Alfred is manning the trolley. The trolley is playing ‘All Star’ at an extremely loud volume. He is distracted. The trolley is moving at 65mph. There is very little time to react
Arthur has cloned himself. He and his clones have been super glued to the track by an unknown person.
Francis is standing by the lever. You can get his attention by screaming. You have ten seconds to convey that you want him to pull the lever….if you want him to. Otherwise, leave him be.
Feliciano will get up and move depending on which way the trolley goes. His death is inevitable.
What will you do
Now I’m going to answer this unironically, as if OP has a gun pointed at my head.
The thing that everyone forgets is that Alfred/America is the one on the trolley. This is key. We have no say in this. It’s his choice. This is not a moral dilemma. This is an exercise in character interpretation and hypothetical conjecture.
However, it’s actually impossible to tell if America at that very moment is in the “spite england ya’ll” or “haha you can’t die yet you owe me money” or “of course imma hero here to save you!” mood. Their relationship perpetually oscillates between these contradictory truths, and sometimes all three mindsets are at play at the same way. Canon America’s brain is fucking wild. Hell, I’d make the case that if he could run all of England’s clones over, killing them, and claim it wasn’t his fault (”the trolley was going too fast” “I couldn’t decide in time”) and get away with it, he absolutely would. But see, even ifhe decided instinctively to spare England, his vitriolic ally, there is the added complication of assuming that France would go along with it.
You see, France can just as easily feign not understanding America’s incomprehensible yelling as his voice is distorted from the wind caused by the trolley speeding at 65 mph, and therefore conveniently allowing his insignificant other, his pain in the ass rival, to perish without taking the blame for it. This is also a possibility that he’s in a non-bitchy mood and does not wish violence upon England, yet who could blame him if he couldn’t hear America over that obnoxious All Stars music that was playing “at an extremely loud volume”? This situation makes it almost impossible for England to survive, evenifthey both made a conscious decision to save him.
Italy’s role here is completely irrelevant. He dies either way and neither America or France have strong feelings of resentment towards poor Italy, unlike England whom they share a common disdain for, yet at the same time wouldn’t feel right to end in such a premature way.
My answer is, of course, that the trolley will continue to take its course, as the universe intended. RIP England.
Then again, this is all irrelevant because they’re all fucking immortal metaphysical representations of nationalism and England and/or Italy will simply re-spawn and come back to life eventually. Then maybe England can explain why he thought it’s be a good idea to clone himself and who is the ‘unknown person’ who tied him on the tracks. Then maybe Italy can explain to them why he was feeling suicidal that day. Yeah, maybe we ought to unpack that??? What America was doing on top of that thing and France standing around the lever being extra is completely in-canon, needs no explanation. I rest my case.
Show me what I have to do to be like the cool kids
[ID: HWS Japan in embroidered meiji uniform in a semi-seated position holding hws china’s bloody severed head in one white gloved hand and a sword in the other. He is looking up cautiously. In the background are designs of flowing waves and golden crysanthemums, at the bottom, with the profiles of hws england and america in the back. /end ID]
Thats right, folks, you heard it here first! @maplebdraws,@skullycloud and I have collabed to bring you a HWS England 2022 Pinup Calendar!!
Preorders will be open until January 7th and after that they’re closing forever, so if YOU would like your very own sexy England to help get you through the next year, then you can order your calendar right HERE
**Due to the semi-nsfw nature of the calendar, we do ask that you be at least 16yrs old to order, ty!!**
Hello and welcome to the GerEng server. Share your ideas and chat with fellow shippers. But please be aware this is a 15+ server so don’t join if you’re under 15. Thank you and enjoy!
@nsfhetalia I know you are in the middle of moving over to a new blog, but I know you do boosts so I figured I’d @ you. No pressure to do it though!
Helltalia-inc is still active until I finish completing to move out and to release the 2022 Hetalia Calendar
Arthur was having a rather terrible morning. From the moment he’d woken up with the nastiest headache in existence to the moment he’d stumbled out of his bedroom it’d been an absolute disaster. However none of it came close to what was awaiting for him in his living room. The Englishman had stumbled into the room desperately trying to get to his bathroom mirror where he kept the Ibuprofen when he’d quite literally fell face first into the floor. The loud thud of his boney body hitting his hardwood floor sounded out through his apartment. Pain flared up in the areas where he had landed awkwardly, his nose stinging from the harsh impact of his fall.
“OW-! SON OF A BITCH-!”
Arthur hissed in pain, the swear loud throughout his apartment. Wondering why he fell in the first place he pushed himself up onto his elbows, cursing and full of agony. Forcing his throbbing head to turn and take in his living room the Brit glared at the area before his gaze landed on something that wasn’t supposed to be there. The moment he processed what he was looking at what irritation he was feeling died rather fast. There laying on his living room floor was a man. He was curled up somewhat, his body limp and unresponsive as he laid there. That in itself was unsettling enough but what really did Arthur in was what was attached to the man. Or more specifically his back.
Two large silvery white wings were attached.
Arthur felt his entire being stiffen in dread and horror as he realized that the man passed out on his floor wasn’t something from this world. No he was something from the other side of the veil. The place that had been making Arthur’s life a literal hell for his entire life. Throbbing pain long forgotten Arthur scrambled backwards on his bottom fighting the urge to completely lose it. Breathing in a fast and somewhat panicky manner Arthur tried to calm himself down from the threatening anxiety attack that was quickly building up. As he took shaking deep breaths he finally took notice of the stranger’s condition. One of his large wings was cut deeply, almost as if it’d been slashed at with claws. Blood was sluggishly coming out of the wound, staining the feathers and his floor. Dark brusies were forming on his chest, barely hidden by his strange clothes.
He was hurt, and rather badly if the wounds were anything to go by.
The Englishman was suddenly hit with conflicting emotions, his already aching head seemingly going haywire as thoughts raced around in it.
‘I need to go before he wakes up and sees me, maybe go to Yao’s and hide out in the shop for awhile. Ugh but he’s hurt, I can’t just leave him bleeding on my floor! Creature from the other side or not he’s still a living person, at least I think he is. Fucking hell what do I do?????’
His mind screeched running itself in circles as he tried to come to a decision on what he should do. From personal experience he’d learned quite fast that things from the other side of the veil weren’t to be messed with. Even those that seemed relatively harmless such as fairies could cause some serious harm in the long run. The young man had been in far too many situations where a prank from fairies had harmed him in some way, shape, or form. And they were just fairies, low level type of creatures. Arthur had only experienced two instances where he had ran into things from the other side that were extremely dangerous and he never wanted to go through that again. But another part of Arthur, the one that wasn’t logic driven couldn’t seem to turn his back on the wounded creature. Arthur had always been a person who was driven more by his heart than his head. When it came down to it he always followed his heart. It was the main reason why he’d always got into fights.
Staring at the unconscious stranger Arthur chewed at his bottom lip mindlessly, thinking. After a moment or so the Englishman finally let out a frustrated groan. With a bit of effort he somewhat moved himself back within reach of the stranger and pulled at the sweater that he was wearing. Yanking it off he placed it on the bleeding gashes on the large limb and pressed it to help stop the bleeding.
“Kirkland you really are a bloody moron, for Christ sake.”
He growled at himself lowly as he pressed the sweater that was slowly becoming a deep crimson color to the wound. He remained in this position for a few minutes before deeming it alright to stop applying pressure. Getting up onto his feet the young Brit practically sped walked to his bathroom and began to dig under his sink. After searching for a minute or two he finally found what he was looking for and grabbed it. Rushing back into his living room Arthur began to do his work. Removing the now ruined sweater Arthur took a look at the gashes before grabbing a wet rag that he had and began to clean the wounds. A small pained whimper came from the unconscious being, making Arthur flinch at the sound. Once all the dried blood was cleared up Arthur swore under his breath as he finally got a good look at the gashes.
There were about four of them on the wing, and they were incredibly deep. Even though Arthur had put pressure on them they still continued to bleed even if lightly. It occurred to him that he was possibly going to have to switch the wounds up and wrap them. Reaching for the medical box he’d grabbed Arthur popped it open and began to look for the medical thread and sewing needle. It didn’t take long for him to find them and he quickly began to get them ready and then with a gentle but firm grip on the wing to hold it still Arthur began the process. As soon as he’d gotten started the creature let out another pained cry, making Arthur shush him softly.
“Shhh, I know you can’t really hear me but it’ll be over soon. I’ll be finished in a jiffy, and then you’ll feel a lot better. Just be patient lad.”
The Englishman spoke softly and soothingly. The creature seemed to relax at his voice and went back to being limp in his unconscious state. From then on Arthur continued to work, switching the flesh back together and cooing softly at the being whenever he’d tense in his rest. Arthur had no idea how long he’d sat there and worked, putting his wing back together and then applying healing ointment and wrapping it. But by the time he was done his fingers were stained with blood and gently throbbed from working so much. However he wasn’t done yet, as he gently turned the winged stranger over a bit careful of his wing and applied more ointment to the large bruises that painted his chest. Once he was finished Arthur then gently picked him up, his arms and legs shaking a bit before making his way back to his bedroom. When the injured man was tucked into Arthur’s bed and covered in his blankets the Englishman quietly made his way out of the bedroom and back into the living room closing the door behind him. In a somewhat daze Arthur dragged himself to his kitchen to make some tea. As he got the kettle going and got his teacup and sugar and teabag it finally began to really hit him.
Nearly collapsing into his chair, Arthur felt his hands begin to shake slightly from the stress of the events that had occurred. Placing his face into his hands Arthur let himself drown in his thoughts. He’d done something he’d never done before. Had done something that could potentially get him killed. With a harsh, shaky sigh Arthur stared at his kitchen table through his fingers.
'What have you gotten yourself into now Arthur?’
~~~~~
Pain.
All he felt was pain in his chest and wing. Sharp and stinging and overwhelming. Then he felt something sharp pierce the tender and shredded flesh of his injured wing, an invisible force pulling it back together. He let out a pained whimper wanting it to stop.
'Please stop it hurts. I just want to go home please just let me go home….’
His cloudy thought begged. Then a voice spoke to him. Soft and smooth, gentle as a butterfly’s wings. A voice full of warmth and comfort.
“Shhh, I know you can’t really hear me but it’ll be over soon. I’ll be finished in a jiffy, and then you’ll feel a lot better. Just be patient lad.”
The mysterious voice said to him. It made him feel safe, as if nothing in the world could hurt him as long as he was near the voice. He felt his body relax at it, drifting in the sea of unconsciousness. Every time he felt pain and cried out the voice would talk to him, soft and reassuring. With each word it said the more he began to notice somewhat. It was accented and familiar yet unfamiliar. It made his already swimming mind more confused. He wanted to come back to the world so he could see who this voice was. He wanted to ask, wanted to open his eyes yet his body didn’t respond to his wishes. Too weak and in pain to really do much else other than rest. His mind went back into the dark shortly after.
Warmth.
He was surrounded by warmth.
The angel finally opened his eyes, the world bright and fuzzy. Blinking a few times he began to actually see what was in front of him. A small room full of books, a desk in the corner with small trinkets and a strange rectangle that he recognized as a laptop. Confused he then took note that he was in a bed, blankets wrapped around him to keep him warm. Staring a bit he couldn’t help but feel a sense of recognition. This room…….he’d seen this room before…….but where…….?
Suddenly he was hit with memories. The confrontation with the demon with red eyes and silver hair, the pain he felt when his sharp claws tore through his wing. Him barely managing to get away and landing in the room before passing out. Why was he attacked by the demon? He was doing something…….
'Arthur. The demon had attacked Arthur.’
The thought made Feliciano sudden hyper aware, his hazy thoughts becoming crystal clear as he remembered his charge. Without a thought the angel flung up in the bed, his eyes wide with panic before the sudden agony hit him. His wing burned like a hot iron making him cry out. In his pained panic he began to struggle against the blankets not realizing that he was close to the edge of the bed. Feli toppled over the edge letting out a startled yelp as he fell. His body hit the floor harshly making him cry out again and tears spring to his eyes at the pain. The angel struggled to try and get his bearings when the sounds of footsteps rushing towards the bedroom was heard. Feli barely managed to not scream as the door flew open. The angel’s head snapped up and he stiffened. Standing in the doorway with a concerned and frazzled look was his charge Arthur Kirkland. The Englishman was looking at him in a dumbfounded manner, his usually messy blonde hair even more messier. His green eyes were wide and boring into the angel with shock, his mouth opened in a gaping manner. The two stared at each other, Feliciano practically frozen in his place in a stunned silence. Arthur seemed to snap out of his shock first and the baffled look became one of concern. Without much thought Arthur reached out to him and with a gentle yet strong grip he began to help Feli off of the floor.
“Bloody hell mate! You need to be more careful, for God’s sake I just managed to get your wounds fixed up! The last thing I need to you to do is pop your stitches and bleed out! Damnit are you okay-”
Arthur began to say and question, unaware of the angel’s stunning shock. Feliciano just stared at his charge, unable to believe what was happening. Arthur was a human and because he was human he shouldn’t be able to touch him. He shouldn’t be able to talk to him. For Heaven’s sake Arthur shouldn’t even be able to see him! Yet here he was doing all of that like it was no big deal. Feli opened his mouth and then closed it before opening it again.
“You can see me?”
The Italian blurted out making the Brit’s questioned ramblings come to a halt. Thick eyebrows furrowed in confusion on the man’s face.
“What?”
Arthur asked not getting it.
“You, you can see me how can you see me? Humans aren’t supposed to see me so why-?”
Feliciano began to ask confusion and panic in his tone. Feli wasn’t supposed to be seen, that was one of the biggest rules that he’d been told. He was never to reveal himself unless it was absolutely necessary and that was for life or death situations involving Arthur’s safety. Arthur’s face got a look of dawning realization before his expression became cautious.
“Uh well……the thing is……”
Arthur stumbled somewhat looking suddenly extremely uncomfortable. Feliciano stared at him, concern rising up at the Brit’s discomfort.
“Look let me just……get myself situated I’ll uh explain…..”
Arthur finally finished, though he didn’t look all to pleased with it. The angel gave a small hesitant nod his lips thinned in a anxious expression. Once the angel was situated Arthur made his way towards the door.
“I’ll be right back, just…..don’t move.”
The man said not giving Feli time to respond before he was out of sight. Now that shock wore off the angel felt the familiar feeling of fear build up. He had no idea what Arthur was feeling or planning but he knew that the terrifying Englishman wasn’t someone who should be toyed with. Anxiety began to build up as he thought of all the moments when Arthur had lost his temper and the fight he had been in when they first met. His gut sunk.
~~~~~
Arthur was in the kitchen trying not to completely lose his collective shit. The creature had wanted an explanation for why Arthur was able to see him and the man was far from happy. Arthur would rather be anywhere but in his apartment at that moment. He silently cursed himself for his moment of weakness and for not thinking things through. He never wanted to explain to a creature from the other side about his supposed gift. He’d been warned ever since he was fourteen by Yao about how dangerous it could be for him. Arthur could already hear the Asian man’s voice in his head, scolding and furious at him for his rather idiotic mistake.
'You absolute idiot do you want to die?!? For God sake I taught you better than that! You and your bleeding heart are going to get yourself killed!’
His inner voice of Yao shouted at him. Arthur groaned lowly mentally beating himself in the head with a baseball bat. He knew that what he’d done wasn’t the wisest thing. He knew that if he wasn’t careful he could very well end up in a coffin six feet under or somewhere in the veil of a monstrous creature’s stomach having been devoured. For a brief horrifying moment Arthur got a image of his body being torn to shreds by one of those creatures that lurked in the dark. Each piece of him being eaten by them while he died slowly and painfully. Then the image of his loved ones standing over a hole in the dirt hit him. He could see the looks on their faces. Francis, devastated and broken unable to handle it. Yao, grim and grievous for the man he considered a son. Arthur shook his head to rid of the disturbing images that his mind came up with.
'No, I’m not going to let them take me. I’ve gone the past twenty three years fighting to stay alive and I won’t let this creature ruin it.’
The Englishman thought determined to make sure that he made it through this. He didn’t have the luxury to be taken down, not when he had people like Francis and Yao who needed him. Taking a deep breath and putting on his best determined game face on the Brit squared his shoulders and made his way back to the bedroom. He would explain only the important details, and he’d make sure that this winged stranger knew just who he was messing with.
~~~~~
Feliciano was fiddling with the edge of the blanket in a nervous way when Arthur came back into the room a few minutes later. The Englishman’s expression was stone like, his eyes blazing with determination. The angel couldn’t help but flinch in fear at the look, his body trembling lightly. Arthur grabbed his chair at the desk and pulled it up to the bed, keeping a somewhat distance between them. The two were quiet, the atmosphere tense.
“So you wanted to know why I could see you correct?”
Arthur asked his tone crisp and short. Feli barely got his fear under control as he responded.
“S-si, I want to know how you can see me.”
Feli squeaked in a high strung manner yet Arthur didn’t seem to pay him any mind. Instead his already sharp gaze seemed to get even more sharper.
“I’ll tell you how I can see you. But I have some questions of my own I’d like answered. I’m not going to give you anything unless you give something in return.”
The Brit said stern. The Italian looked at him with a wide eyed stare before a thoughtful look came across his face. It seemed reasonable to an extent. Giving Arthur a hesitant nod the angel agreed but not before setting down some rules.
“That’s fine. However if you ask me a question that I can’t answer, you’ll have to accept it.”
Feliciano said his voice holding a small tremor in it as he tried to be confident. Arthur nodded agreeing.
“Same goes for me as well.”
He said simply. Now that the rules were applied Arthur began to shoot out questions.
“First off who are you and what are you?”
Arthur asked his eyes honed in on the angel. Feli jumped a bit startled by how fast his charge was at asking his questions.
“Ah well my name is Feliciano Vargas. I’m an angel of the Lord.”
The angel said honestly. Arthur’s eyebrow quirked in disbelief.
“An……angel? Well then Feliciano, my name is-”
The Brit began to say before the Italian cut him off.
“I know who you are. You’re Arthur Kirkland. You’re twenty three years old and you work at Wang’s Mysterious Books and Trinkets and you have a best friend named Francis Bonnefoy-”
Feli began to say listing things before Arthur’s voice made him shut his mouth.
“How the fuck do you know all of this??”
Arthur snarled his face angry. Feliciano let out a startled yelp at the expression and quickly began to word vomit.
“Please don’t hurt me! I only know all of this because it’s my job! I was assigned to watch over you! Don’t hurt me per favore ti prego!!”
The angel said in a rush of panicked pleas making the man stare at him in bafflement.
“What the bloody hell?? I’m not going to hurt you, you twit! If I wanted to do that then I would have done so already! Now quit your rambling you obnoxious tit-!!!”
Arthur snapped his temper flaring. Feliciano let out a small wail making Arthur flinch at it.
“Mi dispiace tanto!”
He apologized hoping to be spared from his insane charge’s rage. As the angel worked himself into a panicked frenzy his charge had gone silent. Arthur was a bit disturbed by the information he was given in the supposed angel’s rambling. Never mind that he thought that Arthur was going to hurt him. The man clenched his hands into fists, his thoughts racing.
'Why is an angel keeping an eye on me? Had I somehow caught the attention of the other side of the veil?? Did those creatures manage to find me despite all of my efforts and precautions??’
The thoughts continued to pile up making Arthur more and more anxious and tense.
'Is something much more dangerous, something much more terrifying looking for me……?’
That one thought made Arthur’s blood freeze. A sudden feeling of dread filled him. It made sense, he was always being hunted when he was discovered. Hell he nearly died at fourteen until Yao had intervened. Whose to say that it was only demons who wanted him dead? As Arthur was having a breakdown Feli had finally noticed that his charge hadn’t said a single thing since he started his terrified ravings and pleas. With a cautious look the angel looked at the man and was stunned by the look on his face. The Brit had a look of unease painted on his face, his fists clenched tightly. The Italian stared at him, confusion filling him. Why did Arthur look so uneasy? In all the time that Feli had been watching and protecting Arthur he’d never seen such a look. It made him uneasy. However before he could think more about it the angel was torn out of his musings.
“……I don’t know how I’m able to see you. All I know is that I was born this way. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll let you rest and recover in peace.”
The man said his voice gruff and short. His expression which was once uneasy was now completely closed off. The angel barely got over the sudden whiplash he’d received from the quick expression change before he realized that Arthur was already at the doorway and leaving. The Italian watched him go, confused and nervous and slightly concerned. Once his charge was gone Feliciano let himself think about their interaction. He’d never seen such a look on Arthur. He’d seen him angry and tired and frustrated yet never like this. It was unnerving to the holy being. As he pondered more about this he finally took note of what Arthur had said earlier. About how he was born able to see beings like him. That information was rather troubling. If Arthur was able to see through to the other side……..then that could land the Englishman into some deep water.
Was this why he was assigned to watch and protect him? Because he could see things? Was that why the demon attacked him last night?
And if so then why not have someone who was actually strong enough to do this assignment?
Feliciano frowned, puzzled by this. He had no idea what was going on but his gut was telling him that something wasn’t right. As he dwelled on these things he finally noticed his wing had something on it. Confused the angel craned his head over his shoulder to get a better look at it and felt the air leave his lungs. The wing which had once been bloodied and torn up was now bandaged and cleaned. The gauze was wrapped around it, firm yet comfortable. Shocked Feli suddenly remembered what Arthur had said at his outburst.
'I’m not going to hurt you! If I wanted to do that then I would have done so already!’
“He……helped me……?”
The Italian muttered, confusion and awe in his voice. Arthur had helped him. Feliciano couldn’t believe it, it seemed so unlike the Arthur he’d been seeing. The Brit was short tempered and violent, he fought and yelled and glared daggers at everyone who so much as breathed in his direction. He was wild and rough and scary. And yet…….
That wild, rage driven man had cleaned and fixed his injuries. Had given him his bedroom to rest in and had answered the question he’d asked. Arthur the rough, grouchy human had done all of that for Feli. A stranger who was not of this world, who had come into his apartment and bleed all over his floor. Feliciano had learned from the short time he’d been on Earth that humans didn’t take too well to strangers who invaded their homes. Especially injured ones. Most humans would have called those bigger ones with the strange uniforms if the situation called for it. Yet Arthur who had every right to kick him out and be hostile to him had instead helped him. It was surreal and that one fact had suddenly tilted Feliciano’s view of Arthur. Suddenly the young man had more to him, suddenly there was a bigger part of Arthur that Feliciano had never noticed until that very moment. Bits and pieces of him that were suddenly within his sights and it made Feliciano wonder.
Just who exactly was Arthur Kirkland?
At that moment a seed of curiosity had planted itself into the angel. He wanted to know who exactly his charge was as a person. The once terrifying man was suddenly a confusing puzzle. There were many layers to Arthur Kirkland and Feli wanted to know what they were.
Because someone who was willing to help a complete stranger, who wasn’t even human without even asking for anything in return couldn’t be just a ball of rage.
The angel leaned back into the pillows his thoughts wandering and full of conflicting emotions. Amber eyes drifting towards the window Feli made a decision. He was going to try and learn more about his charge. No matter how much it scared him, no matter how much he wanted to run away he’d get to know him. He had to.
*Part four woooooooo-!!!!! Our boys have finally made contact and oh boy it’s tense lol. Arthur’s having a breakdown and Feli’s having a revaluation of his choices thus far. Basically they’re both riding a roller coaster but for different reasons. Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it!!*
Warning: Blood, Gore, Unsettling monsters, Time loops, Language, Temporary Character Death.
~~~~~
Why?
Why did it have to end this way?
It was a question that Feliciano had been asking himself for quite sometime. A question that always remained answer less. But then again, did he expect anything less than that? To forever be in the dark when it came to his questions? Feliciano sat against the wall, the silence deafening as he took a breather. His arm was throbbing from the deep cut he’d received earlier. He should have been paying more attention to his surroundings, should have known better than to let his guard down. He’d learned too many times what the consequences were when he wasn’t paying attention or using his head. Pressing the wound Feliciano tried to keep the pained hiss in, not wanting to make any noise. Noise was bad, noise made things more difficult. Noise was what got him and his friends killed in brutal and inhumane ways. And he refused to put them in that position.
Not again.
Feeling the thick warm blood soak his hand made him shiver with slight disgust but he didn’t remove it. He had to get the bleeding to stop, he couldn’t be bleeding. Blood was a sure fire way to get himself caught and that was absolutely not an option. After a few seconds of applying pressure he deemed it okay for the time being. With cautious and quiet movements he slowly pushed himself up from the floor. His military boots made a small creak against the old floorboards, the creak seemingly extremely loud in the silence. Feli stiffened, freezing in place and barely breathing.
‘Shit.’
The Italian nation strained his ears, listening for any noises. Silence greeted him, the unnerving tension making his heart pound in his chest. He wished that his heart didn’t beat so loudly, terrified that it’d give away his position. For a few agonizing moments he stood there, stiff as a board and not daring to move. After several minutes of nothing but pure silence Feli slowly inched his way towards the corner. After a brief moment of gathering courage he slowly peeked his head over the edge……..
The Italian about sagged with relief when the sight of the empty corridor greeted him. So it hadn’t heard. That in itself was a miracle and it was a miracle that he wouldn’t dare waste. Not hesitating Feli quickly and quietly made his way down the corridor not daring to slow down. If he did that would leave him wide open. It seemed to go on forever until he finally made it to the end of the corridor. The sight of the stairs greeted him voided of all life. It made his skin itch, his entire being growing anxious. He needed to find his friends and fast. The longer he went without seeing them the more uneasy he felt. Having them out of his sight made it easier for them to be picked off one by one. As the nation made his way down the stairs to go look for his friends, a sudden loud crashing echoed throughout the house. Feli froze his gut dropping with terror. He didn’t hesitate already knowing that whatever made that noise had most likely attracted its attention. Racing down the stairs he practically flew towards the area where the crash was heard.
Finally reaching the area where it’d come from he quickly began to try the doors turning them to see if they were open. He felt his palms break out into a sweat with each resistance he was met with. Cursing he continued onwards desperately praying that he’d find the right room.
'Please mio Dio, please just let me get to them first!’
Feliciano begged hoping that someone was listening to his pleas. Grabbing another handle he turned it and felt it give way. The Italian nation about burst into tears as he pushed open the door harshly. A cabinet had been knocked over and underneath pinned like an insect on a dissection table was…..
“Arthur-!!!”
The younger nation gasped. Arthur’s head snapped up at the gasp, his eyes pained and on edge as he finally caught sight of Feliciano. The older nation seemed to relax somewhat, now knowing that it wasn’t an enemy that had entered the room.
“Feliciano……”
Arthur breathed relief coloring his voice. Feliciano bent down next to him, his hands hovering frantically as he tried to figure out what to do. Arthur’s entire lower half of his body was pinned down by the antique cabinet. Broken glass and a growing puddle of crimson was staining the floor. His forest green military uniform was slowly becoming crimson as well, painting his waist like a bundle of flower petals.
“Oh God….! Arthur just hang on I’ll get you out from under there!”
Feli said his voice shaking slightly as he tried to get himself to calm down. With shaking hands he went to try and haul the heavy cabinet from Arthur. The Englishman let out a pained cry as the cabinet moved, making the Italian freeze at the sound.
“I’m so sorry I know it hurts but it’ll be over soon I promise just hang on-”
Feliciano started to say when he caught the sound of the wooden floorboards from the corridor creak lightly. Feli and Arthur went deathly still, their eyes widening in fear. Feliciano felt his hands begin to shake, his mouth going dry. Arthur while in immense pain didn’t dare make any noise, looking somewhat pale. The two remained still listening. To their horror more creaking floorboards sounded out, slowly making their way towards the corridor they were in.
It was here.
It was looking for them.
Feliciano panicked went to go and try to remove the cabinet again, desperate to get Arthur from underneath it and get them the hell out of there. As he went to try and heave it a pale bloodied hand gripped his uniform sleeve.
“Feliciano you…..you need to go. You….you can’t be here……it’s too late for me. The cabinet it…..it crushed my legs and the…..the glass…….”
Arthur wheezed softly blood staining the corner of his mouth. Yet his expression held nothing but fear for Feli, as well as a seriousness that made the Italian feel sick.
“No….no Arthur please don’t make me do this don’t make me leave you….!”
Feli begged shaking his head. Arthur gave him a pained but stern look.
“You have to. If you get caught that’s the end of it. Please just leave, save yourself and the others.”
Arthur said his voice demanding yet pleading. Feliciano felt his throat tighten and his eyes burn with tears. He knew that Arthur was right, if he was caught then none of them would be able to leave this wretched place. But even with the logic being presented to him he couldn’t help but want to save Arthur. Couldn’t bare the thought of leaving him to die.
But in the end he had no choice.
With a choked, muffled sob Feliciano gave Arthur one last look. His amber eyes full of sorrow, regrets and unspoken apologies. Arthur just gave him a small smile, his own eyes misty.
“I’m so sorry Arthur. Next time, I swear it next time I’ll keep you safe.”
The Italian swore his voice thick. Arthur gave him a tired nod, before letting his head fall back onto the floor. The crimson pool of blood was larger now, staining the rug and floor. Feliciano felt his heart sink as the cold reality hit him. Even if he’d managed to get Arthur from under the cabinet, the older nation would still die. Bleeding out from his wounds full of broken glass. Fighting back the rush of tears Feli got up from the floor and went to leave the room to try and fix this awful fate. When the sounds of the creaking floorboards stopped right in front of their door. Arthur sucked in a sharp breath having heard it as well. His expression was alarmed, conveying a silent message to Feli.
Hide. Now.
Feliciano didn’t hesitate, quickly going to hide. A nearby closet sat in the corner of the room. Opening the door as quickly and quietly as he could Feli gave Arthur one last devasted and broken look before finally getting into the closet. He’d made it just in time as the sound of the door being slammed open filled the room. Feliciano watched through the crack of the door, fear flooding through his veins. It was here. He watched as it made its way towards Arthur, its large soulless black eyes burning into the dying nation. Arthur let out little wet huffs of air, his lungs and throat filling with blood. Yet he was glaring at it, his green eyes dark like a toxic plant. Filled with nothing but hatred and pure defiance.
“Fucking bastard….! Go to hell…..!”
Arthur spat out, putting every ounce of hatred and disgust he could into the sentence. It stared at him unblinking before it moved. With horrifyingly quick movements it grabbed the cabinet and hurled it off of Arthur. With large thin hands it grabbed the English nation, making him scream in pain before with a ruthless motion slammed the man into the floor. Arthur’s body hit the floor with a sickening spat, his pained scream cut short. Feliciano bit his fist to stop the scream that threatened to break out. Hot silent tears flew down his cheeks as he was forced to watch the gruesome display. It picked Arthur back up again and slammed him down again, another splat filling the room. Only now the sounds of brittle bones breaking joined the awful sympathy.
Splat. Crunch.
Splat. Crunch.
Splat. Crunch.
Over and over again it continued to slam Arthur’s body into the floor until it finally deemed it necessary to stop. It held Arthur’s corpse up, the once living breathing body now nothing more than a bloody lump of flesh, hair, bones and blood. It then dropped him onto the floor, before making its way out of the room. Feliciano sat in the closet shaking and feeling nauseous listening to the fading footsteps of their enemy. After a few minutes of nothing but silence Feli finally crawled out of the closet. Now seeing the full view of the carnage that painted the room Feli let out a small agonized wail. Blood stained the walls and floor, making the room smell of death and copper. Arthur was on the floor, his corpse bent and broken. His eyes once bright and full of fury now stared into nothing, no longer seeing the world. Feli crawled towards him, his hand reaching out for him. Grasping the cold limb Feli let out another heart wrenching wail, his tears flowing fast and furious. Pressing a kiss to Arthur’s hand Feli grieved.
Why…..?
Why did this always happen…..?
Why did everyone he love have to die…?
Why couldn’t it just let them go, hadn’t they suffered enough?
Why? Why? Why? Why?
Feliciano didn’t know.
~~~~~
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
It was always the first thing Arthur heard whenever he’d awaken. The sounds of an ancient grandfather clock, ticking away. It was a sick joke in Arthur’s opinion. To make him hear a clock yet forcing him and others through the same thing every time.
Tick.
Tock.
Always forced to enter that God forsaken place, forced to pretend that he had no clue what was going on. Forced to watch the same people he cared about and loved die in gruesome and grotesque ways. Sometimes even ending up in the same position as them. It was madness, it was cruel. Yet he was powerless to stop it. He had no control over any of it, all he could do was desperately hope and pray that he could help save the lives of his fellow nations. How many times has it been? How many times has he reset this timeline in a desperate attempt to save those around him and to help Feli?
All of them he’d seen die countless times. All of them he’d failed to save and protect. Their blood stained his hands. And he wasn’t the only one who suffered. No Feliciano was also one who suffered like him. The Italian nation, whose smile was like sunshine and happiness had seen the horrors he had. Remembered each and every death like him. Was consumed by the same guilt and devastation as he was. Perhaps that was why they’d gotten so close. Two broken and tortured souls who were forced to endure madness at the hands of a insane and twisted monster. He could still remember the last loop. The pain he’d felt when the cabinet fell on him. The feeling of the glass cutting and tearing him open in the middle. He remembered the destroyed look Feli had when he’d failed to help him escape, forced to hide. He remembered the agony of hitting the floor by that monster, the pain of his body that had already been fallen apart become nothing more than a bag of broken bones and glass. He was lucky he’d died from the impact. He didn’t think he’d be able to go on if he’d been forced to live through it. Forced to stay alive as he was smashed into the ground like a toy.
Arthur shivered shaking the phantom pain away. He couldn’t be shaken up now, he had to remain in control. He had to keep his head. Yet despite telling himself this he couldn’t stop the horrific feeling that hit him when he saw the mansion in front of him.
“England-San are you alright? You look as if you seen a ghost.”
Kiku’s soft voice made him recover. Green eyes met with dark brown ones. Trying to offer a small smile Arthur shook his head.
“Sorry was just thinking about Flying Mint Bunny being at home all alone. I think I’d forgotten to feed her today.”
Arthur said the lie falling smoothly off of his tongue. Kiku gave the British nation a searching look. Arthur felt his skin itch a bit at the focused gaze. After a moment longer of staring Kiku finally looked away.
“That does sound rather upsetting. Then we should finish this exploration that America-San wants to do so you can return home swiftly.”
The Japanese nation said. Arthur felt his stomach sink at the words, a bitter taste filling his mouth. He hadn’t been home in God only knew how long. He almost forgot what it looked like. Instead he just gave a small nod and dropped the subject. The group finally made their way into the mansion, making the English nation want to scream.
How many more times would he be forced to do this?
How many more times will he be forced to die, to be forced to watch the others die?
Arthur had no clue.
~~~~~
It was funny how such awful things could bring people together. After so many loops and seeing so much death, it’d been almost natural for Feliciano and Arthur to end up clinging to each other. Two nations who knew too much about the cursed place that caused so much suffering. It was another loop when the two had finally actually spoken about their situation and somewhat acknowledged their relationship. The duo and the rest of their friends had barely managed to escape from the thing that was hunting them for its sadistic pleasure. The other nations were asleep, the only ones who were awake were Feli and Arthur. The Italian nation was leaning against the bed, staring blankly at the walls. The English nation was sitting beside him, quiet as a grave.
“Why?”
Feli muttered, his voice soft and hallow. Arthur turned to look at him, his gaze questioning.
“Why are we doing this…..? Why when all we ever do is die. I’ve seen so many things, seen all of our friends die gruesome and disturbing deaths. I’ve died in so many ways, felt so much pain only to repeat it over and over again…..”
The Italian said his voice starting to shake slightly as he thought of it. It wasn’t fair, being in the position he was in. It wasn’t fair that horrid thing was after him, that it had killed all of his friends. He could still see all the blood, could still hear all the bones breaking. Feliciano hadn’t realized that he was shaking until he felt a pair of arms wrap around him gently.
“I don’t know. I don’t know why we’re the ones who are in this position, I don’t know why we’re forced to watch our loved ones die. I don’t know why we’ve been forced to go through so much pain and grief. But what I do know is that no matter what happens, we still got each other. No matter how many times we’ve got to loop and start over, we’ll always have each other. And that for me at least is enough to keep me going.”
Arthur’s voice said, sincere and comforting. Feliciano felt his throat tighten as he fought his tears. He couldn’t cry now, not when everyone else was asleep and could possibly hear him. So instead he just clung to Arthur like a lifeline, refusing to let him go. The older nation tightened his embrace, rubbing soothing circles into the younger nation’s back. Feliciano didn’t know why this was happening but he knew one thing.
As long as he had Arthur around, he’d keep holding on. Even if it ate away at his sanity and hope he’d hold on and fight. He had to not just for his sake.
But for Arthur’s as well.
~~~~~
'No.’
'No, no, no. Please not him I can’t do this without him.’
Arthur thought staring in horror and disbelief at the sight before him. There crumpled up on the cellar floor was Feliciano. The Italian nation was bleeding, his once lively eyes now dull and lifeless. The flag that he had with him and used for self defense was now through his abdomen, the wood having been splintered and made into a makeshift spear of sorts. It was clear that whatever had done it hadn’t been the thing. It would’ve torn him apart and then killed them itself. That was the deal that kept them here after all.
If Feliciano was caught before he could get everyone out of the mansion they’d all die permanently. But if he got all of them out they’d be let go. It was a sick and twisted game of cat and mouse, forcing him and the other nation to go through time over and over again. Which meant that whoever had killed him had been a fellow nation. The thought made Arthur’s heart freeze in fear as he realized that it was one of those loops. It didn’t happen often but on occasion the pressure and trauma of the situation was too much and a nation would snap. Going completely unhinged and insane. The Englishman quickly looked around trying to figure out if the one who had killed Feli was still in the cellar with him. It didn’t take long before his question was answered. He barely had time to process before the sudden feeling of a sharp object piercing his body took him down. With a soundless scream of pain he collapsed onto the cold stone floor, blood pooling into his mouth.
'Vital area……I’m going to bleed out……’
He thought choking on his own blood. His vision began to blur and he could vaguely make out the shape of another person. Though who it was would remain a mystery to him. Turning his blurry gaze to the side of him he took in Feli’s face one last time, his hand weakly reaching out to him.
'See you in the next loop love…..wait for me please……’
With that last thought Arthur faded.
~~~~~
He was so tired.
He was so tired of all of this.
Feliciano stared at the ground, barely taking in the chaos going on around him. Arthur was on the ground, the thin nation cradling the head of Matthew in his lap. The large Canadian nation had been crushed by the weight of a piano. The top that was always open having crushed his skull and upper body. Blood stained his long wavy blonde hair and his pale face. His eyes were half open, a look of death forever stuck in his gaze. Arthur was sobbing over the dead nation, his agonizing wails breaking Feliciano’s heart in a way he had never experienced. Beside the Englishman was Alfred and Francis, the two men grieving as well. The American was desperately trying to wake his twin, only to have his pleas fall on deaf ears. Francis was holding onto Arthur to try and calm him down but it was obvious that he too was just as broken.
“Matthew, my sweet boy please answer me…..oh God Matthew…..”
Arthur’s voice crocked, his tone full of grief. It was the type of grief that only a parent could feel and hearing that devastated tone come from Arthur made Feliciano want to cry with him.
'Why? Why? What the fuck have we done to deserve all of this? What the fuck did we do to deserve such a harsh punishment?’
The Italian’s thoughts screamed in rage and agony. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair that Arthur had to suffer such a cruel fate. That he had to suffer the loss of his children in different loops over and over again.
'This is madness……I’ve got to stop this. Even if it kills me I’ll stop this sadistic game. For Arthur, mi tereso.’
~~~~~
Run.
That was all he could do.
Feliciano ran through the corridor, his lungs burning from how much he’d been running. But he couldn’t stop, not now. Not when he was so close to getting to where he needed to go. Panting harshly Feli sprinted onwards, clutching the red book in his hands. Behind him that thing was chasing him down. Its large eyes, voidless and demonic focused in on him. But the nation refused to stop, refused to get caught. Not when he was so close.
Not when he and his friends freedom was finally within reach.
Feliciano flung himself around a nearby corner, barely managing to avoid the grasp of the monster pursuing him. Looking around he desperately searched for the place he needed to be.
'Where is it??? Where the hell is it?????’
He screamed mentally becoming desperate. He couldn’t lose, he just couldn’t. Losing meant that he had failed, losing meant that he and his friends lives would be forfeited. Losing meant Arthur would die. That alone was enough to make him determined to see this through until the very end.
“FELI-!!! UP HERE!!!”
A loud familiar voice called out to him. Head snapping towards the voice he caught sight of the familiar frame of his best friend. Ludwig was waving him towards him, the German holding onto his gun and prepared to shoot should the thing get close. Feliciano practically flung himself into the muscular body and with little hesitation Ludwig practically flung them up the stairs. A large metal door sat at the top of them. Arthur and Kiku were waiting by the door reaching out for them.
“Feli! Ludwig! Hurry!”
Arthur cried out. Kiku pulled out his sword his eyes full of terror.
“Behind you!”
Kiku shouted. Feliciano turned his head and barely managed to not scream as he caught sight of the monster climbing up behind them and catching up fast. Ludwig swore and took aim shooting his gun straight into one of its eyes. It screeched in pain and fury but it was enough to let Feliciano and Ludwig escape. Arthur held open the door while Kiku grabbed onto Feliciano and Ludwig and yanked them through the doorway. As soon as their bodies hit the floor of the safe room Arthur slammed the door shut the lock clicking into place. The sounds of the thing’s body hitting the steel door boomed throughout the room before it loud screams of fury filled the air. The room was quiet as the listened to it scratch at the door unable to get through it. After a moment or two the other side fell silent. The group of countries stared at the door, stunned and holding their breath.
They’d done it.
They’d beat it.
They could finally go back home.
With cautious and hesitant steps the nations made their way towards the second door that was in the safe room. Behind this door was their ticket to the outside world. Feli felt his heart race with emotion. Turning his eyes towards Arthur he reached out and pulled him into a tight hug.
“We did it…….Arthuro we’re going home……!”
The Italian said choked up and shaking. The Englishman clung onto him as well his own body trembling as well.
“Yes Feli……we can finally go home…..”
Arthur breathed happiness and relief making him dizzy. The two pulled away from each other, yet still held each other’s hand. Exchanging small yet shy smiles the two made their way to the second door. Behind them stood all of their friends, safe and alive.
Alfred, Matthew, Francis, Yao, Ivan, Ludwig, Kiku and Gilbert.
They were alive and okay and that was the best thing Feli and Arthur had ever received. Reaching for the door Feliciano turned the knob and opened it. Giving a small squeeze to Arthur’s hand, the Italian led him into the doorway and into the light with their friends close behind.
~~~~~
Bright.
It was so bright.
Feliciano let out a small groan pulling the blankets over his head to block out the sunshine. Movement came from the other side of the bed making him peek from underneath. There greeting him was the sight of his husband Arthur. The English nation let out a small yawn before turning his tired gaze towards Feli.
“Good morning love.”
Arthur said his voice gruff and full of sleepiness. Feliciano let out a small hum before sitting up and giving his husband a kiss.
“Buongiorno amore mio.”
Feli chimed back making Arthur smile at him. The two sat in bed together content and enjoying each other’s presence. Feli was running his fingers through Arthur’s hair before he suddenly broke the silence.
“I had the strangest dream last night.”
The Italian said making his husband look at him in curiosity.
“Oh? Do you remember what it was about?”
The Englishman asked. The younger nation went to tell his husband before a look of confusion crossed his expression.
“I…..I don’t remember.”
He said confused by his sudden memory loss of his dream. Arthur gave his husband a small look before placing butterfly kisses on his cheek.
“Well whatever it was about, it was only a dream. Now let’s get up so we can get breakfast started. I’ll even make you your favorite coffee brew.”
The older nation said his voice soft and fond. The younger nation smiled lovingly at him, already getting out of bed to join his husband in the kitchen. Arthur was right, even if Feliciano can’t remember the dream it was only just that. A dream and dreams weren’t real. As the couple made their way out of their shared bedroom, an old red book sat neatly in an old box, long forgotten and devoided of anything inside other than blank pages that had turned yellow from age.
Somewhere far in the distant the sound of an ancient grandfather clock ticked away.
Tick.
Tock.
*Finally the last prompt for EngIta week!!! I decided to go with the very thing that got me into this ship in the first place, Hetaoni. It’s an fan made horror game that’s based off an old RPG game that has the same premise. It was because of RPG horror games that I’d actually discovered Hetaoni and let me tell y'all it was an experience shshdhd. While I was writing this I was inspired by other RPG horror games such as Corpse Party and The Witch’s House. RPG horror is surprisingly unnerving and hella scary and I tried my best to make this as unsettling as possible without it getting completely off track. I just hope that I was able to do it correctly lol. Anyways thank y'all so much for reading my fics for EngIta week, I had so much fun while doing this and I hope y'all had just as much fun as I did!!! Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it!!! And here’s the final prompt @engitaweek2022!!! Thank you for letting me submit my writing!!!!*
Warning: Smoking, depression, somewhat unhealthy coping, alcohol, breakups, basically no happy ending, all around major feels town. (I’m so sorry-)
~~~~~
I don’t want a friend (just me)~ I want my life in two (my life in two)~ Just one more night~ Waiting to get there~ Waiting for you (all night)~ I’m done fighting all night (waiting for you)~
The low neon lights flashed through the club, illuminating the party goers who resided inside. Tables filled with alcohol, cigarettes and other things sat in the pits where partying guests could take a break. Sitting at a table alone in the corner of the club was a handsome young man. His eyes were half lided, disinterested in the things going on around him. In front of him sat a glass of a half empty martini. An ash tray full of butts and ashes sat by his hand, awaiting for him to put in yet another butt of a smoked cigarette. It wasn’t often that he was here in a shady club, smoking cigarettes and drinking. But tonight was one of those nights. Where his head would be filled with harsh whispers and poisonous words hissed. Where his mind would replay memories of a different time, a happier time when everything wasn’t so fucked up. The man took a drag of his cigarette, the nicotine and smoke filling his lungs with a burning pleasure.
When I’m around slow dancing in the dark~ Don’t follow me, you’ll end up in my arms~ You have made up your mind~ I don’t need no more signs~ Can you?~ Can you?~
As the burning filled him, he began to think. To drift back to a time that he desperately tried not to dwell on. Yet as always on nights like these, the memories slowly creeped in. The sounds of a shy laugh and a warm smile. Bright, brilliant green eyes that held the galaxy in them. Pale skin that shimmered in the pale moonlight in their shared bedroom. A gentle phantom touch that felt all too real. He scoffed, his chest tight and raw. It was painful thinking about how those memories haunted him. Then again anything involving these memories was always somewhat haunting. Like an unknown disease that slowly consumed you, leaving you with nothing but the echoes of something that once was. But the worst part of it was that he himself was responsible for the dull ache that seemed to follow him now.
After all it was him, Feliciano Vargas that ended up breaking Arthur Kirkland’s heart.
It’d been a moment of weakness. An error that he didn’t realize he was committing until he had already lost it all. Arthur and him had been together for a long time, the two of them having met at a club when they were in college. It was attraction at first sight but after meeting one another a few more times and getting to know one another it quickly became something so much more. Two young fools who recklessly jumped into a relationship without thinking it through. But at the time it hadn’t mattered to them, as long as they had each other it was enough. Then one day Feli woke up and just…..stopped loving Arthur. No longer did he feel that rush he always felt, no longer did he feel that excitement, the passion and sparks that were there in the beginning. So he’d begun to distant himself, staying out late and not going out with Arthur much. For months it went on like this, with Arthur trying to remain patient and welcoming while Feliciano completely drifted away from him. But like most people Arthur had reached his breaking point. He could still remember that fight they’d had that night, the harsh and cutting words that were thrown at each other.
Until it had finally died when Feliciano said those two little words. The two little words that would at the time unknowingly ruin the Italian man.
“It’s over.”
He could still remember the look on Arthur’s face. The pain in his eyes as the words fully processed. The tears and the heart broken expression he’d had before his face had become like stone. Arthur hadn’t begged him to stay, to fight for them. Instead the Englishman just looked at him, his bright green eyes now dull and unrecognizable before going to their bedroom. It wasn’t long before he’d came back downstairs, a small bag full of his essentials on his shoulder. Without even sparing Feli a glance Arthur had left the house, the only sign of him falling apart being the silent tears that flowed down his face. At the time Feliciano had no idea the mistake he’d made. Had no clue of just how much Arthur still meant to him. That he still loved him and was just too blind and foolish to see. But now after two years of separation between them and being haunted by his actions and trying to mend the heart he’d unknowingly torn to shreds Feli now knew the truth.
He had never stopped loving Arthur. And for these past two years that fact remained. It was only when he was finally gone that Feliciano realized just how much he truly loved him. Arthur Kirkland had become the one that got away, the one that Feliciano Vargas now knew was his one and only. The one that he could ever be with and ever want to be with. Feliciano gripped his now finished cigarette tightly, the memories slowly eating him from the inside out. His eyes burned as he felt the beginning of tears gather in them. The club seemed completely oblivious to the man who was falling apart at his table. Surrounded by the echoes of his past mistakes and his hallow memories.
Wiping at his eyes to stop the tears Feli grabbed his glass and tossed it back, practically inhaling the alcoholic beverage. Nearly slamming the glass down on the table he grabbed a few bills from his wallet and tossed them onto the table. Standing up he made his way towards the dancefloor, desperate to run away from the ghosts that plagued him. The loud bass of the speakers vibrated the floor, hot sweaty bodies pressed up against each other as they danced to the music. Feli eased himself in, joining the sea of people to try and forget because that was all he could really do at this point. As he swayed to the beat, getting lost amongst the bodies that surrounded him, his gaze caught sight of a familiar figure. Pale skin that glowed under the neon lights, messy golden blonde hair, and brilliant green hues.
It was Arthur.
Feliciano felt as if the world stopped, his blood freezing in his veins and his face paling as he stared at the face he’d never forget. The face that haunted him for two years, the face he hadn’t seen since that night when he’d ruined everything. Feli sucked in a wheezing breath, suddenly feeling as if he was suffocating. Arthur hadn’t seen him, instead he was dancing with someone. His body moved along with the stranger, pressing against him as they danced. It made Feliciano’s blood boil seeing the sight. Even if he had no right to feel that way, it still showed its ugly head. He’d been staring for so long that it’d caught Arthur’s attention. The Englishman turned his attention towards the prying eyes and stiffened when he saw Feli. It was as if someone had pulled a gun out and shot him, his already pale face going even paler. The two stared at the other, seemingly lost at what they should do.
Give me reasons we should be complete~ You should be with him, I can’t compete~ You looked at me like I was someone else, oh well~ Can’t you see? (Can’t you see?)~ I don’t wanna slow dance (I don’t want to slow dance)~ In the dark~ Dark~!
After a moment of a tense stare down Arthur’s attention was taken away from him by his dance partner. The man was holding onto Arthur’s shoulder, a concerned look on his face as he seemed to lean down and speak with the short Brit. The Italian could only watch, the pain that had been tormenting the entire night becoming suddenly unbearable. The man held Arthur with such a tenderness, as if he was familiar with him. It made him feel like his heart was torn from his chest as he realized that Arthur may have moved on. Moved on to someone far better than Feliciano, to someone who wasn’t as blind as he had been. And even though Feli wanted to scream and cry and beg for Arthur’s forgiveness, he knew deep down that he didn’t deserve it. Not after the way he’d treated him, not after shattering him and his fragile heart.
When you gotta run~ Just hear my voice in you (my voice in you)~ Shutting me out of you (shutting me out of you)~ Doing so great (so great, so great)~ You~ Used to be the one (used to be the one)~ To hold you when you fall~ Yeah, yeah, yeah (when you fall, when you fall)~ I don’t fuck with your tone (I don’t fuck with your tone)~ I don’t wanna go home (I don’t wanna go home)~ Can it be one night?~ Can you?~ Can you?~
There had been a time when Feliciano would have been the one in the stranger’s position. A time when he would be the one who would comfort Arthur and hold him. A time when he had had Arthur by his side. But that time was no longer around. No in its place was the present moment and the bitter sting of seeing the one he loved seemingly moved on. The other man had wrapped an arm around Arthur, giving Feliciano more of a view of him. The man was taller than Arthur, with wheat blonde hair and bright blue eyes. A pair of glasses sat on his tanned face making him have a boyish like charm to him. Arthur had turned his head towards his partner, speaking into his ear. The man’s blue hues then snapped towards Feliciano. A dawning look of realization came onto his face before he quickly but gently moved him and Arthur further away from Feliciano.
It became very clear that the man was most likely Arthur’s newest boyfriend by the way he had acted at that moment. And it hurt so badly seeing it. But he couldn’t blame Arthur, the Englishman had found someone who obviously treated him better than Feli had. And that alone was enough for the Italian. Not wanting to be on the dancefloor Feli made his way off of it. Once he was out of the sea of people he made his way towards the exit of the club. Stepping out into the chilly air Feliciano began to walk away from the club, leaving his heart behind him with every step. Life was a cruel mistress at times, leaving you broken and laying in a pit of despair and agony. It was a somewhat bitter joke for Feliciano. To realize too late that the one he had wanted and loved had moved on. He could still see the look on Arthur’s face, the pain and the tension he had when they’d made eye contact. It was clear that although Arthur had moved on, the old wounds that were exchanged that night still lingered. Still stung him just as much as it did for Feliciano. But unlike Feli he’d forced himself forward. While Feliciano was stuck in the whispers of the past.
Give me reasons we should be complete~ You should be with him, I can’t compete~ You looked at me like I was someone else, oh well~ Can’t you see?~ I don’t wanna slow dance (I don’t want to slow dance)~ In the dark~ Dark~ In the dark~ Dark~!!
Perhaps in another life, he and Arthur had stayed together. Perhaps in another timeline they’d managed to avoid that fight. Perhaps another version of him wasn’t as blind as he had been. Feliciano didn’t know and he didn’t dwell on it. It was already one of those nights and after the events he’d just been through he no longer wanted to be thinking about it. As he made his way home, his heart seemed to sing a heartbroken melody. A bitter and broken song at the world. The Italian was forever stuck in this loop, now forever dancing on his own. With no music or Arthur in sight.
All that reminded was him and his lonely, slow dancing in the dark.
*………..what have I done?????? To be honest I didn’t mean to make this this sad. I was listening to Slow Dancing in the Dark by Joji and it got my brain going and with the prompt being music it just went from there. I highly recommend listening to the song to get the vibe I had while writing this. This fic is basically a lyric inspired piece. Since the prompt was music I decided to do this with it. I apologize in advance for the sad ending, it just seemed fitting for the music vibe I was trying to go for. And I also apologize for Feliciano for being OOC, but I wanted to go with him as the main POV. I personally don’t see a lot of fics involving Feli being the one who messes up in the world of relationships. It’s usually Arthur who’s the one who screws up so I decided to switch it up. Also yes the person who’s with Arthur is Alfred, whether it’s platonic or romantic is up to the reader to decide. Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it!!! And here’s the seventh prompt @engitaweek2022!!*
Warning: Endless amounts of domestic lifestyle, fluff, and excessive Mariah Carey.
~~~~~
It’d been a rather exhausting day in the office for Arthur. From a boss who wouldn’t stop yelling at him for the littlest of things to coworkers who just kept pushing his buttons it was no surprise that he’d nearly flew out of the office building. Hailing a taxi Arthur about flung himself into the backseat and hurled his address to the poor driver in a desperate attempt to get away from the hell hole he called work. As the taxi made its way through the darkening streets of London, Arthur felt himself begin to relax. Staring out the window he watched as they passed by different cars and pedestrians. His mind started to wander, thinking of what he was going to do when he got home. As he thought about it his thoughts naturally drifted off to the person who would be there waiting for him as he did every night.
His dear husband, Feliciano Kirkland-Vargas.
A small smile grew on his face as he thought of his husband. The Italian was one of the things that he looked forward to seeing as soon as he got home. To be smothered with butterfly kisses and a warm, loving embrace from the person he loved the most was the best feeling in the world. It was a feeling that Arthur wouldn’t trade for and he loved it more than he would ever admit out loud. As the Englishman thought of his beloved he felt his heart flutter in excitement, eager to finally be home and in the arms of his entire world.
~~~~~
The sounds of the lock clicking filled the small London townhouse as Arthur pushed open the door. The familiar warmth of the small, cozy home welcomed him and he smiled softly as he stepped inside and closed the door.
“Feli? I’m home!”
Arthur called out into the home expecting to see his husband come out to greet him. A brief moment of silence greeted him instead making the Brit confused and slightly concerned. Taking his coat off and putting it on the rack and kicking off his shoes Arthur made his way further into the house. As he stepped into the living room his nose caught scent of a delicious aroma, making his mouth water.
‘Ah he’s in the kitchen.’
Arthur thought the concern dying as a well of fondness took its place. With quiet footsteps Arthur made his way towards the kitchen, the aroma of an Italian dish growing stronger and the soft sound of music being heard. Curious Arthur peeked his messy blonde head into the doorway of their kitchen and had to fight back an amused smile. In the middle of the kitchen was Feli, his hips swaying to the song playing from his speaker that was connected to his phone. A large pan was filled with pasta on the stove while a sauce pan was simmering the sauce. Feliciano was in the middle of cutting the garlic and other herbs that would go into the sauce, singing softly under his breath.
“Oh, when you walk by every night~ Talking sweet and looking fine~ I get kind of hectic inside~ Mmm, baby, I’m so into you~ Darling, if you only knew~ All the things that flow through my mind~!”
Feliciano’s smooth singing filled the kitchen, singing along with the iconic 90’s song. Arthur leaned against the doorway, amused and star struck as he watched his husband’s private concert. His beloved didn’t even notice that Arthur was watching him, completely lost in the music and his preparation of their dinner.
“But it’s just a sweet, sweet fantasy, baby~ When I close my eyes, you come and take me~ On and on and on, it’s so deep in my daydreams~ But it’s just a sweet, sweet fantasy, baby (Fantasy)~ (And I want you so badly)~”
The Englishman listened to his husband’s voice, his eyes softening in a look of fondness and affection. The song Fantasy while popular back in the 90’s, had a special connection to it. His husband would often say that the song was their song, and Arthur couldn’t really argue with him. After all it was this song that had been playing when Arthur and Feli had first met. The Brit found his mind wandering, going back to that moment when he’d first saw Feliciano.
~~~~~
It was back when Arthur was about seventeen. Back then before he’d been the polite yet short tempered man he was in the present, he’d been a punk of sorts. Always getting into trouble for picking fights with other teens even though they’d started it first. He was a wild teen, who went along with life wherever it took him. It was during this time that he’d first laid eyes on the man who would end up being his husband. The Englishman had been at a carnival of sorts on a warm summer night. He’d been dragged there by his friend Alfred who had almost immediately ditched him once they were inside the place. The punk had been left to his own devices, wandering the crowded street as he passed the stalls and food stands and games. The bright lights of the place flashed around him, the sounds of screaming children and teenagers alike filled the evening air from the rides. The speakers were playing music, the song being Fantasy by Mariah Carey at the moment making Arthur huff a bit.
Arthur was not having a good time, being overwhelmed by everything that was going on. The Englishman wasn’t a fan of places like this and he’d bitterly cursed Alfred for dragging him into this loud and crowded place.
“Stupid American arse. Leaving me all alone when he damn well knows that these places make me twitchy….”
Arthur growled lowly under his breath, his thick black boots stomping somewhat on the pavement. The teenager was debating on whether he should just call it quits or if he should just find his stupid friend and chew him out for all of this when he’d finally caught sight of him. Through the crowd of people stood the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen in his life. A man, no older than him was laughing at a tall man with slicked back blonde hair. A smaller man with black hair walked with them, smiling a shy smile. But they weren’t what Arthur were looking at. No the man in the center of them was what he was looking at. Tanned skin that seemed to glow under the flashing lights, a beautiful smile full of white teeth. Auburn hair framed a handsome face, a curl sticking out from the rest of his hair. But none of those could compare with the amused gaze of the teenager.
Amber, like molten caramel and full of sunshine and happiness framed his face leaving Arthur speechless. The Englishman was so enchanted by the beautiful sight before him that he nearly died on the spot when the majestic man before him looked over at him.
Images of rapture~ Creep into me slowly~ As you’re going to my head~ And my heart beats faster~ When you take me over~ Time and time and time again~
The world seemed to slow down as soon as their eyes met. Bright amber hues bore into him, curious and open. Arthur felt his heart pick up in speed at the look, quickly avoiding his own eyes in embarrassment at his reaction. He was completely and totally thunderstruck by this man. Arthur was so busy trying to calm himself down that he didn’t notice the gorgeous teen talking to his friends before making his way over to him.
“Ciao~!”
A chipper voice, smooth and spellbinding came from behind him. Arthur let out a startled noise quickly turning towards it only to come face to face with the man he’d been staring at. Up close he was even more handsome. Arthur felt his throat got dry as he tried to calm the anxiety that was eating away at him.
“A-ah hello….?”
Arthur choked out trying to keep calm. The Italian gave him a warm smile, looking down at him slightly. It was then that Arthur realized that the other teen was taller than him.
“I couldn’t help but notice that you were staring at me. I was wondering if something was wrong?”
The Italian asked giving a small head tilt. Arthur felt his heart stop and he quickly went to reassure him.
“No-! Nothing’s wrong! Forgive me for my staring I was just overwhelmed by your eyes-!”
Arthur scrambled before biting his tongue as he realized what he said. The other man’s eyes went wide, curiousity and slight flattery shining in them.
“Oh? My eyes overwhelmed you?”
He asked his tone probing yet full of amusement. Arthur felt his already warm cheeks slowly grow hotter.
“I….well……they’re just the loveliest shade of amber I’d ever seen…..and I’m just going to shut up now.”
Arthur said wanting nothing more than for the pavement to open up and swallow him whole. Alas it didn’t happen leaving him floundering and mentally cursing himself for his honesty.
'Good job Kirkland, you’ve just officially sounded like a creep. God what is wrong with you-’
His mental berating was put to a stop by the sound of the most musical laughter he’d ever heard. Looking at the other teenager Arthur quickly took note that he was smiling, his tanned cheeks slightly rosy.
“I’ve never heard something like that before. Are you sure that my eyes are the loveliest shade? Because from where I’m standing it’s more like you have them instead.”
The Italian said his voice sincere and somewhat flirtatious. Arthur felt his heart do a flip in his chest at the words.
“I mean it’s not everyday that you see such a beautiful shade of green……..I’m Feliciano by the way. But you can call me Feli.”
The teen, Feli said his face warm and full of a beautiful smile. Arthur swallowed hard and took a deep breath trying to give his own smile. However it was more awkward and crooked than he would have liked.
“Feli…..my name is Arthur. I really am sorry for the staring I’m not usually like this.”
Arthur introduced himself his ears and cheeks red. Feli just laughed that magical laugh of his, giving him the most beautiful smile.
“It’s fine, as long as I can stare as well then I’ll call it an even exchange si?”
The Italian chirped happily giving Arthur a wink. Little did Arthur and Feli know that, that awkward first meeting would be the start of something beautiful.
~~~~~
“Arthuro-! Mi tereso I didn’t realize that you were home-! How long were you standing there??”
Feliciano’s voice called Arthur back to the present. Blinking Arthur took in the sight of his husband, his face full of surprise and happiness at seeing him. Arthur gave him a soft smile and pushed himself from the doorway. Wrapping his arms around the slightly taller man Arthur gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
“Not too long love, just got home. This smells divine by the way.”
Arthur said leaning over to get a better whiff. Feli let out a small huff of laughter before playfully shooing him away from the pans.
“It’s not ready you silly man! Be patient and I’ll have it done. Why don’t you go set up the table for me per favore?”
Feliciano asked giving him a small smile. Arthur returned it and placed one more kiss on his husband’s mouth before going to do as he was asked. From there on the couple worked with one another, enjoying the other’s presence. The soft sound of the music filled the room as they worked, and got dinner ready. Once done they sat down and dug in, chatting about everything and anything that they could think of. It was a peaceful evening for the couple as they ate. When they were done they cleaned everything up and went to the living room to cuddle with one another and watch a movie. It was halfway through the movie when Arthur felt Feliciano lay his head on his shoulder, curling up into his side.
“Ti voglio bene.”
The soft voice of his husband said, his tone and expression full of love and affection. Arthur felt his heart stutter at the sweet words, his chest tight with overwhelming love for the man beside him. Leaning over Arthur kissed Feli softly.
“I love you too.”
The Englishman said his voice soft and full of honesty and love. Feliciano smiled at him before going in for another kiss, their movie completely forgotten as they got lost in one another. It was nothing more than two people who were in love, full of simple moments that many wouldn’t pay attention to. But to Arthur and Feliciano it was a sweet fantasy that they never wanted to end.
*I’m a slut for this song and honestly I regret nothing. Domestic fluff involving two husbands who enjoy a meal together and are completely enamored with one another are what give me a will to live dhsgdgdgdgg. Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it!! And here’s prompt six @engitaweek2022!!!*
Got tomorrow’s prompt for EngIta week written up. I’m returning to work tomorrow so I’ll just post it sometime throughout the day since I’ll be busy.
I’ll try to get the other two prompts done either tomorrow or the day of if I’ve got the time. But if not then I don’t know if I’ll be able to write for the last two prompts. So! In case that happens I just wanted to let y'all know that I enjoyed doing this and writing for this pairing! It’s been so much fun and I’m so happy that I was told about this event so I could take part in it!!!!
Thank y'all so much for reading my works for EngIta Week and for liking them and reblogging them. It means the world to me and I’d love to do this again sometime with these guys or any other pairing!!!! Hope y'all had as much fun and enjoyment with these fics as much as I have!!!!! Love y'all lots and thank you again!!!!!
Warning: Guns, action, violence, stealing, alcohol, basically being a criminal. Also Romano’s potty mouth.
~~~~~
Feliciano Vargas.
It was a name that the whole world knew. Given the young man’s reputation, it was hard not to know the name. Feliciano was the world’s greatest thief, having stolen several things throughout his career. From priceless jewels to ancient artifacts, there was nothing that he hadn’t taken at some point. His heists were legendary and he always pulled them off. It left police livid whenever they failed to capture him. Yes Feliciano was one of the very best in the world of crime.
But even he had his moments where he was outsmarted.
It was a simple heist. Feliciano and his group had set their eyes on yet another priceless jewel. The Sapphire of Rome was a recently rediscovered gem, having been believed to have been lost during the Roman Empire era. However recently a team of archeologists had found it. The country of Italy was hosting a grand gala at the jewel museum centered in Rome, where the jewel would be shown off to the people before being placed amongst the rest of the jewels that were priceless. It would during this event that Feliciano would strike. The night of the gala was packed full of guests and the press. Security was tight and on full alert, keeping a keen eye out for anyone suspicious. Politicians and other high ranking members of society were in attendance. The museum that was holding the gala was in full swing of the party, not really paying attention to the surroundings.
A sea of people crowded the floor, women wearing beautiful dresses and men in fancy suits dancing with one another or conversing. A large buffet table was along the edge of the room, filled with champagne, wines and expensive food. Feliciano Vargas was among these people, disguised from those around him. A glass of champagne was in his hand, a bright smile on his face as he conversed with those around him. Sharp amber eyes scanned the room, noting the security and the higher members of Italian society who were waiting for the showing of the jewel. Feliciano was in the middle of taking a sip of his champagne when his ear piece made a noise.
“Oi, bastardo can you hear me?”
A voice said in his ear. Feliciano excused himself from the group of people he’d been speaking too before answering.
“Si, I can hear you. Are you and Kiku in position?”
Feli asked his tone low and barely noticable among the loud voices and noises.
“Si we’re in position. Just let us know when you want us to act.”
A gruff Italian voice said. Feliciano smiled.
“But of course, I’ll be sure to let you know Lovi.”
Feliciano said before signing off. The Italian straightened his suit jacket before making his way back into the sea of guests. Continuing to keep an eye out for the showing and making an effort to blend in he bide his time. He was on his second glass of champagne when the guests were alerted of the unveiling. That was his que. With a practiced ease Feliciano disappeared from the guests and began to make his way towards the destination of the jewel. With quiet and quick movements he made his way past security, nabbing one of the key cards that led to the room where the jewel was. After a few minutes of sneaking he finally made it to the secured door. Pulling out his key card Feli swiped it unlocking the large door that was keeping it safe.
With a satisfied grin the thief made his inside and finally caught sight of it. The jewel was a large blue sapphire about the size of Feliciano’s hand. It was sitting on a soft velvet cushion behind a glass display case, waiting to be put on display for all of Italy and the world to see.
“Too bad they’re not going to get to see it.”
Feli chirped as he reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out his glass cutting kit. With a precise and careful hand, Feliciano stuck it to the glass case and moved the blade into a circle to cut it open. With it done and out of the way he removed the piece of glass and reached inside grasping the jewel and pulling it out. The Italian beamed as he held it, smug and proud to have been able to pull off yet another heist.
“Fantastico. Now to get out of here and meet up with Lovi and Kiku.”
The thief said placing the jewel in the inner pocket of his suit jacket. Once securely placed Feliciano made his escape, heading towards the established exit point that he and his partners had made. Climbing up the ladder to the roof Feli opened the door to be hit by the cold night air. He had just shut the door and was going to head towards the edge of the museum when a voice spoke up.
“Oh my, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
A voice, smooth and accented came from the shadows. Feliciano’s head snapped up at the voice, a small smile coming up onto his face.
“Ve, this is quite the surprise. Then again you always were known for having an eye for shining treasures mi tereso.”
The Italian said, somewhat flirtatious. A small scoff was heard and the figure finally stepped out into the lights.
“That’s rich coming from you love. Quite hypocritical if you ask me.”
A man said his voice unamused. Feliciano smiled even more at the man, keeping a close eye on him.
“I’m quite the hypocrite to be honest. Especially when it comes to you mi amore~”
Feliciano said his expression full of wanting and amusement.
“Oh please enough with the flirtations. You have something that I want and I’d like for you to give it to me.”
The man said his sharp gaze boring into Feli, before pulling a gun out and aiming it at him. The Italian gave a small pout at the other man, placing a hand over his chest dramatically.
“Oh how you wound me. You can’t even spare your love a moment of your time my dear? Then again you always were one to get right to business, aren’t you Arthur?”
The Italian asked tilting his head slightly with a small smirk. Arthur just rolled his eyes keeping his gun pointed. The Englishman stepped closer towards Feliciano, his gaze unwavering.
“Business is what I do love, and you’re unfortunately in it currently. That jewel has a rather large sum of money on the bidding world should it be sold. And I intend to collect it, now hand it over.”
The Brit said holding a hand out for Feliciano to hand it over. The Italian smirked again and began to reach into his jacket before quickly moving. Arthur felt his legs be taken out from under him and he stumbled a loud gasp coming from him. Feliciano was quick reaching forward and grabbing Arthur and wrestling the gun from his grasp. The weapon went skidding across the brick rooftop and Arthur let out a snarl. With a quick movement Arthur elbowed Feliciano in the ribs making him hiss in slight pain. After that they began to struggle trying to overpower the other until finally Feli managed to pin Arthur into his chest. A sharp gasp came from the Brit as he collided with a solid chest.
“You know even though you hurt me with that jab and threatened to shoot me, you’re still the most magnificent sight I’ve ever seen mi tereso.”
Feliciano said voice low and seductive. Arthur stiffened at it, his intelligent green eyes meeting mischievous amber ones.
“You are an absolute bastard and incredibly stupid to be saying things like that. Especially when I could get ahold of my gun again and shot you in your smug face.”
Arthur said his voice a hiss of sorts. The Italian just let out a huff of laughter and leaned in, his breath fanning across the Englishman’s face.
“No you won’t il mio cuore.”
He said confidently. Arthur gave him a sour look his thick eyebrows furrowed in irritation yet his pale cheeks slowly started to turn red from the closeness of the other man.
“Oh, what makes you say that?”
The Brit asked an eyebrow quirking up in question. Feli leaned even closer his lips now barely touching Arthur’s own. The Englishman felt his heart speed up and he could feel Feliciano’s speeding up as well.
“Because……..you love me as I love you my beloved Arthur.”
The Italian stated before closing his eyes and going for a kiss. The Englishman didn’t fight it, instead going to meet him halfway…….
“SECURITY BREACH! THERE’S BEEN A SECURITY BREACH!!!”
A loud voice over a megaphone broke out into the night. The loud sounds of sirens screeched into the Italian night causing Feliciano and Arthur to jump apart. Arthur looked around cursing as he ran to grab his gun and find a way off the rooftop. Feliciano moved just as quickly getting his equipment together before going and grabbing Arthur once he was within reach. Arthur let out a sharp noise as he was pressed against Feli again.
“Hold on tight bella, we’re going on a little ride!”
Feli chirped before stepping onto the ledge. The door to the roof was just being slammed open before Feli jumped with Arthur tight in his grip. The duo zipped down the pulley system before landing on the ground into a nearby alleyway. Feliciano set Arthur down on his feet, keeping him pressed up against the damp and hard brick wall as the frames of a few Italian police officers went rushing by.
“This way, I’ve got a ride.”
Feliciano said grabbing Arthur’s hand and running towards the other end of the alleyway. The two ran through a few winding allies, sticking close to one another and avoiding getting caught. After a few close calls they finally made it to Feli’s escape vehicle. Sitting in the driver’s seat was Lovino, a smoking gun tight in his grip and a downright sour look on his face. In the backseat of the car was Kiku looking calm and unbothered by the whole thing. Tucked under his arm was a sword waiting to be used when it was needed. Feliciano and Arthur practically lunged into the car, making Lovino swear loudly.
“Are you fucking kidding me???? You’re bringing Arthur with us?!? Jesus Christ you really are an idiota!!!”
Lovino growled before slamming on the gas and high tailing it out of there. The sounds of police cars trying to keep up in pursuit sounded behind them. Lovino swore again and tried to aim his gun but couldn’t do it while driving. Feliciano reached over for the steering wheel giving his twin the freedom to shoot his gun. Leaning out of the driver’s window Lovino aimed his trusty hand gun and shot it. The sounds of his bullets hitting the tires of a good few police cars filled the air before the sounds of metal and glass crunching followed behind. Lovino pushed himself back into the car meeting the bright smile of his younger brother.
“Buon Dio you never really miss a target do you?”
Feli asked his tone awed and proud. Lovi gave a smirk to him, his green hazel eyes full of a smug pride.
“Damn right I don’t miss.”
Lovi said speeding the car up to try and shake the last of their pursuers. Arthur was in the back watching from the back window before the sounds of gunshots and the glass shattering was heard. Arthur ducked his head and gave a loud swear.
“They’re shooting at us!”
Arthur said his tone grim. Feli and Lovi exchanged quick looks before Feliciano’s eyes landed on Kiku.
“A little bit of help would be nice per favore Kiku.”
Feli said earning a dark eyed look from the Japanese man. Kiku gave a small nod and climbed out of the sunroof of the car. The night air whipped around the short man, his eyes closed as he stood on top of the car.
One.
Two.
Three.
It happened extremely fast. Kiku’s sword was clicked out of its hilt and with quick fluid movements and the sound of something being cut filled the air. The police cars that were behind them seemed to instantly break apart in different angles. The sword having cut through them all. The sounds of pieces of metal and glass hitting the road were heard and Kiku dropped back down into the car. Once he was in the car drove off and out of the city of Rome, the Sapphire of Rome within their grasp.
~~~~~
It was hours later when their car finally stopped. The bright sunrise shining on them as they took a breather. Kiku was sitting against the car, enjoying the sunrise while Lovino just sat on the hood. A little bit further ahead and away from the car Feliciano and Arthur were walking on the dirt road, their shoulders brushing every so often as they made their way to Arthur’s motorcycle. The two didn’t say much, just enjoying each other’s presence as Arthur hopped onto his motorcycle.
“Are you sure you have to go? I wouldn’t mind having you here mi tereso.”
Feliciano asked his voice somewhat saddened and pleading. He hated it whenever Arthur and him separated. He liked having the Englishman with him, and he loved going on heists with him. He just loved him in general and being away from him was agonizing. Arthur put his helmet on his head, his own gaze mirroring Feliciano’s.
“You know that it’s not possible love. Me and your brother rarely get along as is. Besides I’ve got my own heists I need to do and you have yours.”
Arthur said his tone professional yet dim. It broke Feli’s heart to hear him like that and to hear him say that but he knew that Arthur was right. They were thieves and they had their own heists and goals that they wished to accomplish. That and in their line of work it was best to not get romantically involved with people. Feli felt a gentle hand on his cheek as he looked at the man in front of him. Arthur was caressing his cheek, a thoughtful look on his face.
“Don’t look so down darling. It’s not like we won’t see each other again.”
The Brit said his tone soft and comforting. The Italian let out a small sigh before giving Arthur a small smile.
“I know, I’m just sad that I’m letting such a beautiful masterpiece go. It’s against my very code as a thief you know?”
The younger man said his tone teasing and light somewhat. The older man gave a small huff of laughter and smiled back at him.
“I know it is. Just know that the feeling is mutual love. Till next time.”
Arthur said with a small wave of goodbye the Brit kicked his motorcycle off and sped off into the distance. Leaving Feliciano behind to watch. Once Arthur was gone he made his way back towards his partners who were waiting for him. Kiku placed a hand on Feliciano’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.
“You’ll see him again. In our line of work it’s bound to happen.”
Kiku said softly using logic to help cheer the Italian up. Feli gave him a small smile while Lovi just huffed.
“Yeah, yeah we get it love is a painful thing. Now can we see the jewel? We nearly got our asses thrown in prison for this.”
Lovi said making Kiku also perk up with curiosity. Feli gave a wide eyed look having forgotten about the jewel.
“Ah si of course! Let me just grab it-”
Feliciano said his enthusiasm back for a beat before he stopped all together. Lovino and Kiku looked at him, confused.
“What’s the matter you jerk?”
Lovi asked. Feli looked up his expression stunned. That look made Lovi’s gut sink.
“Uh…..well it appears to no longer be here…..”
The younger Vargas said laughing nervously. The oldest Vargas twin stared at him, his eyes slowly filling with rage while Kiku looked stumped.
“How!?!? How could you lose the jewel?!?! Idiota!!”
Lovino snapped his entire body shaking. Feliciano quickly put his hands up in surrender.
“I don’t know how it happened it was in my suit jacket pocket-!”
Feli said panicked before he and his partners went deathly silent. The sounds of cogs turning could be heard as they came to the obvious conclusion. Lovi let out a loud and livid swear, his voice echoing. Kiku just rubbed the sides of his head to try and ease the sudden headache coming on.
“THAT MOTHERFUCKER! HE TOOK IT RIGHT FROM UNDER OUR NOSES!!! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM I’M GOING TO-!!!”
Lovino’s threat drifted off into rambled angry noises. Feliciano just stared stunned that he was outsmarted by Arthur. He should have known, his beloved was one of the best known jewel thieves in the world. Taking a precious sapphire right from under his nose was a simple feat for one such as Arthur Kirkland. The thief couldn’t help but feel a smile come onto his face before a small bout of laughter hit him. Lovi and Kiku looked at him like he’d just lost his mind. Feliciano let out a laugh here and there before standing up straight and brushing his hair from his eyes.
“Mi tereso you really are the most glorious person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. This is one of the reasons why I love you.”
Feli said his expression fond and full of excitement as he dashed towards his car.
“Are you two coming?? We’ve got a jewel to get back!!!”
Feli chirped making Lovi and Kiku spring into action. Once they were in the car Feliciano drove out of there in hopes of finding Arthur. Though he knew deep down that Arthur had gotten away and had won this round. But it didn’t bother him. No the chase was what he loved about Arthur, a game of cat and mouse they’d played for years. Arthur Kirkland gave him excitement and a sense of finally living.
And Feliciano Vargas wouldn’t have it any other way.
*……….Y'all ever heard of Lupin the Third??? Cuz fam I’ve been watching it for like days now on the TMS YouTube channel and it’s hella wild and hella good sgsgdgdh. As soon as I saw the prompt crime I knew I had to do this and no I don’t regret anything. Feli and Arthur’s relationship is somewhat based off of the two main love interests in the show Lupin the Third a world renowned thief and Fujiko Mine a world class thief. They have a rather complicated relationship and their interactions are incredibly entertaining. Lovi is based on Jigen, a gunman who’s Lupin’s partner and Kiku is based on Goemon a samurai who helps the two of them out on heists. I had a lot of fun writing this one and my love for things like this will never die sgsgsgs. Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it!!! And here’s prompt five @engitaweek2022!!!*
Warning: Other than inaccurate descriptions of witch hunters there’s really nothing. Unless you count being super mushy and soft.
~~~~~
The dark streets of Venice were quiet save for the occasional muffled sound of music and people from nearby restaurants. The dark night sky was decorated with shining stars and a bright full moon as a small shape went strolling down the streets. The small form was that of a cat with strange curl and closed eyes. The feline made its way down the stone streets, sticking close to the waterways. It paid no mind to the restaurants it passed nor the people who were out this late at night. It had only one goal in mind and it refused to be deterred from it. Disappearing from the streetlights the white and brown feline continued on towards its destination, passing by many things until it finally started to reach the outskirts of Venice.
The cat let out a small meow of joy and began to walk faster than it did while in the city. After a few minutes of walking through the tall grass and being guided by the pale moonlight it finally reached its destination. There sitting before him was a house. The small little place had a large garden on the side of it, its brick walls covered in vines and flowers. Magic seemed to cover the place from prying eyes, like a curtain hiding it from the world. The windows were lit up with lights from the inside, and a lone figure passed by one of them. The feline let out a loud meow and practically ran towards the house. Reaching its old, oak door the small animal began to scratch at it, meowing as loudly as it could.
The sounds of footsteps approaching the front door could be heard inside before the large door opened up. Warm light poured onto the doorstep illuminating the small feline’s body and the person’s body.
“Ah, you’re here! I was starting to worry about you, come inside you silly little thing. You’ll get sick if you remain outside.”
The person, a man said his tone short and welcoming. The cat let out a happy meow and quickly made its way inside. Once in the man shut the door and locked it. The inside of the house was full of different plants and old books as well as other little trinkets. A large fireplace sat in the living room and the kitchen was full of all sorts of books and pans and other things. The man made his way towards there giving the cat a look.
“It’s a good thing you came back home at the time you did. I was just about to make dinner.”
The man said his British accent coming through. The Brit went towards the kitchen island were a large cookbook already sat there waiting to be used as well as the ingredients. The man went to get started on chopping the vegetables, not bothering to look back at the feline he’d let inside his home. As he cut through the carrots and celery he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist.
“Ve~ I’m glad that I made it home then. I love helping you with dinner mi amore~”
A smooth, affectionate Italian voice spoke into his ear. The man shivered at the close proximity.
“Well…..yes it really was a good thing…..considering that I enjoy it as well….”
The man mumbled his pale cheeks turning a lovely rose color. The other man felt a smile come onto his face as he hugged the smaller man closer to him.
“You’re really are too sweet for your own good Arthur. Makes me want to kiss you.”
The Italian cooed as he began to nuzzle the other man, Arthur’s neck. Arthur stiffened at the affection, his face turning darker as he tried to find a response.
“Oi, you can’t just blurt things out like that-! It’s distracting, I’m trying to cut the vegetables- FELI-!”
Arthur yelped as he felt the man behind him, Feli trail kisses on his neck. Feli seemed to not care too much enjoying the flustered reaction of his treasure.
“Feliciano Vargas so help me, if you don’t cut it out now I’ll hex you!”
Arthur said trying to sound stern but it was clear that the affection that he was receiving was making him melt. Feliciano gave another small kiss on his neck before finally letting him go.
“Alright you win mi tereso. I’ll let you finish what you were doing.”
Feli said leaning against the counter. Arthur seemed to flounder a bit before pulling himself together. With a small half hearted glare the Englishman continued to do his original task. As Arthur cut Feliciano began to watch him, obversing him. The warm yellow lights of the kitchen shined down on him, making his blonde hair look golden. Beautiful green eyes honed in on his hands, keeping a focused look on his cutting. Smooth ivory skin stretched over thin yet sturdy muscle and a sharp yet gentle face, decorated with light freckles. Thin hands worked diligently on their task, seemingly moving on their own. Feliciano couldn’t help but get lost in the sight before him. Even after centuries of being with this man, the sight of him always took his breath away.
Feliciano could still remember the first time he’d ever met Arthur. The memory crystal clear despite it having been so long. It’d been during the medieval times of Italy and England. A time when people like him and Arthur were hunted for sport or burned at the stake. After all witches and mages and anything unnatural were condemned for being born that way. Feliciano had been caught by these witch hunters, forced into a small cage and left to wait in fear of his fate and impending death. The Italian was to be burned at the stake in a few days, having been found guilty of performing witchcraft. When in reality the young man was only a shapeshifter of sorts, a familiar with no witch counterpart. Feliciano had been so scared, stuck in his feline body and at the mercy of those who captured him. He was so sure he was going to die that day when a miracle had happened. The group of witch hunters had been attacked, destroyed by a small coven of witches and mages. And the leader of that coven was Arthur.
The Englishman had been one of the few magic users who refused to let their fellow witches and mages suffer. He along with several others had raided different witch hunting groups and set free those who had been caught by them. And it was during one of his raids that Feliciano had first laid eyes on him. He still remembered how awed he was by the mage, his green eyes fierce and full of magic and power. His dark forest green cloak blowing behind him in the wind, making him look even more rugged and otherworldly than he already was. Arthur hadn’t wasted any time as he’d let Feliciano out of his small prison, allowing him to return to his human form. Gentle yet firm hands began to look over him for possible injuries.
“Are you alright lad? Did they hurt you?”
Arthur had asked concerned for the younger man’s well being. Feliciano looked up at him and felt his heart skip at the sight before him. The sudden need to be with this wild and untamed mage with the kind green eyes began to overwhelm him and at that moment Feli had realized that he’d found him. He’d finally found the counterpart to his familiar magic.
“Tereso I will follow you till the end of time. This I swear.”
Feliciano had said, sincere and not even bothering to answer Arthur’s questions. The Italian was going to do whatever it took to keep this mage safe, even if it meant dying for him. Arthur had been baffled by him and at the beginning wasn’t very nice to him. But as they went through their years together and had gotten to know one another Arthur had slowly but surely began to accept his companionship. And it wasn’t long before the mage and the familiar ended up in an area that was less than platonic. For centuries afterwards they remained by each other’s sides, and fell deeper and deeper in love with each other. The flames that burned within them refusing to die even after all those years.
“Oi, why are you staring at me like that?”
Arthur’s voice called Feli back from his reminiscing. The Italian blinked and looked at Arthur seeing the concerned look on his face, his cutting all but forgotten. Feliciano gave him a small loving smile, touched by the concern even after all these years. Pushing himself from the counter Feli went to stand in front of Arthur, somewhat trapping the shorter man between him and the island. Arthur blushed lightly confusion in his eyes.
“Forgive me mi amore, I just got caught up in the beautiful sight that is you.”
Feliciano said his voice smooth and low. Arthur sucked in a sharp breath his face once again turning red.
“Shush you smooth talker.”
Arthur said his voice a bit flustered making Feli’s smile grow. The Italian cupped one of Arthur’s pale cheeks and caressed it gently.
“I only speak the truth. You are the most beautiful sight I’ve ever laid eyes on. Every time I look at you, from the moment I’d first laid eyes on you, I’ve fallen in love with you over and over again.”
Feliciano said his face leaning in towards the shorter man. Arthur’s face filled with a small look of affection and longing, his nose barely touching Feliciano’s.
“You are the most sappest man I’d ever met. Yet I too feel the same way and I’ll continue to fall in love with you till the end of time and even beyond.”
Arthur said softly, shy and sincere. Feli felt his heart race at the words, love and affection welling up inside him. A feeling that would forever belong to Arthur Kirkland and to Arthur alone. Feliciano leaned in and Arthur went to meet him, their lips meeting in a loving kiss. The Italian sighed softly into it, pulling Arthur closer to him. Arthur’s arms came to wrap around Feliciano’s shoulders, melting into the kiss. It was magical, it was addictive to kiss the mage in his arms. Centuries of kisses shared between them and Feli could never get enough of them. The two continued with their kiss before finally pulling apart from each other breathless. Feliciano felt his breath catch at the sight before him. Arthur’s lips were slightly red, his eyes dark and full of longing and love for him. His freckled cheeks a beautiful ruby hue that was only meant for him. The sight made Feli breathless, it made him want to keep the mage all to himself in every way possible. Before Feliciano could even think it through his heart spoke for him.
“Marry me.”
Feliciano breathed making Arthur go wide eyed.
“W-what?”
The mage said his tone soft and shocked. Feli gazed at him, his amber eyes honest and full of determination.
“Marry me. I love you Arthur Kirkland, I have loved you for centuries and I will love you forever and always. I want to have you in every way that a man could possibly have the one they love. So please……marry me.”
The Italian said his tone soft and full of devotion. The Englishman stared at him, his gaze filling with tears and overwhelming love for the man in front of him. Letting out a wet laugh Arthur pulled Feliciano back into him.
“You’re crazy, absolutely off your rocker. Bloody hell yes, I’ll marry you you absolute insane yet sweet man you.”
Arthur said choking slightly through his happy tears. The Englishman let out a gasp as Feliciano picked him up and twirled them around, kissing every part of him that he could. Arthur let out a small laugh at the kisses before grabbing his cheeks and pulling him into a proper one. Feliciano kissed him back his heart full and his entire being singing with unbridled love and affection. He was going to marry the man who held his heart. Marry the mage who saved him all those years ago and who stuck with him for better or worse. Arthur Kirkland was his completely.
The mage and familiar remained like this, forgetting about dinner completely and getting lost in one another. They’d always be with one another till the end of time, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
*Fluff makes the brain go bleh shshshdh. I surprisingly had a somewhat difficult time with this one considering that the one story I’ve got going on involving fantasy is still ongoing and I lowkey don’t wanna put all of my possibly good ideas out yet lol. So I went with a Mage Arthur and his Familiar Feli. There wasn’t much magic in this other than the magic of love and sappiness shsgsdehdhs. I apologize if this sucks lol. Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it!!! And here’s prompt four @engitaweek2022!!!*
Warning: Sad times, kinda depressing at some points but it’ll get better I promise.
~~~~~
Why was one afraid to fall?
Why was one afraid to jump head first into things?
Many would say that it was because of the fear of dying or the fear of falling in general. But for Arthur the fear of falling was entirely different. Falling was easy, the ground would give way under you and you’d be powerless to do anything. You’d just have to let gravity take you and hope that you landed on the ground gently. Those were things that didn’t really make Arthur afraid of it. No the fear for him was the landing, the aftermath so to speak of doing the act. That was what he feared the most. It was the fear of the unknown after the fall that kept him away from others. It was the reason why he never allowed anyone too close to him.
But there were times when even his best efforts would prove to be futile.
This was one of those moments.
It’d started small, just a polite hello here and there to his fellow nation. An attempt at making peace with the terrified Italian nation known as Italy to help ease the tensions in the world meetings. Then those small attempts turned into small awkward smiles at one another whenever they’d see one another. Acknowledging the somewhat tense peace that was slowly beginning to form between them. Yet never did either attempt to cross a line, neither wanting to leave the comfortable places that they were in nor wanting to ruin the peace. It remained this way for a long time, and Arthur was fine with that. He didn’t mind that they didn’t interact with one another. Just as long as he and Italy had some kind of peaceful truce then he was perfectly okay with it. And Italy was just as fine with it.
Until one day he’d decided to do the unthinkable.
One moment an invisible barrier sat between them, fragile yet effective. Then the next thing Arthur knew the usually cowardly Italian nation completely wrecked the barrier. No longer did the safe space between them exist. No instead a sudden close exposure was in its place with Italy making it become a reality. The once peaceful existence Arthur had was disrupted by Italy. No longer did the English nation know peace, no instead he was suddenly constantly bothered by Italy. What fear and anxiety he once had for the older nation was now nonexistent. Instead in their place where small smiles and light conversations. Arthur at first tried to deflect from his advances, spooked by the sudden change between them. Doing whatever he could to dissuade the chipper Italian from pursuing his sudden need to talk and interact. Yet with each attempt he threw at him Italy completely overcame them. It confused and irritated him and he began to curse himself for starting things between them.
After all Italy suddenly taking an interest in him and trying to spend time with him had not been his intention. Yet it was the result he’d gotten. For a brief period of time it continued on like that, Arthur desperately trying to avoid the attempts of Italy and Italy being scarily hellbent on continuing his pursuits. Until finally Arthur had snapped and given in.
“Fine! If it’ll get you to give me a moment of peace then I’ll hang out with you! Happy???”
Arthur had practically snarled it, his gaze hard and full of irritation. He was expecting Italy to finally leave him alone at the snarl, for him to run away as he once did crying for Germany or Japan in his fear. But to the Brit’s shock Italy had only given him a beaming smile.
“Ve~ Thank you England! We’re going to have a lot of fun trust me!”
Italy had chirped happily oblivious to the mental whiplash Arthur was going through. After that it was like a river had been unleashed. Arthur soon found himself spending time with Italy, sitting by him for meetings and having him come over to his house and he to Italy’s. Small awkward conversations became more smooth and honest between them, late nights on the phone talking to one another and sharing meals and other things with one another. Before Arthur realized it Italy had become a large part of his life, a close friend that the Englishman could rely on. A trustworthy companion who would always have his back, a shoulder to lean on and a voice of reason he could trust. It was perfect, it was easy to fall into to. Being with Italy was as easy as breathing and he wouldn’t trade it for the world. Arthur should have known better than to think that it’d always remain this way.
He should have known that he’d mess it all up eventually.
It was like any other day. Arthur had been invited by Italy to come to Venice and spend time with him. And Arthur had agreed, itching to get out of his large empty house and dark skies to have a bit of sunshine. When he’d gotten there Italy had been there to greet him, a bright smile on his face as he rushed to tackle him into a hug. Giving Arthur two kisses on his cheeks in greeting Italy led him away from the station and the two began their day of relaxation. They went through the bright sunny streets of Venice, talking about anything that came to them and enjoying the sights of the glorious city. It was during this that Arthur began to notice things. As Italy chatted away about his newest pasta recipe, Arthur found himself staring at the taller male. Bright auburn hair shined in the sunshine, reflecting its rays in an array of reds and browns. Tanned skin stretched over smooth muscles as he moved his hands in excitement. Closed eyes crinkled in the corners of his face as he smiled and talked, painting a majestic picture. It was at that moment that Arthur realized that Italy was beautiful. The Englishman was hypnotized by the sight, his eyes never leaving Italy’s frame. His heart gave a funny pitter patter in his chest as he stared, his expression soft and open unknowingly.
‘God I love you.’
The thought came slamming Arthur out of his gazing. His breath came in a sharp gasp, and his chest constricted tightly in shock and disbelief. His body came to a complete halt stumped by the sudden affection and honesty in the thought. Arthur felt his hands shake lightly and break out into a sweat as he realized to his horror that he had meant it. Suddenly everything seemed so much more clearer and much more terrifying in that moment. The longing he felt whenever he didn’t hear from the Italian for a long time, the pure joy and happiness he felt whenever he was with him. The feeling he got when he heard Italy laugh at something he’d said, the butterflies he got whenever Italy would smile at him. Suddenly it all made sense, like a puzzle that Arthur hadn’t realized was incomplete now finally having its pieces in the right places.
Arthur Kirkland, the living embodiment of England was in love with Italy.
And with that fact came the soul crushing terror that nearly made him stumble. Arthur never wanted to be in this position, he never even imagined that he’d end up here. He couldn’t be in love with Italy. Being in love with Italy meant that he had already unknowingly took the leap. Being in love with Italy meant that he was falling with no safety net, at the mercy of gravity and its aftermath of when he finally landed. The Englishman was so busy having his mental breakdown that the feeling of a firm but warm hand on his arm nearly made him jump out of his skin. Snapping back into the reality around him he nearly sucked in a sharp breath at the close face that clouded his vision. Italy was staring at him, his eyebrows furrowed in concern as he held onto Arthur.
“England are you alright? You were looking really pale there for a second!”
Italy said his tone full of genuine worry. Arthur couldn’t help but flinch at the tone, guilt eating away at him for causing unnecessary worry. Swallowing the nerves that threatened to devour him Arthur gave Italy a shaky smile.
“S-sorry Italy, I just got dizzy there for a moment. I’ll be alright though.”
The Englishman said his voice cracking slightly at the end. Italy gave a distressed noise and began to led Arthur to find someplace to sit.
“Let’s get you out of the sun for a bit! I should have been paying more attention, I know that you get dizzy if you’re in the heat for too long! Mi dispiace tanto!”
The Italian said his voice rushed in his panicked rambling. Arthur just let Italy drag him into the shade, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. He felt Italy’s hand slip into his, his much larger and warmer hand covering his smaller one. It made Arthur’s heart twist at the feeling.
'I love you……’
The thought rang out again accompanied by the sense of dread. Arthur was officially in too deep and it was too late for him to climb back out from this. After that revelation the rest of the trip was awkward for the British nation. He began to notice every little detail of Italy including their interactions with one another. And with each interaction Arthur could feel his heart sink deeper into his chest. All of Italy’s gestures were friendly, never daring to cross into a less than friendly area. The Italian nation had no idea about Arthur’s feelings, nor did he give any indication that they were returned. The facts that were glaring at him made Arthur feel nauseous as he realized that he not only fell in love with Italy, a nation that was way out of his league, but he’d fallen in love with someone who didn’t even think of him in that light. That knowledge ate at him, consuming his thoughts and tearing him up inside. By the time he had went home Arthur had collapsed on his floor, his emotional turmoil overwhelming him.
It was the aftermath he was so deathly afraid of. The answer to the question that his heart wanted to know. Italy didn’t love him, not in the way that Arthur loved him. It was this damning thought that finally made him break. Fresh bitter tears began to fall from their emerald prison, staining pale cheeks. His throat grew tight as he curled in on himself, wrapping his arms around himself in the vain attempt to keep himself together. His heart hurt, feeling as if it was tearing itself from his chest. His already fragile heart was cracking, shattering and chipping away as the reality of his one sided feelings hit him full force. Arthur let out a broken and pained sob, his body shaking as he broke apart. He remained like that for a long time, staining his face and sleeves with his tears and trying desperately to keep his broken heart from completely shattering. The horrible part was the guilt that he felt, he had done something that he shouldn’t have done. He’d gone and caught feelings for his best friend and in the process of doing so made it more complicated than it needed to be. He couldn’t help but think of what Italy would think should he ever find out about Arthur’s feelings and received nasty scenarios in his head. Each one ending the same way.
Italy becoming disgusted with him and never speaking to him again.
The thought made Arthur feel hallow, breaking him even further than he already was. The Englishman couldn’t imagine his life without Italy in it. The younger nation had brought so much color into his monochrome life, bringing smiles and laughter into his dark and cold days. Italy gave Arthur’s life a new fixture, one that he needed and loved. He gave Arthur a reason to enjoy the little things in life, making him hold onto every little moment that made life so wonderful. And he had ruined it by letting his heart lead instead of his head.
'I always ruin everything……why do I always ruin everything I touch…..?’
He asked himself his thoughts broken and tired. Arthur didn’t have an answer to them.
~~~~~
Six months.
It’d been six months since Arthur had discovered his feelings. Six months since he had spent any time with Italy alone. After his emotional breakdown in his home Arthur had began to grow distant. Whenever Italy asked him to come spend time with him the English nation would make excuses. Avoiding anything that would make the two of them be alone with one another. With each excuse Italy seemed to grow more and more saddened, his once happy aura seemingly dimming. It nearly broke the older nation several times, nearly made him pull the Italian into his arms and apologize for being gone for so long. But he forced himself to remain strong knowing that if he gave in he’d just fall more in love with him. And that was the last thing he needed to do. He couldn’t get any deeper in these emotions, his heart couldn’t take it. So he avoided him to spare both of them from the painful fall that was bound to happen.
Arthur should have known though that his plans never really worked out.
Especially when it came to Italy.
It was late in the night when he heard the knocking at his door. Arthur who was laying down sat up in a sleepy daze, confused as to who could be knocking on his door this late. Making his way towards his front door Arthur unlocked it and cracked it open to see who it was. The Englishman nearly slammed it shut again but stopped when he saw the image before him. Standing at his door soaking wet was Italy. The younger nation was shivering slightly, his head hanging lowly. Arthur felt his twist and opened the door more.
“You idiot you’re going to catch your death out there! Get inside so you can get dry!”
Arthur said concerned as he ushered Italy into his home. Once the Italian was inside Arthur quickly led him into the living room and sat him down onto the sofa. Italy let him not saying a word the entire time.
“Alright just stay here I’ll go get you something to dry off with.”
Arthur said softly going to get up to do just that. However he was stopped by a drenched hand shooting out and grabbing him. Arthur turned his attention towards Italy seeing the nation cling to his arm.
“Please……England please don’t go…….I don’t want you to go……”
Italy said his voice soft and cracking. Begging him to stay. Arthur felt his heart crack at the broken tone as Italy clung to him.
“B-but you’re going to get sick-”
Arthur began to say before he was cut off by Italy.
“I don’t care! I’d rather get sick than be left alone! Please England don’t go…..don’t go where I can’t follow…..”
Italy said choking on his emotions. Arthur stared in shock as Italy finally looked up at him. Bright, broken amber eyes stared up at him, full of tears, frustration and sorrow. The Italian was shaking slightly, his eyes overflowing and leaving Arthur speechless.
“I don’t know what I did but I’m sorry England…….I’m so sorry whatever I did to hurt you…..!”
Italy said sobbing as he finally broke down. Arthur felt as if someone had taken a scoop and scooped out his insides at the Italian’s pleas for forgiveness. This wasn’t what he wanted, he never wanted to hurt Italy. He just wanted to spare him from himself. But once again he had hurt someone he cared about and it broke Arthur. Without thinking about it Arthur collapsed onto his knees in front of Italy and pulled him into a tight hug. The younger nation froze before clinging to him tightly.
“No, no you have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I didn’t mean to hurt you Italy I was just trying to……”
Arthur said his voice thick as he tried to explain. Italy pulled away from him, looking at him with an unreadable look.
“You say you don’t mean to hurt me but you do! You’ve been hurting me for the past six months England! I’ve been so lost, not knowing what was going on! And you wouldn’t say anything to me and dannazione England you can’t just…..just leave me alone like that!”
Italy said his tone raising to a shout at the end. Arthur flinched at it his guilt drowning him.
“I…..I didn’t want to burden you with my problems! Something had came up and I didn’t want you to worry so I didn’t say anything. I wanted to handle it myself I didn’t realize that you’d get hurt!”
Arthur said trying to get his say in. Italy just glared at him.
“You wouldn’t have been a burden you absolute idiota! You never are! If you have a problem then you come to me and we can figure it out together!”
Italy snapped hurt. Arthur felt his frustration build at everything.
“It’s not something that we can fix today Italy, this is something that only I can do!”
Arthur said making Italy grab him by the arm.
“Why?! Why do you have to do it by yourself?!? I thought we were a team?? Why won’t you let me in?? England-”
Italy began to question making Arthur finally become overwhelmed by everything.
“BECAUSE YOU CAN’T HELP ME WHEN MY PROBLEM IS BEING IN LOVE WITH YOU YOU TWIT!”
Arthur snapped his voice a shout. Italy’s jaw dropped at the sentence and Arthur felt his heart drop.
“W-what….?”
Italy asked his voice soft and somewhat hesitant. Arthur felt his throat close as he realized that he had screwed up.
“I……I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for months, hell maybe even years. I……I didn’t want to drag you down with my feelings. I didn’t…..I didn’t mean to fall in love with you…….and I just wanted to make it easier for both of us but instead I fucked it all up……I’m so sorry…..”
Arthur said tears filling his eyes as he looked down desperately trying to wipe away at them. Italy was silent, his gaze burning into him. The Brit braced himself for the heartbreak, braced himself for the words and goodbye that would ruin him. Instead what he got was a sniffle and then a body embracing his. Arthur stared shocked as Italy held him and burst into tears.
“You stupid Englishman…..! Why didn’t you tell me……all this time I’d……I’d thought that you hated me and that……that my feelings weren’t returned…..!”
Italy sobbed making Arthur stiffen at the confession.
“What are you saying….?”
Arthur asked not daring to hope.
“I’m saying that I love you too……I love you so much that it makes me wanna cry……I love you Arthur……”
Italy said his voice thick but a smile was on his face. Arthur felt his heart leap at the use of his human name and Italy’s love confession.
“I……you……”
The older nation fumbled earning a fond look.
“Arthur, just shut up.”
Italy said before leaning forward and kissing him. The Englishman froze his brain short circuiting before his eyes slid closed and he kissed back. The kiss was soft and sweet, the Italian pouring all of his love into it. Arthur returned it, wanting Italy to know that the feeling was mutual. The two pulled away from the other breathless. Italy touched Arthur’s forehead with his own and gave him a small smile. Arthur smiled back finally feeling okay after months of suffering and heartbreak.
“Te amo Arthur.”
Italy said his voice soft and full of affection as well as tears. Arthur gave a choked sob and smiled at him.
“I love you too Feli.”
Arthur muttered to Italy, no to Feli. Feli’s face broke out into a bright smile, his amber eyes twinkling before leaning back in to kiss him again. The two remained there, exchanging kisses and whispered words of love. Arthur knew that he and Feli would have to talk about what had happened before all of this but for now the Englishman embraced the present moment. As long as he had Feli with him then he wasn’t worried.
He and Feliciano were going to be okay.
*Angst?? Did someone ask for hurt and angst???? Cuz I’ve got chu fam! I’m an absolute sucker for stuff like this especially if I can make it hella dramatic shshshdh. I wanna thank my song playlist Message in a Bottle by Taylor Swift for giving me the feels for this lmfao. Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it! And here’s the prompt for day three @engitaweek2022!*
Warning: Arthur and Lovino’s mouth, my boys likes to swear. As well as possibly incorrect fashion designer things.
~~~~~
Being a fashion designer was no cake walk Arthur had come to learn. Ridiculous hours and having bosses who would completely toss your projects if they deemed them not up to stuff. Running yourself into the ground and if you weren’t lucky, you sometimes got stuck with a stingy boss who would make up every excuse in the book to not pay you what you deserved. Yes being a fashion designer, especially a struggling one was no easy feat. It was a vicious cycle that Arthur had found himself in. For the past few years he’d been struggling, desperately trying to make a name for himself despite everything in the world seemly trying to make it impossible. The grumpy man had been stuck in this situation for quite sometime and it was slowly wearing him down. From putting his blood, sweat and tears into his works only to have his insane boss completely scrap the projects. However Arthur still held on despite being at his limit, desperately holding onto the hope that his efforts would finally bare fruit at some point.
And today it seemed as if his prayers were heard.
The company that Arthur was working for was finally getting some attention. But not just any kind of attention oh no. They were getting attention from agencies that specialized in models who displayed newest fashion trends and clothing. Vargas Modeling/Fashion agency was one of these parties that were interested. They were known for making the newest trends and making small time fashion designers become big. And Arthur Kirkland was determined to try and make a good impression on these people. The Englishman looked through his sketchbook of designs making sure he had everything that he needed as he sat at his work station. Bright and elegant drawings greeted him, full of future designs and clothes that he had been working on over the years. Having counted the papers and seeing that they were all there he let out a small sigh of relief. With gentle hands he placed the book down on his desk before going to grab his scissors and beginning his design for the day.
The sounds of the fabric being cut and placed on his mannequin were soothing to him. A pin cushion was strapped to his wrist and a needle was placed in his mouth as he worked, getting lost in it. Even when his job was utterly ridiculous he wouldn’t trade the making of his designs for anything. Seeing his once mere ideas coming to life made him feel a sense of happiness. Knowing that he could create something out of pieces of cloth and thread was addictive in a way. Arthur was so focused on his task that he nearly stabbed himself in the hand with his needle when the office door burst open. Standing at the door was his boss, a short older man who was extremely unpleasant. Mr. Henderson was his name and he was one of most cheapest, stingiest people Arthur had ever had the displeasure of working for. The man seemed to glare at the room around him, taking in all of his underpaid workers with a sneer. With the sounds of his expensive shoes clicking on the hard floors Mr. Henderson stared at each worker’s designs with a critical eye.
“You call this a dress? Pathetic I’ve seen dish rags with a better presentation.”
Mr. Henderson said to one person, a Hungarian woman named Elizaveta. The young woman seemed to glare at the old man, her bright green eyes full of barely hidden restraint.
“Of course Mr. Henderson, I’ll do better next time.”
Elizaveta said her tone sickeningly sweet. Mr. Henderson just grunted not seeming too interested nor concerned about whether or not he’d upset her. Once Mr. Henderson moved away from her Arthur glanced over at her with a small look. The Hungarian looked back at him seemingly understanding what he was trying to do and gave him a small nod and a tight smile. Mr. Henderson continued on his rampage, saying nasty things to each and every worker. Arthur bit back the urge to snap at his boss, no matter how much he wanted to. All to soon it was Arthur’s turn at being in Mr. Henderson’s sights. Cold eyes stared at Arthur’s piece. The Englishman had been working on a suit, the coat being a nice warm red color with a cream colored shirt underneath it. It was still within its beginning stages having been barely pieced together. Mr. Henderson gave this coat and shirt a burning look, his eyes full of disgust.
“You call this a suit Mr. Kirkland? This looks like it belongs in a circus! Honestly after being here for two years one would think that you would have learned a thing or two! Throw it away and try again!”
Mr. Henderson snarled before moving on. Arthur felt his hands shake with barely contained anger and frustration. It was like this every time Arthur’s turn came up. It was almost as if the old man was personally out to get him. Mr. Henderson returned back to the entranceway of the work room, a disappointed look on his face.
“I honestly can’t believe none of you have managed to come up with something better than these pathetic excuses you dare to call clothing! The Vargas Modeling/Fashion Agency will be here anytime this week and this is all you have to offer them??? Inexcusable and unacceptable! If I don’t see any improvements by the time the agency gets here I will personally fire each and every one of you in this room.”
Mr. Henderson thundered before disappearing from the room. The workers stared at the door in disbelief before harsh, panicked whispers broke out.
“He doesn’t mean that does he? Surely he’s joking!”
A Spaniard named Antonio said unable to believe what he’d just heard.
“Mr. Henderson can’t do this isn’t it illegal???”
Another worker a Taiwanese woman named Mei said looking downright furious at the audacity their boss had. Other voices continued to talk amongst themselves, some of them disbelieving and others ready to just call it quits. Arthur just stared at the door, his whole body frozen as he tried to get himself back to together. The Englishman and his fellow workers were snapped out of it by Elizaveta who quickly brought order to the impending chaos.
“Enough! We will worry about this when we cross that bridge! Right now we have to do our best and show that old jerk that we are more than capable of making wonderful things! Now let’s get back to work!”
She said scanning the room with a stern look. Shortly after the people began to go back to their designs, though their hearts weren’t as into it as before. Mr. Henderson’s words and threats had made them none too enthusiastic to continue. Yet in this world were jobs were necessary they really didn’t have much of a choice but to suck it up until a better opportunity presented itself. Arthur stared at the coat he was working on, it’s warm red color now looking somewhat small and not as good as he’d first thought. The British gentleman gripped his fabrics tightly, wanting nothing more than to scream when a familiar hand grabbed his arm gently.
“If it’s any consolation, I think your suit coat and shirt are absolutely wonderful Arthur.”
Elizaveta said her tone sincere. Arthur gave the Hungarian a small look before sighing softly.
“Thank you Elizaveta. I think your dress is rather lovely as well. That old git doesn’t understand talent when he sees it.”
Arthur said making Elizaveta smile.
“If that’s the case then it applies to your work as well.”
She said sweetly. Arthur just turned away not really in the mood to argue on it. Elizaveta gave Arthur a gentle squeeze before going back to her work station and continuing on her dress. The Brit took a deep breath and began his own work, wanting nothing more than to take his coat and shirt and go home.
‘Just a little bit longer Arthur old boy, soon you’ll get out of here.’
~~~~~
Arthur ran through the busy sidewalk, trying desperately to get to his destination. Pushing past the people without straight up shoving them over. It’d been a few days since the unpleasant meeting with Mr. Henderson and the Englishman had been working non stop on his new project as well as the project that he’d been told to get rid of. Days of nothing but working overtime and desperately trying to get it done and ready to present it to the agency. Days of sleeping barely at all and working himself to the bone. All in the hopes that he would be able to wow the agency and finally get away from the place he was stuck in.
Only to completely mess it up by sleeping in due to his alarm not going off.
“Fucking hell of all the bloody days for me to cock up!”
Arthur hissed under his breath furious with himself. This was possibly his one chance and he was going to screw it all up. The Brit was so busy scolding and berating himself for his carelessness that he didn’t notice the man stepping out into his path. Arthur collided with another person, their bodies tumbling onto the cold sidewalk due to the momentum of Arthur’s running. The papers that were safely in his sketchbook went flying, scattering around them. The Brit sat up with a pained groan, trying to ignore the pain of his body.
“Ah-! I’m so sorry sir! I wasn’t watching were I was going! Here let me help you-”
A voice thick with an Italian accent said. Arthur blinked and turned his attention towards the voice to see that it was the other man who he’d ran into. Bright auburn hair and a strange curl covered a handsome tanned face. Amber hues full of worry stared at him, seemingly unconcerned about his own tumble onto the pavement. He looked a few years younger than Arthur, and he was the most attractive man he’d ever seen.
'Bloody hell he’s like a model…..’
Arthur thought stupidly. The Italian man waved a hand in front of his face, making Arthur snap out of his stupor.
“Oh Dio are you alright? You don’t have a concussion do you?? You did hit the sidewalk pretty hard..”
The man said his tone filling with more concern. Arthur felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment and quickly retorted.
“No-! No I’m fine I’m the one who should be apologizing, I was the one running!”
Arthur said mortified by his behavior. He felt like an awkward teenager instead of a grown man who was twenty three. The man gave him another look obviously not believing him. Arthur didn’t pay him any mind though, scrambling at picking up his sketches and designs. He refused to make eye contact with the handsome stranger. Just as he went to reach out and pick up another sketch a tanned hand beat him to it. Arthur’s eyes snapped to the other man who was now offering a smile as he handed it to him.
“Here let me help you, it’s the least I can do for not paying attention.”
He said with a closed eyed smile. Arthur felt his already red cheeks burn more, his brain short circuiting at the smile.
“Lord have mercy he’s even more attractive when he smiles.”
Arthur thought only to hear a chiming laugh near him. The man was now looking at him amused.
“Ve, so I’m more attractive when I smile si? Well grazie bella.”
The man said giving him a small smirk. Arthur felt his embarrassment go up when he realized that he’d actually said it out loud.
“Oh my God I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize that I’d said it out loud! For fuck sake what’s wrong with me???”
Arthur said nervous and mortified by his actions. The Italian just watched him, slightly taken with this scrambled man in front of him.
“It’s alright bella, I don’t mind if it’s from you. In fact I find it rather flattering that you think so highly of my smile. Would you perhaps like to join me for a morning coff-”
The man began to ask only to be cut off by a loud swear from Arthur. The Brit had remembered that he was running late and was already getting back onto his feet, clutching his messy sketchbook to his chest.
“Fucking hell-! I’m late I’ve got to go! I’m sorry mate!”
Arthur said already running again to try and get to work. The Italian let out a startled noise and shouted out to him as he himself got to his feet. But Arthur was too far away at this point to hear him, instead running full speed down the sidewalk and disappearing into the crowd. Leaving the handsome man behind on the pavement.
~~~~~
Mr. Henderson was not happy.
In fact he was furious.
The short and stout man was bright red in the face, invisible steam coming off of him as Arthur burst through the doors. He’d been extremely late unfortunately and his boss was laying into him in front of all his coworkers.
“TARDINESS IS UNACCEPTABLE! ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE SUCH IMPORTANT CLIENTS COMING IN! I SWEAR TO GOD YOU ARE THE MOST USELESS WORKER I’VE EVER HAD THE DISPLEASURE OF EMPLOYING-”
Mr. Henderson roared, his face slowly turning purple from how loud he was being. Arthur just stood in front of him, gritting his teeth and biting his tongue. The last thing the Brit needed was to lose his own short temper and lose any chance of getting his work noticed. Arthur noticed the pitying and sympathetic looks he was receiving from behind the boss’s back as he got chewed out.
“IF I DIDN’T NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK I WOULD FIRE YOU THIS VERY MINUTE-!!”
Mr. Henderson shouted only to be interrupted by the shrill ringing of his cellphone. The man yanked it from his back pocket and nearly broke the poor thing with how harshly he opened it.
“WHAT?!?………Oh I see……..very well I’ll be down.”
Mr. Henderson said before slamming the cell closed.
“The Vargas Modeling/Fashion Agency is here. Get your ass to your work station and don’t you dare embarrass me Mr. Kirkland. The rest of you get back to work!”
Mr. Henderson barked before storming out of the room to go and greet the Agency in the main entrance and check in desk. Arthur scurried to his work place trying to calm down the raging storm of emotion he was feeling. His hands shook and his stomach rolled with anxiety as he tried to get everything in order. He was just getting his sketchbook in order when he froze dead in place. Arthur’s heart dropped as he realized that one of his designs was missing. He swore drawing the attention of Elizaveta and Antonio who were closer to him.
“Que? Is something wrong Arthuro?”
Antonio asked his light green eyes curious.
“Arthur is everything okay?”
Elizaveta asked concerned by Arthur’s outburst. The Englishman looked up at the two, his dark green eyes filled with distress.
“My sketch! It’s missing!”
Arthur said nearly panicked as he began to search his desk for the missing paper.
“Your sketch? How did you lose it you rarely let that book out of your sight!”
Antonio said dumbfounded by the information. Arthur losing something was almost unheard of around the studio.
“Are you sure it’s missing? Where was the last place you’d seen it?”
Elizaveta asked trying to help her coworker out.
“I had it in my sketchbook! It was there this morning right before I-!”
Arthur began to explain before stopping dead in his sentence as he remembered the incident from earlier. The Englishman let out a loud groan and slammed his head against his desk startling his two coworkers.
“Arthur???”
Elizaveta asked sounding startled while Antonio just stared at him. Arthur let out a series of mumbles making the Hungarian and Spaniard exchange looks.
“Amigo we can’t help you if we can’t hear you.”
Antonio said trying to get Arthur to speak up. The Brit lifted his head from his desk and spoke again.
“This morning I was running late and as I was trying to get to work I’d ran into someone. I must have lost it during the collision….”
Arthur groaned upset with himself for not getting his sketch. Today was just not his day.
“You ran into someone? Did you catch a name? Maybe you can get it after work today?”
Elizaveta asked making Arthur shake his head.
“No I didn’t get his name. All I got out of him was his stupid face and his stupid attractive smile-”
Arthur began to grumble before Elizaveta stopped him.
“Attractive? Oh my so you ran into someone.”
The woman said her tone sly. Antonio let out a small snicker and Arthur’s head snapped up.
“No-! I mean yes-! I mean maybe-?!?! Bloody hell I don’t know that’s not what’s important right now!”
Arthur sputtered his pale freckled cheeks slowly going red. Antonio let out a whistle while Elizaveta gave him a cheeky smile.
“Oh sure Arthur~”
Elizaveta said teasingly before growing somewhat serious. Placing a gentle hand on Arthur’s back she gave a small comforting pat.
“I’m sure that you’ll find your sketch Arthur. If nothing else I know that you’ll make an even better one.”
The Hungarian said earning a hum of agreement from the Spaniard. Arthur gave the two of them small thankful looks before dropping the conversation. As the trio went back to their tasks Arthur began to think of the man he ran into that morning. He thought of his warm amber hues and his dazzling smile and his smooth voice. The Italian was an absolute catch and Arthur still couldn’t believe that he’d managed to interact with someone like that.
'Knock it off Kirkland, you can’t get distracted by a handsome stranger. You’ve got to focus.’
His conscience said stern. The Englishman shook his head, causing his messy blonde hair to sway with the movement before focusing on the outfit in front of him. It was the suit that he’d first worked on only more complete. The Brit was just adding the last few details to it before he’d consider it finished. Arthur had just got the thread through his needle and was stitching the last of the design into the sleeve when the studio doors opened making him and his coworkers pause in their work.
“And here’s where we make our designs and clothes. As you can see our fashion designers are hard at work to make only the best of the best.”
Mr. Henderson said his voice sweet and full of fake pride. The sleazy man stepped further into the room, leading a small group of people into it. Arthur’s gaze landed on them and quickly took notice of how fashionable and lovely they all were. A man with amethyst hues and dark brunette hair was in the front of the group. His face was pale and his chin had a small mole on it. A strange curl stuck out from his head and a pair of thin glasses sat on the bridge of his elegant nose. Beside him was another man with dark brown hair and tanned skin. He had hazel green eyes that were narrowed and a frown was firmly placed on his face. A strange curl also stuck out from his hair on the left side. Arthur felt his heart skip at the scary deja vu he suddenly had at the man’s appearance. He looked scarily like the man he ran into that morning only more sour looking. The man’s gaze turned towards Arthur having felt his staring. A nasty glare bore into his head making Arthur quickly look away. Finally catching sight of the third person who was with the group Arthur about dropped his needle and thread in shock.
Auburn hair with a curl on the right side of his head, tanned skin and a handsome smile. Bright amber eyes full of warmth and curiosity.
It was him.
It was the man from this morning.
Arthur felt his heart stop as he realized that the man he’d ran into, the man who he’d said had an attractive smile to his face, the man he’d left on the sidewalk in his haste to get to work was the man who was a representatives for the agency.
'Jesus Christ I fucked up so badly.’
The thought whispered in panic as Arthur tried to calm himself down. Mr. Henderson’s voice drew his attention as they made their way around. The three representatives looked at the different clothes and designs each one having different reactions to them.
“Oh look how lovely this dress is! Don’t you think so Roderich???”
A chipper Italian voice belonging to the handsome stranger said. The elegant man, Roderich looked at the dress and gave it a critical look.
“It’s impressive. You’re incredibly talented.”
Roderich said his voice thick with an Austrian accent. The answering thank you was sweet and somewhat shy as Elizaveta took in the praise. It continued on like this with each of them praising different works and such. The angry looking Italian, who Arthur heard be called Lovino had taken a liking to Antonio’s designs if the gruff it’s alright said anything about it. Mr. Henderson let them look, obviously not agreeing with what they were saying.
“They have done a splendid job but they’re still learning how to do the business. But a little practice will do them wonders.”
Mr. Henderson said offering a fake smile. It made Arthur want to hurl his pin cushion at him.
“Ve, I really like this one. It’s rather beautiful.”
A voice said close to Arthur making the Englishman jump slightly. Turning to his side he met the amused gaze of the man who he ran into. The Italian was looking at him and his suit, a gentle hand holding one of the sleeves.
“I shouldn’t be surprised though given that your sketch was just as wonderful.”
The man praised making Arthur’s face break out into a blush at the praise.
“I….uh thank you…Mr…..?”
Arthur said fumbling slightly with his thread. The man gave him a small smile and held out his hand.
“Vargas. Feliciano Vargas. Co-owner of the agency.”
The man Feliciano said. Arthur slowly shook his hand, his throat dry.
“Pleasure to meet you Mr. Vargas.”
He said politely trying to ease his racing heart. Feliciano gripped his hand and shook it. Mr. Henderson cleared his throat drawing Feliciano and Arthur’s attention.
“Yes Mr. Kirkland here is one of our beginners here, a novice if you will.”
Mr. Henderson said his tone professional and stiff. Arthur bristled at the man’s tone hating him even more. Even when Arthur was praised the nasty man had to find some way to make it crummy. Feliciano gave Mr. Henderson a searching look not taking too kindly to it either. However he didn’t say anything, in fact it was completely taken care of by his brother who from the moment they’d stepped in the place had been slowly getting more and more irritated.
“For fucks sake you’re a cynical old bastard aren’t you? You say these people are beginners but it’s obvious that they’re not. No beginners can make the things they can make.”
Lovino snapped obviously fed up with the fakeness of it. Mr. Henderson blinked in shock his eyebrow twitching slightly.
“Oh? I didn’t realize, my apologies Mr. Vargas-”
Mr. Henderson began before he was cut off.
“Honestly this is absolute bullshit. From the moment we’ve stepped into this dump it’s been quite clear that your workers aren’t happy and that pisses me off.”
Lovino said his tone angry. Arthur could only watch as the other Vargas brother tore a new one into his boss not seeming to care. Mr. Henderson’s fake niceness was slowly beginning to crack, his own voice becoming snippy and irritated. The workers watched in awe as their boss was put in his place, enjoying the view. Finally it all came to a head as Mr. Henderson exploded. After that the fight was taken out of the workplace, Lovino and Mr. Henderson’s voices raising down the hallway. Once they were gone Roderich addressed the room.
“Since my boss is currently busy at the moment I shall let you all know that you are all incredibly talented. The Vargas Modeling/Fashion agency would be more than happy to have you all in our employment program should you choose.”
The Austrian said making the room explode in happy and excited voices. Arthur felt his jaw drop slightly at the new job offer before a throat clearing drew his attention back to Feliciano. The Italian smiled at him and held something out to him.
“You forgot this when you ran away this morning Mr. Kirkland.”
Feliciano said chipper as Arthur took the paper from his grasp. It was the missing sketch that he’d been looking for.
“Ah please, call me Arthur. And I apologize for running away so quickly, I was in quite the rush. Anyways thank you for returning my sketch.”
Arthur said blushing lightly. Feliciano grinned at the sight.
“Arthur, it suit you bella. Since I returned your sketch I’d like to ask you something.”
Feliciano said his eyes full of amusement and slight nervousness. Arthur felt his heart skip a beat as he was pinned by those eyes.
“Would you perhaps like to join me for a morning coffee sometime? I’d love to get to know a lovely man such as yourself.”
Feliciano said shimmying a bit as he waited for Arthur’s answer. The Englishman stared at him in shock before shyly smiling at him.
“I’d love to.”
Arthur said making Feli beam with happiness. It was that day that Arthur finally got out of the place he was in. From then on the Englishman made a name for himself and his fashions, and fell in love with Feliciano along the way, and years down the road as he sat by his beloved husband’s side in front of their garden Arthur couldn’t help but feel like all of the things he’d went through was worth it.
*Oh Dolly Parton how you make a gal wanna quit her job of working 9 to 5 shsgsgsg. Here’s the second prompt for EngIta week! I wasn’t expecting to write this much and the story is kinda wonky in certain scenes but I tried my best to make it make sense sgsvdvdbdn. Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it!!! And @engitaweek2022*
Warning: Major character death and blood. But it’s not forever I promise.
~~~~~
Warmth.
There’s so much warmth. It reminded him of a peaceful spring day, his favorite kind of days. A vast green meadow surrounded him, a gentle spring breeze blowing through his auburn hair. Behind him a familiar house sat in the distance. It was a house that he hadn’t seen in centuries.
‘I know this place…..’
Feliciano turned around in his spot searching for the familiar person that he was desperate to see. Gazing around he caught sight of another figure in the distance. A familiar shorter frame, bright, messy blonde hair and warm green eyes stared back at him. A small shy smile on a lightly freckled face. Feliciano felt his heart pick up as a smile came across his face.
“Arthur…!”
The Italian called out to the other nation, waving enthusiastically at him. Arthur stared at him, still wearing that same shy smile yet he did not wave back nor did he come any closer. Feli not liking this began to head towards him, to feel him in his arms again. Only…..every time Feli drew closer to him, Arthur seemed to pull away. The Italian nation felt a small sense of unease set in as he felt himself break into a jog to try and catch up to Arthur.
“Arthuro! Wait for me-!”
Feli called out his voice being drowned out by the wind. Further and further he ran after Arthur, never able to touch him. The British nation was always so close yet always out of reach. The younger nation felt his heart race as the sense of unease grew larger. A deep rooted need to get to Arthur began to consume him. Arthur continued to move ahead of him, not seemly bothered by the distance between them.
“Please Arthur-! Wait for me amore! Don’t leave me behind-!”
Feliciano said before he tripped over his own two feet, his body hitting the ground harshly. The Italian hissed in pain before snapping his head up to try and catch a glimpse of Arthur. Feli felt his stomach drop as the sight of the sudden empty meadow greeted him. Arthur was gone, seemly having disappeared into thin air. Blood began to pound in his ears as he forced himself to his feet, his amber gaze searching frantically. Yet no sign of the familiar Englishman was seen.
“Arthur?!? Arthur where are you?!? Please answer me!! Don’t leave me all alone!!”
Feliciano shouted out as he began to run into a full on sprint. He needed to find Arthur before it was too late. The meadow around him began to grow dark the longer he ran. Its once vibrant grass and flowers becoming dead and brittle. The warmth he’d once felt began to become cold and biting. Yet he persisted onwards refusing to leave Arthur alone. The Italian finally found the Englishman however……
“ARTHUR!!”
He screamed his eyes burning at the sudden tears that threatened to fall. There laying amongst a battlefield of bodies was his beloved Arthur. The Englishman’s body was curled up in an awkward position, his once bright lively eyes, now a dull grey color. Blood stained his clothes and weapons and hair, making the sight of him even more horrific. Feliciano’s body moved on its own, not caring if he had to step over the soliders who’d fallen. All he cared about was getting to Arthur. He needed Arthur to be okay.
'Please….! Whoever is out there listening please….! Not him…..anyone but him…..!’
The Italian nation pleaded to any deity that was listening. After an eternity of stumbling over the dirt, soliders and discarded weapons he finally got to Arthur. The English nation didn’t move as his lover came up beside him. Feliciano felt his throat tighten and his heart shatter as his worst fears were confirmed.
Arthur, his sweet and fierce Arthur was gone.
Feli’s legs gave out from under him, causing him to collapse beside Arthur. Fresh stinging tears burned at his eyes and overflowed onto his cheeks. With trembling hands the younger nation reached out to cup one of Arthur’s cheeks. Cold met his warmth and brought forth more bitter and broken tears. Feliciano gently gathered his lover into his arms, laying his head into his shoulder. Cradling him close Feli let out a broken wail as the reality hit him. Burying his face into Arthur’s hair Feliciano wept and sobbed. His heart shattering even more as he clung to the once strong and warm nation.
“Arthur…..Arthur mi amore please come back don’t leave me alone……I can’t do this without you……”
Feli begged receiving no reply. Instead all he received was the cruel silence of the dead. With stuttering breaths Feliciano kissed Arthur’s head, praying for a miracle that wouldn’t appear. Arthur was gone, no longer would he have his sweet shy smiles directed at him. No longer would he have his stern yet gentle scoldings whenever he’d done something silly or foolish, no longer would he hear his laughter or see his adorable pouts.
No longer would he hear those three words whispered to him in their most intimate moments.
Choking on his tears Feli rocked the two of them back and forth, drowning in his own grief. Once again he’d failed to protect the one he loved, once again he was left completely and utterly alone in this world. Forced to continue living while his heart was no longer with it.
'First Holy Rome……and now you……forgive me Arthur please forgive me for not being able to keep you safe. Amore mio, mia cara, ti amo per favore non lasciarmi solo…..’
Feliciano was alone and broken and there was nothing he could do.
~~~~~
A sharp gasp and Feliciano flung up in his bed. His eyes wide and filled with tears and fear. Shaking slightly he ran a hand through his hair, biting his fist as he bit back his sobs. A small whimper came from him, causing the other body in the bed to groan sleepy. Feli’s eyes snapped towards the other side of his bed as his beloved Arthur awoken. Sleepy green eyes blinked at him as he rubbed at one of them.
“Feli…..? What’s going on you alright luv…..?”
Arthur asked his voice soft and full of sleep. Feliciano began to shake some more as he took in the sight of Arthur alive and well next to him. The Brit was completely fine, his skin and clothes clean of any blood. Arthur was okay, his love was still there with him. Feli let out a choked sob making Arthur become more awake instantly at the sound.
“Feli, love what’s wrong? Poppet you’re crying….”
Arthur said his voice soft and full of concern. The Englishman barely had a chance to prepare himself before he was tackled by a sobbing Italian. Stiffening for only a moment Arthur quickly relaxed and hugged his boyfriend tightly. He had no idea what was going on but he knew that Feli was shaken up and he was determined to make it better.
“It’s alright my darling. It’s going to be alright, I’m here. I’ve got you love.”
Arthur spoke soothingly, rubbing gentle circles on Feliciano’s back. The younger nation just clung to him, his ear pressed up against the older nation’s chest. The steady, gentle sound of Arthur’s heartbeat filled Feliciano’s ears. Showing him proof that his treasure was alive and with him. That his precious Arthur wasn’t on a battlefield somewhere dying or dead. That Feli wasn’t alone again. The Italian clung to him tightly not wanting to let him go. The two stayed like this for a beat before the silence was broken by Feli.
“I love you Arthuro, mi tesoro. If anything happened to you……it’d break my heart…..please…..please don’t leave me Arthur…..”
Feliciano begged his voice thick and full of a fragility. Arthur gave his lover a stunned look before his gaze softened in understanding. Leaning down he placed a loving kiss on Feliciano’s head.
“I could never leave you darling…..you’re my heart and soul. To leave you would be a pain that I could not bare…..I love you too much to leave you alone.”
Arthur said squeezing the Italian gently. Feli gave a whimpering sniffle, more eased now that he heard that his feelings were mutual. Arthur gently manoeuvred them back into the bed to lay down. Keeping Feliciano’s head over his chest above his heart, the older nation began to run his fingers through the other man’s hair. Arthur began to hum a soft lullaby as he did the soothing action making Feli relax at the combination. Closing his eyes he listened to the sound of Arthur’s gentle heartbeat and his soft and sweet humming. A feeling of ease and love filled him as he slowly began to fall back asleep. Arthur wouldn’t leave him and he wouldn’t leave Arthur and at that moment it was enough.
*This is my first time writing for a prompt week so I’m pretty excited!! Our first prompt was Fears and I’d decided to go with Feli given that he’s a usually chipper guy. I think that his biggest fear would be being left alone. After losing someone like Holy Rome it’d make sense that he’d have a fear of losing his loved ones and being left behind. So I wrote this small piece with that idea in mind. Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it!!! And here’s my first submission @engitaweek2022!*
Here’s all of my current Hetalia Fics that I’ve written! I plan on writing a lot more for different pairings as well as reader inserts!!! Happy reading y'all!!!
Here’s the updated part one of my Hetalia Masterlist!!!!
There was an old ghost story that was told in the town that Arthur Kirkland lived in. It was a story that was told around campfires or during sleepovers or on occasion told by the elderly people in his home town. A legend of a regal temple that was hidden deep in the forest, abandoned by the world and its once religious followers. A shell of itself and its former glory. Some say that those who entered the temple never came back out, others said that those who entered it became cursed by those on the other side. Though no one really truly knew given that most avoided it like the plague. For those in Arthur’s town they lived by the rule of better safe than sorry. Of course there were some people who were interested in the temple, Arthur himself being one of those few.
Perhaps that was why he was currently here, treading through the thick growth of trees and other plant life. The evening air chilling him to the bone as he pushed through the overgrowth. Usually while Arthur preferred to stay in town despite his curiosity of this temple, he was now forced into a position where he was now heading towards it. A drunken bet made between him, Francis and Gilbert, that at the time he’d believed he’d win. However lady luck had decided to abandon him and he ended up losing it. And the price for losing this bet? Arthur was to go to the supposed cursed temple with a Polaroid camera as well as a flashlight and take pictures of the inside. Once he was done with that to help cement the proof that he went inside it he had to bring something out of the temple and show it to them. In other words he was to bumble around in the woods completely alone in hopes of finding this place or go back to Francis and Gilbert to be mercilessly teased till the end of time for chickening out on the bet.
Which was why he was now in the woods looking as the sun began to dip lower into the sky. Because he’d be damned if he looked like a coward in front of Francis and Gilbert. The Englishman would rather eat glass than ever give them the satisfaction of seeing him back down. If he was known for anything it was his stubborn nature and willingness to go through with things against his better judgment. He could still remember the somewhat smug faces of Francis and Gilbert handing him his things, certain that Arthur would come back after a short period of time.
“Joke’s on those prats. I’m going to find this bloody place and prove them wrong. Then when I get back I can rub it in their stupid faces.”
Arthur growled lowly hellbent on doing just that. The short man continued on, gripping his thick sweater closer to him to keep out the chilly air. The sounds of birds chirping were slowly dying down as evening began to set in. The orange sky slowly began to give way to the blueish, pinkish colors it always made before it would be dyed in its dark, vast night sky. Arthur reached into his bag and searched for the flashlight and batteries he had in there and sighed in relief when he felt the smooth surface of the flashlight. He would be fine once it got darker out. As long as he had his flashlight and batteries he’d be just fine. With those comforting thoughts the Englishman continued onwards.
~~~~~
It was about an hour and a half later when he finally found the buried path that led to the temple. He had nearly missed it given that it was crumbling and decaying. The stone steps were covered in dirt, leaves and moss, camouflaging them with the rest of the forest. Thankfully Arthur had managed to spot them with his flashlight, the sky having finally gone into the dark twilight color of night. Gripping his bag handle and flashlight, Arthur began to make his way up the stairway path. The forest was quiet save for the sounds of the trees swaying in the wind and the night critters going about their business. His boots stepped on twigs and leaves that littered the stairs, making soft crunching noises with each step. Despite the darkness and somewhat eerie vibe Arthur wasn’t at all scared by it. It wasn’t the first time he’d been in the forest after dark searching for things. And he guaranteed it wouldn’t be his last.
The further up the path he went the more tense with apprehension he became. He on some level knew he was getting closer to the temple. And with each step closer to it he could feel that tension building, almost as if it was surrounding the entire area. The Englishman gripped his flashlight tighter, trying to fight the unease within him. He wasn’t scared but something inside him told him to be cautious as he drew closer. After what had felt like an eternity he had finally made it to the top of the broken path stairs. Arthur sucked in a sharp breath as he shined his flashlight in front of him and saw the unmistakable shape of archway. And there beyond the lone, decrypted archway was the temple.
“Bleeding hell it’s actually here…..”
He breathed unable to believe that it actually existed. The temple before him stood up in the expansive darkness. Its frame worn down and crumbling from the years of neglect and weathering against the elements. The temple looked much like a decaying husk, abandoned by the world and those who once lived in its walls. Arthur looked at the building, taking hesitant steps towards it and walking through the archway and onto the grounds. Flashlight shining before him he made out bits and pieces of statues that had long since crumbled from the weather. Some of them were still in tact, standing ominously on the sides of the grounds covered in vines, moss and corroding from lack of care. Some of them were missing parts of them while others weren’t, their silent unwavering gaze watching him impassively.
Arthur shivered slightly and quickly looked away from them. Turning his emerald gaze towards the temple he saw just how decayed it really was. Pieces of wood such as the doors and columns holding it up were rotting. Paint peeled and faded from its walls and the roof was missing some of its tiles or in some places caved in. It was a shell of a itself, lonely and forgotten. Yet despite it sad looks it there was something…….ominous about it. It was as if the very building itself was alive and watching him, its dead eyed gaze following his every move. Arthur shook his head to try and calm the unsettling feeling that was currently rising up inside him. It was just a building. Granted a rather creepy one but a building none of the less. Arthur made his way towards the rotten doors, the scent of moist wood and rot hitting his nose. He began to reach out towards the doors to push them open when he hesitated.
‘Something’s off.’
The warning seemed to shake him and he found himself listening to his surroundings. He expected to hear the familiar sounds of the forest and its night creatures only instead he was met with silence. The trees that surrounded him had gone deathly quiet. Not a single sound of any of the nocturnal creatures was heard, not even the wind which had been blowing was heard. All there was, was complete and total silence. It was as if the area around him was holding its breath in fear and unease. Arthur’s arms broke out into goosebumps as he strained to hear anything. A shot of fear hit him for the first time since he’d gotten here but before he could panic and leave he squashed it down.
“Come on Kirkland it’s just a building. It’ll be quick, just take some photos and grab the nearest thing and then you can put this whole mess behind you.”
The Englishman spoke to himself. He was being paranoid and having heard so many stories from his childhood about this place had made him extremely on edge. They were nothing more than ghost stories to scare the children so they wouldn’t go into the forest and get lost. Nothing more than silly superstitions that the senior citizens who lived in his town believed in. He was fine and he was overreacting. Besides if he turned back now he had no idea if he’d be able to find this place again. It was best to just get this over and done with. With that mental state of mind Arthur straightened himself up and with a stiff upper lip he pushed the ancient doors open. The residing screech of its hinges broke the silence of the night making Arthur flinch at the sudden loudness of it. As soon as the doors were open he let out a gag out the sudden stench of mold, dust and rotting plants that hit him.
“Fucking hell that smells absolutely rancid…”
He said covering his nose with his hand for a moment while it aired out slightly. Once he deemed it manageable Arthur stepped into the looming darkness of the temple.
~~~~~
The inside was worse than its outside. Walls were peeling and crumbling, its paintings decayed and damaged by water and mold. Debris littered the stone floors as well as broken glass, furniture and other things. Moss and mold grew on parts of its walls and floors, and the musky scent of the building was nearly overwhelming. Books and papers covered the floor as well and the rugs that were lining the opening of the doorway were black with mold as well. Arthur cringed at the bits of black he stepped on as he made his way further inside. The pale yellow light of his flashlight did little to help brighten the dark empty room here was currently walking into. Past the entranceway room he saw a doorframe, it door broken completely off of its hinges. The room beyond it was pitch black, open and waiting for its next victim to walk through its frame and into the inky blackness.
“Of course it’s the only door that’s in this room other than the entrance. Bloody hell it’s like Alfred’s trashy horror movies he likes to watch.”
Arthur said his voice somewhat snarky and cynical of the layout of the building. Haunted temples or not he wasn’t going to let it off easy for its unintentional cliche. Placing his flashlight under his armpit, Arthur began to dig through his bag. After a few beats of moving things around such as his phone and wallet he finally found the Polaroid camera and its extra film. Keeping the film in his bag he pulled the old camera out along with its neck attachment and placed it around his neck. Once securely in place Arthur held up the camera and took a picture of the entranceway. The loud beeping click before the telltale whirling of the photo being taken and printed out sounded out into the silence. It’s bright flash shined the room momentarily before coating it back into its void less black ink. Grabbing the printed photo Arthur shook the picture to develop it and smiled as he saw the picture of the rotten entranceway he’d just came through.
“Right! That outta be a good first documentary of this little expedition.”
The Brit said pleased with how the photo turned out. Turning back around towards the other doorway Arthur took a deep breath and began to make his way towards it. Once he was a good few steps from it he shined his flashlight into the room and stepped into. In the pale light of his flashlight Arthur could see that the room he had entered was infact the entranceway to all long corridor. Old doors lined both sides of the walls. Some still had the wooden doors they’d been gifted with while others were door less. Arthur grabbed his camera and took another photograph, stepping further into the corridor to get a closer look. Watching his step and avoiding debris the Brit headed towards one of the doors and gave its handle a turn. The sound of a lock catching made Arthur huff.
“Locked, of course.”
He said annoyed before continuing further inside. After taking all the doors into consideration and shining his flashlight into the ones that had holes or no doors he finally caught sight of one that made him pause. It was the door furthest away from the entranceway to the corridor. But unlike the other doors this one had intricate designs carved into its wood. Curiousity prickled at him as he made his way towards it. Once he was close enough he realized that the door was probably the entranceway to the room where they’d do worship back when the temple was still in its glory days. Taking in the door Arthur began to make out the cravings on it. Creatures such as wolves, rabbits and other animals stared back at him. Flowers and plants decorated the edges of the door along with them giving it a somewhat eerie look. However those weren’t the things that caught Arthur’s attention. No instead it was the largest craving that sat in the middle of the wood.
A nightmarish looking fox stared back at him.
The fox was unlike anything he’d ever seen. It was large and monstrous in the craving. Several tails sat behind it, its mouth bared open in a mischievous and cruel smile. Its narrow eyes seemed to be staring straight into Arthur’s soul. The Englishman felt a shiver of fear go down his spine.
“Just what the hell was this temple made to worship…..?”
The young man couldn’t help but muse, his curiosity more dominant than the fear. It was obvious that this place was huge back in its day, and from what he’d heard from in the stories he’d been told it had many worshippers who lived in it during its prime. But it all came to a erupted halt and the place was abandoned. No one ever knew why it was left to rot deep within the forest but many believed that it was cursed or haunted. Yet with little to no evidence of what exactly happened no one could be certain. Arthur grabbed his camera and took a picture of the door and went to go back the way he came to look at another door when something stopped him. Turning his attention back to the door he curiously looked at it debating. He couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was on the other side of it. Was it what he thought it was orginally, just a room for worshippers to go? Or was there something else behind the ominous door?
'Only one way to find out Arthur old chap.’
Without thinking about it Arthur reached for the handle and turned it. The door opened with a loud squeak, moving slowly as Arthur pushed it open. A large vast dark room greeted him. Determined yet cautious Arthur shined his flashlight into the room and made his way inside. Fabric posters hung from the walls, covered in dirt and grime and mold. At the end of the room was an altar that was broken and rotting. Pews lined either side of the room, covered in dust, debris, books and other things. On either side of the altar were broken lamps that at one point held incense for those who came to worship. Arthur felt his frame relax as his suspensions were confirmed. Stepping further into the room the Englishman began to explore somewhat, looking at the fabric posters that hung and the decorations that were still in the room. He couldn’t make out most of the things in here but he did take some pictures and developed them before putting them into his bag for safe keeping.
Once he’d taken enough pictures he turned his attention towards the altar and with light steps he made his way towards it. The old stand that was in front of the altar was covered in all sorts of nasty things. On top of it was an old worn tomb of a book, its pages damaged and ruined by the wheels of time and neglect. The altar itself was a pitiful sight, a once beautiful and cared for thing now tarnished and decaying. An echo of its former majesty. Arthur glanced at the pitiful sight, his thick eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully as he took it in.
“I have no idea why this place was left to be forgotten…..but this is honestly quite sad…..”
He muttered into the darkness. Silence was the only thing that greeted him back. Arthur stood there for another moment or two before deciding he should probably leave and possibly go home. He’d been in the temple for awhile now and he knew it was probably late. Turning around to get off that area of the altar he’d just managed to take a few steps when the sudden creaking of the floorboards echoed into the room. The man barely had a chance to process what was going on before he found himself free falling through the floor. Letting out a startled shout Arthur fell and landed harshly onto the ground, his body in a crumbled heap. The harsh collusion of his body going from falling and then hitting the ground made him lose his breath. Agony shot through his body as he struggled to try and catch his breath that had been knocked out of him.
His head was pounding from the harsh impact adding to the panic response he was having. Gasping and wheezing Arthur floundered a bit trying to regain control. He had no idea how long he’d been in this state but it’d felt like an eternity before he finally got ahold of himself. Laying on the dirty floor Arthur began to self check himself for any injuries. His forearm was burning and he could feel liquid running down it. His shin was also wet and burning making his body scream slightly. He had a feeling that he probably either cut them or scraped them off of the wood when he’d fallen. His body duly throbbed in pain and he knew he’d be bruised tomorrow morning from the fall. Gritting his teeth Arthur forced himself to sit up with a pained hiss.
“AH-! Fucking hell-!”
He snarled as he managed to sit up. Taking in the damage he noticed that his arm and shin were bleeding. Thankfully the wounds weren’t incredibly bad. Rubbing his throbbing head Arthur began to look for his things. His camera and bag were okay thankfully however rolled over away from him was his flashlight, broken and shattered. Forcing himself up he limped towards it and picked it up swearing at himself for not being more careful.
“Great, fanfuckingtastic. This is absolutely a shit show.”
Arthur said irritated that he had broken his flashlight. The room was completely pitch black save for the barely small amount of light coming from the hole he’d fallen through. Arthur cursed again at his luck and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair.
“Now what the fuck am I supposed to do?”
He spoke into the darkness frustrated. Of course he got nothing back adding onto his irritation. Arthur stood there thinking about his next move when he realized that his camera had it’s light still. The Englishman put his broken flashlight into his back and grabbed his camera from around his neck. With a push of a button the room was lit up for a brief moment, the resounding click of his Polaroid taking a picture and then spitting it out filling the room. Arthur grabbed the photo and shook it quickly before taking another picture. In the quick flash he realized he’d fallen into a basement like area. The moist stale scent of water and hay filled his nose. Grabbing that picture he turned around in his spot taking pictures and grabbing them as he pieced together the room.
Click.
A flash of what looked like cages stained with a copper color greeted him making his heart stop.
Click.
Tools as well as bones and sacrificial trinkets sat on a old rotting table. Candles burned down from excessive use sat on them.
Click.
The floor was littered with debris and other things that Arthur didn’t even want to think about. He was quickly realizing that where he landed was possibly the room where the worshippers would make sacrifices to their deity.
Click.
Strange symbols were painted on the walls making Arthur’s heart pound. They were different from the things he’d seen upstairs. These symbols were ones that Arthur knew deep in his gut were not something that should be toyed with.
'I need to get out of here. Now.’
The thought whispered urgently making Arthur turn around one last time. He had only one more area to shine with his camera light. He didn’t want to be in this room or this temple any longer. With shaking hands Arthur held up his Polaroid one last time.
Click.
Light flashed the last corner of the room. Bright inhuman eyes flashed in the light, a large, bloody muzzle filled with sharp fangs and a large hunched and furry form flashed before him. Tails at least nine of them filled the corner of the room. As soon as the light hit the thing it turned its head towards Arthur and lunged. Arthur let out a scream flying backwards out of reach as the thing snarled at him, it’s claws going to swipe at him. However instead of getting Arthur the thing suddenly let out a pained scream and fumbled backwards as a painful light seemed to come from the floor and strike it. Arthur watched in horror as the thing stumbled back, its newest wound bleeding heavily with a screech of agony. The Englishman forced himself to move go towards the opposite side of the room to try and get away. As he desperately tried to figure a way out he was suddenly stopped by the sound of a pain filled wailing cry. The man froze slowly turning his head back in the direction of the thing that had tried to attack him. His eyes now adjusting to the dark he could make out that the thing was hunched over in his corner shaking. The thing was bleeding from its wound it’s ears flattened against its head. It was glaring at the floor where the light had come from before it let out another wailing cry. Arthur felt his heart twist at the sound.
It sounded so angry and in pain. It reminded him of a man who was trapped and hopeless and desperately trying to get out. Quietly stepping away from the wall Arthur watched as the large thing which he now realized was some kind of animal looked over in his direction. Eyes bright red and glowing stared at him with such fury and anguish that it made Arthur flinch. Yet at the same time the gaze held pain and exhaustion. It was broken and haunted in a way almost as if…….
As if it’d given up all hope.
Arthur couldn’t bare the sight of it. Taking a cautious step towards the animal he was met with a vicious growl, fur standing on end. Arthur stopped and looked at the creature, his hands held out in a gesture to show he meant no harm.
“Easy now, easy there lad. I’m just going to take a look at the floor for a second alright? I’m not going to hurt you.”
Arthur said his voice soft and gentle. Trying to coax the creature into a sense ease. It just stared at him with distrust, eyes glued to him like a hawk. Arthur slowly crouched down onto the floor, fighting the nerves that made his hands shake as he grabbed his camera and took a picture of the floor by the animal. The flashing light made it snarl while Arthur grabbed the photo and shook it to develop it. Squinting his eyes to try and see it he realized that he wouldn’t be able to. He needed light and his flashlight was broken and his phone was dead currently.
'Bloody hell now what I am going to do-’
He began to question himself when he remembered that the rotting table with the candle stubs. If there was candles down here than maybe…….
Arthur with cautious light steps made his way somewhat blindly towards the table, avoiding the creature that was waiting to maul him. After some difficulty he began to feel around the table for one of the candles. Once grabbed he began to search for something to light it.
“Come on…..come on……success!”
Arthur muttered as he felt the feeling of a matchbox. With fumbling fingers he opened the box and searched for one that was usable. Thankfully there had been a few left and he quickly swiped it against the rough patch on its book. Suddenly the room was filled with some light from the small flame. With no hesitation Arthur lit the candle and finally took a good look at the creature that was in the room with him. The Englishman’s eyes went wide with disbelief.
A fox.
A monstrous fox stood in the corner of the hidden basement with him. It’s fur, a silvery gray was standing on end showing the fox’s unease and fear. It’s eyes no longer glowing red were honed in on him, intelligent and fearful. Arthur stared at the fox before finally taking notice of its state. Blood was pouring out of the side of the animal, staining its fur red. Wounds old and new littered the body of this dangerous creature, its muzzle bloody and covered in nicks and other small wounds. It was thin despite its massive size and it was now startling clear that the fox wasn’t here on its own free will. Arthur felt disgust fill him at the mistreatment of the fox as well as confusion. If the fox didn’t want to be here then why didn’t it leave…..?
Remembering the strange light from before and the photo he’d taken Arthur quickly held the candle near the photo and felt rage consume him. The floor that was by the fox had symbols on them as well, only they were curved slightly. Most likely to wrap around the fox inside this circle. But as Arthur looked at the symbols more he realized that they were entrapment spells. Whoever had ran this temple had trapped this fox here and when the temple was abandoned they had left the fox here. Alone in the dark to either die or remain bound and trapped forever.
It was disgusting.
It was the most vile thing a person could ever do.
And it made Arthur livid and horrified.
“Those sick bastards…..”
Arthur growled forgetting the terror he was feeling a moment ago. Now that he knew what was happening he couldn’t just turn his back on the animal and leave it. Even if it had tried to kill him Arthur knew that it was only lashing out in fear and pain. Arthur turned his head towards the fox, his bright green eyes meeting red ones. With one look he’d made his decision. Maintaining eye contact Arthur slowly began to edge closer towards the fox making it hiss in warning. The Englishman didn’t let it deter him.
“Listen I know that you have no reason to trust me but I want to help you. Just let me remove the runes and you’ll be able to get out of here.”
Arthur said hoping that it’d understand. The fox stared at him searchingly, its gaze unblinking. After a moment of silence of the fox not moving Arthur took that as the okay and with cautious steps he finally stood outside the barrier. Crouching down despite the burning pain of his bleeding shin Arthur took at look at the symbols. They looked like they were painted on, so just wiping them away wasn’t going to work. Frowning Arthur got up slowly flinching at the pain in his leg and went back to the table looking for a knife. Finding it rather quickly he limped his way back over towards the fox’s prison and began to go to work. Using blade he painstakingly began to scrap the old paint away, chipping away at one of the symbols. Paint chipped away slowly but Arthur continued on, determined to help this creature escape. No one deserved to be trapped and Arthur would be damned if he allowed this to continue on. After persistent effort and a few nicks on his fingers from the blade he finally managed to get rid of it.
The reaction was instant.
As soon as one of the symbols gone from the circle the runes glowed brightly, blinding Arthur momentarily. The Englishman covered his eyes to try and not get blinded by it. As soon as the light died down the fox was on him, tackling him to the ground. Arthur let out a panicked yelp, his heart racing in fear as the fox stared down at him. Sharp canines bared themselves at him, burning glowing red eyes burning straight through his very being. The fox’s tails flickered back and forth, consuming Arthur’s vision. The fox stared at him, low growls coming from its throat. Arthur’s blood rushed through his ears as he tried to squirm out from under the large animal. Realizing he couldn’t Arthur’s heart dropped.
'I’m going to die. I’m going to be torn apart by a creature that’s not even from this world. I’m going to die and be left rotting in an abandoned basement.’
The thoughts screamed in his head making him struggle some more. The fox let out a snarling bark before reaching down and picking Arthur up by the collar of his sweater. Arthur let out a panicked gasp flailing around as his feet left the ground. Now that the fox was no longer bound its size had seemed to get bigger than it already was. Arthur didn’t get a chance to try and get away before the fox was already moving and heading straight towards the hole where Arthur had came from.
~~~~~
The temple’s quiet atmosphere was quickly disrupted by the sounds of the wooden floor in the worship room being torn apart. A large silvery grey body about the size of a small car broke through the rotting wood. In its jaws being shielded from the falling debris was Arthur. The Englishman had let out a terrified shout as they broke through the floor. But the fox didn’t stop there no it continued upwards straight into the ceiling. Arthur covered his head and face from the dust and wood and other things as the fox took off into the sky. The moonlight shore down on the cursed temple as the fox burst through its brittle and crumbling walls. Arthur was forced to hold on and hope to God that the fox didn’t drop him. The duo were in the air, the fox seemly floating through the sky and clouds while Arthur just went along for the ride. He had no idea how long he was carried, too busy desperately praying to any deity that was listening to spare his life.
After what felt like an eternity of being hung in suspense the fox finally landed by the edge of the forest. With a somewhat gentle manner the giant animal placed Arthur down on the ground. The Englishman’s feet touched the dirt his eyes wide as he realized that he was only a few feet from being able to go back home. Arthur turned his gaze onto the fox, his expression confused but grateful. The fox stared back at him, his tails flickering slightly behind him. Arthur was going to say something, to thank the creature for getting him out of the hole as well when a familiar French accent sounded out in the night air.
“ARTHUR-! ARTHUR PLEASE ANSWER ME-! WHERE ARE YOU-??”
A panicked and fearful voice called out into the night. It was a voice Arthur would know anywhere.
“Francis…..!!”
Arthur breathed relieved to hear the Frenchman’s voice. The Englishman was taken out of his relieved state however by the fox suddenly disappearing from his view. The fox jumped further into the trees leaving Arthur behind. Arthur tried to stop it, his hands reaching out too late.
“Wait-!”
He’d called out only to watch as the fox disappeared from view. Arthur couldn’t help but feel his heart sink. He didn’t get the chance to thank it nor to check its wounds. Arthur would have tried to follow if the sound of footsteps approaching him at a fast pace. The treeline burst apart to reveal the disheveled form of Arthur’s friend Francis. The Frenchman’s dark blue eyes landed on Arthur’s exhausted and injured form. As soon as he made eye contact with Arthur, Francis let out a wordless relieved cry and tackled him into a hug.
“Oh thank God Arthur! You’re okay! I was so worried about you! Espèce d'anglais stupide, we were worried sick!”
Francis said his voice thick and shaking. Arthur hugged Francis back.
“We?”
Arthur asked confused as to who the “We” were. His question was quickly answered as he heard two more pairs of footsteps come rushing towards them.
“Francis are you okay?!? We heard you yelling- Heilige Scheiße! Arthur you’re okay!”
Gilbert said, the Prussian’s eyes full of relief. Behind him Antonio seemed to nearly stumble in his shock.
“Arthuro you’re okay!”
Antonio chimed his face also relieved. Arthur just stared at the Prussian and Spanish man in bafflement surprised to even see them when Francis pulled away from Arthur. His eyes were wet and he was already going into his mother hen mode, searching the Englishman for any injuries. Seeing the cut blood on Arthur’s pants and sweater Francis nearly went hysterical.
“Arthur! You’re bleeding!”
Francis said sounding panicked as he quickly went to check the damage. Arthur just let him too dumbfounded by all the things that had just happened. He felt the Frenchman pull up his sweater sleeve and swear in French before checking on his leg.
“Merde you’re bleeding badly! We’ve got to get you cleaned up and home.”
Francis said already going to help Arthur limp his way out of the treeline.
“Gilbert, go get the car started up! Toni let everyone know that we found him!”
Francis said taking charge of the situation. Gilbert nodded running back out of the trees to go get the car started up. Toni gave the Frenchman a thumbs up before following behind Gilbert and pulling out his cell.
“Lovi? We found him! We’re going to bring him into town, let the others know…..”
Antonio’s voice faded away as he moved away from them. Arthur just watched stunned and overwhelmed as Francis helped him out of the trees. From then on it was a blur of sorts for Arthur. He’d been put into the car and was quickly taken back into town. Once in he was escorted by the three men to the medical center where Arthur was treated for his wounds and checked over. Apparently when he’d fallen he’d given himself a small concussion as well as the scrape on his forearm and the gash on his shin. Despite feeling dizzy at the moment he was urged to stay overnight with the staff. Francis stayed with him, the Frenchman refusing to leave his side. Gilbert and Antonio had left once Arthur had been given the okay. The Englishman laid against his bed Francis sitting in the chair beside him and holding his hand almost as if to reassure himself that he was still there. It wasn’t long before Arthur fell asleep, exhausted.
~~~~~
The next morning when Arthur had woken up and was given the okay to go back home he’d managed to get the story out of Francis. Apparently Arthur had been missing for hours, and as soon as Francis and Gilbert realized that he wasn’t coming back from the forest when it’d gotten dark they’d panicked. The duo at first tried to find him themselves but after a short time they realized that at the rate they were going they’d never find Arthur. So the Frenchman had called Antonio explaining to him about the bet and how Arthur went missing. The Spanish man was quick to get to them, having told Lovino his boyfriend where he was going. But the stubborn Italian had refused to stay behind and insisted that he went with him. That was when the four of them came up with the idea to make a few search groups since the forest was massive.
“We called everyone we could think of. Alfred, Matthew, Feli, Ludwig, Ivan, Yao. We even had Michelle and Elizaveta help.”
Francis said his eyes on the road as he drove Arthur home from the clinic. Arthur just listened dumbfounded by the information. He hadn’t expected to have so many people looking for him.
“I’m surprised you managed to find so many people to help you look for me. I barely get along with them, then again I’m a real bastard aren’t I?”
Arthur said trying to joke with the Frenchman. From the moment he’d woken up Francis had been somewhat serious. He didn’t make any comments nor said anything snarky to him. It honestly kinda scared him. However instead of getting a joking response back Francis’s grip just tightened on the steering wheel. His jaw was clenched tightly and it was obvious that he didn’t think Arthur was being funny.
“You’d be surprised mon ami by just how many people actually care about you.”
Francis said his tone soft and somber. It made Arthur’s gut clench.
“When you’d went into the forest I’d thought that you’d be back out in about an hour at most. When…..when you didn’t come out…….when I didn’t see any sign of you……my God Arthur I’d never felt so terrified in my life. I couldn’t help but think that….”
The Frenchman said sounding choked. Arthur stared at him, stunned by the brutal honesty Francis was showing him. The Englishman didn’t get to see Francis being so serious often nor did he really ever get an honest response from the man. Having the usual flirty, snarky man suddenly be so open with him made Arthur realize just how shaken up the whole thing had really made him.
“I thought about all those stories we were told, no matter how silly it was and I thought about you never coming back……merde Arthur it would break my heart if you were gone….”
Francis finally choked out overwhelmed by everything. Arthur swallowed the own lump in his throat at the admission. He knew what Francis was saying, after all the two of them had grown up together. Despite their differences the two of them were stuck together, their friendship strange yet complicated. The shorter man knew that if anything happened to Francis he’d be devastated and to hear that the feeling was mutual made Arthur’s chest hurt.
“I’m okay now Francis. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. So stop with the tears and seriousness old chap. It’s going to be alright.”
Arthur said patting the other man’s arm. Francis gave him a side look sniffling slightly and finally offered him a small shaky smile.
“Oui…..I believe you petit lapin.”
Francis said softly. The two didn’t speak anymore after that, the words that had needed to be said having been spoken. The rest of the drive was done in a comfortable silence. Before too long Francis pulled up to Arthur’s house and dropped him off making him promise to give him a call. Saying their goodbyes Arthur made his way towards his front door. Unlocking it he stepped inside happy to be home after an exhausting night. The Brit turned around ready to face plant into the sofa when he felt his heart drop. There inside his home was the fox. The creature was smaller now, about the size of a large dog. The wounds that once covered its body were gone. Its fur seemed to glow with a mystic aura, its eyes focused solely on him. Arthur swallowed harshly, adrenaline building up.
'Was it here to kill him? Eat him? Kidnap him??’
Arthur thought frantically as he tried to figure out the fox’s motives. The man froze as the fox seemed to glow brighter all of a sudden, a blinding light consuming its entire body. Arthur looked away the light being too bright for his eyes to handle. As quickly as it started it stopped making Arthur blink. Turning his head back towards the fox he nearly dropped his keys and bag at the sight before him. The fox was no longer the one in front of him, instead a short man was in its place. The man was wearing a traditional yukuta that was decorated with flowers and bright patterns. His eyes were a dark brown and he had short, choppy black hair. However that wasn’t the only thing that Arthur noticed. Oh no the man had nine silvery grey tails popped out from behind him and sitting on top of his head were two fox ears. Arthur stared, gaping at what he was seeing. The man appeared to be undeterred by his reaction, instead he gave Arthur a small bow before finally speaking.
“Kon'nichiwa. My name is Kiku Honda. I don’t mean to intrude in your home but I had never gotten the chance to thank you for freeing me from my imprisonment. As a token of my gratitude, I would like to offer you something. Anything that you desire I will give it to you.”
The man Kiku said his tone soft and polite. However his expression held a somewhat mischievous smile and eyes. Arthur didn’t say anything instead still standing there stupidly as his mind tried to process everything.
'The fox….was a man……..I rescued a man…….no not a man……a mystical being perhaps but that’s…..that’s impossible there’s no such thing as foxes that can turn into people….! What the bloody fuck is going on?????’
The Englishman thought unable to handle the information overload so soon after the events of last night. To spare his poor brain from completely collapsing his body did the one thing it could do to escape from the reality of it all.
Arthur then abruptly fainted in his spot.
*Kitsune Kiku makes my brain go brrrrrrrrrrrrr in its mushy state. Thanks to that WIP Wednesday thingy I was tagged in I was finally able to figure out how to make this fic become a reality!!! I’d also like to apologize for how long it is I just started writing and I basically went into Energizer bunny mode shsgsgsgs. I have no idea if I’ll continue this. My hands are officially cramping from all the writing I’ve been doing so hurray for me lol. Anyways if any y'all read this I hope you enjoyed it!!!!!*
Please met my headcanon for the representative for the nation-state of England Arthur Kirkland.
Getting the canon version of vivid green eyes was very hard considering I wanted to balance that for more of Strawberry blonde for his hair. but a much more Celtic rooted Arthur with the heavy note of red in his hair, along with the freckles. the warmer tone to his skin reddish hue. a much more spring complexion.
I also had to get rid of window eyebrows of his, they made no sense since it even in stereo type are we known for prominent dark brows.
