Terra Firma (Fruk/FACE)

4

If I weren't honest, America would try to run away from me as I did with my brothers. I can't have something like that happening. He was going to ask questions, and I needed to be the mature adult and tell him the truth even if the circumstances pissed me off.

"Is he okay?" Matthew asked.

"Yes, he always does this when he gets anxious!" America spoke.

"AMERICA!"

"It is Alfred now, and I think you should call me that from now on!" He demanded. How was I constantly letting him decide these things? I laughed a bit at what he said and finally looked at France. He smiled at me, and I got more nervous. "Alfred...well, the truth is...the reason why Francis looks so much like France..."

"Not that much! that picture is a disgrace to my beauty!"

"Please, shut up..."

"Wait...are you trying to say that Francis is France?" Alfred spoke, horrified. He suddenly stood from his seat and came to my side. "You said...he would try and hurt me!" Alfred cried.

"My big brother would never!" Matthew suddenly spoke. France and I both turned to him, shocked. He had stayed silent this whole time but suddenly said something about the idea of France being talked down. "What?...wait...so does that mean you are Canada?" Alfred asked. They both looked at each other, Alfred in shock, trying to process, and Matthew looked at him as if he was ready for this conversation. Maybe that is why he did not say anything about the picture when he was shown it.

Alfred looked at me, and my face dropped at his expression. "Oh...well...You said you and Francis—France were friends...but you told me to stay away from him? Why? I don't understand?" He spoke.

"Well...it's complicated; you will understand when you are older," I spoke. France looked at me and smiled. His smile was sweet and oddly reassuring. "Oh...so what happens now? Will something bad happen?" He asked.

"No! Your big brother was just worried about what his boss would think. We are not going to hurt you. In fact! I was telling you the truth! Matthew wants to be friends!" France cheered. I still felt bad about having first lied to him. However, I think it was better than lying to both of them in the first place.

I know how upset I was when France didn't tell me the truth about who he was when we were younger and how upset he was. I wouldn't want resentment between any of us. That is the last thing I want. "You really want to?" Alfred asked. Matthew suddenly grabbed his hands and held them happily. "Yes! We are brothers...technically speaking..." he spoke.

I jumped at what he said, and Alfred looked at me with a mixture of excitement and confusion. "We are? But how?" Alfred asked. He looked at me, and I avoided his eye contact. He then looked at France, and I could hear him laughing nervously. This felt like he was finding out France and I had given birth to him or something.

"Ah! Because Francis and your brother made us together!" Matthew cheered.

My head shot toward him, and I felt shocked. France had the same expression, and it made me nearly faint. "Don't say it like that!" We spoke in unison. "What? But it's true! It is what the books say! Both of you created us!" He added.

"Matthew! Please..." France tried to say.

"What? So does that mean you are my brother too?" Alfred asked.

"No!" France and I said in unison. This was starting to get confusing. "Wow! You are right! We are like a family! France! France! We are like a family! Like our neighbors!" Matthew cheered. However, his face was still from everything being said. "Ah...not exactly..." he spoke.

"Well, I wouldn't mind it! We can pretend! Matthew and I will be the children! Francis will be the mama, and Arthur will be the papa!" Alfred cheered. It caused me to choke on my saliva, and I felt like I was being murdered.

"America...we can't..."

"Hey! Why am I the woman!?"

I facepalmed hearing what concerned France the most. "Because only women have long hair! Isn't that right? Dad?!" Alfred suddenly spoke. Once again, I felt my soul leaving my body. France began glaring at me, and I held onto my head. Why did it seem like I had caused all of this to happen?

"Really? What an ass!" France glared.

"ALSO! Don't call me America! From now on, I am Alfred, he is Matthew, you are dad, and Francis is mom!" He demanded. Once again...I wanted to die. "Why would you tell him only women have long hair!?" France asked. He began to swish his hair around, and it didn't make me regret telling Alfred that.

"Seriously? Now is not the time for your irrelevant priorities!"

"England!"

"NO! CALL HIM ARTHUR OR DAD!"

"Ugh! FRANCE, get over yourself!"

"WHAT DID I SAY?! FRANCIS OR MOM!"

I was not calling him either!

"Now, we will be a happy family, and you will like it!" Alfred demanded. He pointed at the two of us, and I felt stressed again. What a free-spirited child. That attitude is going to be the death of me one day.

Why did they have to come today? out of all the days to have come? What was France planning? I swear that whenever there was some normalcy for me, France somehow found his way into my life again.

I finally stood up from my seat, and it caused Matthew and Alfred to back away from me. "Arthur?..."

They all looked at me, and I felt trapped. I didn't like this idea. I could tell the future; I knew this fake family would not last long. How could it?

Look who were the so-called 'parents.'

France and I? as parents? That was the worst combination.

I looked toward my old friend and felt aching once more. Centuries pass, and I still can't figure out how I feel toward him. Do I feel bitterness? Affection? Hate? Adoration? Anything else? All of my feelings are intertwined with each other, making it seem as if there wasn't a difference.

"Either I'm getting softer, or maybe I don't mind the idea..." I spoke. I looked over to Francis and smiled. "How about the two of you stay for the night? It is too late to leave in the dark," I added. Immediately the boys began to hold each other happily.

However, the look that Francis gave me was different. Words alone wouldn't have been needed for how he looked at me. His eyes screamed that he still had affection toward me while his smile twitched. As if he wanted to say something sweet to me.

I felt hopeless looking at him. They will forget about this in the morning, and It does not hurt to take a night off from work. Only one night, what could the hard be?

"If...that's alright with you? Francis?"

"Uh...sure...if there is no trouble..."

"No! No trouble at all! It would be my pleasure to be your host!"

"No!....haha...the pleasure is all mine. Being in your presence is an honor as it is."

We continued to stare at each other, and I was starting to feel something happen that had been a nostalgic feeling. My face was getting hot, my hands were getting sweaty, and my heart was beating fast.

"Dad! Are you flirting with Mom?" Alfred spoke. Francis and I turned to him, shocked, and he began laughing at our faces. Great...

This would end wonderfully.