This Town is Big Enough...

Alfred laughed easily and followed Arthur to wash up for dinner. Life continued as such for the remainder of the week. Alfred would spend his days teaching Peter how to rope moving targets (thankfully the instance with the steer was not repeated), gain Liberty’s trust back (she had allowed for him to pet her and even ride her for a bit, although Victoria seemed to still be out for his blood), and of course, sneak affection from Arthur when his family wasn’t looking. The days were lazy and comfortable, only broken up by the constant playful bickering of the Kirkland boys. Alfred found himself falling into the easy routine of it all until suddenly, the day came for Arthur’s family to depart.

The American was on edge the entire day. The family had packed and were dragging their feet to start the long journey. Alfred had expressed his thanks for all the family had done for him already and exchanged goodbyes with them all. For Peter, he had given him his own worn leather hat, figuring the kid would enjoy bringing back a genuine article from the legendary west. The rest of the family he parted with polite gratitude (he still wasn’t convinced the Kirkland brothers didn’t know about his and Arthur’s relationship and he really didn’t want to be on their bad sides), but when it came time for him to say goodbye to Mrs. Kirkland, he couldn’t help but hug the sweet women. He would miss her the most. Although they weren’t particularly close, it was nice to have had a motherly figure again.

Once Alfred finished his goodbyes, he left Arthur with his family at the house, figuring they deserved a bit of private time. He sat on the stall railing next to Liberty, mindlessly patting her soft mane down. This was the end of their quiet days. A good amount of time had passed since his escape, and he hoped that would grant them at least some safety from Ivan’s grasp, but there was no guarantee. Life was dangerous out here, that was for sure. He sighed and pressed his face against Liberty’s neck. She nuzzled him back playfully as Victoria made a noise of what could almost be classified as disgust. Alfred chuckled and flopped down onto the hay. Oh well, they had to face whatever was coming next. They had avoided for as long as possible and now it was time to get their lives back on track. As long as they were together, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind they could accomplish anything.

The week continued on rather smoothly. Peter learned his roping he actually got Arthur was he was walking by one day. Arthur of course had whipped around and tugged on the rope hard, causing Peter to yell at him. For some reason Evan and Arthur managed to get him to rope Scott, but they were quickly blamed for it and flied like they usually had as young children. Then of course there was the usual brotherly banter between them all, and the usual abuse they gave each other. It wasn't horrible, Arthur had always figured he wouldn't miss his family, but being cut off from them had sort of changes that. He had a lot of catching up to do as well. Amelia and Scott were newly married and the trip to America was part of their honeymoon. Evan hadn't found anyone he really fancied (well there had been a fellow who he was rather confused emotional towards when he talked to Arthur away from the family). He was glad he saw them though, but he was also happy to see them go. They had made loving Alfred a bit difficult. Though it was thrilling to steal a sign of affection here or there.

Eventually it came time for his family to leave and they seemed to draw it out as long as they could. They supported Arthur in his new crazy life style, but they didn't need to act like it might be the last time they saw him in person. Well maybe it would be, but they didn't need to act like it was. He watch his mother happily hug Alfred back, he was quiet sure she whispered something about making sure Arthur was safe himself. His brothers of course distracted him from actually finding out if she did. Scott ruffled his hair and have him a hard slap on the back, and Amelia gave him a kind smile and a shake of that hand. Evan gave him a hug, the two were the closest growing up. Peter of course was thrilled to have Alfred's hand and was sure to alert Arthur to the fact as well as how he was going to tell all his friends back home. Arthur couldn't help but smile at him, Peter really did have some tales to tell.

His mother was the last one to say goodbye to him, pulling him into a tight hug and kissing his forehead. "You're father is going to hear all about this, you know that right, Artie?" She said with a stern tone. "Now take care of yourself and write, I don't care if I can't sent you anything back, send me anything so I know your alive." Arthur nodded, and with that she gave him one last hug before piling into the carriage.

Once they were all settle the carriage took off, and Arthur could only give them a small wave. He was over enthusiastic about his family so he was going to frail about, but it had been nice to see them. He sighed and started towards the stables, he hadn't seen Alfred leave at all, but he figured if he went anywhere that was were he went. Alfred wasn't hard to find after that.

"We should get going, as much as I'm sure we could probably stay another night, I would much rather get going." Arthur said leaning on railing of the stall. He knew staying would turn into another lazy day and he didn't want to bother their host any more. "Besides, Francis and Matthew are probably waiting." Arthur said, they had probably gotten the letter he sent to them, of course under a coded name, but Francis knew his hand writing to know it was Alfred and Arthur coming and not Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.

Alfred tilted his head up, offering Arthur an easy smile when he spoke. Ah, so his family had left than. Good, it was about time that they followed their example and headed out as well. It had been a nice break from the hectic life they normally lead, but too much quiet wore on him. “I figured as much,” He said, standing up and stretching out his back. Liberty was already saddled and ready, his limited possessions already packed up and ready to go along with some provisions in case the trip took longer. He moved around her and pointed to the small pile of Arthur’s possessions he had collected while the other was saying goodbye to his family. “I would have gotten Victoria saddled, but I think she’s still out to kill me,” He said, laughing a bit.

His laughter faded and he turned his gaze back to Arthur. Silently he wondered how he was holding up. This might very well be the last time he would ever see his family (who knew what kind of dangers they would have to face when they began their lives again), but he didn’t seem the least bit shaken. It worried Alfred and he couldn’t help but lean over the other side of the fence, slipping an arm around the smaller mans waist. “Will you be alright?” He asked, pressing a soft kiss against his forehead. At least with the Kirkland’s gone, he didn’t have to hide his affectionate gestures so much - something he was sure to take complete advantage of as the days progressed.

“You could have changed your mind and gone with them,” He said quietly, although they had long since dropped that topic. Still, he wanted to remind Arthur that if he really wanted to, he could have left with his family and been safe. Even as he said it however, Alfred’s grip tightened marginally on the Brit and he pressed another kiss against his lips. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too upset without his family. Alfred would simply have to do his best to take care of him and keep him happy. After all, he had made a promise to his mother to do so, and he would have to disappoint the women after all she had done for him. The American flashed him another gentle smile before stepping away. “Shall we?”

Arthur sighed glancing at Victoria who shook her head, as if to disagree with the statement when it was rather true. It saddened Arthur a bit, Victoria had always seemed like she liked Alfred. However Alfred and Victoria had never been alone, Arthur had always been close by. Still there wasn't much he could do to fix her clear dislike for him know. Arthur could only hope it would fade because Arthur was sure he wasn't going to leave Alfred unless he utterly had to for his safety.

"I'm fine," Arthur said leaning into Alfred as he took hold of him and mentioned his family. "I just wish they hadn't acted like it was the last time they would see me." Arthur knew they had good reason to act as such, but he didn't want to see it. Besides he was too stubborn to die when he had something on his mind and he hoped he had made that rather clear. He leaned in heavily to kiss Alfred on the lips. "The sooner the get on the train the sooner I won't have to worry about someone going after them."

Arthur moved out of Alfred's hold, ignoring his comment about how he could change his mind and go home with his family. He moved to saddle up Victoria which is did with great speed, something he was rather happy he picked up from his life of the run. He carefully tied his small amount of things on the her saddle, starting to lead her out of the stall. He turned back to Alfred and grinned. "What are we waiting for?" He said as he climbed up on to Victoria.

The young American simply smiled and took Liberty’s reins, leading her out of the staff after Victoria. At Arthur’s question, he laughed and easily pulled himself onto the horse, reading himself for the long trip that was ahead of them. “Nothing. Let’s just enjoy this last moment of peace,” He said, glancing back to the ranch house they had spent the last week at. He gave it a tip of the head (his hat was no on it’s way to England after all) before moving to face the horizon. He gave Arthur a quick grin and lightly kicked Liberty forward with a shout of “Race ya!” before galloping away.

The trip the entire day and they were still traveling long after the sun had sunk below the mountains. They only stopped occasionally to rest themselves and the horses, but their goal was to keep moving. A few hours after dark was when they reached the town. It was small, mainly a place where traveling folks could stop and rest without much fear of being pick pocketed or worse. It brought a smile to Alfred’s face as he looked about the quiet little town. Mattie had picked well it seemed.

He walked Liberty through the streets, looking for the safe house that was described in the letter. Nothing immediately caught his eye, but he hoped down and lead the horses to the stable before continuing the rest of the way on foot. The townspeople that were walking about that night gave him and Arthur polite nods of the head or smiles, but did not question why they were there. That was a relief, and it certainly made their job easier. “I hope we’re in the right place,” He said softly, looking about.

Than, at the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a face similar to his own, walking through the streets carrying a familiar black case. “Mattie!” He shouted, rushing forward to bring his twin into a tight hug. The quieter man appeared thoroughly startled, but when he recognized who was holding him, he instantly dropped his bag and hugged his brother. “Alfred! God do you know how worried I was about you?!” He shouted, holding his brother close. Alfred just laughed and pulled back, his usual bright smile on his face. “You shouldn’t worry about me. I’ve got everything under control!” Matthew just frowned and gave his brother a soft slap to the back of his head before turning his attention to Arthur. "I’ll show you to the house. Francis said you would be coming to meet us soon.” He said with a soft smile before leading the way through the streets.

Arthur rolled his eyes at the childish idea to race each other, however Arthur urged Victoria on after the American. She happily continued after them galloping strong. The ride was rather smooth, something Arthur was happy for. So far their location hadn't been compromised, and he hoped it stayed that way until they could return back to Alfred's town.

Once they reached their destination, no one seemed overly suspicious of them, even though Arthur was probably way to paranoid to let it slide. He glanced around and watched everyone carefully, giving a few nods here and there so he didn't seem rude or stuck out. The town was clearly a travelers down, meaning a very small local population one would see everyday. It really didn't seem like the safest place for them to be staying, people were coming and going, and Arthur could tell how many of them might be working for Ivan. However hiding in a place where it was obviously not the smartest place to hide is sometimes the best place. Ivan wouldn't come looking around in a traveler's town for them, it was clear it was clearly flooded with people were there one day and gone the next. However it was also a good breeding ground for his crime. Do something and leave.

Arthur nearly paled when the brothers were shouting each others' names. He quickly cringed and looked around. No one really gave them much attention, most of them probably figuring it was just too brothers or friends happy to see each other. Besides they hadn't given any last names, just Alfred and Mattie. Something to truly raise an eyebrow at. Still he hushed them, before letting Matthew lead the way to the safe house.

The safe house didn't seem to be anything special, it looked like Alfred's house, aside from a small red cross hanging by the door and it had a second story. He turned to Matthew for a quick second, before he remembered the man was a doctor, he had probably set up a practice which probably got a steady flow of visitors. Francis was sitting on a rocking chair on the porch and stood happily when he saw them.

"Oh, I was wondering when Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were going to get here!" He said gleefully, "Now I wonder who is the Misses!"

"Frog!" Arthur muttered sharply under his breath.

When the arrived at the house, Alfred wasn’t in the least bit surprised by the way Francis and Arthur immediately started their name calling. Honestly those two - he may not be completely sure what their past experiences with each other were, but he could tell it involved a lot of rivalry. Oh well, as long as they were willing to harbor them for a time, he didn’t really care. “Hey there Frenchie!” Alfred called out good naturedly as Mattie pulled him into the house. He followed his brother easily and was lead to a small comfortable little living room set up, where he was forced to sit down. “What are you…” Matthew began tugging at his shirt, causing him to frown and pull back from his brothers grip. “Hey, this is the first time I’ve seen you in months. No opening conversation?” Matthew just rolled his eyes and pushed Alfred’s hands away, working down the buttons. “I need to check you over,” He muttered, “I don’t know exactly what happened to you, but your too damn skinny and pale.”

Alfred conceded and let his brother do what he wished. When he had finished examining him (nothing but the fading bruises and still slightly malnourishment form to report on), Matthew sighed and helped his brother put his shirt back on. “They really did a number on you, didn’t they?” Alfred just nodded and offered his brother a small smile. “It’s okay. I’m okay.” His brother simply shook his head and pulled him into another hard hug, shocking the American greatly. The sound of Matthew’s light sobs shook Alfred to the core and he quickly wrapped his arms around the other ones waist. “Hey… don’t be like that. I’m okay. You know nothing is going to keep me down for long.” Alfred continued to hold onto his brother for a long while, quietly comforting him until his cries quieted.

They sat facing each other, Matthew still quietly sniffling and Alfred wearing his understanding smile. “Sorry,” He said quietly, drying his eyes as best he could, “When I heard what happened I couldn’t… but Francis told me that Arthur would find you and everything would be okay…” Alfred patted his back lightly, choosing not to comment on his brother’s strange affection towards the creepy Frenchman. Matthew stood up and took Alfred by the arm, pulling him away from the couch. “You should sleep. We can talk more in the morning.” Matthew lead the way up the stairs to a small bedroom towards the end of the hallway. It was comfortable, obviously made in advance in hopes of receiving guests. “Thanks Mattie,” Alfred said, glancing around in hopes that Arthur would appear and they could cuddle with one another. Mattie coughed and looked away, slightly uncomfortable. “So well… Francis and I will be down the hall if you need us…” Alfred nodded, vaguely aware of his brother sneaking out of the room when suddenly realization hit. “Wait a second, are you and that Frenchie… Holy hell Mattie! When did this happen?!” Matthew squeaked and ran the rest of the way down the hall, leaving Alfred to stare dumbly after him. His own brother and that perv… what was the world coming to?

Matthew dragged Alfred inside, leaving Arthur to tread up the onto the porch. He fell back in one of the rocking chairs with a huff. He glared at the Frenchman who was still standing and looking at him. "Before you ask, I've check. No one here works for Ivan but that doesn't mean they fear him." Francis said as he sat back down. He reached back and grabbed another cup before pouring wine into it. "You look like you could use a nice drink, because the train gave me a nice crate full of bottles."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Of course you would rob a train with good wine on it." Arthur said as he leaned to take the glass.

"Well the train was getting a little cocky and I couldn't resisted." Francis said with his annoying French laugh. "Oh, Angleterre, Matthieu has a strong liquor cabinet."

"Hm, sadly for you, I'm not looking to get drunk." Arthur said with a sneer before sipping the wine. It was a good bottle, but he really didn't feel like sitting on the porch and chatting into the wee hours of the night over wine with Francis. He quickly threw his head back and downed the glass. He secretly enjoyed the look on the Frenchman's face. "I'm really rather tired and I'm not going to get wasted for you entertainment."

Francis chuckled before getting up, collecting the bottle and glasses before he headed into the house. Arthur followed after him. "You're room is at the end of hall once you get up the stairs. I trust you'll find it."

"I'm so honored to be with such a charming host." Arthur said with a roll of his eyes as he found the stairs and started walking up them. He sighed as he reached the top and looking for their room.

A noise to Alfred’s right alerted him of the other’s presence. Turning around, he was glad to see that Arthur had found his way back to him. “Artie!” He said, waving to him before rushing down the hall to grab his hand. Than, without waiting for consent from the other man, he turned on his heel and went down the hall, pulling him into the bedroom before shutting the door behind them. “Arthur!” He cried out dramatically, turning around to stare at him with his wide blue eyes. “My sweet brother is with that creepy Frenchie! I didn’t even know he liked men! Not that liking men is a problem, but why did it have to be that guy?!” He whined, turning around again to start stripping out of his traveling clothes to prepare for bed.

He continued to pout and rant about the strange couple and how he was going to beat the ever loving hell out of Francis if he decided to hurt Matthew until he was left only in his pair of loose fitting underpants. Alfred sighed loudly and flopped onto the small bed, his senseless ranting finally coming to an end. “Come lay next to me Artie,” He said with a small smile, patting the space beside him. It had been a long day and no doubt the Brit was just as tired as he was. Probably even more so since he had to converse with Francis while he was off comforting his brother. Poor man. Ah well, he’d make it up to him later. Or now, depending on whether or not he was in the mood for a bit of affection.

Alfred continued to smile and offered a hand up towards Arthur, ready to pull him close if he wanted. “Let me hold you please,” He said, blue eyes twinkling with a combination of love and possibly a tad bit of mischief.

Arthur was slightly startled by the American hurrying over to him and then pulling him along to their room. Then he was bombarded with new information about Matthew and Francis. He could only blink as his mind slowly registered what had been said. Matthew, the wonderful, smart doctor what was named Matthew was in love with a perverted, thieving Frenchman named Francis. For a brief second he really questioned what Matthew had been thinking. Then he thought about Alfred and him, and he couldn't help but burst out in a fit of laughter, leaning on the near by wall and laughing so hard his sides hurt. It was clear there was no question that Matthew and Alfred were brothers, aside form their looks, the had both fallen in love with someone at the opposite end of what someone would think they would. Besides Francis needed someone to calm him down and Matthew didn't seem bothered by the fact that he might have to bat Francis around from time to time.

Eventually Arthur's laughter died down. At he took a few heavy breaths, realizing he hadn't heard much of anything Alfred had said. Still he looked so inviting on the bed that Arthur quickly pulled most of his clothes off, before slipping some loose fitting pants over his legs and crawled into bed. He plopped down close to Alfred, glancing up at him with small grin. "Your brother's and your taste in men are very close." Arthur said tapping the tip of Alfred's nose lightly. He could feel the slight buzz of the wine he had drunk, it wasn't enough to get him wasted or any where near drunk, but he could feel a small buzz in the back of his head.

Alfred pouted when the Englishman burst out into frantic laughter. Honestly he didn’t see what was so funny about the situation. His sweet little Matthew was being corrupted by a perverted Frenchman! Who knew what kind of kinky stuff he had gotten into because of the other mans influence. The sheriff cringed at the thought and quickly banished it from his mind, resolving never to think of it again. Thankfully Arthur distracted him by plopping down on the bed beside him and tapping his nose. “What do you mean by that?” He asked, still wearing a little pout on his face. “You and Francis are nothing alike. You’re perfect and he’s a creepy Frenchie who is probably into some kinky stuff which he’s forcing my Mattie to do like some fiend!” Well, actually, he really had no proof that Mattie was the same sweet little boy that he had always been. After all, ten years apart had left a lot of time for changes. Who knew what kind of things he was into now?

Alfred sighed dramatically and looped both his arms around Arthur’s form, pulling him up against his chest. Oh well, he would worry more about that in the morning when he had a chance to corner Matthew again. For now, he had much more interesting matters to attend to. Namely the fact that Arthur was half naked in bed with him and they hadn’t had a good long make-out session in far too long. Something that Alfred was simply going to have to remedy.

“You are far too attractive for your own good Artie,” He murmured softly, leaning in to lightly brush their lips together. He flicked his tongue over Arthur’s bottom lip, lightly sampling the flavor of black tea that always seemed to rest against his skin. The taste was addicting, but he resisted pulling the other man into a heated kiss just yet. Instead he focused on pressing light, butterfly kisses against his cheeks before once again sealing his lips over Arthur’s. He hummed lightly and pulled back, breathing a bit deeper than before. “Is this alright?” He asked, eyes still twinkling with mischief. A little secret kissing wouldn’t hurt anyone and it had been far too long since they got to lavish a bit of affection on one another.

Arthur rolled his eyes at Alfred's comments. He agreed Francis and him were different, but in reality they were rather close as well. He just chuckled lightly. "As true as that is, you both fell men would could rob you blind." Arthur said playfully. "Besides, I think Matthew can handle himself well enough with Francis." He grinned, he had a feeling Matthew could handle himself rather well. He grinned as Alfred pulled him closer to him.

He blushed at his comment, before he was showered in kisses. Arthur felt some laughter bubble up in his glee. He eagerly kissed the American back, wrapping his arms around his neck and trying to bring him closer before he pulled away. "This is more than alright." Arthur said before snatching another kiss from Alfred's lips and tugging him on top of him. He opened his mouth to allow Alfred all access he wanted.

He pulled away after a bit with a tired smile on his lips. "We sound probably get some rest." Arthur said gently as he tried to suppress a yawn. "Will you sing for me love?"

At Arthur’s statement about falling for men who could rob them blind, he huffed a little and tilted his head back in a defiant way. “You would never have stolen from me though. I’m far too handsome,” He teased, lightly poking Arthur’s cheek with his pinky. When Arthur spoke again, he couldn’t help but grumble a bit under his breath. Yes it was true that Mattie could probably handle himself just fine, but he was his brother! He was supposed to be protective and disapprove of everybody he was with. Well, he couldn’t imagine himself ever having done it if he had been courting a nice lady, but in this case, he felt completely justified. “Doesn’t change the fact that Francis is still creepy,” He muttered, pulling Arthur closer.

Alfred smiled, happy to have Arthur respond to his kisses so eagerly. When he was pulled on top of the British man, he simply grinned and focused in on the task of mapping out the inside of his mouth with his tongue, kissing him deeply. He would have been perfectly happy to continue their kissing for the rest of the night, but after not too much longer, Arthur pulled away. He was half tempted to pout and pull the Englishman back into another kiss, but it was clear how tired he was. “Fair enough,” He said, dropping to the side so he on his shoulder instead. He was just about to snuggle in and get comfortable when he heard the second part of Arthur’s request. “Sing?” Alfred flushed a bit, surprised that he had asked him such a thing. Did he really like his voice that much? “I would love to…”

Alfred wrapped both his arms around Arthur’s waist, pulling him close. He was silent for a few long moments before leaning forward, pressing his lips against the shell of Arthur’s ear. “Love you…” He whispered, pressing a soft kiss against his warm skin before pulling back, beginning to sing.

Sleep, my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night
Guardian angels, God will send thee,
All through the night

Soft, the drowsy hours are creeping
Hill and vale, in slumber sleeping,
I, my loving vigil keeping
All through the night.

While the moon, her watch is keeping
All through the night
While the weary world is sleeping
All through the night

The only song he could think to sing was the old lullaby his mother used to sing when he had nightmares. Those were only vague memories now, but he could recall feeling safe and loved whenever he heard those gentle lyrics sung by the women who had raised him. Hopefully those same feelings were being translated now.

O'er thy spirit gently stealing
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling
All through the night.

Love to thee, my thoughts are turning
All through the night
All for thee, my heart is yearning,
All through the night.

Though sad fate our lives may sever
Parting will not last forever,
There's a hope that leaves me never,
All through the night.

The song finished, leaving the room silent and still. Alfred gingerly leaned forward and pressed his lips against Arthur’s forehead. “Sleep…” He murmured, pressing another kiss against his warm skin. “I’ll keep you safe…”

Arthur curled up into Alfred as he pulled hims closer. He could never get over the feeling of warmth he got when he was close to Alfred. He didn't think he would ever grow tired of it either. Arthur can't help but smile at what Alfred says, though Arthur was sure that he could be in the worst mood and yet Alfred would still some how managed to get a smile from his lips. He wiggled a bit in the hold, getting as comfortable as he could, even though he could probably be om the uncomfortable thing in the world and still be comfortable in Alfred's arms.

Then Alfred started singing and Arthur's eyes drifted shut. He could tell by the words it was a lullaby and part of him wanted to tease Alfred light and say he wasn't a young child, however the other part of him was too tired and didn't care what exactly was being sung to him. Besides it would be silly to tease Alfred because he was successfully putting Arthur to sleep with the song. Arthur felt his breathing slow and his consciousness of the world around him slip away. He fought to stay conscious enough to hear the end of the song.

Alfred most of noticed once his finished and kissed his forehead. A feeling Arthur could recall his mother doing, whither he was sick with fever or just asleep. He shifted ever closer to the American beside him and let out a content sigh. "I'll keep you safe too..." Arthur managed before sleep gave on final tug and he was gone in the land of dreams.

The moments before Arthur feel asleep were magical. Alfred watched as his eyes fluttered, as if trying to regain his last bit of consciousness and the way he breathed out a contented sort of sigh of comfort. It was all breathtaking and despite how tired he himself was, Alfred found himself unable to look away. At the sound of Arthur’s sleepy promise, he smiled brightly and pressed another kiss against his forehead. “I know…” He whispered, watching as the older man drifted off into a content slumber.

Alfred sat up slightly and pressed a light hand against Arthur’s cheek. It was rare that the other man fell into slumber before him, so the young American decided to make the most of the occurrence and watch as all the tension faded away from his loves face. The American smiled softly at the lovely sight and couldn’t help but lean forward and press another kiss against his forehead. “I love you….” He whispered softly before sinking back down into the mattress.

Alfred continued to watch Arthur until his eyes grew heavy. Letting out a soft moan, he relaxed his tired body into the soft bed and pulled his lovers warm body up against him more. It only took a few moments before he himself fell into a deep, well deserved rest.

He could hands wrapping tightly around his neck and squeezing hard. He's desperate to get free, trying to thrash about but he was being held down. He can't see anything, it didn't scare more than the fact that someone was randomly choking him. Then something in the back of his mind started to worry. It wasn't clear through, it was becoming clear, but it still foggy from whoever was chocking him. However suddenly it registered. Alfred! Suddenly he sight came rushing to him and towering over him was Ivan. He didn't know who was holding him back, but he didn't care. Ivan grinned, "We just can't get rid of you."

Arthur struggled suddenly in the tight hold around him, desperate to get away from his dream and whoever was holding him back. The Englishman felt like he couldn't breath, yet clearly he was, but the feeling was freaking him out more. He pushed harshly at the body, his mind was too scared to register who it was. Managed to somehow wiggle free and took deep breaths, causing him to notice he was panting.

Alfred stood at the soft raised mound where his mother now rested forever. The service had been brief. His mothers parents had died long ago and his father was off in some unknown location with Mattie. The only people to attend where himself and a few sparse family friends. The priest had spoken of his mothers ever loving devotion to her son and how she would forever be missed. It was all Alfred could do to keep from crying. His eight year old figure shook with suppressed sadness as he stared down at the newly made headstone, fresh earth still clinging to the bottom. From somewhere behind him, his new guardian, Mrs. Weitz was calling for him to come back - that it was time to go home. The young boy sniffled and shook his head, dropping down to his knees despite how damp the earth was beneath him. His home was gone. It had disappeared the moment his mother took her last breath and closed her eyes forever. Unable to stop himself, Alfred began to sob. Hot tears trailed down his flushed cheeks and his nose turned blotchy and ugly. But try as he might to save face, he could not. His mother was dead and he was absolutely alone in the world.

A soft shuffled in front of him alerted him that somebody else was there. Alfred looked up, tears still trailing down from his red eyes. In front of him was a large sunflower, the size of which he had never seen before. At first, the young boy was so surprised he couldn’t help but stop his crying if only to make a questioning noise. Than, the flower moved to reveal the face of a boy not too much older than him. He had light blond hair and was wearing an earnest expression. His eyes were what struck Alfred the most - they were purple, like the color of the violets his mother used to grow during the winter. “Do not be sad anymore…” The boy said, offering the sunflower to him once more. “It will get better.”

* * *

A hard shove to the chest pushed Alfred out of his dreams back to reality. He groaned and slid back away from the thrashing figure, as if trying to slip back into blissful unconsciousness. But when the sound of frantic panting reached his ears, Alfred’s blue eyes snapped open. “Arthur?” He said, still half asleep as he fumbled up into a sitting position. The older man looked like he was about to jump out of his skin he was so worked up over something. A bad dream perhaps? “Arthur, it’s me… Alfred.” He gingerly slid closer, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. What he really wanted to do was pull him into a full on hug, but after all the fighting to get away from him, he had a feeling that wasn’t what he needed at the moment. “Are you alright?” Clearly not, but it was a standard question. “Hey now… everything’s okay. You’re here with me. You’re safe Artie…”

He let out a shaky breath before turning to look at the hand on his shoulder, ready to fling it away if he didn't recognize it. However he recognized the voice and the face of the owner to the hand when he followed the arm up to a face. He buried his face in his hands, it was clear that everything was fine, nothing in his nightmare was anywhere close to happening to him. Doesn't mean it can't ever happen either. He reminded himself, with a shutter at the thought which he tired to play off as mindlessly shaking away his nightmarish hold. "I'm fine," he said with an easy breath. "Just a dream I use to have as a child, a dragon under my bed trying to eat me." He lied, but gave a shrug like he had no clue why he was currently having it and there was nothing to be afraid of. He felt he played it off well, didn't mean he had, but he felt like it was believable enough. "Sorry for waking you, I used to scream bloody murder with that dream sometimes." Arthur said with a forced laugh.

He lied back down but he had a feeling he wasn't going to fall back asleep so easily. The dream had just wakened fears of what Ivan would do to him in their deal. It was open ended for Ivan, he could do whatever he wanted with Arthur, but he couldn't touch Alfred any more, no matter how much he meddled. If anything Arthur knew Braginski was going to draw out any from of torture, after all, Arthur had destroyed a good amount of his legal hold. Or at least he hoped. He shivered from the idea again and shifted closer to Alfred, playing it off like he was cold.

"Sorry, we should probably get back to sleep." Arthur grinned, cuddling up to Alfred hoping he would let the whole thing go and they could just pretend like nothing happened.

Alfred stared at Arthur, frown steadily growing deeper as he buried his face in his hands. Whatever had happened, it had really shaken him up. He couldn’t recall a time when he looked this scared - not even when he was hanging over the edge between life and death. When he spoke of his nightmare, Alfred’s concerned frown did not let up. Dragon under his bed indeed. Did he really think he was dull enough to let a lie that bad slid? Especially when it was clear how freaked out he was. When Arthur moved to cuddle closer to him, the American sighed and brought his arms around his slender figure. “You can tell me the truth, you know…” He murmured, pressing a soft kiss against his forehead.

He lightly rubbed his lower back in a comforting manner, hoping to at least relieve Arthur from some of the fear from his nightmare. After all, that’s all that it had been. He was safe. They were safe with Mattie and Francis looking out for them too. Nobody was going to dare harm them. “You’re safe with me Arthur. I’m not going to let anybody hurt you. Not ever.” With that said, he pressed another kiss against his lips, offering up a soft smile to affirm his earlier statement. To add a bit of light heartedness to the situation, he gave him a teasing grin before adding. “But if you really were worried about a dragon under the bed, I can check and make sure he’s not waiting to grab you when we fall back asleep.”

"It is the truth," Arthur said firmly, as he pounded light on Alfred's chest as he kissed his forehead. He knew he had been caught but he didn't wish to tell Alfred. It would raise too many questions, and in the end possibly reveal everything he was will to do to keep Alfred safe. That included working for or being tortured by Ivan. "I used to scream bloody murder when I had it as a child." That part wasn't a lie, he had screamed and scared everyone in his family, it had been worse when he was sick and been asleep in the middle of the day. Still he had long since concurred the dream, someone saved him from the dragon, some made up fictional being he created. He imagined it was someone like Alfred now that he someone he really enjoyed being around.

He sighed, all his thoughts had made him ignore Alfred without meaning too, but he caught the last part. "Git," he hissed lightly punching Alfred's arm. "I'm not five, I know there isn't a dragon under the bed." He also knew that when he was five, just not when he was with fever. "I'm fine honestly, Alfred. Just a little shaken up by the surprise visit." Arthur said with a grin before curling up to Alfred and pretending to drifted off to sleep again.

Alfred sighed and contented himself with holding Arthur close against him. It looked like the other man wasn’t about to crack and tell him what was really bothering him. Why did he have to be so damned stubborn all the time? All Alfred wanted to do was assure him that there was nothing to be afraid of. But how was he supposed to do that when he wouldn’t even let him in on what was wrong? “Fine, we’ll sleep for now. But don’t think you’re getting off that easily,” He said, lightly running his fingers down the side of Arthur’s figure. “We’ll talk more in the morning.” His voice left no room for discussion, but he decided to give the Englishman some slack.

Figuring that he might have some difficulty sleeping after his nightmare, Alfred began humming a lullaby next to his ear. Curling up around Arthur in a protective way, he lightly rubbed comforting circles in the small of Arthur’s back. Even if he wasn’t going to admit what had him so freaked, the least the sheriff could do was help him get a full nights rest. Lord knows he would need it in the coming weeks. Francis and Matthew wouldn’t be able to shelter them for long. Sooner or later Alfred needed to get back to work and Arthur would be right there at his side. He wasn’t sure what would be happening, but he was never going to let anybody hurt Arthur. Not while he still had breath left in his body.

Arthur sighed, of course Alfred couldn't give things up easily. The dream was nothing, Ivan had no clue where they were, at least not that he knew of. There was no need to dive into more hiding to go through with everything. He wanted to tell Alfred that they wouldn't talk about it later because it was nothing, but he knew that would only making the young sheriff knew it was something bigger that he was playing off. "Of course, Alfred." Arthur said he didn't want to deal with this now, or ever in all reality.

Arthur felt himself start to drift off into a light sleep from Alfred's humming. It was light enough for him to appear asleep, yet wake at the slightest sound. The Englishman cursed Alfred for his ability to put him to sleep so well. He snuggled slower to Alfred, wishing the American himself would go to sleep as well.

As much as Alfred tried to resist falling asleep before Arthur, he found himself steadily growing less and less aware of his surroundings. Ever since he was a little boy, Alfred found himself falling asleep even during the most impossible situations. The only times he ever had any difficulty sleeping was during those horrible times when he had just heard a ghost story. In those cases, he would spend the rest of the night under piles of blankets to escape from any ghostly hands reaching out for him. But laying on a comfortable bed with Arthur’s warm body pressed up against him left him little choice but to succumb to sweet unconsciousness. Slowly his humming stopped and his breathing evened out. With his last shred of consciousness, he wondered if Arthur would be getting any rest during the remaining hours of night.

* * *

“Vanya, get back over here!”

Alfred was running down the dirt pathway behind his adopted family’s house. There was a huge garden that bloomed beautifully in the summer time. Ever since Ivan had come into his life, he had been dreaming of the day when he could show it to him. Ivan loved flowers, a fact that Alfred couldn’t help but tease him about. But the Russian boy didn’t see them as girly and had his own patch of ground to grow sunflowers back at his own house.

The boy pouted when he reached the opening to the garden, looking around for his lost friend. “Come on Vanya! This isn’t funny!” A hand touched his shoulder, causing him to squeak and whip around. Ivan was standing there laughing. “I didn’t mean to scare you Fredka. You really are easily startled.” At this, the young boy crossed his arms in front of him, mumbling something about how he wasn’t easily scared when the Russian pointed to something behind him. “Are these what you wanted to show me?” Alfred looked back and smiled eagerly at the sight of the rose bush. “Uh huh! Those are my favorite kind of flowers. I know you like sunflowers, but I thought these would make you happy too. Do they make you happy Vanya?”

The taller boy crossed in front of him, pale fingertips lightly ghosting over the flowers open face. At first, Alfred was worried that he had shown him the wrong type of flowers, that Ivan would be upset with him now. He didn’t want his new friend to hate him because of a silly mistake! “They’re perfect.” Alfred tilted his head, surprised. Before him, Ivan stood wearing a fond sort of smile as he looked down at the roses. “They look like you.” Alfred stepped forward and lightly prodded the velvety face, pouting. “I don’t look like a flower.” Ivan simply laughed and reached forward to cup his cheek, “Yes you do. Especially,” He leaned forward a bit, violet eyes flashing with playful curiosity “Right here…”

Arthur's sleep was not restful. Every little sound had him paranoid and laying awake trying to place it. It was clear all most of them weren't related to Ivan, unless there was a shout out side, Arthur didn't know what they could be from. However most of the noises he could place on the house and they were too spaced out to be someone lurking around the house. Besides there was the wind and night animals chattering with each other before the sun came up and they all fled from it's light. When ever Arthur heard a noise he would lay awake trying to place where it was from. Then he would determined if it was a threat or not. He would start to drift back to sleep only to be waken up by another sound or something and have to repeat the whole process all over again.

Eventually the sun started to raise and his body did it's usual wake up with sun. Arthur gently worked his way out of Alfred's sleep filled hold and eased off the bed and out the door after sleeping a shirt on. He yawned to himself as he walked down the stairs. He grabbed his hat he hardly remembered taken off and put it on his head before he walked outside onto the porch. Hardly anyone was out moving around, still Arthur angled his hat to keep his face hidden. The English took a seat in one of the rocking chairs on the porch and leaned back. He needed to think about some things away from Alfred, as well as think of something reasonable that would startle him so much that he would be so shaken in his sleep. Arthur slowly rocked in the chair trying not to pass out in the chair with the world so calm around him. He always wanted to ward away unwanted company.

Alfred snapped awake, his chest ballooning as he struggled to regain his breath. What were with these dreams? He almost never dreamed when he slept. Or if he did, it was either about Arthur as of recently or strange little snippets that made little sense in his conscious mind. But these were completely different. It was almost if his memories were being played back for him in perfect detail. Hell he could almost smell roses…

He sat up, staring down at his hands with a serious expression. Those had been simpler times. Back when Ivan was still Vanya and he was still Fredka. Back before he had gone crazy. It was strange now to remember a time when he hadn’t been afraid of him, but there it was. Ivan had been one of his first real friends - saving him from the clutches of depression after his mothers death. He hadn’t been a monster back than… He had been a shy boy that liked hearing Alfred’s outrages stories, who went along with his games, and always had a kind word to say. What had happened that had made him change so quickly? How he snapped?

Alfred didn’t know. There were a lot of vague memories from his past, and he couldn’t quite remember the circumstances leading up to Ivan’s sudden change in personality, but there must have been some triggering factor. He sighed loudly and brought his hand up to rest against his forehead. Too many thoughts were running through his mind, making it impossible to focus. “Hey Artie…” He turned to his side but found that the Brit was no longer there. He blinked in confusion and slid out of bed, wrestling on a pair of jeans and a loose shirt. Had he gotten up without waking him? Strange.

The young sheriff left their bedroom and walked down the narrow set of stairs, peering into the small sitting room to see if that’s where he had disappeared off to. No such luck. “Arthur?” He poked around in the washroom and the rest of the first floor, before coming to the conclusion that he was no longer in the house. He groaned and opened up the front door, intending to locate the other man when he spotted him leaning back on an old rocking chair. “There you are,” He said with a light smile, dropping down into the empty chair. “I was worried when I woke up and you weren’t around. Is everything alright?” He remembered the nightmare from the night before. Hopefully now that the two were completely conscious, Arthur would stop all this nonsense about dragons hiding under his bed. Honestly, even Alfred wasn’t dumb enough to believe that. “Was it what had you freaked last night?”