Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

Not important

The sun shining on Arthur's face through a crack in the curtains roused the Englishman from his slumber, and he sat up groggily, careful not to wake the still-sleeping Frenchman next to him.

Odd, he's usually making breakfast by now…

But Arthur just shrugged it off, coming to the conclusion that Francis had been drinking the night before and would appreciate a lie-in. He glanced at his lover, his beautiful, golden locks falling over his face slightly as he slept, before quietly disentangling Francis' arms from being wrapped around his torso and got up out of the bed, reluctantly removing himself from the warm sheets that had been used so passionately the night before. Arthur ran a hand through his messy, dirty-blonde hair before showering and going about his morning routine, conscious of how much noise he made in case he woke the Frenchman up. He went downstairs to make himself something to eat, glancing at the calendar on the wall underneath the clock.

14th July.

Today's date was circled neatly, obviously Francis' doing, but why? Arthur couldn't think of anything that immediately sprung to mind about this particular date, but before he could even think about it too much, familiar hands slipped around Arthur's waist from behind and the Englishman turned his head to receive a morning kiss from his lover. Arthur smiled, before gently pushing the other man away to continue getting ready for work: he wasn't going to have a repeat of the last time he let Francis distract him. Said Frenchman pouted at his lover's movements, and swiftly stole the boot Arthur was reaching for, holding it above his head teasingly. Arthur straightened up again and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Francis…" he began in a warning tone, but the Frenchman pulled an innocent face and smiled.

"Oui?" the innocent smile turned into a smirk, a mischievous glint flashing in his sparkling-blue eyes.

"I don't have time for this…" the Englishman said crossly, approaching the Frenchman, trying to figure out how to get his boot back. He couldn't very well go to work with one boot now, could he?

Francis stood his ground, still holding his boot above his head, knowing that the only way Arthur would get it back would be to give Francis what he wanted; Arthur was shorter than Francis and the Frenchman enjoyed reminding him about such things constantly.

"I only want you to spend some time with moi, today of all days, mon cher~" his tone was playful, and he kept the boot just out of Arthur's reach when the Englishman made a move to swipe it from his grasp.

"I can't, I have work today. Maybe tomorrow…" Arthur added as an afterthought, and Francis lowered the boot slightly, so the Englishman seized his boot from the Frenchman, not noticing the crestfallen look on the man's handsome features.

"…You didn't remember…" he said quietly, actually a little upset that his lover had forgotten that today was a special day for him.

"Hm?" Arthur asked, turning back around to face Francis. "Didn't remember what?" seeing Francis' saddened look, he had a feeling he was making a regrettable move in forgetting whatever it was, but the Frenchman only shook his head and smiled.

"Never mind, mon cher. If you don't remember, it's not important~" Something about the way he said that made Arthur frantically try and remember, for Francis had behaved like this before when Arthur had forgotten their anniversary date, and had said that it "wasn't important", when it was to Francis and should've been to Arthur. Except that he now knew their anniversary and so he realised it wasn't that which he had forgotten. Glancing at the clock, he gave a sigh.

"Sorry, love. I've got to go now…I'll make it up to you when I get home, alright?" he was going to call Alfred and Matthew or perhaps Gilbert and Antonio to find out what he was missing when he was on his lunch-break, and then hopefully it wouldn't be too late to redeem himself.

Francis only nodded, and received a quick goodbye kiss from his lover before Arthur left the house. As soon as the door closed, Francis' smile faded.

It's okay…he reassured himself silently. People forget their lover's birthday all the time…

XxX

Finally it was Arthur's lunch-break, but instead of getting out the lunch that Francis had prepared for him the night before, he whipped out his phone and was about to call Alfred, when ironically, someone started calling him. He answered quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dad!"

Arthur smiled slightly, although he thought Alfred was speaking far too loudly for a phone conversation.

"How are you, Alfred?" he asked politely, and Alfred made a "meh" noise on the other end of the phone.

"Oh yeah, by the way, no one was answering the home phone and Papa's phone was off so I wondered if you could wish him a 'happy birthday' from me?"

There was silence to Alfred as Arthur's eyes widened and he mentally cursed himself.

Of course! 14th July was Francis' birthday!

"Dude, you forgot, didn't you?" Alfred laughed. "Typical! I bet he wasn't too happy about that~"

Blast that Frenchman! He said it wasn't important! For God's sake, they were going to have to have a serious conversation about this at some point.

"Of course not." Arthur snapped, blatantly lying.

"Then why the long pause?" Alfred challenged.

"…A colleague was telling me something."

"I didn't hear anything."

"…He was mouthing it to me."

"Ooooof coouuurse he was~"

"…Okay, fine. I forgot, okay?"

"Okay. So, how are you going to make it up to him? Flowers and an apology ain't gonna do it~"

"Aren't going to do it, you common idiot." Arthur corrected, before sighing. "I don't know…"

"Hah! Well, I'll leave you to your own problems! Bye!" There was a click sound and then the line went quiet, and Arthur's brows furrowed as he frowned at his phone.

He hung up. His own son had deserted him when he needed help to fix his huge mistake!

Bloody twit.

Arthur sighed, before he leapt up from his seat, shoving his phone in his pocket and knocking on his boss' door, knowing he would later regret this, but he had to make it up to Francis.

XxX

The Englishman arrived home earlier than usual, as he had negotiated with his boss to let him leave work earlier, with the promise that he would work his hours off later in the week.

"Francis?" he called as he shut the door quietly, waiting for a response before checking the rooms when he didn't receive one. He finally realised the Frenchman wasn't in the house, and hoped he hadn't been too mad at Arthur for forgetting – what was he thinking? Of course it would've made him mad. They'd been together for a few years now, and Arthur had never forgotten his birthday before…

A small note on the kitchen table, addressed to Arthur in Francis' scrawled writing. Turning the paper over, he quickly read the note and was more than relieved when it hadn't said anything like "You're an ass." Or "I hate you!"

I've gone out with Gil et Tonio for a few drinks.

Hope I won't be back too late.

Francis xx

Placing the note back on the table, Arthur quickly grabbed his keys and left the house again.

There was something he had to do.

XxX

"Und you didn't say anything about it?" Gilbert, Francis' East-German albino friend asked in disbelief, after hearing Francis relay the morning's events with Arthur that day. Francis shook his head, sipping his wine delicately.

"Non, I didn't know whether he was joking or not…" the Frenchman admitted, only now realising how hurt he actually felt by the Englishman's actions.

"He's probably just working too hard, mi amigo~" Antonio, a Spaniard who completed their trio with unruly brown hair and alluring green eyes reassured Francis.

"Oui, but he still makes time for relaxing et for spending time avec moi, so I don't understand – " the Frenchman started, but Gil cut him off loudly.

"If you're so caught up on it, why not go und ask him? Don't be a dummkopf, Francis~" the German – or Prussia, as he so often insisted – grinned as Francis picked up on the fact that he had insulted him, but Antonio diffused the situation before it could instigate anything.

"Talking to him isn't such a bad idea, Francis. Maybe he needs to talk to you, but doesn't know how to tell you?" the Spaniard offered, and Francis contemplated these thoughts as he nursed his wine.

"Besides, you never know what he may have in store for you at the last minute, eh?" Gilbert added, raising his eyebrows to prove his point.

Francis sighed a little: they were right, like always.

And anyway, Arthur still hadn't even wished him a 'Happy Birthday'…

XxX

Arthur was waiting nervously for Francis to come home, and he jumped as he finally heard the lock click and the door open.

"I'm home~" Francis called, and Arthur could tell he had not had many drinks – perhaps he had done that intentionally so he could focus on being mad at Arthur.

He made his way to the hallway, leaning against the doorframe as casually as he could to hide his nerves. He had been with this man for a few years, but the Frenchman was still so unpredictable.

"Welcome back…" he greeted slowly, and when Francis turned to look at him, blue eyes widened and he stopped untying his shoelaces at the sight. There was Arthur, his Arthur, in nothing but a bathrobe, and now that he looked, there were a few lit candles and there was romantic music playing in the background.

"Arthur..?" the Frenchman began, but Arthur silenced him by pressing his lips softly and lovingly against Francis'. The other man smiled into the kiss before wrapping his arms around Arthur's waist, pulling apart to look at him curiously.

"Um…" Arthur looked down a little, a cute blush dusting his cheeks. "Happy birthday, I'm sorry I forgot…" he apologised sheepishly, before looking back to the Frenchman, to only see his lover smiling at him. Francis leaned down slightly and kissed Arthur again, this time deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue past the Englishman's lips to greet Arthur's own.

There was nothing desperate, nothing hurried, and after a pleasant, passionate night Arthur lay in Francis' arms, laying his head on the Frenchman's chest and listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart.

"I am truly sorry…" he mumbled after they had settled, and Francis shifted to kiss the younger man's forehead lovingly.

"There is nothing to apologise for. Thanks to you, this may well have been my favourite birthday so far~" he declared quietly, and the Englishman huffed, not convinced, but Francis only chuckled and pulled him closer.

"I love you, Francis…" Arthur whispered, on the verge of falling asleep, and closed his eyes as his lover responded in the same, satisfying way he always did.

"Je t'aime aussi, mon cher~"

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRANCIS! 3