La Tristesse

Chapter 13

That doorbell was a pestilence, the shrill cry of it ruining the peaceable silence. Arthur refrained from slamming his book closed for the sake of the Frenchman sleeping across from him. The bell sounded again and he rose with murder in his heart. Every time. Every single time he and Francis were together without pretense or facade, something interrupted. It was as if the universe was set against letting them simply sit in the quiet and bask in the rare radiance of calm. Or maybe it was Fate being merciful, saving them from the looming of foolish thoughts and wants.
Either way, his mood was foul as he answered the door and became fouler still when he saw who filled the entryway. "What do you want?" He snapped up at Turkey, though he could surmise the reason easily enough by the sizable bouquet of roses he carried.
"I'm sorry for last night." The taller man began, "I've already paid the pub owner and helped with clean up."
The man set a booted foot inside and Arthur barred the entry with an arm in the doorway. "He's resting." He hissed, something deep within him snapping.
"This isn't something you should entangle yourself in, Arthur." Sadiq suggested in a tone that was meant to intimidate. It failed. "There's no need to involve emotions. It's all just business, mind your own."
"I'm well aware of the childish fussing going on between your bosses, but an ally's blood was shed in my house. That makes it my business and I'll be glad to discuss it formally with you at the next world meeting."
"Don't be so stubborn. After everything is smoothed over you can have him back. It's not like I wanted him to begin with." The masked man huffed, "I'm just doing what I'm told and unless you want the relations between our bosses to sour as well you'll let me see him."
Threats? Demands? The very fucking idea had his temper boiling. Still, he swallowed his seething and tried his hardest to remain as gentlemanly as one could be whilst retaliating with politics.
"Leave now or I can't promise that my vote for acceptance into the EU will be in your favor."
"Like you have any control over that, you little bitch-whipped prick."
And there went his class. "Leave." He snarled, reaching for the flintlock pistol he kept in the hall table. "When Francis leaves my house you'll be free to do as you wish, but so long as he's here you'll let him be."
Turkey sighed deeply. "Look, last night was a mistake. I was angry with Greece and France was in this shitty sulk. The whiskey got to me, that's all. It won't happen again. You're taking this all way too personally."
   It was personal. It was extremely, unendingly, infuriatingly personal. "Remove yourself from my sight, Sadiq."
"Hey-"
   Thoughtlessly, Arthur interrupted the man's entreaty with a gun aimed at his face. All sense in him was shrieking warnings but he couldn't hear over the twisted, gruesome voice in his head begging for him to pull the trigger. He felt the control slipping, felt that familiar itch welling up, threatening to drag him back under the cool black water of  his ever-pooling madness. "Go."
   "You wouldn't start a war over that useless wine-sucker." Sadiq snickered. "Don't be crazy."
   Oh, he was a fair hand at crazy. A smile danced across his lips. "Try me, chap."
     There was moment of heavy silence wherein Sadiq must have seen the glimmer of bloodlust in his eyes.  "Fine." The older country growled, retrieving his foot from the threshold. "Tell him to charge his damn phone."
"Not likely." He snorted, shutting the door and then leaning heavily upon it. Had he- had he just pulled a gun on Turkey? What the bloody hell was wrong with him? And over France?! His heart raced, his hands shook. What was most frightening was he fact that he was disappointed. Some sick part of him was dissatisfied with the fact that he hadn't pulled the trigger. He had not felt like this in a very long time.
"Are you alright, Angleterre?" Francis inquired, suddenly beside him as soft as a whisper. His long fingers were cold as they removed the antique weapon from his hands. "Arthur?"
"Shove off." He murmured, jerking away from the man's touch. "Stupid pain in the arse frog."
"You shouldn't have threatened him, mon cher." Francis breathed, "Not over me."
He snorted and averted his eyes. "As if I'd do something like that for a wanker like you. His attitude was just pissing me off."
     "Arthur-"
     Why was he so close? Did he look like he was going to swoon or something? "Why are you always getting into trouble?" He growled, pushing the other man roughly away unable to bear the tempting heat radiating off of him. "And why in the bloody hell does everyone call me when you do? I'm not your mother!"
    "I don't ask zem to." Francis hissed, his injuries agitated by the shove. "And you could refuse."
    His irritation only grew in the face of the truth. "Did your boss tell you to shag that prick or is that just how you negotiate?"
    "It was not my intention," Francis snarled, "but better I wear this shame than they be forced into a war."
    "Don't you have any pride?!" He bellowed back, unable to rationalize his upset, unwilling to recognize the great growth of verdant envy ensnaring his wits. "Where's your dignity?"
    "What dignity!?" Francis snarled, fisting a hand in his collar and shoving him against the wall. "We've been dancing like trained bears for mortal masters all zis time. And for what? What's it for? Just to exist? To make zem money, to give zem power? Doezn't zat make us all whores, Arthur?"
    "Francis-"
    "Non," Pale and panting, the older nation leaned in close, "for once, don't zay anyzing."
     Heart in his throat, and pulse pounding in his ear, Arthur waited, unable to struggle. He willed his hands to push the man away but they simply rose, shaking to his hips and lingered there, unsure. Francis' eyes fluttered closed and he moved forward suddenly. Arthur froze and then melted as the other man's forehead fell into his shoulder with a shaky sigh. "Je t'aime."

*****
This has to end soon.
How should Arthur react?
I want them to physically reconcile, buuuut I'm kind of a pervert.🤗

What do you think?