"So here I stand. I'm ready for anything. Just a man, but I'm giving everything."
It was a rare moment for Arthur Kirkland to be knocked speechless.
Even now, he sat staring blankly at the windshield of a sports car as a man he didn't know sped through the streets of London at break-neck speed, heading God knows where as he tried to collect his thoughts. Amazingly enough, the driver was also silent. Dark blue eyes steadily stayed upon the road, a smirk was set on his mouth and Arthur was trying very hard to not stare at him.
He'd picked him up inside a beaten down old bar, had stood up with him against Francis, had lied for him. He'd kissed him. All of a sudden he felt terribly self-conscious. Furitively he wiped at his mouth, trying desperately to forget the feel of those lips. Because all of a sudden, that was all he could feel. This earned a chuckle from the driver as he breaked harshly so as not to run the red light just ahead of them.
"You alright over there?" That blunt American accent claimed his attention, his green eyes flickered lazily over to assess the man.
"As alright as I'll ever be."
"You know, you should probably tell me where you live so I can get you home." What Arthur said next stunned both of the men.
"I don't want to go home."
Again silence fell. Palpable and suffocating. Arthur felt as though his face was on fire, and nausea threatened once more as the man slammed on the gas the moment the light turned green. Another minute passed and neither man spoke. He felt a grand fool for all of this. Sure he could blame his drinking, but that was only part of it. An excuse to be as spontaneously reckless as he could never truly be.
"You know, I'm beginning to think that you Brits aren't as uptight as you look." Of course it was the American to break the silence. It was with an amused sigh, there was a new set to his shoulders now. Like, just maybe he wasn't quite so reckless as he tended to come across as. Arthur looked sleepily outside his window, just his luck. He'd found the one guy that could kiss him on a moment's notice and then back down when he made any sort of advance.
Somewhere there was a higher power laughing at him.
"Well if you want to take me home then I suggest you take a left up ahead." His voice was dreary, slightly defeated. There was a surprising peal of that loud laughter that made his clover eyes open wide.
"I never said I wouldn't just keep you with me tonight Arthur." He hadn't expected the man to have caught his name. It made him feel absolutely terrible considering he'd never asked for his. Maybe it was better this way though. Just one night, practically anonymous. The liquor still swimming headily through his veins said that was the best possible outcome he could hope for in the given situation. "You just caught me by surprise is all! And you can trust me, that's an awful difficult thing to do."
There was something oddly comforting about that hell for leather attitude the man posessed. He didn't do anything halfway. Maybe his mind had been made up the moment he'd offered the ride, and maybe Arthur's had been made up the moment he accepted. Either way, he had a feeling that this was somehow the best thing to be doing.
That for one night, he could just go with it.
"Have to learn to be on your toes around us or you'll never get anywhere." His attempt at a joke was weak at best, although it was still enough for the American's smile to grow wider. He squinted his eyes as if he was having trouble making out one of the road signs and then made a very...rough...right turn. They were right in the bustle of the city now, crowded clubs and other men and women of roughly his age wandering the streets with hints of raucous laughter. Not even the cold surpressed the spirits here.
The American seemed fascinated, as if he'd never seen such a simple sight before. At the very least it made him slow his speed to something far more acceptable within the city limits, and to be careful to not hit any wandering pedestrians. (They were quite numerous at this time of night.) A little ways ahead Arthur could just make out a rather nice looking hotel, it looked nice against the winter night skyline. He'd always had a weakness for the city. Made him feel like he was a part of something.
Kind of a strange attitude to have no doubt, but he relished it all the same.
"I think I'll never get anywhere anyway." This was a reference to how slow the American was now forced to drive. He had a very humorous look on his face, mouth set in a strange expression towards the right side of his face. It was a very weird sort of smirk. Arthur found it almost hilariously adorable, especially with the way the man's blonde hair almost falling across his lovely blue eyes.
He made a very handsome picture.
"Just honk, they'll move." It was beyond strange for him to suggest such a thing, but he was finding it awfully imperative that they get up to the man's room already. He wanted more of those surprising kisses. He wanted those warm hands to make him forget any others. He just wanted to lose himself in the moment. There was a very loud blaring noise in almost no time at all as the man pressed down with too much vigor on the car horn.
Arthur found himself unable to hold back a laugh. This was one strange man he'd wandered upon, child-like in a way that wasn't immaturity so much as innocence. Sure under normal circumstances...Sober circumstances, he'd be completely offended. But now, now it just made him laugh in an unrestrained way that he hadn't done in so long. It was such a great feeling. Like an overwhelming bubbling in his chest. Like a release of the things that had been holding him back thus far.
It was obvious that the American was shocked by Arthur's sudden laughter, though he covered well enough weth that grin of his. That easy, simple, charming grin. Pedestrians scattered and the car launched forward with a new burst of speed. Fueled now by the urge to hear another laugh, to see another smile. Perhaps a whole minute later, (give or take), they had made it to the parking lot of the fine hotel.
"Well here we are, home sweet temporary home!" He was beginning to grow fond of that brash American sound. Sure it was blatantly disrespectful for proper English, but it was very...innocent. Very loose and relaxed. Arthur found himself grinning as he got out of the car, his steps were slightly steadier this time, it didn't stop the American from putting that arm around his shoulders again. He had nothing against this of course. The man was warm and he felt quite comfortable being with a man that was taller than him, that was so carefree and warm.
Such a change of pace.
"And how far up do you happen to be?" It was an idle question, stemming mostly from Arthur's displeasure of elevators and the fact that he wanted to be somewhere private as soon as possible. The American caught his gaze and winked. He seemed to find a grand amusement on whatever he was about to say.
"All the way at the top Arthur." He'd be lying if he didn't appreciate the sound of his name on the man's tongue, and he'd also be lying if he didn't wish to know the man's name as well. Though he figured that if the man had wanted him to know by now, he would have told him. This was only a simple thing after all. Nothing too complicated for him anymore. No strings attached.
It was possible to be content with just one night, wasn't it?
Anxiously Arthur scanned the building. There had to be well over thirty floors. He'd be inside one of those cramped little death boxes for a good deal of time before they reached the room. He forced himself to be steady, he could do this. He was not scared... And the payoff was definitely worth it.
"Perfect." He returned that wink, quite unable to help himself as they made their way towards the building. At least the wind did wonders to help him feel slightly more alert, made him feel like he could handle this with some measure of grace. The American held him close as they entered they walked through the front doors and the blasting heat, amazingly enough it didn't make him want to pull away. He didn't even care what any bystanders might think of two men walking around like this.
He really was beginning to lose it if he didn't care so much.
"You know, I always have loved elevators." The man's voice echoed headily in his ear as he pressed the button to call the death-trap down. Arthur gulped in attempt to maintain his composure. "Don't know why, but they've always been super fun, don'tcha think?" He couldn't tear himself away from those earnest blue eyes, he forced a smile to the surface.
"Love them." There was a sharp ding to announce the arrival of the awful thing and Arthur nearly jumped straight up into the air. He had to remain cool, collected. It wasn't going to be that bad. Thankfully enough, they managed to get the machine to themselves, it would have been dreadful if it had been super crowded like they were wont to be around here. He stepped inside hesitantly and cringed when the doors slid shut, caught his breath when the man did indeed push the button that would take them to the top floor.
Crummy default music filtered fuzzily through the speakers. Arthur found himself squinting his eyes shut and counting the little ridges that signaled each rising floor. Naturally this earned a skepticle laugh from the American.
"Dude, you look kinda green." Gingerly he touched Arthur's chin, tilting it up so that the man would be forced to look him in the eyes. When Arthur actually managed to open them that is. His breath caught and his concentration scattered like so many leaves into the gutter.
"Err...It's cause, well. I'm not very good in tiny spaces." Well that was true enough. The American's brows drew together in concerned frustation.
"You shoulda told me. I wouldn't have minded taking the stairs." At least three more floors had been passed and no one had yet to get on with them. Arthur tried to look away from the taller man as he felt that he was beginning to blush again.
"Well, this was faster. And I'm no coward I'll have you know." This last bit was said with a bit of ruffled pride. Arthur didn't often like to admit his weaknesses, and he definitely didn't want the chance that they might be ridiculed.
"Never woulda thought so." The American grinned as he leaned in a little closer, his lips hardly a breath away from Arthur's. Now this was a tempting test indeed. It was hardly a breath before Arthur let out a low chuckle as he wrapped his arms around the taller man's waist and pulled him all the closer. And only a breath after that they were kissing again. It was hardly discernible who covered the meager distance, not that it really mattered, because hey, they were kissing again.
It was obviously different this time. So much... Headier. Heavier. Deeper. Whatever adjective suited either's fancy. Arthur squeezed his arms around the man's waist even as those warm hand wound through his disheveled hair. He found himself ground into one of the walls of the elevator, his breath coming in rough gasps as those lips moved against his. It had been so long. And this felt so... It felt so damn good!
He let out a low sound of pleasure that allowed the man to slip his tongue past his lips. Let him tempt him with a different taste as his hands tightened in his hair, tugging with perhaps more vigor than he realized. Their hips pressed together, moving subtly in a way that made both men extraordinarily aware of just how arousing the situation was. And then there was that ding.
That damn ding!
They'd made it to the top floor and Arthur had hardly realized they'd been moving at all. They pulled apart with more than a hint of reluctance, their eyes were locked as they attempted to regain their breath.
"Well." Naturally it was the American to break the silence. "I do believe that this is our stop." He winked, taking Arthur's hand and pulling him out of the elevator behind him. He stumbled for a moment, but couldn't lose the grin that had managed to creep across his features. At least now his mind was more fogged over by that kiss than the alcohol. A new kind of langor had suffused his body alongside the obvious coursing effects of long witheld desires.
They stopped at a room somewhere in the middle of the hallway, the number was 586, for some reason Arthur found it imperative to log that number away in the back of his mind. A grin and slightly nervous laughter was exchanged as the American swiped his card through the lock and waited for the beep that cleared their entrance. Neither heard the beep, they'd already begun kissing once more. Arthur was the one to turn the door handle though, causing them to nearly fall right through the door into the room.
As it was, they only stumbled. Laughed a little and then the American pushed the door shut behind him. Already his hands were deftly undoing the buttons of Arthur's shirt, hungrily revealing the pale skin that lay underneath. His mouth traveled down his neck as he shoved the shirt from his shoulders, as he hardly remembered to loosen the tie that had been deftly tucked under the collar. Naturally, it came off rather quickly as well.
Without missing a beat they had managed to make it over to the decently large bed in the center of the room, scattering clothes as they went. It left a very interesting trail that was for sure. Arthur's shirt and tie, his favorite grey slacks, the American's heavy blue sweater and his well worn jeans. Shoes had been lost somewhere in there as well, as well as socks. Now all that remained were the boxers.
How quickly passion made things move!
Arthur could hardly concentrate on anything else. Those lips were on his again, rough and yet smoothly talented. Pressure that coaxed a groan from the back of his throat. A hand traveled down to his boxers, gliding over the soft cotton and teasing the aching erection beneath the fabric and he found it extraordinarily difficult to hold back yet another gasp. The man laughed low and playfully in his ear, only making his arousal worse.
Tongue flickered over his collarbone as that hand deftly pulled that last garment away and left his erection fully exposed to the attentions of that questing hand. Massaging it with the expertise only another man could ever master. Arthur found himself arching up into that touch as the American's mouth moved back up and found his once more.
There were too many sensations at once. His head was foggy enough as it was. And yet, he could never recall feeling so aware of all the sensations racing over his super sensitive skin. From the feeling of the lips that he kissed with an unknown ardor to the way their skin glided over one another as that damnable hand worked his erection, it was all catalogued. Memorized in blazing perfection for those lonely nights he knew would come again soon enough.
"M-mph..You know..." His voice was heavy in the bedroom, intermingling already with the sounds of pleasure regularly exchanged between them now. "You never did tell me, your name." This earned another hearty chuckle from the American who squeezed his erection with rueful skill very nearly pushing him over the edge with the combination of the two.
"Never thought you'd ask." A quick kiss to his lips as the man trailed kisses along his jaw. "The name's Alfred. And you can feel free to say it as much as you like." He nipped playfully at the same spot that he'd just kissed and Arthur had a feeling that his eyes were about to roll into the back of his head. That hand pumped a little faster now, subtly harder, daring him to the brink. His self-control was already waning. Damn alcohol.
When Alfred kissed him again, well that was it. He said that name out loud for the first time, relishing the taste of it on his lips even as the rush of orgasm overwhelmed him. It wasn't the last time for either occurence that night.