Until the Day I Die—Drabble Series
"We'll make the same mistakes,
I'll take the fall for you."
"Francis!" England shouted, running to his rival's rescue.
Gripping his leg as it gushed blood, France staggered into England's awaiting arms. The Frenchman's eyes flickered shut as he whispered, "Help your people, Arthur…forget about me." Heart bickering fiercely with his mind, the British gentleman struggled to make a decision. Should he help him or leave him? His own people were losing lives on the battlefront, drowning in corpses. His teeth and fists clenched.
France was just as important to him.
Dragging the limp body to a nearby hospital, England deposited France to safer care. He helped the enemy, he helped his friend; he barely remembered if he was allied with the Frenchman this time, but it didn't matter. Shiftily glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he swept the matted hair from the Frenchman's brow and pressed his lips to France's forehead.
He left the same note by his bedside, as always:
"You had better live to fight me another day, Frog."
"I hope you need this now,
'Cause I know I still do."