No One's POV:
Arthur looked at his English teacher with wide eyes.
"Arthur, did you not hear me correctly? You were called to the office." She repeated. The beta teacher, being what she was, didn't notice his surprised smell.
"He heard you, Miss, he's just in shock," Lovino said from beside him. The two had an English class together since Arthur was placed in a very high English class due to his outstanding English grades.
(It was a small secret that he kept to himself, but Arthur wanted to be an author one day.)
"Oh, my apologies Arthur." Arthur simply nodded and stood up. He packed his bag since the class was almost over anyway and walked out.
'The office? Why are they calling me there? I don't usually get called up unless...' Arthur froze in his tracks, trying to shake the thought away. 'No, Vash isn't here. He only comes when I ask for him. Unless it's a check-up sorta thing?'
When Arthur entered the office, the first person he saw was Vash Zwingli, his therapist. The beta stood by the secluded room used for couples to interview children they may want to adopt. Arthur gave a small nod to Vash, and the older male gave a small nod in return.
"Hello Arthur, please come in." He opened the door for the younger omega and both walked in. They sat down on opposite sides of the desk, and Vash pulled out a deck of Uno cards.
"I came to check up on you. Lovino told me you had two anxiety attacks these past few weeks, was it anything serious?" Vash asked. Arthur shook his head. The older male shuffled the deck and held it out for Arthur to part it.
Of course Lovino told him. The older omega wanted to become a therapist and practically worked under Vash as a sorta intern. He took care of Arthur and sometimes gave him sessions when they laid together on the bed. He should have known he would tell Vash about the past two attacks.
As Vash passed out the cards, the thought back to the day they went to visit Alfred's school. It was a week ago. He'd seen Alfred other days of the week, and the alpha kept blushing every time the two made eye contact. Arthur found it adorable.
It was even cuter when they had to take care of Kia and Lilo and Alfred's face was so red Lilo thought he was sick!
---
Arthur sat on Lilo's bed with Keabetswe in his lap, bouncing her lightly, while Alfred had Lilo in his lap, and Khin was mushed between them. The five were watching 'Lilo & Stitch' on Alfred's computer.
A pipe burst in the building where the kids up for adoption stayed and the kids were moved to stay with omegas. Lilo had been an exception to the building since she couldn't seem to be separated from Arthur for days at a time or else she'd begin to act out. (None of the other kids did that.) Currently, Keabetswe and Khin were rooming with Lilo since both of them were also taken care of by Arthur. Arthur's other kids were separated among the other omegas, but they had gone up to him all week to tell him that they loved him and the other omegas were only temporary. (Which Arthur thought was nice.)
Lilo was gawking at the movie. Alfred had put it since she had apparently never seen the movie. Khin was holding Arthur's hand and rested his head on the older omega's arm. He was reading the subtitles more than he was watching the movie since his deafness was pretty bad. He used to be hard-of-hearing, which is very different from deaf, but over time it got worse and he was no longer able to hear. He had hearing aids, but since he forgot to take them out one night, he crushed them. He was getting new ones in a fortnight. The school was currently finding a new way to get hearing aids for the deaf students on campus, but they didn't have many strings to pull to provide all of the students that needed them with some. (Sadly, this meant some students, like Feliciano, can't get a pair.)
Arthur laughed when Stitch was fighting with Captain Gantu, as the giant called Stitch an abomination and Stitch retorted with "Also cute and fluffy!". He loved the movie, it was very adorable. Lilo seemed to love it too! She was staring at the screen very intensely, soaking in every minute. Alfred did the same. Both of them were leaning forward, eyes barely blinking.
Kea, while also enjoying it, had needs of her own. One such need was her diaper. Arthur smelled it first since she was on him, so he got up to go change it. All her diapers and baby bum supplies were in the bathroom already so he just got to work. He finished quickly and sat back down on the bed, joining them for the rest of the movie. This time, he sat on the other side of Alfred to get a better view of the laptop screen.
Alfred glanced at him as he sat down, but he thought nothing of it and continued with the movie. Eventually, the first one ended and Alfred put on the second one. Arthur felt a bit tired and rested his head on Alfred's shoulder as it began, trying to blink his heavy eyes. It didn't work well because he fell asleep and woke up when the credits were rolling.
Arthur yawned and rubbed his eyes looking around the room. Khin was on his blow up mattress provided by faculty for him to sleep and Kai was in her crib that managed to be salvaged from her room which wasn't totally damaged from the water. Lilo and Alfred looked to be sleepy themselves.
The two blondes got off the bed to allow Lilo access to her covers for her nap. Arthur was still pretty sleepy so he leaned back onto Alfred. Lilo signed him something which made the omega curious and he glanced up at Alfred's face. Arthur smiled and looked back at the young alpha, signing back a quick reply. Lilo nodded and the two men left, allowing the children to take their naps.
When they got into Arthur's room, Alfred asked what Lilo had signed. Arthur got the sticky notes and green pen and started writing.
'She asked me if you were sick.' Arthur wrote.
'Why?' Alfred wrote back, using a blue pen. Arthur stared at the note, tired mind wandering to the fact that they always used those colored pens and never any other color.
"Arthur?" His head snapped up and Alfred's worried eyes caught his gaze.
'Sorry, just tired. She said your face looked really red. I told her you were probably just hot in your jacket.'
"Oh uh yeah, I am." He took it off and hung it on the bedpost. Arthur rubbed his tired eyes again and laid on his bed. Alfred joined him and the two stared at the ceiling until Arthur fell asleep again.
When he woke up, it was dark. Alfred was gone. A note was on his place. Arthur picked it up and read it, face flushing slightly.
'You like to cuddle in your sleep. I'll keep it a secret, no worries ;) I find it quite adorable'
---
Arthur placed his last card down: the +4. The score was 4/1, Arthur winning. Vash gave a small sigh and set down his last three cards, a yellow reverse, a yellow 5, and a red 5.
"So you went in with the thought of only seeing Alfred." Vash looked down at the notepad where Arthur wrote in their sessions. "That may have been what triggered your anxiety. By expecting only Alfred, you didn't allow your mind to think of the probability of all others and got overwhelmed by how many people there were. You wrote that you passed by a lot of alphas when walking to Alfred's dorm, they may have sent pheromones your body didn't like and rejected by giving you the anxiety."
Arthur nodded, understanding well. It had happened to him a few years ago when he first got an alpha as his buddy. The alpha made him uncomfortable by his scent and he couldn't physically be next to him, so they switched that alpha with a beta for the remainder of the year.
"Next time you go somewhere that may be full of people, like the mall or another public area, do your breathing exercises and always expect people who will make your anxiety flare up," Vash instructed. Arthur nodded.
"That seems to be all the time we have. Next time, just call me or text me after you have one alright? I'll see you later Arthur."
---
Arthur wandered the campus, reading the book in his hands. Romeo and Juliet, the 7th book in his drama teacher's class reading list of 10. He had never taken drama before but Kiku told him it was fun and the teacher was very nice and supportive of everyone so he thought he'd give it a shot.
It was the best decision in his life.
His teacher, Mr. Wren, had a deep passion for the art of theater and had even had a leading role in Broadway when he was younger. He decided to share the passion he had with younger generations, specifically the ones that feel they can't enjoy it well due to a deformity. His mission was to show anyone can enjoy the arts, and he was doing a very good job at it.
There was a blind boy in his class named Isaiah who could act like no other, and Mr. Wren had shown some of Kiku's play that he wrote for an assignment. It was based off a song-his being Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day as suggested by Arthur himself-and showed how a man slowly went mad walking from his home to a bridge in the forest in the middle of the night, thinking he saw people that weren't there until he finally reached the bridge only to discover someone about to jump off and he saves them. They read it in class and the entire class enjoyed it. (Arthur was a proud mother that day.)
Sadly, Mr. Wren got sick and told them to read any of the books on his reading list. Arthur went for his favorites, the classic Shakespearean ones. A Midsummer Night's Dream was also on the list but Arthur found it too crazy for his liking. I mean, how hard is it to spell the right person? It shouldn't be that hard! (Granted he was confused because there were two Athenian dudes in the forest but still, they went through a lot of stuff in that comedy.)
He was currently walking around the gardens, his earbuds on and music humming in his ears. It was one of his favorite places to read and walk, or even do both at the same time. While walking around another bush to avoid it, Arthur didn't notice the person walking toward him. They bumped into each other and Arthur dropped his book.
"Oh Moons I'm so sorry I was-Arthur?" Arthur blinked and looked up at the person's face. He had bumped into Alfred. "Hey, I was looking for you. Your sister said you'd be in the gardens so I came to look for you. I didn't mean to bump into you like this though." Alfred picked up the book and handed it back to Arthur, both of their hands brushing against each other lightly. Both faces flushed and Arthur gave a small nod of thanks, clutching the book tightly. He didn't worry about losing his page, he knew exactly where he was in the play.
"Romeo and Juliet." Alfred read quietly. Arthur nodded and led Alfred to a gazebo close to the woods and in the outskirts of the garden. It was a closed gazebo, looking rundown and overthrown by wilderness on the outside, but when Arthur opened the door, the inside was clean, void of plant life on the benches, and an open window showed wild roses peeking their color faces into the wooden structure. There were some cleaning and gardening supplies at one corner of the room, most likely used in the room.
"Wow, this place is beautiful. Do you come here often?" Alfred asked. Arthur nodded. He came as many times as he could. They sat by the roses and Alfred reached for the book. Arthur handed it over, flipping to the page where he left off.
Alfred began to read.
"SCENE II. Capulet's orchard.
Enter ROMEO
ROMEO
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
JULIET appears above at a window
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!"
Arthur listened as Alfred did a dramatic voice for Romeo, and different accents for the scene settings and directions, hiding his smile behind his hand.
"JULIET
Ay me!" He said in a squeaky voice that had Arthur in a fit of giggles.
"ROMEO
She speaks:
O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.
JULIET
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO
[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.
ROMEO
I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo."
Arthur couldn't take it anymore, he was laughing too hard at Alfred's horrible attempts at doing a female voice. Alfred had to stop to let Arthur calm down.
"I wasn't that bad at doing the impression of a female!" Alfred pouted. Arthur snorted and erupted into another fit of giggles.
Alfred laughed with him and they went on like that for a minute or two. They were just looking at each other with both faces red from laughing, Arthur's eyes sparkling in the sunlight, hitting them just right for Alfred to see the golden specks in his foresty eyes. His eyes wandered over Arthur's red sweater and jeans, down to the black shoes he wore then back up, trying to distract himself from the way Arthur's eyes made him feel.
Arthur was surprised to see just how deep Alfred's blue eyes were. He could compare them to the sky or the ocean, beautiful things that fascinate everyone hidden just behind glass shields. He wore his usual brown bomber jacket, white shirt, jeans get up, but something felt different. He felt, newer. Like Arthur found something in him no one else had.
Neither had noticed they'd been leaning in until their noses bumped. Arthur pulled back immediately, looking down at his hands in his lap. Alfred sighed next to him and stood up.
Great, he ruined their friendship. Alfred was going to hate him and never want to speak to him again. The past two months meant nothing and now he was going to be known as the omega whose buddy ran away from him. His anxiety kicked him in the gut, and he took a deep breath to keep from crying. He wouldn't cry alone in his gazebo, he would not bring those types of memories here.
He would not cry.
He would not cry.
He would not-
Something brushed against his ear and Arthur looked up, seeing Alfred. He had garden scissors in one hand and a red rose on the other. It even had the thorns removed, through Arthur noticed a small cut on Alfred's thumb. Alfred sat down next to him again and put down the scissors, using both hands to place the flower behind Arthur's ear.
"You know Arthur, you're a really great guy. I can see that, and I know others do too. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do around me, so if you ever feel like I'm overstepping a boundary or something, just tell me and I'll back off. Promise." He held out his pinky. Arthur looked at the pinky and smiled slightly, intertwining his with Alfred's. "Though, uh, I have one small request, for now though." Alfred smiled innocently. Arthur saw the smile and rolled his eyes, but nodded.
Alfred leaned in and gave Arthur a kiss on the cheek. "Payback." He winked.
---
Hey guys! I hoped you liked the chapter! Yes, I Shakespeared my chapter name (and chapter) but I had this one on mind for so long I had to do it. I made it longer than usual because I felt bad for the long delay. I hope you all liked it! (Awe my babies kissed again! ^///^)
For Vash visiting Arthur at school, I can say that it is not uncommon for teenagers that undergo therapy. Their therapist goes to visit them at school, which pulls them out of class, and they have sessions. I know because I went through this. I mainly had it because I didn't have the privilege of getting a ride to the main therapy office after school like you see in movies. And most movies get the therapy sessions dramatized btw. Once, for a session, we played UNO and talked. It was actually very good because I was able to relax and get my words out easier with little trouble. (...Okay fine, that is why I made them play UNO.) The breathing techniques are easy and I will gladly teach any of them to those of you who want me to.
Hard-of-hearing and deaf are two different things. Someone hard of hearing, for example, can be an old man or woman. You know, the ones who are always like "Speak up Sonny, I can't hear a word you said." or "What?" every other sentence? They can slowly or rapidly lose their hearing, and could possibly end up deaf in their life. Not all will end up deaf. Khin did though. He lost his hearing naturally, he was born like that if I may. Hard-of-hearing and deaf people don't like being called 'hearing impaired', which is a small note I picked up on in this research. Just a real world tip for you.
Isaiah is an OC, but as stated before, he may not ever be used anywhere else! :D (Maybe)
'Romeo and Juliet' is one of my favorite Shakespear plays, along with 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. I really love a lot of Shakespear classics and kinda wanna take a class that studies his work in college. That'd be cool. I got the scene off a website online but tbh what isn't online these days??? And while I love the play, I find their actions so stupid. Romeo caused the death of 6 people because he couldn't keep it in his pants. Note to self ladies, be a Rosaline.