i'm not brave

❛   you okay, though?     ❜

“ Yeah, no, m’fine. Just small cuts this time, no blood or ‘nything ... gotta clean it up, make sure I don’t get anyone else hurt is all. “

❛    didn’t you have a plastic one at some point? what happened to it? what happened to this one?     ❜

“ Probably? Um. I dunno what happened to it. T-this one, though --- I almost tripped, and didn’t, but the cup fell. S’nothing serious. “

“ Are you sure ? ” Emerson asked, just once more before deeming it fit to leave. He leaned in, examining the mess further while hands remained clasped on his back. “ You’re going to cut yourself if you haven’t already. ”

“ Yep, “ Parker intoned with annoyance clinging tight to the syllable. Hastily, he scraped what wasn’t dust into his hand before standing up on crackling knees. He curled his fingers over his palm, trapping it all there, before looking Emerson in the eye.  “ I’m aware. 'Xactly why it should be me, and not some of the staff here. I dropped it. S’my problem. “

Pink and cream, like gums and baby teeth, picture frames and old drywall– that’s what crunched under the toe of her boot: pink and cream… “ ceramic, right ? ” 

The tar of her eyes rolled to fix on his, without response, without sympathy; for emphasis, she scrubbed her toe once, hard against the tile, twisting ceramic enamel into fine powder, making silent, raging, petty point to hold eye-contact in the process.

Parker raised an eyebrow, chancing a look up at the face the foot belonged to. His eyes didn’t roll, his shoulders didn’t roll, nothing moved. Deliberately. He let out an inaudible sigh, turning back to the task at hand.   “ T-thanks. S’easier to get all at once when’s like this ---- “ he gestured at the powder, demonstrated, collected a palmful. 

“thought you’re through with broken tea cups. think i’m wrong.” 6 feel tall and standing, too tired to argue, harshly growing exasperated by the minute. “you want me to shatter them more for you? you having fun?”

  “ Well, I suppose that’s not an unfamiliar feeling. “ The words left his mouth feeling cut jagged at their edges. Like he was fighting off the way his usually blurred together to prove a point he figured would fall flat in the end anyway. He gave up, a conscious reaction to an unconscious one. “ S’there any reason for you to be here right now? “

Naomi let out a tired sigh as she sorted through the broken pieces. “I know I should, but I don’t. There are probably a lot of things about myself I should care about but don’t.” Passing a shard back and forth between her fingers Naomi was transfixed by the small delicate structure of it. Seemingly fragile but the tiniest slip and- The cut was barely visible upon her pink fingertips until the scarlet drops began pooling at the surface. “See nothing.”

He shrugged. Helping people wasn’t out of his realm of comfort, but Parker felt no need to play the hypocrite to a stranger. Absently, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her movements still to two points, but he kept his focus on sliding some of the finer powder of the crushed cup into his palm. It stung; only where the skin was open, though, and really it gave him reason to look up.  “ Hm, “ his voice spoke of absent acknowledgement. “ Well. Looks like s’done, anyway. Mostly gone. “

“ I’m perfectly fine — I really would like to help you pick them up. ”                               Her hand would heal if it was cut, his would not.

Parker worked to stay neutral, but small actions found him anyway --- an arched eyebrow, his shoulders setting stubbornly. “ And I really am fine doing it myself. “

“ Oh, oh…hey are you alright? No need to apologize, accidents happen, it’s precisely why they’re called so –– may I help you with the cleanup? It just seems most efficient with two sets of hands. Plus, the thing I love about ceramics is how you can save the pieces and recreate something entirely unique from the shatter. Do you have other mugs in the meantime? “

“ M’fine, thanks. Still, though, s’an inconvenience, accident or not, and m’sorry you’ve gotta deal with it. Really though you don’t have to ---  help, I mean, or deal with it. My two hands are pretty used to stuff like this, I promise. Uh --- I didn’t know that? I didn’t know people did anything with stuff like this. I, um...I do, yes. “

She was already bent down picking up the tiny shards and not clueing into the fact that her presence probably wasn’t needed or wanted. “Really, its fine. I’d rather help and besides, I don’t mind if I cut my hands.”

“ Really? “ Parker’s tone held a dry, removed curiosity, sparing a glance towards his own hands ( criss-crossed with the silvery lines of old scars on his fingers, the backs of his hands, his palms... ) as he moved to scoop some of the pieces into them. “ You should. “

“I don’t have anywhere to be. Please, let me help.” Sometimes being able to help someone with something unrelated to her family made Evelyn feel lighter. It wasn’t work, it was calming. And she genuinely liked helping people. Methodically, she plucked more pieces and held out her hand for him to put the rest of the shards in her palm. 

It was hard to remind himself to keep his words from getting too sharp on their edges; hard to remind himself that she was only trying to help. Parker cleared his throat, sighed.  “ Really, it’s fine, “ he said, already reaching for more shards as he put the one’s he held in her palm. 

the vision didn’t annoy him as much, rather it was with placid indifference that only one who has seen it through many times before possessed that zane contemplated the tiny personal chaos his older brother was to be found in. again.

Roaming. That was one of Ricky’s favorite past times. He usually found enjoyment in the things that he’d see, things he’d find. Stumbling upon Parker in his path was just as enjoyable (( always a pleasure to see a familiar face )). “ do ‘ya need help with that, Park? i understand how it f-feels to break mugs. ”Ricky offered, already kneeling down by the broken pieces. 

Parker’s face was almost always expression-free; so good was he at schooling his features, so bad was he with feelings. Familiar faces made situations like this all the worse. “ Hey, Ricks, “ he replied anyway, his tone amiable enough. “ No, m’fine. I’ve got it under control, just wanted to --- to, uh, warn you. S’not the best thing to step on, y’know. “

He lifted a foot, looking down on the floor and the bits of ceramic spread all over and the sticky liquid. A face filled with disdain would’ve followed, though he kept a polite smile instead. “ Would you like me to call somebody? Help with the mess ? ”

“ Nope, “ Parker answered, words all clipped and short. He was just warning people, not trying to ask for help, or questions, or conversations. He looked up, not stilling his actions, and fought a wince off his features spectacularly; he kept on getting smaller bits stuck in his palms.  “ I was just letting you know. “

Evelyn instinctively crouched down to pick up pieces of the mugs, “It’ll be done quicker if I help.” She carefully collected the shards in her hand, “How did this happen?”

“ Y’don’t have to. I’ve got it, ‘f you have somewhere to be,“  Parker paused in his actions before going back to trying to scoop all the smaller shards together. His tone was flat when he continued.  “ I’m not good at holding things. “

“ Hey, it’s not a problem. I can help you clean it up. ”

“ S’no need. Really, I just, uh, wanted to make sure you didn’t step on ‘em, or anything. You alright? “

“Oh I’m sorry I didn’t even really notice where I was walking. I could help you if you like? I don’t mind and I like being helpful.”

“ No, no, you don’t need to... I mean, ‘ve got it, s’not a big deal. I just didn’t want to cause an accident over my mess... “