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Different Hearts, Same Love	By : FlayraDowitcher Category: +G to L > Hetalia: Axis Powers Views: 1572 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I am making no money off of this fic.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
***Thanks for reading so far! ^_^

Chapter 2

Francis panted heavily, wiping a hand across his brow at the sweat gathering there. Never had walking been so tiresome for him. He did have a heavy pack on his back while climbing uphill, a hill that seemed to go on forever. Arthur was many steps ahead of him, climbing the buried rocks as if he did it all the time. Francis rolled his eyes, knowing that the man probably did climb structures like this just for fun. Even though the air was chilled he was still sweating. The fact that his hair started to stick to his face was welcoming a meltdown. All Francis needed was a river or a lake, just something that he could cool himself down with and wash the grime off of his body. He couldn't resist asking.

"Are we there yet?"

"We just started, you lazy hog!" Arthur looked back at him. "If only you would pick up the pace we could be at the top of this hill much faster."

Francis huffed, glaring at him. "You're doing this on purpose."

"I am not!" Arthur put his fists on his hips. "It's not my fault you're a spoiled, pampered, and lazy human being who does not know what real work is!"

Francis dropped the pack to the floor. "Hey, listen here, wild child. You have a lot of nerve to speak to me the way you do." With the heavy pack gone, Francis was able to walk up and meet Arthur face to face. "Why should I be punished and insulted for being successful, hm? My family owns the biggest vineyard in the city, making top dollar wine for sale and trade. It is hard work starting a business and keeping up with it, but my family did it. Some win, some don't."

Arthur crossed his arms and moved in closer to Francis. "And just what do you do with all that money? Do you offer it to help other people who are in need? Do you donate some of it to help build houses and roads? No! You lay around on rich fabrics, stuff yourself full and drink yourself blind! Nothing but feel good sex orgies and rich foods! Oh yeah, you're a real winner!" Francis turned back and walked down to grab the pack, securing it once again on his back. Arthur narrowed his eyes at him. "I did not have the opportunity to be successful."

Francis shoved past him. "What rotten luck on your part."

Arthur's eyes widened at the insult then narrowed, gritting his teeth as he ran past Francis to cut him off. "Do not look down on me, sir, for you will sorely regret it!" He said slowly and dangerously.

"What are you going to do? Throw dirt at me?" Francis stuck his nose up in the air and pushed past him once again. "You are my guide, nothing else."

"HOW DARE YOU!" Arthur leapt up and landed on Francis' back, knocking the man to the ground. Francis was unprepared for the attack and fell face first onto the dirt. "You are nothing to me!"

"Get off of me this instant!" Francis bucked him off, wiping away the blood that dribbled from his split lip. "What was that for? Are you insane?"

Arthur was panting heavily with rage. "You are an arrogant prick! I can't wait until I drop your sorry ass off at the city! Now pick up your damn bag and let's get going!" The blonde stormed off, climbing the hill quickly and ignoring Francis' cries of 'wait'.

When Arthur made it to the top, he looked back and smirked at how far below Francis was. The man would break soon enough for the forest will tear his spirit apart. Then, he would be just right for sacrifice. Arthur could not wait for that moment. With Francis' death, he would be allowed to obtain the throne as Head Master. That is what he desired, and that is what he was going to get. Just the thought excited him and it sent a tiny shiver through his body.

"Finally!" Francis gasped out once he made it to the top of the hill. Panting, he fell to his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath.

Arthur just crossed his arms and tapped his foot. "Are you done?"

"Give me…a minute to catch my breath." He breathed out. "For the love off…this heat! Is it cold or hot? I don't even know!"

Arthur looked up at the sky. "Winter is nearing. We are in the last days of autumn."

Francis gave him a horrified look. "Please tell me that we will make it to the city before it gets too cold?"

The blonde smirked and bent at the waist to mock him. "Nope. Not even a chance! I guess you'll have to wear the furs I packed! The stinky, dirty, and ugly furs just like I wear."

"I hate you." Francis hissed at him and stood back on his feet. "Let us not waste time. Continue showing me the way."

The two men walked along the top of the flat rocky mountain, which was easier than weaving through trees or climbing back down. Arthur told Francis that they could save some time by walking over the forest, but it would be more footwork. Francis would agree to anything so long as it would get him to the new city faster. Sometimes he had to climb up, and sometimes he had to climb down. Francis' boots were not made for such constant climbing and he feared the soles would break. All he needed to top off his misfortune was to lose his boots and be forced to walk around barefoot. He silently prayed it would not happen.

Francis looked up ahead at Arthur, who stepped as lightly as a fairy. Francis assumed such skill was learned after living alone in the woods for so long. Which brought him back to his first original thoughts about Arthur's background. He thought it was still too soon to be asking personal questions, not that Arthur would even answer them truthfully. Yet Francis wondered if they could possibly start a mutual bond since they would be together for so long. The outburst they had a little bit ago was going to be just one of many, but if there was a small way Francis could avoid the tension, he would. In a way, he was at Arthur's mercy. The wild man could turn a knife on him, and no one would ever find Francis' body. Francis gulped at that thought, so he decided to give the questioning a try.

"So…why do you live in the woods all alone? You're close enough to the city and the town. Do you ever visit there?"

Arthur did not look back at him but continued walking as he spoke. "I don't visit the town anymore."

"Oh? Why not?"

"It's a private matter."

"Is someone there? Like a lover or a sibling?" Francis stumbled a bit.

"No. I don't have a lover and I don't have a companion that stays with me either. Why are you even asking these questions?"

"They are simple ask and answer questions. I don't know that much about you and it worried me knowing that you lived there all alone. Do you ever get scared or lonely?"

Arthur paused then and Francis did so as well. "No. I am perfectly content with my own company." Arthur started to walk again. Francis followed.

"Are there…any other people in the woods?"

"Of course there are. None that I know." Arthur smirked to himself.

"Oh, okay." Francis looked for another question. "So…this has been bugging me…but all the stuff you had at the cabin? And the snake handling…what exactly do you do? What I mean to say is, what is your job? What do you do all day?"

"I hunt, cook, clean, and live. That's all." Francis knew Arthur was not telling the truth but before he could ask more, Arthur said: "Ah, we've reached the slope."

"Finally!" Francis stood next to Arthur and looked down at the grassy slope. His eyes widened with tearful relief when he caught sight of a small lake at the foot of the slope. "A lake! Oh praise be, I can wash!" Francis started to hurry down the slope.

"Francis, wait! You can't go that-" Arthur closed one eye as he watched Francis slip and begin the long roll down the slope. "-way. You have to walk sideways." Arthur finished the sentence for himself and carefully walked down the slope the proper way.

Francis gave various grunts and cries as his body toppled down the slope until it came to a sliding halt at the bottom. He recovered quickly, for the only thing he wanted to do was strip and jump into that cool water. With a happy shout, Francis stripped off his clothes and ran to the lake. He leapt in the air, tucked in his legs, and landed with a large splash. Francis felt the cool water strip away the heat and sweat as he came up for air. Blonde locks stuck to his face, but he carefully whipped his head to remove all strands. "Ahhhh….perfect! Bliss! Finally, some sort of bliss that is worthy of me!" He slicked his hair back.

"Francis!" Arthur called out to him. "Don't relax too much in there! It's still water!"

'Of course it is water!' Francis said to himself, missing the point of Arthur's warning. "Why don't you come join me?" He called back.

"No thanks, I'm fine." Arthur had to gather up Francis' pack and searched for a good camp spot around the lake.

"Are you sure? You smell like dirt and trees!"

Arthur forced a smile. "I'm really fine! Don't splash around too much! I need to fish!"

Francis rolled his eyes and swam a bit further out in the water. He wished Arthur had packed some soap so he could wash his luscious blonde locks. Glancing over his shoulder, he raised a curious eyebrow at Arthur's behavior. The man held a long stick, sharpening the edge to a point. Francis had to wonder what the man meant to do with it. Treading water, he watched as Arthur walked carefully into the water, stopping when it reached his knees. Arthur held up the spear and stared down into the water. 'What in the world…?' Francis twitched when Arthur stabbed quickly at the water and pulled up a wiggling fish impaled on the point. Francis' jaw dropped. "What? How did he do that?"

He watched as Arthur shoved the fish further down on the stick and aimed the point at the water again. Arthur caught one, and then another, and another, until he exited the water. Francis never cared for fish, but his stomach was grumbling with the promise of food. Walking on his tip-toes, he started to make his way back to the bank. To his right, there was a rock sticking out from the water. He smiled, for he could use the rock to steady himself a bit as he stepped in the soggy bottom. However, the rock was not sturdy when Francis put his hand on it. Instead, a large square head of a turtle popped out from the water and gazed at him. Francis froze, looking at the sharp point on the tip of the turtle's mouth. Suddenly, the turtle hissed and stretched out his neck, snapping at him. Francis yelped and splashed around in the water, desperately trying to escape. "ARTHUR!"

Arthur looked out at Francis' flailing form in the water and smirked. He could make out the head and shell of a snapping turtle a few feet behind Francis. Arthur laughed as the naked man stumbled and tripped on the wet earth as he ran out of the water. The turtle hissed and opened its jaws, but Arthur used his spear to gently push it away. The snapping turtle turned away only to slowly disappear under the water. Francis was shivering in the cold air and Arthur gave him a look.

"Still water is full of animals like snapping turtles and alligators. I told you not to go in there."

"You never told me not to!" Francis glared at him. "All you said was it was still water, as if I was supposed to know what that entailed!"

Arthur smirked. "Consider that one of your lessons. Now, get dressed and gather some wood for the fire. We are setting up camp here before it grows dark. I need to get some water and prepare the fish for eating."

Francis said nothing as he dressed and did what Arthur told him to do, gather wood. He was unsure of what type of wood, so he just gathered small branches and twigs. While gathering, he did come across some thick branches that were difficult to move. He knew that large pieces of wood would burn longer, so he decided to bring it back to their camp. Of course, while lifting the old wood, there was a whole city of insects and worms, which made him throw up a little in his mouth. Francis knew that there was no way he would ever get used to being in the woods.

Dragging the heavy pieces of wood back first, he went back into the forest to gather the pile he had left. As he picked up the pile in his arms, Francis noticed something large and white dash off in the distance. With a tiny gulp, he carefully backed up and hurried back to Arthur. The wild man had the fire started when he returned and Francis was thankful for the warmth. While Arthur began tying some of the branches together at their ends, Francis thought to tell his guide about the thing he saw in the woods.

"Hey, Arthur? While I was gathering wood I saw something large and white moving around. Do you know what it could be?"

Arthur steadied the stand of sticks over the fire and laid the pot handle in the center. He checked to make sure the flames licked the bottom of the pot. "It was probably a stag or a wolf. Pay it no mind. The fire will keep any creatures at bay."

Francis looked back into the woods, hands on his hips. "It seemed too big to be a wolf…maybe a deer. But white?"

"They exist. Some say they are magical." Arthur smiled at him and Francis laughed loudly.

"Magical? That's silly! There is no such thing as magic."

Arthur just raised his heavy brows for a moment, then proceeded to pierce the fish onto their sticks. "Here, two for you and two for me. Hold them over the fire." Arthur showed Francis how to do it and the nobleman mimicked the other.

"What is the water for if not for the fish?" Francis asked.

"Ah, well, I need to boil the lake water so it kills anything bad that may harm us. Once it boils and cools, we will have fresh water to drink."

Francis watched the fish start to char slightly black. "I could go for some wine right about now. Wine and women."

"You are so odd." Arthur said with a roll of his eyes. "Take your fish from the fire before they burn and shrink! They're safe to eat now."

Arthur watched as Francis studied the fish before taking a bite out of the first one. The blonde made a face as he chewed. Arthur started to nibble on his own fish, all the while studying Francis' face. The nobleman was clearly attractive, there was no doubt about it. But Arthur would never let him know that. Aside from the stubbly chin hair, Francis' face was handsomely angelic. The man's soft yellow locks were waved and curled, unlike his own flat straw hair.

Even though his looks were flawless, his jackass personality and arrogance was appalling. Francis was a pure-blooded nobleman, thinking himself higher than the common folk only because his family made money. Arthur was certain it was Francis' ancestors that started the vineyard and the man only inherited it. The family probably hired peasants to pick and ferment the grapes, doing all the hard labor while Francis raked in the dough. The idea of it made him sick to his stomach. However, Francis' company was a change in his daily life. He may have a special agenda for the man, but for the time being, his company was appreciated.

"Hey! Hey Arthur, look! There it is! It's a horse! A white horse!" Francis pointed to the wall of trees behind Arthur.

Arthur turned around and smiled when he saw the unicorn. "So it is. There are a lot of wild horses around, they are harmless."

"Are you certain?" Francis looked again and the creature was gone. "Huh…interesting. I never thought horses roamed in woods. I thought they only lived on plains."

'You are right about horses, my friend, but unicorns are different.' Arthur knew he could not let Francis know of his powers. For starters, the man would not believe him and second, magic exposure would be saved for another time. 'When you are laid out on a stone table.' Arthur unknowingly grinned darkly, which frightened the other man.

"Arthur? Are you…okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "I'm moving the water from the fire."

Francis nodded and looked back at the area where the horse was. "How strange…that horse was perfectly white, not dirty in the slightest. I would think wild horses would have shaggy fur and tasseled manes. If I didn't know any better, I would say it was a unicorn!" Francis chuckled and finished off his last fish.

"Because it looks clean?"

Francis nodded. "Yes. Although, if it were a unicorn, I wouldn't be able to see it because I'm not a virgin. Only virgins can see unicorns, right?"

Arthur sat across from the other, looking at him over the fire. "Not necessarily. Men and women who are close to the earth or have special earthen powers can see unicorns, virgin or not." He noticed Francis staring at him, but knew the other did not believe him.

"So you're saying that I could still a unicorn?"

It was Arthur's turn to laugh. "No, never. Someone like me would have a much better chance of seeing a unicorn, for I am one with the earth. You are an arrogant, materialistic prick who is unworthy of a unicorns' majestic beauty."

Francis narrowed his brows. "I find that rather insulting, Arthur. I think it was a little harsh. You do not know me enough to pass such harsh judgment."

"As far as I am concerned, it's the truth. Either change or accept it."

Blue eyes narrowed at green. "I will not change who I am. I know myself better than anyone."

Arthur scoffed. "Right, because sex orgies and wine are something to be proud of. You'd screw anyone." Arthur added another twig to the fire.

"I would never couple with you." Arthur looked up at him. "Frankly, you're filthy, you stink, your hair is dirty and you wear the skins of dead animals. Hardly fuckworthy of someone like me."

"Good. I don't want you or your reproductive parts anywhere near me. Only the stars know what kind of disease you're carrying."

"And you'll never get to find out."

The two men fell silent again, both staring at the crackling fire. As the sun began to set, Francis was slowly captivated by the sight of it. Never had he seen the sunset in such a rural setting. The the orange glow reflected off of the lake water beautifully. He heard a laughing call echo through the sky and he looked up, trying to spot what it was. It sounded like an animal, or a bird.

"That's a loon." Arthur said softly, getting up to go stand on the bank of the lake. Francis joined him. "It's a type of water bird." They heard its unique cry again. "They are my favorite." Arthur smiled, feeling the gentle night breeze tickle the hairs on his head. "Many people are afraid of the night and of the dark, but to me, it's a whole other world. The sights, sounds, smells…even the stillness of the air is like a special symphony."

Francis gave him a strange and curious look, which Arthur took no notice of. Francis returned to the sunset that was now almost hidden behind the wall of trees opposite of them. For his own curiosity, Francis tried to listen to the area around them, wondering if he could hear what sounds Arthur spoke of. Francis heard nothing other than the wind in the trees. Arthur seemed lost in his own little world, and Francis began to grow concerned of the man. Something was not right about Arthur. Either there was something special about him, or he was just a loopy woodsman who's been eating too many mushrooms.

Arthur could hear the trees whispering to themselves in their own tongue as the fairies came out to play among them. To someone like Francis, the fairies are invisible unless they want a person to see them. They would appear more like fireflies. Arthur smiled at the fairies while they began to fly over the lake, laughing inwardly that Francis could not see them. He would rather die than be fully human like Francis, unable to see the world's secret beauties.

When he looked down, Arthur noticed something moving in the water. He smiled when the water snake popped its head up to gaze at him. Arthur glanced over to Francis, who was too amazed by the setting sun to notice the snake. With silent ease, the snake slithered out of the water and coiled its way around Arthur's ankle, its black tongue shooting in and out. Arthur bent slightly and held out his arm for the snake to slide up. The sudden gasp that came from beside him brought a smirk to his face. Francis had noticed.

"Arthur! There's a snake wrapped around your arm!"

"Yes, there is." He gave Francis an eerie smile, showing the man how tame the snake was. "Why don't you touch her?"

Francis gave him a 'are you crazy' look. "Hell no. That thing will bite! It's slimy and scaly!"

"No, it's not. She's surprisingly soft. Your skin is more oily and slimy than hers." Arthur carefully unraveled the snake from his arm and held her out to Francis. "She won't bite. I won't let her, so go ahead and pet her."

Francis was still highly skeptical. "Um…I would really rather not."

The green eyed man chuckled and took Francis' hand. "Don't be so afraid! Here." Arthur forced Francis' hand to touch the skin of the snake. The look on Francis' face made him smile because the man was clearly frightened of the brown snake. Arthur, however, felt himself smile calmly when Francis' features started to soften. The man was now using his finger to stroke the snakes' underbelly.

"She doesn't feel slimy at all."

"I told you." Arthur smiled. "She likes you."

Francis chuckled. "You know, I never thought I would be petting a snake, yet here I am. Wow."

"We have to let her go now, though. She has left her nest for too long." Arthur crouched down on the bank and held his hands under the water so she could slither away. Arthur could see that Francis was still a bit spooked by the long dark body wiggling out of sight in the murky depth. "Maybe you won't be so useless after all." Arthur said with a smirk. "Come, let's get to sleep before it gets too dark."

Francis jumped a bit when he heard some wolves howling in the distance. "Please tell me they will not make it all the way over here by us?" Francis asked and followed closely behind the other to the bed rolls.

"The fire will keep them away, but you needed worry because they are very far off. Their howls are echoing."

"Oh…" he gulped "Right."

"Get in your bedroll. I'm tired of hearing you speak."

Francis narrowed his eyes at Arthur as the man settled into the bedroll. The blonde went over to his and shrieked slightly when he had to flick a large beetle off of the top. With a heavy grumble, Francis wiggled his legs inside the bedroll, cursing at the uneven ground beneath him. The ground was solid and cold so it was near impossible for him to get comfortable. He gave an angry grunt accompanied by a sigh, then fumed when he heard Arthur tell him to 'shut up'.

'That man was starting to become bearable, but now he's back to being a dick.' Francis said to himself, folding his arm under his head as a makeshift pillow. He glanced out to the lake, looking at the purple sky slowly turning to a heavy black. Only a few bundle of stars appeared in the sky, but they were no less beautiful. Francis always enjoyed looking at the stars from his bed through the balcony arch. The stars above him now made him smile, unlike so many other horrible things in the woods.

Francis had yet to fall asleep as he watched the crescent moon rise higher and higher in the sky. The ground was just too hard and cold for his comfort, so sleep was difficult. However, in a way it was good because Francis heard somebody walking near them. He lifted his head quickly and looked around but saw no one. Looking at Arthur's sleeping spot, he saw that the man's bedroll was empty! Francis stood up and looked around the area for sights of his guide. "Arthur?" Francis saw the man walking away from their camp, so he followed him. "Arthur, where are you going?" He said in a whisper.

End Chapter 2 TBC
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Different Hearts, Same Love