Re: remember the cowboy that loves you so true...

[Sheriff Jones]

It was worse then he had imagined - their short kiss was enough to prove that. Arthur was hiding away from him, keeping his obviously frazzled emotions concealed in order to save face. But Alfred could see past his ruse well enough to know that something was very, very wrong. And it wasn’t just that he needed to rest. “Arthur?” Alfred slid up behind him, gingerly wrapping his arms around the Brit’s thin waist. He pulled him back so that their bodies fit together in a comfortable manner. “What’s the matter? And please don’t say that it’s nothing.” He hated when Arthur pulled that kind of stunt - this was obviously something.

“Please talk to me Arthur,” He pleaded, pressing his lips softly against the shell of his ear. “I know I’m not very good at this sort of thing, but you shouldn’t keep all those emotions bottled up. Talking about it will help. And I won’t say anything stupid, I promise!” Admittedly, he was rather bad at that, but he didn’t mean to be so thoughtless at times. Foolish things just tended to slip out without him realizing it. But not today. Today he would shove all that aside and help Arthur as best he could.

“Please Arthur,” He mumbled, holding the smaller man close. “Please talk to me.”

[Crocky Kirkland]

This was one of the times Arthur wished, Alfred would just pass out in bed, or not notice the atmosphere around him. However, it was made clear that Alfred saw right through him and he wasn't going to take much beating around the bush. Arthur is stubborn, but Alfred is one of the people who will worry over him to the point where the guilt makes Arthur tell him. He doesn't want to do that though, to was too much all at once, everything seemed to staking up high. Yet the American is practically begging him to say something and not shove it away for later. The Englishman sighed, and relaxed in the sheriff's hold, but he kept his mouth closed for while. He wanted to find the smallest thing that was big enough to cause Arthur to be the way he was. He knew he should tell Alfred everything, and just forget putting it in order and trying to get over it alone at first. As he thought though he realized there was no away of avoiding what was making him truly feel down. He was in an emotional wreck that it would come out before he could stop his tongue.

With a bit of a huff, Arthur turned in Alfred's hold. Keeping it bottle up was going to make things worse in the long run. He glanced up and Alfred's face, and felt like he had when Alfred first found out he was a criminal. He didn't deserve someone like Alfred. He didn't deserve much of what he had, like he had anything now. But that didn't mean he didn't feel like he needed it all, the idea of existing without Alfred makes him want to make the world stop working.

"I screwed everything up today." Arthur admitted quietly, he eyes fixed on Alfred's chest. Its not the reason he's so conflicted with everything, but it's the only way he can start. "I let five men die, let the killer get away, I made myself useless for a week, and..." He paused, his eyes staying fixed and he readied himself for everything to come, "I almost killed you." A silent sob shock his body, he only wanted to allow one though, but he couldn't shot it what came after the first. He knew he didn't kill Alfred, nor did he ever mean to, but had he been any later, he was sure no one would have let him in the house and Alfred could have been gone. Arthur would have blamed himself endlessly for that, the law system would tear him apart, his second chance would be ripped to sherds. He can't stop blaming himself slightly for everything that happened that day.

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred felt his heart split in two when he heard the pain in Arthur’s voice as he spoke. He restrained himself from immediately cutting off the other man by pressing comforting kisses against his lips and neck. Instead, he resigned himself to simply listen for now. Today had been hard and Alfred did not doubt that the following days wouldn't be any easier, but that wasn’t enough of a reason for Arthur to be behaving this way. He always had impeccable control over his emotions - more so then Alfred did. Surely there was something else that was causing him distress?

Then he understood. “Oh Arthur…” He whispered, pulling the emotionally distressed man closer against his chest. Out of all that had happened that day, he hadn’t once considered that what Arthur was being plagued by guilt of all things. The fire hadn’t been his fault and there was absolutely no way he could have known it was going to start. Yet here he was, placing the blame on himself alone. It took every ounce of restraint for Alfred to immediately brush aside Arthur’s sadness by deeming the fire as unimportant. Arthur was right, he could have very easily died in the blaze. He understood where Arthur's feelings steemed from and he needed to be respectful and understanding - no matter how misguided they were.

Alfred contented himself to simply hold the other man. His fingertips ran down the length of his body, pressing comforting circles against his back. “Hey… it’s alright Arthur. Everything’s alright. Nothing’s broken that we can’t make right…” Well, almost. There was the exception of the five men who had been murdered for an unknown reason - but that was no fault of Arthur’s. “I’m right here… I’m right here.” Alfred leaned in, pressing a light kiss against his forehead. “You have done nothing wrong Arthur. You did the best you could given the circumstances, and that’s all anybody can ask of you. You can’t do anything more then that.” He reached down and gently tilted Arthur’s head up so that he could stare down into those twin pools of emerald. “And you didn’t almost kill me - you saved my life Arthur.” Alfred leaned in, kissing him gently on the lips. "I should be thanking you for that."

[Crocky Kirkland]

"I shouldn't have kept insisting that you sleep." Arthur said, still shaking with light sobs. Had Alfred not been asleep in the house, Arthur would have reacted differently. At most they would have lost just the house, they would have a bit of an idea what was going on, and possible a murder. Of course, Arthur shuttered a bit at the thought that a blade might have run along his skin. It was a lot of frustrating 'would have's, to many for Arthur to just get over. Everything had been unpredicted events, things that roused and frustrated lawmen..

Alfred is gentle with him, as usual. His actions and words help calm Arthur down, even if he still can't exactly see the light in them. He knew Alfred was right, he had done what he could, but he can't help but still blame himself for some things, and the guilt was still in his stomach a bit. There was still the fact that Kiku would get Alfred in less trouble. It only takes one misunderstanding and Arthur's gone, locked up and away, if not shot for his crimes. The American's kiss is comforting and Arthur returned it with a bit more pep than usual, and a small, but thankful, grin as well. He wipes his eyes, and gave a small sniffle. "I hate being like this," he said. Arthur had three older brothers who bullied and were brothers to him, but he show them a tear. Yet, there was on a bed with the man he loved crying his eyes out in exhaustion and stress.

Taking a calming breath shifted ever closer to the other. "We should rest," he said quietly. "Then you have to let me write my mother, and get some form of a bath." Arthur knew a bath would help him relax more, he knew he was still a little stiff and guarded, maybe enough for Alfred to take notice, but Arthur felt he could sleep. He glanced at Alfred before bring his hand up to the sheriffs forehead. The American did feel slightly warm, but not overly so, but Kiku had been right. "You should get the most sleep." Arthur said with a bit of a warning tone.

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred pressed the sobbing man closer to his chest, gently rocking and hushing him. It hurt seeing Arthur reduced to this. His pain and guilt was so raw and overpowering that Alfred had to fight back tears himself. Did he honestly believe he was in the wrong? He had done his best given the circumstances - that was all that anybody could ask of him. And more then that, he had saved his life, not put it in danger. How could he have possibly known their home was doomed to burn? “I was exhausted, you know that. The only reason you had to keep insisting was because I was being stubborn,” He said softly, placing another light kiss against his forehead. “You and I both know I needed to rest.”

Alfred never once stopped his soft touches and whispers of comfort. He rubbed circles into Arthur’s back, murmured sweetly against the shell of his ear, and waited for Arthur’s body to slowly relax. He could sense that Arthur’s emotions were falling back to a manageable state when he responded to his light kiss. “I know, but you need to be like this sometimes,” Alfred reminded, flashing the teary-eyed gentleman one of his famous million-dollar smiles. “It isn’t healthy to keep all that bottled inside. Plus, I’m always willing to be your shoulder to cry on.” He leaned in, their lips brushing together in a gentle kiss. “Forever and always Arthur.”

The young sheriff simply smiled at Arthur’s demands, already making a mental note to take care of that as soon as he had the energy to move again. “Fair enough Arthur.” He stilled when Arthur reached up to feel his forehead, no doubt confirming what Kiku had already stated. Even when he was suffering from an emotional crisis, he still had to be sure that Alfred was safe and healthy. Arthur was truly incredible. “I know, I know, I’ll sleep now. But you have to get some shut-eye too.” Alfred smiled, already relaxing more deeply into the soft mattress beneath him. He wouldn’t allow himself to slip away into sweet oblivion just yet - oh no. This time, he would be certain that Arthur got the rest he deserved.

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur can't help but smile at Alfred's words. Forever and always, it never stopped sounding nice to him. Some things can't always been in public, but if the other needed to they were find a corner to put the other in till everything was right. He had always though forever and always was things fictional characters would say to each other when they were clearly madly in love. Arthur chuckled lightly, looping an arm around Alfred's waist. He didn't have to worry about Arthur not sleeping this time, even though it was the middle of day, the bed was calling. "You don't have to worry too much about that." Arthur said easily, his green eyes sliding closed. "Good night Alfred, see you when ever we wake up." Arthur wasn't sure if it was going to be earily evening or late night. Either way, Arthur knew Alfred would be there with a smile when he woke up. He felt his body slow down, and the familiar weight of sleep pulled him under.

[Sheriff Jones]

Arthur wasn’t kidding when he said there was nothing for him to worry about. Within seconds after they had both settled in, Arthur’s eyes drifted closed and his breathing evened out. Sleep had come at last for the distressed gentleman, sparing him from the stress of life. For the moment at least. But it would have to do. They could not ever truly escape from the hardships that life gave them, but in this one moment, he rejoiced in the fact that Arthur’s usually troubled face was serene. “Sleep well,” He whispered, leaning forward to press one more kiss against his lips. Alfred lay back, took one last second to appreciate Arthur’s angelic face before allowing his exhaustion to take over.

Moments later, he was asleep.

* * *

The room was dark when he awoke, save for the flickering candle stationed on the other side of their bed. Alfred rolled over, groaning as the soreness set into his body. That certainly wasn’t a pleasant sensation to wake up to, he thought to himself, rubbing his stiff shoulders absentmindedly.

“Sheriff?” A voice called from the door. Alfred’s eyes widened and he instantly pulled away from Arthur’s form. If somebody were to see them cuddling, they might draw some conclusions. Correct conclusions, but for obvious reasons, they couldn’t parade their relationship around town. The sound of a women’s giggling reached his ears as Ms. Héderváry stepped into the room.

“Oh! Elizaveta! I was just…” The brunette cut him off, that odd sort of smile tugging at her lips.

“Oh no, don’t mind me Mr. Jones. I was simply peeking in to be sure that you and Deputy Kirkland were doing alright. I heard you had a rather rough day.” Alfred fought to urge to groan when the events of the previous day caught up with him again. Right, there was a reason he hadn’t been sleeping in his usual bed. “Seeing as you and Arthur are both a bit of a mess, I took the liberty of drawing a bath downstairs. And supper will await once you both are clean.”

“You are a godsend,” Alfred said, laying back against the mattress with a sigh. A women’s insight never failed to amaze him.

“It is nothing, of course. But ah, I don’t have much hot water, so…” She paused, “Feel free to do whatever is necessary to conserve it.” There was a long pause as Alfred tried to work out the hidden meaning behind the strange women’s statement. “And I mean that.” Alfred still didn’t get it, even when Elizaveta glanced meaningfully down at Arthur. “Anything at all…It’s fine with me.”

“Alright…” Alfred nodded cautiously. “We’ll be sure to do that Ms. Héderváry.”

This seemed to satisfy the innkeeper and she turned to leave, closing the door behind her. When Alfred was certain she wouldn’t return, he turned his attention to Arthur. “Hey,” He whispered, laying soft kisses against his cheeks and forehead. “Wake-up Arthur.”

[Crocky Kirkland]

Peter use to wake Arthur up at the oddest hours, and at multiple times in the night. Arthur figured he was getting pay back for when he was younger, but Peter always said he looked like a grumpy cat when he woke up. Arthur had no idea what gave the idea from, and had asked him what he meant. He never saw it, and refuses too, and he regularly does not wake up in the way Peter had shown him. Usually he shoved at whatever was annoying him away and popped an eye open to see who it was. He always stretches when he wakes up and it is not cat like in the least.

The feeling of something warm peppering something all over his face, stirred Arthur from his dream, which as a nice and simple dream about a rainy day. He left out a groan and pushed on the first thing his hand came in contact with. It was somewhat hard for him to move the thing, but he can feel the warmth of a person under his fingertips. He oddly felt soar, and it hurt to stretch like he usually did (he hissed when on of his ankles roared with pain after he found it hard to move), and the peppering never seemed to stop, and he tried to hide his face. He groaned again at the sound of his name, popping an eye open, to see Alfred's neck, and he blinked. He lifted his head from the pillow and glanced around. Why were they in a dimly light inn? Then everything came rushing back to him and dropped his head as it explained everything.

Turning to the American, he gave a small smile. "Morning?" Arthur questioned, he honestly knew he couldn't really say evening, it seemed to dark to say that.

[Sheriff Jones]

It was uncommon for Alfred to awaken before Arthur. He liked to sleep in and cuddle as the morning sun warmed his skin while Arthur preferred to be up early in order to make time for his precious cup of tea. In any event, nine times out of ten, Arthur was the one waking him up. Not that he minded of course (he enjoyed receiving the gently nudges or kisses followed by whispered terms of endearment), but that didn’t mean he appreciated the chances he got to watch Arthur wake. Although he never admitted it for fear of facing the Englishman’s wrath, Arthur was exceptionally cute in the mornings. He looked like a grumpy child with his bed-head and sweet little pout, making Alfred want to coo over him like a mother hen. Not that he ever did - he wanted to continue living after all.

But that didn’t stop him from smiling at the adorable sight, especially when Arthur greeted him with a sleepy question. “Evening would be a better guess I think,” He said, sitting up and stretching out his back. He was sure to be sore for the next few days, but he would simply have to live with it. The town couldn’t afford to have both of their trusted law officials out of commission, especially considering the fact that they had played hooky for one day already. “Mm… Elizaveta came by. She drew up a bath for us while we were sleeping. I’ll help you downstairs so you can wash up. Supper’s afterwards.” Alfred’s sentence dissolved into a long yawn, still rather exhausted himself. Still, he felt a hundred times better after having rested. After a bath and a hot meal, he was sure he would feel completely recharged.

“So what do you think? Feel like heading downstairs now? Or would you prefer to snuggle here for a bit longer?” Alfred grinned down at the adorable Englishman. “I’m always up for snuggling.”

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur chuckled lightly to himself. Of course Elizaveta would have drawn a bath, stopped by, and made them supper. She adored the two of them, Arthur had an idea why. She was very much like his friend Emma, she had figured out that Arthur's interest were not with the female body like most men. She had put two and two together, Alfred after all seemed to worry and be more gentle with Arthur. Elizaveta was good, she promised to keep her mouth shut and she had, maybe she would give Arthur a wink or giggle because she knew the truth, but no one question here about anything she did. Arthur grinned at the thought of a bath. It sounded wonderful, even if he was going to have to change back into the clothes he was currently wearing, it would feel amazing.

"I'm afraid snuggling will just put you back to sleep." Arthur teased, sitting up on the bed. Snuggling did sound nice, but they could do that all they wanted later. "We should probably go down for the bath, before Elizaveta starts to wonder." Arthur said, blushing slightly when he remembered some of the things Elizaveta had asked him or what she thought happened between her male guests. "We should probably take separate baths as well. The sooner we go down, the sooner we can get some things done, I need to write a few letters so they can be sent out first thing in the morning."

[Sheriff Jones]

Like the petulant child he was known to be at times, Alfred pouted when Arthur refused his cuddling. He didn’t always fall asleep when they held one another - honestly! If anything, Arthur should be to blame. He was the one who always made it so difficult for the young sheriff to keep his eyes open, what with his affectionate petting and whispered, loving words that spilled from his lips like poetry. How could anyone resist the temptation to slip off into sweet oblivion under those circumstances? Heck, it was surprising Alfred managed to stay awake on even some occasions!

“You have a point,” Alfred admitted, already stepping out of bed. Ugh, now that he had slept a few hours, he was starting to realize why Arthur had asked for a bath. His clothes were dusty and smelled horribly of smoke and he imagined his body wasn’t faring much better. Alfred nodded, only half paying attention to Arthur’s plans for the evening as he crouched down in front of him. “Let’s get downstairs before the water gets cold.” He waited until he was sure that Arthur was secure, he slid his arms underneath his legs and slowly stood up. Since he had the opportunity to rest and the soreness had set into his body, it was a little more difficult to carry him, but Alfred managed alright.

Elizaveta was waiting for them at the foot of the stairs, looking all too pleased with herself. “There you are! With how long you two were talking, I thought you had gotten lost or… distracted.” And again with the weird giggling and blushing. Were all women this crazy?

Alfred had no time to apologize for their unintended slight, for Elizaveta was already pushing them into a small but clean bathroom with a small tub concealed by a sheet suspended on a clothing line. “I set up some fresh towels on the table, and there is a bar of soap by the tub. Oh, and fresh clothes should be by the towels.”

“Clothes? We can’t possibly…”

“Oh, don’t be silly. Now bathe! You both need it!” She practically shoved the young sheriff into the room and closed the door behind her, leaving him and Arthur alone once more. Alfred simply sighed and sat Arthur down on the chair beside the bathtub. “You should go first. Would you like me to help you undress?” His cheeks immediately turned pink when he realized how dirty that sounded. “I mean, with your ankle, if you needed me to!”

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur wasn't going to complain about how Alfred was holding him, he figured if anyone saw them aside from Elizaveta he could whip up a good enough excuse. To their luck, it was only the innkeeper who saw them and her smile made Arthur glare at her. Honestly, why was she so shameless about things? It was like she wanted to know exactly what was happening at her inn. She was quick to hurry them into the small room. Arthur took note of everything she said, noticing the towels, soap, and clothes. Arthur was wondering if they would fit properly, because if they did, Arthur was seriously going to have a talk with the woman. "Thank you, Elizaveta," Arthur hurried in before the door closed, shooting the back of her head a look. He was glad she didn't see, because she would never leave them alone.

The Englishman supported himself lightly one Alfred's shoulder, happy to be left alone with him again. He chuckled at the American's blushed, blushing himself, but more for the correction rather than what was originally said. "It would be helpful." Arthur knew he could do most of the undoing himself and maybe free one leg, but that was about it, at least in the pants district. Arthur could take of his own shirt, and he did it carefully balancing himself on one foot. He trusted Alfred enough to not let him fall, and if he did, he would get an earful of demanding whys.

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred felt his mortification subside at least a little when he realized that Arthur had intended to interpret his little outburst as meaning anything sexual. This was, of course, ruined by the young sheriff’s attempt to explain himself - which, in the end, only succeeded in making everything much more awkward for the both of them. Damn him and his big mouth. At least Arthur had been kind enough to answer anyway before he began to undress. Alfred made sure to support him as he stripped off his shirt, careful to keep one arm looped around him least he begin to stumble. When that garment was out of the way, Alfred stepped in.

He leaned Arthur up against the bathtub and unbuttoned the top of his jeans. Yes, Arthur was more then capable of accomplishing this much, but he saw no reason why he shouldn’t be as helpful as possible. Arthur was injured after all. And he, being the caring lover and fiancé that he was, should perform tasks such as this as often as he could. It had nothing to do with the fact that he enjoyed undressing Arthur. Oh no, that was totally irrelevant.

Carefully as he could, Alfred slid his trousers off the other man’s slender hips. He crouched down, gently lifted up Arthur’s left leg and worked the material off, doing his best not to jostle his swollen ankle. He repeated the motion with the other leg until the Englishman was left standing naked in front of him. Alfred tried not to make it too obvious that he was checking him out, especially considering how mortifying his stance was. “Well…” Alfred managed a nervous laugh as he straightened up once more. “That warm water won’t wait forever. I’ll help you in.”

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur was relieved that the path to discarding his shirt wasn't as awkward as any event before. If anything it was sort of a nice peace, but it almost felt like they were going to have sex. Alfred is always gentle with him, but he tends to be gentler when Arthur is injured, or he's making love to Arthur. Arthur doesn't mind the extra gentleness, Alfred had jolted him around a few times, and everything evened out that way. Arthur helps support himself against the tub while Alfred works of his pants, and he tries not to think of anything sexual. He turned his attention to the water, feeling it lightly with one hand and finding the temperature perfect. It wasn't too hot or too cold. The temperature was clearly not going to last for both of them and as much as Arthur would love to soak in the water, Alfred deserves some relaxing heat. Besides if he's quick, he can make it clear to Elizaveta there was no sex.

The Englishman's attention was called back as his pants were wiggled off his waist. He lifted his hips to help Alfred a little. He glanced down at the other as he succeed and started working on his left leg. Had there been kisses and soft whispers, it would have been love making, and Arthur turned his attention back to the water with a small blush, only to be pulled back at the sound of Alfred's voice. Arthur grinned when he noticed how nervous Alfred appeared and how his eyes scanned his naked body. Usually Arthur would be half tempted to cover up, but he didn't feel the need to currently.

"Indeed," Arthur said, helping Alfred help him in. The water was a nice warm embrace on his soar body, and Arthur had to fight the urge to sink below the water. The dirt, ash, and sweat seemed to come off his pale skin easy enough. "I'll be as quick as I can," Arthur said, hoping Alfred does not tell him otherwise.

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred didn’t know what compelled him to do it. One minute, he was watching Arthur step into the tub and begin to work off the layer of dirt and grime from his perfect, pale frame and the next, he was stripping out of his own clothing to join him. No, he had not forgotten their situation, nor had he intended to go any farther then a few affectionate strokes, but he’d be damned if he let such a perfect moment pass them by. Usually when he was caught blatantly staring at his lover, Arthur would flush or try and cover up, but tonight he had simply smiled. The atmosphere was comfortable, pressure-free - something the two of them had not experienced in a long time. This did not mean that Alfred was necessarily looking for sex, but he would not deny that lavishing affection upon his injured fiancé was on his agenda for the night.

“No need,” Alfred said, stepping into the water without preamble, “We can bathe together.” Whether Arthur approved of this idea or not, he didn’t wait to find out. He looped his arms around the Englishman’s torso, shifted his weight back against the tub, before carefully resting Arthur’s back against his chest. Now he understood why Arthur had been so insistent on bathing - it was absolutely heavenly. The water was warm, but not oppressively so and all the tension in his body seemed to melt away on contact. “Mmm…” He moaned, leaning heavily against the back tub. That was nice…

Once he had gotten over the initial feeling of bliss from bathing after so long, he focused in on Arthur once more. No doubt he was (at the very least) mildly irritated that he had put their professional relationship at risk by acting recklessly in a semi-public location. The sheriff and deputy sharing a bath was not something that could be easily explained away. But Alfred didn’t care. They were both tired, mentally and physically - they needed to do something for themselves every once in a while. Alfred reached down beside the tub and grabbed for a bar of soap. “I’ll wash you.”

That was all the warning Alfred gave before he lathered up Arthur’s back with the sweet smelling bar of soap. His movements were gentle and smooth as he worked his way down Arthur’s lithe form. Under Alfred’s careful attentions, all the dirt, smoke, and blood faded away into nothing. “There…” He murmured, unable to stop himself from pressing a sweet kiss against Arthur’s neck. “All clean.”

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur happily eased everything off his skin as best he could, gently washing it away with water as much as he could before he cleaned with the soap. He was in his own happy world of self grooming, a bath was hard to come by in the West, and he somewhat missed wasting an evening in the bath. Alfred's voice some what knocked him from it all, causing him to growl at his words for him not to rush. However Arthur was too shocked when Alfred joined him, attempting to turn around and tell him off, for all Arthur know Elizaveta could be against the door hearing everything and just in being in heaven. They could not have this. Not that she would tell anyone if they asked, but if she was caught up in some fantasy, Arthur didn't know what would come out of her mouth. Yet, for some reason he enjoyed the thrill of the small risk. It wasn't like anyone was going to walk in on them.

For some reason he relaxed against his lover's chest. Somewhat glad he hadn't caught the other undressing because he probably would have thrown something and made it known what the other was doing. He somewhat blushed at the thought of Alfred getting dressed without him even knowing about it at all. The water was so heavenly. Alfred's voice knocked him back from thinking and he turned wildly at the words. Wash him?! Arthur could do that himself! "Alfred!" He hissed lowly, "this is not the time or the pla..." Arthur's hissing died off at the feeling of Alfred bathing him.

He had to fight back a relaxed, content sigh. Alfred honestly has to have something of the devil in him to this good with his hands in a place like this. Arthur can't help but shutter slightly under his fingertips, and the smell of the soap, which honestly smells to sweet for Elizaveta to let her guests use for a bath in her inn. Arthur wasn't sure if he should thank her or find some reason to locked away for bit. However his debate withered away as Alfred seemed to finish up and kissed his neck. "Hmm," He grinned, "there is still the hair love, and you're still a mess." Arthur said turning around and stealing the soap from the American's hands, giving him a small smirk. "perhaps I should return the favor of cleaning you." Arthur bopped a sud covered finger on his lovers nose before getting to work on his chest.

[Sheriff Jones]

For a moment, Alfred was worried that Arthur would start fighting him and their tender moment would be destroyed. But the second his fingertips began to massage the soap against his worn body, he relaxed. Alfred fought back the urge to smirk, glad to have made this new little discovery about his lover. He intended to make good use of this in the future. It amused him even more when Arthur turned around and snatched the bar of soap from his hand, and met his gaze with a smirk. This was starting to get interesting.

“I’d like that very much,” He said, grinning as Arthur tapped soap subs onto his nose. What had started out as a tender moment was quickly evolving into something much more seductive. As Arthur’s hands worked their way over his broad chest, Alfred leaned his head back against the tub, his eyes drifting shut. Oooh that was nice. That was very, very nice. Alfred couldn’t help but let out a small moan in appreciation as the dust from a hard days work was washed away. Arthur was quite gifted with his hands. Whenever they indulged themselves with intimacy, he knew how to drive his young lover absolutely mad with a few, light strokes. Even now, whether he knew it or not, Arthur was sending little shockwaves of pleasure down his spine with even the smallest caress. He wouldn’t be surprised if within minutes, he came completely undone.

“Arthur…” He breathed, his eyes opening to catch Arthur’s soft expression. There was scarcely a moment when Alfred did not find Arthur beautiful, but right now, he could not imagine a lovelier sight. Before he realized it, he was already leaning forward, pressing his lips up against Arthur’s, unable to restrain his passion. How long had it been since he had kissed him like this? It felt like it had been years, yet it had only been a few days. Still, there was something exciting about being pressed up against Arthur like this. To be found in such a compromising position would ruin their reputation, yet he could not pull himself away. He wanted to do this, he wanted to be close to Arthur and he was perfectly willing to take a few risks to do it.

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur rarely washed anyone in a bath, and if he had it might have been one of his bothers' backs when his mother was trying to save water. However his hand had worked Alfred's body so many time, it take long for his hands to remember every curve and twist of his body. He knows Alfred's body almost to well, but he doesn't mind, he easily works the soap about the man's body. He turned more to do a better job, being completely mindful of his ankle as he leveled himself to face Alfred. He grinned to himself when Alfred relaxed against the tub. The Englishman was rather use to working 'magic' with his hands from time to time, still the small shutters from Alfred are enough to tell him it hasn't all left him.

"Alfred?" Arthur questioned, when Alfred seemed to just perk up suddenly at stare at him. Arthur blushed at that, it wasn't unusual form time to time, but it he couldn't help the blush this time. Before he can ask again, Alfred was closer, and then his lips were on Arthur's. Green eyes went wide before the Englishman's body returned if for all it was worth. His mind however was screaming at him to stop, it was bad enough Elizaveta was probably wondering what they were doing, they did not need this risk. Yet with everything that happened, Arthur was more than happy to return such a kiss. He still felt some what guilty with all the 'what ifs', he was happy Alfred was there and alive.

Somehow he got control of his body, and gently eased Alfred back, shutting his eyes and pulling back from any attempt. "Alfred...we can't....especially not here." Arthur hissed, had it been in their room Arthur might let it slight, people usually knocked on room doors.

[Sheriff Jones]

Had Arthur not responded to his sudden kiss with such vigor, Alfred might have considered their situation with a more cautious eye. He might have agreed, blushed from embarrassment, and vowed to keep himself in check for the rest of the evening. However, this did not happen. Alfred felt Arthur’s control slip in that brief moment of contact. He could feel his passion, his want, his desire to let go and indulge himself, and with that single taste, Alfred had no intention of backing away without fulfilling his love’s wishes. But convincing Arthur to play along required delicacy on Alfred’s part.

“What are you implying?” Alfred asked, staring innocently up into Arthur’s eyes. “I was kissing you, nothing more. You’re the one who is coming up with all the naughty ideas.” This was sure to get his attention. Whether he admitted it or not, Arthur secretly loved it when his young lover talked dirty to him. If he played up the novelty of their situation along with the thrill of possibly being caught, there was no way he would be able to resist. Alfred fought back to urge to grin when he realized he really was engaged to a pervert masquerading as an English gentleman. Lovely.

“I bet you were thinking about how I was going to try to convince you that this was okay, because we both wanted it.” Alfred leaned forward, sliding his arms around Arthur’s torso, pulling his nude body flush against his own. “And how I would start going off on how risky we were both being, and isn’t it exciting how we might get caught if we’re just a bit too loud…” He leaned in and pressed another heated kiss against Arthur’s full lips, effectively cutting off any immediate denials from the British gentleman. Alfred hummed lightly, flicked his tongue across Arthur’s bottom lip, before down to kiss the length of his strong jaw line. “Or maybe you were hoping I would say something along the lines of ‘how many opportunities do we have to do it in a bathtub?’” To drive his point home, Alfred let one hand travel down the curve of Arthur’s body, coming to rest against his thigh.

“But of course, I’m not suggesting any of that,” Alfred said, pulling away completely, a grin tugging at his lips. “What a funny imagination you have Arthur.”

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur's eyes widened before they sharped into a glare at Alfred's words. How dare he place the blame on him. Alfred had been the one to kiss him first, it was his fault, he was the one who kissed him first. Besides, Arthur was very away of what the slightest thing might cause them to do and get noticed, hopefully by Elizaveta and not worse. "I'm not implying anything," Arthur hissed sharply, glaring harder, trying to keep his outrage to a minimum. He blushed as Alfred pulled him closer, this was not good at all. Alfred was toying with him. Arthur knew he was a bit of a pervert from time to time, not like Francis however, but Arthur couldn't help it sometimes, especially when sex isn't something he get whenever he wanted.

He opened his mouth to object only to have Alfred cut him off with a heated kiss. Arthur almost lost himself to it. He cursed himself, he knew he was tired and the very idea of the things Alfred was telling to him did sound wonderful. Alfred was alive especially after Arthur almost lost him earlier that day, he did honestly what to do something. Alfred isn't make it easy for him to say no either, even though he knew he shouldn't. Not at all. Maybe in their room, but certainly not in the tub. He bit back a moan as Alfred kissed along his jaw and ran a hand down his body. Arthur glared harder as Alfred played it off like it was nothing. Arthur gave him a light whack on the head.

"You're the one with the funny imagination." Arthur said flatly, glaring at the American. "I however, had my reasons for saying the things I did. It seems clear to me your the one willing to take a risk with everything currently." Arthur gently placed the soap to the side of the tub. "Now, darling, we have still have to do your hair."

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred congratulated himself with how smoothly he had played it. He had been a tad bit worried when Arthur’s eyes flashed in rage (he often denied his pervert status), but the well-timed kiss seemed to have done it’s job in distracting him. Although, perhaps he had been a bit too quick to congratulate himself for Arthur gave him a whack on the head for his insolence. “Hey!” Alfred whined and rubbed the sore spot. “Hitting people isn’t very nice Artie.” Then again, he should be grateful Arthur was still in a relatively good mood from the bath - he could hit really hard if he wanted to.

“Aw, you found me out.” Oh well, he should have expected that. He wasn’t very good at convincing Arthur of anything that wasn’t true - he was far too transparent for that. “But you have to admit, you enjoyed imagining it after I put those ideas into that perverted mind of yours.” Now that, Arthur couldn’t very well deny. Alfred had caught the expression on his face when he pulled away - he wasn’t exactly thrilled that his young lover had stopped before getting to the good part. Not that he would ever admit that of course, but one look in those pools of emerald green had been enough to convince Alfred of the truth.

“Yours too,” Alfred responded, looking over the dirty blond locks that framed Arthur’s face. He leaned over the tub, grabbed a small bowl and filled it with warm, soapy water. “Close your eyes sweetheart,” He warned before pouring the water over Arthur’s head. He repeated this a few times until he was satisfied and went about lathering the soap into his scalp. “It was nice of Miss Elizaveta to do this,” He mused aloud as he worked the sweat from several hard days of work from Arthur’s hair. “You know, sometimes I wonder about her. She’s always dropping hints about being more open with affection and to how I should consider keeping the curtains open at night more often. Something about moonlight being good for the soul. I dunno, I wasn’t really paying attention to be honest.”

Alfred shrugged and grabbed the bowl again. “Eyes,” He said, pouring the water in order to rinse out the soap. “There you go Artie. Now do me.” He half teased, but leaned back against the tub, grinning expectedly.

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur gave a bit of a snorted chuckle and the American's words. Alfred knew him to well sometimes. Of course Arthur was enthralled with everything he said, had there not been so many stakes he would probably be slightly more willing to do whatever Arthur thought up. Like if there simply helpless wondering people, or just people everyone passed by and thought little of, there was no doubt in Arthur's mind his life would be slightly more exciting. "Such a good Sheriff, you going to lock me up and press charges," Arthur teased, extremely lightly. It wasn't for the usual reason, and the subject was always something he teased lightly with from time to time. "However if I was imagining everything, I usually cut in and some point with something to add." Arthur raised a challenging eyebrow as he watch the American, but it was clear he had already been caught.

The Englishman froze up slightly when Alfred poured the water over his head, he attempted to stop his surprised gasp, but he knew it escaped him. Water and him were still in a bit of a rocky relationship, and he's not a fan of dripping water. He had gotten distracted with his thoughts, he hadn't taking notice of Alfred grabbing the bowl. He knew it was just Alfred and the intentions were all good with the dumping of it on his head, but he still can't help but tighten up a bit. He let out a calming breath as Alfred started to work the soap in his hair. It was just Alfred, washing is hair, Arthur was completely fine and he knew that. "Sorry," he muttered quietly. He hummed lightly as Alfred started talking, watching him careful as he understood what the American was telling him. He was glad it helped him notice when Alfred was going to rinse and he was able to deal with it better than the first time.

"You're a bit cocky today," Arthur pointed out as he took the bowl. He filled it with water and gently poured it on the American's head, carefully easing the water where he wanted it to go with his hand. He repeated till the hair was good and wet. He started working on Alfred's hair with stilled fingers, being mindful of his cowlick, he didn't need the American turning to a purring mess. "Elizaveta tells you to leave the curtains open?" Arthur questioned with a slight hum. "Remind me to close them more often then, and just keep on...not paying much attention." Arthur made a note to talk to her and find out when she was dropping Alfred all this hints. "There, that should be enough scrubbing." Arthur said gently as he scooped more water into the bowl, "mindful of your eyes," he warned before he poured it over Alfred's head. He repeated the action one more time before he want back to guiding the water along till Alfred's hair was free of suds.

[Sheriff Jones]

The fact that Arthur was still trying to maintain that he was not all that interested was utterly adorable to the young sheriff. “Obviously your British sensibilities got in the way of you contributing,” Alfred said with a grin, “I could tell from the expression on your face that you were imagining everything in great detail. But if you would prefer to have me lock you up… well, I’m sure we could come up with some way to have you atone for your crimes.” For a nineteen year old kid who had been a virgin up until a few months ago, he had become exceptionally comfortable with sex. He found that he rather liked teasing Arthur about his secret perverted tendencies. His flustered denials were way too entertaining.

However, Arthur’s reaction to the water dripping down his hair was not something he had been expecting. Sure, having a bowl of water dumped over your head was bound to shock anybody, but not to that degree. Arthur’s body tensed up and he let out a tiny, but audible gasp. He almost sounded… afraid. That was ridiculous of course - Arthur wouldn’t be afraid over something as silly as water. But then again, they lived in the west. They didn’t exactly come into contact with bodies of water very often. “What was that? With the water, I mean.” He must have just been surprised, that was all. No way Arthur could have traveled all the way from England if he had a problem with water, right?

“You love it,” Alfred grinned, dipping his head down slightly so Arthur could wash his hair. He was a tad bit disappointed those talented fingers didn’t ‘accidentally’ brush against his cowlick (then he would have endlessly teased the Englishman for being a closet pervert), but the head massage was heavenly anyway. In spite of having slept through the entire day, Alfred found himself nearly dozing as those skilled fingers lathered suds into his hair. “Hmm?” What was Arthur talking about? Something about Elizaveta… Ah well, if it was important, he would find out about it later. Right now, he had far more important matters to attend to.

“Thanks Artie,” He said, leaning forward to press a kiss against Arthur’s full lips. “Do you want to stay in for a little longer, or should we move this party back to the bedroom?” Yup, he was still looking to possibly getting a little frisky that night, but his chances weren’t looking too good. But, that didn’t mean he had to give up just yet. The night was still young.

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur ignored the American's question about the water, it wasn't that important to anything at the moment, or anything at all. Still it was moments like that that he wished he hadn't handed himself over to Yao, maybe then he could go one living with the smallest things setting him into a bit of fear and making him hide it quickly. He hummed lightly to at least let Alfred know he was listening as he worked on cleaning his hair before lecturing on about a Elizaveta. Arthur accepted the kiss when he was done, just dropping the bowl and hoping if it landed outside the tub it wasn't too noise. He gave a light chuckle at the American's question.

"I think we should have dinner, write some letters for the morning, and then..." Arthur trailed off, then what? Yes they could be affectionate, not way Alfred was probably implying, they could cuddle. Of course, Arthur knows his brain will get going and the day would start to come back to him. He wanted to forget about it as much as he could, he had gotten everything off is chest. The Englishman gave a sigh. "I don't know what to do after that." He lightly rested on Alfred's chest, staying in the tub sounded like a good idea, but both of them couldn't have prune like skin. It's bad enough Elizaveta shoved them in the bathroom together, he doesn't want to confirm they were in the tub at the same time. "Maybe we can stay here for a little be longer, and then put our clothes on and go from there." Arthur said with a grin.

[Sheriff Jones]

As oblivious as Alfred was, he could see past his fiancés silence - Arthur was avoiding answering the question. In their many months together, the young American sheriff had come to find that when Arthur was avoiding something, it was only for one of two reasons. One, the answer was so blatantly obvious that he couldn’t be bothered to enlighten his clueless partner. Or two, something was very wrong but he did not wish to cause Alfred any distress. From the way he went about bathing as if the question had never reached his ears, Alfred would guess that it was option two.

“What was with that reaction Arthur?” He asked again, this time in a more firm voice. He didn’t like being left in the dark, particularly when it came to Arthur’s emotions. They had been together for over a year and were technically engaged (in spite of the fact that they would never find anybody who would be willing to perform such a marriage), yet Arthur continued to keep much about himself secret. He was entitled to his privacy of course, but there were some things Alfred wished he would be open about. If he had some fear or worry, they should discuss it together. Otherwise, Arthur was dooming himself to let this was torment him forever.

“Please tell me,” Alfred said, kissing the top of Arthur’s head as he settled in against his chest. “I hate when you keep stuff from me, and I can tell it’s bothering you… Please Arthur?”

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