His legs had finally gotten so used to sitting in a car for so long that cramping was no longer an option. His eyes no longer got tired as it watched the monotony of the landscape, where each tree looked like the million before it, and each goddamned cow that got in his way was the same as every other one that he’d missed before.

He cursed proficiently as he pulled into a driveway of a shy home. Unassuming in everyway, even the middle aged woman that was hanging rugs and blankets out to dry was completely plain. A white dress fitting of her age covered the child-borne hips and her stark grey hair was pulled into a loose bun, only a couple grey tainted strands were fell about her face. Reminded him of his grandmother, sort of.

He inhaled cigarette smoke and tasted the flavor of nicotine, rolling it across his tongue as he rolled down the window. He contemplated leaving the house and not coming back. It wasn’t like his target was a big fish, anyways.

He opened the door, and that was the first time that the old woman noticed him. “Ma’am?” he offered slightly and she gestured him up after setting down what looked to be a hand-sewn quilt.

“Yes?” her voice was strong and stubborn, but still something else entirely. How could the boy have come from a family like this?

“I’m from the police department,” he didn’t tell her which, “I was wondering if you knew where this young man is?” he gave the picture of a redheaded young man with his arm around a girl with baby-blue hair. He was grinning decadently.

The woman raised an eyebrow and looked at it. “Haven’t seen him in years, officer.” She reached for a clothes pin and began to attack the quilt with them, pinning them up sharply. Her face was harsh, now. “What’s he done?” her voice was a touch softer now, a touch more worried.

“Nothing yet, ma’am, just we haven’t seen him either. We need him to find us a couple people…” the officer bowed, “If you haven’t seen him, I guess I better get out of your hair.” He didn’t think that she did know where he was, but he was still going to put a detail over her place to see if he showed up. Little old lady, where else would he go?

He set the picture on the dash and glared at the grinning redhead. His hand rose and touched the back of a wrist where the small tattoo of the ace of hearts rested.

“I’ll get you, son of a bitch,” he growled and the engine purred to life.

Samuel couldn’t find it in himself to wake Red. He sat at the edge of his bed, a pair of hiking boots being tied up and he stared at the sleeping redhead. He was something else when awake, but he was so peaceful when asleep. Most mornings, they weren’t like this. Of course, then they had to get up and get going. That day, they just had to drive again. It was irrational. Red could sleep in the car, for God’s sake. He reached out with the intention of shaking him awake, but instead his hand stroked smoothly across the shoulder under his hand.

The redhead began to stir, groaning quietly and turning over. One arm flipped out and wrapped around Samuel’s shoulder, pulling him down with him. “Nungh,” Red whimpered and pouted at him. His head rolled back and he looked at Samuel.

“Morning, sunshine,” he chirped and began to pull ineffectively out of the arm that was wrapped around him.

“Nuuh,” he groaned and his arm tightened.

“Oh, come on, Octopus,” he growled and began to slowly unwrap the arm around him.

“Nuh uh,” he insisted and shook his head.

“Let go,” he said sharply and Red pouted but opened his eyes. The arm around his neck loosened minutely.

“Asshole,” he groaned and stretched the other arm out, while the one around Samuel’s neck fell to the bed.

“Get up,” he growled again, and Red’s shoulders rolled.

Slowly, he sat up and glared at Samuel. “Bastard,” he muttered sourly and slithered from beneath the sheets. He was bare and glared again before grabbing his blue jeans off the back of one of the chairs and an old white t-shirt with huge holes in it. He slipped on a pair of ratty sneakers and sat on the edge of the harsh bed. Not like his, his had been soft like feathers and accepted his weight without folding or fighting. But, sometimes, something is worth it. Or someone. He glanced out the corner of his eye at Samuel.

He’d willingly given up luxury for a life on the road with a good friend. He’d miss his soft beds, nights of being up until dawn, overindulging, and waking up with a hangover of the ages, then going out and repeating the experience. Instead, he had nights of being so damned tired that he was in bed by nine so that when five came around, he’d be able to take on the day. He’d given up his luxuries for a friend that wasn’t afraid to touch his hair, be a touch too rough, but always help him out.

He flipped his hair and grinned as his shoes were finished settling on his feet. “Let’s get this show on the road, ne?” Infinitely cheerful, Samuel noticed sourly. Even after being woken up, he could still chirp like a bird and act like everything was back to normal. Freak.

“You sure you want to do that?” he said absently, and made to look at the beds of his fingernails. “They do have free breakfast after all…”

“Whoopie!” he shouted and grinned, before going to make a cart-wheel, but then, he decided against it. Breaking his neck over free breakfast wasn’t something he wanted to brag about in the after-life. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and even better when it’s free!” he sang cheerfully and carried his duffle bag with him down to the main lobby, where the news was showing clips of the previous night’s baseball game.

They helped themselves to breakfast, good and filling, even if it wasn’t the gourmet that Red had gotten used to in Los Vegas. “Ooh,” they groaned as they found their way to the truck again, taking a check to make sure they had everything. Red was singing cheerfully, off-key, and relatively…terrible.

They were easy going and friendly to each other as they set themselves into the cab and Samuel started up the engine.