AmericaxReader: A Longing To Meet You

It was a mid-summer's day and the sun was beginning to set. In the park, there was a playground, where children would play and laugh as if it would last forever. However, there were no laughing children; just a lone boy. This boy, no older than 7 years old, had sandy blonde hair and a cowlick that reflected the setting sun; baby blue eyes that were as bright as gems; and glasses, stained with glistening tears.

The boy had been crying due to the pain from a wound on his knee and loneliness that consumed his mind. He was separated from from his parents. He was running, looking for them and had fallen; giving him a raw scratch on his right knee. At this point, the boy felt weak and helpless. He was all alone.

"Are you okay?"

The boy looked up, seeking the source of the voice. There was a little girl, who looked to be the same age as him. She had (h/l)(h/c) hair; (e/c) eyes that were still beautiful, despite the concern that shone in them; and a white summers dress that reached her dainty knees.

A little too overwhelmed to speak, the boy just rubbed his eyes and shook his head.

The girl reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a bandage. She knelt down to the boy's level and applied the bandage to his wound.

"There! All better."

She gave him a wide smile and dusted off her hands, but the boy only managed a mumbled 'thank you.' He still didn't appear happy, so the girl thought for a moment on what she could do to lighten up his sadness.

"Here." She said, fiddling with the clasp of her necklace. She took it off and gave it to the boy. "This is my Superman necklace. It makes me stronger when I'm not feeling well."

The boy was surprised. This girl, who he had just met, was giving him her necklace. It was very unusual.

"B-but you'll get we-weak if you give this to me...."

"It's okay! Besides, you need it more than I do." She took his hand and closed it around the pendent with the Superman insignia on it.

"T-thanks." He mumbled. "W-what's your name? Mine's Alfred."

"I'm-"

"ALFRED! Oh, Alfred there you are!" Alfred turned around and saw his mother running towards him.

"Mom? MOM! My mom's-" But when Alfred turned back to the girl, she was gone. "-here...."

Alfred's mother came to her knees and brought her son into a needy hug.

"Oh Alfred, I'm so glad you're safe."

Alfred returned his mother's embrace, happy to be back in her arms. Then he looked in his hand. The necklace was still there. Although Alfred was glad that he was reunited with his mother, he couldn't help but wonder: Who was that girl?

~:~:~Flash forward 10 years~:~:~

It was the first day of school. Joy....

Alfred F. Jones was now 17 years old and a Junior in high school. He was also a fortunate guy. He was popular among his peer due to his looks and dedication to sports. He could also have any girl he wanted. Most assumed that he'd date a cheerleader.

But that wasn't Alfred.

Alfred wanted to see the girl he met in his childhood. The girl with the (h/l)(h/c) hair and (e/c) eyes. He wondered if she had changed at all. He wondered if she still remembers him. He wondered: What's her name?

~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Alfred walked into homeroom and started chatting with his classmates about their summer. Then from the corner of his eyes, he spotted something. Someone. A girl. She was standing by the teacher's desk, talking to the teacher with papers in her hands. She had (h/c) hair and was casually dressed. Alfred didn't recognizer her, so he brought it up into conversation.

"Hey guys, whose that?" He whispered, pointing to the girl.

"I don't know, but she's cute aru." Said Yao.

"Ohonhon~ She is. Hmm, she may be a new judging by ze map of ze school in 'er hand." Said Francis.

The teacher pointed to an empty seat for the new girl to claim as hers. As she dropped her backpack onto the desk, she looked up and quickly glanced at all the students in the room. Most of them didn't noticed her, but Alfred had. His blue eyes met with her (e/c) eyes for a moment until the bell rang. She broke the gaze first and quickly took her seat like everyone else.

"Welcome back, everyone." Announced the teacher. "I hope you've had a relaxing summer. But now it's time for school, so lets make this a painless first day." The teacher went on about the new school year, passed out papers, and blah, blah, blah.

Alfred didn't pay much attention. He was focused on the new girl, wanting to know who she was.

"Pssssst. Hey, Toris." Alfred whispered to the person in the seat next to him. Toris turned his attention to Alfred. "Do you know who that girl is?" Pointing to said girl.

"Sorry. She must have moved here recently or something. I don't know who she is." Toris replied.

"Oh... okay. Thanks anyway...."

Disappointed, Alfred turned to face the front of the classroom, but his eyes and mind were elsewhere.

I wonder if we'll have the same classes together. Then I can find out who she is!

~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Class period after class period, Alfred had no luck in finding the girl herself, let alone who she was. It was lunch time and Alfred sat with his head in his hands, staring down his untouched burger. He sighed.

"Alfred? Iz everything alright? You 'aven't touched your food." Francis concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He sighed. "It's just... All I want to know is who the new girl is. Is that too much to ask for?!"

"What's he whining about this time?" Asked an annoyed Arthur.

"We 'ave a new student in our class and notre ami Alfred haz been longing to met 'er."

"Oh. Do you mean _____ ______?"

"You know her name?!" Exclaimed Alfred, slamming the palm of his hand onto the table, causing the people around him to stare.

"Would you quiet down, you bloody git?! Of course I know her name. She's was in my last English class."

"Well? What else?! Com' on, dude, spit it out! I want to hear all about her." Rushed Alfred.

"As do I." Said Francis.

"Go find and ask her yourself. I will not take part in any of your petty gossip." Arthur proclaimed. He stood up from his seat and left the table.

"Stubborn Brit...." Francis placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about 'im, Alfred. Come on. Let's go find zis _____."

Both Alfred and Francis left their table and went on their search. Alfred scanned each table, each face, trying to find the (e/c) eyed girl who looked at him that morning. Finally reaching the other side of the cafeteria, they had found her. She was sitting at a table, being surrounded by many other students who were trying to talk to her.

_____ was nervous. She was getting so much attention on her first day. Not that there was any problem with it, but it was too overwhelming. The other students were asking her multiple question, asking her to join 'this' club and 'that' sport and so on.

"HEY!"

Everyone at the table went silent and looked at Alfred, who had a rather large smile on his face.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~

_____ and Alfred walked down the hall to their next class, which they had together, much to Alfred's excitement.

Earlier, Alfred managed to separate _____ from the mob of students, allowing them to get acquainted properly. Francis took _____'s place, getting more 'acquainted' with the female students....

Anyway, Alfred had found out that _____ had moved here from (place) a little over a week ago and was still settling in her new home. She was smart, well, smarter than Alfred; she liked to (hobby), which was pretty cool; and she was beautiful.

He wasn't quite sure why, but Alfred would get butterflies in his stomach whenever he got closer to _____, whenever she laughed at him, or when he looked into her (e/c) eyes. For some reason, those eyes haunted him, but at the same time, caught his interest. By the end of the day, Alfred had developed a strange love for them.

~:~:~Flash to Alfred's house~:~:~

Alfred was sitting in his room, straining his brain to solve a simple math equation. His right hand clutched a yellow #2 pencil, while his left hand was fiddling around with the Superman pendent hanging around his neck. The amount of focus he was going through was enough to burn a hole in his text book, but clearly, that didn't happen.

Minutes later, Alfred's frustration reached its limit.

"I GIVE UP!" He shouted. Little did he know, there was someone right at his door.

"A-alfred, are you okay?" The person whispered.

"Oh, hey there Mattie. When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago. What are you doing?"

"Ugh... math..." Alfred made a face to show his distaste. His brother, Matthew, could only smile apologetically.

"Well, don't strain yourself. Here, I'll help you." Matthew walked in and stood by Alfred, who  glowed with happiness.

"Dude, really?! You're the best, bro!"  

One by one, Alfred was able to get through each problem; with a lot of help from Matthew that is. Finally, after a good hour and a half, the boys were able to call it a night with a successful thud of a closed math book and Alfred's head making contact with his desk.

"Thought it's NEVER get done." He groaned.

"Hehe. Well, it's done." Said the soft spoken boy as he congratulated his brother with a pat on the back. "Hey, Alfred? Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"I've noticed that you keep playing with your necklace. In fact, I've never seen you with it off. Where did you get it?"

"Oh, this?" He held the said necklace in his fingers, admiring it. "Someone gave it to me. A really special someone."

Alfred had a gentle smile on his face as he was feeling nostalgic. He hasn't forgotten about her: the unnamed girl from his childhood. In some way, she was a hero to him. She was positive and helpful, but not to mention kind and caring to him when he was feeling down in the dumps; even if they had only known each other a few minutes.

But alas, he hadn't seen here since. And throughout all the years, Alfred's memory of her had faded, but not enough to completely forget her smiling face.

"Alfred!"

"Huh?" Alfred responded as his brother (quietly) shouted him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, but you were spacing out. I asked you who this person was."

"I wish I could tell you that myself, bro." He lets out a disappointed sigh, but afterward there was a determined glint in his baby blue eyes. "But you know what, Mattie? I'm not gonna give up. I'll find this girl and I'll get her name. Besides, the hero always gets the girl!"

"Well, I wish you luck then." Matthew smiled sincerely. I wonder where he got this hero complex from?

Alfred glanced over to his alarm clock and smiled at the time. He stood up and threw an arm over Matthew's shoulder, starling him a bit.

"Com' on, dude. It's time for a late night burger."

~:~:~Time skip a few weeks~:~:~

_____ was walking to school one early Autumn morning, hoping to hang out with her best guy friend, Alfred, before the first bell. She loved being able to hang out with him. They always had a great time together. As much as she loved him as a friend, she wanted to love him as, well... something more.

But confessing her feelings was going to be difficult. Not only was she afraid of losing him if he doesn't return her feelings, but she was also afraid that they wouldn't last. _____ has moved quite a lot in the past because of her parents' work, so she never had the chance to have a relationship with anyone before. It was lonesome, yes, but nothing _____ couldn't handle. You could say she was use to it by now.

However, there was always that longing to be with someone. But not just anyone. No. _____ has seen other couples who had barely lasted more than a few days together. She didn't want to be like them; she didn't want to 'date,' which seemed more like a sport nowadays. She wanted to be with someone special. Someone who she could be happy with rather than just being able to call them her 'boyfriend.'

Maybe I could hint to him my feelings. Or maybe I should see how he feels about me first.... Geez. This may be harder than I thought.

Braking her out of her concentration, _____ heard a small mewl. Looking left and right, there was nothing in sight that could have made that sound, however, it persisted. Finally, after looking everywhere but up, she saw a small kitten holding onto a tree branch for dear life. _____ gasped at the poor kitten and looked to see if there was anyone that could help her. Unfortunately, there was nobody around.

I can't just leave it there. What if it fell? I can't let that happen. Now determined to save the feline, _____ began climbing the tree. It was a struggle getting up the truck, but once she got hold of a sturdy branch, she pulled herself up with all her strength.

"Alright.... Don't worry, kitty. I'm coming for ya." Weaving around some of the other branches, _____ reached up and took the kitten down, carefully holding it against her chest. "Gotcha, little guy. Now your safe." She smiled at the kitten, whose only reply was a small meow.

Now that the kitten was safe from peril, _____ could run to school and met up with Alfred. But, looking down from the tree branch, she could only question: How are we going to get down from here? A sigh escaped her lips. I should have thought this through more.

"Well, little guy, looks like I'm going to be late for school today." _____ slowly lowered herself and sat on the branch she stood on. She set the kitten on her lap, petting it with one hand and reaching into her pocket with the other. From the pocket, she pulled out her cell phone. "Or maybe we can call Alfie for some help."

~:~:~Back at Alfred's house~:~:~

The alarm clocked blared annoyingly for the fifth time that morning, but its owner remained lying face first in his bed.

"Mmmmggghh...." Was all that was said before he dropped his hand on the snooze button (again). But just when he thought he was able to sleep for another five minutes, his cell phone rang. He groaned as he rolled over and reached for the device.

"Hhhgn... Hello?" Alfred answered, not caring who it was. Then he heard giggling.

"Morning, sleepyhead. Did I wake you?" Said a cheery voice.

"_-_____- WHOA!" Then there was a thud. "...ow...."

"Alfred?! Are you okay? What happened?!"

"Y-yeah. N-no worries, dudette. I just, uh... fell out of my bed, hehe...." Alfred laughed nervously. "S-so, what's up, _____?"

"I'm in a bit of a pickle right now and I was wondering if you can help me out."

"Oh, sure. What do you need help with?" He put on his glasses, waiting for _____ to answer back.

"Well.... Long story short: I'm stuck in a tree."

"WHAT?! How did you get up in a tree?! Ohmygod! Hold on, _____! I'm comin' there to save you!"

"Al-click-"

And so, Alfred scrambled out of his sheets and quickly got dressed. He ran though the kitchen, swiped a pancake from Matthew's plate, and slipped on his brown bomber jacket before exiting the house. He scarfed down his 'breakfast' and ran down the street, looking for his best friend in every tree that he could find. Before he could get anymore frantic, his cell phone rang in his pocket. Seeing that it was _____, he picked it up.

"Alfred! You don't even know where I am." And that's when it hit him. He could have just asked you where you were, saving him the trouble.

"Oh, right! Where are you?!" Alfred slowed his pace down and as he did so, an acorn hit his head. "Ow!" He looked up and found you sitting in the tree, dangling your feet with a small cat in your lap and your cell phone in your hand.

"Sup." _____ greeted.

"_____! Thank god you're safe." Alfred let out a sigh. "What are you doing up there?"

"Oh, this little kitty was stuck in the tree first, so I'd thought I'd join him." She said jokingly.

"Haha, funny." He replied sarcastically. "Here, I'll help you get down." Alfred walked below the branch _____ was sitting on and reached his arms up.

"Kitty goes first." She said, passing the feline down to Alfred. He took the kitten and gently put it on the ground.

"Your turn!" He smiled, opening his arm wide as if he was asking her to jump right into them. _____ chuckled at his silliness before she slowly climbed off the branch. Unfortunately, she lost her grip on the branch and screamed as she fell. The next thing Alfred and _____ knew, they were both on the ground.

"I-I'm sorry, Alfred." _____ pushed herself up on her arms to find out that she was right on top of him, causing her to blush.

D-don't worry about it, _____. The hero's always okay!" He flashed a proud smile, but it didn't hide the color that tainted his cheeks.

"Hehe, I'll get off-" _____ was about to part from Alfred get out of the awkward position they were in, until he pushed himself up on one arm while wrapping the other around her waist, pulling their bodies closer together.

"... Hey... can I ask you something first?" He looked into her surprised (e/c) eyes as she looked into his blue ones.

"Uh, sure, I guess...."

"Do you like me? You know, as in like like me?"

The question took _____ more by surprise than when Alfred had embraced her. In truth, she did like like him, though in terms of a better word, she loved him. She would have screamed out the answer in front of the whole school if that's what she had to do to win his love. But the question was: Would she tell him the truth? To tell Alfred F. Jones that _____ _____ loves him? It felt like a risk just to say such simple words, but she couldn't deny her feeling towards him.

"Yes, Alfred." She smiled softly at him. "I like like you. In fact, I love you! I was just too afraid to admit it." She looked away shyly, content that the weight was no longer on her heart.

"Really? That's great! I love you, too, _____!" Alfred kissed her on the cheek and when he pulled away, there was a huge grin plastered on his face. _____ laughed at him, not caring if he sees the blush on her face.

"Is that the best you can do?"

Alfred looked confused for a moment as she gripped onto his shirt and leaned closer to him. But then he couldn't stop think about how this was happening to him right now. _____ was kissing him. It drove him crazy to think about how soft and sweet her lips were. He spared no moment in returning the kiss. He even tilted his head slightly to deepen it, relishing the warm swell he felt in his chest.

As for _____, she felt the same. She was overjoyed that he kissed back, though she thought it was a little odd that he tasted like pancakes. Her body felt warm and fuzzy. The only thing keeping her together was the grip she had on Alfred's shirt and his arms around her. To both their disappointment, they parted from the kiss, panting for air.

"T-that better?" Asked Alfred.

_____ nodded happily before giving him a quick peck on the lips. She released Alfred's shirt, but then noticed that there was a red spot where she was holding it. _____ looked at the palm of her hands and found a gash and a few scratches marked into the flesh. However, she wasn't really concerned about her hands.

"Ah! I'm sorry, Alfred. I got your shirt all dirty." Alfred took her hand, but not before she noticed the Superman pendent hanging from his neck.

"What are you talking about?! You're hurt! Now's not the time to be worrying about my shirt.

While Alfred was hastily searching his pants and jacket pockets, _____ kept her eyes on the necklace. She recognized it. She had one just like it when she was little. Then one day, she gave it away... to a crying boy.

"Found it!" Alfred triumphantly held up a bandage. He took it out of its wrapper and applied it to _____'s wound. Then he took her hand and kissed the bandage gingerly. "There! All better."

_____ was speechless. All the memories from that day flooded her mind. The first day of school wasn't the first time she had met Alfred. The first time they met was in the park.

"Hey, _____... is there something wrong? Hello?"

"Huh? Yes. I-I mean no. Nothing's wrong, but.... Alfred, I think... I think I gave you that necklace when we were little. Remember? I think you were crying at the park and I gave you a bandage and my Superman necklace."

Alfred looked at _____ like she was crazy, but not crazy enough that he couldn't agree with her. At first he wondered how she could have known about that day, but there could one reason for that: _____ was the girl who had helped him.

"_____!" Alfred tackled her into a hug, causing them to fall back onto the ground with Alfred on top this time. _____ was going to say something, but she was interrupted. "Thank you.... Thank you so much, _____! You... You were my hero that day. And you're still my hero today!"

_____ tried to push Alfred off since he was crushing her under his weight, but he pushed himself off on his hands. When she was able to see his face, _____ was shocked to see that Alfred was crying. A few tears landed on her face, which almost made her cry with him.

"Alfred. Don't cry." _____ reached up and wiped the tears that ran down his cheeks.

"S-sorry.... Hehehe, you know? I almost thought I'd never met you again, but... here you are." Alfred smiled at _____ even though more tears spilled from his eyes, staining his glasses.

"Alfie...."

Now it was _____'s turn to cry. Why was she crying? Simple; it was because Alfred was. It's the strangest thing to cry because someone else is crying, but that's not the point. When two people cry together, it means they shared something in common. In this case, Alfred and ______ are crying because they've longed for each other for more than anyone could ever know.

"Sorry. I made you cry." _____ sobbed quietly, but shook her head. Alfred leaned down and gently captured her lips into his. Their tears mixing together as they kissed.