Pairing: UsUk

In the Eyes of Alfred.

Italics are the past, thoughts, and one text message in the story.

"Alfred! Oh bollocks, where are you?"England walked down the hall of the house, looking for the child in which he raised. Me.

He ran into the living room, to the young boy standing on the coffee table.

"ALFRED FRITZGERALD JONES, GET OFF THE COFFEE TABLE!"

He ran up to me, and reached out. I shook my head.

"I'm the hero! Hero's can fly and never get hurt!"

I leaped from the table and feel face first into the floor below. I wailed for help.

"Oh Alfred, even hero's have a chance to bleed!"

"Geez, another pointless meeting. We never do anything but argue!"

"Well, you and Francis are the only ones who argue, Arthur."

"Don't even talk about that frog face!"

I laughed as England and I left the meeting room and walking down the hall.

"Going anywhere after the meeting, Arthur?"

"Not really, why?"

"Just wondering if we could hang or something."

"Alfred, the only places you ever "hang", are McDonald's or Burger King! I don't feel like going to a fast food restaurant full of grease and beef!"

I frowned. Arthur wasn't even looking in my direction. He looked as though he was frowning a bit too.

"Why aren't you looking at me?"

He turned his face further away, as though he was hiding something.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"No. It's none of your concern."

He raised his arm toward his face and coughed into it.

"Are you sick?"

"It's just a bug. Nothing serious, so don't worry."

He answered almost immediately after I asked, as if we was waiting for me to ask.

"Hey, England! Just calling to see if you'd like to go for a walk!"

"I told you not to worry, so why are you calling?"

"Fresh air never hurt anybody and you aren't sounding to good! Why not?"

"...Fine, I guess I could go for a little walk."

We hung up at the same time. I headed over to Arthur's hotel, grabbing my cell before I left.

"Hey, Tony! I'm leaving, dude! Take care of the house while I'm gone, will ya?"

He nodded and gave me a thumbs up.

Walking to England's hotel was a bit strange. After world meetings, where ever it was, the other nations would stay at hotels in the one nations home town. This time was good ol' America, but even so, it felt weird.

I got his room number at the front desk and walking down three halls and took one elevator to his room.

I knocked on the door, hoping he would answer immediately. He did, but his cheeks were flushed and his face was a bit pale.

"Arthur, dude, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, you git. Let's just go."

It looked as though he was struggling to walk when we got outside. It was awkward, since nothing was really said. When we reached a park, I asked him to stop and sit at a bench.

"Arthur, answer truthfully. Are you feeling alright?"

"I told you, I'm-"

"Your cheeks are flush and your face is pale!"

I placed my wrist on his forehead.

"-And your boiling with a temperature! You are most definitely not fine!"

Arthur grabbed my arm and yanked it down to my side. I looked at him, and he was tearing up with rage in his face.

"Arthur-"

"Why do you care anyways? Idiot! You never cared! You don't care about anyone's feelings but your own!"

"I'm worrying about you! What do you call that?"

"Idiot! Just leave me out of your life! You shouldn't worry about someone you fought so hard to get away from!"

He whipped the tears that were flowing like waterfalls from his face. I tried to look at him, but he just turned away.

"Come one, Arthur! I know I'm independent, but that doesn't mean I still don't worry about you!"

"I should be saying that. After all, I am the one who raised you."

"Alfred? Oh bollocks, don't tell me your in the living room!"

England bolted down the hall, and once more, I was standing on the coffee table.

"ALFRED FRITZGERALD JONES! WHAT DID I SAY THE LAST TIME?"

He held out his arms once more, bracing for impact.

"I'm the hero! I don't need help!"

Once again, I leapt from the table, missed England's arms and landed face first on the floor in front of him.

"Oh Alfred. What am I to do with you?"

It was awkward silence after that. I decided to walk him back, even though there wasn't any words being said.

When we reached his room, he turned to wave goodbye, and I hugged him.

"Just because I'm independent, doesn't mean I still can't worry about someone I care about. Now, promise me your going to try and get better, ok?"

He nodded. I once again felt his temperature without his resisting, and he was cold from outside.

"Get some sleep and I'll see you at tomorrow's meeting."

I woke pretty early and decided to make myself some breakfast, when I noticed my phone on the counter. It said I had one missed message.

I checked the messages and it was from Arthur. It read:

I took some medicine and it's already working. I'm going to bed so I'll see you tomorrow.

~Arthur Kirkland~

"Good to see your feeling better."

A while later and it was half an hour before the meeting. I hadn't herd from Arthur all morning so I decided to call him.

It rang for a while with no answer, then I herd the answering machine. I hung up and tried again. No answer.

I stood there and had called him fifteen times with no answer. I was extremely worried. What if he got so sick he couldn't answer his phone?

After about five minutes of worry filled thoughts, my phone rang. It was Arthur.

"Dude! Why didn't you pick up?"

"I'm sorry, America. My cold hasn't gotten better, I'm skipping the meeting."

"Oh not your not! I'm skipping too! We're getting you better, got it?"

"It's not your responsibility to look after me! It's mine, so let me get better by myself!"

"Yeah-no. Dude, I'm helping whether you want me to, or not! I AM the hero!"

"I swear, you were destined for that phrase."

"Glad you think so! I'll be right over!"

I ran all the way from England's hotel, and to his room. I knocked, while trying to catch my breath. He answered the door with a blanket wrapped around himself, face still the same as the day before.

"Alright, first stop, the pharmacy!"

I picked him up and ran to the pharmacy down the street. We picked through his symptoms and found all the medicine he'd need since it wasn't his economy.

"What's next?"

Arthur's stomach let out the loudest grumble.

"Food!"

"Which doesn't consist of grease, beef and fries!"

He said, angrily.

We decided to go to a cafe, where he snacked on tea biscuits and tea. When he finished, he wanted to head back to the hotel, but when he stood, he fell. I picked him up, with the medicine still in my arms.

"No, your going to my house!"

"No, no. I don't want to be a burden. I'm just dead weight."

"You are not! Your sick and in need of a hero!"

We got to my house, and I placed him in my bed, I gave him some pills and a glass of water.

"Here, take these first."

"Yes, Dr. Jones."

He said with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"I like that! From now on until your better, I'll be Dr. Jones!"

"Idiot.."

He then coughed into his arm.

"Alfred, you had BETTER not be on that coffee table again!"

England raced down the hall and saw me, once again, standing on the table.

"Alfred! Your going to fall!"
He, once again, held out his arms and braced for impact.

"I'm the hero!"

This time, I leapt from into England's arms and he caught me. He was shocked this time. He looked down at the wide smile on my face.

"You do know that's dangerous, right?"

"Hehe, I love you, Papa Engwand!"

Then I reached up and kisses his cheek. He went 18 shades of red, then hugged me and kissed my forehead.

"I love you too, Alfred."

I walked into my room where I found England fast asleep. I had brought in soup but I guessed there wasn't really a point in it. I put the bowl on the table beside the bed and sat next to him.

"Sorta like when I was sick, huh? I guess we've switched positions since then."

I brushed the hair away from his face. He looked so innocent. I felt his temperature again, and it had dropped back to normal.

"Guess the medicine helped. No, I guess the company helped more then the medicine did."

I looked at his face for a little longer, until I realized I was blushing.

I looked away. Looking into the bowl of soup, I remembered when I was sick, and what Arthur did for me. He didn't leave my bedside once. When I got better, he lectured me about preventing myself from not getting sick again because I made him worry. I smiled at the memory.

The blanket I was sitting on moved a bit as I herd a noise from Arthur. I looked at him again and his eyes were open, those big emerald green eyes looking up at me.

"Morning, sunshine."

"Oh, shut up, you git."

"Insults already? You really must be feeling better!"

He smiled at me. I blushed again, unaware of what I was doing. I leaned toward him.

"Umm, America? Is somethi-" I kissed him. Without any warning for myself or him. It wasn't short, nor long. I looked back at him and placed my forehead on his.

"I love you, Arthur. I have since I was a child, but it was weird then. Now, I can say it, and mean it."

He once again turned 18 different shades of red from before, then he smiled.

"I love you too, Alfred."

I took my head away and stared at him.

"What?"

"That's Dr. Jones to you!"

He smacked his forehead.

"Idiot. You've got a bad habit of ruining moments, don't you? Also, I'm better now, so I don't have to call you that!"

I smiled.

"Yeah, but everything I said was true."

"What, about the Dr. Jones thing?"

"Not that."

I kissed him again, slowly.

"The fact that I love you."