Stiles Stilinski (itsawinterthing) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2019-05-18 12:39:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !narrative, ~2019 may, ~25 points, ~~agent washington (freelancerwash), ~~stiles stilinski (itsawinterthing) |
Who: Stiles Stilinski and Agent Washington
What: Getting organized
When: Saturday morning
Where: Store
Warnings: Not really
Status: Complete/narrative
Stiles either tended to be late for work because he was doing things on his various projects or because he was stopping to shop for things for his latest projects. Case in point today he had a messenger bag full of paper and notes that he decided he wanted a specific kind of tab to use in organizing it. It wasn't one he happened to have on hand so he was doing the dangerous move of stopping in a store to go to the stationary section before work. That was never a quick trip but he told himself it really would be this time as he parked the Jeep to head inside.
One thing you could count on was the office supply section was either full of people like Stiles or pretty much empty. Today there was just one person in it and he didn't look like he knew what he was doing there. Once he got closer Stiles knew him, well he hadn't actually talked to this one but he'd told his buddy York at a bonfire about them having a show.
"So, you look a little lost here. Need an expert opinion on anything?"
***
Wash was taking little trips outside of the house now because he just couldn't stand to be cooped up anymore. He had to set an alarm each time to make sure he wasn't gone more than an hour or so and he always made sure the GPS was on so he could find his way back and so he could keep everyone from trying to follow him on foot. If Epsilon could watch him on a tracker it helped them chill the hell out.
Usually he just wandered around the area, stretching his legs and moving in hopes that he would actually start sleeping more. It didn't really work but he'd started adding in some light runs and it made him feel a little more centered even if his awkward gait and tendency to trip over cracks in the sidewalk made him feel like an idiot.
He'd been thinking a lot and he was tired of forgetting everything and not having a reference. Wash hadn't forgotten the snippet of memory about the notebook so this morning his trip had been to a store not too far from the house. And now he was faced with way too big of a selection to make a choice. At least until someone talked to him and he fucking jumped half out of his skin and caught himself before he threw a punch at the person.
"Um. Maybe?" Wash took a deep breath and unclenched his hands. He hated it when people managed to catch him off guard. "I just need a notebook."
***
Jesus the guy had turned on him fast enough that Stiles was braced for a punch before he could see him visibly relax. If he was wound up any tighter he was going to fucking squeak when he walked. Agent Washington, high strung super soldier who looked like being short on sleep was a way of life if the circles under his eyes were any indication.
"Well okay." He wondered what the notebook was for. Like cataloging weapons and supplies? Or normal stuff. Or would the weapons and supplies be normal stuff for them? "There's no such thing as 'just a notebook'. What are you going to use it for?"
Yeah, thinking was pretty much asking for him unfortunately.
***
The kid had flinched away when he'd turned on him but as soon as it was apparent he wasn't going to hit him he'd relaxed. That helped Wash relax a little more. "Well, um to keep track of things?" And that wasn't supposed to be a question but he wasn't sure how to say what he wanted without just spilling out hi, I have brain damage and I can't remember people's names or what I'm supposed to do today.
"Like a schedule. Or people."
***
Well that was kind of a broad set of things. Stiles was trying to figure out what was up with the guy, he was different from the last time he'd seen him. There were definitely new scars and he was moving different but he didn't know him well enough to know how it was different exactly. All he knew is that the guy was giving off about as much stress/anxiety as Stiles always did and that was definitely not the normal super soldier vibe.
"Okay, ideas. We can get you one of those five subject guys and you can make each subject a different kind of list or schedule. But they're really big and if you want something you can carry around and you don't want to do the messenger bag full of stuff that makes you slouch..." He turned and waved at his bag with a grin and was rewarded by an actual almost chuckle from Wash. "Or we get you something like this one and we supply you with tabs, or color coding of some sort and maybe different pens for different things so you can find what you need pretty easy."
This was a hard cover notebook that was about the size of a paperback. Much more mobile if he wanted to take it everywhere.
***
Wash really didn't like the bigger notebook. It would be a pain to take everywhere and stand out. That one was easy to figure out.
"I don't do a lot of slouching but thanks for thinking of my back." Wash managed to joke a little in return and was impressed with how much was stuffed into the messenger bag. It looked like he was carrying half a library in there.
Once it was pointed out Wash picked up the smaller book. It had lines in it, and a lot of pages even though it wasn't that big. It would probably work it was just kind of intimidating how blank it was. "Okay, color coding would probably work."
And apparently that was the wrong thing to say because now there was several different things being pulled off the little hangers for him.
***
Once he made a decision Stiles was off into organize mode not thinking he was probably going to overwhelm him. "Okay different color tabs so you can find a section then inside that you can use a highlighter or different color pen to keep track of things, like different color each day so you know what day you wrote it or highlight it to show you've completed it. There's a million different ways you can make it work..." He stopped handing supplies to Wash when he finally looked up and saw the completely overwhelmed expression on his face.
"Uh...or you know we narrow it down to two or three options because not everyone is as into this as I am. I have a problem."
***
It was too many options and too much to take in at once which meant Wash was getting the beginning of a headache and he'd been handed too many things to hold onto easily so he was standing there afraid to move or he'd drop most of it.
"Just a couple of things. I can't keep up with more just yet." He forced a smile on his face. "I'm an amateur after all."
***
"Yeah, right sorry I just get carried away." Stiles took back most of what he gave him originally and put it back on their little hangers. "I'm going to start you with the tabs and a four color pen. And we'll go outside and I'll show you how to get started if you want."
They had those little Starbuck's ice coffee things in the cooler at check out and he did want to help. Of course he also wanted to spend a little more time hanging out with the Freelancer for both the cool factor and to satisfy his curiosity.
***
Each thing that got taken away had let some of the tension out of Wash. He could probably manage a pen and tabs, at least he hoped he could manage a pen and tabs. If he couldn't he would be worse off than he thought he was.
"You don't need to..." Wash automatically started to tell him he didn't need to. He hated needing help and he tended to back away from it when it was offered. This time he caught himself and he nodded. "I mean thanks. I could probably use a couple of tips."
***
"All right!" Stiles grabbed his own pack of tabs he'd wanted and texted work saying he was going to be late. This was too good to pass up. "By the way, I'm Stiles." The guy looked like he was thinking hard about that but he told him he could call him Wash as Stiles ushered them through the checkout.
Not too much longer they were at the little picnic table up front with the ice coffee bottles and Stiles was opening the pack of tabs. "Okay, what color first?"
***
Wash had already clicked through all four colors in the pen and scribbled on the receipt to see what they looked like. before he opened up to the first page in the notebook. That was going to be the page about the people in their house and things he needed to know about them.
"Blue." His team, his family. That was the easy color to pick.
***
Stiles peeled off the tab and showed him how to stick it to the page. it seemed like it was easy but he'd learned there actually was a best way to do it. Otherwise it would either not stick out enough or it would leave the sticky part out and it would collect fuzz and crap.
He'd started out helping just because he was being nosy but after seeing some of the things that Wash was writing now he was staying because he was starting to like the guy and there was something about the way he was acting that reminded Stiles of how he was for a long time after the Nogistsune.
He also didn't miss that one of the first things Wash wrote in his second tab was Stiles' name and noted where he met him.
That meant that even though he was going to seriously owe whoever was handling the shift until he got there Stiles stayed with Wash for as long as the guy wanted him to and helped out with organizing things.
***
Wash let Stiles stay and help him until his alarm went off on his phone telling him he needed to head back home. Thankfully the kid had started to let what was apparently his normal snark out because that made it easy to be amused instead of embarrassed at the help he was getting.
By the end he had several categories in his notebook and figured it was a good enough start. His family, people he knew, memories that belonged to the other world, memories he needed to figure out where they belonged, and things he was pretty sure were Epsilon's memories and not his.
When the alarm went off Stiles dug through the messenger bag and gave him some different supplies to take home with him now that he knew what the notebook was for so somehow Wash was still going home with more than he wanted to carry but he guessed he'd figure out what to do with it all eventually. And if he couldn't maybe Charlie or someone would want to use them.
"Thanks Stiles." He stood up and stuck out a hand for Stiles to shake before he went.
***
"Okay you never have to thank me for giving me a chance to be a nerd. Just so you know." He shook Wash's hand with a grin and grabbed up his stuff so he could go get yelled at for sticking someone with all the customers at work for an extra hour.