Hallelujah 22
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
April 23, 2008
stripeznstarz50: happy birthday!
onceandthefuture: kill me now
stripeznstarz50: awww what's the matter?
stripeznstarz50: bad day?
onceandthefuture: first day of the term
onceandthefuture: guaranteed to be bad
stripeznstarz50: :-(
onceandthefuture: although really it was just long
stripeznstarz50: I'm sorry
onceandthefuture: bah
stripeznstarz50: so tell me everything
onceandthefuture: I have the most bizarre classicals prof
onceandthefuture: he was sleeping at his desk when we came in and didn't wake up until five minutes after class was supposed to start
onceandthefuture: and then he just kind of mumbled through the introductions and let us leave early
stripeznstarz50: weird
onceandthefuture: you have no idea
onceandthefuture: and he had a stuffed cat on his desk
onceandthefuture: it was my last class so I'm still in shock
stripeznstarz50: well at least you got out a little early?
onceandthefuture: I guess
onceandthefuture: but I already have homework from the other two classes I had today
onceandthefuture: and two different classes to get introduced to tomorrow
onceandthefuture: just brilliant
stripeznstarz50: I'm sorry
stripeznstarz50: did you check the mail today?
onceandthefuture: ... I got an email notification that I had a package but I didn't feel like going to the post office
onceandthefuture: should I?
stripeznstarz50: yes you should
stripeznstarz50: has it closed yet?
onceandthefuture: no
onceandthefuture: half an hour
stripeznstarz50: then gooooo
onceandthefuture: fine fine
onceandthefuture has signed off
onceandthefuture has signed on
onceandthefuture: you
onceandthefuture: are the most horrible
onceandthefuture: terrible
onceandthefuture: wonderful boy I've ever known
stripeznstarz50: aww shucks
onceandthefuture: although I didn't enjoy carrying this box back across campus
stripeznstarz50: oh you'll get over it
stripeznstarz50: so you like it?
stripeznstarz50: :-)
onceandthefuture: of course
onceandthefuture: you really shouldn't have
onceandthefuture: but thank you love
stripeznstarz50: well I had to get you a birthday present!
onceandthefuture: now I have to install everything
onceandthefuture: brilliant
stripeznstarz50: well I'll be here for only a few more minutes
stripeznstarz50: I'm just getting online during lunch :-P
stripeznstarz50: I wanted to make sure you got your computer today
onceandthefuture: well thank you
stripeznstarz50: no sweat
stripeznstarz50: one more thing before I leave
onceandthefuture: mm?
stripeznstarz50: http:// www. youtube. com/ watch?v=rwa4JalC11
onceandthefuture: oh dear
onceandthefuture: you really didn't have to do this
stripeznstarz50: oh but I did ;-)
stripeznstarz50: I didn't dedicate it to you officially
stripeznstarz50: but you know that it's for you, right?
onceandthefuture: yes
onceandthefuture: I understand
onceandthefuture: I do hope you realize that if you were in driving distance right now you would definitely get laid tonight
stripeznstarz50: hahahhahahahahahahahaha well I'm not so I'll just do with a thank you :-)
onceandthefuture: thank you love
stripeznstarz50: you're welcome dollface
stripeznstarz50: class now bbl
April 27, 2008
onceandthefuture: it’s finally done
stripeznstarz50: yay!
stripeznstarz50: set up and everything?
onceandthefuture: yes
onceandthefuture: I’m talking to you on it now, actually
stripeznstarz50: epic
stripeznstarz50: so we can webcam now?
onceandthefuture: I suppose
stripeznstarz50: fabulous
stripeznstarz50 has sent a video chat invitation
The video feed flickered to life on Arthur’s shiny new computer screen, showing Alfred grinning inanely at him. He was stretched out on a couch, sunlight brightening up the room from a window behind the couch. Arthur could see his feet waving in the air behind the band of his headset.
“Hey!” Alfred said with a wave, and Arthur rushed to plug in his headphones before Mathias could realize what was going on over the blare of his hard rock.
onceandthefuture: hey yourself
He smiled at the camera, but didn’t say anything.
“You know that your computer should have a built-in mic, right?” Al asked with an eye-crinkling smile, shifting his chin from one hand to the other.
Arthur rolled his eyes and leant out of the frame for a moment so Al could see Mathias’s back behind him, dancing like a moron at his own desk to his music. Al nodded in understanding with a little ‘ah’.
onceandthefuture: I don’t want him butting into everything.
Alfred laughed softly. “You should let me meet him, though!” he said excitedly. His blue eyes were washed to a pale green by the lighting and the poor quality camera. Arthur pulled a face, which made Al laugh harder.
onceandthefuture: maybe some other time
onceandthefuture: not now though.
Alfred smirked. “What, wanna keep me to yourself?”
Even on webcam he could see Arthur’s splotchy flushing as he typed furiously.
onceandthefuture: well it’s our first chat like this!
onceandthefuture: besides you’re not any better
onceandthefuture: just returning the possession favor
Alfred grinned, all teeth, and Arthur flipped the window to check his email.
“Don’t lie, you like it.” Arthur sneered as he deleted the spam message that had appeared since he last checked his inbox. “Oh, I got something to show you.”
Arthur sighed quietly and switched back to the chat in time to see Alfred throw off his headset and leave it on the couch, then hold up a finger before running out a door at the edge of Arthur’s field of vision. Arthur tapped a song into the casing of his laptop, waiting with his head propped on two bent fingers. Not too much later, though, Al appeared in the door again, tugging a happy, slobbering monster of a dog by the collar.
onceandthefuture: what is that?
Al sat in front of the computer and coaxed the dog onto the couch behind him before putting his headset back on and seeing the waiting message. He laughed, wrapping his arms around the dog’s neck when it stuck its head over Al’s shoulder. “Arthur, meet Peaches,” he said, rubbing her ears vigorously.
onceandthefuture: I can see why Matthew’s terrified of that thing
Al laughed again, then fell forward into the keyboard as his monster dog tried to climb over his back. He shoved her away, laughing still, and Arthur had to bite down on his knuckle to keep his laughter in check.
Peaches jumped off the couch, but was back a moment later, scrambling into Alfred’s lap and jerking the headset cords from their ports as he tried to control her and get her off. The screen shook for a moment, then settled down as she did the same in Al’s lap, big enough that he had to lean over her to plug his headset back in after pulling it out from under her body. He was greeted with the sound of Arthur’s unstifled laughter.
“She’s dumb as a post and thinks she’s a lapdog, but I love her anyway,” Al said, petting her aggressively as she basked in the attention. Arthur nodded helplessly and held a hand over his mouth to repress his giggling.
“What’re you laughing about back there?” a faint voice called from Arthur’s end.
He turned his head to the side slightly to call back, “Nothing, go back to your porn, asshole.”
Al laughed, almost missing the “Hey, fuck you!” from Arthur’s roommate and subsequent smirk from Arthur.
Suddenly from the evening darkness behind Arthur, a rakishly styled blond head appeared, bracing his hands on the back of Arthur’s chair and looking at the screen with glee. He quickly switched windows and yelled at him to get away, but he just reached over Arthur’s shoulder and switched it back. Alfred watched in amusement as Arthur struggled against the pinning of the much bigger and broader Mathias.
“Is this that boyfriend you spent Easter break fucking with?” he asked with a devilish grin. Alfred found his dog’s neck interesting and good-smelling suddenly while Arthur clocked Mathias in the jaw, odd angle be damned.
“What the fuck was that for?” he yelled, stepping back and rubbing his jaw, his mirth swiftly morphing into anger.
Arthur stood, ripping the earbuds out and squaring off. “He’s not my boyfriend, you fucker!” he retorted.
Alfred really wished that the screen was angled down just a bit more so he could see more than the tops of their heads.
“Boys.”
The cheerily icy voice stopped the shouting match dead. Arthur’s head stepped closer to the computer, and he say back down with a huff, angling the screen straight with more enthusiasm than necessary. Now Al could see all of Mathias as he glared at Arthur’s back fiercely, held in place by a hand on his chest from another blond guy even smaller than Arthur, who was scolding deaf ears about fighting on the first week of school.
onceandthefuture: Sorry bout that
onceandthefuture: Mathias is a bitch
Al waved it off with a smile. “So who’s the other guy?”
Arthur smirked over his shoulder where Mathias was still being lectured.
onceandthefuture: that’s Tino. I told you about him.
Tino patted Mathias’s shoulder and led him out of the shot, faintly promising coffee before they were out of Arthur’s microphone’s range. Alfred grinned. “Did you ever find that camera in your room?”
Arthur smirked and rolled his eyes.
onceandthefuture: no, but I swear I’ve looked from stem to stern and I still think it’s in here.
“Say something to me,” Al said, resting his chin on his dog’s expansive back.
“Like what?” Alfred shrugged.
“Anything. I just want to hear your voice again.” Arthur shook his hair in front of his eyes, and Al grinned.
“’Snot like my voice is anything special,” he mumbled.
Al laughed. “’Course it is! You’ve got the awesome accent.” Arthur made a face.
“I don’t understand why you Americans all think we sound so odd,”he said, leaning his chin on his hand and checking his facebook to avoid looking at that face.“You’re the odd ones to me.” Alfred snorted, and Arthur groaned. “I swear, these damned fangirls of yours won’t stop trying to friend me on here!” He deleted the two requests waiting on him with force while Al laughed harder.
“Aww, be nice, they like you! It’s a compliment!”
“Bloody annoying compliment it is.” Al chuckled, but then his webcam froze with his eyes open at different width, and the video chat crashed.
onceandthefuture: what happened?
onceandthefuture: your thing crash?
stripeznstarz50: my thing crashed
stripeznstarz50: fuck
stripeznstarz50: xD
onceandthefuture: that's all right
onceandthefuture: I think tino's almost done placating mathias
onceandthefuture: I should pretend to be asleep to make things easier
stripeznstarz50: xDD
stripeznstarz50: okay
stripeznstarz50: you do that
stripeznstarz50: bring a book
onceandthefuture: already gotten
onceandthefuture signed off
April 23, 2008
stripeznstarz50: happy birthday!
onceandthefuture: kill me now
stripeznstarz50: awww what's the matter?
stripeznstarz50: bad day?
onceandthefuture: first day of the term
onceandthefuture: guaranteed to be bad
stripeznstarz50: :-(
onceandthefuture: although really it was just long
stripeznstarz50: I'm sorry
onceandthefuture: bah
stripeznstarz50: so tell me everything
onceandthefuture: I have the most bizarre classicals prof
onceandthefuture: he was sleeping at his desk when we came in and didn't wake up until five minutes after class was supposed to start
onceandthefuture: and then he just kind of mumbled through the introductions and let us leave early
stripeznstarz50: weird
onceandthefuture: you have no idea
onceandthefuture: and he had a stuffed cat on his desk
onceandthefuture: it was my last class so I'm still in shock
stripeznstarz50: well at least you got out a little early?
onceandthefuture: I guess
onceandthefuture: but I already have homework from the other two classes I had today
onceandthefuture: and two different classes to get introduced to tomorrow
onceandthefuture: just brilliant
stripeznstarz50: I'm sorry
stripeznstarz50: did you check the mail today?
onceandthefuture: ... I got an email notification that I had a package but I didn't feel like going to the post office
onceandthefuture: should I?
stripeznstarz50: yes you should
stripeznstarz50: has it closed yet?
onceandthefuture: no
onceandthefuture: half an hour
stripeznstarz50: then gooooo
onceandthefuture: fine fine
onceandthefuture has signed off
onceandthefuture has signed on
onceandthefuture: you
onceandthefuture: are the most horrible
onceandthefuture: terrible
onceandthefuture: wonderful boy I've ever known
stripeznstarz50: aww shucks
onceandthefuture: although I didn't enjoy carrying this box back across campus
stripeznstarz50: oh you'll get over it
stripeznstarz50: so you like it?
stripeznstarz50: :-)
onceandthefuture: of course
onceandthefuture: you really shouldn't have
onceandthefuture: but thank you love
stripeznstarz50: well I had to get you a birthday present!
onceandthefuture: now I have to install everything
onceandthefuture: brilliant
stripeznstarz50: well I'll be here for only a few more minutes
stripeznstarz50: I'm just getting online during lunch :-P
stripeznstarz50: I wanted to make sure you got your computer today
onceandthefuture: well thank you
stripeznstarz50: no sweat
stripeznstarz50: one more thing before I leave
onceandthefuture: mm?
stripeznstarz50: http:// www. youtube. com/ watch?v=rwa4JalC11
onceandthefuture: oh dear
onceandthefuture: you really didn't have to do this
stripeznstarz50: oh but I did ;-)
stripeznstarz50: I didn't dedicate it to you officially
stripeznstarz50: but you know that it's for you, right?
onceandthefuture: yes
onceandthefuture: I understand
onceandthefuture: I do hope you realize that if you were in driving distance right now you would definitely get laid tonight
stripeznstarz50: hahahhahahahahahahahaha well I'm not so I'll just do with a thank you :-)
onceandthefuture: thank you love
stripeznstarz50: you're welcome dollface
stripeznstarz50: class now bbl
April 27, 2008
onceandthefuture: it’s finally done
stripeznstarz50: yay!
stripeznstarz50: set up and everything?
onceandthefuture: yes
onceandthefuture: I’m talking to you on it now, actually
stripeznstarz50: epic
stripeznstarz50: so we can webcam now?
onceandthefuture: I suppose
stripeznstarz50: fabulous
stripeznstarz50 has sent a video chat invitation
The video feed flickered to life on Arthur’s shiny new computer screen, showing Alfred grinning inanely at him. He was stretched out on a couch, sunlight brightening up the room from a window behind the couch. Arthur could see his feet waving in the air behind the band of his headset.
“Hey!” Alfred said with a wave, and Arthur rushed to plug in his headphones before Mathias could realize what was going on over the blare of his hard rock.
onceandthefuture: hey yourself
He smiled at the camera, but didn’t say anything.
“You know that your computer should have a built-in mic, right?” Al asked with an eye-crinkling smile, shifting his chin from one hand to the other.
Arthur rolled his eyes and leant out of the frame for a moment so Al could see Mathias’s back behind him, dancing like a moron at his own desk to his music. Al nodded in understanding with a little ‘ah’.
onceandthefuture: I don’t want him butting into everything.
Alfred laughed softly. “You should let me meet him, though!” he said excitedly. His blue eyes were washed to a pale green by the lighting and the poor quality camera. Arthur pulled a face, which made Al laugh harder.
onceandthefuture: maybe some other time
onceandthefuture: not now though.
Alfred smirked. “What, wanna keep me to yourself?”
Even on webcam he could see Arthur’s splotchy flushing as he typed furiously.
onceandthefuture: well it’s our first chat like this!
onceandthefuture: besides you’re not any better
onceandthefuture: just returning the possession favor
Alfred grinned, all teeth, and Arthur flipped the window to check his email.
“Don’t lie, you like it.” Arthur sneered as he deleted the spam message that had appeared since he last checked his inbox. “Oh, I got something to show you.”
Arthur sighed quietly and switched back to the chat in time to see Alfred throw off his headset and leave it on the couch, then hold up a finger before running out a door at the edge of Arthur’s field of vision. Arthur tapped a song into the casing of his laptop, waiting with his head propped on two bent fingers. Not too much later, though, Al appeared in the door again, tugging a happy, slobbering monster of a dog by the collar.
onceandthefuture: what is that?
Al sat in front of the computer and coaxed the dog onto the couch behind him before putting his headset back on and seeing the waiting message. He laughed, wrapping his arms around the dog’s neck when it stuck its head over Al’s shoulder. “Arthur, meet Peaches,” he said, rubbing her ears vigorously.
onceandthefuture: I can see why Matthew’s terrified of that thing
Al laughed again, then fell forward into the keyboard as his monster dog tried to climb over his back. He shoved her away, laughing still, and Arthur had to bite down on his knuckle to keep his laughter in check.
Peaches jumped off the couch, but was back a moment later, scrambling into Alfred’s lap and jerking the headset cords from their ports as he tried to control her and get her off. The screen shook for a moment, then settled down as she did the same in Al’s lap, big enough that he had to lean over her to plug his headset back in after pulling it out from under her body. He was greeted with the sound of Arthur’s unstifled laughter.
“She’s dumb as a post and thinks she’s a lapdog, but I love her anyway,” Al said, petting her aggressively as she basked in the attention. Arthur nodded helplessly and held a hand over his mouth to repress his giggling.
“What’re you laughing about back there?” a faint voice called from Arthur’s end.
He turned his head to the side slightly to call back, “Nothing, go back to your porn, asshole.”
Al laughed, almost missing the “Hey, fuck you!” from Arthur’s roommate and subsequent smirk from Arthur.
Suddenly from the evening darkness behind Arthur, a rakishly styled blond head appeared, bracing his hands on the back of Arthur’s chair and looking at the screen with glee. He quickly switched windows and yelled at him to get away, but he just reached over Arthur’s shoulder and switched it back. Alfred watched in amusement as Arthur struggled against the pinning of the much bigger and broader Mathias.
“Is this that boyfriend you spent Easter break fucking with?” he asked with a devilish grin. Alfred found his dog’s neck interesting and good-smelling suddenly while Arthur clocked Mathias in the jaw, odd angle be damned.
“What the fuck was that for?” he yelled, stepping back and rubbing his jaw, his mirth swiftly morphing into anger.
Arthur stood, ripping the earbuds out and squaring off. “He’s not my boyfriend, you fucker!” he retorted.
Alfred really wished that the screen was angled down just a bit more so he could see more than the tops of their heads.
“Boys.”
The cheerily icy voice stopped the shouting match dead. Arthur’s head stepped closer to the computer, and he say back down with a huff, angling the screen straight with more enthusiasm than necessary. Now Al could see all of Mathias as he glared at Arthur’s back fiercely, held in place by a hand on his chest from another blond guy even smaller than Arthur, who was scolding deaf ears about fighting on the first week of school.
onceandthefuture: Sorry bout that
onceandthefuture: Mathias is a bitch
Al waved it off with a smile. “So who’s the other guy?”
Arthur smirked over his shoulder where Mathias was still being lectured.
onceandthefuture: that’s Tino. I told you about him.
Tino patted Mathias’s shoulder and led him out of the shot, faintly promising coffee before they were out of Arthur’s microphone’s range. Alfred grinned. “Did you ever find that camera in your room?”
Arthur smirked and rolled his eyes.
onceandthefuture: no, but I swear I’ve looked from stem to stern and I still think it’s in here.
“Say something to me,” Al said, resting his chin on his dog’s expansive back.
“Like what?” Alfred shrugged.
“Anything. I just want to hear your voice again.” Arthur shook his hair in front of his eyes, and Al grinned.
“’Snot like my voice is anything special,” he mumbled.
Al laughed. “’Course it is! You’ve got the awesome accent.” Arthur made a face.
“I don’t understand why you Americans all think we sound so odd,”he said, leaning his chin on his hand and checking his facebook to avoid looking at that face.“You’re the odd ones to me.” Alfred snorted, and Arthur groaned. “I swear, these damned fangirls of yours won’t stop trying to friend me on here!” He deleted the two requests waiting on him with force while Al laughed harder.
“Aww, be nice, they like you! It’s a compliment!”
“Bloody annoying compliment it is.” Al chuckled, but then his webcam froze with his eyes open at different width, and the video chat crashed.
onceandthefuture: what happened?
onceandthefuture: your thing crash?
stripeznstarz50: my thing crashed
stripeznstarz50: fuck
stripeznstarz50: xD
onceandthefuture: that's all right
onceandthefuture: I think tino's almost done placating mathias
onceandthefuture: I should pretend to be asleep to make things easier
stripeznstarz50: xDD
stripeznstarz50: okay
stripeznstarz50: you do that
stripeznstarz50: bring a book
onceandthefuture: already gotten
onceandthefuture signed off