Title:Ælfen Rain
Genre: AU, Romance, Adventure, Supernatural
Pairing(s): USxUK
Rating: PG, may go up in further chapters
Warnings:use of human names (because it's AU), dark themes in further chapters
Summary: Alfred is curious about the boy in the rain.

He only ever saw him when it rains. Walking, head down low, trudging on the muddy road east towards the village beyond the forest, or sometimes north towards the bus stop. Early morning or in the twilight. Every single time it rains.

Alfred fancies, he could almost be a traveler from another world, moving slowly in the mist and rain, complete with cloak, bows and arrows, headed home after a hunt. But of course it can only be his imagination. The boy is wearing a dark blue school uniform, complete with green striped tie and polished shoes. Sometimes, he can see the raindrops and flecks of mud just slide off those shoes. He has never actually seen his face though, something about him makes Alfred look away to the side, to the ground or anywhere else but at him.

Perhaps it's because he looked so sharp and well dressed in the distance, despite the fact that he is walking in the downpour and getting soaked. He's probably from one of those snotty exclusive all-boys schools that are so popular in this stuffy British country. Alfred missed the noise, bustle and color of his high school back home in Los Angeles. He missed the sunshine and the entertainment. If he were back home, bored and looking out his classroom window, he could see the sun shining on the Pacific ocean and the sand would be glittering. Girls would be playing in tiny bikinis and guys would be surfing and...

"Ahem..!" the old stodgy person speaking in front of the class cleared his throat loudly, "Are you alright Mister Jones?"

The class tittered softly as Alfred pasted a plastic smile on his face and answered in negative. He was bored, bored, bored. The sounds of the rain hitting windowpane made a soothing melody conducive to sleep. The only way to stay awake was to keep himself entertained. And the only thing currently entertaining to him, is the mystery of that boy in the rain.

He leans his forehead on the cold classroom window. The plink plink plink of the raindrops hitting the glass softly echoes to vibrations onto his forehead and the fingertips he rested against the windowpane. He idly wonders what the other boy is doing. Is he also staring out the window of his classroom waiting for the final bell to ring? Does he even own an umbrella?

A figure passed by the gate of the school, choppy blonde hair glowing starkly amidst the pallid grey of the rain and pavement. Alfred straightened up with anticipation. He craned his neck to follow the figure until it vanished in the mist. "No umbrella then, as usual." he thought.

A sliver of disappointment passed through him as he realized he would no longer be able to see the other boy for a while. The weather forecast for the next few days was "Sunny". He impatiently went back to waiting for the bell to ring, suddenly gripped by the urge to talk to the boy. To make the other notice him.

In all the times they had passed by each other in the rain, or even sometimes walked in the same direction, never had he been noticed. His friendly greetings were all ignored, and he has been too intimidated by the fierce scowl and cold aura emanating from him to persist in greeting him.

He felt invisible. Like he couldn't be seen nor heard by the person who is now so familiar to him. And that bothered him, it's his brother's specialty, not his. No one ignores the hero! Even when his brother and him just arrived from the US and transferred to this school, all the other students and teachers welcomed him with open arms. Their neighbors were very friendly and responsive to his smiles and antics. Even the creepy old people who lived in that mansion from across the street with their grandson, who happened to be their French teacher. Everyone likes Alfred F. Jones!

So why? What's wrong with him in the eyes of that scary not-stranger who also walks on his way home during the rains? Is it because he's American? But the British girls love American boys (or so he's been told), and could it be the way he dresses? (He's not exchanging his antique bomber jacket for anything!) Was he too loud when he was walking with him? Did he find him ugly?

*Rrrrriiiinnngggggggg*

"Finally!" he cheered exuberantly and shot out of his chair.

He noticed that everyone had stopped whatever they were doing and looked at him. You can almost hear a pin drop after his rather loud exclamation.

"Ahahahah... I'm just reeeally looking forward to my Mom's cooking. She's making toad-in-a-hole for dinner tonight..."

"Ah yes, give our regards to your mother then Mister Jones," the portly professor said in dismissal, while some girls giggled quietly at his behavior. "Homework shall be passed when classes resume after Halloween."

And with that, Alfred ran off into the rain, not minding the fog in his glasses nor the cool drops running down his face. Of course he's not ugly. He may be loud, and brash and most definitely American (he almost went green at the thought of the excuse he made up, toad-in-a-hole sounds yucky) but he knows that he has the power of Charm! And truth, and justice so surely friendship will follow!

The other boy must be so grumpy because he doesn't have any friends. (And an umbrella to shield him from the rain.) But Alfred is heroic enough to rise up to the challenge and befriend him. After all, they already share the same road home, why not share something more?

~~
A/N: yay! This is my first time publishing a USxUK fanfic here.