"You dropped something, Arthur."

I wonder if I'll be fired for murder. I have a reason for it.

"Thank you, I hadn't noticed." Arthur grumbled, kneeling down to pick up his fallen work papers.

"Yeah anytime." Alfred smiled, bending down himself to help. He collected some of the folders and held them out to Arthur who snatched them out of his hand.

"What are you doing here, Jones." It wasn't a question, he demanded to know.

"Doing what I have to do for you to keep your job."

"Which is?"

Alfred stood up, and Arthur looked to him. The American looked different. He wasn't in the usual tie and dress shirt with black slacks that he always wore in his office. No, he was much more casual. The white open button-down shirt with a blue tee under looked much better on him.

Yet he could never change that stupid smile on his face. Arthur despised that smile.

"I made a deal with your boss. If I watch over you while you're on your shift, you can stay."

"I do not need a babysitter."

"Don't be so negative, Artie. Think of it as a friend hanging out with ya at work!"

"You're not my friend."

Alfred just laughed and went back to Arthur's cubicle where he grabbed the coffee and held it out to Arthur again.

"I don't drink coffee."

"It's Tea."

Arthur squinted his eyes at the stupid smirk on Alfred's face and grabbed the Tea.

"What kind?"

"You looked like an Earl Grey type of man."

Arthur looked to the cup in his hand and took a sip. He clicked his tongue a few times.

"It'll work." He concluded and walked past the grinning Alfred to his desk.

"Listen Jones, if you're going to monitor me I want total silence. Understand?"

Alfred nodded and sat in his chair, adjacent to Arthur's.

"You won't even know I'm here."

He's a dirty liar.

Between befriending all the male workers easily, and unintentionally attracting the attention of the female workers, (perhaps even a few male ones as well, now that Arthur thought of it) there was so much chatter that it was hard to focus on these reports that he was to fill out and finish.

"Cya!" Alfred waved, as one of his new-found companions walked off.

"Jones. What are you doing here?" Arthur asked, bitter.

"I already tol-"

"No. You're a therapist with other patients. What about them?"

"I'm on a two-week vacation."

"But you're servicing me."

"I know," Alfred laughed at the contradictory situation. "But I sent them to another therapist who I can trust while I'm on leave for a bit. It's all taken care of."

"And what if my situation takes longer?" Arthur asked.

"We'll decide, then. For now don't worry. Sheesh, relax man!"

Arthur's hands tightened into fists.

"Don't tell me when to relax, Jones."

Alfred lost his smile and eyed him. Now this he could work with easily.

"Why?"

"It's not your place."

"Why won't you let me help?"

"Because I don't need you!"

Ouch.

"I'm here, so apparently you do."

Arthur stood up, his chair sent flying back causing a loud crash that caught the attention of his co-workers.

Alfred sighed and stood, "Sorry, sorry – spilled tea on him!"

There were sounds of laughter on the floor and they all went back to their work.

Arthur picked his chair up and sat down, pissed.

But when wasn't he?

"I don't need you covering for me, Jones."

Alfred took his seat and leaned back, crossing his arms and ankles.

"Do you have pride issues?"

"I know you have issues keeping your nose out of where it doesn't belong."

"So I've been told." Alfred replied easily.

He's insufferable.

"Well, maybe you need help for yourself."

"Maybe." Alfred shrugged.

Arthur mentally screamed.

"Tell me about your childhood, Artie."

Arthur screwed his eyes shut and shook his head, "No."

"Why?"

"Because that's history that shouldn't be brought up."

"If I'm to help you, I need to know."

Arthur sighed and forced his eyes open, "I don't have some tragic childhood."

Alfred nodded, as for him to continue.

"...It was your normal family. My brothers, mother, and father. Happy as can be. But father had a thing for gambling. Devil's game my mother would call it. You know where these things lead, I'm sure. We lost our house and were forced into a small flat. Mother got sick from the living conditions. Died. Father lost it. I left and build my life from the shit that it was."

"That sounds tragic if you ask me."

"Well I didn't ask you, and there's worse things that people are forced through. Drop. It."

"Arthur –"

Arthur stood and grabbed Alfred's shirt, forcing him close to his face.

"My life is not something you read in a tragic novel. I refuse for it to be. I'm happy with what I have compared to what I had before. I'm not going to let some petty therapist come in and say so otherwise!" He snarled.

Alfred glared at Arthur. He leaned forward, sending Arthur back as he lost his grip on Alfred's shirt. The American placed both hands on each of the chair's arm rests and got close to Arthur's face until the Brit's back was pressed firm against his chair.

"I didn't say otherwise," Alfred's voice was steely, his eyes hard. "I asked to know your childhood so I could help you, not insult you. You have issues Arthur."

Arthur frowned, but was a bit intimidated at Alfred's angrier side. Had he insulted the shrink?

Alfred's face suddenly went soft and he smiled, his eyes sparkling again.

"I'm not giving up though, Artie."

There and then Arthur decided that Alfred was not his shrink, therapist, no.

He was his enemy.

And the thrill of having a one-sided enemy made Arthur smirk.

Alfred took the smirk as a smile apparently, as he gave an earnest smile in return.

Alfred sat back and Arthur relaxed in his own chair.

Alfred F. Jones.

His therapist.

His shrink.

The annoyance that he hated with all his being.

No. Now he wanted this man in his life for the sole reason that he wanted to crush his spirit. Make him regret that he ever stepped into his life. Questioned anything about him.

"Alfred," Arthur said, "I hate you."

"Oh?"

Arthur smiled.

"I really, really hate you. You're insufferable." Arthur held out his hand, which Alfred took and shook.

"But I welcome you to my life, git."

Alfred had joy in his eyes that spoke, "Did I finally break through?"

No, you haven't. I'm going to give you so much hell Jones, that you'll be running with your tail between your legs. Job be damned.

Arthur wanted to be the patient Alfred couldn't handle, cure, help. Arthur wanted to give Alfred what he deserved for trying to help a cause that didn't want help. Didn't need it. Maybe this would help the idiot finally grow up.

But something nagged at the back of his head.

Did the man who wanted nothing but the best for Arthur really deserve this?

Arthur tightened his grip on Alfred's hand until he hoped it was painful.

Yes. Yes he did.

"Thanks Arthur. Just you wait, these two weeks will be awesome and you'll have your job secured!"

Arthur's smile faltered, as if he was regretting the mental decision he had made.

No. Nope. Not happening. He didn't regret it.

He never regretted anything.

[A/N:] This is where I'm hoping to have their relationship build, whether it be negative or positive. I want it to build into something, but if it's going to reach the light at the end of tunnel, it's going to have to go through a lot. Mostly because Arthur's stubborn and wants nothing more but to give the shrink hell.

This'll be fun.

Also question to all of you lovelies, would you like to see a side-relationship budding on the side?

Reviews are Prussia!