Fake (Hetalia: FrUkUs)

.10.

I shoved my arms under the table and Arthur walked in the room carrying a plate of scones.

"Peter," He set the tray down, "It's rude to point." Peter put his hand down and began to wrap the towel around himself instead.

I looked down at the table while Arthur set out plates for us, but I didn't take anything. He definitely noticed.

"Peter, did you do something?" He asked annoyed. Peter shook his head and began sorting his candy.

"No," He said innocently, "he has the same marks as Mama." I looked up.

"What?" Arthur looked down at his plate and set to buttering a scone.

"She has the same marks on her arm," Peter said nonchalantly while unwrapping a piece of candy. Arthur took it though, saying he had to wait until he went home. "She calls them her battle scars." He looked up with a smile, "She says she won." He looked up at Arthur, "She's really strong, right, Arthur?" He nodded.

"Mmm," He agreed, "Her and your Papa both." He looked at me, "Berwald passed away a while ago, so it's just Taika raising him now." He looked at Peter who was now munching on a scone, "His Papa helped fight Taika's battle, right Peter?" He looked up with sparkling eyes.

"Yeah! She says he kicked ass!" Arthur choked.

"Peter!"

The young boy started laughing. And despite myself, I joined him.

~

That night, I had a dream. Not a nightmare, but a dream. The first one in three years. It was about Matthew. We were out skating on a lake, the same lake I visited two weeks ago. We weren't just skating though, I was helping him practice for his hockey game.

"Heads up!" He warned as he slammed the puck towards me and I tried moving in time to stop it from passing the line we had scratched into the ice. I missed. By a long shot. It sailed way over the line, and I fell on my face.

"You know you're not supposed to give warning, right?" I asked as I pushed myself up. He shrugged.

"Figured you could use the warning." He grinned slyly.

"Oh, yeah, whatever." I muttered. I stood up and the sun came out from behind the clouds. "That's more like it!" I grinned as I got into a blocking position again. "Alright, now bring it on!"

"Here goes," He said as he set up another puck to hit towards the invisible goal. He lifted his stick to swing, but paused as a cracking sound reached both of our ears.

"What-"

"Look out!" I yelled as the ice gave way beneath him. I dove forwards across the ice and reached into the water before he could fall to far from my grip. I grabbed his coat and heaved him up from the water and back onto the ice, quickly pulling him off towards the shore in case the ice continued to crack.

"A-Al," He shivered. He was soaked through. I took off his coat and my own, quickly putting mine around him. I hugged him close and placed my hat over his soaking hair.

"Shit that was close," I said as I reached over to our bags and grabbed my cell to call our parents.

"Th-that waz-z c-clossse," He stuttered through the cold. I nodded and held him closer; tucking his head under my chin.

"I know," I said, "But I got you." I dialed the number and held the cell to my ear, "I saved you this time."

I woke up in the dark with tears silently falling down my face. I didn't move from where I was laying, but I did lift an arm to cover my eyes as the tears kept coming.

"I saved him," I whispered. "I actually saved him." I hiccuped.

Maybe it really was a nightmare.

~

Sunday came and went uneventfully. I spent most of the day being tutored by Arthur once more, and he made sure I finished every piece of homework I had.

"Dude, go home," I finally groaned at nine-thirty that night. He looked up from a paper he was checking over and scoffed.

"As if. I'm spending the night." I sat up straighter.

"What?" He stared with a stern expression and grabbed my hand.

"Hey! What're you-" He jerked my sleeve up to reveal fresh wounds. I felt my heart clench at the action. I ripped my arm from him and turned away.

"Don't think I didn't notice Alfred," He said, "I don't plan on leaving you alone when you so obviously can't be." I flinched at his words. "I'm staying until I know you're done."

"Shut up."

"What?"

"Shut up!" I jumped to my feet and turned to him, "Just shut up, already! I'm sick of your superiority complex!" I yelled at his stunned expression. "I'm so tired of you looking down on me! I'm sorry I'm not the happy-go-fucking-lucky guy you thought I was; and I'm sorry you think I'm so pathetic that I need to be looked after!" I threw out my arm, "But, back the fuck off with your goddamn shit!" He was beyond shock now, I'm pretty sure it was pain in his eyes. "I'm so sick of you, Arthur!" I clutched at my hair and shut my eyes as I continued yelling in my head. I turned away and tried calming down.

"Al-" He placed a hand on my shoulder, but I turned and pushed him off, my strength throwing him back onto the couch.

"Fuck you!" I glared at him. "Just, fuck you." Tears pricked my eyes, as they fell from his. I turned around and grabbed my keys from where they hung by the front door and stormed out of my own home. The door slammed open and I didn't bother closing it as I stormed down the walkway in my bare feet to my car.

I slammed my car door closed behind me and started it. Just as Arthur got to the doorway I slammed the gas and tore off down the street, anger the only thing on my mind. I didn't drive into the city, and instead took the first road away from it I could find.

The clock on my dash slowly went by, but at the same time seemed to move too fast. Before I knew it, it was ten-thirty, and I was in the middle of nowhere. I had been driving for an hour but it didn't seem long enough. I pulled over in the middle of a deserted road; my car coming to a slow stop on the shoulder. And when it finally came to a stop, I let out my anger. I screamed and cursed, and slammed on my steering wheel, smashing the horn multiple times.

"God-Fuck!" I screamed as tears poured from my eyes and I dropped them into my arms onto the steering wheel, "God dammit!" My voice echoed through my mind.

Someone tapped on my window. I peeked from my arms, and saw a man with blond hair who was staring in worriedly.

I rolled my window down halfway, unsure what to do, and he smiled kindly.

"Hi," He held out his hand through the half-opened window, "My name's Davie."