Gold and Blue 3/?
Title: Gold and Blue
Pairings: UKUS
Rating: M
Warnings: Eventual sex
Summary: The King of Spades has no power in politics, until he meets the catalyst that sparks his desire to be great.
This chapter: A fundraiser.
Arthur walked into his office the next morning nursing an ugly migraine. He hadn't slept well as his dreams had turned into nightmares haunted by Jack Yao's seething face. After the King's drunken incident in the palace gardens ending with vomit on the Jack's shoes, the man told Arthur to leave with one icy glare and on sharp, "Go" that made the Duke hasten away. With the tabloids still labeling Arthur as the King's least liked subject and the scorn of the Jack, Arthur's new role as the Duke of Blue was not going well at all. He might as well just call in sick and stay home for a few days until this all blew over.
However, he knew he could never do that. He made a promise to himself. Sighing loudly as he sat behind his desk, he mulled over the exact reasons why he had made such a promise so long ago. There wasn't enough aspirin to cure him of this pain today. He'd have to make do with what he had as the Blue Area demanded his attention.
Sure enough, he was already being handed papers to sign, documents to read, and had urgent phone calls to answer. All of it, however, came to a halt when Arthur's secretary burst into the office looking panicked. She startled the Duke, and he stopped what he was doing to acknowledge her.
"S-sir," she started, her voice high pitched. "The King is here to see you!"
Arthur jumped up in alarm. His mind instantly rewound to the previous night and their conversation. Did he somehow insult him again? There was a brief moment Arthur had thought the King didn't hate so much. Had he not said he liked how demanding Arthur was? Of course, that could have changed after he vomited.
No matter, Arthur thought as he straightened himself out. I shall keep calm and be a gentleman.
He directed his secretary to let the King in. She hustled away only to return moments later with the King. He didn't look like royalty, however. He wore a blue sweatshirt and baggy jeans that were obviously well worn at the knees. There was a grease smudge on his glasses and a small drop of what looked like pizza sauce on his chin. Arthur felt slightly annoyed the man hadn't even cleaning up after his lunch.
"Your Majesty, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Arthur bowed politely, hiding all traces of his anxiety.
The King looked around the office. His face didn't betray any of his thoughts, causing Arthur to worry more. He began to assume the worst and squirmed on the spot. Suddenly, the King smiled at Arthur, but it wasn't reassuring in the least to the Duke.
"Nice place. Makes me wish I had one."
"Y-you don't have your own personal office?" Arthur asked, surprised at such a thought.
"Not that I know of." Alfred looked at the chair before him. "Can I sit?"
Arthur started, embarrassed he hadn't been more polite to his guest. He quickly pulled the chair out and gestured for the King to sit. Alfred didn't seem upset, but Arthur couldn't think he was in the clear. People in politics and constantly in the public view had to be good with masking their emotions. The King would be no different.
Alfred waited until the Duke had taken his seat to lean forward and say, with an earnest look that startled Arthur, "I came to apologize about last night. I was… Well, I put you in a difficult situation. I explained it to Yao and he doesn't blame you. He even told me to say all of this and write it down so I wouldn't forget and then come see you ASAP."
Arthur felt a twinge of a smile tug at his lips. He sighed a little too loudly, and then flushed, but Alfred only chuckled. "I was worried you were upset with me again by your coming here."
"Naw." The King shrugged. "Actually, I thought you were revolted by what I said and did."
"I've seen quite a few people vomit before. I think I can handle it." Arthur could feel himself relaxing the more he talked with Alfred. It was nice and not entirely too formal as he expected this meeting to be.
Alfred wrung his hands in his lap, not meeting Arthur's eyes. "Um…what I said to you…"
"You mean about you liking how confrontational I was with you?" Arthur smiled slightly, but it vanished quickly at a sudden thought.
What if the King didn't mean it or he changed his mind? He had been intoxicated the previous night, so there was a good chance he was lying. Arthur should have known not to get his hopes up that there was a small chance someone actually tolerated him. How many times had he heard such false promises made? How many men had he given his heart to when he was younger because of candy coated words?
Before his thoughts could fully destroy Arthur's confidence any further, Alfred said, "Well, I meant what I said… I hope I didn't, ya know, screw up."
Arthur's heart pounded hard in his chest as the King's words echoed in his head. He hesitated too long, making Alfred worry.
"Um…"
"Sorry," Arthur said quickly. "I'm trying to…wrap my mind around this change. First you were so angry with me you dismissed me from the ball, then you were indifferent to me when I tried to apologize, and now this. I can't quite understand you…"
Alfred was smiling again. He looked down at his lap, his face red all the way to the tip of his ears. "Well, the first night I wasn't in a good mood long before you showed up. I hate parties. And you…were right. Everything you said. I didn't like that…not really. No one had said that to me, at least not in person. People will write things online, but that's different from having it said aloud. I say it myself plenty of times. It felt more real to hear someone else say it…"
"So why apologize now?" Arthur asked.
Alfred shrugged again. "Well, because last night was gross. Like, even I think I went a little…"
"Too far?" Arthur suggested with an eyebrow raised.
Alfred grimaced. "No. I think it was- whatever. So, I'm here to actually ask for your help."
Arthur sat back in his seat. He wasn't sure his emotions could handle any more of these surprises from the King. An apology and a request all in one day? Whatever the Jack had said to prompt such a reaction from the King, it had worked, and Arthur wanted to personally thank him for it.
"Of course, Sire. Whatever you need."
Alfred smiled. "I asked Yao to get them for me, but I totally forgot them at home."
"Home?" Arthur repeated slowly. "Home as in the palace?"
"Yeah? What's wrong?"
Sometimes, Alfred forgot that not everyone lived in such luxury.
"So, anyways, I need your help in planning a fundraiser." Alfred's smile captured Arthur's heart as he continued to talk. "See, I just. You're right. I'm no good, but I could be good if I tried, right? So, maybe, I could do something and give to the homeless or orphans or whatever it was you mentioned at the ball. But I gotta start somewhere. Can you help?"Yao noticed the change almost instantly, and red flags went up. He should have said something the day he saw Alfred waltz around the palace, humming, and looking silly beyond all reason. It was unlike the young King to be so happy about anything, even if he won a video game against the Queen of Hearts. He was too absorbed in finding things to be upset about. However, Yao thought this a nice change of pace and never mentioned it.
It got worse as the days progressed, and soon Alfred was leaving the palace more frequently. All accounts pointed to him going to the Blue Area much more, but again, Yao paid little attention. He was more concerned about laws he had to pass and legislations he had to furiously rewrite. If the King had found a friend, then he was glad for him. It couldn't go much further than a few months before Alfred would grow tired of them and come back to his senses. Yao knew that much was certain.
Then, one day a servant mentioned Alfred was organizing a fundraiser. Yao's interest was perked, and he looked into the Lord Blue's paperwork to find that it was indeed true. There at the top of the paper was the proclamation by King Alfred, and down at the bottom was Duke Kirkland's signature.
How could a man who Alfred had voiced his loathing for suddenly become so close to the Crown? It didn't add up. The media had gobbled up such a story, grateful for some real action with the King, so there was little chance they would miss this strange turn of events. And yet, good news was not the type of news that sold papers. The story was promptly left out after one tiny article mentioned it in the Spades Daily. Yao wouldn't sully himself to read magazines or tabloids, so for all he knew, things were just kept quiet.
Still, there was a nagging in the back of his head. He had to say something to Alfred on the off chance this wasn't a fling, and he and the Duke would actually become long-lasting friends.
It was rare Yao managed to come and have dinner with Alfred as his schedule often didn't allow for it, but today he was determined to sit down with the King. Tonight's feast was the usual favorite of Alfred's, mainly consisting of red meat and high carb food such as pasta and bread. But really, put anything between a bun and Alfred will eat it. Yao smiled, remembering the first time he said that to the King. Alfred jokingly said that if Yao could boil rocks and he'd eat it.
"Yao!" Alfred looked up, surprised. He had a fork full of steak stopped mid-way to his mouth. "Hey, you're never here!"
"Well, it has been awhile since we talked." Yao took a seat near the King. A servant placed a plate before him, and he began to fill it with the food from the table. "I thought we could over dinner like we used to."
"Awesome!" Alfred shoved the steak into his mouth. He might have poor manners for a King, but he never talked with his mouth open. His mother had made sure of that when she was still alive. "How've you been?"
"Fine." Yao was trying to not bring up the fundraiser. He knew if he did, Alfred would beg him to come along, and quite frankly, he didn't know if he wanted to or not. On the one hand, it would be in support of his friend. Although, on the other hand, it would mean he'd see the King being chummy with someone else. When he thought of it that way, though, it made no sense. He wasn't threatened by Queen Kiku's presence, and the two were obviously much closer than Alfred was to the Duke.
But he wasn't threatened by this new guy.
"Yao? You there?" Alfred waved his hand in front of Yao's face.
The Jack was started out of his thoughts. "Oh, sorry."
"It's cool." Alfred resumed eating his meat vigorously.
Yao studied him silently for a moment before saying, "You've been busy lately. Things have been going well?"
"Oh yeah!" Alfred chugged his soda quickly before saying, "Dude, you should come to the fundraiser me and Arthur are putting on!"
Internally, Yao cringed at the invite. He knew he had walked in on that himself, but it was almost inevitable.
"W-well, I don't know, Alfred. My schedule is pretty full…"
"Aw, it's cool," Alfred said suddenly. Yao looked up in surprise. "You can just come to the next one."
Yao gripped his fork tightly, and smiled. "Yes, of course."
Alfred was struggling to stay still in his limo on the way to the fundraiser. Technically, he had been since last night, which is why he got out of bed at 3 A.M. having never fallen to sleep and made pasta for the event. Despite all of the RSVPs from guests, he still worried no one would actually show up and he'd be made a mockery. He recalled Jack Feliciano suggesting he make food as a way to draw people in. He could only hope it worked.
A thought occurred to him then- even if no one showed, he knew Arthur would be there. That one thought somehow made everything okay, and Alfred calmed some.
During the past few weeks, the King and the Duke had begun to bond, granted it was mainly all business talk as Arthur was dedicated to the task at hand, but even so, Alfred felt strong when he saw the Duke throw himself into his work. It was important to him. For Alfred, to see so much passion from someone for something he was creating gave him great hope, not just in his project, but in himself.
Having just arrived, Alfred found he was standing on the red carpet awkwardly holding a large, blue bowl of pasta. He summed up his courage and held his head high as he walked into the Blue Community Center while the press' cameras flashed him repeatedly for photos. Alfred paid them no mind and looked to admire all of his and Arthur's hard work. The front of the community center had a large banner strung over the front door that read "King Alfred's Homeless Shelter Fundraiser" with Spades flags flanking it. Music could be heard from outside and some guests dressed in fine attire were walking up the walkway into the center. And then there was Alfred with his pasta bowl.
At the entrance was Arthur's secretary. She greeted everyone with a smile and asked for their names while she checked them off a list. Upon seeing Alfred, she curtseyed and then spotted the pasta bowl. For a moment, she looked unsure of how to react; frown or continue to smile?
"Your Majesty, would you like me to take that?" she offered.
Alfred smiled gratefully and handed it over. "Thank you."
"Sir Kirkland is waiting for you inside," she said, curtseying once more as Alfred headed in.
Once inside, Alfred was stunned by the blue and purple streamers strung across the ceiling, the blue and golden curtains covering the normally white walls, and the amount of guests that actually managed to squeeze into the small center. Many mingled around the buffet table and small wine fountain, while others danced to the band playing classical music.
An announcer declared Alfred's arrival, effectively stopping the band and causing everyone to silence and turn to regard their King. Everyone bowed before giving all of their attention to the man. Alfred felt compelled to say something with so many eyes staring at him.
"I would like to thank all of you for coming to this charity event," he started, grateful that he didn't sound like an idiot yet. "While you spend your time here, I hope you can find a moment to donate for the much needed homeless shelter. With your help we can bring relief to the Blue Area."
The crowd applauded politely. Alfred's cheeks heated up. It was invigorating to see people here and to have command of their attention. Unlike the parties Yao organized where Alfred attended out of obligation and was just a figurehead, here made him feel he was actually a King and people wanted to see him, not the crown, and not Yao.
"Also, please give thanks to the Duke of Blue, Arthur Kirkland, for organizing all of this. For that, I and all of Spades are grateful for all of his help."
The crowd turned to applaud the Duke. Alfred looked too, happy he wouldn't have to search for him all night. Arthur was hovering on the edge of the dance floor holding a wine glass. He nodded to everyone with a wide smile. Even from afar, Alfred could see the intense light in his eyes.
"Now, please enjoy yourselves," Alfred finished.
The music started back up again, and as if the guests were wind-up dolls, they returned to mingling and dancing. Alfred made his way slowly through the crowd towards Arthur as if the Duke were a magnet. While he didn't mind thanking everyone he saw, he felt it was an agonizing process. Many wanted to strike up a conversation with him about what a fantastic impact it would have on the community and how much safer it would be for those living in the Blue Area. Alfred listened to a few and remembered some key points a few of the guests had made, but for the most part he could have cared less. His intention right now was to see Arthur.
He felt a bump in his back and turned sharply. "Oh! Arthur!"
"Ah, Your Majesty." Arthur smiled. Alfred noticed how his eyes looked that night. "I had been looking for you. I heard you…brought pasta?"
"Yeah, um, so this place looks great!" Alfred held his hands up to indicate the ceiling. "And those curtains! Sick!"
Some color came to Arthur's usually pale face, capturing Alfred's attention instantly. "Thank you, Sire, but none of this would be possible if it wasn't for you. Please, give yourself some credit."
"No way. If it wasn't for you, I'd have never gotten my ass in gear and done something."
Again, Alfred saw when Arthur's eyes flittered away and he sipped his wine hurriedly. He knew he should move on and talk to the other guests to thank them for their time, or even get over towards the food, but if it meant moving away from Arthur, he'd rather not.
"Say, um, what do you wanna do once this is over?" Alfred asked casually. His heart was beating in his chest. He looked at the dance floor to distract himself from noticing that.
"You mean after the fundraiser? I wager a nice, long bath and some tea would make the night perfect."
Alfred laughed. "No, I meant, are we still gonna hang out?"
"Hang…out?" Arthur looked at Alfred quizzically. "Do you have more things planned?"
"Well! I mean, you know, as friends."
Arthur opened his mouth to say something, when there was a rush of people wanting to speak to them both. The moment was over and the issue dropped, for when the two saw each other again later that night it was too long after Alfred had initially asked.
Alfred was a master at showing people what they wanted to see. He was to be the brilliant host and the kind King, then he would, but in truth all he wanted was to be alone. He felt the urge rising to go home and climb into bed and be lazy. His "allergy" to society began to take him over. He started to feel anxiety at being surrounded by so many people, and the need to resort to his familiar settings overtook his emotions. He waved people off, claiming he was tired, and found a nice space in the back to eat some food and take a few moments to breathe.
He knew people thought it weird, and Yao always told him not to let it get to him. He always had it under control at Yao's parties, but mainly because he wasn't always talking to people and Yao often checked up on him. Here, he was alone, save for Arthur, but the Duke was too busy to constantly be by his side. It made him a little sick.
"Sire?" It was Arthur. He looked concerned. "Are you all right? You look a bit pale."
"I think I'm just hungry," Alfred replied. He shoved a triangle-shaped sandwich in his mouth.
Arthur nodded, and then sat beside him. They were quiet, allowing Alfred some time to eat. Arthur just watched the event and people dancing, and took a few sips from his wine he was still carrying. Alfred wanted to ask him about his "hanging out" question again, but thought it would be too inappropriate. The man was important and had too much to do. He couldn't be a friend of the King. No one had time for him.
"Um, Your Majesty?" Arthur started. Alfred looked over. "About what you said before…the 'hanging out' and all… I would very much like to see you again."
Thousands of people could come running up to Alfred asking him for questions or photos or what he planned to do next, and he would ignore them all, if only to capture that moment.
Hoshiko2's cents: SO SORRY FOR THE SLOW UPDATE! My baseball team was in the World Series and I was watching a game every night, and I cannot write and watch baseball. It's…bad. Luckily (or unluckily for me), hockey has been cancelled so I can't get distracted by that. However, the American elections just…UGH and I was, yeah.
BUT IT'S HERE NOW! Thank you for waiting! I will go back to timely updates! Hoyle will be updated soon!
Pairings: UKUS
Rating: M
Warnings: Eventual sex
Summary: The King of Spades has no power in politics, until he meets the catalyst that sparks his desire to be great.
This chapter: A fundraiser.
Arthur walked into his office the next morning nursing an ugly migraine. He hadn't slept well as his dreams had turned into nightmares haunted by Jack Yao's seething face. After the King's drunken incident in the palace gardens ending with vomit on the Jack's shoes, the man told Arthur to leave with one icy glare and on sharp, "Go" that made the Duke hasten away. With the tabloids still labeling Arthur as the King's least liked subject and the scorn of the Jack, Arthur's new role as the Duke of Blue was not going well at all. He might as well just call in sick and stay home for a few days until this all blew over.
However, he knew he could never do that. He made a promise to himself. Sighing loudly as he sat behind his desk, he mulled over the exact reasons why he had made such a promise so long ago. There wasn't enough aspirin to cure him of this pain today. He'd have to make do with what he had as the Blue Area demanded his attention.
Sure enough, he was already being handed papers to sign, documents to read, and had urgent phone calls to answer. All of it, however, came to a halt when Arthur's secretary burst into the office looking panicked. She startled the Duke, and he stopped what he was doing to acknowledge her.
"S-sir," she started, her voice high pitched. "The King is here to see you!"
Arthur jumped up in alarm. His mind instantly rewound to the previous night and their conversation. Did he somehow insult him again? There was a brief moment Arthur had thought the King didn't hate so much. Had he not said he liked how demanding Arthur was? Of course, that could have changed after he vomited.
No matter, Arthur thought as he straightened himself out. I shall keep calm and be a gentleman.
He directed his secretary to let the King in. She hustled away only to return moments later with the King. He didn't look like royalty, however. He wore a blue sweatshirt and baggy jeans that were obviously well worn at the knees. There was a grease smudge on his glasses and a small drop of what looked like pizza sauce on his chin. Arthur felt slightly annoyed the man hadn't even cleaning up after his lunch.
"Your Majesty, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Arthur bowed politely, hiding all traces of his anxiety.
The King looked around the office. His face didn't betray any of his thoughts, causing Arthur to worry more. He began to assume the worst and squirmed on the spot. Suddenly, the King smiled at Arthur, but it wasn't reassuring in the least to the Duke.
"Nice place. Makes me wish I had one."
"Y-you don't have your own personal office?" Arthur asked, surprised at such a thought.
"Not that I know of." Alfred looked at the chair before him. "Can I sit?"
Arthur started, embarrassed he hadn't been more polite to his guest. He quickly pulled the chair out and gestured for the King to sit. Alfred didn't seem upset, but Arthur couldn't think he was in the clear. People in politics and constantly in the public view had to be good with masking their emotions. The King would be no different.
Alfred waited until the Duke had taken his seat to lean forward and say, with an earnest look that startled Arthur, "I came to apologize about last night. I was… Well, I put you in a difficult situation. I explained it to Yao and he doesn't blame you. He even told me to say all of this and write it down so I wouldn't forget and then come see you ASAP."
Arthur felt a twinge of a smile tug at his lips. He sighed a little too loudly, and then flushed, but Alfred only chuckled. "I was worried you were upset with me again by your coming here."
"Naw." The King shrugged. "Actually, I thought you were revolted by what I said and did."
"I've seen quite a few people vomit before. I think I can handle it." Arthur could feel himself relaxing the more he talked with Alfred. It was nice and not entirely too formal as he expected this meeting to be.
Alfred wrung his hands in his lap, not meeting Arthur's eyes. "Um…what I said to you…"
"You mean about you liking how confrontational I was with you?" Arthur smiled slightly, but it vanished quickly at a sudden thought.
What if the King didn't mean it or he changed his mind? He had been intoxicated the previous night, so there was a good chance he was lying. Arthur should have known not to get his hopes up that there was a small chance someone actually tolerated him. How many times had he heard such false promises made? How many men had he given his heart to when he was younger because of candy coated words?
Before his thoughts could fully destroy Arthur's confidence any further, Alfred said, "Well, I meant what I said… I hope I didn't, ya know, screw up."
Arthur's heart pounded hard in his chest as the King's words echoed in his head. He hesitated too long, making Alfred worry.
"Um…"
"Sorry," Arthur said quickly. "I'm trying to…wrap my mind around this change. First you were so angry with me you dismissed me from the ball, then you were indifferent to me when I tried to apologize, and now this. I can't quite understand you…"
Alfred was smiling again. He looked down at his lap, his face red all the way to the tip of his ears. "Well, the first night I wasn't in a good mood long before you showed up. I hate parties. And you…were right. Everything you said. I didn't like that…not really. No one had said that to me, at least not in person. People will write things online, but that's different from having it said aloud. I say it myself plenty of times. It felt more real to hear someone else say it…"
"So why apologize now?" Arthur asked.
Alfred shrugged again. "Well, because last night was gross. Like, even I think I went a little…"
"Too far?" Arthur suggested with an eyebrow raised.
Alfred grimaced. "No. I think it was- whatever. So, I'm here to actually ask for your help."
Arthur sat back in his seat. He wasn't sure his emotions could handle any more of these surprises from the King. An apology and a request all in one day? Whatever the Jack had said to prompt such a reaction from the King, it had worked, and Arthur wanted to personally thank him for it.
"Of course, Sire. Whatever you need."
Alfred smiled. "I asked Yao to get them for me, but I totally forgot them at home."
"Home?" Arthur repeated slowly. "Home as in the palace?"
"Yeah? What's wrong?"
Sometimes, Alfred forgot that not everyone lived in such luxury.
"So, anyways, I need your help in planning a fundraiser." Alfred's smile captured Arthur's heart as he continued to talk. "See, I just. You're right. I'm no good, but I could be good if I tried, right? So, maybe, I could do something and give to the homeless or orphans or whatever it was you mentioned at the ball. But I gotta start somewhere. Can you help?"Yao noticed the change almost instantly, and red flags went up. He should have said something the day he saw Alfred waltz around the palace, humming, and looking silly beyond all reason. It was unlike the young King to be so happy about anything, even if he won a video game against the Queen of Hearts. He was too absorbed in finding things to be upset about. However, Yao thought this a nice change of pace and never mentioned it.
It got worse as the days progressed, and soon Alfred was leaving the palace more frequently. All accounts pointed to him going to the Blue Area much more, but again, Yao paid little attention. He was more concerned about laws he had to pass and legislations he had to furiously rewrite. If the King had found a friend, then he was glad for him. It couldn't go much further than a few months before Alfred would grow tired of them and come back to his senses. Yao knew that much was certain.
Then, one day a servant mentioned Alfred was organizing a fundraiser. Yao's interest was perked, and he looked into the Lord Blue's paperwork to find that it was indeed true. There at the top of the paper was the proclamation by King Alfred, and down at the bottom was Duke Kirkland's signature.
How could a man who Alfred had voiced his loathing for suddenly become so close to the Crown? It didn't add up. The media had gobbled up such a story, grateful for some real action with the King, so there was little chance they would miss this strange turn of events. And yet, good news was not the type of news that sold papers. The story was promptly left out after one tiny article mentioned it in the Spades Daily. Yao wouldn't sully himself to read magazines or tabloids, so for all he knew, things were just kept quiet.
Still, there was a nagging in the back of his head. He had to say something to Alfred on the off chance this wasn't a fling, and he and the Duke would actually become long-lasting friends.
It was rare Yao managed to come and have dinner with Alfred as his schedule often didn't allow for it, but today he was determined to sit down with the King. Tonight's feast was the usual favorite of Alfred's, mainly consisting of red meat and high carb food such as pasta and bread. But really, put anything between a bun and Alfred will eat it. Yao smiled, remembering the first time he said that to the King. Alfred jokingly said that if Yao could boil rocks and he'd eat it.
"Yao!" Alfred looked up, surprised. He had a fork full of steak stopped mid-way to his mouth. "Hey, you're never here!"
"Well, it has been awhile since we talked." Yao took a seat near the King. A servant placed a plate before him, and he began to fill it with the food from the table. "I thought we could over dinner like we used to."
"Awesome!" Alfred shoved the steak into his mouth. He might have poor manners for a King, but he never talked with his mouth open. His mother had made sure of that when she was still alive. "How've you been?"
"Fine." Yao was trying to not bring up the fundraiser. He knew if he did, Alfred would beg him to come along, and quite frankly, he didn't know if he wanted to or not. On the one hand, it would be in support of his friend. Although, on the other hand, it would mean he'd see the King being chummy with someone else. When he thought of it that way, though, it made no sense. He wasn't threatened by Queen Kiku's presence, and the two were obviously much closer than Alfred was to the Duke.
But he wasn't threatened by this new guy.
"Yao? You there?" Alfred waved his hand in front of Yao's face.
The Jack was started out of his thoughts. "Oh, sorry."
"It's cool." Alfred resumed eating his meat vigorously.
Yao studied him silently for a moment before saying, "You've been busy lately. Things have been going well?"
"Oh yeah!" Alfred chugged his soda quickly before saying, "Dude, you should come to the fundraiser me and Arthur are putting on!"
Internally, Yao cringed at the invite. He knew he had walked in on that himself, but it was almost inevitable.
"W-well, I don't know, Alfred. My schedule is pretty full…"
"Aw, it's cool," Alfred said suddenly. Yao looked up in surprise. "You can just come to the next one."
Yao gripped his fork tightly, and smiled. "Yes, of course."
Alfred was struggling to stay still in his limo on the way to the fundraiser. Technically, he had been since last night, which is why he got out of bed at 3 A.M. having never fallen to sleep and made pasta for the event. Despite all of the RSVPs from guests, he still worried no one would actually show up and he'd be made a mockery. He recalled Jack Feliciano suggesting he make food as a way to draw people in. He could only hope it worked.
A thought occurred to him then- even if no one showed, he knew Arthur would be there. That one thought somehow made everything okay, and Alfred calmed some.
During the past few weeks, the King and the Duke had begun to bond, granted it was mainly all business talk as Arthur was dedicated to the task at hand, but even so, Alfred felt strong when he saw the Duke throw himself into his work. It was important to him. For Alfred, to see so much passion from someone for something he was creating gave him great hope, not just in his project, but in himself.
Having just arrived, Alfred found he was standing on the red carpet awkwardly holding a large, blue bowl of pasta. He summed up his courage and held his head high as he walked into the Blue Community Center while the press' cameras flashed him repeatedly for photos. Alfred paid them no mind and looked to admire all of his and Arthur's hard work. The front of the community center had a large banner strung over the front door that read "King Alfred's Homeless Shelter Fundraiser" with Spades flags flanking it. Music could be heard from outside and some guests dressed in fine attire were walking up the walkway into the center. And then there was Alfred with his pasta bowl.
At the entrance was Arthur's secretary. She greeted everyone with a smile and asked for their names while she checked them off a list. Upon seeing Alfred, she curtseyed and then spotted the pasta bowl. For a moment, she looked unsure of how to react; frown or continue to smile?
"Your Majesty, would you like me to take that?" she offered.
Alfred smiled gratefully and handed it over. "Thank you."
"Sir Kirkland is waiting for you inside," she said, curtseying once more as Alfred headed in.
Once inside, Alfred was stunned by the blue and purple streamers strung across the ceiling, the blue and golden curtains covering the normally white walls, and the amount of guests that actually managed to squeeze into the small center. Many mingled around the buffet table and small wine fountain, while others danced to the band playing classical music.
An announcer declared Alfred's arrival, effectively stopping the band and causing everyone to silence and turn to regard their King. Everyone bowed before giving all of their attention to the man. Alfred felt compelled to say something with so many eyes staring at him.
"I would like to thank all of you for coming to this charity event," he started, grateful that he didn't sound like an idiot yet. "While you spend your time here, I hope you can find a moment to donate for the much needed homeless shelter. With your help we can bring relief to the Blue Area."
The crowd applauded politely. Alfred's cheeks heated up. It was invigorating to see people here and to have command of their attention. Unlike the parties Yao organized where Alfred attended out of obligation and was just a figurehead, here made him feel he was actually a King and people wanted to see him, not the crown, and not Yao.
"Also, please give thanks to the Duke of Blue, Arthur Kirkland, for organizing all of this. For that, I and all of Spades are grateful for all of his help."
The crowd turned to applaud the Duke. Alfred looked too, happy he wouldn't have to search for him all night. Arthur was hovering on the edge of the dance floor holding a wine glass. He nodded to everyone with a wide smile. Even from afar, Alfred could see the intense light in his eyes.
"Now, please enjoy yourselves," Alfred finished.
The music started back up again, and as if the guests were wind-up dolls, they returned to mingling and dancing. Alfred made his way slowly through the crowd towards Arthur as if the Duke were a magnet. While he didn't mind thanking everyone he saw, he felt it was an agonizing process. Many wanted to strike up a conversation with him about what a fantastic impact it would have on the community and how much safer it would be for those living in the Blue Area. Alfred listened to a few and remembered some key points a few of the guests had made, but for the most part he could have cared less. His intention right now was to see Arthur.
He felt a bump in his back and turned sharply. "Oh! Arthur!"
"Ah, Your Majesty." Arthur smiled. Alfred noticed how his eyes looked that night. "I had been looking for you. I heard you…brought pasta?"
"Yeah, um, so this place looks great!" Alfred held his hands up to indicate the ceiling. "And those curtains! Sick!"
Some color came to Arthur's usually pale face, capturing Alfred's attention instantly. "Thank you, Sire, but none of this would be possible if it wasn't for you. Please, give yourself some credit."
"No way. If it wasn't for you, I'd have never gotten my ass in gear and done something."
Again, Alfred saw when Arthur's eyes flittered away and he sipped his wine hurriedly. He knew he should move on and talk to the other guests to thank them for their time, or even get over towards the food, but if it meant moving away from Arthur, he'd rather not.
"Say, um, what do you wanna do once this is over?" Alfred asked casually. His heart was beating in his chest. He looked at the dance floor to distract himself from noticing that.
"You mean after the fundraiser? I wager a nice, long bath and some tea would make the night perfect."
Alfred laughed. "No, I meant, are we still gonna hang out?"
"Hang…out?" Arthur looked at Alfred quizzically. "Do you have more things planned?"
"Well! I mean, you know, as friends."
Arthur opened his mouth to say something, when there was a rush of people wanting to speak to them both. The moment was over and the issue dropped, for when the two saw each other again later that night it was too long after Alfred had initially asked.
Alfred was a master at showing people what they wanted to see. He was to be the brilliant host and the kind King, then he would, but in truth all he wanted was to be alone. He felt the urge rising to go home and climb into bed and be lazy. His "allergy" to society began to take him over. He started to feel anxiety at being surrounded by so many people, and the need to resort to his familiar settings overtook his emotions. He waved people off, claiming he was tired, and found a nice space in the back to eat some food and take a few moments to breathe.
He knew people thought it weird, and Yao always told him not to let it get to him. He always had it under control at Yao's parties, but mainly because he wasn't always talking to people and Yao often checked up on him. Here, he was alone, save for Arthur, but the Duke was too busy to constantly be by his side. It made him a little sick.
"Sire?" It was Arthur. He looked concerned. "Are you all right? You look a bit pale."
"I think I'm just hungry," Alfred replied. He shoved a triangle-shaped sandwich in his mouth.
Arthur nodded, and then sat beside him. They were quiet, allowing Alfred some time to eat. Arthur just watched the event and people dancing, and took a few sips from his wine he was still carrying. Alfred wanted to ask him about his "hanging out" question again, but thought it would be too inappropriate. The man was important and had too much to do. He couldn't be a friend of the King. No one had time for him.
"Um, Your Majesty?" Arthur started. Alfred looked over. "About what you said before…the 'hanging out' and all… I would very much like to see you again."
Thousands of people could come running up to Alfred asking him for questions or photos or what he planned to do next, and he would ignore them all, if only to capture that moment.
Hoshiko2's cents: SO SORRY FOR THE SLOW UPDATE! My baseball team was in the World Series and I was watching a game every night, and I cannot write and watch baseball. It's…bad. Luckily (or unluckily for me), hockey has been cancelled so I can't get distracted by that. However, the American elections just…UGH and I was, yeah.
BUT IT'S HERE NOW! Thank you for waiting! I will go back to timely updates! Hoyle will be updated soon!