A/N: So I know I promised a FrUK backstory, and that'll happen... once I learn to write romance/have a half-way decent plot idea. In the meantime, you get how Francis and Arthur found Alfred and Matthew.

Enjoy!


One year later found Arthur and Francis traveling up and down the American coast. The "newlyweds" were taking an extended honeymoon and doing some of their favorite things. That included activities such as pillaging, murdering, burning towns to the ground, and sex.

Or, as Francis preferred to call it, love-making.

It didn't really matter to Arthur what name Francis gave it. What happened in bed was between him and his husband and no one else.

"Captain!" came a shout from below. Arthur looked down and saw Abel shielding his eyes from the sun as he stared up at Arthur.

"Yes?"

"We're getting low on supplies again," Abel informed him.

Arthur cocked a confused eyebrow. "We just raided a town two weeks ago. Where has all the food been going?"

The Dutchman frowned deeply. "Our navigator is rather fond of lavish dinners, sir."

Arthur sighed. As much as he loved Francis, the Frenchman's sense of luxury was incredibly cumbersome. "Alright," he shouted back. "I'll deal with it. Thank you for informing me."

Abel nodded and quickly disappeared from sight. Arthur called up Mathias, the ship's boatswain in training, and handed the steering over to him while he went off to search for Francis.

Arthur headed below decks and towards the Navigator's cabin. He found Francis bent over several maps of the American seaboard. The man was muttering to himself in French while his long fingers busied themselves with making measurements and taking notes.

Arthur cleared his throat rather loudly and Francis nearly jumped in surprise. Then the Frenchman laughed.

"Ah! Arthur, my love, what brings you to my humble chambers?" Francis asked, sliding behind him and wrapping his arms around Arthur's torso.

Arthur pressed a quick kiss to his husband's lips. "Well you see love, we seem to be having a small food shortage due to one of our crew member's rather extravagant tastes."

"Oh? Whoever could that be?"

"No idea really… Other than you, of course."

Francis gasped in mock hurt. "Why I never." The Frenchman kissed Arthur again. "How could you accuse me of such a thing?"

"Maybe because it's true…?"

"Oui. That makes sense."

Arthur chuckled, and as much as he wanted to stay wrapped in Francis' arms forever, he had Captain's work to do. Arthur pulled away and turned to face his husband. "But in all seriousness, Francis, what are we going to do about this?"

"Do not worry, my love," Francis replied, smoothly moving to his navigator's table. "I already have a town picked out. Perfect target."

Arthur looked over the notes Francis had made. "Forget a raid; I think we should just make a stop. Let the crew stretch their legs and all that. Our coffers are full - we can just buy whatever we need."

"Whatever you wish, mon bijou," Francis said sweetly before kissing Arthur again. "Now how about we celebrate this wise decision?" the Frenchman added with a wink.

And how could Arthur say no to that? It was his honeymoon after all.


The crew of The Sapphire Dawn sailed for two days before reaching the town Francis had picked out. It wasn't the largest settlement the crew had hit but it was big enough for their purposes. Arthur, Francis, Abel, Mathias and four other crew members set off for the market while the rest of the crew busied themselves with other tasks. As soon as all that was done everyone had the rest of the week off.

Once they arrived at the market, Arthur instructed the four crew members to wait at the entrance and the things they bought would be sent out to them. The rest of group went inside the market. They managed to purchase most of what they needed without incident.

That is until they got to the produce dealer.

The stall owner was heavy set man with a stern expression. Abel was bartering with him, trying to get him to lower his prices, when a loud cry sounded from across the lane. It came from a small blonde boy with eyes as blue as Francis. The boy's cry had drawn quite the crowd and Arthur had to push through just to reach him. He knelt down and asked, "What's the matter, boy?"

The child blinked at him through his tears. "I-I-"

Suddenly shouting filled the air and there was fruit all over the ground. The boy's tears changed into a mischievous grin and he was running off, leaving a stunned Arthur kneeling in the dirt.


That's all for now. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, let me know!

Thanks for reading!