FrUk one-shot

Arthur sat in the lunch room and pouted. Where was Francis? He had told Arthur that he would meet him for lunch. It was already ten past and it wasn't like they had a very long lunch period to begin with.

Arthur checked his watch again. Maybe it was running fast. Then again, it was on time when the bell rang. He sighed and leaned his head onto his hand. His burned sandwiches tasted especially bad today.

He hated this damn agreement they both had to be a part of. Ever since the fight at Kiku's house, nothing had been the same…

The group of them did end up catching up to Francis before he made it home. Arthur had started crying again somewhere along the way. His nose was red and his eyes were puffy by the time they found Francis. He was ashamed to face him. Arthur didn't like to show that much emotion around anyone, especially Francis. He didn't want him to know that Francis had that much power over him. It was embarrassing, and he was afraid Francis would abuse that power.

Gilbert was the first one to catch him. Francis had his coat buttoned up all the way, and his scarf wrapped around his neck tightly. Despite it being spring, it was a cold day, with bitter wind. Francis wouldn't even turn around at first.

Arthur sort of collapsed around Feliciano and Antonio. He was too afraid of Ludwig and Lovino to get near them. He couldn't hear what Gilbert was saying to Francis, he could only see Gilbert's arms flailing and Francis trying to get around him.

Arthur had felt like the entire world had crashed down on him on that afternoon. His shoulders felt heavy and he just wanted to rest, forever. If Francis walked away he really didn't know what he would do. Who would he argue with? Who would he say "I love you" to? For Francis that would be easy. He had always had a string of morning after people, and he knew people still looked at him. Arthur had only had Alfred before Francis. He knew he wasn't ready to end this relationship right now.

After what seemed like years, Francis turned around and looked at Arthur. Arthur wasn't sure if Francis had also been crying, or if it was the cold that made his nose so red. For his own comfort he decided that Francis had also been crying. His eyes were hard and cold though. In all the time they had been together, Arthur had never seen Francis' eyes like that before. It made his chest ache. He was staring daggers into Arthur.

It was so quiet. Gilbert had stopped talking when Francis turned around. Maybe it hadn't really been quiet at all. Maybe Arthur just hadn't heard anything because Francis' body language was so loud.

Suddenly Francis had come toward him. It wasn't in a big dramatic way, he just sort of marched over and grabbed Arthur by the arm. Arthur didn't know whether to feel happy or sad. He was sort of frightened, he shouldn't have been, but he was because he'd never seen Francis so angry before.

Everyone started talking at once. Francis held his hand up. Slowly they simmered down.

"I'm taking Arthur on a walk and we're going to talk. The rest of you can go home."

Gilbert folded his arms. "I don't know how much we can trust you."

Francis glared at Gilbert. Arthur had never seen Francis glare at Gilbert before. "What is that supposed to mean?" To Arthur, his words sounded venomous.

"How do we know Arthur is going to be safe?" Gilbert wavered a bit.

"You'll know he's going to be safe when he gets home safe. Now let us go."

Gilbert glanced at Ludwig. Ludwig had his arms crossed. He motioned with his head for Gilbert to come over by him. The two of them walked a distance away and started whispering in German. Arthur couldn't remember what they were saying. He didn't speak German so he never made an effort to listen. He remembered they called Antonio over, when that happened Feliciano and Lovino joined them too. Arthur and Francis had been left alone those few minutes. Francis just sort of glared at Arthur the whole time. Arthur was uncomfortable. He tried to say something a few times but no words escaped his mouth.

It was sort of a blur after that. The others did end up leaving, but Arthur had had the feeling that they were following them. Francis had dragged Arthur through the woods. He berated Arthur. He told Arthur that he felt disrespected, and unhumanized by him. The list went on, Arthur had no idea Francis had felt this way. He had no excuse. He couldn't even find his voice to say anything. Francis' speech had ended with the boyfriend thing, the cherry on top of the ice cream.

Arthur had been speechless at first. When he did find his words, it was mostly apologies. Arthur wasn't sure actually if they were excuses or apologies but they were words and he was trying. They had come to an agreement not to fight anymore. Not to pick on each other, not to be who they were, but to act like a "regular couple". That was the agreement.

It was torturing Arthur.

From what Arthur could tell Francis wasn't liking it either.

One of them was going to crack soon. All hell would break loose then.

Francis sat down, finally. He didn't sit next to Arthur-that was another thing. Francis had really begun to keep his distance since the agreement. Not only that, but Arthur was now the only one saying "I love you". That bothered him.

Francis was obviously stressed and angry about something. His hair wasn't in its usual pulled-back, "chic" manner. His outfit was a tee-shirt and jeans. Francis almost never wore a tee-shirt and jeans unless he was going to garden, or not go out for the day. He hadn't shaved this morning either. His usual neat beard had grown out a bit, it didn't look quite so…trim.

He frowned at Arthur and stabbed his lunch with a fork. "Why don't you take some cooking lessons for once, instead of poisoning us with that stink every day?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows. Was Francis really going to start this? Today? "Oh, I see how it is, you get to make snarky comments and I don't? That's not going to fly buddy."

Francis waved his fork at Arthur. "Really? What are you going to do about it? Would you dare to hurt the agreement?"

Arthur scowled. "Did you have wine already? Your breath stinks. What the bloody hell's the matter with you this morning?"

"I've only had one glass, so I'm not drunk, Arthur" Francis dragged out Arthur's name. "Why does it matter anyway?"

"You can't drink before school you bloody git! Are you stupid? Yes! Yes actually you're quite fucking stupid!"

Francis slammed his hands down on the table. Arthur jumped. "Don't call me stupid you black sheep! I've had a bad week! One glass never hurt anyone."

Arthur drew his eyebrows together. "Black sheep?! Where are you getting that from!? I-I can't believe you! You need to lay down." Arthur got up. "I'm not going to break the agreement, not now."

Francis looked up at Arthur. "Arthur, I need to tell you something."

Arthur continued to talk. He didn't hear Francis. "Not after what you told me that day. How much I mean to you and all that. If not calling you names, if holding my temper will keep you happy I'm going to do it Francis, I will."

Francis leaned over and poked Arthur with his fork. "Arthur! I need to tell you something. About why I drank."

"Ouch!" Arthur glared down at him "It's because you're a fucking alcoholi- I mean, what is it Francis? That really hurt jabbing that fork into me you know."

Francis stopped looking at Arthur. "I did something bad. I needed a drink so I could loosen up and tell you. I don't know why I did it. I was…angry at you. Angry because I couldn't yell at you. I don't know. I don't want you to leave me…"

"What did you do Francis?!" Arthur interrupted Francis' babbling.

"I slept with someone."

Silence.

"It didn't mean anything. Arthur, I'm sorry."

Arthur felt like the world was coming down on him all over again. He felt as if he couldn't breathe. He felt like he wanted to kill Francis. Tears began to well up in his eyes, but he fought them down and replaced the sadness with anger. He let loose on Francis.

"You bloody fucking frog." Arthur came around the table. "How dare you. How dare you. I can't fucking believe my fucking ears. You, you pig! You frog! You garbage! You faggot! You're a whore, and a pervert. I can't believe I let my heart out to you. I can't believe I let you give me that whole speech about how badly I was treating you! What about me? What about how you treat me?! I never should have apologized that day! You treat me just as badly! You treat me as if I'm some toy! Oh, baby is done playing with its toy now, baby's gotten bored of its toy and needs to find a new one to play with!" Arthur shoved Francis.

"Arthur-" Francis started.

"No! I'm not done! I'm not even close to done! Words can't even describe how fucking mad I am at you right now! You fucking wanker! How could you do this to me?! How could you do that after you gave me such a big speech? How can you fucking do that after I did what you asked me to do?! How could you be so bloody heartless and manipulative?! How could you be so psychotic?! Shit, Francis! Shit, fuck, shit, shit, fuck!" Arthur kicked the lunch table to hard, that the entire thing shook. "Fuck you! And fuck me for falling in to your mind trap!"

Francis' eyes narrowed. "Don't you think you're being a little harsh Arthur? You've done some pretty awful things to me in the past. I don't think what I did constitutes such a big reaction."

Arthur screeched. "It 'doesn't constitute such a big fucking reaction'?! Do you even know what that word means Francis?!"

Francis pushed him. "Hey! Lay off! You've hurt me just as badly in the past so don't even try to blow up like this in my face. You're such an angry person! It's like you have some personality disorder! Of flip a switch and Arthur is angry! Flip it again and he's happy! Can't you have a middle ground?!"

Arthur's eye practically rolled out of his head, he was opening his eyes so wide. "Me? I have the personality disorder?! This coming from Mr. Narcissist over here! You can't go three feet without looking at yourself in the mirror! You fit just about every requirement for that too!"

Francis sneered and spit on Arthur's shoe. "I'm not nearly as narcissistic as you are arrogant!

Fucking, pig!"

Arthur growled. "That's it!" He jumped Francis.

The fight seemed like it went by in seconds. Arthur could only see flashes of what he was doing. He was just grappling for any part of Francis' he could hurt. Francis was doing the same to him. Pain throbbed through his whole body but he kept hitting and punching and pulling and kicking. He couldn't even feel his hands anymore. Even though this was the first time he and Francis had gotten physical, it felt like the thousandth.

Arthur was sure he was bleeding. He could feel some areas of him, wet. His hands, and his face mostly. Maybe some of it was coming from Francis. Arthur couldn't be sure. He heard clothing tear, but he wasn't sure whose it was.

Arthur felt another pair of arms around him. Bigger stronger arms. He was being pulled away from Francis. No! He didn't want to be pulled away! He wanted to kill him! He screeched and kicked and tried to fight his way from the arms. Francis was doing the same to his own new set of arms around him.

Arthur realized soon enough that it was a cop. Francis realized it too. They both calmed down. The cop was saying something but Arthur was too busy mouthing threats to Francis and giving him the finger. Francis was doing the same to Arthur. He probably should have been listening. The cop was dragging him down to the principal's office. Francis was getting dragged there too.

They were both pushed down into seats and told to wait for the principal. They were handcuffed to chairs. The cops left. It was quiet. Neither of them had come even close to doing to each other what Kiku had done to those football players. It was bad enough though. Maybe a week suspension.

Arthur couldn't bring himself to apologize. Francis wouldn't even look at him. He was fairly torn up though. Arthur didn't think he looked much better. His knuckles were scraped and red.

Minutes passed. The principal didn't come.

Finally Francis spoke. "I'm sorry I cheated."

"Why did you do it?" Arthur snapped.

"Why?" Francis chuckled a little. "I don't know. Because I was still mad at you, because I wanted you to feel some of the pain I felt while in a relationship with you."

"If you felt that much pain while with me, why didn't you just end the relationship then? Obviously it was torture."

"It wasn't torture, because I loved you. I dealt with the pain, because I thought…maybe you wouldn't hurt me again." Francis looked down. "All that anger builds up after a while though."

"Like being with you was always a field of roses…" Arthur rolled his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Francis still wouldn't look at him.

"It means that you probably did just as much. You know I'm jealous. You always flirt with other people. You're like a bright light that all the moths come to."

Francis chuckled a little. "Am I your bright light Arthur?" He shook his head. "Don't answer that. At least I can buckle down and make a commitment. Even if I flirted, I was always with you."

"Then what do you call this little affair?"

"A taste of your own medicine? That's what it feels like, when you love someone to the depths of your heart, and they won't commit back."

Arthur huffed. "You love me to the depths of your heart?"

Francis glanced up at him. "Oui. You're the only one in my eyes Arthur."

"That's sappy!" Arthur snapped. "How can I be, when you just go on and sleep with other people? How can I trust you now? I can't forgive this Francis."

Francis leaned back. "It never meant anything…when I was with that other person. It was like…nothing. Not everyone can be that way Arthur, but I can. Sometimes that's scary. When I'm with you though, it's different. I feel it, I feel something. I don't expect you to trust me, not after what I did…"

"Then what do you want?"

"I want to be with you, and only you."

"How can that happen, if I don't trust you?"

"I guess you'll just always have to keep an eye on me then." A small, almost noticeable smile crept up on Francis' lips.

Arthur leaned back. He liked the idea, of being with Francis again… Yet he was still angry."I'll only do it, under a few conditions."

"What would those be?" Francis quirked an eyebrow.

"No more flirting. At all. I only want your eyes on me. I also want our previous agreement to go away. Obviously it's not healthy for us to hold in our emotions…" Francis chuckled and shook his head. Arthur continued. "And I want you to tell me you love me, when you feel like telling me. Don't just hold it in."

"I have one condition then…" Francis looked at Arthur fully now. "You have to say it, you have to call me your boyfriend."

Arthur pursed his lips. He went to hold his hand out for a handshake but the handcuff stopped him. "Deal." He said instead.

Francis broke into a grin and kissed Arthur on the cheek. "fantastique!"

Arthur pulled away. "Don't kiss me you bloody frog! I'm not ready for that yet."

Francis leaned back. "It's good to be back Sourcils."

Arthur chuckled a little. "Yes, yes it is."

The principal walked in and asked the two of them to come back with him. To be frank he terrified Arthur and Francis. The cops had to come back in and un-handcuffed the two boys from the chair.

They were scared for the meeting, yet they held hands all the way inside….