Heartfelt Confession

Arthur

Hello, I'm Arthur Kirkland, though you most likely know me as England, Great Britain, or Iggy. I'm currently reading a book as I sit under a tree in my backyard. It's a lovely spot on a hill. A beautiful pine tree sits atop of it. The hillside is covered in beautiful flowers and the branches of the tree provide a lovely spot of shade at the base of the tree. It's the perfect spot to relax with a good book.

However at the moment I can't focus on my book. My head is full of thoughts of that idiot Alfred. I hate that imbeciles guts, but he did used to be my little brother so I can't help but worry at least a little bit. He's been particularly quiet lately and he's been keeping to himself quite a bit which is extremely unlike him. I have a feeling that he's scheming something particularly Idiotic.

Actually to tell you the truth I don't hate Alfred. I love him dearly. Ever since he was little I cared for him and did my best to be a good big brother. However when he had grown up I found that my love for him had grown into a love that was more than the love one feels for a younger brother. I love him so dearly, his pale blue eyes which were once so innocent to the troubles of the world, his skin, so soft and smooth when I would hold him as a child.

I loved him so much, imposing those taxes on him was my way of trying to show him how much I loved him. I was so afraid that he wouldn't know how much I cared for him and would try to join with another country. Now, looking back, I can see that I was very wrong in doing that. When he rebelled against me in the Revolutionary War it hurt me so much, I begged and sobbed for him not to leave me. Yet none of it worked. I realize now that it was entirely my fault. But what I would give to take it all back, to have him in my arms again and to tell him how much I love him.

I look up and see fairies and sprites* playing and laughing in the branches above my head. As I watch them I fall deeper and deeper into my thoughts.

Alfred

Hey, I'm Alfred F. Jones, more commonly known as the United States of America or just America for short. I'm the big hero of the world. Lately though I've been in a lot of trouble. Ivan* keeps invading me and trying to pressure me into becoming one with him and Gilbert* keeps hassling about the money I owe him.

My boss told me that if something doesn't change soon then I might cease to be a nation. If that happens then I will become a normal human*. I will age like a normal human and will one day will die. I really don't want that to happen. I've not gotten to do all of the things that I want to do as a nation. I'm scared to die truthfully. I don't want to die. I want to stay a nation because I want to be able to stay near Arthur.

If that happens and I really do cease to be a nation then I will no longer be able to see Arthur. I would never tell him his normally but I really don't hate him. I've never hated him. It's actually the exact opposite.

I've always loved Arthur. When I was little he took care of me and raised me. He was a wonderful big brother and he always looked out for me. When I fought him for my independence it killed me to see him angry at me. The disappointment I saw in his eyes when he looked at me really hurt. At the end of the war, that day in the rain, he was on his knees in front of me crying, begging for me not to do it. It killed me, just killed me to see him that way. It made me feel so ashamed to know that I was causing him such grief. Seeing how much sadness I was putting him through cut me very deeply. It hurt me seeing how much pain I was putting him through.

I never wanted to hurt him at all. I've loved him always and now when I'm very possibly heading towards my own demise I don't want to go without letting him know how I feel.

I always have looked up to him and admired him. He's so strong and handsome. He's a bit odd at times but I love him even then. He's so kind and loving, I remember when I was young and he'd hold me. His touch was so soft and gentle. It's been so long since I felt his touch, the only times he touches me now is to hit me/ I want him to know that I love him.

I'm going over to his house to confess my love for him. Even if he turns me away and is disgusted by me, I just want him to know my feeling and how much I love him.

I arrive at Arthur's house with a small bouquet of flowers and knock on the front door. His maid, Miss Asahina*, answers the door.

"Hello Mr. America, Mr. England* is outside in the backyard. Would you like me to fetch him for you?" she asks politely eyeing the flowers in my hand.

"No I'll go out and speak to him myself. I'd like to speak with him alone," I reply as she leads me through the house. I notice a picture on a side table. I stop, shocked, and pick it up it's a photo of me and Arthur taken when I was a little kid. I smile as tears prick my eyes a bit. I didn't think that he still has stuff from back then.

"Are you ok sir?" Miss Asahina says bringing me back into reality.

"Yes, sorry I'm fine. Please let me speak to England* alone."

"As you wish," she says as she shows me the back door and then goes off to do something. I look out at Arthur's backyard, its huge I can see him sitting under a tree on a hill in the distance. I walk closer and stop behind a tree. I watch him, he's looking at the branches above his head and doesn't notice me at first.

I turn away taking deep breaths. I'm beginning to get nervous now.

"You can do this Alfred, just calm down."

I turn and walk to the base of the hill. Arthur still doesn't notice me and I just watch and admire him for a moment. He's so handsome. His slender yet strong hands, his lovely green eyes topped with those just barely seductively thick eyebrows. That lovely gentle face which I love so much, seeing it gave me the confidence I need.

I walk up the hill until I'm about eight or ten feet from Arthur and clear my throat.

Arthur

"Ahem."

The sound of someone clearing their throat brings me back to reality. I look up and see Alfred standing in front of me. My heart flutters as the joy of seeing him overwhelms me for a moment, but I quickly get it under control. I cannot let him see how happy I am to see him.

"What the hell are you doing here Alfred?" I say sneering.

"I…I wanted to tell you something Arthur. It's something very important."

"Well what is it? Spit it out! Haven't got all day you know!" I say though I can sense that something is troubling Alfred. It's not like him to be this way.

"Well Arthur you may have already heard of Ivan invading me a lot lately and of Gilbert constantly hassling me for money," he says nervously stuttering and fidgeting. He's also hiding something behind his back but I can't see what it is.

"Yes I have heard about it, so what?"

"Well…um…my boss told me that if something doesn't change soon that…I…um"

"Well hurry up and say it," I say getting impatient. 'Why can't he just say it?' I think to myself a little worried, it must be really serious if he's having so much trouble telling me about it.

"Well I might cease to be a nation…" he's says pausing waiting for my reaction.

I freeze staring at him in shock. I know what will happen is Alfred ceases to be a country. He will become a normal human and will die one day.

I can't let believe Alfred might really die. That can't happen, it just can't, I won't let it. I love Alfred too much to lose him like this.

"Alfred…are you just messing with me? Please tell me that this is just one of your pranks. You know better than to joke about stuff like that!" I am yelling now. I get up and grab the front of his jacket shaking him.

"I wish that this was a just a prank. I really do, but it's not," he says shaking looking down at the ground.

"I guess I'm not the big hero since I'm the one dying," he says tears in his eyes.

My head is spinning trying to think of a way to save him. Yet upon seeing the tears in his eyes I stop.

"Arthur I want to tell you something really important before I die," he says his eyes filling more and more with tears.

"Well what is it that you want me to know?" I ask.

Alfred holds out what he has been hiding behind his back. It's a small bouquet of flowers. They're roses, the national flowers of both of our countries*.

"Arthur I want you to know that I don't hate you. I never have hated you. I love you Arthur and not just like a big brother. I love you with all my heart, and I just wanted you to know that before I die."

I sit dumbfound, just staring at his. The words I've wanted to hear for so long have finally been said, yet hearing them said under such circumstances breaks my heart.

He's standing before me as if waiting for a reply, tears rolling down his cheeks. He is crying. I haven't seen him cry since he was such a small thing. It breaks my heart to see him cry. I feel something wet on my cheeks and realize that I'm crying myself.

Alfred

As I tell Arthur my feelings I feel great weight lift from my shoulders. With the weight of my secret gone my fear of my uncertain future and my possible impending death begins to rise up. I feel tears fill my eyes, first from the happiness of finally revealed my feelings for Arthur to him then from the fear I feel in my heart.

"Alfred are you joking with me? Is this all one of your big elaborate schemes?" Arthur asks me as he stares at me and takes the flowers from my hand and sits back down.

"I already told you that this is true. This is not a joke or scheme. This is all my 100% true feelings," I say hurt that he isn't believing me, "Arthur I would never joke around about something like this. I'm so scared Arthur. I'm so scared of dying."

I stare at my hands, no longer even trying to hold my tears back. I cry freely and fall to my knees. My head held in one hand, I cry for the terror rising in my like a ferocious beast.

"I'm terrified of dying Arthur. I want to stay a nation with you. I want to be with you. I don't want to die," I sob unable to control myself.

"Alfred," Arthurs's quiet voice brings my head up to look at his face. It's not full of anger or disgust like I thought it would be. Instead it is full of kindness. He places the flowers the ground next to him and holds out his arms.

"Come here Alfred."

I crawl towards him and he holds me close as I continue to sob. My face pressed into his chest as he holds me close. He strokes my hair softly, just like he would when I was young. He speaks to me in the tender voice he would use when I was upset as a child.

"Shhh It's ok Alfred. I'm here and…I love you too Alfred. I've always loved you. I'm sorry I ever made you think otherwise. I have never hated you, not even for a moment. I love you with all my heart Alfred and I always will."

I look up at Arthur, his face streaked with tears just like mine.

"I will always be with you Alfred. I won't, I WILL NOT let you die. I will help you. I will give you any support you need to make sure that you will survive," he looks at me, his eyes full of love.

I stay still frozen by anticipation for what is going to happen next. Arthur staying still with me, I lay against his chest, his arms holding me close, he's stroking my hair and face with one finger. He tales off his gloves and traces my face with one finger, he trails it along my chin, across my eyebrows and eyelids, down my nose, and he traces my lips. As his finger brushes over my lips I feel small shocks run through my body.

"Arthur," I say quietly.

He lays his finger over my lips quieting me. He leans down and presses his lips softly against mine. As he presses our lips together a shock wave of pleasure runs through me. I'm in heaven. I have waited for this moment for such a long time. I'm so over joyed, I'm in Arthur's arms as he kisses me. Nothing in the world could make this moment more perfect.

Arthur breaks the kiss and looks me in the eyes, his deep green eyes staring into mine.

"Alfred I love you more than anything else in this world. I love you more than like itself. I promise, no I swear to always be with you," he says.

"What will you swear upon?" I ask.

"Come with me," he says and he gets up. He dries my eyes with a hankarcheif and says, "We cannot let the maid know what's going on ok? My boss would be furious if he knew about this."

"Ok," I say and he leads me inside.

Miss Asahina is dusting, she look sup as we enter.

"Would you like me to make you some tea?" she says politely.

"No thank you. Why don't you go out and get the groceries. I've been meaning to do it myself but I've been terribly busy. And when you finish with the groceries and finish putting them away you may take the rest of the evening off," Arthur tells her.

"As you wish sir and thank you," she says and leaves.

Arthur continues to lead me through the house. He leads me up to his room. He rummages through his closet for a moment before resurfacing holding a wooden box. He places it on the bed and says, "Open it."

I open the box and gasp in surprise, On the bottom of the lid is a picture of min and me that was taken when I was very little. On one side of the picture is a drawing I'd done when I was very young. It is of me and Arthur, I'd draw It for him when it was his birthday many years before. My eyes fill with tears as I remember the happy times we spent together,

The box is full of memories. Coins that we would play with, small beaded bracelets we made together on a rainy day, small sculptures of animals and people we made with bits of clay, wood, and string. Out of the box I lift a small book, its' cover is made of deep blue leather, soft and worn from many years of use, I open it and find a small flower pressed in the front page, a rose. It is glued down to the page. Under the flower written in flowing handwriting is:

A flower that Alfred picked today, when I told him that it is my countries national flower he said he wanted it to be his nations flower too. He's so precious.

I turn the page and see a sketch of myself when I had just become a country. I turn the page again and see another picture of me. The whole book is full of drawings of me.

I look up at Arthur shocked.

"I've loved you Alfred, and as you grew my love for you grew from that that of a brother to that of a man. Now you are the only one in this world that I want," he says cupping my cheek with his hand smiling tenderly.

He reaches into the box and moves a small stack of photographs and drawings from me, tied with a ribbon and reveals a smaller wooden box. It is made of rosewood and has two crossed flags carved in ii. They are painted to me Arthurs' and my flags.

He opens the box and inside is four rings: two of them are made of paper and two of silver. My eyes will tears when I see the paper rings, Arthur and I made those rings many years ago.

He had been sick so I had decided to visit him. I'd gotten Antonio* to take me to Arthurs' house to cheer him up. We had spent the afternoon talking and playing small games. He had shown me how to make the paper rings. I had taken pencils and made red stripes on the band of my ring and the box on it was blue with a white star. Arthur made the square of his look like his nation's flag and the band he made silver. He gave me the ring that he made and I gave him the ring that I made.

I can't believe that he kept them all these years. Also in the box two rings made of silver. One has three small stones of red, white and blue in it and around the band is etched into the silver is a design of flowers. The other ring has the same three stones but etched into the band is several small stars.

Arthur

"Arthur they're amazing," Alfred says as he stares wide eyed at the rings.

"I had them made many years ago, but I never got the chance to give them to you," I tell him. It's true that they are many years old. I had commissioned for then to be made around 1774*, however right after I commissioned them to be made Alfred began fighting for his independence before I even received the rings so I never go to give them to him.

"Why did you never give them to me?" Alfred asks looking at me with a curious look on his face.

"Um…well I commissioned for them but I didn't receive them until September of 1776," I tell him.

Alfred winces, "O…I'm sorry Arthur. I'm sure that you though that I hated you back then. I didn't just so you know. I just wanted freedom."

"I understand Alfred. I realize now that I was the one at fault back then, and that it was my fault that you wanted your freedom. I don't blame you in the least," I say placing my hand on his shoulder. I lean forward and kiss him again. He leans into me and a wave of pleasure and joy washes over me.

After a while I break the kiss and take the rings and say, "I love you Alfred, more than anything else in this world. I want us to take these rings and pledge to always be faithful to one another and no one else, to love each other no matter what happens and to always be there for one another."

"I agree Arthur. I never want to be with anyone else but you. I want nothing more than to love and be loved by you," he replies.

We each take a ring. I take the one with the raindrops on it which is meant to represent me and Alfred takes the one with the stars on it which represents him. We stand and I take Alfred's left hand in mine.

"Alfred F. Jones, I, Arthur Kirkland, swear upon this ring and upon my life that I shall love you with all of my heart as long as I remain on this earth, I promise to love you and only you and to remain forever faithful and to never, not even for a moment let my love for you to waver. I shall remain with you in spirit always. Come hell or high water, I will always be yours," as I finish speaking I slide the ring onto Alfred's finger.

Alfred

As Arthur slide the ring onto my finger I took his right hand in mine and began speaking.

"Arthur Kirkland, I, Alfred F. Jones, swear upon this ring and upon my life that I will love you with every fiber of my being as long as I am allowed to remain on this world. I promise to love you and only you and to remain loyal to you forever. I shall never let my love for you to be altered for even a second. I shall be with you, even during the times when I cannot be by you side. I shall love you forever, in this life and the next. I shall always be yours." As I finish speaking I slide the ring onto Arthurs' ring finger. I look into his deep green eyes for a moment before we kiss.

And with that the promise is sealed. Two nations' hearts are forever joined in love, held together by a bond formed out of the purest of love. They are now one.

Lovers forever.

*fairies and sprites= for those of you who do not know Arthur (Iggy, England) has the ability t see things like sprites, fairies, unicorns, and one creature known as flying mint bunny. He is the only country who has the ability to see them so all of the other countries think that they are merely his hulucinations

*Ivan= this is Russia's human name

*Gibert= this is Prussia's human name

*I will become a normal human= this is merely one theory on what happens the nations if their country ceases to be a countrie another theory is that they simply vanish or disappear. It is never specified what exactly happens to the nations if the country is no longer a country.

*Miss Asahina = I stole this character from the anime The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. For those of you who are not familiar with the show Asahina is the moe character of the show and is a shy, quiet girl who is very beautiful

*They're roses, the national flowers of our two countries= this is actually true fact the national flowers of both England and America are roses. Ironic isn't it?

*Antonio= this is Spain's English name

*1774= this is the year that the American Revolutionary war began