Author's Note: Hey guys! Moving this story to rated T for now, though next chapter it'll be back in M, for reasons that I'm sure you can guess. FORESHADOWING FTW. So yes. I hope you are enjoying the story, and thank you very much or all the reviews, they are greatly appreciated, keep 'em coming!
"Arthur? You alright, mon cher?" Arthur snapped back into reality upon hearing Francis's voice, back to where they were, walking in the cold and the snow, not in a college classroom the day they met. "Huh? Yea I'm fine.." Arthur must've been thinking for a while, as now they had already reached Francis's dorm, which was rather large compared to most.
Francis politely opened the door for his friend, watching him as he walked inside. He could hardly believe it himself. Arthur was spending Christmas with him. How long had it been since he had wanted to be with Arthur? Spend time with him, talk to him. Hell, he didn't even care if they slept together or not, which wasn't very likely, seeing as how he could barely recall the last time they had even kissed. But it didn't matter. Just so long as they were together.
"Hm. It's changed a bit since I was last here," Arthur commented, looking about the place once he was inside and hanging his coat onto a coatrack open for when you walked in. There was a warm, cozy air to it, and it somewhat reminded Arthur of home. Francis smiled, removing his own jacket and hanging it up, closing and locking a door behind them.
"Oui, I've been redecorating and such recently.. ma mère didn't like it very much before," Francis replied chuckling. "It feels more comfortable and cozy now, non?" Arthur nodded, it was as if the man was reading his mind. (or reading through the fourth wall) Taking his guest's hand, Francis made his way into the living room, leading Arthur there and setting himself down on the suede couch, patting the cushion next to him, grinning in a playful manner and inviting the other to sit down.
Rolling his eyes at Francis, Arthur sat down beside the man, leaning back into the couch and making himself comfortable. "So, what exactly do people do on Christmas Eve? What do you do?" Arthur felt he almost would regret the second question, but Francis's answer was surprisingly not as suggestive as he had expected. Francis merely chuckled and did the classic 'pretend to stretch and place arm on your partner's shoulder' move, which he pulled off smoothly and rather well, a feat for such a cheezy and predictable flirtation device.
"Well, dear," he started slowly, rather pleased Arthur wasn't fighting his arm as the fussy man might normally do, "I, for Christmas Eve, generally invite a nice woman over for some pleasant wine and nice dinner I cooked. " Francis paused for a moment, a devious smirk on his face. "Or, of course, invite over a nice man, maybe even catching a man for kissing under the mistletoe, hm?" With this, he tipped Arthur's head to look right at him, gazing into those green eyes deeply, in a charmingly seductive way, while murmuring these words. That was pressing his luck, and he was promptly delivered a stinging slap across the face.
"Don't even think about it frog," Arthur said briskly, watching as Francis withdrew, rubbing his cheek. Though Arthur said these things, somehow he knew something was going to slip, whether it was the inevitable dose of alcohol Francis would offer, and he would without a doubt accept, or maybe it would be the delicious food, or the chestnuts Arthur knew Francis would romantically offer to roast over the open fire, which there actually was one in the living room, putting off a wonderful heat. Whatever it was, it would be something. Never would there be nothing coming out of a night with Francis, for anyone.
Francis pouted, rather put out that Arthur hit him; he hadn't been that bad really. Well, besides obviously trying to stun his friend with his own rather alluring demeanor. "Aw, lighten up mon cher! Just trying to ahem, set the moment, you could say?" Francis chuckled, though Arthur's furrowed glare was still upon him.
"Hrm. Set the moment for what, seduction?" Arthur mocked teasingly, cocking an eyebrow. "And since there hasn't appeared to be any mistletoe in this house so far as I can tell, what about that dinner, hm?" Francis laughed at this inquiry, grinning wide at the blonde. Arthur was rather amusing tonight, but he actually was rather excited about the dinner. He had a special wine saved and everything.
"Hungry?" Francis hopped up off the couch and offered his hand for Arthur, whom only tentatively received it, using the Frenchman's arm to pull himself up. Making sure Arthur was stable after being pulled off his seat, Francis continued on to lead the man into the kitchen. "Well I do have some appetizers we can make do with until the turkey is ready, which won't be for another couple hours or so."
Arthur nodded, thinking it would be just fine for now, but he couldn't help but wonder how the two of them were going to manage to fill up the time in between now and when the turkey was ready for dinner. Stepping from the pretty, polished wood floors onto the tile of the kitchen, Arthur looked around, rather impressed with the elegant design and all the utensils and ingredients around the place. The marvelous fragrance that seemed to loom around the room must've been coming from the rack of spices along one of the counters, which smelled strongly of cinnamon.
Of course, a well-stocked kitchen such as this was simply normal, and possibly even essential to Francis, having grown up in a family of talented chefs. The same could not be said for Arthur. Arthur was lucky if there was any decent food in his fridge at all at any particular time.
"Nice kitchen," Arthur commented sincerely as he watched Francis move about, looking through cabinets and soon opening the fridge. He bent over to reach something on the bottom shelf, his arse in full view, making Arthur to wish to look away, but unable to tear his eyes from the sight. It was as if Francis was purposely moving his arse for Arthur's viewing pleasure. The man did have a rather fine back end.
Francis stood back up, bearing a fancy looking tray of shrimp, all pink and perfect looking, lined up meticulously around the ring of sauces in the center of the display. "Everything alright Arthur?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at him, having caught him staring. Quickly looking up and snapping back into his right mind, he chuckled awkwardly, replying, "Aha ha, yes everything's just fine, frog." Francis smirked and shot Arthur a wink before taking the plastic wrap off of their appetizer.
"Yes, I'm sure checking out my goods was indeed 'just fine' indeed, non?" Francis wiggled his ass at Arthur, cracking up, meanwhile the poor guy was blushing madly, eyebrows furrowed and embarrassed.
"I-I was not "checking out you goods" Francis!" he protested, flustered. "A-and even if I was, you were the one putting them out there!" Arthur pouted, fuming at Francis. What a damn suggestive comment. Even so, who wouldn't look at that kind of display if it was so obviously put out? It wasn't like he was attracted to the damn frog or anything.. it was just the damn frog was attractive was all.
Calmly, with an amused smile on his face, Francis stepped over to his discomposed friend and places his hand on the side of Arthur's face, kissing his forehead, which made the man's cheeks grow an even darker shade of pink. "Calm down lapin, it's alright," he said, smiling softly at Arthur. "'Ell, even I would stare at my ass if I had been you." Francis chuckled, moving his hand down to rest upon Arthur's, though the Briton pulled away.
"Yes, I'm sure you would," he grumbled, looking down. Francis sighed softly, pulling away and moving to get out something else from the cupboards. Soon he had set up a nice little plate with sliced cheese and fancy crackers, picking up both it and the shrimp and carrying them to the table.
"Arthur, would you mind retrieving a certain bottle of wine for me?" Francis asked, looking over at Arthur, who had sat down at the small table now. Well there was the dose of alcohol he had predicted.
"Wine? Where is it?"
"Middle shelf in the pantry, it's small, red wine, you can't miss it." Arthur nodded, muttering under his breath something about how the only wine Francis ever had was red, but he soon returned to their little set up bearing the corrected bottle, and Francis smiled graciously at him, setting down the wine glasses and taking the alcohol.
Arthur sat down, watching as Francis took the corkscrew he got out off of the table and de-corking the bottle of wine. Once the cork came out with a 'pop' a delicious fragrance wafted out of the bottle, and Francis inhaled the scent deeply, smiling, opening the bottle was one of the best parts of collecting fine wines."Ah, I love the smell of a well-aged wine," he said dreamily, pouring the potent liquid into each of their glasses. Setting the cork on the table, Francis sat down finally as well, next to Arthur, and held up his glass for a toast.
"To a marvelous Christmas Eve with my dear friend, oui?" Rolling his eyes a little, Arthur offered up his drink as well, the glasses clinking as they were brought together. Taking a sip off of the wine, Arthur's face warmed a little, the taste marvelous on his tongue. "That is delicious," he said, licking his lips and going to take another drink. Francis nodded cheerily in agreement, very pleased with this bottle. He watched as Arthur continued through his first glass, occasionally taking a cracker in between gulps of alcohol.
"Well it's not hard booze, but for wine, quite marvelous." Arthur chuckled, and having been drinking it rather quickly, the wine was starting to affect him already, seeing as how Arthur could never really hold much before getting a buzz. Francis knew this, and was kicking himself for pondering what he could possibly get away with, what Arthur might agree to, while under the spell of French wine. Deciding to risk it, feeling a bit bad, Francis had to let one sly, seductive comment slip.
"Mm.. it is good," he murmured softly, gazing at Arthur over his glass. "But I do wonder what it would taste like on your lips.." Francis let his eyes move from his friend's soft, pink lips, absolutely delicious looking, to those brilliant green eyes, which were looking back at him with some unease, indecision.
Shifting a little, Arthur fought with himself in his mind over this. He had to respond, he had to; but how? Should he retort as he would as usual, snarky and closed off, or would he take a chance? Surely it wouldn't hurt.. Francis wouldn't talk about it if this one thing turned into something else, would he? Even if he did, Arthur figured he could always blame it on the booze, a perfectly good excuse.
"Well.. why don't you find out?" Arthur murmured back, eyes curious and full of anticipation. Rather shocked, Francis took a deep breath, praying that he wasn't going to be slapped for his next action, and regaining himself, put on an alluring, bewitching gaze. "If you insist," he purred in a low, shiver inspiring tone, leaning in close, and kissed him.