AN: STOP! If you have any issue with implied rape, implied child abuse, or implied child molestation DO NOT read this chapter! There is some pretty heavy subject matter here and if that gives you pause go read one of my fluffy one-shots instead. I by no means have any psychological training so everything in this chapter could be way off base for handling anyone with psychological trauma. With that said, if you feel you wish to continue you may do so. Please enjoy and remember this is a work of fiction. Thank you.
Anyone else having trouble posting on ? Would have had this up days ago, but FF kept screwing up. Anywho, so here's the next chapter. I own just this crazy plot.
"Oh man, that was tiring. I forgot how naggy Mads can be," Alfred groused as the pair entered the townhouse and removed their shoes after their visit.
"I had a rather lovely time. Your sister is a delight," Arthur said casually as he followed behind the younger man as the duo began their ascent up the staircase. The teen shot a surprised look over his shoulder at his companion.
"Really? Well that's cool dude. I totally owe you one by the way," the tan male replied as they reached the landing and walked down the hall to their respective rooms.
"Think nothing of it. I even enjoyed my time with that prat, Beilschmidt," the straw blonde stated and was thankful that the other man's back was still facing him. This allowed him to observe the slight stiffening of the lad's shoulders as he reacted to the elder's words.
"What kinds of things did you two talk about?" the cerulean eyed man asked anxiety twisted into his words as the pair paused in front of the younger's door. The straw blonde hated that scared tone in the other's voice, but he could not lose this opportunity.
"Oh, just normal things; Work, Madeline, you," a slight jolt went through the tan boy at the mention of himself and did not go unnoticed. Guilt coursed through Arthur but, he paused for just a moment before plunging onward. "Your stepfather,"
In that moment the whole world seemed to stop like a freight train hitting the side of a mountain. Stiffly, the honey blonde turned to face the older man. All the color drained from Alfred's face, his too blue eyes were wide in fear, and he seemed to have forgotten how to breath.
"W-why would you t-talk about h-him?" the blue eyed boy stuttered out once he managed to gain some control of himself.
"Alfred," Arthur started as he locked eyes determinedly with those terrified azure orbs he had come to care about. "Is he the one who made you start selling yourself? What happened after your mother passed?"
Emerald eyes watched as fear and anger waged war in Alfred's blue depth. The teen's lean frame quacked as it too was trapped between the fight or flight instinct. It killed the Brit to see this boy so torn, so scared, but he couldn't let things continue the way they had. He didn't understand it, yet, he knew he had to help this boy somehow.
"Please, just talk to me," the teacher pleaded and placed a reassuring hand on the other male's arm. This, unfortunately, proved to be a mistake. As soon as the contact was made Alfred jerked away as if he had been scorched and fear overtook him. He shot quickly into his room and tried to close the door on Arthur, but the straw blonde had reacted just as quickly. He used all his body weight to keep the door open and prevent the younger's escape.
Desperate to have space between him and the older man the teen shot across the room. He skirted around the bed and coward in the corner as far from the emerald eyed man as he could be. His body crumbled in on itself as he curled into a crouching ball. His arms covered his head and tremors violently shook his frame.
Arthur's chest clenched painfully as he looked at the boy before him. He felt like a monster pushing Alfred to this point. He didn't want to hurt the lad anymore than he already had been harmed, but he had to. Someone had to help him even if he didn't want it. He just hoped that he would receive forgiveness at the end of it all.
Moving cautiously, as if he were approaching a frightened animal, the green eyed man moved across the room and crouched down in front of the teen.
"Alfred," the sandy blonde said softly and frowned when the other flinched at his voice. "You need to talk to me. I can only help if you talk to me,"
Muffled murmurs were the only response he received before the room fell back into silence.
"I didn't understand you, lad. Could you repeat that?" the teacher asked as he reached out to gently cox the other out of his curled form.
The younger must have sensed the impending contact and tried to jerk away. This, unfortunately, only caused him to slam his side violently into the wall.
Fear for his charges well being launched the Brit forward to kneel on his knees and grasp the other's shoulders to try and draw him away from the corner.
As soon as he felt the Englishman's hands on him Alfred began to struggle. His hands came away from his head to press at the other's chest and through himself backward to again slam into the wall. His eyes were squeezed shut and little terrified whimpers escaped his slightly parted lips.
"Stop it! Stop struggling, Alfred! You're going to hurt yourself!" Arthur shouted in frustration as he fought to maintain his hold on the other man. This only caused the teen to wrestle more aggressively and his head smashed back into the corner. The yelp of pain from Alfred sent the Brit into action.
He released the boy's shoulders and the sudden action made the cerulean eyed male fall slightly forward onto his knees. Once he was to his feet the teacher managed to maneuver behind the American and wedged his body down into a sitting position. Now he was the barrier between the wall and the honey blonde. The straw blonde had the boy between his legs and snaked his arms around his chest. With great effort he managed to force the scared teen into a sitting position and held him firmly against his chest.
"Alfred, please stop. I'm not going to hurt you," the viridian eyed man pleaded as he held tightly to the still struggling youth.
Alfred's hands clawed at Arthur's own hands trying to get them to release him, yet, they held like a vice. He wriggled, he squirmed, and through his weight back into the older man to make him crash into the wall painfully. Through it all the Englishman held fast only giving minor hisses and grunts of pain at the boy's efforts.
Arthur lost track of time as he sat in that room wrapped around the scared teen. Eventually, the fight slowly died out of the American and his body went lax against the sandy blonde. Silence reigned for but a moment after that before quiet sobs emitted from the blue eyed lad.
"Please, Alfred," the green eyed male begged as he pressed his forehead to the spot between the other's shoulder blades. "Talk to me,"
"I can't," the tan boy gasped about between sobs and his body convulsed as the tears poured out more harshly.
"Why not, poppet?" the Brit asked gently as the endearment rolled smoothly yet unnoticed off his tongue. He desperately wanted to release his hold on his captive to run his hand soothingly through the other's hair, but he dare not for fear of the boy rabbiting off on him.
"I-if I talk ab-about it th-then it's real," the ash blonde hiccupped out as he pulled his legs up to his chest. "I do-don't w-want it t-to be re-real,"
Arthur's chest constricted so painfully he thought it would cave in on itself from the sheer amount of pain that was laced into the boy he held's voice. What had this boy suffered through that would cause that much pain? What atrocities had he been through that would make him so closed off?
"I know that you are scared and hurt, lad, but sometimes things are easier to deal with if you share the burden. Let me help carry some of the weight that is bearing down on you," the green eyed man pressed and couldn't help hating himself a little bit.
The Englishman knew this was probably not the best way to handle things. This may cause more damage than good. He was asking too much of Alfred, because he wasn't just asking him to share his past. No, he was asking this boy to trust him while he laid his soul bare for all to see.
They sat there in remote silence save for the slowly diminishing sobs of the larger male. As the Brit's pleas continued to go unanswered the boy in his arms seemed to draw further into himself and Arthur couldn't help feeling as if he had made things worse.
He shouldn't have pushed. He shouldn't have pried. He should have sought out professional help. He should have pleaded with Madeline and Gilbert to do something. He should…
"It started on the day of mom's funeral," Alfred stated in a voice barely above a whisper making the other man start in surprise. "After everyone had left the house following the wake I went upstairs with Maddie and sat with her until she cried herself to sleep,"
The older blonde slowly loosened his grip from around the younger's chest and pulled back slightly.
"He came into Maddie's room and said he needed to talk to me. I followed him into the room he shared with my mom and we took a seat on the bed,"
A shudder crawled up the tan boy's spine and his breathing sped up slightly.
"He was sitting so close and started talking to me about how with my mom gone I was the man of the house. I kind of swelled up in pride that he thought I was a grown up. That was until he start rubbing my inner thigh and started talking about how it was my job to help support everyone,"
Arthur wanted to be sick. What kind of a monster preyed on a twelve year old boy who was grieving the loss of his mother? If he ever met this man he would kill him.
"He started telling me about how people would pay a lot of money to be with and he started tugging at my clothes. I told him 'no' and asked him to stop. He didn't so I started to struggle,"
Fresh tears had begun streaming down the American teen's face and his breath hitched.
"He pinned me down and told me if I didn't behave, if I didn't do as he said, then he would get Maddie..."
Alfred trailed off as he wrapped his arms around his legs and buried his face in his knees. The Brit quickly reached up and placed a hand gently on his companion's shoulder.
"You can stop, poppet. I can guess the rest," the sandy blonde said soothingly as he began to gently rub at the younger man's shoulder.
"It h-hurts so m-much, b-but I could-dn't let him hu-hurt Maddie. Sh-she was all I-I had," the blue eyed male hiccupped through his tears and his hands came up to violently grip at his hair.
"Alfred, stop. You're going to…"
"I was f-fucking tw-twelve. Twelve! That son of-of a b-bitch ra...ra...and th-then he turned m-me into a wh-whore!"
The boys fingernails dug into his scalp and his body shook with tremors of anguish.
"ALFRED, STOP!" Arthur shouted as he reached up taking hold of the other's hands and yanked them away with strength he didn't know he had.
"Let go!" the honey blonde cried out and began to again struggle in Arthur's hold.
"No! You were harming yourself and I can't a bid that," the teacher replied as he held fast to the tan boy.
"Why does it matter if I hurt myself? I'm garbage anyway. I just don't understand you. Why do you pretend to care about me? What kind of twisted pleasure do you get out of making me believe that you actually give a damn about me beyond fucking me?" the azure eyed man asked as all the fight went out of him and his struggles ceased.
Arthur was completely stunned by the words pouring from the younger man's mouth.
"Is that really what you think? That you're garbage? That everything I've done has been some...some twisted game to bed you?" the Englishman asked as he released his hold on the other man.
"Yes," Alfred replied simply taking the opportunity of his release to move slightly away from the older man.
Anger welled up inside the green eyed man like a volcano, but he wasn't mad at Alfred. No, he was enraged at the man who had set all of this in motion. Death would be too good for that bastard. He deserved to suffer ten fold worse than this poor boy before him had.
"Alfred, look at me. Look at me," the teacher commanded gently. Slowly, the tan youth shifted his frame to slightly face the other and lifted weary blue eyes to meet soothing green. A kind smile tugged up the corners of Arthur's lips.
"I know that you have been through some horrible things and that has made you weary of trusting others. I just wish I could help you believe that I truly do care," the viridian eyed male gave a tired sigh and ran a hand back through his messy hair. "I know I am asking a lot of you but do you think you could try to trust me?"
Alfred's eyes narrowed slightly as a scrutinized the older man for any sign of deception. Arthur patiently watched as the boy seemed to have an internal argument with himself. He knew it was very unlikely that the teen would agree to his plea, but he still hoped none the less.
Some time passed with the pair sitting in contemplative and anxious silence. Abruptly, the blue eyed male gave a sharp nod of his head.
"I'm not making any promises, but...I guess I can try," the wheat blonde said softly and Arthur couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face.
AN: Okay, drama bomb dropped. Now we can move onto some fluffy stuff. Later!
