Chapter five

Arthur had changed into some tightly fitting jeans, a habbit from when he was a rebel, not risking putting a shirt on because of his back being completely sunburned. He grabbed his journal to write about yesterday, when his phone began to ring. He looked at the caller ID to see who it was. He answered it. "What it is, Alfred? You already gave me a terrible sunburn." He asked, trying to sound annoyed.

"The lights went out in my room and I'm kind of afraid of the dark..." He answered.

He sighed "Oh fine, then. You can come over and do your paperwork in here, but no funny business." He said.

"Thanks, man! You're the best!" He exclaimed right before hanging up.

'How did his lights go out, anyway? They were brand new light bulbs...' The Brit pondered, jotting down yesterday's events and hiding the journal in his book case, ignoring the feeling that something didn't quite seem right. Alfred was going to be there soon and he didn't want him to read his journal. The Brit was so predictable sometimes.

xXx

The American had just gotten out of the shower, a towel hanging loosely off his waist. He shook his head like a dog, getting some of the water out of his hair. He walked over to the mirror and started his usual routine of flexing and checking himself out before everything went dark. He squeaked in surprise.

"What the hell?" He asked, looking around. He tested the light switch, nothing happened. He checked the sink, toilet, and shower. The water still worked. He checked the TV, stereo, and everything else he had that plugged in. Nothing worked. He grabbed his cell phone and called Arthur. He sat on his bed, still only in his towel, curled up in a ball. This was scary, like one of those horror movies he saw a couple of nights ago.

"What is it Alfred? You already gave me a terrible sunburn." He said.

"The electricity went out in my room and I'm kind of afraid of the dark..." He explained.

"Oh fine, then. You can come over and do your paperwork in here, but no funny business." He said with a sigh.

"Thanks, man! You're the best!" He exclaimed right before hanging up.

He hopped out of his bed, forgetting he was only wearing a towel, grabbed the paperwork off of his desk, and darted to Arthur's room.

xXx

"Okay, this ought to do the trick" Elizaveta said, pressing a few buttons and flipping a few switches. She snuck into the power room, taking almost an hour to find the powerbox that controlled the electricity in Alfred's room. She looked at the computer monitors. There was a whole wall of screens, one of each room.

Once she pressed some buttons and switches, she looked to see that Alfred's room was much darker than the rest. She smiled in satisfaction, knowing that most of the countries were out in the city, or out for lunch. Alfred and Arthur had slept until noon, so they were almost the only ones still in the building, save for a couple of others.

Alfred was scared of the dark, so it was a piece of cake. She just turned off the power to his room and he'd go crying to Arthur.

Her room was placed right next to Arthur's, so yesterday she'd drilled a small peep hole into the wall, but it was well hidden and hard to spot. She walked back into her room and waited, reading some of her yaoi. She had a slight obsession with yaoi and she just loved to meddle. 'I mean, who wouldn't agree that Arthur and Alfred were meant to be together? They would make such an adorable couple!' She thought, squealing. She was going to get them together, even if it's the last thing she does.

xXx

Alfred was almost to Arthur's room, but then he was stopped by Francis. "Mon ami, what's ze rush? Are you really zat excited to see Arthur?" He asked, a smile gracing his lips.

"No! The power went out in my room so I decided to go to Arthur's room." He explained.

"In only a towel?" He asked, arching an eyebrow and smirking. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one side, waiting for an answer.

"Wha-?" He asked, looking down. "Oh, well, I just got out of the shower when the power went out. I guess I forgot to put some actual clothes on. I guess I'm just going to have to borrow some of Artie's" He said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand and laughing.

The Frenchman laughed. "I've notice zat you and Arthur 'ave gotten quite close. It 'as only been a few days and you two are almost inseperateable." He said with a knowing tone.

The American had't noticed it, though. "Well, yeah. We have started hanging out a lot, huh?"

" I've just never seen two people become so close so quickly."

"Yeah, we're tighter than skinny jeans, man. We tell each other everything!" He said enthusiastically.

"Everything? Are you sure?"

"Yeah!"

"Then you could tell me who our dear Arthur iz secretly crushing on, non?"

"Uh..." He scratched his head. "I don't know..." He admitted.

"Then I guess he 'asn't told you everything. You might want to work on zat if you want to be, ahem, as tight as skinny jeans with Arthur, as you Americans would put it." He said, pating the American's shoulder and heading off in the other direction.

'Huh...I guess I don't know EVERYTHING...I wonder who he would have a crush on...' He thought, walking up to Arthur's door. He knocked three times and waited. When the door opened, he was greeted by Arthur, who went a little pink in the cheeks.

"May I ask why you are only wearing a t-towel?"

"The power went out right after I got out of the shower." He explained.

"You c-couldn't change in the d-dark? It couldn't have been t-that dark for you not to be able to s-see." The Brit's blush darkened at seeing how low the towel was sitting on his hips.

"Well, I panicked a little, okay? Can I come in?" Oblivious to how flustered the Brit was becoming.

The Brit stepped to the side and closed the door after the American walked in and plopped himself on his bed.

"Can I offer you some clothes?" He asked, turning around, trying to stop himself from checking the American out. He hasn't had this problem when they were at the beach, so why now? Maybe because he was too busy being self-concious to notice before, but damn he was hot.

"That would be awesome."

Arthur dug around in his drawers, bending down in the process.

'Daaaayuuuuum, dat ass...what the hell did I just...'He shook his head. 'no no no! He's a guy and he's your friend...but dat ass...It would be perfect -'

"Here, see if these fit. They're a little big on me, so they might fit you" He said, handing him the folded jeans and some boxers and snapping Alfred out of his guilty thoughts before he got something he didn't want. (Ohonhonhon~)

"Thanks, man" He said, grabbing the clothes and standing up. The Brit just shrugged.

He walked into the bathroom and changed. When he walked out, the Brit's back was to him as he saw the guitar tattoo. 'It makes him so much hotter...DAMMIT! I think I'm turning gay or something, he is just my friend!'

"We should probably get started on our paperwork. Since I only have one desk, to be fair, we'll just sit on the bed and work." He said.

"Fine, whatever"

They both lay flat on their stomachs, their head and arms hanging off the edge as they did their paperwork, which lay on the floor in front of them. They did this for about five minutes before Alfred spoke up. "This is booooriiiiing."

"Try having a sunburn. If I put a shirt on, it'll hurt like hell, but if I don't, it's hot and cold at the same time. anyway, what do you propose we do?"

"Sorry...anyway, lets play the Questiong Game!" He said enthusiastically.

The Brit perked up a little, but tried to hide his excitement. "Why not? Okay, you can start."

"Okay...let's see...have you ever had a girlfriend?" He asked, curious. He'd never had any girlfriends around when he was a kid, but he had to have had a girlfriend at least once in his life.

"W-well, I-there's something I should probably t-tell you..."

"Yeah? What is it?" He asked, turning his attention from his paperwork to the blushing Brit.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to say it "I'm gay"

Alfred nearly dropped his pen in shock. "Really? I had no idea, man." He said."So, let me rephrase the question: Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

"Y-you're okay with it?" Arthur asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Sure! Why wouldn't I be? You are who you are, you're still my bro!" He said easily. Arthur just about lost it. He started to cry and curl up on his bed. He was so happy and relieved that someone accepted him for the way he was. He had always been rejected by everyone else, but Alfred accepted him. Always had.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." He started to chant inbetween sobs, rocking back and forth.

"Hey, it's alright." The American soothed, rubbing comforting circles on the Brit's back, being careful not to touch the sunburnt part. "What's wrong?" He asked in a surprisingly soft tone.

"N-nothing is w-wrong. I-it's j-ust that...n-nobody has ever a-acce-epted me like y-you have" He said between sobs.

"Ooooh, I see. Do you need a tissue?" He asked in his soft tone, reaching for the tissues on his night stand.

"Y-yes pl-lease" He said, accepting the tissue he was handed and wiping away tears, which were just replaced with fresh ones.

"Look at me"

The Brit shook his head, keeping his face hidden.

Alfred gently pushed the Brit's chin and up to look at him. His eyes shone with emotion and he felt something stir in him when he looked into the green orbs. "I will always accept you for who you are. Everyone else who has rejected you were wrong. You're perfect, don't change who you are, because I like you just like this. I'll never let anyone hurt you again, I promise. Just remember that I'll always be here for you. Everyone who has rejected you has missed out on having the best bro ever. I couldn't ask for a better friend." He said, wiping away the freshly shed tears with his thumbs. "And if you don't want anyone else to know, it will just be our little secret then." He said, giving him a warm smile.

"Now come on, lets get you cleaned up" He said in the same gentle tone, grabbing the Brit's hand and guiding him to the bathroom sink to wash his face.

xXx

Elizaveta almost died trying not to scream. She had watched through her peep hole and she couldn't believe something could be so sweet. She clasped her hands over her mouth, trying not to squeal. 'TOO CUTE! OMG!' They were getting closer, she just knew it. 'Just a little push is all they need...' She thought, starting to plan out a 'coincidental encounter' that will get them to finally get together and live happily ever after...or at least that's how she thought about it as...

She suddenly heard a knock on her door and she opened it to see Gilbert smiling down at her. She blushed and let him in.

"Is your stingy musician gonna be out today?" He asked.

"Yes" She said, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Good" He said, walking towards her and pressing her into the bed.

xXx

"'Ow can he be so blind? Zey love each other and Alfred iz too stupid to see it! Arthur loves him, but he zhinks Alfred doesn't, and Alfred loves Arthur, but he just doesn't know it yet. It's just like one of zose cliche romance movies! I can't take seeing zem like zis. Zhere 'as to be something I can do..." Francis thought aloud, starting to plan out a way to get them together.

"Francis, leave them alone and just let nature take its course." The soft-spoken Canadian advised.

"I am so sorry, my little maple, but I just can't 'elp seeing too people in love and not know it." He said with apologetic eyes.

The Canadian giggled. "Oh Francis, always so nosy. Don't call me that, my name is Matthew, you know."

"Oh, but Matthew, you are just so beautiful..."

"Francis, please. Not going to work..." He said, until he looked over and saw the Frenchman's puppy face. He sighed.

"Fine, just don't end up accidentally ruining their friendship- or relationship...if they ever do become a couple. They'd be so cute together."

"Just like you and me?"

"We're not together, Francis. Keep dreaming." He said, trying to sound annoyed, but secretly amused.