Giant!America x Reader ch.2 [End]

    The next morning, you rose with the sun. The first few rays of dawn were just breaking across the mountains, painting the tops of the lush green trees golden. Your brothers were still asleep, as they did not rise until later in the day. You knew they would be hurt by your actions should they ever find out what your intentions were, but you simply apologized to them in your mind as you slipped on your favorite dress. It was tight around your torso, the upper part being white while the corset part was a lovely navy blue. The skirts around your waist flared out, a darker blue layered atop a lighter blue. It was a beautiful dress, and you hoped Alfred would like it.

    'Wait, why does it matter if he likes it or not?' You questioned yourself as you straightened the skirts. You bit your lip, feeling your cheeks heating up a bit. Of course, he was a rather attractive male, but he was a Giant..

    Shaking your head, you double-checked to make sure you had the whistle the two brothers gave you before you quietly snuck out of the house and skipped off towards the forest.

    The air was still cold with the leftovers of the night, but the sun against your skin was warm and comforting. You wandered along the path for a while, enjoying the gentle breeze and the singing of the birds. You also decided that you would pick some flowers for the males as a friendly gesture, thinking that it would make them happy. Humming to yourself, you noticed that ahead of you the path seemed to fade and the forest became darker, more shadowed and a bit sinister. 

    Pausing, you clutched the silver whistle in your hand, the small bundle of flowers in the other. 'Should I be doing this?' You asked yourself, unsure and slightly intimidated. After the fiasco with almost dying at the jaws of the shapeshifter, you were still quite uneasy despite their friendliness afterwards. 'If they didn't kill me when they had the chance, why would they now?' Shaking your head, you sucked in a breath and pressed the cool metal whistle to your lips and blew.

    Silence. The whistle didn't make a sound, so you counted to three in your mind and stopped blowing on it. You listened intently, but heard nothing save for the rustling of the trees in the wind. It was slightly eerie, and you were about to lose your confidence and turn around when you heard the faint howl of a wolf ring throughout the area. Another joined in moments later, creating a soft, haunting melody that you could guess was caused by Gilbert and Ludwig, the shapeshifters. You nervously shifted your weight, tugging at your skirts and fiddling with your hair as you patiently waited.

    A minute later, rustling caught your attention and your heart sped up as you were met with two massive wolves. Before you could greet them, they shifted and were back to their human forms, Gilbert grinning at you while Ludwig crossed his arms, stoic and collected.

    "(Name)! You came back!" Gilbert excitedly trotted over to you, looking you up and down. "What a lovely gown, who's it for?" He grinned slyly at you and you felt your face heat.

    "W-what?" You asked. Gilbert looped his arm through yours and Ludwig took up the spot on your right as they began to lead you through the forest.

    "Oh come on, fraulein, no one gets all dressed up for no reason! Is it for Alfred?" The albino wiggled his brows and you blushed more, avoiding his crimson gaze as he cackled.

     Ludwig huffed, rolling his icy eyes. "Bruder, quit teasing (Name)." He said. Gilbert released your arm with a pouty whine, and Ludwig shot him a glare over your head. You bit your lip, remembering the flowers in your hand.

    "Oh! These are for you.." You said, handing each of them a flower from the bunch you had gathered. Gilbert recieved a red one, and Ludwig got a blue one. They both accepted the gift, Gilbert with a huge grin and Ludwig with an appreciative smile.

    "Thank you, (Name)." He said politely. You smiled at him, and Gilbert swung his arm across your shoulders.

    "Yes, danke fraulein, and the rest are for Alfred, Ja?" He chuckled again and you stuttered a bit, a blush crossing your cheeks once more.

    "Bruder." Ludwig said, exasperated, and Gilbert only laughed as you broke through the treeline.

    Alfred's blue eyes landed on you and he grinned widely. "(Name)! You came back!" He said excitedly, his loud voice echoing through the area. You smiled at him and nodded, and he looked you over as he leaned closer to you. "You look pretty! I like your dress." He said, and you found your heart racing at his words. Why was he making you so flustered?

    "Thank you," You said, adjusting the skirts. "Um, these are for you!" You hurriedly told him, holding out the small bunch of flowers. You ignored Gilbert's light laughter as Alfred seemed to beam at you.

    "How sweet! Thank you!" He held out his hand and you awkwardly placed the flowers on his large palm, realizing a little too late that the flowers were human sized and not Giant sized. Alfred turned to place them somewhere and Gilbert let out a loud yawn from behind you.

    "This is cute and all, but Ludwig and I have some hunting to do." He stretched out before grinning at you mischievously and sending you a wink, shifting into his large, white wolf form. 

    Ludwig rolled his shoulders in anticipation. You noted that the brothers enjoyed their wolf forms much more than their human ones. "Just blow the whistle when you're ready to be escorted back, we'll come get you." He said, and you nodded. Then, he shifted effortlessly into his black wolf form and darted off with his brother into the woods, leaving Alfred and you alone.

    You turned to face the Giant, feeling nervous about being alone with him. He had put the flowers somewhere and smiled at you, holding out his hand for you. Shyly, you crawled onto his palm and Alfred leaned back against the cliff once more, resting his hand on his knee as he looked down at you with bright blue orbs.

    "So, (Name), tell me about yourself!" He said, excited and bubbly.

    You tucked some of your hair behind your ear with a shy smile. "Well, I live with my three older brothers, Antonio, Lovino and Feliciano," You began, and continued on to tell him about some of your favorite things. To your delight, he listened intently and enthusiastically. The two of you chatted for a while back and forth about various things, and you were quite happy getting to know Alfred.

    The conversation slowly came to a halt and Alfred turned his gaze towards the distant mountains. He seemed to be thinking, a serious expression covering his face. You patiently waited for him to speak and tilted your head when you heard him sigh, warm breath washing across your small figure.

    "You know, I wasn't always a Giant." He confessed quietly. You gasped, looking up at him in shock. 'What? What could have happened to him to make him like this?' You wondered. You didn't know how to react, so you listened carefully as he continued. "A friend of mine, Arthur, he practices magic and such with his buddies. Well, one day, he said he had been practicing a spell that could alter the size of an object, and I really wanted to see it. Unfortunately, when Arthur tried to use it on one of the chairs in the house, a bird suddenly hit the window and startled him, and he accidentally casted the spell on me. It ended up turning me into a Giant and forced me away from the village so I wouldn't cause any trouble. I came here, and I met Gilbert and Ludwig and they became my friends. Arthur visits me too sometimes, but he's really busy trying to figure out a way to reverse the spell."

    You let his story hang in the air, soaking into your mind. So Alfred used to be normal, and this was all just an accident? You didn't know what to say to him, so you sat in silence for a moment, staring at the blue skirts of your dress. You felt bad for him, it must have been so hard for him to have to leave his home over a simple mistake, forced out here with a limited amount of friends and human contact. It must be so lonely for him.

    "I'm sorry, Alfred," You said softly. He chuckled, a sound that reverberated throughout the area. 

    "Don't be. It wasn't your fault. Arthur keeps me updated, and last time he came he told me he was onto something. I'm not too worried about it." He smiled, but you saw the glint of concern in his big blue orbs. You knew that he was worried he'd be stuck as a Giant forever, that Arthur wouldn't be able to reverse the spell. You were sure his friend felt terrible as well; if you accidentally turned your friend into a Giant and forced him into a lonely forest with basically no one around you would feel completely awful. 

    "I'll come visit you as much as I can," You told him, and he seemed to perk up a bit at your words. "Of course, I have duties at the house I have to tend to, but whenever I can I'll come visit you, alright?" He nodded, and you smiled as you watched his goofy and cheerful personality return.

    The two of you talked for quite a while after that, and before you knew it the sun was beginning to go down. You had completely forgotten about the time, and you tried to ignore the little voice in your head screaming at you that your brothers were going to kill you for being gone so long.

    Alfred lowered his hand so you could get off, and you blew the whistle before you turned back to him. He was grinning at you, and you couldn't help but smile back. "I had fun talking with you, Alfred." You told him.

    He nodded. "I had a great time! You promise you'll visit me soon?" He asked, puppy dog eyes looking down at you hopefully. You giggled and nodded, and he let out a cheer.

    A moment later, Gilbert and Ludwig arrived. They shifted, and Gilbert cracked his neck with a smirk. "Ready to go?" 

   You nodded, turning and waving a last goodbye to Alfred before you followed the pair out of the forest. You felt extremely overjoyed that you were able to spend the day with Alfred, talking and laughing as you both shared stories. You felt happy, even when you parted from the shapeshifting brothers and walked home knowing that you were going to get a lecture from your brothers for being out all day without telling them.

    Nothing could dampen your mood or your hope for the future.






    It became a routine of sorts. You would always tell your brothers that you were going with friends to the market or taking a stroll to the forest when you would go to visit Alfred. Ludwig and Gilbert dutifully escorted you to him and back safely each time, and as you got to know the two brothers as well, they turned out to be better than you had originally thought. Though Gilbert was slightly narcissistic and obnoxious, he was funny and made you laugh a lot while Ludwig, though strict most of the time, had his moments of fun as well like when he wrestled with his brother. It was heartwarming to see their brotherly bond, and it made you appreciate your own brothers that much more. They dealt with your lame excuses and frequent absences, and though they questioned you about it on various occasions, you had avoided the questions with more excuses. You loved them dearly, and you weren't sure what you would do without them.

    One day, amidst the chatter between you two, another person had shown up. He had bushy eyebrows, blond hair and a slightly ratty dark green cloak over his clothes along with a belt full of potions and small sacks. Alfred had been overjoyed to see him and had set you down, excitedly telling you that this man was Arthur.

    "Nice to meet you, Arthur, I'm (Name)." You smiled politely, dipping into a small curtsy.

    Arthur waved his hand. "Please, no formalities with me. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss (Name)." You detected an English accent. "So, you're the young lady Alfred always blabbers on about." He sent Alfred a smirk, and Alfred blushed, frowning at Arthur. You felt your own cheeks heat up a bit as you thought about it. 'He talks about me?' You found your chest filling with warmth at the thought and sent Arthur a shy smile.

    "Anyways, Artie, do you have any good news?" Alfred asked, directing the conversation in a new direction. 

    "I believe so," Arthur said, pulling a journal from his coat pocket. He flipped through the pages which you noticed were riddled with scribbles and stains. "I've discovered an ingredient that could possibly change the formula I've been working on to reverse the spell." He turned the page a few times, mumbling to himself. Alfred was staring at him, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. You bit your lip with slight anxiousness. Would Arthur be able to reverse the spell after all?

    "Well?" Alfred asked impatiently. Arthur shot him a glare before he sighed and rubbed his eyes, shutting his journal.

    "I think it will work, but it's a rare herb and I struggled finding it. I've only got a bit to use, so I'm going to make a small potion I'll give to you in order to see the effects." He explained. Alfred nodded. You felt your chest tighten with hope. Something was better than nothing. "I'll keep up the search for more of the herbs, but for now be patient. I want to get the potion exactly right." Arthur stared hard at the ground, and you looked away from him. You knew the guilt must be eating away at him, knowing that he was the one who put Alfred in the situation. Now, he had to work hard to get him out of it, so you understood the frustration and the need for everything to be perfect. 

    "Thank you, Artie." Alfred grinned at him. Arthur rolled his eyes at the nickname.

    "Yes, of course Alfred. I should be back in a few days with the finished potion." He said. He then turned to you, features softening. "Thank you for spending time with him. Goodness knows he needs the company." You nodded quickly, and Arthur sent you a smile before he turned to Alfred, facial features shifting into a glare. "And you, young man, better treat her properly, understood?" Alfred laughed, but nodded, and Arthur crossed his arms. "Very good." He finished, and began his trek back through the forest.

    "I'll see you in a few days, Artie!" Alfred called, and Arthur raised his hand in a wave before he disappeared into the shadows.

    You turned to Alfred, who seemed to be radiating happiness. "That was good news." You said, and Alfred nodded, beaming down at you.

    "Definitely. I feel really excited right now, I just wanna go back to normal." He said, looking down at his hands. You worried your lower lip between your teeth.

    "You'll be back to normal soon!" You told him, and he nodded again. You sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry, but I have to be home in time for dinner with my brothers." Alfred looked disappointed, but nodded in understanding, and you took out the whistle. "I'll come back soon, alright?" You offered him a smile which he returned, and blew the whistle.





    A few days later, sure enough, Arthur returned with a large bottle filled with a light green substance. You worriedly gazed at the bottle, wondering whether or not it would be enough. Arthur also had a bag with him, filled with extra clothes for Alfred if the potion was successful in returning him to his normal size.

    "Alright," Arthur began, uncorking the bottle. "Be extremely careful. I was unable to find more of the herbs I needed, but I think I've found a spot where they grow abundantly. For now, this is our only shot to see if this works." He looked very serious and slightly worried as he stared up at Alfred, who nodded with a hard, determined look in his eye.

    "This will work, correct?" You asked Arthur, who glanced at you.

    "It should. I measured everything extremely carefully. I'm almost 100 percent sure this will work, though I do not know if there will be any side effects." You carefully took in his words, your body tense from the situation. Arthur turned and carefully held out the bottle to Alfred, who cautiously pinched it between his thumb and forefinger. Slowly, he lifted the bottle towards his mouth and tipped his head back before dumping the contents of the bottle into his mouth. He brought the bottle back down and Arthur took it before you and him watched Alfred expectantly.

    After a few beats of silence, Alfred began to shrink.

    You gasped and Arthur laughed in disbelief as Alfred slowly shrank in size and eventually disappeared under the mass of clothing. Arthur pulled out his spare set of clothing and walked towards where Alfred was, handing them to him so he could get dressed. Alfred quickly put on the clothes before he bolted out with a gleeful yell. You pressed your hands to your grinning mouth, overjoyed that he was finally back to normal.

    Alfred laughed boisterously as he picked Arthur up in a hug and swung him around with cheerful hollering. Arthur protested, but he was smiling with relief. Alfred sat him down and ruffled his hair before he turned to you. You laughed as he ran over and scooped you up in his arms, squeezing you tightly as your bodies pressed close together. You hugged him back with all the strength you could muster, and after a moment the two of you pulled back just slightly to look into each other's eyes.

    "You're back to normal." You whispered to him, smiling uncontrollably. 

    Alfred was grinning as well. "I'm back to normal." He breathed back, and leaned in slowly.

    Your heart was pounding against your chest as you leaned in as well, eyes fluttering shut, and your lips lightly pressed against his warm ones. Heat raced down your body as tingles tickled all across your skin and you reached up to cup Alfred's face in your hands, pushing your lips against his firmly. Alfred made a low noise in his throat and tilted his head, arms wrapping tightly around you as he deepened the kiss. Your lips parted slightly as you let out a pleased sigh and you gasped when Alfred's tongue pushed into your mouth. You continued the kiss for a few moments before Arthur cleared his throat and you both broke apart, breathless. 

    "Sorry, Artie," Alfred snickered as his friend rolled his eyes. "I've been waiting to do that."

    You blushed at his words as you leaned against his muscular chest. Arthur shook his head, but he had a small smile upon his lips. "Alright, so it worked, but I'm still not sure if there will be any side effects or complications. I'm going to go look for more of those herbs and see if I can make more potions just in case." He glanced between you both. "I want you to take it easy, Alfred, so the potion can settle into your body. I believe if you use too much energy, the potion might exit your body through perspiration if not given enough time to sink in." Alfred sighed but nodded, and Arthur crossed his arms. "Good, now I'll be off. I'll come back later to check on you and I'll bring whatever amount of the potion I can in the time being, just in case." Arthur waved goodbye before he disappeared into the forest, and Alfred turned back to you with a grin.

    "What do you say we go to the village?" He asked, eyes bright and excited. "I'll get to spend time with you, and maybe meet your brothers!" You bit your lip. You felt nervous, excited and worried all at the same time. Arthur's warning was fresh in your mind, and you were concerned that something would happen to Alfred if he ended up exhausting himself.

    "Do you think that's a good idea?" You questioned carefully. Alfred threw his head back with a laugh.

    "Of course I do! I've been in this forest way too long, and yeah I know what Artie said but I'll be careful. I just want to go back to civilization, be around some friendly people and enjoy myself, you know? It's been so long.." He trailed off, and your heart clenched. You smiled and laced your fingers together, and he looked at you hopefully.

    "We can go, I don't see any harm in it." You smiled and pulled out the whistle, but Alfred shook his head and pushed your hand down.

    "I can lead the way!" He exclaimed proudly, and you giggled as you put the whistle away. "I'll protect you from any dangers, I'll be your hero!" He sent you a wink and your heart fluttered as you laughed, squeezing his hand as the two of you wandered into the forest.




    After getting lost more than a few times, Alfred and you finally broke through the treeline and found the cobblestone path leading towards the village. You followed it and you were happy to see your home once again. Many familiar faces greeted you and you politely waved back at them. Alfred looked around in awe, and you led the way towards your house. You were extremely nervous about how your brothers would react. Would they be upset with you? Would they like Alfred? You weren't sure, but you hoped for the best as you stopped in front of the door to your home. 

    "This is your house?" Alfred asked, and you nodded, breathing in deeply.

    "Yes. I have three brothers, and I'm not sure how they're going to take the news. Just let me talk, okay?" He nodded and you took another shaky breath before you smiled and entered your home.

    Familiar scents and sounds greeted you as you entered, listening to the banter of your brothers. You laughed, calling out, "I'm home!"

    The argument stopped and three voices yelled, "(Name)!" You heard stomping before your three brothers surrounded you, Feliciano tackling you in a hug while Lovino and Antonio stood behind him.

    "(Name), we missed you~!" Feliciano cried, and Lovino was glaring at Alfred. 

    "Who is that?" He asked sharply. You pulled away from Feliciano and took Alfred's hand.

    "This is Alfred, he's from the village over and.." You paused, thinking about how to go about this. "and he's the reason I've been gone so frequently. I met him while I was out one day and we just got to talking, and I really liked him so we met up more and more and now here we are!" You gave your brothers a smile, gauging each of their reactions. They were all staring at Alfred, Feliciano with wonder, Lovino with anger and Antonio with interest.

    Finally, your eldest brother broke the silence, stepping forwards with a smile and an outstretched hand. "Well, Alfred, it's nice to meet you! I trust you've been good to my sister, yes?" Antonio said, and you could see the hint of malice behind his words. Antonio would do anything to protect you.

    "Of course! I've been extremely grateful for her company, she's a lovely young woman." He said, smiling as he shook Antonio's hand. 

    "He's been nothing but a gentleman to me!" You added with a smile as Lovino stepped up and looked Alfred up and down. 

    "As long as you make her happy, I guess you're alright." Lovino muttered, and you grinned at him.

    Feliciano wrapped Alfred in a hug, startling the blond. "If (Name) likes you, I like you! Welcome!" He exclaimed cheerfully, and you laughed. "Will you both be going to the festival?" He asked. You gasped and Alfred looked over at you.

    "The festival! I forgot!" You grinned at Alfred. "There's a festival here that lasts for a few days, celebrating the beginning of summer! We can go and spend time there!" Alfred smiled and nodded, and you turned back to your brothers.

    "We'll be at the festival, okay? I love you guys!" You gave each of them a squeeze before you grabbed Alfred's hand and led him out the door and towards the marketplace, where the festival was being held. 

    The two of you spent the day roaming around, visiting stands and various people in the village. You both got something to eat as well, and eventually dancing started up around the fountain in your village.

    "Would you like to dance?" Alfred asked, hand outstretched. You giggled and took it, and he whisked you towards the circle of bodies. You laughed as the two of you began to dance, your hands laced together. You jumped around and spun in dizzying circles, laughing as Alfred twirled you to the joyous music. You broke apart and you swished your skirts before Alfred grabbed your hand again and spun you around. You laughed, squealing with delight when he picked you up to spin you before setting you down again. You were laughing and so was he, and you couldn't have ever thought of a better man to be with.

    When the crowd had dispersed and the music died down the two of you wandered away from the festival, breathing heavily and laughing breathlessly. You both paused in the middle of the path, hands clasped and foreheads pressed against each other. You were smiling, looking up at Alfred who had his eyes shut.

    "Thank you." You said softly. "I had so much fun with you." You told him. He chuckled lightly.

    "I should be thanking you, I had a lot of fun as well." You smiled, tilting your head up as he leaned forwards to capture your lips in a tender kiss. You pulled away and smiled at him, and Alfred grinned back before he suddenly winced and grabbed his head.

    "Alfred?" You asked, heart stuttering as he groaned in pain. "Alfred what's wrong?" You asked worriedly.

    He shook his head, face twisted in pain. "My head hurts." He said, rubbing his temples. You bit your lip in concern and looked him over. He was flushed from dancing, still out of breath and... sweating.

    You gasped. "The potion!" Alfred looked at you, blue eyes wide as he swiped his brow, noticing the sweat on his hand. You bit your lip again and he stared at his hand, horrified.

    "Oh no." He said quietly.

    You fumbled for your words. "S-surely it's been long enough for it to settle, right?" You glanced up at the sky. The sun was setting, but still bright. How long had it been?

    Alfred groaned again and stumbled back, hunching over on himself. "Alfred!" You gasped, rushing to his side. Was this a side effect? What was going to happen? Was he going to be alright? You rubbed his shoulder in a comforting way, trying to ease his pain in some way.

    Alfred hissed in pain and fell to his knees, and you grabbed his hand tightly. He squeezed it hard, and suddenly, he began to grow.

    You gasped in shock as Alfred grew, clothes ripping and tearing at the seams. Behind you, people were shouting in confusion and worry as Alfred groaned loudly, the sound becoming louder as he grew. You took a step back, watching in horror. He stopped, however, before he returned to the height he'd been at before, so you quickly guessed that the potion wasn't strong enough to keep him permanently regular sized.

    "Alfred!" You called, and he looked down at you. His clothes had been torn, pants ripped but still clinging to his lower regions as he looked himself over. 

    "It's a Giant!" A woman screamed. You turned to see the villagers huddled together, women cradling their children and husbands standing protectively in front of their families. 

    "He's going to eat us!" A young man yelled. A flurry of screams and shouts rose from the crowd, and your mind was racing.

    "No, please! He's harmless, he would never hurt anyone!" You desperately yelled, trying to calm the angering crowd. You gasped as men began grabbing pitchforks and shovels, anything they could use as a weapon. "Don't hurt him!"

    "(Name)?! What's all the commotion about?!"

    "Dios mio, there's a Giant in the village!"

    "(Name), get away from there!"

    You turned at the familiar yelling of your brothers and saw them running towards you. "Toni! Feli! Lovi! It's okay, it's Alfred!" You yelled at them. They were horrified as they stared up at Alfred, who took a step back from the angry mob of villagers. You turned back, placing your body in front of Alfred. "Please stop! You don't understand!" You tried to reason with them, but they angrily yelled as they marched towards you and Alfred.

    "(Name), what's going on?!" Antonio grabbed your arm. You looked at him with tears in your eyes as your brothers rushed up to you as well.

    "Alfred was turned into a Giant on accident! His friend practices magic, but he made a potion to reverse the spell! It had some side effects, so Alfred grew again! He won't hurt anybody! Please, Antonio, please, he's a good man! We just need Arthur!" You pleaded with him, rushing to get the story out. Your brother looked into your eyes before he chewed his lower lip and nodded. He released you and turned to the crowd, standing in front of you protectively.

    "Please put down your weapons! This Giant will do you no harm!" Antonio yelled at them, voice booming. You held your fist to your chest as your brothers tried to hold back the mob, turning to Alfred.

    "Alfred! We need Arthur!" He nodded, looking around worriedly. You could see the fear in his eyes and you tried to think of a plan. 'What do I do? Who can help me?' You grit your teeth as you thought hard, but gasped. 'The whistle! Surely Gilbert and Ludwig can help!' Pulling out the metal whistle you took a deep breath and blew as hard as you could.

    The mob was roaring in the background, and you stared at the woods expectantly. Minutes passed with no sign of them, and you felt your chest tighten with grief. Did they not hear it?

    You turned back to the angry mob, tears filling your eyes. How were you going to help Alfred? Just as you were about to start yelling at the people, you heard something behind you.

    "(Name)!"

    You whirled around and relief flooded your veins when you saw Gilbert and Ludwig rushing towards you, with Arthur behind them on a horse with a small cart. You ran towards them, and you heard Alfred's distressed whine.

    "Arthur!" You ran up to him as he slid off of the horse. Gilbert and Ludwig observed the situation. "That mob is going to hurt Alfred!" You pointed towards where your brothers and Alfred were as they backed away from the advancing pitchforks and angered citizens. Gilbert and Ludwig ran towards them to try to help, and you followed Arthur to the back of the cart.

    There was a barrel in the back, and Arthur quickly began to explain. "One of my test subjects returned to its normal size, and that's when I figured out that the potion wouldn't be strong enough to keep Alfred small. I managed to find many herbs and quickly whipped up another batch. This should be enough to fully reverse the spell!" You nodded and Arthur turned his eyes up. "Alfred! Drink this!" He climbed into the cart and pulled the lid off the barrel. Alfred turned and reached for it, grasping it fully and quickly bringing it to his lips. You ran around the horse and cart, looking up at the blond with hope in your eyes. Everyone stopped to watch as Alfred began to shrink, letting out a sigh of relief.

    A hush settled over the village as you ran towards Alfred. Gilbert and Ludwig each grabbed his arms and helped him to his feet, and he smiled sheepishly at you. You threw your arms around him and the shapeshifting brothers stepped aside to give you space. 

    Arthur cleared his throat and loudly addressed the citizens of the village, "You should all be ashamed of yourself! Alfred is as much a human as anyone else with feelings of his own! You all should have been mature enough to see through your fear and anger, now I expect you to apologize and respect Alfred from now on!" He said, face red with anger. The mob let out mumbles of apologies and such, breaking apart and returning to their duties. 

    You let out a heavy sigh of relief, holding tightly to Alfred. Your brothers came up to you, and you stepped away from Alfred to give them a hug, grateful for their help and understanding. They squeezed you tight and you turned to face Arthur, Gilbert and Ludwig.

    "Thank you so much for your help." You quickly gave the three a hug and a smile. 

    "Anytime, Fraulein." The brothers said in unison, and you laughed. 

    "If you ever need us," Ludwig said, nodding towards the whistle. You gave him a grin and nodded, and then he and his brother shifted, bolting off into the forest.

    Arthur brushed off his trousers. "Well, now that we've taken care of all that," He turned to Alfred. "If anything happens, come to me. You're always welcome." He looked at you and smiled, and you returned it, leaning against Alfred's shoulders. "Take care of him." Arthur said to you, and you giggled, nodding.

    "You're always welcome here, too, Arthur." You told him. He bowed his head in thanks before returning to his horse and galloping away.

    You sighed and Alfred kissed the top of your head. "I'm back." He chuckled.

    "Welcome back." You laughed softly, and felt Alfred smile against your hair. "Let's go home."

    You followed your brothers back to the house, Alfred by your side, and you felt happier than you had been in a long time.

    And you both lived happily ever after. The end!