🌹Emerald Rose🌹

Chapter Twelve

In the end, China was amazing.

It did take way too long to get there in Alfred's opinion, but the thought of being on the other side of the world made him feel... free. He was where none of his problems could come to haunt him. It wasn't quite like that, most of his problems came with heavy traumatic experiences.

But, it made him feel like they couldn't hurt him anymore. Especially not while Arthur was there. As long as he had Arthur with him, he'd be fine.

He had come to tie a bond with his lover that couldn't be destroyed. He loved Arthur and came to accept it with warmth. Sometimes he would wake up and think about how surreal it was that he had fallen in love with the most feared man of the century, but now he had learned that said man had a soft side, a soft side that wanted nothing more than to wrap Alfred up in love.

He loved this twenty-nine-year-old stubborn and snarky captain. He'd remind himself of that every night when he lay next to Arthur, in the same bed, in the same blankets. Arthur really was actually smaller than Alfred. It was those heeled boots of his that made him so tall. Once he took them off, he was about two inches shorter than Alfred. The first few nights he and Arthur slept together, he couldn't help but stare at Arthur as he undressed, and said Brit would always make some sarcastic remark every time. Damm pirate was always confident, but of course, Alfred loved that too.

Arthur also turned out to be the type of lover who would be stubborn, but then proceed to spoil him rotten. It was overwhelming at first when the same man who murdered someone last night for trying to sell him out to the French navy started treating him like he was the most important person in the world. Alfred did always love attention but he always made sure he showered Arthur in love too. (Except for pet names because it seemed Arthur didn't like a number of those, despite him calling Alfred his own set of pet names almost every chance he got.)

Arthur was also quite the sexy person in bed as well. Alfred found himself falling in love with every aspect of that too. It seemed Arthur was only ever that gentle when Alfred either asked him to be or it was just simply his first time. Afterward, Arthur became dominating and rough, which was normal for a pirate captain. Alfred found himself enjoying the rough sex though, however embarrassing it was to admit it. Arthur also introduced a number of things to Alfred's sex life he had previously never known. The pirate was quite the kinky little bastard.

He no longer cared much about what his parents would say. He wouldn't give up Arthur for the world, and after experiencing real love for the first time, he found himself not caring about such a problem. If his parents obviously wouldn't love him for who he was, he didn't want to see them again. Maybe he would miss them sometimes, but then Arthur would hold him and kiss him and love him and melt that away.

"Enjoying the sunset, love?"

Alfred turned his head slightly, already knowing the very man he had been thinking about was now behind him. Alfred smiled, staring at the horizon. Apparently, that was China on the horizon and looked beautiful from here.

"Not without you with me." Alfred teased, grinning hugely.

"Don't be a cheese, you tosser," Arthur remarked, and before Alfred could say something, Arthur had taken off his coat and set it lightly on Alfred's shoulders. Alfred felt the soft velvet and gold, and the smell of tea and roses, and the faint tang of blood, and wanted to melt. "Northern China is cold, especially in November. You'll catch a cold."

"Won't you?" Alfred questioned, smiling. He wasn't complaining though, he loved Arthur's coat. It was big and warm and made him feel safe, and it made him feel like it could keep Arthur safe too.

"I've spent my life at sea, I can deal with such weather. Besides, the Scandinavian north gets quite a lot colder than this. " Arthur claimed, joining Alfred on the railing. His eyepatch was tied almost loosely, a little lopsided, where one could see a scar where a bullet had crashed into the line between the bone and the cornea. It suggested Arthur didn't want to be out here for long.

There was a silence and then; "Come inside, love. We can't reach port until tomorrow anyway. You shouldn't stand out here in the cold."

Alfred thought for a moment, but once again went in for the tease. "But you just gave me your coat."

"Yes, and I will steal it back if you continue to disobey your captain."

"Since when have you been my captain?"

"Since we met, actually, thank you for forgetting that little detail."

Alfred giggled. "I didn't. Never will, sweetie."

"Must I remind you not to call me that?" Arthur said, scowling. Though Alfred knew it was a very fake scowl.

"Nope. It suits you."

Arthur only rolled his eyes. "Come inside, love."

Alfred thought again, and it decided to agree this time. He would possibly ask for sex tonight, which was a major factor. He could already feel his stomach twisting. He wrapped himself up in Arthur's coat. He loved Arthur. His life felt whole.

"Alright then, let's go."

His life felt complete.

End