we were meant to live for so much more

“I don’t know who that is.” He knew that he probably should know who that was. That didn’t make it any easier to recall the name. “Yet you still come around here.” The words were softer, but he still enunciated enough that he knew Andrew would understand his point. “Ha ha. Doesn’t really make it any more fun for me in the moment.” He acted like it bothered him, but he’d never ask Andrew to stop coming around. At least it gave him someone to interact with, someone that didn’t write him off as hopeless. 

“Well you’re closer to it than I am, so..” He let it trail off there, feeling as though he’d made his point, with a hand still rubbing his arm. “I would rather be serious than act like a child.” He retorted. “You say, though you come here and complain about all the things you have to do, or can’t do.”

“A-ow.” Thomas shifted away from Andrew, a frown on his face. “Not one of your athlete buddies, thank you. And someone has to get serious around here. Not everybody wants to act like a child all the time.” His eyes rolled, head turning slightly down to the watch in his hands. “They still both get the same thing done. Whether you realize it or not.”

“No, because memory loss or not, I am not an idiot. And neither are you.” He wasn’t going to play into it. “Don’t let your laziness or your deafness define you, or it is all you will ever be.” He said sharply, a fact he knew a little too well. “That’s great, have fun with that.” He wasn’t sure why Andrew was defending going now, but he assumed it was some part of their conversation. “Believe it or not, I do have memories of that. And there’s not much difference.”

“Lecture.” He answered first, off the top of his head. Without much thought, he started flipping through any fitting words in his head, something to focus on and giving him a little more clarity than normal. “Puncture. Fracture. Juncture. Overture. Literature, horticulture, furniture, signature, what is this for again?” He’d gotten so caught up in the words, he’d lost track of the purpose of it, what theme he needed to be leaning towards.

“I’m just sayin’ - it’s pretty much impossible but, if a tiger and a panda had a baby, it would be cool as shit, right? Just fuckin’ imagine that for a sec.”

“That expression makes no sense and makes you sound unintelligent.” He didn’t know why he was invested in Andrew like he was, why he even cared where the kid went or how he acted or sounded; he had learned to just accept whatever came about. “Then don’t go.” He shrugged. Life was fixable, to an extent. There was no use in complaining. “Well, I live on my own and I come and go as I please. So. Enjoy always having someone telling you what to do.”

The damaged laptop landed (still gently) on the desk in front of him as a more frustrated Thomas looked up at the woman asking for help. There was a tic starting in his jaw, after a long line of difficult customers all morning, all asking for special attention. “I’m so sorry to not jump to accommodate you, but contrary to popular belief, I am not a superhero. I cannot look at a laptop without even knowing if there was alcohol spilled on it or if it was sat on and tell you how long it’s going to take. That depends on the damage, which could hugely vary. I have directions to the nearest repair shop in the next town over if you don’t like my work and I will happily provide you with it.”

“That’s not true. They have separate entrances. Why are you here?” Had he already asked that? He wasn’t sure. It was those little comments that he could never keep track of, and he wasn’t sure if he just thought he said them, or actually did. His eyes rolled less than subtly, picking up a watch to keep his hands busy. “You can’t live your life around what other people might dislike. If you want to be an adult, you make your own decisions.”

“Even that varies. But then, I’m bitter.”

“My apartment is upstairs. It’s not the same.” He didn’t know why he even allowed himself to get sucked into arguments with Andrew most the time. At least he knew the kid saw them as equals, heck even looked up to Thomas in some ways. It was strange, but nice to not always be seen as the invalid. “Or you could move out.” It was mumbled enough that he didn’t know if Andrew would make it out, but he didn’t really care. 

“I don’t know if that’s sarcastic or not, but I really don’t care. And yes, that’s very touching, but you would be surprised the people that manage to own their own business. It does not mark intelligence.”

“Right. Great reason to invade a professional space.” He knew he ought to go ahead and teach Andrew some stuff, but he also knew he’d be a terrible teacher. He couldn’t remember how to do things; he just did them. “You’re going to have to go home at some point.”

“I have a degree as well, so not really. I’m not hiring a high-level position, so you shouldn’t need those skills. Unless I have you start taking over the business side of things. That will not be your job. I do not need you to do that. I am not an imbecile, I am capable of taking care of myself.”

“Your credentials are truly impressive. I’ve always wanted a stone cold bitch to work for me. Ha. You’ll have your own key, but I’ll open every day, which I don’t forget to do.”

“Oh, I can already tell this is going to be fun. Actually, I keep a map on my phone, so enjoy your little jokes.”

“Cute. Well, you can fill out an application if you like, there isn’t really anyone else vying for the position.”