Beep! Beep! Beep!
Quickly turning the alarm off before it woke the other up, he slipped out of bed.
The glowing numbers on the clock, reading 6:30, made his eyes hurt more than they already did. As he rubbed them, he groaned a little in pain and entered the bathroom. The area around his left eye was a deep purple that made him wince when he touched it gently.
Grabbing his toothbrush, he brushed his teeth as fast as he could. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that it he had already taken ten minutes.
He threw his brush back where it went and hurried down to the kitchen, skipping getting dressed fearing that it would take too long.
When he pulled the teapot out and filled it with water, he noticed that all of the other's favorite tea was gone. Biting his lip nervously, he dashed to the pantry to make sure that his back up store still had some.
No luck.
He picked up a small box of tea, not the one the other preferred unfortunately, and spooned some into the teapot.
Setting the pot on the stove, he ran to start the other's breakfast.
The soft padding of feet on the stairs made him jump and he became frazzled as he tried to finish preparing the food and get it, along with a teacup, on the table before the other walked in.
Luckily the last plate was set down a few seconds before the other stepped into the kitchen.
"M-Morning dear," he said with a slight stutter that he hoped the other hadn't noticed.
The other man smiled at him and put his hand on his cheek.
"Good morning to you too love." His thumb gently rubbed the bruise and he tried not to wince. "I'm so sorry about this. I should have restrained myself."
"I-It doesn't matter. It doesn't hurt."
The other's face darkened only slightly.
"I hope you aren't lying to me Francis."
Francis quickly shook his head.
"I promise I am not darling."
The other smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Good." He looked at the table. "Breakfast looks lovely."
"Mer-" He stopped himself. "Th-Thank you." He pulled the chair out for the other to sit down.
"Thank you as well," he said as he sat down. "Would you like to sit too?" He motioned to the table.
Francis knew that the other chairs had all been broken over the years and the last one had been smashed against his back the previous night so he thought about how to politely refuse.
Luckily the teapot started whistling at that moment.
"Excuse me for a moment. Your tea is ready."
He scurried out of the room and returned within moments with the pot, setting it down on the table after filling the empty teacup.
The other man raised the cup and took a small sip before his face darkened again.
"This is not my usual morning Earl Gray."
Francis swallowed thickly; he had been hoping the other wouldn't notice, as unlikely as it was.
"I-I know dear but this is that tea I bought you for your birthday and when I saw it still unopened I thought that you might be saving it for a special occasion and I thought that today would be a perfect day to have some."
The other smiled, though there was no warmth and Francis shivered.
"Well I don't see why today would be a special occasion."
"Can't us being together be a special occasion, Arthur?"
Arthur still smiled.
"I guess so but I would prefer my Earl Gray."
His hand curled into a fist and Francis tried to stay calm.
"W-We are out at the moment. I was going to buy some later today when you went to work."
Arthur frowned.
"You know I don't like it when you got out alone."
"I know but I promise I won't talk to anyone. I won't look at anyone. I'll put makeup on so no one wonders what happened. And I'll wear clothes that would keep even a murderer away."
The other motioned with his hand and Francis knelt down in front of him, eyes on the floor. He felt the other running his hand through his hair and stayed still.
"I have told you several times that I do not want you going out if I am not with you. I don't want anyone to take what I have." His hand curled around a knot in his hair and tugged, forcing Francis to raise his head and stare up at Arthur. "Have I not?" Francis nodded. "And was I not clear?" Francis nodded again. "Then you will stay in the house all day today until I get home and then we can go to the store together." Francis nodded a third time. "Good," Arthur said as he let go of Francis's hair. "Now go start the dishes while I eat."
"Yes dear."
Francis walked into the kitchen and turned the sink on.
As he was finishing, he felt two arms slip around his waist and tried to stay calm.
"I'm leaving now."
Knowing what he meant, Francis turned around in the circle of arms and quickly kissed the other.
"Have a good day mon cher."
He froze, eyes wide.
Arthur was frozen too, staring at him.
He had made the worst mistake he could have and was starting to panic.
"What have I said about your bloody language?" Arthur asked quietly after a long pause.
"D-Don't use it. It's a filthy language that no one should ever use," he recited.
"You know my words by heart yet you still spoke in that dreadful language."
Francis gripped the counter behind him tightly, scared.
He gasped a little when the fist connected with his jar with enough force to break it.
It was torn out of socket and he instinctively put his hand on the spot.
The next hit was to his nose which shattered.
"Don't speak in that language ever again!" Arthur screamed, hitting him in the chest repeatedly.
Francis's legs gave out and he crumbled to the ground, taking the blows.
Eventually Arthur noticed the time.
"Good going you git! You've made me late! You better be ready when I get home tonight!"
Francis nodded.
"Y-Yes sir…I-I'll be waiting."
Turning around, Arthur stormed out the door after kicking Francis harshly in the stomach.
When the door swung closed his tears flowed freely, he was not allowed to cry in front of the other, and he curled up tightly.
He had been asked by Antonio once, before all connection had been cut, why he stayed with Arthur.
To tell the truth, he wasn't sure. He only knew that in his heart he still deeply cared for the other and abuse and all, his Arthur was still somewhere inside the beast the other had become.