Author's Note: Yaaay, I finally finished this after I don't even know how long~ Hope you guys enjoy it. :D

Arthur was nowhere to be found. Our hero, Alfred, look everywhere for him until he stumbled upon a note left on Arthur's bed. He gingerly picked up the paper and read it, not sure what he'd learn.

"Dear Alfred,

Thank you for your hospitality and kindness. It was very generous of you to allow me into your home for such a long stay, and I appreciate that. Sadly, I've left this morning to travel back to England. I was going to say "good-bye," but you were still asleep, so I wrote this instead. Don't be too upset, ok? We'll be able to write to one another, and maybe I'll visit again sometime, or you could even visit me. My address is written at the bottom of this letter.

Also, I hope you didn't mind me spending the rest of your money on a ticket to England. You're a hard working lad, I'm sure you'll earn it back soon enough.

Sincerely, Arthur Kirkland"

Alfred read the note over again, just to make sure he had read and understood everything completely. Slowly, he could feel his eyes swell with tears until they started flowing over and rolling gently down his cheeks. Many thoughts came to mind as well as mixed emotions. The American couldn't understand why Arthur hadn't just told him about it, or at the very least hinted it. He would've liked to really say good-bye to his friend rather than waking up to an unnerving message.

At this point, there wasn't much that our hero could do. Arthur had gone, and the only thing he left was the letter. Yet, for some reason, he had the feeling his friend would come back soon—or, at least, he hoped his friend would come back. Until, then Alfred decided to start writing his letter in response to the Brit.

"Dear Arthur,

Why did you have to leave like that? I wouldn't have cared if you woke me up to say bye, you know! England is really far away and stuff! But I guess it's best for you to go back home, huh? You're probably more comfortable there, anyway. I bet all of your friends are there, too…Well, except me, of course! What's it like in England? I've never been there before, and you never said much about your home while you were here. Did you try to avoid talking about it because you were homesick? If so, I can totally understand.

Now that you're on your way back to England, are you still going to be in the army? Because maybe we can meet again in battle! That wouldn't really be good, though….I don't think I could shoot you. We're friends! Maybe I could sneak into your base camp and then we can talk.

Anyway, I hope you have a safe trip. Write back when you get this!

Sincerely, Alfred F. Jones"

Promptly after finishing his reply, he took it to the nearest post office and dropped it off there. He was aware that letters took a good while to be delivered when sent overseas, and he knew that his hadn't even been sent yet, but he couldn't help feeling giddy about receiving a letter back. What he'd do once he returned home, he wasn't quite sure yet, but he knew he would be bored. All he could focus on was that letter.

It felt like he was waiting for forever. Months had passed now since he sent that letter, and it only should have taken Arthur maybe one month at most to return home. Alfred had expected a letter back by the third month of waiting, but he never got one. Five months passed and he was still without a reply. He was completely puzzled by this. Arthur had suggested himself that he and Alfred write, yet he wasn't responding. Maybe the letter was lost on its journey? That was completely plausible, but why did it have to be his letter? If that was the case, he assumed Arthur would have already taken the liberty of sending a letter asking about why he hadn't received one yet. After thinking about it, Alfred decided to try writing another letter.

"Dear Arthur,

Hi, it's me again! Did you get the last letter I sent you? It's been a while and you haven't replied yet. Is everything ok over there? I hope the last letter I sent you didn't get lost! I spent a lot of time writing that, y'know! Hey, write back as soon as you can, ok?

Sincerely, Alfred F. Jones"

Another five months passed, and still no response was given from the Brit. At this point, Alfred was starting to worry. Although he didn't know Arthur for long, he just felt as though something was off. It seemed, to the American, that a man like Arthur would have surely felt the need to write back once, at the very least, to ensure that he had arrived safely and to thank the other for his concern. After ten months of waiting, there was still no reply.

It wasn't until two months later—roughly a full year since Arthur had left—that Alfred got what he was waiting for and then some.

He started his morning like any other, casually reading the paper and sipping on his hot coffee. Bored, he had even chosen to write yet another letter to his friend, asking once more if he was ok and why he had not written back. A knock on the door broke Alfred from his concentration.

As he rose from his comfortable seat to answer it, he couldn't help but wonder why someone would be at his house this early in the morning.

"Did you miss me, git?"

He couldn't believe his eyes! Standing directly outside the American's door was Arthur, luggage and all.

"You have no idea how worried I was!" Alfred hugged the other cheerfully, lifting him off the ground with ease, "I thought your ship sank! Or you were abducted by aliens! Or eaten by a bear or something!"

Arthur squirmed in Alfred's grasp hoping that he'd let go. "Ah, stop! I'm glad to see you, too, but I think this is a bit much! Put me down!" Not wanting to ruin the moment, the American promptly put his friend down upon request. "Now, if you're going to greet someone," he dusted himself off, "you greet them like this…" He finished as he placed a light kiss on each of Alfred's cheeks.

"Man," Alfred blushed, "you Europeans sure are weird. Anyway, did you get the letters I sent you?"

That's right. The letters. Of course the Brit got them; they were addressed to him and no one else. "Oh, yes," he started, "I indeed did receive them, um…"'

"Then why didn't you write back?"

"Because…"

"Because why?"

"Because, Alfred. Everything you think of me is false. I don't have a lot of friends, I'm no longer in the army, I don't have a girlfriend, and, quite frankly," he paused to gather his courage, "I love you, damnit!" Since when had Alfred ever said anything about a girlfriend? Well, whatever, that didn't really matter.

Not knowing how to respond, the American just stood there, looking down at Arthur. It was obvious that the Brit was waiting for some kind of response, so Alfred decided he'd say whatever came to mind. "So…You, uh…You like me? Heh heh, that's pretty cool…because I like you like that, too." He grinned. "Yeah. I love you, too." Everything just came naturally to him, even though he was telling Arthur the awkward yet romantic truth. Even aware of what other people would think of him, he still didn't seem to care. The way he accepted Arthur like that was almost equivalent to everyday conversation.

"Wait, you mean you actually…?" Now Arthur was at a loss for words. Alfred nodded to assure the other of what he had heard.

"Arthur, remember when I saved you from dying a year ago?"

He nodded.

"I just knew there was something about you that made me do it, but I wasn't sure what. After hearing you say that you love me…Well, now I know! I love you and you love me!" Alfred couldn't help but allow the grin to widen on his face.

Upon hearing his new lover's explanation, something just clicked in Arthur's mind. Everything was starting to fall into place, and the earlier events started to make sense. Alfred wasn't doing what he was to be kind; he was doing it for something more. If only it hadn't taken a year and two trips across the Atlantic for Arthur to realize. Now he wished he had shown more affection towards Alfred rather than kicking him and stealing his wallet.

The past was the past, however, one thing still stood in their way of being a happy couple: society. This was something that concerned the Brit. "Al-Alfred, this is great and all, but…How on Earth are we going to survive? Two male falling in love, I mean…"

"It's simple. We just don't tell anyone." Of course. Alfred had a plan for everything and anything.

"But we're still living together…"

"We're just two roommates looking for some ladies, alright?" And another plan.

"If you say so," the Brit sighed.

"Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"I love you," Alfred told his lover again as he lifted him off his feet and kissed him shamelessly on the lips this time.

Arthur couldn't stop himself from smiling. "I love you, too, idiot."