Joel quietly sat down in the chair opposite of Etho. They haven't seen each other since Etho moved in with Doc and got the job here.

"Etho!!" Joel called out as he looked down from the rooftop. "This looks good!" he said and turned around, brushing invisible dust off of his incredibly ripped and dirty jeans.

"Yeah, I suppose." Etho spoke and walked up to Joel from the other side of the building. "We could spend the night here."

They've been living on the go since Etho and Joel decided to drop out together. Etho used to study software engineering and Joel studied architecture. They were both incredibly burned out at the time they decided to start anew, so they now live on the streets going from small a coding/architecture job to another.

Joel sat down taking a long, deep breath. "This is nice. Far quieter than our last spot." he mumbled and listened to the quiet sound of the helicopters above them.

"Yeah.." Etho breathed out, "Never sleeping on a park bench next to a street ever again." he laughed and looked at Joel who's appearance suggested that he hasn't showered in a few weeks, which probably wasn't even wrong.

Joel used to always preach that he'd never go back to working or going to school like a normal person. He liked living on the go, sleeping in public areas and moving from place to place.

"We should go to Downtown sometime again.." Etho's voice trailed off as he sat down, pulling his backpack off of his back.

"You just wanna see Bdubs." Joel joked and smiled as he put down his sleeping bag.

"Yeah yeah," Etho laughed, "Whatever." he stretched and searched the backpack for his sandwich. "Maybe I do." he added quietly and unpacked it.

Joel only chuckled.

It's been a while since they've seen each other and Etho cleared his throat as he got out his contracts.

Etho quietly walked through the Fairy Forest, Joel jogging ahead of him. They've been staying in Downtown for the last few days.

"Don't fall too far back!" Joel called out from in front, "Make sure not to loose me!" He chuckled and Etho felt like he was intentionally running faster today.

He's been refusing to take their morning jog for the last few weeks, and he has the feeling that Joel's slowly getting annoyed, but there's just too much on Etho's mind.

He saw someone from his old class yesterday. It was Doc M., one of his friends. It seemed like he was visiting someone from Downtown, but Etho wasn't sure. Either way, since he'd seen him, the thought of going back to study was really.. nice. He felt like he could do it. And the thought of not having to search for a place to sleep suddenly seemed relaxing.

If he'd be honest, this whole scenario with living on the go, taking on small jobs etcetera, was really weighing Etho down. It hasn't been thrilling or fun for a long time now. But he couldn't leave Joel. He just couldn't.

"So." He began and looked down at Joel, "What do you need Thoroughly Corp.'s help with?" Etho said, the standard phrase that he used everytime, he couldn't muster up the strength to actually speak to his old friend.

"Hey, Bdubs." Etho smiled as he spoke and hugged his friend.

"Hey, Etho!" Bdubs grinned and returned the hug. "Where'd you leave Joel?" he asked as the two broke apart.

"Oh, he's still in the park, jogging." Etho laughed, "I thought I'd leave and go say hello while I'm still here." He shook at the cold wind, but chuckled nontheless.

"And you just left him there??" Bdubs laughed, "What a nice friend you are!" The brunet began walking again and Etho followed along. "How are you two anyways?"

"You know," Etho sighed, "Same old same old." He mumbled, his heart and mind feeling heavier than before. "Joel's been having some problems with his leg though.."

Bdubs looked at him, confused. "And he's still jogging?"

The other shrugged, "He thinks it's gonna get better that way."

Joel looked down at his legs. "I uh, need help with my mechanical leg. It's been having some problems."

"Can I be honest with you, Bdubs?" Etho quietly mumbled as they stood next to the bus station.

"Always, Etho! Ya know you can!" Bdubs smiled brightly and looked up at his friend.

A smile tugged at the other's lips and Etho felt a distant urge to hold the brunet's hand. "Thanks," he began, "I... really wanna get a job. Like a real job. And an apartment."

"But I don't wanna leave Joel. I can't leave Joel."

"Oh. Yeah, we can definitely help you with that." Etho forced out, "What is or how is it malfunctioning?" The android took a breath and shivered.

"Joel!" He cried, "You have to understand! I'm sorry!"

"You said you'd never leave me!" The other shouted back.

"It sometimes just, doesn't let me walk. But only sometimes and I'm not sure why." Joel began to explain, his voice small and quiet.

"I'm sorry Joel!" Etho screamed at his friend, "I just can't do this anymore!!"

".. Don't ever talk to me again." Joel's voice was brittle as he turned away from the other.

"JOEL!"

"Ah." Etho mumbled, "Here's the contract for mechanical body parts. It ensures that you can't sue us if we accidentally damage or loose it. It also ensures that we will try our best to fix your issues." He gave his old friend the contract. "This would cost a total of 150 diamonds."

"shhh.." Bdubs sighed and held his friend tighter, "It'll be fine, Etho."

The other only cried more, holding onto the brunet's shirt for dear life.

"It's okay, it's okay. Let's get you some water, alright?" He quietly whispered and starting rubbing circles on the others back.

Etho only slowly nodded.

"Alright. Where do I sign it?" Joel asked, his eyes fixated on the paper.

"Right here." Etho pointed to a free space and patiently waited for the brunet to sign the contract.

He wants to say that he's sorry, he really does, but the words die on his tongue. The thought never leaves his mind. And Etho just feels horrible about it.

Joel looked him in the eyes, his face showed no signs of remorse or guilt, just anger and sadness.

"It won't ever be the same again, won't it?"

The other shook his head. "No, it won't."

And maybe it's better that way. Etho stood up from his chair and walked up to Joel, holding out a hand.

The other took it and forced a smile.

"Do you want to leave your mechanical leg here right now or do you want to send it in?" He questioned his client, averting his gaze to the window behind him.

"I'll leave it here if you have alternatives to give me for the time being." Joel answered, distracting himself by brushing dust off of his jeans.

"Okay. I'll go get you a temporary one, do you need help with taking it off?"

"No."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Etho nodded and walked out the door, sinking to the ground on the other side. "I miss Bdubs."