Instead of the record he'd practiced with, they'd brought in a proper orchestra with all the furnishings, so Arthur figured that would be an easy thing to commentate on as a starting point.

When he did though, Matthew simply nodded, carefully taking his partner through the motions. "There's almost always musicians playing live, Sir Arthur, at least in these sorts of parties. Though I must ask, have you heard an orchestra in person before?"

"Once, I believe." Arthur replied. Another reminder of how he didn't really fit in this place. He took a moment between replies to ensure his shoulders were squared properly and his chin wasn't glued to his neck. "It was at an annual field trip with our holding facility in Hearts, and we attended a fair in the Inner Circle. But that's it."

"I'm sure you'll get used to it soon," he said, not unkindly. Clearing his throat to say something else, he stopped when he noticed his brother glide past him with the eighth Chosen member of the night, expecting him to look every bit as smug as possible.

Wait. The expression he wore wasn't one of triumph, rather one of frustration. Alfred's gaze was fixated somewhere else other than his own partner. It took him a moment to realize that he was looking at Matthew's.

Strangely, though, Arthur hadn't seemed to notice. "I do hope so, Ace Matthew," he replied as they separated for a moment, mimicking everyone else on the floor. "I must admit, not everything has come easy in this new lifestyle."

Sympathetic nod, though the Ace looked a little confused. "Er, that is not to say that I haven't found ample things to appreciate." Starting to stammer a little, he felt whatever little confidence he'd found to slip away. "The food's excellent, the gardens are exquisite, er, and-"

"Sir Arthur, are you all right?"

Alfred moved to the right but not without throwing a stray glance in their direction, mouthing something that Matthew couldn't quite make out. Owing to the frustrated bob of his cowlick, it probably wasn't anything good.

"Yes, I'm quite fine, I, er-"

"No, it's just that...you know, my brother just whizzed by, and you didn't interrupt our conversation." Stricken, Arthur watched his face for any sort of hints that told him he was doing something wrong, but he only saw a tiny lifting of the corners of his mouth. What could he possibly say in an undignified response?

"Oh – no, not at all, it's just that," Matthew ducked under an arch that the adjacent couple had formed, linking back up with him, "It's just that I'm used to being overlooked for his sake, so I found it strange."

"He was there?" Whatever question he had in mind was completely overruled by that discovery. What a foolish question, he thought internally, but at least Matthew seemed to find it amusing. "Um, it would be rude to ignore you, correct? Especially since you, as the Ace of Spades, invited me."

Pausing briefly in his steps, he waited until the dance let them separate from the other couples. "Sir Arthur, I hope this isn't rude of me, but I'd be relieved if we could be acquainted past our bind of secrecy. I understand I'm asking plenty of you as it is, but I don't want it to hinder our working relationship in the future."

Arthur almost stopped dancing. "In the future?"

"In the future, correct," Matthew said softly, easily maneuvering them both so they blended in with the crowd, out of earshot of the cameras. "I hope this isn't rude, either, but we're all allowed to root for people within the Deciding."

"Then, that means-"

"I may not understand everything between you and my brother," he said, continuing to propel them expertly so nothing seemed out of touch except of the things he was currently stating. "But I have been able to notice that he likes you very much, and that alone leads me to believe your presence in here will be prominent for much longer."

"You're not saying it just...for the fact that it'll make it easier?" Thankfully, through the din of the room, his voice was naturally muted. In response, there was a tiny shake of his head. "I can't understand that, but-"

"It makes me sound terrible, eh? I may seem too quick to trust you,"

"If I may be so bold, I'd argue you have."

"But had Al – Alfred been engaged before the Deciding, I wouldn't have spoken to them about my secret. Just like the mix up with-" his gaze slid over to the Joker, who was standing at the edge of the room with a small tart in his hand and speaking with Francis. "-him. So do forgive me if I am so quick to entrust, since with the stakes being so high."

"Engaged before?" Everything came out like a question, but he couldn't help his curiosity. Perhaps it would remedy the Ace's bitter expression.

"If he hadn't been so fierce about wanting a Deciding that he basically avoided contact with people who showed even a sign of interest, there might have been. It's not uncommon for royals to avoid a Deciding for that reason alone."

"That seems...extreme, but being that stubborn?" Almost forgetting that sputtering into laughter was improper, he managed to detach one hand from Matthew's shoulder to cover his hand just in time. Alfred had a stubborn side, that little was certain, but he hadn't heard any stories about it from someone else.

"Actually, yes," the music drew to a close but the two of them were so engrossed in their conversation they barely slowed down. "He had a bit of an crush when we were young on a friend, but when I asked him whether he was going to make it serious, Alfred insisted that he'd save his first k – oh, we should be parting now. Thank you for the dance, Sir Arthur."

Reverting back to business mode, the two of them bowed in a goodbye and exchanged thanks before Arthur retreated into the safety of the crowd and Matthew searched for another partner – a star struck girl, probably a daughter of a dignitary that almost keeled over in her excitement.

He was plenty content with the party as it progressed – no Alfred, no stress, no nothing. That is, until a hiss came from behind a familiar source that caused him to turn around.

"Al, what is it?" His face was a little pink, almost certainly from dancing essentially nonstop, but even now Alfred's face wasn't following his own, even when he had to step in for no reason. "What is it? And why are we hiding underneath some pillar?"

"What happened to you not dancin' with the Chosen?" he grumbled, stammering over his words in his haste. Matthew hoped that no one would stare too much at the two boys huddled behind one of the several Corinthian pillars in the room. "Saw you out with-"

Sputtering, he straightened his brother's tie as if to drive forward the point. "Are you jealous? There's no need to be – who was it?"

"You know who it is," He folded his arms, not even budging when Matthew paused to take two flutes of some blue champagne and gave it to him. "I'm not jealous, I just wanted to ask."

"Mm-hmm. Drink, you look exhausted. It's just some champagne, you don't have to glare at it like that."

"Matt, I'm fine," he huffed, before taking the drink anyway and downing it after his brother chided him once more. "Say something mean to him? He wasn't looking my way at all, and I was trying to talk with him halfway through!"

He deliberately paused to give a passing waiter their glasses. "You're just too used to people looking your way. Of course I wouldn't do anything mean to your Chosen. Could you, um – yes, thank you."

"Matt-ie!" Alfred cried childishly, only remembering to thank the waiter after he'd been nudged. "Whaddya say to him that was so interesting?"

Reaching forward, he thought he'd get his answer but his twin conveniently beckoned Lady Marianne forward from where she was standing near a refreshments table. "The next song is about to start, and I believe you're in need of a dance, Alfred." With a tone that stern, and the fact that he should probably get as much dancing in before fatigue set in, Alfred gave up his conceitedness and decided to get on with it. There were other opportunities to bug him later, after all.

There was still some comfort in hiding quietly in solace, Arthur found, even within lavish ballrooms.

He'd been invited on two other dances, one by Officer Steillson who had been recommended by Leon, and another with Emma. His easygoing friend wanted to see if the cameras would eagerly follow a strange pair of two Chosen, and despite himself, he'd had a surprising amount of fun. Three dances weren't that poor of a showing for someone who had two left feet.

The moment the two of them took a break, sitting on a bench – painted a luxurious blue and papered with silk. Emma was asked to dance by someone – an advisor, judging from the badge pinned on his lapel. Leaving him alone once more, he took another moment to take a drink of water. Eventually, his gaze couldn't help but drift to where Alfred was dancing effortlessly with Natalya, sweeping her around like it was nothing, like he'd done with countless other people already this evening. The smile on his face as they wove between couples and united again was something that soured his throat with both envy and longing.

Arthur should have known he was staring too long. He should have just returned to not caring, eating plenty of sweetmeats, sipping on dainty beverages, and watching everyone else be content before leaving the party early and getting some good sleep. Not watching Alfred's eyes sparkle behind the shoulder of the person he was dancing with.

At the same time, it felt that nothing else, not in this room or beyond, could compare with the headiness of just watching him.

He knew he was weak for it, but when even the Fates would be brought to their knees just by being in his presence, Arthur felt less guilty of his desire.

I wanted to say 'look only at me', but I could never do that. A sun's light should never be stolen.

Seguing past throngs of people, dance card thumping on his wrist, Arthur lingered behind a pillar at the very edge of the largest room, keeping his gait light so there was no way he'd be noticed inbetween the crowd. Fates knew he'd never ask for a dance, but settling for this was all right. All right, up until the moment Alfred looked up from writing his name on someone else's dance card. One moment he was exchanging giggles, probably eating up every word they were saying, the next his mouth had stilled, watching him from across the floor.

In a flash, he and Arthur were the only two people in the room.

Entranced, he parted his lips to say something, wanting to forget temporarily where they were and just dance and talk like they had the other night, uncaring of everyone around them. Clearly, he was incredibly busy, and probably didn't appreciate being looked at, judging from the serious look on his face. For someone who was usually energetic and undeterred to wear such an expression, it made the old feeling of restless intrigue spring up once more.

Though at the same time, what else could have caused that face, if not his carelessness?

He didn't want to resist the irreversible temptation that had been borne out of their brief courtship, almost as if Alfred's gloved hands were cupping his chin and tugging him close. But what did it matter? He wouldn't know that, and some things should remain a secret. Adjusting his jacket once more, he walked away to give him some privacy.

Throughout the night, he'd been acutely aware of his every turn of the room, every shift of his feet, every glint of light the angles in his face caught. Was this how it felt to be enraptured?

I still have to attend to duties, but after I saw you with Matt, I couldn't help but want to touch you for myself.

Then again, Artie, every time I see your back turning away, I can't help but think what you're keeping to yourself.

"Are you ready for our dance, Your Highness?" Sir Ian was watching, a shadow of impatience passing over his face. "I believe the music is starting once more."

Not even a hero like him could catch a break, huh? Even Matt didn't wanna answer his questions. He hadn't really had time to enjoy the rest of the party, but that was probably his fault for being so guilt ridden to dismiss so many people.

Desperately bobbing his chin upwards once more for the sight of Arthur's green eyes, he adjusted himself so they were facing each other in a prime position, the butterflies in his heart not quite settling. Shoulders back, arms relaxed, happiness painted on his face. Everything was fine.

"Ahah, yeah, one sec. The music's starting again, let's go!"

"Seriously, I don't know what you mean, Al." Matthew adjusted his pencil for no good reason other than keeping his hands occupied. "Moreover, tell me why exactly you had to tear me away from the others?"

"You didn't get to give me an answer before I had to go!"

"Could always confess you're a little too burnt out and take a rest. No one else's been dancing consistently for the night." He shifted in his position near the large hallway that connected the three rear rooms. "Seriously, if you're tired, it's fine. You don't have to keep it up, especially not in front of me. Things don't have to go picture perfect in Alfredland all the time."

"I guess, but..." The same reluctance that had haunted Alfred ever since he returned from his service and had to start fully facing his responsibility as a king fell over his face. "At least, not now. I've only gotten through half of them." Of course he didn't acknowledge the comment about keeping his façade.

"Maybe you should have eliminated a few more earlier. Didn't you mention that you were thinking about it?"

"Yeah, but-" He caught a glance of a camera manned by two women approach them behind Matthew. "Behind ya."

"Huh? I thought you wanted to talk about-"

"Yeah, but camera. But I still wanna know," Alfred smiled for the cameras in such a quick shift that would have disconcerted him if he hadn't grown up with it these eighteen years. "Were you joking about me with him? Did you make me sound bad?"

"Wasn't. Though you don't need another person to make you sound bad, eh?" Temporarily distracted from their discussion, Matthew couldn't catch his brother's expression as the camerawomen started to interview them briefly.

Speaking loudly over the chatter of the room and dance, they sounded chirpy and slightly off, as if they'd been drinking throughout the course of the night, but that was to be expected. "Your Highnesses, how are the festivities going on?"

"Excellent – I just finished dancing with a number of incredibly talented partners, and there haven't been any unwelcome surprises, I daresay," Matthew admitted, running a finger against the slight of his arm.

On the other hand, Alfred was slightly distracted by a person ducking into a spare room at the corner of his eye. Maybe it was his vision? Taking a moment to wipe his glasses carelessly on his white shirt, he placed them on.

"Prince Alfred? Your Highness, is everything all right?"

Nope, there was definitely someone hiding out, which meant that as the hero, it was his duty to coax him or her out!

Not like he wanted it to be him, anyway.

Great, Matthew sighed internally; he's not paying attention. "Yeah? Oh, uh, sorry, someone's calling me. Best of luck!" Turning to beam winningly for the cameras, he dashed off, leaving an exasperated Ace to clean up for him, as usual.

Fiddling lightly with his dance card, Arthur managed to take a moment of solace for himself. He'd come across two or three unlit rooms, but one had been occupied by a couple who seemed determined to suck each others' souls out of their bodies and were extremely miffed when he showed up, and another was near the entrance, meaning he'd be caught. This one, nestled shyly near the back of the rightmost room, felt the best way to rest for the next ten minutes. Or hour. Whenever he felt like being paraded around again, though the weak moonlight peeking through the windows was too tempting at present.

Was he still dancing?

Daring to peer through the small crack that he'd afforded for himself, he surveyed the room. Throngs of people – the only thing coming close to it being when everyone was filing out for their classes in his holding facility – threatened to overwhelm his senses, reminding him how out of place he was here. Again.

Trying his best to ignore it, once again he diverted his attention to the dance floor. Sakura was there, having her dance card being penciled in, Leon was sitting down and eating with Emma, who had two other friends with them, all of them looking in their element. Alfonso was speaking with Alfred, only a few metres away, both talking animatedly with each other.

Like a fool, Arthur couldn't help but recoil as the knot in his chest made itself known again with ferocity that it hadn't before. Wanting someone was new, yes, but at least he'd had some time to deal with it. Feelings of this ferocity, however, hadn't allowed him the same indulgence.

"Right, get out of here," he hissed to himself, not able to observe Alfred detach from Alfonso with a friendly wave and make his way to him discreetly. In the midst of adjusting his gloves, he looked up to almost stub his nose on one of his medals. "Pard – Alfred? Er, I mean-"

"What's wrong?" Alfred said, a sudden nervousness taking over his tone that was all too obvious for him to ignore. "You're standing all by your lonesome, and you haven't come to talk to me today. I get you suck with people, but-"

"I've been dancing," Arthur sputtered at the tease. The nerve! He turned away to brush past him, but Alfred merely nudged him inside with a strong arm, carelessly shutting the door behind them. "What in the name of the Fates are you doing? Covering-"

Making an exaggerated shushing motion, he moved in front of Arthur, a tiny strip of outside light shining on his face. "No one saw us," he said, winking, causing some very unwanted side effects in his heart. "So! We're alone now, so what's bothering you? With all the watching me, I thought you were gonna come up and ask for a dance, but the night's half over and you haven't, so."

"What time is it?" he asked, hoping to buy some time for his heart to reform so he'd be able to conduct conversation like he was normal. He hadn't heard the comment about watching him.

"Uh, around," The golden clock emerged, a king's toy being clutched like some sort of charm. "Two minutes to midnight." Back down his shirt it went, and Arthur's gaze couldn't help but follow it. "Anyway, what's with that? Not comin' to see me."

"Well, I was..." I can't say it. I can't tell you that I wanted to come see you. "To be frank, I was concerned about the matter of your presentability. Yes, that."

"Huh? S'wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing yet, I was just observing in case something did arise..." he trailed off, unsure where he was going exactly with this deflection. Besides, Alfred still looked smug, for reasons he was unsure of. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nah, there isn't," his self satisfied expression told him otherwise, "Other than the fact you didn't come up to me after so long, though you were totally checking me out."

He couldn't help but let his mouth hang open. Before he could supplement it with a denial, he continued boasting. "I liked having your attention on me, just a little, heh. Was it just because I was so cool out there? Right?"

Rolling his eyes, Arthur shook his head. Underneath Alfred's arm, he closed the door fully, leaving them secluded, having the general buzz of the party cover them. A few minutes, at most, before people realized the prince was missing.

"A-Absolutely not, you dolt, where do you get such bizarre ideas?"

"But I've been working super hard, like a hero does! C'mon," Blasted puppy dog eyes, and by the way he'd knelt down so his face was perfectly in line with Arthur's meant that he was doing it on bloody purpose. "Is it so bad that I wanna hear a little praise from you? Tell me everything about what you're thinking."

I can't do that. "...Why me?" he mumbled, caught completely off guard. Whatever little he could see of Alfred's body gravitated towards him, closer and closer with every heartbeat that flickered between them. "Why me, when you could have anyone else in the room –!"

Shifting his weight from foot to foot and confronted with the fragility of his now exposed wrists, Arthur felt him lean forward and undo all the barriers he'd put up with one gentle nudge of his chin, connecting their lips together. Tender yet shy, it reminded him of why exactly he'd promised to himself to only look at him from afar. If such an action, filled with uncertainty, was enough, anything more meant that he'd need to ensure even more that the other wouldn't have any opportunity to weaken him.

Alfred's eyes seemed to sparkle even brighter than they had under the crystal chandeliers, bathed by nervousness yet still as captivating close up compared to across a ballroom. When he lifted his mouth from Arthur's, a thin strand still connected them, barely noticeable in the dark. It was a reminder; even though everything he did was full of his youthful brashness, the way he showed affection yielded a vulnerability that he'd never associate with him. He was waiting, once more, for a person he felt didn't feel nearly as strongly.

All his life, starting with his sister's disastrous experiences, only really ever having a single friend, he'd been accustomed to holding back, acting on sense moreso than sensibility. It was far easier to hate instead of love, after all. But if the feeling of being hyperaware of Alfred's presence – of every strand of golden hair, every tan inch of skin, every breath they shared – wouldn't undo it, he didn't know what would.

The two of them watched nervously as Arthur's hands grasped his shoulders, thumbs resting over the golden tassels, preceding a silence that both of them wanted to push past but were too shy to find the words to do so. With the ball, all of Alfred's hopes, and the competition looming over them, Arthur mustered up the courage to continue standing so close to him.

It had been the most daring move they'd attempted so far – hiding in a room with only a wall standing between their actions and the one of the largest social events of the year, and practically nothing between them.

"That's...that's why." Breathless, ever so breathless. A wave of relief washed over him when he realised that he felt the same. Say something, you fool, anything at all.

"Your tie's been coming loose steadily throughout the evening, you've been dancing nonstop, far too many people are itching to speak to you, you should probably stop beaming so much or your jaw is going to come unhinged, and you should stop ducking into small spaces with me," Arthur whispered, trying to hide his smile underneath his own suit sleeve as he rambled. "To fix that, er. Find a mirror, fix your tie or ask someone to do it for you. Then perhaps sit out the next few dances, take a breather with one of the thousand people so eager to talk to you, and stop that beaming. At least, that's what I'd recommend. Not to mention we truly have to stop meeting like this."

"Asking me to stop beaming when I'm with you? Especially when we're alone and stuff? That's kinda dumb of ya, Artie," Alfred teased, though his hands tenderly pried away Arthur's sleeve to move even closer, their lips lingering centimetres away from each other again. Fates knew his system couldn't handle another kiss, not while that one coupled with the one in his bedroom was still flooding his senses.

The action itself was so simple, merely squeezing his eyes shut and leaning forward on his tiptoes, brushing his nose against his. He'd almost forgotten how it felt to lose himself to another person in this way, and he felt so wound up that even Alfred's warm breath cascading against his skin made his heartbeat flutter underneath his ribcage.

"I-In that case, I'd prefer you not take me out on a dance and instead have this as our one on one time, and leave me for the rest of the night."

Even when he was talking like this, low and rushed, Arthur couldn't help but cling onto every word he said. "Not to mention you asking me to leave you alone isn't possible. Especially 'cause when – man, Fates, don't you understand? All of it," he pressed his forehead to Arthur's, both his hands steadying himself on the wall behind him, eliminating one more barrier. "All of it, all of it was for you."

"Pardon? What do you mean about the-" He couldn't believe what he was hearing – or moreso, he didn't want to believe it. Perhaps if he spoke as quickly and quietly as Alfred, it would fly over his head. Even during the last few weeks of spring, their shared heat made him boil underneath his suit.

"I overheard you talking about the dancing problem, and I decided to change it so it would be fixed," he admitted, their words overlapping in their haste to get to each other. "And I kinda was mad at myself for not noticing that there would be people that weren't so confident with this stuff. So there's no better way for me to thank you than giving you a good dance, right?"

Fates, Arthur couldn't resist it anymore. "You've given me more than a good dance tonight already," he murmured, looking underneath his lashes at him. He had no idea how to charm anyone, let alone the prince of Spades, but from the way his Adam's apple bobbed, perhaps his instincts were not as hopeless as he believed them to be. "But I suppose I owe you a thanks."

"Uh, I mean, you..." His cheeks were so red in the faint moonlight. "You don't hafta owe me any-"

"You can be so dense sometimes, idiot." he replied, daring to run his slender fingers against the starched collar of his uniform, pausing at the warmth there that he could barely feel through his glove.

His breath hitched as he felt Alfred move as well, yet not stopping their multiple points of contact."As I was saying, since I do owe you a thanks, I suppose I'll take you up on the offer of an aforementioned dance. A simple one, mind you."

"Promise?"

"I-I suppose."

"Hm hm. If you aren't gonna say it, how else are you gonna show me?" The thrill of a challenge melded his expression into the happy go lucky one he was so used to, one he was so tempted to keep on his face with a kiss. He'd started to close his eyes, making his mouth vulnerable, until a noise sounded on the left door of the room, causing the two of them to spring apart. They'd been careless.

Arthur hastily untangled himself and pushed his back against the cool wall of the spare room, out of the moonlight filtering in the room, and tried to quiet his frantic breathing. Whatever he did now wouldn't stop them from being discovered. They'd been so careless.

So, so careless, just like when he believed that the reasons he'd come into the Deciding would remain unchanged, therefore allowing him to let his guard down.

"Your Highness? Are you all right? Your fellow royals were looking for you, and Ace Matthew directed me here. Thank goodness you're all right – did something happen?" An attendant, thankfully from the sounds of it, was the one to show up and not a camera. "Is there..."

Arthur twisted his chin slightly to the right from his petrified position, wanting to steal one last look and still remain hidden at the same time.

At least he was good at masking his exhilaration. "N-Nope, heh, I'm fine as a fiddle," he declared, and Arthur heard the sound of his shoes moving, causing the light of the ballroom to not seep past his body, masking him even better. Usually he'd look to double check, but the heavens could have moved and it still wouldn't be enough to persuade him to divert his gaze.

"Sorry, just had to step out for a bit. Dancing's hard work, right? Right! Is everything okay? No unwanted guests, I hope!" He threw a wink at Arthur over his shoulder. So much for hiding.

"Yes, now you're found – and of course not, Your Highness, everyone is having an excellent time."

"Awesome! That's really great," he chirped. Another glance. The way he kept flicking his head back and forth from the room to him, still wearing that heady smile. "Really, really, uh, super great, heh." The hum of their voices were already fading into the general mixing pot of the party, meaning that Alfred had successfully distracted whoever was asking.

Blue met green, tugging onto the last remnant of each other until he had to close the door, leaving him in the dark.

Slouching against the wall, Arthur buried his head between his knees, waiting for his heartbeat to return to normal, unable to fight back a low exhale and traitorous smile yanking at the corners of his mouth. Despite the lack of space for denial, the night still provided a worthy cloak for the extent of his feelings. Still, it couldn't ease away the sensation of Alfred's sleeves sliding away, the melody their bodies produced whilst they traded secret after secret.

I hope he's not in love already. Has he held someone else like he's held me yet? Does he feel the same for somebody else? What does all of this mean to him?

...Fates forbid, would he ever consider choosing me?

He had to return to the party eventually, he knew it. Problem is, the weightlessness of attraction prevented him from dusting off his jacket and walking away from the encounter scot free. How could he just saunter off, knowing that he didn't have a single wall to put up against whatever unknown emotion that Alfred had shown him?

There was no way he could defend against him, someone that had already muddled his thoughts beyond comprehension in such a short period of time. Well, as a gentleman, he'd have to manage, somehow. Getting himself to his feet and brushing off invisible dust, he reached down to adjust his dance card.

Oh, bollocks. Where was the blasted thing? It had been merrily dangling from his wrist from when he'd entered the room, so how on Earth could it have disappeared if he hadn't left-

Pushing up the little bit of string and the long piece of paper behind his watch, Alfred double checked his reflection in one of the several mirrors placed upon the walls. Yeah, he was right – it looked a lot more crooked than it had earlier that night.

More importantly, he thought as he lifted up his blue sleeve to reveal Arthur's dance card, I managed to grab it from him! It was only at the last second, where he was running his fingers through his collar that he'd stopped wanting to look endlessly at him. There was no way he couldn't say that he wanted Arthur to only dance with him, so he'd have to do something like this. It wasn't heroic at all, but even heroes needed to resort to underhand tactics sometimes!

What else did he say? If he really wanted to impress, he better do it well. He'd have to fix his tie, take a break, grab something to eat, stop smiling as if he hadn't just managed to kiss him again...

Making sure no one was watching, he dug into his breastpocket for his pencil and scribbled his name in. Took a pause. Scribbled it again twice for good measure.

It felt nice to work hard for someone's sake, especially for someone as cute as Arthur Kirkland.