(Canceled) Hiraeth - Couthyhumans Mafia AU

CHAPTER 8

"I was in a cage... that's it."

Britain was quiet, Rome felt like he said something wrong. "I'm so sorry, Rome."

"Sorry? You didn't do anything wrong... right?"

"No, I wasn't there, I just... feel bad that you were in a cage, while I've been out here. Your job was to be a distraction so people forget what the real problems are. You and so many like you. " Britain looks around at the scenery.

Both Country and State pause.

"Well, let's get back to the task at hand. Teaching you how to handle your dragon side." Britain got up. "I have a challenge for you, have you ever played hide and seek?"

Rome thought for a second. He remembered some distant memory of him and Vatican City playing it, but he wasn't sure if he could remember the rules. "I think, one person hides, and another seeks?"

"Yes! That is hide and seek. Now, I'll hide, and you use your dragon senses to find me. Do you need my scent?"

"Scent?"

"A dragon has a very high sense of smell, so everyone should smell different to you, if you know what I smell like, it'd be easier to know where I went," Britain said happily.

Rome thinks. "Can you smell different people?"

"Well..." Britain looked awkward, "A normal human or countryhuman can't tell the difference, but a dragon-hybrid can!"

Rome looks at Britain. He didn't exactly answer the question, but I guess he did. "Okay, I'll try my best to get it down."

"That's the spirit! Lad." Britain held out his arm and Rome casually sniffs him.

Rome didn't realize how Britain smelled until he really focused on it; Britain smelled like grass, a little dust (from the warehouse he lived in), he had some rosy kind of whiff, and something familiar... Rome could have sworn that he knew what it was.

"Are you done yet- not trying to make you hurry up... you've just been sniffing me for a while." Rome lets go of Britain.

"Sorry, I just... You have a familiar scent."

"What about me is familiar?"

"I'm... not sure... It's just familiar."

"Well, if you remember, you can tell or ask me." Britain smiles. "Okay, close your eyes and count... can you count?"

"Like, one, two, three? I know how to count to ten, but that's it."

"I'll have to tell Poland. He was a teacher before the war. " Britain shared, placing a hand on Rome's shoulder. "Shall we start?"

"Do I count to ten?"

"Yes, close your eyes and I will hide."

Rome hesitates, but then closes his eyes, listening extremely close to what was around him. The state counts up in his head, misplacing a few numbers before reaching ten. "TEN!" Rome shouts, jumping up around. Britain was nowhere to be found.

Rome was surprised. He looks around and isn't sure where to go.

He then remembers how Britain wanted him to use his sense of smell. Rome got on the ground and sniffs. He wasn't sure how it's supposed to work but he has to try.

He smelled a grassy scent, and he knew it wasn't just the tan grass, because it had a dry-wheat smell, so must be Britain.

Rome follows it and finds himself at a stream. Nope, not Britain. Rome tries again; he smells a dusty smell. He finds an old ruinous building that looked like a cottage but very destroyed. Not Britain. He smells the familiar scent again and follows it.