Running Love

~A Romantic RP by Tachigami and NekoLen

Rosewell was a quiet and peaceful town, its streets lined with small well-kept trees, every front lawn of the quaint little houses were green and free of weeds. Every garden was well-maintained and the rose bushes were free of rot or disease. It was the sort of place that was thought to be safe and crime free. The small police station rarely had any crimes to investigate and most of the emergency calls turned out to be simple things, such as a neighbourly dispute over what shape the topiary hedge should be.

It was a clear summer's night one Friday when the first two phone calls came through that related to a strange occurrence. A loud noise and a youth, running at full speed down the street. The police shrugged it off, simply noting it down and returning to their game of poker. It wasn't until ten more phone calls came in that they decided to patrol the streets and see if they could find this youth themselves.

-

The cool air caressed his face as he ran, his feet hitting the pavement at a steady rhythm. The town of Rosewell sped past him as he sprinted down the streets and towards a large forest he could see on the horizon. Where would he go, he had no idea. Would he ever stop running? He heard sirens. He turned his head and saw a police car coming down the street towards him. His heart stopped. No, they couldn't lock him up again. He was free. Free to run the streets of Rosewell. Free to do what he wanted to. They couldn't catch him.

He ducked into a side street and jumped over a fence, dashing through someone's backyard. He ran past a lady and her baby, who screamed in shock and ran inside her house. He didn't stop to apologise, he continued his sprint through town, dodging the police.

Andy James was sitting in his truck outside a residence, head resting against the steering wheel and breathing slowly, calming his racing heart. In a rage he had thrown his phone out the window and it had skittered across the road, smashing into the curb. It hadn't been a newer model---at least six years old, the thing had survived being buried in soil, planted with bellflowers, mixed in with weeds, almost sent off to the dump. Several times he'd stepped on it, set bags of manure on it, and had it stolen by a dog. The poor thing had survived Armageddon and still made calls and had a clean, uncracked screen. Now he was sure it was broken. But he didn't care right now. He was just frustrated, angry, and still didn't know why he dealt with Cory. The guy was okay, a pretty good friend, but as a boyfriend, he was desperately lacking. There was no doubt in Andy's mind that both liked one another---he always felt something when he was around Cory---but Cory didn't exactly think when he... did anything.

The guy didn't think before he let some stupid thing fall out of his mouth, and didn't exactly consider others' emotions on a level deeper than a simple good friend should. While Andy worked landscaping, Cory Black worked as a high school teacher, and over the past two weeks had begun to overwork, come by for a brief liaison, make and then cancel plans. He didn't see it as that big of a deal, and Andy should have listened to his roommate Dean when he'd said dating a friend would end badly, if not be a rocky road throughout. Andy sighed, getting out of his truck and trudging across the quiet street, scooping up his phone and shocking himself yet again with the knowledge that it had a scratch, but otherwise turned on and lit up. Just a few minutes ago it had buzzed with Cory's name and number lit up, and he'd answered it, hoping their plans to head to Shin's Diner were still up and running.

"Hey, man---you okay?" Andy had tried to keep his voice from admitting how tense he was.

"Uh, yeah... Look, man, I dunno if I'm gonna make it over to Shin's tonight---"

"What!?" Andy had barked, but bit his lip to keep himself from launching into a tirade. Instead, he breathed out. "Cory, c'mon, you said you'd definitely be free tonight. It's friggin' Friday!"

"I know!" Cory had moaned. "But... I have a few parents to meet, y'know...? It's just... short notice. They all called this afternoon."

"And you couldn't tell them you'd have time on Monday?"

"No. Andy, look... I'm sorry, man, I'll try to make it up tomorrow, okay? Like, you get Dean out of the house, I bring lunch over, we spend all day inside..."

"Maybe..."

"Maybe?"

"I dunno... Look, maybe, Cory, okay? Just... let me think about it."

He sighed, going back to his truck and closing himself in. Cory was so unpredictable lately---he had no idea when he'd see the guy, and it was getting frustrating. He'd thought about talking to Cory about that tonight, but now those plans were shot. He sighed, starting his truck and suddenly hearing a siren. One siren, no doubt from a police car, somewhere nearby. That was odd. How long had it been since he'd heard a siren anywhere but from television? Most disturbances the police in Rosewell were handled without sirens, except the health concerns or fires. He didn't see smoke in the bright sky, and usually a medical emergency was handled by at least three sirens. He was more curious now, but decided not to be a snoop and go following a cop car, and pulled away from the house he'd just finished up at.

He kept running. Nothing was ever going to stop him, not the police, not the tiredness that was now seeping up his legs. He would run forever and ever, but where to? He had no time to stop and think. The police car he had dodged sped around a corner, slowing down alongside him as he ran. The window was down and the passenger leaned out of it. "Are you going to stop running, son? We just want to talk to you."

He shook his head and sped up, making the car fall behind until they followed suit. He jumped over another fence, and ran through what looked like a car wreckers yard. He tripped on a piece of metal that laid on the ground but kept running, climbing the fence and disappearing into the forest. The police slowed down and watched him run off, deciding to call it a night for now. They moved off to where the kid had come from, making sure no crimes had actually been committed. They knocked on the doors of the neighbours, questioning them about the youth and this noise that they had heard before the boy had took off running.

One door was answered by a man who had dyed his hair pink. He was wearing what looked like girl's clothes, and spoke very softly. The local drag queen who frequented the gay bars and clubs as a performer. Dean Hersh was 25, but looked a lot younger due to all the make up he wore. The police looked startled by his appearance, but didn't make any judgements. The people of Rosewell were very open minded and that's why Dean was glad to call the town home. He had been bullied most of his life for his tendency to dress as a woman, and his parents had even disowned him.

"Erm... Mister Hersh, we are investigating a strange occurrence which happened in your neighbourhood around midday today. Will it be alright if we ask you a few questions?" one of the police officers asked, hoping Dean wouldn't get offended at being called a 'Mr'. Dean smiled.

"Oh, not at all Darlings, did you want to come inside?" he stood to aside with his offer, gesturing warmly. The policemen shook their heads slightly.

"Oh, it will only be a minute, Mister Hersh," the other spoke up, holding onto a notepad and pen. "We just want to ask if you saw the strange youth running down the road or heard any loud noises."

Dean thought for a few moments, before shaking his head sadly. "I am so sorry deary, I would have been doing my workout around that time. I blast my music, see, so I wouldn't have heard anything." The policemen frowned and Dean sighed. "I am really sorry for not being helpful," he apologised.

"That's alright, Mister Hersh. You have a good evening, OK?" the policeman tipped his hat towards Dean and they both turned to leave when Dean suddenly remembered something.

"Oh wait! Last night there were a few loud bangs, but I didn't hear anything today," Dean pointed towards a dark house at the end of the street. "Them people that live in there are really strange. We hardly see them and when we do, they are carrying bags and bags of stuff. We all think they might be making meth or something in there because the smell is horrendous." The policemen followed his pointed finger and peered at the house. Yes, they had been called over to the place numerous times for the same reasons Dean was now saying. The folks that lived there were hermits, and the smell came from the rubbish that they hoarded.

"Thank you for your time, Mister Hersh," one of the policemen said again and they left the house's yard, walking down the footpath to their car. They watched as a truck pulled up at Dean's house and then they slowly left the street.

Andy hadn't seen the police as he headed home. He'd heard the sirens get close to where he'd been driving but the only odd thing he'd seen had been a kid---or was it a young guy?---sprinting through to where the forest began. But he'd had to turn left, while the guy had been running off to the right, and after that point Andy had lost sight of the guy. With a sigh, he turned to home, and pulled up to the drive as a cop car revved up and pulled away. Suddenly his heart began thumping in his chest, a feeling that was almost the same as the moment before Cody would kiss him, but this was built more of fear than anticipation. What had the cops been doing here?

He got out, finding the door not quite closed and Dean peering out. "Hey, Dean, what the hell...?" Andy looked back at the police cruiser that had begun its way off the street, and looked toward the man with pink hair and women's clothes before he understood he was being pulled inside. "Dude, what the hell... What's been going on today? I heard a siren after I got done with my last job and saw this kid running into the forest before I got here, what're the cops doing...?"

Dean shrugged and spun around to go back to the living room---Andy followed. "They asked about a kid running down the street too." Dean said, shrugging a little. "Wanted to know what's been happening 'cross the street. That weird house, y'know?"

"Yeah..." The creeps that had been living a little down the street a ways. But what did that have to do with a kid running like a madman? Andy asked Dean, who shrugged, and sighed. "Hell... What a day."

"I know that tone." Dean waggled a finger at Andy. "You were stiffed by Cory again, weren't you?"

Crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, Andy shrugged, but managed a bit of a smile. "That obvious, eh?"

"Too obvious." Dean sighed, putting his hands on his hips and staring at Andy like a disapproving parent. "You need to talk to him."

"I was planning on doing that tonight."

"Mmhmm..." Dean wrinkled his nose, and Andy could see he didn't believe what he heard. "Sure you weren't gonna take him out then run off to his place to have a midnight workout?"

It was Andy's turn to wrinkle his nose, and Dean smiled. "Yeah, yeah, I know what you're gonna say. Dating friends and rocky dead end roads and all that. I'm off for a shower, don't start dinner without me." He headed down the hall to a chorus of some song he'd never heard, closing himself up in the main bathroom and starting a stream of water in the shower. He couldn't quite get that guy out of his mind. The runner. Had he done something? Escaped from somewhere? Was he running from someone?

It had become pitch black in the forest. He couldn't run in here, the trees, bushes and roots stopped him no matter where he went. Soon he had exited the forest and ended up in the town of Rosewell again, running through the streets. He was lost, and had no idea where to go. Maybe if he could make it to the other side of town... There wasn't a forest on that side. He ran through the streets, slowing slightly when he recognised the houses he was running past. He finally came to a stop when his clear blue eyes landed on the dark house at the end of the road. His heart thumped painfully in his chest.

He turned around and ran up a pathway, dashing through a hedge and into someone's yard. The place was huge, with neatly sculpted lawns and a pond. He would have stopped to admire it if he wasn't running. Running from the place of his misery, running away from the pain that tried to stop him. He jumped over the pond and bumped into someone who had been sitting under the tree there. He saw pink hair and a dress, but kept running without apologising. The woman screamed, but he continued, climbing the fence and jumping over to the next yard.

Dean's heart was racing as he watched the kid climb their fence and disappear from sight. He had not expected someone to fall onto him as he sat near the pond, lost in thought. He often sat there at night to clear his mind before going out on the town. He was waiting for his current partner, a big black man who had a thing for cross-dressers. He got to his feet and rushed inside, scared that the kid would come back to attack him. As he did so, he bumped into Andy, who looked concerned.

"There was a kid in the garden! He fell on me and gave me a huge fright," Dean was shaking and had to steady himself. "Must be that kid the cops were looking for."

Dinner was simple, light. He didn't eat much of the soup he'd mostly put together, thinking more along the lines of Cory. What was he up to now? Was he even thinking about Andy right now? At seven in the evening? Cody was probably tired, and he was fidgeting with his phone while the dishes bumped and washed in the dishwasher. That was the only sound as he sat at the small kitchen table in the little breakfast nook, and he'd closed all the curtains around him. He wanted to feel more boxed in than usual, have no prospect of what was out there, what he'd had to shoot down. He couldn't go to Shin's alone. Didn't want to. He wanted someone to talk to and Dean was going to be busy tonight as soon as his partner arrived. It wouldn't be long, he was sure---neither would want to miss the prime parking or arrive too late wherever they were headed. Probably to a few clubs, there was little doubt about that---Dean loved to be social.

If only Andy felt the same. Dean would often try to cajole him out with him, or with whoever he was with at the time, but more than half the time Andy managed to squirm out of it. He couldn't always use the 'feeling sick' excuse, however, so he made up meetings with Cory and took a walk or went to the park, hiding somewhere Dean and his entourage wouldn't see.

A scream alerted him to something wrong outside, where Dean was. His scream sounded decidedly womanly, nothing Andy thought odd as his voice was light and feminine, but he never raised his voice unless something was genuinely wrong. He jumped up, shoving his phone into his pocket and sprinting toward the back door, swiveling into the alcove where the sliding doors were. "Dean?" He'd rarely seen the man shaking like he was. Andy put his hands on Dean's shoulders. "God, calm down Dean. I don't think the kid's a killer or anything. Probably doesn't know how he's freaking people out. Stay in here, yeah? I'll head out to look for him."

"Andy, no. You don't know what that guy's done---"

"Neither do you." Andy ruffled Dean's pink hair. "Wait for your guy in here, got it? I'll call you if you're gone before I get back so you know I'm okay, eh?"

Dean nodded, and he went around the man, sliding the door closed behind him. He heard something from his left, and followed that. Footfalls. Andy felt energetic---maybe he could run the kid down. He hopped the fence, strong arms lifting him effortlessly, and started after.

Where was he now? He didn't know his surroundings. He didn't stop his running, however, and continued down a treelined street. He past a few shops, their bright signs disorientating him and making him feel dizzy. He staggered slightly, feeling a familiar urge raising in his chest. He swallowed it. No, he just had to keep running. He heard footsteps that weren't his own and turned his head. A man was chasing him down. Who was he? Why was he chasing him? He cried out and sped up, dashing down an alleyway and coming to a dead end. He tried to climb the brick wall, but realised it was impossible. It was too late to correct his mistake, the man that had been chasing him down was blocking his only escape.

He moved from foot to foot, panting heavily and trying to find a way out of his situation. He felt jumpy and twitched when the man slowly approached him. "Stay away!" he said in his hoarse voice. It had seemed like forever since he last spoke.

He was off as soon as he saw a flash of movement to his left, the kid. No, not a kid. He was young, yes, but not a kid. Andy took off after him, shoes slapping the pavement, squeaking here and there, but he kept right behind the guy. When he looked back and cried out, Andy almost stopped in surprise. Hadn't anyone come after him like this? Or was he the first? Beyond the police, but he had a feeling they'd just followed him in the cruiser, not on foot. Now he understood why---he was quick, but he'd apparently been running all day. When the young man twisted into an alley, Andy knew it was a dead end. He'd walked these streets all his life.

He skidded to a halt at the mouth of the alley and puffed out a breath for a moment. Stepping forward, he tried to keep his hands out, where the young man could see. "Hey, calm down..." Andy's voice was steady despite the pounding his heart was doing after the brief but intense sprint. His voice was akin to calming a panicked dog.

"Look, kid, why've you been running all over town?" Andy asked a little more forcefully, dropping his hands to his sides. He was ready to dart left or right if the young man tried to run past him. "What's going on with you?" He didn't look familiar. Andy knew most people in Rosewell, after all, because of his landscaping business. People knew him too. But this young guy was a true mystery. Had he simply run right into town? that couldn't be possible---the nearest area near Rosewell was Clinton, and it was even smaller than Rosewell.

(I made him do it Master :D)

He panicked and tried to run up the wall, knowing he couldn't, not normally. He backed against it, hopping from foot to foot and glaring at the man who was slowly approaching him. There was no way he could get past. "Stay away! I am warning you!" he yelled, drawing a few looks from passers by. Maybe the people thought the young man was being mugged. One old man stepped forward.

"Is everything alright here?" he asked, glancing from the cornered blonde to the other man. He seemed to recognise the man and smiled. "Oh, Mr. James, I didn't notice you."

He took this distraction to his advantage. He turned to the brick wall and focussed hard, feeling a surge of energy explode throughout his body. He ran at the wall and managed to shoot up and over it, landing on top of the nearby building's roof. He took off over the buildings, jumping from roof to roof until he ran out of buildings he could jump to. This didn't stop him. He jumped to the street below, stumbling and rolling before getting to his feet and sprinting off again.

He opened his mouth again to calm the young man down, but he was speaking too loudly. Someone had overheard. When Carson paused to see what the problem was, Andy had to turn to him and let his eyes off the young man for a moment. "There's just a bit of a tantrum being thrown, that's all Cars."

"I see..." The man looked over Andy's shoulder, but nodded, waving and heading off. When Andy turned to face the young man again, he gasped when the kid jumped up the wall somehow and reached the rooftop of the building to the left. "Fuck! Oh, shit!" Andy stumbled back and onto the sidewalk, sprinting again as the young man ran, jumped the narrow gaps easily, but then, they weren't epic hurdles. He still couldn't believe that the kid had jumped up the wall he'd scrabbled with just moments before. Then he was gone, down on the street again. He spun onto the street the kid had gone to, this one darker and quiet, and Andy kept himself steady. He puffed out his breaths evenly. His arms worked, but they didn't overwork.

His outdoor work---something he'd done since he was nine, with his father, had him running back and forth through yards, hauling heavy barrels and dragging tarps. His body was toned for running long distances, his lungs strong---he could easily run a marathon, and this was hardly a marathon. "Kid! I'm not about to hurt you, stop! C'mon, I just wanna... wanna talk!" He was wasting his breath, and that was stupid. He bit his tongue and put on a burst of speed, catching up quickly.

He couldn't believe that this man had caught up to him. How could he run so fast? Was he like him? No, as far as he knew, he was the only one. He sped up, ignoring how his feet ached and his legs screamed at him to stop. He had to rest, he couldn't keep running. No, he had to. Had to get to the other side of town. Then where to? Away from here. As far as he could run.

He was shocked when his pursuer caught up with him and he looked at the man. "Go away, leave me alone!" he cried, pushing him slightly and speeding up his run. He was running as fast as humanly possible now, but he could go faster. He reached deep inside for the energy that boiled like a fire in a boiler. Suddenly he shot off down the street, as fast as a speeding car. There was no way the man could keep up with him now. There was no way. No way. He laughed and looked behind him, watching the figure slowly shrink behind him. He had done it.

He couldn't react fast enough and smacked into the side of the pharmacy, crumpling slightly against the brick wall and falling onto the ground. His nose was bleeding and he was winded. As he struggled to his feet, the man finally caught up to him. "Leave me alone! I'm not going back."

Andy was shocked. He had to be seeing things. It was evening---it was darker now, darker and the yellowish-blue lights of the streetlamps, and he never liked to see the world alight with these odd glows. They were unnatural, and made him see unnatural things. This had to be why the kid seemed to take off so utterly fast. Like a runaway vehicle. No, he had to have slowed dramatically, but he still had a good amount of breath left, his heart was beating, but beating evenly and steadily. He wanted to call out to the kid when he was about to run headlong off the road and into the side of the pharmacy, but couldn't quite do that. Putting on a burst of speed, Andy came to a quick halt before him and gasped, leaning forward. His hair must have come out of its ponytail at some point, and now sweaty black strands were hanging around his head.

He was shocked at the kid's words. "What the hell... w-what are you talking about?" He demanded, breathing through his mouth to still the adrenaline coursing through him. "Kid, I don't want to send you back... wherever the hell you are. Unless you're a convict or something! Are you?" He shook his head. "Naah, no, you're not some fugitive. God... What the hell are you running from?" He stepped forward, keeping the kid where he was and pulling a scrap from his pocket. It was a rag he'd made from an old shirt, and he pressed it to the kid's bleeding nose. "You'd better be glad you didn't break your nose, or your teeth out." He muttered. "You okay...? C'mon, trust me, kid..." He didn't look much younger than Andy, who at twenty six was still confused for a twenty year old. But he didn't know the guy's name. "I just want to know what's got you so freaked out."

He stood stubbornly in front of the young man, his grip on the kid's shoulder light and nonthreatening. "Who are you running from...?" He asked, looking the kid over slightly.

He was so tired he could barely move. His legs were numb and his heart threatened to burst from his chest. Yet he breathed steadily as he gazed up at the man who was lightly holding him down. His head throbbed and he looked towards the wall he had run into. A large hole had been made on impact, and impact that would have killed any normal person. He wasn't normal.

"I have to get out of town. You can't stop me. I have to keep running!" he managed to get to his feet and started to jog down the street, the man coming along with him. He was getting rather annoyed. He reached for the untapped energy but found none. He must have used it all up. "I'm not going to tell you anything, so you should just go. Leave me alone. Tell your policemen to leave me alone too. I just want to run. Just let me run."

Andy shook his head when the kid started off again, glad that he was going slower now. He could keep up a jog for hours. Falling into pace beside the young man Andy shook his head. “Look, kid, I can't stop the cops from coming after you. You're really freaking people out around here and they won't be stopping until they get you and lock you in a holding cell until you cave and say where you came from.” He breathed evenly, but had to put on a quick burst of speed and forced the kid to stop, and Andy put his hands on the young man's shoulders.

“I can't let you keep going---you'll exhaust yourself to death and I can't feel right standing around and watching you do that. And if you think you'll be able to just run to another city or town from here then good luck, because even if you're driving it's a day away and you're not about to run that far. Kid, come on, tell me what you're running from. God forbid I want to help a perfect stranger, eh?” He stood back. “What's got you so... freaked out? Is someone after you? I won't make you go to the cops but at least let me do something.” Anything. He'd do anything. Why did he do some of his work for free? Because some people just needed a cute yard to look at while their life fell apart around them. Why did he cut his price in half for a single mother of three? Because she wouldn't be able to afford what he charged for mowing, weeding, and watering and she just didn't have time to do it herself. He had too soft a heart, he knew that, and this kid---this young man---had something awful on his tail. And it pushed Andy to that want to help.

He sighed heavily. Why did this man care for him? He wouldn't die from exhaustion. Come daytime he'd have enough energy to burn up again. But of course, this man didn't know this. "Why won't you just let me run? I've never had this much freedom in my life and you want to take it away from me the moment I get it?" He pushed the man again, but found it hard to start up his run. His feet were so sore he was sure he could feel bleeding blisters. He glanced down at his shoes. They had been too small for him to begin with and they were already falling apart.

"Fine, I'll rest for the night. If that gets you to leave me alone, I'll do it."

Andy sighed, finally feeling safe enough to gather up his hair and tie it out of his dark blue eyes. "Look, kid... I dunno where you come from, I don't really even care because right now it's not important. But I'm not about to just lock you up or something. I want you to calm down a little, come with me and rest and then you go do whatever it is you do, just don't go sprinting all over town." He stepped around the kid, putting a hand on his shoulder lightly and hoping it wasn't seen as a method of lockdown. "Hey, what's your name, anyway? I'm Andy---Andy James." He smiled in a partially tired, partially friendly manner. His heart wasn't thudding anymore, and his adrenaline had faded away to something between energy and exhaustion.

Go with him... This man... Andy... Where was he going to take him? Was he an undercover policeman? A spy for an opposing company? He had been warned about those that would want to use his powers for evil. He hesitated, looking around the street. He had come so close to exiting town, so close to the other side that led to another place. He had to get there, had to get away from Rosewell. He sighed again and looked back towards Andy.

"I have to... I have to get out of here. It's not safe... For you or for me to stay... You just don't understand what I am." But he didn't run away. He hugged himself and thought for awhile. How much longer could this man chase him? "I'm not staying. Come morning I will be leaving town. You can't stop me."

Sighing, Andy shook his head and looked down at the kid. "Hey, guy. I don't care what you do tomorrow. But tonight, you're coming to my house, you're sleeping, and you're sure as hell not running hundreds of miles on your bare damn feet. Look at those shoes." He stopped and put both hands on the kid's shoulders. "They're falling apart. If you want to get somewhere, I'll give you some cash and drive you to a bus station, then you can go as far as it'll take you, eh?"

He didn't want the kid to run himself to death. No doubt he was at least old enough to drink, no doubt a bit older, but he was still only human... right? Who could run for so long and so fast that the whole town became unnerved and the police were tailing him? "Hey..." He pulled the young man along, walking back and hoping to hail a taxi. "Why do you keep running...? What's going on with you---were you locked up before now? C'mon, help me figure this out... At least let me know what I'm getting myself and my roommate into by giving you a place to sleep for a while." He was worried suddenly, but this kid was so frantic to get away---something awful must have happened to him.

"My name is Sam." He muttered this, staring at the ground as he was carefully pulled along with Andy. Sleep? He hadn't slept in a long time. Had he? He couldn't remember. "I just have to get away... Away from this place," he continued to whisper, his voice no longer wanting to stick around. "The people... Who had me locked away... They want me back... They will be looking for me... I'm too dangerous to be let run free..."

He rubbed his eyes, feeling strange. It seemed the drugs were finally wearing off. He looked about them, but still couldn't recognise where they were. This town was so alien to him, because he had spent his whole life chained to a wall in some basement.

Andy tilted his head. He was so curious, but there was something in the kid's---Sam's---tone that told him not to question further. He said nothing, however, and shook his head. "Well... Whoever's searching for you won't bother looking with me, I'll guarantee that. I'm just a landscaper, they won't be too interested in me. So... you'll be safe. For the night. And I'll get you to the bus station, and you can get the hell out." He sighed, turning onto a main road and keeping the young man close to him.

"Hey..." He muttered. "I'd ask what's wanting you back so badly... why you're so 'dangerous'... but I don't think I want to push you for answers. I guess I'm lucky you trust me enough at this point, aren't I?" He smiled a bit, a lopsided thing he was always told was 'so sweet'.

Sam didn't say a word in reply. He allowed himself to be led along by this man, ready to run if anything happened that he didn't like. Something about Andy made him seem trustworthy enough, but Sam couldn't let his guard down. He had only been free for less than a couple of days, and the last thing he wanted was for his freedom to be cut short. "I don't think... I don't... I won't hurt you... As long as you don't hurt me..." He took off his knitted beanie he wore on his head and ran his hand through his matted hair, his fingers lingering on the strange horns that grew underneath his fringe.

"Don't make me mad, or give me a reason to hurt you."

Andy rolled his eyes, patting the young man on the shoulder. "I'm not about to hurt you." He muttered. "But look here---if I do something that'll make you want to hurt me, I damn sure deserve whatever I get." His stomach turned at the thought of harming someone. He shook his head hard. "But I'm a fighter---if you come at me without provocation I'll react. And I doubt you could outrun a bullet." He pushed his hand into his pocket. It was small, and a just-in-case thing, because no town, no matter how comfortable, was entirely safe. "It's not a threat, don't worry." He could physically feel the quick pang that came from Sam at his words.

Glancing down, he squinted a little and paused. "Hey... what's that...?" He pulled the young man to a stop and touched his hair. "What is that?" He was curious now, more curious than concerned.

"It's..." Sam didn't make to hide the small growths on his forehead. He had never thought about them as a deformity or something that would shock people to see, but seeing Andy's reaction made him feel a little self-conscious. "From all the experiments... Just little things, I hide with my hat." He moved Andy's hands away and pulled the beanie back on over his blonde hair and horns. "Nothing to worry about."

Sam wished he had kept running now. He didn't want to be around this man any more. He asked too many questions, questions that Sam didn't want to answer. If Andy truly knew what he was, who he was... He turned and thought about leaving the man, running out of the town and to the next town and the next. No, he had made a promise and there was one thing he knew about the world; he must keep his promises.

Andy grimaced at the way the kid seemed to shrink away, and shook his head hard. He could feel the self-consciousness lay thick on first the kid, then himself, and shook his head hard. "Look, sorry... It's... not like me to get weird." He shook his head, sighing in annoyance. "I don't care where you got them, okay? Whatever experiments... happened..." He paused, pulling them both along the street. What did that mean? Had this kid been abused? God, he hoped not. The last thing he needed to feel was overwhelming grief and anger and loss that came with abuse if Sam wanted to go into what happened.

"Whatever happened, you can forget about it happening again, got it? I won't let it happen again..." He steeled himself. "I'll get you out of here." He seemed like such a sweet kid, too. If ridiculously terrified of being caught. It didn't take an Empath to figure that out.