Tongues Tied and Hundred Themes

8. Night

Characters: Arthur and Francis

Word count: 1051

8

They sat close, their breaths mingled, mixed and they stared at each other.

"Do you think it's ok to drop eating night food? Mum will be upset." Arthur whispered, and his friend smiled, placing a finger on his lips before looking around.

Arthur followed his gaze, looking around the small tent they had build in his room, hiding themselves from his mother who had said that if they did not eat food before going to bed, she would force a double breakfast down their throat. They were giggling, laughing, pushing and fighting each other – as usual.

There was only silence now, however, them sitting across each other and rather close. It was silly how they just had not moved at all.

"Do you think there are monsters outside?" Arthur whispered, and Francis laughed, messing Arthur's hair up. "I sometimes can't sleep, since I am a little scared." Arthur admitted to his dear friend, who was just looking at him with an understanding look.

"Me too, but you have to remember that the monsters can't take you as long as you're underneath the covers." Francis reminded him, and the two smiled at each other. Arthur yawned, stretched a bit and begun to crawl out of the blanket fort that the two had built in the middle of his room.

"I am tired – want to sleep?" Francis agreed at once, and they went to the bathroom, sneaking to the bathroom, laughing, pushing and trying to hog the mirror from each other as they brushed their teeth.

Spitting, rinsing, and making their hair proper before throwing off their daily wear, to only jump into a pair of pyjamas.

The two boys got back to the bedroom, crawled inside the blanket fort with one more blanket, because even though it was warm now – it would certainly be colder later on. "We should do this more often." Francis said, covering them both with the blanket, pulling out a book from his rucksack.

"Hum, sure." Arthur replied, reading some comics. There were this shuffling about, small, accidental punches, and hands blocking their readings – which ended up with them fussing about each other, tickling or pinching each other.

"Arthur," Francis began, slowly, making Arthur look at him curiously, his brows furrowed. "I have to tell you something." The blanket fort seemed to shrink for Arthur and for him to stare at his friend's familiar face, the expression he held was almost – sad. Arthur swallowed hard.

"What?" He asked, and Francis almost sighed, and the unfamiliar feeling – something unsafe – trickled under the surface of their friendship, and Arthur wanted to push away that feeling, truly. He did not want to fear when staring at his friend.

"Mama," Francis began, looking away, rolling over and settling on the many pillows, almost burying him under them, "Mama and dad have decided to move back to France." Just like that, for Arthur, he felt like someone had punched him in the stomach, like that one time he and Antonio had fought, where Antonio had punched him in the stomach – just like that.

"You're kidding right?" Arthur gave off a little laugh, but the lump under the blanket, beneath all the pillows, mumbled out a small "no". There was nothing, nothing wrong with that. Arthur could handle being alone without Francis. He was not completely taken to have his friend still by his side. He had Bella – he did have her...

"Will you come back again?" He asked quietly, and Francis emerged from the pile of pillows, hair sticking in every direction and he looked at Arthur; "Would you like me to?"

"Sure-," Arthur started, looking down and felt a little lost, "I mean, you are my best friend, of course I would want you to come back." Arthur fell in silent, and suddenly felt his friend hug him.

"Then I will promise you that I will return, for you, Arthur." There was no need for more words; nothing – since Arthur felt like he could cry and he did not want to cry, not in front of Francis. He felt weak if he did so, so he suppressed himself from letting go of the feelings and looked up at his dear friend.

"You will come over in the summer, yes?" Arthur whispered, and Francis nodded, and they hugged again, just for the sake of it. It would be strange for Arthur, to go to school alone, without his pestering neighbour and friend, and he would miss Francis, since that boy would always give an outlet for Gilbert and Antonio. Now... he would be there alone with Gilbert and Antonio, ever so bothersome they were for him.

"Will you visit me in France, Arthur?" Francis asked, and Arthur could not hold back his nodding, nodding so eagerly. "We can swim in the Mediterranean Sea in the summer, visit my grandfather's winery, and eat French cuisine and such... it would be nice." Francis said, as the two settled down to sleep, huddling underneath the blanket, trying to keep the warmth from slipping out.

"And make blanket forts..." Arthur whispered, and he closed his eyes, thinking a little. It would be strange without Francis, who was clear as the sun, but would it help him that he wanted to punch his friend for betraying him and leaving him in thoughts of France? Arthur had to shake off that thought. It was just a little over the top, was it not?

"Arthur..." and the summer was nearing its end, and it was ending quickly – too quickly, so before he knew it, he would be older, and he would be even more alone. "I am sorry..." and the understanding feelings lingering in Arthur's chest were never told. He could not tell him them, since there was so much guilt.

"It's alright, Francis..." he breathed out, and in honesty he could not really care, not deeply at least – that he was left behind. He was used to this. All too used for these situations of being alone. "I won't be entirely alone." And he had Bella, and he had Alice – heck, he even had his brothers that lived across the countries, studying math or economic, or whatever.

Silence fell upon them, and summer neared its end, and their friendship was a strange thing; A very strange thing indeed.