Skye Life - My brother’s keeper

“Why didn’t you leave with Serena and the hobo? Safety in numbers, how many times have you told me that on my way home?” She chastised.

“She wanted to go home, she was tired and I still had a couple of after parties.” Mathias told her. “She and Hobo went home, I kept going and hustled.”

“Did anyone see you?” She asked, after a pause.

Mathias was quiet for a moment before taking a drag and shook his head. “No.”

Cyd let out a breath and leaned back against the counter.

“Kept hold of the nut and stock.” Mathias said hoping to put a ray of sunshine on the situation.

“What would you tell Serena to do if she were jumped?” Cyd said, raising an eyebrow.

“Serena isn’t dealing. If anyone jumped her it wouldn’t be for her lunch money.” Mathias said in an even tone.

“Drugs can be replaced. The guy who makes them can’t.” She replied with a scowl, holding her hand for the joint to be passed.

Mathias passed the joint. “Don’t start. You know as well as me we lose a weekend and we would be living in the dark with nothing to eat.” He pointed out. “Then what?”

“Then you go an make more drugs,” Cyd said through an inhale, letting the warm smoke fill her lungs before breathing out. “You get killed we lose every weekend and live on the streets.”

“Make more? Just like that? I mean aside from the fact …” He paused make sure Serena was out of earshot. “... aside from the fact they weren’t planning on leaving witness. How would I make more without seed money? You plan on spending all week with me and fake IDs back to smurfing?”

“We would have made it work. Listen, I’m not upset that you had to go an’ fire off, I know you. You did what you had to. I’m just saying…” Cyd handed the joint back, and started putting away the first aid kit. “I’m just saying if it ever comes down to you or what’s in that jacket, I choose you. Serena chooses you. Okay? You’re the only thing that matters to us. Everything else, we’ll find a way. We always do.”

“Why’d you think I fired off.” Mathias chuffed holding a hand out for his turn. “Just know I will fight to keep the jacket. It’s one of a kind.” He joked.

“As is my brother,” She said dryly, retrieving the sewing kit - contained in a similar tackle box, from the kitchen cabinet.

“Tsk, you could always adopt.” Mathias snarked heading back to the living room to get his signed jacket. “You’d hardly notice the difference. Little hair dye and a snarky demeanor. Boom. Discount dollar store Mathias.”

“That’s how we got Isaac,” she reminded him. “And where am I going to find that shade of red?”

“Oh Serena would help, i’m sure between you two you could mix a lovely shade or red.” Mathias laughed rooting around for the stitch ripper. “If he’s shorter he would fit on the couch better. Bonus!”

“Please,” she scoffed. “It’s so lumpy, there’s a spring in my back, you know how long it took to train you? I’m not starting over from scratch. Speaking of - take the bed til you heal up. Serena can sleep in Isaac’s space.”

“Yeah I dunno how well I can sleep on my side on that couch. I have half a mind to give up and just … you know … “ He snapped his fingers. “... take the easy way to fix it. Who knows how hard it would be to find a decent piece of wood around here!” In the Sprawl's defense, Mathias had been looking in refuse piles.

“I’ll pick up a few extra shifts,” Cyd said, picking up his jacket. “New couch is a priority. Maybe a cheap mattress, we can use cushions, sit on the floor.

“I could save a ton with just little woosh woosh.” Mathias said in a sing-song voice as he detached the burned sleeve.

“I got your ice!” Serena called before opening the front door. “And ice cream, on account of I couldn’t remember which you wanted.

“Both. I’ll take both.” Mathias said shamelessly. “Serena tell Cyd it’s okay for me to flippantly use the couch with a little snapity woosh woosh. Nothing bad could ever happen right?”

“No bad ever comes from snapity woosh,” she agreed with a giggle.

Mathias pointed to Serena. “See she gets it.” He chuckled.

“I need to hire a babysitter,” Cyd said with a shake of her head. “A fucking full-time babysitter.”

Mathias laughed and coughed. “Oh … ow … like we can afford one. Tsk. We survived childhood just fine. Barely. Builds character. Right, Serena. Tell her about all the character you've built.” he said, picking out leather bits from a bin. With all the crafting, outfits, repairs, and alterations they did on a regular basis nothing got thrown out. Just reused and repurposed till it was reduced to rags. He stitched, they joked, and laughed, Serena helped him and with a little help, he had a new two-toned flaming sleeve. It seemed appropriate.

“I have a lot of character,” Serena said, leaving Mathias with the ice and ice cream while she took the rest of the jay to Isaac’s closet. “A whole lot.”