Chapter 26
Arthur found Alfred on the first Wednesday morning back at school. He managed to catch him as he exited his art class, smiling at Feliciano as the bubbly brunet chatted his ear off. Arthur caught Alfred's eye and then nodded his head down the hallway.
"That sounds like fun, Feliciano. Hey, I gotta talk to ya later. Bye!" Alfred waved at the other boy and left him mid-sentence. He followed after Arthur as best he could, almost losing sight of him a few times as he was constantly stopped by people who wanted to talk about the Hallway Project.
"Yeah, you should come. Everyone's welcome!" Alfred said, for what felt like the 100th time. The students were finally beginning to thin out as they'd climbed to the fourth floor of the building, which was mostly where extra desks and old technology equipment were stored.
"Arthur?" Alfred called out, side stepping a busted computer and peeking into a darkened storage room. There wasn't much light and even though it was bright outside, the hallway was darkened by shadows. Alfred saw a few cobwebs hanging in corners and draped over old projectors and shivered a bit.
"I'm in here," Arthur's voice said flatly from up ahead. Steeling himself, Alfred clenched his backpack a little tighter and moved towards Arthur's voice. When he entered the abandoned classroom, he was a little surprised. It looked well cleaned and tended for, as if Arthur had been spending quite a bit of his time in the empty room. Alfred immediately wanted to lecture him for isolating himself in a part of the school not many people visited, but he bit his tongue at the last minute. If Arthur was finally willing to talk to him again, he wasn't going to ruin it by making him mad.
"It's good to see you, Arthur. You know, not at the end of the hallway, but…yeah," Alfred trailed off awkwardly. Arthur was staring at him so coldly that it was almost impossible to meet the other boy's eyes.
Finally, Arthur sighed and turned away, moving to the window. He stood there, overlooking the campus and seemingly lost in thought. Having learned quite a bit about patience lately, Alfred put his bag down and eased himself onto the top of a desk.
"I'd like you to stop," Arthur said quietly. Alfred frowned. Was this some sort of test? Or had Francis's plan worked? Was Arthur ready to let people in again?
"Stop waiting for you?" Alfred asked softly, "Because I can't. I can get out of the hallway if that's what's bothering you, but I won't ever stop waiting for you."
"Is this even about me anymore? Why are you really doing this, Alfred? You're sixteen. You have your whole life ahead of you. Is all this just some sort of publicity stunt to you and your family?"
"Arthur, you have your whole life, too! And I want to share that life with you!" Alfred forced himself to stop shouting, as he could see that Arthur was flinching away from his loud tone. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe he was too loud, too clumsy, and too aggressive for Arthur after what had happened to him. For the first time, Alfred wondered if maybe he was not truly what Arthur needed.
He felt tears threaten, but he held them carefully in check. He needed to stay calm and strong…for Arthur. Gently, he picked up his bag and pulled a little box out. It was small, wrapped rather awkwardly in holiday print paper.
"I got you this for Christmas," Alfred said.
"I don't want anything from you, Jones," Arthur said stonily. "I just want you to leave me alone."
"Yeah, well, whatever. Open it or not, I don't care. And I know you want me to just disappear of the face of the planet, but I can't do that either."
"I just don't want you taunting him! Can't you see you're making him angry? I know you must have seen the video. I can't stop watching it. I can't stop hearing your name. He released it to punish me for what you're doing! How is that fair to me? Have you read the comments on the video? People saying things like I'd rape him or No wonder Jones doesn't want to let his sweet little ass go."
"Arthur…you can't…you shouldn't read that stuff," Alfred said helplessly.
"WHY NOT? It's about me, isn't it? They want me to read it, otherwise they wouldn't have posted it!
"It's just stupid dicks on the internet trolling, Arthur! They think they're being funny because we aren't real people to them. We're just celebrities—popular, wealthy, good looking people for the ugly little failures of the world to vent their frustrations on. You know that."
"I don't know anything anymore. All I know is that you made it worse. Mike and Lane have said they won't let you stay in the hallway anymore. Your project is over, whether you like it or not."
"Fine! I'll call the whole thing off! But then you have to tell me what to do. You have to tell me what I can do to make this better for you."
"Don't you get it? You can't!"
"Then I'm staying in the hallway. Everyone else thinks it will work except you, and I don't exactly trust your judgment right now."
"You're being an ass, Alfred Jones!"
"Takes one to know one," Alfred spat back. Arthur's eyes lit with fury and he crossed the room, clearly planning on lashing out with his fists again. Instead, Alfred scooped up the little Christmas present and pushed it into Alfred's chest.
"I'm not letting you hit me again. I'm getting really pissed, so I'm going to leave. You actually accused me of putting those videos of you on the internet, and that really, really hurt. You've beaten me up, you've screamed at me, you've dumped me, but through all of that…I still love you. I always will. Us fighting doesn't change that. I'll be in the hallway tonight—alone—at six. I'd really like it if you'd sit outside a bit."
"Don't count on it!" Arthur spat back, but it was weak at best. He still held the little box against his chest, and he was horrified to feel tears slipping down his cheeks just as soon as Alfred left him.
Why did it hurt so much to know that Alfred was hurting, too? Alfred's most intimate moments weren't currently being downloaded by perverts all over the world. Alfred wasn't the one afraid to sleep each night, crippled with fear of being touched. With all the things he had to worry about, why was he so concerned about Alfred's hurt feelings?
Feeling horrible, Arthur dropped into a nearby desk chair and stared blankly at the box in his hands. Slowly, gently, he peeled off the paper and saw what looked like a large jewelry box. Was it some piece of sentimental jewelry? Promise rings or a necklace or a bracelet with something cheesy engraved inside?
Arthur opened the box slowly and stared, uncomprehending, at the contents of the box for at least a full minute. Then, when realization finally clicked, he began to smile.
It took Alfred all the spare time he had between classes to get the word out that nobody was to be in the hallway that afternoon, for Arthur's sake. Some, like Michelle, took a lot of convincing, but others saw Alfred's urgency and easily agreed to give them some space.
By the time six rolled around, the hall was completely empty save for Alfred, sitting in his spot as regularly as clockwork.
Mike cleared his throat and casually dropped a hand onto his baton. He began walking down the hallway, his polished black shoes clacking against the tile.
Alfred looked up at him, his blue eyes steely with determination. Mike stopped about five feet away or so.
"Look kid, I admire what you're doing, but you don't hear him in there. Some nights he just cries for hours. Are you sure you're going about this the right way?"
"No, I'm not," Alfred replied flatly.
"Maybe tonight, just for tonight, you could give him a rest? Everyone else seems to have cleared off."
"I'm fine where I am, thanks."
"Alright, maybe you're not understanding. I'm responsible for school security, and I'm afraid this has become a case of bullying—" Mike began. But he was interrupted.
"Mike, wait. It's okay." It was Arthur. He'd come from the cafeteria and he had two meal trays instead of just one. Shrugging easily, Mike returned to his station and Arthur replaced him. Almost shyly, he offered Alfred the food tray.
"Thanks," Alfred said. His blue eyes caught on something hanging about mid-chest on Arthur and he smiled softly. "Do you like it?"
Arthur eased himself down about three feet away from Alfred with his tray. Once he was sitting, he tenderly touched the shiny whistle hanging around his neck on a fine, silvery chain.
"It was very thoughtful, Alfred. I'm afraid I didn't get you anything," Arthur said. Alfred began to eat the hot food, enjoying having a meal that wasn't cold and smashed up in his backpack for once.
"We can count this dinner, okay? Man, I've missed cafeteria food. Never thought I'd say that!"
"Yes, well, it's your own fault you're missing dinner. You'll get no sympathy from me," Arthur fussed. They began eating in silence, and it wasn't an entirely comfortable silence. Too much had happened between them lately.
"So...err...how is your family holding up?" Alfred asked.
"Christmas was rather miserable. I've put them through so much since all of this started. My mum is terrified. She wants me home," Arthur said slowly.
"I want you home, too," Alfred agreed.
"Ah, but then you wouldn't have anyone here to wait for in the hallway," Arthur joked dryly. Alfred smiled.
"I'd wait in your hallway at home. You have really long hallways at home,too."
"My parents wouldn't let you."
"Your parents love me," Alfred insisted. Arthur had to grin a bit at that.
"Yes, I suppose they do. I was surprised to see your parents in the hallway on Monday."
"They're warming up to you—realizing I'm not letting you go, I guess. They're scared, too, I think. My mom makes me text her like every hour now, and if I don't she said she's coming to find me."
Arthur grinned into his cup of tea. "My mum made it thirty minutes."
"How are your classes going?" Alfred asked. He only had Arthur for science. Though they shared many teachers and subjects, Arthur's classes were becoming more advanced and their electives were different.
"Like shite. I have two Cs."
"Yeah…pretty sure I failed all my mid-terms."
"Alfred!"
"I know, I know…I just can't focus," Alfred defended. Arthur sighed, and set his empty tray nearby.
"I know the feeling."
"This year has really sucked, hasn't it? Is it us? Are we cursed or something?" Alfred mused. He set aside his own finished tray, and stared at the opposite wall a bit glumly.
"I used to think I was the luckiest person in the world," Arthur said. He pulled his knees up tightly against his chest and curled his arms around them. Then he lay his head down on his knees so that he was staring at Alfred's profile. He seemed very young, curled up like that. Naturally, Alfred just wanted to hold him, or cuddle up next to him, but he knew Arthur had left the three feet of space between them for a reason.
"So…I'm unpopular again. Did you hear?"
"No, you've seemed plenty popular to me…not that I've been watching."
"It was befriending Tony after you left. Lots of the people I thought were my friends turned on me pretty damn quick. Tony's cool, though, you know? We like the same stuff. He's really great with technology."
"I can't say that I care much for his company," Arthur replied with a hint of amusement coloring his tone. Alfred snickered.
"It's really weird how he freaks out on you…but kinda funny. Sorry! I mean…what the hell is a limey? Who calls someone that? I had to look it up. It's slang from, like, the 1880s. I mean, where does he find that kinda crap?"
"Forgive me if I don't see the humor."
"Yeah, well, I mean…he can't really help it. He doesn't mean any harm by it."
Arthur sighed, and rolled his head up off his knees. "Is there ever a time you don't see the best in people, Alfred?"
"When I think about whoever did this to you. I'd kill him with my bare hands if I could. I don't care if he's mentally ill."
Arthur was quiet for a long time and then he nodded once.
"I'm hoping to get the opportunity," Arthur said stonily. Alfred hazarded a shy glance at Arthur.
"You've been really, really brave Arthur. Everyone says so."
"Do they?" Arthur said mildly, as if he didn't really give a fuck what everyone was saying. Alfred shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
"I miss you. That's the biggest reason I'm out here. I just miss you. Not the old you, or how it used to be. I just miss you. At least, out here, I feel like we're still close in a way. Please don't make me leave. I will if that's what you really want…but please…please let me stay."
Alfred was crying, and it nearly broke Arthur's heart. A flood of emotion for the other boy that he'd been trying so hard to keep in check exploded in his chest, like a damn breaking and all the water rushing out. He loved Alfred, and he missed him, too, and it hurt him that Alfred was hurting. He felt his own tears come.
He couldn't look at him, but he blindly reached his arm out and patted his way down Alfred's bicep, feather-light touches, until he found Alfred's hand. Gently, but just as eagerly, Alfred's hand curled around Arthur's own. They settled with them somewhere in the middle between those three feet, innocently intertwined.
"You can wait for me. I c-can't understand w-why you'd want to, but you can wait."
Alfred's hand squeezed his firmly, just once.
"I've been thinking about what we talked about last year. You think I could get into a college in England?"
That simple question made Arthur break. He squeezed Alfred's hand hard and cried just as harshly into his knees. After he calmed down, he disentangled their hands. Alfred stood, wanting to follow him, but even he could tell Arthur was not ready yet. Arthur hesitated, as if unsure about what to do. Alfred could see him at war with himself.
Alfred smiled, watery eyes and all.
"Well, go on. Try to get some studying done. I can't leave my spot, remember?"
"You're perfectly ridiculous, Jones. All the same…you'll be out here? For another few hours? It's just…I'd like to try and get some sleep. I haven't been sleeping well at all, but if you really promise you'll keep an eye on my door…"
"Forget the three hours. I'll stay out here until you wake up from your nap, okay?"
"It'll be just a quick one. I won't make you sit out here all night."
"Arthur, do you have any idea how glad I feel to finally be useful? Sleep for days if you want. I won't move an inch."
For a second, Alfred thought Arthur might hug him, or kiss him, but the other boy simply nodded in weariness and disappeared down the darkening hall. Four and half hours later, Mike stood up and stretched.
"I'm going to grab some coffee. Want a cup?" he asked. Alfred nodded.
"Yeah, that'd be great," Alfred agreed. Mike returned and passed him the hot beverage. He then returned to his station.
Alfred took a sip of the hot liquid and felt eternally grateful. He hesitated a moment, but then he figured the three hours were up anyway. He got up off his spot and walked down the hallway, until he was beside Mike at his desk.
"So…somebody's here 24/7?" Alfred asked. Mike continued clicking around on his computer. A quick peak revealed he was playing Solitaire.
"Yeah. My shift ends in about twenty minutes. Franklin covers the night shift. He's here from eleven till eight. Lane works the desk from eight till four. So, you're not sneaking in, no matter how long you wait out here."
"I wasn't going to sneak in," Alfred insisted.
"Yeah, yeah, I believe you. Relax, kid."
"So…Franklin? I don't think I've seen him before."
"What is this? Playing detective now? The police did a far better job of that. I was looking forward to this past Christmas break, ya know. Spent over half of it in the police station."
"I did, too. How else are they going to catch whoever's doing this?" Alfred said a little indignantly.
"I think it's you. Haven't taken my eye off you since all this mess started."
Alfred was a little shocked by the easy accusation, from someone who'd just given him coffee no less.
"It's not me! I was in California, and I love Arthur, and I would never—"
"Jeez, would you keep it down? The kid's trying to sleep in there. He never sleeps. I don't know what you said to him, but it must have worked."
"I'm not trying to hurt Arthur."
"Yeah, well, I'm still not letting you into his room. Franklin won't either. Might as well get some sleep yourself."
"I'm keeping a look out. Arthur asked me," Alfred said proudly.
"Alright, lookout, can you drink your coffee over there then? I like my peace and quiet at night."
His feelings a little hurt, Arthur moved until he was sitting across from Arthur's door. He drank the coffee to the last sip, but he was getting sleepy all the same. His eyelids began to droop and his head kept slipping forward before he'd shake himself awake. Mike's shift ended and he left the desk to Franklin, who instantly set Alfred on edge.
He was a tall, broad shouldered black guy with a graveled voice and a prominent scar on his right cheek. He merely cocked an eyebrow at Alfred as he took his seat in the chair.
"Just forget him. Well, I mean, watch him, but the kid asked him to stay out here."
Franklin didn't say anything to that. He just stared at Alfred hard for a few moments and then grunted to indicate he'd heard.
"See ya later, Frank. Later kid," Mike said. He tossed his empty coffee cup and was gone.
Alfred stared at Franklin, and Franklin stared at Alfred.
"The police cleared me…just like they cleared you," Franklin settled on saying.
"Yeah, well people make mistakes," Alfred replied. He was trying to be brave, he really was, but Franklin kind of scared the crap out of him. The door to Arthur's room opened. Arthur peeked out into the hallway sheepishly, his hair sleep-mused.
"You really stayed. I'm sorry I slept so long. You can go to bed now, Alfred. I appreciate it, really I do."
"You're going to stay up now? Do some homework?"
"Err, that's what I was planning…"
"Then can I study with you?" Alfred asked. Arthur looked at him confusedly, seeing as it was obvious Alfred was seconds away from passing out cold. Arthur shared an uneasy glance with Franklin.
"You just leave the door cracked. I'll come if you need me."
"Okay…I don't suppose it would hurt…"
Gratefully, Alfred crossed the hallway in a flash and was closing the door behind him. The quickness of his movements alarmed Arthur until he saw what Alfred was up to. Alfred did leave the door slightly cracked, but he quickly stole a pillow and a spare blanket from Arthur's bed and tossed both to the floor in front of the door.
"Alfred, what are you doing?" Arthur asked, but his question fell on deaf ears. Alfred was already down for the count, snoring softly before his head even hit the pillow. He'd always been able to fall asleep quickly, Arthur remembered fondly.
"Alright in there?" Franklin's deep voice asked quietly. Arthur took one look at Alfred curled up in front of his door, literally making it so that he'd be hit in the face if anyone tried to open it, and gave a soft smile.
"He fell asleep, in front of the door."
Arthur could hear Franklin's smile even if he couldn't see it.
Arthur opened his text book at his desk and began to do some homework, glancing every so often at his over-eager visitor. With Alfred Jones, it seemed, if you gave an inch, he took a mile. Strangely enough, Arthur wasn't as freaked out by that as he might have been just a month before. With the whistle around his neck, and Alfred's tall, muscular body draped in front of the door, limbs sprawled everywhere and a little drool escaping his mouth, Arthur finally felt a little safe again. He finished up the very bare minimum and decided to return to bed.
He slept well until almost four. That was when the usual nightmares began. This time, however, someone was shaking him awake for the first time since he'd left home. For a moment, Arthur was in pure panic mode. He struggled to find the whistle, or call out for Franklin, or do something, but his vocal chords failed him.
"Sshhh, Arthur, it's just me. It's Alfred."
"Get off me!" he finally managed to say. In a second, the door was bursting open and Alfred was backing warily away from the bed. Franklin loomed in the doorway, a threat obvious in his eyes.
"He was having a nightmare. I was just waking him up," Alfred explained. He rubbed a tired hand over his face, dislodging his glasses.
"Please make him go. I just want to be alone," Arthur said, still hyperventilating.
"Get outta here kid. Now," Franklin growled. Alfred hesitated, looking between Franklin and Arthur, clearly hurt that Arthur would trust Franklin over himself.
"Okay, I'm going. I'm going."
Alfred left the bedroom and walked down the hallway. He dropped onto his spot like it was second nature, and by that point, it practically was.
How had everything gotten so fucked up? Alfred sat there for a few minutes, until Franklin returned to his spot and he heard Arthur lock his door from the inside. Disgusted with the whole situation, Alfred returned to his dorm too angry to sleep well.
When Alfred woke up, Tony was staring at him unblinkingly.
"Jesus! Tony! Don't do that!" Alfred said. Tony moved back to give him some space, but he still kept staring, almost accusingly.
"You were out very late last night."
"Yeah…Arthur wanted me to keep watch. I slept a bit in his room."
"Why hasn't he gotten over it yet? It has been almost two months, yes?" Tony asked. Alfred could tell his friend was genuinely confused, but Alfred just wasn't in the mood to humor him. Not after the night he'd had.
"Because normal people get fucked up when bad shit happens to them. Arthur is human—you should try it sometime."
"I am human," Tony replied, in a neutral, though slightly confused tone. "Or are you implying I do not have the capacity to feel emotions?"
"Ugh, whatever Tony. I'm not implying anything. I just need to piss."
"Why are you not sleeping in your night clothes?"
"Tony, I just explained I spent all night in the hall, trying to keep a look out so Arthur could sleep. Until apparently Franklin came along because, you know, I'm just the ex-boyfriend that's been by his side for a year and a half. Clearly not as trustworthy as Franklin, random creepy night guard with mysterious scars."
"You are in a highly illogical mood this morning," Tony said lightly.
"Yeah. Illogical. That's it."
"Franklin is a guard, is he not? So naturally, he would be a better guard than you. Stronger, older, more experienced in personal defense—"
"Not helping, Tony! Not helping," Alfred said as he did his business in the bathroom. A quick glance at the clock revealed to Alfred that he was running late for classes. Tony kept asking him odd, nagging questions until Alfred finally just slammed the bathroom door and retreated to the shower. It wasn't much of a retreat. As soon as he emerged (stubbing his toe, on top of everything else) Tony was still waiting.
"We reached an agreement that you would visit with Arthur every night for three hours, but at 9:10 we would play—"
"TONY. Stop! Just…give me a break, okay? I just need some space!"
Tony took a step backwards and resumed speaking. "You did not show up at 9:10 for our agreed upon time. I waited for two hours. It threw off my entire nightly schedule and it made me very upset."
Alfred smacked his palm dully against his face. Had his sophomore year of high school really come to this? Sharing a room with a total space case, his relationship in shambles, his grades down the crapper, still completely clueless about whether he was a jock or a nerd or where the fuck he fit in. And his toe really hurt.
"UGH! FUCK IT!" Alfred picked up his pillow and chunked it as hard as he could. It went flying towards the wall of Tony's action figures and models. Naturally, the shelves collapsed and the models broke apart in an explosion of plastic and lego parts as quite a few of them impacted with the ground.
For a single moment, Tony was deathly still. Then, he began to cry. Big, fat tears that dripped off his face in twin rivers. He started screaming—a high-pitched, ear piercing scream that made someone jerk their door open to find Alfred in his towel and Tony screaming and, of course, Alfred had to spot Arthur joining in with the curious crowd of onlookers outside their door.
"This isn't what it looks like!" Alfred half-shouted in his own defense, but a few guys were snapping pictures on their phones and Alfred knew this would be on the news. It was Francis that stepped in. He slipped inside (followed at the last second by Arthur) and shut the door behind him. Alfred, unable to take it anymore, went into the walk-in closet and slammed the door. They heard his back thump heavily against it on the other side. Francis and Arthur exchanged a look before Francis picked up the pillow from the ground.
"Is this what you're screaming about?" he asked. Tony moved to his bed and sat on the edge, rocking back and forth in an agitated manner as he stared at the destroyed toys. His cries turned into a pitiful moaning noise, and Arthur hesitated a second before he left the room quickly, without explanation.
Francis cursed under his breath and was about to call for Matthew when only a few moments later, Arthur returned. He held a strange looking little stuffed animal in his arms—a bright, mint-green bunny with wings of all things.
"Here you go," Arthur said, offering it to Tony. Tony eyed the bunny expressionlessly before he snatched it suddenly and chunked it at Arthur with all the strength he could muster.
Francis broke out into snickers. Alfred must have finally calmed down, because he emerged from the closet with some pants and a shirt on. He eyed the odd stuffed animal for a moment before dismissing it with a shake of his head. He moved to the bed and knelt down in front of Tony, who eyed him furiously.
"I'm really sorry I broke them. That was a dick move. I was just angry. I shouldn't have thrown the pillow. We'll put them back together right now, okay?"
"You hurt me!"
"I know, and I'm sorry. I know the models mean a lot to you."
"We have to fix them right now."
"Okay, right now. I promise." Alfred's blue eyes turned to the mess of plastic and shelving and he sighed forlornly. Francis and Arthur exchanged another glance.
"You have classes, Alfred. You're already behind," Arthur said quietly.
"GO AWAY FUCKING LIMEY!" Tony screamed, hurtling off the bed and launching a rather pathetic attack at Arthur by throwing pillows and bedding at him, and the flying mint bunny, too, when he got his hands on it.
"Easy! Do you want him to fail his classes? Stop throwing things at me!" Arthur said. Tony glared at Arthur, breathing hard. The stare-off was broken when Arthur moved forward to grab the toy he'd brought.
Tony darted forward, snatching up the toy and retreating to the corner of the room. He clutched the stuffed bunny fiercely and pulled a nearby nightstand in front of himself, as if to prevent Arthur from getting to him. He then proceeded to rip off one of the bunny's wings.
"It's MINE. You gave it to me and you can't have it back! I can hurt him all I want!"
"Oh for the love of—" Arthur said peevishly.
"Perhaps it is best you go, Arthur. You only seem to be upsetting him more," Francis muttered.
The only sound was the ripping of fabric and a small storm of stuffing being tossed vindictively about in the corner of the room. Alfred just had to laugh at how ridiculous it all was.
"Go on, you two. We'll be fine. We'll fix up the models and…well…I don't know about your bunny, Arthur. It was a nice gesture, though."
"DIE! IHATE YOU!" Tony screeched, and more stuffing flew about.
"Are you sure you are okay? I can help…" Francis offered weakly.
"It's fine. Legos are totally my thing. Tony and I have got this, right Tony? It'll make up for how crappy of a friend I've been lately, huh? A whole day of just you and me, hanging out and fixing the models. Okay, buddy?"
The de-stuffed corpse of Flying Mint Bunny came sailing across the room and smacked Arthur in the face harmlessly. He threw it back just as peevishly.
"No Limey!"
"He's leaving, right Limey? Arthur! I mean, you're leaving, right Arthur?" Alfred said, correcting himself sheepishly with an embarrassed laugh.
"Oh, I'm leaving alright. I only came in the first place to apologize for my behavior last night. It won't happen again."
"Screwed up my chance. Got it. Anything else?" Alfred asked, with unusual sarcasm. Arthur and Francis exchanged another glance but Arthur quickly scowled at Alfred.
"No. Nothing else." He turned towards Tony and added, "Though that was the last time I'll try to be nice to such a rude, little punk! You have no manners!"
"FUCKING LIMEY! FUCKING LIMEY! FUCKING LIMEY!"
"I'm leaving now!" Arthur stormed out rather angrily, shutting the door. Alfred chuckled and retrieved the fallen mint bunny.
"I think they'll warm up to each other eventually, yeah?" Alfred asked naively. Francis just sighed at Alfred's oblivious optimism and took his leave.
"Just…try to stay out of trouble today, okay? Give Arthur time to cool off."
"Maybe he should be the one giving me time to cool off," Alfred muttered petulantly. Francis shot him a disapproving look, and Alfred felt a little cowed. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry I said it. I'm allowed to get frustrated, aren't I? All of this is just really hard!"
"God knows Arthur does not make it easy, but you cannot give up on him."
"I know."
Finally, Francis left and it was just the two of them. Sadly, Alfred dropped to the floor and began trying to separate little silver Millennium Falcon parts from little silver Star Fighter parts. After a moment or two, Tony joined him in tediously sorting. It was really Tony that did it; it became readily apparent Alfred had no clue what he was doing.
"That wasn't cool of you, Tony."
"I am not speaking to you. I am very angry."
"Okay. But can I talk to you?"
"Acceptable."
"Arthur was just trying to make you feel better. You ripped up his toy just like I messed up yours. That didn't make you feel very good, right?"
"I am not a child. I understand what you are trying to say about equivalent actions resulting in similar emotional consequences," Tony said…despite not talking to Alfred.
"Uh…right. So, think we can fix up Flying Mint Bunny while we're at it? You and Arthur both mean a lot to me. I'd like it if you could get along with each other."
"Impossible."
"Wha-huh? Why?"
"He says his words in a strange way and I don't like it. In addition, you clearly like him more than anyone else."
"Aww, Tony…don't be like that. Arthur can't help how he talks. And…he is special to me…but he doesn't like me very much right now anyway."
"I don't like him!" Tony insisted. Alfred sighed, but decided to drop the issue. Enough had already happened that morning without trying to bring about peace between Arthur and Tony.
"We will repair his gift. But it is still mine," Tony settled on saying. Alfred figured that was the best he was going to get.
Mr. Allowick personally knocked on Alfred's dorm room door. Alfred opened it, glancing at his watch as he did so. He had twenty minutes before he needed to be in the hallway. He didn't know why he was going. He honestly didn't feel like seeing Arthur, but he supposed it had gotten bigger than just the two of them. Besides, if he didn't go, Michelle would just drag him out into the hallway anyway.
"Hey Mr. A. Come on in," Alfred said. Mr. Allowick entered, his eyes widening at the décor. Tony glared at him from behind his computer screen. Nearby sat a pretty pathetic attempt at repairing Flying Mint Bunny. Despite his harsh words and actions, Tony had kept the bunny close to him all day, and he'd made Alfred keep redoing the sloppy stitches until the bunny didn't look quite so terrible.
"Nice place you've, uh…got here," Mr. Allowick trailed off lamely. Alfred waved him towards one of the sitting chairs and he plopped down on the edge of his bed. A few of his fingertips were bandaged from hot glue burns and sewing wounds.
"So…you skipped school today, both of you. That's not cool," Mr. Allowick began invitingly.
"Alfred destroyed the fleet. It had to be rebuilt," Tony stated flatly. Alfred gestured to the wall of models. They didn't look quite a neat as before, but they were back intact, at least.
"I got mad this morning. Threw a pillow. Spent eight hours rebuilding all the stuff I broke. Will never throw pillows again," Alfred summarized.
"I…see," Mr. Allowick stated dryly.
"Flying Mint Bunny also suffered heavy damage. Alfred did a shitty job fixing him. He is in considerable pain," Tony added, with a small glare at Alfred for emphasis.
"Yeah, well, I wasn't the one who ripped him up in the first place, now was I?" Alfred reasoned.
"Flying Mint Bunny and I have worked out our differences and let the past go. Maybe you should consider doing the same," Tony said unemotionally. Then, he gave Flying Mint Bunny a sweetly affectionate little pat before he continued typing furiously on his computer.
"Wow, as fun as this little visit to Bizarroland has been, we've got to talk seriously about your grades, Alfred."
"My midterm scores came back, huh?" Alfred asked despondently. Mr. Allowick, however, smiled and offered Alfred his report card for the first semester. He waited while Alfred opened it up and scanned his marks.
"I…I passed! I passed everything!"
"I thought some good news might be just what you needed to hear, considering all the other things I've been hearing," Mr. Allowick said with a smile.
"WOOHOO! I passed!" Alfred jumped up and down a few times, pumping his fist happily, and kissed his report card a few times.
"But you're barely hanging on in my class. You only passed by a single point, Alfred."
"But I passed!"
"Yeah, but we can do better than that, right?"
"Yes sir," Alfred replied, finally calming down slightly. Mr. Allowick smiled.
"As for you, Tony, you've been skipping class quite a bit. I know you think you know everything, but I really can help you with your projects if you'll give me the chance."
"Unacceptable."
"Tony," Mr. Allowick said in a warning type of voice. From behind his desk, the pale, scrawny teen squinted his reddish-brown eyes in a weak glare. Tony's head was completely shaved, as he tended to pull out his hair in frustration when he got upset. He looked odd, no doubt about it, but Mr. Allowick seemed to like him all the same—despite his abrasive personality and his off-putting looks.
"So, I thought we could do some tutoring in the hallway tonight. For both of you."
"I will not sit in the hallway again. That will be interpreted as showing support for the fucking limey."
"Tony!" Mr. Allowick said. Alfred sighed.
"I don't really feel like going tonight, either, Tony, but sometimes we have to do things we don't feel like doing. Will you come keep me company again? It was really cool when you did it before. 'Cept this time, try not to scream at Arthur, okay?"
"Fine," Tony hissed in annoyance. He snatched up Flying Mint Bunny and his advanced chemistry text book and stormed into the hallway. Alfred took his basic, general science book and followed behind. Mr. Allowick said a little prayer for patience and mental strength, and followed both of them.
It was a pretty good crowd, but most students cleared off upon seeing a teacher present. Even more left when Mr. Allowick began tutoring Alfred and Tony, right in the middle of the hallway, and telling students to shush or move along when they got rowdy or disruptive.
For the second night in a row, pretty soon the hallway was mostly empty except for the three of them. When Arthur came back from dinner, he came partially down the hallway before he sat and began to eat, idly listening in.
Alfred ignored him.
"So, that was that stuff we learned back in chapter eight, right?" Alfred asked, trying to complete the problems on his worksheet. Tony leaned over and sniffed haughtily.
"The answer is obvious. You suck at science worse than you suck at sewing."
"Thanks, Tony."
"You're welcome," Tony replied, completely serious. Mr. Allowick sighed, and massaged his temples for a few moments.
"Okay. Yes, we studied the foundation for this back in October—"
"When I was out of school, huh?"
"Yes."
"For a commercial I didn't even finish. Great," Alfred drawled unhappily. He flipped back to the earlier chapter and started to read, sullenly, clearly not absorbing much of it. Mr. Allowick sighed again and shifted his attention back to Tony's independent project.
"Just ask if you have any questions."
"I have a question. What the hell did you do to that poor bunny, Alfred?" Arthur asked casually.
Alfred scowled at him over the top of his text book. "I tried to help him. Should have known I'd screw it up, right?"
"You are rather hopeless at fixing all the problems you go about causing," Arthur replied rather snippily. Mr. Allowick shot Arthur a warning look.
"Be careful you're not saying things you'll regret later, Arthur. We all know you're upset, but you've been venting quite a bit of that on Alfred. He's trying to be a good friend, but he's not a punching bag."
That shut Arthur up. He finished his meal in silence, chewing his food almost violently. Alfred smirked victoriously as he pretended to read his chapter.
"Oh, bugger it. Give me that. I'll do a proper job of it." Arthur came down the hall and snatched up the pathetic looking bunny. He turned his scolding tone on Tony. "And before you even start that screaming business again, I'll bring her right back. It shouldn't take me long to patch her up properly. She was a Christmas gift from my brother, though, so I'd appreciate it if you'd kindly not treat her so poorly in the future."
"…Acceptable," Tony said. Alfred cleared his throat.
"Hey, Tony…remember what we talked about?" Tony shifted awkwardly and twisted his hands up together repetitively a few times before he forced the words out.
"Thank-you-for-the-gift," he said in a rush. Alfred flashed Tony a proud, small smile before returning to his text.
Arthur took on a slightly embarrassed look and held the bunny perhaps a bit more tightly than was necessary.
"I suppose I should thank you, too, Alfred. What you did last night was a kind gesture. It will simply not be necessary in the future. But it was not…unappreciated," Arthur finished, rather awkwardly. Alfred didn't look up. He just shook his head a bit and kept reading.
"Whatever, Arthur," he said just loudly enough to be heard.
"Why is it you lecture me about manners but then fail to show them yourself?" Tony asked in a monotone. Alfred rolled his eyes.
"It was no problem, Arthur. Anytime. Have a fantastic evening."
"Anyone ever told you sarcasm doesn't suit you, kid?" Mr. Allowick said lightly. He then saw fit to put an end to all the tortured teenage angst.
"Go on, Arthur. Alfred needs to get caught up."
Arthur retreated to his room with Flying Mint Bunny, and at the end of the three hours, he returned with the stuffed toy in almost pristine condition. Mr. Allowick had long since left, but Tony and Alfred were still in the hall together. Tony's eyes lit up with delight and he snatched the toy back before remembering himself.
"You have superior sewing skills. When I have need of sewing in the future, I will go to you instead of Alfred."
"Gee, thanks Tony," Alfred said.
"Only if I have time. It's rather rude to just presume—"
"Oh, give it a rest, would you Arthur? He's trying to compliment you. Why do you have to be so…so…" Alfred snapped.
"So what?" Arthur invited. Alfred grit his teeth.
"So…damn…loveable," Alfred forced out, clearly wanting with everything he had to say something else instead. Tony blinked between the two of them, clearly confused.
"By my understanding of the word, Arthur's behavior is not loveable. He is acting like a prickly bastard."
"Yeah, he kinda is. But I love him anyway, and that just pisses him off. He's trying really hard to push me away, but it's not going to work. Two more days, Arthur, and then I'm a step closer."
"Congratulations! You're nowhere close to my door! Good show, old boy," Arthur replied vindictively. Tony watched them argue for a few more moments, though Alfred wasn't saying anything mean—only nice things in a mean tone of voice—and Arthur was getting progressively snippier.
"SHUT UP! Flying Mint Bunny doesn't like it!" Tony yelled.
Both boys fell silent. They flashed each other sheepish looks.
"We are being a bit silly. I'm…sorry. I'm just tired, all the time," Arthur admitted. Alfred frowned.
"Yeah. I'm pretty worn out myself."
"We should just take a break for a bit, hmm?" Arthur suggested weakly. Alfred nodded.
"That would probably be good."
"Goodnight then, to both of you," Arthur said a bit glumly.
"Goodnight, limey," Tony replied. Arthur started to reply but Alfred hastily cut in.
"Hey! At least you're not fucking anymore. Baby steps, right? Come on, Tony. Let's go to bed."
"Flying Mint Bunny will sleep with me," Tony insisted rather stubbornly. Arthur and Alfred exchanged a quick smile over Tony's head.
"Yeah, alright. No competition from me on that one," Alfred said. Quickly, before Arthur could snatch his hand back, Alfred grabbed it and brought it lightly to his lips. He pressed a chaste, innocent kiss against Arthur's knuckles, gave his hand a little squeeze, and then let him go.
Arthur stood for a bit longer in the hallway, trying to sort out his own feelings, before just deciding that for a few moments…he'd actually been happy, and that feeling that way was okay. Just for a little while, at least.
A/N: Yay! A decent length chapter! This was it guys. This WHOLE fic, from the very beginning, was working up to the TonyFlyingMintBunny pairing. They will now become the focus of the story. Teehehehe. No, of course not…but I just love Tony, and his adorable jealousy of Arthur. Too cute. We needed something a little happier, huh?