A/N - The last chapter really was supposed to be fluff. I wrote it intending fluff, but then I reckon it turned kinda flangsty towards the middle/end. And then the reviewers asked for fluff, and I am a slave to reviewers.

Which reminds me, thank you to anonymous reviewers Lazy and Dark Angel - your wish is my command! Here is the fluffy part 2.

When Arthur got home he drank himself into oblivion. It didn't help. By the end, he'd only succeeded in making himself even more miserable, and with a hellish hangover to look forward to.

The next morning Arthur was roughly jerked back to consciousness by the sound of someone simultaneously ringing the doorbell, pounding on the door, and loudly yelling his name.

Yanking the duvet up over his head, Arthur tried to fall back asleep, but whoever it was, they were persistent. Groaning, he padded downstairs, rubbing his eyes and hoping that whoever it was would understand the words bugger off.

He opened the door just enough to see Elizabeta, and she did not look happy. This was the first time Arthur had seen her angry but judging from the saucepan, it wasn't something he would want to see again. 'What do you want?' He snarled. He didn't move to let her in.

Elizabeta pursed her lips angrily. "Why did I visit the café this morning and see Francis with his head in his hands and a heartbroken expression?"

Arthur felt a surge of hope that he quickly quelled. "I don't know. Maybe his latest conquest didn't work out as well as he'd hoped? Maybe whoever he'd been pursuing felt that no relationship was better than a protracted and meaningless fling."

Elizabeta's face softened, and she lowered her saucepan. "Oh, Arthur, you're so clueless when it comes to this sort of thing! If Francis just thought of you as his latest toy, don't you think he would have asked you out when he first met you, rather than wasting all this time getting to know you? Besides, you don't know how he was before you started visiting."

"How do you mean?" Arthur said, curious despite himself.

"He's always been a flirt, but the first time he started actively looking for a relationship was when you came into his life. He's been using these relationships as a distraction, because he was too much of a coward to confess to you!"

Arthur laughed dully. "You're reading too much into this, Liza. He probably just decided to try it on a whim because you told him that I loved him. Which I said in strictest confidence, by the way!"

Inexplicably, Elizabeta's face broke out into a grin, and she turned to her right to proclaim, "I told you so!"

Cold fingers wrapped around his heart and squeezed. Please God… Slowly, he let the door swing open and stepped out into the porch.

Francis was standing next to Elizabeta. He was positioned just far enough to be invisible to someone looking from the doorway, but close enough to hear everything Arthur had said.

Arthur turned and fled. He tried to slam the door shut, but Francis put his foot in the way and next thing he knew Francis had slipped inside, quietly closing the door behind him. He looked straight at Arthur, who suddenly realised exactly how a rabbit caught in the headlights would feel.

"Shit. You heard everything?"

Francis nodded wordlessly.

"Shit," Arthur repeated. He pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Elizabeta was telling the truth," Francis said softly, taking Arthur's hand and staring at their interwoven fingers, wonder clear in his eyes. His gaze flickered back up to meet Arthur's, and his expression was earnest.

Arthur didn't move. His heart was in his mouth. "About what?"

"About everything. From the first time I first talked to you, you've destroyed me. And the worst part is, you've done it so tenderly that even as I'm falling I've never been happier."

Arthur's heart skipped in happiness. He managed to keep his voice calm as he said, "That's the sappiest thing I've ever heard."

Francis laughed. "Isn't it just?"

He tugged Arthur close and kissed him sweet.

"Idiot," Arthur said fondly. Then, quietly – "I love you too."

Three Years Later

There was the quiet scrape of a chair moving across the floor, and Arthur felt rather than saw the owner of the café La Mouette sit down opposite him.

"It's Tuesday."

Gently setting down his mug, Arthur scowled at Francis over the top of his newspaper. "So?"

Francis grinned and propped his head up on his hands. "Je t'aime."

Arthur hurriedly hid his face in his paper and pretended he wasn't blushing. "Anything else?"

Francis smiled softly and leaned in to press a soft kiss to the tip of Arthur's nose. "That's it, mon cher."

"Idiot," Arthur said.

The bell rang as a customer entered, and Francis wandered back to the counter.

Arthur waited until he was sure Francis was out of earshot before he replied, mumbling quietly – "Love you too."

(I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's so disgustingly cheesy! I wrote this quite quickly - as soon as I'd picked up the reviews, which was about half an hour ago.)

If you liked it, please do review! Would make my day :)