Other Notes/Warnings for This Chapter:
~Misgendering by a definite jerk.
Legal Disclaimer: I do not own Red vs. Blue or any of the show's characters. They are the rightful properties of Rooster Teeth.
Chapter Four: Revelations
"Where is Grif?"
Richard "Dick" Simmons started at the unfamiliar, gravely voice that had so bluntly addressed him. The redhead had to do a double-take to make sure that the towering stranger currently looming over him was, in fact, talking to him. It was like the guy had appeared out of nowhere.
Upon closer inspection, Simmons realized that the giant wasn't exactly a total stranger. They'd never spoken before, but the maroon-wearing teen vaguely recognized the imposing young man with a scar on his face as an acquaintance of Grif's from his mysterious work. Locus, maybe? Tucker hadn't seemed fond of either him or some guy named Felix, another of Grif's work "friends." Why was this Locus person talking to Simmons, of all people?
"Umm." Simmons weakly squeaked out, his brain choosing to not be very helpful.
Locus seemed to wait patiently for about a second, as if he was used to having that sort of effect on people, which was somehow even more terrifying to think about. Apparently that silence grew irksome as he decided to repeat himself, "Where is Grif?" Locus asked, eyes narrowed.
The temperature seemed to drop around Simmons. They were both standing outside of Kai's favorite ice cream shop, the same one that she always managed to bribe Grif and Simmons to take her to for a frozen treat. All Simmons could do was inwardly pray that the little girl would linger inside after she finished going to the bathroom.
"Wh—why would you think I know?" Simmons tried countering with a question of his own shakily instead, feeling strangely protective, "And…and just why are you as—asking about Grif?"
The tan-skinned young man tilted his head slightly to the side as if considering Simmons, "I'm an acquaintance of his from work." Locus said evenly, which had Simmons once again debating on whether he wanted to know more about whatever it was Grif actually did for work or not, "Your name is Simmons, correct?" He asked, "The Grif siblings are staying at your house." Locus stated that last remark with so much fact that Simmons knew he already knew exactly who he was talking to. Super creepy!
Simmons nodded in response, swallowing nervously with his suddenly rather dry throat. What exactly was Grif getting himself into, or was the redhead simply being too judgmental again? Locus caught on to Simmons' obvious nervousness and let out a seemingly uncharacteristic sigh, "I should apologize for having approached you in such a way." He got out in a rather surprisingly awkward manner, "I'm a stranger, after all."
Simmons relaxed slightly, some of his earlier nerves being replaced by embarrassment. He was about to reassure the imposing figure that it wasn't really a big deal…
"Take that, dirtbag!"
…When suddenly Kaikaina Grif kicked her foot in Locus' shin with all the strength her smaller frame could muster. The blow had no apparent impact on Locus, who merely blinked in surprise, though Kai immediately winced and grabbed her foot gingerly.
"Kai!" Simmons raced to her in concern, "Are you okay?!"
"Ow!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, "He's made of steel!"
Locus merely watched her hopping on one foot for a few more seconds with Simmons anxiously hovering over her, an amused look in his dark eyes. She glared up at him all the same, however, "You better not be trying to shake Simmons down for money!" Kai vehemently declared, "'Cause that is totally my job!"
"Wait, what?!" Simmons squeaked out in response.
"C'mon, gray guy, keep up!" Kai told him with just a hint of exasperation in her voice, "I'm trying to protect you here!"
"You must be Grif's sister." Locus deduced.
The mention of her brother's name caused Kai to look over at him, "You know my big bro?" She asked, squinting up at him curiously.
"He's a co-worker of his." Simmons quickly explained to her, turning nervously to Locus as he stepped protectively in front of Kai to diffuse the situation, "We're sorry for the mix-up, and…!"
"It's not a problem." Locus quickly cut in, waving the apology away as unnecessary. He looked at the pair in an assessing manner, "Now I can almost understand why someone like Grif does this."
Kai and Simmons both turned to look at the other then, before regarding him once more with open confusion. Simmons stepped forward, hand raised as if to ask a question, "Er…"
"Grif hasn't reported in." Locus was quick to move the topic along, evidently.
"Report in?" Simmons couldn't help but repeat the rather odd term, wondering yet again just what kind of job it was Grif had. But because he really didn't get the sense that Locus was all that bad following this interaction, he answered truthfully, "He's helping to set up lessons at the community center."
"Yeah," Kai chimed in helpfully with a large grin on her face, "For when Dex and Simmons get their butts handed to them later by Carolina!"
Simmons could only blush in embarrassment at just how true her statement was.
"I see." Locus merely inclined his scarred head slightly at this new information.
"We could give him a message, if you want." Simmons tried politely offering.
But Locus merely waved the offer away, "No need." He informed them in his usual blunt manner of speech, "Grif is doing what he needs to. I'll just contact him through the usual channels." He turned to leave before pausing, as if thinking of something else, and glancing at the two of them over his shoulder, "I apologize again for the misunderstanding." He murmured before walking off and leaving them standing there.
"That guy was way too weird and intense," Kai stated quietly after a few seconds had passed as Simmons nodded his head in quick agreement, "but I bet everyone thinks he's secretly hot." She concluded with a sly look in her brown eyes.
"Yeah, yeah…" Simmons said before her words caught up to his brain then, "Wait, what?!"
Kai's laughter at his flustered response lasted the whole way to the Warthog Community Center.
"Should we tell someone?" Dylan Andrews asked softly over the rim of her paper coffee cup as she sat on a bench with Lavernius Tucker, close to the community center's front doors.
It didn't take the dark-skinned young man anytime at all to catch on to what she was talking about, even though she'd brought the topic up without any sort of preamble. After all, there was only one thing the two schoolmates had been discussing together privately once they realized that they both had the same suspicions.
Tucker raised an eyebrow in her direction and scoffed, "Who'd we tell?" He asked her incredulously, "Wash and Carolina have a whole lot of shit on their plates with Freelancer training and…"
"You don't want to get Grif in trouble." Dylan gently surmised when he trailed off.
Tucker was rather annoyed at just how quickly she'd accurately guessed that, but he sighed and nodded his head all the same. "He isn't a bad guy." He noted, voice uncharacteristically quiet as he added, "He's just stupidly desperate when it comes to wanting to help his family." He sighed, "What's so wrong with that?"
"I know." Dylan told him succinctly, "Which is why I don't want to go to the police either." She frowned at the cup still in her hands, "But surely Kimball or her dad should know?"
"Only if we want them to get the police involved or have them try to stop things themselves and get fucked over." Tucker told her without hesitation, as if it was something he'd mulled over quite a bit himself before. Knowing what he did of Sarge, that last possibility in particular seemed pretty likely. Tucker titled his head back and sighed, "It's a lose-lose situation."
"Maybe." Dylan noted, narrowing her brown eyes in thought, "But we might still be able to keep Grif from going down a path he'll regret." She flexed her fingers around her cup, "He is our friend."
Tucker nodded his head enthusiastically, "What do you have in mind?"
Dylan's eyes landed on Simmons, so currently engrossed in a conversation with Kai that neither of them even noticed their friends sitting there as they walked past them to the center's doors. "We tell someone," she stated slowly, "But only so that they'll talk to Grif." She nodded her head slightly, "If we can get Grif on board with helping us out, we can go from there." She concluded.
Tucker gave a brief nod and sighed, "Oh man, I just hope the dumb nerd doesn't get so heartbroken that he cries or some shit."
Much to Simmons' fond amusement, Kai had finished all of her homework and was subsequently out like a light despite how difficult it usually was to get her to fall asleep.
"Apparently watching our asses get handed to us in Carolina's self-defense and martial arts classes tuckered her out. Go figure?" Grif noted wryly from his side of the bedroom, as if he'd been reading Simmons' mind.
"Seems that way." Simmons responded as he tried to work out a new kink in his shoulder, "Though I think I managed to last longer this time!"
Grif snorted, "Yeah, a whole new record of ten seconds as opposed to five."
The redhead smiled slightly, "That totally counts as an improvement!"
"Whatever you say, nerd." The orange-wearing young man threw a pillow at him, one of those fancy pillows that his mom put everywhere but had a fit if someone actually used. Simmons very lamely didn't dodge to keep it from hitting a dozing Kai. Grif snickered as Simmons made his way out of the room with a casually tossed out "Asshole!" over his shoulder.
Simmons was about to go to his own room to get ready for bed too, but he heard the sound of muffled-yet-raised voices coming from his parents' side of the hallway. The young man found that to be immensely odd, as the two had pretty much developed completely separate sleeping routines.
At first, he debated if he even wanted to know what they were arguing about, but his overall curiosity got the better of him. Besides, he figured that the knowledge could prove helpful in avoiding stress later as he inched over to the barely opened door. It was almost as if someone had slammed it shut but hadn't bothered to check if the lock had properly latched. His parents were getting sloppy.
"How long do you plan on keeping up this farce?" Simmons' father was demanding.
His mother sniffed disdainfully at the older man's theatrics, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Richard."
"Oh, please." There was a sneer in Simmons Senior's voice, "You are many things, but an idiot isn't one of them." He continued with an icy tone, "How long do you plan on our house being a juvie and an asylum for two boys who clearly belong in real ones?"
Simmons felt a sharp pain in his heart, but he couldn't move from the spot. It was as if he was rooted to the floor.
"Their parents abandoned them because of that youngest one." His mother argued.
Simmons' dad laughed, sharp and humorless, "Don't kid yourself into thinking you're doing this out of altruism or some kind of maternal instinct." He informed her bitingly, "After all, you didn't even want Richard!"
Simmons couldn't fucking move, couldn't fucking breathe.
"Neither did you." Simmons' mom noted with more than a passing note of continued disdain in her voice, "But people talk and we couldn't very well back out of it, and now we're all stuck here if you don't want to ruin your precious image."
Simmons seriously couldn't breathe. He felt his body sagging to the floor, but it was as if it was happening from far away. Someone's hand gripped his shoulder tightly, bringing the maroon-wearing teen back to reality once more as his father scoffed again from behind the door, "Oh, we're stuck pretending all right!"
Grif said nothing as he signaled with a silent tilting of his head for the other teen to follow him, pulling the lanky redhead along when he didn't immediately respond towards Simmons' own bedroom.
Dexter Grif settled Simmons down to a sitting position on the redhead's bed, Simmons obediently following the motion as his entire being was currently lost in a sea of shock and panic. Grif stood in front of him for a long moment, as if contemplating just what to say. It didn't seem to take him too long to settle on something: "They're both assholes."
Simmons flinched at how plainly those words were said, but he could only shakily nod his head in agreement as tears started stinging his eyes, "S—sorry. I'm sorry, Grif."
Grif blinked in surprise, taken aback by the vehement apology Simmons had blurted out, "Why?"
"Because!" Simmons gripped his knees so tightly that they actually hurt, unable to look Grif in the face, "Because they're assholes who dragged you and Kai into their mess, and—" he was practically gasping for air now, "And I'm the son of said assholes, so…!"
He could barely breathe again as Grif's larger weight settled onto the mattress next to him, and Simmons was taken completely off-guard by the arm that wrapped around his skinny shoulders to pull him rather firmly against the other teen.
"You're nothing like them, Simmons." Grif said in a low voice with finality, "You're upfront in how you deal with me and Kai. Even if you are a nerdy kiss-ass, you at least care."
Simmons sniffled, "B—but…!"
"No buts about it." Grif told him firmly, "When we have enough money to get out of here, you're totally coming with us."
Simmons knew it was beyond wishful thinking, but he looked over at Grif with a mixture of incredulity, touched all the same, "You…you really mean that?" He weakly got out.
"Of course." Grif confirmed with a nod of his head that had his chin resting on top of Simmons' hair briefly, "Unlike both our sets of parents, I'm not an asshole."
Simmons let out a small, shaky laugh, noticing Grif's arm continuing to be wrapped around him but choosing not to comment on it as he futilely wiped at his tears, "Well…" he began in a weak attempt at a joke.
"Oh can it, kiss-ass." Grif smiled in return even before he could finish, bringing his own face close to Simmons', "You're a pretty ugly crier."
"Everyone is!" A flustered Simmons tried protesting.
Grif simply smirked teasingly in response, "Uh-huh. Whatever, nerd."
They settled into a comfortable sort-of silence, as if the two of them were the only people who even existed in that moment. Naturally, Grif's phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked down at the lit up screen with an unreadable expression, Simmons noticing and tensing up himself, "What's wrong?" He asked, clearly concerned.
"Nothing." Grif tried unsuccessfully to convince him, "Just a message from work."
Simmons was about to question him on it further when Grif shifted his position on the bed and ended up pulling Simmons practically flush against his body as he laid down, Simmons suddenly finding that he couldn't say a word over the loud pounding of his heart.
The message had been rather simple. Felix was starting to get paranoid that this new job they were doing, the very first one where he finally wouldn't have to share any of the profit with another equally shadowy group, was beginning to take too long and that the crazy old guy who ran the Warthog Community Center might catch on to what they were up.
"Let's get to it then."
They were going to go ahead with the next phase tomorrow night, and the meaning behind the succinct message was pretty clear to anyone at all familiar with Felix and his mannerisms. Everyone had best be ready and onboard for this. As Grif still held a now newly dozing Simmons against him, he frowned and tried desperately to ignore the way his brain was currently screaming out that he really didn't want to be a part of this.
But, Grif argued inwardly, it was for the future. His and Kai's. Maybe even Simmons' now too given what he'd just sincerely said to the redhead after the incident with his jackass parents earlier.
He had to…
…Right?
Simmons stood just outside the school grounds, waiting for Kai to finish the rather animated conversation she was having with her favorite teacher. Grif and Simmons' parents had recently managed to get the redhead permission to pick her up after school now too, though he wasn't sure how that exactly came to be. Grif merely told him not to worry about it with an indifferent and rather bored shrug of his shoulders when Simmons had asked which, admittedly, was more explanation than his parents had offered.
Simmons did have to wonder just why it was that Grif had asked him for this current favor earlier, and just why it was that the heavyset teen had spent the rest of the day avoiding him afterwards. Considering the previous night…
He felt his heart start to ache again at the memory of his parents' harsh words, at the same time that it felt as though his entire body heated up at the memory of the shocking warmth lacing Grif's, quickly shaking his head in order to lamely prevent an overly-curious Kai from accusing him of looking "weird" again as she walked over.
"Hey, Simmons?"
He all but jumped at the sound of Tucker's voice and he turned around, rather surprised to see an uncharacteristically serious Tucker and equally concerned-looking Dylan standing right behind him. Neither looked as though they necessarily wanted to be there, and alarm bells started to ring in his head.
"Y—yeah?" Simmons shakily asked, unsure as to why either of his schoolmates would be seeking him out.
The two looked over at one another and then, as if on some silent cue, Dylan sighed. She came to rest an awkward hand on the redhead's shoulder, ignoring how the physical contact caused him to slightly flinch, "It's about Grif." She told him without any preamble, both her and Tucker then quickly diving into what they knew.
Author's Notes: Things are about to get pretty intense here in the next chapter as everything hits the fan all at once! We're getting close to the timeskip now. :)
As always, thank you so much for reading! :D
