As Arthur followed Alfred up the steps leading to the wooden deck of the ship, the blue of the day's sky seemed to swallow up the grey rocks and pale water of the waves. Every sensation from the rough rope on his palms to the rickety melody that echoed throughout their path was new to him, and he savoured it as best as he could. Coupled with the distinctive tang of the sea, tingly cold and salty, the whisk of the wind against his face, and the cry of seagulls and merchants peddling their wares, Arthur felt as if he didn't grasp onto his supports he'd allow himself to be swept away by them.

Getting up to the top of the ship, he felt as if his neck was already strained from looking upwards and to his left and right so much. If he craned his head back, he could see The Elizabethan written in careful white letters on the side of the starboard. Alfred was already there, helping him cross the last bit onto the deck, offering his hand. For a brief moment, Arthur noticed his own palms were red from gripping the rope so determinedly, so he had half a mind to not take it after all. Then again, Alfred was waiting with the same easy smile he always wore, so he let himself take the other's hand.

"We're here!" Unable to resist pulling Arthur to him, Alfred ran with him to the bow of the ship, leaving creaking planks and a breathless Arthur in his wake. Whatever deserved telling off he should have been getting faded in his throat as their footsteps echoed on the deck, announcing to an eager world their presence. "C'mon, Artie, you're gonna love the view from up here, promise!"

Before Arthur knew it, he dashed in front of him onto the bow and threw out his arms triumphantly, leaning against the iron railings. Turning around briefly to face him, took a deep breath before turning back out to the sea and shouting at the top of his lungs: "I'm the king of the world!"

Arthur's mouth opened to initially scold him for being so reckless – though he was a prince, it was still irresponsible – but whatever telling off he had prepared was dulled by the sheer elation in Alfred's face, not to mention the exhilaration in his yell. Even if the sun was high in the sky, shining down on the two of them, it still held a flickering candle to the sunshine he was looking at, lighting up every crevice of his own pounding heart.

Some days, the time spent apart from each other made Arthur fret about whether he was slowly losing the feeling of falling in love with someone as electric as Alfred. Past the initial heady infatuation of the first few months, he had told himself that things were bound to change, fizzle out. Somewhere along the lines of the Deciding when their relationship had cooled down, there would be many other cracks in their walls, shifts in their demeanour that would inevitably push the two of them away from each other. Yet all the evidence that suggested otherwise was hooting and hollering in the direction of the open sea, waving his arms like he was on fire, the golden tassels on his uniform catching the gleam of the sun.

Fighting back a fond huff, Arthur came to stand behind him, his further movements impeded by the realisation that he didn't know where to put his hands or his feet after approaching Alfred, who was still brimming with energy with his cheers. By now, a few small boats that had been out in the harbour were starting to take notice, with one of them even waving in response to Alfred's greetings. Where could he put his hand so it would be secure on the railing, but wouldn't be too close to Alfred's body? Where could he step without awkwardly pressing the two of them together? Surely there was only a few moments before the cameras and the guards caught up, meaning that things would be different-

Alfred answered all his worries in one fell swoop when he swivelled around to bring Arthur close to him, taking his hands in his. "Come on, you're gonna love the view," his voice quietened as he lifted an arm for Arthur to duck underneath, avoiding the rigging that held the frontmost flag together. Their eyes met briefly, blue and green, matching the colour of the waves wearing away the rocks. The next word was practically whispered between them, Alfred taking the time to slow down for a moment. "Promise."

"All right, all right, I-" Arthur stopped in his tracks when he caught an unobstructed view of the harbour spreading out in front of him. It was endlessly blue, coloured lighter and darker and everything in between than the blue of the Spades emblem; more importantly Alfred's eyes. The sun was high in the sky, causing the waves to sparkle as if it were the star on the budget Christmas tree they put up every year in his holding facility, yet it looked as if magic had been cast on the water instead. Large, rolling clouds dotted the vast sky, dwarfed only by the various coloured boats in the harbour. It was Cards tradition to have an indicator of which kingdom they originated from in every vessel, meaning that despite it being a Spades harbour, hints of red and green and yellow poked out. "…see."

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Alfred kept his voice soft as his hands found space next to Arthur's, his gloves thankfully providing a barrier from Arthur feeling his warmth, perching just behind him. "When I was in the Navy branch all those years ago, Matthias – uh, Officer Kohler and I got a bunk bed with a window view, so I was lucky to see it a lot. Not to mention when we were out on a trip, everyone would always make a beeline for this spot. It might not mean much, but I'm glad ya got to see it."

Arthur couldn't resist teasing. "Along with proclaiming you'd be king of the world?"

"Pfft, well." Alfred unconsciously leaned forward a little, nudging their shoulders together so that Arthur could feel his muscles shrugging. "It's kinda messy, but it wouldn't be a good thing for people to figure out I was the prince of Spades. It sounds weird, but back then there weren't many public photos of me whilst I was on deployment, so I tried to keep it an secret for as long as possible. Anything to blend in, pretty much."

"Is that why you had to wear your fancy uniform?" Unable to resist, Arthur snagged at one of the golden tassels on Alfred's chest, withdrawing his finger quickly once he realised he'd lost his self control.

Thankfully, Alfred didn't seem to notice their point of contact. "Yeah, pretty much. Feels weird to not be wearing at least one kind of formal uniform when I'm on a ship, so I didn't want to break my streak. Also, it beats the suits and stuff that I've been wearing on the last few dates, haven't you noticed?"

"Yes, I have," Omitting the very much from his answer, Arthur wanted to ask a little more about his military days. "From the sound of things, you seem to have fit in well with your unit. So why not do the same song and dance you did from before?"

"Oh. I mean, don't think yelling out 'wahoo I'm the king' woulda helped my case, heh. It might not have been a big deal, but I was lucky to be able to come onto a naval branch just before my service ended. Imagine how unheroic it would be to be scolded."

"I doubt that you would have been rounded up, but fair enough." Arthur craned his head back to connect their gazes again. "Then, have you been waiting for awhile to say that?"

"I guess you could say that. Then again," Alfred took a moment to blink away the wind drying his eyes, "It would feel weird to say it when I'm king, so there isn't a better time than now to do it."

In response, Arthur raised a thick eyebrow. "Who says?"

"Could be taken the wrong way, I think…when I'm king, the other kings might take it as, I dunno. A declaration of war." Breaking off to laugh, Arthur couldn't help but join in. "Imagine, pff. Being branded as a threat just cause I yelled out something as dumb as that!"

"It's not necessarily dumb, you were having fun," he said. "Not to mention, well. It can get quite dangerous around you."

"Huh." Alfred's cheeks pinked a little, or perhaps the breeze had gotten to them. "You really think so? Is that a bad thing?"

"With you going all out to discover my interests, not to mention throw together something as grand as this-" Arthur gestured with his head at the ship behind them, "Though it might get dangerous around you, it might not be a bad thing."

"Gotcha. Maybe we should up the ante, then?"

"Up the ante?"

Alfred's utterly smug grin was accompanied by waggling eyebrows, puffing out his chest as he did so. "Could buy the whole thing for you. It might take the royal treasury a few days to notice, but you could own it for that long. Would that make you happy?"

"There's no need for that," the next part of Arthur's sarcastic answer came out much less sarcastic than he thought it would be, "You're already aware of what makes me happy. It's y-"

The sound of Arthur's mortified mouth clamping shut on itself and the last of their entourage emerging on the pirate ship thankfully coincided with itself, and Alfred didn't have time to press further as he quickly made his way back to the deck, Arthur following. Two young men that he hadn't seen around were standing with the camera people wearing high visibility yellow vests – marking them as from Diamonds – that took notice as soon as Alfred stood over with them.

"Your Highness," Arthur managed to hear the dark haired one say, the vest stark on his caramel skin as he bowed, the blond man next to him doing the same. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Mr Dirga, right? And Mr Abel, thanks for accepting our request," Now he was in royal mode, Arthur quietly stood at his side, hoping neither of them had seen their moment in the bow. "Now it's the summer season, the demand for your ship must be high."

"Perhaps, Your Highness," Abel's voice was serious, reminding Arthur a little of the King of Hearts during his public speeches, "But it was our pleasure. I'm assuming this is Sir Arthur?"

"Yes, that's me," Arthur managed to get out, bowing a little once he had fought past the slight awkwardness. "It's a pleasure meeting you – and Mr Dirga, as well."

"I've asked them to give us a little tour of the ship today," Alfred did a little jump in his shoes in excitement, "These guys commissioned the refurbishment of this ship, so they'll be happy to answer any questions you have in mind when we're going through it."

A dozen questions, followed up with yet another dozen, flashed through Arthur's mind, and he tried to push away the gleam in his eyes. "Yes, I would love to," he said, barely able to keep his composure intact.

"Actually, we saw the two of you enjoying the view from the bow," Dirga sounded more easy going than his business partner, "So what about we start from there? I'm guessing the guards and cameramen will be following as well?" Once he saw a thumbs up, he turned back to the two boys with a smile. "Great, works out for me. This way."

"Officer Steillson, Officer Kohler, Officer Oxenstierna," Abel hung back to nod briefly at all the accompanying guards, pulling his high visibility jacket to the side to retrieve a set of papers, which he promptly handed to them. "I'm certain you have been notified already, but Dirga and I were contracted by Jack Yao to accompany Prince Alfred and Sir Arthur on their trip today."

As Matthias took them from him and started paging through, Berwald adjusted his collar as he spoke quietly. "Th'nk you – Jack Yao t'ld us of your assistance. Has there been any rebel activity today?"

Abel seemed nonplussed. "No, there hasn't. We stayed the night in the harbour inn under His Highness's orders; there wasn't any sign of suspicious activity then. There shouldn't be any attack."

"What if there is on the ship, though? Would you two be all right? We can call some more guys from the docks to help out."

"That won't be necessary. Don't concern yourself with it."

"But you're only the owners of this ship," Emil's violet eyes were lit with concern, "Are you sure? It won't be a trouble to us."

"That won't be necessary," Abel repeated, not unkindly. "Being transporters, my business colleague and I are equipped to defend ourselves. There is no need to worry, Officer Steillson. Would you like to join in the tour, then? It'll be best to protect everyone in the group, and this ship is a fine vessel." Agreements were exchanged and nods rippled around the group.

"The last point of action the ship saw was transporting a group of refugees fleeing the conflict back to a shoreline town when the war had concluded, but yes, beforehand it was in the hands of Diamonds pirates underneath Jack Elizabeth, hence why this vessel is called The Elizabethan. Obviously she couldn't scramble a royal fleet as it would be privy to attack, but a ship like this would be less target for the assailants on the side of the Joker-Ace at the time." Dirga was saying as they walked around the perimeter of the ship. Arthur looked as if he wanted to bring a notebook and pen with him to jot down what he was learning, he was entirely engrossed in the history of the pirate ship.

"Oh, I was about to ask what they were doing under a royal's patronage," Arthur's excitement was seeping through his voice as the tour continued, "Though it is a little odd that they retained the name after the mutinied."

"Back then was used for bypassing the blockade imposed on them until the crew mutinied and took the goods after she was behind on payments. Pirates back then had a dry sense of humour, so they kept it as almost an insult."

"Sounds like someone I know," Alfred couldn't help but jump in to tease.

"Shut…shut it," Arthur hissed under his breath, though the snicker betrayed his amusement. "You took the trouble to organise all of this, and I'm trying to enjoy it!"

In these moments, as selfish as it seemed, it reminded Alfred of what had brought upon his initial infatuation – the spark in Arthur's passion, his hunger for knowledge that had made him to want to be close. Even if Alfred liked the moments where Arthur was his reserved, put together self, the moments where he felt like it was all right to let go were held close to his heart. It had been hard for the two of them, and Fates knew it hadn't been perfect, but he didn't try to fight the worm of happiness that sprouted in his chest every time Arthur sought to remind him that their joint efforts in trying to be close with each other had paid off.

Even as they walked, Alfred couldn't help but feel his gaze wander from the pirate ship to Arthur's animated face. He'd only seen pictures of it when he had first brought the idea to Matthew and Katya last month and they had spoken to the other royals about his request, not to mention the description he'd gotten from Yao when they were first put into contact with Abel and Dirga. The opportunity was ripe for him to appreciate such an intact relic, but his gaze kept on drifting to Arthur. Which was probably a good thing that the other boy was so distracted that he didn't notice for once.

The sun had moved high in the sky by the time the group of them emerged from the captain's quarters, apparently not where the current owners stayed – which he didn't get, with such cool lodgings who wouldn't want to sleep there? Alfred himself wasn't particularly an expert on this time of historical ship, but he was happy to tag team once in awhile with their tour guides and fill in with a joke or some sort of naval branch trivia. Besides, today was a day for Arthur, so he didn't mind at all.

One thing he couldn't help but notice – other than the fact that the cameras were very happy to finally be able to get significant amounts of footage of Arthur doing his thing – was that Emil seemed fidgety, and Alfred was sure why. They hadn't had time to speak privately since his conversation with Leon the other day, and it didn't seem if they'd be able to get the chance.

That is, until they came back onto the deck and Arthur caught sight of a contraption resting from the mast, one of the highest points on the ship. In what Alfred thought to be very uncharacteristic Arthur fashion, he eagerly asked their tour guides whether he could climb up the mast.

"That's a, er, boatswain's chair, isn't it?" The heels of his shoes lifted slightly in anticipation as they confirmed his question. "Is it, er, open to the public?"

Abel and Dirga exchanged a glance. "Well, this ship's not really open to the public per se right now," Abel said, "But I'm assuming you want to go up on it, Sir Arthur?"

"Yes," the answer was said reverently, as if he'd spotted a bluebell owl; one of the rarest species to be found in Spades. "If…" his gaze dropped to Alfred and the guards, "If that's allowed."

"Has the chair been used recently?" Matthias asked.

"Yes, around three weeks ago for maintenance," Dirga said, "There were no problems. Mr Abel was the last one to go on it, so in terms of weight that won't be an issue. The safety mechanisms were tested along with it."

The guards exchanged a glance. "Based on the J'ck's trust of you, I have no problems," Berwald said. "Officer Steillson?"

"If they've followed all the safety protocols, I don't see why not. Your, erm, Your Highness?"

Trying to push away Emil's nervousness for a moment, Alfred nodded. "I'm with them. We've gone on dates with rollercoasters and stuff…maybe we could double check when we've hoisted it back down. If you tested the safety mechanisms, and Sir Arthur wants to…" He paused to see Arthur's eager nod. "Yeah, I don't see why not either."

Thankfully, the process of checking went over rather quickly, and before the spade shaped clock resting on Alfred's chest spilled into one in the afternoon, Arthur was climbing the mast, the cameras covering every detail, the guards anxiously waiting with Abel and Dirga. Alfred was standing a little ways away – it wasn't recommended so many people be bunched up at one place at the same time, after all – when the thought of speaking privately to Emil popped into his head.

"Emil? Can I borrow you for a sec, it's about the restaurant we'll go to afterwards," he said, gently touching the guard's arm as if to not startle him. After a nod of approval from Matthias and Berwald, the conversation stopped until they made sure they weren't in earshot of anyone else. "Hey, buddy. I'm, uh, assuming Leon filled you in everything?"

"Yes…yes, he did, Alfred," Emil nodded once, pushing back a strand of his hair. Like usual, the guards weren't wearing their severe looking hats. "I, um. Don't know how to repay you."

"Don't think about it, for starters," he said. "Can I just ask what Leon told you?"

"Just to behave like it didn't happen for another two weeks. Alfred – are you sure, I mean, after everything we've been through together, I can't help but still feel guilty. Leon says that you said there weren't any romantic feelings between the two of you," Emil hugged his arms to his chest as he spoke, "But I just want to confirm so that you're not doing me another favour."

"I swear, from soldier to soldier." Usually, Alfred wasn't particularly fond of pulling the soldier card to remind him that they weren't so different after all, but it was the best way to get through to Emil to help him to understand how sincere he was being. "Look, the Deciding isn't even always romantic, it just happened that I've wanted it to be like this since I was a kid. Not everyone comes into the palace because they like me."

Emil stopped shivering. "Truly? I mean, er, is that true?"

"Yeah, it is. And Leon didn't do it on purpose, I know he really tried. Sometimes, well," he couldn't help but shrug, "Things just don't work out-"

"How's it up there, Sir Arthur?" The two of them took a break from their conversation to see Arthur halfway up to the top of the crow's nest. Alfred was certain Arthur wasn't much of a physical exercise guy, but when passion dictated it, he could definitely find the energy to do it.

"The view's wonderful, though I would prefer the bloody wind to calm down," Arthur called back, to laughs around the group. After a small wave, to which Alfred couldn't help but respond with a wink, he continued to progress with great determination.

A cameraman broke away to speak lightly to his colleague. "Huh, didn't expect a Chosen like him could climb. His Highness didn't take him out on horse riding, and we haven't seen him going for a morning run. Their thing is sitting in the gardens, right?"

"He must be really impressed by the ship. Can't say I blame him."

"Kind of weird to know this is the same guy that wouldn't let us film him and the prince months ago in the library, right?"

"Ehh, they all come into their element as the months pass, and he's done that. Y'know, the whole gardens being their thing and stuff."

At that, Alfred couldn't help but feel his chest curl with pride. Arthur's plan really had worked out, not just in displaying his talents to the people, but to the people in the palace. After the hubbub had died down somewhat and he made sure Arthur was having fun, he and Emil continued their conversation.

"But yeah, things just don't work out. So don't feel bad about it, alright? Also, I know you're close with Matthias and Berwald, but it would be easier if you didn't tell them about it until Leon's home safe." With that, he started jogging back to where the other guards were standing. "Alright, I should be going for a bit. Don't worry about it."

Following suit, Emil took a deep breath. "Alfred…I won't forget this, I promise," he said, fighting to keep his tone steady, but it was clear from the way he moved and his chin had raised that a huge weight had been also lifted from his shoulders. "Thank you."

As they got there, Arthur had reached the top of the mast and sounded like he was trying to shout something in elation.

"I'm the king of the – oh, bollocks, never mind that, it's far too mortifying…"

Following their schedule, the group were off The Elizabethan by one and walking to the restaurant after saying goodbye to Abel and Dirga, thanking them for their tour. Dirga had even taken a flyer from their pile and invited a slightly wistful Arthur to come visit again, speaking about how happy he was that someone was interested in the history of the pirate ship and how much he had enjoyed showing Alfred and Arthur around. Obviously, the cameras didn't fail to capture that, not to mention the proud gaze that Alfred sent his way as they were speaking with one another, though they didn't notice him quickly taking another flyer from the pile and tucking it away.

The restaurant that they had chosen had a lovely sea view and they were allowed to sit outside. By closing the restaurant for lunch, they could make sure that the camera people and the guards had time to both eat and sit down at the same time as they did. A starstruck waiter hurried to fetch the menus for all of them as they sat on sun warmed chairs resembling the ones in the gardens, then they were leafing through it immediately.

After coming around to the tables briefly to assure them that the palace would be paying for their meals that day, Alfred sank back into his seat – of course, the café had tactfully sectioned off a seat for two under the shade, leaving them in some way alone as the rest of their group were inside the restaurant. According to Arthur during their small talk when they were looking over the menu, the seashells and sand decorations were typical of a port themed location.

"There's a beach my family and I like to visit during the summer holidays, as I'm allowed to leave the holding facility to live with them," Arthur said as he looked at the menu, "And there's plenty of these restaraunt around there."

"Even in Hearts?"

"Well yes, these aren't exclusive to Spades, I imagine. Everyone likes to go with a sea theme, or a beach theme, meaning that the blue decorations are just coincidental. Coupled with the – look there," Arthur leaned to the right and Alfred followed his line of sight, "There's a mini aquarium to hold fish and seafood, both as a decoration and also as convenient storage. I remember when I was a child, Christian, Cormac and I would walk up to it whilst our orders were being prepared to peer at the fish. It was a rare treat, after all."

"Rare treat? Is it more expensive over in Hearts? I mean, I'm guessing it was still Hearts territory when you guys visited last."

Arthur paused to examine the prices, then nodded. "I suppose it's because Spades imports less – at least, it's what the statistics Jack Yao gave us on a lesson two weeks ago – that the prices aren't so expensive. Not to mention, eating out was less cheap than simply taking the bus home and cooking for ourselves, so even if we visited the beach often in the summer, meals out were limited to once or twice a season."

"Oh. I'm glad you get to enjoy it more, then! You got a favourite meal?"

"Not going to lie, I don't have a very refined taste…it was hard to fry things at home with our unreliable stove back then when we were children, so I had a far too soft spot for fish and chips." Arthur ducked his head as if he were embarrassed. "It's definitely much more a commoner's taste."

"Huh? I mean, fish and chips sound great, and it looks as if they do them well here," Alfred remarked – to Arthur's surprise, he didn't look as if the other boy had just told him a joke. "Actually, I might give it a try too."

Half joking, half questioning, Arthur asked him a question. "Is it really a meal fit for a prince?"

"Naw, but I mean, I'm not really a perfect prince, am I?" Alfred rested his head on his hand, giving him a playful wink. "My favourite food just happens to be what people think is commoner's food. It's been the same since I was a kid. Hamburgers-"

"Hamburgers," they said at the same time, causing them to pause. "Wait. You know?"

"Well, I wasn't sure until you said, 'since I was a kid," Arthur said. "There was an interview when you were a child where you spoke about it." At Alfred's confused expression, he continued, only pausing briefly when the waiter came to take their orders and give them glasses of water, his hands shaking with nerves as he did so. "Thank you. Erm, it was with Ace Matthew and your parents, I think."

A veil of remembrance settled over Alfred's handsome features. "Oh. Oh, yeah, I do remember that!" he said. "Pfft. Guess you don't know as little about me than I thought you did."

"I've known you for five months now, and might I remind you that the secondary objective of a holding facility is to prepare people not from the Inner Circles to be able to participate in Decidings with the same opportunities as the higher class," Arthur said, taking a sip from his glass. Somehow, the water tasted good – there was no other way to describe it. "Given that, it's not actually as abnormal as you'd think. And you know a great deal about me as well, correct?"

To his disappointment, it didn't fluster Alfred as Arthur had hoped. "Sure," he replied with a grin, taking a drink from the side of his glass to mirror his actions. "I mean, there was your file and stuff, but a lot about you I couldn't know just from that. Such as your love for gardens, your passion for tea, your hunger for knowledge and, well…" He trailed off, breathing in once before lowering his voice, "How cute your cheeks are when you blush, how cool your hands are to hold, and how soft your lips are when I, uh, we...y'know."

Arthur felt as if his chin had hit the clean plate in front of him. Alfred seemed to be retreating a little as he looked away, the blush on his cheeks now obviously not from the wind but from bashfulness. A dozen insults, retorts, and sarcastic replies flitted through his mind, but in his daze he simply could not choose between any of those responses. Even if the majority of the camera people had put away their equipment and were eating, there was always the hint that their deeper love affair than what appeared at the surface would be exposed before both of them were ready. One, two, five seconds passed before Arthur felt it safe to respond.

"I…you idiot," he whispered, but at the same time slid his foot forward to touch against Alfred's, "I could say the same about you."

Alfred's eyes were incredibly blue as their gazes met. "…What kind of things, Artie?"

"Everything I've learned about you over these few months," Arthur said.

"I want to hear about them from you. I…I don't know everything about myself sometimes, so having someone to help would mean a lot."

Faintly, at the back of his head, Arthur wondered if they were supposed to have this sort of rather private conversation on a public date. Though everyone was busy as it was and they would be visiting the market before they returned back to the palace, it felt strangely intimate for a harbour restaurant, with other people sitting around.

That helped shape his next answer. "I don't think I can tell you everything," Arthur said, tucking his chin in his chest, "At least, not outside here. But if there were to be time after the summer solstice – I know this last week of preparations are to be very busy, and the other Primary Suit royals are to be visiting…but could you wait?"

"Yeah. Uh, yeah, that's fine," Alfred cleared his throat, and Arthur had known him too well for too long to understand that he was somewhat disappointed, though possibly being a member of royalty for so long had made it might easier for him to disguise it. "You're right, we're kinda outside, heh."

"Don't get it wrong – don't get it wrong," Arthur stopped briefly to notice that the waiter was reappearing with two heaping plates of fish and chips and peas, so he hastened the speed of his words. "There are so many things I want to tell you eventually, just…I don't want to complicate things for you. I'm not sure whether or not you'll want to eliminate anyone soon after such a major event like the summer solstice, but I know where my feelings lie."

Alfred blinked slowly, shifting his other foot to rest parallel to Arthur's left foot, his expression lifting. "You do?"

"Yes. I'm…I'm here for you, you know that, I don't want you to doubt that for a second," Arthur scarcely broke for breath as he tried to explain in his haste, even reaching out with one of his hands underneath the table "And that won't change-"

"Fish and chips for His Highness and Sir Arthur," the waiter announced brightly, just giving the two of them enough time to move away slightly from each other. "Ah – I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"No! No, no, everything's fine," Alfred said, coupling it with one of his disarming smiles. "A hundred percent, man." That same smile had the unfortunate side effect of disarming Arthur's walls when it was directed at him instead, "Thank you."

The rest of the lunch proceeded in the light hearted manner the rest of the processions of the day had gone. Arthur had thought he had eaten an exemplary plate of fish and chips and peas before, but he could barely think about how much better the cod tasted in the restaurant past his bites – he was suddenly ravenous after the first forkful had passed his lips.

He and Alfred seemed to have shifted back to their easy banter like they had in the carriage – what should have been a serious conversation became one heaping (un)necessary praise on the dish. From the crispiness of the chips to the lightness of the fish to the texture of the peas, words Arthur didn't know could be used to describe food so often until he had come to the palace. Though Erin and Cormac's homemade efforts held a special place in his memories and the food at the holding facilities were decent, this did not nearly hold a candle to the ludicrously good food he had been eating.

It was all smooth sailing even with dessert, when Alfred wanted to order five too many menu items and Arthur had convinced him to only settle for two large scoops of ice cream, sea salt caramel – fitting – and chocolate. Arthur, not quite knowing what a 'lemon berry savarin' or a 'pile of pomegranate profiteroles' were, settled for the same, opting to swop out chocolate for vanilla instead.

They were bickering lightly about which flavour was better until said dessert actually arrived, and the cameras got several good shots of them falling uncharacteristically silent to enjoy the treats. After the footage was secured and the camera crew and guards themselves were enjoying their own desserts, their chocolate versus vanilla ended in a very roundabout way.

"I'll prove you wrong!" Alfred declared through a bite full of ice cream, meaning that his supposedly threatening message was nullified greatly. "Okay. Artie, open your mouth."

"What are you having me do?" he sputtered in response. Both of their bowls were half empty already, so it didn't mean much, surely? "And for the record, it's still vanilla."

"Hey, you trusted me a lot today, right?"

"I suppose. Not over bloody ice cream, though."

"It's not bloody!" Alfred sounded appalled. "Anyway, just this once! Open your mouth. It's nothing dangerous at all, promise."

Taking a moment to make sure they weren't being filmed, Arthur huffed and let down his guard. "…Fine."

Alfred nibbled off the last bit of chocolate ice cream on his small spoon then picked up a new mouthful. For a moment Arthur thought he would eat it by himself, leaving him to sit there with his mouth open like some sort of foolish marine animal, but Alfred leaned forward, holding out the spoon. "Say ahh."

"I'm not a baby, nor are you a parent."

"Okay, fine!" Alfred pouted. "Without the ahh."

Arthur couldn't help but snicker. "Just say?"

"Artie! Give it a taste!"

"All right, all right." Taking the spoon from Alfred's impatient fingers, warmed by his touch, Arthur tasted the ice cream. Fair enough, it tasted brilliant, incredibly rich and like the fancy boxes of chocolates Kiku always brought home after summer vacation when he was off socialising with his family. "It's…mrgh. It's good," he admitted grudgingly.

"See? I knew it! Okay, I'll try yours." Moving across the table – honestly, Alfred could sometimes be such a glutton – he scooped up Arthur's spoon that he had been eating with and plopped a big bite of vanilla ice cream in his mouth. "Wow! Man, Artie, you're right! It's actually super good. Not as good as chocolate – hey, what's with that death stare? Okay, they're equal? Arthur – Artie? Huh? Why are you giving me that look-"

"You've eaten from that spoon, haven't you?" A bright blush was settling on Arthur's cheeks, a completely different expression on his face now that he'd just realised. "And I've eaten from that one…" his gaze slid to the end of the very ornate spoons they had been using. Arthur wasn't sure if it were by sheer coincidence or whether the owner of the restaurant had ran out that morning to buy a pair for special use, but it was moulded in the shape of a tiny silver spade, reminding him once again how strangely close he was to the monarchy. Alfred really was dangerous to be around, in all the right ways… "That means-"

"..Y'know, Artie, there's no need to be so flustered over an indirect kiss, right?" Alfred's face was bashful behind his glasses as he placed Arthur's spoon – that he'd used to eat half a bowl of ice cream – down, reaching out slightly with his pinkie. "When there's no one…when there's no one watching us, and we've already-"

"Hush, you idiot," Arthur desperately looked behind the two of them before he continued speaking, "Being out in public is a whole other affair."

"I guess, uh, but…" At least Alfred seemed as if he were fighting off some embarrassment of his own, "It's okay, isn't it? To take a small step with such a heroic gesture as sharing my own ice cream! …Artie, there's no need to look so unimpressed. That hurts the hero's feelings!"

"Oh, very well then," Arthur lightened his frown somewhat, but he was still looking at Alfred, and at the outstretched pinkie hidden behind his blue bowl. "Though, I must ask…what do you mean by outside in public?"

"We haven't…you know, in public yet, right? Because you're not comfy."

"Correct."

"Honestly, I hoped that bringing you out here to see the people and explore Spades would help you feel more comfortable," Alfred admitted, picking up the end of the spoon in his right hand and twirling it around – he didn't seem in a hurry to give it back to Arthur. "I mean, I'm not sure if you've gone to Spades as a tourist – oh, you haven't. Awesome, then even more reason to bring you outside! But yeah. Since, well," he stopped twirling, rolling the spoon between his forefinger and thumb, "If things…happen. Between us. I just think it's important that we as a monarchy have to keep in touch with our people, as we serve them as our duty, after all."

Arthur shifted in his seat, careful to stay quiet as he heard the beginnings of an impassioned speech. Maybe he did take a bite of his ice cream inbetween, though, but so did Alfred.

"That's also another reason why I was thinking of going outside with everyone; to gauge how you guys worked with the people, handled life outside the palace. I mean, even if we do spend most of our time indoors there, I'd like to change that a bit. Matt does a lot of work outside to work with the people, and I can't help but envy him sometimes, you know? So that's why I was so proud of you today," Alfred admitted, pushing up his glasses with the knuckle his chin was resting on. "It might not have been the smoothest path, and it was really hard work on your end, but with your plan to get us back in the good books with the cameras and stuff, then coming out and presenting yourself willingly…it means a lot."

Arthur wasn't quite sure what to say. "It does? How so?"

"It's weird, but in some way – you said you were here for me, yeah?"

"Yes, of course."

"And you knew how much work it would take for you to get to, y'know, where we are now, right?"

"I wouldn't say for sure, but I haven't regretted it, at least not yet." Arthur's smirk softened a little to lean closer, pulling in his chair with his leg. "Alfred…what are you implying?"

"That in some way…you did it for me," Alfred breathed, sounding incredibly boyish in his sweetness. "Is that weird, Artie? To think that way? I mean, you worked very hard for your own sake, but-"

"Your Highness? Sir Arthur?" the waiter was back again, nervously holding a serving tray as he approached their table, causing them to move apart, their shoes underneath the table moving away from each other. "Oh, I'm so sorry – did I interrupt anything?!"

Clearing his throat, Alfred shook his head. "No – no, not at all. Is there, uh, something we can do for you, mister?"

"I, umm…just wanted to ask how the food was," he said.

"It was excellent," Arthur said, "I especially liked the vanilla ice cream for dessert."

Challenge lit in Alfred's eyes, enhancing their sparkle behind his frames. "Chocolate was equally good, don't get me wrong!" He picked up his spoon in retaliation, taking a large bite and letting the tip of the curve rest on his lips for a moment too long. After swallowing – and taking in Arthur's flustered glare – he nodded enthusiastically to the waiter. "Really amazing stuff. I'm glad you allowed us to come here today."

"No – not at all, Your Highness, it was our pleasure."

After the waiter left, and the two of them were alone to continue eating their desserts, a peaceful silence settled between them as they enjoyed their food. Neither of them were in a hurry to swap spoons, or talk about the market they were going to visit next, or even the summer solstice next week. The small restaurant tucked away in a waterfront served as an unexpected solace in the midst of a very busy two weeks, and they were content to indulge in it for as long as they could, before a demanding schedule swept them up once again.

Giving Arthur a glance when Alfred thought he wasn't looking, Alfred slid his hand outward a little when there was a lull in their eating. A quiet, private question, an invitation to continue their conversation. Just between the two of them before they were ready to share it with the world, the way they liked it.

Arthur's pinkie stretched to touch Alfred's underneath the ice cream bowls, not shying away from their chill.

Yes.