Good Luck Charm (Completed)

Prologue

     Vincent Chance ran up the clover covered hill. Behind the trees in the distance sat his and his best friend Lucas Marshall's houses, but they'd been playing family and gotten caught up in the game. Vinny arched his back and stretched out his legs. His little body was flying over the hill, and his legs felt like jelly as they flashed underneath him. His speed was increasing, but he knew he needed to go faster if he wanted to catch the yellow chickadee he was chasing, as it flew off into the distance.  

     "Wait up!" Lucas called, his face red and splotchy. He bent down to catch his terribly jagged breath. Lucas had never been an athlete, and it seemed he was miles behind Vincent, no matter what the activity was.

      "Slowpoke!" Vinny yelled back simply.

     "It's not my fault I've got asthma." Lucas complained, his head was tucked between his knees though it seemed to provide no assistance. Vincent rolled his eyes, and strolled back to his hunched over friend. The wind was still a little chilly from the winter, but the ground had thawed and was green with spring grass. Vincent tucked his arms around himself as he inhaled the scent of the meadow. It was always his favorite place in the world, though he usually seemed to be running away from it.

     "Can't we just stay here?" Lucas whined, clearly enjoying the break from Vincent's antics.

     "You're such a baby." Vinny let his head fall to the side eyeing Lucas with a chuckle from his sideways position. He considered teasing his friend some more, but begrudgingly let Lucas' slowly steadying breaths lull them into a comfortable silence. "You made me lose my bird." Vinny whispered.

     "You were never going to catch him." Lucas reminded once he was finally able to speak. Vincent scoffed; his friend was such a cynic.

     "I was too." Vinny crossed his arms belligerently. "You're always slowing me down."

     "How could I slow you down?" Lucas chuckled. "You never wait for me."

       "I'd wait for you if it was important."

      "You would?" Lucas beamed, his chubby cheeks making him appear like a joyful cherub. He always basked in Vincent's approval when he could find it, but he knew better than to press the boy more. Instead, Lucas elected to change the subject before Vincent could change his mind. It wasn't that Vincent made Lucas feel insecure, it was more Lucas' parents who left him starved for praise, but Lucas learned to see himself as unworthy of such positivity. "Vinny.. want to play a game?"

     "Sure." Vinny grinned, and stood up from the hill. "House?"

     "We always play house." Lucas complained. "Let's play wedding."

     "Why?" Vinny asked laying back in the flowers.

     "Cause I have to play wedding since nobody'll ever marry me on account of my asthma." Lucas decided to lay back next to Vincent, but Vincent sat up with a start. 

     "I'll marry you." He said quickly.

     "You're not worried about my asthma?"

     "No." Vincent had a crooked smile on his face, and he turned to lean over Lucas, looking down at him. "As long as I can't catch it."

     "But we're both boys. Who'd be the bride?" Lucas asked.

      "You would, silly." Vinny tapped Lucas' nose playfully.

      "No fair. I want to be the groom." Lucas sat up with a scowl. "Besides. I'm 7, you're only 5."

     "I'm 5 and a quarter years old." Vinny corrected, and lifted his chin with pride. "But I'm taller." Vincent stood up, and pulled Lucas to stand beside him. Everyone knows the man has to be taller." It was true, Lucas was quite short for his age, and Vincent certainly was taller.

      "Fine." Lucas relented, well aware Vinny wouldn't play if he refused to concede. "I'll be the bride... so you have to take care of me."

      "I'll always take care of you." Vincent promised, playfully wrapping his arm around the boy. "How do I take care of you?"

      "I dunno... have you ever been to a real wedding?" Lucas asked after pondering a moment.

      "No... but I know that there's dresses and cake. We don't have those do we?"

     "No." Lucas shook his head. "What happens after a wedding?"

     "Marriage." Vincent stated. "Like your parents."

      "Aren't your parents married?" Lucas titled his head to the side, his floppy blonde hair falling over.

      "No." Vincent shrugged. "I just have a mommy."

     "Hmm..." Lucas realized he'd never seen Vincent's father before, though he'd assumed he must have one somewhere. "I'd rather have your mommy than both my mommy and daddy."

       "We can share." Vincent said. "I know about marriage. Marriage means sharing."

     "Oh?" Lucas asked. He wasn't sure how Vincent could possibly know anything about marriage, but he figured his parents probably weren't the best model of marriage anyway. "What else does being married mean?"

      "It means we'll never be with anyone else... and we'll always be together."

     "Oh! Always together! I hope we are always together."

      "Why wouldn't we be?" Vincent asked, but Lucas decided not to share his seven year old wisdom into the world of broken promises.

     "Always together." Lucas repeated. "Good."

      "Vincent?" The younger boy's mom called, coming up over the hill.

      "Coming!" Vinny shouted. "I've got to go home Lu. I'll see you tomorrow."

      "Wait!" Lucas shouted, as Vincent began to sprint back up the hill. "I love you Vinny." He held out his hand. "So we're married."

     "Married." Vincent said with a firm hand shake, then turned to his mother who'd reached the pair and jumped into her arms. Lucas felt a pant of jealousy as he couldn't ever remember his mother smiling to see him as Vincent's mother did when she saw her child.

"Marriage huh?" Vincent mom smiled warmly. "I hope you take care of my boy then." Vincent's mother kissed his forehead. "Let's go little man."

"No..." Lucas began, wondering if he ought to tell her that Vincent had promised to take care of him, but he decided that was probably not what his mother wanted to hear. "I will. I promise."

   
(A//N) Hey! If you're a first time reader comment 'ftr' and your favorite color down below, and I'll get back to you! Happy Reading!