❝ French Perfume ❞ - FrUk/UkFr Pirate Novella

Chapter 24

The two of them burst through the door of their house, the lights were all off and dark, oddly. If Francis had run away, surely Arthur was going to be home, right? Their eyes traveled to the furniture. Oh. The furniture. The furniture were soulless statues, frozen in time as the two glimpsed around, trying to find some sort of sign that Arthur was around. Finally, after what seemed like years, the taller blond opened his mouth.

"You think he is here, Kiku?" Alfred whispered as Kiku glanced around the empty house. "I only pray I don't find him in a bar, I don't know what I would do to him..."

Kiku's eyes flashed to something that caught his attention, his brown eyes zigzagging around the room. "I hear something, Mister Alfred.." Kiku whispered back as Alfred only chuckled, "yanno, you don't have to call me 'Mister Alfred'. We've been a thing since, yanno! However, I find it adorable when you say that."

Kiku didn't respond, his face only turning to a dark red as Alfred's attention snapped when quiet noises came from the spare bedroom.

"... Arthur?? You here???" Alfred shouted as the noises only grew louder in a response. The two quietly trotted across the comforting carpet floor, kicking their shoes off in the progress. Their hands interlacing with one another as Alfred felt for any furniture that threatened to jump out at them. They stood infront of the shadowy door, softly nodding at one another to continue the feat.

"Mister Kirkland, it's okay," Kiku responded as they parted open the door, realizing the noises was the Brit sobbing. They entered the depressing bedroom and heard the muffling of sobs as the male didn't want to be found; however, it was too late as Alfred glanced towards the closet door and swung it open.

"Arthur, come out of the closet."

"I can't," Arthur shrilled as he didn't turn around to face the two. "No matter what, I can't." His shoulders hunched up as he softly pressed his forehead towards the wall. Alfred scratched the back of his head as he didn't say anything as Kiku softly wrapped his hand with Alfred. That gave Alfred the strength he needed as he opened his mouth, his cheerful tone drowning for a serious one. "They have Francis."

The Brit seemed to tense at his name as he muttered, "I failed him." He then spun around, his whites of his eyes were a light pink as he sniffed. "It's all my fucking fault. I should've been more careful with my job and... God. I failed him, you, the people who need me in England, bloody everyone. "

"Yanno, I don't like you stealing and with the black market trying to kill you but being a failure isn't one of them. When did the brave Kirkland ever give up? You used to tell me stories about how your family would bond together and fight the corrupt until..." Alfred paused when he noticed Arthur had wiped his tears on a purple cloth.

"Where'd you get that?" Alfred asked as Kiku only slugged him softly, mumbling something being "unimportant". However, his brother responded to his question.

"My brother's. Feels long ago when he used to throw and torment my mind with stones," he chuckled softly at the small thought; his mouth shaped into a crescent after the exchange. His green eyes dulled for many moments until Alfred started up again, his anger boiling more than it should.

"You can't sit in here when Francis is off somewhere! It was just an argument. I hate when you think you gotta be cold towards the world, it worries me sick!" Alfred admitted, his urging tone flipped when he his older brother let out a scoff, melancholy had hopelessness written so clearly on his pale features as a book.

"He probably hates me. This wouldn't of happened if I fucking didn't push him away and was honest about what I am," he muttered to himself, grabbing his blond bangs and tugging on them. This prompted Alfred to step forward, smacking his older brother's hand away from tugging harder and his hands went instinctively to his hips.