[Fic] Summer Camp: Holding Out Part 2
Title: Holding Out - Part 2: First Aid
Characters: England, America, Hungary, Austria, mentions of Canada
Rating/Warnings: PG-13. Sorta X-men-universe crossoverish kinda sorta except I call 'mutants' 'supers' so maybe The Incredibles crossoverish kinda sorta? Point is, some people have superpowers. And it's a pseudo-police state. Mild Language.
Summary: Arthur doesn't care about anyone, because he doesn't need anyone, he's perfectly alright by himself. But when Alfred comes home hurt, maybe a change of heart is in order.
Part 1
Arthur Kirkland never liked his parents all that much. Although he never wished them dead, he wasn’t entirely upset when it happened. They were not nice people and everyone was aware of this fact. So when Arthur Kirkland showed up at the Bureau of Super Human Control to register ‘Alfred Kirkland,’ it wasn’t too much of a stretch for the government officials to believe that the late Mr. Kirkland had a bastard child that he and his wife kept locked up in some room or another in that large house on the hill.
The hundreds that Arthur had slipped in with the paperwork might have helped a bit too.
Explaining Alfred away to the government/public was the easy part. Explaining him to his maid and butler was a Herculean challenge.
Elizaveta Hedervary and Roderich Edelstein had been with his family since before he was born. They’d watched him grow up, from a whiney, fussy infant to a whiney, fussy teenager, and they knew almost as much as Arthur about the Kirkland family. So when the young master brought home an even younger boy, they were…concerned to say the least.
“You can’t just bring people home!” Roderich had sighed and adjusted his glasses when they discussed the matter after dinner that night, “you’re always doing things like this, Idiot.”
“He’s certainly a bit more lively then the cats,” Elizaveta had giggled, “Did you see the way he scoffed down his food? Poor kid must have been starving.”
“This is a bit different then Master Kirkland bringing home a stray cat!” he barked, “Alfred is a living human! Not only that, he’s a Super to boot! Did you even properly think this over when you decided to adopt him?”
“Who said anything about adoption?” Arthur huffed and tapped his foot against his chair, “I just agreed to register him and let him stay here for a few days until he figures out what to do next. No one said anything about this being a permanent thing.”
“Oh,” Elizaveta looked upset, “and I was looking forward to having young Master Alfred as part of the family.”
“That’s even worse!” Roderich sighed and leaned his head in his hand, “Master Kirkland, I’ve put up with a lot of your stunts in the past and am willing to continue doing so in the future, but this, right now there is no word that adequately describes how utterly idiotic you are being right now.”
“Really?” he raised an eyebrow, “Pray tell Roderich, what is it this time you don’t like?”
“Do you even have any idea what it means to accept guardianship over young Alfred?”
“The state just wants someone to pay for damages Supers cause,” Arthur shrugged, “I have a few millions lying around I’m not using. Why not set them aside for Alfred?”
“I’m not asking you what the state wants from you as a guardian,” Roderich stood and walked to the doorway, stopping to turn back and say, “I’m asking if you understand what it means to Alfred that you’re his guardian. Elizaveta, explain it to him.” And with that he left the kitchen.
“What’s got his panties in a twist?” Arthur huffed as he crossed his arms and sunk lower into his chair.
“He’s just worried about you,” Elizaveta smiled at him, “He always is, and Alfred now too, I suppose. Arthur-”
“The state just wants to be sure they can be compensated incase he breaks something. I can do that,” Arthur stood and made to leave the kitchen as well, “This, him staying here with me, it’s just temporary. He knows that, and he’s okay with that.”
“That’s a shame,” Elizaveta stood and stretched her arms above her head before pushing past Arthur out of the kitchen. She stopped just before leaving and leaned in to say, “I think he could be good for you.”
“He’s only 12 years old,” Arthur huffed and looked away, “Hardly an appropriate companion for me.”
“Oh Arthur, you pervert,” his cheeks went red as she giggled, “I meant, looking after someone else. Caring for someone other than yourself, even if it’s just having another human contact other than Roderiech and me. It would be good for you.”
“I don’t need other people,” he glared at her, “I’m grateful for you and Roderich for taking care of me when my parents died, even before that really, but I’m perfectly capable of doing things on my own now.”
“I do wonder though; there are hundreds of unregistered Supers, some of them not even orphans, simply abandoned. Why did you choose to help him?” she smiled sadly at him as she turned whispering, “Sometimes it’s not only about you, Master Arthur,” as she left.
Arthur frowned in the direction she’d left. He’d never liked the current treatment of Supers, both of them knew that, but due to time constraints and lack of experience with these matters, he’d never gotten much of a chance to make huge difference in the way the government handled them. Of course he’d help out an unregistered Super the way he did. It was the least he could do to try and counter some of the unfairness in the poor kid’s life.
He didn’t particularly care what happened to Alfred after he left his house. By agreeing to pay for whatever damages he did with his powers, Arthur was simply correcting the injustices that weren’t the boy’s fault. It wasn’t Alfred’s fault he had abnormal strength, and it wasn’t his fault that that was enough of a reason for the state to hate him, deny him basic human liberties just because he was on his own. If he had been any other orphaned child the state wouldn’t have given two shits what he did with himself, but just because of that one little factor he wasn’t allowed to make any of his own decisions.
Not that he cared about Alfred or he decisions, Arthur furrowed his eyebrows as he left the kitchen and made his way upstairs as well. With this arrangement, Arthur had just essentially given Alfred the freedom to do whatever the hell he pleased. He could go rob every bank in the city and as long as Arthur could pay the compensation (and he could), no one, especially Arthur, would bat an eyelash. That’s how the system worked.
Yes, sponsoring Alfred was just Arthur’s way of making the statement he’d been looking to make for ages. He didn’t care about the boy himself, and he certainly didn’t need him, no matter what nosy butlers and maids thought otherwise.
-*~-*~
Alfred had spent most of the week since Arthur had registered him out of the house, only showing up at meals and for sleep. Not that Arthur cared.
Whenever he was asked about what he was doing, by either Elizaveta or Roderich, because Arthur didn’t care, Alfred would respond with “Nothing.” Not that Arthur cared.
Arthur hadn’t seen him at all today, although Elizaveta claimed he stopped in for a bite to each around lunchtime. It was almost midnight and he still hadn’t come home.
Not that Arthur cared.
He was currently reading in the sitting room, as opposed to his bed room or study upstairs where he usually did. This was only because there was a bird squawking loudly in the tree that happened to be located right outside both his room and the study, not because the sitting room was situated close enough to the front door that he’d be able to hear if anyone came in.
At around midnight the door finally did open, disturbing him from his book, of course, because he hadn’t been waiting for that to happen for the past few hours. Arthur slammed his book shut and stormed into the hallway to find Alfred leaning against the wall, clutching is shoulder and staring at him.
“A-Arthur, what are you doing up?” he asked.
Arthur crossed his arms and glared, “I could ask the same of you. Do you have any idea what time it is?”
“Nothing,” he pushed himself off the wall and walked past him, “It doesn’t matter.”
“Like hell it doesn’t!” Arthur grabbed Alfred’s shoulder, causing him to wince, “You’ve been disappearing every night this week. Where are you going?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Alfred easily broke Arthur’s grip and looked at the ground, “I-I’ve been looking for another place to stay. This is only temporary right?”
“Alfred,” he tried to meet his eyes, but the boy was refusing to look at him. Then he noticed the black eye and the scratches on his face, “Alfred, what happened? You’re hurt.”
His eyes widened as he turned away and started up the stairs, “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing!” Arthur shouted up after him, “If you’re hurt I want to know!”
“Why?” Alfred stopped on the stairs and turned to finally look at him, “It’s not like you care what happens to me.”
“That’s not true!” Arthur had shouted before he properly thought about what he was saying, “I, I care what happens to you!”
Alfred looked away, “Well you don’t act like you do.”
Arthur was about to protest before he realized that he was right; he hadn’t acted like he cared, because he wasn’t supposed to care, was he? What did he care about some kid he just met on the street one night that he let into his home without a second thought? It was only a temporary solution, so what if Alfred had been looking for a more permanent one, and so what if he got hurt in the process?
But the truth was he did care. He cared if Alfred got hurt, he was worried when he hadn’t come home before, and he cared if he lived or died. He saw a small boy being abused by the system, similar to himself in some ways yet in others different, and couldn't help but lend a hand in the only way he could.
Arthur’s parents had died under mysterious circumstances. Even he wasn’t able to escape accusations, the fact that he barely remembered that night himself helping the more vicious rumors that spread. However, simply because he was a Kirkland and because there were no other heirs to inherit the Kirkland fortune, Arthur was left to his own devices, alone in his house with only the family butler, maid, and billions to keep him company. Throughout the rest of his childhood, however, someone was always there looking over his shoulder, waiting for him to mess up somehow and take away everything he had because he was too young or couldn’t handle being alone or just because.
So Arthur had shut them out, closed his heart, proved to the world he didn’t need anyone and could handle his billions by himself. This meant that he couldn’t throw it away on what proper society dubbed ‘useless causes,’ such as everything Arthur believed to be wrong with society and wanted to change. So he closed his heart to that too, had to watch people suffer and do nothing about it at the risk of becoming like them. Even when he officially became an adult and couldn't have his fortune taken away, he was so used to shutting everything out that he didn’t bother with childish goals anymore.
Seeing Alfred being abused by the system that was supposedly put in place to protect him had been the final straw, made him realize that even if he couldn’t change the system, he could at least help this one boy.
Whether he wanted it or not, Alfred had already broken down all the barriers Arthur had painstakingly spent most of his life setting up with just a glance.
“Come on,” Arthur extended a hand to Alfred, “Let me fix you up.”
Alfred hesitated but took the hand and allowed himself to be led back downstairs to the bathroom. Arthur sat him on the toilet as he rifled through the medicine cabinet above the sink, pulling out the first aid supplies as he located them. When he was done, he turned to Alfred and asked, “Where does it hurt?”
Alfred pointed at his eye, “Here, and,” moved his finger to his shoulder, “here,” and finally rested it on his knee, “here.”
Arthur nodded, “Take off your shirt and roll up your pants.”
“Why?”
“Just do it,” he sighed as he left the bathroom, “I’ll get you an ice pack for your eye.”
One trip to the freezer in the kitchen later, Arthur returned to find a shirtless, pouting Alfred sitting on the toilet, noticed that he shoulder was heavily bruised and that his knee was covered in blood.
“Damn it Alfred,” he sighed as he grabbed his discarded shirt and used it to wrap up the ice pack before handing it to him, “Cover your eye with this.”
He obeyed as Arthur examined his shoulder, “You’ll need another one for this,” he decided as he gently grabbed his arm and experimented with moving it. Alfred let out a sharp hiss. “I think it’s dislocated. Hang on, this might hurt a bit.” He popped it back in place, causing Alfred to let out a small scream.
“Ow! That hurt more than a bit!” Alfred shouted.
Arthur smiled and rubbed his head, “Sorry, but it feels a bit better now doesn’t it?”
Alfred nodded in agreement as Arthur grabbed a washcloth and ran it under some warm water. “I’m sorry, by the way. If I gave of the impression I don’t care about you, that is.”
“Yeah, well,” he looked away as Arthur got on his knees to properly treat the wound on his knee, “I’m just temporary right? No need to get attached to me.”
“That’s not,” he dabbed the washcloth on his knee to clean up the blood, “That’s not, what I meant. I, don't necessarily want you to leave just yet. You can stay as long as you want.”
“Really?” Arthur nodded and saw Alfred smile a little before the both turned away and an awkward silence invaded the room.
“So,” Arthur asked as he stood up and tossed the washcloth into the sink, “What, exactly happened? What have you been doing?” Alfred looked away as if ashamed and started playing with the hem of his shirt, “I won’t judge you, I’m just curious.”
“I was, um,” his face went red as he stared firmly out the window, “l-looking for Mattie.”
“Mattie?” Arthur grabbed the antiseptic and a plaster before kneeling back on the floor, “Who’s that?”
“He was - is, my brother,” Alfred started picking at his elbow, “Or, uh, as close to a brother as I can have.”
“Oh,” Arthur froze just as he was about to spray his knee. He shook himself out of it before applying the antiseptic, making Alfred hiss in pain.
“He was at the home with me and, he ran too,” Alfred gripped his arm tightly, forgetting his strength for a moment before loosening it, “They came for him, just before me, but his power’s invisibility so, so he’s still out there! Mattie was a master of hide and seek, so there’s no way they found him!” he looked right into Arthur’s eyes, as if he doubted his statement.
In reality, even if the he had invisibility powers, the chances that he had evaded capture this long were slim to none. The Department of Homeland Protection had other Supers under their employ, raised from childhood, trained to track down young, unregistered Supers, invisible or not.
Instead of crushing Alfred’s hopes, he smiled and nodded, “Right, but how did you get so hurt?” he asked as he unwrapped the plaster and placed it on his knee.
“I ran into some guys who…weren’t very nice,” he admitted sheepishly.
“That’s…” he sighed as he patted Alfred’s knee and smiled up at him, “Try not to fight too much, you could hurt someone more then you mean to with strength like yours.”
“Y-yeah,” Alfred scratched his cheek and shifted the ice pack on his eye, avoiding Arthur’s gaze.
Arthur wasn’t very good at this guardian thing. Alfred was troubled and he had no idea what do to make him smile again. An idea struck him, and before he could second guess himself, Arthur leaned forward and placed a light kiss on the plaster on Alfred’s knee. He felt Alfred stiffen and his own cheeks heat up as he stood and placed another kiss on his shoulder and one more on the ice pack covering his eye.
“T-to help with the healing,” Arthur cleared his throat and explained, “Kisses make things like that better.”
“Y-yeah, I guess. Thanks Arthur,” Arthur looked over to see Alfred blushing almost as much as he was.
“A-anyway, let’s get you that ice pack for your shoulder,” he offered Alfred his hand, which he instantly took, and pulled him to his feet to led him to the kitchen.
Maybe Elizaveta was right. Maybe he did need to take care of Alfred as much as Alfred needed Arthur to take care of him. It would take time but maybe, just maybe, Arthur had finally found someone to let into his heart.
Hopefully this time he wouldn’t regret it.
Part 3
Characters: England, America, Hungary, Austria, mentions of Canada
Rating/Warnings: PG-13. Sorta X-men-universe crossoverish kinda sorta except I call 'mutants' 'supers' so maybe The Incredibles crossoverish kinda sorta? Point is, some people have superpowers. And it's a pseudo-police state. Mild Language.
Summary: Arthur doesn't care about anyone, because he doesn't need anyone, he's perfectly alright by himself. But when Alfred comes home hurt, maybe a change of heart is in order.
Part 1
Arthur Kirkland never liked his parents all that much. Although he never wished them dead, he wasn’t entirely upset when it happened. They were not nice people and everyone was aware of this fact. So when Arthur Kirkland showed up at the Bureau of Super Human Control to register ‘Alfred Kirkland,’ it wasn’t too much of a stretch for the government officials to believe that the late Mr. Kirkland had a bastard child that he and his wife kept locked up in some room or another in that large house on the hill.
The hundreds that Arthur had slipped in with the paperwork might have helped a bit too.
Explaining Alfred away to the government/public was the easy part. Explaining him to his maid and butler was a Herculean challenge.
Elizaveta Hedervary and Roderich Edelstein had been with his family since before he was born. They’d watched him grow up, from a whiney, fussy infant to a whiney, fussy teenager, and they knew almost as much as Arthur about the Kirkland family. So when the young master brought home an even younger boy, they were…concerned to say the least.
“You can’t just bring people home!” Roderich had sighed and adjusted his glasses when they discussed the matter after dinner that night, “you’re always doing things like this, Idiot.”
“He’s certainly a bit more lively then the cats,” Elizaveta had giggled, “Did you see the way he scoffed down his food? Poor kid must have been starving.”
“This is a bit different then Master Kirkland bringing home a stray cat!” he barked, “Alfred is a living human! Not only that, he’s a Super to boot! Did you even properly think this over when you decided to adopt him?”
“Who said anything about adoption?” Arthur huffed and tapped his foot against his chair, “I just agreed to register him and let him stay here for a few days until he figures out what to do next. No one said anything about this being a permanent thing.”
“Oh,” Elizaveta looked upset, “and I was looking forward to having young Master Alfred as part of the family.”
“That’s even worse!” Roderich sighed and leaned his head in his hand, “Master Kirkland, I’ve put up with a lot of your stunts in the past and am willing to continue doing so in the future, but this, right now there is no word that adequately describes how utterly idiotic you are being right now.”
“Really?” he raised an eyebrow, “Pray tell Roderich, what is it this time you don’t like?”
“Do you even have any idea what it means to accept guardianship over young Alfred?”
“The state just wants someone to pay for damages Supers cause,” Arthur shrugged, “I have a few millions lying around I’m not using. Why not set them aside for Alfred?”
“I’m not asking you what the state wants from you as a guardian,” Roderich stood and walked to the doorway, stopping to turn back and say, “I’m asking if you understand what it means to Alfred that you’re his guardian. Elizaveta, explain it to him.” And with that he left the kitchen.
“What’s got his panties in a twist?” Arthur huffed as he crossed his arms and sunk lower into his chair.
“He’s just worried about you,” Elizaveta smiled at him, “He always is, and Alfred now too, I suppose. Arthur-”
“The state just wants to be sure they can be compensated incase he breaks something. I can do that,” Arthur stood and made to leave the kitchen as well, “This, him staying here with me, it’s just temporary. He knows that, and he’s okay with that.”
“That’s a shame,” Elizaveta stood and stretched her arms above her head before pushing past Arthur out of the kitchen. She stopped just before leaving and leaned in to say, “I think he could be good for you.”
“He’s only 12 years old,” Arthur huffed and looked away, “Hardly an appropriate companion for me.”
“Oh Arthur, you pervert,” his cheeks went red as she giggled, “I meant, looking after someone else. Caring for someone other than yourself, even if it’s just having another human contact other than Roderiech and me. It would be good for you.”
“I don’t need other people,” he glared at her, “I’m grateful for you and Roderich for taking care of me when my parents died, even before that really, but I’m perfectly capable of doing things on my own now.”
“I do wonder though; there are hundreds of unregistered Supers, some of them not even orphans, simply abandoned. Why did you choose to help him?” she smiled sadly at him as she turned whispering, “Sometimes it’s not only about you, Master Arthur,” as she left.
Arthur frowned in the direction she’d left. He’d never liked the current treatment of Supers, both of them knew that, but due to time constraints and lack of experience with these matters, he’d never gotten much of a chance to make huge difference in the way the government handled them. Of course he’d help out an unregistered Super the way he did. It was the least he could do to try and counter some of the unfairness in the poor kid’s life.
He didn’t particularly care what happened to Alfred after he left his house. By agreeing to pay for whatever damages he did with his powers, Arthur was simply correcting the injustices that weren’t the boy’s fault. It wasn’t Alfred’s fault he had abnormal strength, and it wasn’t his fault that that was enough of a reason for the state to hate him, deny him basic human liberties just because he was on his own. If he had been any other orphaned child the state wouldn’t have given two shits what he did with himself, but just because of that one little factor he wasn’t allowed to make any of his own decisions.
Not that he cared about Alfred or he decisions, Arthur furrowed his eyebrows as he left the kitchen and made his way upstairs as well. With this arrangement, Arthur had just essentially given Alfred the freedom to do whatever the hell he pleased. He could go rob every bank in the city and as long as Arthur could pay the compensation (and he could), no one, especially Arthur, would bat an eyelash. That’s how the system worked.
Yes, sponsoring Alfred was just Arthur’s way of making the statement he’d been looking to make for ages. He didn’t care about the boy himself, and he certainly didn’t need him, no matter what nosy butlers and maids thought otherwise.
-*~-*~
Alfred had spent most of the week since Arthur had registered him out of the house, only showing up at meals and for sleep. Not that Arthur cared.
Whenever he was asked about what he was doing, by either Elizaveta or Roderich, because Arthur didn’t care, Alfred would respond with “Nothing.” Not that Arthur cared.
Arthur hadn’t seen him at all today, although Elizaveta claimed he stopped in for a bite to each around lunchtime. It was almost midnight and he still hadn’t come home.
Not that Arthur cared.
He was currently reading in the sitting room, as opposed to his bed room or study upstairs where he usually did. This was only because there was a bird squawking loudly in the tree that happened to be located right outside both his room and the study, not because the sitting room was situated close enough to the front door that he’d be able to hear if anyone came in.
At around midnight the door finally did open, disturbing him from his book, of course, because he hadn’t been waiting for that to happen for the past few hours. Arthur slammed his book shut and stormed into the hallway to find Alfred leaning against the wall, clutching is shoulder and staring at him.
“A-Arthur, what are you doing up?” he asked.
Arthur crossed his arms and glared, “I could ask the same of you. Do you have any idea what time it is?”
“Nothing,” he pushed himself off the wall and walked past him, “It doesn’t matter.”
“Like hell it doesn’t!” Arthur grabbed Alfred’s shoulder, causing him to wince, “You’ve been disappearing every night this week. Where are you going?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Alfred easily broke Arthur’s grip and looked at the ground, “I-I’ve been looking for another place to stay. This is only temporary right?”
“Alfred,” he tried to meet his eyes, but the boy was refusing to look at him. Then he noticed the black eye and the scratches on his face, “Alfred, what happened? You’re hurt.”
His eyes widened as he turned away and started up the stairs, “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing!” Arthur shouted up after him, “If you’re hurt I want to know!”
“Why?” Alfred stopped on the stairs and turned to finally look at him, “It’s not like you care what happens to me.”
“That’s not true!” Arthur had shouted before he properly thought about what he was saying, “I, I care what happens to you!”
Alfred looked away, “Well you don’t act like you do.”
Arthur was about to protest before he realized that he was right; he hadn’t acted like he cared, because he wasn’t supposed to care, was he? What did he care about some kid he just met on the street one night that he let into his home without a second thought? It was only a temporary solution, so what if Alfred had been looking for a more permanent one, and so what if he got hurt in the process?
But the truth was he did care. He cared if Alfred got hurt, he was worried when he hadn’t come home before, and he cared if he lived or died. He saw a small boy being abused by the system, similar to himself in some ways yet in others different, and couldn't help but lend a hand in the only way he could.
Arthur’s parents had died under mysterious circumstances. Even he wasn’t able to escape accusations, the fact that he barely remembered that night himself helping the more vicious rumors that spread. However, simply because he was a Kirkland and because there were no other heirs to inherit the Kirkland fortune, Arthur was left to his own devices, alone in his house with only the family butler, maid, and billions to keep him company. Throughout the rest of his childhood, however, someone was always there looking over his shoulder, waiting for him to mess up somehow and take away everything he had because he was too young or couldn’t handle being alone or just because.
So Arthur had shut them out, closed his heart, proved to the world he didn’t need anyone and could handle his billions by himself. This meant that he couldn’t throw it away on what proper society dubbed ‘useless causes,’ such as everything Arthur believed to be wrong with society and wanted to change. So he closed his heart to that too, had to watch people suffer and do nothing about it at the risk of becoming like them. Even when he officially became an adult and couldn't have his fortune taken away, he was so used to shutting everything out that he didn’t bother with childish goals anymore.
Seeing Alfred being abused by the system that was supposedly put in place to protect him had been the final straw, made him realize that even if he couldn’t change the system, he could at least help this one boy.
Whether he wanted it or not, Alfred had already broken down all the barriers Arthur had painstakingly spent most of his life setting up with just a glance.
“Come on,” Arthur extended a hand to Alfred, “Let me fix you up.”
Alfred hesitated but took the hand and allowed himself to be led back downstairs to the bathroom. Arthur sat him on the toilet as he rifled through the medicine cabinet above the sink, pulling out the first aid supplies as he located them. When he was done, he turned to Alfred and asked, “Where does it hurt?”
Alfred pointed at his eye, “Here, and,” moved his finger to his shoulder, “here,” and finally rested it on his knee, “here.”
Arthur nodded, “Take off your shirt and roll up your pants.”
“Why?”
“Just do it,” he sighed as he left the bathroom, “I’ll get you an ice pack for your eye.”
One trip to the freezer in the kitchen later, Arthur returned to find a shirtless, pouting Alfred sitting on the toilet, noticed that he shoulder was heavily bruised and that his knee was covered in blood.
“Damn it Alfred,” he sighed as he grabbed his discarded shirt and used it to wrap up the ice pack before handing it to him, “Cover your eye with this.”
He obeyed as Arthur examined his shoulder, “You’ll need another one for this,” he decided as he gently grabbed his arm and experimented with moving it. Alfred let out a sharp hiss. “I think it’s dislocated. Hang on, this might hurt a bit.” He popped it back in place, causing Alfred to let out a small scream.
“Ow! That hurt more than a bit!” Alfred shouted.
Arthur smiled and rubbed his head, “Sorry, but it feels a bit better now doesn’t it?”
Alfred nodded in agreement as Arthur grabbed a washcloth and ran it under some warm water. “I’m sorry, by the way. If I gave of the impression I don’t care about you, that is.”
“Yeah, well,” he looked away as Arthur got on his knees to properly treat the wound on his knee, “I’m just temporary right? No need to get attached to me.”
“That’s not,” he dabbed the washcloth on his knee to clean up the blood, “That’s not, what I meant. I, don't necessarily want you to leave just yet. You can stay as long as you want.”
“Really?” Arthur nodded and saw Alfred smile a little before the both turned away and an awkward silence invaded the room.
“So,” Arthur asked as he stood up and tossed the washcloth into the sink, “What, exactly happened? What have you been doing?” Alfred looked away as if ashamed and started playing with the hem of his shirt, “I won’t judge you, I’m just curious.”
“I was, um,” his face went red as he stared firmly out the window, “l-looking for Mattie.”
“Mattie?” Arthur grabbed the antiseptic and a plaster before kneeling back on the floor, “Who’s that?”
“He was - is, my brother,” Alfred started picking at his elbow, “Or, uh, as close to a brother as I can have.”
“Oh,” Arthur froze just as he was about to spray his knee. He shook himself out of it before applying the antiseptic, making Alfred hiss in pain.
“He was at the home with me and, he ran too,” Alfred gripped his arm tightly, forgetting his strength for a moment before loosening it, “They came for him, just before me, but his power’s invisibility so, so he’s still out there! Mattie was a master of hide and seek, so there’s no way they found him!” he looked right into Arthur’s eyes, as if he doubted his statement.
In reality, even if the he had invisibility powers, the chances that he had evaded capture this long were slim to none. The Department of Homeland Protection had other Supers under their employ, raised from childhood, trained to track down young, unregistered Supers, invisible or not.
Instead of crushing Alfred’s hopes, he smiled and nodded, “Right, but how did you get so hurt?” he asked as he unwrapped the plaster and placed it on his knee.
“I ran into some guys who…weren’t very nice,” he admitted sheepishly.
“That’s…” he sighed as he patted Alfred’s knee and smiled up at him, “Try not to fight too much, you could hurt someone more then you mean to with strength like yours.”
“Y-yeah,” Alfred scratched his cheek and shifted the ice pack on his eye, avoiding Arthur’s gaze.
Arthur wasn’t very good at this guardian thing. Alfred was troubled and he had no idea what do to make him smile again. An idea struck him, and before he could second guess himself, Arthur leaned forward and placed a light kiss on the plaster on Alfred’s knee. He felt Alfred stiffen and his own cheeks heat up as he stood and placed another kiss on his shoulder and one more on the ice pack covering his eye.
“T-to help with the healing,” Arthur cleared his throat and explained, “Kisses make things like that better.”
“Y-yeah, I guess. Thanks Arthur,” Arthur looked over to see Alfred blushing almost as much as he was.
“A-anyway, let’s get you that ice pack for your shoulder,” he offered Alfred his hand, which he instantly took, and pulled him to his feet to led him to the kitchen.
Maybe Elizaveta was right. Maybe he did need to take care of Alfred as much as Alfred needed Arthur to take care of him. It would take time but maybe, just maybe, Arthur had finally found someone to let into his heart.
Hopefully this time he wouldn’t regret it.
Part 3