sortinghat_logs | You don't do things like that...

You don't do things like that...

WHO: Alfred F. Jones and Arthur Kirkland
TONE: ACCUSATORY? Eheh...
RATING: PG-13 because CURSING
WHEN: Backlogged to July 27th
WHERE: Camp! \o/
WHAT: So it's a day after the whole camp busted out and had their "funtime" in the town. And Alfred's nosy as to where his bunkmate was all night, as if he should be asking when he was out all night too.
STATUS: Ongoing

Alfred had no idea what to think about what had happened the night before. He felt like he should have had more control of his thoughts and emotions than this, and it was just plain frustrating how he didn't.

Here he was, staring at the ceiling and wondering where the hell Arthur had been while he himself was out with Amelia. Sure, Alfred would go out and do things during the night, but Arthur wasn't that sort. Alfred expected him to sit around and be a useless lump in the cabin, not HAVE FUN.

What frustrated him even more was that Arthur wasn't in his bed or even anywhere to be found in the cabin. It shouldn't have bothered him, and he shouldn't have gotten dressed and stormed out of bed and through the camp looking for the bushy-browed blonde.

But he did, and he was going to find out where Arthur had been because it was eating him up not knowing.

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It would be at least an hour before he would finally spot Arthur at all, walking by the lake, rubbing his arm as if it ached and with two groove-like marks on the first two fingers of his right hand. He'd been spending some hours practicing archery, and become unreasonably frustrated when his usually fine aim was completely off.

The instructor had told him it might be a good idea if he went and got some rest when he'd snapped an arrow in half and thrown it at the person next to him, and he'd left without a word, muttering curses under his breath.

He was telling himself that it was the lack of being able to simply be by himself that was causing his levels of irritation, and as he walked around the camp hoping to at least have an hour alone, he felt his heart momentarily sink at seeing Alfred walking towards him. He didn't appear to have seen him yet, and Arthur was rather hoping he wouldn't as he abruptly changed direction and headed off down another path, hands pushed in his pockets and shoulders hunched up.

No such luck, since Alfred had been looking for Arthur for LONG FUCKING TIME, and he wasn't going to be dissuaded from having a talk with the guy. Nope, no way. His pace speeds up and he makes it very clear that he's following Arthur, which...if that isn't enough, he also started calling out before the shorter male got too far away.

"OI! ARTHUR, WAIT A MINUTE! CAN'T YA SEE I'M TRYIN' TO CATCH UP TO YA! I'VE BEEN SEARCHIN' EVERYWHERE, DAMMIT!"

He ignored him for as long as he could, but when the other boy started to yell, his shoulders hunched and he closed his eyes for a moment. Why, oh why, in all the nine rings of hell was this idiot so intent upon making his life a misery?

Arthur stopped, and pressed a hand to his forehead before turning around and giving Alfred the best glare he could muster.

"What do you want?"

"Yeah, hello to you too jackass. I just wanted to know...where you were off to? I haven't seen you since before last night, and...I was wonderin' what you were doin'. Did you sneak out or somethin'? I mean a lot of us did, but...I didn't see you for a while."

He didn't sound accusatory, but he did sound as if he expected an answer. And he totally wasn't projecting or anything, nope. They were totally allowed to see other people--uhh, hang out. Especially at a camp.

"...What's your problem anyway? You look all pissed off and ragey. I didn't do anything this time."

He'd gotten used to the glare, honestly. So it didn't affect him all that much.

Edited 2012-07-29 20:49 (UTC)

"What are you, my mother?"

Arthur bristled, and made a dismissive gesture. He didn't have the time for this, and what he said next was far beyond his usual level of hostility.

"You don't need to do anything, Alfred. You exist, and that's enough."

Even as he said them he had no idea where the words had come from, but at that moment he felt utterly justified in saying them. How long had this boy been hounding him, and yet now he seemed to think that it was okay to demand to know where he'd been the previous night? It didn't fly for Arthur right now, not one bit.

"What the fuck do you mean 'I exist?' You know, I really could be way worse to you if I wanted. I could do more than just play tricks on ya now and again, you stupid, stuck-up son of a bitch. You don't fucking know! Or do you assume I'm just awful at this whole wizard schtick?!"

There was something about the way Arthur had said that which twisted Alfred so much. He was just fucking curious, and being told the business like that?!

"I suppose if you don't like me, I don't have to hold back, do I? Let's see who's hanging who up by their shoelaces, then!"

Alfred hadn't been so violent-minded for a while. But if Arthur didn't like him, then what was the point of trying to be nice?

None at all. And that's why he was reaching for his wand, even if he was a bit more hesitant than if it were someone else.

"If you were going to do something worse to me by now you would have done it, so don't you bloody stand there and act like you're a fucking tough guy, you're not fooling anyone!"

What was the point of trying to be nice, indeed? Arthur was wondering just why he'd tolerated this boy for so long. When he sees Alfred reaching for his wand, he reacts on instinct, grabbing his own and pointing it at the other wizard.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

...Alright, that hadn't gone as planned. Well, Alfred wasn't one to be dissuaded, and they were close enough to each other that when he was Disarmed, he damn well charged into Arthur, aiming to tackle him down roughly and maybe relieve him of that fucking wand of his the hard way.

"I've NEVER wanted to fall to that level with you, but you're ASKIN' FOR IT!" he snapped angrily.

Arthur lost his breath in a strangled gasp, his wand flying from his hand as he was tackled to the ground by the larger boy. Just because he didn't defend himself from his older brothers, however, didn't mean that he couldn't defend himself, and in the next moment a clenched fist was flying straight for Alfred's face.

"Get off me!"

Alfred expected that, and he managed to block the blow, grabbing at Arthur's forearm to stop his strike. His other arm swiftly reached down to grip the other arm, and he used his weight to pin the other blonde, making damn sure his legs were out of nut-range. It was awkward, but fuck it. Not risking those again.

"Fuck that, you wanna see a tough guy?" he snarled, tightening his grip on both arms and digging his fingernails in hard. "I'll show you what I could do to you, you goddamn shithead!"

Arthur's gotten his better at least twice recently, and now it mattered. Now it was hurting his pride, and he was going to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

He fought like a wildcat, snarling and kicking his knees up at Alfred's lower back, fingers clenched as he made vain attempts to scratch at the other boy's wrists or to wriggle out from under him.

Stones were digging into his back and the backs of his hands, and how hard he'd hit the ground had made his head hurt, but all he could think of right now was getting out from under Alfred so he could break his goddamn nose for daring to think he could touch him like this.

"Let me go, you fucking bastard!"

"WHY DON'T YOU MAKE ME, ASSHOLE?! YOU STARTED THIS BULLSHIT, I'M ALLOWED TO ASK WHERE MY ROOMMATE IS, WHETHER HE'S ALRIGHT, AND ALL THAT!! SORRY FOR THE FUCKING CONCERN!" Alfred snapped loudly, lifting Arthur's arms only to slam them right back down, probably enough to scrape up his arms some. He didn't care about the mild scratches on his wrists, and he knew he was heavier than Arthur. Deadweighting against him would probably be enough, especially since Alfred's muscular and somewhat flexible.

"STILL NOT FOOLIN' YOU?"

A quiet yelp escaped Arthur when his arms were slammed down against the floor. Alfred was right in thinking deadweighting against him would work - Arthur was nowhere near strong enough to shift him. He stared up at Alfred with wide eyes, and his squirming turned more frantic than angry as he struggled to get out from under him.

It didn't do any good, and he let out a trembling sound of fear, turning his face away and cringing as his voice shook.

"L-let me go.."

No way. Arthur wasn't going to do this to him. The struggling he expected, and the sound of pain. That was what he was going for. But...he wanted Arthur to keep fighting him, to keep telling him off so that he had a reason to be fucking pissed!

...Not to sound scared and look away like that. It made his heart stop, and he could swear his insides had evaporated to nothing.

When Arthur told him to let go, his grip immediately loosened, only to tighten slightly afterwards. Just enough to stop him from breaking free.

"Stop it with that face. You've got to be fuckin' kidding me, Arthur. You have punched me in the face so many times. You flipped me out of your goddamn bed, and you Disarmed me just now.

"How...can you just whine like that?"

And how can I just feel like a total asshole for making you look that way?

Alfred didn't really know what heartbreak was. He was too young for that. But...this felt like it was breaking something.

Arthur just kept his face turned away, shoulders hunched up, looking every inch as if he thought Alfred might just knock his face in right there and then. He sniffed and hiccuped, then set his jaw and didn't make another sound.

He wasn't even trying to break free from the other teenager anymore. In his head he was trying to reason why he'd been so angry and he couldn't, and that was half the fear keeping him pinned in place.

The rest of it was that Alfred was employing the very same tactic that his brothers did, when they decided he was worth their attention.

The anger was still there, but now it was fading to frustration with the fact that....he was always the bad guy and this wasn't what he wanted to do.

His hands let go entirely, and he shifted off of Arthur. Then...thinking better of it, he took Arthur's right hand and balled it into a fist, putting it close to his own face.

"Would you just punch already? This is what you need to do. Not...not cry. Don't fuckin' cry, Arthur. Please. Hit me, you idiot. I don't want you to cry..."

He looked away then too, feeling sick to his stomach and just letting go of Arthur entirely. How was this making him any better than the bullies he didn't want touching Arthur? His Arthur, not theirs...

His arm tensed, as if he was going to punch him, but then his fingers relaxed and he just pushed at him instead, scrambling up into a sitting position and scooting a few feet away before he hugged his legs tightly and dropped his forehead to his knees, sniffling and hiccuping again as he sat there.

He just wanted Alfred to go away, but he couldn't speak for how tight his chest felt right now. Arthur didn't even know why he'd been so rude - sure, he was usually rude to Alfred, but not like that. Not enough to make him attack him.

"Go away."

Alfred was torn. He didn't want to leave, not when Arthur was upset. But then again, he had caused the upset to begin with, so...it wasn't his place.

Biting his lip hard, he looked away. "I...didn't mean to hurt you. It just happened, I'm sorry. I got real upset, and I don't know why, I just..."

He shook his head, standing. He slowly peeled his bomber jacket off, and tossed it at Arthur's feet.

"Use the lining. I don't have nothin' else...and I hope you didn't mean it. I mean, when you said that me existing is enough to piss you off."

Alfred didn't even straighten his clothes, he just turned away and started to leave slowly, because he still felt bad, and like he should do something more, to show he didn't mean to hurt him. This had all been a disaster...

For a long few moments, he didn't move, then he reached forwards and there was the soft sound of fabric against gravel as he drew the bomber jacket towards him. Despite the warm weather, he was shivering, and he pulled the jacket around himself, hunching his shoulders under it.

He wasn't quite ready to move from his spot next to the path yet, though.

A couple feet on, Alfred looked back, then turned forward and continued walking. 20 feet later, he turned again, saw Arthur wearing his jacket, and could swear his heart wasn't so much beating as pounding against his ribcage. But he swallowed hard, and continued walking...

...For about 5 more feet. This time, when he turned around, he couldn't help it. He had to walk back, and did so with far less hesitation than he'd had walking away.

"Arthur. I. Uhm...this isn't...I can't leave you here. Come to the cabin, won't you? The bugs'll be out eventually, and you look like you could use some bandaids. Or something."

Because Alfred carries bandaids everywhere. Wizard schmizard, these things were important.

"I'm really sorry. But I can't let you stay out here. It's not right."

Arthur would have been perfectly happy to have been left there alone. It wasn't terribly cold and wouldn't be dark for a little while yet. What he didn't expect was for Alfred to come back, and he looked up at him a little bit accusingly with red-rimmed eyes.

"Well if I do then it's your fault," he grumbled, but all the venom was gone out of his voice. What kind of wizard carried band-aids around?

"I don't know where my wand went."

"...I don't know where mine went either."

Remember bandaids. Forget wand. Alfred's the worst wizard ever.

"But anyway, I know it's my fault. I want to help. I overreacted." He wanted to say that Arthur had sent him over the edge with what he said, but the other teen probably wouldn't take credit for it, so he just let it go. "Just stay put, I'll find both of them."

He adjusted his glasses momentarily, then started peering around. Hopefully he'd find his first, and then he could just Summon Arthur's or something.

...But no. Of course not. He finds Arthur's wand first, and asking the man to make quick work of finding his current enemy's wand is...well, a bit much. Nonetheless, he does walk over to Arthur and hold his wand out.

"Here's yours. Lemme just go and look for mine, then."

He stayed where he was, knees drawn up to his chest and Alfred's jacket around his shoulders, until his wand was found and handed to him. Then, he got up, tugging the jacket a little closer around him. His forearms ached, and were covered in small, dirty scratches, but he ignored that as he lifted his wand and muttered a spell.

"Accio wand," he said, and in the next moment Alfred's wand came flying towards him. He caught it deftly, and held it out, looking away sullenly. If he was going to apologise, it'd be a while until he felt like doing it.

"...Oh. Thanks."

Alfred took back his wand sheepishly. He'd have stuck it into a pocket, but the thing was too long and would probably look stupid. Which was why he'd been keeping it in his jacket...and Arthur was wearing that right now.

"Do you want to stay out here a little while? I can be quiet and not bother you if you want."

But he's obviously not going to leave. He'd tried and failed already.

Edited 2012-07-31 18:10 (UTC)

"... I guess."

Arthur shrugged and looked off down the path. His anger from before had all but evaporated, leaving him wondering just where it had come from. It wasn't something that was comfortable to think about, and he rubbed his arms with a small wince.

"Not that I'd think for a minute that you're capable of being quiet."

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