Warring Pyongyang // Reader x Countryhumans

Cover-Up

       Y/N was intent on not leaving her room the next morning, lying on her side and staring at the portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.

     'You got your Reunification,' she said silently to them. 'I wish I could feel as happy as you probably do.'

     Someone knocked on her door, and her heart leapt, but crashed down when the person just walked in.

      "Y/N." It was SH, worry in her voice. "It's lunch time- you should get up."

     "Mmf." Y/N turned her back to her friend, burying her face in her pillow. "I'm too tired."

     It was less of a physical feeling, and more of a heavy shroud over her mind, weariness masking her ability to think.

     "I know." She felt SH sitting on the edge of her futon. "Me too."

      Y/N was silent as she felt SH stroke her hair.

    "You know," the province said after a moment. "I should be mad at you for leaving with Korea."

     "I'm sorry," Y/N muttered into her pillow.

    "I said 'should be.'" SH gently flicked the side of her head. "Thank you for leaving me that note. If it weren't for you-" Her voice wavered. "CCCP said that Korea would have died."

     "It was my fault that he almost did."

    The scene played over in Y/N's head- North's expression as he turned to her, his eye widening as the knife was driven into his back.

    "Well, almost everything turned out all right." SH tried to force some cheeriness into her tone. "Korea is Unified, and we have all the food that we can eat."

     "But you're not independent." Despite the Provincehuman's optimism, Y/N knew that it must be bothering her.

    "Korea's alive- that's the important part. Now come on- get up." SH stood.

     "Please let me sleep."

     "Laziness isn't productive." Y/N felt a slippered toe nudge her side. "Good workers should be up right now."

     "But I'm not working today," the human girl groaned, clutching her pillow.

     "All right- no more being gentle." SH clapped her hands together, and Y/N was dragged off of her futon by her arm.

     "Ow!" she complained. "Hey, SH! Stop!"

     "Nope," SH said, dragging her, still entangled in the futon cover, towards the door. "I'll take you to the lobby like this, if I have to. We'll be taking the stairs."

      "Alright, alright!" Y/N exclaimed, and she was immediately released.

        SH leaned over her, hands on her hips. "I'll be waiting outside your room. If you're not out in five minutes, I'm coming back. And I mean it about the stairs."

      The province left, and Y/N dragged herself to her feet, tossing her futon cover behind her, and throwing on a shirt and skirt. She ran the brush through her hair, and opened the door, looking miserably at SH.

      "Mm." SH looked her up and down critically. "You look... tired. You should have a bath with me after lunch."

    'Tired' didn't begin to cover it. She was dreading seeing Korea.

      "Why are we having lunch, anyways?" Y/N asked, yawning. "We haven't had it in ages."

      "Well, we have a lot more agricultural land, now," SH said. "And CCCP." Her voice was tight on the last bit.