[Fanfic] What Your Eyes Can't See (Chapt. 3)
Title: What Your Eyes Can't See (Chapter 3) (Previous Chapters)
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Characters/Pairing(s): America, England, France (among others) (USUK)
Rating/Warnings: T
Summary: Alfred F. Jones lives an ordinary life with his twin, looking for work while looking after the house for their parents. But all that gets chucked out the window when he has to go and be all heroic and rescue the guy who passed out in the rain.
Wordcount: 6614
[Lily: Liechtenstein
William: Scotland
Edward: Wales
Eoin: Ireland
Angelique: Seychelles]
It was dark. All around him, there was the eerie blackness that Alfred could only relate to those horror movies that he was most definitely not afraid of.
He had grabbed hold of Arthur without thinking and then the next thing he knew there was a massive rushing sensation and all he could hear was the worst ringing in his ears that he had ever experienced, and then nothing. Pitch black all around him like the sun had just been turned out.
"Arthur?" He called out into the empty space, groping around in front of him to try and find the figure that had disappeared from his grip.
He could hear the wind flying past something close by, the movement of unseen trees almost echoing around him as he stumbled sideways over something sharp.
A sudden rustle took him by surprise as something grabbed hold of his arm. "What the-?"
"Shh." He was hushed, a finger being pressed to his lips. "Close your eyes."
The voice was low and soothing, spoken with the hint of an accent as a hand was placed over Alfred's eyes, forcing them shut under its touch as his glasses were pushed up his forehead.
"You can't see? I thought as much." It spoke quickly, barely giving Alfred enough time to keep up with what they were saying. "Hang on a moment."
There was a rush of energy suddenly passing through the hand, making it feel like his head was buzzing, and causing his eyes to prickle under the pressure that it was pushing on his face. A green flash appeared in front of his vision for less than a moment and then it was gone.
The hand was retracted, leaving Alfred standing in his own fogginess as he let his mind readjust.
"Feeling better?" The voice spoke out again as he opened his eyes and light flooded into them.
He squinted out, pushing his glasses back down where the hand had dislodged them, only to revel in where he found himself.
There were more trees than he'd ever seen before, completely surrounding him in as many different shades of green as he could imagine. It was incredible! Some had flowers, some didn't, some even bore fruit.
He was standing on a circle of neatly trimmed grass in the middle of a ring of stones that formed the same shape that had been made on his own lawn back home before he had been pulled through.
"I take it that that's a yes."
He swivelled around to the source of the voice to be met by an unusually smug smile on the face of a very familiar looking blonde.
"Arthur?" He couldn't help but question him.
"You don't have to look so surprised." Arthur folded his arms, his eyebrows descending into their almost permanent fixture.
"You can talk."
"And now stating the obvious?" The smaller teen huffed. "Of course I can talk, git. The only reason I couldn't before was because my magic hadn't fully restored itself." Ah. There was the Arthur he knew. The one who would frown and complain at the smallest of comments. "That being said." He continued, ignoring the relieved look on the younger's face. "It feels fairly odd to be speaking again after all this time of being mute. I must say that it's going to take some getting used to again- what're you smiling about? Honestly, you never pay attention."
"Hm?" Alfred became aware of the goofy grin he had been supporting for the entirety of Arthur's little speech, only now softening it now that it had been pointed out to him. "I was just thinking that you sound exactly how I imagined you would. You know, with the accent and all."
"A-accent?" Arthur scoffed. "Well, if I'd known you were going to mock me I would've left you blind. I'll have you know that this was entirely you own fault, seeing as you decided to grab hold of me as the magic took effect."
"I- I didn't grab hold of you!" Alfred started, the realisation of what he had done hitting him now that Arthur was throwing it in his face.
"Then how do explain the fact that you're in my world now."
"I just-! It was an accident, okay?" He blushed, looking down at the grass at his feet rather than at the smaller blonde.
The slightly triumphant look on Arthur's face was annoyingly smug again, leaving Alfred feeling even more stupid than he had done in the first place for catching hold of the other's much thinner wrist. It had been pure adrenaline and a spur of the moment impulse that had made him reach out for him. The thought of Arthur leaving, well, it had been much too sudden.
A sigh once again grabbed his attention, looking back up to meet Arthur's gaze. "Very well." He had shifted his posture, standing up straighter and speaking in a much more formal manner. "Seeing as you're already here, it would be rude and un-gentlemanly to simply abandon you. I suppose," he smirked, "you'll just have to come along with me."
"Come with-? Where?" Alfred gaped for a moment, not quite taking in what Arthur had said until he found himself being dragged towards the trees by the shorter teen.
"My home." Arthur called over his shoulder, "Where do you think?" He blinked as they moved into the dark green light of the shade under the trees, letting his eyes adjust to the absence of sunlight.
They continued walking, Arthur finally letting go of Alfred's wrist so he could follow him of his own accord.
It really was amazing. Alfred had always lived in the city suburbs before and had never seen so much wildlife before. The closest he had ever gotten was that one trip to the zoo that hadn't ended too well after he had tried to feed the gorillas and Matt nearly had his arm ripped off as a result. Not a good day.
"Omph!" He was brought to an abrupt halt as he walked into Arthur, who had suddenly stopped in front of him. "What're you-"
"Shh." Arthur raised a hand, making sure that Alfred didn't move, and glared around the area. "Someone's coming." He dropped his voice, listening for the approaching footsteps. He could feel them coming, their magic was evident in the air, not hidden in the slightest, but he just couldn't see them.
And then he heard it. The faint trample through the fallen leaves and the distinct sound of a twig snapping.
Seeing Arthur stiffen, Alfred was pretty glad he had ducked just in time for the older blonde to whip around and shoot some kind of magic right where he had been standing. Not that that mattered to Arthur of course, seeing as he was still standing to attention, looking at the gap in the trees where they had been walking.
"Show yourself." Arthur ordered, his voice clear and crisp, very much how Alfred had imagined it to be before he had heard it.
There was movement before a figure emerged from behind one of the trees, looking very much shaken with his usually very neatly styled blonde hair looking oddly dishevelled.
"Bloody hell, Francis!" Arthur slapped a hand to his forehead, rolling his eyes at his friend. "You could've said it was you!"
"And you, Arthur," his voice sounded more accented than ever, "do you usually send attacks at one of your closest friends? I mean seriously, I could've died!"
"Don't exaggerate, frog. I couldn't have killed a pixie with that, let alone someone as stubborn as you." Green eyes rolled once more at Francis's antics. "What're you doing all the way out here anyway?"
"Ah, yes." Francis smiled weakly, smoothing his hair back down so it rested perfectly on his shoulders. "Well, it was my punishment, so to say." He sighed, "I thought you said it was only going to be a quick trip. That you were only going to observe the other world. You were gone for weeks!"
"Yes, well, there were complications." he jerked his head towards Alfred, who was only now standing up again, "Including this oaf."
"Hey! That's not fair!" Alfred protested, "Who was the one who let you stay in their house until you got better? And anyway, who's this guy?"
"I could ask the same of you, mon cher." Francis's accent practically dripped with sarcasm as he turned his attention to the unknown male at his friend's side. "I do not believe that I have ever seen you on Avalon's soils before."
"Don't start you two." Arthur sighed, stepping firmly between the two taller blondes. "Francis, this is an urgent matter. One that we need to discuss before facing my brother."
He turned, continuing to walk in the direction that he and Alfred had been heading in, the look of worry now looking dangerously clear on his features.
How on earth was he supposed to explain Alfred?
---
"So let me get this perfectly clear," Francis started, the serious expression he held looking out of place on his usually proud features. "Your circle was a success and you landed in the sister world, but had used up too much of your magic and fell ill and you lost your voice." He clicked his tongue, glancing down at the sandy blonde. "I'm not sure it will convince your brother, Arthur."
"It's the only explanation I have for why I did not return when I said I would and it's the truth." Arthur's frown deepened, speaking without returning the other's gaze.
"And what are you going to do about this one?" The two stopped, waiting for a now extremely overwhelmed Alfred, who was gawking at whatever caught his eye.
"I don't know." He rubbed his unusually thick brow, trying to work some kind of plan out in his head. "I hadn't exactly planned for him to come back here with me."
"You have the worst luck, mon ami." Francis flicked his hair over his shoulder, chuckling to himself.
"You're the last person I want to hear that from." Arthur grumbled, "You're the one who got caught while we were on the run. As I recall, I was not the only one planning on travelling to the sister world. And putting my luck aside, at least I actually made it there and back in one piece, unlike-! Oi! Alfred!" He cut himself off, catching sight of the younger teen reaching up to pick the fruit from the closest tree.
"What? I'm hungry. Thanks to someone I missed breakfast!" Alfred whined, pouting over at the other two.
"Pick that and you're likely to get cursed by whatever spirit inhabits that tree. I'm sure you can wait until we arrive before you eat."
"But Artie!"
"Just try calling me that again-!"
"Now, now." Francis cut across them, chuckling to himself. "There's no need for shouting. However, I do belief that on this occasion it would be wise to heed 'Artie's' warning."
"Don't you start, frog, or I'll-"
"Ah! And here we are!" He interrupted again, flourishing towards the wall in front of them.
The wall was covered from top to bottom in ivy tangled so thickly that the stone was barely visible under its leaves.
The town was quaint, just how Arthur remembered. Nothing had changed in the time he had been away. The houses were still sparsely scattered around the clearing, small, but big enough for the families that accommodated them. The white washed walls reflected the deep green of the grass surrounding them, as well as the small flowers that poked up occasionally in their own variety of colours.
And they were heading to the largest building of them all, its grand oak doors standing tall ahead of them.
Alfred darted forwards, catching up with Arthur. He leant down slightly, whispering in the other's ear. "So, erm, who is that guy?" He gestured to Francis, who was walking a few paces in front.
"Unfortunately," Arthur sighed, "he's probably my oldest friend. Even if he is a complete and utter git."
"Je t'aime trop, Arthur." Francis called back, waving over his shoulder. "If you would like, then I will leave you to face your brother alone."
"Do that and you'll be eating the book where you learnt that poor excuse for a language." Arthur snapped back, glaring at his friend's back.
"Your brother?"
"The less said about him, the better. You'll see soon enough anyway." He sighed, pushing one of the gigantic doors open. "Now be quiet or we'll be lucky if we just end up looking like toadstools."
"Wait! Arthur, this is your house?" Alfred gawked at the long tiled floor in front of him as Arthur opened the door.
It was amazing. Warm sunlight poured through the small windows dotted up the hallway towards yet another set of enormous doors. The walls were richly decorated in forest green drapes and golden frames that surrounded fine paintings of people he'd never seen before, but nearly all of whom shared Arthur's large eyebrows.
"Didn't I just tell you to keep your voice down!" Arthur barked at him, immediately regretting it as the doors ahead of them swung open, revealing an ever familiar room to him. "Oh great." He clicked his tongue, eyes darting to the side to see Alfred's startled expression and Francis looking back at him.
"Master Arthur!" A young girl with short, bobbed hair darted out of the room, her pink dress billowing out behind her as she sped down the corridor.
"Lily." He gave the girl a short smile. "You've cut your hair since last time."
"Ah, yes." She ran her fingers over the tips. "I wanted it to look like my brother's… B-but! I cannot speak of such things now! Your brother instructed me to tell you to be properly attired before you see him! You have to come with me." She panted a little after saying so much.
"Hey, you lot!" Another bobbed blonde stuck his head around the door. "What are you saying to my sister?" He followed up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I assure you we have caused her no inconvenience, Vash." Arthur replied, his polite face covering his annoyance at how he had been addressed.
"Good." Vash stood up a little straighter, "Now, Lily, you had better show him to his quarters, or the Lord will start getting impatient."
"Ah, y-yes." Lily nodded her head to Francis, her eyes pausing on Alfred for a moment longer, before she indicated for Arthur to follow.
Before doing so, however, Arthur turned, grabbing Alfred's arm and pulling him a little closer. "Don't let them get to you, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Arthur?" He looked into those green eyes, smiled and nodded. "Don't worry I'll be careful. After all, I'm a hero, right?"
"Dolt." Arthur chuckled, patting the arm he had been holding and went after Lily down a side corridor.
Vash turned to Francis, glaring at him to make up for the fact he was several inches shorter than both him and Alfred. "The Lord says that he will see you and the guest now."
"Will he now?" Francis chuckled, groping the shortest blonde's backside (just for good measure) as he led Alfred up towards the open double doors. "I suppose we shouldn't keep him waiting then."
The inside of the hall was even grander than the one they had just come from. A candlelit chandelier hung from the impossibly high ceiling, its light glowing onto the floor and right into the corners of the room. Royal blues and golds were the decorations this time, with velvet carpets leading the way to the back wall and up two curved staircases to another landing. In the centre of the stairs though, there was a gaudy, heavily carved wooden chair, on which lounged a rather grumpy looking man.
"Yer late, Francis." He spat out, glaring out from under his heavy brow.
"What can I say?" Francis smiled, giving the man a short bow as he continued in front of Alfred down one of the deep blue rugs. "Time is not one of my masters."
"Aye, I guess not." The man returned, standing up and clapping Francis on the back so that he stumbled slightly. "And Arthur?"
"Is getting ready, as you wished." Francis chuckled, remembering Arthur's annoyance at his brother's order.
"Good." He turned, red hair falling over his eyes as he faced Alfred. "And you must be the one from the sister world, then?"
"Err…" Alfred stuttered.
So this was Arthur's brother. He was slightly intimidating, despite the fact that they were pretty much the same height. He wore a blue robe over a white tunic and dress trousers over his broad shoulders. His eyes were a muddy brown, a lot harsher than his younger brother's brilliant green ones and it occurred to Alfred that even though the two were brothers, this man's only resemblance to Arthur were his eyebrows.
"This is Alfred." Francis quickly cut in, draping an arm around the taller blonde's shoulders, much like he had done with Arthur earlier. "And due to complications of no one's fault, he was able to follow Arthur back to Avalon."
"Aye? Is that right, now?" He circled Alfred once, looking the teen up and down before his gruff smile returned to his face. "I'm William Kirkland, Avalon's Lord."
"Alfred F Jones." Alfred returned the introduction, extending out a hand to shake William's.
"Not bad, laddie." William laughed, his eyes glinting.
"Don't you dare touch him, William!" A voice shouted down from the top of one of the staircases, its owner storming down them.
Arthur stood at the foot of the stairs, his cloak and old tunic replaced by creamy-white dress trousers and a long emerald green tunic that narrowed at the front. Someone had made a failed attempt to tame his messy blonde hair, making it look even more untidy as a result. His eyes were furious, but looked all the brighter thanks to his new clothes.
"Ah, Arthur." William turned away from Alfred. "Nice of you to join us, little brother."
"Drop the nice act, would you." Arthur glared up at his elder brother, "What were you going to do to Alfred?"
"And what right does the fourth son out of five have to question his oldest brother?" The atmosphere had become decidedly stale since Arthur had re-entered, the two brothers' relationship so obviously sour even without anyone saying so. "You are not even of age yet. The red line is still absent on your left hand."
"There's still time for that." Arthur spat back, his expression darkening further.
"Even Francis has received his, aren't you two similar ages?"
"Ah, please leave me out of this." Francis glanced between the two, taking a small step backwards closer to Alfred.
"I would even wager that you did not tell your new friend that you are nobility." He smirked at the differing expressions on the two younger blondes - Arthur's of increasing anger, and Alfred's a mixture of shock and excitement. "Seems like I was right."
"Is this a new obscure way of punishing me?" Arthur growled, looking up from under his bangs, "Because it is only succeeding in annoying me further."
"Punishment? God, no! That would be too tame for the likes of you." William moved so that he shadowed Arthur, tilting the boy's chin up so that he could see those green eyes. "I am simply welcoming you back after your long period of absence."
"Well it's a pretty strange method of welcoming."
"Only the best for my brother." The redhead goaded, as if daring Arthur to make a move against him before backing off once more. "But enough of that. I don't really want to be on the receiving end of your magic today." He shot his brother an all too familiar grin that Alfred had seen Arthur show on the occasions when he was in one of his more evil moods. "Francis, if you would show our guest to one of the guest rooms and have Lily bring him a change of clothes while his are washed. That little wander in the forest has you looking a little worse for wear."
"Of course." Francis made another elaborate flourish, before steering Alfred aside.
"Frog." Arthur snapped at the other's retreating figure.
"Oui?" Francis chuckled, anticipated the threat he was about to receive.
"Try anything and believe me, you'll be losing something of great importance to you, and I'm not talking about your pretty little face."
"Yes, yes." He waved over his shoulder, continuing to lead Alfred from the room. "Come now, let us get you out of those clothes and into something more suitable for your handsome figure."
The door closed behind them, finally leaving Arthur alone in the hall with his brother. The silence stretched uncomfortably between them as William turned and flopped back down in his chair, beckoning Arthur to come closer.
"The others are?" Arthur broke the quiet, not being able to stand it a moment longer.
"Edward's following his line into the fields in the east. Said he felt a pull from there or something. No word from Eoin as usual, damn bastard. And Peter's busy with his training, as he should be." William sighed, keeping track of all four of his younger brothers was a busy enough task in itself, without being Lord of the Manor on top of it all.
"Not much of a change , then." Arthur closed his eyes, running a hand over his hair and making it even messier as a result.
"Aye." William nodded, "However, I am dying to hear your little story, Artie." He sniggered at the teen's evident flinch. "Don't think you can get away without some sort of explanation. And trust me, little brother, if it's not good enough, then your punishment will be all the worse."
---
Alfred sat on the edge of the bed, not quite knowing where to look first. The bed was huge! Easily three times the size of his double at home and it was a four-poster! And the room! This one was decorated in deep reds and burgundy, really rich and sophisticated, though not quite as much as the grand hall.
He didn't really know what he could and couldn't touch, so much so that he even felt awkward sitting on the tiny amount of the bed that he was occupying.
It had gotten dark outside some time ago, leaving Alfred more than a little worried. What on earth would Matt think of him disappearing all day, especially since Arthur had gone as well. It wasn't like when he would just clear off to Kiku's for a night or two when they would get carried away playing too many video games. No, there was no doubt that Matt would be more than just worried.
"Aah…" He breathed out, flopping backwards. "What am I gonna do?"
A quiet knock sounded at the door before it opened a crack and Arthur's head appeared around it. "Alfred?"
"Hmm? Arthur?" Alfred leant back up on his elbows, watching Arthur come further into the room. "What's up?"
"Ah? Nothing. Just had enough of the lecturing." Arthur lay down next to him, stretching out and rubbing his eyes. "That guy never gets tired of giving me a hard time."
In the time since Alfred had last seen the older teen, Arthur had discarded his tunic, leaving him wearing a black cropped shirt with his dress trousers (showing off his slim figure nicely, but Alfred ignored this thought).
"They found some clothes for you then?"
"Yeah." Alfred nodded, picking at the collar of the light blue shirt he had been given until his own clothes were clean. "They don't feel right. It's too formal."
"Really?" Arthur rolled onto his side, contemplating the other blonde. "I think it looks good. It compliments your eyes."
Alfred turned to face Arthur, his grin returning. "You think so?"
"Ah… yes…" The smaller teen quickly turned away again, a smattering of pink darkening his cheeks.
He looked back, only to find Alfred staring down at him, not more than an inch away from his face.
"What- What are you doing?"
"Just thinking." Alfred chuckled, smiling down at him. "You looked pretty good too, earlier I mean. I don't know about me, but these kinda clothes really suit you."
"Hmph." Arthur pouted, glancing away once more. "Git."
"Oh, come on, Artie! It was a compliment!"
"I don't need compliments like that." He muttered, hiding the small smile that had appeared on his face and willing the heat on his face to fade.
Alfred sighed, rolling onto his back to look at the crimson drapes hanging over head. "Hey, Arthur?"
"Hmm?"
"What's the 'red line'?" He let his eyes wander back over to Arthur's lying figure, watching the expression change on his face. "Your brother mentioned it."
"Yes. I suppose he did." Arthur sat up, running his hand through his hair awkwardly. "But I don't see how it would interest you."
"What can I say?" Alfred chuckled, "I'm curious. This is a whole new world to me, remember."
"Well…" Arthur paused, crossing his arms in his lap. "The red line symbolises when one comes of age in Avalon - when one becomes an adult. It is a sign that one's destined partner now exists and you become drawn to them, joined together by the 'red line'. It is a form of this world's deepest magic."
"Like the red string of fate?" Alfred smiled, leaning up on his elbows.
"The what?"
"Some Japanese legend that Kiku told me about. The red string of fate that joins you to your soul-mate."
"Well, I guess that's one way of putting it. Soul-mate, huh? That boy certainly has ways of explaining things." Arthur relaxed, the corners of his lips turning up slightly at the thought. "It's a nice idea."
"I think so too. I mean, it's like destiny, right? Kinda cool." Alfred laughed, sitting up so that his feet could reach the floor again.
"William has always used it as a way to treat me as a child, it's vexing really. Especially now that Francis has come of age. Bloody frog. He can't even be bothered to search for his kindred. So much for 'love is my only true master'." He said in a perfect imitation of his friend's accent.
Something thumped against the door as it banged open, a girl with long brown pigtails standing just outside, a frown fixed on her face.
"There you are, eyebrows bastard." She spat at Arthur.
"Angelique." Arthur sighed, his shoulders dropping at the sight of Francis's unruly younger sister. "And how can I help you this evening. You do know that you are interrupting a conversation?"
"I couldn't care less." She shrugged, taking a step further into the room, totally ignoring Alfred's existence. "Mon frère told me to pass on the message that you are not to leave the manor tonight. Orders from the Lord, I'm afraid."
"Why, thank you." Arthur smirked, the sarcasm almost dripping from his words. "I'll try to keep that in mind. In the meantime though, when did you turn into a little messenger girl? Surely you wouldn't normally deliver such a message to a 'bastard' like me?"
Angelique's face turned red, glaring at the two blondes. "I wasn't doing you a favour. I just wanted to see your face when yet another of your freedoms was denied of you. And now that I have done that, good night." She turned, sending them another scathing expression, before sweeping out of the room and slamming the door shut.
"…And she was…?" Alfred finally asked after the ringing of the door's bang had ended.
"Francis's sister." Arthur chuckled. "His total opposite, but has lived like his shadow for as long as I can remember. She'll become quite the lady one day, though not yet."
"Oh." Alfred said, not really liking the way that Arthur spoke about the boisterous girl.
"And I suppose that just leaves one thing." Arthur stood, gesturing for Alfred to do the same. "Time to take a stroll, I think."
"But I thought she just said-"
"Ah, but Alfred, you see that's just a challenge. As if my dear older brother could really keep me trapped within the walls of this house. That's simply preposterous, don't you agree?" His smirk had grown at the idea of defying his brother again, but softened when he turned to see Alfred's overly confused expression. "Besides, there's something I want to show you."
"What?" Alfred finally stood, his head unconsciously tilting to one side in his very child-like manner.
"It's a surprise"
---
"Where're we going?" Alfred whined, dragging his feet behind him.
They had been walking for some time now, Arthur ignoring all the younger teen's complaints after they had snuck out of the manor (even though they had probably been spotted by Francis - Alfred swore he had heard some French being spouted as they had passed through one of the rooms).
"For the last time, if I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? Come on, it's not much further." Arthur huffed, glancing over his shoulder and raising his eyebrows when Alfred let out another groan. He had donned his old cloak again, hoping to hide himself at least somewhat from his brother's subordinates.
It was completely dark outside now, emphasised mostly by the significant lack of electric street lamps with the small village paths being lit by a smattering of oil-lamps on each corner.
Unfortunately for Alfred, they weren't on any of these paths, rather heading further into the woods at the back of the manor. And even though they weren't anywhere near as thick as those that they had passed through earlier in the day, it was still a hell of a lot more sinister at night, almost as if a ghost would pop out at any moment (not that ghosts are real or anything).
"Stop being so bloody jumpy." Arthur chuckled back at him. "You're making my hair stand on end."
"I'm not being jumpy." Alfred grumbled, pouting at the back of the older teen's head just as he stepped on a twig that snapped rather loudly. "What was that?"
"Stop being such a baby." Arthur sighed, grabbing his hand.
Alfred's eyes went wide and the sudden contact, but didn't try to pull away. He knew that his face must've been bright red and just hoped for the life of him that Arthur wouldn't notice in the dark. He unconsciously felt his legs carry on moving without really knowing where he was heading, just that Arthur's hand had gotten warmer since he had first clasped it.
"Don't worry. The tree spirits are safe, I assure you." Arthur smiled back at him, that small almost non-existent smile that sent butterflies fluttering about in the pit of Alfred's stomach. "Ah! There it is!"
They finally emerged from the trees, stepping out into a small clearing, completely covered by a shallow pond. A thin mist covered the surface, giving the space a mysterious glow that almost looked blue under the moonlight. A few moss covered rocks and boulders split the water's surface in odd places.
"This spot always makes me feel at peace." Arthur breathed out, closing his eyes and listening to the light trickle of the stream that led into the clearing.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Alfred stepped forward, following Arthur as he walked into the water.
"Not quite." Arthur's smile grew, gesturing for Alfred to sit on one of the rocks. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I say."
"Hmm? Why?"
"Ever the curious one, aren't you? It's all part of my surprise." He shook his head, glancing at the other blonde. "Close your eyes."
"Okay, okay. I'm closing them" Alfred teased, poking Arthur's leg as he sat down.
"Good. Now be quiet and no peeking. Don't want you ruining your surprise now."
Alfred could hear Arthur's footsteps in the water as he took a few steps away, the small ripples tickling at his ankles. A breeze blew casually through the clearing, rustling the surrounding trees and making Arthur's cloak flap out around his legs.
Arthur mumbled a few words under his breath, barely audible above the wind in the leaves, but Alfred could still feel the effects of the older teen's magic.
The airstream picked up, whirling around the pond so that Alfred could hear the movement of Arthur's cloak wrapping itself around him. And then it appeared. A faint light that he could make out even behind his eyelids. That familiar green that glowed every time the blonde used his powers. But it was different this time. It was fainter, not as bold as usual, even if it did feel just as powerful and mysterious as ever.
And then, just as quickly as it had started, it all ended. The light faded and the wind dropped so that the only remaining noise was that of the trickling stream, but even that seemed a little quieter now.
"Don't make a sound." Arthur murmured, his eyes darting back towards the younger teen. "And keep your eyes shut."
"But-"
"Not a sound, Alfred." He pressed a finger to the other boy's lips, smiling even though he knew Alfred couldn't see it.
Alfred huffed, but still grinned at Arthur's attempts to keep him quiet. But then he realised why. Even with his eyes shut he could see them appear. Faint lights were hovering in front of them, all different colours and gradually increasing in numbers by the second.
"Now," Arthur's smile widened, "you can open your eyes."
And as he did, Alfred's eyes went wide.
Hundreds and hundreds of floating lights had filled his vision in just as many different colours. They completely overshadowed the light shed by the moon, instead turning the small area a variety of warmer colours that also cast the trees around them into massive shadows. They were incredible! Like fireworks but without the bangs and flashes.
He was so caught up in what was in front of him, however, that he didn't feel himself stand and take a few steps forward in the water. Alfred simply focused on the light directly ahead of him, following it unconsciously until something tugged him back.
"Don't follow them!" Arthur warned, stepping in front of Alfred and frowning at the golden glow that was now hovering close to the edge of the woods.
Alfred shook his head, refocusing his gaze of Arthur, whose face was lit by all the different coloured hues, his eyes reflecting them but at the same time surveying them, making sure they didn't get too close to the two of them.
"What are they?"
"Will-o'-Wisps." Arthur's smile returned. "Amazing little creatures, but mischievous. They can lead a traveller far from his path and then leave them lost in the woods if they are not treated properly." He shot another look at the Wisp that had now floated away from the trees. "No one is really sure what they are born from, but this group is fairly young. They like to have a bit of fun with unsuspecting strangers every now and again."
"Then why don't they go after you?" Alfred found himself stuck looking at Arthur, even with all that surrounded them.
"They wouldn't dare." Arthur smirked. He glanced at Alfred, catching the younger teen staring at him. "Hm? What's wrong?"
"Ah? Oh, nothing." Alfred quickly looked away in a poor attempt at distracting himself. "They really are awesome."
"Again with that word? Well, I suppose it can't be helped." Arthur chuckled, sitting down on one of the rocks jutting out of the water, closing his eyes and leaning back.
He vaguely felt Alfred perch down next to him, his feet splashing in the water.
"Alfred."
"Yeah?"
Arthur sighed, opening his eyes again and looking at the other boy.
"Why did you grab my hand back then? Why did you try to stop me?" It had been on his mind the whole time since he had returned to Avalon. Alfred had definitely tried to prevent him from coming back. He hadn't wanted him to leave. And now he was stuck in Avalon the same way Arthur had been trapped in the sister world.
Alfred looked at him, rubbing the back of his neck the way he always did when he was nervous. "I really don't know. I didn't really think about it when it happened." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looking anywhere but at Arthur. "I just didn't like the idea of you leaving like that."
Arthur smiled, letting himself fall to the side to lean on Alfred's shoulder, chuckling under his breath. "You're hopeless, you know that? Completely and utterly hopeless." He ignored the heat on his cheeks, instead noticing that Alfred's had also turned red. "But then, so am I."
He looked up to meet Alfred's eyes, a matching grin on the other blonde's face which softened faintly, though the smile was still there.
And then Alfred was above him, pushing him back so that he lay in the shallow pool, his cloak floating out underneath him.
Alfred's face was cast into shadow; the glow of the Wisp's still present in the air surrounding them.
They must've only been inches apart. He could feel the other's breath on his face, warm and mingling with his own as he stared upwards.
Alfred's eyes were dark, his glasses slipping down his nose as he knelt in the water. He could feel the water seeping into the knees of his pants, steadily soaking them, but disregarded it, instead giving all his attention to the one below him.
Arthur had never felt anything like it. It was like something was pulling at his chest, the butterflies in the pit of his stomach going insane the more he looked up at Alfred. The only reassurance he had was the red tinge to Alfred's cheeks that he knew matched his own.
"You're all wet, Artie." Alfred chuckled slightly, not taking his eyes off the figure below him.
Arthur frowned up at him, though was quickly replaced by his almost non-existent smile. "So are you, you gi-"
He never got to finish his sentence as Alfred closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a passionate, albeit clumsy (and sloppy) kiss.
His eyes went wide, not expecting the sudden contact. And then Alfred moved, one arm slipping under Arthur's form and pulling him closer into his embrace without breaking the kiss.
Alfred hadn't really thought about it when he had moved. All he knew was that at that very moment Arthur had looking simply breath-taking, and then the next thing he knew, he had kissed him. He wasn't really surprised that Arthur had immediately frozen beneath him; they hadn't exactly set out planning for this kind of thing to happen. And yet, it was kinda relaxing when the smaller teen pulled himself up into Alfred's arms, wrapping his own around him so that they were held together even closer.
One by one the lights around them slowly started to fade, eventually leaving them bathed in the silver light of the moon once more, the water rippling around them as it glistened in the night.
The pulling sensation in Arthur's chest felt stronger as they separated for breath. He was completely entrapped by the reflections of the ripples in Alfred eyes, the bright blue of them leaving him oblivious to the soft red glow that circled his own hand.
[A/N: Hey guys~ I'm back again!
Sorry for the long wait with this chapter, I've been caught up with other stuff (such as University... .)
However, this one is slightly longer than the others to make up for it! ^^;;
Since last time I've managed to finish my images for my "What's in a Name?" fic, which you can find on my profilt =) I'm soooo pleased with them now that they're done and will be posting up a full colour pic of one of the last parts of the story just to finish the whole thing up sometime in the near future hopefully.
(I also need to work on chapter 4 of this... eheh...)]
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Characters/Pairing(s): America, England, France (among others) (USUK)
Rating/Warnings: T
Summary: Alfred F. Jones lives an ordinary life with his twin, looking for work while looking after the house for their parents. But all that gets chucked out the window when he has to go and be all heroic and rescue the guy who passed out in the rain.
Wordcount: 6614
[Lily: Liechtenstein
William: Scotland
Edward: Wales
Eoin: Ireland
Angelique: Seychelles]
It was dark. All around him, there was the eerie blackness that Alfred could only relate to those horror movies that he was most definitely not afraid of.
He had grabbed hold of Arthur without thinking and then the next thing he knew there was a massive rushing sensation and all he could hear was the worst ringing in his ears that he had ever experienced, and then nothing. Pitch black all around him like the sun had just been turned out.
"Arthur?" He called out into the empty space, groping around in front of him to try and find the figure that had disappeared from his grip.
He could hear the wind flying past something close by, the movement of unseen trees almost echoing around him as he stumbled sideways over something sharp.
A sudden rustle took him by surprise as something grabbed hold of his arm. "What the-?"
"Shh." He was hushed, a finger being pressed to his lips. "Close your eyes."
The voice was low and soothing, spoken with the hint of an accent as a hand was placed over Alfred's eyes, forcing them shut under its touch as his glasses were pushed up his forehead.
"You can't see? I thought as much." It spoke quickly, barely giving Alfred enough time to keep up with what they were saying. "Hang on a moment."
There was a rush of energy suddenly passing through the hand, making it feel like his head was buzzing, and causing his eyes to prickle under the pressure that it was pushing on his face. A green flash appeared in front of his vision for less than a moment and then it was gone.
The hand was retracted, leaving Alfred standing in his own fogginess as he let his mind readjust.
"Feeling better?" The voice spoke out again as he opened his eyes and light flooded into them.
He squinted out, pushing his glasses back down where the hand had dislodged them, only to revel in where he found himself.
There were more trees than he'd ever seen before, completely surrounding him in as many different shades of green as he could imagine. It was incredible! Some had flowers, some didn't, some even bore fruit.
He was standing on a circle of neatly trimmed grass in the middle of a ring of stones that formed the same shape that had been made on his own lawn back home before he had been pulled through.
"I take it that that's a yes."
He swivelled around to the source of the voice to be met by an unusually smug smile on the face of a very familiar looking blonde.
"Arthur?" He couldn't help but question him.
"You don't have to look so surprised." Arthur folded his arms, his eyebrows descending into their almost permanent fixture.
"You can talk."
"And now stating the obvious?" The smaller teen huffed. "Of course I can talk, git. The only reason I couldn't before was because my magic hadn't fully restored itself." Ah. There was the Arthur he knew. The one who would frown and complain at the smallest of comments. "That being said." He continued, ignoring the relieved look on the younger's face. "It feels fairly odd to be speaking again after all this time of being mute. I must say that it's going to take some getting used to again- what're you smiling about? Honestly, you never pay attention."
"Hm?" Alfred became aware of the goofy grin he had been supporting for the entirety of Arthur's little speech, only now softening it now that it had been pointed out to him. "I was just thinking that you sound exactly how I imagined you would. You know, with the accent and all."
"A-accent?" Arthur scoffed. "Well, if I'd known you were going to mock me I would've left you blind. I'll have you know that this was entirely you own fault, seeing as you decided to grab hold of me as the magic took effect."
"I- I didn't grab hold of you!" Alfred started, the realisation of what he had done hitting him now that Arthur was throwing it in his face.
"Then how do explain the fact that you're in my world now."
"I just-! It was an accident, okay?" He blushed, looking down at the grass at his feet rather than at the smaller blonde.
The slightly triumphant look on Arthur's face was annoyingly smug again, leaving Alfred feeling even more stupid than he had done in the first place for catching hold of the other's much thinner wrist. It had been pure adrenaline and a spur of the moment impulse that had made him reach out for him. The thought of Arthur leaving, well, it had been much too sudden.
A sigh once again grabbed his attention, looking back up to meet Arthur's gaze. "Very well." He had shifted his posture, standing up straighter and speaking in a much more formal manner. "Seeing as you're already here, it would be rude and un-gentlemanly to simply abandon you. I suppose," he smirked, "you'll just have to come along with me."
"Come with-? Where?" Alfred gaped for a moment, not quite taking in what Arthur had said until he found himself being dragged towards the trees by the shorter teen.
"My home." Arthur called over his shoulder, "Where do you think?" He blinked as they moved into the dark green light of the shade under the trees, letting his eyes adjust to the absence of sunlight.
They continued walking, Arthur finally letting go of Alfred's wrist so he could follow him of his own accord.
It really was amazing. Alfred had always lived in the city suburbs before and had never seen so much wildlife before. The closest he had ever gotten was that one trip to the zoo that hadn't ended too well after he had tried to feed the gorillas and Matt nearly had his arm ripped off as a result. Not a good day.
"Omph!" He was brought to an abrupt halt as he walked into Arthur, who had suddenly stopped in front of him. "What're you-"
"Shh." Arthur raised a hand, making sure that Alfred didn't move, and glared around the area. "Someone's coming." He dropped his voice, listening for the approaching footsteps. He could feel them coming, their magic was evident in the air, not hidden in the slightest, but he just couldn't see them.
And then he heard it. The faint trample through the fallen leaves and the distinct sound of a twig snapping.
Seeing Arthur stiffen, Alfred was pretty glad he had ducked just in time for the older blonde to whip around and shoot some kind of magic right where he had been standing. Not that that mattered to Arthur of course, seeing as he was still standing to attention, looking at the gap in the trees where they had been walking.
"Show yourself." Arthur ordered, his voice clear and crisp, very much how Alfred had imagined it to be before he had heard it.
There was movement before a figure emerged from behind one of the trees, looking very much shaken with his usually very neatly styled blonde hair looking oddly dishevelled.
"Bloody hell, Francis!" Arthur slapped a hand to his forehead, rolling his eyes at his friend. "You could've said it was you!"
"And you, Arthur," his voice sounded more accented than ever, "do you usually send attacks at one of your closest friends? I mean seriously, I could've died!"
"Don't exaggerate, frog. I couldn't have killed a pixie with that, let alone someone as stubborn as you." Green eyes rolled once more at Francis's antics. "What're you doing all the way out here anyway?"
"Ah, yes." Francis smiled weakly, smoothing his hair back down so it rested perfectly on his shoulders. "Well, it was my punishment, so to say." He sighed, "I thought you said it was only going to be a quick trip. That you were only going to observe the other world. You were gone for weeks!"
"Yes, well, there were complications." he jerked his head towards Alfred, who was only now standing up again, "Including this oaf."
"Hey! That's not fair!" Alfred protested, "Who was the one who let you stay in their house until you got better? And anyway, who's this guy?"
"I could ask the same of you, mon cher." Francis's accent practically dripped with sarcasm as he turned his attention to the unknown male at his friend's side. "I do not believe that I have ever seen you on Avalon's soils before."
"Don't start you two." Arthur sighed, stepping firmly between the two taller blondes. "Francis, this is an urgent matter. One that we need to discuss before facing my brother."
He turned, continuing to walk in the direction that he and Alfred had been heading in, the look of worry now looking dangerously clear on his features.
How on earth was he supposed to explain Alfred?
---
"So let me get this perfectly clear," Francis started, the serious expression he held looking out of place on his usually proud features. "Your circle was a success and you landed in the sister world, but had used up too much of your magic and fell ill and you lost your voice." He clicked his tongue, glancing down at the sandy blonde. "I'm not sure it will convince your brother, Arthur."
"It's the only explanation I have for why I did not return when I said I would and it's the truth." Arthur's frown deepened, speaking without returning the other's gaze.
"And what are you going to do about this one?" The two stopped, waiting for a now extremely overwhelmed Alfred, who was gawking at whatever caught his eye.
"I don't know." He rubbed his unusually thick brow, trying to work some kind of plan out in his head. "I hadn't exactly planned for him to come back here with me."
"You have the worst luck, mon ami." Francis flicked his hair over his shoulder, chuckling to himself.
"You're the last person I want to hear that from." Arthur grumbled, "You're the one who got caught while we were on the run. As I recall, I was not the only one planning on travelling to the sister world. And putting my luck aside, at least I actually made it there and back in one piece, unlike-! Oi! Alfred!" He cut himself off, catching sight of the younger teen reaching up to pick the fruit from the closest tree.
"What? I'm hungry. Thanks to someone I missed breakfast!" Alfred whined, pouting over at the other two.
"Pick that and you're likely to get cursed by whatever spirit inhabits that tree. I'm sure you can wait until we arrive before you eat."
"But Artie!"
"Just try calling me that again-!"
"Now, now." Francis cut across them, chuckling to himself. "There's no need for shouting. However, I do belief that on this occasion it would be wise to heed 'Artie's' warning."
"Don't you start, frog, or I'll-"
"Ah! And here we are!" He interrupted again, flourishing towards the wall in front of them.
The wall was covered from top to bottom in ivy tangled so thickly that the stone was barely visible under its leaves.
The town was quaint, just how Arthur remembered. Nothing had changed in the time he had been away. The houses were still sparsely scattered around the clearing, small, but big enough for the families that accommodated them. The white washed walls reflected the deep green of the grass surrounding them, as well as the small flowers that poked up occasionally in their own variety of colours.
And they were heading to the largest building of them all, its grand oak doors standing tall ahead of them.
Alfred darted forwards, catching up with Arthur. He leant down slightly, whispering in the other's ear. "So, erm, who is that guy?" He gestured to Francis, who was walking a few paces in front.
"Unfortunately," Arthur sighed, "he's probably my oldest friend. Even if he is a complete and utter git."
"Je t'aime trop, Arthur." Francis called back, waving over his shoulder. "If you would like, then I will leave you to face your brother alone."
"Do that and you'll be eating the book where you learnt that poor excuse for a language." Arthur snapped back, glaring at his friend's back.
"Your brother?"
"The less said about him, the better. You'll see soon enough anyway." He sighed, pushing one of the gigantic doors open. "Now be quiet or we'll be lucky if we just end up looking like toadstools."
"Wait! Arthur, this is your house?" Alfred gawked at the long tiled floor in front of him as Arthur opened the door.
It was amazing. Warm sunlight poured through the small windows dotted up the hallway towards yet another set of enormous doors. The walls were richly decorated in forest green drapes and golden frames that surrounded fine paintings of people he'd never seen before, but nearly all of whom shared Arthur's large eyebrows.
"Didn't I just tell you to keep your voice down!" Arthur barked at him, immediately regretting it as the doors ahead of them swung open, revealing an ever familiar room to him. "Oh great." He clicked his tongue, eyes darting to the side to see Alfred's startled expression and Francis looking back at him.
"Master Arthur!" A young girl with short, bobbed hair darted out of the room, her pink dress billowing out behind her as she sped down the corridor.
"Lily." He gave the girl a short smile. "You've cut your hair since last time."
"Ah, yes." She ran her fingers over the tips. "I wanted it to look like my brother's… B-but! I cannot speak of such things now! Your brother instructed me to tell you to be properly attired before you see him! You have to come with me." She panted a little after saying so much.
"Hey, you lot!" Another bobbed blonde stuck his head around the door. "What are you saying to my sister?" He followed up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I assure you we have caused her no inconvenience, Vash." Arthur replied, his polite face covering his annoyance at how he had been addressed.
"Good." Vash stood up a little straighter, "Now, Lily, you had better show him to his quarters, or the Lord will start getting impatient."
"Ah, y-yes." Lily nodded her head to Francis, her eyes pausing on Alfred for a moment longer, before she indicated for Arthur to follow.
Before doing so, however, Arthur turned, grabbing Alfred's arm and pulling him a little closer. "Don't let them get to you, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Arthur?" He looked into those green eyes, smiled and nodded. "Don't worry I'll be careful. After all, I'm a hero, right?"
"Dolt." Arthur chuckled, patting the arm he had been holding and went after Lily down a side corridor.
Vash turned to Francis, glaring at him to make up for the fact he was several inches shorter than both him and Alfred. "The Lord says that he will see you and the guest now."
"Will he now?" Francis chuckled, groping the shortest blonde's backside (just for good measure) as he led Alfred up towards the open double doors. "I suppose we shouldn't keep him waiting then."
The inside of the hall was even grander than the one they had just come from. A candlelit chandelier hung from the impossibly high ceiling, its light glowing onto the floor and right into the corners of the room. Royal blues and golds were the decorations this time, with velvet carpets leading the way to the back wall and up two curved staircases to another landing. In the centre of the stairs though, there was a gaudy, heavily carved wooden chair, on which lounged a rather grumpy looking man.
"Yer late, Francis." He spat out, glaring out from under his heavy brow.
"What can I say?" Francis smiled, giving the man a short bow as he continued in front of Alfred down one of the deep blue rugs. "Time is not one of my masters."
"Aye, I guess not." The man returned, standing up and clapping Francis on the back so that he stumbled slightly. "And Arthur?"
"Is getting ready, as you wished." Francis chuckled, remembering Arthur's annoyance at his brother's order.
"Good." He turned, red hair falling over his eyes as he faced Alfred. "And you must be the one from the sister world, then?"
"Err…" Alfred stuttered.
So this was Arthur's brother. He was slightly intimidating, despite the fact that they were pretty much the same height. He wore a blue robe over a white tunic and dress trousers over his broad shoulders. His eyes were a muddy brown, a lot harsher than his younger brother's brilliant green ones and it occurred to Alfred that even though the two were brothers, this man's only resemblance to Arthur were his eyebrows.
"This is Alfred." Francis quickly cut in, draping an arm around the taller blonde's shoulders, much like he had done with Arthur earlier. "And due to complications of no one's fault, he was able to follow Arthur back to Avalon."
"Aye? Is that right, now?" He circled Alfred once, looking the teen up and down before his gruff smile returned to his face. "I'm William Kirkland, Avalon's Lord."
"Alfred F Jones." Alfred returned the introduction, extending out a hand to shake William's.
"Not bad, laddie." William laughed, his eyes glinting.
"Don't you dare touch him, William!" A voice shouted down from the top of one of the staircases, its owner storming down them.
Arthur stood at the foot of the stairs, his cloak and old tunic replaced by creamy-white dress trousers and a long emerald green tunic that narrowed at the front. Someone had made a failed attempt to tame his messy blonde hair, making it look even more untidy as a result. His eyes were furious, but looked all the brighter thanks to his new clothes.
"Ah, Arthur." William turned away from Alfred. "Nice of you to join us, little brother."
"Drop the nice act, would you." Arthur glared up at his elder brother, "What were you going to do to Alfred?"
"And what right does the fourth son out of five have to question his oldest brother?" The atmosphere had become decidedly stale since Arthur had re-entered, the two brothers' relationship so obviously sour even without anyone saying so. "You are not even of age yet. The red line is still absent on your left hand."
"There's still time for that." Arthur spat back, his expression darkening further.
"Even Francis has received his, aren't you two similar ages?"
"Ah, please leave me out of this." Francis glanced between the two, taking a small step backwards closer to Alfred.
"I would even wager that you did not tell your new friend that you are nobility." He smirked at the differing expressions on the two younger blondes - Arthur's of increasing anger, and Alfred's a mixture of shock and excitement. "Seems like I was right."
"Is this a new obscure way of punishing me?" Arthur growled, looking up from under his bangs, "Because it is only succeeding in annoying me further."
"Punishment? God, no! That would be too tame for the likes of you." William moved so that he shadowed Arthur, tilting the boy's chin up so that he could see those green eyes. "I am simply welcoming you back after your long period of absence."
"Well it's a pretty strange method of welcoming."
"Only the best for my brother." The redhead goaded, as if daring Arthur to make a move against him before backing off once more. "But enough of that. I don't really want to be on the receiving end of your magic today." He shot his brother an all too familiar grin that Alfred had seen Arthur show on the occasions when he was in one of his more evil moods. "Francis, if you would show our guest to one of the guest rooms and have Lily bring him a change of clothes while his are washed. That little wander in the forest has you looking a little worse for wear."
"Of course." Francis made another elaborate flourish, before steering Alfred aside.
"Frog." Arthur snapped at the other's retreating figure.
"Oui?" Francis chuckled, anticipated the threat he was about to receive.
"Try anything and believe me, you'll be losing something of great importance to you, and I'm not talking about your pretty little face."
"Yes, yes." He waved over his shoulder, continuing to lead Alfred from the room. "Come now, let us get you out of those clothes and into something more suitable for your handsome figure."
The door closed behind them, finally leaving Arthur alone in the hall with his brother. The silence stretched uncomfortably between them as William turned and flopped back down in his chair, beckoning Arthur to come closer.
"The others are?" Arthur broke the quiet, not being able to stand it a moment longer.
"Edward's following his line into the fields in the east. Said he felt a pull from there or something. No word from Eoin as usual, damn bastard. And Peter's busy with his training, as he should be." William sighed, keeping track of all four of his younger brothers was a busy enough task in itself, without being Lord of the Manor on top of it all.
"Not much of a change , then." Arthur closed his eyes, running a hand over his hair and making it even messier as a result.
"Aye." William nodded, "However, I am dying to hear your little story, Artie." He sniggered at the teen's evident flinch. "Don't think you can get away without some sort of explanation. And trust me, little brother, if it's not good enough, then your punishment will be all the worse."
---
Alfred sat on the edge of the bed, not quite knowing where to look first. The bed was huge! Easily three times the size of his double at home and it was a four-poster! And the room! This one was decorated in deep reds and burgundy, really rich and sophisticated, though not quite as much as the grand hall.
He didn't really know what he could and couldn't touch, so much so that he even felt awkward sitting on the tiny amount of the bed that he was occupying.
It had gotten dark outside some time ago, leaving Alfred more than a little worried. What on earth would Matt think of him disappearing all day, especially since Arthur had gone as well. It wasn't like when he would just clear off to Kiku's for a night or two when they would get carried away playing too many video games. No, there was no doubt that Matt would be more than just worried.
"Aah…" He breathed out, flopping backwards. "What am I gonna do?"
A quiet knock sounded at the door before it opened a crack and Arthur's head appeared around it. "Alfred?"
"Hmm? Arthur?" Alfred leant back up on his elbows, watching Arthur come further into the room. "What's up?"
"Ah? Nothing. Just had enough of the lecturing." Arthur lay down next to him, stretching out and rubbing his eyes. "That guy never gets tired of giving me a hard time."
In the time since Alfred had last seen the older teen, Arthur had discarded his tunic, leaving him wearing a black cropped shirt with his dress trousers (showing off his slim figure nicely, but Alfred ignored this thought).
"They found some clothes for you then?"
"Yeah." Alfred nodded, picking at the collar of the light blue shirt he had been given until his own clothes were clean. "They don't feel right. It's too formal."
"Really?" Arthur rolled onto his side, contemplating the other blonde. "I think it looks good. It compliments your eyes."
Alfred turned to face Arthur, his grin returning. "You think so?"
"Ah… yes…" The smaller teen quickly turned away again, a smattering of pink darkening his cheeks.
He looked back, only to find Alfred staring down at him, not more than an inch away from his face.
"What- What are you doing?"
"Just thinking." Alfred chuckled, smiling down at him. "You looked pretty good too, earlier I mean. I don't know about me, but these kinda clothes really suit you."
"Hmph." Arthur pouted, glancing away once more. "Git."
"Oh, come on, Artie! It was a compliment!"
"I don't need compliments like that." He muttered, hiding the small smile that had appeared on his face and willing the heat on his face to fade.
Alfred sighed, rolling onto his back to look at the crimson drapes hanging over head. "Hey, Arthur?"
"Hmm?"
"What's the 'red line'?" He let his eyes wander back over to Arthur's lying figure, watching the expression change on his face. "Your brother mentioned it."
"Yes. I suppose he did." Arthur sat up, running his hand through his hair awkwardly. "But I don't see how it would interest you."
"What can I say?" Alfred chuckled, "I'm curious. This is a whole new world to me, remember."
"Well…" Arthur paused, crossing his arms in his lap. "The red line symbolises when one comes of age in Avalon - when one becomes an adult. It is a sign that one's destined partner now exists and you become drawn to them, joined together by the 'red line'. It is a form of this world's deepest magic."
"Like the red string of fate?" Alfred smiled, leaning up on his elbows.
"The what?"
"Some Japanese legend that Kiku told me about. The red string of fate that joins you to your soul-mate."
"Well, I guess that's one way of putting it. Soul-mate, huh? That boy certainly has ways of explaining things." Arthur relaxed, the corners of his lips turning up slightly at the thought. "It's a nice idea."
"I think so too. I mean, it's like destiny, right? Kinda cool." Alfred laughed, sitting up so that his feet could reach the floor again.
"William has always used it as a way to treat me as a child, it's vexing really. Especially now that Francis has come of age. Bloody frog. He can't even be bothered to search for his kindred. So much for 'love is my only true master'." He said in a perfect imitation of his friend's accent.
Something thumped against the door as it banged open, a girl with long brown pigtails standing just outside, a frown fixed on her face.
"There you are, eyebrows bastard." She spat at Arthur.
"Angelique." Arthur sighed, his shoulders dropping at the sight of Francis's unruly younger sister. "And how can I help you this evening. You do know that you are interrupting a conversation?"
"I couldn't care less." She shrugged, taking a step further into the room, totally ignoring Alfred's existence. "Mon frère told me to pass on the message that you are not to leave the manor tonight. Orders from the Lord, I'm afraid."
"Why, thank you." Arthur smirked, the sarcasm almost dripping from his words. "I'll try to keep that in mind. In the meantime though, when did you turn into a little messenger girl? Surely you wouldn't normally deliver such a message to a 'bastard' like me?"
Angelique's face turned red, glaring at the two blondes. "I wasn't doing you a favour. I just wanted to see your face when yet another of your freedoms was denied of you. And now that I have done that, good night." She turned, sending them another scathing expression, before sweeping out of the room and slamming the door shut.
"…And she was…?" Alfred finally asked after the ringing of the door's bang had ended.
"Francis's sister." Arthur chuckled. "His total opposite, but has lived like his shadow for as long as I can remember. She'll become quite the lady one day, though not yet."
"Oh." Alfred said, not really liking the way that Arthur spoke about the boisterous girl.
"And I suppose that just leaves one thing." Arthur stood, gesturing for Alfred to do the same. "Time to take a stroll, I think."
"But I thought she just said-"
"Ah, but Alfred, you see that's just a challenge. As if my dear older brother could really keep me trapped within the walls of this house. That's simply preposterous, don't you agree?" His smirk had grown at the idea of defying his brother again, but softened when he turned to see Alfred's overly confused expression. "Besides, there's something I want to show you."
"What?" Alfred finally stood, his head unconsciously tilting to one side in his very child-like manner.
"It's a surprise"
---
"Where're we going?" Alfred whined, dragging his feet behind him.
They had been walking for some time now, Arthur ignoring all the younger teen's complaints after they had snuck out of the manor (even though they had probably been spotted by Francis - Alfred swore he had heard some French being spouted as they had passed through one of the rooms).
"For the last time, if I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? Come on, it's not much further." Arthur huffed, glancing over his shoulder and raising his eyebrows when Alfred let out another groan. He had donned his old cloak again, hoping to hide himself at least somewhat from his brother's subordinates.
It was completely dark outside now, emphasised mostly by the significant lack of electric street lamps with the small village paths being lit by a smattering of oil-lamps on each corner.
Unfortunately for Alfred, they weren't on any of these paths, rather heading further into the woods at the back of the manor. And even though they weren't anywhere near as thick as those that they had passed through earlier in the day, it was still a hell of a lot more sinister at night, almost as if a ghost would pop out at any moment (not that ghosts are real or anything).
"Stop being so bloody jumpy." Arthur chuckled back at him. "You're making my hair stand on end."
"I'm not being jumpy." Alfred grumbled, pouting at the back of the older teen's head just as he stepped on a twig that snapped rather loudly. "What was that?"
"Stop being such a baby." Arthur sighed, grabbing his hand.
Alfred's eyes went wide and the sudden contact, but didn't try to pull away. He knew that his face must've been bright red and just hoped for the life of him that Arthur wouldn't notice in the dark. He unconsciously felt his legs carry on moving without really knowing where he was heading, just that Arthur's hand had gotten warmer since he had first clasped it.
"Don't worry. The tree spirits are safe, I assure you." Arthur smiled back at him, that small almost non-existent smile that sent butterflies fluttering about in the pit of Alfred's stomach. "Ah! There it is!"
They finally emerged from the trees, stepping out into a small clearing, completely covered by a shallow pond. A thin mist covered the surface, giving the space a mysterious glow that almost looked blue under the moonlight. A few moss covered rocks and boulders split the water's surface in odd places.
"This spot always makes me feel at peace." Arthur breathed out, closing his eyes and listening to the light trickle of the stream that led into the clearing.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Alfred stepped forward, following Arthur as he walked into the water.
"Not quite." Arthur's smile grew, gesturing for Alfred to sit on one of the rocks. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I say."
"Hmm? Why?"
"Ever the curious one, aren't you? It's all part of my surprise." He shook his head, glancing at the other blonde. "Close your eyes."
"Okay, okay. I'm closing them" Alfred teased, poking Arthur's leg as he sat down.
"Good. Now be quiet and no peeking. Don't want you ruining your surprise now."
Alfred could hear Arthur's footsteps in the water as he took a few steps away, the small ripples tickling at his ankles. A breeze blew casually through the clearing, rustling the surrounding trees and making Arthur's cloak flap out around his legs.
Arthur mumbled a few words under his breath, barely audible above the wind in the leaves, but Alfred could still feel the effects of the older teen's magic.
The airstream picked up, whirling around the pond so that Alfred could hear the movement of Arthur's cloak wrapping itself around him. And then it appeared. A faint light that he could make out even behind his eyelids. That familiar green that glowed every time the blonde used his powers. But it was different this time. It was fainter, not as bold as usual, even if it did feel just as powerful and mysterious as ever.
And then, just as quickly as it had started, it all ended. The light faded and the wind dropped so that the only remaining noise was that of the trickling stream, but even that seemed a little quieter now.
"Don't make a sound." Arthur murmured, his eyes darting back towards the younger teen. "And keep your eyes shut."
"But-"
"Not a sound, Alfred." He pressed a finger to the other boy's lips, smiling even though he knew Alfred couldn't see it.
Alfred huffed, but still grinned at Arthur's attempts to keep him quiet. But then he realised why. Even with his eyes shut he could see them appear. Faint lights were hovering in front of them, all different colours and gradually increasing in numbers by the second.
"Now," Arthur's smile widened, "you can open your eyes."
And as he did, Alfred's eyes went wide.
Hundreds and hundreds of floating lights had filled his vision in just as many different colours. They completely overshadowed the light shed by the moon, instead turning the small area a variety of warmer colours that also cast the trees around them into massive shadows. They were incredible! Like fireworks but without the bangs and flashes.
He was so caught up in what was in front of him, however, that he didn't feel himself stand and take a few steps forward in the water. Alfred simply focused on the light directly ahead of him, following it unconsciously until something tugged him back.
"Don't follow them!" Arthur warned, stepping in front of Alfred and frowning at the golden glow that was now hovering close to the edge of the woods.
Alfred shook his head, refocusing his gaze of Arthur, whose face was lit by all the different coloured hues, his eyes reflecting them but at the same time surveying them, making sure they didn't get too close to the two of them.
"What are they?"
"Will-o'-Wisps." Arthur's smile returned. "Amazing little creatures, but mischievous. They can lead a traveller far from his path and then leave them lost in the woods if they are not treated properly." He shot another look at the Wisp that had now floated away from the trees. "No one is really sure what they are born from, but this group is fairly young. They like to have a bit of fun with unsuspecting strangers every now and again."
"Then why don't they go after you?" Alfred found himself stuck looking at Arthur, even with all that surrounded them.
"They wouldn't dare." Arthur smirked. He glanced at Alfred, catching the younger teen staring at him. "Hm? What's wrong?"
"Ah? Oh, nothing." Alfred quickly looked away in a poor attempt at distracting himself. "They really are awesome."
"Again with that word? Well, I suppose it can't be helped." Arthur chuckled, sitting down on one of the rocks jutting out of the water, closing his eyes and leaning back.
He vaguely felt Alfred perch down next to him, his feet splashing in the water.
"Alfred."
"Yeah?"
Arthur sighed, opening his eyes again and looking at the other boy.
"Why did you grab my hand back then? Why did you try to stop me?" It had been on his mind the whole time since he had returned to Avalon. Alfred had definitely tried to prevent him from coming back. He hadn't wanted him to leave. And now he was stuck in Avalon the same way Arthur had been trapped in the sister world.
Alfred looked at him, rubbing the back of his neck the way he always did when he was nervous. "I really don't know. I didn't really think about it when it happened." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looking anywhere but at Arthur. "I just didn't like the idea of you leaving like that."
Arthur smiled, letting himself fall to the side to lean on Alfred's shoulder, chuckling under his breath. "You're hopeless, you know that? Completely and utterly hopeless." He ignored the heat on his cheeks, instead noticing that Alfred's had also turned red. "But then, so am I."
He looked up to meet Alfred's eyes, a matching grin on the other blonde's face which softened faintly, though the smile was still there.
And then Alfred was above him, pushing him back so that he lay in the shallow pool, his cloak floating out underneath him.
Alfred's face was cast into shadow; the glow of the Wisp's still present in the air surrounding them.
They must've only been inches apart. He could feel the other's breath on his face, warm and mingling with his own as he stared upwards.
Alfred's eyes were dark, his glasses slipping down his nose as he knelt in the water. He could feel the water seeping into the knees of his pants, steadily soaking them, but disregarded it, instead giving all his attention to the one below him.
Arthur had never felt anything like it. It was like something was pulling at his chest, the butterflies in the pit of his stomach going insane the more he looked up at Alfred. The only reassurance he had was the red tinge to Alfred's cheeks that he knew matched his own.
"You're all wet, Artie." Alfred chuckled slightly, not taking his eyes off the figure below him.
Arthur frowned up at him, though was quickly replaced by his almost non-existent smile. "So are you, you gi-"
He never got to finish his sentence as Alfred closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a passionate, albeit clumsy (and sloppy) kiss.
His eyes went wide, not expecting the sudden contact. And then Alfred moved, one arm slipping under Arthur's form and pulling him closer into his embrace without breaking the kiss.
Alfred hadn't really thought about it when he had moved. All he knew was that at that very moment Arthur had looking simply breath-taking, and then the next thing he knew, he had kissed him. He wasn't really surprised that Arthur had immediately frozen beneath him; they hadn't exactly set out planning for this kind of thing to happen. And yet, it was kinda relaxing when the smaller teen pulled himself up into Alfred's arms, wrapping his own around him so that they were held together even closer.
One by one the lights around them slowly started to fade, eventually leaving them bathed in the silver light of the moon once more, the water rippling around them as it glistened in the night.
The pulling sensation in Arthur's chest felt stronger as they separated for breath. He was completely entrapped by the reflections of the ripples in Alfred eyes, the bright blue of them leaving him oblivious to the soft red glow that circled his own hand.
[A/N: Hey guys~ I'm back again!
Sorry for the long wait with this chapter, I've been caught up with other stuff (such as University... .)
However, this one is slightly longer than the others to make up for it! ^^;;
Since last time I've managed to finish my images for my "What's in a Name?" fic, which you can find on my profilt =) I'm soooo pleased with them now that they're done and will be posting up a full colour pic of one of the last parts of the story just to finish the whole thing up sometime in the near future hopefully.
(I also need to work on chapter 4 of this... eheh...)]