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

[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.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Maybe set timers?"

Because he definitely thinks that might solve it. Maybe. Depends on if Tommy was paying attention.

[zoomandboom]

"Yeah, I do," Tommy said, shrugging. "It just ... feels like too long. SoIgetitchy. I can wait for stuff when it's for something. But when it's just food for me ... it just feels like freakin' forever. So I just make stuff you don't have to cook - sandwiches or something. Or I get it somewhere."

[helpdesk_hero]

"Interesting. You deserve better food than that," David answers with a small frown.

[zoomandboom]

Tommy laughed. "I go for quantity over quality most of the time, I guess. Ineedalot of calories sometimes. But like I said, if you want to feed me while you're around, I'm good with it. I'll even clean up." Not like it took him long.

[helpdesk_hero]

Well, how can he argue against that?

"Then I'll cook. Something good and tasty just for you."

[zoomandboom]

Tommy paused, since "good and tasty" was kinda perfectly wholesome sounding. Which made it not be, and he wanted to use it to flirt, but he was still not sure he should, really. So he just kind of did. "I'll eat anything you put in front of me." Not limited to food, but he didn't say that, just smiled again and shrugged. "Thanks."

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh come on, there is nothing unwholesome about food!

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't have something good.

[zoomandboom]

Ugh. Now he was just asking for it and Tommy definitely didn't have that much restraint. He gave David lifted eyebrows. "Well ... I got you here, so. That counts even without the food, I'm thinking."

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh god. David's flushed again and rising from the couch quickly, because this was a bit of something wasn't it? David starts to pace.

"I'm not used to guys like you hitting on me."

[zoomandboom]

Fuck. Tommy sat up, putting his feet on the floor and lifting his hands in a "hands off" sort of gesture. "Heynosorry. You didn't seem to mind, and you're cute as fuck so I just ..." had taken advantage of feeling like flirting for once to actually kind of do it.

But it was still shitty for a guy who had no options.

"Sorry," Tommy repeated. "I'm not gonna do anything that makes you uncomfortableorlike, expect anything or be a shit about it. Promise. If you feel weird though, you can take the bedroom. Door locks from the inside and I can crash out here."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I'm not worried you're going to violate me," David sighs, rubbing at his forehead. "I just... don't know how to handle you. You're... intense and amazing."

And it's overwheming.

[zoomandboom]

"Maybe not, but it's still kind of shitty to do to a guy I don't know, who told me he doesn't have anywhere to go," Tommy admitted. "I ... look. You don't have to handle me. You can do your thing and ignore me if you want. I'll back off and we can just be roommates for a while, or friends. Okay?"

[helpdesk_hero]

David, up on the memes, almost snorts in amusement. And they were roommates.

"I'll make breakfast in the morning. I can crash on the floor."

[zoomandboom]

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no. There's a couch right there. You were just sitting on it. So there, or if you want a lock, then there's a bed. You don't need to sleep on the floor, man."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I'm not stealing your bed and clearly you're not tired enough to sleep."

Tommy hasn't been scratching rest out on the streets after all.