Arthur went home with a headache, and a new reason to hate his life. Alfred crash landed back into his life, and he found himself slowly falling back in love with him. Or rather since he'd never stopped being in love with him, he found himself falling deeper and deeper into a dark hole.
Admittedly, what he and Alfred had done had felt really good, really, really, really good, but what really got to him was the fact that he'd helped Alfred cheat on his current boyfriend. The exact thing that ended his and Alfred's relationship was the very thing they'd just done.
Arthur felt sick. He was making himself sick. He needed more of Alfred. He thought he kicked the habit, but like a struggling addict, he relapsed right back into Alfred's steady embrace.
The teacher Alfred was subbing for took the maximum amount of maternity leave, so he'd be stuck with Alfred for many more weeks, and now that they'd gotten involved with each other again, Arthur hoped that this wouldn't blow up in his face.
This wasn't what he wanted, and yet, it was. The thought of continuing a torrid affair with his former love aroused him to no end.
Arthur groaned when he realized that that made him a hypocrite.
He was glad for the weekend, he needed to get out and do something to get Alfred off of his mind, and hopefully not have a repeat of the two weekends before when he got shitfaced and threw up all over the men's bathroom. That hadn't boded well for any potential one-offs to approach him.
Arthur needed a wingman for tonight, but he didn't have many friends. Francis was the logical choice and a mutual friend of his and Alfred's, so he could tell him of their escapade. But the fact that Francis was the mutual friend put him in the middle of Arthur and Alfred again.
He decided to ring him anyway.
It didn't take much convincing for Francis to agree to come out, he was all too thrilled. "Mon ami!" he'd exclaimed, which caused Arthur to pull his cell phone away from his ear, "I'm glad you've finally decided to join the world of the living."
"Oi, what's that supposed to mean?!"
"Nothing, it's just been ages since you and I have gone out for a drink."
"I need you to help me find a proper gentleman to take home," Arthur said bluntly.
Francis smiled sadly on his end of the phone, he knew he wouldn't be able to do that that Alfred was the one for him, but he decided to humor his friend. "Alright, what time shall I be at your apartment?"
"7:00," Arthur told him knowing full well that the Frenchman would arrive at precisely 7:01.
"Tres bien! Au revoir, mon ami," Francis replied, then the line cut off and Arthur was left to get ready and maybe have a bite to eat before Francis arrived.
As per usual, Francis knocked at 7:01 on the dot, Arthur went to open it.
"Bonjour, Arthur," Francis kissed him on either cheek and then stepped back to survey his friend's attire. He frowned.
"What?" Arthur glared.
"You don't expect me to be seen out in public with you when you're dressed like that do you?" Francis waved his hand up and down in gesture to Arthurs get up.
"Dressed like what, you sod?"
"Like an old, boring school teacher." He pulled at the shoulder of Arthur's dull brown cardigan with his thumb and pointer finger.
Arthur smacked Francis's hand away, "I am a bloody school teacher."
"Oui, but you don't have to look it. You are so lucky you have me, mon ami." He took Arthur by his wrist and dragged him to the closet.
Arthur protested the whole way, but Francis ignored him.
"Sit there and let me work my magic on you," the Frenchman shoved Arthur onto his bed and went for the closet.
"I know what happens when you tell someone you'll work your magic on them," he groused, referring to Francis's many sexual conquests.
"Don't worry, I'd never work that magic on you," he didn't turn around, instead he kept rummaging through Arthur's neat and organized closet.
"Don't mess anything up," he grumbled.
"Calm down. Here," Francis pulled out a dark blue button down and a pair of one or twice used black skinny jeans, "Try these, and no bitching." He threw the garments at his friend.
Arthur knew he wasn't going to win this battle with Francis, so he took up the clothes and trudged to the bathroom, completely missing the triumphant smirk plastered across Francis's face.
When he finished putting the clothes on, he looked at his image in the mirror. He was loathe to admit it, but Francis's choices looked great on him. As a last second thought, he decided to leave the shirt untucked.
When he emerged from the bathroom, Francis nodded, "I was right, you look sexy."
"Shut up," said Arthur.
"Come one, get your coat, you've already made us late."
And with that, the pair left Arthur's apartment and drove to a locally known gay bar.
…
"Let's go out tonight," Alfred's boyfriend, Sam, slid up next to him on the couch and wrapped his arms around his neck.
"I don't feel like it, I feel kind of under the weather," Alfred lied.
Sam pressed a kiss to his forehead and kept his lips there, "You don't have a fever."
Alfred shoved Sam away from him, "Get off of me, I said I'm not feeling well."
"What's wrong with you lately?" Sam pulled away from Alfred and glowered at him.
"Nothing, I just don't feel well."
"For three weeks? Alfred talk to me, please. What's the matter? Something is obviously wrong. Talk to me."
But Alfred didn't want to talk to Sam, since his and Arthur's little staff meeting after school, he couldn't get the Brit off his mind. And still, to his surprise, he didn't feel any guilt for cheating on Sam. Being with Arthur felt right, in the two years he'd been with Sam it never felt as good as it did when Alfred and Arthur canoodled just a few hours previous.
Alfred knew he needed to end it with Sam, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Sam was sweet and loving, in an almost childish sort of way. Alfred didn't want to hurt him like that, but keeping this relationship going when he didn't share Sam's feelings wasn't fair to either of them.
He looked up and Sam was looking at him with hurt in his eyes. "Al, please."
Alfred sighed, "Alright, we can go out for a drink if you really want to."
Sam deflated even more, Alfred knew that wasn't the response he wanted, but it was the best he could do.
"We can go to that club you like," he wheedled.
Sam gave him a smile that looked entirely too forced, "Alright, I love you."
"I love you, too," that made Alfred feel guilty the second he said it.
"I'm going to go get ready, you are welcome to join me. Maybe we could have a quickie before we head out."
"Already had one," Alfred nearly replied, but stopped himself.
"Nah, you go ahead. I'll wait for you."
Sam huffed and went to Alfred's bedroom.
He had a feeling that by the end of the night, their relationship would be at an end. Then he would be free to pursue Arthur, but would Arthur even want him back. He'd have to really prove himself.
But he'd worry about that later, he wouldn't see Arthur until Monday, so he had time to work out his game plan.
Sam exited the bedroom and settled quickly into Alfred's lap, "The offer is still on the table for that quickie," he whispered huskily, while biting the skin just under Alfred's ear.
Alfred pushed his boyfriend off of his person and frowned, "I'm not in the mood, Sam."
Sam let out a frustrated grunt and stormed into the kitchen, "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you!" he shouted over his shoulder.
Alfred didn't feel like fighting, so he just said nothing. They weren't going out for another half an hour, it was only seven o'clock after all.
In the meantime, Alfred committed to memory his and his ex-boyfriend's delicious encounter. He craved Arthur's kisses like smokers craved cigarettes.
Around 7:30, Alfred snatched up his jacket and went to locate his boyfriend. He found Sam sitting at the kitchen table nursing a shot of Jack. "Got started without me, huh?"
"Piss off."
"Alright, I deserve that."
"Alfred, let's just go out, I'm sorry I was short with you, but I'm worried about you."
"It's just a little stress from work, that's all," and the lie wasn't entirely untrue, his classes went by smoothly, but the matter of one Arthur Kirkland really caused the stress.
"Okay," Sam smiled at him in that sincere way of his and to Alfred's surprise and dismay, that caused a stir of guilt in his stomach.
"Come on, let's go," Alfred took Sam's hand and pulled him out the door.
…
"I'm glad you decided to get out and do something instead of wasting away in your apartment," Francis told him after he took a long pull of his beer.
"I do not waste away in my apartment," Arthur retorted.
"You've been such a grump, lately especially since Alfred came back into your life."
"Can you blame me? And today, remember I told you that he and I messed around in my classroom."
"That's kind of sexy," Francis remarked.
"You frog, is sex all you think about?"
"Have we met?" Francis raised his eyebrows.
Arthur sighed and down his beer in one go. This had been his second glass of beer and he wasn't near as drunk as he wanted to be. "I'll go get us a third round."
"Second for me," Francis reminded him.
"Right," Arthur got up and headed for the bar. He eyed a couple of guys he thought ere semi-attractive, but none of them were attractive enough to tempt him, not after getting a taste of Alfred, a taste he missed for a long time.
He flagged the bartender down and ordered two more beers. After the bartender handed him the drinks, he looked at the entrance and what he saw nearly made him drop the mugs.
Walking into the bar was none other than Alfred Jones and a dark haired man clinging to him like his life depended on it.
Arthur felt angry. Fortunately, Alfred didn't see him. So he weaved his way back to the table he and Francis occupied and slammed the beers down on the table.
"I'd like to leave," Arthur said abruptly.
"What? Why?"
Arthur turned his head and looked at the couple that had just entered.
Francis followed Arthur's gaze to Alfred and Sam, "Arthur, just relax and drink your beer. We don't need to go anywhere."
"The hell we don't."
"Oh my god, Arthur. Relax. He didn't see you."
"This is getting nowhere," Arthur plopped down and took a huge gulp of his beer.
"There." Francis sighed and looked back over at his other friend and his boyfriend.
At the end of his third beer, Arthur suddenly had the overwhelming urge to go to the bathroom, he excused himself and headed there.
Little did he know that Alfred was watching him closely, had been since he noticed him ten minutes earlier.
Sam was babbling about something and drinking his mojito.
"Sam, I'll be right back. I'm going to use the restroom.
"Alright, I'll be here."
Alfred wasted no time weaving through the other bar patrons, he needed Arthur like starving man needed food.
As soon as he pushed the door open he found Arthur standing at a urinal. He watched his ex tuck his cock back into his trousers and refasten the button and zipper. Alfred looked at his slim figure and noticed his too tight jeans.
Oh how he wanted to grab Arthur's ass just then, but he refrained. No one was in the bathroom but them, so he stepped in completely and let the door shut.
Arthur turned around and jumped, when he regained his composure, he glared at Alfred. "What are you doing here?"
A/N: Surprise! A really badly placed cliffhanger. Do not worry, our boys will get to have another sexy encounter in the next chapter.
Until then, my dear readers!