AN: The cover art is a companion piece to this story, drawn by ihadtopickaname. The full picture can be found on their DeviantArt.
The autumn chill bit at Vincent's skin, barely hindered by his tattered blanket. He shivered and drew it tighter around himself as he sat up. The world was a sleepy haze, and he struggled to adjust to the morning light. But when his vision cleared, something stood out to him.
The bed of rags next to him was empty.
It felt as though the ground had been pulled out from under his feet. He stared blankly at it before realization fully set in, and he scrambled to his feet.
"Nii-san?"
The only response was the faint echo of his own voice. Vincent trembled. "Nii-san, where are you?"
Immediately, his brain started churning out nightmare possibilities. What if someone took Gil? Or maybe he was hurt somewhere. Was he killed? Vincent shook his head and slapped his cheeks. Don't think like that! Gil was alive and fine, just...somewhere.
Mind made up, he darted out of the alley and was nearly carried away by a stream of people. Disoriented, he stumbled around and strained to see over the crowd.
"Gil?" he called out, but his voice was lost in the buzz of chatter. There were too many people! But...he had to find Gil! And he wouldn't have gone too far.
Vincent squared his shoulders and slipped through a gaggle of well-dressed men. As soon as he did, he had to veer to the side to narrowly avoid a horse carriage. A hoof grazed his arm, and he pressed against a building. The noise deafened his thoughts and he clapped his hands over his ears. He cast a frantic look around-where was he? The people were different, and nothing looked the same anymore. Everything was changing too quickly! Panic bubbled in him, and he spun around in circles. The alley! He couldn't see it anymore, only a swarm of shoes and coats. He clung to the wall and hurried along it. When he finally spotted another alley, he ducked into it and let out a shaky breath.
Where was Gil? Why would he just go off without saying anything?
A thought struck Vincent. What if Gil had abandoned him?
It wouldn't be anything surprising, though. Gil had already tried to before, but stopped each time, unaware that Vincent had seen. But he couldn't blame Gil. If it wasn't for Vincent, Gil could've been living a safe and comfortable life in a house, with good food and clothes...
He hugged his knees and blinked back tears. Even still, he...didn't want to be alone…
"Vince!"
His head shot up at the familiar voice, and he stared with disbelief. Standing right above him was Gil, seaweed-hair and yellow eyes, all in one piece.
"Vince, why'd you run off? I was worried!"
And before Vincent knew it, he was sobbing into a confused Gil's shirt.
"D-did I do something wrong? I'm so sorry!"
Vincent pulled back and scrubbed at his face. "I woke up, and you weren't there, and I thought..." He hiccuped. "You worried me!"
"Sorry, Vince." Gil smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "I just had to go get something."
"Get something?"
"Yeah!" He pulled something out of his coat and held it out. Through his watery vision, Vincent could see that it was a rumpled paper bundle. "Happy birthday, Vince!"
He sniffled as he processed the words. "It's...my birthday?"
"September twenty-third," Gil clarified with a pleased air. "I kept track of the days up 'till now. Here, open this!"
Vincent hesitated before carefully taking the bundle. With as much dexterity as his tiny fingers could manage, Vincent pulled the papers apart and gasped. Inside was a small cake, just the right size to fit neatly in his cupped hands. Several misshapen puffs of white cream and a lopsided cherry rested on its smudged icing. He took an experimental whiff, and the sweet scent made his eyes widen. "Nii-san, this must've been really hard to get! You shouldn't have-there isn't anything to celebrate! 'Cause..." He rubbed at his eyes again. "'Cause it's all my fault we have to live like this now! If I hadn't been born, you..."
"Vince..." Gil's voice was soft. "Is that really what you think?"
A hand touched his face, and Vincent glanced up in surprise. Gil was leaning in, and with a beam, he brushed Vincent's tears away.
"Don't be silly! I'm glad you're here. That's all there is to it."
How could he say that? It was all because of Vincent's horrible right eye that they'd been discarded by their family, that every day was a miserable struggle for survival. So how could Gil say "happy birthday" like it was some great day? How could Gil look him in the eyes and say he was glad Vincent was there?
"What're you waiting for? Go on, eat it!"
He didn't deserve any of this. More tears rose to his eyes, and he shook his head. "You should eat it, nii-san."
Gil let out an exasperated sigh. "It's for you! Just eat it, okay?"
Vincent faltered, but faced with Gil's firm gaze, he finally relented. Tentatively, he bit into the cake. The cream was smeared, and the inside loose and crumbling, but the soft texture and sugary taste made his tongue tingle. He swallowed it with wide eyes.
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah." Vincent smiled, even as tears dribbled down his chin. "Yeah, I...really like it."
And for that one moment, he was glad he was there too.