UsUk Drabbles

Find my stories in Ao3 and FF

[britishshinshi]

I feel if Arthur and Francis were both imposters, they would both be the kind of asshole that let's everyone know the other is also imposter when they get voted off. Just to be a dick

Trueee. And everyone gets pissed off at them for ruining the round😂😂. I also see them arguing and throwing sus at each other during meetings just to get the other voted off lol.

[britishshinshi]

Two Among Us

There were ten of them. Everyone had their own tasks to do; duties they needed to fulfill in order to stay alive. While the rest scramble around the ship to complete their tasks, two among the crew were set to kill everyone. The problem? They didn't know who they were. They needed to work together to seek out who these imposters were and execute them so they can all make it out alive.

(Basically, the gang play a round of Among Us)

Note: This might be confusing to those who never played Among Us. Also, I haven't written anything in two months, so please excuse my crappy writing lol.

The cacophony of voices irritated Alfred. He wasn't even that fazed anymore; this always happens whenever someone reported a body or called for an emergency meeting. Most of the time everyone was screaming at each other, getting no proper discussion or agreements done at all. They always ended up skipping or sending an innocent crewmate off the ship because of their indecisiveness.

When the timer hit thirty seconds in their current meeting, and it was obvious that everyone wasn't on the same page, Alfred spoke up, "Guys, guys, I reported the body, so I should get to speak."

I think it's Francis, Arthur declared, completely ignoring what his boyfriend just said.

It's not me! Don't listen to him! Why do you always accuse me on every game?!, Francis fired back.

You kept chasing me around the cafeteria table!

I wanted to stick with you because I know you're innocent! I saw you do the med-scan! Arthur, I'm literally vouching for you.

Gilbert butted in, Francis is clear. I think I saw him do the garbage chute in the beginning.

Thank you, Gilbert!

They could be working together though, Arthur deduced.

Imposters hardly vouch for each other, Francis retorted. That would only give them away!

Unless they're close to winning the game. There's five of us left, and there's still two imposters among us. I bet you two are vouching for each other in order to vote out an innocent crewmate right before time runs out, Arthur said.

Alfred looked down at the timer and instantly face palmed. There was two seconds left and once he looked back at the list of cremates, Gilbert and Francis had already casted their vote, indicated by the little voting icon next to their characters. The rest of them didn't have a chance to click skip because the timer reached zero, and it was revealed that Gilbert and Francis had voted for Arthur.

What?! Arthur screeched as their screen changed. It played the ejection animation, with Arthur's green character floating to space and the words Arthur was not An Imposter appearing behind him.

The screen blacked out and displayed 'defeat' in red and bold letters, causing Francis and Gilbert to holler and laugh.

I bloody knew it!

With them voting out Arthur, who was innocent, the amount of imposters left was now equivalent to the amount of crewmates left, which resulted in an automatic win for the imposters.

Their discord chat went into havoc as everyone else unmuted their mics.

I literally called out Gilbert two rounds ago and no one believed me, Kiku said. 'Oh, I saw Gilbert run away from Ivan's body'. Everyone's response? 'Let's vote Kiku out'. Wow.

I hate playing with you guys, Ivan said bluntly.

They were bloody stalling! The cheats! I knew Francis was one of them because I can tell whenever the frog is lying!

Gg guys, Gilbert snickered.

Can everyone please stop killing me first on every goddamn round?, Ludwig asked, frustrated. This is our seventh game and I've been a damn ghost for the most of it. If you're the imposter next game, please eliminate Gilbert first.

Bro!

I don't like this game at all, Feliciano whined.

That last round was so damn frustrating to watch, Yao said. It was so obvious!

Alfred sighed heavily as the voices got louder and louder. Even with the game being over everyone seemed to find an excuse to yell at each other.

"Arthur, babe, I was going to agree with you about Francis being suspicious. Maybe if you listened to me then maybe we could have had a chance to win the game," Alfred explained as he watched his monitor screen change into the game's lobby; which was the place where everyone's characters stayed in between games.

Yes, that's true, I apologize. It's just that Francis kept pissing me off with his lies.

How does Francis keep getting imposter? It's been him for the fourth time in a row! Ivan said. Everyone's had a chance to be imposter except for me.

I had a chance to be imposter once and it was a fail, Feliciano said, which caused everyone to laugh as they remembered their second game. Literally ten seconds in and Alfred had managed to call them out. Yao and I were new! How were we supposed to know about faking common tasks?

Alfred was glad everyone was a good sport. Despite them being at each other's throats a second ago, they all managed to laugh it all off in the end. Except for maybe Arthur; he was always salty whenever he gets killed early in the game. But somehow he always manages to avenge himself by going on a murder spree whenever he was the imposter.

Yeah, Arthur was terrifying both as a crewmate and an imposter. Albeit being new at the game, Arthur was pretty good at playing detective. He even managed to bust Alfred and Kiku on their last game - and Alfred had believed he and Kiku were the best imposter duo! Arthur's observation and deduction was what made the crewmates win. And probably the fact that Arthur can detect Alfred's lies; they have been dating for four years, so, Arthur could tell whenever Alfred was lying or not.

Maybe Alfred shouldn't have introduced Arthur to this game…

"You guys wanna do another round?" Alfred asked, watching everyone's characters running around the lobby. Some were by the computer customizing their characters. "It's getting pretty late."

Late? You call eleven pm late?, Gilbert laughed.

I am getting quite drowsy. I think I'll stay for one last round before I head off, Arthur said.

"Let's do one last game then," Alfred suggested, and everyone agreed. "Do you guys wanna try the other maps?"

I think we should stay in the same map. Yao and Feli are still new to the game. Unless you guys want to change maps? I'm down, Gilbert said.

I prefer our current map. We've been playing this map for hours and I still get lost, Yao confessed.

"The Skeld it is then. Anything you guys want me to change in the settings? Are the cooldowns and sights good?"

Maybe you should disable ejects to make the last game more challenging, Kiku suggested.

"Alrighty then." And Alfred did just that. With confirm ejects toggled, the crewmates won't know if the person they ejected was an imposter or not. It also won't show how many imposters remained. "Everyone ready?"

After a short confirmation, Alfred pressed 'start' and everyone muted their mics. The rule was for everyone to stay silent during gameplay; their mics were to be unmuted only during discussions and voting. If they die or get ejected, they were to remain muted throughout the duration of the game to make it fair.

The game, which is titled 'Among Us', was pretty simple. There were ten players; eight were crewmates, and two were imposters. The crewmates were tasked to complete missions in order for them to win the game, and the imposters were to kill the crewmates until the number of crewmates and imposters were equal. If someone discovers a body, they have the ability to report it, which would instantly bring all the players in the cafeteria so they can try and figure out who the imposters were. Whoever receives the most votes will get ejected off the ship. Once all imposters are eliminated, the crewmates win.

It was a cruel game driven by trust and lies, which was why they needed to take their discussions more seriously in order for them to catch the imposters. (Which most of the time they couldn't because none of them trust each other)

Hopefully this last game will be better than the previous ones.

Hopefully.

Alfred was a little disappointed to see that he was assigned a crewmate role. Oh well, that was okay. Maybe he could play detective this round.

The game spawned them inside the ship's cafeteria, with all of them circled around the middle table that had the emergency button. Whenever they see suspicious behavior from other crewmates - seeing them use the vent or catching one of them doing a fake task - they could call for a meeting to disclose the information. If others agree, then they could choose to vote for the player and throw them off the ship.

Alfred quickly recalled everyone's colors: he had blue, Arthur had green, Kiku had brown, Ludwig had yellow, Francis had purple, Feliciano had orange, Ivan had white, Gilbert had red, Yao had pink, and Matthew had black. Oh- and there goes everyone; half had gone to the left, and the rest to the right. Alfred had a task in the cafeteria, so he quickly completes it before darting towards the east side of the ship. Usually he'd speed run his tasks in the beginning, but for now, since it was the last game, he reckoned he'd play detective and worry about his tasks later.

For the next minute Alfred marches his character around the ship, making sure to check each rooms to search if there were any bodies. So far, nothing has happen. There was always at least two or three people in one area, and Alfred hasn't detected any odd behavior from anyone.

Alfred was just about to complete his task by the lower engine, located at the bottom left side of the ship, when the lights were sabotaged, causing his screen to black out gradually until he could only see his character. He quickly exited his current task and went to the electrical room to fix the lights. Imposters usually take advantage of light sabotages because while the crewmates can't see their surroundings, the imposters can.

When Alfred enters the electrical room, he finds pink, green, and brown - Yao, Arthur, and Kiku - already there. After him several other people went inside, all of them rushing to the same area. Alfred decided to stay a few steps away because imposters could do a stack kill. With all of them huddled in the same area and one of them dies, it'll be difficult to catch a glimpse of the imposters. Situations like this usually caused several heated arguments once someone reports the body.

After a few seconds when the lights returned, everyone dispersed. Three people, Ludwig, Gilbert, and Yao stayed behind to do electrical tasks while Kiku and Arthur headed outside. Alfred followed them and saw Kiku run to the left while Arthur ran to the right, his pet, a little green crewmate, followed him. Since he cleared the left side of the ship prior to the light sabotage, Alfred guessed a kill, or even a double kill, must have happened on the east side.

When he entered storage, he saw Arthur double back and run the opposite direction to where Kiku initially went. Alfred took note of that and continued marching to the right towards communications.

And as he expected, a body was there. Purple. It was Francis.

Alfred clicked the report button quickly, a suspect already planted in his mind. He wasn't entirely sure if it was him; he could be wrong, but it was worth to try and interrogate him.

A white box appeared on the screen, displaying everyone's characters and their names. On the bottom was Francis, a red 'X' crossed over his character to indicate that he was dead and now a ghost.

Alfred was first to speak. "Hey, Artie, why did you backtrack at the storage room?" 

I wanted to be with Kiku because I knew he was innocent. He did a medscan in the beginning, Arthur answered.

Which was a valid response. "Where were you prior to the light sabotage?"

I was in the cafeteria doing wires, Arthur said, and after a beat, he continued, Oh, Francis is dead.

I'm guessing Alfred is suspicious of Arthur, then? Because who else would want to kill off Francis first more than him?, Gilbert snickered.

Now see here, Arthur started. Even if I was the imposter I wouldn't have killed Francis right away. That would be too obvious!

You did that in our first game though, Feliciano added.

Well, yes I did, but why would I do it again when I got called out the first time?

Kiku interrupted, Arthur is clear. I was with him the entire last round. He completed tasks in medbay and the cafeteria with me. He had several chances to kill me but he never did. So I can vouch for Arthur.

Did he do a medscan? Ludwig asked.

No, he did the samples task. I did the medscan and two people witnessed it. Arthur and Yao, Kiku said.

That's true, Yao added.

At first Alfred thought maybe Kiku and Arthur must have been the imposters and they were trying to buddy up, but since Kiku had cleared Arthur, and two people had cleared Kiku, then it's safe to assume that Arthur was cleared as well. Alfred knew Arthur's play as a crewmate; to stick to the innocent ones and complete tasks together.

"Okay then, what about the others? Where were you guys?"

I was with Arthur in the cafeteria before we headed down to electrical, Kiku answered.

By security doing wires, was Matthew's response. Alfred quickly recalled if he saw Matthew on the left side. He remembered seeing him by the short hallway that lead to the security room, which was far from where the body was discovered.

Ludwig and I were by admin doing the card swipe before we went to lights, Gilbert said.

I was already at electrical at that time, Yao replied.

Which meant three people didn't go to lights, and one of them was Francis.

"Ivan? Feliciano? Where were you guys?"

Where was the body? Ivan asked instead, causing Alfred to narrow his eyes.

"Right outside of communications."

Oh… well, Ivan and I mostly stuck together for most of first round. I was at weapons clearing asteroids, and I hope Ivan saw the lasers because just as I had started the lights had gone out, Feliciano said. Though, now that I think about it, Ivan actually left my side right after the power went out. But the timing is a little off so I'm not sure!

Ivan replied, I was thinking of going to the electrical room, but I went to navigation to do my task instead. All of us know going to electrical is basically asking to get killed, especially when it's to fix the lights. And if a stack kill happens, anyone that was in the room becomes a suspect.

Well, there was no murder that happened in electrical. Usually anyone in this group leaned into doing stack kills to confuse the hell out of everyone, and the fact that no kill happened made Alfred a little suspicious of Feliciano and Ivan. Though it was still a little too early to point fingers.

So, Ivan and Feliciano are cleared, which leaves us with Alfred and Yao. Where were you guys?, Ludwig asked.

I just said I was in the electrical room. I was the first one there!

I can confirm that. Before Arthur and I entered electrical, Yao was already there, Kiku said.

And Alfred?

"I was by the lower engine," Alfred replied. "Mattie saw me run down!"

That's true, Matthew said, but his voice was quiet and he wasn't sure if anyone heard him.

Wait, guys! I just realized something! Ludwig is still alive! He always gets killed first in our last games! The only way for him to actually survive is if he's the imposter!, Gilbert reasoned.

You idiot, I was with you the entire time!, Ludwig stressed, anger already rising in his voice.

You could have been faking to try and earn my trust!, Gilbert fired back.

When Alfred saw that ten seconds was left in the timer, he suggested, "I think it's best to skip. We don't have enough information." Everyone else agreed before pressing the skip button and muting their mics. The game played the ejection animation, but instead of showing someone getting thrown to space, the screen remained black with stars twinkling in the background, and then the words No one was ejected. (Skipped) appeared in the middle.

They were back in the cafeteria, circled around the table but this time, Francis was gone. He was playing as a ghost now, invisible to everyone's eyes, but he was still required to complete his tasks in order for the crewmates to win. But since he was dead and he knew one of the imposters, he needed to stay muted until the game was over.

For this round, Alfred followed Matthew, Feliciano, and Ivan around. They stayed at the west side of the ship, completing tasks by the reactor. Matthew runs off to watch security, and Alfred joins him. There were four cameras displaying hallways by the medbay, oxygen, shields, and electrical areas, and for the next few seconds all Alfred and Matthew saw was Ludwig going up from medbay alone and towards the cafeteria.

Alfred recalled the vents that connected the electrical, security, and medbay rooms. An imposter's favorite area to kill was in the electrical room. It was a remote area that had a vent in the corner. Using the vent could help the imposter escape to either security or medbay instead of exiting the door. Choosing the latter was asking to be caught red handed.

In this case, Alfred thought that maybe Ludwig had killed someone in the electrical room and then vented to medbay. Of course he couldn't vent to security because Alfred and Matthew were inside.

Closing off the cameras, Alfred ran to the electrical room to see if there was any dead bodies. There wasn't. Instead, he finds Ivan and Feliciano inside. Alfred then exited the room and made a beeline for the east side, only to be greeted by the darkness surrounding him. Lights got sabotaged again. Alfred thought about going back to fix them, but the lights were on after a few seconds. He remembered the two people that were inside the electrical room, so one of them must have fixed it.

When Alfred's vision was clearer, he sees Kiku running towards him before running up to admin or probably the cafeteria. Alfred sees Arthur by the Primes Shields task, a visual task that imposters needed to avoid because faking them would give them away. If a crewmate were to complete this task, the lights below the ship would light up, and if it didn't, it was obvious that the player was faking it.

The lights were glowing, which indicated that Arthur completed the task. Since he knows Arthur was innocent, Alfred follows him as he ran up, passing navigation before entering the oxygen room. He waits for Arthur to complete his task, and once he was done, the green task bar above increasing, they marched towards north once more, and at the same time, Alfred saw Ludwig run out from navigation.

However, as Arthur and Alfred entered the Weapons rooms, they stopped once they saw Yao's body right besides the asteroids task.

Arthur must have clicked report first, because the game brought them back to the voting screen.

Where was the body?, Gilbert asked.

Inside weapons, Arthur answered. Alfred and I were together when we saw Yao's body. And I believe Ludwig was there as well. I'm not sure, but I remember seeing a glimpse of yellow right before I clicked report.

While the rest were already voicing their suspects, Alfred remembered seeing Ludwig in the cameras before the latter entered the cafeteria.

"Hey, Ludwig? You were in navigation, right?"

Yes, that's correct.

"I was in security with Matthew, and I remember seeing you walk to the cafeteria from Medbay. Did you not see the body on your way to Navigation?"

Gilbert muttered an 'ooh' before blurting out, Guys, it's obvious. One of the imposters has to be Ludwig. He survived the first kill!

Ludwig had let out a frustrated grunt, I have no alibi, but I will tell you this: Yao was still alive when I walked past weapons. Someone must have used the vent to kill him because I never saw anyone by the top right of the ship.

Or, you could have killed him and ran to navigation to do your fake tasks, Gilbert accused. Killing the lights to make it seem like you weren't there.

It's not me! Someone around the area must have done it!

It can't be me or Ivan, Feliciano said. Both of us were inside the electrical room.

I was finishing my tasks in the engines and the reactor room, Matthew answered. I saw Gilbert by the upper engine as well.

I'm currently in the admin room, Kiku said.

Kiku is for sure innocent because of the medscan, Gilbert said. Which leaves us with Arthur and Alfred. What were you guys up to?

"Arthur is clear. I saw him do the shields task," Alfred replied. "Both of us saw the body on our way up to Weapons."

What tasks have you done, Alfred? Name all of them, Gilbert said.

For a few seconds Alfred was silent, trying to recall what tasks he's actually done. "Uhm, I don't remember. But I swear I've done at least two!"

Two? Kiku's voice sounded uncertain. It's been two rounds and you've only done two tasks?

Kinda sus, Gilbert said.

Alfred panicked. "Wait! I haven't been doing my tasks for a reason! I've been focusing on trying to catch the imposter, so I've been neglecting my tasks for the first two rounds."

That's very unlike you, Alfred, Kiku replied. 

I'm still convinced that Ludwig is the imposter, Gilbert huffed. The rest are clear except for you. Plus, Alfred said he saw you on cameras!

I swear to god it's not me. I did the medical scan!

Who can vouch you for that?

Uh, erm.. I did it on my own. No one was there to watch me.

Alfred's eyes narrowed. "You did a medscan without anyone watching?"

Yes, and now I realized that that was a mistake. But truly, I did do the medscan and I did see Yao still alive before I went to the navigation room.

Ludwig had a very clear and neutral voice, so most of the time it was difficult to detect if he was lying or not.

Looking at the timer, Alfred realized they only had a few seconds left. "I think we can afford to skip this round."

I agree. But everyone keep an eye on Ludwig, Gilbert said.

And once again, after voting to skip, everyone was gathered in the cafeteria, all present and accountable for except for Yao and Francis, who are now ghosts.

The third round was a quick one. Alfred was mostly with Arthur, completing tasks in the storage room together until the reactor was sabotaged. They quickly run to the left to save themselves from an automatic defeat, but on the way there, Alfred wondered if there was a kill on the east side. Sabotaging the reactor sometimes meant that an imposter must have killed someone on the right side, because that would make everyone run to the reactor room, far from the body and whoever killed them.

For a second Alfred contemplated if he should run back to check and see if there was a kill, but they were already there, and no one else but him and Arthur were inside. Each of them went to the hand scanners to stop the reactor meltdown, and at the same time, Ivan and Matthew entered, with Gilbert coming last a few seconds later.

When the reactor was fixed, the report button chimed, indicating that someone must have found a body.

Ludwig was the one who reported. Looking at the list of players, Alfred noticed that Feliciano was killed in this round.

That's funny, Ivan was the first to speak. I left Feliciano with Ludwig before heading towards the reactor.

I told you it's Ludwig!, Gilbert exclaimed. I say we boot him out already.

Can I please say something before all of you can start accusing me?, Ludwig asked sternly. I'm very suspicious of Ivan. The three of us were completing tasks in the east side of the ship. I was doing the power task thing in shields when I saw Ivan and Feliciano run up north. When the reactor got sabotaged, I stayed in shields waiting for them to return, but they never did. Instead of going to the reactor room, I decided to follow them instead. That's when I saw Feliciano's body right outside of navigation, nearby the wiring task.

So it's between Ivan and Ludwig?, Arthur asked. Though Ludwig has been suspicious from the past two rounds.

Even if I was the imposter, I would never kill Feliciano, Ludwig said.

That's not going to save you. Boot him out the airlock!, Gilbert hollered before the voting icon appeared beside his character. Medscan waster!

Everyone else started voting for Ludwig, causing him to groan. Oh my god, it's not me! It's probably Ivan! He was with Feliciano last!

In my defense, I left Feliciano to do my task in the cafeteria when the reactor was sabotaged all of a sudden. He was still alive the last time I saw him. I was heading to the reactor room with Matthew, Ivan said. That's all I have to say. I didn't kill him. I was with Feliciano several times; I could have killed him early on if I was the imposter.

When the timer ended, it was revealed that everyone had voted for Ludwig, and Ludwig had voted for Ivan. The ejection animation played right after with Ludwig's yellow character floating to space, the words Ludwig was ejected appeared behind him.

That doesn't confirm that Ludwig was the imposter or not, but Alfred was pretty sure he was.

As for the other imposter, Alfred was still suspicious of Ivan. Maybe it was the both of them? Ivan could have been using Feliciano as an alibi and then framed Ludwig to throw suspicion away. But at the same time, why would Ivan throw Ludwig under the bus? Though it wasn't uncommon for imposters to frame and suspect each other. Ivan was smart and he could win the game by himself easily if he played the right moves. Alfred knew he needed to keep an eye on him.

The fourth round ended quicker than the last. Their task bar was almost complete, and Alfred reckoned that they could win just by doing tasks. After their meeting ended, everyone had run off into pairs: Alfred with Ivan, Kiku with Arthur, and Gilbert with Matthew. Alfred was currently inside the electrical room doing wires when the lights got sabotaged again, limiting his vision but he remained fixing the wires.

Just as the lights were turning back on, someone had reported a body.

It's Matthew, Kiku said. He killed Gilbert.

What?!

I am positive it's him. The body was inside the security room, and the only person inside besides Gilbert was Matthew.

No, no, no- okay I was with Gilbert for the entire round and we stayed together inside security because both of us were done with our tasks! I was watching the cameras the entire time, Matthew explained. Someone could have vented from electricity to the security room and killed Gilbert while I was watching the cameras.

That actually makes a lot of sense. Alfred and I were in the electrical room when the lights were sabotaged. I checked if he followed me to fix them, but he never did. He could have stayed behind, vented to security, killed Gilbert, and then vented back to electricity, Ivan said. 

Alfred cried. "I was doing wires! I knew Ivan was in the room, so I let him go by himself to fix the lights."

I have been suspicious of Alfred to be honest, Kiku confessed. And if Matthew truly was at cameras the entire time...

"Bro, Kiku no! I swear my ass was parked at wires the entire time the lights were off," Alfred said. "I think it is Matthew. Has anyone noticed how quiet he's been from the past few meetings?"

He's always quiet whenever we have meetings, Ivan retorted.

Okay, that was true.

"Look, I had a suspicion that it might be Ivan, but after this round, I think it's Matthew, and he's trying to frame me. I have a task that can help prove my innocence. The garbage chute in storage.” 

I say we vote him off now, Ivan suggested. To end the game already.

"Guys, come on, give me a chance!" Alfred said, his voice desperate. "Watch me do the garbage chute task and we can have the meeting right after. I'm almost done with my tasks!"

I think we can afford to skip this round. There's only one imposter left. If Alfred does prove his innocence, then we can vote Matthew for the next meeting, Kiku said, causing Alfred to sigh in relief.

Oh, sorry, I already voted for Alfred, Arthur said. Woops.

They dismissed that as they voted for the skip button. Once they were back in the cafeteria, Alfred ran down to the storage room, but the oxygen was sabotaged, causing everyone to run towards admin and the oxygen room to fix it before it resulted in an automatic defeat. At this point Alfred wondered why Matthew would call a sabotage this late in the game. It was to wound down his kill cooldown, of course, but he was the only imposter left. Killing the lights would have been a better option, because he could kill anyone and blame Alfred for it.

Once that was done, everyone followed Alfred as he lead them to the garbage chute. This task was going to save him from getting thrown out the airlock because honestly, it sucks playing as a ghost and Alfred wanted to be alive in the end.

The second Alfred parked his character by the garbage chute, two bodies, Ivan and Kiku, got decapitated right in front of him, causing the screen to fade to black, the word 'defeat' appeared on the top.

It also revealed who the two imposters were in this round.

"Wait, WHAT?!"

Alfred knew one of them was Matthew, but he didn't expect the other imposter to be Arthur.

As always, their discord chat was a cacophony of angry and hysterical voices.

How does Matthew always get away with staying silent?!, Francis yelled. Despite Matthew still muted in discord, Alfred could hear his brother laughing from the other room.

Arthur had all of you fooled. He got Alfred, Ivan, and Kiku playing as third imposters. Damn, Gilbert said.

I hate you all, Ludwig said. But thank you for killing Gilbert, Matthew.

Alfred blinked. His thoughts were still muddled and disoriented at the revelation.

"But, dude, Arthur- you did shields!"

About that, Arthur started before laughing. I was the one who killed Yao. I vented all the way from weapons to shields, making sure to sabotage lights beforehand so Ludwig wouldn't see me cross navigation. Luckily, Kiku had finished completing the Prime Shields task before leaving the room, so when Alfred came in, it looked like I did the task, because the lights under the ship were still glowing.

I'm speechless, Kiku said. I was sure you were innocent.

Yes, sorry about that… I used the task bar to my advantage. If Matthew had gotten eliminated on that round, I had planned to kill Ivan and frame Alfred, Arthur snickered.

"BABE!"

And we would have lost if we voted for Alfred, Kiku sighed. 

Well, you had me fooled, Arthur. Well done, Ivan said. If we'd known Ludwig wasn't one of the imposters, we could have voted for Matthew.

I can't believe you guys voted for Ludwig!, Feliciano cried. Matthew was the one who killed me!

Once again: that was very frustrating to watch, was Yao's reply. I hate dying in the beginning!

The next time we play I'm staying away from everybody, Ludwig huffed.

Despite the betrayal, Alfred couldn't help agree that it had been a good game. It was more fun that the previous ones to be honest.

"Do you guys want to do one more game?" He expected everyone to groan and log off, but Alfred was surprised to hear everyone agree. "Alrighty then."

When Alfred pressed play, a grin curled on his face when he saw that he was assigned the role imposter together with his boyfriend.

The Alfred and Arthur imposter duo, huh.

Well this was going to be fun.

I have been obsessed with this game. My friends and I would play for hours, and some of the scenes in here were inspired during my gameplay with them. It was pretty fun to write because some of it highlights the most frustrating situations that I always fall into. Such as being accused of self-reporting and getting framed. I hope this was alright. It’s difficult for me to balance so many characters in a one-shot, and it has been a while since I’ve written anything lol.

[babeyspidey]

Greatest Tumblr Award (Re-boot)

Yes, I’m doing this again. Things have been so, so crazy lately, and I’ve seen a lot of hate and generally awful stuff. I want everyone to feel at least a little loved and appreciated, so here goes nothing.  

If you see his post (you don’t need to be tagged by anyone) reblog it and tag (at the very least) five people, so they know how amazing they are! We need to SPREAD THE POSITIVITY! So tag every Tumblr you enjoy (it doesn’t metter if they’ve already been tagged) because we all need to give a little more appreciation for the little things and the special people.

Tagging (In no particular order): @fluffy-lee, @rosegiggles, @amazingmsme, @littlelovelyspiderling, @waitimcomingtoo, @ficsandgiggles, @notmeblahh, @dropyoursocksandgrabyourcrocss, @marvelgiggles, @fallinfortom, @halfblood-princess-505, @the-crazy-fanfictionist, @theamazingtomholland, @chloecreatesfictions, @cicicantblog, @marvelinsanity, @spidey-reids-2003, @soft-petey, @parkerpeter24

Some of you I’ve never interacted with, some of you are literally my best friends. Others I’ve sent in a few asks, and sometimes I become an anonymous friend. But I love and appreciate each and every single one of you and I want you to know it.

[ihateeveryonehere82]

@punnygaybeanboy @theblehthatbloos @the-fbi-agent-in-your-phone @masochist-incarnate @baphomet-official @official-lucifers-child

I’m mutual with like only two of y’all but I love all of you 

[accounting-wunderkind]

Aww thank you!

[trekkienatural]

@official-lucifers-child @justabsbutler @baphomet-official @adultkiddo @thehugwizard @lenotchpoodles @sandwiches-and-pain @need-something-to-do-world @newmainolddead @isoctopus @kneecap-stealing-bitch-rainbow @yikes-yall @deathandsunny and so many more of you but I cant think

[need-something-to-do-world]

@dragonsheartslayer @stuck-in-a-fictional-universe @definitely-a-living-human @lilith-wnchstr @rusty-pulley-stars

[king-of-beast]

@nayeliq1 @whatohitsonfirewelp @fashionstatement-deathwish @emmeryybird @jasper-is-lost @deano-cas @consultingravenclaw221b @cheeseanonioncrisps

[bi-deano]

thank u🥺❤️

@flowersforcas, @credentiast, @eccentriccas, @huckleberryhusbands, @jackttwist, @joharvele, @anaels, @lightningbugqueen, @emmeryybird, @letsjustprentendihavefriends

[lightningbugqueen]

Awwww! Thank you so much!

@bisexualbubbleboy22 @itswisegirl712 @proudclarinetplayer @spiderway95 @deano-cas(I know you’re the one who tagged me, but I love you!!!)

[proudclarinetplayer-deactivated]

Aww thanks @lightningbugqueen!! Right back at you!

@boogersarenotasexytopic @jo-mccoy @wolfstarsstuff @thepunkpotato @k-n-i-f-e @justafankid @ace-trumpet-player @petewentzfrommychem @justsomebandomtrash @outcastedangelsangel and there’s many many more but i am very very tired; i love you all💖

[sapphic-dendrobium-deactivated2]

the sweetness 🥺🥺 ilysm

Tagging: @gwemrys @cherrydrama @struggling-bitch @candlewickhamhands @pokeyfae @crescentcitysux @steowyn @izukillme @promisebrekker @femtopulsed and so many more people

Please don’t feel obligated to make an addition! Only if you want to! ❤️❤️❤️

[xie-ge]

ohmygod thank you🥺🥺

@croissantcitysucks and @ruairi-langermann and @femtopulsed and @aelia-writes and @steowyn and @rhysisnotafeminist and @firsttailor

[firsttailor]

i’m gonna cry ty

@comingoutofthecauldron and @bowencelia and @promisebrekker and @izukillme and @croissantcitysucks and @femtopulsed and @aelia-writes and like everybody but stupid mobile won’t let me tag everyone also i’m sorry i’m double tagging some of u but ily all 😘😘

[oedipalcomplexes]

safsdfsfa Thanks a lot for putting up with me. Bear with me because I’m going to tag an army (just because I can): 

@boogersarenotasexytopic @steowyn @readingfury @pokeyfae @candlewickhamhands @femtopulsed @izukillme @promisebrekker @rhysisnotafeminist @croissantcitysucks @sunsummoner @bowencelia @awkwardbutinwardlyverysassy @ruairi-langermann @c105dster @bumfuzzlingqueer @lityerses-ly @alennamartin @stormwitch-zoya @thegabbycorner @roseofthenorthenwinds @lilytriestoexist @gayshaverse  @teaofembers @maessian

[lityersesly]

*unholy screeching* 🥺💕😭💗

@arrowsanonymous @triumvirateholdings @colchianprincess @moodyseal @daughterofathenathatsokwspiders @my-fatal-flaw-is-reyna @the-kiwi-is-not-a-pewee @vampiregirlluca @eternallyconfusedcactus @anthropardon-me @triumvirateds @evolving-into-icarus @mad–chesh @spooky-ghostfriend @dam-it-uncle-rick @hyllatwicekill @groaaaaan @rararapustin

I love y’all even though some of you are tea shamers and therefore deserve less rights /j not really though

[anthropardon-me]

omg omg i feel so validated aaaa 😳✨💕🌸

@fluffyfurryball @kswallace762 @viktorkrumn @octopustarr @wh00ps1es @xiaon-zuraya @daughterofathenathatsokwspiders @mad–chesh and honestly if this is even on your dash consider yourself tagged!!

[octopustarr]

thnx for the tagging!! 😔🙏

i’ll tag @ovoba and @relovutionn and honestly anyone seeing this. Y'ALL ARE BEAUTIFUL 🥺🥺🥺🤧🤧🤧

[ovoba]

hjksdfadkhjsd thank you for the tag!!!!! 💖💖💖💖

i@aphforeignrelations @allen-arthur @bananapajama87 @thetkyo @literal-dumbass @little-artist069 @beeknights @fire-bear @fifielady and literally anyone else who sees this!!!!! jkhgsdlkfd you guys are all so amazing!!!! 

[fifielady]

@ovoba!!!! AAAAAAAAAATHANKYOU (⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄) ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ Don’t think I won’t be including you in this

@rawrness-blog @alifeasvivid @muzanjacksons @allen-arthur @astralastrid @jumphighlamb @lulitoni @aphforeignrelations @cheshanoneko-draws @apathetic-marmalade @milopottz @thecodfishhost and basically everyone  (*/▽＼*) yer all too awesome ((even if we’re not mutuals));;;

i luv yall (ง ื▿ ื)ว

[lemonerix]

❣╰(⸝⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝⸝)╯❣ tenkyu @fifielady

@radioactivehydronerd @sackdrawer @saclarclay @nopeferatu @otakuchild223 @nicholaspwildeblog @hail-lord-nyut @hariible @lumassen @pizzaapplecheese @thegreatdeprussian @proudhetalian16 @academy-umbrella @ anyone who sees this post! I’m tagging all of u bc i admire ya’ll and all of u are 

P R E C I O U S

[radioactivehydronerd]

ASDHHGFJKNF THIS WAS SO UNEXPECTED THANK YOU SO MUCH 🥺🥺🥺💖💖💖

@lightprkstuff @a-lfreedom @gonetoseaonceagain @lulitoni @jumphighlamb @historihet @aristopoieo @cobaltmuser27 @hariible @maryeve-the-bitch @azelou @schadenfreude-personified @lluviadinoche @thegreatdeprussian @titanium-ions

I know some of you have already been tagged but I wanted to jump on the opportunity to appreciate you all 👉🏻👈🏻

[jumphighlamb]

@fifielady and @radioactivehydronerd you guys are the best. I really appreciate y’all!! (((\[^-^]/)))

@gashetadechocolate @flashflyingfish @aphforeignrelations @lightprkstuff @xxinfinitydiesxx @phantom-wolf @shadygrovegarden @britishshinshi @diurnaldays @milopottz @ovoba @wuhhluhhhwuhhh @lulitoni @saclarclay @azelou @muzanjacksons from the top of my head and everyone else too, there are far too many of you guys I adore! I could go on for days!

many of you guys are already tagged but ya need to hear it again cause you guys are all so lovely!!  💖💖

[britishshinshi]

Thank you so much @jumphighlamb and @aphforeignrelations-reblogs!! You guys are awesome! Here are some more awesome people: @milopottz, @alifeasvivid, @nopeferatu, @muzanjacksons, @fifielady, @cinemairon, @offbrandramennoodles, @lulitoni, @sherlockscones, @wuhhluhhhwuhhh, @skullycloud, @saclarclay, @atomicstrawbrys, @zeplerfer, @kayanote. Ya'll are amazing!

[britishshinshi]

I like how they’re dancing and the cat’s sleeping in the middle of it😂

Wholesome family 😆😆😆

[britishshinshi]

And they were roommates-

[britishshinshi]

Spades (7/?)

(Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7)

No?

No?

The dull emerald eyes stared at him, motionless and dead. They were completely different from Arthur's eyes; his eyes were still so very vibrant and full of color. There was no life in the Queen's eyes anymore, the brightness and shimmer completely stolen away by the hands of death.

But his eyes were the least of Arthur's concerns; he was more troubled by the Queen's response. What did he mean by no?

The glass separating him and the Queen suddenly shattered. The bits and pieces flew everywhere, forcing Arthur to step back with a sharp gasp.

"You found me," the Queen said, sitting up from his casket as though his soul has returned to his body. But his eyes were still very much so dead and lifeless. "Help me, please."

Arthur stepped away, horrified as he watched the Queen stand up and leave his casket. He slowly approached Arthur, his steps matching the latter's pounding heart.

"You did this to me," the Queen accused. "You trapped me here."

"I didn't do anything," Arthur replied, his eyes blinking in confusion. "I didn't-"

"Yes, you did!" Despite his placid expression, the Queen's yell was filled with so much hate and malice. His voice made Arthur wince, and despite being clueless and confused by everything, a surge of guilt plagued him.

"I don't understand. Truly, I…" Arthur yelped when his back met the wall. The Queen continued to approach him, his feet gliding in slow strides. Meanwhile, Arthur's heart continued to pound in a distressed rhythm. He felt like an animal being lured into a cage. "I promise I didn't do anything-!"

Arthur cried when the Queen's hands latched onto his shoulders, pushing him against the wall with brutal strength. "Release me! This is all your fault!" He continued to yell despite his blank, lifeless expression.

At this proximity, Arthur was forced to endure the haunting experience. When the Queen opened his mouth, Arthur expected another outburst, but instead, several odious worms crawled out from his mouth, causing Arthur to scream in terror as the Queen's eyes rolled back into his head.

.

Arthur gasped as he awakes. Cold sweat and a racing heartbeat greeted him upon his stir, reminding him of his return back to reality. Although the darkness unnerved him, Alfred's silent snores from across the room reminded him that he wasn't alone.

For a second, Arthur lets himself breathe, to calm his throbbing heart. The events of his nightmare were still fresh in his mind, unable to leave and offer him a moment of tranquility. He closed his eyes as he exhaled a shaky breath.

Calm down. It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare. Nothing to fuss about.

As he opened his eyes, however, Arthur saw something hovering above him.

Fear instantly paralyzed Arthur's body; his blood grew cold and his limbs had stilled. Leaning over his head was a dark figure, a silhouette of a man, his face hidden by the shadows. Arthur had thought the nightmare was over; he didn't think the nightmare would come true and become a faceless dark entity!

Everything in Arthur's head was hazy and disoriented; although his mouth opened to scream for help, he couldn't hear his voice. Did any sound even come out from his mouth? The same went for his arms and legs; he forced himself to thrash his limbs and move away from the eerie shadow. But the terror completely subdued him, forced him to stare into what seemed to be death himself.

The memory of Queen Arthur flashed in his mind, the memory of the disgusting worms crawling out from his mouth played on repeat as though his mind intended to torment him. As Arthur remembered the last scene of his nightmare, of how the Queen's eyes turned completely white, he heard the shrill sound of the shadow man's scream penetrate his ears.

A thud echoed in the background, followed by loud and heavy footsteps threading quickly towards him. In a second, light filled the room, and the shadowy figure was gone, instead, Alfred stood in its place, his blue eyes wide with concern and worry as his arms reached down to Arthur.

"Shh, you're safe, you're alright. Arthur, calm down, it's fine, you just had a nightmare." Alfred's voice stood out like a beacon, and only now did Arthur realize the screams were coming out from his mouth. He panted, still extremely disoriented and shaken by the recent incident. His mind was still filled with everything he saw: caskets, dull eyes, worms, dark shadows-

Nevertheless, all of his worries were placated by the warm hand cupping his cheek. It was enough to pull Arthur away from the terrible recollections. They were still there, fresh and vivid in his mind, but the comforting hand on his cheek was enough to distract him from the horrendous images that kept conjuring in his mind.

Arthur saw blue instead. Two, bright eyes that resembled the sky. They made Arthur remember other things instead; happy, exuberant memories that overshadowed the malicious thoughts slithering in his mind. He remembered picnics in the afternoon, sunny walks at the beach, a garden filled with blue roses-

They gave Arthur an overwhelming feeling of warmth and joy in his heart - like a rose blossoming fully at a quick speed as the memories replayed over and over again. They battled and clashed against the horrific images, causing Arthur's eyes to water and sting from all the stress and tension.

"Oh, Arthur."

Alfred's voice made him feel so warm inside. It made him feel strange. Somehow his heart continued to pound against his chest, but he soon realized it was for another reason.

Without a thought, Arthur sat up, wrapping his arms around Alfred's neck as he continued to cry onto his shoulder. The latter had stilled for a fraction of a second before sitting across from him on the bed to return the embrace. Despite the conflicting thoughts in his head, the conflicting feelings in his heart, Arthur clung onto Alfred as if his entire life depended on it.

Everything that led to now didn't matter. Arthur wanted to feel safe. That's all he wanted at this moment. Safety.

And for some odd reason, he feels safe and protected in Alfred's arms.

.

"I'm sorry for waking you up," Arthur said sometime during the night.

Alfred, who was now laying down beside him on the bed, turned to him and replied, "It's alright. I was really worried about you. I thought for sure someone had sneaked in to hurt you or something. It was just a nightmare, wasn't it?"

Arthur bit his lip. The one with the disturbing image of the Queen? Yes, that had been a nightmare. The dark figure hovering above his head? Certainly not a nightmare. Arthur had been awake to see that unnerving sight.

The recollection made Arthur uncomfortable, and he found himself scooting closer to the King. Arthur had asked Alfred to stay with him through the night. It was pathetic for him to ask that, given their current situation, but after that paralyzing episode, Arthur didn't feel safe sleeping alone on this massive bed. He was still paranoid about the ominous figure coming back; it had disappeared the second Alfred turned the lamp on. Will it come back once it was dark again?

"Wake me up if you need anything, okay?" The King asked. Arthur almost felt the need to ask Alfred to stay up until he fell asleep. But no, that was too childish of him to do. Alfred was already doing so much by sleeping beside him. Nevertheless, as if Alfred had read his mind, he said, "But for now, I’ll stay awake until you fall asleep."

Arthur turned to him, eyes wide in shock. He was just about to say, 'really?', but he bit the word back. "No, that's… too much to ask-"

"I insist," Alfred interrupted with a small smile, his eyes twinkling with honesty. "I understand how you feel right now. I get really insane nightmares too. Mostly about ghosts trying to possess and control me," he said with a chuckle. His lighthearted laugh was a comforting sound. It made Arthur less paranoid. "It bothers me the entire night and Arthur-… my Arthur always has to stay awake until I fall asleep. Which is, embarrassingly, the only way I can fall asleep after having a nightmare."

"Oh," Arthur said. "That's very sweet of him to do."

Alfred only smiled before looking away, his eyes staring at the ceiling longingly. "Yeah." Was his only reply.

Arthur glanced away as well, staring thoughtfully at the blue curtains of their four-poster bed. He closed his eyes to let slumber take over. The night had gone on for so long. Arthur was sure that hours had passed since they had awakened, yet it was still so dark outside.

Eventually, Arthur finds himself falling asleep as several minutes passed. He was extremely exhausted. And now that he was in a state of peace, his mind finally gave in to let Arthur rest, both physically and mentally. The last thing he remembered just before he slipped into slumber was something soft pressing against his temple.

.....

Arthur woke up at dawn. The sky behind the curtains was a light blue with a tint of orange and yellow from the rising sun. It provided Arthur just enough lighting to see his surroundings. He then caught a glimpse of the patch of shadows lingering at the other side of the room. It alarmed him - reminded him of the terrible incident that happened last night.

Despite Alfred being there, snoring rather loudly this time, Arthur quickly jumped to his feet and trotted towards the balcony. Sliding the glass door open, he stepped outside, the cool morning breeze greeting him instantly. The crisp air danced along his skin, pulling him in an icy embrace. It almost made Arthur do an about face to head back inside where it was warm, but the ominous shadows convinced him to endure the cold instead.

There was no escaping the haunting images in his mind. They continued to replay in his mind, lucid and clear, to torment him. He vividly remembers the figure's bold and dark shape, of how prominently it appeared in the dim lighting. The memory flashed in his eyes as though it was showing itself a second time.

Arthur kept both of his hands atop the stone railing of the balcony. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the railing tightly. The memory won't disappear. It latched onto his mind like a leech. Arthur tried to think of other things, but the shadowy figure continued to resurface like an unbeatable fiend.

It was just a nightmare, right? He heard Alfred's voice somewhere in his mind.

It was certainly not a nightmare. Arthur had been awake when he caught sight of that… that thing looming above his head. Had it been there the entire night? Did it watch Arthur sleep? What was that entity anyway? It had disappeared when Alfred had turned the light on. So it probably shows up whenever it was dark.

Arthur shivered, not from the cold, but from the fear that began to plague him. He was never afraid of the dark; darkness was his friend, his solace, but now it seemed to be against him. Darkness brought along an eerie entity that paralyzed him, made him immobile, scared…

The idea of not knowing what it was made Arthur more horrified. When will it strike again? Did it only show itself to Arthur? Alfred didn't see it - like he said, it disappeared the second the King turned on the light.

Should he tell Alfred about it? If he does, would he believe him? Arthur would probably sound crazy if he disclosed what happened last night.

What if it went after Alfred?

Arthur was just about to turn his head around, to check on the sleeping King, but a butterfly fluttered in front of him, unafraid and fearless. Fascinated, Arthur lifted a hand towards it, and rather than pulling away, the butterfly happily perched itself on his forefinger. It crawled to his palm, staying there without a care in the world. It opened and closed its wings, displaying them in front of Arthur as though it was showing off its beautiful, intricate-patterned wings.

Another butterfly hovered nearby, and before Arthur could react, the little creature plants itself on the man's cheek, its small, nimble legs tickling the freckled skin underneath.

Arthur chuckled, his eyes lowering down to see blue wings. "Hello there," he said. It seemed pleased to hear his greeting, its wings fluttering happily before crawling to his nose. Arthur exhaled a laugh, but he was in awe when the little creature opened its wings, showing him the swirls and patterns of its wings at a closer distance.

More butterflies wheeled towards him, each taking the liberty to nest on his hair, shoulders, or hands. One butterfly was carrying a small purple petal in its small legs, and Arthur found it cute as it dropped the petal on his fringe.

"This is rather silly," he tittered as more butterflies came into view. They all wore midnight blue wings, matching the kingdom's color.

As Arthur peered at them, he realized how often he's been seeing these little guys. He's seen them in real life and his recent dream.

That was a peculiar dream indeed. From what Arthur remembered, he saw four Arthurs in the dream, all having different attires for some reason. Did the dream carry the Queen's memories? As Arthur recalled - no, he reckoned it didn't. Because when he asked the first Arthur if he was the Queen, he replied I'm no Queen, but I am Arthur. And all of them had said yes to his question… but one.

The last one. The one in the casket.

Arthur was sure the man was the Queen; why else would he be in that casket? But when he asked if the man was Arthur; he said no. In addition, the man had yelled at Arthur, demanding him to release him and that it was his fault. His fault? What had he done?

The last scene of his dream was a mystery, one that he couldn't figure out, so he thinks back to the other Arthurs. If they weren't the Queen, then who were they? Were they Arthur? Certainly not. He doesn't remember hunting wild rabbits, wearing fancy clothes, or slaying a dragon-

Wait. Slaying a dragon?

As Arthur contemplated more about it, he came to a conjecture: could the first three Arthurs represent Albion? The dream seemed to be separated into two scenes: the village and the sudden rainfall of petals. In the first scene, Arthur met Albion - portrayed as him for some reason - throughout the three parts of his life: a hunter, a palace guard (he reckoned), and then a soldier because he went against the monstrous dragon Alfred had called the ‘Jabberwocky’.

And then the scene changed where everything was gone - the village, the people, the dragon, and even Albion. Everything had been white while petals rained from the sky. It reminded Arthur of the Royal Memorial when he and the other royals visited Queen Arthur's mausoleum. Did it reflect Arthur's visit to the Royal Memorial with the other monarchs?

If the first scene truly does resemble Albion's story, why was he portrayed as Arthur? And why had the man in the casket said no when he asked if he was Arthur? The Queen?

Why would he even dream about this in the first place?

Arthur drifted away from his thoughts when suddenly, the butterflies took off, flying away in fright. They left Arthur perplexed as he watched them go, wondering what had scared them off.

"You're up early," a groggy voice said behind him.

Whirling around, Arthur saw Alfred standing behind him, his eyes muzzy and his hair unkempt while his glasses lay crooked on his nose. Arthur stifled a snicker, finding it hilarious to see the King look so disheveled.

"Good morning," Arthur greeted with a small smile.

"Mornin'," he replied back with a yawn, stretching his arms upward as he strolled to Arthur's side. "What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking."

"In the cold?" Alfred chuckled.

"I needed some fresh air," he shrugged. Arthur wasn't sure if he was ready to tell Alfred about his dream yet. Something about that last scene unnerved him. And the fact that the casket looked similar to his Queen's… Arthur decided he'll talk to Alfred at a later time. "There were a lot of butterflies a few moments ago. You should have seen them!" Arthur marveled as he rambled on about the butterflies.

Meanwhile, the drowsiness in Alfred's eyes disappeared as they narrowed. He stared at Arthur with a pondering look, as if the information given to him was reminding the King of something important.

When Arthur noticed this, he stopped babbling about the butterflies and said with a perplexed look, "What?"

Alfred didn't say anything, he stared at Arthur with his lips in a tight line. He glanced away, leaning down to rest his arms on the stony white railing. "Talking to butterflies, huh," was his reply. The King gazed forward, his eyes catching a glimpse of the butterflies right before they hid behind the bushes.

"I wasn't… talking to them," Arthur said with a light blush on his face. It was kind of embarrassing to be caught talking to insects that obviously couldn't understand what he was saying. "They were keeping me company, that's all. They're adorable creatures."

Once again, Alfred remained silent for several seconds before replying. "Butterflies were fond of Arthur too." And by Arthur, he meant his Arthur - his Queen.

"Oh." Arthur blinked. "That's…"

"Weird?" Alfred said, glancing at him, his glasses still crooked. "He talked to them as well. As in full-on conversations with them. Butterflies. It's… weird. He saw them as if they were people that could talk back."

Arthur recalled Yao mentioning about the Queen 'seeing things'. Did he mean the butterflies? It was strange for the Queen to be conversing with those creatures; to Arthur he sounded like he'd gone crazy or something. Which was what Yao had said as well.

And Arthur's been seeing a lot of these butterflies lately. And they treat him as though they know him like a friend.

"He'd talk to them whenever he's alone. At first I thought he was talking to himself, but I was more shocked when I saw him speak to the butterflies. A lot of them would flock around him, sit on his shoulders and hair - but they would all fly away whenever they see me or Yao coming. I tried to talk to Arthur about it but he… he always changes the subject."

What did the Queen see in the butterflies?

"Well, I've been seeing a lot of them lately," Arthur voiced his concern. "I saw them in my dream last night."

Alfred's face contorted to confusion, and Arthur could see him remember the incident that happened. "Your nightmare?"

"Yes. I don't understand why, but I saw them." Alfred thinks his nightmare was the reason why he was afraid last night, but in reality, it was the shadow. The ominous entity. This made Arthur turn back to Yao's claim about Arthur 'seeing things'. "Alfred, can I ask you a question?"

Alfred nodded for him to continue.

"It might sound personal… I don't want to sound insensitive."

"It's fine, go on." 

With that confirmation, Arthur asked, "Did… the Queen see spirits?"

"Spirits?" Alfred paled. All the color visibly drained from his face, his blue eyes turning icy and gray. "Y-you mean.. ghosts?"

Arthur would have questioned the King's sudden strange behavior. He looked almost… scared? That was unexpected.

"Yes. You see, last night," Arthur started, his mind playing tricks to torment him again. "The reason why I was scared last night, why I screamed- I saw something."

Alfred swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing prominently. "You… saw something? What did you see?"

Arthur further explained it in detail, of how it looked and how it affected him. How it paralyzed him and made him immobile. As Arthur elaborated, Alfred's face turned whiter and whiter.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked, concerned.

The King blinked anxiously as he looked around, wary and cautious all of a sudden. "I'm… I'm fine."

Arthur would have questioned his behavior further, but soon he realized why Alfred was acting this way: the King was afraid of ghosts, wasn't he? Judging the way he looked around as if something was going to jump up and scare them - definitely. Without a doubt. The man was scared of ghosts.

"Did the Queen see anything paranormal?"

"Not that I k-know of," Alfred stuttered, which made the other man surprised. Arthur was terrified about the topic, but he didn't expect Alfred to be afraid as well. In a way, Arthur felt glad he wasn't the only one.

But if Alfred and Yao didn't know what the Queen exactly saw, then who does Arthur go to? Does he deal with this situation himself?

Nevertheless, Arthur finds himself slightly irritated by Alfred's glasses, which were still crooked on his nose. He absentmindedly reached forward to fix them, and while at first he was unaware of what he just did, he realized it as soon as he saw Alfred's eyes widened, completely surprised by Arthur's actions.

Arthur pulled his hand back, his eyes as wide as Alfred's. The atmosphere turned awkward quickly, and both of them were unable to think of anything to start up a conversation. They just stood there, looking away from each other for several painful minutes.

By the time one of them finally broke the silence, the sun was completely visible and a few servants littered around the courtyard.

It was Alfred. "Since I answered your question, can you answer mine?"

Arthur turned to Alfred, his face and expression now neutral and back to its original color. 

"Sure."

"What do you remember about England?"

That was a strange question to ask, but Arthur answered nonetheless. "I've lived there my entire life." He fished for his memories, but somehow a barrier stopped his ability from remembering his oldest recollections. All he could recall was working in the orphanage. He remembers waking up Liam every morning, teaching and reading stories to the little kids, preparing their meals with the staff, cleaning the classrooms… and that was it.

That was all Arthur could remember.

He tried to reach for his childhood memories, he tried to remember anything other than what his brain was throwing to him right now; but the same barrier refused to let him in. He couldn't remember anything other than his daily routine at the orphanage - wake up Liam, teach the kids, prepare their meals, clean their classrooms, and then it just repeats.

He couldn't remember his older memories.

He couldn't remember anything at all.

Panic struck. Why couldn't he remember? Was it because he's spent so much time here?

Was he forgetting his own life?

From the past two days, Arthur has been seeing the Queen's memories through his dreams, and he remembers them vividly as though they were his own. But if they tried to remember his memories, memories of his life in England, almost nothing shows up to the surface.

Oh god - he was slowly transforming into Arthur, wasn't he? Was that why he could see the Queen's memories? Were they overshadowing his own?

What if he loses his own identity?

What would happen to him if he does?

He wouldn't be able to return to England.

He'll be stuck here, permanently, and he wouldn't even remember his old life.

He didn't want that.

He.…just wanted to go home.

"Arthur?"

Alfred's voice interrupted Arthur's thoughts. He glanced up at King, concern painted on his blue eyes. Arthur's panic must have been obvious if Alfred was looking at him like that.

"Never mind," Alfred said suddenly, glancing away. "Forget about what I said. Let's go back to the uh, the thing that you saw. The- the ghost?"

"Oh," Arthur mumbled. "Yes, the… well, I'm not sure if it was a ghost. I'm not sure what it was exactly. It was dark, like a shadow."

This made Alfred slightly relieved. "Maybe you just saw the curtain? Sometimes I forget to tie them up, so it all dangles on the side of the bed."

It was certainly not the curtain. Whatever it was, it looked like a human; a silhouette of a human. Maybe that was what the Queen saw? Maybe he kept seeing it and it eventually made him crazy? Could it be the reason why the Queen committed suicide? Why? What had he done?

Was it going to target Arthur as well? Was that why he saw it last night?

"Hey, let's not talk about it for now," Alfred said, pulling Arthur away from his thoughts again. This time, one of Alfred's hands was placed on Arthur's shoulder, squeezing it gently in a soothing manner. "We were supposed to start training you with your powers today, but you're still clearly distressed about last night. If you're too stressed, then we might run into trouble while you're practicing. Remember what happened when you were at the Diamonds?"

Arthur cringed at the memory. "When I stopped their time?"

Alfred chuckled. "Your emotions can affect your powers. We don't want that incident to happen again because what if you can't undo it next time? We need you to get a hang of your powers; right now, they're still unstable."

That was understandable. Despite all the stress he'd endured recently, Arthur was surprised that he hasn't accidentally stopped the time here in Spades. "What will we do today instead?" Arthur asked.

"Something relaxing to relieve your stress. We can do whatever you want for the whole day," Alfred said with a beaming smile. The sunny smile that strangely made Arthur's heart flutter. Still sporting his charming, boyish smile, Alfred asked, "Any activities you have in mind? Anything you like to do?"

Arthur pondered for a moment. After a few seconds of contemplating, an idea popped in his head.

"I like to bake."

Alfred's grin curled wider.

.....

Later at mid-afternoon, Alfred and Arthur were inside the palace kitchen. It was buzzing with several servants, but a small area was cleared for the pair to work in.

"So, what are we whipping up today?" Alfred asked as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows, exposing his perfectly tanned, well-toned arms. His royal blue coat and vest were left in his room.

"I was thinking of making blueberry scones."

Alfred's eyes twinkled, his lips curling to form an excited grin. "That sounds good!" He replied, his excitement beaming all over the room, causing a few nearby servants to giggle at his happy outburst. "You go ahead and prepare the rest of the ingredients. I'll get the blueberries!"

Arthur smiled fondly, watching Alfred skip towards the pantry. That was kind of… adorable. And a little bit unexpected. It was odd for the King to behave in a child-like manner. It was like watching a little kid getting excited over new toys to play with. His demeanor at the moment was such a drastic contrast from the Alfred that Arthur was used to: placid and slightly stoic. Which, understandably, are traits that a monarch should maintain when it comes to business.

Alfred was probably letting loose at this time; scraping off his Kingly manners to enjoy his leisure and not worry about responsibilities. It broke the ice between them even more, and Arthur finds himself getting more comfortable having Alfred around. It was funny to see him let go of his title and mingle in the kitchen with Arthur, baking pastries that could have been prepared in a snap by the servants. But Arthur finds it enjoyable and fun if they prepared it themselves. And they were here for a reason - to help him release the tension and stress that was caused from last night.

In England, most of Arthur's peers call him a terrible baker. That was not true! Arthur saw himself as an aspiring baker that could have prospered and improved his skills if the kitchen maids had given him a chance. They’ve banned him from the kitchen. Well, he wasn't technically 'banned'; they just didn't want him to cook or bake anything because apparently, he 'leaves everything in the oven for too long'. And given their budget, they couldn't afford Arthur wasting their precious supplies.

It made Arthur pout. He'll whip up the best scones he could make and have the King taste test it to see if it was good. If Alfred approved, it would certainly make Arthur's day.

As Arthur continued to inflate his own ego by reminding himself that he is a good baker, any lingering thoughts about England or the Queen left his mind.

.

Arthur was beginning to think that Alfred truly is a kid. It's only been fifteen minutes and their work station was a mess. The recipe was easy and straightforward yet Alfred made it look as though they didn't know what they were doing. It looked as if someone had tripped and spilled flour all over their area. But no, it was just Alfred being clumsy.

Arthur didn't bother stifling a laugh as Alfred wiped his forehead, leaving a long streak of flour all over his temple. The King didn't seem to notice as he cleaned the counter with a moist towel. Despite getting chastised for not getting the measurements right and putting unnecessary ingredients in his bowl, Alfred looked like he was having a lot of fun. He would only laugh it off, the corners of his lips reaching his ears.

"Check this out," Alfred grinned, taking one egg from the carton before hovering it over his bowl. He tried to crack it with one hand, but he ended up putting too much pressure, causing the egg to split into two over the edge of the bowl, spilling everything with the egg shells everywhere. "Ugh…" He looked at the mess he made. Again. "Whoops?" He chuckled, an embarrassed blush blossoming on his face.

Arthur only laughed as Alfred picked up the shattered egg shells from his bowl. Meanwhile, Arthur took an egg and cracked it with one hand effortlessly over his own batch. He glanced at Alfred with an innocent, yet smug look right after.

"Now you're just being a show off," Alfred pouted, crossing his flour-covered arms over his chest.

Arthur only replied with a shrug, his cocky grin still in place.

When they finished making the dough, it was time to add in the blueberries. They were freshly-picked according to the kitchen maids.

As Arthur turned around to retrieve their bowl of berries, he found Alfred stationed right next to them, munching on a few already. Just before the King reached inside to pick another blueberry, Arthur, without a thought, slapped Alfred's hand away.

"Don't eat them!" Arthur chided with a small scowl.

In a second, Arthur reflected on what he just did a moment ago.

Did he just…?

It was his turn to look embarrassed. He just- oh my god, he just disrespected the King. Red was quick to taint Arthur's face as several apologies clouded his head. But before he can even spit them out, he stilled when he saw Alfred smile instead, no sign of anger present on his face.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. They're just that good!" Alfred beamed with his goofy smile. "But I'm sure the scones you make will be even better." And he said that with a wink.

Arthur wanted to say that it was him who should apologize, but Alfred's last comment - and that wink - had left him speechless, his mouth opened but no words sputtered out. He watched Alfred grab the bowl before transferring it to their counter, leaving Arthur dazed and flabbergasted.

Shaking his head, Arthur turned back to their work station, ignoring his pounding heart.

.

Right outside the kitchen door, Yao, Francis, Kiku, and Feliciano were peeking inside. They kept curious eyes on the pair standing nearest to the door.

The Diamond King rose an amused brow. "What are they doing?"

Yao answered Francis' question. "Alfred said that Arthur didn't feel good today, so he brought him here in the kitchen to bake. To help him relieve stress I believe. They'll be sharing what they've made later during our afternoon tea."

"You Spadians really love your tea, don't you?" Francis grinned.

At the mention of food, Feliciano's eyes sparkled. "Ve~ that's so nice of them to do! I didn't know Arthur could bake!”

Yao chuckled nervously as he adjusted his tie.

Francis peered at the Spades King and Arthur thoughtfully as they interacted. "They seem to get along much better now. Compared to the first time they met, Arthur looked as if he wanted to jump out the window!" He chortled. "I'm glad Alfred's giving him a rest day. Poor thing looks stressed about everything."

Kiku nodded. "I agree. The last time we saw Arthur stressed, he stopped the time accidentally."

There was another thing that popped in Francis' mind. "I'm surprised the servants are taking this whole thing well. They don't seem bothered about Arthur being here."

Yao shrugged. "If they were, they'd keep it to themselves."

"They act so normal with them in the kitchen!" Feliciano marveled.

"Well, that's because Arthur, erm… the Queen," Yao said hesitantly. "Would often linger in the kitchen during his free time to bake, and Alfred would join him occasionally."

Yao said this as he watched Arthur chat with a few kitchen maids, making them all squeal and giggle. Meanwhile, Alfred kept butting in their little group, nosy and impatient because Arthur's attention was focused elsewhere. It only made the King sulk childishly behind him.

It… made Yao feel a rush of nostalgia to see them like this.

It felt like the three hundred years never happened.

Like everything had gone back to normal…

Yao's hands balled into fists as he peered at Arthur carefully with narrowed eyes.

Hope was blossoming in his chest, but doubt caused it to wither away.

.

After waiting for the scones to bake and cool down, Alfred picked one up, and Arthur watched with anticipation as the King brought the pastry to his mouth to take a bite.

Alfred gave him a toothy grin, sincere and honest. "Like I expected - they're delicious!" And he kept munching on it happily, satisfied at what they've made.

Arthur reflected the King's early outburst; his emerald eyes practically sparkling at the King's approval. See? He is a good baker!

"Try it with cream and jam!" Arthur said excitedly.

Meanwhile, Alfred couldn't get rid of the smile on his face as Arthur babbled about all the different toppings they could put.

.

They were just about done with prepping everything for the other monarchs; Alfred was putting jam and cream into little bowls while Arthur cleaned up. When he went to check up on Alfred, he caught the King eating the left-over jam and blueberries. By this time, Arthur had already stopped chastising Alfred about eating their ingredients while they were baking, because he'd still do it despite Arthur's warnings.

Arthur caught a glimpse of the flour still blotched on Alfred's face. Grabbing a clean towel from the rack, Arthur sauntered towards him. "You've got flour all over," Arthur tittered, pulling Alfred's attention to him. He gave Arthur a questioning look as he reached for his face to wipe away the flour for him.

Arthur didn't even think about what he was doing as he dusted off the little smudges on Alfred's cheeks and forehead. Once Arthur was finished, he looked up at the King, only to see him staring back at him with a yearning look. Soft blue eyes gazed at him longingly, his lips curling to display the smallest of smiles.

Arthur could hear his heart pound against his chest in steady beats - it was all he could hear despite the continuous hum of chatter around them. Warmth completely encased his heart as he stared into Alfred's eyes, and he found himself unable to tear his gaze away from him.

Only then did Arthur realize and acknowledge the strange budding feelings that always surfaced whenever he was around Alfred. This took him back to last night; to when Alfred helped calm him down after his nightmare. Being by his side made Arthur feel safe and protected. His voice and his touch all felt so familiar and almost nostalgic that Arthur felt the need to have Alfred's arms around him at all times.

It was weird, it was crazy.

As Arthur tried to analyze why he was feeling this way, a conclusion formed in his head. A reasonable one that made Arthur believe it true.

These weren't Arthur's feelings.

These were the Queen's.

They were, weren't they?

This morning Arthur reckoned he was somehow transforming into him; he was remembering the Queen’s memories, yet Arthur was slowly forgetting his. The Queen had been in love with Alfred; so it should explain why Arthur's heart raced whenever he was near him, it explains why he feels so comfortable to be embraced by him. And all those little instances where he acted without thought: placing his hand on Alfred's chest after doing his tie, fixing his glasses, cleaning up the mess off his face - Arthur did these as though it was normal, like it was a reflex or something.

This was why Alfred was looking at him like that; like he was someone he adored and treasured like a pearl. Arthur's been acting like his Arthur so much this whole time - it explains why he treated him so nicely. Arthur reminded him of his lost beloved.

Arthur was not falling in love. These weird feelings weren't his. They were blossoming for a different reason. And it made Arthur worried.

However, there was an ache in his heart. A sting of pain. A sudden urge of hate - but why though? Why was he getting all angry for no reason?

Arthur blinked, forcing himself away from the trance. He took a step back away from Alfred and then forced a smile. "There you go. All better."

His eyes dropped down to Alfred's chest. There was a pink stain on his shirt.

"Oh, you have jam on your shirt," Arthur pointed out. He reached for Alfred's collar. "Let me help-"

Alfred jerked back, as if he was afraid of Arthur's touch all of a sudden. His blue eyes grew frantic as he stepped back before shielding his chest from Arthur's view.

"It's alright! I'll clean it off myself!" Alfred said quickly, his tone nervous and distraught. The King was... acting strange for some reason. "Or I think it's better if I change into a new one. I'll head to my room real quick. I'll be right back!"

And with that, the King turned and scampered, disappearing through the door.

Arthur watched him with furrowed eyebrows.

What was that all about?

.....

When Arthur proudly holds up his tray in front of the other royals, they all shared the same questioning look as they glanced between the green-eyed blonde and the… brown rocks?

Francis, Kiku, and Feliciano were just about to decline politely until they saw the menacing grimace behind Arthur's head. Their hearts leaped out of their chests when they saw Alfred staring them down with a look that said one wrong move and you're done, ultimately forcing all three of them to pick up a scone instantly.

"They're very good," Kiku said with a blank look.

"Mm, t-tasty," Feliciano added.

Francis wanted to be honest; they're not that bad - they were probably just left in the oven for too long - but with a palete such as his, he wanted nothing but to spit out the dry pastry before it ruins his taste buds.

This is burnt! He screamed in his head as he looked at the rest. Kiku was trying to hold a calm expression while Feliciano looked as if his soul just left his body. Yao and Alfred didn’t seem to have a problem shoving these rocks in their mouths; they didn't even flinch! Have they lost their sense of taste?! My poor… poor taste buds.

"They're not bad," Francis forced himself to say with a crooked smile. Arthur looked pleased by their feedback, which made Alfred pleased - and that's all that mattered.

So scary!

.

They spent the entire afternoon drinking tea and having little chats under the gazebo. Arthur never expected to have fun with the monarchs, especially with Kiku when he started a topic about tea. They had a lot more in common than he thought. Francis turned extra annoying, and Feliciano was quiet for most of the time, muttering about being home sick and missing the King of Hearts.

Everything went well for all of them. The stress that planted itself on Arthur had eased the more he distracted himself. Just like Alfred, the monarchs had stripped their armors off and became just them. There was a lot of laughter and banters, mostly between Francis and Arthur, but other than that, they all talked as though they've known each other for years.

When dusk began to settle, the sky turning into a mix of yellow and orange, the bright sun seeking refuge under the horizon; they all called it a day and prepared to retire back to the palace.

Arthur was cleaning up their table when he felt a strange presence behind him. A cold puff of air blew against the back of his neck - he thought it was one of the monarchs, but all of them already stepped out of the gazebo except for Alfred, who was helping him clean up.

When Arthur turned his head around, he found himself face to face with the servant he saw yesterday.

The tea cup Arthur was holding plummeted to the ground, the sound of the porcelain shattering caught everyone's attention, pulling their heads back to the gazebo.

Dull, brown eyes stared at Arthur blankly, quiet and still. Despite the servant's calm demeanor, Arthur's heart raced in fear. When did this servant get here? Was he here the entire time? The last time Arthur checked, no servants accompanied them this afternoon.

"Hello?" Arthur said, his voice shaky and quiet.

The servant didn't reply.

Arthur took a step back, and to his horror, the servant took a step forward. His heart continued to thunder behind his chest. Arthur could feel his limbs going numb, almost in a paralyzed state similar to last night.

Out of fear he walked backwards until his back met Alfred's chest, the King's hands grabbing onto his arms. Arthur jerked, but he didn't dare tear his gaze away from the servant standing a few feet from him.

"Arthur? What's wrong?"

"There's…" Arthur couldn't get the words out of his mouth. Instead he lifted a hand, his forefinger pointing to the servant. "Him… he-… someone's standing there." He could have been a normal palace servant. But the man's chilling demeanor was saying otherwise.

And to add more to Arthur's confusion and fear, Alfred said,

"There's no one there."

What?

Arthur blinked. Several times.

The disheveled servant was still there.

"He's there- what… you can't see him?" Arthur asked, turning his head to look at Alfred.

The King squeezed Arthur's arms, worried and concerned. Alfred's eyebrows were dipped down as he asked, "Can't see who? Arthur, what are you talking about?"

"Hi-" When Arthur turned back forward, the servant stood but an inch away from him.

He screamed, pushing himself out of Alfred's grasp as he stared at the ghostly servant with terrified eyes. "What do you mean you can't see him?!" Arthur cried, his voice cracking. "He's right there! Alfred, he's right next to you!"

Alfred only replied with a confused expression.

Can he not see him?

"Arthur-"

The second Alfred said that, the servant bolted for him.

Fear sliced through his veins and every nerve in Arthur's body told him to run.

He ran past the confused monarchs, ignoring their calls as sprinted out of the gardens. Arthur didn't feel safe anymore.

Every step he took brought him closer to the palace. He could hear his own heart beat like a wild drum as he quickened his pace. He didn't dare look back, knowing who was trailing behind him at the same speed.

When Arthur neared a corner leading to a door, the brown-eyed servant popped out of nowhere, causing Arthur to skid to a stop.

How did he…?!

Instead of asking questions, Arthur turned the other way before running again.

He didn't know where to go.

Where is a safe place to go?

Arthur's legs moved quickly, determined to get away from the servant that was coming for him. A million questions bombarded his mind, but he couldn't spare them a thought because he was more worried about running away.

Nevertheless, anywhere Arthur went, the servant seemed to know - because he'd pop out unexpectedly, forcing Arthur to run the opposite way.

How could he do that? Jumping to new locations so fast?

This happened several times throughout their chase. Arthur's head was so clouded in fear and worry that he didn't realize where he was or where his legs took him.

Suddenly, his foot slipped, forcing him to fall forward. Arthur doesn't even give himself a second to breath before snapping his head around to see if the servant was still there.

He wasn't.

Arthur was all alone.

Jumping to his feet, he whirled his head around, wary and paranoid because the servant could come out at any time. All he could hear was his pounding heartbeat and his heavy panting, his chest heaving at quick intervals.

After his quick look-around, Arthur realized he was in the Royal Memorial.

In front of Queen Arthur's mausoleum.

The setting sun created a dim atmosphere around him. The place was more eerie and ominous than when they were here at day.

Why had he ended up here?

Arthur looked around once more, confirming that the servant was no longer in sight.

Did he bring Arthur here?

A loud thump forced his attention to the mausoleum once again.

Help me! I'm here!

Was someone in there?

Arthur dashed inside without a thought. He searched the area with scrupulous eyes.

It was empty.

Before Arthur could even formulate questions in his head, there was a loud thump under the tomb, followed by loud banging.

Help me!

Arthur gawked as he stared at the ground where the casket was held.

Help me!

The voice kept yelling.

Help me, please!

Arthur's body seemed to move on its own as he crouched down, holding onto the slab of stone before lifting. It was heavy, dear god, but Arthur poured all of his strength onto his arms to try and lift it from the ground.

He couldn't do it.

"Hello?" A voice came from outside. "Who's in there?"

Someone walked in. For a second Arthur feared it might have been the servant that was chasing him, but it was someone different. Someone with chocolate brown hair and green eyes-

Arthur recognized him.

"What's going on in here?" Another voice called behind the brunet. "What's- oh." The newcomer walked inside holding a rake.

Help me! Help me! Please! I'm here! HELP ME!

The voice kept screaming.

It was desperate.

It sounded scared-

"One of you; help me lift this off," Arthur instructed. The young men eyed him with surprise. "Now!"

Arthur's yell caused both of them scurrying to the other side of the slab. All together, they lifted it off the ground, revealing the blue casket underneath.

With the slab gone - the voices were clearer, the pounding drummed louder.

"Open it," Arthur added.

Why weren't the other two reacting to the voices he was hearing?

Nonetheless, they opened the casket, and all of the previous sounds Arthur heard ceased.

Everything was quiet except for the rustle of the leaves, the soft hum of the wind-

The Queen's body lay peaceful inside the casket. Unmoved since the last time Arthur saw it.

Arthur walked closer to the Queen.

Help me.

The voice called again. But much quieter, like a whisper.

Help me.

"How?" Arthur said.

Please.

Were these voices coming from the Queen?

I'm here.

Arthur reached for him, bringing his hand closer and closer until his fingers grazed against the Queen's cold cheek.

And that was when it happened - the emblem of Spades, bold and white, appeared on the Queen's chest. It shined brighter than the sun, forcing Arthur and the two other men to look away. Everything inside was beginning to erupt into chaos; wind howled behind them before entering the mausoleum, forming a small tornado around them and the casket.

"We need to go!" One of the servants yelled, frantic, grabbing onto Arthur's arm before pulling him towards the exit.

The last thing Arthur saw was the bright light consuming every inch of the Queen's body, turning him into a glowing, white silhouette.

.....

A strong, cold breeze forced open the window in Ivan's room, knocking down one of the two small ice sculptures off his reading desk. Ivan leaped forward, abandoning his card game to save the precious piece. Fortunately the sculpture landed on Ivan's opened palms, saving it from a messy disaster.

"That was close," he muttered to himself, cradling the sculpture in his hands. He stood back to close the windows, to shield his room from the angry winds. "You're alright, Elizabeta. Stay with Roderich now." He placed the diminutive, human ice sculpture right next to the first one. Turning back to the wooden windows, Ivan clicked his tongue before locking it shut. "Don't want that happening again."

When he whirled around to continue playing his solo card game, he gasped, "Viktor!"

A large cat with long black fur, 'Viktor', was mounted on the coffee table, one of the cards tucked in his mouth. Upon seeing his owner, Viktor jumped off the table to escape.

"Bad cat!" Ivan chided before chasing after his pet.

Viktor huddled himself at the corner of the room, looking back at Ivan innocently.

The man sighed, crouching down before reaching forward with an opened palm. "Give," he instructed with a strict stare.

The cat yielded instantly, dropping the card on Ivan's hand. He let out a loud meow before nudging his head towards the large door in the room.

"We can't go outside," Ivan said. "I've told you that many times. It's best to stay here."

He placed a gentle hand on Viktor's fluffy head to pet him. When the cat looked pleased, Ivan smiled before looking down at the card that Viktor had stolen.

He frowned.

"Where did you find this?" Ivan turned to his cat, but Viktor only cocked his head, as though he didn't understand what his master had said.

Snapping his attention back to his cards, he eyed the pile he always put aside. The cards he couldn't play.

The Suit of Spades.

Everything else - Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs - were all involved in his made up game, but he always put aside all the cards with the Spades symbol.

Why? Because they were incomplete. He couldn't play with an incomplete deck. In fact, they've been incomplete since he first found these cards.

However, the missing piece was now in his hands.

Inspecting the card, Ivan ran his thumb across the Spades symbol, the letter 'Q' prominently stamped on the corners.

"The Queen of Spades," he muttered in awe. "The deck is complete."

Just as he said that, a loud knock echoed behind him.

[britishshinshi]

Promise Me

Prompt: Telling a Secret

Arthur could do nothing but stare into the glowing ruby eyes of the man standing before him. The darkness in the room seemed to wrap around the eyes, making them more prominent than they already are. A question lingered in Arthur's mind, a question he already knew the answer of, yet he manages to still ask,

"What did you do to me?" Arthur's voice came with a strained whisper, almost spitting the words out as though they were poison.

The man rose an amused brow, the glow of his eyes providing Arthur a look of the grin curling on the man's shadowy face.

"I'm the Joker," he said with a deep chuckle. "What do you think I did?"

"You marked me," Arthur snapped, pushing himself off the bed he'd fallen on earlier. "You marked me."

The Joker only releases another laugh. "It's what I do. It's my job."

"Why?" Arthur pressed, his own eyes desperate to elicit an answer from the Joker. Never in his life did he think he would encounter this being. Why him? Why did the Joker pick him? He wasn't anything special.

Instead of answering Arthur's question, the Joker bowed. Arthur didn't know if it was to respect or mock him.

"Have a good night, Your Majesty," he said as he walked back, disappearing into the darkness.

…..

Arthur left his house after breakfast, announcing to his parents of the errand he needed to complete. After saying a quick goodbye, Arthur called for the nearest carriage and journeyed to the outskirts of their little town.

He was dropped near a small farm. As he followed the path leading to a house, Arthur clutched the front of his tunic to calm his heart. The incident last night continued to haunt him, it fueled his anxiety and fear. Arthur could still vividly remember the ominous red glow of the Joker's eyes, and his eerie grin that reached all of the way to his ears. It was a haunting memory that followed Arthur all through the night and even now.

If someone had encountered the Joker, they would have instantly informed their parents, their friends, and most importantly, the palace.

Arthur wasn't planning on telling anyone except for him.

Once he reached the back of the house, Arthur sauntered to the front door. Surely the family inside were awake already. Just before Arthur reached the corner of the house, a hand latched onto his mouth from behind, pulling him back to pin him against the wall with a loud thud. The hand pressed tightly against his mouth was quickly replaced by a pair of lips, sweet and desperate as they molded against Arthur's.

The familiar scent of hay and fresh, rich soil pacified Arthur's fight or flight instincts, pulling him into a state of bliss and ecstasy instead. He reciprocated, happily welcoming and savoring the touch he hasn't felt in weeks.

When they parted for breath, Arthur opened his eyes to see a handsome face framed by wheat-blonde hair. Crystal blue eyes twinkled behind a pair of spectacles, matching the beaming smile on his sun-kissed face, which appeared to be blotched with dirt and oil.

"Didn't expect you to drop by," Alfred said, his smile causing his eyes to crinkle. "Gods, how long has it been?"

Alfred's head ducked down to steal another kiss before grazing his lip across Arthur's jaw, running them down all the way to the latter's neck. Arthur, still breathless, choked out, "Alfred, we need to talk. Quickly."

"We can talk now." Alfred's breath tickled the soft skin underneath, sending Arthur weak at the knees.

"No, not here-" A giggle caught both of their attention. A little boy by the name Matthew, Alfred's younger brother, slapped a hand against his mouth before pulling his head back behind the tree he was hiding in. "Somewhere more private."

Alfred led him inside the house. His parents were so kind to offer him breakfast, knowing that he'd traveled miles from the town to come here, but Arthur had declined, claiming he’d already eaten. Nonetheless, Alfred's parents, just as stubborn as their son, managed to sit him down on their dining table, a stack of pancakes drizzled with sweet syrup and strawberries ready and plated in front of him.

"Sorry," Alfred whispered beside him, but he doesn't bother to hide his amused grin.

Meanwhile, Matthew sat across from them, and instead of minding his own business, he puckered up his lips and mocked the couple’s early interaction before fake-gagging. This earned him a whack against the head with a spatula by his mother. "Don't be rude," she chided with a scowl. 

After their breakfast, Alfred and Arthur walked up the stairs to hide inside the former's room. They shut the door behind them and settled themselves on the bed.

"You're all shaken up," Alfred said, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder to soothe him. "Did something happen at home?"

"Yes," Arthur answered. He could already see Alfred's face twist into worry, his eyes clouded with an abundance of questions. "L-last night-" Arthur started, but he is unable to spit out the words he wanted to say.

This raised Alfred's anxiety. "Arthur? What happened?" When Arthur continued to look distraught and lost, Alfred squeezed his shoulder in a soothing manner. "Just take a deep breath, sweetheart, stay calm and take your time."

"Promise me you won't tell anyone," Arthur said, grabbing Alfred's other hand. If he can't tell him, then Arthur was going to show it instead.

Alfred's eyes widened for a second. He lowered his voice, "Arthur, what did you do?"

"I didn’t do anything," he confessed. He looked around as though they were being watched. "Just… promise me you'll keep this as a secret. Please?"

Alfred nodded without a second thought.

With that confirmation, Arthur reached for the collar of his shirt, tugging it down just enough for Alfred to see the burden that has taken refuge on his chest.

Just as he'd expected, Alfred was flabbergasted. His mouth was agape, and his eyes glanced between Arthur and his chest.

"You've been marked," Alfred spat out after minutes of silence, his eyes still as wide as quarters. "You've got the mark of a Queen. Arthur, oh my god…-!"

"Shhh!" Arthur stressed, forcing Alfred to still. "Don't be so loud! They'll hear you!"

Alfred blinked several times. "Do your parents know of this?"

"No," he answered. "Just you."

"You haven't told anyone yet?"

"I'm not planning to."

Alfred gawked. "Arthur, this is crazy! You're marked as the next Queen of Spades; why would you hide this?"

"Because I don't want to be the Queen."

Arthur should have felt honored to wear the mark of a royal. Especially a mark of a Queen. Solely having the mark on one's chest would deliver great fortune and respect because it was believed to be a gift from the Gods. Those who were marked almost always become great leaders for the kingdom, thus giving them all favor and respect by the citizens, regardless of who they were in the past. Be it a commoner or a criminal, all previous actions were to be pardoned for the sake of the kingdom.

It was a golden opportunity that must not be dismissed at all cost, yet Arthur chose to conceal it. Mostly because that meant he was to be taken and tied down to the palace, never to see his family and friends again. The mark had already claimed his body, but an official coronation would mean his life and soul would forever belong to the crown.

Arthur's heart clenched at that thought. "I want to stay here. With my family and you."

Alfred was still shaken and distressed by the revelation. "What would your family think? Surely they'd be overjoyed about this," Alfred pointed out. "You're going to be a Queen, Arthur."

The latter was taken aback by Alfred's response. "Alfred, you don't get it. Becoming the Queen means leaving my old life. I won’t be able to come back to this place. I won’t be able to come back to you.”

The realization hit Alfred like a pile of bricks. His lips curved to a deeper frown, and his eyes turned grim, as though he discovered the death of a loved one.

"I can't do that, Alfred," Arthur confessed, his eyes turning glassy. "Promise me you won't tell anyone."

Alfred was quiet for several minutes, leaving the room painfully quiet. Arthur could already feel the tears slipping out from his eyes, falling down his flushed cheeks like rivers.

Finally, after having a long moment to think, Alfred spoke, "Any sane person would have called the palace immediately upon your marking." He lifted his hand to Arthur's face, wiping away the warm tears. Then, Alfred smiled. "But… I promise I won't tell anyone. Because you would have done the same if it were me."

Joy and relief blossomed in Arthur's heart. He pounced on Alfred to embrace him, sending the other man flat on his back atop the bed.

"Thank you."

…..

Although Alfred promised not to disclose the secret, the promise was broken when the Joker paid Alfred a visit on the day the King of Spades was announced dead.

[britishshinshi]

I just realized that the list of prompts I have for July are a little repetitive, and I don't want to keep writing the same thing so feel free to send me some usuk drabble prompts!! Thank you!!

[britishshinshi]

Dancing in the Rain

Prompt: Under an Umbrella

Alfred and Arthur were just about to leave the school campus when rain started drizzling from the sky. Arthur suggested to either wait for the rain to stop or call one of their parents to pick them up. However, Alfred dismissed both of their options, stating that their parents would take ages to come here and the rain was weak enough for them to walk under with an umbrella.

Which was reasonable; but the only problem was... only Arthur had an umbrella.

"I think it might be too small to cover both of us," Arthur said as he pulled out a compact umbrella.

"Here give me." Alfred took the umbrella before opening it. After a few seconds of close inspection, he turned to Arthur with a grin, "It'll do!"

And it did work, especially since it was Alfred who held it over their heads. Although it was manageable, the pair had to squeeze close together to the point where they were shoulder to shoulder. They didn't mind, however, it was a little awkward and the close proximity made both of them flustered and quiet. By this time they should be bickering with each other or spilling tea and drama about their classmates, but the closeness and awkward atmosphere forced their lips shut.

It wasn't uncomfortable, far from that actually.

It's just that… both of them had insanely huge crushes on each other, but none of them have actually confessed yet. Probably because they've been friends since they were kids. It was weird to like your best friend, right? Wasn't it weird to imagine yourself kissing them? Hugging them? Touching them… intimately?

This was their mindset, their thoughts about having a non-platonic relationship. They'd often told themselves that it was weird to hold feelings for your best friend, because they were, well, your best friend. Just a friend. Nothing more. If they were to have a romantic relationship with each other, what would happen to their friendship if they broke up?

That was a scary idea to think about. They couldn't possibly imagine what life would be if they stopped talking to each other. They couldn't possibly throw away all those years they've spent together as friends.

But at the same time, they couldn't silence the raging emotions that were blossoming in their hearts. They've suppressed those feelings for many months, pushing and forcing them down whenever they tried to resurface. They were unwanted, forbidden things that shouldn't be roaming around freely whenever they wanted to.

The pair were half a mile away from Alfred's house when the rain started getting stronger. The raindrops slowly became heavier, rapping against their umbrella angrily. With the rain came a strong wind, gusting forcefully against them. It almost stole their umbrella, which became useless against the raging storm.

There weren't any houses or buildings they could find refuge in. Even if they ran as fast as they could, both of them would still be soaking head to toe by the time they reached Alfred's house.

"Who's great idea was this?!" Arthur yelled in an accusing tone. All of his notebooks and texts were probably ruined at this point.

Alfred huffed, both from the exertion and boiling annoyance. "I didn't know it was gonna get stronger!"

"Well, if you had listened to me, we wouldn't ha- ah!" Arthur screamed as his feet met a muddy pool, forcing his body to jerk backwards.

"Arthur!" Hearing his friend's cry, Alfred lets go of the umbrella to catch him. The momentum was awkward and he almost lost his balance, but fortunately, Alfred regained his stepping and avoided both him and Arthur from tumbling against the ground.

All of this placed them in an unexpected position; with one of Alfred's arms around Arthur's waist, the other grasping the latter's hand. To a third party's perspective, Alfred had Arthur in a dramatic dip, as though they just finished dancing.

For several seconds Alfred and Arthur stared at each other, speechless. Their eyes were locked together and they forgot about the catastrophe around them. They let their minds think freely of one another… Oh god, he looks so gorgeous like this. I never knew Alfred's eyes were this blue. Wow, Artie has so much freckles! Bloody hell, when had Alfred turn this handsome?

A trickle of rain dripped from Alfred's forehead, landing onto Arthur's nose. Only then did Arthur realize they were standing under the rain like idiots.

"Alfred! The umbrella!"

"Wah?" Alfred pulled Arthur to his feet before whirling around to look for their umbrella, only to see it flying overhead, stolen completely by the wind. "Fuck!"

"Let's go! There's a bus stop over there!" Arthur cried before he and Alfred made a run for what seemed to be their only refuge.

Fortunately, the bus stop had an overhang large enough to shield them from the rain. They almost collapsed by the time they reached the bus stop, panting like dogs from all the running they've done. Their bags and clothes were already soaked completely, leaving Arthur in despair. All of his notes. His important documents. Ruined.

Arthur was about to rant about their situation, but his words were held back by a sneeze. And then another. "Bollocks," Arthur groaned before wiping his nose with his sleeve.

Alfred's head whirled back to look at Arthur, his blue eyes wide in shock. "Shit, Arthur, I'm so sorry," he apologized, his voice laced with worry. "Come here." He led Arthur to sit down before shrugging his jacket off his shoulder. "Take this."

Arthur eyed the jacket incredulously.

"It's fine. The outside is wet but the inside is still warm and dry. Take it," Alfred stressed, offering his bomber jacket once again. When Arthur didn't make a move, Alfred sighed before wrapping the jacket around Arthur himself. "Are you still cold?"

"No," Arthur replied.

Alfred knew he was lying. Despite wearing a jacket two sizes bigger than him, Alfred could still see Arthur shivering. Red was beginning to paint Arthur's cheeks and nose, confirming that yes, Arthur was still terribly cold.

Alfred sits down next to Arthur before placing a hand over his shoulder. "I can help you warm up. Is it okay if I put my arm around you?"

Arthur shook his head. "I'm fine, Alfred, t-truly."

"No, you're not. You're still shaking, you dummy," Alfred chided with a small scowl. Arthur's stubbornness was the last thing he wanted to deal with in a situation like this. "I have to do this. It's your fault for always getting sick so easily."

"Might I remind you of who got us in this situation in the first place?" Arthur retorted, making Alfred's scowl diminish instantly. It was replaced by a frown filled with guilt.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Alfred apologizes again, almost desperate this time. His apology was genuine, and Arthur knew that as well. "Just… let me do this for you, okay? It's my fault so let me fix it."

Arthur stared at him quietly for a few seconds before muttering, "Alright."

Once Alfred had his approval, he scooted closer to Arthur, taking away the space between them. Alfred cloaked Arthur's shoulders with his arm, hoping his body temperature was enough to keep him warm.

"I think you're getting sick too," Arthur pointed out. "Your face is red."

"Huh?" Alfred finally noticed the heat in his cheeks. "Oh, I'm uh… I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Arthur brings a hand forward to cup Alfred's cheeks, to feel if there was any heat, but this action only urged his face to become warmer and red. "See?! You have a fever!"

Alfred, still flustered, grabbed Arthur's wrist before prying it off his flushed cheeks. "Artie, I'm fine, I promise. Just focus on yourself, alright?" he said with a nervous chuckle.

Arthur opened his mouth to retort, but once again, a sneeze interrupted him.

Alfred snickered. "Geez, you sneeze like a kitten."

"Shut up!" Arthur exclaimed, turning his face away to hide his embarrassment.

For several minutes they both remained silent; nothing but the sound of rainfall echoed in their ears. Both of them wanted to say something to kill the awkward, almost painful atmosphere they've conjured upon themselves. What were they even supposed to say while they were in this position? Sure they've hugged and sat close to each other before; but never in a situation like this. Other people wouldn't give their best friend their jacket and offer an arm around their shoulders to keep them warm, would they?

Alfred frowned at that thought. He contemplated his friendship with Arthur. Can he even call Arthur his friend after thinking about him in a way that wasn't… platonic? Like he said; friends don't spend their days imagining kissing and hugging their friend intimately. They don't feel weird emotions in their hearts whenever they see them smile, laugh, or just… seeing them in general.

Glancing down at Arthur, Alfred thought about how he desperately wanted to duck down and kiss Arthur's pink lips. How he wanted to wrap his arms around his shoulders whenever he wanted to. He thought about how his heart raced whenever he saw Arthur, and how it ached whenever he saw him leave. He thought about Arthur's smile, and his sweet laugh that sounded like little bells.

Alfred could feel the suppressed emotions begin to surface once again. They broke through their confinement, as they always do before rushing forward.

And for the first time, Alfred let them free.

"Arthur," Alfred muttered, suddenly overwhelmed by the rush of emotions. It made him slightly lightheaded, and dazed. His heart was surrounded with so much warmth. "Arthur, I…"

Alfred glanced down to look at Arthur. When he saw his emerald eyes, twinkling just for him, Alfred knew he wanted Arthur to be something more than just a friend.

"Arthur, I lo-"

Alfred's words were muffled by a loud car horn.

Their heads snapped forward to see a bright red car parked in front of them. The window closest to them slid down, revealing Gilbert and Francis sitting inside wearing matching smirks.

"Get in, lovebirds!" Gilbert had yelled before laughing hysterically.

Alfred didn't know what to do first: cry in despair or push Gilbert off a cliff.

[britishshinshi]

Spades (6/?)

(Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7)

Warning: Mentions of suicide.

Help me…

What?

Please...

Who are you?

I'm trapped-

Where?

Please, find me!

......

The sound of footsteps stirred Arthur awake. He let out a quiet, long yawn as he stretched his arms upward, over his head. Blinking open his bleary eyes, he glanced  around him, and for a fraction of a second, he was puzzled by his surroundings. The young man was laying on a lavish four-poster bed with teal curtains, settled comfortably under a large, royal blue duvet. He sat upright, laying his back against the soft pillows behind him.

He caught a glimpse of Alfred, his back turned to him as he stood in front of a tall mirror, fiddling with something on his chest.

Oh, yes - now he remembers.

After last night’s fiasco, Arthur was transferred to Alfred’s room to ensure he doesn’t attempt another ‘escape’, seeing how he literally almost drowned. Yao had felt Arthur’s distress - since they were monarchs within the same kingdom - and had informed the others immediately. They were lucky that they made it in time to pull Arthur out before he loses consciousness forever.

Arthur would be lying if he said it didn’t scare him. The feeling of being on the brink of death, standing on the last thread - it terrified him. From what he experienced so far, last night was close. Too close. The idea of attempting it again never entered Arthur’s mind. If not England, Arthur had expected to be transported somewhere else - but death wasn’t part of the list.

And because of that, Arthur never wanted to try it again. He had a feeling it wouldn’t work, and that feeling was right. It wouldn’t work if he does it a second time, a third, or a fourth - it’s almost as though something is preventing him from succeeding. It doesn’t want him to leave.

Until when though? Until they win the war?

He does have Arthur’s powers; this world probably doesn’t want him to leave until he uses it for something.

Arthur’s glance remained on Alfred’s back. This was the first time he saw the King without his blue coat. Now he simply wore a pair of dark brown trousers, a white dress shirt, and layered atop that was a navy waistcoat. Arthur’s eyes trailed from Alfred’s broad back, to his wide shoulders, and then stopping at his head.

From this angle, Arthur could see a portion of the King’s face, which was furrowed in concentration yet crinkled in frustration. Arthur moved a little, and his movement was caught in reflection. In a second, Alfred glanced up, his eyes meeting Arthur’s in the mirror.

“Ah - sorry,” Alfred sheepishly apologized, his facial features softening to a shy, awkward smile. “Did I wake you up?”

Alfred turns around, and Arthur’s eyes drop down to his chest. Now he understands what Alfred was stressing about. His tie. He couldn’t get it right. It was all knotted up and wrinkled by the looks of it.

Remembering to reply, Arthur looks back up and shakes his head. “No, you didn’t.” Well, it was kind of a lie, but he didn’t want to make Alfred feel bad. Arthur already feels bad that the latter had to sleep on the couch last night. Alfred had offered Arthur to sleep on the bed while he took the couch. And even with Arthur’s incessant declining, Alfred had insisted. He didn’t want Arthur to be uncomfortable, which Arthur had appreciated, but at the same time he felt guilty of robbing Alfred from his own bed.

Alfred sighed in relief. “Do you want to go down and eat breakfast? The others are already eating.”

“Breakfast?” With the others? Arthur didn’t feel ready to face them yet, especially after what they witnessed last night. “You can go on ahead. I’m not really hungry.”

His lies were exposed when his stomach grumbled.

Alfred grinned. “We can eat here if you want. I can have breakfast delivered. If that’s fine by you?”

The King’s smile seemed contagious, because Arthur could feel the corner of his lips curling.

“That would be lovely.”

…..

Alfred had a table and two chairs prepared in just a few minutes. Meanwhile, as they waited for the servants to serve their food, Arthur’s gaze lingered to the balcony. Their table was situated in front of it, one of the glass doors opened to let in the fresh, morning breeze. Sunlight peeked through, lighting up the room a bit.

Something caught Arthur’s eye. Behind the folded curtains was a butterfly, its wings matching the kingdom’s color. Another one joined it, and then another. Soon, there were about five butterflies fluttering just outside of the balcony, peeking through the corner of the glass door.

The clatter of porcelain brought Arthur’s attention back inside. He was stunned by the array of food in front of him. And the amount, my goodness, it looked as if it could feed five starving men!

“Is this just for us or will Yao be joining us?” Arthur gawks, his mouth beginning to water at the platter of tarts.

“Just us,” Alfred answers with a shrug.

One of the servants laid a plate in front of him. “Thank you,” Arthur says, and he was rewarded with a smile from the lady. It was a wonder how the palace staff had accepted him. Arthur thought that they would loathe and doubt his presence here. Did they think he really was their Queen? Surely they would have been informed already.

Once they were done, the servants bowed and exited the room.

“Tea?” Alfred asks, lifting a teapot from the small cart beside them.

“Oh, yes please.”

He watched Alfred pour the steaming drink on his teacup. When he began adding the sweeteners, Arthur was about to tell him that he wanted three sugars and no milk, but the King had already dropped three cubes of sugar in the cup, ignored the milk pitcher, stirred, and then brought Arthur’s teacup back on the saucer.

Arthur sat back, dumbfounded at the fact that Alfred knew his tea preferences. Maybe Arthur and his Arthur had the same preferences? Were they really that similar? Outside and inside?

Arthur was still a little awestruck until a horrid smell entered his nostrils. Scrunching his nose, Arthur glanced up to see Alfred pouring himself a dark liquid on a white mug. Was that where the smell was coming from?

“What is that?” Arthur asks in disgust. The smell was incredibly strong. It wasn’t that bad, but it was making Arthur feel sick.

“This?” Alfred lifted the silver thermos. “It’s coffee.”

“It smells odd,” Arthur says. Despite his obvious show of disgust towards the drink, Alfred only smiled. He adds sugar and milk to his drink, stirring the dark liquid as it turns into a creamy, hazel brown color - he did all that with a smile, his blue eyes twinkling with reminiscence. “What?” Arthur quizzed, lifting a curious brow.

“Nothing,” Alfred muttered, his smile still in place.

They ate their breakfast in silence. Silverware clattered quietly with their plates. It was just about the only sound inside this grand, luxurious room. Arthur had to admit - the food reminded him of England. The way everything was arranged, tasted, and appeared. Though the food he had in England didn’t look as deluxe as what he had right now, nor were his portions insanely this amount - the taste was what brought Arthur back. And the little tarts and cakes reminded Arthur of the desserts served in Cassandra’s birthday parties. He favored the little mince pies.

That made Arthur recall his dream. That dream he had last night in the bathroom. Those weird… fast paced scenes that Arthur didn’t understand. He vividly remembers being pulled down, his lungs constricting, and then the burning feeling that it left-

As though Alfred could read minds, he called out to Arthur. “You alright?”

Arthur looks at him, surprised. He sees a little smudge of egg yolk on the corner of Alfred’s mouth, and Arthur fights the urge to lean over and wipe it off for him.

“Hm? Oh, erm…” Arthur awkwardly replies before tearing his gaze away. Should he tell Alfred about his dream? He couldn’t find any reason not to. Nothing was holding him back. Arthur no longer feels unsettled or anxious when he was around Alfred, in fact, he feels the exact opposite. He felt, how should he say it, comfortable? As if he could spill all of his secrets to the King.

His new perspective of Alfred might have been caused by what happened last night. It proved that Alfred wasn’t malice, that he wasn’t the malevolent person that Arthur had conjured in his mind. Arthur has been around Alfred during his most vulnerable times; if he wanted to hurt Arthur, he would have done so ever since.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that Arthur looked like his lost beloved? Alfred seemed to still be in denial. He steals longing glances at Arthur from time to time. But he never made any move to do anything intimate with him. He even let Arthur sleep by himself on his bed.

Surely the King was beginning to accept the hurtful fact. Arthur understands Alfred’s loss and how much he was hurting, especially since he could see a living, breathing replica of his Arthur. Right in front of him.

Arthur doesn’t know if his presence was hurting Alfred, or if it was helping him handle his grief. Whatever it is, Arthur was glad that Alfred had finally accepted the truth.

“There was this… dream I had last night. When I was uhm- in the bathtub, I saw something,” Arthur starts. He looks at Alfred. The latter was listening attentively. Taking a deep breath, Arthur continued the story, explaining in detail what he saw and who were involved. He started with the orphanage, the playground, to the pier, the garden, the ballroom, the dancing, the proposal, and eventually, to the wedding that Cassandra and Liam had infamously crashed. 

Once he said everything, Arthur watches Alfred take in what he said. The King stared at him thoughtfully and remained deep in thought for a few seconds.

"What if it wasn't a dream, but a memory?" Alfred suggests.

"A memory?"

"Well, you-... Arthur was an orphan too. Most of his life was spent living in the orphanage until he was marked at seventeen. He was transferred to the palace to start on his training immediately. That was when we met, and... I started courting him. Our relationship became official two years later after my coronation for King. Then Arthur was crowned when he was twenty-three, and that night I proposed to him. But… we never really had the chance to marry. Maybe what you saw was significant? It must have represented how you- he…”

When he died. Arthur didn’t want to pry any more information regarding that topic. That was dangerous territory. Arthur didn’t want to make it worse. He did have questions regarding the late Queen. Most of them revolving around the reason why Arthur committed suicide. Was it from stress? The tension of having to run a whole kingdom on your shoulders? Alfred did mention that Arthur was marked at seventeen, which gave him less than five years of training before he was crowned Queen. Maybe he didn’t feel prepared? 

However, Francis mentioned how Alfred, Arthur, and Yao led a successful term during their era. So stress shouldn’t have been an issue.

And of course the reason couldn’t have been Alfred, the man had adored and loved him. How could Arthur throw away everything? Arthur was curious, and he wanted to get as much information on the Queen as soon as possible. It might help him understand these weird, dream-like episodes that Alfred suggested were probably pieces of Arthur’s memories. Maybe Francis was right about the connection between his and Arthur’s bodies. If he wanted to find answers, he needed to ask someone else; the King wasn’t the right person to ask.

However, there was one thing that Arthur wanted Alfred to answer.

He clears his throat, an attempt to lessen the sudden tensed atmosphere. “Alfred? About England - you mentioned it before. What did you mean when you said that Arthur made it up?”

Alfred stares wistfully at his plate, picking at the beans. “England was a land that Arthur came up with for his fairy tales. One of them was about how a man named Albion killed a monstrous dragon that they called ‘the Jabberwocky’. Albion started off as a regular citizen, a skilled hunter for the village he lived in. He lived a regular life until the palace sought for more men to train as guards for the royal family. Albion then became a palace guard, but eventually he ranked up to a soldier for their military. With his skills sharpened and refined, he went against the Jabberwocky single-handedly to protect the kingdom.”

Alfred began slurring slightly. He stopped picking at his food, instead, he curled a soft smile and his eyes turned cloudy, heavy with recollections. “Arthur… was such a good storyteller. When he had free time, he would travel back to visit the orphanage he grew up in. He spends most of his leisure with the kids, sharing his stories and bestowing them little gifts. He knew how dull it was living a life as an orphan, and he did as much as he could to give back and make the children happy. And it’s evident the kids adored Arthur.”

Arthur felt his heart pinch as Alfred continued. He talked in a way that was so genuine, his tone filled with so much honesty and love.

The King didn’t say anything after that. They continued their breakfast in painful silence. Arthur felt the urge to break it, but what would he say? He ducked his head and focused his attention on the sweet tarts on his plate.

Once they were done, a couple of servants came in to clean up their plates and take away the tables and chairs. Yao dropped by, reminding Alfred of their postponed meeting. The other monarchs wanted to discuss more on their plans for confronting the Clubs’ monarchs. Which is a discussion they needed to make soon. With everything cleared up regarding Arthur, it was time to sit down and take care of more important matters.

Arthur informed Yao that he’ll stay back, fearing his presence would only bring tension during their meeting. Yao respected Arthur’s decision and called for Alfred to finish up. Once that was done, Arthur retreated to the restroom to wash up and change out from his sleeping attire. A lovely maid came by to drop him a set of neatly pressed clothes for him to wear.

Exiting the bathroom, Arthur was surprised to see Alfred still inside. He was standing in front of the tall mirror, fiddling with his tie for the umpteenth time. It made Arthur chuckle a bit, seeing how the dignified King of Spades was having trouble with something so simple.

Arthur’s soft laugh caught Alfred’s ears. The King turned around, and upon seeing Arthur, he blushed and laughed nervously. “Sorry, I can never get this right.”

“Do you want some help?”

Alfred’s eyes widened, evidently surprised by Arthur’s offer. “If you’re fine with that?”

Arthur simply smiled before sauntering towards him. He inspects Alfred’s tie, the poor thing all knotted up and all over the place. Taking away the complicated knots, Arthur fixes the tie effortlessly with practiced hands. Arthur could feel Alfred’s burning gaze above his head, but he continued with his task. Once he was done, he pulled the knot, tightening it beneath Alfred’s collar.

“There, all done,” Arthur says. He absentmindedly puts a hand over Alfred’s chest. The realization hit in just a fraction of a second before Arthur withdrew his hand quickly, hoping Alfred never noticed. 

He didn’t mean to do that. It felt as though it was a reflex.

There was something in Alfred's eyes. But Arthur couldn’t decipher what it was.

…..

Later in the afternoon, Arthur requested if he could have tea at the garden. The lovely maid had granted his request, and they quickly prepared a small table with tea and little biscuits. It was situated in a different garden, a much smaller one with more hedges than flowers. Alfred hadn't gotten back from their meeting yet, and Arthur found himself bored inside the room. An afternoon tea outside would be better than just sitting in the bedroom doing nothing.

Now that he was here, seated in the middle of perfectly trimmed hedges with delicious tea and snacks; Arthur should have felt relaxed, but something was bothering him.

One of the servants was staring at him.

He didn't notice at first. Until he looked around and saw a row of five servants standing nearby, ready to carry out any request from Arthur. Nevertheless, the last servant stood like an anomaly among the rest, as though he didn't belong there. While the first four maintained calm expressions, their eyes glanced down, the fifth was staring at Arthur, his dull brown eyes stared hard at him so intensely it almost burned. Messy, sun bleached hair framed his pasty face, which further made him more deviant from the rest of the well-groomed staff.

Arthur turned his attention away, fearing that the servant's gaze would set him on fire. His heart raced, his blood turned cold. It felt like he was seeing Arthur's corpse again. Unsettling and eerie. He could still feel the servant's stare on his back.

It sent frigid, uncomfortable chills down Arthur's spine. He focused his attention on the scones instead, nibbling at the small pastry, but he is unable to forget the servant's hot, almost accusing stare.

Arthur didn't mind their presence; the servants were here for a reason. They feared he might attempt another escape, given they situated him in this smaller garden rather than the main one with the fountain. And of course they wouldn't believe him if he says he wouldn't try to escape again. So, a request to be alone would only be rejected.

Nevertheless, Arthur's silent torture was quelled when he caught a glimpse of Yao marching towards their direction. The Jack gave him a small smile and a wave. Arthur looked behind to find Alfred, but he wasn't there.

"Could you please give us a moment?" Yao said to the servants behind Arthur. There was a silent hum and the servants shuffled away.

While they left, Arthur asked Yao, "Would you like a cup?"

"Yes, please," he said before taking the seat opposite of him.

"Where's Alfred?" Arthur asked as he poured the hot tea on another cup.

"I had him meet with our court regarding our recent meeting. Oh- and no sugar and milk please. Thank you."

"How was the meeting by the way? It certainly took a while."

Yao took a sip before nodding. "Yes it did. Francis informed us about the history that happened after we went dormant. Most of our discussion was the major events that happened from the past three hundred years. It was dreadful to hear that our kingdom was on the brink of being forgotten. As of right now, word hasn't spread to the other kingdoms that Spades is back. But I believe the rest of the monarchs in Diamonds and Hearts are aware."

"Why aren't the citizens being informed yet?" Arthur asks.

"We fear that word may reach the Kingdom of Clubs. Although they haven't made a move in a while, they might send an attack now that they know Spades is awake. We've already formulated a plan against them, but there's no doubt Ivan knows what we'd come up with. He knows Alfred can stop time-"

Arthur inferred, "And the plan is to stop Clubs' time and confront their monarchs?"

"Exactly. Anyone would see it coming."

"Then why not choose a different plan?"

Yao shook his head. "It's all we've got so far, or rather, the only option we have. There's been a rule to never use our abilities with anything other than what they are intended, especially war - but Ivan had already broken the code, so there's no reason we shouldn't do the same. If we follow through the plan, then we can save time and avoid bloodbath."

"When will Alfred execute the plan?"

Yao bit his lip. "About that. Alfred informed us that he isn't ready to do it. He's applied too much power on Spades the first time; it might take time for him to regain enough power to do it again. I can feel it; his powers are too weak. However, we need to do something. Like I said, when Ivan receives word about Spades, there's no doubt he'll advance towards us. Our military and weaponry are obsolete, and with Alfred's powers inactive, Spades is in a very vulnerable position."

Arthur remained silent for a few seconds. Given Yao's uncertain expression, a small part of Arthur knew what Yao was about to say. "You want me to do it?"

Yao nodded. Although Arthur had an idea, the validation planted a weight on Arthur's shoulders. He knew his reaction was obvious, because the other man had winced.

"I'm sorry if this unsettles you. And I know it's unfair that we've agreed on a plan without asking about how you feel about it, but… we're desperate. You have powers similar to Alfred's; right now, you're our best hope."

Arthur swallowed and shook his head. "No, no… I understand, and it's fine. It was inevitable - that I have a role in this. The idea does scare me a bit, and I'm a bit intimidated, but I accept. There might have been a reason why I was brought here and given these powers in the first place." Arthur's mind drifted towards the green bunny. Despite what it said back in England, Arthur thinks this may be why the creature pulled him to this world.

Yao's eyes widened, clearly surprised that Arthur accepted so easily. The Jack must have expected something else. "Alright, then," he cleared his throat.

"Will Alfred help me with this? My powers are still unstable. When we had dinner at the Diamonds, time had stopped because I was distressed. I'm afraid that I might accidentally do it again. What if I can't undo it?" Arthur remembered what happened when he was still in England. "At the Diamonds… time had restored but I don't know how I did it. It must have been by chance. But when it stopped in England, I couldn't undo it…"

"Don't worry, Arthur, we'll have Alfred mentor you," Yao assured. "I'm guessing you and Alfred are on good terms now? Francis told me you were stressed and frightened to meet him."

Arthur blushed, cursing under his breath at the thought of Francis exposing him. "Ah- that's true. But we are on better terms, I think."

Yao sighed. "That's a relief."

Arthur gave a small smile before hesitantly asking, "Do you think he finally accepted it?"

Yao's lips were in a tight line. "It's hard to tell. Sometimes Alfred's an open book, but sometimes he can be unintelligible."

"Oh, I see." That was evident. Alfred was an open book sometimes, yet he could pull a stoic face that concealed every emotion behind it.

"Of course it's going to take long for him to move on, and especially with you here he's-"

"Hurting, yes, I know. My presence here isn't really helping him…" How could Alfred properly mourn if Arthur was still here? Even if it was for a short time, how would the King handle it once Arthur needed to leave? "Yao, if by any chance we do settle everything with the Clubs, can I go back to England?"

Yao remained quiet for a moment before sighing. "Well, I can't really say anything this early but… Spades needs a Queen."

Arthur frowned. That wasn't what he was expecting to hear. "I'm willing to take on the role for now, to help as much as I can, but this isn't something I want to take on permanently. My home is England, and regardless if you believe me or not, I don't want to replace Arthur. I'm not him. It just… doesn't feel right."

The Jack only offered a small smile. "We’ll discuss more about this after we clear everything with Ivan. I'm not sure how long it will take, but all we're asking of you for now is to bear with us. You’re our trump card if things don't go as planned. If we're successful, then we'll further discuss your return to England."

That slightly took away a portion of the weight on his shoulders. "Alright." Arthur looks down at his cup, swirling the sweet liquid with a small spoon.

There was another question that Arthur wanted to ask, something that's been bothering him ever since they opened that casket. Arthur felt hesitant to ask, but the constant berating voice in his head managed to force the words out of him.

"Can I ask a question regarding the Queen?"

Yao nodded for him to continue.

"I apologize if this may sound too insensitive…"

"It's alright, you can go on."

Arthur bit his lip. "Why did he commit suicide?"

There was a flash of sorrow on Yao's hazel eyes, but he masked his emotions with a tight smile. "We aren't certain. The news of his… suicide had shocked the entire kingdom. Arthur had done so well as a Queen, and we were convinced that it must have been an assasination instead. We made an investigation, but there were no clues that would have lead to a murder. Arthur had taken his own life. The reason? We don't know. But I made a conjecture."

Arthur felt like sitting on the edge of his seat. 

Yao took a deep breath. "Arthur- he… he sees things."

"Things? What did he see?"

Yao shrugged. "I'm not sure. Alfred would sometimes catch Arthur talking when no one was around. It scared us a little bit. We thought he'd gone crazy and began talking to himself. But we dismissed it and thought he might have just been stressed. There was a lot that we were dealing with at that time, and Arthur started having insomnia, which must have explained his odd behavior. But when we found him that day… it led me to believe Arthur might have gone crazy or something. I'm not too sure. I guess I'm just desperate to find a reason because I know Arthur would never do that." The Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "And then I had this vision-"

"Vision?"

Yao removed his hand and opened his eyes. "My ability lets me see a glimpse of the future. It's not too explicit; my visions only come in little instances, and when they do, they're usually meant to give a warning of a bad, impending event. It's kind of like foreshadowing. Short instances that I need to analyze and make sense of."

Arthur marveled at that. "Did you see something about Arthur?"

Yao nodded, his face turning grim. "I did. I remember seeing an image of us sitting in the throne room… but the Queen's chair was empty. It was only Alfred and I that were present. The visions are always so quick and subtle that sometimes they look as though my mind randomly conjured an irrelevant thought. I dismissed it and thought of it as just that. But when we found Arthur that morning… only then did I realize the vision was real."

Yao looked as if he was about to have a breakdown, his emotions prominently bursting through his face, but as any royal should, he cleared his throat and remained placid. He sipped on his tea, his distressed eyes hiding behind closed eyelids.

Arthur bit back any more questions, letting the silence take over them. 

It seemed as though Alfred wasn't the only one hurting.

As they continued their afternoon tea, Arthur's mind recalls what Yao had said beforehand. Arthur- he… he sees things. Like what? A flying green bunny perhaps? Yao mentioned that Arthur talked to himself. Was it possible that Arthur talked to this creature as well? Did he see and talk to more bunnies like that? 

Or was it something else?

Just as Arthur thought of this, the strange servant he saw was lurking behind the farthest hedge.

…..

Arthur was standing in the middle of a forest.

He eyed the greenery around him, seeing nothing but trees and wild shrubs. Little birds sang quietly, their chirps and tweets echoing above him. For a second Arthur questioned his odd whereabouts. This was peculiar; the last thing he remembered was retiring to bed after having dinner with Alfred.

When had he arrived in this place? He certainly didn't sleep walk the entire time.

Looking up, Arthur shielded his eyes from the blinding sunlight. He watched a few birds fly from branch to branch, happily chirping as they go. However, Arthur's mouth snapped open when an arrow came out of nowhere, shooting one of the poor, flying creatures.

Arthur whirled around, towards the direction of where the arrow came from, only to find himself even more flabbergasted. Standing a few feet from Arthur… was himself, clad in ragged clothes with a bow in his hands.

Arthur lowered his weapon before marching forward, walking past Arthur as though he wasn't there. The clone seemed to ignore Arthur's presence as he collected the bird he shot down.

Meanwhile, Arthur stood back, gaping at the other man. Was this a dream? It sure seemed like it. Was it another memory of Arthur’s? Queen Arthur? Was this him?

"Excuse me?" Arthur calls to the other Arthur, whom he suspected was the Queen of Spades. Was this from the past? An old memory?

Arthur straightens back up before depositing his catch inside a bag. He turns around and smiles at Arthur. He politely replies, "Hello." And then he walked away.

Arthur, of course, follows him, still dazed and perplexed by what was happening. "Are you Queen Arthur?"

The other man glanced over his shoulder with a funny look. "I'm no Queen. But I am Arthur," he answered with a chuckle.

They strolled outside the forest and walked into a village. They were in what seems to be a market; food stalls were in every corner and there were many people plodding around. Arthur found it difficult to catch up to the other Arthur. 

"Hold on! I need to ask something!"

Despite his calls, the other Arthur didn't turn back. Instead, he continued strolling forward, ignoring the desperate calls behind him. Eventually, the other Arthur squeezed himself into the sea of villagers before disappearing.

"Wait! Arthur!"

Arthur apologized as he pushed past the people around him, still desperate to catch up to the other man. He's already lost sight of him! As Arthur picked up his pace, he suddenly slammed against one of the villagers, losing his balance as a result. He landed flat on his back, and as he opened his eyes, he saw a blonde man dressed in royal, military attire.

"Are you alright?" He says, offering a hand.

"I'm alright, thank you," Arthur muttered before accepting it. When the stranger pulled him back to his feet, Arthur's eyes saw a familiar face. "What?"

In front of him was none other than Arthur. But instead of wearing shabby clothes, the man was dressed in a neatly pressed ceremonial uniform.

"Are you Arthur?"

The other man smiled. "Yes. Are you alright, mate?"

"I'm fine," Arthur replied. "Where…" He glanced around to look for the other… other Arthur. Were there two of them running around?

"We're in England," the other Arthur said.

"England?" Arthur's eyes widened in shock. "We're not in Spades?"

Similar to the previous Arthur, this Arthur gave him a funny look. "No? Is Spades even a place?"

That made Arthur even more confused than he already is.

Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a sudden explosion behind him. In just a second, chaos erupted around him. A dragon was flying overhead, breathing out what looked like flames. The fiery blaze spread through the town like a wildfire, burning every house and structure that was on its way.

Fear coursed through Arthur's veins as the monstrous creature hovered over his head, staring down at him with a hideous scowl. Every sense that Arthur had told him run, to run away as fast as possible or else he'd get cremated by that beast.

But Arthur's feet were glued to the ground. He was unable to move, for he was frozen in shock. The dragon lets out a thundering roar before releasing another wave of flames towards Arthur's direction.

"Watch out!" Someone had yelled. The crackle of fire was the last thing Arthur heard before a hand latched onto his collar, pulling him away from the burning flames. He and his savior tumbled onto the ground harshly, and before Arthur could even give himself a second to breath, the other man forced him to his feet. "Go! Run away before you get killed!"

Through his blurry vision, Arthur finds himself staring at a pair of green eyes. When his vision finally cleared, Arthur was, once again, face-to-face with himself.

Another one?!

"Run!" The new Arthur, now clad in a bright red coat and ivory trousers, barked before unsheathing a large sword from the scabbard wrapped around his waist. "Run away! I will handle this!"

"Are you Arthur?" Were the only words that left his mouth.

"Yes!" The other Arthur yelled back. "Now leave!"

The other man whirled around to face the dragon. He released a battle cry before sprinting towards the beast, brandishing his mighty sword in the air.

Everything was happening so fast that Arthur didn't notice the angry flames running towards his direction. He screamed, shielding himself with his arms as he awaited his wretched fate.

However, the second the fiery monster engulfed Arthur, the flames exploded before turning into flower petals. Arthur lowered his arms, emerald eyes peeking open to look at what just happened.

Instead of seeing pure chaos, Arthur gaped at the rainfall of blue and purple petals across the sky. A few butterflies fluttered around him, some of them even took the liberty to nest on his shoulders and hair. All of the houses, the dragon, and even the villagers were nowhere to be found; it looked as though everything had turned into petals!

One of the butterflies hovered in front of Arthur for a few seconds to capture his attention. Then, the little creature fluttered away with Arthur's eyes following it. Once Arthur turned around, his eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar structure just a few yards away from where he was standing.

The butterflies on his shoulders and hair dispatched from him, all of them soaring towards the structure as though they wanted Arthur to follow.

And he did.

Mostly because he knew what the structure was, and what was inside of it.

A casket.

Specifically, Queen Arthur's casket.

Arthur stepped inside with a thundering heart. He feels the wave of déjà vu as he sees the casket out of its tomb, the top lid opened and ready for him to see..

Stopping in front of the casket, Arthur glanced down slowly. He stared at Queen Arthur's face, his heart almost leaping out of his chest when the Queen's eyes opened to reveal a pair of cloudy, emerald eyes.

Arthur swallowed before asking in a strained whisper, "Are you Arthur?"

Although there was glass between him and the Queen, the latter's lips formed to say an obvious,

No.

A/N: Not really proud of this chapter lol. I tried to make the last scene fast-paced like the one from the last chapter, but it just looks very rushed smh. Anyway, I finally completed this chapter! I’m so sorry for the long wait. I read all the comments from all platforms, and I really enjoyed seeing your theories! I’m going to be honest - most of them actually sound more interesting than what I have planned lol. I’m so sorry if the climax and ending turns out bland and simple, ‘cause I never really planned out this story well (it was only supposed to be a seven-chapter story LOL). I think the story still has about 4-5 chapters left.

Other than that, thank you so much for reading! I love reading all the feedback and theories that you guys have. I don’t want to say anything more about the plot, because I might reveal some stuff, but a lot is kind of answered in this chapter wink wink. Once again, thank you for reading!!

[britishshinshi]

Get It Right

Prompt: Drawing the Other

Alfred's brows were knitted together in complete concentration. He focused on how his hand rubbed the graphite of the pencil across his sketchbook, moving effortlessly to produce clean, precise strokes. From time to time he would lift his eyes up to look at his muse, to study and memorize the little and prominent details on his face before transferring them to the paper.

Alfred's lips twisted to a deep frown. He glared at his sketch before turning his pencil upside down to erase the messy strokes, and then he went back to sketching, focusing more on the jaw and mouth. He glanced back to his muse, studying the shape and length of his jaw. And then he looked at his mouth, analyzing the curve of his lips and the distance of it between his nose and chin.

He kept glancing at his muse and sketchbook in between strokes, ensuring he drew the exact thing. Every small line mattered, every curve mattered, every shadow mattered; but somehow, no matter how many times Alfred drew and redrew it, he somehow couldn't get it right. The eyes weren't the same, the nose was way too off, the ears weren't proportioned to the face, and the jaw wasn't sharp enough.

All the little flaws of his drawing made him slam his pencil down, leaving the sketch unfinished. The small noise was censured by several people muttering 'shush!' at him, reminding the young man that he was inside the library. Alfred flinched before murmuring a small apology. Bowing his head down, he frowned at the messy portrait he'd produced.

Alfred was usually proud of his art. From doodles of superheroes since he was a kid to the portraits he draws now as a teenager, Alfred treasured every piece and treated it equally. He liked seeing his art evolve, and he commended himself whenever he saw improvement. Drawing was something important to him, something he valued because he's been doing it since he was, well, a baby.

It was his escape from the reality around him. Alfred accepts the fact that he was different, that he wasn't like the 'cool kids' and that he never will be. With his boring personality and non-existent social skills, Alfred was pushed aside like an outcast. It's not like he minded though; Alfred preferred being alone because there was nothing wrong with being an introvert. Instead of spending his time hanging out with other people and partying, Alfred chooses to use every second of his time drawing.

And it proved to be beneficial because he saw improvement in his art every single day. Every piece he drew was always better than the last, even if it was just a quick, messy sketch. Alfred always thought that art was flexible; it could be just about anything, and that was one of the aspects that Alfred admired about it. He doesn't see himself as a perfectionist, which was why he was so enthusiastic about drawing since he never saw any flaws in his art.

Unless it was Arthur Kirkland he was drawing.

Alfred sent his 'awful sketch' another glare. When did drawing become so stressful? It was suppose to be a stress reliever for him, yet staring at the his sketch of Arthur was causing irritation to boil. If only he could just get it right.

Releasing a deep sigh, Alfred flipped onto the next blank page to redo his drawing. He rushed his last sketch, so now, he was going to take his time. Alfred began drawing the simple structure of the head, putting little dots next to the lines to mark Arthur's face proportions. This was all familiar to him, nothing new whatsoever; his hand moved in a practiced rhythm as though it had a mind of his own.

Unlike the first attempt, Alfred took more time analyzing Arthur's face, taking note of the prominent features before studying the more diminutive details. Since the other man was reading, it was easy for Alfred to copy the picture and transfer it to the paper.

The more Alfred stared, the slower his hand moved. After many years of practice, Alfred can successfully draw a picture without looking at his paper; a skill that he was using right now. For several minutes Alfred focused his sole attention on the handsome Englishman; he gazed at Arthur's pink-tinted lips, then to his small nose that was dusted with little freckles, which dotted all the way to his pale cheeks.

And then Alfred stared at his eyes, the most prominent features on Arthur's face. The emerald hue of his eyes were so brilliantly green that Alfred could never replicate them in paper. At this point Alfred realized that whatever drawing he'd produce, no matter how long it took, it would never perfectly catch the true beauty of Arthur Kirkland. None of Alfred's drawings would ever do him justice.

Alfred was unaware of the fact that he was blatantly staring at Arthur with a smile filled with so much adoration. Any thoughts about his drawing left his mind; all he thought of was how beautiful Arthur's eyes were and how they made him look even more gorgeous… and…

… they were staring straight at him.

Alfred felt his heart skip a beat.

Arthur was looking at him. Arthur was looking at him.

Holy shit-

And Alfred was staring back like an idiot.

As much as he enjoyed the attention Arthur was giving him, Alfred didn't want to look creepy in front of the person he's been crushing on for several months. Hell, it was more than a simple crush. Arthur was his muse.

Alfred looks back at his drawing. Once again, he criticizes himself for the little details he missed. However, the one detail that catches Alfred's attention were Arthur's eyes. Rather than drawing Arthur's irises looking down, he'd drawn them looking forward, as though Arthur was looking at the camera.

A deep scarlet flushed in Alfred's face. If he'd drawn Arthur’s eyes like that, then that means Arthur had been staring back longer than he thought.

Alfred's frame shrunk in shame. Oh, god- he wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

Arthur had finally acknowledged his existence, yet Alfred somehow had to mess up by looking stupid in front of him. Fuck… he was going to remember this dreadful day forever.

Alfred glanced up, mostly out of reflex, and he swore his heart skipped a beat once again. Arthur's eyes were still looking at him. When the Englishman noticed his gaze, he offered a small smile, waved, and then turned back to continue his reading.

Damn. Every little thing Arthur did made his heart race. Alfred might as well pull out his heart and offer it to him for goodness sake.

"That's a nice drawing." A voice whispered behind his ear.

Alfred snapped his head around, his eyes catching sight of Francis leaning down with a smirk on his face. The Frenchman was looking at something, and Alfred knew what it was.

Slapping his biology notebook on his drawing, Alfred glanced away, refusing to reply to Francis' complement as an attempt to shoo him away. Alfred feigned ignorance, as though he never noticed Francis' presence (even though it was obvious that he did).

Francis huffed as a response before retreating away. Alfred sighed in relief, giving himself a moment to relax until he saw Francis saunter over Arthur's table. Alfred's heart sank and his blood grew cold.

Only then did he remember that Francis and Arthur were friends.

And of course Francis was going to tell Arthur about the drawing that Alfred had made of him.

Shit, shit, shit!

Alfred grabbed his bag before shoving all of his stuff inside. He made sure all of his art supplies were safely deposited, because he was not leaving a sketchbook full of portraits of Arthur behind. Once his table was fully clear, Alfred bolted out of the library to save himself from embarrassment.

…..

Arthur didn't bother to hide his frown as he watched the handsome American exit the library in a haste. He sighed heavily before closing his book. He didn't know Alfred was going to leave so soon. Perhaps he must have made the lad uncomfortable? Alfred did catch Arthur staring at him…

Releasing another dejected sigh, Arthur began gathering his notebooks and texts.

"Hello, mon ami~" Francis quietly sang as he approached his table. "I just saw something very interesting today."

"Not now, Francis," Arthur muttered bitterly.

Francis pulled out a chair before taking a seat. "You might want to hear about it, cher~"

Before Arthur could even reply, Francis leaned closer, his lips whispering a few words into his ear. Arthur's eyebrows furrowed deeply, incredulous by the information Francis was giving him.

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked for confirmation.

Francis almost laughed at Arthur's expression. The Englishman's eyes were practically sparkling in what appears to be excitement and hope.

Once Francis had nodded, Arthur stood up immediately, almost knocking his chair backwards. He quickly zipped his bag closed before sprinting towards the exit, hoping he could catch up to Alfred.

Arthur didn't know if what Francis said was true, but god damn did he hope it was.

[britishshinshi]

Invisibility

Prompt: Watching A Movie (also featuring the Bad Touch Trio! A request from anon)

"Toni, take off the sunglasses!" Francis snapped just before entering the movie theaters with Antonio and Gilbert. "We're going to look suspicious!"

"Uhm, I think we already do," Gilbert pointed out, gesturing to their… questionable attire. They looked as though they were asking to get kicked out. "Maybe the hoodies weren't a good idea."

"But it helped disguise us, does it not?" Francis asked, but Gilbert just shrugged.

"We could have worn wigs," Antonio suggested.

Francis cringed. "I am not making my hair endure that. I'm already dreading wearing this ugly thing," he replied bitterly at the baggy hoodie he was wearing. Antonio sputtered, offended by Francis' comment about his jacket. "Just take off the sunglasses! Who even wears those at night?"

Antonio huffed as he slid the sunglasses off. "I thought it would help conceal my face better."

"No. You look like you're about to rob a bank." Francis rolled his eyes. "Now come. Alfred and Arthur are already inside."

Antonio and Gilbert nodded, reminding themselves of their mission tonight. Adjusting the hoods of their jacket, the trio entered the movie theaters casually, their eyes focused on the pair standing in front of the ticket booth. They slowly approached them, keeping an appropriate distance far enough so they didn't look suspicious, but close enough for them to hear what movie they were going to watch.

"The Invisible Man?" Arthur asked, "I thought you didn't like horror movies?"

"Not the ones with ghosts in them," Alfred said as he collected their tickets. When he turned to give Arthur his ticket, the latter stared at him with an incredulous look. "What? Ghosts are scary. There's nothing you can do to protect yourself from them since you can't touch them. Punching them is useless."

"So the Invisible Man isn't scary?"

"Not really. It's just a guy wearing a suit that makes him invisible. Nothing's scary about science," Alfred shrugged.

Arthur raised a brow. "How do you know it's just a man wearing a suit?"

"I've seen the trailer. There's this scene where the girl doused the guy with paint, and it showed him wearing a suit over his body. They kinda spoiled it in the trailer, not gonna lie," Alfred replied. He did watch the trailer, but he wasn't going to tell Arthur that he already watched the movie as well.

Regardless if a horror movie had ghosts or not, jump scares always got him screaming to the top of his lungs. Which was why Alfred watched the movie beforehand so he’ll know when to expect a jump scare. This was their first date and he didn’t want to make a fool of himself. Plus, he could act all cool and dandy and offer Arthur an arm around his shoulder whenever he felt afraid. Alfred could focus more on having Arthur snuggle against him rather than worrying about when the next jump scare was going to happen. This night was going to be great.

"Horror movies with people as the 'monsters' aren't really that scary," Alfred shrugged smugly.

Malevolence danced on Arthur's lips as he grinned. "I think I know what movie we're watching next time."

"So there's a next time, hm?" Alfred chuckled when Arthur's face heated up. He pinched one of Arthur's pink cheeks. "You wanna get some snacks?"

"Ah, yes," Arthur replied, flustered. He tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear before glancing at the snack bar. "I'll pay for it this time since you already paid for our tickets."

"Sounds good," Alfred said as they left the booth to purchase their snacks.

Meanwhile, three pairs of eyes glared at the back of Alfred's head.

"Boy's getting a little handsy," Gilbert sneered while Francis bought their tickets. "Should we break them up now and bring Arthur back home?"

"Gilbert, we're not here to ruin their date," Francis chastised. "Arthur would hate us. We're only here to ensure Alfred doesn't do anything too edgy to him."

"But if he does then can we break them up?"

"Yes, yes, we can do that if we need to." When Gilbert looked too excited, Francis lifted a hand as a warning, "Only if Arthur starts feeling uncomfortable. Then that's when we can step in."

It wasn't as though Alfred was a creep or anything. They were just being plainly overprotective of Arthur.

Alfred was a transfer student from America. He was already winning several hearts the second he entered the doors of their academy. Because of Alfred's instant rise in popularity, many envious students didn't like him, and among those students were Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio. And Arthur as well at one point. The American had been the butt of their jokes for several months, with Arthur being the source of it all, but all the jokes diminished when Alfred had unexpectedly asked Arthur on a date. And that fact had made the other three utterly discombobulated.

What?! Antonio had exclaimed while Francis and Gilbert stood behind him, wearing identical, petrified expressions. I thought you didn't like him?!

To which Arthur replied, with a small, shy smile, He's my seatmate for chemistry. After knowing him better for a few weeks, I realized he's… not that bad. He's quite charming to be honest…

The three of them didn't know what shocked them more: Alfred asking Arthur out or the fact that Arthur was all flustered and red-faced whilst he informed them about the date. The Englishman was completely smitten.

Their response acted as though it was the end of the world. What if Alfred was trying to get revenge on Arthur? The American must have found out about his hate group, and now he was probably plotting a rebound by targeting Arthur first. This triggered every protective nerve in their systems, which explains why they were stalking Arthur and Alfred while dressed in ghetto hoodies to mask their identities.

It wasn't their intent to ruin the date. Arthur was like the little brother of their group; someone that they always playfully picked on, but would always protect at all cost. Alfred gave them playboy vibes; which was why they needed to ensure Arthur was mentally and physically safe from whatever Alfred was planning to do.

"They just bought their snacks," Francis whispered to the other two. Alfred and Arthur left the snack bar with two drinks and a bucket of popcorn in their hands. "You two go ahead and follow them while I buy snacks. Make sure to get the seats nearest to them."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Antonio and Gilbert replied together, bringing their hands up to a salute.

Francis rolled his eyes. "And don't look too suspicious. We can't blow our cover."

"Don't you worry, Franny," Gilbert assured. "Oh, and I want nachos and a large cup of Sprite."

"Popcorn and Pepsi for me!"

Why did this steak out suddenly get so expensive?

…..

The three of them were situated behind Alfred and Arthur, a perfect location that lets them oversee everything. So far, nothing has happened for thirty minutes, but Francis had kept an attentive eye on Alfred. Gilbert and Antonio seemed to be too absorbed by the movie, or mostly Antonio actually, because he was holding the popcorn bucket over his eyes as the movie turned ominous and eerie, a sign that a jump scare was about to happen.

Nevertheless, both Francis and Gilbert noticed Alfred shifting in his seat, as if to scoot closer towards Arthur. Their keen eyes watched as Alfred stretched his arms over his head, and once they saw the American's right arm dangerously descending down over Arthur's seat, alarm bells went off in Francis' and Gilbert's heads.

Gilbert was the first to think of something. In a fraction of a second, he lets out the loudest fake cough that echoed in the entire theater. He turned it into noisy wheezing as he rapped his chest with his fist to add effect.

"Sorry, sorry," Gilbert said aloud, smirking to himself when he saw Alfred's arm withdraw back. Francis mirrored his smirk.

And that was what started they're task at ensuring Alfred doesn't lay a finger on their oblivious Brit. When Alfred started getting brave again, pretending to brush a hand through his hair as an attempt to place his arm around Arthur's shoulder, Francis slightly kicked the back of Alfred's seat, and it successfully scared the American's arm away.

They've been at it like this for several minutes. Francis and Gilbert tried their best to conceal their laughter because they could literally feel the atmosphere turned hot due to Alfred's annoyance. He even turned around for a second to acknowledge that he was getting irritated by Francis constantly kicking his chair, but it doesn't stop the Frenchman.

Alfred stopped trying at one point. For several minutes, Alfred stayed still with his arms crossed. His entire posture screamed he was annoyed. A part of Francis felt a little guilty for doing this, but what mattered right now was Arthur and only Arthur, who was kept clueless of what was going on. As the movie progressed on, and Alfred showed no sign of moving, Francis and Gilbert laid back and let themselves have a break.

At one point they were so heavily engrossed in the film that they didn't notice Arthur lean his head down on Alfred's shoulder. It seemed to please the latter, because he reciprocated by leaning his head atop of Arthur's. Gilbert noticed this when he glanced down. Distressed, he nudged Francis' arm to alert him.

"They're too close," Gilbert muttered quietly.

Francis kicked Alfred's chair once again, but this time, the American didn't respond. Francis tries again, harder, but Alfred continues to ignore him. Since Arthur had been the one to make the first move, there wasn't anything that they could do to pull them away. And Alfred already had his arm snaked around Arthur's shoulders already!

An opportunity opened when a jump scare, the biggest one so far, popped up, scaring the majority of the people inside the theater. Antonio, who was watching the entire time, screamed, his arms and legs jerking up so hard that it sent the popcorn on his lap flying towards Alfred's head.

The pair had separated instantly when the buttered snacks rained upon them. "Dude, what the hell?!" Alfred barked, standing up in his seat before turning around to glare at them - no one seemed to silence the enraged young man because everyone was still in the aftershock effects of the jump scare.

"Alfred, it's fine," Arthur said, grabbing onto his arms to tug him back to his seat. Thankfully, Arthur managed to calm him down. Alfred looked like he was ready to fight.

When the American sat down on his chair, the trio released a deep sigh of relief.

That was close.

…..

"Francis, hurry up!" Gilbert fussed, urging Francis to drive faster. After the popcorn incident, Alfred and Arthur didn't try anything to get close to each other, which the other three were thankful for, but when they all filed to go outside the theaters after the movie ended, they lost sight of Alfred and Arthur. By the time they reached the parking lot, Alfred's car was already gone.

They knew where it went, to Arthur's house of course. Although Alfred was dropping him back to his home, the trio still refused to leave them by themselves. Even if Alfred didn't do anything drastic during the movie, he might be plotting his scheme now; when they were alone.

Francis reached Arthur's neighborhood, and once they parked near their driveway, they saw Alfred and Arthur standing near the front door. Their hearts sank when they caught a glimpse of Alfred, his hands latched onto the shorter man's arms. Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio were just about ready to bust out  of the and pummel the younger man to the ground, but they stilled when they saw Alfred lean down to kiss Arthur's forehead.

The kiss was brief. Alfred straightened his back, smiled, and said a few words that they couldn't hear. Arthur spoke back, to which Alfred responded positively, his smile curling wider and his eyes beaming like the sun's.

They watched as Arthur cupped Alfred's face, pulling him down to kiss him fully on the lips. Just like before, the kiss was brief and Arthur pulled away instantly. He opened the front door to escape inside, leaving Alfred dumbfounded and awestruck. For several seconds Alfred stood on the same spot before bringing a hand to his lips. Something blossomed on Alfred's face; an expression that stunned all three men inside the car.

Alfred didn't look malice like what they expected; he looked like a guy that had just fallen in love.

They watched the American grin and punch the air as though he won the lottery. Looking at the door one last time, Alfred turned around to walk back to his car, the dopey grin still prominently visible on his face.

Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio remained quiet. It wasn't until Alfred got in his car and drove off when Gilbert decided to break the silence.

"So," he started, turning awkwardly to the other two. "We were… wrong?"

"I feel bad," Antonio confessed.

The realization hit them like a pile of bricks, leaving all three feeling dangerously guilty at what they've done.

"We need to apologize to them," Francis groaned, leaning his forehead down against the steering wheel. He bumped his head against it several times. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Uh, I'm not telling them. Did you see how angry Alfred was back there?" Antonio shuddered.

"Honestly, I'm more afraid of Arthur," Gilbert swallowed. "I'm pretty sure he's going to murder all of us. Franny, you should tell him. You've known each other longer."

"I agree!" Antonio exclaimed.

Francis' gut twisted. Of course he needed to be the person to do it.

But the question is: when?

…..

Francis decided to tell the story eight years later during his best man speech at Arthur's and Alfred's wedding.

[britishshinshi]

Hello. Im a fan of your fics but im shy so im gonna go Anon. Do you accept prompts? If Yes then do you mind the “BTT as protective friends over Arthur. USUK” maybe? But if you’re not accepting prompts, I am very fine with it! No pressure please. Once again i love your fics and continue doing what you love. Goodluck and always take care!

Hi!! I'm not accepting prompts at the moment. I already have a list of prompts set for every day in July, but I think I'll incorporate your idea in one of them. It sounds like a fun prompt to write. Thank you!!

[britishshinshi]

The Best Gift

Prompt: Birthday

Arthur was the first one to greet Alfred on his birthday.

Alfred walked out of his room, reading Arthur's sweet message on his phone. Calling it a message was an understatement; it might as well be an essay! It was quite lengthy, but Alfred treasured every single word regardless.

Rubbing away the drowsiness in his eyes, Alfred couldn't stop smiling at the heartfelt declarations sprinkled everywhere in Arthur's message. It made Alfred swoon and all giddy on the inside. And he thought he was the romantic in their relationship. Arthur's words were so poetic and thoughtful that it made Alfred's heart melt.

It would have been even better if Arthur was here to say those words.

That thought made Alfred's smile falter. He felt his heart ache as he read the last paragraph of Arthur's message. Reading the last few words was like saying goodbye to him again.

Alfred was brought back to a woeful recollection; of where he and Arthur stood at the airport, their bodies locked in a warm, tight embrace. Neither had the heart to let go until it was time for Arthur to check in. Seeing him walk away was the most painful sight Alfred had ever seen. It took every ounce of his self-control to stop himself from taking Arthur back to their home.

He was on his way to England to study in one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Cambridge. It was one of the universities that Arthur had applied to, and Alfred, to this day, can still remember the shock in Arthur's eyes when he received his acceptance letter.

It was a rapturous day for them, and a sorrowful one as well.

Arthur's acceptance into Cambridge meant he had to leave America. Their original plan was to attend the same university together after high school, and there were already a few universities in which both of them were accepted, but when Arthur's letter from Cambridge arrived, Alfred had wanted him to take the opportunity. Even if it meant they were going to be separated.

They survived the first year with video calls and text messages. But seeing each other on the screen was nothing compared to seeing each other in real life. Alfred longed to see Arthur buried in his arms, to see him smile, to feel his lips and hear his voice whisper sweet things in his ear.

To have Arthur with him for just one day, Alfred would give up anything at this point.

Alfred finished reading the message by the time he reached the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Instead of replying through text, Alfred went for the call button; as he always does. Once Arthur picked up, Alfred didn't waste time telling Arthur what he felt about the message. It didn’t even occur to Alfred that fifteen minutes have already passed by, and he hasn't even poured the milk on his cereal yet.

I delivered a gift, you know, Arthur said, his voice distorted through the call.

"You did?" Excitement bubbled in Alfred's chest. "What did you get me?"

It hasn't arrived yet?

"I don't think so. I haven't seen anything in the mailbox," Alfred explained. He balanced his cellphone between his shoulder and ear while he opened the milk carton on the counter.

That's funny. They said it should deliver today.

As though it was on cue, there was a knock on Alfred's front door.

What was that? Arthur asked.

"I think that might be your box, darlin'," Alfred responded, his voice instantly filled with anticipation. He abandoned his bowl of cereal to answer the door. Alfred could feel the corner of his lips reach his ears the closer he reached the door.

He expected to see the mailman, ready to deliver Arthur's gift, but as he opened the door, he didn't expect Arthur to be the one standing outside, holding his phone in one hand and a bouquet of red roses in the other.

Alfred only gave himself a fraction of a second to feel surprised before engulfing the shorter man in a tight embrace. Joy and exhilaration blossomed in his heart as he hoisted Arthur in the air. Alfred could already feel his eyes burning the moment he heard Arthur's hearty laugh, his voice echoing like an angel's.

Arthur, once Alfred placed him back on his feet after spinning him around, asked him with a grin. "Ready for your gift?"

"I thought you were my gift?" Alfred winked. He laughed when Arthur's face turned as red as the roses in his arms. "I'll open it later. Right now, I just want you."

There was no greater gift in the world than Arthur.

[britishshinshi]

Happy Independence Day and Happy Birthday to our favorite hero!!

[britishshinshi]

Stay

Prompt: Lazy Sunday Morning

Alfred was always greeted with the sun kissing his eyes every Sunday morning. He slowly stirred awake, the sunlight chasing away every ounce of his drowsiness. The first thing he sees the second he opened his eyes was the tuft of hair under his nose. He smiled, leaning down to breathe in the familiar scent of lavender and rosemary that lingered on his husband's soft, golden tresses.

Sunday is the best day of the week for Alfred and Arthur. The pair lived in a very structured routine throughout the week due to their demanding jobs. Even though they both worked in the medical field and the same hospital, their schedules often overlap, and sometimes while one is at home, the other is at work. Everyday was the same routine; the same, torturous routine that only gave them a short moment to kiss and embrace just before they're forced to separate again. It was like this every. Single. Day.

Except for Sundays that is.

It was the only day of the week where they could do whatever they want with each other without their jobs interfering. Sundays, just like every day of their week, were always structured and organized to ensure they make the best of it. And every morning, they start the day with a big, delicious breakfast - which Alfred makes because Arthur was banned from the kitchen.

Alfred had woken up with Arthur in his arms. The latter was pressed against his chest, snoring quietly in his sleep. Nevertheless, Arthur began to stir awake because of Alfred’s incessant kisses on his head. The shorter man groaned, turning his head as an attempt to shoo Alfred away, but the man continued peppering his freckled face with more kisses.

"Stop," Arthur croaked. 

"What time did you come home?" Alfred asked, his lips now nibbling on the other's jaw.

Arthur hummed. "Four."

Alfred stilled, flabbergasted by Arthur's reply. "Four?" He pulled away to hover above his drowsy partner.

"Yes, now please let me go back to sleep."

"Alright then," Alfred said, leaning down to press one more kiss between Arthur's eyebrows to get rid of that stubborn furrow. "I'll make us some breakfast."

Alfred sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. Just before he could stand up, Arthur grabbed onto his arm, tugging it down. "No…" Arthur muttered.

"Hmm?" Alfred glanced back, only to melt at the sight of Arthur's emerald eyes peeking behind heavy eyelids.

"Don't go," Arthur said, tugging Alfred's arm so the other could take the hint. "Stay with me."

With those eyes and that cute bedhead of his, Alfred would have crawled back under the covers in a heartbeat. Alfred palmed Arthur's hand, squeezing it gently before bringing it to his lips for a kiss. "I need to make breakfast, babe."

"Later," Arthur stressed before closing his eyes. "Sleep." He couldn't argue further because of how drowsy he was.

Alfred only chuckled as a response. He placed Arthur's hand back on the bed so he can resume his early task, but once again, just before he could leave the bed, Arthur latched onto him.

"Nooooo," Arthur whined, sitting up slowly to hug Alfred from behind. "I said don't go." To ensure Alfred doesn't leave, Arthur tightens his embrace before wrapping his legs around Alfred’s waist.

"That's not gonna stop me, Arthur," Alfred replied with a grin. He stood up, expecting Arthur to let go, but he glued onto the taller man like a leech. Alfred stood up with Arthur on his back. "Okay, now you're being ridiculous," he laughed, holding onto Arthur's thighs.

"Alfred," Arthur murmured against the back of Alfred's neck, his lips tickling the skin underneath.

"I can't make breakfast with you like this," Alfred said with a pout.

"Then don't make breakfast," Arthur continued to press. "Stay."

Alfred sighed. "You're not gonna stop, are you?"

"Mhmm."

Giving in to his husband's stubbornness, Alfred sat back down, and Arthur happily pulled him under the covers. Arthur was quick to fall back into slumber, snoring quietly the second Alfred encased him in his arms.

Alfred could get up and escape into the kitchen if he was sneaky enough. Every second of their Sunday needed to be well spent given how their brief time together was so precious. They needed to spend as much time together. But as Alfred watched Arthur sleep, so peaceful and calm, he figured staying in bed with his husband would be a day well spent.

[britishshinshi]

Hold Onto Me

Prompt: At a Pool/Beach

"Come on, I got you," America assured, holding onto one end of the pool noodle England was using. He swam farther from the shore with England on tow.

Meanwhile, England kept his head down, watching anxiously at the growing distance between his feet and the sandy sea floor. "I'm sure this is far enough, love," England said nervously, his grip around the floater becoming tighter. He jerked when something brushed against his toes. "America? I think we're going too far."

America laughed, but he stopped nonetheless. "I can still feel the sand, England," he snickered. The water was below America's chin, and it was true, his feet were still grounded on the seafloor.

"That's because you're taller!" England retorted, his eyes still glued to his feet. His odd behavior towards the beach was due to the fact that he couldn't swim, which is a little ridiculous given England was a pirate back in the days. The pool noodle was the only thing keeping him afloat, and although the ring-shaped floater would have been better, England was too ashamed to use it albeit him and America being the only ones present at the beach right now.

America pulled the pool noodle closer so England floated in front of him. "Don't worry too much, old man," he teased with a smug grin, but when England refused to look back despite the annoying jab, America sighed before lifting England's chin. "Hey, relax, you'll be alright. There's nothing but sand under us. The beach is at low tide so the water’s really nice."

"I think I prefer the more shallow area, or maybe I'll just lay down under the shade by the shore."

"But that's not fun! The water feels fantastic!" America pouted. "We only have today and tomorrow left on this island; at least try to have fun! The beaches are the best part of this place!"

England meant to reply with words, but a high-pitched scream came out of his mouth instead. "Something keeps touching my feet!" He cried, thrashing his legs against the blue water. "America! Bring me back to the shore!"

America yelped when England accidentally kicked his thigh. "Ow! Hey, watch it! Calm down, England!" He reached for his distressed partner, grabbing his waist before pulling him towards the large boulder peeking out from the water. Thankfully, England stopped squirming as America grabbed a hold of his hips, lifting him over the boulder so he could sit. "Geez, you're such a drama queen. It was probably just a fish or something."

England pinched America's cheek. "Or a sea urchin, you git."

"Ow!" America whined, pulling his head back but he kept his hands on the other's hips. "The locals said that the sea urchins don't come out until sunset. Which is a bummer. I wanted to watch the sunset with you while we're still on the water."

"I'm flattered. But we could always just watch from the shore. You know, it's not too late to turn back."

"Haha, nice try," America said, poking his tongue out. "Come on, babe, we're supposed to make the best of this trip! I booked a vacation all the way here just so we can spend time with each other. Aren't you having fun?"

England sighed before cupping America's cheek, caressing the area he pinched earlier. "I am having fun. I'm just not fond of swimming. But I do appreciate the quick holiday. Thank you so much, love," he said, leaning down to press a kiss on America's forehead.

The younger nation beamed at that praise. America hummed as he closed his eyes and nuzzled England's hand, seeking for the familiar, warm touch.

England needed to give America some credit. The island that America picked, Tinian, was absolutely beautiful, and England admired how peaceful and kind the locals were. The island belonged to the US, but they had their own culture that they proudly presented to their tourists. Since it was a fairly small island with few residents, sometimes it felt as though it was a private island for him and America. The tranquility felt great given how much stress both of them endured from the previous months.

Right now, he and America were at one of the beaches, 'Taga' it was called (it was fascinating and convenient that the beach was only a two-minute walk from their hotel). The beach was a small sandy area surrounded by small cliffs, which were short enough for people to use as jumping platforms to dive into the crystal blue waters.

"Hey! Watch me jump off from there!" America exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the tallest jumping platform. "I'm gonna look so cool. Be right back, babe!" America pulled England down to kiss his cheek before swimming quickly towards the shore.

England glared at him. "Don't leave me here!"

"You'll be fine!" America had shouted back with a laugh.

"Idiot," England muttered under his breath. He watched the younger nation climb up the ladder, and then he jogged down the path leading to the platforms. Once America stood above the cliff, he winked at England before flaunting and flexing his muscles like an idiot. England rolled his eyes and booed, slightly embarrassed at the display but thankful that nobody was here to witness America's idiocy. Nevertheless, England would never admit that he was secretly liking the show America was putting.

"Don't look away!" America yelled, taking a few steps back and then he ran, jumping at the very edge of the cliff. "Yahoo!" He hollered, curling into a ball as he dove into the water.

England chuckled as he shielded his eyes from the splash. He waited for the younger nation to resurface so he could say a joke, but that never happened.

"America?" England called, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. When America still hasn't surfaced, England grew more worried. "Alfred?”

England called America's name a few more times, but the silence was causing his heart to race. Dread sliced through England's veins as his blood grew cold. However, the older nation was far too distressed to notice the wet steps behind him, and just before England could think of what to do, two large hands grabbed his shoulders from behind before pushing him slightly.

"Got'cha!" America yelled right next to England's right ear. The latter didn't know if America's voice was what scared him, or the fact America had pretended to push him off into the deep water.

For a fraction of a second, England was utterly horrified, but the irritating sound that was America's laugh echoed throughout the beach caused a deadly scowl to twist on England's face. The dolt had swam around the boulder to sneak up behind him.

"You prat!" England yelled, scooping up a handful of salt water before whirling it straight to America's face, but the latter had dodged, his laugh growing louder and more annoying. "Fuck you!"

America's laugh abated, turning into small chuckles as he ruffled England's hair. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. He took a seat next to England, but the latter had turned his head away from him.

"Hey, I said sorry," America said with a soft, apologetic tone. He wrapped an arm around England's shoulders. But when the latter refused to look at him, guilt had slapped him across the face. "Arthur, I'm sorry. I won't do that again, I promise."

"Break that promise and I swear I'm not following you in another one of your escapades."

America chuckled, stealing England's chin before placing a soft kiss on his stubborn nose. "Noted." He continued placing little kisses on England's flushed cheeks, and eventually, his lips met England's and they shared a short, passionate kiss. "So… was I cool?"

England rolled his eyes, pressing his hand against America's chest to push him away. "Sure, love, you were."

America laughed at that. "You wanna try and jump?"

"No."

"I'll be there to catch you!"

"Never in a million years."

America pouted. "Next time then?"

"There's a next time?" England lifted a brow.

"Yeah! We should come here again. It's pretty quiet and their beaches are awesome. It's such a small place that it feels like it's just the two of us here. So we should totally come back!"

"Mhmm. And what would your boss think?"

America chuckled nervously. His boss was unaware of this trip. "He doesn't know I'm here; in fact, he thinks it’s the last place I'd go to. He sometimes forgets about these islands. Heck, I do too."

"I'm guessing you don't come here that often then?"

America shook his head. "Nah." he said as he glanced at the horizon, where the blue water met the sky. It really was beautiful here. "The last time I was here was 1944." During World War II. Tinian, as well as the rest of the islands that made up the commonwealth, were under Japan's rule during the second world war until the islands were seized by the US. They were eventually turned into airbases. Yesterday, America had brought England to North Field to see the infamous atomic bomb pits that loaded Fat Man and Little Boy into the two delivery bombers, Enola Gay and Bockscar. "A lot has changed."

"I'd come back again," England confessed.

"Really?" America asked, and England smiled at how bright and excited his eyes were. "The food's really good too. It reminds me a lot of Hawaii."

"Just make sure you notify me, a month ahead, for our next trip instead of dropping by at the last minute."

“I will, I will,” America snickered. “I’m a little scared to go back home actually. I don’t know what my boss is going to do to me. I never told him I was leaving.”

"I don’t know what my boss is going to do to you once he finds out that you kidnapped me," England accused, poking a finger to America's tanned chest. England grinned when he saw America shudder in fear.

America didn't reply, instead, he squeezed and rubbed England's shoulder as they enjoyed and savored the peaceful moment. Times like this were rare for them, and despite their petty squabbles and jabs, they would do anything to have a moment like this, where there's just the two of them.

They nudged each other's legs under water, and although they were silent, words weren't always needed. For several minutes they watched the sky turn into different colors, from light blue to a mix of red, orange, and yellow.

Once they saw the sun descending down, ready to disappear under the horizon, England turned his attention towards America, his hand tugging the other’s arm. The younger nation was perplexed, questioning England's actions until he cupped his cheeks and tugged him down for a kiss.

Excitement bubbled in America's chest as he closed his eyes shut and leaned down, happy and overjoyed to see England initiate a kiss first. However, just before their lips could meet, England grabbed onto America's shoulders before hurling the larger nation into the water.

It was England's turn to laugh as he watched America rise to the surface, wheezing and coughing out the saltwater that went in his nose.

"That's for scaring me, you dolt."