"How many times do I have to tell you this isn't necessary?" Click asked as he set a roll of bills down on Spam's desk.
"Either until you stop returning rent to me or I move out." Was Spam's only reply as he continued to type feverishly on his keyboard.
"Spam you live here." Click pointed out with a huff.
"Yes." Spam agreed as he slowly pressed the roll of bills back towards Click, his eyes still glued to the screen before him.
"I pay rent, I live here." Spam murmured quietly.
Click just sighed and scooped up the roll of bills, leafing through the wad of cash before slipping a single bill from the stack and setting the rest back down on the desk.
"You overpaid." Click said firmly as he reluctantly slipped the bill into his wallet, fully intending to use it to buy something sweet for his baby brother.
Spam grumbled something under his breath and finally stopped typing ten miles a minute to pull up a spreadsheet.
"Five bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, basement, ground, second and attic. 4500 to 5500 square feet… Five occupants, average rent should be closer to 6300 a month, divided by five, rent per occupant should be roughly 1260, so technically I'm 100 short which I can get to you by the end of the week." Spam explained all in one breath before he resumed whatever he had been doing before…
Click stared at his younger brother silently… Silently questioning yet again… How and why his baby brother's colour hadn't come in yet…
Spam was a competent businessman, there was absolutely no denying that…
Click had seen his baby brother out con even the slimiest of salesmen. Barter down purposefully overpriced goods down to pennies. And, as he just had, draw up perfect schematics from out of the blue…
And yet Spam remained as pristine as the day he was born…
"You're brilliant Spam… You know that right?" Click sighed as he moved to drape himself over the back of his brother's chair, looping his arms around Spam in a tight hug.
"No I'm not…" The younger brother mumbled sourly.
"No you are…" Click said firmly as he moved to rest his chin on top of Spam's head, watching his younger brother work.
"I have no idea why your colour hasn't come in yet Spam… Because Ads Almighty you're brilliant enough to be just about any colour on the spectrum." Click sighed softly.
Spam's hands froze on his keyboard as he stared at his reflection on the screen…
He knew he was clever… He knew he was good at what he did, which was whatever he put his head to…
But without a colour to call his own he would always feel… Obsolete…
Without a colour to prove that he was indeed an Addison worth an ad, he would always be overlooked for a more colourful alternative…
"You're not a burden, Spam." Click mumbled.
"You're our brother… And the flock looks out for one another, you know?"
Spam nodded numbly.
"Besides, we own this house, we bought it outright, none of us pay rent, only utilities, and this." Click huffed as he slid the stack of cash back towards Spam.
"Is more than enough for the next six months."
Spam turned to look up at his older brother with a very dull expression.
"Just let me pretend to be a contributing member of society." Spam deadpanned.
Click stood and crossed his arms, looking down at the younger Addison with the same expression.
"You can contribute to society by helping me do dishes." Click said primly, a broad smile tugging at his expression as Spam groaned loudly in despair.
"None of that Spam!" Click called over his shoulder as he began to head to the door.
"Now you can either wash or dry, but the first one to the kitchen has dibs so get your tailfeathers moving!"
A string of curses flew from Spam's room before the younger Addison peeled out of his room and ran full tilt down the hall.
Click laughed brightly and slipped the bill he had taken from Spam's 'rent' into the swear jar on the counter.