In the defence of his Awesome, it didn't take Gilbert more than a few seconds to recover, even if he did recover by pushing Spain into Feliciano, which caused the little Italian to shriek loudly and create a distraction. He took this as an opportunity to inspect somebody who was suddenly not 'some random new guy' but instead was Arthur Kirkland. Gilbert couldn't judge his height exactly while he was sat down but fairly sure that the blond was probably a pretty similar height to him. His eyebrows were still completely out of proportion with his face, his eyes were still green and his hairstyle hadn't changed that much, getting a touch shorter and a tone lighter perhaps. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that his face-shape was a little more defined in way that looked older he probably would look pretty much the same as he had done when he was eleven. Gilbert snorted at the realization.

Arthur just raised one eyebrow coolly. Like Gilbert's not-gawking was completely unwarranted. So Gilbert stuck his tongue out. Because while he did have five years of history with Arthur, the kind of history one found between elementary school students wasn't the sort that could be handled in a very mature manner.

Because that was what had rendered Arthur's face and name so familiar. Five years of Elementary School together before Arthur had left and Gilbert had been forced to get new…teammates.

"What are you doing back?"

Francis gave a horrified gasp, "Gilbert! We are supposed to be making this charming young man welcome. His reasons for wanting to experience this marvellous establishment are clearly to experience our joy and hospitality!"

Arthur shot Francis an incredulous look. "You associate with this?"

Gilbert shrugged. "What are you doing back here? I figured I was rid of you for good. Did they chuck you out?"

Arthur looked genuinely offended. "The only reason I have for returning to this place is an unfortunate geographical convenience."

God he talked like an old man. Gilbert didn't know what was more worrying, that Arthur wasn't ashamed of talking like that, or that he was fairly sure Arthur had always talked like that.

"So basically you moved house?"

Arthur sighed in a manner which Gilbert might have described as long suffering if it weren't for the fact that they'd only been talking for a minute or so. "If you wish to be simple about it… then yes, I did move."

"Back to your old place?" Gilbert asked. Because really, who moved out of a town only to move right back to it a few year later?

Arthur shrugged, "We're across town from the previous house now, near where you used to live, but yes. I don't pretend to take an interest in the whys and wherefores of it all though."

"Where I still live," Gilbert corrected, "Not all of us went flouncing off y'know."

Arthur looked like he was about to snark something back, (it was strange how easily the memories of his expressions and actions came back to Gilbert) but Francis cut him off.

"What, exactly, is going on here?"

Gilbert looked at Arthur, Arthur shrugged. "Nothing is 'going on'."

Feliciano pouted, "But… Gilbert is talking to you in a way that is strange for strangers…"

"I've had the… experience… of making Gilbert's acquaintance prior to this meeting," Arthur said stiffly.

Feliciano just looked baffled.

"We used to know each other," Gilbert clarified, "Way back when I was first learning how much everyone wanted to be around the awesome me."

"Rather, I endured his presence for lack of any intellectual company in this backwater place."

Feliciano grinned. "Backwater! That's a nice word for this place. It sounds all magical and pretty like a waterfall or a lake or something."

Nobody corrected Feliciano's error, although Arthur did roll his eyes. Backwater was a pretty good definition of the town – although Gilbert preferred to just say boring. It was the kind of town a person just wanted to get out of. At least Awesome people did.

"So you used to be friends?"

Gilbert winced – buddy-buddy stuff like that was for girls. "We used to be allies."

Feliciano squealed and muttered something that sounded worryingly like 'So cute!' and France nodded, finally seeming to grasp what he was seeing.

The bell rang then, clear and sharp in their ears.

Arthur picked up his bag and, wordlessly, walked off in the direction of the main block.

Gilbert gaped. How could anybody just walk away from his Awesomeness?