Arthur gained consciousness once again on the couch, but this time he actually felt comfortable and warm.
The couch was so comforting in fact, that he decided it wasn't time to get up yet, instead enjoying the warmth he was being supplied and snuggled into it.
Wait, but...
The couch wasn't always this cosy, was it?
Did it always radiate heat?
And... Why did his pillow have a heartbeat?!
That knocked the remaining sleep straight out of him as he looked up and found out he was sleeping on top of Francis the whole time, his head resting on his chest. Francis arms were draped around him protectively and their legs were intertwined around each other.
The first thought that came to him was to pounce off of the French teen, but for some reason, his body felt heavy as soon as his mind suggested it and wouldn't allow him to move.
Instead, his eyes drifted(without his consent!) to stare at the Frenchman's perfectly crafted face, admiring his strong jawline and his long eyelashes that framed his closed eyes.
His blond locks rested on his shoulders neatly and didn't seem one bit tangled after sleeping on the couch the whole night. How it happened, he didn't know.
It seemed as though the elegance in his face didn't diminish at all while sleeping, dare he say, he was even prettier like this.
Lucky frog.
Then the concept of time hit him full force and he feared he had stared for too long so he tried to scramble off of him.
Little did he know, the seemingly limp hands that were around him suddenly gained life and wrapped tightly around him, pulling him back to their owner's chest.
"Francis, you were awake!?" He accused. He was wide awake while he was ogling his face like a creep?! Oh dear.
"Non."
"But you-"
"Sshh, cher, savour the moment." He whispered softly and stroked his hair, making the British blond timidly relax into his hold.
The couple layed together in complete silence, enjoying the shared heat and untypical peace in their relationship. Arthur took comfort in the fact that Francis didn't mention his gawking and hopefully only woke up when he was disturbed.
"As-tu bien dormi, mon ange?" Francis interrupted the reticence, still sounding half asleep.
Arthur lifted his head up and looked at Francis and slightly opened his mouth to say something, until Francis realised he spoke in the wrong language.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realise-"
"It's fine! I-I mean, I don't mind you speaking your froggy language, you know... As long as it's only with me, and not with her!" Arthur proclaimed determinedly.
Francis gawked at him in surprise, wasn't this the same Brit that judged him for his French the first day they met?
"Shut your mouth, you look an eejit right now." He ordered sharply.
Francis shook his head and beamed up at the male with a quick nod.
Ugh, why did he have to smile so idiotically whenever Arthur displayed the smallest gesture?!
"Also, I asked, did you sleep well?"
"Oh, y-yeah I did," he answered.
"Hmm, perhaps it was because I was sleeping with you, we should sleep together more often~" Francis suggested, getting a light punch from the younger, but what Arthur wouldn't admit was how that's exactly what he wanted.
"How about we get up and I make breakfast for us? How does pancakes sound?" The French teen offered and cheerfully dragged him up off the couch and to the kitchen.
"Ah, that reminds me! I promised you I'd teach you to cook at some point, didn't I?" Francis exclaimed and pulled him elegantly by the hand over to the counter, fishing his classic pink ribbon from nowhere and tying his hair in a neat bow effortlessly, then started searching through cupboards for the necessary utensils.
"U-um... I don't know Francis..."
"Oh come on! There's no point in shying away from the kitchen forever! You need to learn to cook something that's edible at some point." Francis pointed out, leaving out his last thought about saving a few unsuspecting humans' lives as well in order to avoid getting hit.
"I can make tea and that's all that matters."
"Ah, but you can't survive off of tea now, can you?"
"Ah, weeell..."
"No, you cannot. Don't worry lapin, it's not that hard. It's just typical pancakes anyway, I won't teach you anything too fancy today. And I'm here to instruct you, too."
"Yeah, couldn't have asked for a better teacher," Arthur muttered sarcastically, but Francis took it as a compliment and basked in the glory.
"Well, do you know anything about making pancakes?"
The Briton avoided eye contact by looking down at the tiles, scuffing his foot against the bottom edge of the cupboard like he didn't hear the French.
"I'll take that as a no," Francis chuckled a little and started pouring flour into a mixing bowl.
"First, you pour in the flour and add in a pinch of salt," he explained and demonstrated, adding in the required amount of each.
Arthur nodded along, watching intently as Francis made the batter, every once in a while including him so he can understand better, making him crack open eggs, pour in milk or stir. Yes, they were small jobs but Francis didn't trust the shorter male to do anything more. Possibly in the future.
"Now that that's done, we can make them." Francis turned on the stove, noticing how Arthur flinched and backed away slightly when he saw the blue flames erupt.
"Chéri, relax. I'll cook them, you can just watch and learn, d'accord?" The older said, pouring a small amount of the batter onto the pan.
After cooking up a batch of the pancakes, the pair enjoyed their breakfast(topped with berries and maple syrup of course) as Francis asked him questions about what he learned at cooking class that day, inducing an eyeroll from Arthur.
"So you do you have any plans for today?" The French teen enquired, sipping from his mug of coffee.
"Um, not that I know of, why?" Arthur replied, bringing his cup of tea daintily to his lips, copying Francis subconsciously.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date?"
Arthur froze completely, he stopped drinking, and placed his cup down gently before clearing his throat.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Would you like to go on a date with me, mon amour?" Francis repeated, a smirk playing on his lips, his confidence not faltering in the slightest.
"W-well, I mean..."
Francis watched him intently with a fascinated smile, patiently waiting for an answer.
After having an awkward staredown with the French, Arthur gave out a sigh.
"S-sure. As long it's not something extravagant, I guess it would be okay..." He agreed hesitantly. It's not that he didn't want to go on a date, he just didn't know what to expect from him. But other than that he was kinda interested... Only a little!
Francis' face lit up and his smile broadened.
"Parfait! And I kind of already guessed you wouldn't want it to be 'extravagant', so don't you worry, it won't be. Go get ready and I'll come pick you up at eleven~" Francis informed him.
"Eleven? And wait, what do you mean by pick me up, we live in the same house-"
"Wear something nice, I'll pick you up at eleven sharp, au revoir!" Francis waved and rushed off to his own bedroom hurriedly as Arthur observed, slightly perplexed.
Arthur's head snapped to look at the clock on the wall, finding out it was nearly ten. He had more than an hour, that's more than plenty to get ready, right? He tidied the table and washed the dishes before going to his room too.
He was calm and composed till he opened up his wardrobe and scanned around for something decent to wear.
Wait.
What does one even wear on a date?! Is it supposed to be formal, casual... Ugh, Francis just said to 'wear something nice', what in the world was that supposed to mean!?
Oh shit, he was panicking.
He decided to rely on Google for some answers, the perfect place to go to when you don't have social skills.
"What to wear on a date..." He mumbled as he typed into the search bar and pressed search. He felt stupid, asking Google such an idiotic question but he had no other option.
After frantically scouring the internet, he found out almost everything was aimed towards females, and he was certain he wouldn't be wearing a 'cute skirt paired with a blouse' anytime soon.
He soon gave up, and he dispiritedly sunk into his bed. It was nearly half past and he had no clue what to wear.
Was it supposed to look enticing? Ew no, in broad daylight? Probably not. Was it supposed to look like he didn't put much effort in? But did that convey that he didn't care? Ugh, this was so annoying!
A long while later, after completely wrecking his head and flinging around clothes he decided on a pair of skinny black, ripped jeans and a simple olive green jumper with a pair of black converse.
It seemed sweet and simple, though hopefully Francis wasn't dressed too eccentrically. And if he was... Well this was all he was getting, he better be happy!
'Speak of the devil, is it eleven already?' he thought as a knock on his door snapped him out of his self-conscious assessment of his outfit in the mirror.
When he opened the door, he was faced with Francis, who wore a charming smile on his face. And thank god, he was wearing something plain enough, a mustard yellow turtleneck, with grey jeans and chestnut brown ankle boots.
"You look wonderful as always, mon cœur," the French complimented him, grabbing his hand and bringing it up to his lips and planted a kiss on his pale knuckles.
Arthur's face flushed at the gesture and he swiftly jerked his hand back and coughed it off.
Francis then offered him a single rose, which seemed to appear from thin air.
"Thank... You?" He muttered unsurely, taking the crimson coloured flower from Francis and examining it suspiciously.
"Now, are you ready to go?" The French enquired.
"Yeah, but may I ask, where are we going?" He asked.
"You'll see," Francis stated with a small chuckle at the end of his sentence, making Arthur's eyes narrow apprehensively.
************Time Skip!************
"Here?!" Arthur yelled as he stared at the building and then at Francis. They were at the same cafe that Francis took him on a 'date' to and a wild Joan appeared.
"This time it's an official date, mon cher. And don't worry, Joan won't 'coincidentally' appear this time." Francis assured, draping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him closer, then led him inside.
"Francis! And Arthur, I presume? Great to see you two!" A toffee haired, green eyed waitress greeted them as they came in.
The Brit looked towards Francis for an explanation as to how this stranger knew his name.
"Arthur, this is Bella. I met her the first time I came here. We talked and turns out, we're distant relatives on my mom's side! Isn't that funny?"
"Ha ha, so funny." He was obviously still in a bit of a mood, probably because he highly suspected Joan will show up to destroy his day anyway.
"And she knows me because....?"
Francis laughed hesitantly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I might have told her a little bit about you..."
"As in, he told me everything from the start of your relationship and the whole plan with Joan. I was the one who advised he did it here, actually. Too bad I was busy with an indecisive costumer so I couldn't watch the show," she giggled. Francis looked at her, horror-stricken, and then rapidly turned to smile at the other male.
Arthur's jaw dropped and he glared at Francis accusingly, the other smiling sheepishly in return.
"Er, what would you two like to have?" The female tried to change the subject them because she could sense a quarrel about to happen.
"I'll have a cappuccino and my lovely little Arthur would like-"
"English breakfast, please." He stated sternly.
The day didn't seem to be going too well for Francis, his date was being petulant already. No worries though, he knew exactly how to make the English teen blush.
"Alright, and how about I get you two a slice of cake with that? It's all on the house, since it's a special occasion~"
"Merci, that's so sweet of you, ma chérie," he replied.
"Great! You two go sit down, I'll be right around with your order," she answered and rushed back to the counter.
Francis squeezed Arthur's shoulder affectionately but that was when the younger realised it was there and he quickly threw his arm off, crossing his arms haughtily.
The French male knew it was awful to bicker when it was their first date so he searched his head for things he can do to cheer him up. But first, he went and sat down at an empty table and patted the seat beside him, beckoning him over.
Even though Arthur saw his attempt, he went and sat in front of him instead.
"Are you angry at me...?" He pouted.
"No Francis, I love it when you go telling people everything about me!" He replied sarcastically.
"What! I didn't tell her everything about you," Francis argued.
"That's not the point! What I'm saying is, how can I trust you with things if you can't keep your mouth shut?" Arthur questioned.
"When else have I blabbed things you've told me?"
"You told your little trio something I trusted you with..."
"What do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about."
"Francis I know that you know, and acting oblivious isn't helping your case," the blond growled.
"Alright, I'm sorry. I know that wasn't a great thing to do but I slipped up. I promise I won't do it again!" He pleaded forgiveness.
"Now cheer up, it's such a nice day today and it's about the two of us. Enjoy it!" Francis coaxed with a smile and pulled the other's hands into his and interlaced their fingers.
Arthur pulled back his hands, heaved and sunk into his seat. His bitter attitude was almost tangible.
Francis on the other hand, fought the urge to sigh at his pettiness.
"Here you go, a cappuccino, an English breakfast and a slice of chocolate cake!" Bella arrived as she promised, setting the items down on their table.
"Wait, one slice?" Arthur butted in before she could leave.
"Oh, yeah. I just figured it was more romantic to share, you know?" She winked at Francis, who seemed to thank her with his eyes but Arthur was too busy sulking to notice.
"It's perfect, thank you." Francis told her, and she happily skipped away.
As soon as she disappeared to deal with a new customer, Arthur dragged the plate of cake she set in the middle, over to his side.
"Hey, it's for us to share!"
"I don't care," the other answered as he dug into the dessert by himself.
Francis watched him irritatedly, taking a sip of his cappuccino as he thought up ideas to get the Brit to stop being a bitch.
His eyes lit up as an idea came to his mind, his lips upturned into a smirk.
"Arthur, amour, just give me a little bit, s'il te plaît?" He asked sweetly.
The Briton ignored him, but Francis wouldn't give up. Right as he was about to swallow another forkful of cake, his hand was stopped against his will and dragged over to Francis' mouth as he ate it instead, a playful grin on his face.
Arthur's cheeks tinged pink and he forced his hand out of his grip, refusing to meet Francis' eyes and went right back to eating what was supposed to be 'their' slice of cake.
"Stop staring at me, you look like a creep." Arthur demanded.
"Chaton, there's some chocolate on your face," he answered.
"That doesn't give you a reason to stare though! But um... Where is it?" Arthur asked quietly, he didn't want to look like a glutton in public.
"There," Francis pointed, but Arthur couldn't find where exactly he was directing to.
"Here, let me help," he offered and leaned over the table. Arthur closed his eyes, thinking he would wipe it away but instead he felt a pair of soft lips on his.
He just sat paralysed by shock, he couldn't push him away no matter how much he wanted to(it's not like he really wanted to ;)), his arms wouldn't co-operate with him. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest he thought it would burst out and run off and his face felt completely red with embarrassment.
'What if people are staring at us!? Oh god, people will definitely be staring, humans' heads always turn to watch things out of the ordinary around them!' Arthur yelled in his mind.
Although, he couldn't do anything to act out his worries. He continued to stay as still as a statue till, after what felt like an eternity but was actually a few seconds, Francis' lips separated from his.
"Mmm, you taste so nice. So much better than the chocolate cake itself," he purred and licked his lips.
The blond turned as red as a cherry and covered his face with his hands to hide his face. He could sense judging stares boring into him even though he didn't have the guts to check if it was true.
"Why do you have to be so embarrassing!"
"Why do you have to be so devoid of romance! We're on a date! Be a little more happy at least!"
"We're in public, Francis!" Arthur whisper-shouted, eyes skimmed the area and found no one was looking their way but still didn't feel secure.
"So what? Why is that a barrier?"
"Well, people might stare at us..." He muttered hesitantly.
"Arthur?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Have you ever been on a date before?"
"Wha-! Of course I have!"
Francis leant forward, placing his elbows on the table and entwined his hands together, placing his chin on it fancily and just looked at him wittingly.
"Well in that case, just to refresh your memory, dates are usually in public where there are people out and about." He explained.
Arthur listened carefully, feeling slightly mortified and hung his head like a reprimanded child.
"If you don't feel comfortable you definitely don't have to do anything you don't want to, but can you at least smile for me? It'll at least make me feel I'm not on a date with a grumpy old cat," he chuckled.
"I am not a grumpy old cat!" Arthur defended himself proudly.
"Of course that's the thing you pay attention to. Well, what do you say? Can you smile for me, mon petit?"
The British blond didn't respond immediately, his eyes darted everywhere but Francis' eyes.
Then, Francis had an amazing idea that'd probably get him a slap, but he decided the result would be worth risking it.
"Actually, I never formally asked you to be my boyfriend, if I do recall properly," the French blond started.
"No, you didn't. Why are you bringing that up?" Arthur questioned. Francis' sudden question was a little unsettling.
"Well," Francis said as his lips curled into a sly grin.
Arthur watched questioningly as the other got up from his seat.
"Where are you- Francis what are you doing?!" He screamed as his date lowered himself and knelt down on one knee.
People around them weren't interested in what the couple were doing till they heard Arthur's frantic shouting and spotted the male who was kneeling down in front of the other like he was going to propose.
And you know how people are with public proposals. They're as entertained as watching a gladiator match, intrigued to see whether the outcome was going to be a happy ending or eternal heartbreak.
"Arthur Kirkland, I know I've only known you for two months, and our relationship isn't always happy go lucky, in fact there are probably more down than ups in our relationship. But despite all that, I love you so so much, and I would like to ask... Would you do me the honour of being my boyfriend?" Francis recited like he was the main, charismatic character from a romantic novel and gave him a loving smile.
And Arthur was obviously speechless from the main character's love confession, like the clueless love interest in a romantic novel.
Everyone around them was watching attentively at this point. It didn't help it was a pretty busy day, and there was a lot of customers at the quaint little cafe that morning, half of them watching the little show they were putting on.
Arthur gulped. His eyes flitted back and forth nervously to blurry faces he didn't recognise. Why did the frog have to put him on the spot like this!
"Francis, get up!" He whispered and grabbed his shoulders to pull him up but the French blond wouldn't budge.
"Not until you give me an answer, lapin." He insisted and stayed right where he was.
Arthur let out a shaky breath and brought a hand up to his mouth.
"Yes..." He muttered inaudibly, avoiding eye contact, the hand in front of his mouth muffling his answer.
"What was that?"
"Y-Yes! I'll be your boyfriend!" Arthur shouted, eyes slammed shut and feeling his cheeks flush. He instantly heard a few cheers from the spectators(a few groans because of the lack of a bad ending) and moments later they were all going right back to what they were doing.
Even though it was over, he wouldn't look, he couldn't look. He knew no one was watching anymore but he knew Francis was giving him a satisfied grin and he couldn't bare to-
He couldn't even finish his thought because the next thing he knew, his feet weren't touching the ground anymore and as he opened his eyes he found out he was a head above Francis.
"Ah- Francis!" He squeaked in vexation.
He was about to argue with him about the show he was making out of the Brit, but then Arthur noticed the loving expression in Francis' gaze that made his mind reconsider and his heart to do flips in his chest.
Arthur yelped indignantly as Francis spun him around mid-air. His hands quickly interlaced around the other's neck out of instinct, to make sure he didn't fall and make a bigger fool of himself in front of the crowd.
Francis gracefully placed him back down, and Arthur felt overwhelming joy by being back on the precious ground he missed so much.
After spending a few seconds of deep breaths to calm his heart, his hands still resting around the other's neck. Arthur looked up at Francis... And didn't glare angrily at him as Francis expected.
Instead, he cracked a delirious smile and started chuckling in a hysterical sort of way. Francis watched, astounded by the strange reaction the Briton had.
"Are you... Alright?"
Arthur nodded clumsily and then his laughing fit proved to be short lived as he soon gave him a stern look.
"Okay so, firstly, how dare you make such a scene out of me?! The audacity you had to- ugh, that was such a nerve wracking experience and you're going to hell for that and I hate you so much but..." He trailed off as his vigour died down and he shied away, Francis looking eagerly into his eyes to see what he had to say but he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of a sweet answer.
"You're an asshole." He declared and crossed his arms defiantly.
"But you love me~"
Arthur paused before giving a soft reply.
"...Yeah," he murmured, a small smile gracing his lips.
"Oh! What did you just say?" Francis asked as he grabbed his hands again, almost jumping up and down with newfound giddiness.
"What? That you're an asshole?"
"Non, what you said after," he answered.
"Nothing! And that's the end of this conversation! Now can I please go back to drink my tea, it's probably cold by now," he stated to distract him from the topic at hand and plopped down onto his seat again.
This time, Francis abandoned his seat across from him and sat right beside him, and to his delight he was not pushed away.
The pair continued to banter playfully for the rest of their time in the cafe, and Arthur even let him share the rest of the cake. It seemed his little plan had succeeded after all and he didn't even get slapped!
************Time Skip!************
After arguing about who was paying, only to be reminded by a heavily blushing Bella(for some odd reason...) that it was free, they bid her goodbye before leaving the cafe.
"So where are we going now?"
"I was thinking maybe we could see a movie?" Francis proposed.
"Alright, I guess that's fine," he complied.
"Also before you play your 'good date' card, I'm paying for my own ticket." He added.
"Arthur! How about we decide on the movie before deciding on all the details," he asked.
"Just pick one that's on right now or in a few minutes," Arthur added, unperturbed. None of the movies hinted to be to his liking from the little trailers behind him, and there was no point in wandering around to wait for a movie.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, I don't know most of these movies anyway, it's not like I care. But what do you want to watch?"
"I'd enjoy any movie if I was with you," came the sappy remark that got a hushed "stop being so cheesy" retort paired with a faint smile.
Francis chuckled at his reaction and started chatting with the person at the desk to gain more details.
"That'll be $20, please," the woman replied with a smile that was so unnaturally wide it looked like forced.
"I'll pay, Francis." He declared, digging through his pocket for money he was wise enough to bring.
"No, I insist I pay for both." Francis contended.
"But that wouldn't be fair! Okay, how about you pay for yours and I pay for mine then?"
"I still insist I pay for both," he remained adamant.
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Too late, I've already paid!"
"What?!" Arthur exclaimed as the woman grinned brighter as she accepted a twenty dollar note and handed Francis two tickets.
"That was a dirty move, you git." He expressed his discontentment.
"Oh well, too late to change it now~" the Frenchman piped cheerily.
"Now, how about snacks?" Francis smiled.
Arthur rolled his eyes, he couldn't let the Frenchie win again.
They ordered two buckets of popcorn and a drink each but before Francis could even comprehend to ask how much it was, Arthur burst in and handed in a few notes and smirked victoriously at the taller male.
Francis looked at a loss for words for a second, until he laughed and made a joke about them being even now and then the pair headed to the screen.
Arthur didn't have the smallest indication on what the movie was about, he didn't even recall the name that Francis had mentioned. It didn't bother him anyway, it's not like he was actually interested in movies. Over the years he's learned the sad truth that movie adaptations are not as great as the original books and are actually quite disappointing. Since the adaptations were the only movies he'd actually be interested in, he lost hope in other movies and so from then on, he didn't care much about seeing the pictures on screen, he'd rather get lost in the words.
As he didn't care much for the movie, he would have just sat in his seat and remained satisfied with his snacks but then the inevitable happened.
He reached into his bucket of popcorn but gained not a single kernel. His fingers then conducted a frantic search of each of the corners, but his mission turned out to be futile.
With no snacks left and his drink finished and abandoned in the cup holder beside him, he reluctantly decided to give the movie a go. And found out the popcorn was the only thing making the movie bearable.
He peered into Francis' bucket greedily and found out he still had half of it left.
Francis noticed his odd scrutinising and realised what he was up to when he saw his empty bucket and moved his popcorn to his right, sheilding it from Arthur.
"I wasn't going to grab from your popcorn..." He muttered.
"You sure? You looked like you were going to swoop in and take the whole thing!" Francis joked.
"Francis, look over there!" Arthur pointed rapidly behind his head.
"I'm not falling for that, rosbif."
"Ugh, could you just give me a little bit of popcorn?"
"Hmm.... Perhaps..."
Arthur gazed at him with a hopeful gleam in his chartreuse green eyes.
"Only of you give me a kiss~"
"You pervert! I should have expected this, if that's your demand I don't want your stupid popcorn!" He yelled, getting multiple shushes from other people in the theatre. He quickly shut his mouth and collapsed into his chair stubbornly.
"Alright, suit yourself." He whispered before going back to munching on his popcorn, knowing well he was aggravating the Brit.
After a minute or two of silent anger radiating from Arthur, he gave in with a huff.
"Fine, one kiss and on the cheek! And that means you gotta share the rest with me," he announced and got a complying nod as an answer.
Arthur closed his eyes and quickly pecked the other's cheek and swiftly grabbed the popcorn from his clutches at the same time.
Francis stared at him scandalised by his hypocritical behaviour! Though he couldn't voice his complaint because a disapproving old lady was watching them because of all the commotion they were making and he knew if he made a single noise he'd get a fierce old lady smack.
Arthur enjoyed the extra popcorn he had all to himself but of course, that only lasted a little while before not a single kernel was left in its containment. There was still an hour left of the movie too!
"Great, now we're out of snacks and this movie's awful."
"Firstly, you did say to pick anything that was on shortly. Secondly, you haven't even given it a chance yet!" Francis bickered.
"Ugh, my mistake, okay?! But you gotta admit, this is boring."
"Well..."
"Your hesitance is the answer. Look, now that we both agree that this movie's crap, I've got an idea..." He whispered slyly.
Francis perked up and looked at him interestedly.
"I'm listening," Francis replied with a sly smirk of his own. He knew the younger enough to know that it wasn't going to be anything too spicy, but the grin he gave him got him excited either way.
"How about, we ditch this movie and sneak in to some others for free?"
"Wait, what...?"
"So are you in or not?" Arthur questioned after getting sick of Francis' baffled countenance.
"O-oui!"
And so they sneaked out of the screen they were in, much to the delight of many of the people sitting around them as they were quite distracting.
"So which one do you wanna go into first?" Arthur asked.
Francis brought his hands to his temples and closed his eyes tight to portray that he was thinking deeply.
'Oh why did he have to act like such an idiot.' Arthur thought with an amused smile.
"That one's calling me, I say we go to that one." The French male directed and traipsed elegantly towards his desired screen and opened the door a tad too expressively.
The screen was pitch black, the lights were on and no movie was playing. Instead, faint music could be heard while employees were cleaning up the area left trashed by the previous audience. When Francis dramatically opened the door, multiple people turned to stare at the pair with incriminating glares, more so Francis because Arthur was hiding behind him.
Francis realised the scene he'd made and his eyes drifted to Arthur behind him, who was chuckling maniacally. He immediately turned around and pulled the Briton out by his sleeve in embarrassment.
Once they were outside, Arthur doubled over in laughter and Francis fixed him a look of displeasure, feeling humiliated.
"Calling you huh? To what, make a fool of yourself?" Arthur snorted. He hadn't laughed like this in a long time and it felt refreshing.
"Stop laughing, it's not funny..." The blond whined with a pout.
"Oh, it is. And in all fairness, you deserve it. Consider it payback from the gods for what you put me through!" Arthur's laughter had died down by now, he also felt cocky because he actually got his vengeance for once.
"The way you say it makes it sound like I did something awful!"
"It was." The shorter explained.
"Okay look, now that we've both gone through something embarrassing, truce?" Francis begged.
"Alright, I guess that's fair." Arthur giggled, having still not totally recovered from the scenario.
The couple continued to hop in and out of the screen rooms, making sure they weren't going into a 'cleaning in session' room again, staying longer in a few and completely abandoning a few. In the end once they'd been satisfied they'd had a taste of everything that was playing that day, it was nearly four in the afternoon so they decided to leave.
Now, they aimlessly walked down the side of the street, neither of them talking until:
"Where are we going?" The blunt question came from the blond walking beside Francis.
"Erm... I'm not quite sure to be honest, where would you like to go?"
Arthur stopped dead in his tracks, prompting the French teen to stop and turn around.
"You don't even know where we're going?!"
"Well, my idea was to go to the cafe and go the cinema and I guess I didn't think... Further..."
"But it was your idea to come on a date, and now you don't even have a clue where we're going?"
Francis sighed and tried to calm the Brit. He was worse to convince than a five year old sometimes.
"How about we just roam around, I'm sure we'll find something to do~"
Arthur pouted and he grudgingly allowed it with a nod.
And that's how Arthur found himself in an expensive clothes shop, lending his hands for all the items of attire Francis was tossing casually into his arms.
He was irked to say the least, is this what Francis' idea of a date was?! On the other hand, he was the one who insisted it not be 'extravagant' but... Was he just supposed to be a dump for his fancy little clothes?
"Now then, I'm gonna try them on, stay outside and don't go anywhere!" Francis said and grabbed the heap from his arms.
"Excuse me?! I'm supposed to-"
"Shush, don't complain, I'll be right out!" Francis promised.
Arthur looked at him appalled, and like that he was left alone again and was forced to wait.
He couldn't believe him, was this what a date was supposed to be like? Pfft yeah right, he was socially inept and he still knew the answer to that.
Arthur huffed and leaned against the wall beside the dressing rooms.
He started off his long wait by staring off into space irritatedly, then when a few people came by he moved to purposelessly swiping his home screen back and forth to look like he was busy, and in the end he gave up and decided to play some games to pass the time.
After playing a few frustrating games of crossy road, he heard the door open and Francis calling for him, asking him to come inside.
"Why can't you just come outside and show me?" The British male fought.
"Because! So are you gonna come inside or not?" the French teen ordered.
"No I'm not!" Arthur groaned, but before he could protest further he was dragged into the changing room unwillingly.
"Now, what do you think of it? Do you like it?" Francis enquired, leaning against the wall with an elegant smile.
Arthur's mouth fell agape and he forgot how to communicate for a second.
His eyes drifted over the shirt Francis was adorning. It was a silky maroon red button up, but the top few buttons were undone, leaving just the right amount of his chest open for all to see. Well, more like just for Arthur at the moment.
It was a simple enough shirt, though it wasn't fair how idyllic he looked wearing it.
Arthur cleared his throat and forced his eyes to look away, especially from the slight bit of chest that was visible which was a difficult endeavour.
"If you like it, buy it." He plainly stated and turned away to leave but Francis clutched his wrist and prohibited him from exiting.
"Oh but what's your exact thoughts on it?" He tugged him back around to face him.
"What point is there on asking me?"
"To know what it looks like from a humans point of view and not one of these deceiving mirrors in here." He stated, sending a menacing glare towards the mirrors around him.
"Ugh... You look decent. Happy?"
"Is that all? Decent? Oh chaton, I'm wounded." Francis chanted, placing a hand over the left side of his chest, disturbing the silky material.
Was the frog gonna make him say that he liked it?! No way in hell!
"And I know that's a lie, chèri, your body language tells me you love it."
"My body language isn't telling you anything!" Arthur proclaimed but his cheeks betrayed them as they turned scarlet.
"Oh but it is. First and most obvious, you're going red. You've also been fidgeting with the hem of your jumper since you came in, which is something you always do when you're nervous, if you haven't noticed. You're biting your bottom lip and you keep avoiding my eyes, something you tend do when you're lying." Francis told him, leaning in closer and enjoying how flustered the Brit was getting.
Arthur gulped, his face felt like it was on fire and he backed up until he felt the against the mirror in the changing room, Francis following his motions.
"You're awfully perceptive..." Arthur pointed out in order to distract himself from Francis' cerulean blue eyes that were luring him in like a siren.
"Hmm well you're pretty easy book to read once you open up a bit." Francis answered.
"So now tell me, do you still think it's 'decent'?" Francis enquired once more with a knowing smirk as he edged towards him and closed the gap between them.
Panic rose within his chest. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Arthur's mind instantaneously coming up with two choices:
Either admit his true thoughts on the shirt Francis was donning, which was way too flattering and would result in his pride aching by the end.
Or the alternate solution he came up with was... Pulling him down for a kiss. That would shock him, wouldn't it? It'd be revenge for how much he was teasing him right now. He was close enough anyway, and Francis' lips looked tempting as well.
'No, Arthur what are you thinking?! Stop letting the frog's pheromones get to your head!' he chastised himself.
Though his mind couldn't convince his hands in time before they gripped Francis' shirt collar and yanked him down to meet their lips.
The kiss succeeded in it's desired effect; Francis just stood there and Arthur could sense he was taken aback, like the thought of Arthur kissing him didn't even cross his mind. Well he was wrong, and it felt great to prove the frog wrong!
Arthur marvelled in his victory but of course, not a second too late, Francis accustomed to the kiss and wrapped his arms around his slim waist and pulled him in closer.
It started off intimate and sweet, like a youthful first kiss that's meaningful and neither of the parties know how far it should go. Francis' hands interlaced around his waist and Arthur had slowly let his grip on Francis' collar loosen, his hands soon settling on his chest. As he assessed the area did it strike him that he was actually quite muscular, not that he would tell him that.
When Arthur didn't seem to be trying to get away, the other blond took it as a sign that he was okay with it and the kiss turned into nothing but gentle.
Francis nipped at the other's bottom lip, his tongue darting across his lips, coaxing him to part them, and to his surprise Arthur complied without too much resistance.
For the second time in their newlyfound relationship, Francis' tongue had the opportunity to explore his boyfriend's mouth, this time while the latter was sober, thank heavens. He tasted not of whiskey and chamomile flowers this time, but chocolate cake like he assumed he would. All the while Arthur was melting from the contact, his face burning intensely as he tried his hardest to stifle moans of pleasure.
He hadn't realised how desperate he was for this type of contact until he got it, and he couldn't pull away no matter how much he wanted to.
Their mouths fought ravenously, it seemed hectic to the naked eye but in reality they were in a passionate sync with each other. For a person who kept to himself and didn't seem too keen on romance, Arthur was pretty into it and was actively taking part, which made Francis smile against his lips.
Francis' hands meanwhile, were roaming Arthur's body possesively, enjoying the freedom he was being granted. One hand opted to trailing down his back, feeling the rise and fall of the younger's spine while the other hand curled around his waist and teasingly touched the burning skin underneath his olive green jumper.
Arthur's hands lingered on the older's chest, but they were now gripping the silky material as though his life depended on it. After that abuse of the material, he was sure it would leave horrid wrinkles in the shirt but it didn't register to him because both parties were too enveloped in each other.
After minutes of devouring each other did they finally realise oxygen was a necessary thing to live and they reluctantly parted for breath.
They breathed in deeply, hearts thrumming wildly behind their chests and faces flushed rosy pink. When they'd gotten most of their breath back, a short pause enveloped them until Arthur threw his arms around his neck and pulled his down violently to kiss him again.
He didn't know why he did so, he didn't know what made him do it either. All he knew is that this felt good and he itched for more; he was denied this too long.
This time he swore he wouldn't let himself be dominated and so he flipped them over so he wouldn't be the one pressed against the mirror and stared at the French with a pre-eminent smirk.
"Someone's feisty," Francis's lips whispered as they ghosted over Arthur's, before going right back like dogs in heat.
They didn't know how long they were at it for, or how many times they switched positions but it was a great amount because neither of them wanted to submit too long to the other.
In the end they relaxed on the floor, Arthur seated comfortably between Francis' legs and resting his back on his chest, while Francis had his arms wrapped around him. To his surprise, not a peep came out of the British male. That is until his eyes shot wide open and he was stirred from his peace. It seemed as though he'd returned to his usual, shrewish self.
"What's wrong, Arthur?" The French teen enquired but he basically already knew. He was going to complain about how long they were in here and how someone might have noticed something off.
"Oh dear, how long were we in here for?" He panicked and scurried away from Francis' hold.
Francis rolled his eyes. He got the first bit of his guess right and he was confident in the rest too.
"I'm not quite sure, fifteen minutes perhaps?"
"Goodness, do you think anyone's noticed?"
Bullseye. Oh, he knew his little Englishman pretty well.
"Oh Arthur. Must you always ruin the moment like this?"
"Francis, we are in public and we are hogging a public changing room in a store!" He emphasised his point by putting stress on public multiple times.
"Well then, if you're not too enthusiastic about doing these things in public then can we continue this in private?" Francis propositioned with a wink.
"Well- that-... Just get up and let's get out of here!" Arthur hauled him up by the arms.
"Alright, alright! Give me a second." Francis replied, starting to unbutton his shirt.
"Wait wait wait, what are you doing?!"
"Taking off my shirt, what does it look like to you?"
"I know that you idiot, but why?!"
"Because I need to change into my own shirt," he added, making the other let out a long "oh" in comprehension, feeling foolish now.
"I'll leave you to that then!" He commented, straightning his slightly dishevelled hair up and swiftly exited so that Francis would have his privacy. Well, Francis didn't mind having him around but Arthur thought it was only gentlemanly of him to leave. The fact that staring at the Frenchman's chest would make him want to kiss him again was definitely not a defining factor in that decision!
Arthur quickly parked his thoughts as his companion came back out, he cleared his throat and straightened up politely.
"So are you going to buy it?"
"Well it did wonders to you, considering you pulled me down for a kiss not once but twice so yeah, I think I'll buy it!" He asserted proudly.
A blush bloomed on the blond's pale cheeks and he lightly punched his arm in revenge.
They continued roaming the store, Francis picking out decorative items of clothing he found fitting of his grandiose appearance like nobody's business.
Along with his own things, he picked out some clothes and held it up to Arthur, inspecting how it would look on him.
"What are you doing." Arthur questioned sternly. He wasn't contemplating buying something for him, was he?
"Seeing if this sweater suits you." Francis stated as a matter of fact.
"You are NOT gonna buy me anything!"
"Aww, why not?"
"Just... I forbid you to buy anything for me."
"But you need at least a few normal things that a normal teenager would wear, all you have is ugly jumpers and old-fashioned sweaters. And before you object, the occasional pair of ripped jeans is not that fashionable when half of your top pieces look like they're from the early 1900s."
"As a matter of fact, I have- from the early 1900s?! My clothes are not that bad!"
"The only good thing I'd say about your current wardrobe is that there's a lot of green, and green really accentuates your enchanting eyes. That was a good choice. The clothes itself..." He trailed off, not sure on how to phrase it without getting a mouthful of curses from the Brit. And he seemed to sense that as he crossed his arms insolently.
"Anyways, this sweater would look lovely on you~" he said as he admired how the forest green sweater would look on his lover.
"It's absolutely not my style and it looks like it'll hang slightly off my shoulders." Arthur retorted boldly, but in truth it didn't look half as bad.
"Well I think it'd suit you very well, and your beautiful, freckled shoulders deserve to be on display, chéri."
"Stop it..." Arthur whined and pushed the sweater away from him, Francis putting it into his shopping bag even though the other teen stated firmly that he shouldn't buy it.
"Ooh, look at this! Do you like it?" The French blond held up another joyfully. This time it was a-
"A cropped jumper?! Do you seriously think I'd wear something like that!"
"Well non, but you'd look so sexy in it-"
"No!"
"Arthur~" he pleaded cutely.
"Just because you're my boyfriend now, doesn't mean you can change up my whole wardrobe! I'm perfectly comfortable with my 'ugly' jumpers and 'old-fashioned' sweaters. Now put that disgraceful thing down or else I'm leaving this store." He threatened.
"Okay, okay! Mon dieu, someone's hormonal." Francis commented as he 'put the jumper down' as he was told to, but instead of placing it where he got it from, it went into his shopping bag. Arthur didn't notice though, as he was too busy shouting at Francis about the 'hormonal' joke he made.
After a long time, Francis was finally satisfied with the clothes he'd got for both of them, which were none too light on his wallet but they headed to the checkout.
"You're actually going to buy all of that?!" Arthur asked, astounded.
"Oui," he answered casually.
"Let me pay for my share at least-"
"Don't worry, I've got a credit card," the French teen answered brightly.
"That isn't an excuse."
"It's from my parents, and they don't really care at all how much I spend on it. I could probably spend a million dollars and they wouldn't careless, they'd just pay for it. I know I sound like a spoiled brat that squanders my parents' money but they really don't care. They'd rather not ask me about what I spent it on either, they'd rather not talk to me in general. So don't worry, even though my parents have practically abandoned me, they haven't stopped the flow of cash, probably to keep me on their good side." Francis' explanation turned rant ended with a forlorn sigh.
"... Damn, I only said you don't have to pay for the whole thing, I didn't ask for a rant about how your parents don't love you enough!" Arthur bellowed in laughter. He knew it was inconsiderate of him, since Francis seemed so serious but he couldn't help it.
Francis gazed at him blankly, not knowing whether to feel baffled or offended, but he soon caught Arthur's contagious laugh and started chuckling lightly with him.
In the end, Francis paid for all the clothes they bought, and then they came to a unanimous agreement to get takeaway and go home as it would be a bit disorderly if they went and dined at a restaurant with their arms full of shopping.
Though Francis didn't fulfil his side of the agreement fully, as they were heading to the bus stop, Arthur was unwillingly dragged to the nearby park as a detour.
"Why are we here?" Arthur demanded an answer as Francis led him over to a bench and sat down. Though he got no answer from his partner, Francis continued to stare at the sky with a small smile on his face so Arthur adopted his action too.
By now the sun was near setting, the sky behind it a pastel orange hue, fading into a rich lilac colour. The full moon was out, a myriad of stars displayed across the sky but the north star along with its accomplice graced the sky the brightest. A cold, autumn breeze ran by them, making the couple shiver and huddle closer to each other. A few people were strolling through the park, along with their dogs or fellow humans but there weren't too many people out.
"So are you going to continue gawking at the sky or are you going to tell me why we're sitting here?"
"Don't you think the evening sky is just magnificent to watch?" Francis enquired, enthralled by the bright colours of the heavens.
"Um, sure, it's pretty but why is it so necessary to watch the sky here? Can't you just watch the sky when we're at home and not freezing to death?"
"I don't even notice that it's cold when you're sitting here beside me," the blond replied and cupped Arthur's hand with his.
"Well I'm cold, so can we go home?"
Francis didn't say anything, just wrapped his arm around his boyfriend and pulled him in closer to his side.
"Better?"
"No!" He yelled defiantly.
Francis laughed at his response, which only aggravated him more.
"Francis, we've got a lot of stuff to carry, wouldn't you rather we go home now before it gets too dark and then you can stare out a window all you'd like!" Arthur announced and gathered the bags into his grip and was about to get up and walk away so Francis would have no choice but to follow.
"Do you remember the first time we met?" Francis asked out of nowhere, making him freeze his movements and turned back to face the other.
"Pardon?" Arthur asked, confounded by his sudden statement.
"Do you remember, around two months ago, when you were sulking on the front porch?"
"I wasn't sulking!"
"Really? But you would have been hopeless if I hadn't arrived soon," Francis added with a smug look on his face.
"Well I-! Okay fine, it was annoying to sit outside but that didn't mean I was hopeless! I would have found a way!"
Francis smiled elegantly at him and then back at the sky.
"Do you remember when you got drunk on wine and danced on the dining table?"
"I did?"
"Oh yeah. It was as hilarious as it was terrifying! What a grand first impression," the older teen continued his reminiscent talk.
"Do you remember when you said all those things about me to your siblings?"
Arthur stiffened and looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. From his reaction Francis figured that he isn't too proud of that move, and hurried to console him.
"I am not holding a grudge against you for that! Don't worry!" He answered with a laugh.
"Then why would you bring it up?"
"Well... Do you remember the obvious hatred that was hanging the air after that? I was so mad at you, and I didn't give you a proper chance to apologise because I was so caught up in feeling betrayed. And then, because of how I was ignoring you, you did your little apology stunt?"
"Apology stunt?" Arthur asked, it sounded almost comical to him until realisation dawned on his eyes.
O-oh... That!... Ha, that was funny-"
"That was not funny! Do you know how worried I was?"
Arthur paused, before retaliating with a question of his own.
"I got a question for you, why were you worried? Why did you care? I get why you brought me to the hospital, a humane person would do that, but you weren't obliged to stay with me. I've always wondered about that and I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. Were we friends? Not exactly, so it didn't make sense for you to waste your precious time waiting for me to wake up and running around getting me things. Did you expect something in return?" He voiced his thoughts. It felt good to finally spill them, he felt like he could breath easier, now that it was off his chest.
"I... I'm not quite sure what made me act the way I acted back then. I figured it was the guilt, the fact that it was because of me that you ended up in such a state, because I was too stubborn to listen to you. Maybe it was. But I feel like our relationship changed immensely after that ordeal, I feel as though..."
"It was a turning point?"
"Yeah, I feel like we really got to know each other after that. We got to know how annoying we are to each other, each others flaws and strengths. How much we balanced each other out. And well, after that I began to slowly realise that... I was falling in love with you." Francis finished and gave him a charming smile.
A scarlet shade was decorating Arthur's face, from his cheeks to the tips of his ears and his nose. Whether it was because of the chilly air around them or Francis' confession, he didn't know.
"I guess the same goes for me too..."
"Same what?" Francis insisted with a grin. He knew what it was, he just wouldn't let the younger off his hook till he got his desired answer.
"You know..."
"Non, I don't. Tell me~"
Arthur glared viciously at him, then harrumphed and muttered something.
"What was that?"
"...I guess... I was falling for you too..."
Francis beamed, making the other flustered and evade his eye contact.
"Though you didn't realise it till Joan was added to the mix," Francis teased.
"Hey! I would have realised eventually, even if you hadn't messed with jealousy!"
"Eventually, yes. Probably when you're on your death bed, eventually. Sadly mon cœur, I do not have the patience to wait that long, I had to add a catalyst. And it worked out wonderfully!"
"Joan really is a great actress though, she should be in the drama club!" The French male stated, loving the way Arthur's eyebrows furrowed and he sunk into the bench petulantly as he boasted about the female in question.
"Uh huh. Too good. Hey uh... You don't think she actually likes you, do you?"
"I don't think so, don't worry, no one's going to steal me from you. And besides, she's asexual."
"You sure, she might be lying to get close to you! I don't trust her, she has that untrustworthy gleam in her eyes, Francis-!"
"Aww, you are so adorable when your feathers get ruffled and you get all envious about Joan!" Francis exclaimed and messed up his hair affectionately.
"Francis!" Arthur screamed indignantly. He was quite loud but not many people were around now, they and all gone to enjoy the comfortable heat of their home. Unlike two blond idiots still sitting in the park.
Francis continued to snicker and Arthur watched him, an annoyed expression on his countenance.
"Mon cher, even if Joan, or whoever else said they liked me, do you think I'd leave you for them?"
"Well-... I don't see why not, you could get someone better than me easily..." The Brit admitted and hung his head.
"Arthur, do you really doubt your value this much? I love you, and you are irreplaceable to me, I don't know what I'd do without you." He answered, lifting his chin up to stare into his mesmerising green eyes.
"Stop being such a sap." Arthur said quietly. The hand that was resting on his chin moved to his jaw and Francis leaned closer to him, so close that Arthur could feel his warm breath dancing over the left side of his face.
"But it's the truth. Je t'aime et je veux être avec toi pour toujours,"(I love you and I want to be with you forever) he delicately whispered into his ear, sending shivers down his spine.
Francis' mouth then proceeded to plant multiple soft kisses to the side of his neck, inducing a surprised whimper from the blond recieving them. His lips felt lovely and warm against his cold neck, courtesy of the freezing air.
Arthur melted into his kisses, enjoying how those experienced hands trailed along his cheek, jaw and neck sensually. Normally he would have pushed him away ages ago, but there wasn't anyone around them to see this and well... He was too far gone to Francis' bewitching kisses to care. Gosh, he was so careless today!
"Well, it's getting late, how about we go home now?" Francis enquired joyfully, like he totally wasn't kissing his neck a few seconds ago.
Arthur blinked rapidly, was he just imagining his scandalous kisses?!
"Don't worry, you weren't day dreaming. We'll just continue this later, in private... Oui?"
Arthur smacked the back of his head and gave out to him for teasing him like this and making fun of him, how dare he, in public and so on. Francis giggled and pleaded for his forgiveness.
The Brit grabbed hold of the bags and stormed away swiftly, Francis struggling to maintain his speed.
************Time Skip!************
When they got home, they were both looking through the stuff Francis had bought when Arthur found the cropped jumper he'd despised, along with some items Francis hadn't shown him, that were too horrendous to even be described and started chasing the Frenchman up and down their house.
In the end Francis sat whining about the newest bruise he had developed on his stomach while Arthur kept informing him he deserved it for wasting his money on all that useless junk that Arthur wasn't ever going to wear. Or was he...? ;3
Their day ended with couple lounging on the couch, watching Doctor Who(as requested by Arthur) and eating their takeaway.
Sure, it wasn't a fancy dinner to end of their day, in fact it was quite unorthodox but as cheesy as it was, they both enjoyed each others company the most.
Wow.... Just about passed 10,000 words in this chapter! This is my longest chapter so far, but I feel like it's awful. It is very rushed, especially the ending and don't try to convince me otherwise. Though, I'm getting better at updating quicker but quality is better than quantity, right? And this is not the quality you deserve TT
But happy Entente Cordiale guys! I know I'm late, but I couldn't have possible finished it on Tuesday heh
Excuse me for my lack of knowledge on social events, I don't go out much and have never even been on a date so I was improvising for this chapter and probably the ones to come too XD
I hope it wasn't too strange to read! ><
Hope you enjoyed reading and have a great day~!