Pick Me Up, Dust Me Off

[helpdesk_hero]

Life hadn't gotten easier after Utopia. Not by a long shot. Where, after that, does a human being go? Sure, one of the greatest geniuses in the world, but that doesn't mean he has a place in it. Instead he'd gotten to shore, dressed up in casual clothes, and mostly hitchhiked across the country. All the way from San Francisco to here. Chicago. Home.

It's taken two months to get this far, and he's in no great shape. There's a bit of a beard on his cheeks, his clothes are torn up, and he feels like shit. Do you... how do you get comfortable enough to go home in this sort of state? How does he go back and hope they accept him? He feels... miserable. David sighs and sips lightly at the cup of coffee in his hands, keeping them warm. Some person bought it for him, and he's still got to figure out how to get over to Hyde Park and his family's house. To figure out a story.

Two nights he's been in Chicago and he doesn't know what to do. He feels so weak. So useless. Such a broken man after the fall of mutantkind, yet again.

Comments

[zoomandboom]

"Yeah, sure," Tommy said, tucking his feet up under him more and motioning David to sit. "You're staying here, you don't like ... havetoask for stuff like that. Just do whatever you want. If you use something up, just tell me so I can get more if we need to, yeah?"

[helpdesk_hero]

It's weird, but David nods. He's not used to all of that. He frowns and settles down onto the couch.

"Can I ask something, it's a bit intrusive."

[zoomandboom]

Tommy clicked through another couple of ads and reached for another couple of chips from the bag, shoving them in his mouth as David sat.

He looked up, head tipping. "Yeah? Sure. I mean I just won't answer if I don't wanna."

[helpdesk_hero]

"What's it like to be free? To do what you want, to be who you want?"

Because David's been living in other people's shadows and according to their wills for a while now.

[zoomandboom]

Tommy's brows drew together. "I don't know whatyoumean," he admitted, shrugging. "It's ... I don't know. I'm not really doing what I want. I mean, I'm doing the best I can but ... I'd want to be working with my team and all that. But it's okay. No one tries to tell me what not to do anymore, so that's cool." But it was lonely, when you were used to a team. And no one tried to tell you (except Billy) because no one gave a shit about you, mostly. "It's better than not being who I want, but even with powers still, we're all just kind of making do, right?" Tommy said after a minute.

[helpdesk_hero]

Strange. Here he had thought the man was free. Truly free. David sighs and his hands clench at his sides.

"I was hoping you'd say it was fun. I wish it was true, because... because I don't know how to be alone."

[zoomandboom]

"It can be, sometimes." Tommy frowned. "Sorry," he added. "I don't want to ... I don't know. Sell you like it sucks. It's not that bad. I've had it worse. I've just haditbetter, too." He smiled ruefully. "I didn't think it'd be as fucked up as it is. Being along all the time. I used to figured that's how I'd always be. But now ... yeah. It's hard. But you're here for now, so ... we can hang at least?"

[helpdesk_hero]

"I'm... I used to have so many people around me. So many voices. So many people crying out because they needed something. I used to be important," he sighs. But it wasn't htat anymore. He wasn't that anymore.

"I don't know how to be alone. And my family can never understand what I am."

[zoomandboom]

"I wasn't," Tommy said. He smiled a little bitterly. "I wasn'tthatimportant. Still not. So you got it for a while. But ... I don't know. You could still be important. Just different way, or to one or two people." Tommy didn't really know what to say that could make David feel any better. He'd offered him a place to stay so he wasn't alone, but that's all he had, really. He couldn't make the world less screwed up, or David's family better. "Sorry," he offered finally, hand fluttering a little like he wanted to reach out, but thought better of it.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Dont apologize. You haven't done anything wrong. From what I understand of your history, you're a good guy. YOu do the right thing," David dismisses with a sigh. "Your grandfather is proud."

[zoomandboom]

Tommy shrugged. His family history was complicated and weird and he didn't really think he cared that much what his grandfather thought. He cared what Billy thought, some days. Other days he was still too mad at him. He wanted to be a good guy and a hero, yeah, but ... eh. It didn't matter. He was pretty much just skimming the edges now anyway. "So are you, sounds like," he said.

[helpdesk_hero]

"I don't know you enough to be proud," David shrugs. "But your grandfather loved talking you up."

The man seemed caught up on the twins. And David sighs, watching the speedster.

"You're beautiful."

[zoomandboom]

Tommy smiled. "I meant you're a good guy too. Not that you're proud of me." He didn't expect David to be proud of him. But he was surprised to hear the old man had talked him up, and it showed. Tommy didn't know how he felt about that, honestly. It was nice, he guessed, but a little strange to be talked about more than he was talked to.

The abrupt change of subject threw him and Tommy blinked, pausing where he'd been clicking through pages again and looking at David. "Yeah?" he asked, surprised. Sure, he'd sort of been flirting, but he hadn't really figured David would be interested. "Thanks," he said after a beat. "You don't have to tell me that just because I told you how hot you are though," he added, teasing.

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh no. OH no. David's heart starts racing. He did that, didn't he? He hadn't meant to say it. It was one of those weird points in someone's life when they said something out loud that was supposed to be a thought.

"I, uh. I didn't... It's just fair, to say it. I guess."

Oh god, he's horrified that he said it.

[zoomandboom]

It was kind of hard to tell, but Tommy thought David might be blushing a little. It was cute. He grinned. "You can say it all you want. Just meant you don't have to," Tommy told him. "Do you want to just strokeegos for a while? If so, you've got a pretty great jawline. Beard could have worked, but I definitely appreciate the view."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I wasn't looking to stroke anything," David says quickly. Yeah, he's definitely blushing a lot. "I'm just here to find my family. See if there's somewhere I can have a home."

[zoomandboom]

Tommy laughed, startled. "Too bad," he said, mostly teasing.

It was dumb, but for a second Tommy wanted to say he could be David's family. Neither of them wanted to be alone, neither of them had anywhere to belong. It almost made sense. He didn't say it, but it was there in his head. "Well, you've got this placeandme. Until you figure it out," he said instead.

[helpdesk_hero]

You're killing him. David's definitely doesn't know what to do with the idea that a man is interested in him. He's flustered and blushing and thankful that it isn't as obvious, just a darkening of his cheeks that is very subtle.

"Thanks. You're too kind."

[zoomandboom]

Yeah, that little sort-of blush was cute. Tommy probably needed to not crush on the guy crashing with him who didn't have any other options, in case it made David feel weird. But he'd called Tommy beautiful, so maybe he wasn't that bugged.

Whatever. Tommy had been on the move and kind of just ... getting by for a while. He hadn't had a whole lot of interest in anyone in particular. It was kind of a nice feeling, being into someone. Even if nothing came of it, it was nice.

"Still not that kind. But you're welcome anyway," Tommy said, smiling at him. "It's cool, having someone around."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I... thanks," David sighs. "Just, you know, maybe if I give you a list of ingredients, would you let me cook you breakfast at least?"

[zoomandboom]

"Oh hell yeah," Tommy said with a laugh. "Just write it down and I'll get it. Like ... pans and stuff too, if this place isn't stocked with 'em, since I don't have any. But I'll never turn down food, dude."

[helpdesk_hero]

Wait, what?

"I don't want you wasting money on a lot of cookware you don't have," David counters, definitely concerned. "I'll... ugh, figure out what you have to work with?"

[zoomandboom]

Tommy waved a dismissive hand. "Notlikeaton. But if you need a couple that aren't in there, then I can pick 'em up. But yeah, just look through. I've got no clue. The only thing I make is eggs or grilled cheese. Mostly I just buy crap."

[helpdesk_hero]

“Grilled cheese is an art to not burn. Don’t sell yourself short.”

[zoomandboom]

"I'm shit at cooking most things," Tommy said. "It always feels like it takes forever, to me." He'd get restless and bored and then not cook it long enough, most of the time. So burning wasn't really the problem, mostly. Unless he wandered around.