Alright kiddies, here's chapter seven. I apologize about being a week late, however my usual beta-reader, Curlscat {who I know outside the internet, and am very close to}, is suffering a family crisis at the moment. It's becoming very stressful for her lately, and I thought it would be best if she took a break and at least get one responsibility off her shoulders 'till she's back on her feet.

So this chapter's spelling and grammar corrections are brought to you by, HanakoAnimeaddict. Thank you again! You're a life saver! She'll also be correcting the rest of the story. So please thank her.

I hope everyone likes this chapter, and doesn't try to kill be for my lateness! ;n;


Chapter 7: Let Me Dream of Helpful Talks and Threatening Voices

Summary: Alfred has a conversation with Kiku, while Ludwig has a very intimidating talk with Arthur.

Warning: Cursing, awkward talks, and more frustrating development


How many months has it been? Alfred thought he had lost track, but after a good minute of recollecting, he finally had his answer. Eight months. He has had this dream every night for the past eight months. Over half a goddamn year…

He needed to see a doctor about this now!

Alfred sat with his head in his hands at a small table outside a lovely garden somewhere in Japan. Kiku was hosting a world meeting this month, and had everyone stay at an exquisite hotel in Tokyo's Chiyoda district. The garden itself was such a soothing place with lots of trees and flowers; however, Alfred just couldn't relax. His mind continuously wandered back to that dream.

His dream changed slightly, now seeing Ludwig in it, but after that, it stayed the same. Deciphering its meaning was becoming a hassle. He didn't understand why Germany –of all people- was there saving his ass. He didn't know why he pushed him away. It was all confusing and, at the same time, annoying.

"Are you feeling alright Alfred-san?" Alfred glanced up and met deep brown eyes.

"Oh, hey Kiku." He gestured his arm towards the seat across from him, "H-here, have a seat." Kiku bowed his head slightly with a warm smile and sat on the chair.

"So to reiterate my question, are you alright?" The dark haired man repeated.

"Y-yeah…" Alfred thought for a moment. This little dream of his was driving him up the wall. He needed to tell someone about this; otherwise he'd go insane! He decided that Kiku was probably the best person to confide in just as much as any shrink. "Actually… No I'm not." Alfred averted his eyes towards the table, finding it much more interesting at the moment.

"I see…" Kiku waited politely for the American to start speaking.

"I've been having this dream lately… a-and it's just really weird."

"Go on." The Japanese man waved his hand slightly, urging the young nation to continue. Alfred took a deep breath before going on for the next five minutes straight –without taking a breath- about his dream. Every detailed was spilled, even the part where Alfred admitted that for some reason he was OK with dying. He also went on to explain that he had no idea it was even Ludwig who was catching him until a month after he started having it. He told about how so much of it was confusing and driving him mad!

In the meantime, Kiku sat in his seat quietly, nodding when appropriate, saying nothing during Alfred's tirade. After the young nation finished, he folded his arms on the table and laid his head on them. Kiku smiled and patted Alfred's head.

"I can see why you would consider it weird." Kiku mused, "However, I can try and help you."

"You can?" Alfred's head shot up, eyes full of hope.

"Hai. Dreams are said to be gate ways to your inner thoughts. Your subconscious sometimes knows more about you, then… well you." As the Japanese nation continued, Alfred paid close attention. "Perhaps your mind is telling you something that you are just not hearing." Kiku looked at Alfred, giving him the command. Alfred looked to him with a confused look.

"W-what do you mean?" A visible twitch was seen under the Asian's eye, though he still kept a calm smile on his face.

"I am saying that you need to really think about how you are feeling, to really think about what your dream is trying to tell you."

"But I have no idea what my dream is saying to me!"

"Think harder then. There are certain aspects to your dream I won't be able to help you with. What you are feeling during your dream, however, may be the key to helping you figure it out." Kiku looked to the American with a somewhat apologetic look. "If you want, you should try to talk to Ludwig-san about this. Perhaps he may be able to shed some light for you." Alfred fidgeted in his seat a little. Kiku raised a brow in question. "You got into a fight with Ludwig-san, didn't you?" Alfred twirled his thumbs before answering.

"I… may have said something that upset him more then I realized… and… he kinda… punched me in the face for it…" Alfred bit his lip and tried to keep his gaze away from the Asian. Kiku stared at the American for a while. "B-but I honestly don't know why he punched me! What I said couldn't have offended him in the least, but it somehow did, and I've been trying to think of what I did wrong for the better part of this summer!" Alfred added. Kiku sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair.

"Still, it might be in your best interest to try and talk to him. It might benefit you in more than one way." Kiku rose from his seat after a good minute of promising not to tell anyone, took a slight bow before leaving the American to his thoughts.

Alfred began to think of how awkward that would be. Just go up and talk to Ludwig about it? He tried that once before, but he chickened out of it. Then there was that whole "punching Alfred in the face" thing. How awkward would it be to talk to him? The answer was a lot. Alfred wasn't up to face that kind of gauche moment.

Perhaps he could just ask Arthur for help, he was good with these sorts of things. Then Alfred thought of how he would react to such a thing. Last time he showed any interest in a nation, the Englishmen went on a rampage and went right to Russia's house and…

Did I just refer to Ludwig as someone I'm interested in…?

The blonde quickly shook his head, dropping the matter. Perhaps he should just go the Arthur and talk to him anyway.

.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Ludwig sat at the meeting table, doing the extra paperwork that had to get done. He stayed behind when the meeting had ended, hoping to get a little more peace and quiet. As he perused his paperwork, a thought lingered in his mind and began to distract him. He felt that Alfred's appearance today was a bit more… slouched. He was getting enough sleep, right? He momentarily placed the pen that was in his other hand down and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Why should he care? Obviously Alfred didn't need the others to care about him. He was America; no help for him. A pang of guilt ran through him as he recalled the night he punched him in the face. He should've apologized for that a while ago, but every time he had planned to, it became too awkward for him.

He blushed as he began to muse his time together with Alfred. He had begun to feel very strange around the American, and it was not only confusing, but downright embarrassing. Every time he'd lock eyes with Alfred's deep blue, dreamer eyes, he'd blush deeper than a school girl with a crush. He decided to try and avoid him for a while after his fifth failed attempt to apologize to the man. It had been a few months sense April, and he felt no calmer since that day.

Ludwig felt that having a quiet place to work would be best if he wanted to stay clear of the American during this meeting. However a rather loud nation appeared and ruined the quiet atmosphere.

"There you are Germany." Ludwig glanced up to see a familiar Englishmen walk in. The blonde shot him a quick glare before ignoring the other nation and going back to his paper work. He wanted some peace and quiet for 10 minutes, that's all he asks!

"Oh don't look at me like that you twat." The sudden rude outburst caused the German to snap his full attention to Arthur. An expression of offense made itself clear on Ludwig's features. He opened his mouth to retort, but he was quickly cut off. "Listen, I heard about your little dream you've been having." Again, the cerulean eyed nation's expression showed his feelings clearly, an action that was unlike him.

"Shocked, eh? I'm not surprised. I found out about it from your concerned friend Italy; heaven knows why he came to me about it." Ludwig gave him a confused look. He confided his dreams to no one, especially the one he had been having for the past six months. How did Italy find out?

"H-how…" Arthur sighed and sat down next to the other nation.

"Feliciano came to me today, after the meeting, saying that he was concerned about you. He asked me to see if anything was wrong. I guess he felt that I was a better shrink… Either way, he told me that for the past couple of months that you've been acting strange. He says when he sneaks into your room… I didn't ask why he did such a thing if you're wondering… he said he hears you mumbling in your sleep. He doesn't understand a word you're saying until you shoot out of the bed, panting like a dog and screaming Alfred's name." Arthur raised a brow as he finished his explanation.

Ludwig mentally cursed the fact that he was so comfortable with Feliciano sleeping in his bed that he completely forgets or ignores that he's there sometimes.

"So before I go and analyze that skull of yours, I would certainly like to know why you're dreaming about my little brother." The Brit gave off a friendly looking smile that was read as a dangerous omen to the German sitting next to him. Ludwig sighed, placing the papers he had slightly crumbled into his hand down.

"Fine… I give up!" Ludwig buried his head in his hands, no longer composing himself. "I have to tell someone or I will lose my mind!" His face was red from embarrassment, but he stopped caring. Arthur carefully listened to Ludwig explain that he had absolutely no idea why Alfred even turned up in his dreams. However, he clarified that it had been seeing the American falling.

"So let me get this straight, you see him in your dreams… trying to kill himself…" Arthur gave the German a confused look.

"Yes, but when I try to save him he pushes me away and he falls." Ludwig finished. The Englishmen beside him stared at him before slapping the other blonde in the back of the head.

"What The Hell, England!"

"Why don't you bloody dive after him?" It was Ludwig's turn to stare. In every instance of the dream he had every night for the past eight months, he had never once considered going after Alfred after he pushed him away. Perhaps he was still in shock that his voice was taken from him or that Alfred had even pushed him away that made him not think of falling after him.

"I-I never really…"

"I was joking… Straighten up you bloke." Arthur commented. The nation beside him looked at green emerald eyes with not only an embarrassed look, but one of annoyance. "Listen, I'm not a head doctor, but I can tell that this little escapade has messed with your brain. So I suggest talking to the git about this." Ludwig gave the Briton a dead pan look before opening his mouth to contradict the man.

"And how do you suppose I would bring up such a thing?" He let his cheek rest on the back of his knuckles. Arthur was about to answer him when he heard a very distinct voice erupt from the doorway.

"Hey, Artie! You in here?"

Ludwig froze. It seemed all the blood drained from his face as he glanced at the smirk Arthur adorned as the voice called out again. The German's eyes began to plead silently, begging the other nation to not do what he thought he was going to do. Arthur's smirk turned into a sincere smile, and for a moment, Ludwig thought he could rest easy. Oh, how he wish he could.

"Alfred, my boy!" The Englishmen quickly got up from his seat and turned to his former colony. "What can I do for you?" Ludwig winced as Arthur approached Alfred with open arms.

"Whoa! Who are you and what have you done with Arthur!" The Englishmen twitched slightly before dropping his façade and knocking Alfred in the back of the head.

"Can't I greet my little brother nicely every once in a while? Well if you're so insistent on being treated poorly, perhaps I'll do it more often."

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry, sheesh… Uhh hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Alfred wiggled awkwardly as he asked his older brother for a favor. Arthur simply laughed.

"Oh sorry Alfred, but I have no time to spare; however, Ludwig, has plenty of time to talk. Isn't that right?" Arthur turned slightly to show the German about to leap from his seat. Alfred himself looked as his he had lost his flushed color as he gazed at Ludwig.

"N-n-nien!" The nation protested, but Arthur smiled and pushed the American into the room before heading out himself. He held on to the doors and left it partially open as he addressed the two a final time.

"Nonsense! You two have a nice little chat. Bye-bye!" He practically sang his farewell before slamming the doors closed.

Ludwig and Alfred stared awkwardly at each other as time continued to tick by. Ludwig tried to hide the blush that was slowly making itself known. The situation he found himself in reminded him of… What did Italy call it? He was caught between a rock and a hard place? Yeah, that was it. His mind seemed to break under the uncomfortable silence that surrounded the two nations. He needed to say something, anything. He needed to get out of this room now!

"Wanna grab a beer?" They surprised themselves as they answered each other simultaneously. Both blondes blushed a deep shade of red before nodding. Ludwig packed his papers before walking out the door beside the other nation. Both were thinking that this was going to be the most awkward conversation they've ever had and that beer might help them calm down and loosen up.

Neither knew how the night was going to end, and deep down, they were glad about that.


Because that's obviously how men solve their problems, by drinking beer! I'm so creative! *shot* Alright so only two more chapters to go! Yay! Either way, I'd like to thank not only my two betas, Curlscat and HanakoAnimeaddict, but also to all of you for reading, reviewing, faving, and added this story to your alerts. You guys rock!

Translations:

Hai = Yes {Japanese}

Nein = No {German}