Siren - 1g
anonymous
December 12 2010, 05:52:32 UTC
“If that’s what you desire, master,” Arthur said quietly.
~*~*~*~USUK~*~*~*~
Arthur sat down on the double-bed of the hotel room that Alfred had showed him into. Alfred was on the bed next to his. Arthur felt slightly thankful that it was not a single-bed room; Alfred did not seem intent on forcing his will upon him, and for that, Arthur felt rather relieved. It was enough to think of now belonging to another human being; he did not need to think of how he would be expected to be a rather ornate sex toy for said person.
Alfred handed a small envelope over to Arthur, and the witch winced slightly. He’d known this was coming. He opened in shakily, reading the flowing script that spelled out his contract with Alfred. He knew he had no choice in this matter. He looked down at the bottom line, where there was an X marking where he was to sign his name.
Alfred handed him a small knife - a letter opener, really. Arthur hand shook as he lifted it to his index finger on his right hand, cutting a small wound into the tip of it. A small droplet of blood oozed from the cut, making a perfect little droplet at the tip of his finger. He pressed his finger to the line, and smearing the blood into a line. The red left behind swirled into a complicated design, mimicking the Runes that, in Old English, would have spelled out Arthur’s name. Arthur was rather sure that Alfred was unable to read them, but it didn’t matter, in the end.
Arthur felt a slight stinging sensation on his neck, and wiped his hand across his pulse point. He glanced at the looking glass nearby his bed, and saw a small line of blood dropping from his neck down towards his chest. He moved closer, and could make out the design of a pentagram, still oozing blood, though it was beginning to clot. The Mark looked as if it had been cut into the skin of his throat with the tip of a knife. The name “Alfred F. Jones” was cut ornately into the center of the pentagram. The entire Mark was small, perhaps only three centimeters at its widest.
“Good boy.” Arthur nearly snapped at being treated as if he were an animal, when he saw Alfred standing behind him in the mirror. He glanced back nervously, his expression unsure.
“I went and picked this up for you,” Alfred murmured quietly. “Took a bit of work, but I managed to find one that would look good on you.”
Arthur stiffened as Alfred wrapped a collar about his throat. It was thinner than most, though not quite delicate; while most collars covered the majority of a witch’s throat, this only covered his Mark. The black leather was decorated with intricately curving and twisting silver, which Arthur found, to his surprise, to be genuine. A large, clear, perfectly-formed emerald adorned the center front of it, surrounded in more of the silver. Arthur felt as if he were a beloved, spoiled pet, wearing something so ornate and beautiful, when it was only meant to exist for the reason of keeping him in check and obedient to his master. The lock in the back of the collar clicked shut.
~*~*~*~USUK~*~*~*~
Notes:
Britannia: If you haven’t already figured out, Britannia is the equivalent of Britain. Gallia: France Columbia: America. Creative, aren’t I?
Note on the title: It hasn’t been covered yet, but I view Arthur’s “powers” coming from his voice, or, more accurately, his words (i.e., “spells”). As such, I picked the title “Siren”, after the ancient mythological creatures that would sing sailors to their deaths.
Also, before I am asked: no, this will not have a side of FrUK, other than what is in this chapter. I do not ship FrUK at all, and dislike writing it, unless it’s in the past to make America jealous, to be completely honest. XD In any case, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter… That was my first time writing smut, even though it wasn’t full-on stuff… I did my best…! OTL
Also, I apologize for the random title troubles; this is only my second fill on the kink meme, so I'm still trying to get used to it... -shot-
Upstairs!AuthorAnon Kneels Before You
anonymous
December 12 2010, 06:10:01 UTC
Anon, this is... this is... well to be perfectly American, it is beyond awesome. The build up, the setting, the close call of being given over to Francis, everything is exquisitely done.
I cannot wait to read more, and I will eagerly be F5ing as I retire to my bunk~
A!Anon here~
anonymous
December 12 2010, 22:12:25 UTC
Downstairs!AuthorAnon has yet to read your fill as of yet... Too busy with writing chapter two to this fill and a few other chapters for other fics. xD
But thank you for your lovely comment, it made me smile. XP
Re: Siren - 1g
anonymous
December 12 2010, 06:39:46 UTC
Ah~ I know who you are dear Downstairs!Anon.
First, I love how Arthur can sense when Francis is criticizing him, even when it's in French. The eyebrows are lovely for me! But poor Arthur, getting molested like that when he always thought that following orders and acting like he was under their command would be enough was a rough wake up call.
This is truly lovely Downstairs!Anon. I like everything about it, specially how magic was involved through the whole chapter.
Now I have two reasons to camp my own thread, lol. You and the Upstairs!anon. :D!
And don't feel bad for making small mistakes, this is actually my first time making a request >> << so my request virginity was taken by two people. Hot.
Re: Siren - 1g
anonymous
December 12 2010, 22:21:21 UTC
I'm glad that yuo're enjoying the fill, OP. That was what I was mainly going for in writing this. =3
May I ask what your theory as to my identity is? XD
LOL@ "Double request virginity taking"... XP
I have one more question, dear OP~! What were some of the specific kinks that you wanted included in this fill? So long as it isn't guro, I'm good with pretty much everything... I actually have a soft spot/kink for reverse!Shota USUK... XD Iggy's just too cute.
Well, just so I don't completely de-anon you I am going to mention other fics you write instead. Must Love Cats and Soul Mate. You said this was just second rated M fic, and in Must Love Cats you mentioned it was your first one, also you are the only one that divides time lapses like this -> ~*~*~*~USUK~*~*~*~
I like paying attention to small details, lol.
>"I actually have a soft spot/kink for reverse!Shota USUK"
I do too, I do too, so if you want to add that, I'll be more than happy. But I also pretty much enjoy everything, so you can feel free to let your imagination and perversion run freeeee!
Hm, I was expecting that "Must Love Cats"... Not so much "Soul Mate", considering that isn't even posted on the kink meme, but you are correct, OP. *blink, stare, blush* I feel flattered now... pfft. ...Also, didn't even think of my scene-separating... thing. xD
Hm... All righty, I know one of the kinks I'll include, then. XD Shota!UK just needs love. Particularly from a certain blonde American... (Your comment on letting my imagination run free is probably going to be regretted later, I might come up with something rather strange, even for me... XD) Don't worry too much about de-anoning me, though; I might post this on my FF.net page later, just 'cause I'm so dang proud of how the first chapter turned out... *sweatdrop*
I'm a good detective! Or just creepy D: I hope not, lol.
And nonsenses! I shall not regret anything, I am very easily pleased because I'm not used to making requests, I usually am the one to fill them. So I'm just squeaky and happy that someone took the time to fill my request. Its a smushy feeling <3. >.> I am also very hard to disturb, so don't worry.
And you should post it in FF.net, I'm sure a lot of people would be happy. Oh! Also, don't forget to list your fill here: http://hetalia-kink.livejournal.com/18224.html just so more people would get to read your fill.
Re: OP (A!Anon)
anonymous
December 13 2010, 01:17:24 UTC
A creepy detective, perhaps? xD Nah, if you're creeping on my writing, that's just fine by me... Pfft.
Oh, you fill, too? Awesome... XD I'm finding that the kink meme is bad for writers who already have too many plot bunnies, they just get more... Glad I could pass on the smushy feeling, even if I have yet to feel it myself! XD
Thanks so much for the reminder... I always forget to go and list it. xD
Re: Siren - 1g
anonymous
December 13 2010, 04:33:41 UTC
Shit, this is wonderful. I really can't wait to read more of this fill. The setup, and the characterization is completely awesome. I love how Arthur is still so biting and him despite his situation and pretending to be broken when he's not.
Also: Angel? Really Al? I hope you learn Arthur's real name very soon...has a problem with calling men or women "Angel" unless it really is their name
Re: Siren - 1g (Author!Anon)
anonymous
December 13 2010, 22:15:35 UTC
Arthur knew that he could have found himself a master who wouldn't treat him as well (as Francis has already shown) as Alfred has, thus far; on the flip side, violence towards a witch isn't uncommon, and forced contracts aren't that uncommon, either. It was either sign it willingly or get Alfred to force him to. He picked the easier option...
He's also trying to keep up the facade of being a "broken" witch, when he obviously isn't to the reader (oh, how I love dramatic irony).
Siren - 2a
anonymous
December 28 2010, 06:57:18 UTC
Siren
A/N: I'm glad that the OP is enjoying the fill; I've come to rather enjoy writing this piece, myself. I'm going to do my best to make sure that I update this often, and make the chapters nice and lengthy, so they're worth your time… I'm going to aim for ten to twelve pages per chapter.
Everyone, please take some time to go check out my Upstairs!Author Anon's fill for another take on the prompt! I love her take on Arthur… He's squeakier and cuter than mine (and so friggen ADORABLE for it)… Somehow, the Arthur I originally intended to be kind of submissive and skittish ended up manipulative and kinda… mean… But I like him this way~! XD
Please continue reading and reviewing, because reviews are to me what hamburgers are to Alfred!
~*~*~*~USUK~*~*~*~
Chapter Two
Arthur slept fitfully that night. The leather around his neck was stiff and uncomfortable, still brand-new. It would take some time and movement for the material to become more pliable. The fact that Arthur was unable to remove the collar, even if he had wanted to, didn't help much. Sleeping with the thing on was not exactly pleasant.
Thoughts of Britannia, his beloved country that he would likely never see again, had filled his thoughts while lying in bed awake as his master slept on in the bed on the other side of the room. And when he finally managed to slip into a broken sleep, his dreams were filled with his family and the life he'd lost, the one that had been ripped away from him unjustly by men he would hate for the rest of his bloody life, if he had any say in the matter.
Alfred, however, seemed to have slept peacefully. The tall blonde was stretched out on his bed, still sleeping, his limbs at awkward angles as he slept, spread-eagle, on the Queen-sized mattress. Arthur allowed himself to gaze over at the sleeping form of his master, trying to understand exactly what he was to do now. He could attempt to escape, but the Mark would always draw him back at his whim. If Alfred wanted him, he would come, whether he wanted to or not. He couldn't kill the other man to gain his freedom, either; the Mark also kept him from harming him, at least intentionally or knowingly.
So he was left with no alternatives other than to simply wait for the other man to wake up, and begin his life as a slave. What Alfred wanted with him, he hadn't the foggiest. If he had been just a sex slave, he was rather sure that Alfred would have taken him the night before, be he ready or not. Was he something more? Or had Alfred simply not been in the mood?
Before he had time to reflect on this further, Alfred stirred, waking from his slumber with a barely-audible groan, followed by a loud yawn. Arthur stiffened as cerulean eyes opened, blinking blearily. "Ah… Angel, you're awake already." The taller man sat up, grabbing a pair of half-frame spectacles from the bedside table, perching them on his face. With them off, he had looked younger; with them on, he looked older, but Arthur also found that they suited the shape of his face, adding an extra dash of attractiveness that Arthur truly couldn't explain.
Arthur nodded quietly in response to Alfred's comment, fidgeting slightly on his bed. He felt hot and slightly sweaty. He'd slept in the leather clothing he'd been dressed in the night before, and it was rather uncomfortable. He disliked how it clung to his form like a second skin, though it allowed for no airflow. Alfred seemed to notice his discomfort, and stood up, stretching. "Go ahead and take a bath, Angel. I'll have some clothes to hold you over until we get home."
Re: Siren - 2a
anonymous
December 28 2010, 06:58:58 UTC
Arthur nodded obediently, thankful that Alfred, apparently, had a different set of clothes for him. He padded into the wash-room that was separated from the main room of their hotel suite, glancing at the strange fixtures. He'd never seen anything like this before. While he was familiar with the toilet (though it looked a little different than the type they used back in Britannia; it was, for some reason, filled with water, as well). More importantly, there was a bath tub… But there was no fire grate underneath it for which to heat the water. He stared at it, confused, wondering how on Earth he was to take a bath with the given things. There wasn't even a bucket to lug in the water!
"Angel, are you all right in there?" Arthur looked towards the door, but didn't vocalize a reply. The door cracked open, and when Alfred saw that Arthur was still dressed (not decent, but dressed), he let himself in. "What's wrong? Aren't you getting into the bath?"
Arthur gave him a slightly helpless look. He was too embarrassed to admit that he had no idea how the hell to even start about taking a bath in this bloody thing without the necessary tools.
Alfred looked at him, his expression slightly puzzled. "You just turn it on." Arthur was losing his patience. It was mortifying enough that he didn't know how to take a bloody bath in this place; he didn't need to add insult to injury! "Don't they have indoor plumbing in Britannia?"
Arthur gave the man a completely lost and confused expression. What the sodding hell was "indoor plumbing"?
Alfred seemed to understand Arthur's predicament now. "Oh… I see, they must not have it… Well… You turn this to turn on the hot water," Alfred offered, reaching over to grab a large, red knob on the wall of the tub. He turned it, and Arthur watched as water began to pour out of a large spout sticking out of the wall above the tub. Steam poured off of it, and Arthur could feel the heat even from back here. "And turn the blue one to add cold water and get it to your liking," Alfred explained simply. "Turn them both all the way to the right when you're done, and they'll turn off. There's soap and like by the wash basin."
Arthur watched as the tub filled before nodding hesitantly. Alfred left a set of folded clothes on the stand next to the wash basin (which Arthur now noticed had similar knobs). The taller man exited the room, leaving the Britannian to wash up. While he had no reason to believe Alfred would simply let himself into the room while Arthur bathed, he locked the door as a precaution.
Arthur looked down at the water, and began fiddling with the knobs on the wall. It took him a while to find the right temperature, but he found it easier than heating a bath over a fire that constantly had to be stoked. He stripped the leather from his body, shuddering as it stuck to his body slightly from slightly sticky sweat that must have built up overnight. He discarded the slave clothing, grabbing the bar of soap from the wash basin, and climbed gingerly into the bath.
Arthur lathered up the soap onto a washcloth, running it across his chest and arms, scrubbing sweat and general unpleasantness that had built up since his last bath. That had been a few days. For the very clean Britannian, it was too long. He sighed in pleasure, relaxing into the hot water momentarily before he continued to wash himself, scrubbing until his pale skin was slightly pink. He lathered up a bit more of the soap into his hands, raking the suds through his sandy blonde hair, cleansing himself of the disgusting "unwashed-hair" feeling.
He gently fingered the collar around his neck. It was high-quality-that much he could tell; a little water was unlikely to harm it. He took a breath, dunking himself under the surface of the water, ruffling his hair to rinse the soapy bubbles from himself.
Siren - 2c
anonymous
December 28 2010, 07:00:32 UTC
He allowed himself a brief reprieve in the hot water; he'd deserved some relaxation, damn it. He almost fell asleep, surrounded by the warmth of the beautifully hot water, emerald eyes drooping and even closing briefly. He only dragged himself from the water when the bath finally began to cool. He pulled the plug at the bottom, and watched as the water drained away from the tub. Whatever this 'indoor plumbing' was, he had a feeling that he could get used to it.
He wrapped a towel around himself, delighting in the fluffy softness of it; this hotel must have been rather high-end, to have something so luxurious… He'd never stayed anywhere this nice back in Britannia. Luxuries weren't exactly available to normal people such as him; he'd always made do with either an old shirt or a piece of linen for a towel before. He dried himself off, gently wiping the water off of his collar, as well.
He caught his reflection in the large mirror hanging over the basin. He moved closer, examining himself. He'd lost a bit of weight since he'd last viewed himself in a mirror. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to notice. He had always been slim, but he could see the faint image of his ribs on his sides, his hip bones jutting out a little more than normally. He was bony, but he had never been quite this bad. He frowned. He supposed that the meager meals given to him by the slave holder hadn't exactly been very nourishing.
The Britannian turned his attention to the clothing that had been left for his use. He quickly donned the pair of knickers and the plain, oversized tunic. The trousers were a little more difficult for him. They were far too long in the leg, and he was forced to roll up the cuffs at the bottom a good three or four times. He was thankful that he had been provided with a belt, as well-the waistband was far too wide. He cinched the belt to its smallest loop, and it still managed to slide down a bit. He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked as if he were the servant of a nobleman, in hand-me-down clothing from a former, far larger predecessor… except for that collar. It marked him for what he truly was.
He unlocked the door, walking out into the main room again. Alfred was packing a few remaining items of clothing into a large trunk. Arthur realized that the clothing he was currently wearing was a spare set of Alfred's. That explained why it was too big, he supposed. It was far better than wearing the leather uniform, he supposed.
"I'd ask you to pack, but I suppose you don't have anything, huh?" Alfred asked, closing the trunk's lid. He snapped the clasps shut before putting a large padlock to hold it closed. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to take you shopping once we get to Anacostia."
"Ana…costia?" Arthur's eyebrows furrowed together into a line of confusion. He had never heard of the name. "Where is that? A place in the countryside?"
"It's the capitol of Columbia," Alfred stated, looking rather bewildered. "Don't you know that?"
Arthur's eyes narrowed in irritation. If he had known where this bloody Anacostia place was, he wouldn't have asked now, would he? Honestly, what they hell was this man, simple? "I'm afraid my geography of the countries outside of Britannia is rather limited," he stated tightly. He could hear a tone of exasperation in his voice, and did his best to calm his rising temper; losing it because this idiot was being frustrating was hardly a smart move, nor the mark of a Britannian Gentleman.
"Huh… well, I suppose Columbia's only been a country for forty-some years. When did Britannia close its borders again?"
~*~*~*~USUK~*~*~*~
Arthur sat down on the double-bed of the hotel room that Alfred had showed him into. Alfred was on the bed next to his. Arthur felt slightly thankful that it was not a single-bed room; Alfred did not seem intent on forcing his will upon him, and for that, Arthur felt rather relieved. It was enough to think of now belonging to another human being; he did not need to think of how he would be expected to be a rather ornate sex toy for said person.
Alfred handed a small envelope over to Arthur, and the witch winced slightly. He’d known this was coming. He opened in shakily, reading the flowing script that spelled out his contract with Alfred. He knew he had no choice in this matter. He looked down at the bottom line, where there was an X marking where he was to sign his name.
Alfred handed him a small knife - a letter opener, really. Arthur hand shook as he lifted it to his index finger on his right hand, cutting a small wound into the tip of it. A small droplet of blood oozed from the cut, making a perfect little droplet at the tip of his finger. He pressed his finger to the line, and smearing the blood into a line. The red left behind swirled into a complicated design, mimicking the Runes that, in Old English, would have spelled out Arthur’s name. Arthur was rather sure that Alfred was unable to read them, but it didn’t matter, in the end.
Arthur felt a slight stinging sensation on his neck, and wiped his hand across his pulse point. He glanced at the looking glass nearby his bed, and saw a small line of blood dropping from his neck down towards his chest. He moved closer, and could make out the design of a pentagram, still oozing blood, though it was beginning to clot. The Mark looked as if it had been cut into the skin of his throat with the tip of a knife. The name “Alfred F. Jones” was cut ornately into the center of the pentagram. The entire Mark was small, perhaps only three centimeters at its widest.
“Good boy.” Arthur nearly snapped at being treated as if he were an animal, when he saw Alfred standing behind him in the mirror. He glanced back nervously, his expression unsure.
“I went and picked this up for you,” Alfred murmured quietly. “Took a bit of work, but I managed to find one that would look good on you.”
Arthur stiffened as Alfred wrapped a collar about his throat. It was thinner than most, though not quite delicate; while most collars covered the majority of a witch’s throat, this only covered his Mark. The black leather was decorated with intricately curving and twisting silver, which Arthur found, to his surprise, to be genuine. A large, clear, perfectly-formed emerald adorned the center front of it, surrounded in more of the silver. Arthur felt as if he were a beloved, spoiled pet, wearing something so ornate and beautiful, when it was only meant to exist for the reason of keeping him in check and obedient to his master. The lock in the back of the collar clicked shut.
~*~*~*~USUK~*~*~*~
Notes:
Britannia: If you haven’t already figured out, Britannia is the equivalent of Britain.
Gallia: France
Columbia: America. Creative, aren’t I?
Note on the title: It hasn’t been covered yet, but I view Arthur’s “powers” coming from his voice, or, more accurately, his words (i.e., “spells”). As such, I picked the title “Siren”, after the ancient mythological creatures that would sing sailors to their deaths.
Also, before I am asked: no, this will not have a side of FrUK, other than what is in this chapter. I do not ship FrUK at all, and dislike writing it, unless it’s in the past to make America jealous, to be completely honest. XD In any case, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter… That was my first time writing smut, even though it wasn’t full-on stuff… I did my best…! OTL
Also, I apologize for the random title troubles; this is only my second fill on the kink meme, so I'm still trying to get used to it... -shot-
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I cannot wait to read more, and I will eagerly be F5ing as I retire to my bunk~
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But thank you for your lovely comment, it made me smile. XP
*goes to check out your fill*
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First, I love how Arthur can sense when Francis is criticizing him, even when it's in French. The eyebrows are lovely for me! But poor Arthur, getting molested like that when he always thought that following orders and acting like he was under their command would be enough was a rough wake up call.
This is truly lovely Downstairs!Anon. I like everything about it, specially how magic was involved through the whole chapter.
Now I have two reasons to camp my own thread, lol. You and the Upstairs!anon. :D!
And don't feel bad for making small mistakes, this is actually my first time making a request >> << so my request virginity was taken by two people. Hot.
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May I ask what your theory as to my identity is? XD
LOL@ "Double request virginity taking"... XP
I have one more question, dear OP~! What were some of the specific kinks that you wanted included in this fill? So long as it isn't guro, I'm good with pretty much everything... I actually have a soft spot/kink for reverse!Shota USUK... XD Iggy's just too cute.
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I like paying attention to small details, lol.
>"I actually have a soft spot/kink for reverse!Shota USUK"
I do too, I do too, so if you want to add that, I'll be more than happy. But I also pretty much enjoy everything, so you can feel free to let your imagination and perversion run freeeee!
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Hm... All righty, I know one of the kinks I'll include, then. XD Shota!UK just needs love. Particularly from a certain blonde American... (Your comment on letting my imagination run free is probably going to be regretted later, I might come up with something rather strange, even for me... XD) Don't worry too much about de-anoning me, though; I might post this on my FF.net page later, just 'cause I'm so dang proud of how the first chapter turned out... *sweatdrop*
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And nonsenses! I shall not regret anything, I am very easily pleased because I'm not used to making requests, I usually am the one to fill them. So I'm just squeaky and happy that someone took the time to fill my request. Its a smushy feeling <3. >.> I am also very hard to disturb, so don't worry.
And you should post it in FF.net, I'm sure a lot of people would be happy. Oh! Also, don't forget to list your fill here: http://hetalia-kink.livejournal.com/18224.html just so more people would get to read your fill.
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Oh, you fill, too? Awesome... XD I'm finding that the kink meme is bad for writers who already have too many plot bunnies, they just get more... Glad I could pass on the smushy feeling, even if I have yet to feel it myself! XD
Thanks so much for the reminder... I always forget to go and list it. xD
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Also: Angel? Really Al? I hope you learn Arthur's real name very soon...has a problem with calling men or women "Angel" unless it really is their name
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He's also trying to keep up the facade of being a "broken" witch, when he obviously isn't to the reader (oh, how I love dramatic irony).
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A/N: I'm glad that the OP is enjoying the fill; I've come to rather enjoy writing this piece, myself. I'm going to do my best to make sure that I update this often, and make the chapters nice and lengthy, so they're worth your time… I'm going to aim for ten to twelve pages per chapter.
Everyone, please take some time to go check out my Upstairs!Author Anon's fill for another take on the prompt! I love her take on Arthur… He's squeakier and cuter than mine (and so friggen ADORABLE for it)… Somehow, the Arthur I originally intended to be kind of submissive and skittish ended up manipulative and kinda… mean… But I like him this way~! XD
Please continue reading and reviewing, because reviews are to me what hamburgers are to Alfred!
~*~*~*~USUK~*~*~*~
Chapter Two
Arthur slept fitfully that night. The leather around his neck was stiff and uncomfortable, still brand-new. It would take some time and movement for the material to become more pliable. The fact that Arthur was unable to remove the collar, even if he had wanted to, didn't help much. Sleeping with the thing on was not exactly pleasant.
Thoughts of Britannia, his beloved country that he would likely never see again, had filled his thoughts while lying in bed awake as his master slept on in the bed on the other side of the room. And when he finally managed to slip into a broken sleep, his dreams were filled with his family and the life he'd lost, the one that had been ripped away from him unjustly by men he would hate for the rest of his bloody life, if he had any say in the matter.
Alfred, however, seemed to have slept peacefully. The tall blonde was stretched out on his bed, still sleeping, his limbs at awkward angles as he slept, spread-eagle, on the Queen-sized mattress. Arthur allowed himself to gaze over at the sleeping form of his master, trying to understand exactly what he was to do now. He could attempt to escape, but the Mark would always draw him back at his whim. If Alfred wanted him, he would come, whether he wanted to or not. He couldn't kill the other man to gain his freedom, either; the Mark also kept him from harming him, at least intentionally or knowingly.
So he was left with no alternatives other than to simply wait for the other man to wake up, and begin his life as a slave. What Alfred wanted with him, he hadn't the foggiest. If he had been just a sex slave, he was rather sure that Alfred would have taken him the night before, be he ready or not. Was he something more? Or had Alfred simply not been in the mood?
Before he had time to reflect on this further, Alfred stirred, waking from his slumber with a barely-audible groan, followed by a loud yawn. Arthur stiffened as cerulean eyes opened, blinking blearily. "Ah… Angel, you're awake already." The taller man sat up, grabbing a pair of half-frame spectacles from the bedside table, perching them on his face. With them off, he had looked younger; with them on, he looked older, but Arthur also found that they suited the shape of his face, adding an extra dash of attractiveness that Arthur truly couldn't explain.
Arthur nodded quietly in response to Alfred's comment, fidgeting slightly on his bed. He felt hot and slightly sweaty. He'd slept in the leather clothing he'd been dressed in the night before, and it was rather uncomfortable. He disliked how it clung to his form like a second skin, though it allowed for no airflow. Alfred seemed to notice his discomfort, and stood up, stretching. "Go ahead and take a bath, Angel. I'll have some clothes to hold you over until we get home."
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"Angel, are you all right in there?" Arthur looked towards the door, but didn't vocalize a reply. The door cracked open, and when Alfred saw that Arthur was still dressed (not decent, but dressed), he let himself in. "What's wrong? Aren't you getting into the bath?"
Arthur gave him a slightly helpless look. He was too embarrassed to admit that he had no idea how the hell to even start about taking a bath in this bloody thing without the necessary tools.
Alfred looked at him, his expression slightly puzzled. "You just turn it on." Arthur was losing his patience. It was mortifying enough that he didn't know how to take a bloody bath in this place; he didn't need to add insult to injury! "Don't they have indoor plumbing in Britannia?"
Arthur gave the man a completely lost and confused expression. What the sodding hell was "indoor plumbing"?
Alfred seemed to understand Arthur's predicament now. "Oh… I see, they must not have it… Well… You turn this to turn on the hot water," Alfred offered, reaching over to grab a large, red knob on the wall of the tub. He turned it, and Arthur watched as water began to pour out of a large spout sticking out of the wall above the tub. Steam poured off of it, and Arthur could feel the heat even from back here. "And turn the blue one to add cold water and get it to your liking," Alfred explained simply. "Turn them both all the way to the right when you're done, and they'll turn off. There's soap and like by the wash basin."
Arthur watched as the tub filled before nodding hesitantly. Alfred left a set of folded clothes on the stand next to the wash basin (which Arthur now noticed had similar knobs). The taller man exited the room, leaving the Britannian to wash up. While he had no reason to believe Alfred would simply let himself into the room while Arthur bathed, he locked the door as a precaution.
Arthur looked down at the water, and began fiddling with the knobs on the wall. It took him a while to find the right temperature, but he found it easier than heating a bath over a fire that constantly had to be stoked. He stripped the leather from his body, shuddering as it stuck to his body slightly from slightly sticky sweat that must have built up overnight. He discarded the slave clothing, grabbing the bar of soap from the wash basin, and climbed gingerly into the bath.
Arthur lathered up the soap onto a washcloth, running it across his chest and arms, scrubbing sweat and general unpleasantness that had built up since his last bath. That had been a few days. For the very clean Britannian, it was too long. He sighed in pleasure, relaxing into the hot water momentarily before he continued to wash himself, scrubbing until his pale skin was slightly pink. He lathered up a bit more of the soap into his hands, raking the suds through his sandy blonde hair, cleansing himself of the disgusting "unwashed-hair" feeling.
He gently fingered the collar around his neck. It was high-quality-that much he could tell; a little water was unlikely to harm it. He took a breath, dunking himself under the surface of the water, ruffling his hair to rinse the soapy bubbles from himself.
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He wrapped a towel around himself, delighting in the fluffy softness of it; this hotel must have been rather high-end, to have something so luxurious… He'd never stayed anywhere this nice back in Britannia. Luxuries weren't exactly available to normal people such as him; he'd always made do with either an old shirt or a piece of linen for a towel before. He dried himself off, gently wiping the water off of his collar, as well.
He caught his reflection in the large mirror hanging over the basin. He moved closer, examining himself. He'd lost a bit of weight since he'd last viewed himself in a mirror. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to notice. He had always been slim, but he could see the faint image of his ribs on his sides, his hip bones jutting out a little more than normally. He was bony, but he had never been quite this bad. He frowned. He supposed that the meager meals given to him by the slave holder hadn't exactly been very nourishing.
The Britannian turned his attention to the clothing that had been left for his use. He quickly donned the pair of knickers and the plain, oversized tunic. The trousers were a little more difficult for him. They were far too long in the leg, and he was forced to roll up the cuffs at the bottom a good three or four times. He was thankful that he had been provided with a belt, as well-the waistband was far too wide. He cinched the belt to its smallest loop, and it still managed to slide down a bit. He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked as if he were the servant of a nobleman, in hand-me-down clothing from a former, far larger predecessor… except for that collar. It marked him for what he truly was.
He unlocked the door, walking out into the main room again. Alfred was packing a few remaining items of clothing into a large trunk. Arthur realized that the clothing he was currently wearing was a spare set of Alfred's. That explained why it was too big, he supposed. It was far better than wearing the leather uniform, he supposed.
"I'd ask you to pack, but I suppose you don't have anything, huh?" Alfred asked, closing the trunk's lid. He snapped the clasps shut before putting a large padlock to hold it closed. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to take you shopping once we get to Anacostia."
"Ana…costia?" Arthur's eyebrows furrowed together into a line of confusion. He had never heard of the name. "Where is that? A place in the countryside?"
"It's the capitol of Columbia," Alfred stated, looking rather bewildered. "Don't you know that?"
Arthur's eyes narrowed in irritation. If he had known where this bloody Anacostia place was, he wouldn't have asked now, would he? Honestly, what they hell was this man, simple? "I'm afraid my geography of the countries outside of Britannia is rather limited," he stated tightly. He could hear a tone of exasperation in his voice, and did his best to calm his rising temper; losing it because this idiot was being frustrating was hardly a smart move, nor the mark of a Britannian Gentleman.
"Huh… well, I suppose Columbia's only been a country for forty-some years. When did Britannia close its borders again?"
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