A/N: Sorry for the eeeeeehness of this fic. It kinda moves a little fast, but hey I wrote this and my other fic today so sorry. Anyways, the story is still cute so enjoy!

The rain hitting the roof intensified for a moment before almost disappeared. Repeating this process in random increments the storm clouds darkened the room further. All the lights in the two story town house were off and no smoke rose lazily from the chimney like all the other houses on the block. To any passer-byers it would look as though all residents were out, but they were not. In one of the dark rooms, under 3 different blankets, peaking out to stare at the rain drizzle against a glass window was a man. He was rather ordinary, maybe a little tall, but other than that average. He had dirty blonde hair, simple blue eyes, a semi-muscular, semi-flabby body and in no way had any personality merits that made him stand out in a crowd. Aside from being rather obnoxious and loud, he was a simple man of modest morals and average intelligence. No wonder he had such a limited number of friends and an even smaller number of 'more than friends'.

At least that was what the man was telling himself. He was far too boring to expect anyone to actually like him. Sure some people would be initially attracted to his friendly demeanor, but once they got to know him few actually stuck around. When he was a small child he used to dream about being someone spectacular, someone people looked to for inspiration. Sometimes the dreams were about becoming an amazing superhero, other times a movie star. As he grew older his dreams become more rational: being a firefighter, or a screen writer. Eventually his dreams become so realistic he settled for the glory job of a software programmer at a city planning company.

His eyes followed one water drop from the top of his window all through its journey to the bottom, where it formed a puddle with its friends. Alfred imagined a happy celebration the others would put on for this new member, welcoming him with opening arms.

"And I bet you're just as normal as any other rain droplet right?" He asked angrily, before he noticed some water poring over the edge of the sill. "See they push out people like you out as soon as there bored with them." He said to one of the droplets sliding its way down to the group. "Fine don't believe me, but don't come crying when they kick you out of the group and leave you alone. They just like you 'cause you're new, but they'll forget you and make other friends they would rather spend time with."

Alfred then realized he was arguing with water. Was this really what his social life had come to, fights with precipitation? Debating on whether or not to get up and do something with his day, Alfred pushed part of his foot out of his cocoon of comforters. Instantly, he regretted it. Perhaps going straight to his room without turning on the heater had been a bad idea. He started to twist his body further into the blanket cave he constructed, when he heard his front door swing open.

Matt shouldn't be home yet. He thought tensing every muscle in his body. Believing he could make his presence unknown by becoming one with the covers he pulled them tightly against his curled up body. Normally he would have gone to check the situation out, no fear in his mind, but after the rather long anti-pep talk he had just given himself, that was not going to happen.

Footsteps worked the way up the stairs and towards his door. Alfred tried to reassure himself that the intruder had to be rather small to make such a small noise while walking. The door creaked open and Alfred's breath caught in his throat. Before he could decided to run the lights flashed on and an all too familiar voice started yelling at him.

"Why in bloody hell are you sitting in the dark?" Arthur questioned and Alfred swore he could hear the Brit's huge eyebrows moving forward angrily.

"Go away." Alfred said it against his pillow, so Arthur simply heard loud mumbling.

"Stop eating the blanket and form a coherent sentence, git."

"Actually I was eating the pillows…" Alfred poked his face out of the blankets, slowly untangling his limbs.

"Oh course you were…" Arthur rolled his eyes trying to remember the nice Mathew William he was doing this favor for. Boy would that Canadian owe him for this.

"Hey, how the hell dya' get in my house?" Sitting up, Alfred looked questioningly at his British neighbor. He kept one of the blankets wrapped around his torso and covering his head like it was some sort of hooded jacket.

"Oh like I don't know where you boys keep your spare key. By the way, that 'rock,' is horribly fake any imbecile would have known your key was under it."

"Wait we have a spare key! Why didn't Matt tell me! And what fake rock are you talking about!" Alfred was obviously faking his concern, yelling in a very half done way. Arthur, having known the brothers for almost 5 years now, realizes that Alfred really is in a foul mood. He often picks fights with the Brit and has actually gotten quite good at starting them. Today he seemed to give up half way through the sentence he was using to start it.

"Well, I did not come here to help solve the management issues in your house. Get dressed I'm taking you out." Arthur started to leave, but turned around when he realized nothing was fallowing him. Alfred now had his back to the door and was lying back down again, dragging a finger up and down his wall. "Alfred, honestly, is it worth mopping this much about?"

"Probably not… but this is." He rolled back over and looked at Arthur.

"What do you mean?" Sighing, Arthur crossed his arms. He was growing very tired of his usually boisterous neighbors' awful mood. Usually this boy's smile made the sun look dim, though Arthur would never admit to thinking that.

"You know how sad it is to know the only person who cares enough to try and make me feel better is my grumpy old neighbor, who was probably talked into doing it by my brother." Arthur's face grew angry at the words 'grumpy' and 'old'. Stupid git, I am only 29. The last bit made him relax though. Sure Mathew had called and asked Arthur to check on his older brother, but Arthur had decided to cheer to idiot up all on his own. Part of him wanted to tell Alfred this, hoping it may bring back the light that usually sat behind Alfred's blue eyes. The other, much stronger part, was to embarrassed by the fact he even looked at the boys eyes to say anything. So he just stood there and blushed a bit.

"You were weren't you…. Just leave okay. I'll lie and tell my brother you showed me a good time so you don't have to feel bad for flaking." The heaving of sighs was getting old and simply depressing. Arthur could not help but think there was more to the American's relationship with Kiku then he let on. This, however, was the idea of a little green monster hiding in Arthur's chest.

"Alfred-" Steeping closer to the bed, Arthur tried to think of a way to pry into Alfred's mind. It was not because the idea of Alfred being in love with someone made his heart crack. He just needed to know how to deal with the situation.

"No seriously its fine, I get it. Most people don't like me very much. I'm rude, obnoxious, stupid… I think you say wanker. So it's cool, I'll just call Kiku later and mope about it to him. It's his fault anyways." Maybe it was odd for Arthur to have been overcome by the need to punch a certain quite Japanese man, but that was just his over caring nature.

"Seriously, you're pouting just because you're best mate moved to Greece?" Please be just his best mate, please. A strange voice echoed in the Brit's head. He quickly shooed it away.

"No I'm mopping because my only 'mate' went and moved to Greece. I'm mopping because he moved for some guy he's know for like a year and left me alone in this hell hole called life." Alfred's voice came out angry, but his eyes, which stared into Arthur's, spoke only loneliness.

"Alfred, you'll make other friends." If Alfred did not starting smiling his smile soon, Arthur did not know what he would do.

"No I won't. I'm nothing special. Hell Kiku was only my friend 'cause I forced it upon him. I'm boring, which is why Kiku went and got that other guy to be his best friend." Arthur cocked and eyebrow, not sure if Alfred really was that innocent. Alfred saw and quickly added, "and yeah I know they're gay, but it's still the same thing. It sucks knowing he got so bored being a single man with me that he went and got with the first guy he met. Seriously that dude is so boring and all he talks about is cats!" He huffed looking at Arthur for a nod of agreement, which was given rather questioningly. "And that was better than being friends with me." Sadness was not a good tone for Alfred's voice, at least that's what Arthur decided his reason for wanting to hug the bloody wanker was.

"Good god lad, I cannot hear any more of this." And he really could not. Not when he was so adamantly against showing any sort of affection. Oh how he wanted to hug the pain in Alfred's eyes away. "Sit up and scoot over." Perhaps sitting closer to him would help.

"Why? Just leave, you know you want to." Alfred said, while sitting up and scooting over. Arthur sat a little too close, but decided not to draw attention to this by staying exactly where he was.

"Nope, now share some of them covers, you're house is like Antarctica. You do know you have central heating?" Arthur asked well puling at Alfred's well made cocoon. Damn he built this well. He finally got it, but it required him to sit even closer to Alfred. Why was the space between their legs so bloody hot?

"Yes I do. I'm not completely retarded." Alfred huffed and, maybe it was just Arthur's imagination gone wild, scrunched in close enough to Arthur that there thighs touched lightly.

"There you go, say more stuff like that. I don't like this self loathing Alfred one bit." Coming out a bit shaking, Arthur's voice was also much too high. His cheeks also seemed to have increased in temperature.

"And you like the other me better…" Alfred rolled his eyes as he, seriously was Arthur hallucinating, scooted over even closer.

"Yes in fact I do. Your usual optimism is refreshing. It's what set you apart, so don't go down this path and lose that." Nervously laughing, Arthur tried to tell himself that Alfred was simply as cold as himself. That was the only reason their shoulders were touching.

"I guess." Was that a smile tickling the depressed American's mouth?

"Nope, no guessing. Alfred Jones does not guess, right?" Arthur could not help but want the smile to creep across Alfred's face enough to light of his beautiful blue eyes.

"Yeah." It was spreading, defiantly spreading. Arthur was so focused on it infract, he barely noticed a hand on his knee.

"More enthusiasm git!" Did Arthur's hand really lay itself on that one resting on the Brit's knee.

"Yeah!" And there it was, just like the ones he shot Arthur over their wooden fence.

"Good, now stay like that and you'll have a new best mate in no time." Maybe even something more than that. Wait, no Arthur did not think that.

"…Thanks. You're a pretty decent guy." Surely, they were not holding hands.

"Well, I promised your brother so…" Arthur laughed a little, looking away from Alfred's light up eyes reluctantly.

"Right, right. You didn't care at all." A soft sob came out of the American and his hand started to slip away. Arthur would have none of that. He tightened his hold around the git's fingers.

"Now don't go do that again! Of course I did it 'cause I care, I don't just go around complementing random people so their brothers will thank me." Arthur's face had become an unhealthy shade of red as he sputtered out his last line, "I did it cause I care about you, so stop it!" There was a pause before a hand tightened around the Brit's and a roar of laughter came from the American's chest.

"Haha. I was just wanted you to say it," Alfred said between chuckles.

"G-git." Was the only coherent word Arthur remembered. A few more laughs bounced around the room as Alfred calmed down. This only made Arthur's cheek remain their tomato like color. Alfred had to admit it was rather… cute.

"You know you like me." Very quickly, almost so quick that Arthur did not notice, Alfred pecked the Brit's blushing cheek.

"…w-whatever." Arthur turned beet red. He could not help but wonder if there had been more to Alfred's moping than just Kiku's departure. A dared to even hope there was, but that was a conversation for another time.

A/N: If I have time this will become a two shot… if I have time, but mostly if people comment!