The Extent of Love

7

"Alfred!" A voice yelled through the house, the nation in question looking up from his papers, "There's a snake in the house!"

"Don't touch it!" Alfred exclaimed immediately, shuffling his papers around a bit before running out of the room. There was a copperhead under the chair, somehow inside. "How'd he get in?"

"When I went to put the trash out I left the door open, but it wouldn't have come in that fast, would it?" Ivan asked, making sure to stay away from the snake, "Is it venomous?"

"Very," Alfred said with a sigh, "I'll deal with him, gimme a second. You can go back to whatever you were doing now."

"What about the cats?" Ivan asked, seeming to try and mentally see how big the snake itself was.

"He won't bite 'em, to big for him. Nice four footer though," Alfred said with a chuckle, "now, scram, I'm dealing with Mr. Copperhead over here, and I'm used to snakes, don't want you getting bitten now, do I?"

"I'll be in my room until you're done," Ivan said, backing away, "have fun with your 'copperhead'."

"Oh I'll have tons!" Alfred yelled back to the Russian as he left, the sound of his door closing being the last sound for a few seconds.

"How are you bud?" Alfred asked the snake, sitting down right beside him.

'Big man, scary,' he flicked his tongue in and out, staying in his little ball of scales, 'Why do you talk?'

"A little power," Alfred said, reaching over and petting the snake, the creature lulled. Mean creatures didn't talk to their prey, so he knew he was safe.

'There's fluffy clawed creatures in this den,' the copperhead shrunk back more, before following up the Americans arm, eventually getting to his lap, 'very scary.'

"Wanna go back outside?" Alfred questioned, looking out the window. It was clear outside, and the copperhead could go back to his real den.

'Yes understanding one,' the copperheads tongue flicked out again, and Alfred gingerly picked the snake up, opening the door and walking the snake to the woods, leaving it in the tangle of roots under a tree, 'Thank you friend!' the snake exclaimed, slithering away.

"You're welcome little bud," Alfred replied, turning around and walking back into the house.

"Ivan, snake's gone!" Alfred shouted, turning the TV and watching just a tad of the news. Normal, and bullshit. He heard the door to Ivan's room open, and the Russian looked around for a few seconds before deeming the room clean and going to the kitchen, possibly for a late breakfast.

"How'd you do it?" Ivan asked, setting the cat food out, both of them running to get their breakfast.

"A touch of magic," Alfred replied with a Hollywood smile, "I'm going to finish my work, be out in like... four hours."

"What about breakfast?" Ivan said, "And lunch?"

"I'm fine, I ate real late last night," Alfred lied, waving to Ivan as he walked back into his room. He hadn't eaten really anything for... three days... four?

"What did I say about hurting yourself," Davie said from his bed, his wings spread over the mattress as he scrolled through his phone, Alfred putting all his stuff back in their folders.

"Davie, seriously, go home." Alfred growled to the angel as he laughed, throwing his phone down onto the bed, "I don't need you to watch over me. I'm perfectly fine."

He felt woozy, but that was normal when he was hungry.

"You'll pass out in... three, two, one." Davie said, as Alfred fell to the ground. "See? Now I have to figure out a way to get Russia in here."