Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia

Chapter 9

Arthur burst through the tavern door, gasping as all he saw was fire. The smoke was thick and black and the pirate tore off his own sleeve, covering his mouth and nose with it, before trying to find Francis.

"Francis!" he called out, though his voice was slightly muffled from the fabric over his face, and he realised he did not have much time.

His emerald eyes stung from the smoke and his body sweated heavily from the heat engulfing him, but he pressed on. He found his way to the staircase, which was half-burned and now even more unstable, and as Arthur stepped on the first stair, it collapsed under his feet.

The Captain somehow knew that his lover was upstairs, and so he backed up slightly, before running at the stairs and leaping, managing to catch the bannister with his rough hands and he hauled himself up onto the equally fire-engulfed second level of the tavern.

It was so dark that Arthur could barely see, and he quickly tried to feel his way towards the room they would share together, but he was already beginning to lose hope. The roof creaked and groaned, threatening to collapse at any moment, and Arthur knew he had maybe a minute before the whole tavern would crumble into charred wood.

With renewed vigour, Arthur kicked open the door to the little room that had once been so familiar, but now all he saw was fire and smoke, and the vague outline of the bed in the centre of the room.

Arthur's emerald eyes widened as he saw a limp figure on the bed, his arms above his head and tied to the bedposts.

Francis.

The Captain rushed over to his lover, briefly inspecting him. The Frenchman was still alive, but barely, having passed out from smoke inhalation. Arthur quickly cut his restraints, scooping the unconscious man into his arms and carrying him out of the room. The staircase was entirely gone by the time Arthur reached it, but he held Francis close and jumped down to the ground floor, just as the tavern roof began to cave in, and the walls began to shudder and fall.

Wasting no time, Arthur burst through the window of the tavern with Francis in his arms, landing heavily outside but at least they were safe. He took a few deep breaths, coughing heavily, before turning his attention to Francis.

The Frenchman's pulse was weak, and Arthur panicked, trying to breathe clean air into his lungs. The local people watched in astonishment, but Arthur no longer cared. He murmured a prayer to whomever might be listening, asking them to spare Francis. He kept giving him the kiss of life, not giving up even when it had been two minutes without a single response.

Tears slipped down the Englishman's cheeks as he shouted at Francis to wake up and open his damn eyes, and he cupped his face and breathed air into his lungs again and again, but he was beginning to falter.

Another minute passed, before Francis suddenly spluttered, opening his eyes with some great effort as he gasped and coughed, before turning to the side and vomiting on the grass. His body trembled, but Arthur felt a flood of relief that Francis was still alive. He gently scooped the Frenchman into his arms again, kissing his temple.

"It's alright, love…You're safe now…" he whispered, holding Francis close.

Francis did not know what had happened, only that Arthur was here, and he was holding him. With great difficulty, Francis raised his head, looking over Arthur's shoulder, and he widened his eyes as he saw the pile of ashes that his tavern had become. The locals were now trying to put out the fire, fetching buckets of water from the harbour, but the damage was already done.

The sight of everything the Frenchman had to his name being destroyed was too much, and Francis fainted once more, leaning against Arthur's chest. The Captain picked him up, taking him on board The Bloody Rose and gently laying him on the bed in the Captain's cabin.

He let Francis sleep, keeping watch over him during the night, but he had no idea how to face him in the morning. Arthur knew that Antonio had been behind this, and while he accepted that he should be punished for killing Lovino, the mere thought of Francis getting hurt was enough to make Arthur vow to end the Spanish Captain.

What Arthur did was an accident, but Antonio had deliberately tried to burn his lover alive, and Arthur was going to kill him for it.

XxX

Francis awoke slowly, his head throbbing and his chest aching, although it took him over a minute to remember what had happened the night before. Gradually, fragmented images of his tavern becoming a smouldering pile rushed to the forefront of his mind, and he sat up too quickly, coughing and feeling the urge to vomit again to clear the tainted smoke residue from his lungs.

He sluggishly left the bed, looking around at the room he did not recognise, but he saw maps and charts on the polished, wooden desk, and he saw Arthur's scarlet coat and hat resting on the back of the desk chair. Slowly, he pieced together that he was on The Bloody Rose, and that meant Arthur had returned.

His happiness at Arthur's return ebbed away though as he recalled his encounter with Captain
Carriedo, and he remembered that Arthur had killed someone; an innocent boy. He had been the one to make the Spanish Captain try to kill him, and Francis felt a deep-seated fear that the Spaniard would return to finish the task.

The Frenchman stumbled up onto the deck, finding his way off the ship hurriedly, and narrowly missing Arthur, who came back to the cabin to check on Francis, only to find he was not there.

The Englishman panicked, thinking that Antonio had somehow swiped him, and he rushed off the ship as well, but he felt relief wash over him as he saw Francis standing in front of the crumbling remains that was once his beloved tavern.

Arthur climbed the hill, approaching Francis carefully. "Francis? I think you should rest a while longer…"

Francis did not respond, his beautiful blue eyes surveying the damage and silent tears slipped down his cheeks. "…I have lost everything…my possessions…my work…my home…"

Arthur's expression softened, and he reached out to put a hand on Francis' shoulder gently. "At least you are alright, darling…- "

Francis suddenly flinched at Arthur's touch, whirling around to face him with a fury that Arthur had not expected. "You! You did this! This was all your fault!" he screamed, curling his hands into fists and beating them against Arthur's chest with real anger, but the Englishman let him, knowing he needed to let it out. "You bastard!"

At this, Arthur caught his hands firmly, holding them in place against his own chest. "Francis, this wasn't me…this was Antonio – "

"You killed his lover! If you hadn't done that, I would still have my tavern!" Francis snapped, his eyes ablaze with anger, and he wrenched his hands out of Arthur's grasp, his wrists still red and raw from the rope Antonio had tied him to the bed with.

"I – That was an accident – " Arthur stopped, stunned, as Francis slapped him hard across the cheek.

Pain flared in his cheek as Arthur registered the slap, and he saw that behind Francis' anger was fear – he was scared that Antonio would come back and hurt him again, and he blamed Arthur because he was there.

"I wish you had never stopped in Calais the first time." Francis hissed, his emotions getting the better of him, and he said things he did not mean. "I never want to see you again, Arthur."

Arthur's lips parted in shock. "Wait – Francis, I'm sorry this happened to you…but I would do anything to see you again…please…"

But Francis only glared at him. "I hate you! You have done nothing but ruin my life! You made me love you and then you spent all your time out at sea, leaving me behind to pine after you…And then you put me in danger!"

Arthur listened to Francis' words, and he was right. He was right. All he wanted to do was keep Francis safe, and he had failed.

"Forgive me, love…I never meant for you to get hurt." The English Captain lowered his gaze in resignation, before sighing. "I shall leave and never come back, if that is what you want."

Francis said nothing, his heart screaming at him to take it back, as he was so in love with Arthur he could not bear the thought of never seeing him again, but he was so gripped by the fear that he would be killed by a vengeful pirate, that he could not take it back.

Arthur took Francis' silence as affirmation, and he nodded, giving a sad smile. "Farewell then, my love." He produced a fat purse from his pocket, placing it in Francis' hand. "this should help you to rebuild your tavern…"

Francis took the money reluctantly, looking up at Arthur, but the Englishman had already turned to leave. A deep conflict erupted within the Frenchman as he watched his lover walk away, and he wanted to run after him but was rooted to the spot. He wanted to call out to him but he had lost his voice.

All he could do was watch with heartbroken eyes as blue as the sea, while Arthur boarded his ship. He watched as The Bloody Rose set sail, disappearing over the horizon, and tears slipped down his cheeks as he realised he would never see Captain Arthur Kirkland, the man who had stolen his heart, ever again.

A/N:….So yay Francis is alive! But I destroyed their relationship because I can't have my story getting too happy now, can I?

Please review and let me know what you think of Francis' reaction! Is he right to be scared of getting hurt again, or do you think he should have been more trusting of Arthur?

And oh dear, is Antonio in trouble now? XD

Love you all x