A/N Hope is for suckers. I don't know why that line sticks with me, it just does. So I couldn't help but hint it, because quite frankly, I love hinting stuff.
Thank you to those who have followed and reviewed this fic so far – I wasn't really expecting any reaction to this to be honest.
I believe in nargles too – I like that idea actually, and I'm working on it, but if you've got a suggestion for me then by all means go ahead;)
Chapter 2
Brent had left the Matthews household hastily and now he was regretting his actions. Topanga had invited him over for dinner but what time did they have dinner? It wasn't like he'd asked for their phone number or anything so there was no way of contacting either Cory or Topanga; so now he was stuck debating whether they were the type of family to eat early or late.
Bloody hell.
Way to make a good first impression.
If he showed up at seven he might be so late that all the food had been eaten because they'd given up on his arrival.
But if he showed up at five he could be incredibly early and that would just be awkward.
Six. He'd show up at six. Because it was in the middle of five and seven and if he was late he could apologise and if he was early it wouldn't be too early.
"This is actually happening." Brent whispered to himself as he stood with his hands resting on his sides as he looked down at the clothes in his suitcase. What to wear? What to wear? Last night he'd just shown up at their front door in jeans and a leather jacket but were they expecting him to dress different for a meal or not?
Brent sighed. Why did he even care? He was never really concerned about his appearance… But this was a meal with his father. A man that he didn't know but had wanted to know since he learned that he didn't have a father figure in his life. It wasn't just with his father but his father's wife along with his half-sister and half-brother that he hadn't yet met.
His sharp green eyes locked on a short sleeved black shirt in the corner of his case. It wasn't overly formal but it wasn't as casual as a t-shirt. That with his pair of blue jeans and his boots would be fine and hopefully they wouldn't mind seeing all of his tattoos on his forearms. Yes, that would be fine.
After showering and shaving to make sure he looked as presentable as possible, Brent dressed in what he had chosen earlier, picked up his phone and left the hotel room. It was currently half past five, but setting off early was what he had to do as he was still learning the whole getting a taxi thing in New York.
Brent arrived at the Matthews' apartment just before six and did his best to cover his nervousness as he knocked on their door. Nervousness wasn't something he felt often, but when it came to the Matthews family and his father, it was something that was constantly there. He didn't really understand why he became so polite and hesitant around Cory Matthews – he'd never been so polite and anxious when talking to someone when he lived in England – but it just happened.
The door clicked open and Cory gave Brent a tight smile as he opened it wider to allow his son to enter. The two shook hands, and Brent noticed Cory's eyes scanning his forearms as he took in the numerous tattoos that covered his skin.
"So is this my new brother?" Brent heard a boy ask from behind Cory. The boy moved further into view and Brent looked down at his curly haired half-brother. Auggie Matthews looked quite like his father and the only similarity that Brent could see between him and the younger child was that their eyes were a similar green; Auggie's being lighter with an innocent gleam that Brent had lost a long time ago. "I'm Auggie." He said, holding out his hand just as his dad had done moments ago.
"Nice to meet you Auggie, I'm Brent." Brent replied as he shook the small hand of his half-brother.
"You don't sound American." Auggie commented as he kept hold of Brent's hand and took him over to the table, sitting him on one of the chairs across from the bench.
"I don't sound American because I'm not American." He said as Auggie sat down on the seat beside him.
"Cool. What are you then?" Auggie asked as Brent looked around, noticing that Cory and Topanga were working on the meal. Well at least he was early, not late. It made a better impression.
"I'm British." Brent answered, taking his phone out of his jeans pocket and putting it on silent before putting it away again.
"Riley does an English accent sometimes and you don't sound like her."
"I'm not from down south. I don't talk like the stereotypical Londoner, if you get what I mean." He said as he tried to find a comfortable position on his chair at the table. Brent internally groaned. He was a big guy and his table was clearly not made for tall guys with a generous muscle mass.
"Maya's gonna make fun of you so bad." Auggie gave him a knowing smirk when Brent frowned in confusion. Maya? He hadn't heard her name before? Riley was his half-sister and that was the only other name he knew.
"Maya?" Brent asked, intrigued. "Why's she going to make fun of me mate?"
"Maya is Riley's best friend, they're basically sisters. She's with Riley right now – she's having dinner with us, isn't she dad?"
"Yep, they should be out in a minute." Cory said as he began setting the table, finally giving in to Topanga's nagging that he had to do it.
"Maya gives everyone nicknames, and you have an accent, so she's gonna have a field day." Auggie told him. "I think she's got a few lined up already but when she meets you…"
"I can handle a few nicknames." Brent grinned at his younger half-brother, flashing his straight white teeth.
"Few." Auggie snorted.
"Mom is he here yet-" Riley said as she entered the room with Maya flanking her. Her mouth snapped shut when she noticed Brent already seated beside Auggie. Maya grabbed her arm, dragging her round to the bench as she too stared at Brent.
"Brent's from England." Auggie blurted out suddenly. Brent couldn't help but watch as the blonde opposite him smiled deviously.
"England, ay, old chap?" Maya asked while Cory and Topanga began laying the food down on the table.
"If you're expecting me to love the Queen and have a southern accent, you're going to be very disappointed blondie." Brent said with a smirk as he picked up the glass of water in front of him and took a sip, flashing the two girls his tattoos as he did so.
"Excuse her." Riley finally spoke with a big smile. She had suddenly gained a lot of energy and Brent was taken back slightly by how jolly and excitable she seemed to be. "I'm Riley and this is my best friend Maya."
"So I've been told." He replied smoothly. "It's very nice to meet you both."
"It's nice to meet you too." Riley said happily as her parents took their seats. "So you're my brother?"
"Our." Auggie corrected as everyone began tucking into the meal that had been prepared by Topanga with Cory's aid. Everyone around the table laughed at what Auggie had said and Brent couldn't help but smile slightly. He couldn't believe that he'd missed out on this his whole life. These people were so happy and it was so easy to feel at home around them.
Brent looked up and found his eyes locked with the sparkly blue orbs of the girl seated across from him. She was analysing him, Brent could tell. The way she was observing him; it was as if she was trying to see what type of person he was. To see if he was good enough of a person to be around Riley and the rest of the family.
He probably wasn't. But he wasn't going to give up being around these people just yet. So he gave her a reassuring smile before turning his head to listen to the question that Topanga was asking.
"So, Brent, how long are you in town for?" She asked, smiling another one of those motherly smiles of hers.
"My flight's in a few days but I don't know if I'm gonna get on it or not. I've not really got anything left in England for me now so a fresh start might be good, I don't know." He said, attempting to keep all of his doubts at bay and out of his tone.
"You sound a little confused Big Ben." Maya said with a teasing smirk.
"Sorry Central Park, I'll keep my confusion away from you." Brent's smirk was mirroring Maya's and although she failed to cover her shock because he was able to keep up with her, she still continued to look him in the eye.
"You should stick around." Auggie smiled up at his new big brother with a clear fondness in his eyes.
"You should." Riley agreed with a grin. "None of us know much about you and we all want to get to know you better."
"You do?" Brent asked, looking to his father.
"We do." Cory said sincerely. "And if you choose not to get on the flight, you're welcome to take the couch here until you've settled and are on your own two feet here in New York."
"Well if you have any questions to ask me, fire away. You all want to get to know me better so go for it." Brent said, knowing that he'd have to dodge a few questions even though he was supposed to be being honest.
"What's England like?" Riley asked.
"Wet." He replied bluntly. "Like seriously it constantly rains. And when it's not raining, it's snowing or it's windy or it's just cold outside. Terrible weather."
"What about school?" Cory questioned as his teacher side appeared. "Did you go to a good high school?"
"Secondary school was up and down for me, but it's like that for every teenager so I've got nothing to complain about. I wasn't a top student, I didn't get A's often-"
"That is literally my life in half a sentence." Maya snickered as she thought about her own grades.
"I finished my exams with B's and C's, my only A was in business. I was in detention and isolation a lot – there was this gang of lads my age that thought they could speak to people however they wanted and I ended up getting punished for fighting with them a lot." Brent continued, struggling to hold back a chuckle as he watched Maya laugh silently about his behaviour.
"Well at least you got an A in one of your subjects." Topanga said. She was looking for the positives just as Riley always would. "Did you continue your education further?"
"Do I really look like a guy that's going to uni?" He asked sheepishly.
"Can we keep him Mr. Matthews?" Maya laughed. "Please?" She asked as Riley began laughing too.
"Well you got an A in your business class, you must have enjoyed the subject." Cory said with an encouraging smile. "Did you apply to any colleges?"
"No."
"Why not?" Auggie questioned.
"I never really had any aspirations or goals or anything so I didn't really see the point – I still don't. It's just not for me." Brent shrugged as he finished his water.
"Did your mother not push you or have a discussion with you about it?" Cory asked. He had gotten a little tense, Brent noted. In fact, Cory looked genuinely concerned about the education of his first son and perhaps even slightly annoyed that he had not opted for further education.
"She was a very busy woman, being a single mother wasn't easy for her. We didn't talk much."
"Was?" Riley repeated innocently.
"She passed away a few months ago." Brent explained quietly. "Cancer."
"My dad walked out when I was younger, my mom's only just remarried. I get what it's like growing up with a single mom that's always working to pay the bills." Maya said softly, giving him a strained smile that Brent couldn't help but return. She understood him. She understood that it wasn't something that was easy to talk about. Riley's best friend understood that segment of his life. He never thought he'd meet someone that experienced the same pain that he had at a young age.
"Riley has a boyfriend." And then there was Auggie. The kid was a lifesaver, changing the subject abruptly so that his new big brother could have a quick escape. It wasn't exactly the best conversation to have at a family dinner anyway.
"Riley's got a boyfriend, who?" Brent asked his younger half-brother as he looked across at his new half-sister.
"His name's Lucas. He's from Texas." Auggie answered eagerly.
"So this Lucas, is he a good guy?"
"Lucas is perfect." Riley said dreamily and Brent chuckled when Maya playfully rolled her eyes at her best friend.
"I bet he is." Brent said sarcastically as he put both utensils down on the empty plate.
"Huckleberry's a nice guy, so don't worry about it Big Ben – you won't have to go all protective big brother on him when you meet him."
"Big Ben? Is that seriously the one you're sticking with sweet heart?" He asked, grinning smugly as Maya's cheeks reddened slightly.
"Well it's either that or muscleman." She replied. "If you were wearing a leather jacket I'd have called you grease lightning already but the black shirt's limited my options."
"If I was you I'd pick my next words very carefully Brent." Topanga advised as she stood up and began clearing the plates. "Maya's fierce."
"I can tell." Brent muttered as he looked to Auggie: his saviour and his new favourite brother. "Have you got any cool stuff in your room?" He asked as Maya playfully glared at him over the table.
"Yeah, loads of cool stuff, wanna come and see?" Auggie caught on immediately, grinning at Riley because he had managed to take Brent away first.
"You are a legend." Brent said as he followed Auggie away from the table, giving the two girls a small wave as he disappeared round the corner.
The two spent around half an hour in his room; Cory had come and joined them after a few minutes and watched as Auggie began to show Brent random items around his room. Brent remained interested as Auggie continued to show him various toys and items, proving to Cory that he could be a good brother to the youngest member of the Matthews family.
When it was finally time for Auggie to get ready for bed, Brent went back out into the living area and sat talking to Topanga about what he thought of New York so far and what he had done since landing. Riley and Maya had returned to Riley's room shortly after dinner – probably for a talk at the bay window. And Cory joined Topanga and Brent once Auggie had finally settled down and got into bed.
Brent had enjoyed his night with the Matthews family and couldn't help but feel content as he sat talking about Riley and Auggie with Cory and Topanga. The two had endless amounts of stories to tell about their children, both funny and serious. He knew he shouldn't, but Brent couldn't help but feel slightly bitter; knowing that he missed out on growing up in this environment because his father didn't want him around at that stage in his life.
Brent had loved his mother. He always would. But he wouldn't lie and say that he had a good upbringing when in reality it was far from perfect. Being a single mother was incredibly tough for her and she often found herself working up to sixteen hours a day to cover the bills. Brent couldn't blame her for doing that though, because he understood that his mother had no other choice. It left him alone, though. And when his mother was at home she'd do three things:
1. Talk to Brent
2. Sleep
3. Drink
At this point in his life, Brent couldn't blame her for doing number three. If it gave her even the tiniest amount of happiness, he was glad that she drank. He knew why she drank; she'd lost hope. That was why Brent decided that he'd never have hope so that he couldn't lose it.
Hope is for tossers.
Brent considered no hope to be one of the main reasons of success in the cage. He never hoped that he'd win the fight. He knew that he'd win the fight. God, he needed to stop thinking about the cage. Brent wouldn't say it out loud but he was craving a fight just thinking about it. Think about something else, his mind told him repeatedly.
Riley had a boyfriend. That was a good thought to take his mind off the cage… A good thought indeed.
Brent knew that he had no right to protect Riley like a big brother should, because after all, he was only her half-brother – and they'd only just met. If she ever came to him in need of advice or to tell him that that Lucas had done something wrong, Brent would be honoured. He'd talk to her about it, or he'd kick the kid's ass, depending on what she said to Brent and what the situation was.
He wanted to be her brother. He wanted to be Auggie's brother as well. Brent had grown up an only child that wanted a sibling; now he had two. Then there was also Riley's best friend, Maya. She understood a piece of Brent's life that no one had ever understood, because she'd been through something similar at the same point in her life. Maybe one day he'd get the chance to talk to her about it. Brent had no idea if she would be willing to share her story but at least she would look out for him in situations involving talking about his upbringing – just like she had done tonight.
"You should drop by Topanga's tomorrow." Topanga said, snapping Brent out of his thoughts.
"Sure." Brent nodded politely. "If I can find it, I'll stop by." He joked, making both Cory and Topanga laugh quietly.
"You know what, give me your phone number and I'll text you the address so you don't forget." Topanga said with a smile as Brent pulled out his phone and the two exchanged numbers. He was internally bouncing up and down knowing that he had established proper contact with the family instead of just knowing how to show up to their apartment. "You'll get to meet Katy, Maya's mom; she helps me run the shop and does a lot of the waitressing."
"I'll be sure to visit." Brent said as he watched Riley and Maya fly into the room. The two made a beeline for the fridge, clearly forgetting that Topanga and Cory will still up talking to their visitor.
"Girls," Cory whined. "Do you really have to raid the fridge? We've just filled it up again after last time."
"Relax, Matthews." Maya drawled, holding out her arms as Riley shoved snacks and drinks into them.
"We won't take your favourite ice cream again dad. Promise." Riley chirped as Maya kicked the fridge door shut.
"You can't possibly eat all that." Cory stated with an incredulous look on his face.
"We're having a super long bay window talk and we thought we needed some snacks to go along with it." Riley said innocently. "And we're having a sleepover, so the food needs to last all night."
"Wanna come and eat some crap with us Big Ben?" Maya asked, smirking at Brent.
"As much as I would love to, I'm gonna have to decline the offer blondie."
"What, you afraid of a little junk food, muscleman?" She teased, making him feel challenged so that he would change his mind. Riley had said during their bay window talk after dinner that she wanted to get to know Brent when he wasn't around her dad, and this was the perfect opportunity to get him away from Cory if only he'd say yes…
"Maybe next time."
"You spent time with Auggie and mom and dad, don't you want to spend time with me and Maya?" Riley was giving him the puppy dog eyes and Brent knew it. He could see Topanga trying to hold in her laughter and he looked to Cory for help, only to find that the high school teacher was still staring at the mountains of snacks that the girls were carrying.
"Bloody hell stop giving me that look." Brent sighed, finally cracking under the pressure that Riley was putting on him.
"She'll stop giving you that look if you come and hang with us for a bit." Maya said, grinning victoriously.
"Alright, fine, Jesus Christ stop it now, I'm coming." Brent said as he rose from the couch and followed the two girls.
"That wasn't so hard, was it muscleman?" Maya asked smugly as she sat down in the bay window. Riley dropped the snacks on her bed and followed, gesturing for Brent to come and sit beside her. He did so, sitting awkwardly in the infamous bay window as Maya began ripping open a packet of chips that she had grabbed from a nearby cupboard while Riley was raiding the fridge. "These, Big Ben, are called chips."
"They're called crisps where I come from sweet heart." Brent replied teasingly as she and Riley began crunching down on their stolen food.
"British people are weird." Maya commented with a smirk.
"It adds to our charm, blondie."
"What about all the tattoos on your arms?" Riley asked. "Are they part of the charm?"
"No," Brent chuckled as he finally relented and took a chip out of the bag that Maya was waving at him from the other side of the bay window. "I just like them."
"Why'd you get them?" She questioned, always curious.
"Well I started getting them because I wanted them and I liked them. Then some guys told me I should get more – to make me look more intimidating, apparently. So now I've got them all the way up my arms and just across the top few centimetres of my chest and back."
"They're pretty cool. The artist that did them looked like they knew what they were doing." Maya said as she critiqued the art on his arms. Her artist side was coming out and Riley couldn't help but explain.
"Maya's an artist." She said, grinning. "She's really good."
"I'm really not that good Riles." Maya argued. Brent couldn't help but respect the way that she remained humble when talking about what was clearly a passion of hers. "So why did you need to look more intimidating tough guy?"
"It was just stuff to do with the crowd I was in with – I don't really like talking about it." It was the people that supported him and bet on him during his cage fights. It was his manager, Jacob, saying that he'd have more respect if he got more ink. But Brent was most certainly not going to tell his new half-sister Riley and her best friend that.
"Are you still with those people?" Riley asked.
"No, thank god for that."
"Got anything shady that you want to tell us about before we find out for ourselves?" Maya asked bluntly as she cracked open a can of orange soda that shouldn't have really been in Riley's room.
"If you really want to find some stuff out about me by all means, do some digging." He deflected, knowing that she most likely wouldn't find anything. When he fought in the cage he didn't use his name so there was no way they could find him on the internet. Cory didn't know anything so they wouldn't get any information out of him either. In simpler words, Brent wasn't worried.
"You don't look worried, half-brother of mine." Riley observed. "Just a heads up though – Maya finds everything, don't ya peaches?"
"Everything." The blonde repeated with a devious smirk.
