USUK/UKUS One Shots

Fireworks (Angst Then Lemon- UkUs)

Warnings: Angst, language, smut

Summary: England gets depressed every time the 4th of July comes around while America throws a massive party. This year, though, America checks up on him and England decides to give him a special birthday present.

Word count: 3,172

Estimated read time: 17 minutes 30 seconds.

Arthur stared up at the ceiling from the couch, eyes roaming over each ridge of it. It wasn't like he had anything better to do on the Fourth of July. 

Technically, he could go to Alfred's party. He'd received the invitation a couple of days ago, but just like every year, he tossed it in the trash. The last thing he needed was another tangible reminder of the days when Alfred was his and when he lost him. 

The clock ticked rhythmically, each second feeling like an hour. Arthur had dismissed his house staff and even told his territories like Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands to leave. This was the one day per year that he needed to himself so he could complete his annual routine: lay around, get drunk, cry, lay around more, get drunker, cry more, and get even drunker. 

Arthur grabbed the bottle from beside the couch, determined to turn his blood to alcohol so that he could let his feelings slip away. 

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

"America! Japan is here!" 

Alfred dashed down the stairs and grinned at his cousin. "Thanks, Puerto Rico!" 

She held the door open so that Kiku could come in. He bowed slightly and handed Alfred a neat package. "Happy Birthday." 

"Thanks, dude!" He tore open the paper and gasped when he pulled out a mug with his flag printed on the side. "That's awesome!" 

An excited mop of blond hair swung inside and embraced Alfred, nearly knocking the mug out of his hand. "America, mon amie! Happy birthday!" 

"Hey, France!" Alfred greeted, setting the mug down so he could hug him back without dropping it. "What's up?" 

Francis pulled back, smiling. "I'm very excited about your party." 

"Well, it is the best party ever, so that's no surprise. Come on in, there are snacks!" 

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

"Canada!" Hercules called, pushing through the crowd to reach him. He finally squished past Lovino and Antonio, who were standing close and talking, to smile at Matthew. "Hello." 

"Hello, Greece. How are you?" 

"I'm good. But, I'm worried about America." 

Matthew hummed in confusion. "What?" 

"Well, he's acting normal but... something feels off. Is there something wrong?" Hercules asked in quiet concern. 

Matthew sighed. "It's just England. This happens every year. He always invites him and he never comes. Scotland says that he stays home and gets drunk. Either way, it makes America sad. Sometimes I wish England just sucked it up and came, but knowing how England gets when he's down, they'd probably end up fighting. That'd be worse." 

Hercules looked over at Alfred, who was getting his sixth hotdog from the grill. "That's sad." 

"Yeah. The best thing to do is to keep him distracted. Don't worry, it's getting pretty dark. The fireworks will start soon and he'll forget all about England."