Within Temptation

Chapter 10

Nope, nope, nope, nope.

This wasn't happening.

Maybe if he wished hard enough he would wake up any moment now (please) in the classroom, he would take as many detentions the teacher would give him if, if, he just wasn't in a closed space with Arthur.

Seconds passed.

Nothing.

Nothing happened.

Alfred still didn't dare turn around because he could feel Arthur's stare burning holes into his back.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as, still, nothing happened, his muscles were tense and, frankly, it was starting to hurt a bit being this edgy. 'Resist, Alfred, resist!'

It was easy to think something, but actually doing it was being a bit difficult, he was doing a pretty goddamned good job so far though! Until when could he keep this up? If this continued, soon he would break.

"Alfred."

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit—

"Look at me."

Nooooo—

"No." Oooh, such a bright answer, Alfred, well done! Could this get any worse than it already was? Alfred sure hoped not.

He heard a heavy sigh from behind him, "Why not?"

Simply because no.

Oh, God, Alfred wanted to get out of here, he glanced to the left and right and everywhere, but not even a tiny little window.

"Alfred, do you hate me?"

Alfred snorted, pfft, hate? Actually the opposite.

He put a hand in front of his mouth, because now that he thought about it, laughing wasn't the right thing to do now. What if Arthur thought he hated him now?!

"No—! I don't hate you!" He immediately shouted next. Steps were heard then and Alfred shakily stepped forward until he bumped on the boxes in front of him.

"So..." Hands with deft fingers were placed on his shoulders and if anyone asked if he shivered at the touch he would say no, because he certainly didn't, "...Do you..." A pause which Alfred hated because he had a vague suspicion of what Arthur was going to say and he didn't want to answer.

Something wasn't right in this story.

"Do you like me?"

His breath hitched and his heart thundered violently in his chest, his face felt hot and his hands were shaking. What was he supposed to say now?! He was not going to confess here. In this moment.

It was too sudden. He wasn't prepared for this. At all.

The hands on his shoulders squeezed him and he blinked as if he was waking up from a dream.

"Alfred?" Arthur's voice sounded concerned and with a hint of guilt. Guilt of what? "Are you all right? You're shaking..." Now he sounded upset.

Why was Arthur upset?

"Alfred, look at me." The Brit had force in him; Alfred had to give him that, because despite his attempts at staying with his back towards Arthur, the Brit forced him to turn around.

And Alfred ended up tripping over his own feet like the clumsy idiot he actually was and fell backwards, landing on top of the boxes and dragging Arthur with him.

"Oww!" Boxes filled with god-knows-what weren't exactly the kind of thing he would want to fall into... and yet, here he was. Awkwardly strewn over boxes with Arthur on top of him.

Awkward situation was awkward.

"Alfred, we are not getting out of here until you answer me." The Brit stated and made himself comfortable on top of him.

Alfred looked over their position biting on his lip; Arthur was straddling his thighs which made his jacket-turned-dress slide up a bit showing more pale and perfect skin and a little bit of black which Alfred guessed was his underwear. He looked away, towards the ceiling to avoid looking at the legs he wanted to touch so fucking much, and his hands were so close to touch them.

He groaned in frustration. Too much temptation.

"Do not growl at me, git." Arthur glared at him menacingly; chin resting on the palm of his hand as his elbow was placed in Alfred's chest.

'I didn't' He wanted to say, but resolved to just staring at him not knowing what to else to say, so he just sighed and tried to relax... he fucking needed to relax.

He needed to think about anything except the Brit on top of him, anything. Ivan dressed in a pink and frilly tutu and dancing ballet, Francis as a nun... Gilbert in a bikini...

His chest rumbled with laughter he tried to contain, his eyes filled with tears and then he finally couldn't handle it anymore and started laughing like a madman. He was sure Arthur was staring at him oddly but he just couldn't take any more of this oppression he was suffering because of the Brit.

He had to either laugh or cry, and ended up doing both.

"All right... Now you've really gone mad." The Brit sat up a bit, his hands splaying over Alfred's chest to maintain balance.

Alfred's laugh finally dimmed down to chuckles and then to a smile, he sighed happily, he felt like the pressure he was in before had disappeared and his body slumped down on the boxes, uncaring.

"Are you quite done laughing now?" Arthur asked with a brow raised and Alfred nodded chuckling lightly, "Good. So..." The Brit leaned down and Alfred tried to bury himself against the boxes underneath, too close. He was too close.

Alfred gulped and bit his lip again, his brows furrowed. Arthur just stared at him, clearly waiting for an answer.