Chapter Text
The sun was still slightly hidden behind dim clouds when they arrived at the house.
Will glanced to his right and lightly shook the sleeping six-year-old in the passenger seat of the pickup truck holding the few boxes containing his and his daughter’s entire lives. “We’re here, pumpkin,” he announced softly as he parked the vehicle on the well-used dirt driveway in front of the house.
The young girl stirred in her seat before opening her eyes and turning towards her father. “…Are we there yet?” she asked with a yawn and a wide stretch of her arms, waking the mixed-breed dog curled on her lap.
Will let out a breathy chuckle. “Yeah, we’re here,” he took the keys out of the ignition and unbuckled his seat belt. “C’mon. You and Winston can scope out the area while I move the boxes inside.”
At the sound of his name, the canine yipped, making his partner in crime grin at her father before opening the large truck door. Winston hopped out from the passenger seat, landing on the rough ground and awaiting the girl’s descent.
She soon followed, ignoring Will’s offer to help her down, instead opting to jump down from the truck’s step bar. With that, Clarice and her furry companion ventured off onto the vast plane that was a part of their new home. “Don’t go past the tree line!” Will warned after the pair, a small smile on his lips. He watched for a few moments to make sure his words had been taken to heart, before opening the driver’s door and stepping onto the grassy lawn.
-
It was around noon when Clarice decided to wake her father from his nap. He had spent most of the morning moving their belongings into their new home and unpacking the bathroom and kitchen boxes before taking a “break” and almost instantly passing out.
Will was slumped up against the kitchen wall when he felt small hands shake his arm. “Papa, wake up,” his daughter whined from beside him. “I’m hungry,” she stated, her insistent shaking never letting up.
The man rubbed at his eyes with the hand of his unoccupied arm and turned to rest it on Clarice’s head. “Alright, alright,” he sighed. “Let’s go grab some food.” Will stood from the floor and examined the kitchen area, realizing the absent lump of fur. His eyebrows furrowed, “Where’s Winston?”
“In the living room,” Clarice answered with a point to the doorway that led to said room. The pair stalked through the entrance, Will taking note of the sleeping dog curled on his plush bed near the unlit fireplace.
He thought about the lack of food in the kitchen and realized they’d have to go into town. He sighed, turning to his daughter. “What do you wanna eat, pumpkin?” he asked, already knowing her answer.
The little girl brought her finger to her chin, tapping it as in deep thought. “Hmm… can we get burgers?” she asked, a wishful look making its way into her eyes.
Will let out another sigh, this time with a playful smirk. “I guess we can make that happen,” he replied, smiling harder when his daughter started towards the front door in excitement. As he grabbed his keys and followed her toward the truck, he relished the look stuck on her face. It had been a while since he had seen her so animated, given the chaos of the past few weeks. It was what he had wished for the most, when deciding to finally break things off with Matthew and move to their own place. He just hoped his efforts were enough to keep things this way.
-
The pair of brunettes made their way down the sidewalk of a nearby strip mall, the comforting summer breeze flowing over them. They walked hand-in-hand, Clarice’s left harboring a half-eaten ice-cream cone. Will had planned on simply going into town, getting food, and returning to their less crowded house in peace, though, his daughter had other things in mind.
It was the summer before the young girl started kindergarten, and unlike her father, she wanted to look her best in the new environment. Clarice had convinced him to take her to pick out some new clothes, even though the ones she already owned had never been seen by her unknown new classmates. Will gave in pretty quickly, glad that his daughter would get to experience the joys of a stable school life.
As they treaded through the small bustle of people, Clarice spotted a clothing boutique to her left. “Papa, look!” she said, tugging on Will’s hand as she pointed to the store’s window with her nearly empty cone. In the window stood a child-sized mannequin, donned in a pale blue dress with a white, floral pattern, paired with a knitted, white cardigan and pale blue scalloped Mary Janes, among other accessories.
Will surveyed the other display outfits, quickly realizing that this store was meant for a demographic that they certainly did not fit into. “…I don’t know about this one, Clare. Why don’t we try to find something else?” he replied, softly trying to guide her away from the shop. Though, when he glanced down to gauge the girl’s face, he knew his efforts were useless. Will sighed, “Okay, two outfits.” Clarice turned toward him, expression lightening. “Then, we go home and you have to help me unpack our rooms, alright?”
“Deal!” the six-year-old exclaimed before letting go of her father’s hand and rushing into the boutique, the man following closely behind.
A soft “ding” signaled their entry as the door was pushed open. Clarice quickly made her way toward the model barring the clothing that caught her eye. Will trusted her enough to examine the rest of the little shop without worrying about her touching or ruining any items inside. While examining the goods the place offered, he realized the store was closer to an accessory boutique than a clothing one; there was a notable lack of clothing – only one small rack holding the softest sweaters Will had ever felt, and another with a mix of sturdy and lighter jackets and coats – while the rest of the merchandise included a variety of elegant jewelry, ties, headpieces, and other expensive looking accessories the man would never seek out.
“Hello. Is there anything you two are looking for in particular?” came a smooth, accented voice from behind Will.
He nearly jumped from the sound, not hearing any approaching footsteps on the hardwood floor near him. He turned, and was met with an overly elegant man, who he assumed to be the owner of the shop. He had a few inches on Will, his body harboring a pristine three-piece suit. He was older, the crinkles in the corners of his eyes and the ashy blonde hair neatly resting on his head giving that away. Their eyes met for a split moment, the contact bringing a wave of insight the brunette was not expecting. Darkness. Grace. Confidence. Inhuman. Façade.
Will snapped his eyes towards the stranger’s eyebrow, seeing more than enough. The man before him held a polite smile, patiently awaiting a response to his question.
“Hi…,” Will started, taking a brief step back, “My daughter was interested in the dress on display, the blue one.”
A slight tone of dejection entered the man’s voice, completely contrasting with the brazen demeanor Will had gathered from him. “I apologize, that set is not available for purchase,” his eyes returned to Will’s, seemingly intent on maintaining eye contact. “I do, however, have a selection of hair pieces and jewelry that complement the character of the set, if you’d be amenable,” with that, the man stepped toward the favored outfit. Will quickly followed, assuring the shopkeeper kept a comfortable distance from the young girl still inspecting the set with wide eyes.
He set a gentle but protective hand on Clarice’s shoulder, feeling her look up and lean into his touch simultaneously. Will felt pride blossom in his chest, glad that his daughter understood him enough to gauge his unease and trust his lead. They’d never discussed Will’s empathy in full detail, Will wanting to save the child from hearing about her father’s troubled history with his brain being poked and prodded at in childhood and attempts at such in adulthood. He had, however, suspected that his empathic traits had passed on to Clarice, whether through genetics or her upbringing. Regardless, the young brunette had always seemed in tune with others, especially her father, an aspect Will was highly grateful for in situations similar to these.
The older man was looking down at the pair, a hidden curiosity in his eyes. He kept his hands clasped neatly behind his back, politely explaining the unfortunate circumstances to the girl before him.
She frowned, turning to her father. “But I…,” she trailed, obviously upset but knowing better than to target her frustration towards her innocent father.
“I know, honey,” Will lifted his hand to her head, lightly massaging her scalp. “They have other stuff. Why don’t you look around a bit? We can get clothes later.”
Clarice’s sullen expression didn’t lighten much, but she walked away regardless, heading toward the opposite end of the small building where a table of necklaces and bracelets lay. Will sighed before turning back to face the owner.
“Sorry, I should’ve guessed it was just for display,” he murmured, scratching the back of his neck with his now stray hand.
An attentive smile was still gracing the other’s face. “That’s quite alright. A colleague of mine suggested I implement more child-favored merchandise, upon recently discovering this set,” he briefly indicated the set with a smooth sway of his hand, before it quickly fell back into place behind him. “Her intention was to display inspiration for which my new product could be paired with. It seems neither of us foresaw patrons taking a strong interest in the set.”
Will turned to face his daughter, watching her take a clumsy bite out of her cone and quickly wipe the stray crumbs off of the table and into her empty hand before depositing them into her mouth. Will grimaced, making a note to remind her of the danger of germs later. “It’s fine. She’ll find something else and then we’ll be on our way.”
“Please, take your time.”
Will sensed a brush of air near the back of his head and slowly glanced over his shoulder. The handsome owner was now a few steps closer, his features giving away the source of air. “…Did you just smell me?” He asked, mortified and somewhat intrigued.
To his surprise, the older man didn’t try to hide his lack of remorse. “Difficult to avoid,” he replied, holding that annoyingly proper grin. “Your aftershave smells of something with a ship on the bottle.”
Will looked up again, this time meeting his gaze and keeping it. The man didn’t frighten him so much as unsettle him. Will had his fair share of run ins with… interesting people – his past employment as a homicide detective made sure of that. The man before him, though, was a rare breed. Not only did he allow for slivers of his inner self to slip from beneath a cleverly curated veil, he also was nearly impossible to fully read. Will wasn’t a magician; he couldn’t tell a person’s whole life story from just one look into their eyes. He could, however, tell more about them than he currently could with the unnerving individual behind him.
Their staring contest lasted a few more moments, until Clarice came strolling back toward them. Will immediately turned his attention to her, thankful for the positive presence. The young girl seemed more pleased now, bringing with her a set of fish earrings made of vibrant blue stones and a golden chain harboring a crystal flower pendant.
Clarice held the earrings out. “I got something for you, too,” she exclaimed.
Will plucked the set from her tiny hand, presenting her with a smile. “Thanks, pumpkin,” he set his other hand on top of her head before turning to the older man still behind him.
“If you will follow me,” he stated, guiding the pair to the counter against the back wall of the store.
The checkout was quick, the owner giving Will is total and handing him the appropriate change. Will was almost certain the jewelry cost more than what he was told, but he didn’t push the matter, happily paying the thirty dollars. The older man didn’t seem like someone who’d need the extra money anyway.
After bagging up the items, the man swiftly moved around the counter and handed the small package to Clarice. She accepted it with a polite “thank you” and turned to grab her father’s hand, preparing for their walk back to his truck.
“It was a pleasure to meet you both. I hope to see you here another time,” the man stated, voice velvety as his eyes stayed trained on Will’s. He didn’t return the favor, instead gently pulling his daughter’s hand and guiding them out of the store.
The drive back to their new home was filled with Clarice’s favorite music, her gathering her taste in older songs from her father. ‘Run of the Mill’ by George Harrison sifted through the lowered windows of the pickup truck as the pair glided down the open road. While the younger brunette quietly raved about her new necklace in the passenger seat, Will’s thoughts were filled with the stranger from the boutique.
Will discovered a long time ago that he was an overly curious person, especially when his interest presented itself in the form of a handsome man who obviously was hiding something sinister. His recent and only relationship, however, taught him that some things were better left unknown. Delving into the mysteriousness of alluring strangers was never a smart path to take, and he’d be damned if he was going to put himself into another situation with an unstable person who lacked self-control. Especially now that he had more than just himself to look after.
He peeked to his right, the passenger of the vehicle happily singing along to the sounds flowing from the speakers of the truck. The last six years of his life had been dedicated to just the two of them, all of Will’s passions and energy put to the test to prove that he could give them both the lives they deserved. Will knew he wasn’t the world’s best father, but he would always try. And that meant he couldn’t act on every impulse he had.
The shopkeeper was dangerous, and thus, Will and Clarice had to keep their distance from him.
He would soon realize that the task was much easier said than done.