Chapter Text
Neil has been “invited” many places. Invitations can mean various things in Neil’s world. Andrew clearly has ulterior motives bringing him to Eden’s with his lot and Neil is okay with that, he needs to do this to settle the brewing sense of paranoia buzzing in his veins. The feeling has never quite gone away but finding out what Andrew’s intentions are will certainly help.
He looks Andrew up and down as the man in front of him scans him for something…something hmm, Neil pinpoints the look like one would to save a location on a map. There’s a change in Andrews gaze, one that does not spell out the scrabble word Neil had been saving all of his letters for. He struggles to rearrange the letters, intensity? Yes, but not quite right, animosity? Nope, not there yet. He digs a little deeper and ding ding goes the bell, is that… attraction? Oh yes, as fast as Andrew is to erase any smudges on his blank face, Neil caught it.
“My Father is the right hand man of Kengo Moriyama.” Neil puts his finger up in a wait-a-minute-please motion like he is a teacher talking to an angry kindergartener. Andrew’s hand pauses from where he was reaching under his armband. “Let me finish, and then you can use those however you want,” Neil states with a raised eyebrow. Andrew jerks his head in a “go on” motion. Neil drums his fingers on the table as he tells Andrew everything, no lies. As he speaks he watches the neon lights cast a purple tint to Andrews black painted nails, how his necklace hangs low into the V-neck of his shirt.
Neil spends a decent amount of time explaining his life story to Andrew, the man in front of him straightening his stance when Neil finishes with “I don’t plan to run anymore. I like it here, I want to play Exy and I would not spy on anyone for Riko if the fate of the world depended on it.” Andrew places his hands flat on the table as he leans towards Neil. The ends of his slightly curly hair bordering onto the tips of Neils own unruly hair. Neil asks, “Will you let me stay?”
“You took out your contacts,” Andrew states the obvious. He looks like a statue, so still like he doesn’t even need to breathe. Neils tilts his head so the light hits his newly colored hair. “You colored your hair.” Neil hums as Andrew looks him head on. “If you want to stop being a runner once and for all, cut out the shitty wardrobe.” Neil lets out a breath as he takes Andrew’s words for what they are, an allowance to stay. His ever present anxiety simmers down a bit, his shoulders loose some tension.
“I guess you’ll just have to dress me from now on, I’m a little helpless in the world of fashion.” Neil lets himself smile, he leans a little to his left, shifting the shirt Andrew bought him so it exposes a sliver of his waist. Andrews eyes shift down and back. He blinks. Andrew tilts his head up, still leaning close as he looks back and forth between Neils blue eyes and oh. Andrew is unsure. He can’t tell whether Neil’s comment was flirting or if was an odd attempt at being friendly.
Neil can’t have that. He has a goal for the night and it has to do with giving Andrew an invitation that holds a very clear intention. In his unwillingness to give away his uncertainty, Andrew only hums. Neil decides to pull the trigger in his self-made game of Russian roulette. “So now that this whole conversation is over, quick question, are you and Kevin fucking?” Andrew immediately leans back, his hair slightly swaying with the motion, he opens his mouth. All bets are on the table. “I wouldn’t fuck Kevin nor would I go near him if it wasn’t for our deal.”
Neil’s smile turns into a smirk. “Good to know, I want a drink,” he turns swiftly and walks straight into the crowd, beelining for the bar. As he walks he feels a steady presence at his back. Andrew followed him. He finds a lanky, brunette bartender waiting for him at the bar. As he orders his drink he sees the bartender shift his gaze to the left behind him. Neil doesn’t like what he sees in his gaze.
“Did you get that?” Neil says when he and Andrew finish their orders.
“Oh haha,” the bartender shakes his head as if in a trance, Neil steps slightly to the left, “my bad I zoned out on that last part.” After Neil repeats the last part of their order, the man goes to the other side of the bar to make their drinks. Neil sits on the stool in front of him and flips around to face Andrew. The blonde man standing there has the barest trace of amusement on his face. Neil leans forward unconsciously.
Andrew pushes his pointer finger to Neils forehead, making Neil slightly lean so his back rests on the edge of the bar counter. Neils legs shift with the movement and in in that same moment, Andrew steps in between them. Andrew, now standing between his legs, braces his hands on the counter behind Neil and again, his gaze shifts between Neils eyes. “I would say yes, you know,” states Neil.
“To what do you think you would be saying yes to Neil?” Andrew asks, his eyebrows furrowing as if he’s trying to solve the last problem on a really hard exam.
“You know what. If we weren’t in public, at least,” Neil adds in. He says this just as the bartender comes back with his drinks. Neil reaches back without looking and grabs his drink while maintaining eye contact with Andrew, he stirs it slowly using the little straw that came with it.
“I go on break in five minutes if you want to wait up,” the bartender cuts in towards Andrew. Neil takes a sip of his drink and hums before slipping under Andrews arms and standing up.
“Yeah Andrew, five minutes,” Neil gives Andrew one of his own Salutes and a lazy grin. He then flips around to walk through the crowd once again, leaving Andrew to pay for their drinks. He expects Andrews eyes on him, he expects a considering glance with maybe a hint of desire where Andrew ultimately decides to wait on the bartender. What he doesn’t expect, however, is the steady hand that presses into his lower back just as he breaches into the crowd. Caught off guard, Neil will forever deny the slight tint of red on his cheeks till he is blue in the face.