Tal (patchofblue) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2021-04-04 19:23:00 |
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Entry tags: | tal rainey, ~wilson grady |
Brothers
Who: Will Grady and Tal Rainey
What: Dinner, Conversation, and a Phone Call
Where: Hutchins Auto Shop Breakroom
When: Friday, April 2
Ratings/Warnings: Mild for sadness and drama
“So..I need to meet this boyfriend of yours..” Will said, laughing a bit.
Tal had agreed to an impromptu dinner at the shop. When he arrived he knocked out the code on one of the closed bay doors. The echo resonated through the shop and once Will heard the reply he knew it was safe to enter. With bags of gourmet burgers and fries in tow, the brothers dined.
They has only known each other for a short while but there was so much to tell - he had so many stories to share with his brother that all wanted to spill out at once.
“What’s he like?”
Will didn’t have any relationships to speak of. He was glad for Tal. Given the history of his brother it seemed like a big thing to be able to connect with someone on a relationship level. “I’m really glad you have someone, man.”
Tal blushed.
It was safer here. Tal breathed a little easier with plans and schedules. The tapping and echoed taps helped him even if it mildly triggered him. He’d get through it someday.
It was a dream, a wish to have his baby brother back. But what he had to tell him would take time. And Tal was so thankful that Will accepted that his big brother liked guys.
“Mmm, rich, clean cut, and extremely not who I expected to want to go out with me.”
It was definitely a big step. Trust - it was a fragile thing and it would always be something to work on. “It’s so new. And amazing.” Tal shrugged a little unsure.
Will blinked. Rich and clean cut was good, but why? It seemed a bit odd in his opinion, but Tal deserved something good. He wouldn’t spoil that. Even if he had suspicions. “I’m really glad for you. Anyone who doesn’t want to date you can choke.” Tal was a good person who deserved the world.
He took a small bite from the sandwich he’d picked up. A lick of his lips and he spoke after swallowing. “I don’t think I’ve dated anyone in ten years.” He hadn’t told Tal about Shelby but then he didn’t know if he needed to.
“When do I get to meet this guy?”
“Mmm, maybe.” Tal picked up his burger and took a bite. He could mask more of his insecurities by filling the conversation with eating. Sometimes the telekinetic still felt like the scrawny kid left alone.
“That’s a long time. But you can find someone when you want,” Tal spoke in support. He never wanted to pressure anyone he cared about. He sipped from his cola and smiled warmly.
“Anytime really. I just have to see what Roman’s schedule looks like.”
Will made himself nod and smile. He could have a relationship if he wanted one but it wasn’t fair to the other person. Dragging them into his life and the risk involved didn’t sit well with him. And the idea of kids? He couldn’t do that to children.
“Thanks. I hope you’re right,” he said, though his mouth was full of food so it came out muffled.
Roman. That just sounded pretentious. Will nodded again. “Cool,” he said, swallowing. “I can’t wait. Did you tell him about me?”
Tal hadn’t contemplated a long term relationship, let along marriage or kids. Small steps. He had gotten comfortable with just himself. And now having Roman in his life - that was new territory. He had Will now and he trusted his employer - James.
“I hope so too,” he replied after swallowing a sip.
“Sort of. I didn’t tell him about our family like it is or was. Small family - just you and me as sons. From Chicago. You had gone off to college and so on.” Tal bit his lower lip, hoping Will was okay with the fabrications.
Will listened carefully. He didn’t want to mess up the story and so the details mattered. Memorizing the small things. He nodded. “I can remember that.” It was easy enough. The truth was harder and he’d given less when more mattered.
It was refreshing that Tal was willing to bend the truth, and didn’t trust this man with everything that happened. It meant that Will still had a chance to feel this man out.
“Okay,” Tal sipped his drink again. Roman didn’t need to know everything. What would the handsome, rich, and unbelievably generous man do if he did know - dump him, smother him?
“I….don’t think I’m ready to tell him any more than that right now.” He frowned and shrugged.
“Only tell him what you’re comfortable with.” Will was firm on that. It didn’t matter who this guy was, if Tal wasn’t comfortable enough to trust this guy with the truth then he didn’t trust him either. And he was going to back up his brother.
Another fry would be eaten. “I’ve got you.” Their code would be tapped again, gently. For reassurance.
Tal nodded and picked up his burger, taking another bite. The painful things were such a struggle to keep up with by one’s self. The few times his PTSD came through in his sleep, waking up screaming, Roman had been there always gracious and comforting.
He smiled softly as he chewed and swallowed the bite, closing his eyes as he heard Will tapping out their code. With his free hand, Tal tapped it back just as gently. “Thank you, Will.”
Will took a breath as the tapping was reciprocated. He felt as if they were on the same level. “Anytime, dummy,” he replied. Will smirked, finishing his burger.
They’d been through a lot. He couldn’t blame Tal for being cautious, but he was glad for the trust.
“So, I slept with this guy…” Will offered, a truce.
Slowly Tal opened his eyes. It was good to have Will back, to have someone to trust more. They had so much time to make up for. He sipped his cola again to settle himself a little more.
Then he blinked. “You did? So, how do you feel about that since it’s been a while since you’ve been with someone?” Tal was supportive, but it was still something new to hear.
Will shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not a big deal. I don’t even know his name.” It was better that way. If the Feds came, he wouldn’t be able to accessory anyone. That was his biggest fear. That, and exposing Tal.
“It’s nothing.” He waved the idea away. Getting caught up in someone was too much of a risk.
Tal frowned at Will. He wanted to push him, ask why bring it up if it was nothing. But the older brother breathed and nodded. It was something to sleep with someone even if it turned out to be one night.
“But was it good? I mean...not a bad experience that had you leaving as soon as it was over?” Tal scrunched his shoulders, a little embarrassed to ask even if he was wanting to support his brother.
It was good. Better than anticipated. “I guess so.” He didn’t want to start anything. Not anything serious. “We met at the grocery laundromat,” he explained. “He didn’t have quarters for the dryer. And then we ran into each other in Vegas. We don’t even have each other’s numbers.” Living fast and loose was better.
“Mmmm,” Tal hummed, having run into people more than once and not exchanging information. But his trust issues were worse. But he was getting better. “Then it was a good thing,” he nodded. You couldn’t dwell on too many things these days. If things happened, they happened. But for Tal, he needed someone when he was able to trust them enough.
“Sure. It was a good thing.” He wouldn’t argue with Tal. He wasn’t looking for anything serious but being able to talk about it was good enough. Maybe his issues to trust were different than Tal’s but maybe they were the same. Shelby had done the right thing to leave. She couldn’t be blamed.
Tal hadn’t been with anyone for more than an hour if at all until Roman. But he wasn’t one to push his thoughts, fears, or hopes on anyone. But talking about things like this with his brother was good. It was dangerous to trust.
“Good. How’s your car situation?”
Tal wouldn’t have been wrong about trust. Will realized this, too. “It’s fine,” he murmured. Some back end damage he would have fixed in the next day or so, off of the insurance record. He knew a few contacts who knew people in town. “I got it working again.”
“Good, good,” Tal smiled. Sometimes navigating around trust problems often brought more trouble. But he was going to push through what he could. There was a faint question on his tongue that he didn’t want to ask, it brought too much fear to ask about their parents. It brought back too much pain that still lived in the older brother.
Will nodded. He was glad his car was operating. It was expensive but not at his own dime. He hadn’t yet gotten rid of it but he needed to abandon it if possible. The guy he ran into felt like a cop. He was better to let it go and he would tomorrow after wiping it down.
“So, what’s next? I’m thinking of buying a small house here in Searchlight. There aren’t many places that are not mobile homes.” Tal smiled. He hasn’t told Roman this yet. And neither his brother or his boyfriend knew of his home in Vegas.
“Yeah?” Will nodded with approval. “That’s a good investment. Trailers depreciate in value.” A home was worth its weight in gold. He’d done the research on the real estate market in the small town. His brother deserved more.
“Yeah. It’s a two bed, two bath. But it has a garage that could hold my truck and it’s fenced.” Tal nodded. He needed to have a place close to work that wasn’t a hotel room. Now he thought of the need to buy furniture for this new place and wrinkled his nose. “And you can come stay if or when I get the house.”
“You want me to stay?” That part shocked him. Did this floor plan include him before or was this something that came after? Tal sounded happy. He couldn’t divert that. “Can I help with the payments?” It was the least he could do.
Tal blinked at he looked over at Will. “Yes….but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He suppressed a frown. The mechanic had wanted a more permanent place in Searchlight. Roman needed a better bed when he visited at least. But with Will finding him, Tal knew that he wanted to look after him somehow. “Maybe.”
That touched a part of Will’s heart that he didn’t know could be. If he was staying he was going to contribute. He wasn’t a freeloader. While he knew the implications and risks of hunkering down with Tal, nobody said it was permanent and he knew Tal was the type to extend the offer even if Will left for a while. “If you get the house, then sure. For a bit.” He couldn’t guarantee anything long term but they could take things a step at a time.
His phone vibrated suddenly. From where it was on the table, the screen lit up with the picture of a pretty blonde woman around his age and the name Shelby. Will’s eyes darted instantly to the picture of the face smiling up at him, his brow furrowed and he swept the mobile up to accept the call.
“Good. We can have some peace there,” Tal spoke and smiled. He grabbed a fry and ate it as he entertained the idea in his head of an actual ‘normal’ life living in a house with his baby brother. He wanted that - even if it was ‘for a bit’.
“Everything okay?” Tal blinked as Wil’s phone vibrated.
Will frowned. “I don’t know,” he admitted. Then he accepted the call, putting the blonde on speaker.
“Where are you?” She asked as a greeting. Her voice was tainted with distress, worried.
“In Vegas,” Will offered. A soft noise came from the phone. Meanwhile, Will looked up at Tal, putting a finger to his own lips in a gesture to stay quiet, “What’s up?” She didn’t call unless something was urgent.
“Have you talked to your mom?”
“No,” Will replied, looking at Tal again.
“It’s your dad, Will.”
Quietly setting his drink down on the table, Tal nodded as he listened. As their eyes met, the mechanic nodded silently. He could hear the worry. What was going on? The color in his face from smiling, thinking about the house, and a normal sort of life faded away at the mention of mom. And his jaw tightened. Their dad.
Will frowned deeply enough that his brow furrowed. “She hasn’t called. What happened?” His voice had changed. He didn’t realize the drop in tone when he talked to Shelby, but it happened regardless.
“He’s in the hospital. We aren’t sure yet, he collapsed at work.”
He noticed she said we which meant his mother reached out to her first, and that Shelby was probably there at the hospital. “It’ll take me a while to get there, maybe a day.”
“You need to come home, Will.” Her voice broke a little.
“I’ll be there soon.” The call disconnected. He hit the button before she could say anything else and then lifted his gaze to look up at Tal for an assessment. “You don’t have to come with me, but I have to go back. For a while.”
Tal had remained still but for his eyes going from his brother’s face to the phone and back. Part of never wanted to hear anything about his parents ever again. But he had made a routine of checking for their names in online obituary sites almost weekly. Was it out of concern and resentment?
The breaking in Shelby’s voice reached him, but he kept silent.
Then he blinked as Will ended the call and spoke to him. “I’ll come with you.” Tal sighed and looked down at his hands as he slowly balled them into fists.
Will emitted a deep, slow breath through his nose. He hadn’t been expecting Tal to agree to come; the last place he figured his brother wanted to be was around the family who abandoned him. He felt better knowing Tal would be there, though. A single nod of reply would come.
“Okay. We have to leave tomorrow. You should tell someone where you’re going, just in case.” Will collected his phone and put it away. He moved to stand up but his legs felt like lead.
Tal didn’t really want to go, but he felt he needed to especially if it could be the last chance to confront his parents about what they had done to him. He felt sick already.
Nodding, he breathed deeply. Looking at Will again, he let one of his hands uncurl and he reached out to his little brother.
Will smiled. He tapped on the tabletop, their code. It would be safe. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt Tal again. And as that hand reached for him he fought the instinct to flinch away, instead he took his brother’s hand and squeezed it. “I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he promised.
Tal tapped on the table, replying with their code. He had no idea how things would go, if he could handle what could or would happen. The older brother curled his fingers around his little brother’s hand and squeezed back. “I’ll keep you safe.” He nodded.
Offering his brother a small smile, he nodded and didn’t object. “Okay. Then meet me here tomorrow morning, as early as you can. I’ll drive us back.” It would be a long drive but he could manage. That would allow them to set their own pace and also for Will to get the last of his stuff from Colorado for the relocation back to Searchlight.
“Okay,” Tal breathed, unable to smile back. “I’ll get some clothes together, tell who I need to, I'll be away.” Focusing his mind on getting things in order to leave for a while helped hold back the fear and anger towards his parents that was welling back up.
Another nod and Will let Tal’s hand go. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” With that, the youngest of the Grady boys turned and began to leave. There was a lot to do before the trip that needed to be taken care of. His mind went to Quarters for a bit, but then he pushed the thought away and focused on the inevitable task.
“I’ll see you.” Tal replied as he reluctantly but gently let go of Will’s hand. He had to tell James, Ronnie, and Roman that he was going to be away. He was sure James and Ronnie would understand. But he was sure all three of them, Roman most of all, would have questions. Maybe he’d tell them after he got back. But for now, he needed to clean up the table and start preparing.