Sorry this one is so long guys! At least the update is earlier in the day than usual?
Warnings: Sleepy people, hostility, tears.
It was a relief when the bedraggled, grief stricken group pulled into the parking lot of an abandoned looking, though still intact and strangely unharmed hotel. They had left before the sun had risen, the place they had originally picked to stay not providing a safe enough place to sleep, even with the vehicles. Everyone was feeling exhaustion catching up to them from the hasty escape back at the house.
Antonio was finally able to relax as he shut the engine of their truck off, the silence that followed strangely eerie and heavy. Why someone would build such a large, somewhat grand looking place at the way outskirts of town, he didn't know but he wasn't going to complain. The further out of town they were, the less zombies, and the less zombies there were, the less likely anyone was going to get bitten.
He shivered with the thought as he remembered Ludwig's death a few nights before, disgustingly grateful it had been the stranger instead of Arthur or even Elizabeta or Gilbert. Glancing over at Arthur as they got out of their truck though, he wondered if maybe his Englishman was thinking similarly. Such horrible thoughts were pushed away as the other couple got out of their truck and approached them.
"You think maybe we can be safe here a few hours, amor? We could use the sleep... And supplies." He mumbled as they waited for Gilbert and Elizabeta to come in earshot without having to yell. It hadn't bothered him so much driving, as wary as he was looking for the living dead, but now that they had stopped he all but swayed with exhaustion.
Arthur started as Antonio spoke, his mind having wandered while he stared out at the scenery around them. He was feeling exhaustion almost as bad as Antonio; that much was apparent in his eyes. Looking up, he smiled sleepily at the Spaniard and nodded. "I hope so...because we haven't slept in a damn bed since back at your place." He murmured, softly stretching and eyeing the hotel with hopeful eyes. They might have to stay regardless of what Gilbert decided.
"A bed would be nice... I'd love a bed... Though at this point, I just want to sleep somewhere... If that means on the floor, or in a bathtub, so be it... I am tired enough to sleep through a whole army of zombies right now..." Antonio mumbled, smiling back just as sleepily with his joke, even if the words held completely true. He slowly leaned in and kissed Arthur, the motion sore and stiff but still full of love, just as Gilbert and Elizabeta came up to them.
Elizabeta looked at the hotel warily, then at Gilbert, then at the sleepy looking men before her with a slight frown. This place looked quite enough, but it would be difficult to leave if something happened. "Are we sure we should stop here? We won't be able to easily get back to the trucks from in there..." She reasoned before anyone could say anything.
"We'll check it out at least. Only stay on the bottom floor if we sleep. It'll be fine Liza. I wouldn't risk it if it wasn't for the fact that I need sleep… and from the looks of you two, sleep is something you'd welcome too." Gilbert muttered. His head hadn't stopped spinning with the images of his brother, dead, who knew how many miles behind them instead of standing beside him like he should have been.
"Do you think they'll have coffee?" He asked shakily, attempting fruitlessly to escape the tormenting thoughts. He had been struggling to smile since the night that he lost his brother, trying to prove that he was alright to his overly doting wife. Deep down, he wasn't.
"I'm sure we can find you coffee, dear... Coffee, and hey. Maybe even a nice beer... We can stay on the bottom floor to sleep, scavenge through things on the second floor, maybe even the third..." Elizabeta sighed and leaned into her husband, eyes ever worried for him. "I know you need sleep, dear... I know... We can sleep for a bit... Figure out where we are going from here." It was so hard to pretend she didn't see the depression that swamped Gilbert's crimson eyes, knowing he hated for her to worry.
"Whatever we decide, make it soon. Antonio's threatening to fall asleep with the undead, and I don't want to have to carry him through those things." Arthur teased halfheartedly, placing his chin sleepily onto Antonio's shoulder from behind. "Are we going to clear out the hotel first? Magnetize a room key? Or can I just sleep under the front desk?" He demanded a bit groggily, giggling stupidly at his own comment. How long had it been since he had managed to sleep more than two hours at a time? Two...three days now? How long had it been for any of them for that matter?
"Right now all I want is a pillow." Gilbert sighed, kissing the top of Elizabeta's head and turning towards the hotel. "We'll check the place out before we sleep, I don't want any nasty surprises in the middle of the night that we'd be in no condition to fight off. Antonio...take Arthur and check the bottom floor, Elizabeta and I will check the second. Give the doors a good kick and they'll open."
Arthur whined softly at the idea of moving, the noise only audible enough for Antonio to catch. As much as he hated to admit it though, Gilbert had a point. It was better to be safe and zombie free.
Antonio laughed softly as Arthur whined, but as Gilbert and Elizabeta moved away, he realized the instructions had flown right over his head. He had tried to listen to Gilbert, but the English words, heavily accented as they were, didn't make any sense to his Spanish wired brain with how dead tired he was. It left him to stare blankly at Gilbert and Eliza, eyes burning with the effort of staying open. "¿Q-Qué?" He asked, stifling a yawn.
"Check for anything of use... Food, weapons, clothing... Anything that looks useful." Elizabeta called quietly with a sigh. She was probably the most rested, seeing as Gilbert didn't let her drive very often. Only when he was past exhausted.
"We'll do our best." Arthur assured with a slight grin. Kissing Antonio's neck before standing back with a grumble, he moved to the hotel with his gun in his free hand, capturing Antonio's hand with the other. "C'mon love... don't fall asleep standing up again." He ordered teasingly, squeezing his hand as he pushed open the door slowly.
All joking aside, his exhausted eyes scanned through the darkness slowly in search of any infected. It'd be just his luck to be relatively happy and have an infected jump out them. "Looks all clear." He sighed to Antonio, stepping inside slowly. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Gilbert appeared beside them.
"It's quiet...but keep an eye out for anything. I don't want any accidents today." The albino man snapped grumpily, his brother's rifle in his hands as he trotted up the stairs. A bag for supplies was slung over his shoulder. It occurred to him he had been a bit rude in his command, but he brushed it aside as he pushed in front of his wife.
"Do you want to check all the rooms dear? At least all the ones that open?" Eliza asked soothingly, flinching at the rough way Gilbert pressed in front of her. She knew he was just hurting and wanting to keep her safe.
Gilbert barely nodded before he kicked open one of the doors furiously and peered inside. There was nothing but a well cleaned room behind the door. Not even mattresses remained on the beds. He growled and slammed the door closed again, denting the wood with the butt of his gun so he would know he checked it already. "Not a verdammt thing" He growled.
"Inglés... Odio el inglés. Es una idioma horrible" Antonio grumbled to himself as he watched for the infected, keeping an eye out as Arthur went about opening the doors of each room. The farther they traveled into the hotel, the darker it got, and the worse it started to smell, but it looked safe enough. It looked like a place to sleep.
Arthur chuckled humorously at his Spaniards declaration of hatred for the English language. While he didn't speak Spanish fluently, he had managed through the years to pick up enough of the language to understand what Antonio had said, even as exhausted as he was. "Hate it? Mmm... I don't think you hate it, love." He laughed once more as they reached the end of the hall.
Holding up a bag full of clothes and supplies that they had located, he turned around and kissed Antonio's cheek. "Come on grumpy...let's find the others shall we?"
"Sí... Lo odio. Lo odio con todo mi corazón... Antonio grumbled in response, his head throbbing from sleep deprivation. He promptly refused to speak English, hating the language more because it was easier to speak in Spanish. Wanting to be stubborn was a part of it as well. "¿Gruñón? Yo no soy gruñón... ¿Quieren ver de gruñón? Vaya a nuestro amigo de albino. Yo no soy gruñón..."
Chuckling in genuine amusement as Antonio continued to rant to himself in Spanish while digging through some abandoned luggage, Arthur moved up behind him and hugged him tightly. Kissing his neck, he grinned at the startled look on the man's face. "Now now love...I don't speak Spanish, and though I find it sexy when you talk in your native tongue, I don't have the brain power to even attempt to translate what you're saying right now."
Antonio's eyes narrowed as he paused in his muttering, irritated and tired and just wanting to pull Arthur into his arms and go to sleep. Instead of doing what he wanted though, he continued to sort through things, looking for supplies now with an Arthur clinging to his back. If he couldn't speak in Spanish, then he just wouldn't speak at all.
Arthur pouted as Antonio promptly began to ignore him. Sighing, he kissed his neck and unwrapped himself from his back. Plucking what Antonio held from his hands, he replaced the object with his hands and pulled the Spaniard to his feet. "That's enough collecting for today I think...come on, the downstairs is cleared out let's go tell Gilbert and Eliza and we'll go to bed alright?" He smiled, keeping their hands linked together.
Antonio sighed and nodded, knowing very well he was being childish. After all, it wasn't Arthur's fault he was tired. He squeezed the Englishman's hand apologetically and smiled with a nod. "Lo siento... I think they're still upstairs... Let's go find them and say we're going to sleep... Maybe I am just a little grumpy..." He amended with a small laugh as he pulled Arthur's hand up to his lips and kissed it softly.
Arthur nodded and smiled softly as Antonio kissed his knuckles. Chuckling, he wrapped his arm around Antonio's waist and led him out the door towards the stairs. "Perhaps a bit...but what would you expect? We haven't really slept in three days! It's a wonder we haven't tried to kill each other yet."
Antonio smiled at the comment, though he knew he'd never want to kill Arthur, no matter how tired he was. "I don't want to kill you Arthur. No worries there, though... Can we just... stay down here and sleep? Gilbert and Eliza will come down when they are done." He asked, dull green eyes faintly hopeful that Arthur would agree.
"Mmm... We have to tell them the ground floor is clear… Why don't you stay down here love? Find a bed and wait for me?" Arthur suggested with a smile when he saw the exhaustion in Antonio's eyes and in the way the Spaniard swayed. Leaning forward, he kissed him gently and smiled. "It'll only take a moment."
Antonio sighed and nodded before shuffling off to find a place to sleep. It didn't take him long. He forced open the door to the first room they had checked and flopped on the bed with a low groan, wanting nothing more than to sleep, but deciding he'd much rather wait until Arthur was with him to know the man was safe and sound.
Elizabeta sighed and wander further down the hall, away from Gilbert. He needed a little space, time to be alone. As long as she stayed close enough he could reach her if she needed him, he didn't protest. Heck, she didn't think he really even noticed.
With a sigh she reached for a door, only to freeze when she realized it was already propped open. Was someone there? Cautiously she pushed open the door and was met with a baseball bat flying towards her head, leaving her to yelp in surprise and raise her frying pan to block the blow. "I'm alive! I'm not an..." But she never got to finish, for she was yanked with a startled cry, inside the room.
Dangerous, bright blue eyes glared at her furiously, and the bat had made its way back into a pair of slightly shuddering hands. It was a boy, young, maybe sixteen, and he looked murderously, furiously angry.
"Who are you?" *He snarled angrily, eyes flickering towards the closet door behind the woman as four sets of eyes peeked out for a second before disappearing into the darkness of the closet, door closing quickly and silently. His heart beat thunderously in his chest as he watched the woman with fearful hostility rolling off him in waves.
Gilbert jumped half a foot in the air as he heard his wife shout and a door slam. Turning around he turned just in time to see her disappear into one of the rooms. Cursing he grabbed his gun and rushed at the door slamming his fist into the wood. "Open the damn door! Now! Elizabeta are you alright!? I will kick down this door, do you hear me!?" He roared, absolutely livid.
The children that were hiding in the closet jumped as Gilbert started shouting furiously and cowered further into each other's arms their terrified eyes locking onto Elizabeta from where she stood in shock. "Leon! Make him stop!" One of the children, a small girl who appeared to be about four, wailed as she rushed forward to wrap her arms around the older boy's waist. "He's being noisy! What if the bad people hear him?!"
"Hush Eve." Leon whispered to the girl clinging to him as he gently rested a hand on her head, never once taking his eyes from Elizabeta. He thought he had been tense before, but with the little girl now potentially in harm's way, adrenaline pounded through his veins relentlessly.
"Tell him to stop. Tell him to shut up! Who are you, who is he and why are you here? Are there more of you? I'll have you know, if you are planning on stealing our supplies, I will not hesitate to kill you... I don't look like much, but I promise you, if you hinder our chance of survival..." He trailed off, bluffing rather well. He wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to kill this woman... There'd never been a reason to kill someone in cold blood before. Only the zombies.
Elizabeta looked at the boy curiously, shocked by the authority in his voice. She half turned towards the door, still watching the boy out of curiosity in what he'd do. If it came down to it, she wouldn't be surprised if the boy tried to kill her. "Gil. Gilbert calm down. I'm fine... You just have to trust me dear..." She called softly, not wanting to startle the hostile boy beside her.
"I am Elizabeta, and the man at the door is Gilbert. We are with two friends. I don't mean you, any of you, harm. I promise. We didn't know you were camping here... If we have taken anything that belongs to you, we'll give it back... Please calm down." She soothed in a soft voice, eyes sincere. A sense of accomplishment made her heart flutter when he lowered his bat hesitantly, though his eyes still burned angrily.
"Elizabeta what the hell is going on in there?! Why do I hear voices? Would you just open the door...bitte? I really don't like not being able to see you at the moment." Gilbert begged, voice far too angry for comfort.
The children warily watched the door as Gilbert stopped his pounding but continued messing with the door handle in an attempt to get the door open. All except for Leon who was watching Elizabeta, and Eve who was looking up at Leon.
"Leon...they're grown ups! Maybe they can help us!" The small girl squeaked from his side, clinging onto him as she looked up at the woman fearlessly. "You have pretty eyes." She whispered, not seeming threatened by the woman in the slightest despite the wariness of the other four children in the room.
Elizabeta rolled her eyes irritably and looked back at the door, trusting the boy wouldn't jump at her to attack. "Gilbert! Gilbert dear, you aren't helping! Calm down! You'll scare them." She growled, before kneeling down very slowly so as not to startle Leon, until she was level with the little girl clinging to him. "You have prettier ones. Bright and blue. I won't hurt you little one, I promise. What's your name?" She asked softly with a bright, friendly smile, though the boy at her side lifted his bat again in warning.
"Eve, don't go over to her. Go back with the others... We don't know who these people are." Leon warned, tightening his grip on his bat. He sighed when Eve just raised an eyebrow at him, looking as skeptical as a four year old could.
He crept back from Elizabeta, painfully aware of how she was between him and the kids, and rested his hand on the doorknob, his bat in his hands and his eyes full of fury. This would either prove fatal for them all... Or it would save all of their lives.
Gilbert made a muffled noise of irritation, but didn't press further as he sat next to the door with a grumble. At least Elizabeta didn't sound like she was in trouble. "Fine! Who's in there?!" He demanded furiously, resting his head up against the door with a groan.
As soon as Leon had moved from her side, Eve turned towards Elizabeta with a smile. "I'm Eve! This is Leon! He found me after my parents got sick. He's only grumpy cause a lot of people have turned into monsters...have you seen them? They're bad and try to eat you if you get to close! I don't like them...they're scary. You aren't a person eater are you?!" The child demanded, promptly ignoring Leon's orders. She didn't understand what the big deal was! The lady said she wouldn't hurt them.
"Eve...come here." A girl, perhaps fourteen, ordered as she reached out and scooped the child up. Blue eyed like the other two, she looked over at Leon fearfully as his hand rested on the doorknob, though she trusted him with whatever he decided to do.
"Nein! I wanna talk to the lady!" Eve whined in protest, distressed that the older children wouldn't let her talk to the first adults that they had seen in a long time. The older girl didn't set her down though, instead she took her back to the other children, much to Eve's annoyance.
Leon waited until Eve was with the others before he pulled open the door, jumping back as soon as it was open and pulling back his bat, eyes bright with nervous hostility.
Gilbert yelped as he fell backwards into the room. Disorientated, he leapt up and swirled around, his eyes falling onto the children in irritation only to soften almost instantly. For a brief moment, Gilbert saw Ludwig staring back up at him when his eyes fell onto Leon's. The soft blue irises faded quickly though, as he realized it was not his Ludwig that he was looking at but instead a furious looking stranger holding a bat defensively in front of four smaller children. He looked ready to kill.
"Ah...well...hallo there." Gilbert smiled shakily, eyeing the bat warily. He didn't feel up to a fight, especially not with someone like this boy who saw him as a threat. "Put that down. We aren't going to hurt you." He insisted when the child squared off his shoulders at him. Honestly, the boy reminded him a lot of himself, protecting the little ones. Thoughts of Ludwig swirled around in his head, piercing his heart and chasing away his attempts at being friendly.
"Listen. I'm a lot bigger than you, and I have a lot more fire power... put the bat down so we can have a nice, friendly conversation. I'm too tired to argue. Put. It. Down." He barked, his authoritative voice booming through the room forcefully as he got a firm grip on his gun. It was the same voice he used whenever he wanted Ludwig to do something immediately, and he hoped it would work on the children. At first it appeared to.
Leon flinched back and lowered his bat for a moment, his instinct to listen to the older man overriding the one that said to keep his family safe, but one of the children whimpered, a little boy of maybe six or seven, and he grit his teeth. He lifted his head and bat back up, absolutely terrified, but determined and defiant. No one was telling him what to do if the kids behind him were scared.
"Jessie... Go through the connecting room... Go..." He hissed, not liking Gilbert's demands any more than he liked the gun in his hands.
"Hey... don't go running off now, we aren't going to hurt you!" Gilbert groaned as the children made a break through the door, leaving the eldest boy alone with the two adults. If the infected were to show up, all of them would be dead. Easily.
"Gott verdammt...why did you have them run off like that?" He demanded, crimson eyes flashing in irritation as he holstered his weapon with a sigh and moved forward with a fluid motion to disarm the boy. He knocked the bat from the boy's hands and swept his legs out from underneath him all in one movement, leaving the boy to land hard on his backside. "I just said put the damn bat down. Now calm down would you? I said I wasn't going to hurt you, and so far, I don't think I've broken my promise." He snapped, handing the bat back to the boy with a small exasperated sigh.
"If I trusted everyone that said they wouldn't hurt me, I'd be dead." Leon growled back, taking his bat back and looking away as the woman moved over to her husband with disapproving eyes.
Elizabeta looked at Gilbert, and then at Leon, a frown on her face. She didn't think Gilbert had to knock the poor boy down, seeing he was clearly terrified and just trying to keep his family safe, not unlike Gilbert himself! In her husband's defense though, she didn't think the boy needed to be nearly as stubborn and wary as he was being either.
"Can we all calm down? Gilbert... dear, think for a minute. What if it was you, young and scared, trying to protect your brother? You don't think you'd do the same thing?" She asked her husband with a raised eyebrow, before looking back at Leon, a motherly firmness in her hazel eyes. "And you. I understand sending them away like that got them away from us, but we won't hurt you. I swear on my life we won't hurt you. I can't say the same for any infected that could be lurking in the halls." Her voice was clipped, firm, but not unfriendly. It wasn't her goal to scold this boy.
Leon backed away from them both and stood back up, clutching his bat. What the woman said was completely true, or at least the last bit was. He could have easily sent all four of them to their deaths, trying to keep them safe. Before he understood what was happening, he broke down with a soft sob, shoulders shaking and biting his lip so hard it bled. It was so much harder to keep them safe than he ever would have thought. He didn't know how much longer he could do it on his own...
Gilbert opened his mouth to protest his wife's accusation, only to feel his heart shatter when she mentioned his brother. His eyes darkening almost instantly, he bit his lip and looked away tears of his own welling up in his eyes. If he was young, scared and alone with his brother, he would have beat the holy living hell out of anyone or anything who threatened him. Not unlike this boy, but when next he looked up, the boy had start to sob despondently.
Slowly, he moved forward until his hand came to rest on the boy's shoulder, understanding flooding through him. "Hey... chin up alright? Everything's going to be ok. I'm sorry I scared you, but honestly... I was just scared too." He whispered quietly, eyes reassuring as he gently removed the bat from the boy's hands and placed it on the ground beside them. There would be no more fighting if he could help it.
"You've been all alone through this, haven't you? Gott... es tut mir lied." His heart clenched in grief and pity for all of the children and his eyes shown with tears. He could only begin to imagine what this boy had gone through since the start of the whole thing.
Leon shivered and wiped at his tears, not wanting to cry in front of these strangers, but not really able to help himself. He couldn't do it anymore! Keep the others safe all alone. Startled, tearful blue eyes met crimson when Gilbert admitted he had been afraid too, and Leon just looked confused. "You were scared... Why? I'm not exactly threatening..." He whispered, sniffling softly despite how much he didn't want to. "Why are you tearing and apologizing? It isn't like it's your fault..."
"I'm apologizing because I scared you when I am the adult here, and should have done a better job calming you down instead of knocking you around like some sort of bully. I was scared because I didn't know what was going on." Gilbert explained calmly wiping at his own eyes. That the boy underestimated himself brought a faint smile to his lips. "That and... you may not be very old, but you're big enough to do some damage if provoked. I've seen what brother's will do to protect their little siblings, and I know if you needed to, you would have killed my wife and me without a second thought. Trust me I know...I'm a...I...I'm a big brother too." The praise was small, but it seemed to get the boy to relax.
"Mmm... Only one of them is really my sibling, but I think of them all as my siblings... and you are right... If I would have needed to kill you, I would have..." A sigh escaped Leon's lips then as a frown set on his face. "I am... afraid for them. I can't help them much, stuck to this place like we are... But we'll make it somehow... I have to believe that." He said, not really understanding why he trusted Gilbert all of the sudden.
Something else caught his attention though. "You are a brother too? Do you keep yours safe? Well... I guess you wouldn't have to though... Your sibling is probably old enough and strong enough to take care of themself..."
"I... he... Excuse me." Gilbert couldn't help it as Leon spoke. He felt a great, hiccupping sob rolling up into his chest. Before it could break free, he stood and without a second glance at Elizabeta or the confused looking boy, moved into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Sitting with a silent sob, he buried his face into his hands and allowed the tears he had been holding back for days to roll down his cheeks. He made sure that the others wouldn't hear him, he had worked far too hard to be the emotionless, strong leader they needed him to be, for him to ruin his image now. He couldn't help but see himself in the boy's place, so desperate to keep the younger children alive even if it killed them all, and in that same breath, saw his own failures and remembered his brother's lifeless eyes as they stared up at him that final time. His failure... his moment of weakness.
Leon frowned and looked at the ground, understanding immediately. Gilbert had lost his brother. With careful movements, he walked towards the bathroom door, avoiding Elizabeta's eyes and ignoring her warning. He slipped inside to find a sobbing Gilbert.
Arthur moved upstairs with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as he went. It was difficult to keep from stumbling as he moved, exhausted almost as bad as the Spaniard that waited for him downstairs, but he felt it was in the very least courteous to let Gilbert know downstairs was all clear.
As he hit the second floor, he spotted an open door down the hall and froze when he heard voices coming from inside. At first he thought it was just Gilbert and Elizabeta, but then another voice made itself known. He was about to go investigate when four children came pouring out of one of the doors and slammed into him with yelps of terror.
"Bloody hell?!" He yelped as he fell over with a grunt, completely startled. Where had they come from? Sitting up with a grunt, he untangled himself from the children with a frown and lifted up a small boy when he started pounding at his chest with little fists, furiously howling for him to release them though Arthur had made no move to restrain them. The little boy looked all but blinded with fear with his overly bright blue eyes and shuddering form. All of the children save the smallest girl were in similar states.
"Now what are you doing that for? I haven't tried to hurt you! Calm down lad. Where did you come from?" He demanded gently, pinning the child's arms at his side with one arm and kneeling down to help another young girl to her feet, bewildered that an adult had yet to follow after them.
"Now now... Don't get your knickers in a twist. I'm not going to hurt you. Where are your parents?" He questioned, a concerned look on his face. The poor things looked terrible! Tearful and shaking. What had spooked them so badly? Surely if Gilbert and Elizabeta were talking down the hall that meant there weren't any of the infected.
"My bruder is just over there and he'll kick your butt if you do anything to us!" The little boy threatened in a voice just as heavily accented as Gilbert's German tainted English., struggling in Arthur's hold halfheartedly as he looked up to meet his eyes. He don't look like he truly meant the threat, and Arthur merely smiled at him and loosened his arm should the little lad decide he wanted to escape. To his surprise, the little one made no move to leave the safety of his hold.
The youngest, far different from all the others, marched right up to Arthur, the most determined look on her pretty little face, blue eyes flashing with curiosity and friendliness, though it didn't override the hint of surprising skepticism, the look bizarre to find in such a young pair of eyes. "We don't have parents, unless you count Leon, but his is just bossy and not old enough to be a Vati." She announced boldly, grief flooding her eyes, threatening to make her cry. "The people-eaters ate them! Meanies... Who are you? Why do you talk so weird?" She giggled despite herself, pressing little hands to her mouth. "It's so silly!"
The oldest girl looked startled, and was afraid the little one had offended the new stranger. She quickly moved forward to stand behind the brave little girl with stern, slightly horrified eyes. "Eve! Apologize! It isn't his fault he talks different than us!" She scolded, glancing with a wary apology in her eyes, bright, brilliant blue like the rest of them.
Arthur looked down at the children in surprise, first at the slowly relaxing boy and then at the noisy little girl, Eve. It took a moment, but after a tense time where the oldest clearly thought he would lash out, Arthur began to laugh noisily. The sound was full and bright, truly amused with all of the children, though his heart clenched for them all painfully to hear their parents hadn't made it. "Well hello to you as well." He laughed, setting Dexton on his own two feet.
These children had been through so much, losing their parents, there was no need for him to distress them any further by taking offense to their actions. Grinning at the little girl standing so bravely before him instead, he smiled broadly, impressed. "I'm Arthur, Arthur Kirkland, and I don't speak differently. You speak differently." He winked, ruffling her hair softly. "I'm from England, and we all talk like this there. So to me, you speak quite strangely indeed."
The little boy back away from Arthur, looking curious instead of fearful, though it didn't stop him from walking into the arms of the middle girl, looking wary as she hugged him close and watched Arthur just as warily. Eve on the other hand, frowned, debating on if she wanted to be upset by the fact Arthur called her strange or not.
"I am Eve... And I am four and Mutti says I'm Prussian that sounds like Russian, but Vati says I'm German and speak German, not Prussian or Russian, and we all sound like this here so you are the one that sounds strange." She protested, deciding she wasn't offended after all.
Arthur laughed outright at the knowledge and nodded; appeasing the little one would be fair easier than arguing with how determined to be right she looked. "Alright then. Perhaps I speak a little strangely as it seems I'm terribly outnumbered here." He relented with a soft smile though after a moment his eyes darkened in concern.
"Tell me... what on earth are you all doing here?" He asked, looking up at the girl behind Eve in confusion when he identified her as the oldest. "You're saying you've been here all by yourself? You poor things... that's not fair at all." He mused, shaking his head.
The oldest girl sighed and glanced down at the three younger children with tired eyes, trusting the stranger far easier than she knew Leon would. "All of our families were killed... Leon and Dexton found Eve in the room next door to theirs, Anna was nearly bitten by one of them when they rescued her, and I ran from town to here, looking for my aunt and finding these four instead... Leon thinks it's safest to just stay here... But we'll run out of food soon and he knows that..." She explained, gesturing to each child as she spoke about them. "I'm Jessie, by the way. It is very good to meet you, Arthur."
"It is nice to meet you too, Jessie. All of you. You don't have to worry about food anymore lass. We have plenty, and there's no way that we'd leave you poor things alone." Arthur assured her, reaching out to pat her shoulder.
"Did you forget you were outnumbered by us?" Eve questioned, sounding rather annoyed that the stranger had forgotten all about their teasing game. She had talked to him first!
"Well...that won't do at all. Perhaps I should call for reinforcements!" Arthur teased tweaking Eve's nose in a playful manner. He hardly had meant to ignore her after all.
The action though, so reminiscent of what Anna's parents had done to her, sent her into a sudden, immediate burst of tears. "I want my mutti!" She sobbed, sitting on the floor next to Jessie with a wail as Arthur jumped a foot in the air.
"Blimey... what's wrong lass? I... Oh no... Don't you cry too lad..." Arthur yelped frantically as Dexton's lips began to quiver, the brave, curious front he had put on to watch Arthur, crumbling as the realization that there was an adult to care for them now filled his mind.
Jessie looked just as startled and hugged Anna tightly, rubbing the small girl's back. She was never good at getting the others to stop crying! That was all Leon! "Anna... It's ok... Shhh It's ok!" She desperately attempted to sooth, trying to stay calm, but she looked almost ready to burst into tears of her own. Only Eve stayed calm and tear free, far too excited about her new friend.
Arthur stared at the children for a brief moment, momentarily unsure of what he should do, but after a few seconds of despondent weeping from the two children, he scooped them into his arms and held them close. "Now now... I know you've been very brave haven't you? It's alright to cry." He insisted, rubbing their backs gently and waving for Jessie to join the hug. "Don't be afraid to cry... sometimes you just need to. It's alright. You're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you. Any of you." He mumbled gently, smiling encouragingly at Jessie as she joined the hug with her family, tears quietly streaming down her face.
Wordlessly Leon handed the much older man a towel, still folded neatly by the sink, and sat on the tile against the door, biting his already bleeding lip again. "Es tut mir leid... I didn't know, but I understand a little bit..."
Gilbert looked up with a start when the boy spoke, not having heard him come in and coughed noisily wiping at his eyes in an attempt to stem the steady flow of tears. Smiling shakily at the towel that the boy extended to him, he nodded his thanks, surprised by the thoughtfulness.
"You know... This one time I was with Dexton, he's mein kleiner bruder and I love him more than anything..." Leon began after a moment of silence. "I was with him, and he slipped and fell in the creek by our house. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but he didn't know how to swim very well and the creek was overflowing with rain water and snowmelt... I thought he was going to drown... I was so scared because I thought I had lost him forever... I didn't of course. When we both went inside, I locked myself in my room and cried and cried and cried, just imagining what I would do without him, and my Oma came in... She sat beside me and took my hands in hers and told me that even if I did lose him... Or anyone that I love, they wouldn't ever really be gone. They'd watch over me..." He looked down at his hands with a faint smile, feeling Gilbert watching him as he talked. "Sometimes I can feel my Oma whenever I get really afraid, and I know that she watches over me... I bet you your bruder watches over you too."
Again Gilbert nodded slowly, and wiped at his face furiously. "I know...but it doesn't make it any easier, you know?" He whispered softly, shaking his head with a sigh and a humorless laugh. "I'm sorry... should have learned how to control myself by now. We've all got enough problems on... on our plate that we don't need to be worrying about my problems." He pointed out gruffly, reaching out to squeeze the boy's shoulder in appreciation.
"Thank you though... you're a good kid...Leon, right? That's what they called you." He asked, standing shakily and rubbing at his forehead with his fingertips.
"Yea… You know... Sometimes it is better to cry than to be strong..." Leon pointed out, opening the bathroom door and allowing Elizabeta to get to her husband.
Before she had the chance to speak, Gilbert was speaking. "Gott...I'm sorry Eliza. He whispered, pulling the woman into his arms and kissing her temple. "I've been an ass to you...I...I shouldn't have taken this all out on you."
"I should find my family... They're all probably hiding somewhere..." Leon said softly, before slipping away out the door and heading down the hall. He figured he could give the two a minute to be alone.
"It's alright Gil... I know it's been rough. I know... I still love you. I just wish I could help you more..." Elizabeta whispered softly, hugging him tightly.
Gilbert sighed and nodded resting his cheek on the top of her head a moment. "Ich liebe dich auch Elizabeta." He whispered, kissing her temple and moving to follow the boy, just in case he needed help.
"We'll have to figure out a way to explain this all to...well never mind." He muttered in confusion when he spotted Arthur swarmed up to his neck with sobbing children as well as a distress looking Leon.
"Dexton! Bruder, what's wrong? Anna? Jessie? What's the matter?" Leon asked, sounding worried and a little frantic as all of his siblings, save a stubborn looking Eve who clung to a strange man's pant leg, sobbed. What had he missed?
"Ah, so there's the other one of you." Arthur sighed as the elder boy approached. Shifting so he could look at Leon, he sighed and stood, smiling despite himself when the children refused to release themselves from around his neck. "This little lass here was just telling me about you." He explained, gesturing to the calm looking Eve and glancing behind Leon as Gilbert and Elizabeta came closer.
"I seem to have found some leeches." He called, smiling over at Elizabeta and Gilbert as he rocked the children slowly, hushing them softly.
His attention was quickly brought back to Leon as the boy bristled noticeably, agitated by the crying and not knowing what caused it. Arthur smiled reassuringly as he met Leon's eyes, not nearly coming off as the threat Gilbert had. "Don't worry lad. I haven't hurt them. They're just a tad overwhelmed I think... poor little tykes are exhausted."
Dexton whimpered softly as he clung to the Englishman, barely looking up when his brother approached. Leon did his best to care for them all, but he was still just a kid himself, and the feeling of being told that it was going to be ok from an adult was so much different, that he couldn't help but attach himself to the comfort. He had no idea that Leon was so hurt by it.
"Oh my... Poor dears!" Elizabeta said, covering her mouth with her hand at the heart breaking sight before her. How was it Arthur had managed to get them to warm up to him so fast?
Leon frowned, feeling a strange pain in his heart when not one of them looked over at him or even bothered to answer him when he asked what was wrong. He bit the inside of his lip again, and fought hard not to tell them all to get off of the man. His heart wrenched with sadness and he just back away, giving them space. "I see." He mumbled to himself. Somehow, it all just made him realize just how big of a failure he was at keeping them all safe, and he wanted nothing more than to be able to disappear for a minute, but he was stronger and more stubborn than that, so he just stood there awkwardly, watching them all cry helplessly. Not even his own brother had wanted to let go of a stranger in favor of him.
Gilbert watched the scene for a moment before his eyes sought out a dejected looking Leon. He knew exactly what the boy was feeling in that moment, seeing the look of pain in the older boy's face, and sighed, walking over to him and reaching out to clasp his shoulder gently. "Hey...you've done a great job keeping them all safe. I mean look at them. They're clean, fed, look like they've been sleeping well. You've done gut! Better than I've done honestly." He insisted, his crimson eyes sparkling with the praise. The children were just tired and scared, and in the presence of an adult, they felt conflicted and in need of comfort, but he knew that Leon needed to know that they didn't mean it in a way that said anything about the way he was caring for them.
"You know... when Lud was younger, he would always run up to Vater the moment he came home from business trips and would pretty much ignore me for the rest of the night. It wasn't because he didn't care. It was because he thought of me as a bruder just then, not a parent... and wanted the attention from mein vater that I couldn't give him." Gilbert said, smiling as Leon glanced over at him, looking like he felt a little better.
Arthur sighed as the children's wails slowly dropped off as they began to tire, nodding at Elizabeta's exclamation after minute, completely unaware of Gilbert and Leon's conversation. "Poor dears is right... they're exhausted." He sighed, handing Anna off to Elizabeta when the woman extended her arms so he could lift up Eve.
"Where do they sleep lad? We don't need to worry about anything else tonight but getting these little ones to sleep and getting some rest ourselves." He called, glancing at Leon and speaking to him calmly as if speaking to an adult. It was clear he was the one the kids had put in charge.
Leon shrugged of Gilbert's concern for him in favor of looking up at Arthur when he spoke, not really wanting the silver haired man to realize just how much his words made him feel better. With a sigh he turned, and fully looked at Arthur, not finding it in his heart to dislike the man. It wasn't his fault the children had attached to him after all. "They all sleep in the room back there... Where we were earlier... I'll show you..." He said, leading the way back to the room from before and opening the door by jiggling the handle in a somewhat strange way.
"The lock comes undone if you pull the handle right..." He mumbled an explanation when he felt Gilbert's eyes on him, unable to decipher it was because the man was concerned for him or interested in how he opened the door.
"Dexton sleeps on the bed closest to the door with me... The three girls sleep on the bed by the window..." He mumbled, moving out of the way for everyone to pile into the room.
Elizabeta held Anna to her and hummed softly as she walked over to the bed in the room she had found them all in, the little girl sniffling softly against her shoulder. "It'll be alright dear. You are safe with us. I promise." She soothed as she set her down in the bed.
"You've got quite the set up here lad... I have to admit, I'm impressed." Arthur smiled as he handed Dexton to Leon and shifted the already dozing Eve a bit so he could place her on the bed next to Anna. "There's a good lass..." He smiled.
"It's not much at all, honestly... We'd have to leave eventually from lack of food if nothing else." Leon quietly disagreed, holding his dozing brother close, feeling his world righten once more.
He gently set Dexton down on the bed and pulled the covers over him, smiling as the smaller blond boy curled up in a ball around a pillow with a yawn. "Silly... Guten nacht Dexton." He whispered, gently kissing the boy's temple before moving to the other bed and doing the same to the two younger girls, then he turned to Jessie before she got into the bed and hugged her good night as well.
"So...where do you want us to sleep? I can go get Antonio if you want us to sleep up here closer to the children." Arthur pointed out thoughtfully as he turned to Gilbert, wondering if the Spaniard was beginning to worry with the amount of time he had been upstairs, or if he had simply fallen to sleep the moment he hit the bed.
"You're going to sleep downstairs? Why? It makes more sense to sleep on the second floor... They don't climb stairs very well and they won't come in here unless they hear a strange noise..." Leon protested, though he fell silent sheepishly when he realized it was far from his decision to make.
Elizabeta shrugged and looked at Gilbert, Leon and Arthur's words both making sense. "I'd say we stay up here... They might need us and we don't want to be too far away." She agreed, smiling as Gilbert nodded without much hesitation.
"Ja... Arthur go and get Antonio. We'll stay up here in the rooms next to the kids. Elizabeta and me in the adjoining room and you guys right across from them." Gilbert ordered after a moment of contemplation. Seeing Leon duck his head out of the corner of his eye he laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. Honestly, he didn't mind the input.
Arthur nodded and with a sigh moved out of the room heading downstairs, curious to see if the man was asleep.
Antonio had in fact dozed off, waiting for Arthur, but when the man opened the door, he woke back up and smiled sleepily. He had tried his hardest to stay up! "Hola amor. You took forever! Come... Sleep. Sleep is good Arthur." He mumbled, words slurring to an almost incoherent level.
Arthur chuckled as he moved over to Antonio, and without hesitation, scooped him into his arms. Stumbling a bit under his weight, he chuckled again and kissed his temple. "We're sleeping upstairs tonight love... We made some new friends. A group of children who have been taking care of themselves this whole time. Can you imagine? We're going to stay up there with them." He explained when Antonio halfheartedly protested, fighting to keep his eyes open as they made their way back up the stairs.
Waving at Gilbert as he passed, Arthur opened the door to the room they had been assigned and placed Antonio onto the bed with a sigh of relief, eyes amused. "You're heavier than you look."
"Maybe next time you should just let me walk. I'd have made it... eventually." Antonio said with a soft laugh, already snuggling under the blankets with his eyes closed. "You said children were up here? All alone? Dios mio! How have they... managed all this time? "He slurred, unconscious before Arthur could even curl in his arms and press against his chest.
In the hall, Gilbert sighed as he glanced over at Leon, amusement faint in his eyes left over from the comical display of Arthur and Antonio from when they had passed. "Do you need anything? We have food, water... anything you might need in the trucks. Don't be afraid to ask if you need anything at all." He insisted, his eyes calm as he locked gazes with the eldest boy. "I hope that you won't mind coming with us when we leave... I don't want to leave you kids behind... Hell, I don't think I would leave you behind even if you wanted me to. You'll be safer with us in the long run."
Leon shook his head with a sigh, grateful for everything Gilbert offered. "Nein. We don't need anything tonight... Sleep, but that's about it. I wasn't planning on leaving so soon, but I knew we were going to have to... Going with you all might seem the best plan... Clearly there are some things they need that they can't get from me... And let's face it. They'll be safer with five people watching out for them instead of just one." He reasoned out loud with himself, a lopsided, friendly smile forming on his face as he agreed to Gilbert's command.
"How do you guys keep watch anyway? Usually Jessie and I switch off every other night..." He asked, curious to know if he could go to sleep as well, or if he was needed to look out for anything potentially dangerous.
Gilbert sighed and ruffled the boy's hair. No wonder Leon and Jessie looked so worn. "We'll keep watch tonight." He stated firmly, leaving no room for question even if Leon had wanted to protest. "Elizabeta...you've gotten the most sleep, why don't you keep watch till... 4? Then I'll take over." He offered with a sigh as he turned to look at his wife, rubbing the back of his neck.
Leon looked hesitant, but at Elizabeta's encouraging smile and nod he shrugged and agreed reluctantly. "If you guys are sure... Danke... But if you do need someone else to watch... It is my turn tonight so..." He trailed off as he turned to go into the other room. "Guten nacht..."
Elizabeta smiled brightly and waved, eyes luminous with affection for the boy already. "Good night Leon, dear!" She called as he disappeared.
"Now. Gilbert. I'll just watch tonight. I've gotten the most sleep out of all of us. I can stay awake for one night. You go sleep. If I need help I'll wake you up." She promised, pulling the exhausted man into her arms and kissing him softly.
Gilbert sighed as he wrapped his wife in his arms, accepting the kiss and giving her one of his own in return. "Ok...if you're sure." Though he was a little hesitant as he moved into the room and laid down with a groan. "If you need anything...just let me know." He ordered, calling out to her through the open door.
He didn't even bother to even kick off his shoes as he lay against the pillows. "Gott I need this sleep..." He muttered exhaustedly, falling asleep almost as fast as the kids had.
"I'll be fine, you silly, stubborn man." Eliza promised softly, positioning herself in the hallway so that she could see all three doorways and the stairs. Nothing was going to get past her.
Leon climbed onto the bed where his brother lay as soon as he was sure Elizabeta was settled, finding the little boy already fast asleep. He snuggled under the covers and closed his eyes, only to open them again when Dexton rolled to him in his sleep and snuggled right up against his chest, leaving Leon to smile and kiss the boy's head. Gently, he wrapped a protective arm around his little brother and closed his eyes again, sleep coming more easily than it had since the entire ordeal started.
Alright guys, there you go! Review please~ Here's the little Spanish blurb for everyone:
Inglés... Odio el inglés. Es una idioma horrible: English... I hate English. It's a horrible language.
Sí... Lo odio. Lo odio con todo mi corazón...: Yes... I hate it. I hate it with all my heart.
¿Gruñón? Yo no soy gruñón... ¿Quieren ver de gruñón? Vaya a nuestro amigo de albino. Yo no soy gruñón..: Grumpy? I'm not grumpy... You want to see grumpy? Go seeour new albino friend. I'm not grumpy...
Tada!