[Fanfiction] - How to leave the closet, {Part 2}
This fanfiction was originally made for the Hetalia Kink Meme. I have taken a look at the comments I have received and have started to edit the story with the help and suggestions I have received through those. I hope to make the story more enjoyable this way - but comments, criticism and suggestions are still appreciated, though! ^__ ^
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Part 2
Arthur was dying. He was freezing cold - the speed the biker had set for the ride was ridiculous and the cold wind slammed against his fragile body. Furthermore, the tinted shield made him feel isolated from the world around him. When turning the head, all he could see was a blur of colours disappearing beside him, and mixed with the softened music it was as if he had stepped into a whole other dimension.
"…?"
"What?" Arthur turned his head, bumping the helmet against biker's shoulder as the other said something. With his arms swung tight around the other's body, he could feel how the guy's stomach moved as he chuckled.
"…gonna… stop… Watch.. gonna.."
"What are you saying?" Arthur tried asking again and stretched his neck to rest the chin at the guy's shoulder, but the second he moved the biker decided to make another stunt; he swung the motorcycle to the side as he turned sharply around a corner. Arthur cried in surprise as he almost slipped off the seat and he pressed himself tight up against the other's back. "How dare y- aah!" The brakes were abused again and the abrupt stop made the vehicle tilt forward to stand up on one wheel before it slammed back down on both.
If Arthur had felt like he was dying earlier, now he was but a mere corpse. His arms were shaking, making the biker roar with laughter as he noticed.
"Never tried anything like that, have ya?" he grinned as he got off the bike and turned to face Arthur. Arthur was swaying in his seat, and as the biker yanked off his helmet, his face was white as snow and the eyes wide open. The guy wrinkled his nose and sloped his head a little to the right as he tried to figure out the reason for the other’s expression. "Mate? What's up?"
"I…" Arthur grabbed onto the seat as he drew in a mouthful of air. Slowly, as if he was a toddler trying to stand on two legs for the first time, he swung his foot down onto the ground. First one, then the other, then he straightened up and stood still for a second. "I…"
"Ya…?" the guy tried helping, hanging the helmet on the bike's handlebar. He grabbed onto Arthur's shoulders. "Wow, you're shaking like a vibrator!" Arthur looked up into his eyes. Then he sank forward, puking up all over guy's leatherjacket. The biker yelped as he was taking by surprise and he shoved Arthur backwards, quickly taking a few steps away himself. "Fuck, that's so disgusting!"
"Sorry," Arthur choked, sinking to his knees. His eyes blurred up in tears for the second time that evening, and he wiped his lips off in his hand, trembling with embarrassment as he did so. "Really, I'm sorry. I just… I've never tried… and…" He shook his head. The biker let go of a sigh as he zipped the jacket open.
"Yeah, well, don't worry too much, ya?" he mumbled, "I can wash it anyway." His eyes gazed at Arthur, and a glimpse of regret was to find in his face.
'Fuck, Alfred, the guy is clearly old! No wonder he can't handle such a ride. Now, go help out that fellow, you're a gentleman after all. Be a real hero!'
Tears were running down Arthur's cheeks. Alfred bit his teeth together. "Hey, I'm the one who's sorry, 'kay?" he started out, slipping out of the jacket. He dropped it to the ground as he walked over to Arthur, kneeling next to him. "I don't live too far away. I'll take you for a beer and a clean up, heh? How does that sound?" Arthur looked at the younger, smiling bloke next to him, and even if his every heartbeat had told him to turn down the offer, the way the other put his arm comfortingly around his shoulder just made him melt, and before he even gave it a second thought, he whispered:
"Okay."
"That's my kind of man!" Alfred grinned, patting Arthur's back friendly. "And now - no more tears! I've already told ya once, 'member?" Arthur nodded and pushed himself up from the ground back onto his feet while he tried to hold in the tears that were still fighting bravely for being spilled. It was as if he couldn't stop now that he had begun, and he just kept his gaze on the ground in hopes of the guy overlooking his wet cheeks.
Alfred had noticed, but he didn't say anything. He merely picked up the soaked jacket and turned it inside out, so that he could hang it over the handlebar along with the helmet. Then he grabbed onto the bike, looking back at Arthur. "Follow me, it's two blocks away." Arthur nodded and went with Alfred as the other started walking.
Compared to the streets they had driven through, these were extremely quiet, and Arthur guessed they must have passed the toughest part of the gay-district. He wasn't sure whether he was relieved or saddened by the realisation of what the gay-community could also look like; a completely normal world. His gaze slipped around, eating up every detail of the buildings they were passing. The posters here mostly advertised for perfume for men and toys for guys to use in bed, but in between there was a picture of two women making out. Arthur's eyes fastened to the naked bodies and the way he stared made Alfred stare with him. The guy snickered.
"Nasty, hah?" Arthur looked at Alfred with questioning eyes. Alfred shrugged his shoulders in a lazy gesture. "I mean, lesbians are cool and all that, but they could do us the favour of keeping on their clothes. I mean - boobs, kind of a no-go here!" He laughed. Arthur smiled a little. It was weird hearing those words come from another guy's mouth. Though he remembered a certain someone saying something like that once. Who was it now?
"Yeah, my wife said that too," he mumbled, not really thinking the sentence through. He could feel how Alfred's walk suddenly slowed down and the other looked at him. No, he stared.
"Ya wife? Ya married and shit?" Arthur opened his mouth. Now was the chance to tell the truth. Now was his chance to come out of the closet. He should just let the words out. He should just say: 'No, ex-wife. We got divorced as she figured out I was gay.'
But as he allowed the words to cross his lips, they were mixed up and the meaning of them was completely different from what he'd hoped.
"Yeah, I'm married. Been it for 3 years." He looked up at the other guy. Alfred was starring at him with disbelief in his eyes, but he slowly nodded and turned his gaze forward.
"I see. So ya're like.. straight?"
"Yeah.."
"Then - what was the fight in the park about? He said faggot and such, didn't he?"
"He was just trying to be mean."
"Oh…" Alfred scratched the back of his neck. "Guess my gaydar was wrong."
"Gaydar?" Arthur asked, raising his brows wonderingly.
"Yeah, it's something we gays have. A sense. We can sense who's gay and who's not. That's how we avoid getting beaten up from accidentally flirting with homophobes." Alfred wrinkled his brows. "It's just weird - I've never been wrong before. I just really thought ya were into the dick.” Arthur felt his cheeks heat up.
"O-oh, but… But I'm not into the d-… I'm not gay," he assured the other. Alfred shrugged his shoulders again.
"Yeah, okay. As long as you're not against us." Alfred's gaze locked sharply with Arthur’s. Arthur felt he was being pinned to the ground from the other's glare.
"N-no. No, of course I don't," he mumbled, and a second later he added: "As a matter of fact my best friend is gay." It was so silly and the way it came out clearly showed he was telling a lie. But Alfred didn't seem to mind. He just smiled.
"Whatever. It's here." He stopped in front of an apartment complex. Arthur took in the sight. The huge building had been painted like a giant rainbow that stretched up into the sky. He couldn't help but smile. "Nice, isn't it?" Alfred asked, leaning his bike up against the building.
"It looks great," Arthur had to admit.
"It's something different from the straight world, hah?" Arthur looked at Alfred, who quickly held up a hand in the air. "Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to sound rude," he said, but somehow Arthur felt that was just what he was trying to do. As Alfred went for the entrance, Arthur pointed to the bike.
"Aren't you going to lock that up for the night?" Alfred didn't even care to look, fiddling with the keys.
"Nah, no one steals from me around here."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Come on," Alfred kicked the door open, throwing a short look at Arthur, "hey, whatcha name by the way?"
"Arthur, and you?"
"Alfred." Alfred smiled and disappeared in through the door. Arthur quickly followed him, curiosity filling his heart with each step he took.