Does this look malignant to you?

"You know what else is bad? Letting a rodent roam free in a hospital," Arthur snapped, slumping more against the window, eyes half shut. "And yes, yes I am. Your powers of deduction are absolutely astounding Mr. Bonnefoy, good Lord, I can only wonder what the field of medicine would come to if you actually used your smarts for something useful."

Casting a small glance at him, Arthur let out another small sigh, taking a breath of the cigarette again. "I suppose you enjoyed that, didn't you? Seeing Dr. Kirkland frightened of a small animal?"

It was more sad than anything, to see the doctor like that- but Francis valued his well-being too much to point that out to Arthur. He sighed and crossed his arms. "I do not let her roam free, she just keeps me company, that's all," he insisted quietly.

"And your sarcasm is better off used somewhere that it has not been used multiple times over," he sighed. "I'd rather you not be afraid of Ver, however, especially seeing as she's taken a liking to you for Dieu only knows why. Normally she's shy around people she doesn't know."

Arthur snorted. "She's a foul little creature," he murmured, more to himself than to Francis, "And I don't give a damn if she has 'taken a liking to me', I don't want her crawling around my office or anywhere near me. Understand? I know you like her Mr. Bonnefoy but I am already bending the rules just allowing her to be within the boundaries of the hospital."

He reached out, stabbing the smoke into a small ashtray on the ledge of the window, letting the small breeze inside and running his hands through his hair, now calmed down. "And the sarcasm is part of the job," he said, smile a little more biting than before, "Did I not put than in my contract?"

Francis' eyes narrowed slightly but he didn't respond to Arthur's insults, he'd heard them all before and seeing as how the Briton seemed to be terrified of his little cute fur ball, the Frenchman couldn't really blame him. He nodded slightly, lightly rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Oui... oui I will be more careful," he said quietly, glancing back at the animal in question and smiling at the slight squirming in his coat.

"And it gets old when you 'ave heard it for a few months," Francis admitted, looking at Arthur through the corner of his eye. "But I do believe you promised to go out with me for drinks. Do you think you could suck up your arrogance for at least a trip to the bar?"

Oh damn. He had said that, but it was more out of impulse than anything else, just a need to say something to get the little furball off his lap. He slipped off his own lab coat, straightening out his sweater, sitting down in his chair with a small 'oof'. Straightening the papers idly, he didn't look up at the Frenchman when he spoke.

"You... Still want to go for drinks?" he said, "And I don't know Mr. Bonnefoy, I've got a busy schedule and-"

The Frenchman's hand reached over, taking the papers from Arthur's hands and setting them down. He leaned forward on the hand, smiling down at the doctor and quirking his head, studying the brit's face again. "It's just one evening. There are other doctors here, s'il vous plait Kirkland-"

He paused, arching an eyebrow. "And... you can call me Francis. I am... as they say- not my father, oui?"

It took a moment for Arthur to realise that Francis was staring at him and he slowly looked up, fixing Francis with an equally curious stare. "Mr. Bonnefoy, I call you that because we are colleges, no, because you are my student and I am your teacher." he leaned forward, trying to grab the papers back, "I will not be calling you Francis."

Leaning back in his chair, Arthur watched him. "One evening," he couldn't believe he was saying this, "That's it?"

"Well you just did..." Francis murmured to himself, shaking his head and sighing slightly. He moved his hand to the papers, leaning on them and keeping them out of Arthur's reach. After all, he wanted those emerald green eyes to be focusing on him right now, not some silly paperwork that the Brit could always do later. Even though it seemed he was always doing paperwork...

It didn't take long for the huff to subside and transform into another grin, the Frenchman's white teeth flashing at Arthur as he nodded quickly. "Oui oui, of course. But it could not hurt, you know- if it was more than one night! You could get out and 'ave some fun and I would finally 'ave someone to spend time with besides Ver~"

"The implications behind that last statement are very very unnerving." Arthur mumbled, shaking his head, standing up slowly, snatching the papers from the Frenchman's hand, turning around and moving to his filing cabinet, hiding them away in neatly organised folders. "Bestiality, wouldn't put it past him... strange Frog..."

Finally deciding that one night out couldn't hurt, Arthur turned to him. "Alright. A few drinks, that's it."