England x Reader

Getting to know you

His house was only a couple of houses away from my own, which surprised me since I was sure I hadn't seen him around before. I looked up at the house as he fumbled with the keys. It was a pleasant red brick house with a tall chimney towering over the roof and dark wooden beams visible on the top front of the house which supported its prism-shaped roof. There was a small balcony that was tucked neatly into the side of the house, sheltered by the overhang of the upper part of the building. His front garden, although dimmed by the grey light of the sky, still held its charm and fitted neatly with the rest of the house. All in all, I was very impressed by how well kept and attractive it all looked and I could hardly wait to see what was hidden on the inside. The front door was of a large, wooden, medieval style with slight modern touches so as to not overuse the old fashioned look. A red brick arch framed it and as the door swung open, I was greeted with warmth. 

He let me go in first while he shook the droplets off his black umbrella. 'What a gentleman.' I smiled to myself as I stepped inside. A faint smell of earl grey drifted through the air and the neatly arranged interior was just as charming as the exterior. The doorway was a comfortable size with a side table touching the left wall carrying two lamps (opposite sides of the table) and a mirror on the wall in-between. A shoe cupboard was to the side along with an umbrella rack, and a red doormat with the words 'Welcome', which sat comfortably on the floor. "Just leave your shoes to one side, Love, and I'll go and fetch you some clothes," The man walked past me, after putting his shoes and umbrella away, and headed down the hall. I propped my backpack against the wall, putting it to one side, and slowly walked in the same direction, admiring the interior design as I went. The doorway opened into a large hallway which had several open doors leading out of it. I was surprised by how light the house was, considering how dull and grey it was outside. The walls were a pleasant cream colour which had been ornamented with pictures, paintings and one or two mirrors, all hung neatly on the walls. The flooring was wooden with one large red patterned mat in the middle of the hall. Wide carpeted stairs with dark wooden railings led upstairs and I heard a distant padding of feet as the man walked about on the second floor. I couldn't help but look at the various pictures and paintings; one of the largest was a portrait of the man himself. It was a very attractive picture of him and I couldn't help but admire how enchanting he looked. "A friend of mine painted that picture." I jumped when he spoke, turning around to see him standing at the top of the stairs smiling down at me and carrying some clot-'Wait, are those women's clothes?' I thought in confusion, although part me wasn't surprised, after all, he was a very attractive man, why on earth would he be single? "If you follow me, there's a spare room that you can get changed in." He beckoned me to follow him, handing me the clothes as I walked up the stairs. "Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude in any way but why you have women's clothes in your house?" I asked as politely as I could, realising that he might find it a personal question. He laughed in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Oh right, well, er, that's a funny story actually..." He trailed off.

"How about we both tell each other our stories over tea? It'll be fun and a good way to pass the time while my clothes dry." I said cheerfully as we approached the spare room.

"Alright, Love. I'll be downstairs if you need anything, the bathroom is down the hall, second door to your right and if you can bring your wet clothes downstairs when you're done, I'll wash them. Do you need anything else, Love?" He smiled and I shook my head, thanking him.

"I'm [Name] by the way, I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself earlier," I laughed in embarrassment. 'How could you forget to introduce yourself!?' Seems that I wasn't the only one. "A-Arthur! My name is Arthur Kirkland, bloody hell, how could I forget to introduce myself?! I'm so sorry Miss [Name]; I don't know what came over me." He bowed in apology and I giggled at the fact that we'd both forgotten. "Please, just call me [Name]." I thanked him again for the clothes and walked into the room shutting the door behind me, breathing out slowly as I felt the warmth of my cheeks. 'That was so funny but so embarrassing.' I lightly slapped my cheeks to compose myself and then got changed.