[FANFICTION]- Brotherhood (and some notes, too!!)
Title: Brotherhood
Author/Artist: Rea, or geogirl15
Character(s) or Pairing(s): America and Canada
Rating: PG
Warnings: real name usage, slight angst, and zombies. Always, always zombies.
Summary: After all this time, they're still brothers.
Notes: The reunion of Alfred and Matthew, as mentioned in Al's H-War Z ficlet!! It's sort of setting up other things, and I really wanted to get the brothers together and also give a bit more insight into the war in Canada and the US.
I really tried to make this bit a little lighter, considering that the previous parts have been nothing but DEATH AND ANGST. I hope that shows without coming off as well...bad.
:D Ah well. Enjoy.
They’d taken the shorter flight, the only one that Alfred could get tickets for, and he felt lucky. The longer flights, which made up the majority of air transportation these days, took multiple detours on various islands, no matter where they were going. 'Security measures', they claimed.
Heh...and I thought that going on an airplane was tough before the war...
It wasn't a long flight, but it was boring.
All windows were covered up; Nobody wanted to look below and see a rotting grey mass swarming the west coast.
The only entertainment available was an instructional video about what to do if the plane crashed into an infected zone, and that always played at the beginning of any flight anyway.
So there wasn't much to do but think. And so, that was exactly what Alfred did.
It had been a long time since he'd visited Matt, about 4 years at the least, when Fyodor was still little. Yeah, he called his brother all the time, but he hadn't gone and seen him in ages. He felt guilty, seeing the condition of his brother's country, knowing he could have done more to help him in the beginning, knowing his people are mostly to blame for the state of Canada's environment.
And maybe he was jealous of Matt too.
Just a little.
Matt was happy. He had a family, a whole, complete family. After all that he'd lost in the war, Matt still had that.
Alfred...after all that America went through, his family came out broken. And Matt's didn't.
It was wrong, being jealous of his brother, being jealous that his brother was happy and that his family was ok, but Alfred couldn't help it.
He sighed and shook his head a bit, trying to shake out the negative thoughts. Matt was happy, and that should be enough for Alfred.
So Alfred banished the negative thoughts from his head, choosing to look at the covered window, staring at nothing until they arrived.
-----
Nobody was waiting for Alfred at the airport. That wasn't surprising, Matt was probably busy. After all, the thaw had begun today...
Matt was probably busy, clearing out the initial thaw zombies, so of course he couldn't meet Al.
Doesn't matter, I'll just grab a taxi.
The taxi's are a hybrid between a typical car and a snowmobile, equipped to deal with any obstacles in the road. A Canadian invention that caught on with the rest of the world. Clever, resourceful Mattie.
It was a short drive, with both the driver and Alfred staying silent, looking out the window at the grey landscape. Once they got at Matt's home, Alfred pays the driver, who sped off, saying nothing.
Matt’s house was essentially the same on the inside, but the outside has changed significantly.
It looks less like a house and more like a fortress, with high stone walls and barbed wire and everything needed to keep brainless monsters out.
Most of the Nations had houses similar to Matt’s now, with minor variations in wall length and defensive weapons, depending on their location or environment.
Alfred's house had similar walls, and Arthur had moved back into one of his old castles.
Matt didn't get that many visitors, just Francis and occasionally Ivan and Arthur, but he’d installed a buzzer-phone on his wall, to save any visitors time.
“Mattie?”
“Yeah? Who is it?”
“It’s me, Alfred. You gonna let me in or what?”
“Oh!! Sorry, hold on a second!”
Alfred smiled and shook his head a bit. And people always called him the disorganized one...
The gate opened, and Alfred walked into the compound, getting up to the entrance of Matt’s house, where he knocked on the door.
There was once a time when he thought this whole process was convoluted and overcomplicated, but he knew better now. Everybody did.
Shuffling could be heard inside the house before Matt finally opened the door.
He looked tired, disheveled, wearing a heavy jacket, cargo pants, and boots, gloved hands stained with black ooze that was most likely blood. Alfred could only hope that it wasn't Matt's.
Matt smiled apologetically, motioning for Alfred to come into the house.
“Hey Alfred. Sorry ‘bout my appearance, haven’t had a chance to wash up and change yet. Wasn’t expecting you for a little while…c’mon in, make yourself comfortable, eh?”
Alfred smiled and nodded, entering.
Matt showed him to the living room and went off to clean up and change.
Alfred looked around. Matt somehow managed to find time to keep his house in working condition AND fight off zombies on a regular basis. Alfred wasn't quite sure how he managed it.
His brother was either amazing or an insomniac, and considering his appearance, Alfred suspected the latter.
He sat down on the couch, next to a large white pile of fluff that moved slightly, opening one eye.
“Hey, Kumajiro.”
“…hello, America…”
The polar bear blinked and stared at Alfred for a moment before curling up into a ball and falling back to sleep. The Nation blinked at the bear and laughed. One of a kind, that Kumajiro.
One of a kind...
He sat alone next to the sleeping bear, watching Kumajiro sleep, before a soft yawn caused him to look up.
A little boy, no older than 4 or 5, toddled into the room, dragging a blanket behind him.
Fyodor. Matt's son, and Alfred's nephew.
Seeing his uncle, the little boy smiled sleepily and crawled onto the couch, between him and the polar bear.
“ ‘Lo, Uncle Alfie…”
Alfred smiled.
“Hey there, Fyodor. How’s it going?”
“ ‘s all right…daddy was out hunting the Zack's this morning, so me n Kumajiro got to sleep in late. He promised me maple cakes, cept he hasn't made them yet, so I got up...”
Alfred had to laugh a little bit.
Matt always let Fyodor and Kumajiro sleep in. The little boy looked at his uncle, slightly confused as to why he was laughing, before smiling a bit more and joining in softly.
“Fyodor, I hope you’re not bothering Uncle Alfie in there…”
“I’m not, daddy!”
Matt grinned as he walked into the room, looking much more presentable now. He sat in a large chair across from Alfred, and his son got up from the couch and joined his father, crawling onto his lap where he snuggled up and started to go back to sleep.
Both adults laughed slightly at that. When he was asleep, Fyodor looked more like Kumajiro than either of his parents, an inside joke known to all familiar with Fyodor.
After the boy fell back to sleep, Matt smiled apologetically to his brother.
“Sorry about him. You know how kids are.”
“Heh, that’s for sure. I know kids better than anybody! So, how are things, Mattie?”
Matt shrugged.
“The usual, I suppose. The thaws have started up, so I’ve been busy dealing with that…but apart from that, things are normal. You?”
“Same, I guess, only without the thaw. We’re still weeding out the West Coast, and I think we’ve made some real progress, especially around the Nevada area."
He smiles, proud that they've finally started making progress out west, before frowning a bit, looking down at the floor.
"Matt...Lani’s taking charge on her own for the first time, and I dunno...I'm afraid she's still too young, do you think she’s ready, Mattie?”
Matt nodded.
“Course she is. She’s resilient and tough, people listen to her like they listen to you. I’m sure everything will be fine, eh? You worry too much, Al.”
“Well, I think I’ve earned that right, Mattie.”
Both Nations laughed a bit and fell into silence, neither quite sure what to say. It had been so long since anybody had had a normal conversation...and it had been so long since Alfred really felt comfortable around Matt...
Al remembered what he'd been thinking about before he left, how he felt guilty for what happened to Matt's country...how he'd never properly apologized...
...Well, it's now or never...
“…Matt…? I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the chance to say it, but…thank you. You really helped during the first few years of the war, and I know that my people sort of, well, destroyed your country, but…thank you.”
Matt just smiled a bit and shook his head.
“Don’t worry about it. You ended up doing the same for me in the end, so we’re even, eh? Canada would have been completely overrun if it wasn’t for you.”
Alfred nodded quietly, and the brothers sank into silence once again, this time a little more comfortable in the quiet.
“…Al, I’m having a few of the others over later, for old times’ sake. Nothing special, no politics or anything, just to talk and hang out and whatnot...I don’t know how long you’re in town for, but, I was wondering if you’d be interested in joining us…?”
Alfred just blinked at his brother before laughing and nodding.
“Sure. What the hell, I’d love to. Been ages since I’ve seen everybody, anyway.”
Matt grinned at his brother, silently thanking him, and Alfred felt...happy.
"Thanks, Mattie. C'mon, I think you promised Fyo some maple cakes?"
Matt nodded and laughed, stroking his sleeping son's hair before picking him up and heading for the kitchen. He turned back, looking at Alfred, a small smile on his face.
"Wanna help me, brother?"
Alfred stood up and smiled, moving to stand next to his brother.
"Wouldn't miss that for the world."
NOTES
-Following the declared end of the zombie war, the majority of transportation was changed to accommodate the new world. Airplanes no longer have windows, the majority of cars are like trucks fused with snowplows, etc.
-The majority of planes take longer routes to get to their destinations, often stopping off at small islands to refuel and contact their final destinations in order to confirm everything is still ok down there.
-As previously mentioned, the Canadian wilderness, as well as much of the Canadian wildlife, was destroyed during the war, not just by zombies, but by the large amount of refugees fleeing north. The majority of these came from America.
-As mentioned, most of the Nations' now live in small fortresses, with large walls and various means of defense. England's living in an old castle is in reference to the fact that the UK used castles as strongholds during the war, which helped them survive. The same thing occurred to a smaller degree in France.
-Maple cakes is, of course, maple syrup with a side of pancakes. In the post zombie world, maple syrup is rather rare due to the decimation of trees across the world, so it's sort of a delicacy now. Canada still houses the majority of maple trees, though.
-Alfred's jealousy comes from the fact that Matt's got a happy family, all of whom survived the war, while Alfred's got a buncha dead kids. D: Sad.
-The next 'chapter' should be rather Russia-centric, if everything goes as planned...
-The Nation's will all meet up for old times sake at Matt's house some time in the future. As mentioned, there will be no politics, though I'd like to show a World Meeting taking place either during or after the zombie war at some point...
-This chapter was a bit difficult to write, but I did try, and I hope you all liked it! I think that the last chapter came out better, but hey, that's writing! Thanks for reading!!
Whew...
Oh, I am on a friggen ROLL with the writing these days!!
...Granted, I'm probably gonna hit a wall very, very soon, BUT IT'S OK! :D I HAVE PEOPLE FOR THAT SORT OF THING!
AND BY PEOPLE, I MEAN YOU READERS! YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IN H-WAR Z!! :D Cuz it's a relatively flexible fic, and I've got some stuff planned out, but I really do like reader input, so if you guys have anything you want to see at all, be it big or small, just leave it here!
AND.
I still kinda need a beta, to help me with my occasional spelling mistakes, grammar issues, and factual inaccuracies, which I sometimes miss while proofreading on my own. I can't really pay you, and there's no health benefits, but I'd be really grateful if somebody'd like to help, just a little. :D Lemme know if you're interesting.
Author/Artist: Rea, or geogirl15
Character(s) or Pairing(s): America and Canada
Rating: PG
Warnings: real name usage, slight angst, and zombies. Always, always zombies.
Summary: After all this time, they're still brothers.
Notes: The reunion of Alfred and Matthew, as mentioned in Al's H-War Z ficlet!! It's sort of setting up other things, and I really wanted to get the brothers together and also give a bit more insight into the war in Canada and the US.
I really tried to make this bit a little lighter, considering that the previous parts have been nothing but DEATH AND ANGST. I hope that shows without coming off as well...bad.
:D Ah well. Enjoy.
They’d taken the shorter flight, the only one that Alfred could get tickets for, and he felt lucky. The longer flights, which made up the majority of air transportation these days, took multiple detours on various islands, no matter where they were going. 'Security measures', they claimed.
Heh...and I thought that going on an airplane was tough before the war...
It wasn't a long flight, but it was boring.
All windows were covered up; Nobody wanted to look below and see a rotting grey mass swarming the west coast.
The only entertainment available was an instructional video about what to do if the plane crashed into an infected zone, and that always played at the beginning of any flight anyway.
So there wasn't much to do but think. And so, that was exactly what Alfred did.
It had been a long time since he'd visited Matt, about 4 years at the least, when Fyodor was still little. Yeah, he called his brother all the time, but he hadn't gone and seen him in ages. He felt guilty, seeing the condition of his brother's country, knowing he could have done more to help him in the beginning, knowing his people are mostly to blame for the state of Canada's environment.
And maybe he was jealous of Matt too.
Just a little.
Matt was happy. He had a family, a whole, complete family. After all that he'd lost in the war, Matt still had that.
Alfred...after all that America went through, his family came out broken. And Matt's didn't.
It was wrong, being jealous of his brother, being jealous that his brother was happy and that his family was ok, but Alfred couldn't help it.
He sighed and shook his head a bit, trying to shake out the negative thoughts. Matt was happy, and that should be enough for Alfred.
So Alfred banished the negative thoughts from his head, choosing to look at the covered window, staring at nothing until they arrived.
-----
Nobody was waiting for Alfred at the airport. That wasn't surprising, Matt was probably busy. After all, the thaw had begun today...
Matt was probably busy, clearing out the initial thaw zombies, so of course he couldn't meet Al.
Doesn't matter, I'll just grab a taxi.
The taxi's are a hybrid between a typical car and a snowmobile, equipped to deal with any obstacles in the road. A Canadian invention that caught on with the rest of the world. Clever, resourceful Mattie.
It was a short drive, with both the driver and Alfred staying silent, looking out the window at the grey landscape. Once they got at Matt's home, Alfred pays the driver, who sped off, saying nothing.
Matt’s house was essentially the same on the inside, but the outside has changed significantly.
It looks less like a house and more like a fortress, with high stone walls and barbed wire and everything needed to keep brainless monsters out.
Most of the Nations had houses similar to Matt’s now, with minor variations in wall length and defensive weapons, depending on their location or environment.
Alfred's house had similar walls, and Arthur had moved back into one of his old castles.
Matt didn't get that many visitors, just Francis and occasionally Ivan and Arthur, but he’d installed a buzzer-phone on his wall, to save any visitors time.
“Mattie?”
“Yeah? Who is it?”
“It’s me, Alfred. You gonna let me in or what?”
“Oh!! Sorry, hold on a second!”
Alfred smiled and shook his head a bit. And people always called him the disorganized one...
The gate opened, and Alfred walked into the compound, getting up to the entrance of Matt’s house, where he knocked on the door.
There was once a time when he thought this whole process was convoluted and overcomplicated, but he knew better now. Everybody did.
Shuffling could be heard inside the house before Matt finally opened the door.
He looked tired, disheveled, wearing a heavy jacket, cargo pants, and boots, gloved hands stained with black ooze that was most likely blood. Alfred could only hope that it wasn't Matt's.
Matt smiled apologetically, motioning for Alfred to come into the house.
“Hey Alfred. Sorry ‘bout my appearance, haven’t had a chance to wash up and change yet. Wasn’t expecting you for a little while…c’mon in, make yourself comfortable, eh?”
Alfred smiled and nodded, entering.
Matt showed him to the living room and went off to clean up and change.
Alfred looked around. Matt somehow managed to find time to keep his house in working condition AND fight off zombies on a regular basis. Alfred wasn't quite sure how he managed it.
His brother was either amazing or an insomniac, and considering his appearance, Alfred suspected the latter.
He sat down on the couch, next to a large white pile of fluff that moved slightly, opening one eye.
“Hey, Kumajiro.”
“…hello, America…”
The polar bear blinked and stared at Alfred for a moment before curling up into a ball and falling back to sleep. The Nation blinked at the bear and laughed. One of a kind, that Kumajiro.
One of a kind...
He sat alone next to the sleeping bear, watching Kumajiro sleep, before a soft yawn caused him to look up.
A little boy, no older than 4 or 5, toddled into the room, dragging a blanket behind him.
Fyodor. Matt's son, and Alfred's nephew.
Seeing his uncle, the little boy smiled sleepily and crawled onto the couch, between him and the polar bear.
“ ‘Lo, Uncle Alfie…”
Alfred smiled.
“Hey there, Fyodor. How’s it going?”
“ ‘s all right…daddy was out hunting the Zack's this morning, so me n Kumajiro got to sleep in late. He promised me maple cakes, cept he hasn't made them yet, so I got up...”
Alfred had to laugh a little bit.
Matt always let Fyodor and Kumajiro sleep in. The little boy looked at his uncle, slightly confused as to why he was laughing, before smiling a bit more and joining in softly.
“Fyodor, I hope you’re not bothering Uncle Alfie in there…”
“I’m not, daddy!”
Matt grinned as he walked into the room, looking much more presentable now. He sat in a large chair across from Alfred, and his son got up from the couch and joined his father, crawling onto his lap where he snuggled up and started to go back to sleep.
Both adults laughed slightly at that. When he was asleep, Fyodor looked more like Kumajiro than either of his parents, an inside joke known to all familiar with Fyodor.
After the boy fell back to sleep, Matt smiled apologetically to his brother.
“Sorry about him. You know how kids are.”
“Heh, that’s for sure. I know kids better than anybody! So, how are things, Mattie?”
Matt shrugged.
“The usual, I suppose. The thaws have started up, so I’ve been busy dealing with that…but apart from that, things are normal. You?”
“Same, I guess, only without the thaw. We’re still weeding out the West Coast, and I think we’ve made some real progress, especially around the Nevada area."
He smiles, proud that they've finally started making progress out west, before frowning a bit, looking down at the floor.
"Matt...Lani’s taking charge on her own for the first time, and I dunno...I'm afraid she's still too young, do you think she’s ready, Mattie?”
Matt nodded.
“Course she is. She’s resilient and tough, people listen to her like they listen to you. I’m sure everything will be fine, eh? You worry too much, Al.”
“Well, I think I’ve earned that right, Mattie.”
Both Nations laughed a bit and fell into silence, neither quite sure what to say. It had been so long since anybody had had a normal conversation...and it had been so long since Alfred really felt comfortable around Matt...
Al remembered what he'd been thinking about before he left, how he felt guilty for what happened to Matt's country...how he'd never properly apologized...
...Well, it's now or never...
“…Matt…? I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the chance to say it, but…thank you. You really helped during the first few years of the war, and I know that my people sort of, well, destroyed your country, but…thank you.”
Matt just smiled a bit and shook his head.
“Don’t worry about it. You ended up doing the same for me in the end, so we’re even, eh? Canada would have been completely overrun if it wasn’t for you.”
Alfred nodded quietly, and the brothers sank into silence once again, this time a little more comfortable in the quiet.
“…Al, I’m having a few of the others over later, for old times’ sake. Nothing special, no politics or anything, just to talk and hang out and whatnot...I don’t know how long you’re in town for, but, I was wondering if you’d be interested in joining us…?”
Alfred just blinked at his brother before laughing and nodding.
“Sure. What the hell, I’d love to. Been ages since I’ve seen everybody, anyway.”
Matt grinned at his brother, silently thanking him, and Alfred felt...happy.
"Thanks, Mattie. C'mon, I think you promised Fyo some maple cakes?"
Matt nodded and laughed, stroking his sleeping son's hair before picking him up and heading for the kitchen. He turned back, looking at Alfred, a small smile on his face.
"Wanna help me, brother?"
Alfred stood up and smiled, moving to stand next to his brother.
"Wouldn't miss that for the world."
NOTES
-Following the declared end of the zombie war, the majority of transportation was changed to accommodate the new world. Airplanes no longer have windows, the majority of cars are like trucks fused with snowplows, etc.
-The majority of planes take longer routes to get to their destinations, often stopping off at small islands to refuel and contact their final destinations in order to confirm everything is still ok down there.
-As previously mentioned, the Canadian wilderness, as well as much of the Canadian wildlife, was destroyed during the war, not just by zombies, but by the large amount of refugees fleeing north. The majority of these came from America.
-As mentioned, most of the Nations' now live in small fortresses, with large walls and various means of defense. England's living in an old castle is in reference to the fact that the UK used castles as strongholds during the war, which helped them survive. The same thing occurred to a smaller degree in France.
-Maple cakes is, of course, maple syrup with a side of pancakes. In the post zombie world, maple syrup is rather rare due to the decimation of trees across the world, so it's sort of a delicacy now. Canada still houses the majority of maple trees, though.
-Alfred's jealousy comes from the fact that Matt's got a happy family, all of whom survived the war, while Alfred's got a buncha dead kids. D: Sad.
-The next 'chapter' should be rather Russia-centric, if everything goes as planned...
-The Nation's will all meet up for old times sake at Matt's house some time in the future. As mentioned, there will be no politics, though I'd like to show a World Meeting taking place either during or after the zombie war at some point...
-This chapter was a bit difficult to write, but I did try, and I hope you all liked it! I think that the last chapter came out better, but hey, that's writing! Thanks for reading!!
Whew...
Oh, I am on a friggen ROLL with the writing these days!!
...Granted, I'm probably gonna hit a wall very, very soon, BUT IT'S OK! :D I HAVE PEOPLE FOR THAT SORT OF THING!
AND BY PEOPLE, I MEAN YOU READERS! YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IN H-WAR Z!! :D Cuz it's a relatively flexible fic, and I've got some stuff planned out, but I really do like reader input, so if you guys have anything you want to see at all, be it big or small, just leave it here!
AND.
I still kinda need a beta, to help me with my occasional spelling mistakes, grammar issues, and factual inaccuracies, which I sometimes miss while proofreading on my own. I can't really pay you, and there's no health benefits, but I'd be really grateful if somebody'd like to help, just a little. :D Lemme know if you're interesting.