A Dead Man's Secrets

Chapter Four

Cicero sighed, as he climbed out of bed. It was a lovely morning, and he felt very good despite the fact that his clock read 5:23 am. He stretched and walked into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. As it brewed, he thought about his schedule for the day, knowing that he wasn't going to be getting a ton of sleep from there on out, as it was the first day of Abigail's training. He sighed and changed into a more appropriate outfit before pouring himself a cup of coffee and blissfully drinking it.

He had given Harvey his plans on teaching for the week the day prior, so he didn't have to worry about that, and he'd already met all but one of the people in town. It annoyed him how he kept just missing the man he'd heard about from Shane and the ever persistent Sam.

Once he finished his coffee, he walked outside and checked the mail, finding a letter from Mayor Lewis inviting him to the Egg Festival the next day. He hummed to himself, debating whether or not he should go. In the end, he decided to shelve the thought and water his crops. He took the next fifteen minutes or so to water his cauliflower and parsnips.

The red haired man walked back inside, setting the letter on the table and grabbing his sword before heading back outside to practice his form. He didn't have anything he needed to do, so he could train for as long as he liked. Which ended up being just under six hours.

He huffed and walked inside for some water. His high endurance had kept him going, but damn was he thirsty. The water in his glass was gone in seconds. Training like that can't be healthy. He'll have to make sure Abigail never does it. Granted, she's a grown woman who can do what she wants, and he still barely knows her, but no student of his will push themselves to over exhaustion.

Cicero let out an annoyed huff, he didn't like worrying about 'what if's. He looked at the clock in his kitchen. It read "11:53 am". Seems late enough for lunch.

For lunch, he made some mac & cheese. It was nostalgic, and he didn't feel like making anything complicated. Before he could so much as take a bite, a knock sounded at the door. He let out a dramatic groan before walking over and opening the door, meeting Robin, as she smiled kindly at him. Cicero looked at her, raising a brow before speaking, "Do you need something?" he asked with more bite than he intended.

Robin's smile never faltered. She was more than used to snappy responses. "I heard you haven't met my son yet, so I figured I'd drag him over to introduce you!" The woman said happily, making Cicero finally notice the man behind her.

His eyes were a dark brown with darker bags under them, he had pale skin that suggested a lack of sun, and his hair was died black with a purple tint. He was wearing a black tee-shirt, black ripped jeans, dark grey sneakers, topped off with a dark purple zip-up hoodie.

With another small huff, he invited them inside offering lunch. Robin excepted before her son could say anything and practically dragged him inside. Cicero got them both bowls of mac & cheese and forks, regretting not making something that didn't make him seem childish.

The goth at his kitchen table looked around at the sparsely decorated cabin, noticing that the only real decoration that matched the quiet red-head was a picture of what looked like his family. A woman with dark brown hair and grey eyes that was wearing an emerald green dress with silver accents, a tall man with cold green eyes and red hair wearing a fancy three piece black suit, and a little boy with brownish red hair and dark green eyes wearing a dark grey long-sleeve shirt. What caught his attention the most was their expressions. The little boy was beaming, forcing his eyes to squint slightly, and the woman had a soft smile that you'd expect from any mother, but the man's smile was small and forced.

He was brought out of his thoughts when a bowl was placed in front of him and a fork set beside it. The man looked down at the food for a moment before grabbing the fork and thanking Cicero for the meal.

They all ate in awkward silence. When they finished, Robin offered to help with the dishes, but Cicero politely declined and went to wash them himself. Robin sighed. Mayor Lewis had told her about Cicero and what kind of kid he had been, and there was just too big of a change for her not to worry about his past. She had hoped talking could pull him out of his shell, but nothing works! The poor woman didn't know what to do to help.

Robin was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Cicero asking her son's name, "Sebastian..." he muttered, making Cicero look at him for a moment before introducing himself. The woman smiled, as she realized what Cicero needed. She felt a wave of determination wash over her, as she decided. She was going to help this man make friends if it was the last thing she did.

Cicero internally shuddered, a feeling of dread filling his body, mind, and soul. It felt as though someone just decided to do the exact opposite of what he wanted.