(All right, we're going to try something here, lovely readers. Can you say AU? I bet you can. Well, thanks to my IRL Ellis, lots of college campus hijinks are going on. And it's boggling my mind trying to warp them all into stuff Nick and Ellis would do while keeping them in character, even if it's post apocalypse. And then I realized. College AU. So let me know what you think, lovely readers. If you approve, there will definitely be more to follow. ^^ Enjoy!)
College was fucking expensive. Nick would be one of the first to admit to that, even though he had the money to afford it right out of pocket. Other people, normal people, just weren't that lucky, and they often had to struggle to make ends meet and scrape together the money to be able to go. Of course, there was little chance of getting a good job and then paying for schooling, because you needed the higher education to get the better jobs.
Housing, however, was the most ridiculous expense, according to Nick. Whether it was off campus or on site, it was just ridiculous. Of all things, somewhere to stay was something of a must, and for it to be so damned expensive was just stupid. Unfortunately, despite how much Nick tended to bitch and complain, nothing had been done yet to fix the problem, and so the prices remained the same.
Frustrated, Nick leaned his head out his window and laid a heavy hand on the horn. "Come on, asshat, I don't have all day! Let's go!" Scowling, he edged just a little closer to the Jeep he was following, continuing to hassle and harass the unfortunate driver until they turned onto a different row and got out of his way.
Parking. Yet another thing that absolutely sucked about this place.
After wasting twenty minutes heckling other drivers and searching for a spot, Nick finally gave in and drove down the street to the parking deck. He really preferred to be in the parking lot, for a number of reasons. It was closer to the actual campus, and it was easier to escape after a con went awry if his car wasn't down the fucking street and up three flights of stairs. But it was either this or he would get a ticket for parking anywhere that wasn't specifically marked for overnight parking. And at 35, after dealing with his fair share of shady deals and nosy cops and selfish partners in crime, Nick would readily admit that a sucky parking spot was better than drawing attention to himself, however slight, now that he was trying to go straight.
Well, straighter.
Hence his returning to college for an education. So he could actually get a job that wouldn't require him to carry a gun at all times and check over his shoulder every other minute for a cop or an enemy with an even bigger gun.
Nick swung quickly into an available spot alongside a battered red Dodge and shut his car off, grabbing his bag before stepping out into the night and shutting his door behind him, brushing off his flawless white suit before he locked the doors behind him and shoved the key into the breast pocket of his blue dress shirt. He now had a bitch of a walk between his car and his on-campus apartment, or at the very least the bus stop, which made his scowl only grow more pronounced at the very idea of public transportation.
Regardless, he managed the trip just fine, and was quick to return and move his car back to the other parking lot just as soon as he was able. The red truck was still there.
Over the next few weeks, Nick was forced to park down the street every time a poker game ran late or a party got out of hand. Whether he was alone or in the company of an eager party slut, he had begun to notice that the red truck was always in the exact same spot, as though it never moved. And he never saw anyone go near it, let alone entering it or leaving it, or driving it anywhere. It was like it had been abandoned.
At least, that's what he thought.
On one lonely, late night in particular, Nick drove down the street to park with his usual bitching and pulled into the spot beside the red truck, making sure he had everything he needed before he locked it up tight and prepared to head home for the evening. This time, however, he paused.
An odd sound from the vehicle next to him had caught his attention. He glanced around, but curiosity got the better of him and he peeked into the passenger side window of the old red truck. A man was sprawled out across the seats, snoring fitfully. A blue and white hat was jammed onto his head, hiding most of his face along with his hair. A yellow t-shirt with an odd picture on the front stretched tight over toned abs, the sleeves of a pair of dirty blue coveralls were tied off at the waist, and the picture was finished by the pair of steel-toed boots propped up on the driver's side door.
Nick rapped loudly on the passenger side door and startled the man from his sleep, sending him jolting upright. "Hey, man, what the hell?" he snapped, twisting to fix the older man with an irritated, blue-eyed stare. From the thick accent, it was obvious he was more local than Nick was. Not that he gave a good goddamn either way.
"What the hell are you doing out here?" he asked. "Even a hick like you must have more sense than to sleep out in your truck, with the windows down of all things."
The younger man snorted. "Man, shit, people got better things t'do than mess with a guy like me. 'Cept you, apparently." Nick just rolled his eyes. "'Sides, what's it t'you, anyway?"
"Nothing, except now I'm parked next to you, and I'd rather not leave my car here when there's a possibility that you're absolutely insane considering you're living in your truck. Why don't you do us both a favor and just go home? No morning class is worth sleeping in the parking lot." And it would make him feel better if the other man didn't intend to spend the night right there next to his car. He was rather attached to it.
The younger man squirmed a bit, searching for words awkwardly while Nick arched a brow at him. "…You do have somewhere to go, right?" Dammit, that would explain why it never seemed to leave the lot. Just what he needed to finish off this night, too. A fucking charity case.
The other man's cheeks darkened in an embarrassed flush. "Well, hell, housin' is just so damn expensive an' all…
Nick's brows knitted together in disbelief as he stared at the other, momentarily at a loss for words. "You're joking, right? So you just live out of this shitty truck?"
The man seemed to take immediate and deeply personal offense the remark. "Hey now, my truck ain't shitty! Sure, she's old, but she does good for her age!"
Nick decided it would be best not to question the gender of the beat-up Dodge. It just wasn't worth it. "Whatever. Just get up." When the younger man only blinked at him in surprise, he snorted. "I know you're not deaf, kiddo. Get out of the truck."
"My name's not kiddo. It's Ellis. Some folks call me El, but I prefer t'be called Ellis as it's the name my Mama gave me an' –"
Nick cut him off with a shark-like grin. "Well, Ellis, pack your shit. You're coming with me." Of all the things Nick had learned, one thing in particular stood out above all others.
Never turn down the chance to have someone owe you a favor.
(Okay, so what did you guys think? Be honest, lovely readers! Leave me a review! I hope you enjoyed and are eager for more! :D)