The Long Way Home (FrUk)

Chapter Eight:

*Francis' POV*

I opened my eyes to find that I was still laying on the hard hospital bed. Normally I would have complained, as establishments should be expected to uphold even rudemenatey comfort standards...but I made an exception for this particular situation.

I rolled over to look at the sleeping form of Arthur. I smiled drowsily, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and pulling him gently close to me. In his slumber, he involuntarily nuzzled into my shirt. I grinned warmly and softly kissed his forehead.

I leaned over to check the time. It was seven o'clock. I felt my eyes widen.

"Seven? Already?" I asked aloud to myself. I jumped when I heard Arthur pipe up next to me.

"So how did you sleep?" He prodded.

"Considering the fact that I'm convinced this bed is made of a slab of stone...Surprisingly well." I griped as he laughed. I quickly glanced at my arm...Which was wrapped around the boy's neck. I immediately retracted it.

"Sorry Arthur." I chuckled.

"For what?" He asked confused, cocking his head to one side.

"My arm was around you...I thought you didn't like being touched..." I remarked softly. Much to my surprise, he took my arm and laid it back to its previous position.

"You thought wrong, Francis...If I ever told you that before, I was bluffing." He retorted with a kind smile, sliding towards me, closing the small gap between us. He then rested his head on my shoulder. I jumped.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, concerned.

I laughed softly, wrapping my other arm around him, fully enclosing him in a warm hug.

"Non, mon amour." I sighed. "I'm just not used to you acting this way towards me."

I could almost hear Arthur's nonexistent voice...I could almost see his face contorted cutely in a frustrated way.

You git! How dare you call me that? And get the bloody hell away from me!

There were several excruciating moments were the silence seemed to hang over the room like a toxic mist.

Have I overstepped my boundaries?

I contemplated in the confinements and solitude of my mind, however, I was yanked out of my introspection when I felt a kiss being planted on my cheek.

"Well get used to it...I'm afraid that I'm here to stay." He grinned widely. I then gasped as my cheeks heated up...I quickly concealed this by pretending to cough into my arm.

Why are you blushing?! Since when do you, Francis Bonnefoy...blush?

It was here where a realization happened upon me.

He's not like anyone else you've ever met...Why, dammit? Why are you so nervous around him suddenly? You've always held feelings for him...is it possible that you've actually fallen in love in love with him? Or maybe you always have been...maybe you've just been afraid of rejection all of these years...The country of amour...Unable to find his own... How pa....

My thoughts were cut off as Arthur started talking.

"Francis...Do you believe in fate?"

"I've never given it much thought..." I shrugged.

There was silence.

"When I first woke up...I only remembered one thing about the accident...It was that I was driving the long way home." He laughed softly. "But I think we both know that I wasn't really going to my house. The nurses told me that I live in England...I was driving into France..."

He paused.

"They say that home is where the heart is..." He smiled, looking into my eyes. "I think mine belongs with you."

It felt as though all of the breath was sucked out of my lungs.

It was at this point where I regained my voice.

"Arthur...You're not thinking straight. You've just been in an accident, and you've lost your memories...I don't want for you to make any decisions you could regret later on." It killed me to say that.

Arthur reached out to cup my face in his hands. He then placed a kiss on my lips.

It was warm, and gentle, and kind...and full of pent up emotions. Every lost opportunity was suddenly worth this one moment.

And in that one particular moment, it was as if time itself had stopped. The world around us, merely a distraction...the details of why Arthur was even admitted to the hospital in the first place became murky and distorted.

As I pulled away from the dalliance-esque embrace...I spoke up, before wrapping my arm around him once more.

"Arthur James Kirkland...You have no idea how happy I am that you decided to take The Long Way Home."