(no subject)
It's Always Been You
A USUK fanfic
Rated T
Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Warning: Fluff. YES GOOD. Was typed while sleepy; thought organisation might be incoherent. Haha.
By pasuterukyan @ FF.net / kesefusohon @ LJ / msmstee @ Tumblr
Fanfiction.net Mirror:
Tumblr Mirror:
Lovers came and went. Laughs, tears, and memories were exchanged. There were things that were never forgotten, things that were memorable. But in the end, it's always been him.
The sad, cold rain poured over London. No big surprise here. It was an ordinary day for Arthur, flicking through the channels, catching re-runs of television shows. He wasn't in the best mood today, and it was mainly because of the rain. His cat jumped off its spot in the couch and walked to its food bowl in the dining area.
"...another rainy day in London..."
"...what did you say...?"
"...so for today, I'd like to call on..."
"...I didn't know it was you..."
Channel in, channel out. He was so bored. He sighed and turned off the telly, picking up the book on the coffee table and started reading where he left off. Moments later, there was knock on his door.
Alfred was freezing cold, shivering from head to toe. Damned country and its rain!He thought. His hair was plastered to his face; his clothes were clinging to his skin. He was waiting for Arthur to answer the door.
"Artieeee---!" he called out. His teeth chattering and arms wrapped around himself in a vain attempt to stay warm.
Arthur opened the door to find a soaked American getting his porch wet. He frowned at him, and crossed his arms. "How many times did I tell you not to go out in the rain? You never learn do you?" he scowled.
"Whatever..! Can't you let me in, dude? Sheesh, your weather must be hormonal." he said, rolling his eyes and returning the frown. He was expecting Arthur to slam the door back into his face.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked haughtily.
"It's Valentine’s Day, remember? I wanted to drop by!" he took out a heart-shaped box with a ribbon tied to it from his jacket's inner pocket. He had hoped it would be dry by the time he got there, but sadly, the box didn't survive the ordeal.
"Aww, crap. It's ruined!" he whined as he saw the box's wet, soggy wrapper.
"It's all right." Arthur said, giving the tiniest of smiles. "Come on in, you know where the towels and the bathroom is, go take a bath before you get sick, leave your jacket out here on the porch to dry out." he enunciated those words in a long, weary drawl as if it was a script repeated for the millionth time, swung the door open, gesturing to the jacket as he said the last statement.
"Thanks, man! What do I change into, though?" he asked, looking quite puzzled.
"You left a shirt here on one of your other visits. You can use my knickers, if you want."
"'Scuse me?" 'knickers' wasn't a familiar word to him.
"Boxers."
"Oh! Yeah, thanks! It's not like I could fit into your small pants if I tried..." Alfred laughed to himself, removing his shoes and socks, and peeling off the jacket, leaving it out by the potted plants to air out. He went inside, handing the boxed chocolates to Arthur, leaving a trail of water that dripped from his clothes.
"You wouldn't fit because you're fat." Arthur sneered.
"That's mean!" Alfred pouted and went upstairs to where the bathroom was.
"It's true, anyway." Arthur shrugged and plopped back on the couch, picking up his book.
"It's not!" Alfred shouted from upstairs as he went inside the bathroom, to which Arthur just rolled his eyes.
He went to his bathroom and took a pair of his boxers before leaving it in a wicker basket outside the bathroom.
He went back downstairs, flicked to the page where he left off before he got interrupted by Alfred. His brain was fully immersed in the book a few moments later, only to be surprised when a heavy force made him jump. Alfred had jumped onto the couch.
"I'm dooonee~!" Alfred loudly announced.
The box of chocolates was on the table, Alfred leaned forward to reach over and open it. A huge variety of bite-sized pieces of chocolate were showcased in front of him, not one same with the other. Dark chocolate, white chocolate, flavoured, milk chocolate, it looked quite expensive.
"Go on, try one!" Alfred grinned at him, offering him one.
"O-oh... Thank you." he took one and placed it in his mouth, feeling the creamy, milky cocoa melt into his taste buds. Expensive, luscious chocolate, that's what it was. "Mm..."
"You like it?" Alfred asked him animatedly.
"Yes... Thank you, Alfred. Such a shame I wasn't able to get you a gift." he said quite ashamedly.
"Nah, it's okay! A hero doesn't expect anything in return!" he laughed boisterously.
Arthur took another one into his mouth, this time it was dark chocolate. The taste of bitter chocolate spread throughout his tongue, it was the taste of the unsweetened chocolate yet there was a subtle hint of sugar and milk in that piece. He smiled, it tasted really nice.
Wasn't giving chocolates reserved for those who were going out, or those who liked each other? Well, it was what Arthur believed in. Does that mean Alfred likes him? Well, his customs might differ from his...
"Alfred, did you give anyone else chocolate today...?" he asked cautiously.
"Nope. Only you. Why? Are you feeling jealous?" he felt a smirk creep up his lips.
"...N-no!" he took the couch's pillow and shoved it into Alfred's face.
Alfred was taken aback by that sudden attack, he was confused at first. "What the heck was that for, Artie?!" he asked.
"That was to teach you not to be cocky with me!" he said loudly.
Alfred tossed the pillow back towards Arthur's face.
"How do you like it now, huh?" Alfred said triumphantly.
"Wanker." Arthur snarled, hurling the pillow towards him.
"Can't you swear like an American? Sheesh." Alfred laughed and rolled his eyes.
"I would, but that wouldn't sound pleasant to your ears, now would it?" he scowled at him.
"Eww, I don't think I want to know." he made a disgusted face and tossed the pillow back.
"Good." he replied, tossing it back again.
"Pervert." he laughed and lightly flung the pillow at him.
Arthur leaned towards Alfred and smothered him with the pillow, rubbing it in his face.
"You git..." he growled at him.
"Wha're you gettin' mad fo', Artie?" Alfred laughed under the pillow.
Arthur sat back down, fuming, his face red.
"You're being so huffy-puffy about this!" Alfred laughed and poked the other's cheeks.
"Am not!" he retorted. Alfred continued poking.
"Are too!"
"Am not!" he stuck his tongue out at him. How childish. Well, it was just the two of them, so it did not matter.
"Haha, you argue like a kid, Artie!" he poked him harder.
"And you act like one all the time!" he shot back and turned away.
"Hey! Don't turn away!" Alfred whined and poked his cheeks round the other side, but Arthur swatted his hand away.
"Can’t you just quit being so annoying!" Arthur yelled in exasperation.
"Am I really that annoying?" he asked him, a mocking pout on his face.
"Yes."
The words got to him. But... he was Arthur, surely he found everyone annoying... Even so, the words somehow hurt.
"Oh... I, uh… had no idea..." Alfred stopped and scratched his head.
"That's because you're so oblivious."
"So… I, uh... guess you want me to leave now...?"
Arthur paused for a moment. Did the message sink into that boy's skull so bad? He gulped, not meaning to hurt him that bad.
"I never said that..." Arthur said, with dignity. It was better than screaming at him to stay.
"You said I was annoying."
"But I didn't tell you to leave, did I?" his voice slightly rose.
He turned around to face him again; his eyebrows were knitted together in a frown.
"Heh, I thought you wanted me to leave for good." Alfred grinned at him. Arthur's lip twitched at the sight of his cocky smile.
"You... You..." he gritted his teeth and launched himself at him, tackling him to the edge of the couch. "Alfred, you're such an idiot!"
"Whoa, whoa! Calm down!" he laughed, trying to keep Arthur from bashing his face.
"How can I calm down when you're such a bloody idiot?!" he practically yelled.
"Shh, don't get so mad like that..." he rubbed Arthur's back lightly.
Arthur calmed down, although he was still frowning.
They stayed like that, him leaning against Alfred, for what seemed like hours. The silence made everything seem longer.
"Hey Artie, can I try something?" Alfred smiled at him.
"It better not be stupid." he grumbled, as Alfred made him look into his eyes.
"It won't be. Trust me." he pulled Arthur into a kiss, which slightly surprised him.
He was right, it wasn't stupid. He kissed him softly, gently, it made Arthur close his eyes and enjoy the kiss.
Alfred sucked on his lower lip subtly, asking if he could deepen it. Arthur parted his lips wide enough to let the other's tongue slip in, exploring the inside of his mouth. Arthur rolled his tongue with his, his face getting warm and gradually getting red. He wanted to this for so long now, and he was finally getting it. It felt so good, after all those centuries of waiting. How long has it been? A century? Two? He doesn't even know anymore. He's loved Arthur for as long as he can remember.
It was the taste of Arthur's horrible scones and tea. It was what he tasted. It was not the best thing you could taste while you kissed someone, but to Alfred, it didn't matter. He grew up eating this horrible toxic waste, and he might as well live with it, as long as he can be with Arthur and be able to kiss him like this every day, even if it means tasting it every day for the rest of his life. This is Arthur, his mouth can taste whatever the hell it wanted, and he'll love it anyway.
Arthur, on the contrary, tasted burgers and soda. It was the sweet taste of the carbonated, fizzy drink, and the faint taste of the mayonnaise and ketchup. It was exactly how he expected it to taste like, although before, he'd get cold shivers when he thought about it. But now, it didn't seem so bad at all. In fact, it was good. The mixture of soap, fabric conditioner, burgers and soda made him swoon. He loved the smell of Alfred, no matter how weird it was.
Alfred had to part with him to breathe some air, wiping away the thread of saliva that connected their lips.
"I love you, Artie. You don't know... how long I've loved you..." he breathed, his heart beating rapidly. What would he do if Arthur did not feel the same way?
"I love you too... Ever since before..." he slowly opened his eyes, and looked into his.
"I thought you hated me... After that war..." he said softly.
"I didn't hate you... I was hurt, that's all... What do you expect? I loved you so much and I thought you felt the same then all of a sudden you had to leave me! You have no idea how much it hurt for me, Alfred! No idea...” he started to tear up, his lip quivering, his cheeks flushed.
Alfred reached to wipe his tears away, a worried look on his face. "Arthur, I'm so, so sorry... You don't know how bad I felt after that... How I regret leaving you... I didn't know... I'm so sorry..." he said, feeling his own tears in his eyes. The sound of the raindrops rapidly falling onto English pavement made everything feel worse for both of them. "I'm so sorry… I'll never leave you again. Never." he said, his voice and his expression were both serious.
"You better bloody not!" he said, warm tears streaming down his cheeks. His jaw was clenched, he felt as if his heart was ripped out by the mere memory.
"Shh, I won't... I promise..." Alfred tried to wipe Arthur's tears, but they just kept on coming.
"Stop that... Go wipe on your own tears. I don't want to see my hero crying..." he said with a wry smile as he removed Alfred's hand from his face.
"You're right... Heh, you called me your hero." Alfred grinned, trying to blink out the tears in his eyes.
"Yes, I did." he smiled at him. "You've always been my hero, Alfred."
"I love you." Alfred said again, pulling him into an embrace, nuzzling him.
"And I love you too." Arthur replied, smiling.
"I don't know what I would have done if you didn't feel the same..."
"Same here."
They just gazed into each other's eyes in silence. What would have happened? Arthur's mind was clouded with worry, but it cleared up in the reassurance that Alfred did love him back. All those years.
"I'll love you for more than two hundred years, and I'll love you for hundreds more." Arthur smiled at him, his lips curved upward in the sincerest, sweetest smile that was reserved for Alfred.
Arthur closed his eyes and leaned in, softly placing his lips onto the other's, making Alfred feel like there were fireworks, like it was a truly amazing and happy thing. He closed his eyes, letting Arthur kiss him.
He couldn't get enough of Arthur's kisses, his lips, his taste, he wanted him, needed him so bad. The mere idea of Arthur being his made him the happiest man in the world.
Arthur licked the lower lip, Alfred obediently opening his mouth wide enough for Arthur's tongue to slide in. He took the lead, rolling his tongue with his, running it over the roof of his mouth. Alfred was feeling giddy and nervous at the same time -- damn, was Arthur a great kisser.
He ran his fingers through Alfred's smooth, silky blonde hair; both of their faces were warm and tinged with the somewhat unflattering shade of pink.
The Brit pulled back to breathe, his chest heaving. He was breathing in and out, a satisfied, triumphant grin on his face. Alfred leaned in and kissed his forehead.
"Damn, Artie, you're such a good kisser. Maybe I should let you lead more often." Alfred laughed, a sheepish grin on his face.
"Well, I don't want to do all the work, now do I? But thank you for the compliment, either way." he laid his head onto Alfred's chest.
Alfred stroked his hair and lightly rubbed his back, enjoying this peaceful moment they're sharing.
"Maybe it's fate..."
"Hm?" Arthur looked up.
"Fate that I chose you over Francis that day." he grinned broadly.
"Yes, and up to this very day, I am happy that you did." he nodded.
"You're amazing." he breathed in happily, squeezing him tighter.
"I am not...!" Arthur laughed in denial, the tight squeeze hurting his sides.
"Yes you are! And I love you, which makes you more amazing!"
"Is that how it goes?" he laughed in reply, admiring Alfred's cheerful illogic statements.
"Yeah!" he nodded. "Happy Valentine’s day, Arthur." his voice became solemn and sincere. He closed his eyes, burying his face into Arthur's hair which smelled of good menthol shampoo.
"Happy Valentine’s day to you too." he smiled into the soft cotton fabric of Alfred's grey shirt, his mind finally at peace, the most it had ever been since that lonely, rainy day in the battlefield.
Lovers come and go, memories made then forgotten, promises said but broken. But if there was one thing Alfred and Arthur knew, it was that they truly loved for each other and that no matter how many centuries they'd have to wait, they would still be there, no matter what. They loved each other for more than two hundred years, and they'll love each other for hundreds of years more.