His palms were sweaty, he rubbed them against his pants. Goddess, why did this have to be so hard. He reached for the door handle but stepped away at the last minute, exhaling heavily. This was irritating, all he had to do was walk in and buy the stupid thing, why couldn't he even get himself to open the door. He groaned and crouched in the snow, he just needed to calm down.
"Ok, I can do this. In and out, it'll be quick."
He sucked in a breath of cold winter air as his hand clasped the icy door handle. He pulled. Hm, it wasn't opening. He pulled again, and again…and again. What the? He planted his foot on the wall next to the door and, with two hands this time, pulled at the door with all the power he could muster.
"Rrrghhh…" Gray grunted angrily, and suddenly slipped and fell into the snow. "Fucking hell…"
"Hey! Grandma says that's a bad word!"
Gray jumped and twisted around to see who had just spoken. Stu, clad in a ridiculously puffy white winter jacket, was pointing at him with a huge grin on his face.
"Hahaha, stupid, you fell in the snow!!"
Now he was being ridiculed by a child. Gray picked himself up from the cold ground and stalked away, brushing past the little boy angrily.
"Hey wait! Mr. Hat come back!"
Mr. Hat? Stu tugged on Gray's pants desperately, "I'm sorry! Don't be mad now!"
The little boy began to cry when Gray ignored him, "I-I-I'm s-sorry! S-sorry!"
The tears running down the boys face started to tug at Gray's heartstrings, so he stopped and lowered himself to his knees and reluctantly placed his hand on the boys' shoulders.
"It's…alright…I guess." Man, he didn't know how to handle kids. "Don't cry anymore."
The crocodile tears stopped flowing immediately and Stu grinned back at Gray toothily, "You're funny Mr. Hat! Trying to go to the store when it's closed! Take me to the church instead!" In monkey like fashion he clambered onto Gray's back, but Gray took no notice.
Closed. The store's closed on Tuesdays. He mentally kicked himself, stupid, stupid. His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp kicking at his sides, Stu whined impatiently. "Church! Church! Church! Church"
Uncomfortably Gray hoisted Stu onto his back and trudged down the pathway. Soon enough they met up with Pastor Carter and May.
"P-piggy backs?" The little pigtailed girl gasped when she spied Stu atop Gray's back. "…Me too!" She outstretched her arms towards Gray, who mentally groaned. Little boys weren't that bad, but little girls gave him more trouble than he needed.
"Ew! No way May, my big bro won't give you a piggy back 'cos you smell like cows!" Stu pulled on his 'bro's' ear, "Right big bro?"
Pastor Carter chuckled at Gray's pained expression, "Big Bro?"
"He started calling me that halfway here because I asked him not to call me 'Mr. Hat.'" Gray shook his head, "I actually preferred that over big bro."
Carter laughed quietly and looked pointedly at the little boy currently trying to pull off Gray's hat, "Now Stu, don't you think May should get to ride as well? It's only fair."
May, who had started sniffling and kicking at the snow after the 'smelling like cows' comment, instantly brightened, "Yah! It's my turn now."
"But…he's my big bro!"
Gray grunted and set Stu onto the ground, he would have just turned away and left but Pastor Carter was watching him carefully so he picked up May quickly.
"There, now you get one too." He mumbled as May clung to his back.
"Now he's my big bro!" She cheered happily while Stu stamped his feet in the snow. The Pastor just laughed and knelt beside Stu, "See how happy May is? You two just need to learn how to share. Gray can be big bro to the both of you."
Thanks a lot, Pastor. Gray thought miserably.
"Wow! I only got my big sis, but now I have a big bro too!"
"I don't even have a big sis!" May's high pitched voice rang out in Gray's ear as she hugged his neck, "Big bro you're the best!"
"Uhhh…" Honestly, he had no idea what to say.
He spent the rest of the afternoon in front of the church with the Pastor and two children, it wasn't like he had anything better to do. The library had lost its charms and he just didn't feel like returning to his grandpa's or the inn. And he had to admit, those kids weren't all that horrible, in fact he almost kind of enjoyed himself. Almost. He just had to remember to not swear in front of them.
"Walk me home big bro."
May was tugging at his hand lightly, looking up at him with large chocolate brown eyes.
"Bro's walking me home!"
Stu pulled at Gray's other hand while he stuck his tongue out at May.
Oh Goddess. Thankfully he was saved by Carter, who spoke to May gently.
"Your big bro can't possibly walk two people home at the same time, I'll walk you home this time May, and big bro will walk you home next time." May pouted but gave in quickly. After waving and shouting an animated goodbye Stu looked up at Gray drowsily.
"Hey bro, I'm tired now. Take me home."
Stu and Gray were passing the clinic when Jeff walked out, his routine check-up had gone better than he expected and he was in good spirits.
"Hello Mr. Jeff." Stu called out.
"Jeff? Uhh, hey I need to talk to you." Gray slowed down to match Jeff's pace, "Listen, I know the store's closed today, but I really need to buy something. Is it possible for me to make a quick purchase?"
"What're you buying bro? Something for me?"
"Well…" Jeff thought for a moment, if Sasha found out he was doing business on his day off she'd be upset, but then again, why not? Gray was a good guy most of the time anyway. "No problem! Just…don't tell Sasha."
"Really? That's great, let me bring Stu home first."
"What! No way bro, I'm going too!"
"You just said you were tired…" Gray tried to glare the kid down but Stu stuck out his lower lip and held a steadfast gaze.
"I want chocolate!" He finally declared.
"…Fine."
Stu grinned triumphantly and raced down to the store.
Gray sulked and muttered under his breath, "What a brat, he was just tired a minute ago."
"Ahh, kids will be kids, what can you do?" Jeff gave a wheezing laugh, "You'll understand once you have your own someday."
'Someday' isn't exactly that far off…
They entered the general store, Stu making a beeline for the chocolate shelf while Gray reluctantly wandered over to the opposite end of the store. He eyed the blue feather suspiciously.
Just a week ago he'd convinced Cliff to go in and pre-order it for him.
"C'mon Cliff, you can do it can't you?"
"…Gray…why can't you do it yourself…"
"Hey man I put up listening to Ann blab away every night while you sit and twiddle your thumbs, the least you can do is order me a blue feather."
"That actually has nothing to do-"
"Goddess, I knew you were unreliable."
"…"
"Fine, thanks for nothing."
"…Ok, I'll do it."
"Alright Cliff! I knew you were the man, now stop making those freaky flower necklaces and you're in the clear."
If he was too embarrassed to order himself a blue feather how could he possibly go up and buy the godforsaken thing. Maybe he'd get Cliff to buy it for him…
"Interested in the blue feather?" Jeff asked from the counter.
"Uhh! Uhmm, yes…I mean no. No. Yes." Gray stammered and stared at his shoes, embarrassed.
"Bro, you sound stupid!" Stu looked at him, his hands were already filled with chocolate bars but he managed to pluck the blue feather off the shelf and dump the armload onto Jeff's countertop.
"Hurry and pay for these bro, Grandma's gonna be worried if I stay out too late!"
Gray dug in his wallet for the money, who the hell knew blue feathers were so freakin' expensive?
"Thanks you two, come by when we're open next time!"
As the two of them stepped back outside Stu began shoving the chocolate bars into his coat and stated simply, "Sis is gonna be mad when she see's my candy."
Gray dropped Stu off at home and walked down the streets. He knew it was just a feather, but for some reason it felt unusually heavy in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at it carefully in the dimming light, there wasn't anything special about it…it really was just a blue feather. He waved it around a bit, the stupid thing was probably synthetic. How did something as simple as this represent love and proposal? Well, it was easier than buying a diamond ring, it certainly was easier on his wallet.
"What the heck are you doing?"
Gray glanced down the street. Claire was looking at him curiously her hands on her hips, a slight grin on her face. He shoved the feather back into his pocket and pulled his hat over his eyes.
"Not doin' anything, mind your own business." He muttered as he tried to walk past her, but she shoved her hand in his pocket as he walked by.
"You're obviously doing something! What're you waving around?" She struggled with him, trying to grasp the, unknown to her, blue feather. Finally she elbowed Gray in the ribs and triumphantly flourished her prize as he nursed his side.
"What? It's just a blue feather? I thought you had something more interesting than this." She pressed the feather back into his hands, "Here, you can have it back."
"Y-you idiot! This stupid thing is for you, so…take it!" He shoved the feather back at Claire.
"I don't want it right now! You're not even proposing properly! You're supposed to get on one knee and-"
"Like hell I'm doing that, now take it or I'm throwing it away!"
"Go ahead, see if I care!" She tried to force the feather back into his hands but he pushed it back at her every time.
"You…ass! What the hell's your problem?" Claire held the feather in her clenched fists.
"What the hell's my problem? What the hell's your problem? Can't you even accept something like this without making a big shit about it?"
Claire opened her mouth and was just about to yell back at Gray when a sharp gasp was heard from behind her. They both turned to see a bewildered looking Anna, Sasha and Manna. Well, Sasha was the only one who looked bewildered, Anna looked disdainful and Manna seriously seemed as though she were having a field day.
"Goodness! Is that a blue feather?"
"That's…surprising."
"How unexpectedly fantastic, we just absolutely have to tell everyone!"
The three of them dashed off leaving Claire and Gray speechless.
"You idiot. This was supposed to be romantic." The blonde finally muttered.
Gray kicked at the snow, embarrassed, "You know…I'm not good at that stuff."
Don't like this chapter very much, it's too rushed and for some reason it irritates me...
Oh well, R&R