"All sorts say that to your face. They don't mean it. Like, no offence, but you don't want me." He didn't even know him. Hadn't seen his piss poor school record or tried to match wits with his shitty dad. He wasn't someone people wanted, he knew that, but he knew that people liked to say otherwise. It made them feel better about themselves. "But I'm glad you got her. She's a proper darling."
He always wanted a little brother or sister. He always liked to take care. He even liked caring for his dad, as thankless as that bullshit was.
"And you don't want a brother from Santa. You can get anything! Get a cool toy, way more fun."
"My dad has soooo many brothers. Brothers are the best." She was convinced of it. So there was no persuading her differently. She offered Gideon the piece of bacon she had been chewing at and Holden snorted, pulling it out of her hand instead.
"Gideon has his own bacon, darling. Eat some more potato, come on." He fed more to her and then looked at Gideon again, not wanting to argue too much with him for now. "I reckon Ollie's brother doesn't know about you?"
He highly doubted it, knowing Greg. "You've found the right young lad there, in Ollie. There's a right little prat."
"Nah, he doesn't. Ollie says he'll kick me out." He had heard him, Greg, mostly yelling up the stairs after Ollie. He wasn't shocked, Ollie seemed like a lot honestly. "I like Ollie, he's a funny lad. Bit odd but who isn't? Nowt as queer as folk."
Gideon finished his plate eagerly and watched Rhia eat her small bite of potato. "You like your daddy's cooking?"
"Nuh-uh," Rhia said honestly, "No one likes it. Felix made the good bits. Daddy just heats stuff."
"I've made the eggs, the beans and toasted the bread, I'll have you know." And, yeah, mostly he just heated stuff and the eggs were both too runny and burnt somehow, but Holden was reasonably proud himself. "I'm afraid I ain't much of a cook. I make a decent cuppa tea."
"And ribena," Rhia praised, "Daddy makes it best."
"Felix... the bloke from the council?" He seemed like a nice sort of bloke, maybe a bit posh and odd but he was alright. He wondered how close he and Holden were. How much they were together? Raising a kid and all of that. Weird. He didn't think two guys could raise a kid but then again, his mom and dad couldn't either.
"I'm gonna head off and find Ollie today but thanks for the sofa. Honestly, mate. It was great." No one was ever that nice to him.
"Don't worry about it, lad. Come by again some time in case you get lost. No need to spend the night in my apple tree." Holden knew he should probably do something more but it might be for the best to play things slow here. Not as if Gideon had any way of leaving the village until Saturday. "Nice greetings to Ollie. Tell him he ought to stay in school, the lazy sod."
"You should come back, Giddy." Rhia had already given him a better name. "We need to play Postman Pat more. Cause I'm the cat."
"I'll... maybe I'll stop by again, yeah?" Gideon picked up the Postman Pat cat toy off the couch and came over, gently booping her face with it and letting her take it to hold. He smiled awkwardly at Holden and then took off towards the door. "I think you're cooking is good, for the record. Great toast!"
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He always wanted a little brother or sister. He always liked to take care. He even liked caring for his dad, as thankless as that bullshit was.
"And you don't want a brother from Santa. You can get anything! Get a cool toy, way more fun."
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"Gideon has his own bacon, darling. Eat some more potato, come on." He fed more to her and then looked at Gideon again, not wanting to argue too much with him for now. "I reckon Ollie's brother doesn't know about you?"
He highly doubted it, knowing Greg. "You've found the right young lad there, in Ollie. There's a right little prat."
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Gideon finished his plate eagerly and watched Rhia eat her small bite of potato. "You like your daddy's cooking?"
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"I've made the eggs, the beans and toasted the bread, I'll have you know." And, yeah, mostly he just heated stuff and the eggs were both too runny and burnt somehow, but Holden was reasonably proud himself. "I'm afraid I ain't much of a cook. I make a decent cuppa tea."
"And ribena," Rhia praised, "Daddy makes it best."
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"I'm gonna head off and find Ollie today but thanks for the sofa. Honestly, mate. It was great." No one was ever that nice to him.
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"You should come back, Giddy." Rhia had already given him a better name. "We need to play Postman Pat more. Cause I'm the cat."
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Of course, he had low standards. "Laters."