"Montani semper liberi" -State Motto of West Virginia
It was raining. The once dry gravel road was completely soaked from the heavy downpour making Arthur's steps uneven with its slippery terrain, his heel slid every now and then when it would catch a particularly loose stone forcing him to stagger back awkwardly. The trees above him did no service to protect him as their leaves drooped under the weight of the water causing bigger splashes of unsuspecting freezing droplets to fall in between his jacket collar traveling down his back as he hunched over continuing his way.
"Bloody weather." Arthur muttered darkly under his breath trudging through the muddy pathway, his trousers now soiled at the hems.
He had been walking for over an hour down some unknown route to meet up with Alfred on the premise of a political arrangement. And for whatever reason that insufferable brat had presumed, Arthur was stubbornly instructed to arrive by foot rather than car, which at this point was something the Brit deeply regretted not arguing about. Not to mention his blasted phone had died, and he was without contact to anyone other than himself as he angrily trotted, forcefully lifting each foot in exaggeration to prevent his boots from becoming lost in the filthy runoff. The trails of rain were still running down his nose and dripping into his ears, and his wheat colored hair had flattened so much that it hid his monstrous eyebrows from sight. If he made it to wherever this place was, he'd be sure he was going to cause an absolute ruckus.
Little bastard hadn't even had the decency to warn him about the upcoming storm, and since he was so ill prepared his clothing was drenched because he had no umbrella to shield him from the elements. Arthur sneered through his shivering. When he arrived that boy would be getting one hell of a lecture, and a proper smack too. Then he'll have himself a nice cup of hot tea to warm up his frozen bones, while teaching Alfred again about host manners. Good Lord, where did he go wrong?
Coming towards the Brit at a full sprint a lithe figure clumsily appeared in front of him, bent over with exhaustion as the mysterious runner stumbled before him, the umbrella in their hand tilted forward exposing a freckled neck to the rain. When they straightened up Arthur was met with the face of a familiar looking young lad causing shock to flood through his veins. This boy had an eerily similar resemblance to him, with the same sandy hair and brilliant emerald eyes, even the bloke's darkened eyebrows matched his own like a perfectly copied newsprint. It was as if he was looking at himself from when he was a teenager. And it was rightfully unnerving, making Arthur's spine tingle even more than the coldness of the water slinking down his back. Well this was just uncomfortable.
Blinking rapidly to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him, Arthur then cleared his throat discontentedly as the boy wobbled around with his umbrella, looking rather pale.
"I suppose you are from the Jones Estate." The Brit said, avoiding the questioning stare of the teen, "Were you sent here to fetch me?"
The lad gazed up at him and nodded shakily, offering his umbrella to him with a shy smile. Turning his eyes back down from the sky to the bloke, the Brit noticed the trembling in the boy's arms. 'This weather must be affecting him tremendously,' Arthur thought. His 'child clone,' was wearing rather insufficient clothing for the rainstorm they were both standing in, just a pair of slacks and a pullover were the only things keeping him warm. And now the boy was gesturing for him to take his only source of protection; the umbrella.
Huffing quietly Arthur grasped the handle of the umbrella and pushed it back over the surprised lad's head. He was not a man who would steal from a child, even if the boy was giving it to him, no he would always stay a true gentleman.
"You may keep it for yourself. There's no salvation for myself, not with how I am currently." The Brit acknowledged, motioning to the wet fabric clinging to his body.
The underdressed boy gave him a suspicious glance over before lifting his arm higher so that the umbrella covered both their heads, the rain circling them like fallen translucent stars. And at first Arthur was a bit confused, but then graciously accepted his doppelgänger compromise. Perhaps his mood would not be incredibly sour when he arrived to greet Alfred, but for sure he would need that cup of tea, and one for this boy too. After all, a hot beverage is best suited for a rainy day.