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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 16, 2011 22:41:55 GMT
Snorting at that, Arthur shook his head. "Maybe I'd just keep the other bag." He said, relaxing a little into the chair. "Then you'd have to come and visit me if you wanted anything out of it so I could make sure that you were looking after yourself."
Arthur shook his head when Alfred asked about the book. "I only sent it off at the end of last week. It's being proof read at the moment, then I'll probably do a last edit before we start working out the printing. You can have a look at a proof if you want, though." He offered.
Glancing out of the window, Arthur watched as the Lowlands passed them by, still surprisingly comfortable next to Alfred. it did sound like he'd at least looked after himself somewhat. Arthur still thought that it must have been hard to get enough food. Maybe that was why Alfred was looking so thin. "I'd like to have a look, if you don't mind." Just so he could reassure himself that Alfred was all right and healing.
Arthur was pleased that Alfred seemed a little more relaxed as well, watching Alfred as he played with his hands. "That's good of him." He agreed, smiling a little. "I'm glad that that job's good for you." He said, with a nod. "You should try ad stick with it for a while, at least until you're properly healed." He said, smiling at Alfred, hoping that he'd at least consider it.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Apr 17, 2011 4:01:28 GMT
"Aw c'mon, that's cheating. "Alfred whined, nudging on him again playfully. Still, he nodded in thought then smiled. "I'd like that, it'll be fun to read it before you've polished everything off." His feet faintly swayed back and forth while he lazily eyed his shoes. He'd probably need to get more duct tape, or buy new shoes soon...Probably duct tape.
Nodding at the comment though, Alfred hummed a bit as he leaned his head back. "Well, I usually stay on till it's near the ending of projects, cause by then all of the harder stuff is usually finished. I usually don't like to take credit for anything. So I might just do that and then go back to my wanderings."
Softly nodding, Alfred stared out for a moment, blinking as he saw some bird fly by the window of the train. Well that was strange, they didn't usually get that close...It wasn't very long until they reached their stop--Alfred had memorized which one it was already. Standing, he stretched out, then as soon as Arthur was up he led the way out. It was like Arthurs home was his own, the way he easily knew where to go.
Once there, he waited patiently for Arthur to open the door, and followed him in, taking off the slightly dirty shoes. "Do you mind if I take the shower first..?" He requested, obviously badly wanting to get clean once again. It'd been so long since he'd gotten to actually enjoy a shower.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 17, 2011 23:33:24 GMT
Nodding, Arthur gave him a little smile. “I’ll give you my old copy from last time when we get in, then.” He offered. He wasn’t usually that comfortable with anyone but his editor reading his drafts, but Alfred had read his children’s books and taken them seriously, so perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad.
“You’d go back out into No Man’s Land again?” Arthur said, frowning. Alfred had just come back from there! He should at least take a break. Arthur wished he could try and convince Alfred to stay with him for a little while, just so he could have a roof over his head and somewhere safe to stay for a while. He’d never got used to the idea of Alfred sleeping on the streets.
As they approached his stop, Arthur rose, stretching a little, but then let Alfred take the lead, amused that he seemed comfortable taking him home. At the same time he was pleased. He just wished that Alfred felt more comfortable around him. As they climbed the stairs, he pulled his keys out of his pocket, stepping past Alfred to unlock the door and then hold it open for him. “Of course you can. Do you want me to start cooking at all?” He asked, as he closed the door behind him again and started to pull his own shoes and coat off. As he did, he noted the state that Alfred’s shoes were in and frowned. The boy needed a new pair, but it looked like his feet were too big to have a pair of Arthur’s. A pity, Arthur suspected Alfred would more readily accept an old pair than a set of new shoes. Still… While Alfred was in the shower he’d make a note of the size to get him some. “Soaps and towels are where they were last time.” He told him. “I’ll find your bag so when you get out you can put something clean on.”
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Post by Alfred Jones on Apr 18, 2011 2:45:43 GMT
"More like where the wind takes me." The younger man replied, smiling. It was slightly amusing, Alfred was kind of leading in the same way a dog kind of would, instinctively knowing which way to go seemingly. However, once they were in Arthurs apartment and he had a quick look around to see if anything had changed, he nodded a bit.
"Thanks. Just set the bag out against the bathroom door if you would?" He requested, moving on in and still looking around despite everything being the same. It was as if he expected someone else to be living with Arthur or something...Still, the door shut quietly a few moments later, and after a few minutes the shower started.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 18, 2011 3:49:47 GMT
"That'll be round to the windmills, then." Arthur said, with a chuckle. "Unless there's a storm in which case you'll probably get blown out to sea." Arthur knew which way the winds blew. Speaking of storms, though... Alfred was fortunate that there hadn't been any too bad storms in the time that he'd been stuck outside.
Arthur watched Alfred looking around, frowning. Things weren't too messy, were they? And it wasn't like anything had changed. Once Alfred closed the door, Arthur took the chance to look at what size his shoes were. In the sitting room he dropped his own bag and made a note of it, then found the manuscript and put it out on the table for Alfred. After that he went to find Alfred's bag, leaving it outside the door like Alfred asked.
Heading back into the sitting room, Arthur pulled his vest top off, dropping it on the arm of the sofa. His shirt hanging loose off him, he made some tea, then settled down on the sofa with the manuscript, flicking through it lazily while he waited for Alfred.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Apr 18, 2011 5:17:37 GMT
That made Alfred playfully roll his eyes, but he did give Arthur a gentle poke for being a smart ass. He stayed awhile in the bathroom, retrieving his bag with a quick door opening and it being pulled in. Once he was dry and in clean clothing, he closed his eyes happily as he finally moved out to Arthur.
Cocking his head, he set the bag down near the couch, then peered over his shoulder. "So is this with the same plot you were talking about last time?" he asked, pointing at the script before he turned, heading towards the kitchen to get started. Arthur was probably starving!
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 18, 2011 18:14:56 GMT
"It's the one I was working on while you were ill." Arthur said, looking up at him. He was surprised when Alfred carried straight on to the kitchen, and Arthur stood as well, following him in. "I gave up on the one I was working on before that. Maybe I'll finish it one day, but not right now." Resting against the counter top, Arthur gave Alfred a little smile.
Glancing towards Alfred's bag, Arthur's smile fell for a moment as he thought. "I've got to put some washing on. Do you want me to do your clothes? There should be time for them to dry as well." It'd only take a couple of hours, so it might mean Alfred was stuck for half an hour or so after they finished eating, but Arthur figured it wouldn't do Alfred any harm to have a rest. He knew that Alfred knew where most things were in his kitchen by now, since Arthur rarely moved things, and trusted Alfred to ask if he needed something.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Apr 18, 2011 19:21:28 GMT
Alfred absently nodded as he listened, getting the various things he needed out and then pulling the groceries over. "That's a shame...Should work on all the stuff you can before inspiration runs out." Smiling at Arthur, he waited for the water to boil, starting to cut up the other ingredients.
The question made his hands pause though, and he blinked a bit, before flushing a bit embarrassedly. "U-um...I guess, if you don't mind..." He figured they could use a bit of a clean after sitting there in his bag for a month--Not to mention his issues with being clean. Having the slight OCD wasn't exactly the best thing to have for a homeless person. "Want me to put the kettle on for you?"
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 19, 2011 21:40:49 GMT
Glancing at Alfred, surprised he was so timid about it, Arthur nodded. "I don't have enough for a full wash anyway." He reassured him. He'd been planning to leave it another day or so, but had thought that Alfred's clothes probably needed a wash, and that Alfred was more likely to let him wash them for him if he was washing his own clothes at the same time. "Don't worry about the kettle, unless you want something, I've just made tea." He said, nodding towards where it was sitting on the counter.
Heading back to the bedroom, he found his laundry basket and dragged it back to the kitchen so he could load up the washing machine, watching Alfred cook out of the corner of his eye. "Do you mind if I find your clothes, or do you want to get them for me?" He asked, glancing at Alfred's bag again. He was still a little weary about encroaching on Alfred's space, not wanting to make him uncomfortable again.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Apr 20, 2011 2:08:42 GMT
Alfred merely made a quiet noise, nodding, then stirred what was in the pan for now before he considered that. "Lemme get it for you." Turning down the heat, he moved on over, then opened the bag. A few short moments of searching, Alfred finally found the few cothes he had, offering them out to Arthur as he flipped his bag shut again, smiling at him.
"Thanks Arthur." As the clothing was taken, he quickly returned to the kitchen so nothing burnt. "It should only take as long as the pasta takes to cook, so don't take too long." Well at least his boxers looked recently bought..Or, well, as recently as they could for sitting in a bag for a few months.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 20, 2011 4:38:15 GMT
Taking the clothes, Arthur put them in on top of his and then started the wash. "Oh? I'll start laying the table then." Arthur said as he followed him into the kitchen. He took a quick peek over Alfred's shoulder to see how he was doing and then smiled. "It smells good. Do you want a drink?" He asked, as he moved to get plates and cutlery for them, laying the table. He brought his tea over as well, sitting down with his legs tucked up underneath him to watch Alfred.
As he watched, he realised that he was staring a little, as he took in Alfred's broader frame. He really had lost weight, and that made Arthur frown a little, worriedly. Maybe he should put some money in at Joel's again to try and make sure that he got a few decent meals a week. Realising he was staring a little too much he blushed and looked away. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
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Post by Alfred Jones on Apr 21, 2011 9:03:01 GMT
"Mmkay!" Alfred called, concentrating more on what he was doing before he moved a long the kitchen, doing things as he moved past. "You asked that a bit ago. It's fine, Arthur." Soon he was draining the pasta though, and since the table was set, he just carried the sauce with the pasta on over, setting placemats down and then resting the pots on them. After that, he brought over some shredded parmesian cheese as well to serve ontop of it."All done! Serve yourself, I'm gonna grab somethin' to drink."
Smiling at him quickly, he then returned to the kitchen area, soon deciding on water this time. Filling the glass, he moved on over, settling down in the chair not taken. If he had noticed any of the staring, it wasn't mentioned, just taking a sip of the water for now. "Tell me whatcha think, okay?" Was the request, obviously waiting for Arthur now.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 23, 2011 4:14:54 GMT
"Did I?" Arthur blinked, frowning, looking at Alfred and then down at himself. He trusted Alfred, but he didn't remember asking. That was weird. Tucking his legs back up against him, he watched the table to keep his eyes off Alfred, waiting. He didn't know how much he wanted to eat, but since Alfred had cooked...
When Alfred brought the food over, he untucked himself and smiled at him. "All right. There's some orange juice in the fridge if you want it, but you might want to check the date." Arthur wasn't sure when exactly he'd brought it. He hadn't been to the shops for a while. Tugging the pans over, he eyed it, before putting a spoonful of pasta and half a one of meat on his plate, then pushing them back for Alfred. He waited for him to join him, mixing them up. "Mm... okay." He agreed.
Guessing that was a hint for him to start eating, Arthur took a small bite, nibbling on it, tasting the sauce. "It's good." He said, with a small nod. It did taste good, but Arthur still didn't feel that enthused to eat. Maybe once Alfred had served himself and eaten some more Arthur would feel a bit better, but he didn't like to eat when no one else was.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Apr 23, 2011 9:13:24 GMT
"Mm, you did." Glancing at him with a smile, Alfred just continued what he was doing. Once the food was on the table, Alfred gave a nod of response. A small disgusted look crossed his face when he saw the date though...Taking a cautious sniff, he made a noise, but then ran the water, spilling it in the sink and washing it down the drain.
Getting a glass of water instead, he moved on over, glancing at what was on Arthurs plate before a small noise slipped out. It really wasn't that much. "Sure you don't want any more than that, Artie?"
After he asked that though, he gave himself a healthy serving, perking faintly at the other apparently liking it. A bright smile was given, then he dug in. Well he admitted, it really wasn't bad at all. Stretching his legs out, he then took a sip of his water. "So Arthur, um...I gotta ask...Were you really serious about that changing thing...?" He murmured, cocking his head while a curious look was given to him.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 23, 2011 21:05:08 GMT
Blinking at him, Arthur shook his head. "You know I can't eat as much as you." He'd seen how much Alfred could eat, and suspected that the boy was still trying to eat less around him. He didn't mind because, well, at the moment Alfred could do with putting some weight on, and he'd seen how muscled he was so he understood that he had to eat more to maintain that.
Satisfied that Alfred was pleased that he'd liked it, Arthur started to play with his food a little, still eating, but taking his time. He glanced up when Alfred asked that, and hesitated for a moment, twirling his fork in the pasta as he thought. "If that's what it takes to make you feel more comfortable." He said, sounding just a little cautious. He wasn't sure exactly how much he'd have to change, what exactly he'd have to do, and that made him unsure, but if he had to change to keep Alfred as a friend... he'd try at least. "What... exactly is it that makes you uncomfortable?" He asked, sounding even more unsure, since obviously asking Alfred to explain was probably not going to end well. He used the conversation as an excuse to put his fork down, telling himself he was having a break from his meal, though he knew the chances were that he wouldn't start again.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Apr 26, 2011 3:49:54 GMT
Frowning to himself, Alfred at least kept from pestering him more. He was just worried about how thin Arthur looked...Damnit he felt bad. Maybe he'd have to make sure to hang out until Arthur was a healthier weight. Funny how they were both worrying about the same thing about eachother.
However, the response did make him faintly play with his fork, looking down at the pasta for a few moments...No one had ever really tried to do this before with him. It was unheard of for him. Considering it, he slowly wrapped his fork around some pasta. "Mmn..." Glancing at the fork being put down, Alfred then looked up at Arthur once again. "I don't know how I feel about having someone change for me, to be honest.."
Still, affter he finished what was on his fork, he set his own fork down as well seeing as there was nothing left on his plate. "It's...Well, I'm sure you can kind of guess most of the things that kind of trigger me. But um...I don't know...Sometimes things that I wouldnt even guess would do it...It's really unpredictable."
Pausing to lean back in his seat, he sighed out faintly. "You probably know this now, but seeing people um..Together really bothers me..." Once again his eyeswere down, avoiding Arthur now. The more this was going was kind of making him uncomfortable. "I'm sorry..."
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 27, 2011 0:29:19 GMT
"It's not changing so much as stopping something and... I suppose it's something I shouldn't be doing in the first place." Arthur said, offering Alfred somewhat of a smile to try and make him feel better. He wasn't really sure why he was offering in the first place, but perhaps he felt somewhat that Alfred needed someone, and he didn't know if he had anyone else. Besides, for some reason Arthur wasn't able to let him go.
Nodding at what Alfred said, Arthur sighed. That didn't really give him any more information than he'd already guessed, which was going to make this difficult. But on the other hand, he appreciated that Alfred had tried, and Arthur reached over, hesitated, and then gently squeezed Alfred's arm. "All right, you don't have to say any more." He reassured Alfred, trying to settle him a little. "I'll do what I can, but... If I slip up, please don't hate me." The chances of Arthur being caught out like he had been last time were slim, but Arthur was still intending on trying his best. At least he would still have his toys.
Wanting to move the topic on from that, Arthur pulled away, looking at their plates. "Are you still hungry?" He asked. "I got some yoghurts for pudding." Alfred had probably seen them in the bag, Arthur realised, but it didn't matter too much. "If you want, of course. There might still be some ice cream in the fridge if you want that too." Realising that the wash had probably finished by now, Arthur stood up, and moved over to check, changing their clothes over to the dryer.
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Post by Alfred Jones on Apr 28, 2011 19:18:22 GMT
Well Arthur was right about Alfred not having anyone else,but he still felt bad about it. It was a strange thing really, since ussuch things did disgust him, really, but for him to be the reason someone changed...well he felt uneasy about it he supposed. Looking up at Arthur, he returned a weak smile and softly nodded.
The squeeze, surprisingly, didn't have any adverse reaction, but the younger man nodded, relieved he could stop. He knew if Arthur hung around him enough he'd be able to kind of catalogue what sort of things set him off anyway. "I'll be more likely to be scared of you rather than hate you, Arthur...Even now, you still kind of do.." was murmured, and it was easy to feel he was slightly trembling as Arthur held onto him.
It was entirely likely that Arthur only had one chance left with gaining the homeless boys trust, despite it being unsaid. The question made him quietly clear his throat, then shake his head. "I'm alright, thanks." Another weak smile was given, and fingers ran through his own clean hair for a moment. "You don't mind if I take a break on your sofa, do you,,,?" He was wanting to kind of recline on something other than ground, for once. Not to mention the couch was easily becomming one of his "safe" places, though even he didn't recognize that yet most likely.
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Post by Arthur Kirkland on Apr 28, 2011 23:30:41 GMT
Frowning a little, Arthur didn't like the thought that anyone was scared of him, and he shrank back into his seat a little. Well, perhaps it would be nice if his brothers were scared of him, but Alfred? Arthur would have preferred that he hated him. Still, maybe it'd be all right in the end. Alfred was still here after all. It did make Arthur realise that he'd have to be careful, though.
"Hmm? Of course you can!" Arthur said, smiling at him. "I'll go and get the blankets. You can sleep here if you want." He offered, quickly, standing up. Actually, he'd prefer that - Alfred would at least be safe here, but he didn't think that he'd want to sleep here. Either way, Alfred just having a nap would make Alfred feel better.
Leaving Alfred there, Arthur went and found the blankets that Alfred usual used, pulling them out of the cupboard where they were stored with plenty of pillows, which he set down on the sofa for him. "Let me tidy the table, then I'll go to the bedroom so I don't disturb you."
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Post by Alfred Jones on May 3, 2011 19:18:57 GMT
Well spending the night wasn't what he'd been planning at all, and he nibbled his lip...Well, a blanket wouldn't hurt at least, the place was a little chilly. Standing, he moved on over towards the couch, flopping down on it before he shifted then lay down on the cushy things. " its okay, I probably won't stay the night or anything...we can watch something though maybe...?"
He wasn't sure how much longer his clothing had, but he figured if they started something and it went past when his clothing finished he could overstay a bit to finish the show...he was already looking a bit tired as he rest there though, hiis eyes half lidded. It'd be better to have Arthur where he knew he was though, it was a paranoia thing. Plus he'd feel less like he was invading his home.
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