Throughout the rest of the week, Arthur felt like he had been carrying a terrible lie on his shoulders, one that he might never be able to break free from. He sighed heavily to himself, unable to fully concentrate on the work that Alfred had assigned to him. He thought that he would work a few extra hours today to help the American man tackle some of the major assignments the office had been faced with, but no matter how much the brit had tried, he could not get the threats imposed by Natalia out of his mind.
'Here is what will happen if you do not give me the rest of the money owed by the end of the month: the people you love and care about will all die one by one, and I will make you watch. Then, once they are all dead, I will kill you, too. It won't be as quick as a death that the others will receive. No, your will be slow. Yours will be slow because you know it is what you deserve, your inability to pay for your own nasty habits will be your own downfall.' That is when the strange woman had hooked the chain around Ivan's neck and forced him to follow her home like a dog.
Now, Arthur wasn't sure if he should be more afraid of the Russian or the mysterious woman he had met just a few days prior. He thought that paying a visit to his best friend's office might offer him some comfort and peace of mind. Even though he might not be able to tell Alfred everything that had been going on, he figured that he might be able to tweak the truth only slightly, and, if he was lucky, he'd still be able to receive some good enough advice from his friend that could help him solve the difficult situation he had been placed in.
"Come on in!" Alfred shouted happily after he heard the knock on his door.
The Englishman took a deep breath and nervously turned the doorknob. "Oh! Hello, Alfred and Honda. I'm incredibly sorry if I'm interrupting something! I'll just –"
"There is no need to leave." Assured Honda, in a very polite manner. "And, if it puts your mind at ease, you did not interrupt a make - out session or anything of the sort." He said as he took a hold of Alfred's hand.
The other man blushed tomato red. "O-of course he was! He was interrupting the best make – out session of all time! In fact… we were just about to have sex." He lied, giving his good friend Arthur a wink.
Knowing full well that his friend was lying, the Brit chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, Alfred. So quick to defend your bravado. Anyways… is it alright if I ask you for something – rather important?" He asked, his head held low with a look that suggested that he was rather ashamed of himself.
"Iggy, what happened? Is it about 'that thing'? Because it is, you can tell me! I promise I won't tell anyone, get mad at you or fire you, I just want you to be okay." Said the American, his once happy face now fallen as he worried for his best friend.
Arthur quickly snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head wildly. "No, no! It's nothing like that, please don't worry. I really hope I don't come off as rude, and I'm rather embarrassed to ask this… but do you suppose I could receive my paycheck sometime this week? I know it's a very sudden thing for me to ask, but something happened to – a friend of mine, he's falling short on money and he needs all the help he can get just so his loved ones can live- I – I mean have food for the rest of the week. I'll do anything! I'll even work double shifts, take extra assignments, just please help my friend."
Having to lie to his friend like this had disgusted Arthur to no end, but he didn't see any other way to save the lives of the people he loved. He held his head low, embarrassed by his own actions and unable to look his manager in the eyes.
Alfred, however, seemed to believe in his little tale one hundred and ten percent. His eyes immediately shone with sadness and gave his greatest sympathies to the man begging before him. "Of course, you can have the money early, Arthur! And don't worry, you don't have to pick up any extra projects or work later hours. I want to help you in any way that I can."
Even Honda nodded his head. "Since I love Alfred and you are his best friend, I want to help you, too. So please, if you need anything from either of us, don't hesitate to ask."
The promise from Alfred's boyfriend only made the Brit feel even worse about himself. 'Perfect,' He thought. 'Even people who barely know me are willing to lend an arm and a leg, without even the slightest clue as to how I got in this situation in the first place, and it's all because of my own stupidity and selfishness.'
"Thank you, to the both of you." Said Arthur with a bow of his head. "When this is all over, I promise to compensate you for everything you have helped me with."
"No worries, Iggy!" The American sang. "If your friend is in trouble, I want to help him just as much as you do."
The green – eyed blond shook his head and smiled. "As I always say, Alfred, you are far too good for this world. Well, I'll be sure to say goodbye before I clock out for the evening, and thank you, for everything." He said before closing Alfred's office door behind him. With a heavy sigh filled with shame, he made his way back to his desk. Perhaps Francis' shenanigans would be able to put him in a better mood.
"Hey, Arthur, what do you say to some lunch? I'll pay." Offered Francis as the Brit was just about to sit down in front of his computer.
Arthur nodded. "Perfect timing, Francis."
He looked so deep in thought for a moment, that it worried Francis greatly.
The Englishman turned to face his boyfriend with as much bravery as he could with the sweetest smile. "Hey, Francis… have I told you how much I love you lately? Because I do, I really do."
