MAY 19, 2012

5:52 PM

"You, my friend, are an optimist." Kiku said under his breath.

Arthur had invited him along to meet with Alfred's ex boyfriend. They were scheduled to meet in Arthur's office at 6:00.

"Why is that?" Arthur said.

"Because," Kiku said. "Who is to say that Grayson-san will actually show up? And even if he does then why should he tell us anything?"

Arthur exhaled. "You need to stop doubting people, Kiku."

Kiku nodded. "I believe I understand your thought process, Arthur-san."

"What exactly is your understanding?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.

Kiku cleared his throat. "Well, not to be rude, but I believe that you are thinking that if Alfred were to choose him then he must be somewhat worthwhile. Also, I suspect you are thinking something along the lines of, 'He has to. He just has to.' Am I correct?"

Arthur shot him a look. "Shut up, you git."

Kiku chuckled. "As I thought."

Arthur leaned back in his chair. "Well, we'll see if he arrives or not."

Kiku nodded. "Yes, I suppose we will."

So they waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Finally, at 6:30, Arthur was ready to leave. "I've had it. This guy isn't coming, and that's fucking that." But... why did he feel like crying?

"Let's wait just a little longer, Arthur-san. It is only polite," Arthur shot him another look, and he quickly added, "Also, I believe that you would never forgive yourself if you were to leave and never find him at all."

Arthur drummed his fingers on the desk and his eyes darted around the room, eventually resting on his clock. It wasn't one of those dreadful electronic clocks, it was a real one. The reason his eyes rested on it was that it was slightly crooked. His entire office was neat and tidy, but when something was out of order...

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Arthur-san, you're having an OCD episode again. Is it really worrying you that much?"

Arthur took in a shaky breath and lowered his head. He waved his hand in the direction of the clock. "W-would you mind fixing that?"

He heard Kiku's chair move as he stood walked over, pausing by the wall, probably fixing the clock. "Okay, you can look now."

Arthur looked up, and the clock was nicely adjusted. He let out his breath. "Thank you, Kiku."

"You are welcome." He bowed a little.

Arthur couldn't help himself. He started rearranging his desk, hands twitching. Kiku reached out and grabbed his arms.

"Arthur-san, your office is perfectly clean. You don't need to fix anything, okay?"

Arthur gulped and nodded, eyes wide. He was freaking out for absolutely no reason at all... Then, his phone buzzed on his desk.

He fought back the urge to throw it at the wall.

"Are you going to look at it?" Kiku said, raising an eyebrow.

Arthur ran one of his shaky hands through his slightly damp hair. "Yes, I suppose I might as well..." He gingerly picked up the phone, and was afraid to find out who it was, although he already knew...

He winced and looked at the screen, and there was a tiny message from Amelia.

"how iz da meeting goin?"

Arthur swiftly opened a drawer and threw his phone in, promptly slamming the drawer. He threw his head down on his desk. No, he would not deal with this today. He simply couldn't.

"A-Arthur-San...?" Kiku asked quietly.

Arthur was struggling to hold in tears. He couldn't break down in front of someone... He just couldn't.

"Arthur! Are you alright?" Kiku said, losing his normal formal attitude.

Couldn't... lose his cool... He had to do it for Alfred...

"Arthur...!" It was distant shouting.

He... was disappointing everyone...

Then, it all came rushing back.

ENGLAND, 1999

ST. AARON BOY'S ACADEMY

"Mr. Kirkland, we expect so much more from you." The headmaster said sternly.

Ten-year-old Arthur fought back the tears with everything he had.

"We are very disappointed in you, Arthur." His mum had whispered.

He had been called in to the headmaster's office because of a little... squabble in the library. It had been the eighth one that trimester. One more and he'd be expelled. But no one understood. No one understood why he did it.

"But Mum-"

"Quiet, Arthur! Don't you think you've done enough to embarrass yourself today?" She looked back at the headmaster. "I am very sorry, sir. I can assure you that it won't," She made a point of looking at her son sternly. "happen again."

After that, Arthur had been dragged out of the room and down the hall by his ear. His mother was shamelessly scolding him in front of all his pears, and there was not a single thing he could do about it.

The other boys snickered and pointed at him.

Even the boy he'd beaten that day. Arthur would have thought he'd learned a lesson from the beating he'd gotten. But there he was, laughing with the rest of them.

Arthur had never been the cool kid. He had always been looked down on because of how respected the Kirkland family was at this school. His father, uncles, cousins, grandparents, everyone had all graduated from this very school at the top of their class. Arthur wasn't like them. He hated this school with a fiery passion.

For one thing, he was constantly being compared to his absolutely AWFUL French cousin, Francis. The boy was a year ahead, but already had a wandering eye, even for an eleven-year-old! Arthur found it preposterous. Francis just happened to be the first boy he'd beaten to a pulp.

Arthur had recently gotten extremely interested in... magic. He loved holding magic shows for his friends, when he still had some. He was very good, actually. Then... IT happened. Arthur had, unfortunately, been visited by Flying Mint Bunny during a performance.

Since he was always very glad to see his flying friend, he'd stopped to have a conversation. As the gentleman he was, he introduced the crowd of boys to Flying Mint Bunny. They all just laughed at him and thought he was kidding. When he insisted he wasn't, they all refused to be seen with him. They told him he was, "weird" and "a prissy boy".

Arthur didn't understand why people couldn't believe him. Why couldn't people just... accept the way he was and the things he saw? Why did they all have to be so... mean?

So, long story short, every once in a while, he just snapped from the teasing.

He couldn't tell his family about the teasing, because then he'd have to explain his magical friends. And they'd, too, think him mad.

This was his life. And he hated it with a burning passion.

Back to the present...

"Arthur! Wake up!" Kiku was shaking him.

Arthur blinked and sat up. "What happened?"

"You... you fell and you passed out. you've been out for about two minutes..." Kiku's eyebrows were creased. "What happened?"

"I..." He didn't especially want to talk about it. "I am very tired..."

"Ah... I see." Kiku said, although his voice hinted that he didn't buy it.

"L-let's go..." Arthur said.

Kiku nodded and stood up.

Then, the door swung open, revealing a very skinny man dressed in ironed blue jeans and converse sneakers, wearing an extremely unwrinkled and clean t-shirt.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late..." The man said, inviting himself in.

Arthur jumped up, embarrassed. He cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. Please have a seat, Mr. Grayson."