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[atypical_echo]

What it says on the Tin

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[heydrb]

Yeah?
That's great, Mark. You should.
You deserve something that'll make you happy.

[atypical_echo]

I don't know if I can find happiness. I might be a touch too broken.

[heydrb]

Something like it, then.
But I don't think you're too broken for happiness.

[atypical_echo]

Yeah, Joan tells me that too, but I don't really know.

[heydrb]

If you think that I can start over and figure out some kind of life for myself somewhere, why the hell wouldn’t you think you could?

[atypical_echo]

Because unlike you, I can't just walk away from all the things I've done and use that as a place to start from anew. I can't walk away from everyone else.

[heydrb]

You make it sound like it was easy for me. That any of this is.
It's not. It never is.
I've done this more times and in more places than I care to count. It's never a clean break from one chapter into the next.

Besides your sister, what's really keeping you in Boston?

[atypical_echo]

My friends. Sam.

[heydrb]

Sam could go with you and there’s like a million ways to keep in contact with people these days.

What good is that city to you after everything it’s taken from you and done to you?

[atypical_echo]

She can't. It's complicated.

And in the defense of Boston, most of my trauma was either in being kidnapped too Boston, or what you did. And I'm apparently keeping you?

[heydrb]

I guess that’s part of what makes you a better person than me.

This is the first time I haven’t just completely cut ties after I left a place.

[atypical_echo]

If you remember, you're also part of the traumas that happened to me in Boston.

I still don't get why you didn't cut ties. Might be easier.

[heydrb]

I know.
I left, like everyone wanted.

I really didn’t think you would answer when I text you that night, I was just drunk and lonely.

[How’s that for some honesty?]

[atypical_echo]

Like everyone needed, Damien. There's a bit of a difference.

That night I'd seen my parents. I sort of needed someone to talk to before I did something stupid. Which I then proceeded to do.

[heydrb]

Semantics.

Parents suck, man. Fuck ‘em.

You could stop answering at any point.
You haven’t yet.

[atypical_echo]

Important semantics.

[Because while they had all needed it, Mark still had to be convinced. Because it hadn't been what he wanted.]

You're like alcohol, Damien.

[heydrb]

What, like, addictive?

[Trying to be better or not, there is an unfortunate almost flattery to be found in being told someone’s addicted to you, for someone like Damien. Tread carefully, Mark.]

[atypical_echo]

Yeah, like that. You're a vice. I'm having enough trouble cutting out the alcohol. Apparently I can't stop on you.

[heydrb]

Is this the part where I’m supposed to offer to cut ties and never look back?
Because I walked away from you once, I don’t know if I can do it again, Mark.

I know that’s selfish and it’s not fair for me to put that in you, but…
I mean, we’re just talking. I’m never going back to Boston, you’re never gonna show up in bum fuck Colorado. What’s the worst that could happen?

[atypical_echo]

You make me sound like I'm this amazing thing you need in your life. I'm not that good Damien. I promise.

Yeah 'what's the worst that could happen' is NOT a phrase I like. I told Joanie that once, right before I was going to go see the world. I literally got AM-napped THE NEXT DAY.

[heydrb]

You may not think so. Doesn’t mean I have to agree with you.

Okay, so not that.
Point remains.
What does talking hurt?

[atypical_echo]

I'm not a good person, Damien. And possibly not good for you. I want you to become better but I don't know that I can help with that.

It keeps you fresh in my mind.

[heydrb]

Why... no, how can you possibly think you're a BAD person?
Forget whatever rose-tinted lenses you think I might have on you.
You are NOT a bad person, Mark. You're not. Trust me.

[It's a bit before he responds to the last one. Because there's a whole lot of internal debate over it.

Damien knows what he should do.
And he knows what he wants to happen.
But they don't line up.

And. Honestly? This feels like it's too big for a fucking text message at this point, so when he eventually picks his phone up again, he just hits dial on Mark's name and hopes he picks up.]

[atypical_echo]

[That sure didn't feel like what his sister and Sam thought sometimes. Or the other Tier Fives. Or other Atypicals he had been used against. There had been more than one reason he had fallen into the bottle. And the meeting Helen again had only made it worse.

But he doesn't respond right away. He needs a drink and so he does what he's learned to do when he needs to drink. He gets up and starts preparing a cup of tea. Keeps his hands busy and gives him something to drink.

But he keeps the phone with him as he waits for the water to boil. Only for it to ring. He even sees Damien's name and hesitates before picking it up.]

Fair warning, I'm staying at Joanie's right now. She isn't home but she could come back soon. So you chill with me not using your name?

[heydrb]

[He intends to start as soon as Mark picks up, but he fumbles a distracted sort of answer to that question instead.]

Uh- y-yeah. [Beat.] It's...fine.

[Beat.
Two.
Fuck.

His voice is soft, the way it always gets when he's trying to control how much emotion comes through it. He isn't doing a great job of that last part right now, though.]

Do you want me to stop? ...I'll be honest, I don't want to. I don't want to walk away from you again. I don't want to be alone again. But I don't wanna keep hurting you, either.

[It's the briefest of pauses before he just... sort of... keeps going.] You- you agreed to it, I thought it'd be okay, but- [There's a soft huff of fuck muttered, though not at all directed at Mark.] if this is fucking shit up for you more, just– just tell me... okay?

I...I want you to be okay, Mark... more than I want to do the selfish thing and keep you in my life...

[It's.... a lot.

It's a lot more than he's used to handing over to someone, which is why he just sort of barreled straight through the whole of it. If he didn't, he would have stopped and abandoned the whole thing.

Damien hates that it feels like he's just set himself up to lose him forever. But if that's what's right for Mark, isn't that what he should be doing?

Trying to be better, sucks.]