The next morning Arthur awoke to the smell of cooking waffled and the sound of vomiting. It was apparently the start of a wonderful morning! Noticing Alfred was no longer sleeping in his lap he figured that the one vomiting was Alfred, seeing as how he must have a pretty bad hangover from all the wine, and the one cooking must have been Mathew. Someone had also placed a blanket on top of him sometime during the night, which made him at least a little happier.

He made his way to the kitchen, hearing Alfred's obnoxious laugh, but this time the idea of it being obnoxious totally slipped Arthur's mind. This time he was glad glad to hear it.

"You need to bring more of it here for me!"

"You'd eat it all within minutes! Why waste effort on that?."

"Cause it's so goooooooood!"

"What's good?" Arthur asked, coming around the corner and interrupting their conversation.

"Canadian maple syrup!" Alfred yelled, grinning wildly.

"Oh?" Arthur turned to look at Mathew, "You brought some with you?"

"Knowing how much Alfred likes his sweets, yes."

Arthur took a seat in one of the kitchen chairs. "Mind if I also had some?"

"Not at all!" Mathew said, passing a plate full of waffles to him.

"Thank you." Arthur nodded, then turning his gaze to Alfred, "How are you feeling? Does your arm hurt?"

Alfred looked up from his food, which he had been attempting to cut with one hand, "Um… Vomiting still? I reek of wine and blood though but Mattie wont let me shower."

Mathew turned around quickly, glaring at Alfred, "That's because if you did you'd have to undo all those bandages that I worked so hard to fix you up with and then it would most likely burn like crazy when the water touches your wound! Meaning it would be pointless!"

"He has a point, Alfred." Arthur agreed, "No use in removing the bandages if you cant even let water touch it." Alfred stuck his lip out as the conversation paused for a moment, "Do you remember doing that to yourself? You were drunk, so I don't imagine you would."

Alfred sighed, "Oddly enough I do… Which is weird 'cause I never remember things when I'm drunk. Then again I don't get drunk to often."

Just as Arthur opened his mouth to say something Alfred jumped, quickly covering his mouth. He shot out of his chair and dashed to his kitchen sink, Mathew scurrying out of the way by moving over to the counter beside him, staring at Alfred in disgust as Alfred threw his hands down on the sinks rim, jolting his left hand back up again when a sharp pain shot threw his arm. As soon as he stopped he emptied his stomach, vomit filling the sink.

"Aw! Gross!" Mathew yelled, looking away and shivering, "Why cant you do that in the bathroom?"

Alfred looked up at the faucet, wiping his mouth, "'Cause if I tired to make it there, that," He pointed into the sink, "would have ended up all over the floor." Alfred turned on the faucet water, watching the vomit wash down the drain, "How can you stand getting drunk all the time, Iggy? Once in a while, but all the time?"

"I-I don't get drunk a-all the time!" Arthur replied flustered.

Alfred blink back at him a few times, raising an eyebrow, "Dude…Seriously? " He looked over at Mathew, "I think we need to check Iggy for brain injuries, Mattie!" Alfred laughed.

Arthur looked away, his cheeks red with embarrassment. Of course he dank a lot, but he wasn't going to flat out admit it, that would be ungentlemanly. Alfred washed off his hand, doing the best he could not to get his bandages wet as he tried to wash the soap off. When he finished he turned back around, about the head back to his seat when he stopped yet again.

"I-I'll be back!" Alfred yelled, rushing out of the room.

It was dead silent for a few seconds until Mathew spoke up, "What was that about?"

"Probably needed to use the bathroom." Arthur said, beginning to eat his food.

"Oh…"

"Hey, Mathew?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could go out and get a few items? Alfred's missing quite a few things."

"Uh, sure. What do you want?"

Arthur held out a list that Mathew took from him.

"When did you write this?" Mathew asked, pondering over how he wrote it when he was by Alfred the whole time.

"Yesterday, when Alfred was asleep I decided to take a look around. He really should take care of his house better."

Mathew giggled, "That's Alfred for you!" He begun walking out of the room. "I guess I'll go get this stuff then. See you later?"

"Thank you, Mathew. I'll make sure Alfred stays fine. See you soon."

With that Arthur heard Mathew getting his things together then walk out the door, closing it softly behind him. Arthur continued to eat his food in silence, trying to think of the possibilities of what could be causing Alfred to act so differently.

'It could be magic… Though I doubt anyone other than myself would try something like that. It seems more like someone is using him though, but who? And if not that…'

Arthur's thoughts were cut off by the groaning of the other man that had just walked into the room. He knew it was Alfred, but the reason for his groaning could have varied from his hangover to something completely different. Turning around slowly, he glared at Alfred, his eyes showing what he was thinking: 'Shut up, you bloody git, you're interrupting my train of thought!'. But as soon as his eyes glanced at Alfred's arm he jumped from his chair.

"Alfred! What the bloody hell are you doing?" Arthur yelled, running over to him and pulling his right hand away, "Don't touch your arm! You're going to make it worse!"

"But it itches, Iggy!" Alfred pleaded, trying to resist the urge to undo the bandages even farther, he had already removed them from his hand completely and blood had begun to roll down his fingers, "I can't help it!"

"Well then distract yourself!" Arthur said, taking hold of Alfred's bandaged arm. Letting go of the other, and beginning to wrap the cloth around again, "You can't scratch it because then it won't heal."

"Pft. Yeah, like that's not impossible." Alfred argued, still trying to resist the urge to scratch at his wounds, "How do you purpose I distract myself? Go jump in my pool?" Alfred glanced out the window into his backyard.

Alfred finished speaking just as Arthur completed fixing the bandages again and stood up, glaring with a force that could kill. Suddenly his expression turned to the complete opposite.

"Like this!" Arthur yelled, a huge grin replacing his scowl as he reached forward and tickled the sides of Alfred's stomach.

Alfred burst out in laughter, obviously ticklish, as he stumbled backwards a little ways. Eventually he was laughing so hard trying to shoo Arthur away that he feel to the floor. Arthur fell with him, continuing to tickle him as Alfred rolled across the floor, tears pricking the edges of his eyes.

"Stop, Iggy! Stop!" Alfred cried, unable to breathe.

He tried and tried to get Arthur to stop anyway he could, kicking him, trying to shove Arthur's hands away, rolling over and over, but Arthur continued to tickle him, even if he was being kicked so hard that he would have bruises all over his body afterwards. Arthur himself was laughing now as he watched Alfred try to stop him., the tears in his eyes from laughing so hard rolling down his cheeks.

"Hah! Iggy! S-stop! Dude! S-s-stop-p! Ahah!"

Alfred tried to speak in between his laughing but his words were short and he stuttered.

"What do you say?"

"Ahahahahaha! U-un-unnnn! Ahahaha!"

"What?" Arthur grinned, switching to tickle Alfred's feet, causing him to roll over on his stomach and kick his feet up and down.

"Ahh! N-not-t-t! Hahahaha! Th-the feeeeeet! Pffffttttt! Ahahahahahaha! Not the f-f-f-f-f-feeet! Hahahaha!"

The laughter made Alfred's face soar, his stomach now had a sharp pain in its side jabbing him whenever he moved and he was almost unable to breathe. Tears made their way down his face one by one as his laughing got stronger.

"What do you say?" Arthur asked, chuckling as he changed his position again to tickle Alfred's neck.

"Uncle! Unc-c-c-haha! Ahahah! Ucl-l-leeeee! Uncle! Ahahahaha! Stop! Stopppphahahaha!"

Alfred tried to squirm out away from Arthur, and was completely unsuccessful, "Iggggy! Ahahahaha! S-stop! P-please! Ahahaaha! Please! Please! Ahahaha! Iggy! Ahhahahaha! Uncle! Uncle! Ahahaha!"

Arthur quickly backed away and sat on his knees beside him, a wide, cheerful grin painted across his face.

'I've never seen him so happy before…' Alfred though as he sprawled out on the floor, breathing heavily from laughing and he stared up at the ceiling with closed eyes, 'At least, not in a long time. A really long time.'

Arthur wasn't paying any attention to Alfred now, his giggling had distracted him.

"Hey, Iggy!" The name caught his attention finally and he quickly looked back up, seeing Alfred on his knees as well as grinning, "Are you ticklish?"

Arthur's eyes widened as his smile dropped, "Don't you dare!" He yelled just as Alfred lunged forward and tickled his side causing Arthur to fall over sideways onto his shoulder, laughing uncontrollably.

"Hah! So you are ticklish!" Alfred yelled, grinning as he watched Arthur try to roll over and kick his feet.

"Haha! Alfred! S-stop!" Arthur gasped, tears forming in his eyes.

"What? I'm pretty sure that's not what you say!" Alfred laughed, moving to tickle right under Arthur's arms.

"Ahaha! Alfred!" Arthur laughed, curling up in a ball and grabbing Alfred's wrist trying to move his hand, "Hahahaha! Alfredddddd! Pfffftttttttt! S-stop! Ahahahahaha!"

"You're not saying the right word, Iggy!"

"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Hahahaha! S-stop! Ha! I s-said it! Hahahahaha!"

With that Alfred backed up and sat cross legged on the floor grinning at Arthur as he scrambled to sit up. One of his legs was stretched out and the other bent, his arm resting on it while he glared at Alfred, trying to regain his breath.

"Iggy." Alfred said seriously, putting his hands up as if he was going to tickle him again, "I challenge you to a tickling war."

Arthur's glare disappeared as he blinked a few times trying to process the words Alfred had just said. After a few seconds of silence he began giggling, soon cracking up and falling back over, his laughter growing. Alfred raised an eyebrow, completely confused as to why what he said was so funny. In the mean time Arthur was laughing so hard no sound was coming from his throat and he laid on his back gripping the side of his stomach, tears rolling down his face. Scooting over a little ways, Alfred watched him laugh hysterically, as if he was unable to stop.

"Why are you laughing?" Alfred asked, "What's so funny?"

"I don't know!" Arthur gasped, bursting out in laughter again, curling up and rolling over, both arms over his stomach.

With that Alfred joined in the laughing. It was one of those laughs, where everything's funny for no reason, though he had never seen Arthur laugh so much. They laughed for a few minutes together until Arthur was finally able to compose himself again. Laying on his back and taking deep breathes, his arm placed over his eyes as he would giggle every once in a while.

"Ahahahaha!" The laugh of a young boy of about four echoed through the room, "Hahaha! Artie! Stooooooopppppp! Hahahahaha!" The boy tried squirming out from under the large hands that were tickling his stomach, "Let me goooo! Ahahahahaha! Artie!"

"You're not going anywhere, Alfred!" Arthur chuckled, now tickling the young Alfred's feet.

"Nooo! Ahahahahahaha! Arrrrrrtttttttiiieeeeee!"

The two were on Arthur's bed, Alfred laying down and being forcefully tickled by his big brother as Arthur sat on his knees beside him doing the tickling. The small boy rolled every which direction trying to escape Arthur's hands which were tickling him, so he attempted to roll off the bed, though Arthur, with good reflexes, successfully caught him and placed him back on, tickling him even more. Alfred couldn't stop laughing and he was running out of breath, tears pinching his eyes.

"What do you say?" Arthur asked, his nose rubbing Alfred's.

Arthur lifted up Alfred's shirt and put his lips on his stomach, blowing out as hard as he could, causing Alfred to burst out in young, adorable laughter and curl his legs and torso up, trying to push Arthur's face away with his small hands.

"Hahahaha! Un-c-c-c-c-cleee! Uuunnnncccllleee! Hahahahahahaaaa!" Arthur took another breath and blew out on Alfred's stomach again, "Hahahaha! Ahh! Haha! Uncle! U-un-uncle! Hahahaha!"

Smiling down at him, Arthur sat back up, letting the young, newly formed colony ketch his breath, his eyes closed as he rested. A few minutes later, Alfred slowly opened his bright blue eyes, grinning up at the man he considered his big brother.

"Are we gonna play something else now?"

Arthur raised one of his bushy eyebrows, "Something else?" A smile found its way onto his face, "Not now, silly boy!" he laughed, throwing himself down on the bed and scooping Alfred up into his arms, making it so that Alfred felt like he was flying through the air above Arthur, who was now laying with his back placed against the bed.

He set Alfred down beside him, letting his head rest on his outstretched arm. Alfred put his small arms around Arthur's huge bicep, clinging to him as if he was the only comfort he had, his smile brightening the room and the bright blue, innocent eyes that stared into Arthur's deep, forest green ones blinked with admiration for the older man.

Alfred clung to Arthur's arm,"So we're not playing anymore?".

Arthur smiled, rubbing Alfred's head, "No, you need to sleep." Alfred stuck out his lip, "Oh, don't give me that look, Alfred. It's time for bed. Understood?"

"Fine…" Alfred whined, but soon chirped up again, a cheerful grin across his face,"But can I sleep with you?"

Arthur blinked a few times, processing the question, then smiled softly at him, "Well… uh… sure, why not?"

With that Alfred buried himself under the blankets, only his eyes popping out above them, and waited for Arthur to get comfortable as well. Soon he snuggled in close to him, his head buried in Arthur's chest, Arthur putting and arm around him and lulling him to sleep.

Arthur removed his arm from his eyes, glancing over at Alfred who was sitting right next to him and grinning. He smiled at him, then made his way to his feet, sighed when he found his grounding and looked at Alfred again. Alfred noticed him moving and stared up at him, just knowing he was going to say something.

"W-well, nothing to fret over. I apparently needed a good laugh of some sort!" Arthur said, laughing uneasily.

Alfred stood up, "No, really? I couldn't tell! But seriously! I've never seen you laugh that much. Are you sure you're okay?" He noticed Arthur smiling at him, "What's up with that smile?"

"Oh?" Arthur's face lit up in surprise, "N-nothing! I just, uh, well, you know. Remembered something. So, how's your arm?"

Alfred glanced down at his arm which he held out in front of him, "Well, your distraction methods work!" He grinned, " I didn't even remember I had this!"

Arthur chuckled, "Then I did my job, and I'll do it again if I feel you need it!"

Alfred gasped and quickly spun around, diving to his couch and peaking his eyes up over the arm rest, "I will not allow it!"

Arthur burst out laughing, quickly regaining his composure, "Well then, I will leave you be for now." He smiled then walked into the kitchen.

"I hope he's not cooking..." Alfred mumbled to himself, slouching down on the couch and grabbing the TV remote.

When Arthur came back he held a tea cup in his hand, one he brought with him himself because it wasn't one Alfred would have had stored in his house. He stood beside the TV, half way watching the cartoon that played on the screen.

"What is this retarded crap?" He asked, his eye twitching.

Alfred looked up at him, "What do you mean retarded? It's Adventure Time."

"One of your stupid Cartoon Network shows? It looks stupid to me."

"Of course it would, you're Iggy."

"Please turn it off. The stupidity is burning my ears." Alfred stuck his lip out and hesitantly pressed the power button and the remote. "Alfred, you said you remember doing that to yourself?"

"Hem?" Alfred sat up, glancing at his arm again, "Oh, yeah."

"How?"

"I don't know... I think it might have been the fact that I was... Uh, you know, hurting so bad? I just wanted to find a way to make it all stop, and when the wine didn't work I started using physical pain to drown out the rest... I mean, I totally thought the world hated me. And when that voice said that... I believed it... And for some reason when it started saying y-you h-hated..." Alfred hesitated, stuttering over the word 'hated' for a while, his eyes becoming glassy and within seconds he threw his head down and covered his eyes, beginning to whimper. He wasn't going to cry, not this time, not again.

About a minute later, Alfred felt an arm placed around his shoulder, lightly pulling him to the side. He jerked his face up, his hands pulled from his eyes just enough to see who the arm belonged to. Arthur had taken a seat on the couch beside him, his eyes were relaxed and held a deep concern for the younger country as he pulled him closer. At first Alfred was hesitant, keeping his distance from the Brit, but soon he let himself fall, resting his head on Arthur's leg. He bit his lip and frowned, trying his best to hold back the tears that suffocated his eyes as he whimpered.

Arthur removed Alfred's glasses from his eyes, placing them on the end table beside him, then rubbed his forehead lightly, "You can cry, Al. You don't have to be strong, even hero's cry."

With that Alfred burst out in tears, "No they don't!" he buried his face in Arthur's leg and gripped tightly to the loose cloth of his pants, "They don't! Hero's don't cry!"

Why did he want to cry? Why? Hadn't he cried enough? Didn't he believe Arthur when he said he cared? That he wasn't using him? He wanted to believe, but in truth he couldn't. He didn't want to be lied to again, he didn't want to hurt.

Mwahaha, more brotherly love, yes? I thought Iggy needed to laugh more and this seemed like the perfect time that he would do so, seeing as how he was already trying to cheer Alfred up, and he just ended up cheering himself up at the same time. Arthur knows he still hasnt gotten over Alfred leaving, and laughing with Alfred is slowly closing that gap.

Anyways, sorry this took so long to upload, I was really busy the past few weeks. Though I do assure you, I AM working on this fic again! And as yet another warning, it will be much bloodier and involve things that would make some people consider me sadistic seeing as what Im doing to both Alfred and Iggy later. Though for those of you who are fine with blood and having very emotional scenes, you can continue to read.