Make them soup/their favorite dish after they come home + Green/Blue/Orange poly~
Invitations, Permissions, and the Cost of Living
Make them soup/their favorite dish after they come home + Green/Blue/Orange poly~
noticing trauma sentence starters: "When is the last time you ate?” + Coinless Skull
In those surreal early days of finding this older, more haggard version of Eugene Skullovitch living on the street, hustling his dignity for quick cash, and eating out of restaurant garbage cans, Matthew did not notice what should have been readily apparent when sharing such a small, off-campus apartment.
Between classes and slipping off to Promethea to refine his Ranger abilities, Matthew was often out a good portion of any given day. That didn’t take into account any battles with intergalactic monsters and evil alien warlords. Even Billy was harried much of the time, especially with the clandestine projects he was collaborating on with Grace Sterling.
Evenings were usually when they came together in the Green Ranger’s tiny kitchen, a special time when the world grew quiet and cozy and the two younger men gently tended to the Coinless orphan. Eugene warded off their profuse apologies for being absent so often, understanding the nuances of being a college student or genius and balancing regular life with being a superhero. After all, he’d had a ringside seat to just such a thing.
“It’s fine, guys, really,” he murmured, visibly trying to reign in the primal reflex to inhale every piece of food from his dinner plate in one go. “You had lives and responsibilities before I turned up. You can’t upend it all because I’m crashing here.”
He chuckled, the laugh so eerily like his younger Prime counterpart that it made Matthew break out in goose bumps.
“At least I’m in out of the rain and don’t have to trade blowies for twenties.”
Skull had said this so nonchalantly that Matt had raised a brow, his fork hovering near his mouth and raining bits of broccoli back onto his plate. Coupled with the way that Eugene was still so wretchedly skinny perturbed him. He should have been putting SOME meat on his bones by now.
That particular day, the jock had come home earlier than usual, his class canceled due to some faculty emergency. His key turned easily in the lock, and he shouldered the door open, backpack slung over one shoulder and a bag of leftover onion rings clutched in his hand.
The apartment was oddly quiet. No disjointed conversation wafted from the television. He could hear no music either, which he remembered Eugene had a fondness for in their world. There was nothing save for the soft ticking of a clock and the low hum of the refrigerator.
‘Did he leave?’
Matthew dropped his bag on the low couch and absently tossed the take-out container on the coffee table that really took up too much room to be reasonable.
Eugene didn’t know anyone here in the Prime Universe. As far as he or Billy knew, the former Red Sentry Captain was the only one to come through the interdimensional hole before the Coinless universe essentially imploded. He’d been alone when they found him and denied finding any of the others along his trek through the outlying countryside and then into the city. There was no reason to assume that there were other survivors.
Matt rounded the corner into the bedroom, situated down a short hall that boasted a lone bathroom and a utility room. There certainly wasn’t anywhere to hide. Or any reason for him to do so that the Green Ranger could imagine.
To his relief (and confusion?), Skull was sitting on the edge of the mattress, the bed pristinely made in the emerald sheets and blanket, his hands on his knees and fingers tapping rhythmically on the knobby bones. He hadn’t appeared to notice Matthew’s presence as he stood in the doorway, only continuing to stare out through the window between a crack in the curtains at the chilly gray afternoon.
Startling someone who had once been a lethal ranking member of Lord Drakkon’s forces was never a good idea and even if he thought himself capable enough to handle the fallout, Matt wasn’t sure what he would say to him that wouldn’t cause shame or embarrassment. Silently, he backed away from the strange scene, deciding to settle himself down on the couch for the time being until Billy returned.
The Blue Ranger had his own domicile at Promethea and an open room at his father’s all the way in Angel Grove, but this was where he spent his off-hours. Especially after Eugene’s unexpected tenancy.
Billy had explained the complicated and tragic history between this older Skull and his own unfortunate Coinless counterpart. It was possible that he was having some difficulty being suddenly thrust back into such close proximity after all those haphazard years, possibly feeling the sting of jealousy that his true love was in a committed relationship with another man in this timeline.
‘Is he sitting back there thinking about his Billy and all that he lost because some prick made a selfish, self-aggrandizing decision?’
His gaze fell on the pristine kitchen counters, the spot on the couch a perfect vantage point to see directly into the other room with its sparse cabinet space, stark appliances, and dated linoleum flooring that tended to the sticky side whenever it was not vigorously scrubbed down. He was struck that there was not one door ajar, not a single dish drying in the rack beside the sink, no disturbed cutting board, or anything so much as a stray crumb from a paltry baloney sandwich.
Matt hefted himself to his feet and moved for a closer inspection. He scanned each cabinet packed full of bread, spices, condiments, chips, snack cakes, canned soup and vegetables, cups of pudding and weird jello with chunks of fruit suspended within. Nothing looked like it had been pulled out or even pushed aside.
The fridge was in essentially the same tidy condition. There were two jugs of milk, one white and one chocolate, lunch meat, veggie slices, spaghetti sauce and meat balls left over from the previous evening, sliced cheese, whipped cream… It was stuffed as full as Matthew had been able to, amounting to what felt like a game of Jenga.
In the freezer sat the tubs of ice cream, frozen sides, popsicles, chubs of ground hamburger, chicken breasts… All exactly in their place with nothing missing or a package opened that wasn’t before.
He slowly swung the freezer door shut, his mind puzzling about this odd finding and wondering what else he’d missed in his scatterbrained dashes to classes and monster battles.
Matt peeked into the bedroom again at Eugene, who hadn’t even shifted position since he’d first found him, before taking a quick inventory of the bathroom and shower. The toilet seat was closed, the shower bone dry, the cubby crammed with towels and rags still burgeoning with its load…
Had Eugene really sat there all day long without getting something to eat, going to the restroom, showering, watching tv, or listening to music? If so, why?
‘I made sure to buy everything that I know our Skull loves to pig out on, ordered the streaming service with his favorite animated cartoons and Sentai… But he hasn’t touched anything at all except to make the bed.’
It must mean something.
Eugene was always ravenous at dinner, so lack of appetite was not the issue. He wasn’t against showering once the other two had gone and told him he was up to bat. And he laughed, though stiltedly, at the programs Matt put on TV before they went to sleep.
When he heard Billy’s key in the lock later that evening, he felt hopeful that the Blue Ranger would have an explanation for Skull’s bizarre behavior. However, as soon as he heard the blonde’s pleasant, but weary, voice and his long, technical jargon, Eugene wafted into the living room, a smile on his face as if nothing had been amiss.
“Hey Cross-Bones! Good to see those baby blues,” he chuckled before glancing at Matt. “And the not-so-mean Green… How was class?”
It was as if he hadn’t registered not being alone for most of the afternoon at all.
“Uh…great…great…” Matt mumbled.
Billy gave him a confused look, a brow raised over his glasses.
“Boy, I’m famished,” the Green Ranger sighed heavily, nodding towards the kitchen. “How about I stir up a little something for us?”
When Eugene turned to head that way, Matt pitched his voice low towards Billy.
“Can we chat later…you know…about him?”
The way that Matt was looking at him, the hurried and hushed request for an audience, and the complicated situation of Eugene set Billy’s stomach in knots. Was it getting to be a crowd, not just in terms of the apartment but their relationship as well? Was Matthew threatened by Skull’s presence given his history?
Billy had not seen the Coinless Eugene Skullovitch since the ‘mishap’ in that alternate world that resulted in the Prime Rangers and their rebel counterparts mistakenly capturing the deadly pet of their intended target and all that ensued thereafter. He knew that he had missed Skull, THAT Skull, not the one of their world who was still what Matt referred to as a ‘goober’.
But that had been before he knew of his new teammate’s feelings and the eventual blossoming of their relationship.
Two years ago, in that ramshackle Coinless Command Center, a make-shift caricature of what they’d once had, there hadn’t been much time to catch up with Eugene, not as much as he’d have liked. Most of it, the Blue Ranger had spent engrossed in Lord Drakkon’s personal journal, the vile tome secreted out by an undercover Adam Park, who’d strongly advised Eugene to burn it, and he could understand why.
That ‘diary’ was one of the sickest so-called science experiments he’d ever come across. Drakkon had been meticulous in his detailing of the Coinless Jason Scott’s mental fragmentation, though Billy doubted that the tyrant knew the gravity of what he’d actually done, that he’d potentially shattered the former Red Ranger’s psyche into jagged shards.
‘I can’t be certain that would be Red’s diagnosis. It’s out of my wheelhouse. But my scans did not show any obedience spell or cursed totem to cause him to be like…that…’
The delusional canine had shrieked and screamed obscenities, threatened all manner of violence, spittle flying as if the froth from a real dog’s snarling muzzle, before shifting gears and attempting to seduce the White Ranger.
And nearly succeeding.
Between Billy’s assessing, reading, and hypothesizing and Eugene’s required presence to try to bring Red down from his hysterics and keep the other Rangers from falling for his bullshit antics, there hadn’t been breathing room for just the two of them.
Then Drakkon swooped in like a plague and they’d almost died…again.
So seeing Skull again, after being in a relationship with Matt for the past year and a half, was awkward. Billy was honest with the Green Ranger about his thoughts and feelings and everything that had happened ‘over there’.
Nothing was said during dinner. Eugene tucked into the cheeseburger Hamburger Helper with gusto, cleaning his plate every time either Matt or Billy replenished it. They made small talk while the older man asked about their day between mouthfuls, his fork held in his grip like a spear. He made a few remarks and shared some off-hand, unseemly reminisces from back in his day in the palace with all the matter-of-factness of discussing a ball game.
Like it was the most normal thing in the world…
Much later, after Matthew double then triple-checked that Skull was fast asleep, tucked with the blankets around him like a small child, the Green Ranger pulled the door shut and settled on the couch to discuss the observations that had occurred to him.
“Billy…I don’t think that he eats at all while we’re gone. He waits for us to come back and…I don’t know…” he stammered, trying to make sense of it still as he related it all to his partner. “Taking a shower too. He never just gets in there on his own.”
The blonde stared at the tips of his sneakers sadly. He was quiet so long that Matt assumed he was trying to work it out as well.
“I didn’t have class this afternoon, so I came back early. And he was just sitting on the bed, not touching anything. Staring off… I was afraid to interrupt whatever was going on so I let him be,” he continued. “He didn’t move a muscle until he heard you coming in. I thought maybe he watched tv, played his music, snacked…or something during the day. I’m not sure what’s wrong.”
Billy sighed, finally meeting Matthew’s eyes.
“You have to understand something,” he started quietly. “The Coinless world was like ours at a point in time. After that, it muted into something entirely its own.”
“I know. Everything went all vintage and ‘Tim Burton movie-esque,’ right?”
The Blue Ranger nodded slowly.
“That’s an interesting way to look at it. But yes, in a similar vein.”
Matt was puzzled.
“So, what does that have to do with him not watching tv. Or getting lunch or a snack. Eating a Zebra cake? They had that stuff over there too… Before.”
Billy lifted his glasses to rub his eyes.
“Yes. They did have modern amenities. Until Ascension Day and it phased out of existence. The Coinless had varying degrees of timeline dissonance. Some remembered having technology, some didn’t. If they remembered it, there was no guarantee they could recall how to use it. It’s plausible that Eugene doesn’t know how to operate the television. Or the radio.”
This was something that Matt had not considered. He remembered the descriptions that SCOUT had transmitted back and the things that he’d learned over time from his boyfriend.
“Really?”
“Yes. You also have to think about the Coinless world as a different sort of ‘culture’, to an extent. They have their own customs, values, beliefs, and rituals. Some that we would consider socially inappropriate, gory, or unsettling. But they are their normal. And in that universe, an individual’s station or position colored the way the behaved and believed.”
He gestured at the open kitchen doorway.
“I should have anticipated that he wouldn’t eat anything without your express permission. Where he’s from, that would be seen as stealing especially considering that resources were scarce, such an act would be a declaration of war. Or at the very least…offensive.”
Billy felt the pit in his stomach as he should have known better than to assume that Eugene would just help himself to anything in the cabinets and cupboards.
“This would also apply to using the shower and towels…or other items. He won’t without express permission.”
In a way, this actually DID make sense. Eugene saw everything in this apartment as Matthew’s property. He waited for invitations and permissions before acting. Even being allowed to remain in the apartment must be viewed as a special privilege.
“Oh, God… we need to let him know that he doesn’t have to go without here! I bought all those snacks for him…the streaming service. I want him to have those things. Not just sit and know all that is in there and he can’t have it!”
“You’ll have to tell Skull in a straightforward manner that the food in the kitchen, the other items in the apartment are also his and that he doesn’t need to ask first. Put it in clear, concise terms.”
Matt ran a hand through his hair.
“First thing tomorrow…but I want us to do this together. I think we might have a lot more to discuss…you know…moving forward. And I want him to see that he has our full support.”
The next day, both Matthew and Billy took the day off, opting to remain at home with Skull for their important discussion. Eugene always got up with the birds as he often joked, odd considering that he rarely slept the full night through. When he found the two younger men waiting on the couch, he was momentarily thrown off.
“I thought I heard something out here. Aren’t you fellas going to be late?”
Matt patted the empty cushion next to him.
“I think we need to have a talk.”
Skull tried to chuckle, but there was a flash of uncertainty in his eyes.
“Sounds serious.”
He lowered himself beside the Green Ranger and tried to keep his knee from bouncing out of joint. Good things never seemed to last for him and apparently he’d worn out his welcome. Things must just be too awkward for Matt and Eugene could understand it, as much as it pained him.
“I need to ask you something and I want you to be honest, alright?”
Skull nodded gamely.
“Scout’s honor…”
It was a silly question as the former Sentry captain had been very honest, brutally so on occasion when he forgot the old social niceties.
“When’s the last time you ate? And I mean before dinner yesterday? Was it the dinner before that?” Matthew asked gently. “Because I think I already know the answer.”
Skull shrugged, puzzled.
“And you’re probably right, Green. I’m not raiding your stash or anything…”
Matt held up a hand.
“You don’t understand though. The food in the kitchen, the shower, pretty much everything here is for you too. You don’t have to ask me if you can make something to eat or get cleaned up.”
He glanced briefly at Billy for support.
“And I’m sorry if this comes out…wrong… I don’t mean it to…”
The Blue Ranger cut in calmly.
“We realize that living conditions in your world were very different. And the expectations. We want to help you navigate life here including using modern electronics.”
When Skull’s brow creased, Matt explained in simpler terms.
“He means that we didn’t think about you not having a tv over there or a washer. We can show you how to use them again.”
The tense lines around Eugene’s eyes seemed to ease and he smiled softly.
“Well, this wasn’t what I expected at all. Why are you being so kind to me? You don’t really know me. Not this version of ‘me’, Matthew. I’m a murderer, a spy, a liar and manipulator…”
The Green Ranger put a hand on his shoulder.
“You did the things you had to to survive. I understand that. Times were harsh there. I never met Drakkon but I heard enough to know that life was far from peachy in the palace.”
Skull’s eyes got that far away look again, just for a moment at the mention of the dictator’s name.
“That’s putting it mildly. Alright then… I will accept your generosity.”
And he did.
It was a little overwhelming to be honest. The first time Eugene opened a cabinet of his own accord one afternoon for a little snack to tide him over, he was summarily pelted with a barrage of Twinkies. The glossy packaged cakes crinkled slightly as they bounced off his chest and rained onto the linoleum.
He bent to pick one up, turning it one way and then the other.
Lord Fuckwad had banned these treats even before such things became obsolete, like he had a personal vendetta against them. Why he’d been presented with one, Eugene couldn’t say. It had been years before he’d made the decision to join the Sentries, and he heard the tale being recounted one night over a drunken sort of bonfire.
As the story went, Drakkon had demanded something decadent for dessert, a decree that wasn’t all that out of the ordinary. The loony motherfucker loved the perks of being ruler and that included rich meals made from ingredients that were getting harder to procure outside the palace walls. Red was young at the time, his demeanor creepy but not intimidating, obscene, or wild as it became in later years with the nosedive in his mental health. He also had yet to be fought in intergalactic cage fights, so his ferocity wasn’t fully on display at this point.
The pet was merely Drakkon’s fucked up abomination who’d watched everything unfold with a solemn expression.
When the tyrant picked up the soft yellow cake from his gem encrusted plate, he had pinched it with his fingertips and held it away from his person like it was something rotted.
“WHO THE FUCK THOUGHT THEY WERE A COMEDIAN!”
The Twinkie met its fate rammed straight down a poor soul’s throat and into his windpipe, breaking every tooth and dislocating his jaw. Essentially, he asphyxiated on the snack cake.
Remembering his nemesis and the reaction to something that he denounced as a literal fucking sponge, caused it to lose any appeal it once had.
Eugene carefully stuffed all the little treats back into their box and scanned the other options available.
There was so so so much to choose from!
In his world, the saying was ‘you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit’.
Unless you were Lord Drakkon.
Most foodstuffs were in limited supply, carefully rationed out. As a Sentry, he DID fair better than most others, especially as a captain of a Red regiment. He was allowed a little more that was a little fresher than if he were a blacksmith or tanner or a member of the ‘lower class.’
And with said dickhead being a fussy eater, there was much that was thrown out that he’d rejected outright, usually for no good fucking reason and if you were lucky, you could descend like a vulture and pluck it from the refuse before the others.
Each cabinet in Matthew’s kitchen and both the fridge and the freezer were brimming with food, food that he’d been given permission to munch at his pleasure. No strings attached.
‘This must have cost a fortune. Back home, this would be equal to a very sore ass or a few hundred sucks. Minimum…’
However, Matt never once demanded anything from him. Eugene felt a pang of guilt at how nervous and on edge he’d felt when first living here, waiting for the other shoe to drop… Though he’d known ‘his’ Matthew Cook, the lovable drunk who’d smoked pretty boy Oliver across his face with rock, right at the height of his victory and gone out inebriated out of his mind and taking on a whole Sentry regiment alone…
‘This one isn’t him…’
But no orders came for blow jobs, lap dances, sensual massages, fisting, salad tossing, or intercourse. There was no tit for tat… Something that he’d grown to expect over twenty years in Lord Drakkon’s backwards ass universe. It was just a gut reflex. Or perhaps survival.
Eugene obviously had no money to his name, no real property of any value. Just the clothes on his back, really.
He wanted to do something to show his appreciation, to feel less like a child…or a burden to bear. He wanted to earn his keep.
“I don’t want to be kept like a pet…like Red. Or a privileged prima donna like Dictator Dick.”
There had to be something he could contribute…
That evening, when Matthew and Billy returned at the appointed time, they were surprised to smell something good emanating from the other side of the apartment door. They entered to find Eugene standing in the kitchen before the stove, a couple of pots simmering on the burners and the small card table they used for meals already set.
“Uh, what’s all this?” Matt mused, tossing his bag into the corner and eager to see what smelled so delicious.
“I’ve decided,” Skull responded, turning to look at the pair over his shoulder as he stirred with a plastic ladle, “that after a long hard day of fighting class assignments, simulated attacks, and real bad guys, you both deserve to come back to a good home-cooked meal. Not to more chores and responsibilities.”
“You don’t have to…” Billy started, but Eugene wagged a finger.
“I’m not recognized as a separate individual under the law and even if I could apply for a job, my skill set isn’t geared towards anything that’s legally available… So this is my offering to you. Both of you…”
Billy knew better than to argue with Skull’s logic and put a hand on Matt’s arm when he realized that his partner was about to attempt just that.
“This gives him purpose again. Something to feel good about himself. Give yourself permission to accept it…”
Matthew settled for a contented sigh.
And this was the beginning of their future dynamic.
@augment-techs
