A/N: Hola everyone! Spring break is here, and I am super excited! What are you guys doing for spring break? Tell me in your reviews!

A/N: By the way, I am on a plane writing this, and I am so afraid that the person next to me or behind me is reading what I write. I promise I am sane! Not really… but whatever. Enjoy J

A/N: Also, I was on a boat, and I was reading fanfiction. I didn't realize that this guy that I didn't know, was looking at my phone, and was starting to read the fanfiction. I looked up at him, and he stared awkwardly at me, like I just caught him murdering someone. It was hilarious, but I was praising the Lord that I was reading a 'society acceptable' part of the story, when he decided to be nosey. Who knows, maybe he enjoyed it, and he is going to go on this website now…

Crimson Snow

"No! Please don't take him away from me!" Alfred cried, losing all strength to hold himself up, "Please don't do this!" Matthias started to drag me out of the boxcar by my chains, as I said, "Alfred it will all be ok. I will see you tomorrow!"

Matthias laughed as I stumbled to the ground. He started to drag me farther, and said, "You are going to see him much sooner! He is coming with you, but only if you cooperate."

I didn't know what I should do. Should I start to struggle, so Alfred didn't have to come, or let the man drag me out, and get to see Alfred? Seeing him would make it easier for me when going through whatever torture Matthias had planned for me…

No! No, bloody hell, Arthur. Stop being so selfish. Alfred needs to stay here and be safe. He has been through too much! I started to struggle, so Alfred wouldn't have to come, but instead of Matthias going through with his threats, he kicked me in my stomach, making my wind break.

I gasped for breath, but I couldn't find any air to breathe in. I pulled myself up as much as I could, but fell to the ground again. Matthias then forced me up, and started dragging me out.

As he roughly grabbed my shoulders to pull me out, he said, "I lied. Alfred doesn't have a choice. He is coming with you whether you like it or not," He started to laugh, as he got closer to the exit.

I looked back to Alfred who was hanging from his chains. Alfred was crying as he watched me being dragged away. I looked down to the part of his waist that was burned. It was red all around, and some parts were spotted brown.

I wanted to throw up at the sight of what I did to him. Would he ever forgive me? I should have chosen a better spot. A spot that would hurt less. Or bloody hell, a spot that wouldn't hurt every time he put a shirt on. Did burns go away? I once burned my hand when making tea. It hurt, but I didn't feel it the day after.

So that kind of burn went away, but what about a burn that should have at least made him go unconscious? I swear, Alfred is like some sort of superman. I am starting to freak myself out. I didn't cause this. Matthias did. He was the one forcing me to do this. I couldn't stand up to him because he had a gun. I hope Alfred knows that what he did to me was Matthias' fault too.

Matthias opened the exit of the boxcar, and pulled me out behind him. The outside was freezing cold, and the night sky was covered by flurries of snow. The freezing air blew against my bare back, and every touch of snow felt like a paper cut on my skin.

I gained the talent of breathing again when the wind forced me to breathe in its icy scent in. The cold covered me in a painful embrace, as Matthias walked me to an opening of the snowy woods.

He shoved me against the first tree he saw, and punch my stomach, making me topple over onto the ground. The sensation inside of my chest made me want to throw up. Adrenaline kicked into my system though, and forced me to get up I got up again, also because I wasn't going to give up that easy. Bloody Hell, I am stronger than that.

I got back up just to be immediately punch again in the stomach. Right at the contact of his fist, I threw up blood, and fell to the ground again. I stared at the now crimson snow, and looked up to Matthias. He didn't give me time to even think about getting up again, because he kicked up to the side of the tree, and said, "Stay here. I'm going to go get Alfred."

I felt like I was a dog that had just been kicked for no reason. I guess I was though. I was just this man's pet, which he tortured with no reason at all. I fell completely into the snow as he walked away. I felt tears in my eyes begin to fall, burning my skin on the way down my raw cheek. Why was I crying? This was nothing compared to what happened to me yesterday.

Wait… I wasn't crying because of the pain. In fact, my body was starting to go numb thanks to the cold. I was crying because I felt helpless. I couldn't save myself. I couldn't save Alfred. I was weak.

I realized that I could have been running far away from here right now, because no one could stop me. I just couldn't bring myself to move, though. I couldn't leave Alfred either. They could kill him if I left to at least get help. I couldn't take the risk.

I started to shiver in the cold, because it was starting to get to me. I waited in the snow for him to bring Alfred out. Alfred was walking very slowly due to the burn that… I caused. After a while of what felt like waiting forever, they both finally made their way over to the tree where I was waiting.

"Arthur!" Alfred cried, increasing his pace, but then decreasing due to probably a sharp pain somewhere in his body. I nodded, and spit out blood that was lingering in my mouth. When Alfred saw this, he glared at Matthias who was lost in thought.

He then snapped out of it at that second, and threw Alfred down next to me with great force. Alfred winced loudly at the pain, and held onto his burned skin. Matthias looked at the both of us, and smirked, almost like he was proud of himself.

He started to walk back to the boxcar as he said, "Stay put while I get one more thing. I don't think I need to repeat the consequences of disobedience." Alfred and I both knew what the consequences were, and we both knew we would be too weak to escape it.

We both watched in silence as Matthias made his way back into the boxcar, and left our sight. I sighed when I couldn't see him anymore. I didn't even realize I was holding my breath either. Alfred turned to me, and said, "Are you ok? What did he do to you?"

I ached all over, even though the freezing cold was numbing my body, little by little. I wanted to talk to Alfred, and say nothing was wrong, but I couldn't speak. At all. Just the tiniest pressure on my diaphragm would hurt. I managed to get out two words though, as the pain struck my abdomen, "No More."

What was I saying? 'No more'? I could hear the hesitation in his breaths, as he tried to find the words to say. He finally asked, "No more? What do you mean, Artie?" I shook my head, because I didn't know what I exactly meant either.

I didn't know if I had the strength to explain myself either. For once, I was actually happy to see Matthias walking back to us. Of course that feeling was short lasted when I saw he was holding long chains that fell to the snowy ground, and dragged behind him.

Alfred looked over to me, and faintly said, "I get it now."

What? How did he get it? I was still trying to find an explanation myself. Before I could think about any conclusion that Alfred could have come to, I felt the great power of chains smack me across the face.

My jaw bone tingled until it went completely numb again from the temperature. I hid my face for a moment, because I was scared that if I would look up, he would hit me again. I didn't hear Alfred say anything. I just heard another sound of the chains flying in the air towards his face.

I heard the smack against his skin, and I felt like that hit hurt me more than it hurt him. I looked at him to see that the chains left a small cut on the outer skin of his jaw bone. He looked up at me, then back down, almost like he was ashamed.

Why would he be-? I felt blood trickle down my neck from my jaw bone which stopped tingling by now. Was I cut too? My thoughts were interrupted by the loud laughter that Matthias produced. It filled the cold air, and left an evil echo in the wind.

He unchained both of our hands, and told us to leave them at our side. Of course, he also said his traditional threat after the command. He then started to wrap us to the tree using the long chains he held. When there was no more chain to wrap around us, he connected the end to a different chain, and locked it. He then stood back, and started to laugh.

The chains were tight around me, and I could feel the rough edges cutting my skin. I looked to Alfred, and I could see him struggling to hold his cries of pain in, as the chains rubbed roughly against his burn.

I struggled, but managed, to lean over and rest my forehead on his shoulder. He winced a little bit at the contact, but soon relaxed after a few seconds. I didn't want to cry. I wasn't going to cry. I just didn't want to see Alfred like this.

Why did I even bloody care about a guy I just met though? What was so important about him? Why was I on the brink of crying because he was in pain? Why was him being in pain, breaking my heart little by little?

"I love you," I heard him faintly whisper, so I could just barely hear him. Of course… That was why. I loved him, and he loved me. Was this all going to fast? I don't know, yet I don't care.

"I love you too, stupid," I laughed and cried on his shoulder. I kissed his shoulder, and got up before Matthias got back around to start talking again.

When he stood in front of us, he asked, "Is it cold guys?" He laughed, causing me to use every fiber in my body to not scream at him for being such an idiot.

Matthias continued when we didn't answer. He said, "This is my last punishment! It is truly a wonderful night to freeze to death, isn't it? Of course, I won't let you guys actually die… We are going to go through one last fun torture session, and then your dead bodies will be thrown into a ditch near a busy road, so your families can burry you!"

"But my mom-!" I yelled, not knowing exactly where I was going with this, "Didn't you tell her to pay money? Didn't she?"

I totally forgot about my mom until I just blurted those words out. I felt embarrassed that the one time I remember my mom, it was about her paying money for me.

Alfred looked at me like he just remembered about the ransom money too, though. Matthias said, "Ah… I realized that your mom lives a pretty far distance away from here, so I decided to ditch the idea. Plus, I was having too much fun torturing you! In fact, it will be even more fun now that I realize there doesn't have to be limits."

I stared at Matthias, too bewildered to say anything. What the bloody hell was wrong with him? When was it supposed to be fun to torture people? I was so caught up in thinking about what could possibly be wrong with this guy, when I realized that he had already walked away.

The door to his boxcar slammed shut, and Alfred shook me out of my thoughts. "Arthur are you ok?" he said, but then looked down when he looked up at my face again, "Sorry… That was a stupid question."

"Yes it was stupid," I retorted, "but thank you for asking." He laughed a little, but didn't look back up at me.

"Wow," I said, filling in the awkward silence that started to form between us, "We probably look like a wreck." I laughed a little, even though what I said wasn't that funny. I knew Alfred probably would say something like that, but he just stayed silent.

"Alfred?" I said, looking at him, as he stared at the ground, "Are you ok?" He just shook his head, and kept staring at the ground. "No, no, not really," he choked out.

After he said those four words, tears started to roll down his cheeks as he started to choke out small cries. I immediately wanted to make everything right. I didn't like seeing him cry. This whole entire time, he has been there for me, and to be honest, I don't want to have to be there for him. I want him to always be that happy, slightly annoying, American I met at the airport.

Of course, that could never happen. Even if all this never happened. There will be ups and there will be downs, and if I love him, I will be there for him. Now was my chance.

I managed to get my arms out of the chains, which wasn't very surprising since I was so skinny. I immediately and carefully wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I didn't want to go anywhere under them, though. I didn't want to touch where I hurt him. I didn't want to be reminded of the immense pain I caused him.

He almost immediately collapsed into my embrace, and let everything out. Apparently he was holding in a lot, because I was starting to worry Matthias would hear him from inside the boxcar. I said simple things to calm Alfred down, such as, 'Shhh, it's ok' and 'let everything out. I am here."

Alfred would also give responses sometimes, like, 'I just wanted to be a hero' or 'I hurt you. I don't deserve you'.

He was being stupid. This wasn't his fault. He should have known that since I told him probably fifteen times now. I didn't tell him this though. How could I? I needed to make him feel better, not cry more.

He managed to get his arms out of the chains, which was actually very surprising, since he was so muscular. He wrapped his arms around me, and said, "We need to get out of here. I agree. No more."

I felt his tears drip onto my shoulder, as he cried out. His sobs didn't quiet down until minutes after he said the words that explained 'no more'. I rubbed circles around his back, as I thought about his words in my head.

I looked down to him when I felt his finger on my chest. It was outlining the 'A' that he carved in earlier. "What is it?" I whispered, looking down at my chest as his finger brushed down my chest next to the 'A'.

He didn't answer for a few seconds. He just stared at the 'A' and lingered his finger over my chest. He then whispered, "I-I hurt y-you."

This again? Why can't he accept the fact that he didn't hurt me, and it was all technically Matthias? "You had no choice. It was Matthias that hurt me; not you."

He looked up at me, and said, "I-I know… I know, but I-I should have done something. I had the knife I could have-!" "And he had the gun. You couldn't do anything. You would only make things worse if you tried anything with him. You knew that, and that is why you are a hero," I interrupted him.

I knew where he was going with his last comment. I knew he wanted to be a hero. I knew that I had to get it through his head that sometimes being a hero is doing the logical thing in a situation that doesn't get us both killed.

He looked up to me again, and said, "I p-promise, Artie… I will never hurt you again." I smiled, and said, "And if he makes you do that again, remember he is the one hurting me. Not you."

Alfred smiled softly, but started to slowly drift to sleep on my shoulder. I was glad he was getting to escape the pain. I can't imagine how much of it he was feeling. I am almost jealous, yet I am getting tired too.

My eyelids started to get heavy as the cold wind blew around me. I looked down at Alfred who was fast asleep in my arms. His warm body was like a blanket to mine. As I finally started to drift off to sleep, I looked up and thought, 'Either let both of us wake up tomorrow, or let both of us die tonight. I just don't want to live without Alfred.'

Those words came straight from my heart. I meant every last word of that phrase. I didn't want to live without Alfred, and I won't. No matter what. I looked down at Alfred, so that he was the last thing I saw before the darkness of unconsciousness filled my eyes and mind.

A/N: I am so sorry I posted this a day late! I am out of the country, and at first I was afraid to use the Wi-Fi. My friend told me that it wasn't money to use the Wi-Fi on a computer at least, so I immediately posted this. Sorry for the inconvenience!

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