13 Mar. 13 – 4:57 PM
10th: Sweets
Candy, chocolate, cake, or just one of the boys being especially sweet. Your fic or art must utilize the concept of sweets/sweetness. Be creative!
Rating: PG
Note/Warnings: Human AU
Sugar, Sugar
Arthur sighed, staring into the small shop on the corner of his new street. His stomach was growling and it pained him to see such lovingly decorated treats, small cakes and sweets, sitting in the window alone.
He approached the door and pushed it in, the small bell at the top of it ringing cheerily. A counter was not too far from where he stood, a register with a chip machine sitting close to it. Candies and sweets were set up in aesthetically pleasing arrangements all around, on tables and stand up displays. All were of different colours in their decorations, not just pink and pastels as one would normally expect in a sweets shop. There was even a menu on the wall for actual meals, like roast beef and meat pies.
Tables were laid out and their chairs, designed to fit each uniquely decorated table, sat among them. It was like a little bistro, probably family-owned.
"Hello?"
"Hi there, sir!" Arthur turned and saw a young man emerge from a door leading to the back of the store. He had golden hair and bright blue eyes, alive with energy and cheer and hidden behind a pair of glasses. "My name is Alfred F. Jones. Were you looking for something in particular today?"
"W-Well, I was wondering if you happened to serve tea here." Arthur stammered.
"Yes, we do, sir!" Alfred went behind the counter and grabbed what appeared to be a menu, beckoning Arthur to come follow him. He led the green-eyed man to a black and white table, one by a large window that let one see the garden that was behind the store. "Do you have any preference of tea?"
"Uhm, Earl Grey?"
"I'll bring it in just a moment." Once Arthur sat down, Alfred left the menu, telling him that he could look through it to find something to eat as well if he wished.
Arthur watched the young man practically skip to the back of the store, the door between the front and back swinging open exuberantly with the wide motion that Alfred had committed to pass through it. He turned back to the menu and saw that there were ladyfingers that would accompany the tea perfectly, with lemon and cinnamon – a strange combination, but with a pleasant sound to it.
"Here you are, sir." Tea arrived in what only appeared be about two minutes after Arthur had ordered it, along with milk and sugar on the side.
"Yes, thank you. Mr Jones – "
"Call me Alfred, please, Mr…"
"Arthur Kirkland; just Arthur." Alfred smiled.
"What would you like, Arthur?"
"Could I have a small plate of the Lemon and Cinnamon Ladyfingers please?"
Alfred seemed to disappear for a moment. Arthur felt an unease inside of his chest. No, not a disappearance, really. Alfred's eyes just seemed to be out of focus and staring at something beyond Arthur.
"Of course! I'll get those right away."
Again, about two minutes later, came Arthur's order, those Alfred also came carrying another tray with the same ladyfingers on another and another cup of tea.
"Would it be all right, Arthur, if I ate with you?" The green-eyed man nodded, happy that the younger man wasn't too standoffish, getting used to Alfred's demeanour already.
"Is this shop owned by your family, Alfred?"
He was answered with a nod. "My parents left it to me in their will. My brother went off for other pursuits, but I always loved this little shop. Are you new to the area?"
Arthur chuckled. "Is it that obvious? I moved from New York City last week. It's been difficult to grow accustomed to life here in Boston, but I've been managing."
Alfred smiled, stirring in a teaspoon of sugar into his tea. "That's good. Made any friends yet?"
Arthur bit his lip. "No, no acquaintances yet. It'll have to wait until I finally get settled in at work."
The two spoke for a good hour about their lives, immersing themselves in stories of each other's lives. Alfred took the small plates that had been filled with ladyfingers to the back and came with a larger plate for the two of them to share.
Arthur smiled, catching little things about Alfred that he was attracted to. The younger man loved astronomy and made sweets inspired by the stars and planets. He got his degree in business and loved the small shop's history, from when his great-grandfather established it to all of the little tricks his family had to pull from keeping it from being taken over by the larger chain stores that began to move into the area.
Arthur told more about himself that he would have thought appropriate, but it was comfortable talking about his job, how he was transferred to Boston to prevent the issues that he had with a co-worker of his from interfering with his work performance, and his family back in Greenwich, England.
"It was different, growing up without my parents and just living with my cousins, but it was a lot of fun… When we weren't causing so much trouble for my older sister, that is," he said, giggling. Alfred smiled at him.
"Sounds like it was fun." Arthur nodded.
"I don't mean to be rude, but is it a slow day for business today?"
Alfred nodded. "Usually kids are zipping in and out, especially since it's a Saturday today, but it's really quiet."
Arthur nodded and reached to the plate of sweets. The biscuit reached for him and Arthur pulled away. Alfred looked back at him, his fingers also in the same pulled-away position that Arthur's were in. There was only one ladyfinger left on the tray.
"Uh… Sorry. Did you want the last one?"
"No, you have it, Alfred."
Silence wanted to envelop them, the mood palpable and tasting sweet in the air, just like the sugar, lemon, and cinnamon decorating their tongues.
"Here."
Alfred lifted the tray and offered the ladyfinger to Arthur. Arthur stared at the biscuit and looked at the shopkeeper.
"Are you-?"
"Yes, just take it, Arthur." Alfred smiled brightly. "It'll be our friendship dessert."
Arthur took it gingerly, as though the biscuit would crumble apart should he take it too quickly, and began to nibble at it. Once it was gone, he finished the last of his tea and heard his mobile go off.
"Oh, what time is it?" Arthur asked Alfred, looking for the device in his coat pocket.
"About 2:00 o'clock."
"I have to get to my orientation meeting." Arthur stood and smiled at Alfred again. "Thank you for tea… It was delicious."
Alfred beamed. "No problem… Wait a sec."
Arthur paused and froze as the younger man came forward and traced his thumb across his lips.
"Crumbs."
"Right. Thank you."
Alfred waved good-bye to his new friend. "Come back soon!"
Arthur waved back, his heart and stomach warm, and his tongue tainted with the sweetness of ladyfingers.