I'm still trying to figure out what I want from this, so expect updates to be sporadic. I have a rough idea that involves ghosts and debts and redemption.

Bear in mind, this is entirely AU. Also, title is subject to change maybe.

And some errors I miss.

Hetalia doesn't belong to me.

They meet at midnight on a bridge. It's cold, colder than usual but this strange blonde boy wearing clothes not suited for the weather was standing there with his elbows rested on the railing, watching the water rush past.

Alfred just wanted to step outside for a bit, really. It was stuffy and hot in his too small apartment and he just needed to get out. He wasn't really expecting to see this strange person out there, and he worries, just a bit.

He carefully approaches, and calls out, his voice booming compared to the quiet of the park.

"You alright? Aren't planning to jump, are you?"

He feels kind of stupid, just standing there watching this person watch the river. The blonde man turns slightly, and he sees a smile, and he looks fairly young, but his eyes are so, so old. Alfred is stunned for a moment, and barely registers what he says.

"There are better ways, you know." The blonde man says, as if it was a fact. "But no, I'm not. Too much to do, so little time to wallow in self-pity. Are you?" And he says it so casually as if death was his best friend. Alfred swallows, and shrugs.

"No, I'm pretty content with life right now. I'm just out for a walk." Alfred finds himself gravitating towards this man, taking place beside him and he smiles. "I'm Alfred, by the way. Alfred F. Jones." And he hears the man laugh, just before he could hide it behind a cough.

"Are you the type to just give out your name to complete strangers? Do you just lurk around at night trying to make new friends with the people who wander around here, because if you do I'd advise you not to, there are scary people around."

Alfred nods, as if he understood. A stupid grin managed to slip onto his face and he catches himself staring. The wind blows, and he shudders.

"You know its common courtesy to give your name back after I have given mine."

"I'm still Matthew Williams, so you didn't technically give me your name. You just told me it." Matthew, what a fitting name and he could almost feel it roll off his tongue. Instead of the aching need to repeat it under his breath, he chooses to smirk.

"How cheeky, Matthew Williams. You're strange person you are, I wouldn't have normally approached you, any other time." And Alfred finds himself lying, but he shrugs it off and he could hear Matthew shift without even looking, though he was, just slightly.

"Why did you?"

"'Cause it's late and I might not be making the best choices right now."

This was true, on Alfred's part, because he was tired, even though he was filled with energy to burn before the walk. He hears Matthew chuckle, elbow accidentally knocking into his because of his slightly shaking shoulders. He wonders what was so funny, but he chuckles along anyway.

"I don't have that excuse; I've made all the wrong choices long ago. I've just run out of options, so this couldn't possibly be any worse" Matthew is still chuckling slightly when he says that and Alfred can't really wrap his head around it.

"So that's why you're talking to me, 'cause I'm the last choice?"

Matthew pauses, and shrugs. "No not really, it's just that I need to take more risks in life. You know what they say, seize the day and all. You seem like a pretty nice guy and all, too, quite foxy." Matthew winks, and Alfred turns his head away quickly, ears turning red.

Alfred bites his lip and shifts on his feet, and a silence falls over them. It's a weird thing, he doesn't feel uncomfortable. He feels safe and the slight heat radiating off of Matthew is nice and he wants to shift over slightly.

Which he does, seize the day and all.

So, there they stand, two strange blonde men knocking elbows and hips touching and the cold bitter wind brushing past.

Alfred thinks it's the start of something beautiful. He isn't the type of dreaming up romances, but this whole thing was nice, and he wants more from it. He wants to grab Matthew Williams by his hands and run and scream and yell and laugh because he feels like it's love at first sight even though that's silly. What he's feeling might as well be platonic, but it's there.

Matthew thinks that this whole encounter will be just one big hassle, because he's already interested, and time is almost up for him.

Everything has always been a complicated matter.