"Rose!"

The English maiden turned around and met her partner.

"Hold on a second." He said.

She rolled her eyes, "Then hurry up, mate!"

"Okay." He panted as he leans down, his arms on his knees supporting himself. After a few seconds, he stood up straight and smoothed out the wrinkles at the collar of his blazer. "Hello!" He greeted.

"Hi." She nodded, "mind telling me why you were so determined to catch up to me today?"

"Oh, of course!" He answered brightly, "Would thee careth to haveth some tea with thy partner at the café down the street? It will beth the treat of thous truly." He bowed formally towards her.

She giggled and rolled he eyes from his ridicule, but she accepted the offer, "It is the pleasure of thous truly, good sir." She held out the sides of her skirt and bowed back.

"Splendid!" He exclaimed, grabbing her left arm and tucking it into his right one. "Allow me to take thee to thy destiny, my fair lady!" He stated as they walked out of the campus gates.

"So," Rose began as she sips on her chamomile tea. "Why exactly did you want to take me here, Arthur?"

"Oh, uh, well..." The English male trailed off. "I kind of just wanted to spend some time with my partner to get to know her better. I mean, the two of us are the future rulers of our lands, so it is best that we get to strengthen our trust to one another." He smiled, "after all, this is the very reason why we're roommates."

Rose nodded in confirmation, "Fair enough." She takes another sip on her tea before continuing, "but I do not see why you have to invite me here when we can do this back home."

"I just figured that this way is more fun than just back in our unit," he shrugged, "b-but this doesn't mean that this is date, alright? This is more like just a partner bond or something." He said.

"Of course!" She agreed. "I would not have mistaken this as a date, not at all." She smiled, shaking her head.

Arthur took a sip on his Earl Grey, then cleared his throat. "I've been meaning to ask you something, Rose."

The English maiden looked up to across the table and swallowed her piece of scone, "What is it?"

"Have you ever seen those fairies from the legend? The ones only girls can see between eight to seventeen years of age?" The English male asked, intrigued.

Rose opened her mouth to explain but immediately shut it. In their world, it was the boys who can see those fairies, so she never saw them.

She bit the inside of her cheek when she saw the eagerness in her male counterpart's face. He was so cute, like a kid waiting for the ice cream truck in the summer.

The thought of his disappointment in learning that she had never seen them just made her heart sink.

"I have." She nodded with a smile. "Their wings really do leave glitters as they flap."

It felt so wrong to give him false excitement. But this is just how she can cover the fact that she is not from this world.

"They do?" His green eyes sparkled brighter like emeralds in the light.

"Yes." She tried to spread her smile without making it look fake. "Though I've only seen them for a few, since I am usually home and studying sorcery."

"Well that's too bad," he commented, "well at least you get to see them."

"Indeed." She mumbled, then prepared her next cup of tea.

The English male took his time scrutinizing the young lady across from him.

She is very ladylike as he is a gentleman.

Though her long blond twintails make her look more like a doll. But she still appears to be adorable with them. Arthur takes pride in doing those tails himself just this morning.

Her posture and the way she wears her clothes are precisely elegant.

And the structure of her face are very idealistic: tall nose, pointed chin, bow-shaped lips, high cheekbones.

But if he could be asked which part of her face is the most emphasized, he would answer immediately:

Her eyes.

Through the rather thick lens of her black-rimmed glasses are a pair of beautiful emerald gems. If someone would just look closely and see through those glass barriers, they will understand how Arthur can get lost in them everyday.

Wait, did he really just thought of that?

Well, Rose is beautiful, indeed, but there's no way he could get attracted that fast! It has only been a month and a half!

"Arthur," Rose broke through the English male's thoughts, "you're staring off into space once again."

"Oh," he blinked a couple times, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she assured him, "I still like your company either way."

The English male's cheeks tinted with the color opposite to his own eyes, and looked away. "Uh, well... It's a pleasure, I guess."

"It is." She chuckled, "you're my ideal partner."

She sipped on her tea, but then realized what she had just said. She gasped into her hot beverage and choked on it, violently coughing out the liquid that irritated her windpipe.

"Oh my God!" Arthur shot out from his seat and hastily poured a glass of water conveniently placed at the side of the table. He quickly sat next to her and held the glass in front of her. She cupped the glass with her two hands and drank the contents with her eyes closed, her fingers touching the knuckles of her partner's hand as he still held the glass, while his free one rubbed the back of the English female.

Rose inhaled, then blew out the air through her plum-hued lips. "Thank you." She looked up at him and halted, as their identical emerald orbs locked in on one another.

Was his eyes always this enchanting? Rose thought. She never really thought much of people's eyes. If they were blue, they are blue. If they were brown, then they are brown. If they were green, then they are green.

But now, she realized. Arthur's eyes weren't just green. They were more brilliant than that. Albeit she cannot say that they sparkle like rare emeralds, she can conclude that they were like the most vibrant mint, or like the grass when summer is at its brightest. But mostly like a wonderful forest filled with adventures and magic and secrets that can only be unfurled by those with the heart as brave and adventurous as those green gems require.

His eyes were not just green eyes.

"Rose," Arthur breathed.

"Arthur." She responded, sighing his name.

He leaned over and extended his hand behind her, his breath tickling the delicate skin of her neck as he reaches over to grab a fold of napkin. He sat back and dabbed the soft paper towel onto her chin, cleaning the water off of her mouth as his thumb caresses her rose-tinted lips through the thin white paper.

"There." He said, dropping the crumpled-up napkin on the table, then turning to her, "I never thought I'd have to say this, but, even though it's tea, please do drink responsibly."

Rose snorted and bursted out laughing.

Arthur chuckled beside her. "I'm serious though."

"I know!" She gasped, "I'm sorry!"

Arthur shook his head with an amused smile, then went across the table to sit back on his previous seat.

Rose secretly wished that he had not done so.

"I'm sorry," The English maiden repeated, "I just thought about what I've said earlier. About you being my type of partner? I meant partner to rule the country, okay?" She cleared, "not the significant other partner, nor the love partner partner. Or—"

"Okay, okay," her partner interrupted, "I get it, love. Calm down."

"Oh, uh," Rose regained her composure on the leather seat. "Yes."

"But was that really the reason as to why you had that episode earlier?" Arthur furrowed his brows disbelievingly, "I mean, of course I would never think of our partnership today as something more!" He laughed nervously, a hint of pink dusting across his cheeks.

Rose nodded. "Of course you wouldn't."

Though the English female thought of that as rather disappointing.

The male English country looked at the progressively darkening sky, "Oh my," he stood up, "I believe it is time to go now, my lady." He smiled as her walked up to where Rose was sitting and extended out a hand.

She gladly took it into hers, "Indeed." She nodded in agreement and stood up as well, "I would not fancy the thought of starting dinner late." She smiled.

And he smiled back at her.

The two walked out of the café, and Arthur stopped in front of her.

"Although it was only for a quick cup," he said, "I have still enjoyed my time conversing with thee." He leaned down and kissed the back of her hand, which he was currently holding.

She smiled as butterflies began to fly about inside her stomach. "I could say the same to thee, my good sir." She said as he stands up. She gently placed her free hand on his shoulder and held her chin up, leaving a gentle peck on his cheek. "Thank you, Arthur."

She grabbed the hand he is using to hold hers and walked along the sidewalk, "Come on, let's go back before the sun fully disappears."

"U—uhm." Arthur stuttered, "S—sure." He nodded as he follows her lead, his face now a color completely opposite to those brilliant pair of gems he had noticed twinkling a little earlier.

A/N:

Still too short, but at least there's that kiss part. But not lips-to-lips.

I saw a meme about how fanfictions would describe Hetalia characters' eyes and Iggy's was all about emeralds, emeralds, emeralds. Well, they are green so...

I barely have any idea about the dialogues at the medieval period so it's great if you'd mentally correct my mistakes if you do know.

Anyway, if anybody's still waiting for this chap, gumenne, scusa, es tut mir leid. Because Finals just slapped me and my schoolmates in the face, but at least it's finally vacation!

Which means I can have more time brainstorming what to do with this fanfiction, how to end it, and how a beautiful plot twist can fit into this.

I ain't spoiling if you're still reading.

Well, that's all I have to say.

Bis später!

—Kaith