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A young man itched the purple scruff across his jawline. Dirt all over his skin, smudged on his nose, hair greasy and eyes dark and worn. He was sitting in town, nothing much to do and too much at stake to get up to any trouble. The spring season should bring an opportunity, or at least he prayed so. Shadow had planned this for nearly a year. He had saved up and ran off. Not very far granted, but taking an entire year to save up enough money for a handful of meals and a oneway bus ticket a town over spoke volumes for his past situation. The sun beat down on his tanned skin, but this morning it was refreshing. It was still chilly in the nights for another few weeks, and sleeping in the alley had been less than pleasant. He sincerely hoped his grungy state would not deter any job offers. It was wishful thinking. The sound of a horse trotting into town slowing to walk made his ears perk up. Shadow looked from under his black stetson as a well cared for mare strode proudly onto the cobbles.
He watched a blonde man ride in like he did every day. Shadow could tell from a single glance he knew exactly how to ride that horse and had since he could toddle. He tied her up and posted a little paper on the local square's community board. He perked up as the man walked away to conduct other business in town. Shadow read his two favorite words, his prayers to the Goddesses heard: “Help Wanted.”
He took the flyer with, held in his heavily calloused hands. The walk up was a nice one, the sun coming out and birds going crazy. Shadow followed the worn path to the massive and impressive ranch. He could see several people about and wondered just who exactly he needed to talk to. He glanced at the paper that stated: “Inquire with one of the Link brothers.” He assumed everyone local knew what they looked like and who they were to have no trouble identifying them. He sighed and shut the fence gate behind him, deciding he would just ask whoever he saw first. The corrals and barn were mighty, old enough to be family passed but in good shape. The colorful red, blue, green, yellow and purple paint was sun bleached. What a peculiar choice, he hummed with admiration. A very large house stood a ways into the property, a proper farmhouse. Painted lady style with a wrap around porch. He whistled low and moved on with the search.
Luckily it was a man in a blue tunic with the exact hair color as the poster that he found. He assumed that must mean they were related therefore: a Link brother. Also thankfully they didn’t seem too busy, standing and analyzing something in the field.
“‘Scuse me.” He startled the other out of a thought. He waves the paper in the air like a white flag. “Y’all lookin’ fer hands? I got two.” Shadow grins that charming smile of his, where one side goes up just far enough to reveal the dimple. The man was tall, and had the usual gruff about him of a homegrown farmboy. He looked decidedly strong and had a few forge burn scars on his arms. They must make their own tools and shoes, Shadow admires. He gave Shadow the once over, pausing to analyze him at various parts. His eyes were a deep dark blue. Shadow had never seen an ocean, but he imagined that is what the deepest part looked like. He boldly took his free hand. A spark zipped up from the touch. He flipped it over, looked for something, and then nodded. He seemed satisfied with whatever he found.
“You’ll do.” He rasped and let go. “Follow me.” not a man of many words it seems. Slightly shell shocked at his immediate acceptance, he has to jog to catch up. The man in blue led him up to the house. A cat was already lounging in the sunlight on the porch and an absolutely massive huskie started wagging his tail. It got faster the closer they got. The man scratched his head as he passed the pet. Shadow gave him some head pets too, rubbing his cheeks.
“Aww who’s a good dog? The bestest? I bet you are!” He couldn’t resist. The basically wolf gave a soft “Wuff!” in response.
He holds the screen door for him with an amused look and Shadow enters the kitchen after him. It smelled like coffee and his mouth watered. It had been so long since he had gotten any coffee, even just a shitty instant kind. Another young man was sitting at the table, much more lithe than the other. His shoulders shrouded with a plum cardigan. Again, he had the same shade of blonde hair, perhaps darker in tone. His was far longer. It was kept back in a long fishtail braid down his back and little square glasses sat on his long nose. His eyes were downcast to a table of papers and a half full mug of coffee precariously next to the documents. He had a pencil in hand and the tall man had to clear his throat three times for him to get pulled away.
“Oh!” This voice was a bit deeper, more velvet. As Shadow looked between the pair he was struck dumb. They had differences but as sure as the day was long they had the same damn face. They were subtle, the table man’s nose a bit longer, and on second inspection of the first man he had broken his nose at some point and it had healed a bit crooked. His skin was not as sun kissed and his eyes a bit more lidded than the other’s. Despite all that there was no mistaking they had to be twins. “Who is this?” The buff man opened and shut his mouth.
“Didn’t ask.” He crossed his arms.
“Charming as always I see. Why is he here?” Blue just pointed to the advert in Shadow’s hand. “Already?” His manicured eyebrows shot up to his forehead. “Oh shit!” he seems to put himself together into a different mode. “My apologies.” He stands up and offers a hand to Shadow, who takes it firmly. Vio’s hand is so much larger it surprises him. “You may call me Vio, short for Violet. This grump,” he hooks a thumb over at the first man. “Is Blue.”
“Pleashure ta meetcha darlin’, ahm Shadow.” He shook a few more seconds than strictly necessary. Vio’s cheeks turned a little pink from the prolonged contact, but he brushed it off easy enough.
“He looks like he can work. I said he can stay.” Blue waves as he leaves them to it. “I have fence measures to consider, don’t bother me.” He leaves, the dog getting up and following Blue to the yard this time, tail swaying happily.
“Please have a seat,” Vio gestured to the dining table he was set up at and padded into the all wood kitchen. He got the vibe this place was built with love by hand. Shadow did just that, careful not to get any of his dirt on the papers. He pours coffee into a mug. “Sugar or cream?”
“Naw, thanks.” Shadow cradles the precious caffeine when it’s handed to him. He takes a deep inhale. Beautiful, perfect, delicious dark roast coffee. He gives a little “Mmm.” as he sips. Real hand ground beans drip coffee. “Perfect.”
“Man after my own heart,” Vio chuckles and sits back across from him. “Did Blue even explain the details of the job, or just grunt in your general direction?” Shadow laughs and catches his eyes for a moment. His heterochromia seems to catch Vio off guard. Shadow blinks, trying to keep a smile and open expression. The lack of commentary about it was a good sign, though. No negative response was always a win in his book. The blue was fine, but the ruby red sometimes scared people.
Shadow admired Vio’s half lidded gaze. It seemed to be their natural state. They had the same dark blue as Blue’s but there was something sharper in the color he couldn’t place. A wit that he just might enjoy. “Well, basically it is typical farm and ranch hand work.” He gives him an appraising once over, “Something tells me you have the required job experience we need.” Shadow nods. “You will get paid a minimum wage, but the position is live-in.” His heart speeds up. He didn’t know that, but that was incredibly lucky. Shadow hadn’t thought that far ahead, just seen the ranch’s name and impulsively went.
“You are free to come and go on days off or downtime obviously. You will have a private room upstairs that locks, with a bed, a dresser, a desk, and a wardrobe. We have two bathrooms upstairs and a water closet downstairs. We will provide you with meals but you are free to also cook your own food should you choose. Anything Red plans on using or things that are strictly someone’s will be labeled as such. Please also label things you do want anyone else to end up eating if you want snacks or the like. It will be eaten, trust me.”
Vio taps his chin. “You are also free to use supplies, cleaning, food staples, or otherwise, but we may also ask you to pick up things in town if you’re going. We will give you money for that of course,” he adds at Shadow’s skeptical look. For now the work is seasonal, but if you get along well with everyone and you know what you are doing we can discuss a more long-term position.” he takes a breath, “You will also be expected to follow a few house rules but none of them are outlandish. Just your typical: clean up after yourself, do not be a dick, do not take labeled food that is not yours, wash your dishes, wait your turn ecceterra.” Vio waves a hand in the air while he talks expressively. “The pay is two hundred given at the end of each week.” Shadow’s eyes widened significantly. Did he think that was minimum wage!? “Any questions?”
He takes a sip of the coffee to calm down and mull over. That was so much money, there had to be a catch.
“Why are y’all hiring?”
“Ah,” Vio’s face falls for a moment before catching it. “Our Father is not as young as he used to be, and with our Mother gone…he does more than he should. This winter he threw out his back dealing with the snow. It has bothered him for quite some time, but that was the final straw. Chronic wear and pain has him “out of the game” as my brother puts it. It is a large pair of shoes for all of us to fill, we just cannot do it alone.” Shadow nods, understanding.
“A’course. Famely is impor-ent.” The silence that follows is a little awkward.
“Well?”
“Well?” Shadow looks up at him over the mug. “Oh!” He feels dumb, he was waiting for an answer. “Yes. Absolutely. Count me in.”
“Excellent!” Vio claps his hands, “You can start tomorrow. Please feel free to use today to get settled in and grab your bags and unpack.” Shadow internally winces. Everything he owned was currently on him or in the small side bag slung across his shoulder. “Have a nice hot bath, get a meal, meet everyone…” Vio gives him a genuine smile. “Green was the one who went into town, but Red should be back in around one to take lunch. Blue too if we can drag his ass inside.” The barn colors were making sense now, Shadow nodded to show he was listening. He couldn’t judge, his name is Shadow for Din’s sake. “If you need it the laundry wash room is down the hall,” he points to a hall. “and to the right. Your room is third on the left side upstairs, it is the only one without a name placard so you cannot miss it.”
“Thank yew. Ah’m lookin’ forward to workin’ with ya.” They shook hands one last time and Vio turned his attention back to the pages of numbers before him, a dismissal.
Shadow wanders upstairs, leaving the cute man to his work. He can’t believe this farm has two boys that are absolutely his type. Both stunning visibly, his weakness for blondes a peak factor. Both appear strong willed to a fault in different ways. He found a bathroom first. The last thing he wanted was to get muck and grime of a few weeks living homeless all over his new room. He admired the tap for a moment. Not only did they have indoor plumbing, but there were hot and cold runes on the faucet. Shadow could take a hot bath with soap and he didn’t have to boil it pail by pail over a shitty fire. He decided right there he was going to do his absolute damned best to get hired on for long term employment. A giddy little grin grew as he turned on the faucet. It was so warm.
Shadow put down his hat on the bathroom counter. He piled his clothes into the waiting knit sack for him to clean. Shadow stared at himself in the mirror. The ugly cattle prod scar with the symbol for his last employment haunted his reflection. While it had healed ten years ago, Shadow could still feel the horrible sting. The smell of burnt flesh would forever be ingrained in his mind’s eye. He turned away from it, and for first time in nearly a month he cleaned.
When he emerged fresh and clean clothed Shadow felt more human than he had felt in years. He placed his shitty sack in his room at the end of the bed. It was a twin size, but so inviting. A real mattress, wood frame, clean black and red plaid blankets. Big fluffy pillows. Gods, when was the last time he used a pillow? Shadow had to turn away to force himself not to shove face first into it and never get up again. He took his dirty clothes downstairs and to the washroom, he should have just enough time to get them clean and hung to dry before meeting this ‘Red’ for lunch. He did just that.
When Shadow enters the boisterous kitchen, he realizes he was wrong. An older man sat at the dining table with a mug and a newspaper surrounded by four identical boys. They were teasing and verbally sparring. The one in a belted red tunic had several sandwiches set up on plates he was fixing. The one from this morning was cutting a few apples into slices. Blue was leaning on the wall, chatting amiably to their Father and Vio was listening with a smirk.
“Holy fuckin’ shit.” All of them turned to the newest member of the household in surprise. “Yer all identical!?”
“He really isn’t from around here, huh?” Their father chortles. “Welcome to the Link’s new kid! Good to see ya. Have a seat, Red’s fixin’ lunch.”
“I- uh-” Vio tugs his sleeve and he sits, stunned.
He snickers and points accordingly, “Vio, Red, Blue, Green, Dad. Er-- Mr….Link?”
“Just Marshall is fine,” He corrects.
“Marshall.” Vio clearly finds saying it weird. “Everyone, this is Shadow.”
“Howdy.” He puts a hand in a wave.
“You showed up fast.” The comment from Marshall was more of a prompt.
“Ahaha,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Ah was in town sqware when et was put up. Figur’d Ah’d snatch et up befoar someone else did.”
“Early riser eh?”
“Old habits daie hard.” Shadow shrugs. “Ah think wakin’ befoar the sun just in my blood naow.” He takes the plate and glass of juice handed to him. “Oh- thank yew!” Red smiled sweetly and Shadow thinks his heart melted a little. His face was rounder and freckled. His bright eyes were shining in contagious joy.
“I like this one.” Red decides, “He’s handsome and polite.” Oh boy. Shadow was done for. He wasn’t sure his heart could take four attractive men in the same home. Red passed out lunch to everyone. It was a sandwich alright, some kind of sliced meat, cheese, tomatoes, and pickles. Was he showing off? Shadow couldn’t remember how long it had been since he had real food. It took all his willpower not to savagely shovel the whole thing into his maw. He did finish first. He realized afterward that it had been bread and butter pickles. He never had them on a sandwich before, but damn it was good!
Green kept looking at him curiously, but never got the chance to really talk. Blue kept his attention occupied about a coral project they were working on. It sounded like that might be their first task tomorrow, to help get supplies and carry it all. Shadow smiles, this was going to work he just knew it.