Chapter Text
“Here, Gabe, its cold out…” Scarecrow mutters; tossing Gabriel his jacket. Gabriel catches it with a smile and puts it on, reveling in the warmth.
“Fall is so pretty…” Gabriel says wistfully, walking to the hotel window. He looks out and sees the city they were in, and outside were a few trees. Each were now a deep burnt red and orange, the color change catching in Gabriel’s mind.
He used to hate change. He used to hate fall. He was so scared of change once, but…when he met Lugaid…and was shown a new world…he realized how much beauty he was missing. And...while change was scary…
Gabriel glances behind him, smiling when he sees Scarecrow doing his makeup in the hotel mirror.
Change also brought good things. He would have never met Elderane or Scarecrow if he weren’t thrown into new changes such as this. Gabriel was still scared of this world, but…he had Scarecrow. Gabriel now knew that change was…a good thing. Even he had changed so much since the start of his journey…
Over the past few months, he really learned to appreciate life for what it was. Change was good. Scary…but good.
“Yeah, well, pretty as it is, its still gonna be cold…” Scarecrow grumbles, closing the lid on his eyeliner. “We have enough money, and there’s a Starbucks in the lobby, want something?” He asks, rolling his eyes with a smile when he sees Gabriel’s face light up.
“Oh, yes! Can I get the hot chocolate?!” He asks excitedly, his eyes bright. Scarecrow laughs and nods, throwing his things in his bag.
“Sure, ya time capsule, sure…” He says, happy that Gabriel was happy. It had been about three months since they met, and Scarecrow was proud of how far Gabriel had come. He was getting some weight back and looking much more energized, he didn’t get sick as much, and his optimism never faltered. He still got scared of certain modern things, but he was learning. He could read and write English pretty well by now, and was becoming much more adept. Scarecrow was proud.
But still…
Scarecrow glances over at the TV, the weather station on. He sees the weekly forecast and saw…the temperatures just kept dropping. It was November and…with fall, came winter. And they still were nowhere near close enough to affording a house or apartment or anything to last it out…
The man sighs, using the remote to turn off the TV. He was…worried. Gabriel had lived alone in the woods before they met, and…now they were going to be on the streets in winter. Scarecrow couldn’t provide as much either...there weren’t as many paid gigs for him to do now, so money was tighter. He just…didn’t want Gabriel to endure homelessness in the winter. If he got sick and…if they were outside…
Sighing, he shakes his head of the thought. Scarecrow didn’t know what to do.
All he wanted was to keep Gabriel safe, but…he couldn’t do that when they had no money, and it was winter. Gabriel would never complain, though. He never did. Even when he was within right to, he never complained because he was happy to just have Scarecrow. And…the guilt suffocated him.
Because he couldn’t look after Gabriel properly forever if they kept living like this. But Gabriel just didn’t care. He always smiled and always kept his optimism. Scarecrow didn’t understand why. They had little food, only a few nights of shelter at a time, and slept on the street the rest. Gabriel should hate him. He should hate their situation and hate Scarecrow. But…he doesn't.
Scarecrow glances beside him, where he saw Gabriel’s open journal. He saw a few pencil sketches on one of the pages, some of the drawings of Scarecrow.
Gabriel just…liked him. He stuck by him and kept promising he’d never leave. Scarecrow wanted to believe that, but…everyone left him eventually. Gabriel would see how bad a caretaker he is and find someone better, and leave. It was inevitable.
But…Scarecrow wouldn’t complain then. Because he promised to protect Gabriel. And if that meant he was safer with someone else, then…that’s OK. He just has to keep Gabriel safe until then. He did care about Gabriel, so much, and he’d hate to say goodbye, but…
If it meant Gabriel was warm and happy, then…Scarecrow would do anything. He just wanted Gabriel safe. He had to keep his promise.
Shaking his head of his spiraling thoughts, Scarecrow pulls himself to his feet, grabbing his bag.
“Alright, let’s go check out…” He says, putting on a fake smile. He couldn’t let Gabriel know he had fears. He had to be strong for him no matter what. Gabriel smiles back and grabs his own bag and journal, the two of them leaving the hotel room.
They got to the lobby and checked out, and Scarecrow smiles warmly when he sees Gabriel approach him with two drinks.
“I got your favorite!” Gabriel says brightly, handing a warm cup to Scarecrow. The man laughs and takes it, the warmth making his hands feel better as they entered the brisk outside, an overcast fall day before them.
“Thanks, Gabe.” Scarecrow says with a smile, watching happily as Gabriel drank his own drink, his eyes never losing their brightness.
He really didn’t deserve Gabriel...sometimes Scarecrow thought this too good to be true. Just a dream, where he had someone worth caring about, who cared about him. But...as the cold win hits his face, he knows this is no dream.
But if they couldn't find shelter for the winter...their situation would soon become a nightmare.
~
Scarecrow shoves his hands in his pockets, his heart heavy as he walks beside Gabriel. Money was tight, so they had to go to out of the city to find a cheaper hotel. Scarecrow sighs, the air crisp and biting. They were beside a desolate back-road highway in the middle of nowhere between towns. A cornfield was to the side of them, the sunlight shining through the tall stalks as it cast shade onto the duo. The hotel was a mile up the road.
“This is nice!” Gabriel says happily, walking along the grass with a smile. “The air is much cleaner out here!” Scarecrow smiles at his optimism.
“I guess it is…” Scarecrow says softly, looking around. It was calmer and quieter here. No cars were out, and the smell of the cornfield was a nice change from the stuffy city smell they had to deal with.
“Are you alright?”
Scarecrow looka beside him, shaken out of his thoughts as he meets Gabriel’s curious gaze. His friend had his jacket on and a small scarf, a blissful smile on his face.
“Yeah, Gabe…I’m fine…”
“You seem upset…”
“Just tired, Gabe…and cold…”
“Yes, it is cold, but we’ll be OK! We’re always OK!” Gabriel says happily. Scarecrow lets out a breath and smiles genuinely back, nodding in agreement.
“Yeah…I guess we are, aren’t we?” He says, recalling all they’ve been through. They’ve run into a lot of trouble, but…they always got out of it. They helped each other, and…they carried on. Together.
"Here! To keep you warm!" Gabriel says, pulling his fleece blanket out of his bag, throwing it at Scarecrow's head, the blanket covering his face.
"G-Gabe, Jesus!" Scarecrow laughs, pulling it off himself. He hears Gabriel snicker.
"Your hair is messy now." He says with a teasing smile, and Scarecrow quickly pats down his hair.
"I'll show you messy!" Scarecrow says, thwacking Gabriel over the head with the blanket, the younger man snickering more.
"Hey, cut it out!" Gabriel laughs, grabbing the blanket, about to throw it back at Scarecrow.
"You started it, you little-AGH!!!"
Scarecrow cries out, tripping on a corn cob that was discarded on the ground, sending him tumbling into the ditch beside the cornfield. He lands with a thud, hissing in pain as the sharp broken cornstalks on the edge dig into his side. He grumbles as his ankle aches.
"Crow! Are you OK?!" Gabriel cries, running to him. Scarecrow sits up, swiping the crisp leaves out of his hair.
"Fine, fine, just tripped is all." He says, his face a bit red.
"Do you need a band-aid?" Gabriel asks, but Scarecrow shakes his head.
"No, no I'm alright." He says, his voice quiet. Gabriel tilts his head sadly, and stands, holding his hand out to his friend. Scarecrow smirks, and takes it, letting Gabriel help him stand. He puts pressure on his foot, thankful he didn't twist it.
"Thanks, Gabe." Scarecrow says, rubbing his cheek, feeling the dirt staining it. He didn't need to look like a fool, today...
"Of course! Look, we're almost to the hotel, a warm shower will help you feel better!"
"Oh yeah it will, so come on, let's keep moving...I'm sick of being in this ditch." He grumbles, chucking a fallen corn cob over his shoulder back into the field.
Gabriel nods, and the two start walking, with Scarecrow turning to climb out of the ditch. He saw Gabriel wasn't beside him.
"Gabe, come on! We gotta get there before dark-"
“CROW, LOOK!!!” Gabriel screams, making Scarecrow whirl around in shock.
“What is it, Gabe?!” Scarecrow says, not liking the fear in Gabriel’s voice. He slides back down into the shallow ravine, and reaches Gabriel, immediately seeing what made Gabriel scream. He feels his blood run cold.
“Oh, I hope he’s not dead!” Gabriel cries brokenly, running ahead as Scarecrow stands still, watching his friend kneel beside an unmoving body on the side of the road beside the cornfield.
“What the fuck…” Scarecrow whispers, his body moving on its own as he runs ahead towards Gabriel and the body. He skids to a halt, looking the person over. It was a man in some…old-timey fancy outfit. Victorian he guessed…
Scarecrow sets his guitar case down, kneeling beside the man in the ditch, looking him over. He was unmoving and slightly pale. Scarecrow…didn’t see breathing.
“Alright, I’ve seen movies, I know how to deal with this…” Scarecrow says flatly, pulling a match out from his coat pocket.
“Wait, wait! He’s alive, Crow!” Gabriel says excitedly, his hand on the person’s neck. Scarecrow blinks, squinting as he looks closer.
“Is he? Damn, I’m glad you checked…” He mumbles, putting the match away.
“Here, help me turn him over…” Gabriel says, and with Scarecrow’s help the duo turn the limp man over, though both their eyes widen when they see his face.
“Oh, my fucking god…” Scarecrow whispers, his blood freezing. Gabriel just stares at the man; his mind blank in shock.
The man on the ground before them…was them. It was another double, though this one looked slightly older than Scarecrow. His hair was the same scruffy fluffy style, though it was curled a bit.
“It’s…another one of us…” Gabriel says softly, placing his hand on the stranger’s chest. He could feel a heartbeat. It was slow, but it was there.
“No way…” Scarecrow mutters in disbelief, but…it was true. The man was an exact copy of them of in almost every way.
“C-Crow, what do we do?!” Gabriel cries, his nerves rising. “He could be hurt…”
“He doesn’t…look hurt…” Scarecrow says, looking the man over. He hadn’t a scratch or bruise on him. But he still looked pale and weak. Taking in a breath, Scarecrow opens the man’s jacket, looking inside the pockets. He pulls out a pocket watch, the thing old but ticking away. He sets it back and keeps looking, smiling when he finally finds a small leather wallet.
“What are you doing?” Gabriel says, annoyed. "Don't you dare rob him!" He scolds, but Scarecrow ignores him.
“Odd…” Scarecrow mutters, eying the wallet’s contents. “There’s no driver’s license…”
“Why do you need that?”
“I wanna see his name, or any information…but there’s nothing, he doesn’t even have a credit card…” Scarecrow says, looking at the barren wallet. It just had a bunch of loose cash, some receipts with odd sketches on the back, and some coupons for various grocery stores.
Gabriel looks down, eying the tiny trinket Scarecrow had found before. He picks it up, though the other end of the chain was attached to the man’s vest. Gabriel examines it, his eyes widening when he hits a button and the trinket opens, revealing a clock inside.
“Fascinating…” Gabriel says wistfully, closing the watch again. He was about to set it down, when something catches his eye on the back of it. “Oh! Crow, here!” Gabriel says excitedly, handing the watch to Scarecrow.
“What are you-…”
“It says ‘Property of...Aaron Blackwell’!” Gabriel says with a smile, pointing to an engraving on the back. Scarecrow squints and tilts his head, eying the fine cursive inscription. It did indeed say Aaron Blackwell.
“Well…there’s his name…” Scarecrow says flatly, looking the odd man over. It was a very old fashioned name. And he was dressed old fashioned…
Maybe like Gabriel, he was from the past…
“What do we do? He won’t wake up…” Gabriel says, shaking the man on the ground again, though nothing changed. He was downright comatose.
“Well…we can’t fucking leave him here…”
“Let’s take him with us!” Gabriel says excitedly. “Maybe he’s lost like we are…”
Scarecrow was about to protest, though he pauses, eying the pleading and excited look in Gabriel’s eyes. He had found Gabriel in a similar case. Lost, alone, starving, and sickly. Abandoned. And…Scarecrow helped him…and now they have each other...
“Please…?” Gabriel whispers softly; his bright eyes shining with hope.
Scarecrow had helped Gabriel...and now Scarecrow had a friend he cared about. He glances down, looking this odd man over. He hated thinking about what would have become of Gabriel if he hadn’t helped him. He couldn’t succumb this stranger to such a fate.
He had to do what’s right. Especially if they were all connected in some way...
“Alright, grab his arms, this will be tricky…” Scarecrow says, pulling himself up as he swings his guitar case over his shoulder. Once set up, he helps Gabriel lift the man, cursing a bit at how heavy he was. But, they were able to get him up and support him between him, the man’s head lolling forward. He didn’t respond in the slightest.
“I hope he’s nice…” Gabriel says, walking ahead once more, though now there were three of them.
“If he’s not, and he even thinks about hurting us, I’ll knock his lights out so fast he won’t be able to comprehend it…” Scarecrow sneers, walking along the road. But...he didn’t want this man to be bad. If this really were another double…he was one of them. And maybe…just maybe…
He could be a friend as well.