Neil recalled times when he had been late for work when he really needed the job, and he even remembered a few times back in primary school when he had been late to a particular class he was failing. He recalled being late to family events, dates, he even remembered a time when he had woken in bed next to someone who's husband had arrived back home unexpectedly early. But when Taya knocked on the door and Junebug went to try and distract her, he had never put pants on quicker in his life. 

He wished his shirt wasn't ripped, but thinking back on how it got ripped, he didn't regret it necessarily but he'd need to come up with a reason why he had no shirt on. He stepped out onto Junebug's balcony, and used his strong hands and flexible body to scale the parapet and slide down the pillars that held it up. As soon as his boots hit the ground, he heard voices and saw the elaborate hats of two guards approaching from a set of outside stairs. He sprinted into the bushes and dived, hitting the dirt in a roll and laying suddenly still as they passed. 

"Let's try to the hanger," he breathed, getting to his feet and making his way down the low rise mountain the palace sat atop, hanging on to roots and branches as he swung like a primate until he reached one of the higher rocky beaches. The strange reptilian birds of the planet floated above him in the wind, chirping their strange frills as they circled the water for schools of fish. Neil let them do their thing as he waded back into a small edge of the forest, lurking along until he found himself on the outskirts of the lower hanger. 

Briefly he wondered how he could get in, before he decided to look below it, as it was erected atop the decline in the earth with pillars of steel keeping it erect. Sure enough, he found a ladder and a hatch that led into the structure, and he climbed up and made his way into the bay, where only a few mechanics milled about. Glancing back and forth, he wondered why Gredorius and the island needed such advanced air to orbit fighters, but as soon as he saw the Highlander, the question left his head. 

"Thank the Gods," he breathed. 

The next person that stumbled upon him found him covered in oil under the Highlander's power unit, sweat beading down his skin. He was glad there wasn't any hickeys to speak of. Once he was identified, minutes passed before a full squadron of guardsmen and Indra along with her mother made their way into the Hanger, wide eyed disbelief when they saw his face. "Neil!!!" Indra screamed, running to him. Her mother seemed exasperated, but clearly happy her daughter's husband to be was safe. 

Neil held his hands out as Indra went for a hug, being the first of a long line of excuses not to touch him. "Whoa whoa, I've been working babe, I got all this shit on me." 

"Where...why didn't you come back to your room? We asked where you were on the speakers, we've been looking all over for you!" She tried to suck in air but she continued to ramble on how he could have not heard anything and he realized he didn't have any real excuse. "Look, it's hard to hear anything from in the Starship, ok? I'm sorry," he said. "I was just so relieved to have the materials to fix it, I wanted to get into it right away." 

Usually to someone he was royally fucking over, he'd feel guilty, and he did indeed feel some guilt doing this to Indra. But last night had been incredible and he wasn't about to fuck that up. Briefly he wondered if Junebug felt the same, or if it was a one night stand but he pushed those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time, particularly with Indra and her mother eyeing him up. "Well dear," he mother said at last. "At least he has a work ethic like your father. Now let's get him cleaned up. It's time for breakfast." 
[@Penny]