Anonymous Reviews:
Leo: Ah, yes, that. Well, see, as I mentioned a few chapters back, I'm a realist writer, so I write the dialogue as to how it would be heard, like Japan wouldn't say his l's and France his th's or h's, and so on and so forth. So, I noticed in some certain dialects of British-English (and this is going by ear via Doctor Who), there have been instances where the a in "what" would sound like a drawled o, making the word "whot". But that's how I imagine Arthur speaking, so I added it in so the reader has a "feel" on how the character is speaking :3
CelestialCiel: Bueno~! To answer your question from the sixth chapter, yes, Alfred did meet Arthur first in heaven. And I LOVE USUK UNCONTROLLABLY! :D Oh yes~!
Bonjour, readers~! Did I ever tell you guys how much I love you all? Because I do, I really do~ ^-^ Honestly? I'm so close to 100 reviews and I'm nearly at 14,000 hits. That's, like...I dunno, I feel so famous! And I absolutely adore writing for you guys, because it's fun for me, AND I get to torture you all with cliffhangers- I MEAN, WHAT?
Heh, naaah, just kidding~! I love entertaining you guys! Even though that sounds like something that France would say OHONHONHON~~~! ;D
So, before I start to put you to sleep before you actually READ the story, I own nothing here except for the plot. And the setting. I think. Hidekaz (I probably spelt it wrong -_- meh) Himaruya owns Hetalia and all recognizable characters. Oh! And did you know, Himaruya is currently working on volume 5 of Hetalia? Do you know what that means for us, fans? A possible season 5 :D :dies:
Ahaha! Okay. I'm done now, this is longer than the chapter. Enjoy~!
Chapter 11:
Rescue
Arthur discovered that as an angel, he loved to fly.
He didn't know why, however. Maybe it was how free he felt, with the wind pushing at him and he rebelling against it. Or maybe the sights he saw beneath and above and ahead and to the side, all surrounding him and overwhelming him with the utter beauty no matter where he was located. Or the sounds he could pick up, the gentle gale against his ears, the graceful patter of his wings tapping on one another to keep him up. It was simply extravagant to be able to stretch his wings out and soar over the land below him. So it was no surprise to him that as soon as he jumped, he let his wings out and kept himself aloft in the air.
His first reaction was relief, and he smiled slightly at the fact that his wings were still strong despite the abuse they had briefly gone through, and he turned his head to look at the two still standing on the cliff. He gave a wave of his hand as he pressed his body against the air, continuing in the direction he had previously come from. Mathias returned the gesture wildly, Lukas giving a slacked salute as the angel rotated around and was off, in hopes he had made the right decision.
From the sky, Hell didn't seem too bad. It was (obviously) the complete opposite of Heaven, except for the fact that it seemed to go on forever. Where his former home had a beautiful view of the sky and seemed lively and safe, down here had land similar to a desert and everything reeked of danger. Most of the trees were bare and seemed to have branches covered in what appeared to be thorns. The rare flowers that were around were black, no matter if it was impossible or not. The smell of flames and dirt was everywhere, but despite those setbacks, the view of the sky, with its blood red tint and radiating heat, was rather beautiful. Arthur averted his gaze momentarily from the ground to gaze up ahead at the Mountain of the Three Fates, instantly eyeing the cliff where he had last seen Alfred.
Ah, there it is. Just a minute or so and I'll have reached it…hm? Whot's that?
A small, dark dot was hastily making his way towards him. He struggled to see it closer, to try and make out any features, but failed for the time being.
Hm. No worries, it'll probably be gone by the time I reach- wait a second…whot was it Matthew had said? Demons with black eyes can smell an angel miles away? No, that can't be it.
He glanced back up at the dot, and he could clearly see several more following its motives. Jaded eyes widened in disbelief, and he slowed down, stopping his short journey.
Whotever it was he said, I have to get out of here. Any possible escape routes? He glanced around him quickly, and saw numerous approaching blobs coming towards him. Not many. Oh great…there has to be a way! A single glimpse down at his shadow gave him an idea as he could now make out the Sons clearly, their ragged skin and wild eyes lavishing him mentally. There's no time to turn back. I can't keep on going to Alfred, I won't be fast enough. I have to distract them. He took a big gulp of air, and took another look below him at the large rocks set up. If you want to see him again…you're going to have to go on with this. Taking a well-deserved breath of air, he floated down to the ground and landed on the largest rock, lying back so that his hair and wings were splayed out above and on either side of him. He gulped. Please don't let this be the worst mistake of my afterlife.
The demons, just as he had expected, changed their attention and direction to below them and snarled at him as they landed, some by or beside him and others nearby. The Brit took a deep breath and managed a smile at them. His response was several growls, some spit flying past him. He held back the cry he wanted to let out.
Be strong, Arthur. You can do this. Don't panic. Keep calm. Don't worry. You can do this. "H-hello," he greeted, managing to force the smile to his face and keep it there. "How nice you met me here."
One of the closest to him took a good whiff of his skin, smirking at Arthur and giving his lips and fangs a lick. "Ah," he sighed, and snickered. "We get to feast on an English angel."
Oh, no! Whot have I done? He forced the laugh past his quivering lips. "Y-yes, imagine all the tastes you can have from one bite." Why am I doing this, why am I doing this, why am I doing this, why-
Another Son leaned over him, dripping some saliva from his mouth. "All of that thin meat under your slender limbs, sticking to your bones," he murmured, holding his left wrist up to examine it. The angel swallowed a lump of fear in his throat.
"Beautiful, dark, warm blood," another whispered, and proceeded to run his hand up his lanky thighs, causing the squeak that was previously held back out. The others cackled loudly as another lifted the end of his robe. This time, a scream replaced his inaudible whining. The first demon laughed rudely, spraying the smaller male with spittle. Arthur winced, but was able to make a smile arise on his lips.
"You all want this, don't you?" He lowered his eyelids, letting them stay halfway down. "But only one can have it."
"Let me take a bite of your neck," the one holding his wrist growled in a heavy voice. "I promise it won't hurt you that much. Maybe you'll even be converted and be by my side."
The first (and most likely the leader of the group) growled and shoved the other away. "This one is mine. You can get the next." Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but a yelp came out instead, that from the chilly claw and finger that somehow sneaked to his butt cheeks and traced the indent that separated them.
"I would like to have a go at him," he sneered, and leaned in between the speechless Englishman's leg to lick.
"ALFRED!"
The yell was out and echoed before any of the demons could stop it, just before the tongue made contact to him. He sighed as the torture stopped, and shut his eyes for a moment of relaxation. He didn't even remember how he had gotten himself here.
At least I was near his house. I don't know whot I would have done if I hadn't been.
A quick jerk of his halo caused him to gasp and grasp at the ring, eyes stinging with tears. "A-ah!" He managed to alert the torturers of his pain. He shut his lids tightly over the emerald pair as another tug sent him to release the liquid from his eyes.
"Why did you call him?" The leader demanded to know.
"You shouldn't have done that, angel," jeered the demon in front of his leg. The one with a hold on his wrist glared in anger.
"I bet he's Alfred's pet that's been missing," he grumbled. "Aren't ya, angel?"
Arthur glanced up at them, breaths coming out in pained pants, eyes wide and hands still holding on to his halo. "Wh-whot does it matter?" He stuttered out. "H-he's coming e-either wa-ahhh!" The hand that didn't belong to him clutched his halo squeezed it tautly in his hold, the cause of the scream.
"Just because your master's coming doesn't mean we don't have to run," the head of the group sneered, and picked the Englishman so he was slung over one shoulder with a cry. The others prepared for flight as the blond looked around frantically.
"Whot's happening?" He wondered shakily, receiving snickers that made his heart beat faster in anxiety.
"You're the main attraction for our feast," one of the taller demons smirked, causing the Englishman to gulp.
"Al-ALFREmm!" A gag that tasted of bile and another, bitter taste was put in and around his mouth to silence him. Another piece of cloth was wound around his wings, wrists behind his back, and ankles, holding them in place so he couldn't escape. He yelled past the restraint on his mouth, thrashing his body to escape and kicking his legs furiously, trying not to beat his once again painful feathered appendages. Some of the demons clawed at him painfully to shut him up, but that only increased the shouts, more and more until his arms and sides were a scarred mess—
Pinch.
His body relaxed at the peaceful waves that washed over him and consumed him, dragging him beneath the difference of reality and a dream. He saw the ground become farther and farther away but didn't bother to scream. He noticed the Mountain of the Three Fates forming into a tall point jutting from the ground and didn't bother to try and reach for it again.
And suddenly, he wasn't with this crazed demon, but with Alfred. Alfred holding him and bringing him into his arms and caressing his face, pressing his face against the shorter male's chest while his arms supported him under his bum. Arthur managed a cheerful laugh and ran a hand through the gold locks, the texture soft like silk. The American grinned up at him, nuzzling him and causing more ripples of laughs out, and he repeated the sounds.
Arthur realized he wanted to be there. In Alfred's arms. With Alfred. And he wanted to stay there. Badly.
Desperately.
Oh, how he wanted to be there so much.
"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" Alfred commented with a wide smile that reached his eyes. "Because you are the most gorgeous, most prettiest, most amazing Thornless Rose that I have ever seen. You shame the sky and the moon and the stars and the sun- and anything else that's pretty, because they can't even combine to match you."
Arthur chuckled. "Oh, really now?" He beamed, and placed a kiss along his hairline. And this time, he didn't deny or stop. He placed gentle, soft kisses along the ruffled hair, dodged the cowlick, and trailed downwards to his face, where he was brought down slowly as he placed his lips against his forehead, each temple, the tip of his nose, and-
He was roughly grabbed out of the daydream and into reality, pulled from the shoulder and into a pair of arms that felt so foreign yet so familiar. He yelped in astonishment at the sudden change, but his eyes widened when he saw who was holding him and bringing him back at an amazing speed.
Alfred.
His bat wings were furiously beating, eyebrows furrowed and irises letting up from being so dark, as if he was calming down from a ticked-off state. His breath came out quietly in little puffs, needy for air but Arthur could tell he wasn't willing to stop to gather any. The blonde's ear lay against the location of the heart, and he nearly sighed when he detected the thumps, tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump, that made him close his eyes and want to snuggle into the chest, like a polar bear would to a pile of snow. The beats and the steady connection of leather wings soon turned into a soothing pattern for the Englishman, causing him to lean against the shoulder and shut his eyes.
"Don't go out on me, Beautiful! I need you to stay up!"
Alfred. Oh that young, innocent voice. Arthur weakly opened his eyes to gaze at the demon, ignoring the roars and growls behind them to look at the other. He didn't mind them like this; as long as they were together, he was fine.
Alfred finally landed on the cliff that was in front of his adobe-like home, and turned around and snarled, raising his lips to bare his fangs and protectively pull Arthur towards him. His wings extended outwards to the side, arms wrapping over the Englishman as if to protect him. The bloodthirsty demons halted and floated in front of them, sneering and wanting to reach the angel, but knowing the consequences if they did so. Eventually, after several minutes of fending off the lustful beings, the American finally had the ability and privacy to take the gag out and slash the rope pushing his wings together, relieving the smaller of the taste and letting him breathe a bit easier and bat his wings gently without any restraints on both.
"Are you alright, Gorgeous?" Alfred wondered, rubbing Arthur's face with his fingers in a concerned manner, checking his body and face for any damage. The Englishman chuckled.
"You'll find I'm just a bit shaken, Alfred," he smiled. "Nothing more than that." The Son of the Dark beamed, and pulled him closely for a hug. This time, a blush showed on his cheeks, but not once he was ashamed for showing.
"I'm so happy you're okay! I thought someone had taken you away." As he moved away from the shorter, freeing the blonde's ankles and wrists, the latter noticed the taller with that innocent glint in his eyes. "I thought…that you had forgotten about me."
The Brit looked away in guilt as he remembered the events just a day or so ago: the yelling, the hurt, the look he received from those eyes. "Alfred…I'm so sorry for making you feel that way. I didn't know…I was being so foolish, wasn't I?" He felt a gentle tip of a finger hold the curve of his cheek and pull his face towards him, to a small smile that made the Briton's heart melt and his breath caught.
"But I like you foolish, Arthur." He pushed back a few free strands of hair from the angel. "And I like you beautiful, too."
Arthur looked down and blushed, humming and rubbing his wrists. Alfred laughed lightly.
"I missed you a whole lot, Beautiful. I didn't stop thinking about you."
He bit his lips shyly, fiddling with the hem of his garment, completely speechless. Alfred.
"I even got you something!" He reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and tugged out a perfectly unharmed rose, glistening with what appeared to be droplets of water that still collided with its ruby shaded petals. The stem fell perfectly into his hand, the shaven sides from removing the thorns ragged yet soft on his skin.
The Englishman smiled small, another dust appearing on his cheeks. "Alfred, you didn't have to." I'm not going to deny myself anymore. It's hurting me too much, and I feel if I say it I'm relieving a lot of stress.
"But it's you! A Thornless Rose~, hahahahaha! Get it~? I had to give it to you, I couldn't give it to anybody else!" He grinned, and jumped up quickly, carefully hoisting the other beside him. "I have more for you inside my house, come on~!"
Arthur gave a laugh as he was pulled along, the hand intertwined with his and not minding the contact. Alfred, I'm in love with you. Only you. All of you. And I want you to be with me forever.
