Saudade | CountryHumans RusAme

CHAPTER 9: The Bind Of A Promise

RUSSIA
"I'm gonna pass out," America said hoarsely. "I'm gonna pass out."

"I punched NASA, not you," North groaned. "Don't be a drama queen. Let's go."

"Shouldn't we do something about it?" South pointed out, and there was a tense moment where North's eyes lingered on his brother for a second too long, whatever words were unspoken hanging in the air.

"Yeah," North admitted finally. "Good thinking."

The two brothers quietly picked NASA up, gloves on, of course, and placed her in UN's office. Japan cleaned the blood off the floor.

"How sweet," America smiled, crossing his arms. Russia peered at him, his shorter figure stationed quite curiously in the middle of him and China (who lightly swiped the folder from the teacher's bloodstained fingers and tucked it into the crease of his arm). And for once, he didn't say anything.

They stopped by UN's office once more to remove the video footage in the cameras, and all six Representatives took the road home feeling a little different than they did before.

★

FRANCE
"How was your day, mi amor?" France asked, placing a few pastries down on the table for her husband. "Would you like some wine?"

"It'll be fine, love," Britain said exasperatedly. "And thank you. You didn't have to bring me back dessert. Work's been a little complicated recently, you know."

"Ah, then it may not be the best time to bring this up then," France pursed her lips, cherry red from lipstick.

"Bring up what?"

"It's something about one of our sons," France said calmly.

Britain frowned. In times like these, he always had a faint idea of who it regarded.

"Namely—"

"—America?" Britain interrupted.

France laughed, and Britain smiled. It had been years, decades, and he was still as deeply in love with his wife's laughter as he had been when they first made peace. "Indeed," she said. "How did you know?"

Whenever a serious topic was brought up Britain immediately thought of his oldest son. From the beginning of time he had always been defiant, unruly — dumping all of the family's expensive tea down the drain after he was denied a trip to the mall. And then using a nerf gun to stage an attack on the parents' bedroom with his siblings. He was a rowdy bunch of chaotic... chaos. Really, there was no other way to put it.

"Just a lucky guess," he replied.

"Would you like to hear it? Or will it stress you out more?"

"I think I've seen the worst and best of America. I'm sure I'll be fine. Oh, no, is he dead?"

France's blue eyes widened. "No, no! Your son is well and alive. It's something else. He, well,"

Britain took a bite out of a pretzel. "Yes?"

"Ah, you see, dear, I don't quite know either," France said, and her husband raised a quizzical eyebrow. "The other day, he came home completely distraught and you — weren't home yet, but he cried for the first time in around three years."