Mworp. So I'm hoping that posting my work here will encourage me to work harder on my writing/improve myself. Friendly advice/tips are more than welcome.
It was well into the morning and Arthur had yet to deal with any of Alfred's usual antics. He had anticipated that losing the war would leave him even more of a handful than before, and yet all was quiet in the home. It was unnerving.
Another hour ticked by, and Arthur decided he'd had enough of Alfred's self-imposed isolation. He shoved aside the papers he'd been diligently writing and walked out from the study. Just as he'd left it, the door to Alfred's room was shut tight.
He paused outside the door, contemplating on whether or not he should knock. It wasn't necessary to show that sort of consideration for his colony just yet. He grasped the knob and pushed the door open, expecting to see Alfred's room empty or things in disarray.
Instead there was Alfred, sitting cross legged on the floor. The stuffed plush rabbit was balanced on one knee, blue eyes distant.
The sight rendered Arthur speechless. The colony looked so thoughtful and almost peaceful. Was this the same Alfred who had nearly broken into tears just the other night? Arthur wondered how long he'd been sitting there.
He was hesitant to bring Alfred from whatever thoughts he had. Arthur walked over to the seated blond, and still there was no visible reaction to his presence. Thick brows furrowed as he knelt next to Alfred.
"America." He used the colonies formal name. Nothing. With a sigh he reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. That seemed to do the trick. Alfred slowly came back to reality, eyes focusing and his muscles taut once more.
Alfred scooted away as soon as he noticed how close Arthur was. "What?" The one word was almost a whisper as he hastily moved to hide the rabbit, even if it had already been seen.
Arthur hid the pain that shot through his heart when Alfred scrambled away as though burnt. It was going to take time...He stood up, and decided not to comment on the obvious attempt to put the stuffed animal out of sight.
"You've been cooped up here all morning. There's tea on and you should eat something." It was so easy to slip back into the role of a guardian. The only problem being that it was nothing like before. Arthur could see the anger and hurt welling behind those eyes.
There was a visible twitch on Alfred's face. "I don't want your dirty wa-" He stopped mid sentence. "I'll make coffee." He settled for saying instead, and got to his feet.
Alfred carefully stepped around Arthur, leaving the older nation alone in the room.
The plush rabbit had been left on the floor. Arthur leaned over to pick the dirty thing up. One finger traced the stitching that had reattached the torn head. He hadn't expected to see the silly thing again. It held bittersweet memories. He set the rabbit back down on the floor where it had been.
Alfred ignored the kettle of tea, and perhaps more importantly ignored the urge to knock it aside and spill it all over the floor.
He fidgeted as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing. He wasn't even thirsty, or hungry for that matter, but he could only avoid Arthur for so long. A sigh escaped as he watched the dark liquid begin splashing up into the top of the thin kettle. The smell of coffee filled the room, soothing his nerves as it did.
Alfred began to pour some of the bitter liquid into a cup, an old one he still had from his Native People. "I don't know how you can stand to drink that." Alfred jumped and almost spilled the coffee all over himself.
"I like the way it tastes." Alfred commented quietly, and thought to himself, 'So do my people.' Arthur frowned in obvious distaste before taking the kettle of tea to pour himself another cup. "Don't get too attached to the taste." Arthur advised in between sips of the sweetened tea.
He looked over his shoulder at Arthur, confused. "Tea imports are going to resume and our trade will be as it was before." Arthur was reading a piece of paper as he announced the news.
Alfred's nails scraped at the hardened clay mug in his hands, and he drank the coffee without adding any sweetener or milk. "Just with you?" He tried to sound casual, but failed utterly.
Arthur arched one brow up at Alfred, "Who else would you need to trade with?" Alfred nearly screamed. How could Arthur be so clueless? Had he already forgotten the last twenty or some years? Instead he swallowed back the anger and forced an empty smile. "No one."
He turned and stomped out of the room, hot coffee spilling over the edges of his cup and leaving dark spots on the floor. Alfred flung open the front door, letting it slam shut behind him as he stood on the front porch. He plopped down on the steps and huddled over the mug held between both his hands.
"No one, no one, no one." A shaky bitter laugh escaped. It was unbelievable. He had expected Arthur to be so angry about all this, and maybe he was, but he hadn't anticipated...This. The way he acted like nothing had happened, that everything was back to normal. As though Alfred should be grateful to him. Who else would he need to trade with?
Alfred's shoulders shook as he tried to keep from laughing. It wasn't that funny, not really, but it was just so absurd. He didn't look up when the door opened and closed behind him.
There was an uncomfortable silence, tension coiled in the air between the two. Finally Arthur spoke. "I have matters to attend to, and will be gone but a moment." Alfred set the coffee down on the porch to his left, and forced himself to smile up at Arthur.
"I've got my coffee."
Arthur frowned, looking at his colony with concern. "That you do." He replied. "I'd advise you to stay at home," Alfred nodded once, "and that's not a request." Blue eyes sharpened slightly as he threw one arm forward in a frustrated gesture.
"Stop treating me like a kid." The words came out through gritted teeth.
The Brit shook his head, "You forget your place, all too often America." The emphasis on his formal name was very much intentional. "So belt up. I'm being lenient enough as is. The King would have you locked up like those Patriots of yours, which isn't all too bad of an idea."
Alfred shot to his feet, his rage barely contained. "Maybe you'd finally learn some manners that you've clearly forgotten." Arthur's words were clipped and short. "I expect you to be here when I return." He strode down the steps and towards the barn where his horse no doubt was.
Alfred glared at his back, hating the self-assured way in which he walked. The untouchable Britannia where the blood-red sun never set. He watched until the nation rode off, disappearing from his view.
"That god-forsaken arrogant redcoat!" Alfred roughly punched the front door, pain shooting up his arm and down again from the impact. He followed it up with a kick, breathing heavily as his hand fell away from the door.
Two sizable dents were left in the thick wood, blood flecked the uppermost one. He raised his shaking hand, an ache throbbing throughout his fingers as he eyed the damage. Splinters of wood were jammed under the skin, especially where the skin had been scraped off his knuckles.
Alfred opened the door with his other hand, mug of coffee left forgotten on the porch as he walked through the house and stood outside the door to England's study.
He stared down at the doorknob, a rune etched into the wood around it. No doubt Arthur would know the moment he tried to open the door. No, not yet. Instead he turned and walked back out the front door, roughly pulling the larger splinters out of his skin as he walked across his land. Not quite leaving the property, but putting distance between himself and the house.
Alfred finally sat down in a clearing, near enough to hear the trickle of the stream just further down. He fell onto his back and stared up at the skies that had finally cleared, blue showing through the formerly gray clouds.
Something tickled his arm and he looked down to see a white rabbit curled up against his side, its ears tipped black along with its nose. Alfred slowly sat up. The rabbit cheerfully bounded into his lap, sitting there as though it belonged.
"Where's your family?" Alfred asked softly as his unmarred hand petted the soft fur. As if on cue another rabbit had appeared and began gently nibbling on his pant leg. Alfred laughed, this time no ironic sound to it, but pure joy. "Cut that out it tickles."
He laid back down, one rabbit on his chest while the other made itself at home atop his head. "Alright, but I can't bring you guys in the house...He's back."
Alfred was content to stay like that, and drifted off.
When he had finally returned from his duties, he was surprised to find the cold mug of coffee unattended on the porch. Arthur stared down at it and then looked around, curious as to where Alfred had wandered off to.
A young soldier approached, one of which he had left to keep an eye on the house; more specifically on Alfred.
"Sir he went that way and hasn't yet returned."
Arthur thanked the young man who turned and went back to his assigned post. He walked in the indicated direction, keeping an eye out for the colony. He stopped and stared, Alfred was impossible to miss with all the small furry critters around him.
The boy could befriend anything. It was astonishing. Arthur moved forward again, and knelt down next to the sleeping form. The animals didn't seem to care he was there, or simply chose to ignore him. "Alfred, come inside."
He opened his eyes, and glanced over to Arthur, still nearly asleep. His arms curled protectively around a smaller rabbit on his chest, "Don't." He murmured, "Ben just fixed him and I can't sew that good." Alfred's eyes drifted shut once more, the rabbit squirmed out from his arms and burrowed underneath his shirt instead.
Arthur's mouth dropped open for a moment. Had the incident with that stuffed plush affected Alfred so? He bit down on his bottom lip for a moment before gently shaking Alfred's shoulder. "Come now Alfred."
With a groan of protest Alfred began to sit up, the animals around him scurrying off. Only the small rabbit with its head poking out of his collar remained.
He exchanged a glance with Arthur before he got to his feet. "I'm going for a walk."
Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but pressed his lips together at the last moment. "Be home before it gets dark." He frowned to himself. It wasn't strange of Alfred to want to be alone, but...But Arthur had just gotten him back, and more than ever he wanted to keep an eye on him. Never again could he stand to lose him...And he couldn't shake the feeling that Alfred had some harebrained scheme planned.