One for the Money (5c/?)
anonymous
January 27 2010, 03:14:41 UTC
Nearly two hours after his Mini had begun its death throes, the last thing Arthur had expected was to see Alfred's truck pull off to the side of the road ahead of him. He knew he hadn't gotten ahead of Alfred, so for the younger man to be here… That meant he'd turned around. He'd come back for him.
Alfred climbed out of the truck a moment later and walked towards him, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.
"I didn't expect to see you again," Arthur commented, trying to be nonchalant. Maybe he hadn't lost his chance after all.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Alfred said, heading for the Mini's open bonnet. "I just wanted to make sure you hadn't gotten into a wreck or something. I didn't ask you to follow me, but I wouldn't be much of a hero if I just left you stranded."
Arthur watched Alfred as he started poking around the engine. "I- I told you, I'm not following you; I'm-"
"Just out for a drive, right." Alfred stopped checking the engine, circling around the car to the passenger's door. He opened it, reached inside, and extracted the file Arthur had stolen the previous day. "Which is why you definitely don't need this. I must have dropped it."
Arthur was silent, looking stubbornly away from the American, who'd gone back to the engine.
"Your car's had it," Alfred announced a minute later.
"Then I guess I'm stranded, aren't I?" Arthur said airily.
Alfred made a frustrated noise. "I'll give you a lift to the next town, alright? I was heading there anyway, and so were you, since you've been so intent on following-"
Arthur's head snapped toward Alfred, words of protest ready on his lips.
"-driving in the same direction as me, by coincidence," Alfred amended before he could say anything. "You can get someone to tow your car there."
Arthur looked suspiciously at Alfred's truck. The thing was a piece of junk, if you asked him; it should have died long, long before his Mini. It was death on wheels.
Alfred had apparently picked up on the distrust of the vehicle, as he sprung to its defense, "You're not still scared of Old Reliable, are you?"
"Of course not!" Arthur immediately retorted, even though he was afraid of it.
Very, very afraid.
Alfred grinned. "Well, there's not a problem then, is there?"
-- Staring into a bag full of money, Lovino was torn between outright rage and his natural instinct to flee.
If he were far, far away from the proof of the crime, he couldn't be implicated, right? And yet, how dare they. How dare they bring the money with them here, to his grandfather's restaurant, to the place that had once been a second home to him. How dare they continue to include him in their schemes, when he'd made it quite clear (in his mind) that he wanted nothing more to do with them.
He'd committed a crime, yes, but he'd also put up with it for too long. Zipping the bag closed in a swift motion, he shoved it back into Gilbert's arms. "Get this out of here," he growled, spinning on his heel to leave. "I don't want to see it again."
There was really only one thing he could do now.
He was going to Confession.
-- "Perfect timing!" Alfred said with a laugh, pulling along the curb to steal the parking space a black Porsche had vacated only seconds prior.
In the seat next to him, Arthur huffed, and Alfred felt his own good mood waver.
"Oh cheer up, Arthur. I've just got to talk to my friend, and then I'll call a towing service to go pick up your car. It won't be more than a few minutes."
Arthur looked out the window and crossed his arms as Alfred opened his door.
"I can't leave you alone out here," he continued, "so you've gotta come inside with me."
Alfred climbed out of the car, shutting the door behind him and then turning to lean against the open window. Arthur didn't move. He didn't say anything, either, but Alfred was pretty sure he'd huffed again.
One for the Money (5d/?)
anonymous
January 27 2010, 03:15:46 UTC
"Tony won't mind you listening in," Alfred said, in hopes the idea of Arthur potentially overhearing top secret information would be enough to entice the Brit out of the car. And if that wasn't enough, there was also… "Heck, we can even catch dinner while we're here; he makes a mean lasagna!"
Arthur hesitated, but then he unfastened his seat belt and climbed out of the car. "I'm only going in because I can't stand waiting in this death trap," he stated testily. "Who knows how long you'll take if you start eating?"
Alfred grinned. That was as good a victory as he could hope for.
-- Having retreated back to the basement, Gilbert decided it was time for another meeting.
"So what are we going to do with the money?" Antonio asked. He'd tried to chase after Lovino when the boy stormed off, but Gilbert and Francis had both stopped him, insisting he'd need some time to cool down.
"We're still going to spend it," Gilbert replied. "Obviously."
Antonio was quiet for a short moment. "Oh. Can we do that before Lovino gets back?"
-- Big Tony was the smallest man Arthur had ever seen. He was also the weirdest.
The bald man had fixed Arthur with a cold look the moment he'd walked through the doors of the restaurant, but the look evaporated into a friendly smile when Alfred bounded towards him.
"Hey, Tony!" Alfred greeted, pulling the man into a bear hug as soon as he was in arm's reach. "Long time no see!"
"Over a year," Tony replied. "You ought to come out more often."
"You know I've been busy." Alfred turned towards Arthur, a hand clapped on the smaller man's shoulder. "Arthur, this is my friend Tony-Big Tony. Tony, this is Arthur Kirkland. I told you about him before."
The cold look returned to Big Tony's face, but Alfred hadn't seemed to notice. In fact, he seemed rather preoccupied with checking his pockets.
"Shoot, I think I left my keys in the truck," Alfred said. "I'll be right back, and then we can get down to business."
Arthur felt a shiver creep down his spine as Alfred rushed outside.
"S-so," he said, trying to make small talk to clear up the oppressive atmosphere that seemed to have settled. "Are you from… around here?"
Tony ignored the question. "I'm not talkin' to a limey bastard."
Arthur wished Alfred hadn't left them alone. What kind of friends did that guy have?
-- "Alright, here's the plan," Gilbert said in hushed tones, crouched in the stairwell. "Lovino's already gone, so we just need to sneak past Big Tony and we'll be home free."
"I'm not sure I can distract him," Antonio stated.
Gilbert took that under consideration for a moment, but then shook his head. "You won't have to. We'll just wait until he's gone into the kitchen."
"Ah, I think we may have a small problem…" Francis said from the doorway, where he was peering out into the restaurant. "It appears Big Tony has a guest."
"That's no problem," Gilbert refuted, moving towards Francis. "We'll just wait until they both…"
His words died in his throat when he looked out to see who it was. He jerked back into the relative safety of the stairwell.
"Is that Kirkland?"
"It does appear to be the ever-charming rosbif," Francis agreed.
"What th' hell is Kirkland doing here?"
The door of the restaurant opened and closed. Someone was laughing, and then called out, "Sorry about that!"
"I think you're asking the wrong question, mon cher." Francis was still peeking out into the restaurant, and he gestured for Antonio and Gilbert to have a look. "I'd be more interested to know what rosbif is doing here with Tex."
Notes and translations: rosbif: (Fr.) lit. "roast beef"; slang French nickname for an Englishman
Sorry for the (very) long wait since the last part! I had writer's block for a long time on how to proceed, but it seems to have cleared… I'm guesstimating there are 2-3 more parts left, and I promise not to have another three month delay between parts.
Re: One for the Money (5d/?)
anonymous
January 27 2010, 04:57:34 UTC
WHEN I SAW THIS IN THE FILLS LIST I LITERALLY SAID, "OH MY GOD I AM SO EXCITED" OUT LOUD.
However, it's worth repeating: OH MY GOD I AM SO EXCITED. I'M SO GLAD THIS IS BACK. ♥ I read most of it in one sitting a few months ago and fell in love with it, so I'm incredibly happy (like I didn't make that obvious already, heh) that we'll get to find out what happens next. I can't wait for the shit to hit the fan like it inevitably will after this part. Awesome.
You've also given me some hope that some other seemingly abandoned fics I loved will be updated again. Thanks for that. :>
Alfred climbed out of the truck a moment later and walked towards him, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.
"I didn't expect to see you again," Arthur commented, trying to be nonchalant. Maybe he hadn't lost his chance after all.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Alfred said, heading for the Mini's open bonnet. "I just wanted to make sure you hadn't gotten into a wreck or something. I didn't ask you to follow me, but I wouldn't be much of a hero if I just left you stranded."
Arthur watched Alfred as he started poking around the engine. "I- I told you, I'm not following you; I'm-"
"Just out for a drive, right." Alfred stopped checking the engine, circling around the car to the passenger's door. He opened it, reached inside, and extracted the file Arthur had stolen the previous day. "Which is why you definitely don't need this. I must have dropped it."
Arthur was silent, looking stubbornly away from the American, who'd gone back to the engine.
"Your car's had it," Alfred announced a minute later.
"Then I guess I'm stranded, aren't I?" Arthur said airily.
Alfred made a frustrated noise. "I'll give you a lift to the next town, alright? I was heading there anyway, and so were you, since you've been so intent on following-"
Arthur's head snapped toward Alfred, words of protest ready on his lips.
"-driving in the same direction as me, by coincidence," Alfred amended before he could say anything. "You can get someone to tow your car there."
Arthur looked suspiciously at Alfred's truck. The thing was a piece of junk, if you asked him; it should have died long, long before his Mini. It was death on wheels.
Alfred had apparently picked up on the distrust of the vehicle, as he sprung to its defense, "You're not still scared of Old Reliable, are you?"
"Of course not!" Arthur immediately retorted, even though he was afraid of it.
Very, very afraid.
Alfred grinned. "Well, there's not a problem then, is there?"
--
Staring into a bag full of money, Lovino was torn between outright rage and his natural instinct to flee.
If he were far, far away from the proof of the crime, he couldn't be implicated, right? And yet, how dare they. How dare they bring the money with them here, to his grandfather's restaurant, to the place that had once been a second home to him. How dare they continue to include him in their schemes, when he'd made it quite clear (in his mind) that he wanted nothing more to do with them.
He'd committed a crime, yes, but he'd also put up with it for too long. Zipping the bag closed in a swift motion, he shoved it back into Gilbert's arms. "Get this out of here," he growled, spinning on his heel to leave. "I don't want to see it again."
There was really only one thing he could do now.
He was going to Confession.
--
"Perfect timing!" Alfred said with a laugh, pulling along the curb to steal the parking space a black Porsche had vacated only seconds prior.
In the seat next to him, Arthur huffed, and Alfred felt his own good mood waver.
"Oh cheer up, Arthur. I've just got to talk to my friend, and then I'll call a towing service to go pick up your car. It won't be more than a few minutes."
Arthur looked out the window and crossed his arms as Alfred opened his door.
"I can't leave you alone out here," he continued, "so you've gotta come inside with me."
Alfred climbed out of the car, shutting the door behind him and then turning to lean against the open window. Arthur didn't move. He didn't say anything, either, but Alfred was pretty sure he'd huffed again.
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Arthur hesitated, but then he unfastened his seat belt and climbed out of the car. "I'm only going in because I can't stand waiting in this death trap," he stated testily. "Who knows how long you'll take if you start eating?"
Alfred grinned. That was as good a victory as he could hope for.
--
Having retreated back to the basement, Gilbert decided it was time for another meeting.
"So what are we going to do with the money?" Antonio asked. He'd tried to chase after Lovino when the boy stormed off, but Gilbert and Francis had both stopped him, insisting he'd need some time to cool down.
"We're still going to spend it," Gilbert replied. "Obviously."
Antonio was quiet for a short moment. "Oh. Can we do that before Lovino gets back?"
--
Big Tony was the smallest man Arthur had ever seen. He was also the weirdest.
The bald man had fixed Arthur with a cold look the moment he'd walked through the doors of the restaurant, but the look evaporated into a friendly smile when Alfred bounded towards him.
"Hey, Tony!" Alfred greeted, pulling the man into a bear hug as soon as he was in arm's reach. "Long time no see!"
"Over a year," Tony replied. "You ought to come out more often."
"You know I've been busy." Alfred turned towards Arthur, a hand clapped on the smaller man's shoulder. "Arthur, this is my friend Tony-Big Tony. Tony, this is Arthur Kirkland. I told you about him before."
The cold look returned to Big Tony's face, but Alfred hadn't seemed to notice. In fact, he seemed rather preoccupied with checking his pockets.
"Shoot, I think I left my keys in the truck," Alfred said. "I'll be right back, and then we can get down to business."
Arthur felt a shiver creep down his spine as Alfred rushed outside.
"S-so," he said, trying to make small talk to clear up the oppressive atmosphere that seemed to have settled. "Are you from… around here?"
Tony ignored the question. "I'm not talkin' to a limey bastard."
Arthur wished Alfred hadn't left them alone. What kind of friends did that guy have?
--
"Alright, here's the plan," Gilbert said in hushed tones, crouched in the stairwell. "Lovino's already gone, so we just need to sneak past Big Tony and we'll be home free."
"I'm not sure I can distract him," Antonio stated.
Gilbert took that under consideration for a moment, but then shook his head. "You won't have to. We'll just wait until he's gone into the kitchen."
"Ah, I think we may have a small problem…" Francis said from the doorway, where he was peering out into the restaurant. "It appears Big Tony has a guest."
"That's no problem," Gilbert refuted, moving towards Francis. "We'll just wait until they both…"
His words died in his throat when he looked out to see who it was. He jerked back into the relative safety of the stairwell.
"Is that Kirkland?"
"It does appear to be the ever-charming rosbif," Francis agreed.
"What th' hell is Kirkland doing here?"
The door of the restaurant opened and closed. Someone was laughing, and then called out, "Sorry about that!"
"I think you're asking the wrong question, mon cher." Francis was still peeking out into the restaurant, and he gestured for Antonio and Gilbert to have a look. "I'd be more interested to know what rosbif is doing here with Tex."
Notes and translations:
rosbif: (Fr.) lit. "roast beef"; slang French nickname for an Englishman
Sorry for the (very) long wait since the last part! I had writer's block for a long time on how to proceed, but it seems to have cleared… I'm guesstimating there are 2-3 more parts left, and I promise not to have another three month delay between parts.
Reply
However, it's worth repeating: OH MY GOD I AM SO EXCITED. I'M SO GLAD THIS IS BACK. ♥ I read most of it in one sitting a few months ago and fell in love with it, so I'm incredibly happy (like I didn't make that obvious already, heh) that we'll get to find out what happens next. I can't wait for the shit to hit the fan like it inevitably will after this part. Awesome.
You've also given me some hope that some other seemingly abandoned fics I loved will be updated again. Thanks for that. :>
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FUCK THIS IS AMAZING.
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Glad to see you haven't abandoned this fic! Loved this update <3
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Do we get to hear about how Romano's confession goes (just cause I like hearing about catholic guilt).
I like how Arthur decided to stop stalking Alfred, and then Alfred decided to stalk him instead, classic.
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One of my favourite fills on the whole meme!
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This is easily EASILY the best fill in the entire meme. Major love.
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