Breaking the Ice [COMPLETE]
Characters: Arthur Kirkland, Captain Vohemar Alfred F. Jones
Content: Here it is, folks! For the first time in two years, Alfred and Arthur meet face to face... Sort of. They have a chat about chocolate roses.
Setting: BACKDATED. To after the first day of the races.
Time: nightfall
Warnings: more angsting, more denying feelings
It had been a long time since Arthur found himself even the slightest bit winded. He had spent the entire afternoon searching for Alfred after the second preliminary race. The streets were littered with confetti that was held in honor of the winners, and the bars were filled with joyous laughter. Every now and then, Arthur would think about just giving up and entering one so that he could get drunk. But he held himself together. He managed to stay afloat for so many hours, despite the cries from his feet.
The stars were beginning to come out by now, and Arthur knew that he could not wait any longer. He completely blew his opportunity, and as much as he wanted to blame Alfred for that, he knew it was mostly his own fault. Arthur had all the time in the world to get in touch with his brother, and he’d stayed hidden in his ship like a craven coward. So, that was where he would go back to. He turned and started heading up the street.
And that was where Alfred... no, Captain Vohemar, had found Arthur. He hadn't meant to, really. He'd been trying to avoid going back to the ship and his wanderings had brought him here. It was so much easier to be Captain Vohemar than to be Alfred F. Jones sometimes. Alfred F. Jones had problems and relationships and... Arthur. But Arthur was here now too. Just great. Way to ruin the moment, Arthur.
The Hero hid behind a corner as the other man approached.
Arthur continued down the street, eyes cast downward as he went. He hated this, hated himself for hiding. But that was better than being disappointed, right? Like with what had happened today, and when he was going to see Alfred immediately after the cactuar battle. Even his fight with Gilbert was over Alfred! Everything involving that stubborn jerk led to disappointment. Arthur was sick of it.
Yeah. He had to stay mad. That helped.
Arthur... looked pretty down, in Captain Vohemar's view. Why was he so sad? He wasn't still searching for... Oh. Well, Alfred didn't want to be found.
"..."
But Captain Vohemar was supposed to be there for people in need. Anyone. Even Arthurs. He wasn't looking forward to the conversation that Alfred and Arthur would eventually need to have, but luckily, he wasn't Alfred. His costume was perfect! Arthur would never be able to tell. So...
"...You do not seem to be at the pinnacle of Spirit today, citizen."
Someone was talking? To him? Maybe they were drunk. Arthur turned back towards the alley he’d just past. And there, standing in the shadows, was the one man he’d been looking for all day. For a moment, he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. It had been two years since they’d last seen each other, and now that he was standing there, Arthur felt weak in the knees.
Then he saw that he was still in that ridiculous costume from the races. Ah, he was back to life again.
"Alfred! What in the hell were you doing out there?"
The Heroic grin laced across Captain Vohemar's face faltered for a moment. "A- Alfred?! W- w- where? I know of a person named Alfred. He is a very Heroic man, and a friend of mine! If he is here today, I would very much like to greet him in order to thank him for Heroically saving my life the other day from that swarm of Communists!"
The look on Arthur's face... it brought back so many nostalgic and uncomfortable memories. He really hadn't changed all that much, had he? The Captain gulped as he tried to hide his nervousness.
Oh, now... Who did he think he was kidding? Arthur moved closer to Captain Vohemar. “Is that so? Then perhaps you’d like to tell me why he decided it would be fun worrying everyone he knows!” And he reached up to grab that silly mask off of the taller man’s face.
The reaching hand was blocked swiftly, as if the potential touch was a flame. A jolt of electricity. Something that Alfred wasn't ready for just yet. He felt relieved that he'd chosen to wear something with thick, long sleeves for his costume. Even the thought of Arthur's touch against his arm was a little bit too much.
The masked avenger shifted uncomfortably where he stood and said nothing.
Tch. Fine. Arthur balled his hand into a fist and dropped it to his side. He was silent too, for a while, just looking at Alfred with a slight feeling of awe. His little brother had gotten a little taller, and his hair was a little longer. But his eyes were the same, and that angry expression was the last expression Arthur had seen.
It almost looked like he would cry. But Arthur managed to steel himself. Please, don’t run away, he thought. I won’t touch you.
And now the Captain felt bad and he didn't even know why. Was that guilt, maybe? A hollow-ish feeling in the center of his chest. He kind of wanted to reach up to the spot and feel. Instead, he brought his arms down to his side.
Silence never really suited him. "So you're here looking for your..." brother? Yes. "brother, I take it?"
Still playing this game? Well, Arthur would play too, then. “I’ve been looking for him all day.” And even before that. “Guess that sounds kind of stupid, considering the fact that he never expressed any interest in seeing me again.”
"What gives you that idea?" Captain Vohemar tried to sound concerned but not involved. It's not like that at all! Why did Arthur always have to try and push things to move along so quickly? He wasn't ready! The backwards nature of the thought passed by unseen by the Hero. Usually, the one pushing forward into newness and the future was him, so why was it different this time?
Pushing things? Quickly? They hadn’t seen each other for two years! Just how long did you need to find yourself, Alfred? How long did you want to run around playing hero while making others worry about you? “He didn’t contact me. Even after he was injured and knew that I had tried to get in touch with him. He didn’t say anything.”
The blame game. Great. Captain Vohemar turned and looked away from the other man, not wanting him to see the bitter look on his face. "Well, if he was sick all of that time, couldn't you have just gone to see him yourself?"
Not that Alfred had particularly wanted Arthur to come and see him. Not like that. That wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. Finding the Hero in a sick bed would have just proved the point that he couldn't make it on his own. That he couldn't be independent.
Arthur rubbed his forehead. It was so stupid talking to Alfred like this. He was doing his best to keep cool. "I went there today to visit him. I was even going to bring him those fucking chocolate roses he liked so much! But he wasn’t there."
"...You remembered them?"
The eyepatch prevented Captain Vohemar from taking the subtle, sideways glance in Arthur's direction that he wanted to. Darn. He was forced to turn his head fully to look over and truly study the expression on his face. It was getting dark, so it was still not an easy feat. Those roses...
What happened to being detached? Well, Arthur really did not notice Vohemar’s expression, since he still had his head bowed. Admittedly, he had not had time to go and buy chocolate roses before Roy dragged him off to the 4423. And Arthur had been too worried after the race to get any then. But he would have.
"Isn’t that ridiculous?" he finally said. It was those roses that caused Alfred to stop talking to Arthur. "I don’t know why I still want to talk to him. After everything he puts me through. But I can't..." Arthur turned away this time. He knew he would cry eventually. It would be horrible if he couldn’t keep himself under control. "...I can’t stop thinking about that idiot!"
However, the small piece of privacy that Arthur had found in turning away was quickly disassembled. Two white gloved hands, one on each cheek, pulled Arthur's face back to the single blue eye that could be seen behind a red, cloth mask.
"What's so ridiculous about it?" the Vohemaro asked, and that eye of his seemed to shine even in the darkness of the empty street.
It was reflex, on Alfred's part. The grabbing. It was childish too. But he wanted attention. He didn't like to be ignored, even when the person he was being ignored for was himself.
"What if those roses meant something more?!" He still doesn't get it? Those roses were proof that he'd been thinking of Arthur too.
Ah! What the... Arthur was stunned again. It was as if looking into Captain Vohemar’s one eye had turned him to stone. For several moments, he stayed there, face warming against the touch. And then, Arthur remembered why he’d turned away in the first place; he was crying.
Arthur yanked away immediately, as though he would die if he stayed connected to the other man. Shit. He felt like such a fool. “W-what on earth could they mean?” He was trembling. “That Alfred is a selfish bastard who only cares about himself?”
His gloves felt wet, Alfred thought. Captain Vohemar allowed his capture to move away. Even back in the day, he never got to see Arthur cry very often. It felt weird, and he had to wonder how much crying Arthur had been doing lately. For once in his damn life, Alfred F. Jones had to wonder: how much of that had been because of him?
"Didn't you used to get those for him every year? O- ....or so I am told? Wasn't it a special thing the two of you shared?" The Captain's voice dimmed. "Maybe he wanted to prove to you that even though some things are changing, he still wants others to stay the same. That it still means something to him." Talking like this made his head hurt.
It made Arthur’s head hurt, too. He kept his back to Vohemar, thinking quietly to himself. He wanted to get rid of his tears before he turned to look at the other again. “Anyone could buy him chocolate flowers...”
A Hero always found a way and it looked like this one might have done just that. He was making headway now. He could feel it! Now, just a few more choice words and... "But he wanted them from you," he stated simply. It was vital that he keep his voice calm and neutral for this.
"Didn't he want..." No, neutrality wasn't going to work. Better just like... drop that line of thinking there. Didn't he want them from you on a special day?
"Are you really going to cry over something so simple? What's the big deal about giving your little brother some chocolates?"
Simple? This wasn’t simple! Did Alfred forget about hanging up on Arthur and treating him like a moron for not getting those dumb roses? It really hurt. He rubbed his eyes. It seemed like his tears were settling down now. Good. Now, he was just angry.
“If you don’t think it’s a big deal, then buy your own damn roses. We’re not brothers anymore!” Er. Well. He didn’t mean for it to come out that harsh.
A step back. For just over two years now, that had been... what Alfred had always wanted to hear. It just didn't sound as pretty as he'd thought it would. He reached up to straighten his mask. He didn't know what else to do with his hands. Maybe play with the feather on his cap? No, that still didn't work. He still felt... He looked away from the man that was not his brother.
Captain Vohemar pushed the brim of his hat down. "I'll be sure to tell Alfred that, next time I see him."
Shit. This was not how Arthur had planned to tell Alfred at all. Arthur had planned on saying it much nicer, more controlled. He spun around, only to be met by Vohemar’s back. "Y-... No. He wants that, right? That’s why he ran away. He doesn’t want to be associated with me anymore. So, if that’s the case, then I have no choice. He won’t have to worry about me looking over his shoulder, making sure he’s safe or eating properly. I won’t follow him around anymore." Here, Arthur paused to take a breath. He felt the tears coming back again. "Alfred’s choices should belong to him. He is capable of making his own decisions."
Heroes don't cry that easily, Alfred told himself.
And besides, he wouldn't know what to shed tears over anyway. Choices, choices. "You don't..." Captain Vohemar started, then stopped. He rewrote what he was going to say in his head before speaking again. "You don't have to... not be there all of the time, you know. Just... So, he's your equal now! I- he'd like freedom though! He enjoys that a lot."
"I know he does," Arthur frowned. He felt awful. Why couldn't he keep Alfred in a box forever? That would prevent him from making foolish choices and he wouldn't get hurt. He would just sit in that box, and Arthur would love him. But things didn't work like that. Alfred and Arthur had very different opinions on the way the world worked. Alfred needed to fly, and Arthur needed to let go. "I know."
This was harder than he'd thought it would be. Alfred had planned this all out, you see. Many times. How it would go, just like a play on a big, open stage. And the pieces all had to move just right, but now they were all going off in their own directions, just like he was. There was very little control over this.
His lines... What was he supposed to say right about here? He'd rehearsed this. When Arthur said something like that, he was supposed to say... "I guess we have to start over again, huh?"
Would that be okay? To... start over? As different people? Perhaps even friends? Slowly, Arthur lifted his hand and reached for Captain Vohemar’s cape. But at the last second before grabbing it, he stopped. “What do you want?” Do you still want anything to do with me?
History, Alfred had learned, is something that you can't erase. You can't repeat it either. Can we never turn back again? Never.
You could start over, but that didn't mean you forgot. It didn't mean it would turn out the same as last time either. He couldn't forget, and he didn't think Arthur could either. There was just too much to forget. Birthdays, Arthur's cooking, being read fairy tales to, the way Arthur had always hugged him whenever he felt sad or scared... So what would it be? Arthur was giving him a choice. Alfred's heart thumped.
The cape billowed as Captain Vohemar turned to face Arthur. He was putting up a good front and smiling widely. "I think," he said in a light voice, too light and soft for his loud persona. "I want to be something special!" to you.
Arthur merely nodded, a bit surprised by the small voice and huge grin. Alfred already was special to him. Why couldn’t that idiot see it? After a moment, Arthur turned and slowly began to walk down the street.
Alfred followed, boots clacking rhythmically against the stone. He made sure to catch up and match speeds with his one time brother's pace. "Ah, it just so happens that my ship is docked in that direction too. So, I guess we can walk together for a while."
Alfred leaned over and grabbed Arthur's hand. It doesn't matter if we're different people, or if our relation changes, you know? My way will always overlap yours.
So many things Alfred did surprised Arthur. Frequently, they were things that also infuriated him. But this… When they were younger, they had often held hands when traveling from one place to another. This kept them from getting separated from each other if they were walking through large crowds. There was no reason to do it now; they were no longer brothers, nor were they walking through a crowd. So why do it?
The tears that had been waiting in Arthur’s eyes finally fell, liberated from their positions. Arthur didn’t even know what to say, but he looked over in Alfred’s direction and smiled gently. That’s right. Just because they were not brothers anymore didn’t mean they had to stop talking. It would take some time to get used to this new relationship, but they would be alright. His fingers folded around Alfred’s.
Captain Vohemar didn't mind the tears. Alfred didn't move to wipe them away. This was enough for now. He'd just keep holding Arthur's hand until they both had to go their separate ways. There would always be a next time.
But they could think about that later. For now, his hand felt warm and his heart had stopped hurting. Just wait until next time...
Content: Here it is, folks! For the first time in two years, Alfred and Arthur meet face to face... Sort of. They have a chat about chocolate roses.
Setting: BACKDATED. To after the first day of the races.
Time: nightfall
Warnings: more angsting, more denying feelings
It had been a long time since Arthur found himself even the slightest bit winded. He had spent the entire afternoon searching for Alfred after the second preliminary race. The streets were littered with confetti that was held in honor of the winners, and the bars were filled with joyous laughter. Every now and then, Arthur would think about just giving up and entering one so that he could get drunk. But he held himself together. He managed to stay afloat for so many hours, despite the cries from his feet.
The stars were beginning to come out by now, and Arthur knew that he could not wait any longer. He completely blew his opportunity, and as much as he wanted to blame Alfred for that, he knew it was mostly his own fault. Arthur had all the time in the world to get in touch with his brother, and he’d stayed hidden in his ship like a craven coward. So, that was where he would go back to. He turned and started heading up the street.
And that was where Alfred... no, Captain Vohemar, had found Arthur. He hadn't meant to, really. He'd been trying to avoid going back to the ship and his wanderings had brought him here. It was so much easier to be Captain Vohemar than to be Alfred F. Jones sometimes. Alfred F. Jones had problems and relationships and... Arthur. But Arthur was here now too. Just great. Way to ruin the moment, Arthur.
The Hero hid behind a corner as the other man approached.
Arthur continued down the street, eyes cast downward as he went. He hated this, hated himself for hiding. But that was better than being disappointed, right? Like with what had happened today, and when he was going to see Alfred immediately after the cactuar battle. Even his fight with Gilbert was over Alfred! Everything involving that stubborn jerk led to disappointment. Arthur was sick of it.
Yeah. He had to stay mad. That helped.
Arthur... looked pretty down, in Captain Vohemar's view. Why was he so sad? He wasn't still searching for... Oh. Well, Alfred didn't want to be found.
"..."
But Captain Vohemar was supposed to be there for people in need. Anyone. Even Arthurs. He wasn't looking forward to the conversation that Alfred and Arthur would eventually need to have, but luckily, he wasn't Alfred. His costume was perfect! Arthur would never be able to tell. So...
"...You do not seem to be at the pinnacle of Spirit today, citizen."
Someone was talking? To him? Maybe they were drunk. Arthur turned back towards the alley he’d just past. And there, standing in the shadows, was the one man he’d been looking for all day. For a moment, he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. It had been two years since they’d last seen each other, and now that he was standing there, Arthur felt weak in the knees.
Then he saw that he was still in that ridiculous costume from the races. Ah, he was back to life again.
"Alfred! What in the hell were you doing out there?"
The Heroic grin laced across Captain Vohemar's face faltered for a moment. "A- Alfred?! W- w- where? I know of a person named Alfred. He is a very Heroic man, and a friend of mine! If he is here today, I would very much like to greet him in order to thank him for Heroically saving my life the other day from that swarm of Communists!"
The look on Arthur's face... it brought back so many nostalgic and uncomfortable memories. He really hadn't changed all that much, had he? The Captain gulped as he tried to hide his nervousness.
Oh, now... Who did he think he was kidding? Arthur moved closer to Captain Vohemar. “Is that so? Then perhaps you’d like to tell me why he decided it would be fun worrying everyone he knows!” And he reached up to grab that silly mask off of the taller man’s face.
The reaching hand was blocked swiftly, as if the potential touch was a flame. A jolt of electricity. Something that Alfred wasn't ready for just yet. He felt relieved that he'd chosen to wear something with thick, long sleeves for his costume. Even the thought of Arthur's touch against his arm was a little bit too much.
The masked avenger shifted uncomfortably where he stood and said nothing.
Tch. Fine. Arthur balled his hand into a fist and dropped it to his side. He was silent too, for a while, just looking at Alfred with a slight feeling of awe. His little brother had gotten a little taller, and his hair was a little longer. But his eyes were the same, and that angry expression was the last expression Arthur had seen.
It almost looked like he would cry. But Arthur managed to steel himself. Please, don’t run away, he thought. I won’t touch you.
And now the Captain felt bad and he didn't even know why. Was that guilt, maybe? A hollow-ish feeling in the center of his chest. He kind of wanted to reach up to the spot and feel. Instead, he brought his arms down to his side.
Silence never really suited him. "So you're here looking for your..." brother? Yes. "brother, I take it?"
Still playing this game? Well, Arthur would play too, then. “I’ve been looking for him all day.” And even before that. “Guess that sounds kind of stupid, considering the fact that he never expressed any interest in seeing me again.”
"What gives you that idea?" Captain Vohemar tried to sound concerned but not involved. It's not like that at all! Why did Arthur always have to try and push things to move along so quickly? He wasn't ready! The backwards nature of the thought passed by unseen by the Hero. Usually, the one pushing forward into newness and the future was him, so why was it different this time?
Pushing things? Quickly? They hadn’t seen each other for two years! Just how long did you need to find yourself, Alfred? How long did you want to run around playing hero while making others worry about you? “He didn’t contact me. Even after he was injured and knew that I had tried to get in touch with him. He didn’t say anything.”
The blame game. Great. Captain Vohemar turned and looked away from the other man, not wanting him to see the bitter look on his face. "Well, if he was sick all of that time, couldn't you have just gone to see him yourself?"
Not that Alfred had particularly wanted Arthur to come and see him. Not like that. That wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. Finding the Hero in a sick bed would have just proved the point that he couldn't make it on his own. That he couldn't be independent.
Arthur rubbed his forehead. It was so stupid talking to Alfred like this. He was doing his best to keep cool. "I went there today to visit him. I was even going to bring him those fucking chocolate roses he liked so much! But he wasn’t there."
"...You remembered them?"
The eyepatch prevented Captain Vohemar from taking the subtle, sideways glance in Arthur's direction that he wanted to. Darn. He was forced to turn his head fully to look over and truly study the expression on his face. It was getting dark, so it was still not an easy feat. Those roses...
What happened to being detached? Well, Arthur really did not notice Vohemar’s expression, since he still had his head bowed. Admittedly, he had not had time to go and buy chocolate roses before Roy dragged him off to the 4423. And Arthur had been too worried after the race to get any then. But he would have.
"Isn’t that ridiculous?" he finally said. It was those roses that caused Alfred to stop talking to Arthur. "I don’t know why I still want to talk to him. After everything he puts me through. But I can't..." Arthur turned away this time. He knew he would cry eventually. It would be horrible if he couldn’t keep himself under control. "...I can’t stop thinking about that idiot!"
However, the small piece of privacy that Arthur had found in turning away was quickly disassembled. Two white gloved hands, one on each cheek, pulled Arthur's face back to the single blue eye that could be seen behind a red, cloth mask.
"What's so ridiculous about it?" the Vohemaro asked, and that eye of his seemed to shine even in the darkness of the empty street.
It was reflex, on Alfred's part. The grabbing. It was childish too. But he wanted attention. He didn't like to be ignored, even when the person he was being ignored for was himself.
"What if those roses meant something more?!" He still doesn't get it? Those roses were proof that he'd been thinking of Arthur too.
Ah! What the... Arthur was stunned again. It was as if looking into Captain Vohemar’s one eye had turned him to stone. For several moments, he stayed there, face warming against the touch. And then, Arthur remembered why he’d turned away in the first place; he was crying.
Arthur yanked away immediately, as though he would die if he stayed connected to the other man. Shit. He felt like such a fool. “W-what on earth could they mean?” He was trembling. “That Alfred is a selfish bastard who only cares about himself?”
His gloves felt wet, Alfred thought. Captain Vohemar allowed his capture to move away. Even back in the day, he never got to see Arthur cry very often. It felt weird, and he had to wonder how much crying Arthur had been doing lately. For once in his damn life, Alfred F. Jones had to wonder: how much of that had been because of him?
"Didn't you used to get those for him every year? O- ....or so I am told? Wasn't it a special thing the two of you shared?" The Captain's voice dimmed. "Maybe he wanted to prove to you that even though some things are changing, he still wants others to stay the same. That it still means something to him." Talking like this made his head hurt.
It made Arthur’s head hurt, too. He kept his back to Vohemar, thinking quietly to himself. He wanted to get rid of his tears before he turned to look at the other again. “Anyone could buy him chocolate flowers...”
A Hero always found a way and it looked like this one might have done just that. He was making headway now. He could feel it! Now, just a few more choice words and... "But he wanted them from you," he stated simply. It was vital that he keep his voice calm and neutral for this.
"Didn't he want..." No, neutrality wasn't going to work. Better just like... drop that line of thinking there. Didn't he want them from you on a special day?
"Are you really going to cry over something so simple? What's the big deal about giving your little brother some chocolates?"
Simple? This wasn’t simple! Did Alfred forget about hanging up on Arthur and treating him like a moron for not getting those dumb roses? It really hurt. He rubbed his eyes. It seemed like his tears were settling down now. Good. Now, he was just angry.
“If you don’t think it’s a big deal, then buy your own damn roses. We’re not brothers anymore!” Er. Well. He didn’t mean for it to come out that harsh.
A step back. For just over two years now, that had been... what Alfred had always wanted to hear. It just didn't sound as pretty as he'd thought it would. He reached up to straighten his mask. He didn't know what else to do with his hands. Maybe play with the feather on his cap? No, that still didn't work. He still felt... He looked away from the man that was not his brother.
Captain Vohemar pushed the brim of his hat down. "I'll be sure to tell Alfred that, next time I see him."
Shit. This was not how Arthur had planned to tell Alfred at all. Arthur had planned on saying it much nicer, more controlled. He spun around, only to be met by Vohemar’s back. "Y-... No. He wants that, right? That’s why he ran away. He doesn’t want to be associated with me anymore. So, if that’s the case, then I have no choice. He won’t have to worry about me looking over his shoulder, making sure he’s safe or eating properly. I won’t follow him around anymore." Here, Arthur paused to take a breath. He felt the tears coming back again. "Alfred’s choices should belong to him. He is capable of making his own decisions."
Heroes don't cry that easily, Alfred told himself.
And besides, he wouldn't know what to shed tears over anyway. Choices, choices. "You don't..." Captain Vohemar started, then stopped. He rewrote what he was going to say in his head before speaking again. "You don't have to... not be there all of the time, you know. Just... So, he's your equal now! I- he'd like freedom though! He enjoys that a lot."
"I know he does," Arthur frowned. He felt awful. Why couldn't he keep Alfred in a box forever? That would prevent him from making foolish choices and he wouldn't get hurt. He would just sit in that box, and Arthur would love him. But things didn't work like that. Alfred and Arthur had very different opinions on the way the world worked. Alfred needed to fly, and Arthur needed to let go. "I know."
This was harder than he'd thought it would be. Alfred had planned this all out, you see. Many times. How it would go, just like a play on a big, open stage. And the pieces all had to move just right, but now they were all going off in their own directions, just like he was. There was very little control over this.
His lines... What was he supposed to say right about here? He'd rehearsed this. When Arthur said something like that, he was supposed to say... "I guess we have to start over again, huh?"
Would that be okay? To... start over? As different people? Perhaps even friends? Slowly, Arthur lifted his hand and reached for Captain Vohemar’s cape. But at the last second before grabbing it, he stopped. “What do you want?” Do you still want anything to do with me?
History, Alfred had learned, is something that you can't erase. You can't repeat it either. Can we never turn back again? Never.
You could start over, but that didn't mean you forgot. It didn't mean it would turn out the same as last time either. He couldn't forget, and he didn't think Arthur could either. There was just too much to forget. Birthdays, Arthur's cooking, being read fairy tales to, the way Arthur had always hugged him whenever he felt sad or scared... So what would it be? Arthur was giving him a choice. Alfred's heart thumped.
The cape billowed as Captain Vohemar turned to face Arthur. He was putting up a good front and smiling widely. "I think," he said in a light voice, too light and soft for his loud persona. "I want to be something special!" to you.
Arthur merely nodded, a bit surprised by the small voice and huge grin. Alfred already was special to him. Why couldn’t that idiot see it? After a moment, Arthur turned and slowly began to walk down the street.
Alfred followed, boots clacking rhythmically against the stone. He made sure to catch up and match speeds with his one time brother's pace. "Ah, it just so happens that my ship is docked in that direction too. So, I guess we can walk together for a while."
Alfred leaned over and grabbed Arthur's hand. It doesn't matter if we're different people, or if our relation changes, you know? My way will always overlap yours.
So many things Alfred did surprised Arthur. Frequently, they were things that also infuriated him. But this… When they were younger, they had often held hands when traveling from one place to another. This kept them from getting separated from each other if they were walking through large crowds. There was no reason to do it now; they were no longer brothers, nor were they walking through a crowd. So why do it?
The tears that had been waiting in Arthur’s eyes finally fell, liberated from their positions. Arthur didn’t even know what to say, but he looked over in Alfred’s direction and smiled gently. That’s right. Just because they were not brothers anymore didn’t mean they had to stop talking. It would take some time to get used to this new relationship, but they would be alright. His fingers folded around Alfred’s.
Captain Vohemar didn't mind the tears. Alfred didn't move to wipe them away. This was enough for now. He'd just keep holding Arthur's hand until they both had to go their separate ways. There would always be a next time.
But they could think about that later. For now, his hand felt warm and his heart had stopped hurting. Just wait until next time...