☆TWO

[redwhiteandhero]

Characters: Alfred F. Jones and YOU
Setting: Gymnasium
Format: I'll follow you
Summary: Just trying to keep warm.
Warnings: None right now.


[Alfred had gotten in the habit of a morning jog since school had ended, and he figured he might as well keep it up in the Tower as well. You never knew in a place like this when you needed to be in good shape. Plus, it was a good way to keep warm when there was no heat in the building.

Today especially he was feeling quite warm before he even finished a lap around the track. Too warm. He tried to keep going, but his legs were starting to feel like lead weights, and his head ached. Three-quarters of the way around the oval, Alfred gave up, wobbling over to lean on a piece of exercise equipment to catch his breath. Phew. This was obviously consequence of trying to exist on nutribars alone.]

Comments

5/5 ok there

[keepscalm]

...America?

[He's seeing two. And he's not entirely sure which one he's intending to address.]

[colonial]

It was an accident! [America attempts to hide the wand a little better but really it's super obvious he's got something behind his back.

He's starting to register that something's weird about England--he sees the bandages, at least. He hasn't quite connected that to "is missing a hand" though; it seems like something that just shouldn't happen to England.]

[redwhiteandhero]

[Wait a gosh dang darn diddly second.]

Dad?

[keepscalm]

[His facial expression indicates that "dad" was not the thing he was expecting to hear.

He is too feverish and headachey for this right now.

England squeezes his eyes shut and presses the palm of his remaining hand against one of his eyelids. The lack of vision seems to prompt a tad bit of swaying on his part, but he doesn't seem to notice.

When he opens his eyes and the older America is still there, his suspicion grows.

He must be hallucinating or something.

He makes a point of looking away from the older America, hoping that perhaps banishing the sight to his peripheral will make it fade. He instead addresses the littler of the pair.] America, what's going on?

[colonial]

Dad? [America frowns, looking at Al and then England, sliding off the bed and leaving the wand laying there (which probably explains at least a few things).]

Um, magic? But--are you okay?

[redwhiteandhero]

[Alfred sits down heavily on the bed, covering his eyes again against the light.] This is messed up.

[keepscalm]

[He starts answering the question before it fully sinks in.] I'm perfectly well--

[Give him a moment.]

...

[There we go.]

Did you say "dad"?

[America heard it too. So...

England is now eyeing the other America with twice the suspicion.]

[colonial]

Oh, that's Alfred. [America points to Alfred as if there is nothing at all strange about his being there. Then he circles around England to try and assess his wellness status.]

I turned stuff pink though so it's not his fault.

[redwhiteandhero]

It's just that... you look exactly like my dad. And you sound like him. And this must be one of those freaky things where you're him but not really, alternate universe clone.

...Merlin my head hurts.

[keepscalm]

[Oh so he's not hallucinating the pink either, then. Wonderful.

He finally catches sight of the wand, which first makes him bristle like a cat, and then draws a sigh of resignation when the bristling agitates his headache.]

Alfred. I see.

[Despite knowing that "Alfred" isn't a hallucination, he doesn't seem to be fully absorbing the boy's words. It's not until he picks up his wand that part of it registers.]

..."Merlin"?

[Yep he is completely ignoring the dad thing.]

[colonial]

[America will just continue circling England. And then start climbing up his back, which is a perfectly reasonable way of getting up to check on England more closely.]

Merlin's from one of the stories you told me, right?

[redwhiteandhero]

He told me you're a wizard. [Alfred holds up his own wand again.] I was just showin' him some magic. You gotta know Merlin right?

[keepscalm]

[England makes sure to reach back for America with the hand that is still intact. At a closer proximity, it's a bit easier to see the red in his eyes and the flush in his face, but the pink lighting makes it pretty hard to tell.]

Indeed, [to the baby, and to Alfred:] What do you mean showing him magic?

[Does he sound frustrated? He does. Sorry about that.]

[colonial]

[America is at least momentarily distracted by the reminder that he'd gotten to see magic and also turn a bunch of things different colors.]

He made his wand light up like a candle and then he fixed the lights but then I turned them pink again.

[redwhiteandhero]

It's not against the law if he already knows about it. Kid's a wizard too-- didn't you know?

[keepscalm]

He doesn't--

[England bites his tongue on that. He can feel his irritation growing rapidly, but if there is one America he will never take it out on, it's the tiny one on his back.]

I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about you! Since when can you do magic?

[colonial]

[America is now confused all over again! He tugs on the back of England's shirt] D'you know him already?

[redwhiteandhero]

Since always! ... And if you're not Dad, how do you know me?

[keepscalm]

[This is the moment that England realises he has said too much.

He visibly balks. Oops. He does not know where to go from here.]

Er- that is...

[He averts his eyes from Alfred. Boy this got awkward really fast!]

[colonial]

[If England isn't answering, he's going to have to ask Alfred. He climbs up a bit more so he can sit on England's shoulder and look at Alfred.] Why do you keep calling him dad?

[redwhiteandhero]

[That would be adorable if he didn't feel so crappy, and it wasn't his dad, worst parent in the world, or some doppelganger thereof.]

He's a different version.

[keepscalm]

[Oh! Well that makes this easier. He turns his head to speak to the baby currently perched on his shoulder.]

And I do believe Alfred is an alternate version of you, lad.

[colonial]

[England has successfully avoided having to bare witness to America asking Alfred what Alternate England is like and all the questions that might spring up from that.

Of course this is because this new information is incredibly interesting.]

Really? He's me? But he's a lot bigger. [He looks at Alfred.] Does that mean I get to look like you when I'm bigger?

[redwhiteandhero]

[Alfred is equally taken aback by this new information.]

That's me? [Obviously, he'd seen his own baby pictures, but he'd just assumed, well... babies mostly look like babies.] And he's America... you're England. You're his brother... but Dad's my dad?

[keepscalm]

[England has options. He could tell America the truth about being from his relative future. That is definitely a thing he could do.

He could also raise an eyebrow and completely dodge the question with a dry:] What, you don't think you two look alike? [They even have the same dumb cowlick!

Now he can explain things to Alfred without fear of having to tell his colony things that he doesn't want to tell yet.] I can't claim to know how your universe is configured, but you're correct in regards to mine.

America and I are not brothers in the sense that you're likely thinking. I...found him. And took him into my care.