When they notice they’re being watched, they break apart, both flopping back into their respective seats.
“H-hello, Al,” she says to her son, with a sheepish expression on her face.
Alfred is aware that his mouth is open with shock, but he doesn’t particularly care. He shoots a look at the bookshop worker, who can’t even look Alfred in the eye.
“What’s going on?” Alfred demands, once he’s gathered enough energy to speak.
“T-this is Arthur,” his Mom tells him, with a gesture to the Englishman. “I was going to tell you, but...”
“No you weren’t,” Alfred snaps. He can see through her lies, and he can’t quite calm himself long enough to simply play along with them, pretending that nothing has happened and getting on with his life. “You only just broke up with your last boyfriend, and now you’re already hooking up with some stranger?”
“He’s not a stranger,” she replies, enraged. Her earrings- grotesque, cheap, plastic- cast shadows across her flushed cheeks. “I’ve known him since he first moved to town; hell, I was the first person to welcome him to the neighbourhood!”
By fucking him? Alfred wonders, resentfully, but he doesn’t voice his thoughts.
“I’m aware this is the first time you’ve seen him, but he’s a great guy, and-” she continues.
“A-actually, Sarah,” Arthur interrupts, fingers fidgeting as his hands rest on his knees, “I’ve already met your son. He visited the shop a few days ago, with his friend, I think.”
He’s evidently nervous, but Alfred can’t tell why.
As his Mom and ‘Arthur’ begin discussing the details of that visit to the store, Alfred feels sick when he notices that he’s not actually angry towards the Englishman; he’s just angry towards his mother. Without waiting for them to address him again, he storms out from the room and heads up the stairs.
Sleep; he just wants to sleep, to sink under the covers of his bed and emerging a good few months later, when his Mom’s relationship with this Arthur person has crashed and burned (because it’s clear that’s how everything’s going to end). Or maybe he should call Matthew, ask if he can just move in, because there’s no way he can keep living under the same roof as her.
Why does he even care what his Mom does? He’s not sure. After all, she’s a grown adult, and technically, so is Alfred. Maybe it’s because he can tell how bad her choices are. Maybe it’s because a part of him dies every time she gets a new partner, as it’s one man further away from Dad, and Alfred has always harboured the wish that things will just go back to normal- even though he hasn’t heard from his Dad in months.
Perhaps he should do something reckless, too, just to show her exactly how pointless rolling from relationship to relationship can be. It might even teach her a lesson, or something.
The red mist of fury is still over his eyes as he reaches his room and enters it, slamming the door behind him.
All of a sudden, that date with Natalia doesn’t sound like such a bad thing after all.
Wow, I nearly missed this! I can't believe you updated so quickly, a!anon <3 I'm loving this more and more with each part.
I don't mind Belarus at all--you can add as many characters you need, as I actually enjoy seeing other characters thrown in. I am especially loving Alfred and Matthew's friendship, it is adorable ;w;
And poor, poor Al! You have to feel for him when his mom is such a bitch ;; I can't wait to see more of him interacting with Arthur.
“H-hello, Al,” she says to her son, with a sheepish expression on her face.
Alfred is aware that his mouth is open with shock, but he doesn’t particularly care. He shoots a look at the bookshop worker, who can’t even look Alfred in the eye.
“What’s going on?” Alfred demands, once he’s gathered enough energy to speak.
“T-this is Arthur,” his Mom tells him, with a gesture to the Englishman. “I was going to tell you, but...”
“No you weren’t,” Alfred snaps. He can see through her lies, and he can’t quite calm himself long enough to simply play along with them, pretending that nothing has happened and getting on with his life. “You only just broke up with your last boyfriend, and now you’re already hooking up with some stranger?”
“He’s not a stranger,” she replies, enraged. Her earrings- grotesque, cheap, plastic- cast shadows across her flushed cheeks. “I’ve known him since he first moved to town; hell, I was the first person to welcome him to the neighbourhood!”
By fucking him? Alfred wonders, resentfully, but he doesn’t voice his thoughts.
“I’m aware this is the first time you’ve seen him, but he’s a great guy, and-” she continues.
“A-actually, Sarah,” Arthur interrupts, fingers fidgeting as his hands rest on his knees, “I’ve already met your son. He visited the shop a few days ago, with his friend, I think.”
He’s evidently nervous, but Alfred can’t tell why.
As his Mom and ‘Arthur’ begin discussing the details of that visit to the store, Alfred feels sick when he notices that he’s not actually angry towards the Englishman; he’s just angry towards his mother. Without waiting for them to address him again, he storms out from the room and heads up the stairs.
Sleep; he just wants to sleep, to sink under the covers of his bed and emerging a good few months later, when his Mom’s relationship with this Arthur person has crashed and burned (because it’s clear that’s how everything’s going to end). Or maybe he should call Matthew, ask if he can just move in, because there’s no way he can keep living under the same roof as her.
Why does he even care what his Mom does? He’s not sure. After all, she’s a grown adult, and technically, so is Alfred. Maybe it’s because he can tell how bad her choices are. Maybe it’s because a part of him dies every time she gets a new partner, as it’s one man further away from Dad, and Alfred has always harboured the wish that things will just go back to normal- even though he hasn’t heard from his Dad in months.
Perhaps he should do something reckless, too, just to show her exactly how pointless rolling from relationship to relationship can be. It might even teach her a lesson, or something.
The red mist of fury is still over his eyes as he reaches his room and enters it, slamming the door behind him.
All of a sudden, that date with Natalia doesn’t sound like such a bad thing after all.
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I don't mind Belarus at all--you can add as many characters you need, as I actually enjoy seeing other characters thrown in. I am especially loving Alfred and Matthew's friendship, it is adorable ;w;
And poor, poor Al! You have to feel for him when his mom is such a bitch ;; I can't wait to see more of him interacting with Arthur.
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