A Product of War [Hetalia]

Chapter 9.

One Month Later
Matthew carried Peter inside as he quietly stepped through the door and took his coat off.

They'd snuck out a couple hours ago for Matthew's doctor appointment. Peter insisted on being there to keep Matthew company since Ivan was stuck in Moscow that weekend. Now, Peter was tired, he yawned as Matthew picked him up again and carried him upstairs to his room as quietly as he could.

He laid Peter down in his bed gently and made sure he was comfortable before going back downstairs to get fish for Kumajiro. However, he heard his father and uncle arguing.

—Scotland🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿: You fucking cow! You don't even realize how badly you've treated your most loyal colony! You only remember his existence when you need something from him! At some point, he will stop listening to you and rebel! It's what happened with Alfred!

Matthew blinked and listened in. Britain glared.

Britain🇬🇧: What do you know of rebellion? Successful ones at least? The last time I checked you spent centuries failing to get away from me.

Britain regretted saying that the moment he saw the look on his brother's face.

Scotland🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿: Aye. I have never been successful in getting away from you. But that doesn't change how much it sucks to have you monitor everything we can and can't do as if we are statues next to you! You banned quilts once just because you knew my people liked them! Even your flagpoles seem to hate us!

Britain🇬🇧: Well, if I treat you so bad, why did you stop trying?!

Scotland🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿: I stopped trying because Matthew and Alfred were born and brought over!

There was a pause. Alastor calmed down.

Scotland🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿: Arthur... I stayed and put up with you so that Matthew and Alfred were not alone to deal with your bullshit. But at some point, you will need to learn how to take good care of your colonies. This might have good intentions, but it's asking too much of Matthew. You are putting him in the middle of something that could cause another massive war! And you're acting like your doing Matthew a favor by pretending you're supportive of who he is.

Britain🇬🇧: I am supportive!

Scotland🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿: Then be genuine, damnit! You have too much to make up for for you to just half-ass your gestures and treatment of Matthew. You ignore him, make him feel like his existence is a burden, noticeably get angry when he contacts his father and brother. And even worse, you let that awful woman abuse him while you turned a blind eye to it. And after everything he has done for you without protest.

Britain🇬🇧: Matthew hasn't given me any opportunities to show him that I'm supportive. He never tells me anything, not since he was a child. And Mrs. Mayberry was not abusive to Matthew. Him getting sick was a freak accident!

Scotland🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿: Don't you dare sound so nonchalant about that! Knowing what it did to Matthew in the long run! He still has a serious lack of immunity to the cold. In terms of immunity from illnesses, he's even weaker than a normal nation, he was supposed to be average or stronger because he's an Arctic Nation. What happened to him was not minor, Arthur. You and I both know the blame falls on you. Matthew finally told us the whole thing a few months back, are you going to at least take responsibility for Matthew not wanting to admit when he's sick?!

Right on cue, Matthew started to feel a tickle in his throat, and he began to cough. He had evidently caught a cold from somewhere in the market, so now he had to deal with it like he always did. Being sick felt as normal as being healthy at that point.