A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long! Ya boi got engaged at the end of 2020, and it's been nothing but wedding talk lately, so I apologize for such a late update!

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After texting nonstop for a few weeks, Alfred and Kiku finally met for dinner in between the Japanese man's classes. Relieved at the sight of each other, they nearly lost track of time before Kiku realized he was going to be late. Yet before he dashed off, he placed a gentle kiss to Alfred's forehead, leaving the blond absolutely smitten for the next three days.

"What should I do the next time I see him, Charlie?" Alfred asked, styling his hair in the mirror of her bedroom vanity. "I mean, he kissed my forehead. Do you think I owe him a kiss as well? That's how Gil and I did it." Saying Gilbert's name caused him to grimace as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Then again, what are me and Kiku? I've been scared to ask him."

Charlotte laughed and stood behind her best friend to help him. "That's not a question I can answer for you, Alfie Jones. I think that once you see him again in person, you'll know what to do. Just follow your heart. Isn't that what you tell me?"

"You have a point," he mused. "I guess that's just what I'll have to do." For a moment, he thought. "Wait, don't you have a boyfriend now too? Shouldn't you know what I should do then?"

"That's not the way I work, Alfie Jones. Besides, every relationship is different. Even if I am dating Kiku's roommate." Her laughter was light, like the fluttering of a bird's wings. Charlotte had become much happier since she began dating Eduard Von Bock, and everyone around her knew it. She even felt as if she had matured a lot since she began dating a freshman in college. "I'm so excited that we're going on a double date tonight! I can't wait to see you and Kiku being all awkward while Eddy and I hold hands from across the table!"

"How is it even a double date?" Alfred asked. "It's not like Kiku and I are in an actual relationship, you know." His face twisted into a pout as he sighed, "No matter how badly I wish we were."

"What would you do if he asked you out tonight?" she asked, wonder sparkling in her eyes. "With all of this frustration built up inside of you, he could help you just release it."

"Frustration?" Alfred asked, confused. "I don't really know what you're talking about. I haven't felt angry at all lately, except for brief spells in math, but who doesn't?" He fiddled with his cell phone, debating whether or not to text Arthur about his pre-date jitters. "A more accurate word would be nervous, not frustrated."

Charlotte sighed in exasperation before perching herself on his knee and looking at him. "Alfie Jones, you know I love you, right?" She batted her green eyes at him to ensure her statement. "The thing is, you're pretty dense when it comes to love and romance. Honey, when I say frustrated, I don't mean mentally, I mean sexually." Her mouth pulled into a smile when Alfred's face flushed deeply. "When you and Gil were together, didn't you ever feel that urge to go beyond just kissing with him? You know, maybe you wanted him to stick his hand in-"

"Yes! But what would you know, Charlie?" Alfred couldn't take any more narration of his sexual fantasies, especially done by the woman who knew him inside and out. Though he knew she lived in his head with him, there was no reason for her to bring his innermost thoughts out with her. "Don't make me come back to the reality of what I desire inside. It's cruel."

"You're so dramatic, Alfie Jones," she laughed. Charlotte leaned toward her mirror to touch up her lip gloss. "Those kinds of thoughts are normal. It's okay to have them. You don't need to be so shy about it." Her lips released a small giggle as she leaned toward him, throwing her arms around him. "I'm just super excited to go on a double date with my best friend! It's going to be so fun!"

He forced a smile for her as they finished preparing.

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That evening, Eduard and Kiku picked them up in Eduard's nice Mustang. Alfred's jaw nearly dropped upon seeing such a nice car while Kiku blushed deeply over his reaction. Charlotte threw herself into Eduard's arms, giggling with glee before kissing him. The greeting between those two caused Alfred and Kiku's cheeks to burn. Kiku quickly suggested that they should get going.

In the backseat of the Mustang, Alfred's knee touched Kiku's due to his awkward sitting and long legs. He was blushing the whole way there, but when he looked at Kiku, he could see that the Asian man was also blushing too. Thoughts danced around in Alfred's head about how he could come up with ways to touch Kiku more, but on purpose. His hands desired to hold the other, to sweep his bangs out of his eyes, to feel their lips pressed together.

Realizing that he was thinking too much and could easily excite himself in regards to where his train of thought was going, Alfred shifted his gaze to outside. Yet when he looked up, he noticed that they were driving past the house where Arthur used to live. He hated going by there because it made him think of the best friend who was no longer around.

Kiku, confused to Alfred's sad expression, reached over and patted his knee reassuringly. He smiled when the blond looked up at him, hoping that his smile alone could express what he was feeling. Yet something in him told him that Alfred didn't quite understand. Whatever the case, he carefully retracted his hand and placed it in his lap, also shifting his gaze outside for the rest of the ride.

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Throughout the entire dinner, Alfred couldn't help but wonder if Kiku really wanted to be there. He had seemed uncomfortable ever since picking up Charlotte and Alfred, yet the blond was too scared to ask if his theory was true. Alfred didn't want to think that Kiku may not actually want to be around him. Those thoughts bothered him more than he would ever care to admit.

When it came time to leave, Alfred had Charlotte distract Eduard so he could talk to Kiku alone. He needed to know what was wrong, especially if it was him. He needed to know if Kiku was interested in him. He needed to know so many things that he wouldn't be able to know if Charlotte and Eduard stuck around with them. But at the same time, the anxiety of asking about it felt nearly as bad.

"Hey, is everything okay, Kiku?" he asked once they were alone outside. "You don't seem too psyched to be here."

Kiku blinked his brown eyes in surprise. "I don't?" he asked. "I'm sorry if I came off that way. I love spending time with you, Alfred." His expression darkened a little. "It's just that Ed and Charlie are kinda throwing my mood off. Though I can't explain it, their relationship seems to be flaunting itself and making me nervous. It's almost suffocating, for lack of a better word. Like they're taking all of the romantic energy."

Alfred's heart skipped a beat at that last sentence. "Taking the romantic energy?"

"This was supposed to be a double date, from my understanding," the Japanese student continued. "But it felt as if you and I were just third wheels. Dates aren't supposed to feel like that. Yet I couldn't summon any romantic energy of my own. It felt as if there were someone else using all of it up. I know I may sound strange for saying something like this aloud, but I really wanted to flirt with you today."

The moment those words left his mouth, it was covered by Alfred's lips. His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to burst at any second. He felt as if all of the oxygen had fled from his head, leaving him in a dizzying trance. Yet his hands still reached out to Alfred to pull him closer, and that was what he had wanted the most out of the date.

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Present Day

In a quiet voice, Arthur asked, "You were about five or so years older than him. How do you feel when you look back on that?"

"It's not something I'm necessarily proud about," Kiku slowly began. "Though I don't regret my time with Alfred, I also don't take pride in it. If I'm honest, I don't really tell many people about that one relationship of mine. It was illegal, and I knew that. But there was something about Alfred that made him so entrancing. At that time, I felt so starstruck by him, but I couldn't understand why. It's almost as if everyone wanted to be with or be liked by him, yet no one could explain it at the same time."

"I get what you're saying with that," the blond replied, nodding. "That's how it was when he and I were kids, too. Everyone wanted to play with him at recess, yet he was so fixated on me that he ignored everyone else."

"So it has always been that way," the Japanese man mused. "Everything makes more sense. Toris told everyone that you are Alfred's number one, yet many of us had doubted that. Myself included. After all, wasn't it his relationship with me that ended your friendship?" His eyes widened. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize what I was saying when it came out. Please forgive me!"

Arthur thought back on what Kiku had said. Was it Alfred's relationship with Kiku that threw their friendship over the edge? He didn't bother to think about it in that exact moment. "No, you're fine. I don't take any offense. It was awhile ago. I'll think about it later." He quirked up an eyebrow to the Japanese man. "What's this about me being number one?"

"I'm sure you've heard from the others before me, but Alfred was in love with you the whole time, whether he knew it or not. After you two stopped talking, he kinda spiraled downward. His life became about sex with strangers, alcohol, and so much more." Kiku sighed and bit his lip. "Alfred was never the type to handle his negative emotions well, and that ended up being his undoing."

"What do you mean by 'his undoing'?"

The Japanese man's eyes widened as he realized what he had said. "Forgive me! I've said too much about that. You will understand at a later time. I'm only supposed to tell you my portion of it, not what came after me. Please be patient and wait for the time when it will all make sense."

Arthur let the subject drop, but he was determined to find out what Kiku meant.