How These Floorboards Creak

4

"He really hit you hard!" Francis laughed while dabbing with a rag at the spot on Arthur's forehead that stilled oozed out blood.

"I ready don't understand why he hit me so hard. What the hell could he have up there?" Arthur pouted, flinching slightly as the wet feeling of the rag made accidental contact with the wound.

"Well, it is a rule for a reason. Thanks to you we're all walking a tightrope." Francis dropped the rag and went to the first aid kit he had been given courtesy of Toris. "Though I wonder what the consequence would be." He pulled out an alcohol wipe and a huge band-aid.

"Knowing him, it'd be something he found scary that actually isn't scary."

"Perhaps." Francis wiped the wound-which was really more of a gash-with the alcohol wipe to which Arthur quietly hissed. "Didn't he say he would make us sleep outside?"

"He wouldn't do that." Arthur's grown deepened.

"Maybe he would." Francis opened the packaging for the band-aid and slowly stuck it onto Arthur's forehead. "We don't know everything about him." He smoothed it out with two fingers, pressing down to make sure it's in the right spot.

"But he's predictable."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Francis back off, his work finally done. "We've all seen him do the unthinkable." 

"Whatever." Arthur rolled his eyes. "This just isn't fair."

"How?" 

"He likes to get in everyone's business so what's it matter if we get into his?"

"He has his reasons whether you like it or not." 

"They're probably really dumb reasons." 

A knock sounded from the door interrupting their conversation. 

"Come in!" Francis called, turning around in his chair. The door opened and shut with a creak and a click. Toris stood with a look of concern, his eyes scanning the room, soon falling on Arthur and the band-aid on his head. 

"Are you alright?" 

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine."

"That's a lie, he was bleeding like crazy." Francis added to Arthur's response. 

"He must have hit you hard." A somber look overtook Toris. "Which isn't very surprising, he tends to forget his own strength."

"You seem to know a lot about him." Arthur rolled his eyes. 

Toris sighed, "Arthur I have to give you a warning." 

"Warning?" Arthur raised a thick brow in question. 

"You have to be careful with him. You know he's impulsive and even more so when he's angry. What ever you do, don't try anything again."

"What could he possibly do to me?"

"What he wants to. You can't forget how strong he actually is."

"As if I could ever forget." Arthur rolled his eyes again. "What are you trying to say, hm?"

"I'm trying to say that you have three chances and only three. Sleeping outside is Alfred being generous."

"Generous?"

"On your third chance you're going in the basement, Arthur." 

"Why is that bad? What's down there?"

"I-I can't tell you."  

"Why not?" The door opened behind Toris and he froze.

"You okay, Arthur?" Alfred walked in with a sorry smile.