I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! And with a longer chapter! Guess what! It's christmas soon! I'm so excited! Unfortunately with christmas comes christmas exams and studies so I won't be able to update until everything is done and over with. The good news is I will have the whole christmas vacacion to update and I will update a lot!

Thank you again for your lovely reviews!

Enjoy

With a black marker, Francis carefully traced the letters he needed for his message. Once finished, he gave his work a satisfied nod and shoved it in a bag. The blue eyed blond verified one last time that everything needed was there and got on his way.

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"Call him and invite him over like we usually do!"

"Alright, alright, I'll do it! Geez 'Tonio, you're not awesome when you talk like that…"

"And put speaker phones!"

Gilbert composed Francis' number and waited.

One ring

Two ring

Three rings

No answer.

"Try again!"

He tried again, they waited again and were about to hang up when someone finally answered.

"Oui, bonjour?"

"Hey Fran!"

"Oh! Gil' how are you?"

"Awesome as always! Look Toni and I were wondering if you could come over to our place today?"

"Sure! Not now thought. I'm a bit occupied."

"When will you come?" Asked Antonio "Just so we know when to take the wine.."

"…And the beer!"

"…The wine and the beer out?"

"Oh, um… In about one hour?"

"One hour! Francis, what exactly are you doing?" Exclaimed Gilbert. Francis tone immediately became agitated.

"Nothing important! Just… Stuff! Hehe… see you guys later!" And he hung up.

"Wha… He hung up?!"

That was very weird. Francis was not one to hang up without proper goodbyes and usually he'd come over immediately when he was invited by his two friends.

"We'll know what's wrong in an hour. This conversation will surely answer to a lot of our questions."

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Francis tied his hair in a ponytail and carefully placed the pirate hat on his head. He made sure the blue cloak was correctly placed and that his mask hid his face properly before taking in his hands the paper he had prepared earlier this morning. He stepped inside the photo booth. Inserted the necessary coins and froze with a light smile so the camera could take a good picture. That done, he took the costume off and placed everything back in the bag and stepped out.

The picture was published, Francis smiles.

Perfect.

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Ding! Dong!

Antonio opened the door and smiled at Francis who was standing on the doorstep.

"Amigo! Come in!"

"Merci! Sorry I'm late there was a bit of traffic in the metro"

"Not a problem!"

The two went in the living room and called Gilbert (who once again almost crashed down the stairs); they opened the TV like usually and sprawled on the couch, drink in hand. One hour later, they were unable to move due to a sleepy dream and their tangled position on the small couch. Antonio and Gilbert decided it was the perfect moment to bring up their interrogations.

"So… anything new you want to talk about Fran?" asked Gilbert

"No… there isn't much happening unfortunately"

"Oh so you leaving the café in a hurry without your usual goodbye kiss to the awesome friends we are have nothing to do with your lack of sleep and stressed behavior?

"I'm not stressed and I sleep very well!"

"Amigo" Antonio sighted "Don't try to hide us anything. We know you better than you know yourself. You've been putting makeup and you only do that when you need to hide something on your face. Even Mathew noticed."

"Not only that, but you've been daydreaming a lot lately."

"Well… I admit my sleep is not the best, but it has nothing to do with anything new."

Gilbert and Antonio pointedly stared at him with a look that clearly said: We-know-you're-lying-so-you-better-stop-and-start-talking-or-we'll-make-you. Feeling cornered, Francis tried to escape one last time. "Anyone wants another drink?" He asked while trying to get up from the couch and consequently away from his friends. He was stopped, however, by Antonio who secured an arm around his waist and Gilbert who tangled their legs together even more.

"Oh no you don't!"

"Amigo, you are not getting out of here until we get the whole story of what's troubling you."

Francis sighted and laid back down.

"You guys are insufferable."

"You wouldn't have us any other way!"

" Non, c'est vrai"

The Spanish man and the Prussian waited patiently for their friend to start talking. Finally, after another sight, the Frenchman started his story.

"I met someone."

"Ouhhh! Nice!" Cried Antonio "Boy or girl?"

"boy"

"What's his name?"

"Arthur."

"Aaaaaaaand? How is he?"

"Well that's the problem… I didn't exactly meet him."

"Okay now I'm confused" Said Gilbert

Francis got up and started pacing back and forth as his friends sat up to listen carefully.

"I saw him four times. The first time, I was just passing by and our eyes met. It was near a photo booth. I fell in love with those eyes as soon as I saw them. They were a deep, hypnotising green, but I was a bit put off by his enormous eyebrows. I swear they were gigantic. The second time I saw him was at the exact same place. Foe some unknown reason he ran away but forgot his suitcase behind. I used that to try to meet with him but he was doing a show for kids at les Tuileries and… The circumstances did I didn't have enough time to summon the courage to go see him. I only managed to give him a Rendezvous which was yesterday after my shift. This time, I managed to give him back his suitcase but I still didn't talk to him."

"What? How did you do that?"

Francis told them about his little scheme at the Eiffel tower and how he managed to learn more about Arthur without him realizing it. He wrapped up the whole thing by pointing out Alfred, Arthur's brother, was now coming at the café every day and that the Englishman had figured out how he worked and used it to ask him where they could meet.

"Did you give him a Rendezvous?"

"Yes this morning before coming here."

"Is he coming?"

"I don't know"

"What… But how did you do it then!?" Asked Gilbert now truly perplex.

"Arthur has the odd habit off looking under photo booths to find pictures that got thrown away so I took a picture with the place, time and date, and hid it under one."

"When is the meeting for?"

"Tomorrow at 3. During my shift"

"So to sum it up, you fell in love with a man that doesn't know you and that you haven't met yet"

Francis didn't answer. He just stared at an empty space. Gilbert and Antonio didn't need to talk to understand how he was feeling at the moment. With the years they had developed this kind of link.

"So!" Gilbert got up on his feet and clapped his hands. "The meeting is tomorrow at three. One thing is sure. 'Tonio and I will be there. We'll need you to point him out for us and we'll figure out what kind of dude he is. On your side however, you'll have to try to talk to him"

Francis nodded his head with a grateful smile on his face. He felt relieved that his friends would help him talking had actually calmed his nerves. The blond grabbed his glass and headed for the Kitchen.

"This man better be worth it, or else…"

Antonio's threat went unsaid as their friend came back and jumped back on the couch. The movie on TV was completely forgotten as the trio spent the rest of the evening joking and pillow fighting.

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Arthur waited until nobody was around to kneel and pass a metal bar under the photo booth. He pulled out the picture of a young boy that was clean enough to be reassembled in his album. He carefully slipped it in his pocket and walked away. He had covered all the photo booths of this station so he jumped on the train that arrived to chance station and continue his research elsewhere. Usually he did one station at the time but today, he was hoping to find the answer that would allow him to meet with the man that occupied so much he thoughts these last few days.

It was five O'clock in the afternoon when he hit the jackpot.

The picture was ripped in numerous pieces but on one of them was clearly written "Meet me…" while on another he could see the beginning of his name: "Arth…" Those clues where enough to tell him this was what he was looking for. He made sure he had every piece and quickly left to get back at his apartment. Locked in his room with a cup of earl grey, he managed to put the message back together.

Arthur,

Meet me at the café "Le lys et la rose"

November 8 at 3 O'clock.

F.

The British man had to admire the ingenuity of the man because he had once again managed to give him a meeting without showing his face. That pirate costume looked good on him…

Arthur bit his lower lip slightly, frustrated that he couldn't see the face yet but excited at the prospect of solving a mystery. Sure, it slightly creeped him out that an-almost-total-stranger knew so much about him but his life was a bit boring and he needed to spice it up. And this seemed to be the perfect opportunity.

November 8 was tomorrow so if all went well, in exactly 22 hours he would be socializing with someone new. And Alfred said he needed to go out more! Tss, why do that when the people come to you?

The Englishman was considering searching for the café on Google maps to go today and get familiar with the place when he was cut out from his thoughts at the sound of the door opening and someone entering with a petulant groan.

"Alfred?" He called

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here! Arty could you come lend me a hand?" His brother answered. He sounded slightly in pain.

Arthur frowned and left his room to see what the commotion was all about. When he entered the living room and saw his brother he froze for a second before a wide smile appeared on his face and he started laughing.

"Not funny dude."

The only answer Alfred got was an increase of the Englishman's glee who doubled over of laughter.

"You done now?"

When Arthur calmed down enough to talk, he sat down on the couch with a big grin.

"Explain first." He said

"What? No! Help me first!"
"You are in no position to argue"

The two brothers stared at each other for a while before Alfred gave in.

"I got in a fight."

"I can see that."

"With a Russian."

"And you obviously lost"

Alfred glared at his still smirking brother but continued.

"We ended getting thrown out in the alley next to the café where we had our altercation… that's when he… did this."

"Where did he find the makeup?"

"In a bag an old Lady threw at us in self-defense"

"This" was the hilarious way Alfred was arranged. The poor American had makeup all over his face in a parody of a cancan dancer of the 20th century and had his hands tied behind his back with an old rope that seemed to have stayed on the floor for a long time. Finally, the last element that seemed to have been added like an afterthought was an old, flashy pink dog leash and collar attached to his neck. Overall, a ridiculous and humiliating decoration.

"He did a good job humiliating you"

"That was his goal."
"How did you get home?"

"He… brought me here."

"With the leach I bet."

To Arthur's surprise, Alfred diverted his eyes and blushed a heavy scarlet red.

"Seriously?"

His brother didn't answer and blushed even deeper (if that were possible). Arthur sighed, slightly chocked, and finally got up to help him.

"What café were you at anyways?"

"A café not too far from here called le lys et la rose"

Arthur Froze of surprise and stared at his brother in awe. A small grin made his on his face.

"Alfred, tomorrow, you are going to show me where this café is alright? We both seem to have a reason to go after all…"

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"It's very nice of you to come with me, mon ami."

"The pleasure is all mine Amigo!"

Antonio and Francis were walking side to side on the sidewalk and on the way to Lovino's market. The Spanish man had invited himself to spend the rest of the day with his friend and had decided to help him grocery shopping since he was going to stay for dinner.

Unknown to him, Francis had other plans for him…

When they entered the shop, Lovino was placing fruits and vegetables in a cardboard box with his usual scowl on his face and Feliciano was talking with a young lady at the cashier.

"Hey Lovino!" Saluted Francis

"What do you want Bastard" answered the Italian without really asking the question.

"DIOS! You're so cute!"

Lovino glared at Antonio

"What the fuck are you saying Bastardo!"

"But it's true!"

Happy with how things turned out, Francis left the two exchange tender words and went to gather everything he needed before going to the cashier to pay and talk with Feliciano. The two were discussing about what wine went better with tortellini when a shout louder than the others came from Lovino's way.

"That's it! Out of my way Idiota! I have to bring this to the Potato Bastard!"
"Awwnn but I want to keep talking! I was even planning to treat you to dinner!"

Francis, knowing that "Potato Bastard" was Ludwig's Nickname for Lovino, once again seized the opportunity.

"Why don't you send Feliciano? You're closing in half an hour so while you're doing the necessary, he will bring Ludwig his food and you're going to be done sooner."

Lovino paused, seriously considering the idea while Antonio stayed silent (for once) knowing better to talk.

"well… Yes, okay."

"YES!"

Before he could change his mind, Francis had taken the cardboard box from his hands to give it to Feliciano (who was more than glad to leave the cashier) and Antonio had grabbed him to drag him to the back store so he could close.

With Feliciano off to Ludwig's and Antonio finally meeting a potential boyfriend, Francis decided he could treat himself with his favorite wine.

He loved playing matchmaker.

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"Now something happened between you and Gilbert!"

Francis had been watching his cousin fidget at the other side of the table they were currently eating at. Mathew hadn't touched to his food which was weird considering it was his favorite meal (pancakes). He had a light blush on his face and dreamy eyes.

"Yes!" The Canadian exclaimed, he was suddenly very lively and even got to his feet to hug Francis tightly.

"He asked me out! He asked me out and even if I told him I wasn't ready to move on yet he told me he didn't care and that he would wait for as long as I needed! He even swore on his Prussian soul, whatever that is…"

On his Prussian soul? Dear god Gilbert was serious… Francis chuckled and hugged his cousin back.

"I'm glad for you mon cher! You'll see Gilbert can be a pain in the ass sometimes but he can also be very tender! Mathieu, this is something we must celebrate!"

The rest of the evening was spent watching cheesy romances in French while drinking the wine Francis bought earlier. They quickly became tipsy but for now, they were to care!

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6 O'clock in the morning, in a small apartment of Paris, Francis Bonnefois wakes up.

6:30

He steps out of the shower and starts getting dress.

At the same time in another apartment not too far away, Arthur Kirkland wakes up on his couch where he fell asleep the night prior.

One hour later at 7:30, Francis steps out of his house with his cousin Mathew Williams. They are both heading to a small café called "Le Lys et la rose" where one will work until 5 in the afternoon and the other will meet with a "friend".

8 O'clock, Arthur tries to pass the time by drinking earl grey and watching his favorite Doctor who episodes.

The day of both, Francis Bonnefois and Arthur Kirkland, is spent shooting glances at the clock every once in a while and trying to act normal.

Finally, 6 hours and thirty minutes later, the Englishman kicks his brother, Alfred Jones, wake and tell him to get ready.

3 O'clock, they leave the house and head for the café. At the same time, Francis starts to panic because the man he's waiting for is not there yet.

3:05

Arthur and Alfred step in the café.

Mr. Kirkland doesn't realize it but he is now carefully watched by a self-proclaimed Prussian and a tomato lover who are determined to help their friend even with a cute Canadian and an angry Italian at their side.

Francis is at the other side of the counter, making coffee.

Arthur sits down at a table right behind him.

Francis turns around.

Their eyes meet.

Muahahaha! I feel so evil for leaving you guys here... Oh well. The next chapter looks promising.

Reviews are greatly apreciated and please do tell me what I have to improve!