Warning: Rated for Yaoi, swearing/slang, shipping, USUK and many others.

Alfred used to think he was alone in the world. But that all changed when he met Arthur, who kept telling the child that Arthur was made by him.

In My Mind's Eye

Chapter 1: My New Best Friend

I met Arthur Kirkland on what felt like the worst day of my life.

I was walking home with two kids from my second grade class, Ludwig Beilschmidt, who was a German immigrant's son, and Kiku Honda, who came to the US from Japan when he was six. On our path, however, stood Lovino Vargas from the fourth grade, though he was just as tall as us despite the age gap. Ludwig and Kiku were close friends with Lovino's brother, Feliciano, but Lovino didn't approve of them, though I never knew why. I think it might have been something about Italian pride and quite honestly xenophobia, but that's beside the point.

"Hey!" Lovino shouted at us with a mocking laugh. "Potato bastard and Jap, it's time for you to die! Obviously, my idiot younger brother can't tell you guys are trash, but I think this will get the message to him."

"No," I said, stepping forward, looking as tall as I could. I was sick of these stupid older boys always picking on us younger kids, and I had always wanted to put a stop to it, especially when the one doing the bullying now was the shrimp of the fourth grade class! "You won't hurt them."

"Oh?" Lovino said slyly, tilting his head and snapping his fingers. Out of the bushes came Ivan Braginsky, the biggest kid in the third grade class and probably the whole school. He had that same, creepy smile that freaked everyone out, which was probably why the only friend he had was his younger sister in the first grade, Natalia, who was just as creepy as him. Ivan began to crack his fingers, and Lovino laughed as he asked, "And why is that?"

"Because," I didn't falter in my height, and I only grew as I placed my hands on my hips and tried to make the bravest face I could, "because I am the hero, and in order to hurt the innocent, you have to go through the hero first!"

"I have to go home soon, anyways," Ivan shrugged as he continued, "can I just take down this one instead?" Lovino grew as red as a tomato with rage and just as he was about to spew a stream of curses and swears at all of us, he turned and saw that Ludwig and Kiku had disappeared, probably because of Kiku being a ninja and Ludwig estimating none of us together would make it out that easily. I was left alone, stranded to the angry Italian and crazy Russian's punishment.

"Let me throw the first punch!" Lovino was even redder and threw a weak punch at my face, which I easily blocked, but Ivan soon followed, and, well, things got a lot rougher. To make a long story short, I was left on the sidewalk bleeding and bruised all over, unable to do anything but cry from the immense pain shooting through me like a thousand knives. I was alone there for at least half an hour, and by then the sun was behind the trees, covering me in shade. I managed to pick myself , and was surprisingly able to walk without a limp, but not for too long.

I was just crossing the park, which I used as a shortcut to my house, when my backpack became too heavy for me and I had to sit down. I threw my bag on the ground and collapsed onto a bench and began to cry again.

I hated my life. I was alone with no true best friend or a circle to hang out with. Sure I was popular with everyone in class, but I wasn't the first, second, third, or even fourth choice when it came to choosing partners for projects. Plus, I had no real family anymore. My parents had recently divorced and I was living with my father and his girlfriend who had started the fights in the first place. My brother, Matthew Williams, lived with our mother and adopted her last name.

"I'm alone," I whispered out loud between my sobs. I didn't know why I said it, but I think I was hoping someone would hear me. No, I wanted someone to hear me, come over and comfort me, and offer to be my friend.

"I…I…don't…want…to be…alone."

"But you're not alone, love."

I felt a hand brushing my hair and realized my head was in a man's lap. I blushed and slowly craned my head to look up, expecting to see some creepy, middle-aged man with greasy-everything and a sketchy expression, but what I saw was entirely the opposite.

"I'm here," said the most beautiful person I had ever seen. He had a tangle of messy blonde hair like mine, only lighter and more yellow and emerald eyes as green as the rolling hills surrounding my city.

"Who are you?" Was all I could manage to stutter out of my mouth in a faint mummer.

"Alfred F. Jones," The man began, saying my name with care, "my name is Arthur Kirkland, and I am your new best friend."

"Best friend?" I sat up and sat down next to him, our fingers lacing on their own. Arthur nodded, looking down at me with a more loving gaze than anyone had ever given me. "But," I said, a skeptical feeling arising inside me, "if you're my best friend, then you would have to know everything about me!"

"Well," Arthur began, his eyes glimmering with excitement to share what was on his mind, "you are seven years old and live in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States of America. You have a twin brother named Matthew Williams who lives with your mother, Jeanne Williams, and you live with your father, David P. Jones and his girlfriend, Emma Harding because your biological parents are divorced. Your favorite colour is blue because you think it is a manly colour and you want to grow up and become a hero not because you want to show everyone how strong and awesome you are but because you want to protect the kids with no one in their lives and all you really want is a friend to turn to for everything, something you've never had."

I was completely shocked, and I think it showed on my face, because Arthur's face then changed from one of blissful happiness to an embarrassed smile with worried eyes.

"What's wrong, Alfred?"

"Well," I started, unsure of what to say, "it's just…you know a lot about me, and I think it's just a bit, well, you know…" I stopped because Arthur looked like he was ready to cry. "W-What I mean to say is, you know a lot about me, but I don't know anything about you, Arthur!"

"Oh!" Arthur blushed as a sheepish grin formed on his face. "W-Well, I don't know much about myself beyond I am twenty-three years old and that my name is Arthur Kirkland. Oh, and of course, I do know I am your best friend, but beyond that, nothing much else."

"Did you forget?" I asked, wondering how anyone could not know anything but know they are friends with someone they don't know, and yet know so much about that person.

"No," Arthur laughed, a face of such pure happiness appearing on his face that made keep staring at him, "I didn't forget, I just haven't had the chance to learn about myself!"

"How will you learn about yourself, then?"

"Why, you, Alfred."

"What?"

"You made me, Alfred. Whatever you want me to be like, I will be." I blinked.

"What do you mean, 'I made you'?"

"You made me," Arthur turned to me and pointed with two fingers at my forehead, "when you asked for a friend. You made me with this, and here I am!" Suddenly, something in my seven year old brain clicked and realized what I thought he was talking about and I brightened up immediately.

"Oh! Are you like a big brother?" Arthur's cheery mood brightened.

"Yes, that's it! A big brother," he gave me a smile that warmed my heart up. I stared for a while at him and his beautiful smile, and then returned the smile and gave him a big hug.

"Thank you, I'm glad you're here," I could feel Arthur wrap his arms around me and I looked up to see him smiling down at me. I think I could tell even then that having Arthur in my life was definitely going to change everything, but I couldn't have understood how much until many years later.

Ah, my first story! Thank you, whoever is reading this, and please review! I'm new to this whole submitting things to the internet, so I hope you'll like. The story may seem slow, and Arthur may seem out of character at the moment, but just as he said, he hasn't been made the way he was supposed to yet, so if you like the crotchety old England, just stick around and I hope you enjoy~!

P.S., whoever was offended by Lovi's slang, I apologize. I love people no matter what their ethnicity or race, so please accept my apology, because Lovino is yelling in my ear right now about how he won't apologize.