This is a birthday present for a friend, another writer and an awesome rper. Happy Birthday Sweetie~

"Chances lost are Hope's torn out pages."

I've always been a betting man, though I rarely show it anymore. A part of the gentleman persona I suppose, never to show all the cards you've been dealt along the way. Sure, today it's football games or whether Francey pants will keep his shirt on during a meeting. (Let alone his pants) But its just for fun. No one gets hurt in the end.

It's how it's supposed to work.

"I bet you, he'll never say yes." The words still ring in my ears as the others snickered around me. "I bet he'd even laugh."

My eyes went to my brothers, I expected them to chuckle along yet they remained silent. Judging or maybe betting their own little game at my expense.

I stood motionless as the hairs grew on the back of my neck, my face flushed. "I never bet on a thing like love." I answered. Really what I was saying was it was a fools bet.

I knew it, they knew it and whether Alfred was aware of it or not, we all knew his answer well before it would leave his lips.

"Oh my God, uhh no dude." He would say, his eyes first wide with terror then amusement. Which would be worse? Honestly it would feel the same for me, the same horrid nightmare. So, I'd never ask, never tell, never lose anything more than a few pounds if only to keep my heart intact.

What I never realized though was apparently I wasn't the only one that was a betting man. I should have guessed, even if I'm sure he counts cards. There he stood before me like a man certain of life and all it has to offer. "Hey," Alfred said with a smile as wide as the grand canyon. "Can I ask you something?"

I stood there, looking him up and down. Looking for anything that would give him away. "I suppose." I answered slowly finding it interesting that he could no longer look me in the eye. "Make it quick though I have a meeting to get to."

"Oh well then we can walk and talk if you want." Again, he offered a smile, now nervous, missing the confidence it had seconds before.

Honestly speaking it was, cute. "If you want." I answered starting to walk past him, not too quickly so I didn't seem rash. It was probably something incredibly stupid, childish even.

"Will you go out with me?"

It stopped me in my tracks. "W-what?" I managed to stammer out, nearly dropping my cup of tea in the process.

He took a step back. "Like on a date?" He continued rubbing the back of his neck, looking down at his feet. "I mean unless you're doing something."

I watched him as I took a sip of my tea. "Saturday, I have plans." I said as he seemed to shirk. "But Sunday afternoon."

It was all he had to hear, his eyes light up instantly as he started to ramble on. I caught every other word, since my eyes locked on the figure sneaking a smoke break just out of ear shot. Not that he needed words to understand what was going on perfectly. My brother always had his ways, and when he saw his chance to make his little brother he took it.

Funny, I never saw him as the betting kind of man but then again, love and fate don't play by our rules. And for that, I'm forever thankful.