Prompt 20- Supernatural
As he stood there, on that raised platform in front of hundreds and hundreds of wary eyes, Arthur couldn’t remember ever feeling so alone. He knew it was ridiculous- alongside him stood Alfred, Matthew, Yao, Francis, and various other members of the X-Men, and in front of them, speaking into a microphone, sat Professor Xavier. Government officials took up the remaining spots on the platform.
It was supposed to be a happy day. Election season had come and gone, and a new government was in power now, a government that, for the moment at least, wanted to try to integrate mutants into everyday life. They were no longer going to take away rights, no longer force mutants to identify themselves as such, no longer treat anyone as though they were less than human. Well, that’s what they said. Arthur was not stupid enough to overlook the heavily armed guards surrounding the platform, supposedly for their own protection.
Professor Xavier was finishing up his speech. Though he felt a bit guilty for not having paid much attention, Arthur couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from the crowd before them. They were all humans. They were all normal. He felt like a circus freak, put up on stage for their viewing pleasure. An uncomfortable shiver rolled up and down his spine. He wanted nothing more than to go home, back to the Institute, make himself a pot of tea and pick up a good book. He didn’t want to be here.
A gentle touch on the side of his hand startled him out of his anxious thoughts, and he looked up to see Alfred’s wide blue eyes staring worriedly down at him. Arthur gave his best attempt at a smile, though he knew it fell short, and bumped his hand back against Alfred’s larger one. He could feel the warmth of Alfred’s body even through the fabric of both of their gloves. It calmed him down a bit.
Now the President was stepping forward to take the microphone from Professor Xavier, and Arthur realized with a jolt of both sadness and anger that none of the audience was clapping after the Professor’s speech. No matter how many times the new government insisted things were changing, it wouldn’t happen until the people decided to accept them. That could take a very long time.
The rest of the event, comprised of long-winded speeches and posturing from various government and military figures, seemed to drag on and on. Arthur stopped even trying to listen to any of them. It was all he could do to stop himself from being sick on the platform. There were too many people, all watching him, all judging him, and all he could think about were those repressed memories of a childhood spent in captivity. He could feel his legs shaking beneath him. Somewhere along the way, Alfred had wound his arm around Arthur’s waist, and though it drew even more judgmental eyes towards them, he leaned heavily into the touch.
“It’ll be done soon,” Alfred murmured into his ear. “Then we’ll go home, okay? Just a little bit longer.”
Alfred still didn’t know about his past, and for that Arthur felt just a little guilty, but he could never seem to find the words to bring it up and explain. Maybe today he would. Alfred deserved to know. For the moment, though, all Arthur could do was nod.
Finally, finally, the speeches ended, and after one last series of forced pleasantries and handshakes between the officials and Professor Xavier, they made their way down off the platform. The X-Jet was waiting for them, partially concealed by a grouping of trees in the center of the park. They trailed behind the Professor and Scott as they debated their next move. Arthur stayed as close to Alfred as possible, keeping the younger mutant’s hand firmly in its place around his waist. Alfred made no move to draw it away.
The X-Jet was only a few meters ahead of them when Arthur heard it- a small noise, faint but piercing, coming from behind one of the trees. He stopped abruptly, turning towards the source.
“Artie?” Alfred asked. “What are you doing?”
Arthur shushed him and moved forward. The sound didn’t seem aggressive. He peered around the side of the tree. There, seated on the ground, her hands balled into little fists that she was using to wipe at her eyes, was a small child, probably no more than six or seven years old. Her knees were tucked up to her chest, both bleeding where they had obviously come into contact with rocky ground. She was sobbing quietly.
Arthur hesitated for a moment. Up until he’d met Alfred and Matthew, he had never dealt with children. He knew he wasn’t very good with them. But this little girl… He couldn’t just leave her there to cry. Drawing in a deep breath, he stepped around the side of the tree. “Hello.”
The girl jumped, falling sideways and scrambling away from him. Her eyes were wide and brilliant blue, and reminded him of Alfred. “Mommy says I can’t talk to strangers. Who are you?” she whimpered.
“My name is Arthur,” he replied, crouching down on the ground. He didn’t make any move to get closer to her. “It’s a good thing your mommy told you that. Strangers can be dangerous. But where are your parents now? Shouldn’t you be with them?”
She sniffled, rubbing at her runny nose. “I was chasing butterflies and I got lost.”
“Arthur, what-” Alfred stepped out into the open, then froze at the sight in front of him. He quickly joined Arthur by kneeling down on the grass. “Hi there, little lady.”
The girl’s eyes widened further. She glanced back and forth between Arthur and Alfred, before finally shooting an almost accusatory glare at Arthur. “Who’s he?”
“This is Alfred,” Arthur said with a smile. “He’s my partner.”
“Oh.” The girl looked between them again for a few seconds. “So you’re married?” she asked curiously.
Alfred burst out laughing. Arthur spluttered something incoherent and elbowed him in the side. “No, no, we’re not married.”
“But you said-”
“We work together, that’s all.”
The girl stared at them for a moment longer, and shook her head. “No, you’re in love. I can see it.” A tiny smile appeared on her lips. “You look at each other like mommy and daddy do.”
Arthur felt the slow burn of his blush as it traveled up from his neck to his ears. He cast a quick, embarrassed glance at Alfred, and was pleased to see an equally powerful blush across the younger mutant’s face. They had never talked about love before. Yes, they had been together for a while, and it was more than merely sleeping together, or even just dating, but the word love had never come up. Arthur cleared his throat lightly and turned back to the little girl. “We’re not married.”
“Not yet, at least,” Alfred added. The words made something inside Arthur leap for joy, but he carefully kept himself from looking over at his partner. Jumping on him in front of a young child would not be appropriate.
“Huh.” The girl frowned, then shrugged. “I guess that’s okay, if you’re going to get married someday and everything. My name’s Amelia!” The frown was gone in an instant, replaced with a wide grin. Obviously her fear of strangers had fled.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Amelia.” Arthur smiled back. “Now, I think we should see about getting you back to your parents. Do you have any idea where they might be?”
Amelia shrugged again. “I don’t know. They were just standing around and being all boring.”
“Well, this could be a problem.” Turning to Alfred, Arthur gestured back towards where the jet was still waiting for them. “We can’t stay here for long.”
“We can’t just leave her here, though,” Alfred replied, mouth quirking downwards slightly. “I mean, I know it’s a public park and everything, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for a little girl.”
Arthur nodded slowly. “We’ll have to find some way of getting her to her parents.”
“Hey!” Amelia interjected, waving her hands in their faces. She’d stood up and strode forward until she was right in front of them. “Hey, stop talking about me like I’m not here. I am here!” She pouted. “And my knees still hurt.”
“Those do look sore.” Arthur hesitated. He could fix them, and fix them easily- it would take only a minute or two and just the slightest bit of his powers. But Amelia was only a child, and a normal human one at that. He didn’t know her parents, he didn’t know what they thought of mutants, and he didn’t know if they would want his help. “Amelia,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “do your parents like… special people?”
“Special people?” Amelia blinked at him, uncomprehending, before her eyes lit up. “Oh, you mean like the weird people who live up in that big mansion? The ones who can do magic and stuff?”
Alfred chuckled, and Arthur couldn’t hold back a small smile. “Yes, those ones.”
Amelia cocked her head sideways. “Well, mommy doesn’t like them. She says they’re all freaks or something, and that they should all get locked up in jail.” Arthur’s heart sank. “Daddy doesn’t really talk about them much, but I don’t think he feels the same way as mommy. I saw him reading something about them in the newspaper and he was smiling.” She puffed up her chest proudly and favored them with her smile again. “The paper was talking about how good things are happening for the weird magic people. Daddy tried to hide it when he saw me standing there, but I still saw what it said. I can read super fast!”
“I bet you can, darling,” Alfred said gently. Arthur looked over at him, catching his eye, and a brief, wordless exchange passed between the two of them. Though neither were telepaths by any means, Arthur could see Alfred’s thoughts written plainly across his face. Alfred obviously wanted him to help Amelia, no matter the consequences. There was a big part of Arthur that agreed, but still… He had seen what could happen. He’d experienced it.
“What are you doing?” Amelia demanded, crossing her arms. “Are you going to help me or what?”
Arthur turned towards her, explanations and apologies on his lips. And then he saw her face. She was pouting, wide blue eyes wet with tears, her small shoulders hunched. In that moment, Arthur stopped seeing Amelia. The child in front of him was the boy Alfred used to be, who depended on him and trusted him even though they weren’t related. He blinked, and Amelia was back. The damage was done, though. There was no way he could refuse to help her now.
He sighed. “Amelia, sweetheart, I can fix your knees if you’d like.”
The pout vanished immediately, replaced by a beaming grin that shone like the sun. “Yay!” She skipped across the last foot between them and sat down. “Do you have band-aids? Is that what you’re going to fix them with?”
Alfred shook his, smiling, even as he laid one gloved hand on Arthur’s shoulder and squeezed slightly to show his approval. “Artie’s got something much better than band-aids.”
The two of them continued to chatter away at each other as Arthur moved his hands up to hover above Amelia’s knee. They really were alike, in much more than physical traits, he thought with a small smile. Magic flowed through his body, out through his fingertips, down into the lacerations in Amelia’s skin. Her conversation with Alfred cut off abruptly as she felt them begin to heal.
“Are you one of them?” Amelia asked, eyes wide. “One of the magic people from the mansion?”
Arthur didn’t look up as he nodded. The pastel colors of the magic continued to pour into her knees. “Does that bother you?”
“Of course not! This is so cool.” The cuts were barely visible now. “Wow, I don’t think-”
“Amelia!”
All three of them jumped, startled, and stared back through the trees at the woman running towards them. Judging by her hair color and the shape of her face, she was Amelia’s mother. Arthur immediately pulled his hands away, a sense of dread coursing through him, but Amelia leaped to her feet and met her mother halfway. “Mommy, mommy, you have to come meet Mr. Arthur! He’s really cool, and he-”
“He’s a mutant,” her mother spat, gathering Amelia into her arms. Her glare pierced Arthur’s heart. “Honey, what did I tell you about associating with mutants?”
Amelia looked confused and worried. “Y-you said they were all bad, and gross, and that I shouldn’t talk to them.”
“Yes, I did. Now why are you talking to those freaks? Did they hurt you in any way? Oh, if they’ve touched you, I’ll- I’ll make them regret it!”
Arthur sank back to the ground, staring down at the grass in front of his feet. He knew those jeers and insults by heart. He’d heard them so many times before. Beside him, he felt Alfred shift until two strong arms wound around his body, and a pair of familiar lips murmured into his ear, “Don’t listen to her. It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
“No, no!” Amelia was protesting, pointing back at Arthur. “He didn’t hurt me at all! He helped me. Look, he fixed my knees.” She gestured down at the very thin scratches that Arthur hadn’t had time to heal.
Her mother gasped. “You let him touch you?” She pulled Amelia tight to her side, her glare doubling in intensity. “How dare you touch my daughter, you disgusting freaks? She’s just an innocent little girl! How could you try to corrupt such a sweet child? She’s never done anything to you!” She spat on the ground in front of her. “You monsters should all be locked up and put to death. I can’t believe the government is trying to help you!”
“Mommy, no-”
“You don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about,” Alfred snarled, though he didn’t remove his arms from around Arthur. “We didn’t do anything to Amelia! All Arthur did was help her.”
“That’s what you say. How can I trust the word of a monster?” the mother sneered.
Alfred was halfway to his feet, growling, when Arthur reached out to grab his arm. “Stop,” he murmured. His gaze hadn’t moved from the ground, but his voice was steady. “She’s not worth it.”
“But, Arthur-”
Arthur finally looked up and met Alfred’s eyes straight on. He shook his head. “She’s not worth it,” he said again.
Alfred stared at him for a moment, obviously searching his face for something, and then nodded. “Alright.”
“Cowards.” Amelia’s mother pulled her protesting daughter into her arms and turned on her heel. Before she could walk out of earshot, though, she shouted back one last threat. “If I learn that you’ve come near my daughter ever again, I will make sure it’s the last mistake you will ever-”
“Mr. Arthur, Mr. Alfred!” Amelia interjected, ignoring her mother’s demands that she be quiet. “Thank you for helping me!” Even from this far away, and over her mother’s shrill voice, they could hear her inner strength and willpower.
They waved at her until she had disappeared from sight. Arthur relaxed back against Alfred’s broad chest. “She’s going to be a beautiful woman someday.”
Alfred nodded into his hair. “She will.” He kissed Arthur’s ear softly, then pushed himself to his feet and held out his hand to help Arthur up as well. “Everyone’s waiting for us.”
Arthur took the proffered hand, not speaking a word, and did not let go of it until they were safely inside the X-Jet. He ignored the questioning looks and words of his teammates, merely resting his head back against his chair and closing his eyes. Alfred’s body was a warm, comforting presence beside him.
That settled it, thought Arthur as the jet began its descent to the Institute. He would tell Alfred everything.
**
Two hours later, after a dinner that Arthur had barely picked at, much to Alfred’s obvious concern, Arthur found himself standing by the window of the living room. He was alone, both to his relief and unhappiness. Though it was the end of summer, and the air was still warm, he wrapped his arms around himself and fought not to shiver. This would be one of the hardest things he had ever done.
“Arthur?” He turned to see Alfred standing in the doorway. The younger mutant looked uncharacteristically nervous. “Hank said you wanted to talk to me about something.”
“I did- I do.” Arthur did his best to smile, but it felt wrong on his face, and it quickly slid off. He gestured towards one of the sofas. “Why don’t we sit down?”
Alfred’s anxiety seemed to grow, but he didn’t argue. He sat down almost in the center of the couch. Arthur sat directly beside him, leaning heavily upon his shoulder, and he almost smiled at how quickly some of the tension in Alfred’s body seemed to vanish.
“So? Alfred asked after a moment of silence.
Arthur sighed, looking down at his hands. “I- I want to tell you about me. About my past.”
“You don’t have to,” Alfred said immediately. He cupped Arthur’s face in his hands and stared down into his eyes. “If you don’t want to, if you’re not ready, I don’t want to force you.”
“No, you deserve to know. If we are going to continue with whatever this thing we have going, you need to understand who I am.” Arthur drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. “It’s not a happy story, from what I can remember, at least.
“I was born to a loving mother and father. They quickly discovered my… abilities, and though they took care to keep them hidden from the rest of the world, they loved me and kept me safe and happy. That all ended when I was four. My mother died in a car accident. My father did his best to keep caring for me, but he was lonely, and he soon began to date again. He met this woman. I can’t recall her name- I’ve likely blocked it from memory because of what she did to me. From the very beginning, she did not like me at all, and neither did her sons. But she made my father happy, so I kept quiet when he married her. That was a mistake.
“Just after my sixth birthday, these men showed up at my house. They were dressed in thick armor, like horrible machines of some kind. I don’t- I don’t remember what happened then. All I know is that they took me away, and that I watched as they killed my father for trying to stop them.”
Arthur’s shoulders trembled slightly, and Alfred wound one arm around him, pulling them even closer together. The warmth that Alfred provided seemed to seep into Arthur’s body. He relaxed a bit, but only a bit, before he swallowed heavily and continued.
“When I first met you, wandering around on the streets, I was twelve years old. Do you remember that?” Alfred nodded, though he didn’t speak. “I had been homeless and alone for almost a year. And before that… I can barely recall any of what happened to me between when I was captured and when I escaped. I’ve blocked it all, repressed it until I can only remember bits and pieces, but I know that it hurt. It hurt so much. They did things to me, Alfred, that I can hardly remember and that I hope I never will.
“I was only a child. But they told me I was a monster, that I was disgusting and that I didn’t belong in a world of humans, and for a long time I believed them. How could I not, when it was all they would say?” He drew in another deep breath, trying to ignore the hot tears building up in his eyes. “I was only a child.”
But then he couldn’t say anything more, because Alfred was kissing him, hard and desperate and sad and careful all at once. Arthur clung to the younger mutant like a lifeline. If he let go now, he knew he would drown in his own memories.
“You,” said Alfred as he pulled away, staying so close that Arthur could feel every puff of breath against his lips, “are the most handsome, amazing guy I’ve ever met. You’re not a monster.”
Arthur chuckled lightly. “I know that now. Back when I was young it was a different story.” He sighed and shifted so that he could lean his forehead comfortably against Alfred’s, and allowed his eyes to slip closed. “It’s simply that today, even after all those speeches about respect and decency and equality, when I heard that woman yelling all those horrible words, everything sort of flashed back before me. I know I should be happy about these changes in government policy and such, but I know better, Alfred. Atrocities are still going to happen.”
“Hey now.” Alfred kissed at the side of Arthur’s lips, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck soothingly. “That’s a little pessimistic, don’t you think? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know things aren’t just going to take an instant turn for the better. But it’s a step in the right direction, you know? Every major change has to start somewhere.”
“Optimistic as always,” Arthur breathed, smiling even as he reached up to rub at his tear-filled eyes.
Alfred grinned at him, a little more subdued than usual, but no less warm. “You love me for it.”
He hesitated for only a moment. “Yes,” said Arthur. “I do.”
“You- You do?” Alfred stared, wide-eyed. “You mean you love me?”
Arthur fought to keep a straight face, but that ridiculous, besotted smile that Alfred always seemed to inspire broke through. “Yes, I do,” he said again. The words sent a warm, tingling shock down through his spine, and his silly smile grew even wider. “I love you.”
Alfred stared at him for a few seconds more, and then Arthur was being practically tackled back into the cushions. “Oh thank god. I love you, too! Oh thank god.” He lifted his head to grin at Arthur, so wide it looked like it would split his face in half. “I love you, I love you, Arthur.”
Uncontrollable laughter bubbled up out of Arthur’s throat as he rested there, part sitting, part laying down on the couch cushions, Alfred babbling stupid, romantic nonsense into his shirt and neck and cheek. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy, not since he’d lived with his mother and father, not since he’d nearly raised Alfred and Matthew. He felt utterly foolish and pleasantly warm, and a lot like a teenager experiencing their first love. It was ridiculous- he was a thirty year old man, not a teenaged girl- but he couldn’t help it. “I love you,” he mumbled into Alfred’s cheek. “I love you so much.”
“Amelia was right,” Alfred replied, pulling back slightly to beam down at Arthur. “Isn’t that crazy? A little girl saw it all before we did.”
“We’re fools,” agreed Arthur. That little ball of happiness within him was spreading out through his entire being. He wouldn’t have minded just laying there for the rest of the night, clinging to one another, if it meant retaining this joy.
“Fools in love.” Alfred shifted around until he could lean his head down against Arthur’s collarbone. His hands stroked gentle paths up and down Arthur’s sides, while Arthur’s own fingers carded through the messy strands of Alfred’s hair. They lay that way in warm, comfortable silence for a long while. Outside, night began to settle in.
Arthur was nearly asleep, the events of the day having worn him out far more than he’d thought, when Alfred spoke again. “Arthur?”
“Hmm?”
Alfred seemed to hesitate. “You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but… How did you escape? Back when you were little, I mean.”
“To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure,” Arthur replied after a moment of thought. “I may just have forgotten, but I think I had help. Someone helped me escape from that horrible place. I can’t recall who.” He paused, and then chuckled at himself. “My mind keeps telling me that it was the work of fairies. I suppose that’s just the result of my imagination, though.”
“Fairies, huh.” Alfred smiled up at him. “Well, whoever it was, they have my thanks.” He pressed a kiss to Arthur’s neck and fell silent again.
The soothing motions of their hands, and the quiet rhythm of heartbeats and breathing, soon sent them both to sleep there on the living room couch. It was a peaceful, restful night, and probably the best sleep either of them had experienced in a while. Moonlight shone in through the window, other mutants, passed back and forth through the hallways, and they slept.
They didn’t wake up until morning, when Logan shoved them off to watch the news.
**
A/N- Angst and sap? Aw yeah.
This takes place about five months after the last one, so Arthur is now thirty and Alfred is about to turn twenty-seven. Amelia is Nyotalia!America- she'll probably make a reappearance later on.
I'm sensing a theme in my writings. This 'monster' thing keeps popping up.
It was supposed to be a happy day. Election season had come and gone, and a new government was in power now, a government that, for the moment at least, wanted to try to integrate mutants into everyday life. They were no longer going to take away rights, no longer force mutants to identify themselves as such, no longer treat anyone as though they were less than human. Well, that’s what they said. Arthur was not stupid enough to overlook the heavily armed guards surrounding the platform, supposedly for their own protection.
Professor Xavier was finishing up his speech. Though he felt a bit guilty for not having paid much attention, Arthur couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from the crowd before them. They were all humans. They were all normal. He felt like a circus freak, put up on stage for their viewing pleasure. An uncomfortable shiver rolled up and down his spine. He wanted nothing more than to go home, back to the Institute, make himself a pot of tea and pick up a good book. He didn’t want to be here.
A gentle touch on the side of his hand startled him out of his anxious thoughts, and he looked up to see Alfred’s wide blue eyes staring worriedly down at him. Arthur gave his best attempt at a smile, though he knew it fell short, and bumped his hand back against Alfred’s larger one. He could feel the warmth of Alfred’s body even through the fabric of both of their gloves. It calmed him down a bit.
Now the President was stepping forward to take the microphone from Professor Xavier, and Arthur realized with a jolt of both sadness and anger that none of the audience was clapping after the Professor’s speech. No matter how many times the new government insisted things were changing, it wouldn’t happen until the people decided to accept them. That could take a very long time.
The rest of the event, comprised of long-winded speeches and posturing from various government and military figures, seemed to drag on and on. Arthur stopped even trying to listen to any of them. It was all he could do to stop himself from being sick on the platform. There were too many people, all watching him, all judging him, and all he could think about were those repressed memories of a childhood spent in captivity. He could feel his legs shaking beneath him. Somewhere along the way, Alfred had wound his arm around Arthur’s waist, and though it drew even more judgmental eyes towards them, he leaned heavily into the touch.
“It’ll be done soon,” Alfred murmured into his ear. “Then we’ll go home, okay? Just a little bit longer.”
Alfred still didn’t know about his past, and for that Arthur felt just a little guilty, but he could never seem to find the words to bring it up and explain. Maybe today he would. Alfred deserved to know. For the moment, though, all Arthur could do was nod.
Finally, finally, the speeches ended, and after one last series of forced pleasantries and handshakes between the officials and Professor Xavier, they made their way down off the platform. The X-Jet was waiting for them, partially concealed by a grouping of trees in the center of the park. They trailed behind the Professor and Scott as they debated their next move. Arthur stayed as close to Alfred as possible, keeping the younger mutant’s hand firmly in its place around his waist. Alfred made no move to draw it away.
The X-Jet was only a few meters ahead of them when Arthur heard it- a small noise, faint but piercing, coming from behind one of the trees. He stopped abruptly, turning towards the source.
“Artie?” Alfred asked. “What are you doing?”
Arthur shushed him and moved forward. The sound didn’t seem aggressive. He peered around the side of the tree. There, seated on the ground, her hands balled into little fists that she was using to wipe at her eyes, was a small child, probably no more than six or seven years old. Her knees were tucked up to her chest, both bleeding where they had obviously come into contact with rocky ground. She was sobbing quietly.
Arthur hesitated for a moment. Up until he’d met Alfred and Matthew, he had never dealt with children. He knew he wasn’t very good with them. But this little girl… He couldn’t just leave her there to cry. Drawing in a deep breath, he stepped around the side of the tree. “Hello.”
The girl jumped, falling sideways and scrambling away from him. Her eyes were wide and brilliant blue, and reminded him of Alfred. “Mommy says I can’t talk to strangers. Who are you?” she whimpered.
“My name is Arthur,” he replied, crouching down on the ground. He didn’t make any move to get closer to her. “It’s a good thing your mommy told you that. Strangers can be dangerous. But where are your parents now? Shouldn’t you be with them?”
She sniffled, rubbing at her runny nose. “I was chasing butterflies and I got lost.”
“Arthur, what-” Alfred stepped out into the open, then froze at the sight in front of him. He quickly joined Arthur by kneeling down on the grass. “Hi there, little lady.”
The girl’s eyes widened further. She glanced back and forth between Arthur and Alfred, before finally shooting an almost accusatory glare at Arthur. “Who’s he?”
“This is Alfred,” Arthur said with a smile. “He’s my partner.”
“Oh.” The girl looked between them again for a few seconds. “So you’re married?” she asked curiously.
Alfred burst out laughing. Arthur spluttered something incoherent and elbowed him in the side. “No, no, we’re not married.”
“But you said-”
“We work together, that’s all.”
The girl stared at them for a moment longer, and shook her head. “No, you’re in love. I can see it.” A tiny smile appeared on her lips. “You look at each other like mommy and daddy do.”
Arthur felt the slow burn of his blush as it traveled up from his neck to his ears. He cast a quick, embarrassed glance at Alfred, and was pleased to see an equally powerful blush across the younger mutant’s face. They had never talked about love before. Yes, they had been together for a while, and it was more than merely sleeping together, or even just dating, but the word love had never come up. Arthur cleared his throat lightly and turned back to the little girl. “We’re not married.”
“Not yet, at least,” Alfred added. The words made something inside Arthur leap for joy, but he carefully kept himself from looking over at his partner. Jumping on him in front of a young child would not be appropriate.
“Huh.” The girl frowned, then shrugged. “I guess that’s okay, if you’re going to get married someday and everything. My name’s Amelia!” The frown was gone in an instant, replaced with a wide grin. Obviously her fear of strangers had fled.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Amelia.” Arthur smiled back. “Now, I think we should see about getting you back to your parents. Do you have any idea where they might be?”
Amelia shrugged again. “I don’t know. They were just standing around and being all boring.”
“Well, this could be a problem.” Turning to Alfred, Arthur gestured back towards where the jet was still waiting for them. “We can’t stay here for long.”
“We can’t just leave her here, though,” Alfred replied, mouth quirking downwards slightly. “I mean, I know it’s a public park and everything, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for a little girl.”
Arthur nodded slowly. “We’ll have to find some way of getting her to her parents.”
“Hey!” Amelia interjected, waving her hands in their faces. She’d stood up and strode forward until she was right in front of them. “Hey, stop talking about me like I’m not here. I am here!” She pouted. “And my knees still hurt.”
“Those do look sore.” Arthur hesitated. He could fix them, and fix them easily- it would take only a minute or two and just the slightest bit of his powers. But Amelia was only a child, and a normal human one at that. He didn’t know her parents, he didn’t know what they thought of mutants, and he didn’t know if they would want his help. “Amelia,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “do your parents like… special people?”
“Special people?” Amelia blinked at him, uncomprehending, before her eyes lit up. “Oh, you mean like the weird people who live up in that big mansion? The ones who can do magic and stuff?”
Alfred chuckled, and Arthur couldn’t hold back a small smile. “Yes, those ones.”
Amelia cocked her head sideways. “Well, mommy doesn’t like them. She says they’re all freaks or something, and that they should all get locked up in jail.” Arthur’s heart sank. “Daddy doesn’t really talk about them much, but I don’t think he feels the same way as mommy. I saw him reading something about them in the newspaper and he was smiling.” She puffed up her chest proudly and favored them with her smile again. “The paper was talking about how good things are happening for the weird magic people. Daddy tried to hide it when he saw me standing there, but I still saw what it said. I can read super fast!”
“I bet you can, darling,” Alfred said gently. Arthur looked over at him, catching his eye, and a brief, wordless exchange passed between the two of them. Though neither were telepaths by any means, Arthur could see Alfred’s thoughts written plainly across his face. Alfred obviously wanted him to help Amelia, no matter the consequences. There was a big part of Arthur that agreed, but still… He had seen what could happen. He’d experienced it.
“What are you doing?” Amelia demanded, crossing her arms. “Are you going to help me or what?”
Arthur turned towards her, explanations and apologies on his lips. And then he saw her face. She was pouting, wide blue eyes wet with tears, her small shoulders hunched. In that moment, Arthur stopped seeing Amelia. The child in front of him was the boy Alfred used to be, who depended on him and trusted him even though they weren’t related. He blinked, and Amelia was back. The damage was done, though. There was no way he could refuse to help her now.
He sighed. “Amelia, sweetheart, I can fix your knees if you’d like.”
The pout vanished immediately, replaced by a beaming grin that shone like the sun. “Yay!” She skipped across the last foot between them and sat down. “Do you have band-aids? Is that what you’re going to fix them with?”
Alfred shook his, smiling, even as he laid one gloved hand on Arthur’s shoulder and squeezed slightly to show his approval. “Artie’s got something much better than band-aids.”
The two of them continued to chatter away at each other as Arthur moved his hands up to hover above Amelia’s knee. They really were alike, in much more than physical traits, he thought with a small smile. Magic flowed through his body, out through his fingertips, down into the lacerations in Amelia’s skin. Her conversation with Alfred cut off abruptly as she felt them begin to heal.
“Are you one of them?” Amelia asked, eyes wide. “One of the magic people from the mansion?”
Arthur didn’t look up as he nodded. The pastel colors of the magic continued to pour into her knees. “Does that bother you?”
“Of course not! This is so cool.” The cuts were barely visible now. “Wow, I don’t think-”
“Amelia!”
All three of them jumped, startled, and stared back through the trees at the woman running towards them. Judging by her hair color and the shape of her face, she was Amelia’s mother. Arthur immediately pulled his hands away, a sense of dread coursing through him, but Amelia leaped to her feet and met her mother halfway. “Mommy, mommy, you have to come meet Mr. Arthur! He’s really cool, and he-”
“He’s a mutant,” her mother spat, gathering Amelia into her arms. Her glare pierced Arthur’s heart. “Honey, what did I tell you about associating with mutants?”
Amelia looked confused and worried. “Y-you said they were all bad, and gross, and that I shouldn’t talk to them.”
“Yes, I did. Now why are you talking to those freaks? Did they hurt you in any way? Oh, if they’ve touched you, I’ll- I’ll make them regret it!”
Arthur sank back to the ground, staring down at the grass in front of his feet. He knew those jeers and insults by heart. He’d heard them so many times before. Beside him, he felt Alfred shift until two strong arms wound around his body, and a pair of familiar lips murmured into his ear, “Don’t listen to her. It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
“No, no!” Amelia was protesting, pointing back at Arthur. “He didn’t hurt me at all! He helped me. Look, he fixed my knees.” She gestured down at the very thin scratches that Arthur hadn’t had time to heal.
Her mother gasped. “You let him touch you?” She pulled Amelia tight to her side, her glare doubling in intensity. “How dare you touch my daughter, you disgusting freaks? She’s just an innocent little girl! How could you try to corrupt such a sweet child? She’s never done anything to you!” She spat on the ground in front of her. “You monsters should all be locked up and put to death. I can’t believe the government is trying to help you!”
“Mommy, no-”
“You don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about,” Alfred snarled, though he didn’t remove his arms from around Arthur. “We didn’t do anything to Amelia! All Arthur did was help her.”
“That’s what you say. How can I trust the word of a monster?” the mother sneered.
Alfred was halfway to his feet, growling, when Arthur reached out to grab his arm. “Stop,” he murmured. His gaze hadn’t moved from the ground, but his voice was steady. “She’s not worth it.”
“But, Arthur-”
Arthur finally looked up and met Alfred’s eyes straight on. He shook his head. “She’s not worth it,” he said again.
Alfred stared at him for a moment, obviously searching his face for something, and then nodded. “Alright.”
“Cowards.” Amelia’s mother pulled her protesting daughter into her arms and turned on her heel. Before she could walk out of earshot, though, she shouted back one last threat. “If I learn that you’ve come near my daughter ever again, I will make sure it’s the last mistake you will ever-”
“Mr. Arthur, Mr. Alfred!” Amelia interjected, ignoring her mother’s demands that she be quiet. “Thank you for helping me!” Even from this far away, and over her mother’s shrill voice, they could hear her inner strength and willpower.
They waved at her until she had disappeared from sight. Arthur relaxed back against Alfred’s broad chest. “She’s going to be a beautiful woman someday.”
Alfred nodded into his hair. “She will.” He kissed Arthur’s ear softly, then pushed himself to his feet and held out his hand to help Arthur up as well. “Everyone’s waiting for us.”
Arthur took the proffered hand, not speaking a word, and did not let go of it until they were safely inside the X-Jet. He ignored the questioning looks and words of his teammates, merely resting his head back against his chair and closing his eyes. Alfred’s body was a warm, comforting presence beside him.
That settled it, thought Arthur as the jet began its descent to the Institute. He would tell Alfred everything.
**
Two hours later, after a dinner that Arthur had barely picked at, much to Alfred’s obvious concern, Arthur found himself standing by the window of the living room. He was alone, both to his relief and unhappiness. Though it was the end of summer, and the air was still warm, he wrapped his arms around himself and fought not to shiver. This would be one of the hardest things he had ever done.
“Arthur?” He turned to see Alfred standing in the doorway. The younger mutant looked uncharacteristically nervous. “Hank said you wanted to talk to me about something.”
“I did- I do.” Arthur did his best to smile, but it felt wrong on his face, and it quickly slid off. He gestured towards one of the sofas. “Why don’t we sit down?”
Alfred’s anxiety seemed to grow, but he didn’t argue. He sat down almost in the center of the couch. Arthur sat directly beside him, leaning heavily upon his shoulder, and he almost smiled at how quickly some of the tension in Alfred’s body seemed to vanish.
“So? Alfred asked after a moment of silence.
Arthur sighed, looking down at his hands. “I- I want to tell you about me. About my past.”
“You don’t have to,” Alfred said immediately. He cupped Arthur’s face in his hands and stared down into his eyes. “If you don’t want to, if you’re not ready, I don’t want to force you.”
“No, you deserve to know. If we are going to continue with whatever this thing we have going, you need to understand who I am.” Arthur drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. “It’s not a happy story, from what I can remember, at least.
“I was born to a loving mother and father. They quickly discovered my… abilities, and though they took care to keep them hidden from the rest of the world, they loved me and kept me safe and happy. That all ended when I was four. My mother died in a car accident. My father did his best to keep caring for me, but he was lonely, and he soon began to date again. He met this woman. I can’t recall her name- I’ve likely blocked it from memory because of what she did to me. From the very beginning, she did not like me at all, and neither did her sons. But she made my father happy, so I kept quiet when he married her. That was a mistake.
“Just after my sixth birthday, these men showed up at my house. They were dressed in thick armor, like horrible machines of some kind. I don’t- I don’t remember what happened then. All I know is that they took me away, and that I watched as they killed my father for trying to stop them.”
Arthur’s shoulders trembled slightly, and Alfred wound one arm around him, pulling them even closer together. The warmth that Alfred provided seemed to seep into Arthur’s body. He relaxed a bit, but only a bit, before he swallowed heavily and continued.
“When I first met you, wandering around on the streets, I was twelve years old. Do you remember that?” Alfred nodded, though he didn’t speak. “I had been homeless and alone for almost a year. And before that… I can barely recall any of what happened to me between when I was captured and when I escaped. I’ve blocked it all, repressed it until I can only remember bits and pieces, but I know that it hurt. It hurt so much. They did things to me, Alfred, that I can hardly remember and that I hope I never will.
“I was only a child. But they told me I was a monster, that I was disgusting and that I didn’t belong in a world of humans, and for a long time I believed them. How could I not, when it was all they would say?” He drew in another deep breath, trying to ignore the hot tears building up in his eyes. “I was only a child.”
But then he couldn’t say anything more, because Alfred was kissing him, hard and desperate and sad and careful all at once. Arthur clung to the younger mutant like a lifeline. If he let go now, he knew he would drown in his own memories.
“You,” said Alfred as he pulled away, staying so close that Arthur could feel every puff of breath against his lips, “are the most handsome, amazing guy I’ve ever met. You’re not a monster.”
Arthur chuckled lightly. “I know that now. Back when I was young it was a different story.” He sighed and shifted so that he could lean his forehead comfortably against Alfred’s, and allowed his eyes to slip closed. “It’s simply that today, even after all those speeches about respect and decency and equality, when I heard that woman yelling all those horrible words, everything sort of flashed back before me. I know I should be happy about these changes in government policy and such, but I know better, Alfred. Atrocities are still going to happen.”
“Hey now.” Alfred kissed at the side of Arthur’s lips, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck soothingly. “That’s a little pessimistic, don’t you think? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know things aren’t just going to take an instant turn for the better. But it’s a step in the right direction, you know? Every major change has to start somewhere.”
“Optimistic as always,” Arthur breathed, smiling even as he reached up to rub at his tear-filled eyes.
Alfred grinned at him, a little more subdued than usual, but no less warm. “You love me for it.”
He hesitated for only a moment. “Yes,” said Arthur. “I do.”
“You- You do?” Alfred stared, wide-eyed. “You mean you love me?”
Arthur fought to keep a straight face, but that ridiculous, besotted smile that Alfred always seemed to inspire broke through. “Yes, I do,” he said again. The words sent a warm, tingling shock down through his spine, and his silly smile grew even wider. “I love you.”
Alfred stared at him for a few seconds more, and then Arthur was being practically tackled back into the cushions. “Oh thank god. I love you, too! Oh thank god.” He lifted his head to grin at Arthur, so wide it looked like it would split his face in half. “I love you, I love you, Arthur.”
Uncontrollable laughter bubbled up out of Arthur’s throat as he rested there, part sitting, part laying down on the couch cushions, Alfred babbling stupid, romantic nonsense into his shirt and neck and cheek. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy, not since he’d lived with his mother and father, not since he’d nearly raised Alfred and Matthew. He felt utterly foolish and pleasantly warm, and a lot like a teenager experiencing their first love. It was ridiculous- he was a thirty year old man, not a teenaged girl- but he couldn’t help it. “I love you,” he mumbled into Alfred’s cheek. “I love you so much.”
“Amelia was right,” Alfred replied, pulling back slightly to beam down at Arthur. “Isn’t that crazy? A little girl saw it all before we did.”
“We’re fools,” agreed Arthur. That little ball of happiness within him was spreading out through his entire being. He wouldn’t have minded just laying there for the rest of the night, clinging to one another, if it meant retaining this joy.
“Fools in love.” Alfred shifted around until he could lean his head down against Arthur’s collarbone. His hands stroked gentle paths up and down Arthur’s sides, while Arthur’s own fingers carded through the messy strands of Alfred’s hair. They lay that way in warm, comfortable silence for a long while. Outside, night began to settle in.
Arthur was nearly asleep, the events of the day having worn him out far more than he’d thought, when Alfred spoke again. “Arthur?”
“Hmm?”
Alfred seemed to hesitate. “You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but… How did you escape? Back when you were little, I mean.”
“To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure,” Arthur replied after a moment of thought. “I may just have forgotten, but I think I had help. Someone helped me escape from that horrible place. I can’t recall who.” He paused, and then chuckled at himself. “My mind keeps telling me that it was the work of fairies. I suppose that’s just the result of my imagination, though.”
“Fairies, huh.” Alfred smiled up at him. “Well, whoever it was, they have my thanks.” He pressed a kiss to Arthur’s neck and fell silent again.
The soothing motions of their hands, and the quiet rhythm of heartbeats and breathing, soon sent them both to sleep there on the living room couch. It was a peaceful, restful night, and probably the best sleep either of them had experienced in a while. Moonlight shone in through the window, other mutants, passed back and forth through the hallways, and they slept.
They didn’t wake up until morning, when Logan shoved them off to watch the news.
**
A/N- Angst and sap? Aw yeah.
This takes place about five months after the last one, so Arthur is now thirty and Alfred is about to turn twenty-seven. Amelia is Nyotalia!America- she'll probably make a reappearance later on.
I'm sensing a theme in my writings. This 'monster' thing keeps popping up.