Parenting: Ups and Downs Chap 13 (EnglandxReader)

Chapter Thirteen

((Read description first please))

“Where did you get this, _____?!” Arthur demanded, throwing his hands in the air. Hunter-green eyes fiercely drilled into yours, fury completely raging in his deep pupils.

A bit startled by his sudden wrath, you stepped away from him, diverting your eyes away from him hastily and focusing on the intricate ceiling. Time to face the music, you thought ruefully.

“I want an explanation!” He repeated.

Frowning, you lowered your gaze long enough to form a polite sentence to your former employer. “I needed some boxes to pack my belongings in. I thought there would be some in the attic. I was shuffling things around, and found that picture in a box I wanted to use. I’m sorry.”

“You have no right ‘rummaging’ through my stuff! That is personal and private!” He snatched the photo and jammed it into his front pants pocket. He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by France opening the door.

“Perhaps, I’ll….I’ll see you later, hmm?” France flashed a smile to ______, and then eyed his rival while seating himself. “May I have a glass of water, please?”

“Certainly.” You retrieved it and eyed your guests. France appeared to be in a jovial mood. You smiled. That was a good sign, but what about Her? Stealing a glance, you watched Her out of the corner of your eye. She seemed….distant. Almost as if she was re-living in another world.

~~~/\~~~ (Her P.O.V.)

I rotated on my heel, raising my hand to stop the slowly budding tears. The last few minutes had really startled me pretty badly. As ______, Francis, and Arthur squabbled amongst themselves, I toddled into the living room, collapsing into the couch with a dazed expression. I swallowed the lump in my throat, and cradled my head in my hands. “He knows….”

~Le Flashback~

I swallowed nervously, almost glaring into the sapphire orbs of the Frenchman. Confusion, warmth, passion, and….I think, love sang out from his eyes. “….What do you want?” I mumbled, lowering my gaze.

“…..Look at me.” Was his quiet command.

Hesitantly, I obeyed for a second. “Yeah?”

“I want to know the truth.”

I could feel his gaze intensify with every breath I took. My heart loudly slammed against my ribcage, echoing in my ears. He knew. But how?! How could he possibly have known? I sat, stunned by his abrupt request. In an attempt to play dumb, I stammered, “The truth?”

“Oui, the truth. I want to know.” He prompted, crossing his arms and leaning backwards into his chair. “Tell me.”

I swallowed, debating whether or not I should reveal my terrible secrets. With a heavy heart, I gulped some of my beverage down and began my tale. “With…..Well…..Francis….I-I suppose, I’ll start ah….w-well….how about the beginning?”

He nodded and I started my adventure. “……..Well….Francis….I-it’s a long…story….I-I think I’ll start with back home.”

I don’t know why, but I told him everything, including my past, before I met him.

“Well….let me explain. My father left me and my mother when I was five.” I mumbled to him, eyes closing. “ I remember the day clearly, despite my young age. The day was perfect: bright, glaring sun, warm breeze, not a fluffy cloud in sight. Ironically, it rained the day after he left.  Anyway …. As you know, I moved to your town when I was thirteen. I met both of you in a “Welcome to Our Town Party”, remember?”

He nodded with a faint smile, as if he was standing in that room, noticing me for the first time.

“W-well..” Now came the harder part. “E-Eventually….I discovered that I was a girl….a-and boys would like me….and they did, as you know. I had a crush on both of you…I’m not sure…how…but I know I did.” My eyes misted over with happiness. “I remember flirting with both of you dashing young gentlemen, not really knowing whom to choose…..but….I started leaning towards Arthur.”

His face turned pink, flushed with sudden…irritation at the mention of his rival. I trudged on with a heavy heart. “…..I chose Arthur because…..I…I-I felt like he’d stay with me.”

As I burrowed myself into _______’s couch, I smiled sadly. Yes, I chose Arthur because he’d stay with me. I realized now why: ever since my dad had left….I had craved a male presence to be with me. I didn’t want to be left alone….and…well…between the two of them, Arthur would be the most loyal to me. So, I pursued Arthur. I’d call him every day and coax him to laugh and laugh…..I asked him to go out with me, and he agreed.

 I was grateful Francis didn’t prompt me to continue my narrative or demand an explanation. “We dated for a few months, and I was somewhat disappointed with our relationship. The one thing I cherished most about him was my greatest adversary. He was a perfect gentleman. He never broke any boundaries, and that was the one thing I desired. I wanted to be his so badly, I could almost taste it! But, I did not give up. Every day, I’d pepper him with loving touches and mention briefly that I wanted to be his and his alone…..and every day, he’d simply ignore my subtle hints and distract me with a kiss.”

His frown spread with every kind word about his rival. “I did love him…..but…I wanted to make sure he’d be mine. Arthur was special. Arthur…was the type of man every lady dreamt of. I wanted him to never leave me, I wanted him to….I guess, grow old with me.  One day, I was in the park, engrossed in a novel, and it dawned on me: elope! The answer to my problem! The solution was to elope! I was eighteen at the time, and technically “Legal”….at least by Disney’s standards.”

He chuckled at the last comment, and that seemed to soothe my fears. “So, I added to my suggestion list: Elopement. I’d offer it with a giggle, and he’d always get flustered and brush off my comment with a kiss or a hug. After we graduated, Arthur came to his senses and we left the next morning.”

“We soon found an apartment that we could afford…..if we both worked. Arthur got a job during the day, and I got a job during the night. Although it wasn’t the best agreement, at least we were together….but, even then, Arthur still maintained all of the previous boundaries, despite the fact we were living together. We hadn’t had enough time to get married yet, but that was on my “To do list”. I was getting anxious. What…what if he didn’t like me? What if he didn’t want me anymore? The British lad always would endure through misery just to keep others happy! In despair, I began to plan.”

Well, Francis and I still wrote letters to each other every week. I told him about our happy lives, and invited him over for tea. A few months later, I heard a knock at the door. In an astonishing turn of events, Francis had rented the apartment across the hall from us. I was relieved, for I was being to go crazy from the solitary “day life” I had without my boyfriend. Eagerly, he and I talked for hours, he leaving before Arthur would come home. Life…was perfect. For now.

I wiped my eyes, the sounds of Arthur, Francis, and ______ talking becoming muffled and vague. “One night, you and Arthur went drinking….and….Arthur finally made his move. I remember crying…later, once I learned I was pregnant. I was carrying Arthur’s baby. For a brief moment, I was overcome with joy! I was having MY Arthur’s baby! But…..as I thought about my situation, I frowned. I truly loved Arthur. And….it pained me to think he and I created this beautiful baby out of rash behavior than out of love. I wanted him to cherish me out of romantic love, not cold-hearted duty.”

“But….he would have kept you. He would have stayed with you the whole time! You know Arthur is loyal!” Francis complained, shaking his head. His blue eyes were stoking a fire that could not be quenched. “Why were you so stupid?!”

I ignored him, continuing with my confession. “Deciding to give the baby away was the best option, I lied to Arthur, telling him my mother was ill and needed my help. I left shortly afterwards and continued to form excuses day after day of why I should stay. I gave birth to a healthy baby boy, eight pounds, eighteen inches long. After much debate, I chose to give him away so he’d have a loving family. But who would the family be? I didn’t want him to live in an abusive home, nor in a neglectful home. I took the squabbling boy and dropped him off at Arthur’s work. I knew the CEO left the office late, and hoped he would spare some compassion for my poor baby. I kissed my boy and left, praying he’d find a good home and a loving family. That night was going to be Love Night and nothing was going to stop me.”

“Or…so I thought. I crossed my arms, glaring at the throw pillow, remembering my boyfriend’s face when he had opened the door several years ago. “Arthur called out cheerfully the moment he arrived home. ‘Hello, Love!’ He greeted me with a hungry kiss and held up a large bundle….that looked strangely familiar. I asked him what was inside, and he shushed me with another kiss and a hug.

I opened the blanket and there sat the boy I had given birth to. “O-Oh…..love…what is this doing here?” I recalled asking as I bit my lower lip. With a childish face full of delight, he begged and pleaded with me to keep this boy, who, unbeknownst to Arthur, was our son. I reluctantly agreed, wishing I had never even laid eyes on the boy. Well, a few months passed, the boy, ‘Al’ grew both in size and weight. Ever since Al joined our lives, Arthur had been respecting my privacy more than ever! I was so frustrated!”

I remained curled in the overstuffed sofa, cradling the pillow to my chest, hoping it’d stop my tears. One day, while babysitting the boy, I invited Francis over for tea, begging him to grant me a favor. It killed me, I felt undesirable or unwanted. I felt useless from the very man I cherished more than life itself. With tears, I requested that France be with me just once. Just…to make me feel complete.

He agreed and soon, we were into the act. Little did I know that Arthur had asked for the day off, hoping to spend time with our “family”. He discovered us, and banished me out of his apartment. I remember kissing his handsome face goodbye, and waving at my son, tears streaking my make-up. That was the last time I spoke to or saw them for two years.

“Would you like something to drink?” _______ asked softly, snapping me out of my nostalgia.

“Yes, that’d be fine.” I nodded, continuing my trek down Memory Lane. Francis, also a gentleman, invited me to live with him. Everything seemed to be going well, he treated me as if I were a queen….like how Arthur did. But…..once again….something happened. I shut my eyes, traveling back to my confession. “ You….also became drunk and three months later, I found myself screaming at the pregnancy test. I was blessed (or cursed) once more with a boy. Do you remember? You accidentally discovered the stick, and surprised me by rejoicing that I was with your child. I was….but I didn’t want to be. I wanted to be Arthur’s. This boy….didn’t need to exist.”

His mouth gaped open with shock, complete surprise washing over his features. I swallowed, lowering my head. “Gulping, I lied, proclaiming the janitor attacked me and I was with his child. The look of complete horror, disgust, disappointment, and unbelief clouded your features for all of my pregnancy. Y-You…. were so kind to me, and never mentioned your dejection about the child. I gave birth to another boy, and gratefully, you  agreed to nurture the boy if I worked. You took care of my son for a year….but…by then, I had lost my seventh job, and my money was depleted. Out of stress, I threatened you….and demanded you pay me for the privilege of raising the sweet boy. You obviously refused….and so…I did the only thing I could. I left.”

It seemed as if he wasn’t even listening to the rest of the story. “My son and I started to live on the streets. After two months of harsh difficulty, I knew what I must to do insure Matthew would have an excellent future. I asked around until I found Arthur’s address, then packed Mattie’s bags and delivered him into the hands of the British angel.”

There….the rest of my life is a blur…until I bumped into that same British angel just three days ago. My life…is worthless.

~~~/\~~~

“Here you are.” You offered Her the tea with a sympathetic smile. She received it with a dazed nod and you immediately retreated to the comfort of the kitchen.  “FROG!”….Well…maybe comfort wasn’t exactly the right word.

“Please! Arthur and Francis, sit down!” You demanded, slamming your hands on the table. Glancing at your watch, you sighed. “I need to go get the boys.” Ignoring the childish gibberish spewing from downstairs, you silently entered Matthew’s and Al’s room, knocking softly. “Sweethearts? Al? Mattie? Time to get up.”

Alfred sat up, drowsily wiping his eyes. “Nana…” he mumbled, yawning.

“What is it, love?” you inquired, scooping half-asleep Mattie and Kuma from their bed. “Mattie, wake up, silly. Come on.” Planting a kiss on his forehead, brushing the light-blonde hair with your nose, you chuckled when an eye opened halfway. “N-nana?” He whispered, yawning.

“Is it time for snacks now?” The older tyke begged, tugging on your pants. “I’m hungry.” Al yawned, still rubbing his left eye. Sleep quickly left his features, replaced by unbridled energy. “Nana! Let’s eat!” He cheered, dancing around the room.

His brother, however, was not that eager to greet mornings. Matthew remained drowsy, slurping on his fingers and clutching your collar with his other hand. Nodding, you held out your hand, allowing the hyper child to lead you downstairs to the kitchen.

“I SAID-“ Arthur’s harsh voice echoed down the hall.

Frowning, you cleared your throat once you entered the room, sending a warning glance to your former employer. “Hiyah, Mr. Arthur!” Al waved energetically, attacking his guardian’s legs with an electrical energy. “Can we eat now? Nana said we could eat if we came down! So, I’m hungry!” He emphasized every other word with a tug.

Exhaling, the Brit released his pants from the grip of the boy. “All right, just…can’t you wait a bit? We have company over.” A harsh jade glare was fired at the irritating Frenchman, one that said Frenchman ignored.

Francis’ sapphire eyes glazed over with a misty haze as Matthew asleep on your shoulder came into view. He bit his lip, dropping his head. His flirtatious voice dropped to a whisper. “….Non, I need to leave. Good…bye.” Almost as if hesitant to leave, he glanced back at Matthew for the briefest moment then left.

~~~/\~~~

“….So…Matthew is really my son…” Francis whispered to himself, almost as if to grasp the concept. When he had first met Her, he started his usual flirtations, not necessarily drawn to Her charms at first. But, over time, he found himself smitten with her, even at fifteen. She was attractive, charming, witty, sometimes even spontaneous and full of life….someone he believed he could have lived his life with. A chilly breeze blew, tousling the blonde’s hair while startling him. “…..At least I know the truth now…..” A contagious bittersweet smile played his lips. “I’m a father.”