This is the sequel to My Gentleman Hero. If you haven't read it, you probably should. I probably won't explain what's already happened and only allude to it.

It's not from Al's POV, so, sorry.

Arthur stared blankly at the board. He was in no mood to examine Alice in Wonderland too closely. After all, as far as he could tell, the man had probably written it for a bit of fun. Or he was on drugs, like so many people speculated.

Besides, he was extremely tired. Last night he had foiled a robbery and stopped a gang war. Both on his own since he had refused to let Alfred come along. The boy had already punched through several bloody warehouses in the last week.

Trying hard to keep his eyes open, Arthur stared hard at the board. Finally, he gave up and, considering he was pretty far back and behind other students who were currently unenthusiastically listening, laid his head on the table. He kept a weather eye for any important points but, for the most part, he tuned out, allowing himself time to think.

It had been eight years since he had discovered his ability to control the speed of objects and himself. Eight years since he had resolved to get rid of them as fast as possible. And he still possessed them. It irritated him. When he had moved to this city for college, he grew more irritated when he found the others who were in a similar position to him and was almost forced to become a superhero. He no longer had any interest in them.

However, the thing that bugged him the most was definitely Francis. He couldn't stand the sight of him after their time together at boarding school in Pensionnat, near Chartres in France. It was entirely because of that tosser that he'd had to go through the hell he had had with his parents that year. After several arguments, his father had angrily pointed out that he was adopted.

The shock and trauma had activated his powers. Which, he supposed, had been good for his floundering French.

A small sigh escaped him. He wanted to get rid of these powers so much that sometimes he had dreams about it. But... Now that he had met Alfred and his boundless enthusiasm for the exact thing he wanted to get rid of, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to any more. In fact, for once, when he had fought Harry in the final battle, he had enjoyed himself.

Suppressing a groan, Arthur sat up straighter, sore from the way he had been leaning. Lifting his pen, he began to twirl it between his fingers. If the situation arose where he could get rid of them, what would he do? And would Alfred be disappointed if he did relinquish them?

Another thing he was concerned about was Harry. He had appeared from seemingly nowhere, despite all their thorough investigations. There were probably more like him and less like Alfred's adoptive parents. When would they pop up and what could they do about it? He didn't look forward to finding out what would happen.

His thoughts returned to Alfred. The younger man was unaccustomed to his powers and terribly inexperienced. Arthur could foresee a lot of trouble arising from this. But another thing was tickling the back of his mind.

Hey, Artie. Thanks for being my hero.

Arthur's heart skipped a beat when he thought on that. It felt as though he had never been appreciated before and Alfred was the first one. But he had plenty of thanks over the time he had been a superhero so it wasn't entirely knew to him. Perhaps it was the awed and loving tone he had used. Maybe it was the fact that his wish to be viewed as someone important by the boy who had brought him out of his shell all those years ago had been fulfilled.

Quickly, he scribbled down something that looked important from the board. This was no good, getting distracted like this. He had to focus on what he was doing and not on things that were and what might be. He would be eternally glad that Francis had opted not to attend this early morning lecture to tease him about his distractedness.

Finally, the lecturer finished droning about whatever mundane thing he had been talking about. There was a flurry of activity and noise as everyone present gathered their things. Just as Arthur slung his bag over his shoulder, he noticed someone was hovering at the end of the row, waiting for him.

Glancing up, he surveyed the girl. She had black hair which she habitually wore down, the curtain of hair covering her eyes when she grew embarrassed. Those eyes were a deep, chestnut brown. Her skin was always slightly pale but it looked soft and smooth. Pink lips twitched upwards in a smile as he gazed at her.

His stalker had decided to talk to him.

To be fair, she didn't really stalk him. The girl only followed him around when Arthur was at college, occasionally sitting nearby when she could. Arthur knew she liked him though he wasn't entirely sure why. However, she had never spoken to him before. She always seemed to be nervous.

"Ah, hello," said Arthur, politely. "Grace, isn't it?"

The girl's arms wrapped around her stomach as though she was hugging herself. Nodding, she whispered to Arthur. "I... I was wondering... if..." Grace took a breath and ploughed on in one breath. "Would you like to go to dinner with me?" She held her breath once she was done, keeping her eyes resolutely on the board.

Blinking, Arthur wondered what to do. He had no interest in her whatsoever. After all, since his time in France, he had known that he was never going to have a girlfriend. Nor did he want one. But this poor girl had screwed up all her courage – the least he could do was give her a reward. And it was a gentlemanly thing to do.

"Did you have any place in mind?" he asked, gently.

Grace glanced up in surprise. Those dark eyes widened and bore into Arthur's green ones. "W-Well! There's this real good one. Um... I think it's called Eroe in Camuffare. It's got a mix of different cuisines."

Arthur nodded. He knew the place. In fact, a week or so ago, he had been there on a double date. Not that it had actually been a date – just one of Alfred's many whims. "Yes. Tonight at six?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes, please!" breathed Grace. Arthur smiled at her but she spoke again before he could respond. "I-I'll see you later!" And with that, she rushed off, leaving Arthur to sidle out of the row on his own.

Walking from the college library, his arms full of various books, Arthur was surprised to find Alfred talking with Francis in the corridor. He frowned: what was the Frenchman up to now? Deciding to just stalk by them, he stuck his nose in the air and marched past without looking.

"Ah, Artie!" exclaimed Alfred. Arthur huffed to himself before turning round. He hated hearing that – 'Artie' belonged to the adorable Alfred from long ago not the Alfred who could snap him in half. "Whatcha up to?"

"Nothing in particular," said Arthur, eyeing the two of them. Francis looked amused. Alfred seemed rather nervous. "What are you doing? I hope you have your college work completed."

Alfred winced. "It's... It's nearly done, don't worry."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to be getting along with."

"Hey, isn't it unusual for you to be going away from the library?" Alfred hurriedly asked as Arthur turned. The Brit paused and slowly twisted back round, frowning at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked in a low tone.

"Just... Just wondering!" cried Alfred hurriedly, grinning sheepishly. His hand rubbed the back of his neck as he gazed at Arthur. "I mean, I always find you in there."

"Hmph!" said Arthur. "Well, I happen to be busy tonight so I am taking the books home with me. That way, I can work through the night."

"Oh? What're you doing?"

"It's none of your business."

"Is it more her-?" began Alfred but Arthur kicked him hard on the shin as a group of girls breezed by, giggling a little. "Ouch!" he cried instead, pouting at Arthur as he rubbed at his leg. "What'd you do that for?!"

"Why can't you keep your voice down?" Arthur retorted with a sigh. "And no, it's nothing to do with that, actually. Unless something comes up, of course."

"Yeah? Then what're you doing that's so important that it keeps you from the library?" Francis cleared his throat and Arthur watched Alfred's eyes change from confusion to alarm. He scrambled to cover himself. "I-I mean, not that there's anything wrong with being in the library all day!" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Well, okay, so it kinda is, you're not getting enough sun. Oh, wait. It's December. So, uh, what I mean is..." Alfred trailed off, his eyes now desperate for relief.

Rolling his eyes, Arthur sighed once again. "If you really must know, I have a date."

Both Francis and Alfred burst out laughing. "You?" gasped Francis after a moment. "You have a date?"

Arthur almost growled in anger. "Yes. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, oui," said Francis, his eyes shining with amusement. Arthur's scowl deepened. Francis knew the truth. And he had better not tell their new recruit.

"But I thought you couldn't get girlfriends?" asked Alfred, still grinning.

With wide eyes, Arthur stared at him. "How do you know that?"

"Francis told me you've never had one."

His eyes narrowed as he glared at the two of them. It was true that he had never had a girlfriend. But there was a very good reason for that, after all. Being gay, he had no inclination of asking a girl out. What would be the point? However, from the amused look that Francis was throwing in his direction, Arthur realised he hadn't quite gotten around to telling Alfred this detail. He squeezed his books tighter for lack of being able to fold his arms.

"Well, now I have a date. Don't worry yourself about my love life, thank you."

Alfred suddenly looked disappointed and glanced at Francis as though for guidance. The Frenchman in question snorted. "I doubt you asked her, cher," he said. "Et... It is the girl who stalks you, oui?"

"'Stalks'?" repeated Alfred. His eyes flickered towards Arthur in concern. "What's this?"

"There is a girl-"

"Her name is Grace," said Arthur, haughtily.

"Ah, oui. Grace took quite the fancy to our dear Arthur. Et she follows him around campus." Francis turned to Arthur with a large grin that Arthur didn't like. "She has been building herself up to ask him on a date for years."

"Really?" asked Alfred. Arthur stared at his disappointment.

"Do you know her?" he asked him gently. If Alfred liked her, then he would definitely apologise to Grace and call off the date. He cared too much about Alfred to come between him and the girl he liked. His chest felt tight at this thought and he forced himself to keep calm.

"Huh? Oh, no. I don't..." mumbled Alfred.

"Then...?" Arthur stopped himself from asking but he left the question in the air.

However, this seemed to cause Alfred some anxiety. "Oh, no! Don't worry 'bout me! Ah, yeah! I have to find Kiku for our project! Eh, gotta go!" And with that, Alfred passed Arthur by quickly, refusing to look at him. Arthur frowned: what was that? His harsh eyes returned to Francis who merely shrugged.

"Alfred is a strange young American, non?"

Arthur cursed as he stumbled into his flat, desperately trying to unbutton his waistcoat. He was running late. A last minute request for assistance at a bank robbery had meant that he had had to leave at half five and rush across the city to reach the forlorn looking building. Really now, who robbed a bank which looked as though it had seen better days?!

Not only that, but it had been near Alfred's place and he turned up in that bleeding provocative costume. Despite the costume, he was very serious about his job – which he was awful at. He barged in, creating a large hole in the wall and letting the burglars make their escape. Arthur had to run around, capturing them all before the situation was resolved. When he had returned to scold Alfred, the boy had given him puppy dog eyes behind his mask – how he managed to be seen behind it was beyond Arthur.

Eventually, he had realised that he was wasting time and hurried off. Now he had fifteen minutes to change and get to the middle of the city for his date. Throwing his top hat onto his couch, he took a breath. There was no way in hell he could do it at normal speed. He always strived to do that but, frankly, it would be a miracle if he could get changed in that time, let alone get to the restaurant.

With a sigh, Arthur concentrated a little and, suddenly, he was zooming round the apartment: his clothes thrown every which way, a short shower, more clothes on, the rose picked up from its place, his things gathered. Bracing himself, Arthur opened the door and ran down the stairs, getting down them in half the time he would normally. Pausing at the road, he briefly debated getting into a taxi but his speed won out. Maybe he would look a little windswept but he could explain that away.

Shifting his weight once again, Arthur glanced at his watch. It was quarter past six already and there was no sign of Grace. Was he being stood up? Arthur doubted it and was beginning to get a little worried. Biting his lip, he put his hand in his pocket and tapped at his phone, a finger running along the rose.

"A-Arthur..." said a quiet voice behind him. Relieved, he turned – and gaped. Grace had twisted her hair into a fancy bun which did not look any worse when he noticed strands hovering around her. She had deepened the pink of her lips somehow and the light blush on her cheeks made her all the more beautiful. Her eyes danced in happiness. The long, red dress spoke of confidence and the way she held herself was entirely different from normal, as if she had nothing to hide.

Smiling, Arthur stepped forward, holding out the rose. She took it reverentially. "Good evening, Grace. Are you ready?" He held out his arm and she placed her hand delicately on the crook of his elbow.

They entered the restaurant and managed to secure a table for two. Arthur spotted Yao at the door to the kitchen. The man raised an eyebrow; Arthur inclined his head ever so slightly.

For the first few minutes after they had been seated, they only discussed their menus and what would be best to order. Finally, the waiter left them in peace.

"You... You look... good," breathed Grace, looking down at her plate, the confident air rapidly disappearing.

"Thank you. And you look absolutely divine," said Arthur with a small smile. Inwardly, he marvelled at how well he could compliment this woman. Clearly he had been spending too much time with Francis.

"R-Really?" said Grace, breathlessly. "I... I wasn't sure what to wear and I ended up being a little late. I'm so sorry."

"Not at all," Arthur replied with a slight wave of his hand. He flashed her an encouraging smile. "I also thought I would be late. After all, what you wear when you are out and about is a necessity which costs us time." God, he was talking as though he was the Gentleman. He had to tone it down a bit.

"I can see you put some thought into it," she told him, gazing at him appreciatively. Arthur shifted uncomfortably. All he had really done was drag on the pressed suit he had worn with Alfred and his double date. "Thank you."

"Hm? Why?"

"Because... Because you actually put some thought into coming out tonight. My last date... he dressed like he normally would... It was awful."

"I'm sorry."

Grace laughed softly, like a summer breeze through oak leaves. "You don't need to do that. He was a bit of a-" She broke off and searched her mind for the right word. "Douche," she settled on.

"I'm sure he was much more than just a 'douche'," said Arthur with a frown.

"At least he didn't-" Grace broke off as their starters were brought out. As they tucked in, she changed the subject. "How are you getting on with that paper on Alice in Wonderland? I'm trying so hard to find other angles to it but all I can see is that Lewis Carroll was on drugs."

Arthur chuckled. "I still think he wrote it for a bit of fun. I'm pretty sure he knew people wouldn't understand half of it. He probably didn't even think it would be published."

Giggling, Grace nodded. "That's true."

"What about that Pride and Prejudice assignment? How did you get on with that?"

"Oh, I did that just fine!" Grace bit her lip and pushed her food around on her plate. "Are... Is this all we'll talk about?" she asked, hesitantly.

"No, no. Not at all. I'm just..." Arthur glanced out of the window and blushed. "I'm not sure what to talk to you about. I've never... You're really... Um..." He bit his lip to stop himself from putting his foot in it further.

"Ah, sorry. I... I didn't think you'd be as nervous as me." Arthur looked back at her and frowned at her bowed head. "I... I thought... You're so attractive... I thought you would have had dates with loads of girls."

"You..." Arthur chuckled softly. "No, I'm rather difficult to get along with, for the most part."

"No you're not!" exclaimed Grace, lifting her head, her eyes burning with passion. "You're so kind and patient and sweet and lovely! And, well..." She trailed off and blushed.

I'm not, Arthur thought. He sighed. "Well, thank you. But you don't know me all that well, so-"

"I've watched you for ages!" cried Grace. She paused. "Oh. That came out rather wrong."

"It's quite all right," said Arthur, once again waving her comment away. "I did notice you, after all."

"Oh. Sorry," said Grace ashamedly.

Trying to cheer her up, Arthur returned the conversation to their food. Inside his head, he struck up a mantra. Please don't let this date end badly...

After awkward small talk, Arthur turned the topic of conversation to the city itself. He was finding the date very uncomfortable. Never again, he kept thinking. The date was pretty much a disaster: neither of them knew what to talk about. In a last ditch attempt at a successful date, Arthur had decided it would be a good idea to discuss something vaguely related to him.

And so he began with, "Do you like this city, then?"

"Oh, yes. It's very nice. Well, except for all the crime, of course," replied Grace, happily. Although they couldn't talk, Grace seemed happy enough to be in Arthur's company.

"And the super-powered ones, huh?" said Arthur with a small smile.

"Yeah..." said Grace as her face fell.

"Do you have a favourite superhero?" Arthur decided to ask as he scooped up the last of his salmon dish. When he glanced back up at Grace he was shocked to see her face so twisted. An ugly expression had transformed her face as she scowled. Then it disappeared just as suddenly as it had swept over her.

"I don't like superheroes. They're all vigilantes and should let the police do their jobs."

Arthur agreed with this sentiment. He had been rather reluctant to don his costume and do good. However, it shocked him that she disliked them so much. That expression... "But... I mean, most people around here love them."

"They're just stupid! I hate them. They say they're doing selfless things but they're completely selfish. That's why they put on masks. If they were true heroes, they would do it without the need of a secret identity."

"Well, from comic books, I can assure you, it is not a good thing for people to know who you are. One's loved ones tend to get hurt." Arthur wondered why he was defending the thing he didn't want to be.

"If they were as strong and amazing as they say they are, they'd be able to protect them. And I especially hate The Gentleman."

"Oh?" asked Arthur, feeling disappointed. He eyed her scowl. What would she say if she found out he was The Gentleman.

"Yes! Those stupid manners of his. It's ridiculous! And no-one knows much about him. I mean, I'm not even sure I would know- I don't know what his power is! It's frustrating and it riles me up!" She gave a little growl but composed herself as their plates were taken away and they ordered dessert.

When they were finally left alone, Arthur decided to test the waters. "Would you hate me if I was a superhero?" he asked her, softly. "I mean, if I were to become one, to better myself? You know, helping the less fortunate."

Grace actually giggled. He frowned at her in confusion until she controlled herself enough to speak. "Oh, Arthur!" she sighed. "You don't need to better yourself. You're perfect the way you are – the mask would just distract from that, don't you think?"

Blushing, Arthur shook his head. "But, if I was?"

"I like you for being you, Arthur," explained Grace, shyly. "Not because you want to be a superhero." She smiled at him as their waiter returned.

Arthur returned the smile, still blushing. It was a nice feeling, being appreciated for something other than his powers. Every day, people thanked him and enthused how wonderful he was. Even Amelia, the girl he found he was rather fond of, even though they had never met. She thought so highly of him because he was a superhero. Alfred, as well... He doubted the young man would talk to him as much if he wasn't with powers or hadn't been so mysterious when they had met after all those years.

This girl, though, liked him for being himself. She even saw him at his worst, fighting with Francis in classes and outside of them. In fact, she probably knew him better than his friends did, with all her watching.

Except that he knew she was unaware of his hero status.

It hurt, keeping so many secrets from so many people. He had to pretend he was a normal person to even his adoptive parents, for goodness' sake. And, while everyone cheered and loved him as a superhero, he just wanted to forget about them and their stupid city.

He was startled from his reverie by a ringing noise. It came from Grace's bag which was slung over her chair. Her eyes widened and she hurried to get to it. "I am so, so sorry!" she breathed. Pulling her mobile out of a pocket, she looked at it and chewed her lip.

"If you need to take that, I don't mind," said Arthur, smiling at her. She smiled back and nodded, hurriedly slipping away in the direction of the toilets and the quiet corridor there. Arthur eyed the door, slowly eating his cheesecake. When she finally emerged, he spotted an irritated expression. However, as she drew closer, it was replaced with a grimace of worry.

"I... My dad... He wants me to go help with some things in the house..." she told Arthur, hovering beside the table.

"Oh!" said Arthur and he stood. "Would you like me to escort you home?"

"Th-That's okay!" exclaimed Grace as her face turned a bright red. "I-I think my dad is going to pay for a cab."

"Then, by all means, allow me to flag one down for you. Just a moment." Arthur beckoned for a waiter who, obviously sensing they were in a hurry, brought over the bill. Quickly, Arthur pulled some notes from his wallet and placed them on the small plate. He offered Grace the mints and she gratefully took them. Arthur slipped one into his pocket as well and they left.

Throwing an arm into the air, Arthur easily flagged down a taxi. With a smile, he opened the door for Grace to get in. She hesitated for a moment. Then, suddenly, she swooped in, kissed Arthur on the cheek and slipped away. Arthur stood in a daze for a moment before the noise of the street filtered through to him and he swung the door closed. Stepping back, he waved as a red-faced Grace did the same.

So, yeah. The title's kind of a lie. Tough. :P (It's supposed to be called "I Kissed a Girl" but the thing won't let me edit the chapter title. ¬.¬

From Arthur's POV mainly cause of what'll happen later. But also cause I prefer writing with British English. I use my Open Office to write this stuff and it has these red lines under things like sneakers and sidewalk and it irks me so damned much. But, yeah, I just prefer Artie to Al.

Grace is not a Hetalia character. Just FYI.

Not really got much else to say...

Enjoy!