"Hey, hey, hey! Okay, yes, it's a kid's show but—hear me out—it's a good kid's show."
"Alfred, it's a show about cartoon horses." Arthur was holding the bridge of his nose as he listened to this nonsense.
"It's a show about cartoon horses for the open-minded. So maybe you're right, you wouldn't like it." Alfred gave Arthur an annoyed glare at his choice in entertainment being judged. "Besides, it's my sleepover so I get to pick the movie."
"See, I can tell you were referencing one of those memes again without even knowing the context, especially since this isn't a movie—it's a show—and this isn't a bloody slumber party." Could Alfred not act his human age for five seconds? Really.
"You don't get me." Alfred jumped onto the couch and found the remote, clicking through the channels with more focus than he usually gave. "Hey, where the heck is Discovery Family on this thing? Do you guys not have that channel?"
"If you think I'm going to help you find what you're looking for so I can be tormented with pastel horses, finale or not, you're the one who doesn't understand me." Arthur begrudgingly sat down next to Alfred on the couch, tea in hand. He knew to keep the saucer and cup away from Alfred after years of experience in washing out tea stains. The other had a tendency to suddenly move without looking. How Alfred's teams always won so many medals during the Olympics when their personification rarely paid attention to his surroundings, Arthur would never know.
"Isn't helping your guest the 'gentlemanly' thing to do?" Alfred asked over the sound of the TV changing from one channel to another.
"I will admit that I'm being difficult when technically this is your turn to choose the movie for our date night–"
"Exactly!"
"–But this isn't really the type of show one would usually play on a date night in the first place, so I believe the contradiction is mute."
"I swear you're going to love it," Alfred insisted mainly out of his own pride.
"You're showing me the final episode of the ninth season, the series finale."
"It has unicorns in it."
Arthur was quiet for a moment. "Alright, fine. You've managed to wear me down enough." He grabbed the remote from Alfred and found the channel that My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic usually played on in the UK.
"Pretty sure it was the unicorn part that swayed you." Alfred sat back with a sense of triumph.
"Oh, quiet." He didn't agree with nor deny the claim.
The two sat on Arthur's couch, this time in the older nation's Oxford flat. Those were the perks of being an immortal personification, multiple government-owned residences to choose from.
Alfred was growing restless for the series finale to start. True, the show had been going downhill in quality for the past few years, probably after they ran out of the original creator's leftover material (Alfred missed the Lauren Faust era of the show,) but he couldn't just not watch the finale. He'd been on this ride for six years! Like heck he was stopping now. Plus he had to see who ended up with who.
It was when they found out Alfred had gotten the time wrong that they ordered a pizza, enjoying a couple slices as they watched whatever else was on before the episode aired. Alfred was still finding entertainment in what was on the screen, though Arthur found his gaze slipping to look across the room, at an empty chair, the clock, and then finally at Alfred who had yet to notice.
Now that was something Arthur could find entertainment in. Those cute cheeks on Alfred's face that rarely weren't puffed up in either a smile or guilt-inducing pout. Alfred's puppy dog face would be the end of Arthur. The other had found it to be a reliable way to convince Arthur of doing things.
Then there was that laugh. Arthur had the joy of hearing it as whatever was on the tele managed to make Alfred snicker, though it was cut short when Alfred looked at Arthur and self-consciously quieted himself. No, no, not that cute laugh! Arthur looked away for a bit in hopes that it would encourage Alfred to continue focusing on the screen and not Arthur's entranced gaze.
Thankfully a few minutes was all it took for Alfred to let down his guard again, chuckling quietly at some comedian. Arthur hadn't spared the tele enough thought to even see who it was, too transfixed with that joyful glint in Alfred's eyes. They were such a bright shade of blue that Arthur had no doubt they would be mentioned in every fanfiction about the other if the two of them were part of a show themselves.
The teacup and saucer were placed down on the coffee table so that Arthur could follow his impulse to wrap his arms around Alfred from behind in an embrace. Alfred didn't seem to mind, even smiling at the gesture and letting himself rest back on Arthur's chest.
"Be careful, you're going to make me feel loved," Alfred said as he snuggled into Arthur's hold.
"You're a cheeky brat and I hope you know it."
That earned Arthur a grin. "I do."
They both stayed like that for a while, Alfred enjoying both the TV and Arthur's hug, Arthur enjoying letting his hands roam to give his boyfriend a proper cuddle. He occasionally tightened his embrace as if Alfred was a stuffed bear in his arms, meant to be squeezed and hugged. Alfred didn't seem to be complaining.
In fact, the younger man actually seemed to have let his guard down completely, which caused Arthur to smile at the sweet moment they were sharing. Neither of them were paying the tele any mind now as Alfred had closed his eyes to let the comfort of Arthur's embrace take over. The sound of the images moving on the screen was distant now, both nations focusing rather on each other.
Arthur was humming a bit as one of his hands slowly explored his boyfriend, traveling across Alfred's body until it reached one of the American's sides.
At that simple touch, Alfred jolted in his grasp and gave an involuntary laugh before freezing. Arthur's hand froze as well, though he had a feeling they had both paused for different reasons.
A sly smile slowly made its way on Arthur's face, a smile that Alfred could feel without even being able to see him in this position.
Oh no.
"Are you ticklish, Alfred?" The amusement in Arthur's voice was so obvious that it practically dripped off his words.
"N-No, why would you think that? I'm not ticklish at all." It was a feeble attempt at preventing the inevitable, but you wouldn't be able to say Alfred didn't try to avoid the storm.
"Mm, really? Because you made such a cute noise when I touched here." Arthur's mischievous smile grew wider as he touched Alfred's side again for emphasis on that word and got that same delightful reaction.
"Y-You're misunderstanding! I'm...I'm uh…" Alfred was fumbling for an excuse. His nerves were causing him to have trouble making use of his strength. He was trapped in Arthur's hold. This wasn't good.
At least, it wasn't for Alfred.
Arthur was relishing in this newfound power of his. "Should I be nice and give you a moment to make up an excuse?" He mused.
"...Yes?" Alfred gave him a hopeful, sheepish smile, craning his neck to the best of his ability so Arthur could see him.
Arthur made a show of considering the option. "Mm...no."
Suddenly Alfred was in a fit of laughter as Arthur began tickling both of his sides. He scrambled to loosen Arthur's hold on him, the tickling making it harder to accomplish.
"A-Arthur, haha! Please! Hahaha!" Alfred begged for mercy between laughs. He had counted on Arthur never finding his biggest weakness yet didn't consider the possibility of it being found while cuddling. How could he not have considered that?!
Arthur, meanwhile, was enjoying this thoroughly. He changed their positions so that he was now on top of Alfred who was pushed into the couch. He tickled Alfred's sides, his stomach, anywhere on his body that he found susceptible to the torture. Because yes, it was torture. If anyone ever thought Arthur was merciful when given a taste of power, especially over Alfred, they couldn't be more wrong. No, how could Arthur be merciful when it meant giving up such cute expressions on Alfred's face?
"Arthur! I–hahaha! I can't...s-stop–haha...laughing!" Alfred's involuntary laughter came with an involuntary smile. The tickling torture was like Alfred's kryptonite, sapping his strength and charming facade that he always used to tempt the other. Now he was completely under Arthur's control.
"You look so cute for me, Alfred. Are you certain you're not ticklish?" Arthur ramped up the tickling, his hands moving faster.
Alfred could barely keep up. His mouth was having trouble forming words through his loud giggling. "I'm n-not...hahahaha! I'm not...ticklish!" He insisted desperately.
"Now that's a lie if I've ever heard one. Do heroes really lie like that?"
"Arthur! Hahaha!" Alfred couldn't even give a real answer.
"Well then, if you're really not ticklish then surely it's okay for me to continue." Arthur grinned deviously. He loved making his prideful boyfriend admit things. It always put such an endearing pink tint on Alfred's cheeks, just making them even cuter.
"Okay, okay, hahaha! I'm...haha!"
"What was that?" Alfred looked positively delightful. The smiling, laughing, and blushing were like a triple package. Arthur's birthday must have come early.
"I'm...I'M TICKLISH!" More laughter and squirming. Arthur gave him a few more moments of torturous giggling before finally giving Alfred a break.
Alfred breathed hard as he tried to come down from the teasing, Arthur still towering over him on the couch. Gentleman and caring boyfriend that Arthur was, he took the chance to kiss Alfred sweetly on his cheek, Alfred eventually reciprocating with a kiss to Arthur's lips after his breathing had calmed.
"You're a mean boyfriend," he mock-chided him.
"Am I? You looked like you were enjoying it." Arthur grinned again.
"...Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. I'll never tell." Alfred gave Arthur another soft kiss. "...I was cute though?"
"The cutest," Arthur answered truthfully, still with a hint of amusement.
That caused Alfred to blush. "...I think I can forgive you for that torture then." He wrapped his arms around Arthur from underneath him. "Since you're already on top of me, maybe the movie part of our date night can wait?" He gave Arthur his own playful smile.
"With pleasure," Arthur smirked. That was all the encouragement he needed.
Alfred made a mental note to catch a rerun of that episode they had planned on watching, assuming he would miss it now. After all, it would be hard to watch it while he was preoccupied with other...important matters.
If you'd like to read more of my works, you can more reliably find them on AO3 under the name Mcwollybob.