Yay next chapter! I participially like this one. C: Enjoy!

Chapter Three

Get Some Sleep

"Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be all right
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound"

Lyrics from Taylor Swift and The Civil War's 'Safe And Sound'

"Ohmygoshohymygoshohmygoshwha t'sthat?" Alfred chanted.

"That's my bedroom, twit." Arthur replied.

"Whooooa can we go in? Now?" Alfred asked. He pulled on Arthur's arm and gave his best puppy eyes. Arthur sighed.

"I suppose. But only if we're going to sleep." Arthur said. Alfred let out an 'eep'. Arthur scoffed and headed into his room. Alfred followed.

They found a sleeping bag on the floor and the bed already done. Arthur smiled briefly. Alfred cocked his head to a side.

"What's so happy?" he asked. Arthur shook his head.

"Nothing. I just didn't think she'd bother." Arthur quietly replied. Alfred gulped. What had Artie meant by that? Didn't his mum love him?

"Okay!" Alfred answered with a loud laugh. Obviously this laugh was forced. For some reason Arthur didn't catch this.

"You take the bed." he said with a sigh. Alfred obeyed. Arthur turned off the light and crawled into his sleeping bag. Actually it was Alfred's sleeping bag. Arthur must have been using that weird thing he called 'hospitality'.

Alfred muffled his giggles into his hand. Arthur sighed loudly.

"Just go to sleep." he ordered weakly. After a few moments Alfred's giggles stopped. A few moments of silence. Then the giggles resurfaced.

"Just go to sleep!" Arthur yelled. Alfred's giggles ceased immediately. He watched Arthur flip on his side. The side not facing Alfred. Alfred frowned and flipped on his side too.

Not that he was a copycat. He just didn't want to look at Arthur right now. Arthur would probably sense it if he did and yell some more.

A few minutes later and Alfred still wasn't asleep. He wasn't even thinking. Then he heard a lot of sighing. It sounded wet. Was Artie crying?

Alfred flipped over to face him. Arthur was shaking. Alfred got up and sat by Arthur. Not knowing what to do, he stroked Arthur's back.

"...You wanna talk about it?" Alfred asked. Arthur stiffened

"No." Arthur sniffed. He was still crying. Alfred crawled into Arthur's sleeping bag and snuggled into him. Alfred expected Artie to protest. The fact that Artie didn't was concerning.

Alfred closed his eyes and nuzzled his head into Arthur's neck. He couldn't help noticing an odd texture. He opened his eyes and saw the same blanket Arthur had been wearing around his neck earlier.

"Why're ya always wearing that blanket?" Alfred asked without thinking. Arthur mumbled something.

"What?" Alfred pestered.

"I-It's a cloak! When you were it around your neck it's a cloak!" Arthur chocked out.

….

Silence.

"Oh...w-well," Alfred twiddled his thumbs. "Well why're you a-always wearing it and stuff?" he asked sheepishly. Arthur sniffed.

"I don't want to talk about it." he insisted. For a few minutes Alfred pondered how to make Artie tell him. Then he kissed Artie's cheek.

"I'm not gonna make fun of you." he assured. Arthur squired a bit. More silence.

"Please?" Alfred begged hopefully. Arthur sighed. His sigh was very tired and very old sounding. Like a grandpa sigh.

"My dad gave it to me...before he left." he choked out. Alfred was about to respond, but Arthur interrupted him.

"Mum says he loved me. B-B-But why'd he leave then?" Arthur asked. He was crying again. Alfred scooted closer.

"Y-You're always talking about your dad...I just wanna have one too." Arthur admitted. Actually Alfred had two dads, but he didn't want to make Arthur jealous.

"I think he had to go." Alfred put. Arthur sort of stopped crying. Not all the way, but a little. So Alfred was helping. Right?

"I think, I think he loved you, but he just had to go." he confirmed. Now why Arthur's dad had to go, he didn't know. But he bet he was right. Why else would Artie's dad leave?

"But why?" Arthur demanded. He sounded weird, trying to sound all authorityish when he kept hiccuping.

….

Alfred wasn't helping at all.

"I don't...know. B-But I think we should talk about something else." he suggested. Arthur was still crying.

"...I'm such a bad friend." Alfred said sadly. Slowly Arthur stopped crying. A minute later he stuttered out, "N-N-No y-you're no-ot.". Alfred pouted.

"Yeah I am. I can't do anything right."Alfred said. Arthur squirmed around to face Alfred. Alfred gawked and Arthur took a deep breath.

"N-No you're not. I...I love you...s-so that makes me right." Arthur put sheepishly. Alfred kissed Arthur's cheek again.

"Okay...I'm gonna go to sleep now, okay?" Alfred asked, just to make sure Artie wasn't sad any more. Arthur coughed.

"A-Aren't you going to go back to the bed?" he asked.

"Naw, you gotta be okay. So I'll stay here. Then we can both sleep." Alfred replied. Artie was his best friend. They both had to have a good night's sleep. No nightmares about daddies.

"Okay." Arthur answered. They both yawned at the same time and Alfred giggled.

"Goodnight." he said.

"G...night." Arthur mumbled. Alfred pulled Arthur closer and fell asleep.