Alfred felt a little more relaxed as he fell in step beside Arthur. There were so many emotions coursing through him, happiness and excitement mostly – but there was still an underlying apprehension and sadness that couldn't be ebbed away just yet.

Don't get him wrong, he was really grateful that Arthur offered him a place to stay, but they were effectively strangers to one another and he had already been on the forefront of the businessman's wrath, and honestly, that had been one of the most terrifying moments of his adult life.

As they continued on, it dawned on Alfred that they were heading toward the Upper East Side, one of the richest neighborhoods in New York. He tried to hide his shock. This couldn't be where Arthur lived…right? He seemed too young to be living in such a wealthy and prestigious area. But then again, the few times Alfred saw him, he was wearing beautifully tailored suits and exceptionally shiny shoes…so maybe it was possible that Arthur was in fact mega-rich.

At that point they had been walking for what felt like forever, and Alfred could hardly believe that Arthur did this commute day after day! He silently thanked the gods when Arthur finally stopped and turned to walk up some stairs leading to an ornate door, signifying their journey had officially come to an end.

Alfred's legs and back were throbbing (who said 26 was young?) as he grasped the banister and pulled himself up the stairs. He wasn't about to let his companion carry his bags for him but damn was his body weak; he prayed the Arthur would make good on his promise and have some food to offer after all.

They entered the building and came to an elevator which took them up to the fifth floor. The old apartment Alfred used to live in didn't even have an elevator and he had lived on the sixth floor, so this was a welcome improvement; Alfred was sure his legs wouldn't carry him another inch anyway.

Arthur gestured for him to follow as he led them down a nicely lit hallway and finally approaching a door labeled 5C. Arthur hadn't said a single word in a long time, and Alfred began to fidget uneasily, hoping that Arthur wasn't having second thoughts on the invitation.

But before his anxiety got the best of him, Arthur turned to him. "Well, here we are finally. Welcome to my home," and with that he pushed open the door to his apartment.

Alfred's jaw dropped for the second time that night. This place was amazing! It had high ceilings with a bookshelf lining one of the far walls, floor length windows that displayed beautiful brownstone buildings around the neighborhood, stylish and modern furniture in the living room, and that was all Alfred could see from his position by the door but holy cow was he blown away. He had only seen pictures of places like this in interior design magazines, he had never actually had the opportunity to set foot in a new york city paradise like this.

"Oh come on now, it's not all that. It doesn't nearly compare to some other flats I visited. The main reason I chose this flat was for the bookshelf. I'm partial to books I must admit."

Alfred could see why Arthur wanted to live here. The living room itself was probably as big as Alfred's old apartment! He suddenly felt like he was intruding dressed the way he was, and very carefully stepped into the apartment, trying not to leave any dirt in his wake. His grimy shoes didn't belong on this spotless floor and he wasn't sure whether or not to take them off, it's not like his socks were much cleaner. He was so very out of place.

Arthur noticed his hesitation. "You can take them off by the door if you'd like. In fact, why don't you get started on a shower so you can clean yourself up a bit? I may have an unused razor you can borrow as well."

After toeing off his shoes, he nervously bit his lip and looked at Arthur, "Actually, is it okay if I eat something first? Just something small! If you don't mind." This was so embarrassing, but his stomach had been so empty for so long, he needed some nourishment pronto.

"Yes of course! Sorry, how silly of me. Here, come to the kitchen and let's see what I have." Alfred trailed after him to step into an enormous kitchen area with marble countertops, an island, a dishwasher, and an electric stove. It was the nicest kitchen Alfred had ever seen and he stared in awe while Arthur sidled through the fridge.

"Okay…so unfortunately I don't have much but I do have some cheese, leftover cod, greek yogurt, and some fruit. You shouldn't eat too much right away since your body isn't used to it but you're more than welcome to anything that strikes your fancy," Arthur said as he moved to the side, giving Alfred a better view of the fridge.

After careful consideration, Alfred decided on the yogurt and an apple, hoping it wouldn't upset his stomach. And as much as he tried to savor the taste of his first real food in months, he couldn't stop himself from eating savagely.

The Englishman watched him for a while before fetching him a glass of water, to which Alfred smiled and thanked him.

"So, would you like to take a shower now? Get it out of the way? I can prepare supper in the meantime," Arthur offered.

Alfred smirked at him, "What, are you saying I smell or something?" He said it in a teasing tone, even though he knew he must smell like a living dumpster truck by that point. He wouldn't blame his host for wanting him thoroughly bathed.

Arthur appeared mortified. "No, no of course not!" But his pink cheeks were telling of the truth.

He couldn't help but giggle at the expression. "I'm joking, don't worry! Yeah, I'll get in the shower. But I don't know if I should change back into these same clothes. And as much as I love this old bomber jacket, I think it's time to call it quits."

"I should have some spare clothes you can borrow, might be a tad too small for your height but it's better than nothing."

"Yeah, I doubt you'd want me walking around naked," Alfred joked again half-laughing, but stopped when he saw Arthur's cheeks turn even redder. Maybe he was getting too comfortable too soon, but it was just nice to finally be able to talk to someone after so much time alone. But clearly he was making his new companion uncomfortable and he barely knew anything about the man. Only that Arthur was British, rich, and kinda mean when he wanted to be. "Sorry, I was just kidding," he added meekly.

"..Right. Anyway, let me show you around so you're acquainted with the flat, and then you can take a shower if you'd like."

Avoiding the awkwardness entirely, they began the tour around Arthur's apartment, ending at the bathroom. Alfred swore he was in a state of denial at how beautiful and spacious everything was. The bathroom tub even had a Jacuzzi!

"And here are two towels in case you need more than one. And a razor," he said as he placed the objects in Alfred's hands. "The shower controls are pretty straightforward but let me know if you have any trouble or need anything else at all."

Before Arthur left the bathroom to start cooking, Alfred called out to him, "Arthur, I really appreciate what you're doing for me. Like seriously, thank you so much for everything."

The green-eyed man blushed again, which Alfred was quickly finding to be a very adorable trait. "It's no problem at all. Honestly, I'm glad you decided to come." He smiled warmly. "Oh and I'm planning on making spaghetti Bolognese and potatoes for supper, but please don't feel pressured to eat more than you can handle. It should be done in about an hour."

"Sounds great, thanks!"

Arthur nodded in response as he left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Alfred began to orient himself with his surroundings before stripping off his dirty clothes and piling them in the corner. He stared at the pile in disgust before hopping into the shower and turning it on, the warm water feeling like heaven rolling down his skin.

Maybe this experience would turn out to be good for him after all. Maybe this would motivate him to get back on his feet and he would never have to sleep in dirty rags ever again. Probably wishful thinking, since he wasn't planning on staying here for very long. Arthur had already done more than enough to help him, and he hated the thought of asking too much of the man. But still, it was nice to dream about living in this beautiful apartment and having an interesting and handsome foreigner as a roommate.

As he lathered up his body to clean off every inch of skin, he couldn't help the hopeful smile that bloomed on his face.


A/N: Kiss my ass, writer's block!