Tha gaol agam ort

Clutching the neatly-wrapped packages tightly against my chest, I battle through the Gail-force winds in Dublin. I turn a corner, almost hitting a couple walking in the opposite direction. They look so happy, even in such bad weather. How I envy them. Shaking my head harshly, I restart my battle to get to the Irelands' home… Where my other two brothers are most probably.

Shawn, the embodiment of Wales, James and Shamus, the embodiments of North and South Ireland respectively, and… Angus. The person I love and hate the most. The only one to have enough of my break my heart to break me completely and utterly… and I love it. I chuckle to myself, I'm such a masochist. Opening the gate to the neat front garden of James and Shamus' large red brick house, I walk through. It closes shut behind me with a bang, barely heard over the roar of the wind. I continue up the path to the front door. Even before I have the chance to pull out my set of keys out of my jeans pocket, the door is wrenched open and I'm dragged into the house by a set of ginger haired, green eyed Irish twins with identical furrowed brows and worried mothering looks in their eyes.

"For Christ sakes Arthur, ye so thin" says James softly, ruffling my hair 'Why do I have to be the shortest?'

"Have ye been eatin' o' late?" Shamus growls gruffly as he pulls the four packages from my arms and walks into the living room.

"I have been eating… I've just been too busy stopping Alfred from sniffing glue and helping Germany with the Italy twins plus trying to get through a world meeting without the Frog touching me…" I trail off worried by the look in James' eyes.

"Don' say that infront o' Angus… you remember what happened last time" he pulls me into a tight hug, his head resting on mine. Of course I remember that day…

"ANGUS! Help me!" I yell running though a corridor, Tears flowing freely

"Angus! ANGUS!" I trip over a fold in the carpet and land flat on my face

"Ohonononon! Mon petite lapin is so cute when 'e tries to run" I'm flipped onto my back, my arms held above my head in a firm grip by Francis as he kneels between my legs

"G-g-get off me!" I stumble over my words, never before have I been so terrified

"Ohonononon…"

"OI! GET OFF ME WEE ARTHUR YA FROG!" The smell of cigar smoke was welcome… Angus was here. I smiled a little, despite the situation I'm in.

"Ahhhhhhhh! It's Scotland" he's wrenched off me by the tall – tallest of the British Iles brothers – red haired jock by the collar of his flashy powder blue coat. Angus then proceeds to throw the personification of France against a nearby wall repeatedly.

"Whatcha think you doin' tryin' ta' attack me wee Arthur? Do ya want me to set Nessie on ya 'gain?"

"N-non! Not 'er, pleaaaaseee!"

He looked at me and all of his anger seemed to melt away as he looked into my eyes.

He sighs "Leave Francis. Now!" Before he even finishes speaking, France has already disappeared. He walked over to me and sits between my legs… and yet for some reason I'm not scared. I sit up, so his and my eyes are level. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me against him. Without warning he presses his lips to mine gently.

"Donnea ever scare me like that again"

I pull away, and walk to the living room where I nestle into my favorite seat in the sofa.

"I'm guessing that Ang hasn't arrived yet" Shamus shakes his head "No. Neither has Shawn the Sheep" we both chuckle softly

"Tea Artie?" shouts James from the kitchen.

"Yes please, no sugar. And don't call me Artie… Jamie" I shout back

"Sticks 'n' stones, love"

"I'm rubber, your glue"

We continue our verbal tennis match until the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it" I shout, turning to Shamus who's busy reading. I walk to the door and open it and see…

"SHAWNEY!" I jump on him, knocking the wind out of his

"ARTIE!" He yells at the same time as me. We both start to laugh hysterically

After a couple of minutes of just laying on the cold ground hugging, we get up, dust ourselves off and head inside.

"Hi Shawn, Tea?" shouts James

"Yeah please" answers Shawn

"How's my favorite sheep shagger?" Shamus asks as we enter the living room.

"How's my favorite Southern leprechaun?" retorts Shawn, embracing one of our Irish brothers

"Touché" The three of us sit down as James bustles in with four cups of steaming hot tea. We each take one of the cups and fall into a content and comfortable silence.

The four of us sit like this for around half an hour, when the door rings.

"Answer the door sweetie" Shamus says to James

"Yeah sweetie" James says to me

"Yeah sweetie" I say to Shawn

"…" he stands up without a word and strides out of the room. Shamus leans over and grabs my left hand which was, unknown to me, shaking. I place my other hand gently over the scars on my left hip…

"Your mine Arthur! Why donnea und'rstand tha'?"

"Because I'm no one's property, least of all you!" He didn't even give me a chance to explain. Before I knew it I was chained to his bed on my back and Angus was carving 'Scotland's property forever' into the pale and previously unblemished skin on my left hip.

He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. I shoot a nervous smile at him. As I swallow quietly I think to myself 'Now or never England, old boy'

"Birdies… I'm home!" A familiar Scottish drawl reverberates around the room as Angus follows Shawn to where we are. He looks exactly the same as the last time I saw him. Unkempt red hair sticking up in every direction, emerald orbs shining with mirth. Every time I see him, I can't help but fall a little deeper

"Hi Aggie" Says James happily, giving him a friendly hug, which is happily reciprocated. As soon as James pulls away, he is replaces by Shamus. I swallow again, hoping that I won't stutter.

"Hello Angus" I say while I stand up from my seat.

He turns to look at me. His eyes staring right into my very soul, as he analyzes every little bit of me.

"Ye've gotten thinner" Walking over to me; he bends down and kisses me once on each cheek…

Then once on the lips. I hold back a moan as I feel his soft lips against mine. This is heaven. Suddenly, he pulls back, pulling me into a bone crushing hug – his arms wrapped securely around my waist – muttering loving words and apologies in my ear in Gaelic. Then, he says the three words I have longed to hear from him.

"Tha gaol agam ort"

END

Translation:

Tha gaol agam ort – I love you