remember the cowboy that loves you so true...

Arthur was waiting for the water to boil in the kettle, he figured he might as well listen in on what the other might be saying. Whoever was at the door was rather quiet, the opposite of what a towns person was like at the door. They has something to say and they always made sure it was said at a loud volume. As if someone among them did whatever they were complaining about. It's rather annoying in the morning, but somehow Alfred and him get through it. Eventually Alfred had the person at the door enter. Arthur found was finding his tea leaves when Alfred turned his attention to a small Asian man sitting at the table, introducing both of them. The Englishman was taken but surprise when the man hardened his look at the mention of Arthur's name. It was a look that seemed to have been starting to go away, something Arthur was happy about, but it made him uneasy seeing on the man's face.

If anything the glare was a huge red flag to the sandier blonde. The man had a similar face to Yao's, however he build was different, his hair was shorter, and his eyes seemed truthful enough. Still the image of Yao haunted Arthur's mind, but he managed to suppress his shutter. The West is a bloody big area, Arthur thought. Arthur's name still as some lingering confusions of what he's done, but it's official that Arthur was now a deputy. Helping bring down a huge crime network had overshadowed the major parts of his criminal life. However news travels slow and to some people Arthur Kirkland his still a criminal, while to others he's not. Arthur can only hope the man, Kiku as he was introduces, just has some out of date information.

"Um...good morning Mr. Honda," Arthur said slightly uneasily, knowing if anything it wasn't going to help his case much if Kiku was already thinking something. "Would you like some tea?" Arthur said as the kettle whistled and he took to making his tea. Beilschmidt sounded like a familiar name, but not someone for Alfred to be getting so excited over. "Beilschmidt...As in Gilbert Beilschmidt, I thought he worked with cattle." Arthur said when he remembered, Gilbert was some fellow Francis and Antonio knew and had run ins with at saloons. Arthur personally never meet or seen the man, but he's heard stories about him. From what he's heard, Arthur could continue living without ever meeting the man.

Alfred picked up on Arthur’s unease immediately, but could not do anything more then flash him a small, reassuring smile from across the room. The presence of the other male was a tad bit unnerving considering how quiet he had been, but Alfred doubted they had anything to worry about. Tired or not, he was confident in their abilities to protect themselves against nearly anyone. Besides, he kind of doubted that Kiku, given how tiny he was, could really hold his own against either one of them individually, let alone together. Still, he resolved to be on his guard if this was some sort of attempt to hurt either of them.

At Arthur’s offer, Kiku offered a slight headshake to decline the offer for tea before turning his attention back to the sheriff. “Allow me to explain. I worked with Ludwig Beilschmidt alongside with Feliciano Vargas in a town west of here. Gilbert Beilschmidt,” He flashed Arthur a look, “Is Ludwig-san’s older brother. He is not in law enforcement, as Kirkland-san said. The three of us worked together for sixteen months, working to break down the criminal network the same time you were.” The strange man’s gaze flickered up to Alfred’s pools of blue, offering a look of gentle appreciation. It was so honest that it shocked the young man, but he smiled in return. “I offer you my thanks Jones-san. Your work helped to establish order again.”

Alfred tried not to look too pleased with himself at the sudden compliment, but couldn’t completely fight back the grin that spread across his face accompanied with a happy flush. “All in a day’s work. But of course, I didn’t do it alone. Artie here was the one who really did all the work.” He said easily, lightly clapping the Englishman on the shoulder. Kiku simply gave a slight nod to show he heard, but did not offer Arthur the same thanks. The room descended into awkward silence after that. Alfred allowed for a long moment to pass before coughing awkwardly into his hand. “Uh so, why did you decide to come here?”

Kiku looked about the small kitchen area, his emotions hidden behind his large brown eyes. “After the criminal stronghold fell, our workload decreased. Ludwig-san and Feliciano-san are more then capable to take care of everything on their own. I opted to leave in order to offer my services elsewhere.” Alfred nodded, finding his explanation reasonable enough. They would of course send word to this Ludwig to be certain that his story was true, but for now, he was willing to give this guy the benefit of the doubt. Sure he was quiet and more then a little odd, but it was more likely because of his foreign origins rather then any personality quirks.

“Well,” Alfred clapped his hands together and looked about the room. “I guess we can give it a try. You can hang around with me or Arthur today and we’ll see how it goes.” They would need to check and see if this guy was physically capable of handling situations on his own. The last thing they needed was somebody who was not self-reliant. Alfred turned to Arthur, smiling a bit. “What do you think Artie?”

Arthur was raised a gentleman, and he was expected to be a gentleman to everyone he met. However that didn't mean he didn't want to beat someone, or give them an earful of curses that could make even the foul mouthed man blush. Kiku seemed to be pushing all his buttons, and opening the door to the Kirkland temper. Kiku didn't make it seem like he lived so far away, so there was no doubt that he had heard about Arthur. It meant the man clearly was not so willing to forgive his past. His grip tightened on the handle of his cup and he gave a soft sigh. Not many people thank Artur personally for being down Yao's empire, or at least not before they knew what the part he played. The deal Arthur struck with Ivan had in its own made a statement as to how far he would be willing to go. Still Arthur finds a small bit of bride in the fact that Alfred and him beat Kiku and whoever he was working with in bring down Yao. Alfred was quick to defend him, but there was still no thank you from Kiku.

The Englishman poured himself a cup of tea and took a calming sip of it. He kept it close to his body just in case Kiku says something and Arthur really can't hold his tongue any more. He walked off to the side, his morning brewing is over and he best get Victoria and they could be on their way. Arthur knows he can't just say no to someone because he doesn't exactly like them, and Kiku at least deserves a shot. If anything he seemed to know what he was doing more that Arthur had when he first started and he was thinking like a criminal would but for justice. Now that mind is his gut feeling that he will listen too no matter what, or at least express his concerns to Alfred.

"I don't see why we can't...try," Arthur says careful not to sound too annoyed. Arthur knows not everyone is going to like him, but this Kiku was just a huge waving red flag to him. Still it doesn't mean he couldn't try. "I have to do some investigating at the Smiths and Robinsons, see what their boys have been running off to in the middle of the night." Arthur said taking another sip to make the smile come easier. "You're more than welcome to join me." Arthur isn't sure what the man will say but he's ready for any answer.

The tension within the room was so palpable the even the usually oblivious Alfred could sense it. He wasn’t sure why Kiku seemed to dislike Arthur so much, but he felt that given time, the two could settle their differences. Firsts things first however, they needed to see how capable the small man was. Alfred was glad to hear that Arthur agreed to at least give this shaky partnership a try and see where it went, although he could read the suppressed irritation on his face plain as day. When they were alone again, he would have to talk with the Englishman about there strange new partner.

“I guess that just about does it. You can go with Arthur and I’ll go check in at…” Kiku stood up and politely stepped forward. “Excuse me Jones-san, but I would prefer to be with you if at all possible.” And again with the awkward silences - it seemed that this morning was full of them. Alfred glanced between Arthur to Kiku and back to Arthur. Well, until they knew for sure whether this partnership was going to work out, perhaps it was better if those two were separated anyway. If Kiku proved to be capable and trustworthy, then he’d work on improving their relationship later.

“That’s fine. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable.” Kiku nodded slightly and flashed Arthur another unreadable look. Oh yes, if they were ever going to make this work, he would definitely have to work on Kiku’s obvious distrust towards the Englishman. Alfred sighed and headed towards the archway. “Let me go grab my things and we’ll head out, alright?” He flashed the other two men a quick look. “I’ll be right down.” With that said, Alfred turned on his heel and headed back up the stairs to properly get ready to face the day. Hopefully this Kiku would end up being the help they had hoped for. He could handle the other man’s odd personality if he was a diligent worker. And besides, he was convinced that his and Arthur’s tension would be resolved soon enough. All they needed was time.

Bloody. Fucking. Hell. Arthur was perfectly fine with the other rejecting his offer, he wasn't going to complain about that. After all, Arthur was going to be interviewing some families, and he was sure some random person who was shadowing him would not be appreciated. Arthur had earned his keep well enough in the town itself, and everyone trusted him. Arthur was a little more forgiving as well, he knew how desperate one can become when times are hard, if anything it's made some people very happy he was in town. So Arthur could deal a mission without Kiku. However did the Asian man have to give him such weird looks. Arthur hasn't stolen anything in a year, killed someone, yes, but out of self-defense, there was nothing for Kiku to be glaring at him about. The man was lucky Arthur was still agreeing to give him a shot, and there wasn't a cup being thrown at his head.

Of course, Alfred then decided it was a great idea to leave the room. The Englishman is not about to just sit around and be looked down upon by Kiku. Of course it's rude to leave a guest unattended. Downed his cup of tea and set it a side to be washed later when he got back from work. He walked away from the kitchen and slipped his shoes on before grabbing his belt and gun and came back to the kitchen. The least he could do was try to start a conversation with Kiku, at least show him he was civil enough.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Arthur asked as he worked his belt on. "We don't have room here, this is only a two bedroom house, and we don't have a lot of comfortable furniture." Arthur did not want Kiku to think he had a place to stay in the house, even though in reality he did. Arthur never slept in his bed, but that meant Alfred and Arthur couldn't be their usual selves at home.

watching every move he made with a quiet sort of distrust. For all the praise he might have heard about the reformed criminal, it was clear that he was not convinced of the other’s integrity. Still, he did not voice these thoughts, instead remaining quiet. When Arthur addressed him, he answer in the same soft tone that he had used to speak around Alfred, but it seemed to hold a more condescending feel about it. “I have no accommodations at the moment, but I am sure that I will be able to find lodgings once I am asked to stay on permanently.” There was no room left for doubt within his speech. Kiku was planning on making this his new station and nothing was going to stand in his way.

Alfred appeared at the foot of the stairs not a moment later, fully dressed and strapping a gun around his waist. He grinned pleasantly at the two men and leaned up against the opening into the kitchen. “I think we’re just about ready. Would you mind waiting by the door Kiku? I need to speak with Arthur for a moment if you don’t mind.” The smaller male stood up, bowed respectfully, before slipping passed the other two to go wait out in the front. Alfred stepped forward and slipped his hand within Arthur’s. “Be safe, alright?” They said this to each other every morning and yet, the words never lost their meanings. They may have a good handle on this job, but that didn’t mean that it was not still dangerous. Any day could potentially be their last.

Looking around to make sure that their odd guest hadn’t returned, Alfred leaned in and pressed a light kiss against Arthur’s lips. “I love you,” He whispered softly. He held onto Arthur’s hand for another moment, wishing that they could just have another minute together, but work awaited. Alfred released his hand and stepped away, flashing him his usual cocksure grin. “I’ll be back later tonight. Good luck today Arthur.” He smiled once more before turning away, heading beeline towards the front door where Kiku was waiting for them. With a nod of the head, the two departed.

"Well, until then, I'm sure then innkeeper will give you a nice deal on a room." Arthur said stressing the fact Kiku was still going to have to find a place to sleep. Arthur took notice of Alfred at the base of the stairs and relaxed a little, it seemed easier to have him in the room. Alfred always brightened his mood, Kiku had darkened it slightly with the simple way he acted, and Arthur was on the borderline of just having a bad day. However he had other things to think about besides Kiku, like the boys running off. He knows wiggling the answers out of the boys aren't going to be easy, but he could do it.

Arthur was so deep in though he just caught the tail end of Kiku getting up and leaving for the door. He grinned as Alfred took his hand, giving it a light squeeze in return. "As always," Arthur said out of routine, but a smile on his lips, "Be safe as well." Arthur happily returned the small kiss on his lips, definitely in a much better mood. "Love you too. Please be careful today...I don't trust him." Arthur added gently before Alfred took a step back and smiled at him. He rolled his eyes, he wants to tell Alfred not to be too late, Arthur does what something more than a sandwich for dinner, but he bit his tongue peeking at Kiku. "Good luck to you as well." Arthur said in a harsh sort of friendly matter, however all harshness was directed towards Kiku more than anything. He walked towards the door and grabbed his had, putting it securely on his head.

The moment Alfred and Kiku where out the door, Arthur left as well, making his way quickly to the stables and saddling Victoria up. She seemed happy enough that she was being saddled, but there was still that bored look. Arthur patted her nose gently before leading her out of the stables. He hopped on with expert ease, and with a flick of the reins and a soft kick he was off to the Smiths house.

Alfred wasn’t sure what he expected, but his day was fairly smoothly despite his odd companion. In fact, given the long and hectic hours he had been pulling these past few months, that day was calm in comparison. Mostly he just rode about the town on Liberty’s back, doing his usual patrol. The only time’s he needed to stop were to take records of the minor break-in he had taken care of last night along with a few odd complaints from the usual batch of citizens. Alfred was almost disappointed there wasn’t more to do. If there had been at least a fight to break up then he would have had the opportunity to see what kind of skills Kiku possessed. Sadly, nothing of the sort happened, and the young sheriff was forced to turn in early that day.

Once he put Liberty back in her stall for the night, he walked along side with the quieter male to the nearest inn. “Ah sorry about today. Usually there’s more to do.” Kiku said nothing, but nodded to show that he heard. They continued to walk in silence as the sun began it’s slow descend below the horizon. Now that he was away from Arthur, Alfred could see that the other man was actually quite friendly, in a quieter sort of way. He wondered why his demeanor changed so drastically around his lover, but resolved to help mend the rift once he was convinced the other was going to stay, for he found he quite liked Kiku. He was a little quiet and odd, but he was humorous in his own way. He could see the two of them becoming good friends one day - provided that him and Arthur could learn to stand each other that is.

The innkeeper happily agreed to put Kiku up for a few nights until more permeate arrangements came around. Alfred helped him to settle in and promised to come in the morning. When he was sure that the other was comfortable, he happily returned back home. This was the first night in weeks he had made it back before the sun went down and he was thrilled. He could only hope that Arthur would be there when he got back. “Arthur?” He called, setting his hat on the hook by the door when he stepped inside. Looks like he beat him for once - that was a first. Never the less, Alfred smiled and went into the kitchen to cook up some dinner. If he was home first, he might as well use his time wisely. Goodness knows they both needed a home cooked meal. Arthur had been banned from the kitchen after the first two times the house caught on fire, so all the cooking duties fell to Alfred. Not that he minded of course, but he rarely had the opportunity to fulfill them given his job. Ah well, better late then never.

Mrs. Smith had been a very kind and gentle woman, she was very skinny, yet she had three children. She had no problem giving Arthur some of the left over breakfast she had made when she heard the slightest rumble of his stomach. She had smiled and placed him at the table next to her youngest while she went to go fetch her oldest son, who was past out a sleep. Arthur entertained the youngest until the two came down the stairs, the oldest boy yawning like there was no tomorrow. Asking if there was a room he could use, Arthur then lead the boy to a small office and sat down to talk to him. It had been hard to get the boy to talk, but eventually he did at the threat of things getting messy and more people getting involved, like Alfred. The Smith's boy spilled everything, about how some men offered them a job with good pay. The men had them meet in the middle of the night and load things and learn to shot again, it was all training. Arthur thanked him and got up to leave, telling the boy to avoid going from then on, or there would be trouble.

Arthur left the house with a tip of his hat and a very warm thank you. Mrs. Smith wished to know what was wrong, however, Arthur told her it would be best if she waited for her son to tell her. He then road Victoria to the Robinsons house to get a similar story. Arthur got as much information as he could and wrote it all down. Something told him it wasn't good, and someone wasn't very smart if they were training new recruits at the edge of the town where the lawn enforcement took down the largest criminal network. He ran a few more errands with Victoria, the interviewing had taken up a large part of his day. He stopped by some shops to spread the word of suspicious men offering jobs, especially to young men, and to report them. All the shop keepers had nodded, some of the women working the counter had made it seem like their soul duty. Arthur knew it was to impress him and attempt to win his fancy.

Heading back to the stables, Arthur was worn from the day and the sky was showing signs that the sun was starting to go down. He groaned, for once he was going to be the one to come home rather late. Guiding Victoria to her stall, he noticed Liberty and gave her a gentle grin. Arthur slipped off Victoria's saddle and reigns and got her settled in for the night. She gave him a warm nuzzle before turning her attention to food. Arthur gave her a pat on the neck. She had always worried about Arthur, and his torture had made him somewhat easily frightened depending on who it was. She had acted like Alfred had, being gentle and caring, earning affection from him in old and new ways. Wishing both the horses a good night head back to the house.

The smell of a meal welcomed him home. His feet instantly took him to the kitchen. "Mmm, that was a pleasant welcome home." Arthur said taking a deep breath of the air and made his way over to Alfred. He stopped when he realized he didn't know where Kiku was, and Alfred could have invited him to dinner if everything had worked out. Arthur made his way back to the table and relined on one of the benches. It had been a long day and laying down felt nice. "Someone's trying to get a crime network going just outside our town I think?"

Alfred smiled brightly when he heard the front door open. Arthur was home and just in time too - dinner was nearly ready. He was standing by the stove, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he stirred the stew he had prepared. “Just think of me as your housewife,” He teased happily, expecting the other to walk over and give him a kiss. When this did not happen, he couldn’t help but pout in disappointment. No ‘welcome back kiss’? No fair! Then again, Arthur was most likely being cautious considering their unexpected visitor this morning. “Kiku’s staying at the inn down the street. It’s just you and me again,” He said, setting the spoon carefully beside the pot before moving over to where the Brit rested.

His words brought him to a sudden halt. A crime network? Who was stupid enough to try and get that started right under their noses? That was practically suicide. Alfred sighed and ran his fingers through his blond locks. So much for an easy night after all - there was work that needed to be done. “Great…” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against Arthur’s lips, savoring as he always did, the unique taste that clung to the soft skin. All too soon though, he had to pull away. There was still too much to do and as nice as kissing Arthur was, they needed to focus.

Alfred crossed back to the stove and dished out two bowls of stew and grabbing a couple slices of bread. “This has to do with those Smith boys, right? The ones that have been sneaking out in the middle of the night?” He hummed, already knowing the answer. That left only one option really, much to his irritation. The young sheriff sighed and set the food on the table. “A stake out then. Tonight you and I can follow the boys out to where they’re meeting and bring down the one organizing this before it gets too out of hand.” He hated the idea of sneaking around, but they needed to stop this movement before it gained too much power. The rise of another criminal empire was not going to save anybody in the long run.

Alfred poured Arthur a cup of tea and grabbed a water cup for himself before sitting down at the table to enjoy the simple meal. He smiled despite the circumstances and silently reached down to take Arthur’s hand. “Eat up. We’ll need energy if we’re going to be up all night.”

Arthur grinned at the fact that Kiku was in an inn, and he was happy dinner was going to be just them. He leaned up to kiss Alfred when he kissed him on the bench, wishing everything could be like this all the time. He watched lazily as the American returned to the stove and finished cooking. With a sigh he sat up, no doubt Alfred's mood had been somewhat soured by his theory. Yes it was stupid, but if they group got away with it, well that would be huge boost to their ego and bragging rights. Alfred or Arthur were not going to let them get away with it, and if they did there was going to be a nice blow to their ego to go with it.

"Smith and Robinson," Arthur correct, "but yes. I was hoping it wasn't anything serious, just boys sneak off to just sneak off." Arthur sighed and shrugged, had it been anything other than that, Arthur wouldn't have cared much, other than if it was indeed criminal. Had it been a case like him and Alfred, he wouldn't have minded, he would had told him to be reasonable with times, and made a story for their mothers. However it wasn't and there was no story to be made up. Alfred's talk of stake out knocked him from his thoughts. Did they really need to do a stake out tonight? The boys were allowed to miss two nights before someone came looking for them, unless they can prove someone was suspicious of them. Arthur glanced at his tea and food, he didn't want to do a stake out tonight at all.

He frowned. Arthur did not want to be up all night and then again the next day, who knew where and when he would fall sleep. "We don't have to go tonight, Alfred. The boys are allowed to miss two 'sessions'. Besides who knows if someone in the town is watching them and if they saw me go to their house." Arthur said stirring his stew in a bored like fashion. "For all we knew they'll try to lie low, send a message out...I don't know." Of course saying out loud made him wonder if they should make sure the boys were safe. Arthur is good at prying and seeing through ever possible lie a person can come up with. He sighed, he didn't know what to do.

If anything, the idea that someone might be watching the town was far more concerning to the American then anything else. Had Arthur been spotted at the Robinson’s or Smith’s homes, that could mean that their boys were in danger of being harmed or worse for associating with lawmen. Alfred frowned as he mindlessly stirred his stew. Perhaps a full on stake out was not the best course of action, but stationing themselves outside the households in order to offer protection would be a wiser choice. The last thing Alfred wanted was for any of those boys to suffer for making one bad decision - especially when he had the opportunity to save them.

Alfred sighed and dipped his bread into the thick stew. “Still, we should watch their homes just in case something were to happen. I’d feel much better if we did.” Of course, he couldn’t force the other man to come with him. In fact, it might be better if stayed home and rested. That way, at least one of them would be well rested and ready to take on the day. The American chewed thoughtfully on the bread, silently planning out how the rest of the evening would go for him. If Arthur stayed, he supposed he could go find Kiku again and have him come with him on the stake-out. That could work - they needed to test Kiku’s abilities anyway.

“How about this? I’ll stay out tonight to watch over the boys and you stay here and rest. That way, you can be rested and ready for tomorrow and I can be there to help if something does happen.” He smiled, proud of himself for coming up with such a reasonable solution. Maybe Arthur’s influence was starting to rub off on him. He paused to take a spoonful of soup, happily draining his bowl a bit before continuing. “I’ll take Kiku with me too. That way, I won’t have to worry about being alone and I can see what kind of abilities he has if a fight does break out.” Arthur may not be too keen on the idea of Kiku being around, but honestly, Alfred did not want to spend the entire night out alone. He was likely to fall asleep and be entirely useless if something were to happen. Besides, from what he had seen, Kiku was a kind individual and wouldn’t cause him any problems. It seemed like an entirely reasonable plan in Alfred’s mind. He could only hope that Arthur agreed.

Arthur ate his stew at a steady pace, only thinking about what would possibly be the best thing to do. However Alfred's talking and idea stopped him from thinking. He sighed, it was a rather good idea, just it didn't mean Arthur was going to rest. Yes, Arthur could force himself to sleep if he really needed to when Alfred was gone, he could shove his worrying aside for a bit. Yes Arthur would have some idea of what the American doing and where he was at, but his head was always spinning with possibilities of what could go wrong. If anything he was going to get less sleep then he would if he was on the stake out. Still Alfred made a point, even if Arthur was not fond of it. Besides what if someone needed one of them in the middle of the night.

"I suppose that would be a good idea." Arthur said slowly, poking at a piece of bread he dropped in his bowl. Kiku was more likely to agree to go, if Arthur was no where insight. "You could learn a little bit more about Kiku that way as well." Arthur said, leaving the reason why Kiku possible irked him so hanging in the air to be asked about. He didn't know what to really say. They didn't know Kiku for that long, literally less than a day, Arthur was not ready to fully trust the man with Alfred's life, but there was little he could do really. "Just be careful..." The Englishman muttered looking away from the American with a small brush on his cheeks. He doesn't want to make it clear that he'll worry and not sleep at all.

Arthur was not particularly pleased by this idea, but even he couldn’t argue that it was a fairly solid plan. They couldn’t allow their obligations to the town to slip, no matter what. It was for the best that he go while Arthur got some rest. That way, if something were to happen tonight or tomorrow, at least one of them would be up to face the challenge. Still, Alfred could not help but smile when the Brit turned away, a pretty blush staining his cheeks. No matter how long they had been together, he could never quite get over Arthur’s adorableness. He hid it well underneath all the stubbornness and anger, but Alfred cherished the sweet moments where he let that all slip away.

“I know,” He responded carefully, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss against his cheek. “I’ll be careful. But you have to promise to at least try and get some rest while I’m away tonight. It wont do any good if both of us are exhausted tomorrow.” Alfred smiled reassuringly and gave Arthur’s hand a light squeeze. There was no need to worry - Alfred was confident in his abilities to defend himself if the situation turned violent. Plus he had no doubt that if there were some sort of a fight, Arthur would hear about it and be by his side in seconds to help. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that though.

Alfred pushed aside his empty bowl and finished off the rest of his coffee. A long night awaited him, but he was ready. Nobody was going to get the best of Alfred F. Jones! He grinned happily as he stood, although he was sure that Arthur could tell it was partially forced. Yes, he loved helping people. Yes, he would do anything for anybody in this town, but a part of him wished that he could stay home with Arthur. No, he couldn’t think like that. It wouldn’t do them any good right now. “I should be going. I don’t want to wait to long and have Kiku already be asleep.” He patted down his shirt and turned to face the Englishman, attempting to look reassuring. “I’ll be safe, I promise.” He kissed him lightly to seal his word. “Just get some sleep. I love you.”

With that, he stepped away and headed towards the front door to slip on his boots and strap on his gun. He wasn’t looking forward to spending the entire night out, but if it was for the safety of another, he would do so. “I’m serious about the sleep! Don’t wait up!” Alfred teased as he placed his hat on his head. Who was he kidding? That old worrywart wouldn’t get a wink tonight. He smiled regardless, glad to have somebody who cared for him so much. With a tip of the hat, he was out the door, ready to face whatever came next.

The kiss on his cheek made Arthur flourish more that before. He gave a small glare at the American, and frowned as the American stood. He didn't want him to go right away, it seemed he just got back and Alfred was out the door again because of his silly news. Still it's better save than sorry, Arthur wasn't positive if anyone saw him, but it was reasonable, and if no one saw him they could still notice someone tattled. Arthur doesn't know everyone who was involved, but they could still figure out who did it. Arthur returned the kiss, wishing it could be more passionate, it might almost seem like a last kiss and Arthur sure as hell did not what it to be. So he can only despise his job for the time being. Sometimes he wished the town could handle itself, or there were enough people to at least give them a few days off to at least do some couplely private stuff.

Arthur groaned at Alfred's command for him to sleep. "Of course I'll sleep git, you're the noise one who wakes me up all the time." Arthur said sharply lying as best he could. He can tell by the way Alfred is telling him to sleep, that the American knows he doesn't sleep enough when Alfred is away. Arthur made a sound, "I'll sleep fine don't worry, besides you have other things to worry about." Arthur added before Alfred left through the door. The Englishman sighed and collected the dishes.

He mindlessly hummed as he cleaned up after them. It was times like that he felt a little bit like a housewife, save the cooking part, it was the least he could do. Arthur went up stairs and folded their clothes that were on the bed before working one of Alfred's shirts on and crawling into bed. There was nothing left to do the least he could do was attempt to get some rest. He crawled on Alfred's side of the bed and curled up. Closing his eyes he tried to image the other was there. It was just one night, and nothing major was going to happen, nothing Alfred couldn't handle. So curling up in a ball, he took a deep breath of Alfred's sent and tried to fall alseep. Willing himself, and resorting to counting sheep.

Unsurprisingly, Kiku was more then willing to accompany Alfred on their little outing. The stationed themselves in the quiet solitude of a nearby farm house, each wrapped up with a thin blanket to protect themselves from the chilled night air. In the west, the days were dry and unbearably hot, but at night, the would drop. This wasn’t normally a problem considering the fact that when Alfred was out before, he would be moving around and the cool air would feel perfect against his skin, but waiting around was a different story. The cool air chilled the young American, making him whine pathetically despite the fact that he was in the presence of a near stranger. Needless to say, Kiku looked terribly uncomfortable.

After the first twenty minutes of quiet whimpers and complaints, the small Asian man finally spoke. “Jones-san… are you alright?” Alfred shook his head and pulled the blanket closer around him. “It’s too cold.” Kiku stared at him, unable to hide his confusion. Was this really the same man who took down Ivan’s empire? Was this the man who had built a name for himself as being impervious to the underhand dealings of criminals - the man who had become an overnight symbol for justice within this unjust world? He was curled up underneath a blanket, looking more like a child then a man as he whined about the cool air. It was almost… cute.

A faint blush appeared on Kiku’s pale cheeks as he stared at the shivering American. True, when he had first caught sight of Alfred, he had been shocked by how good looking he was. But after spending the day with him, he had come to see that he was more then just a handsome face. He was genuine and eager, not to mention utterly adorable at times. He was starting to see why even the vilest people grew attached to him. “Ah… Jones-san…” Kiku looked away awkwardly as he held open his own blanket a bit. “If you’re really that cold… we could… share.” Goodness, had he really gone so far to suggest that? There was no way that Alfred would agree to such an act! He would be disgusted! He would refuse to allow him to work and they could never be-

“Really?!” Alfred’s face was suddenly very close to Kiku’s, bringing about another heavy blush. Before he could respond however, the sheriff had settled quiet happily beside the smaller man, sighing as the combined warmth helped to keep away the nights chill. Kiku sputtered, unable to understand the other man’s forwardness, but did not pull away. He had been the one to offer after all. And besides… it was kind of nice to be sitting so close to someone again. Back when he was stationed with Feliciano and Ludwig, the three had been close and hugged often. (Well, to be honest, Feli did most of the hugging and it was nearly always forced and awkwardly drawn-out). Still, he somewhat missed human contact…

Alfred turned to face him and flashed him a happy smile. “Thanks for this Kiku. You’ve really helped out a lot already. And I don’t just mean with the blanket thing.” He laughed at that before turning back to face the house they were watching. Kiku continued to stare at his face, flushing slightly at the compliment’s implications. He swallowed thickly before responding. “It’s nothing… Alfred…”

Jaela was a lady, and a damn good one at that, she was not a prostitute, or a farm girl with no manners. She was a lady, and she wished her partners would see that. Sure she doesn't exactly dress like one, but pants are really more functional for her job than a long flowing dress. The doesn't mean she can't put one on or walk around in one and go about unsuspected by people. However she will admit she is a bit of a heart breaker, and a liar when she needs to be. She never gets hurt because of it, why should she care about it all. Jaela can't help but smile as she rode away from town, happily bouncing with her horse. What news she brings almost over shadows her tiredness of the long day of watching the stupid down and the stupid sheriff and his partner. Honestly the only things they have going for them is looks and a nice accent. If that's how they got by in life, she is really being to wonder how smart the world is becoming.

With out the sun drowning any other lights out, she can see the campfire of her meeting point. Pulling her horse to a stop she reached the light, she slide of with grace and ease only a woman like her could possess. The man around the campfire glance up, probably wondering why she looks so utterly happy. "Wipe that stupid grin off your face," a man ordered and she shot him a sharp glare.

"I can't, at least not with the news I have." Jaela sang, plopping down to a rather slim man and stealing some food. She could feel the silent question of what in they air and she allowed a few bites of food to build suspense. "I saw the deputy leave both Smith's house and Robinson's." She said with a grin. "I told you, I didn't like them, families to close and shit, but you didn't care."

"You think they ratted?" A man of just muscle said, and Jaela shrugged.

"Deputy wasn't arrestin' anyone." Jaela said with a grin.

There was a snort from their commander and Jaela looked at him. Those snorts were not always so good to hear. "Deputy's Kirkland. Wouldn't be surprised if he tricked them into it. Sly bastard."

"You mean the one who was crook and now is the law?" A rather dumb unattractive man asked.

"No, stupid, the one ate a horse. Yes of course that one!" Jaela snapped at him, while their commander got to his feet and started to appear like he was getting ready to ride. "Where you going?"

There was a smile, and Jaela rolled her eyes. "Those boys need to be taught a lesson in keepin' their mouths shut." He pointed to a few men, the silent order to come with him. "Thank you for the information Jaelie, I'm sure the boss will give you a nice reward if all goes as planned." She couldn't help but smile, and wave to the man as they all got up and left her with the few unselected men. "If we're not back by tomorrow night, take what you can and leave." Then they were gone in a cloud of dust.

Alfred was dozing peacefully. His and Kiku’s combined warmth made for a very pleasant place to rest for a while, with their backs pressed up against the wall and their bodies situated close enough together to provide adequate heat. It wasn’t surprising that after the first few hours of uneventful silence (broken occasionally by Alfred’s own chatter), sleep threatened to take them both. The young sheriff tried valiantly to resist the urge, but eventually succumbed to the sweet blissfulness of slumber. Nonsensical dreams plagued him as his mind struggled to remain focus on his surroundings. He was only half aware of light fingertips brushing hair away from his face and a soft murmur that almost resembled his name…

A rustle of clothing and the sound of running broke his peaceful slumber. Alfred jerked himself awake when he realized Kiku was no longer beside him and the quiet peace had been broken at last. He fumbled around for his gun and raced out of the barn, catching sight of a group of men on horseback, surrounding the Smith house. Alfred panicked realized his partner was gone, and for a moment, he believed that the likable Asian man had run off at the first sign of trouble. But from outside he caught sight of a flash of silver and all of a sudden, two men had fallen from their horses. Before he could comprehend what was happening, another man had fallen prey to the flash of a blade.

Alfred watched in stunned silence as Kiku moved swiftly and silently throughout the group, effectively bringing down the group of men without so much as breaking a sweat. It was incredible. Kiku’s small frame and large eyes gave him the appearance of being virtually helpless in combat situations, but nothing could be farther from the truth. He was skilled, precise, and deadly - a terrifying combination had he been on the receiving end of it. A cry of pain broke him out of his amazement and sent him sprinting towards the other lawman. Kiku was standing over the ringleader of the group, his dark clothing splattered with blood and his eyes hard. His blade was tucked up underneath the man’s chin, inching forward to spear itself into the soft flesh of his jugular as the man whimpered.

“Stop!” Alfred shouted, grabbing for Kiku’s hand to pull the blade away. The other man jerked away, his eyes hard and full of so much hate that it surprised the young sheriff. In an instant, it was gone though and Kiku gingerly allowed his sword to fall back to his side. “We don’t kill people,” Alfred reminded softly, “Not if we can help it.” Kiku simply nodded in understanding and stepped back to allow Alfred space to work. The sheriff nodded gratefully and crouched down the man Kiku had been threatening. Although he did not approve of murdering these men, he wasn’t going to exactly be friendly seeing as they had been looking to attack an innocent household. It seemed Arthur’s fears had been correct - this town was being watched.

Alfred pulled the man up into a sitting position, eyeing the wounds he had sustained during his brief contact with the other lawman. This would have to be a quick interview - this man was in desperate need of medical attention. “We’ll get you fixed up in a moment, but first,” Alfred frowned, his eyes narrowing and his grip tightening to express just how serious he was. “Who are you working for? What are you hoping to accomplish?” Nobody was going to start messing with his town - not if he had anything to say about it.

James would have much rather of had the sword run through his throat than have the stupid sheriff spare his life. His old mother probably would think the sheriff for sparing her son's life. However James' mother wasn't there and to her he was already dead and there isn't much he can do about it. He shot a hard glare at man, before he quickly glanced around at his men. They were all in a similar situations. James honestly wanted to know where the other man had come from, everything had been going find and then it wasn't. The were just going to get the boy and question him. No harm was going to be done unless harm needed to be done. The Sheriff's question broke him from his thinking.

"Who I work for is none of your business." James snapped, his eyes going back to a hard glare at the lawman. "What I want is also none of your business." He growled, before spitting off to the side, the silent sign for anyone who could, to run and tell the others to just leave then. His men all shift about, moaning in pain, but none seem to be able to get up, or their playing it off. "The question is more, what demon did you hire?" James said turning his attention to the other lawman who had come out of no where.

The sound of a gun cocking was heard, and a shot rang out, and James turned to see one of his men on their feet, running towards their horse and climbing on and away. He fired a few more shots to keep anyone from following him. James chuckled, "Now you will surely never find out, these men won't talk, even if you send Kirkland on them.

Whoever these men were, they were uncommonly loyal to their unnamed leader - even when it was clear they had been beaten. Alfred didn’t respond to the glare or the obvious animosity directed towards him with fear or anger. He instead mourned the fact that these boys had chosen to give up everything in order to live such a life and nothing, not even his best intentions, would be able to pull them away if they resisted. “I suppose we’ll just have to see about that,” He said, watching sadly as one of the men managed to make it back to his horse and was riding full speed back to whatever camp they had come from. Kiku looked ready to follow, but he knew it was useless, and he said so with a light hand to the other man’s shoulder. “Tie them up and help me bring them into custody. We’ll have a doctor come by and treat them once their secure.”

Alfred leaned down and brought James’s arms together, securing them carefully with a pair of shackles. Although he hated to do this with a group of injured men, there was nothing else for it. If any of them had the opportunity, they would fight back. Him and Kiku went through the group of men, restraining them carefully before setting them on horseback, walking them back to the jailhouse. There had been some difficulty making it there with the men trying to throw themselves off the animals as means of making a desperate escape, but somehow, the two of them managed alright. Alfred set them all up in separate cells, took their weapons and called for a doctor to treat them. By the time everyone was settled, the morning sun had already begun to peek over the horizon, marking the beginning of a new day.

Alfred groaned when he realized that no matter how exhausted he might have felt, there was not a chance of him getting any rest today. Not with six men now in custody and a crime network attempting to form ranks right underneath his nose. “I need to get Arthur…” He mumbled to Kiku as the two of them sat on the front porch of the jailhouse. “He’s handles interrogations better then I do.” Wasn’t that the truth? Where Alfred was always susceptible to feeling sympathy, Arthur was merciless. But he got information, and that usually lead to results. Alfred sometimes had to make sure that he didn’t go overboard, but he trusted Arthur when it came to handling prisoners. Kiku said nothing, but Alfred didn’t really expected him too. They were both exhausted after the night’s events and there was little left to talk about. “Thank you though. You were incredible last night,” Alfred praised, a light smile pulling at his lips. “I had no idea you could fight like that.”

Kiku smiled a bit, but stayed silent, though obviously pleased by the praise. The two men sat quietly for another long while, watching as the sun slowly rose up, lighting the morning sky with it’s otherworldly light. When it had fully risen over the mountains, Alfred stood. “I need to find Arthur. You are more then welcome to go back to the inn and rest. You deserve it after everything.” He waited for Kiku to nod in understanding before beginning to walk back to his and Arthur’s shared home. The town was surprisingly quiet this early in the morning, and he quite enjoyed the peacefulness of it all. If only he didn’t have so much to worry about. Alfred pushed open the front door and kicked off his boots, sighing in relief at the sensation. “Arthur?” He called, unsure if the smaller man was even awake. He headed towards the stairs and walked up to check the bedrooms. “Arthur, I’m home.”

Jeala was happy she didn’t have to wait another day to see if anyone came back. Someone did and they made it clear that everyone had to leave, the law man was on to them. So their little group go packing and grumbling about each other, they glanced and Jeala with a look of worry. She didn’t mind much, it didn’t mean she had to get the men she persuade into joining them. They would make good money when the network was form, but for now it was an empty promise and she was not going to attempt to get someone to tag along if they were clearly turning it down after accepting before. She just huffed, honestly James was stupid, thought he could get away with this town even though they had been instructed to avoid that town. Their boss was not going to be happy. The lost good men, and it wasn’t going to but to explain it to him, especially when he was going to ask why. She glanced at the town in the distance, before climbing up on her horse. “Told you so,” She muttered lightly, tilting her hat and riding of into the sunrise.

---

Arthur rolled over with a groan for the tenth—no twelfth—no—he honestly lost count. He buried his face in Alfred’s pillow and pulled the covers over his head, attempting to catch some more rest. He was able to sleep, but his night had screwed him over. He would fall sleep and the smallest thing in his dream would wake him up with a start. He wasn’t sure exactly how much sleep he got, but the light the rising sun reminded him it was clearly not enough to function as best as he wanted too. Arthur would complain more, but then he thought of Alfred. If anything had happened, the amount of sleep his lover got was less than his own.

The sound of someone entering the house caused a small amount of movement in his current position in bed, but nothing made him willing to move. Call him stubborn but Arthur was not in the mood to wake up, and his sour mood had grown over the night and stuck into the morning. He whined at the sound of his name being called from downstairs, it was probably completely unheard by the American below.

Arthur knew he best get out of bed, he could make some coffee just for Alfred seeing as how the American would no doubt cook them breakfast, it would at least be on less thing for him to worry about. The Englishman peeked out from under the blankets, but still made no movement to actually get out of them. “The bloody sun needs to go away.” Arthur said flatly, and he meant it. His mood was too sour for him to actually want to face the townspeople, they were kind enough to him, he wanted to at least be kind back.

When Arthur gave no sign that he heard him, Alfred walked up the stairs and headed into the bedroom. Just as he had suspected, Arthur was laying in a tangled mess of blankets with his head sticking out from the cocoon he had managed to create around himself. He wore a disgruntled look on his face which the young American could only half take seriously thanks to the way his hair stuck up. Irritated or not, Arthur’s presence brought a smile to the sheriff’s face and he happily sat down on the bed to greet him properly. “Morning beautiful,” He said, leaning down to press a soft kiss against his lips. Alfred savored the sweet, chaste kiss before pulling back to look over his fiancé. From the dark circles underneath his eyes, he could guess that he hadn’t had an easy night either.

Alfred sunk into the bed beside Arthur, pulling him close so he could bury his face within those soft blond locks. The events of the night were starting to catch up with him, and all he wanted to do was sleep for the entire day with his love in his arms. If only that were possible. “You were right, somebody was watching.” He murmured, fingertips sliding gently up and down Arthur’s side. “Six men came during the night. We managed to get five of them into custody, but the last one got away. When you’re feeling up to it… would you go in and interrogate them? You’re better at handling that sort of thing.” He groaned softly into Arthur’s hair. Why was it that any sort of peace never seemed to last? Why was it that people would continue to rise up to hurt others? Would he be able to stop it before it became out of hand? Alfred didn’t know, but right now it felt like the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders.

Arthur welcomed the kiss and the snuggling, but not the words of work. He wanted to just fall asleep and have someone else deal with the problems of the town. He echoed Alfred's groan when he realized he was going to have to get up eventually and care for the town. However the bed was so warm and Alfred's fingers felt lovely on his skin, especially after a night without him in bed. That and the fact that he had been right about the town possibly being watched bothered him too much. He figured all towns were watched in a way, but this one seemed slight too close and familiar to him. If anything whoever was watching them had probably left the town by now, if they were watching they clear saw some of them men get taken down, and Arthur knew that would be a clear sign for him to get out of anywhere.

The Englishman wiggled free of the sheriffs hold, he placed a kiss on the American's forehead, moving his soft blonde hair out the way. "You should get some sleep love." He said gently as he eased the other's glasses of his face. Arthur knew he was probably exhausted, Arthur himself was tired, but he surely got an hour or so more of sleep than Alfred seemed to have gotten. "I'll interrogate the men you captured, and see if I can get some young men to volunteer so you can rest." Arthur was sure some of the young men who were lingering a bit in the job category wouldn't mind taking some of the work load off their shoulders. Especially Alfred's if Arthur worded it correctly, and he usually doesn't get one volunteer. If he was lucky a lot of men could spare a day to help, and in pairs they solved the towns problems.

Arthur sat up and yawned, as much as he wanted to stay in bed and avoid the day, his sour mood was perfect for his job at the moment. Arthur is somewhat grumpy when he doesn't have enough sleep, as Alfred had told him many times. Grumpy towards others, but rather sweet with the American. Arthur slid out of bed and walked over to get dressed for the day.

Alfred could feel the frustration and exhaustion hanging like a dark cloud over his lover. Not only had he not gotten much sleep (although it would be a lie to say that the American didn’t find it sweet that Arthur worried so much for him when he was gone), but on top of that he now had been saddled with the task of wrestling information out of a batch of irritable criminals. Not exactly the most pleasant of jobs - but Arthur was damn good at it. Alfred pressed another soft kiss against the top of his sandy blond locks, silently apologizing the hard day ahead of him - just like all the days previous, but that was their curse to bare.

Alfred whined when the other man pulled away, despite the soft kiss and the gentle command to get some sleep. “But I need to work Arthur,” He pouted as his vision went blurry with the removal of his thin wire frames. Only Arthur would worry about something so silly as removing his glasses - a task he rarely remembered to do; even when he slept. He fumbled around blindly until his fingertips grasped them again and slid them back onto the bridge of his nose. As wonderful as the prospect of taking a short nap might have been, it wasn’t fair to leave Arthur to deal with all the affairs of the town. Especially after the scuffle that had occurred last night - what if somebody came seeking revenge? He couldn’t very well leave Arthur to handle that all on his own.

Despite how much his tired body protested, Alfred sat up, groaning as he did so. “It wasn’t me either,” He said suddenly, running his fingertips through his hair. “Kiku was the one who caught them all. I fell asleep on the job and when I woke up,” Alfred shook his head, still unable to wrap his mind around what had occurred. Appearances aside, Kiku was one hell of a fighter - it was almost scary how skilled he was. Where he had learned such precise technique, Alfred had no idea, but he intended to question him about it one day soon. “He took them all out systematically with only a sword in hand, and these guys all had guns! He’s crazy fast and accurate. It was incredible - he’s incredible.” Alfred paused, unsure of how else to explain the sight he had witnessed - it was like nothing else he had ever seen before. Once again he was grateful that for the moment, Kiku was on their side.

((Oh yeah! Done with finals! Heck yes!!!!!!))

Arthur slide his night clothes off (somewhat glad Alfred hadn't noticed that he was wearing his shirt to bed). He listened to his loves words carefully, as he pulled a pale grey shirt out and a new pair of jeans. He silently made not that eventually he was going to have to do laundry sometime soon, or hopefully find someone who was willing to do it for them seeing as how their schedules were so out of whack to begin with. With a shake of his head he shooed the thought away and focused on what Alfred was saying. He blinked, somewhat jealous of the amazement in the American's voice about how well Kiku fought. From the sound of it though, Kiku seemed to like he knew what he was doing. The comment had made a mental shudder through through Arthur's head. He had heard what Yao had done and how skilled he could be with a sword from Alfred when he had been willing to talk about it. Still it seemed Alfred was curious about where the skills came from and not to entertained with them to be blinded as to what they could be.

Arthur chuckled when the American paused, glancing over at him. Arthur put his belt on before walking back over to Alfred on the bed. "That's good to know, love," Arthur said with a smile, knowing now he was going to have to be more aware of Kiku till Arthur could actually trust him. He gave the sheriff a soft kiss on the lips before pulling back and removing his glasses once again. "Now, please get some rest, at least an hour or so." Arthur said pulling away and gently folding the younger man's glasses and placing them to the side table. "I can handle myself and the town for that long, if not longer." He eased the man back down on to the bed and covered him with the sheet. He could hold up the town well enough for two hours, he hoped.

The Englishman walked away from the bed, fiddling with his hair to try and make it function. He really did what Alfred to try and get some rest. The two has done stake-outs before. The usually switched sleeping, it was easy to sleep know the other was there watching everything and just an arms length away. However it was the first stake-out that had done without the other in sight and that meant Alfred probably didn't even think about sleeping at all (usually Arthur suggested it). They still needed help, Kiku was a nice addition (though he was still not accepted onto the crew), they still need more people so at least Alfred and Arthur could get the rest they needed. With a sigh, Arthur walked out of the room, he was going to have to try and remember to remind Alfred to send a letter asking for more help.

((Yay! Me too!!!!))