Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

Warning: This chapter is...well...stressful XD

Chapter 8

Francis hummed to himself as he leaned down the bar. He had been able to close early tonight and was rather happy about it, as he could do with a night off for once. Sighing in contentment, he poured himself a glass of wine, before hesitating and touching the necklace Arthur gave him. He tried not to think about the pirate too much, but on some nights, like tonight, he would want to go up to the little room that he now only let Arthur stay in, and he would look out of the window at the dock, hoping that he might see the familiar English ship waiting there.

Now, he went upstairs, wine glass in hand, and unlocked the door to the room. Once inside, the Frenchman allowed himself a small smile as he let his gaze travel around the room. He always kept it in as pristine a condition as he could, never knowing when Arthur might decide to visit. He lit a lone candle to illuminate the room dimly, before going over to the window, stepping out onto the balcony to sip his wine. But he gasped as he saw the unmistakable form of a ship in the dock. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but Francis heart soared as he thought Arthur was coming to visit him again.

Turning, he came back into the room, intending to rush back downstairs, but he froze as he saw a man in the doorway. He could not see the man clearly as the room was dark except for the lone candle, but he could see the outline of the large hat atop his head and he could hear the clink of weapons and buckles that a Captain would wear.

His breath hitched. "Arthur?" he guessed, but an unfamiliar chuckle told him otherwise.

The man stepped into the light, and Francis saw he had the same green eyes as his lover, but unruly brown hair and tanned skin.

"Good evening, señor." The man greeted in a heavy Spanish accent, and Francis widened his eyes as he remembered Arthur saying something about his Spanish rival. "I expect your dear Arthur has told you about me, si?"

Francis felt a feeling of unease coil in the pit of his stomach. "Oui, he…mentioned you."

Antonio grinned, but Francis noted that the smile did not reach his dark eyes. "I am Antonio Fernandez Carriedo; Captain of The Esmerelda – the glorious vessel you caught sight of in the harbour~"

The Spanish Captain's gaze made Francis feel like he was in grave danger, but he did not know why that would be the case. He grasped his wine glass, ready to use it as a weapon if necessary, but he knew he wouldn't stand much chance against the Spaniard's swords, daggers and pistols.

"And what is your name, I wonder?~" Antonio's tone was playful, but Francis sensed that this was only the surface of the man, and the fact that he was unreadable scared him.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally answered. "Francis…"

"Well then, Francis. I can certainly see why Arthur is so very fond of you~" Antonio made a point of looking the Frenchman up and down, making him feel degraded and objectified, and the tavern owner shifted slightly, uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

"What business do you have here, monsieur?" Francis asked pointedly, his tone defensive.

Antonio smirked, but it was not an enticing smirk like Arthur had, instead it was menacing, promising bad things. He stepped forward, into Francis' personal space, and hummed, touching his hair softly.

"It is such a pity. You are a very beautiful man, Francis…"

Francis slapped Antonio's hand away fiercely, and the Spaniard's smirk disappeared, and instead he caught Francis' wrist, squeezing it painfully and making the Frenchman wince in pain.

"But you see, the man you love is a cold-blooded murderer." The Spanish Captain gripped Francis' face with his other hand, keeping the Frenchman still and he ignored it when Francis tried to struggle against him, instead forcing him onto the bed.

Francis was terrified that Antonio was going to rape him, but the Spaniard had no such intention.

"He killed my lover…" Antonio whispered, the pain now clear in his eyes, and for a moment, Francis felt sympathy for him, but he tried to shake his head.

"Y-You're lying…Arthur would never do that!" he rejected the idea, but there was no denying the honest grief in Antonio's now sombre expression.

The Spanish Captain said nothing, producing some cuts of thick rope from his coat pocket, and he tied one of Francis' wrists to the bedpost.

Francis watched him, trying to struggle but Antonio was holding him down with a determined strength. Antonio tied his other wrist, before gripping his face once more, smirking once more.

"I promised him I would take everything he loved and make him watch. And I know for a fact that he is sailing to Calais as we speak."

The Spaniard pulled back, leaving Francis tied to the bed as he picked up a few bottles of spirits that Francis only just noticed, and he proceeded to pour the alcoholic contents over the wooden floor and the bed, dousing Francis' clothes as well.

Then, Antonio picked up the candle that Francis had lit earlier, and he let out a joyless laugh. "If only he were in time to save you from the fire…"

Francis' eyes widened as Captain Carriedo dropped the candle on the floor, and it instantly caught on the alcohol-soaked floor, and the whole room quickly went up in flames. Francis screamed as he realised Antonio was going to burn him alive, and the last thing he saw was that dangerous smirk as Antonio tipped his hat to him, before leaving the room and setting the rest of the tavern alight.

Francis' eyes were wide with terror as the flames crept towards him, surrounding the bed, and he tugged on his restraints, but they would not budge. He could not escape, and it was only a matter of time before the flames would consume him.

XxX

Arthur sat in his cabin, nursing a bottle of rum that he took regular swigs from. He kept reliving the moment he had accidentally killed Lovino, and he knew that Antonio would not simply forgive and forget. He had had an uneasy feeling come over him after he watched The Esmerelda leave, and he had given orders for his crew to set sail for Calais once more. He wanted Francis to hold him as he confessed what he had done, and he wanted to feel the Frenchman's loving touch and warmth against him again.

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. They would reach Calais very soon, and Arthur could hardly wait to see his lover's beautiful smile.

Suddenly, shouts of alarm rose up from the deck, and Arthur's eyes snapped open. He pulled on his coat and grabbed his hat, rushing up on deck to see what all the fuss was about. One of the crew members had spotted The Esmerelda in the distance, and when Arthur looked towards the dock, he saw something bright up on the hill.

As they got closer, Arthur gasped, widening his eyes as he realised that Francis' tavern was ablaze. The crew docked the ship quickly, and Arthur leapt over the side of the ship, landing heavily on the wooden dock, but he wasted no time running up the hill. Several of the townspeople were observing the burning tavern, and Arthur scanned the crowd desperately for Francis.

He did not see him.

"Francis!" Arthur yelled, not caring what the local people would think of a notorious pirate yelling for the local tavern owner.

The only answer he received was a faint, muffled scream, and his heart dropped as he realised it had come from inside the tavern.

Francis!

Arthur shed his coat and hat, bursting into the tavern without a moment's hesitation, but as he did so, the screams stopped.

A/N: OOOOOH cliffhangers are my favourite! What is going to happen?!

Please review and let me know what you think~~~~~