Wake up! Alfred!

Chapter 1

Night had fallen; outside the moon had disappeared behind a cloud. This did little to the dimly light room, where a rather worried Englishman sat. Attempting to distract himself with a book, the reason a distraction was needed was the little boy in the other room. How many hours had passed since then? How many times had the brit peeked into the room only to have his heart broken again? How long would it be before that poor little boy finally woke up?

Whimpering and crying out in his sleep, Alfred was attacked in his dreams by horrible images. Imagines of war, death, loss, misery, angry people blaming it all on him. The world was falling because he couldn't save it, no matter how hard he tried.

"England... England!"

Alfred cried out in a panic still trapped in his nightmare. Hearing Alfred's cry's Arthur dropped the book he had been reading, rushing over to the boy's side.

"Alfred!?"

Arthur was saddened by the fact the little American was still asleep.

"Don't go... England. Please... please....I'm sorry..."

Alfred pleaded, as in his nightmare England just turned away.

"Leave me alone America."

Alfred felt his heart stop from the cold hate filled tone of his caretaker's voice, a voice once so cheerful and full of love.

"England... don't leave me... I don't want to be alone again..."

Alfred whimpered reaching forwards in his sleep; tears ran down the brits face. Taking the boy's trembling hand, England whispered,

"Alfred it's all right... I won't leave you on your own again poppet, it's alright."

Alfred's grip on Arthurs hand subconsciously tightened as hate filled eyes glared at him as if he was something you find on the bottom of a shoe. Flat tones echoed in the darkness that surrounded him, of his failure to fix anything, how useless he was. How he'd be more help if he'd just disappeared and mind his own bissness.

'I'm so tired of playing the hero no one wants...'

Alfred widen his eyes, he was staring into what looked like a mirror except... Somebody he'd never seen before stared back at him.

'I should just disappear... nobody wants me around anyway...'

The voice continued Alfred getting a closer look started seeing some similarities between himself and the man in the mirror.

'I'm just so tired of it all...'

Alfred felt a sudden weight of something made of metal in his hand. Looking down he saw he was wearing the man's clothing.

'Wait am I... is this me?' Alfred thought, staring at the man in the mirror. The same hair, same cowlick, and when the man removed his glasses Alfred froze.

'It is me!' His refection's blue eyes were dull and almost grayish in color. Not one spark of life or hope remained in them.

'Do the world a favor; it never wanted a hero...'

Alfred watched as his refection lifted the gun to his head

'Nobody wanted the hero you couldn't be...'

"America? What are you doing!? Answer the door!"

A far away voice in the distant background called; there was an echo-y sound of pounding on a door,

"I'm sorry..."

Alfred whispered as the door was broke down, the refection closed his eyes causing the dream to turn to blackness as the sound of a fired gun echoed.

Gasping Alfred sat up in bed, the pale light of early dawn kept in through the windows banishing the darkness in the room. Panting Alfred tried to calm down, looking down at himself then around at the familiar room in his home built by England.

...

'England!'

Alfred thought head whipping around searching for his big brother and caretaker. Feeling a weight on his right hand Alfred's gaze traveled slowly to rest on a familiar mop of blonde hair. Still gripping Alfred's hand gently between his own, the Englishman had fallen asleep slumped over on the bed from his chair.

Holding the England's hands close to his heart Alfred fought the tears running down his face, silently weeping. As the tears fell from the young American's cheeks, a few landed in Arthur's hair and on his face. Eyes twitching under his lids for a few moments before slowly opening,

"England..." Alfred whimpered not aware that he was starting to wake up, at the sound of the boy's voice the brit snapped awake in a second.

"...America? Alfred?"

Arthur sitting slowly up to meet the teary blue eyed gaze of the American. Fresh tears rose in his dark green eyes as he pulled Alfred into a tight embrace,

"Oh poppet, I was so worried."

Arthur choked out. Burying his face in the Englishman's jacket Alfred whimpered

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... England I had the worst nightmare."

The brit tensed slightly,

"It started off so cool... then people were dying, war, misery, and there was nothing I could do... Then suddenly everybody hated me, telling me I should just disappear... You hated me, England you didn't even look back when I reached out for help..."

Tightening his grip slightly England pressed his face into Alfred's hair,

"Then, then... I saw someone in a mirror; he-he had... a gun."

Trembling Alfred pressed closer to England as if afraid the brit would disappear at any second

"When I looked down I... I had a gun too... the man in the mirror was me... but his eyes were lifeless dead... no hope... then the gun fired... England I'm scared. What if that happens to me?"

Alfred closed his eyes trying to bury his face into England's chest. With wide green eyes England processed what America had said, memories swam through his vision before his eyes darkened with determination.

"Shhhh it's alright... you'll be alright I'll protect you. I'll make sure that nightmare doesn't come true..."

England soothed, gently stroking Alfred's hair to calm him,

"Promise?"

Alfred asked lifting his big blue eyes to meet Arthurs. Arthurs vision flashed slightly before smiling gently, holding the frightened boy closer.

"I promise,"

"Always and forever... no matter how big I get?" Alfred whispered memories from his dream coming back to haunt him.

"Even if you get taller than me, and act like a fool every day of your life I'll always be with you,"

Alfred sniffed resting his head wearily on England's shoulder as the brit held him as if he was only an over grown baby.

"Good... please don't break your promise... I don't want to be alone"

Alfred, fearing the sleep that took over his tired body but too weak to fight it for long.

"Stay with me please, you keep the nightmares away best..."

The little American mumbled sleepily, gripping onto England's hand like his life depended on it. Sighing England shifted slightly to get more comfortable, petting Alfred's head until the boy fell into a more peaceful sleep.

"Sweet dreams love..."

To be continued...