summer 1981 - it's half timing and the other half's luck

[ofthecubs]

It isn't going to last forever.

Summer doesn't last forever, after all. Yes, it's only June, but it'll be September again before he blinks. Being a child, his father often tells him with rough affection, doesn't last forever either. Yes, he's only ten, but in the blink of an eye, he'll be twelve and he'll be sixteen and he'll be twenty and if he doesn't start working now, he won't be King of anything. It had gotten much harder to disregard when he thought about the fact Max was already half-way to twelve as well; that Toby was up and about and very much his own person when he'd just moments ago been too small for his brothers to be allowed to hold.

It isn't going to last forever. That means they need to make the best of it.

And he does have vague plans for the afternoon. Some time will be for Andrew and for running like lunatics through the fields. Some time will be for Rachel and Argine, for building on the hesitant sort of truce they've come upon as 'cooties' stop being such a pressing concern. Some time will be for his brothers, for watching them play, for keeping them safe; for just being close before he blinks and they're all too grown up for fun.

But for now, Edgar Eicheln is making the best of being sprawled, entirely comfortably, on the side of a small hill near the lake. The sky's blue, the wind's cool, and the contentment in his heart is fairly complete.

Comments

I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH ONE TO DO FIRST SO BOTH

[theunpressuredclub]

It's not going to last forever. School's going to start up again and she's going to have to pay attention to her lessons. Andrew and Edgar are inevitably going to get caught up in their own world with what they're learning.

But for now, it's all wonderful. For now, Andrew and Rachel can go hand-in-hand up the hill in search for their friend.

/DRAGS BOTH INTO ARMS FOREVER

[ofthecubs]

It's harder to hear on dirt and grass, but he does shift at the sound of their approach. Just for a moment, the boy pops up onto his elbows, squinting down the hill.

His smile is entirely brilliant as he waves--and flops straight down onto his back again. Surely they're coming to stare lazily up at the sky with him.

/SMOOSH

[theunpressuredclub]

They'll wave back, although Rachel will huff just a little as he flops down again. Andrew will squeeze her fingers briefly as they make their way to the top.

The younger boy's voice will carry easily to the Eicheln, "Hi, Ed!"

/ERRY ONE <3

[ofthecubs]

"Hey!"

He's got good lungs for yelling. Even sprawled out, head half-flopped to the side to watch them approach, his own voice carries back easily down the hill.

"C'mere. 's a cloud that looks just like a dragon."

<3333!

[theunpressuredclub]

"Yeah?" And it's Andrew speaking, but Rachel clearly perks up at the words, her little legs stretching to keep pace with her cousin's as they get closer.

"Where's it?" she asks, craning her neck towards the sky when they finally are beside him.

[ofthecubs]

They both get a bright smile as he squints toward their faces. Who better to spend the afternoon with, after all?

"Gotta get down here." He pats the ground beside him before pointing up at a puffy cloud. "It's that one."

[theunpressuredclub]

Andrew will flop down beside him instantly. Rachel will eye the ground with some trepidation before finally settling beside them. It's worth it.

"Ooh," she says with a grin, "You're right!"

[ofthecubs]

This, clearly, is why Andrew is getting squirmed closer to for a bump of heads. Because Andrew is the best.

But at least Rachel's been warming up. At least she's pleased about the clouds, if nothing else. "Pretty neat, right?"

[theunpressuredclub]

Absolutely the best. Absolutely Edgar's going to get an affectionate bump of the head back.


And a hum of agreement from Rachel as well, apparently, "Yeah."

[ofthecubs]

This is so much better. All of them being able to be in the same space without the feeling Rachel wanted to steal her cousin back is a million times better.

So Rachel's getting a tap on the forehead. "What else d'you see?"

[theunpressuredclub]

A huff at the tap, but also a squinting up at the sky.

"That one looks like a bunny."

[ofthecubs]

It takes a moment of wrinkling his nose up at the clouds before he breaks into a proper grin again.

"Kinda does. Huh."

[theunpressuredclub]

A bright grin at his agreement.

"Well-spotted, Rach," Andrew murmurs kindly.

"Thanks."

[ofthecubs]

This is comfortable. This is disrupting of the idea of getting up and doing something with the rest of the day.

"What about that one?"

That's not such a bad fate.

[theunpressuredclub]

It's comfortable. It's contented. Neither of them are particularly inclined to move.

"'s a shoe," Andrew says decidedly.

And that earns a nose wrinkle from his cousin, "Nuh-uh. 'S a car."

[ofthecubs]

"A shoe?"

Usually, he'd have a huge amount of unconditional support for Andrew. It's part of their friendship.

But.

Really, Drew? Really?

[theunpressuredclub]

"What?" Andrew asked with an audible pout.

Rachel just giggled.

[ofthecubs]

"'s pretty clearly a boat."

So long as they're all wrong, things will surely be fine.

[theunpressuredclub]

"That's silly, Ed." Andrew replies.

"You're both silly," Rachel retorts.

[ofthecubs]

There's a pleased snort for that response. Everything is as it should be.

"Pretty sure it's just neither of you have seen a boat before."

[theunpressuredclub]

"I've seen a boat," the other young boy protests, "Rach hasn't."

"'s 'cause we've not gone anywhere near water when Mama 'n Papa 'n I've gone off-Deck, yet," she huffs, "'s so annoying."

[ofthecubs]

"That's too bad."

It's a thoughtful thing to say while squirming to get his head resting on Andrew's shoulder.

"Ocean's awesome."

[theunpressuredclub]

"Yeah?" And there's a genuine tone of curiosity to her voice as she shifts onto her elbows to look at the two of them, "What's it like?"

[ofthecubs]

He glances over briefly, a tiny grin on his lips before his attention drifts back to the clouds.

"It's like... when you look out at the lake, right? Except it just-- turns into the sky. And your whole heart hurts."

[theunpressuredclub]

"That sounds amazing," she says with a quiet sense of awe, "I can't wait t'see it one day."

[ofthecubs]

"We should all go."

It's the lazy promise of a summer day, of course, but it does sound like a lovely use of time.

[theunpressuredclub]

"That'd be cool," Andrew murmurs, wiggling to get an arm around Edgar affectionately.

"Yeah," Rachel agrees quietly, and there's no hesitation in it this time.

[ofthecubs]

"Yeah?"

He doesn't sound surprised. Well.

He does sound a little surprised.

[theunpressuredclub]

Why always the tone of surprise. Although-- not like Rachel isn't surprised at herself. She is.

"Yeah. But only 'f 'gine shows up."

[ofthecubs]

"Four of us."

There's musing in his tone, but it's absolutely got a pleased edge to it.

"Sounds... nice."

[theunpressuredclub]

"It does," Andrew says thoughtfully, squeezing Edgar absently, "Really nice."

"Four's a pretty awesome number," Rachel adds.

[ofthecubs]

"Important number."

The number of Suits. The number of Face Cards.

The number of them.

Huh.

[theunpressuredclub]

It's something to think about. Something to be mulled over for the next little while.

But not right now. Right now, the idyllic moment on the hill is going to be interrupted by the rumble from Andrew's stomach.

The boy will ignore his cousin's quiet laughter as he nudges an elbow into his best friend's side, "'s go. I'm hungry."

[ofthecubs]

"Booooo."

Not that he isn't squirming in a way which will eventually get him back onto his feet. Just.

So comfy.

[theunpressuredclub]

"C'moooon."

Although even the hungry Andrew is taking his sweet time wiggling his way towards standing.

"We can come back out again later."

[ofthecubs]

"'m movin'."

Up most of the way, anyway. Hands will, of course, be offered to both the other Clubs for help the rest of the way up.

[theunpressuredclub]

"Move faster."

Because Andrew is already more or less up by the time Edgar gets there. So, Rachel will be the one to take the Eicheln's hand after barely a moment's pause.

"Thanks, Ed."

[ofthecubs]

It's definitely better, being mostly-friends with Rachel. It's certainly got a bright grin on his lips as he gives her hand a friendly squeeze.

"Duh."

...to be fair, she is friends with a ten-year-old boy.

[theunpressuredclub]

She is. And she's slowly learning to accept that, even if it does get a nose wrinkle at first.

Andrew will cut off any complaining that might happen by poking Edgar in the side again, "Come oooon, Ed."

[ofthecubs]

The future is bright and unwritten before them. There will come a day when he isn't ten and she isn't eight and things aren't quite so simple between them. For now, it's nice to just roll his eyes and latch instead onto Andrew.

(To be fair, this may also be his response when he's sixteen. And twenty. And forty.)

"Comin'."

[theunpressuredclub]

And her huff of a response is going to be hers when she's sixteen, and twenty, and forty.

But for now, she'll be reaching for Andrew's free hand as Edgar clings to her cousin's side.

"'s go, then."

[ofthecubs]

It's as it should be. It's got a nice sense of being the natural order of things. It very much keeps Edgar's smile burning bright.

It's easy to believe it will always be just like this.