“Arthur Kirkland?” he said a bit crisply after a moment.
“Ah, yes! You must be Matthew! It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Arthur said with a smile and held out his hand. Matthew stared at his hand then back at his face, his stern expression never faltering. Arthur’s smile faded slightly and he lowered his hand.
“You’re qualified for this position, I take it?”
“Yes, yes. I have four brothers that I looked after back home after our parents died, so I am quite experienced with cooking and cleaning, and I am quite handy with a needle and thread,” Arthur said proudly, even if he wasn’t so proud of how often he’d really had to do those chores growing up, even though he was only the second youngest of his brothers.
Matthew laughed derisively and furrowed his brow. “Let me clear something up here. If Alfred wasn’t insisting that I attend college out of state, there would be no need for you to be here. I’d take care of everything on my own.”
Arthur opened his mouth to speak in his defense when another voice interrupted them.
“Mattie? Is he here?”
Matthew sighed, his expression softening slightly, and he called out over his shoulder, “yes, Alfred. Arthur Kirkland is here.”
Arthur furrowed his brow. Alfred’s voice sounded so young, nothing like he’d expected, but it could just be that he’d taken excellent care of himself and still sounded several decades younger. Yes, that must be it. But then the source of the voice made his appearance and Arthur’s jaw dropped.
Rather than a withered old man hunched over and barely able to walk, a rather dashing young man dressed in beat up jeans and some horrible American band t-shirt came bounding out of a room upstairs and gazed excitedly over the railing before he came barreling down the stairs. He had a good build, wheat blond hair, blue eyes like the sky, and a smile that shone brighter than the sunshine. Arthur felt like he was staring at a movie star and suddenly his palms felt sweaty and his face too warm. He shook his head and clamped his mouth shut. How foolish to be dazzled so easily, even if his potential employer was the very picture of aesthetic perfection.
“I’m Alfred! Nice to meet you!” Alfred exclaimed cheerfully and enthusiastically shook Arthur’s hand.
“Arthur Kirkland,” he croaked in reply, his well rehearsed first impression speech escaping him completely.
“Wow! He really is British! You were right, Mattie!” He grinned over his shoulder at the boy, who smiled fondly until Alfred’s head turned back to the Briton, and then his expression turned stern again. “So you’re gonna be my new roommate, huh?”
“Not necessarily,” Matthew interjected before Arthur could reply. “We should have his background checked first, don’t you think?”
“Naaah, why would we need to do that? You said he sounded qualified and besides! I like him already! Look at those eyebrows! Would a man with eyebrows like that be dishonest?”
Arthur’s face turned beet red and he had to count to ten in his head to keep from strangling the American. He was sensitive about his admittedly large eyebrows and he didn’t need some loudmouth American mocking him. That brilliant smile of Alfred’s made his mouth go dry and any indignant comebacks die in his throat. He still hadn’t said a word and could only watch mutely as Matthew and Alfred argued about him.
“Are you really sure about this, Al? I could transfer to a school here and you wouldn’t have to worry about-”
“Mattie. Bro. I’m not going to let you ruin your future because you’re worried about me. I just know we can trust Artie here,” he paused to smile at Arthur, who swallowed. “So you go on and I’ll see you at Thanksgiving! All right?”
Matthew ran a hand through his hair, giving Arthur a cold look, then sighed mournfully. “If you insist, Al. All right.”
“Awesome! Don’t worry, Mattie! Everything will work out great! Right, Arthur?”
“R-Right,” Arthur choked out. “Of course, I’ll take care of everything.” He nodded at the men and wondered faintly what the hell had just happened.
OMG...this was more fantastic then I could have imagined. Loved doorman/bodyguard Russia and Matthew all stern and serious and Alfred all excitable and sure that Arthur was trustworthy based soley on his eyebrows.
Gosh, I just love how you wrote Matthew in this. He's such a loving, overprotective brother. And of course Alfred had to point out Arthur's eyebrows. After all, they are a sign of being a gentleman.
Keep up the good work anon! I'll be stalking this fill.
Shine 2b/?
(Anonymous) 2009-12-13 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)“Ah, yes! You must be Matthew! It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Arthur said with a smile and held out his hand. Matthew stared at his hand then back at his face, his stern expression never faltering. Arthur’s smile faded slightly and he lowered his hand.
“You’re qualified for this position, I take it?”
“Yes, yes. I have four brothers that I looked after back home after our parents died, so I am quite experienced with cooking and cleaning, and I am quite handy with a needle and thread,” Arthur said proudly, even if he wasn’t so proud of how often he’d really had to do those chores growing up, even though he was only the second youngest of his brothers.
Matthew laughed derisively and furrowed his brow. “Let me clear something up here. If Alfred wasn’t insisting that I attend college out of state, there would be no need for you to be here. I’d take care of everything on my own.”
Arthur opened his mouth to speak in his defense when another voice interrupted them.
“Mattie? Is he here?”
Matthew sighed, his expression softening slightly, and he called out over his shoulder, “yes, Alfred. Arthur Kirkland is here.”
Arthur furrowed his brow. Alfred’s voice sounded so young, nothing like he’d expected, but it could just be that he’d taken excellent care of himself and still sounded several decades younger. Yes, that must be it. But then the source of the voice made his appearance and Arthur’s jaw dropped.
Rather than a withered old man hunched over and barely able to walk, a rather dashing young man dressed in beat up jeans and some horrible American band t-shirt came bounding out of a room upstairs and gazed excitedly over the railing before he came barreling down the stairs. He had a good build, wheat blond hair, blue eyes like the sky, and a smile that shone brighter than the sunshine. Arthur felt like he was staring at a movie star and suddenly his palms felt sweaty and his face too warm. He shook his head and clamped his mouth shut. How foolish to be dazzled so easily, even if his potential employer was the very picture of aesthetic perfection.
“I’m Alfred! Nice to meet you!” Alfred exclaimed cheerfully and enthusiastically shook Arthur’s hand.
“Arthur Kirkland,” he croaked in reply, his well rehearsed first impression speech escaping him completely.
“Wow! He really is British! You were right, Mattie!” He grinned over his shoulder at the boy, who smiled fondly until Alfred’s head turned back to the Briton, and then his expression turned stern again. “So you’re gonna be my new roommate, huh?”
“Not necessarily,” Matthew interjected before Arthur could reply. “We should have his background checked first, don’t you think?”
“Naaah, why would we need to do that? You said he sounded qualified and besides! I like him already! Look at those eyebrows! Would a man with eyebrows like that be dishonest?”
Arthur’s face turned beet red and he had to count to ten in his head to keep from strangling the American. He was sensitive about his admittedly large eyebrows and he didn’t need some loudmouth American mocking him. That brilliant smile of Alfred’s made his mouth go dry and any indignant comebacks die in his throat. He still hadn’t said a word and could only watch mutely as Matthew and Alfred argued about him.
“Are you really sure about this, Al? I could transfer to a school here and you wouldn’t have to worry about-”
“Mattie. Bro. I’m not going to let you ruin your future because you’re worried about me. I just know we can trust Artie here,” he paused to smile at Arthur, who swallowed. “So you go on and I’ll see you at Thanksgiving! All right?”
Matthew ran a hand through his hair, giving Arthur a cold look, then sighed mournfully. “If you insist, Al. All right.”
“Awesome! Don’t worry, Mattie! Everything will work out great! Right, Arthur?”
“R-Right,” Arthur choked out. “Of course, I’ll take care of everything.” He nodded at the men and wondered faintly what the hell had just happened.
Re: Shine 2b/?
(Anonymous) 2009-12-13 08:54 pm (UTC)(link)But I think I would have turned and ran away, personally. Sounds overwhelming!
OP
(Anonymous) 2009-12-13 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)Oh man this is going to be awesome!
Re: Shine 2b/?
(Anonymous) 2009-12-14 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)Re: Shine 2b/?
(Anonymous) 2009-12-18 05:49 am (UTC)(link)After all, they are a sign of being a gentleman.Keep up the good work anon! I'll be stalking this fill.