Swimming With the Stars

Four - Necessities

"Video games?" He heard Rosie ask. "What's that?"

Pezzy held back a huff. Droid chuckled at her innocence.

"Well, uh, they were games that we played on a  computer." Droid replied.

"We?" Rosie asked curiously.

Pezzy's dirtied shoes came down onto the crunchy leaves under him. He distantly realized he hadn't seen it rain in a while and wondered how long it'd been since it last had.

"Uh huh! Me and Pezzman over there, we both did." Droid said with a grin, ducking under the low branches Pezzy had before him. Pezzy's ear tilted ever so slightly towards Droid's voice. "We played games together, and made videos. Do- do you know what YouTube is? Or- well, was?"

"Yes," She replied quickly, like it was the most straight-forward question in the world. "I watched videos. You and-" She gestured towards Pezzy, who had fallen closer to them while listening in. Saying his name even seemed to be a line she didn't want to dare cross. "He made videos on youtube?" Droid nodded. "Oh." A pause. "I never see them, I don't think."

Droid blew air out of his mouth, emitting a soft lowering whistle. "Ah well, I don't think the videos we made were very... appropriate for you to watch." Droid chuckled at the thought of fond memories consisting of staying up until early hours of the morning despite his body screaming at him to do exactly the opposite. Swearing like sailors and laughing like hyenas. Ordering late meals from the only places that were open at the time. Droopy eyelids making them feel like they were drunk, just without the alcohol coursing through their systems. Memories of them screaming profanities and laughing their asses off washed over like easy, soft waves at the beach and laid over Droid like a warm blanket. He'd always wondered how Pezzy was such a night owl.

Rosie only nodded like she understood why she probably wouldn't have had the privilege. Droid subconsciously glanced up at Pezzy's figure just a step in front of him, before looking back down at curious eyes. "Say, did your parents ever swear, Rosie?"

There was a moment of silence as Rosie thought. Droid was worried as he thought he might've somehow screwed things up by mentioning her parents for a moment, but before he could dwell on it too much, Rosie answered. "Swear? Like curse words?" Her voice inflected higher at her question.

"Ye-."

"Droid."

Words of reply died on Droid's tongue. The way his name was said nearly sounded like a warning, like a 'you probably shouldn't be having this conversation with a six-year-old', an indication that he should drop the topic and move onto something else. Or, Droid thought, he just wants us both to shut up. But the slight curiosity that laced underneath his spoken name said otherwise as Droid followed Pezzy's line of sight as well as change of direction towards a clearing a little off in the distance.

Despite Pezzy's quickened pace, Droid had found himself right alongside him. Eventually, Rosie shyly asked to be held due to the ache beginning to appear in her little legs, slowing her down. With Rosie now sitting upon Droid's shoulders beside him, Pezzy had the split second thought of rolling his eyes.

Once they got closer, they realized they had come across a backroad that once had occasional passing vehicles and traveling campers. Littered with leaves, dirt and cracks, eventually they spotted shimmering on the other side, reflecting off the sun that hung to tell the time of about midday. The swishing slosh filled their ears, and hope filled their chests.

Pezzy had already started running before Droid could even think of it.

Pezzy barreled over to the other side of the road, too astonished to voice his gratitude of whatever higher being had granted them with this, where the river flowed with an even pace smoothly, like silk. It was pure gold is Pezzy's eyes.