Re: To Serve And Protect. [R18]

[Officer Kirkland]

Arthur stared in horror. While the room wasn't a total pigsty, it was nowhere near as clean as what he was used to. There were a few fast food containers and cups on the coffee table in front of the telly, and Arthur immediately made a beeline for them.  "No," he disagreed as he disposed of the rubbish after a momentary hunt for the bin, "I will most certainly not take your bed from you. The couch shall suffice for me."

He couldn't help cleaning. He liked to be in a near-spotless environment. It certainly helped that he liked cleaning. When he was stressed or worried, he'd clean every inch of his flat, and usually felt much better afterwards. Arthur straightened the piles of papers and magazines on the table before standing back and wringing his hands. He'd just realised how presumptuous that must have seemed. Cleaning an acquaintance's flat indeed. What on Earth bad he been thinking? "I'm sorry," he offered awkwardly. "I don't mean to barge in here and just rearrange things to be how I like. I'll just, ah, sit here and not touch anything, shall I?" 

Arthur seated himself firmly on one end of the couch, his hands in his lap. After a moment he realised that he should busy himself with something if he didn't want the awkward atmosphere to remain, so he began to pull files out of his satchel. He skimmed them again, his mind already devising different ways to tackle the case. 

"If we want to start with the university party, we'll have to establish covers as soon as possible," he began, chewing on his lower lip. "That means we'll need to organise student identification cards, a temporary residence on or close to campus, a back story and a network of friends and acquaintances before we even think of gaining entry to the parties." Arthur covered his mouth, yawning. "This will take a while, Jones. Are you up to it?"

[Detective Jones]

Alfred closed the door behind them and watches as Arthur ran around the room, putting things away. It was almost amazing how he seemed to move so fast when he was motivated. Alfred just leaves his bag where it is and trails along behind Arthur with a smile on his face like he is about to laugh. "Maybe you should take up a side job as a maid."

"It's fine though, I know I should clean more I just..don't." He really had no excuse other then he worked on files sometimes at home but he knows in the back of his mind that he could spend more time cleaning instead of watching tv or playing games so much when he was off work.

Eventually, he comes to sit down beside Arthur on the couch, leaning back on it an wiggling his shoes off before propping his feet on the table. He would protest Arthur having the couch later but that could wait because he ha a feeling if he brought it up again they would just try to out polite each other. He would take care of that later.

For now, Alfred just leaned over and looked at the files Arthur was pulling out. He nods, "Identification and a place to stay shouldn't be too hard to get, especially if we can talk to the school about it or something.." He pauses making that face he always does when he is thinking. " I'm still young enough to pass as a college student, and I'm sure you are too." He glances over at Arthur, looking him over a bit, surveying. "Backstories will be fun! We get to make up things for ourselves. Like I could be a total star football player transferred from another school cause I'm that good." He turns to look at Arthur again, hoping that he is as excited as he is about it. "Friends and stuff will come after that, I'm good at making social connections, at least that's what I've been told before."

[Officer Kirkland]

Arthur spluttered indignantly. "Of course I'm still young enough, you git! I'm not old!" He eyed Jones' feet angrily but decided to keep his mouth shut. He hated people who placed their feet on his furniture, but they weren't in his flat now so technically Jones could dirty and disrespect his own furniture as much as he liked. "I'm barely older than you are! How old are you, anyway?" 

You act like a child, he wanted to add. But that was only half-true, wasn't it? Jones seemed mature enough the other half of the time. And at least the American hadn't insulted his eyebrows. 

"Are you really that good at football?" he asked. He had pictured Jones as more of a rugby sort of bloke. Football required speed and skill rather than brute strength. "I'm not too bad myself, though I haven't played in a long time. And yes, I'll just be the introverted bookish kind of fellow, shall I? That way you can cover the sporty crowd, and I'll take care of the studious ones."

He was kind of jealous when Jones said that he had no trouble making friends. Making friends had been the biggest challenge for him while still at school, and one that he could never quite overcome. Arthur just couldn't seem to get close to people. 

He sighed and tilted his head back against the backrest of the couch. He really was tired, but... Oh Lord, he didn't have any pyjamas! And he couldn't well sleep in his uniform! His stomach rumbled suddenly and Arthur straightened up, blushing. 

[Detective Jones]

"I wasn't implying you were old old, just..eh." Alfred tried to think of a way to make that sound good but he couldn't come up with anything so he dropped the sentence entirely in favor of answering the question. "I'll be 20 in July." He looks to Arthur hoping to lean his age as well.

He nods rather proudly. "Yeah, I was quarterback for my high school back in the day, got an offer to play in college but I didn't want to go for that. I wanted to be an officer." Alfred seemed to frown at that. "Of course, that didn't go exactly as planned but I'm here now. That's what matters." Alfred could be a chatterbox when he wanted to but he had learned to hold back most of his stream of thoughts when they were supposed to be discussing something.

He seems to approve the this plan. "Aw, your gonna be the bookworm? I guess that works. We should have an excuse to know each other so we could hang out and stuff..or should we not?" He asks looking a little disappointed if that was the case.

He seemed lost in thought, as if really planning out some details in his head, when he heard the rumble from beside him. He turns to look at Arthur with an amused expression. "Hungry?" He asks, having the urge to reach over and tickle that stomach for some reason and stopping himself thankfully. The flush on his partner's cheeks was not helping his case though. He glances towards the small kitchen area. "We could have some late night snacks!" He says and decided he likes that idea very much, moving to get up and goes over to his cabinets, shuffling through them. The boy pulls out a number of items, popcorn, poptarts, chips and soda. He certainly seemed to know his snack food. He looks back over to Arthur. "Is there anything in particular you want?"

[Officer Kirkland]

"I'll have you know that I'm only three years older than you!" he said indignantly. "I'll fit in at the university very well, thank you very much!"

Grumbling, he listened to Jones ramble about what was definitely not football. "Quarterback?" he repeated. "There's no such thing as -- oh, you meant American football, not proper football. I don't understand why you lot call it that, you hardly ever use your feet to kick the ball in that horrendous game." 

Well at least Jones would definitely get along in the jock crowd, then. He seemed to know what he was talking about, and he had the boyishly-handsome American look going for him -- wait, what? Arthur scowled, internally berating himself. What was wrong with him? He kept feeling strange and having strange thoughts. Perhaps he should go to bed, or couch as it were. "We'll be roommates," he reminded Jones, "or at least share a flat, and you can't very well live with someone you haven't met, correct? We'll have plenty of time to work on the case. Just not so much in public. You have to stick to your cliques, Jones."

Arthur followed his partner onto the kitchenette. He knew that he should probably start calling Jones by his given name at some point, but it was a hard habit to break. He leaned over the counter as Jones uncovered all kinds of unhealthy junk, asking seriously as he read the logo, "... What's 'poptarts'? Is it as ridiculously unhealthy as the rest of this lot?"

He was hungry, but not hungry enough to stuff himself full of junk food. He poked at the crisps resignedly. It was better than nothing, he supposed. The sooner he ate, the sooner he could sleep. Propping one hand onto his hip, Arthur bit his lip and cocked his head to the side. Flushing,  he wondered whether he should just sleep in his uniform or ask for spare clothes. Either option was as improper and embarrassing as the other. 

[Detective Jones]

"I never said you wouldn't fit in!" Alfred protests but smiles anyway. So his partner was 23? That wasn't bad. You'd think they would have a little more in common though. "Hey, I didn't name the game. If I had it would be called something like AwesomeBall instead." He laughs as he opens a bag of chips.

He casts a concerned glance over at Arthur though. Alfred swears he over thought things sometimes. "Roommates? Oh super! So tonight could be like a test drive then." He suggests getting excited before picking up on something the other had said. "Stick to our cliques..you mean we can't hang out too?" His excitement seems to less a bit and for a second he looks like he would pout but the boy quickly moves onto something else.

Alfred picks up the box of poptarts, never having had to describe them to someone before. He scratches his head before saying carefully. "They're like hard pastries with jelly in the middle and your supposed to put them in the toaster or something. I just eat 'em out of the box though." He says pulling one out of the box and tearing the foil around it open, sticking it in his mouth to hold, while he moves to put some of the other things up.

Alfred moves to go back to the couch with his pastry and chips, watching Arthur to see what he would do. He was making faces again it seemed. Plopping down on the couch and removing the sweet from his mouth he asks. "Everything okay? You seem distracted by something." He pauses giving him a concerned look.

[Officer Kirkland]

"It's nothing," Arthur said quickly, opening a packet of crisps and taking a 'poptart'. Who on earth would put jelly inside a pastry? Jam he could understand but jelly? Really? Wouldn't jelly melt once the pastry was placed in a toaster? Americans were strange. "It's just..." Crumpled uniform, or loss of dignity? It should have been an easy choice but Arthur took pride in his appearance and hated wearing crumpled clothing in the presence of others. "Could I perhaps -- oh, never mind."

He didn't like this, this need to rely on someone. He'd sleep in his uniform, he decided. It was better than asking for too much. Arthur quickly finished his crisps and tentatively opened the poptart. He eyed it warily and took a bite. "This is jam," he stated once he'd swallowed that bite. "Not jelly." It wasn't a necessary observation to make, but Arthur felt the need to fill in the silence that had befallen them. 

The poptart left his mouth tasting sickly sweet and he wrinkled his nose. He gathered up the wrappers and disposed of them in the bin. "I suppose we should be getting some rest," he said after a moment. "Tomorrow we'll begin preparations. We should be present on campus and have our cover established in three days." That was more time than it usually took him to establish himself undercover, but he supposed he should be lenient with Jones. Arthur sat back a little on the couch and waited half-expectantly for Jones to make his way to his bedroom and leave him to sleep. 

[Detective Jones]

Alfred gives him a odd look but doesn't push the subject. Really if the guy had a problem all he had to do was say so. Alfred loved to help people so of course he wouldn't mind answering whatever problem he had. "Perhaps?" He echos.

Alfred tries to eat with more manners then he usually does but he still manages to make his own little mess it seems. He doesn't mind the silence too much between them. It was the one time when Alfred wouldn't talk was when he was eating, well usually anyways. He turns to look at Arthur when he speaks. "Huh? Aren't they the same thing?" He replies, his own poptart almost done.

He decided to follow example and throw away his wrappers and put the chip bag away when they were done. Normally he would just leave them there to clean up in the morning but he was trying to be sensitive to Arthur's need to be tidy.

"Yeah, sleep sounds nice. We can work on it more tomorrow." Alfred says with a yawn. His tummy was full now and he was comfortable to get some sleep. At that Alfred does disappear into his bedroom for a short while, but instead of crawling into his bed and going to sleep, he is digging through his dresser drawers. He eventually finds something he is looking for because a moment later he is returning to the living room. Alfred's own night clothes have been put on, boxers peeking out from under a long loose shirt and he throws a shirt and some sweatpants at Arthur.

"Here, I figured you didn't have any clothes to sleep in so here. They're probably a little big on you but better then nothing, right?" He says flashing a grin before he goes and sits himself on the couch stubbornly. "The bed is ready for you whenever you want to go sleep." He proceeds to pick up the remote from the table and switch the tv on, flipping through channels casually.

[Officer Kirkland]

Arthur blushed as he caught a glimpse of Jones' thighs under the barest hint of boxer shorts. No, he reprimanded himself harshly, stop being a pervert! Jones was his partner, not some random he'd met while tipsy at the pub. He should keep all thoughts as professional as possible. It was never good to get involved with colleagues and it wasn't like Jones could swing that way. Arthur himself was completely unconcerned about the gender of his bedmate. They just had to understand that that's all they were. Bedmates, not lovers.  Arthur caught the clothes automatically and stared down at them for a second. "Oh," he said, "ah, thank you, Jones -- um, Alfred."

So Jones -- Alfred, he told himself, get used to calling him by name -- could be thoughtful. Arthur was almost touched. J--Alfred had solved his internal dilemma with minimal fuss and pain.  

"Yes, I -- what?" Arthur scowled at the American blearily. "I thought we'd agreed that I'd take the couch. This is your home after all." He seated himself firmly in the middle of the couch, clutching the clothes to his chest. "If you intend on letting me get any rest at all tonight, you should give up and go to bed right now."

[Detective Jones]

Alfred felt no shame in the way he was dressed, besides if they were going to be roommates it would be inevitable that they would see each other in their underwear eventually. At least that was his reasoning. It also wasn't like either of them liked men, or at least to Alfred's knowledge. Arthur seemed too uptight to like anyone at times regardless of gender and Alfred was pretty sure he was straight. He liked girls after all,...though in all honestly he hadn't ever considered liking both men and women before. The boy made a face, it was an interesting thought actually.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the thank you he received, seemingly delighted to be called by his first name finally. "It's no problem really." He gives a mischievous smirk. "And you'll have to say my name a little more convincingly then that when he go undercover, Artie." He says trying out the first nickname that came to mind. He liked nicknames, they made things fun.

Alfred laughed when his partner finally caught on to what he had been doing. "I never agreed to anything." He replies, not budging from his spot on the couch, if anything hunkering down and settling more into the cushions. "Two can play that game. You need the rest more then I do, I'm trying being generous here, man."

[Officer Kirkland]

"Don't call me 'Artie'!" he grumbled, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "My name is 'Arthur', and you should address me as such. Think about it: would you really want to be called 'Alfie'?" Arthur hated having his name shortened. The use of nicknames conveyed a sense of affection, something that he didn't particularly want. Or maybe he wanted it, but didn't know how to get it. Either way, being called 'Artie' made his chest ache strangely, and he didn't like it at all. 

"I'm not moving," he insisted when saw Alfred sink deeper into the cushions childishly. "I absolutely refuse to use your bed and leave you to use the couch. If you care for my health as much as you say, you'll go and let me sleep here." 

He could see the stubborn look on Alfred's face so Arthur narrowed his eyes and swung his legs up onto the couch, taking up any room that was left unoccupied by the American. "Looks like I get the couch," he said triumphantly, trying to burrow his feet in between the back of the couch and the cushions that Alfred was leaning on. It was strange; he'd never acted like this in front of other people before. It was probably a good thing that he felt... Unthreatened enough, they were going to live together soon after all. 

[Detective Jones]

Alfred knew he wouldn't like the nickname and pouted at the obvious rejection of it. Although he did have a point. "Alfie just doesn't sound like me." He replies. "Naw, you can call me Al though, I kinda like that one." He says putting a hand to his chin in thought. "Yeah, Al sounds way cooler then Alfie." He agrees with himself.

Upon, seeing the other struggle with him further he looks rather upset. "Ah, come on, give it up." He says as he tries to squish those feet out from underneath the pillows behind him. He turns just enough to give the other a knowing smile. "Your gonna have to get up eventually to put your pajamas on, ya know. Then, I'll hog the whole couch, so you won't be able to get back on it." He makes a show of grabbing one of the throw pillows at the side of the couch and claiming it by way of holding it to his chest protectively. He's just daring Arthur to try and do anything now.

[Officer Kirkland]

Arthur scowled, wriggling his toes against Alfred's back. "I suppose I'll have to sleep in my uniform then," he said, though he didn't relish the thought of doing that. He laid his head back on one of the cushions and a wave of exhaustion washed over him almost immediately. He would have fallen asleep if not for Alfred's movements, but forced himself to stay awake. 

"If I get no sleep tonight because we were fighting over the couch, it will be all your fault," he mumbled, hands fisting in the clothes in his lap. He should probably go  rinse his mouth out and get changed, but that meant moving and then Alfred would win. "So hurry up and go to bed."

[Detective Jones]

Alfred wiggles a bit under the attack of those toes the frown playing on his face started to become a bit more serious. He couldn't believe this guy, why was he being so stubborn. Alfred was only trying to be nice and give his formerly injured partner and now guest what he would have normally done for anyone else that stayed over at his place. It was really starting to irk him.

"My fault?" Alfred says in a lower tone, starting to get very tired himself. "Your the one who was offered an entire bed and refused it, silly." The boy shifted to lean against the other side of the couch, pillow still clutched to his chest. He didn't have room to stretch his feet out like Arthur did so he pulled them up into his stomach. Alfred hated losing but he really was about to just give up and go to his bed. Then, it wouldn't be his fault if Arthur complained about the couch being stiff or hurting his back tomorrow morning.

[Officer Kirkland]

Arthur sighed. He just didn't want to feel indebted to anyone, but how could he explain something like that? Alfred's bed was just that -- Alfred's. But God, he was tired. He peered at the blond through half-lidded eyes. "'M not silly," he mumbled, giving into the tiredness that tugged at him. "'S your bed. You deserve it more than I do."

 He turned onto his side and drew his knees in towards his chest, curling into himself as he sighed again. Alfred was being awfully nice, but if he accepted this kindness then he'd slowly get used to it, and come to expect it. The thought terrified Arthur, who was so used to having to do everything for himself. People weren't supposed to be nice to him. He knew what to expect when people weren't. And what would Alfred want in return?

He started as he came to a realisation. Was that what Alfred wanted? Did Alfred want Arthur to spread his legs in his bed, as payment for staying over? But normally bedroom encounters happened by his own design, and this was his partner, this was Alfred. 

Arthur knew that his train of thought had slowly veered onto the path of insanity, or at least unreasonable paranoia, but he couldn't help flinching back from any physical contact with the American. "Oh," he muttered finally, eyes fluttering shut as sleep overtook his mind, "that's what you want, is it?"

[Detective Jones]

Alfred had already closed his eyes, face pressed up against his arm of the couch, pillow snuggled close. "Your argument is invalid." He mumbles, reaching out to switch the tv off, conserve energy and all that. "I was giving you the bed."

Alfred supposes that they are both equally silly though, as they both take sides of the couch. He reaches up, arm flailing blindly and briefly brushing against Arthur's knee before tugging a blanket off the back of the couch and lazily dropping over over the two of them as best he can.

After that, Alfred stilled, awake but fading fast. He barely catches what Arthur says before he falls asleep and answering with what his dreams are conjuring for him. " I want..a burg..er"

Just like that Alfred is out, spending the rest of the night wriggling around trying to get comfortable while his unconscious body tries to comprehend why he only has half a couch of space to himself. More then likely he snores although awake, Alfred will deny that he does.

[Officer Kirkland]

Arthur woke slowly, feeling disoriented. He felt like his pillow was shifting beneath him, and there was a strange snuffling sound coming from somewhere above his head. It was warm, though, and Arthur snuggled further into the soft warmth, muttering incoherently to himself. He opened his eyes and was met with whiteness. 

Well, that was strange. His bedsheets were green. Wasn't he in his flat? Suddenly memories of the previous day rushed back to him and he jerked backwards with a muffled cry, falling the short distance from the couch to the floor. Had he slept with Alfred? Arthur frantically sifted through his memories to see if they'd done anything inappropriate. But no, they were both still clothed, Alfred in his sleeping attire and Arthur in his now-crumpled uniform. Arthur pressed a clenched hand against his pounding heart and scooted forwards on his knees, examining the American. 

Alfred's hair was sticking up in funny tufts, but Arthur was sure his hair was worse. The younger blond was drooling slightly and he had a strangely endearing snore. Arthur tentatively pressed his other hand against Alfred's chest. 

He was so warm. 

Arthur backed away from his partner, shaking his head. How had they ended  up -- dare he say it -- cuddling like that? Even when he'd fucked other people and let others fuck him, he'd never woken to such comforting warmth. This wasn't good. They had to focus on the case.  The case was important. And in order to focus, they'd need breakfast. Breakfast was good. It could be a thank you for letting him stay overnight, too. 

Arthur quietly made his way to the kitchen sink, where he washed his face and rinsed out his mouth. He'd have to brush his teeth once he went back to his own flat. After checking the fridge and cupboards, he glanced at the sleeping form on the couch again and nodded to himself. Bacon and eggs it was. 

He hummed to himself quietly as the strips of bacon began to sizzle merrily in a pan. The fact that they were quickly becoming black meant nothing. 

[Detective Jones]

Alfred is dreaming about sunlight. Warm, rolling in the grass during summer sunlight. He clutches onto that sun that he seems to be snuggling, happy and warm, probably smiling in his sleep if his mood is anything to go by.

Then his cuddly sun was gone and he frowned looking around for it only to spot his police badge instead. Funny, he was supposed to have that on him. He went after the badge but a pillar of smoke shot up in front of him before he could reach it. He gasped and fell backwards. Alfred woke up with a shock as his eyes flew open in surprise.

The first thing he noticed was that he was in his living room, odd. The second was after a few breaths he realized he could smell smoke, or rather something burning. As his mind caught up with his sleep slowed body he jumped off the couch. "Fire!?" He yells looking around for flames but seeing none. He shakes his head as he takes a hold of what is happening around him.

A blanket is in the floor, someone's bag is beside the couch, and his case partner is in his kitchen where the burning smell is coming from. He runs a hand through his hair as he jogs into the kitchen and shuts off the stove top. Leaning over he can see the contents of the pan on the stove is near ashes. He turns to Arthur with a disbelieving expression. "Dude, are you trying to burn down the whole complex!?"

[Officer Kirkland]

Arthur jumped when he heard the shout. "Fire? Where?" he asked as he spun around, only to come face to face with his partner. "W-what?" he stammered, put off by the other's closeness. "No, of course not! Why would you even think that? Honestly, you're still half-asleep, aren't you?" He surveyed the blackened mass that lined the pan in dismay. "Well," he conceded as he scraped it onto a plate with great difficulty, "I admit that it may be a little overcooked, but it's still perfectly edible!" 

As if to demonstrate, he speared a blackened chunk and brought it up to his mouth. It was crunchy, but wasn't that what people liked? And it didn't really taste like anything so it couldn't taste bad, right? "See? It's still good." He offered the other plate to Alfred. It contained eggs that were somewhat brown with black yolks. "Eat up," he told his partner, "We have a lot of work to do."

He brought up a hand and scratched at his tousled hair, watching Alfred's face anxiously. No one ever liked his cooking. He had no idea why, though. 

[Detective Jones]

" I wish I was still asleep." Alfred mumbles, rubbing his temple as he watches the black lump crumble onto a plate. To his slight horror he watches the other actually put the stuff in his mouth. He tries not to cringe.

He looks down at the plate handed to him and feels his stomach growl. What? No! Bad stomach, we really shouldn't eat this. "I don't think coal is edible." He says idly, poking at before picking up the blackened, egg cracker thing. He glances over at his partner and has to look away from the anxious expression he has. With a sigh Alfred picks up the ashen food and carefully takes a bite, eyes squeezed shut and taste buds protesting his sanity.

Then it's over. He gulps down the bite with a bit of difficulty, as it is very dry,but other then that Alfred finds it is indeed not bad. It's no burger but it's not disgusting either. Alfred takes another bite and shrugs his shoulders. "Make sure you don't set off the smoke alarm or anything next time you try to cook." He says leaving the kitchenette and going back into the living area.

He kicks the blanket on the floor out of the way before falling back onto the couch again. "So, what's on today's schedule?" He asks looking back over at his partner as he finishes off his breakfast. "Going to the college? Signing up for classes? Gettin' a dorm room?" He lists off things that come to mind first.

[Officer Kirkland]

Arthur gazed at his partner, eyes wide. He'd eaten it! He'd actually eaten it! His opinion of Alfred suddenly shot up. At least the American knew what good food was! ... No, actually Arthur didn't hold any illusions about his cooking skills but still! Alfred ate it! He felt like breaking out into a huge grin and maybe jumping up and down, cheering, but thankfully refrained. Instead, he finished his breakfast with renewed vigour and then followed Alfred back to the couch. 

"We should do all three," he answered. "The sooner we get it done, the more likely it is that we can prevent another murder. Wear plain clothes today, we have to look like students. I'll have to go back to my flat to get ready." He grabbed his satchel and drew out some papers. "We'll need to fill these out, but it's mostly for show. I can get the Dean to let us temporarily sign up for classes. He's head of Arts and Sciences." He didn't mention that he wasn't particularly looking forward to talking to that man. "While I do that, you could sort out accommodation. We shouldn't be seen together in public until we've moved in. If we could get a dorm on campus, that would be most useful."

[Detective Jones]

Alfred can see a spark of something in Arthur's eyes as he eats and wonders what that is all about. Honestly, the boy would eat anything so it would not have been a surprise to anyone who knew he that he would eat burnt bacon and eggs but still. When he is finished he tossed the plate to the table in front of him, ready to get serious. Well, as serious as he ever was.

Alfred looks excited as they discuss what they need to do. Not only was he getting to work but he was getting to protect people at the same time /and/ pretend to be a college kid again. There really was no down side to this for him he thought. "You know the dean already?" He asks Arthur surprised. "Wow, guess you really are as legendary as everyone said you are." Alfred is impressed but he is also wanting to do his part. "Alright, so we get washed up and dressed and then we go to the school and while you talk to the head man, I talk up who ever is in charge of housing, got it." Alfred eyes the papers he pulls out though. "What do we need those for?"

Alfred falls quiet for a long moment before something dawns on him. "Oh! or ..where you planning on going to the college separately?" He new they needed to not be seen together yet but it would be kind of a bummer. He had been looking forward to going together and acting like a couple of real college kids.

[Officer Kirkland]

Arthur smirked. "It pays to have people owe you favours, even if they absolutely abhor you." Oh, how true that was. "We have to hand in the forms separately. His secretary is the overly-zealous sort; she won't let you anywhere near his office without one. He'll get rid of them once she hands them over so that there are no obvious paper trails."

He buckled his satchel back up and secured it over one shoulder and across his chest. "Don't look so glum, lad," he said, exasperated. "After we are settled in out dorm and are properly 'introduced', you can drag me out anywhere you like." God know why you'd want to, he added silently. "We'll have to go to the parties together, anyway. So for now, get dressed and go sort out our lodgings. Give me an hour, and then you can go hand in your form. Make sure to actually speak to the Dean. After that, go back to the dorm and I'll follow you there." He dug into his bag suddenly, pulling out a mobile phone. "Here," he said, "give me your number so that we can be in contact."

[Detective Jones]

Alfred wonders just how much Arthur is talking from experience as he speaks about this dean friend of his. He doesn't like paperwork all that much after having been assigned to filing for so long either but he nods.
'Alright, so the forms are mandatory." He replies without any excitement.

The promise of time for fun later though is enough to urge him forward and he stands, picking up the clothes that were meant to have been Arthur's pajamas from the floor, frowning that they had never gotten to see a purpose the night before and tosses them onto the back of the couch. "I'm on it!" Alfred says as he stretches, blinking down with big innocent eyes as the other pulls out his phone. "oh! ok!" the American has to actually stop and think of where his phone is. Moving to dig around in his bag from the day before he finds it. 'Ah here we go!" He quickly tells Arthur his number before waiting for the other to return the gesture.

"I guess you'll be going then.' Alfred says, eyeing Arthur get his things together. He frowns. 'Your uniform for wrinkled anyways..Silly." He just echos his words from the night before. "I'll see you soon then, roomie~" Alfred says with a lighthearted tone to his voice at the last word.

[Officer Kirkland]

"I'm not silly!" he protested. "Besides, I have to go home and change anyway." Arthur nodded at his partner. "Yes," he said, "I'll see you on campus."

He grabbed his car keys from the bench and left with a quick goodbye. The GPS navigator installed in his car quickly led him back to his flat. There, he showered and brushed his teeth. As he stepped into his bedroom with a towel tucked around his waist, he wondered what a student would wear. Arthur rooted around in his wardrobe until he found something suitable: tan trousers, a white long-sleeved button-down shirt and a deep green sweatervest. 

Making his way out into the kitchenette, Arthur hurriedly scrawled in the details on the form before folding it in half and placing it in his satchel. He checked the contents of his bag once and then left his flat.

Once he reached the Dean's office, he stubbornly insisted on seeing the Dean until the secretary took his form with a look of disgust and shooed him in. The redheaded man sitting at the desk inside looked up and gave a long-suffering sigh. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing here, you little bugger?" he asked bluntly, scowling at Arthur. 

"I need you to return that favour you owe me, Scott," Arthur replied, scowling back. "Don't get me wrong. If there was a way to do it without coming to you, I would have done it that way. Bastard."

"Oh?" the Dean raised a thick, ginger eyebrow. "Do what?"

Arthur explained the situation in calm, clipped tones, leaving out the tax evasion and murder, of course. 

"So you and your partner want temporary admission as students in order to investigate something going on on my campus, is it? Brother, I'm afraid you will have to be more specific."

"Well, brother, I'm afraid that breaches confidentiality, doesn't it? Just do what you have to to get us in, and you won't have to hear from me again."

"Who's this partner then?" Scott asked, still an overprotective big brother despite their estrangement. Now, if only Arthur could see it. 

"He'll come by to see you soon. Look, will you do this for me or not?"

Scott was silent for a moment. "Yeah," he agreed finally, "Gotta stay on the right side of the fuzz, don't I?"
 
"Excellent." Arthur pushed back his chair and stood up. "I trust you'll have all the arrangements made before classes begin tomorrow?"

"Still so fucking demanding, I see."

"Fuck you."

As Arthur made his way out of the office and slammed the door, he missed the way that his brother stared after him, almost wistfully. He made his way into the cafe opposite that building and ordered a cup of tea, waiting for Alfred to make his appearance. 

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