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

Alfred was fully aware by now that Arthur was rather moody and irritable by nature or at least sounded like it so it really didn't bother him that much. In fact, it bothered him too little that it might have been a bit of a concern that he cared so little about it. Ah well, life was life and then you moved on. He was certain that Arthur would easily forget about this after a few weeks or months, as long as he decided to drive responsibly from here on forth. Though if they were ever running short on time like this again, he would not hesitant in the slightest to use his absolutely amazing driving skills to get his boss wherever he needed to be on time.

He didn't really feel like an assistant anymore now. More like a chauffeur more than anything.

Grabbing his own jacket so he could hang it on the coat hanger, Alfred soon grabbed the stack of booklets with a smile, nodding. "Of course, sir." With that, the American quickly started to put each booklet at every seat at the the table. He glanced over at Arthur for a long moment, just smiling a bit and he soon stepped forward to the Englishman, lightly patting his shoulder affectionately.

"You'll do amazing, Mr. Kirkland. I know you will."

With that, he went to grab the jug and some glasses, placing them off to the side. Peering outside, he soon saw the very first signs of people actually heading towards the meeting room.

Arthur jumped as his shoulder was patted, having not expected it. He looked up at Alfred, eyebrows furrowed as he was about to tell him that he had no time to dawdle. But those stupidly blue eyes stopped him, made Arthur fall silent, holding his gaze for a few long moments.

“Well, o-of course,” he cleared his throat, returning to his task on the computer. As Alfred left the room, Arthur watched the door swing shut. He heaved a sigh. Damn it all.

He always managed to make a fool of himself in front of the boy. It was quite ridiculous, really. He exhaled through his nose, trying to calm himself. He would have to learn to control his hormones. This was beginning to be outlandishly bizarre. He ran his fingers back through his hair, staring at the computer screen.

He wouldn’t lie; he was quite nervous about this meeting.

The door re-opened, and unfortunately for Arthur, it wasn’t Alfred. It was a man, slightly shorter than himself with reddish-brown hair; there was a single large curl prominent amongst his otherwise straight hair. How peculiar.

“Ciao,” the man greeted gleefully. “You must be Signore Kirkland, si?” So he was Italian. Marvellous. A language Arthur knew nothing of.

“Uh… yes, that’s me. And you are?”

“Oh! Forgive me, I did not introduce myself. I am Feliciano Vargas, we have spoken over the phone before,” he was so bloody cheerful. Arthur shook hands with him, nonetheless.

“It is a delight to meet you, Mr. Vargas.”

“Is it?” the Italian grinned.

Alfred quickly hurried over to grab the jug of water as well as a few glasses, seeing a few more people pass by him (which also included a rather intimidating looking German man). He recognised the fact, a pretty well known face in the whole industry and he was renown for being one of the most strict and frightening men in the whole company. He was rather glad that Arthur seemed so mildly strict in comparison to this man.

At least he wouldn't have to deal with him considering that he was only a mere assistant.

The German man soon stepped into the meeting room as well, giving a curt nod to Mr. Vargas as he looked at Mr. Kirkland for a long moment. He seemed to be like a sensible man with a good head on his shoulders. He was certain that this working relationship would turn out lovely, as long as he followed the rules set in place and was not disruptive during the meetings. Though telling by how seriously the supposed Mr. Kirkland was taking this meeting even beforehand, he could tell that possibly this meeting just may run smoothly.

For once.

Soon enough, he walked to the man right next to Mr. Vargas. "Mr Kirkland, it is a pleasure to meet you." He stated, voice serious and to the point and in a way, it almost seemed as if it really wasn't a pleasure to meet him. That was besides the point though. While the man was certainly German, considering his thick accent, he still avoided inserting any German words in his speech if only because it seemed unprofessional in his own opinion. Especially since they were based off in America.

"I am Ludwig Beilschmidt. The company here in New York is glad to have you as part of our team and we are all looking forward to what you have for us today."

He held out his strong, large hand for Arthur.

Arthur couldn’t deny that when the blonde, tall (taller than himself) man entered the room, he felt intimidated. Probably due to the vast size of his muscles and the tense, almost frightening look upon his face. He listened carefully to the German, cautious in case he missed anything important. At least he wasn’t on his own with the Italian any longer than he needed to be.

“Yes,” he agreed, shaking his hand. “Thank you. I hope that you enjoy my presentation, sir.” Arthur was extremely aware of the fact that Ludwig was of higher authority than himself.

“Veh, Ludwig,” Feliciano interrupted, “can we sit down now? My legs are aching from all of the exercise we did yesterday.”

Arthur quirked an eyebrow.

“Uh, please. Go ahead, take your seat.” He hovered in the doorway, waiting for Alfred to return. Feliciano was quick to take a seat, stretching upwards once he was sat down.

“My bones ache so much!”

Ludwig's handshake was firm and he was glad that the man had not yet decided to impose on his authority nor did he really seem to be the kind of man to interrupt an organised meeting. Hopefully this meeting will remain organised and have no sudden interruptions (as did usually happen with the likes of some of the workers attending the meetings). Glancing over at Feliciano, the German gave a firm nod, eyes a bit softer at the sight of the Italian in comparison to Arthur as he soon started to head towards his own seat.

"Of course, Feliciano." He murmured, sitting down next to the Italian. Of course it was only to keep an eye on him and make certain that Feliciano stayed awake throughout the whole meeting. That was simply it, of course. The German simply pinched the bridge of his nose, a small frown on his lips. Already Feliciano was complaining but he was much too used to it by now.

By the time that Alfred came into the room, he was chatting pleasantly with a somewhat older yet beautiful woman who entered in with him. The assistant simply waved at her before he smiled over at his boss, smile brilliant as always. The woman simply raised her eyebrows, smiling a bit as she saw Mr. Kirkland, walking up to him.

"You must be Mr. Kirkland. Pleasure to meet you. I'm Elizabeta Héderváry." She soon held her hand out to shake. "Your assistant here is quite a lovely man. He speaks very highly of you. You're very fortunate." She chuckled, smile warm and lovely. Alfred just stood next to his boss, a bit flustered but pleased.

Feliciano merely grinned, seemingly oblivious to the stoic German beside him – that, or he was ignoring him. He began to fidget in his seat, singing quietly under his breath in his native tongue to distract himself until the meeting actually begun.

Arthur’s gaze lingered on the pair for a few moments. They were total opposites but it seemed as though they were friends. Close friends, at that. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Alfred approaching out of the corner of his eye. But there was a woman with him. He tensed at the sight. She was very pretty. Thick, long brown locks of hair, a generous amount of curves. She was nothing less than beautiful.

His lips formed a terse line, trying to smile as she came up to him. He shook her hand, gaining eye contact. He started to flush at what she said, however. He looked quickly over at Alfred, trying very hard not to let his lips quirk upwards.

“Thank you, Ms. Héderváry. It’s a pleasure to meet you… I suppose that I am lucky to have such a good assistant,” he finally looked up at Alfred, mirth within his eyes. “It’s nice to know that I’m appreciated.” He gestured towards the table and seats. “It will be a few minutes until the meeting starts.”

He could see a man with shoulder-length blonde hair with a march-like walk. He was soon in the room, giving Arthur a stern look. He gave Elizabeta a nod of greeting. He then turned to Arthur at last.

“I am Vash Zwingli. You are Arthur Kirkland, yes?” he stuck out his hand which Arthur took, receiving a somewhat vigorous handshake.

“I look forward to working with you, Mr. Zwingli…”

Ludwig seemed to be able to easily ignore Feliciano for the moment as the meeting had not started yet. Though of course, there were a few people running late and honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if Antonio, a Spanish co-worker of his, came up late as well. He would just yell at him later for his irresponsibility. At the moment though, Ludwig even seemed to be somewhat comforted by the singing though he didn't really say anything about it nor did he even spare a glance.

It was hard to tell what their relationship was, whether it was just that of co-workers or friends (even close friends possibly) though at times, Ludwig would let down his guard and his eyes would soften just by the slightest bit, his scowl less than usual.

Alfred grinned a bit as he saw Arthur, glad to see the man. Maybe he was a bit more on the clingy side but at the same time, he really couldn't help himself. Not when he had to be there for the Englishman, to help him through this meeting (even though he was certain that Arthur could very well handle the meeting by himself). The moment that he caught the mirth in Arthur's eyes, the American assistant simply relaxed, returning the mirth with a small smile on his lips.

Elizabeta raised her eyebrows and simply smiled. They seemed to be on good terms at least. At the very least. She soon turned around to take her seat, waiting patiently for the meeting to start, curious about what Arthur had in store for all of them. She had confidence in him though, especially with the praises that Alfred gave about his boss as they were talking with one another.

The assistant simply grinned, looking around curiously at the people that were sitting down. Many of them were intimidating in a way though he felt a bit at ease at the sight of the Italian. He at least seemed a bit more cheerful. Alfred soon leant close to Arthur, voice low. "Anything else you need before the meeting starts, sir?" He questioned.

As Vash stalked off to sit in his seat, having not said anything else, Arthur had to suppress a shiver as Alfred’s breath tickled his ear. He gave the American a quick (so quick that it was barely even there) smile – a genuine one. He felt much more relaxed and at ease now. After all, they had arrived early which had given Arthur time to set up his presentation.

He slowly shook his head, “No thanks you, Jones. I would get a seat whilst you can, eh?” he returned to the computer, doing a final check of his presentation, ensuring that he had the necessary graphs and numbers. He couldn’t help but notice that there was a spare chair. That meant someone was late, didn’t it? He immediately turned to Ludwig.

“Who else are we waiting for, sir?”

The said candidate was strolling through the building, casually heading for the meeting. He opened the door to the meeting room and froze as he was glared at by Vash, stared at by everyone else.

“Am I really that late?” he had a thick Spanish accent. Arthur would later find out that the Latinate man was called Antonio. The Spaniard didn’t waste any time to get to his seat, focusing his gaze on the floor as he crossed the room as though no one could see him when he did it. He took his place and grinned at Arthur.

“Hola. Sorry to have kept you waiting. It seems like I am the last one so you can get started now, uh?” he leaned back in his seat, giving Arthur an expectant look.

Arthur shot one last side-long glance at Alfred before he adjusted the lapels of his suit, professional smile appearing on his face.

Despite how quick the smile was, Alfred couldn't help but catch it though maybe he was just observing the other way too closely for his own good. Yet despite that, he could feel his heart soar just a bit at the smile and honestly, the other had such a lovely smile when it was actually genuine. Luckily enough, Arthur didn't seem to be all that angry at him anymore for his reckless driving because in the end, it managed to get them to the meeting even ahead of the schedule even if it was only by a few minutes. Yet those few minutes counted for everything and it made Arthur look good, especially when he was there beforehand!

He trusted Arthur to be able to make a marvellous presentation and amaze the board with his ideas or whatever he was doing. Honestly, Alfred didn't really pay all that much attention to what the meeting was exactly about or even the specific criteria, just having a basic general idea. After all, his job was to learn anything that Arthur wanted him to learn and to help him organise his day. It really was a silly job in all reality but he knew that it could make the uttermost difference in the end.

Okay, so maybe he was still feeling a bit proud of the fact that he was able to get Arthur to the meeting ahead of the schedule! Who could blame him though? The way he swerved between cars was just amazing!

Despite his adventurous thoughts, Alfred simply nodded and soon took a seat, closer to the back so he wouldn't necessarily get in the way. Maybe he could doze off during the meeting. It wasn't really like anyone was watching him after all though he knew that Arthur would need the encouragement. So despite wanting to space out, Alfred decided that he would pay attention. After all, he had to help him with his goals and future plans just in case the committee actually liked Arthur's ideas!

Soon enough, he couldn't help but notice Antonio coming in and honestly, he was surprised with just how late he was. Even in Alfred's standard, it was pretty late and the American was always the kind of man to run rather late on almost everything he did (unless he was enthusiastic to go somewhere, but of course that was an exception).

Ludwig simply frowned at Antonio, eyebrows furrowed and a set frown on his lips. "Mr. Carriedo. Maybe next time, you will be a bit more timely with your entrance." He said, exasperation already in his voice and he could just hope that the meeting would run smoothly.

Alfred hesitated at that and he simply smiled at Arthur, giving him a thumbs up from the back as encouragement before he waited and listened as he tried to ignore just how intimidating this German man seemed to be. Of course he wasn't intimidated! He was just worried that Arthur might be intimidated was all! Yeah, that was it.

“It’s alright, sir. Traffic is actually pretty bad today. If it weren’t for my assistant’s,” he paused, thinking for a word. Reckless? Stupid? Downright bloody dangerous? “Inventive driving,” he decided to go with in the end, “then I would not have been here on time either.” He ignored the thumbs up, despite how foolishly sweet he found it.

The Spaniard seemed to perk up a little at the defence he received from Arthur, giving an eager nod.

Feliciano sighed. “Are we going to start soon?” He could be doing something productive like designing. Or eating. Pasta sounded good to him in that moment. Perhaps he would be able to convince Ludwig to go out for lunch with him after this. Pasta. Delizioso. With sausages instead of meatballs, just for Ludwig.

“Yes, um…” Arthur cleared his throat. “Good morning everyone; as all of you have just been introduced, my name is Arthur Kirkland. I have been working for Chouchoute for less than a month but I have so far very much enjoyed my time here. I hope that my work and ideas will be taken into consideration.” His green eyes flickered to Alfred at the back of the room for a few moments before going to the projection of his work on the screen. He moved to one side and began his presentation.

“As you all know, Chouchoute employed me specifically because of my previous success with other companies and that in total honesty, Chouchoute needs to have a bit of an economy boost in these difficult times.” He clutched the clicker for his presentation in his hand, palm sweating a little from nerves. His presentation moved behind him as he spoke, revealing various graphs. “Here you can see a significant decline in purchases of women’s wear however the profit made in men’s wear is more or less stable and has in fact increased in the past two years.

“The reason for this is because of the rising number of young men becoming interested in their appearances and modern society’s desire for brand names. We focus the majority of our advertising at women, under the assumption that they will statistically be more likely to buy designer clothing. Whereas for men, we have little to no advertising that has ever been published in magazines or billboards – and all I can ask is why? I think that there is money to be made in the growing fashion industry for men. We cannot continue to advertise in this way as sales continue to go down.

“If there is no market for women’s clothing in this company, then why continue to cater for it? Of course, women will always be in the main prospective buyer in fashion however men are beginning to experiment with their own forms of identity. I suggest that we begin to make a much bolder effort with our focus on men’s clothing. Mr. Vargas and I have already discussed the possibility of creating more creative and new, modern designs for menswear. He has a lot of good ideas for this proposal.”

The Italian beamed.

Arthur continued on like this for the next twenty minutes or so, raising various other points about which designers were being cost-effective for the company and who weren’t (like that twat he’d spoken to on the whole earlier that morning), and so on and so forth.

Antonio was trying very hard to focus on what was being said.

Alfred couldn't help but smile to himself as he listened to the other. He remembered Arthur actually bringing up the mention of men's wear and honestly, if he wasn't so dirt poor already, he would actually try out the men's clothes and see how they would fit on him. Though those clothes would probably look better on a model or someone along those lines. Definitely not for a mere assistant like himself though he was actually pretty excited when it came to actually seeing the new designs. He really did want to see them. After all, Mr. Vargas was supposedly a splendid designer and maybe he could do men's clothing some real justice.

Though from what he could tell, Arthur was doing a splendid job though it was difficult to tell what the others thought about it, especially with their pretty much neutral faces though he could see the small tinge of a smile on Elizabeta's face. It seemed as if she was intrigued in Arthur's approach of the current financial and marketing situation.

Honestly, why had they never thought about that before? Certainly not all of them were in the financial department and Chouchoute had always been well known for marketing to women so it seemed almost alien to spread the market towards men as well. After the twenty minutes or so was over, Elizabeta simply smiled and started to clap softly. Alfred simply grinned at that and clapped along with her and soon a more hesitant clap from Ludwig though the applause was rather short.

Elizabeta soon shifted in her seat, smiling at Arthur. "I for one think that Mr. Kirkland's plan is very viable and creative. We truly haven't touched base on the male customers and I think it is time to begin this." She stated and Ludwig simply nodded in agreement. Truthfully, they were all rather surprised with the presentation but they had a feeling that it might just work.

"Thank you, Mr. Kirkland." Ludwig said, a small smile on his lips. "You have brought up very good points and I think it would be ideal for you to help lead this project. If you are willing of course." He murmured and with that, the two began to ask questions of Arthur, hoping to elaborate more on certain aspects of the project and simply wanting to engage themselves in what Arthur had in mind.

It was definitely a nice change and they could only hope for the best.

Alfred just smiled. He knew that Arthur would do well.

Antonio and Vash joined the brief applause, although they were largely prompted by Feliciano who looked over-joyed.

Vash nodded in agreement, although somewhat stiffer in comparison to the other two. “I think that we should do some more market research before we set the plan in motion.” He looked thoughtful as he stared at the last slide of the presentation. He had to admit that he was rather impressed with the professionalism.

The Brit felt himself breathe a long sigh of relief, cheeks a little pink from the nerves of effectively performing to the rest of the people in the meeting. He was surprised to see Ludwig smiling. He didn’t seem like the type of man to smile at all, much like himself to a certain degree. It but him at ease somewhat, though. It was a lot more comforting than the typically stern face that suited the German so well.

“Thank you. It would be an honour to continue to work for this company. We have a long way to go but I’m sure that with the right amount of willpower, we will manage to achieve our goals.”

He answered questions as easily as he could, continuously referring to the budget that he had suggested for the project and how it would work out over time. Antonio seemed to switch off and the mention of numbers.

“Veh?” Feliciano tugged silently on Ludwig’s sleeve. “Is it over now?” he sounded hopeful.

Ludwig indeed wasn't the kind of man to actually smile often, considering that he seemed to be almost exasperated with the events going around him constantly but Arthur managed to show a level of professionalism which was much needed in this work place. Especially with his co-workers such as Antonio and Feliciano, who always seemed to cause more problems than actually solve. Though they were necessary assets to the company so he was a bit more lax with them.

He swore he was growing grey hairs because of them.

He was also rather impressed with how Arthur was handling the questions and it seemed that other members of the meeting were rather impressed with all of this as well. He would certainly be an important asset for Chouchoute, he could simply tell it from how he carried out this meeting. Hopefully he will continue on proving himself throughout his working career in the company.

As Feliciano tugged his sleeve, the German man just nodded quietly. "Yes, it's over." He stated easily as he finally stood up. A few others soon started to stand up and Elizabeta simply went over to Arthur and patted him on the shoulder on the way, a small smile on her lips. "Great job, Mr. Kirkland. We will be looking forward to more of your work later on." With that, she soon left the meeting room along with a few of the other people.

Alfred finally let out a soft sigh in relief, smiling a bit at Arthur as he stood up as well and started to walk towards the Englishman, smile as bright as ever.

"Great job, Mr. Kirkland." He stated, happy for his boss. Now he wouldn't necessarily have to worry at the moment about the other being sent off back to England. He deserved to stay here in the United States and in New York City with him.

He really couldn't help himself as he wrapped his arms around Arthur and pull him into a hug, briefly nuzzling against his neck and making certain that no one was around before whispering softly. "I knew you could do it." After pressing a soft kiss to his neck, he soon pulled away and looked around more.

Luckily no one saw. He just couldn't help himself at the moment.

Antonio was the first one to leave, flashing a grin at Arthur as he walked past. Feliciano was soon on his feet, adjusting his tailor-made suit as he stood up. Arthur couldn’t help but be envious of the Italian’s fine clothes and shoes. Although, he supposed, being a designer had its perks. For all Arthur knew, he had made them himself. The Italian smiled, with less enthusiasm than he had done with everyone else, but he looked more at ease.

“Arrivederci,” he chirped and then left, dragging Ludwig with him as he began to chatter about the restaurant that he’d been daydreaming about during the meeting. The Swiss man took his time to gather his belongings and left with a stern nod of his head, not that Arthur was paying attention by that point.

“Thank you, Ms,” the Brit gave a sigh of relief. He’d done well. He’d managed to keep his job. And then, Alfred was in front of him. All punctual and burly. Arthur couldn’t resist the smile on his face.

“Tha-” he had not been expecting the hug and spluttered incoherently for a few moments but melted a little at the kiss to his neck, securing his own arms around the American. He had seen everyone leave individually and was not worried about people seeing. He turned his head slightly, pecking what he could reach of Alfred’s head. It was thanks to him that he had gotten there on time, after all.

He took a few long moments to become intoxicated by the wonderful smell of Alfred’s cologne. He laughed near-silently.

“Idiot… what else were you expecting?”

Alfred couldn't help but note with a bit of amusement just how quickly Antonio was to leave, having been the last person to arrive to the meeting and then of course the first. He hated having to wait around for Vash to leave but he decided that he could wait just a bit before he decided that it was safe to come closer to his boss.

Admittedly, he was a bit envious of Feliciano's wonderful attire and shoes and just how he kept himself looking so clean though he knew that was one of the few quirks of being a fashion designer. He should have known that and while Alfred was very much into fashion (getting caught up in New York City's fashion like many other people), he still quite enjoyed the comforts of large sweatshirts, oversized shirts and jeans of course.

Yet when he finally stepped towards Arthur and he saw that smile, he couldn't help but smile just a bit wider. Honestly, he loved it when the other couldn't resist his smile, no matter how how tough he always seemed to be. To think that he was actually nervous about having this man as his boss at first. He was nothing short of kind once you really got to know him.

Alfred could feel how the other seemed to melt a bit at the kiss to his neck and he finally enjoyed holding the man close, feeling secure in the fact that no one would probably come in at this time. Especially since it didn't seem as if there was anything that was left on the tables that someone could have been missing and try coming back for. He simply leant closer to Arthur, letting out a soft, content sigh and he closed his eyes for a bit, taking in his boss's scent.

"Only the best from you, sir." He murmured, laughing a bit as well as he looked up at him with his bright blue eyes.

Arthur hummed in amusement. He didn’t let go of the younger man, not just yet. Arthur enjoyed hugs more than he would like to admit. He loved the closeness and the feel of two arms around him. Especially Alfred’s. It seemed that he had rather grown to like their embraces, despite how few they had actually had (unless you could count the dancing as some sort of embrace). Slowly, reluctantly, Arthur began to pull away.

He instantly went to turn off the computer, moving far away in case he was tempted to keep being affectionate with Alfred. After all, he was supposed to be coming up with some sort of kissing limit for work hours. On that thought, he turned back to Alfred.

“We can’t keep doing this,” he said quietly, lest someone heard outside. Despite the fact that to hear what they were saying, you’d probably have to press your ear against the door. “We’ll get caught sooner or later and I don’t want to risk losing my job or for you to lose yours. We both need them…” he cleared his throat, idly trailing his fingers over the keyboard to avoid looking at Alfred as he spoke.

“I propose a kissing limit. Four per working day, and once we are off of the premises, we can, um, do whatever we want but,” he was blushing, “I’d rather if we didn’t end up getting caught mid-snogging and somehow have to explain that I was helping you do – I can’t even think of an excuse for something like that.” He ran his fingers back through his tawny hair and finally turned to look at him again. “What do you think?”

Alfred just continued on smiling as he saw Arthur turn off the computer and he soon helped him pack up everything he needed so they could soon head back towards their work place. At least this time, he would be able to take his time rather than rush through the traffic like they had to do when they were first coming to the meeting. Yet when he heard the words, 'we can't keep doing this', Alfred felt his heart drop and his smile was more hesitant now.

Was Arthur already deciding to break up with him? Was he such a horrible boyfriend that he couldn't stand being with him for only a few short days? Maybe it was best that they broke up so early...especially if Arthur wasn't happy with him but still, it really, really hurt.

When he heard the other start talking about their work, he couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows a bit. Was that why they were going to break up? Work? Didn't they say though that... Alfred was confused and frankly quite a bit worried. He knew he shouldn't be but he really couldn't help himself from these feelings.

"A-Ah...I understand." He murmured, voice barely above a whisper as he swallowed thickly.

He didn't expect the proposal though on the kissing limit and he honestly couldn't help but feel the rush of relief through his whole body. His eyes brightened and Alfred couldn't help but nod eagerly, grinning like he always did once more. "Of course, of course! Four a day! Promise! Nothing more than that!" He was just glad that Arthur wasn't breaking up with him and honestly, he thought that the idea of a kissing limit would be ideal for them.

Though it would be hard to deal with, he knew that it was for the best. At least they could still share a few secret kisses in the work place. "It's a great idea!" Okay. So he was really, really relieved.

At first, it was obvious that Alfred hadn’t quite grasped what he was talking about. Arthur noticed when Alfred’s eyes became effervescent again. He rolled his shoulders back, straightening his posture by instinct. Silly boy. What on earth else could have he been suggesting? They’d only been on one date. That was nothing to go by, as far as Arthur was concerned with Alfred. He couldn’t imagine living with him, it’d be a nightmare. But it was only early days. They had plenty of time to get to know one another and decide officially if they were worth each other’s time.

“I’m glad that you agree,” he smirked slightly, collecting his belongings and then finally his coat. “Would you mind awfully if I had a lift back to the office?” he looked back over his shoulder to Alfred as he began to button up his trenchcoat. He grabbed his briefcase, everything he had brought with him now inside of it. He clutched it just as tightly as he had done earlier; it was obvious to see that it was important to him.

They would just have to leave the water jug and glasses out. The cleaners would clear it up – that was their job after all.

“So, what’s on the agenda for the afternoon then, Jones?”

Honestly, Alfred was rather paranoid in his thinking and sometimes, he wondered if he would be good enough for an older man. He had never really dated anyone that much older than himself and certainly no adult as professional as Arthur. Yet it was nice, it was really nice and it was definitely a change of things. Though despite everything, he knew that he was still rather paranoid and he would remain to be so until they got to know each other better. They were still rather early in their relationship and if things didn't turn out for the best, then there was nothing much lost there, especially if they both just ended up not being that fond of each other as a couple.

Hopefully that wouldn't be the case but he was really liking everything so far. He really enjoyed being with the other though he might have been looking at their whole entire relationship so far through rose tinted glass. He certainly couldn't imagine anything permanent as of the moment but he knew that with time, that very opinion might just change.

Alfred couldn't help but smirk back as he started to head out of the building as well, pulling on his own jacket as he glanced over at his boss with amusement. "What? You're willing to step back into my car?" He laughed at that though he held the door open for Arthur and started to head towards the elevator so they could go to the parking lot where his car was at.

"Of course, sir. I would love to give you a ride back." He affirmed before pulling out his mobile to check the day's schedule. "You have just a few appointments with other people today, discussing...you know...whatever you guys discuss. I left the appointment times and names on the post it back on your desk. Here." He soon handed Arthur his mobile to show him the day's schedule.

“So long as you promise to drive at a sensible speed and not to kill us. That’s the only way that I will grace you with my presence,” he teased, the tone in his voice making it obvious. He looked up at Alfred, trying not to smile anymore than he needed to. The damned pretty boy had a way of making him just smile for no apparent reason; it was something Arthur didn’t like that much, honestly. Smiling, he didn’t think, suited him.

He took the phone from Alfred, glancing through the notes on the screen. It all sounded incredibly dull to him, not that he got much of a say (unfortunately). He handed the phone back to Alfred with a quiet “thank you”. He briefly remembered the heart drawn in the corner of his post-it from that morning. It still had the same giddy affect on him.

“So, what are you doing this weekend, Jones?” he quickly realised that this was not the time to propose a second date, not during work hours as they excited the building and headed for Alfred’s car. “Like, um, your mother coming to visit or…?” who cared if it was only Monday? A man was perfectly entitled to look forward to the weekend, especially if they had something going on (not that he knew what Alfred was up to, of course.

”I think that I might visit the library again.”

"I won't try to kill either of us, sir!"

Alfred just grinned widely and he nodded, saluting the man as he soon grabbed the keys for his car and opened it, climbing into the driver's seat. Even if Arthur believed that smiling didn't really seem to fit him, he couldn't help but think it was absolutely gorgeous on the other man. Not just a forced smile but an actual and honest smile. Those are what he loved the most on the other's lips though he found the scowl that he always seemed to carry to be rather cute as well.

Nodding a bit, the American just laughed and took the phone back, pocketing it before he started the car again, humming a bit as he thought about what he was going to do for the weekend. Honestly, he really had nothing planned. He just shrugged a bit, smiling a bit though he honestly really didn't care if the other was asking him for possibly another date.

If that was what he was doing in the first place.

"Really? So you like it, huh?" He laughed a bit. "Well, I was thinking about going to the movies or something. There's a new film that I've been wanting to see though I don't really have anyone to go with." He just shrugged, smiling a bit as he thought about the movie. It seemed like it would be really, really fun even if he might possibly go alone. He wasn't really looking forward to the alone part though he was certain that Arthur wouldn't really be interested in a movie with him.

Arthur made sure to fasten his seatbelt as soon as he was seated comfortably in Alfred’s car. Although he was grateful that they had arrived on time, he had no idea of how he had driven quite so quickly without either crashing or making Arthur throw up. He clutched his briefcase tightly in his arms, as he had done earlier.

He had bought his briefcase in one of the more upper-class areas of London, as a birthday present to himself some years ago, just after he had left university. He was keen to keep it looking new and unblemished for as long as possible.

“Yes, I really liked the library,” he murmured, thinking that, that was somewhat obvious. He kept his eyes on Alfred as he continued to speak, watching the way his jaw bobbed up and down as he spoke.

“A mov – a film?” Arthur was profusely refusing to fall to Americanisms whilst he was there. He had to be true to his heritage, after all… despite how stupid it sounded. “Which film is it?” because it wasn’t a subtle hint. Arthur had said that it would be his turn to treat Alfred to something nice and he had, had an idea but it seemed that Alfred was already suggesting something. And it would be rude (and silly) to decline seeing as the idea of sitting in a darkened room with Alfred, his arm around his shoulders as they exchanged occasional chatter and fleeting kisses. It sounded lovely.

“Well, so long as it isn’t too ridiculous a film, I wouldn’t mind going with you… if you’d like to, I mean.” Who said they even had to wait until the weekend, if it was just a trip to the cinema, after all?

Alfred's driving capabilities all came from the fact that he had to drive in New York City traffic every day. It was always rather unrelenting and one had to be quick to change their course just in case. Either that or he was just simply that skilled at driving and Arthur just couldn't really see it! Yeah, maybe it was that. Arthur was probably like one of those older drivers who go twenty miles below the speed limit and drive on the wrong side of the road. He couldn't help but grin at the very image of it.

Cute.

He decided that he shouldn't comment on just how tightly Arthur was clutching the briefcase. Maybe it was valuable or something or maybe his boss was simply just paranoid. Alfred couldn't help but grin at the thought of the other in the library. Books really did seem to fit him. He seemed like a horribly avid reader. Despite Arthur watching him, he kept his eyes on the road as he pulled the car out of the drive way and towards their workplace again, keeping his speed moderate now.

Alfred simply grinned. "It's a romance action movie thing. Well more action than anything but there's still some romance. I heard it was really cool!" He nodded. Okay so maybe he was a complete sucker for action and romance movies but that was besides the point. He glanced over and his cheeks reddened by the slightest bit. "But I mean, if you wanna go...to the movies. ...We could always go to a movie you want and all..." He mumbled with embarrassment.

He really wanted Arthur to come with him. He hated going to the movies alone.

Arthur, having had to leave his car with his parents, was not so much of a slow driver as he was when it came to road-rage. He often had found himself squawking at other drivers, telling them how they should be driving their cars and getting angry with the traffic jams and traffic lights that came with London. The one time he had gone to Paris and tried to drive, he’d been absolutely murderous whilst on the road. ‘Bloody frogs and their lunatic driving!’ as he so fondly recalled bellowing.

Not cute, at all.

He owned a huge number of books. They took up an entire wall in the sitting room of his apartment, a few unpacked boxes still lurking in his bedroom. He had read hundreds, if not thousands (albeit that was unlikely) of books in his lifetime. He loved them, adored them, cherished them. Books were what had kept him sane at various points in his life. Without them, he didn’t know where he’d be.

The film sounded horrible. Some type of action film where there were more explosions than there was plot. But if it was what Alfred wanted to see, he supposed that he could make a sacrifice just this once. Arthur would have to expose him to films of a higher standard, to avoid future sacrifices on Arthur’s part.

“No, no… you’ve been wanting to see this film, yes? Then we will go and see it, together.” He felt his face flush slightly. Maybe it would be good? Somehow he doubted that. “What time do you think that the latest showing would be, this evening?” Lord knew what he was doing.

Alfred was oddly enough more patient with other drivers and oddly enough, he hadn't been yelled at by other drivers that often. Unless he was rushing, in which he had heard a lot of angry car honks and all that. Other than that, not many complained about his driving and he didn't complain about other people's driving capabilities. Honestly, New York City was definitely one of the worst places to go through traffic though most of New England had horrid drivers in his opinion. Especially around the Washington DC area. Ugh.

As for his own book collection, it was rather sparse. While he certainly had many books on the sciences and all that as well as archaeology and things relevant to his interests along with a few American classics, Alfred's flat was generally deprived of any good reads. Maybe some adventure stories about treasure hunting but nothing much more other than that. While he certainly could appreciate books, that was a past time that he left in the past. He didn't have the time to do those things anymore.

Their tastes must have been different though in all honesty. He couldn't just sit around and watch something that was boring or didn't have any explosions or anything like that! Usually though he ignored the make out scenes. They made him rather uncomfortable. By uncomfortable, he meant a bit heated up. Alfred let out a sigh of relief when he heard the other agree and he grinned even more.

"Um, well! I think the latest showing for this film is at seven o'clock! Can you make it then?"