Chapter 1: Broken

Summary: Arthur, a man about to make the worst decision of his life. Alfred, the only one stubborn enough to change his mind. It was luck that brought them together, but it's love that will tear them apart.

Warnings: Language.


I wanted you to know, that I love the way you laugh.

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away.

I keep your photograph, and I know it serves me well.

I wanna hold you high, and steal your pain,

Because I'm broken, when I'm lonesome.

And I don't feel right, when you're gone away.

You've gone away... You don't feel me here anymore...

The first time I met him, he saved my life.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

I glanced back from my perch on the edge with glazed, emotionless green eyes, only for them to widen at the sight before me.

"What the hell man?! Get away from there!"

I stood still, my eyes slowly coming back into focus on the man before me.

"Dude are you deaf?!" It was at that moment strong hands yanked me back into reality, and away from my position teetering on a cliff side.

I could see the man's mouth still moving, but the words flew over my head. I was too lost in his beauty.

The man before me was tall, about half a head over me, and dressed simply in jeans and a bomber jacket, glasses teetering on the edge of his nose. But it wasn't his wardrobe that stunned me, it was his beautiful, baby blue eyes that were full with the freedom of the skies and the vivacity of the ocean, framed by golden locks that were being ruffled askew by the wind. He was gorgeous and vivid, and slowly his beautiful face was turning red as he began to shout. I decided it might be best to tune in at that moment.

"-and you can't just do that! Why would you throw your own life away?! You're lucky a hero like me was here to stop you! Whatever it is isn't that bad! You have to keep living!"

As the man, now identified as an American by his accent, continued to shout in my face, I felt something stir within me that I hadn't felt in months.

Life.

And with that came a familiar feeling of anger.

"Shut up you bloody git! I have nothing to live for, no one to live for! Everyone is gone! You have no idea what my life is like, and I can do whatever I well please with it!"

The American paused for a moment, taken aback by my sudden outburst, before biting back with even more ferocity than before.

"No you can't! You have to live! You have no idea how important your life is!"

Now it was my turn to be taken aback by the absolute conviction in his voice and the heat from those pools of blue. I glanced away from the intensity of his gaze, instead choosing to look at the waters far below where I had been standing moments ago as I muttered back to him.

"It doesn't feel important to me."

There was a moment of tense silence, the only sounds being there trees rustling in the wind and the waters crashing below us, before the man spoke up again with a new determination.

"Then I'll just have to show you. Meet me here tomorrow."

And then he began to stride away into the woods, just like that. I only stood, watching after him in utter confusion as his words registered, before a thought struck me.

"Wait! What's your name?"

The American paused at the edge of the woods, tossing back his name casually before striding on.

"Alfred F. Jones."

I merely stared after Alfred for a moment, before glancing back to the cliff. I stared for a long while at the rocky, gray waters at the bottom, and then walked towards the small forest path that had led me here.

After all, Alfred didn't know my name.

The worst is over now, and we can breathe again.

I wanna hold you high; you steal my pain away.

The second, third, fourth, and many other times I met Alfred, he brought me back to life, ironically all at the cliff where I had been planning to take it when we first met. He began to draw my story from me, the story of brothers lost to the war, the story of a disappearing dad, the story of an alcoholic mother. And in turn, he told me the story of his cancer lost brother, of his jobless state, of his gone parents.

"You're far braver than I ever will be Alfred." I broke one of our rare quiet moments on a clear, sunny day at the cliff.

Alfred rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, letting loose a small laugh.

"No I'm not Arthur, you're totally the strong one! I mean, I'm the hero, but you're cool too!" I couldn't suppress a smile at his statement, but I kept my piercing green gaze on him in sincerity.

"I mean it Alfred. I came to this place to quit the world, never considering that others had it just as bad. It was selfish, and you're far stronger than I ever will be for realizing that and even saving me from that." I paused, looking away from him for a moment with a light blush as I spoke again. "You really are a hero."

Alfred blinked once, a shocked expression on his open face, before looking away just as I had with a small frown.

"Arthur, I'm only a hero for you."

There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight.

I wanna hold you high, and steal your pain away,

The next time I met Alfred, all the pieces finally came together for me.

"No seriously! The fifth burger is when you break the limit and can just keep going!"

I furrowed my prominent brows and scoffed at his wide grin.

"Alfred, I refuse to try and eat more than one burger in a sitting, especially if they're from that disgusting McDonalds!"

He pouted at me, turning his puppy dog look up to the max power.

"Aww, come on Iggy, it's not any worse than nasty British food!" At this statement my temper flared to life.

"British food is of much higher quality than anything McDonalds serves! Only a bloody American would think otherwise!" I sniffed, turning in the grass I was seated on to face away from Alfred.

"Iggy!" I remained facing the opposite way. "C'mon Arthur, you know you love me!"

I flushed up to my ears at that statement, and I heard a slight cough from Alfred as I slowly turned to face him. He was blushing just as hard as me, but he maintained a level stare into my eyes, causing my heart to race in my chest. Slowly Alfred leaned in, pausing mere millimeters before my face.

"Arthur." I shuddered at the way my name slid out from his lips. "I love you."

I pushed him away at those words, my gentle shove only enough to move him back because he let me, my heart cracking in my chest.

"No. Don't say that. Don't you dare say that." I felt every past hurt, every abandonment building on my chest until I couldn't breathe and a crushing fear enter my heart, but Alfred continued, pushing back against my hand.

"But I do. I love your temper. I love your smile. I love your laugh." I began to cry, but Alfred just gently brushed the tears away and continued, taking my face into his hands so I'd have to look into his sincere blue eyes. "Arthur, you're worthy. You mean something. I love you."

And then he closed the gap, our lips molding together for the first, but not the last, time.
I clung to him, and a new form of life filling me as we kissed. Passion, and love like I never felt before coursed through me.

Slowly, I felt myself getting put back together, the pieces falling into place. And with this, I felt the long ache that had for so long been all I'd known fade away in place of happiness.

"So this is what people live for."

I never saw his brow wrinkle at the whispered words.

'Cause I'm broken, when I'm open.

And I don't feel like, I am strong enough.

'Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome.

And I don't feel right, when you're gone away.

The final time I met Alfred, he ripped my heart out.

"Arthur, I have to leave."

It was as though someone had poured ice water into my blood, cold flooding my system.

"What do you mean?" My voice was small, trembling, even though currently all I could process being was numb.

Alfred sighed, his shoulders hunched with a look of defeat I'd never seen on the sparky American before.

"Don't freak out, okay?" I felt the beginnings of a freak out at that, but nodded at him anyways. "Arthur. Two days before I met you, I jumped off this cliff."

I blinked, once, twice, before speaking.

"Alfred, this is not amusing." I was getting angry now to hide the hurt and the small inklings of fear beginning, glowering at the love of my life, my hero.

Alfred stared back at me, no measure of humor in his expression, before speaking up again, his voice half pleading and half pushing.

"Arthur, I was going to warn you sooner, but how could I? I lingered at this spot for two days, filled with regret that kept me here, and then I saw the sad man by the cliff who had the same face I used to make. I knew I had to help him, so how could I tell him that the hero was already a victim?" I felt my heart crack, and old wound reopen at his words. "And then I loved you, but I knew I could never let you think you could throw your life away. I never wanted to leave, but I knew that as soon as I helped you, I would have to go."

Now I began to shake my head, stumbling up to Alfred and clutching onto him as though to hold him here forever.

"You can't go! I need you!" I was shouting, but there was no anger now. "You saved me!"

Alfred gave a shaky sigh, unwinding my arms from around him. I merely fell to the ground in shock, watching the strongest person I knew tear up.

"Arthur. Do you think I want to do this? I don't want to leave, but I have no more regret. I tried, but how can I regret saving the one I love? And you have to live now, for the both of us." Alfred stepped back, closer to the cliff edge, and farther from me.

"No! Alfred F. Jones, don't you dare step away from me! You can't leave me alone! I love you! I have nothing without you!" I was sobbing now, desperately grasping after him with pale, shaking hands.

Alfred stepped up to the very edge, only looking back at me once.

"You have life, and you better live it. I love you." And then he stepped off.

I lunged after him, fully ready to jump, but something stopped me at the edge of that windy cliff.

Life.

I couldn't waste this life, given back to me by one so wonderful.

So I sobbed at the edge of the cliff, clutching at the ache spot in my chest as I gazed into the clear waters below me, no sign of anyone there.

Yes, Alfred F. Jones ripped out my heart, but at least he made it start to beat.

'Cause I'm broken, when I'm open.

And I don't feel like, I am strong enough.

'Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome.

And I don't feel right, when you're gone away.

'Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome.

And I don't feel right, when you're gone away.

You've gone away… You don't feel me here anymore…


A/N: I know! I know! I should be updating for other things, but I couldn't help it! This plot just slapped me across the face and I had to write it! Because USUK for life! Also I was thinking about making a story of USUK oneshots, not all sad like this one, so let me know what you think about that... Anyways, thanks for reading lovelies, I hope you liked it!

Word Count: 2,001

P.S. My OCD makes me hate that one extra word...