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heyboss

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From:

heyboss

"You do better," he answers. "You keep your nose clean. Do the work, work on yourself. Acknowledge that you hurt people. But do not let them hurt you back," he tells him firmly.

From:

killingtool

He's not sure how to do any of that, other than acknowledge that he hurt people cause he's not about to lie, but that last one-

He just nods. He'll figure it out when he gets there, he figures, and no doubt it won't be long. He'll just keep scarce until he's got something decided.

Okay.

From:

heyboss

He smiles, humming a little as they walk and he sips his tea. "Anything here look familiar?" he wonders, traversing the first level.

From:

killingtool

He shakes his head, careful to stabelize so he doesn't make the tea slosh too much.

But walking around is nice.

From:

heyboss

"That's alright," Sheehan says, his smile never wavering. "We have seven more levels to go." They reach the stairs and head down, one hand in his pocket. He whistles a little to himself.

From:

killingtool

Max comes off the stairs and looks down the hallway and Sheehan will see him freeze, his eyes focus on one particular door.

Then he turns to look back at Sheehan.

It's here. We can go.

From:

heyboss

He doesn't like that reaction. He takes a half step back.

"Which one, Max?"

From:

killingtool

He doesn't want to go closer. Not without a chainsaw in hand.

But he'll point down the hall, 208. To a rough wooden door that almost looks more like a broken pallet than an actual door.

From:

heyboss

He softens, following his finger to the door and - of course it's that one.

"Can I go and look at it, Max? You don't have to come."

From:

killingtool

He nods.

It's not dangerous. I just don't need to see.

From:

heyboss

Sheehan nods and gives him a grim smile before he opens the door. His stomach drops. The sight of it, the horrible knowledge that this was a place for a child, it hits him in all the wrong places and, for a moment, he's certain he's going to be sick. It's filthy, dilapidated, a deliberate attempt at cruelty by parents who had means but no will.

"That is not fit for you, Max. I - I have a proposal for you, okay?"

But he straightens up and comes back to Max, all calm.

From:

killingtool

Max, down the hall, just nods.

From:

heyboss

He joins him in a few steps. "Why don't we brainstorm a space together? Something just for you?"

From:

killingtool

The answer to this is just

????

Held up for him.

From:

heyboss

Sheehan tilts his head. "Do you want a place just for you?" he wonders. "I love having you in that cabin and you can continue to use it, though."

From:

killingtool

Something about it makes him uneasy. It's too much. It feels like a second shoe will drop. It feels like a trap. It feels too good to be true, too comfortable. He's scared of being too comfortable. Having Sheehan's cabin still be Sheehan's, so he has to be careful with it and it's not really his... that's fine. But his own place.

His own place that used to be that place.

What if it changed back?

What if the Admiral decided he shouldn't have nice thing?

What if he isn't doing good enough and the Admiral decides he has to push him to do better and he's strapped down again?

Eyes a little wide with fear, he shakes his head.

From:

heyboss

Sheehan nods. Easy. "That's just fine. You've got the cabin you're in now."

He takes a drink. "Come on. Want to keep going down? Just take a walk before we go back?"

From:

killingtool

That's a much easier question. He nods and he'll take a sip of his own tea. It's nice now, just warm instead of hot. Having warm beverages has been eye-opening. It makes his throat hurt less from the dry.

From:

heyboss

Sheehan nods and takes him back to the steps, leading him to the third floor. "Is there anything that you need? Anything different in the cabin you're in now? More clothes, bigger bed?"

From:

killingtool

Huh.

Beds get bigger?

He thought they only got bigger when it was for two people. And he hadn't slept in his parent's bed. He'd just slept on the couch, back then.

From:

heyboss

He smiles. "Yes, Max. They get bigger. They can be as big as you want them to be. And if it isn't comfortable, then you'll need a better one."

From:

killingtool

Sheehan, you have boggled him. 'Comfortable'? What?

I'll think about it.

From:

heyboss

"That's all I ask," he says, inclining his head. "As long as you have everything you need, I think I'm happy."

From:

killingtool

That makes him frown and start typing in a little.

Aren't you supposed to fix me? Doesn't that mean you gotta punish me for what I done?

From:

heyboss

"Punish you?"

He shakes his head. "No, Max. This is not about punishment. If punishment like you know worked, you'd have a much different life. We all would, I think."