Sunday morning's sun bared down on the little shack and CJ awoke to the sound of someone knocking on his door. He groaned and rolled himself out of bed and headed to the door, still not spending any precious energy on putting on pants.
"Who's there," He halfheartedly pushed out of his throat.
"Mark," his brother's voice came, "I brought you a gift."
CJ scowled and opened his door a crack. "I don't want it. Go away."
"You sure?" Mark chimed as he held up a very round, very well-behaved chicken. CJ's eyes widened.
"You're giving me... a chicken?"
"Not just any chicken," He lowered her a bit and pet her head. "This was my first chicken. I named her Adele."
"Adele... after grandma?"
"Yup. She's been very special to me, and I know she will be to you." Mark gently pushed on the door to open the crack wide enough to place Adele in CJ's hands. He held her awkwardly, but she didn't seem to mind much.
"This is... cool and all, but I don't have a coop."
"Yes, you do." Mark goaded him outside to see a hunched over slab of muscle of a man nailing the final boards on a tiny coop from across the field.
"The hell?"
"This is Gannon, the local carpenter."
CJ waved sheepishly as the man looked up to the mention of his name, and then waved back.
"If you're going to be a rancher, you're going to need livestock, so I decided to get you started."
"I don't want your pity, Mark."
"It's not pity," Mark spun on his heel to face him. "I expect you to pay me back one day when your ranch is as big as mine." He winked.
"Shut up," CJ shouldered past him and walked near the small pond by the gate, chicken in hand. "We both know you only did this because of us fighting yesterday. You wouldn't have given a shit otherwise."
"That's... not true. I had wanted to give you Adele, when you got your first coop."
"You know I wasn't actually planning to put too much work into this whole ranch garbage, right?"
Mark bit back disappointment. "I thought you wanted to be a rancher."
"I wanted to farm a little to keep food in my stomach. I wasn't planning on chasing your shadow."
"You wouldn't be."
"Whatever. I'll take care of her. But don't expect me to start bringing in a horde of fucking cows and having crops as tall as my fucking house."
Mark folded his arms. "Man, even when I try to make up with you you still cuss me out."
"Good, you deserve it." CJ sneered.
"Whatever, man. You're welcome."
"Thanks." CJ groaned. Mark smirked and gave Adele a pat on the head.
"Awright fellas, coop's all done. Enjoy." Gannon strolled past the pair of brothers and headed towards the gate, seemingly unaware of the tension. Mark wished him goodbye.
"Oh yeah, hang on." Mark threw his backpack on the ground and pulled out a bag of chicken feed. "This'll last ya for a bit but I recommend you buy more real soon."
"Yeah. Alright."
"Well, I gotta get going. Have fun."
"That's it? You show up with a chicken at my door and everything's okay?"
"I'd hoped, yeah."
"... Whatever." CJ turned away and walked towards the new coop. Mark shook his head and left the ranch.

CJ slid open the door to the coop and gently sat Adele inside. He spread some feed into the little box by the door, but the hen was uninterested. He silently watched her waddle around the floor before settling down into a pile of hay. He stood, motionless. Adele pointed her beak in CJ's direction and let out a small cluck.
He slowly slid down on his legs by the wall, and the hen picked herself back up and walked over to him. He held out a hand anxiously and she met it, pushing her small head into his palm. He pet her softly. He sat in the stillness before a knock on the coop door made him jump and shriek, and made Adele squawk.
CJ tore open the door with a scowl to see Mark yet again, this time accompanied by another man around their age. Short, pink hair cut straight just above his 70s glasses. CJ wanted to shove him in a locker.
"CJ, this is Elliot Merlotte." Elliot seemed to stare vacantly at CJ, like he was in a trance. He shook his head and gave a smile.
"Hi, CJ! Me and my family run the island's exports and, of course, Merlotte's."
CJ stared blankly right through him. "Okay? Why are you here?"
"Sorry, he's a bit... shy," Mark chuckled.
"I'm not shy," He said flatly. Mark rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, your... uh... brother certainly reminds me of *someone*," Elliot laughed into Mark's ear.
"Nah, CJ isn't as much as a jerk as Vaughn is."
"I'm right fucking here." CJ's grip on the door tightened. "Also, Vaughn ain't a fucking jerk."
The two other men's smiles dropped.
"You've met Vaughn?" Mark's face twisted in bewilderment.
"I... had dinner with the Comptons the other night, why?" His blue eyes narrowed. "Is that a problem?"
"No, no," Both men backpedaled in unison.
"Just, be careful about Vaughn," Elliot said softly.
CJ shook his head, but bit his tongue. "Why the hell are you here again?"
"Oh!" Elliot chirped right back to form, and held up his clipboard. "I wanted to set up shipments from your farm. We'll buy crops, animal products, you name it. Every day at 5pm, shoot me a text if you've got something to sell and someone will come pick up your goods and give you the cash. Here are our rates." Elliot held him out a laminated sheet typed out in comic sans. "Rates depend on quality, but we'll buy literally anything. If you don't like our price for something, we can negotiate."
CJ stared at the sheet. "'Kay."
"My number's up on the top there," Elliot tapped on the top of the sheet. "And... feel free to text me anytime, about anything." He winked.
CJ stared at him. "... 'Kay."
"Well Mark, if that's everything, I gotta get going."
"Sure. Thanks, Elliot." Mark waved at him as he bounced off.
As soon as Elliot was out of earshot, CJ's voice cracked the air.
"What do you have against Vaughn?"
Mark stared back at him. "What do you mean?"
"Why ya'll telling me to stay away from him? He didn't act like a jerk to me." CJ's eyes shifted to the side and he pressed the laminated sheet's edge into his palm where the burn mark used to be.
"Me and Elliot just, never really got along with him. He's always either ignoring us or trying to start shit."
"Maybe you're just upset he won't socialize back with you the way you want him to." His eyes fell dark.
"Why are you so intent on defending him? You don't even know him."
CJ let his eyes fall to the side. "I think... I think he's like me." He began pressing his knuckles into the door frame gently.
Mark watched him for a moment before putting the pieces together. "I don't know about that. I think he's just an asshole."
CJ stopped and looked at his nose. "You wouldn't pick up on the stuff I do."
"You think he's hot, don't you?"
"What?!" CJ stared aghast.
"Come on, he's your type, and -"
"My type?!"
"Tall, long hair, beard. You know."
"Oh, shut the fuck up." CJ growled.
"I knew it. You think he's hot, so you're gunna defend him no matter how he acts."
"I don't think he's fucking hot, and even if I did, what does it fucking matter? Why does that give you an excuse to dismiss me?"
"'Cause you're blinded by the gay."
"Leave me the fuck alone." CJ turned around and stormed back into the coop, Adele darting in between his feet.
"Come on, man! Why do you have to turn everything into a fight?"
CJ stopped, his back turned. "Because you drive me bonkers. Everything I do or say is nothing but a big fucking joke to you."
Mark's chest fell. "I'm... I'm sorry, then. 'Cause it ain't a joke."
CJ looked over his shoulder. "You weren't like this before."
"Huh?"
"You didn't act like this before you left home," His voice was a bit quieter. "You changed."
Mark stared at his shoes. "I didn't try to. I still care about you. You're still my brother."
CJ turned around and met his gaze. "I wish you were mine." He softly closed the coop door in his face.