Stylish, diva, drama queen- Gold- Fae 4

Somewhat perverted- Rose Pink- Fabrice (Because the name means works with his hands) 3

Hopeless Romantic- Blue- Fleur 6

Culinary Genius- Orange- Farran (Cause the name means Baker) 5

Smart, Clever, Witty- Purple- Fahim 2

Nation/Personification Duties- White- Finley 7

Caring and sympathetic- Silver- Faust 13

Cheerful and happy- Yellow- Felicienne (Great Happiness) 8

Sad or Depressed, just hides it very well- Gray- Farand 1

Mature and logical- Brown- Fermont 9

Anger- Red- Falkner 10

Gardener, caretaker, all around organization- Green- Fabien 11

Thirteen Frogs and a Brit

Chapter 4: Cuddles and Hair ties

Arthur sighed lightly the next morning as he woke with a yawn to his alarm and plopped a hand on it. Most of the time he didn't mind getting up a little earlier than usual. It was just fine, but it had been a long since he had had such a full house and he could hear one of the headboards knocking against the wall below him from one of the rooms. He had also managed to put together a schedule as to who would be spending time with him first individually. It was the only way he could think of for things to run fairly smoothly and he had intentionally put Farrand first at seven thirty in the morning. An hour before breakfast. Both because the guy seemed like he could use someone to be around and because...well he seemed to be the chillest of the personalities so it would be a good mellow start to his day. He wouldn't have to play baby sitter right off the bat. So he yawned and got washed up and dressed for the day in a pair of tan pants and his usual green sweater vest.

It was almost odd not to hear Francis waking him up a couple minutes after him to tiredly comment on the fact that he was that he looked like an old man before calling him back to bed, even though it was futile. He always stated how much he missed it...but now he longed for that familiarity almost. Granted, Fae would be probably be more than happy to criticize him at breakfast, but for now, he would focus on Farrand. He gave a knock on the door with a gray colored piece of paper taped to it. He had told them that it would probably be best if they put some sort of a nameplate on their door so that he could know which room to go to when he was looking for someone. A lot of them looked really nice, but apparently Farrand maybe just didn't see of a point. He gave a knock on the door. "Farrand? Are you awake?" He called quietly as he gave another knock.

Soon after the door was pulled open and he saw Farrand standing in the doorway. Tiredly rubbing at his eyes with yawn...dressed in nothing, but a baggy hoodie and a pair of boxers. "I'm up...did you need something?"

"You're the first one on my schedule to spend an hour with before breakfast if-"

"I understand. To get my boring personality out of the way."

"Um no...actually, you're one of the more mellow ones out of the group and that means that I don't have to start off my morning by playing adult baby sitter first thing."

Farrand wore a look of surprise as he heard that and afterwards he tilted his head. "Really? You want to spend time with me?" He asked in genuine surprise before he stepped aside and opened the door a little more to let Arthur in. "Well what do you want to do?"

Arthur shrugged as he stepped in and looked around a little. Thick blankets had been hung over the windows so light couldn't get in to well, but that was fine. "What do you like to do?"

"I like quiet...just laying with someone for a while. The comfort of another person let's me sleep a little easier even."

"Well then let's do that."

"You don't think that's boring?" Again there was surprise in the other's voice and Arthur shook his head. "I did this because I wanted to get to better know Francis so it's time that I start doing what I intended to do instead of try and expect you all to be like him. You guys are him...you are different elements of his personality yes...but still...you're the same man I love...even if I don't always show it the way I want to."

He headed over to the bed whose covers and blankets were all over the place...as if someone had been tossing and turning rather vigorously. "Do you sleep alright Farrand?" He asked as he laid out on the bed and patted the spot next to him.

"Non, nightmares plague me a lot of the time. So after a while I just don't sleep cause it's not worth it."

"Mm I see." A blush crossed his face as the other crawled onto the bed next time and curled up to him then despite himself a small chuckle passed his lips. He was almost like a tired cat. Rather cute if he said so himself, but he supposed that made sense given Francis was quite a clingy frog. Always hanging of his shoulders or brushing up against him.

"What's your favorite season?" Arthur asked curiously after a moment as one of his arms was wrapped around him. Francis of course loved summer, being the sappy man that he was, but he wondered that if with his different sides they were be to different questions to the answers.

"I like Winter. Everything's in its last dying stages of beauty before they disappear, and then we can watch them be lead back in to new life. It's also the time of year when it's a perfectly good excuse to stay inside buried under a pile of blankets for days on end. Well...that and the fact that people are so busy with their other families and affairs and spending time with loved ones that they sort of forget to check up on the more distant and less important people...but it's fine. I'm usually fine."

The way that Farrand seemed to say that it was fine seemed to carry a tone that was quite the opposite, but he didn't really want to pry either so he just let it be for the time being and instead decided to give a little reassurance. "Well you know us nations don't have to celebrate alone..." It was weird seeing this side of Francis for probably the first time that he could remember. The man hid it so well and then again maybe it wasn't even that severe. He supposed any nation, especially older ones that had been around as long as they had, would have some amount of depression or another weighing down their shoulders. Francis was just confident and charismatic. Outgoing that it was quite strange to see him as a possible shut in that didn't have the energy or the want to deal with the world. When he thought of Francis he thought of him more as Fae the fashionista diva on wheels or Fabrice. The lustful creature of a man...not someone like Finley or Fermont. He never would have thought there was so much more to the man. "When you guys are together as a whole, Francis has always seemed like such an open book, someone easily read and wearing his heart on his sleeve for the world to see. How come I never knew there was so much more to him?" Arthur asked after a couple more minutes of silence had passed.

Farrand gave a small hum as his eyes slowly fluttered back open and looked up to the green eyes a moment in curiosity. How had Arthur not seen there was so much more to Francis than met the eye. He always seemed like such an observant and clever one. "Francis is both a very open and tightly closed book. He shows people what wants to and lets them see what he wants to let them see. Anything he doesn't want you to see is very hard to do so, but not impossible. The small mannerisms he has when he's sad like the way his posture will go from inviting to 'leave me alone please'. The small glint he gets in his eyes when he sees someone playing with a kids toy, wanting to go and join in, but knowing he would be berated and judged for being childish and told to get back to his paperwork. The slight dip in his brows he gets when he's angry. Pay attention to his movemnets and the seemingly pointless quirks when we are eventually fused back together and you'll understand what I'm talking about...but only if you truly have the want to care about him. Otherwise you won't be let in."

Arthur listened closely, surprisingly hanging onto every word. Curiosity burning through him. He wanted to know more. More about Francis and why he wouldn't let other's see the whole of his personality and everything he had to offer. Why he wouldn't tell even him about these sorts of things, why he felt maybe he couldn't trust him.

"It's a defense mechanism." Farrand said quietly as he shifted a little in the arms of the other, as if reading Arthur's thoughts and the question that resided there. "The last person he opened up so much to was to...she was human." He didn't speak the name, just because he didn't want to ruin the calm of the moment. He didn't need to say it they both knew who it was. "He knew it was a mistake, Fermont's instincts tried to warn him, but he ignored them. He told her everything and let her see everything...then just like that he lost her. He doesn't want to get so close to someone like that again, because deep down buried under everything else he's scared. Scared that if he gets that close a second time then he's going to lose someone else as well. So he keeps himself distant so that he won't lose you."

Arthur again listened quietly to what the other had to say, and although he was a little disheartened at the mention of her he didn't let it get to him. Instead he turned his thoughts to ways that he could Francis to open up to him like he had back then. Promises of not leaving him and things of the like would probably do the trick. Maybe...fuck if he knew. "Thank you for telling me all this. I'll start taking those things into consideration from now I promise."

"You have about twenty minutes left. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Arthur considered the offer of more information, but afterwards he just shook his head. "No I could stand for a power nap before I officially start my day why don't we just rest?"

"Agreed."