Disclaimer: Hetalia doesn't belong to me.


Alfred had never liked the rain. Its darkness and gloom brought a cloud of depression upon every place that fell victim to it. Its loud, spontaneous claps of thunder were enough to wake almost anyone from a deep slumber, and the incessant rythm of raindrops hitting the windows easily deprived one of concentration.

It was very possible that Alfred's dislike for such weather resulted from the fact that his personality was much the opposite. He had a natural thirst for adventure, and the energy he went about his day with was almost as much as the energy of the sun which exactly reflected his vigorous, cheerful character. According to him, a world without sun and a world without light was not a world worth living in.

"Are you just going to stand there, staring at the rain the whole day? We're in London now, aren't you going to go out and explore it."

Alfred paused his thoughts on the rain, and turned to face his brother who had just questioned him. The black suit his brother was dressed in informed Alfred of his imminent departure.

"I'd love to go out there, Mattie, but this stupid rain is kind of preventing that."

Matthew sighed at his brother's comment, knowing all too well that Alfred would never go out in such weather. It was just one of the many things that differentiated them from each other. Alfred had always been more drawn to summer and sunny weather while Matthew felt more at home during the winter's cold and dark days.

"Well, maybe it'll clear up later. I have to go to the hospital for an interview now."

Alfred raised an eyebrow as he watched Matthew put on his jacket. "I thought they already hired you?"

"They did. It's more of an introduction, really."

Alfred nodded in understanding. "Alright, then. See you later."

After Matthew left, Alfred looked back towards the window that displayed a very gloomy view of the rainy, British capital. Matthew was right. He had a whole city to explore and he was not going to let the day's darkness block out his sunshine.

Alfred almost immediately regretted the idea the second he stepped out of the apartment building and into the thunderstorm London had acquired. The discomfort had already began and he could feel his clothing, now dampened by the rain, beginning to stick to his body, and his hair, now wet and dripping, starting to glue itself to his face. The umbrella he had been holding over his now soaked body had been of no help.

But the discomfort and regret soon disappeared as Alfred began to walk down the street, his wet shoes splashing in puddles every few steps. Even in the rain, London still lived up to its name, its architecture and scenery captivating Alfred's attention as his awe struck blue eyes gazed in amazement at his new surroundings.

He had no idea where he was headed, and for the first half hour, Alfred found himself wandering aimlessly around the busy streets of London, pausing every now and then whenever his gaze fixed on something worth viewing.

After the half hour of sightseeing had passed, Alfred could hear his stomach start to growl and only then did he remember that he had skipped breakfast that morning. He quickly glanced at his watch and seeing that it was already noon, decided it would be a great time to get some lunch. Luckily for him, Alfred spotted a little cafe across the street from where he was standing.

The cafe had a very homey vibe to it, and Alfred immediately decided that the place had been a good choice. Leather seated booths lined the front wall, their large picture windows portraying the rainy weather scene going on outside. There was a smell of freshly baked bread and pastries swarming around in the air, and Alfred could faintly make out the heavenly scent of coffee being brewed. The cafe was quiet for the most part, customers spoke in hushed voices and soft classical music could be heard in the background.

After ordering a bagel and a coffee, Alfred took his food and glanced around at the booths in front of him. They were all occupied, most of them only by one or two people. Seeing that he'd have to sit with a stranger, Alfred did a quick look over of all his potential seat mates. Upon coming to the last booth, Alfred's eyes fell upon a young, blonde male sitting alone, staring out the window with his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. Alfred smiled as he made up his mind and walked over to the very last booth.

"Excuse me, mind if I join you?"

The blonde man turned away from the window almost as soon as the first word left Alfred's mouth. His quick reaction surprised Alfred, it was almost as if the man had known that Alfred was approaching him.

"Go ahead."

That was all the man had been willing to utter before he turned his eyes back to the window.

Alfred muttered a thanks, sat down across from him, and immediately dug into his food.

As he ate, he took the opportunity to study the blonde man across from him. The first thing Alfred noticed was the way his hair was styled, as in there was no style at all. His blonde strands of hair were a mess, making Alfred wonder if the guy had ever looked at himself in a mirror before. His eyes were a bright green, a shade Alfred had never seen before. They were staring thoughtfully out the window and it made Alfred curious of what the man could be thinking about so deeply.

"Is it not rude in America to stare at people?"

Alfred fumbled with the coffee cup in his hand as his cheeks turned red, only now realizing that the man had noticed his awkward gazing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. How did you know I was American?"

The man rolled his green eyes and gave an irritated sigh. "Your accent kind of gave it away."

Alfred looked down at his cup as a blush began to form again for the second time in the couple of minutes they had been acquainted. From what he could tell, this man was not someone whom kindness came easy to. It made Alfred wonder why he had chosen to sit next to him.

"What brings you to London?"

Alfred's head snapped up as the man across from him spoke again. Upon hearing the question, Alfred immediately cheered up, happy that the man was willing to start a conversation with him.

"My brother, Matthew, got a job here and I decided to come with him in hope that maybe I'll find something here too. We just arrived last night, so this is my first time seeing the city, and I think I like it so far. My name's Alfred by the way, yours?"

"Arthur. And I apologize for my impolite behavior earlier, I just haven't been in a very good mood today."

Alfred smiled. "No problem, apology accepted. It's the rain, isn't it? It always puts me in a bad mood."

Arthur frowned as he looked back at the rain. "Actually, I quite like the rain. I never really liked sunny weather."

Alfred stopped drinking his coffee and gaped in surprise at Arthur's comment. "You don't like the sun? You're weird, man. Do you like nighttime better too?"

Alfred meant for it to be a joke, but surprisingly Arthur confirmed that Alfred's statement was indeed true.

"Good guess. I actually am more active at night."

Alfred stared at Arthur as he paused to take a sip of his tea. Alfred couldn't help but smile at how "British" the action looked.

Alfred took the moment to examine Arthur's attire, and after hearing about Arthur's attraction to the dark and gloom, his completely black outfit made perfect sense to Alfred. He knew he would never wear all black himself, as color was an essential for him, his white and blue jacket proving his point, but he had to admit that Arthur pulled it off quite well.

"You're staring again."

Alfred looked away again and smiled sheepishly. He could see the ghost of a smile playing on Arthur's lips as he said it.

"Sorry, again."

Arthur just nodded and went back to focusing his attention on the outside world. His doing that puzzled Alfred to no end.

"Anything interesting out there?" He asked jokingly.

Arthur looked away from the window, and instead focused his attention on his now empty cup of tea.

"Sorry, I just have something on my mind. I tend to stare off into space when something's troubling me."

"Something's troubling you?" Alfred inquired.

Arthur shook his head, his eyes staring hard at the cup in his hands. "It's nothing, really. I'm just paranoid, that's all."

His words were rushed, making Alfred think that whatever it was, Arthur was trying his hardest to avoid speaking about it. It only made Alfred more curious, but he decided to respect Arthur's request to not talk about it. To make it easier for Arthur, Alfred brought up a new conversation.

"So, have you lived in London your whole life?"

Arthur frowned and continued to stare at his cup. "No, I have not. I've lived here for most of my childhood, but then had to move around for a bit before settling back here."

Arthur had said it as if he regretted his past actions. It made Alfred wonder why he had to leave.

"Where else have you been?"

Arthur took a moment to think about it. "Well, I've lived in Oslo, Bucharest, and Paris to name just a few."

Alfred looked at him impressed. "That's pretty cool, dude. I've always wanted to travel. I love sightseeing though I think I'd have to get myself a tour guide. My self lead tour of London today didn't work out so well."

Arthur looked up from his cup with interest. "You want a tour of London?"

Alfred sighed. "Yeah, though I doubt I could afford it. I don't have much cash to spare right now."

"I can show you around."

Alfred looked at the British man in surprise. He definitely wasn't expecting that from Arthur.

"Really? I totally wasn't serious about it, but if you don't mind then I'm all for it."

Arthur gave Alfred a small smile. "I don't mind. I actually know the city pretty well. I can give you my number if you'd like and we can further discuss it."

Alfred smiled and took out his phone. "Sure. That sounds great."

As he exchanged numbers with Arthur, Alfred thought about why Arthur had been so eager to offer his services. Arthur didn't seem very social and he didn't look like someone who put himself out there. But, Alfred couldn't really judge him on that as he barely knew anything about Arthur. That realization of his lack of knowledge on the British man made Alfred just want to know more about him. The more he reflected on their short conversation and the way Arthur dodged certain questions and how he vaguely answered others made Alfred believe that he was hiding something. There was something about him that Arthur didn't want him to know.

"Maybe we could go tomorrow. I'm free, what about you?" Alfred asked when they had finished giving each other their numbers.

"That seems fine. I can pick you up tomorrow, just text me later your address."

Alfred nodded and began to put his phone back into his pocket. As he did, his hand scraped against the edge of the table which was chipped and he winced as the sharp edge dug into his skin, and a trickle of blood began to pour out. He quickly grabbed a napkin and placed it over the cut.

"They should probably fix that." Alfred laughed.

He then looked up at Arthur. He was staring at his hand almost like he was nervous about something. His sudden pale expression only concerned Alfred.

"It's just a small cut, nothing major. I'm fine, really."

Arthur then quickly stood up, a little too quickly for Alfred but he immediately just blamed his mind for playing tricks on him.

"I have to go." Arthur insisted, his nervous gaze never leaving Alfred's injured hand. "Call me if anything about tomorrow changes."

"Wait, Arthur!"

Alfred was shocked at how quickly the anxious Brit had left. He was already out the door before Alfred could spit out his name. Alfred knew Arthur's sudden departure had not been planned, he had no doubt that it had something to do with the cut he got on his hand. It was just too obvious by the way Arthur kept looking at it. Perhaps he just had a fear of blood, though Alfred couldn't really understand how a small amount like that could have triggered his uncomfort. Maybe he'd be able to bring it up the next day when they would meet again.


Arthur exited the cafe as fast as he could, not really caring if Alfred or anyone for that matter noticed his inhuman speed. The scent of Alfred's blood still lingered in his nose, but he knew he could control himself as long as he distanced himself. The further he got, the more the smell went away, eventually there being nothing left of it, but even when the smell had disappeared, the craving sensation Arthur had felt still remained. The reaction he had had to the scent of Alfred's blood deemed as strange to him, as he was usually able to control himself in such situations, especially when it was in such small amounts, as was the case with Alfred. Arthur had to admit that the scent had just been so strong and it smelled so delicious, much better than any other blood he had had in a long time.

He stopped in his tracks as that thought reminded him of the incident from the past. The incident that he had locked away in the back of his mind, and as a result, locked himself away as well. He didn't want to dwell on it, he had other things to think about now, like what had happened last night, but it made him question why he had just let some random American into his life. He had promised himself years ago that he'd never get to close to anyone again. Humans couldn't be trusted. His experiences had taught him that. But then how could he explain his sudden interest in Alfred?


Thank you all for reading this and I hoped you liked it. I worked hard on it, so I hope it paid off. I'd love to hear your opinions, so leave a review if you can!