Another day dawned and another world conference began. The nations gathered in Germany this time at the Reichstag, in Berlin and with several topic on the agenda it looked like they were going to be busy for a while.
As usual Francis drove Arthur to the conference, a duty that he'd got used to in the time they were married. He also parked the car and opened the door for Arthur, a gesture that did not go un noticed by the rest of the nations who thought it rather sweet, Germany however thought it was a bit strange.
"Why is Francis doing everything for him?" He muttered as he watched from a window. "France has been so taken with England these past months since their wedding, since that time they almost got killed." He said "I can understand that, but why is he just doing everything for him, as if he can't do it himself?"
"Italy appeared with some cooked pasta for Germany and laid it in front of him." I cooked this for you, and your clothes are folded and in your wardrobe." He said happily. "I have almost finished the hoovering, I should get back to it…"
Germany was about to complain a little more about France doing everything for England but then it hit him that Italy was doing everything for him. "Okay… maybe not so unusual…" he uttered as Italy got on with the hoovering."
Francis wrapped his arm around Arthur as they walked into their apartment near the Reichstag allocated to them by Germany. Arthur leaned into him and also wrapped his arm around Francis' waist, well aware that the other nations were staring at them and for once in his life he wasn't embarrassed, he was proud to be seen with his husband.
"I think our friends are jealous of our love mon amour." Francis said as they went inside.
"That doesn't surprise me." Arthur said and kissed him softly on the lips. Their bond was stronger than ever. Francis then went to make some tea and cook some lunch for them before the conference began. Arthur was slowly getting used to French cuisine, and Francis always made him something unusual. He was about to start unpacking when Francis stopped him. "Don't worry I'll get on with this…" He said "… and lunch won't be long. You don't have to lift a finger mon amour."
"But I can unpack…" Arthur began.
"I just want to do this for you." Francis said and kissed him. "You sit down, you don't travel so well mon amour."
Arthur had to agree. He did get a little travel sick these days and had to travel in the front seat of the car as such.
"Well if you're sure…" He said with a little smile.
"You go and lay down for a while." Francis said. "Take the weight off your feet."
"Uhh… alright…" He replied and went to the sofa, where he read some magazines, while Francis did just about everything. He made a beautiful lunch of Coq au vin, and laid it out on the table for Arthur.
"Lunch is ready." He said and took Arthurs hand, leading him from the sofa to the little kitchen. The spread on the table looked just lovely, and appetizing. Arthur was about to sit down, but Francis pulled the chair out for him first.
Arthur sat down and started to eat his food. It was, as usual delicious, and Francis poured some wine for him, sitting down next to him and kissing him gently on the cheek.
"You do so much for me these days." Sighed Arthur as he sipped the wine.
"I want to do these things for you." Replied Francis. "It makes me happy to see you happy, and I will do whatever I can for you."
"I'm… not used to this…" Arthur said "I've always had to fight to live, to give my people what they need, and now… here you are, its like you're looking after me."
"I always will do this for you." Replied Francis but inside he was thinking that maybe Arthur didn't like it. Why was he saying these things all of a sudden? Usually he would just accept that Francis wanted to help him with everything. It was troubling for him, but then Francis always did have internal struggles. He was sure that his Angleterre knew that he did suffer from depression from time to time. Somehow, he couldn't get his mind off this, and tried even more to please Arthur, even picking out a suit for him to wear to the conference, and tying his tie nice for him.
"Honestly love, you don't have to do everything." Arthur said gently as Francis was fixing his tie. "Just… don't ok?" He said, sounding a little insensitive. The truth was he'd seen that his love was getting a little OCD and that was disturbing. Not that he didn't appreciate everything. "Lets go to the conference, and stop fussing over me, I don't need to be mollycoddled."
Francis grew fearful. There he was doing his best for the man he loved and he called it mollycoddling? Why would he say such a thing? Didn't he care? His thoughts became more and more paranoid and he didn't take much to do with the discussion that afternoon although he sat next to his Angleterre and held hands with him almost obsessively. Everyone could see that he was besotted with Arthur and yet Arthur didn't seem as besotted with Francis. He seemed aloof, and uncaring, but what they didn't know was that was just how he learned to deal with his emotions, to act as if they didn't exist. In truth he adored Francis' attention, he just was worried he was doing too much.
During the break they walked towards the courtyard and Francis tried to put his arm around Arthur but he pulled back a little. There was no reason for it, he just suddenly felt like Francis was doing too much, and it was a natural reaction.
"Angleterre…" uttered Francis .
"What?" Snapped Arthur, picking up the angst from Francis. Something was brewing up here, and he didn't want to argue with him, even so, he could feel that he was very tense.
"You do not wish me to be by your side… you push me away… you don't want me to do the things I do for you…" Francis said looking quite upset. "You do not want me…"
"Oh no… Francis honestly…" groaned Arthur looking frustrated with him already. "Do we have to go through this…?"
"I look after you, I care for you and all you do is push me away…." He said angrily, "What do I have to do?"
"Nothing, you don't have to do anyth…" England started to say, but Francis had already taken everything the wrong way. Before he could continue, Francis walked off, his head bowed, and the feeling of angst practically radiating from him.
Arthur looked around and everyone was watching this little scene with interest. He hated that, and he felt so vulnerable right now.
"What the hell are you all looking at?" He yelled at everyone, Alfred, Matthew, Ludwig, everyone who was on their break at the same time, all looking at him, open mouthed.
All they saw was Francis in the courtyard, sitting there like his world had just ended, and Arthur storming off in the other direction.
"Francis?" Asked Matthew as he sat in the courtyard, head bowed and hardly looking at anyone. "What's the matter? What happened?"
After a few moments he forced himself to reply. "Angleterre … is an ungrateful self-centred pig." He said "I do everything for him. Cook, clean… everything. And he does nothing but push me away…" He uttered and tried not to cry in front of Matthew, that wouldn't be right.
"I'm sure Angleterre… England, doesn't mean it…" Matthew said trying to be helpful. "You should talk to him."
"There is no point in talking to him when he will not listen." Francis replied, noticing that a crowd was gathering around him. "I will not be treated this way. I am going home." He said.
"Home to… the house you share with Arthur of course…" Matthew said hopefully.
"Non." He replied. "Home to Paris… my 'ome. I do not wish to be with him any longer… I do not wish to see him." He said and stormed off out of there.
Later when the conference began again, Francis was not there and Arthur looked quite lost and worried about the whole thing. The others were giving him disapproving looks, like it was anything to do with them anyway. To them he just looked like he was nonchalant and didn't care about anything. He was quiet through the whole of the second half and kept looking to the door to see if Francis was just late but he never arrived. As everyone was about to leave, Matthew stopped by England and shook his head.
"Don't you care about him Arthur? Don't you give a damn?" He said with a look of disgust on his face. "You treat him like crap, you always have, how you can sit there and be all smug after what you've done, I don't know."
"What are you talking about? What has any of this got to do with you, or any of you for that matter?" He said looking round at the disapproving faces. "Leave me alone for heavens sake." He said and walked out of there back to the apartment in the Reichstag that had been allocated to him and Francis, only to find out that it was deserted. Francis was nowhere to be seen.
"Francis…?" gulped Arthur, his voice trembling. He checked the bedroom but he was not there. He looked everywhere till he found a note in the kitchen.
"Dear Angleterre… I realise I am nothing more than a burden to you. I will now leave you and go back to my home, I am never going to be good enough for you. – Francis Bonnefoy."
"No.. you're Francis Kirkland-Bonnefoy… you're my husband, you can't do this to me…"
Arthur fell to his knees, screaming his love's name at the top of his voice and crying out. Practically the whole of Berlin heard him crying out. "FRANCIS….!" He screamed "Francis…."
He was on his way out of the city, when he felt a real pain in his heart and he could have sworn he heard his name being called. He stopped the car and sat there crying his heart out for Arthur. Why had he rejected him like that…? Or maybe he was overthinking it… maybe… he'd got it wrong. After everything they had been through, why would he believe Arthur didn't want him? It didn't make sense. He slowly turned the car around and went back to him, he knew he couldn't leave no matter what.
When he opened the door to the apartment he set his bags down and sighed deeply. All was quiet, and no sign of Arthur, but… wait, the light in the kitchen was on. Instinctively he went there and found Arthur on the floor, clutching the note he'd left. The poor man was helpless, shaking and crying and staring into space like his world had ended, and it felt like it had. Something strange happened inside Francis' heart and mind at this time, he felt powerful, he felt his heart beat a million times faster than it should, the adrenalin was rushing through him. Arthur was crying, and those tears meant so much to him. He sighed a deep sigh, knowing now he was needed everything would be alright. It took a moment for Arthur to realise Francis had come back, and the hope in his eyes was unmistakable. He never hid those feelings from him and realised he'd come to rely on him for just about everything, he needed him as much as Francis wanted to be there for him.
"I…if… you want to do things for me… I … I don't mind…" He sobbed.
Francis knelt down and scooped him up in his arms. "Forgive me mon amour, I… don't know what is wrong with me." He said "I always worry so for you, I… thought you didn't want me around anymore."
"I need you Francis." Gulped Arthur. "As long as you want to do things for me… I won't be so hurtful towards you in the future. I promise. Don't leave me… please…" He said "I … was worried for you too." He uttered, the tears falling from his eyes. "That you were going through some sort of depression like you had before, and I didn't want to see you like that."
"I … know…" wept Francis. "And you are right… I … did feel so bad today. I don't know what to do…but doing these things for you and looking after you gives me some purpose. Something to look forward to… " He nearly added that seeing Arthur cry for him made him feel powerful but he was going to keep that a secret, he knew that could be taken badly. He wanted those tears, even if it meant shedding his own from time to time.
"I love you Francis… Je t'aime. How many times do I have to say it? How many times do I have to show you?"
"Je t'aime Arthur." Sniffed Francis and tore up the stupid note. "I am Francis Kirkland-Bonnefoy, your husband. I will not walk out on you over a silly argument."
"And I am Arthur Kirkland-Bonnefoy." Arthur replied. "Never forget that." He said through tears. "I know that if you leave me I will die… I will die without you…" he wept, and then felt Francis warm arms embrace him and it was so good. His touch was the most comforting thing in the world to him now, and he craved that embrace.
Francis picked him up from the floor as he had done many times and carried him from there into the bedroom practically feeding on the angst and the love, between them. "You will cry and beg for more from me" he thought to himself "I will make you weep."
He laid Arthur down on the bed and kissed him gently, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. "I am going to do something for you now, that you will never forget…" he said in a low sexy voice.
Arthur kissed him back, knowing exactly what he meant and he laid back submissively, staring into Francis gentle eyes. "Love me… " He said.
"With pleasure…" whispered Francis in reply as his body encompassed Arthurs.