EUPHORIA | BOOK 3 of Death of the Future Series

05 | NEO

"What the hell are you doing here?" Neo hissed once he got his best friend into his room. He was quick to draw the curtains closed and locked the door, heart racing against his chest. "You could've been caught!"

"Relax," Michael said, a smile crossed his lips. Relax? Was he out of his mind?

Neo opened his mouth to give him a piece of his mind, but Michael had glanced away from the shorter male, taking in his bedroom instead. Right, he hadn't been to his place before. Not that he had either.

Still, that wasn't the problem now.

He almost had a heart attack when he saw those familiar hazel eyes peeking from the fences. He didn't know how Michael found him, and maybe he should be tad worried about that since he never gave out his address, but most of all, what followed his discovery was the overwhelming wave of fear. Neo had half of a mind to kick Michael in the shin for that stunt.

Instead, he leaned against the door, frowning.

"Michael—"

"Your room is almost how I pictured it," Michael said, finally looking back at him with a grin so wide, it almost had Neo's heart stuttering to a stop. It wasn't fair how bright he looked like that when he had sneaked into another House! Neo only glared at him, but that only served to dim the grin into a softer smile, one that he refused to admit made him weak in the knees. "Neo, I missed you."

His cheeks burned at that, the heat travelled and settled on the back of his neck and the tip of his ears. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he took in a deep breath and gave him a curt nod, still fixated on being angry. Michael only chuckled as if he saw right through him.

"You sneaked into another House area, Michael," Neo said, unable to hold back the slight panic colouring his voice.

"I did and I'm fine," Michael said, taking a step towards him.

He could only stare at his best friend. "What are you even doing here? Risking your life like an idiot."

"Gee, thanks," Michael said, his voice dry. He shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets before he took in a deep breath. "I... I need to talk to you about getting Matched."

Neo raised an eyebrows. "What about it?"

The taller boy shrugged for a second. He didn't believe that innocent act even a bit but he waited patiently for a while, hoping the silence was enough to crack Michael to reveal what he had in mind. And crack he did.

"I think I figured out a way to stop us getting Matched with other people," Michael said, his nervousness clear on his face especially with the way his eyebrows furrowed.

The air between them shifted then, bringing forth a hushed tenseness. Neo took a step towards him then. "What?"

He didn't know what that meant. There was no way anyone could escape from being Matched. A shiver ran down his spine at the familiar glint in those hazel eyes. The only ever time Michael had looked like that was when he suggested borderline illegal activities. This time, something told him that what he had in mind might be more than that just 'borderline' illegal.

Sweat formed at the back of his neck. The distance between them lessened then when Michael took a few more steps towards him.

A hand cupped his cheek, and when his warmth blanketed his skin, Neo didn't hesitate to lean into his touch. He reached to grasp his friend's wrist, tightening his fingers as he kept his eyes firmly on the taller boy.

"I need to know that you want me... like I want you," Michael said. "I know you feel this thing between us. And if you do, then I'll take you away from being Matched."

His heart skipped a beat before fear crawled and settled in his veins. Neo opened and closed his mouth, but he couldn't find the courage within him to speak. He did feel more for Michael than just friendship. It took a while for that thought to properly settle in his head, but when they did, it felt right.

But that was just it — what was right for them would put their lives in danger.

Especially jeopardise Michael's bright future.

He pulled his friend's hand away from his faec, throat threatening to close when Michael's face fell.

"Look, Michael—"

"Please," the taller boy said, silencing his lies immediately. "I can't have you deny it now. Not now."

He sighed. "What do you want me to say? So what if I felt this thing between us? We're going to get caught and we'll suffer. It's a huge risk."

Michael grasped his arm when Neo tried to take a step back, gently halting him. "We won't. I promise you."

"You can't promise me that." He yanked his arm away, frustration bubbling within him. "You don't think I want to run away too? I do, Michael. But they'll find us. You know very well who. Especially when it's you who'll go missing."

Michael thinned his lips, once more lessening the distance between them. "I know. I'm scared too. But Neo, I would rather run away and die trying than to be forced to be Matched to someone I don't love. I won't love."

Neo glanced away. Silence washed into the scene for a few seconds but those moments was enough for Michael to grasp his chin with his thumb and forefinger, lifting his face. "You can't run away from being Matched, Michael."

"In my way, we can," Michael said. "If you truly feel this thing between us, then I want to..."

Neo searched his face. "Want to what?"

"I just want you by my side, Neo." His voice was raw, full of sincerity that it tugged the shorter boy's heartstrings. "Please tell me you want me too."

The desperation in those hazel eyes was more than enough for him to nod. He couldn't lie, not now. But the fear only doubled then. Because what now? If they couldn't and wouldn't want to submit to their fate, what else were they supposed to do?

The touch on his chin moved to cradle his jaw, thumb caressed his skin in a gesture that made Neo relax.

"How?" Neo said, voice quiet. "How would you stop us from being Matched?"

Michael took in a deep breath. "We go see your sister."

"Absolutely not," Neo said, furrowing his eyebrows. "Are you mad? She's in the Fail Zone."

"She knows her way around computers," Michael said. "You know she can help."

Neo glared at him. "The last time she tried hacking into the system, she got caught. She was immediately thrown into the Fail Zone. You know this."

"Trust me." Michael's jaw clenched when he only continued to stare at him. "I know it's a huge risk, but Neo, we need to do this. You just have to trust me."

"I do and that's what terrifying me," Neo said, running a hand through his hair and pulled away from Michael's touch.

He paced across the floor of his bedroom, nervousness mixing now with his fears. This was utterly mad. The last thing he wanted was for them to be doomed right from the beginning. But another part of him, the smaller part that wanted to hold onto this changing thing between them tight, whispered the need to let Michael do his thing.

Maybe there was a way.

While it could be a fearful endeavour, what was an adventure without risks?

And Michael had never failed to keep his promises.

Neo sighed again. "Fine," he said, conceding. He ignored the way his heart skipped a beat at the bright smile now crawling on Michael's face. "Fine... we'll see Elly."