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

Alfred couldn't help but blink at the mention of the pub and he frowned slightly. He didn't drink a whole lot but he wouldn't mind a glass or two. He definitely never drank in some kind of excess but he could possibly be the driver in this case. Maybe a bit tipsy but that was the most that Alfred would allow himself. Even when he went out with his co-workers, he usually ordered something weaker or even just water.

The American soon stayed outside the office until Arthur came back outside. He didn't want to force his boss into going back to the activities with him but it was never fun going to a bar or pub by yourself! He might as well make sure that he's most definitely safe before he decided to leave Arthur or anything like that. Waiting until Arthur came out, Alfred pulled at his scarf just a bit more and swallowed.

"Well, I hope you don't mind joining along. A drink or two won't really hurt or anything." He smiled a bit as he started to head towards the entrance of the building and towards the nearest yet good pub that he knew of unless Arthur knew which pubs were better. It wasn't that often though that he himself went to these pubs but maybe he did know better than the Englishman.

"I might not be able to keep up with your drinking but I gotta make sure you stay safe." He chuckled softly as he looked back at the man. He couldn't be that bad of a drunk.

Oh if he only knew.

Arthur, on the other hand, was a notorious drinker. He often drank like a fish when he got the chance to. He had done a lot of stupid things whilst ‘intoxicated’, too: he’d danced on tabletops; stripped; bedded someone he barely knew; got together with that infamous ex of his; been literally thrown out of a bar – he’d even thrown up on his own shoes before but Arthur wasn’t planning on getting that drunk. Besides, if he had Alfred there then he couldn’t exactly leave a bad impression.

He pulled on his cardigan, his coat and finally his scarf before leaving his office again, checking his pockets as he went. He didn’t want to go to the pub and have it turn out that he didn’t have any money – luckily, he did. He just hoped that it was enough for a couple of pints.

“Well, let’s go then,” Arthur prompted in response to Alfred. He knew a couple of places, but only by where he lived. He hadn’t gone out after (or during) work before. It had also been a long time since he’d had company to go drinking; towards the end of his time in London, he had gone on his own – until his leaving party, of course. Not that he liked anyone that attended it.

What Alfred said next made the Brit frown.

“I’m a fully-grown man, Alfred. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself,” he said stiffly as they left the building. “Although I do appreciate the sentiment,” his voice was much quieter, as though he didn’t want to admit it.

“So where are we going?”

Alfred was completely unaware of Arthur's drinking tendencies and in all honesty, he probably wouldn't even want to be around it. Though considering that he was ignorant of such things and feeling particularly heroic at the moment, he didn't mind too much at the moment. He was pretty certain though that Arthur wouldn't be that bad! Of course he wouldn't!

Glancing in his own pockets, he couldn't help but grin slightly when he saw that he had quite a bit of money in his wallet. Certainly not enough to buy too many drinks (his pay was not the best) but it was definitely enough for one drink or maybe even two if he really felt like it.

His own drinking habits weren't quite as bad as Arthur's own. In fact, he barely even got completely pissed. He usually settled with that lovely buzz that alcohol seemed to give him after enough glasses.

"Of course, of course!" He laughed a bit before looking around. "It's a nearby pub that my co-workers and I used to go to. It has a pretty good selection so maybe you might like something from there." He smiled at Arthur and after a bit of walking, he finally found himself in front of a medium sized pub. Striding forward, he soon opened the door and stepped inside, looking around the familiar settings.

"Here we are! Don't go too crazy though." He snickered a bit as he went to sit over by the bar.

He wasn’t really thinking about Alfred and how the boy might have to deal with him being drunk; he just wanted a drink and was glad for the company, honestly.

“Used to go…?” he questioned. Why did they not go there anymore? Had Arthur’s presence isolated Alfred from his friends? He didn’t dare think about it too much. He followed Alfred into the pub and to the bar. He ignored his last comment.

He was already aware of the huge difference between Guinness and American beer. It made Arthur slightly homesick that the beer was so piss-poor here, even if it was a lot more refreshing. And wine was too much of a girly thing to drink when out. Not that Arthur would have been able to specify between types of red and white wine which would have made him look like a bit more than an idiot.

He sat beside Alfred and ordered a beer from the bartender. He pulled off his scarf and coat, hanging them on a hook beneath the bartop. He kept his cardigan on; it was still a bit nippy in there.

Despite working for Chouchoute and having the wages to buy their clothes, he tended not to. Arthur wasn’t the most fashionable man in the world but he definitely wasn’t unfashionable, either. He often opted for shirt-slacks combinations, occasionally letting skinny jeans coming into the mix on less formal days. He might have been getting closer to thirty, but Arthur still looked good in tight clothing. Oh the pros of being skinny.

As soon as he paid for his drink, he was taking a huge gulp of it. The burn felt good on his throat.

Alfred admittedly was never that big of a drinker so it wasn't much of a surprise that he brought himself to stop drinking for quite a while. It had been a good few months since he had a good glass of beer or anything like that.

Soon taking off his own scarf, he just placed it on his lap as he ordered some cold beer and soon glancing over at Arthur. He couldn't help but wonder what the man got though he soon noticed the beer. At least it wasn't all that expensive.

"Yeah, used to go. I used to come here all the time but then I suppose I was too busy with work and I never found myself having the time to actually drink anything." He laughed softly at that. "But I suppose it's nice to drink with someone. Much better than drinking alone!" He smiled over at the man, his sips slow and steady.

He didn't necessarily intend on getting drunk today.

Unlike Arthur, Alfred was quite the fashionable man and while he preferred to just stay with comfortable clothes, he did make an attempt to keep up with the New York City fashion style. Despite his attempts not to do so, he couldn't help but glance his boss over. Even for almost being thirty or something like that...he still looked pretty damned good in those clothes. They were oddly fitting.

The burn wasn't always the best feeling in his own opinion but he dealt with it. It certainly wasn't the worst thing.

Arthur furrowed his brow slightly.

“I hope that this is not a recent development?” He hadn’t overworked the boy, had he? If anything, it was Arthur that had stayed long after he had to. He couldn’t recall forcing Alfred to stay behind – okay, so there was one time when Arthur was in a particularly foul mood after arguing with the insufferable Mr. Vargas over the phone.

Alfred was lucky though; he hadn’t had to face the bane of Arthur’s bad temper, not really. Arthur might have snapped at him a couple of times but it was nothing in comparison to what the Brit could truly say with that foul mouth of his.

“Yes, I have to agree with you there. Drinking is certainly more fun with company,” he quirked a brief smile, turning back to his drink. He tried to pace himself. Arthur had a problem of just downing his drinks and instantly getting drunk rather than pacing himself and becoming tipsy.

He noticed Alfred looking at him and hunched over the bar more, trying to pretend that he hadn’t seen those azure eyes gazing in his general direction.

“Have you ever had to do one of those team-building things before?”

Alfred brought his elbow to rest on the bar as he rested the side of his face against the palm of his hand. "Eh? Have I done it before?" He thought back on it before nodding. "Yeah, I did!" He smiled slightly and laughed a bit. "Though those turned out to be pretty big messes. They're kinda fun though. I usually paired up with Kiku but I liked pairing up with you also."

It might have sounded weird saying that and even though Arthur dropped him...at least he tried to catch him. It just didn't have the best of results. It took him a few minutes to actually drink the glass but he soon couldn't help himself from ordering another glass, not yet feeling tipsy in the slightest.

He did have quite the tolerance for alcohol unlike others.

In a way, he hoped that he would never have to experience Arthur's true rage. The man seemed pretty cool though. "Oh yeah! It's not a recent development! It's been like this for the past half year." He made sure to reassure the man with a charming smile.

“Like this one then,” Arthur mused dryly. He felt his face heat up at the mention of himself. “T-thank you, J – Alfred… you don’t have to suck up to me though, we’re out of the office now. Remember?”

It was only a few more gulps before he’d finished his pint in record time. He copied Alfred, ordering another one straight afterwards. The difference was, was that Arthur was already starting to feel light-headed. He hadn’t eaten anything in the past few hours so it was all going straight to his head. He knew he’d regret it in the morning, but for now he couldn’t care less.

“Good,” he mumbled. “But not good. You’re a young man, you should be out every weekend – I was when I was your age.” He knew that he was making it sound as though he was old, but those three years between did seem to have made quite a difference between them. They were both very different people.

Arthur started on his next drink as soon as it arrived. Alfred’s bloody smile. He was much too Adonis-like to possibly be allowed to walk amongst normal men like himself, surely? From Alfred’s smile alone, his throat felt tight, hot with his shirt buttoned all the way up. He raised a hand and lazily popped open the top two buttons off his shirt, which showed the top of his collarbone and the vest (tank top) that he was wearing beneath his shirt for warmth.

He glanced over at Alfred, “So you aren’t much of the going out type, then?”

Alfred laughed a bit at that and just grinned at the man. "It was your first time doing it! I remember my first time." He thought about his first team building activity he had ever done. "If I remember correctly, the balloon passing activity ended up with me accidentally popping the balloon because I gripped it too hard." He smiled and sighed. "It's obvious who won that time."

Truthfully, he couldn't help but be extremely surprised as Arthur already was starting on his neck drink. Maybe he was a frequent drinker. They did that a lot in England, right? Drunken Englishmen and all that like?

He just shook his head. "And I'm not sucking up to you. That's not my style. I like to be honest instead." He gave him a bright grin before noticing how Arthur was lazily popping open the top two buttons of his shirt. He didn't necessarily blame him and he just took off his own jacket, which helped better reveal his fit yet lovely body. His arms were pretty well muscled, it was obvious that he was quite paranoid about his physical health to the point where he probably went to the gym...a whole lot. Unlike in his business suit, it was much easier to see Alfred's form with the clothes that seemed to cling to his very body or failed to hide parts of it such as his arms and strong neck.

Alfred smiled over at Arthur and laughed a bit as he more slowly sipped his second glass. "I like going out but I prefer to stay inside or maybe go to the gym at times." He thought. "Parties are pretty cool also!"

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the choice of words and cleared his throat, staring down into the golden-brown colour of his beer. He ran his fingers across the cool glass, leaving patterns where he had touched. “It was not my first time,” he muttered, mostly to himself. He winced at the end of Alfred’s tale.

“Poor balloon,” his tone was dead-pan.

When Alfred removed his jacket, Arthur’s breath hitched as he tried not to look across and ogle him. Even out of the corner of his eye, he could see how well-built the American was. It made Arthur feel far less masculine than he would have liked. It was frustrating that Alfred was his co-worker, if this had been any other given situation, Arthur would have tried his luck with the boy. He knew it wouldn’t be a good idea if put into action, but the temptation was still there. He had to admit, the idea of Alfred sucking up to him was sounding more and more pleasant with each drink of alcohol.

Arthur, as previously described, was more on the skinny side. He was admittedly much stronger than he looked, but despite being well-proportioned, he was still quite bony in places. His knees, for example; they were knobbly and he loathed them – and from the right angle, you could see his ribcage. He wasn’t unhealthy; he just ate the right foods when he was genuinely hungry which didn’t mean every set meal time.

“So would you say that you are introverted?” Arthur had almost finished his second pint. “When I was just a bit younger than you, I was out almost all of the time. It was a wonder I managed to pass my degree,” he laughed, clearly remembering something that he wasn’t quite drunk enough to share with Alfred yet.

Alfred stopped his drinking for a bit, letting the burn down his throat settle just a bit before he continued with the drinking again though not as quick. He wanted to take his time and though he scarfed down his food relatively quickly, he liked to take his time with alcohol. Especially since he hadn't gone out drinking recently (though he always did feel out of place with his other friends). Honestly, he much preferred drinking with just one other person, not necessarily a group of people.

Then he felt rather pressure and honestly, there was always the embarrassing knowledge of his love for fruity drinks where he could barely taste the alcohol at all. Though he stayed away from those at the moment, if only because he didn't want to see rather fruity to his boss and not only that, but he didn't want to mistake how drunk he really was.

Right at the moment though, he wasn't even slightly buzzed (which was a bit of a disappointment) though he made sure to keep a close eye out for his boss just in case. He didn't seem like he would be able to hold his liquor all that well but he may just be completely wrong. Yet if body structure had anything to say about it...

Alfred smiled a bit at Arthur and stretched out slightly as he skimmed across the alcohol selection, wondering if he should change it up a bit. He couldn't help but be rather surprised though when he saw that the man was almost already done with his second pint! He wasn't even half way through his second one yet! "Oh, well...I wouldn't say that I'm that introverted."

He chuckled at the thought and soon shook his head, running a hand through his golden blonde hair. "Honestly, I can have some fun." He licked his lips a bit, tasting some of the alcohol lingering on it. "I enjoy both going out yet also having some privacy with another. Either is fine with me."

He didn't necessarily understand the implications behind his words.

It wasn’t long before Arthur was asking the bartender for a third drink and was met with a shocked look from the man behind the bar. But he complied nonetheless. Arthur was served his third drink.

“Nothing wrong with being an introvert – I’m a bit of one, myself.” His speech was beginning to slur although it was only obviously if you listened carefully. “Parties are alright but nothing can beat a good book.”

Arthur had always loved reading, ever since he was a boy. He read The Lord of the Rings saga for the first time when he was seven. He couldn’t quite explain it but his love of literature seemed to make up for all of the boring meetings and maths that were in his life. He was always busy but when he got a book and a nice cup of tea, it felt like he was in heaven.

He watched Alfred lick his lips and unknowingly copied him, focusing on how Alfred’s lips shone faintly with alcohol and saliva. God, he wished that he knew what it tasted like on those sweet lips. He took a long swig from his glass at what Alfred said. His heart began to race, cheeks turning pink.

“You… you mean like a date?”

Conveniently (or inconveniently for Arthur), a few women walked into the pub. Each of them were pretty in their own way. Arthur wasn’t necessarily attracted to women, but it didn’t stop him from openly staring at them. Besides, he’d been with a woman (once) before.

“You’re into girls, aren’t you, boy? Which one looks good to you?”

Alfred laughed a bit at that, still not even close to finishing his second drink though he couldn't help but be surprised that Arthur was already asking for a third drink. Maybe Arthur really could hold his liquor, probably better than even himself! He brushed his blonde bangs out of his face, azure eyes gazing at the man next to him.

"Well, once again. I wouldn't really say I was an introvert. I love attention." He had to admit that no matter how silly it was of him to admit it. "Absolutely adore attention but at the same time, I like to keep a bit to myself. Isolate myself I suppose though I never mind having someone close by."

He wasn't much of a reader though he did admittedly love the American classics such as Huck Finn and others like that. Though honestly, he preferred reading about space and dinosaurs and how rockets work. He even enjoyed reading about aviation throughout history such as the Spitfires used by the English during World War II and so much more.

Alfred wasn't necessarily paying as much attention to Arthur as the other was paying attention to him, if only because he was certain that his boss wouldn't appreciate it if he openly stared at him. He couldn't help but glance at the cheeks and he shrugged, smiling. "Yeah, date could be one thing." Once again, the implications were not clicking in his mind.

Soon the American looked over at the women and he shrugged. "Well, I suppose the shorter blonde hair girl with longer hair looks nice." He murmured. She seemed rather modest in comparison to the other girls but he didn't seem all that interested. "And I hope you don't mind me saying, sir, or at least hope it won't get me fired." He chuckled a bit and smiled at the man. "But I swing pretty much both ways."

He honestly hoped that Arthur was no kind of homophobe. While he thought of women as beautiful, none of the women that came in were necessarily his type. He barely even knew what his type was.

Although Arthur would never admit it, he was quite a fan of books by people such as Jane Austen and the Brönte sisters… and the tales of Fanny Hill – but that was a completely different genre and not particularly appropriate to be brought up in conversation anyway.

The Brit became red as a tomato at what Alfred said. He agreed that this could be like a date…? Fuck. His palms were sweating; he could hear his heartbeat in his head. Alfred couldn’t really mean that. He was an oblivious fool and he probably had no idea of what he was implying. It wouldn’t surprise Arthur in the slightest. Alfred was far too attractive to possibly consider doing anything of the sort with him, his boss for that fact.

His drinking was beginning to catch up to him. He looked closely at the women, eyeing them silently.
“She has nice tits,” he agreed flatly, not really thinking about what he was saying. At what Alfred said next, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. He was mid-sip which didn’t help. He choked at first and then drank some more to soothe his throat.

“It will comfort you to know that I would consider myself a gay man, Alfred – although I still appreciate a woman’s body, of course… I’ve only ever had relationships with men.” His head was starting to feel too fuzzy for him to be able to think clearly about how much information he was giving Alfred. If there was anything the boy wanted to know about him, it was the time to ask whilst he was vulnerable.

Of course, all of this talk just made him more hopeful.

Alfred couldn't help but look at the man with some concern. He seemed to look rather sick in all reality though he decided not to say any of that. Instead he looked back at the woman for a while and shrugged.

"Actually, the woman next to her has nicer ones but I like her modest style." He murmured, smiling a bit to himself before sighing and shaking his head. He admittedly wasn't thinking of anything like that with Arthur, his boss, but if something was to happen.

Well, nothing could ever happen because Mr. Kirkland wasn't interested in him in the slightest bit. He was probably too young for the man even if they were only three years apart and not only that, but they were strictly business in their relationship. Of course they seemed to actually have become friends and of course trust partners!

Alfred was admittedly surprised when Arthur admitted to actually being considered as a gay man. There was a sense of relief that washed through him though he didn't necessarily know why. It wasn't fully because of the fact that this man was able to understand his position now but still... He simply laughed a bit and smiled. "Actually, I've never been with a man but I wouldn't mind trying if I could find one who was interested." He was very open, drunk or not though the alcohol was helping him lose sight of what should be kept secret or not (though not as much as Arthur).

"Though I don't really want to waltz into a gay club and hook up with some stranger." He admitted, thinking before nodding in contentment.

“Yes, but her lack of clothing is off-putting.” It reminded him faintly of being out in London on a Saturday night, actually. The girls there didn’t really wear a lot even in the middle of December, so long as they were going out.

Arthur felt that he hadn’t kept his attraction to Alfred a secret; he felt as though he was quite blatantly obvious with it, actually. He wasn’t sure if Alfred was giving him the okay to make a move or not. Alfred really was clueless. Stupid, clueless, handsome, strong-jawed, fucking gorgeous git – that was Alfred.

“Well, I’m sure that someone will come along who’s willing to show you, my dear American,” Arthur chuckled, giving him somewhat of a sultry look before drinking more of his beer. “Going to a gay bar isn’t about finding someone to fuck, Alfred. Although, admittedly, I used them for that – it’s about belonging. You’re part of a minority and you’re surrounded by people that understand and that don’t expect you to be anything but yourself and you shouldn’t feel like you have to conform to any sort of social identity and-“ he stopped himself from rambling any further.

“I’ll take you, if you want.” He paused, “Not right now, of course… unless you wanted…?” he left the sentence open, up to Alfred’s own interpretation.

Alfred looked at the girls for a while, humming a bit to himself before chuckling a bit. "Yeah though I suppose she has a nice body." He murmured before glancing away once more so he could stare at his boss instead. It was a major relief to know that Mr. Kirkland was a man who could understand him. He might not be necessarily considered fully gay but it was enough for him to feel some sense of comfort with Arthur.

Of course, despite this, he still wasn't really thinking of Arthur in that light though he couldn't help but be a bit charmed by the man. Not...in that way of course! This was strictly professional and all that! Though despite how 'daft' he seemed, Alfred was able to catch the sultry look and he wondered if it was just the alcohol.

He finally decided to finish his second glass before standing up. "Sure. Let's go now. I'm sure one isn't too far from here." He smiled at the man. Honestly, it was weird to be going with his boss but he wanted to see what this man meant. Hopefully Arthur wouldn't go off with another man that night....he didn't want to be left alone for the night while just lingering around there awkwardly. Though if he didn't try now, he would never gain the courage to go into a gay bar.

This was going to be one of the most bizarre situations that Arthur had ever been in.

The Brit shrugged, downing the last of his drink. He’d probably been in stranger situations, to be honest. He’d been quite the rebel once. He grabbed his coat and scarf, pulling them on.

“I’ll assume that you have been clubbing before?” he asked as they neared the exit of the pub, he was quite wobbly on his feet now but somehow he was managing to stay upright. He knew that those three pints would catch up with him eventually, though. He was pretty sure that he’d loose control of himself at some point pretty soon. Hopefully he wouldn’t do anything stupid like end up in one of the back rooms with some stranger. Although the idea of a nice shag was appealing, he couldn’t abandon Alfred.

He had the horrible feeling that Alfred would get more attention that him, anyway. He was exactly the sort of guy that most would go for: young, new and muscular. Arthur was going to have to keep an eye on the younger man and keep him out of trouble lest he strayed into a back room. That wouldn’t be good.

“Hopefully there won’t be a queue to get in,” he mumbled. “I’m going to have to run a few things past you before we go in, Alfred. There are what I suppose you could call rules of etiquette.”

They were walking down the street by this point; Arthur didn’t know where the ‘gay district’ of New York would be, so he was just following Alfred (again) and trying not to let his gaze wander.

Alfred knew that this situation was going to be rather interesting to say the least but he decided not to contemplate it for too long. Even if this was with his seemingly uptight boss. Nothing bad would happen though! He was a pretty sensible man in all reality.

The American soon grabbed his own jacket and scarf as he quickly dressed himself back up, pushing the empty glass to the bartender before heading out of the pub. He looked over at Arthur, hoping that he wasn't too drunk and that maybe he would be able to stand up by himself. Well all Alfred knew was that he wasn't that wasted yet though that might possibly change the moment he stepped into the gay bar.

Honestly, he was a bit nervous. He was used to being hit on by women or vice versa but he was definitely not used to getting the interest of men. Of what he knew of course. Yet in the end, he would have to keep an eye out for Arthur in hopes that he wouldn't be dragged away and he would simply be left alone to his own devices.

Alfred didn't know where exactly the gay district of New York was but he knew the general area and with a bit of walking, it was obvious that they were starting to approach this very district. If the gay bars had any indication of course and the seemingly gay men that were around them. He didn't know the bars very well but there seemed to be one bar where a good amount of men were going in and so he wanted to try his luck there.

So he grabbed Arthur's hand before he started to tug him towards the bar, smiling a bit. "Here we go! Right over here!" He exclaimed before looking back at the Englishman. "And what rules of etiquette?"

Approaching the said street, Arthur could hear the thump, thump, thump of each club. There were a lot of people around, some of which were scantily clad. He couldn’t help but stare at some of them. People seemed to be much bolder out here than what he was used to.

Arthur stopped in his tracks briefly to check someone out across the street. They gained eye-contact and just as Arthur began to smirk at him, Alfred grabbed his hand and pulled him to join a queue. But Alfred was holding his hand, and that was much better than a look from a stranger.

Alfred’s hand was soft, like he moisturised them daily or as though he had never done a day’s worth of manual labour before. Arthur gave his hand a quick squeeze but quickly remembered what he was doing. He blushed and let go.

“Rules, Alfred.” He looked away, pursing his lips. His head felt fuzzy either from the alcohol or the cold. Either way, he couldn’t wait to get inside. “Back rooms are off-limit unless you want to get jumped; the toilets are also off-limit; don’t make eye-contact with anyone for more than a few seconds otherwise you’re giving them the okay; if someone starts dancing with you, although you have the chance to turn them down, they aren’t just there for a dance; you in particular will have to be vigilant about who you are getting involved with and, uh, I think that’s probably about it.”

Alfred couldn't help but notice the glance between Arthur and the stranger and while he had his good share of one night stands, it was...still rather weird to think that his boss did it also. He was his boss of all people! Either way, he didn't say anything about it and honestly, he didn't want to be left behind. Admittedly, he was a bit nervous still though he didn't allow this to deter him from his goals.

He frowned slightly as Arthur let go of his hand but he decided not to say anything about it. In all reality, he was quite the manual labour worker though he was rather picky when it came to the roughness of his hands. So embarrassingly enough, he did moisturise his hands daily with that lovely lotion that was always stashed away in his brief case.

Waiting in the queue, he felt his heart pound harder and harder with each passing moment as they stepped closer and closer to the club. "Oh, well then. Alright!" He exclaimed, taking note to stay away from these places. He didn't necessarily want to have sex with a man he didn't really know. He was too much of a romantic to really subject himself to such a fate. Especially when he was horribly inexperienced with men.

Horribly inexperienced.

"You won't leave me, right?" He teased, grinning down at the man as he finally stepped inside, feeling the heat of the club almost the moment he stepped in. He couldn't help but take off his scarf again, brushing the bangs out of his face. It was a bit weird to go with his boss but...it wasn't all that bad.

Arthur shoved his hand in his pocket and produced some money to pay the doorman as they went in. He spied the cloak room and headed straight for it, removing his coat and scarf and handed them to the people on the other side of the bar. They gave him a ticket which he put into his pocket.

“It’ll get hot very quickly,” he warned Alfred. He waited for the lad to finish up and then led him forwards, towards the main room of the club. It was pretty packed and very loud. Just what he remembered. There were a few pairs of men on platforms, clearly hired to be entertaining judging by their attire.

Arthur went straight to the bar and ordered himself a drink, expecting Alfred to follow. Clubs like this could be quite overwhelming on the first visit. Arthur was well aware of that. He patted the younger man on the shoulder and then took a sip from his drink.

“When I’ve finished this, do you want to dance?” Arthur needed some more alcohol in him to be able to let go and dance.

Alfred grabbed some money from his own pocket as well before he handed it over to the door man as he quietly followed his boss. His azure eyes were gazing around curiously as he took in all the sights from the lights flashing, the mass of bodies all dancing and grinding. There was no woman in sight and he honestly shouldn't have been so surprised.

Soon following Arthur to the cloak room, he also took off his coat as well as scarf, sighing in relief at the feeling Of cooler air hitting his already heated skin. Alfred didn't mind going to the bar once again because if there was any thing he Knew how to do in any kind of club, it was definitely drinking.

Alfred ordered himself a glass of weaker and cheaper beer, easily drinking it down before glancing curiously over at Arthur, eyes wide as a small flush took over his cheeks. It was difficult to tell if he was flustered or just simply intoxicated. "You mean with you? Like dancing with you?"

He paused for a moment before swallowing. Maybe he really was too drunk for his own good. Yet a comfortable smile soon made its way onto his lips. "Yeah, sure!" Finishing off the glass, he slowly started to head towards the dance floor, waiting for his boss.

Arthur managed to down his drink all in one go (it wasn’t a big glass). He definitely felt feather-light now. The music seemed to go right through him; the vibrations of the bass felt nice.

“Yes, why not,” he slurred. He couldn’t help but feel excited at Alfred’s acceptance of his invitation. Arthur grinned at him and took his hand, dragging him into the mass of bodies that was the dance floor.

It took him a minute to find the beat of the song, but once he did, he was off. Arthur swayed his hips from side to side in what could be considered a seductive manner. He looked up at Alfred. His previous, out-of-character grin was replaced by a smirk. His hands rose to be above his head, feeling the music.

The people around him ceased to exist; it was just Alfred and him. And it was good.

“Just let go,” he mouthed to Alfred, now involving his head in his full-body dancing. He didn’t care that Alfred was his assistant anymore, he didn’t care about business or the fact that he was Alfred’s boss. He was enjoying himself far too much.

Alfred raised his eyebrows when he saw Arthur drink all of that alcohol and even though he was feeling rather dizzy and lightheaded, he knew that it may be best if Arthur didn't drink any more alcohol for the time being, Not unless he sobered up slightly.

In all honesty, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about clubbing with his boss, but they were establishing a friendship like this, right? It was a weird way of establishing a friendship but that was besides the point. It was still nice to be with Arthur like this, Though was the Englishman doing this just to be respectful of his company? He probably didn't even want to dance with a silly American such as himself.

It took the assistant a moment to find the beat of the music but when he glanced over at his boss, he was certain he knew how to sway his hips to the right tempo, So he was a bit rougher than Arthur... but that shouldn't be a problem. He ignored any looks thrown at him and all he could focus on Was how Arthur was dancing. He was so much better than himself.

Closing his eyes for a moment, the American took in a quick breath before finally letting go , not caring any more if he was dancing with his boss. "Like this, Arthur?" He questioned curiously.