After two weeks spent waiting for Arthur to request a transfer to the BBC's New York office, Alfred was more than ready for their tropical vacation. He still didn't remember asking for a tropical trip, but Arthur insisted that he had, and the Englishmen was equally insistent that they go on the trip as soon as possible. Taking advantage of last-minute cancellations, they even managed to find reasonably priced airfare and lodging at a ritzy resort in the British Virgin Islands.

On their first full day of vacation, Alfred stretched and sighed happily as he woke to the smell of the ocean breeze and the sound of waves crashing outside their hotel window. Taking care not to wake Arthur, he slipped out from underneath the silky sheets and padded across the warm tile floor to the balcony.

The view was amazing. Beautiful turquoise water lapped gently onto pure white sand. Brilliant green palm fronds stretched across the semi-circle of the bay, creating a lovely line between the clear blue seas and the stunning blue skies. A few puffy clouds ambled on the edge of the horizon, but Alfred wasn't worried. He had already checked the weather and knew that their entire week would be filled with sunny days. This was the sort of place that didn't really need a weatherman, which was too bad because Alfred would have liked to stay. Their resort room was a sumptuous oasis of Caribbean charm, with high wooden ceilings, comfortable wicker furniture, and ocean prints on the walls.

He turned around and started looking for the coffee pot. It turned out to be a single-serve machine with pods to make either coffee or tea. He was glad to see it—Arthur had been a little worried about the tea situation.

Speaking of Arthur, the best part of the vacation was still sleeping in the wonderful king-sized bed. They had been tired after a day of flying, but not so tired that they hadn't christened it the night before, which probably explained why Arthur was still happily dozing with his cheek pressed against the pillow and a slight smile on his face. Alfred wondered if it was creepy to take a picture of your own sleeping boyfriend, decided that it wasn't, and quickly snapped the shot.

He was still sipping his coffee and setting the picture as his background when he heard rustling sheets. He glanced up and smiled to see Arthur sitting up with half of his hair sticking to one side. It was the cutest bedhead Alfred had ever seen in his life.

"I smell coffee," Arthur said drowsily, yawning as he stretched his arms over his head. "There better be tea."

"There is," Alfred replied, leaning in for a quick kiss before he started to brew a mug for Arthur. "And they've got a machine that even I can't mess up."

Arthur's lips quirked upward in a slight, teasing grin. "Well then, it must be paradise," he said approvingly.

"True, although I was expecting more British virgins," Alfred teased back. He laughed and ducked when Arthur threw a pillow.

Wearing nothing more than their boxers, they sipped their hot drinks outside on the balcony, both silent as they admired the view. Alfred would have been okay to spend the entire day with Arthur relaxing on the beach, but there was a whole lot of other stuff to do and it seemed a shame to waste it.

They decided to start with snorkeling, although Arthur flushed a little as he admitted that he wasn't a particularly strong swimmer. Fortunately for them, the resort guides were more than happy to make sure they stayed in shallow areas. They also watched Arthur carefully and Alfred tried to be grateful instead of jealous that so many people were staring at his exceptionally cute boyfriend when the Brit stuck his head in the water. The beautiful tropical fish were worth the effort, even if the guides rolled their eyes each time Alfred shouted that he had seen Dory. He kept looking for Nemo, until one of the guides finally reminded him that clownfish lived in the Pacific ocean.

Alfred would have been happy to spend all day snorkeling. The fish looked like jewels swimming through the stunning clear water. He was amazed that they would swim right up to his face, perfectly happy to share the ocean.

But eventually his growling stomach called him back to shore, where he found Arthur waiting for him with a couple of drinks.

Alfred accepted one and grinned. "Piña coladas? How did you know?"

"You told me," Arthur replied.

"Huh. Good job, past me," Alfred said, clinking his glass against Arthur's as they both took a sip of their coconut and rum cocktails. It was still strange adjusting to the fact that Arthur knew so much about him because of the Brit's time-loop adventures, but Alfred knew the only way to remedy the imbalance was to focus on learning more about Arthur.

They had a filling dinner at an outdoor grill—fish, of course, although not the tropical species they had just been admiring—as Alfred quizzed Arthur on his childhood, hobbies, and favorite everything.

"The Princess Bride? Really?" Alfred grinned. "Or are you just a fan of strong farmboys with blond hair and blue eyes?"

"Cary Elwes is an excellent actor," Arthur said primly.

"Yeah, though Men in Tights was my fave. He's got a much cuter accent in it. Man, when we get back we should do a movie night."

"As you wish," Arthur agreed, and it took all of Alfred's willpower to finish the meal and wait for their bill, when he really wanted to just race back to their room. Even the ice cream couldn't tempt him to stay, not when he had a far more scrumptious treat planned... in bed. He got his wish soon enough.

By the time Arthur was done with him, Alfred felt like he had melted into a pool of languid happiness. The fan at the top of the room gently cooled their sweat-slicked brows.

Grinning like a fool, Alfred reached over to stroke Arthur's pink cheek. It felt warm to the touch. "I can't decide if this is the piña coladas or a sun burn," he murmured.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "It was one drink. I'm not that much of a light weight."

"Yeah," Alfred slid his fingertip along Arthur's long neck and bare shoulders, noticing that both had a pink hue. "I think you're right. The sunscreen must have worn off while we were snorkeling."

"Well, if I'm too sunburnt to go outside tomorrow, I think I have a few plans for what we could do inside."

Alfred laughed and drifted off to sleep with Arthur curled next to him.

When he glanced over at Arthur the next morning, it looked like his concerns about the sunburn were overblown. Arthur's skin was back to its normal shade of pale and the Brit was sleeping deeply with his cheek pressed against the pillow.

Alfred admired the view again and made his morning cup of coffee. He hadn't really noticed the other night (being distracted with other, ahem, pressing matters), but the maids had done an impressive job with the cleaning, leaving the entire bedroom and bathroom spick and span. They have even put his toiletries back into his bag. Arthur would certainly be pleased. Glancing over at Arthur, he noticed the Brit begin to shift and slowly start to wake. Anticipating Arthur's desires, he made a cup of tea and handed it to Arthur, earning him a grateful smile.

"Beach today?" Alfred suggested.

"Just so long as you don't expect me to do more than wade," Arthur agreed. He seemed amused when Alfred insisted on coating him thickly with sunscreen, but didn't complain when strong American fingers rubbed the lotion onto nearly every inch of his body.

The water was once again perfect. Alfred splashed to his heart's delight while Arthur lounged under an umbrella and read a book. He didn't seem to be making it very far into the novel. Alfred suspected it was because Arthur was too busy ogling his strong, muscular body, but each time he glanced back, Arthur's gaze was firmly planted on the page. By the time Alfred was ready for a mid-afternoon snack, he returned to find Arthur napping with the book sprawled across his chest. Smiling fondly, Alfred took another photo to add to his collection. He was going to call it Sleeping Cutie, not that anyone other than him would have the chance to see them.

Alfred carefully lifted the book off of Arthur's chest, double-checked to make sure that Arthur was still completely covered by the shade of the umbrella, and then went off to buy a snack.

Lounging in a nearby beach chair with an overpriced ice cream cone in one hand and Arthur's book in the other, Alfred decided to get a sense of Arthur's taste in literature. Within moments, he was blushing furiously, amazed that Arthur could read kinky erotica on a public beach with a straight face. Or maybe 'straight' face wasn't the best description. It was hardcore gay erotica that would make the leather-clad bikers at a gay pride parade blush. Alfred grinned and mentally took notes.

When Arthur finally woke up from his nap, he snatched back his book and complained that Alfred should have woken him. "I don't want to waste the whole trip sleeping."

"Hey, it's vacation! You should get as much shut-eye as you want."

"That wasn't what you said last night," Arthur retorted.

Alfred laughed and shook his head fondly. "Well, yeah. It'd be a shame to use that nice bed just for sleeping." He grinned. "Man, I hope they have soundproof walls."

"Me, too."

Under the pleasant shade of the palm-lined streets, they biked along the circumference of the island. There weren't any cars on the island and it was easy to maneuver around the occasional golf cart. Alfred enjoyed the warm breeze in his hair and the delectable sight of Arthur biking in short-shorts ahead of him.

He'd always felt a bit bad about focusing on the physical attributes of the people he was interested in. He didn't want to see them as a pair of long legs with a cute butt and lean hips. They were people, with hopes and dreams! And Alfred thought it diminished the importance of discovering each other's personality and compatibility to have sex early in a relationship. But Arthur, incredible, sweet, awesome Arthur, was taking all of his preconceived notions and making him toss them out the window.

Every time Arthur opened his mouth, Alfred fell a little more in love. It was a love that encompassed him completely—mind, body and soul. He wanted everything Arthur had to offer, and he wanted to give him everything in return.

He was so focused on his thoughts that he barely noticed when they finished the loop around the island. Arthur slowed down and hopped off his bike. He turned around to smile at him and Alfred nearly ran into a tree.

"Are you sure you didn't get too much sun?" Arthur asked as he turned to the next page in his book. "You looked a little dazed at the end of our bike ride."

"Yeah, I'm positive! I left my other pair of sandals on the balcony yesterday, and now they aren't there at all." Alfred looked around the floor and even glanced under the bed.

"Maybe you should check your suitcase," Arthur suggested.

"Fine." Alfred opened the bag and reached inside. His eyes widened as he found his sandals tucked into the back pocket. He stared at them, dumbfounded. "I coulda swore I left them by the door..." he trailed off.

"See? I told you so." Arthur didn't even glance up from his book.

"Do you think the maids moved them?"

"I doubt it. I think you've just gotten too much sun."

Feeling a strange sense of foreboding, Alfred gave in when Arthur suggested staying inside for the rest of the day. Fortunately, he soon found himself distracted entirely and didn't give his unexplainable memory lapse another thought for the rest of the night.

Waking up before Arthur for the third day in a row was a pleasant surprise. Alfred had always assumed that the Englishman was an early riser, but it seemed that the vacation was a sorely needed chance to make up on lost sleep. Alfred didn't mind. He liked how young and relaxed Arthur looked in his sleep, his face bathed in the warm honey of the mid-morning sunlight.

When he noticed Arthur start to shift, he leaned forward and woke him up completely with a gentle kiss on the lips. "Vacationing must be good for you. You're getting to be a regular sleepyhead," Alfred said with a smile.

"Less talking. More tea," Arthur replied drowsily. He yawned as he arched backward in a slight stretch.

Alfred made the tea before the coffee and they drank them while poring over the guide books for new ideas. "Looks like there's a great view from the center of the island," he mentioned, growing more alert as he felt the caffeine pump through his veins. "It says the trail can get kinda muddy after it rains, but it's been clear weather for the past few days, so we should be fine."

Excited by the hike, Alfred reached into his suitcase for a tank top and shorts and was surprised when he found the same clothes he had worn the day before at the top of his bag. "Huh. That's weird," he murmured.

He heard Arthur's footsteps behind him. "What is?"

"The maids keep putting clothes back into my bag."

"Are you sure? I can't imagine they would have done that during the turndown service last night. Maybe there's a polite ghost who dislikes your clutter."

Even though he could tell that Arthur was teasing him, Alfred still shivered. Feeling a cold chill in the air, he dug into his bag with renewed determination until he found the leather pouch at the bottom. Pulling the decorated willow hoop out of the bag and holding it in his hand filled him with an immediate sense of relief.

"You brought your dream catcher," Arthur said with surprise.

"Yeah." Alfred flushed slightly, keeping his gaze focused on the hoop in his hand. "Wait, how did you know...?"

"You showed me your comic book collection during one of the loops."

Alfred jumped up in excitement and turned around to face Arthur. "I didn't know you liked comic books!"

"I don't," Arthur quickly replied. "I just wanted to get into your room."

"Ah." He knew that Arthur had been more interested in a purely carnal relationship at the beginning of the time loops, although he found that hard to believe given the tenderness he saw in Arthur's smiles. Disliking the awkward silence, Alfred changed the subject. "My grandmother made it for me. Did I ever tell you that she's Ojibwe?"

Arthur sounded intrigued. "No, you didn't."

"Yeah, when I was little I took it everywhere. I even took it to sleepovers. The other kids made fun of me, but there was no way I could listen to ghost stories without it."

"Apparently that hasn't changed," Arthur teased gently as he leaned in for a closer look. "Hmmm. That's odd."

"What is?"

"Oh, the bead at the center. I thought it was green."

"Nah, it's always been a blue one in the center. The green one is over here, see?" Alfred tapped a bead at the intersection of several strings. "The colors shift in the light, so you probably just saw it in bad lighting." He gently slipped the dream catcher back into its protective pouch and changed into his hiking clothes.

"I suppose you're right," Arthur agreed as they left on the hike.

The first mile was absolutely lovely. Birds chirped, butterflies swooped from flower to flower, and a gentle ocean breeze provided some cool air underneath the humid canopy. As they moved deeper towards the center of the island, the air grew stagnant and damp. Alfred's boots squelched in the mud, making each stop a little bit harder.

They paused for a breather at the second mile marker and both took a long drink of water. It wasn't cold, but at least it was wet.

"Only one more mile," Alfred promised, although Arthur looked less than thrilled.

"Why did I let you talk me into this?" the Englishman mumbled as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Come on, it's not that bad," Alfred replied as they resumed walking on the narrow, muddy path. "It couldn't be more than 85 in here. 90 tops!"

"What's that in a sensible metric?"

"Uh..." Alfred frowned in concentration. "Subtract 32... 53... times by 5... 265... divide by 9..." he trailed off. "It's too hot to math."

They took another water break. Despite the heat and humidity, the depths of the forest were filled with beautiful, lush plants and brilliant flowers. Some portions were so thick with vines that it was almost impossible to see the sky above.

Arthur's gaze seemed focused closer to the ground. "Good lord. I'm sweating from my forearms. I don't think you're supposed to sweat from your forearms."

"Don't worry, it'll be worth it," Alfred promised, although he was starting to grow a little worried himself.

He needn't have. They found a wonderful stone outcropping at the end of the trail and were immediately greeted with a cool ocean breeze coming over the tops of the trees. Climbing chiseled steps to the top of the boulders, they finally reached the highest point of the island. From their excellent vantage, they could see the turquoise waters of the bay fade into the dark blue ocean surrounding them in all directions. Distant islands topped the horizon. The forest spread out like a blanket beneath them; and it was green, green, everywhere, in all of its beautiful, verdant hues. Even better, they had it all to themselves.

"I'm going to miss this," Alfred said with a fond smile as they prepared for the long trek back to the resort.

"Me too. Especially the breezes."

"No, I mean our vacation. I can't believe it's already half over,"

"You're getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you? It's only our first day."

"Uh... what are you talking about? We did snorkeling the first day, and then the beach and biking the second day, and today's our third day."

Arthur jerked to a stop on the narrow path, making Alfred almost run into him. The Englishman turned around and gave Alfred an incredulous look. "We didn't do any snorkeling or biking. We got here yesterday."

"Look, I can prove that we've been here multiple days!" Alfred pulled out his phone and turned it on. He didn't have a cellphone plan outside the United States, but he could still show Arthur his pictures. He frowned as he noticed that the background had gone back to its earlier image of his favorite superhero instead of Arthur's sleeping face. His mouth dropped into an 'o' of surprise when he found that he didn't have either picture of Arthur sleeping. "I don't understand," Alfred said as he stared at his phone in shock.

He felt Arthur's warm hand against his forehead. "Do you feel feverish or anything? Do you need to sit down?"

"I'm not sick," Alfred insisted, as he tried to think of a way to prove that the days really happened. A flash of inspiration struck. "Your favorite movie is The Princess Bride."

Arthur frowned. "You could have guessed that..."

"But I didn't. You told me!"

"I don't remember..."

"It's true! Please believe me," Alfred begged.

"I do," Arthur said as his eyes widened with fear.

"You do?"

"I think you're stuck in a time loop," Arthur whispered.

"Holy shit." That was not the explanation Alfred had been prepared for, although it did explain why his belongings kept moving back into his suitcase. He shook his head in confusion. "Why is this happening?"

"I don't know. I don't even know why it happened the first time!"

Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur. "Hey, it's gonna be okay," he promised, although he wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure Arthur or just trying to reassure himself. "It's hardly the end of the world if I get an extra long vacation. And it's gotta end eventually. You found a way to end your loop, right?"

"Yes..."

"So I'll just do what you did." Alfred pulled away from the embrace and gave Arthur a grin. "What was your plan on the last day?"

"I wanted to give you a perfect day."

"Awww..." Alfred's heart melted at the sweetness. He gave Arthur another hug. "I'm going to give you the best day ever!"

Arthur still looked shocked and distressed, but he managed to give Alfred a wry smile. "Well, I suppose you have one advantage."

"What's that?"

"Your backdrop is a tropical paradise. I was stuck in Punxsutawney in winter."

Alfred laughed and wrapped an arm around Arthur's waist. The forest path wasn't really wide enough to walk side-by-side, but he did it anyway. "That's something I guess."

The way back was, if possible, even more hot and humid then before. They nearly finished off the last of their water with a mile left to go and Alfred barely managed to grab Arthur's arm before he could fall and twist his ankle in the mud.

"Thanks," Arthur said, giving him a wan smile as he wiped the dripping sweat from his brow. "For the record, if we're going to be stuck here for an eternity, I would prefer if we skip the sweltering hikes."

They spent the rest of the day making plans for everything Arthur wanted to do on the island, beginning with the horticulturist's tour of the manicured gardens and ending with a campfire on the beach. Alfred had a few ideas of his own to make the day perfect, including a boat tour to learn the pirate history of Dead Chest Island. It sounded like an awesome day. He just hoped it would be enough.

At Arthur's suggestion, he broke a pencil on the nightstand so he could tell at a glance whether the time loop was broken. Even though he worried that he would spend the entire night fretting, he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Hot and humid hikes were good for one thing at least.

As soon as he woke up, Alfred glanced at the nightstand. The pencil was unbroken. He sat up slowly and tried not to groan. Arthur was still blissfully asleep next to him, giving Alfred a few minutes to carry out his plan. He carried a phone out to the balcony and made the necessary calls, including an order to room service.

Alfred slipped back into bed just as Arthur was waking up. He handed the sleepy Englishman a cup of tea (a dash of milk, no sugar) and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, sunshine."

"Good morning," Arthur replied with a yawn and a smile. "There does indeed seem to be a lot of sunshine."

"Yep! It's gonna be a beautiful day."

"Oh?" Arthur leaned back into his pillow and took another sip of tea. "What's the plan?"

"Gardens. Lunch. Pirates. Dinner. Campfire!" Alfred said, rattling off the list he had memorized the night before.

"I see." Arthur set his mug down on the nightstand and gave Alfred a concerned look. "Alfred, I appreciate you going to the trouble of coming up with a day designed around my tastes, but the point of the vacation was doing something you wanted, remember?"

"Yeah, and I'm happy when you're happy." He saw the corners of Arthur's mouth begin to turn down and added, "And we'll do everything I want tomorrow, okay?"

"All right," Arthur gave in.

They both glanced toward the door when they heard a loud knock. "Room service!" a voice called.

"Come in!" Alfred called back. He smiled as the resort employee wheeled in a tray with two croissants, fresh fruit, and a side of bacon. The delicious scent wafted through the room, making Alfred's mouth water.

"This really isn't necessary," Arthur said as soon as the employee left them with the food, though Alfred could see his longing expression as he glanced at the perfectly golden, flaky croissant.

"Don't worry. I said that we'd put in an order for the pastry breakfast the night before and I wanted to know why it was half an hour late. They were very apologetic for the delay and said it was on the house."

"You didn't!" Arthur gasped with delight. "That sounds like something I would do." The Englishman took the croissant from the plate and bit into it happily. (Arthur had in fact suggested the idea, just as a way to get their breakfast delivered faster, but Alfred wasn't going to tell him that.)

After a leisurely breakfast they wandered over to the gardens and listened to the resort's horticulturalist give a tour. She discussed the different varieties of tropical plants and flowers, explaining which ones attracted butterflies and which ones could be grown as houseplants for those living in somewhat colder climates. Arthur seemed absolutely enthralled by the topic, and Alfred found himself enjoying the tour just so he could see the happy look on Arthur's face and listen to the Englishman quiz the horticulturalist about the different plants.

By the time it was over, Alfred was more than ready for lunch. They picnicked on the beach and then joined the boat tour headed for Dead Chest Island. According to legend, it was the island where the British pirate Blackbeard (true name: Arthur Teach) was thought to have abandoned fifteen of his men with only a bottle of rum, giving rise to the famous song "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum."

Although Alfred had felt fine while the boat was plowing its way through the waves, he began to feel queasy as soon as the ship anchored next to the island. With the swell of the ocean waves, the ship rocked up and down, up and down, up and down.

"Are you feeling all right?" Arthur asked, ignoring the guide as Alfred gripped the railing for dear life.

"Nooo..." Alfred moaned, feeling increasingly dizzy as he looked at the rippling waves.

He felt an arm wrap around his waist and steady him. "It helps to look at the horizon," Arthur suggested.

Taking the suggestion, Alfred looked up at the distant horizon but it didn't stop his lunch from coming up moments later. He retched over the side of the boat, heaving until even his breakfast was a distant memory. The only upside was that his glasses managed to stay on his face and his stomach felt less queasy once he was finished.

Arthur offered him a sip of water. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you got seasick."

"Neither did I," Alfred admitted. "I'm okay when the boat is moving, but this rocking. Ugh," he groaned and leaned into Arthur's side, feeling so miserable that he didn't even think about the fact that he probably still smelled like vomit.

The other passengers gave them a wide berth as the guide ferried them to shore in a smaller boat. Alfred almost kissed the ground in gratitude. He plopped down into a beach chair and tried not to think about the fact that he would need to get on the boat again to go back to their resort island. Although he tried to encourage Arthur to stick with the tour, the Brit insisted on staying by his side.

"I'm sure it's not very good. The guide has already gotten at least three things wrong about Blackbeard."

Despite his lingering queasiness, Alfred chuckled. "Kinda surprised you didn't stop to correct him."

"I would have, but I had my hands a bit full," Arthur replied with a fond look.

"Sorry."

"Don't be."

"I know. But today wasn't very good." Alfred sighed and leaned back in the chair. Since the pirate tour would need to get crossed off the planning list, he wondered if he should tell this day's Arthur about the time loop. Glancing over and seeing Arthur smile back at him, he decided against it. He didn't want to upset him again unnecessarily when it would be easy enough to ask him what he wanted to do without revealing his motivations.

Arthur reached over and clasped Alfred's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry. Tomorrow will be better."

After a happily vomit-free ride back to the resort's island, Alfred took a quick shower and brushed his teeth. Feeling somewhat human again, he crawled into their large, soft bed and napped. As the light outside began to fade, he woke up and saw that Arthur had spent the time reading out on the balcony. It was probably a good thing that he was trapped in a time loop because he had wasted most of their day.

"Do you feel up to dinner?" Arthur asked when he noticed that Alfred was awake.

"Not really," Alfred admitted. His stomach grumbled pathetically, reminding him that he was hungry. Even though most food didn't sound appetizing, he could think of one thing he still wanted to eat. "I could go for some ice cream."

Arthur laughed. "Then an ice cream dinner it is!"

They curled up together in a hammock not too far from the beach campfire and watched the flames flicker and glow beneath the starry sky. Alfred had felt well enough to make a tasty s'more earlier, but now he wanted to do nothing other than relax and enjoy the comforting warmth of Arthur pressed against his side. It was a beautiful evening and the Englishman looked absolutely gorgeous by firelight, with his sparkling eyes and golden hair. And beneath that lovely exterior was an equally kind soul.

Alfred had just known from the moment he met Arthur that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. But after Arthur's somewhat traumatic experience with the time loop he wondered if it was too soon in the relationship to admit his strong feelings to Arthur. He didn't want to make Arthur feel trapped into staying with him just because he had helped him find his way out of the time loop. But then again, maybe it was fate if he was the one who held the key to ending the loop.

As those difficult thoughts raced through his head, Alfred caught Arthur's glance, returned it with a fond look, and leaned in for an eager kiss.

"Penny for your thoughts," the Brit whispered.

"I was thinking about our first kiss," Alfred admitted. "That evening outside the skating rink. Do you remember, right before it started to snow?"

"I remember," Arthur said fondly.

"You had such a lovely, peaceful expression on your face. I knew that you wanted me for me and not anything else. I just had to kiss you."

Arthur carded his fingers through Alfred's hair and sighed. "I wish you could remember all of the earlier ones. The very first was after we made snow angels."

Alfred grinned. "Snow angels, really?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"It seems so weird to talk about snow here."

"I know. I'm so happy to feel warm again."

"I'll always keep you warm," Alfred promised. He sucked in his breath and decided to take the plunge. "I love you. I've known I loved you since that first kiss."

Arthur gasped. "...you did?"

"Yep."

"I don't know when I fell in love with you," Arthur admitted, his voice whisper quiet. "It happened so slowly that I didn't notice until one day I knew I didn't want anyone other than you. I love you, too."

Arthur pressed his cheek against Alfred's chest and they fell asleep together in the hammock by the light of the warm campfire.

Alfred woke up with a crick in his neck, a pain which was readily explained by the fact that he had slept in an uncomfortable hammock. He glanced to the side and noticed the sun start to rise on the horizon.

"Hey," he whispered into Arthur's ear. "Look at that."

They enjoyed the dawn together and went back to their comfortable king-sized bed. This time, when Alfred broke the pencil, it stayed broken. It had never been about creating a perfect day, he realized. It was about recognizing that he was head-over-heels in love, and then admitting it both to himself and to Arthur. As long as he had that, every day was perfect.

THE END.

Author's Notes

Decided to finish this on 2/22. I think I like this ending better, so it's the official one. The alternative ending happens immediately afterward for reasons that will soon become apparent.

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Alternative Ending

"Babe~" the alarm crooned. "I've got you babe~"

"No!" Arthur gasped and bolted upright. He leapt out of bed and jerked open the curtains. The roads outside were clear and crowds had already begun to gather near the town square. He was back in Punxsutawney and it was Groundhog's Day. Again.

Arthur stared at the radio clock in dismay, his distress replaced with confusion as someone other than Alfred gave the morning weather report. Seeing nothing else to do, Arthur tugged on his clothes as quickly as possible and raced outside to confront the groundhog once more.

Emma and Kiku were waiting for him in the usual spot, although this time Emma was chatting on her mobile when Arthur arrived. He looked up at the podium and didn't see Alfred anywhere.

"...rather last-minute to begin with, so I completely understand," she said reassuringly. "Thanks for letting me know." She hung up and gave Arthur a small shrug. "Looks like we'll need to reschedule our interview with the groundhog," she explained.

Arthur's eyes widened. "That was Alfred Jones? The person you were talking to right now?"

Looking a little confused, Emma nodded. "Yeah, he said he was feeling a bit under the weather, but we might be able to make an arrangement with his replacement."

The crowd began to cheer as an older man approached the groundhog's burrow.

Arthur's feet acted with a mind of their own. Ignoring Emma and Kiku's shouting, he pushed his way out of the crowd and, as soon as he reached the street, began to sprint for Alfred's house. He was glad that it was a small town, since he was out of breath by the time he arrived at the charming wooden house. Arthur climbed up the stairs to the studio apartment above the garage and pounded on the door.

"Who is it?" Alfred called, sounding surprised at his early morning visitor.

"Alfred? It's me, Arthur."

After an unbearable silence, the door slowly creaked open and Arthur found himself face to face with Alfred F. Jones. Instead of the happy welcome he was expecting, the young man looked pale and shocked.

Alfred gaped. "Oh. My. God. You're real?"

"Of course, I'm real. What else would I be?" Arthur retorted as he pushed his away into the bedroom. He spotted the dream catcher hanging above the bed and made a beeline for it. He stared at the beads in confusion. There was still the green bead and the blue beads, but now none of them were trapped in the center. He turned around to face Alfred, who was still giving him a wide-eyed look of panic. "You dreamt that it was Groundhog's Day over and over again, and then there was an island, right?" Arthur asked.

"How did you know that?" Alfred demanded.

"Because I had the same dreams," Arthur whispered. They stared at each other in amazed silence. Arthur closed the distance between them with two quick strides and hugged Alfred tightly, burying his head against the American's chest. "I remember everything. Every single day, every single date."

Alfred hugged him back and Arthur could feel the tension flow out of the America's body. "So do I. I'm glad... I'm glad I'm not alone. I was starting to think I was psychic or psycho or something," Alfred admitted. He pulled back and gave Arthur a serious look. "If you know what's happening, do you know how to stop it?"

"I'm not sure, but I think we have to break the dream catcher."

Alfred gasped. "You can't break my grandmother's gift!"

"Do you want this to end? It keeps sucking us in and pulling us through these repeating time loops!" Arthur shouted. He turned on his heels to destroy the object himself. He pulled the dream catcher off the wall, but a weight knocked him to the bed before he could break it.

"No!" Alfred shouted, snatching the loop out of Arthur's hands. "If you love me, then you'll listen to me!"

The Englishman stopped struggling. It was strange to have all of these feelings he could barely explain throbbing in his chest, but he couldn't deny that he had them. He rolled over and watched as a thoughtful expression crossed Alfred's face.

"Grandma taught me that the dream catcher doesn't just stop bad dreams. It can take some dreams and purify them until they're good dreams." Alfred moved his hand in a circle around the outer willow loop. "See, they go round and round, becoming better dreams until they can pass through the heart. I think that's what happened to us."

Arthur frowned in confusion. "You think the days aren't going to repeat any more? You think it's finally over?"

"No." Alfred shook his head. "I don't think the days ever repeated to start with. It was all just dreams until now. Today is Groundhog's Day and there's only going to be one."

Arthur looked at Alfred and then at the dream catcher. Given that the dreams had made him a better person and led him to the love of his life, he was willing to trust Alfred. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Well, then. I suppose we'd better make every day count. First, I'd better convince Emma and Kiku that I'm not crazy."

"Yeah. And I should do that interview to help you get the transfer to New York."

"That would be lovely." Arthur gave Alfred a hesitant smile and his heart leapt when he saw Alfred smile back. They both leaned in for a kiss, and from their eager, passionate embrace, Arthur knew that the love they had found in their shared dreams was real. They pulled back and stared into each other's eyes and Arthur felt a warm love that melted away the winter chill.