Rolling his eyes, Arthur gave a shrug, wincing a bit as it tugged on the recently-tattooed skin on the back of his left shoulder. "I've been meaning to get it done for quite some time now," was all he said.
"Oh, please!" Again, Alfred's voice echoed, his ensuing chuckle ringing even louder. "You just wanted one because Francis has one!"
Arthur stopped dead in his tracks, ignoring the strangers shouldering past him. "Francis has a tattoo?" he asked, his eyes wide, his jaw agape.
"You didn't know?" Alfred replied, one eyebrow raised in confusion.
"Obviously not," Arthur grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as his feet began moving again. "What's the image?"
"Not really sure," Alfred said, giving a shrug as he followed suit. "Mattie's the only one who's seen it, as far as I know. Walked in when Francis was changing or something."
"I see." Arthur could do nothing to hide the hint of jealousy in his voice. "Did he say where it was?"
"Somewhere on his hip," Alfred said, looking a bit puzzled. "Must be pretty low if no one's seen it. But I thought you two...?"
"You thought we what?" Arthur snapped, growing more agitated by the minute.
"Obviously not," Arthur grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as his feet began moving again. "What's the image?"
"Not really sure," Alfred said, giving a shrug as he followed suit. "Mattie's the only one who's seen it, as far as I know. Walked in when Francis was changing or something."
"I see." Arthur could do nothing to hide the hint of jealousy in his voice. "Did he say where it was?"
"Somewhere on his hip," Alfred said, looking a bit puzzled. "Must be pretty low if no one's seen it. But I thought you two...?"
"You thought we what?" Arthur snapped, growing more agitated by the minute.
"I thought the two of you were together," Alfred said, his cheeks tinged pink. "I mean, you've been flirting for years. Everyone just assumed you were a couple. And if you're a couple, you probably sleep together..."
"We do," Arthur said, a bit surprised with himself. Since when did he admit to such things so openly?
"Then how could you not have seen it?" Alfred asked, still looking puzzled. "You have to be naked to do..." He trailed off. "Well, you know..."
"I do." That blush was too adorable, and Arthur could do nothing to keep himself from indulging in a little teasing. "But, you know, when Francis is naked, I don't really think about looking for hidden tattoos. Usually, I'm too busy trying to temp him into fu-"
"Okay, enough!" Alfred all but shrieked, ignoring the strange looks he got from the people around him, clapping his hands protectively over his ears. "I don't wanna hear it!"
"Are you sure?" Arthur asked, his smirk wide and all but blinding. "I'm sure he'd be more than willing to-"
"Nope!" His face redder than ever, Alfred gave his once-brother a none-too-gentle shove in the direction of the hotel where he and Francis were staying for the duration of their visit. Thank God they'd finally arrived! "I do not wanna hear it!"
Arthur gave a chuckle as they parted ways, calling over his shoulder, "Too bad!"
Giving the doorman an acknowledging nod, still unable to wipe the smirk off his face, he headed up to the room he and Francis were staying in.
This hotel was far too fancy for him, but Francis had insisted upon it. He couldn't stay anywhere that had less than five stars to its name, he had said, and if Arthur were to make him stay in such a place, he would dutifully withhold sex for the duration of the trip. That, of course, was not the kind of condition Arthur could live with, and so he had given in.
"I'm back," Arthur announced as he strode into their room, welcomed by the scent of roses and the glow of candles. For the barest second, he thought that he had mistakenly walked into the wrong room, though there was no mistaking the handsome Frenchman seated on the sofa, several candles lighting up the worn coffee table before him. Fluorescent light did nothing positive to one's appearance, he had once said, and he preferred candles solely for that reason. He was quite vain, Arthur decided, though when someone was as irresistibly good-looking as Francis was, vanity was at least somewhat justifiable.
"Welcome, cher." Francis stood, setting the glass of red wine he had been sipping from on the table, making his way to stand before his making his way over to Arthur, curling his arms around the other's waist and holding him close. "I trust you had fun with Alfred?"
"I always do."
"Good." Francis pulled back just enough to seal his lips over Arthur's, whispering to him, "But until we see him again, you're to think only of me, oui?"
Arthur gave a bit of a chuckle in response, looping his arms around Francis's neck, pulling him down to steal kiss, not even caring when he felt the other's hands slip beneath the hem of his shirt, allowing him to pull it off with ease.
"What were you and Alfred doing, anyway?" Francis asked, his fingers sliding to rest against the smaller blonde's lower back. He leaned in closer to nuzzle at his neck, smirking at the responding shiver. "Does it have something to do with this?" He lifted one hand to trace around the gauze pad on the back of Arthur's shoulder.
"It does."
"You finally got that tattoo?" Francis asked, ghosting his lips over Arthur's shoulder as he spoke. "How does it look?"
"I'm quite pleased with it," was Arthur's response, pulling away before the other could peel the tape securing the gauze pad away. "But before I show it to you, I need to ask you about something."
"And what's that?"
"Apparently Matthew told Alfred that you have a tattoo," Arthur said, offering no protest when Francis's arms encircled his waist again. Instead, he arched his back and pressed close, whispering into the other's ear, "Is that true?"
"It is."
Arthur smirked. Seduction was the best way to get a straight answer from someone like Francis. "And what's the image?" the smaller blonde asked, one hand sliding down Francis's chest in the most tantalizing of ways.
"I think I'd rather show you than tell you," was Francis's reply, his voice a dark, husky growl at the other's ear, prompting yet another shiver.
"You show me yours," Arthur purred, running his tongue along the other's lips, "and I'll show you mine."
Francis chuckled wickedly. "Sounds fair enough."