You don't do things like that...

[allamericanreject]

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.

Comments

[allamericanreject]

"...What, the camp? It's not supposed to change, dude. It's a camp."

Alfred's quick to get to his feet, brushing off the back of his pants and acting--at least for the most part--like nothing had happened. He snatched up his jacket and wand as well, putting the former back on. it wasn't as if Arthur needed it anymore, right?

"Oi, Arts. D'you suppose shit'll ever change, or does it gotta stay the same?"

Innocent enough question. He hopes, anyway. No, no. He's not asking about their situation. And he's definitely not standing behind Arthur and giving him the weirdest look while he can't see it.

[rule_britannia]

Alfred had spectacularly missed the point of what he was meaning to say, but the only indication he gave of that was a slight roll of his eyes that the other boy couldn't see anyway. The question, though, made him frown.

He didn't turn, so he didn't see the weird look on Alfred's face, and that was probably for the best at the moment. However, he did catch a hidden meaning behind the words, or at least one as they apply to him, and he felt his face heat up.

"The only thing constant in the world is change. Things always change."

[allamericanreject]

"Well I guess that's comforting. I wouldn't wanna spend years doing something I don't feel's right."

He's smiling now. Maybe Arthur didn't think much of it, but now Alfred felt better about things. He could almost hug the guy again!

...Almost. But he liked his balls uninjured, thanks, and he learned from that mistake. Perhaps he might actually remember it for future reference.

"I'm still going to clean you up and put band-aids and Neosporin on you...erm. But not in that order. But anyway. It's a hero's job to make sure he does whatever he can to help people."

[rule_britannia]

Touching Arthur without warning would be inadvisable under any circumstances, but especially right now. He'd never reacted well to surprises, especially not being grabbed out of nowhere, and many people had had their first introduction to him via an elbow in the stomach.

"A hero? That's what you think?"

He wasn't even going to touch that one.

[allamericanreject]

"Well what do you want from me? I like heroes. I've always wanted to be one. I guess I ain't done a good job of it so far, but I can change, right?"

Really, he thought he'd done a half-decent job, but it wasn't as if Arthur was supposed to know how many times he'd bullied people who would try to bully the English boy. Alfred was the jealous sort, for one, and for second, the older he got, the more resentful he got of people picking on anyone.

He just didn't want to stop picking on Arthur, because then their connection would go away. And it just felt...natural by now. That, and Arthur really grinded his gears sometimes. Go figure.

[rule_britannia]

Well, he had just said that people change and it would be remiss of him to accuse Alfred of being unable to. He grumbled irritably and rubbed one hand over his eyes, then lifted them heavenwards and sighed. His shoulders dropped, and he let his hands fall to his sides.

"Alfred, is there a reason you pick on me as much as you do?"

Arthur looked back over his shoulder, then turned. They'd never really talked about this, but if they were going to be open and honest and all that crap..

"I never did anything to you."

[allamericanreject]

Alfred raised an eyebrow. The whole motion looked just a little bit overdramatic, even for someone like him. Oh well, whatever. He wasn't going to let the hero thing go. He'd felt that way ever since he was a child, he was just a tad immature back then.

And now? Still immature. But he wouldn't admit that to himself.

Oh shit Arthur was looking at him and asking him serious questions now.

"H-huh? What? I....why do I pick on you? That's silly! I mean, aren't you a Slytherin? And I'm a Gryffindor? I thought we were supposed to hate each other! You kinda got on my nerves too, bein' all smart and stuff. I guess."

He was doing that rambling thing again, and it was probably making everythign come out so damn wrong.

"Augh, just...wait. No. Wait a minute. I mean, lately I've been picking on you...because...if I don't, you aren't going to have anything to do with me, are you?"

Shit shit shit shit!

[rule_britannia]

Overdramatic, yes, but he was feeling that way at the moment and to hell with anyone who was going to point it out he'd just hex them into space with the mood he was in at the moment. Even Alfred's gentle coaxing had only managed to calm down his outer appearance, and that at least was enough for him to continue the conversation without wanting to kill someone.

It was disconcerting to feel such undirected irritation. Alfred, really, had done nothing wrong and he knew that, yet as long as the other boy was present he was an easy target. Arthur didn't want to hurt him, not really, but he had a feeling he would end up doing so.

He listened to Alfred's ramblings with a huffy impatience. Really, nothing was being said that he didn't already know or didn't want to slap the boy for.

Then, he said that last thing, and both of Arthur's eyebrows shot up. His heart thudded painfully and he knew he was blushing but was damned if he could do anything about it.

"... That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard, Alfred."

[allamericanreject]

Alfred knew Arthur was irritated, and he understood that something other than himself might have been attributing to said irritation. he expected the other boy to huff and be annoyed with him.

It's just...did he have to put it that way? Did he have to say it was stupid?

"You really think it's that bad? So then what do you suggest, since you're full of ideas?" he asked, staring at Arthur. He did notice something though. The teen didn't call him Jones.

And..oh, jeez. Was he blushing?

"...I can quit picking on you, Arthur. But you won't just turn into a ghost...right?"

[rule_britannia]

He was blushing, and it was only half because of the irritation and half because, well, hadn't Alfred just admitted right there that he wanted to spend time around him? Bullying was a stupid way to go about it but that had certainly been the gist of what he's said.

".. What would you care anyway?" he grumbled, folding his arms and looking away, scuffing one foot against the ground.

"It's not as if we're friends or anything.."

[allamericanreject]

When had Alfred ever displayed himself as tactful? Really, he went about everything the wrong way, trying to make it tolerable for himself. It's no surprise he still thought bullying was a good idea.

"I'd care, stupid! You're like one of the only people that doesn't talk down to me because I'm Muggle-born and because I'm American. Well. You know, not all the time anyway. Do you think I'd just find another Slytherin that'd be okay with it? You just don't like me because I'm an asshole, right?"

He pauses here, looking a little uncomfortable, and averting his gaze as well, the opposite of where Arthur was looking.

"...So if I quit being an asshole, would you like me?"

[rule_britannia]

"Why would I talk down to you for that anyway, stupid?! Being in Slytherin doesn't automatically make me a fucking tosser."

The stereotype did him no favours, but there were good people who just happened to be placed in Slytherin because they had the ambition and ruthless drive to succeed that Salazar Slytherin would have so highly prized. It didn't mean they were all bad people.

"You are an arsehole, Alfred, and it's no less than I'd expect from a sodding Gryff--."

He shut his mouth with enough force that his teeth clicked together, and his face flooded red.

"Well I don't bloody tolerate you because I hate you, do I?!"

[allamericanreject]

"Why does anyone else talk down to me for it? Look, you're a good person and I'm sorry I treat you the way I do I just thought you were a jerk at the time but you aren't and you have your own problems just like I have mine but I didn't see that and DAMN IT LOOK I JUST LIKE YOU OKAY?! I'VE LIKED YOU FOR A WHILE, AND I WANT YOU TO JUST. LIKE ME BACK, NOT TOLERATE ME."

Now who's got the red-face? Alfred was practically glowing and he couldn't look Arthur in the eye at all. Why?! Why had he said that just now, did he really have to lack a damn filter when he was nervous?

"So. Uhm. I'm...I think. Uh..."

No you didn't think. That's why you're in all this trouble and you feel like melting into the floor Alfred Jones.

[rule_britannia]

"Has it occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, people aren't talking down to you because you're muggle-born and American, but because you deserve it for being a complete prick?! You think you just--?!"

He was yelling back at Alfred at the same time as he was being shouted at, but he caught the last thing the other teen said. It was a wonder he was still functioning at all, with the amount of blood that had to be in his face right now.

And, of course, he reacted completely within reason, and gave Alfred a hard shove, both hands against his chest.

"Stop fucking with me, Jones! I've had it up to here with you!"

Dramatic Teenager ==> Abscond

[allamericanreject]

Alfred staggered and tripped backwards onto his ass when he was shoved, letting out a yelp of surprise. He really didn't know how to respond to that. Not the fact that he was a complete prick, because he knew that to some extent, he was. Totally unintentional, and pricks only attracted MORE pricks, but...

"I'm not fucking with you! I was just telling you because...!! A-AGH, FORGET IT, FINE! BE THAT WAY. JUST...JUST FORGET I EVEN SAID IT! FUCK YOU, KIRKLAND!"

Alfred couldn't take this shit anymore. He deserved to be rejected, but it still hurt his feelings. He didn't even have it in him to get up and shove Arthur back. Instead he got up and whirled around, running towards the cabin before Arthur could see anymore of his embarrassment.