Chapter Text
The moon was at its fullest tonight. Isabelle admired its celestial glow in the deep sky before shutting the curtains.
“It’s a little breezy out there,” she said, remembering how the leaves shook with the wind. “Do you want to take a jacket?”
“I’ll be alright,” said Tom, leaning against the counter as he waited for the clock to strike 10 o’clock. He tapped his foot in time with the thinnest hand on the clock, second by second. Isabelle fretfully watched as he crossed his arms.
“It’s already dark outside, shouldn’t you be on your way by now?” She suggested.
Tom insightfully replied. “I want to give Redd plenty of time to think about what he’s going to say.”
Isabelle frowned. She hopped up onto the desk next to him, kicking her legs idly. “I never really thought of him to be the thinking type. Not like you, of course.”
To her surprise, Tom let out a small chuckle. A small smile founds its way on his face. “He’s smarter than you’d first think,” he said. “Behind all the charming nonsense he says...”
Isabelle’s curiosity piqued. “How so?”
Tom’s eyes glinted with familiarity. This was a subject he was well versed in. He tore his gaze away from the clock, rolling his eyes in the process, and hopped onto the counter as well. It seemed he was already prepared to go off on a tangent.
“He just knows a lot about a lot, I suppose,” he began. “He knows how to put plans into action. He’s hard working to boot, too. Probably too much for his own good.”
Sounds like somebody I know, Isabelle thought. The way Tom discussed his old partner so freely was unlike anything she’d heard before. No biting remarks this time. His voice was quiet. Perhaps her plan of softening him up was working.
Cautiously, she spoke.
“What was Redd like when you two were together?”
Something stirred inside Tom. His eyebrows furrowed with concentration and Isabelle thought she had crossed a line, yet the small smile still remained on his face. His crossed arms loosened and his hands fell into his lap.
“Not much different from what he’s like now,” Tom explained. “Always biting off more than he could chew.”
Another chuckle arose from his throat. “We used to be street cleaners in the city, can you believe it? We always swept in front of this big fancy art gallery. The damned owner always insisted that the outside be spotless for any visitors...”
Isabelle tossed the thought around in her mind. Her boss used to be a lowly street-sweeper. What a laugh. She eagerly listened as he prattled on.
“That’s where Redd got the idea to start our own business. He had always wanted to sell his own art, but, he said no one would buy from a nobody off the street. So we decided we’d sell outsourced art. Redd always insisted on swindling those ‘no good pretentious curators.’ He thought once we’d made a name for ourselves, he’d finally be able to get some of his art in a gallery...”
The dreamy look floating in his eyes suddenly darkened and his expression turned rigid once more.
“It was a dumb idea from the start. I was young and stupid then.”
Isabelle’s lips remained sealed and silence took over. Well, so much for that. The clock on the wall distantly ticked, before the sound of ringing bells filled the silence. The hour had turned.
Tom shook his head and gathered himself, sliding off the counter. He left Isabelle at the counter and made for the doors, not in any particular rush, backing into them and pushing them open.
The cold draft rushed in. Tom gave a small, parting nod.
“Don’t wait up,” he said, before slipping outside. The doors slowly fell back into place, keeping out the draft and keeping Isabelle inside.
She sighed.
“I won’t.”
-
The first thing Tom saw was Redd, mindlessly sitting on the boat’s edge, waiting. The moon outlined his dark figure. The second he noticed were the distinct footprints etched into the cold, wet sand, running across the shoreline and back again.
“Someone’s been doing some pacing,” Tom announced, raising his voice over the sound of the waves.
Redd bashfully grinned. “You kept me waiting. I was starting to think you weren’t showing.”
So was I, Tom muttered to himself. Redd patted the spot next to him on the boat’s lip. Tom made his way up the creaking ramp and sat beside him, his legs dangling off the side of the boat. The waves rhythmically kneaded against the shore below their feet. Tom stared down at the water, pitch black like the sky. Cold and deep. A shudder ran through him.
“Cold?” Red asked. “We can head inside if it’s too chilly.”
Isabelle was right. There was a breeze whistling about, just enough to ruffle Tom’s hair. Yet, he shook his head. Nothing good had come from his interactions with Redd inside the depths of his boat. The last thing he needed tonight was a jinx.
“Stubborn as ever,” Redd commented with a light laugh. “You always were a bit headstrong, weren’t you?”
“It’s nothing compared to you,” Tom found himself saying with a little joy in his voice. His shoulders sunk. “I’m not here to talk about me,” he reminded.
“Of course,” Redd sighed. Looking calm and cool as ever, his head lolled back and he stared up at the stars that began to appear in the sky, while Tom stared at the same stars reflected in the ocean below.
“Whatever you’ve been angry at me for for all these years, I’m sorry,” Redd plainly said to the stars. “Can you believe that I mean it and accept an apology?”
“I know you’re not that stupid,” Tom said. “You know what you did. You took everything we made together and gave it to yourself. Legally. Bound by law. So that my thieving hands couldn’t steal all of your riches.”
Redd gasped. “That’s not true at all! You never gave me a chance to explain— to reason with you. You just up and left without a care, like you never even cared about our business that much at all!”
“Then go ahead and explain!” Tom demanded.
Redd stammered. “You... You wouldn’t like my explanation.”
“See! Nothing but excuses. Your actions say it all.”
“Tom, you’re being stubborn again,” Redd said, solemnly, as if he knew he was fighting a losing battle. “You knew full well I would never wanted to hurt you. I loved you.”
So all the cards were on the table now. Redd was using powerful words that shot holes clean through him and Tom wasn’t quite sure he had the ammunition to retaliate.
He gulped. “Maybe so, but you still took what was ours. Some part of you believed I’d get in the way of your precious art,” Tom jeered. Redd frowned. It was a low blow, and Tom knew it. Art was Redd’s passion, but what Tom had a problem with was it being his only passion.
His plan seemed foolproof. Bring the two together. This art thing will be our business. We can work together. And yet, Redd had found a way to foil his plan. That had sealed the deal. A confession that Redd’s passion for art outweighed his love for Tom.
Redd’s ears tilted. “Is that what this is about? You want to blame me for your stupid fear that I’d become some power hungry asshole?”
“I’m blaming you for taking our business and refusing to explain why.”
“You wouldn’t like me if I told you why.”
“I already don’t like you,” Tom declared, meeting Redd’s eyes. “What do you have to lose?”
Redd saw the stars above reflect in Tom’s eyes. Behind the curtain of stars, however, was a familiar look of desperation. Redd swallowed thickly as if too keep the words in his throat from escaping.
“It was all for you, you know. I had to do it. I felt so guilty putting you at risk,” Redd confessed, heaving the huge weight off his faltering lungs. “It was all just shady business, getting art that people would actually want to buy. I had to pull some strings. We would get what we needed through slightly dubious means.”
Tom shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was. Back then he had been under the idea that Redd would never succumb to earning money among the dirty, cheap ways of the world. He was an honest man. That was who Tom had fallen for.
“You said we’d be getting paintings from earnest underground artists!” Tom cried in disbelief. “You lied—?”
“Nobody wants to buy any old painting, Tom!” Redd declared. “They want something special, something rare. Something really valuable. There was no other way, I swear it. We wouldn’t have made it any other way.”
Tom stewed in the information he was being barraged with. “That still doesn’t explain why you put everything in your name,” he insisted.
“I... I knew what I was getting us into was bad, and I couldn’t let you deal with any of the consequences. I put everything in my name so you wouldn’t be held accountable should things, uh, not go as planned,” Redd explained, the word flying from his mouth. He turned to Tom expecting an awestruck face, having finally received the revelation he’d been seeking for so long.
When this wasn’t the case, Redd pressed on. “Don’t you get it now? I did it all for your sake!”
Tom’s features wrinkled with confusion. He should have been happy — he was happy — or at the very least relieved. He had gotten the answer he had come for. And yet, he couldn’t believe what Redd was saying, as much as he yearned to. The fluttering feeling of relief in his chest refused to show.
All for him? That wasn’t possible. That would mean...
His lip quivered. “Do you think I’m stupid or something? That makes no sense!”
“It’s the truth! Believe it if you want,” Redd said.
“No,” Tom refused. “It can’t be the truth! You’re lying to me!”
... No, Tom couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t possibly accept that this was all his fault. If he had only trusted Redd...
Hot tears welled behind his eyes as he drilled his palms into his lap. Something that could be identified as guilt was pounding against his head like a hammer, forcing its way inside, thundering loudly against his eardrums.
“Tom,” Redd said loudly. The wind had begun to pick up, taking the waves with it, now crashing loudly against Redd’s boat. Distantly, a bolt of thunder cracked over the ocean.
A small raindrop pierced on back of Tom’s neck, like a cold reminder.
“Tom,” Redd repeated, raising his voice over the wind. “It’s going to storm. It’s already starting to rain.”
Tom raised his head. The clouds had flooded the inky sky. Behind them, the stars glittered faintly. They glittered and burned, burned brightly. Hot to the touch, they touched him and burned him. No, it’s just.. a hand touched Tom’s shoulder, as gentle as a drop of rain.
“It’s raining,” Redd said, as rain fell upon their heads. “We should head inside.”
Tom muttered something faintly under the guise of the wind. Something that Redd must’ve easily understood, because he stood them both up and wrapped Tom in his arms as the rain fell on them.
“It’s alright. I’m not as stubborn as you, you know,” Redd joked. “I know when to throw the towel in.”
Tom screwed his eyes shut and let Redd hold him, and all the tension in his body washed away with the rain.
—
The metal ceiling spared them no silence, twanging with each raindrop it felt, but Tom was already beginning to drift off to sleep. Wrapped in Redd’s arms like the night before, nothing could keep him awake. The weight of all those sleepless nights had melted off his shoulders. There were no paralyzing thoughts, and nothing to fear this time around.
No thinking.
Redd was already deeply sleeping, mouth helplessly lolling open. His snores nearly overshadowed the sound of the rain.
Tom smiled. His eyes closed.
The bed was soft and springy and it reminded him of their old mattress. The one Redd had complained about time and time again, insisting the springs were protruding out of the bedding.
Tom thought it had never felt more comfortable.
Unconsciously, Redd’s tail wrapped around he and Tom, cradling them both to sleep.
—
The smell of flowers was in the air. The breeze carried the fresh scent into the resident services building as Isabelle opened the window. The sun was just peeking over the horizon.
Isabelle took a deep breath. “Another beautiful day on the island,” she wistfully said.
Her tail swayed to the beat of K.K. Samba playing on the radio. Today she took it upon herself to tidy up the Resident Services building, though much of the crowd today would be idling around outside the building rather than inside. She rhythmically dusted the windowsill and the small bookshelves she had installed by her desk and the front counter until not a speck remained.
She sighed contentedly. “Spick and span. Good job, Isabelle,” she said to herself, setting down her feather duster and admiring her work. She eyed the clock. There was still plenty of time before the festivities were to begin tonight, and almost everything was already in order.
She plopped down in her chair and closed her eyes. Still so much time before the fireworks tonight, she pondered. Her tail suddenly wagged at the thought. The island’s first fireworks show, how fun! She shivered with excitement. Fireworks were always the best part of summer. The noise, toys, and everyone coming together under the brilliant lights was thrilling. Tonight would be especially fun. She continued her busywork and daydreamed of the coming prospect throughout the day, until precisely one hour before the fireworks show was to begin outside and the sun had begun to set. She could hear a few villagers as they had began to gather outside.
Ding, ding.
Isabelle sat upright as her cell phone hummed in her skirt pocket. She quickly fished it out and brought it to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Evening, Isabelle.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“Tom! I was meaning to call you to make sure everything’s in order,” Isabelle greeted. “You’re almost here I assume.”
“Yes, well, almost isn’t exactly the right word…” Tom began. “We’re still, well, a few miles away.”
Isabelle’s eyes widened. “Miles? The show starts in an hour! When did you two leave after getting the fireworks?”
“About half-an-hour ago, but—“
“Half an hour!” Isabelle smacked her palm against her forehead. “You’re not even halfway here?! What am I going to do, the show is in an hour!”
“Well, we thought you could just stall for a little while, yes?”
“Tom.”
“Okay, Redd told me to tell you that. I’m sorry, I didn’t even know the time and before I knew it the sun was already setting!” Tom explained. “Redd’s going as fast as he can.”
“Tell him to go faster! I promised everyone a spectacular fireworks show at 9:00!” Isabelle shouted into her cellphone. “Life on the sea has turned you into a lazy old sailor, has it?”
“Of course not! I—“
Isabelle’s lips curled into a small smile. “Straighten yourself out and hurry over here! Remember, I’m in charge of all island affairs, so I’m your boss now.”
“That’s not exactly how I’d put it, but—“
“No buts! Now get yours over here ASAP!” Isabelle muffled a giggle. “Bye bye now, see you soon!”
Hanging up, Isabelle whistled as she fell back in her chair.
What kind of… asking me to stall for him, oh please! She thought to herself with only some amusement. Though, there wasn’t any other option that she could see.
Then, there was a loud knock at the door. They creaked open just enough for the Rep to pop their head in with a huge smile.
“Isabelle! Everyone’s already here waiting! Are Tom and Redd almost here?” They asked.
Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Oh.. come here, you’ve got to help me with this…”
There would always be time to tell Tom off later, Isabelle thought, and she fully planned on taking advantage of that time, but now, as she recalled what her friend had told her moments before, all she could think of was the giant hug she would be giving him the moment he stepped onto the beach.