Well I'm back, here now to ease the distress of that last chapters ending. I write so much for this story and never use half of it, honestly I do, there is loving care behind the scenes.
Thank you all for the continued support, I am always grateful.

Lynn Anderson - Rose Garden

I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.

Alfred had left some time before the morning dawn, some time when Arthur had finally fallen into a deep dreamless sleep. If there was a lingering kiss, Arthur did not know, if there was whispered words of love he'd not heard a sound.

It was better, there was nothing more to say, it was simpler, smoother and more mature to leave it at that, for it to end with such an understanding.

Yes, it was better but it was bitter.

The early morning sun crept through opened curtains, it's soothing warmth meant nothing to Arthur. It was just another reminder of the impasse, he could feel the sun, Alfred could never have that again.

...

It took the total of a week before Arthur had to go outside, when there was no real food to eat that didn't have some kind of green fur or highly questionable origins. Venturing back down into the old town Arthur bought his groceries, giving into little desires like strawberry's and peaches. He decided that it was how life was supposed to be, no castles, no vampires, no boyfriends who went on the odd killing spree.

Of course a crowd began to gather, because nothing much ever happened and the local wealthy patron disappearing in the middle of the night was simply the finest scandal. Plastering on a smile Arthur readied himself for the barrage of questions, soon listening to himself insisting it was merely a hasty holiday, not some sworded affair of state or promiscuous pleasure. The women and wives laughed at that, chattering about how he needed to get out more and find a nice girl. Of course no one knew his preference or that he was never once interested in any of the silly girls which took a loose fancy to him. Though that never stopped them from trying.

He made his excuses to leave, yearning to be anti social again because that was far easier and his bed would still be waiting for him, non judgmental and so soft. He hurried along the way, waving of any offers for dinner shouting 'some other time back.' After a good sprint Arthur found himself at the edge of town, peering up to his house in the distance. Nothing but the wind rushing past and through the countless trees, "I'm never leaving home again," he said aloud, "This is where I should be, where I want to be..."

...

"Well thank God for that," Arthur uttered to himself, shifting his bags into one arm whilst stuffing the other in his pockets for keys. Feeling a genuine sense of happiness with his short encounter with his favourite neighbour Peter, the boy rushing past with a new thing he thought might fly or explode, either way. He had no memory of that night, when Alfred had made himself known, Peter was blissfully free of it. Still filled with his usual innocence and ignorance, spoiled and stubborn, as he should be.

Putting the key to the lock Arthur noticed the door move forward, already open. He briefly figured it funny knowing that he had locked it before. Leaning back Arthur glanced at the sky just to make sure it was still full of daylight, it was, so his first assumption of an American intruder had to be wrong.

Placing the bags soundlessly on the ground Arthur entered, a sweet smell of freshly brewed tea drifted through from the kitchen, a relaxing scent despite the circumstance. Straightening himself and gathering great resolve Arthur went into the living room, suspecting suddenly before seeing, the sense of possible danger dissipating instantly.

"Get out of my house Gilbert."

Opening one ruby shaded eye the seated Prussian grinned brightly, "after everything nice I just did for you, I don't think so. I find it strange how you run right outta food but there's still a shit load of tea. What is the logic? Let the world end but as long as I have tea?"

"How did you get in?" Arthur asked sharply, finding the image of the other quite irritating. Something he didn't need to be dealing with. His bed was waiting for him after all.

"I'm your best friend, I know where you keep your spare key."

"There was no spare key put outside." Arthur stated, "anyway you are not my best friend, in fact we aren't even friends. You're an acquaintance at best."

The Prussian shrugging before smiling knowingly, "well yeah, whatever. How about some of that tea?"

"You don't drink tea and you will not distract me from the blatant fact that you broke into my house. I do tell you not to you know."

Gilbert laughed, swinging up and leaning forward in the chair. "It's not like I'm gonna steal your Mr Darcy or whatever his fucking name is. If I wanted stuff from this house I'd just rob my own grandmother, she has more modern stuff than you."

Arthur ignored that, he had fallen into far too many heated debates with Gilbert's criticism of Pride and Prejudice's Mr Darcy. Gilbert not actually having read it being the main problem.

"Where were you?" Fixing his friend with a certain inquisitive look Gilbert hummed. "I beat you back here ages ago."

"I was taking my time, I'm quite tired and I stopped to talk to Peter. Just to make sure he was...alright."

"What?" Gilbert asked, "why wouldn't he be?"

"No real reason," Arthur lied quickly, correcting himself under a ruby gaze. "I just wanted to see how he was doing, you know how the lad loves trouble."

"Right," drawing himself up Gilbert peered, "so I've heard all the saucy rumours about you, taking off in the middle of the night. What's up with that?"

"What of it?" Arthur defended, trying to keep his voice calm. "It was nothing suspicious. You weren't even here to speculate."

"Yeah but I'm here now, come on Artie you can tell me right? We're friends!"

"We are not friends."

"You've been saying that since I moved here. I'd have thought you'd warm up to me after a few years."

Talking the seat across from the other Arthur sighed, "Gilbert you might have moved here but you hardly ever stay here. Always off doing something ridiculous saying 'I'm staking my brother' or 'I'm going to see if Panda's shag in the wild.' You never make an ounce of sense to me."

"I lead an interesting life! I'm never happier than when I'm in the middle of nowhere, it's just my thing, you admire it and you totally know you miss me." Gilbert cooed, "I am your only real friend here, I mean everyone else thinks your strange. That's why when I'm gone you think about me when it's late at night, wondering where I am and who I'm doing. Wanting me to walk through your front door and-"

"Gilbert, could you please stop making every little thing sound sexual."

"Oh you know you love it really besides I'm the only one who knows your dirty little secret!" Gilbert grinned, "I'm the only awesome one that you can pour your sorry little heart out to. You remember that night right? It started out crappy cause that old man tried to bar me from the pub, chased me out with loaded riffle! Do people around here all have those cause no one else batted an eye."

Getting a solid glare he continued, "Anyway whilst walking home I heard a commotion." Gilbert smiled, knowing Arthur knew the story too well. "Truthfully I wasn't gonna intervene, I had no interest, specially not when it's two guys but I took a little look anyway and saw you stake a vampire! I was so surprised, I always thought you were some stuffy rich brat when actually what you were doing was secretly kinda awesome. I was gonna clap you but then you had to go and ruin it by collapsing, murmuring in old English, covered in your own blood." Pausing Gilbert glanced down, musing at how he was wearing the same shirt from that night, his favourite, picturing the blood stains that'd he gotten whilst giving his charity.
"It's funny, you were half gutted yet still had enough energy to be alarmed at my approaching presence," chuckling Gilbert leaned closer. "You were frightened by me red eyes weren't you? Thought they were un natural along with my white skin." Using his fingers to frame his face Gilbert grinned, "I helped you out for pure amusement only, I carried you back to my house, fixed you up and what did you do when you finally gained consciousness?"

Arthur groaned, "I have said sorry for that many times, I thought I was in danger, what with you hovering over me like that, grinning like a mad man."

"You punched me clean in the face!" Gilbert dramatized, "damn near broke my nose, I was tempted to straggle you and your ungratefulness!"

"Well you should have," Arthur bit back, "it would have spared me the trouble of knowing you and everything else."

"Aw you don't mean that," Gilbert interjected, "it's good to be alive and nothing is better than knowing me." Getting only a distracted silence from the Briton Gilbert gave a long dramatic sigh. "So come on who did the deed?"

Fussing the Prussian to put his feet down Arthur huffed, "who did what?"

"Who broke the infamous ice wall around your heart? The thing you guard with barbed wire and eight foot wolf hounds."

Hesitating Arthur pushed the sudden surge of sadness aside, standing straight again. "You do say some stupid things sometimes Gilbert. You've let that Gil bird peck your brain too much."

Falling so his back hit the cushion Gilbert laughed, "and your not such a hot liar, it's rewritten on your face. And anyone can see it in your eyes."

"No one else seen anything." Arthur insisted heatedly, startling as his wrist was caught and yanked. Stumbling to a sharp stop Arthur scowled as his self appointed best friend moved his face closer, staring shamelessly. If it had been any other person it would be intimate or awkward but Gilbert pulled such stunts too often for Arthur to assume either purpose.

"There, right there. I see it. No one else can get this close to you with a colossal freak out. You shy away from girls, we both know why but the guys you flat out fight. No one can touch Arthur Kirkland, well accept me and whoever else you took a fancy to, what happened? I want the whole story. I know something major went down, you didn't just disappear from town for a break."

Looking away Arthur tugged at his arm, still straining not to fall into Gilbert's lap, that was not happening. "What happened happened, I don't want to talk about it. It's history now and you were God knows where so don't guilt trip me about it."
Gilbert squinted his eyes, trying to fathom the feeling, "yeah I'm not really sure how to handle your emotions, what with you usually guarding them with witchcraft an all. Do you need a hug? I hear people usually like those..."

"Do you value your vital organs?" Arthur asked seriously, staring boldly into red orbs.

"Yes, I do, I like all my vital organs, they are the best bits."

"Well then," Arthur smiled thinly, "if you attempt to hug me I will be ridding you of your best bits. I will then feed them to the deformed flock of pigeons you have hanging around your house. Are we understanding each other Beilschmidt?"

Gilbert laughed, letting his friend go and raising his hands in playful defence. "No hugs, not a problem. The last person I hugged got pregnant," he mused, "we really don't need that."

Appalled Arthur folded his arms, meaning to condemn the Prussian for two things. "One that could never happen to us, on account of the laws of nature and two I cannot even imagine you as a farther."

Gilbert swung to his feet, clicking his tongue against his pearly white teeth. "Oh relax, it wasn't even mine!" Throwing his arm around Arthur he started to lead them from the room. "If you ever get bored I can always fix you up with some of my friends, I've got tons. I even considered setting you up with my brother but he's spoken for now but hey my friends are pretty hot, not a patch on me but you know do-able." Ignoring the long, typical groan Arthur let out Gilbert grinned. "You know that great saying? The best way to get over someone is to get under someone!"

"Your unbelievable."

"But so very right," Gilbert countered bring them into the kitchen, "I'll try that tea, you've always wanted me to right? And I'll tell you all about my awesome adventures."

...

Arthur, though ever so slightly grateful for the company had long past the point of understanding one word that Gilbert said. It made no sense, he switched thoughts without reason or purpose, often leaving Arthur trying to decipher it like Egyptian hieroglyphics.

"Did I tell you that's West's in love? Can you believe that! My cute baby brother. He's getting so much sex! I'm so damn proud. Oh and I've been getting it, girls fucking adore me but then I saw this dog off in the field and it had a stick which was actually a sword-"

"Gilbert!"

"Yeeeess?"

"Not that I want to go back to the sex talk why are you suddenly talking about a dog?"

Thinking for a long moment Gilbert grinned widely, "that was on my way back here, no lie! I saw it but then it turned out the dog was tricking me." Leaning closer Gilbert lowered his voice to an urgent hush, "it was actually just a stick."

"Get out of my house, go find yourself a good doctor."

Putting his hand dramatically on his heart Gilbert cackled, "I've missed this."

"I haven't," Arthur uttered sarcastically, inwardly glad he could be as sharp as he wanted with Gilbert. Knowing from all their years that the Prussian didn't take anything too seriously, or really listened at all.
"Do you ever actually think before you speak?" Arthur asked.

"Sometimes I say my entire thought process out loud, you know...exactly as it happens and I can't focus on anything for very long."

Arthur resisted a snort, "I've noticed."

The usual exchange of mad and youthful conversation was a comfort and Arthur found himself smiling at the ludicrous creature that was his self appointed best friend. Gilbert had been gone the best part of a year when Alfred and Francis came to town, with no set date to return Arthur put him entirely out of mind as his own problematic events unfolded. It was good to be back, if only to sit and play out a familiar scene.

Watching his friend experiment with lumps of sugar Arthur sighed, "have you ever wanted to live forever?"

"What?" Flicking the structure he had created apart Gilbert glanced across, "Arthur I am going to live forever."

"That's just something you say Gilbert."

"No really, dying is not my thing. I'm gonna live forever and ever and ever after. Why you asking that anyway?" Looking distant Gilbert pressed the matter. "Has all these years of being a vampire hunter made you want a get out of death free card?"

"No, it's not really like that. In fact I've done my damnedest to not think about death, if I did I wouldn't be able to walk out my door at night." Arthur pressed his lips into a thin line. "I just don't see what the big fuss is, what's so great about it?"

"The not ever dying part," Gilbert quipped easily, waving a tea spoon for emphasis, "that's the part everyone likes."

"But I don't think it is such a splendid gift." Arthur said quietly, more thinking than reasoning. "I'm one of those strange few who think it'd be more painful than pleasurable. I mean think on it really, being separated from time and the involvement of the world. What would one do with themselves? It's easy to think 'I'll live forever' but doing it? Experiencing every signal moment, knowing your life won't end but everything else will. I think it would be absolutely awful," Arthur admitted suddenly, a look of deep misery marking his face. "The fantasy of forever is dressed up but take away that glamour and it's just dark, it's endless and empty, I'm sure it would ultimately be a lonely existence."

Gilbert's smile faltered, an unusual if not foreign expression presenting itself, only there for a moment and gone the next with a grin. "Well you'll never have to worry about any of that right?"

"Right."

"Great, problem solved!" Getting to his feet Gilbert began pulling apart cupboards and draws, "you got anything sweet, not made by you, as in edible?"

Feeling the tug of a smile Arthur stood, "don't bloody start all that again." Watching Gilbert clamber up onto the kitchen counter Arthur pitched the bridge of his nose, the Prussian ignoring him, babbling about sugar and saying about how he'd go home. Feeling suddenly unsettled Arthur spoke, "Will you be staying around awhile? Not that it matters or anything I'm just inquiring." Truthfully he had meant to say 'Gilbert I'd really like you to stay in town' but somehow his actual words always sounded more distant and cold.

Gilbert turned, holding himself up with outstretched arms marveling how the cupboards managed his weight. "Yeah, I think so. You nearly admitted to wanting me around, you must really be down huh?"

"N-Not really," Arthur said, sitting himself again at the kitchen table, deciding to leave Gilbert to destroy his kitchen.
"I just got groceries, they are sitting in the hallway."

"Oh right," jumping down from height Gilbert landed with relative grace. Using his hand he caught the door frame. "This is sort of a weird thing to say Artie but you really don't want to be messing around with a vampire anyway. They suck, big time and literally."

"I never said anything about a vampire."

"I guessed," Gilbert admitted, "even before the whole immortality chat I guessed. Forget it, it's his loss, assuming that it was with a he..." Getting an affirming scowl Gilbert continued. "You can't trust most of them and they do look down on just about everything, no one needs that shit." Seeing Arthur shift in surprise Gilbert offered a shrug, "want me to stay over tonight? Like in the good old days?"

"I am quite capable of being by myself, I managed quite well all these years."

"Na we should totally do it, I used to stay over a lot anyway."

Arthur stared, "you mean you used to drink yourself daft, strip and dance before passing out on the living room floor."

"Same thing," Gilbert shrugged, "and you were drinking too, in fact I distinctly remember a few times waking up on the floor with you snuggled-"

"Alright!" Arthur flushed. Recalling exactly what Gilbert was on about, the hangover the cursing and the inevitable conversations that always had the question, 'where are our clothes?' Somewhere in it.

"Then it's settled, I'll get to see you in your gentlemen jammies, how I've missed that sight." Laughing Gilbert disappeared into the hallway before Arthur could find something sharp to throw.

Neither of them noticing the figure beyond the glass. The face at the window, not the firmly pressed finger tips which left no mark.

...

The others had told him to stay away, Ivan had left the borders of England and urged his fledgling to do the same. Alfred had, spending a great deal of his time round old haunts. America was a comfort, it was home, the vast landscape which could be any great country rolled into one. But nothing could keep his thoughts from drifting back across the sea. It hadn't been long before he ventured back, hating himself for acting like a love-struck teen. He was better than that, if anything Arthur should have found him first, admitting his stupidity before revealing that he had nothing on under his overcoat, well something like that would be nice. Alfred berated himself, thinking his thoughts were a little too much like a certain fancy French vampire.

It required minimal thought to find the little town and the lone lovely house. He only wanted to look, that would be settling somehow and he could go back to America and pretend the whole thing never happened, no one would ever have to know.

'I only want to glance him,' Alfred mentally assured himself. Creeping through the great green shrubbery to the lighted window. 'Maybe he's crying, might be because of me. That'd be kinda cool, to get to him like that, he should totally cry over me after what he's done.' Hiding at the side of the window Alfred pressed himself against the wall, deciding that he would be mostly safe there. The inside so well lit and the outside so dark, he'd only be spotted if he was unlucky or obvious. 'Just one little harmless look and then I'll go.'

What Alfred saw was such a contrast to his thoughts he gaped, what scene was he seeing? Who the hell was that guy? And why was Arthur acting like it was no big deal? Was he smiling? When did Arthur ever smile so easily like that!?

Alfred spent those few minutes of his undead life fighting off the urge to shout 'who the fuck are you!?' through the glass. Genuinely hoping that in his silent and stunned horror Arthur would sense him but he never did. Far too distracted it seemed and it hurt. Attention was always Alfred's thing, not getting it when he needed it tore at him so deeply he didn't understand.

Alfred placed his hand to the cosy scene, capturing it between his fingers for a moment. So vividly aware how outcast he was, how intrusive he was being, a creature of the darkness gazing in at the light. Everything he wanted was right in that room and it was everything he couldn't have.

Eyes lingering on Arthur one lasting moment Alfred slipped back into the shadowed side of the moon.

...

It didn't take long for Alfred's woes to take a turn. Swapping unbearable misery for crazy anger was just a better deal, who were they to make him feel bad? Alfred took shit from no one, he was a bad ass, he was the vampire other vampires feared.

"Well fuck them," Alfred uttered aloud to himself. Instantly regretting having the word 'fuck' and 'them' together and the inevitable mental image it conjured up. Surrey it was a fluke, a freak incident of nature. Arthur didn't have friends, he didn't have a family or anyone else to associate with so closely. The next night would be normal, Arthur would be alone again and the world would make some sense.

But his prediction was wrong and every night he visited he was met with the same sight, the two of them together arguing like an old married couple. Alfred genuinely wondered if the red eyed freak had just up and moved into the house with Arthur, that the moment he left it was open season. Arthur had no admires! Well that was pushing it, he did but none that really stood much of a chance. Alfred missed the days when he thought Francis Bonnefoy was his biggest threat, now there was this new guy, a very soon to be dead guy. Alfred snickered out loud catching it but still grinning madly, Arthur would never find the body.

...

On the forth night Alfred was deliriously delighted to find Arthur alone, at long last! He had rise as soon as the sun set and the sky was still ever so light. Even the great vampire hunter would not suspect the threat of vampires in the late afternoon. Standing at the familiar front door Alfred resisted knocking, considering simply kicking the door in and entering now there was no invisible barrier in place. Wouldn't Arthur be surprised? Defenceless and dumbstruck.

But one mental image of the red eyed ass got Alfred thinking in a whole new direction. He could have all night to scare Arthur shitless, all the sweet hours of darkness to do whatever he wanted with the British blond. Better to get his meagre revenge out of the way first.
Using his tracking abilities Alfred soon discovered the home of the idiot who tried to take his place. But girlish giggles from inside stopped him, checking up on the noise Alfred found the albino in the arms of some random girl. Was he cheating on Arthur? How ironic, how deserved, how totally stupid. "Well I never cheated on him," Alfred muttered to himself, deciding that he was obviously a much better person that the red eyed freak and was so not gonna break the two apart when they were doing that. Hell no. That guy could wait.

On his way back to Arthur's Alfred settled for moving amongst the small population that was walking around at night. Careless, happy, obliviously feeling so safe and assured that nothing would happen. Alfred snorted, 'humans, what do they know.' It was only when he passed the local tavern did Alfred pull out of his thoughts, staring as a drunk man declared slurred but cheery goodbyes at the door before half stumbling out into the night, right into Alfred.

The man didn't get a surprised word passed his lips, Alfred already grasping the mortal hastily in his arms and sinking his teeth into the exposed neck. A little, futile struggle and as always it was over. Dragging the body to a nearby back alley Alfred flung it in, not caring how grotesquely it landed. Staring up at the stars Alfred felt a certain strangeness, recalling the feeling of the blood in his body. The alcohol, some vampires could drink it straight others could have it from human blood. Alfred had never been particular to either, finding his few past experiences laughable wandering around with an amusing buzz and dizziness. Before he could think on it further another person existed the bar, Alfred decided that tonight was a good night for cheap thrills and there was more than enough people in the bar to give him a good time.

...

Arthur had just comfortably drifted into a soft sleep, a book lying open in his lap, his hands keeping the page. When a loud shout caused him to rouse, listening in a daze he began to drift as a lucid laughter caught his attention. It sounded familiar and it was getting louder...

"What the hell?" Pushing up from the chair Arthur swiped the sleep from his eyes, moving to the window and pulling back the curtain. The first thing that hit was the light, a great unexplained brightness, then a suffocating heat.

In the front garden Alfred laughed and paced, setting fire to absolutely everything green. At the front door in seconds Arthur stood in horror. "What do you think you are doing!?"

Alfred turned, shifting away from the flames and disposing of the many matched he had in his hands. The box thrust into the fire along with it's sticks. "Hey Arthur!"

"Don't you fucking hey me, Alfred w-why is my garden on fire?" Moving his eyes off the vampire Arthur clutched at his jumper, grimacing at all his years of loving care twisting and crisping to ashes.
Alfred wobbled up the path, avoiding the flames and getting annoyed by the heat. Reaching his arms out, expecting Arthur to be in them.

"How dare you do this!" Arthur shouted, visibly more peeved than Alfred could recall. "The fire was your idea, your doing!"

Throwing his arms up unevenly Alfred shrugged, "mighta, maybe baby."

"Did you just call me baby?" Arthur asked, starring the vampire down.

Alfred snorted with a sharp laugh, "yeah, you're a total babe. Kinda frosty but I love em hot!"

For the second of a moment Arthur was torn, between laughing loudly and getting angry. His trademark winning through. "Are you drunk? Yes, yes you are and in turn decided to set my garden on fire for a bloody laugh did you!?"

Staring off into the fire Alfred glared at it, "na...it's all fine."

"It's on fucking fire! My entire front garden, my mothers roses. Have you lost your mind completely? It's been absolute misery and now this, well thank you very much. I must say this is fantastic, should solve everything right up."

As if coming out of a stupor Alfred returned his attention, not used to the mix of alcohol in his blood. "You sayin something Artie?"

Arthur sighed and stepped back into his doorway, "get out of here Alfred, people will be on their way to put this out."

Moving forward on almost numb feet Alfred reached out, "then let me in...I miss you and sex stuff."

"Leave."

"But it's all changed, I'm not hungry or happy, the nights are longer ya know right?" Struggling to stay focused an air of genuine severity took over Alfred. "The world is a graveyard with out you."

"Yes, I know," Arthur whispered, leaning his weight again the frame for much needed support.

"Wut waszat?"

"I said go away and sober yourself up, I don't want you making and damn fool outta yourself on my doorstep."

Hearing the people from the town approaching Alfred moved his eyes over the little lights in the darkness, hating them all for ruining his reunion. Thinking they should go to that alleyway he used for dumping bodies, that would have kept them quite busy. Sobering himself with some of the passing breeze Alfred glanced gravely back, bitter, "your an ass hole Arthur."

"That's bloody rich! You finish with me because I'm not good enough as I am for you and tonight you go and set my garden on fire and call me an ass hole. You burnt it because you knew I loved it, I told you once what is was...what it meant to me. You did this to hurt me, like I haven't suffered enough on account of you. Alfred you're not the only one struggling to get over our relationship. I know I haven't even started! So stop, stop being so bloody stupid now. You've done enough."

"Well you got over me!" Alfred accused, "that guy with red eyes, he makes you laugh, you let him touch you! You never let me touch you so easily in the beginning. I mean what the hell Arthur, you go loving any guy to pick yourself up or what?"

Arthur's green eyes darkened, "so you were spying on me? Getting the wrong idea as usual. Don't condemn me for things that are not true. You left me easily, without another word. Returned to Ivan or the others I assume. Why don't you go back to all the pretty village girls? That is if you haven't done so already. They'll stroke your damn ego for you anytime. Oh for God's sake go."

Feeling the heat grow Alfred moved closer to Arthur, licking his lips anxiously. "You really don't want me here then?"

"You just set my garden on fire," Arthur countered, "so frankly no I don't want you here, I would think even a vampire would understand committing such an act is unromantic and unpleasant. Go home or back to Ivan or wherever you want but be away from me. I won't come out and you cannot come inside."

"Arthur, don't be like tha-"

"Alfred Jones I hereby revoke your invitation, you cannot come into my house and you are no longer welcome."

"But he did," Alfred hissed, "that bastard, he lives around here right? I should go set his house on fire, see how red eyes likes that, wipe that smirk right off his stupid ass face."

"Don't you dare do that, this is between you and me, it started with us and it will end with us!"

Alfred could hear the gaggle of people approaching, he could catch the scent of the blood in their veins, his own pleasant dizzy buzz subsiding brutally. "Why can't you just love me?" He started, "why not become a vampire? You've got no good reason, the one thing I ask you to do for me. I promised you everything else."

"Just go Alfred. You're never going to get it, you don't understand because you really don't want to."

"Yeah yeah, leave you to live your mortal life," Alfred mumbled, not agreeing with the sentiment at all. "I'd love to but I got a big problem, I still love you. Yeah go ahead and frown but I love you, in every sense the sappy and the sad. Arthur I know who you are, what you want and like, I know all your faults and insecurities. We've gone from two strangers on separate sides to two people who understood love for the first time. I don't want to throw that away, I love you."

"I know you do," Arthur said quietly, not finding the courage to look into deep sapphire blue eyes. "My saying it back won't help either of us now." Hesitating Arthur wrung his hands together, "love isn't meant to be easy but by God it's not meant to be this bloody hard. Maybe you were right to leave like that, the more this goes on I see why we won't work. I thought this love was difficult, now I wonder if it wasn't just downright delusional."

He didn't dare see the look that crossed Alfred's face, he could picture the pain perfectly. The sharp shouts of the villagers appearing into view taking the moment from them both. "You don't really mean all that," Alfred tried, "your just saying it, trying to protect yourself and maybe me from this pain. I wish you loved me just a little more, that way you'd at least be honest."

Arthur choked, pressing his lips firmly together. To lost in grief to find a good comeback. The shouts of his name close by causing a new sense of alarm to quicken his heart. Looking up Arthur moved to insist Alfred get away, lest he be seen by the mob but he was already good and gone. Maybe completely or watching from the shadows Arthur wasn't sure. Instead he focused on calming the panic of the towns people. Finding a finish as the flames were doused with combined effort, everything so utterly destroyed.

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I'll be working on the next very soon. Just got a holiday and college starting up again to get out of the way. I'm the only one in my class (probably the whole establishment) who wears Hetalia T-shirts, cheers to being a little different :)