London is burning

Sorry for the very long wait! Here are at last the last chapter and I really hope you enjoy it. Cheers~

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.

Chapter 7

Arthur wen't back to sleep after Alfred had made sure that he could breathe properly, discreetly checking on the ribs while he was at it. Alfred sighted in relief at the realization that Arthur probably could sleep without getting another attack, but as a precaution he positioned himself in the chair next to the bed. He called Francis and told him everything that had happened. Francis reaction was enough to leave him proud of himself. After everything that had happened Alfred was exhausted and slumped back deep in the chair thinking that a quick rest couldn't do any harm. As he closed his eyes pictures of a burning London came before his inner vision and he contorted his face in concentration to block out the images. After some time he succeeded in falling in a light slumber that quickly got deeper. His dreams were filled with unsettling pictures of Arthur in the middle of a burning city calling his name disturbingly low and pleading. He tried to reach out to the other man to ease the distress he clearly was in, but no matter how much he tried Arthur was still just out of reach. After a while the pleading got louder and more desperate and Alfred started twisting in his sleep, Why couldn't he help him? When Arthur started screaming his name Alfred bolted awake and stood up breathing hard.

"Arthur! Arthur are you okay?" He yelled reaching for the place were the Englishman had been standing in his dream.

"Alfred... T...thank god..." He heard from the bed. As he looked down he saw Arthur laying at the edge of the bed with his hand reached towards were Alfred sat as if to shake him awake.

"Arthur" Alfred stared down at the other man in bewilderment, still not fully awake.

"I...I...I need s...some new clo...clothes, mine are s...so...oaking wet..t" Arthur stammered looking ashamed.

"Oh" Alfred looked dumbfounded. Off course. He had drenched the other man in cold water and then left him laying in the soaking bed.

"I´m sorry. I totally forgot" He felt his cheeks go red and looked down ashamed, Arthur didn't need a cold on top of the other things. "Can you get up?" He asked the man in the bed.

"Yes, I feel much better, thank you" He looked proud even when he was dressed in wet clothes and had his face stained by both blood and sooth. Alfred looked at the man in admiration as he struggled into a sitting position without showing even the slightest flinch. When Arthur were about to stand Alfred inched closer, ready to catch the other man. Which showed to be a vice decision because seconds later he was holding an Englishman in his arms who was white as a cheat.

"Careful! Don't overdo it" The only answer he got was quick intakes of air and a hard glare. As they moved across the room Alfred noticed that Arthur was shaking ever so slightly.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked tentatively.

"Off course I'm sure you idiot" Came the short reply. Alfred just shook his head and kept on slowly supporting the other across the room. When they stood in front of the wardrobe Alfred realized that it would be impossible for the Brit to chance clothes by himself, what with the broken ribs and all. He looked down at the shorter man with a dreadful expression. This wasn't going to be easy.

"So..." He began, feeling more awkward then he'd ever done before in his life, and ever would.

"So what?" The Brit replied grudgingly, but he made no move towards the wardrobe.

"How are we going to do this?" At this Arthur looked up at him and to Alfred's surprise a small smirk spread across the other man's features.

"You will have to help me" Okay Alfred had been wrong, this was the most awkward he had ever felt in his life.

Just as Alfred was about to answer he felt a vibration in his pocket and the song God bless America broke the silence. Alfred glanced at Arthur and then picked the phone up.

"Yeah, hello?"

"Alfred! Is he alright? Why haven´t you called? I called you three times but you never answered! What's going on? He isn't...dead? Is he? Alfred!" Francis voiced streamed from the speaker and Alfred could see Arthur vince at the sound of the Frenchman's voice.

"Calm down Francis, he's fine. Sorry, I forgot to call. I fell asleep" Alfred admitted sheepishly.

"You...fell...asleep..." Francis voice trailed of in a threatening way.

"Yeah, sorry about that... But he's fine, really. He's even up walking now"

"Walking? I don't think that's such a good idea, mon ami" The last bit sounded surprisingly ironic and Alfred flinched. Looking down at Arthur he could see him scowling at he phone with sweat running down his face and Alfred realised that Francis was probably right.

"I know, I know. It's just that I need to get him into some new clothes since I drenched the last ones"

"...Alfred, that was almost two hours ago. Has he been drenched in cold water all that time?"

"Two hours? I just... No... I only closed my eyes. He needed to rest and..."

"You left him in drenched clothes just so you cold sleep?" All the friendliness in Francis voice was gone and Alfred felt himself cringe from the phone.

"Okay, okay, it was bad of me. But I'm making up for it now." He added a laughter at the end that sounded more like a coughing moose than anything else.

"I'm sure you are" Came the icy response. "I will arrive in ten minutes, please keep him alive until then" Alfred sighted in relief when he heard the phone shut at the other end.

"So... where were we?" He turned to look at Arthur who was still staring at his ear with a highly irritated face.

"Arthur...?" Alfred trailed off, noticing the whiteness off the other man's skin, the sweat running down his face and the short gasping breaths. "Are you okay?" He asked for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"I just need to sit down a wh.." Arthur stopped in the middle of the sentence as his eyes rolled back in his head and his knees buckled.

"Shit!" Alfred yelled as he struggled to catch the other man as he fell. He eased him down on the floor, deciding that the drenched bed wasn't a better option. He felt the other man's forehead and almost cursed out loud when he felt the hotness of it. Had the fire started again? No, it had gone out several hours ago. Then why was he warm? He got the answer when Arthur moaned in his sleep and snivelled loudly. Oh. A cold. Alfred sat back in the chair looking miserable. He had given Arthur, who had just experienced his capital burning, a cold. Fantastic. And Francis would be here any second. He sighted, putting his face in his hands, this wasn't going to be pleasant. He whined loudly as he heard the doorbell ring.