Slowly opening his eyes, Alfred’s first thought was that he had fallen asleep at the meeting. But that wouldn’t have explained why he was back in his hotel room or why Arthur was burning a hole in the floor with his pacing back and forth. “Artie?” He says and inwardly winces at how fragile and cracked his voice sounds. Arthur spins around at the sound and hurries to the bed, eyebrows drawn down in a frown.
“Alfred, what the bloody hell was that? Are you feeling okay? I know your economy isn’t doing well, but you didn’t seem to be in this state last month.” Arthur bombarded Alfred with questions, all the while keeping his worried gaze fixed on Alfred’s eyes. “I ordered some food, it should be here any-” A knock on the door derailed Arthur’s train of thought.
He strode over to the door and pulled a cart in, handing the uniformed woman a crisp bill. He waved off her attempts to hand him change. Shutting the door, he dragged the cart next to Alfred’s bed and sat down on top of the covers, which, Alfred noticed, had been carefully tucked around him. Arthur took the lids off of the two trays of food and offered one of them to Alfred. A hamburger sat perfectly in the middle of an unmarked white plate. Sitting up and taking the plate, Alfred set it down on his lap and proceeded to ignore it.
“It’s a hamburger Alfred. I got it for you.” Arthur stated, neatly cutting a piece of meat up.
With a slight frown, Alfred shook his head. “I- I’m not hungry.” Arthur put down his fork and knife and placed a cool hand on Alfred’s forehead.
“No fever. Alfred, love, please tell me what’s wrong.” Alfred looked down and toyed with the top of the hamburger bun.
“…Do you think I’m fat Artie?” All Arthur could do was stare at Alfred for a moment, sure that this was one of his practical jokes. When Alfred didn’t burst out laughing, Arthur moved up next to him and wrapped an arm around him.
“Love, I don’t know who told you that, but they are absolutely incorrect.” Arthur started rubbing slow, soothing circles on Alfred’s back and took his left hand with his free one.
Alfred looked at him self-consciously. “But even if I was fat, you’d still love me right?” Arthur could hear the insecurity in his voice, and he wondered just how long Alfred had been thinking about it. A lot of other nations made cracks about Alfred’s weight, but the majority of them were light hearted teasing.
“Alfred, look at me. I love you exactly how you are and by that I don’t mean your weight or your appearance, I mean your personality. You are brave and funny and heroic Alfred, and I love you.”
With a slight smile, Alfred leaned into Arthur and draped an arm across his shoulders. He still didn’t move to take a bite of the hamburger though. “Alfred, why aren’t you eating?” Alfred stiffened almost unnoticeably.
“Um, see, I… erm haven’t really been eating for this past week?” Arthur’s hand stilled in its motions.
“What?” His voice was sharp and raw. Alfred shifts awkwardly and Arthur can do is stare at him in disbelief. “Alfred, why would you do that to yourself? It’s no wonder you passed out!”
“I felt like I needed to lose weight so-”
Arthur kissed him, quick and fierce, effectively cutting off his sentence. “Please don’t,” he whispered. “You’re not fat Alfred, you are wonderful and I wish you could see all of the aspects of yourself, not just what others say. Promise me, next time you feel like not eating, tell me. We’ll work through this, together.” Alfred pulled Arthur closer to him and Arthur wrapped his arm around Alfred’s waist. With a determined nod, Alfred took a bite of the hamburger.
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Hamburgers and Self-Esteem (2/2)
(Anonymous) 2012-01-12 05:42 am (UTC)(link)“Alfred, what the bloody hell was that? Are you feeling okay? I know your economy isn’t doing well, but you didn’t seem to be in this state last month.” Arthur bombarded Alfred with questions, all the while keeping his worried gaze fixed on Alfred’s eyes. “I ordered some food, it should be here any-” A knock on the door derailed Arthur’s train of thought.
He strode over to the door and pulled a cart in, handing the uniformed woman a crisp bill. He waved off her attempts to hand him change. Shutting the door, he dragged the cart next to Alfred’s bed and sat down on top of the covers, which, Alfred noticed, had been carefully tucked around him. Arthur took the lids off of the two trays of food and offered one of them to Alfred. A hamburger sat perfectly in the middle of an unmarked white plate. Sitting up and taking the plate, Alfred set it down on his lap and proceeded to ignore it.
“It’s a hamburger Alfred. I got it for you.” Arthur stated, neatly cutting a piece of meat up.
With a slight frown, Alfred shook his head. “I- I’m not hungry.” Arthur put down his fork and knife and placed a cool hand on Alfred’s forehead.
“No fever. Alfred, love, please tell me what’s wrong.” Alfred looked down and toyed with the top of the hamburger bun.
“…Do you think I’m fat Artie?” All Arthur could do was stare at Alfred for a moment, sure that this was one of his practical jokes. When Alfred didn’t burst out laughing, Arthur moved up next to him and wrapped an arm around him.
“Love, I don’t know who told you that, but they are absolutely incorrect.” Arthur started rubbing slow, soothing circles on Alfred’s back and took his left hand with his free one.
Alfred looked at him self-consciously. “But even if I was fat, you’d still love me right?” Arthur could hear the insecurity in his voice, and he wondered just how long Alfred had been thinking about it. A lot of other nations made cracks about Alfred’s weight, but the majority of them were light hearted teasing.
“Alfred, look at me. I love you exactly how you are and by that I don’t mean your weight or your appearance, I mean your personality. You are brave and funny and heroic Alfred, and I love you.”
With a slight smile, Alfred leaned into Arthur and draped an arm across his shoulders. He still didn’t move to take a bite of the hamburger though. “Alfred, why aren’t you eating?” Alfred stiffened almost unnoticeably.
“Um, see, I… erm haven’t really been eating for this past week?” Arthur’s hand stilled in its motions.
“What?” His voice was sharp and raw. Alfred shifts awkwardly and Arthur can do is stare at him in disbelief. “Alfred, why would you do that to yourself? It’s no wonder you passed out!”
“I felt like I needed to lose weight so-”
Arthur kissed him, quick and fierce, effectively cutting off his sentence. “Please don’t,” he whispered. “You’re not fat Alfred, you are wonderful and I wish you could see all of the aspects of yourself, not just what others say. Promise me, next time you feel like not eating, tell me. We’ll work through this, together.” Alfred pulled Arthur closer to him and Arthur wrapped his arm around Alfred’s waist. With a determined nod, Alfred took a bite of the hamburger.
~~
I hope you enjoyed this!
OP
(Anonymous) 2012-01-12 08:31 am (UTC)(link)Re: Hamburgers and Self-Esteem (2/2)
(Anonymous) 2012-01-12 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)Re: Hamburgers and Self-Esteem (2/2)
(Anonymous) 2012-01-16 01:16 am (UTC)(link)