thesetwodorks | LOG: In Need of Assistance

"Hello," Delta greets the other man. His boyfriend. God that term is hard to wrap his head around, but he accepts it. "I..."

God how was he even supposed to approach this conversation? How did you explain that you were, effectively, running away from home?

It took more effort than he cared to admit to keep his eyes from going to the duffel bag sitting at his feet. "I have a problem."

Well that seemed... flat. Is everything okay? The sudden thought that Delta has called him here to break up with him sends a surge of something stronger than worry through him. Maybe he's decided his family is too much of a priority. But then wouldn't he just call and not waste time meeting up?

He's jumping to conclusions and reels himself back in before he says anything dumb.

'What's wrong?'

"I have no way to answer that succinctly," Delta laughs, shaking his head. "I suppose, if one desired to make a long story short, I need your help."

More than his help. His support.

Okay, so not a break up. That's a relief, but there's still a million other things it could be. At least it looks like they'll be together in it and not against each other.

'In what way?' he asks.

"Can..."

Delta cuts himself off. Why would he ask York to keep it quiet? York doesn't know his family, except for Sigma in passing. And if York does help him, then he knows his boyfriend will keep the secret. So, shyly, staring down at his drink, Delta just asks.

"I need help finding a place for me to live."

York blinks. That... was not at all what he was expecting. Of all the possibilities that had run through his head since ruling out a breakup, this had not been one of them. Nor had there been one close to it.

'I... What do you mean?' He's at a loss. Is Delta moving out? What about his family? He said "I" not "we".

"I mean I'm moving out," Delta answers plainly. "That I need to find a place to stay. And perhaps a job if you have one you could recommend."

'What about your family?' The question's out of his mouth before he can stop it, but even if his filter had been in place, he probably would've asked it anyway.

"I have been told by my older brother, in no uncertain terms, that not only am I not necessary, but that I have been wasting my time and efforts since I was fifteen years old," Delta answers bluntly. "He has a new, higher paying job which renders my existence moot."

Just thinking about it makes him so angry, but he forces himself to stay calm. He needs to approach this rationally. "As I am not needed nor desired at home, I shall endeavor to find a place for myself. Where I am wanted. I... assumed I could turn to you about this. But if it's too much to place upon an early relationship, just say so and we'll pretend this conversation never happened."

York flinches. That's... ouch, that's harsh. He's surprised, no denying it. From what he'd heard, Delta and his older brother worked well together to keep their family going. But he has only known said family a few short days and clearly things aren't as easy between them as he'd assumed.

'It's not too much.' He can help, of course he can, and he'd be willing to, except... 'But what about the younger kids? Don't they still need you? Won't they miss you?'

"Omega will be home a far greater amount of time than before. In fact, he will be available to them and able to focus on them far better than I did, balancing an apparently frivolous job and effort at education with my parenting."

Delta sighs and looks back down at his hands on the table, pulling at them because he can't pull at his hair like he used to. "I'll still have the access codes provided Omega doesn't change them. I can come over and spend time with them. If I get established they can visit me..."

Silence falls between them for a moment while York thinks. He wants - needs - more information, this thing Delta is doing is big, and he's not sure it's the best plan. Of course, he wasn't there, he doesn't know exactly what went down; but it's pretty clear that Delta is hurt, upset and angry.

'How long do you plan on being gone?' he asks. 'And do you have a preference as to how close you are to your family?'

"I have no intention of returning to where I am not desired," Delta informs him quite bluntly. But he doesn't feel these questions are needed. "All I care is that it is cheap. I am between jobs and have minimal savings."

He sighs and looks down to his bag, and then back up at York.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I'll figure something else out on my own."

With that he leans down to grab his bag, and stands. "I'm sorry."

He reaches up and catches Delta's wrist, then shifts his grip to hold his hand. 'It sounds like only one of your seven siblings doesn't appreciate you,' he says. 'But I will help you. I can get you a place for free while you sort things out one way or another. No way am I just gonna let you walk off with no plan and very little money, D.'

"Have you ever been told that almost half of your life was absolutely worthless? That everything you has sacrificed, everything you had tried to do had no meaning at all? That you weren't a partner to someone you were supposed to work with? Just... Just some glorified nanny?"

He shakes his head. "Yes, I love my siblings. No I do not intend to be away from all of them. I'll visit and send whatever excess cash I can because eventually what Omega has chosen will blow up in his face. Literally. But I can't be there anymore. Not under his roof, living on his dime doing the jobs he doesn't want to do or doesn't care to do or doesn't know how to do. Because apparently my life until a few days ago was a lie in his eyes."

Still, he doesn't pull away. Lets their hands stay like that, caught in each other. It's almost painful, the kindness and tenderness from this man who could be considered a stranger. Put that next to the casual cruelty of his brother and... it makes his chest ache. Where has something like this been all his life?

He sighs and shakes his head. No, he's never been told something like that and he can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like. When he lost his eye, it had been all sympathy and pity. Everyone had told him what a good specialist he'd been, but he doesn't think any of them had really expected him to recover. This is worse than that. Far worse. It' a ridiculously complex situation and for the life of him, York doesn't know what to do.

That "literally" worries him. What has this Omega gotten himself into?

'He has no right to say that to you. It isn't fair and it isn't true.' He runs his free hand through his hair. This is a mess. 'Do fights happen between you a lot?'

"That isn't important," Delta answers very simply. "Help me or don't, York. But make up your mind."

'I said I'd help you,' he says. 'You need a cheap place to stay, right? I can get you one for nothing.' His safe house. One of them anyway. Delta will be safe there and no one (except maybe Florida) knows where they are.

Only when he says 'for nothing' does it get to Delta just what he might be offering.

"N-not your place, right?"

'It's... technically my place,' he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. 'I own it, but I don't live there. You'd be on your own. ...Unless you didn't want that. Fuck, that didn't sound right. I mean just for company, I promise this isn't me trying anything funny.'

Well, at least this isn't a trick to get him into bed. In fact, maybe he needs to make something clear about their potential relationship..

"I'm..."

Wait.

"You have two places?"

Three, actually. Ah jeez, how must that sound to someone who struggles to feed a family of eight? Or did.

'Yeah. Well... I live with a group now, so we're all in a place together and I don't need the other house much. So you can have it.

Delta doesn't, can't even understand. That would be the last thing he wanted. Freedom, his own place, maybe his own way in the world. Why is that so much to ask?

"I... okay. Um... If you're sure... I promise I wont' make a mess, I won't be a burden."

'I'm sure you're much tidier than I am,' he says with a small grin. Did he leave the safehouse in a decent state last time he left? Fuck, he didn't leave any weapons out, did he? No, he's always careful to hide those. It should be okay. 'You're not a burden, D.'

Delta scoffs at that. Clearly York hadn't been listening to the conversation.

"Thank you for this," he says softly. "I just... I didn't know where else to turn."

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