☆WRITTEN SOMETIME DURING EARLY 2018☆

WELL, I've been doing a healthy amount of these. In this one, you meet a young man (Vincent. Duh.) while vacationing in Italy. You eventually part ways, and both find success and love elsewhere, but on some evenings, you remember your time spent together, even if it's left unsaid.

*Strongly based on the attached song, called "Dear Fellow Traveller" by Sea-Wolf. I love the album; it's called "Old World Romance." Check it out*.

Also, *cries* I MISS ITAAAALLLYYY

Soon. I shall return.

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The ancient city around you was alive as you paced through the crowded streets, pushing ahead, trying to locate an address to an event. It was one to which you hardly thought you'd be invited, as you weren't truly part of the same crowd as the hosts.

You breathed in, only somewhat discouraged as you became more aware of your situation. You were not lost. Though, you weren't sure where to go either. Finally, just because you didn't want to be late, you asked a local for directions. It couldn't be far.

"Mi scusi signore. Sai dov'è la via serpentina?"

"Il cosa?" He replied, confused by your inquiry, as though he believed the road you were seeking didn't exist. He confirmed it. "Quella strada non è reale. Una storia. É fatto."

"A story! Made up?" He turned on his heel and left you. "Hey! Wait!" You were alone, or, so you thought.

"You speak English?" Another man inquired, stepping forward into the glow of the streetlight.

"Yeah." Your eyes widened. He was handsome. His hair was cut in a youthful style, and he was young, no doubt, but older than you, perhaps in his late twenties. It was a a deep, blackish colour; it looked nearly blue, and it reminded you of the dark oceans only slightly too far away for you to observe that night in Rome. His eyes too, were dark, enchanting, and the way in which he carried himself, the manner in which he dressed, indicated he was far from poor. "I do. What's it to ya?"

He held out his hand. "I'm Vincent. Are you by any chance going to a party tonight?" He looked down. "You look lovely."

You swallowed. His compliment brought colour to your cheeks. You nodded. "I'm trying to find this one road, the way of the Serpent or, Serpentine Avenue, if I'm translating right. It's something like that." You were partially correct.

"Oh!" He seemed at once intrigued. "I'm headed there, too." He held up an envelope between the fingertips of his other hand as you glanced down. Was your purse unzipped before? "It's actually a private road." He went on. "Not a lot of people use it." You raised an eyebrow. His explanation didn't quite explain why that other stranger thought it to be practically legendary. You disregarded any suspicions as the one in your present company continued. "My family is serendipitously throwing a big party tonight. Ya know, one for the elite." He rolled his eyes. "My mum's quite ostentatious."

"Wait are you Vincent-"

"Phantomhive, yes." He still had his hand out. "Would you like a ride?"

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You gripped the side of the car as you raced trough the streets, alight underneath the moon. Your heart beat rapidly. You were not afraid.

"Uh, Vincent. Do you think you could-" he veered around yet another narrow corner. His action prevented you from finishing.

"Slow down?" He laughed. "Not a chance!" You fought back a scream. "You scared?" He gripped the clutch, turning once more. You involuntarily leaned towards him. "Woah!" He laughed as you moved back. "We just met, {Y/N}." You'd introduced yourself only moments before.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" You didn't want to explain yourself any further.

"Never been in an Aston Martin, have you?"

You folded your arms across your chest.

"It's okay." He accelerated, much to your dismay. "I haven't met anyone who's actually enjoyed driving on the road we're about to in one of these." He smiled. "Hold on."

"Wait where we just were, that wasn't the Serpentine-" you screamed as he cut you off again.

"Not even close."

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"I need a minute."

You leaned against the side of the silver bullet of a sports car you'd been riding in, clutching your stomach. You would not get sick in front of him.

"You alright?" Vincent placed his hand on your shoulder. "I can have our butler get you some tonic water if you need it."

"Your butler?"

"Yeah." He replied as though it was commonplace. "He's been in the family a while."

"Lemme guess." You laughed. It helped. "He all but raised you."

He took his hand away, laughing, too. "More or less." You were able to stand back up. "Here." He offered it to you again. As he did so, the light of the moon caught on something.

"Is that a wedding ring?" You asked impulsively.

"This?" He looked down. "Oh. No. It's also been in the family a...while." He laughed again. "It's always worn by the Earls of my household."

"Oh. Good." You exhaled, too tired to properly understand. You focused on something else. "Are you married?"

"Nope." He grinned. "Not even close." He turned his palm over. "I don't have a date to this either. I was out with some people, before, doing business back where I ran into you." You finally took his hand in yours. The ring he wore was nice. It felt heavy. "Wanna be my unofficial one?"

"Your date?" Your lips twitched. He noticed, and his smile broadened.

"Yeah." He looked down. His grip tightened. "A beautiful girl like you shouldn't be alone on a night like this."

"I'm not titled." You responded, finally appreciating what he said, that he'd bear more than his fair share of responsibility and wealth one day. "My father wasn't even a gentleman."

"Was he from Ireland?" It was a joke.

"What?" You laughed. "No." He looked back up. "He's from {wherever your father is from}."

"Oh. Cool!" He stepped forward. "I don't care." He looked back over his shoulder as he pulled you along behind him. "It's not like I'm want for money."

"Want for..." you scoffed. "What year is it...ohhh." You couldn't help but gawk, forgetting whatever prior jab you were going to cleverly throw the future Earl Phantomhive as you beheld how right he was. You felt like you'd stepped back in time.

"That's your house?"

"Yep." He turned to face a grand estate.
More moonlight caught in the water steaming from fountains that did not look the slightest bit out of place: a true feat, even among the richest people you knew. "Well, our vacation home." He turned back to you. "You should see our manor."

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"Vincent!" You walked trough emptying halls, searching for the man who'd brought you to his home, to the anachronistic ball that seemed nearly Victorian in nature. "Vincent!" You huffed, muttering to yourself. "Where'd he go?"

A hand fell on your shoulder. You veered around, and your expression fell. "Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."

"Are you the butler?" The old man smiled and repeated his previous statement.

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"Right through here, Ma'am." Tanaka, as the head of staff had properly introduced himself, opened a set of rich, heavy doors, and you passed through them. Expecting him to follow, you stepped back, only to have them close softly in your face.

You turned, only to find what -or who- you were searching for. "Vincent!" You smiled. "I've been looking everywhere for you." He was staring out of the windows behind a large desk, one just as gilded and ornate as everything else around you. It almost looked earlier than it was; there was so much light. Everything shined.

"Hey, {Y/N}." He didn't turn around.

"So, did you want some of the tarts they're, or you're, serving, or..." you stepped forward. He was oddly silent.

"Don't." It sounded like an order. It was an order. You listened. "Don't come closer."

"Why not?" He made an odd sound. It was almost as though he was... "Are you crying?"

He turned back, then. He was. "I'm fine." He wiped his eyes using the back of his hand. "It's nothing."

"No it's not." You disobeyed his earlier command and stepped towards him. "What's wrong?" He didn't tell you to stop. "We're friends, right?"

His brief smile fell. You wondered why. He nodded. "It's work related."

"What do you do?" He broke eye contact.

"I can't say." He sighed. "It's one of the reasons I've had trouble finding, well-" he paused. "It's embarrassing."

"What?" You replied. "Finding what?" You worked hard to show that you were concerned about him. It was the truth, though you hardly knew him. Well, you knew of him. He wasn't unheard of, even outside his circle of friends.

"A girlfriend." He sniffled. It was adorable. "I've never had one."

"Really?" You responded a little too loudly. His eyes widened. "You've never had a girlfriend?"

"No." The corners of his lips twitched. He was relaxing. "Have you had a boyfriend?"

"Yes." You stated. "I'm not thirteen." His expression fell again. You changed directions. "Look." You stepped forward. "I already agreed to be your date. Why don't I, even if it's just for tonight, pretend to be something more?"

"Pretend?" You raised a hand to his collar as he posed another inquiry. "Something more?"

"Whatever you want." He moved closer to you as you spoke. "Your Grace." He laughed.

"Don't call me that." He rolled his eyes. You started to pull away, preparing to head back to the party. Though, it was ending soon; it had gotten quite late. He held you in place. "Don't. Don't go." You snorted, then regretted it. It wasn't very fancy of you.

"What, do you want me to stay here?"

He didn't reply, but you knew that's exactly what he wanted.

"When do you go back?" You looked up at him. There were still tears in his eyes. "To London, I'm guessing."

"The day after tomorrow." He did reply that time.

"Oh. Well, we've got tomorrow, then."

"You'll stay?" He was more than thrilled at your response. He reminded you of an excited puppy. You felt bad for comparing someone like Vincent Phantomhive to a dog, but somehow it fit. You wondered what his job entailed. "You mean it?"

You stepped forward, again, and clasped your arms around his neck. "Of course. I'm your girlfriend, aren't I?"

He moved closer to you too, and you felt briefly like you did in his car, but happier, safer, in that moment. Still, your heart beat like it did before, when you found yourself twisting and turning along an ancient path, leading you out of an ageless city, befittingly, almost as though you'd been racing through time itself.

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Woooooo wasn't that fun? I like Vincent. He sexy. Plus, I think his personality is pretty upbeat, which is cool.

Let me know if you guys liked it! I think, at least until I've got more time, I'll stick to doing these when I can. They're quite fun to write! I might add some new anime, too. HMU if there's one you wanna see!

Thanks again!
~ Britt