Crimson Confidante
England x Vampire! Reader
Ch.4 - Revelation
Seattleites have a saying about their weather- it's bipolar so don't get attached to a certain one. And from what Arthur Kirkland had seen compared to the usual wet doom and gloom of London, Seattle had about 1 more day of sun than his precious city did.
Speaking of the rain, it seemed to come down harder on days the British male had plans than on days he did not. Today was no exception, as he stood tucked under your bunny umbrella while you finished zipping up your rain jacket, making sure to not let any more chills enter your frame.
To say he was a bit flustered was true, as Arthur's face held a soft pink tint as you began to walk away from him, only to tug his sleeve and pull him into the safety of your own umbrella. His shoulders bumped against yours in an attempt for both your bodies to get into a walking rhythm. Being the gentleman he was, Arthur attempted to grab the device from your hand to carry it himself, but he instead touched your hand as if he was attempting to clasp it in an awkward way.
You glanced at him curiously and he laughed rather loudly and awkwardly, his face turning a darker shade as he retracted his hand and used it as a shield to hide his blushing face. God, why was he such a spaz around women? Or rather other people in general... he always came off too harshly or too awkward.
The two of you stayed like that for a while, your shoulders and his no longer bumping together and now moving in sync. His emerald eyes looked up to the imprint of rabbits and he decided to break the tense air, that once again, he had created accidently.
"Are you fond of rabbits?"
You didn't answer back right away, making Arthur believe he had asked a rather dumb question. Of course you liked rabbits, your umbrella was imprinted with the fluffy creature.
"Hmm." You nodded and glanced up at them. "I suppose I am."
Your eyes met his and you smiled. "Do you?"
Arthur rubbed his blond locks awkwardly. "I-I suppose I do as well. Especially ones that are mint green."
"Mint green?" You responded, your voice a bit confused.
Arthur's eyes widened, he forgot that he was the only one he could see his flying friend. "I-I MEAN!"
He coughed and lowered his voice. "I mean if rabbits could be mint green, I think it would fit them."
You laughed and he smiled. 'Finally, things don't feel as awkward.'
"I take it you like the color green as well?" You asked him.
"Well green eyes are a trait in my family, and I grew up near the woods so I suppose I have always seen the color. What about you?"
"(Fave color)." You stated simple and twirled the umbrella's handle, thus sending a few droplets of water off the umbrella.
Before Arthur could continue any further the Light Rail had pulled up to the station and you hopped on as soon the door opened. Arthur followed suit and followed you to a row of seats. The train was nearly empty now, aside from the college student or older person traveling home for the night.
It was getting into the evening hours as well, near 7pm, so it was rather confusing where everyone was. But either way, it was nice not having to worry about finding seats or getting too close to whoever else was riding the train.
"Must be a sporting event tonight..." You mumbled as the train started to move slowly and then picked up.
"Must be. By the way, you have yet to tell me where we are headed, love." Arthur finally asked you. When you had said you knew a place to take him, he expected you to tell him, not suddenly start walking away.
You giggled. "It's a surprise."
Oh how Arthur hated that word: surprise. He was never found of what came with it; birthdays, hookups, food, anything really. Arthur was the kind of person who liked to be in control and aware of his life...
... but then again...
...he was on a train with a vampire who had attacked him 2 days prior. He supposed that surprises just came with the unnatural.
"Ah.. fine." He sighed.
"I promise you'll like it, or find it interesting." You patted his shoulder.
"Fine. But don't suddenly turn into Alfred on me."
"Alfred?"
That's right, you hadn't met Alfred or even had Arthur mention him to you yet. "My idiot flatmate."
"The person who kept blowing up your phone yesterday morning?"
Arthur sighed. "He'll be paying for my phone bill this month... that git."
You laughed again and Arthur smiled. Things seemed to be getting easier, at least in the small talk part.
"Chinatown" The train's alert system rang and you got up, clicking your umbrella open.
"This is our stop!" You chirped and stepped out into the neighborhood.
"H-hey wait!" Arthur called, nearly getting hit by the closing doors and cursed under his breath.
"Life is short Arthur, we have no time to sit and wait around." You clicked your tongue and handed him the handle of the umbrella.
"Huh?" Arthur looked at your outstretched hand.
"You wanted to hold this earlier, didn't you?" He nodded and took the handle from you, the metal cold from your lack of body heat.
"Such a gentleman." You teased him and pulled his sleeve. "Follow me."
Arthur rolled his eyes, but followed nonetheless. He watched as you led him down further into Chinatown. The thing about Seattle's Chinatown though... is that if you walk far enough into the place, the neighborhood starts to look less and less nice and more scary.
Arthur didn't want to say anything, but he soon started noticing more and homeless and shady looking figures as you and him walked down another turn. He was about to speak up when you suddenly stopped in front of a stair well and stared at him.
"We're here!" You cheered and took your umbrella from his hands and closed it.
"Are you sure?" Arthur asked looking around the run down neighborhood and then down the dark stairwell.
"Yup, come on." You said and grabbed sleeve once again. You pulled him with that inhuman like strength and the Brit was forced to follow or fall down the steps. He decided uncertainty was better than injury, so he obeyed and walked down the steps.
At the bottom was a door covered by the walkway above. The covering had a dim light above that flickered making the entrance look even more sketchy. Then there was the door itself, which seemed to be covered in... bullet holes and various padlocks! One top of that an eye hole was at the top, as if Arthur was about to be brought into some illegal activities.
You knocked on the door three times and pulled back, staring up at the eye hole, waiting for the person on the other side to answer. After several seconds, the eye slot flew open and a pair of brown eyes stared back at the duo.
Suddenly the disappeared and the door swung open as a younger boy ran out and tackled (Name) into a hug.
"(NAAAAAAME)!!!" The boy cried and hugged you tightly. "YOU'VE COME TO EAT RIGHT?! OH! IS THIS YOUR DATE!"
You slapped the younger male on the top of the head and he backed off, his face looking like a puppy that had just been chided.
"IM YONG SOO!" You voice darken.
"W-what?" The brown haired Korean mumbled frightened.
"Table for 2." You responded and grinned cheekily at him, he was always easy to tease.
He smiled widely and led you and Arthur in, bolting the door once you both had entered. Arthur glanced at Im Yong Soo and he looked at Arthur for a second taking him in.
"We don't want any unwanted guests wondering in!" He smiled and turned to you. "You sure it's okay bringing him here? We don't get many of his kind..."
You shrugged. "He's with me, plus-" You leaned in and whispered something into the Korean's ear. Whatever you had said seemed to surprise the brown haired male and he nodded.
"Right this way then!" He led you into a large Chinese style dining area filled with a good number of people and plenty of tables and chairs to hold more people.
"I'll send my brother out right away!" The teenage boy said and rang off.
You sat down at a booth, arthur taking the other side. After removing your jacket and scarf, Arthur doing the same with his outer layers, he could not take being in the dark anymore.
"Alright. Where are we?" He sighed and looked around once again.
"A chinese restaurant." You smiled and Arthur sighed.
"You know what I meant, and what did that boy mean by 'We don't get many of his kind'! Do they not get many citizens of the United Kingdom here?"
You shook your head. "Im Yong Soo meant that they don't get many humans here."
Suddenly it hit Arthur and his eyes widened. He looked around again, this time paying more attention to the people sitting around him. He could not tell if he was in a panic or euphoria at the revelation.
"(Name), what have I told you about bringing humans here!" An older man with dark hair tied into a ponytail and a smaller male with short black hair and dull brown eyes suddenly appeared on your side of the table.
Suddenly the whole place got quiet and Arthur felt every pair of non-human eyes watching him and you. You rolled your eyes and glared at the Chinese man who had suddenly broken the peaceful atmosphere. Arthur could see your fangs starting to protrude as well as your eyes holding a bit of irritation in them.
"Yao..." You pointed the Arthur. "...how about you look at his eyes first before throwing a 4000 year old fit."
The man, Yao, grumbled under his breath and did just that, turning his fiery glare at Arthur and locked his amber eyes to meet Arthur's emerald ones. Suddenly his eyes widened and Yao bowed to Arthur.
"Forgive my rudeness, I was unaware of your blessing." Yao apologized and turned to the younger man behind him. "Kiku, prepare our best ingredients!"
The two ran off and you sighed watching as the rest of the restaurant went back to their usual chatter. Arthur was puzzled though, what exactly just happened? And why did Yao suddenly treat Arthur like he was some sort of royal.
"I'm guessing that face means you don't know about your blessing then?" You said and sipped the ice water at your table.
"I suppose I don't... would you mind clarifying things for me, love?"
"Mint green rabbits, not being utterly terrified with the idea of having a meal with non-humans and befriending a vampire, you are a strange one Arthur Kirkland-"
"Hey! I wanted an answer not an insult!" Arthur raised his voice and you laughed.
"I was not making fun of you, in fact, all those things confirmed what I thought you were."
"...a human?"
"... not exactly? Arthur let me ask you this, have you ever seen things that others can't?"
Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but could not find the words to answer. Had he? Oh yes he had... so many countless times of thinking he was mad or losing it. So many times of being pushed away due to these visions and creatures... and the eventual loss of his interest in the mortal world all together.
"...yes..." He spoke uncertainly.
"I'm guessing as a child you you wander the woods a lot by yourself."
"How did yo-"
"England is known for it's history and knowledge of myths and magic as well, correct?"
"Yes."
"Arthur, when you were a child did you have a friend who happened to be a fairy?"
Arthur gulped, his throat feeling usually dry and scratchy. His eyes, his eyes were also really starting to bother him. Ever since he had walked in here, they started to burn and water uncontrollable.
"No one is going to hurt you here. I'm not going to hurt you either." You spoke softly, still staring at him.
Suddenly, as if you had spoken some unknown spell, his eyes stopped hurting and returned to their normal state. Arthur blinked and rubbed his index finger along the skin underneath one of his eyes.
"H-huh? Why did they sto-"
"Because I told them you were safe?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Arthur, you never answered my question. Did you or did you not have a friend who was a fairy when you were a child?"
Arthur nodded. "Not just one though... a whole village of them."
"They gave you a rare gift, as fairies are shy creatures who don't like to be seen by anyone, not even other mystical creatures like myself."
"A gift?"
"More like gifts... but I can't tell how many. As far as I can tell you have the gift of sight, warning and of protection."
"The fairies gave me them? And why does any of this matter?"
"Fairies rarely give out gifts, let alone a bunch of them to a human... which means you are a friend to those who aren't human. And in the case of Yao, you are somewhat like a great prophet, a demi-god, a deity."
"I think I'm getting it. I used to play and spend hours with the fairies as a child before my mother relocated us to London... and since they cared for me, they gave me abilities that normal humans don't have."
"Exactly."
"And to other mystical beings, fairies are extremely well thought of."
You nodded as Yao and Kiku came back, trays of food on each arm. You smiled and thanked the two men and Yao sighed.
"You're lucky you're nothing like your brother... or else I would have banned you from here long ago..."
You deadpanned. " Trust me... I'm glad I'm not like him either."
"Enjoy." Yao bowed once again and left.
"(Name)-san." Kiku spoke up and handed you a small box.
"Ah! Are these those animes you wanted me to watch?" Your eyes gleamed.
The Japanese man nodded and bowed to you both before leaving.
Finally settling down, Arthur watched as you started to grab food, but his mind was racing... but relieved. He wasn't crazy... and from what he understood, you as well as everyone in this restaurant could see the things he saw.
Later~
"Sorry, this'll only take a minute!" You apologized again and took your keys out. Arthur smiled and shook his head.
"It's fine, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble at work tomorrow for not putting your subjects into the freezer over night."
Yes, here he was again. Standing in the dark alleyway near the hospital where two nights ago he had met you. Arthur turned away from you slightly and looked at the wall on the other side of the alley. He could see a small indentation from where you had slammed him into it.
He traced his slim fingers along the bricks and he sighed. He would have never guessed that he would be standing here again with you as a friend, let alone be alive after that terrifying encounter.
He heard the soft click of a door opening and you moving inside. Arthur followed, shutting the umbrella as he did so. The stairwell down was well lit and came into a small labroom.
It was nothing too fancy, but not too simple either. A couple of large tables and counters filled with chemicals, lab equipment and cleaning supplies. Huddled into one corner was desk with papers neatly in a stack as well as some pens and other items scattered around. Off the chair on the back was a white lab coat and a pair of protective goggles.
Almost right next to the desk was a large cooler, with a large bolded sign that read "WARNING! BIOHAZARDS INSIDE! KEEP CONTENTS COLD!"
Arthur guess that was where the blood was, and motioned forward and opened the fridge. He felt the cold air hit his face and his eyes looked at bag after bag of red liquid, labeled with either an A, B, AB or O along with a + or -.
Arthur closed the fridge and wandered over to your desk, he didn't mean to snoop... but you were not exactly the most talkative person it seems. Glancing over the desk his eyes landed on a sheet of paper.
"Memo of (Name) Bonnefoy"
"Bonnefoy?" He mumbled and glanced at you as you placed the last petri dish into the freezer.
You looked over at him and smiled. "Find something interesting?"
"I'm just curious why you didn't tell me your last name when we met, yet you have it right here."
"That's not my last name, it belongs to my older brother."
"Wouldn't you both have the same last name?"
"We're not actually related, I just refer to him as my brother since he was the one who took care of me when I turned... and since he was the one who turned me."
Finally having finished you and Arthur walking were back on the street, the rain no longer pouring down.
"So he's not a brother at all, but acts like one?"
You nodded. "Yup."
"And he's Fren-"
"YO! ARTIE!"
Que Arthur letting out a loud groan and a glare coming onto his face as he turned around to see the one person he was hoping decided to stay home and play video games all night... turns out his wish did not come true.
Arthur turned to see Alfred walking fast up the street behind them, Matthew floating behind me, watching his brother like he always did.
Arthur suddenly grabbed you by your arms and leaned in close. "Love, don't say a word about the spirit behind Alfred okay? It's a touchy subject, please."
Your (eye color) hues blinked from the closeness and you nodded. "O-okay."
Alfred had finally gotten close to the two of you and stopped. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked, seeing how close your and Arthur's faces were, implying the two of you were about to kiss.
"YOU ARSE!" Arthur cursed and accidently knocked your umbrella and box full on animes onto the pavement.
Arthur muttered an apology and picked up your umbrella as you and Alfred started to pick up the scattered DVD cases.
"Not cool dude, who hits a girl's animes out of her hands." Alfred teased the Brit. Matthew sighed and glanced around, as if making sure the three of you, who could touch objects, had not missed any.
Alfred placed the DVD's he was holding into the box and picked it up. He took your copies and put them in as well before getting up and reaching his hand out to you.
"Let a real hero help you out!" He smiled widely and placed and outstretched hand toward you.
Arthur watched as you placed your hand in his and Alfred pulled you up. However, Alfred suddenly stopped half way through and removed his hand from you and flinched it back.
You landed back onto the pavement on you butt and mumbled out an "ow." Arthur immediately was at your side trying to help you up, making sure nothing was broken as well.
He sent Alfred a glare when suddenly his eyes started to go crazy again. He glanced at you and noticed your fangs starting to protrude, as you had bit your lip when you fell and now your blood flowed you're from mouth.
You grabbed the box from Alfred and ran down the street fast, ignoring Arthur's calls. Arthur stopped when you stopped and waved back to him and yelled "YOU'RE RIGHT! ALFRED IS ANNOYING!"
Arthur chuckled, knowing that you were fine, but groaned thinking that he was now left alone with Alfred. Turning to scold the American he paused seeing Alfred's face. The usual happy grin of the American seemed a bit darker, as it seemed your insult had made him a bit depressed.
"It was just a joke you idiot, get over it." Arthur started to walk back to their apartment when he noticed he still had your umbrella. He'd have to return it tomorrow now that he knew where you worked.
"Hey." Alfred spoke up suddenly, any humor gone from his voice. "Who was that?"
"(Name). She was the girl who found me the other night."
"Hmmm." Alfred commented and started to walk away. "I'll have to see her again and give her a gift from my rudeness... I'm usually not like that."
"I know you aren't, what came over you?"
Alfred laughed and looked at Arthur, his baby blue eyes wide and a bit crazy looking. "I guess I just don't like you hanging around with someone like her!"
He laughed and ran ahead, Matthew following giving a "sorry" look.
Arthur stood there paralyzed... the way Alfred worded that last sentence...
"Who were you insulting exactly Alfred?" The blond spoke and gripped your bunny umbrella.