Porcelain Face

~5~

I apologize in advance, this chapter is going to be a bit shorter compared to the other ones. Thanks!

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Alfred didn't stop crying for at least 30 more minutes. Natalya never kept track of time. He stayed there on her shoulder, and softly wept.

She didn't understand why he was crying. He was her hero, her knight in shining armor, and soon-to-be-husband. He was so strong, and almost merciless.

But now he had loosened himself, and was letting someone like her take him into her arms, and comfort him.

Watching him spill tear after tear, scarf down that disgusting-looking sandwich, and sob into her shoulder, opened up something she hadn't noticed before.

She always used to think Alfred had an almost bodacious attitude, who was immune to any negative feelings or vibes. She thought he could always smile, and never showed fear or hesitation.

But in his eyes, she saw something she never saw before. It was devastating, shattering her heart to pieces. He was miserable.

Behind his bright smile, and those deep and gorgeous blue eyes, he was hurting on the inside. He had always expressed himself as conceited and generally happy about everything. He was the hero.

But she saw something different. She saw guilt. She saw pain. She saw regret. She saw sadness and fear, in unexplainable ways and forms.

He was hiding all of this behind smiles and laughs. Behind pride and friendliness. Behind his whole radiant and extravagant characteristics.

He was holding onto what he had left. Him and his older brother, England would only ever fight, and his twin brother never spoke to him.

And Japan......

Was Japan all that he had? That old, heartless man? America always had tried his very best at making friends...but he only ended up either pushing them away....or making enemies.

But she would change it.

Marriage would fix it all. That was simply the only solution. She would stay by his side for the rest of his life, and never let him be alone ever again.

And she would never see him in pain like that ever again.

Why did he cry?

Was she too intimidating? She didn't think so....

If she was, then he wouldn't have let her snuggle up against him, or comfort him. America truly was a mystery.

But she was sure it wouldn't be hard to solve it. America seemed like a simple man, with not very many expectations. He had seemed to be more calm around her, which was a sign of progress to her.

She'd get him to crack. She'd get him to eventually get down on one knee, and express his everlasting love for her.

It was going to happen, just as she pictured it. Her blonde-haired hero, sweeping her off her feet, and constantly whispering in her ear, the same thing over and over again. I love you.

It was all she wanted to hear. Even if it meant that she had to make all of the moves, just for America to eventually say those three words, she would do it.

She would do anything for him. But....but not like before.

She didn't want to hurt....or scare him.

Normally, in the past, she would have never considered that, and would gladly do those things.

But it changed for her. When she had attacked Alfred in the bathroom, she saw something.