Dro: Wow, I'm really churning these out too fast, but I can't help it. I have too much time this week. Ah! Maybe I'll push up posting The Road Not Taken. We'll see. Anyway, the mindfuckery really picks up here, so stay tuned. And review.

Chapter Summary: Alfred finally gets the "big reveal." It ends in a very unexpected way.

Warnings: Language

Disclaimer: Oh no, not owned by Dro. Sad, no?

Arthur awoke to a familiar presence pressed against his back. Groaning, he pushed the man's arm off of him and rolled over, coming face to face with a sleepy-looking double. The man smiled at him.

"You know, I could've sworn I told you you weren't welcome in my bed."

"My apologies." The man yawned. "Though you don't seem to have any particular objections, as you're still in bed with me."

"I'm still tired. So get up, and get out. You're irritating."

A blond eyebrow went up. "You seemed pretty comfortable when I slipped into bed earlier. You cuddled up to me in everything."

Arthur tried to suppress a blush. "I was asleep! And it's natural to move toward a heat source. So sod off, and get out of my bed. I don't even understand why you're here…" he trailed off as his double started frowning.

"There was…an incident, I'm afraid. Nothing serious, but I didn't want to risk traumatizing the boy further, so I decided it would be best if I came here instead."

"Traumatizing what boy?" He scrunched his eyebrows, then realized. "Alfred?" He sat up, gripping the man's neck tightly. His double looked shocked. "What the hell did you do to Alfred?"

"Nothing painful. I just got up caught in one of your memories and tried to sleep with him."

"What? What memory?"

He snorted. "Paris. May. 1967. Ring a bell?"

Arthur couldn't even hope to stop the furious blush. "Oh. That."

"Yeah. Great memory." His double smiled dreamily.

"Hey, that's my memory, you dick! Stop focusing on it. It wasn't your sex!"

He chuckled. "And yet, I remember it."

"Shut up? I can't believe you're not even trying to defend yourself. Do you not feel any remorse for almost forcing Alfred into sex?"

The smile immediately vanished. "Of course I do. But I didn't actually do it. I came back to myself before we got that far. Though I will admit it was a close call. I need to watch it. Your memories are powerful."

"So are yours." Arthur mumbled.

"Oh. What's happened to you?"

"Oh, let me see. I've only had about six instances where I started wanting to desperately kill my friend Francis because I thought he was Gaul."

"Ah, yes. Your France." The man frowned. "Obviously a parallel to my Gaul. I honestly don't see where the problem lies in wanting to kill him."

"He's my friend, not my enemy! He's not you! Sure, he's a pretentious, pompous, perverted dick, but he's still my friend." Arthur huffed, swearing to God he would never let Francis hear that.

He noticed his double was pouting. "You consider me an enemy?"

"What kind of question is that? You are the enemy! I'm a prisoner."

"Awfully good treatment for a prisoner." His double rolled his eyes.

"What? So I can leave?"

"If you want. But you don't want to, so you won't."

Arthur couldn't believe his ears. "You're lying. You must be. If you were actually giving me the option to leave, I'd do it right now."

"Would you?" The same eyebrow went up again, and the man leaned up toward him. "Because I don't think you would. I think you would stay here." A hand snaked up Arthur's arm until it reached his cheek, caressing. "I think you want to be with me."

Arthur stuttered, his face burning. "I want…n-no such thing!"

His double leaned closer, their lips just barely brushing. "Are you sure about that? Really sure?"

Arthur's entire body shuddered at the brief touch. He did not want this! He did not! So why….why did he kiss his double? Why? Why did he close the nearly nonexistent gap between them and press his lips hard against his double's? Why did he part his lips and groan softly into a deep, open-mouthed kiss? Why did he press his tongue against his double's matching one? Why did he grab the man's hair, tugging them closer together? Why did he like this? What was wrong with him? He should feel repulsed by this! But he didn't. Every time they touched like this, he felt a sense of pleasure and excitement and completeness that he'd never felt before in his life. And God, he was sure he was becoming addicted to it.

When they finally parted, they were both panting and flushed. His double righted himself. "So, are you staying?"

"I…yes." For Alfred! I'm staying because I need to keep an eye on Alfred! That's it!

His double rolled his eyes again. "Keep deluding yourself, Arthur. That's definitely the answer."

"Fuck off, and get out. I still don't want you in my bed. And I better damn well get to see Alfred later. Let me guess, you didn't bother telling him there were two of us! He probably thinks I did that to him."

His double pursed his lips. "Look, I'm really sorry about that. Really. We'll clear this up later. I promise. In fact, come to my office after breakfast, and we'll explain everything to him, alright?"

He scoffed. "Fine. But no more tricks, got it?"

The man held up his arms in a surrendering motion. "Got it."

"Now get out of my bed!"

Chuckling, the man teleported to the door. His clothing was disheveled, but thankfully, still on. "See you later, Arthur." He waved playfully and shut the door behind him.

Arthur was left alone, and he let out a breath. God, this was becoming complicated. He had a shit-ton of feelings he didn't want, need, or know how to deal with. And those were just emotions. He didn't even want to get started on the memories that were slowly leaching further and further into his brain, infecting his own. And now he had Alfred to deal with. He pinched the bridge of his nose. How the hell was he going to sort out this mess?

Alfred blinked back into consciousness. Groggy, he looked around the unfamiliar room. He was laying on a king-sized bed with soft, silky sheets. Where was he again? He tried to think back to the night before, the memories of the previous night slamming into him. Jesus! Arthur…How the hell could Arthur have done that to him? He sat up and looked over himself. He was still shirtless, his pants still undone. He'd been so shocked at Arthur's actions that's he hadn't even moved. He'd just laid there staring at the ceiling, completely stunned. What the hell had happened? One second, Arthur had been assaulting him, then the next, he'd been so into it! He'd wanted Arthur so badly. He remembered that feeling of complete and utter desire, but where had it come from? And then…then Arthur had told him to stop and get that foolish thought out of his head?

The realization hit him harder than the memories. Arthur had…what? Compelled him? It was liked he'd been sucked into that infinite void in the man's green eyes, and then, he'd wanted it. Good God, what kind of power does he have? Can he make me do anything? His stomach twisted tightly. What have I gotten myself into? If he can make me do whatever he wants, then I'm screwed. Shit! Shit! I screwed up big time!

"I won't compel you to obey me."

He jumped up, fists raised. Arthur stood in the doorway, wearing the same clothing from the night before. He wore a thin, regretful frown. "I'm sorry about last night, Alfred. I was lost in a memory, and I couldn't control myself. You have no reason to forgive me, I know, but at least know that I deeply regret it. Did I hurt you?"

Okay, now he was really confused. Why was Arthur apologizing? What did he mean by "lost in a memory?" What the hell did that mean? He stiffened as the man appeared on the bed beside him, leaning back casually. "Why should I trust you after what you've done? Give me one good reason." He sneered. Oh, how he wanted to hit Arthur so badly.

"You can try to hit me, Alfred. But you won't make contact. I'm faster and stronger than you. So please, keep your cool. I have no intention of harming you. I swear. In a couple hours, everything will make sense to you. Until then, just calm yourself down."

"What is there to make sense of?"

"Much."

"Like what?"

"…It would be best if I waited to tell you. If I try to explain without proof, you won't believe me. So just let the subject rest until after breakfast, alright?"

Alfred, tight-jawed, nodded.

"Now, I hope you don't mind if I get dressed. This is kind of my room. If you want, I can call Lucaster and have him escort your to yours. I prepared one for you."

"No, that's fine. I'll stay here." He scrutinized Arthur with narrow eyes, unwilling to let the man out of his sight.

Arthur chuckled. "Well, I suppose if you want to see me naked…"

"Call Lucaster."

Arthur barked out a laugh and mentally called the other man. "He'll be here in a moment."

Alfred looked perplexed, but then he remembered that Arthur had telepathy. "Useful."

"What? Telepathy? Yes, it's one of my favorite skills."

"I bet." Alfred muttered.

"By the way, are you going to put your clothing back on? I mean, I don't mind the view, but I can't imagine you want to walk down the hallway like that."

Alfred found himself blushing. "Um, yeah. " He quickly shuffled across the room and picked up his shirt, slipping it back over his torso.

"You're gorgeous. You know that?"

Alfred froze. "Don't talk about me like that. You've lost that privilege."

He sighed. "I really am sorry about last night."

Alfred whipped around. "What? I'm not talking about last night, Arthur. I'm talking about attacking the fucking world!"

"Ah, that. Yes. I suppose that's a legitimate reason to be angry at me." He let his shirt slide down his arms and fall carelessly to the floor, revealing a well-toned chest. He noticed a light blush crossing Alfred's cheeks. "Like what you see, Alfred?"

"Fuck off. We were lovers for years. You know what I think about you."

"Yes. I do." He said wistfully, appearing in front of Alfred. He cupped the man's cheek and leaned in quickly, pecking him on the cheek. "And you know what I think of you."

"Back off."

Shrugging, he backed away. Lucaster then knocked on the door, and Alfred looked relieved as he buttoned up his shirt. Arthur motioned for him to go, and he headed for the door without even looking back. He slammed the door behind him, startling Lucaster, who looked immensely confused.

"Don't ask. Just don't."

He said nothing and rolled his eyes. "Come along, then."

Alfred followed Lucaster through the hallways, trying to memorize the layout of the airship. He couldn't help but notice the extreme lack of people. "Hey, there are other people on this ship, right?"

"Of course. We have an army of humans with us, but they're not generally allowed on this level."

"Not allowed? What, you think you're better than them?"

Lucaster snorted. "We are nation. They are human. We are better than them."

"Says you. Personally, I see you as much lower than the average human."

"Watch your tongue, boy. The boss may be understanding, but he will not hesitate to take your pride down a notch. Don't forget what happened to Drovich. The boss has informed me of your little infiltration plot, and personally, I'm not sure why he's being quite this forgiving. However, I would like to warn you that whenever he apparently lets something out of his favor happen, it's generally because he has a plan to make it in his favor. You would do well to remember that."

Alfred suddenly felt very insecure. Lucaster stopped in front of another plain door and pushed it open. "Here's where you'll be staying. Luxury accommodations. Enjoy them." He walked away, waving, but then he paused. "By the way, I'm guessing your lover's little show was fake, right?"

Alfred stiffened. "What of it?"

"Tell me, do they all know your plan? Or was it just him you told in the name of 'making it look realistic?'"

"I…" Alfred couldn't get the words out. Now that he knew that they knew he was using "joining them" as a ploy to get information, he suddenly regretted not telling anyone. Now they would all pointlessly think he was traitor. His heart felt heavy.

Lucaster took the sorrowful expression on his face as an answer. "That's probably for the best though, since you'll end up joining us in the end anyway."

"Says who?"

"The boss. And the boss is never wrong. Remember that too."

With chills running down his back, Alfred knew that he would never forget it.

When Lucaster came and knocked on his door later, Alfred was drying his hair off. For the headquarters of the evil bastards that were destroying the world, they had pretty nice amenities. He'd enjoyed a nice, long, refreshing shower that had considerably relaxed him. Then, a maid of some sort had come buy and given him food. She was the first human Alfred had seen on the ship, but she had refused to answer any of his questions. Sighing, he'd given up and let her go, watching as she disappeared down the hallway.

Alfred buttoned up his new white shirt and stuffed his feet into the pair of boots that had been left in front of his closet, then he opened the door. Lucaster stood on the side, bored expression on his face. He quirked an eyebrow at Alfred's ensemble. "No coat?"

"Nah. I haven't joined you, remember?"

"Yet." Lucaster assured him. "Whatever. Follow me."

They took a different direction this time, heading down the ever familiar outer hallways lined with the wall-sized windows. They cut through a side hallway and took a right, coming to another wooden door. Lucaster paused just before knocking and gave him a hard look. "Try not to be too confused. Even Siphone and I were shocked at first. We never expected to find one of the boss."

"One of what?"

"You'll see. Just keep in mind that this is not a trick. Wouldn't want you acting like a complete idiot."

"Hey."

He rolled his eyes and knocked, the familiar voice of Arthur on the other side telling him to enter. The man pulled the door open and ushered him in, closing it swiftly behind him as Alfred shuffled into the office. Arthur sat at a desk in front of one of the large windows, tapping his fingers on the wood and smiling. "Morning again, Alfred." He said.

"Morning." He mumbled. "So what's this big explanation I'm supposed to be getting?" He marched forward and stood in front of Arthur, arms crossed.

Arthur chuckled. "Wow, you are oblivious. The explanation is right behind you."

"Huh?" He hesitantly turned around.

And met the green eyes of another Arthur. He stumbled back, rapidly darting his eyes back and forth from one Arthur to the other. "W-w-what? What the hell is this? What kind of trick is this supposed to be? What the fuck are you playing at?"

"Alfred, shut up." The second Arthur groaned.

Alfred froze. Now that he thought about it, there were differences between the too. He looked at the first Arthur, who was smiling mischievously up at him from his seat. This Arthur had a small scar just above one eyebrow. And his voice. It was the same voice, but the accent was off. He'd noticed it before, but he hadn't thought anything of it. He looked at the Arthur leaning against the wall. The two were dressed almost identically, but there was something in the way that that Arthur was looking at him.

"Arthur. My Arthur."

"Yes, your Arthur, if that's how you want to put it, git." The man against the wall grumbled.

Alfred felt like his brain had just exploded. "Holy shit!" He whipped around the face the imposter. "Who the hell are you?"

The man started laughing hysterically. When he finally calmed down, he smirked and answered. "Arthur Kirkland, United Empire of Great Britannia. And that," he pointed to the real Arthur, "is Arthur Kirkland, the United Kingdom, or Great Britain, if you want. He's the Arthur from this world. I am not."

"From this world. You're…you're from the…parallel world? You're an alternate Arthur?" The term sounded incredibly absurd rolling off his tongue in such a serious situation, but he certainly couldn't deny what was right in front of him.

"That's right."

A intense feeling of both relief and guilt welled up inside him. He'd honestly thought that Arthur had…He turned back around, facing the man he'd loved for just about his entire life in a thousand different ways. "Arthur…I…"

"Don't apologize, you wanker. I'm not nearly temperamental enough to be mad at you for assuming something that sounded completely logical. Had I been in this situation, I would've thought the same."

Was Arthur being…reasonable? What had happened to him since he'd gotten here? On that note, why was he dressed just like his other self? And not complaining about it? "Are…are you alright?"

"Physically? I'm fine."

"Mentally?" He clenched his hands into tight fists, sending a glare at the other Arthur, knowing the man had done something to Arthur.

"Well enough for the moment."

"I see. So, he hasn't been hurting you?"

"Oh, he's been hurting me alright. Trying to train me in his insane magic. Nearly killed me several times so far. Bastard just heals me afterward."

"Training you…? Why would he…?" Okay, now he was seriously confused. Why would the evil Arthur train the good one?

"Ask him. He insists upon it. And I'm not exactly in a situation to refuse seeing as I'm a prisoner."

Alfred looked at the other Arthur, suspicious. The man shrugged. "For the same reason I'll be training you in magic, Alfred. I want you to join me."

"Alfred has no magic." Arthur retorted, a hint of fear in his eyes. Fear that hinted he knew exactly what the other Arthur was planning.

The man smiled. "Ah, but he will shortly." The evil Arthur pulled out a small platinum ring with a purple gem in the middle. "Here you go." He offered it to Alfred. "Obviously Drovich doesn't require it anymore."

Alfred hesitated, not sure which "it" he was referring to.

"Don't." Arthur said, warning in his voice. "I don't trust him."

"What is it you think I'll be doing to him, Arthur? Lucaster and Siphone are perfectly fine with my magic." He rolled the ring around in his fingers. "I fashioned this medium just the other day. I figured it would suit you better than a bracelet or necklace." He said to Alfred.

Arthur clenched his fists. "Don't think you can fool me. I can slowly see your manipulation plot coming together, and I know it involves this. Don't think I'm blind enough to miss the implications of giving Alfred some of your magic."

The other Arthur smiled, eying Alfred, who was seriously contemplating what to do. After a few more seconds of hesitation, Alfred snatched the ring from him and slipped it on his ring finger before Arthur could react.

"Alfred!"

Tentatively, he pulled the ring back off, giving Arthur a relieved look. He'd been halfway convinced the thing would be stuck on his finger, and he'd end up a mental slave to this evil Arthur or something. But he wasn't in a position to refuse this at the moment. He had to play by this other Arthur's rules if he was going to get anywhere. So he'd risked it. He let out a relieved sigh the same time Arthur did. But Arthur kept scowling, and the evil twin kept smiling.

"See? Told you."

"I still don't' trust you."

The man shrugged. "Well, now that we've cleared up all these mysteries, how about some training boys? Alfred here needs to get acquainted with magic." He stood up clapped happily. "This is going to be an exciting day, huh?"

Alfred and Arthur exchanged a glance. "Sure?" Alfred lied. He moved closer to Arthur, brushing their hands together. Arthur glanced at him, seeing Alfred worriedly looking back down at him, sincerely wondering if he was actually okay or whether this was all a lie. Arthur briefly squeezed his hand, giving him a reassuring smile. It was then they both noticed the other Arthur giving them a sour look.

"What?" Arthur snapped.

The other one shook his head. "It appears I forgot to make one thing clear."

The next thing Alfred knew, Arthur was no longer next to him. He blinked, startled to see both Arthurs on the other side of the desk. Startled at the teleportation. But not startled at what they were doing. Oh no. Startled didn't even come close. Shocked didn't even scratch the surface. Stunned? No. Not strong enough. Shaken to the core?

There was no term in existence to describe the level of sheer alarm that shot through his body when he watched Arthur's double pull the original into a heated kiss. And that alarm tripled, quadrupled, more as he saw Arthur return the kiss with fervor. His hands locked around his double's head, pinning their lips and tongues together while the other Arthur wrapped his hands around the original's waist and crushed their bodies together.

It was the double that finally pulled back, leaving a trail of saliva between the two pairs of swollen lips that rested on two identical flushed faces. Their same green eyes held the same emotion, something so deep that Alfred didn't thing he could even begin to understand it. He stood in his place completely stunned to the point of immobility. The pair of Arthurs looked ready to go at it again, but then the other one whispered something that, for some reason, terrified Alfred.

He spoke only to Arthur, as if they were only two people in the room. "Did you know, Arthur, that we have the same heartbeat?"

Arthur's eyes widened. He timidly slid a hand from his double's shoulder to his chest and let it rest over his heart. His double mimicked the action, and both let out a shaky breath. Arthur whispered in a soft response. "You're right."

It was then that Alfred finally cracked through his numb shell and lost it. "What the fuck is going on here?"

Arthur seemed to suddenly snap out of his daze, and he stumbled away from his double. "Alfred, I…" He blushed deeply, having absolutely no clue how to explain this to Alfred.

A low chuckle escaped from his double's mouth, and both pairs of eyes were suddenly on him. The double looked from Arthur, winking, and settled on Alfred. In the blink of eye, his expression went from friendly and playful to the most dangerous and vicious look Arthur had ever seen. Green eyes, narrow and glinting menacingly, were complimented by a sharp, crooked, ferocious sneer.

"Easy." He answered to Alfred's questions. "He's mine." And then he was in front of Alfred, terrifying face inches away from Alfred's. "So stay away."

Then he was at the door, smiling and chuckling again. "Now, off to training!" He opened the door and walked out, motioning for them follow.

Alfred and Arthur stood there, completely motionless. Surprisingly, Arthur was the first to regain his voice, and Alfred knew the moment he finished speaking that they both had a big problem on their hands.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

Dro: That was a long chapter. Huh. Anyway, enjoy? Yes? Ready to watch the mindfuckery begin?

Next Chapter: The nations reel from Alfred's disappearance. Feliciano shows off his acting skills. Alter! Arthur makes a request of Alfred.