(no subject)
Title: All the Paths are Dark
Fandom: Bandom, MCR
Pairing: none
Word count: 849
Warnings: Slavery, references to sexual abuse.
Summary: After the whole Andrew situation blows up, Mikey isn't sure what's going to happen next.
Author's Note: Follows from Nowhere to Turn. This is a hc_bingo fill for the 'Moving' square.
Mikey felt pretty uncomfortable sitting on the couch in Ray’s quarters, talking to the rest of the crew. They were all really friendly and everyone was trying to make him feel welcome, but he still felt like an interloper. He’d learned that someone called Gabe was getting booted out of the quarters so Mikey could have his place, and he’d flipped out.
Everyone had tried to reassure him. Even Gabe had tried to convince him it was fine. Mikey just didn’t get it. It wasn’t fine. What was he going to have to do to pay everyone back for all these favours?
He sat on the couch hoping that people would leave him alone, and after a while they did. Except for Ryan. Mikey was glad to see Ryan again and learn that he was doing well. Sitting with him was easier; Ryan didn’t seem to expect him to talk or be okay.
“The people here have weird ideas,” Ryan said out of the blue a few minutes later.
That startled a laugh from Mikey. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Thanks for taking care of me, when we got here.”
“Oh.” Mikey hadn’t expected Ryan to remember that, or bring it up. “No big deal.”
Ryan frowned. “It sort of is. I owe you one.”
“Nah, forget it.”
Mikey looked towards Ryan and noticed Ryan looking back at him, one eyebrow raised. He looked like he was analysing Mikey’s words, searching them for the truth. He thought Ryan wanted to say something else, but once Ryan had examined him to his satisfaction, he looked away and they fell into silence once more. Then someone else said, “Is Mikey going to share with William, or should he sleep somewhere else?” and Ryan quietly left the room.
Mikey was set up in William’s room, which he used to share with Gabe, and he sat on the bed enjoying the luxury of being alone. He was able to enjoy it for about five minutes, and then Ray came looking for him.
Ray asked him if he wanted to go back to his old quarters and get his things. Mikey didn’t. He didn’t really have anything, and he didn’t want to go back there. He shook his head, and Ray sat beside him.
“Brian is really upset about what happened,” Ray said. Mikey hunched his shoulders, and Ray went on quickly. “Not at you! He’s furious with Andrew. I don’t know what’s gonna happen with him. Maybe... well. Who knows. Anyway, it’s usually Pete’s job to keep an eye on that sort of thing and make sure that stuff like this doesn’t happen, but the factory’s got bigger, and I guess there was just too much for him to do. He feels really bad about it too. So Brian decided to do some shuffling around, hand out some... like, promotions, so Pete can share his workload around a bit. That’s where Gabe’s going, okay? So don’t feel bad, or like you’re pushing him out or anything. Gabe’s happy.”
That was good to know, at least. “Thanks, Ray,” Mikey said, because he had been worrying about it. The other thing he was worried about, though, he had to ask. “Did Schechter mean what he said? About looking for Gee? Is he really going to...” It had been easier to believe when it was Andrew, when he was getting something out of it. The idea of a foreman going looking for a particular slave just because another slave had asked him to... it didn’t make sense, but everyone seemed to expect Mikey to go along with it. “Does he really do that? Just because?”
“Yeah,” said Ray. He bit his lip like he was trying to think what to say. Mikey watched the way his teeth pressed down. “Sometimes, I mean, people are really easy to find? With I.D. and everything. And they’ll just turn up at sales. Sometimes it’s harder, if the records haven’t been kept up well, or the owner doesn’t want to sell. I bet Schechter will try really hard to find him, though. He wants to make up for Andrew.”
Mikey shifted uneasily at the name. “Right,” he said. “And it’s... I really don’t have to do anything. At all. You guys are just that nice.” He hadn’t meant to sound so confrontational, but it was a lot to be asked to believe.
“We’re not... nice. We just want to do the right thing.”
“Yeah. Well. I’ll believe it when I see it.” Mikey knew he was being a jerk, but he was tired of disappointment.
“I hope that’s soon,” Ray said. “Anyway. I’m totally exhausted. I’m sure you are too. I’m going to go try to sleep.”
“Yeah, sounds good,” Mikey agreed. He doubted he’d be able to sleep. He hadn’t had a proper sleep in days. But this was a good time to try; in a new place, around people who so far, hadn’t given him a reason to distrust.
He dreamed about Gerard, killing masked bad guys with a laser gun. It was a lot better than his usual dreams.
Fandom: Bandom, MCR
Pairing: none
Word count: 849
Warnings: Slavery, references to sexual abuse.
Summary: After the whole Andrew situation blows up, Mikey isn't sure what's going to happen next.
Author's Note: Follows from Nowhere to Turn. This is a hc_bingo fill for the 'Moving' square.
Mikey felt pretty uncomfortable sitting on the couch in Ray’s quarters, talking to the rest of the crew. They were all really friendly and everyone was trying to make him feel welcome, but he still felt like an interloper. He’d learned that someone called Gabe was getting booted out of the quarters so Mikey could have his place, and he’d flipped out.
Everyone had tried to reassure him. Even Gabe had tried to convince him it was fine. Mikey just didn’t get it. It wasn’t fine. What was he going to have to do to pay everyone back for all these favours?
He sat on the couch hoping that people would leave him alone, and after a while they did. Except for Ryan. Mikey was glad to see Ryan again and learn that he was doing well. Sitting with him was easier; Ryan didn’t seem to expect him to talk or be okay.
“The people here have weird ideas,” Ryan said out of the blue a few minutes later.
That startled a laugh from Mikey. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Thanks for taking care of me, when we got here.”
“Oh.” Mikey hadn’t expected Ryan to remember that, or bring it up. “No big deal.”
Ryan frowned. “It sort of is. I owe you one.”
“Nah, forget it.”
Mikey looked towards Ryan and noticed Ryan looking back at him, one eyebrow raised. He looked like he was analysing Mikey’s words, searching them for the truth. He thought Ryan wanted to say something else, but once Ryan had examined him to his satisfaction, he looked away and they fell into silence once more. Then someone else said, “Is Mikey going to share with William, or should he sleep somewhere else?” and Ryan quietly left the room.
Mikey was set up in William’s room, which he used to share with Gabe, and he sat on the bed enjoying the luxury of being alone. He was able to enjoy it for about five minutes, and then Ray came looking for him.
Ray asked him if he wanted to go back to his old quarters and get his things. Mikey didn’t. He didn’t really have anything, and he didn’t want to go back there. He shook his head, and Ray sat beside him.
“Brian is really upset about what happened,” Ray said. Mikey hunched his shoulders, and Ray went on quickly. “Not at you! He’s furious with Andrew. I don’t know what’s gonna happen with him. Maybe... well. Who knows. Anyway, it’s usually Pete’s job to keep an eye on that sort of thing and make sure that stuff like this doesn’t happen, but the factory’s got bigger, and I guess there was just too much for him to do. He feels really bad about it too. So Brian decided to do some shuffling around, hand out some... like, promotions, so Pete can share his workload around a bit. That’s where Gabe’s going, okay? So don’t feel bad, or like you’re pushing him out or anything. Gabe’s happy.”
That was good to know, at least. “Thanks, Ray,” Mikey said, because he had been worrying about it. The other thing he was worried about, though, he had to ask. “Did Schechter mean what he said? About looking for Gee? Is he really going to...” It had been easier to believe when it was Andrew, when he was getting something out of it. The idea of a foreman going looking for a particular slave just because another slave had asked him to... it didn’t make sense, but everyone seemed to expect Mikey to go along with it. “Does he really do that? Just because?”
“Yeah,” said Ray. He bit his lip like he was trying to think what to say. Mikey watched the way his teeth pressed down. “Sometimes, I mean, people are really easy to find? With I.D. and everything. And they’ll just turn up at sales. Sometimes it’s harder, if the records haven’t been kept up well, or the owner doesn’t want to sell. I bet Schechter will try really hard to find him, though. He wants to make up for Andrew.”
Mikey shifted uneasily at the name. “Right,” he said. “And it’s... I really don’t have to do anything. At all. You guys are just that nice.” He hadn’t meant to sound so confrontational, but it was a lot to be asked to believe.
“We’re not... nice. We just want to do the right thing.”
“Yeah. Well. I’ll believe it when I see it.” Mikey knew he was being a jerk, but he was tired of disappointment.
“I hope that’s soon,” Ray said. “Anyway. I’m totally exhausted. I’m sure you are too. I’m going to go try to sleep.”
“Yeah, sounds good,” Mikey agreed. He doubted he’d be able to sleep. He hadn’t had a proper sleep in days. But this was a good time to try; in a new place, around people who so far, hadn’t given him a reason to distrust.
He dreamed about Gerard, killing masked bad guys with a laser gun. It was a lot better than his usual dreams.