Arthur Kirkland is a complex, deep man; his childhood was rough and cruel and troubles constantly plague him. He is only human - a mere mortal - he has made his fair share of mistakes and he is not stranger to slipping up. He is a cautious person with a defensive nature. He tries to keep himself safe and out of harms way. He does this by trying to predict the future; when situations arise, he takes action by analysing what has been and recalling his past.
His heart is locked up and hidden behind the high, heavy walls of his mind. It is guarded by rationality and pride. A cynical voice at the back of his head keeps his heart chained up. It chants foul, pessimistic words in order to keep it frozen - in order to control it. Arthur Kirkland's heart is trapped, held captive by his brain. Unfortunately, his mind is far from weak; it stands tall and strong. It consumes him and controls him, like an operator would a machine - some say he is more machine than man.
He tried to fall in love one. He almost gave his icy, constricted, empty heart to a man whose mother tongue had raised another language. The man was kind and gentle - to say he wasn't would be a lie - but he defended himself in ways that shocked and stunned Arthur, ways that scared him. The man was free and open with his body. When he had offered Arthur his bed, he changed the way he was viewed. Arthur had refused to give the man his teenaged body and their weak, strained bond broke.
Men and women alike fawn over Arthur, for he is far from unattractive. He can unintentionally seduce a man with his boyish good looks and his lean, borderline feminine figure and he can charm any woman with his strong, British accent and his disguised muscles. His unrivalled intelligence allures both genders and his acidic green eyes, seemingly unnatural in colour, can entice anybody. They're bright and almost neon. Many have fallen for Arthur Kirkland. A girl from Seychelles pursued him for weeks, a Japanese man practically stalked him, he had to get a restraining order from an unstable Russian and an American still keeps his promise to this very day; he vowed to make Arthur his.
The American, who goes by the name of Alfred, met Arthur Kirkland when the man gave up his life in England's capital city of London for one of the United States of America - the beautiful, sunny Florida. Alfred works in a coffee shop and that is where he met Arthur.
One day, Arthur strolled up to the purchasing counter and asked for a cup of tea. Alfred had laughed louder than necessary. He forgot that he was to show customers respect, kindness and that he was supposed to be polite. He insulted Arthur's over-sized eyebrows, leaned as far across the desk as he could and stared into Arthur's eyes.
"You have gorgeous eyes, you know that?"
Alfred left work that day with a sore left cheek, a little less pay and his heart set on a British man he barely knew.
That is how Arthur Kirkland found himself lying on one of Florida's many beaches with a shirtless American trying to drape himself over his body.
"Get off me, you twit!"
"Oh, come on, Artie! Lighten up a little!"
"No, I will not lighten up and for the one-hundredth time, my name is Arthur! Not Artie, not Iggy, Arthur! Christ's sake, stop it! People will think we're together!"
"They won't be wrong, either!"
"Once again, Alfred, I refuse to date you."
"Well, it won't be long until you'll be walking down the aisle!"
"Wait until it's completely legal, git, just wait. Maybe you'll have forgotten by then..."
Alfred, wrapping one arm around Arthur's chest and one around his waist, murmured into the smaller man's ear.
"I love you."
He pressed a kiss into Arthur's unruly blond hair, smirking when the Brit whispered a few, almost inaudible words of his own.
"...I trust you."
Translation, Alfred thought merrily to himself, I think I love you too.