Author's Note: This is the end of the chapters I've already uploaded to AO3, but I hope to have the next one up sometime today. Tomorrow at the latest. I keep grinding stuff out with this story, it's crazy. Anyway, I'm still blown away by you guys. You're all friggin hilarious and you definitely know how to flatter a high school girl who really has no idea what she's doing. So thank you! :D

And thus begins the process of Arthur steadily wearing Alfred down. Al does a fine job of that on his own, actually.

Saturday was complete bullshit.

Sappy weirdness from the previous day gone, Alfred was hypersensitive to every obnoxious thing that went down.

Matt knocked on his door at seven in the morning to ask if he wanted to go on a run, and Alfred yelled for his brother fuck himself with a lance – which, of course, was somewhere in their basement since Alfred's dad had once been a Renaissance fair geek… and probably still was to some degree.

Unable to go back to sleep, Alfred had stayed awake watching reruns of Boy Meets World until his mom came down into the living room and started reminiscing about her past. She was so unfazed when Alfred politely told her that he couldn't care less about her simply enthralling childhood stories that she actually called him cute and proceeded to ask if he wanted his eggs scrambled or poached – What teenager eats his eggs fucking poached, Mother?

Then there was his dad. As Chief of Police, the guy was entirely too intense. He didn't have much down time, especially on the holidays, but it was his own choice. He liked working, and Alfred wasn't about to complain; but on the rare Saturdays that he did have off, the head of the Jones household was insufferable.

His dad alternated between two moods, either wanting to be left the fuck alone or all up in everyone's business. There was absolutely no in-between. On that particular day, Alfred's dad was feeling social. He talked about everything and nothing, ignoring the bored expression on Alfred's face as he did or maybe just not noticing at all. Either way, he wouldn't shut up, and it got to a point where Alfred had to get out or he would go insane.

On the bright side, Alfred didn't have to go to therapy or see Arthur. It was a nice break, especially after the confusion and upset from the previous day. The blond teen just decided he wasn't going to think about Arthur or soul mates for the weekend. It was surprisingly easy, what with his family acting like complete idiots for whatever reason. Alfred barely had the time to breathe, let alone worry about his infuriatingly attractive trainer.

Alfred waited until noon to call Kiku, even though he knew his friend woke up everyday at six-thirty for whatever reason.

"Dude, what are you doing today?"

"Watching riveting documentaries on the Oprah network with my mother, most likely."

"You think she'd mind if I stole you for a bit?"

"I'd be delighted, so let's not worry about her."

Alfred stole Matthew's car to go pick up Kiku at his parents', nearly a fifteen-minute drive away. It wasn't the first time he'd done it and it certainly wasn't going to be the last, especially not since Matt had a nasty habit of leaving his car keys in the ignition and his doors unlocked.

Kiku came out at the first honk and the two of them made a break for the public library. Kiku didn't even ask about Alfred's possession of his older brother's car. Even though he didn't have his license – or even his restricted since Alfred pretty much majored in laziness – Alfred had been regularly stealing his brother's car since he was about fourteen.

The leather seats of Matt's Buick had paid witness to a lot of shit, like Alfred, Kiku, and Elizabeta's experimental go at smoking, which all three of them had vowed to never do again. The seats were probably still slightly stained with blood in some places, because Elizabeta had a habit of starting fights that she couldn't finish on her own. Hell, Alfred had even lost his virginity in the backseat, though that was an experience the teenager would rather forget if at all possible.

The damn thing might as well have been Alfred's own car. It wasn't as if Matt ever ratted him out when he found it missing. Alfred still wasn't sure why, though it probably had something to do with his older brother's guilt at having singlehandedly ruined Alfred's life.

Not that Alfred held a grudge against him or anything.

He hadn't been pulled over as of yet, so Alfred was pretty confident in his driving skills. They arrived at the library in one piece anyway, and Alfred was so glad to be away form his family that he almost felt like crying, as if he hadn't been doing enough of that lately.

If there was one thing Alfred loved more than playing video games, it was reading. Most people were shocked if they somehow came to that conclusion, and Alfred wasn't sure if he was pleased or annoyed by that. Just because he was an abrasive asshole didn't mean he wasn't cultured or intelligent, but it did bring the teen some satisfaction that he never quite fit the mold assigned to him.

Alfred and Kiku made it tradition to frequent the library on the first Saturday of every month, and the workers were pretty used to them just walking in, finding a random isle of books, and sitting down for the rest of the afternoon. They pulled forth book after book and read the first chapter of each to see if it was worthy of finishing – though Alfred knew that sometimes it took a while for a novel to kick in and expose its true merit – but it was fun, and they wasted quite a bit of time.

Unless something extravagant happened within the first chapter, they usually didn't talk. They didn't really have to. After so many years of friendship, the silences weren't awkward, and they didn't have to work to keep each other entertained. Elizabeta couldn't sit still to save her life, otherwise she would've been invited as well; though as much as Alfred loved her, sometimes he just wanted it to be himself and Kiku, just as it was when they were bright-eyed and optimistic, idealistic fools who didn't have a single clue.

"My parents are talking about visiting my grandparents for a few weeks just before school starts again." Kiku said nearly two hours after they arrived.

Alfred glanced up, though Kiku was still staring at his book, dark eyes intense behind his reading glasses. It was the first thing either of them had said since settling in, and Alfred wondered why it was so important. "Cool." Alfred replied. "Bring back a souvenir."

"I don't really want to go." Kiku sighed. "You know I hate flying."

"Yeah, and I don't know why. Airplanes are awesome."

What Alfred wouldn't give to go to Japan at least once. Traveling sounded kick-ass and it always had, but he'd remained stationary all his life, stuck in this stupid town. Kiku's parents had once offered to take him along the summer before they started high school, but that was when Alfred had learned the truth about his parents and was going through some… unpleasant changes. His parents had wanted to keep him close, so they'd refused to let him go. It only served to push Alfred away more, but whatever.

As a wise mandrill once said, "It's in the past so it doesn't matter!" or something like that. Alfred wasn't much for Disney.

"You say that now. But you'd miss me if the plane crashed and I died."

"Well, duh. You're my other half." Alfred said seriously, and Kiku cracked a smile. "What gives, dude? You haven't complained about visiting your family before. Not to mention that you're disturbing the sanctity of the library trip."

"I guess I'm just… edgy." Kiku admitted, and Alfred wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed it before. Kiku had been fidgety all day, taking longer to read his chapter than he normally did. His stack of books was considerably smaller than Alfred's, and while that wasn't unusual, it was still disconcerting. "Mom and Dad have been acting weird."

"Define weird."

"Talking in hushed tones and stopping when I walk into the room. They go to work earlier and come home late at night. Not to mention that they keep asking how you're doing."

"Okay, definitely weird." Alfred said, leaning back against the bookshelf cautiously, not wanting to disturb any of the books or knock them over completely. "Did you tell them about my watch coming off?"

Kiku shook his head. "It hasn't come up. Still trying to get over the fact that you waited a week to tell me, honestly."

"I've apologized so many times now!" Alfred said fiercely, though quietly. He wasn't about to get harped at by that grouchy librarian who seemed to know nothing about stereotypes or how to avoid them. "I was trying to forget it happened, okay? You know how I get. The whole thing freaked me out."

"I'm not mad at you. Just surprised."

"Why?"

"Not much gets to you. That man. He gets to you."

Kiku had completely abandoned his book by now, staring hard into Alfred's eyes, and the teenager sighed, closing his paperback gently. "Yeah, I guess he does."

"You told Lizzie and me that you didn't like him. Is that still true?"

"Not… really." Alfred said slowly, weighing his options. He'd wanted to forget about Arthur for the weekend. He could either shut his friend down now or answer all his questions. All Alfred knew was that he understood Kiku better than anyone else. There was always a reason behind the madness. "I said I don't hate him, and I really don't. If it weren't for the clocks, I'd probably go for it."

Alfred was no stranger to desire. He was a teenage boy finely tuned with his own hormones, and he indulged in them quite often. If he was attracted to somebody, he was going to go for it, and he'd done that all his adolescent life; but with Arthur, it was different. New. Alfred couldn't reach out and take as he'd done in the past, wasn't sure if he really even wanted to.

If Arthur were to, for whatever reason, divulge to Alfred that he wasn't opposed to casual sex with no strings attached, Alfred would jump at the chance with no hesitation; but it was obvious Arthur wasn't like that, at least not where Alfred was concerned. Arthur cared. He wouldn't even bring up the topic of the clocks because he knew it upset Alfred. They were too emotionally invested and they hadn't even had a real conversation. A one-night stand wouldn't work between them.

"Not to mention that it's illegal." Alfred said aloud, to both Kiku and himself. "I'm a minor and he's not."

"I'm sure they'd bend the rules since you're soul mates and all."

"And that's exactly why I hate the system."

They fell into silence. Alfred wasn't really angry, not with Kiku. He was probably the only one who could ask these questions and not provoke Alfred's rage, and Kiku knew it, too.

"Remember when we were kids," Kiku began anew, "and you told me that until we found our soul mates, you would be my other half and I'd be yours?"

Alfred frowned. "I'm not gonna ditch you, Kiku, if that's what you're worried about. Bros before hoes or… whatever the fuck."

Kiku smiled slightly, shaking his head. "I'm not worried about that, Al. We just promised to take care of each other. Your watch may be gone, but it's still my responsibility to make sure you're okay. I have to protect you, even from yourself."

Alfred could only stare, his expression carefully controlled. Inside, he was a mess. He didn't deserve Kiku and he never had. He was an asshole, a horrible friend, and here Kiku was anyway, talking about protecting him.

"I wish you were my soul mate." Alfred said quietly after a time. He didn't feel romantically for Kiku, but in his mind, soul mates were more than that. Kiku really was his best friend, and they'd always been beneficial to one another, perfectly foiled in every way. Contrary to popular belief, romantic devotion was not the best kind of love. "I can't think of anybody who loves me more than you do."

Kiku sighed heavily, though he seemed different to how he'd been a minute ago, lighter somehow. "I beg to differ."

Alfred struggled to contain his laughter, but he froze entirely when he heard a voice say his name incredulously. He and Kiku turned to look toward the mouth of the isle, both for different reasons. Alfred wanted to curl up and die.

Arthur looked stunned, heat rising to his face as if he hadn't meant to say anything and draw attention to himself. It took Alfred a long moment to realize that he was rather shamelessly ogling Arthur, but the man looked… different. Alfred had only seen him in his work uniform, beige slacks and blue polo, the definition of bland.

But this Arthur was off-duty, disheveled in nearly every sense of the word. His blond hair was even messier than usual, and he didn't look very professional with his dark jeans, leather jacket, and black sneakers; and was that a… stud in his nose?

Alfred realized with some horror that he was about to start drooling and looked away. Arthur fit his preferences down to a point, even more so than before. "It's official." Alfred said decisively to Kiku. "I am the unluckiest person on the face of the earth."

"Define unlucky." Kiku replied, still eyeing Arthur with something akin to appreciation. Alfred felt the sudden urge to smack him. "Because that is definitely top notch luck right there."

"Um, I'm sorry." Arthur said, beginning to back away. Even if his appearance had changed drastically, he was still the socially awkward noob Alfred had come to somewhat appreciate. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"No, intrude away." Kiku said, setting his book down. Alfred was instantly on alert. Kiku was intuitive. Even if he wasn't one hundred percent positive about who Arthur was, he had guessed based on both of their reactions to one another. This was bad. "I was just about to go to the bathroom. Would you mind keeping Alfred company until I get back?"

Alfred wanted to scream. What happened to protecting me, you son of a bitch? Oh my God, this is not fucking happening.

Kiku was gone before Alfred could collect his thoughts, get his mouth to start working. Arthur was motionless, watching Alfred carefully when the blue-eyed teen spared a glance, and Alfred knew he couldn't run from this.

With a sigh, he beckoned to Arthur. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you. You can go if you want, but… "

Arthur nodded, moving forward slowly, as if approaching a wounded, feral animal. After fidgeting a bit more, the man sat down where Kiku had previously been, mimicking Alfred's position and crossing his legs.

Alfred had to force himself not to stare at the bulge in the man's pants, wondering if the position was uncomfortable for him. "So," Alfred said, determined to pretend that nothing was wrong, "what brings you here?"

"Peter." Arthur said instantly, though he winced soon after. "Ah, my little brother. My parents usually bring him here for story time on Saturdays, but since they're otherwise preoccupied today, I brought him instead."

Alfred was beyond done with Arthur Kirkland. Now he was good with kids? Even if Alfred wasn't drooling at this point, his mother certainly would've been if she were around. "How old is he?"

"Eleven. He's a bit of a prat."

"Aren't we all at that age?" Alfred mused, eyeing Arthur's face again. "What's with the nose ring?"

Arthur looked confused for a moment, subconsciously reaching up to finger his stud. "Oh. Sorry, I forgot you haven't seen me with it in. I hardly ever wear it to work. Some find it unprofessional." As he spoke, Alfred let his eyes wander to Arthur's mouth, catching sight of another piercing on his tongue. Dear God, what was Arthur trying to do to him?

"It looks cool." Alfred said with sincerity that wasn't entirely forced. He wanted the piercings gone so he could fucking focus, but they were pretty awesome. Alfred had wanted piercings himself at one point, but he was too much of a bitch when it came to needles. "They both do."

Arthur grinned slightly. "Thanks."

This was strange. Outside of the rehabilitation center, Arthur looked like a normal guy. He was pretty much acting like one, interacting with Alfred on a more casual level, and Alfred begrudgingly decided that he liked it.

"So, I doubt your friend is coming back anytime soon." Arthur said after a brief moment. "I'm assuming he knows who I am?"

Alfred tensed, immediately taking back his conclusion that he enjoyed this more casual Arthur. The man had never alluded to the fact that they were soul mates before, so Alfred wasn't sure what to expect. "Yeah, he does. I bitch a lot."

"I can imagine."

Alfred scowled. "What, you're just going to suddenly start acknowledging what happened?"

Arthur shrugged, and the impassive look on his face was different and strangely intriguing. "I'm not on duty, so I don't technically have to walk on egg shells around you. We're just two men having a conversation at the library."

"I think I liked you better when you were stiff and complacent." Alfred said scathingly. "No more interaction outside of rehab, capisce?"

Arthur rolled his eyes as he nodded, but Alfred didn't miss the subtle downturn of his mouth, the narrowing of his eyes. Alfred couldn't shut up even if he wanted to. He wasn't really in the mood to start a fight or make Arthur upset; but what else could he do to hide the fact that Arthur's appearance and attitude were getting to him?

Alfred glared at the pages of his book for a few tense minutes before speaking again, almost whispering. "What did you do with it?"

Arthur didn't reply right away. Maybe he was trying to figure out what Alfred was talking about or debating whether or not to tell him the truth. "It's on my nightstand at home. I haven't gotten around to doing anything with it."

"I threw mine away." Alfred admitted, and saying it out loud made him feel all the more guilty. "I wanted to forget."

"I figured as much." Arthur said, resigned, though he didn't sound happy about it.

Alfred ghosted his fingers over the edges of the book he was holding, and while he wasn't as panicked as he'd thought he would be if he and Arthur ever talked about what happened, he still wanted to bolt. Now that they were in a situation where they were somewhat equals, Alfred felt the compulsive need to tell Arthur what he'd been thinking about ever since yesterday.

He wanted to explain himself, voice all of his worries. On a basic level, he didn't want to hurt anybody, least of all Arthur.

"I'm… sorry."

Arthur tilted his head slightly, observing Alfred with a frown on his face. "What for?"

"For walking out on you." Alfred clarified, lifting his head to look into Arthur's eyes. The green of his irises seemed to be impossibly bright that close up, and Alfred swallowed, though he refused to look away. "That must've been embarrassing. When I get scared, I try to leave the situation. So… yeah. Sorry."

"Was that what happened?" Arthur asked, eyebrows furrowing. He looked thoughtful and somewhat surprised. "You were scared?"

"A little." Alfred said, annoyed that that was what Arthur was choosing to dwell on. The least he could do was accept the apology. Alfred didn't do that often. "I don't like being put on the spot."

"Does anybody?" Arthur sighed. "Now I feel badly for being angry with you. If you were scared… well, it's different. I sometimes forget that you're just a kid."

"Uh, get rid of that superiority complex. I'm only six years younger than you, dude. That hardly means I'm a kid."

Arthur chuckled, leaning back against the bookshelf behind him as Alfred had done not too long ago. "I apologize."

Alfred rolled his eyes, but he was starting to calm down a little. Arthur was talking about what occurred, but he wasn't demanding anything of Alfred. They were only clearing the air, Alfred realized. Maybe they needed to in order to move on.

"I don't really buy into the whole soul mate thing." Alfred continued, and Arthur sobered up quickly. "I mean it's nice to think about, but really unrealistic. So, it's not you. And it's not me. It's the whole thing."

"I can't say I blame you. The whole thing is romanticized far too much. I'm sure you're not the only one who has his doubts."

"I feel like I am sometimes. Everyone treats me like I'm crazy for not – " Alfred paused, heat rising to his face. "Um, I don't know. Jumping you, I guess."

Arthur smirked, shaking his head slightly so pieces of hair fell into his eyes, and Alfred wanted to bang his head against a wall. This was so not fair! "Well, I can't vouch for your sanity, but I do understand. Your reasons are your own. You don't owe anyone an explanation."

Alfred stared at Arthur desperately. Even now, the guy was accommodating. Arthur deserved more than some half-assed apology and evasive responses to his questions. "You deserve better." Alfred muttered, shoulders slouching slightly. Arthur's smirk faded away, his mouth popping open. "Your soul mate shouldn't clam up at the sight of you. They should want to try. I'm not that person."

Even if Alfred didn't believe in the accuracy of the clocks, that didn't mean he had the right to force his beliefs on other people. He was vocal about his opinions, sure, and he called people idiots, but he didn't really mean it. Alfred envied them somewhat. He wished he was still ignorant, or at the very least blissful.

Hopefully Arthur understood that he'd been fucked over now. Best-case scenario, he would give up and move on, like Matt's dad, like their mom. They would both be better off.

"I do believe in the clocks." Arthur said suddenly, and Alfred's breathing hitched. "I've seen more good come from them than bad. But understand this, Alfred. I think that the watches are… merely a suggestion. The best possible one. I won't pretend that I know much about you aside from the fact that you're foul-tempered, but I'm not surprised my watch went off the moment we made eye contact. I don't think you are either."

Alfred's cell phone vibrated in his pocket, and he scrambled to answer it, desperate for a distraction. "What?" He said, voice warbling horribly.

"You promised not to steal my car anymore."

"I don't keep the promises I make to you, you dipshit."

Matt sighed in agitation. "Dad noticed it was gone. He's about to file a report, you idiot."

"Well, fuck." Alfred said, and Arthur quirked an eyebrow. "Kiku and I are at the library. I'll be home soon. Stall him or something."

"You owe me for this."

"I don't owe you shit." Alfred retorted before ending the call, stuffing his phone back into the pocket of his jacket. "Well, I gotta bounce. Stole my brother's car and now I'm probably gonna be grounded."

"I see." Arthur said, eyes sparkling with mirth. "Impeccable timing, yes?"

Alfred didn't respond, glaring at the large stack of books at his side. "Guess I should put all this back."

"I'll stick around and re-shelf them for you, if you want. I have to wait around for Peter anyway, and it sounds like you're in a heap of trouble."

"You got that right." Alfred huffed, scrambling to his feet just as Arthur did the same. "And thanks. I still have to go find Kiku. Meddling prick."

"Thank him for me." Arthur said, and Alfred wondered if things would be different between them come Monday. Something had definitely changed, he just wasn't sure what. "He made my job easier."

"And what job would that be?" Alfred asked, giving Arthur an unimpressed look.

"Putting you at ease. Even if we aren't together, what kind of soul mate would I be if I didn't at least try to make you feel better?"

"Fuck off with that shit." Alfred said, spinning around to stalk away. "You're not doing yourself any favors."

"Worth a shot." He heard Arthur say, and although Alfred didn't say so, Arthur was kind of right.

Arthur could do a thousand times better, but after today, Alfred wasn't surprised the Englishman was his best possible suggestion.