It was weeks, maybe just one week, maybe even a month; time was impossible to tell anymore… All that really mattered, though, was that it felt like forever to Arthur. He was having fun, that was for sure. The people here were some of the best he had ever met, but he couldn't stop thinking about home.
That term never really meant much to Arthur in the past, but now it truly resonated with him. As much as he had hated it, it was all home. The rickety orphanage he would hide from everyone in. The school where he was secretly one of the top in class. The feuding parents in charge of the orphanage. He couldn't believe he was saying it; but he missed it all. There was one night where he stared at the moon nearly the entire night when Alfred was sleeping near the beach, just thinking about home.
He wasn't entirely sure what to do. He did love it here, and he could have sworn he was starting to feel…something for Alfred. He would feel horrible for leaving, but he felt like he had to. The responsibility he left behind continued to nag at him in the back of his head. How long had it been back home? Did they miss him?
"Hey, you okay?" Alfred asked, leaning obnoxiously close to Arthur's face once when he was looking out at the ocean one day. Alfred had finally allowed them to just sit down and relax to enjoy the scenery.
"Of course I am, you twat," Arthur scoffed, rolling his eyes. He sighed, looking at the mermaids as they happily swam around.
"That's funny, I almost thought you were telling the truth," Alfred leaned forward, putting himself in front of Arthur's line of sight. "What's been bothering you?"
"Nothing," Arthur tried a fake smile and stood up, pretending to stretch. "What did you want to do today again?"
"Uh-uh," Alfred stood up, holding onto both of his shoulders. "You aren't gonna avoid this."
"Alfred, I'm perfectly fine," Arthur sighed, brushing off Alfred's hands.
"You're a terrible liar," Alfred smirked. "Come on, please?"
"There is nothing wrong, so there is nothing I need to tell you," Arthur assured him.
"Couple spat?" Gilbert cackled behind Arthur.
"Go away Gilbert," Arthur rolled his eyes. "I'm not quite in the mood to be kidnapped again today."
"We do it 5 times and you can't trust us?" Antonio sighed, landing behind Alfred. Arthur quickly tore away from Alfred, choosing to look into the ocean again.
"It's not like you were hurt at all," Francis sighed behind Arthur.
"Yeah, you didn't even drown that first time," Gilbert shrugged.
"The fact that you need to say that makes me worried," Arthur shook his head.
"Seriously, you guys," Alfred sighed. "You've made me run out of so much pixie dust! I've had to bring Arthur to beg in order to get more!"
"I am pretty sure they would give him anything he asked for," Francis laughed.
"He is such a ladies man when it comes to magical creatures," Gilbert chuckled and Arthur finally turned around to face the four people with him.
"It is too bad he has no luck with everyone else," Antonio teased.
"Shut up," Arthur rolled his eyes, but he could feel his face heat up slightly. You know, past the sunburn.
"Yeah, well, Artie and I were just about to go to…Skull Island," Alfred quickly came up to Arthur, grabbing onto his wrist. Arthur raised an eyebrow, but allowed himself to be dragged along the beach, away from the Bad Touch Trio.
"You're just pulling me away because you don't want another scavenger hunt," Arthur smirked.
"Yeah, well, we're still gonna talk once we get there. And on an island, you can't run away," Alfred said happily.
"Why does it bloody matter to you so much?" Arthur sighed, pulling his hand back. "It's not like it will affect you that much."
"But my job is to make sure that you're happy here," Alfred pouted. "You've been…sadder lately. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I see you staring at the sky a lot."
"It's nothing too important," Arthur sighed and started walking towards the jungle.
"Oi, you don't get to just walk away," Alfred flew over his head and landed in front of him, making them stop. "I've been told I'm horrible at reading the atmosphere, so if I can tell something's wrong, something is really wrong."
"Really?" Arthur asked, deciding it would be better to change the subject. "I've been told you've had quite a lot of time to learn something like that."
"Did someone tell you how old I am?" Alfred blinked.
"Gilbert and Francis told me how long you've been here," Arthur stated. "Why haven't you gone home?"
"Nuthin' left to go to," Alfred shrugged. "Unlike you, I came here because I was left unclaimed for days."
"From the looks of it, you're almost 18," Arthur stated. "You could have taken care of yourself."
"I do, here," Alfred stated.
"Then here's another question," Arthur looked up at him, since Alfred was slightly taller. "Since you've been here for so long, why don't you remember anything from the past? From the leader of the Lost Boys and all of that?"
"Hey, I dunno," Alfred sighed. "I know some of the stories, like the ones I've told you. But there are some boys here that know more than me. I don't know what happened."
"And this doesn't worry you?" Arthur asked, walking around Alfred and into the jungle. He liked it better in there; he had always liked trees.
"Hey, this is a place of no worries," Alfred chuckled, following him, hovering slightly over the ground.
"Sure, no worries," Arthur scoffed. "Except for worrying about when the trio will kidnap me again."
"Hey, I find you every time," Alfred whined.
"Not exactly the point," Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Well, whatever," Alfred dropped onto the ground, walking backwards in pace with Arthur. "You're avoiding the subject; what are you so distracted about?"
"It's nothing, love," Arthur spoke without really paying attention to what he said and hardly noticed when Alfred stopped walking and allowed Arthur to pass.
"L-Love?" Alfred stuttered, quickly stumbling to match pace with Arthur once again.
"What?" Arthur asked, looking at Alfred.
"You just called me 'love'," Alfred pointed at him, smirking.
"Ah, nervous tick from home, I suppose," Arthur couldn't help but blush, trying to brush it off as easily as possible. Had he really called Alfred something like that? God…
"So you just go around calling everyone 'love'?" Alfred asked.
"You go around calling everyone 'dude'," Arthur scoffed.
"It sounds weird in British," Alfred snorted.
"You are so immature," Arthur rolled his eyes and walked a little faster. Alfred easily kept up pace now, obviously over whatever had happened to him before.
"I am still a kid," Alfred shrugged. "I'm supposed to act like this."
"You don't see me acting like you," Arthur smirked. "And according to you, I am still a kid."
"There's your problem!" Alfred poked at Arthur's side, earning him an odd look from the latter. "You've loosened up a little, but don't worry, after a while you'll be totally relaxed!"
"Yes, I'm sure," Arthur sighed and stopped walking, leaning against a tree. He looked up and could vaguely see the sky through the trees waving about in the wind.
"There you go again," Alfred sighed, walking in front of him with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Arthur said pointedly.
"It's obviously something if it keeps coming into your head," Alfred lightly poked Arthur's head.
"It's nothing you need to worry about," Arthur waved his hand away.
"We've been over this and I'm obviously not gonna let it go," Alfred stated. "So tell me."
"I'm homesick," Arthur sighed. "There, are you happy now?"
"You're homesick?" Alfred blinked and seemed to deflate slightly. "For...how long?"
"A couple days," Arthur shrugged.
"Well, that's just great," Alfred sighed, leaning against his own tree and sliding to the ground. Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"What's so wrong with that?" Arthur scoffed.
"It's one of the only things I can't help you with here," Alfred looked up at him. "Say you're hungry or bored and I can help. Bump into something and get hurt, I can be a hero. But once you start to miss home, you always go back."
"I would imagine you're the expert on that field," Arthur stated, starting to almost feel bad that he had told Alfred.
"A lot of people have left," Alfred muttered. "Mattie keeps going back and forth, but every time he goes, it looks like the last. I figured…the way you basically hated home, you would want to stay. At least a little longer."
"You aren't going to start pouting now, are you?" Arthur scoffed. "You keep on talking about being a hero, I think it would be best if you actually acted like one."
"Tell me you don't want to go home," Alfred stated.
Arthur sighed. "I'm sorry, Alfred."
"I made a promise, didn't I?" Alfred stood up, brushing himself off.
"You don't have to bring me back now, Alfred," Arthur shook his head
"Then I guess I'll just be ready for when I do," Alfred stretched.
And for the first time, Alfred left Arthur alone. He just flew away. Arthur let out a groan and leaned his head back against his tree. He had never seen Alfred become so depressed…
"Harsh," Gilbert sighed.
"Were you bloody spying on us!?" Arthur snapped and lifted his head back up, seeing the Bad Touch Trio around him.
"Of course," Francis laughed. "What else would we do?"
"This is the first time he's willingly left you alone, si?" Antonio asked.
"What do you want?" Arthur asked bluntly.
"You two just had a little lovers quarrel, did you not?" Francis asked.
"We are not lovers," Arthur scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Please," Gilbert smirked. "Even you know that's a lie."
"Everyone knows you like him," Antonio stretched. "Except maybe him."
"Looks like you're both horrible at reading the atmosphere," Gilbert laughed.
"What exactly is this leading to?" Arthur asked.
"He is depressed now, non?" Francis asked. "There could be a way to perk him up."
"No," Arthur stated bluntly.
"Why?" Gilbert asked.
"Scared?" Antonio teased.
"Hardly," Arthur rolled his eyes.
"If you let yourself fall into l'amour, you might figure out where you want to be," Francis said.
"It'll be better than just leaving and having you two separated," Gilbert shrugged.
"And what makes you think I need this advice from you lot?" Arthur asked.
"The fact that you just made your boyfriend go and mope?" Gilbert smirked.
"C'est non bon," Francis shook his head.
"Look, I already have enough things to think about," Arthur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Like what to bring back home?" Antonio raised an eyebrow.
"Sod off, will you?" Arthur glared at him and stood up straight, starting to walk through the trio.
"The only reason he is willing to take you home is because he does love you," Francis stated. "Whether or not he is willing to admit this himself."
Arthur just shook his head and kept walking, hoping to get himself lost in the jungle.
Aw...feels... So sad. I had a little trouble with Alfred this chapter. he is supposed to get really depressed. Either that or pissed and I don't think that fits him too well. Every time he's heard someone say they're getting homesick, they've wound up leaving him. And now Arthur's said it. Imagine how that feels. Like a major blow to the chest, man. Oh, and don't worry, there's still plenty of chapters left. But what happens is my little secret. ;P
Please review! I've been having trouble writing this lately, I wrote like half of this today when I had all week to work on it. But your reviews really do help me along! So it would be much appreciated!