Kel's Hel

"Uh..." He swallowed and looked up at the sky nervously, "Um... I'm... Callum."

"Oh. Twins. Right."

He scratched his neck, "You're uh... Confident... Huh?"

"Huh?" Kelly raised an eyebrow.

"Not many, uh... Women walk around here, in... Um... Their... Underwear..." Callum spelled it out to her, whilst making sure not to look in her direction.

Kelly's cheeks went crimson, and she spun on her heel, as she realised she was wearing nothing but socks, panties, and a sports bra. Internally cursing her fluffy brain, she bolted to the bathroom.

She slammed the door closed, and then turned off the shower she'd left running, and grabbed her dress. She shouted, hoping it'd reach him, "Crash on the couch! I'll just be a minute!"

Bathroom gear not unpacked, a minute was all it would take. No cloths for a quick wipe down, or anything of the like. Though plenty of time to feel utterly embarassed that she'd shown off her assets in a first meeting with Wendy's brother.

Erik really was a twin. She had not noticed anything to distinguish him from the newcomer. Not that her skills of observation were much, this morning.

Kelly came back out, still smoothing her dress, to find Callum in the doorway. Looking sheepish and embarassed. She felt her cheeks immediately go bright red, again. "Um... Come crash on the couch? I need to sit."

He started to give a vague protest, but Kelly could already begin to feel her legs shaking, so she was on her way. She half-sat, half-fell, into an armchair in her new loungeroom.

Callum sat down slowly, right on the edge of the couch. Screaming just how uncomfortable he was to be in this stranger's house. He wasn't as overbearing as his brother... But he probably wasn't as pissed, either.

Kelly gave a weak smile, "So... I'm new in town. Yesterday was my first day. I met your sister right after getting the keys to the shop I'm opening. A florist."

"Erik told me that you're sick." He said with a heavy weight.

She winced and rubbed the side of her head, "Really didn't plan on telling anyone. And it fucking sucks to be reminded, nonstop. But yeah. I'm dying."

"Fuck me." Callum breathed in so fast that his teeth whistled.

Kelly couldn't help herself, "Pretty sure Erik would kill me, if I did. And Wendy's jealousy would be able to ignite the sun."

The blonde gave a quick smile to the joke, and then seemed to relax. Not a lot, just a little. "So that's why Wendy's pushing things faster. On that note, this is what she sent me over with. And demanded I tell her about your response to each thing."

He passed her the bag, and then poised on the edge of the couch, again. Blue eyes looking up from beneath his fringe, right as her mind decided to inform her that he was incredibly toned, for a waiter.

Kelly hid her thoughts by looking at her present. "Your sister is way too nice. I've kept telling her, I'm probably not a good person. Just a wrecked one."

"Dream for her, then. Wendy's always gotta save the whole world." Callum replied with an upbeat tone.

She pulled out a plain cardboard box, and popped the lid to find it stuffed with all kinds of teabags. Not machine manufactured, nothing was quite uniform. Revealing the human hands that had prepared it.

"Those are ours. We sell two or three boxes like that a week. Pretty popular with the locals." Callum offered an unnecessary explanation.

Kelly put it to the side, "It's appreciated. I do like my tea... Wendy and I talked briefly about being rebels and doing a Valentine's thing. She mention it?"

"Briefly." Callum said guardedly. Probably avoiding telling her that Wendy had been in tears, when she did. The woman was probably in a bad way, after the events of yesterday. Watching a dying stranger crash out, is something life can't much prepare you for.

The next item made Kelly flush.

It was a t-shirt and short-shorts pairing, meant for bed. The pajamas were mostly white, with the top featuring an anime catgirl with black and white hair, as well as playful and maybe demonic red eyes. The neko was laughing.

Callum gave a small chuckle, "Yeah... Kelly likes cute stuff. Our mailbox is often overful with that kind of stuff. Makes it easy to get her a present, though. I get her models from Japan on her birthday, and stuff."

"It... Feels new. Giving it up for me, feels..." She trailed off, realising that she sounded ungrateful.

Callum shook his head, "Nah. Wendy has plenty. She's probably overcompensating. She wants to be here, making your day better. But knows your day sucks, and she'd probably cry if she was here. So... She's going to overcompensate."

Kelly winced, "That bad, huh?"

"Working her ass off at the cafe." Callum agreed steadily.

There were two more things in the bag. The girl didn't go halves on trying to impress. One was some kind of DVD, and the other was a tin of biscuits. Kelly pulled them both out.

The minute that Callum saw, he gave a quick suck in of air in surprise.

Kelly held up the movie, "This mean something special to Wendy? She told me she was into horrors, but this doesn't quite look like one."

"Uh... Not a horror. And yes." Callum said nervously, "I... Don't know if she'd really be okay with me... Explaining. But it means something to her. A lot of something. Break it, and she'll kill you, type thing."

She nodded and carefully put it back in the bag, "Well, I don't have a DVD player, so that should be fine."

"Streaming?" Callum asked curiously.

Kelly shrugged, "Mostly. Yeah. Did try and go to the movies as a thing, too. Though there probably isn't a theatre in town, is there?"

"There is, but not that kind of theatre. You'd get to watch Erik on stage, if you went tonight. He's playing Orlando from... Some Shakespeare thing. It's a hoot." Callum replied.

"You have actual plays, on the regular, in a place this small?" Kelly said in surprise.

Callum raised an eyebrow, "Culture shock, much? Most people would take offense at that. Even if every bit of it is true. We are a tiny town."

"I've been to smaller places. Camped out for a week in a town of twelve, once." Kelly said defensively.

"Farmers?"

"Desert people. No running water or anything. So everyone helped out where they could. Grabbing water, hunting, cooking. Fixing the shelters." Kelly shrugged, "I... Loved it. Wasn't one of them, it was clear. But they let me in on things, so long as I pulled my weight. Plus, that kind of living makes guys hot as hell."

Callum looked a little nervous, "Right. Sounds like you enjoyed yourself."

"Just to get it out in the open, I'm bi." Kelly shrugged, "I also have exactly no interest in hooking up with anyone. Not to just... Leave them. Which did not dissuade your brother from threatening me."

His face dropped, "Yeah, that sounds like Erik. He has a tough time letting Wendy make her own choices. Overprotective is his game. Though, just to be upfront, Wendy reckons I'm just as overbearing. I try not to get in her way..."

"But you're still family." Kelly finished for him with a knowing smile.

Callum blinked, "You got a brother?"

"And a sister. And both of them tried to force me into a conversion therapy camp. Along with my parents." Kelly stated flatly, "Sorry, but you and I can't really share a bunch of happy memories about family. I love mine. I also absolutely hate the fuckers."

His face took on a pained look instantly, "It's... Easy to make mistakes."

"Wendy said her family struggled with her coming out." Kelly said accusingly.

He held up his hands, "I made mistakes. Still do. I know I don't get it. I try and follow her lead, and that's the best that I can do."

Kelly softened, "That's... Pretty good, actually. You're trying to understand. More than most people can say. Like all the raging dicks who say that they don't mind, so long as it is kept to the home."

"Wendy has my permission to tell me to pull my head in, when I do something insensitive. You've got it, too, now." Callum said with a small smile.

"Now, you're being sweet."

He shrugged, "Well... I was only coming over to deliver those, and check in. Unless you need my help to make lunch or something, I'll let you get back to sleep."

"Wendy can come over, if she wants. And if I'm not here, I'll be at my shop." Kelly tried to pretend she was fine, and not instantly imagining him making her breakfast in bed.

Callum really wasn't anything like Erik. Both of the brothers were absolutely determined to protect their sister from the new stranger in town, but going about it in completely different ways.

One was willing to push her under a truck, the moment that she looked like she might end up hurting Wendy. The other was more interested in sculpting her, shaping her so that there were no rough edges to mark Wendy's hands.

Which was when Kelly realised that Callum was every bit as disarming as his smiling sister. They were both incredibly sweet, in their own ways. She could see herself stealing a drink out of Callum's hand, and then sitting in his lap. A soft but strong kind of boyfriend.

She could also see herself dropping Wendy onto a bed. Grinning ear-to-ear as the girl let out quiet little moans as Kelly demonstrated that she knew what to do with her tongue, other than yammering on.

It was not fair that both brother and sister fit so well into Kelly's tastes, when she'd promised herself she wouldn't have anyone.

"Catch you around." Callum gave a little salute and headed for the door.

Kelly's legs wobbled, but didn't really move, when she tried to stand and follow him. An audible click told her that he was gone, and she got the feeling that he hadn't minded that she didn't follow.

If any guy was going to be understanding about health crap, then it probably was the brother of a gal with osteoporosis.

Kelly dejectedly sank into her chair, feeling like the world had suddenly turned into shades of grey, now that she was alone.

"Fuck." She muttered.

---

The first thing Kelly did after her shower, other than checking her notebook, was head into town.

She walked down the hill, regretting that she hadn't unpacked a walking stick beforehand. It felt a lot steeper heading down, than it had going up, the hill. Though, not getting the thing out was not entirely a mistake. She was usually too embarassed to use the thing.

The attitudes of people around you instantly changed when you used a walking stick. Most of the people older than you had a bit of a sneer. Thinking you were too young to actually need any kind of help. Like a failing body gave a damn how old you were.

On the other hand, people who were younger, were worse. For some reason, if you were limping, they seemed to assume that the stick was just for show. No matter how boring a stick you used, it was obviously a fashion accessory. So they felt fine to push by you, and nearly knock you flat to the floor.

Without though, Kelly had to admit if someone brushed by her, she was going to eat concrete. Not a single doubt about it, in her mind.

She transitioned from the new part of town, into the old. Uniform slabs of grey pavement gave way to brickwork. Arranged just like a wall, but lying down. Old enough that almost none of it was as uniform as the eye assumed it to be. She could feel every bump, and her big toes found more than a few of the hidden rises.

Unsteady, Kelly continued down the hill, and tried to turn her pessimistic thoughts to something better. This was her first real day in the tiny town, and she was almost certain that there were two people interested in being her friend. Which was two more than she'd ever really expected.

She'd come to play florist and matchmaker, but she'd never expected more than some kind of professional relationship. She wasn't going to be around long enough to end up with a circle of friends.

Wendy had changed that.

Kelly couldn't help but smile as her thoughts turned to that gal. She was determined, intelligent, and far too caring for her own good. Wendy was the kind of person that nobody deserved to have. A girlfriend that would make Kelly feel altogether inadequate, if she let things go down that route.

Running a Valentine's rebellion with her, was the prospect of fun that made Kelly light up inside. It was just the right level of naughtiness to make her grin in anticipation. Just enough of a finger to society, whilst also bringing a bright day to the people around.

She could, however, see the two of them getting caught up in the moment. Laughing and grinning about making people's days, when one or the other of them would plant a kiss on the other. Natural attraction being a law unto itself.

That, was a path that Kelly couldn't afford to walk down.

Maybe the whole idea should just be shelved, to keep Wendy safe.

---

By the time that Kelly had got to the hardware store, she was thoroughly depressed. She had not made up her mind about either Valentine's or Wendy. She wasn't sure she had it in her, to do a damn thing about Wendy. That woman was too sweet, to stab her in the back.

The store, in her mood, completely failed to impress.

It was big enough to have a checkout table, with a wall of small things behind it, and three aisles for the slightly bigger things, and that was absolutely it. A single room with only the most basic of things. Kelly couldn't even see a plane or a sander. They barely seemed to have drills.

The bored looking man behind the counter glanced up as she entered, smiling broadly before speaking in the strangest accent she had ever heard. A mix of outback Australian and city Japanese blurted out, "Howdy! It being a good day, yes?"

Kelly blinked twice, "Yeah... Um... I need to put together an indoor watering system. Not just hobby stuff. Automatic timers, soil measurements, the lot. I'd also want remote access, if you've got something of that kind."

"Ah. Our new flower girl." The man stated and stood up. "Well then, lemme see what we can be doin'."

He pulled a handwritten notebook from under the counter, a grubby thing covered in greasy fingerprints. Flicking it open, he quickly scanned a bunch of incomprehensible numbers and what looked more like cat scratch than writing.

The shopkeep tapped one of them, "We're out of remote timers. I can of ordering them, but they'll take a right mornin' to gettin' here. Mmm... Three weeks? But..."

Kelly waited patiently as the man checked for something else. Three weeks to set up inside the store sucked, but it would give her the space to pick up the town routine a little. Excuses to hang out with Wendy or Callum, as well. Which would go down badly with Erik.

"Here we go. I gots four weatherproof cameras. Ain't quite the same, but you could set 'em to watching of the readouts on some digital meterings." He suggested.

She shrugged, "Sounds fine, to me. I'm growing indoors. Any of those greenhouse kits I could use, as well?"

"Oh, we just got some of those indoors." He nodded, "I shall be returning."

Kelly was left standing awkwardly, and wondering if all the stores in town had a personal touch, instead of walking around the shelves. It felt strange, but she couldn't say that she minded it.

Looking around idly, her attention was caught by a framed picture. It was half-hidden behind some hammers on a hook, and the frame was dusty enough that it didn't shine anymore.

It showed four people, absolutely covered in mud. Arms around each other, and grinning like madmen. One was the store owner, another was one of the twins - not that she could tell which - and between them was two girls.

Wendy was hanging off her brother and the other woman, mud coating half her face, whilst one of her legs was in a cast. That, in turn, was covered in signatures, but also mud. Suggesting that she hadn't let a little thing like a broken leg stop her from fooling around.

The other woman was someone that Kelly hadn't met, yet. A little taller, and a little older than Wendy. Fiery red hair, and the same spike of excitement in her eyes, as the younger girl.

"Missy?"

She turned back, and the shopkeep tapped three flat boxes. They were simple greenhouses, which together would hold probably close to five hundred buds. Good enough for what she was wanting.

Kelly gave a nod, "Great. How about these, the timers, sensors, and cameras, and some piping? You wouldn't happen to deliver, would you?"

"I do, now and before." He said with a tone.

She shrugged, "Either that, or I'll need to call on Erik to borrow his car, and I get the feeling he hates me."

The shopkeep immediately chuckled, "Wendy taken a liken to ya? That's Erik. He's a mean one, when he be protecting his sister. Don' be payin' 'im any thinkin'. Fun to fool around with, though. I used to playin' football wit' 'im."

"I saw. You, him, and Wendy. Who, of course, wouldn't let a little rough hold her back." Kelly gave a small laugh.

"Holdin' back? Our Wendy? That be liken to a hurricane not shakin' window." The man grinned and shook his head. "Well, I call Erik for help deliver. It will cost a little extra."

"I'm setting up. Everything costs." She shrugged. "Name's Kelly, by the way. Renting Olivia's old store, but guessing the whole town knows that by now."

"Also knowin' ya collapsed, yesters." The man's face dropped, "People here be gossip. Ya can't hold that one, if ya meanin'."

Kelly winced, "Yeah. Figured that might happen. But... Not going there, just yet. Anything you recommend a newcomer to do, to help fit into the town? A footy game coming up, or something?"

"Church and theatre." The man shrugged, "Every person go church. Even atheist like me. Sunday town is at church. Much judgement, if not go."

She weighed that one in her head. It was hardly a surprise, but she wasn't excited to head to an old town's boring and stiff church. Some of the more modern ones would embrace her. Some wouldn't particularly care who she was interested in dating.

That wasn't the impression she had got from Wendy, on this one, though.

On the other hand, she might be able to do something like the bouquets on the tables, for after the services. That might be a nice way to ingratiate herself with people who probably saw her as an invader.

She was also about to pick a fight with them all, over Valentine's. Guaging just how far they'd go, if she did, was probably a sensible moment of self-preservation.

"Anyone ever asked you to be their Valentine?" Kelly took a risk.

"Yah, nah. Valentine is of banned." He drawled and shook his head, "Not wantin' to talk church. Not for sin holiday."

She crossed her arms, and tightened her jaw, "I heard. I'm also a florist. So, wanna be my Valentine?"

She hadn't meant to actually ask him. Kelly wanted to make Wendy her date, even if she was supposed to be keeping her hands all to herself. Wendy or her brothers, people she had a glimmering connection to. All the same, it had popped out of her mouth.

The transformation on his face was immediate. His eyes went wide, and he stared at her in dumbstruck awe, right before those same eyes began to fill up. Glistening in the light coming through the shop window, with an emotion she had not been expecting.

An entire mountain of guilt immediately came crashing down onto her shoulders, as she guessed that either it had been a very long time, or it had never happened. That no one had ever asked this man out on a date.

"Yeah, nah. Mighty fine of ya, mighty fine. But I am still stranger, even first meeting." He said slowly, despite the clear and obvious shine in his eyes.

The guilt gave a little push at the bottom of Kelly's back, and she spoke hesitantly, "I... I'm still asking. It's going to tee off the church, so there's that out. But I think everyone deserves to feel like the centre of the universe, even if it's just for a few hours."

"Ya gots a heart full gold." He gave a half smile at her, and shook his head, "Lest ya tryin' for dinner of free?"