It had been quite a while since they'd had a night out together, so Arthur was quite surprised when Francis said he was taking him out dancing.

"Put on your best suit mon amour…" He said "We are going to enter a dance competition…and I want you to enjoy yourself."

"Oh but…" England began but Francis insisted.

"No… you get ready and don't complain, you are in for the night of your life Mon Petit lapin."

"You know I can't dance …. I've never had a lesson in my life." Arthur said as they walked towards the dance club. "I hope this competition isn't huge."

Francis grinned. He was dressed in his best tuxedo, with the collar undone, his hair falling over his shoulders in loose curls. "Mon amour, of course you can dance, and if you are stuck just follow my lead hm?" He said and took both Arthurs hands, skipping backwards. "This is going to be so much fun huh?"

Arthur blushed. He decided to have fun, after all why not? They had been through so much heartache these past months and it was nice to do something different. "Alright.. its going to be so much fun…" He said as he allowed Francis to pull him close.

"I wanted to do something nice for you for Valentines day…." He whispered in his ear before nibbling his earlobe. "I love you so much Arthur."

"I love you to mon amour…" Arthur replied as they melted into a deep kiss, France really showing him what the term "French Kiss" means.

"Mmm…" sighed Arthur as they slowly let go. "Makes me want to go home and kiss you some more."

"After the night is over Mon Cher…" said Francis with a wink as they walked into the dance club.

The place was thronging with people, and some familiar faces were there, Ludwig and Feliciano were in the corner chatting, and there was Romano with Antonio, and a few others they knew. However tonight was about Arthur and Francis. As they were led to a table, Francis handed Arthur a single rose. "For you my petit lapin." He whispered.

Once again Arthur blushed. "Thank you." Was all he could say.

"Did I ever tell you, that you are adorable when you blush?"

Arthur bit his lip a little and chuckled. "Yes you have… I just can't help it when you do nice things for me."

"I love you is why." Francis replied. "Now… how about a spot of dancing mon cher?"

Almost as if it was planned the song "Joe le Taxi" by Vanessa Paradis came on over the speakers, and Francis winked saucily as he practically dragged Arthur on to the dance floor. Everyone was watching them, and it occurred to Arthur that it obviously had been pre planned. He went absolutely crimson at first, but as the song played, France pulled him close, and he was startled but also thrilled as he placed his hand on his backside and gave a rather sexy thrust, then another, in rhythm with the music. As Francis had instructed beforehand, Arthur decided to follow his lead and also moved thrusting in time with the music whilst looking into his lover's sensual eyes. The next thing he knew Francis was leaning over him so he had no choice but to bend right back, then he was pulled upright and swung around, twirled around and thrown before being caught in his lovers strong arms again, panting and sweating already.

"Francis… what are you doing to me?" He mumbled.

Francis just whispered in his ear "Dirty Dancing mon Cher… French style…" He replied, as he continued to dance.

The song came to its natural end and everyone was clapping and whooping because it was such a sexy and sensual dance they had just performed, even though Arthur had no rehearsals or training, he knew Francis' body well enough to respond to his touch and his movements.

Others then came on to the dance floor, filling it up with bodies and bare flesh as well as thronging couples. Arthur wasn't used to this kind of thing and he just kept on blushing and trying not to be embarrassed but he was, and he couldn't hide it.

Francis chuckled softly and placed a finger under Arthurs chin, turning his face upwards. "Look at you my beautiful husband." He said.

"I… I'm so sorry… I get embarrassed so easily…" Arthur gulped, staring into Francis' deep blue eyes.

"You are adorable…." Francis uttered as he pulled Arthur into a deep kiss right there on the dance floor where everyone could see, and Arthur let him, even if he did feel a bit like sinking into the ground. He then buried his face in Francis' chest and closed his eyes, as they danced for a few songs. His husband then took his arm and led him from the dance floor, as others were to get up and perform their dances, after it all it was meant to be a competition.

"I want to go home…" England said quietly. "Please Francis….?"

"Oh.. but of course mon Cher…" France replied, worried for his love, after all he had been through a lot in these past weeks, perhaps he needed to rest. He called a taxi, and they went home to Francis' little loft in the centre of Paris.

"Are you feeling well mon amour?" Francis asked with concern as they entered the apartment. He was answered with a kiss, a deep loving kiss, as Arthur couldn't keep his hands off him.

"I feel very well." He said huskily. "But I want you… and I couldn't wait to get you home."

Francis picked him up and carried him into the bedroom. "I wonder who won that competition anyway…" he muttered.

"I don't care…" England replied "I have the prize…"

Night Terror

A quick note here, Enola is a character I made up, he personifies Terror itself, and he says that Arthur Kirkland and Francis Bonnefoy are his fathers. He intends to destroy the world. He is a sort of spirit type character with no solid body. I have used him in a few stories. Just wanted to make that clear. Oh and the name Enola refers to the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Japan. He also says he is the destroyer of worlds. Read on.

(Listen to this song for effect - Lucretia My Reflection by The Sisters of Mercy)

A Nightmare

He was resting in Francis' strong arms; the smell of his freshly showered body was comforting. Francis liked to keep himself in good condition, and well groomed. Arthur liked that, he liked being wrapped up in his love, he felt safe and protected. Though his sleep had been troubled of late, Francis always helped him rest. They were staying at Arthur's London apartment, as they did from time to time.

Then it happened.

Maybe it was just the sound of the trees blowing in the wind outside, or an owl hooting somewhere in the dark, but something woke Arthur, just as it began to rain outside. There was a rumble of thunder in the distance and a flash of lightening, it made him sit up. Francis was still asleep, he hadn't moved. Arthur had never been afraid of storms, he'd sailed sinking ships through them for heavens sakes, so there was no reason why this storm should scare him as it did.

"Francis…" he began but Francis didn't hear him. "I don't understand why I am afraid… why the…the sound of distant thunder fills me with utter dread…" He whispered. "I have braved so many of them, killed men on battlefields during the worst storms in living memory…" He said softly "I have watched them die at my feet." He gulped "... but now… the storm feels like a distant enemy, one that I must fear… " He said as he got up and looked out the window at the pouring rain streaming down the windows like tears.

He turned from the window and there was a flash of light, and someone else was in the room, a shadow, or at least someone dressed entirely in black, his face covered up with a cowl. Arthur was terrified but being the Englishman he was, he stood his ground, and didn't show how afraid he actually was.

"F…Francis…" he whispered. "Wake up." But Francis didn't move, he never heard him. "Francis… please for the love of all things sacred please wake up…" Arthur looked at him, something was wrong, Francis wasn't breathing, and as the lightening flashed another time, he saw blood on his chest and all over the bed, and a dagger sticking out of him. Blood was all over the walls, it was absolutely horrific. Arthur didn't scream at first, he just stood there in utter shock, and looked down at his hands, which were all soaked with Francis' blood. "What is this?" He asked, his breath shaking. He was absolutely covered in blood"

"You killed him… murdered him." Replied the figure in the room with him. "Lost your fucking mind England…" It said and laughed.

"I… I didn't… I don't remember…" Gasped Arthur, staring in horror at Francis dead mutilated body. "I couldn't have…"

"Ah but you did… and I watched you. I turned your simpering little heart into hell on Earth. It was you who picked up the dagger and killed him as he slept, not I." He chuckled. "He never woke up, he never screamed, he just… died…"

"I wouldn't…. I couldn't… I… "

The figure pulled a large sword from a sheath and moved quickly, holding it inches from Arthur's throat. "I could kill you now, you are a powerless simpering wreck… Mr Arthur Kirkland Bonnefoy…"

"Then you had better kill me…" Arthur said looking down at Francis and back to the dark figure. "Make it quick.. I don't want to feel this pain any more…." He sighed, tears streaming down his face. He looked once again to Francis, his heart sank, his mind was going rapidly insane.

"That's right Arthur… who am I?"

"E…Enola… Terror…." He mumbled in reply.

"WHO… AM….I?" He roared.

Arthur looked up at him with frightened eyes as he was about to remove the black mask he wore. He watched, his heart beating ten to the dozen. This seemed to take a long time, but slowly Enola removed his mask and revealed his true face. The lightening flashed, and Arthur could hold back no longer, he screamed and screamed, at what he saw, his eyes, bulging with fear, absolute terror throwing his body into a fit of epic proportions.

"I am your fatal mistake…" He said with a laugh, and the relentless thunder and lightning would not abate…

"Arthur! Arthur!" A voice cried, as everything went black. He couldn't see anything, he felt confusion, and pain, so much pain. There were strong hands pinning him down on the bed.

"Arthur!" The voice cried again. He recognised that voice, it was Francis, his beloved Francis, calling to him, calming him, it was him holding him steady, holding him still.

Reality flashed into his mind, the light in the room was on, and Francis was holding him down, and he was just screaming out in absolute terror.

"Arthur!" Yelled Francis.

It took a few moments for him to calm, but he was back in the room, and Francis wasn't dead or murdered or mutilated. Arthur lay there gasping for breath, a deep pain in his chest and all through his body. He could do nothing but burst into tears, terrible, dreadful tears, he was still afraid, and it was clear he had just experienced a nightmare.

"Oh Arthur…" sighed Francis as he held him close. "You were shaking, screaming out… I didn't know what was happening…"

"I… I…" began Arthur in the throes of crying. "I thought you were dead, and I had blood all over me… I saw you lying in our bed… and you weren't moving." He cried "And he was here… Enola…"

"Enola?" Asked Francis, the look of concern on his face was all encompassing. "Mon amour… my poor little Angleterre…" He gulped as he held him close, stroking his hair tenderly as he cried into his chest.

"And he took his mask off… and I s…saw…." Arthur continued, trembling, clinging to Francis. "I..s..saw.."

"What did you see mon amour? Who's face? Tell me…"

"I… d… don't remember…I don't remember…"

"Hush my little Angleterre, I am here, and Enola is not here…" Francis said in hushed tones, rocking him to and fro. "It was a nightmare… a night terror… that's all, just a night terror…"

Arthur cried heartily as Francis rocked him and whispered words in hushed tones, stroking his hair and kissing him gently to calm him down.

Francis knew what this was. The psychological effects of being bombed, of almost dying, of everything that had happened to him, finally catching up with him. He knew this might be the first of many nightmares. Arthur cried in his arms for a long time before he finally settled down, but Francis held him all night, more motivated than ever to be there for him and love him and help him.