Terra Firma (Fruk/FACE)

7

Once we all finished eating, the boys went to play outside while the two of us cleaned up the mess we had all made. Luckily, it wasn't much of a mess. "Did you really have to be that way in front of that!"

"I wasn't being any type of way. I still think that playing pretend wastes our time and energy. When they especially could be doing their studies!"

"Arthur, you are always so strict; it will backfire one day."

"No, it won't, so drop it, and drop this act!"

"Why? Does it scare you or something?"

"What? No!" I spoke. I stopped what I was doing because of how angry I felt. "I'm not scared," I spoke. He gave me a side-eye, shaking his head. "Then what's the harm?"

"Francis!" I shouted. He looked toward me gently, tilting his head. "What? Must I repeat myself again? I know my presence is sudden, but I speak the truth when I tell you that I genuinely miss you. I care for you as no one else will, yet you continue to throw me to the side!"

"If I continue to throw you, why do you keep coming forth? I can't keep doing this! All of this! It reminds me too much of our past, and I've gone nearly two hundred years without any more heartache from you! Francis! I am tired! I've experienced terrible things that you will never understand, and it is because of our relationship!" I blurted. His eyes widened at what I said, and he looked sad.

"Then tell me everything you have endured, and I will listen. Tell me all the terrible things they've done to you, and I'll make it better with my love!"

"You don't mean that!" I spoke. I had started to become stressed about the situation. I placed my hands on my head and held my head tightly. "I mean every word!" He started.

"Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, Did my heart fly at your service! I love you more than words can wield the matter, Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty!" He smiled. I looked at him, smiling, soon laughing at his words.

"Don't tell me..."I laughed.

"Of course...it would be a sin not to read something as lovely coming out of your country," he smiled. His words were from Shakespeare. He had read his work, as I had.

"It reminds me of how I felt for you...how I...still feel..."

I scrunched my face up in sadness. I wanted to cry and scream. "I don't see how anything between us could be fixed. Now, you suddenly come, and...you're breaking my heart again..." I spoke. My voice had cracked from the aching breath I had taken. I felt my head drop slightly and watched as his feet came closer.

"I think it can...because of one thing I haven't said."

"And what is that?"

Francis placed his hands on my shoulders, making me look at him. "That I have forgiven you..."

My eyes widened at what he said, and I felt like crying. He forgave me? After everything I had done to him. After nearly two hundred years, he finally forgave me? That's all it took?

I closed my eyes in sadness and began to cry. "What? What's wrong? Isn't that what you wanted a long time ago? I've forgiven you for some time now, but I had never had the chance to tell you because we were not exactly talking as friends," he spoke. I began laughing at what he said and pushed away. "I hate you so much," I spoke.

"I know you do...but can't we pretend everything between us is alright? At least until we have to go back?" He asked. I looked at him for a moment, then toward the window that showed me the outside, where the boys were playing. They looked happy to be around each other, and who was I to be the asshole to split them up again.

Matthew was right; they were technically brothers and deserved to be together. Who was I to split them up and possibly cause resentment from Alfred? They deserved more out of the life they didn't choose to have. Even if it was for a moment, they deserved to experience what a real family could be like, and Francis and I...well, we deserved a chance to see what could have happened.

All of this made me think of how, when we were younger, I truly wanted to live with him forever. Till he grew old, and I could be with him till the day he died. What was holding me back now?

Only the Crown that I was scared of.

Especially after what happened after the war.

He didn't know, and I wasn't sure I was ready to tell him the details of my punishment.

If something bad were to come from this, I would gladly suffer the consequences again. I will do anything for Alfred to see him happy. I don't know much about Matthew yet, but I'm sure he is as sweet as he looks. Francis was an idiot, but I'm sure that he raised him to love people no matter what.

"Alright...I will do it...seriously, this time, I promise," I smiled. I felt so many emotions as I stared into his stupid eyes. "What do you think as you stare at me that way?" He whispered. He suddenly grabbed my hand, and I smiled once more.

"A heaven on earth I have won by wooing thee."

He held my hand softly, leaning his forehead against mine. "I do love nothing in the world so well as you—is not that strange?"

"Strange indeed..." I spoke.

Francis was the sun on a summer morning; he was the song that birds sing when I wake, he was the air I breathed and were of everything I wasn't. He was everything good and bad and had me trapped within the palm of his hand. No escape was necessary because I wanted to stay.

"And..."

"And...?"

"What we do is a sin against the church! I hope you realize that man shall not lie with man!"

"Arthur! Never! The passion I have for you goes beyond the desires of the flesh! I mean that!" He laughed. I rolled my eyes at him, shoving him away from me again. "Shut up; you are an idiot if you think I'd believe that," I laughed.

I began to move away from him when the boys suddenly came running in. "Will you come to play with us outside? Also, what will be for dinner?" Alfred asked.

"We will go outside right now...and isn't it too early to think about dinner?" I laughed.

"How about lunch then?"He asked.

"How about roast beef?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

"Beef...now that I think about it, that sounds odd! Why do you call pigs 'pork' and cows 'beef'? Why don't we say pig and cow?" He suddenly asked. I jumped at what he said and soon began to laugh, realizing the answer.

I am ashamed to say that there was even a time when I would rely on French cooking during the boat rides home. This was when the new world was discovered, and Francis and I traveled back and forth many times together. He would cook for me...and I never stopped him. "Why?...uh...umm...I forget!" I laughed nervously.

I looked over to Francis, who immediately had a smirk across his face. Memories from our time together flooded my mind as I unknowingly learned to tell him what food I wanted to eat when he asked.

"What?" Matthew asked, confused.

"You'll understand when you get older...yeah..." I spoke nervously. I don't have it in me to tell him that even Francis used to cook for me. Luckily, they both didn't know enough of our past to understand yet. "Oh, okay..." they spoke in unison.