-Chapter 2-
(*)
Alfred looked up to the red frames of the windows of Book and Bell. Books were neatly arranged and stacked in the small front window with a small vase of red roses – Arthur's favourite – Alfred noted. He sighed and looked through the window seeing the disarrayed mop of wheat-coloured hair ordering books behind the counter. He would have leaped at the opportunity any other time to rush in and greet Arthur, but today it was, just somehow different.
Alfred knew his time was limited as he scrunched his military papers in his fist, tighter. He knew that everything, or the one person he loved, would be absent from his life in mere days. He had already spent two days after receiving the news being smothered by his family and couldn't visit Arthur in those days. Arthur understood, but it still didn't make Alfred feel any better.
He tucked the military papers into his inside jacket pocket walked into Arthur's shop, and Arthur turned around when he heard the bell above of the door ring. He gave a very small smile to Alfred and turned back around to sorting out the books on the shelf.
Alfred knew better from that smile and he knew the real pain and sadness hidden in it. He looked to the old, pristine grandfather in the corner of the shop and assessed that Arthur had done enough for the day. He turned the open sign to closed and locked the single bolt on the door.
"Arthur?" he said, approaching the questioned man behind the counter.
Arthur simply shoved a book further back on the shelf with more force.
"Arthur." he repeated with more of a concerned tone.
"What do you want me to do Alfred!?" Arthur turned around with such a livid expression.
"Uhhhh" Alfred stumbled, shocked at the outrage.
"I had so much I wanted to do! And now I have to go and die on the front lines because some little bastard thinks he can take over the world for the glory of Germany! AHH FUCK!" Arthur threw a pile of books onto the floor enraged, he continued, tearing the books from the shelves.
"I wanted to go to university! I wanted to write and just own a house in the countryside. Have a peaceful and successful writing career! I wanted a life! And... and" he paused looking down to the books, their pages scattered and torn. "…And I-I- wanted to spend the rest of it with you…"
Alfred grabbed Arthur by the arm and lifted his chin and tried to make Arthur look at his face. Arthur turned away, trying to conceal his watery eyes that suddenly overtook from his outburst. Alfred snapped his head back to him.
"Look at me Arthur." Arthur closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Arthur. For the love of God. Look at me!" Arthur shook his head again, a single running down his cheek.
"Arthur." He whispered, and like that, his resolve was shattered. He just hugged Arthur and held him so incredibly dearly in his arms. He couldn't change anything, he couldn't stop the war and he couldn't stop them going and leaving all this behind. But he could help Arthur until they had to leave.|
He rubbed Arthur's back as the gentle sobs where muffled into Alfred's jacket.
"It's.. just not… fair" Arthur muttered, holding the lapels on Alfred's jacket into a tight grip.
"I know." Alfred soothed rubbing Arthur's back, calming him down further. Arthur's crying eventually stopped, but he left his buried in Alfred's jacket and his warmth.
"Rhys is just dancing around the house, the tosser, that he doesn't have to join the Army because he's too bloody young."
Alfred chuckled at the change in mood and conversation. "At least your family isn't looking at you so sadly like you have some kind of disease that you can drop dead at any moment."
Arthur smiled and then all of a sudden looked up to Alfred, removing his face from Alfred's chest. "Hang on…"
"What?" Alfred looked down, glad to see Arthur's thick eyebrows crunched up in thought - he loved to tease him about his dominant family 'heirloom'.
"Have you joined the British side?"
"Uh, yeah? Why wouldn't I?"
"You're American though." Arthur said, wearily.
"Half British and half American. I would fight for America, but if you've noticed, they're not in the war and an ocean away."
"Bu-But you don't have to fight for this country!"
"Would you believe me if I said I was fighting for you?" Alfred grinned back at Arthur, bringing Arthur further back into his embrace.
"Lord Almighty. You're a sappy knob-end aren't you?" Arthur said exasperated.
"That I am. But babe, England has been my home for the past eleven years and I have a just reason as any other Brit. Also I make them most marvelous British accent."
Arthur laughed quietly at Alfred's attempt at a British accent and brushed his hand with Alfred's. "Idiot."
Alfred pulled Arthur's lips to his wanting to smother him completely before he had to leave, but Arthur stopped him.
"What are you doing Alfred? You know they can walk in and see us!"
"I've already taken care of it babe. Shop's locked and closed." He said trying to kiss Arthur again.
"They can see us through the window!"
"I don't care. We've kept this secret for years anyway…"
"Alfred!" Arthur scolded, pushing Alfred away.
"Then let's take it upstairs."
"Alfr-" and Alfred's lips were suddenly on Arthur's with such an urgency, bringing him back to his embrace. Arthur happily kissed back and wrapped his arms around Alfred, his hesitation gone and gave into his lover, exploring his mouth like the first time all those years back, melting them together. Breaking for air, Alfred gazed into his lover's eyes with such exaltation.
"I love you." Alfred whispered bringing his hand up to cup Arthur's cheek, "I love you Arthur Kirkland." Alfred then pressed his forehead to Arthur's and smiled, "I love you with all my heart."
Arthur wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck and jumped up and clung his legs around Alfred's waist, causing Alfred to hold Arthur up with his hands on his lower back.
Arthur kissed Alfred tenderly and smiled "I love you more than you'll ever know." He moved his mouth further down to Alfred's neck, claiming the tanned flesh. "Now shut up and fuck me."
"Absolutely."
(*)
"Arthur?" Alfred mused, stroking through Arthur's sex mussed hair. Arthur was lying on Alfred's chest, ear to his heart, absorbed in his lovers comforting heart beat, his hand entwined with one of Alfred's.
"Hmmm?"
"Can we stay like this forever?"
"As much as I would love, we have to go on Sunday." Arthur said sadly.
"Sunday?" Alfred stopped running his fingers through Arthur's hair and Arthur looked up to him resting his chin on his chest, his thick eyebrows frowning at him.
"Alfred?"
"Sunday?" he balked. "I-I- leave on Thursday."
Arthur turned away and put his head back on Alfred's chest.
Silence.
"Babe?" Alfred whispered.
"Well." Arthur said, turning back to face him, smirking this time. "We've got to make the most of it then, haven't we?"
A/N - And Arthur and Alfred did the do. And again and again.
Okay, so, I'm getting there. I still hope you guys are enjoying it, and thanks for putting up with me.
I'm doing summer classes, and doing up a new house that's kinda in a wreck, so updates will be published in the spare time I have - but for those guys who are actually reading and following (you guys are beautiful) - it'll be done - because I'm kinda emotionally invested in this OTP.
