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

Without Alfred for two, long weeks in a hot country filled with ex-convicts. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. It wasn’t as though he could say no, though. Ludwig didn’t seem to be giving any leeway on this. He was speaking declaratively and without a shadow of a doubt in his voice. He knew that Arthur would have no choice but to say yes. Crafty bastard.

“I see… well, yes. Uh, when do I leave?” Arthur felt nerves bubbling inside of him at the thought of going to yet another entirely foreign country all alone. And he’d just basically moved in with Alfred and been in a fire – it wasn’t exactly good timing. “There’s no need to inform him, I’ll tell Jones myself.” He rose from his seat.

“If that’s all, sir, then I would like to go and begin to plan for this.”

Ludwig seemed understanding of this and despite everything, he knew that Arthur was the best man for the job. They really couldn't do it any later though and so he had no choice to but to make certain that Arthur went on the trip. No one else he knew would do the job better and not only that, but it was Arthur's idea in the first place so it was best that he was the one to discuss it with them.

"You'll leave this coming Sunday evening. I'll make certain to give you the details on the flights and the hotels later." He said before nodding. He was going to tell Alfred himself but if Arthur wanted to tell him, then that was up to him.

"That is all. It's good seeing you back." He said, a small smile on his lips before he returned back to his work.

Alfred had decided to eat quickly and it was only about half an hour later that he came back to the office, seeming much more sated with food now in his stomach and pretty much pleased. Though that wouldn't last much longer if Arthur told him about his business trip to Australia.

Arthur wasn’t sure how to break it to Alfred. His lovely ray of sunshine wouldn’t shine in the way that he usually did if he was told; he’d go out like a lightbulb. But he couldn’t just not tell him.

“Thank you sir. Good day,” he nodded politely and left the room. He walked slowly back across the office, ignoring gibes from Gilbert and instead interpreting them as white noise. He returned to his own room and collapsed back into his chair with a groan of frustration (quickly followed by a low hiss at the sharp pain from the impact).

After a while, he decided that it was worth leaving his office to see if Alfred had come back. However, it would draw attention to the fact that he’d called Alfred into his office and could potentially cause speculation of some sort. After all, Mr Kirkland rarely left his own room unless he had to. He pulled out his phone from his briefcase and text Alfred.

Come into my office.

He merely waited for some form of response. For all he knew, Alfred was at the water cooler chatting with his friends. He’d caught him slacking off like that before so he wouldn’t have been surprised.

Alfred had been hanging on the bottom floor when he received the text though he really couldn't help but wonder who it was. Maybe it was another one of Arthur's clients yet a frown soon made its way on his lips as he read the message. Arthur usually didn't call him into the office unless it was something important...especially since he still had time in his lunch break.

Apologising to the girl at the desk who he was talking to just for friendly conversation, he soon went upstairs and a few minutes later, he was at Arthur's office. With an apologetic smile, he closed the door behind him and walked towards Arthur.

"Sorry about that. Is everything alright?" He questioned, looking the other over curiously and wondering if everything really was alright. Maybe there wasn't or maybe he was just being a bit paranoid. Admittedly, he would be very, very disappointed if he learnt that he couldn't go to Australia with Arthur but that was something that he would just have to deal with.

Arthur looked up at the sound of the door. He’d almost started to doze. He sat upright and scanned over Alfred’s attire. He looked tense, but he supposed that it was unsurprising. He rarely asked for Alfred to see him rather than Alfred just coming in at regular intervals.

“Jones, I – Alfred…” he exhaled slowly, “I’ve been asked to go to Australia on Sunday for two weeks.” It was blunt and he couldn’t look at Alfred as he told him but at least he knew now. He ran his fingers back through his hair, focusing on the wall intently for a few moments. But he knew that he’d have to see the disappointment on Alfred’s face at some point. “Alone,” he added painfully.

He lifted himself out of his seat and walked (hobbled) over to his lover. He placed a hand flat against Alfred’s chest, his touch gentle. His other hand reached up to cup Alfred’s chin between his thumb and forefinger. He reached upwards and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“I’m sorry, darling… I asked if you would be accompanying me but apparently they can only fund for me to go.”

Alfred was definitely tense but he really couldn't help himself. Not when Arthur was there, sitting and having called him earlier so he could talk to him. Well maybe talk to him. That was what he assumed at least since Arthur never really called him early during working hours unless he really had to. He had every right to be tense. Yet also with the way that Arthur referred to him by his first name, he knew that the best of news wasn't going to be coming.

His eyes widened slightly at the mention of Australia and a burst of hope ran through his heart. That meant he could go, right? He always wanted to go to Australia! It always seemed like such an amazing place! Just as a small smile pulled at his lips, it immediately disappeared with the painful mention of 'alone' from his lover. At first, he thought that maybe Arthur didn't want him there but he was soon reassured when he heard that the older man asked.

With a small smile, he tried not to get too disappointed though it was clear that he was. "Hey, it's alright." He insisted, leaning down to press another quick kiss to his lips. "Two weeks isn't too bad. We'll both survive." He assured as he leant against the touches on his face. It felt so nice though he really couldn't help the disappointment lingering in him.

Being away from the security he had come to find in Alfred’s company was quite daunting. He didn’t really want to suddenly be on his own again. What if Alfred changed his mind about them being together whilst he was gone? Or if he found someone better? What if…?

These were silly things to be worrying about, he decided. He hadn’t moved away from Alfred at all, lingering so that their faces were still mere inches from each other. He just nodded slowly and leaned in again, going in for a much slower, drawn out kiss this time, his arms sliding around Alfred’s neck to hold him close. He couldn’t tell him that he’d miss him, that’d be too degrading. Perhaps his actions could speak for him as they usually did?

Arthur soon pulled away, breathing a little heavier from lack of air. He pressed a final kiss to his chin before moving away entirely. That had pretty much used up the ‘kiss allowance’ – not that they ever bothered to pay attention to that.

“I leave on Sunday. I’m not sure what the time difference is going to be from here to there… we could end up being a whole twelve hours apart or something ridiculous.” Meaning that they’d have to allocate time to call one another.

Alfred was more than happy to press another kiss on Arthur's lips, holding him close as he wrapped his arms around his waist and he fully enjoyed the long and drawn out kiss from the other. It felt wonderful...absolutely wonderful. Though he knew that they wouldn't have many opportunities to do this before Arthur left, which really, really sucked. He knew that Arthur would miss him and honestly, he would miss him as well. He knew that he wouldn't find someone better because honestly, there really was no one better than Arthur for him.

He wasn't all that worried. Just as long as they kept contact, then he would be fine. Soon pulling away from the kiss, he lazily smiled at him, leaning towards the kiss to his chin before he also pulled away. He really didn't care if they used up the 'kiss allowance'. They hardly ever listened to it anyways and he deemed this as a special case. They were definitely allowed more kisses because Arthur was going to be leaving to Australia soon.

He wished he could come with him.

Alfred soon nodded, still smiling a bit. "It'll be a sixteen hour difference. It won't be so bad." He reassured though he knew that he would just be farther away from Arthur no matter what. He would be able to handle it though. He would make certain to make everything as perfect as he can for Arthur though he knew that the flight would tire the other out. He didn't really know how long the flight though was.

"Don't worry. We can figure out the times that you're free and I'll call you then." He reassured.

Arthur tensed. Sixteen hours? Sixteen fucking hours?! Alfred had said it so flippantly, as though it was no time difference at all. He was going to be exhausted. Fucking fuck. And what the hell was he supposed to do at the weekend?

“Yes, I suppose that we shall. I expect that I’ll be meetings and like quite often, however.” He ran his fingers back through his hair, heaving a sigh and perched on the edge of the desk, unable to conceal his wince that time. His face heated up a little, realising that Alfred probably would have noticed his discomfort as he sat down. They both knew why he could barely sit down.

“I’m dreading this, Alfred,” he admitted with a frown. He loosened his tie and the top button of his shirt. “I really, really don’t want to go.” He realised he was being unprofessional about this but he couldn’t exactly discuss it with anyone else. He cleared his throat. “Forgive me; I’m just complaining about something that I can’t change.” He glowered at the ground.

Alfred just watched Arthur carefully with a small frown on his lips, just observing him quietly before sighing a bit and going over to his lover so he could sit down on the desk right next to him. He knew it was unprofessional but he decided that it didn't matter. It wasn't like someone was just going to walk in without knocking first and usually they didn't step in unless they were allowed to. So he decided that it was relatively safe.

"It's alright." He tried to reassure again though he knew that it was growing increasingly harder to reassure him. After all, he knew that the other didn't take well to very little sleep and he was certain that jet lag would just make it worse. Alfred did notice the wince when Arthur perched on the desk and he frowned.

"Are you sure you're alright? I can get you some pain killers if you want." He said, cheeks slightly red as he remembered the night before. Maybe he should have been a bit more gentle last night. He soon lightly rubbed Arthur's back, trying to comfort him a bit and truthfully, he just wanted to touch him as much as he could before Sunday came. After all, two weeks was a rather long time.

"Don't worry about it though. It was unfair that they popped this on you out of nowhere." He said with a frown. If he had a position to do so, then he would have complained but he knew that he couldn't.

Arthur looked up at him and shook his head. “Don’t be daft. I’ll be fine… it’s more the bruises that are giving me gip, actually.” He smiled slightly, though his heart wasn’t in it. He leaned back into the touch, relaxing somewhat. “I don’t think that pain killers would do much, to be honest.”

He was quiet for a while. “I’ll just keep calm and carry on; the good old-fashioned way. It’s one of the few good things that my father taught me, actually. No pain, no gain. If I do this then perhaps I might…” get a bonus of some sort. He wouldn’t say that to Alfred, not when his own wages were so low in comparison.

“When we get home later, I’ll have to start packing.” He said, somewhat miserable about it. With the soothing rubs to his back, Arthur soon felt comfortable enough to simply lay his head upon Alfred’s shoulder, eyes closing. He was so tired. The combination of exertion from work, aching bones from the previous night and the fact that he wasn’t fully recovered from his ordeal was exhausting.

“You should probably get back to doing some work. Finding out what time I have to be at the aeroport, for example,” he sighed.

Alfred just continued on rubbing his back lightly, more than glad to just have his hands on him and being able to comfort the other to the best of his abilities. He really cared about Arthur...he didn't want him to go through this though he knew it was necessary. Maybe the other could get good benefits from this and be able to recover from his ordeal even quicker. Though it was a bit disappointing, knowing that maybe Arthur would gain enough money to live on his own again. Of course they were just starting but still, he was already missing the other a bit even if they were right next to each other.

They would just have to enjoy their time together and hope for the best. It was just two weeks. It wasn't necessarily like they were married or anything. They could handle two weeks away from each other, it really wasn't any big deal. "If you say so." He mentioned though he had a feeling that if this kept going, maybe their other co-workers may notice Arthur's limp.

He simply smiled a bit at the other, wanting to remain cheerful though it was slowly becoming obvious that Alfred was still a bit down from all of this. He really wanted to be happy for the other but it was just hard knowing that he would be leaving so soon and for so long nearly half way across the world. "I'll help you pack." He mentioned. "Don't worry about it. Just focus on getting rested up and I'll help you with anything you need." He said, kissing the top of Arthur's head as he allowed him to rest his head on his shoulder.

He was rather tired himself and it became increasingly obvious as he closed his eyes and rest his head back against the man. "I'll do that in just a moment." He murmured softly, enjoying the contact for at least a few more minutes before he slowly pulled away with a soft sigh, standing up so he could figure out the other's time and schedule for everything.

Arthur’s entire body tingled as Alfred kissed him. He didn’t know what it was about Alfred, but he was just so captivating and ever so lovely. He knew that he shouldn’t have been as crestfallen as he was about Alfred being unable to go with him – they hadn’t been a couple for long, after all. But he couldn’t help it. He was genuinely upset that he would be away from Alfred for two weeks.

“Thank you, Alfred,” he whispered, barely loud enough for even himself to hear. Arthur moved himself accordingly as Alfred pulled away, standing. He got up off of his desk and made his way around to the other side to sit back in his seat. “I shall see you at some point during the afternoon. Be sure to let me know when the details of the trip have been finalized.” He paused, “Good work, Jones.”

Alfred simply smiled a bit before he nodded "Anything for you, Mr Kirkland." And with that, he left the office to continue on doing his work for the other.

It was a few days later and admittedly, Alfred knew that they really had no choice in this. He would have to let the other go whether he wanted to or not and he really, really wanted just to keep him there instead. He spent every moment he could with Arthur and of course he stole a good many kisses from his lover but he knew that the time was coming where Arthur would have to go to the aeroport.

Everything was already packed and Alfred was just hurrying around the flat, making certain that Arthur hadn't forgotten anything just in case. Honestly, he was probably more worried about Arthur's trip than Arthur himself, always worrying about whether he got everything or not. Certainly he was a forgetful man himself but when it came to others, he wanted to make sure that they had everything.

"Are you almost ready for the aeroport?" He asked, glancing over at Arthur as he pulled on his jacket. He was under the impression that he would drive the man, especially since they had a supposed carpool together so it shouldn't have seemed too obvious. He quickly grabbed his keys and honestly, he really shouldn't have to be worried about being in a rush. They still had a bit of time to get to the aeroport but he wanted to make certain before they were both off.

Alfred kept his gaze on Arthur for a long moment, letting out a soft sigh. He really would miss him.

Arthur had spent most of the day so far napping, deliberately trying to make himself tired so that he would sleep during the flight(s). He emerged from the bedroom, clad in black jeans, a shirt and a green jumper; he had bought a new coat in the past few days, having decided that it was stupid to freeze when he had the money to spare to buy one. He carried his briefcase in one hand.

“Yes, yes,” he yawned. “I’m ready. Just relax.” He patted his pocket, checking for his passport briefly. He noted how Alfred was getting ready. He raised a thick eyebrow. “The taxi won’t be here for another ten minutes,” he said pointedly. Arthur had made the decision a few hours ago that not only would it look suspicious if Alfred drove him to the aeroport but he also didn’t want Alfred to be chasing around after him. It wasn’t fair on Alfred to interrupt his day.

He also gazed at Alfred, taking in every last detail of him whilst he could. He wandered across to him, cupping his cheeks in his hands. He was extremely quiet, marvelling at the stunning blue of those eyes. He wanted to loose himself in them forever. He gave a soft smile, affectionate but sad.

“Relax, my lovely,” he repeated, voice much more gentle. “I’ve travelled before, although it might astound you to know,” his voice was filled with mirth. “I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

Alfred didn't mind Arthur napping for most of the day because honestly, he would many times sneak in with him and nap alongside with him though he really couldn't nap for too long. Napping wasn't really his thing and he preferred just to knock out during the night after wasting his energy on other things throughout the day. Yet it was awfully boring when Arthur wasn't awake.

Yet that reminded him that the next two weeks were also going to be awfully boring, especially considering that he wouldn't be able to have Arthur alongside him for most of the day or even at work. It was just going to be...incredibly lonely. He decided though that he could handle it and that he would be able to make it through. It was only two weeks! Nothing much could possibly happen during that time.

He nodded at Arthur's insistence, taking in a deep breath before he smiled at him. "Of course...I'm extremely relaxed!" He assured though they both knew that wasn't the case. He was a wreck of nerves though he knew that all he had to do was just take a few more deep breaths and calm down.

Yet when he heard that there was a taxi coming, Alfred couldn't help but frown. "A taxi?" He asked, any kind of mirth that he had previously quickly disappearing. "But I can drive you there. It really is no problem." He said, wondering why Arthur decided to grab a taxi instead. Was his driving skills that horrible? Of course Arthur didn't want to get rid of him early but still... He had wanted to see Arthur off at the airport at the very least...

He just quietly allowed the other to cup his cheeks and he leant in towards the touch, still rather quiet as he stared back into those green eyes. He gave a small yet hesitant smile, not really certain how he should act. "I know you won't..." He murmured back. He knew that Arthur wasn't going to do anything stupid and he just had to keep convincing himself of that.

Arthur shook his head, “I’d rather that you stayed here. There are going to be officials there to greet me and I don’t want to arouse any suspicion.” He could hear the irritation in his boyfriend’s voice but ignored it, hoping that they could say goodbye without struggling with one another.

His fingers threaded back into Alfred’s golden locks, holding him firmly in place as he reached up to kiss him fleetingly. He gave a small sigh and spoke again, lips close to Alfred’s.

“You’ll take care of yourself, won’t you? You’re not going to do anything stupid whilst I’m gone like try to redecorate?” he teased, a small smile upon his face. He couldn’t quite bring himself to admit that he was going to miss him. He didn’t want to admit it. The people that Arthur had missed before in his life usually let him down. He didn’t want to give Alfred the opportunity to do that. If he pretended that he wouldn’t miss him, then perhaps they’d be able to carry on blissfully for some time longer?

“And…” he swallowed thickly; brow furrowing as he tried to find the right words, “umm…” his eyes flickered away to the other side of the room as he began to blush. Soon enough, he was looking at him again, however. “You’ll call me during my lunch breaks, yes?” he made it sound so formal that he wanted to punch himself in the face for it. So formal, so unfeeling. He had no idea of how to portray how he felt leaving Alfred.

Instead, he just leaned up to him again, kissing him tenderly on the lips, hoping that yet again his actions would speak louder than words.

Alfred couldn't help but frown though he knew that there was reasoning behind the other's words. Was it really all that suspicious though? After all, he was pretty much driving him to work every morning, so it really shouldn't have been all that weird if he asked for a lift to the aeroport. Yet he knew that Arthur's mind already seemed to be made up and so he gave up with a small, resigned sigh.

He really wished that he could be there with Arthur instead but it wasn't really like he could do much after he dropped him off. Instead he nodded and lazily returned the fleeting kiss, still rather discouraged with everything.

He just smiled a bit, trying to reassure him. "Yeah, of course I will. When don't I take care of myself?" He asked, some amusement in his voice. He chuckled softly as he heard the other's teasing about redecorating and honestly, it wouldn't be such a bad idea. He wasn't bad at interior design after all. In fact, he could possibly even be classified as a bit of a classy man with his tastes.

Yet the fact that Arthur didn't really say that he would miss him somewhat disappointed him but he didn't want to pay too much mind to it. He really shouldn't be so paranoid in a sense and he knew that everything would be alright. Arthur still cared for him as he did for the other. Everything would be alright and he wouldn't really need to worry. He was a bit confused with Arthur as his eyes flickered away and he blushed a bit before he soon realised what the other was trying to say. He understood Arthur and how he just couldn't help himself though it still pulled at him deep inside.

"Yeah, during your lunch breaks. I'll try not to pass out after the work day." He assured with a small grin. He was more than happy to lean back down so he could kiss him back tenderly on the lips, keeping the kiss intact for a long moment before finally pulling away with soft breaths. "You should be going now...the taxi might be outside waiting." He said softly though he just wanted to stay with Arthur.

Arthur held on to Alfred, trying to prolong the kiss for as long as he could. It seemed as though he was going to miss Alfred a great deal more than Alfred was going to miss him. It made his stomach churn. He just wanted to hold him and kiss him. He didn’t want to leave. Not for some God forsaken country where it was a totally different season. He closed his eyes, inhaling his scent one last time. He was going to miss that, as well.

“Yes, I suppose that I should,” he murmured although he made no movement as though he was going to leave. Instead, he leaned in and kissed him one last time before slowly, reluctantly untangling himself from Alfred.

Christ, he didn’t want to leave.

“I’ll see you in two weeks, Alfred.” He wandered towards his luggage (his limp having disappeared over the past few days), picking up his briefcase again. A part of him wanted to say more, but he wasn’t sure that he could. He looked back over his shoulder at his lover, his boyfriend and gave a solemn smile.

He shut the door behind him.

Alfred really, really didn't want to Arthur to leave and even though he could tell that the other didn't want to leave either, he really couldn't help but think otherwise considering how he...just... He let out a soft sight, letting the kiss be prolonged as he just kept him close, keeping the kiss intact until he could barely feel his breath anymore before finally pulling away. He just wanted to keep Arthur close and not let him go to Australia. It was just so far away and they could have been spending time together, doing other things. Just not having to contact each other through the phone.

He closed his eyes for a moment, keeping the man close and just taking in his scent and his warmth. He didn't move away either to signify that he was leaving and instead he was more than happy to return the one slow last kiss before finally pulling away with great reluctance.

"I'll see you, Arthur." He murmured back, watching as the other wandered towards the luggage. He just kept his gaze on him and honestly, when the other looked back over his shoulder, all he wanted to do was just grab onto him and hold him close and just not let him go. Yet he knew that he had to.

Once the door shut, Alfred sighed and wandered towards the bedroom, glancing out of the window as he watched Arthur go into the taxi. "I'll miss you." He whispered.

It was going to be a long two weeks.

The sleep Arthur had gotten didn’t help at all. He had been totally restless for the entire sodding journey. He’d had to change flights several times and as he’d gotten closer to Australia, more and more children seemed to be appearing in the cabins. It had resulted in Arthur shouting at a fellow passenger and for a child to interrogate him for an entire hour. He’d had no idea of what to say to the banal questions fired at him continuously.

When he finally arrived in Sydney, late on a Monday afternoon (local time), he was he exhausted. He was greeted by a chauffeur at the aeroport and was driven to his hotel. At least the hotel wasn’t a let down; it was up to his standards. He had changed out of his clothes (having worn them for over 24 hours) and collapsed on to his bed in nothing but his underwear. It was fucking hot there, as well.

Unfortunately enough, he received a phone call a short while later. He answered with a clipped voice: “What do you want?”

“Mr Kirkland?”

“What?” he growled.

“What?” the man at the other end of the phone sounded confused.

“What?” Arthur sat up, scowling at the view of the Opera house.

“What, what…?”

“What fucking what?!” he shouted into his phone.

“Ah, sorry if I’m disturbin' ya',” the man cleared his throat. “I am phonin' to tell ya' where you have to be tomorrow mornin'.” His Australian accent was thick.

“Oh… right,” Arthur sighed.

“There will be a chauffeur” – another one, Arthur added mentally – “waitin' for ya' at eight o’clock. You’ll be taken to our new offices and asked to brief our staff. After that, you’ll be expected to oversee some trainin' sessions. Alright, mate?”

“Yes… mate,” the Brit ground out.

“Well, good evenin’!” and the Aussie was gone.

Arthur almost regretted being so rude. It was unprofessional and no way to make friends whilst he was there. He fumbled through his discarded trousers for his phone. Once he’d found it, he typed out a message to Alfred:


He had been reluctant to add the ‘kiss’ to the end of the message but he was far too tired to contemplate it too much. He missed Alfred, unfortunately. It was something that he was going to have to deal with. He set his alarm grudgingly and settled down to sleep at last.

During most of the day that Arthur was on the trip, Alfred found himself to be completely bored. Then of course he had to go to work without the other, which Ludwig wasn’t hesitant in sending him straight to work. It really, really sucked in his opinion. At least when Arthur was just unwell and he stayed over at his flat, at least then he could expect seeing the other after a hard day at work. Yet all he could come back to was an empty flat after a tiring and empty day of work. He was worked hard, having to run around every which way for various people since he didn’t have Arthur there to work for.

He just hoped that Arthur was doing alright and nothing was all that bad over there. He was certain that his lover would be a bit on the cranky side but he knew that it shouldn’t be all that bad. After all, he was a rather professional man and so he would be surprised if he allowed formalities to go down the drain. Okay, so maybe he had seen a few formalities go down the drain before but he was certain it wouldn’t happen in Australia.

When he woke up, he noticed the message waiting for him and he couldn’t help but smile at the message. It really was a relief to see the message there just waiting for him…at least Arthur didn’t forget him for work. That was…nice…

He quickly typed out a message, more than hapy to respond to him. He really did miss the man even though it had just barely been over a day.

How was the trip? I heard it was a long one so I hope it wasn’t too bad. Make sure you call me during lunch break! :) Rest up!!
I miss you, can’t wait to talk to you.
Alfred xoxoxoxo

He knew he sounded a lot more informal than Arthur but he decided that it was alright, as long as he didn’t use that chatspeak that the other seemed to dislike so much. With a small smile, he soon pressed the send button before bring the mobile up to his lips, lightly kissing the screen.

With that, Alfred got up to start his long day at work.

When Arthur awoke the next morning, the text back from Alfred somewhat soothed him as he struggled to get out of bed. Honestly, he wanted to sleep forever. It felt as the bed was about to swallow him up and drag him back to his dreamless sleep. The bed was so soft and warm (much too warm, actually – he felt as though he was being cooked between the mattress and the duvet). He gave one final heave of a sigh and forced himself to get out of the bed.

The chauffeur was there to greet him and his trainees were as expected. They were young, younger than him. Some of them looked as though they were about the same age as Alfred; they were fresh out of university and ready to enter the real world. They were all so similar to people that he had met over the past few years in the various jobs he had, had in his position. The same job, the same people but a different time and place.

Everyone was excruciatingly friendly, making Arthur feel uncomfortable to ridiculous levels. He was invited out for lunch by them, as well which was something that he hadn’t expected. Arthur had never really thought much of Australia, let alone the people but it seemed as though he was horribly wrong. Even his jetlagged, grumpy mood didn’t seem to deter them. They were happy to sit and chat with him as if he was one of them, like he belonged there.

It was an awkward feeling for Arthur.

A can of larger and a steak later (because “I’m not hungry” was apparently not an acceptable answer), he realised that he should probably call Alfred. When he managed to sneak away from his rowdy co-workers, he dialled his boyfriend’s number and waited for a response. It would be around nine o’clock back in New York, if he wasn’t mistaken. And he was an entire day ahead. Cor blimey, what a strange thought.

“Kirkland!” bellowed one of the Australians (he couldn’t tell which one; they all had thick accents).

“I’ll be back in a second,” he promised, trying to sound somewhat dignified as he scuttled off with his phone in-hand. “Come on, Alfred… pick up.”

Alfred's day at work was much too long for his liking and honestly, he just really, really wanted to go back to sleep. It was much too early in the morning for him to enjoy himself, especially without Arthur but he knew that he just couldn't stay back home because Arthur wasn't there. Despite Arthur being his boss and the fact that he was his personal assistant, his presence was still required. Honestly, why couldn't he come with him? They were a company! It should have been easy to fund for him as well! He was supposed to be with Arthur, helping him through the two weeks but he supposed that he would just have to stay here.

It wasn't as if he had any other choice.

The day at work was rather lonely despite others taking the chance to talk to him considering that the strict Mr Kirkland was away from the office at the time being. Some people didn't mind and there were others who were a bit relieved considering that Arthur was indeed a rather intimidating man for those who weren't close. Fortunately enough, Alfred was very close to the man.

So the day passed by uneventfully and constantly he would look at his phone though he knew that the time difference and Arthur's work schedule wouldn't allow them to contact until he was at home and almost in bed. It was a few hours later and Alfred had gotten himself dinner at McDonalds (a good time to enjoy the food while not getting complaints from Arthur about his choice of meal) and then headed off to the flat.

Alfred was already in bed, just sitting there and waiting for the man's phonecall before he finally heard it and a smile blossomed on his lips. Finally!

He was more than eager to lean over to the nightstand and grab the mobile, answering it.

"Hey Arthur! How is everything?" He asked, voice eager and curious and just happy to have a call from the other.

There was a flood of emotions running through Arthur at the sound of Alfred’s voice. He hadn’t realised he was missing him that much until that moment. He cleared his throat.

“Hello, poppet,” he said with more affection than he might normally allow to seep into his tone. “Uh… it’s hot and I’ve already been forced into some sort of barbeque thing,” meaning a pub (but he wouldn’t tell Alfred that, he wouldn’t approve). “How are you?” He couldn’t quite make himself say ‘I miss you’, yet again. It lodged in his throat and stayed there. He couldn’t say something like that.

He loosened his tie, sweating all over because of the damned heat. He had been warned that it would be hot but he’d been able to wear a suit in most of the countries he’d visited before. Australia’s heat was no excuse not to wear a suit. He had managed to wear one when he visited India, for Christ’s sake (although, admittedly, it had been a linen suit).

“I hope that Kraut hasn’t been working you too hard,” he murmured. In a way, he actually was glad for Ludwig’s strict ways. It would mean that Alfred would be grateful for his return not only domestically but in the office, as well.