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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 23, 2011 22:59:47 GMT
"Mm? Oh yeah, I was. I dunno why." Smiling faintly, Alfred lightly played with his spoon, just faintly stirring the soup still in his bowl. Shifting, he looked at him again as he spoke, nodding faintly. "Mhm...I feel a bit nauseous, that's all." he smiled a bit weakly. Normally if Alfred had been eating something of Arthurs, he'd at least clear his plate because he didnt want to waste the olders food. Hell, he even looked a bit annoyed with himself becase of that fact.
"Don't stop on my account though, really. I just don't want to make a mess..." Nodding, he lay back a bit more heavily on the pillows, his hand moving and resting on his stomache away from the wound, gently trying to relax. Finally after a few minutes, his eyes fell closed, just attempting to make the pounding on his head go away a bit, as well sa the ache that he felt on his eyes.
"Hey Arthur...Why are you helping me?"
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 24, 2011 19:45:59 GMT
Glancing back at the glass, Arthur wondered himself. "I suppose it might be something to do with the healing process... I'm going to have to have a look and see if there's anything we can do to help you get better faster." He said, softly, saying his earlier thoughts out loud.
He frowned to hear that Alfred really was finished, glancing at the soup he had left in the bowl. He still wasn't happy, but he'd find something else to give Alfred in a little while. Besides, it meant that he could put his own bowl aside, shaking at what Alfred said. "I wasn't that hungry to start with." He reassured him, as he put his bowl on the tray and moved it aside so he could help Alfred get a little more comfortable.
"Hmm?" Arthur blinked, pausing in rearranging the pillows. "Because we're friends, idiot! I was hardly going to leave you to die, was I?" He frowned at Alfred a little. "I'm just sorry I couldn't do anything to protect you in the first place." He admitted softly, as he finished sorting the pillows. He didn't understand why Alfred had asked that question. He had hoped that Alfred would do the same for him, but perhaps he'd been wrong for assuming that. Never the less, Arthur had started to care for Alfred at some point, and he didn't like to see him in pain. He'd been doing his best to take care of him since they'd met.
Glancing at Alfred, he smiled at him, as he put the glass on the tray too, ready to take it back into the kitchen to be refilled. "If you're feeling sick you'd better not lie down just yet. Are you comfortable like that? Can I get you anything else?" He asked, looking at him with concern in his green eyes.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 24, 2011 20:07:41 GMT
That made Alfred pout as Arthur stopped, and he stared at him intently, as it attempting to force him to finish his own bowl with his mind. However, he enjoyed the rearranging pillows, liking how fluffy they got before he cuddled into them, looking at him curiously. "Hey...It's my choice, right? Besides, you couldnt have stopped me even if you were there."
Smiling at him brightly, that was broken by a surge of pain and he clenched his fist, turning his face away so that Arthur couldnt see how much pain he was in. A few minutes later he relaxed again though, and at the offer just frowned as he thought. "Um....A good book..?" Was the request. He didnt really want to sleep again yet, but if he wasnt allowed to lay down he needed something to do!
Plus he kind of wanted to talk more to Arthur, it had been awhile since he had seen him, and he supposed they did have at least some form of friendship at least.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 24, 2011 21:47:44 GMT
Chuckling at the way Alfred cuddled into the pillows, Arthur smiled fondly at him. He looked rather adorable, actually, if it weren't for the heavy bandages that covered his chest. "I didn't say I would have stopped you, but..." Well, Arthur wasn't sure that he'd take a bullet, even for Alfred, but he could have at least been a second pair of hands to try and pull the gun away.
"Hmm? Oh, I can get you a book. I meant anything else to eat or drink, or any more pillows, though." He said, face falling a little. He had been hoping to talk to Alfred a little more as well, since he'd missed him, but if Alfred wanted time to himself, he could respect that.
Picking up the tray, he smiled at him. "I'll be back in a moment, then, let me just refill this glass for you." He said, before heading out to the kitchen. He put the bowls in the sink with the pan for him to deal with later, and refilled the glass quickly, before heading back. Leaving the glass on the bedside table again, he then went to his bookshelf, trying to find one that Alfred hadn't read before. It took him a couple of moments to pull something off the shelf and return to Alfred, sitting down beside him again and offering it. "Here."
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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 24, 2011 21:51:23 GMT
Faintly Alfred reached up, scratching on his cheek faintly before he smiled amusedly, knowing what Arthur -was- trying to say. The way it was easy to seehis face fall made him make a noise though, and he nodded. "Ah, well, water obviously please." He said contently.
Once the water was brought in, Alfred eagerly took that, sipping on it relaxedly as he waited for the older to return. Smiling, he took the book, looking it over before humming out happily. "This one looks good~!" he said happily, but set it to the side for now. "So um...How's the writing business? Did you try to publish that children book?"
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 24, 2011 23:05:17 GMT
"Drink as much as you need. I can always refill it for you again." Arthur said with a smile as he saw Alfred sipping from the glass. He didn't want to see him hold back on something like that when it was so easy for him to deal with it.
Letting him take the book, he smiled. "It is. I think you'll enjoy it." He said, and then shifted a little, not really wanting to go. He was surprised when Alfred put it to one side though, if a little grateful.
Blinking at the question, he then smiled. "Oh, I sent it in, but no luck yet. I did start a new book though. I'm still stuck on that other one, and I did some work on the ending, but I still can't quite get past it." He relaxed a little, leaning his shoulder against the headboard so he could watch Alfred. "I shouldn't have really started a new one when I'm in the middle of one, but I had an idea." That made him think of something though. "O-oh! Are you working anywhere at the moment? Do we need to let someone know?" He asked, quickly.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 25, 2011 16:26:30 GMT
Smiling faintly back, he nodded, and it really was only a minute or so before the glass was once again emptied."Oh yeah...? What are the plots?" He asked, looking more curious now as he set the glass to the side once again, then his hand lazily lay on the bed near his body.
"Ah...No. I actually quit just yesterday. I had been helping with that construction company again and they were almost done so I figured it'd be best for them to finish on their own." Nodding, the younger male watched him, amused. "But in cases like this, I don't think they'd really care if I didnt show up since they know me kinda." Shrugging, he snuggled more into the pillow again, feeling guilty once again that he was taking Arthurs bed from him.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 25, 2011 16:48:19 GMT
"O-oh, well the first one is a fantasy. Um. It's not very groundbreaking, just a group of travellers. There's something wrong with them, though, and I can't work it out, and I need to, I think. It's character focused rather than plot focused. The second one, the new one, that's historical fiction, about two men who fight together." Arthur explained, a little uncomfortable. "It's not very developed yet."
"Ah. That's good then." At least there was no one waiting for Alfred. He could make him relax for a while and recover properly. Arthur didn't intend to let Alfred go until he could at least look after himself, preferably until those wounds were properly healed. The last thing he wanted was to get Alfred healthy, only to release him onto the streets again so he got an infection.
Tucking his legs up a little, Arthur hid a little yawn behind his hand. "Mm... I got some more DVDs for you last time I went shopping, too." He said with a smile. "I'll have to look for some more so you have something to do while you're stuck here. I know I'm not too exciting." He smiled at him fondly. "I can get you books from the library if you want too." He offered.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 25, 2011 16:55:01 GMT
Listening, Alfred smiled a bit at the ideas to the books, interested in both of them, but the second one more so. "Mm...Well, if you need help with it, I'm willing to throw out ideas?" He offred, chuckling before he cocked his head at the yawn. After another glass of water he'd probably see if Arthur wanted to sleep...
" Yeah?..They're ones you like too though, right?" Arthur wasn't meant to spend money on that kind of thing for him. The thought of those two offers made him smile though, and he arched a brow amusedly. "Well you are the person I've had the longest conversation with for a long time, so you should feel special anyway." Alfred teased, stretching his foot out and lightly rolling it.
"Are you sure you'realright with me staying here though? I mean, I can probably find somewhere else to stay if I get too annoying to you or am in the way or something.." Even if Arthur didnt have friends, he kind of expected him to at least have some form of significant other...
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 25, 2011 17:18:14 GMT
Surprised at the offer, Arthur smiled. "I'd love to hear any ideas that you have." If he used any of them, though, he'd feel bad, like he owed him even more than he already did. Still, anything that would allow him to move on... "If you want, you can read what I have, but it's not fantastic." He warned him.
Chuckling at that, Arthur nodded. "I found some more cartoons that I haven't seen, and I didn't know if you had or not, but they looked interesting." He reassured him. He frowned a little at what Alfred said. "Don't you talk to your co-workers?" He asked, surprised. Alfred seemed like a social person to him, and somehow he couldn't imagine that he enjoyed staying quiet.
"Alfred, of course I'm happy with that." He said, eyes widening a little. "I don't want you to get hurt any more, or get infected. You can barely sit up at the moment! Look, it's not as though I have work to attend, and I don't have anyone else to look after. You're safe here, no one else will come in, and I know I'm still here, but aside from that you can relax for once and try and get better."
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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 25, 2011 17:32:02 GMT
Alfred hummed out with a bigger smile at that. "I'd like that. It's like I'm getting a special preview." He laughed softly, but seemed pleased anyway. "I like your stuff anyway, even if it's rough." Blinking at the cartoons though, he perked and smiled, eager to see those as well.
"Oh, well, yeah, but not about really personal stuff. I mean, usually they talk to me about whats going on with them." It was nice to hear about people who had well...Other people to spend time with. And families. Still, he pouted a bit at what he said, flopping on back against the pillows with a quiet noise. He would lay low for awhile, of course..
"Alright, alright. I just feel bad about taking up your time, that's all." he mumbled, looing at him from under long bangs. His hair had grown quite a bit longer since the last time he had seen the older man, since he hadn't really had any time to cut it.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 25, 2011 19:01:05 GMT
Smiling at Alfred's laugh, Arthur looked at him fondly. "You already had a special preview of the children's stories." He pointed out, but he was just teasing. "I do most of my notes by hand, I'm afraid, but if you want I'll type it up for you. It had to be done at some point." It was an old method of writing, but Arthur preferred it, even if it did make his hand ache some days.
Nodding at that, Arthur tilted his head. He was pleased that Alfred trusted him, at least somewhat. "Well, I like hearing about what you've been up to, even if it's just... mundane stuff." He told him. "But you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, and if I ever ask something that makes you uncomfortable, just say." At least he knew not to ask about Alfred's past... yet. It didn't stop Arthur from being curious, though.
Snorting, he smiled, reaching out automatically to brush Alfred's hair out of his eyes. "I like spending time with you. Besides, I can always write while you're reading or watching a film. I have an article to do for Friday, but I know what I'm writing it on, and it won't take too long." He reassured him. "Do you normally let your hair grow out this much? I can take you to the barbers when you're better, if you want. I know a good place not too far from here."
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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 25, 2011 19:21:18 GMT
"Yeah, but I like all of your stuff so far." Alfred pointed out in return before he smiled brightly. " Well I can read it with hand writing as long as it's not too scribbly." he teased. He had bad hand writing as well, but there was obviously reasons for that. He had at least learned to read and write on his own.
"Mm? Really?" He asked disbelievingly, arching a brow and obviously not believing that. Still, he chuckled and nodded. "Alright then. Most of what I do every day is just wandering around though, so that's not that interesting at all..."
The brush made him close an eye, and he hummed out a little, but nodded, making a mental note to purposely read or watch something so Arthur could work! Faintly he scratched on his hand where some dried blood was, but he arched a brow. "No. I usually see if I can borrow a pair of scissors and just take care of it myself...If you have any I can borrow, I can take care of it when I can stand long enouhg to do so in the bathroom where it wont make much of a mess."
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 25, 2011 19:48:10 GMT
"A-ah, well... We'll see." Arthur's handwriting was notoriously spidery, and he'd been told it was difficult to read, but he only had problems reading it sometimes when he was particularly excited about something, so he wasn't sure. Perhaps Alfred would find it fine.
Smiling at Alfred, Arthur shook his head. "You save people, that's exciting." He pointed out, tilting his head a little. "How many people have you saved?" He asked, curiously, meeting Alfred's gaze briefly. He must have done a lot of good in his time, but Arthur didn't want to think about how many times he'd got hurt trying to save other people. For some reason it made him feel proud and just a little over protective.
Noticing the blood, Arthur sighed, trying to think of a way that he could help Alfred wash without making him feel too uncomfortable. When he was a bit more healed, Arthur would run a bath for him and leave him to undress and wash himself, but for now he didn't think Alfred would be able to cope with it. "I think I have some scissors." He said, with a frown. "I'll see what I can find for you, anyway." He offered. "When you're a bit better, anyway." He said.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 25, 2011 20:06:57 GMT
"Haha~! the way you said that makes me think it must be really hard to read, y'know." he teased, smiling at him before he shrugged lightly. "To a point. I'm happy I can do it, but it's gotten not so exciting to me because I've done it so long." He shrugged faintly, before he paused, furrowing his brow. "I ....I really havent been keeping track...Lessee...Been doing this since I was ..ten I think....Um....I'm guessing probably at least around 2000?..." Maybe. It was probably more than that..
He had been thinking so hard he didn't really notice he revealed how long he'd been out on the streets for. Still, he nodded and smiled at him before he cleared his throat a bit shyly. "Well um. Thanks...Uh..You wouldnt have a rag that you don't mind throwing away do you? The dried bloods starting to itch.."
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 25, 2011 20:36:44 GMT
"You'll find out sooner or later, I guess." Arthur admitted with a slight pout at being teased about his handwriting. It wasn't that bad! He frowned, looking at Alfred as he tried to work out how long he'd been helping people, and the age surprised him. He tried not to react, but a little bit of his shock made it onto his face. He could only hope that Alfred's reaction to him had been triggered by something after whatever made him leave home but... Arthur knew in his heart of hearts that it was unlikely. And that made him feel a little sick, and even more protective than before. "You must still enjoy helping people?" He managed to say, voice mostly steady. He needed to let Alfred trust him and not ask about these things, even if it hurt not to know for sure.
"Oh, that's a good idea. I probably do, hang on." Easily slipping off the bed, Arthur went to his sewing cupboard, but then paused, looking back at Alfred. He didn't really want to let Alfred see that he liked to embroider, given how much his brothers liked to tease him about it, but... well, he'd already got things out of there. Pulling it out, he found the start of a quilt that he'd been making, and took one of the pieces, closing the cupboard again. "I'll be back in a moment." He told him as he straightened up, grabbing the glass as well.
Refilling that first, he quickly returned with that and left it for Alfred, before disappearing again. This time he filled a bowl with warm water, and carefully carried it through. He placed it on the side, and then frowned, before taking his place beside Alfred again, this time sitting cross legged so he could face him. "Are you going to be all right with me doing this?" He asked. "I don't want you to pull at the wounds trying to reach."
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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 25, 2011 23:07:05 GMT
"Hmnnn well if it makes you feel any better, it's probably not as bad as mine." Alfred offered, scratching again at the dried blood before he frowned at noticing the shock on the others face. Damnit. Biting the inside of his lip, he faintly sulked at letting himself get that comfortable then nodded a bit with a smile. "Yeah, there's really nothing better than saving someone, even if there is no reward."
Glad for him doing that, Alfred just nodded and settled on back, rubbing his eye faintly, and he watched the other intently. Once Arthur returned with the bowl he considered the idea, and after mentally preparing himself he nodded and presented an arm to him. "Yeah, I'm fine with it. Don't hold back though, it really itches and feels gross." He nodded, eyes on the limb as he attempted to discern how much blood had actually been on it.
After a moment though, he cocked his head. "Do you sew?" He hadn't been able to really see what was in there, but he had seen the quilt and it had made him curious.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 25, 2011 23:13:41 GMT
Chuckling at that, Arthur smiled at him. "That hardly counts. I write for a living, so I've had considerably more time and practise, so you'd think that mine would be better." He was interested to see what Alfred's looked like now, wondering just how scribbly it was. He couldn't help but think that it would be a little childish, and to be honest, he found that cute.
Taking the out stretched arm, Arthur supported him with one hand, and used the other to dip the rag in the water and squeeze it out a bit. "If you need a break, just say." He said, smiling at Alfred. As he started, he had to be a little rough to remove the dried blood, but he kept his hold on Alfred light, letting him know that it was easy for him to pull away.
Sighing out at the question, Arthur realised he'd been caught. He was silent for a moment as he rinsed the rag out, but then he nodded. "It's relaxing." He said, defensively, but didn't elaborate more than that.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Jan 25, 2011 23:18:30 GMT
"Pft, well going on that theory, you must have the best hand writing in the world along with other writers." Alfred commented, unaware that Arthur was thinking about how his own scribbles looked. Alfred just watched as the blood was cleaned off though, content to see how his arm looked when it was cleaned off.
His arm was red in areas from the rougher rubbing, but he seemed pleased enough to see his arm free of blood. Lightly he rubbed his nose then, before he blinked a bit and faintly smiled to see Arthur embarrassed about it. "Wouldn't know, I've never done it...Not many people sew nowadays though. Or at least, not by hand. What kind of stuff do you do?" He asked, not bothered by the others defensiveness and attempt to kind of stop the questions.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Jan 26, 2011 19:26:59 GMT
Chuckling, Arthur smiled at him, relaxing. It was good to see Alfred coming clean under his ministrations, and doing his best to keep it gentle and his touch light. Realising he'd forgotten something, he put Alfred's arm down and headed into the bathroom. He grabbed a towel, and on the way back to the bedroom knelt down to pull something out of his cupboard again. This time it was a sampler that he'd made recently, a unicorn and a lion.
He gave it to Alfred as he took his arm again, drying him off so that he wouldn't get cold, and then moved around the bed to start on the other arm. He didn't want to lean over Alfred to work. "Will you let me do your hair and chest too?" He asked, cautiously as he started to clean his other arm.
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