America x Reader: Afraid

He was wearing a Superman outfit.

You pursed your lips as you stared at him, realizing he had gotten it from the little boy's section in the largest size he could, and he must have gotten Arthur to fix it so it could fit. He has done this every year since he was a little kid; each year, he was a different superhero, and there were so many heroes, he was set for life. Last year's had been Captain America, and he certainly got many girls fangirling over him and stalking him the entire time.

But this one was so…tight.

Your face was bright red, and you quickly raised your eyes from his special area, and whispered, "Um…your tights…are a little too tight, Al."

Alfred F. Jones stopped grinning and looked down, noticing this was the truth. "Waah! But…Arthur…he! HE LIED TO ME!"

You tucked your hair behind your ear and shook your head, holding in your laughter as you grabbed his arm. "Let's go, Superman. We have an hour's drive to Prussia's place for the party, and I want to get there before Feliciano eats all the food." You tugged on your boyfriend's arm as you let out a laugh, whispering, "Besides, it gets me excited." His entire face became blood red, and an eruption of giggles came from you before you pulled him outside, saying, "Let's go."

He followed you obediently, a smile on his face.

***

You couldn't believe this.

You were on your way back from Gilbert's party when Alfred's car ran out of gas in the middle of the empty highway. The American managed to get the car off onto a shoulder on the road, and both of you got out to check if he had a gallon of gas in the back of his car or something. He usually came prepared since this wasn't the first time this had happened to you guys; actually, it happened often. Alfred F. Jones was an absentminded freak, and you weren't any better.

The problem was that he had come with bottle of gas, but a bump on the road must have caused it to puncture or something, so the entire trunk was soaked in gasoline. It had dried by now, but the stench was so strong, you found it hard to believe you had just caught a whiff of it.

"I'm going back to the gas station," Alfred muttered as he closed the trunk. He went to the front of the car, taking the keys out of the ignition. The headlights stayed on for a few more seconds before they gave out. "You stay here, okay? It's a far walk, and I don't want you to exhaust yourself."

"Don't speak to me like I'm weak," you growled at him. You then lifted your eyes to the trees surrounding the car. Why did it have to be so dark and scary out here? Why couldn't this highway have lampposts or something? "Besides, I'm more terrified of being here by myself than I am of going to the gas station and getting tired."

He sighed, not expecting you to react this way. "Why are you scared of being alone?"

"Alfred! Haven't you heard all the stories and seen all the movies? Usually, when the girl is left alone after the boyfriend leaves for something in the middle of the night, someone ends up dead! I'd feel more confident in my safety and in yours if we went together! Or at least if we waited until morning. It's kind of hard to be afraid of everything when it's sunny out."

Alfred's face transformed, and he glanced out to the kudzu that had overtaken the trees on the side of the road. A slight shiver passed through him as if the wind had penetrated his bomber jacket and Superman costume. "Are you trying to scare me, (name)? Because this isn't funny. It's really not funny."

"No, no!" you protested, grabbing his arm. "You know scary things freak me out. I wouldn't even say them out loud because of a fear that if I do, it'll come true. But Al, please take this seriously! Abandoned highways at night are never a safe place!"

"I-it'll be fine! Besides, I-I…don't know how far t-the gas station is. it might be t-too far a…w-walk."

"I don't care!" you whined, clinging to him. "Don't leave me alone here, please! I'll hate you forever if you make me stay here by myself."

"I will only be gone…half an hour, okay? Just half an hour. And we only need a gallon of gas so we can turn around and make it to the gas station for a proper refill! The hero has got you covered!" Alfred pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, showing you the screen and the three bars of cell reception. "I'll talk to you the entire way to and from, okay, babe? Don't worry!"

You looked down at the millions of hairline cracks that ran through the asphalt of the road, a pout appearing on your face.

He grabbed you by the shoulders, pulling you towards him, and his lips brushed yours for a brief second. His lips tasted of hamburgers and diet Coke, but the flavor was fading fast. "Don't worry, (name). Everything will be okay."

You gave a hesitant sound of agreement. "Okay, now get in the car," he whispered against your ear, and he put the keys in your hands. "Here. It probably won't do much, but at least you can listen to music. Or feel safer that if anything is out there, they can't get in without these." A soft smile appeared on your face, and you were surprised at the bravery the American had adopted for your reassurance. "There we go! A smile!" He let out his histrionic laugh and pulled you in for a deeper kiss. "I'll be back in half an hour, okay! We can talk the entire time!"

"Okay," you agreed softly before climbing into the driver's seat. "Don't forget that you have to talk to me the entire time there and back."

He laughed again and turned on his phone, typing in your number. Your ringtone suddenly went off, the Superman theme. Your lips grew into a smile, and you answered the call.

"Hello?" you asked, pretending like Alfred wasn't directly in front of you. "You've reached (name) (last name). Who is this?"

"Hey, it's Alfred F. Jones. Have you seen my girlfriend? The really pretty one wearing the cowgirl costume? I need to speak to her." His blue eyes were shining, and you were happy the moonlight was being forgiving and shining down on your spot for the moment.

"She asked me to take a message," you responded saucily.

"Tell her…tell her that I love her, okay?"

"Don't say it like you're leaving forever and can't wait to go. Say it like you mean it!"

Suddenly, his hand grabbed your shoulder, and Alfred bent down to your ear, kissing it lightly before murmuring, "I love you, and I'll see you soon, okay, (name)?"

You were at loss for words at his sudden attitude, but you simply nodded and whispered, "Okay."

***

"Remember Matthew? Aha, he fell into the punch bowl!" Alfred's voice echoed through the phone, especially his unique laughter. "Why did he start to act drunk though?"

"Probably because the punch was spiked?"

"What?" Alfred's tone told you he was confused.

"Gilbert put a significant amount of beer into the punch. Didn't you notice?" A laugh erupted from within you. You guys had been talking almost the entire time, and doing so gave you a sense of confidence in his wellbeing…and yours. "That's why I didn't want to drink any!"

"Hm, you sure? I'm perfectly fine!"

"Because I switched it out for something nonalcoholic." You could hear the crunch of his feet as he stepped down the road back to the car. "Where are you?"

"I'm close, okay, babe?"

"I'm sorry for worrying so much, Al. It's just so cold and lonely here. I'm afraid."

You could hear his breath getting caught in his throat, and he suddenly started blurting, "No, no, no! Don't be scared! The hero's almost there, (name)! I'll be with you soon, and we can cuddle and get warm, and you don't have to be afraid or lonely! The hero will protect you! And—" You heard the faint sounds of something in the woods, but it was over the phone. "(name)…"

"Al?"

"Shit!" Suddenly, you could hear his feet hitting the ground at a rapid pace, his breath speeding up. "Shit, shit, shit!"

"Al? Alfred! What are you doing? Are you trying to scare me? Al, this isn't funny!"

Screams were escaping from his mouth, hurtful shrills that you made your entire body cringe.

"(name)! (name)! I can see the car! Open the damn door! Open it!"

You whipped your head around furiously, catching site of the moving body of your boyfriend. You threw the door open, and the chill suddenly rushed in, overtaking your body. Alfred's body got closer, and you were screaming for him to run faster, so caught up in his fear that you didn't even check to see what he was running from.

He dived into the seat with you, and you fumbled to close the door before locking all the doors.

Alfred laid there, sprawled across your lap and spilling into the passenger seat, and you touched his shoulder, nudging him gently.

"W-what happened?"

"There…there was something out there. I know there was. I saw eyes…I saw eyes…a pale face. Aaaaahh!" He curled up against you, his entire body feeling much too cold for a normal human, and he pressed his frigid cheek against your neck. He was shivering terribly. "There was something out there! Skdvgkbhuiledkfvjhfrne! I swear to God, (name)!"

You glanced out and caught nothing but darkness. "And the gas? Where's the gas?"

Alfred scrambled to pick it up from the floor. You pressed your hands against it; it was heavy, nearly a gallon, and it would get you to the gas station for a fill-up.

"Do we risk it?" you asked. "We'll go out together. We need to get out of here, Al. We need to!"

He nodded briskly as he unlocked the door and hurried out. You rushed after him, using your phone as a flashlight. You could see no one out here, nothing save for the immense foliage from the overcrowded forest. He quickly went to fill the gas tank, and some of the gasoline sloppily fell off the sides, but the majority went in.

You two went back into the car quickly, and Alfred turned on the car with much pleasure, sighing wistfully when the engine roared back to life. He quickly turned on the music, making sure it was loud, and he quickly took us back to the gas station for a proper fill up.

Our way back to your town included taking a longer route through a much more crowded highway.

When you guys finally arrived in front of your house, you two sat there for a few minutes in silence until you decided to voice your question.

"What did you see?" you whispered.

"I…I don't know," Alfred mumbled. "I heard the sounds and freaked out, maybe saw a face and eyes."

"Ahh, so creepy!~" you complained, burying your head into the palms of your hands. "I never want to do that again."

"Same here! But only 'cause you're scared. I'm the hero, so I never get scared. I'm always brave."

You turned to your 'hero', deciding against informing him that he had acted like a little girl when he jumped onto your lap and closed the door, and instead, you caught his wrist within a loose grip and gave him a nervous smile, "Then how about you stay the night, hero?"

Upon hearing those words, Alfred seemed to have forgotten everything that had just happened, and a grin hit his face. "Your parents won't mind?"

"They're out of town. I'll need the company, anyway."

He turned off the car and reached over to you, briskly pressing his lips against yours. "Let's go in."