Hey, as you can see I'm not dead. I haven't posted anything in a while, I'm just not that into writing recently. But here's a one-shot to make up for my absence, this one's for usuk week 2021. I've practically abandoned this account, but I decided to make a small comeback since I have no idea how to delete my account.


It was quiet.

The world was still.

The sky was painted golden by the setting sun, it was a beautiful sight not seen everyday. In the distance, a small speck could be seen departing from the earth—the last ark of humanity, leaving for the stars.

Arthur's gaze followed the ship, watching it rising. It would breach the atmosphere in a few minutes and would soon be sailing the void of space. The titanic structures—the humans called them "Arks"— are generation ships that could easily carry half a billion humans, plus four pairs of every specie on earth to another star system. They were the biggest feats that humanity ever built, seven arks for each continent. The last ark to leave was the North American Ark, the first one built and the biggest ark only second to the Asian Ark, but from where he sat—on the ledge of a building, in the bones of a city—it was smaller than his thumb.

"This is strange, huh?"

Arthur turned around, his eyes softened when he recognized who approached him. Alfred flashed a curt smile and shoved his hands into his pockets "This quietness." he continued.

Arthur hummed in response. He went back to watching the last ark, it was almost invisible now. "I could get used to it." he said.

"That's so like you. Even after half a million years, you haven't changed." said the other man. He stared at the horizon, where the ark lifted off minutes before "I don't think I'll ever get used to this silence." he said, kicking the dust beneath his feet. After a long moment of silence, Alfred decided to break it.

"So...what now?"

Arthur didn't say anything, he scooted over the ledge he was sitting on. Alfred took that as a sign to sit beside the other man. It took another minute of silence before Alfred received an answer. Arthur's shoulders sagged, "Heaven knows. Humanity has moved onto a new frontier, and we're just remnants of their old world." he sighed, " I never expected to even see the end, yet here I am. I never thought that the end of the world would be this quiet."

The sky was now the hue of indigo, stars began to appear above the two men. Arthur wondered how many years he'd be able to watch the night sky before the sun swallowed up the Earth. He figured that it wouldn't be a lot, he wasn't The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland anymore. He wasn't even sure if he's a mortal or an immortal or something in between. Either way, he promised to himself that he'd live the last of his years the best he can.

"Hmm," Alfred hummed, "I wouldn't call this the end of the world. Not yet."

"Positive as ever, aren't you?"

"Pessimistic as ever, aren't you?" Alfred badly mimicked the man's accent. Arthur rolled his eyes, but didn't stop a chuckle from escaping his mouth. Alfred was glad that he somehow made the atmosphere a little lighter, he couldn't help but grin when he saw the other man's smile. The silence of the world once again filled their ears.

"Do you think the colonies on Mars also stayed behind?" Arthur asked out of the blue, he pointed at the eastern sky. His companion shrugged, "Most likely. Those kids up there are like us, right? I don't think they can leave their planet too."

Alfred looked at Mars, it could easily be mistaken as another star if you looked at it with the naked eye. The past thousand years, mankind reached another technological revolution after decades of war and unrest. Now that he mentioned it, he felt stupid for thinking the world was already ending back then. Humanity managed to pull through, they managed to somewhat achieve global peace, harnessed the planet's climate and energy, terraformed Antarctica to accommodate the growing population, sent satellite cities and settlements into orbit, built bases on the moon, mined nearby asteroids for resources and began the colonization of Mars, all of this in just three centuries.

"I wonder what it feels like up there, so close to the stars, planets, star systems and galaxies." Alfred mused, watching the darkened sky. Arthur knew how much Alfred loved space and everything in it. He knew back then, way back when Alfred was just a colony, that he was meant to discover and explore the unknown, just like Arthur before him. He felt his chest tighten at the realization that the younger man would never be able to do so.

Alfred saw the somber look in the older man's eyes, "I'm not that upset about it! I was even more upset when I wasn't able to go to the moon the first time." he quickly reassured. It was true. Back when man first landed on the moon, Alfred wanted to go so badly that he almost successfully bribed Conrad into making him Apollo 12's mission commander, but that is a story for another time.

"It's just..." Arthur trailed off, wondering if he should finish his sentence.

"I know how much you love space, and stars and planets. I find it hard not to see you piloting one of those ships, living the time of your life." he felt his ears grow warm as he finished.

Alfred's cheeks were burning, he wasn't ready for that. He was ready for Arthur's cheeky comments, his snappy replies, and his playful insults, but he wasn't ready for compliments or words of concern from the former nation.

"Oh...um..." Alfred didn't know what else to say, awkward silence enveloped them.

The sky became a deep shade of blue, moonlight showered the earth with its dim light, space twinkled above the two former nations.

"Arthur, do you know why we can't leave?" Alfred asked, hoping that it would end the awkwardness between them. The other man raised his eyebrow, "Alfred, just because I'm older, it doesn't always mean I know more than you." He sighed and thought for a moment. "I do have theories, but I don't think they're worth sharing."

"Tell me anyway."

"...Alright, but these are just half baked nonsense." The wind picked up and temperature dropped drastically. Arthur blew into his hands for warmth and tucked his arms in, "It's going to rain soon." he shivered, "We should head somewhere dry." he stood up and walked away from the ledge, Alfred followed shortly.

The two of them walked together in the silent streets, conversing and exchanging theories, jokes and ideas. The city was somewhat alive, the lights turn on automatically in every building and street light as soon as night falls, energy had never been finite for decades because of human innovation, yet it was quiet. Only the laughter and voices of the two men tore through the silence, who seemed to forget why they left in the first place.

"We are of the earth, and to earth we shall return."

"Whoa, where'd you get that?"

Arthur shrugged his shoulders, "I probably read it somewhere, but I think that's why we can't leave. The concept of civilizations, kingdoms, empires and nations; all are from the minds of men. They're territories, people, culture and lands. Us, we are simply the tulpas of these concepts. We are freaks of nature, born from the dirt and thoughts of humans. But for thoughts to take physical form, it must anchor itself to something in the physical world. You know those haunted house stories and small town rumors of cryptids?"

"Yeah, what about them?"

"If enough people believe in those stories, those physical places become haunted, and sightings of strange creatures grow more and more. I think the same applies to us."

Alfred raised an eyebrow, "I think you're off your point, dude."

"I am on my point. If enough people are gathered, if they have the same ideas, beliefs, and experiences, they'll eventually make some sort of community and ultimately, form a nation."

"So you're saying that...we're the literal brainchildren of humans?"

"Well, it's a bit more complex than that. Yes we represent our people and their thoughts and ideas but, we also represent the territory and land they assigned to us. We're literally landmasses with distinct names and unique histories. It's probably the reason we can't leave with them." Arthur finished, breathing heavily after talking for so long. Alfred let their conversation sink in.

"So if we represent both the land and people, doesn't that mean we're already off in space? Well, not us, us, but some part of us."

Arthur thought about that for a bit, "If my ramblings are correct, then some part of you is already sailing the stars above."

"That's cool." Alfred grinned, "I can't believe I'm in space right now."

"Some part of you" The older man corrected. They continued to ramble on and on, talking about random things, enjoying each other's company.

The rain arrived suddenly, surprising the two men.

Alfred covered his jacket over the two of them so that they wouldn't get wet. They got wet anyway. They took shelter inside an abandoned café, their hairs damp and shirts soaked. The two of them entered the establishment, laughing like children in the rain.

Alfred draped his wet jacket on a chair while Arthur went to the backrooms to check if there were towels or cloth to dry themselves with. Arthur returned with a box full of towels and napkins he found in the stock room, "Here, we can use these to dry off." he placed the box on the counter. While he was by himself, Alfred used the café's stock and equipment to make two cups of hot chocolate and reheat stale brownies for him and Arthur.

He slid the mug of hot chocolate towards Arthur and took a towel from the box, "I know you'd probably prefer tea, but I can't find anything else here. They're probably stashed somewhere in the back." he said as he dried his hair.

"No, this is fine." said Arthur, "At least I can drink something hot." he took a sip of the sweet drink and began to wipe himself dry with the napkins he found. Alfred placed a plate of brownies on the counter and sat down next to Arthur. He took a bite of the pastry and drank from his cup. The rain continued to pour outside.

"Looks like we'll be stuck here for a while." Alfred spoke, mouth stuffed with brownies. "Can you chew first before you talk?" Arthur's eyebrows furrowed. The other man swallowed, "Alright, alright, no need to get worked up about it." Minutes ticked by in silence, the pair quietly finished their drinks and brownies.

"...What now?" Arthur exhaled, "We don't really have a purpose anymore. What are we supposed to do?" he asked out loud.

"I guess...I guess we just continue living." Alfred replied, "We don't have any bosses breathing down our necks anymore, no more paperwork to work on and no more meetings to stress about. I guess we're free to do what we please." The man rested his chin on his palm. He watched the troubled expression on his companion's face, he found Arthur's pouting endearing. "What're your plans, Art?"

"In 1000 years, the sun will expand and swallow the inner planets of the Solar system, Earth included." Arthur began, "I guess... I'll just wander through the ruins of this world until then. I might visit the other ex nations, or grow a garden, or maybe finish every book in every library I come across."

"That sounds lonely."

"It may seem so to you, but this is how I think I'll spend my years awaiting Solar death, assuming I don't grow old and die in eighty or so years." he scoffed. "What about you? What will you be doing until the world ends?"

Alfred thought for a bit, he was nervous to give his answer.

I'd like to spend everyday until the end of time with you.

Is what he wants to say. It's been the same thing that he wanted to tell him, so many centuries ago. Things would always get in the way whenever he wanted to say what he really felt, be it his ego, or Arthur's stubbornness, or simply their situation. Now that he had nothing to lose, he decided to be honest for once.

"Arthur," he said, steeling himself for whatever happens next. The world has practically ended and nothing is stopping him anymore, "This is going to sound stupid, no...absurd. Call me crazy but, If the world was to end in a couple of years, I would like to spend every moment together. With you."

Arthur blinked. He felt the world stop turning as he pieced together what he meant. Alfred said it so suddenly, without any warning. It took him a few seconds to register the man's confession.

I would like to spend every moment together. With you.

Those words rang in his ears like bells in a cathedral. "Alfred..." he spoke slowly, he had a vague idea of what he wanted to say, but the other man cut him off before he could say anything else.

Alfred stood from his seat, "I'm sorry! Just...just forget what I said. You're probably weirded out. It was stupid, I knew it was stupid to tell you that." Before he could step away from his stool, he felt a hand grip his sleeve.

"Wait."

He waited for Arthur to slap him back to his senses, to shout at him that he was being delusional. The longer it took for Arthur to respond, the more he could feel his hope crumble. "Sit down." Arthur ordered him. He reluctantly sat back down, and drummed his fingers on the counter furiously. He did not want to look the other man in the eye, he was afraid of what he might see.

"Look at me, and listen."

Alfred faced him, but did not meet Arthur's gaze.

"Alfred."

He was ready to be rejected by the man he'd been chasing after for centuries.

He felt Arthur's palm over his nervous hands, "I'm not...I'm not surprised." Alfred looked up at him in confusion.

"What—?"

"I've always known; how you felt about me. It took you long enough because you weren't really discreet with your hints." He held his hand tighter, "I just wished that you could've told me earlier, or if only I was brave enough to tell you. The end of the world isn't really the best time for a confession now, is it?" Arthur let out a soft chuckle. Their hands were now intertwined, both cold and damp from the rain.

"Oh my God," a blush crawled over Alfred's face, he groaned in embarrassment and covered his face with his other hand, "I can't believe you noticed my weird, cringe attempts at getting your attention," he shot the other man with an accusing stare, "and you never even told me that you did!"

Arthur laughed at this, "But it worked, you've managed to capture my attention, didn't you?"

"For how long?"

"Hmmm... Seven centuries, more or less. Possibly more."

"Seven centuries." at that point, Alfred wanted to jump off a building. He could've saved himself from seven centuries of mental torture and heartache if only he had the balls to confess to Arthur much sooner. "Seven centuries." he repeated softly. He sighed, "I'm such a coward. I should've told you so long ago—"

"Hey, I'm just as much as a coward as you. I've known for so long, yet I never said anything." Arthur reassured him, "Besides, I'm really glad right now. I thought...I thought that I'd die never being able to tell you."

"...But, we could've had so much more if we weren't stubborn cowards. We could've spent years together, we could've saved ourselves from decades of loneliness and just—Goddamn, we could've done so many things!" Alfred threw his hands up in exasperation. Arthur sighed and nodded, "You're right. We could've had a lifetime together." he took Alfred's hand once again, "But it's better late than never, right?" he flashed a smile at the younger man.

Alfred stared at him, his gaze went to their hands. Arthur's hand was just as cold as his, but he felt oddly warm holding it. A smile stretched across his face, "Yeah, I guess you're right." He moved in and wrapped his arms around Arthur, who returned his hug eagerly. They stayed like this for much longer than they would've liked to admit, it might be from the cold, or maybe the centuries of longing for each other's touch. Arthur breathed in shakily, not believing that he was living his dream to be with Alfred, a dream he's had for oh so long. "I've never hugged anyone this long before." Alfred whispered, making his partner smile.

"Let's just stay like this for a bit." Arthur mumbled.

"Yeah."

"...I never expected for our first date to be in a café, on a rainy day, in a ghost city."

"Is that bad?"

"No. This is perfect. Beyond perfect."

"Good." Alfred leaned in and kissed Arthur, feeling the centuries worth of yearning in his heart finally satisfied. Arthur kissed back just as passionately, he wrapped his arms around his lover's neck to deepen their kiss.

Neither cared if they only had eighty years, a thousand years, or until the death of the universe, they were happy to be finally together after years of uncertainty and heartache. Their love was a sweet disaster, something that could've been something great and beautiful had they been brave enough. But like they say, it's better late than never, and now they aren't wasting time to make up for all those years they missed.


Some stuff worth noting:

-Apollo 12 is the sixth crewed flight in the Apollo program and is the second to land on the moon. Alfred mentioned Charles Conrad Jr. above, he is the commander of the mission and is the third man to step foot on lunar surface.

-The Sun [a Yellow dwarf] is about 10 billion years old. In about 5 billion years, it will expand into a Red Giant, 'eating' the inner planets of the Solar system. This process wouldn't be instantaneous, it will take some years for the Sun to complete it's expansion, and it will turn the planet into a dustbowl before it absorbs it. The sun is still pretty young [like in it's 30's or 40's or something if you want reference] so you don't have to worry about it exploding in our lifetime.

-I gave the fic an open ending because there are many possibilities. You can think of them as mortals that age and die like humans now that they're not nations anymore. Or you can think of them as still immortals, but not nations, and would live to see the Earth's final days. Or you can think of them as tulpas that will disappear into nothing as soon as the last ship exits the Solar system. It's up to you.

-The lore behind the nations is pretty murky, so I made a headcannon that nations are tulpas that are deeply rooted with the place humans associated them with. They can go anywhere on Earth-sky or sea-but supernatural laws or something prevents them from really leaving Earth. Their roots are the earth. But their roots are also the humans, language and culture-which can literally go anywhere in the universe, give it time-so there's a part of them that can leave the planet, kinda like astral projection and junk. Since a part of them isn't bound by these supernatural laws, that part of them can evolve, turn into something else, or be a future reincarnation. So even if the Earth is destroyed, as long as humans and their culture is around, a personification can be reborn even without a land to anchor itself in the physical realm.

-I thought the idea of Martian colonies having their own personifications was neat. They're also bound by the same laws as their counterparts on Earth, but like on Martian soil. Since neither can really leave their own planets, they communicate through their human ambassadors or through video calls. The Martian colonies probably don't think they're related to the nations of Earth. Also there's the case of moon bases and orbital colonies and settlements, which started as research stations but eventually residential orbitals began to pop up. If there are personifications of these orbitals and moon bases, then they're practically bound by the same laws.

[That's all for now, I might edit some stuff later. Thank you for reading!]