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Chapter 5: A Triumphant Return...?

Arthur was miserable. Plain and simple. He didn't want to be the one to bring Kiku home. He had gotten quick used to having the Asian around. Now, having to bring him back home and watch him as they sailed away... He wasn't sure if his heart could take it...

"Asa-san?" Kiku asked, breaking Arthur from his trance. He looked up from his desk to see Kiku standing in the doorway with a tray of tea. Arthur smiled and gestured for Kiku to come in. He walked in and placed the tray on the desk, diligently pouring Arthur a cup. "Is something wrong?"

"We're make port in Japan in two days, Kiku," Arthur said with a sigh. "It's just hitting me that this will be good bye..."

"Why?" Kiku asked, stopping halfway to filling his own cup. He set down the pot and said, "We can see each other again some day."

"No, we can't," Arthur said with a sigh. "Kiku, you're human, I'm.... I'm a country, I'm not going to die any time soon... But you will, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to return before you do..."

"Asa-san..." Kiku said, about to set the record straight.

"Just, Arthur, Kiku, please," Arthur said with a smile. "Don't be so formal."

"Alright, Asa," Kiku said with a smile.

"Much better..." Arthur said, patting Kiku's hand. "Oh, I have something for you, Kiku."

Arthur jolted up, going over to a locked chest. He quickly unlocked it and opened it, fishing around for something. He finally found what he was looking for and pulled it out, kicking the chest closed before coming back over to Kiku. He handed him a box, gesturing to open it. Kiku did so, and gasped at what he pulled out. It was an oval shaped silver locked with the rose embossed on the front. The chain was long, probably too long for it to sit on his chest. He looked up to Arthur, who took it and put it on Kiku. The locket hung just below his breast bone and glinted in the sunlight.

"Asa... why...?" Kiku asked, turning his head to look up at Arthur.

"The rose is the symbol of my country," Arthur explained, reaching around Kiku to finger the locket. "I want you to have it to remember me when you go home."

"I could never forget you," Kiku said, gently taking Arthur's hand in both his own. "You saved me. I am forever in your debt." Kiku then stood and turned to Arthur, leaving only about an inch of space between them. "Please, tell me what I can do to repay you for your kindness. Anything at all, just name it."

"Kiku..." Arthur said, his voice just above a whisper. "You don't have to do anything at all."

"Then how can I thank you?" Kiku asked, his eyes pleading.

"Just having you with my these last few months was thanks enough," Arthur said with a bright smile. "I am going to miss you."

"I will miss you as well," Kiku said, feeling a tear in his eye.

"ARTHUR!" Lydia screamed, kicking the door in. "Hey, I've been calling.... for... you...."

When Lydia trailed off was when Arthur realized his position. His arm had made it's way around Kiku's waist, holding the Asian firmly against his chest. Their faces were just a few centimeters apart from each other, making them both blush. The jumped away from each other, faced beet red.

"Well, interesting," Lydia said with a chuckle. "Captain, we're going to make it to Japan today."

"What?!" Arthur cried, looking up at his First Mate with wide eyes. He had made sure to make the trip as long as possible, how is they were arriving a day early?!

"Yeah," Lydia said simply. "We're getting there this afternoon."

~*~

Sooner than wanted, it was time for them to part. The townspeople had thanks Arthur profusely for bringing Kiku back, and he had constantly said it was no problem. Arthur had to decline Kiku's offer to stay for the day saying that they needed to return to Europe as soon as possible.

The sun was setting as the crew called to Arthur that they could ship off. He was standing on the deck with Kiku, knowing that he could procrastinate no longer.

"I'll come back to see you," Arthur said, determined. "I'll come back as soon as I can. I won't be able to stay away from you for long."

"I'll be waiting for you," Kiku said with a nod and a smile. He then leaned up on his tip toes and pecked Arthur lightly on the lips. "Take that and remember me."

"I'll never forget you, Kiku, my heart will never let me forget," Arthur said, pulling Kiku to him and kissing him passionately. Kiku kissed him right back, never want to leave the Brit. Arthur reluctantly pulled away, kissing Kiku on the forehead. "I have to go now."

"Please don't," Kiku begged him.

"I have to," Arthur said, kissing Kiku briefly again. "I'll come back for you, on my word as a gentleman."

With that, Arthur let go of Kiku and walked up the gangplank to the ship. He started to bark out orders to his men to cast off and the crew did so. Arthur stood at the stern of the ship, leaning over the railing to watch Kiku as they started to move away from the port. He waved to Kiku and smiled lightly.

"I'll wait here for you!" Kiku cried at the top of his lungs so Arthur could hear him. "I'll be right here when you come back!"

"I'll count on that!" Arthur cried back, a grin coming to his face.

~*~

Arthur was never able to return to Japan. When he got back to England, the Queen sent him to North America, where he got caught up in wars against France. He lamented every day that he couldn't return to see Kiku. After fifty years, he stopped thinking about it, knowing that Kiku was probably dead.

Every day, Kiku had stood at the docks waiting for Arthur to come back. He had never gotten the chance to tell Arthur that he too was a country, and so he too would never die. However, Kiku soon realized that Arthur was never going to back to him and isolated Japan in his grief.

Description
Chapter 5: A Triumphant Return...?

Arthur was miserable. Plain and simple. He didn't want to be the one to bring Kiku home. He had gotten quick used to having the Asian around. Now, having to bring him back home and watch him as they sailed away... He wasn't sure if his heart could take it...

"Asa-san?" Kiku asked, breaking Arthur from his trance. He looked up from his desk to see Kiku standing in the doorway with a tray of tea. Arthur smiled and gestured for Kiku to come in. He walked in and placed the tray on the desk, diligently pouring Arthur a cup. "Is something wrong?"

"We're make port in Japan in two days, Kiku," Arthur said with a sigh. "It's just hitting me that this will be good bye..."

"Why?" Kiku asked, stopping halfway to filling his own cup. He set down the pot and said, "We can see each other again some day."

"No, we can't," Arthur said with a sigh. "Kiku, you're human, I'm.... I'm a country, I'm not going to die any time soon... But you will, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to return before you do..."

"Asa-san..." Kiku said, about to set the record straight.

"Just, Arthur, Kiku, please," Arthur said with a smile. "Don't be so formal."

"Alright, Asa," Kiku said with a smile.

"Much better..." Arthur said, patting Kiku's hand. "Oh, I have something for you, Kiku."

Arthur jolted up, going over to a locked chest. He quickly unlocked it and opened it, fishing around for something. He finally found what he was looking for and pulled it out, kicking the chest closed before coming back over to Kiku. He handed him a box, gesturing to open it. Kiku did so, and gasped at what he pulled out. It was an oval shaped silver locked with the rose embossed on the front. The chain was long, probably too long for it to sit on his chest. He looked up to Arthur, who took it and put it on Kiku. The locket hung just below his breast bone and glinted in the sunlight.

"Asa... why...?" Kiku asked, turning his head to look up at Arthur.

"The rose is the symbol of my country," Arthur explained, reaching around Kiku to finger the locket. "I want you to have it to remember me when you go home."

"I could never forget you," Kiku said, gently taking Arthur's hand in both his own. "You saved me. I am forever in your debt." Kiku then stood and turned to Arthur, leaving only about an inch of space between them. "Please, tell me what I can do to repay you for your kindness. Anything at all, just name it."

"Kiku..." Arthur said, his voice just above a whisper. "You don't have to do anything at all."

"Then how can I thank you?" Kiku asked, his eyes pleading.

"Just having you with my these last few months was thanks enough," Arthur said with a bright smile. "I am going to miss you."

"I will miss you as well," Kiku said, feeling a tear in his eye.

"ARTHUR!" Lydia screamed, kicking the door in. "Hey, I've been calling.... for... you...."

When Lydia trailed off was when Arthur realized his position. His arm had made it's way around Kiku's waist, holding the Asian firmly against his chest. Their faces were just a few centimeters apart from each other, making them both blush. The jumped away from each other, faced beet red.

"Well, interesting," Lydia said with a chuckle. "Captain, we're going to make it to Japan today."

"What?!" Arthur cried, looking up at his First Mate with wide eyes. He had made sure to make the trip as long as possible, how is they were arriving a day early?!

"Yeah," Lydia said simply. "We're getting there this afternoon."

~*~

Sooner than wanted, it was time for them to part. The townspeople had thanks Arthur profusely for bringing Kiku back, and he had constantly said it was no problem. Arthur had to decline Kiku's offer to stay for the day saying that they needed to return to Europe as soon as possible.

The sun was setting as the crew called to Arthur that they could ship off. He was standing on the deck with Kiku, knowing that he could procrastinate no longer.

"I'll come back to see you," Arthur said, determined. "I'll come back as soon as I can. I won't be able to stay away from you for long."

"I'll be waiting for you," Kiku said with a nod and a smile. He then leaned up on his tip toes and pecked Arthur lightly on the lips. "Take that and remember me."

"I'll never forget you, Kiku, my heart will never let me forget," Arthur said, pulling Kiku to him and kissing him passionately. Kiku kissed him right back, never want to leave the Brit. Arthur reluctantly pulled away, kissing Kiku on the forehead. "I have to go now."

"Please don't," Kiku begged him.

"I have to," Arthur said, kissing Kiku briefly again. "I'll come back for you, on my word as a gentleman."

With that, Arthur let go of Kiku and walked up the gangplank to the ship. He started to bark out orders to his men to cast off and the crew did so. Arthur stood at the stern of the ship, leaning over the railing to watch Kiku as they started to move away from the port. He waved to Kiku and smiled lightly.

"I'll wait here for you!" Kiku cried at the top of his lungs so Arthur could hear him. "I'll be right here when you come back!"

"I'll count on that!" Arthur cried back, a grin coming to his face.

~*~

Arthur was never able to return to Japan. When he got back to England, the Queen sent him to North America, where he got caught up in wars against France. He lamented every day that he couldn't return to see Kiku. After fifty years, he stopped thinking about it, knowing that Kiku was probably dead.

Every day, Kiku had stood at the docks waiting for Arthur to come back. He had never gotten the chance to tell Arthur that he too was a country, and so he too would never die. However, Kiku soon realized that Arthur was never going to back to him and isolated Japan in his grief.