The Candy Man (Wilford Warfstache AU)

Ch. 3

Wilford lead me through the factory, passing by the workers.

I waved at them, and they waved politely back, smiling at me. I couldn't help but giggle.

Wilford smiled at me from over his shoulder. "Told you you'd enjoy it."

"I never doubted it." I said.

He kept the smile on his face as he looked forward. "Later today, we shall go shopping. For clothes for you, and other things you'll need."

"Won't someone recognize you?" I asked.

"Not if I don't wear the suit." He said. "Believe it or not, Charlie, my wardrobe is not all pinstripes and suits." He said.

"But it's all pink and white." I commented.

"And black, yes. But what have I told you?"

"They're the most sweetest of colors." He and I both said at the same time.

"Now you're catching on, my dear." He said.

My heart skipped a beat when he called me that. I don't know what it was. Probably the way he said it, his deep voice easily letting it roll off of his tongue.

"Okay..." I started, "if you don't just have pinstriped suits. What else do you have?"

"T-shirts and jeans." He said.

"I see..." I said, smiling to myself.

~~~~

Later that night was when we ended up going shopping, after the entire tour of the factory.

"Your workers seemed very surprised to see me." I said.

"Our workers. Yeah. They were a bit surprised when I said I was going to look for a younger trainee." He said.

"But why?" I asked. "Why were you looking for one in the first place?"

"Looking for someone to pass this off to." He said, simply. "Someone young and free."

"You're not that old yourself, though, Wilford." I said.

A smile played across his lips. The pink mustache he normally sported, that I had forgotten to mention previously, had been a detachable one, so now he just looked like a normal man. "No. I'm only 27." He said. He looked at me from over his shoulder. "And you're what...? Fifteen?"

"Seventeen..." I muttered.

"Ahhh... that gracious year. That last spot of childhood. That one year where you're a cross of an adult and a child. You know, this is where I believe the term 'Manchild' came from..."

I couldn't hold back laughter as I walked beside him. "Manchild?" I asked. "Where is your head, Wilford?" I asked.

"Right on my shoulders..." He said, defensively.

I laughed harder, grabbing onto his forearm and gripping it tightly as I doubled over. "Manchild!?" I couldn't breathe.

"Well...?" Wilford had stopped walking, and was now looking at me with an amused look.

"And you tell me that I'm something else." I giggled.

"That's because you are. It'd get quite boring if you were something of the same..." He said, walking ahead of me.

I stood still for a minute, letting the words process in my mind. What?

"Are you coming, my darling?" He called.

I quickly snapped put of the trance and hurried over to him, linking my arm with his.

~~~~

Once we got back to the factory, Wilford and I got into a funny argument.