"Oui, it has been very nice to see you, Gilbert. So good to work together on the same side, and against Arthur. Winning la guerre will be très facile." Francis spoke jovially as he embraced his old friend in a hug, pressing his lips to his cheek. He heard the Prussian laugh as he pulled away.

"Ja, it's been a while, huh? Who would have thought that it would be Alfred, of all people, that would end up uniting us?" He paused a moment, putting on his jacket and chuckling. "Francis, are you excited to see the look on Arthur's face when he loses to Alfred and you? He will be absolutely crushed!" The enthusiasm with which Gilbert spoke caused Francis to crack a wicked smirk, but he nodded calmly. Neither he nor Gilbert noticed as Alfred crept up to the doorway and stood listening as Francis started to speak again.

"Ah, bien sûr. Arthur will be heartbroken. He can have a taste of his own medicine, he will see what it feels like to lose a colony. And much like how I lost mine to him, he will lose Alfred in large part because of my help. It will be a marvelous defeat, I am sure. I know how attached he is to his little America." He told Gilbert, a determined glint in his eye. His friend clapped him on the back.

"It is always so exciting to see your fire come out like this, Francis! I know you've got your heart set on winning this, and I believe you will. I best be on my way, now, though, I have got a ship back to Europe to board soon. Auf Wiedersehen!" And with that and an energetic wave, Gilbert headed outside and mounted his horse and rode off. Alfred crept into the room quietly, his hands shaking.

"Francis..?" Alfred asked hesitantly, eyes wide. The Frenchman jumped, but then turned to face the younger blond with a smile that faltered when he saw the look on the American's face.

"What is it, cher? Is something wrong?"

"Is that the only reason you're helping me? To spite Arthur, to put him to shame? I know you two have your history but..." Alfred sniffled, "I guess I was naïve enough to think that you were not just helping me because you wanted to hurt Arthur, but because you believed in me and cared about my cause." He turned and ran from the room, and up the staircase. His feet thumped on each step, and Francis heard a door slam somewhere upstairs, which caused him to flinch again.

Francis waited a moment, gathering his thoughts and forming a plan on how to approach the situation, before he climbed the steps after Alfred. He knocked three times on the boy's bedroom door, to no response, before opening it and seeing that he was not inside. Next, he tried Alfred's study, and found that he could only open the door a sliver because there was a stool lazily set in front of it. With a little extra force, Francis entered the room.

Sitting at his desk, his face buried in his arms atop his paperwork, was a crying Alfred. Francis crossed the room at sat beside Alfred on his work bench, wrapping his arm around the boy.

"Alfred, look at me." He didn't budge. "Cher, I need to talk to you." He kept his face in his arms and didn't move. Francis lifted his chin, locking his eyes with Alfred. The boy's eyebrows were furrowed, like he was trying to put up a front of anger to cover how hurt he was.

"I am not in this war only to fight against Arthur." He said flatly, and genuinely. Brushing hair that was wet with tears from Alfred's face, he continued. "I am on your side because I think that you deserve your freedom, because I think that you can build something amazing once your future is in your own hands, and because I believe that how Arthur has been treating you is wrong. Enraging him as well is just an excess benefit." Even though Francis' words were reassuring, Alfred looked down.

"Alfred, I am with you because I love you, you know that, oui?" Alfred made a sound that was somewhere between a whimper and a laugh.

"Yeah, I do know that. I just got scared because... Because, well, you're all I have." The American admitted quietly. Francis felt his heart seize up, and leaned forward and gave Alfred a kiss. When he pulled away he gave him the most encouraging and earnest smile he could muster.

"And you, mon amour, are all I need. Do not be so self conscious, you are important to a lot of people. And I can assure you that I am at the very top of that list." Francis stated. Alfred leaned in this time, giving the Frenchman a quick and sloppy- but passionate- kiss in return.

"Thank you, Francis. For everything."