In My Own Skin
A USUK fanfic
Rated M
Warnings: Arthur's POV, Human/College AU, inaccurate education system?
Prologue
I observed the university football team practice on the field. Football. The word irks me so much. What I see as football, they call "soccer", seeing as there can only be one "football" in the U.S. of A.
Ah, the problems of being English.
It was a nice afternoon out, one of those rare days when the weather was fine and it was the perfect day for almost everything. I wonder how many days are actually like this in a year. Shame it isn't much.
I was taking a break from studying. College proved to be quite a challenge for me, despite me being quite studious and worrisome about my GPA. I still had a few awful studying habits that I need to kill.
I idly watched them run along, across the field, back and forth. I was here an hour and a half ago, and the football team arrived forty-five minutes ago, so I suppose it wasn't like I followed them here on purpose. No, I honestly wasn't trying to see anyone, really.
"Hey Art!" One of the jocks called out to me from the field, looking towards my general direction as he ran to the other side. I scowled a bit. There was no mistaking it, from the number '50' on his torso, to the voice. He was so boisterous that all the Arts, Arties and Arthurs in the world would have probably turned their heads in response when he called me.
I hid my face in my hands, in hopes of no one noticing my mortification. I do hope no one was nearby to concur that the star football player called me as if we were pals.
Me, who was so unnoticeable and so unlikely to befriend a jock.
Me, who was sitting on that bench, taking a break from my notes about Louisa May Alcott.
Only God knows what made him start pestering me, and when he'll stop.
It's been exactly two weeks since. Nine thirty in the morning. September 18, 2012. A Tuesday. He parked his car in the school carpark, practically jumping out of the vehicle the moment the engine stopped. It didn't take Einstein to figure out he was running late.
I leaned against the car, watching him with a bored expression. I was already late for my first period which started at 8:20. I decided not to bother coming in late so I hung around the carpark, cigarette between my fingers. It was just my misfortune that he happened to see me behind some bastard's car.
"You late as well?" He quirked a brow, approaching me.
"I think so." I replied curtly. "If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be wasting time here, feeding my vices."
"Unless you're deliberately cutting classes?"
"Cutting classes, yes. Deliberately, no."
I puffed out some smoke and he shrugged. Then he proceeded to make small talk, like, what my major was, and, if I'm in any clubs, how old was I, so on and so forth. Just when I thought it wouldn't end, the bell rang, signaling the end of first period and the five-minute transition before the second period. I had to leave, and that was that. Or so I thought.
A/N: I am so sorry for making another fanfic, piling this up among the list of fanfics that'll take me forever to update. Ahahahaha. /sobs