A/N: Okay, in this chapter I mention an expression that Arthur's dad uses when he's ordering a steak and it doesn't really make sense but it's a real expression that my dad uses so I stuck it in there anyway! Thank you for reading!

Chapter Forty-five.

"You're not coming to graduation day are you?" Alfred asked.

"No..." I glanced down at him lying one bleacher bench below me, "Sorry, I can't make it... My flight is the same day."

He sat up pushing his hair back and holding his cold water bottle to his forehead in an attempt to cool off in the heat and shrugged "It doesn't really affect me so much... It's just some of our friends are leaving this year, it could have been sorta nice if we went along."

I rolled onto my back on my level of the bleacher bench; it was just over a week later and though neither of us were as happy as we were before the news that I was going home we were trying our best to stay positive. Though I had joined the cheerleaders again, I no longer went every day. I was leaving anyway.

"It's a shame, I know." I put my arm over my eyes as a shield from the sun, "You could go."

"Nah..." He pushed up his glasses and poured the water over his face, "It's the day you leave, I gotta wave goodbye! And I don't think I'd really be in the mood."

We were silent and I sat up, turning to look down at him, "The bell will be going soon, we should head back."

I stood up, but he remained sitting there, making no effort to stand up.

"Come on," I urged, "We don't have long."

"We've got ages and it's too hot to get up anyway..."

"No we don't, we'll be late if we don't get a move on." I nudged him with my foot, "Alfred, come."

"Well, see, judging by the sun and the shadows and my awesome knowledge of that kind of shit I'd say we got two hours."

"You can't read the sun!"

"No, no, the sun would blind me." He had a small grin on his face, like the ones he wears when he's just being silly. He never wore it as much, which is why it made me glad to see it, "The shadows, Artie, like a sun dial, y'know?"

"Yes, Alfred, but have you considered that we don't even have a lunch break of two hours, there couldn't be two hours left!" I was half laughing.

"Yeah, that's what they tell ya, but the shadows don't lie, man, it's only eleven a.m, I swear!"

"You're being ridiculous, we've had lunch already!"

"Sorry, but it's the truth~" He shrugged, like there was nothing he could do about it suddenly being eleven o'clock in the morning.

"You're just trying to-" I started but was cut off by him gripping my arm and pulling me down beside him. He put his arm tightly around my shoulders, making my lie my head on his shoulders,

"Artie, Shhhh... There's nothing we can do but sit it out here in the sun for another few hours, making out."

"We'll be late. It's five to two, I have a watch on."

"It must be wrong, sorry; I can't help it if we still have five hours."

"I thought it was two?"

"Hey, Artie?" He said, changing the subject completely.

"Alfred, we need to leave so we're in class for the bell, don't just move on!"

"But I gotta ask you something that's like, super important!"

"What?"

"Come over later!"

"You mean to your house?"

"Yeah!"

I fixed him a confused look, "Of course, I do so everyday... Why are you asking me?"

"No, I mean like really come over. I'm gonna make us a fancy dinner!"

"Oh really?" I smiled a little, forgetting the time issue for now, "Why?"

"Well... Because you're leaving soon so I thought it might be nice... So I want you to head home once we're done school, freshen up, I dunno, get ready while I cook and freshen up too and stuff then come round at seven- I got it all planned."

"Excellent," I said, and meant it, "What're we having?"

"I'm doing steaks, proper good ones, like no fat, good meat," He smiled wider, "Classy, grade A steaks."

"That sounds wonderful, but how will you afford steaks? I haven't had them since I was in England because they're too expensive."

"Yeah, I know it's a lot but I got it covered!" He seemed genuinely excited and I had never been happier to see him like that, "I got money saved from the monthly allowance that dad used to give me. I won't need it so much when I move in with Mattie and his mom."

"Then I suppose that's good."

"Yeah it is!" He stood up now and held out his hand, deciding that it really was time to get going. I took it and we started to walk back to the school, holding hands, "But I want it to be real special, so wear something smart, okay? I will too."

"That sounds fine to me, the bell really is going to ring soon so... I'll see you tonight?"

He nodded enthusiastically; he was now swinging our hands between us, "Let's not walk home together, it'll be bad luck! Like seeing the bride on wedding day before the wedding!"

"We're not getting married."

"We could be!" He laughed a little before stopping suddenly, "But- ah, you don't like me talking about marriage do ya...?"

I sighed a little, thinking before saying, "You know, Alfred, I don't think I mind as much anymore."

And then the bell went.

.oO0Oo.

I felt like I was going to some sort of big event. I had even brought along a desert that I bought on a detour on the way home. I had showered, dressed up in my best clothes, and ignored homework in favour of getting ready. I had even styled my hair before deciding it looked stupid and ruffling it into its usual state.

I put the trifle under one arm as I pressed the door bell and waited. I wasn't sure why but I was slightly nervous. Maybe it was the way he had bigged it up, or how he said that I was to wear nice clothes and he was cooking expensive food.

I waited ten seconds

That turned to twenty.

That turned to thirty.

Was he okay?

I was about to break the door down when he finally answered the door, smiling handsomely, though he did look rather fluster,

"Artie!" He was panting lightly, "Hi!"

"Hello," I tried to peek around the door, "Is everything alright in there?"

"Yeah! Yeah, it's fine! Just hand on a sec."

And he closed the door again.

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do but I just stood there, maybe he'd come back and open the door again.

Three minutes later, he did open the door again

"Hey!" He said, breathlessly, "Good, you stuck around."

"Yes," I had to say, I was getting rather confused, "You asked me here."

"I know and this is gonna be a great night," He opened the door enough for me to enter, "Come in!"

I did as he said and looked around. By the way he was behaving I had half expected to come in and see a total mess, but as I looked around taking in the low light and the candles that were dotted around the front room I realised that place actually looked rather nice.

"Lemme take your coat." He was behind me and I shuffled out of my coat and took off my shoes still looking around, it was really quite pretty in here.

"I brought a trifle." I held it out to him and he looked at it like he had only just noticed that I was holding it.

"Oh, wow, great! Thanks!" He took it from me and smiled, he seemed very mature this evening and I had to admit, it was very attractive, "Look, you go sit down, I'll get you a drink before dinner."

"Thank you." I smiled back and he disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me to sit down on his sofa and enjoy the ambience.

Though I got bored of the ambience thing pretty quickly.

"Alfred?" I called through to him.

"Yeah, babe?" He called back to me.

"Are you alright in there?" He had been gone for a while now.

"Uh-huh! Yeah, I'm good!" As if on cue he came rushing back through a drink in each hand, "I just dropped the ice cubes... uhh..." He looked at both drinks, "This one's yours!" He thrust the glass at me, which I took.

He sat down beside me rather abruptly, causing the sofa to move slightly and my drink to slosh around in the glass; I put my hand over it to stop it from spilling.

"Shit, sorry!" He realised what he had done and grabbed the base of my glass, trying to steady it for me. Only, he seemed to do this just a few seconds too late and the silly yank that I had come to love managed to make it worse so that my drink splashed onto my trousers.

He made a small frustrated noise and looked disheartened, hitting his own head lightly as if to reprimand himself for making a mess so early on in the evening.

"Oh dear!" I said airily, before he could say anything, "But no harm done!" I patted him on the back and took a sip of my drink as if to brush off the little spillage as nothing.

"Aw man, sorry Artie, I'm not a very good host..."

"Oi, now, don't say that!" I was enthusiastically trying to cheer him up, "We're only five minutes in!" God, now I knew what it felt like to be him, always desperately trying to brighten the mood.

"Yeah, I know, and I'm trying to act all mature and stuff cuz you said you liked it when I did that but I keep on messing up, dropping ice cubes and stuff." Ah, so he was showing off his mature side on purpose... I never even realised that he knew I liked that, he had never really struck me that throughout our relationship he had been taking notes at all.

"Alfred, just act as you usually do, I don't mind."

"Really? But you like me more when I'm acting all grown up... I dunno why though, I don't get that part... But anyway! You said that you like it when I'm all mature and like batman!"

"Batman?" What did he have to do with this?

"Yeah, cuz he always seemed to me to be the cool brooding mature hero... So like Batman."

"You know, there is a difference between being dark and brooding and being mature and caring."

He sighed, "I just wanna look cool tonight."

I pushed his arm lightly, "Please don't push yourself, I fear that you're going to injure yourself."

He laughed lightly at that, "Okay... But let me be mature, even if I mess up a little I'm gonna try my best to act cool!"

I leaned back on one arm of the sofa, "Do you realise that by telling me that you're going to try and be cool, you look rather un-cool?"

"Huh?!" This had obviously not come to mind before, "You serious?"

"Deadly serious."

That made him genuinely flustered, "Then forget I said that! Just forget about that whole conversation!"

I stood up, "I'm only joking, you're always the coolest person to me." I drank the rest of my drink quickly, "Now why don't we just move on into the kitchen and have something to eat? I'm bloody starving sitting there."

"Huh? Already? Don't you want like those tiny bowls of nuts and stuff?"

"If it's alright with you, Alfred, I've had nothing since lunch. I'm getting hungry."

"Okay, it's fine!" He jumped up, "It's actually good, cuz I don't have any nuts."

Then why did he suggest it? "Right, well then." I started to lead the way to the kitchen.

"Hey, Artie, guess what?"

"What?"

"You sound really weird when you say cool, it's cuz you're all British, it's like coo-el, like a grandpa or something!" He laughed.

"Alfred, guess what?"

"What?"

"Shut it, tosser."

"Okay."

We entered the kitchen together and I took a seat, this room was also done nicely, Alfred had put out a lovely white table cloth, and there was a vase with roses on the table, as well as candles. It provided a romantic atmosphere and it made me happy, knowing that he had gone to such lengths for me.

"How do you like your steak?" Alfred asked from the cooker, I could see him heating up some oil and it stirred something in my stomach, making it growl with hunger.

"Rare, please." I could see him getting the two steaks out of the paper, both red and raw, slightly bloody, just how I liked them.

"That's the one where it's kinda pink in the middle, right?"

"That's the one..." I smiled to myself as I remembered an expression my dad would say when ordering steaks, "Or as my father would say," I told him, "Just wipe the cow's arse and bring it to the table."

That cracked him up. He doubled over laughed and I chuckled lightly, I thought that he would find that funny, it was his kind of humour.

"What?! That's so gross!" He was still laughing.

"Isn't it? That's what he'll say to waiters when ordering a steak."

"He says it in public!? It doesn't even make sense! It sounds like he just wants cow poop!"

"I suppose he means that he wants it almost raw..."

"It's still gross!"

I smiled at him, "I know. But anyway, yes, I would like it still raw and bloody in the middle."

"Ew, I've never got that." He said mostly to himself as he turned back to the stove.

"What? Rare steaks?"

"Yeah! I mean why would you have raw meat? I mean, it's raw."

"Excellent deduction."

"No, but like, why would you eat it raw?"

"It's just better that way... What do you have yours like?"

"Well done."

"You can't do that!" I was so appalled that I almost fell out of my chair.

"Huh? Why not?"

"You'll lose all the flavour! It's hard to chew and tastes like charcoal!"

"Hey, you can't talk, yours is still bleeding! It's as weird as heck!"

I sighed and shook my head, "It's your mistake to make... At least don't have it blue."

"Blue...? Which ones that?"

"The one where it isn't cooked at all."

He turned to me, his face in complete shock, "No way! Like totally raw? Not even been in the pan?"

"They might warm it up for you..."

He scrunched up his face in disgust, "People can't actually eat that! It'd be all slimy!" He actually shuddered.

"Well no one here is having a blue steak tonight. Are they almost ready? I'm absolutely ravenous."

"Yeah, it's done, gimme a sec!" He turned off the oven and took out a try of steaming hot chips, he tasted one to make sure they were cooked through and grinned.

"French fries are cooked!" He announced to no one in particular and took them out, dividing them between the two plates before dumping a bagged salad onto my plate and taking two handfuls from the pile to put on his, making it even.

He took over both the plates and gave me mine, I thanked him and tucked in, trying to quell my hunger.

We ate for a few minutes in comfortable silence before he spoke up,

"We could do this every day if you weren't leaving, Artie. It wouldn't be as fancy every night but living together, eating together and laughing as we did it could have been out lives."

I looked up at him and put my cutlery down, "One day it will be. Because I will come back, and we'll get to do this again."

"Yeah I know, you say that and it makes me feel better... But sometimes I remember that in a few weeks you'll be gone for longer than I've even know you and it just gets me real sad again." He put his hand over mine over the table.

"Let's not be sad right now, this is our last big thing together, you were saying that it should be happy."

He nodded and blinked as if shaking off any sorrow that might have cloaked him, "You're right! You're right, let's not get into that right now..."

We turned the conversation around as we ate and managed to keep up the merriment all through the meal until we just had clean plates to talk over.

But Alfred couldn't keep on talking happily forever, and later on the conversation turned back to my leaving again,

"When does your plane leave?" He asked in a lull of the conversation.

"Three in the afternoon."

He nodded understandingly and looked up at me, "I wish I knew that you were leaving when I fell in love with you..."

"Why?" I felt a flicker of hurt, "Would you have cut your ties and left?"

He looked surprised at that suggestion, "No! No, that's not it at all! I just kinda wanted to have a bit of emotional warning, just so I knew what to expect..."

I half smiled, "That's fair enough... I would have told you, Alfred, but it had never crossed my mind! Or if it did it wasn't when I was with you. I'm sorry I never told you."

"It doesn't matter. Too late now, I guess... I don't regret any of this by the way, even though you're leaving."

"Neither do I! Except that I didn't accept it before. I denied my feelings for you, and it got as both hurt."

"Those two weeks, huh?" He nodded, knowing what I was talking about. The two long weeks where I was convinced he didn't like me anymore I and he was convinced that I was someone who was going to disregard him and go off with Francis Bonnefoy.

"Yes. Those two weeks."

"Actually, no, I do have one regret. Or two."

"What are they?"

"How I said I loved you, I wanted it to be all sweet and I tell you in a way that felt real special... Instead I was just mad and kinda yelled it and left."

"It was certainly the most shocking way to do it..." I agreed.

"I'm sorry about that; it was shitty way to do it."

"It certainly put the message across. You said there was a second?"

"Uh-huh! My Party. The one where you were drunk and I was on the way to drunk and we made out. Shit, that was the one I regretted most of all... I came far too close to having sex with you, I almost took advantage of you and that would have been really uncool."

"But you didn't... You did come to your senses."

"That aint the point! I just... Ahh, fuck it, I'm sorry, okay?"

I smiled, "I forgave you quite a while ago."

He chuckled, "Great. Thanks."

There was a pause before I said, "Alfred?"

"Mmm?"

"I can't do anything about what happened at that party- but maybe we could do the first regret you have again."

"What do you mean?"

"Confess your love to me again! I want to know how you would have done it without the Francis incident."

He smiled, liking the idea, "Oh yeah? You'd like me to do that?"

I nodded, "And you shouldn't be nervous either, because you know what the response will be."

"Sure! Okay, I like it... Forget everything! Forget my hot bod and the fantastic sex, and the dates and coming out to my dad, and kissing in front of everyone in the game, and the romantic tensions with Allistor and Peter, pretend that never even happened!"

"Done."

"Great now stand up, you are gonna find out you are the one that the hero loves!"

"Lucky me." I got out of my chair.

"I know, right?" He got up too and stood across at the other side of the kitchen, "You ready?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay..."

He suddenly stood up straight. He took two strides towards me, spun around once started to sing James Blunt badly and did some improvisational ballet dance moves over to me, prancing, leaping, twirling and all sorts of moves that probably weren't good for his leg all with a straight face as I pretended that I wasn't fazed by any of it.

"Arthur Kirkland!" He exclaimed and bowed as he made it to me.

"Yes, Alfred F. Jones?" I smiled sweetly.

"Will you," He put both hands on my shoulders dramatically, "Do me the honour," He moved close to me, "Of being my sexy, cute, funny, supportive, clever boyfriend?"

I gave him a coy smile, "I'm not sure, you're a little daft, I'll need a week to think about it."

He didn't expect this and visibly deflated a little, "Wait, no Artie, that's not fair, you're-"

"I'm joking!" I laughed and put my arms around his neck, "I'd love to be those things."

He smiled widely, "Great! I got me a hot date!" He laughed and cheered, getting me to laugh with him.

He grabbed me and lifted me up over his shoulder,

"Oi put me down!" I protested, hitting his back, "I'm not a sack of potatoes!"

He didn't respond just carried me back to the sofa, and put me down there, still smiling like a child as he almost lay on top of me, hugging me tightly.

"We'll make a great team! A football player and a cheerleader!"

I finally managed to get out from beneath him and sit up, "Then according to every American television show and film, you're a jock and I'm a bitch."

"We'll just have to defy stereotypes." He said and kissed me.

The kiss deepened quickly and soon we were in each other's arms, each time our lips met becoming wetter and hotter until he finally pulled away.

His face looked sad suddenly as he found himself in reality again, this wasn't the start of our story together, it was the part where we said goodbye, he wasn't a football player anymore and I was soon leaving cheerleading again.

He sighed and I put a comforting arm around his shoulders.

He was like that for the rest of the evening, we ate my trifle together and both washed up, at one point he started to cry which made me cry too. For ten minutes we just stood together in tears. I left soon after, I declined his offer to walk me home, I needed to be alone and hope that the cool night tie breeze could air out the sadness that was ever gathering like dust in the pit of my heart.