THREE

I heard a strange noise; a whoosh and a slight thump above me then the noise of fighting reached me. I’d climbed under the bed so my head was level with the pillow, meaning I couldn’t see what was going on. Even twisting my head back I saw nothing but two sets of feet moving about. I really hoped Warbler would win that fight.

One of the men’s bodies hit the ground with a thump and I stifled a gasp. I nearly screamed when Warbler knelt down by the bed and pulled me out. I looked at the man on the floor, he didn’t look alive. I started to shake. Grabbing me by my upper arms Warbler shook me slightly. I looked at him.

“Calm down,” he instructed quietly. “Focus on me,” he said when I looked around the room quickly, taking in the man on the floor, a gun with a silencer attached at the bullet hole in the pillow. I looked back at Warbler and nodded. 

He moved quietly to the window and opened it. He gestured for me to climb out. I scooped up my bag and clambered out onto the fire escape with Warbler just behind me. We hurried down trying to be as quiet as possible. Once both of us were back on solid ground he grabbed my hand and we were running once more.

I had no idea what the time was, I just knew I hadn’t had enough sleep. I wasn’t sure where exactly we were, though I figured we were still in the city. We hadn’t run far through the darkened streets before Warbler stopped by a car. He grabbed the keys off the top of one of the tires and unlocked it.

“Get in,” he said, dashing round to the driver’s side.

Once we were moving Warbler relaxed slightly, though he still swore quietly under his breath.

“What’s going on?” I asked, “you said I was safe there.”

“You were meant to be; however, considering someone got to your room without causing any commotion I’d say there’s a breach in security somewhere.”

“Which means?”

“I don’t who to trust, someone with in my organisation wants you dead for whatever reason.”

“Why?” I asked desperately. “What did I do?”

“You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“And now I have to die?”  Despair welled up inside me, this wasn’t fair, none of it was fair I desperately wanted to go home, not to my small apartment but to my Dad in Ohio.

Warbler looked at me for a second before looking back at the road.

“No, you’re not going to die, I’m not going to let you.”

“Why do you care so much, you don’t even know me?”

“It’s my job,” he answered shortly. Suddenly the car swung to the side and up on the curb slightly, I squeaked.

“What was that for?” I gasped, clutching the door with one hand and the seat with the other. Instead of answering my question Warbler turned to me and caught my face between his hands, forcing me to look at him.

“You don’t deserve any of this,” he said passionately. “You have an amazing life ahead of you, maybe you’ll be editor of a magazine yourself one day, find an amazing man, have beautiful kids, show your scumbag boss how much better than him you are. That’s your future and I’m going damn well make sure you’re around to live it.” He looked so beautifully determined as he spoke my dreams so confidently. I leant forward and kissed him, short and hard. When I moved back my eye’s widened and I went in to panic mode, which as usual came with a stream of words that were almost too fast to catch.

“I did that last night, oh my. I don’t even know if your gay and I just kissed you, twice, three times, what must you think of me, I don’t usual do this, I don’t,” I was cut off mid-sentence by him surging forwards and kissing me again.

“Calm down ok,” he laughed once he’d pulled away. “First off, I’m am gay, second you’re in weird situation so yes maybe you’ll act a little impulsively but it’s fine. Thirdly, I kinda like it when you kiss me,” he whispered the last part, one had still cupping my cheek, thumb brushing gently across my skin, the other hand resting on my shoulder.

As we sat there with each other Warbler flicked his eyes to the back window.

“Get down,” he said.

“What?” I replied, confused as to the sudden change in mood, again.

“Just do it,” he pushed my down tucking me under him so I lay across the center console, which was really uncomfortable, while he lay across the top of me. Several cars speed past not long later, fortunately they didn’t notice us or stop. Once the road was silent again Warbler and I sat up. We stared at each other for a second before Warbler turned back to the road and began to drive.

The motion of the car and my exhaustion must have proved too much because when I opened my eyes it was light and we appeared to be in parked in the car park of a rather dingy looking motel. I looked over to the driver’s seat only to find it empty. I felt the panic rising at the thought of being abandoned and almost screamed when the door beside me opened.

“Hey are you ok?” Warbler asked, looking at me with concerned eyes.

“You weren’t here,” I answered dumbly, sleep still addling my brain slightly.

“Yeah, I was booking us in.” he gestured to the motel behind him. “Come on.”

I followed him up to our room, controlling my breathing and trying to bring my heart beat down. I looked carefully at Warbler, he was showing signs of a sleepless night, dark bags stained the skin under his eyes and dark stubble dusted his jaw. Some of his curls were breaking loose from the gel and falling across his forehead and around his ears.

“You look terrible,” I stated as he opened a door.

“Thanks, you don’t look so bright yourself,” he answered. I scowled at him.

“This place is gross,” I commented as I looked around the dingy motel room.

“I’m sorry, I’ll book us into the Ritz shall I?” he replied absently, dropping a bag he’d picked up from the car onto the bed.

“No need to get sarcastic,” I muttered back.

“We’re not actually staying here, we just need a bathroom.”

“Why?” I asked suspiciously.

“Because,” he said, pulling a box out of his bag, “You’re going to dye your hair for starters.” He chucked the box at me. I caught it and looked at it. It was cheap blonde dye.

“I’m not putting this crap in my hair,” I replied, scowling at him.

“I hear fashion week is going to be awesome this year, do you want to be able to go?” he asked, his voice faux pleasant. I scowled again.

“That was a low blow,” I snapped stalking off to the bathroom.

A couple of hours later I stood beside the bed, Warbler in front of me. I was blonde, wearing jeans that were far looser than I had worn in years, a plain white tee and the black jacket Warbler had been wearing. I also had a pair of black thin framed glasses on my face. Warbler had washed the gel from his hair so it fell in soft curls around his head. He was wearing blue contacts and hand the same clothes he was in before with the exception of a smart/casual off white blazer. 

“Nice,” he grinned.

“Is this actually going to fool anyone?” I asked unconsciously swiping the hair from across my forehead with my thumb the same way I had done in high school.

“Not if they stop and look no but the idea is that they don’t stop and look.”

“Okay,” I replied sceptically, elongating the ‘kay’.

“There’s just one final thing,” he said, shoving a hand in his pocket and pulling something out. I didn’t see what. He grabbed my left hand and slid a cold ring onto my ring finger. I stared at in shock. I’d longed to see a ring on my finger, but not like this, I suddenly wanted to cry. Instead I hid behind sarcasm.

“Well you suck at proposals.”

“I’ll have you know I can be very romantic, when I want to be,” Warbler replied, sliding a ring onto his own finger, “but that’s not an engagement ring, it’s a wedding ring. Our families suck and didn’t approve of our relationship so we ran away and got married in the city. We’re now on our honeymoon. Got it?”

I nodded dumbly.

“Ok, let’s find a decent place to spend our first night of marital bliss,” Warbler said cheerfully. I felt my cheeks redden. Seeing this he just laughed. I scowled once more but I figured the effect was lost by the way my cheeks could probably fry eggs. He tossed some money and the keys to the bed and then we made our way back to the car.

“Won’t they be able to follow the car?” I asked.

“No, no one knows about this one, I’ve sort of had my suspicions about my organisation for a while, too many things going wrong. I parked this car nearby in case I needed to run. Wasn’t planning on having a passenger though.”

“You told me I’d be safe,” I commented.

“I thought I was being paranoid and you were innocent so really there was no need for you to be harmed, unless of course the gang have people inside.”  He descended into silence after that clearly thoughtful of what his situation and driving. I let him think, my own thoughts turning to my life before this, wondering if I’d get it back. 

My phone suddenly vibrated jerking us both out of our heads. I looked down startled at my bag that still rested in the foot well. I leaned down and pulled it free. I looked at caller id.

“It’s Stefan,” I commented.

“Don’t answer it,” Warbler said.

“Well damn because I really want to talk to the guy who single handedly got me into this situation.” I let the phone ring on.

“You really blame him for all this?” Warbler asked, clearly surprised.

“Not completely but it’s his fault I wandered out into that part of the city,” I relented suddenly. My several brushes with death hadn’t softened me too Stefan. Warbler didn’t reply. I noticed I had several texts and voice mails, including one Stefan had just left. For some reason I wanted to hear it. Hitting the button I lifted the phone to my ear.

“Baby, please where are you? I know you’re mad Kurt but just tell me you’re ok. I just need to know that. If I haven’t heard from you by the end of the day I’m calling the cops Kurt. No one has seen you. You haven’t even spoken to Rachel, or your Dad. Hate me all you want but please come home. Please Kurt, I love you.” The last bit was whispered. I pressed cancel.

“What did he say?” Warbler asked.

“He’s looking for me, he told me to come home, let him know I was ok. He’s going to call the cops at the end of the day.”

“Well whether they want to help you or kill you my organisation will squash any missing person investigation.”

“I’m not sure if that’s comforting or not.”

“I’m going to sort this Kurt, I promise.” I just nodded along.

Stefan had been in contact with my Dad and Rachel and who knew he else. I had texts and voicemails from them too but I couldn’t bear to listen. I sighed and closed my eyes against the tears forming. There was no one more important in my life that my Dad and vice versa, what must he be going through now. I didn’t let my mind go any further down that track.

“What’s your name?” I suddenly asked Warbler.

“Warbler,” he replied automatically.

“What’s your real name?” I tried again.

“I can’t tell you Kurt, I wish I could but I can’t.”

“Fine,” I replied petulantly. He sighed and we both fell back into silence once more.

Eventually we parked in front of a cheap looking hotel.

“How are you’re acting skills?” he asked.

“Fantastic of course, I was going to be a Broadway star,” I replied primly.

“Going to be?”

“Dreams change.”

“Ok, remember what I said about our backstory.”

“Yes.”

“Good, let’s go.”

“Wait,” I cried suddenly. “Your name?”

“For heaven’s sake Kurt drop it,” he snapped. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I can’t call you Warbler can I? What kind of ridiculous name is that, it doesn’t even make a good pet name,” I said smugly. He stared at me wide eyed for a second the laughed.

“You’re still not getting my name. Call me Andy Blair, you better pick a name too. Something you’ll remember.”

“Finn,” I said, the first name off the top of my head.

“No, not a relatives name,” he replied. My mouth dropped open.

“How did you?” I shook my head. “Never mind. What about Will? That was my old glee club directors name.”

“That’s fine, it’s a common name which is good.”

“Same surname as you?” I asked. He nodded. I opened the door.

“Oh and Kurt?” I looked back at him. “Please don’t complain about the room when we get in. I laughed and didn’t answer, depending on how bad the room was, I might have to complain.

As we walked to the door he slid his arm around my waist. I moved a little bit closer to him, I could tell myself that it was because it would look better for our cover but truthfully, pressed to his side, this was the safest I’d felt in days.