Fic: Sing the Sweetest Song
*******
Title: Sing the Sweetest Song
Author: slashy_lady
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): America and England / AmericaxEngland
Disclaimer: The characters involved in this story do not belong to me, nor do they have any connection to real nation(s). No infringement intended.
Note: This is a sequel to my fic, How to Succeed at Invasion Without Really Trying.
Some Kind of Summary: It had been eleven months and three days after America first proposed the idea, seven months since he actually bought the ring, and he still had not come any closer to finding that ring on England finger.
*******
Sitting on board of a plane across the Atlantic, America was thinking hard.
His eyes watched the view outside the small window beside him. Blue sky and white clouds, pretty classic, but his mind wandered far away, even farther than the sky and clouds. And his right hand was gripping a small red box which looked suspiciously like a case of some engagement ring.
In reality, it was indeed a case holding a pair of engagement rings.
He absently rolled the small box in his hand. The texture and shape of the little red box was familiar to him. How could it not, considering he had had that box in his possession for about seven months already and had spent that amount of time trying to present it to England, the love of his life, who seemed to view the ring as some kind of plague worse than the black death.
He never knew that England could be so terrified of commitment.
Sighing, he put the box back to his suit pocket. He did not understand why he kept bringing the box with him every time he visited England, knowing that England would either pretend that he did not acknowledge the rings inside the box every time America presented it to him or trying to get away by saying something along the line of ‘can we talk about it later?’.
Really, eleven months and three days after he first brought up the idea to England during his visit that time, and he had come no closer to finding that ring around England’s finger. England could be really stubborn if he wanted to. But if England wanted to play stubborn, America could also play stubborn. He had taken it as his personal challenge to get England accepting the matching ring. Better still if he could somehow persuade him to agreeing to have a partnership with him.
Yet a year-the amount of time he had set to achieve his goal-was nearly over and still he was left with his little red box and England’s avoidance. He started to think if England had a phobia toward the idea of ‘settling down’. And all along he believed that England was the one more… domestic between the two of them.
The notice announcing that the plane would land soon roared from the speaker, and America was forced to end his musing to fasten his seatbelt. Soon he would land and he knew that England would be there, greeting him in the airport. And he also knew that England would pretend not to hear him when he mentioned about how he had this lovely ring with his name on it. No matter what words he used, what tactic he employed, what kind of romantic date or magnificent thing he did for England, he would always somehow managed to get away from the issue, not really rejecting his proposition but also not really accepting it. It started to make him tired, and America wondered if he should just forget about the whole idea.
No sooner than the thought entered his mind, another thought came to him. This latter thought was somewhat fiercer than the former and it screamed at him in some figuratively loud voice, saying ‘hell no!’ with enough figurative exclamation marks following it.
No. Fucking. Way.
It did not come as that much of a surprise-at least to him-that as soon as he saw England waiting for him in the airport, he marched over to him hurriedly. His face was grim and his mouth set. In his hand he held the red box of their engagement ring.
England caught sight of his approach and smiled. “Hey, how’s…”
“You,” he said when he arrived in front of England, cutting him off his sentence. “Shut up.”
England frowned at him and there was the mix of confusion and the very beginning of anger in his expression. “What?”
“Shut up until I finish talking to you,” America said. “This is important and I would not agree to wait any longer so you better listen to me well and good. So, here…”
America brought his hand up and showed England the red box lying on his open palm.
“…I have this lovely little red box and you might be wondering what’s inside this box,” he said before he opened the box. Then with an exaggerated awe in his voice, he said, “Oh, look, it’s a pair of engagement rings! And now you’re wondering why I’m showing this to you? Well, it’s because I fucking love you, so very much, and I want to commit myself to you for the rest of our lives together. So, would you take this ring and take me as your partner?”
England gaped at him, seemingly at loss of words. But he was not England for nothing. Quickly he regained his composure and snapped at him.
“What are you doing?” he said sharply.
“Proposing to you,” America answered easily.
“This is hardly the right time or place to do such thing,” England said as he looked around, as if afraid that their little conversation had attracted some interest from the people around them. “Why don’t we just…”
“What? Why don’t we just talk about it later?” America said. His loud voice made some people look to their direction. “Okay, fine, but I know that later you would only tell me ‘oh, you’re still tired from your trip, let’s talk about it after you’ve got your rest’. Then after I got my rest it would be ‘not now, please, I have to do my work’. And after you do your work, it would be ‘let’s just forget about talking for a while and go to the bedroom’.”
“Am… Alfred!” England said in indignation. Apparently even in his agitated state, England still remembered to use their human names when they were in public. And considering that they had attracted several onlookers who observed their banter with curiosity-even though they tried hard to conceal it-it could be said that they were very much in public.
“Arthur, please,” America said, slipping into using England’s human name easily. “I’ve been waiting far too long. You keep me hanging here, neither rejecting nor accepting me. I’m not asking you to die for me or to follow my every command or what.”
“I know,” England said and for once he sounded exasperated. “I… know. I’m just… seriously, this is not the right time or place to…”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” America said. He quickly closed the distance between them and clasped England’s arm with his hand that was not holding the box of rings. “You, mister, are not going to run away this time.”
England sighed. “Alfred…”
“I will only accept a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’,” America said. “If you say ‘no’, then, okay, I’ll leave this matter and, God, perhaps I would be a pathetic emo for a while but I swear I wouldn’t bother you with this whole ring business again. But if you say ‘yes’ then I’ll slip this ring to your finger and there you go. It’s simple, okay.”
“I… can I ask for some time to think?” England said somewhat in panic.
“That doesn’t sound like a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ to my ears,” America said.
“But it’s too abrupt, you cannot possibly expect me to answer now,” England persisted.
“I hardly think it’s abrupt,” America countered. “Come on, we’ve been going at it for months already. It’s more than enough time for you to make up your mind.”
“I know that, but…” England raked his hand through his hair before he exhaled loudly. “It’s not only about whether I want it or not. It’s… complicated.”
“Then tell me,” America said as he tightened his grip on England’s arm a bit. “Please, Arthur, if you have something in your mind, if you have any problem with this, tell me. Talk to me. Share it with me. Don’t shut me out and walk away. You said it yourself that I’m bad at the whole ‘reading the atmosphere’ thing so I don’t know what’s bothering you if you don’t speak about it.”
“I…” England tried. “Can we at least sit down?”
“No, here is fine,” America said quickly. For the first time ever since he started bringing up the ring issue, it seemed that England was willing to talk. America did not trust the mood to keep up if they were so much as to move from their current standing place.
“Okay,” England said then gulped. “Okay, so… about the rings…”
America stared at him, trying hard to be patient. But after five seconds of silence without any indication that England might continue his speech, he very carefully said, “Yes?”
“It’s not like I hate the idea of wearing it,” England said. “I hate the idea of people’s idea of wearing it.”
America frowned. He tried to understand England’s point but somehow he could only draw blank.
“Er… sorry?”
“It’s signalling commitment, right?” England said before he hurriedly added. “I don’t mean I hate the idea of being committed to you. It’s just… most people view commitment as… control. There are expectations that might entail such commitment, responsibilities and… such. I’m not making myself clear, aren’t I?”
“No,” America said honestly. “But I think I get the picture.”
England glanced at him disbelievingly. “Really?”
“Yeah, abstract picture, mind you, just some scratches and splash of colours but, yeah, a picture,” America said with contemplative expression.
“Your metaphor is as bad as ever,” England mocked lightly with a teasing tone.
“And your paranoia is as profound as ever,” America countered back. “Really, Arthur, you’re taking this whole matter too seriously. Like I told you, I’m not asking you to give your all to me or to obey my every order. I just want to commit myself to you and in turn ask you if you’re willing to do the same to me. And considering that I know that you’re committed to me as I am to you, I can’t see what the matter is. These rings are only… symbolic.”
“But wearing them makes it feel more real,” England said.
America frowned. “And that’s bad?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know,” England said.
“But you love me, yes?” America asked.
“Yes, of course,” England said.
“And you’re committed to me. I mean, we’ve been together exclusively for… what, eighteen…”
“Nineteen years,” England interjected.
“Nineteen years. Okay. Pretty long time,” America said. “And you enjoy the times we’re together?”
“Oh, yes,” England said. “Very much so.”
“So why the hesitation? Or, er, perhaps you don’t like the design of the rings?” America asked. That was one possibility that he had never considered until then.
England smiled. “No, actually I love the design.”
“So, you love the ring, and you love the man who’s giving you the ring,” America said. “Sounds like a ‘yes’ to me.”
“I… well,” England stuttered a bit and America felt his anticipation rose when he noticed the very beginning of blush spreading across England’s cheeks. “Perhaps.”
America bit his lip to keep him from grinning too wide, but it was futile attempt. He knew that he was grinning like a lunatic. He was trying very hard not to let out his victorious laugh.
“So it’s a ‘yes’?” he asked England. “Please tell me it’s a ‘yes’.”
“Oh, well,” England said. “Okay. Yes.”
That time, America did not hold back his loud exclamation of joy before he swept England into his embrace and kissed him hard. He could feel some interested stares to their direction and even perhaps some snicker-or was it a scoff-but he did not care. Let them see, let them sneer, let them get jealous, whatever.
England had just said yes and that was the most important thing.
He still chuckled when he released England from his embrace. It was relieving to see that England also had a smile on his face.
“So, better see if the ring fits,” he said conversationally as he put the ring on England’s finger. Afterward, he stared at it reverently and smiled. “Well, look at that. It fits you like a glove until it almost seems like it’s made especially for you. Oh… wait. It is indeed made especially for you.”
England snorted as he took the other ring and put it on America’s finger. “You talk too much.”
“Oh, come on,” America said. “Can’t you say something more romantic? You’re putting the engagement ring on and the only thing you say is ‘you talk too much’? This relationship is doomed.”
“Doomed from the very start,” England agreed with a faux grim expression on his face. Then he smiled and gently took America’s hand. “Come on, then.”
America blinked. “Come on where?”
England rolled his eyes. “My place? Or did you forget that you’re here because you’re staying the weekend with me?”
“Oh. Oh!” America said, slapping his forehead loudly with his palm. “I really forgot. I mean, not really forgot but… well, okay. Hey, does that mean that tonight is our wedding night, in a sense?”
“You do talk too much,” England aid as he walked out of the airport with America, their hands were linked together. “Now shut up or I’ll make you walk home.”
“Sir, yes, Sir,” America agreed readily with a grin. He did keep his mouth shut afterward, but in his heart he was singing the sweetest song. After those long months-eleven months and three days to be exact-finally he got England saying ‘yes’.
Oh, yeah, he thought as he stared at the ring on England’s finger, the finger that was entangled with his, never let it be said that good ol’ US of A failed in his persuasion. It took time, but in the end he had reached his goal.
So now that the ring matter was settled, he thought as he walked to England’s car, perhaps it was time to start persuading England about the dogs…
End
(A/N: I'm all about posting sequel today it seems...)
Title: Sing the Sweetest Song
Author: slashy_lady
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): America and England / AmericaxEngland
Disclaimer: The characters involved in this story do not belong to me, nor do they have any connection to real nation(s). No infringement intended.
Note: This is a sequel to my fic, How to Succeed at Invasion Without Really Trying.
Some Kind of Summary: It had been eleven months and three days after America first proposed the idea, seven months since he actually bought the ring, and he still had not come any closer to finding that ring on England finger.
*******
Sitting on board of a plane across the Atlantic, America was thinking hard.
His eyes watched the view outside the small window beside him. Blue sky and white clouds, pretty classic, but his mind wandered far away, even farther than the sky and clouds. And his right hand was gripping a small red box which looked suspiciously like a case of some engagement ring.
In reality, it was indeed a case holding a pair of engagement rings.
He absently rolled the small box in his hand. The texture and shape of the little red box was familiar to him. How could it not, considering he had had that box in his possession for about seven months already and had spent that amount of time trying to present it to England, the love of his life, who seemed to view the ring as some kind of plague worse than the black death.
He never knew that England could be so terrified of commitment.
Sighing, he put the box back to his suit pocket. He did not understand why he kept bringing the box with him every time he visited England, knowing that England would either pretend that he did not acknowledge the rings inside the box every time America presented it to him or trying to get away by saying something along the line of ‘can we talk about it later?’.
Really, eleven months and three days after he first brought up the idea to England during his visit that time, and he had come no closer to finding that ring around England’s finger. England could be really stubborn if he wanted to. But if England wanted to play stubborn, America could also play stubborn. He had taken it as his personal challenge to get England accepting the matching ring. Better still if he could somehow persuade him to agreeing to have a partnership with him.
Yet a year-the amount of time he had set to achieve his goal-was nearly over and still he was left with his little red box and England’s avoidance. He started to think if England had a phobia toward the idea of ‘settling down’. And all along he believed that England was the one more… domestic between the two of them.
The notice announcing that the plane would land soon roared from the speaker, and America was forced to end his musing to fasten his seatbelt. Soon he would land and he knew that England would be there, greeting him in the airport. And he also knew that England would pretend not to hear him when he mentioned about how he had this lovely ring with his name on it. No matter what words he used, what tactic he employed, what kind of romantic date or magnificent thing he did for England, he would always somehow managed to get away from the issue, not really rejecting his proposition but also not really accepting it. It started to make him tired, and America wondered if he should just forget about the whole idea.
No sooner than the thought entered his mind, another thought came to him. This latter thought was somewhat fiercer than the former and it screamed at him in some figuratively loud voice, saying ‘hell no!’ with enough figurative exclamation marks following it.
No. Fucking. Way.
It did not come as that much of a surprise-at least to him-that as soon as he saw England waiting for him in the airport, he marched over to him hurriedly. His face was grim and his mouth set. In his hand he held the red box of their engagement ring.
England caught sight of his approach and smiled. “Hey, how’s…”
“You,” he said when he arrived in front of England, cutting him off his sentence. “Shut up.”
England frowned at him and there was the mix of confusion and the very beginning of anger in his expression. “What?”
“Shut up until I finish talking to you,” America said. “This is important and I would not agree to wait any longer so you better listen to me well and good. So, here…”
America brought his hand up and showed England the red box lying on his open palm.
“…I have this lovely little red box and you might be wondering what’s inside this box,” he said before he opened the box. Then with an exaggerated awe in his voice, he said, “Oh, look, it’s a pair of engagement rings! And now you’re wondering why I’m showing this to you? Well, it’s because I fucking love you, so very much, and I want to commit myself to you for the rest of our lives together. So, would you take this ring and take me as your partner?”
England gaped at him, seemingly at loss of words. But he was not England for nothing. Quickly he regained his composure and snapped at him.
“What are you doing?” he said sharply.
“Proposing to you,” America answered easily.
“This is hardly the right time or place to do such thing,” England said as he looked around, as if afraid that their little conversation had attracted some interest from the people around them. “Why don’t we just…”
“What? Why don’t we just talk about it later?” America said. His loud voice made some people look to their direction. “Okay, fine, but I know that later you would only tell me ‘oh, you’re still tired from your trip, let’s talk about it after you’ve got your rest’. Then after I got my rest it would be ‘not now, please, I have to do my work’. And after you do your work, it would be ‘let’s just forget about talking for a while and go to the bedroom’.”
“Am… Alfred!” England said in indignation. Apparently even in his agitated state, England still remembered to use their human names when they were in public. And considering that they had attracted several onlookers who observed their banter with curiosity-even though they tried hard to conceal it-it could be said that they were very much in public.
“Arthur, please,” America said, slipping into using England’s human name easily. “I’ve been waiting far too long. You keep me hanging here, neither rejecting nor accepting me. I’m not asking you to die for me or to follow my every command or what.”
“I know,” England said and for once he sounded exasperated. “I… know. I’m just… seriously, this is not the right time or place to…”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” America said. He quickly closed the distance between them and clasped England’s arm with his hand that was not holding the box of rings. “You, mister, are not going to run away this time.”
England sighed. “Alfred…”
“I will only accept a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’,” America said. “If you say ‘no’, then, okay, I’ll leave this matter and, God, perhaps I would be a pathetic emo for a while but I swear I wouldn’t bother you with this whole ring business again. But if you say ‘yes’ then I’ll slip this ring to your finger and there you go. It’s simple, okay.”
“I… can I ask for some time to think?” England said somewhat in panic.
“That doesn’t sound like a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ to my ears,” America said.
“But it’s too abrupt, you cannot possibly expect me to answer now,” England persisted.
“I hardly think it’s abrupt,” America countered. “Come on, we’ve been going at it for months already. It’s more than enough time for you to make up your mind.”
“I know that, but…” England raked his hand through his hair before he exhaled loudly. “It’s not only about whether I want it or not. It’s… complicated.”
“Then tell me,” America said as he tightened his grip on England’s arm a bit. “Please, Arthur, if you have something in your mind, if you have any problem with this, tell me. Talk to me. Share it with me. Don’t shut me out and walk away. You said it yourself that I’m bad at the whole ‘reading the atmosphere’ thing so I don’t know what’s bothering you if you don’t speak about it.”
“I…” England tried. “Can we at least sit down?”
“No, here is fine,” America said quickly. For the first time ever since he started bringing up the ring issue, it seemed that England was willing to talk. America did not trust the mood to keep up if they were so much as to move from their current standing place.
“Okay,” England said then gulped. “Okay, so… about the rings…”
America stared at him, trying hard to be patient. But after five seconds of silence without any indication that England might continue his speech, he very carefully said, “Yes?”
“It’s not like I hate the idea of wearing it,” England said. “I hate the idea of people’s idea of wearing it.”
America frowned. He tried to understand England’s point but somehow he could only draw blank.
“Er… sorry?”
“It’s signalling commitment, right?” England said before he hurriedly added. “I don’t mean I hate the idea of being committed to you. It’s just… most people view commitment as… control. There are expectations that might entail such commitment, responsibilities and… such. I’m not making myself clear, aren’t I?”
“No,” America said honestly. “But I think I get the picture.”
England glanced at him disbelievingly. “Really?”
“Yeah, abstract picture, mind you, just some scratches and splash of colours but, yeah, a picture,” America said with contemplative expression.
“Your metaphor is as bad as ever,” England mocked lightly with a teasing tone.
“And your paranoia is as profound as ever,” America countered back. “Really, Arthur, you’re taking this whole matter too seriously. Like I told you, I’m not asking you to give your all to me or to obey my every order. I just want to commit myself to you and in turn ask you if you’re willing to do the same to me. And considering that I know that you’re committed to me as I am to you, I can’t see what the matter is. These rings are only… symbolic.”
“But wearing them makes it feel more real,” England said.
America frowned. “And that’s bad?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know,” England said.
“But you love me, yes?” America asked.
“Yes, of course,” England said.
“And you’re committed to me. I mean, we’ve been together exclusively for… what, eighteen…”
“Nineteen years,” England interjected.
“Nineteen years. Okay. Pretty long time,” America said. “And you enjoy the times we’re together?”
“Oh, yes,” England said. “Very much so.”
“So why the hesitation? Or, er, perhaps you don’t like the design of the rings?” America asked. That was one possibility that he had never considered until then.
England smiled. “No, actually I love the design.”
“So, you love the ring, and you love the man who’s giving you the ring,” America said. “Sounds like a ‘yes’ to me.”
“I… well,” England stuttered a bit and America felt his anticipation rose when he noticed the very beginning of blush spreading across England’s cheeks. “Perhaps.”
America bit his lip to keep him from grinning too wide, but it was futile attempt. He knew that he was grinning like a lunatic. He was trying very hard not to let out his victorious laugh.
“So it’s a ‘yes’?” he asked England. “Please tell me it’s a ‘yes’.”
“Oh, well,” England said. “Okay. Yes.”
That time, America did not hold back his loud exclamation of joy before he swept England into his embrace and kissed him hard. He could feel some interested stares to their direction and even perhaps some snicker-or was it a scoff-but he did not care. Let them see, let them sneer, let them get jealous, whatever.
England had just said yes and that was the most important thing.
He still chuckled when he released England from his embrace. It was relieving to see that England also had a smile on his face.
“So, better see if the ring fits,” he said conversationally as he put the ring on England’s finger. Afterward, he stared at it reverently and smiled. “Well, look at that. It fits you like a glove until it almost seems like it’s made especially for you. Oh… wait. It is indeed made especially for you.”
England snorted as he took the other ring and put it on America’s finger. “You talk too much.”
“Oh, come on,” America said. “Can’t you say something more romantic? You’re putting the engagement ring on and the only thing you say is ‘you talk too much’? This relationship is doomed.”
“Doomed from the very start,” England agreed with a faux grim expression on his face. Then he smiled and gently took America’s hand. “Come on, then.”
America blinked. “Come on where?”
England rolled his eyes. “My place? Or did you forget that you’re here because you’re staying the weekend with me?”
“Oh. Oh!” America said, slapping his forehead loudly with his palm. “I really forgot. I mean, not really forgot but… well, okay. Hey, does that mean that tonight is our wedding night, in a sense?”
“You do talk too much,” England aid as he walked out of the airport with America, their hands were linked together. “Now shut up or I’ll make you walk home.”
“Sir, yes, Sir,” America agreed readily with a grin. He did keep his mouth shut afterward, but in his heart he was singing the sweetest song. After those long months-eleven months and three days to be exact-finally he got England saying ‘yes’.
Oh, yeah, he thought as he stared at the ring on England’s finger, the finger that was entangled with his, never let it be said that good ol’ US of A failed in his persuasion. It took time, but in the end he had reached his goal.
So now that the ring matter was settled, he thought as he walked to England’s car, perhaps it was time to start persuading England about the dogs…
End
(A/N: I'm all about posting sequel today it seems...)