When Allister and Matt returned a couple hours later they found what could only be described as a heart-warming sight.
Patrick lay on the couch curled protectively around Arthur. They were both fast asleep and cuddling close to each other.
Allister wished he had a camera, partly because his baby brothers were so unbelievably cute like this, and partly for black mail later. Sometimes big brothers have to play dirty in order to get some respect.
He was about to wake them when he took in more than just how cute they were.
Both had cheeks flushed from fever and seemed to be panting almost like just breathing was using all their energy. Arthur was shivering and curling into Patrick's unhealthily warm body.
"Oh bunny…Pat…I shouldn't have left ya alone like this" Allister whispered gently brushing Arthur's soft blond hair from his sweating brow.
"They weren't alone Al, I kept an eye on them since Arty was sick" Dylan stated calmly from the door way.
"ARTY WAS SICK AND YE NEVER CALLED ME!" Allister yelled his face going as red as his hair from anger.
"Shhh" Canada hissed quietly placing a finger to his lips then pointing at the sleeping nations in front of them before slipping past the brothers to put away the shopping.
Allister glanced at the sleeping pair guiltily, he grabbed Dylan by the arm and led him upstairs. Once safely in the guest room with the door closed Allister exploded.
"YA BLOODY PROMISED THAT IS ANY THING GOES WRONG YE WOULD CALL!" Allister yelled fighting against the urge to strangle his brother.
Dylan calmly crossed his arms standing in the middle of the room as he waited for his older brother to stop pacing the room and ranting like a drunkard.
"IF I HAD KNOWN I NEVER WOULD HAVE LET CANADA BUY LUNCH! ARTY HAS SUCH A WEAK CHEST-"
"Shut up Al. we both know Arty isn't your little Albion anymore, even if he looks like it. He is much stronger then back then, there's food and medicine for one thing" Dylan stated allowing himself a small smile at stopping Allister in his tracks, a marvel accomplished by very few.
"It's not that Dill…it's just even if Arty is as healthy as he was when an adult… his chest is still so weak" Allister said so softly that Dylan had to strain to hear him.
"Blitz or Black death?" Dylan asked placing a hand on his big brothers shoulder, despite how awkward it looked with their new found height difference.
Allister sighed sounding so defeated as his gaze dropped to the floor. "Blitz…" he mumbled.
Dylan may not be the oldest Kirkland but he certainly knew his brothers the best. He knew that Arthur had a weak immune system ever since he was struck hard with the Black Death, and that ever since the Blitz he's also had serious breathing problems. He also knew that for Allister to be stressing Arthur's chest it must mean he was having nightmares again…
"He's fine… a little flood isn't going to kill him, Bunny is far too stubborn for that he wouldn't even let bombs raining down on London stop him for long" Dylan grinned at how Allister let out a small laugh.
"Ye can say that again boyo. I thought during some of those nights we would have to tie him to the bed" Allister's laughter died down into a sigh. "Do ye ever wish we could have been born humans?" he asked.
The question honestly caught the Welsh nation. Sure there had been times when burring leaders and friends that he wished he too could grow old with someone he loved. But they had a responsibility to their people, he couldn't go wishing for something so selfish.
"Sometimes… why do you ask?"
Dylan didn't miss how Allister was avoiding eye contact with him. "I was just thinking how if we were humans we could of have a real family. Mum, papa and all of us could have been happy ye know"
"If we were all humans Arty would never of been born, Celt wasn't his Dad like us remember" Dylan pointed out desperately wanting to change the subject off mortality. The way Allister was speaking, it honestly scarred him.
"Aye I suppose your right, stuck out like a sore thumb as a lad. Little blond Cherub running around with a lot of dark haired Celts" Allister laughed light-heartedly seeming to of forgotten of the conversation from only moments ago.
"Certainly made him popular with the Frog, and most of the world as I heard it" Dylan teased to see Allister's reaction. He was honestly relived to of gotten his brothers mind off such things as THE younger Kirkland's poor health and the loss of family members.
Allister immediately went into over protective big brother mode screaming and yelling that if the frog bastard so much as glances at his adorable little brother he would skin him alive.
Dylan was laughing so hard he thought he would wet himself.
Then they heard it.
Crying coming from down stairs, crying from what sounded like a young child no older the two.
"ARTY!" The two brothers cried at the same time as they raced towards the sounds of distress.