Thunder crackled loudly outside, lightning alighting the room where the small child lay. Kiku whined and shivered, frightened by the storm. He tried to burrow deeper into the blankets and sheets, attempting to hide from the scary storm. Yet his efforts were to no avail, the storm only sound much more loud and dangerous.

'I-I have to become a strong country!' little Japan told himself over and over, the lightning sounding like it was coming closer and closer to his room. There was a sound like scraping and banging right outside his window, and the little boy panicked. He screamed, fearing something was trying to infiltrate the American's house.

"M-Monstew!" Japan wailed, trembling uncontrollably under the covers. The thunder crackled again, right outside his window, the branch rattling against the window, and light entering his room, all at once. He screamed again and again, now begging for Alfred to come.

"Kiku?" Alfred blinked drowsily, standing in the doorway. "Hey Keeks, what are you screaming about, yo?"

"S-Scary!" he whimpered from under the sheets. "M-Make stowm go away!"

"The storm?" he blinked, thunder sounding again, which caused Japan to squeal with fear again. He blinked yet again, running over to the guest bed Kiku lay, watching him. "Hey, Keeks, calm down. It's only thunder."

"S-Scawy!" he repeated, poking his head out from the edge of the covers. He cried out again, crawling over to Alfred and reaching for him. The American blinked, unsure of what to do, until he heard Japan cry for him again.

"Alright, alright…" he sighed, giving in. He sat on the edge of the bed, picking up Kiku and holding him in his lap. He continued to whimper and cry, clinging tightly to the adult's shirt. "Just calm down…"

"B-But…"

"It's just noise. It's not going to hurt you!"

"Scawy noise!"

The American sighed, holding the crying Asian close to him. It was going to be a long night, he could already tell.

"Hey! Artie!" Alfred called the Briton, holding Kiku tightly to his chest, using the spare key to enter the British man's house. Kiku's doe eyes were wide, looking around the large mansion-like how in awe, his curious side taking over. He squirmed slightly in the American's arms, wanting to be put down. "Hold on, alright buddy?" he told him, chuckling.

"Oh? You're here already?" Arthur called, walking down the stairs and towards the two. He smiled when his eyes went over to Japan, but he returned to his usual scowl when he saw the American. "I told you to come in an hour."

"We couldn't wait, we got bored!" he laughed, Kiku struggling even more to be let down. "Alright, alright, fine!" he mumbled, placing the small child on the floor. He staggered slightly, then started looking around the house for a mini 'adventure' for him. "Don't get lost!" Alfred called, watching him walk into the kitchen.

Arthur chuckled, approaching Alfred. Immediately, his smile faded away to a sad expression, looking up at his former colony. "Alfred, follow me. There's something I need to tell you."

America blinked, and followed him into the basement, where England performed all of his black magic. Carefully, he walked down the few steps of stairs, looking at the stacks of books, a few open on a desk, bottles of fluids, dishes of solid objects, and many other things littered the room.

"You've been busy, yo." he commented.

"I've been looking for a cure for Japan, and do you have to end your sentences with 'yo'? It's annoying."

"I only did it once man!"

"It's still annoying you bloody git!" he snapped, then sighed and motioned for him to come. He obeyed. "I've finished researching everything on what I gave Japan."

"And? Do you have something to cure him?"

The English man became silent.

"Arthur answer me."

He looked down.

"Arthur, this isn't funny!"

"There is no cure." he mumbled finally.

An awkward silent overtook the room. It took Alfred a few seconds for it to kick in, his hands curling into fists. His muscles tensed, and he screamed, "there is no cure?"

"All I found on a cure was that the victim and another person they've had the most contact with must share the same emotions at the same time. It's so confusing, I don't understand it."

"That's all it said? I-I don't get it."

"I don't either Alfred. I've been trying to crack the code behind it, understand what it really means. But, I can't. I can't figure it out! There's nothing else on an antidote for it!"

"Do you think it could just wear off?"

"No. That's highly unlikely."

"Aw man, Artie, what do we do?"

"I-I don't know Alfred…I don't know…"

"J-Japan, he has to return to no-" Alfred was interrupted by loud screaming coming from upstairs. Realizing that only Japan was up there, he yelled, "Kiku!" and bolted up the stairs, Arthur right behind him. He looked around frantically for the small nation, calling his name over and over.

"Check the kitchen! He went in there!" Arthur snapped, pushing the blonde forward. He nodded, sprinting towards the kitchen, and he stopped in his tracks when he saw Kiku.

Kiku was screaming, big tears rolling down his cheeks as he thrashed weakly, covered in water. The pot Arthur used to boil water was next to the boy, completely emptied of his contents. Steam was rising from Kiku's back, where the water must have landed.

"Kiku!" Alfred screamed, sliding down next to him, jumping slightly when the scalding hot water touched his knee. "Kiku, what happened?"

"P-Pot fall!" he wailed, thrashing on the floor. "Watew, it huuuuuwts!"

"Artie, what do I do?" he cried, looking at England. He was already kneeling down next to him, lifting up Kiku's shirt, holding him down gently so he would hold still. The skin on his back was an ugly bright red, blisters already forming.

"He's badly burned…" he mumbled. "Try to calm him down and carry him to your old room, I'll treat him there."

"H-How did this happen…?" America muttered, patting Japan's head, hoping he would relax a bit. But he kept screaming his head off, unable to stop his pained thrashing. "Kiku! If you don't stop screaming and moving, we can't make the pain go away! Stop it!" he snapped.

The injured toddler sniffled, ceasing his cries and flails. Alfred looked at his tear stained face, listening to his whimpers as he carefully lifted up the small child, making sure not to touch his back. It looked and felt awkward, but he could care less as he quickly carried him towards his old bedroom.

"It huwts Alfie…" Kiku whined as Alfred gently laid him on his stomach on the bed, ripping his sweater off and the rest of his clothes, trying not to look at his little rear.

"I know…" he mumbled, wiping the tears away from his chubby cheeks. "I know, we're going to make the hurt go away, alright?"

Kiku nodded weakly, shutting his eyes as Arthur entered the room, carrying a first aid kit. He opened the kit, and Alfred really didn't notice what he did at first, just watching Kiku's pained expression with pity. Hesitantly, he leaned close to his friend, whispering comforting words to him, stroking his hair as he did so.

Kiku whimpered when Arthur lifted him up gently, a hand on his stomach to allow the English man to wrap medical gauze around his chest and torso, trying to bandage him up the best he could. The bandages hurt his skin, and he cried, "N-No! Make pain wowse!"

"It'll protect it, make the pain not get worse." Alfred whispered to him. "I know it hurts, b-but, y-you'll be alright… you're going to be ok…!"

Japan looked at Alfred, and Alfred blinked in surprise when he saw his eyes. They shone with the wisdom Alfred recognized that the Japanese man possessed as an adult. He then mumbled,

"I love you Alfred-san."

With the message sent, the small Asian passed out in Arthur's arms, his body falling limp. Arthur sighed, removing his hand from underneath him and taking a throw from the chair nearby. Carefully, he laid it over the Asian's body, walking out of the room to give Alfred privacy.

"K-Kiku…?" Alfred blinked, in shock. "Y-You l-love me…?"

Kiku didn't respond, starting to breath fairly quickly.

"K-Kiku…please calm your breathing…" he begged, shaking his shoulders slightly. "I-I'm getting scared…"

Kiku's eyes squeezed shut tighter, whimpering in his unconscious state.

"K-Kiku! What's wrong! Please be ok!" Alfred begged. "I can't let anything happen to you! Kiku, I love you too!"

Kiku cried loudly, making the American panic and bolt for the door, screaming, "Arthur! Arthur! Something's wrong with Kiku!"

He ripped open the door, Arthur already in the doorway. He blinked, looking past the American. "A-Alfred…"

"I know! Kiku's like, in shock or something!" he yelled, getting a bit frustrated.

"N-No! Alfred, look!" Arthur pointed inside the room, making Alfred whip around to see Kiku. His eyes widened, and he whispered,

"K-Kiku…?"

Kiku was sleeping soundly now, laying lazily on the fairly large bed. The bandages around him had ripped, and were lying on top of his back, broken. The burn that had covered all of the Japanese's back was now considerably smaller, and not as bad it seemed, most of the blisters gone. But, what make both of the adult nations freak out was the fact that Japan had returned to his normal age.

"Kiku's back to normal!" Alfred grinned, running up to the sleeping man and gently embracing him. Kiku blinked his eyes open, startled slightly, until he smiled and allowed Alfred to hug him, shutting his eyes.

Arthur crossed his arms, dumbfounded. "H-How…?" he chuckled and shook his head. Things always seemed to turn out in the strangest of ways. At least they always turned out alright, no matter how different. Maybe it was because of that that Kiku was back to normal.

But the strange part about it was the love admitting.

Alfred and Kiku loving each other?

Wrong but so right.