Love for Two

Invalid

[Salon AU]

"Artie, how are you?" Francis said over the phone, he held his cell between his neck and shoulder while filing his nails. "It really has been such a long time since we've talked." he added, he knew Arthur probably wouldn't answer. Arthur had called up Francis' cellphone but wasn't responding to Francis. "Arthur?" Francis questioned.

Arthur mumbled in response this time causing Francis to giggle. 

(Francis ran a salon called French Beauty and Arthur was his best friend and ex employer, but that surprisingly didn't bother either man).

 "Arthur.... How are you feeling?" He wanted to ask why Arthur had called but didn't dare.

"Awful." Arthur groaned.

"Can I help?" Francis was too kind to Arthur. 

 "Could you pick me up?" 

That wasn't a huge favor, right?

Francis hadn't been aware that Arthur wasn't at his own home. 

"Where are you?" He asked suddenly uneasy. 

"Alfred's." Arthur muttered.

This is what Francis had been afraid of.

 "Oh. I'll be there soon." The words stuck to Francis' throat. 

Alfred was Arthur's college aged brother, the two had a pretty rocky relationship. And, it was shocking and frightening that Arthur would be over there. 

"Please hurry," mumbled Arthur. 

Francis didn't hang up as he ran to his car, he talked to Arthur to help him be reassured.

"Artie, I have something I wanna tell you." 

"Yeah, Francis?" Arthur asked, his voice was slightly muffled.

 "I sorta want to help you and get you on a good path. You need love." Francis said it quickly and quietly.

Assuming Arthur hadn't heard that Francis pressed on, "Arthur, what exactly happened to you?" 

A groan, "I'm hungover-" a long pause. "And realllly sore. I have a black eye and several cuts on me." 

Francis pulls into Alfred's driveway. "I'm here." 

The front door opens to reveal a bruised and slightly bloody Arthur. 

Francis hangs up. 

"Oh." He breaths. 

Arthur approaches his car, "please take me home Fran." 

Nodding Francis let Arthur into his car, and starts back to his shop.

 "I need to clean you up first." 

Neither one spoke the ride back. They entered and a couple of the employees, Jana and Lexie, looked worried but relaxed seeing Francis.

"Let me take you to the back." 

A few people watched wide eyed, seeing the shop owner with a bloodied man was startling. As soon as they entered the back Francis muttered a few French curses and started cleaning up Arthur. 

"You like me?" Arthur blurted.

 "W-when did I say that?" Francis asked, wide eyes.

Francis was too kind and too delicate for someone like Arthur.

"On the phone."

 "What? When?"

 "When you said you wanted to help me get on to the right path. I love you was underlaying every word." Arthur explained.

"I have to get gauze I'll be back." Francis said exiting.

 He looked shaken, he could feel the embarrassed blush rising to his cheeks, "What the hell... I thought he wouldn't get that. I'm ruined." Francis whispered to himself. 

Standing tall Francis grabbed the gauze and returned cheerily smiling. Arthur looked tired, his eyes were glazed and he seemed distant. Coughing, Francis entered. Their eyes met and it chilled Francis to his bones. He worked silently until he'd finished. Arthur watched him calmly the whole time. 

"I'll drive you home." Francis said, and the two left. 

The second they pulled into Arthur's drive way he leaned over and kissed Francis' cheek.

"You're pretty cute..." Arthur said things and Francis listened.

 "And you're hungover." Arthur watched Francis.

"Does that make my thoughts invalid?" Arthur calculated his words.

"No, when your fully drunk then your thoughts are invalid." Francis shot back, an unanticipated anger rising up from the pit of his stomach.

"I'm invalid." Arthur announced.

"Stop going to Alfred to pick fights and get drunk." Francis snapped. His kindness was replaced with anger and justice.

They watched each other, moments passed in silence.

"Why can't we be invalid together?" Arthur asked, not for the last time. 

"You know why." 

There was more silence, it was as if they'd had this conversation millions of times. Maybe they had. 

"I wish I didn't know why." 

Francis nodded, "Get out of the car, I'll call you after work." 

Arthur obeyed.