Same Job, Different Time and Place [R-18] - Part 4

Alfred just grinned at the other and he nodded.

"It does, doesn't it? There's a lot of different types of food here so you have to try a few of them!"

Quite contrary to what Alfred had originally planned, this restaurant was more relaxed and casual. It really did have that relaxed atmosphere yet the food also smelled amazing.

Soon enough he went to sit down on the table,, grinning at the other.

Arthur joined him, sitting opposite Alfred with a slow smile. The heat hadn’t bothered him as much today, meaning that he was in a much, much better mood than he had been in the day prior. To make things better, there hadn’t been any ignorant tourists around, which definitely helped Arthur’s mood.

“Well, what about original recipes from the island? I’d like to try some of the local cuisine.”

Alfred just grinned and he nodded.

"Yeah, there's definitely that also! I've heard some pretty good reviews about this place...so feel free to just dig in."

He knew that he was definitely going to eat quite a bit this time around. He was absolutely starving despite having breakfast that morning.

Arthur took the hint that Alfred was going to eat copious amounts. He made a point not to mention it, though.

He smiled politely at the waitress that approached them and placed his order, having chosen the first thing that sounded appetising on the menu.

He admired the décor of the restaurant.

Alfred just looked at Arthur quietly, hoping that he was enjoying himself.

He knew that the other was saying that he was but he just wanted to make sure.

"Do you like the restaurant? It's really nice, isn't it? And it's not way too formal." It definitely had its own charm and he really, really liked that. He didn't want something ultra formal. He just wanted something nice and casual and comfortable.

Arthur nodded slowly, “It’s lovely.” And it really was. There were tea lights decorating the entire building, beautifying the room and giving it atmosphere. It was comfortable and relaxed whilst still being able to hold an air of romance which Arthur found himself appreciating a lot.

“How did you know about this place?”

Alfred just laughed and he scratched his cheek sheepishly.

"I just read on all the reviews for some restaurants that high ratings and this was consistently mentioned. So I thought that maybe we should give it a shot, yeah?"

He looked around the room as well, definitely wanting it to keep in his memory.

It was a gorgeous place, just like the island itself.

Arthur couldn’t believe that he was here with Alfred. They’d been on business trips and such but this was different. It was what they wanted to do, their quality time together in a relaxed setting. It was quite incredible that neither of them had tried to kill each other yet. They were around each other so often. And clearly that was what had caused the last fight and near-break-up between them.

He realised that he was staring at Alfred and looked away, trying to distract himself.

Alfred couldn't help but look over at Arthur with a small smile, laughing at that.

He really didn't care if the other stared and in fact, it was rather endearing when he really thought about it.

He was actually rather amazed that they really hadn't argued. They always seemed to do it, no matter how much in love they were with each other. And he would have thought that they would prefer their holiday alone...but it really didn't seem to be the case. Not when Arthur seemed so happy to be with him.

It was an amazing feeling.

He reached out to lightly grab the other's hand.

"I love you."

“And I love you,” Arthur told him earnestly for what was probably the millionth time, although it was no less heartfelt. He looked across to his lover amorously with a gentle sigh. He squeezed his hand gently and waited for a waiter to approach them.

It wasn’t long into their meal (which was delicious, by the way) that a band began to play from inside the restaurant. The music was vibrant and rhythmic, almost traditional to the island’s roots. It made Arthur want to go and dance, though he didn’t say anything. Alfred had proposed dancing earlier in the day, but he didn’t want a repeat of the tourist incident.

Alfred just smiled at that, absolutely pleased with everything.

It was absolutely perfect and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Soon enough though he heard the music, vibrant and energetic. He loved it so much. And it just reminded him of the first time they danced together...actually danced with each other while they were in a relationship.

And even before then. They've always been dancers and they both knew it.

So he soon stood up, holding his hand out.

"Care to dance with me?"

Arthur’s “dancing” was very, very different to Alfred’s training. Aside from Arthur’s education in formal dances, of course. He looked up at Alfred nervously, unsure of whether it was a good idea or not. He pursed his lips, glancing at Alfred’s hand and then back to his lover’s face.

It would be rude to say no. And he did want to dance with Alfred. If they got booed off, then they could dance back at the hotel. In private, with the camera handy.

He took Alfred’s hand cautiously and stood up. He smiled weakly at the other.

“Okay.”

Alfred laughed at that before taking Arthur's hand, tugging him up to the floor. He soon began to dance with the other dancers on the floor, dragging Arthur along with each of his steps.

It wasn't anything from his training but rather just pure and outrageous fun. There was nothing erotic about it at the moment nor was it set to impress.

All of it was just sheer fun and with the grin on his face, no one in the audience felt like taking them off.

Alfred was happy dancing with Arthur and it seemed as if everyone in the audience seemed to enjoy it just as much as him.

Arthur followed Alfred up on to the dancefloor, feeling and looking anxious as they passed people on the way. He just smiled across to some people, awkwardly, as though it would prevent them from looking or judging them.

But when he looked around and saw Alfred grinning like a loon, his expression softened. He looked like a total idiot, dancing with an unusual lack of coordination (for Alfred) to the beat of the steel drums and the vocalist crooning into the microphone with such passion that it put popular artists to shame.

Soon, Arthur began to relax a bit and just swayed to the beat, smiling across at his lover.

No one really seemed to care about the fact that they were both men as they danced. No, they were all just absolutely captivated by how excited everyone was.

Alfred's eyes lightened up when he saw Arthur relax and sway to the beat.

And everything really was perfect. He just held onto the other's hand, sometimes spinning the other and sometimes spinning himself. He tugged him close and swung away and so much more.

And no one really cared how they were dancing at that moment. They weren't there to impress anyone.

Just have fun. And it really was fun.

He never wanted the song to end.

Arthur let Alfred lead the dance, laughing as he started to relax even further. He was enjoying himself as they swayed together, feeling impossibly silly as he was spun and Alfred was, as well. He tried his best not to beam, but he couldn’t hide it. Alfred just brought it out of him.

“ She loves me now and that just means I can't complain. She loves me now and I must admit I feel the same,” Arthur sung along to the lyrics that he recognised, comfortable to do so as he knew that the music was far too loud for him to be heard.

It wasn’t often that Arthur just let himself go like this, particularly in public. This holiday was definitely turning out to be an exception. He felt totally at peace and able to just have fun with Alfred.

Alfred laughed even more, singing a few of the lyrics with Arthur though he messed up a few times. Despite that, he just laughed it off, not giving a damn in the world about whether he was right or wrong this time around.

He couldn't help but grin like an idiot. He was so in love and this was the most fun he had in quite a while now. He couldn't care less about what was happening around him.

As the song ended, he finally dipped the other down, leaning close to Arthur with a small smile.

"Hey Arth--" He soon fell down onto the ground with a loud 'oof', yelping in surprise as he lost his footing. He fell beside the other but before he could get over his shock, Alfred just started laughing even more. He made no move to get up but instead tugged the other on top of him, still smiling as widely as ever.

Arthur gasped as he was suddenly dipped down and gawked up at the other for a few moments before starting to laugh a bit. He was ready to listen to whatever Alfred was going to say, straining to hear him over the applause for the band for the song.

He hadn’t expected Alfred to slip, however. He tumbled to the floor beside him and winced, landing uncomfortably on the floor. But Alfred was laughing and he couldn’t find it in himself to be angry with him when he was making such a lovely sound.

He flushed and grew flustered as Alfred pulled him on top of him. People were already looking at them, seeing as they had fallen over.

“Alfred,” he said in a surprised tone, embarrassed, amused and mortified all at the same time. He climbed off of him and held out a hand to him to help him up.

“You alright there?” the singer on stage asked, causing everyone to look at them.

Arthur blushed further.

“We’re fine,” he assured with a timid smile, only to have the singer grin.

“Head-over-heels in love, huh?” he chortled, receiving a small laugh from a few of the audience members. “Alright, this next one’s for you, boys. Let’s do it, guys,” he motioned to the musicians behind him.

Arthur flushed, a little speechless as ‘Could You Be Loved?’ began to be performed. For them.

Alfred just smiled up at the other and soon he grabbed Arthur's hand lightly, pulling himself up so he could stand up.

He was so happy and it really seemed like nothing could go wrong. It was an amazing night so far.

Though he couldn't help but look at the singer in surprise before his cheeks flushed. Were...they really performing a song for them? Them of all people?

Sometimes he could actually be thankful for his clumsiness.

Looking over at the other, Alfred just smiled and took Arthur's hands again, his pace a bit slower this time.

"Huh...I guess we have a song dedicated to us now. Let's enjoy it while it lasts, yeah?" He pointed out softly.

Arthur just smiled broadly at his lover as he was pulled close again. It wasn’t exactly a downbeat song, but it might as well have been. Arthur wasn’t really listening to the music anymore, although he appreciated the sentiment of the singer. It was kind of him to turn negative attention on them into positive. But all Arthur really cared about was Alfred in front of him.

He felt a compelling desire to kiss the idiot but decided that it might be better to wait until they were somewhere more private.

He just moved his hands and hips in time with the beat, gaze rarely leaving Alfred.

Alfred was more than happy to move his hands and hips along with Arthur and though there were others dancing around them, most of the gazes seemed to be focused on them. It was absolute bliss...just dancing around like this, just the two of them together.

He loved it so much...he loved this man so much.

He wanted to kiss him so badly but he held himself back.

So instead he looked at the other with bright and loving eyes as he continued to dance with Arthur, holding him close.

"Arthur?"

“Hmm?” Arthur hummed softly in response, continuing to move fluidly as he got more into the song. He was really looking forward to having Alfred back at the hotel. It had seemed like such a long, long day. All he wanted to do was either get into bed with Alfred or to go to bed.

But he was enjoying the moment, the ambience, the music and that was enough to keep him awake.

“Yes, love?”

Alfred hesitated, feeling the words choke up in his throat though he swallowed them down and he smiled over at the other. He drew Arthur even closer, leaning forward so their faces were so very close.

He knew it wasn't very traditional but...

He couldn't help himself. They were both enjoying themselves so much...this was one of the most perfect days.

He intertwined their fingers together, squeezing gently.

"Arthur..." He repeated again, voice soft. "...Will you marry me?"

Arthur was very quiet.

“What?” he was shocked, having expected anything but that to come out of Alfred’s mouth. Well, he had been suspicious lately but that didn’t mean that Arthur would have been able to guess that… that… this would happen.

He looked like he was going to pull away, a flicker of terror running through his eyes as though it was a normal reaction to have to the situation. He stared at the other, mouth opening and closing as he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. Gravity seemed to begin to weigh him down; his chest felt tight.

Arthur had always been a loner. Even in relationships, he rarely opened up to people as much as he had done with Alfred. Not even with Francis. Arthur had even spent years thinking that he would always e alone, and that would be how he was better off.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that someone, anyone would ever love him, let alone want to marry him

He and Alfred would fight all the time, Arthur didn’t know if he would always be able to be patient with Alfred and it would be hell, and bloody difficult. He was sure that one day he would wake up in the morning and both love and loathe the sight of his beautiful, age-soddened lover (husband?).

“Alfred… I… uhm… I – I,” Arthur still couldn’t find words. He knew that with every second more of his hesitations, that he was hurting Alfred.

And he never wanted to see that. Never wanted to leave him, to break-up with him. He wanted to grow old with Alfred. He just had to find the words.

Alfred knew that there would definitely be problems in their marriage but...what was a healthy marriage without fighting? If it was perfect and they never fought, then it really wouldn't be a true marriage at all.

And at least there was that reality...that showed just how dedicated he was.

That he wanted to be with Arthur even if it meant through all of their fights.

And he had to admit that the hesitation was hurting him but...he didn't want to show Arthur that. He knew though that Arthur knew. But he had to be understanding. He knew that it wouldn't be an automatic yes...that he would actually have to wait.

But he really did want to live his life with Arthur. Until they grew old and everything.

Alfred gently squeezed Arthur's hands, waiting for his answer though he tried to be comforting, reassuring.

"I want to grow old with you, Arthur. I...I know we get into a few fights...that we might not be all that great looking when we're old...but I want to live every moment with you. I love you so much." He felt a bit choked up, his eyes glistening a bit despite himself. "I...I just want to be with you for the rest of my life...through good and bad."