❝can you not stand me at all?❞
title; Brawl
series; Axis Powers Hetalia
words; 1800
characters; Japan ; Turkey ; Greece (mentions of others)
rating; G
warnings; language
summary; Written for inuyashacooks for the myths_n_legends exchange. When a cruel twist of fate lands Japan rooming with Turkey and Greece at a world meeting, he decides that he knows a better way for them to fight and introduces them to video games.
Brawl
Japan really couldn’t see why the United Nations building had to be remodeled what seemed like every other day. It was as though every time he came to New York, they were adding a new floor, or new carpeting, or redoing the lights, or something. And most of the time that was fine-if America wanted to waste his money, who was Japan to stop him?-but on this particular day, there was a problem.
“We’re redoing your guest rooms!” America said brightly, addressing the dozens of nations seated before him.
“Oh, yes,” England drawled, “because it would have made absolutely no sense to do so before we got here.”
“Right!” America responded, England’s sarcasm completely lost on him. “So, during this conference, quarters might be a little tight. I was going to assign you rooms, but then we had an, erm, incident…”
“By which he means that China objected when France ended up in a room with his sister,” England muttered. Vietnam, seated further down the hall, scowled and turned red from the back of her neck to the top of her brow. America laughed nervously and cleared his throat.
“Yah, so since no one’s ever happy with my arrangements, you can deal with it yourselves-there’s sixty-five rooms and about two hundred of you, so that’s like three to a room, alright? Have fun!” And America, who no one could have ever before called a coward, turned on his heel and fled from the room.
Immediately, groups began to form. Some seemed natural-Hungary, Belgium and Liechtenstein, for instance. Others caused a bit more issue-for example, when Austria decided to stay with Germany, and somehow both Switzerland and Prussia also ended up in their room. Japan, instead of scrounging for roommates, simply got up and headed for the elevators. Because he didn’t care who was in his room as long as he got one.
About an hour later, he was wishing he’d taken Korea up on his offer to stay in a room with him, China, and Thailand.
---
“Hey,” Greece murmured as he opened the door, “Is anyone else staying here?”
Japan was lying on his back on one of the beds, fully clothed with his eyes shut. As Greece entered, he cracked open one eye and smiled softly. “No, but you’re more than welcome to.”
“Thanks,” Greece replied in slow, sleepy way. He set down his bags on one side of the room, then pulled out a book and went to sit by the window. Japan watched him as he read for about a minute and a half before dozing off in the sun.
“Well,” Japan murmured, “this should be a peaceful arrangement, at least.” He grinned softly, thinking of the ruckus that must have been ensuing in his brothers’ room at the same moment.
“Well, I’m sorry,” he heard America’s voice in the halls a moment later, “but this is the only room that’s not full, yet.”
“Well, then there better be someone decent staying in them, hadn’t there?” A gruff voice replied. Japan recognized the voice, and it only took his mind a minute to register the implications of it. A minute was too long, however, because by the time he scrambled to his feet, America had already entered the room, followed by a very irritated-looking Turkey.
Turkey took one look at Japan, and another at Greece dozing in the corner, and turned to America. “Oh, no. No. You’d better find me a new room very, very fast.”
“Sorry, Turkey,” America said, his smirk one part mischievous and two parts nervous, “but this is the only empty room. Sorry, gotta go!” By the time America had zipped out the door, Greece had woken up. He gazed blandly at Turkey for a moment, then noticed the suitcase in his hand, and jumped to his feet.
“Fuck no.”
---
Japan was beginning to get very nervous and very irritated as the hour ticked by.
“Why the hell aren’t you staying with Egypt?” Greece demanded hotly.
Turkey began to mutter something darkly under his breath, but then just looked up and said, “What about you and all your other friends? Why are you in Japan’s room?”
“Egypt didn’t want you, did he?” Greece crowed. “See? You’re such an asshole, no one wants to room with you!”
“You little bastard!” Turkey roared, and raised his hand as tough to strike the other nation. Greece, too well-experienced in Turkey’s company, ducked just in time. This only served to further antagonize Turkey, however, and within a matter of moments the two were wrestling on the ground between two beds.
Japan stood off to one corner, his face growing very pale. He scrambled for the hotel phone and dialed the number of Korea’s room.
“Hello? This is Korea, da ze,” his younger brother answered.
“I’m going to fucking murder you!” Turkey roared as his elbow collided with the underside of Greece’s chin.
“What was that?” Korea asked worriedly.
“Korea, this is Japan.”
“Oh, Aniki! What’s up?”
“Um, is there any more space in your room?”
“You want to join us?” Korea asked brightly. Japan nodded emphatically, not realizing that Korea couldn’t actually see him. However, on Korea’s next words his voice darkened. “Hyung-nim says with four people in the room, things are sort of tight, Aniki,” he said apologetically. “Something about America’s fire codes.”
“Please,” Japan breathed, as Greece grabbed Turkey’s shoulders and sent them both tumbling to the floor, “I’m here with Greece and Turkey.”
“Oh. Oh. So that’s what that noise is.” He paused and Japan could hear him muttering something over his shoulder to China and Thailand. “Hyung-nim says that you know the best way to stop an argument already-just do what we all do when we go over to your house!”
“Korea,” Japan said, his voice a combination of warning and question.
“Oh, gotta go, Aniki-Hong Kong just came back with the dim sum!” The line went dead, and Japan was forced to wonder how his brothers could abandon him to Turkey and Greece’s mercy while they sat around eating dim sum.
As Greece and Turkey hit the opposite wall, however, Japan thought back on Korea’s words. As they began to make sense, the small nation could only smile.
---
About fifteen minutes later, when Turkey and Greece’s fight had grown no calmer and showed no more prospect of a victor, Japan stood up on the coffee table in the center of the room and roared, “STOP!”
Turkey and Greece, who had never heard Japan speak that loudly before, stopped in their tracks and stared at him blankly.
“You two are acting like children,” Japan muttered, turning very red. “There’s a better way to solve this.”
“Oh, yeah?” Turkey spat, still clenching the scruff of Greece’s shirt in his hand, “And what would that be?”
“Let him talk, you stupid-”
“What was that?”
“ENOUGH!” Japan shouted. “We are going to settle this, once and for all.”
Greece and Turkey finally seemed to be in the mood to listen, so Japan cleared his throat and held up a sleek white controller. “Five rounds, two minutes each, melee mode-Super Smash Brothers: Brawl.”
Japan would later comment that it was cute how quickly the full-grown nations scrambled for controllers.
---
Turkey immediately decided that he’d be playing as Bowser. Greece commented cuttingly that it was a fitting choice-except the Koopa King was slightly more attractive than Turkey.
“Oh, and what stupid little character are you?” Turkey snapped.
Japan, curious, glanced at the screen and bit back a laugh. “Princess Peach?” he asked.
“Good god, you’re an idiot,” Turkey said, collapsing into a fit of laughter. “What’s Pretty Pretty Princess going to do?”
Greece only shrugged. “Start the game, Japan.”
As he did so, Japan took a step back. He wasn’t entirely sure that the use of video games would negate that of violence.
Round One took place in the Animal Crossing Stage, which was one of Japan’s favorites. Not that he was participating. That would have skewed the results, and Turkey and Greece wouldn’t have wanted that. Though, as it stood, they may not have even noticed. From the first, they became immersed in the game, crowing out their victories and cursing at their losses.
“You see?” Greece said knowingly, once, “That stupid turtle is too slow-you can’t even jump back onto the stage when you fall off!”
“Oh yah?” Turkey had challenged. “Then what about this?” A few button-smashes later, and the Bowser on the screen spun back onto the stage, crashing into Greece’s Peach as it did so. The pink-dressed princess stumbled back and fell off the stage, and no amount of parasol action could save her.
“Ha!” Turkey called out triumphantly a minute and a half later when the round ended, “I win.”
“That was only round one,” Greece reminded him through gritted teeth, “There’s still four to go.”
Greece won rounds two and three, and Sadiq took four. Japan found himself absorbed in their game, watching Greece guard with Toad and Sadiq roar with laughter as his Bowser breathed fire down on Peach. He didn’t realized how relaxed the atmosphere had gotten until Round Five began.
---
“A tie?” Japan asked helplessly. This was one outcome he hadn’t exactly foreseen.
Greece immediately turned back to Turkey. “You cheated.”
“I did not! If anyone cheated, it was you and that damn toadstool!”
“Fine, then we’ll just have to play the match again!”
“Fine!”
Japan knew by now where this was headed. With a sigh and a soft smile, he wandered off into the hallway to see what his brothers were up to. He made his way to the third floor and Korea’s room, ate the last of the dim sum and played a round of mahjong with his brothers, and then decided it was time to head back.
He found the room quiet except for the low humming of the Wii in the corner and the soft music. The TV was still on, the victory tune playing as Bowser smirked gleefully at his viewers. Japan turned to see what Greece thought of that, but both of his roommates were asleep. Turkey’s neck arched backwards against the couch as though he was laughing, but his eyes beneath his mask were closed. His chest rose and fell steadily, and Greece’s head had fallen against it, balanced between Turkey’s shoulder and the crook of his neck. One of his arms was splayed across Turkey’s chest. Their position seemed so practiced that Japan couldn’t help but wonder if they’d slept like that, before. He knew better than to ask, however.
He turned off the Wii after checking its records-the entire match, all thirty rounds, had ended in a tie-and then loosely draped a blanket over his roommates before heading to bed himself.
series; Axis Powers Hetalia
words; 1800
characters; Japan ; Turkey ; Greece (mentions of others)
rating; G
warnings; language
summary; Written for inuyashacooks for the myths_n_legends exchange. When a cruel twist of fate lands Japan rooming with Turkey and Greece at a world meeting, he decides that he knows a better way for them to fight and introduces them to video games.
Brawl
Japan really couldn’t see why the United Nations building had to be remodeled what seemed like every other day. It was as though every time he came to New York, they were adding a new floor, or new carpeting, or redoing the lights, or something. And most of the time that was fine-if America wanted to waste his money, who was Japan to stop him?-but on this particular day, there was a problem.
“We’re redoing your guest rooms!” America said brightly, addressing the dozens of nations seated before him.
“Oh, yes,” England drawled, “because it would have made absolutely no sense to do so before we got here.”
“Right!” America responded, England’s sarcasm completely lost on him. “So, during this conference, quarters might be a little tight. I was going to assign you rooms, but then we had an, erm, incident…”
“By which he means that China objected when France ended up in a room with his sister,” England muttered. Vietnam, seated further down the hall, scowled and turned red from the back of her neck to the top of her brow. America laughed nervously and cleared his throat.
“Yah, so since no one’s ever happy with my arrangements, you can deal with it yourselves-there’s sixty-five rooms and about two hundred of you, so that’s like three to a room, alright? Have fun!” And America, who no one could have ever before called a coward, turned on his heel and fled from the room.
Immediately, groups began to form. Some seemed natural-Hungary, Belgium and Liechtenstein, for instance. Others caused a bit more issue-for example, when Austria decided to stay with Germany, and somehow both Switzerland and Prussia also ended up in their room. Japan, instead of scrounging for roommates, simply got up and headed for the elevators. Because he didn’t care who was in his room as long as he got one.
About an hour later, he was wishing he’d taken Korea up on his offer to stay in a room with him, China, and Thailand.
---
“Hey,” Greece murmured as he opened the door, “Is anyone else staying here?”
Japan was lying on his back on one of the beds, fully clothed with his eyes shut. As Greece entered, he cracked open one eye and smiled softly. “No, but you’re more than welcome to.”
“Thanks,” Greece replied in slow, sleepy way. He set down his bags on one side of the room, then pulled out a book and went to sit by the window. Japan watched him as he read for about a minute and a half before dozing off in the sun.
“Well,” Japan murmured, “this should be a peaceful arrangement, at least.” He grinned softly, thinking of the ruckus that must have been ensuing in his brothers’ room at the same moment.
“Well, I’m sorry,” he heard America’s voice in the halls a moment later, “but this is the only room that’s not full, yet.”
“Well, then there better be someone decent staying in them, hadn’t there?” A gruff voice replied. Japan recognized the voice, and it only took his mind a minute to register the implications of it. A minute was too long, however, because by the time he scrambled to his feet, America had already entered the room, followed by a very irritated-looking Turkey.
Turkey took one look at Japan, and another at Greece dozing in the corner, and turned to America. “Oh, no. No. You’d better find me a new room very, very fast.”
“Sorry, Turkey,” America said, his smirk one part mischievous and two parts nervous, “but this is the only empty room. Sorry, gotta go!” By the time America had zipped out the door, Greece had woken up. He gazed blandly at Turkey for a moment, then noticed the suitcase in his hand, and jumped to his feet.
“Fuck no.”
---
Japan was beginning to get very nervous and very irritated as the hour ticked by.
“Why the hell aren’t you staying with Egypt?” Greece demanded hotly.
Turkey began to mutter something darkly under his breath, but then just looked up and said, “What about you and all your other friends? Why are you in Japan’s room?”
“Egypt didn’t want you, did he?” Greece crowed. “See? You’re such an asshole, no one wants to room with you!”
“You little bastard!” Turkey roared, and raised his hand as tough to strike the other nation. Greece, too well-experienced in Turkey’s company, ducked just in time. This only served to further antagonize Turkey, however, and within a matter of moments the two were wrestling on the ground between two beds.
Japan stood off to one corner, his face growing very pale. He scrambled for the hotel phone and dialed the number of Korea’s room.
“Hello? This is Korea, da ze,” his younger brother answered.
“I’m going to fucking murder you!” Turkey roared as his elbow collided with the underside of Greece’s chin.
“What was that?” Korea asked worriedly.
“Korea, this is Japan.”
“Oh, Aniki! What’s up?”
“Um, is there any more space in your room?”
“You want to join us?” Korea asked brightly. Japan nodded emphatically, not realizing that Korea couldn’t actually see him. However, on Korea’s next words his voice darkened. “Hyung-nim says with four people in the room, things are sort of tight, Aniki,” he said apologetically. “Something about America’s fire codes.”
“Please,” Japan breathed, as Greece grabbed Turkey’s shoulders and sent them both tumbling to the floor, “I’m here with Greece and Turkey.”
“Oh. Oh. So that’s what that noise is.” He paused and Japan could hear him muttering something over his shoulder to China and Thailand. “Hyung-nim says that you know the best way to stop an argument already-just do what we all do when we go over to your house!”
“Korea,” Japan said, his voice a combination of warning and question.
“Oh, gotta go, Aniki-Hong Kong just came back with the dim sum!” The line went dead, and Japan was forced to wonder how his brothers could abandon him to Turkey and Greece’s mercy while they sat around eating dim sum.
As Greece and Turkey hit the opposite wall, however, Japan thought back on Korea’s words. As they began to make sense, the small nation could only smile.
---
About fifteen minutes later, when Turkey and Greece’s fight had grown no calmer and showed no more prospect of a victor, Japan stood up on the coffee table in the center of the room and roared, “STOP!”
Turkey and Greece, who had never heard Japan speak that loudly before, stopped in their tracks and stared at him blankly.
“You two are acting like children,” Japan muttered, turning very red. “There’s a better way to solve this.”
“Oh, yeah?” Turkey spat, still clenching the scruff of Greece’s shirt in his hand, “And what would that be?”
“Let him talk, you stupid-”
“What was that?”
“ENOUGH!” Japan shouted. “We are going to settle this, once and for all.”
Greece and Turkey finally seemed to be in the mood to listen, so Japan cleared his throat and held up a sleek white controller. “Five rounds, two minutes each, melee mode-Super Smash Brothers: Brawl.”
Japan would later comment that it was cute how quickly the full-grown nations scrambled for controllers.
---
Turkey immediately decided that he’d be playing as Bowser. Greece commented cuttingly that it was a fitting choice-except the Koopa King was slightly more attractive than Turkey.
“Oh, and what stupid little character are you?” Turkey snapped.
Japan, curious, glanced at the screen and bit back a laugh. “Princess Peach?” he asked.
“Good god, you’re an idiot,” Turkey said, collapsing into a fit of laughter. “What’s Pretty Pretty Princess going to do?”
Greece only shrugged. “Start the game, Japan.”
As he did so, Japan took a step back. He wasn’t entirely sure that the use of video games would negate that of violence.
Round One took place in the Animal Crossing Stage, which was one of Japan’s favorites. Not that he was participating. That would have skewed the results, and Turkey and Greece wouldn’t have wanted that. Though, as it stood, they may not have even noticed. From the first, they became immersed in the game, crowing out their victories and cursing at their losses.
“You see?” Greece said knowingly, once, “That stupid turtle is too slow-you can’t even jump back onto the stage when you fall off!”
“Oh yah?” Turkey had challenged. “Then what about this?” A few button-smashes later, and the Bowser on the screen spun back onto the stage, crashing into Greece’s Peach as it did so. The pink-dressed princess stumbled back and fell off the stage, and no amount of parasol action could save her.
“Ha!” Turkey called out triumphantly a minute and a half later when the round ended, “I win.”
“That was only round one,” Greece reminded him through gritted teeth, “There’s still four to go.”
Greece won rounds two and three, and Sadiq took four. Japan found himself absorbed in their game, watching Greece guard with Toad and Sadiq roar with laughter as his Bowser breathed fire down on Peach. He didn’t realized how relaxed the atmosphere had gotten until Round Five began.
---
“A tie?” Japan asked helplessly. This was one outcome he hadn’t exactly foreseen.
Greece immediately turned back to Turkey. “You cheated.”
“I did not! If anyone cheated, it was you and that damn toadstool!”
“Fine, then we’ll just have to play the match again!”
“Fine!”
Japan knew by now where this was headed. With a sigh and a soft smile, he wandered off into the hallway to see what his brothers were up to. He made his way to the third floor and Korea’s room, ate the last of the dim sum and played a round of mahjong with his brothers, and then decided it was time to head back.
He found the room quiet except for the low humming of the Wii in the corner and the soft music. The TV was still on, the victory tune playing as Bowser smirked gleefully at his viewers. Japan turned to see what Greece thought of that, but both of his roommates were asleep. Turkey’s neck arched backwards against the couch as though he was laughing, but his eyes beneath his mask were closed. His chest rose and fell steadily, and Greece’s head had fallen against it, balanced between Turkey’s shoulder and the crook of his neck. One of his arms was splayed across Turkey’s chest. Their position seemed so practiced that Japan couldn’t help but wonder if they’d slept like that, before. He knew better than to ask, however.
He turned off the Wii after checking its records-the entire match, all thirty rounds, had ended in a tie-and then loosely draped a blanket over his roommates before heading to bed himself.