As a rule, computing classes were one of the two or three classes on his schedule that Gilbert could actually tolerate. As part of a generation that had grown up using the sort of technology that the school thought they needed to be educated on and an avid blogger he found that using such technology in the relatively simple ways the class required came effortlessly to him. Computing was one of the easiest of his collection of easy A's. But this particular lesson he found even more difficult than usual to concentrate. He knew, as much as he was loathe to admit it, that the problem lay with his sudden and highly unexpected encounter with Arthur. It might have been more that five years since they last has any proper contact with each other but it wasn't like he had forgotten his childhood.
He'd known Arthur most of the way through elementary school. Back then Arthur had been wild. Vicious and rude and more than once referred to as uncouth. As he'd grown older he'd discovered about Arthur's parents holding rather demanding jobs and the fact that rather than ignoring or forgetting his manners Arthur had never actually been taught them, but at the time he had just been a six year old looking for somebody who could keep up with his streak for trouble. And when most of their grade had been interested in colouring and learning their shapes it had only been natural that the two boys who were far more interested in fighting and exploring would find each other's company. In a childish way they had gotten on from the beginning, neither of them truly caring much for the other but seeing, even then, the benefits of having somebody to fight on your side. It had most likely been the only time in history when students even attempted to bully people two and three grades above. It was most certainly the only time students had been remotely successful. And it had been good. The odd loyalty that came with kicking around people who were tougher than you and swapping sandwiches (because somehow Arthur never seemed to get anything he liked, which was odd because he wasn't a fussy eater, and Gilbert didn't care much what he was eating as long as it was food) had been fun. Fun enough that when they'd been that little bit older, nine and ten and turning eleven, they'd stayed as something like friends. Finding common interests like sports and then fighting over who was better at them, laughing, and playing and scaring Gilbert's parents lifeless when they climbed up on the roof to drop water bombs on passers by. When, age eleven, they discovered that Arthur's parents wanted to move back to England, although they weren't friends, because Gilbert Beilschmidt (and why was Arthur the only person who could pronounce that right?) didn't do something as girly as friendship, it had been rather like losing one all the same.
They'd kept in touch, briefly, through messily written 'letters' and the occasional phone call when they weren't being berated by their parents about the expense, but it hadn't lasted. They had fallen out of touch within a year and Gilbert had started middle school and Arthur had started 'secondary school' and all of what had come before had been pushed aside to make room for new allies and new 'battles' and the old times were forgotten.
This meant that Arthur's return was just a touch on the weird side.
They could hardly go back to what things were like before. They weren't young enough to act that way anymore and they were old enough that it would be strange to try and pretend that five years hadn't passed. But Gilbert could hardly just dismiss the fact that he'd known Arthur - even if they way he dressed made it look like he might have got a stick up the arse in the time since they'd last been in contact.
Gilbert was too Awesome to get hung up over things like that though. He was only thinking about it because he had nothing better to be doing and he thought that it had been a while since Arthur had gotten a turn at being in his Awesome thoughts.
By the time he got to his history class he was sure he would have discovered something so interesting that Arthur would be out of his head completely.
Instead of Gilbert's prediction coming true it seemed to be becoming increasingly obvious that for some reason, be it jealousy of his Awesome or just spite, fate seemed to be conspiring against Gilbert's plan to find something to think about which wasn't Arthur. When Gilbert had walked into his history class the blond was already sat at what, for the last two years, had been Gilbert's desk. And nobody, not even British ex-allies, stole Gilbert Beilschmidt's seat.
"Move over! Only my awesome self is allowed to sit in that seat."
Arthur looked at him and blinked - deadpan. "No."
"The awesome me gave you an order!"
Arthur raised his eyebrows. "I, as a rational and intelligent human being, am telling you to bugger off."
"But that's my seat!" And if he had to behave like a ten year old to get it back then he'd do so.
"I don't see your name on it."
Gilbert was reaching for his blue sharpie to correct that error when the teacher walked in. There was something about Mr Silva that was just about intimidating enough on a Monday morning that even Gilbert didn't want to piss him off – a least for now. Instead, wincing, he slid into the seat next to Arthur, and most decidedly didn't notice the victorious smirk that flickered about the corners of Arthur's mouth.
Instead of saying anything to the class (not even taking the register as he preferred to just look and see which students were present) Mr Silva placed a pile of textbooks at the front of the room and scrawled 'Page 309 – Discuss' in large letters across the board.
"Is that seriously his lesson plan?" Arthur muttered incredulously. Gilbert laughed. Every now and again he found himself not minding Mr Silva, because as much as the man wasn't much fun on a Monday morning, his regular debate and discussion sessions were often interesting – an interesting chance to slack off.
He grabbed a book as they were passed around the classroom, and turned to Arthur. "Looks like you get the privilege of working with the awesome me!
Arthur pulled a face and flipped the book to the required page. "So what exactly are we covering here?"
"You mean you didn't research the courses before hand to pick which the best ones were?" Gilbert taunted – it was always best to hit swots right were it would hurt, in the academics.
Arthur looked affronted and Gilbert smirked triumphantly. So Arthur had turned into prissy bastard. Not that he had ever doubted that the Awesome him was right all along.
"For your information I signed up for whatever damn courses I wanted to and to hell with what you think!"
He also apparently more than a little defensive and still had a quick temper– enough to attract more than a few strange looks from their classmates.
"And," Arthur added tersely, seeming to regain some composure, "As you are clearly both uncooperative and ignorant I shall simply read it for myself."
And he did. He didn't react like any of Gilbert's other more studious classmates did when they would he would not cooperate with them on assignments and glare expectantly as if expecting him to change his mind. Arthur just pulled the book towards him, flipped back to the beginning of the chapter, and began to read.
But no way was Gilbert allowing himself to be ignored in favour of a book. He'd had enough of that when Arthur had tried walking away from him.
"The awesome me knows way more than that stupid book. We're studying the Napoleonic wars. This part is about why the French got thrashed at Waterloo and it's pretty obvious what the answer is. During the Waterloo Campaign, Napoleon needed time to organize himself and the French. The allies weren't doing so hot because they'd been surprised earlier and all mixed up so that their only chance to stop the French was two pretty small armies in Belgium: a British army commanded by the Duke of Wellington (with some Dutch in it too) and an Awesome Prussian army commanded by Prince Blucher. Napoleon gathered an army and prepared a surprise attack on Wellington and Blucher, hoping to catch them unprepared. His plan nearly worked he crossed the Belgian border before Wellington and Blucher could join forces but then…"
Arthur raised his eyebrows, cutting Gilbert off before he had even really begun to get going with the remark of, "Well if you know the subject so well then you should have any problem actually doing the task and discussing the issues presented by this page."
Gilbert rolled his eyes. "The Awesome Anglo-Prussian alliance and them being better than all French (and the rest of the coalition) and great together was what won the war. The notion that anything over than their Awesomeness had anything to do with it is stupid."
Arthur, possibly feeling a little shown up, snatched the textbook back and continued reading it. "Yes but we're supposed to be…"
"Discussing which political factor was most important in the outcome of the Napoleonic wars."
Arthur opened his mouth and then shut it again at the sight of Gilbert's smirk. "Well as you've been studying this course for longer than I have then I suppose I shall consider that conclusion whilst I read up on other possibilities."
Gilbert rolled his eyes at the blond's persistent awkwardness and yanked the textbook away from Arthur. "Ha! Now you can't."
Arthur smacked him across the face with his notebook and took the textbook back. "Ha."
Gilbert scowled. People were staring at them. If he gave into Arthur now his reputation for Awesome victories would be ruined. He tackled Arthur off of his seat grabbing for the textbook again. Victory was his!
Arthur rolled sideward and away from him, Gilbert (surprised only momentarily by the continued resistance) lunged after him. Arthur grabbed Gilbert's arm and yanked it behind his head. Gilbert ignored the pain grabbed the blond's hair in his other hand, not at all above fighting dirty. Arthur growled and sprung at his throat.
"DETENTION!"
They both came to a halt and fell away from each other, tension palpable, and Gilbert looked over at Mr Silva who was scowling at them both. He then glared diagonally over at Arthur who had moved out his grasp and was glaring right back.
As he picked himself up and took the detention slip (only the first of many) Gilbert had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he battled with Arthur. Not when the boy's green eyes were burning above that smirk to let him know that being punished for their fight changed nothing.
A/N Omg, the response these first two chapters have recieved has been awesome. I never thought I'd get so much interest so fast. A big thank you to everybody who's favorited or alerted and and even bigger one to those who reviewed! I'll do my best not to let you guys down.
