The Elusive Mr. Kirkland

1

A ball so extravagant and welcoming was nothing but a bore to one particular individual who sat himself inbetween a fine duo of ladies. The infamous lady charmer, Alfred F. Jones.

He had arrived in fashion at the request of Francis Bonnefoy, a handsomely rich and over the top noble he had come to know throughout his time spent in England. Nasty rumors spread about what was done with his money in an attempt to defame his character. Having befriended this fine fellow, he knew them to be false and was appauled by people trying to dirty his character through false accusations, such as encouraging prostitution in his manor.

Still, the rumors could not damper his fun and he still enjoyed a good party. Considering the large crowds, people didn't mind much either.

Large, obnoxiously bright dresses, endless drinks provided, and lovely music all made for an enjoyable night for most.

Alfred smiled brightly and laughed, sipping his glass of wine as he talked about the same thing he had repeatedly with different people. Any conversation of interest wasn't to be had and the women approaching him throughout the night didn't interest him in the slightest- it was almost painful to pretend to be enjoying himself. He usually did, but the women were usually drunk out of their minds as well. It was still too early in the night. Anyways, they were all the same to him, proving to be nothing more than a pretty face like himself.

He set his glass down on the table, getting up and politely excusing himself. The women looked after him longingly as he retreated into the crowd, pushing past people and mumbling quiet apologies as he made his way outside into the courtyard.

A slight drizzle kept the more appearance conscious people inside, luckily. That being said, few chose to remain outside where they would get wet. Those who were outside stayed close to the house, ready to go back inside if the weather worsened. It was bound to eventually- it was England, afterall.

He glanced around the courtyard, sticking his hands in his pockets for what slight warmth it would provide. It was quite chilly; some of the girls shook as they tried to ignore it. Their dresses weren't exactly meant for the weather. Instead, they showed off their curves in their thin, flattering dress of choice. An odd but understandable trade off in his opinion. They wanted to find a husband before they aged beyond liking, which made fighting off the cold not a priority.

He flashed a smile at whomever looked his way as he strolled through the wet grass and away from all the people. Sure he was great at socializing, but everyone needs a breather at times. Even Francis, surprisingly. This thought caused him to ponder where the cocky Frenchman could be, but he tucked the question in his mind for later as he approached the lovely garden.

The garden was bland from first glance- it was bordered by hedges except for two entrances, one in the back and one in the front. Once he entered, his eyes were bombarded with the various bright lights lining the pathway to the fountain in the center and the blinding colors of the many types of flowers. On either side of the fountain were two benches, one of which seemed to be occupied by a rather grumpy looking gentleman. Becoming nosy as to why someone would be sitting out here alone, he approached the man and plopped down next to him.

Clearly startled, the man looked up at him, green eyes in surprise before narrowing them. "Can I help you?"

Alfred smiled wide, up to the challenge of engaging in conversation with him. "Can you, or will you?"

The man rolled his eyes. "Bug off if you simply came to be bothersome."

Alfred chuckled, not deterred in the slightest. "Alright, alright. I wanted to know how such a socially capable and totally not a turn off guy like yourself is doing out here."

He scoffed, becoming agitated if he wasn't already before. "Your sarcasm is very evident, Mr...?"

"Jones. Alfred Jones." He pointed a thumb in his direction and winked.

"Right... well. Mr. Jones, I suggest you watch who you're speaking with."

"And with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

"Arthur Kirkland."

Alfred turned the name over in his thoughts. He'd definetely heard that name dropped by Francis a couple of times, but never in a positive way. His gaze flicked down to Arthur's attire, taking in the details. By the looks of it, he had to be of a higher class. Another noble, probably. It indeed meant he should watch what he said.

Nobles tended to be extremely snobbish and downright cruel if they wanted to be. They put down the poor and more often than not, got them arrested. Say the wrong things, look at them the wrong way, and they'd have you behind bars. Not saying that all nobles were bad... just the majority.

"Arthur... got it."

"I'd prefer Mr. Kirkland."

Alfred nodded, his smiling faultering a bit. Of course the most interesting person here had to be the epitome of a rich snob. "Mr. Kirkland it is, then."

Arthur picked up on the slight change of mood and turned his attention to the fountain. Most people would've left by now, but Alfred seemed to be persistent, or rather too stupid to pick up on the hint that he shouldn't be here. He was interesting to say the least. He sighed and mumbled. "I will."

"...Pardon?"

"I will help you by humoring your behavor, Mr. Jones. I came out here for the fresh air. The smell of a ballroom full of sweaty and desperate people isn't really what I call a good night out."

Alfred's smile became a little more natural. "Hey, they can't help being desperate. They gotta find 'love' somehow."

"Why put it like that?"

He ran his fingers through his hair, partially ruining it and causing his cowlick to stand up more than before. "People here are fake, I'm sure you've noticed that much. They fall in love with cash, not people. I don't really blame them, but it's kinda ridiculous."

"I suppose that's why we are both out here away from them, then... if I had to guess, I mean. I don't think anyone could pretend to be you."

Alfred shrugged, not really sure of the truthfullness of his words. Arthur seemed genuine, but sorting himself out was a completely different story. "Who knows, I could be just like the rest of them. Maybe you could, I dunno, hang around with me a bit and find out?"

Arthur returned his gaze to Alfred, giving him a rather odd look. It seemed to be caution. "Who says I want to?"

He tilted his head to the side, grinning widely. "I say. You're absolutely dying to get to know me. You could of got up and walked away this entire time, you know."

Arthur seemed to be searching for words to defend him staying, but he settled on a simple "fine."

Mentally cheering, Alfred hopped up and extended his hand. "Let's get you out of this rain, hm?"

A/N: First Hetalia fanfic I actually bothered to post. Hopefully this goes well and I hope you enjoyed!