Rus's P.O.V
My breathing was even, as I studied the words on the page in front of me. America was resting on my chest and staring aimlessly at his phone, while one of my arms propped him up.
I furrowed my brows at the letter in my hands. Soviet's message was confusing to say the least, but it was adamant that he felt shame in what he did. Though, I couldn't be certain that the man behind those words really felt that way.
My father was an excellent craftsman when it came to making you believe something that wasn't true. He could make dirt turn to gold with a dappling of his pen. That's why I was a bit skilled at detecting it.
But I couldn't seem to find any hint of that here. It was as if it was as straightforward as could be, yet it still boggled me. How could something obvious twist my brain and make it that of a raisin?
I sighed and laid my hand down on the other's back. I didn't really want to think about how to bring someone back right now, in fact, I needed a break from that thing in general.
I laced a few kisses on top of America's head and watched as he sunk deeper into his place. I liked being with him. I found out very quickly that he liked to be affectionate really early in the relationship, which I had mixed feelings about. On one hand, I liked constantly being swarmed with something that I hadn't received in years, but he also went overboard every other time.
It was a very mixed bag.
I subconsciously repeated my actions and he turned off his phone, set it down, and circled both of his arms around me. "Well, someone is in a good mood today." America mumbled, as he closed his eyes.
My arms looped under his and my fingers glided down his back, "And someone likes my good mood."
"Damn right I do." He uttered. I could tell that it was meant to be enthusiastic, but it just didn't quite come out that way.
I chuckled a smidge and just continued doing what I was doing. It was so calm with us laying there. It was honestly a little weird when I thought about the ways that we used to behave, and even weirder when the thought of I could've had this so much sooner crossed my mind.
A somber expression painted itself all over my face, before it dissipated. That was the past and I was in the present. And the present is wonderful.
I looked down a little bit. And he is wonderful.
I stopped running my hands down his back and wrapped them around the American's torso. He turned his head to face towards my neck and gave it a few pecks. A strange welcome feeling raced down my spine.
"So, how are you?" America asked, as he continued his actions.
"I am, ehrm, good. How about, uh, you?" I answered. I was halted a few times by what was being done to me. It felt good, but I had always imagined that I would be the one doing that, not the other way around.
The soft aggressor's face turned away for a split second, as he coughed into his shoulder, before he returned to his position, "Alright. The numbers over here keep changing everyday. Sometimes they're higher than twenty and other days they're lower than ten." He gestured towards the blue portion on his face. "It is just all over the place. Today they're on the better side though."
"Zhat is good at least."
"Mhm, yeah, it is." He went quiet for a second before he spoke up again. "Hey, did I ever show you Hawaii's card?"
"Only about a zhousand times." I grumbled. I swear that he had been looking at that slip of paper more than he had insulted my ability to form an average kiss, and that was a high number.
"Well, a hundred and one times won't hurt you any, right?" He smirked. "Now, be a doll and grab it off of the table for me."
I rolled my eyes as a smile planted itself on my lips. I reached over to my coffee table and grabbed the colorful slip of paper. I had to say that the drawings on there were good for using crayons, glitter, and an abnormal amount of rainbows.
My hand slid the gift over to America, who had laid his back on my chest, "Thank you." He turned his head and kissed my jaw. "Aww, Russia look! That's me and over there is Wild Flower. Oh, and look at these, they're the shells from her shell collection back at home. And that right there is her adorable little handwriting. Isn't it all just precious?"
"Mhm." I replied. I didn't really see all of the things that he had. Sure, it was cute, but it didn't mean anything to me.
America went on and on about how adorable and amazing it was, it was almost like he had experience in the field of complements.
He finally closed the card and brought it close to his chest in a hug, "It's all just so great..." He whispered out.
"You arrre a grrreat fatherrr." I told him. For it was true from what I could see.
A tiny, proud smile struck up on his face and he leaned back further into me, "Thank you, that means a lot." His voice was full of sincerity and humbleness, the second of which I haven't really seen on him in a while.
After a while of being like that he stood up and placed the card back on the table. America reached his hand up to my ceiling and stretched out his back, as a few cracking sounds filled the room, "Ah, well, it's about time that we make lunch. What do you say about burgers?"
I sat up on the couch and shrugged my shoulders, "Surrre," I stood up alongside America and went in for a kiss. "Zhey sound good to me."
When it ended, America's eyes popped open, as a cherry pink hue fluttered over his white stripes, "When did the pupil become the master?" He breathlessly asked.
"Since videos online, now, let us go make zhose sandwiches."
Canada's P.O.V (After the week of him having the states)
"Okay, guys. I'll be back in two days to see how you're all doing. If anything at all happens, tell me and I'll take you to my house again." I told all of America's states.
Some of them grumbled back, while others nodded their heads and were chipper. After spending just a week with them, I could tell how divided they were. Even if it weren't for Cabi's interference, it would still be election season for them and there would still be a heated division.
It was always America's most hated time of year, since every single thing became a competition between who would win. He always felt relieved when it ended and things went back to semi-normalcy.
I knocked on the front door to my brother's former place and waited for someone to answer it. Eventually, it did and Mexico opened it. When she first opened it, the first thing that I could see on her was discontent, which was a bit strange. However, it morphed away when she was the states behind me.
She welcomed them back into their twisted home and moved to the side to let them in. Some states lingered behind the others, mostly the ones that, I figured, she hurt mentally during her time with America.
It was so forein to think of when they would joke with each other and Mexico would hang onto my brother's arm. Now, all of that had faded away and only the negativity between the two remained.
That negativity spanned to the states.
I knew Mexico wanted to make it up to them, since the guilty look stained on her face each and every time she eyed one of them. But, I didn't think that the option to apologize was ever an option to begin with. She had done too much damage too early in their lives to ever be forgiven.
No matter what they were thinking, they walked into the house and that left Mexico and I outside.
"Canada."
"Mexico."
Each of us hissed the other's name. The air, no matter how clean or fresh it was, was filled with toxicity from both of us. The tense feeling that surrounded us was something that had only been created from the current situation. It was simply a spiral off of the conflict between America and Cabi.
"Well, what are you standing around here for?" I interrogated. "Shouldn't you go join your manipulative girlfriend in there?"
She scoffed, "She's not manipulative."
"Then what do you call her actions then? Justified? No, that's simply ludacris."
"They're better than one of your brother's." She stung.
"No, I call hurting kids and not getting reprimanded for that evil."
"She was reprimanded harshly by me, thank you very much, and if you want to talk about manipulating kids, just think of all the pledges to America that kids are trained to do from the very moment they set foot in an American school system."
"That's not as bad as hurting kids-"
"Yeah, how about brushing over mental health and causing thousands upon thousands of kids deaths. Is that worse than hurting a child?"
We were clearly not getting anywhere. I could see that she was also inside of her own girlfriend's hands and she was being played like a fool.
"Admit it, he's awful, and you're nearly the same for supporting him-"
"If he's so awful, then why is she doing the same thing to you?"
Mexico's left hand instinctively fled over a dark spot on her right arm and I stepped closer to her, "That's right, I saw it. You can't hide something that obvious."
"What are you talking about? She's nothing like him and there's nothing." Her large, bright, and colorful wings wrapped around her the closer I got.
"She's doing it to you too, isn't she? That was what you got for standing up for the states, am I right?"
She was growing desperate and fled back from me, "It was only an accident!" She shouted.
"So something did happen!" I concluded, as fear struck through her eyes. "If it was an accident, then what happened?"
I was pressing her for answers, anything that might be useful later. "She threw something she was working on at me on accident and instantly apologized. It was an accident, why can't you understand that!"
"Because I'd thought that you'd learned what abuse looked like a long time ago, but I was wrong. Oh so very wrong."
"But I do know what it looks like-"
"No, you really don't, if you did, you would have never let that monster near the states."
Then the door opened again.
"Now hey there, it isn't very nice to be calling people monsters behind their back, not is it?"
"Well, I would hardly call you a person, you absolute scum of the Earth." I shot back at Cabi.
Mexico flung herself at her girlfriend and hid the both of them with her dual colored wings. Cabi's hand ran circles on Mexico's back, "You're fine, you're fine. You're so brave, my dear. The bravest I've ever seen."
"See, she's manipulating you." I pointed out.
"Now," Cabi turned her attention to me. "Why don't you shut the fuck up and let me confort my girlfriend."
And her attention shifted back to Mexico, "Let's go back inside and away from this moron, alright."
Mexico nodded her head.
Cabi went in first, but, right as Mexico was about to open the door for herself, I shouted, "Why stay with her?!"
She was quiet for a moment, before she uttered, "Because I've lost too many times, and I don't want to be on the losing side this time."
Her vision hardened, "The Cabinet of States will replace him, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Remember your deal with her, or else you'll become the target."
Word count 2047
I really liked writing the second half of this chapter and I have no idea as to why.
By the way, I'm feeling way better now, and thank you for the support.
So, questions!
What is the deal with the deal?
We are nearing the climax of the story, what do you think is going to happen?
And lastly, is there any aspect of this book that you really like that you would like to see more of?
Have a great day/night/morning/evening/noon/midnight/any time!
-Amaura-Chan
(Shameless plug, if you like my art, check out my CH art book #2.)
[Shameless plug, if you like this story, minus the romance, please check out my other story called The Renevior.]