The idea of this one was bothering me in the head all during English class when I was taking my final exam! Geez look at what Hetalia does to you!

Summary: Arthur usually has pretty cool stories but the ones with heroes riding off into the sunset with his princess was always his favorite as a kid. US/UK

Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights/ownership over the wonderful series that is Axis Power Hetalia.

Once upon a time…

"Come on Iggy, you promised! You promised!" pleaded the little boy, putting on his best attempt at watery puppy dog eyes for Arthur while pulling on the man's trousers. Hi

"Alright alright but after this we're going back home, it's getting late." said Arthur shaking his head with a mock annoyance at Alfred's shrieks of joy. He gently lifted young Alfred, up to Bessie's saddle and plopped the boy on before getting on the horse himself, cradling the child between his legs. Taking up Bessie's reins, Arthur preceded the ride down the dirt path.

"Giddy up girl!" giggled Alfred before looking up at his guardian with a scrunched up face.

"Faster it is then" smiled Arthur, signaling the horse. The two went from a light trope to a slow gallop.

"No no Arthur! I wanna go really really fast! Like those cool knights in your stories!" exclaimed Alfred, waving his small hands in the air excitedly. It was no secret that Alfred adored all those old wispy stories of Arthur's, except the one about the unicorn… Something about the surreal yet heroic adventures of them made the boy want to live it out himself. Because right after the super strong hero rescues the princess they would always ride off into the sunset on a pretty horse, not a unicorn but a horse.

"I should have known, perhaps I should stop reading them to you." chuckled Arthur teasingly, his eyes narrowing on the boy in front of him.

"I'm serious England!" whines Alfred trying to grasp the reins out of Arthur's hands before asking "When can I steer?"

"You're not ready yet Alfred, you'll lose control of Bessie." advised England.

"Oh but Bessie will listen to me, won't you girl." cooed Alfred petting the horse's dark mane. "Don't worry Arthur, I won't let you fall off." exclaimed Alfred as if that was all England had to fear.

"Well as reassuring as that is" Arthur nudged Alfred's head with one hand "I'd much rather wait till you were a bit bigger before learning to ride one of your own."

"Bu-but I wanna ride with you Arthur." piped up Alfred, his youth showing no shame but the slight pink the appeared on his cheeks. Things just wouldn't work out exactly right if Arthur wasn't riding with him.

"By then you'll be big enough to ride without me. Don't tell me you'll still need me to hold you up now Alfred." stated Arthur. Really now Alfred was just too cute not to tease, with his face so pink though it appeared orange in the light of the setting sun.

"Nooooo but the hero has to ride off into the sunset with the princess! That's how the stories always go! And I'm true hero!" yelled out Alfred merrily. A slight pink started showing up on Arthur's face as he held back a snort of laughter. Just how was he supposed to interpret that statement? He really had to stop encouraging Alfred with all these stories and notions, silently remembering back to those days a few centuries ago, and chuckled out a response.

"Well then oh brave knight, let us ride off into the sunset back home now; however you'll have to go off and find your princess to rescue later." With that Arthur turned Bessie around and rode back in the previous direction.

"Eh but aren't you going to be the princess Iggy?" question Alfred in a surprised tone as he looked back up again with big curious eyes. Alfred didn't quite understand why Arthur was shaking and giggle a bit so he spoke out again.

"I'm sure you'll be very pretty princess Arthur, just like your fairy stories." Arthur was still trying not to giggle but his cheeks were pink, that was a good sign right? Alfred's faced flushed even harder and turned around, gruffly snuggling into Arthur's shirt. The impact snapped Arthur out of his little fit and he looked down at the boy.

"Quite sorry Alfred, I didn't mean to laugh out like that. I wasn't laughing at you I promise." went on Arthur, still a bit embarrassed by the situation. Alfred looked up, his fists still bunched up in the cloth of Arthur's shirt and face still a bit pink.

"It's okay" muttered Alfred, then he looked away for a bit as if complentating something. He quickly turns his view back on Arthur, eyes wide and voice loud again: "When I'm big then?!"

"I beg pardon?" questioned Arthur.

"When I get bigger and finally learn how to ride a horse….you'll ride along with me too right? Like what we're doing now?" asked Alfred hopefully, waiting for a response. Arthur simply gave him a smile and Alfred's whole face brightened up.

"Well I suppose so, just don't let me fall off you wild cowboy." replied Arthur, petting the giggling boy's hair affectionately while Bessie peacefully still trotting down the road.

"And now we need to get you home to a bath" stated Arthur, flicking pieces of caked dirt from Alfred's scalp. Alfred's face instantly fell.

"But I already took my bath for the week!"

Unknowingly, Alfred had tucked that promise and memories deep inside his mind and took it much more to heart then his childish mind knew of.

---

Fast forward to 2009:

"ALFRED!!! STOP THIS BEAST AND PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!!!" screamed an extremely pissed and so not frightened Brit, who happened to be uncomfortably lunged on the back of the speeding horse and lying on his stomach.

"Aw, but Iggy you promised!" laughed an absolutely gleaming Alfred, donning a costume cowboy hat and gleefully maneuvering the horse at top speed while keeping Arthur still handing on.

"PROMISED! WHEN DID I EVER EVEN CONSENT TO THE IDEA OF BEING DRAGGED OFF BY YOU AN—GAH WHERE IS YOUR HAND TOUCHING! GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY BUM THIS INSTANT!!!" wailed a dizzy Arthur.

And so the Hero-uh I mean knight and his beloved princess rode off into the sunset for a happily ever after, leaving behind a very distraught and confused petting zoo.

"Look Arthur, no hands!"

"GAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

The End

The idea of making a bunch of these one shots amuses me so, so I'll probably continue to put them all here. For those who wanted an update to The fuzzies, that will be updated…eventually.

Reveiws are loved! And more pairing suggestions will be considered!