People Go To Shop For Advice, Not To Drink

"Hey! It's been a while since you've come down here."

"I'm sorry, I should have visited you before now."

"Don't worry, it's only been a week. Berwald and I have been rather busy anyway."

Right off the bat Tino knew exactly why Eduard was here. Maybe not the exact reason, precisely, but that something was wrong that his friend needed to talk about. So he left the counter for a moment to bring up a stool and waved Eduard around the counter so he could sit down. There was only one person in here anyway and Tino never had any concerns about Gupta.

So Tino sat there and listened as Eduard began talking about Natalia, weaving the strangest story that Tino had ever heard about the girl. In fact, if it had not been Eduard talking Tino would have thought that someone had made it up. It would not have been a good tale, but it would have made more sense to be fictional. Natalia thinking about leaving Ivan alone?

That would not make anyone happy. Not even Ivan. Mostly because Ivan would be too scared thinking about what Natalia was planning by it. Tino just found himself curious. Eduard, however, seemed a bit more worried about something else.

"Why did she ask me?" Eduard repeated for what was probably the third time. Tino leaned back into the counter.

"Think about it. Who else does she really go to?"

"She comes to talk at me," Eduard corrected, shaking his head. "To tell me all about these little plans of hers, but not to ask me."

Tino thought about it as Gupta started to put his purchases on the counter. "Maybe... she always came to you to talk about her plans, she was asking for your advice about it then too."

Eduard stared at him, eyes wide for a moment and unblinking. "She... you really think so?"

"Maybe," Tino shrugged, turning around and giving Gupta a smile before ringing them up, to which Gupta only nodded to. "I knew the family when I was younger... you're probably the first person other than her brother that she really talks to. Other than Raivis, before he moved."

One of the other reasons Raivis left Hearth. Not that Tino could really blame him.

"Family is the most important thing anyone can have." Tino blinked, realizing that was not Eduard talking. He turned his eyes on to Gupta, who was looking toward the door. "And when you no longer have it... you try and replace it with ties that you can call the same."

It was the most Tino could recall ever hearing Gupta say. By the look on Eduard's face (from the corner of Tino's eye, as he could not drag his vision away from the Egyptian) it was the same for him. Tino tried to not show how affected he was by that, not really wanting to make the other uncomfortable and remembering mistakes he had made in the past in being shocked at someone's actions, so he simply smiled at him. "That's true. After my mother went back to Finland... Berwald and all of his family have really become just as close as I was with her. I feel bad that Natalia can't seem to have that same relationship with her siblings."

He finished bagging Gupta's purchases as the other handed over his pay. "I want to believe that," Eduard responded, quiet. "But... at the most my guardians were simply that, guardians. Not really parents. By the time I discovered Raivis was my brother he was leaving Hearth and I just met Toris... I suppose I can't quite understand yet."

It was actually very depressing, up until Gupta turned to look at Eduard and said "yet."

Eduard nodded, a smile fighting against his usual calm demeanor. "Yes. Yet."

When Gupta left Eduard and his conversation turned to something a little less in depth with their thoughts, like how Tino had to keep Berwald from knocking out Matthias again the other night when the other was being sort of an idiot.

It occurred to Tino a bit later though that what they had heard really was a very rare occurrence. He hoped that everything was going all right for Gupta. Then again, it was a subject the other felt strongly about, if he remembered correctly.

Still, it gave him something to think about.


Notes:

Tino really is the one to go and talk to when you need someone to listen. So is Elizaveta, but if you remember from Comedy of Errors, even Elizaveta goes to Tino. He is sort of at the top of the gossip hill. Which is why Feliks loves to talk with him. Except for the fact Tino does not spread word of everything he hears. Which is why Feliks gets easily annoyed by him.