Peter doesn't know who 'Arthur' is, but after a few moments of listening to the harried back-and-forth between Alfred and Jet, he gathers enough to understand that they're only surprised that he looks like Arthur, and he's not in trouble. Once Peter learns this, he feels like he can relax again, and listens curiously to the conversation.
"There's no way, Mate. Besides, we spoke to Arthur on the phone the other day, and the kid was right here!"
"Okay, but hear me out: if his hair was short he'd look exactly like Arthur!"
Peter doesn't like the feeling of being talked over, it's frustrating in a familiar way, though he isn't sure why. He musters his courage and interjects into the conversation.
"Who's Arthur?"
Jet glances down at him with an answer on the edge of his tongue, but seems to forget it when he sees Peter's face, and his next response goes to Alfred, not Peter.
"Lookit this, Alf. Peter's eyes are blue, Arthur's are green."
Alfred squats down to stare into Peter's eyes, and Peter feels a strange sense of being looked at but not seen. Alfred still looks unsure.
"Even so dude, he just looks too similar."
Jet considers this for a moment, before nodding in a agreement.
"Yeah, definitely. Do we have another sibling I don't know?"
Peter is beginning to feel irritated. He doesn't know why the feeling of being ignored feels so familiar, but he's certain he doesn't like it. When Alfred starts to stand up again, Peter has enough. He grabs the edge of Alfred's sleeve and tugs.
"Who's Arthur?"
Alfred freezes and turns to look at Peter, and then Peter remembers. He's not home, he's not a child trying to get attention, and these aren't his parents. The world isn't the same as it used to be. Peter feels cold, and he knows his face has gone pale. He knows he was being foolish, and demanding, and all he can remember is what happened to the kids that whined or demanded.
"We need to not be selfish."A cracking sound. "We don't need kids who can't share. They'll put us all in danger."But Peter's a good kid, he's good at sharing. It's easy for Peter to skip meals, easy for him to pass up on new clothes when they're handed out, easy for him to sleep on the floor. Peter isn't like the other kids. He doesn't need as much. He knows when to disappear and when to hide. Peter feels a chilling feeling in his bones as he feels that he's overstepped, and he knows that no matter how nice Alfred and Jet are, he's pushed his limits. Alfred and Jet don't owe him anything.
"Arthur's my older brother."
Peter flinches, not expecting the calm tone. He searches Alfred's face for irritation or annoyance, but only finds an inquisitive expression. Alfred drops back down to his heels to study Peter's face again. He looks confused and curious, but he doesn't seem upset at Peter's selfishness at all, and Peter is grateful that Alfred and Jet are "people", not monsters.
Alfred looks thoughtful, and tilts his head as he questions Peter.
"Do you have an older brother?"
Peter starts to shake his head no, but there's an itch at the back of his head, a feeling that he does have a brother, but Peter can't remember. His feelings must show on his face because Alfred doesn't wait for the answer, popping back to his feet and looking to Jet. Jet shrugs and pulls out his phone.
"Only thing to do is ask Arthur directly."
There's a tension in the air as the phone dials, and Peter isn't sure if it's good or bad. Jet's bright gaze remains on Peter while the phone rings, and Alfred starts pacing. Peter can't shake the feeling his future depends on the call, and he doesn't like the feeling. Then Jet shakes his head, mouthing a word at Alfred, and Alfred seems to wilt.
"Voicemail? Come on Artie!"
Peter remembers the term voicemail from a long time ago, a memory that's just out of reach, but he can't seem to remember it. A memory of a friend, he thinks. Alfred drops, and mutters something about setting up camp, it's too dark to travel further anyways, and Jet leaves the voicemail.
"Arthur. It's Jet, I have a question for you. It's about my brother's. That kid we found -it's kinda hard to explain, just call me back ASAP."
Peter turns away and goes to help Alfred with the fire instead. Peter's afraid. He doesn't want to be, he knows Alfred and Jet are good, and that they're nice to him, and that's why he's afraid. Peter's not scared of Alfred and Jet anymore. He's scared to be without them again.
Arthur still hasn't called back when Jet tucks Peter into the sleeping bag, promising to be there soon.