Phew! Finally finished this!

This was inspired by a Red String/Line of Fate USUK picture I spotted around Valentine's Day. I decided I wanted to try a twist - and then I changed my mind about something midway through and made it harder for me to write the damned thing. ¬.¬

Doru = Romania.

"Do you believe in fate, Doctor Jones?"

"Of course not," answered the guest with a laugh. "Soulmates and those sorts of things don't exist. The 'Lines' are merely a psychological construct created by exposure to certain expectations."

Arthur rolled his eyes. So he was one of those, hm? There was plenty of evidence to show the world that the soulmates and the Lines existed. In fact, everyone could see their own. People who denounced it were usually idiots – but, more often than not, they ended up on the news or talk shows. And they were the ones to get the book deals.

Not that Arthur was bitter, of course.

"So your book...?"

"Is a psychological study," Jones explained. "It examines how people can convince themselves of physically seeing these 'Lines'. Of course, since there are a few incidences of people finding partners for life through this way, I'm not saying they're wrong. Just mistaken in what they know."

"In other words," Arthur mumbled around a yawn, "he's being forced by his science... place to keep the faith and not anger people... Urgh." Rubbing at his eyes, Arthur picked up his now full teacup and made his way through to the living room, spoon in his other hand in order to stir it.

At that point, the camera was focussed on the news anchor who was interviewing whoever this scientist was. She looked interested, frowning a little as if trying her hardest to comprehend what he was saying and actively change her world view. Arthur scoffed at her expression and leaned against the doorway, slowly stirring. "And your book," she was saying, "also discusses your views on Spin Doctors, doesn't it?"

The camera cut to Dr. Jones – and Arthur nearly dropped his teacup. From what the man had been saying, he had been expecting some old guy, unmarried and lonely. Or someone who looked posh and pompous, with large glasses and a skinny frame. Instead, Dr. Jones, was handsome and had broad shoulders, as if he had just jumped from manual labour to a career as a scientist. Sure, he still wore glasses, but they suited him. His blond hair shone with an almost golden glow and his smile was almost as bright. But something about it felt a little off, as if he was trying to hide his emotions behind a façade of happiness.

"I've not personally met a Spin Doctor," Dr. Jones admitted. "But it is my personal belief, having examined all the evidence, that the majority of them are cons. The act of unravelling the lines" - he paused to laugh - "is a ridiculous notion and I urge people not to go to them. Especially at their extortionate prices."

Chuckling, the news anchor nodded. "Thank you for your time today, Doctor Jones."

"You're welcome."

Cutting away from the two of them, the camera focussed on the news anchor. "It's time for the sports, now, and-"

Arthur stopped listening, scowling at the screen. With just a few sentences, this Jones guy had put his business and the businesses of countless others across the world into jeopardy. He knew a lot of people would see this and cancel appointments or not bothering making one when they had been thinking about it. While Arthur had another job he could fall back on, it irked him that Jones had just condemned several people to years of being unsure whether they would ever be able to meet their soulmate.

Spin Doctors – which Arthur prided himself on being – used a meditative technique which helped them visualise other people's Lines of Fate, the corporeal lines which led people to their destined soulmates. Once they could see them, the Doctors could pluck at them, tugging the outer layers until they could see images surrounding the other person. With a more accurate knowledge of the whereabouts of their other half, people could then make sure they were able to visit and follow the Lines to their fated True Soulmate. It helped those who were soulmates in different countries find each other and Arthur was pleased to have helped them.

Lifting his left hand, fingers still lightly curled around the spoon, Arthur looked at his pinky. That was where the Lines led to, tied into a neat knot as if it was a piece of string. His wasn't visible, something he had willed to be. For, though he believed in the lines and he knew they worked, he also knew another truth about them.

They didn't always lead to the True Soulmate the first time.

Usually, this was because the person was fated to be with the other for a time, to prepare them for their soulmate. Others were fated to have more than one True Soulmate or to have platonic soulmates who would be there for them while their True Soulmate was out of reach. Spin Doctors rarely told their clients about the 'wrong' soulmate but it had been known to happen when someone did sloppy work. If that Jones person had heard about one such instance, he could surely blow it out of proportion.

Arthur himself had had experience with such a thing. His Line had led to Antonio first. They had gotten together with relief and joy – only for their Lines to reappear. Antonio had been furious, having known about Arthur's ability to manipulate the Lines. After a massive argument, they had parted on bad terms. When they'd met again a few years later, it turned out that he had found his True Soulmate and they had reconciled.

Thankfully, Arthur had found Francis by that point or he might have been too mortified to talk to Antonio, much less apologise. He and Francis had been happy enough, though the shock of Antonio had knocked Arthur's confidence. Francis seemed to sense that and they would have good days and bad days. Neither of them had been surprised when their Lines had reappeared once more but Francis had insisted they remained friends and keep in touch.

After a far longer relationship with Gilbert, Arthur had been heartbroken when they had bumped into Elizaveta. Almost immediately, Gilbert's Line reappeared, short and connected to Elizaveta's right hand – which meant she had not one but two True Soulmates. At least Gilbert had been apologetic and worried about him but he had managed to move on, somewhat.

It helped that he had willed his Line into invisibility.

Now he didn't check it every two minutes, willing it to become thicker and clearer and brighter to show him his soulmate was right next to him. Now he could forget that his soulmate was out there, waiting or searching. Now he didn't have to think about it.

Every day, it hurt a little more.

Especially watching the people he helped finding their own soulmates, and the delight on their faces as he told them their soulmate was just a town away or over an ocean or a flight away. Their excitement stabbed at his heart every time he attended an appointment. But, at the same time, he felt proud that he was the one to bring them those smiles. He even felt pleased for them.

Absently, Arthur wondered when the next appointment he had lined up was. Yawning, he stepped back to look at the calendar in the hall. For a moment, he blinked at it. Then he yelped and, spinning around, he hurried to the kitchen to put his cup in the sink.

He was going to be late.

Arthur was not late.

As it turned out, he had written the wrong time on his home calendar and was actually a couple of hours early. It let him air out his underused office and tidy up. Dusting was done, some hoovering and he even wiped down his desk. There wasn't much else to be done after that so he made sure to get some lunch from the local café who knew him and got his order together as he waited in the queue. He ate at his desk, just in case this Alfred Jones was early.

Over the phone, Alfred Jones had sounded like a cheerful person. Arthur had thought it odd as most people sounded cautious when they called or even terribly sad. The man also had an American accent and had booked two weeks in advance. Arthur hadn't known what to think about it at the time but he had forgotten about the appointment while he'd gotten on with his life. Now, though, he wondered and waited.

Finally, his office was buzzed and he went to the intercom by the door, picking up the receiver. "Good afternoon," he said, putting on his best 'I am a professional' voice. "This is 'Doctor' Kirkland's Line Surgery, how may I help you?"

"Hi, it's Alfred Jones?" the person on the other end said. He sounded more hesitant today, a little more unsure. Arthur wondered what could have happened in just two weeks.

"Ah, yes, come on up, Mister Jones," Arthur said and pressed the button to unlock the door to the office block he was in. Then he went to his desk to make sure it was completely tidy and waited for the man to climb the stairs. When there was a knock at the door, Arthur made his way over and opened it for the poor man. "Come on i-" he began before his brain registered who was standing in front of him.

It was none other than Dr. Jones, the naysayer from the TV that morning.

Dr. Jones shot Arthur a quizzical look once he noticed Arthur had stopped. "Um, hi?" he said, smiling at him.

"You're... Doctor Jones," Arthur said, shifting so that Alfred couldn't get in. "What are you doing here?"

For a moment, Jones seemed to be about to feign ignorance. Then he shrugged and said, "So you've heard of me?"

"I saw you this morning," Arthur told him. "And you were telling people how my colleagues and I are all scam artists." He pointedly raised an eyebrow, inviting Jones to explain.

"Well, I only said that most of them were."

"So, may I ask why you bothered setting up this appointment?" Arthur demanded. "I'm a busy person."

Jones cast a glance beyond Arthur and raised his eyebrows. "Really? I heard that Spin Doctors had difficulty getting by with the lack of clients."

Arthur glared at him. "I have another job, i-" He forced himself to take a breath. "To accommodate you, I had to take a day off work."

That seemed to surprise Jones. "This... isn't your main source of income?"

With a loud scoff, Arthur shook his head, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Do I look daft to you? I know fine well there's only a limited demand for my services. Which is a shame, really..."

"A shame? Why do you say that?"

Narrowing his eyes, Arthur asked, "Are you here to interrogate me? Or do you actually want me to find your soulmate for you? Though, I must say, I feel sorry for whoever it is – clearly, you don't want to know about them."

"I'm here to investigate," Jones explained. "As a scientist, I want to look at a variety of... samples, you could say. I want to see how many Spin Doctors are a reality. When I show people how many are scam artists-"

"Let me stop you right there," said Arthur, raising his hand. "I'm not going to take part in this. It's bad enough that you mock our beliefs and spread lies about us, I'm not going to waste my time on someone who doesn't intend to go after whoever I tell them about."

"Are you sure?" asked Jones, tilting his head in faux innocence. Arthur glowered at him and waited for the jerk to make up his mind and leave. "You know," Jones said, slowly, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards in a smirk, "this would be a good way for you to definitively prove that the Lines work, that Spin Doctors are professionals. Don't you think...?"

"Tsk." Arthur lowered his gaze, glaring at the floor as he frantically thought. There was really no argument against that. After all, Spin Doctors didn't often get good publicity. A lot of the time, people couldn't afford to go halfway around the world to find their soulmates. Others reached them too late to save them from a premature death. Those that did find their True Soulmates through Spin Doctors didn't bother to advertise this, wanting to keep their relationship private. Some good publicity wouldn't go amiss... Sighing, Arthur stepped aside. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

Jones nodded to Arthur and stepped in, looking around. Arthur swung the door closed so that it shut with a dull thud before making his way to his desk. Normally, he would take people to the couches he had set up around a small coffee table to the side. It was supposed to relax them, according to a friend of his, but he would be damned if he let Jones relax. So he stalked around the desk and settled himself in his chair, trying to disguise the fact that it was slightly broken and in danger of tipping him from it. Jones settled in the other chair and watched Arthur keenly.

"How does this work?" Jones asked, momentarily sounding interested. Arthur carefully kept his face neutral as he pushed papers and pens around the desk in an effort to look professional. "Do I need to do anything? Like tell you preferences and all that?"

Arthur tried to keep the disgust from his face but he wasn't sure he managed.

"No," he said, shortly. "Give me your hand and don't move."

"Right," said Jones – and promptly extended his right hand, as if for a handshake.

"Your other hand," Arthur growled, now openly glaring at the man.

"Ah, sorry, my bad," said Jones.

Not bothering to respond, Arthur took Jones's hand and turned it so that his palm was facing upwards. He paused as he noted that he couldn't immediately see the little knot of red he had always seen in his clients. Frowning down at it, he said, "Where...?"

"Oh," Jones murmured and continued to stare at his hand when Arthur glanced up at him. Despite his patient, neutral expression, his cheeks and the tips of his ears were a little red. "Let me..." And, after a moment of concentration, Jones's Line came into sight, slowly extending outwards.

"You... You willed it away?" Arthur said, stunned. "But..." Arthur had only ever known people who believed to be able to do something like that. Usually they only did it when they had been hurt from where the Line led them, though. It explained a lot and dissipated much of his irritation.

"Is there a problem?" Jones asked, his voice a little strained.

"No. Let me just..." Arthur reached out with both of his hands, ready to start spinning. However, he froze as he watched Jones's Line grow clearer – and then attach to his own left hand. He stared at it, trying to understand what had just happened. A startled noise had him looking up, straight into Jones's wide, blue eyes. An instant spark of something made Arthur shudder with something like excitement or, perhaps, with apprehension. "You..." he breathed.

"What... is this?" Jones mumbled, mostly to himself. Arthur could see his shock giving way to a mess of emotions: delight, relief, fear, anger.

The last one scared Arthur.

Suddenly, Jones jerked his hand away. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, putting on a haughty air, his brow furrowed.

"I... You're my Soulmate," Arthur said quietly, hoping his words would bring Jones to his senses.

"Oh, yeah?" Jones snapped. "Which one, huh? These stupid things always lead to more than one person!"

"Well, yes," Arthur carefully admitted, holding his hands out in a futile attempt to placate him. "But... you're my True Soulmate. The one I- we are supposed to-"

"Don't give me this bullshit!" yelled Jones, startling Arthur and making him flinch. "If this is some sort of way to get back at what I was saying-!"

"What?! No! I would never- This is-"

"Save it!" Jones stood and turned from Arthur – an action which seemed to pierce Arthur's chest.

"Wait- What are you-? Where are you going?!"

Jones glared at Arthur over his shoulder, his eyes hidden by the shine of his glasses. "I'm getting the hell away from someone who would dare stage-"

"I did not-"

"I've had enough of soulmates and-and all that crap."

"You're certainly making your living out of 'all that crap'," Arthur snapped, folding his arms across his chest as if that would ease the pain he was feeling.

Silence descended for an agonising moment. "Don't contact me," Jones told him, voice quiet. "Don't come near me."

"Wha-?" Arthur watched, aghast, as Jones began to make his way to his office door. "Wait!" he cried as he realised that Jones was actually in the process of leaving. "Wait, Mister Jones! Doctor Jones!" Jones ignored him and grabbed the handle; Arthur could see his grip was tight even from across the room. In a last ditch attempt to stop him, Arthur stood from his chair, leaning against the desk in order to keep himself upright. "Alfred!"

Having just jerked the door open, Alfred paused, head turned slightly...

"...and then he just left!" Arthur cried, slamming his glass on the table.

"Oh, Arthur," said Francis with a sigh. "You really have the worst luck, don't you?"

Arthur snorted. "You're telling me?"

Reaching across the table with his right hand, Francis took Arthur's and gave it a light squeeze. "I'm sorry, cher. I really am."

Knowing he was referring to their previous relationship, Arthur rolled his eyes. "Stop being stupid," he chided him. Taking a breath he let it out in a long sigh. "I already knew I'd be alone-"

"What're you talking about?!" Gilbert demanded, frowning at Arthur from his left. "You have us!" He smiled at him, looking unbearably fond. "We're your soulmates, too."

Some of the weight on Arthur's chest lifted and he ducked his head a little to hide his smile. Despite everything, they were Arthur's closest friends. They all knew everything about each other and Arthur doubted it would have been the case if he hadn't found them all through his Line. He would always be eternally grateful to have found them.

Not that he'd ever tell them that.

"I really do have the worst luck, then..."

"Hey!" Gilbert protested.

"You don't need to worry," said Antonio suddenly, from Arthur's other side, smiling happily. "He'll come back to you."

"How do you know?" Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows.

"He's your True Soulmate, right? He won't be able to stay away."

Arthur felt himself growing warmer and realised that he'd either drunk too much or he was blushing. "Hm," he said, waiting till he'd calmed down a little so he could protest properly.

"Besides," said Gilbert, loudly, beating Arthur to the punh, "who could resist you?"

"You three?"

"Oh, come on."

"Anyway," said Francis, shaking his head at them. "He'll come back. You said he paused on the way out the door. That was him already regretting it."

"Yeah, well, so am I. I shouldn't have let him in. I should have-"

"Why would you regret meeting your True Soulmate?" Francis asked, frowning at Arthur.

He shrugged a shoulder, avoiding their eyes. "I don't...? I mean, it's nice to know that I actually have a True Soulmate."

"But?" Gilbert prompted when Arthur fell silent.

Knowing full well that he couldn't keep anything from them, Arthur sighed. "If he doesn't believe, what's going to make him return or stay?"

"Oh, Arthur," Francis murmured.

There was a silence – as much as there could be when the pub they were in was playing music and they were surrounded by increasingly loud chatter. Arthur stared down at his glass, wondering just how much alcohol would let him forget about the entire day. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. He jolted in surprise and looked up just as two more pairs of arms wrapped around his waist and chest from either side.

"I'm sorry, Arthur," said Antonio, trying to tug him close.

"Yeah," said Gilbert, pulling him away from Antonio and closer to him.

"Don't worry," Francis added, tightening his grip on Arthur and almost dislodging the others' grips. "We'll give him hell for this when he turns up again."

Biting his lip, Arthur nodded, blinking rapidly. "Thanks," he mumbled, leaning his head back on Francis's shoulder. Then, without warning, Antonio tugged him again, Gilbert pulled and Francis's grip tightened on him even more. Trying not to roll his eyes, Arthur reached up to begin prying arms off him. "All right," he said when none of them would let go. "That's enough."

"No!" Antonio cried, pouting up at him. "We've got to protect you!"

"But I'm the best one for the job," Gilbert told Antonio.

"Oh, no," said Arthur, knowing where he was going.

"Neither of you are suitable," Francis piped up. "Right, Arthur?"

Before he could reply, the tugging began anew and more earnestly. He sighed, attempting to reach for his drink. It looked as though he'd need a lot more to get through the rest of the night.

A few days later, Arthur's phone ringing woke him up. Growling at it, he dragged himself from his bed and staggered to the hall. He answered it with a short, "Hello?"

"Good morning, Arthur," said a familiar voice.

"Oh, hello, Lukas." Stifling a yawn with a hand, he tried to recall if he had asked for his friend and fellow Spin Doctor to call him back on a problem. "You don't usually call so early..."

"Ah, yes. Sorry about that," Lukas replied.

"It's not much of a problem. I probably shouldn't sleep the day away. What can I do for you?"

"Well..." Lukas paused for a moment and Arthur wondered if this was concerning Lukas's Danish crush. "I had a client today..."

"This early?" Arthur asked, glancing at the clock which showed that it was eight in the morning. "Someone must have been eager."

"Not really. He organised it a few weeks ago."

Remembering Alfred and his advanced booking, Arthur felt a sting in his chest. Absently rubbing at the area, Arthur ignored it as much as possibly. "Oh? So, who's his Soulmate?"

"You," Lukas said.

"Huh?" said Arthur, stunned. Then the realisation of what had happened hit him and he leaned forward, resting his forehead against the wall. "Oh. Yeah. That's... That's Alfred."

After a short silence, Lukas asked, "What's he doing, Arthur? He was... I've never seen someone get so angry over what I've told them. The chair he was sitting on is all bent out of shape from the way he threw it away from him when he stood up. And, if you know who he is, why is he coming to me? He's already met you."

Arthur sighed. "He's a scientist of some sort who doesn't believe in the Lines and soulmates. I'm not sure why but it seems to me that his Line has already led to others before. He..." Arthur shrugged a shoulder. "He doesn't want to know me."

"Ah. I'm sorry, Arthur. You must be hurting."

"I'm fine," Arthur declared, chuckling a little in an effort to quell Lukas's concern. "It's... Well, there's not much I can do about it, is there?"

"You could follow him," Lukas suggested.

"And look like a stalker? No, thank you." Arthur turned so his back was pressed against the wall. "As long as he's... happy, in a sense, that's fine. I hope he finds his answers."

"You know as well as I do that he won't be."

"I know, Luke. But... There's not much else I can do."

"No..."

There was a short silence as the pain Arthur was feeling grew. It was constantly on his mind now and he wasn't sure what he could do to ignore it. Unfortunately, he had the day off so he'd be unable to stop thinking about it for the rest of the day.

"I had best get going," said Lukas, suddenly. "I have another appointment – or should I say, a legitimate appointment. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah. Bye for now."

They hung up and Arthur stared down at the phone for a second. Then he lifted his hand and stared at his Line, strung taut and leading far from him.

Over the next few weeks, Arthur couldn't stop watching his Line. Most of the time it was taut but there were times when it made a loop, indicating that Alfred was within a certain area around Arthur. He suspected that most of the time it was due to Alfred flying over him.

Interestingly, he was called a lot more than usual by his acquaintances and friends who were also Spin Doctors. Every time they called, he had to steel himself and will away the pain which spiked whenever they talked to him. After all, just hearing about a man who had made appointments with them weeks in advance made him feel horrid. Every one of them had found the same answer as Arthur had, telling Alfred that his Soulmate was a Spin Doctor in London.

Oddly, the Doctors documented a strange change in Alfred's reactions. To begin with, while he was in northern and western Europe, Alfred reacted angrily, storming out of their offices without paying. Then, when he reached Elizaveta and Doru, he started to act resigned. Others told Arthur that he later seemed a little depressed for the entire appointment but at least paid them for their troubles. Finally, Kiku spoke to Arthur, waking him from a restless night's sleep – the pain having woken him several times – to tell him that Alfred had been smiling a little as he left. Arthur didn't know what to make of that.

One day, a few days after Kiku's call, Arthur returned home from work and flopped onto the couch. As had become the norm for him, he lifted his hand and stared at the Line, once more loose and flapping a little as he moved. Ignoring the stab of pain, Arthur turned on his TV and settled down to watch The Chase while he considered what to have for dinner.

He was startled from his thoughts when there was a knock at the door. Confused as to who it could be (Francis, Antonio and Gilbert were with their Soulmates tonight), he hurried to answer it. "Hell-?" he began only to freeze as he saw who was on the other side. A very sheepish Alfred was staring at the wall behind Arthur, seemingly taking great interest in it and determinedly refusing to look Arthur in the eye. "You- What are you doing here?" Arthur asked in bewilderment.

"I... I know I'm the last person you want to see but..."

Arthur frowned at him. "What makes you say that?"

Confused, Alfred looked at him. When their eyes met, Arthur had to take a breath to stay calm: Alfred's eyes were still as astonishingly beautiful as the first time he had seen them. "Well. I mean. Aren't you...?"

"If you're here to tell me that you still don't believe we're True Soulmates, then, yes, I will be furious. But... if you're here for... me..." Arthur trailed off and took his own turn to stare at the wall. "I'll be relieved," he muttered after a beat of silence.

"I think... maybe... I believe," Alfred said, slowly. "I mean, even without visiting other Spin Doctors, I haven't been able to get you out of my head..."

Fighting back a smile, Arthur eyed Alfred without turning his head. The scientist was blushing and kept looking away from Arthur. But it looked as though he couldn't stop himself from returning his gaze to Arthur. "Oh?" Arthur said.

"Mm. And, um, sometimes..." Alfred lifted a hand and clutched at his chest, directly over his heart.

Moving on instinct, Arthur reached out and gently pried Alfred's hand away. He placed his other hand flat over Alfred's heart, feeling his heartbeat pick up as he did so. As well as that, the constant pain that had been in his own chest all this time suddenly faded and he took a deep breath, feeling as though whatever had had a vice grip on him had suddenly released him. Alfred mirrored him, his breath releasing with a sigh. "So did I," Arthur murmured.

"It was because of me, wasn't it?" said Alfred, grimacing.

Arthur hesitated, unsure whether he should place that burden on the man. How would he react? Would it devastate him? Would he leave? But, when he looked at Alfred, he could see that he needed to know the truth. "Usually True Soulmates spend a few hours getting to know each other when they meet. A lot of people forget about that in order to go straight to..." Arthur trailed off and turned his head away so Alfred couldn't see him blushing.

"And I hurt you by..." Alfred bit his lip and hung his head.

Giving the idiot a light shove, Arthur waited till Alfred was looking at him again to shake his head. "Shush. I think you hurt yourself just as much." When Alfred's brow furrowed, Arthur quickly explained. "You didn't accept me. And I... well... I think, with us both rejecting each other, in a way, rejecting our bond, it hurt us both."

"You're just trying to make me feel better, aren't ya?"

"Not at all – why did you think you could still see your Line? Lines disappear when you accept your soulmate, not just meeting them – and everyone accepts their soulmate when they find them. I have seen couples where one had accepted their soulmate and their Line had disappeared from their sight but the other hadn't and could still see theirs. Since I could see it..."

"Then... you don't... want me?"

Alfred looked so much like a kicked puppy that Arthur felt his heart stop for a second, his Line twitching in time with it. "I-! It's... not like that. I just- You said you didn't believe and, with what I do, I was... scared, I suppose, that I would have to..." He trailed off, realising he was making things worse.

Blinking at him, Alfred said, "Oh. I... I'm sorry. This is..."

"Stop it," Arthur told him, sternly. "You came back, didn't you? If you went out of your way to come find me again, you believe, even if only a little."

For a second, Alfred gazed down at him, evidently surprised. Then he finally relaxed and his features seemed to soften as a glowing smile formed. It was a rather breathtaking sight and Arthur couldn't look away. Alfred reached forward, startling Arthur and making him tense. "Sorry," Alfred murmured. "Can I...?"

Despite not knowing exactly what Alfred was asking, Arthur nodded. Alfred's smile grew a little more, fond now, and he reached out again. Gently, he cupped Arthur's face in his hands and stepped closer. At the same instant, Arthur felt something thrum along their Line. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see it clearly: short, thick and glowing bright. "Oh," he breathed, glancing back up and into Alfred's eyes.

"I... Can I... kiss you?" Alfred quietly asked. "It's- I thought- I tried not to but..."

"You couldn't stop yourself, either," Arthur murmured, stepping closer so that there was barely a gap between them.

Alfred quickly nodded and ducked down as Arthur tilted himself upwards. They met in the middle, lips pressing against each other. It was both a hard kiss and a soft kiss – Arthur could practically feel Alfred's desperation, his guilt, his apology and his tentative loving feelings. Neither of them dared to deepen it and they pulled away. But only slightly.

Ghosting his fingers down Arthur's cheeks, Alfred hands wandered along Arthur's jaw, his neck, his arms until he wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist in a tight hug. Arthur huffed a single laugh and wrapped his arms around Alfred's shoulders. As he did so, he realised he felt lighter and more relaxed he had ever felt in his entire life.

While they held each other, Arthur chanced a glance at his finger: his Line was gone.

I hope that all made sense! In case it doesn't...

Basically, the Lines lead to your BFFs and also your One True Love. Unfortunately, it doesn't distinguish between them apart from a spark when you meet your True Soulmate that you feel deep in your soul, etc. But, since society is always going on about how soulmates = One True Love, people get confused and disillusioned when it shows them their BFF. Like Alfred and Arthur both get, though Alfred's angrier about it than Arthur who knows more about them.

By the way, after they finally left the hug, Arthur and Alfred had an in depth conversation about the Lines and Soulmates and whatever before they got around to getting to know each other. They definitely didn't skip straight to the other thing.

The Chase, by the way, is a gameshow which is usually shown at around 5 on ITV/STV/UTV, just before the news.