Chapter Text
Abe leans against the wall, exhausted. He’d been unpacking boxes for hours in a vacant shop, motivated to have it all done in one day. He had already spent all last week moving out and finding a place to stay, as Joan had dumped him months back. It was like a dream come true when he first got together with her and he wondered how it had gone so wrong in just the span of a few years. He was staying in a shabby apartment that wasn’t too far from the shop. When he gets his life together, he’ll find a better place to stay. He’ll be doing that by pursuing his new ambition: being the owner of a floral shop. Botany had begun to appeal to him a while back while he was living with Joan. He’d planted a small garden in their backyard just to kill time and rid boredom. He ended up finding it quite fun and relaxing, and started doing tons of research on various plants and flowers. That is why he thought he’d give this whole flower shop thing a shot.
Only about a quarter of the boxes he slaved over were actually his junk, he lived quite a minimalist lifestyle all things considered. The other ¾ were boxes upon boxes of flowers; roses, peonies, tulips, the whole nine yards. Shelves lined the walls, trays of floral foam that Abe had already taken the liberty of soaking an hour ago.
He crossed his fingers in one hand as he wiped the sweat from his brow with the other. Hopefully all of these will sell before they wilt.
Behind the counter that sits the register, there’s a small table with tissue paper and shears and twine, a little bouquet arrangement table. The entire front of the shop was basically one giant window, sage-green door taking its proud spot in the middle. Abe let his tired eyes examine the front of the shop, quietly wondering aloud if he should get it painted with some cool design, when his words are interrupted as he sees the building in front of him, right across the street. A tattoo parlor, a huge pirate ship painted on its glass.
Perhaps Abe would do something similar, having flowers painted on the large windows of his own shop. Maybe a few tulips or trees. That would probably help draw in customers.
Abe steps out of his shop and onto the sidewalk, wanting a closer look at the tattoo parlor. He finds it amusing that a place like that would be across from his peaceful little flower shop. Abe wonders if there was a specific reason for the pirate ship, but thought it was cool nonetheless. Maybe he’ll just ask. He’d just go over and greet his neighbor right now, wouldn’t that be the nice thing to do? Abe wants to have good relationships with the residents of the area, and doesn’t want to be alone after a rough breakup.
Abe walks across the street, approaching the tattoo parlor. He enters through the big double doors of the parlor, the shop bell dingling to indicate that someone was present. Abe doesn’t see anyone here right now, though maybe it just wasn’t busy at this hour. It was cold inside the parlor, giving Abe goosebumps. The walls are lined with art similar to what was on the glass outside; ships, the sea, geographical locations.
Abe hears footsteps and turns his attention that way. The noise seemed to be behind a set of curtains near the back. A small man pushed his way through the curtains, and Abe’s immediate instinct was panic.
He definitely knows this man.
Oh God. It’s Topher Bus. And he definitely recognizes him right back, judging by the sneer on his face.
An uncomfortable silence falls between them as they break into a staring contest. Abe loses, blinking first. The contest was probably just in his own head but he still feels the sting of defeat.
Finally, Topher breaks the silence, declaring with that same patronizing and monotone voice that he had in school.
“You know you’re not supposed to have your car parked in front of a fire hydrant, right?”
“Huh? Oh, shit-”
Abe begins to clamber out the door before a thin, bony hand slaps itself around his upper arm and grips tightly.
“It’s fine, you can just move it later.”
The taller clone turns back around and faces him, shaking off the little (surprisingly strong) hand that still had a grip on him. Topher speaks up again.
“Surprised you even believed me, typically you don’t tend to take my advice! Where even is your girlfriend?”
Abe retracts internally, his hurt from their breakup still fresh.
Back in school, Topher and Abe had been pretty good friends, Abe did consider him his best friend, he’s not sure if the other felt the same, but they had a giant falling out right near the end of college because of Abe’s choice in women. He thinks Topher probably just had his own crush on Joan, but the shorter clone insisted that Abe’s want to date Joan was foolish, and that he should turn his affections elsewhere. Obviously, he didn’t listen, Topher dumped him as a friend, Joan dumped him as a boyfriend, and now he was starting his whole life over.
“Uhm… we sort of…”
Topher smirks, smug, putting his hands on his hips. “See. What did I tell you about dating her?”
“I– I get it, yeah yeah, you were right and I was wrong. But can you not rub it in? I’m still getting over her.”
“I see,” said Topher, though it didn’t really seem to Abe like he cared.
“So… this is your place?” Abe asks, attempting to muster some sort of talk despite how uncomfortable this is. He honestly just wanted to bolt out the door.
“Obviously. No, I’m just here for fun. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“Well, gee, sorry.”
Topher rolled his eyes. “What are you doing here, anyway? Are you getting a tattoo?”
“Uhm, no. Definitely not.” Abe cringes at the thought of having Topher stick a bunch of little needles in his skin. “I was just setting up shop across the street and thought I’d check this place out.”
“What exactly are you setting up? Not another tattoo parlor, I hope.”
“A flower shop!”
Topher looks at him incredulously, his shock painted very obviously on his face. “Since when are you a green thumb?”
Abe nervously scratches the back of his neck. “I sort of took it up during me and Joan’s relationship, needed something to pass the time.”
The shorter man’s face looked like he had a sort of revelation, Abe couldn’t pin what, but he seemed more pleased than before.
“Well, whatever, just don’t darken my doorstep again.”
Abe just nods in understanding. He feels it probably wasn’t good for them to be near each other after what happened near the end of college. Their arguments and harsh words were still fresh in Abe's head. Abe was never too fond of how controlling the other clone was, or how judgemental he was with his preference of women. Topher probably doesn’t want to see him either. Scratch that, Topher definitely didn’t want to see him.
Abe quietly leaves the tattoo parlor, though takes Topher’s advice and moves his car, because he doesn’t particularly have the money to get fined right now. He spends the rest of the evening continuing to set up, but couldn’t help but eye the large ship across the street every once in a while. He’d never thought of Topher as a tattoo kind of guy. Though, he supposes things change, just as he has.
Night fell, and the sun rose again. When Abe drove his car down the road to the shop that morning, he spied Topher. The man is across the street flipping his closed sign to open.
Abe parks his car —far away from the fire hydrant this time— and heads into the shop. He was nervous, this being his first day open and all that. He hopes he can make a living, as he isn’t particularly sure how often people buy flowers.
Within a few hours, he did get a couple customers. Most people had come just to check out what opened up, but a few people did buy. When Abe felt that he could, he went outside for a short break. He sat in the alley behind his shop, giving himself some time to think.
“I don’t know what to do,” he says to nobody but thin air. “I still miss Joan, I’m in a whole new place, I’m lonely, and the only person I know for miles around is Topher freaking Bus!” He lowers his head, sulking. But, that’s when he felt something soft rub up against his leg, causing him to yelp.
“Huh?” Abe glances at his leg, seeing a small white cat happily purring and continuing to rub against him. The cat’s white fur is somewhat dirty, like it had been rolling around in dirt. “Oh, hey little guy!” Abe smiles, holding up the cat with two hands. He looks at the animal’s neck, searching for a collar or a nametag, but found nothing of the sort.
Abe gets up, and takes the cat into shop with him. He isn’t sure if the poor thing is lost or not, but he might as well keep it here in case someone shows up looking for it. Abe gives the animal a quick sink bath, leaving its white fur looking pure and good as new.
The cat seemed overjoyed at the attention, and seemed to be keen on staying at Abe’s side rather than exploring the shop or messing with the plants. Abe couldn’t help but feel happy for the first time in a while.
He scooped up the small furball, a childish grin spreading across his face.
“Hmmm… I think I’ll name you… Dixie!”
He placed the kitty back down at his feet and put his hands on his hips, seeming very proud of himself at the apparently ingenious name he had bestowed upon this feline. A sigh of content, and he turned on his heel to head to his car.
He’s gonna need to go buy toys!
Oh yea, and cat food, too, but toys!
He shuts the door behind him, does a happy little dance in the driver’s seat, then turns the key. He’s back at the shop within an hour.
“Kitty! Kiiittyy! I’m hooome!”
He looks around excitedly, 2 fistfuls of grocery bags crinkling as he snoops around the shop.
He looks underneath the tables, on the desk, inside the cardboard boxes, between the stalks of roses, even inside the cash register! Dixie was nowhere to be found!
“Nooo!!” Abe drops to his knees, the hands of sincerity making him drop the bags before he can even remember he was holding them.
“Oh my God… I haven’t even had it for a DAY! Dinger! What have I done?”
Suddenly, he remembers he can also look outside of the shop, and that he probably left a window open or something. Abe rises to his feet again, and slams his fist into his open palm with resolve. He will find this cat!
He saunters out the door, and his eyes linger just a little bit too long on that ship painting. Ugh. Topher is just as much of a prick as he remembers. He begins to glare when he notices a flash of white right behind the glass of the tattoo shop.
Holy shit. Topher is a cat thief!