AN: I got my tree today so I'm in a festive mood!


Chapter Four: The Battle Plan

Arthur glanced at his half packed suitcase and then looked up into the eyes of Nick, purring on the edge of his bed. He wasn't sure exactly what sort of outfits he should be taking with him. Would there be any formal dinners? Arthur didn't have much in the way of dressy clothes, usually opting for slacks and a sweater vest if the occasion called for it. He stared at the cat as though Nick would help him decide what else he should be packing. Nick stared at him through half-lidded eyes.

He hadn't seen much of Alfred in the past few days, and he didn't want to admit how sad it made him feel. This wasn't personal, and he couldn't afford to get attached to his fake boyfriend. Once the holiday season was over and he had his royalty check, he would begin looking for a permanent place to call home and he and Alfred would go their separate ways. The thought made Arthur's heart twinge a bit.

The front door closed and Arthur was startled out of his reverie. Nick lazily stretched and jumped on to the floor, making his way into the kitchen. The cat knew that when Alfred arrived home it was time for dinner, and he was always waiting patiently for his can of tuna when the American came barreling into the place. Arthur followed Nick down the hall and heard Alfred call a greeting to him.

"It's really starting to snow," he said brightly as Arthur rounded the corner. "Maybe we should get started a little early tomorrow in case the roads are bad."

"That's fine," Arthur said, nodding. "How does your car handle in the snow?"

"Terribly," Alfred grinned at him and reached down to pet Nick on the head.

Arthur's eyebrows scrunched up in worry. "Perhaps we should take my vehicle then, it doesn't do too bad in these conditions."

"No offense, babe," Alfred smiled. "But I don't think your car would make it to my parent's. We'd end up stranded on the side of the road."

Knowing that he was absolutely right, Arthur pursed his lips. "What do you suggest then?"

"I already rented an SUV for the next two weeks, it will work out great." Alfred looked intensly at him and Arthur felt the back of his neck heat in a blush. "The company is delivering it to the parking garage downstairs around seven in the morning tomorrow."

"Isn't that a bit extravagant?" Arthur worried.

Alfred chuckled. "It's safe, which isn't extravagant. Don't worry about it."

Arthur knew that Alfred was fairly well-off, due to the size of his place, and the fact that he was a successful lawyer, but Arthur, at heart, worried about finances. Perhaps things would be different once he was officially a best-selling author, but the Englishman doubted it. He would always be cautious with money.

Flopping down onto the sofa, Alfred let out a sigh and glanced up at Arthur standing tensely in the corner. "Man, I'm glad this week is over."

"Excited to see your family?" Arthur sat down stiffly on the edge of the couch.

"Yeah, I guess," Alfred said. "I love my family. I'm just happy I don't have to go back into work for a few days. It's been insane leading up to the holidays. I guess unhappy marriages never take a break, ya know?"

Arthur nodded silently. "Does it ever bother you? Seeing people ending their marriages?"

"Sometimes it's sad," Alfred admitted. "But usually its really obvious that the people who see me don't belong together anymore—if they ever did."

"I don't know if I could ever get divorced," Arthur said, realizing the heavy tone that their conversation was taking.

"It's painful to think about," Alfred said. "I hope I make the right choice when it comes down to it, but my track record speaks for itself."

"I understand that," Arthur nodded. "I feel the same way."

"Bad luck in relationships?"

"You could say that."

"Men always want me to change for them," Alfred looked at the floor, avoiding Arthur's gaze. "I hate it, but I just can't seem to find anyone who wants me just the way I am."

Arthur was taken aback. He thought Alfred was wonderful just the way he was. He couldn't imagine ever asking the young lawyer to change anything about himself. "You're former lovers must have been fools then," Arthur said shortly.

Alfred picked up his head quickly and stared at him. "Why do you say that?"

"You're a kind, caring, and compassionate man. You're also very handsome," Arthur said slowly. "You're a real catch."

"You think I'm handsome?" Alfred smirked at him.

"You know you are, stop fishing for compliments," Arthur grumbled.

Laughing out loud, Alfred scooted over on the couch until their thighs were pressed together and wrapped his arms around Arthur's shoulders. The Englishman was so surprised he didn't have time to move away. Alfred gathered him close and hugged him tight. Arthur's heart did a little skip and his breath came in a short gasp. "What are you doing?" His voice sounded breathy and far away to his own ears.

"Thank you," Alfred whispered into Arthur's ear. "For thinking I'm good enough."

"You're touching me," Arthur's voice hitched in a panic. He wasn't used to physical contact—he hardly ever held hands with a man he was dating, calling it an 'act of PDA that should be left private.' He had run off more than one boyfriend in the past for his stuffy and uptight ways. He didn't know how to respond to this situation.

"Yeah," Alfred pulled back and looked into his eyes. "We're going to have to touch a lot the next few days. My family is really affectionate and they'll notice if we aren't holding hands and hugging and stuff. Is that going to bother you?" He looked genuinely worried.

"Um, no," Arthur managed, while wriggling slightly to disengage himself from Alfred's warm, muscular arms. "I'm just not that used to…touching."

"Must be that whole British thing huh?" Alfred teased.

Arthur rolled his eyes.


At seven the next morning, both men were standing outside on the icy sidewalk while an attendant from the parking garage brought their rented car around. Nick sat quietly in his carrier and Arthur kept glancing at him, worried that the air might be too cold for the cat. "How long does it take to drive to your family home?"

"About two hours, not too bad," Alfred said, glancing down the deserted, snow-covered street. "Plenty of time."

"For what?" Arthur looked over at him.

Alfred met his eyes. "To figure out what we're going to tell my family. How we met and all that. We have to be on the same page right?"

"We should have done this ages ago," Arthur muttered, watching the big, black car pull to a stop at the curb in front of them.

"It'll be fine," Alfred assured him, opening the passenger door for Arthur and settling Nick's carrier in the backseat. Arthur smiled when he saw how carefully Alfred buckled the cat carrier into the vehicle. He was such a sweet and thoughtful man. 'No,' Arthur admonished himself. He couldn't afford those kinds of thoughts.

Within moments, they were buckled in safely and pulling down the street. The road had been relatively cleared of snow, but the clouds above them hung low and grey and Arthur had a feeling that they would see more snow very soon. Alfred concentrated on the road, weaving in and out of traffic as they left the city behind and made their way onto the alarmingly deserted highway. Arthur gazed out the window and watched the snowy trees speed past them. After an agonizing amount of silence, Alfred cleared his throat and chanced a glance at his passenger. "So…" he sounded hesitant. "How did we meet?"

Arthur considered the question for a moment. "It's probably better to stick to the facts as much as possible," he mused. "We could tell them the actual story."

"What, that I hit your car and you saw my crying face?" Alfred sounded incredulous.

Arthur smiled. "I wouldn't mention the crying," he promised. "But yes. We could say that we were at the grocery store or something but keep the main details of the story the same. It would be easier for both of us to remember."

Nodding slowly, Alfred said, "That makes sense. Okay. So we met at the grocery store?"

Arthur dipped his head, "Yes, that sounds fine."

"And I hit your car and you were so gracious about not getting my insurance I asked you out."

"Plausible," Arthur agreed.

"Where did we go for our first date?"

"How about the restaurant you took me to the first night I moved in?" suggested Arthur, turning around in his seat to see how Nick was faring. The cat was curled up into a tight ball, fast asleep.

"Easy enough," Alfred said. "So how long have we been dating? It can't be the real time frame, my parents wouldn't understand me bringing home a guy I'd only known a few weeks. And my brother-in-law is pretty shrewd…he'd probably put it together and realize I hired you to save face."

"We wouldn't want that," Arthur said. "How about a few months then? Maybe since September or so?"

"Great," Alfred smiled, his eyes never leaving the road. "September it is, that works. It's long enough that we could be serious but not too long that they would wonder why I never mentioned you before."

"You said your brother-in-law is shrewd?" Arthur questioned, his voice laced with nervousness.

"Yeah," Alfred admitted. "Technically he isn't my brother-in-law yet. He and Mattie are engaged, but he's basically already family. Seriously though, if anyone figures us out, it will be him."

"What's his name?" Arthur asked so that he could identify this individual as soon as possible and try to avoid him.

"Gilbert," Alfred answered. "You'll know him right away. He's kind of albino—doesn't look anything like my family so he's easy to pick out. You'll love him though, he's a great time and really funny. He just doesn't get fooled very easily."

Arthur didn't say anything in response. His mind was full of the thought that this could be a very bad idea. If this Gilbert saw through their ruse, then it could all blow up in their faces. And if that happened, perhaps Alfred wouldn't pay him—or kick him out of his place. Arthur knew that he would have to do everything in his power to pull the wool over Gilbert's eyes. Neither of them could afford the embarrassment of being outed.

Alfred turned off of the highway and began to drive through a quaint downtown area. It looked like something out of a storybook. Arthur admired the architecture of the buildings and found himself smiling at the cozy and welcoming holiday decorations that adorned the storefronts and streetlamps.

"It seems as though we have a good basis of a plan then," Arthur finally spoke as they turned onto a residential street.

"Great," Alfred slowed the vehicle down. "Because here we are."

He pulled to a stop in front of a large, two-story Victorian house nestled behind some large oak trees. There were sparkling white lights hanging from the eaves and electric candles in all of the windows. He could see a brightly decorated Christmas tree through the front bay window and a beautiful evergreen wreath affixed to the front door.

"You ready?" Alfred looked as nervous as Arthur felt.

Even though he wasn't one for physical affection, he reached his hand over and squeezed Alfred's palm. They were in this together. For better, or for worse. How bad could it be? As they stepped out of the car and made their way up the walk, it began to snow once more.