#ikevam fanfic

Good evening my ducklings! As you may know, I have been taking writing commissions lately (I still have 2 slots open if you’re interested - Just PM me!) and I had the absolute joy of writing for @catherinec35 and I thought I’d share it with y’all~  

I hope you enjoy it, I did have an absolute blast writing it ^^

Warning: Contains explicit content of a sexual nature. Do not read if you are under the age of 18 or if you could be uncomfortable with such content. (Minors DNI)

Tagging@scummy-writes and@crystal13unny because they asked to be tagged, if you ever wanted to be tagged in my works, please just let me know ^^

- JJ x

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Theodorus van Gogh x Kathryn (OC) x Isaac Newton:

With every step she took, Kathryn turned heads at the lavish party she and her boyfriend Theodorus had been invited to. A far cry from her regular casual and comfortable attire, she was dolled up to the nines with absolutely no expense spared on Theo’s part to make his woman feel like a princess; A maroon velvet cocktail dress hugged her delectable figure, the off-the-shoulder straps framing her shoulders and collar bones so beautifully Theo swore she could be a painting. Kathryn’s hair, just a shade slightly more purple than her dress, was curled in neat ringlets and her face had been painted by a makeup artist - that Theo had insisted he hire for her - to highlight and accentuate her beautiful natural features. Although stunningly beautiful, the young lady felt a little out of place at such a fancy event without her lover to cling to as he was too busy speaking with clients. Her heart sank a measure when she reminisced on parties of the past in which Theo had drunk a little too much champagne and ended up escorting her to a quiet corner to lay his heart, and his body, bare to her.

Kathryn smiled smally as she sipped her champagne, more bubbles than flavour, hovering just behind her boyfriend who liaised with some fancy client in a suit who she didn’t particularly care to listen to, only drawn from her thoughts by Theo’s hushed voice in her ear, “Schatje, I’m a little busy,” cool Caribbean blue eyes flitted between his lover and the balcony, “Go and get some fresh air. You’ll have my attention in just a minute.”

“Okay,”she sighed a little dejectedly in response, her heels clicking against the fine marble floor until she reached the balcony, her heart dropping in her chest as she leant on the railing and gazed out at the perfect Parisian night sky. Kathryn clasped her delicate hands around her champagne flute, shifting her feet a little where she stood as the cool breeze hit the leg exposed by the high slit of her dress. The single blonde streak of the lady’s hair fell from its curl and in front of her face so it tickled her nose, making her chuckle pitifully at herself quietly.

“May I fix that for you, Miss?” A gentle, lilting voice almost sung by Kathryn’s ear. Turning around, she realised it was Arthur, her boyfriend’s best friend, who reached out a gloved hand to fix the stray hair that hung out of place, “There we go, luv.”

“Hey, Arthur,” her voice was confined to a small sigh, a mixture of sadness and relief, as she glanced up at her friend, “At least you’re here. Theo’s been too busy to even acknowledge me tonight.”

“Heartless bastard, leaving a beautiful woman lonely when she’s all dolled up for him,” he slipped off the black glove from his right hand and reached towards Kathryn, caressing the soft line of her jaw before leaning forward to whisper in her ear, “A foolish bastard too.” Kathryn tried to step back slightly from Arthur’s touch only to find herself backed against an ornate marble pillar, “Why don’t you let me entertain you tonight, my dove?”

“Hands off of her, Arthur,” Theo’s voice entered the space, commanding the air with his tone whilst the fine suit he wore was overshadowed by his scowl. The Dutchman reached out to grasp his girlfriend’s wrist, “Come on, hondje, let’s go-”

Smack.Her hand came down hard against his own wrist, making the art dealer pull back slightly in shock, his heart aching with a cocktail of anger, regret and jealousy as he observed the look of indignance that Kathryn wore. “Don’t pretend like you care all of a sudden Theo,” she spat, pushing past him to leave the party in a fit of rage and rushing out of his sight. Kathryn was still in tears when she reached the mansion, her chest tight and heart strings pulled to breaking when she pushed past Vincent in a flood of sorrow, like a moody cloud was hung above her head. Tears stained her reddened cheeks and the artist knew better than to pry so rather than console her himself, he rushed to find the only man that could.

“What do you want?” Isaac sighed tiredly, leaning against the doorframe as he observed Vincent’s anxiously shaken form through his glasses.

“Kathryn’s just come home and she looks very upset, I think she needs you.” Vincent smiled sympathetically at Isaac who nodded curtly and pulled his door closed behind him,

“Cheers,” he spoke quietly, pushing up his glasses before briskly walking through the halls towards his beloved’s room. Isaac’s throat felt tight and dry as he stood in front of Kathryn’s door, listening to her sniffle and sob, her sad little noises like a stab to his heart, “Kathryn?”He knocked on the door, opening it just a sliver to peek inside, “It’s Isaac, I’m coming in.” The second he was in the room, Isaac’s heart sank: Kathryn lay face down, her pretty face in her pillows which muffled her pained sobs. She should’ve felt like an angel in her stunning evening gown with her hair perfectly made up, not despairing as she was. “Oh, sweetheart.” The vampire sat down beside the young lady and stroked her hair, shooting her a small smile when she turned her face to look right at him, “Was the party really that bad?”

“T-Theo and I,” she sniffled, rolling over fully to tuck herself into Isaac’s warm embrace, comforted by his touch, “W-we had a fight.” Isaac tightened his arms around Kathryn, grateful to provide her some sense of safety and comfort when she nuzzled against his chest. She lifted her gaze to glance at Isaac, chuckling pitifully at herself before she spoke again, “Will you stay and cuddle me til I feel better?”

Isaac smiled sweetly at Kathryn, nodding in confirmation though, confusion plastered on his face when she removed herself from his embrace and wandered over to her vanity, “I can’t very well cuddle you if you’re all the way over there.” He watched his enchanting girlfriend slip out of her cocktail dress and wipe away her smudged makeup, admittedly making his trousers feel a little too tight around his crotch as he took in her lingerie-clad form. Kathryn’s flawless skin glowed in the faint moonlight, her smooth curves accentuated by a lacy crimson bra with a matching thong and garters, the colour reminding Isaac of the irresistible blood that pumped underneath her soft skin. “You wore those just for Theo?” He knew that his partners both had their nights alone together, much as he did with the both of them, but he couldn’t help the slight twinge of jealousy that stained his heart, “I do love him but by God he is an ass, and an idiot, leaving you on your lonesome when you look so ravishing.” Isaac stood up from his seat on the bed and crossed the room to Kathryn, taking a hold of her hips and pulling her flush against his own body, so close that she could feel the hardness laying in his trousers, “You’re irresistible.”

Feeling an unfamiliar rush of confidence fill her veins, Kathryn tangled her fingers in Isaac’s dusty pink hair and pulled at it, smirking at the needy whine that escaped his lips before whispering seductively in his ear, “Then don’t resist, Isaac. Take me.” 

Without a moment of hesitation, Isaac pushed his girlfriend to sit down on her vanity and crashed his lips against hers, snogging her messily as his yearning hands slid down her sides to grasp at her plush thighs and push them apart, grinding his clothed erection against her dampening slit. The couple were so preoccupied with each other’s burning desire that neither of them noticed the soft creak of the bedroom door opening or the entrance of their boyfriend until he spoke, “Well I did come to apologise but, seems like you’re busy, hondje.”

Kathryn gasped softly, her cheeks flushing peach with embarrassment as she locked eyes with Theodorus from across the room, though before the Dutchman could leave, Isaac turned to face him, his voice low and husky, “Why don’t you join in? I think our darling needs some extra attention tonight.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” The taller vampire shut the door behind himself and quickly stripped down to his boxers, leaving his clothes in a messy pile on the floor before kneeling on the bed and beckoning to his lovers who both obediently rid themselves of their clothes and joined him there. Isaac lay himself down and coaxed Kathryn to hover above his face, blush staining his cheeks pink at the sight of the glistening arousal covering her sex.

Kathryn felt a flame of shyness flicker in her belly when Isaac brought her down onto his mouth, whimpering delightfully when his tongue circled her clit. The Englishman himself groaned softly at the taste of her sweetness, capable hands grasping at her plush thighs which squeezed against his cheeks as smug pride swelled in his chest. Theodorus leant over Kathryn’s small frame, biting kisses down his girlfriend’s neck, the scrape of his fangs against her delicate skin fanning the flames of arousal in Kathryn’s core which only provided more slickness between her legs that Isaac greedily lapped up. She could hear Theo’s thick Dutch accent in her ear, praising her as she rolled her hips and ground down against Isaac’s mouth, “Good girl, Kathryn.” Her thighs tensed and squeezed around her British boyfriend’s head, bringing more heat to his cheeks and making his peony pink eyes roll back in pleasure when she came messily undone all over his tongue, her nectar dripping down his chin. The three moved seamlessly to a more comfortable position, with Theo holding himself above Kathryn and Isaac wandering toward the desk to clean his face.

“I n-need you in me,” Kathryn panted, the aftershock of her first orgasm hitting her body in waves as lust darkened her vision, her gaze trained onto Theo, “Please.”

“Don’t make her beg, Theo,” Isaac warned softly, wiping the slick that soaked his chin away with a pristine white handkerchief, “Not tonight.” The brilliant scientist smiled carefully as he strolled back over to the bed and sat beside his girlfriend’s head, reaching out to stroke her curled hair gently away from her flushed face, “My princess needs to be treated as such.” Kathryn blushed brightly at Isaac’s tender nickname for her, smiling almost smugly when Theo pressed an uncharacteristically soft kiss against her cheek.

“Oké, but after tonight,” Theo’s left index finger hooked underneath her choker and tugged at it a little roughly, his voice a low growl when he continued, “Master isn’t going to go easy on either of you.” He shot his icy blue gaze at his boyfriend who gulped in excited anticipation, Isaac’s mind replaying countless nights of Theo roughly using his tight hole and rewarding him with intoxicating blowjobs when he thought he couldn’t handle any more. Theo discarded his underwear and carefully lined his impressively hard cock up to Kathryn’s inviting little hole, slowly pushing himself inside and groaning deeply at the way she squeezed around his length, “Fuck, baby.” The Dutchman grinned down at his girlfriend whose small hands grasped onto his broad shoulders, her eyes already filled with stars even though he hadn’t even begun to fuck her yet, “Always so tight for me, aren’t you? ‘S like your pretty little pussy was made just for me.”

Theo thrust his hips forward, the drag of his thick cock against her silky wet walls slow, hard and deliberate, tearing a delightfully sweet moan from Kathryn’s throat which made both of her boyfriends grin slyly at each other, “Is that good, darling?” Isaac cooed into her ear, tangling his left hand in her now messy mauve hair and pulling sharply, “Tell Theo how good he makes you feel.”

“A-ah,”Kathryn whined with pleasure, her sounds mingling with Theodorus’ own sinful groans and the gentle shudders of Isaac who had begun to slowly stroke himself by her side, “You fuck me so good-” she gasped sharply when Theo’s cock slid further into her tight cunt, bruising her cervix as he began to thrust into her faster and harder than before. The lady couldn’t make any coherent thought or sentence as her lover repeatedly hit against her g-spot, his thrusts becoming sloppier as he began to feel his climax quickly approaching. Isaac snaked his left hand between their bodies to rub tight, mind-numbingly pleasurable circles into Kathryn’s clit, making her walls hug Theo’s dick even tighter as a second orgasm came flooding over her, her moans surely heard throughout the mansion. 

“Godverdomme,”Theo’s hips stuttered as he came, hot and sticky inside Kathryn’s walls. He panted, taking a moment to catch his breath before pulling out and turning his gaze over to Isaac whose cock was still in his hand, pumping it quickly to try and chase his own release. The younger vampire pressed a kiss to his girlfriend’s nose, her piercing cold against his lips before he knelt himself down in front of Isaac and firmly grasped his erection, “I’ll finish you off.” Theo swiftly took Isaac in his mouth and hollowed his cheeks, only needing to suck on his cock a handful of times before the physicist moaned his name loudly and spilled his cum down his boyfriend’s throat. Both men, sweaty and spent, lay down in bed and wrapped their arms around Kathryn, with Isaac spooning her and Theo having tucked her head under his chin.

None of them could keep from smirking to themselves as they snuggled up together, the comfortable silence eventually being broken by Kathryn who sighed blissfully, “You boys are so good to me.” 

“You deserve it.” Isaac craned his head forward to kiss her jaw carefully while one of his hands drew soft circles against her thigh.

Theo agreed, his voice gruff and resigned, “You both deserve a lot more than me.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it, Theo.” Kathryn responded, sitting herself up and caressing the art dealer’s cheek, gazing down at him with a smile that could outshine the stars, “I love you, you big idiot.”

“As do I,” Isaac added, also having sat up, “We want you the way you are, even though you are often irrational, brash and thick.” The Englishman stood up and sauntered over to the wardrobe, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his naked body, “Come, let’s all go and have a bath.”

“Mhm, that’d be nice.” Kathryn nodded as she got up from the bed and joined Isaac who handed her a towel of her own.

“Ja, oké,” Theo’s small smile widened to a grin when his lovers threw a towel at him, the white cotton hitting him in the chest with a dull thud, “I can’t say no to you two, anyway.”

Hiya my luvs, I have some very exciting news: I am opening 4 custom writing commission slots~

Okie dokie so here are the guidelines:

• I’ll write for any of the 12 og Ikemen Vampire characters.
• I’ll write for OCs and I’m willing to write both sfw and nsfw content. 
• 500 words = £5
• 1000 - 1500 words = £10
• 2000 - 2500 words = £15
• Any higher word counts can be discussed!

Nsfw works will have an extra £2 charge attached (as I don’t write nsfw very often and they will take me extra time).

Please DM me for details and we can discuss some stuff! - You can check how many slots there are available up in my bio ^^

Thank you so much for your continuing support, especially during this tough and busy period of my life. Much love, y’all!

- JJ x

A little while ago I wrote a few drabbles of my one of my OCs Freda with her boyfriends Theo and Arthur; You can find that post here!  And so I decided to do this for all of my OCs, how exciting (❁´◡`❁) This one is Jane x Leonardo and y’all can find Jane’s character profile at this link~

Please note that drabble 3 contains some suggestive content but nothing explicit, please proceed with caution.

And you can find my OC Masterlist here!

- JJ x

~~~~~~~~~~

Jane’s bright forest green eyes blinked a few times, taking in the space around for the first time with curiosity, “You library is magnificent, Monsieur,” she spoke softly, taking one small step further into the room. The former Queen smiled ever so slightly, her delicate little hands clutching at the green velvet skirts of her dress in anticipation, jumping a little in place when she saw a broad, olive skinned man curled up underneath the coffee table in the corner, “Monsieur, is that man alright?”

Le Comte chuckled warmly when his golden honey eyes found Jane’s concerned expression, resting his warm hand on her shoulder carefully, “Leonardo enjoys taking his siestas whenever the mood strikes him. He doesn’t seem to care where he falls asleep, ma chere.”

“I gather so,” the lady smiled carefully, her gaze finding Leonardo once again, her pale cheeks flushing pink when the man’s eyes opened and he smirked at her, “Oh! I apologise for staring, Sir.” Jane turned her gaze to the floor to hide her blush and curtsied to him as he began to stand up, “Jane Grey. Queen Jane. ‘Tis a pleasure to meet you … Monsieur Leonardo?”

“Si,”his voice was smooth and confident, alluring in it’s huskiness, “Leonardo Da Vinci, signora,” he took her hand in his own and kissed her knuckles affectionately, once again making the lady blush. Jane gasped softly as she heard his name. an excited twinkle bright in her wide India green eyes which made the Italian man’s thick brown eyebrows raise curiously, “Oh? Ya like that, Your Highness?”

“No non è quello,” she replied almost breathlessly, turning his hand over in her own to shake it excitedly, a grin spreading across her face, “È un piacere conoscerla Signor Da Vinci!“

Leonardo chuckled warmly, shaking Jane’s hand - which was tiny and pale in his own - in return, his eyebrows still raised as he glanced over at le Comte, “She speaks Italian?” He turned his attention back to Jane who had stopped shaking his hand but still held on to him, “Il piacere è tutto mio, cara mia.”

-

“Leonardo, I need your help!” Jane called from the mansion’s foyer, her arms full and her tiger red eyebrows turned downward with effort.

Leonardo walked briskly from the direction of the kitchen and picked up the pace when he saw Jane, rushing to her side and scooping up the large white and ginger cat from out of her arms, his amber eyes softening when Jane’s expression relaxed, “Cara mia, what is this?”

The lady let out a sigh of relief, now only holding one tiny white Persian kitten, and she smiled a little guiltily, “I saw them on the side of the road and - a-and they looked so helpless, I couldn’t leave them, Leonardo-” She held up the impossibly small kitten against her cheek, flashing her boyfriend her best pleading puppy eyes, “We can handle just two more!”

“You said the same when you brought our pup home, Jane, mi amore,” he smirked at her, his big warm hand already stroking the fat Norwegian forest cat in his arms. He sighed, giving in - though, he knew that Jane could convince him to do anything, he loved her that much - “We can keep them. Lumiere needs more cats to play with.” Leonardo wandered closer to Jane and reached out to the kitten she held, “Ciao, gattino,” he cooed down at the tiny cat, smiling fondly at it, “Have you named your new little friends, cara?”

“Mhm!”Jane nodded happily, gently stroking the back of the white cat’s head with the back of her index finger, “This is Lady Katherine - I think she looks like a little lady and that,” she cocked her head in the direction of the big fluff ball that her boyfriend held, “That gentleman is called Piero.” And with that, Jane and Leonardo now had taken in four strays between them: Lumiere, Lady Katherine and Piero, their band of troublemaking kitties and Edward, their loyal Great Dane who acted like a big grey lapdog.

-

“Mhm, principessa,” Leonardo hummed lowly, his saffron eyes fluttering shut as he pressed a kiss to Jane’s cheek and they lay in bed naked, cradling each other underneath soft cotton sheets, “I feel like we should stay like this forever.”

Jane smiled tiredly as she snuggled up to her boyfriend’s side, sore beyond compare but unbelievably happy when his arms tightened around her small frame. The lady felt the blush on her cheeks - that had been present throughout their entire evening - deepen as realisation dawned upon her, “G-goodness me … we just - Leonardo, do you realise? We just-”

“Made love?” He chuckled quietly, brushing Jane’s blushing left cheek with the calloused pad of his thumb, his brow quirking with curiosity when his gentle affection didn’t slow the racing of her pulse, “Somethin’ wrong, bellezza mia?”

The shy young lady shook her head smally, averting her big forest green eyes to look at anything else but her beloved’s inquisitive gaze, “But, we’re not married. Surely we shouldn’t have-” Jane was cut off by Leonardo’s mouth on her’s, his lips kissing away her worry slowly and carefully. When they parted, there remained a look of worry painted on her pretty face and that sinking dread in her heart.

“Do you regret it?”

Jane blinked, confused, “Whatever do you mean?”

Leonardo sat himself up and pulled his girlfriend up onto his lap, one of his large hands holding onto her slender waist and his other tenderly cradling her jaw. They held eye contact, the intimacy between gentle green and emboldened amber speaking volumes as their hearts beat as one, “Do you regret sleeping with me, Jane? Would you be happier if we waited until we got married?” Jane didn’t answer, stirring Leonardo to continue, a cheeky grin on his lips, “If so, I’d put a ring on your finger by morning.” 

“No,” the queen thought out loud, placing her hands on Leonardo’s cheeks and craning forward to give him a fleeting, butterfly light kiss. She felt the stormy seas in her heart settle and self-assuredness wash over her like fresh rain in the garden, “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you,” Jane smiled softly at her boyfriend who squeezed her waist with both of his warm, capable hands and smirked at her, “And an experience so heavenly couldn’t be sin, of that I am sure.”

-

Jane giggled in the summer sun, gently holding onto her shopping basket as she spoke with her friend William Shakespeare. Her white summer dress seemed to gleam under the bright sun but even that looked grey compared to her radiant smile and anyone who saw her would surely say she was sweeter than the season’s finest fruits. Despite her joyful mood, Leonardo, her darling boyfriend, scowled when he spotted her from the other side of the town square conversing with such an unsavoury character as Shakespeare. The artist handed the now-fixed violin back to the little girl he’d been sat with and hurriedly strode towards his beloved Jane. The lady jumped a little when she felt a squeezing hand upon her side, but relaxed at the voice that followed, “Sorry to interrupt, but cara mia and I have plans now. Scusa, Will,” Leonardo almost growled the poet’s name before grasping his lady’s wrist and leading her towards a secluded alleyway.

“Leonardo?”Jane’s thin eyebrows raised in surprise and confusion when the couple stopped, with Leonardo having pinned her against a wall, “Leonardo what has gotten into you?” She put her hands up against his broad chest and pushed him back so she had room to properly observe his face, sighing when she recognised his darkened expression, “You don’t need to be jealous of him, cuore mio.” Jane gently cupped Leonardo’s cheeks with her delicate hands and she smiled sweetly when he nuzzled against her touch before burying his nose against her neck.

Leonardo sighed into her pale skin, leaving a few careful kisses on her neck before he raised his head, his expression a mixture of a wounded lion and a heartbroken schoolboy, “I know, Jane, mi amor.” The taller vampire smiled guiltily, standing back a little and anxiously rubbing the back of his neck, “Scusa. I just …” he looked away, Jane’s rich Spanish green proving too beautiful, too much for his heart to handle, “I want you all to myself. I don’t want that scarafaggio crawling in here.” Leonardo placed his warm left hand over Jane’s heart, smirking smally when her pulse beat faster underneath his touch.

The lady smiled softly, throwing her arms around her boyfriend’s waist and snuggling up against his toned body, “Il mio cuore è tutto tuo.”

-

Leonardo chuckled warmly as Jane’s hand brushed his own when they both reached for the orange paint, “What are you painting with that shade, la mia tigre?” He squeezed her hand softly before withdrawing to grab a jar of dark green paint instead.

“Hm, you’ll see,” the former queen grinned confidently at her lover, sending Cupid’s arrow straight through his chest and filling his heart with overwhelming warmth and affection. They both turned their attention back to their paintings, comfortable in the warm sunshine that streamed through the windows whilst the radio played quietly somewhere in the background. Leonardo noticed Jane occasionally peeking up from over her canvas and gazing at him before turning back to her painting. Likewise, the pureblood was doing the same thing. Without much warning, Piero, the couple’s fat ginger and white cat jumped from his seat on Leonardo’s lap and onto the floor, knocking over several jars of paint as he padded out of the room. “Oh dear,” Jane sighed, kneeling down to clean up the bright splotches on the floor.

“Let me help, cara mia,” as he reached for a rag to wipe the floor, Jane swiped her index finger across her boyfriend’s cheek, giggling when his eyes widened in shock at the cool feeling of paint on his face. Leonardo glanced at himself briefly in the mirror, frowning slightly when he noticed the bright blue splotch on his olive toned skin, “Hey, not fair.” The artist smirked to himself as he dipped his finger into the puddle of sky on the wooden floor and swiped it onto Jane’s button nose.

The pair of them laughed at each other, continuing to splat paint onto one another until they were breathless, grinning in each other’s arms until Jane spoke quietly, “I finished my painting.”

“Oh yeah?” Leonardo stood up and walked around her easel to view a beautiful portrait of himself with the fluffy Piero in his lap. There was a serene smile on his face which matched the one painted in acrylics which he turned towards his beloved, “ ‘s beautiful. You’re beautiful.” The pureblood reached out towards his own canvas and spun it around to show Jane a portrait of herself in vibrant pigments, “Ah but, this doesn’t compare to the real thing.” He dropped to his knees in front of her and placed a warm kiss to her lips, making the lady gasp softly.

Jane muttered against her boyfriend’s lips, “You’re beautiful too, Leo.” And with that, Leonardo picked Jane up and carried her bridal style to the baths to help wash all the paint off of her porcelain perfect skin.

Author:@maanawa​
Fandom: Ikemen Vampire
Character(s):Arthur Conan Doyle/Female MC
Rating:T

Warnings: Slow burn, fluff with some angst, f2l, modern setting

Prompt: Roommates AU
Summary: Holiday romances are the second-most overrated thing, second only to the concept of romance itself. Too bad you end up experiencing a bit of both with the guy you met at your hostel.

Holiday romances were super overrated, you thought bitterly to yourself as you finished off the last of your spritz - which was, for the record, also overhyped. The last time you had made the mistake of asking for a good ol’ mojito at a dive in the lanes of Rome, you could feel everyone else judging you. Perhaps, though, that was less to do with your drink of choice and the fact that you were definitely holding up the queue.

But that’s reality, isn’t it? The way it comes crashing down on you, the way it doesn’t hold back on its punches. And sure, some were punches indeed. Like how your unofficial “boyfriend” just suddenly realised commitment was more of his thing; just not with you, but Jenny from your shared workplace. Of all the people, it was Jenny that sparked true love in his heart. Not that you had anything against cosmetic surgery and enhancements but that witch had once asked all coworkers to donate their PTO for her breast augmentation retreat in sunny Turkey. There was nothing genuine about her, physically or otherwise. 

Miffed, you decided to board the flight that you had booked for Cameron and yourself solo, without letting him know that you had planned on surprising him with tickets for a week-long trip to Rome. When Cameron and you had first met, it was a mutual love for cinema - and especially Roman Holiday - that had brought you two closer and into each others’ bedrooms. Both of you had decided early on that with your busy lives, commitment was not a priority for either of you and labels were unnecessary. Even now, there was a sense of bitterness when you had invariably referred to him as your boyfriend - he was never meant to be, after all.

So why did it hurt so much seeing other couples roaming down Trastevere, hand in hand, looking to be so in love? Eugh, that word left a worse taste in your mouth than the last dregs of the foul cocktail. The question had not left your mind, even as you checked into your hostel and made your way to the shared room, inadvertently walking in on a young man, shirtless and complaining about how even during a Roman summer he couldn’t get a tan. 

That was how your friendship with Arthur began.

There was obviously more than what meets the eye with the charming, flirtatious Scotsman, you’d come to learn - but most importantly, he was actually a fun person to hang out with! Somehow both of you had become rather friendly with each other and when he heard that you’d somehow ended up in Rome for two weeks, with no plan whatsoever, he was more than delighted to be your designated travel buddy and his #doit4thegram attitude was quite refreshing. It was funny because, for a while, it seemed like you hadn’t hung out with someone fun in a long time - was it because you spent too long around Cameron? It was actually a slightly depressing thought that your non-boyfriend had distanced you from so many of your friends-

“Smile, love - how’re you gonna make that ex of yours jealous if you look miserable in the City of Love?”

“Isn’t that meant to be Paris?” you asked, fixing your hair unconsciously before posing for the camera once again.

Arthur peered up from the camera, throwing a wink towards you. “Any city can become the City of Love, if you give it a chance.”

You had to try your hardest to not roll your eyes. The picture came out nice, nonetheless, and you told Arthur just so as you peered at the screen over his back, chin resting on his shoulder. Despite being aware of how intimate this scene could look to people passing by - a young woman sitting on the steps of degenerating architecture, arms draped across the shoulders of a young man sitting on the step below - you couldn’t bring yourself to move in any way. If the rascal holding your phone asked any questions, you’d just say that this was the most comfortable way to be, on a hot summer’s afternoon. If he wanted you to move, he could always buy gelato for you. 

Perhaps you should’ve been ashamed that within the mere seconds between when you first entered the dorm and when Arthur realised there was a third person in the room, you couldn’t help but notice that despite his slender frame, his back muscles were defined and tan or not, that was still a physique you could appreciate. You had to remind yourself to get a grip, reminding yourself how you felt about holiday romances at that point - but your nagging fondness for your hostel suitemate had been creeping up on you, with every passing day. Perhaps the affections were the result of a rebound - but that would mean you would have to admit that you had gone through a breakup in the first place, right?

And just like that, your first few days in Rome was gone. Sometimes, your new friend accompanied you and at other times, you had taken to wandering to places by yourself. Initially, you did have a list in mind as you were meant to be here with Cameron but perhaps dredging up the list left a bitter taste. This particular morning, it rained heavily and out of the interest of your shoes (not waterproof), you decided to spend the day inside. Trading in glorious sights and culture for a passably comfortable sofa in front of the shared area’s television and a large bag of chips, you settle in, ready for your umpteenth rewatch of (arguably) the best move of all time, Roman Holiday.

“What’s this cheese early in the morning?” Arthur’s voice was unmistakable, you realised as he settled on your right. You winced as droplets fell off his hair, onto your shoulder and you took this opportunity to smack him with a sham of cushion that lay on your left. 

“This,” you pointed at the screen, “is a masterpiece. You better watch anything you say about it, mister.”

Arthur held up his hands defensively, doing a rather miserable job of holding back his laughter. “You’re right, I should not judge this absolute classic that has never featured on Criterion, ever.”

“God, you’re insufferably pretentious sometimes, you know that?” laughing, you gave him a playful shove, fingers coming into touch with damp material. “And you got caught in the rain, too. Did you not have an umbrella?”

“Didn’t plan on staying out till now,” Arthur shook his head with a shrug.

You paused for a moment, realising the implications of his words. “Go get changed, idiot,” you wanted to say this in a joking manner, but it came across softer than you meant it to.

Arthur looked back at you and for some reason, you felt an acute loss for words. Sapphire gaze locked onto yours and for the briefest of moments, you thought he was about to tell you something, anything to break this weird deadlock. Instead, he broke eye contact with a chuckle and a “wait for me? I do want to watch this with you”, to which you simply nodded.

By now, you knew what that rogue was all about - the scent that had taunted you when he leaned too close on the sofa wasn’t only his own and it served as a reminder of the type of activities you knew Arthur did for amusement. Yet, it hadn’t stopped the blossoming feelings in your heart one bit, instead forcing you to curl up around the cushion that you had just thrown at him. 

What was meant to be a single-party pity session at the film’s finale turned out to somehow become a double-party debate, where Arthur insisted that the movie should’ve ended differently, while you argued that the movie was perfect because of its ending. 

“But why didn’t he even try to keep in touch with her?”

You sighed, trying your best to give the man beside you the stink eye. “Some things are ephemeral, that’s what makes them beautiful.”

“All of that - and he gave her a useless tour of Rome, too.”

“Arthur!” You tried your best to not outright laugh at how this movie had made him so worked up. “They had one day!”

“One day is enough time, in my opinion.”

“What are you being so petty for?”

His sapphire gaze glanced towards you, before Arthur huffed and folded his arms. “It’s not…okay, perhaps I’m being a little petty but what does it matter? If you’re gonna base a movie in this city, you might as well utilise it a bit more!”

“Then show me around,” you leaned towards him, well aware of how close you were to playing with fire. “Give me the tour that’ll make me fall in love with this place.”

One, then two moments passed where not a single word was exchanged between the both of you but then he grinned, the action bringing attention to the beauty mark beside his lips that you always, always found yourself wishing you could kiss. “Alright, then. Tonight, 10pm. I’ll show you the best Rome you’ve ever seen in 24 hours.”

By the time the clock struck 10, darkness reigned over the city. There was a slight chill in the air but it was by no means unpleasant, you noted as you waited at the bottom of the building. Arthur joined you within minutes and you found out that your first destination was-

“This?” you pointed to the sandwich store, at the corner of the Piazza Barberini. 

“To be brutally honest with you, [Name], that came off as rather judgemental.”

“Iam,” you retorted. “Late night sandwiches to start off your grand tour of Rome?” Arthur didn’t seem to find your criticism worthy of a response and - well, in all honesty, 25 minutes and one glorious combo of a panini and a cocktail later, you were wondering why you complained in the first place.

“These are so delicious? Where the hell have I been all along?” The last concern you had was talking with your mouth full. 

Arthur laughed in response, before looking out the window and pointing to a fountain in the centre of the piazza. “And see that fountain over there? That’s a Bernini creation.”

“No way, really?” You peered as hard as you could, face as close to the glass window as you possibly could, which seemed to elicit another heartfelt chuckle out of the man opposite you.

“Wecan go closer, if you want. No worries.”

“It’s fine,” you shook your head, still not breaking your gaze from the statue.

Despite history and architecture not being your top priorities back in your school days, you remember being entirely fascinated with Rome and those who had shaped her over the years, visually or otherwise. Bernini featured so heavily, it seemed like some type of fever dream - but in the best possible way - to just see something designed by him casually on the side of the road. 

It wasn’t until you heard a camera shutter go off that you turned towards Arthur, only to see him grinning at his phone’s screen. “You look like a child at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory!” he was far too amused, you thought and with an exclamation, you tried to grab his phone across the table. With a speed that belied his languid pose against the chair, though, he held his own phone far away from your reach. It was so difficult to stay mad at him, though - you were having fun. Despite the bickering, the teasing and the nagging reminder at the back of your head that maybe, somewhere down the line, these memories would be just that - memories. He wasn’t meant to be a lasting presence in your life; that would ruin the magic of vacations, of course.

“I’m walking out and you’ll have to pay,” you exclaimed, pushing for one final lunge that would get the phone in your hands.

“No way,” his laugh seemed to be the only thing you focused on, completely missing how his chair tipped too far back and he almost fell over, a confident grin turned into a sheepish smile.

A shame, you seemed to like both just as much as each other. 

All these thoughts swirled around your mind as Arthur and you walked down the roads, the hour closer to midnight than not by now. It was a different Rome, you had to admit - the streets were much more deserted at night, save the occasional voice you could hear drifting down the alleys and out the windows, or of restaurant patrons, making another toast to good health and good memories.

It seemed magical, like the town belonged to you and the man whose hand you were holding (when did this happen? You did not care to think back). Arthur and you seemed to talk about anything and nothing at once - you learnt that he had a Cocker Spaniel back home, named Vic, that his friend was looking after and his dream profession was ‘author’ and, in fact, he would soon be ready to submit his first manuscript to various publishers soon.

You may have managed to ask him more questions, if realisation of the scenery before your eyes had not dawned upon you. With a veritable squeal you ran ahead, practically dragging Arthur behind you. Standing against the railing, you could see a stretch of Rome before your very eyes, with its distinct architecture and twinkling lights. 

“No way,” with a whisper, you looked towards Arthur and utterly failed in suppressing your grin, seeing the famed Spanish Steps right before your eyes, with the iconic fountain at its foot. “It’s lovely.”

“Yeah…sure is,” came the response from beside you and had you been paying attention, you may have noticed the fact that those words were spoken towards you, rather than the view ahead of both of you. Moments, perhaps minutes, passed as you gazed at the sight before your eyes, but then Arthur pointed out that it looked like the only open store in the vicinity (and luckily enough, selling gelato) was about to close. The same hand that you had yanked to the plaza moments, perhaps minutes, earlier was now dragging you down the Spanish steps.

Holding probably the most overpriced gelato in the entire town (“to be fair,” Arthur quipped, as both of you stepped outside, “one of us should’ve asked how much these were before ordering” to your comment of the true scam being not having the prices listed on the menu board) you and Arthur decided to finish the (begrudgingly, you had to admit) delicious gelato at the Steps itself. Even the slight hole burning in your pockets wasn’t enough to dampen your spirits, as you gazed at the Steps in front of you, empty save for a couple leaving. You had the entire area to yourself, an unimaginable dream, the countless times you recalled the scene of Princess Anne sitting at the steps, enjoying her gelato when Joe “simply happens” upon her. Maybe the past you would’ve wished for a romantic encounter like that, but now you-

“Hey,” Arthur’s voice broke you out of your slow-spiralling descent into self-depreciation. “Take a seat, let me take a picture of you.”

“What - no way!” your exclamation was followed by a shy, embarrassed laugh.“You got me running halfway around town, I probably look like a hot mess.”

Instead of answering you, the young man decided to step in front of you and with a flourish, gestured towards one of the ledges running down the stairs. The feigned air of haughtiness in his voice as he said “your throne awaits, m’lady” got an involuntary laugh out of you. The stone wasn’t cold, like you expected, and Arthur settled in beside you. You tried to make nothing of the proximity between the both of you - it’s no big deal, right? Two mates, sharing the moonlight on a cloudless night, gelato in hand. That’s…definitely platonic, you nodded to yourself.

“So…” pausing, Arthur turned towards you, a smile playing on his lips. “Mid-tour reviews? Am I doing better than the guy from your movie?”

You grinned back at him. “Not bad, so far but it’s probably for the best that you don’t do too well. We don’t want to be dealing with the sordid affair of falling in love, do we?”

“Of course not, love is a wretched affair altogether,” his laugh sounded more sardonic than humoured to your ears, but you couldn’t see his expression too clearly, as he looked down instead of towards you. 

When he looked back up at you, though, it was with the roguish grin that made your heart skip a beat without fail. “Anyway, let me take your picture. We do have an ex to make jealous, in case you’ve forgotten?” 

Of course you’d forgotten, perhaps you’d forgotten about Cameron almost entirely. He didn’t matter to you one bit - but there was no way you could let Arthur know that. Not when the friendship he and you had built up was based on this meagre fact; not when he looked at you like you meant something to him.

Because for what it was worth, maybe all you meant to him was a restoration project, like the countless ones you’d seen around Rome while wandering around. Maybe he’d have no reason to do anything with you after that, and for some reason that silly little notion gripped your heart with fear. And so, you agreed.

It was hard to keep that thought out of your mind, even as you and him made it to your next destination, strolling along amiably and resuming talking about nothing and everything at once. At one point though, Arthur took a step forward and turned towards you, holding out his hands. Without hesitation, you placed your hands in his and looked towards him, questions evident on your face. This somehow made him smile even more broadly (a look you were far too fond of, unfortunately) and he asked you to close your eyes.

“Last surprise, love,” his eyes shone like the skies above, full of wonder and amazement. You acquiesced, and he told you that peeking would only ruin things for you, so you let him lead you, taking careful steps forward and feeling yourself turn towards the left. When you came to a stop, he let go of your hands. “We’re here, [Name].”

Nothing - absolutely nothing - could prepare you for the sight before your eyes. You had seen the Trevi Fountain countless times in print and video, but having it before your very eyes and all to yourself left you awestruck. In the night, illuminated by all the lights around, it looked more beautiful than ever.

“I…oh my God…I-I don’t know what to say!” Words completely escaped you, as you found yourself so captivated by the sight in front of you that you didn’t even notice when Arthur had wrapped an arm around you.

“The reaction’s well worth it, [Name],” his words were softly murmured and affectionate, you didn’t know how to react as you turned towards him. The only thoughts buzzing through your mind involved how close he was, how it would be so easy to kiss him, how you wished dearly to do so– 

One raindrop hit your cheek, followed by another one and soon, the relentless downpour left both of you with no option apart from wanting to find shelter. Arthur took your hand and dashed for the nearest store with an awning, despite how narrow it was, and both of you huddled against each other. The accompanying winds chilled you to the bone and you scrambled for any warmth you could get your hands on. Gentle fingers skirted along your cheek and you turned to find Arthur frozen in the midst of tucking a strand of your hair stuck to your cheek.

“I…er, well…” It was odd, finding the silver-tongued man lost for words. “It just looked a tad uncomfortable, so…” Perhaps, if the lighting was better, you would’ve noticed the blush dusting his cheeks but you neither wanted nor cared to know, as you leaned up on your tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips.

When he didn’t respond, at first, you were convinced it was a mistake. A terrible, horrible mistake so you pulled back but his lips chased yours, his kiss so fierce that it stole away your breath. At that moment, nothing had felt more right, nothing mattered more than the way you found yourself pressing up against him, his hand rising to grip your waist and your tongue slipping past his lips. 

But he pulled back, a smile on his lips that didn’t match the pain you saw in his gaze. “We should…probably stop here.”

Because that’s when you found out about Ruby, the university friend turned girlfriend. Ruby, who was once his fiancee and then left him hanging at the altar because she thought he was moving too fast. The person whom he was meant to spend this vacation with, an intended honeymoon. A part of you felt wretched - how could you have complained and cribbed so much to him, not realising that he was carrying enough baggage of his own? How horribly selfish was it of you, not to give him a chance to tell his own story.

“Don’t feel bad that you didn’t know, love.” It was as if he read your thoughts, though, as both of you walked back side-by-side. The rain had subsided to a bothersome drizzle. “I like to make it my business for others to not know mine.”

As you glanced towards him, it was painfully obvious to you that beneath his feeble smile laid uncertainty, apprehension - he was the one taking the blame for your misplaced feelings. 

“Would it…” your voice cracked, and you cleared your throat before continuing. “Do you want us to stay apart?”

“Lord, no,” his response was almost instant. “No, I’ve had the most amazing time with you, but if it made you-”

“This isn’t just about me,” you retorted, stopping in the middle of the road that you two had been crossing. “You - I need you to tell me what you want!” Your voice raising at the end was unintentional, even Arthur seemed to be taken aback.

Moments, which seemed like millennia, passed between the both of you as you stood there, gauging the other’s expression. “I…what I want is to talk to you again tomorrow,” it was Arthur who cracked first. “Tomorrow, the day after…I want to laugh with you, have you in my life. It’s an awfully selfish request, isn’t it?

“Not at all,” you found yourself shaking your head. You wanted all of that from him, too. “It’s not selfish at all.”

“Are you sure-”

You turned towards him with the brightest smile you could muster, even if the words tasted no different to sawdust on your lips. “I want to be your friend, Arthur.” The relief you saw in his expression and demeanour though, was worth it all.

Friends you and him continued to be, even after both of you had returned home. Long-distance communication had never been your strong suit but finding the time to communicate with Arthur was the easiest thing on this planet. Whether they were late night conversations that one of you fell asleep on first, soon followed by the other one (and prompting the awful joke of ‘guess we slept together again’ from Arthur, the one that made you eye-roll too hard) or midday lunchtime video chats, where you each got to vent about your day jobs, Arthur had become an irreplaceable part of your life - and you wouldn’t have it any other way. The crush you had been nursing on him was less like the blooming flower you expected it to be and more like a resilient weed: growing despite your best efforts to neglect or kill it. All your friends had encouraged you to make a move already, but you couldn’t risk what you had for the world. No, some things were easier left unsaid.

…despite thinking you were the bigger person in every relationship, ever, you still found yourself drunk on a whole bottle of vinho verde and a lot of pent-up anger you didn’t know you still had towards Cameron, when he handed you an invite to his and Jenny’s wedding.

“I should, should just…” trailing off, you rubbed your eyes violently, ignoring the gentle chiding from Arthur on the other end of the video call. “I should just go and drink all their wines.”

“While I don’t doubt your ability to do so, I don’t think-”

“Andthen sit on the cake.”

“Well, no- wait, no.” Had you been less sober, you might’ve noticed that Arthur was trying his best to hold back a laugh, or the look of pure adoration in his eyes. “Why sit on the cake, it’ll just ruin your dress.”

You huffed and went back for the bottle, realising that it was well and truly empty. The look of pure dejection on your face brought forth a chuckle from Arthur.

“[Name], hear me out. You should go, you should definitely go. You said it’s a month from now, correct?” Seemingly amused by your response of a grunt, he continued on. “And, just for clarification, your address is the same one as what I have, right?”

You squinted at him - or, well, more correctly: the camera. “Why do you want my address again?”

“I know you’ll love me for the hangover pizza tomorrow morning.”

The hangover pizza came the next morning and was duly appreciated. What you weren’t expecting, however, was for Arthur himself to show up at your doorstep three and a half weeks later, holding on a garment bag slung over his shoulder and leaning on the extended handle of his suitcase, as he scrolled on his phone.

He greeted you with a dazzling smile, looking up and tilting his head ever so slightly as you stood there and stared at him, dumbfounded. “Hey, love. Hope it’s not too late to change the RSVP on that wedding invite.”

When you continued to (frankly) just stare at him, you noticed the uncertainty in his gaze, the way his stance changed - reminiscent of that one fateful evening in Rome. “…was this a bad idea, coming here? Or is this a bad time? I can leave, that’s not the problem, I mean I don’t think this is a bad place to get an Ub-urk.” The rest of the words cut off, as you threw your arms around him. 

“Thank you,” it was really difficult to not smile, as you pulled back and smiled towards him. “Best surprise of yours, ever.”

He looked back at you wordlessly, but - the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, when he smiled back at you, the way his arms wound their way around your back, as if you were the most precious thing he had held - those were much louder than any words could’ve been.

Thank you for supporting our little charity drive! A lot of these places and experiences were based upon my own (for the record - yes, touristy spots are much more empty at night. Including the Trevi Fountain) and I listened to Il bacio di Klimt by Emanuele Aloia while writing this, hence the title! And a final shoutout to @rokutouxei​ for being the best beta reader I could ever want!