England x Reader

Getting to know you too

I ended up unintentionally spending the whole day with Arthur. He told fantastic stories and I found out that he had a few different jobs, though all in the same sort of field. He was a piano teacher, violinist and a performer (both in drama and music). What I also found out was that he was a terrible cook. For lunch, he had decided to cook fish and chips. Classic British. By the time it came out of the oven, the once pale fish was black and had shrunk to half its original size. I laughed at how hilarious the whole thing looked and decided to help him with the rest of the meal. Arthur was a little upset at first; he really did try his best, but he soon perked up when the meal did eventually turn out well (with my help). After lunch, Arthur decided to give me a tour of the house, since I was feeling better and my temperature had gone back to normal (all I had to shift now was the snotty nose). I hadn't realised just how large the house was, in fact, it was verging on the size of a small mansion. Each room was decorated slightly differently, reflecting a time period. Arthur began to speak of the history that was represented in each room and how he had wanted to capture the pasts of England. "Do you live alone, Arthur?" I said suddenly. I hadn't mean for it to come out like that and I apologised immediately afterwards, but Arthur brushed it off, saying "I do, but I have a few siblings and friends who frequently come to visit, so I'm not always alone. Besides, I don't mind my own company, so a large house is a rather pleasant thing to have. Have you seen the library yet?" He asked with a smile.

"You have a library!" My eyes lit up and I could barely contain my excitement. Arthur chuckled at my childish reaction and I blushed in embarrassment. He took my hand and led me to the 'magical kingdom of books'. I blushed even more as his warm hand encased my own but I didn't say anything, in fact, I rather liked the feeling, wishing this moment would never stop.

"Here we are, Love." Arthur stopped at the large, wooden door and opened it, carefully watching my reaction. I gazed in wonder at the sheer expanse of the room, my eyes glistening with delight as I spun around, taking in every ounce of scenery.

Arthur's POV:

She looked so radiant. I couldn't take my eyes off her; she was just so...perfect. 'Snap out of it Arthur! This is no time to be thinking such things.' I smiled at her as she looked my way, and I began telling her about the history of the house and how I came to acquire it. She listened with such interest, her eyes shining brightly with enthusiasm, reflecting my own passion for history and literature. Her flowing [H/c] hair only emphasised how stunning she was and I couldn't help but blush every time she smiled at me. Whenever she laughed my body warmed and it felt as though I was hearing the laugh of an angel. Her beautiful [E/c] eyes shone, lighting up her flawless features. [Name] suddenly waved her hand in front of my face. Wait, what?

Your POV:

I noticed Arthur had stopped talking and was staring intently at me, his emerald eyes shining so alluringly; I felt as though I would be consumed by in the fire in his eyes. "Hey, Arthur? Hello?" I waved my hand in front of his dazed face. He jumped, blinking several times and looked about the room in slight confusion. "S-Sorry, Love; I'm not sure what happened there. I guess my mind wandered." He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "That's alright, I do that all the time," I replied cheerfully.

Once the tour was finished, we both ended up spending the remainder of the day in the library; me admiring the vast collection of books, and Arthur contently reading one of his favourites: Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles. My clothes had dried surprisingly quickly so I was able to change and give back the borrowed clothes. As I walked down the spiral staircase of the library I glanced at the grandfather clock that sat in the corner of the room, chiming strictly. "That time already!" I exclaimed abruptly, making Arthur jump. "Good gracious! 6 o'clock! We'd better get going." We took off, out of the library and dashed down the stairs. After I'd gathered together all my belongings, we strode out the door and walked back to my house. Arthur had insisted on walking me home, which I thought was incredibly sweet of him and made me feel overjoyed that I had made such a good friend.

As I stepped up to the front door and rang the doorbell, I felt a sense of dread wash over me as I awaited my parent's reactions to me arriving home at such a time, in such a state, and with such a person. I'd never brought home a guy before. Sure, I had one or two guy-friends but they'd never actually come round my house. I glanced back at Arthur and gave him a small reassuring smile, though it felt like I was just reassuring myself. 'I'm sure Mum and Dad won't overreact, it's not like he's your boyfriend or anything, [Name].' I blushed at the thought. My mind was interrupted with the opening of the front door. My parents stood, mouths agape for a minute, staring it the bizarre sight in front of them. "[Name]! Where have you been?! We got your messages and your father came back as soon as possible! We thought something awful had happened when we couldn't find you at home! Why didn't you answer your phone?!" Mum's voice rose from worry to anger and Dad only made me feel worse when he held a hard, stern stare that penetrated my soul. I sank lower and lower into myself as my parents waged war on my embarrassed and guilty self but all I could think of was 'Please, scold me later, just not now in front of Arthur!' My mother eventually stopped, after what seemed like hours, and looked over at Arthur, who had been standing there awkwardly for quite some time. "Hello, are you a friend of [Name]'s?" She smiled sweetly and walked towards him giving him a warm handshake. I've always been terrified by how quickly she can turn from being angry to hospitable. It was quite a skill. "I'm Arthur, Arthur Kirkland. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs [Surname]." He shook her hand, seemingly unfazed by what had just happened. Mum and Dad smiled warmly at Arthur and invited him into the house. 'Oh boy' I inwardly sighed to myself as I followed everyone in, my parents chatting away to Arthur while he summarised what had happened and why I hadn't been home. I was relieved to hear them accept the story. As we sat comfortably in the lounge, I quickly mouthed "Thank you," to Arthur, to which he smiled in understanding.

The antique clock in the kitchen began to chime; I counted eight. Arthur stood up, apologising that he had to get back home (and mentioning something about "not wanting to impose any more", oh the politeness), thanking my parents for the hospitality as we all ushered him to the door, wishing him a safe trip home. As my parents waved from the door, I went out to the end of our small driveway to see him off. "Thank you so much for today, I really appreciate everything you've done and if there's any way I can make it up to you, then don't hesitate to ask. It's the least I can do to thank you." I gushed and Arthur chuckled at how much I had thanked him today. "It really was nothing, Love. I'm just glad I was able to make such a good friend. So thank you." I held out my hand to shake but he surprised me by taking it and pressing his warm lips against my cold knuckles. I blushed deeply as he walked away smiling and waving. I looked down into my enclosed palm and saw a small bit of crumpled paper. It was Arthur's phone number. 'Damn, he's smooth' I giggled and walked back to the house, glad to see that my parents hadn't witnessed what had just happened. Just before I stepped inside, I gazed up at the clear, starry sky, sighing with contentment. 'I feel like this is the start of something.' I thought wistfully, stepping into the warm house and closing the door behind me.