Making Hearts

Chapter Four

Alfred felt bad. Actually, no he didn't.

While scrolling through Arthur's Facebook, he had went through his pictures (of course), and found a rather hilarious photo of Arthur with lined eyes, green hair, his tongue hanging out, a black stud near the tip, and the rock and roll hand signal. And to top it all of, he was wearing a band shirt.

Alfred had about choked on his toast when he stumbled upon the picture. Arthur had obviously taken it himself and edited it to have it dark around the edges and make green hair more vibrant. It was awesome.

He scrolled through the photos. Arthur eventually dropped the piercings, crazy hair and heavily filtered pictures. They had evolved into him in scrubs. In a rather cute photo of him grinning at the camera, Arthur was displaying his ID card for the hospital. Alfred touched the screen to read the caption. Arthur had excitedly declared that it was his first day of his internship.

Alfred smiled and felt his heart do a little jump. He paused and made sure he wasn't having another attack. Nope, it was just he had a crush on his doctor. Alfred groaned and quickly locked his phone. He was a terrible person. He was stalking the cute doctor and getting the hots for him.

He put his phone on the bedside table and finished his breakfast. He wished his mom had brought him a book or something, he couldn't spend all day on Facebook.

Johanna came and took the tray away. Feliciano checked in on him again. His mother called during her lunch break. Johanna brought him a turkey sandwich, an apple and a carton of chocolate milk. It reminded Alfred of grade school lunches.

The only exciting thing to happen to him that day was Francis stopping by. He even brought jello. The doctor sat by Alfreds feet and offered him a green and red cup. Alfred snagged the red and peeled off the foil.

"Are you hiding from someone or something?" Alfred asked as he licked the foil.

Francis winced and handed Alfred a spoon. "How could you tell?"

"You brought me food," Alfred grinned. Francis would visit him in the pediatric unit when he was overwhelmed with work or hiding from annoying interns. Alfred liked the company despite their ten-year age difference. And he usually brought snacks so Alfred didn't complain about sharing his bed for a while.

With a grin, Francis stripped his spoon from the film of plastic. "Vargas, he's so...happy, not to mention the singing that he's doing in surgery. It's a wonder how Beilschmidt stands him."

"Which one is Vargas?" Alfred asked.

"Feliciano. He probably told you to call him Feli."

Alfred nodded. "Yup. I like him. You guys need a little sunshine in your drab hospital life."

Francis rolled his eyes. "He's a little too sunny if you ask me. Sometimes people need to have a somber attitude."

"Like Arthur?" Alfred asked without a thought.

"How do you know I was thinking of Arthur?"

Alfred shoveled a large bite in his mouth and quickly thought of something. He didn't know Francis was thinking about Arthur, but he was. Somber and serious had described Arthur near perfectly.

He swallowed thickly and shrugged. "He just seemed like the serious type you were talking about."

Francis nodded slowly. He licked his spoon and threw it away. "Well, I should get going. Lives to save and all."

Alfred finished off his cup and Francis took it to throw away. "Thanks for the snack, don't stress yourself out."

"I'll try not to," Francis smiled and left Alfred's room. He walked slowly to his post-operation appointment. Alfred had gotten a little weird at the mention of Arthur. Francis wasn't sure if it was because Alfred liked Arthur, or that Alfred knew about them.

Francis ran a hand through his hair and dismissed both thoughts. That was just absurd. Alfred couldn't possibly like Arthur or know about their secret.

With a shake of his head, Francis checked his watch. He had an hour or so until he was off. He pulled out his phone and texted a sultry message to Arthur. It wasn't very often they had a chance to have sex outside of the hospital and Francis wasn't going to waste it.

Arthur was woken from his nap by his phone. He lifted his head from his coffee table, books and papers were strewn around him, and rubbed his face. Picking up his phone, he slid it open and blearily read the message.

Heat crept up his face when he saw it was from Francis. A few moments later he received a photo of Francis. It wasn't a selfie.

Now feeling uncomfortably warm under the collar, Arthur sent a quick message saying he'll be at Francis's flat in about an hour. Then he ran to the bathroom for a quick shower.

His cab arrived at Francis's place just as he was getting out of his own silver Prius. Arthur paid the cabbie and jogged to Francis's side.

"Are you on call?" he asked as he got closer.

"Nope, the other guy is," Francis said with a grin and a hand on Arthur's arse.

Arthur slid his arms around Francis's waist. "Perfect."

Francis was rough with him. Not that he didn't mind, it was just different to their carefully concealed sex at the hospital. After Francis had came on his back, Arthur felt a dull ache already take over his abdomen and hips. Francis wiped him up and he rolled over, relieving some of the pressure on his back.

"Do you want a drink?" Francis asked. He slid into a silk robe and pulled his sweaty hair up in a ponytail.

Arthur nodded. "Whatever you have is fine."

With a nod, Francis left the room. Most people smoke after sex, but Arthur had seen enough patients die of lung cancer in his short time as a doctor to swear it off forever. He drank instead. In moderation. Sometimes.

When Francis came back Arthur had readjusted the pillows so they could lean comfortably against the bedframe. The sheets pooled in his lap and his hair was sticking up in a million ways. Francis smiled rather fondly and handed Arthur his glass.

After a few silent moments of sipping the drink, Francis spoke. "I had an interesting conversation with Alfred today."

Arthur hesitated a brief moment, his glass almost to his lips. "Oh?"

"Yeah, I think he has a bit of a crush on you," Francis grinned.

"Sod off, asshole," Arthur said. He took a large swig of the wine Francis brought him.

Francis laughed. "Go easy on him. He's spent half his life in the hospital."

"It's not that he has a crush on me. It's that you think it's funny," Arthur said. He was never the guy people had crushes on. Usually it was the other way around. It was weird to think someone could actually like him.

"Alfred has had a crush on almost every intern and resident. Try not to take it personally," Francis said. Arthur couldn't help but pick up on the slight smugness in his voice.

"Do you think it's weird someone has romantic feelings for me?"

Francis rolled his eyes. "Please. Alfred is a child. He falls for everyone. I told you that."

"But why is it strange for him to like me."

Seeming to understand what Arthur was getting at, Francis grinned. "Because you're nothing special. Just an intern that happens to be the best looking this year. Wait until your residency, then you'll see that Alfred doesn't like you."

Arthur froze for a full thirty seconds. He slammed his cup on the bedside table, red wine sloshing over his hand. Francis jumped and his mouth dropped open in shock.

"What are you doing?" Francis practically screeched.

Arthur wiped his wine-covered hand on the white (and expensive) silk sheets. He stood and began to dress. "I don't have to sit here and be mocked by you."

"What are you on about? I was just telling you the truth!" Francis stood and yanked the bedclothes off.

"It may be true that Alfred will not like me in a week, but it is not true that I am so undesirable that even a friendless boy cannot like me!" Arthur snapped as he yanked on his trousers.

Francis rolled his eyes. "Will you get over yourself? You're getting upset over a simple truth!"

Arthur pulled his shirt down, flipped Francis the bird and left the room. He was too angry to say much of anything else.

"So you spill wine and don't even help to clean it up? Very mature, Arthur!" Francis yelled at his back.

"Shove it up your ass!" Arthur shouted up the stairs. He was about to slam the door closed, but thought it would be another punch in the gut to make francks close it while he was trying to clean his sheets. He left the door wide opened and pulled out his phone to call Feliciano.

He answered after three rings. "Arthur? Isn't it your day off?"

"Yeah. Want to go drinking?" Arthur stormed down the sidewalk. His house was a good ten miles away and the bar was five miles after that.

"I'm on call but I'll hang out with you," Feliciano said uncertainly. "Is everything alright?"

"No. How soon can you get to Pepper's?" That was his favorite bar. A young man ran it with his grandfather and they served high point stuff.

"Uhm, about fifteen minutes?" Feliciano said. Arthur heard the rustle of fabric.

"Alright. I'll see you then."

"Okay. Be careful, Arthur," Feliciano said.

Arthur grunted and hung up the phone. He then called for a cab to pick him up and waited in sullen silence.

His feelings were hurt and when his feelings got hurt, he drank. He was never an alcoholic, but he did get drunk quite often when he was younger.

His cab came and he slid into the backseat. He mumbled the address before slumping down. He couldn't believe Francis said that about him. Was he so unattractive he couldn't even win over a patient who practically lived at the hospital?

Not that he wanted to date Alfred. That would be inappropriate. He was just cute and a little funny. There was no way he could like Alfred that way. It would go against everything he stood for as a doctor. And if he did like Alfred, he wouldn't be allowed on his case and he would never see him.

Doctors with any relation to the patients were not allowed to work with them. There were too many incidents of the doctors going to extreme measures to help or the patient would make ridiculous requests since the doctor was family, friend, or lover. Too many times the patient did not make it and the doctor would blame himself. It was a harsh rule, especially since patients were comfortable around people they knew, but it was a necessary rule.

When the taxi arrived to the bar, Arthur handed over his tab and climbed out. Feliciano was waiting outside wearing a light jacket. Arthur jogged over and stood silently in front of his friend. At the sad look on his face, Feliciano wrapped him up in a hug.

"What happened?" Feliciano asked as he stepped back.

Arthur shook his head, not sure if he was drunk enough to talk about it yet. He lead Feliciano to the bar and sat glumly on a stool.

Feliciano slid in beside him. His delicate fingers picked at the bowl of peanuts while Arthur ordered. He got through five drinks before he was hunched over and griping out his problems.

"I just...don't know why...I can't find anyone," Arthur slurred.

"You'll find someone, Arthur. Francis just wasn't it," Feliciano tried to console his friend.

"But what if he was!" Arthur wailed. "And...and I ruined it!"

"No, no, no, Arthur," Feliciano said. He grabbed Arthur by the arms. "Francis was not your person."

"But, Feli," Arthur hiccuped. "How do you know?"

"Because if Francis was meant for you, he wouldn't make you feel this way," Feliciano said gently.

Arthur stared at him for a full thirty seconds before he broke down and cried into his shoulder.

Alfred looked up from his phone when he heard the door open. Arthur came trudging in, his scrubs hanging loosely from his frame, his hair a mess and dark circles under his eyes.

Alfred gave him a small smile. "Rough night?"

Arthur smiled. "How could you tell?"

"You look like my mom after I have surgery," Alfred said. He sat up so Arthur could listen to his heart. His chest didn't hurt as badly today and he was hoping for the all-clear to go home.

"Your mother gets drunk when you go in for surgery?" Arthur teased as he pressed the cold stethoscope to Alfred's chest.

"No, she doesn't drink. She just can't sleep when I go in she says. You look like you didn't sleep well," Alfred said. He pressed his lips together. He was desperate to ask Arthur about his punk days, but didn't want him to know he had stalked the doctor.

"You're right, I didn't," Arthur said softly. He looked Alfred over and jotted some notes on his file. "I think Dr. Bonnefoy will send you home today. He just needs to come in and check you over."

"Alright. Do you know when he'll be here?" Alfred adjusted his pajamas and leaned back against his pillows.

Arthur glanced at his watch. "He's in surgery now. Maybe an hour or two."

"Okay," Alfred said. Arthur smiled weakly and turned to leave. "Wait."

"Yes?" Arthur looked over his shoulder.

"Would you like some aspirin? My mom has some you can have. I'm sure she won't mind."

Arthur hesitated, then smiled. He went back to Alfred's side. "I would love some. This headache is enough to put me down for the count."

Alfred grinned and leaned over the edge of his bed. "She stashes a lot of stuff here," he said. He opened the bedside table drawer. Arthur peered in and saw an array of snacks, plastic silverware, tissues, medication bottles and batteries of various sizes. "If you ever need anything feel free to take it."

"She does this each time you come to the hospital?" Arthur asked. He rifled through the drawer, grabbed an aspirin bottle and, on a second thought, snagged a granola bar.

"Yeah. For her sake really. When she spend the night," Alfred said.

"Well, tell her I said thanks." Arthur ripped open the bar and took a large bite.

"I will," Alfred smiled. "Will you discharge me?"

"No. Francis will sign you off and Johanna will help you out," said Arthur around a mouthful.

"Oh, then I guess this is goodbye," Alfred said.

Arthur glanced at Alfred. He smirked. "With your track record, it's more like 'see ya later, alligator.'"

Alfred laughed. "After a while, crocodile."

With another thanks, Arthur went to the door. He took a step out before turning back to Alfred. "Not to sound rude, but I hope I don't see you again in a hospital."

"No, no. I'm with you on that," Alfred grinned. "I'll take care of myself."

"Good," Arthur said. He smiled and closed the door behind him.