"The cracks in the pavement match the cracks in their weathered skin."

Alone in a slightly overstuffed recliner lay a feeble figure whose only sign of life was the soft whistling tune of his breath. If one looked close enough they might even see the feeble rise and fall of his chest under the heavy auburn quilt that was wrapped about him. After what had been yet another long day of seemingly endless existence, Arthur Kirkland had curled up here to fall into a sleep he hoped to be his last.

The weight of his brief fit of reminiscing earlier in the day had taken its toll, exhausting him both mentally and physically. The final fleeting thought that had crossed his mind as his eyelids became too heavy to hold up for a moment longer had been simple enough.

He would give absolutely anything to be reunited with Alfred again.

When class was dismissed for lunch Arthur found himself caught between a mixture of relief and anxiety. Relief that the children would be more focused after lunch, (like this bunch was wont to be), and anxiety over forcing a half hours worth of conversation with a young man that hadn't taken his eyes off him for more than a minute at a time since lessons had begun. At first it hadn't bothered him all that much, he had dismissed it as the boy trying his best to be attentive, but as the day had wore on it took on a more studious and slightly disconcerting quality.

For some undefinable reason Arthur had gotten it in his head that the bright blue eyes that rested behind a pair of rather thickly framed black spectacles had some sort of otherworldly quality. Like they could see every available flaw from the slightly unkempt quality of his dull gold hair all the way down to his fear of being useless. Of course, the entire notion was completely preposterous, he was after all a sensible Englishman and he should very well begin acting like one.

He shuddered to think that his native characteristics were ruined from a ten year stint in the United States, not to mention a newly acquired citizenship. (He had really begun to loathe having to periodically update his visa.) Not to mention the tiny fact that he didn't necessarily have any particular reason to return to the UK.

That was another matter entirely, and one he preferred not to dwell upon at this particular moment.

Instead he had turned all his attention upon Alfred Jones, who was now furiously rummaging through a battered looking messenger bag with such vigor as to suggest he knew what he was looking for couldn't possibly be among the scattered contents. A heavy sigh followed by a large suntanned hand running through wheat colored hair confirmed Arthur's hypothesis. Of course, he didn't have long to savor this mental triumph before the man spoke up for himself.

"I don't have to eat with all you teachers do I? I kind of forgot my lunch at home, so I'm just gonna grab a burger or something." His voice was a little brusque, making Arthur wonder if it was the same tone he had heard from the young man just a few hours earlier.

"It's not required, just suggested so you have the chance to mingle with everyone." He licked his lips after he spoke, noticing they had cracked from going such a lengthy time without taking a drink from the mostly full mug of tea currently sitting next to the days lesson plans. During this tiny movement he had suddenly reclaimed all of the younger man's aforementioned, (and slightly creepy), attentions. Those blue eyes once more boring into him.

"In that case, I'm outta here." There was a pause, as if the man was somehow able to see Arthur's internal flush. "Unless you wanna come along?"

"I'm good...Have my lunch all packed here, you go along and have fun."

"Whatever, your loss man." The stunning smile as Alfred swung his bag across his wide shoulders was enough to make Arthur very nearly reconsider. That was, of course, until he remembered their situation here, this being that this young man was currently his student. Not to mention the sheer idiocy of letting a man he'd only shared a handful of words with get to him.

He still couldn't help glancing after the young man as he sauntered out of the room. After mentally chastising himself for his silly behavior Arthur slumped down into the familiar chair behind his familiar desk, sighing as he realized that he too had left his lunch at home. Rather than give Alfred the satisfaction of seeing fast food wrappings in his bin once class began, he let out a heavy sigh before making his way of to the cafeteria.

Pride just might be the end of him.

After consequently scarfing down what was supposedly some kind of chicken fried steak, (a brown and chewy glob that made even his cooking look edible), he ducked out of the teacher's lounge before anyone could pounce on him and demand to know how he'd spent his summer. He was in luck that the gossips had already found a victim out of the new physical education teacher, saving him from the would be ravishing of the single teachers brigade for another school year.

He would have thought that the novelty of being a foreigner in a small Midwestern town would have faded after the first couple years, but there were still a few stragglers who couldn't seem to leave him alone. Arthur truly wouldn't have minded the attention so much if they were more clever about it, (blatant sexual advances not being his particular fetish), unfortunately that didn't seem to be the approach of most American women nowadays.

The mystery was completely ruined,making for roughly five rather unsuccessful dates over the past two years. It would have been a truly depressing statistic if not for the small convenience of being completely absorbed by his job. If he wasn't teaching, well, he'd probably be a depressing sod of a man.

All self-analysis aside, a quick glance at the watch constantly perched about his wrist showed that he only had five minutes before his class came rushing back with new energy coursing through their veins. With that, thoughts turned towards the easier path of lesson plans. The day's English lesson would be simple enough, then he could send them off towards their art class, then recess followed by wrapping up the day with a reading lesson.

It was simple enough, and after a short talk with that Alfred on what his duties would be to start with he could head home and relax the evening away.

Perfectly and peaceably alone.

"Have a good break eh, Arthur?" The sudden presence of a clanging, and all too familiar voice jarred him from the happy thought that had previously calmed Arthur. He sighed, wishing now that the bell would ring early.

"It was too good to last." He turned to face the small and rather round figure of Miss Erin Hill, one of three other teachers that taught Grade Three, and a rather loud, nosy woman at that.

"How it always goes, how it always goes. Gotta pretty decent set of brats this year, what about you?" He took a breath to reply and was not the least bit surprised when she beat him to the punch. "Suppose it doesn't matter in your case, what with you bein a miracle worker and all that. But I hear you got that troubled kid from the University. Guess if there's anyone who won't go crazy with someone of that sort it'd be you."

"He's really not all-"

"No need to make excuses for unteachable Arty, I'll just think positive for ya. And if you ever need an ear you know where my class is." She winked a heavily eye shadowed eye at him before scuttling off down the hallway. Arthur shook his head as if the mere motion could dispel the voice from his ears, and was shocked when another, (and not entirely unpleasant), tone filled the space left behind.

"Okay, I'm totally glad I didn't stay for lunch." A good natured chuckle followed this statement as the self-same "troubled kid" popped up next to him. "You might want to take me up on it next time man, cause that chick doesn't look like a very happy meal."

It took all of Arthur's general self-control to not heave a sigh and trudge the rest of the way back to his desk wondering just when the bloody hell the day would be over. Instead, he found another facade cracking, along with a slightly crooked grin starting at the right corner of his mouth and spreading rather quickly.

"You'd get that one right Mr. Jones."

"Just call me Alfred, Mr. Kirkland." Arthur didn't even bother to contain the low and surprisingly sincere chuckle that escaped at the half mocking tone the young man used.

"Fair enough, you can call me Arthur."

"I heard that chick call you Arty, why can't I?"

"Don't push your luck Mr. Jones." The bell clanged just above the two men's ears, a clamor quickly muted by the sound of children rushing back to their classes with bellies now full and sugar rushing through their veins. Arthur found himself laughing once more as his supposedly troubled student teacher shot his tongue out at him in a way that he only ever expected from his younger students.

"I'd race you, but I'd hate to be drafted for your guy's track team, I hear it's awful."

"It's alright, you wouldn't win anyways, Alfred."

"We'll see about that one day old man, just you wait and see."

As Arthur's class rushed past him, making it to their desks before the laughter had even faded from his eyes, he found himself sincerely looking forward to that day and whenever it might possibly come. Perhaps this was what if felt like to finally make a friend?

He couldn't recall ever feeling so blissfully and stupidly happy over something so small. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time that someone other than an eager child finally figuring out that one tough question that had eluded them had made him smile. Before that morning, he wouldn't have seen that as a sad existence.

Now he was beginning to wonder.

***xxx***

A/n: I'll try and keep my blathering short here everyone. Mostly I'd like to thank everyone who's read so far, and the people that just started this time around, so thanks! The advice and support I've received so far has been really awesome. I'm going to try and update as regularly as possible, though I'm not going to rush this one, it's a little too special to me for that. In any case I hope that you'll stick with Arthur to the very end! Much love, ciao til next time!