Work Text:
Ash has struggled a lot throughout his life with feelings of powerlessness.
He's never able to do anything—or at least not enough. He's never been able to change his fate, or save the people who matter. Not really.
Which is why, when Ash meets Skipper, he resolves that he's going to do whatever he can to make sure that this kid lives a better life than what Ash was given. He might not have been able to do anything for the kids at Club Cod, but he's going to do what he can for Skip before he ends up in a situation like that.
They meet when Skip tries to join Ash's gang.
"How old are you, kid?" Ash asks. He's only fifteen, himself, but—he's hesitant to get a kid this young involved in ... anything. Around Ash.
"Twelve."
"How old are you really?"
"... Nine."
"That's what I thought." Ash crosses his arms. "Where are your parents? Guardians? Any shit like that?"
Skipper kicks at the ground. "I'm not going back there," he grumbles. But there's something behind those words that Ash can hear, clear as day: fear.
... Shit.
"All right," Ash agrees with a sigh. He turns around to his boys. "This is Skipper. He's one of us now, got it?"
The guys look surprised, but Alex clears his throat and says, "Yes, Boss!" The others join in.
Well, this is an interesting development. Ash can't exactly say that he's going to be the best role model for the kid, but ...
He'll keep him safe.
He promises himself that much.
— — —
If Shorter is Ash's best friend, and Alex is his lieutenant, Skipper quickly becomes something of a confidant.
"Skip," he says one day.
"Yes, Boss?"
"I have a special task for you, and you can't tell the other guys about it."
Skip grins. The way he trusts Ash ... Ash is a little honored.
Ash takes a deep breath. He hasn't told anyone about this yet. "I have an older brother."
Skipper's eyes widen. "You do?" he asks, incredulous.
"Yeah. I have parents, too, believe it or not. I didn't just emerge from the streets of New York as a fifteen year old gang leader."
Skip laughs, and Ash counts that as a victory. The kid didn't laugh much when he first showed up here.
"But my brother, he's ... sick. And I can't always be here to take care of him, yeah?"
"Yeah," Skip says, sobering up. The guys all know that Ash disappears off to Dino's estates fairly often. He tries to keep the worst of it from them—especially from Skip—but it's hard to say how much they really know. Shorter knows more than the rest, but ...
"So I need you to watch him when I'm not here. Make sure he takes his meds—shit like that. I'll take care of the costs and all. I just need ... someone else here."
"You got it, boss!" Skip fires off finger guns, and Ash smiles at him. Damn, he really knows how to lighten a mood.
"You'll get some spending money out of it too, yeah? And again—don't tell anyone." Ash runs a hand through his hair. "I'm trusting you."
"I won't let you down." There's a certain fire in Skipper's eyes, and Ash knows he made the right decision.
— — —
"So ..." Ash starts one day. He and Skip are alone, up on the roof. Ash just got back from Dino's today, and he's still a little off his game. Ash has been relying on Shorter too much lately, so he went straight to his gang this time instead of to Chang Dai first to get cleaned up. He looks like shit, he knows, but Skip hasn't said a word about it. "When's your birthday?"
Skip looks startled. "Uh—yesterday," he admits.
"Fucking what? And you didn't tell us?"
Shrugging, Skip says, "Not like any of us know when your birthday is, either."
"Yeah, but—you're a kid. We should celebrate shit like this."
"You're a kid too, Boss," Skipper says quietly.
Ah, fuck.
Ash sighs. "So you're—what, six now?"
Skip rolls his eyes, laughing. "I'm ten."
"Same difference, honestly." A kid is a kid. And I'm ... not. But Ash tries not to let it get to him. "You've been with us for over six months now," Ash muses.
"Thanks, for that," Skip says. "You gave me a family, Boss. I didn't think I'd ever have one."
Ash grinds his Converse into the roof. "You don't have any folks to visit for your birthday, do you?"
Skip seems to hesitate. "There is one person I thought about visiting," he admits. "She's, uh—six feet under, though. And I ran away from everyone else, after she died. I'm not going back."
Ash nods. "You still want to visit her?" he asks. "I'll take you. We can pick up some flowers."
Skip looks up at Ash, tears in his eyes already, and Ash wants to cry too. "Yeah," Skipper mumbles. "If that's okay."
They head to a florist, and Ash sends Skip in with some money and let him pick out flowers. "I look like shit," Ash explains. "I can't head in a nice place like that." Then they make their way to the cemetery. Ash ignores the pain he's still in. More important things. He wasn't here for Skip's birthday ...
When they find the grave that Skipper's looking for, Ash hangs back a bit. He doesn't want to intrude.
"Hey, Mom," Skip says softly. "I'm ten now. Double digits."
Ash turns away. Considers leaving entirely, but—he wants to be here if Skipper needs him. Fuck.
Skip talks to his mom for a bit, and Ash tries not to listen. Tries not to intrude. Tries not to fucking cry. He's almost jealous, in a way—that Skipper ever knew his mom. That he has a place where he can go to talk to her. Any of that shit.
It's hard, sometimes, for Ash. Everything is. But whatever.
"Boss?" Skip says, running up to Ash again.
"You ready to take off?" Ash says, trying to keep his voice from cracking. He rubs at his eyes, trying to be subtle about it.
"Not quite yet. Can you come with me for a second?"
Ash nods, not sure what to expect. But for Skipper? Anything.
Skip takes Ash's hand—one of the only people in the world who can get away with something like that. And he leads Ash over to the grave.
"Mom?" Skip says, and he sounds more excited than sad now. "I want you to meet someone. This is Ash Lynx. He's my boss, but—kind of my big brother, too."
Ash's eyes widen, and he looks down at Skipper. But Skip is still looking at the headstone, talking to his mother.
"Ash is, like—really really cool. He's taught me so much. How to survive out here without you. I was worried, when you left, but I think I'll be okay now." Skipper glances up at Ash, and Ash swallows down a sob. Fuck.
"Skipper ..." Ash tries. Was it a mistake to ever let this kid look up to him?
"It's like ... I have a family again, with him," Skipper says, and he's smiling. "So don't worry about me, okay? I'm all right. And ... I'm glad you two could meet. Kind of."
Ash takes a shaky breath.
"Okay!" Skip says brightly. "We can leave now."
Ash tries to smile back at him. He crouches down to the kid's level. "Skip, can I hug you?"
Skipper tilts his head to the side. "Uh—sure, but why?"
Because I'm the only one who will. Ash just shakes his head, though.
Skipper wraps his arms behind Ash's neck, hugging him. Ash hugs him back, and damn the kid is tiny.
"I think my mom would thank you," Skip murmurs, "for taking such good care of me. We owe you a lot."
"You don't owe me shit," Ash says, half laughing and half on the verge of tears. "I'm not exactly the best father figure—"
"Still," Skipper insists. "I'm glad I have you. Thank you."
"... Yeah," Ash whispers. "You're welcome, Skip. Always."