#ukpru

Rating: T

Word: 1558

Request: arthur is a foster kid who’s just moved in with a new family, gilbert lives next door. climbing on roofs late at night kind of vibes. more hope rather than pure angst

@prukevents

Arthur’s stomps up the stairs sounded out over his foster parents attempts of continuing the conversation. “Yes, yes I got it. You’re my family now, I’ll be good…” “Ar-! Arthur please! We just want you to talk to us!” “I don’t need to talk to you guys! Please…I need to get ready for tomorrow.” His foster parents stayed quiet at the end of the stairs. Finally recognizing their futile attempts at talking with their (new) son they let him go, thinking that he just needed time to be alone before he comes to them.

Arthur roughly stepped his way past the entertainment loft area, where his two foster brothers stared at him. Mathieu tried to speak out, “Arthur we’re here for y-” Arthur shut his door before he could finish, swiftly cutting him off. He let out a deep sigh, “Guess he really doesn’t want to talk…” Alfred just shrugged. What could they really do? They were much younger when they were adopted. Both only eight years and still optimistic in finding a family.They even had each other through the entire ordeal, but Arthur...He was a teenager. Fully unknowing of a true family, and having been taken back to the orphanage three times, cause the family that supposedly wanted him no longer did, he accepted that he would never have one. They didn’t understand what he was going through and all they could give him right now was time and open arms. He slammed the door shut behind him and leaned his back against it, letting out a great sigh. “I’m not cut out for a family I swear to god. Who knew they were so complicated…” His eyes swept the room, searching for a certain device...On the bed near his pillows was his cell phone, still in the exact place where he previously threw it. Shifting himself from the wall to the balls of his feet, he slowly walked over to grab it. His movements loose and heavy. On the desk right next to the bed, he also grabbed his earbuds and put the two into his back pocket. It was another one of those nights where he really needed the release from being trapped in a house. He was thankful the house his foster family had. Or more thankful to the albino next door neighbor who introduced himself to this stress relief. The roof was large enough to allow him to just sit out and relax. Forget everything that the day tormented him with. There were even the two windows which caused for easy access to it, but rather than choosing to ruin everything on his desk by opening the window in front of it he went to the one next to it and opened it up. He began to climb out but only got one leg out when he noticed someone already there. Sitting right next to his window. A spot with enough room for one more person to sit. He paused for a moment. Smoke was coming from them. “I’ve been waiting forever,” Gilbert said, taking a drag from a cigarette. His accent thick in his English. He rested both of his arms on his knees and turned his head to look at him, “Like ten minutes.” Arthur spoke as he sat down,”My family was holding me up. Wanted to plan my birthday or something.” He never looked back at Gilbert. Keeping his eyes forwards looking at the buildings and trees in the distance. “I need a smoke.” Gilbert took one more drag, “This is my last one, but I’ll share.” He held out his left hand, with the cigarette, to Arthur. Arthur took a long drag before Gilbert half-hearted tried snatching it away, “Keyword buddy, ‘share’.” Arthur blew out his smoke before speaking again. “It ended up in an argument.” Gilbert stayed quiet. He didn’t reach back for the cigarette when Arthur took another drag. “I said I didn’t want a birthday. I didn’t like anyone or was close to anyone for that matter, to invite to the damn thing.” Gilbert hummed. Arthur continued on. “They started telling me that I needed to talk to more people and interact. I walked away, though.” Gilbert looked at him with those eyes. The asked for more information. Why? “I just… I don’t want to get close to anyone. I don’t want to deal with what happened in the last three families that took me on.” Arthur turned his head and looked at Gilbert. Gilbert finally took this moment to take the cigarette from Arthur. “Listen, I’m not gonna console you or anything, but I will tell you this.” He took a drag and blew the smoke into Arthur’s face. Eyes shut, he slightly coughed but didn’t make a move to wave the smoke away. “You need to get over yourself. Take the chance to make relationships. Who cares if things don’t fall through cause at least you somewhat lived while you had the chance.” “You are the biggest fucking arsehole.” “I don’t know what else you want me to say. I’m not here to comfort you. You come here and deal with me cause I tell you how shit how it is.” Arthur dug through his mind for a retort, “I don’t need advice from a depressed self-destructive maniac like you.” “You sure act like you don’t care about anything or anyone, so why not right now, huh?” Gilbert took what was left of the cigarette and threw it on the roof, squashing it under his foot. “Take my advice whether you want it or not, cause surprise I’m going to always be here for you. No matter what.” “What?” “You’re always going to have me, Arthur. Now that you’ve committed yourself to this friendship you’re never going to be rid of me.” Gilbert nudged him with his arm, “It’s like I’ve got you in invisible chains. You won’t know they’re there, but they are and that is me staying with you through whatever.” “Is that right?” “Hell yeah, it’s right. You’re basically my best friend already. You think I’m just going to let you go that easily?” he laughed out. “Shut up. I don’t think that...” He nudged him back with a soft laugh. The silence overtook them as their laughter faded out. Seeing it to be the perfect time Arthur reached into his back pocket. Out of it, he pulled the cracked cell phone he managed to buy himself years ago with money he accumulated from random odd jobs a 14-year-old could get. He held it out to Gilbert, “Here pick out a song. Don’t worry if it will be good or not cause every song on there is a masterpiece.” “Oh, excuse me. You better have evidence to back up that claim then, Mr.” Arthur pulled out the earbuds that came with the cell, heaven knew it was a miracle that he hadn’t lost them after all this time, and plugged it into the jack of it. Putting bud into his ear, he brushed aside Gilbert’s hair and put the other into his. Arthur could feel a shiver rush through Gilbert, but neither he or Gilbert said anything about it. “Eleanor Rigby? Fitting song.” Gilbert didn’t respond, only let out a chuckle. Neither one spoke instead choosing to wordlessly take in the music. Occasionally a hum made its way into the air. Artist, coming from the various decades, mostly from the 60’s, swept through the night. It was noted to Gilbert that most of the artists we’re all of the British variety. Arthur really did miss his country. Time passed and their minds came at ease. Eventually, Gilbert rested his head on Arthur’s shoulder and Arthur rested his own on Gilbert’s… At a time in their lives when all they felt was loneliness, it was moments like these, together, that they cherish for making them feel so in-alone. Gilbert broke the silence finally. Head still on Arthur’s shoulder, he spoke, “What if we went away together.” pause “When we are older we can just leave, wherever we are, and go somewhere, elsewhere, anywhere... We can do whatever the fuck we want.” Arthur's eyes were closed, but he held onto every word he had to say. He hummed in response. “We can take your guitar and I can write your music a-and we could live like that. You performing and me managing and writing your music. We could go wherever we wanted. To France, to Spain…” His voice lowered, softened, “to England.”