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

Arthur was running his fingers back through his hair as Alfred approached and jumped at his voice, causing him to press painfully at the bandage around his head. He gawked upwards and upon seeing that it really was his boyfriend, he gave a slight sigh.

“I got kicked out,” he told Alfred’s shoes, trying not to sound as though he was as upset as he felt. “I don’t have anywhere to go and I… I don’t think that I can afford to stay in a hotel or anything until I can find somewhere to live.” He swallowed thickly, hoping that he wouldn’t have to flat out ask Alfred for his help. It was humiliating enough as it was. “I didn’t know what to do so I – I came to yours.”

Alfred flinched a bit at the mention of Arthur getting kicked out of his flat and he frowned. Hopefully it wouldn't be a huge strain on his money but he believed that it wouldn't be. Though he couldn't in his good mind reject Arthur. He could never reject him...he couldn't ever let him live out in the streets. Instead he soon bent down to grab some of Arthur's possessions into his arms. In fact, he grabbed the majority of things before he headed towards the flat.

He turned around a bit to smile at the other slightly. "Help me take some of your stuff inside, alright, Arthur? I'll start cleaning up the apartment soon, just for you." He chuckled softly, struggling a bit to grab the keys before opening the door. He soon stepped inside, setting some of Arthur's things down before he glanced out at Arthur to make sure he was handling the other things well enough.

Arthur just stared at Alfred in awe. Of course, he’d expected an answer to that extent but actually hearing it from his lips made his heart flutter. He jumped to his feet (well, scrambled – Arthur was in no condition to be jumping around) and watched Alfred go inside. His heart swelled in his chest.

He did as he was asked, bringing in the last of his belongings. He was secretly impressed by how much Alfred could carry in one go. He really was a strong boy; visiting the gym really seemed to pay off for him. Arthur set down the remainder of his bags where Alfred had put the first lot. He soon turned to Alfred and wordlessly took his face into his hands, kissing him tenderly on the lips. It meant so much to him. He couldn’t begin to comprehend how grateful he was.

When they pulled apart, Arthur tried to speak but he couldn’t form words.

“You… you.”

Alfred just smiled a bit to himself and he soon looked around the flat for a moment as he waited for Arthur to come inside. He would definitely have to clean it up for Arthur later because he was certain that the other would definitely not be accepting of the mess. Though when he turned around to face Arthur again, he was taken a bit by surprise as Arthur took his face into his hands and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

He soon pulled away, a small smile on his lips as he chuckled softly. "It's nothing, Arthur. I'm more than happy to have you here with me." He couldn't help but smile just a bit wider. "I hope you don't get too annoyed with me though." He joked, laughing a bit.

He let out a soft sigh, content and pleased. He just hoped that Arthur would be happy with this decision in the end.

Arthur kissed him quickly once again before Alfred could get too far away, but he then pulled away entirely. He looked around the room and spotted the mess straight away. He inwardly groaned at it but skilfully managed not to show it on his face. He just smiled slowly up at him.

“We’ll manage. Thank you again, really. I can’t express how grateful I am.” Well, he had ideas of how to do it but didn’t feel physically well enough to carry those actions out. “I’ll tidy up for you, since I know that you don’t… like it. Just hide away anything that you don’t want me to see and I’ll tidy up tomorrow unless I have to go back to work. I don’t know what Ludwig said about it all?”

He idly rested his hands on Alfred’s sides, glad for the closeness and being able to stand up to return it.

Alfred couldn't help but smile a bit at the quick kiss before pulling away entirely as well. He glanced over at the mess again and he knew that Arthur had an opinion on it. He was just being polite enough not to mention it. Instead he shook his head and laughed.

"As I said, don't worry about it. I'm happy to have you here with me, Arthur. Much more than if you were in a bad part of the city or out in the streets or something." He admitted. Alfred glanced around and thought about things that he possibly wouldn't want Arthur to see but nothing came immediately to mind for him. Instead he just let it go for right now.

"He said that you should come when you're feeling well again." He mentioned. "If you want, I'm sure you can take a day off tomorrow and get settled in and stuff." He advised as he lightly wrapped his arms around his waist. It was weird to think...that...Arthur would be staying with him now.

“Hmm,” Arthur hummed and pressed a kiss to Alfred’s neck. “I’ll make it up to you and we’ll… well, I’ll contribute to the bills and such.” He let out a slow breath and rested his head on the other’s shoulder, eyes closing for a few moments.

It was going to be difficult to live together. Arthur was irritable and Alfred was hopeless. But, as Arthur had said, they would manage. He’d just have to stop being a stick in the mud and Alfred would have to start tidying up after himself. From his vantage point against Alfred’s shoulder, he could see the various packets of food around Alfred’s television and then spotted the broken controller. He laughed a little at the sight, slowly pulling away. He walked over to it and picked it up, as though he was showing it to Alfred.

“Do you really get that mad whilst playing on your console, love?” he chuckled.

Alfred let out a soft sigh as he felt the kiss press against his neck, content with the touch. "Take your time, Arthur. Get yourself settled and back up first and then we'll talk about it." He chuckled a bit. "But don't worry about it right now." He whispered, rubbing the small of Arthur's back a bit, just wanting to feel.

He knew it was going to be difficult to live with each other. He knew that there were definitely going to be arguments if he wasn't careful enough but dammit...he was going to try at the very least. He would try making this work out for the both of them because he couldn't just kick Arthur out if he got angry. He just...he just couldn't let him go again and so he would keep him close. Alfred soon pulled away as well, cheeks flaring up in red as he noticed the broken controller.

"U-Uh...well..you know Xbox live!" He laughed hesitantly. He couldn't believe he forgot to clean that up! "The people who play are complete bastards..." He scratched the back of his head, absolutely embarrassed.

He looked around and he knew that his flat only had one bedroom in it (it was a cheaper flat, as far as cheap could go in New York City of all places) and so he hoped that Arthur wouldn't mind sharing the bed with him more often.

So long as the arguments that they had weren’t big, then they’d be fine. Arthur was already expecting them to bicker – it was what healthy couples did, anyway. Most of the time, Arthur just wanted to shag Alfred senseless, so he figured that they’d be alright. They were still in awe of each other and discovering one another.

He noticed how Alfred was blushing and it amused him even more despite the fact that he had no idea whatsoever of what Xbox Live was. But he nodded in agreement.

“People are bastards,” he grinned. He then noted how Alfred was looking at the bedroom. He quirked an eyebrow, jumping to conclusions but decided not to mention it. As much as he would have liked to prove how grateful he was to his lover but it felt as though his body was gravity bound. He knew that he was in no state to have sex.

“How was work?” he asked, quietly.

Alfred was certain that their arguments wouldn't be nearly as big as the one they had a few nights before and the morning after. He wouldn't allow their arguments to get way too out of hand, he would try keeping himself calm next time and just hope that things would work out. They both cared for each other he knew that this feeling was mutual. They could be a healthy couple, that was what he was certain of. Though right now, they were still exploring each other and enjoying.

He soon nodded in agreement, still embarrassed though he smiled back. "They really can be." So the story was half true but he was certain that Arthur knew the other reason why his controller was broken. There was no need to state it. He knew that Arthur just got out of the hospital and he had no intention of actually having sex with him when he was in such a state. He couldn't force Arthur like that.

Alfred soon grabbed some of Arthur's things, bringing it into the bedroom to help set some of the things up before he smiled slightly. "Ah, work was tiring like usual. I was just setting things up for when you came back to work." He mentioned.

The thought of no sex was clearly more disappointing to Arthur than to Alfred – not that either of them knew, of course. Arthur just blindly assumed that his lover would want to jump his bones every minute of the day, like it was the other way around. He didn’t try to challenge the thought.

He quickly followed Alfred into the bedroom, picking up one of the bags of his belongings for good measure. His expression softened, “That’s very sweet of you – considerate, I mean. It’s very considerate of you,” his cheeks became pinker than they previously had been.

“Any smart quips from Gilbert today?” There usually were, after all. Gilbert always seemed to have too much to say, or at least enough for Arthur to want to punch him in the teeth.

It had been a while since they last had sex though that wasn't the top thing he had in mind at the moment. The top thing was that Arthur got enough rest and that he would be able to move in more easily with his aid. He certainly wanted to jump Arthur at times but he knew that right now, he didn't know Arthur's complete condition.

Alfred just smiled over at his boyfriend and he laughed a bit. "Well, I would have done it even if we weren't together. After all, I'm a pretty damn efficient assistant, if you were to ask me." He joked, still smiling as widely as ever as he took notice of the pink cheeks. How sweet and lovely they looked on Arthur.

He soon started to clean up a bit of his bedroom, wanting it to at least be suitable enough for Arthur to sleep in during the night. "Ah, just a few but those are pretty common. I just ignored them." He reassured with a smile, more easily being able to handle the quips than Arthur.

“I couldn’t possibly comment,” Arthur replied, amusement lurking in his tone. ‘Even if we weren’t together’ had reminded Arthur of what an arse he’d been the other day, though. He felt a pang of guilt and sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Alfred as he moved about the room.

And in Arthur’s opinion, Gilbert was a prick. But a good drinking buddy. He’d been lucky so far that he hadn’t let slip who he was sleeping with. As far as Gilbert was aware, he had a floozy. Alfred was no floozy, of course but he didn’t dare correct him for fear of Gilbert finding out who was his boyfriend – and that he did, indeed have a boyfriend and not a girlfriend. It felt incredibly childish for him to hide it but he feared that he might lose Gilbert as a friend and return to being alone.

“You don’t have to tidy up. You’ve just gotten in. Go sit down and I’ll… make you some coffee or… something,” his brows knitted together as he tried to think.

Alfred couldn't help but grin a bit in amusement at that though he didn't really realise that Arthur was feeling a pang of guilt. He hadn't forgotten the other day but he was definitely feeling better ever since then. Especially since Arthur was better now and he was out of the hospital and that was all that he could ask for. Even if Arthur had to live with him (which he hoped wouldn't turn out too badly).

Gilbert was a prick and that may have been an understatement but they both got along pretty well. They weren't the best of friends but they were laid back and it didn't take much for them to joke around about something or another. He wasn't all that certain about Gilbert's and Arthur's own relationship but it didn't seem all that bad. After all, they had been drinking often recently together. Though he couldn't help but wonder what they they talked about when they were together drinking. Was any of it about him? Probably not.

Alfred just hesitated for a moment before nodding and sitting down on the bed, smiling a bit. "Yeah, coffee would be nice. There still should be some tea that I have for when you visit." He mentioned.

Arthur nodded. Alfred had bought tea for him? His heart melted a little. Despite losing his home and his most prized possessions, he couldn’t help but be glad that he was there with his boyfriend. He stood up and pressed a kiss to Alfred’s temple before leaving the room. He headed for the kitchen and set about making coffee and tea. He hummed a little to himself, although it wasn’t a particularly joyful tune. Yes, he was thrilled that they’d managed to work things out and that Alfred had been willing to let Arthur stay with him, but he was still quite shaken up from the whole ordeal – not that he’d tell anyone that. He’d had another nightmare the previous night, whilst in his hospital bed. He could only hope that they wouldn’t continue.

He heaved a sigh and continued to prepare the beverages. He soon returned to Alfred, a mug in each hand. He held out the coffee to the other, soundlessly.

Alfred reddened a bit at the kiss pressed to his temple but he soon watched as Arthur went into the kitchen. He didn't know how the other was and how his nightmares were but he hoped that they wouldn't continue on. He wondered what was in the other's nightmares though he knew that the fire must have been a traumatic experience. He would definitely have to keep an eye out for fire hazards now just in case or at least keep an eye just in case Arthur decided to smoke in excessive amounts or drink a bit too much.

He took a few things off of his bed so they would at least have some room to sleep when the hour came before gratefully looking at the coffee. In reality, he was a bit excited to have Arthur stay here with him though also a bit anxious. He soon reached out to grab the coffee before taking a sip of the drink. He yelped a bit as he scalded against the hot coffee.

"A-Ach!" He tried to brush his tongue with his shirt, trying to cool down his tongue.

Arthur quirked an eyebrow as Alfred began flapping about and took a small sip from his tea, observing quietly until he felt that it was the right moment to inquire:

“What on earth are you doing?” he sounded utterly disbelieving of what he was witnessing. Although, logically, perhaps it was too hot for him? He quite liked the idea of the coffee being too hot for him – not in a sadistic way, of course. More of a ‘the coffee that I made is too hot for Alfred to handle’ way. If that made sense to anyone other than Arthur. Which is probably didn’t.

“Did I forget milk or something?”

Alfred finally managed to cool his tongue down after exposing his tongue enough to the air before letting out a more content sigh. He just smiled a bit, cheeks a bit red in embarrassment. If he knew what Arthur was thinking, he would have no idea what he was trying to imply.

"U-Uh, it just took me by surprise is all." He said, smiling a bit though he was still embarrassment. "Just a bit hotter than I expected." He continued before taking more tentative sips from the coffee the next few sips, blowing air on the top of the coffee in hopes to cool it down. He raised his eyebrow and he shook his head.

"Nah! The coffee is fine!" He reassured though in his opinion, it needed just a bit more sugar. He could handle without the sugar though because coffee was coffee. He loved the stuff.

Arthur rolled his eyes a little and hid his small smile behind his mug. He was starting to feel tired again. And his books were becoming more and more difficult to ignore. He couldn’t believe that he’d lost them all. Every book that he’d ever loved was gone. There felt as though there was a gaping hole in his chest growing bigger and bigger. But he ignored it. He had to be cheerful, for Alfred.

“Try not to burn yourself again,” he advised with a slightly smug look.

Alfred didn't really see any books that Arthur carried because he had carried a lot less than he had expected. Didn't Arthur prize those books as if they were his own children? Well either way, he wouldn't question it for now. He would just have to see what Arthur brought with him out of the flat and maybe...just maybe...

No, he would think about it later. Right now, Arthur was taunting him a bit and he had that smug look and hell, he was embarrassed! Instead he just blew more air on the coffee and huffed.

"I won't burn myself again." He said before taking another sip again.

“Are you sure? Not going to spill it over yourself, eh?” Arthur teased. He watched Alfred for a few long moments, enjoying the shape of his angular and attractive features as he usually did. How on earth would he have managed in New York without this man?

“Well, I’ll, uh, leave you to get changed into something more comfortable,” Arthur smiled quickly at him before turning to leave the room, standing outside of the door. He looked around the lounge and instantly felt the need to clean up. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot and tried to resist going and moving things around. He’d get it all cleaned up tomorrow; it’d take his mind off of things. He kicked off his shoes by the door and placed them neatly next to his remaining belongings in the hall. He went to sit on the sofa and curled up a little.

He took another sip from his tea.

Alfred just rolled his eyes, smiling a bit at the teasing though after a few minutes, he finally finished his coffee. It was extremely refreshing after a long and exhausting day at work. He noticed that Arthur was watching him for some reason and he couldn't help but wonder what the other was thinking though he decided to dispel that thought for the moment. He really was happy with Arthur and even though they would most definitely hit some bumps, he could hope that they would remain happy. The past few months had been wonderful for him.

Raising an eyebrow at that, Alfred nodded in understanding before putting the empty mug on the table before changing into pyjamas. Finding that it was a bit too uncomfortable with the shirt on, he soon tugged it off and he was certain that Arthur wouldn't mind too much. Soon he stepped out into the living room, bringing the empty mug into the kitchen before stepping back inside.

"You don't mind sleeping with me in the bed, do you?" He asked with a small smile, just hoping that he wouldn't mind. Most likely not thought.

Arthur hadn’t expected for Alfred to emerge topless. When he turned to look at him, he was mid-sip. His eyes widened a little and he choked on his tea. Once he managed to recover, his face red, he nodded.

“No, no… that’s… yes, um, that’s fine.” A part of him had almost expected for Alfred to let him sleep on the sofa. Which, admittedly, Arthur felt as though he deserved. He wasn’t worthy of being able to curl up beside Alfred in that warm and comfortable bed. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, noticing belatedly that he’d spat tea down his front. Luckily enough, he hadn’t managed to damage the furniture.

Despite needing to change his own t-shirt, he remained where he was and desperately tried not to ogle Alfred and his washboard chest as he eyed his pyjama bottoms.

“You aren’t… ready to go to bed yet, are you?” he asked curiously. He’d been under the impression that Alfred went to the gym every day.

Alfred's eyes widened just a fraction when Arthur choked on his tea and he soon laughed a bit, walking towards his boyfriend before lightly patting his back. "Hey there, are you alright?" He asked, a flicker of concern in his eyes. "Don't choke on me, okay?" He joked a bit, smiling kindly as he soon pulled away to stretch out slightly.

Despite their fight, he couldn't dare let Arthur sleep out on the couch and if anything, he would have taken his place instead. Though they had slept together plenty of times after they had sex so this wouldn't be bad in the slightest bit. Alfred wouldn't let him sleep on the couch though, he couldn't. In addition, he was a cuddling person. He would much prefer to have Arthur right there with him so he could well...cuddle up in his sleep.

Alfred soon noticed the tea down Arthur's front and he laughed a bit. "You can go change if you want." He mentioned, shifting around a bit before raising an eyebrow. "Well, not really. Whenever you want to go to bed, then I'll follow you right after." He said with a smile.

Arthur only blushed more at what Alfred said, instantly hearing the dirty side of it. God, he was such a perv. He mumbled something unintelligible into his mug before taking one final, large gulp. He purposefully stared at the wall, embarrassed.

“Yes, yes…”

At least he’d managed to make Alfred laugh somewhat. He looked down at his t-shirt and heaved a sigh. Was this how a baby felt when it had food covering its front? He grudgingly rose to his feet and began to search for the bag containing his clothes.

“No, I’m not tired enough to want to sleep but relaxing sounds nice,” he ran hi fingers back through his hair and again caught his bandage. The nurse that dressed his wound that morning must have attached it to some of it hair. “So… whatever you want to do, we’ll do.”

He went into Alfred’s room to change his t-shirt. He couldn’t find any of his loose tops and so had to put on one of his most hated ones. It had been a present from one of his cousins; it was a black t-shirt (that hugged even Arthur’s body tightly) with a white arrow pointing upwards and text underneath saying ‘wanker’. Seeing as it was his closest option, he gave in with a sigh and walked back to meet Alfred. He held his dirtied top in front of him, protecting his inappropriate top for as long as possible.

He hadn’t been sure what to do with his t-shirt. He guessed that he should have put it in the wash basket but that seemed like a big step. Mixing his laundry with Alfred’s. Lord, what if he ended up smelling like Alfred? Not that it would be a bad thing but he hadn’t ever shared a scent with someone before. It was a strange feeling.

“What should I do with this?”