Archive of Our Own

It was tough navigating his way out of bed without waking up York or Theta. His boyfriend was definitely the heavier sleeper so it was safer to climb over his body than his sons. The six year old had wandered into the room maybe three hours ago, having had a nightmare. North allowed him into the bed and soon found himself squished between the two of them.

At six in the morning he really didn’t want to have to deal with getting ready for work as well as getting Theta back to sleep, so he took extra precaution not to wake up the child. He avoided stepping on the squeaky floorboard, and gathered his clothes almost silently. He even showered in the main bathroom instead of the ensuite, not wanting the kid to wake up. Finally, almost forty minutes later he was leaving the house, ready for work.

Considering how early it was, North found he was surprised when he saw some activity stirring in the small community of Valhalla Green. Across the tarmac, Simmons was locking the front door while Sarge made his way over to his jeep. To his left a young teenage boy was sitting on the garden wall, skateboard on his lap as he absentmindedly spun one of the wheels around.

“Bit early to be up, isn’t it?” North questioned as he walked over to his car, the teen turning to face him. Epsilon looked paler than usual, the circles under his eyes were certainly getting worse and North felt his stomach tighten with concern even as the boy forced a smile.

“Oh, morning North.” Epsilon greeted, unable to hide the quiver in his voice. He was clearly exhausted but something told North that even if he went back to bed he’d be in the same situation. “I erm… I couldn’t really sleep.” Unlocking his car, North nodded understandingly as he hesitated to get in and leave. He didn’t want to ditch the fifteen year old like this.

“Wash home yet?” He questioned, the younger shaking his head as he absentmindedly swung his legs so the heel of his sneaker would tap off the wall.

“Not yet.” He returned to looking down, spinning the wheel once more. North’s eyes scanned his arms, noting the long sleeves and he bit his lip.

“You’re going to see your mom today, right?” North finally opened up the car door. “If you’d like, I can drop you on my way to work.” Epsilon’s smile was thankful and he pushed his black hair back from his brow.

“Thanks North but it’s probably too early to wake mom up, plus I wanna make sure Wash is okay before…”

BEEP!

“WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOIN’ DIRTBAG!”

The sound of skidding, combined with a blaring horn and Sarge’s loud cry caused both men to spin around only to see a male with a bicycle patting the hood of the veterans jeep.

“Sorry about that Sarge.” Washington called out, his tone loud but words were mumbled, showing just how tired he was after his sixth night shift in a row. Having cycled all the way home he was both so relieved to see his home in sight, as well as concerned to see Epsilon awake, that he hadn’t noticed the jeep pulling out of its driveway as he sped passed, almost causing a collision. He could be certain Sarge was cursing him as he pulled his bike out of the way and sauntered towards his own house.

“Way to make an entrance.” North’s voice alerted him to his neighbours presence and he chuckled, spotting the male by his car.

“You know me…” He wished he could come up with something witty but he was exhausted, filled with anxiety, and wanted nothing more than at least an hour with his blanket and pillow. “What’re you doin’ up?” He questioned, eyes scanning his brother, from his tired eyes to the long sleeves he was wearing.

“Couldn’t sleep.” He simply shrugged off the question, meeting the almost identical hazel eyes. “You alright?”

“I will be after a nap. How about you give me an hour… or two, and I’ll take you out for breakfast?” The younger just nodded, hopping off the wall.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Don’t wanna be rude…” North interjected, both their attention returning to the occupational therapist. “But I should head to work, I just wanted to say good luck later Wash.” A grimace was what he got in return.

“Thanks man.” The car door slammed and from inside the almost thirty two year old waved to them both, gaining a head nod from Epsilon and a tired wave from his brother. With an exhausted sigh, Washington just let his bike fall onto the grass rather than put it in the shed and ruffled his brothers hair.

“C’mon, you may as well get some sleep too.”

***

Wash maybe got a solid forty minutes of shut eye before he woke up, the back of his neck was sweaty and dry saliva was plastered to his cheek. His heart wasn’t exactly racing but he still felt his chest hurt as if he hadn’t been breathing properly when asleep. With a groan, he managed to roll out of bed once it was clear he wasn’t getting much more rest than that. If the sound of his brother’s Xbox was any indication, Epsilon hadn’t slept either so he managed to drag himself out of bed with the intention of getting them both something substantial to eat.

Any plans they had to maybe go downtown to a café and have a proper, sit-down breakfast went out the window once they walked by Mcdonalds. Soon enough they were wandering back into their home, a paper bag filled with six sausage and egg Mcmuffins, a sprite for Epsilon and an already half-drunk Americano for Wash.

They made their way back to the sitting room, not bothering to get themselves plates and instead started to gorge themselves as Wash commandeered the Xbox, while Epsilon pulled out his laptop. Honestly, both of them were overly relieved they wouldn’t have to go out and interact with anyone other than each other, it was a lot easier just to stay home, particularly when both looked like crap.

It was easy to tell at a glance that Epsilon and Wash were brothers, they both had the same slim face and hazel eyes with just flecks of gold throughout. Wash had six years on his brother, and was noticeably taller. He spent a lot more time outside, running or cycling, and while he wasn’t near as pale as Epsilon, he wasn’t exactly tanned. His skin tended to get freckly from the sun rather than turn darker. They focused around his nose and forehead, and girls thought they were adorable, but he never really cared much what people thought of him anyway. His previously dirty blonde hair had been dyed so it was mostly black, but the platinum Mohawk lay limp, covering his forehead a little.

Epsilon went for more of a sullen teenager look, with the piercings on his ear, and the emo hair fringe. The dark circles under his eyes just added to the overall aesthetic, and the constant look of sadness in his eyes killed Wash. Epsilon’s hair naturally was dirty blonde as well, but Wash helped him start dying it a few years ago. It became a regular thing for them to share every few months.

“You feeling nervous?” Epsilon finally broke the silence between them as he spoke over the sounds of Half-Life in the background. Wash didn’t stop playing, didn’t even look to his brother as he took in a deep breath.

“Are you going to get onto me about how I should be preparing?” He questioned, his tongue gently peeking out from his lips as he concentrated on his game.

“I mean… you probably should… this is a good opportunity.”

“Which I am way too unqualified-fuck sake!” He growled as he died, resting the controller on his lap. “I know… I know it’s a good opportunity, but I don’t have any relevant skills.”

“Shut up, you’re perfect for this.” A scoff was Epsilon’s answer before Wash took another large bite out of his second muffin. He really wanted, or more accurately, needed this job even. For years he had been working exclusively night-shirts at a twenty-four hour convenience store. It was exhausting, the nights were long and even then the pay wasn’t amazing. If he hadn’t that money for rent, he’d be fucked. He had been sending out his CV for months now, but so far only one company had gotten back to him about an interview. It was a small company, new to America and just finding its feet.

“I don’t think I’m perfect.” He restarted his game. “Can’t even remember the company name.”

“Védeni és Szolgálni.” Epsilon read slowly, hoping he wasn’t butchering whatever language he was reading. Wash glanced to him from the corner of his eye, eyebrow cocked.

“Are you looking up the advert for it?” He questioned, his brother nodding.

“Pretty sure this is the one. Office Coordinator right?” Wash gave him an affirmative hum. “Must be organised, have good public communication and able to deal with customer… complacent?”

“I think it’s supposed to be complaints, whoever wrote it… well I don’t think they’re a native English speaker.” Wash noted, growling as he died yet again.

“Maintain files and records, meet visitors, answer phone… so it’s a secretary job?”

“It’s not a…” Yet another huffy growl escaped the elder sibling. “Even if it was a secretary job what’s wrong with that? Huh? Guys can be secretaries too.” A chuckle escaped his brother as he dug into his second McMuffin.

“I know, I was just noting… you’ll be fine, this sounds like a cushy gig.” Wash was pretty sure there was no such thing as a cushy gig, and Epsilon was too naïve to realise how difficult a job dealing with the public could be. He had almost no hope that this interview was going to go well, but his brothers’ support did mean something to him. He didn’t answer him however, letting the conversation die and they remained in silence again until Epsilon chose another topic Wash didn’t particularly like to talk about.

“I’m not putting Tindr on my phone.” He had his game paused and was balling up the paper bags from Mcdonalds as his brother typed furiously away on his laptop, writing who knew what.

“I’m just saying, you’re almost twenty-two, you’re getting a little old for a virgin. Hey!”

“I just don’t care about that stuff.” Wash tried to reason, but as far as Epsilon was concerned the ball of brown paper that just hit his temple was proof that he felt otherwise. “If I meet someone, I’ll meet someone. I don’t need to go out of my way to make an effort.”

“You don’t make any effort!” Epsilon sighed. He and Wash didn’t always see eye to eye, they were brothers after all but he knew he was lonely, he knew it couldn’t be healthy for a guy to be so closed off from most people. Wash had his brother, his mother and he could probably count his friends on one hand. While he was happy with this, Epsilon wanted to see him do better. Maybe it was selfish, but Epsilon couldn’t stop seeing himself in his brother, and he didn’t want to end up like that. “Remember when you had a crush on York? You couldn’t even…”

“Hey! Remember when you thought you could rock that half shaved hairstyle?” Wash reminded him, tone defensive as he picked up his coffee container. “You looked like a jackass and we all agreed never to talk about it again.”

“I’m just saying you’ve expressed wanting a relationship in the past, even if it was with a taken guy.”

“Like you’re one to talk.” In his defensiveness, he spat out the words without even thinking, his expression immediately turning to one of regret. “Epsilon… I-I’m sorry I…”

“You’re fine.” Things were far from fine, Wash didn’t even want to bring up memories of that time, so he could only imagine it was a lot worse for his brother. “You’re not wrong.” The smile was weak, it was false and it only lasted for a split moment before it disappeared again. “You know… I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what happened with Allison…” He choked a little on her name, having to take a deep breath before continuing. “I’d say I’m probably Akiosexual.”

“Is that another one of your tumblr words?” Wash tried to tease, wanting to get as far away from the previous topic as he could. Epsilon shot him a glare, bottom lip jutted out in a small pout.

“It means… you’re pretty much attracted to people who aren’t interested in you, but if you’re just gonna make fun of me…”

“I’m not Mom.” Wash reasoned, leaving to dump their rubbish into the bin in the kitchen before he returned and took his seat back, picking up the game controller. “I’m not going to erase anything, or make fun of you. You’re young, you should explore your identity, but I’m still an old man who can’t understand half of the terms you throw around without an explanation for them.” Epsilon’s pout transformed into a small smile, and he shut down his laptop, fishing out FaceBreaker from the pile of old games.

“Save, I wanna join in.” Doing as he was told, Wash saved and ejected the game as Epsilon loaded the multiplayer and activated the second controller. “When you get this new job we should celebrate by getting an Xbox One. I hear Overwatch is awesome.”

“When.” Wash scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “If I get this job, I’ll keep that promise.”

***

“Nah man I’m sorry, I’m at that interview.” York swore over the phone as Wash opened his top button so he could breathe easier. It was way too warm in the waiting room.

“Is Epsilon around? I knocked on the door but…”

“No he’s with Mom today.” Guilt added to the nervous feeling in his stomach and he bit his lip. If he left now, he could probably get back to Valhalla in time to mind the boys for York and let him get to his client. Deep down he knew he couldn’t, he was just looking for an excuse to run away.

“Fuck sake. Alright, sorry for bothering you Wash. I’ll figure something out.”

“I’m really sorry man.”

“Don’t be, don’t be. Just break a leg at that interview, alright?” A nervous hum came as his response and then York was hanging up, leaving Wash alone with just his thoughts and the two other people in the room.

There was a woman to his left, her blonde hair tied back in a tidy pony tail, and she sat with her legs crossed at the ankle. She wore a black pencil skirt and matching blazer, and her salmon pink shirt had just enough buttons open to highlight her chest. Realising he was staring, Wash tore his eyes away and instead focused on the man in front of him. If the woman to his side was dressed well, this guy went all out. His full three-piece, black suit looked a little more suited to a wedding, but he was still beating Wash when it came to professionalism. Wash really hoped the blackness of his trousers would hide the fact that they were jeans, and that his interviewers wouldn’t notice how his white shirt was a little creased at the collar.

This was so much more real now that he was sitting here, waiting to be called with nothing else to do other than compare himself to the people around him. His heart was thumping in his ears and his breathing was tight again. He didn’t hear the door open, nor the voice calling out to them until someone stood in front of him.

“David Washington? You are Washington are you not?” The man in front of him was tall and exceptionally slim. If Wash thought he man across from him was dressy, it was nothing compared to the figure in front of him. His navy suit fitted him perfectly, and it didn’t take much to notice how his jacket even had tails. An orange handkerchief was sticking out of the pocket, it matched his hair a little too well.

“Yes, I’m… that’s me.” He squeaked out, standing up a little too quickly. They were roughly the same height but the other mans hair stuck up every which way. It was a fiery red, and from the look of the male Wash was willing to believe he insisted the colour was natural. What stood out more than his hair were his eyes however. Gold was probably the best word to describe them. They had to be contacts, that colour could never occur naturally.

“Please come with me.” He had no idea where the accent was from. European was as close as he could guess but he followed, hoping desperately that there would be more than just this one guy at his interview. Thankfully his wish was granted but he wasn’t sure if the second person sitting behind the table was much better.

The man was large, even while sitting Wash could be certain the male would tower over him. His muscles were impressive, and Wash could already tell he was the kind to take the gym seriously. He looked like he could pick up Wash with ease and the younger felt his cheeks warm at how ridiculous his thoughts were getting about his interviewer. The man was even pastier than Epsilon, his clean shaven head giving him an even more intimidating look. His grey eyes reminded Wash of his neighbours, except much colder. This man wasn’t the kind you’d pick a fight with, from his flat, broad nose to the scar stretching from his lips along his chin and neck, he was imposing to look at.

Wash swallowed the lump in his throat.

“David Washington, this is Maine, my name is Sigma, we shall be conducting your interview.” Unsure whether either name was a surname or not, he just grimaced and stretched out his hand to the new figure.

“Mr. Maine.” He greeted, earning a cocked eyebrow. The chair made a skidding noise as it was pushed back and the man rose, he was so much bigger than even Wash had imagined. A large hand clasped his, and with a firm, jerky shake his interviewer let go and sat back down. Feeling even more nervous, the young man sat down and rested his hands on his lap. He waited for some interaction, but silence was all that greeted him. “Sigma huh? That’s so weird… my brother’s Epsilon… a-and my neighbours kids… well Greek names are all the rage.” He laughed awkwardly, feeling the back of his neck grow warm and sticky, and he became self-conscious whether his shirt was sticking to him or not.

Maine gave Sigma a confused look and Sigma turned to face him, hands moving swiftly as he translated.

“Oh.” Wash’s eyes lit up as he realised he was speaking sign language. His sound attracted both of their attention and with an almost proud smile, he flattened his hand like a salute, rested it against his forehead and pulled it away, saying hello.

“You speak sign language?” Sigma questioned, Maine saying nothing, just tilting his head as he examined the youth in front of him.

“Not very well. I can say a few words.” Wash confessed. His mother was a carer, spending a majority of their childhood minding those with disabilities whose families could no longer care for them. Some of them had difficulty speaking, meaning she was fluent in ASL and had taught him a few words. ”My name is Washington.” He sighed, with only a moment’s hesitation as he tried to recall just how to say the phrase he had learned a long time ago.

“American?”

“I am.” Wash responded with a nod, earning a laugh that made him feel uncomfortable.

“Your sign language is American, Maine and I are fluent in Hungarian, we are still learning ASL.” So that was where they were from.

“Hungary huh? You guys must be famished.” Immediately he regretted every single word that left his mouth and his brow furrowed as Sigma exchanged an unimpressed look with Maine. “I’m sorry, that was… I’m just nervous.” Another silent, fast moving conversation occurred between the two.

“Do not be nervous.” The red haired male finally turned back to Washington. “Why don’t you tell us what you know about our business?”

“Of course.” His stomach sank, he knew so little aside from the description on the job application website. “Well…” He turned to face Maine. “You are a private security company…”

“You are talking so slowly.” Sigma noticed, eyes narrow as Wash’s warm cheeks turned a light shade of pink. He hadn’t noticed he had been doing so and his stomach flipped.

“I-I was?” Sigma nodded, resting his chin on his hand.

“Yes you were…” Deep down he probably thought it would be easier for Maine to lip read if he spoke slowly, but now he felt scared he had done something to offend the two potential employers. This really wasn’t going well. They were communicating again, Wash trying hard to follow even though he was certain the few American phrases he knew would not show up in their conversation. “Ne aggódj, ezt majd én elintézem.” Sigma said in what Wash could only imagine was Hungarian. “Maine is not deaf, he is simply mute, however his grasp on English is almost none existent which is why I am here as his translator as well as business partner. I would prefer you not be so condescending.”

“I’m not… I’m so sorry.” He whispered as Maine patted Sigma’s shoulder and spoke to him once more. The red haired male sighed and indicated his hand.

“Proceed.”

The rest of the interview just seemed to get worse and worse. He stumbled his way through questions, and completely forgot his prepared answer for why he thought he was suitable for the role. The entire way through, Sigma was translating his words and Maine’s eyes would shift from scanning Wash’s face to Sigma’s hands. Every time those steely grey eyes were on him he got even more nervous.

“Well I think that is all we need to hear.” It was a sickening relief that Washington felt when Sigma finally seemed to end the process. “Do you have any questions for us?”

“N-no sirs.” Dammit, he knew he had at least three prepared to ask but he just couldn’t remember them and he clearly wasn’t going to save himself with a last minute attempt at being professional. Sigma said no more, just waved him away and he stood up, fighting the need to throw up as he nodded his head. He made momentary eye contact with Maine and a shaky hand pressed to his lips, pulling away as he thanked him.

Maine responded with a rounding motion of his hand, away from his body that Wash was pretty sure meant “you’re welcome.” Sigma had said he was learning and it only made sense that that be one of the first things he teach himself. Wash couldn’t help the small smile as he verbally thanked them both and left, glad of the cooler air that hit him once he left the room.

He was going to have to brush off that CV again, there was no way he was getting that job.

***

“You can’t be serious.” Epsilon was sitting on the edge of his seat, staring intently to his brother as he held the phone against his ear with both hands and couldn’t stop grinning. “Really?”

“Yes, we would officially like to offer you the job of Office Coordinator.” Sigma informed him over the phone, earning a loud cheer from the twenty-one year old.

“Oh wow, thank you! Thank you so much, you won’t regret it!”

“Make sure we wont. You start on Monday at half eight. Do not be late.” With that he hung up, leaving a stunned Wash who spun around to Epsilon.

“I GOT THE JOB!” He cried out in victory, punching both hands into the air as his brother leapt up.

“Oh man, that’s awesome!” He grinned broadly, so glad to see his big brother smile. He even allowed the older sibling to pull him in for a hug, crushing him against his body as he excitedly celebrated.

“Oh man I gotta call mom, I gotta call work! I can finally quit!” He couldn’t stop his broad smile at his excitement, things could only go up from here.

***

“And here is your desk.” Washington followed Sigma through the small office space, nodding as he was shown to his quarters. There was a desktop computer and files spread everywhere, a telephone and a potted plant beside the desk. “We are still starting up, so we will be needing to advertise other positions in the company soon, once Maine and I are finished finalising everything.” Wash nodded, gazing to the desk where he’d be spending his days. He was so excited at the prospect of a nine to five job, with proper sleeping hours.

“So it’s just me so far?” Sigma nodded and indicated to the files, explaining just how he wanted each of them to be sorted. He detailed the methods in which to take down information if someone rang, what questions he should ask them and such and once he was happy to leave Wash alone for a while, he made his way into his and Maine’s office and closed the door behind him. Sitting behind the desk, Wash got to sorting the files, wanting to make a good impression.

He had properly looked up the company before he started officially working for them. From what he could tell, the company got its start in Hungary which made sense. It all began with Maine, from what he could tell the company had practically popped up overnight, gaining big clients in his home country. They trained the very best of bodyguards and security personnel which explained Maine’s physique. While the company was doing well in Hungary, he was starting to expand and from what Wash could gather, the attitude was to “go big or go home,” so America was the next target.

It was ambitious and Wash admired Maine for his drive. A venture like this could make or break him but he had a feeling that the foreigner was more than ready to accept what fate had in store. He still wasn’t sure why they hired him, he really felt like he had to be the least qualified but his admiration for their goal drove him to prove he could be helpful, and he got to work on all the tasks Sigma had given him.

Over the next couple of days he hardly interacted with Maine. Sigma was really the one he spoke to the most and while the red head made him uncomfortable, he understood that he was his superior so he treated him as such. Sigma had a lot of responsibilities as business partner, having to deal with potential clients as well as investors since Maine still had little to no grip on English. Not only that, but he would often have to walk Washington through tasks. The youngest was willing to learn, but this was still all new to him. There was a vast difference between this and stacking shelves at three in the morning.

On his first Friday, Sigma had left early to meet some investors for coffee. Maine would meet them at a later time but for now was working in his office. It was ten minutes passed five, and while Wash should have gone home those ten minutes ago he stayed in order the finish the last task Sigma had assigned him before leaving. Once the paperwork was filed, he wandered over to the office and knocked on the door. There was of course no verbal response but he waited a moment before opening it.

“I just wanted to leave these for Sigma.” He informed a confused looking Maine who glanced from him to the files in his hand. The superior stretched out his hand, his employee handing them to him and for a moment his eyes scanned the documents. Having no idea just how much English he knew, Washington wasn’t sure if the sheets made sense but Maine inspected each of them before he rested them on his desk.

”Thank you.” He signed.

”You’re welcome.” It was practically all they said to each other directly all week. Maine’s desk was near invisible underneath all the paper work but there was a corner dedicated to expanding his understanding. Books in ASL were topped by a series of “Learn to speak English” CDs. With his work in management’s hands, Wash let out a breath and gave Maine a wave. “See you Monday.”

A scratchy hum was his response as he left the office, trying not to skip as he faced his first weekend off work.

***

He couldn’t remember two days in which he had done so much. He organised a drinking session with Alpha and Tucker, went kayaking with a reluctant Epsilon, rearranged his entire bedroom and even met up with York and North for a meal on Sunday evening. The most beneficial thing he had done all weekend however was visiting his mother. After coffee and details about his new job, he asked her to help him learn more sign language. It wasn’t flawless, after all Maine’s first language was Hungarian, he was only in the process of learning English and ASL, but he would like to bridge that gap and be able to say more to his boss than please and thank you.

A quick search of “learn Hungarian sign language” proved to be a little intimidating, as most of the websites attempting to teach it were primarily in Hungarian, but he was determined that he would be able to communicate with his superior. He was feeling positive about this job.

At least until he came back on Monday.

“That’s not my phone number.” He tried to reason after being called into the office. Apparently they had been struggling to get in contact with him all weekend, needing his assistance in their job advertisements. According to Sigma, Maine hated nothing more than being ignored, and had referred to the twenty-one year old as highly unprofessional. Even showing them his cell with a lack of missed calls wasn’t cutting it.

“It is the phone number you gave me when you applied.” Sigma reasoned but Washington shook his head. He had had the same cell phone number since he was fifteen and this wasn’t anything like it.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I missed your calls but I promise this is not my cell phone number. I can give it to you, I won’t let this happen again.” He reached out for a pen but a cutting glare from Sigma stopped his hand in its tracks. He pulled it back, resting his hands on his lap as the two discussed his situation, he tried to follow but a couple of hours with his mother and some internet searches hadn’t helped him much.

“You are right.” A piece of paper and a pen were slid across the table. “You will not let this happen again.” He wrote down his number carefully, making sure it was legible.

“What was it you needed help with?” It may be late but if he could assist, he wanted to. Sigma shook his head and took the parchment away from him.

“It’s no longer a concern. We were simply unsure about the translation of our job advertisements but we were able to handle everything. You may return to your desk Washington.” Nodding towards Sigma, the younger stood up. Maine’s eyes followed him as he backed away and he hesitated before reaching the door.

”Sorry.” He said directly to Maine before leaving the office with a groan. It took him only a little over an hour to get through his paperwork and less than ten minutes to tidy up his desk. The phone hadn’t rang all morning, despite Sigma asking him every ten minutes if it had.

He rearranged files on his computer to make it easier, topped up the water cooler and gave the whole room a quick tidy, but after a while he was struggling to find things to keep him occupied. The young man opened the website, deciding to read over the advertisements. Sigma said they were sorted, but if he remembered correctly there were spelling mistakes in the advert he saw, maybe he could catch one or two in this.

“Sigma?” Wash called the business partner over a mere four minutes later when the ginger male stuck his head out the door, no doubt to ask about phone calls. “I need to show you something.” The scrawny man groaned, moving away from the office door and closing it behind him. He wandered over to the desk where a thoroughly confused Wash was staring at their website.

“What is the issue?” The elder questioned, voice droll as he cocked a slender eyebrow upwards.

“The job advertisement. I know English isn’t your first language, and I wasn’t able to answer the phone and help, so I take responsibility for that, but there is a HUGE issue with it.” His finger tapped against the computer screen.

TRAINED, PROFESSIONAL ESCORTS WANTED.

“We’re a security company, right?” He questioned, for a moment doubtful about where he had been working. Sigma nodded. “And you wished to hire people to be bodyguards, right?” A second nod. “Oh phew, alright well see the word Escort erm… it doesn’t mean the same thing, actually…”

“It’s fine.” Sigma interrupted, Washington frowning as he looked over his shoulder.

“Actually no, no it’s not. That’s an entirely different job than the one you need filling.” Sigma’s unusual eyes scanned over the text and he shook his head.

“No, it is fine.” He repeated, pulling away. Wash took in a breath and flexed his hands as he tried to grasp the best way to describe this.

“Escorts… at least here, to me anyway… implies some kind of erm… sex worker…” He was practically mumbling his words, not sure if Sigma was even listening anymore as he took out his cell phone. There was a moment or two of him furiously tapping and then he dramatically cleared his throat.

“Escort, noun, a person, vehicle, or group accompanying another for protection or as a mark of rank.” There was no missing the look of satisfaction on Sigma’s face. “That sounds like what we wish to supply.” Wash’s cheeks grew pink as he began to feel flustered.

“Yeah, I understand that, and you are correct but it’s just that… well the job description combined with the wording erm… like here ”must be willing to work nights, have high stamina and be willing to do whatever the client desires.” It just sounds…”

“We offer our service day or night, we will not tolerate laziness and we uphold an attitude of the client is always right.” It was frustrating how oblivious Sigma was, but Washington wasn’t sure how else to approach this. He had to be polite, this was his boss after all.

“I understand but surely you see how people could get confused.” Judging from the look on his face, he didn’t.

“Washington, if you wish to take control of our advertisements I suggest you pick up your phone when you’re needed.” It was hard not to hide the look of annoyance, especially when Sigma patted him on the shoulder. “It is fine how it is. We do not need it changed. Now let me know if the phone rings.” Once Sigma was back in the office, Wash let out a groan. At this rate he really wasn’t expecting any interest in either the job, or the service.

***

Some weeks passed and by some miracle they had managed to hire four highly qualified bodyguards and get some clients under their belt. That miracle however wasn’t a result of Maine and Sigma’s advertising, but Washington. After soothing York’s concerns that he wasn’t working for a direct competitor, he convinced his neighbour to spread word around his kickboxing class about the job openings and thankfully he was kind enough to help out.

Sigma didn’t seem too happy by their new hires, even though all four had extensive training in self-defence and gained Maine’s stamp of approval. Wash couldn’t help but wonder if he was unhappy knowing it was their employee who found them as opposed to him, but he said nothing and just kept his head down.

He continued his lessons with his mother and found a paid service online that would help him expand into Hungarian sign language. Even with all the effort, he hardly ever spoke to Maine. Sigma was always by his side, always insisting on translating and even with his slowly growing knowledge, Washington was never able to keep up with the speed of his hands enough to understand anything he said.

There was something about Sigma he just couldn’t shake. He would often come to him with forms that had mistranslations or sometimes just blatantly wrong information. No matter how nicely Wash tried to correct him, he refused to listen, and Wash may have been paranoid but he felt certain that the ginger male was purposely trying to keep him from discussing it with Maine.

It was becoming increasingly more frustrating to put up with the man, and soon enough all excitement Wash had about his nine to five job with weekends off had disappeared. He found his stomach would sink as he came into the office, knowing Sigma was moments from coming out and telling him of all the things Maine supposedly wanted him to do.

He was early to work one morning, having to get North to drop him in on his way to work due to the sudden flat tire on his bike. He let himself into the office, dumping his things behind his desk. He rapped his knuckles against the office door, waiting a moment before opening it.

“Good morning.” He glanced around the room, only seeing Maine behind his desk, the older man looking up to him with those grey eyes. ”Where’s Sigma?” He questioned, afraid to be relieved at his absence.

”He’s ill.” Maine responded slower than he usually would have were he chatting with Sigma. There was no hiding the smile that crossed Wash’s face, earning an almost silent chuckle from his boss.

“Do you need me to do anything?” Maine rubbed his hand over his head and glanced around the room and the mountains of work he was left with now that Sigma wasn’t nearby. Much of the work was in Hungarian so he couldn’t ask for Washington’s help but suddenly the office phone rang.

It could have been anyone from a potential client to an investor, but Maine could be certain that whoever it was, they wouldn’t understand sign language through a phone.

“May I?” All he got was a nod as he moved to Sigma’s desk, answering the phone in his superiors place.

The following few days were mostly the same, with Wash now preforming his own duties, but in the main office rather than outside the door. He was by Maine’s side for once without Sigma interrupting every number of seconds. Conversation wasn’t exactly flowing, after all both were still learning how best to communicate to each other, not to mention Maine wasn’t exactly much of a talker. Considering how much Sigma would start his conversations with “Maine wanted you to…” Wash was starting to think it wasn’t so much Maine’s instructions.

Come Thursday, Sigma was still ill and Washington didn’t even knock as he walked into the office that morning, offering Maine a smile. It wasn’t returned, instead the stressed looking male was rubbing his forehead and staring to his cell phone. He sent a message before slapping it down on the desk and letting out a husky groan.

”What’s wrong?”

”Investor meeting’s today.” That explained his nervousness, after all Sigma was Maine’s translator, and as well as that he would have been the one to prepare any presentations for their American investors. Without him, Maine was more than a little out of his dept.

”I could help.” Washington offered, not wanting to leave Maine struggling. He may not have been as fluent or as knowledgeable about business as Sigma but right now there was no one else who could offer. Maine glanced up, eyes scanning him and with a shaky breath in he nodded.

What choice did he have?

With hours to go until the meeting, Washington was assigned to finish Sigma’s half-done presentation. He had an understanding of how the company worked by now, he knew their goals and through working close to Maine the last few days he had a better understanding of the man’s goals. He wanted to expand his bodyguard’s knowledge of defence, hire a professional to teach more forms of martial arts, explore the use of nonlethal weapons like taser guns and how accepting they were in America. He gave Washington full control over the presentation, telling him to change whatever he wished, which the younger was thankful for.

Sigma really had made a lot of mistakes, from citing the wrong number of employees to listing less than half of their potential clientele. From what Washington could see, it made the company look like it was much worse off than it was. They were limited in the amount of people working for them, which meant they couldn’t fill the demand for top notch personal security, and Washington still blamed Sigma and his adverts on that.

He didn’t bother Maine all evening, didn’t point out all the corrections he had to make, just kept working until finally it was time to go. He made sure the USB with the presentation was secure in his pocket and followed Maine outside to the black, 2016 Dacia Duster that always sat outside the building. Maine opened the passenger door for Washington whose arms were filled with documents and files and he verbally thanked him before slipping in and securing the documents on his lap.

The journey should have taken twenty minutes but with traffic took them thirty-five. The two rushed into the conference room Sigma had rested at a local hotel only to find all of the investors already there. Washington briefly apologised, either ignoring or not noticing their confused looks as to who this new person was. Disgruntled murmuring spread through the men, none of which looked happy to be here but Washington did his best to look passed it as they began the meeting.

Thankfully the one thing Sigma had done right was detail the exact order that the assembly had gone down, and with his handy cheat sheet hidden between files, Wash took over. He talked them through the presentation, stumbling a little as he spoke about finances and profit as that part went a little over his head, but otherwise doing very well.

Maine looked satisfied, but the investors expressions went from agitated, to just confused.

“You have almost doubled your profits in just a few weeks.” One gruff male noticed.

“And you hired more staff despite last time stating that you couldn’t afford to do so.” Washington frowned, wanting to respond himself as to how both claims were entirely wrong but he did his job, translating as well as he could for Maine.

“What are they talking about?” Maine questioned, not understanding where these claims were coming from. His hands rapidly fired instructions to the younger who tried desperately to catch up.

”Slow down.” He had to plead at one point when he wasn’t even sure which language Maine was talking to him in due to how quickly he was communicating. Maine stopped as he saw the younger stroke his non dominant hand and he took a deep breath.

”I trust you." Was what it all boiled down to. Nodding, and swallowing the saliva that had been gathering in his mouth, the younger turned to the investors.

“I’m afraid we’re not sure what you’re talking about. Yes we have increased money intake, and clients have to be turned away until we can expand and hire more, but we’ve been making steady profit for a number of weeks now. Not to mention we haven’t hired any new bodyguards in weeks now.”

“But Sigma said…” That was the beginning of it. Almost one by one each of the old, white men around the table began to cite information they had gotten from the red headed snake. Sigma seemed to claim a lot at these meetings, none of which was true, and all of which came as a shock to Maine.

It was a struggle to try ease the agitated men, all of them were unsure whether to trust him or not. After all they were used to dealing with Sigma, it would be hard to trust someone else, especially when their information was so contrasting. Despite how Washington’s information was more beneficial for the men, they seemed reluctant to trust him over his superior. His heart sank as he heard them whisper between them, catching onto words like “underqualified.” Maine tapped his shoulder, gaining his attention.

”Tell them exactly what I say.” He nodded.

“Gentlemen, we are all learning new information today.” He translated, keeping his eyes on Maine and not the men surrounding them. “I understand giving the previous reports that some of you may have considered pulling out, but any issue you have should be directed at me and not my subordinate. I do not need investors who have no faith in my employees and my choices.” It was almost invisible but Wash was certain he saw a small, comforting smile on the corner of Maine’s lips.

“Well then…” One man rested his elbows on the table. “Can you really expect us to be comfortable in a company that was failing and now conveniently is telling us information we’d like to hear?”

”I cannot.

“I cannot.” Washington repeated, Maine continuing to speak. “However this company was never failing. I plan to investigate any discrepancies or issues you may have.” They spoke among themselves again, Washington sharing a glance, hazel eyes meeting grey and he took in a breath as they awaited any decisions from their sponsors.

***

“That was so stressful.” Washington rested his head back against the seat of the Dacia once the meeting was over. ”Is it always so bad?”

”Apparently.” Was all he got from his boss. The disgruntled look on his face said it all. He had until their next meeting to figure out the issues that had arisen, but he was pretty sure he had it all figured out anyway.

Maine not being able to speak English meant Sigma could have been saying anything to those investors, while giving Maine misinformation as well. Washington wasn’t sure why Sigma would try sabotage his friends company, and from the looks of it neither did Maine.

”Are you okay?” The hulking male beside him didn’t respond, just started up the car and looked to the clock. It was after six.

”I’ll drop you home.” He offered, aware the younger man had no transport from the office.

”It’s okay, I’ll walk.” He insisted but it only took one look in Maine’s eyes to know that wasn’t happening. He sighed and thanked his superior, before guiding him back to Valhalla. Maine’s understanding of English was mainly pleasantries such as thank you, but he was easily able to understand simple directions such as left and right. Maine turned on the radio to cover the otherwise silence between them but it automatically loaded the CD. Washington couldn’t help but smile when ABBA came on, and with Maine being so pale there was no missing the light blush on the back of his neck.

He didn’t turn it off however, maybe he felt that would only draw more attention to it, but by the time the second song came on, Washington couldn’t help but sing along.

“We can go dancing, we can go walking, as long as we’re together. Listen to some music, maybe just talking, get to know you better…” All it took was two lines of attempted singing before his voice went quiet, Washington now also blushing as Maine chuckled softly. He indicated his hand, not signing, just suggesting he keep going but Wash could feel his cheeks go pinker. “Left here.” He instead said, sinking a little in his seat.

As the brand new jeep pulled into Valhalla, a few nosey neighbours peeking out to see who it belonged to. Sarge was sitting out in his garden, glaring after the vehicle while Theta and Delta made sure to stay on the path as they spun by. Theta waved violently when he saw Wash pass by in the strange car.

Wash waved weakly back before indicating to his own rather bare home.

“This is me.” The jeep pulled up outside and with a quick ”thanks” Wash jumped out of the vehicle. He was surprised when he heard the engine turn off and Maine stood out, locking it.

“Wash! Wash, look what I can do!” An excited Theta ran over, stopping in his tracks when the huge, bald man with scars all over his throat stood behind Wash. The child had to crane his neck just to get a good look and he gazed to Wash in confusion.

“Theta, Delta, this is my boss.” He informed them, giving them a warning look to make sure neither of them said anything. ”My neighbours kids.” He kept the elder up to date. Delta’s eyes lit up with interest as he realised how they were communicating whereas Theta looked confused.

“Nice to meet you sir.” Delta watched with a fascinated expression as Wash translated. His boss just gave them a jerky head nod, followed by Wash giving them a small wave. He stood closer to his home, his boss taking a step in that direction, at this point he was going to look rude if he didn’t invite him in.

”Come on.” He indicated to the house, the large man following him. Once they disappeared, Theta let out the breath he had been holding.

“He was SO TALL!” Delta had to admit, he thought that the boy was going to come out with something a little ruder considering how he had been holding it in. He just chuckled at his little brother as their Dad called them in for dinner. Following Delta, Theta continued to stare towards the neighbours door. “I bet he’s bigger than Pop. If I ask nicely do you think he’d let me on his shoulders?”

Oblivious to the conversation including him outside, Maine followed Washington into his home. He looked around at the lack of decorations. It was a very basic home, with just enough furbishing’s to get by. There was a photograph on the wall of a woman with two young children, they both looked so similar but Maine felt like he would be right in guessing Wash was the elder. He was roughly eight years old with messy blonde hair and his front two teeth missing.

“Hey.” His voice attracted Maine’s attention away from the frame. ”Would you like something to drink?” He just nodded, following the young man through the hallway as he shed off his coat. “Epsilon? You home, man?” Silence greeted him which was probably for the best. He felt nervous enough about having his boss in his home without having to worry about entertaining both him and his brother.

The weak kitchen chair groaned underneath Maine’s weight as he sat, Washington darting around making him a coffee as the choice was either that, water or milk. Soon they both sat down together, Wash blowing at the steam that rose from his cup as the silence grew more awkward.

”Can I ask you a question?” Maine nodded. ”Why did you hire me?”

”I didn’t.” Was the response and Washington sighed, he was expecting as much.

”So Sigma?” Another nod, another sigh. He knew those other people had to be more qualified than him, Sigma probably hired him in the hopes he would fail.

”It is the one good decision he made.” Wash was still cradling the warm mug in his hands, his hazel eyes staring through the coffee steam in surprise at the figure across from him. He was fully aware his cheeks had warmed and he hoped it wasn’t all that obvious. Conversation from Maine was rare enough, but to get a compliment like that was something he wasn’t sure he’d be hearing again. ”I should go. Thank you for the coffee.” The untouched cup was moved to the side and he stood up, Washington mimicking and standing as well. He followed his boss to the front door, opening it for him.

”Thank you for the ride home.” He turned to see Maine staring to the photo once more and he stood forward. ”My mother and brother.” Maine gazed from his hands to his face.

”Your father?” The younger’s brow creased as he shook his head.

”He doesn’t matter.” There was something in Maine’s look, an understanding that went beyond just accepting that his employee had a strained relationship. It was looks like that that made him so curious about his employer, he knew so little about him. The scarring on his throat must have been the reason he was mute, but he had no idea how it happened. The rare times he saw Maine yawn, he could see how his tongue was damaged as well but since he rarely got an answer when just asking how his boss was doing, he doubted he’d ever know what happened to him.

With a fleeting goodbye, the older man was gone and Washington finally felt like he could breathe. He was fully aware his cheeks were still warm, but he tried to shake it off as he closed the door.

***

”Are you serious?” Washington stood in the office the following day, afraid to get excited at what Maine had just asked him.

”The position is now open.” Sigma’s personal items were all stored in a corner, ready to be collected. According to Maine, Wash wouldn’t have to put up with the slime ball anymore and he wasn’t sure whether that or the prospect of getting his job was better.

”And you’re sure you want me?” The grin broke through, brightening up his expression.

”I know I can trust you.” So he didn’t have to wait all that long until the next compliment. The young man hoped he wasn’t blushing this time.

”Yes.” He nodded eagerly, smiling broadly. ”I’ll take it!”

***

Some weeks passed by with Wash happily working. His knowledge of both American and Hungarian sign language had vastly improved, and Maine was catching onto English much easier with an English speaker so close. The increase in pay had only helped, Wash and Epsilon’s house looked a lot less bare and he was able to offer people something to drink other than coffee.

His bicycle had been locked away in the shed for some weeks, unused. At eight in the morning a black, 2016 Dacia Duster would pick him up from work, and drop him home in the evening. The impressive jeep pulled into the estate one Wednesday, gaining no more attention as the residents were used to it.

Wash hopped out with a goodbye to his boss, fetching his stuff from the back seat. He tucked the brand new Xbox One under his left arm, the other holding a Gamestop bag.

“See you tomorrow!” He called out, closing the door with a bump of the hip as Delta and Theta watched from their wall. The jeep sped away and both kids ran over.

“What’s that?” Theta questioned immediately, bypassing any formalities as he poked at the box.

“A surprise for Epsilon.” He grinned, excited that he could finally afford it. “Is he home?” The boys shook their head. “Perfect, Delta you’re handy with tech. Wanna help me set it up to surprise him?”

“I want to!” Theta chimed in, jumping up and down as Delta chuckled.

“I’ll tell Dad where we are.” He dashed away, eager to help as Theta grinned up to their neighbour.

“Isn’t your boyfriend going to help?” Wash’s face grew physically warm at the boys question and he spluttered over his words.

“Boyfriend? What are you… what are you on about? I don’t have a boyfriend!” Even the child didn’t look entirely convinced as Delta ran back to them, York appearing by the door.

“You sure they won’t be in the way Wash?” He called out, earning a chuckle.

“As long as this one keeps his smart mouth shut we’ll be fine.” He grinned, giving Delta an affectionate bump. The six year old gently shoved him back before dashing into the other man’s yard. Wash opened the door for them, dumping his stuff inside as his cell phone buzzed. The boys were opening the box for him as he checked it.

Maine:U need my help?

The younger was far too aware of how much he was blushing.

Wash: I’ve got good help. See u tomorrow!