Re: Whose Clueless Now? USxUK part 5b
anonymous
December 25 2009, 22:54:44 UTC
Alfred looked around and realized they were sitting at one of the few tables in an alcove, surrounded by windows that looked out on the street. He was appreciating the view before he turned his head and stiffened.
Arthur was at a table right across from theirs, eating dinner with Matthew. Alfred felt a sudden surge of jealousy. After all, what would Arthur be doing with Matthew - of all people - at such a nice place? It looked like they were on a date, and neither of them had noticed Francis or him yet.
Alfred was actually pondering various schemes he could employ to break the two apart - one of which involved him barreling over there and punching Matthew in the face for even looking at Arthur the wrong way - when Francis laid a hand on his clenched fist and he begrudgingly turned his attention to the man across from him.
“Arthur is here,” Alfred stated, his voice strained.
“So it seems,” Francis replied nonchalantly.
“With Matthew,” Alfred added, failing to keep the bitterness out of his voice as he saw Arthur, from the corner of his eye, chuckle in amusement at something Matthew had said.
“Does this bother you?” Francis asked, although now he was watching the pair as well.
Of course it does, Alfred thought, but he remained silent, gritting his teeth against the hurt he could feel twisting in his gut.
Arthur chuckled again and any hunger Alfred might have harbored before he had entered this restaurant vanished completely.
Alfred made to stand up - to rush over to the other table or leave, he wasn’t quite sure - but Francis’s hand was still on his and he was forced to stay seated.
“You must focus, mon cher,” Francis stated simply, his voice low. “You trust me, non?”
“No,” Alfred shook his head, feeling mutinous.
Francis sighed, sending him a look, and Alfred actually felt a bit guilty.
“I will teach you how to win Angleterre’s affections.” Francis’s tone was grave once again. “You want to show him you can be a good lover, do you not?”
Alfred nodded stiffly. “Yeah…of course, but…”
“Then show him,” Francis replied, and then the man was placing his table napkin upon his lap with a flourish.
Francis watched Alfred expectantly, and he numbly did the same with his own napkin.
“Good, good,” Francis commended, his smile back in place. “The lesson is etiquette.”
Alfred nodded, trying to ignore the way Arthur was smiling around the edge of his wine glass as he listened to another story from Matthew.
“The first rule of good etiquette,” Francis began, pulling Alfred’s attention back to him by placing his hand on Alfred’s larger one yet again. “Is enjoying your partner’s company.”
Alfred attempted to smile and Francis chuckled behind his wine glass. “As I said before, there is no need to force yourself. Just relax, mon cher, and keep your attention on me.”
Alfred’s gaze had already started to drift toward Arthur, before he snapped at Francis’s words and attempted to give Francis his full attention.
Arthur was at a table right across from theirs, eating dinner with Matthew. Alfred felt a sudden surge of jealousy. After all, what would Arthur be doing with Matthew - of all people - at such a nice place? It looked like they were on a date, and neither of them had noticed Francis or him yet.
Alfred was actually pondering various schemes he could employ to break the two apart - one of which involved him barreling over there and punching Matthew in the face for even looking at Arthur the wrong way - when Francis laid a hand on his clenched fist and he begrudgingly turned his attention to the man across from him.
“Arthur is here,” Alfred stated, his voice strained.
“So it seems,” Francis replied nonchalantly.
“With Matthew,” Alfred added, failing to keep the bitterness out of his voice as he saw Arthur, from the corner of his eye, chuckle in amusement at something Matthew had said.
“Does this bother you?” Francis asked, although now he was watching the pair as well.
Of course it does, Alfred thought, but he remained silent, gritting his teeth against the hurt he could feel twisting in his gut.
Arthur chuckled again and any hunger Alfred might have harbored before he had entered this restaurant vanished completely.
Alfred made to stand up - to rush over to the other table or leave, he wasn’t quite sure - but Francis’s hand was still on his and he was forced to stay seated.
“You must focus, mon cher,” Francis stated simply, his voice low. “You trust me, non?”
“No,” Alfred shook his head, feeling mutinous.
Francis sighed, sending him a look, and Alfred actually felt a bit guilty.
“I will teach you how to win Angleterre’s affections.” Francis’s tone was grave once again. “You want to show him you can be a good lover, do you not?”
Alfred nodded stiffly. “Yeah…of course, but…”
“Then show him,” Francis replied, and then the man was placing his table napkin upon his lap with a flourish.
Francis watched Alfred expectantly, and he numbly did the same with his own napkin.
“Good, good,” Francis commended, his smile back in place. “The lesson is etiquette.”
Alfred nodded, trying to ignore the way Arthur was smiling around the edge of his wine glass as he listened to another story from Matthew.
“The first rule of good etiquette,” Francis began, pulling Alfred’s attention back to him by placing his hand on Alfred’s larger one yet again. “Is enjoying your partner’s company.”
Alfred attempted to smile and Francis chuckled behind his wine glass. “As I said before, there is no need to force yourself. Just relax, mon cher, and keep your attention on me.”
Alfred’s gaze had already started to drift toward Arthur, before he snapped at Francis’s words and attempted to give Francis his full attention.
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