It had been so many hours since they had gotten onto that stuffy plane, they couldn't even remember how long it had been.
The two had agreed to leave their responsibilities for a while, and take a long trip to Alaska, the most rugged and wild of all America's states. It would be nice to just get away from all of the smog and noise, and go somewhere clean and quiet, just for a while.
The jet had landed in Anchorage, and it was around 1 in the afternoon. The atmosphere outdoors was crisp and grey, and it had a cool tinge to it. Arthur gave a stern shake to Alfred's shoulder, jerking him out of a pleasant dream. He made a surprised noise, and quickly wiped a bit of drool off of his mouth. Arthur furrowed his eyebrows at him. "We're here. I would've thought you could stay awake longer, since its your own state." The brit scoffed. Alfred groaned, rubbing his eyes roughly with his fingers, so hard he began to see swirls of color. "Yeah, yeah- alright," he sighed, standing up and stretching the muscles he hadn't used for hours.
They grabbed their luggage, and made their way out into the Ted Stevens Int'l Airport. It was small and boring, with just a few people around. "Isn't very big, is it?" Arthur said, letting his eyes dart around. There were some elderly native ladies sitting down in some of the seats, waiting for relatives to arrive. Alfred chuckled and shook his head. "What did you expect? This is Alaska, not New York. Things are much more simple here." The two walked in silence, striding through the airport, glancing at the little shops along the way.
Once they reached the exit, Alfred grabbed their luggage and loaded it into the back of the Truck he had sent for. "The drive to Sutton is about two hours, and your cell shouldn't get great service on the way- so I hope you packed something to keep you busy." Arthur made a grunting noise and hopped into the passengers seat of the Pickup Truck. He then pulled out a crossword puzzle booklet out of his bag, starting on it. Alfred was checking the tires and other vital things on the Pickup, giving a quick nod once everything seemed to be working correctly. He took a deep breath of the crisp, clean air, and hopped in the drivers seat, turning the key. He started it up, and started off to Sutton.
Arthur got bored quickly with his word puzzle, and laid his head against the cool glass of the window shield. He began to notice the increase of nature the farther out they got. He began to look at the trees, they were so green. Since it was the beginning of Autumn, the leaves were beginning to tinge yellow and brown at the edges, warning everyone that the cold winter was beginning to set in. Arthur shuddered when he thought of how cold it was going to get. He heard it could get as low as 40 below, and that was normal. Alfred was staring blankly at the road, turning the steering wheel subtly when a turn came. In a bit, the road was beginning to get more and more rugged, nature surrounding the asphalt. Arthur was staring ever so intently at the beauty of the nature here. "Alfred, why don't you come here more often?" He questioned, breaking the long silence. Alfred puffed his cheeks a bit, focusing his eyes on the road more. "I never have the time. But whenever I get the chance, I come here as often as I can. It's where all my amazing bald eagles come from, practically." He said, smiling subtly. Arthur gave a small nod, looking back to the window. His eyes caught sight of a sign, surrounded by art of pretty pink flowers. "Welcome to Palmer.." He read aloud. He tapped America on the shoulder. "Can we stop and take a picture?" He questioned. Alfred groaned, pulling over. "Make it quick, okay? Its starting to get dark." Arthur didn't listen to what the other said, approaching the sign, snapping a few pictures with his Iphone. He looked at the pictures quickly, finally deciding that those were enough for now. He hurried back to the Truck, hopping in once again. Alfred pulled out, and started off again. "We're close to Sutton. Its about fourteen miles from here," Alfred mumbled, retrieving all the information he could remember about this place from his brain. Arthur smiled. "I like it here, the weather isn't so bad, and its quiet. Much better than that smelly New York you love so dearly." Alfred puffed his cheeks, offended. "Hey! New York is awesome. Way cooler than that smoggy London." Arthur hit him harshly with the word puzzle booklet, and Alfred began to laugh.
It had been about ten minutes, and Arthur was attached to the window, grinning softly. There was pink flowers everywhere, and so much nature. Grass, trees, streams, and plants. "What are those long pink flowers called?" He asked, pointing at them. Alfred glanced over to his side, trying to remember the name. "Those are- those are called fireweed," He said quickly, turning his eyes back to the road. Arthur hummed softly, watching the senery pass him by. He grabbed the a crank on the door, rolling down the window all the way. He stuck his head out slightly, letting the now warmer air hit his face. His blonde hair was flying around untamed, and he was grinning like a young child. Alfred glanced over at him, smiling widely. "I knew you would like it here, I knew it." He heard a loud gasp from Arthur, and looked over once again, seeing a Large mother moose and her calf. "Alfred, is that a-" Alfred stopped the car slowly. "Its a moose. We have to be quiet so we don't disturb it." They watched the animals for a while, Arthur snapping pictures all the while. "You'll be seeing alot of these guys for the next couple of weeks, don't take so many pictures, try to actually enjoy them," He mumbled, starting up the Truck again. The noise startled the two, and they wandered off into the forest hills.
The two had finally arrived in Sutton, passing the small green sign. The only thing it said was "Sutton." Arthur spotted a small store, pointing to it. "Can we stop by that little store? I need to grab a few items." He asked quietly. Alfred pulled in, looking up at the words. He read them aloud. "Sutton General Store." Arthur hopped out, walking up the creaky stairs and into the tiny store. He looked around, seeing useless merchandise. He spotted a shelf lined with Tea and Coffee, and strode over to it. He picked up a can of Folgers coffee for Alfred, and A box of earl grey for himself. He greeted the cashier, and elderly rugged looking woman. He dished out the amount of money, and left back to the Truck Alfred was sitting in. "Get what ya needed?" He mumbled, not really caring. Arthur simply hummed out a small "mhm," As Alfred hopped out, once again checking the vitals. He fixed little things that went wrong, and hopped back into the truck. "Ready to see where we're staying?"
/ive never written a fanfiction before, so I figured- why not give it a go? I can't write well, so please excuse how awful it is. More Chapters to come. -Beck/