Game Five: Albel cracks!

Finally, the brat was contentedly munching on a bunch of chocolate chip cookies and he was left to sip his dark, very strong coffee in peace until the cookies were finished. Given the size of Fayt’s stomach, the size of the cookies, and how little he usually ate, Albel was sure this would be a long time.

However- as they sat together in the now empty kitchen, after spending nearly all morning together in which Fayt had talked, and talked, and talked- and had not stopped talking in that annoyingly typical child’s tone, Fayt shifted. And Albel’s brow twitched. Fayt fidgeted. And Albel’s whole eye squinted.

Fayt looked curiously over to the samurai to see that he was frowning, but what reason did he have to be upset? Fayt was full of an innocent concern. His friend was upset- so as the other friend- it was up to him to make him feel better!

Fayt hesitated. That was easier said than done, for he was only small... and by the scowl Albel gave to the rim of his coffee cup, Fayt wasn't sure what to say. “Umm... Albel?” Fayt murmured- which was one more word than Albel could take coming from the boy who had not stopped talking since they left the others.

“What!” Albel whipped round to face the startled boy. “You can’t have finished all that already!” he snapped.

Fayt fumbled. “Well, I was really hungry- I didn’t have time to get any breakfast… umm… and well… you, you must not have known, that’s all!” Fayt was cheerful now- surely he couldn’t get angry at a face as cheerful as the one Fayt gave out?

“Why didn’t you have any?” Albel interrogated, surely he could have just eaten some.

“Well… I thought you wanted to spar with me right then! And that was great so I thought I’d just say yes then so I could!” Fayt replied.

“Why didn’t you just say you wanted breakfast?” Albel was irritated.

“Well, you don’t usually ask me to hang around with you so I really wanted to- but I thought that if I said that I was hungry you’d just go on your own besides- you don’t eat that much either- and you’re ok- so I didn’t think it was that important and if I said no and ate with everyone else- you’d get mad at me because they’re not very nice to you and I don’t even wanna eat with them anyway so I just thought I’d wait until after- only when we train for a long time like that I don’t wanna say anything ‘cuz I think you might just get angry at me again so I don’t say anything- but I don’t mind being hungry because I like hanging around with you and I don’t want you to be mad at me because you’re my bestest friend!” Fayt claimed.

“What the hell are you rambling about!” Albel snapped, standing from his seat- he was visibly red. “I am not your best friend!”

“You’re not? Why not?” Fayt was confused, his face smiling but his chest bumping.

“Because I don’t want or need a best friend! If I was desperate enough for one it still wouldn’t be an annoying little brat like you!” Albel exclaimed, and he started to walk away, when Fayt got off the stool to follow.

“You… don’t like me?” Fayt was quiet.

“Tch, now he gets it! You’re too damn cheerful and you’re always smiling- what’s with that! Who needs to smile that much anyway! And you’re a doormat- you let anyone walk all over you- ‘save my cat!’, ‘help my daughter!’, ‘protect me!’, ‘spare us!’ It’s enough to drive me insane! You’re just a do-gooder Samaritan! It’s so annoying- in fact- the only good thing about you is that you’re the only fool around here who will spar with me!” Albel snapped.

“But… but I like you… I like you a whole lot… I thought we were friends…” Fayt trailed off as Albel kept his back turned. “I don’t care what anyone else says… I really, really, really, really, really, really like you,” Fayt began again.

“Shut up you stupid brat! No one likes me- and I don’t like anyone else- that’s how it is! Now just get lost and go cry to Sophia or one of those worms!” Albel barked.

“But I – I like you…” Fayt sniffed, when Albel turned furiously, the anger only fuelled as Fayt tried to smile at him as friends again.

“Get out of my way, and don’t bother following me you brat!” Albel exclaimed, pushing Fayt aside and going out to the back training patch alone, ignoring Fayt as he called after him.

“Albel, I- I'm sorry- did you just want one of my cookies? I’ll get you some- I'm sorry I ate them all… I didn’t know you wanted some too- I'm sorry I was bugging you… I'm gonna go find some and we can eat them together!” Fayt decided hopefully, but no reply came.