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Alfred had met his boyfriend three years ago in a quaint bookshop on the outskirts of town. At the time, he’d only been living in England a month and had been exploring the semi-small English town whenever he’d been given the chance, seeking out the lesser-known corners of his new home. The particular day on which he’d met his boyfriend had been a Friday, and Alfred had dismissed his afternoon class an hour early in order to enjoy a rare sunny October day. He’d been wandering for quite some time before finding himself in the somewhat small, immensely cozy Boiling Teapot Bookstore.
Alfred wasn’t much of a reader, but there was something about the place that drew him in. He spent several minutes browsing the shelves, occasionally plucking a book from it’s place to read the cover and perhaps the synopsis before returning it to its place. After a moment, he reached the children’s book section, where his eyes lit up with the sudden realization that his nephew’s second birthday was a week away. A children’s book would be the perfect gift, and one that he knew his brother would approve of. Thus, Alfred began to scan the shelves, eyeing various books while chewing at his thick bottom lip. It didn’t take long for Alfred to realize that he had no idea what sort of book a toddler would like, which prompted him to walk to the front counter.
An incredibly handsome young man was seated behind the cash register, gazing intently at the book in his hand. He had shaggy, pale blond hair and enchanting green eyes that almost seemed to glow under the shop’s dim lights. The name tag attached to his shirt read ‘Arthur.’ Alfred stopped in front of the counter, but the man didn’t look up, entirely engrossed in his book. Thus, Alfred cleared his throat loudly in order to get his attention.
One of the man’s enormous eyebrows twitched. “What?” He hissed in a thickly British-accented and very clearly aggravated voice without looking up from his book.
Alfred couldn’t help but for an amused smile to take over his handsome face, finding the man’s rude response funny. “Um, I was just wondering if you had any recommendations for a kid’s book, but you’re obviously busy, so I’ll just find one on my own. Unless you’d rather I just left?” He laughed.
“Well, seeing as you sound much older than a child, I would hope that you were capable of finding a book without–” Arthur’s green eyes flickered upward as he spoke, then down to his book, and then immediately back to Alfred’s face, the words dying on his lips as he did a double-take. His eyes were widened, his mouth hanging open stupidly “…Adult supervision.” He finished belatedly, still gaping at the man in front of him, who was by far the most beautiful creature he’d ever laid his eyes upon.
Alfred could only laugh, even more amused by the man’s odd reaction. “Alright, dude, then I’ll just be over there looking for one.” He turned on his heel and started back toward the children’s book section.
Behind him, he heard the legs of the chair screech as they slid against the wood floor. “Er–what’s the age of the child?” Came the man’s voice from behind.
Alfred turned around, noting that Arthur was staring intently at him with his enchanting eyes blown comically wide. He was wearing a deep green sweater-vest, the sleeves of which he fidgeted awkwardly with as he gazed upon Alfred in wonder.
Alfred smiled kindly in return. “He’s about to be two. I was thinking, like, a bedtime story that his parents could read to him at night or something.”
Arthur nodded jerkily and stepped around the counter, striding toward Alfred with his hands clasped awkwardly in front of him. He lead the American further into the shop, selecting several books that he deemed appropriate. As he explained the pros and cons of each book, he scarcely looked into Alfred’s face, and when he did his voice grew shaky and sheepishness shone in his eyes. Alfred watched the man grow more and more flustered, thoroughly amused. Even for someone as oblivious as he was, it was impossible to deny that the shopkeeper was attracted to him.
So, when Alfred purchased three of the books recommended to him, he leaned over the counter and grinned rakishly at the man. “Hey, can I ask you for a favor?”
The man had looked up at him with the most comical ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ look Alfred had ever seen, green eyes wide and lips slightly parted. “Y-Yes?” The man stuttered out nervously.
“I lost my number on the way over here. Could I get yours?”
Thus, Alfred and Arthur began their relationship. As they got to know each other better, Arthur gradually became less of a nervous wreck and allowed Alfred to see who he truly was; a sharp-witted, sarcastic, hyper-intelligent man with a passion for literature and an ardent love of all things nature. He was gentle and kind, if not a bit hot-tempered at times. Even so, he was endlessly gentle and loving with Alfred, taking care to treat the American with a tenderness previously unknown to the younger man.
Soon, news of their relationship had spread throughout town. Alfred and Arthur had been dating for three months when the American first heard a bad word about Arthur from a close friend and fellow professor, a reserved and incredibly intelligent man named Kiku Honda. Kiku hardly ever spoke a bad word about anyone, reluctant to pass judgement, and he never gave his opinion without being asked for it. Thus, it came as a shock to Alfred when, after informing his friend of his fantastic new boyfriend, Kiku had paled and choked on the tea he’d been sipping. Kiku set his cup down and stared at Alfred with his dark eyes widened and his black brows furrowed in obvious concern.
“The owner of the Boiling Teapot Bookshop? As in, Arthur Kirkland?”
“Yes! You know him?” Alfred replied cheerfully, oblivious to Kiku’s sudden distress.
“I-I do not know him personally, no, but I have had several encounters with him. Alfred-kun, I must warn you: Arthur Kirkland is not a nice man.” He said, his tone low.
“What?!” Alfred cried, incredulous. “Dude, are you kidding? Arthur’s great! What’s wrong with him?”
“How can you defend such an aggressive man? Have you not seen the way he acts?!” Kiku exclaimed, his cool demeanor slipping.
Alfred blinked, astonished by his friend’s reaction. “Dude, what? Arthur’s never been anything but nice to everyone we see! Seriously, Kiku, I don’t understand where this is coming from. I mean, he’s the most romantic guy I’ve ever been with by far! He’s so gentle and sweet, and when we first got together he was so nervous, it was adorable!” Alfred gushed with a dopey grin spread across his handsome face.
Kiku eyed him worriedly for a moment before shaking his head, black hair falling into his face as he did so. He quickly brushed it from his eyes and shrugged. “I am not sure what you see in him, Alfred-kun, but it is your choice. If you say he is kind, I will believe you. But if something happens – if you ever need anything, do not hesitate to let me know.”
Alfred laughed as if the man were crazy and patted him on the shoulder with one of his strong, suntanned hands. “Alright, man, thanks for the offer. I doubt Arthur could be anything but perfect, but I’ll definitely keep it in mind!”
Alfred had quickly put the incident out of his mind afterward, deciding that his friend was simply having an off day when he’d said such things. However, Alfred couldn’t help but to notice the odd looks he and Arthur got when they were out in public after Kiku’s comments. People seemed to deliberately avoid them, some staring in astonishment when they saw the pair walking down the street hand-in-hand or otherwise displaying affection. At first, Alfred had chalked it up to small-town homophobia, but the more he asked around, the more people told him that Arthur had a reputation in town as being intimidating and aggressive.
Alfred could hardly believe his ears. Each time someone told him they were afraid of or intimidated by his boyfriend, Alfred couldn’t help but to think of Arthur. Arthur, who was as slender as a board and who hardly reached 5’8”. Arthur, who owned a quaint bookshop and who liked to sit out in his garden among the roses and sip at a cup of tea. Arthur, who spent his free time knitting and watching the history channel. What on Earth could possibly be scary about someone so innocent?
Alfred simply couldn’t wrap his head around what everyone was so afraid of. His boyfriend had been nothing short of wonderful since the day they’d met. Sure, they had fights just like every couple, but Arthur was relentlessly tender and romantic in all that he did. A small part of Alfred couldn’t help but to be flattered knowing that such a feared man loved him so, although he couldn’t understand why someone as amazing as Arthur would ever be feared in the first place.
Even so, eventually the town had grown used to Alfred and Arthur being a couple. They still seemed intimidated by Arthur, but many of Alfred’s close friends who had been forced to spend time with Arthur ended up liking him quite well. Within a year, Alfred and Arthur had decided to move in together and Alfred had happily settled into the spacious apartment above the Boiling Teapot Bookshop. It had been two years since then, and they’d been the most blissful years of both of their lives. Alfred was madly in love with Arthur and it was abundantly clear that Arthur was head over heels for him as well. In both of their eyes, they were a perfect match.
On this particular night, Arthur had closed the shop an hour early and joined his boyfriend upstairs in their apartment.
“Darling, an old friend of mine is in town tonight and wants to get drinks. Would you like to come?” Arthur asked as he slid into Alfred’s lap and wrapped his slender arms around the man’s neck.
Alfred smiled sweetly back at Arthur and slid his hands along the familiar line of Arthur’s slender hips. “I’d love to, baby, but I’ve got a fuckton of papers to grade. Who’s this old friend?” He asked curiously.
“We knew each other a long time ago, when we were both children. We’ve kept in touch quite well despite the years. His name is Francis Bonnefoy.” Arthur explained, leaning in further to rest his forehead against Alfred’s. He gazed intently into Alfred’s eyes, mesmerized as always by the gorgeous blue accented by flecks of what Arthur could only describe as pure gold.
“Geez, you make it sound like you haven’t seen him in decades or something,” Alfred joked, to which Arthur smiled back mirthfully. “You’ll have to tell me some stories about him when you get back,” Alfred hummed contentedly before placing a chaste kiss to Arthur’s lips.
Arthur smiled and leaned into Alfred. “Of course, darling. I may be out late–-don’t wait up for me. When we get together, one drink turns to ten before I know it.” When Alfred shot Arthur a disapproving look, the man rolled his eyes teasingly. “Don’t worry, I know how to use Uber and so does he. Really, darling, you needn’t wait up. I’ll be alright.”
“Mmkay,” Alfred nodded. “Have fun.”
“I will. I love you.”
“Mhm. Love ya too, babe.”
Arthur smiled, kissed Alfred’s lips once more, and left.
Alfred stayed up until midnight grading papers, at which point he decided to turn in for the night. He padded into his and Arthur’s shared bedroom, stripping down to his boxers before falling into bed. It was somewhat strange sleeping in bed without Arthur, but he managed to fall asleep rather quickly, exhausted after having read through what felt like thousands of pages of his students’ work. He dropped into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, only to be jerked awake several hours later by a sudden clatter.
Alfred groggily opened his eyes, squinting into the pitch black of their bedroom. He heard the floorboards creak only a few feet from where he was and smiled blearily, happy to know that his boyfriend has arrived home safely. Alfred was just about to open his mouth and offer a whispered greeting to Arthur when he felt a sudden, harsh grip upon his forearm.
Without warning, Alfred was wrenched out of bed and thrown onto the hardwood floor of his bedroom. He let out a sharp cry of surprise and pain as his head slammed against the wood, making stars dance across his vision. He attempted to get up and was quickly thrown back down, several hands scrambling along his body, trying to hold him down. Alfred let out a loud cry and thrashed against his captor’s hold, kicking out with his feet and swinging his fists blindly at his assailants. His struggling earned him a hard kick to the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Alfred curled in on himself, gasping for air on the floor, unable to resist as a pair of hands took his wrists and forced his hands away from his stomach. He wheezed, desperate to breathe, but his attacker didn’t give him the chance to catch his breath. Without warning he was flipped onto his back and immediately a heavy weight dropped against his chest. One of his assailants was straddling him, their hands holding his wrists down against the floor.
Then, just as suddenly as the hands had appeared on Alfred’s body, they disappeared. He heard someone start to cry out in pain, only to be abruptly silenced. Then, the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. There’s a second cry, again cut off abruptly, followed by yet another heavy thump! upon the floor.
By then, Alfred had caught his breath enough to scramble to his feet. Terrified, he made a mad dash for what he prayed was the door, feeling along the wall. He found the light switch within seconds and whipped around, adjusting to the sudden brightness. The room was blurry without his glasses, but Alfred could make out the figure of his boyfriend standing several feet away, one of his pale hands closed around the neck of what Alfred presumed to be one of his attackers. Alfred’s jaw dropped, astonished. To his utter shock, Arthur was holding the man off the ground, squeezing his neck with one hand.
Then, the eyes of Alfred’s attacker rolled backward. Arthur’s grip slackened and he allowed their limp body to fall to the floor with a dull thud. Alfred’s lips trembled with fear and he reached behind him, taking his glasses off of the dresser and putting them on with shaky hands. He looked down, surveying the three bodies that lay lifeless upon their bedroom floor. Then he looked up to his boyfriend, eyes widened in shock.
Arthur turned toward him, blood smeared along his pale cheek, eyes entirely black. He smiled sheepishly and two immaculate fangs revealed themselves in his mouth.
“Love, I can explain.”