"Arthur?"
Alfred must be dreaming. He had to be dreaming! There was no way Arthur was here in this barren place…
Alfred continued to stare at the man standing in front of him. It was all he felt he could do, for the American feared that once he reached out to touch the man he would disappear.
Arthur continued to smile down at Alfred sadly. He looked different from how the American had remembered him. He wasn't wearing a Red Coat uniform like Alfred would have expected him to. He seemed to have grown a couple inches and was slightly thinner than he once was. Alfred figured it was because the war affected Arthur's eating habits as well. But the biggest change Alfred noticed was that Arthur's eyes where no longer that beguiling deep green of spring color. They looked a slightly duller grey-ish green color that reminded Alfred of cold approaching winter clouds.
"It's been a while hasn't it?" Arthur uttered softly. The man looked nervous about standing in front of Alfred and the American couldn't understand why.
'He can't be nervous about confronting me, can he?' Alfred thought dubiously to himself. 'I've been dreaming of this moment for ages. He can't possibly think that I would still be upset about what happened all those years ago…'
"I-I understand why you wouldn't want to talk to me…" Arthur said sadly finally breaking eye contact with the American.
Alfred looked at him confoundedly before he realized 'Oh! I haven't really said anything have I?'
"Of course I want to talk to you." Alfred spoke up. He said it sincerely to the other blond and rose from where he was sitting on the earth to face him properly.
Arthur turned his attention back to Alfred. The two of them stared apprehensively at each other and neither of them seemed to know what they should say next.
They'd both been hurt and had said hurtful things to each other that day they discovered war had started. Both had so much to say, so much to apologize for, but didn't know how to start.
"I hoped you would come back to me…" Alfred decided to break the silence first. It was just the push Arthur needed to speak again.
"I'm so sorry for the way I left." Arthur apologized. He took a step closer to Alfred but didn't reach out for him like the American wanted for him to do. "It was bloody foolish of me to yell at you when it could have been the last time we ever saw each other."
"I'm sorry for the way I snapped at you that day!" Alfred apologized as well. His heart fluttered with some hope that he and Arthur could make things right and salvage the relationship they had before the war. Alfred reached out and grabbed Arthur's hands (which he noticed were as cold as ice). "I don't care if we are still at war with your country. I miss you and I don't want anything to come between us!"
"War?" Arthur blinked in confusion. "Alfred, haven't you heard?… The war is over now."
"T-the war is over?!" Alfred's eyes widened at the news. It is in so long since he had heard news if the war that he'd figured it was still going on.
Arthur nodded and looked away from Alfred, but made no move to remove his hands from the American's. "British troops are heading to New York as we speak so that they may be shipped back home… America won its independence." He said the last sentience with a sad smile.
Alfred was taken aback by the news. It thrilled him to know that his homeland (now a country) had achieved it's freedom but he still had questions he wanted answered.
"Have you heard from Francis?" Alfred inquired breathlessly. "No one has been through here in years so Mattie and me haven't gotten any letters from him. If the war is over he should be coming back soon right?"
Arthur continued to avoid Alfred's eye. "Francis won't be coming back… he was shot in battle just a few weeks before the war was over."
Alfred let go of Arthur's hands. He gazed at Arthur with furrowed brows. "How do you know?" The American asked feeling sorrow at the thought of his cousin being dead.
Arthur took a deep breath. The Brit was obviously troubled to have to be the one to tell Alfred this news, but he did so anyways. He turned to face Alfred again an said, "I was there. I saw him get hit by multiple gunshots. There was no way for me to reach him or help him…"
Francis was dead just like his mother and father… Now Mattie was the only family Alfred had left.
Alfred breathed a heavy sigh. For some reason, the knowledge if Francis' death didn't affect him as he thought it would. He felt like he should be bursting into tears. Maybe even start weeping uncontrollably at the fact that so many loved ones had died and left him… but he didn't have any tears to shed.
It actually made him feel a bit frustrated that he couldn't feel more remorse for his dead cousin. It made him feel heartless… Had the affects of war desensitized him to the point where he couldn't even properly mourn a lost loved one?
"I'm so sorry for your loss." Arthur apologized sincerely when Alfred didn't reply.
"First Pa, then Ma, and now Francis…" Alfred muttered slowly. He closed his eyes to let everything sink in but slowly opened them to look at Arthur's concerned face. He gave the man a half hearted smile. "I'm glad that you are still alive and well."
Arthur looked away, slightly embarrassed but didn't blush like he usually would at a comment like that.
"Yes well, I'm glad you are all right… and Matthew too." The Brit added. "You didn't say his name so I figure he is still alive as well?"
"He's inside. He doesn't like being outside much." Alfred answered.
They fell into another awkward silence.
Alfred wanted to grab Arthur's cool hands again but thought it might be unwise to do so considering how things between them were still fragile. So the American stuffed his own hands into the pockets of his torn and tattered trousers to prevent himself from acting out on these feelings that could scare Arthur away.
"I missed you." Alfred decided to say.
"I missed you too, Alfred." Arthur replied. The Brit took in a shaky breath. He looked like he was mentally preparing himself to say what he wanted to say next to Alfred. "I thought about you often. You're the only reason why I'm still in America. I saw so many terrible things during war. There was so much bloodshed and death. It made me realize that I took what we had for granted."
Alfred looked at Arthur in surprise. He had felt the same way during the war, and to hear that Arthur thought the same as he did made the American feel a bit more at peace.
"I shouldn't have ended what we had together." Arthur continued. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you… I don't really expect you to accept this proposal, especially since you've rejected me once before and the war is now over, but I came here to ask if you would come back with me to my home in Britain. I'd stay with you here (if you'd be willing to have me) but I imagine it will be difficult for a Brit like myself to stay in a country where he is detested."
To say Alfred was taken aback would be an understatement. The American was not expecting any sort if proposal like this. On one hand, he was elated that Arthur wanted to give this relationship another chance and stay together. On the other hand, Alfred didn't know if he should leave after his country had just earned it's independence.
"What about Mattie?" Alfred inquired.
"Of course he is welcome to come too." Arthur answered. "I wouldn't dream about leaving the poor lad here all alone."
Alfred looked between Arthur and his ruined home. It didn't take the American to decide what he wanted more.
Unexpectedly, Alfred closed the distance between him and Arthur to encircle his arms around the still slightly shorter man. "I don't care where we live. As long as we're together, nothing else matters."
Arthur's reflexes were slow. He let his arms dangle at his sides for a minute before he slowly returned the embrace and burrowed his face into Alfred's chest.
"Thank you, Alfred. I'm happy that you chose to come with me." Arthur pulled away slightly so he could look at Alfred's face again, but he did not relinquish his hold on the younger man. He smiled a genuine smile that the American had not seen in a veryvery long time.
Right then Alfred felt an overwhelming happiness take over him. He had an urge to kiss the man in front of him. He longed to feel the other's lips pressed against his own once again. Alfred began leaning closer with the full intent of placing a deep thoughtful and meaningful kiss on Arthur's lips…
"Alfred are you alright?" Matthew's voice rang out from the house.
'Dammit!' Alfred though angrily as Arthur pulled away at the interruption. 'I was so close!'
Matthew came out of the house to search for his brother.
"Are you ok, Alfred? I thought I heard voice…" Matthew halted just outside the front door. His eyes were as big as dinner plates when he saw Arthur.
When Matthew finally got over the shock of seeing Arthur, he took in how close Alfred and Arthur were standing next to each other. Matthew glared daggers at the Brit. His grip on the door knob tightened.
"Get away from my brother!" Matthew hissed hatefully.
"Matthew!" Alfred gasped in surprise. He had never seen his brother act like this and it was quite shocking to say the least.
"Get away from that damned Red Coat, Alfred!" Matthew ordered his brother. "He'll pass his curse onto you!"
'Oh, hell. Not this curse nonsense again.' Alfred groaned in his head.
"Curse?" Arthur looked Matthew in confusion. "What do you mean curse?"
"Don't act dumb!" Matthew pointed an causing finger at Arthur. "I did a spell a long time ago and I know about your family's curse!"
"My family is not cursed!" Arthur bristled at the accusation. "And it's absolutely ridiculous to believe in such nonsense."
"It's not ridiculous and you know it!" Matthew snapped. "Now get off our property and don't come back!"
"Matthew that's enough!" Alfred shouted angrily at his brother, causing the younger sibling to coil back in shock. Alfred rarely yelled at Matthew like that. "Arthur is not cursed. He came here to help us. He invited us to live with him in his home in Britain and I already said yes."
Matthew looked horrified by what Alfred said. "No." The violet eyed man defied quietly before raising his voice again. "No! I'm not going!"
Without another word Matthew stepped back into the house and slammed the door shut.
"I'm sorry." Alfred apologized to Arthur, who was staring at the house with an unreadable expression. "I don't know what's gotten into him… it's probably from lack of food… Anyways, let me go in and talk to him."
Arthur nodded as he turned to face Alfred with a slight smile on his face. "This seems a bit like a déjà vu moment." The Brit stated.
Alfred smiled himself when he remembered that day from long ago where their moment was interrupted by Matthew and Alfred had to run off to talk to him.
"I guess now would be the moment I have to say 'I love you too' but you haven't said 'I love you' yet." Alfred teased.
Arthur gave Alfred a crooked grin and said, "I love you."
"I love you too." Alfred chuckled and left the Brit before going inside after Matthew.
Fortunately, Matthew was not trying to cast a spell or sacrifice a pig when Alfred found him. Unfortunately, Matthew was extremely upset and had his back towards Alfred when the older sibling entered the room.
Alfred pulled up another chair and sat in front of his brother, who was deliberately avoiding eye contact.
"You realize you're acting like a big baby right?" Alfred began. "And that's coming from me. So that should tell you right now exactly how much of a baby you're being."
"I'm still not going with him and neither are you." Matthew mumbled crossing his arms defiantly. "To go with him to the place where the curse was created is a death sentence. We'd both be dead by this time next year!"
"There is no such thing as curses and we will be fine." Alfred stated bluntly. He leaned forward to rest elbows on his knees before continuing, "Look Mattie I'm going with him no matter what. I don't want you to be left alone here, so can't you just get over this weird obsession you have with Arthur and a curse and come with us? I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you."
"You won't be able to keep that promise…" Matthew replied solemnly. "But if I can't stop you from going then I'll go with you. Someone is going to have to protect you when all this curse business comes into effect."
Alfred rolled his eyes. At least Matthew was willing to go. Even if it was for an odd reason.
The older sibling embraced his brother in a tight hug. "Thanks Mattie. We're gonna be alright. You'll see."
Matthew nodded but looked doubtful.
Yay~! I feel like the story is going somewhere now! The plot will thicken next chapter ;D
Thank you everyone who has favored and is following this story. It means a lot to me. n_n Please leave a review to let me know what you think of the story so far ;)
