How Would You Feel [UsUk]

Chapter Twenty One

Alice and Alfred layed on top of their bed which they had shared for a while, cuddled up to one another and surrounded by the warmth of comfort and, most importantly, love.

Hours and hours they had been here, with no particular interruptions. Ignoring work, they just wanted to spend time together in chatting, laughing and even scrolling through their phones one or two time. It didn't matter what they did, it was important that they were together.

Not as nations. As people. Two free people in this world which existed like any other.
Here, they weren't the United States or the United Kingdom – they were just Alfred Jones and Alice Kirkland, lovers and hopeless romantics in this world full of hatred they needed to protect each other from.
Here, they were able to be themselves. Alice didn't have to hold in her feelings and pretend that she's something she wasn't, and Alfred didn't have to 'stay calm so he doesn't upset the other nations during a meeting'. Which, of course, many times didn't even work during meetings.

When something upset him, he'd show it. Who cares what Germany says or whether that damn south Italian was going to whine about it again or not! His job was to protect Alice, because he loved her.

Nobody was going to stop him from it.

Nobody was going to stop Alice from being the darn best woman she could be.

And Alfred encouraged it the best he could.

„You know what, Alfred?" A softly accented voice spoke up next to where the American was laying down. „I don't understand why it bothers me so much to hear the words all of the others say. Why can't I just ignore them?"

The American sighed slightly, but the sound was barely coherent. It was a good question, but he didn't quite know the answer. „I... I don't know, Alice. But oh, I guess this is a good time to tell you. Francis and I... Well..." He was interrupted by his own chuckle. „We kind of threatened everyone in the room after you left, a-and don't get me wrong! It wasn't a death threat or anything, but we just wanted to protect you. And we had to explain the whole thing to the others because they didn't understand why you just yelled out 'I'm not a boy' and left the room."
After the blunt statement, Alice furrowed her eyebrows on a moment in confusion, tilting her head to the side. „Threatened everyone? Bloody hell, that does sound like you and Francis." She let out an airy laugh, and Alfred just looked at her red in the face.

„You're not mad?" He asked.

„Not at all. I just wonder whether those foolish threats will work on the others or will they will make them rebel even more."

„Well, I guess we'll just have to see."

*************

9 PM. Still the same bed, the same room with the same two people.

Alfred already fell asleep. She couldn't blame him, these days he had been working hard, and only today he took a long break after the meeting.

Alice was aimlessly scrolling through her mobile phone, checking random pages and searching for something interesting on social media. Nothing particularly caught her eye.

Some people sent her text messages, but she decided to see them later, right before she decides to sleep.
Chhecking the time, the sleepy Englishwoman realized that it was still too early for sleep – since she usually dozed off at around 11 PM or even midnight.

Or she pulled all nighters, but that was only sometimes when the work she had to give in the next day became extremely overwhelming to do in one day.

Suddenly, a pop-up appeared on the screen, and it actually caught her eye for once.

Message from Ludwig Beilschmidt

What? Ludwig never sends me anything except if it's something about meetings or...

Oh.

About meetings.
He must be still on about that thing that happened today.

Hesitant, but brave, she clicked on the message and eyed it bottom to top before reading it, taking in every single word.

Arthur, please refrain from dressing up in feminine clothing and wearing it to meetings in the future. It causes trouble and other nations don't agree with it.
Either stop doing it, or don't arrive at meetings again.
I want all of our world conferences to be at peace, but the most important thing is to get some work done.
We do have a dress code, and it clearly says males should wear long trousers and suits. Not skirts, nor flannels.
By that, Alfred is breaking the dress code as well, but I will inform him about that in a separate e-mail since it isn't near as concerning as your situation.

Sincerely, Ludwig.

P.S. Alfred's threats will definitely get his big mouth into trouble one day, and that works for Francis and Feliciano too.

Alice was speechless.

For a minute or two, she kept re-reading the mail over and over again, and the more she did, the worse it got.
What kind of a damn problem does that bloody German see in the way she dressed?

The first word of the e-mail already made her cringe by the sound of it. Arthur. Lovely name, but it's not hers.

How was she going to reply to this e-mail?

Well...

A smirk crept its way onto Alice's lips as she thought of a very long response that could teach the German how to mind his own business, but also with a touch of kindness and politeness to make him understand how she truly felt about this entire situation which she was put in.

It was a truly strange situation for a nation, but there she was, feeling wrong in her own body.
It wasn't her fault.

Ludwig had to understand it. All the others had to get it one day.

So she started typing away.

Dear Ludwig,

I must say that I'm not in a very bad mood at the moment, so my reply won't be as aggressive as it might have been if you found me at the wrong moment.

How I dress is none of your problems, and you should respect my clothing style because it's a way of expression.
It's concerning that such an intelligent man your age in the position of one of the strongest nations in Europe doesn't understand that a person born male or female doesn't always have to identify or feel like that gender which they were assigned at birth with.

My name isn't Arthur, and I've heard from Alfred that he had made it pretty clear at the meeting today after I left.

I apologize for leaving so abruptly, my mind was just clouded with thoughts. It happens sometimes.

My name is Alice Kirkland, and as I've already said, I'm not a boy. I'm nobody's boyfriend or brother, but I am a girlfriend, and a sister. My pronouns aren't he or him but in fact she or her.

I'm sorry if I sound offended, because I'm actually not. I'm just stating some facts about myself that I think should be respected.

The dress code for females in world meetings does require skirts, for some idiotic reason, but I still respect the dress code because I am a girl. And I actually enjoy wearing skirts so it doesn't serve me a problem.

All I'm saying is...
Learn to respect diversity. You country is a modern democratic, liberal country, so why aren't you?

Sincerely, Alice Kirkland.

  ************* 

A/N

Whoa, this was a pretty long chapter. Still not the longest one I had made, but still long.

Now I'm hurrying to get lunch, so enjoy this little thing!

Thanks for reading!