echoes | {finch/amias} blitz

[gamemaker 💀 hades lochlan]

A M I A S The sun was unrelentless that day, and of course he'd chosen not to ride his bike out that morning. He made the long trek into town as soon as he woke up- it tended to be the only way he ever remembered to do things- because he was supposed to have dropped off the chicken eggs for the past two days, and had lied the night before at dinner promising he already had. Old Man Lipnicky hadn't seemed to notice they were late. He only smiled, bits of chewing tobacco in his yellow teeth, and then counted out the full amount of payment back bill by bill into Amias's palm. "Pleasure," he said, smiling. God, he couldn't wait until he was in One. By the time he'd finished his errands, the sun was at its peak in the sky, and he had roughly three miles of dirt roads to make it through before he even made it to Jumeaux Lane, their driveway, and that alone was another half mile long, easy. He made it about halfway before he started shedding layers, his button-up first to go. The sleeveless undershirt below had much better ventilation, but still, he was interested in getting home and out of the heat as soon as possible. And then he saw Finch coming his way. She may have been riding her bike leisurely at first, but once she caught sight of him, he noticed her pace quicken undeniably. His back stiffened and he breathed in through his nose. You're Amias. Not Ambrose. You're Amias. Not Ambrose. You- "New bike?" It came out casually, despite him noticing the furrow of her brow. He preemptively tensed his shoulder for a frustrated punch once she was close enough. "What's got you all mad? Ambrose forget your anniversary or something?" September 26th. Nowhere close. But Ambrose was the only one who was supposed to know that, not Amias. A moment's quiet. "You know about Barrington, don't you? How the-? I've barely told anybody about that. I was gonna announce it at the party tomorrow!"