Lunch Outdoors on a Sunny Day

After everything, after all they had gone through, all the years of not knowing anything more than the simplest things they could pick up over the telephone, they were finally going out to lunch.

Alfred picked Arthur up at the hotel Arthur was staying at. At the time, it felt like one of the most nerve-wracking moments of Alfred's life. A few minutes after Alfred showed up, Arthur walked into the lobby wearing a suit as crisp as the one he had worn the day before. He looked surprised when he saw Alfred, as if he hadn't expected him to be there yet.

Alfred was twenty minutes early because he knew that Arthur would have hated it if he were late.

"Hey," Alfred said with a grin that he hoped didn't look too nervous.

"Hello."Arthur idly tugged on his cuffs as he eyed Alfred's more casual ensemble, a two-piece suit with the jacket unbuttoned and a simple tie. "Where to?"

"Oh, I was just thinking we could try this place across the street from the office. I go there sometimes with the guys. It's good food for your money, and they've got outdoor seating, so I figure we could enjoy the sun." Alfred had picked it because it didn't scream date; they could easily have simply been two coworkers out on their lunch break. Which they were. Looking at Arthur, though, he wondered if he should have gone all out. Arthur looked like he belonged somewhere expensive with a candle and roses on the table. (And oh, would Alfred have liked to to take Arthur on that date. He would have pulled out all the stops – champagne, a limo, the works. Not that he'd thought about it before, of course. Not at all.)

"That sounds perfect," Arthur said, and Alfred's doubts disappeared.

They walked because it wasn't far. Alfred easily fell into his playful, joking attitude and constant stream of talk, and Arthur responded with his dry sense of humor, just as he always had – but it was better, so infinitely better than it had been over the telephone. Alfred found he couldn't stop talking and looking at Arthur. He had adjusted so easily to Arthur's appearance it was as though he had always known that he looked that way, but Alfred still couldn't get over the fact that Arthur was really there.

They got seated outside at Alfred's request, and ended up at a little table for two in a corner of the patio. The place was moderately busy, but it didn't feel like anyone was looking at them or close enough to eavesdrop. Then again, Alfred wasn't really paying attention to anyone else there.

"So tell me," Alfred said with a grin after the waiter had taken their order, leaning forward in his chair as though it were a vital secret, "Do you like long walks on the beach?"

Arthur scoffed as he spread out his napkin in his lap. "Alfred, don't be silly. I hate to ruin this image you clearly have of me, what with your idea about my favorite reading material" (Alfred snorted), "But I hardly fit some dating profile."

"You don't? 'Cuz I sure want to date you."

For a moment Arthur looked startled, but he quickly covered it up with a condescendingly amused expression. "Really, Alfred–"

"Really, Arthur." Alfred was leaning forward and smiling only slightly. "What do you say?"

Arthur dropped his gaze to his lap and found himself floundering. "What makes you think I'm interested?" Well, that was a stupid question. "What I mean to say is, don't you think that's a little abrupt? There's nothing wrong with a little subtlety, you know." He smoothed his napkin in his lap twice, stalling. "After all," he said, stumbling over the words because it wasn't true at all, "We barely know each other."

"You're about to leave on a plane and my superiors might order me to never see or speak to you again. I'm not going to miss out." Arthur met his eyes and Alfred's smile looked more hopeful than confident. "I've wanted to be friends with you since forever and I guess I didn't really feel like I could call you my friend unless we met in person, but now I feel like I already know you, you know? I don't want to ruin our friendship especially if it's just getting started, but I'm kind of done waiting." Alfred's smile softened. "I really like you, and I want to get to know you better. Will you give me a chance?"

Arthur found himself smiling faintly. "I'm afraid it would be more fair to ask you to give me a chance."

"Artie–"

Arthur shook his head. "You know this is an awful idea."

Alfred grinned. "Undoubtedly."

Arthur paused and pretended to weigh the pros and cons. His heart was beating far too fast and he knew that his calm façade was slipping, just a bit. He had imagined all this happening much more slowly, if at all. He met Alfred's eyes with a little smile. "I suppose we might as well give it a shot."

Alfred's grin widened more than Arthur had thought possible. "Awesome."

Arthur suddenly found it very hard to suppress his own smile, though he tried. "You do realize I will have to know everything about you." He looked up at Alfred from beneath his eyebrows. "And I mean everything."

"Oh yeah, I got it," Alfred said happily as their food arrived. "Full background check, I know the drill. How far back do you want it to go?" Arthur merely raised an eyebrow. Alfred laughed as he scooped up a forkful of food from his plate. "Everything, I know, I know. It'll be waiting for you on your desk when you back to England."

"It had better be," Arthur said as he delicately took a bite of his own meal. He cocked his head to one side. "You said you had waited long enough. How long have you been waiting, exactly?" There was a slight smirk in his lips.

Alfred looked a little surprised. "Uh, I don't know. I mean . . ." He looked at his food. "I guess I kind of got interested around, um, when we thought there was that nuke threat . . ."

Arthur stared at him. "Eight months?"

"After we met? Yeah, about." Alfred shrugged. "You just seemed really calm, you know? I was pretty impressed." Alfred perked up. "How about you?"

"Oh." Arthur looked away. "The Berlin job, I think."

"Hey, that was only like three months in! You're beating me." Alfred's mouth curved into a grin, but then the smile suddenly disappeared and his eyes widened. "Wait, by 'interested' did you think I meant found you interesting? Because I found you interesting on like–"

"The first day?"

Alfred paused and grinned. "Yeah."

Arthur smiled a little. "I know what you meant."

"Three months? Really? But that's so soon." Alfred frowned a little. "You weren't, like, flirty or anything, either . . ."

"I was doing my job!" Arthur snapped, a blush quickly rising on his cheeks. "Of course I wouldn't do anything unprofessional."

Alfred raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Uh-huh."

"What?" Arthur demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"I think you need to let loose a little," Alfred said. "You're always going on about these rules and things . . . though come to think of it, I guess you did break a couple for a particularly handsome agent." Alfred outright grinned.

Arthur's tutted and flicked a piece dirt off his suit jacket. "A good agent only breaks the rules when absolutely necessary. Really, Alfred, saving you was hardly unprofessional. You getting caught? Certainly."

Alfred pouted. "Hey."

"Speaking of which, this . . ." Arthur trailed off and gestured at the two of them.

Alfred smiled sadly. "Was a lunch between two friends. You don't need to ask, Artie. I know the drill."

They ate in silence for a moment. "I've never dated within the company before," Arthur said quietly.

"Me neither."

Arthur was surprised at that. "Really? No one was interested? I would have thought you'd be quite popular."

Alfred grinned. "I didn't say no one was interested. I mean, come on." He adjusted his glasses and gave Arthur a smoldering look. Arthur blushed and Alfred broke out into laughter. "Really? You are too easy!"

Arthur turned a shade darker. "Alfred, if you tease me as much as you did on the phone, I swear–"

"That? That was nothing!"

"It wasn't you . . . courting me, or whatever?" Arthur waved a hand embarrassedly in Alfred's general direction. Alfred dissolved into whoops of laughter. "Oh God," Arthur groaned, and placed a hand on his forehead in mock-despair, "This is what you're really like isn't it?"

"Sure is, sweetheart," Alfred said. Arthur looked up into grinning blue eyes. "You like it?"

"Why yes, I think I do." They smiled at each other for a moment. Arthur's face suddenly turned more thoughtful and he glanced at his watch. He nodded towards Alfred's nearly empty plate. "Should I call for the check?" Alfred's face fell and Arthur sighed. "I'm sorry, I'd love to stay longer, but I still need to get my things, get to the airport, go through security . . . I should have asked we meet earlier."

Alfred shook his head. "Don't worry about it. This worked out fine. At least I get to see you off before you leave for the airport." He grinned, but Arthur could see the disappointment hidden behind it. "Hey waiter! Check, please?"

Alfred avoided Arthur's eyes while they waited. He drank the last of his water and stared out at the street, or played with his napkin. They each paid their bills – separately, because this wasn't supposed to be a date and they knew how to cover their tracks. Alfred stood and stretched, and when Arthur stood up beside him, Alfred finally met his gaze. Alfred was smiling, but weakly, and Arthur could see every doubt of his own written in Alfred's blue eyes: Are we ever going to see each other again? What if we're caught? Will be fired? Long distance? Is this too fast? Do we really know each other?

Can we do this?

Arthur listened to his instinct. He took a deep breath, smiled, and with his eyes said, Yes.

Author's note (Edit): This is the last chapter.