A/N: Wrote this for my Valentine this year~ It's based on this one tumblr post
As soon as Alfred saw the bouquet, he knew he had to get it for Arthur. His English boyfriend would most likely murder him in a very painful and possibly public way, but he couldn't resist getting it. He found it online, but luckily there were still two weeks to Valentine's Day so there was only a slim chance that it wouldn't get there on time.
He quickly ordered it and then sat back in his wheely chair, spinning on it triumphantly. He got dizzy after a while so he stopped, but the grin stayed on his face. He deleted his browser history, knowing that Arthur might check it later. Then he had over half an hour to kill before Arthur came home and upon some consideration decided to just make dinner to save them some time later.
He had just finished setting the table and had put the kettle on when he heard the door open and close. "Artie!" he cried, whirling to face him with a smile.
"Good evening, Alfred." Arthur responded, setting down his messenger bag and hanging up his coat before moving to their small kitchen. "You made pasta?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah! Feli taught me how to make it real quick and good!" Alfred replied, walking over to meet and hug him. "It's got chicken and broccoli in it too, so you don't complain it's entirely unhealthy. And that really good brand of Alfredo sauce."
Arthur smiled and gave him a chaste kiss. "Mmm, that sounds lovely."
"How was it in class?" Alfred asked, releasing him and going over to pull out a chair for him with a mock bow.
"Git." Arthur commented as he took his seat. "It was tiring. Those utter idiots completely misinterpreted the text." he muttered, scowling darkly. "They're so wrapped up in their romantic fantasies, especially during this time of year that they can't seem to distinguish any other themes, even if they're right under their bloody noses!"
Alfred chuckled and ruffled up his hair. "You're so cute when you get passionate and annoyed." He grinned and ducked the hit Arthur sent his way in response. The kettle started to whistle after that, so Alfred quickly went over and made tea the way he knew Arthur liked it. "So uhh...dig in." he said when they were both settled. He pushed the pasta bowl to him.
"Thank you, Alfred." Arthur loaded his plate and tasted it, a small smile coming to his face. "So you can cook things not dripping in fat."
Alfred grinned and scarfed down the rest.
After they finished eating, Alfred washed the dishes while Arthur went off to start on his coursework. Alfred knew he should get started on his own assignments, but he didn't feel like it so he just plopped down onto their shared bed and watched the other blond. Sure enough, Arthur casually opened up the browsing history. At first Alfred had been skeptical as to why he did it, but by now he knew it was just to check to make sure they weren't going on potentially virus-hosting sites.
"You spent half an hour Google-searching unusual bouquets?" he asked flatly.
Cursing internally, Alfred plastered a grin on his face. He must have forgotten to clear that page from his history. "Some guys were talking about different kinds of ridiculous bouquets they were gonna get and I wanted to see 'em so I looked it up."
"Mmm." Arthur seemed to accept his explanation as he pulled up a blank Word document. "Were you satisfied with what you found?"
"Yeah, there were some pretty crazy ones." Alfred laughed loudly. "How long do you think this'll take you?"
"I only have to start it, so no more than an hour." Arthur glanced to him before starting to flip through the pages of the book he was to analyze.
Alfred watched him for a while more and then rose, grabbing his cell phone before moving to the other room. He knew that Arthur was a romantic but wasn't outgoing or too expressive about it, so there was very little to no chance he was going to plan anything for Valentine's Day, or even get anything for Alfred because he claimed everything was so silly and generic, but Alfred didn't mind. So it was up to him to do something. But he already had a plan, and keeping his voice quiet so Arthur wouldn't here, made reservations at a place he knew his boyfriend would like.
When Arthur was finished, he allowed Alfred to cuddle to him for a while before they washed up and went to bed. Over the next few days he noticed that Alfred was acting a bit weird, but he brushed it off as Valentine's Day jitters. He knew that Alfred was most likely planning something so he didn't bother, except to get Alfred red and blue heart and firework sugar cookies because he knew the American would love them.
The unicorn bouquet arrived a few days before the 14th, and Alfred had to figure out a place to hide it. Eventually he just shoved it into the back corner of his closet, where even neat-freak Arthur was afraid to go. He looked over the green and blue unicorns briefly before grinning. Arthur was gonna love them (secretly, of course).
"Whatever you're looking for in there, I doubt you'll find it." Arthur's voice came from the doorway.
Alfred started a bit and hit his head on a shelf, hurrying to cover the bouquet along the way. "Ow! Don't do that, Artie! An' don't worry, I know exactly where everything is."
Arthur scoffed. "That too I doubt." he said, raising an eyebrow when Alfred stepped out and quickly shut the door. "Given up?"
"Sure. Hey, do you have off on Valentine's Day?"
"No, but I do get out early." Arthur decided not to question the speedy change of subject.
"Before five?"
"At four-thirty. Why, do you have something planned?"
Alfred just winked.
"I see. And if I was not free then, what would you have done, hmm?"
"Kidnapped you." Alfred grinned and kissed him.
Valentine's Day dawned crisp and clear, and Alfred woke with a bounce to his step. He got ready and had breakfast cooking on the stove by the time Arthur even stirred. He was almost finished when the water from the shower stopped. Moments later he heard quiet footsteps padding into the kitchen but he didn't take his attention off the stove.
"Good morning." Arthur murmured, coming up to stand beside him. "Red velvet pancakes?" he asked, peering into the skillet. "...In heart shapes?"
"It's Valentine's Day, babe. What did you expect?" Alfred slung an arm across his shoulders and, grinning, pressed a kiss to the side of his head. "Happy Valentine's Day." he whispered.
"You too, I suppose." Arthur muttered, fidgeting a bit. He was clad in nothing but his towel, so a few minutes later he lightly pushed away. "Let me dress, idiot."
"Mm...no." Alfred flipped the pancakes expertly onto a plate and then rushed to hug him properly. His arms went around Arthur's waist and, ignoring Arthur's cry of surprise, lifted him up.
"A-Alfred!" His legs automatically went around Alfred's waist for support, and the towel loosened dangerously. "What are you doing?!"
"Stop complaining." Alfred muttered, hitching him up higher. "Ya like it."
"A-Ack!" Arthur's arms snaked around the American's neck. "Idiot, a little warning would be nice, you know." he said haughtily, and then closed the distance between them to kiss him.
Alfred kissed back hungrily. To make sure he didn't miss any working time because of his shortened day Arthur had stayed later the past few nights so Alfred barely saw him, not to mention any action. So now it was time to cash in, and Alfred collected all the affection he felt he had missed out on. He turned them slightly to the side so Arthur was propped up against the counter and then continued, pulling away from the Englishman's mouth to press searing kisses to his throat and collarbone. Arthur's skin was still warm from the shower, and Alfred licked off a few stray drops of water that remained on his upper half.
"Ahh, Alfred-" Arthur leaned into him, his hands closing into fists in the taller male's hair. His legs tightened around Alfred's hips, close to bruising force, and he moaned. "Al- Alfred, I've got ahh- got class- can't-"
Alfred growled but slowed his actions until he was simply hugging his lover. "Just you wait until tonight." he whispered into Arthur's ear. "You won't get away then."
"I won't have a reason to." Arthur kissed his cheek. "Let me down."
Pouting softly, Alfred stepped away from the counter and started lowering him. Arthur's legs unwrapped from around him and he landed lightly on the floor. The towel slipped more around his hips and Alfred watched it eagerly, but (un)fortunately it stayed on him.
"Oh yes, you're so virtuous." Arthur commented, rolling his eyes, having seen the look in Alfred's eyes. "The ever-pure hero."
"Shush. Go get changed before I...convince you to stay home from school." Alfred muttered at him, starting on another heart pancake.
Arthur chuckled and left the room, fixing the towel around his waist. He came back a few minutes later dressed appropriately for his classes; slacks, a nice white dress shirt, a green and brown sweater, and a dark green tie. "How many of those are you planning on making?"
"Last batch." Alfred glanced at him. "You're like the only person I know who can make an old man look be sexy." he said, flipping the last pancake onto a plate and then setting the plate in front of Arthur. "There ya go~!"
"Thank you. I'll let the old man comment slide for today, but only because it's Valentine's Day."
"Heh. Ya want some whipped cream with those?"
"All right, give it here- but I'll pour it."
"You can't pour whipped cream, silly." Alfred topped off his own, larger stack before passing the can to Arthur.
They ate quickly, with Arthur handing his final two pancakes to Alfred. After that he had to rush to class, a parting kiss lingering upon his lips and Alfred's promise to pick him up echoing in his ears.
When he was alone, Alfred started putting his plan into action. To begin with, he cleaned the whole house, paying special attention to their bedroom. Then he skipped of to their friend's ('friend' being a flexible term for Arthur) Francis's flower shop to get the roses he had ordered. The shop was crowded, or course, but Alfred didn't mind waiting a bit.
"Bonjour, Alfred!" Francis said happily when Alfred finally reached the counter. "What are you planning with all those roses, mon ami? Your order is almost the largest."
Alfred grinned. "A surprise later. Hey, could you tell me how to keep the rose petals extra fresh until the evening?"
After Francis explained, he sent Alfred off with the roses and an extra package of cherries in chocolate and liquor. "He is fun when he is just slightly tipsy." Having known Arthur for a long time, Francis knew him well.
Blushing faintly because of the Frenchman's words and almost staggering beneath the weight of the flowers and petals, he made his way home. After following Francis's instructions with the petals and sticking the bouquet in water, he glanced at the clock and saw it was almost two. He paced the kitchen for a while, trying to figure out what they could eat, before giving up and deciding to throw together some pasta later. Since he had time he made himself a bath and soaked in it for a long time. When he was sure he was clean he hopped out and dressed, taking out the unicorn bouquet along the way. Dressing in dark jeans and a nice shirt, he stepped out with a little less than an hour to spare.
As he strolled leisurely through the streets, he saw lots of couples either kissing in darkened places, sharing meals in cafes, or just walking and holding hands. He grinned brightly at them if they looked at him, but otherwise didn't pay them much attention. He arrived at the university hall with about twenty minutes before Arthur was due to come out. Spotting a bench by the door and in the shade he changed direction towards it and sat down, leaning back and closing his eyes. He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, he was being shaken.
"Alfred." Arthur's voice became clearer in his ears. "Jones, get up."
"Hmm?" Alfred opened his eyes and grinned up at his lower. "Ey, you got out already?" He reached forward and pulled Arthur between his legs, his hands on the Englishman's hips.
"What are you doing?" Arthur's hands went to Alfred's shoulders, but just for support. "There are people here, this is hardly the place."
Alfred ignored him and stood up so that Arthur was pressed flush against him. Grinning, he leaned down to press a kiss to his mouth. "Let's go?" he asked when he pulled away.
"Where are we going?" Arthur stepped away from him, but linked their arms together.
"You'll see." Alfred took off at a brisk pace, keeping Arthur engaged enough in conversation the whole time that he didn't even notice the passing time.
Then, Arthur stopped. "No." he said, staring at the swaying sign. The Imperial Tearoom, it declared. "You didn't, Alfred."
Alfred grinned some more and nudged him. "I did." he said smugly. He unhooked their arms and opened the door to the tearoom for him. "I know you wanted to come here."
"But it's so expensive..."
"You're worth it." Alfred led him into the tearoom and they were shown to a small table in the corner with plush seats for the both of them. Grinning again, Alfred pulled Arthur's chair out for him, bowing a little as he sat. Same as the night two weeks before, he dodged a hit, laughing. "So what do you think?" he asked as he took his own seat.
"It's lovely." Arthur murmured, looking around.
The tearoom was a good size, but not excessively large. The walls were painted full of murals of the English countryside, and there were fresh roses on all of the tables because of the occasion. It had opened a few months ago and quickly garnered a reputation for being a high-end place to go out for a light lunch/dinner or just a tea break. Arthur had been ecstatic when he heard about it, but the prices had turned him away.
"Glad ya do." Alfred smiled at him and picked up his menu. "So uhh...tea. Any recommendations?"
Arthur chuckled. "You could just go for normal Earl Grey. I recall you saying that it was 'okay' once. Or Lady Grey, if you're feeling bold."
"Right..." Alfred scanned the long list of teas, finding the two Arthur had named near the bottom, and on the low end of the price range. "I'll go with the Earl Grey. Can't go wrong with a familiar taste, right? What are you gonna get?"
"I'm not sure... I'm interested in the rosehip and blackcurrant tea..." Arthur said absentmindedly as he looked down the list.
"Sure. Get whatever you want."
The server came by not long after to take their orders. The rest of their time passed nicely, with Arthur helping Alfred brew his tea properly when it came, and even nudging the American's foot back when Alfred started a game of footsie. Alfred refused to divulge any of his other plans, and always steered the conversation to another topic, usually school. When they had both finished their pots Arthur glanced slightly wistfully down at his so when they were leaving Alfred bought him a small tin from the store part of the tearoom. The Englishman protested but Alfred insisted, and in the end won.
"You really shouldn't have." Arthur told him for the third time as they walked along back to their small apartment. He felt guilty, not really having anything for Alfred in return other than the cookies, and those really didn't seem like much now. He just didn't do a lot for this holiday, and here Alfred was giving so much.
"Artie..." Alfred groaned, slinging an arm across his shoulders. "I told you already, I wanted to do it." He pressed a kiss to the side of his head, miraculously while still managing to move the two forward at a surprisingly steady speed. "It's really all ri-OOH!" He suddenly let go and dashed towards a display. "Look!"
Arthur followed him at a much slower pace. "What is it now?" He peered at what Alfred was practically drooling over and then rolled his eyes. It was a massive white teddy bear (it must have been at least half of Alfred's height) with pink and red hearts all over it, holding a red heart with the words 'Be mine?' written in white calligraphy.
"I've always wanted one, as cheesy as that sounds." Alfred told him. Then, he seemed to realize that Arthur was probably neither amused nor interested, and he turned away. "Let's go..."
But Arthur's hand shot out and clamped down on Alfred's wrist. "...Would you like it?" he asked softly, his eyes not leaving the teddy bear.
Alfred swallowed. "Yeah. But you don't-"
"Hush." Arthur tugged him into the store. Before I change my mind. "You've already given me so much."
"Aww, Artie, you don't have to get me anything in return." Alfred leaned in close to his ear. "Your company plus hot sex with me topping later is good enough."
Arthur lightly smacked him away. "You devil." he muttered, before requesting the teddy bear from the display of the lady behind the counter.
Minutes later, they walked out of the store, Alfred grinning and cuddling to the teddy bear. People gave them smiles and chuckles; Alfred smiled back brightly, while Arthur glared at them until they were forced to look away. They go home- well, Alfred did. He blocked the door and wouldn't let Arthur in.
"You gotta wait a few minutes!" Alfred told him, right before slamming the door in his face.
"A-Alfred!" Arthur banged on the door, but there was no answer. "Stupid, insufferable git, locking me out, Alfred, open up!"
"Just wait!" Alfred's voice faintly came from through the door.
Arthur sighed and leaned against the hall opposite, glaring. The time passed and he was just losing his temper when the door opened again. Alfred was standing there, an apologetic smile on his face.
"Hey."
"Don't you stand there and 'hey' me." Arthur snapped darkly. "May I please come in now?"
"Yeah, of course! Just wanted to set some things up." Alfred backed away from the door a bit, and it became clear he was hiding something behind his back.
"What are you doing now?" Arthur asked, entering the apartment. Instantly, his nose was assaulted with the scent of roses.
"Last part of my plan!" Alfred replied, thrusting a bouquet into his face as he closed the door.
Arthur blinked as he accepted a bouquet of...unicorns? "Alfred?" he asked, his voice highly polite. "Why?"
"Well..." Alfred fidgeted a bit, and then smiled hopefully. "You like unicorns, right? And I saw it and thought it'd be perf for you..."
"...Alfred. They're bloody unicorns." Arthur sighed and shook his head. "I swear, only you would think of giving your lover a bouquet of unicorns for Valentine's Day."
Alfred's face fell a bit. "...So you don't like it?" he asked in a small voice.
"Oh Alfred..." Arthur looked up at him, and clutched the bouquet to him just a little bit tighter. "I didn't say that." he said quietly. "I merely pointed out the fact that it is an unusual... Is that why you were looking up unusual bouquets?"
"Haha, yeah." Alfred rubbed the back of his neck. "But you like it?"
"It's all right..." Arthur looked down at the unicorns- there were twelve of them in all, blue and green in colour- and a tiny, almost imperceptible smile came to his lips as he reached out to touch one of them.
"Glad you like it, but that's not the end of it, don't worry." Alfred relaxed in relief and tugged Arthur into the kitchen, where a pot of pasta was simmering. The roses were on the table, and Alfred gave those to him too. "For you as well."
Arthur's eyes widened. "A-Alfred, really, this is too much..."
Alfred took the roses and unicorns from his arms and hugged him, one of his hands reaching up to cup the back of Arthur's head. "Artie, it's all right. I wanted to do it all for you." he said, fingers tangling lightly into Arthur's hair. "I told you, I don't need anything in return, so don't feel guilty or anything."
"Idiot." Arthur mumbled against him. "If I were to get you nothing, that would make me truly horrible." He slipped from Alfred's arms and went over to the pantry, where he took out the large box of cookies from where they had been hidden. "These are for you. It's not much, but-"
"Whoa whoa whoa. Stop right there. Are those the really good sugar cookies? In a really big set?" Alfred's eyes went wide and he took the box reverently. "They are!"
"Err..." Arthur didn't really know what to make of his reaction. He knew Alfred liked sweets, but this level of adoration for a box of cookies was something else entirely.
Alfred looked to him and grinned. "You know that one brand of everything that's just so much better than all the other ones? Like, your favourite brand of tea, or how that Alfredo sauce is so much better than the others?"
"Yes...?"
"Well this brand of sugar cookies is like that. They're so much better than all the others, and a box like this..." Alfred pretended to wipe a tear from his cheek. "It's awesome, thanks so much!" He placed the box gently onto the table and wrapped Arthur into a massive hug, peppering his cheeks and the side of his head with kisses.
"Alfred-!" Arthur laughed, the kisses tickling him a tiny bit in some spots, but he was happier that Alfred liked what he'd gotten him. His arms went around the American in return, and they cuddled briefly.
Then, Alfred pulled away. "Oop, pasta's ready." he said apologetically, and moved to the stove to strain the noodles and then pour the simmering sauce over them after putting them in a big bowl. "Not a very grand dinner, but..."
"It's fine, love." Arthur smiled at him. Then, his eyes were drawn to a splash of red against the floor. He stepped closer- were those rose petals? His cheeks heated up when he realized they indeed were, and formed a trail off to their bedroom. "...Alfred?"
"Hmm?" Alfred glanced up and saw where he was looking. "Oh, that's like the final final part of the plan. Come eat, and you can follow it in a bit." He set the table and poured them each a bit of red wine, placing the chocolates Francis gave him next to the pasta bowl.
Arthur raised an eyebrow once more when he saw them. "Chocolates?"
"A gift for us from Francis." Alfred explained. "For after dinner."
"Right." Arthur served the both of them some pasta and quickly started to eat, savouring the taste. "Feliciano taught you well."
"Didn't he?" Alfred asked with a smile. The food was gone from his plate in an impossibly short amount of time, and then when Arthur was done he took a piece of chocolate and lifted it to his lips.
Arthur took the offering, his tongue darting out to flick against Alfred's fingers along the way. "These are surprisingly good, for the frog." he commented. "And is that...alcohol?"
"Yeah!" Alfred grinned at him. "There's supposed to be cherries in there as well."
"I can taste them." Arthur swallowed and picked up one of the chocolates himself, holding it out to the American.
Alfred grinned as he took it. "So are we just gonna do that for the whole time?"
"For as long as you want." Arthur said. "But personally I'm rather curious to see what's at the end of that rose trail." He looked towards the door of the kitchen again, and gasped when he was suddenly picked up. "W-What are you doing?!" He hadn't even noticed Alfred getting up.
"Taking you there!" Alfred declared brightly, hitching him a bit higher in his arms before carrying him, bridal style, to their bedroom.
The rose petals were scattered in a long, thick trail through their apartment and leading up straight to the bed, which was made and surrounded by red candles. Arthur wanted to roll his eyes at the stereotypicalness of it all, but he knew Alfred meant well and had spent an awful lot of effort and time to plan this and set it up. So he allowed him to set him on the bed with minimal complaint, and even looked up at him with a small smile.
"I assume this means sex?"
Alfred grinned. "Well yeah, I told you. Awesome sex later with me topping is good."
"And how do you know I'll let you top?"
"...Because it's Val's Day? C'mon, at least one round!" Alfred put on his puppy dog eyes.
Arthur could only withstand them for a moment. "Oh all right."
Within minutes they had both lost their clothes and were moving together in a fast but easy rhythm.
A/N: Ending's kinda 'eh' in my opinion but I didn't really know what else to do so yeah. Hope you liked.