Roman Roulette - Countryhumans America x China

Horizons

It was quick, silent, and deadly. Italy didn't make a sound as he crumpled to the floor.

I blinked. China gaped.

Ukraine blew the non-existent smoke from her pistol. "Vsi."

She sighed in almost a relief. "I wanted to that so long ago, remember, Rosiya?"

He nodded.

"That was quick," she remarked calmly. "and now, Krasna-Giorno is ours. That was easy."

I breathed in slowly. "What are you going to do to us now?" I asked.

She looked around. "Nothing. You deserve to be-,"

I couldn't take it. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm so narrow-minded and I didn't know anything about your struggle and I'll never understand what you went through. I never will, and I don't want to, because that's awful." I looked at her, my eyes tearing up. "But I can help you. There are people who can help you. Please don't kill us. Give us some time and we'll return the money you need."

"We don't need money," she said flatly. "we want acceptance."

"We-,"

"And you can be accepting and waltz out of this door, forgetting all that you saw and keep on admiring Krasna-Giorno." She waved her pistol towards the door. "and leave us be."

"But-," I would never be able to forget what I saw. "you're all alone."

"I'm not alone," she snapped. "I have my brother. We're not as helpless as you." And even though her commentary was outwardly degrading, I knew somehow she didn't mean it.

"Okay..." I said awkwardly. "um...bye I guess."

"Bye," Russia rasped.

China glanced towards the door and started inching to it.

"China!" I said.

"What?" he looked bewildered.

"Say goodbye!" 

"Er...bye...I'll definitely work on that forgetting thing," he smiled sheepishly.

Brother and sister smiled.

"Take care of Switzerland," I said.

"You want him?" Ukraine asked. "he's fired. We'll keep Netherlands, once he's revived." she pointed to the poor worker who collapsed from shock of seeing his bosses.

I laughed. "No, no. You can keep him. I've found someone else." I looked at China.

We positively ran out the door, winding down pathways that we took only hours ago with Switzerland, when we thought he was helping us. When Italy was still alive, Russia was still mysterious, and Ukraine was just an angry silhouette of fury.

As we neared the last steps to the lobby, I could already see the sun rising over the horizon and workers rising early to open the doors to the financial building where people were getting ready to work.

I felt so drained and numb and unfeeling, and the new day felt foreign, so unlike that I was used to.

"Tired?" I asked when China almost slipped off the stair.

"I could sleep for a moon," He groaned. "let's just go and deal with emotions later."

"Hah," I laughed. "I wanted to tell you something, but we got caught up with Switzerland betraying us."

"What?"

"I love you,"

"Seriously?" He started to pull into me. I though I should ruin the moment.

"Couldn't be more serious," I smiled. "But I have to warn you, these lips touched Switzerland."

He swiftly pulled back. "How about I wait then?" he joked.

"If you want,"

"If you want," he echoed, taking my hand as we walked out of the building. 

--------------------------

And that's that. 

It was our pure luck to come out of that place alive. 

Although China calls it 'skills', I still say to this day it was just 'pure, dumb luck."

"No," China says.

"You can't win an argument against me," I warn. " I outtalked a Mafia man."

"Technically-,"

"Don't technically me! It was a totally brilliant lucky play at the slots of life."

"Whatever,"

We've been on and off after that incident. China was a hard nut to crack, and it took time and acceptance to be able to see past his strange exterior to qualities that I had initially loved. Bravery, patience, and sweet worry that I had come to love in him and cannot find a replacement. 

Fortunately, Switzerland had been humiliatingly fired, adding insult to injury. Krasna-Giorno still had all its pretty appeals and nicety, and it was still ritzy and glamorous as it was before, but now I gained a new perspective on what worked in the huge conglomerate. 

After our fiasco in the Financial sector, Switzerland was not the only one to leave. Many workers who were almost conscripted out of fear and helplessness had the liberty to leave. One of them was the COO, San Marino, who gave up her position to go to a dance school. 

I stayed way longer than I had planned. Mexico probably was very mad at me for not leaving a message or anything once I left the first night. I finally returned his call after we had settled down.

"Hi Mexico how are y-,"

"Dios Mio, America!" he screamed into the phone. "where have you been? I've almost had the thought to call for a police search!"

"Woah, wait a moment, calm down," I said, grinning. "I'm fine now, really. No need for a search. But you wouldn't believe the story I'm about to tell you!" 

And I told him everything. I told him about the Mafia, the Westmoon web, Ukraine and her Trident gun, Switzerland and his obnoxiousness and my stupidity for not seeing it, China, China and his worrying, mostly about what I liked in China. 

At the end, I think Mexico's ears were bleeding. "Gosh, you should write a book on that. " he said. 

"You know," I said thoughtfully. "I should."

And that's what I did. I wrote this book (with China's sort of help -  mostly with grammar) and told my story. It was a wild ride, wasn't it? 

At least, I thought it was. And I'm sure China did as well. 

And even though I had a well-from-good experience with Krasna-Giorno, I still admire its beautiful buildings and brilliant architecture. I still am envious when my friends receive offers or promotions from the casino. You couldn't deny the attraction. But every time I went there afterward, I replayed, almost like one of my dad's vinyl recorders, all those scenes in which China and I risked out lives to outrun, outsmart, and outplay the Westmoon mafia men. I admit that I cannot look at the Financial building without flinching and reliving everything we went through, from the 'break-in' to Italy's death. 

But hey, now you know the full story. All the truth, all the adventure. 

And yes, yes, the most important fact:  I did kiss China about two weeks later. He wasn't as great as Switzerland, but he was someone I knew who would betray or backstab me. And he wouldn't sing Italian arias either. 

And hey, it worked out alright. 

We're fine now that I've won our shouting match and made China clean out his apartment and meet my parents. 

I think that everything'll be okay.

And that's my promise.

And that was America, over and out.