Re: Love The Way Tou Lie (1b)
anonymous
November 7 2010, 20:43:50 UTC
He's stumbling over his words a lot. He never does that. And he only does it when he looks at me! He looks really sad. He's playing with his clothes a lot, like touching the collar and loosening the tie every once in a while before tightening it again. He's totally nervous. I wonder what it is. I should find out! And fix it! 'Cause I'm a hero. Hell yeah.
After the meeting, when Arthur was packing up his presentation and the rest of the nations had left, Alfred walked up to Arthur with a bright smile. "Are you okay?"
Arthur jerked in surprise, as though he hadn't heard Alfred's ever-loud approach and nodded quickly. "Of course I am, twit," he said sharply, closing his briefcase with a snap, the sound seeming final. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Alfred frowned a little bit. Seeing Arthur up close made for a really unsettling view. Arthur had lost some weight, his face looking a little pinched, and there were circles under his eyes that had been hidden by makeup. However, Arthur had sweated some to reveal the circles when the makeup faded. His eyes were jumpy too, looking everywhere before settling on Alfred with a frosty gaze.
"Hey, I'm just worried," Alfred laughed, bringing a hand up to scratch the back of his neck, gloves doing a poor job but, hey, leather gloves looked badass, so it was worth it.
Arthur's expression softened or a moment, but only a moment, and then he was back to angry. "Well, I'm fine."
"Hey, Arty...." Alfred began, looking down awkwardly and shifting his weight from foot to foot, hands fiddling together. What was a good way to get Arthur to 'fess up? Get close to him! But he couldn't exactly be bros with him... well, everybody said that Arthur liked him. Maybe he could date him, find what was wrong, fix it, and then he'd be happy and Alfred would have done his good hero deed! Yeah!
"Will you be my boyfriend?" He asked with a slight flush. Sure, he was doing it for Arty, but... but it was still embarrassing! What if Arthur said no? What if his president found out?! Oh, well, not like his boss would really care, but what if the people found out? They'd get so mad! And Alfred wasn't exactly comfortable with it to begin with, after all, gay marriage was still banned. Not that he would mind if it wasn't! But Alfred just wasn't really all that sure of the whole gay thing. He got past calling people "Faggots" at least. So that was an improvement. Because apparently, people could hate homosexuals, but damn, insult them and you're fucked!
"Yes," Arthur replied simply as he swept papers into another briefcase without looking up from the table.
Alfred's thoughts ground to a halt. "Wait, really?" His eyes widened a little. He hadn't expected it to be so easy!
"Yes, really, git, now let's go on a proper date. If you even dare to think that a fast food restaurant is proper date fare I will strangle you until you die."
Alfred gave a silly grin. "Nah! We'll go somewhere nice!" He promised, embracing Arthur with a big bear hug, picking him off of the ground and ignoring Arthur's flailing and angry snipping. Even as he smiled though, on the inside, Alfred frowned. Arthur didn't weigh enough and his clothes hid the fact that he was a lot thinner.
Something was really, really wrong.
I hope I didn't do anything to disappoint anybody! D:
Love The Way Tou Lie (2)
anonymous
November 8 2010, 22:49:51 UTC
I have been inspired to write chapter two quickly~! :3
Alfred smiled as he waited for the door to open, holding a bouquet of flowers for Arthur and wanting to see him smile. Something was still wrong-- Arthur was still thin, still jumpy (moreso, now, really), and looked crazy tired. It was so weird. He knocked once more, the door shaking from the accidental force and he winced when he saw indents in the fine wood of the door. Arthur was going to be angry.
The door flew open and Arthur ducked back in the room, just barely peeking out, eyes almost hidden. "Get in!" He hissed in his crisp accent. "Quickly!"
Alfred blinked, but walked inside at a normal pace in direct contradiction to Arthur's request, confused. The door was slammed closed quickly and Arthur shook as he heard the house quiver form the force. Alfred tilted his head, brows furrowing. "Arthur, what's wrong...?"
Arthur shook his head furiously, silent for a moment as he shook. After a few beats passed, he seemed to crumple into himself and darted forward to cling to Alfred, burying his head in Alfred's chest. "Oh, Alfred, I'm so afraid..."
Alfred embraced him tightly, setting down the flowers. "What's wrong, babe?" he asked softly, petting Arthur's head gently, nuzzling his hair. "Tell me please."
Arthur merely buried his head in Alfred's chest as though trying to hide, the large bomber jacket hiding him almost. Alfred merely let it go, so confused. What happened? Did his faerie things die or leave him or something? Did he curse somebody? Fuck it was bad if Arthur was doing this. "You'll be here for me forever, won't you?" he asked finally, raising a tear-soaked face to meet Alfred's eyes, those green eyes shining.
Alfred blinked, confused and slightly awkward. He was alwasy terrible with crying people and a crying Arthur was even worse. After all, it was the man who raised him. And here he was... crying. Alfred merely nodded weakly. "Of course, babe..."
Arthur clung tighter, pale knuckles turning white from holding so tight to Alfred's shirt. "Promise? Forever? And you'll never leave me again, will you? You're all I have left of my empire. Nobody cares about me. I'm collapsed, so weak, I'm nothing anymore. Nobody wants me around. I only have you, only ever you. I need you, Alfred, so much. You can't ever leave me."
Alfred raised an eyebrow but nodded, puzzled. "Of course. I'm here for you forever, 'cause I'm a hero."
Arthur clung tightly. "I knew I could count on you. You'd never leave me again. I love you. I love you so much, Alfred. So much."
Alfred continued petting him gently, worried. He felt Arthur shaking and more tears falling. After a short time, he couldn't help it-- his attention wandered. He looked around curiously, seeing a newspaper with a bold headline; LONDON KILLER STRIKES AGAIN. He frowned. There was a killer? And Arthur hadn't complained about him? Weird. Then again, something was wrong with Arthur. Maybe he was remembering the past and the War of Independence or something.
That had to be it, Alfred decided. He'd just have to prove to him that he'd never leave and he'd fix him right up! And then he could really get a closer look at that one girl at the Starbucks who was giving him the eye. She was really pretty, he remembered even as he kissed the top of the short male's head and murmured gently, "I'll never go away, 'cause heroes never leave somebody that needs them."
Maybe next time he went to Starbucks, he should get a really crazy order, he mused. Just to see her look confused, 'cause that was cute. Maybe casually get her number...
AuthorAnon2 livens up the plot~! :3 I hope you guys are liking it so far~ Short chapter is short. D: Captcha also hints. drelti positivity Or I'm just making verbal plays off of nothing. Iunno. <<;
Love The Way Tou Lie (3)
anonymous
November 16 2010, 23:33:30 UTC
A few days later, Alfred was once again at Arthur's home, the large-browed male having seemingly calmed. At least, he didn't repeat his freak out. He stuck his hands in his pockets thoughtlessly, bored, feeling a paper in the pocket of his bomber jacket. He smiled slyly, then brought his hands back out as he craned his neck to look out the window.
He made sure to hear the car start up and drive off before heaving his feet up onto the table and leaning on the legs of the chair precariously, comfortable as he grabbed the newspaper and read about the murders.
The first murder was conducted at late night on the twenty-second of May, the victim seeming to be asleep on the street. However, when a passer-by had shaken the young man, he did not awaken, prompting a scared call to 911. The male, whose name will not be released, was young, late teens to early twenties with short blond hair and blue eyes as well as glasses. He was of a strong build. The cause of death was later identified as carbon monoxide poisoning, a painless method of murder. More puzzling yet, the male was adjusted after death to look as though he were sleeping. The murderer is still at large and...
Alfred flicked through to find the information on the other murders, too bored to read it word for word. Phrases leapt out to him. ...another blond, blue eyed male... young, killed painlessly... Males living in London are told to be on the lookout for a small, lithe killer...some reports say the killer has a Scottish accent, the others Irish, still more Welsh, and even English...
Alfred yawned and stretched for a short moment before setting the paper down. That was just weird. There was some pictures of the killed teens and young adults and they were all creepily like Alfred. All were American, too. He paused, then flicked the paper to read the continuation on the next page.
As July approaches, the murders have gotten increasingly violent. At first the deaths were painless and almost perversely loving, but the latest murders have gotten gruesome. The last male killed, number 5, was reportedly bashed over the head with a heavy object, causing his skull to shatter. The body was also ruined, cuts and gashes everywhere. There seems to be an air of a final date looming, forensic psychologists say, and if the murderer is not caught by that date, he or she may never be found.
He shivered before turning away to see Arthur returning, smiling as he returned to a proper sitting pose that wouldn't get him a smack to the head for balancing improperly on the chair.
"Hey, Arty!" He greeted.
Chapter 4 will be posted in a few seconds, so fear not for the super short chapter of plotness!!
Love The Way Tou Lie (4a)
anonymous
November 16 2010, 23:40:11 UTC
Arthur looked up with a jerk from the paper bag of groceries he held, surprised to see Alfred still in his home. He quickly glanced about before noting to himself that Alfred, unlike his last visit, has not toyed with his knick-knacks and broken them. Good.
"Hello," he said simply with a slight quaver to his tone, setting the bag on the kitchen counter and glancing to Alfred sitting at the dinner table. "What have you been doing?"
Alfred grinned and stretched lazily, making an odd noise. "Readin' the paper."
"Ah?" Arthur asked as he pulled out a new knife set, the plastic irritatingly isolating the blades from each other. He pulled the empty knife block closer to himself and began slotting the knives into their respective places. "What were you reading about?"
Alfred shrugged. "Just the London murders," he answered with an air of curiosity. "How come you never told me about them?"
The steak knife slid into its slot with a heavy thud, as though Arthur had let go too early and it fell into place. He spun, looking slightly scared. "They're nothing important. Don't talk about them. I don't like them," he spat out quickly. "It's not an appropriate topic at a dinner table. Now get along and go home."
Alfred's brow furrowed. "Arty, you okay? You seem kinda... spazzy." He frowned, taking note of Arthur's posture. Yeah, he could read the atmosphere, he just usually didn't want to, but right now, it looked like it needed it.
Arthur's hands were clasped on the edging of the countertop, knuckles white from a tight grip, his muscles were tense and his eyes had an odd gleam to them. Plus he was talking really fast. Something was up. Arthur snapped his neck to the side, a characteristic scowl on his features as he brought his arms up (shakily) to cross them. "Shut your gob, git. You speak of things that you know nothing of."
Alfred for his part, stood up and walked over, putting his hands on Arthur's shoulders. Arthur was...shaking. Alfred's frown deepened. "Arty? What's going on?"
Arthur shivered, eyes closing almost painfully and he bit his lip. "They deserve it. They were bad children that ran away from their fathers."
Alfred was taken aback, blinking hard, hands loosening on Arthur. Arthur turned around and calmly began to place the rest of the knives into place. It was silent but for the soft thuds of the knives clicking into place, measuring the time in sharp staccato.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
"Arthur, did you kill them?"
The final knife slid from Arthur's grasp to clatter on the granite countertop, luckily not cutting the pale man. His shoulders tensed, rising like hackles, and he kept facing away. His tone was pure ice as he spoke. "Of course not," he answered. "I would make a mess if I did, and gentlemen don't make messes that they cannot clean up."
Alfred hesitated. "Arty, why do they all look like me?"
Arthur froze. "They don't," he replied shortly.
Alfred glanced about the kitchen, gleaming and shining new. "Why did you get new knives?"
"My old ones were dull and needed replacing."
Alfred frowned. "But they were those Miracle blades, the ones that last forever..."
Arthur laughed once, very forced. "Obviously not." He turned slowly and deliberately, then cupped Alfred's chin. "You believe me, don't you?"
Alfred chuckled weakly, looking very unsure. "Of course, Arty."
"Good boy." Arthur reached up on his tip-toes for a kiss, slipping his hands into Alfred's pockets as Alfred embraced him in return. The kiss stopped suddenly, Arthur's experienced lips freezing. Alfred pulled away, confused.
"What is it?" He asked, frowning.
Arthur's gaze was focused on the pocket, his hand touching the object he had found away from sight curiously. He pulled it out and Alfred paled noticeably. It was the paper he'd put in there from the other day. It was the number of the girl from Starbucks.
Love The Way Tou Lie (42)
anonymous
November 16 2010, 23:40:41 UTC
Arthur slowly unfolded the scrap of paper to see very feminine writing, curly and loopy. A name and a phone number. He kept staring at it for a few minutes, Alfred feeling more and more uncomfortable with the icy feeling Arthur exuded.
"You got a girl's phone number?" He asked lowly.
Alfred shifted his weight from one leg to another. "It was totally forced on me, man," he lied poorly. Arthur didn't miss the tell-tale signs of a liar-- it was impossible for Alfred to lie to him. He had raised the boy from a wee babe. There was nothing Arthur did not know.
"You lie."
Alfred laughed, trying to lighten the situation that suddenly felt sharply dangerous. Alfred's gaze flickered to the counter, looking for the butcher knife that had fallen there.
It was gone.
He swallowed nervously. "Of course not. Heroes don't lie."
"And gentlemen don't kill people."
Alfred stood still, processing that thought in his mind slowly. "I thought they didn't...?" He asked after a minute, wary and getting ready to run. Sure, he could overpower Arthur, but Arthur was a scrapper and had been in many more fights than the American. He had the upper hand.
"Pirates do."
As the meaning of the sentence began to dawn on Alfred, a pair of lips attacked his own savagely, and a sharp blade was placed at his neck.
Shit.
Yay! Second to last chapter. :3 I hope everybody likes it so far~ Also, a note. Miracle Blades are some random knives sold on infomercials that are supposedly the more wicked sharp knives ever. I don't know about that, the the infomercial had the knives cutting steel pipes like a saw and a tomato dropped on the blade was cut perfectly in two.
Duuuuddeee, that's the crazist update I've seen yet! Even scarier when the newspaper described the similar victimology! D': Also I love the climatic dark suspense you've build, but I hate it you've left an awesome cliffhanger too.
AN UPDATE IS A MUST. BECAUSE CRAZY POSSESSIVE PIRATE!ARTHUR IS MY FAVORITE ;D Its been a long time since I've seen those Miracle Blade infomercials, but I wondered if they are really sharp. Seems too good to be true.
Re: Love The Way Tou Lie (42)
anonymous
November 17 2010, 01:31:33 UTC
"They deserve it. They were bad children that ran away from their fathers."
THAT LINE. Oh man, this is getting good. Arthur's motives are bone-chillingly in-character, and the last part was hot. Keep up the great work, I always look forward to these updates!
Re: Love The Way Tou Lie (42)
anonymous
November 17 2010, 02:22:26 UTC
I should not be sympathizing with the killer omigod what is wrong with me?! But Alfred....why did you have to be going after girls' phone numbers? I almost feel like he deserves punishment. Not death, but....
In short, you're making me sympathize with both of them with your awesome writing; I feel like half a crazy person. Characterization, why so great with your logical(ish) motives?! Clearly, the solution is to write more! :3 *camps out here*
After the meeting, when Arthur was packing up his presentation and the rest of the nations had left, Alfred walked up to Arthur with a bright smile. "Are you okay?"
Arthur jerked in surprise, as though he hadn't heard Alfred's ever-loud approach and nodded quickly. "Of course I am, twit," he said sharply, closing his briefcase with a snap, the sound seeming final. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Alfred frowned a little bit. Seeing Arthur up close made for a really unsettling view. Arthur had lost some weight, his face looking a little pinched, and there were circles under his eyes that had been hidden by makeup. However, Arthur had sweated some to reveal the circles when the makeup faded. His eyes were jumpy too, looking everywhere before settling on Alfred with a frosty gaze.
"Hey, I'm just worried," Alfred laughed, bringing a hand up to scratch the back of his neck, gloves doing a poor job but, hey, leather gloves looked badass, so it was worth it.
Arthur's expression softened or a moment, but only a moment, and then he was back to angry. "Well, I'm fine."
"Hey, Arty...." Alfred began, looking down awkwardly and shifting his weight from foot to foot, hands fiddling together. What was a good way to get Arthur to 'fess up? Get close to him! But he couldn't exactly be bros with him... well, everybody said that Arthur liked him. Maybe he could date him, find what was wrong, fix it, and then he'd be happy and Alfred would have done his good hero deed! Yeah!
"Will you be my boyfriend?" He asked with a slight flush. Sure, he was doing it for Arty, but... but it was still embarrassing! What if Arthur said no? What if his president found out?! Oh, well, not like his boss would really care, but what if the people found out? They'd get so mad! And Alfred wasn't exactly comfortable with it to begin with, after all, gay marriage was still banned. Not that he would mind if it wasn't! But Alfred just wasn't really all that sure of the whole gay thing. He got past calling people "Faggots" at least. So that was an improvement. Because apparently, people could hate homosexuals, but damn, insult them and you're fucked!
"Yes," Arthur replied simply as he swept papers into another briefcase without looking up from the table.
Alfred's thoughts ground to a halt. "Wait, really?" His eyes widened a little. He hadn't expected it to be so easy!
"Yes, really, git, now let's go on a proper date. If you even dare to think that a fast food restaurant is proper date fare I will strangle you until you die."
Alfred gave a silly grin. "Nah! We'll go somewhere nice!" He promised, embracing Arthur with a big bear hug, picking him off of the ground and ignoring Arthur's flailing and angry snipping. Even as he smiled though, on the inside, Alfred frowned. Arthur didn't weigh enough and his clothes hid the fact that he was a lot thinner.
Something was really, really wrong.
I hope I didn't do anything to disappoint anybody! D:
Reply
I was very pleased when I figured out it's Arthur with the dark secret instead!
"If you even dare to think that a fast food restaurant is proper date fare I will strangle you until you die." As if that wasn't a big hint enough..
AGHH I implore you to continue this! ...please?
Reply
Oh yes. Arthur seems more like the type to snap to me~
Of course. :3 It's also just Arthur's attitude. XD
I will~! :3 I have it all plotted out and everything. I know how long it'll be, too~!
Reply
But oh my, Alfred really is quite attentive when it comes to Arthur, isn't he? XD
Reply
Alfred smiled as he waited for the door to open, holding a bouquet of flowers for Arthur and wanting to see him smile. Something was still wrong-- Arthur was still thin, still jumpy (moreso, now, really), and looked crazy tired. It was so weird. He knocked once more, the door shaking from the accidental force and he winced when he saw indents in the fine wood of the door. Arthur was going to be angry.
The door flew open and Arthur ducked back in the room, just barely peeking out, eyes almost hidden. "Get in!" He hissed in his crisp accent. "Quickly!"
Alfred blinked, but walked inside at a normal pace in direct contradiction to Arthur's request, confused. The door was slammed closed quickly and Arthur shook as he heard the house quiver form the force. Alfred tilted his head, brows furrowing. "Arthur, what's wrong...?"
Arthur shook his head furiously, silent for a moment as he shook. After a few beats passed, he seemed to crumple into himself and darted forward to cling to Alfred, burying his head in Alfred's chest. "Oh, Alfred, I'm so afraid..."
Alfred embraced him tightly, setting down the flowers. "What's wrong, babe?" he asked softly, petting Arthur's head gently, nuzzling his hair. "Tell me please."
Arthur merely buried his head in Alfred's chest as though trying to hide, the large bomber jacket hiding him almost. Alfred merely let it go, so confused. What happened? Did his faerie things die or leave him or something? Did he curse somebody? Fuck it was bad if Arthur was doing this.
"You'll be here for me forever, won't you?" he asked finally, raising a tear-soaked face to meet Alfred's eyes, those green eyes shining.
Alfred blinked, confused and slightly awkward. He was alwasy terrible with crying people and a crying Arthur was even worse. After all, it was the man who raised him. And here he was... crying. Alfred merely nodded weakly. "Of course, babe..."
Arthur clung tighter, pale knuckles turning white from holding so tight to Alfred's shirt. "Promise? Forever? And you'll never leave me again, will you? You're all I have left of my empire. Nobody cares about me. I'm collapsed, so weak, I'm nothing anymore. Nobody wants me around. I only have you, only ever you. I need you, Alfred, so much. You can't ever leave me."
Alfred raised an eyebrow but nodded, puzzled. "Of course. I'm here for you forever, 'cause I'm a hero."
Arthur clung tightly. "I knew I could count on you. You'd never leave me again. I love you. I love you so much, Alfred. So much."
Alfred continued petting him gently, worried. He felt Arthur shaking and more tears falling. After a short time, he couldn't help it-- his attention wandered. He looked around curiously, seeing a newspaper with a bold headline; LONDON KILLER STRIKES AGAIN. He frowned. There was a killer? And Arthur hadn't complained about him? Weird. Then again, something was wrong with Arthur. Maybe he was remembering the past and the War of Independence or something.
That had to be it, Alfred decided. He'd just have to prove to him that he'd never leave and he'd fix him right up! And then he could really get a closer look at that one girl at the Starbucks who was giving him the eye. She was really pretty, he remembered even as he kissed the top of the short male's head and murmured gently, "I'll never go away, 'cause heroes never leave somebody that needs them."
Maybe next time he went to Starbucks, he should get a really crazy order, he mused. Just to see her look confused, 'cause that was cute. Maybe casually get her number...
AuthorAnon2 livens up the plot~! :3 I hope you guys are liking it so far~ Short chapter is short. D: Captcha also hints. drelti positivity Or I'm just making verbal plays off of nothing. Iunno. <<;
Reply
Reply
AuthorAnon 2, short chapter IS short but it is enough to reveal a creepy, possessive side of Arthur. That's really AWESOME of you. :D
I love to see more of that please~ :3
Reply
He made sure to hear the car start up and drive off before heaving his feet up onto the table and leaning on the legs of the chair precariously, comfortable as he grabbed the newspaper and read about the murders.
The first murder was conducted at late night on the twenty-second of May, the victim seeming to be asleep on the street. However, when a passer-by had shaken the young man, he did not awaken, prompting a scared call to 911. The male, whose name will not be released, was young, late teens to early twenties with short blond hair and blue eyes as well as glasses. He was of a strong build. The cause of death was later identified as carbon monoxide poisoning, a painless method of murder. More puzzling yet, the male was adjusted after death to look as though he were sleeping. The murderer is still at large and...
Alfred flicked through to find the information on the other murders, too bored to read it word for word. Phrases leapt out to him. ...another blond, blue eyed male... young, killed painlessly... Males living in London are told to be on the lookout for a small, lithe killer...some reports say the killer has a Scottish accent, the others Irish, still more Welsh, and even English...
Alfred yawned and stretched for a short moment before setting the paper down. That was just weird. There was some pictures of the killed teens and young adults and they were all creepily like Alfred. All were American, too. He paused, then flicked the paper to read the continuation on the next page.
As July approaches, the murders have gotten increasingly violent. At first the deaths were painless and almost perversely loving, but the latest murders have gotten gruesome. The last male killed, number 5, was reportedly bashed over the head with a heavy object, causing his skull to shatter. The body was also ruined, cuts and gashes everywhere. There seems to be an air of a final date looming, forensic psychologists say, and if the murderer is not caught by that date, he or she may never be found.
He shivered before turning away to see Arthur returning, smiling as he returned to a proper sitting pose that wouldn't get him a smack to the head for balancing improperly on the chair.
"Hey, Arty!" He greeted.
Chapter 4 will be posted in a few seconds, so fear not for the super short chapter of plotness!!
Reply
"Hello," he said simply with a slight quaver to his tone, setting the bag on the kitchen counter and glancing to Alfred sitting at the dinner table. "What have you been doing?"
Alfred grinned and stretched lazily, making an odd noise. "Readin' the paper."
"Ah?" Arthur asked as he pulled out a new knife set, the plastic irritatingly isolating the blades from each other. He pulled the empty knife block closer to himself and began slotting the knives into their respective places. "What were you reading about?"
Alfred shrugged. "Just the London murders," he answered with an air of curiosity. "How come you never told me about them?"
The steak knife slid into its slot with a heavy thud, as though Arthur had let go too early and it fell into place. He spun, looking slightly scared. "They're nothing important. Don't talk about them. I don't like them," he spat out quickly. "It's not an appropriate topic at a dinner table. Now get along and go home."
Alfred's brow furrowed. "Arty, you okay? You seem kinda... spazzy." He frowned, taking note of Arthur's posture. Yeah, he could read the atmosphere, he just usually didn't want to, but right now, it looked like it needed it.
Arthur's hands were clasped on the edging of the countertop, knuckles white from a tight grip, his muscles were tense and his eyes had an odd gleam to them. Plus he was talking really fast. Something was up.
Arthur snapped his neck to the side, a characteristic scowl on his features as he brought his arms up (shakily) to cross them. "Shut your gob, git. You speak of things that you know nothing of."
Alfred for his part, stood up and walked over, putting his hands on Arthur's shoulders. Arthur was...shaking. Alfred's frown deepened. "Arty? What's going on?"
Arthur shivered, eyes closing almost painfully and he bit his lip. "They deserve it. They were bad children that ran away from their fathers."
Alfred was taken aback, blinking hard, hands loosening on Arthur. Arthur turned around and calmly began to place the rest of the knives into place. It was silent but for the soft thuds of the knives clicking into place, measuring the time in sharp staccato.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
"Arthur, did you kill them?"
The final knife slid from Arthur's grasp to clatter on the granite countertop, luckily not cutting the pale man. His shoulders tensed, rising like hackles, and he kept facing away. His tone was pure ice as he spoke. "Of course not," he answered. "I would make a mess if I did, and gentlemen don't make messes that they cannot clean up."
Alfred hesitated. "Arty, why do they all look like me?"
Arthur froze. "They don't," he replied shortly.
Alfred glanced about the kitchen, gleaming and shining new. "Why did you get new knives?"
"My old ones were dull and needed replacing."
Alfred frowned. "But they were those Miracle blades, the ones that last forever..."
Arthur laughed once, very forced. "Obviously not." He turned slowly and deliberately, then cupped Alfred's chin. "You believe me, don't you?"
Alfred chuckled weakly, looking very unsure. "Of course, Arty."
"Good boy." Arthur reached up on his tip-toes for a kiss, slipping his hands into Alfred's pockets as Alfred embraced him in return. The kiss stopped suddenly, Arthur's experienced lips freezing. Alfred pulled away, confused.
"What is it?" He asked, frowning.
Arthur's gaze was focused on the pocket, his hand touching the object he had found away from sight curiously. He pulled it out and Alfred paled noticeably. It was the paper he'd put in there from the other day. It was the number of the girl from Starbucks.
Reply
Arthur slowly unfolded the scrap of paper to see very feminine writing, curly and loopy. A name and a phone number. He kept staring at it for a few minutes, Alfred feeling more and more uncomfortable with the icy feeling Arthur exuded.
"You got a girl's phone number?" He asked lowly.
Alfred shifted his weight from one leg to another. "It was totally forced on me, man," he lied poorly. Arthur didn't miss the tell-tale signs of a liar-- it was impossible for Alfred to lie to him. He had raised the boy from a wee babe. There was nothing Arthur did not know.
"You lie."
Alfred laughed, trying to lighten the situation that suddenly felt sharply dangerous. Alfred's gaze flickered to the counter, looking for the butcher knife that had fallen there.
It was gone.
He swallowed nervously. "Of course not. Heroes don't lie."
"And gentlemen don't kill people."
Alfred stood still, processing that thought in his mind slowly. "I thought they didn't...?" He asked after a minute, wary and getting ready to run. Sure, he could overpower Arthur, but Arthur was a scrapper and had been in many more fights than the American. He had the upper hand.
"Pirates do."
As the meaning of the sentence began to dawn on Alfred, a pair of lips attacked his own savagely, and a sharp blade was placed at his neck.
Shit.
Yay! Second to last chapter. :3 I hope everybody likes it so far~
Also, a note. Miracle Blades are some random knives sold on infomercials that are supposedly the more wicked sharp knives ever. I don't know about that, the the infomercial had the knives cutting steel pipes like a saw and a tomato dropped on the blade was cut perfectly in two.
Reply
Reply
Also I love the climatic dark suspense you've build, but I hate it you've left an awesome cliffhanger too.
AN UPDATE IS A MUST. BECAUSE CRAZY POSSESSIVE PIRATE!ARTHUR IS MY FAVORITE ;D
Its been a long time since I've seen those Miracle Blade infomercials, but I wondered if they are really sharp. Seems too good to be true.
Reply
Reply
THAT LINE. Oh man, this is getting good. Arthur's motives are bone-chillingly in-character, and the last part was hot. Keep up the great work, I always look forward to these updates!
Reply
In short, you're making me sympathize with both of them with your awesome writing; I feel like half a crazy person. Characterization, why so great with your logical(ish) motives?! Clearly, the solution is to write more! :3 *camps out here*
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment