Short chapter that is only slightly over 2000 words. Sorry...
Being back in my final year at school leaves me little time to write so I'll apologise now for slow updates.
Thanks to everyone that reviewed again! ZemyxDexion, xxalexisurgodxx, Phamenia, Hikaritears, Randomanime456, mya3dan, and (sorry if I get this wrong) The_Dino_that_writes- Rawr.
I also want to thank my American friend Katie who's been helping me with the setting... Since I set this in America and I live in Australia. Thank you for being amazing~
Alfred's dad was away on a business trip that night so Alfred, Arthur, Mathew and Diana ate dinner together around a designer, glass table. She asked questions about Arthur's life in England, why he moved but when she started to enquire about his parents Alfred cut in, claiming that he heard the funniest joke ever and now was obviously the best time to share it. Mathew ate silently which Arthur thought was endearing. The resemblance between the twins was uncanny and to the Brit Mathew was just a shy Alfred as he had yet to decipher his personality.
"I'll clear up," Dia informed them after dinner and Arthur insisted that he should help only to have his American friend whine at him that dishes were boring. "Thank you Arthur, but Matty will help, won't you sweetie?"
"Ah-oh, yeah." He flushed from having attention drawn to him.
Alfred's face suddenly fell and he turned to his brother. "Are you sure?"
"It's no problem." He smiled at Al who returned it warmly.
"Thanks bro! Come on!" He pulled on Arthur's arm while walking backwards towards the stairs.
"Thank you for the meal," he managed to say before he was yanked up the stairs and out of sight.
"Duuuuude, you are awesome. My mom totally loves you!" He laughed after shutting his door.
He was close to laughing and claiming that it was to be expected but he shrugged off the flattery instead, favouring the look of the floor boards over the American's face. "So, where's your spare mattress?"
"Huh?"
"Where am I sleeping?"
"Here…" He pointed innocently to the bed and Arthur's face turned about nine shades whiter than it was.
"And where are you sleeping?"
"Here..."
"You don't have an extra bed?"
"Noooo…" Unsure as to whether the boy was lying he frowned. "So, do you want to borrow something to wear?" There was an awkward silence and the poor English boy groaned. Tonight would be hell.
Someone had seen her. They had seen her take it. Who were they? It didn't matter. She just had to run. They didn't know her. She would be okay.
Lili bolted through the streets in panic, her jaw clenched and eyes narrow as she fought off the inevitable tears that came with guilt and fear. If her brother found out again he would be ashamed. What if he told Roderich and Elizabeta this time? They would never forgive her. People were staring; they were always staring at her when she ran. She wanted to disappear with her prize. She didn't want to return it.
She turned down the nearest alley corner sharply and crashed into a figure before stumbling back and almost tripping in her mary-jane shoes. "Sorry!" The girl shouted, avoiding eye contact and ducking to the side.
"You are Vash's sister, da?" Asked a heavily accented voice and she stopped after recognising it.
"Yes," she said softly stoping and lifting her jade green eyes to meet the rare, violet ones belonging to Ivan Braginski. He was tall, well over six feet with a kind and child like face that contrasted his well known, cruel personality. "I'm sorry, b-but I can't stay." She dropped her head down once more and rushed past him. The Russian teen smiled sweetly as she left and he brought a hand to his chin as if in thought.
"Vash's little sister... that would be a challenge." He hummed to himself then continued on towards the mall.
Lili's legs were aching; she slowed down until she was walking. Her heart was thumping so wildly it caused her pain and she was shaking as she withdrew the ring. It was worth it; the rush, the rewards. Her conscience often got the better of her but today she had escaped with the small trophy which slipped perfectly on her index finger. The girl took a bus home and flopped on her bed while reflecting on the day. Surely she didn't know the person that had yelled at her and Ivan would most likely not mention their meeting. Vash had an agreement with the Russian that involved her. They were not to interact. He was dangerous.
"Lili," Came a sweet but tired voice from the door. "You're home early." Elizabeta Héderváry entered her room. "Are you hungry?"
"No, I'm okay." She sat up smiling. "Thank you though."
"How was your day?" The inevitable parental question.
"It was fine, thanks."
"You are always so needlessly formal."
"Sorry..." The Hungarian woman unpinned her long honey brown hair as she sat on the edge of her bed. She combed through it with her fingers and sighed softly. The room was exceptionally dull with a bed, a mirrored closet and desk acting as the most prominent features. She had a small collection of stuffed animals and poster of a rabbit which covered the crack in the wall.
"Do you know when your brother will be home?"
"I-I don't know," she admitted shyly and averted her gaze. "I'm sorry if Vash hurt your feelings the other day."
"He has been very angry at Roderich and I recently, hasn't he?" She observed while playing with the hem of her tight, black skirt. "But there is no need for you to apologise for him. If he is sorry then he will say so."
Lili once again curled into a ball on her bed and hugged a hand-made stuffed bear. "Okay..."
"I'll get started on dinner, please try to convince your brother to eat with us tonight."
"Yeah..." Her gaze was distant while speaking of Vash.
Lili and Vash Zwingli had been adopted when the Swiss boy was just thirteen and his sister only eleven. Their parents had been involved in a boating accident and left the two at the mercy of Vash's God parents; Elizabeta Héderváry and Roderich Edelstien. Although married, the Hungarian woman kept her former last name.
Until the day of the accident, Vash had always been a cheerful and civil boy who enjoyed spending time with his God parents but was against the idea of the two becoming their guardian. Roderich, an Austrian man was very strict about rules and discipline which often caused the Swiss boy to remind him that he was 'not their dad'. Discouraged, the God father broke down months later and asked the boy why he was so unwilling to co-operate.
"Because you aren't my family! We don't need you! I don't want people to think we have any relations because you're nothing to me!" He screamed at the man who had to grit his teeth to compose himself.
"That's fair, then how do you propose we settle this?"
"Simple! You stay away from me and I don't talk to you. I'll pay for everything me and my sister need but in return you can't tell us what to do."
"Is-."
"That's the only way this will work, take it or leave it." Although rash, the pre-teen was exceptionally clever for his age and therefore felt able to negotiate his independence.
"Very well, when will you start paying the rent?" He asked in a mocking tone with a cruel hope that the boy had no intentions of paying to live in the house and that he would receive a look of surprise or even a glare.
"I don't have much money now, but I'll start working and pay you back. I swear. So stay the hell away from us."
Arthur was unable to sit still in the American's clothing. Scott would come by the next day; he told him to simply 'make do' tonight as he wasn't driving over to deliver a pair of fresh underwear or the blow up mattress. Alfred had set up a gaming console claiming that game cube was a 'quad-jillion' times more awesome than wii was. He received no opinion on the matter from his friend whose only thought was that this was better than simply talking. As it turned out, all of the games he owned were either violent hero centric games or too scary to play by one's self.
He made the better choice, in other words a game that didn't involve zombies and they played for two hours. From the corner of his eyes Arthur could see a look of concentration that was rather endearing on Alfred's face. His eyes narrowed behind the black framed lenses and his stuck his tongue out of the corner of his lips. His legs were crossed and back was hunched as he leaned in closer to the screen subconsciously. Arthur often had to remind himself to focus when he found he was staring too long and his life bar decreased rapidly and returned his attention to the seizure educing screen. "Whoa! Dude, it's eleven..."
Of course the Brit had been keeping track of the time, hoping to tire out his friend before he had any new and spontaneous ideas. "So it is."
"You up for another game?"
"Why not?"
"Awesome." And so the PS3 was hooked up and Tekken was inserted.
Discourage after the first nine rounds of loosing Alfred suggested they turn off the platform and talk for a while. Arthur smirked at his victory and once even went so far as to shout passionately. "Take this! You bloody wanker!" To which he was asked nicely to keep his voice down so Mathew and Diana could sleep.
"So, what time is your brother coming around?"
"Eight I believe."
"Awesome! So we have the day to do stuff?"
"No... eight in the morning you git."
"Who the hell gets up before eight on a weekend?" He asked after processing the possibility of the phenomenon.
"He has work." Arthur reasoned.
"Then, do you wanna go to sleep?"
Although he wouldn't admit it, he was drowsy from the excitement of the games and spending so much time with Alfred. He really could drain the energy from a person. Alright."
"Okay, but you can't fall asleep before me."
He gave the American a cold look then asked dryly. "And I suppose you want me to read you a bedtime story as well." Alfred scoffed and pulled back the blankets.
Arthur lay at the left edge of the bed, on his side, facing away from the American. The bed was surprisingly comfortable and large which allowed him to keep distance. It would have been quite an amiable place to sleep if it weren't for Alfred shaking near him. He was gradually shifting closer to the Brit attempting to be inconspicuous however the movement did not go unnoticed.
"Would you stop bloody moving?"
"It's not my fault! You don't think there are any zombies in my room, do you?" At this Arthur actually sat up with a blank expression and stared down at him, wondering if he was joking or if he really was that stupid.
"You aren't serious are you?"
"No… I can't help it!" He pulled the thick blanket over his head. Both of their eyes had adjusted to the dark room at this point and thus the large bundle that was Alfred was easy to distinguish in the dark
A sigh escaped through parted lips as he lay back down and shuffled closer to the American, pulling the blanket over his head also. "You're a child." Alfred squinted and reached his hand out to touch Arthur's face. "What are you doing?" He asked when his cheek was mercilessly poked into an expression mirroring a grimace.
"It's not so bad for you… Without my glasses it's harder to see things. They could sneak up on me." He reasoned defensively in a childish tone.
"Well, I'm not afraid of zombies. So if one turns up I'll get rid of it."
The younger teen frowned. "Pfft. You can't kill a zombie… they're dead."
"Then I'll politely ask it to leave."
"I'm not so sure that will work…"
"I guess you'll have to trust me. Now go to sleep so I can." Alfred grinned and shifted in closer to his friend who started to flush. "What are you doing?"
"Shh…" It was starting to get difficult for the two to breathe with their faces buried beneath linen but the neither would risk exposure for their own selfish reasons. He curled into a ball next to the English boy with an arm across him so that he could feel the body next to him. Arthur, conflicted between desire and morals, decided to drape an arm around his shoulder for the soul purpose of getting some sleep. And in this position, they did.
Hope you liked it! Review :)