Strawberry Ice Cream
Title: Strawberry Ice Cream
Genre: Friendship/Romance/Fluff
Pairing(s): USUK
Word Count: 1,723
Rating/Warnings: PG
Summary: Alfred and Arthur were friends on purpose but accidentally in love. AU. Done for the ' If I Didn't Have You' prompt.
"Spiderman will definitely beat Batman," Arthur said in a matter-of-fact voice. He kicked his legs against the ground as he licked an escaping trickle of ice cream that was running down his hand. The old man at the newsagents had given him and Alfred free ice creams.
Alfred scoffed at Arthur's idea as if it were completely ridiculous. "No, Batman has loads of gadgets and he's really smart as well so he'll analyse Spiderman's weaknesses and use them to defeat him!"
"Spiderman's weaknesses are when the people he loves are threatened. Batman's not going to threaten anybody just to beat Spiderman. And besides, Spiderman can just pick Batman up and drop him from like a tall building." Arthur finished the last of his ice cream and started to munch on the cone. They were sitting in the shade of the adventure playground at the park because the sun was hot enough to make every single metal bit of the playground scalding hot. Alfred had tried to swing on the monkey bars but had quickly let go with an ungraceful yelp.
"Batman has martial arts knowledge and so he can make sure that Spiderman doesn't get hold of him at all," Alfred pointed out with an air of superiority. He finished his ice cream and handed the cone to Arthur to eat. He would just throw it away if not.
"But Spiderman has awesome reflexes and can do things like stick to the ceiling. He could hide from Batman and then drop from above or spray him with his web," Arthur retorted. He watched as his twin brother eyed the fixings of the roundabout thoughtfully as if debating the best way to unscrew it. He might have to go soon if William was getting bored.
"But Spiderman wears a red and blue outfit! Batman will find it easier to hide, he has a black cape."
"It depends on where it is. If he were here right now, then he would stand out like a sore thumb. At least Spiderman is so fast that no one can catch a look at him." Arthur finished off his cone and started on Alfred's. He didn't know why his friend didn't like the cones, they were the best part.
"How awesome would it be if Batman was here right now?" Alfred asked excitedly, showing that his mind had already wandered off the topic they had been talking about and was now three steps ahead of Arthur at the next topic of conversation.
"It would be brilliant," Arthur admitted. He thought that Spiderman could beat Batman, but it would be great to meet the Batman in the flesh. But he didn't exist apart from in comic books and movies. Still, he wasn't going to remind Alfred of that fact. "What would you ask him? Batman, I mean, if he was here right now."
"I would ask him how he made the Batmobile and all his gadgets so I could create them myself! Someday, I'm going to create a superhero outfit and it is going to be awesome!" Alfred almost yelled this and pointed his finger at the sky as if they had disagree with him. 'Awesome' had been a word he had heard on a cartoon and now he wouldn't stop using it.
"I'm sure you can figure out how to create the gadgets without Batman's help," Arthur said loyally. Alfred was really smart, even if he didn't read that much. Arthur read a lot but he still couldn't do all the complicated sums and things that Alfred could do. If anyone could create the gadgets, it would be Alfred.
Alfred gave him a blinding smile at his answer and Arthur felt his face grow even hotter. Alfred looked like he wanted to give Arthur a hug but they were both hot and sweaty that he settled for slapping Arthur on the back, like he saw a friend of his older brother's do to him. It hurt, a lot, but Arthur was used to rough-and-tumble from Alfred and didn't make any comment. He preferred the hugs though.
"So, what would you ask Batman if he was here?" Alfred asked, settling back against the playground again. Arthur thought about it for a second.
"I would ask him if a double life got hard at times and whether he ever thought about giving it up. And then I would ask him if Robin was ever annoying." He threw a look at Alfred at the last part and Alfred reacted just like Arthur predicted he would.
"Geez, you ask so serious questions. And besides, I'm Batman, you're Robin and I would say that you can be annoying sometimes." Alfred folded his arms and craned his nose up so he could look down on Arthur from underneath the brim of his cap. He was referring to the discussion Arthur and Alfred had yesterday about who would be Batman and who would be Robin between the two of them.
"No, I'm Batman and you're Robin and I would say that you're always annoying," Arthur corrected him. Alfred stuck out his tongue and Arthur pushed himself onto his feet. Alfred looked up at him, squinting against the brightness of the sun and Arthur took the opportunity to swipe Alfred's cap right off his head and start running.
"Hey, come back Arthur!" Alfred cried and there was the sound of running behind Arthur to let him know that Alfred was chasing him, just like he thought he would. The sun was boiling out of the shade and Arthur could already feel the sweat pouring down his forehead. He headed for the trees on the other side of the park, knowing that Alfred was the faster runner and he would catch up with him soon and wanting to be in the shade and on the grass when the inevitable happened and Alfred tackled him to the ground.
Sure enough, as soon as Arthur was under the big oak tree, he felt Alfred catch him around the waist and bring him to the ground. There was a moment of scuffling between them that stirred all the dried mud on the ground from the rain over the past few weeks that had now turned into dust from the sun. Eventually the dust cloud got too big and the two of them had to separate.
Alfred had been victorious and he jammed the cap back on his head with a triumphant cry before sneezing as the last of the dust settled. He then flopped down to lay next to Arthur and there was a moment where both of them stopped to catch their breath.
"Hey Arthur," Alfred suddenly spoke, sounding unusually pensive. Arthur turned his head to look at Alfred, only to see him staring up at the sky. "Do you think we'll still be friends other summers? Like when we go off to secondary school and sixth form college and university?"
Arthur was silent as he considered the question. There was always the chance they could go to different schools and drift apart but something in Arthur revolted at the idea. He couldn't imagine doing those things without Alfred by his side. They were best friends, that wouldn't change.
"Of course we will," Arthur replied truthfully. "After all, none of that will be any fun without you there pushing me to try out your latest crazy idea."
"Hey, climbing onto the roof was your idea!" Alfred protested his innocence with a laugh, looking happier at Arthur's answer. Arthur smiled and shifted closer to Alfred.
"Yes, but the bungee jumping was yours," Arthur reminded his friend, laughing himself as Alfred tried to protest that only to realise that it was futile and admit defeat. The two of them argued over who had the stupidest ideas as the sun travelled lower in the sky.
***
Years later, Arthur would remember that hot summer afternoon as he helped Alfred to finish off the cone of his strawberry ice cream. The situation was remarkably similar, with Alfred still burning his hands on the monkey bars and the two of them seeking out shade as quickly as possible. There was only one difference.
"What are you thinking about?" Alfred asked, watching as Arthur finished off the last of the ice cream cone. "You were lost in thought there."
"I was thinking about an afternoon like this when we were younger. I stole your cap." Arthur eyed Alfred's head, there was no cap and he couldn't steal the glasses without leaving Alfred unable to chase him and that was half the fun.
Alfred laughed as he remembered. "Oh, yeah. That was a really good summer. Do you want to go the pool again, like we used to?" Arthur grinned and nodded. He and Alfred stood up from their seat underneath the oak tree.
"Hey, you've still got a bit of ice cream," Alfred said, staring at Arthur's mouth. Arthur lifted a hand to his mouth to wipe it away, but Alfred got there first by kissing the corner of his mouth. As Alfred started to pull away, Arthur put a hand to Alfred's cheek and turned his head to the side so Arthur could kiss him properly. They separated, both of them smiling.
"Did you get it?" Arthur teased and Alfred smiled, his blinding grin, before nodding.
"And now you are presentable enough to go to the pool," Alfred said in a snobbish voice, looking down his nose at Arthur. The effect was ruined by the smile trying to get free and when Alfred tried to walk like that, he tripped over a tree root, sending both of them into fits of laughter.
"I'm glad the great and amazing Alfred approves," Arthur threw back over his shoulder as he walked in front of Alfred. Alfred tried to catch up but Arthur kept himself further ahead. He watched as Alfred looked confused for a second before catching on.
"Come on, Arthur," he said, putting on a burst to speed to catch up with Arthur. Arthur, who had been anticipating this, dodged and started to ran away. "I'm going to catch you!" Alfred yelled after Arthur's retreating back.
"Not like that you won't!" Arthur yelled back and Alfred gave chase, ignoring the sun beating down on his back, just like he had all those years ago.
Inspired by how hot it is here at the moment and how I took a break from work to have an ice cream in the park.
Genre: Friendship/Romance/Fluff
Pairing(s): USUK
Word Count: 1,723
Rating/Warnings: PG
Summary: Alfred and Arthur were friends on purpose but accidentally in love. AU. Done for the ' If I Didn't Have You' prompt.
"Spiderman will definitely beat Batman," Arthur said in a matter-of-fact voice. He kicked his legs against the ground as he licked an escaping trickle of ice cream that was running down his hand. The old man at the newsagents had given him and Alfred free ice creams.
Alfred scoffed at Arthur's idea as if it were completely ridiculous. "No, Batman has loads of gadgets and he's really smart as well so he'll analyse Spiderman's weaknesses and use them to defeat him!"
"Spiderman's weaknesses are when the people he loves are threatened. Batman's not going to threaten anybody just to beat Spiderman. And besides, Spiderman can just pick Batman up and drop him from like a tall building." Arthur finished the last of his ice cream and started to munch on the cone. They were sitting in the shade of the adventure playground at the park because the sun was hot enough to make every single metal bit of the playground scalding hot. Alfred had tried to swing on the monkey bars but had quickly let go with an ungraceful yelp.
"Batman has martial arts knowledge and so he can make sure that Spiderman doesn't get hold of him at all," Alfred pointed out with an air of superiority. He finished his ice cream and handed the cone to Arthur to eat. He would just throw it away if not.
"But Spiderman has awesome reflexes and can do things like stick to the ceiling. He could hide from Batman and then drop from above or spray him with his web," Arthur retorted. He watched as his twin brother eyed the fixings of the roundabout thoughtfully as if debating the best way to unscrew it. He might have to go soon if William was getting bored.
"But Spiderman wears a red and blue outfit! Batman will find it easier to hide, he has a black cape."
"It depends on where it is. If he were here right now, then he would stand out like a sore thumb. At least Spiderman is so fast that no one can catch a look at him." Arthur finished off his cone and started on Alfred's. He didn't know why his friend didn't like the cones, they were the best part.
"How awesome would it be if Batman was here right now?" Alfred asked excitedly, showing that his mind had already wandered off the topic they had been talking about and was now three steps ahead of Arthur at the next topic of conversation.
"It would be brilliant," Arthur admitted. He thought that Spiderman could beat Batman, but it would be great to meet the Batman in the flesh. But he didn't exist apart from in comic books and movies. Still, he wasn't going to remind Alfred of that fact. "What would you ask him? Batman, I mean, if he was here right now."
"I would ask him how he made the Batmobile and all his gadgets so I could create them myself! Someday, I'm going to create a superhero outfit and it is going to be awesome!" Alfred almost yelled this and pointed his finger at the sky as if they had disagree with him. 'Awesome' had been a word he had heard on a cartoon and now he wouldn't stop using it.
"I'm sure you can figure out how to create the gadgets without Batman's help," Arthur said loyally. Alfred was really smart, even if he didn't read that much. Arthur read a lot but he still couldn't do all the complicated sums and things that Alfred could do. If anyone could create the gadgets, it would be Alfred.
Alfred gave him a blinding smile at his answer and Arthur felt his face grow even hotter. Alfred looked like he wanted to give Arthur a hug but they were both hot and sweaty that he settled for slapping Arthur on the back, like he saw a friend of his older brother's do to him. It hurt, a lot, but Arthur was used to rough-and-tumble from Alfred and didn't make any comment. He preferred the hugs though.
"So, what would you ask Batman if he was here?" Alfred asked, settling back against the playground again. Arthur thought about it for a second.
"I would ask him if a double life got hard at times and whether he ever thought about giving it up. And then I would ask him if Robin was ever annoying." He threw a look at Alfred at the last part and Alfred reacted just like Arthur predicted he would.
"Geez, you ask so serious questions. And besides, I'm Batman, you're Robin and I would say that you can be annoying sometimes." Alfred folded his arms and craned his nose up so he could look down on Arthur from underneath the brim of his cap. He was referring to the discussion Arthur and Alfred had yesterday about who would be Batman and who would be Robin between the two of them.
"No, I'm Batman and you're Robin and I would say that you're always annoying," Arthur corrected him. Alfred stuck out his tongue and Arthur pushed himself onto his feet. Alfred looked up at him, squinting against the brightness of the sun and Arthur took the opportunity to swipe Alfred's cap right off his head and start running.
"Hey, come back Arthur!" Alfred cried and there was the sound of running behind Arthur to let him know that Alfred was chasing him, just like he thought he would. The sun was boiling out of the shade and Arthur could already feel the sweat pouring down his forehead. He headed for the trees on the other side of the park, knowing that Alfred was the faster runner and he would catch up with him soon and wanting to be in the shade and on the grass when the inevitable happened and Alfred tackled him to the ground.
Sure enough, as soon as Arthur was under the big oak tree, he felt Alfred catch him around the waist and bring him to the ground. There was a moment of scuffling between them that stirred all the dried mud on the ground from the rain over the past few weeks that had now turned into dust from the sun. Eventually the dust cloud got too big and the two of them had to separate.
Alfred had been victorious and he jammed the cap back on his head with a triumphant cry before sneezing as the last of the dust settled. He then flopped down to lay next to Arthur and there was a moment where both of them stopped to catch their breath.
"Hey Arthur," Alfred suddenly spoke, sounding unusually pensive. Arthur turned his head to look at Alfred, only to see him staring up at the sky. "Do you think we'll still be friends other summers? Like when we go off to secondary school and sixth form college and university?"
Arthur was silent as he considered the question. There was always the chance they could go to different schools and drift apart but something in Arthur revolted at the idea. He couldn't imagine doing those things without Alfred by his side. They were best friends, that wouldn't change.
"Of course we will," Arthur replied truthfully. "After all, none of that will be any fun without you there pushing me to try out your latest crazy idea."
"Hey, climbing onto the roof was your idea!" Alfred protested his innocence with a laugh, looking happier at Arthur's answer. Arthur smiled and shifted closer to Alfred.
"Yes, but the bungee jumping was yours," Arthur reminded his friend, laughing himself as Alfred tried to protest that only to realise that it was futile and admit defeat. The two of them argued over who had the stupidest ideas as the sun travelled lower in the sky.
***
Years later, Arthur would remember that hot summer afternoon as he helped Alfred to finish off the cone of his strawberry ice cream. The situation was remarkably similar, with Alfred still burning his hands on the monkey bars and the two of them seeking out shade as quickly as possible. There was only one difference.
"What are you thinking about?" Alfred asked, watching as Arthur finished off the last of the ice cream cone. "You were lost in thought there."
"I was thinking about an afternoon like this when we were younger. I stole your cap." Arthur eyed Alfred's head, there was no cap and he couldn't steal the glasses without leaving Alfred unable to chase him and that was half the fun.
Alfred laughed as he remembered. "Oh, yeah. That was a really good summer. Do you want to go the pool again, like we used to?" Arthur grinned and nodded. He and Alfred stood up from their seat underneath the oak tree.
"Hey, you've still got a bit of ice cream," Alfred said, staring at Arthur's mouth. Arthur lifted a hand to his mouth to wipe it away, but Alfred got there first by kissing the corner of his mouth. As Alfred started to pull away, Arthur put a hand to Alfred's cheek and turned his head to the side so Arthur could kiss him properly. They separated, both of them smiling.
"Did you get it?" Arthur teased and Alfred smiled, his blinding grin, before nodding.
"And now you are presentable enough to go to the pool," Alfred said in a snobbish voice, looking down his nose at Arthur. The effect was ruined by the smile trying to get free and when Alfred tried to walk like that, he tripped over a tree root, sending both of them into fits of laughter.
"I'm glad the great and amazing Alfred approves," Arthur threw back over his shoulder as he walked in front of Alfred. Alfred tried to catch up but Arthur kept himself further ahead. He watched as Alfred looked confused for a second before catching on.
"Come on, Arthur," he said, putting on a burst to speed to catch up with Arthur. Arthur, who had been anticipating this, dodged and started to ran away. "I'm going to catch you!" Alfred yelled after Arthur's retreating back.
"Not like that you won't!" Arthur yelled back and Alfred gave chase, ignoring the sun beating down on his back, just like he had all those years ago.
Inspired by how hot it is here at the moment and how I took a break from work to have an ice cream in the park.