Title: When Arthur Becomes Desperate
Genre: Romance/Friendship?
Rating/Warnings: T, minor cursing
Summary: Arthur Kirkland doesn't like Alfred F. Jones. He is a git who teases him too much. But when Alfred decides to spend his time with another boy, Arthur suddenly becomes desperate.
Notes: A fic I've written for USxUK Summer Camp 2012! The theme for this is I Wont' Say I'm In Love from Disney's Hercules.
"Alfred F. Jones!" called one Arthur Kirkland as the aforementioned teen, Alfred, was about to round a corner, and turned to look at him with a question of 'what?' in his eyes, though a hint of something else was evident in those blue irises. They were currently in the open yard with many onlookers, but Arthur didn't care. Well, he actually did, but this was far more important than some faceless people in the background.
Something important to him was at stake.
"Yeah, what is it, Artie?" Alfred replied, casually adjusting the sling of his backpack on his right shoulder.
Alfred was relatively a laid-back person. He was absolutely good-looking without even trying – he might wear mismatched sweaters and jogging pants and still look good; photogenic in camera, appealing in real life. He had this muscled body from the work-outs he had from the football team. One could call him a smart person, having high marks on both his Science and Math subjects. Most people would say Alfred was nearly perfect.
"I-err, uhm, I want to-uh," Arthur tried to say. Fuck why was he stammering like this? Arthur thought despairingly. He didn't know what came over him when he shouted Alfred's name like that, oh shit, he didn't know what to say in the end, he's just going to make fun of me, I'm screwed, it's over –
"You want to meet me later, don't cha?" Alfred helpfully supplied, a pearly-white grin slowly making its way on his face. Arthur couldn't decide whether to be happy that Alfred got what he meant or to anguish over the fact that he was too easy to read, his face exploded into red as Arthur ducked his head, not meeting with Alfred's eyes.
Damn, this was more embarrassing than he thought! He only managed a nod to Alfred's question, and he felt more than heard the blue-eyed blonde go near him. He saw Alfred's legs in his line of vision, then his hands as they came near his face and he had to clench his eyes shut and brace himself for whatever Alfred was planning to do.
He gave out a surprised "Ah!" when he felt those hands squeeze his cheeks. He looked up to Alfred and saw the most shit-eating grin he gave yet. He knew he would regret this momentary slip of rationality when he decided to act out his irrational thoughts.
Alfred was almost perfect. His only flaw, however… was his obsessive desire to tease the life out of Arthur Kirkland for three straight years already.
"I'll see ya later, Artie-dearie, at our usual place!" Alfred winked at him as he went round that corner again, going to his next class, leaving Arthur all red in the face and with instant arrhythmia.
Asking Alfred out to meet later of the blue like that, just because… Just because he heard Alfred had been 'close' lately with that Japanese transfer student, and they had went chummy together, hanging out, going to coffee shops and eating ice cream in parlors, going to the movies…
Arthur could slam his head on the wall, if not for propriety. After all, he was still in public –
– Which brought him back to his surroundings, and saw some students looking at him like he was sprouting another head. He glared at the curious students and went on his way, willing his blush down, and failing.
Arthur couldn't be still during the afternoon classes. He kept on watching the clock on the classroom, mentally screaming at the bored hands of the clock to move faster so he could bolt out of the stuffy classroom and have fresh air because the more he sat on his seat, the more he became anxious of what would happen later when Alfred and him met.
Oh god, what if it was all a joke on him? What if Alfred would ditch him and then tell his other jock friends of the pathetic Arthur Kirkland waiting on him on the Physics science laboratory while he would go on his way to meet that Japanese boy and he would be mocked by the whole campus and his heart would be in shambles –
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the last class Arthur had. He hurriedly packed all his things inside his bag and sped out of the door, towards the library to have a moment of silence and to collect his thoughts (and his feelings). Alfred still had football practice and he knew it would be a while before Alfred would round up in the laboratory.
Arthur needed to calm himself.
He grabbed a thick, hardbound random book he saw on the shelf, probably an encyclopedia, and went to the furthermost part of the library. There he sat on one of the chairs and placed the book in front of him. He promptly nested his head on his arms, using the book as a pillow. He needed to think of the reasons why meeting Alfred later was a good idea.
He didn't know why, but it felt so difficult – something ached in his chest whenever he saw Alfred with Kiku (now he remembered the name of that blasted Japanese kid) together. He couldn't actually stand them together, being close and happy and all smiles with each other.
Thinking about it made Arthur sad, actually. Why was he feeling that way? Why did seeing Alfred and Kiku together hurt? He shouldn't be affected, right? He didn't want to be involved with any of Alfred's affairs. He didn't want to spend time with Alfred. He didn't want Alfred to smile at him so lovingly his heart would burst –
He didn't realize that Alfred had that impact on him until now. Now that Alfred had been spending time with another. Now that Alfred wasn't bothering him as much as he had before.
Arthur groaned, sinking further into his impromptu depression.
And to think they started off as enemies – hurting each other with insults, lashing out at each other, proving themselves with their grades and even resorting to pranks, Alfred teasing Arthur every single time they met in the hallways or in their shared classes – but now, everything was more subdued. Alfred's teasing had lessened, and somehow it hurt somewhere deep within Arthur that Alfred had finally moved on with his immaturity (well, not really, but not teasing him as much anymore) and started hanging out with the quiet and calm Kiku.
Why did Alfred matter to him in the end, anyway? Why did Alfred have this impact on him? When Alfred was making fun of Arthur, he wanted the blonde git to go away.
But now… Now that he had distanced himself from Arthur, he wanted him back.
That's why he called out to Alfred that lunch time. He somehow wanted Alfred to pay attention to him.
But why, still?
Because you love him, silly, a voice echoed in his mind, and he snapped his head up from his internal depressive/introspective/enlightening rant. No. It wasn't true. No. It can't be.
He couldn't be in love with the stupid, sodding gitface, adorable, handsome Alfred, could he?
His heart kicked up its beating and he actually felt it thundering against his ribcage. He was so surprised with what he was feeling that he just stared down at his chest. It seemed like it was the first time he actually felt his heart beat, making his upper body jolt just a little bit with every beat it made.
Arthur was so mesmerized with the sensations he was experiencing that he didn't notice the shadow slow creeping towards him until something suddenly grabbed his shoulder, and the breathy voice whispered his name "Arthur" against his ear.
Arthur couldn't blame himself for the scream that followed that, and for the punch that he threw to his assailant. He turned to look at the person who dared to scare him, and saw sprawled on the floor none other than the person he was anguishing moments ago, Alfred F. Jones.
Mixed feelings swarm in his being, fighting for dominance. Surprise, joy, anxiety, anger, indignation, embarrassment, and one he refused to identify were struggling to be displayed on his physical features. In the end, embarrassment prevailed, and he looked quite apologetic as Alfred groaned on the floor. He didn't say he was sorry, though.
Alfred picked himself up from the wooden surface and pulled a chair, all the while maintaining eye contact with Arthur, still bearing that I-know-something-that-you-don't grin that he wore during lunch time.
He leaned closer to Arthur, one elbow bearing the weight of his face, and asked, his face all smug, "So, Artie-dearie, why d'ya want to see me?"
Arthur leaned away. He was feeling suffocated from Alfred's invasion of his personal space. He knew his cheeks were getting red; Alfred's smoldering gaze was boring into his and he had to look away. Though he didn't manage to stare at the floor with interest for too long because Alfred had touched his cheek and turned his face so they were staring at each other again.
"Arthur, why did you want to see me?" Alfred asked, dropping the nickname and the poor grammar usage.
Arthur swallowed the large lump that was forming on his throat. Oh god, Alfred was being serious. He couldn't handle it when Alfred was being serious like that. His smoldering eyes bore into his and Arthur was quite feeling funny now. He squirmed, wanting to move away, but Alfred shifted his hold on his cheek to his chin and he couldn't get away from the very blue eyes and he was falling into those pools – blue, blue, so very blue – he felt like drowning, he couldn't breathe – he pressed his thighs together because he was suddenly feeling hot and oh god Alfred!
Alfred ran his finger across Arthur's cheek and whispered, "What do you want from me, Arthur?"
It seemed that question brought all of Arthur's rational thoughts to a stop, and the sensations he felt went overdrive. His arms, which had been immobilized before, shot out from his side and reached over to clutch at Alfred's collar and pulled him in, pressing his lips against Alfred's, body against body, heat against heat.
The chair Alfred was sitting on toppled down, the noise echoing in the silent room, but it seemed the two occupants didn't care. Alfred's hand groped on Arthur's bum as the other hand roamed on his back, feeling him up. Arthur sighed against the warm lips, his hold on the collar still strong, not wanting to let go.
They finally parted to inhale air, and Arthur was in a daze. His lips were still tingling with the sensation of feeling another pair against them. He looked up to Alfred's smiling blue eyes, and realized that what he was doing was wrong.
He released his grip on the collar and stepped back, his expression growing horrified as what he had just done finally sunk into his head. He couldn't look back into Alfred. He was so mortified, so utterly mad at himself for kissing Alfred, ignoring the flutter in his chest.
If what he did wasn't an act of love, then what was it?
He was so lost in his self-depreciating thoughts that he didn't notice Alfred going near him until he felt arms wrapped around him, the now familiar feel of Alfred's body against him. Despite his earlier mortification, he melted into the embrace, needing some sort of support for the growing confusion he was feeling.
He felt Alfred nuzzle on his neck. "I'm glad, Arthur," Alfred sighed. His hands began to move on his back again, and the sensation he was feeling was enough to make him a pile of mush with all the warmth he was experiencing, with all the comfort he was feeling.
"You know, I've liked you too. Bit of a while, too," Alfred whispered into his ear. He shuddered, from both the words and the breath in his ears. His face went automatically red.
Alfred liked him. Oh gods Alfred liked him too! He couldn't believe it. He honestly couldn't believe it. That all of those worries were for null, and that Alfred, by some bizarre chance, returned his feelings!
Wait. He hadn't said anything yet.
"A-Alfred, I-uhm, I-ah," damn he couldn't even say it out loud. He was slightly jealous of Alfred for saying those words so easily. Alfred pulled away a bit. He looked so hopeful as he stared into Arthur's eyes that it made Arthur's unwilling mouth function.
"Ah-I like you too," Arthur whispered, his face bright red. He couldn't believe that he had finally said it. Oh dear him their feelings were mutual!
"What about Kiku?" he had to ask. He was curious, that was all it was to it. Really.
"Hmmm? He's a friend, he's a gamer too, y'know?" Alfred answered innocently. Until he realized what Arthur was after.
"Oh, is my Artie-dearie jealous of my friend Kiku?" Alfred laughed.
"No, I'm not! Stop calling me that horrendous name!" Arthur exclaimed, his face beet red. Again.
Alfred laughed at him and pecked his lips. "You're so cute, Artie!" he exclaimed, like it was just another daily occurrence for them.
Arthur decided to ignore the nickname and just pressed his face to Alfred's shoulder and hoped that they would be a daily occurrence.
-USUK-OMAKE-
"If there's a price for rotten judgement, I guess I've already won that."
Alfred shifted closer to Arthur and nudged him, his shit-eating grin back on his face. Arthur ignored him and continued with his reading.
"No man is worth the aggravation, that's ancient history, been there, done that!"
Alfred nudged Arthur again. "Artie-dearie, I think this song's so you!" he laughed. Arthur glared at him and shoved Alfred off him, deciding not to comment on what he had said.
"You keep on denying who you are and how you're feeling;
Baby, we're not buying; Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling;
Face it like a grown-up when ya gonna own up
That ya got, got, got it bad!"
Alfred now was laughing obnoxiously, the lyrics was just hitting home for his very dear Arthur.
"Whoa, no chance, no way I won't say it, no no!"
"Give up, give in; check the grin you're in love!"
"This scene won't play, I won't say I'm in love~"
Arthur was so embarrassed over how his boyfriend was laughing at his expense, so decided to belt him up.
With a hot steamy kiss on the lips.
So that's the end for this! I hope you enjoy reading this! Thank you so much for taking your time to read!
Review if you like! OuO