11/20/2011
Author's Notes:
So…
Is this USUK/UKUS? NO! If you see it like that, you can, but then Arthur would be considered a pedophile since he is 12 years older than Alfred. Arthur is not a stalker in this story either, just so you know.
Want readers to review regardless if they liked the story or not? YES!
Own Hetalia? NO! I do not own Hetalia or any of its wonderful characters (Alfred Jones/USA/ America, Arthur Kirkland/UK/ England, Matthew Jones/Williams/Canada, Francis Bonnefoy/France, Katyusha Braginski/ Ukraine). Only the plot and idea for this story alone is mine. That's all.
Summary: AU brotherly relationship- Alfred's first impressions about Arthur, their second time meeting. Alfred and Mathew are 8, Arthur is 20, Francis is 25 (I'm only putting up the main characters' ages, so for minor characters like Katyusha you can make up whatever age you want, just know that she is in the teenager-young adult range); this is sometime in the early fall, about a month or two after Jeanne died and Francis withdrew the adoption for Matthew, but before Arthur adopted the twins.
-o0o-
"Hey, Mattie, what do ya think about that guy we met the other day?" Matthew paused to look up at Alfred who was lying on his back staring up at the beige ceiling.
"What?"
"You know, that old guy with the funny accent and the huge furry things on his face?"
"You mean the nice British man who helped you find your way back to us after you got lost last week?" Matthew asked as he went back to coloring his polar bear with waxy, Crayola crayons.
"Yea, him."
"Well, I'm not sure. I only met him for a second when Katyusha thanked him for finding you. And he really wasn't that old, Al. Francis is older than that man was," Alfred made a face.
"Well, he sure acted like an old man, with his weird voice, 'nd stuff." He muttered, trailing off at the end.
"He only sounded weird to you because he was visiting from different country; we're the ones that sound weird to him."
"Psh, what are ya talking about Mattie? I never sound weird!" Alfred huffed from his position on the bed.
"Yes, you do. You're always weird."
"No, I'm not!" Alfred insisted, flipping onto his stomach and glaring at his brother. Matthew sighed but let the argument go.
For a moment, it was quiet except for the sound of Matthew's coloring.
"Why'd you ask?" Matthew said suddenly.
"Hmm?"
"Why'd you ask about the British man?" Matthew repeated.
"Oh. Well, I saw him the other day." Matthew made an odd gasping sound and dropped his Crayons. He gaped at Alfred, who watched him with a startled expression.
"Did you talk to him?" without waiting for a response, he continued. "Alfred, you know we're not supposed to talk to strangers! Remember what Katyusha told us? 'Stranger, danger', remember?"
"Jeesh, calm down, I didn't talk to him, ok? There's no reason to anyways, he's so boring; all he talks about is this William guy who wrote some big, stupid play." Alfred looked grumpily out the window at the busy streets. "Plus, we're not strangers. You said so yourself, he helped me."
"Just because he helped you that one time doesn't mean he's not a stranger! You know nothing about him; you don't even know his name! Promise me you won't talk that guy again." Alfred stuck his tongue out at him, and Matthew took that as a yes. He sighed and picked up his Crayons. Why was he always the one looking after Alfred and not the other way around? Since Alfred was older, shouldn't he be the one taking care of Matthew?
"You know what I was thinking?" Alfred asked eagerly as he bounced of his bed and walked over to Matthew.
"No, and I really don't want to either." He stood up and backed away from his twin, scowling.
"I was thinking," Alfred continued, not noticing Matthew's frightened look. "That those things on his face are caterpillars!" Matthew blanched.
"What?" he squeaked.
"Yea, caterpillars! Big, huge, furry caterpillars!"
"W-why would he have caterpillars on his face?" Matthew stuttered, feeling sick. He hadn't liked bugs since Alfred had shown him worms while they were eating spaghetti for dinner one day.
"I dun know. Maybe, he has a really embarrassing birthmark or something, and he wanted to cover it up, so he ended up gluing the caterpillars to his forehead and now he can't get them off!" Alfred's eyes lit up with ideas and he bounced on his feet. Matthew on the other hand, felt like he was about to pass out.
"That's so gross," he whimpered, sagging against the wall. "Why would you think that?"
"Well, what else would it be? No one has eyebrows like that, they're too big. So it has to be something else right? Why not caterpillars?" Alfred and Matthew were nose-to-nose now; Alfred excited and jumpy where as Matthew was pale and sickly looking.
"Boys, I heard noises, what's going on-" A young woman with short, light blonde hair appeared in the doorway, pausing when she saw the twins.
"K-Katyusha!" Matthew wailed, pushing past Alfred, running over and throwing his arms around her waist. "Alfred's being mean to me!" he sobbed and Katyusha stumbled back a step under the weight of the small boy.
"Was not," Alfred scoffed, folding his arms. "We were just talking,"
"And you were trying to purposefully scare me at the same time!" Matthew glared at him with tears in his eyes. "Why do you have to be so annoying all the time?" Alfred bristled.
"Why do you have to be so quiet all the time?" He retorted.
"Bully!"
"Crybaby!"
"Katyusha! Make him stop!" He buried his face into the fabric of her clothes.
"Okay, okay, boys let's calm down and talk about this," she went down on her knees and hugged Matthew, rubbing his back in comforting circles. She sent Alfred a confused look over Matthew's shoulder, and he shrugged.
"Alfred, why don't you go for a walk while I try to calm your brother down," she suggested.
"A walk?" he grimaced.
"Yes, Alfred, honey, a walk. Please?" she raised her voice when Matthew's cries increased in volume.
"Okay…" Alfred walked out of the room he shared with his brother and sprinted down the next flight of stairs he found. Once on the ground floor, he ducked out of sight of Katyusha's younger brother, whom he had a habit of getting into fights with, and found himself outside. Outside in the sun. Alfred blinked in the sudden brightness, and then closed his eyes, a small smile forming on his lips as a light breeze ruffled his hair.
Maybe he had been a bit harsh on Matthew, but it really wasn't Alfred's fault. Once an idea formed in his mind, Alfred couldn't help but share it with the person closest to him. And that just happened to be Matthew at the time. But…Alfred did know that his brother hated bugs. He probably could've made an effort to not tell Matthew about the caterpillar thing. Alfred sighed, his eyes still closed. He would have to apologize later. His face screwed up at the thought; Alfred hated apologizing. Apologizing meant admitting that you had done something wrong; it meant admitting that you were the bad guy, even if it was just for a second.
And Alfred was not the bad guy.
"Are you alright there, lad?"
Alfred jumped in surprise and let out a tiny shriek, his eyes flying open at the unexpected voice.
There stood the British man, watching Alfred with a bemused smile. He was wearing a long, expensive looking coat, with his hands in his pockets. The coat was dark in color, and it wasn't buttoned up all of the way, revealing a tidy business suit paired with a plain maroon tie.
"Y-you!" Alfred cried in shock.
"Hmph, well that's hardly a way to greet someone," the man said. "I do have a name boy, and it's not 'you'! It's Arthur, Arthur Kirkland."
"W-what are you doing here?" Alfred exclaimed, ignoring Arthur's second sentence. "Are you following me around or something?"
"What? No, why would you think that?" Arthur flushed.
"I saw you the other day! You were standing across the street, staring at the orphanage!" Alfred accused angrily.
"I was taking a stroll around the neighborhood, is that a crime here in America?"
"What are you doing today then? Taking another 'walk'?"
"Obviously." Arthur scoffed.
"What's so important to you that you have to go for a walk on the same street every single day?"
"I don't go for a walk every single day," Arthur snapped, starting to get annoyed with the persistent child. "And most defiantly not in the same place! I just happened to be wandering around the city when I saw you standing there."
"You must be one of those weird healthy people who go for walks for fun then," Alfred wrinkled his nose in dislike.
"No! I'm not, I-ugh," Arthur ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "God, you are so hard to argue with, you know that? Fine, if you must know, this is what I do during my break."
"Break? What are you talking about, it's not summer yet," Alfred said with confusion.
"No," Arthur sighed and leaned his back against the brick wall of the orphanage. "I'm not talking about summer break; I'm talking about my lunch break from work. I like to go for walks to clear my head; sometimes I just explore whatever city I'm in at the moment, since I never stay in one place for long and I like to see what each place is like before I leave."
"Oh," Alfred looked at his feet, quiet for a minute. "Does that mean you're gonna leave America soon?" he felt a strange twinge of regret as he spoke.
"No, I'm not leaving yet; I still have a lot of work left to do here." The side of Arthur's mouth quirked upwards to form a small smile. "Why? Do you not want me to leave?"
"No! I'm just bored, and…" Alfred looked up at the window of the bedroom he shared with Matthew, and frowned as he remembered why he was out here in the first place.
"And?" Arthur questioned, attempting to follow Alfred's gaze.
"And I have nothing better to do, so talking with you wastes time." Alfred purposefully glanced away from the window, choosing to look at his feet instead. Arthur stared at Alfred, a frustration ghosting across his face. What was the child so bothered about, for god's sake?
"Well then, since you have 'nothing better to do', why don't you walk with me?" Alfred's head snapped up in surprise at the unexpected request. "I usually walk alone, but I believe I can make an exception this one time. That is, if you want to?"
Alfred chewed on his bottom lip, thinking about the offer. Aside from school, Katyusha always insisted that Alfred and Matthew never go anywhere outside without a responsible chaperone and permission from one of the adults who ran the orphanage. Technically, Katyusha had told Alfred to go for a walk. That could be considered permission, right? Right. And Arthur seemed to be a responsible guy. However, Matthew did tell Alfred not to talk to Arthur again, but Alfred had already broken that rule before Arthur had even invited him to walk together.
"Yeah ok, why not?" Arthur nodded, satisfied with the answer and pushed himself off the building.
"Excellent. Shall we, then?" Alfred rolled his eyes at the other's use of vocabulary but followed the Brit as he walked down the street.
"I don't believe I ever caught your name, lad." Arthur said casually as the pair avoided a hot dog stand.
"Oh, Alfred. My name's Alfred."
"Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance then, Alfred. I am-"
"Arthur. You're Arthur." Alfred laughed at the other's startled expression. "You said so before, at the orphanage, remember?" he explained, grinning.
"Yes, of course. How silly of me to forget. Speaking of which, you do know how to get back after this is over, don't you?" Arthur asked as they reached the end of the street and made a right.
"Psh, duh, I've only been living here my entire life. I know this place better than the back of a hamburger." He boasted proudly. Knowing Alfred, this was something of notice since the boy practically breathed in hamburgers day in and day out.
"I take it you enjoy those greasy sandwiches then." Arthur sniffed in distaste.
"Yea! They're like the best thing ever invented! I dun know how people survived back when we were cavemen." Alfred shook his head, pitying the early humans.
"Hm. Well, I like tea and scones better."
"Is that a type of coffee? 'Cause coffee's good too! I had some once and it was so awesome, but Kat says I can't have anymore 'cause it makes me too hyper," Arthur's lips twitched in amusement but shook his head.
"No, it is not coffee. Tea is an English drink; it's quite popular in London. Maybe I'll bring some for you next time we meet."
"M'kay," Alfred skipped next to Arthur. "I don't really care; I like trying new things."
"That's wonderful. It's always good to try something new; you just might end up finding something you never expected."
They stopped at a red light and Arthur smiled at the boy fondly. He was enjoying the company much more than he would have originally thought. Alfred was like a breath of fresh air; he didn't know or understand the hardships of life and saw everything in a different light than Arthur did. It made Arthur look at things in another way than he had done before he had met the boy. Alfred on the other hand didn't notice that he was being watched; he was too interested in looking around, observing the busyness of the city in the afternoon. He had never been away from the orphanage for this long without a chaperone. This was awesome! As soon as he got back he was going to-
That was when Alfred spotted a flower stand outside of a store, close to where he and Arthur were standing. He froze, staring at the array of flowers, which was a splash of color against the gray backdrop of the buildings. Arthur noticed how Alfred tensed, and followed his gaze to the stand. Arthur studied it, wondering why it was causing such a strong reaction in the child. It wasn't like it was anything strange; there were stands every few blocks in a city like this.
"Alfred?" The American jerked at the sound of his name, and his blue eyes swam back into focus.
"Huh?"
"Are you alright?"
"Oh, uh, yea, I'm fine." He glanced at the flowers again.
"Are you quite sure?" Arthur insisted.
"Yeah, it's just, the flowers," He gestured at the stand. "They're really pretty. It might be girly, but I love flowers. We never get any at the orphanage unless it's from charity or some random person who feels pity for a bunch of young kids who're stuck in the city all year round. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the orphanage and everyone who takes care of me there, but I wish for just once, that I could go someplace else. Some place where the sun shines all of the time, where everything is free and quiet and calm. Some place where maybe I can grow my own flowers, and give them to someone I really care about." Alfred stared at them longingly.
Without a second thought, Arthur strode over to the stand, dragging Alfred along by the arm.
"Ow, Arthur, what-"
"One flower, please," Arthur told the man who was selling flowers as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. Alfred's eyes went wide when he realized what Arthur was doing.
"Arthur, no, don't buy anything for me, it's not important-"
"Which one do you want?" Arthur asked Alfred as he handed the man a dollar bill. "I won't accept no for an answer, Alfred."
"But I don't-"
"Alfred. Just pick one." Arthur glared at him.
Gulping, Alfred nodded, slightly scared of Arthur's sudden anger. After inspecting the different types of flowers, Alfred pointed to a single red rose that stood alone in the back of the stand. The man plucked it carefully and handed it over to him. Alfred took it, staring at it like it was a precious jewel instead of just a common flower. He stroked a petal, and then turned to Arthur, a dazzling smile lighting up his face, momentarily stunning the Brit.
"Thank you, this means a ton to me," Alfred beamed.
"Uh- of course. Don't mention it," Arthur answered numbly as they turned around and started to head back the way they had came. Alfred smiled at everyone who looked his way, causing some of the people to do a double take at his obvious happiness. Arthur watched with bafflement as the child continued to glow with joy as he held the simple rose. Arthur had never seen anyone as animated as Alfred did at that moment.
"Alfred," the boy's head whipped around to look at Arthur. "Just out of curiosity, why did you choose the rose out of all of the flowers there?"
"Oh," the smile faded, and Arthur inwardly panicked at the sight.
"It just reminded me of my mother," Alfred explained. "Her last name was Rose before she married my Dad. That and it's me and my brother's favorite type of flower." He touched another petal, handling it as gently as if it was made of glass.
"It's my favorite flower too," Arthur told Alfred, feeling guilty for making him upset. "And Rose is a beautiful last name. What was your mother's first name?"
"Amelia, Amelia Rose. I don't really know anything else about her though, other than the fact that Mattie and I apparently look a lot like her."
"Do you miss her?" Arthur asked.
"Well, I never knew her. I'm sad that I won't ever get to meet her or talk to her, but it's kinda hard to miss something you never had, ya know? Plus- don't tell Mattie this-" Alfred said in a hushed whisper. "But I talk to her sometimes."
Arthur blinked.
"I'm afraid I don't understand. How can you talk to your mother if she died?"
"I pray to her," Alfred answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And I tell her stuff. She doesn't answer or anything, but sometimes it's nice just to talk and to have someone listen instead of telling you what you should or shouldn't do." He shrugged. "So, in a way, I'm still connected to her. Even though I wish she was here and Mattie and I weren't in an orphan home, it's ok because I know she's still there when I really need her." Arthur felt an ache in his heart for the young boy who was walking beside him. Alfred looked so sad and wistful to the point where he almost sounded lonely. He was the exact opposite of the bouncing ball of energy Arthur had witnessed only moments before.
By this time, they were back on Alfred's street and they were nearing the orphanage. Before they reached it, Arthur turned around and stopped Alfred.
"So, you have a special relationship with her would you say?" he asked.
"Mmm, yea, I guess you could say that," Alfred said after a second, and Arthur crouched down so that they were eye level.
"Alfred, what if as an alternative to praying to your mother when you need to talk to someone, how about you come find me instead?" Arthur suggested, searching in Alfred's deep blue eyes for any flicker of rejection or refusal. After all, they had only met twice, but the thought of Alfred praying to his dead mother alone at night in need of guidance or acceptance made Arthur's stomach turn with a desperate need to hold the boy close and never let him go. Someone as bright and happy as Alfred should never be without somebody who wouldn't listen or pay attention to him, especially when the boy was distressed or troubled. Arthur wanted to be that somebody for Alfred, that is, if the child wished it as well.
"W-what?" Alfred gaped at Arthur, not with rejection, Arthur noted with relief, but with shock.
"I know it's rather odd to suddenly propose you to come talk to a random person you've only met twice when you need to confide in someone," Arthur started to say. "But I think-"
"You would do that for me?" Alfred interrupted him.
"I- yes, I would-"
Alfred launched himself at the crouching man, throwing his arms around Arthur and hugged the Brit with all of his might. Arthur nearly fell over from the force of Alfred's embrace, but somehow managed to stay upright. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around the small child and hugged him back. Alfred pulled away first, beaming. This was the most wonderful thing anyone had ever offered to do for him outside the orphanage. By now he could tell that Arthur was different from everyone else. He was special.
"I would like that," Alfred said. "I would like that a lot."
"You would?" Alfred nodded eagerly. "O-okay then, here's my number," Arthur searched his pockets for a pen and quickly scribbled down his personal cell phone number on Alfred's hand. The boy stared at the number, smiling widely. "You can call me anytime, anywhere; I will make sure that I will always answer. Just make sure to write that down as soon as you get inside, alright?" Alfred laughed.
"Yes, sir!" he saluted Arthur. "Thanks for everything, Arthur." He gave Englishman one last quick hug then ran up the steps to the orphanage, leaving Arthur standing alone in the street.
"Oi, Alfred," Arthur called out to the boy before he could disappear into the building. Alfred paused and turned around. "This means I get to see you again, correct?" Alfred grinned, his eyes shining.
"Well, duh! We have a Special Relationship now! You can't make a promise like that and then just expect to disappear into the night without ever seeing me again! I'm gonna hold you to what you said, so don't you dare walk out on me, okay?" With that he turned on his heel, and was gone, taking the rose Arthur had bought with him.
Arthur stood there for a moment, watching the orphanage with a small smile on his face. Then he walked away, whistling as he did so. Arthur's boss was going to kill him; he had over used his break and was defiantly going to pay for it, but Arthur found that he didn't mind. It was worth it, just to spend an interesting afternoon with Alfred.
Alfred waited until Arthur was out of sight before he left the window. He re-climbed the stairs to the second floor, entered his bedroom and placed the rose on his bedside table. He decided he was going to give the rose to Matthew as an apology since he knew his brother loved the flower as much as he did, but that could wait for later. Kneeling on the floor at the foot of his bed, Alfred closed his eyes and clasped his hands together.
Mom, he thought, I'm not going to replace you, but I think I just found somebody who's gonna take good care of me. Just like you would've.
-o0o-
Author's Notes:
So…good? Bad? Review and tell me!
-akldhfkjsfhkjdfh oh my god, what is this, people actually like my boring story? O_o Thank you to everyone who's reading this! It means the world to me, seriously. I love all of you XD This is my favorite chapter so far, so I hope you guys like it! ^^
-Yea, this was a long chapter because of all of the dialogue going on. Not all of the chapters will be this long, so please don't expect every chapter to be like this in length.
-I know the orphanage is defiantly in the slightly calmer part of a city, but I don't know which city yet. I don't know where the rest of the story takes place either, but I do know for sure is that it takes place in present day time, and that it is in America. Just not sure where in America, exactly, but I'll figure it out sooner or later!
-The 'William guy who wrote some big, stupid play' is William Shakespeare, in case anyone was wondering. Even at age 20 Arthur was obsessed with him.
-Alfred is kind of a brat in the beginning of the chapter because he's jealous of Bonnefoys still being the center of Matthew's attention even after Francis withdrew from the adoption. Alfred gets better after he meets Arthur though because he's finally got someone he can vent to.
- The rose is Alfred, Matthew and Arthur's favorite flower because the rose is the national flower of both England and the United States (and according to the internet, Canada does not have a national flower). I decided that I wanted Alfred and Matthew's mother to be the nyotalia (girl form) of America, so that's why her last name is Rose. Her first name is Amelia because I wanted to name her after Amelia Earhart. Plus, Amelia/Amy Rose sounds nicer than Emily Rose or Jessica Rose or something like that.
-I have no idea what kids under the age of 14 are like. So that's the reason why if at any point in the story Alfred and Matthew don't act their age. I apologize if any part of the story is unrealistic.
R&R por favor!
-Camie
