"Big brother? We're out of shaving cream again."
"Yeah? Ah, I'll add it to the ordering list. Thank you, Erika."
"You're welcome, big brother! What should we have for dinner tonight?"
"Whatever is fine, as long as you're happy with it."
"Thank you, big brother."
Vash counted out the morning till, laying each dollar bill out individually. The store counter was small and covered in papers that were attached with peeling tape, most of them advertising local businesses and events. He hesitated for a moment as he watched Erika juggle a load of jam jars in her arms, sliding them onto a high shelf.
"Big brother?"
"Yes, Erika?"
"Are we ever going to get a bigger store?"
"We don't need a bigger store."
"Alright."
Vash exhaled and finished up counting as Erika slid the last jar onto the shelf and got down off her tippy-toes.
Erika walked back from the middle isle to the rocking chair next to her brother, sitting down in it and folding her skirt under her. She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them as Vash wrapped an old quilt around her.
"Has picked up her mail yet, Big brother?"
"No one has picked up any mail today."
The rocking chair was old, and creaked if Erika rocked in it, little flowers carved out of the handles. Vash had found it for her down in the store's basement a long time ago, covered in cobwebs and dirty with year's worth of muck. It had been a birthday present, one that had kept Vash busy for months cleaning and carving flowers. It'd be good for her, he thought, and would give her a good place to be where he could keep an eye on her, keep her out of danger.
"Erika, could you grab more of the Saltines from the basement?"
"Yes, big brother."
As Erika stood up and walked to the back of the shop, Vash gathered the money up and placed it in the register, leaving a single $10 bill out. This one he placed into a large glass jar under the counter, labeled "Store Fund" in black sharpie on masking tape.
Vash looked out the store windows to Main Street, hands folded ontop of the counter. The weather was still misty and grey, and the clouds looked like grey silk.
"Here you go, big brother!" Erika chirped coming back up the stairs, boxes of Saltines clutched under her arms. Vash rushed over and grabbed them from her, walking over to one of the shelves to stack them up.
This time, Erika looked out the store windows, dusting her dress off as she looked.
"Oh... Alfred got off work already..." Erika said as she watched Alfred's truck, with Matthew in the passenger seat, tear down mainstreet.
"Hmm..." Vash hummed.
"Maybe he'll pick up his mail."
Vash had gotten rid of Alfred's mail folder years ago, now using it to keep track of loose papers. No one had ever sent Alfred mail, and Alfred had never come in to check.
"Big brother?" Erika asked, turning towards Vash.
"Yes, Erika?"
"...Nothing."
Alfred's truck slowed to a stop in front of the only intersection Matthew had seen in the whole town. One lone Street light swayed in the wind above them, the middle yellow light blinking inconsistently.
"The light is broken, it never changes off Yellow. That's the store over there, I usually get everything from there, everybody does. There isn't really much of a choice, it's the only store around. Erika is really nice! Vash is... well, he makes a good deal."
"I-I see... how many people live in this town?" Matthew asked nerously, clutching the 'Oh-Shit' handle, again, for dear life.
"Not more than 200, that's all I know. I know everyone here pretty much, you and Scottie are the first new people I've seen here in a while!" Alfred said, relaxing at the intersection's yellow light. He yawned and rested his elbow on the car door's open window space.
"Small town, eh?" Matthew asked as Alfred drove forward again, past the intersection until he pulled up to a parking space. "What's this place?"
Alfred had pulled them up to a tall building, a picturesque looking one, with logs on the outside of the building and a cheery, winter scene painted on the inside of the windows. A sign on the front said 'Open' in cheery yellow letters, with little purple flowers drawn all around it.
"A place you can stay! It's run by these sisters." Alfred explained, stepping out of the truck. "C'mon!"
"Mattie, c'mon, dude... where is it?"
"Hello, Alfred!"
Matthew had followed Alfred into the hotel, only to be greeted by a short girl with grey hair and blue overalls, ones that had been cut into shorts. Her hair was clipped up with bobbi pins, which stuck out all over her hair and made her look like she lost a fight with a pair of scissors. She seemed... was happy the right word? Or was it nervous?
The inside of the hotel seemed antient, decorated with fake flowers and a large 'Clean Linen' scented candle that was just resting inside of a wax melter, creating a whole barrier of sudden headache inducing smell. The rug looked expensive, but that was the only thing that looked like it wasn't bought at a discount store or in the 80's to Matthew.
"Hey, Irina! How's it going?" Alfred asked, leaning over the front desk to talk to the overalls girl.
"G-good... We're still a bit money strapped but..." Irina turned away from the desk quickly and sneezed into her elbow. "Excuse me! Anyways... How can I h-help you, Alfred?"
"Oh, don't worry I'll be gone in a minute, he won't even know I was here." Alfred looked at Matthew and smiled. "I'm looking for a room for him to stay in, do you have any availble?"
"Of course! We... always do..." Irina said, leaning forward. She looked at Matthew, then Alfred. "Can you pay for one?"
"Oh, I hadn't even thought of that... um.. no, I don't think I can." Alfred said quietly. "I don't get paid until Friday."
"Well... come back in a few days, okay? Listen, I'll give you a deal... one night's worth of pay and he can stay a week, alright?" Irina said.
"Sure, that sounds great!" Alfred replied. He turned to Matthew. "Sorry, bro. Do you mind bunking with me for a night or two?"
"Well, I don't really have a choice, do I?" Matthew said. Alfred smiled at him before turning back to Irina again.
"Is your sister here? I have something for her, I meant to get it to her yesterday, but..." Alfred asked.
"Yeah, she should be in the back room, at the end of the hallway."
"Cool! Thanks." Alfred said, pushing himself away from the front desk and turning to go down the hallway, stopping when he passed Matthew. "Hey, can you chill here for a moment?"
"Yeah, I guess." Matthew responded quietly.
Alfred left, going down the hallway, leaving Matthew alone.
"Do you guys have a- oh." Matthew had turned to ask Irina where the bathroom was, but no one was behind the back desk anymore. "Guess not."
Matthew walked up to the desk and peeked over the edge. All that was there was an old 1998 edition of Home & Garden magazine with some Sunflowers on the cover, a mug full of pens, and a sticky note with the words 'Carrots' and 'Milk' listed on it.
"Is there... no one else here? At all?" Matthew asked the empty room as he turned back towards the front door. He drummed his fingertips against the desk as he looked outside.
Through the window Matthew could see a couple sitting on an old picnic table surrounded by purple wildflowers and tall grass in an otherwise empty lot behind two buildings. Even though the weather was still misty and grey, the couple seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The woman, who was sitting with her back to the table and her arms spread out to the sides, had on a large-brimmed sun-hat and was laughing about something that Matthew just bet was hysterical judged by her reaction, her head thrown back in laughter and one of her hands holding her hat on, her light brown hair tumbling out from underneth.
Next to her was a man, paler than the moon itself, wearing an ripped old t-shirt and frayed shorts. He was sitting simularly to the woman, but with his legs crossed up on the bench and ice cream cone in hand. He watching the woman laugh, smiling himself.
They looked happy.
"Matthew?"
"Hey, Alfred." Matthew asked, turning back to face him.
"Sorry about that, dude." Alfred yawned as he pronounced the word 'Sorry', making it sound stretched out and disconnected. "I'm freaking tired, bro. How you holding up?"
Matthew shrugged at him. "I'm pretty okay actually, guess I got plenty of sleep at the diner."
"Want to go get somethin' to eat? There's a bar not too far down from here, they let people under 21 in, they make a pretty wicked burger..."
"Not really..." Matthew answered quietly, looking down at his feet.
"Well, we should probably get out of here if I can't get you a room. Wanna try to find you a bus schedule?"
"A bus schedule?" Matthew asked quizically, looking back up.
"Yeah! So you can get back to Canada and all?"
"Oh, yeah... maybe later, eh?"
Matthew watched as Alfred ducked down to tie his shoelaces. He was wearing an old pair of red converses, holey and muddy.
"You know, I think an ice cream would actually be kinda nice right now, eh?" Matthew said, lending Alfred a hand to stand up.
Alfred smiled and clasped Matthew's hand as he hoisted himself up. He gave Matthew's shoulder a quick slap and beamed, an actual smile.
"Sounds great, bro!" Alfred replied as he walked past Matthew, holding the door open for him. "You said it was your 19th birthday a few days ago? Mine too! We can get some ice cream as like, a birthday celebration! Did you get anything cool?"
"I didn't really get anything..." Matthew said. He couldn't remember getting anything. "Did you?"
"Yeah! Tino and his family gave me this really cool knife and threw me a party downstairs, it was bitchin', dude. sent me a cake, man, that thing was good. He's the one that runs the bakery shop, along with Mathias. C'mon, we can walk there!"
Matthew was sitting at a small, round, delicate looking table across from Alfred, holding an ice cone with a chocolate-vanilla swirl. Soft music played in the background, and the air smelled like sickly-sweet sugar in the shop, adding to the warm atmosphere.
"And then, right after Captain America deflected the blast with his shield, he charged the guy," Alfred was rambling, arms waving as he went on to explain the heroics of Captain America. "And boom, the day was saved! Pretty awesome, right?"
Matthew nodded and took another lick of his ice cream. Alfred was caught up in talking about Captain America, and Matthew didn't want to stop him. Alfred's eyes were bright and he had a smile bigger than the sun, and Matthew noted how he didn't seem tired anymore, like it was more important to talk about comics then sleep.
"Do you mind if I join you two?"
Mr. Bonnefoy stood next to the table, an extra chair in hand. He looked down at the pair and then to Matthew, catching his eye.
"Sure!" Alfred said, scooting over so there was extra room. He finally took a bite of his ice cream.
Matthew stared at Mr. Bonnefoy.
"Ah, Matthew, yes?" said, a french accent in his words. "I'm Francis."
"Eh, nice to meet you, Francis." Matthew said quietly, quickly looking back down at his ice cream.
"So, Alfred, how is your job at that place," Francis sounded like he biting his tongue, "Going?"
"The diner?" Alfred replied. "Great! Still haven't gotten paid for this week but it's cool. I'll talk to bossman about it soon. How's business here?"
Francis sighed. "Fine. I'd be better if Mathias didn't insist on 'testing' everything we made, but..." Francis went on to talk for a few minutes, resting his head on his hands.
"Do you guys have a bathroom?" Matthew blurted out.
"Yes, here just," Francis said, looking startled. He pulled a key out of his apron pocket and handed it to Matthew with concern. "Lock the door when you're done."
Matthew shoved away from the table, and quickly shuffled to the bathroom door.
"I don't know, dude, maybe it was the ice cream?"
Matthew fumbled with the lock at first, but finally pushed the door open to the dark bathroom. Running his hand over the wall, he found a lightswitch and shut the door behind him, letting a deep breath out.
He didn't realize he had been holding his breath since Francis had sat down with them, a tightening feeling in his chest. Turning and leaning against the door for support, Matthew sunk down to the floor and ran a hand through his hair.
"What was that?" Matthew asked the room. He felt sick to his stomach when he saw Francis... or was it confusion?
Matthew helped himself up and walked over to the sink, turning the cold water on. He ran it through his fingers until finally splashing the water on his face, rubbing it off with his shirt sleeve. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, a naturally-nervous smile that seemed to faulter under his own eyes.
"Alright, c'mon Matthew, you can do this." He said, turning the water off and wiping his hands on his pants.
As Matthew pulled the key out of the bathroom door lock, he could hear Alfred laughing about something Francis had just said, right out of earshot.
Alfred didn't have a laugh that took up the whole room but instead a stifled one, his face hidden behind the back of his hand as his whole torso shook silently. A snorting sound and wiping away tears gathered up in his eyes, a small smile like Matthew's concealed behind his jacket sleeve.
"Hey, Matthew, you okay, dude?" Alfred asked as Matthew sat back down at his chair.
"Yeah, sorry. Emergancy, you know." Matthew said, brushing Alfred's question off and looking between the two.
This time, when Matthew looked at Francis he didn't feel sick. When Francis' sparkling eyes met his, Francis smiled, expression wrinkles bunching up around his nose and the corner of his eyes.
For the first few minutes Matthew just listened to Alfred and Francis chat, waiting until he worked up the nerve to join in the conversation. At one point the conversation completely switched to French and Alfred looked confused, but then took the opportunity to steal the rest of Matthew's ice cream.
Alfred laughed when Matthew grabbed it back from him, an Alfred-sized bite taken out of it. "Ugh, Pistascio!"
It was nice to be near Francis, to listen to Alfred laugh. Matthew felt like he had been here his whole life, the feeling of being so at home created by the sound of Francis' velvet voice and Alfred's hair shimmering gold under the lights above them. Like when Francis reached over and tucked Matthew's hair behind his ear, or when Matthew licked a napkin and swiped some crumbs off of Alfred's cheek. When Alfred laughed so hard at something that he snorted, or when Francis gave Alfred a kiss on the cheek and Alfred had to hold his glasses on his face.
For a few moments he hoped that maybe Alfred would forget about the bus schedule for a few days, so Matthew could spend some more time with the two of them. What was he doing in Canada, anyways?
"Al, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Well, it's kinda late now to turn back, isn't it?"
Half of the blankets off of Alfred's bed were on the floor, folded together with comics and things having been pushed aside to make room.
"Do you wanna turn a movie on to fall asleep to?" Alfred asked from the floor, laying ontop of the blankets in a pair of old sweatpants decorated in small cartoon bears.
"Sure, if you want. I don't mind the rain though." Matthew replied from ontop of the bed, sleeping in his T-shirt and a pair of borrowed pants.
After they had gotten ice cream, talked with Francis, and the weather had stopped misting and started raining, the duo drove back to Alfred's house. Matthew had suggested Alfred take a nap after the ice cream was done and get some sleep since he couldn't stop yawning, and Alfred seemed more than happy to go along with it.
"Do you like 'Secondhand Lions'?" Alfred asked, pawing through a stack of movies next to the tv.
"I've never seen it."
"Really? Dude, we're so watching it!" Alfred said, prying the case open and pulling out the DVD. He brandished it in the air as he crawled his way over to the DVD player. "The controller is next to you, will you press play?"
"Eh? Oh, yeah." Matthew said, reaching for the controller as Alfred flopped back down on his make-shift blanket bed, throwing the movie case off to the side carelessly.
"Thanks, bro."
Only a few minutes into the movie did Alfred fall asleep, rhythmically snoring and spread-eagle on the floor. He muttered something in his sleep and Matthew saw him swat at his face.
Matthew rolled over and pulled the blankets up around his neck, watching the raindrops roll down the window and the trees outside blow around. About halfway through the movie he fell asleep too, curled up in the upperleft part of Alfred's bed.