Instantly Nicky's in the car and staring at Neil like he's some sort of second coming.

As Neil maneuvers the car out of the crowded school parking lot, he waits for the questions that are inevitably coming. He doesn't have to wait long.

"Who are you?" The reverent tone was just a little too much.

"Neil Josten."

"No, no. I mean, who are you? How do you know Andrew? How long have you known Andrew? You two are dating right? I didn't even know he's gay, but ou have to be, you know how he takes his coffee, how many pancakes he eats. You move around our kitchen like you've been there a million times. Still, I thought he was seeing Roland with how often those two go off together. Oh, shit, I'm sorry, maybe I wasn't supposed to say that. But seriously, who are you?"

Despite the fact that he'd actually been expecting this, Neil actually doesn't know how to answer for a moment. Hell, he used to be so good at lying. He was also a little surprised that Nicky had caught onto the thing with Roland.

"I've known Andrew a while." He hedges. "We met in juvie."

The older man bounces in the passenger's seat while he waits for the rest. When nothing else comes, he starts his questions again.

"Okay, that answer like, two questions, where's the rest? We've never met before, trust me I'd remember, but you feel, fuck I don't know. You feel familiar. And Andrew, the way he is when he's around you? I haven't seen that before in the year or so I've been taking care of him. Did you know him before? Were you date-"

"Nicky." Neil cuts in, tone sharp and annoyed. "I'm serious, mind your own business on this one. All you need to know is I'm a friend of Andrew's and I'm going to be staying with him. That's it. Everything else is Andrew's story to tell." Not exactly the truth, but it'll do. It does manage to shut Nicky up for a long moment.

"Okay. Okay. So, where are we going?"

"The mall."

Nicky's squeal was loud and echoed in the interior of the car and Neil flinched.

By the time they had to go back to the high school and pick up the twins, Neil was ready to beg Andrew to kill Nicky. Okay, so not kill, but maybe threaten a little. If he were being honest, it had been way too long since he'd had to deal with a Nicky at this level of desperate enthusiasm and energy.

Marrying Erik and settling into his life in Germany after graduation had more than mellowed Nicky out. It had settled him. Allowed him to fit more comfortably in his skin. Anytime Neil would reunite with Nicky during the last three years since they all graduated, he'd notice the calm peace in the man. No longer pulled between family and love, no longer suffering under Aaron's sullen stare and Andrew's cutting indifference.

Nearly seven hours being subjected to this younger, more desperate-to-seem-happy Nicky had not only given Neil a new appreciation for the calm, at peace, Nicky he'd known, but it also emphasized the impact the twins had on Nicky's personal wellbeing.

Needless to say, Neil wasn't looking forward to spending anytime at all alone with Nicky ever again.

"You get everything you went for?" They were the first words Andrew spoke as Neil tossed him back the keys and all four of them returned home. The fact that he asked it in Russian surprised the two in the back all the more.

"When the hell did you learn Russian?!" Both Nicky and Aaron said at the exact same time.

Neil ignored them.

"Yes. The phone and clothes were no problem and I memorized Nicky's information. We'll leave for Charleston when we drop those two at home if it's alright with you."

Andrew hummed. "We'll pack for the weekend. If we have to go, we might as well make it a road trip."

Neil smiled wide as he looked over at Andrew.

"Seriously?"

A single nod answered his question.

"Guys? Seriously? I heard my name, so what's with the Russian?" Nicky's face appeared between them suddenly, causing Neil to instinctively cock his elbow back, hitting the older man in the chin.

Nicky reared back with a cry.

"What'd you do that for?" Nicky cried, while Aaron glared.

Neil snorted, unrepentant.

"Don't do that again. You're lucky I didn't have my knives on me."

At that, Andrew perked up.

"You have knives?"

Neil shot him a grin as he nodded. Quickly switching to Russian again.

"I tossed them before. Them and the gun. It's a set of six and I have two sets of side sheaths. We'll need to buy a whetstone and couple forearm sheaths when we get to Charleston. There's a place there that won't ask for any sort of ID and their inventory is top quality. It's actually where my mother bought the knives."

Andrew nodded in understanding.

They fell silent again as they finally made it home.

Unnerved and most likely a little on edge around Neil and this suddenly new Andrew, both Nicky and Aaron were the first out of the car and into the house. It seemed not even Nicky was willing to step further into their den of snakes than he already had.

"Show me the knives." Andrew ordered as they walked in, in English this time.

It got a look from Aaron who was sitting on the couch in front of the tv loosely holding the remote, but he didn't comment out loud.

Neil led the way to their room and heard Andrew close and lock the door behind them.

Going for the duffle he'd stashed under the bed, he pulled out two of his shirts, three pairs of jeans, one pair of sweatpants and a small silver pistol.

With an expert twirl, he set it on top of the clothes and pulled out a thick black knife case. With it in his hands he made his way to the bed where Andrew was sitting, back against the headboard watching intently.

With a slight nudge, Neil got the blond to move his legs only enough for him to sit down. Long legs, despite his 5ft size, covered in dark blue jeans settle on top of Neil's thighs as soon as he crossed his own. He doesn't comment on the way Andrew curls his legs around Neil's hips slightly, just sets the rectangular case on the blond's lap and pulled the clasps open. Carefully he pulled out two knives the length of his hand, edge of his middle finger all the way to his wrist, and that was only the blade. These would be too big for a forearm sheath, especially for Andrew, but he was used to a side sheath anyways, he'd bet Andrew would get used to one too if he wanted.

He passed one to Andrew while he set the other one aside for himself.

He watched for a moment as Andrew assessed the blade with careful hands, testing the edge and the balance and the comfort of the grip. He seemed to approve because he started to twirl it with an admirable level of skill.

Going back to the case, he pulled out the four smaller knives. Smaller than the other two, the four daggers looked like Japanese kunai, only with a slightly thicker blade. The wrappings on the hilt were a bit frayed and Neil made note to pick up some thinner paracord so he could re-wrap the hilts. His mother always told him to keep these knives in thigh-sheaths on his person at all times, but when he was younger, he'd hated knives. It had taken him years to accept the skills he'd learned from monsters. To accept that the part of him that was Nathaniel had talents that could be useful, even as he was buried with his father in Baltimore like Andrew had insisted.

He passed one to Andrew for inspection while the palm length dagger went back into the case.

Again he watched the blond test the edges, the fine point of the tip, the weight and balance. Then, quick like the flash of a camera, Andrew threw the knife.

Neil heard it whistle by his ear for only a second before a small thump let him know that it had impaled itself into either the door or the frame. A look back confirmed it was the frame.

"Nice throw." He said with the quirk of an eyebrow. Andrew just shrugged passively.

"Needed to see how it handled."

"Good enough?"

"Perfect."

Neil gave one nod before presenting the other three to Andrew on his palm.

"We'll get you some armbands and the sheaths at the same time. I know before you only bought the armbands when you joined the Foxes, but Renee isn't here now to gift you her knives anyway."

"It'll give me a reason to tell her to fuck off."

"Sure, or you can steal them anyways and save them for Robin. But we'll still need the practice. These aren't our old bodies. We might have the instinct and the knowledge, but we don't have the muscle memory. We need to build up to what we had before if I'm going to trust myself again."

The fact that all Andrew did was nod, clued Neil into the fact that Andrew had already been thinking the same thing.

They still had all the same skills in theory, but when put to practice, their bodies would either be too slow to accomplish what their minds knew they should be able to, or it would fall short in strength of the blows. It would be something they'd need to practice together.

"I'll need to find an Exy court to practice in too. I'm not as fast or as strong as I was, but I know how to get there."

Andrew snorted.

"Fucking Junkie."

Neil just smiled.