4
After the traumatizing event Arthur pulled even further away from socializing. He stopped talking to Francis. He had already been fairly reserved and quiet but after Francis' rape Arthur hid within himself completely. He only hurt anyone he touched. He was the reason why the one person he loved was abused in such a fashion. At least, that's what he told himself every day. He would sometimes watch Francis from across the classroom or from down the hall.
The husk of what had been Francis anyway. The once flirtatious sophomore hardly talked to anyone anymore. He had disappeared from school for a week and a half after the incident. There was no way he could hide what had happened from his parents and so he just told them everything. They let him stay home for nearly two weeks before they gently told him he should return to school.
Rumors had sprung up in his absence but the truth was leaked by an office-aid which had overheard the principal talking to Francis' parents over the phone. The "rumor" of his rape only intensified when he returned to school shy and depressed instead of the social butterfly he had been when he left. Francis did the only thing he could and tried to ignore the whispers when he walked down the hall. He wished Arthur would talk to him.
Any time Francis tried to speak to him Arthur would ignore him and leave quickly. He tried to keep his distance from Francis. Tried to keep him safe. He had already damaged him enough, he just needed to leave him well alone. Francis just wished he could find comfort in his boyfriend again. Boyfriend? Ex? What were they now?
Francis saw the boys' faces every time he closed his eyes. He relived the pain and torture in every nightmare. He awoke wishing he could call and have Arthur answer. He just wanted to be able to curl up to Arthur's warmth. Why was he avoiding him? He must think I'm dirty. Francis thought. A dirty, ugly, beast. That's what I am, aren't I; Tainted, filthy, obscene, vile…
Contrary to Francis' belief, Arthur wanted nothing more to huddle up with Francis under a warm blanket, in a safe place, far away from all of his fears and worries. But that will never happen Arthur said in his mind I'm an ugly beast, I'll only hurt him. A filthy, vile beast…
After a while some boys decided to start bullying Francis. He was timid and quiet and seemed an easy target now that he had deflated, hiding within himself. They would shove him around a bit and insult him before laughing and walking off. Francis figured if he left it alone they would stop but he was wrong. His lack of retaliation only served to fuel the boys more. As time went on the bullying only intensified.
The boys became rougher, the barbed insults sharp and seeming never to end. The treatment went from a few minutes a couple times a week to at least a half an hour long session of torture each day. On one such day after school Francis found himself cornered, alone, in the locker hall. The three boys stood around him forcing him against the lockers. The tallest boy slammed him into a locker before knocking him to the ground laughing.
"How could you claim to be raped? You're such a pervert! No one could love you or want you! Why would anyone want you? You're so pathetic you wouldn't even be worth it," The boy in the middle, the leader, sneered
Francis remained silent and stared at the floor tiles beneath him. The boy kicked Francis in the side and continued his insulting, diminutive speech. The kicks and hateful rhetorical questions continued for some time before Francis saw a glimpse of Arthur standing unnoticed behind the bullies. Francis pleaded silently with Arthur. They hadn't talked in a long time but Arthur must still care about him a little… right?
To Francis' utter horror Arthur turned away and scurried quickly around the corner and down the hallway away from him. Little did Francis know that Arthur was going to get a teacher. He had just come from getting a bit of extra help from his math teacher and thus knew he was close. Though Arthur had tried to keep his distance this time he just couldn't. He couldn't leave Francis there to be attacked further.
Simply getting a teacher couldn't hurt anything, right? Arthur still had a sinking feeling in the back of his mind that by associating with Francis at all he was simply pulling back to rubber band to shoot himself in the forehead with again. Just like he always was, but he ignored it. That didn't matter right now. All that mattered was helping Francis.
Arthur burst into his math classroom "There's a kid being attacked in the locker hall! Please come quickly!" Arthur called
Swiftly the teacher was following Arthur's near jogging form down the hallway. Quickly they came to the sight of three seniors kicking a defenseless boy on the ground. The teacher yelled, disrupting the tirade of blows and catching all three of the boys' identities before they scampered away.
He knelt next to Francis and helped him up, asking if he needed to see the nurse or counselor. Arthur stood several feet away silently watching the situation silently. Once the teacher was leaving Arthur began to walk out, past Francis.
"Arzzur, please, wait…" Francis tried but Arthur just kept walking
Francis grabbed Arthur's wrist "Arzzur!" he burst "Please… just talk to me again…" He said, voice choked with emotion and tears in his eyes
"Why?" Arthur replied numbly.
"B-Because…. Je t'aime… and we haven't talked zince… zince…." Francis sputtered slightly
"Since I got you hurt?" Arthur supplied
"What?" Francis replied "You never hurt me Arzzur… "
"Yes I did... "Arthur replied, turning back to Francis slightly "I was the reason Allistor did that to you… He did that to you to get to me…"
"So? You didn't actually do anyzing… It wasn't your fault arzzur..." Francis said through choked tears
"But… I can't get you hurt again… I'll only get you hurt again…I'm poison Francis" Arthur got out though his throat was constrained with emotion and tears were about to spring from his bright green eyes
"Please just talk with me for a while Arzzur… mon lapin…" Francis pleaded
Arthur was silent for a moment before finally replying "Alright…"
"Zank you" the teenager replied before letting go of Arthur's wrist.
Arthur turned the rest of the way to face the French boy. Both of them had glistening tear tracks down their cheeks at this point. Glossy emeralds locked with deep pits of watery blue. Both sets of eyes beautiful and heartbreakingly sad. They stood in silence for close to a minute watching tears make their way down the others cheeks before Arthur let a choked sob rack his chest and launched himself into hugging Francis.
"I-I love you too" Arthur cried
The two stood, clinging to one another before Francis tentatively pulled the shorter Englishman up into a sweet, gentle kiss. Arthur held tightly to the front of Francis' shirt, knuckles turning white from how hard he was squeezing his hands into the fabric. Francis tangled his fingers in Arthur's hair, gripping the dirty blond locks tenderly. They were still both broken, shattered inside really, but at least now they had each other.
Translation:
Je T'aime - I love you
Mon Lapin - my rabbit (it's a French term of endearment)
