Hard metal pounding exploded suddenly in his head and Slim jerked from his uneasy sleep with a gasp and smashed his skull against the bottom of the bed frame.
'FUCK!' he nearly screamed, clenching his teeth as hard as he could as white hot pain eviscerated everything. He ripped the headphones out of his ears and flung the MP3 player across the room, rolling up into a tight ball, clutching his skull.
He hadn't gotten much sleep at all. Even after he'd managed to cry himself to sleep, it had been restless, his injuries waking him as fast as his weariness could put him down. Now that it was morning, the pain all came rushing back tenfold, mocking him for not having rested better. As he carefully touched the new crack he'd just stupidly given himself, he could feel the bones of his shattered fingers grind against each other. It felt like raw nerves resting against sandpaper, scraping when he moved. Despite himself, he couldn't help the strangled groan that escaped. He was used to punishment. Black had never been easy on him and he'd always been such a fuck up that his brother could never take a break. He deserved it, but as he struggled to catch his breath he realized: this was definitely worst then it had ever been.
Across the room, he could clearly make out the sound from his music player. Even the thought of crawling out from under the bed seemed agonizing, but he had to turn it off before the sound could wake anyone else. Ignoring the pain and the way his vision began to grey on the edges, he dragged himself across the floor and shut it off. Blasting music to startle himself awake was something he'd picked up a few years ago to make sure he got out of bed before Black. It was the only thing that worked, but it never got any easier. His soul was still pounding, becoming more noticeable with his heavy panting as he started adjusting to the pain, but at least he was up.
Taking only a minute to try and settle himself, Slim used the wall to prop himself up. He told himself he was not going to have another attack. He couldn't afford it. What was a little pain anyways? He reached his feet, tears coming back to his sockets again. A lot of pain. What was a lot of pain? He could handle it. He took another breath.
There was no time to waste having a panic attack. It took him far longer then he'd have liked to brush the dust and trash off his hoodie and make it out of his room. He relied heavily on the walls and banister as he tiptoed down the stairs. Everything was quiet and it was still dark, but Slim's magic had recovered enough to produce a wavering light. Red and Stretch were snuggled up, asleep on the couch like Blue said. Although Slim tried his best not to make a sound, one of Red's sockets opened flashing red. Slim froze immediately.
The magic flicked over him appraisingly, before closing again and Red settled deeper against Stretch's chest. He was just letting Slim know he wasn't easy to sneak up on. Stretch continued to snore, not waking at all.
Slim carefully made his way to the kitchen. Someone had tacked up plastic sheets over the broken windows. It wasn't the best solution, but it did help to keep some of the cold out. Glass still littered the floor, swept only slightly out of the way. Dishes from dinner were soaking in the sink. Carefully opening the fridge found it fully stocked with large amounts of hamburger meat and taco shells, but also plenty of basic amenities.
If this universe worked anything like his, he had about two hours before the artificial morning lights, and Blue, got up. That wasn't going to be enough time. His body hurt too much and with Stretch and Red sleeping in just the other room, he'd have to keep extra quiet and work by just the light of his magic. He'd just have to get as much as he could finished.
He started with breakfast. Compared to his brother he'd never been gifted at anything, but he'd had a lot of practice preparing food for breakfast when Black wasn't in the mood to cook. He made an omelette, filling it was some cheese and some of the left over cooked meat, since Blue was so fond of tacos. On the side he chopped up a potato and fried it, using only the smallest amount of oil. There was even fruit in the fridge, so he cut up an orange after a few failed attempts to peel it with his broken fingers and added some berries in a small bowl before placing the whole thing in the fridge. He could reheat the plate when Blue woke up.
Next was dishes. At first he tried to keep his bandaged hands out of the water by just using magic, but was impossible. He was too drained. Instead, he just washed them normally. Lucky they had been soaking. Just the effort to scrape off the soggy remains pushed his phalanges to the limit. He was worried about the bones un-aligning, but he didn't really have the time to dawdle.
Just those two task took nearly all his time. He was exhausted, but he had to at least start the cleaning. Figuring it'd be easier then standing, he knelt down by the glass and used the dust pan and brush to start sweeping it up. It was a little easier on him, but the position also further cemented how tired he was.
His bones sagged. The brush felt impossibly heavy, like he was trying to move the shards with a cinderblock. Keeping a light up was slowly burning away what little reserves he'd built up, and sitting alone in the dark he could feel the exhaustion building. He tried to shake it off as he scooted along, making slow but consistent work on the mess.
The kitchen was mostly glass free when Slim heard a door open upstairs. Alarmed he hurried to the fridge, ignoring his body's violent protest and the way his legs wobbled. Fruit and orange juice on the table. Plate in the microwave. As he punched in the numbers, he could hear the footsteps stop halfway to Stretch's room, then quickly turn to hurry down the stairs. Shit. Sans usually went to clean up in the bathroom first. It wasn't going to be ready.
Blue appeared in the entryway, eyes glowing in the dim morning light that was just starting to stream in through the windows. "Slim?" He whispered, reaching over to flick on the light. The sudden light made Slim wince. "You're up earl- WHAT HAPPENED!?"
Slim tried not to flinch as Blue crossed the room with his hands outstretched, but he couldn't keep himself from falling back a step. If Blue touched him too hard, Slim wasn't sure it wouldn't be enough to kill him on its own. But at least then it would be quick. Dusting would be better then whatever else Blue was about to do…
Blue stopped short, looking pained. His fingers fidgeting for a moment, before dropping down by his side. "I… UM… Y-your skull… you…"
Slim thought about the new crack. It was pretty small, so he didn't think it would be too noticeable. However, when he reached up he found a large very sensitive bump where the bone had swollen up like a bruise. His magic was trying to heal it, but he didn't have a any to spare. He was distracted by his exploration by Blues gasp.
"YOUR HANDS-! WHAT-!"
Slim looked down at the bandages. They were waterlogged and unraveling, revealing the shattered phalanges underneath. He winced. Medicine and treatment was expensive and he had wasted their efforts. No wonder Blue was disappointed in him.
"s-sorry. i was trying to be careful." The microwave dinged and Slim inhaled. It was a little late, but he had breakfast ready. He quickly got it out and put it at the place Blue had sat the night before. He pulled up his hood and withdrew his hands into the sleeves so Blue wouldn't have to see his fuck up anymore. "breakfast is ready."
Blue blinked, not quite registering what was being said. His mind was still on the injuries, trying to figure out how Slim had possibly gotten worse just overnight. He looked at the place setting. "I… FOR ME?"
Slim nodded, thinking it was a strange question. Clearly Stretch or Red didn't get up and make breakfast in the morning, but who else could Blue think it was for? Blue stared for a moment, before shaking his head and leaving the room.
Slim started to tremble. He'd done something wrong. He took another involuntary step back, knowing Blue was coming back with some form of punishment. He shouldn't have touched the food in the fridge. What was he thinking? He didn't know how Blue was planning to use it.
A moment later, Blue was back, holding the medical kit. Slim internally winced as Blue caught his posture and saddened. He was really fucking this up.
"THERE'S STILL SOME OF THE MEDICATION LEFT. IT'S NOT A LOT, BUT I THINK THERE'S ENOUGH FOR THOSE."
Slim shivered. Waste even more medicine? Forcing a smile, he carefully opened and closed his fingers, feeling the agonizing scraping all the way to his core. "they really don't hurt that much," he lied, "is breakfast unsatisfying?"
"NO!" Blue shouted, even louder then usual. He glanced out out into the living room. Stretch slept through it, but Red was glaring a little before pulling the blanket up over his head. "No, Slim that's very nice of you, but you don't have to make me breakfast. You're hurt, you should still be in bed resting." He pulled out a chair and motioned for Slim to sit down. He didn't want to. It was much too close to Blue. Breathing steadily, he sat down.
Blue pushed down his hood and Slim tensed up, closing his eyes. He needed to loosen up. Punishment hurt more when he was tense. "I'm going to touch you now," Blue whispered, interrupting Slim's thoughts. For some reason that sounded familiar, but it didn't stop him from jumping when he felt something soothing run over his crack.
Blue was treating him. Why? He shouldn't be lowering himself for Slim's sake. Was it another test? Should he try to stop it? But it was what Blue decided to do, he couldn't tell Blue what to do.
"Do you really feel better?" Blue asked softly, looking him over. "Your injuries are so bad…"
"theres no need to worry about me. i can handle this." He winced when Blue began working on his hands. He was so pathetic. "i can do this. the food is getting cold."
Blue shook his head. "You're hurt. I'm taking care of you."
Slim hung his head defeated. He'd made a mess of that morning. Black was right. He was too stupid to do even the simplest things. No wonder his brother had gotten rid of him. Who could want someone like him?
Blue was finished with his hands after a few agonizing minutes. Still he didn't move to eat breakfast. He just stared at him, eyes clearly sad. Slim coward. "thank you. i'm sorry."
"DON'T BE SORRY," Blue said quickly, forcing a smile. "THERE'S NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR." Of course there was. He'd already fucked up so much, but what else could he do? If Blue didn't want apologies, he'd just have to make it up some other way.
Finally, Blue looked over at the food, cooling on the table. "DID YOU REALLY MAKE THAT FOR ME?"
Slim nodded weakly.
"THAT'S SO SWEET..." He sat down on the chair, inhaling deeply. "IT SMELLS REALLY GOOD. THANK YOU. DID YOU ALREADY EAT?"
"no!" Slim blurted out offended. It was less then a day and Blue already thought so little of him… He wanted to cry.
Everything got even worse when Blue stood up, ignoring the food again and going to the cabinet. "I'LL MAKE YOU SOMETHING. DO YOU WANT EGGS TOO, OR-"
"i can make it," Slim panicked, nearly knocking over his chair to assist. He didn't understand why Blue wouldn't just eat. At this rate he would be late for his early patrol, wouldn't he?
"NO, IT'S ALRIGHT. I WANT TO DO IT."
Slim hesitated. If it was what Blue wanted… Black enjoyed cooking as well, but he'd never scolded Slim for taking initiative unless he really messed something up. "what about work?"
Blue smiled at him. "OH! I ALREADY TOLD ALPHYS I'M TAKING THE DAY OFF. I WANT TO BE HERE IF YOU NEED ME." He opened the fridge. "SO, EGGS? HOW MANY? TWO? THREE?" When Slim didn't answer he grabbed the carton. "I'LL MAKE ALL OF THEM. STRETCH AND RED CAN HEAT SOME UP LATER."
Blue was taking the day off? Because of him? That couldn't be a good thing. Black almost never took time off, even when Slim begged him too. It had to be for a really good reason, or… once, he had taken the day off because Slim had been such a colossal disappointment that he'd had to stay home to punish him.
Slim glanced nervously at breakfast. No, that was stupid. Blue had said it was sweet. Even if he didn't mean it, that was pretty extreme for misusing food. Slim looked down at the dustpan full of glass and winced. Of course. He'd made such a mess with that attack the day before. They would have to punish him for it. He'd sworn to make it up to them, so being good about his punishment would be a good place to start. Blue probably wanted him to eat so he'd be ready. If he'd finished cleaning, maybe that punishment would be lighter. Blue was still working on breakfast, maybe he could get started on the living room?
Blue noticed him just standing there, looking uncertain. "Go on, sit back down," he encouraged softly. Slim obeyed immediately. "ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO BED? YOU SHOULD STILL BE RESTING."
"i'm ok." He was exhausted. He'd never be able to sleep knowing there was stuff to do and a punishment coming. "is there anything i can do to help?"
Blue beamed at him and he flushed, hiding in his hoodie. "NO, BUT THANK YOU FOR OFFERING! STRETCH AND RED ARE SUCH LAZYBONES! THEY NEVER OFFER TO HELP." Offer? "BUT REALLY, I LIKE COOKING. I WANT YOU TO JUST RELAX."
Slim nodded demurely. Ok. Blue liked to cook. Slim shouldn't have taken that away. Still, he should be doing something. Blue wanted him to relax, he could do that. He wasn't sure how when there was work to do, but he could do that. He could be good. He focused on letting the tension leave his bones, but every clatter of ceramic or steel on the counter made him jump. He couldn't forget Blue was right there, expecting him to be good. By the time the eggs were ready Slim had worked himself into a cold sweat.
Blue heated up his plate and Slim could immediately see he was disappointed when he sat back down. Blue just stared at him, until Slim had to hold back a whimper. Sighing, Blue began to eat. "MMM~! THIS IS REALLY GOOD!"
He was smiling, but he wasn't happy. Slim tried not to be disappointed. It probably wasn't that good. Sans had never been impressed with his cooking, despite his best efforts. Why had he thought it could be something he could offer in the first place.
Blue was tense, poking at the eggs. His grin was tight. "...AREN'T- ...Aren't you going to eat?"
Slim nodded. "I will. Thank you." It looked good. Much better then his shoddy cooking, surely.
Blues smile wavered again and Slim panicked. What did Blue want? He hadn't said Slim could eat, but he was talking about it. He looked at the fork. Should he start anyways? No. No, no, no. Pets don't eat until Masters say so. So what was Blue looking for…?
"you really didn't need to make anything for me." Blue put down his fork with a sigh and Slim winced. "i'm sorry!"
Blues eyes were sad. "For what?"
Slim started to shake. That was the worst question to hear when he didn't have an answer. 'Everything' was a bad answer.
"I promise it's not poison..."
"oh. thank you." He was starting to think poison might be a real issue in this dimension. It hadn't been a big issue back home, although it was something he'd known to keep an eye out for…
"You don't have to wait for me… or anything."
Those sounded like slightly veiled instructions. Slim was never good at those. Black took his orders very seriously and misunderstanding would result in punishment. Slim liked straight forward orders, but maybe it was something he'd have to work on. "should I eat?"
"Please…"
Relieved, he began eating. It was delicious, just like he expected. He said so and this brightened Blue's mood considerably. He went back to eating with a smile. Slim worked on keeping himself 'relaxed'.
After breakfast, Blue started putting on his boots. He'd taken the day off, but he still wanted to go for a morning jog. He was excited to see someone else in the house was a morning person. Maybe when Slim was feeling better he would enjoy coming along. Snowdin was beautiful in the mornings and he'd love to have a jogging partner without having to go all the way through Waterfall. Slim seemed more active then Stretch and Red. The prospect was exciting.
Slim knelt down to help with the laces, but Blue shoo'd him off, insisting he didn't have to do that. "DO YOU WANT ANYTHING FROM THE STORE WHILE I'M OUT? ANYTHING? SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE FOR DINNER…?"
"No, thank you." Slim rubbed absentmindedly at his teeth, stopping when Blues sockets narrowed.
"YOU'RE SURE?
"…y-yes?"
Blue let it go, although he didn't look like he believed it. "I'LL ONLY BE GONE ABOUT AN HOUR. IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND JUST GIVE ME A CALL. IF YOU NEED ANYTHING YOU CAN WAKE STRETCH. IF YOU START GETTING TIRED, MAKE SURE YOU GET RIGHT TO BED, OKAY?"
"…ok…" One hour. He felt a little better after breakfast. That still wasn't a lot of time, but he could at least finish the kitchen and get started on the living room.
The second Blue was out door he got moving. He got the last of the glass and searched around until he found some rubber gloves to do the breakfast dishes without messing up the bandages. He got them done much faster that time. Stretch and Red were still sleeping, so Slim couldn't use the vacuum. Instead he knelt down and just started picking up the shards by hand.
He'd gotten a pretty good amount up when there was a groggy groan from the couch. "…slim… da fuck are ya doing?"
Slim looked over at Red, who eyes him sleepily. Slim was pretty sure he wasn't doing anything wrong. "…cleaning?"
Red rolled his eyes and sat up slightly, lighting smacking Stretch's jaw. "yo, wake up. ya gotta do something bout that." Stretch frowned and shoved him away, knocking him right off the couch. "-fuck!"
Stretch grabbed the blanket and pulled it over his head. "…sleeping…"
"hey! you're the one helping him!" Red picked himself off the floor and started shaking him. "I'm just here for security-" He was stopped by a pillow, relentlessly swinging vaguely at his head until he backed off. "ugh… son of a- fine! knock it off!"
Slim flinched as Red stormed over to him and shoved out his hand for the dustpan.
"give it."
Slim reluctantly handed it over, feeling the weight of his failure settling on his shoulders. Red threw the glass he'd collected in the garbage and dropped the pan by the trashcan. He walked back and presented his hand again.
"gloves."
Slim pulled them off and handed them over. "…s-sorry…"
"dude, i don't give a fuck. just knock it off." Red yawned, tossing the gloves at the general direction of the mess, but out of Slim's reach. "one of us will get it later. for now it's a bigger pain if you hurt yourself more."
"…i'm ok…"
"ya still look it," he muttered with heavy sarcasm, before sniffing the air. "did blue make breakfast already?" His sockets narrowed. "did you make breakfast?"
Slim had only made breakfast for Blue, and based on the way Red was asking the correct answer was… "blue made eggs for you and stretch."
"sweet~" He hurried off to the kitchen.
Slim stayed sitting on the floor. He didn't know what to do. He didn't have a job or anything to get ready for, but he would have to find something to do or else he might fall asleep. Keeping an eye on the kitchen entry, he started picking up some of the shards and tucking them into his pocket. He could get some cleaning done even without tools.
Second later, Stretch suddenly threw off the covers and promptly fell off the couch. His sudden movements nearly made Slim shortcut out of the room in surprise.
Stretch looked wide eyed at the ceiling then at Slim with a forced smile. He'd manage to completely forget about their new guest. Or it would be more accurate to say the warm embrace of sleep hadn't let him remember, even when Red was shouting about it. "morning-! w-what did Red want? did something happen?"
Slim frowned. He wasn't exactly sure. "no?"
Stretch rubbed his socket, kicking off the blankets that tangled around his legs. "how did you sleep?"
Fuck… Slim glanced at the couch. Stretch and Red had to sleep there. Would they hate him for taking the bed? Should he admit that he slept on the floor? But Blue had given him the bed. Stretch might be more annoyed that no one used it. He didn't like all these new situations.
"hey, it's alright," Stretch insisted, interrupting his thoughts. "yesterday was pretty rough. wanna head back to sleep? you could crash on the couch? sometimes i like it better."
Slim was a little relieved to hear that, although he internally scoffed at the offer. Asleep on the couch when Blue got home? Nope. He was in enough hot water as it was. "blue will be home soon. i haven't finished cleaning."
Stretch looked around and winced. "you've been cleaning? you need to focus on healing bud, we'll take care of this. it's not a big deal."
Slim tensed at the casual way Stretch dismissed it. "won't… won't he be mad?
"who? blue? nah." Stretch grinned. "things don't really work that way here. blue wont get mad at you for something like that."
Slim looked at him skeptically. Wasn't Stretch at least worried if Slim didn't do it, the backlash would fall on him? "i don't want you to get punished either…"
"me?" Stretch asked confused, then scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. "oh! no, no. blue doesn't… like, own me."
"you own him!?" The words leapt from his throat with more force then he intended. Stretch was the master? They gave him the masters bed? In retrospect, it explained why Blue was so surprised by breakfast, and Edge was clearly Reds master despite being, well, Papyrus… but Stretch didn't act like a master!
"what!? no! geez, no. we're not like you, or edge and red. we don't own each other."
Slim had thought Stretch was like him. At least to some degree. He'd been too relaxed. Too distracted. He began running through a mental checklist of everything he said to Stretch or did in his presence. "i-i'm sorry-!" He'd been so stupid! "I didn't mean too-" He should have been more respectful. He'd practically yelled at him at dinner! "i'm sorry! i didn't mean too- i-i-i-"
"Slim-! calm down! it's not a big deal!"
Slim closed his mouth and controlled his shaking. 'Calm down'. He needed to listen, he needed to be good.
Stretch sighed, thinking he'd settled. "Alright, come on. Lets get off the floor. Don't want to cut yourself on anything." He stood up, and held out his hands with a smile.
Slim hesitated, then took them with the widest smile he could fake. The broken bones on his hands nearly blinded him with white hot pain as Stretch pulled him up off the floor, but it was fine. He could handle it.
. . . . . .
Everyone was in good spirits by the time Blue returned home. No one did much more then smile at him as he slid quietly into a chair and waited for them to tell him what he could do for them. Instead, they discussed their plans for the day. Blue was planning to finish cleaning up his mess, cutting down Slim's offers to help almost before he'd even started to make them. Stretch was going to work on repairs or at least get something more permanent done about the window, also denying Slim's weak plea to help. Red said he was just going to enjoy his day off, until Stretch insisted the two of them were gonna split his job so he only had to do half the work, even when they both could have given all of it to Slim. Even though Slim was more then happy to do anything at all that they asked of him-!
And Slim? His job was to rest. Blue wanted him back in bed, even though he reaffirmed that he was perfectly fine and fit to do work. Blue insisted in a soft but firm tone that made Slim too afraid to argue again.
He rubbed at his teeth absentmindedly
Stretch noticed him and stood up suddenly. "i'm gonna head outside for a minute. slim? wanna come with me?"
Startled, Slim nearly knocked over the chair to get out of it. Stretch wanted him for something? Yes! He'd do it. Even if it meant going… outside.
Blue gave a sigh of disappointment. Slim went cold at the obvious sign of disapproval, frantically trying to piece together what he'd done to get that response. He didn't have a chance to before Stretch grabbed his arm and was leading him outside. Red followed them out lazily.
It was snowing. It usually was in Snowdin, but it felt somewhat different from what Slim was used too. He couldn't quite put his finger on why. There was just an overarching feeling of wrongness that had him scooting closer to Stretch as he walked over to the railing. It was deeply unsettling.
Stretch leaned down, resting on the railing and taking a deep breath of the morning air, before rummaging around in his pockets. He pulled out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. Slim watched carefully, not sure what to do with himself as Stretch lit one up and took a deep drag before holding the pack out to him with a knowing smirk.
"join me? you smoke, right?"
Slim knew it wasn't a rhetorical question and he could probably answer truthfully, but he took one anyways, a horrible dread settling in his painfully empty stomach. "i… i used too…" he admitted, his thoughts racing to the last (and only) time his brother had caught him doing so.
Stretch grinned, winking as he offered the pack to Red, who claimed a spot on the railing as well. Red took it easily, letting Stretch light it. "i knew it," Stretch said, ran his fingers quickly over the side of his teeth a few times in a familiar gesture. "i do that sometime when I need a break too. You can smoke here, don't worry."
Slim held the cigarette stiffly, staring at it. Stretch grabbed his hand and pulled it close, lighting Slim's cigarette with the end of his own.
Slim felt a cold that had nothing to do with the falling snow. "b-blue doesn't approve…"
Stretch chuckled. "well, that's true. it's not exactly good for you." he took another drag, and easily blew some smoke into the open air.
Slim tried not to squirm. He'd been careful not to let Black catch even a whiff of smoke on him ever since that day, but his brother wasn't there anymore. He glanced at Red, who looked relaxed. "e-edge wouldn't approve…"
Red flinched, before coughing on the smoke he practically swallowed. He gave Slim a warning look. "what? ya gonna tell on me?"
Slim would never, but he was cut off from saying so by Stretch. "edge isn't in charge here either, despite what he says. you don't have to listen, or do anything he says you know." He glanced at Slim's untouched bud and his confident expression faltering slightly. "i mean, if you don't want to start up again, you don't have to."
Slim quickly brought the cigarette to his mouth. Stretch smiled and for a moment, Slim though he'd made the right choice. Then he inhaled.
The smoke filled him like a virus. The taste resonated in him and all he could hear was his brother screaming. The smoke got stuck inside as the screams got louder and louder until they filled his skull completely and it was all he could hear and he needed to stop and-
"slim?"
He exhaled. Stretch wanted him to join them. It was fine. He was fine. He could do this. He could do what they wanted. Stretch sighed out, relaxing on the banister, looking out over the quiet town. Slim could feel the ghostly sensation of his lords attacks. The next inhale he saw Blue disappointed face.
Sliding his free hand into the sleeve of his hoodie, he scratched at his arm, feeling immediate relief. The bone flaked under his fingers and it helped him focus. He was supposed to be keeping Stretch company. He couldn't think of anything to say. Did Stretch want to talk? He scratched harder. Red wasn't talking. It was probably fine.
He focused on his breathing. Inhale the smoke. Exhale the smoke. Be good.
Black had thrown him out because his tolerance for Slim's failures and disobedience had reached it's end. Slim had tried to do his best, but it had never been enough. He was a failure. But he could be good! Somehow… He could listen; he could be better-! He just needed-!
He glanced over at Stretch. He or Blue had never had a pet before. Maybe if he could just be someone better then who he was, maybe one of them… would be willing to keep him. His soul jumped. If he could be better -if he could be perfect- maybe they want him. He would have to figure out what they wanted. Blue had already made it pretty clear he didn't like Slim being so nervous and Stretch wanted him to be more relaxed, he could find a way to do that. He could be what they wanted. He could make them happy and be useful! He had to prove they weren't wrong to take a chance in taking him in. They had nothing to compare him too. Maybe they wouldn't see what a fuck up he was. Maybe they could settle for him if he could just be good enough.