A/N: Hello! Sorry it's taken me so long. School's started up for me this week and I'm unsure when I can update. I will try to do so every weekend if not before. I want it to be each weekend and I will work to do so.
Anyway, I finally got that Tumblr account. OTL However, I'm not experienced at it. I don't know how to decorate it or any such thing as that. So I will be posting my stories on there now too and also random pictures I like. You can follow me. It's the same name .com or something like that. I have the same username. If people can give me hints (in a PM) on how to work my tumblr, I'd love the help! XD
For the sake of things, England is the future England and Arthur is the past one. So people won't become confused. I know a lot of people wanted to see the Englands meet and I assure you that I had already planned to do so. Expect confrontation. :D Hahaha
Waking up was a struggle for Arthur as a fog had to clear from his head. He had no memory of dreaming at all or, for that matter, falling asleep. He just recalled suddenly awakening and sitting up in bed. But although his body was awake, his mind was not. It spun fast and Arthur squeezed his eyes shut and covered his face with his hands as he waited for the world to stop spinning. Finally his mind cleared and he dropped his hands slowly.
The room he was in was unfamiliar. He wasn't on a ship or in any house that he could recognize. The walls were –through the dim light filtering into the room via the window- a pale blue with plush flooring. It appeared to be red animal fur, but it didn't appear as soft as that. On the walls were various tapestries of people and strange articles on them in bright colours. Arthur noticed a dresser and a door opposite of him. He looked down. His body was covered with a blanket made of soft material and the bed was heavenly. Never before had Arthur slept on something so comfortable. It was firm but soft. And the pillows were even softer, although they cover they had on them were strangely patterned.
He curled down into the covers and closed his eyes to absorb the feel of them. His nose was pleasantly assaulted with a familiar musk. He recognized America's scent and gave a soft sigh. The scent was comforting. He was in America's bed, he realized. This must be his room.
Vaguely Arthur's ears picked up on some sounds. It sounded like two people conversing. He focused more on it and recognized America's voice. It was easy to recognize. However, there was another familiar voice. It sounded strange to his ears and with a start he realized who it was. He sat up swiftly and clamoured quickly but silently off of the bed. He approached the door and opened it a little to peer out. In the living room he didn't spot anyone but heard movement.
"America, I swear you are becoming lazier every year!" Arthur spotted America stomp out and into the view of the door, appearing annoyed but hiding it somewhat well. He was trying to look carefree but Arthur saw through it.
"Jeez, will you stop nagging me?" America complained as his companion joined him, getting close enough to America to agitate the younger nation but far enough away to be slightly impersonal. Arthur couldn't help but stare as he gazed at his older self. Right away he noticed an age difference. While Arthur himself was about physically eighteen of nineteen, this other England appeared to be close to his mid-twenties or a little younger than that. England hadn't changed very much except in the eyes. He appeared grumpier and the annoyance clearly written across his face was a definite sign to it. Arthur wondered what happened to age him so –more in the mental way than the physical way.
"No, I will not!" England scowled, glaring at the annoyed America. "You've been absent for a week and you still haven't sent me the confirmation to that document! I was forced to come to this place because of your negligence! And then I find out you're in New York? Shouldn't you be in Washington?"
"So I wanted to get away from there and relax in New York! Give me a break, old man! You're not my mom!" America argued back.
"I may not be, but I feel like I am sometimes! God, why couldn't anything I taught you stick into your head? Work comes before play!" Arthur felt vaguely amused by this fact because he himself had slacked off from his work to spend time with the two Americas. Oh well.
"Blah blah blah. Seriously, I don't care. I'll get it done, okay?" America moved to head towards something on the table when his eye caught Arthur's peeking one. His eyes widened slightly and he sent him a look that said not to expose himself. America dug on the table and picked up a paper and looked at it in slight surprise. "Hey, what'dya know? It's already done!" He turned to England and handed him the paper. England scanned it over and tried not to appear surprised.
"Very well, I suppose you have. And the other papers?" England folded his arms over his chest. America gave a frustrated growl and Arthur shifted behind the door. America's eyes snapped to him and Arthur smirked. America wanted to stay there? When Arthur could easily confront his elder self? He could see what America had meant by England supposedly hating him. Arthur –in his elder self's position- would have praised America for getting his work done and thank him. This England appeared unwilling to express any happiness at this fact. It was as if he was trying to pick a fight. Arthur would not stand for it. And America seemed to have realized this by slight shocked look he developed.
England frowned deeper, seeing America distracted. "What are you looking at?" He demanded and looked towards the bedroom door too just as two things happened. Arthur threw open the bedroom door and America jumped between the two Englands.
"Nothing!" He cried but it was too late. Arthur shoved America out of the way to make his presence known to his elder self, frowning as well. England's eyes widened in pure astonishment. This was no doubt the last thing he had expected. Arthur couldn't blame him.
"Wha…What is this, America!" England turned to confront America who slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand and ran his fingers in a worried way into his hair.
"Um…" America started and hesitated. Arthur decided to take over.
"I'm you, quite obviously." He stated, placing his hands on his hips. "However, I'm not the same 'you'. I'm from the past." England didn't appear like he believed him.
"Impossible." He denied and reached forward to touch Arthur to check if he was real.
"Don't touch me/him!" Both Arthur and America yelled as Arthur jerked away from the hand and America grabbed England to yank him back.
England spluttered in surprise. "Why not?" He demanded, furious at being yanked.
"Jeez, England! You watch Doctor Who! You know what happens! Paradoxes!" America said. England paused, recalling this.
"But it's impossible! He can't be me! Time travel doesn't exist for humanity yet!" Arthur wondered why he had worded it that way and what this supposed "Doctor Who" was.
"But it really is you!" America said. "He's you from the seventeen-hundreds!" England and Arthur stared at each other. Arthur knew that he was searching for signs of the truth. Apparently he found them. The age of Arthur's physical body should've been able to give it away.
"Explain, America. Now." England jerked himself out of America's grip and straightened his clothing. Arthur could feel his tolerance quickly waning. How dare this man treat his America like that? He moved around this England carefully to stand near America, shifting his trousers onto his form better as they slipped.
America didn't seem to mind the movement but England took notice. America shrugged. "Tony had a time machine-" He began to explain and England face dead-panned.
"Of course. Him. I should've known it was your alien friend." England stated.
"He's not an alien!" America denied. England rolled his eyes and waited for him to continue. "Anyway, I tried to use it and kind of was shot back in time. Spent time with this England," he pointed to Arthur, "and then was suddenly taken back but he was touching me at that moment and he was pulled with me."
"And why hasn't he been returned?" England demanded angrily. "Do you realize just how badly you could destroy the time-space continuum? How it is even possible for him to be here, I don't understand! I'm surprised the bloody Doctor himself hasn't shown up!"
America appeared slightly annoyed but also he seemed to see the truth in this. "I couldn't! I called Tony over a while ago-" America halted suddenly and turned to Arthur, "oh, by the way you were asleep for a while. Tony already left. Jeez, you just passed right out!" America laughed. Arthur was unamused.
"I hadn't been prepared to see a creature such as that, America. A little warning would have been sufficient." He grumbled slightly. "Tony" had been the last thing to tumble the already-beginning-to-panic Arthur over the edge. It had been all too much to take in at once. America was such a strange person.
America just laughed again. "Culture shock hit you like a bus!" Arthur glared, not knowing what this "bus" was and not caring.
England cleared his throat loudly to draw back their attentions. "Focus, America. What happened with your friend?"
"Oh, that. Well Tony said that the trip there and back had fried his machine and he has to fix it now. Hahaha, I got an earful from him! He says this planet doesn't have the right supplies to fix it so he has to go home to get them! Jeez, he's such a freaky dude! Gotta love him!" Neither England nor Arthur looked nearly as pleased. But Arthur didn't mind. He didn't mind staying with America longer. It was better than going home at the moment to a world where currently America couldn't stand him. He wanted his fill of his darling before he left.
"Lovely. So the Lord knows when he'll be back and have it fixed." England growled.
"Nah, he said a couple of weeks. Won't be too long!" America assured the two.
"America, do you not understand how bad this is?"
"Of course I do! But I'm not worried! I mean, I spent a lot of time in the past and didn't really change anything!" Arthur mentally disagreed. America had changed something. He had changed Arthur. Arthur promised himself that he would love America when he went back. Anytime the man showed hints of loving him, he would accept him.
England placed his face in his hand, exasperated and with a loud sigh he gave up. Arthur turned to America. "America, I've been asleep for a while. It's long past supper."
"Oh! Right, I had been about ready to cook dinner when England…" he hesitated and pointed to the elder England, "that one…came over."
It was Arthur's turn to become a little exasperated. "Call me Arthur and call him England. It will be easier."
"That works!" America gave him a relieved smile. Arthur nodded once.
"Well sorry I disturbed you from your McDonald's." England said scornfully. Arthur didn't know what this "McDonald's" was but apparently his elder self didn't care for it.
America puffed out his cheeks at him. "I was actually going to cook something but now that you mention it, McDonald's sounds great! I haven't had it in, like, decades or something. Lost track."
"You're close, love." Arthur told him, recalling the time spent apart as he shifted his trousers up again tactfully.
England looked between the two of them with slightly narrowed eyes. "How long were you in the past?" He asked.
"Long time. Anyway, Artie!" America turned to Arthur with a smile. "You okay with McDonald's? It's food after all. Probably better than what you've eaten in a while considering…." He trailed off but Arthur understood. English rations certainly weren't the best. He was wary of trying whatever his future self disapproved of, but he didn't mind trying American food.
"I don't mind."
"Okay! I'll order for us!" He turned to England now. "You want anything?" His voice was distinctly less cheerful but still happy. England twitched.
"I suppose I'll take some, but only because I don't have another choice. I doubt you have anything good here." England turned away. America made a face at him that the man couldn't see and quickly turned to Arthur again to give him a peck on the lips.
"I'll be back in a little while, okay? Try not to pass out Artie!" Arthur turned pink, surprised by the sudden kiss, but scowled and pushed him some towards the door.
"Hurry, then! I'm famished!" America nodded and soon left. Arthur immediately turned to England and England turned to Arthur. They gazed at each other with ranging emotions. Arthur looked at his older counterpart with a chilling glare. England appeared faintly confused but mostly defensive.
"What?" He finally demanded after a moment.
"America has told me about you." Arthur stated and moved well around his other self in order to move to the refrigerator. He peered inside of it and recalled earlier that America said he could drink anything in there. He also recalled that pretty much all of it wasn't alcoholic. He was curious to try each and read a container. Milk? He thought. From a cow? He pulled it out and went to pour himself a cup.
"So America has been telling you of the future?" The disdain in his voice was evident. It made Arthur a little angrier.
"Bits of it, yes." Arthur agreed and poured his cup before replacing it. He sipped from it. It was cold and he enjoyed the milk. Yes, it was cow milk. He liked it. He finally turned to England again. "But I was referring to you in specific. And your relationship with him."
England looked suspicious. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that you seem to hate him."
England spluttered a little before his face cleared. "Why do you ask?"
"Why?" He demanded, approaching his elder self but not close enough to touch him. He was just close enough to appear threatening, although England was a taller. "What has he done that you hate him?"
England scowled. "I have every right to dislike him for what he's done to me! Obviously you don't know yet-"
"No, I do know. About the American Revolution. I had just finished going through with it." Arthur interrupted, looking bored. England was stunned. "Is that your only excuse? Pathetic."
He recovered, furious. "You went through it as well! How are you not angry? How are you betrayed?"
"America warned me ahead of time that he would revolt." Arthur stated. "And told me not to try to stop him. I listened to him."
England looked as if he had been slapped in the face. "You…why didn't you stop him!" He demanded, raging.
"Why would I?" Arthur looked at him coolly. "He would've only tried again. And I couldn't afford to oppress him any longer." Arthur again stepped closer and into England's face, meeting his glare. "Besides," he whispered, "America grew up fine without me." It hurt to say that. A part of him hadn't wanted to admit that America could survive without him. The wound was still too fresh.
"America is nothing but a stupid brat." England said in a hushed voice, his anger bubbling under the surface. Arthur knew if not for the fact that they both couldn't touch each other, they would have probably already gotten into a fist-fight.
Arthur clenched his fist. "He's better than what we would have turned him into if I had stopped him."
"I highly doubt that."
"And that, sir, is where our opinions differ." Arthur stepped away from his older self. With a start he realized that an insanely large wave of pity had washed over him for this other man. This England would never be able to be loved by America in the same way that Arthur was. Not with his mind set that America should never have left him. He pitied this Arthur. He would never know America's love.
"It appears so." England agreed and turned before moving over to the couch. Arthur stayed standing before he moved back into the kitchen to lean against the counter. There he finished his drink of milk slowly and heard the television –that made him jump a tiny bit- turn on. Softly he murmured to himself,
"What an old fool you've become, England."
