Alfred felt like he was floating on a cloud. His very enjoyable Halloween night had left with him with pleasant dreams. And although he wished the other man had stayed to chat (Alfred didn't like to think of himself as a "blow and go" kind of guy), he understood why his pretty angel had been too embarrassed to stick around after they were interrupted.
Whistling cheerfully to himself, Alfred stepped into the shower and washed away the sticky remnants of his wonderful dreams. He gave himself a few more rubs than necessary, closing his eyes as he imagined every touch and caress from the night before. The other guy had been exactly his sort: those gorgeous long legs and a trim frame, but with a hidden strength underneath that lean body. He imagined the fiery angel showing up and demanding back the wings that Alfred had tossed into his closet.
Naturally they would begin to kiss and undress, stumbling over to Alfred's tiny bed, pulling each other closer and closer with each passionate touch. All it took to send Alfred over the edge was the thought of his angel's soft, clever hands jerking him off.
Alfred cleaned himself up (again) and hoped that no one in the shared bathroom had heard his moans of pleasure. He liked dorm life, but it would be nice to have a private bathroom again so he could jerk off to his heart's content. (And also sing Disney songs, but not at the same time, obviously.)
Lost in thought, Alfred wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped into the hallway. He didn't even notice Arthur posting a flyer on the bulletin board until he nearly ran into him. The RA yelped, dropping the flyer as he stumbled back a few steps.
For some reason, Arthur looked more worried than angry, but everyone told Alfred that he wasn't good at reading the atmosphere, so he was probably just imagining it.
"Hey Artie. Posting more rules?"
Arthur bent down to pick up the flyer. "Ski trip," was his only explanation as he pinned the paper to the bulletin board. It announced the details for the Thanksgiving ski trip and encouraged residents to sign up quickly.
"Cool! Are you going too or is it gonna be a fun trip?" Alfred asked, trying to rile up his RA, since it was weird to see Arthur acting so subdued. Arthur should have been pissing and moaning about Alfred nearly running into him in the hallway, instead he seemed to be avoiding Alfred's gaze. Alfred had to actually wave a hand in front of his face to get the RA's attention. "Dude, Earth to Arthur."
"Hmm?" Arthur glanced up. His green eyes looked a little lost.
Alfred shoved aside something that felt like worry and reminded himself to focus on his important question. "I can't decide if I'm going until I know if you're going."
"Going where?"
"Uh, ski trip," Alfred jerked his thumb toward the flyer. "Are you okay, Arthur?"
Arthur's expression finally returned to normal as he gave Alfred a half-hearted glare. "I'm fine and of course I'm going. Someone needs to make sure you follow the rules."
"Man, you're no fun," Alfred complained. He stuck out his tongue at Arthur and then continued walking back to his room.
Pushing the strange encounter with Arthur out of his mind, Alfred spent the afternoon hunting on Facebook for red-haired, green-eyed men. He wanted to find his angel and he was hopeful he'd spot the guy based on looks alone. True, most of the guy's face had been covered by a mask, but he had some of the prettiest, most expressive eyes Alfred had ever seen. He discovered more redheads than he expected, but no one that struck him as the right match. When Matt finally shot him an email suggesting a movie and leftover Halloween candy, Alfred was more than happy to give up his search for the day.
He whistled as he left the dorm and didn't even notice that he forgot his room key.
To: Honda Kiku
From: Arthur Kirkland
Date: Saturday, November 1, 9:58pm
Kiku, I need to talk. Bring alcohol.
Arthur didn't wait for Kiku. Instead, he dug out the bottle of rum he had confiscated from Alfred back in September and started drinking on his own. When he heard Kiku's polite knock, he set down the bottle and opened the door.
"Are you all right, Arthur-san?" his friend asked with a concerned expression. "Did you not like the costume I made?"
"The costume was great. Worked great! Worked too well." Arthur tilted back his head and laughed. He recounted the story for Kiku, all while guzzling his rum and growing progressively morose as he described his forbidden one-night stand with his resident. Arthur hiccupped and looked ready to cry; he was going to lose his job and his housing and probably get kicked out of school. "And I lost the wings."
"Don't worry about the wings," Kiku reassured him.
Arthur leaned back on the bed and frowned. "I should tell him." He immediately shook his head. "No, he would just be a jerk. He's such a wanker." He stood up suddenly and walked in a uneven line to the door. "Yes, I'll tell him."
Kiku reached for his arm and pulled him back onto the bed. "Arthur-san, I think you should go to bed. Drunken confessions rarely end well."
Arthur nodded and let Kiku help him into his pirate-themed pajamas. While Arthur drank a glass of water, Kiku found the aspirin and set it on the desk where Arthur would be able to find it easily the next morning. Then, in the interest of protecting the poor, innocent undergraduates from the terror of a drunken Arthur, Kiku carefully hid the remainder of the rum next to the toga costume underneath the bed.
Alfred passed Kiku on the staircase, and he thought that the Asian man gave him a strange look, but he pushed it out of his head. He was still happily stuffed from leftover Halloween candy. Alfred walked past Arthur's door (smiling as he saw the "Resident Asshole" nameplate) and reached for his own door handle. He groaned as he remembered that he had forgotten his keys in the room. He really needed to be better about keeping track of them. He knocked on the door, but Toris didn't answer, which probably meant that the Lithuanian was hanging out with his strange girlfriend on the other end of campus.
Sighing, Alfred walked back to the middle of the hallway. He knocked loudly on Arthur's door. "Hey, Artie, I'm locked out," he called, not caring if he had to wake up his RA to get back into his room. It was Arthur's fault for going to bed before midnight anyway. What sort of college student went to bed early?
At first Alfred heard no response, so he knocked louder. He paused to pull out his cell phone, wondering if he was going to have to call Toris. At that moment, he heard a soft moan from behind the door. It sounded exactly like the ghost from his most recent horror-movie marathon. Alfred yelped and raced to the end of the hallway. He leaned against the wall and whimpered, trying not to think about what happened to everyone in the movie who heard the dead girl's moan. Wait, what if Arthur was in there with the ghost? No matter how much his RA annoyed him sometimes, Alfred had to be a hero and go rescue the poor man!
Gathering every ounce of his courage, he returned to find the door slightly ajar. Alfred pushed the door open and hit the lights. Someone had been leaning against the door and they were knocked down to the floor. Alfred gaped, realizing that the figure sprawled on the floor was a person, not a ghost. In fact, it was Arthur.
Arthur moaned again, but this time Alfred didn't shriek in terror. Instead he continued to stare in shock, surprised to discover that Arthur owned a set of skull-and-crossbones pajamas. Leaning forward, he could smell a strong whiff of rum on the Brit's breath as he helped the other man to his feet.
"Was that my rum?" Alfred asked. "Where's it all gone?" he demanded, even though he knew the answer. His rum had obviously gone into Arthur's gut.
"You're too loud," the RA groaned. "Bloody knocking."
Alfred gripped Arthur's elbow and gently pushed the swaying student onto his bed. "Are you drunk?" he asked, still shocked by the sight.
"No I'm not! I'm your bloody RA, I am."
"Uh-huh." Alfred chuckled. Ignoring Arthur's drunken cries of protest, he turned around and reached for the master key so he could unlock his room.
"Stop that! No taking. No dating. No tea kettles. Bleeding rules," Arthur complained. He wobbled to his feet and reached for the master key.
Alfred pushed Arthur back down onto his bed. "Look, I'll be right back, okay? You just stay here and try not to puke on anything."
Using the master key, Alfred unlocked the door and dropped off his backpack. This time he made triple-sure that he had his own keys before closing the door. When he finally returned to Arthur's room, he found Arthur sleeping like a baby, face down on the bed. Alfred shut the door and smirked, thinking of all the fun pranks he could play. He could draw naughty pictures on Arthur's face, duct-tape him to the wall, or even shave off one of his monstrous eyebrows. It was the perfect opportunity.
Alfred found a pen on the desk and debated what he wanted to draw on the other student and where. A twirly moustache was always funny, and he liked drawing penises on the unsuspecting. For Arthur, additional eyebrows seemed like a good idea, although there wasn't much room left on his forehead for more brows.
But each time Alfred had an idea and leaned forward to start drawing, he found he couldn't actually do it. His pen froze at least an inch away from Arthur's pale skin. It was fun to tease Arthur and watch him get riled up, but Arthur was just laying there right now, looking vulnerable and... almost cute.
A wave of confusion rolled over Alfred. Heroes were expected to rebel against the evil Empire (like Luke Skywalker fighting against Darth Vader!), but at the moment Arthur looked less like a villain and more like someone in need of a hero.
Alfred realized that he just couldn't do it. He couldn't play a prank on his drunken RA.
Deciding that he would set aside their grudge match for the night, Alfred left the room and quickly returned with his laptop so he could play games while drunk-sitting. Thankfully, he had enough experience with drunks to know what to do. He rolled Arthur onto his side and placed the trash bin next to the bed, rousing him every half hour to make sure the older student hadn't slipped into unconsciousness. He knew he'd made the right choice when he saw the bleary green eyes giving him an affectionate look.
"Alfred?" his RA murmured. "Don't tell. Please."
"I won't," Alfred promised. He wasn't going to get Arthur into trouble just for getting drunk. He wasn't that mean. Alfred brushed his fingers through Arthur's hair and when he realized what he was doing, pulled his fingers back like he had been stung. When had he started to think of his RA as cute?
After a couple hours of no puking and Arthur's steady breathing, Alfred decided that Arthur would be okay for the night. He closed the door quietly behind him, lost in a swirl of thoughts and confused emotions that kept him up for the rest of the night.
To: Matthew Williams
From: Alfred F. Jones
Date: Sunday, November 2, 3:37am
Shit I think I just realized what you meant about pigtails on the playground…
The next morning Arthur's alarm sounded like a banshee from hell, echoing painfully in his pounding head. He knocked it off the table and groaned into his pillow.
"Urgh."
Was it Monday? His early morning Shakespeare class definitely wasn't going to happen. Not when, in the Bard's immortal words, he felt like he was going to die, die, die. Through his half-closed eyes, Arthur spotted the advil and glass of water on the table and silently thanked Kiku for his thoughtfulness. After taking the pills, he collapsed back onto his pillow and gratefully returned to sleep.
Arthur woke up again around noon, feeling marginally better, particularly when he remembered that it was Sunday, giving him a full day to recover. He brushed his teeth to get rid of the nasty taste and then went down to the dorm dining hall, deciding that he could probably manage a slice of toast. He picked a quiet corner and ate his food in peace.
"Hey, Artie! How's it going?" a loud, irritating voice said directly next to his ear.
Arthur spilled his tea on the table and groaned. "Just ducky," he rasped. He glanced at Alfred and frowned. "You look terrible too," he noted, spotting dark bags under Alfred's eyes. Arthur thought he vaguely remembered something about Alfred and a lock-out the night prior, but his memories were too fuzzy to make any sense. He decided that he was simply thinking of one of the many times when Alfred had forgotten his key and needed Arthur to let him back into his room.
The American laughed far too loudly. "I just stayed up too late playing video games. But you look hungover, which is weird 'cuz the rules forbid alcohol," he said, his eyes sparkling with exaggerated innocence.
"I have the flu," Arthur lied, coughing a few times for added effect.
Alfred leaned forward and pressed the back of his hand against Arthur's forehead. "That's odd, you don't feel warm to me."
Arthur jerked backward with an undignified squawk and nearly fell out of his chair. His cheeks flamed red (the unfortunate side-effect of pale skin). For some reason, Alfred took that as an invitation to test his temperature again.
"Huh, I guess you do feel a bit warm. Better stay away from you and your germs."
"That would be a good idea," Arthur muttered. He hoped that the aggravatingly attractive, younger student would stay far, far away.
To: [LGBT-listserv]
From: Alfred F. Jones
Date: Sunday, November 2, 2:40pm
Hey all!
If you're missing a pair of angel wings from the Halloween Party, shoot me an email!
Al
After his restless night, Alfred had come to a few important realizations.
First, his RA actually knew how to party and was not the joyless scrooge Alfred had always imagined him to be. Alfred decided to pull back on his pranks. But not too much or else Arthur would become suspicious.
Second, Alfred was willing to admit that Arthur was a bit cute and that he was maybe slightly attracted to the other man. But it wasn't anything serious. Alfred was just suffering from too many hormones after his Halloween tryst and that was why, in a moment of weakness, he had carded his fingers through Arthur's soft locks. He resolutely brushed aside any and all thoughts of how adorable Arthur had looked curled up in his pirate pajamas.
Third, Alfred needed to find his angel from the Halloween Party. Their meeting had been fate. It was just like Cinderella, but with more blow jobs. So all he needed to do was return the wings to his Prince Charming and they would live happily ever after. (Okay, yes, it was Cinderella who received the shoe, not the Prince. Alfred wasn't good at metaphors or similes or whatever.) The important part was that it would help him get his mind off Arthur.
Fourth, Alfred apparently watched too many Disney movies.
To: Alfred Jones
From: Flying Mint Bunny
Date: Monday, November 3, 9:03am
Dear Alfred,
I saw your email on the LGBT listserv and was hoping to arrange a drop-off for the angel wings. I don't want to inconvenience you at all, so if you could just set them in a box outside your room and send me your dorm name and number, I'll have a friend pick them up. Thank you in advance.
Alfred's face lit up when he spotted the email, but fell again as he read through the short message. His one-night stand from Halloween hadn't offered a name or any identifying information. Whatever a 'flying mint bunny' was, it meant nothing to Alfred.
Disappointed, Alfred immediately shot back his reply.
To: Flying Mint Bunny
From: Alfred Jones
Date: Monday, November 3, 11:53am
Hey Bunny,
Sorry, dude, no can do. I want to meet you again! And maybe we could get coffee? I respect if you want to leave a one-night stand as a ONE night stand, but I still want a name to go with your angelic face.
I'm happy to arrange a clandestine meeting if you prefer, and we can have a codeword and disguises if you want! Actually, that'd be pretty cool. But I'm not handing the wings back until I at least know your name.
Don't worry. I promise that I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to :)
Al
Alfred waited and waited for a reply, but when it finally came, it left him even more disappointed than before.
To: Alfred Jones
From: Flying Mint Bunny
Date: Tuesday, November 4, 8:49pm
Never mind. You may keep them.
For the next few weeks, Arthur was determined to avoid Alfred, but it seemed that Alfred was equally determined to annoy him at every opportunity. The sophomore started attending all of the weekly dorm meetings, taking the opportunity to eat a ridiculous amount of pizza and ask embarrassing questions.
"Hey, Artie, aren't you supposed to give us free condoms?" he asked at one meeting.
"There's a clearly marked bowl outside my room," Arthur replied.
Alfred grinned. "Yeah, but they're the wrong size. I need extra-large ones."
Arthur felt a traitorous warmth rise in his cheeks. He tried to think about cold showers and the fact that he would lose his free housing if he pulled Alfred into his room, tugged down the young man's pants, and proved that the condom fit perfectly. "I know that you're an enormous prick," Arthur grumbled once he regained control, "but I assure you, the ones we have now will be plenty large."
When the meeting ended, Arthur escaped back to his room with barely concealed relief. He closed the door and let his head thud against the wood. A few more thumps allowed him to clear his head, although he didn't feel any better. He had thought he could handle his infatuation with the annoying student. But infatuation had grown from a passing fancy into full-blown lust. Now he worried that he would do something regrettable if given the chance. If Alfred ever found out... Arthur didn't know what would happen, but it certainly wouldn't be good. RAs weren't even allowed to date their students and he had already gone far beyond dating.
Arthur did, however, get some small measure of revenge at the next dorm meeting by telling Alfred that he had custom-ordered his size and then tossing Alfred a box of extra-small condoms. The look on Alfred's face had been priceless.
To: Flying Mint Bunny
From: Alfred F. Jones
Date: Sunday, November 16, 4:28pm
Hey Angel,
I hope it's not creepy to send you another email, but I've been staring at your wings for the past week and I just can't get you out of my head. Your lovin' is all I think about... sorry, got too much Kylie on my playlist. (See what you've made me do! I've been listening to pop love ballads all week!)
You seemed pretty social when we met, so I was just wondering if I said or did something wrong? Can I make it up to you? I thought you enjoyed it at the time, but... yeah.
I hope you respond.
Al
Arthur stared at the email and sighed, unsure how to respond to the strangely tentative email. This wasn't the tone of the brash American sophomore that he thought he knew. The knowledge of what he had done with one of his residents weighed heavily on his conscience. And even though it was wrong and definitely against the rules, the worst part was that he would do it again if given half a chance.
Even though Alfred was a brat, Arthur felt bad for making the undergrad believe that it was his fault. He decided to assuage the American's guilt with a plausible lie. Something that would definitively convince Alfred to leave him alone. And even though it went against everything he believed in, he even used American spellings to maintain his charade.
To: Alfred F. Jones
From: Flying Mint Bunny
Date: Monday, November 17, 8:31am
I apologize. I'm not interested in further communication for reasons completely unrelated to you. I was cheating on my boyfriend and have promised him that I wouldn't attempt to contact you.
Alfred stared at his phone screen, his mouth hanging open in shock. He'd barely made it to class in time and he hoped the other students hadn't noticed him checking his email. He shut his mouth, slipped his phone underneath his desk, and shot back a quick reply. It seemed that he had dodged a bullet—his angel was actually an asshole.
To: Flying Mint Bunny
From: Alfred F. Jones
Date: Monday, November 17, 10:02am
Wow... you really ain't much of an angel are you? o.0
As the weather turned cold, flu season hit the dorm hard.
The advantage of having a diverse student body from all around the world was that they could share cultures and ideas. The disadvantage was that they also shared germs. By the middle of November, nearly everyone had the sniffles.
Alfred was the first to start coughing, and from him it spread everywhere. Doing his best to take care of his dorm, Arthur shared his tea supply with those who wanted it and sent out emails reminding everyone to get a good nights' sleep and drink plenty of liquids. He felt like a nursemaid as he raced around the dorm, checking on his residents and helping them ask professors for extensions or make appointments at the health center.
After a few days, Arthur plopped into his own bed, feeling sick and exhausted. It seemed that every young adult regressed into a whiny child when they were sick. He just wished that they wouldn't keep turning to him for assistance. His whole body ached and all he wanted to do was stay in bed for the rest of the day.
In his warm cocoon of blankets, Arthur napped for a few hours before a light knocking at his door pulled him out of pleasant dreams. "Come in," he called hoarsely, hoping that it wasn't another needy student. When he saw that it was just Alfred, he curled deeper into his blankets and muttered, "If you're locked out, just take the master key. I'm too tired."
"Nah, I'm not locked out. Toris wanted some tea."
"He can have it." Arthur waved toward his tea collection on the bookshelf and buried his face into his pillow. His body felt like one huge ache, alternating between chills and fever as he drifted in a light doze. Also, his brain felt like it was stuffed with cotton, so it took him a few minutes to recognize the sound of a tea kettle boiling. He was still trying to figure out how the kettle returned to his room when he heard the clink of a mug being set down on his desk. He looked up with bleary eyes. "Brought my kettle back?"
Alfred chuckled. "Yeah, you look like crap, so you probably need it."
Despite the insult, Arthur was touched by the gesture. He reached for the cup and sipped the hot liquid. It was a little over-steeped, but a surprising kindness nonetheless. He tried to think about what it meant that Alfred's annoying behavior had tapered off significantly, but lost the train of thought as he drifted back to sleep.
To: [All dorm residents]
From: Arthur Kirkland
Date: Friday, November 21, 10:15am
Final reminder! Today is the last day to sign up for the Thanksgiving Break ski trip. The bus will leave at 3pm on Friday and return by 10pm on Saturday. If you have not yet paid your deposit, please slip a cheque under my door.
World Academy followed the American educational calendar, so students received their Thanksgiving Break in November. However, many students felt that the Wednesday to Sunday break was too short to justify a trip home, so dorms organized their own trips for the students who chose to stay behind. With his impressive organizational skills, Arthur had planned a ski trip for the dorm, arranging transportation, lodging, and lessons for anyone who wanted to try skiing or snowboarding for the first time.
Somewhat to Arthur's surprise, Alfred signed up for the trip at the last minute. He wasn't surprised that the American waited until the last minute, but he was surprised that Alfred had decided to come on the trip after all. Arthur shrugged and remembered to pack his noise-canceling headphones for the bus ride. He would surely need them.
As Arthur expected, Alfred was incredibly loud on the bus as the students made the four-hour trip to the nearest ski lodge. The sophomore laughed and shouted, drawing the other students into long games of 20 questions and kill-fuck-marry. Although Arthur had been diligently working on his dissertation, he slipped one headphone off of his left ear when he heard his name.
"—ur Kirkland, Groucho Marx, Helga Pataki."
"So many eyebrows!" Alfred tilted back his head and laughed hard.
"I was just coming up with a matching set."
"Well, I'm not interested in fucking or marrying a girl, so goodbye Helga. And I can't marry a communist, so fuck Groucho and marry Arthur."
"Really?"
"Well, obviously the trick would be to keep him out of the kitchen."
They all had a good laugh at that. Arthur frowned as he pushed the headphone back over his ear and tried to pretend that he hadn't been listening.
The noisy bus ride was bad enough, but chaos reigned supreme as soon as they arrived at the ski lodge the dorm had rented for the night. It was built for large groups, so it had three floors, tons of bedrooms, and even more couches. Even with the size of their group, however, there would still be a few unfortunates stuck sleeping on the floor.
They had stopped for dinner at some atrocious fast food restaurant, and the tables and floors were soon littered with wrappers and small pieces of food. Arthur spent the next hour racing around the lodge, confiscating bottles of alcohol and trying to stop young adults from jumping on the beds and building pillow forts. Exhausted, he took a quick breather on one of the living room couches, pushing his sweaty hair off of his forehead and wondering if he needed to worry about the neighbors reporting them to the police because they were just so loud. At least this room was quiet, it was just him and Toris.
"Why do they even make tellies that large?" Arthur mused, staring at the large-screen hanging on the wall. Next to it stood a large movie collection.
"Something to do during a blizzard," Toris suggested.
"That's what books are for. Books and tea."
Toris smiled. "I was going to make tea, would you like some too?"
"Yes, please," Arthur replied, grateful for his kindness. Toris was such a nice, well-behaved student. The complete opposite of his aggravating roommate. And speak of the devil... not long after Toris left, Alfred sauntered into the living room, sipping a beer even though he was still two years underage. "You shouldn't be drinking that," Arthur muttered, although he felt too tired to bother with his usual scowl.
Alfred laughed and plopped down on the couch, stretching out his legs so his feet rested on the coffee table. He offered a bottle to Arthur and continued sipping his own beer. "Admit it, you think 21 is a stupid drinking age."
"I could lose my job if my residents break the law," Arthur said, pushing away the unopened beer bottle.
"Pfft. No one's going to report you. What happens at ski lodge stays at ski lodge," Alfred said reassuringly, waving at his roommate as the quiet student rejoined them in the living room, setting a tea cup near Arthur and retreating to the other couch with his own. "Right, Toris?"
Toris nodded and sipped his tea.
"My residents won't report it, but the neighbors might," Arthur noted, picking up his cup and talking a sip. He thanked Toris for brewing it perfectly.
"Geez, Artie, you're such a worrywart. This is supposed to be a fun break for you too, right? Let's go play in the snow!"
"It's freezing outside."
"Yeah, that's kind of the point of ski trip! Do you wanna build a snowman? We could use your scones for eyes."
Toris hid a smile behind his tea cup.
Ignoring the jab at his cooking, Arthur pulled himself off the couch. He could hear loud music starting to play from the kitchen. He sighed. "They sent you down here to keep me occupied, didn't they?"
Alfred grinned. Instead of answering the question he changed the subject. "Okay, no playing in the snow tonight. How 'bout a movie instead?"
"I'm supposed to be making sure you're not all getting into trouble," Arthur replied sternly, though the idea of watching a movie sounded much better than trying to stop the undergrads from drinking. Even the dedicated Englishman recognized that the effort was a lost cause. Plus, Alfred was being surprisingly nice, and Arthur didn't see any harm in watching a movie together. They even had Toris to act as a chaperone.
"Wouldn't the efficient thing be to watch me, since I'm the main troublemaker?"
Arthur paused at the door. "That's... a good point."
"And I'll let you pick the movie."
"Deal." Arthur flipped through the collection, wrinkling his nose at most of the choices. He paused at one of the titles, which seemed familiar. "The Italian Job," he murmured, trying to remember where he had heard it.
"Hey, good choice! I've been meaning to watch that. Sound good to you, Toris?"
"Sure."
Arthur slipped the DVD into the player, hiding his blush as he remembered why the movie sounded familiar. Alfred had suggested it to him. It seemed the American would get his wish after all, even if he didn't realize it.
They had barely made it past the credits before Arthur started up a snarky commentary. If Alfred didn't know that Arthur was studying English, he would have suspected that the student planned to go into critical film studies. He noted every plot hole and critiqued the dialogue. Alfred laughed, finding Arthur's comments almost as enjoyable as the movie itself. He was glad he had decided to skip the party and find his RA. After Arthur's night of drinking, Alfred had started to develop a soft spot for the older student. Even though they had a bad start to the semester (mostly, Alfred admitted, due to his own tendency to be loud and brash), he hoped they could be friends for the rest of the year.
Near the middle of the movie, Arthur's comments trailed off. Alfred wondered if he was finally starting to get caught up in the plot, but a quick glance over showed that he was actually just beginning to fall asleep. Alfred smiled and scooched a little closer so Arthur could use his shoulder as a pillow.
To: Matthew Williams
From: Alfred "Freeeeedom!" Jones
Date: Saturday, November 29, 12:41am
Hope you're having as good a time with your dorm as I am :)
[Picture of Arthur sleeping on Alfred's shoulder]
See you tomorrow on the slopes!
Arthur woke up as dim early morning light filled the room, confused as to why he was sleeping on a couch instead of in his dorm bed. His eyes widened and he came fully awake as he noticed the arm loosely draped around his waist. There was someone sleeping with him. A warm body next to him and steady breathing near his ear. Arthur turned his head slowly so he could see who he was sleeping with.
Oh god, it was the worst-case scenario. It was Alfred.
Realizing he must have fallen asleep while watching the movie, Arthur disentangled himself from the couch cushions, taking care not to rouse Alfred. His mind buzzed with worry as he considered the two options. Either Alfred would be upset that they had ended up sharing a couch or he wouldn't mind (for reasons Arthur didn't dare to contemplate), and Arthur honestly wasn't sure which option was worse. He tiptoed past slumbering students on his way to the kitchen.
Endless scenarios where he lost his RA job and had to face the Dean of Students for his unprofessional conduct ran through Arthur's mind as he prepared his morning cup of tea. The panic slowly subsided as he finished it, grateful as always for the brew's calming effect. There hadn't been enough sofas or beds in the rented ski lodge so he and a student had shared. It was completely innocent, he reassured himself.
As morning sunlight filled the room, undergrads swarmed the kitchen, nursing hangovers and gulping down coffee to make up for a lack of sleep. Alfred didn't even wake up until it was nearly time to leave, saving Arthur from an awkward conversation.
Arthur herded the students onto the bus with crisp commands, staying as far away from Alfred as possible. Even from a distance he could still hear the sophomore's excitement. "Whoo, snowboarding!" Alfred cheered.
"Listen up," Arthur announced from the front of the bus once they reached the slopes. "Everyone needs to be back to the bus by quarter 'til four. We are leaving exactly at four. I don't want any stragglers!"
Once Arthur finished his announcement, the students eagerly piled out of the bus, buzzing with excitement. Even Arthur found himself dazzled by the lovely snow and countryside as he walked toward the ski areas. Thanksgiving wasn't a popular weekend for skiing, so the students had the slopes almost to themselves.
Since Arthur was renting skis and sticking to the bunny hills, he soon lost track of Alfred, which was probably for the best. Instead of thinking about the confusing young man, he focused on the perfect powder underneath his skis and the gorgeous clear blue skies overhead. The mountain air was crisp and beautiful, smelling slightly of pine. It was easy to think only of the beautiful scenery and the exhilarating feeling of the air as it whooshed past his face. Despite the cold temperature, he felt pleasantly warm from the effort and thoroughly relished the peace and calm as he glided down the slopes.
By mid-afternoon, Arthur decided that he was finished for the day. He warmed up at the base of the slope with a mug of overpriced hot cocoa. The outside patio gave him an excellent view of the activity on the slopes and lifts from the comfort of his heated bench. Most of his residents had finished skiing or snowboarding for the day, and he could hear them chattering nearby. The happy murmurs didn't contain any loud shouts or boisterous laughs, so he could only assume that Alfred was still on the slopes.
As that thought occurred to Arthur, he noticed two snowboarders racing at high speeds, skillfully cutting their way around the slower skiers. Judging by his patriotic outfit, the one on the right was Alfred. But Arthur frowned when he realized that the snowboarders weren't slowing down as they approached the base of the slope. The two kept coming, faster and faster. Alfred built up increasing speed, lost control, and did three full cartwheels before plunging into the snow bank.
Arthur jumped to his feet and ran to the young man's side before he had a chance for conscious thought. He focused on pushing his way through the snow as quickly as he could. The sight of Alfred lying still on the ground filled his vision. Arthur dropped to his knees next to the young man and breathed a sigh of relief when two sparkling blue eyes blinked back at him. Alfred gave him a dopey smile. "Hey, you think that'd be more fun with mattresses?"
"No, I think you're going to kill yourself," Arthur grumbled, hiding his relief.
"Yeah, but it was awesome though. I wanna do that again!" Alfred said enthusiastically as he climbed to his feet. "See, Mattie, I told ya I'd win the race!"
Arthur was worried that Alfred had hit his head so hard that he was talking to invisible people, until he turned around and saw that the other snowboarder had arrived behind him. The young man looked like a quieter, more sensible version of Alfred. He quickly proved it by giving Alfred a soft smile and suggesting that they warm up with hot cocoa instead of racing down the hill again.
Warm drinks in hand, the two joined Arthur at his table. Alfred introduced his cousin Matthew and then loudly recounted their day of snowboarding adventures. It started with their voyage up to the steepest, hardest slope, and ended with a lost animal.
"...I thought it was a bear! But it was actually a big, fluffy dog, so Mattie and me took him to the lost and found and returned him to his owner," Alfred finished.
"And I," Arthur corrected automatically.
"And you what?" Alfred asked, tilting his head to the side quizzically.
"He's correcting your grammar," Matthew explained.
"Ah, but my grammar don't need no fixing!"
Arthur's eyebrow twitched at the double negative. "That statement is true only in its most literal sense," he replied dryly.
Matthew hid a smile behind his mug as Arthur and Alfred continued to bicker and swap petty insults. They were both so focused on each other that they barely noticed his presence. And they certainly didn't notice the time. "Al, didn't you say your bus was leaving at 4pm?" Matthew finally asked.
"Yeah? What time is it now?" Alfred asked.
"4:04! We're late!" Arthur panicked as he glanced down at his watch. He jumped out of his seat and grabbed Alfred by the arm, tugging him toward the door.
"Bye, Mattie!" Alfred called.
"It was lovely to meet you," Arthur added from the doorway as the two began sprinting to the bus stop. Even a tardy gentleman had to remember his manners.
They arrived at the chartered bus five minutes later, both panting for breath as they waved at the driver to let them on. Stepping inside, Arthur felt all of the eyes on the bus turn toward him. He tried not to blush in embarrassment, ashamed at his tardiness.
Alfred pushed past and gave him a pouting look. "Geez, just cuz I was ten minutes late doesn't mean you had to come yell at me! I was going to show up eventually."
"Is that everyone?" the bus driver asked Arthur.
"Hmm? Yes, yes, we can go now," Arthur replied, still surprised that Alfred had lied on his behalf, making the other students think that Arthur was only late because he had gone to fetch Alfred.
As the bus started to move, Arthur hurriedly found a seat. Of course, because the two were the last to arrive, the only spot left was the seat next to Alfred. The American gave him a wink and nudged his shoulder. "See? The perk of being late is that you get to sit next to me."
"Oh, joy," Arthur deadpanned.
"Don't worry. I'm planning to sleep most of the way anyway." Alfred grinned at him. "Good thing you're such a comfy pillow."
"I'm not your pillow," Arthur protested, his cheeks bright red. It was bad enough being attracted to Alfred when he was incredibly annoying. It was far worse being attracted to him when the young man decided to be affectionate.
True to his word, the American slept most of the way, his blond head resting on Arthur's shoulder. He looked sweet and peaceful in his sleep. It was getting harder and harder for Arthur to remember why it was such a bad idea to date his resident.
There was only one solution. He would have to ask for a transfer to a different dorm.
To: Office of the Dean of Students
From: Arthur Kirkland
Date: Tuesday, December 2, 9:01am
I'll have the room completely empty by the end of finals week.
Thank you again for all of your assistance arranging the transfer.
Sincerely,
Arthur Kirkland
Arthur had finished folding his socks when he heard the loud, cheerful whistling coming down the hallway. The whistling could mean only one thing. Alfred was approaching, and he had most likely finished his finals. Arthur wasn't ready for a conversation with Alfred, so he hoped that the American kept walking and decided to play video games instead of bothering his RA.
His hopes were in vain. Alfred's footsteps paused outside Arthur's door. "Whoa, Artie, going on a super long trip?" he asked, loudly as usual.
"I'm transferring to a different dorm," Arthur explained from his position amidst the many boxes as he continued folding his trousers and placing them in a suitcase on his bed. He had already packed up his school supplies, toiletries, and tea collection. All that was left was his clothing.
"What!?" Alfred sounded shocked. "Wait… are you leaving because of me?" he asked.
Arthur refused to turn around and look at him. He didn't want to see Alfred's puppy-eyes expression. "No, it's not you," he insisted. "Don't worry, I'm sure my replacement will be much more lax about the rules."
"Probably laxer about grammar too," Alfred said, although his heart didn't sound in it. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Look, I didn't want to chase you away," he said. "I thought we were having fun."
Arthur kept packing. "Really, it isn't about you."
"So why are you leaving?"
"Ah, there was another RA who wanted to swap dorms," Arthur said, half-truthfully. "She was starting to fancy one of her residents, and she wanted to leave before it got out of hand." He understood her frustration, but he was actually grateful that another RA had been in the same position as him. It made it easy to simply swap dorms.
"I don't get it. What's so bad about a student dating an RA?"
Arthur finally stopped folding when he felt a warm hand come to rest on his shoulder. He turned around, although he avoided looking into Alfred's eyes. "It's completely against the rules," he explained, working hard to remind himself why it was such a bad idea when Alfred was standing so close, his body as devastatingly handsome as always. "The other students could make accusations of favoritism. And what happens if the relationship goes bad? It would poison the atmosphere in the dorm."
"Well, I still think it sucks," Alfred complained. "You didn't do anything wrong." He looked like he was going to say something more, but he shook his head and looked around the room. "Need any help carrying boxes?"
"If you don't mind…" Arthur felt grateful for the assistance, even if it was awkward to watch the reason why he was transferring to a different dorm help him move out. Alfred made short work of the boxes and suitcases, carrying them down to the ground floor and stuffing them in Arthur's car like they weighed nothing. Sooner then he expected, Arthur found his room to be completely empty. It was only then that he noticed a bottle and piece of cloth hiding under the bed. Alfred saw it at the same time.
"Hey, looks like you missed something," he said, as he bent down and grabbed the items. A moment later, a flash of recognition crossed his face. "My rum! And there's still some left! Oh man, I thought you'd drunk it all." He grinned up at Arthur. "Guess it takes less to get you completely shit-faced than I thought."
"What?" Arthur felt his face go hot and then cold as he tried to remember when Alfred would have seen him drunk. The only time he drank in the dorm was the night after their Halloween tryst… the blood drained from Arthur's face when Alfred set down the rum and started examining the white fabric.
"Is this a toga?" He held out the costume and examined its length. "Pretty skimpy, though, wouldn't go much past your upper thighs…"
Despite insulting Alfred's intelligence on a regular basis, Arthur knew that the young man was not an idiot, just a little oblivious to the world around him. He could tell the exact moment when Alfred connected the puzzle pieces based on the way Alfred's eyes widened in shock.
"I think I have something that belongs to you," Alfred said, frowning as he disappeared from the room.
Arthur sat down heavily on the bare mattress and took a swig of the rum. He wondered briefly if he could get drunk in the two minutes it would take for Alfred to go to his own room and back. Despite his low tolerance, it seemed unlikely. He was still trying to sort through his jumbled thoughts and feelings when Alfred returned with a pair of wings, which he set on the desk. He plopped down next to Arthur and took a swig of rum himself, grabbing the bottle from Arthur's unresisting fingers. He set the now-empty bottle onto the desk with a thump that sounded loud in the otherwise silent room.
"It's weird. I thought my RA was a jerk, then I realized you were actually nice. But I thought my one-night stand was nice until he was a jerk. So which is it, Arthur?"
"Both, I suppose. I'm sorry for lying. I was planning to tell you after I moved out." Arthur stared at his hands as he nervously rubbed them together in his lap. He looked up in surprise when Alfred reached over and covered Arthur's hands with his own.
"Hey, it's okay. It's not like I've been an angel either." Alfred gave him a fond smile, and then the American leaned forward and kissed him.
For a brief moment, Arthur didn't know how to react to the gentle lips pressing against his own. The sensation was a surprise, but so very pleasant. Lost in the sweet sensation, Arthur kissed back eagerly, trying to fit months of longing into hungry open-mouth kisses. Alfred's hands were soon running through his hair as Arthur wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck, pulling the young man closer as he tried to memorize every line of his lips.
It was only when Arthur felt his back press against the bed that he returned to reality. "Wait," he said. Still breathing heavily, Arthur was both grateful and disappointed as he felt Alfred's warm body pull away.
Alfred blinked from behind glasses that were hanging on by only one ear. "Yeah, you probably should break up with your boyfriend first," he said with a sigh, running his hand through hair that was adorably mussed up.
"What boyfriend?" Arthur asked, his eyebrows knitted in confusion. It felt too hard to think with the warm rum sloshing around in his stomach and the pleasant memory of Alfred's hands running over his body.
Alfred frowned. "The one you mentioned in your email? The one who's—oh wow, hey there, this is awkward—standing in the doorway."
"What?" Arthur jolted up from the bed and blushed to find Kiku staring at them. He had forgotten that Kiku was coming to help him pack. Arthur was normally good at keeping track of the time, but Alfred could be very distracting.
"Well, at least you can break up with him in person," Alfred suggested.
Kiku also looked confused. "I'm not dating Arthur-san."
"Why would you think…? It's not… Oh." Arthur's eyes widened as he remembered the email. He sighed. "Alfred, I was lying about having a boyfriend because I didn't want you to try to find me."
Alfred's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Seriously? You'd rather lie about cheating on a boyfriend than get in trouble for dating a resident?"
"Yes. I know it sounds bad. But only one of those things can result in the loss of my salary and housing subsidy."
Kiku cleared his throat, reminding the two of his presence. "I'm glad you found the wings, Arthur-san," he said softly, "but should I come back later?"
Alfred grinned. "Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea."
They locked the door this time and resumed their kisses and caresses. Arthur felt a fire building in his stomach. He tried to bank it. "We shouldn't," he said, reminding himself that Alfred was off-limits until the end of the semester. "I'm still your RA."
"Do you know how hot it makes me when you say it's against the rules, bunny?" Alfred asked with a chuckle, his husky voice sending a pleasant tingle down Arthur's spine.
Arthur didn't even complain about the ridiculous pet name before he started kissing Alfred again. When Alfred returned the kisses, Arthur's eyes fluttered shut, his only response breathless moans as Alfred attacked his neck with love-bites. Fueled by the satisfying warmth, he reached an internal decision. If boffing Alfred was wrong, Arthur didn't want to be right. He rolled over and pinned the surprised American to the bed. "I'm pretty sure that having it off in the shower stall is doubly against the rules," the Englishman purred.
Alfred grinned. "I don't know what that means, but I like the sound of it!"
Taking off their clothes was just another chance to lick and kiss and touch more flesh. Arthur's jumper landed on the desk while Alfred's jeans slipped to the floor. Still kissing, they stumbled into Arthur's private bathroom and bumped against the sink. They dropped the final pieces of clothing onto the bathroom floor and squeezed into the narrow shower stall. Alfred's breath felt warm and heavy against Arthur's ear.
"Lube?" he asked.
"Packed away," Arthur panted.
Undeterred, Alfred pressed Arthur against the wall, making Arthur gasp in pleasure as he thrust his cock into the narrow gap between Arthur's thighs. Alfred reached his hand around, grabbing and pumping Arthur's cock as he built up a furious pace. Their soft moans echoed in the shower stall, soon reaching a gasped crescendo.
"Ah, Alfred!" Arthur saw stars as his knees turned to jelly. He felt utterly spent and pleasantly exhausted. He would have sunk to the floor if not for the strong arm wrapped around his waist and the weight of the body pressing him against the tile wall. A moment later, he felt Alfred finish, leaving a sticky mess between Arthur's thighs.
They showered in a post-orgasmic blur, and Arthur was still smiling when he pulled on his clothes. Alfred grinned back at him. "See, breaking the rules feels good, don't it?"
"Mmm. I think it was the sex actually," Arthur replied. "But I suppose the only way to know for sure would be to do it again after the term ends."
"Is this your way of asking me on a date after Christmas?"
"I suppose it is."
Alfred's smile lit up the room.
To: Arthur Kirkland
From: Alfred "Freeeeedom!" Jones
Date: Tuesday, April 22, 3:04pm
Hey babe, you free after class tomorrow? ;)
Arthur bolted out of his 18th century poetry class on his rush back to his new dorm. He liked his new room and his new residents. And he definitely liked his new boyfriend. Alfred had promised him an "awesome present" for his birthday and Arthur wasn't sure whether to be excited or apprehensive. He settled on a mixture of both.
He hurried up to his room and wasn't the least bit surprised to open the door and find Alfred lounging on his bed, completely naked. His crotch was strategically hidden behind a wrapped package.
"Happy Birthday," Alfred said with a wink and a grin.
Arthur took a moment to soak up the sight, enjoying the muscles stretching from Alfred's well-defined arms, to his six-pack abs, to his strong thighs. Alfred had been a destructive ball of energy back in their old dorm, but now Arthur considered his boyfriend a seductive ball of energy. He much preferred their new arrangement.
"Don't you wanna open your present?" Alfred asked.
Arthur licked his lips and stepped closer. "Oh, yes. I'm going to do all sorts of wonderful things to my present, starting with licks and nibbles, and ending when I put the whole thing in my mouth and suck out the cream filling." He paused as he plucked the wrapped package from the bed. "You did get me chocolates, right?"
"Hey!" Alfred protested from the bed.
"Sorry love, you asked for that." Still chuckling to himself, Arthur unwrapped his birthday present. His expression softened as he saw what was inside. Instead of chocolates, he found a new nameplate. And this one said 'Resident Arsehole.'
"Do you like it? I spelled it properly and everything."
Arthur smiled. "You're still an arse."
"I know." Alfred grinned. "But I'm your arse."
THE END
Author's Notes
Thank you again to my beta, Fire Bear1, for struggling valiantly against my typos.
You may wonder if Alfred and Arthur are watching the old Italian Job or the remake. The answer is: whichever one you prefer!
Happy early Birthday to Arthur Kirkland :)
