#whumplr reader

[traumatizedoldmen]

𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰. 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲, 𝐈’𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝? 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬…

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐨𝟑 @traumatizedoldmen

[roman-cates]

"The police… a-arrested me out of the back of your car, Master. They took… me to a house and wanted me to tell them about you and about what you do and who you work with… I di-didn't talk to them—" His voice speeds up. "I did-didn't talk to them— didn't even say one word to them— I swear—"

"Oh, puppy. I'd love to believe that… I'll have to see what my sources say."

Of course, given that Curt isn't a cop and Ross was off-duty today, she knows exactly what her sources are going to say. Have said, already. But she can't tell him that, of course, and anyway, she thinks the terror while he waits will look good on him. Not too long, though. She'll probably 'hear' about the result in the early afternoon or evening tomorrow.

"And they let you go? Even though you didn't say a word?" She allows skepticism to enter her voice, but her hand is still gentle on his face. She picks a fresh leaf out of his hair with her other hand.

"Oh, puppy. I'd love to believe that… I'll have to see what my sources say."

A little frightened whine escaped the pet's throat at that...

"And they let you go? Even though you didn't say a word?"

The pet gives a little shake of his head. "N-no, Master. I... escaped out a window and ran. They... One of them pushed me into a table and it... it cut my shoulder. When they took my shirt off to bandage it, they... they saw the tattoo you gave me. Then... they stopped questioning me. They... put me in a room... And I jumped out the window."

[apoorsoul]

"Damn, I forgot how fast it heals." That's the doctor. "Charlie, make a note. We're going to have to monitor it, see if it migrates. And let's see if we can get one I can fix around the bone."

"Got it."

The doctor pats Katai's shoulder, the one Rex isn't touching.

"Good job, 135. We'll leave the wing free for the rest of the day. How's your stomach doing? Think you're ready for some real food?"

"Damn, I forgot how fast it heals," Dr. Cooper says. "Charlie, make a note. We're going to have to monitor it, see if it migrates. And let's see if we can get one I can fix around the bone."

Okay, but what is 'it'?

"Got it."

The doctor pats Rex's shoulder in a way that seems almost patronizing. "Good job, 135. We'll leave the wing free for the rest of the day. How's your stomach doing? Think you're ready for some real food?"

Well... at least they were going to let him stretch his wing for the rest of the day. "I think I could stomach it, Doctor Cooper," Katai gets out, still keeping his voice calm. Courteous.

[roman-cates]

Bryce puts his hand on top of Roman's, curling around it gently. They sit there in silence.

Bryce loses himself in thoughts of work. How he'll manage to take Mal down— If he can afford to leave her alive. How to do all of it while saving the captives, and how to leave Boss looking good to those on both sides of the law.

Whether Mal will keep her mouth shut if he leaves her alive.

He keeps circling around to what to do about James.

He doesn't speak until hunger begins to gnaw at him.

"You want some lunch?"

Roman and Bryce sit in silence for a long, long while. Roman doesn't try to break the quiet and he doesn't bother trying to think deeply either. He's emotionally exhausted from everything that's happened in the last 24 hours and appreciates the time to sit and be still without worry.

"You want some lunch?"

Roman startles out of his non-thought to realize that over an hour has passed. He is kind of hungry. Especially since he didn't really finish breakfast. "Yeah. Let's eat something."

[roman-cates]

Bryce begins to type out the invitation, then pauses. He asks Roman if they should ask Kyle to pick up takeout or if he should fix dinner. Roman agrees to takeout, and they spend a few minutes arranging that. When they're done, Bryce puts his phone down again.

Roman knows Bryce doesn't like cooking (and honestly isn't very good at it), so he agrees easily to take out. When Bryce puts his phone down again, Roman sets his hand on the table, open.

[roman-cates]

Bryce taps out a message to Kyle and waits as three dots appear.

"Kyle's not going to be able to come over til this evening," he reports to Roman.

Roman nods.

"Should I invite him over for dinner, too?"

"Kyle's not going to be able to come over til this evening," Bryce says a moment after he's typed out a message on his phone.. Roman gives a little nod. "Should I invite him over for dinner, too?"

Roman thinks about it for a moment, then nods again. "Yeah, I think that would be nice."

[roman-cates]

Bryce tries hard to make it clear he's not looking at the journal Roman is writing in even as he stays next to Roman, one hand touching him. After a few minutes, he pulls out his phone, less because he has anything to do on it and more to keep his eyes firmly on something other than Roman's writing.

He finds the site he bought Roman's wheelchair from and goes through the process of ordering another one, stopping when he hits the checkout. He should check with Roman, make sure he doesn't want to try something different. Bryce pulls up a phone game to keep his eyes and a hand occupied while he thinks through the implications of Boss's…offer.

Well before an hour has passed, Roman shuts his journal. Bryce puts his own phone down.

"Hey," he says softly. "Still feeling better?"

Roman writes quietly, detailing his nightmare from last night and all of the thoughts that were brought to the front of his mind, unavoidable. He writes as much as he can remember about his interactions with Bryce this morning— about his stress and the way he snapped at Bryce. He writes about the meeting with Boss— about the way she seems to know way more about the nature of his relationship with Bryce than either he or Bryce would want her to... And he details everything he can from the conversation she and Bryce had once Roman put his earbuds in and turned the music down to listen.

After he's done writing the details of what he can actually remember, he writes a bit more about what it might mean to be free again... Has he ever really been free before? He wasn't while he was living with his parents... Maybe he was for the short time he was living on his own before Avery kidnapped him, but... Ever since? No. He hasn't ever gotten to know true freedom.

If he was really free again, could he contact Archer again..? Maybe... Probably not... That would still probably be a bad idea. And it's not something he needs to consider right now anyway. He's still not free yet. If he wants to meet with Archer again, that's much further into the future— once any danger of him being dragged into this has passed...

When he's finished writing, Roman shuts his journal. Bryce puts his phone away.

"Hey," Bryce says softly. "Still feeling better?"

Roman nods a little. "Yeah... I think I just needed to talk about things. I'm just... stressed."

[roman-cates]

"No, not just that, for…" Roman doesn't move as he speaks. "Damn it… I need my journal…"

Which is in the bedroom.

"Do you want me to go grab it?" That will give him a chance to switch the breakers back, too.

"Do you want me to go grab it?"

"Can I come with you?" Roman asks, still not picking up his head. "And then we can sit in the kitchen?" That way he's not just... getting up to follow Bryce? He's getting up to move places. And that feels more acceptable.

[roman-cates]

"I… My nightmare last night was… It was really bad…"

Bryce blinks, still watching Roman's face. This was not the direction he expected this conversation to go in. But…Roman must want to talk about this, right? He makes a light, questioning noise when Roman pauses, and hopes that's the correct response. It must be, because Roman continues.

"It was about J— about Avery again… I was back in that stupid basement again and they were there and…" Roman takes a breath, obviously trying to stay calm enough to continue. "They�� said a lot of things… A lot of things that, thinking about it now are probably thoughts I just haven't wanted to think about…"

Bryce tilts his own head a little. Of course there are things Roman doesn't want to think about. As far as Bryce can tell, every part of his life was awful, and now… He keeps insisting he wants to stay with Bryce. Maybe he's finally rethinking that? Or… Having it shoved in his face by his subconscious, in the form of a dream-Avery? Bryce doesn't let his thoughts show on his face, just that he's paying attention.

"I know they're not real in my nightmares. I think… I don't know… It's just as bad— maybe even worse— knowing that those are my thoughts, not just their words…" Roman falters a little, eyes still fixed on Bryce's.

"I'm listening," Bryce murmurs. "I… I know you might not want to tell me, and that's fine, but I'm listening if you want to. I— I think it'd be good for you to talk, and I'll find you a shr— a therapist, too."

"I'm listening," Bryce murmurs. "I… I know you might not want to tell me, and that's fine, but I'm listening if you want to. I— I think it'd be good for you to talk, and I'll find you a shr— a therapist, too."

Roman takes a deep breath. Well... first thing first, then, he supposes... "Yesterday, one of the 'officers'— one of those men— said something about how I was supposed to be tame... I know that them saying that means I wasn't being what they expected, but they did expect it— Someone told them that I was 'tame'. And I hate the fact that's what I have to be when I'm around other people..."

[roman-cates]

By the time Pet returns from the kitchen, Mal has new drink in her hand. She glances at her watch again as he folds himself over in front of her. She takes a few slow sips before placing the glass down.

She spends the next fifteen minutes continuing to speak with Rose in generalities. When she picks up her drink again, she taps her pet's chest. She mostly trusts Pet, and she mostly trusts that he won't have the chance to spill her secrets even if he was so inclined. But she has things to discuss that she wants to be sure won't get out.

"Up," she tells him. "You will wait by the front door for me. I'll deal with your failures when we get home."

The pet's muscles are tired from his previous attempt... He's beginning to struggle a bit when Mal taps his chest. "Up," she tells him. "You will wait by the front door for me. I'll deal with your failures when we get home."

"Yes, master," the pet says as he stands, eyes a little too wide, the slightest tremor in his hands as he heads towards the door.

[roman-cates]

"I… I'd… like to stay, if you'll let me? Master?"

Bryce isn't really sure how much that is an act. The 'Master' at the end has to be, though.

Before Bryce can reply, Boss lets out a theatrically loud snort. He looks up at her, but she just shakes her head.

Bryce looks back at Roman. "Yeah, you can stay." He extends an arm to the coffee table, grabs the CD player that's sitting there, and hands it off to Roman. Roman takes the player.

"I'll be charging another chair to your card," Bryce tells Boss as Roman puts his earbuds in and brings the CD player unto his lap. Because Roman's head is on Bryce's shoulder, he can hear the music play… and decrease in volume. Roman must be turning it down so he can hear the conversation.

Bryce hopes he won't regret that. After the way he reacted to Days on the phone when she told him what they found in the bunker…

Well, he'll cover if he has to.

"What's wrong with the chair he was using?"

Bryce gives her a sardonic look. "The one that Mal's 'cops' had access to?"

Boss sighs. "Fine. I'll pay for it."

"And—"

"No," she interrupts him, "I know you want to punish them, but I can't have disorder in the ranks. It's bad enough that Mal went against my direct orders, but I can't make it known that she told others to as well."

"Who were they?"

"Ross really is a cop. One of our highest expenditures, actually. He's very useful. Curt…"

Bryce knows the name. He didn't connect it to the man hurting Roman, but he can see it now. "Oh. That was Curt?"

Boss nods. "It was. And you will not approach either of them."

"Fine." It's said through gritted teeth. He breathes in. "Can we talk about—" About what you meant when you said I'm your contingency plan?

"I'm not done." She leans forward again, her eyes roaming over the young man at his side. "Bryce… This isn't one sided, is it?"

He looks a question at her. She sighs, and waves a hand to encompass Roman.

"This… Whatever you have going here."

Fuck, how much has she put together? He shakes his head, not sure how to answer.

"Fine. We'll put that aside for now." She turns her full attention to Bryce. He's glad she's not looking at Roman anymore, but he wishes she would tone it down, just a little. "You want answers. And—" She holds up a hand, "You want to complain about Mal ordering his taking, and probably to re-negotiate. And you want to rant about whatever she's been doing in that warehouse." She raises a brow. "Am I missing anything?"

"You're not missing anything," he allows.

"Fine," she says with a sigh. "I'll cover the second point first. She's out of control. Which is why you're here in the first place, if you remember."

"I'm here to advise," he protests, "To report. Not to stop her from disobeying your actual orders."

She holds up a hand. "Yes, yes. She's worse than anticipated. I'm willing to adjust your compensation accordingly."

"Believe it or not, the money isn't the thing I'm–"

"Bryce. It doesn't have to be money." Her eyes leave his and wander over Roman's face for a moment. "We could let him go. Give him protection."

"I'll be charging another chair to your card," Bryce tells Boss as Roman puts his earbuds in. As he puts the player back in his lap, he turns the volume down discreetly so he can hear the conversation. He might regret hearing what's said, but right now this sort of feels like an opportunity to take back a little control over his life. Control he feels like he's lost— especially after his nightmare last night.

"What's wrong with the chair he was using?"

Roman keeps his eyes down in his lap— it's easier not to react if he can't see their faces or whether they're looking at him. Still, he can hear the near sarcasm in Bryce's tone. "The one that Mal's 'cops' had access to?"

Boss sighs. "Fine. I'll pay for it."

"And—"

"No," she interrupts him, "I know you want to punish them, but I can't have disorder in the ranks. It's bad enough that Mal went against my direct orders, but I can't make it known that she told others to as well."

"Who were they?"

"Ross really is a cop. One of our highest expenditures, actually. He's very useful. Curt…"

So one of them really was an officer... Well, does that mean that anything they said was true?

"Oh. That was Curt?"

"It was. And you will not approach either of them."

"Fine." It's said through gritted teeth. Bryce breathes in. "Can we talk about—"

"I'm not done." Boss interrupts, and Roman can feel rather than see her looking at him. "Bryce… This isn't one sided, is it?" Roman keeps his expression neutral, as it has been since he 'put on music'. "This… Whatever you have going here."

"Fine. We'll put that aside for now. You want answers. And— You want to complain about Mal ordering his taking, and probably to re-negotiate. And you want to rant about whatever she's been doing in that warehouse. Am I missing anything?"

"You're not missing anything," Bryce allows.

"Fine," she says with a sigh. "I'll cover the second point first. She's out of control. Which is why you're here in the first place, if you remember."

"I'm here to advise," Bryce protests, "To report. Not to stop her from disobeying your actual orders."

"Yes, yes. She's worse than anticipated. I'm willing to adjust your compensation accordingly."

"Believe it or not, the money isn't the thing I'm–"

"Bryce. It doesn't have to be money. We could let him go. Give him protection."

It takes more effort not to react to that, but Roman still keeps his expression neutral, not allowing any fluctuation that would show he's listening. They could let him go? Actually? To... live almost freely again? And she's offering it?

This was not something that Roman expected to hear. He's not quite sure what he expected to hear, but he's certain it wasn't this. What will Bryce say? Is he going to make that decision for him, too? Right now? Roman isn't even sure what he would say if he was involved in this conversation right now. He wants to live freely again— one of the reasons he's told Bryce no is because he believed that there is no way he can ever return to a free life. He's considered his only options to be living alone and scared of being pursued by these people for the rest of his life, or living with Bryce and being less scared of being pursued by these people for the rest of his life. If there's another option— if there's a way he doesn't have to live in fear of these people for the rest of his life— is that a choice he would make?

Is that a choice he could make if it meant never seeing Bryce again..?

[roman-cates]

Roman gives a frustrated sigh, lowering his head back onto his arms. When he speaks, his voice shakes. "Just… If I don't have a choice then don't pretend I do… It's… condescending…"

Bryce looks down again.

"I'm sorry," he says, "I didn't mean to be. I'll— I'll try not to." I want you to have a choice. Which is a damn poor reason for acting like he does, hoping Roman would play along, help ease his conscience.

Roman doesn't look up, but Bryce can hear crying. Not sobbing, not yet, but… He's far more upset than Bryce anticipated, and Bryce wonders what, exactly, is different from yesterday. Yesterday, he willingly went to Peter Rose's house to play the part of a pet. Bryce didn't even want him to go then, not really, and yet he went.

Did he just feel like he had to check on James?

That makes sense, Bryce supposes. And of course he's reconsidering his stance after what happened yesterday.

Still, Bryce feels like he's missing something.

Bryce doesn't want to intrude, but…He puts a hand out to the middle of the table. Roman can't see it, but he should be able to hear it. He should be able to feel it from the movement of the table.

"I'm sorry," Bryce says, and he sounds like he really is— he probably really is... Roman can't help the little stab of guilt at lashing out. "I didn't mean to be. I'll— I'll try not to."

The tears gathered in Roman's eyes start to fall and he starts to cry softly. He hears Bryce put something— probably his hand— on the table.

Roman feels guilty about snapping and because of that feels sort of obligated to take Bryce's hand, even though part of him just wants to be left alone... He reaches out with one hand without looking up and takes Bryce's hand, still crying quietly.

[roman-cates]

"Well I assume I don't really get a choice, since you obviously know I'm not willing after the conversation we just had." Roman's voice doesn't reach above the rules of the table, even though he's snapping. Tears glitter in his eyes.

Fuck. The conversation with Boss drove Roman's words from his head, but of course he doesn't want to— Isn't willing to—

Bryce looks down. The food on his plate seems to mock him. Was it really only ten, fifteen minutes ago he was enjoying breakfast?

"I'm sorry," he says, hoping the despair isn't evident in his voice. "You're right." He takes a deep breath, trying to think. "You could stay in your room." She might insist on seeing him anyway. "She might— The only other thing we can really do is leave." He looks up.

"I'm sorry. You're right." Bryce takes a deep breath. "You could stay in your room. She might— The only other thing we can really do is leave." He looks up.

Roman gives a frustrated sigh, lowering his head back onto his arms. "Just... If I don't have a choice then don't pretend I do... It's... condescending..."

[roman-cates]

"What do you mean? What do you mean with or without you?"

Bryce looks up. Roman is peering at him, curiosity evident.

"Are… do you want to leave?"

What the hell does it matter what he wants? He points at his full mouth with his fork and finishes chewing before he speaks.

"Mal broke my agreement with Boss," he says calmly, keeping his eyes on Roman's. "I would be considered justified in leaving. And… Yeah, I think it's a discussion we should have, at least."

"Mal broke my agreement with Boss," Bryce says calmly, keeping his eyes on Roman's. "I would be considered justified in leaving. And… Yeah, I think it's a discussion we should have, at least."

Roman takes a few seconds in silent thought. He doesn't want to leave by himself. He doesn't want to leave Bryce. Bryce has tried to offer that to him a couple of times and, really, when Bryce brought up leaving again, Roman's mind immediately went back to those conversations— to the feeling Bryce was trying to get them to separate— but that isn't really what Bryce said this time.

What if they both left? For a minute, Roman lets himself indulge that possibility.

"Okay... What... what if we did leave? What would that look like..?"

[roman-cates]

"I don't want to leave, so, y-yeah. Shut up, please."

"Okay," Bryce agrees, and looks down at his plate. He picks his fork back up; spears a piece of pancake. "I don't— Okay."

"Okay," Bryce agrees, and looks down at his plate. "I don't— Okay."

Roman looks down at his own plate, mind still racing.

There are options, with or without me.

"What do you mean?" Roman asks a few moments later. "What do you mean with or without you? Are... do you want to leave?"

[roman-cates]

"Did… you sleep okay once we came home?"

"Yeah, I did." Bryce pauses, and smiles a little. "Thanks."

"Yeah, I did." Bryce pauses, and smiles a little. "Thanks."

Roman smiles and snuggles in again. He's still a bit sleepy, but they should probably get up soon... Ah... And he doesn't have a chair anymore. He'll need a new one...