Author's note: And here's chapter 5 because I'm nice and felt like posting it. I'm trying to write at least one or two chapters at a time so that I'm not pressuring myself. I've pretty much got the entire plot down for what's gonna happen in later chapters. I don't know if there will be smut, I doubt it, but we'll see. I'm so cruel to Arthur ;__;

Chapter 5

When he made it back to his hotel, Arthur could only fall onto his bed. He knew a lot of nations were probably cursing his very existence at this point. Francis was most likely at the forefront. The things he had said...

He growled and swore to himself. "What is wrong with me?" he snapped to no one. "Why am I so angry about this?" He could just make things easy and admit he was jealous. But jealous of what? A human? Francis' affection for that human? It made no sense.

I'm just concerned for a fellow nation, he told himself. I know the dangers of falling in love with a human so I am only looking out for Francis' well-being. Yes. He's set himself up for heartbreak so it's my job, as his…well, ally, to keep him happy.

He was putting himself in further denial. There was a buzzing from his cell phone and he winced, fearing who it would be. He glanced at the name and held his breath. It was Matthew.

"I'm sorry about before," he had texted.

Arthur sighed and sat up, reaching up to feel the cheek the Canadian had slapped. He smiled faintly and decided to text back.

"No, you were right. I deserved it."

"I called Francis."

Arthur froze, his hands over the buttons. "Did you?"

"Yeah. He actually seemed pretty relaxed."

"Oh."

Relaxed? After that blowout? Then again, he had a lover - Arthur winced at that word - so his anger most likely had dissipated as soon as he went back to him.

"R u ok?"

"Yes. I'm fine." He shut his phone off then and laid his head down on the pillows. He closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep.

***

It seemed forever when Jean finally walked through the front door again. Francis was on his feet to go greet him, wrapping his arms around his waist. "Miss me?" Jean teased.

"Miss you? Good God, I've had nothing to do all day while you were gone."

Jean laughed and turned around in his arms. "Really? You didn't watch porn? Read a dirty novel? Try out any new sex toys?"

Francis pouted. "Jean, I am insulted that you see me as some sexual deviant."

The brunette smirked, leaning in to kiss him. "Well aren't you?" he purred. His lips found themselves on the side of Francis' neck. Francis stifled a pleased moan, pulling back and taking Jean's face in his hands. He stared into the other's blue eyes and let his thumbs brush against the stubble on his cheeks.

"I love you," he whispered, fearing how comfortable and how wrong it sounded at the same time.

Jean smiled in return, not noticing his distress. "I love you too, Francis. But anymore time wasted right here and we might lose our dinner reservation."

"That's right!" Francis said as he remembered. "We better change then."

It took another thirty minutes for them both to be ready to leave. They took a cab to their restaurant, arriving just in time to make their reservation. Once they were seated outside and had ordered their drinks, Jean casually reached his hand over and grasped Francis'.

"So when do you think I'll be able to meet your friends?"

Francis stilled. "F-Friends?"

"Yeah. You can't expect me to believe you have no friends."

"A-Ah." Francis began to sweat, trying to find an excuse. "You wouldn't like my friends."

"Oh?"

"Yes. They're...well...they're different."

Jean laughed. "Okay...?"

"They're not French."

"So?"

"Jean, can we please just...drop it?"

He frowned, but shrugged. "All right, I get it. Not the best dinner topic." He took a sip of wine. "So what happened today?"

"I would rather not talk about that right now either," Francis mumbled.

***

Hours later, Arthur woke up from a deep sleep. He blinked lazily as he looked towards the digital clock. Dinnertime already? He wasn't very keen on the hotel food and figured it would be best if he got some fresh air. Making sure he had his room key, wallet, and phone with him, he left the hotel building and started walking down the street.

His mind wandered. All right, so what if he was jealous, hypothetically speaking? Would he have lashed out so angrily at Francis because of his jealousy? Would there be a knot in his chest whenever he thought about what Francis and that human named Jean were probably doing at that very moment?

He sighed as he passed by little shops and restaurants. He knew there was a very nice restaurant coming up and since he was kind of dressed for it, he figured he might as well go eat there. Then he could hit a local pub if he was still feeling down. Something golden caught his eye as he rounded the corner towards the restaurant. His green eyes widened and he froze on the sidewalk.

Sitting on the outside balcony to the restaurant he had planned to enter...was Francis. At first he was going to turn right back around and go find the nearest pub to drown himself in alcohol. That was before he noticed the man sitting across from Francis. He was plain, as most humans were, with brown hair and nothing else remotely interesting as far as Arthur could tell.

They were deep in conversation and Francis was smiling again and Arthur's heart felt like it was fluttering against his ribcage. Fuck, I should just leave. I look like a prat just standing here. But something else was nagging at him; telling him to stay and listen.

The two were speaking in French, but Arthur knew enough to keep up with what they were saying.

"...I really think this is going to work out," Jean was saying. "I haven't been able to publish any books in two years but my editor says this will be the year."

"I'm happy for you," Francis replied, smiling fondly. "I'm curious though. You've never let me read this new one."

"Because I don't want to jinx it. I'm so close and if it does pull through then I can spend more time with you."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that."

Arthur watched them lean across the table and kiss. There was a long moment of silence for him, in which he just stared up at the man he hated with every fiber of his being and the man who had taken his enemy away. He swallowed hard and bit his lip. He didn't care about Francis at all. He really didn't. Even when the two pulled back and smiled at each other, even when he saw Francis grab his hand, Arthur remained where he was, feeling his heart break just a little.

I'M SO SORRY ARTHUR D:

Random note:

Jean writes childrens' books for a living, in case anyone was curious.

Also, I was watching a show the other night and one of the actors looks EXACTLY like how I picture Jean and I thought I'd share a pic of this actor so that you all can have a clear visual of Mr. Jean Dubois as I see him ^^ http:// www. usanetwork. com/ series/whitecollar/theshow/ characterprofiles/neal/gallery2/n01. jpg (take the spaces out when you copy/paste)