Arthur really didn't know what he was thinking. Not much apparently, because he was starting to believe he had one too many drinks and that what was urging him to do this. Or maybe two too many drinks.
Perhaps eleven.
He would probably be giggling to himself too if it wasn't Francis he was leaning on for support and if this situation wasn't Very Dire. Dire wasn't quite the word. Ridiculously Important was more like it, and if they didn't find the answer Right Now Arthur would owe Francis twenty quid and he really didn't want to owe Francis much of anything.
Maybe, just perhaps, that's why he didn't feel too guilty when he startled Matthew from his half-sleeping slump at the bar. That's where Matthew had been hiding from everyone for the night, more likely "abandoned", when he got tired of matching Alfred drink for drink. Arthur could see from the collection of shot glasses that Matthew hadn't stopped and was probably feeling All Right himself. He wasn't much for being the center of attention, but maybe the boy wasn't quite as dull as he had thought and oh my, wasn't he pretty anyway blinking sleepily at him like that?
Arthur released himself from Francis' support and leaned against the bar next to Matthew. Always one for the direct approach he started to slur, "We have a question for you--"
And Matthew was listening but Francis grabbed Matthew's chin and turned him away from Arthur and right into his own lips.
Irritated but accepting a challenge (and that Francis' way would get them to their goal fastest) Arthur buried a hand into that pretty blond hair to also find Matthew's lips and make that flushed embarrassed look less embarrassed and more flushed. He felt Matthew's mouth open and a faint moan and Matthew's hand reached to grab his neck and pull him closer.
Arthur opened his eyes to look triumphantly at Francis, who only rolled his. Francis pressed against Matthew's back and gently pulled him away (much to Arthur's discontent) and murmured so only the three of them could hear, "Will you join us?"
Matthew nodded dazedly and Arthur urged him off his bar stool and ushered him to the exit. Matthew turned to say something about his tab but Francis had already lay down some bills and followed them.
They moved like stumbling ghosts, dodging people and their drunk babble and blurry faces and friendly pats on the shoulder. All three watched Alfred challenging Ivan to vodka shots, their onlookers, and they passed unnoticed.
Fresh air hit them like cold, waking water, and they all stopped to breathe and see the stars which were too clear and too blurry and too bright and too dizzy and completely beautiful and overwhelming. Then they as a unit pressed forward, Arthur and Francis sandwiching Matthew between them. They each used the other as support and touched and laughed and tripped and spoke in giggles and at some point their thinking did begin to clear and Matthew asked what exactly they were doing.
Francis only laughed and said, "I think we are either too drunk or not drunk enough!" He apparently decided the latter because he procured a wine bottle from his jacket. Arthur started to protest but then there was glass in his mouth and sweetness down his tongue which wasn't good but not bad.
Matthew grumbled about mixing beer and wine but then there was a mouth on his to shut him up, then a different mouth, then a bottle, and he was soon laughing at nothing again. Their heads were lost, and scenery lost with them but they knew their direction. They were staying at the same hotel, and that lent itself well to drunken excursions when they all needed help back.
None of them were really sure when the swish-click of their hotel room card came to be, or the heavy shut of the door behind them or one queen-sized bed. After what felt like "soon" Matthew was being pushed onto said queen-sized and Arthur more or less pounced to kiss him because Matthew did kiss nicely and sweet, and Arthur liked that Matthew touched back with his tongue and pressed back with his body.
I never write in this style ;;
Perhaps eleven.
He would probably be giggling to himself too if it wasn't Francis he was leaning on for support and if this situation wasn't Very Dire. Dire wasn't quite the word. Ridiculously Important was more like it, and if they didn't find the answer Right Now Arthur would owe Francis twenty quid and he really didn't want to owe Francis much of anything.
Maybe, just perhaps, that's why he didn't feel too guilty when he startled Matthew from his half-sleeping slump at the bar. That's where Matthew had been hiding from everyone for the night, more likely "abandoned", when he got tired of matching Alfred drink for drink. Arthur could see from the collection of shot glasses that Matthew hadn't stopped and was probably feeling All Right himself. He wasn't much for being the center of attention, but maybe the boy wasn't quite as dull as he had thought and oh my, wasn't he pretty anyway blinking sleepily at him like that?
Arthur released himself from Francis' support and leaned against the bar next to Matthew. Always one for the direct approach he started to slur, "We have a question for you--"
And Matthew was listening but Francis grabbed Matthew's chin and turned him away from Arthur and right into his own lips.
Irritated but accepting a challenge (and that Francis' way would get them to their goal fastest) Arthur buried a hand into that pretty blond hair to also find Matthew's lips and make that flushed embarrassed look less embarrassed and more flushed. He felt Matthew's mouth open and a faint moan and Matthew's hand reached to grab his neck and pull him closer.
Arthur opened his eyes to look triumphantly at Francis, who only rolled his. Francis pressed against Matthew's back and gently pulled him away (much to Arthur's discontent) and murmured so only the three of them could hear, "Will you join us?"
Matthew nodded dazedly and Arthur urged him off his bar stool and ushered him to the exit. Matthew turned to say something about his tab but Francis had already lay down some bills and followed them.
They moved like stumbling ghosts, dodging people and their drunk babble and blurry faces and friendly pats on the shoulder. All three watched Alfred challenging Ivan to vodka shots, their onlookers, and they passed unnoticed.
Fresh air hit them like cold, waking water, and they all stopped to breathe and see the stars which were too clear and too blurry and too bright and too dizzy and completely beautiful and overwhelming. Then they as a unit pressed forward, Arthur and Francis sandwiching Matthew between them. They each used the other as support and touched and laughed and tripped and spoke in giggles and at some point their thinking did begin to clear and Matthew asked what exactly they were doing.
Francis only laughed and said, "I think we are either too drunk or not drunk enough!" He apparently decided the latter because he procured a wine bottle from his jacket. Arthur started to protest but then there was glass in his mouth and sweetness down his tongue which wasn't good but not bad.
Matthew grumbled about mixing beer and wine but then there was a mouth on his to shut him up, then a different mouth, then a bottle, and he was soon laughing at nothing again. Their heads were lost, and scenery lost with them but they knew their direction. They were staying at the same hotel, and that lent itself well to drunken excursions when they all needed help back.
None of them were really sure when the swish-click of their hotel room card came to be, or the heavy shut of the door behind them or one queen-sized bed. After what felt like "soon" Matthew was being pushed onto said queen-sized and Arthur more or less pounced to kiss him because Matthew did kiss nicely and sweet, and Arthur liked that Matthew touched back with his tongue and pressed back with his body.