[fanfic - BTS Event] Against the Tide
Title: Against The Tide
Author: saemi_mitsuwa
Genre: AU, fluff
Rating/Warnings: PG, bullying, drabble, FACE-family, human names used?
Theme: Day One - Back to School
Summary: Alfred befriends Ivan, a strange new student who just moved into town - and experiences his first bully.
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“Are you sure you have everything?”
“Yes Dad.”
“Let me check again - here's your lunch, pencil box, crayons, spare change of clothes -”
“Dad stop~ the teacher's coming out.”
“Hold on - I already checked your brother in the other class and now its your turn.”
Alfred pushed his Dad's hands away and frowned with embarrassment. None of the other kids had their parents with them! He was a big kid now - first grade! - and he didn't want his Dad babying him.
“Alright...okay looks like everything is here.” Arthur zipped Alfred's Captain America backpack up and stepped away. “Remember to tell the teacher about you're peanut allergy and give her the green paper. It details you're allergy's and ”
“I know.” Alfred flushed and fiddled with his new glasses. “I'll give her the paper.”
Arthur nodded and sighed, seeming torn. He didn't want to leave them, but forced himself to step away.
“Have a good day at school. Your father will pick you up.”
A few of the other parents pick up their heads in surprise at this, but said nothing. The other kids glanced at each other, exchanging confused looks.
Arthur stepped away and watched as the teacher came out. He was a great huge man, tall and muscular. His hair was brown and curly, with eyes like molten milk chocolate.
“Good morning! I am Mr. Quintus.” He asked, smiling. “Are you guys ready for first grade??”
The kids shouted a chorus of yes! & yeah!, some throwing their hands into the air, others grinning and wiggling with anticipation.
“Then lets go!” He turned, waved at the first child in line, and walked through the door to the building, down a hall and stopped at the doorway. “Now before you go in, I'm going to give you a paper with a number on it. The desks inside will also have numbers. If your number looks the same as the numbers on the desk, then it is yours!”
He handed each student a paper with a number on it - the kids all learned their numbers in kindergarten - and watched the students go inside. Alfred took his number - an eight - stepped inside and looked for his number on a desk. He found it nearby the class library, pulled the chair out and sat down, tossing his backpack on top of his desk. He watched and waited, legs bouncing as the other kids walked inside and sat down. Two more kids sat down across from him, but the seat beside him was emtpy.
The teacher - Mr. Quintus - stepped in and introduced himself, the classroom and started the kids with an easy activity, decorating their name cards for their desks. Alfred put his backpack on the back of his chair and pulled out his massive 120 crayon count crayon container. The other kids stared in envy, to which Alfred sucked up with secret joy. He opened the box and pulled out a blue crayon and started scribbling little Captain America's all over his name tag.
The door opened suddenly, and in stepped a boy with...what looked like his older sister. The boy was tall, but chubby. His cheeks were flushed, his violet eyes on the floor.
“I am sorry we're late!” The girl - his sister Alfred guessed - gasped. “It's my fault.”
“Oh good! I was wondering where you were.” Mr. Quintus stepped over to the desk and pulled the chair out right next to Alfred. “You can sit here.”
The sister leaned down to whisper something at the boy, who nodded and slowly walked across the room, eyes darting to all the students until they focused on Alfred. Alfred stared back, and the boy pulled his eyes away as he sat down.
“What's your name?” Alfred asked suddenly, being the more forward and outgoing one of the group. “I'm Alfred.”
“...Ivan.” The boy replied, playing nervously with his platinum blonde hair. “I just moved here.”
“Ohhh I moved here too! Well - when I came to Kindergarten.” Alfred smiled. He quickly introduced Ivan to the other students before telling him what they were supposed to do. “And you color your name...thingy.”
“Ohh.” Ivan pulled out a small box of crayons, big fat ones - and started coloring in a sun at the top of the paper. Alfred watched for a moment before shoving his huge thing of crayons at Ivan.
“Use mine.” Alfred smiled. “They're better.”
Ivan looked from his crayons, to Alfred, before dropping his to grab some of Alfred's. “Thank you.”
“Its s'okay.” Alfred colored a space ship on his nametag. “Friends?”
“Friends.”
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Alfred just gout out from recess and was with a group of kids, bouncing a ball to them when it started.
“You have two dads?” A boy exclaimed, catching the ball. “That's weird.”
“What?" Alfred exclaimed, confused. “Why is it weird?”
“Because you're only supposed to have a Mommy & a Daddy. Not...two daddies.”
“It's gay.” An older student stepped over to them. A fourth-grader by the looks of him. “I bet you're gay too.”
“Gay? What's that?” The younger boy asked.
Alfred glared at the older boy. He knew what it meant - his dads' already told him about it.
“It's when you like boys.”
“Oh...” The younger boy scrunched his eyebrows together. “That's weird. I've never seen that before.”
“It's gross.” The older boy stated as he walked closer to Alfred. “I bet you're gay too.”
“Leave me alone.” Alfred stepped back, putting distance between himself and the boy. “You're being mean.”
“So?” The boy pushed Alfred. “Stupid fag- I bet you like boys too! Kissing them and all that.”
Alfred pushed back. “Leave me alone!”
The older boy looked on in surprise at first before jerking his hands at Alfred's chest and shoving him to the ground. The older boy laughed, his older friends joining him. The young kids gasped and looked on in surprise and apprehension, too afraid to defy the older kids.
“Stupid faggot. I bet you do all that gross stuff.”
Alfred stuggled to his feet, but his feet were kicked out and he crashed to the pavement again.
“Stop it!” Ivan suddenly appeared before Alfred, standing before him protectively. “Leave him alone!”
“Oh look - here's another one!” The fourth grade grinned as the older kids laughed. “You gonna fight?”
Ivan clenched his fist raised it up and smashed it across the older boys face. Everyone gasped in surprise as the boy stumbled back, rubbing his cheek. Ivan glared at him.
“Leave Alfred alone!” Ivan shouted.
“You little shit!” The fourth grader hissed and threw himself at the tall first grader.
The two crashed to the ground. Alfred scrambled over and slammed his fists on the boys back, shouting at him to get off his friend. Ivan kicked the boy in the gut and pushed him off. The three wrestled, punched, pulled hair and kicked each other, the other kids shouting and circling them until a teacher pulled them off each other and marched them up to the office.
Alfred, Ivan and the older boy sat on the chairs outside the office, nursing black eyes, cuts, scrapes and bruises. Inside the principles office Alfred could hear his Dad shouting at the principle and the older kids Dad. Voice rose higher and louder, the office workers nervously looking at the closed door to the principles office until it suddenly grew quiet. A long time passed, and the door opened.
Ivan and the older boy had to go home early - 'suspended' Arthur had told him.
“You don't have to go home, because you were defending yourself.” Arthur explained, his eyes hard with anger. Alfred stared at him, not really understanding this except that..whatever it was, it was good. Arthur sighed, still upset, but focused his attention to Alfred. “Is you're eye okay?”
“Yeah. It just..hurts a lil.” Alfred admitted, holding the ice pack to his left eye. “Can go back to class?”
“Yes.” Arthur smiled. “I'll walk you back.”
Arthur told this to the school nurse, who checked Alfred over once more before smiling and writing him a hall-pass slip. Alfred handed the slip to Arthur, and linked his hand with his, the larger hand engulfing his own as they left the office and walked down the hall.”
“Dad...Why are people mean like that?” Alfred asked. “Why... do people not like you and Papa?”
“We talked about this - remember?” Arthur stated, eyes turning sad. “Sometimes.. don't like seeing two men together.”
“But...why?” Alfred asked, wanted a clear, solid answer.
“It...just is.” Arthur sighed. “I know it doesn't make any sense now...but you'll understand eventually.” Arthur's eyes turned cold at this, and he quickly changed the subject. “Do you like your class?”
“Oh yeah!” Alfred grinned. “Mr. Q is cool!”
“That's good.” Arthur chuckled.”You make any friends yet?”
“Ivan is my friend.” Alfred smiled. “He's the one who fought that boy for being mean to me.”
“...Is that so?”
“Yeah!” Alfred squeezed his Dad's hand. “But...will Ivan be here tomorrow?”
“I don't know.” Arthur honestly replied. “If not, maybe you can meet the other kids in your class?”
“Ohh yeah. There's this other boy - his name is Kiku. He can speak japa..japaneess.”
"Really?” Arthur smiled as they came to Alfred's room. “Maybe you can be friends with him too?”
“Yeah.” Alfred smiled, let go of his Dads hand and gripped the door handle after waving at Arthur. “Oh! C-can...Ivan come by after school when he comes back?”
"Of course."
Alfred smiled and waved. "Okay - bye!"
Arthur waved back.
“See you after school.”