"Your not coming to my birthday?" Alfred asked dissapointed thorugh the phone's reciver. Arthur sighed.
"No, Alfred, Im not."
"But why?" Alfred had a tone in his voice that broke Arthur's heart. "It's my birthday." Arthur thought the words it hurts to much.
"I have to go." Arthur said, followed by a pause.
"Okay." Alfred murmured.
The words I love you moved through out Arthurs mind but never went any furthur. Arthur hung up the phone before anymore words could be exchanged between them. His eyes misted up as he felt burning in his throat.
"Big brother?" A small voice called out to Arthur. Quickly he wiped his eyes then turned to find child Norway standing at in the door way. he was holding his stuffed whale in one hand then with the other rubbing one of his eyes.
"What is it Norway?" England said moving quickly to comfert the small child. "Was it a bad dream?" The small country nodded his head letting out a quite sniffle. Arthur picked up the child Norway walking him back to bed.
After he was finished telling Norway a story, he stayed to watch the young country sleep. Memories played over and over again in Arthur's mind.
"England! Come and play with me!" Alfred said a he ran through a beautiful open field. England laughed and chased after the boy, clearly enjoying his time with the small country. Arthur cought Alfred and bothof them fell to the ground. Alfred cuddled into Arthur's side. "Your the best big brother. Ever."
"Alfred! Im back!" Arthur called out into the big, well ferbished house. A slightly bigger child came glapping around the corner. He held his hand above his head with red toy guns. He also wore a cowboy hat that was crooked. The small country ran around Arthur pulling the plasic triggers making the toy gun pop as if it were shooting real buliets. Small sound effects pew came from the small boy. All Arthur could do was laugh at the small country.
"Im a cowboy!" Alfred said pointing the toy gun at Arthur. "Noone laughs at me!" Arthur just couldnt help himself. He got down on to one knee ruffeling the boys hair.
"Is that so?" Arthur smiled. "Well, Im a pirate. And you will do as i say, And what i say goes." Alfred stood there stairing at the older country taking in every singel word.
Arthur closed the door quitely not wanting to wake the sleeping Norway. He walked into the kitchen up on a kittle full of water on the stove. He sat down putting his elbows on the table, which was rude and made it seem like he had no manners, but He didnt care. He wasnt trying to impress and anyone right now. Arthur rested his head inside of his hands. His fingures tangeled them self in his hair.
"Arthur!" Alfred said happily, opening his door wide. Arthur took a step back competley surpirised on how big Alfred had actually gotten. Alfred smiled bigger placing his hands on hips hips.
"Alfred?" Arthur gasped still trying to comperhind what was going on, and why he was so big.
"You're back! Its been a while." Arthur continued to stand there.
"You...you're so big!" Arthur said slowly wrapping his arms around the aldult version of his Alfred. Alfred laughed as he pulled away, walking back into the house, inviting Arthur inside.
"Well if you would visit more, then it wouldn't be so much of a shock." Arthur followed Alfred inside, closing the door behind him.
"Alfred we've been though this. I have duties-" Arthur was cut off but Alfred's hand.
"I know." Alfred took off his dirty shirt, not really given a chance to change, well lets face it, he never knew when Arthur would drop by and say hi. Arthur's eyes moved over the young countries muscluar body.
There right above his pants line was a deep scare that wrapped all the way around his waist. Arthur recalled that there was a battle that nearly tore him into two. The Civil War he believed it was called. Arthur sighed louder than he realized. Alfred's amedently met his.
"What's wrong? You okay?" A faint smile apperred on Arthur's lips.
"Just adjusting."
The squill of the kittle pulled Arthur back into the present. Moving to take it off the stove the squilling slowly died. Pulling a tea cup of of the cubbered he placed on the counter then reached over the box of tea bags. After he placed one bag in the cup he reached over to grab the tea kittle. Accedently he grabbed the metal of the kittle with out using mitten.
"Bloodly hell." Arthur shouted pushing the kittle back to the counter. Quickly he rushed over to the sink turning on the cold water and placing the burn under the running water. Yes it hurt but it was nothing to what he really felt like. As he stood there he watched the water run over the bright red wound. His thoughts went back to the past replaing the most devastating memory he had.
Rain poired onto the one beautiful field that is now a battle field. Arthur's gaze swept across the field taking in every singel detail. This was once where he and Alfred played when he was smaller. Once used for play time, but now used for war. Alfred stood in front of Arthur with a gun aimed straight for him. Arthur's gun was doing the excat same pointing at Alfred.
"I want my freedom!" Alfred shouted demandingly. "I am no longer your little brother." Arthur thrusted the spear on the barrle of the gun to Alfred.
"I wont allow it!" Arthur shouted. As Alfred went to block Arthur's strike. His gun was knocked out of his hands and barried into mud. Alfred staired endlessly at Arthur with wide eyes. As a few moments passed Arthur began to feel weak. His knees trimbled as more time passed. Suddenly Arthur falls to his knees with tears filling his eyes. He moved one of his hands to cover his face, the other in the mud. "Why cant I do it?" Arthur cried out. Tears began to be an endless river.
"You used to be so big England." Alfred whispered. "What happened?"
'What happened?' ecoded though his thoughts continously. Arthur squizzed his eyes close shaking his head. he tried thinking of something else. 'What happened?' the question continued. Arthur shut off the water and griped at the counter. The same question repeated it self over and over though his thoughts.
"You damn it!" Arthur swiped his arm throwing everything on to the floor. The tea cup broke into tiny little peices as the hot water form the kittle soaked the floor. "You did this to me. You is the reason im like this now!" Arthur shouted. Who was he kidding. He always had this battle within himself. Tea was never stonge enough to calm his nerves on this day.
Reaching up he pulled everything out of the cubbered, thowing it to the floor if it wasnt what he was looking for. His fingures wrapped around a bottle. He had found it. Tightly gripping it, he ripped of the top and pressed it against his lips. Tasting the same comftering feel of the achoal warming his chest began to down the liquid.
Breaking his lips away from the bottle, he backed himself to the wall. Slowly he slip his back down the wall, as his eyes watched the mess on the floor. He pusshed the bottle to his lip again downing the liquid, loving the tingle spread though his chest. Thoughts of Alfred plyed through his mind. The more rum he swallowed the more faint Alfred had seemed. Quickly Arthur had finished the bottle then he expected. Tilting the bottle upside down there wasnt even a drop to spear. Throwing the bottle it smashed against the wall.
Atrhur stumbled throughout his kistchen knowing there was more. He found more bottles under the sink, behind books on the bookshelfe. Holding about eight bottles of rum, he carried them into the livingroom. Sitting on his couch he opened his second bottle of rum downing it. It wasnt long until he was on his sixith bottle his pain and hurt was numbed. Arthur fell over onto his side now laughing.
"Finally!" Arthur rejoiced. His eye lids both felt very heavy and closed on there own. He quickly drifted into a deep sleep.
Alfred lightly knocked on Arthur's front door right before he lets himself in. SLowly entering Arthurs house he moved though the first family room. Noone was there.
"Arthur?" Alfred called out, his voice ecoed through the big house. There was sound of bottles hitting together followed by a loud thump. Alfred rushed in the direction of the thump. He ended up in the second family room that was cannected to the kitchen. Alfred's eyes found a huge mess on the floor, shattered glass and liquid covering the floor. Walking all the way in to the family room he found empty rum bottles laying on the floor. Also on the floor with the bottles was Arthur struggling to lift himself off the floor.
"Arthur!" Alfred cried, rudhing to his side. Alfred pulled Arthur to his feet. Arthur lost his balance acendently knocking Alfred to his back landing on the couch and Arthur feel ontop of him, landing face to face. After a moment Arthur lifted his head shaking it slightly then opened his eyes. When his vision cleared and he was actually able to focas, he saw Alfred's face under him. His eyes widened.
"Alfred!" He gasped. "What are you doing here?" His breathing smelled of rum, and his eyes were glazed over. Arthur began to lift his body off of Alfreds. Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur's body, quickly moving Arthur on to his back and he was on top. A small gasp came form Arthurs lips. Alfred slowly moved his hand to Arthur's cheek.
"I had no idea." Alfred whispered, pressing his forhead to Arthurs. Tears filled Arthurs eyes burring his vision. "Im sorry." Alfred said whipping the tears away. Without wanting anymore words to be exchanged between them, Alfred pressed his lips against Arthurs. Arthur watched as Alfred's eyes closed and he was being kissed. After a few moment's of them kissing Alfred slowly pulled back. Opening is eyes he found Arthur watching him.
"I love you." Arthur whispered. Alfred smiled softly knowing completely that Arthur was drunk, but he knew that there was truth in the words that were spoken "Please dont leave me again." Arthur moved his hand to Alfred's cheek, lightly stroking it with his thumb. Alfred lowered his head again lightly brushing his lips to Arthur's.
"You will always be my England." Alfred whispered. With that said Alfred moved his toung into Arthurs mouth kissing him slow and deep.
