There was no deep reason for Roman saving Neo. She saw too much and as such she needed to join up with his crew or be put down. Looking into her unique eyes did further his belief that she was something special and seeing her semblance was the last straw in his desire for her. Neo would be his greatest pawn or just another body someone would find in the river.
There was a hesitation at first with her first orders but she followed them through as any underling should. Neo was inexperienced but Roman was nothing if a man without a plan. With patience and covering for her shortcomings, he soon had one of the most powerful assets anyone could ask for. She had become so skilled that pretty soon Neo was the biggest threat to his power.
The thing to do in this kind of scenario was to find something to hold over. What is her weakness and how to exploit it. He'd done this time and again but Roman was at a lost as to what it could be. She accrued enough lien to live the high life but nothing about her seemed like she was beholden to money. Neo never even bought her own place, she tended to just sleep at his office sofa or in the 'company car' he lent her. Her poor life before meeting him meant she likely had no close ties to past friends or family. There wasn't any indication of a desire for revenge or a return to normal life. It was though she shed all that she was and was now completely satisfied with where she was right now. Besides all that, it felt… off to try to find a way to exploit Neo. Regardless of his initial intentions.
And when Roman gently lays the gun back down, it really does hit. Her eyes showed no ounce of deceit of desperation. She was devoted in every sense, mind and body. Though when he sees her determined gaze shift into smile, he feels as though he's gained a look into her heart. Roman rolls a gloved finger through a strand of her hair.
"Neo… what do you want? You want something don't you?"
She seems frozen at this turn of events and he feels good inside knowing he can still get to her. She fumbles with her fingers before poking his chest.
"What do I want? Hn what don't I want?"
He quirks an eyebrow up but makes no move. Letting Neo make her decision as she shifts closer to him, their faces almost touching. This all feeling so odd. He pulled her out of poverty and into the lion's den. She became a murderer and a thief in order to survive and she didn't feel the slightest bit of regret. Right now with him she was alive, which was more than anyone else had made her feel.
She makes the leap and clashes her lips to his in a kiss. It hangs for only a moment but the world pauses. Roman had hardened his heart under a cocky grin and the resolve to break anything that stood in his way. Having someone who felt and trusted him felt uncomfortable. And yet it still felt like the most right thing in his whole damned life.
—
Roman and Neo hung together for the long ride. Regardless of whatever happened around them, they took comfort in knowing there was somebody who cared about someone like them. Even as they helped burn the world around them.