"Tony won't mind you listening in," Alfred said, in hopes the idea of Arthur potentially overhearing top secret information would be enough to entice the Brit out of the car. And if that wasn't enough, there was also… "Heck, we can even catch dinner while we're here; he makes a mean lasagna!"
Arthur hesitated, but then he unfastened his seat belt and climbed out of the car. "I'm only going in because I can't stand waiting in this death trap," he stated testily. "Who knows how long you'll take if you start eating?"
Alfred grinned. That was as good a victory as he could hope for.
--
Having retreated back to the basement, Gilbert decided it was time for another meeting.
"So what are we going to do with the money?" Antonio asked. He'd tried to chase after Lovino when the boy stormed off, but Gilbert and Francis had both stopped him, insisting he'd need some time to cool down.
"We're still going to spend it," Gilbert replied. "Obviously."
Antonio was quiet for a short moment. "Oh. Can we do that before Lovino gets back?"
--
Big Tony was the smallest man Arthur had ever seen. He was also the weirdest.
The bald man had fixed Arthur with a cold look the moment he'd walked through the doors of the restaurant, but the look evaporated into a friendly smile when Alfred bounded towards him.
"Hey, Tony!" Alfred greeted, pulling the man into a bear hug as soon as he was in arm's reach. "Long time no see!"
"Over a year," Tony replied. "You ought to come out more often."
"You know I've been busy." Alfred turned towards Arthur, a hand clapped on the smaller man's shoulder. "Arthur, this is my friend Tony—Big Tony. Tony, this is Arthur Kirkland. I told you about him before."
The cold look returned to Big Tony's face, but Alfred hadn't seemed to notice. In fact, he seemed rather preoccupied with checking his pockets.
"Shoot, I think I left my keys in the truck," Alfred said. "I'll be right back, and then we can get down to business."
Arthur felt a shiver creep down his spine as Alfred rushed outside.
"S-so," he said, trying to make small talk to clear up the oppressive atmosphere that seemed to have settled. "Are you from… around here?"
Tony ignored the question. "I'm not talkin' to a limey bastard."
Arthur wished Alfred hadn't left them alone. What kind of friends did that guy have?
--
"Alright, here's the plan," Gilbert said in hushed tones, crouched in the stairwell. "Lovino's already gone, so we just need to sneak past Big Tony and we'll be home free."
"I'm not sure I can distract him," Antonio stated.
Gilbert took that under consideration for a moment, but then shook his head. "You won't have to. We'll just wait until he's gone into the kitchen."
"Ah, I think we may have a small problem…" Francis said from the doorway, where he was peering out into the restaurant. "It appears Big Tony has a guest."
"That's no problem," Gilbert refuted, moving towards Francis. "We'll just wait until they both…"
His words died in his throat when he looked out to see who it was. He jerked back into the relative safety of the stairwell.
"Is that Kirkland?"
"It does appear to be the ever-charming rosbif," Francis agreed.
"What th' hell is Kirkland doing here?"
The door of the restaurant opened and closed. Someone was laughing, and then called out, "Sorry about that!"
"I think you're asking the wrong question, mon cher." Francis was still peeking out into the restaurant, and he gestured for Antonio and Gilbert to have a look. "I'd be more interested to know what rosbif is doing here with Tex."
One for the Money (5d/?)
Arthur hesitated, but then he unfastened his seat belt and climbed out of the car. "I'm only going in because I can't stand waiting in this death trap," he stated testily. "Who knows how long you'll take if you start eating?"
Alfred grinned. That was as good a victory as he could hope for.
Having retreated back to the basement, Gilbert decided it was time for another meeting.
"So what are we going to do with the money?" Antonio asked. He'd tried to chase after Lovino when the boy stormed off, but Gilbert and Francis had both stopped him, insisting he'd need some time to cool down.
"We're still going to spend it," Gilbert replied. "Obviously."
Antonio was quiet for a short moment. "Oh. Can we do that before Lovino gets back?"
Big Tony was the smallest man Arthur had ever seen. He was also the weirdest.
The bald man had fixed Arthur with a cold look the moment he'd walked through the doors of the restaurant, but the look evaporated into a friendly smile when Alfred bounded towards him.
"Hey, Tony!" Alfred greeted, pulling the man into a bear hug as soon as he was in arm's reach. "Long time no see!"
"Over a year," Tony replied. "You ought to come out more often."
"You know I've been busy." Alfred turned towards Arthur, a hand clapped on the smaller man's shoulder. "Arthur, this is my friend Tony—Big Tony. Tony, this is Arthur Kirkland. I told you about him before."
The cold look returned to Big Tony's face, but Alfred hadn't seemed to notice. In fact, he seemed rather preoccupied with checking his pockets.
"Shoot, I think I left my keys in the truck," Alfred said. "I'll be right back, and then we can get down to business."
Arthur felt a shiver creep down his spine as Alfred rushed outside.
"S-so," he said, trying to make small talk to clear up the oppressive atmosphere that seemed to have settled. "Are you from… around here?"
Tony ignored the question. "I'm not talkin' to a limey bastard."
Arthur wished Alfred hadn't left them alone. What kind of friends did that guy have?
"Alright, here's the plan," Gilbert said in hushed tones, crouched in the stairwell. "Lovino's already gone, so we just need to sneak past Big Tony and we'll be home free."
"I'm not sure I can distract him," Antonio stated.
Gilbert took that under consideration for a moment, but then shook his head. "You won't have to. We'll just wait until he's gone into the kitchen."
"Ah, I think we may have a small problem…" Francis said from the doorway, where he was peering out into the restaurant. "It appears Big Tony has a guest."
"That's no problem," Gilbert refuted, moving towards Francis. "We'll just wait until they both…"
His words died in his throat when he looked out to see who it was. He jerked back into the relative safety of the stairwell.
"Is that Kirkland?"
"It does appear to be the ever-charming rosbif," Francis agreed.
"What th' hell is Kirkland doing here?"
The door of the restaurant opened and closed. Someone was laughing, and then called out, "Sorry about that!"
"I think you're asking the wrong question, mon cher." Francis was still peeking out into the restaurant, and he gestured for Antonio and Gilbert to have a look. "I'd be more interested to know what rosbif is doing here with Tex."