Vampire!EnglandxReader: Cherish

Your phone beeped, signaling an incoming text message. Groggily opening one (e/c) eye, you reached out to grab the mobile device, squinting at the tiny letters on the too-bright LCD screen. It was a text from your British boyfriend, Arthur Kirkland.
"What the hell…it's midnight…" You mumbled sleepily, sliding open the phone to type a message in reply. Now that I think about it, Arthur always texts me at night. I hardly ever hear from him in the day…
You yawned loudly and rolled over, wanting to fall back asleep. Another beep made you growl in frustration and pick up your phone once more. Why doesn't Arthur just contact me in the daytime rather than keeping me awake at night? You were slightly annoyed by this. You had work the next morning, and needed a good night's rest to be fully functional.
Heaving a great sigh, you shut off your cell and turned over drowsily, pulling the soft, warm blankets over your head in an effort to return to dreamland.

The next day at precisely six thirty in the morning, your alarm clock went off obnoxiously. Stretching out your stiff shoulder muscles, you yawned loudly and began to dress for your job as a waitress at Bonnefoy's Bar. Your good friend Francis owned the place, which meant you got extremely good pay, since he was quite the generous man. All thoughts of Arthur and the mystery surrounding him were cleared from your mind as you dashed out the door, pausing only to grab a thin slice of toast to eat for breakfast along the way. You roller-skated down the wide empty streets until you turned onto the corner on which the restaurant was located.

A small bell attached to the door handle jingled merrily as you entered. You were shocked to see none other than Arthur standing by the cash register, having a conversation with Francis.
"A-Arthur? What are you doing here?" You blinked in surprise, wondering why he would come to the restaurant. It's daytime… You mentally noted.

"Oh, hello (Name). I wanted to see you." He glanced at you and raised an arm in greeting. You waved back and flinched at his sallow skin color, wondering if it had gotten even paler than the last time you'd seen him.
"Arthur, are you feeling okay? You don't look so good." You bit your lower lip worriedly. It would be terrible if he was sick. His dark green eyes were mixed with a strange crimson shade, so they appeared a muddy brown color. Dark circles under the eyes made the Brit look very sleep-deprived.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." He tried to reassure you, waving an arm dismissively.

"By the way (Name), you can take the day off, if you'd like. After all, you deserve a break, non?" Francis interjected with a kind smile.
Your (e/c) eyes lit up with delight. "Thanks, Francis!" Turning to Arthur, you asked, "Since I have the day off today, do you want to go to the park with me?"
He nodded without saying a word, and you took his hand. It was icy cold to the touch.
"Why is your hand so cold?" You wanted to know, furrowing a thin eyebrow. It just didn't make sense to you, the way Arthur only texted you at night, the fact that his eyes were tinged with red, and his skin temperature was freezing. Your mind immediately came up with the conclusion of vampire, but you quickly pushed that suspicion to the back of your head. It just wasn't possible, was it?

Overhead, the sunlight was glaringly bright, and you noticed a bead of sweat trickling down Arthur's forehead. You couldn't help but feel a little anxious; he seemed to really be struggling with the intense summer heat.
"You know, if you don't feel good, we can just hang out at my apartment." You told him nervously, only caring about his well-being.

He only shook his head tiredly. "No, I'm fine. I just need some…shade, that's all."
You sighed, but didn't want to argue with him, knowing he could get irritable in only a matter of seconds. Finding a large oak tree with outstretched branches blocking most of the harsh sunlight, the two of you chose to relax underneath the cool shade and simply enjoy the warm summer breeze blowing on your faces. Or at least you were getting pleasure from it. Arthur, on the other hand, still looked a bit weak.
"…Sorry, I think I'm going to take a nap." He muttered, lying down on the soft springy grass. You nodded a bit sadly and pulled his head onto your lap, making a hint of pink appear on his ghostly pale cheeks. "W-What are you-"  He began to protest but you put a finger to his lips.
"Shh, I'll sing you to sleep." You said with a gentle smile.
Arthur grumbled something before closing his muddy brown eyes in defeat. The rising and falling of his chest began to grow steady as he started to fall asleep.
Parting your lips, you began to softly sing one of your favorite songs.

Since when have we lost
The wonderful things that we need somewhere?
I fear the connection to your heart
& I buried myself with my body
During those days when I lied everyday about my fear,
You were already in my heart

Arthur grunted something along the lines of "Beautiful."
With a tiny grin, you rested your small hand on his broad chest, expecting to feel the thumping of a heartbeat. Instead, there was absolutely nothing at all.
You yanked your hand away as if it was on fire, all the color draining away from your face. There was no way Arthur could be dead, he was still breathing normally! Frantically grabbing his cold, pale wrist, you checked for a pulse. None.
Arthur stirred a little, knitting his thick eyebrows together as if he were in pain. You shakily began to sing again, trying to soothe him while attempting to quiet down your own inner turmoil.

If we can think deeply
That someday time will end here,
I thought that will always love you
& I'll be holding out my hand to you

Well, it doesn't matter even if he is a vampire, right? He's still Arthur, and I still love him… your mind pointed out, and you continued to sing. Arthur still seemed to be restless, beginning to toss and turn back and forth on your lap. You stroked his silky blonde hair, wishing to comfort him.

Love is such a scary thing
That's why we run away as we search for it
It no longer has anything to do with being an adult or being a child

A huff of irritation came out of Arthur's mouth as he sat up peevishly, startling you. "It's no use; I can't sleep when it's sunny and bright out." He gritted his snow white teeth bitterly. You caught sight of a fang and your breath caught in your throat.
"Arthur…you don't have a heartbeat or a pulse, and I just saw that you had fangs too." You murmured, lowering your (e/c) eyes a little bit. You were unsure of what to think.
He froze, becoming completely still and merely stared at you, looking frightened. "I-I… (Name), I…" He stammered, at a loss for the right words to say.
Shaking your head from side to side, you replied, "It's okay. I know you must be a vampire, or something of the sort."
Closing your eyes, you began to sing again. This time, you were trying to calm yourself down as well.

This feels just like it's my first love
So much so that I feel like it must be fate
Not even in my dreams do I feel
The way I do when we hold each other

"Yes, I guess you're right. I am a vampire." Arthur sighed, looking resigned. "I'm sorry I never told you before."
"That must be why you only ever text me at night. Also, you look really tired because you need blood, right? You're more than welcome to drink mine." You offered, wanting nothing but to help him.
He looked at you, a horrified expression coming over his handsome face. "No! I could never do something as un-gentlemanly as drinking blood from my very own girlfriend!" He barked, standing up and swaying dangerously from side to side.

"Please, Arthur. I can't bear seeing you suffer like this. I don't mind, I promise." You pleaded desperately, looking at him beseechingly.
The Brit looked at you for several long moments before finally giving in reluctantly. "Fine." He snapped, turning away from you like a pouty child.
You stifled a giggle and brushed the long, flowing locks of (h/c) away from your smooth neck.
"Not at the neck! That's going to turn you into a vampire too!" Arthur shouted, appearing distraught.
"I want to be one so I can spend more time with you." You told him matter-of-factly.
"But-" He started to argue. You cut him off by singing the last few lines of the song meaningfully.

If we can't meet each other,
I couldn't laugh this way like when I'm with you
This year, the happiest thing is
Being able to be by your side

"…You have way too much influence on me." Arthur complained, coming up behind you slowly.
"I love you." Was all you said in response as his cool breath tickled your sensitive neck.
Licking the side of your throat, Arthur whispered, "I-I love you too. I'll cherish you, I promise."
There was a brief second of pain as the world went pitch black.