Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia in any way (although that's good, otherwise this story might actually be canon, and you all would cry)

Prologue

I've never fully established with myself whether or not it it's a good idea to write this down, but some part of me feels like I'm not doing this story enough justice simply by keeping it to myself. There are bad parts, there are good parts; there are parts of which I am proud, and there are parts of which I am so utterly ashamed that they will likely make me cry whenever I think of them, even to this day.

But perhaps this is where I will lay it all bare, finally get my tale out and off of my chest. I do not expect anybody to read this, seeing as it is only a collection of my thoughts and memories, rather than a coherent story that is meant to be published. But in case someone does end up finding it, then, well...

Let me start off by saying that this is not a tragedy. That's very important.

This is not a tragedy.

This is a story about love. Love of only the highest caliber, so great that it transcends not only time, but also the hearts of those involved within the story itself. It will touch you, almost as much as it has affected me and my entire life. I can honestly say that the majority of who I am today stems from this story, and though I won't reveal all the details, because I think I'd like to take some with me to the grave, what I can and will reveal will still be bits and pieces of my soul exposed to the world.

So please, do not take it lightly.

To some, this story may seem petty. It may seem unimportant—trifling, even. I will admit that this story doesn't sing of love as famous as that of Antony and Cleopatra, or as tragic as that of Tristan and Isolde. But I rather like it that way, to be honest. As Mark Twain once said, "My books are water; those of great geniuses are wine. Everybody drinks water."

This story is that water—that is to say that it will not only touch you, but I hope it will also nourish you, warm your heart, and in the end, make you stronger than you ever were before. I would say that I hope you never have to go through what I did, but that's not true. My story may be filled with "tragedy," but I think it's actually the contrary. My life is a slew of happy moments, of only the most joyous and celebrated type. Dotted somewhere in there are a few sad parts, but on the whole, I wish that everybody could have the love that I had. But no one ever will, because no one but me had the pleasure of loving him. And you know what? I will gloat about that privilege for all eternity.

I am no writer, so do not expect "greatness" on the level of William Shakespeare or Lord Byron when you read this. Frankly, to me, this story is even greater than all tales that such admired authors have ever written, combined, if only for its content.

But of course, I am biased, because this is a story about love. MY love, to be exact. My love for a boy who shone as brightly as any day in July, laughed as loudly as that bell that signals the end of a school day, and captured my heart like a set of color blind eyes takes in the world—that is to say, in his own unique and completely beautiful way.

As I've said, I am not a writer. And this is not a tragedy. But if you are interested, then please, allow me to tell you the story of how Alfred F. Jones enchanted my heart. And hopefully, by the end of it, he will have enchanted yours too.

This is a story that needs to be told. A story about love.

Love that knows no boundaries.

With kindest regards,
Arthur Kirkland

Author's Comments:

And here begins the multichapter fic that I wrote completely in the span of only twenty four hours, all in the spirit of Sweethearts Week (first theme, "Always Beside You"). Since I wrote it quickly, I didn't go back and edit much, so you're seeing it in its raw form (most of my other work goes up after hours of editing and rewriting).

Despite what "Arthur" wrote, this fic is a tragedy, so you've been warned. There isn't much of a happy ending. But if you want the non-tragic version of it, simply stop after the chapter titled "Faithfully," and you will have a sweet, fluffy fic of pure love and bliss. =3=

And also, this fic moves really fast. If I had more time, I would have loved to go into more depth with tons of chapters in between the ones that I wrote, but alas, twenty-four hours isn't all that much time! So I'm sorry if it feels rushed.

Other than that, enjoy! Happy reading!

- Galythia

P.S. The story also has a running theme of Alfred's middle name, which is never revealed. But the chapter titles will all start with "F" as well, for this reason.