So... hi everybody... been a while, huh? Bet nobody ever thought that this would ever be updated and was destined to remain unfinished for eternity. Well, hate to dash all those expectations but this and Trials have been playing on my mind for years and I'm now set about finishing them.
I also just want to say that I am truly sorry for the complete lack of updates here and I never meant to leave this sitting since November 2015. I also want to apologise to Lemons for putting up with my shoddy work when I did update.
Anyway, I'm back, I'm medicated and plan to update this weekly until it's finished. I'm living a completely different life that's infinitely better than when I started this and I have a routine my ADHD brain can manage.
Oh and before we jump in, I've gone back and edited all of this and changed the end of chapter 14, so you might want to read that. It's a juicy change and it allowed me to bring this story in the direction I needed to.
Anyway, for the first time in nearly 6 years, Scarlet out and enjoy!
Gilbert slammed the locker door shut and quickly made his way towards the gym when he felt a hand clasp onto his shoulder. Spinning around, he froze as his eyes met with Arthur's. The Brit only glared at him then motioned for him to follow into a room with his free hand, the other holding his phone to his ear.
"Yes, yes I know Liz… but no, if you would just listen," he all but argued down the line and led the way to an armchair on the far wall, motioning for Gilbert to sit on the couch opposite it. "Liz, no listen to me now, love, that was not ok. What he did was completely unacceptable and you need to tell him that. No, I don't care… Look, where are you? Alright, I'll be there in ten minutes, just please wait there for me."
At this he ended the call and glared at Gilbert who was pretending not to listen by looking around the room. Clearly it was the student union office, plans for an upcoming festival were on a wall and the room was lined with desks piled with papers.
"Right, well," Arthur snapped, bringing Gilbert's attention back to him. "What in the bloody hell are you going to do about that?"
"About what?" Gilbert answered, a hint of uncertainty ebbed into his voice as he spoke.
"Don't 'about what' me, you heard that conversation, now what are you going to do to end that relationship of hers with that pompous twat?" Arthur scowled, his green eyes almost glowing in anger.
Gilbert only shrugged, in reply.
"Really? Is that all you can do when the reason you were fucking shipped off to military school for is marrying an absolute git?" Arthur asked, eyes now wide as he was gobsmacked at the albino's reaction.
"Hey, she's not the reason…" Gilbert tried to argue but was cut off, his eyebrow twitched in anger.
"Save it, I don't need to hear any of your excuses or whatever other bullshit you want to spin my way," Arthur interjected and shot back angrily. "We both know you're head over heels for her and to have you sitting around pretending not to be, is a disgrace. Step up and tell her how you feel or…"
"Or what?" Gilbert cut in with a shout, his annoyance at the English Omega finally taking over.
"And who even says I like her? You have no idea what is going on with the awesome me!"
"I know that you talked about her non stop when you first met Alfred, I know that you've been in love with her since you met and I know that she is the only reason you're even back here," Arthur growled in return, now standing to tower over the German Alpha and jammed an index finger into his chest. "And I know that she's getting married in a few weeks and you're going to have to stand there and watch her slip away knowing you did nothing to stop it."
"What?" Gilbert muttered in shock, now paling at the sudden revelation.
"Yes, she's getting married in a few weeks and I expect that your family will receive an invite tomorrow." Arthur stood back and crossed his arms. "So unless you put an end to that travesty within the next few days, you should get used to the idea of her bonding with your bloody cousin."
Gilbert sat in silence for a few moments, carefully trying to gather his thoughts. Yes, he had every intention to win her over and end the engagement, he just didn't want to rush things, he wanted a plan and to slowly and methodically play it out. However, he supposed that was now out the window, so he had to deal with the cards he was dealt.
"Ok," he spoke, "on one condition."
"What?"
"You stop playing with my friends and actually pick one or leave them both alone."
Arthur froze, face aghast at the accusation.
"How dare you, I am not playing with your friends!" he snapped back in outrage.
"Ja, you are," Gilbert replied firmly. "How is agreeing to date Francis and then kissing Alfred at the concert not playing them?
"I… what I do with my relationships is none of your concern!" Arthur stammered, his face lighting up a bright red.
"It is! I can't hang out with my friends anymore without them fighting, so you fix that and I'll stop this stupid wedding."
"Fine," Arthur spat and reached out his hand, "so we have a deal, you end this sham of a wedding and I'll… I'll figure out my love life."
"Deal," Gilbert agreed and shook the outstretched hand.
"Good, then I need to console Liz," Arthur after a moment and turned towards the door, "please don't fuck this up."
With that he was gone and Gilbert could only stare at the empty spot he had just left.
A few minutes later Gilbert found himself sitting in the gym changing room staring at his Converse. It was lifting day, aka his favourite day next to football and boxing, but he just couldn't muster up the strength to pull on his shoes, let alone lift.
"Hello, earth to Gil, anyone in there?"
Gilbert looked up to see Alfred peering down at him, a hand waving in his face.
"Ja, ja, the awesome me is here, what do you want?" he grumbled in reply and glared back at Alfred.
"Nothing, just wanted to know if you were planning to sit there staring at your shoes all day or come lift with me," Alfred teased. "Or have you finally realised I'm stronger than you will ever be?"
"Nein, as if you'd ever be stronger than me," Gilbert scoffed, then threw on his shoes and followed the American out of the gym.
Quickly scoping out the gym, they found a free rack and set about gathering all their weights and equipment. Alfred happily sang and danced to the music playing over the radio as he went, dipping and diving as he skipped along to the beat. Gilbert could only roll his eyes at the American and joined in, providing harmonies and a dance partner in spite of the odd looks they were receiving.
"You know," Alfred said between squat reps, "I don't know what he sees in that guy." He nodded out the window down towards the football pitch where they could see Antonio and Francis playing. "I mean, here I am, all the way from the States, and literal childhood best friend, but I still gotta win him over. It's just not fair, man."
"Francis is a good guy, once you get to know him," Gilbert countered and shifted from the rack to look down at the blond outside. "Maybe they just hit it off?"
"I don't like it," Alfred grumbled in reply. "He saw what you went through for Liz, so he should get it and just back off, you know?"
"Ja, but he liked him from the get go, can't blame a guy for falling for someone."
"Yeah but…" Alfred put the bar back on the rack and stepped out, stretching his neck as he moved, "Artie's not his, he never was."
Gilbert raised an eyebrow at that. In all the time he's known Alfred he never once thought of him as the possessive Alpha type. He always thought they were the same, two guys who just happened to fall in love with their childhood best friends.
"You know Art's not something you can own, right?" He tested and took Alfred's place under the bar to start on his own set.
"I know but… like we nearly bonded and shit back then and then at the concert…" Alfred trailed off, seemingly lost in thought as he stared down at the football pitch. The game had ended but the players were still standing about on the field. "I feel like he's my Omega and I know he feels it too."
Gilbert could only grunt as he squatted. He wasn't too keen on this conversation if he was completely honest and it was putting him on edge.
"Do you not feel that way with Liz?" Alfred continued, completely oblivious to the German's discomfort.
"Not really," Gilbert grunted in reply and put the bar back on the rack to continue his thought. "I like her, but I don't think that she belongs to me or some shit like that. The Awesome Me doesn't need to own an Omega, I want a partner, someone who's as awesome as me. So I gotta show her how awesome we would be together."
Alfred didn't reply, only shifted his gaze back to Gilbert who by now was grinning like an idiot, his reps forgotten.
"Why do you like him anyway?" Gilbert asked, changing the topic from his own love life. "Ja, he's hot but he's so fucking grumpy all the time."
"Heh," Alfred blushed wildly, "he is super hot… and I guess I just like everything about him. Like his eyes, and his smile, and how smart he is, he's actually really kind and genuine and cares about people. I like how he's just himself too. He doesn't let anyone tell him what to do and he doesn't take shit either. So, like, his confidence is really fucky sexy too cause what other Omegas are like that? And he just gets it too, you know? Like I can just be sitting there with him being all quiet and shit or act like a complete idiot but he's cool with it, even if he does look annoyed at me or something. Not a lot of people can do that, which isn't fair either cause I'm the hero and people shouldn't be annoyed at me, but he's different and I guess he just always gave me this weird warm fuzzy feeling in my chest. He just makes me happy when I see him."
Gilbert just stared back, he knew those feelings. He knew all of them too well and he felt them every single time he looked at Liz.
"So why don't you tell him?" Gilbert asked after a long pause.
"I don't know how," Alfred whined, "I've tried, trust me, I have, but everytime I see him I just get all excited and the words don't come out and I just end up pissing him off."
"You should tell him, maybe things will work out if you're just honest."
"I will, someday, but what about Liz? Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"
"You know why, cause if I do then I gotta explain everything and that'll just piss her off even more!"
"Just saying, dude, could be worth it," Alfred just shrugged in response and resumed his workout and with that the conversation was dropped and they spent the remaining time in the gym making idle chit chat and teasing each other.
An hour later they found themselves walking home through a nearby park.
"So, dude, get this," Alfred laughed loudly, "here I was minding my own business when this blond dude literally fell out of a shower stall. Like literally, on his ass, soaking wet and this other dude just follows him out and pulls him back in. I'm pretty sure they were both Alphas or some shit too!"
"What? Seriously?" Gilbert gasped, "and this actually happened at school?"
"Yeah, man," Alfred confirmed, "like, just yesterday when I was leaving after doing a run. Crazy shit man."
"I hope you got pictures!"
"I didn't! I'm so annoyed too cause, like, it's kinda expected to just walk in on an Alpha and an Omega if you're gonna walk in on someone, but not two Alphas. We just kinda looked at each other too."
"Aw man, I wish I knew who it was, do you think we can find them tomorrow?"
"Maybe," Alfred shrugged then stopped walking, his attention now on something in front of him. "Oh! Hey guys, what are you up to?"