A/N: Hello, it's me again, with a super fast update! Which actually tends to be a bad thing, because when I get too enthusiastic about a fic and update quickly, my inspiration leaves just as quick if I don't pace myself and I end up not updating (hehe anyone here reading my other USUK fic, Lovers Doll?) which is why I limited myself to a three-shot. This chapter didn't really end up how I wanted it, but I realized that for this to remain a three-shot and to be able to balance everything the way I wanted, I had to reserve some things for the next chapter (and this seemed a good place to stop, considering the material before the planned lemon will be relatively short.) All in all, these past two chapters have seemed to me to be just necessary background material leading to the final chapter so it didn't end as a pwp. Really, I'm not sure if I even consider these past two chapters part of the story. It's just like need to know stuff for my headcanon universe. Ok, enough rambling that you're probably not reading.

Reviewer addresses: Because it's a pain in the butt to look up and type out names, you know you who you are! One reviewer asked for an update on Lovers Doll, so just FYI that is in the workings (but I'm just a bit stuck) but I really don't intend on putting that out before the final installment of this fic, unless inspiration hits me.

Another reviewer requested my USUK playlist in an A/N, so I will be putting that in my final chapter because I'm too lazy to type it all out now.

Now the songs for this chapter (I appointed them because I was just listening to Evanescence while writing this ^_^) are Hold On by Avril Lavigne and Start Again by RED (yes, them again. They have GREAT USUK songs. Seriously. Their best one is Hymn for the Missing, to which I made a picture video on youtube, if you wanna check it out. It's the only one, surprisingly, done to that song.) Idk how much they make sense with this chapter, but I picked them, so deal with it.

On a side not (my last one, promise!) I think that the real inspiration songs for this fic are Alone by Jason Walker and A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. I LOVE those songs. Okay, you are now free to read.


Arthur took in a deep breath and shook himself mentally. Here he stood at the doors of the meeting hall for day two of the World meetings, and he was too scared to step through that door.

Yet again. He sighed. Really, he was a tad anxious to go through and to the boy he wished to see again, but there still lingered remaining doubts in his mind about what he had seen the day before. What if Alfred decides it's too late and rejects me? What if I was misinterpreting and he still loathes me? What if…What if?"

He couldn't seem to stop thinking "what if." He shook his head; no, he would treat these nagging feelings just like he had all other unnecessary thoughts over the past few years. They were unimportant, and he had no time for such things. Alfred was much more important than his miniscule fears.

He took a final, steadying breath and opened the large doors.

It was rather unceremonious for what he felt he was stepping into; every country was just as they usually were. The ones that bickered stood bickering over to the side, and the more peaceful countries sat in their seats waiting until Germany snapped and started the meeting. For the most part, no one seemed to recognize that he had arrived.

For the most part. "Ah, Arthur, you have finally graced us with your presence!"

Arthur groaned mentally. With all his internal struggles over the past few hours, he had forgotten the one person he might have possibly been dreading more.

"Sod off, you bloody frog! I'm not in the mood for your provoking today."

Francis raised an eyebrow. "Something on your mind, mon amant?"

"You could say that." Arthur growled, with no further comment. Francis let him push past, curious as to what the Brit was up to.

Arthur spotted America quite easily. He was laughing loudly at the very head of the table, with Japan and…and empty seat beside him! Oh that was a stroke of luck-wait, no; there was that one boy (Canada, was it?) occupying that seat, now that he looked again. Well, the seat next to Canada was open.

Arthur tried to discretely take the seat, but Alfred shot him an inquisitive glance; he usually sat farther down the table, closer to France (so he could bash the git's head in when he started on the British insults.)

England merely held his gaze and offered a tentative smile. Alfred seemed taken aback, then furrowed his brows in confusion.

The meeting progressed after that with more slowness than it had before, Arthur getting more and more impatient for it to just be done so that he could talk to Alfred. He fidgeted in his seat, not really paying attention to what was said, shooting anxious glances back to Alfred every few moments.

Alfred himself seemed to get more uneasy with each of the glances that he caught, and seeing as how he never paid attention anyway, he simply fixed his stare on England, as if daring him to look back again. Arthur did, and Alfred being the hero, refused to look away before he did.

Francis observed this little staring exchange from farther down the table, amusedly.

When all the nations had finally finished their piece, Alfred shoved his seat back roughly and stalked over to where Arthur was timidly (timidly? Since when had Arthur ever been timid?) sitting and plopped his hands on the table.

"Dude! What was with that earlier?!"

"Oh..uh…um, I just…" Arthur stammered, now at a loss as to how to say what he wanted to.

"Were you just trying to get a rise outta me? Cause you know that kinda thing doesn't work on me."

"No! That's not what I was doing at all!" England sighed to calm himself back down. "I-I was wondering if you would be so kind as to join me for lunch today." He got out somewhat confidently.

"Wha-" America took a step back, surprise clearly written on his face. "Why would you want to eat lunch with me?"

"Oh, you know, to uh…" England felt his throat drying up, "…catch up and…stuff. Yea." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"You serious?"

Arthur raised one bushy brow. "If I wasn't, it wouldn't be a very funny joke."

Alfred still seemed to hesitate a moment, looking down at his feet as he shuffled them in thought.

"…sure."


Alfred was having a difficult time wrapping his mind around the current situation. Not only had someone taken the time out of their day to speak with him and ask him to lunch, but Arthur of all people. On top of that, after leaving the meeting hall thingy or whatever, he had slipped back to his natural persona and started rambling on about whatever crossed his mind, like usual; but unlike usual, Arthur had not snapped at him, had not told him he was annoying or to shut up. He had simply nodded his head and smiled, and responded when required. To top it all off, he had led the both of them to a McDonalds of all things, with no request on Alfred's part. The only way he could really make sense of it was, well…

"Hey," Alfred suddenly broke from his thoughts as the addressed Brit was taking a bit of his fish sandwich, "Is there something you wanted? From me?"

Arthur looked caught off guard. "What?"

"Well I can't figure out why else you would be spending time with someone you really can't stand; if you had really wanted to 'catch up' you wouldn't have waited 200 years."

Arthur immediately felt the guilt crush him like a heavy weight. "Alright, first off: there has never been a time when I particularly disliked your company. Yes, you can get on my nerves, but everyone I know does just as often." Arthur stopped to make a distasteful face, and Alfred looked like he wanted to interject, but England held up a hand to stop him.

"And secondly…" Arthur thought for a moment. He wasn't really sure how he wanted to address this issue. Well, honesty was probably best. "Secondly I, well, really thought you were the one who despised me all these years."

Alfred's eyes widened dramatically for the second time that day. "You-you- why would'ja think that?!"

"Well, not picking a fight or anything, you were the one who left me; and it's not as if you made and particular efforts to speak to me in those years either."

Alfred slumped back in his seat to let the information process.

"So…you don't really hate me?"

"America, lad, I never have, and I never will." He let his hand to come to rest atop Alfred's, in what he was hoping to be a reassuring gesture.

Alfred opened and closed his mouth like a fish, seemingly unable to form words to reply.

Arthur, sensing the situation, continued: "And as for your first inquiry, I do want something from you." he grinned a bit nervously. "I want to be your friend again."


Okaaaaay...so whatcha think? I know, I wouldn't expect this to be a three-shot with a lemon in the next chapter if I was reading this and things were progressing at this pace, but I promise I have it all worked out! The next chapter will probably just be two times longer...

Anywho, What did you think? I would REAAAAAAAALLY love some feedback, cause it gets me going and pushes me to keep at it when I get stuck. And shout outs to you guys who DID review (and faved&followed) last chapter, you guys ROCK! I seriously wasn't expecting that many reviews, cause that chapter kinda sucked lol. And this one does too -_- On second thought, feel no pressure to review. I don't deserve it right now. *Totally NOT trying to get pity reviews*