Same Job, Different Time and Place [R-18] - Part 2

Alfred knew that Arthur liked to cuddle with him at least and he would have to be completely dumb to not see this. Despite contrary belief, he really wasn't all that daft. At times he was but certainly not when it came to his lover.

He just hummed, thinking about it.

"Well, we're...not exactly twins actually," He admitted with a small smile. "It just makes things easier if we say we are." He cuddled just a bit closer.

"Matthew is actually the older one here. I don't know...Matthew was just born a bit prematurely while I came a bit later at the right date. Which is completely unfair considering that I wanted to be the one to hold it above him that I was the older brother." He laughed at that.

"Not too interesting though. Sorry about that."

“Ah, I see…” Arthur raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Well… that makes a lot of sense. I don’t know what I was expecting,” he admitted sheepishly. “Your poor mother. That must have been a lot of hard work.” Nature was a strange thing. He scratched at the back of his neck, eyebrows still high on his forehead as he thought about it.

Alfred was incredibly lucky, really. It seemed as though he’d lived such a normal life.

Alfred just laughed a bit. "What? Were you expecting us to be like half brothers or something and my ma was in some scandalous affair?" He joked, still grinning. "Nah, it's pretty boring actually. Don't see how this will work when I lived a pretty normal life."

He hummed, thinking for a moment. "Though...I wouldn't mind if you met Matthew. He's a sweet boy," He admitted with a small nod.

Alfred just lightly kissed Arthur's cheek before thinking.

"Um...how many siblings do you have?" He asked. He never really learnt all that much about Arthur's family.

Arthur tensed a little at the idea of Alfred’s mother being scandalous and just sort of tried to laugh along. Although, his mother was actually…

“Yes, I’d like to meet him. Matthew sounds like a good lad,” he agreed. He let Alfred kiss him but the question made him a little anxious. He’d agreed to this so he’d have to answer.

“Right, well… my direct younger brother is Peter. I, uh… I have a lot of siblings. Half-siblings.” He looked away. “Um… my parents aren’t exactly monogamous. They have both had their fair share of illegitimate children. Uh… there’s the eldest, Andrew who’s my dad’s son. Patrick and Liam… twins belonging to my mother and my uncle. Then I was born and they weren’t supposed to be having anymore kids with anyone else and my half-brother Bevan was born to my mother. And um, yeah… then it was Peter. I… have a complicated family. We call all of them my 'cousins', so not to confuse people.”

Alfred tried to make some damned sense of what Arthur just told him but it seemed to fly right over his head. Though he quickly backtracked and tried to repeat what the other said in his head.

"Oh...really?" He asked, trying to think it over before finally understanding.

"That really is complicated," He admitted with a frown. Though he couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow. "...Your mother and uncle?" He asked warily, hoping he was more so implying Arthur's father's brother or something rather than his mother's uncle. Something along those lines at least. Though it really seemed much too confusing.

He was just lucky to have a simple American family which made sense.

"...What's up with that?" He asked, referring to his mother and uncle. He felt a bit bad for being so curious.

“My father’s brother,” Arthur wasn’t quite sure what else Alfred was suggesting, but he didn’t want to think about it. “Christopher, his name is. If it weren’t for him then I wouldn’t be where I am today. He helped me climb the careers ladder so quickly.” He paused. “Um, he and my mother having been having an affair on and off since before I was born. They still, uh…” he cleared his throat, “they still fuck. There isn’t love behind their relationship. It’s usually because my father’s too busy with his company to pay her any attention.”

Arthur shifted uncomfortably.

“Part of the reason my grandfather and my father used to beat me was because they didn’t know if I was born within wedlock or not until I was around eight when they had my DNA tested.” He swallowed thickly. “It’s… yes, um, complicated.”

Alfred just quietly nodded, listening to him carefully. So that would explain quite a bit...and he was actually surprised that the other was telling him all about this. Though maybe he shouldn't have been surprised, since Arthur was the one to bring up the policy in the first place. He felt bad though...and that would definitely explain all the bruises. With a soft sigh, he pressed a kiss to where he knew a scar would be at and he just let his lips linger before he pulled away.

"It sounds terribly complicated," He admitted with a soft sight.

"How about we take a small break from this then. I know it's hard to admit everything," He said with a small smile, trying to be encouraging and understanding.

He was just glad that Arthur was willing to tell him and now he knew more about Arthur's family situation.

The Brit nodded. “Yes please.” He wasn’t making himself unhappy by talking about it (which had been much easier than he thought that it would be), it was just making him uncomfortable. Especially having effectively described his mother and uncle’s relationship as ‘fuck buddies’. The idea was utterly revolting.

Arthur had shivered as Alfred kissed at where a scar was hidden beneath his pyjama shirt. It was mortifying for him to know that Alfred could pinpoint where they were by this point… but then again, he certainly could map out Alfred’s body.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he murmured, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

Alfred knew that it was uncomfortable for Arthur to talk about it and so he really didn't want to push the issue. He wasn't all that uncomfortable himself, just a bit dumbfounded that anyone would ever want to do that. He had never felt the temptation to cheat on Arthur and he was pretty certain that temptation would never come. He never looked at anyone the same way as he did with Arthur.

He had taken to memorising every part of Arthur's body and so it really wasn't a surprise that he knew where a good number of the scars were at. He just hoped it wouldn't scare him like this.

He just smiled, pressing back against the kiss. "I'm not uncomfortable at all. I'm happy you told me."

“It’s not really something to be happy about,” Arthur scoffed and ran his fingers back through his hair. “I can’t remember what we have to do today. I might go and find Ludwig. I couldn’t find him last night and I would rather have a chat with him man-to-man before you see him again. I don’t know how he’s going to react.”

He really, really didn’t want Alfred to lose his job. He would miss him dreadfully everyday and would have to have some new assistant bobbing about. He’d go back to having no friends at the office… but it’d probably be a good incentive for Alfred to try to follow the career path that he really wanted. It’d be a good way for Alfred to really start being an adult. But the thought of Alfred doing that worried him. What if it affected their relationship?

Alfred just frowned at the mention of Ludwig, not really wanting to see him. He was certain that this would affect his career...just because he couldn't hold himself back. He couldn't believe that he let his personal life interfere with his professional one. While this job wasn't necessarily the best, it was somewhat financially stable. It was all that he had.

If he didn't have this job, then he had nothing. He had no idea where to go, especially for where he want to major for. He couldn't find anything before, no offers, nothing like that...but that was when the economic crisis was at its worst. Yet still, he had no idea if people would want to accept him.

He wasn't sure if he had the experience needed. "Yeah...I suppose so."

Arthur kind of wanted to kiss Alfred again or be sickeningly sweet with him but the air was still a little tense between them. He’d just have to man-up and deal with it. It wasn’t as if Alfred was some sort of teddy bear that he could cuddle up to when ever he wanted to ignore his responsibilities.

“Stay here and I’ll bring some breakfast when I come back,” he ruffled Alfred’s hair with a faintly fond smile before he climbed out of bed to get changed into clothes that he could wear to the dining hall downstairs, where Ludwig would hopefully be. Ludwig seemed like a breakfast kind of man (unlike himself), so Arthur was praying that he would be there with his silly Italian boyfriend (whom Arthur didn’t want to get stuck in conversation with). Perhaps Ludwig would be calm and complacent?

He doubted it.

Arthur stripped himself, back facing Alfred as he did so and pulled on some jeans and an old band t-shirt from his youth. He tugged on some of his more casual shoes and headed for the door.

“I’ll be back, sweetheart. Watch the television or something.” With that, he was out of the door and hurrying to the breakfast buffet.

Alfred just looked over at Arthur for a long moment before smiling a bit. "Alright, sure!" He said with a small smile though he actually wanted to go down and eat breakfast with the other. He was sure that the other had his reasoning though.

He just hummed, quietly watching him as he stripped and changed into something new (he still sometimes found it weird how he could dress so casually...and how it looked rather nice). "See you in a bit," He replied before going to reach for the remote to turn on the TV.

Ludwig was in the breakfast buffet, sitting at a table near the window and half way listening to Feliciano. Though he still wasn't rather calm, he seemed to have settled down quite a bit. But he hadn't noticed Arthur come in yet.

Arthur was hesitant about approaching the German. He was worried about getting a verbal bollocking from him. Well, honestly, he was expecting one. He’d be surprised if he wasn’t at least scolded for Alfred’s behaviour. Just as he gathered the courage to walk across to them, it became apparent that he wouldn’t have to announce his presence.

“And then Romano said that I could make a bigger pasta if I – oh, Arthur! Ciaaao,” Feliciano grinned, giving a little wave. Even the Italian’s warm and friendly demeanour wasn’t enough to kill the nerves in Arthur’s stomach.

“Good morning,” Arthur greeted with a small nod. “I trust that you slept well?”

“Sí,” the Italian answered and seemed as though he would say more before Arthur cut in.

“Ludwig,” he felt odd addressing the man so informally, “I was wondering if I would be able to speak to you?”

“Of course you can!” Feliciano beamed, oblivious (although, of course, he wasn’t; he was just trying to lighten the mood… not that either of the two men with him would notice or care). “Get some breakfast. The croissants are good.”

Ludwig had shifted his attention from Feliciano to Arthur for a moment, just sighing a bit as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Though he decided to relent, even if a breakfast buffet wasn't always the best place to talk about business. It wasn't as if he had a lot of choice though.

"Yes, I slept fine," He replied simply, still keeping his gaze on the other. Though with a frown, he shifted around before nodding.

"But yes, you can speak with me," He frowned at the memory of last night.

"This is about Alfred, ja?" He questioned. "How are you both feeling right now?"

Despite the fact that he was still a bit frustrated with Alfred, he was still concerned over their health and how they were. After all, he knew it was extremely out of character for the American assistant to do that.

Arthur took a seat, ignoring Feliciano who began to list suggestions of food until he realised that he should probably be quiet and just eat his food.

“Yes, it’s about Alfred,” the Brit confirmed with a slight sigh. He was a little deterred by the question but smiled politely nonetheless. “Well, I’m fine. However, Alfred is…” miserable, lovesick, jealous. That was when it clicked with Arthur that, that was exactly what Alfred was feeling. Jealousy. It seemed so totally obvious but he’d somehow managed to overlook it.

“Um, Alfred is alright. He’s better than last night, as far as I can tell. I think that Francis – erm, sorry, I mean Mr Bonnefoy must have said something that aggravated him.”

He never had found out what it was. Francis had plainly told Alfred about Arthur’s drug addiction, but what on earth could have riled the boy up enough to want to punch him?

“You know big brother?” Feliciano asked softly, an eyebrow quirked upwards.

Arthur cringed a little at the idea of Francis being anyone’s ‘big brother’. “Yes, yes I do. But it was a long time ago.” He turned back to Ludwig. “I hope that you’ll accept my apology on Alfred’s behalf. It’s really not something that I would have ever imagined him doing.”

Ludwig just listened to Arthur carefully and he sighed, rubbing his forehead lightly. This added on stress was definitely giving him some new headaches that he really, really didn't need right now. He should have been able to go on with his business and have Francis accept but now it was just so much more complicated than before.

"I think it's something that none of us ever imagined him doing," He pointed out with a small frown. Everyone never imagined him doing it, even people who knew him decently like Kiku (who Ludwig had called later on that night).

He thought about it for a moment and soon looked back at Feliciano. "You very well know that I can't easily fire the boy," He murmured softly, feeling aggravated that he really couldn't do anything. "And I still can't fire him."

He looked up at Arthur. "But if our chances of getting this offer is not there anymore due to his actions, then I can't do anything but take measures against Mr Jones himself." He really didn't want to do it but it was going to become a necessity if they lost this.

There was no way that Francis would say yes after that. He knew the Frenchman well, that he would whine about it until his deathbed.

Arthur had to look away, scratching anxiously at the back of his neck. He’d have to go and talk to the frog, it seemed. It sounded like it was the only way that Alfred would stand a chance of keeping his job. He pursed his lips and nodded.

“I understand…”

Feliciano gave Ludwig a small sympathetic glance, placing his hand on Ludwig’s knee beneath the table, not being subtle at all. But Arthur didn’t really seem to care; he was staring at the table, looking a little lost.

“Hey, I was thinking of going to see big brother tonight, amore,” Feliciano said to Ludwig, leaving it open for Arthur’s interpretation. “I need to phone him and when we are going to meet but… you are okay with it, sí?” He didn’t once glance across at Arthur who seemed to catch on after a few moments.

“Um, Feliciano?”

“Sí?”

“May I have Francis’ number? I might quite like to catch up with him whilst I’m here, if I can.” Arthur swallowed thickly but Feliciano just grinned widely.

“Certamente!”

Ludwig knew a bit about Francis, though more strictly on business terms than anything else, and he also knew the unlikely hood of Francis actually accepting after Alfred just did that. He felt frustrated, because he knew that the younger man was a good assistant, a very good one nonetheless but in the end, he had to prioritise his business partner over an assistant.

He sighed and nodded. "Danke," He thanked though he looked back at Feliciano.

He really, really didn't want to go through this trouble or make Arthur go through this trouble but they had to now. He really wished that Alfred could have kept his temper in check or Francis could have not said whatever he said to the American to make him snap. After all, they were just humans, though right now, business machines sounded much more favourable.

It really was a hassle.

He had a suspicion that there was something going on between Francis and Arthur, not necessarily the best thing, but he really didn't want to dwell on it. Maybe it was about that which Alfred ended up overreacting. Not that he should care why he overreacted but rather the fact that he did.

Feliciano pulled away from Ludwig briefly to scribble down Francis’ number on to a piece of paper which he handed to Arthur, shoving both his notepad and his pen back into his pockets (he always had them on him in case inspiration struck).

“Thank you,” Arthur smiled a little at the Italian, and he meant it. “I shall assume that we don’t have a formal structure today? If so, I’ll make it my priority to secure Bonnefoy’s trust in the company.” He didn’t really hang around to be told otherwise. “Have a good day,” he said quickly and began to make his way out of the room before remembering that Alfred would need feeding.

He scampered past them, receiving an amused look from Feliciano as he murmured quietly to the German (presumably so that Arthur wouldn’t be able to hear them). Arthur grabbed some food, had a small row with one of the staff and was eventually allowed to take the food away with him.

Croissants, butter, jam, Nutella, three different types of melon, some baguette and a cup of coffee was what he returned to Alfred with. He wasn’t gracious as he rushed about immediately as he got into the room. He put the tray at the end of the bed and began to hunt for more fashionable clothes to wear. He was silent as he did this.

Alfred glanced curiously up at Arthur, wondering why he was so quiet though he supposed that things were still a bit...tense. He supposed. It had gotten better but he really didn't want to go through with this...at least not this kind of tension. It really was much too unsettling for his own good.

With a sigh, he smiled up at Arthur. "Thanks for the food!" He thanked happily before reaching over to grab some of the food.

Looking at the things that he had on the plate, he thought about it for a moment before grabbing the nutella and some of bread and melons before beginning to eat them.

Though he couldn't help but look up curiously.

"Is everything alright, Arthur?"

And just like that, the ‘no secrets rule’ was going to bite him in the arse.

“Yes, sorry that the food is oddly assorted. I got in a bit of a pickle when I tried to leave with it. Could have lost an ear. Or a thumb.” He was joking, clearly but it was tense.

“Uh… well,” he stood up, sighing a bit. “Your job is in jeopardy and unless I talk to Francis then it’s extremely likely that you will be let go.” He really didn’t want that to happen and hoped that as much was evident in his concerned yet exasperated expression. “So, I need to call the wanker and meet up with him. Unless he agrees to work with the company, then you’re finished. I know Francis, he won’t shut up about it unless he’s bribed or he gets some sort of amusing payment from the situation.”

Arthur began to tug off the t-shirt that he was wearing in favour of an emerald-green button down.

Alfred laughed a bit at Arthur's small joke though he could sense just how tense everything was. Though the moment that he heard the other, he just gave a small, tired smile.

"Yeah, I kind of suspected," He murmured, running a hand through his hair. "I mean...I just punched him in the face. Not really a good impression on Chouchoute itself."

He looked up at Arthur for a moment before sighing, leaning back so he could stretch out slightly. With that, he continued on eating the rest of his food though it was going away extremely quickly with the pace that he was eating at. He was nervous about his job...it was natural for him to indulge in food in order to comfort him.

"I...would go with you but I think Ludwig would prefer me to stay as far away from him as possible. And Francis also."

He really didn't like the thought of Arthur having to talk with him just for his sake. He felt bad.

Arthur chose not to comment on how Alfred was eating, seeing as how that had gone the last time he’d said anything. He changed into more fitted jeans and dropped down to sit at the edge of the bed. He gave Alfred somewhat of a small smile and gave his leg a pat.

“I can’t deny that Francis would probably whine until you left again.” He didn’t really want to witness the Frenchman calling Alfred ‘violent’ to his face. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. You have the day off today so maybe I could meet you somewhere and we’ll go out for lunch?”

He was optimistic. He didn’t want to have to hang around with Francis for long. Speaking of whom, he’d have to phone.

Alfred seemed to cheer up slightly at that and he nodded. "Yeah...!" He tried another small smile. "Just send me a text later! I'm doing international roaming on my phone so it'll be expensive but I can at least text a bit to get a location later!" He hummed, scratching his cheek lightly.

He was happy with Arthur's reassurances though and he trusted him. He would definitely make it up to him at lunch.

"I'm sorry for everything," He whispered lightly, pressing a kiss to Arthur's cheek. "You wouldn't have to go through with this if I didn't overreact."