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It was quiet. In the Burbank Buy More, quiet was novel. John Casey knew this well, and debated whether to enjoy or detest it as he worked dully through his cover-job. With Chuck and Sarah off on a mission that didn’t require him, it left him stuck in Burbank. Though, while Casey didn’t generally enjoy the simple life, he could find a certain sense of relief in a moment of quiet.
Except, it shouldn’t have been as quiet as it was. Not only was this the Buy More, but this was the Buy More that Morgan Grimes worked at. And if Casey had learned one thing throughout Operation Bartowski, it was that Morgan Grimes was… interesting.
He was loud, brash, and never knew when to quit. But so too was he persistent at things that needed to be said. It impressed Casey, even as he held his tongue.
Someone so loud and outspoken was usually heard throughout the store rather often. But the little moron had seemingly gone silent. And novel as it was, Casey was unnerved. It had been nearly an hour since he had been interrupted by Morgan. He should’ve been pestered so much more given the timeframe.
Catching the end of a conversation, Casey weaved his way through a few customers, listening in to Lester’s words that he spoke to Jeff, hushed.
“I mean, how the hell was I supposed to know he would get all—I don’t know, spazzy?”
Jeff’s odd gaze never quite wavered from Lester in that way it often did, “Nah, he’s just twitchy. I get like that after…” he trailed off, taking notice of Casey lurking a few feet away.
“Who you talking about?” Casey spoke casually, yet with the undertone of clear threats of violence. Lester spun around faster than he had seen terrorists take aim, his eyes drifting up to look Casey in the eye.
“Oh, just your new best-buddy Morgan.” Lester spoke with that confidence he so casually managed to put on.
Narrowing his eyes for a moment, Casey let out a grunt. “What did you do?”
Lester jumped, bumping into Jeff who still stood behind him, “Nothing!” his voice cracked, and he cleared his throat, “Nothing. He’s just a spaz, you know that!”
Casey moved slightly closer to the small Jewish man, and Jeff immediately took an even smaller step forward towards Casey. “Lester made a comment about Morgan’s dad.”
“Jeffrey!” Lester hissed, but Casey paid no mind. Giving a final glare to the two of them, he let them go. While Jeff certainly wasn’t a smart man, it seemed he at least knew when to quit.
Though, Casey couldn’t help but to think of what that could’ve really meant. And more so, remember that he had every ability to figure that out. The store was bugged, after all. It would be easy to just rewind and find out.
Mind made up, Casey took the nearest opportunity to slip down to Castle.
“Lester, you really shouldn’t hit on all the female customers,” Morgan said, rolling his eyes as he approached the Indian man, “You keep driving them off.”
Lester grinned, “Oh, like you’re one to talk. Anna, Hannah, that one hot lady… what was her name? Kathryn?”
“Carina.”
“My point stands.” Lester shrugged.
Morgan gave a chuckle, “Well, at least I have types. You’re just out here trying to fuck anything that moves.”
“Oh!” Lester grinned, clearly enjoying the argument as much as Morgan, “At least I like variety! Someone here clearly is just allergic to change. Speaks a lot for your social life.”
Morgan snorted, crossing his arms, “My social life is just fine, Lester. At least my best friend isn’t a 50 year old drug addict!”
“Right,” Lester drew out the word sarcastically, “Well your new bestie is some giant wall of anger. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were just so desperate for someone who could actually protect you. Not like Chuck, who’s built like drywall.”
“You’re built like a toothpick!”
“Well better a toothpick than a cereal box, Grimes.” Lester laughed, “It’s no wonder you cut your hair. Tired of the hair on your forehead being the only bangs you were ever gonna get?”
Morgan snickered, “Well I’d rather get less than be an STD ridden stalker like you.”
“STDs?!” Lester feigned offense, “Please! I’d marry the bitch who gave em to me!”
Morgan crossed his arms tighter, “Really? Marrying someone? You douse yourself in girl-repellant every morning!”
Lester’s eyes widened, almost manic in his enjoyment of the fight. It became clear he’d wanted an argument for quite some time, and would take it from anyone, even if it was a joke to the other. “Well at least some people stick around me, women or not!”
“What are you… what are you implying, jackass?” Morgan faltered, but kept his grin up.
“You think I drive people away? Look at yourself! You’re, like, 35, barely moved out of your Mom’s house—only to your friend’s house, might I add. You’re the definition of a man child, Grimes! You’ve got, like, two friends, and even they just put up with you!”
Morgan chuckled, but it was clear it was less real.
“Just look inside, Grimes. You think I’ve got no chance of marrying someone, look at you! You drive everyone away. It’s probably why your father left—” Lester’s eyes widened slightly as he spoke, seeming to realize the gravity of his words, “you…”
Morgan gave no response. He just stared emptily ahead.
Casey had seen enough. As much as he decided he wanted to strangle Lester, he had more pressing matters. Scanning over the footage, he tracked Morgan until it became clear where the man had gone.
Making his way there himself, Casey glanced around the back room, filled with boxes.
“Grimes? I know you’re back here.” He called out, locking the door to the room behind him.
A moment passed, but a hesitant voice rose up. “H-hey, John. What’s going on?”
Casey followed the sound to the left side of the room, where Morgan had hidden in a fort of boxes. “I know what happened. Are you okay?”
“Am I—” Morgan looked up at Casey, seeming surprised. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”
He wasn’t. Casey wasn’t stupid, he knew he wasn’t actually okay. Yet… he couldn’t fathom what he was supposed to do. The biggest part of him said to simply make fun of Morgan, and then leave. Let him sort it out on his own. But it just didn’t feel right to the rest of him. To the part that had been growing ever since he’d gone to Burbank.
So, he did the one thing he wasn’t used to doing. He made an effort. Sitting down on the floor near the entrance to the box fort, Casey tried not to acknowledge how stupid he felt.
“I, uh…” he gritted his teeth, “I’m sorry that happened, Grimes. Lester was way out of line.”
Morgan just shrugged, holding his knees a little closer to his chest. “It’s fine, John. Sorry for being so… me. I’ll get out of here in a minute, you don’t have to stick around.”
“You don’t have to be fine, moron.” Casey snapped, frustration itching at his throat even as he tried to be gentle, “It’s okay to be upset.”
With that expression Casey had grown to hate for no reason other than the guilt that wracked him, Morgan just looked at him. As if Casey had shifted the constellations above just for him. Wide eyes just watched him, raking over his mind for any signs of lies, even as Morgan felt the pieces click into place.
It was always the simple things Casey wished the smaller man already knew that made him look like that. That gave him those quiet realizations.
“Sorry.” Morgan whispered, so soft Casey almost missed it. “Lester didn’t mean it, really. We were just having fun. It’s not his fault I’m… weak, I guess.”
Sighing, Casey looked right at Morgan as best he could. “You’re emotional. And that’s bad, and will get you killed.” Cringing, Casey backpedaled, “But! Sometimes, it’s fine. Healthy, even. You’re not weak for that, Grimes.”
“Tell that to Lester. Or to…” Morgan hesitated, looking away with a hollow chuckle, “Or to my dad.”
They fell silent, Casey watching as Morgan curled up a little tighter, a dejected sort of smile lingering on his face, even as it was clear the man was shutting down.
Gritting his teeth, Casey looked forward and away from Morgan.
“When I was a kid—when I was still Alex—my dad beat my mother and I half to death every night.” He spoke low, tone even, “Until I learned how to hide. In closets, and in myself.”
Morgan stared at him, eyes wide and horrified.
“I don’t know how bad your old man was, but… I think it’s safe to say he wasn’t amazing. And that you probably learned how to hide too.
“But you unlearned it, Morgan. You figured out how to come back out of your hiding spot.” Casey looked back over to him, “And that’s pretty incredible.”
Morgan stared at Casey, eyes wide and conflicted. Hope and despair swirled in his eyes like a cyclone, neither truly winning over the other. But they fought on and on, all captured in the brown of his gaze.
With a subtle movement, Morgan shifted towards the exit. Casey stood up, offering a hand to Morgan as he pulled himself out of the box fort. Neither said anything for a long moment, though their gaze was broken.
Finally, Morgan gave a tiny smile. “Thanks, John…”
With a hand placed firmly on Morgan’s shoulder for a moment, Casey simply nodded.