Alfred had always wanted to enlist into the Air Force he had always had a crazy dream he would to fight in the war against the Nazi's. But at a young age it took him a long time to get to the right age for him to try and enlist, by this time the war was nearly over. Either way Alfred was denied. It was not to be for Alfred, due to his poor eyesight he wasn't allowed to be a pilot. Alfred had been devastated; he eventually ran away from his troubles in London down to Cornwall to settle and hopefully find someone to settle down with. Alfred was a rather handsome young man, tall with wheat blonde hair and bright blue eyes that shone even behind his glasses. Alfred was quite surprised to find how scarce and green the land was in Cornwall, he'd even seen sheep and cows!
Alfred wasn't the kind of man to plan so he had come down to Cornwall with nothing more than his clothes and the money from selling his large London home. He decided to walk into a small pub to see if there was a local hotel around that he would be able to stay at, the bus had only just dropped him off and his legs were a little stiff. Many of the locals had gaped at him as he entered and he flashed them all a beaming smile, making them turn red with embarrassment and then look away. He got some of the local beer and looked for a place to sit, but his heart stuttered at the face of a young man sitting alone in the corner. He was gorgeous his shaggy blonde hair sticking up in odds and ends and his bright green eyes, of which only one was in view, were simple beautiful. He smirked with confidence and sauntered over to him with a slight strut and confidence in each step, then sat next to him with a slight grunt. "Hey there beau-"
Alfred cut himself short. He was staring at the man's face in shock, the man's left side was completely pristine, perfect even/. But his right? His right si8de was reddened with severe burn; his skin looked hot to the touch, deep reds and pinks made his face distorted in places, his right ear was small and nearly completely gone. That beautiful green eye was also sadly not replicated, it was gone from where it must have once sat, it was burnt closed and there was a slight dip where the eye must have been before. It looked painful and yet it looked old, it looked contrasting with the beauty of the other side of his face, there was nothing, however, that Alfred could see was wrong with the man's face at all.
He was beautiful.
"Wanker, fuck off before I smack you in the face" A gruff voice said, pulling Alfred out of his stupor. It was only then did he realise the man glaring at him, he blushed and looked away. "Yeah kid stop bloody staring and go find some pretty lass to annoy"
Alfred stuttered but refused to move. "I'm sorry" He truly didn't mean to stare and be so rude to him. "I was just-" He stopped as his voice became nervous, which was oddly the first time he felt so nervous when talking to someone before. "You're so beautiful" He then said quickly whilst looking away from this elegant stranger. At first he thought he would be good for a quick lay, but when he seen the red markings covering him and the fire in his bright green eye, he was taken aback by the man, unsure of what he wanted now.
"You taking the piss lad?" The man asked with an edge to his voice, Alfred blushed and shook his head.
"Now Alfred was not a shy man he didn't easily blush or become flustered, he was confident and was known for picking up girls and guys. But something about him made him feel queer. "Go on with you lad, before I start to believe you're serious" Alfred finally looked at him again and his heart fluttered uncomfortably.
"Date!" Alfred said abruptly without another thought. 'I'm an idiot you don't just shout that at people, what the hell am I on about!'
"What?" The man asked curiously, his eyebrow furrowed as he looked across the table at him.
"A-A date?" He said almost like a question. Alfred groaned and let his head fall onto the table. 'So stupid!' Alfred blushed and decided to just speak into his arms. "Will you go on a date with me?"
When the man spoke again he could almost see the small smirk on his face. "What's wrong with you kid, you stupid? Blind?" He asked. "I'm a man you know" He added briskly at the end.
Alfred refused to lift his head. "Please, please let me take you to dinner" Alfred said once more pleadingly, he felt so pathetic, it was as though he was actually begging for this man's approval.
There was a long silence and Alfred's face grew darker as he waited with bated breath. "Alright lad" He voiced a little while later.
Alfred's head shot up as he looked at him in confusion, his stomach writhing sickly with nerves as he looked at him. "Really?" The man rolled his eye and tutted slightly.
"Yes you git" Then he paused and extended his right hand; Alfred immediately saw the small scars on them and smiled. He took his hand firmly and shook it with enthusiasm.
"I'm Arthur, Arthur Kirkland" He stated simply.
"Alfred F. Jones!" He almost shouted, he stood as he said it.
"Alright then Alfred, when would you like this date?" Arthur said and took a sip of his amber liquid. That was when Alfred paused and blushed again.
"Well" He began "I need somewhere to stay firsts, I only just got down to Cornwall, the bus dropped me not five minutes ago" He beamed at him and Arthur rolled his eye again, a rather favourable move from him so far.
"I own a hotel, walk me down and I will consider letting you stay in a room" Arthur said as he gulped the rest of his drink. He slammed it down and shuffled awkwardly to the end of the bench. "Get me my cane lad" Alfred looked around until he spotted an old ornate cane; he glided his hand around the markings briefly and grasped it, then handed it neatly to Arthur's waiting hand.
It was then that Alfred noticed Arthur prosthetic leg, he smiled and offered to help him to his feet, and Arthur smacked his hand away and got to his feet alone. "I can do it myself wanker"
"Oh I know that" Then Alfred blushed. "I kinda just wanted to hold your hand" The answer surprised Arthur and made him blush instead; it splattered his perfect cheek, making Alfred smile.
"Beautiful" He muttered quietly, Arthur just rolled his eye but Alfred swore his cheek grew a little darker. Arthur moved his feet heavily in front of him and took a step forward. It was then that Alfred realised he may have been drinking a little too much, for as he walked out he swayed and stumbled a little. However, every time Alfred tried to catch him Arthur would smack him away. It was when he fell into a heap on the floor that Alfred grabbed him and refused to let go.
They finally made it back to his hotel, The Crown, he had called it. Alfred smiled and helped him through the door. "Oh Arthur, leaning on poor tourists when you're drunk again, poor chap" A woman's voice called out as they entered.
"'E's the one that's been bloody bothering me" Arthur pushed away and walked behind the receptionist's counter, and out of sight., Alfred was left standing in the hall and then turned towards the receptionist.
"Thanks for bringing him back, sorry he is always like that" She said with a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Ah not at all, I was the one who bothered him first after all" Alfred smiled and stepped closer to her.
"Ah really? That isn't how it usually is, he doesn't seem that drunk either" She said looking towards the back room a little.
"Well I'm happy to help" He said and then paused. "Do you have any vacancies?" He asked curiously.
The woman looked instantly surprised. "Oh really? I am surprised most people are scared off by Arthur" She chuckled. "He is rather rude you see" Alfred smiled.
"I bet he's nothing but a softie" She blushed when he winked playfully at her.
"Ah yes he is, not many people stick around long enough to see that" Her eyes glimmered a little as though in remembrance and then she shook it off and smiled at him. "Now young sir, of course we have a room for you, my name is Elizaveta but you can call me Lizzy. Do you know how long you want to stay for?"
Alfred paused and looked to where Arthur had left and smiled again. "Well I would say indefinitely"
Alfred rose late the next morning he whistled as he wandered down the steps quietly greeting the other guests as they past. He made his way down to the dining hall and waved to Lizzy then took a seat by the window. He was served by a nice girl with long blonde hair who blushed and dithered as Alfred spoke to her. It was half an hour before he saw Arthur stagger through the back door, he limped into the lunch room and was greeted by the guests before he fell into a seat and waited for his tea.
Alfred stood and wandered over to him sitting next to him with a grin. "Morning Artie"
Arthur just groaned and looked at him with a scowl. "Arthur, not Artie. Who are you again?" He asked wearily. It made Alfred's smile dim and he looked down at the table despondently.
"It's Alfred" He said quietly, which was odd in itself for him.
"Oh" Arthur said, and then he seemed to come to a realisation. "oh" Alfred looked up at him and came to the discovery that he looked even more spectacular in the morning light. He easily spotted the slight blush on his cheeks and felt a little reassured.
"Am I still allowed to take you to dinner?" He whispered, he wouldn't want the other residents hearing, it was awfully taboo for such things Alfred was asking of Arthur.
"If you must" He said and sipped his tea.
"Oh I have too" Alfred said with glee, his face lighting up once more. Arthur tutted at him and gently fiddled with his spoon. "I want to know more about you" Alfred said suddenly, leaning forwards on his elbows to move closer. Arthur just started at him surprised but slowly told him about hotel and the town they lived in, mostly the things he said were impersonal but Alfred was happy to hear them either way.
It was a long time they spent sitting in the small dining room talking about anything that came to mind. It was soon that Alfred found out about Arthur's very dry sense of humour, he soon found himself laughing himself to tears with his jokes and quiffs.
"So then Alfred dear" Arthur began with a small smile on his face. "What do you do, what brought you to Cornwall?" Alfred paused and let his eyes drift out the window to the skies.
"I had always wanted to help in the war, my dream was to be a pilot" He tapped his glasses sadly and looked back to Arthur. "I need twenty-twenty vision to fly. Sadly I miss out by a long shot, so no flying for me" Alfred felt his heart clench a little as he thought on it, it had been painful to come to terms with it but he was slowly starting to feel better, even though he felt wings but he would never be able to fly.
"Well, with the war being declared over most men are coming home. You wouldn't want to have been messed up in all that" Arthur said and placed a hand on Alfred's. Alfred just smiled and his hand turned around to clasp Arthur's, who then in turn coughed and moved his hand away.
"I'm okay with it Arthur, I've had time to adjust, deal with it and all" Alfred looked at Arthur then reached a hand towards his face, his hand wavered at his cheek and then he let it fall.
"You can continue, if you like. Just no here" Arthur said as he watched him. Alfred stared at him as though he was a madman but eventually smiled and stood, holding his hand out to him. Arthur started and blushed but took his hand and let him guide him out of the dining hall.
"Where do you want to go Artie, up to my room?" Alfred asked with a smile.
"No lad, follow me" Arthur turned and led him behind the receptionist's desk and into a small private kitchen out the back. "This is my own little space here, I saved the best for myself" Arthur said with a smirk. He wandered into the back and led Alfred into a private garden outside. The sun was bright and beaming down on them both and Arthur grabbed Alfred's hand leading him onto the lawn. The whole garden was surrounded by tall bushes making it private and secluded for them; Arthur eventually limped over to the tall awning and settled into the seat. Alfred sat next to him and moved himself closer.
"May I?" He asked softly, his smile ever present.
"Yes, it's why I bloody showed you this place isn't it?" Arthur replied his voice a little shaky. Alfred moved a little closer and his hand rose from his lap, edging slightly nearer to Arthur's face.
"I used to have a boyfriend, his name was Daryl" Arthur started; Alfred paused for a second noticing he has closed his eyes. Alfred watched for a moment before advancing, his fingers not touching him, merely hovering near hi9s skin. "We were together for two years, and happy too. 'Course the bloody git had to go to war, left me to go and fight for the country" Arthur spoke softly, even those it was clearly a painful memory, he seemed to be reminiscing in what was good, Alfred could hear the strain in his voice as he tried to keep it that way. His eyes fluttered open and he watched Alfred whose hand was millimetres from his raw skin.
Alfred began to move his hand slowly and softly, not really touching Arthur making them somehow closer even though there was no physical touching between them. Arthur watched him with his eyes. "Wanted to be a hero, save people and yet all those letters he wrote to me" Arthur took in a deep breath, bracing himself for painful words that rattled his memory and made him feel pain. "I could tell he was finding life hard, his letters were often distant" Alfred's hand moved slowly across his delicate cheek, stretching across the deep red gash that was darker against his burns. Alfred was listening carefully to his every word, not wanting to miss anything that came from his mouth in a time he was clearly recalling painfully. Alfred's own heart was experiencing something he had never felt before, the heated flushing in his cheeks that made him begin to sweat and his heart speed up, and the uncomfortable feeling of small butterflies flitting round in his stomach. He felt like he was going to be sick, but felt so happy that he wished the feeling would stay forever.
"He-he" Arthur stumbled over his own words, and then took another breath of air, trying to steady himself as he spoke, his eye flickering quickly to repress the tears building. "He was hurt the daft sod, lost both his legs. Of course he was sent home, he looked so desolate when he got here. Nothing more than a body then. I-I didn't, didn't know-" He stopped again to try and compose himself, Alfred carefully observed him as he tried to force himself to continue. He clearly wanted to tell the story of his past, but it was clearly the first time he had had to relive it to another human being.
"I didn't know what to do"
Alfred continued to move his hand across Arthur's face, reaching the place where his eyes once was, his fingers to ghost across the hollowed socket. "He was so unhappy, never did I see my Daryl the way he was before. Arthur said affectionately and sadly, his voice was a little steadier. "It was after he got back when we started getting trouble, being two men together the locals didn't like it" He adjusted himself in his seat and Alfred moved his hand away a little, not wanting to ruin their fragile moment., Alfred then continued, moving his face closer, his breath even whispering across Arthur's face. Arthur's breath stuttered and Alfred swore he heard the smallest of whimpers.
"One day I was putting Daryl to bed, it was dark, I heard the usual sounds of the city outside, and went downstairs for tea" Alfred moved his body closer, lightly reaching Arthur's shirt unbuttoning the first two buttons, his fingers still lingering slightly from actually gaining any contact between the two. Alfred moved his hand across Arthur's forehead and over the slope of his nose, and then reached the red markings across his neck, all of them ragged and bumpy, nothing like the flawless skin on the left side of his face. "People came Alfred" Arthur whispered, he even leaned a little closer, Alfred however stayed silent and began to move his fingers across his collar bone, parts of it were red like the right side of his face but some of it was still perfect. "They came and set the place alight" Arthur's voice choked, his eye was haunted as though right there in that moment of his memory being recalled. It was as though he could see the flames right there in his eye.
"It was a while before I noticed, I wish I did something sooner but I ran upstairs to Daryl's room" His hand shook as he reached towards Alfred, his left hand was shaking and sweating with nerves, Alfred let his left hand rest on his. "I grabbed the bedroom handle, but they started a fire in his room" Arthur gestured to his hand and Alfred's gaze drifted to it, it was scorched red and deeply scared, most of the lines and markings were burnt away and new skin failed to form the line correctly, a clear red circle in the pal of his hand where he must have grabbed the handle to the door. Alfred resumed his ghostly stroking, not quite running his hand over the scars, it made Arthur shiver. Alfred raised his hand and gently blew on it, slowly and softly making the hands on Arthur's arm stand up.
"I could hear him, he was crying, calling for me, I couldn't bear it. I snapped" Arthur's sentences became disjointed and he could only say mere words at a time, unable to connect them into full sentences. Now a small tear slipped down Arthur's cheek, he refused to acknowledge is, he shook his head and in a small shaky voice continued. "So I broke the door in, of course I was a bloody fool. Something about oxygen in the air, there was an explosion and I was thrown backwards" His hand this time gripped Alfred's and he lay his head on Alfred's shoulder, his whole body was shaking, Alfred moved his hands and unbuttoned his shirt more, slipping it over his shoulders. His hands traced the burns all over his back, drifting lightly on his scars. "Of course, that's how I became so scarred on this side, I-I" He paused. "I tried to move, but my leg was trapped and-and by that time, all I was thinking was-at least Daryl won't be tortured anymore" He took a deep breath and Alfred could feel more tears dripping onto him, His own heart clenched and he felt a knot in his throat, as though he may cry himself because of such a sad story.
"Please, Alfred, please, just touch me" Of course Alfred complied and his hands rested immediately against Arthur's back, he then sighed as his hands pulled him close.
"Arthur, I've got you" Alfred said as he held him. Arthur slowly rocked and let himself become freer, the iron clasp grasping his conscience wasn't quite so tight anymore and he wept for the first time in over four years. Alfred stayed with him, stroking his back and his scarred face and chest. He was smiling, all the time he kept smiling. Even though Arthur could see his pain he continued to smile and whisper reassurances to him as he wept.
Soon Arthur's tears ebbed and he pulled away, lifting his shirt once more. "Daryl's body was gone, burnt to nothing. I was lucky, they could get me out, and of course a lost my leg and my eye…I'm sorry for the trouble dear" Alfred just smiled brighter and brushed a hand across his face, heart racing as Arthur blushed.
"You have no idea how beautiful you are to me do you?" The question was completely rhetorical. "The moment I saw you I wanted you, yes it was completely lustful" Alfred began. "But when I saw your face, the rest of it, scars and all I knew I needed you. No longer did I just want you in that way" Arthur jumped a little and looked at him, Alfred laughed at the look on his face. "Of course I still want you like that, but I want to love you too" Alfred smiled as Arthur's eye widened and he glanced away from him, his cheek tinged pink. "Now Arthur, I have a date to plan" Alfred then stood and stepped away from the awning.
"Ah Alfred" Arthur said, holding a hand towards him.
"Yes?" He said as he looked back towards him.
"Thank you"