Royal Disaster

the disastrous step in

 "Well don't you two look cozy up there," Aiko commented, startling the crap out of me and Arthur. I jumped in my seat, a little imbalanced before I tightly held onto the branch and pushed myself upright. Phew. I got lucky there.  

 Too bad I couldn't say the same thing to Arthur. Since he was standing when Aiko surprised us and I nearly tripped, he ended up slipping on the branch he was standing on while trying to reach for me and... he fell.  

"Shit," I cursed, leaning over a bit and wincing when I spotted Arthur lying on his back, a grimace on his face. "Are you okay?"

He lifted his head up, eyes shut as he reached behind him to feel for a scar. I hoped that he didn't get too injured by the fall, even though it was a few feet too high, but that was wishful thinking. When he held his hand up to his face, there was some blood on it and my eyes widened.

"Crap, I didn't mean for that to happen," Aiko apologized, stepping forward and looking at the back of his head. Judging by the way her worry easily melted off of her face, I knew it wasn't so bad and I sighed in relief. "Y'know, never mind. It's a minor scratch with some bleeding. You can cover it up with a band aid."

Arthur looked up at me, rolling his eyes in irritation. I smiled in amusement, shaking my head as he shook his head at Aiko and headed inside with the order to not leave me alone.

Aiko stuck her tongue out at his back, rolling her eyes in indignation before she started climbing up the tree easily. Plopping herself beside me on the branch, I worried that we'd break it. When no sign of danger came up, I relaxed but scooted closer to the trunk just in case.

"How're you doing?" Aiko asked, scooting over as she looked over her shoulder at how high we were. "Whoa, this is high."

"Yeah, and he fell from up here," I remarked frankly.

Aiko took another look at the drop, glanced back at me, to the door, then shrugged, remorseless. Despite myself, I had to let out a laugh. I saw her glance my way from the corner of her eye as her lips curved upwards.

"He didn't fuck up again, did he?" she asked, leaning sideways and turning her head in my direction.

I looked down, shaking my head. As I played with my hands, I was reminded of my hands over his when he held my face and I felt myself heat up at the memory. Aiko's brows rose as my cheeks reddened. "Oh, what happened?" She sat upright, hands still gripping the branch below her tightly as she giddily prompted me for answers.

"Nothing happened," I told her, my gaze drifting somewhere else.

"You're a liar. Tell me!"

"I'm not lying; nothing happened."

"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe that I found both of you up here doing absolutely nothing?" she retorted with one brow raised in disbelief.

I nodded. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Well, I don't."

"Didn't expect you to."

We drifted off into silence, mine one of contemplation and her of stubbornness. But we normally didn't last long in silence.

"Tell me," Aiko complained and pleaded, scooting closer and pushing me into the trunk. I slapped at her side, trying to get her away from me as I attempted to stay up. But when it got too much, I slid down the trunk and to the branch Arthur had been standing on, lowering myself to the ground.

I shook my head in amusement as I jumped down, Aiko's voice echoing from above me, "You suck!"

"You swallow!" I called back, a little happy at the banter. It was a reprieve from all the disappointment and hopelessness that'd been plaguing me for the last week.