Parent!England x Fem!Reader: The Park

Chapter 9: Winning

You finished up your application and handed it to Elizabeta. She looked it over before nodding in approval.

"They'll have no choice but to hire you!" Beaming, you made your way into your to flop onto your bed. Hopefully they'd respond within the next three weeks. The idea of getting to work in *the* Agency had you giddy. You wondered why you hadn't tried to apply before. You were slipping into a content sleep when your phone rang. 

The caller ID said it was Arthur. Why would Arthur be video-calling you on a Friday afternoon? You quickly rubbed your eyes and answered, worried.

"Hello?"

"Hi (Y/n)!" You were met with Michelle, holding the phone while running through the house. 

"Michelle?" 

"Yeah it's me! I wanted to invite you to see my swim meet tomorrow!" You could hear Arthur yelling in the background, searching for Michelle. "Dad said he would ask you tomorrow morning, but I told him it would be too late. So can you come to the community center tomorrow at 4?" 

"Uh, sure." Arthur appeared. He seemed less excited. 

"How many times do I have to tell you that you have to ask before you take my phone to make a call?" The girl smiled at him with puppy dog eyes.

"I was telling (Y/n) about the swim meet." He stiffened up a bit when she mentioned your name. 

"Is she still on the phone?" Michelle held you up to Arthur, and you waved. "Oh, hi there. I'm sorry."

"Nah it's fine. I can't wait to go to your swim meet, Michelle!" The girl squealed.

"Thanks (Y/n)! See you tomorrow!" She ended the call. You sat and smiled at your phone.

***

The next day, you were putting on some leggings and a t-shirt, ready to head off to the community center to meet up with the others. Elizabeta smiled and waved as you hopped into your car. 

You passed the tall Agency building, smiling a bit at the idea of working there. The weather had been better the last few days, perfect for more outdoor events. Arthur had sent you a reminder text at 3:30, and you made sure to be there on time to help hype her up. 

You were able to spot Arthur’s eyebrows among the other parents attending the competition. Matthew and Alfred waved you over to their spot in the bleachers in a sea of people. You plopped down on the bench beside Arthur. He smiled, pointing. 

You followed his gaze over to the pool, where one of the teams sat at its edge. Michelle was looking out into the crowds on either side of the long pool. You began waving both hands.

"Michelle! You're gonna do GREAT!" She finally heard you and turned. You couldn't hear her, but you could see her waving back. The leader of the event took a mic.

"Ten minutes left, girls!" The four groups returned to their little circles, discussing their plans. Arthur turned to you. 

"Good to see you, (Y/n)." 

"Nice to see you too. And you two," you said, ruffling each of the boys' hair. You asked all of them about their day. Arthur went to work as usual, Alfred had won a game of tag, and Matthew drew a picture of his sister getting ready for her swim meet.

"Actually, Arthur, I wanted to tell you something later. I think you'll be happy about it." He raised a brow before nodding.

The chatter of the people in the crowds died down as the leader came out once again. 

"Distinguished guests, friends, and family. Welcome to the Ally Town junior girls' first swim meet of the season!" Applause rang out before quieting down as the leader continued to explain the rules and regulations. Matthew clutched your hand in anticipation while Alfred was bouncing out of his seat. Even Arthur looked excited.

The first race began. The girl from Michelle's team had a great start, but she was having issues keeping her stroke. They were all going surprisingly fast for girls aged 5-6, but they had been training for a while.

The girl came in third, though you cheered anyway to support her. A few more rounds of swimmers passed before Michelle was in the line up. Your team was gaining. Her long black hair had been tied up in a bun so that she wouldn't nervously play with it. She showed clear hesitation, looking from the water back to you and her family. For a few seconds, you locked eyes with her. You took this as an opportunity to shout.

"YOU GOT THIS!" Alfred and Matthew joined in.

"C'MON SIS!"

"SHOW 'EM WHO'S BOSS!" 

Arthur chimed in, yelling, "GO AHEAD, LOVE!" The leader gave the signal to start, and Michelle dove. She kicked with all her might, arms extending to propel her forward. For a moment, the four competitors were just splashing feet and arms. One of them began to surge forward. 

"GET INTO IT!" You almost didn't recognize your own voice. The words had come from your chest, carrying over the rest of the people there. The boys grew louder beside you. Arthur had stood up, cupping his hands around his mouth to shout down to his daughter.

"You're doing great!" Michelle's head came up for a second. She was ahead! She clamored out of the water, soon followed by the others. The points were counted. 

"And that's a win for the Dolphins!" A roar went up from your side of the bleachers. The girls all shook hands and hugged before heading to their locker rooms to dry off. 

You, Arthur and the kids waited with the other people outside the hall to the pool. Michelle led her team, accepting high fives and compliments from the parents in attendance. Then she found you.

"You did so great," you said as she ran into your arms. Arthur kissed her on the forehead before lifting her up onto his shoulders. 

"That's my girl!" Alfred and Matthew began whooping as you all headed to the parking lot. 

"Well, there's only one way to celebrate such a fantastic win," you said. Michelle looked down at you, eyes lighting up.

"Ice cream?" You nodded.

"Ice cream." The boys cheered as your group started for the ice cream parlor. 

***

Arthur mixed his vanilla ice cream around his bowl, looking at his kids speed-eating before looking back to you, sitting beside him.

"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me about?" You took your spoon out of your mouth before realizing what he was asking.

"Oh, yeah! I applied for a new job. It's gonna have a flexible schedule and I'm only working certain days so I can still help you watch the kids. Guess where?" He knitted his brows, apparently having no clue. He finally answered after scratching his non-existent beard for 3 minutes.

"Oh, I don't know...maybe the World United Agency?" He smiled devilishly.

"How'd you know?" 

"They just so happened to send your application right to my desk, since I'm the main rep here. I can assure you, you're approved." You were at a loss for words. Not only were you approved, but you were approved by *the* representative and your good friend. 

Before you could stop yourself, you were hugging him. He stiffened a bit from the initial shock, but soon eased into it and hugged you back.

"Thank you so much, Arthur!" 

"Anything for a friend." Michelle looked up from her ice cream eating contest.

"Ooh! What happened, why are you happy?" You pulled away from Arthur, smiling at Michelle. 

"Me and your Dad are going to work together!" You weren't sure if the kids understood, but they seemed just as excited. Alfred wiped some chocolate off of his face before lifting his empty bowl.

"This calls for more ice cream!"