Alfred's fingers carted through Arthur's hair as the Brit hummed faintly in a rare moment of affectionate kindness as he savored the love of the American that he dated and the way that it felt when Alfred ran his fingers there.
His arms, still hesitant after so much time, wrapped around Alfred, and he wondered how things could ever be so perfect.
He could still remember the heartbreak so many storms and fights ago yet now he knew Alfred, who protected and loved him.
He couldn't bear the thought of going back to the days before Alfred as his heart still sung and seared for Alfred and stable love; back then, it could be stated that he felt unloved and uncared for with the way that rest of the people in his life seemed to treat him.
It scared Arthur often with how attached he became with this relationship; one wrong turn, and it was ruined forever, so Arthur fought back against it.
Love just didn't seem normal for him as he fought back in fear of losing himself and his heart to it.
The idea of being broken again, terrified him, but he wanted this leap of faith; Arthur longed for love yet it had broken him so many times before.