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"Go out with me."
Arthur froze in his footsteps. He thought he was going deaf, so he turned around with furrowed brows and asked. "Pardon me?"
Alfred looked at him straight in the eye. "I said, go out with me."
There it was. Arthur couldn't help but feel a slight rise of hope in his chest as Alfred repeated his words. But he had to think, was he serious? Knowing Alfred, he was probably joking. I mean, what was there to like about him? He had been called, in the words of the said man, stuck-up, haughty, ugly, heartless and—
"Where is this coming from?" He chuckled. "A dare or something?"
Alfred didn't reply. Instead, while maintaining eye contact, he approached Arthur. His face was unreadable, something out of character for the American. And it scared him.
It scared him how he wasn't able to recognize him.
"Alfred?"
Arthur stared like an idiot as Alfred drew steps closer to him. Despite the cold weather, he could feel himself sweating. He fought the urge to run, the urge to hide from him. But as the distance between them grew closer, he realized he couldn't. Those cobalt blue eyes had drawn him in and tied him in place.
"Is it a yes or a no, Arthur? Answer me." Alfred breathed into his lips while ghosting his fingers on Arthur's wrist.
"I-I don't know..." He whimpered and held back the tears that were threatening to come out.
"Hm?" He tightened his hold on Arthur's wrist.
"I said," Arthur had miserably stated with conviction. "I don't know."
Alfred rose a brow. "You don't know."
"I don't know, you idiot! If you think this is a joke then it isn't funny at all!" Arthur tried breaking away from Alfred's hold but failed when the American caught it.
"You think that I'm joking?" He proceeded pinning him to the wall rather painfully. Arthur groaned from the collision.
"Alfred." Arthur pleaded. "You're probably tipsy. We should get you home."
Alfred scoffed and lifted Arthur's chin to initiate eye contact. "Tipsy? Unlike you, I have better tolerance for alcohol. I am fully aware of what I'm doing, so please take me seriously."
Arthur could feel himself shaking. Soon, he couldn't help it. He cried. And he thrashed around in an attempt to break from Alfred. "What is wrong with you?! Why are you like this?!"
Alfred hugged him and rested his head on his neck to calm him. a few seconds, it worked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that you're so oblivious that I have to say it out loud."
"What?"
"I like you Arthur"
"...What?"
For the first time that night, Alfred smiled. Arthur felt relieved that he was back to himself again. But that didn't ease his stress over the matter at hand.
"I said—"
"I heard you the first time, you idiot!" Arthur felt his face burning and by how Alfred is reacting, he must be pretty red. He covered his face with his hands while Alfred laughed his ass off. Sodding git.
"So will you go out with me?"
"Yes. But first things first: what brought this on?"
"..."
"It was Clyde, wasn't it?"
"Maybe."
Arthur shoved Alfred playfully and giggled when he fell on his back. Served him right. "We just got out of the bar and you make me want to come back in again."
Alfred got back on his feet and scowled. "You better not."
Arthur rose a brow and tried to suppress the grin forming. "And why exactly?"
Alfred avoided his eyes and fiddled with his jacket's hem. "Because he also liked you. And I don't plan letting you go anytime soon."
Arthur smiled gently as they held hands together and walked towards the uncertain road.