A/N: Ah! It's been over a month since I updated, so here is two chapters in a row. Suraj is India, Jack is Australia. Thank you for all the kind reviews and comments! I hope you enjoy! Everything belongs to Hima...except my version of Faerie. ;)

"O, when she's angry, she is keen and shrewd!

She was a vixen when she went to school;

And though she be but little, she is fierce."

-Midsummer's Night Dream, Shakespeare

The afternoon sun streamed down on Arthur, as he sat in his favourite spot in the vast university library's third floor study section. From his vantage point he could see the tops and spires of the old, intricate buildings of the campus. Birds sat on the sill outside his window and he watched them chatter, hop, fly away, and come back, just to do it all over again.

Resting his head on his elbow, he could almost imagine the freedom they felt as they flitted about. If only he had that feeling of being free, with no strings attached, and being able to do whatever he wanted. He knew deep down that he always could, one could always do what one wanted, but the consequences of such actions and the rational side of Arthur's brain could never let go of his current engagements.

Wild dreams like touring with the band he had in high school, being fifteen again and having his Father force his brother's paths instead. Traveling across the world without looking back, exploring without qualm, and finding new places was another dream. Those were frivolous, stupid, and utterly ridiculous ideas now.

Groaning, Arthur sunk down into his arms, ignoring the soft pinging of his Facebook chat telling him that someone wanted to talk. And somehow his frenemy senses tingling, knew it was Francis. With a sigh he looked at his laptop's screen. The dashboard was scrolling, and as he went to shut the cover down in disgust, he saw one of his "friends" had liked his favourite convenience store.

He shopped there too and he wasn't going to 'like' the page, but it reminded him of his encounter with Alfred. It was embarrassing how much he had wanted to go back there, just to see him again. He had the other day, making a fake run for tea (this was sinking low, because they didn't have tea he would like), with no luck, and returning to his dorm with tea that made his roommate wrinkle his. The tea was politely set aside in the kitchen cabinet to be ignored.

Alfred…Arthur mused. As one of the birds scooted down to another bird, their bodies so close they looked all cozy, a new thought came to him, and it would not leave his head. It rankled. If his father found out…Arthur grimaced at the thought of being cut off. Yes, Arthur thought, it might just be fun to try out, right? Arthur opened up a new window in his browser and started typing.

"Hi!"

Arthur was startled from his deep contemplation over the sudden quiz that had popped up after he had to enter his personal information. "Suraj, don't you have anything better to do?" Arthur didn't look at his beautiful skin the color of coffee latte, nor his lustrous black hair, or his beautiful chestnut brown eyes. Suraj leaned over Arthur causing a waft of spicy and musky cologne to come with the movement. Arthur closed his eyes for a moment. Why did his ex-boyfriend seem to think they were still friends? Well, something like that, Arthur thought bitterly, it had only been one disastrous date they had gone on, ending in absolute misery.

Suraj groaned, "You're not reading erotica again?"

"Shut it!" Arthur hissed, looking around them at the library. His protestation had been loud. "I. Am. Not."

"Hmm…" Came the distracted answer, as he peered at his screen. "Job application? A psychological exam? 'If you saw someone taking something and putting in his or her pocket, what would you do'…What is this? Are you applying for a job?" His hazel eyes just looked at Arthur amused, "What will your father say?"

"It's not his life, is it?" Arthur felt the anger and worry clench inside him, "Plus, it's not like he pays attention. I keep my studies up and still do well I don't think it matters."

"My parents would kill me." Suraj said. "I am going to become a doctor, marry a good Indian girl, and their plans for me will not be thwarted." He smiled at Arthur, "and didn't your dad let you change your major already?"

"You're talking like he controls my life."

"He does." Suraj cheerfully affirmed, "You don't see it. But without him you wouldn't be able to go to university, wouldn't get the right contacts to make it in the world, and fly back and forth from England to the States."

Arthur was angry. "You don't know my family."

Suraj looked at him steadily, "I'm just saying as your friend that you should watch what you are doing."

"Watching porn again?" A cheerful loud Australian accent came right behind Suraj to Arthur, which he promptly ignored. Jack was overly cheerful and oftentimes just liked to piss Arthur off for no reason.

"Arthur's getting a job! For some mysterious reason, that has nothing to do with money or boredom." Suraj greeted Jack with a grin.

"Won't that get in the way of your social life, mate?" Jack said straight-faced, as Sundaya muttered, "what social life?" They snickered. Jack kept on in his confident insistent way, "Why do it?"

"It's none of your business," said Arthur coldly.

The two looked at him, and then started laughing. Jack gave Arthur a slap on the back, and started talking about cricket and rugby with Suraj while Arthur ignored them.

Arthur slowly went through the ridiculous bloody test that he did not want to fail or lie on, so desperately did he want the job. His stomach flipped as he finally got through the job application and hit the submit button. It was such a long shot, and who even knew if he would see Alfred. His ears flushed.

"Hey, Arthur, you going back to the dorms?" Jack was saying as Suraj waved his good-bye. "Can I have your spot here?"

Arthur ceded his seat to Jack, packing up his laptop, and heart thumping in nervousness, couldn't even focus on what the rest of the conversation was. He would go back to the dorms to recover, maybe make a nice cup of tea. It was the first time since he had asked his father about changing his major that he had ever felt so wound up.

Walking back to the dorms, Arthur heard crying from the student parking lot nearest to the path. Low sobs, a girl, Arthur could tell by the pitch, and they were heart wrenching. "Hullo?" he called out, not seeing where she was amongst all the cars. "Are you alright?" He could still hear the weeping; it hadn't abated. "I'm here to help you." It seemed stupid to get in such a situation, but he couldn't help wondering what was going on.

Walking over the lot and looking around, he finally saw the source of the weeping crouched between a red beat-up station wagon and shiny silver car. She was bent over, as if she couldn't get up to stand. Her crying was almost unbearable now to Arthur. He could feel his throat getting tight with empathy.

"Hi," he said softly, crouching down a couple feet from her, "Hi, I can help you. Do you need me to get security? 999?" shaking his head suddenly, "No, 911?" She looked up, her red hair falling about her shoulders, grey blue eyes filled with tears. Arthur stared numbly, her clothes were bloody, and the bloodiest cloth was held out twisted in front of her.

She wailed then, holding out the bloody cloth towards him. Horror-stricken, Arthur could only stare, and stutter, "I can get help. Are you okay? Who did this?" The tears fell in thick bands down her face. She shook her head emphatically, shuffling closer to him, holding out the garment dripping red.

"No." Arthur said, shaking his head now, "No!" He realized that she wasn't human and what she really was. "No! Go away!" The girl stumbled towards him, her eyes filled with pain as if trying to communicate with him, but all that came from her mouth was the weeping and sobbing shriek. Understand, her eyes seemed to plead, understand.

"I know what you mean!" he snapped, his temper rising. "I don't care what you say."

Her head bowed and she slowly retreated, vanishing before his eyes. Arthur realized he was shaking then, and he pressed his hand over his eyes. Trying to get his wits together, this had been too much for him to take in.

Going to his dorm and straight to his studies was hard, but after a good cup of tea, he finally felt his stomach calm down, and his heart stop hurting. Spending the rest of the evening at the art studio later, he felt back to normal, as if it had never happened.

Coming into a dark dorm room he didn't turn on the lights. He had been graced with a wonderful roommate, thank god, for not many people could get along with him too well, or not at least living with him. The choice had been based on the survey they had been given as Freshmen, noting preferences for sleep times, music likes, study habits, and if they were a morning or night person. Luckily, for once, he found out they had actually regarded his preference of early to bed and early to rise, and he had been placed with a Japanese-American student named Kiku.

They instantly bonded over their love of tea and quiet study. Their personalities were different, for as Arthur's temper exploded and raged, Kiku's was a quiet wrath that was intimidating in its precise and ruthless focus. Where Arthur was forgetful and slightly messy in an artistic, wabi-sabi way, Kiku was punctual, organized, and tidy. The two seemed to mesh in the way that Kiku didn't care if Arthur was gay, and Arthur didn't mind that Kiku did karaoke, went clubbing randomly, and sexiled him sometimes. Arthur just enjoyed the peace of their dorm. Some made fun of him (Francis) and called them old men, but Arthur knew that if anyone could keep a secret it was Kiku.

He had found out the time he kept leaving salt on the windowsill his freshman year, and Kiku kept cleaning it up. When Kiku asked why he kept doing such a strange thing, Arthur admitted to him that he could see the little people, and prepared himself to pack up and get a new roommate. Instead, Kiku had merely nodded and said, "My grandmother could do the same. The desert spirits came to talk to her when she was in an internment camp," and he never removed the salt again. Although from then on the salt was tidied precisely like a rock garden row.

"Kiku, are you still awake?" asked Arthur from his bottom bunk.

"Yes," Kiku said, and meant it, since he sounded like he had been thinking.

"I saw a banshee today."

There was silence. "The portent that signifies death?"

"Yes."

There was shift, and shiny black hair swung around Kiku's face as he leaned over his bunk to speak to Arthur. "You must be careful."

"I know, I know," muttered Arthur, scowling into the dark.

"More than you know, you should watch carefully. Although," Kiku admitted, "One cannot change when he is going to die."

"Thanks, Kiku," came the sarcastic response.

Or, Kiku said thoughtfully, "Maybe it is just a warning, or means another kind of death." Then Kiku swung up again, the bunk's springs creaking, "Have you done something different recently?"

Arthur's life was routine. Study, argue with his so-called friends, sleep, tea, and long for the pub and proper football matches. "No. Not really."

"What about Alfred?"

Arthur could feel his face turn bright red, he shouldn't have told Kiku about his awkward shopping experience. "W-what?"

"You said he had wings, maybe he is a bad portent too?"

"N-no. He's just high fae. You know. I-I just was grateful for his help."

Kiku was silent, and Arthur could just feel his roommate know he was lying.

"A-a-and after all, it was nothing."

"If you say so, Arthur," was Kiku's quiet response.

"Do you want to go to the store with me tomorrow? I could show you." Arthur was desperate to prove his point.

"Maybe."

Ah, thought Arthur, that meant no.

"Alright, mate, just offering."

"I'm just offering that you should be careful. Avoid these spirits for awhile." Kiku's disapproval meant a lot to Arthur. It meant Kiku cared for him, and it made Arthur feel good.

"Thanks, Kiku."

"Good-night."

"Good-night."

Arthur couldn't sleep; he stared at the moon peeking through their window like a headlight from a car. The night seemed to go on forever, and he heard people finally coming back to the dorm from wherever, yelling, talking, laughing, and one student singing as he passed. When he did fall asleep he dreamt of bright blue eyes in the face of a familiar man who led him deeper and deeper into a wood. His hand held his tightly, and Arthur woke before he found where they were going.