Chapter Text
"The System is an interactive program that helps people of any age find their perfect partner. Through The System's history, we've had a 99.8% success rate and is known as the most accurate among couplet pairing.
Each participant will have their own pocket-sized artificial intelligent called " Coach " that will help direct them through many different relationships to find the perfect partner. Each relationship has a time limit which can range a few hours to whole years. Coach will calculate the results, reactions, and emotions during these relationships to find the participant's soul mate.
All participants live inside The System's villages and will be able to leave once they meet their perfect partner.
Failure to Comply to rules or refuge out of The System's villages will lead to
serious consequences
."
Edward walks up to the entrance of a large building and looks around. He takes out a palm-sized white disk from his pocket and takes a deep breath,
"Coach?" he asked it, putting it up closer to his face.
"Yes, Edward" the small disk responded with a feminine voice, it's screen lighting up to show vocal waves.
Edward looked up at the building in front of him.
"Am I at the right place?"
"Affirmative. Continue into Ciro's."
Edward nodded nervously and puts Coach back into his pocket. He straightened his blazer and exhaled, entering into the restaurant.
Edward sits anxiously at his booth, bouncing his leg up and down and twiddling his fingers together.
Only earlier that week he had signed up for The System after his father basically forced him to. Last night he had officially moved into The System's "living quarters" which was all located in a built village outside of London, completely isolated from his friends and family. He hoped this dating program worked and he wasn't just going to waste the next couple years of his life.
Hearing faint frantic footsteps behind him, Edward turns and sees a man looking around the restaurant with his personal 'Coach' in hand. From what Edward can see in the dim saturated light, the man was young. and beautiful.
Edward gaped slightly. Was that him ?
He turned back around, taking out his own white disk from his pocket.
"Coach, can you tell me if the man at the entrance is who I am supposed to be having dinner with?" he whispered hopefully.
"The partner you are assigned with is Alf-"
"Is this booth 207?" A voice said, joined with a hand lying lightly on Edward's shoulder, interrupting Coach. Edward quickly shoved the small AI back into his pocket, muffling the rest of its sentence.
"uhm- y-yes! Yes it is."
The man sat down on the opposite side of the booth, Edward watched him as he straightened his satin, blue blazer. He looked up, realizing he's being watched, and smiled.
"I guess I should introduce myself," the man chuckled, "Alfred Paget," he said, extending his hand out for Edward to shake.
Edward blushes slightly and takes Alfred's hand, "Edward Drummond."
It's a slightly awkward choice to shake hands with someone you're about to be in some sort of romantic relationship with but Edward assumed there was no other way to actually surpass an introduction in a 'blind date', so he just went along with it.
Alfred's hand felt smooth, soft even and the man seemed to have the face of an angel. From the entrance of Ciro's Edward could already see he was beautiful but up close, it was on a totally different level. Alfred's hair was a warm blonde and his eyes glimmered a crystal blue under the table light.
After 10 too many seconds of shaking hands awkwardly across the table and staring at each other, they let go of each other's hands.
Alfred takes his Coach out of his pocket and looks at it, "Unfortunately this is my first time on The System so I'm not certain, but I believe this is where we see how long we are going to be stuck with one another?"
Edward smiled while taking out his own Coach, it was nice to know he wasn't the only new one to the program.
"Don't worry you are not alone, I too am a virgin of society's 'new version of Tinder'."
Alfred laughed, "God, Tinder is ancient nowadays."
Edward shrugged, "Good for the old-fashioned I suppose."
Alfred looked up at Edward and smirked.
"Well, I am glad we can experience our first times together," he said genuinely.
He put his finger on the screen of his Coach, "On three?"
Edward nodded, putting his finger on his screen.
"one.. two.. three"
They both swipe their screens at the same time, revealing how long they have together.
Both of their smiles fade slightly, Alfred squints his eyes.
"12 hours," Edward says.
That's extremely disappointing.
He assumed when he signed up for The System that the relationships would be longer than at least a few days, and he especially wished a longer time with someone who looks like that.
Alfred sighs and sets aside the white disk, Edward doing the same, "Let's not waste a minute then shall we?"
-
Edward walks up to the cabin with Alfred alongside him, he looks back and watches the car that dropped them off drive away. Turning back, he frowns.
"Is this your place?"
Alfred frowns as well, "I assumed this was yours."
Edward shook his head, he takes out Coach.
"Coach?"
The screen lights up, "Yes Edward? "
Alfred steps closer next to Edward, watching him quietly.
"Where are we?" Edward asks, bringing it closer to his mouth as if it would help make his voice clearer. Alfred smiles slightly, knowing there was no need for Edward to do that.
"You have arrived at your assigned living quarters."
Edward blinked, "Odd."
Alfred looked up at the front door, "Well then, I guess we better make our way in."
Edward nods. He grins at Alfred, feeling a bit brave, he motions his hand out.
"After you."
"You're too kind," Alfred smirked, winking at Edward and making him blush.
When they entered their abode for the night, the fireplace inside was already lit, and soft music was playing through the speakers hidden in the ceiling. It was cozy, built specifically for two people.
Alfred looked around in fascination, a shame he and Edward would only be spending a night here.
The interior was a mixture between a lodge and a modern condo, with square-like decorations and white walls but complimented with warm wooden beams, tables, and cabinets. With the main light being the dim lamps and the fireplace, it made the cabin seem vibrant against the dark night sky that could be seen through the big windows.
Edward follows Alfred when he makes his way curiously behind the wooden wall of the fireplace. Behind it opens immediately up to the bedroom, a clean, cool-hued room with skylights over the bed.
"Oh, This will do just fine." Alfred mused, looking back at Edward who stood directly behind him.
Edward grinned and looked at the bed. Though he and Alfred had just met only 2 hours ago, he knew what was probably expected of them in the remaining 10 hours they have together.
Not that he was complaining of course.
Alfred inhaled and paused as if he was deciding what to do now. Edward could see a slight smirk forming on his lips. Alfred turned around and looked up at him, their faces only a few inches apart.
"After you," he whispered, mocking Edward's words from earlier.
Edward flushed slightly, the heat in his body rising immediately.
He stood silent for a moment, Alfred switching his gaze from his eyes to his lips, waiting for him to make a move.
Edward finally leans in, softly kissing Alfred's lips. They break away for a moment, barely breathing before moving in again and engulfing each other. Their movement becomes faster, their kisses more passionate as if they weren't getting enough.
-
Earlier at dinner, Edward connected immediately with Alfred. He'd been on dates and even a few one night stands before but he had never found someone he's felt so comfortable with.
He and Alfred spoke of their interests, music (which Edward was informed that at some point, if he could, Alfred was determined to "improve his music taste", whatever that means), childhood and other random things that came up.
Apparently, Alfred has "too many" siblings and all of his elder siblings have successfully used The System. They all would bug him to try it as his love life seemed to be failing at the time.
"I was growing jealous of all the weddings I was getting invited to, tired of seeing couples everywhere I go and then coming home alone." Alfred sighs, "I gave into the leading temptation of just getting over it and signing up in spite of myself promising that I'd be different from my siblings.. so.."
".. So here you are." Edward finished.
A smirk grew on Alfred's face, "Here I am."
Time slipped away from both of them as they chattered on and on, flirting and laughing and sharing cheeky glances.
-
In between heavy kisses, Alfred pulls him toward the bed by the lapels of his blazer.
They fall onto the bed while Edward hastily takes off his blazer, he tosses it somewhere on the floor without looking. They break away from each other's lips as they help each other unbutton their shirts and trousers, Alfred being about two seconds away from saying "fuck it" and ripping their clothes off.
After fumbling with buttons and zippers, Edward crashes Alfred's lips once again with passionate kisses. He tasted like champagne and his skin felt as warm as the sun.
-
Edward takes a swallow of his food, "Alright, if you had the choice, would you rather be a royal monarch or a powerful leader in the government?"
Alfred snorts, "Interesting question."
Edward shrugs, taking a sip of his champagne.
"Let's see, wear diamonds and be spoiled all my life or be surrounded by grumpy old men for days on end. I think the diamonds sound more appealing, don't you think?"
Edward laughed, "Monarchs do more than just wear crowns, Alfred."
"Yes, but at least I'd look expensive while doing my paperwork!" Alfred chuckles, "Anyway, politics bore me to my grave, deciding who sits where at my dinner table sounds much more exciting than party debates."
Edward smiled, "Then I shall not bore you with my nerding of law and politics."
Alfred took a drink of his champagne, "Well, now, if you start speaking law then I may consider on listening."
Edward chuckled, raising his glass, "I'll keep that in mind, and if you ever become king, I shall offer to serve you for as long as you want."
"and what would you serve me, Mr. Drummond?" Alfred teased.
"Anything you desire, your majesty," Edward smirked.
"Anything?"
"Anything."
-
Alfred's eyes were a dream. Dazed with lust and passion, they reflected a vibrant blue heaven and Edward admittedly fell in love with them. They shadowed behind long eyelashes that fluttered against his skin during lush kisses.
Edward couldn't get enough of Alfred, he wanted every part of him and with the clock ticking in his sub-consciousness, there was no going slow between either of them.
Afterwards, as Alfred sleeps soundly on his chest, Edward stares up into the skylight, watching the stars peek through the thin clouds.
He reaches over to the bedside table beside him and picks up his Coach, the screen shines a digital "6:57:58" back at him. Edward sighs and puts it back down, 7 hours left. Only 7. Basically, in the morning they wake up and leave, there's not even enough time to eat breakfast together.
Then what? They go on with their lives until they are assigned with someone else and the cycle repeats? Would they even see each other afterward? According to the pamphlet Edward read when signing up, it was very rare for two people to be matched up more than once.
Edward looks down at Alfred, he strokes his hair gently.
What if Alfred forgot about him? It will be almost impossible for Edward to forget him, and it'd be heartbreaking to find out that he in return was not remembered.
Edward felt like he's known Alfred forever, yet it's only been five hours. Not even a full day.
Only five hours and seven more to go and then they were to be separated, the more Edward thought about that the more he didn't want it. He wondered what would happen to a couple that went against the rules and stayed for longer than what they were supposed to. Edward threw away that thought, he didn't want Alfred or himself to be harmed because of his foolish fleeting ideas. Plus who knows, if this one night stand -if Edward can even call it that-, and other couplings to come is to match him with his "ultimate soulmate", then he might as well try and detach himself because somehow there is someone out there better than Alfred.
But a part of him just doesn't want to let him go.
Edward watched him sleep, Alfred's eyelids stirring as he dreams. Edward frowns sadly, he will miss him dearly.
-
Edward closes the front door of the cottage behind him. He and Alfred both have their Coaches in hand, watching the screen as it's countdown goes from 10 seconds to 0. At each number, Edward's wistfulness of the previous night increased. The more it went down the more he didn't want to say goodbye.
When it hits 0, both men hesitate. Edward looks up and clears his throat.
"I guess this is goodbye."
Alfred nods, "I assume so."
They look at each other, eyes full of unsaid words yet neither know what to say.
Alfred smiles shyly, "See you around."
Edward smiles back and nods, "See you around." he repeats with a hint of sadness.
Alfred reluctantly turns around and begins walking away. Edward watches him for a few moments, he has a fleeting temptation to run after him but he pushes it away. He then turns around and walks in the opposite direction.
As Edward walks down the hilly road, only five minutes away from the cabin he and Alfred just left from, his Coach began to ring. Edward frowns and takes it out of his pocket. Its screen was lit up, showing Edward's profile.
"You have a new match."
Edward looks at it confused, "Already? I've only just left-"
"Arrive at Ciro's in two hours."
Then the screen went off. Without another word. Edward puts it back in his pocket and continues walking. Alright, it looks like he will have to move on quicker than he originally thought.