Don't Fall For Anyone Else! [USUK]

Chapter 21: Don't Give Up!

Alfred's Side:

Alfred can't get up.

He just... Can't.

All of his energy had been drained from crying last night that he doesn't have any left to move around.

He hears a knock on his door. "Alfred, It's Matthew. Your parents called me over." Alfred shifts in his bed, depressed and not wanting to move at all.

"...You don't need to come in here and force yourself, Mattie..." Alfred croaks out, his throat dry and sore from releasing his feelings.

"I'll just go inside then." Mattie says and Alfred hears his door click open.

Alfred doesn't turn to look at him but he can sense that Mattie is worried about him and probably the state of his room.

"Alfred... You can't just stay here all day." Mattie tells him but Alfred only grabs his pillow and hugs it tightly.

"I don't want to go outside, Mattie..." Alfred croaks out painfully, "I don't want to go outside and look at Arthur's house because anything that reminds me of him wounds me..."

He feels his bed sink down hear his feet, Mattie just sat down. "I don't understand... Arthur clearly loves you back so you basically had the biggest chance."

"...I was too late, Mattie." Alfred says, hugging his pillow tighter in his arms. The pain in his chest increasing as he feels his eyes swell with tears. "Toni got him first and took him away..."

He hears a gasp come from Mattie. "Antonio? Like, our Antonio?" Alfred nods weakly.

"I see... No wonder he's been trying to get closer to Arthur. He had intentions..." Mattie says and Alfred could only let his tears soak his pillow.

Silence befall between the two of them, none saying and none moving from their places.

"...Alfred, what are you going to do now?" Mattie suddenly asks, breaking the silence and Alfred shakes.

"I..." He croaks out, "...I don't know... It's the first time I've really loved someone and suddenly get rejected in the spot... Who knew it would hurt this bad...?"

"You can't give up, Alfred-san!" Alfred lets go of his pillow and turns to look at his doorway. There, Kiku was standing with a serious face.

"You cannot give him up, Alfred-san!" Kiku tells him with clenched fists and determination in his voice. Alfred gasps softly. "Kiku...?"

"Your parents had also contacted him too and so we came here together." Mattie explains but Alfred keeps his eyes on the Japanese Teen.

"Alfred-san, I know how much Arthur-san means to you so you cannot just give him up!" Kiku says, his voice getting louder as he steps inside and Alfred's lips turn to a straight line.

"...but he's already dating Antonio. Trying to break them apart won't make me feel like a better person and it won't make Arthur happy." Alfred mutters, his confidence lowering again.

"But didn't you tell me that Gilbert told you that Arthur still loves you?" Alfred looks up at Mattie, his heart suddenly clenching with hope. "Listen, I've tried to analyze the situation and here's what I had gotten with."

Alfred sits up and looks intently at Mattie. "The night Arthur and you had kissed-" Kiku's eyes widen and he looks away, his cheeks red. "-Arthur and Antonio were still acquaintances, but we can already assume that Toni had something for Arthur. And I can prove it because I always see him approaching the library before heading to practice, and who's always in the library working at that time? Arthur! Then when you had told him that you didn't love him, he went back home looking like he was upset, right?" Alfred nods.

"Then the next three days he doesn't go to school most likely because 1. of you" Ouch? Alfred thinks, "or 2. The fever his parents had given as an excuse but I can conclude which one it might really be. I've messaged Toni that night and asked him before where he had gone for practice and he said that he left to visit someone, in this case, it must've been Arthur! How else would they have suddenly started dating when Arthur wasn't at school and who else would he be visiting when he's a dormer from a different country, who barely knows anyone except us? And we were all in school!"

Alfred nods again, not saying anything and just listening. Mattie proceeds, "And I think that after that visit, it triggered Arthur to date him but why? Why would he suddenly date Toni because he visited him? It wouldn't make sense if it was just a fever or something because anyone who gets sicks wouldn't just start dating someone. So, it's very much clear that maybe the reason why he's been absent (though it's quite clear) and the reason why he's suddenly started dating Antonio in that short amount of time is because of you, Alfred." Alfred sucks in a breath and Mattie proceeds.

"It would make sense, right? Arthur doesn't go to school because of Alfred hurting him" again, ouch. "and when Toni had visited, he decided to get comfort from him! He still loves you Alfred! And back that up with Gilbert saying that he's been ranting about you really proves it! Which is why you shouldn't give up!" Alfred's eyes open wide, color arriving in his vision again. "Don't give up when we all know that Arthur still loves you!"

Alfred's mouth opens to say something but then he closes it.

Finally, after thinking about it, Alfred gives them a smile. "Thank you, guys but you should head home now." Mattie's shoulders hunch down and Kiku frowns. "Alfred... Don't tell me-"

"It's alright, I can handle it now."

****

Hey, Alfred guess what?" Antonio suddenly approaches Alfred on Monday with the widest smile Alfred's ever seen from him.

And he knows exactly why.

"Hey, Toni...!" Alfred greets cheerfully.

"I'm dating someone again and that person is the best!" Antonio says cheerfully and Alfred gives him a laugh.

"Oh, really? Who is it?" Alfred asks but what's the use. He's already known ever since Arthur rejected him.

"Well, it's Arthur! And we had just started dating this friday." Antonio gushes and Alfred chuckles.

"Man, how lucky." Alfred says breezily and Antonio blushes. "Yeah, who knew he'd actually accept my feelings. Anyway," Antonio turns to look at Alfred, "I wish to ask for your blessing."

Alfred stops walking, his eyes on the brown haired Spanish teen. "...what?"

"Well, you're the closest to Arthur and we both know that you really care for him so I would just like to ask you for your blessing with us dating." Antonio explains and Alfred stares at him.

Alfred chuckles again. "Hahah... Of course!"

"...Not." Antonio's eyes open wide.

As if a switch had been turned on, Alfred's friendly demeanor had been ripped off. His face was in pure anger and determination. "I won't give you my blessing, Toni. Never."

Antonio swallows. "B-But Alfred... We're friends, aren't we? Aren't you always the person who would support us in whatever we do?"

Alfred smiles at him halfheartedly. "I still am your friend, of course. But..." He jabs a finger on Antonio's chest. "If you must know... I'm also in love with Arthur."

Antonio's eyes go wide, a small gasp escaping his lips.

"I love him and I know somewhere deep inside that he also loves me. So you better be careful, friend, because I'm going to do my all to get him back." Alfred threatens Antonio, his blue eyes boring into the other's.

Silence befalls between the two of them before Alfred laughs. "So, my friend..."

"...be ready."

And here, starts the 3 week attempts of Alfred Jones to get Arthur Kirkland.

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YASS BOI GET HIM BACK
I know it's quite a bad thing for Alfred to do this but how can he get Arthur back if he doesn't break them both. And we all know that if someone dates someone they don't love, they'll just end up hurting themself and their partner? So anyway, like the 1 month timelapse, I'll be posting these chapters like "A/An (character's name) Chapter! (number after the last one)" so tune in for those!
-NSO