(no subject)

[the_reapers]

He forgets, often, that Gabe can't read texts. He takes for granted that Gabe can get them read to him by an app or an onlooker.

So it's late at night, beyond midnight, when he texts, "I'm about to be arrested you down to pick me up? I got cash to bail me out at my apartment."

Comments

[minuteofangle]

Gabe huffs a little, his cane resting against his shoulder. “Uh huh. So, level with me: what’d you get into this time?”

[the_reapers]

"Nothing! Nothing this time, hand to God!" He raises his hand to prove it. "I fell asleep on a park bench. They told me it's illegal here. But I had to do it, Gabe. There's a nest of squirrels I've been watching."

[minuteofangle]

"Squirrels, huh?" Gabe's expression softens just a little. "You feeding them, or just watching?"

[the_reapers]

"Feeding 'em. I'm gonna make me a squirrel buddy. Train it like Shaw and Delaney's dogs." He came up with this plan this morning.

[minuteofangle]

"Uh huh." Gabe waves his hand at Austin, motioning for the kid to come closer so Gabe can take his elbow. "How's it going?"

[the_reapers]

He's vibrating with energy, clearly on something even though he'd claimed he was sleeping a moment ago.

"Been good. Yeah. You saw my place," a cheap motel room, "not bad right? There's a pool and everything."

[minuteofangle]

That just gets a sigh. Sometimes the others forget that Gabe can’t see a damn thing. “Very nice,” Gabe agrees, squeezing Austin’s arm. “Sounds like you had some fun, hmm? Take anything good?”

[the_reapers]

"Just some E," he purrs, nuzzling his cheek against Gabe's arm. "You want some? I got one they didn't find."

[minuteofangle]

Gabe huffs and pets Austin’s hair. “C’mon, take me back. We’ll get some of that nice beer you like and chill.”

Maybe he’ll take some E, maybe he’ll just babysit.

[the_reapers]

"You gonna stay over? Yeah I'd like that," he leads Gabe carefully though, even high. "Gotta party with me though. I got good stuff this time.'

[minuteofangle]

“Oh, yeah?” Gabe teases, squeezing Austin’s arm. “Somebody’s living large.”

They’re moving up in the world. No more hustling for scraps.

[the_reapers]

"I have to," Austin sighs. "Baby mama won't move back here unless I get a real place. She still thinks I'm enlisted." He should tell her the truth, but she isn't taking his calls right now anyway.

[minuteofangle]

Poor kid, Gabe thinks, and Pat’s Austin’s arm. “She accepting the money, at least?”

[the_reapers]

"Yeah she's still cashing my checks." It's the only reason he knows where she is, how far she's gone to get away from him. "She moved out to Colorado. What's in Colorado?"

He's miserable thinking about his daughter and rubs his hand on Gabe's arm, soothing himself through touch.

[minuteofangle]

“Think Carver’s from Colorado, you should ask him.” Gabe just sighs and presses a kiss to the side of Austin’s head. “C’mon, let’s get you home. Gotta guide me now, yeah?”

[the_reapers]

"Wait wait wait, we have to take a detour," he steers Gabe left, his mood lifting. "I'm out of Swedish Fish. You want a snack? Oh shoot I forgot my wallet..."

[minuteofangle]

“Home,” Gabe says firmly, because sometimes you really do have to work to keep Austin on track. In the field, he’s fine. Out of it?

He sighs a little.

“C’mon. We’ll get beer. We can order some food, yeah?”

[the_reapers]

"Oh yeah I got plenty of beer! I got one that's spicy, made me think of you," he says. He's easily distracted but easy to redirect as well. "What kinda food you thinking? I could eat a goddamn horse."

[minuteofangle]

“Spicy beer?” Gabe whistles. “All right, that I gotta try. C’mon, let’s get some curry. That place Carver told us about, remember, with all the good bread?”

It’ll be good to get some food into Austin. Keep him focused while he comes down.

[the_reapers]

"Hey yeah!" He loves bread, could eat nothing but naan and be happy. "Is that the place with the belly dancers? Hey you could be one, I bet, I seen you move your hips," he bumps against Gabe's hips with his own. "We should dance with them."

[minuteofangle]

“I,” Gabe drawls, “could never be a belly dancer. You wanna know why? I’d be too damn sexy. Nobody’d ever recover.”

[the_reapers]

"Aw come on," he turns to Gabe, takes a hand on his hip, moving his own hips, coaxing Gabe to do the same. "Dance, man! It's good for you! Melt my brain with your heat!"

[minuteofangle]

“Home,” Gabe replies firmly, though he smiles. “We’re going home, we’re getting food, and if you still wanna, I’ll show you how to dance.”

[the_reapers]

Austin gives him a cheer and starts them walking again. "I'll still want it," he warns him. "You got dancing feet, Fifty, I can't just forget that. Gotta see you in action."

A bicycle driven rickshaw with Christmas lights and hip hop music playing rides past and Austin whistles at it to stop. "Hey! Let's ride in style. This bike trailer is pink, man!"

[minuteofangle]

It never stops, does it? Austin’s always going a hundred miles an hour, bouncing from thought to thought. It’s never malicious, not as long as Gabe’s known him, but the kid’s always getting caught up in some nonsense or another.

“Okay, okay. But no stops,” Gabe warns. “We’re going straight home.”