After stopping the RV once again, the group had went to bed, with Alfred and Molossia having to pull out the couch to share it.
They would need all the energy they could get for the next few days of driving. Of course Natalya had no clue she just added another 2,000 miles to their trip, but that might actually work out for her since she still needs to finish Alfred's notebook.
Before reading, she waited until the other two were out cold, snoring equally loud even with her door closed.
It was extremely irritating how similar the two were, though Molossia was a little worse because he was far more brash. At least Alfred had the perk of being obnoxiously nice.
A few more minutes of waiting and she was finally able to begin reading.
September 6, 1901
President McKinley was assassinated today. That's three presidents in the last 36 years. Why does this keep happening?
September 14, 1901
I didn't realize it before but the same Theodore Roosevelt I fought with in the Spanish American War was the Vice President, and now he's the President.
This is gonna be a really strange reunion.
September 27, 1901
The first thing Roosevelt did when he saw me was challenge me to a judo match. I thought he was insane, he's just a normal human while I have super strength, how could he win?
Turns out very easily, he was able to knock me down like it was nothing. Just a human beat a nation! Maybe he should be the American personification.
November 17, 1903
The U.S. took control of the Panama Canal Zone, meaning once completed we will be able to connect and control both oceans. Trade and travel will soon be made much easier.
December 17, 1903
Rumors are spreading that two brothers somewhere in North Carolina have created a strange flying machine. A glider with an engine that could travel for hundreds of feet. It seems a little too good to be true.
July 4, 1908
He did it, he just flew a... I don't even know what it is! In New York a man named Glenn Curtiss was in the air for almost a mile in one of these things. This is insane! This is the next big invention I'm sure of it.
September 9, 1908
These things can now fly for over an hour. Oh my God I want to ride one so bad! Come on Wright brothers, why do you have to be so secretive?!
- Alfred F. Jones
Natalya couldn't help but chuckle at his childishness. It was... endearing in a way.
September 9, 1908
One of the planes broke and crash landed. Well that's sad.
...
Oh fuck someone died! And they were an army lieutenant. This isn't good.
June 3, 1909
Roosevelt has been out in Africa shooting everything in sight, so now we have a crap ton of animals to put in museums. This man needs to chill out and leave some adventure for the rest of us.
April 10, 1912
Planes can float on water now?! Oh... oh I'm having inventor overload.
God dammit I love America!!!
October 14, 1912
While running for a third term, Roosevelt got shot in an attempted assassination attempt. Instead of going to the hospital, he continued his speech for over an hour and a half. Absolute madman!
November 7, 1913
After losing the election to Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt went on a trip into the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, only being one of two people to return alive.
I swear he's lived more lifetimes than I have.
July 28, 1914
Ok I guess my plane and Roosevelt obsession may have gone too far, because apparently while I was doing that the entire world has begun fighting. Yeah I think I'm just going to stay away from that.
August 4, 1914
Since Canada is still technically a part of the British Empire, now Mattie is also getting dragged into this war. Just terrific.
January 28, 1915
Roosevelt, being in his fifties, just got approved by Congress to go fight in The Great War. He's fifty!
May 7, 1915
This is outrageous, the Germans have no right to attack Americans. We are neutral, we shouldn't have to worry about being killed for wanting to travel.
I'm not surprised, they invaded Belgium who was also neutral. Seems like those German and Austro-Hungarian bastards have it out for everybody. Except for Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
March 1, 1917
So now Germany is trying to get Mexico on their side, so they can take us over and annex my southern states? First Mattie and now Mexico, why can't you learn to leave the Americas alone?!
April 6, 1917
After many talks and long arguments, the U.S. has finally decided to join the war against the Central Powers.
I'm bringing all my awesome planes you bitches!
April 12, 1917
I've never seen a war like this. So much death, so much destruction. Giant tanks and mines, trenches, machine guns, planes, toxic gas, flamethrowers.
A large expanse called "No Man's Land," where no one survives. The weapons are too dangerous for anyone to get that close anymore.
I feel bad for anyone who thought horses were still a viable option for combat. But most of all, I feel bad for all of the people who have experienced this hell since the beginning.
August 11, 1917
During one of my raids, I got shot down behind enemy lines, and of course found myself right in the hands of the Central Powers.
Needless to say going against both Germans and the Austrio-Hungarian couple while injured from a plane crash didn't end well for me.
So much so I'm being sent all the way to Toronto for medical attention. Seems like a little overkill but alright, I'm not really in the condition to fight back.
August 14, 1917
For a few days this nurse has been helping me with my wounds, keeping me clean, reapplying bandages, getting me tons of food. A real nice lady.
I think her name was Amelia or something, couldn't be any older than twenty, I'm not really sure with all these drugs I'm hopped up on.
I was talking with her and figured out we both are crazy about planes. She told me about how she would always watch the pilots training in the airfield, so of course me telling her I was a pilot only sparked her interest more.
Sadly there's a lot of soldiers to take care of so I don't get to see her often. Maybe after the war is over I'll see if I can find her again, then maybe show her the ropes of flying.
January 8, 1918
Woodrow Wilson has already begun making plans on what to do after the war ends. His idea, known as the "Fourteen Points," is a fourteen part plan that would secure stability and the economy of Europe. Hopefully this way peace will remain and we can avoid this from ever happening again.
March 3, 1918
Because of a revolution taking over Russia, he's forced to bow out for the rest of the war. I guess it's good I came when I did.
- Alfred F. Jones
Natalya grimaced as she remembered that. It was a strange period where she was a republic briefly, before being occupied by Germany and later the soviets.
Honestly both world wars were very hard on her.
November 11, 1918
Today Germany finally surrendered to the Allies, marking the end of the Great War. Good, I think any longer and I would've gotten trench foot.
January 6, 1919
Theodore Roosevelt has sadly passed away today. I'm gonna miss that crazy bastard.
Hope you roundhouse-kicked death in the face on your way up to heaven, bull moose!
April 13, 1919
Lithuania had begun living at my house, helping with chores and basically acting as my maid. I told him he doesn't have to, nor that he has to call me "Mr. America."
Apparently it's out of habit, because he's been the "maid", or rather slave of Russia for years.
I also caught him coming out of the shower, and his back is littered with scars. That isn't something most nations have, unless caused by another nation. Which of course can only mean he's not only a slave, but abused.
I don't like that Russian.
June 28, 1919
France and Britain are so far up their own asses about self gain and revenge that they refuse to agree on the Fourteen Points, wanting to punish Germany as much as possible. This is exactly what we don't want, but according to them I can't make that decision because I was "just a morale boost."
I don't know, maybe the League of Nations will be enough to prevent that.
August 18, 1919
Women now finally have the ability to vote under the 19th Amendment. Now everyone, both men and women have equal power in elections.
I wonder if we'll ever have a female president?
December 14, 1921
I went to an air show in California, the Sierra Airdrome, so I could watch all the stunt planes do tricks. I never expected to meet Amelia again, but it was a pleasant surprise to find her now with her own plane.
I guess she got a plane ride by another Great War pilot... not that I care or anything.
May 27, 1923
Man, my economy is doing great right now. Seems like joining the war late did wonders for not destroying me with debt. I think most of the other countries are jealous of that fact.
I don't really understand it, it's not like I'm all high and mighty above them, I still got problems just like the rest of them. Such as corruption and the insane backlash to prohibition. Not sure what the big deal is, I always thought alcohol tasted gross.
February 15, 1925
I guess it's been getting a little hard to hide the fact I'm immortal from Amelia. I'm still just becoming 18 and she's already 27, and she's not dumb, she can tell the difference.
July 24, 1926
I think maybe it's finally time to tell her about what I truly am. It's not something nations are supposed to tell their people, I've gotten a lot of hell from England in the past for trying. But she's different, I know she's someone I can trust, because... well. . . I love her.
- Alfred F. Jones
Natalya stared at the phone blankly, a strange constricting sensation in her heart. She couldn't place what she was feeling, but it unsettled her.
'Alfred you stupid idiot, you know nations should never date humans. Stupid, stupid, dummy.'
July 24, 1926
I know it's wrong for nations to date humans, they will eventually grow old and pass away. And while it may be hard knowing that one day Amelia will be gone, I want every moment of her life to be with us together. If she can have a happy life, then I can afford to live with it through its end.
I'm no France, but if that's not love then I don't know what is.
Just me, and my Amelia Earhart.
- Alfred F. Jones
Natalya turned off her phone and dropped it on the bed, her bottom lip beginning to quiver. She didn't know why it was making her emotional all of the sudden, she's witnessed human death countless times, and it hasn't affected her in the slightest.
It's only whenever she's near Alfred she can't seem to control that pesky emotion known as sadness.
Maybe it's because the entry was almost 100 years ago, or the fact that she knows Alfred lives completely alone, with only creatures as his company.
'Stupid moron!' She fumed while straightening out her mouth. She refused to get choked up over something as weak as this.
She was strongly considering going to sleep, but for some reason she couldn't do it no matter how tired she was. Something was pulling her to continue reading.
Going against what her body desperately needed, she sat back up and reached for her phone.
October 29, 1929
I may have spoken too soon on the amazing economy thing. Seems like there were some kinks in the banks and stock market that weren't resolved and now everyone has lost their money.
And I don't just mean the U.S. Most of the western nations just got their economies destroyed, Germany especially.
November 6, 1929
Of course the nations would blame me for this. Like I had anything to do with how banks work. I couldn't change anything if I wanted to, I'm just the personification.
But that didn't deter the others, they just resorted to calling me an idiot, and a git, and a dummkopf, der es nicht wert ist, eine nation zu führen!
My German is still a little spotty but I think he called me a "dumb fuck that can't run my country!"
It was the same with many other nations, but I'm not familiar with their languages yet so who knows what kind of heinous insult they called me.
I told Amelia about it, and she told me not to let them get to me. She was certain I would find a way to fix it.
What I wouldn't give to have her optimism.
March 3, 1931
The Star Spangled Banner has become my national anthem. This is the first time I've had an official anthem that isn't some random hymns or a blatant ripoff of England's.
At least there's still some good news in an otherwise gloomy time.
May 21, 1932
Amelia Earhart just finished her transatlantic flight, the first of any woman. At least she can still follow her dreams, unlike so many millions of people.
March 4, 1933
Franklin D. Roosevelt has been inaugurated as the next president with his promise of the New Deal. Finally another Roosevelt, I was getting tired of Hoover's shit.
March 6, 1933
Why do I keep going to these stupid meetings? I'm supposed to be in isolation, but instead I'm stuck here trying to solve the economic issue while getting harassed by everyone. Don't they understand that I'm suffering too?
July 8, 1933
Some of the more antsy nations think this wouldn't have happened if I didn't exist, so their solution was to try to convince me to kill myself. What a bunch of assholes.
May 27, 1934
Many of my people are calling this "The Great Depression." The economy yes, but I wouldn't consider myself depressed. Sure, I've been down for a while, but so is everyone when the economy is bad.
January 11, 1935
Amelia is still doing great, she just started her next big milestone. She's going to be the first woman to fly from Hawaii to the mainland. I love how she's always aiming higher and higher, both literally and figuratively. Even with the situation I'm in right now I can't help but feel her influence is rubbing off on me.
April 14, 1935
This Dust Bowl is getting really bad. It's so hard to breath, it feels like someone crushing my chest. Damn inhalers barely work.
January 20, 1937
FDR has been inaugurated for his second term, because of course he won. He's done so much stuff in the first four years, I feel better already... not really but at least there is work being done to end the depression.
February 9, 1937
Yup, I'm a fat git that should've ended back in the 1700's. Come up with some new material why don't you? You've been saying the same stuff since the Revolution.
Wait why is he still arguing with me? He recovered from the depression years ago.
I can't stand this much longer, I just want to get back to Amelia. Maybe I'll stop coming to these now... but then they'll just come to my country and call me a coward running from my mess.
May 31, 1937
Tomorrow Amelia is setting out on her biggest milestone yet. She's planning on flying all the way around the world. She tried this once before, but it didn't work out so she's trying again.
I've never seen her so excited, not since we talked about planes all the way back during the war.
Neither of us can stop smiling about it.
June 1, 1937
Amelia finally took off on her mission to go around the globe. I'm so proud of her, I can't wait for her return.
Before she left she gave me her prized bomber jacket, as a keepsake until she gets back. It's a little snug since she's a smidge shorter than I am, but it's so warm and comfortable I never want to take it off.
- Alfred F. Jones
A growing feeling of sorrow was beginning to form in Natalya, because she was aware of how much he adored that jacket. He never told anyone why, and didn't care when someone would call it ugly.
She actually began to blush a bit when she remembered that he let her wear it. He never lets anyone wear it.
That temporary warm feeling disappeared when she looked at the next entry, which was getting increasingly shaky and sloppy at each passage.
It was evidence that Alfred was nervous, and becoming frantic.
July 2, 1937
Somehow she's lost contact with the Coast Guard. What does this mean? Where is she?!
Ok, ok calm down. She's fine, it's probably just either one of the radios bugging out. Yeah, yeah that makes sense.
July 4, 1937
Ok maybe something is wrong, she was supposed to send me a birthday message, not on the plane radio. But it's not here.
July 5, 1937
Maybe it couldn't hurt to get my boss to help find her.
July 18, 1937
Two weeks and still nothing? What the fuck is going on?! Come on, something happen... please.
July 19, 1937
They've given up... they declared her lost at sea.
No no no no no.
They just weren't looking hard enough, she's too skilled to just randomly crash into the ocean. She's probably on an island somewhere, scared, and hungry, with no one looking for her.
September 30, 1937
I've looked everywhere. Where are you?! Please be safe, please. You need to be safe.
December 13, 1937
She can't be gone. She just can't! Everyone declared her d— missing months ago, but I won't accept that. There's just no way.
She still needs to come get her jacket! She would never go back on that promise, it's her favorite jacket!
December 25, 1937
It's funny, I got her a birthday present I was going to give to her when she returned. Isn't that awful?
January 1, 1938
The nations keep telling me to kill myself. Do they even know how hard it is to do that? I'm trying my best dammit!
Why God, why did you have to make me immortal?! Send me to Amelia I want to be with Amelia!
January 5, 1938
AMELIA!!!!!!!
- Alfred F. Jones
The picture on the phone showed that the original page was covered in wrinkles and dark circular spots, evidence of water damage. Tear stains.
Suddenly a large wet glob splattered onto the phone, and then a few more. Natalya wiped at her eye which was leaking water like there was no tomorrow.
For a moment she was surprised, but then her throat closed up as she dropped the phone and started furiously rubbing both her eyes.
"Why the hell is this happening?" She asked herself in between sniffles. 'This was a mistake, I should've just gone to bed when I had the chance.'
She had no clue why she was so emotional tonight, but it was too late to question it as she began bawling.
Quickly she curled up in her blankets and hid her face under them, not wanting to wake the others and get them worried.
'He tried so hard to find her, he spent months searching even after everyone else stopped. He was so desperate. He tried killing himself to be with her again," she thought, biting the nearby pillow to muffle any sobs.
'Why won't it stop? I wasn't even like this when big brother told me about Anastasia.'
She curled deeper into herself and made the futile attempt to fall asleep in this condition.
'Damn moron!'
The next morning, Alfred was the first to wake up, which he found surprising. Sure, sometimes he'll be up before Natalya, but that's only if he has something important to do like getting breakfast.
He just assumed she was up late so he decided not to bother her.
Right now they were in the southern half of Oregon, so he would still need to do a lot of driving to get to Alaska.
He cracked his neck and prepared to drive, for whatever countless day it was now. Actually, now that he thought about it he had Molossia now, so he could just have him drive.
He was content with the lazy route and decided to finally relax for a morning. Molossia probably wouldn't be up for another hour or two, so there was plenty of time to chill.
Sitting at the small breakfast table, Alfred leaned on one hand while munching on a burger with the other. He would've had some entertainment to watch with it, if only Molossia wasn't a heavy snorer.
While eating the burger, he suddenly got a strange feeling, like someone was watching him.
He raised his head a little and looked forward, inhaling a bite of burger when he found a dark face poking out of the side room and facing right at him. It looked like something out of a horror movie.
Alfred began beating on his chest and coughing in an attempt not to choke to death, eventually resorting to a hard swallow to fix it. Good thing he's trained in scarfing down food.
Meanwhile, the face hadn't moved, it just continued to stare at him.
"Oh, Nat. You scared the hell out of me. Why are you being sneaky like that?" He whispered while coughing out that last little bits of food.
Finally being addressed, Natalya moved out of the doorway and over to where Alfred was. Though she didn't want to sit down.
Alfred saw that her eyes were dark and bloodshot, and her hair was all over the place. She was also still wearing her white sundress, making her look like the blonde version of the grudge.
"Umm, are you feeling alright?" He asked. "You're looking like shit right now."
Natalya frowned but remained silent, until she turned her head and mumbled something.
"What did you say?" Alfred asked.
"I — y' to — — th' st're — me," she said very quietly.
"Yeah, Molossia is snoring. You're going to need to speak up," Alfred told her.
Suddenly her whole tired expression snapped to absolutely enraged as she pulled out a knife and stabbed down, almost hitting Alfred and impaling his half-eaten burger into the table.
Alfred put his hands up and looked at her in utter confusion. What was with that switch in attitude?
She leaned her head down about an inch away from his, and menacingly stared into his blue eyes with her bloodshot purple ones. "I need you to go to the store for me. Understand, retard?"
Alfred's eyes widened in surprise. "Woah, ok there's no need to call me that. Now why do you need me?"
Natalya's angry demeanor disappeared again as she stepped back and pulled her dress wide, revealing a small dark red circle right in the center. "I'm... on my period."
"Huh? Oh... oh shit!" Alfred suddenly realized as he jumped out of the chair. "Alright, well uhhh... fuck ok first change into something else so I can try to get the stain out. Then I'll go get stuff at the store."
He led her back to her bed and had her sit down, before running around to get her a change of clothes. After leaving to let her change, he took the sundress and covered it in stain remover.
He came back into her room just as she was about to stand up to leave. He made sure she stayed put, which annoyed her. "I'm on my period, not crippled."
"I know, I just want you to take things slow. Don't you get cramps and stuff?" He asked.
A large tick mark appeared on the sleep-deprived Belarusian. "Alfred, I've been in wars before, I think I can handle a cramp from something I've experienced for hundreds of years."
"Yeah, you're right. It's just..." He paused as Natalya stared darkly at him. "Nevermind I'm just gonna go now," he declared before leaving her room and the RV.
Luckily he had parked right next to a town, so he only had to do a little walking to get to the nearest store.
As he walked there, Natalya continued sitting on the bed, cursing herself for forgetting tampons.
She's here for the whole month, she should've known it would happen eventually. But of course she didn't and ruined her sundress because of it.
Filled with self-loathing, she felt herself beginning to grow emotional again. 'Damn mood swings, this is your fault!'
But it was strange why she was having such a strong reaction, she wasn't like this last month, or any other month. Maybe it was because she was always so used to suppressing her emotions and preoccupying herself with chasing after Russia.
Or maybe it was because she just spent the entire night reading about Alfred going through The Great Depression and losing the love of his life.
She wiped her eyes as fresh tears sprung from them. 'Yup, definitely that one.'
She stood up and left the room, sneaking past Molossia and making it to Alfred's suitcase. Opening it, she dug around for the brown jacket, taking it out and running back to her room.
It no longer seemed so ugly to her, it was sweet. Bittersweet. Natalya curled up and buried her face in the warm jacket. It still smelled like burgers and Alfred, but she swore she could smell a hint of perfume and jet fuel on it as well.
Natalya flopped onto her side and held the jacket close as she tried to get a shred of sleep.
Alfred was dealing with his own emotional distress, standing in the women's products section as he nervously stared at all the strange brands of what looked like band-aids and pens packaged in paper. There were also weird pump things which intrigued Alfred. 'A douche, the fuck is that? Is this what people mean when they say douchebag?'
'Is this the right thing?' He thought as he held up a box of maxipads. What confused him was that there were different sizes. Surely women would all have the same sized... thing, right?
He set the box back down and stood back as he stared at the shelves. 'I haven't done this since I was with Amelia. Things were so much easier back then.'
Frustrated with not being able to come to a decision, he pulled out his phone and called the one person he knew wouldn't laugh at him... or so he thought.
"Alfred?"
"Yo, Mrs. Johnson. I hope I'm not interrupting anything but I kinda need your help with something."
"Of course not, I was just about to make lunch. What do you need help with?"
"I'm shopping for a friend right now and I need to know, do you know what... "Tampax" is? I swear I've heard it before but I can't remember what it is."
Mrs. Johnson couldn't help but chuckle a little at his confusion. Though that ticked him off because this is exactly what he didn't want.
"They're tampons hon," she answered.
Alfred made an O face as he grabbed a box of them and carried it out of the aisle. "Thanks for that."
"No problem. . . Wait are you still seeing that girl?"
"I'm not "seeing her," we're just hanging out."
"Sure," she trailed off, teasing him a little. "Make sure to come by sometime so we can meet this "friend" of yours."
"K, will do," he said before saying his goodbyes and hanging up.
'Way to go Alfred, getting picked on by the elderly,' he laughed to himself as he walked around the store.
Suddenly he stopped in front of the candy aisle, walking in and looking at the assortments of sugary food. "Girls on periods still like chocolate, right?"
He wrapped his arms around a shelf of chocolate bars and picked up as much as possible, before carrying it to the cash register.
By the time he made it back to the RV, Molossia was just waking up as he did one of those shaky leg stretches.
"Hey," he said in his normal voice as he sat up, probably assuming Natalya was still asleep.
"Hi, would you mind taking over the driving for today?" Alfred requested. "My back is killing me."
"Of course, just let me wake up a little and get some breakfast," Molossia accepted while rubbing his eyes.
Alfred nodded and went over to enter Natalya's room. 'He's so polite, why is he always so grumpy in front of the other nations?'
He opened the door and stood in the doorway, raising an eyebrow at the large mass of blankets. He stepped forward and closed the door behind him as he walked to the side of the bed and crouched down next to it.
'Nat. Are you asleep?' He asked quietly as he slightly shook the blanket pile. "No," her muffled voice came from somewhere underneath.
Alfred grabbed the top of the blanket and pulled it down, finding everything from the nose down hiding behind his bomber jacket. Her eyes were red and puffy and her eyebrows were stuck in a frustrated line.
It was troubling but a little cute in a way. "What are you doing with my jacket?" He laughed as he brushed some hair from her face.
She gave a low grumble and narrowed her eyes at the light that was hitting them. "I got you the stuff you needed," he announced as he began digging into the annoyingly loud plastic bag, pulling out the box of tampons.
He then opened that and took out one of the packets, where he then opened one of those to get to the plastic container. "What the fuck? Why are these things triple sealed?" He whined, bringing out a short laugh from Natalya.
He handed her the plastic pen-looking thing and looked back down to take out a chocolate bar. When he grabbed one and looked back up, she tossed the empty halves of the case at his head and swiped the chocolate bar from his hands.
"Need anything else?" He asked. "Water. My head is killing me," she complained as she brought a hand up to rub it.
Alfred nodded and left the room, passing by Molossia who was making a sandwich. He grabbed a large glass and filled it up with water before turning and going back in the bedroom.
Natalya took it from him and downed half of the glass, then shrunk back into the warmth of the blankets and jacket. "Thank you," she spoke feebly.
He grinned at her and took out his own chocolate bar. The two ate their candy in silence, but Natalya watched him intently from under the blankets.
'How can that fool grin so much? He's not even mad I took his jacket. What is wrong with him?'
"Hey idiot."
"Hmm?" He hummed while looking at the blankets with a mouthful of chocolate.
"Why are you still here?" She wondered.
He hastily swallowed the bite to speak. "I thought it was best to keep you company. I can see that the cramps and stuff are worse than even you thought."
She didn't respond, leaving Alfred to the assumption that she was fine with him staying. In reality she was beyond fine with it. Her physical pain was actually pretty mild this time, but she was so emotionally drained that him leaving would probably make her bawl for no reason.
A little more time passed, until the RV began moving. Natalya shot her head out of the blankets in a panic, but calmed down when she found Alfred still sitting down and staring at her in wonder.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, I just thought you left."
"Aww, you care about me."
"Shut up... and hand me another chocolate bar."
He followed her directions and grabbed another one, placing it on the edge of the bed and watching as a small hand poked out and dragged the bar into the darkness.
So adorable!
He let out another beaming smile, which just aggravated Natalya more. 'Stop being so happy you bastard, it's not fair!'
Despite the chocolate in her mouth, and the embarrassment she knew it would cause, she began to cry again.
Even with the numerous blankets muffling the noise, Alfred could still clearly hear her sobs.
"Nat?" He called out as he lifted the blankets off again, shocked to find her with his jacket pressed to her face as tears streamed from her eyes.
"Sorry, I don't know why I'm like this," she apologized as she desperately tried to wipe away the tears.
"Hey, hey hey hey it's ok," he tried to reassure while rubbing a hand on her shoulder. "You're just, y'know... going through stuff right now."
He internally cringed at how horrible he is at dealing with people crying.
"Do you want some privacy right now?" He wondered. She rapidly shook her head and shakily stated, "nyet!"
"Ok, then I'll just, sit right here," he awkwardly stated as he sat on the corner of the bed.
For a good twenty minutes he sat here, just comforting her and trying to get her to tell him what's wrong. Normally one could assume that it was just a reaction from hormones, but the fact that she constantly dodged the question troubled Alfred beyond belief.
Eventually she began to calm down and laid silently next to him while he brushed snarls out of her hair.
"Feeling any better?" He asked. She didn't answer and instead turned to look at him, showing just how red her eyes were.
"You need some sleep, did you even get any last night?" Again, she didn't answer, but just looked away from him.
He smiled and played with her hair for a while until she began growing tired. "You can go now, I'm fine," she drowsily told him.
At first he hesitated to go, but eventually agreed and got up, taking his jacket with him. Suddenly he was stopped as she reached out and took hold of the jacket.
"Wait. Can I... hold onto this for now?" She asked as she looked away with a blush. Alfred smiled again and let go of the jacket.
"Of course."