Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

This is another flashback chapter that follows on from after the death of Arthur's mother.

Warning: Contains sexy times and also slight underage issues but bearing mind this is set in the Victorian era and their relationship is frowned upon anyway~

Chapter 6

Arthur's sixteenth birthday had been a far less joyous occasion. It was the first birthday he had had since his mother's passing, and his father had shut himself away in his study, drinking and working and sleeping with his cheek against the hard wood of the desk. The only one who seemed to care about it was Francis, who woke Arthur in the morning by jumping on his bed. Despite Francis being now nineteen, he sometimes acted much more like a child than Arthur did. Arthur woke up with a jerk, having been dreaming about the Frenchman, and when his emerald eyes met cerulean ones, a scarlet blush dusted his cheeks.

"Bon anniversaire, mon cher!~" Francis chirped happily, half-sat on Arthur's legs so Arthur could only sit up. Arthur was still half-asleep and had no idea what that meant, but he assumed it was related to his birthday, which was today.

"Mm…morning…" Arthur greeted sleepily, his hair ruffled from sleep. Francis' heart fluttered as he appreciated how sweet the English boy looked, and for a moment his thoughts went rampant about kissing him. But he snapped back to reality quickly, beaming and placing a piece of paper in Arthur's lap.

"What is this?" Arthur asked, still sleepy as he unfolded it to see Francis' beautiful swirly script.

"Your birthday present, Arthur!" Francis beamed, but as Arthur read it and his expression did not change, Francis felt his heart sink. Arthur didn't like it. He didn't like the poem that Francis had spent a good few months working on, just for him.

"…Arthur?" Francis ventured after a few minutes, suddenly losing all confidence and fidgeting with his fingers nervously.

But then Arthur smiled, and Francis instantly felt relief wash over him.

"It is beautiful." Arthur complimented, but in truth he had been somewhat disheartened. He had been having a recurring dream for the past few weeks that Francis' present to him would be a kiss, like the Frenchman had given him for his thirteenth birthday, but he could see how much time and thought Francis had put into the poem. He sat up a bit more, hugging the Frenchman gently.

"Thank you, Francis." He mumbled against his shoulder, relishing being so close to him.

Francis blinked but beamed and hugged him back, before pulling away again. "What shall we do today?" There was a spark of excitement in his bright blue eyes, but Arthur sighed.

"I have to study, Francis. I'm a man now, I cannot keep galivanting off with you all the time." His words were not his own, as his father had scolded him about skipping his tutoring sessions a week ago. But still, the words came out harsher than he had intended, and he saw the slight hurt and upset in Francis' expression. The Frenchman quickly smiled to mask it though.

"Ah – of course. Forgive me, cher. I shall leave you to your studies, then…" Francis crawled off Arthur's bed, more than a little disheartened, but he knew that Arthur had a lot of pressure to do well in his studies.

"Francis?" Arthur called just as Francis reached the bedroom door.

Francis blinked, turning back. "Oui, mon cher?"

"We can spend time together after dinner…" Arthur was trying to cheer up Francis, and the Frenchman smiled in appreciation, nodding.

"Oui, of course we can~"

Arthur smiled, loving to see the Frenchman's beautiful smile, and he felt his heart beat a little faster as he already looked forward to that evening.

XxX

Francis was in his bedroom, which had been reduced to the smallest room that was not part of the servant's quarters, courtesy of Arthur's father. He did not mind though, as he had enough space to create and keep the art he made, and that was all he needed. He carefully controlled the charcoal between his fingers, having discovered he could use it to create art, even if it was messy to use. He was so absorbed in his drawing that he did not even hear Arthur knock softly on his door. Arthur smiled to himself though, as it was not uncommon for Francis to ignore the door when he was drawing, so he just pushed the door open, expecting to see Francis at his desk completely engrossed, and he wasn't disappointed.

"Francis~"

Francis jumped at the sound of his name, whirling around in his rickety, old, wooden chair, but his expression melted into relief and happiness as he realised it was only Arthur.

"Bonjour, mon cher~" The Frenchman greeted, using a handkerchief to wipe the charcoal off his fingers.

Arthur closed the door behind him, locking it discreetly, before crossing the room to see what Francis had been drawing. Francis did not notice that Arthur had locked the door, but he happily showed him his art. It was of a beautiful fairy, and Francis had used to charcoal to create a smudged shadow in the fairy's wings and hair. The result was astounding, and Arthur almost forgot the real reason he had come to see Francis in the first place, as he was so captivated by the picture.

"It's beautiful, Francis." Arthur breathed, as fairies were some of his favourite mystical creatures.

"Would you like to keep it?" Francis asked with a grin, already knowing that Arthur wanted it framed on his wall.

Arthur nodded, his emerald eyes sparkling with the imagination his father had not quite been able to suppress.

"It can be another gift from me, then~" Francis chuckled, neatly signing his name in the bottom corner of the paper.

This made Arthur remember why he had come here, and he wet his lips slightly nervously. "…I-I want something else from you, as well."

Francis blinked. "You do?" He arched one eyebrow, noticing Arthur shift from one foot to the other which gave away his nervousness. "What is it?" he ventured cautiously, wondering what on earth Arthur could possibly want from him now.

Arthur swallowed. "A-A kiss – like the one you gave me when I was thirteen."

Francis paused, his eyes widening as he thought – hoped – that Arthur had forgotten about that kiss. But he hadn't.

"But – But you said…" Francis trailed off, remembering how Arthur had shouted at him that he was living in sin, and he had promised never to do it again.

"I know what I said…" Arthur mumbled, scarlet dusting his cheeks again as he looked down at his feet. He was too embarrassed to make eye-contact with Francis, and he swallowed again nervously. "But…I was wrong." He gave a small shrug of his shoulders.

Francis stared at him, not knowing what to think or do. He desperately wanted to kiss Arthur again – he had wanted to for years – but what if someone found out? Francis didn't want Arthur to get into trouble, but the more he thought about it, the more he just wanted to risk it all.

It was worth it.

Arthur was getting very flustered and he began to ramble about how no one needed to know, and he was staring at the floor so intently that he didn't realise Francis was now standing in front of him. He gasped softly as Francis gently cupped his chin with one hand, and his emerald eyes widened as Francis' soft lips made contact with his own. Arthur's eyelids fluttered closed and he hesitantly placed his hands against Francis' white shirt, but all too soon Francis was pulling back again.

Arthur instantly missed the feeling of the Frenchman's soft lips against his own, and just as Francis was about to break the silence that had formed between them, Arthur grabbed Francis by the shirt and pulled him close, crashing their lips together again.

"Mmph!" Francis let out a noise of surprise, especially at how rough Arthur suddenly was, but he melted into the kiss, kissing him back more deeply this time. His arms snaked around Arthur's waist and Arthur ran his fingers through Francis' golden locks, pulling him even closer. Francis lost himself in the kiss, his tongue gently probing Arthur's lower lip, and when Arthur instinctively parted his lips for him, Francis slipped his tongue into Arthur's mouth, deepening the kiss further. A soft moan came from one of them, Francis wasn't really sure who, but it didn't matter.

Arthur felt something come alive inside him, and although he had had feelings for Francis before, now he really wanted him. Francis wanted Arthur too, but he forced himself to pull back, albeit reluctantly.

"A-Arthur…- " Francis was slightly short of breath from the kiss, and he took a few moments to compose himself, before straightening up. "Mon cher, we shouldn't do this…"

Arthur opened his eyes, frowning at Francis' words. "W-Why not? Why can't we?"

The slightly hurt tone in Arthur's words made Francis hesitate, and he sighed softly. "We would both get in trouble if anyone finds out – "

"So they won't find out." Arthur finished for him, a fierce determination gleaming in his eyes.

"But Arthur – "

"Do you want to do this?" Arthur asked flatly, and Francis paused, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.

"I – Oui, I do…" he confessed, lowering his cerulean gaze slightly.

At this, Arthur smiled softly. "So why did you stop?" he asked gently, and Francis hesitated again, finally meeting his gaze, and that was all it took.

Francis had been waiting for years, and now Arthur was finally willing to be his.

The Frenchman smiled, before softly kissing Arthur again, gently holding him close. It didn't stay gentle for long, however, as Arthur pressed closer to Francis, acting on instinct. Arthur suddenly felt Francis' bed underneath him, as he was s caught up in the kiss that he didn't notice Francis coaxing him backwards. Now the Frenchman was on top of him, kissing along his jaw gently but there was a sense of desperation in his touch, as if he had been waiting for this for a long time. Arthur mewled as he arched into his touch, feeling Francis' cold fingers slip under his shirt and touch his warm skin.

Francis began undoing Arthur's shirt, letting it slide of the English boy's shoulders to expose the pale, unmarked skin beneath. He leaned down, kissing every inch of Arthur's exposed skin, fully appreciating him. Arthur let out a soft giggle as Francis' stubble tickled his chest, but the giggles turned into soft moans as Francis continued lower, his gaze becoming half-lidded.

"F-Francis…- " Arthur tangled a hand gently in Francis' long hair, but Francis noticed his fingers were trembling slightly, and he looked up.

"What is it, cher?" his voice was low and soft, but his tone was concerned.

Arthur blushed darkly, but he nibbled his lower lip nervously. "…Will it hurt?"

The simple question suddenly reminded Francis of Arthur's innocence. He was only sixteen, and Francis already wanted to claim him. He hesitated, before slowly nodding.

"Oui, it will at first…but I'll be as gentle as I can." Arthur still looked nervous at his response, so Francis moved up and placed a chaste kiss to his lips. "We can stop – you do not have to do this…"

At the thought of stopping completely, Arthur shook his head. "No, I-I want to." He said decisively.

Francis regarded him for a moment, uncertain that Arthur really meant it. "Are you certain, mon cher?"

Arthur looked into Francis' beautiful cerulean eyes and had never felt safer. He nodded. "Yes – you're the only one I would trust to do this…"

At this, Francis gave a soft smile, nodding as he shifted above him. "I promise I will be gentle. But if I hurt you, you must tell me, oui?"

Arthur nodded again, and now he wasn't so nervous, but instead he was slightly frustrated. He desired Francis and being so close to him without actually having him was aggravating to Arthur. Francis sensed his frustration and chuckled softly, before removing the rest of Arthur's garments until he was completely exposed. Arthur's cheeks flushed a dark red at this, but he responded by tugging Francis' shirt over his head impatiently. Soon enough Francis too was naked and he pressed against Arthur, moving their bodies together gently, which earned him a soft moan from Arthur. He smiled, kissing along Arthur's collarbone as he gently spread Arthur's legs. Whilst Arthur was sufficiently distracted, Francis gently slipped one finger into him, making Arthur suddenly tense and hiss in pain. The Frenchman soothed him with soft kisses and murmuring French nothings in his ear, and as he relaxed, Francis gently stretched him, adding a second and third finger when he deemed Arthur ready for them.

Arthur had tears in the corners of his eyes as the feeling was alien and unpleasant to him, but it was beginning to feel a bit better. However, Francis removed his fingers just as Arthur was getting more adjusted to them, and he let out a soft whimper at the sudden loss. Francis only smiled, warning him of what he was about to do. Arthur nodded and laid back against Francis' bed, trying to relax his body again. Francis wished he could make this easier for Arthur, but due to the secretive nature of this encounter, he had nothing. The Frenchman suddenly felt nervous himself, not wanting to hurt Arthur, and he met the English boy's gaze hesitantly, but Arthur only smiled at him, giving a small nod of permission.

Francis returned the nod, taking a breath before slowly and gently pushing into Arthur. Instantly, Arthur's face contorted into one of pain and he winced, his eyes squeezing shut. Francis felt panic course through him and he stayed still, knowing that pulling out would be even more painful for him. Instead, he leaned over and gently kissed Arthur, hoping it would relieve some of the pain, or at least distract him so he could adjust.

"Relax, mon amour…" Francis mumbled softly against Arthur's lips, gently kissing away the stray tears that had slipped down Arthur's cheeks. After a few minutes, Francis finally felt Arthur adjusting to him, and Arthur shifted experimentally, before nodding slowly.

"I-I'm ready…" he almost whispered, a tremor of anticipation in his voice as he wanted Francis so badly.

Francis smiled, gently kissing him once more before humming softly. "Remember, we must be quiet, oui?"

Arthur blushed, nodding as he thought it would be simple to stay quiet. But when Francis entered him he almost screamed in a mixture of pain and pleasure, and Francis widened his eyes, thinking he had hurt Arthur. But the English boy's sudden scream melted into a loud moan, and he clamped his hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. Francis smiled in relief, slowly beginning to thrust into Arthur, studying his face carefully as he did for any signs of discomfort. But Arthur was already getting lost in the pleasure, throwing his head back and even pushing back against Francis a little eagerly. Francis grinned as he quickened his pace, not daring to be any rougher though as he was still afraid of injuring the boy.

As Francis went faster, Arthur wrapped his arms around the Frenchman's neck, tugging him down and kissing him hard and sloppily. Francis lost his rhythm slightly as Arthur kissed him, but the kiss worked well in muffling their sounds of pleasure. All at once, Arthur felt a hot sensation in his groin and he knew it meant he was close to release. He pulled back from the kiss, trying to tell Francis before he did, but suddenly he released hard over his and Francis' chests, letting out a scream that Francis managed to muffle with another kiss. Arthur felt like he was flying for a moment, lost in ecstasy and he didn't even feel Francis moving in him for a moment, before he suddenly felt Francis release inside him, and he let out another moan at the strange but not unpleasant feeling. Francis let out a groan, burying his face in the crook of Arthur's neck to muffle it as they rode out their orgasms.

Arthur fell back against the bed, a lazy and content smile on his features. He was vaguely aware of Francis pulling out of him, and he reached up for the Frenchman. Francis smiled, lying down beside Arthur and wrapping his arms around him, kissing him softly and sweetly. Arthur smiled against his lips, having never felt so happy and alive. He snuggled into Francis' embrace, tangling their legs together and getting as close to the Frenchman as he could.

Francis smiled, playing with Arthur's hair softly. "Bon anniversaire, amour~" he whispered against Arthur's hair, and the English boy smiled sleepily, mumbling something in response as he drifted into sleep. Francis held him close, feeling so happy that he finally had Arthur, but there was also an underlying fear and dread that someone would find out. He fell asleep after a while, but it was restless and filled with nightmares of people finding out about Arthur and him. These same nightmares plagued him every time he slept with Arthur for weeks.

A/N: So this was my first proper attempt at writing some smut so please review to let me know how I did!

Thanks for reading!