Work Text:
Manly
"Jason, I don't know what to do with you." Chester sits in front of him and steeples his forelegs, though he leaves his claws free to clack on either side. "The hostel isn't supposed to be forever. A bed for the price of eight turf wins and a meal for the price of one every day, but you're supposed to get a job—"
"I did," Jason snaps. He's tired, cod, he is so tired but he can't be tired so he can only be angry. "I got a job as a—"
"You got fired," Chester says. "Again. For refusing to clean."
"That's not a man's job."
"If you're working there, it's your job, man or not." Chester lowers his eyestalks until he can rub them with his claws. "And we got another report from someone who refuses to room with you."
“It was Tim's fault, he said I looked like a girl, it was—"
"I don't care whose fault it was, this is the tenth time, Jason, and some of them have been trans, too."
Jason scowls. "They didn't tell me."
"They didn't have to. I hate to do this, but my hands are tied." Chester shrugs. "I'll go with you to get your things, but you can't stay here tonight."
Shrimpleg.
Jason stays silent, seething, while he collects his things and jams them into the backpack he bought the first week he was here. He doesn't have enough for a suitcase. Then he's on the street, in the noon sun, and everything is mocking him.
Chester's a gullbrain. Jason kicks the building, then stomps away. Lexi won't let him in, not with Benjamin and Harrison there, says he's being a bad influence, just like their parents. And Tulia's stupid roommate won't let him stay. And those crayfish who—
Jason stops.
Who says those crayfish who have his squiblings have the right to say he can't stay with them?
One bus ride later, Jason steps out into a neighborhood a lot like the one he grew up in. He throws his backpack back on and starts down the sidewalk. He'll show them. He'll march in and refuse to leave. He'll—
The school bus turns down the street and passes him. It stops a dozen houses down, and the doors swing open.
Sean gets out. Sean, his little brother, in the kid form he just mastered last year. But he's not tripping over his own feet in too-large ripped clothes, he's got a bounce in his step. His bag's so full of books it can't be closed, but it's made better than any he ever had.
And three boys get off the bus with Sean. Boys he talks to.
Friends.
And good clothes.
It's a man's job to provide for his family, and these fucking Sepias are doing better than his dad did. He can't face his little squiblings like this, saying he's the man and strong and needs to be looked up to now, when he's a failure! Not when those crawdads are doing well!
Jason swings around and walks away. There's a home improvement store two streets over. He'll go in and demand a job. Learning to clean up metal shavings and sawdust is different from just sweeping.
He'll show them. He'll go back when he can provide like a man. Better than they can! Better than anyone!
He'll make his parents proud.