Past-Part Fills Post 1 -- CLOSED
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Finally he knelt beside Japan’s bed, seiza like Japan would’ve sat if his thigh muscles and his shin wouldn’t have screamed so hard he passed out, and bowed. Flat to the woven-straw mat, smelling summer and silk, before sitting up straight again.
“Japan,” he said, “if you will help me, I will help you become stronger, and wealthier, than you were before. If you have that, then you will have all the influence you wish, through all of Asia, and you won’t need to fight. But to do that you need to want to rise again. I can’t magic up a spell to heal your leg. I can’t bring your boys home. I can’t give you a victory. But I can help you make your future.”
Japan’s arm slid, aching-slow, across the mat and up America’s leg, his arm, to tangle his fingers in America’s hair. America didn’t move. Wondered if Japan would even have the strength to tear his hair out when he could barely eat the noodles America made for him.
Instead Japan just lay there, not moving, until finally after long minutes he said, “You did not owe me that bow.” He was smiling, just a little, and America thought, Well, maybe he’s nice when you’re on his good side, and only inhuman when you’re not.
After that, Japan healed better, and within a couple of years was walking with a cane. America thought it was pretty dapper, in that menacing sort of way. Japan had showed him some boxing-like fighting system using bare hands that America promptly told him not to do again anytime soon, but then Japan had said that he had a Way for almost any weapon, including oars. Which made America a little nervous, but Japan didn’t seem to have much urge to fight, and anyway just walking hurt still, so.
Pretty soon it was like they were parts of each other, cooperating and fixing things up, until finally America said over dinner one night, “You know, I’ve got a lot of your kids.”
“Yes,” Japan said. “A time when our relations were very different.”
“I think they’re better now,” America said, and hoped he wasn’t coming off tacky. It was the Japan Effect, that everything he said sounded fine in his head and came out sounding so tacky he couldn’t imagine why Japan was even putting up with him. Except then he’d remember how he was prety much the only thing standing between Japan and economic ruin, so.
“Mm,” Japan grunted affirmatively. “I would not mind if you wished to make our alliance more personal, I suppose.” More personal. Was that yes, or just saying something really obtuse to look polite?
So America reached to touch Japan’s hair, his shoulder, tilted his head back to kiss him. Followed the sensation of Japan’s hands slipping under his uniform, resting over his belly. Gentle. No protest. Yeah, that had been a yes.
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And then America started throwing up in the mornings, like he was sick, but his economy was doing better than it’d been since before the stock market crash. And he gained weight. Started eating more.
And one morning, with Japan’s fingers whispering over his belly, America realized what had happened.
“Fuck,” he said, and Japan flinched a little. “Fuck,” America repeated. “You knocked me up.”
Japan closed his eyes briefly. “I do not understand.”
“My states,” America said. “The first thirteen raised me, and I think Massachusetts is my biological mom, but. All the rest are my kids. Like Spain is Florida and California’s dad, and Sweden is Minnesota’s, and France is - ”
“I understand,” Japan said, interrupting him. “How many states do you have?”
“Forty-nine.”
“If he lives, you will have fifty.”
“Uh. Yeah.” America swallowed. “You, uh. Are you going to acknowledge paternity, or.”
“I can hardly imagine,” Japan said idly, “that you could blame anyone else.”
“No,” America said. He wondered what his new State would look like.
Japan must’ve been really mad that America even asked him if he’d acknowledge the kid, because after that he fretted. A lot. He kept his house even more immaculately clean than normal, was always checking the temperature of food, made America eat soba and fish and tofu all the time.
Not that America didn’t like fish, but he usually liked it fried and on a Friday night. And tofu was a joke. And he just didn’t get the point of buckwheat. Regular noodles tasted way better, especially if there was cheese on top.
So he whined, and whined, and ate anyway, and whined some more, and Japan apologized profusely and cooked fish anyway. And then, once they went to bed, lay warm beside him, breath tickling America’s neck, and would hum folk melodies against America’s skin.
The baby seemed healthy enough, America thought. It didn’t feel wrong-way round, like Kansas had been, so tied up America had been afraid they’d both die. And after a while Japan said he could hear the heartbeat, but then, they’d been five minutes short of sex so America wasn’t sure how much he trusted that.
It wasn’t a bad pregnancy, as they went. He’d had worse, and had had better, and that was all. At least Japan was there. America hated making D.C. do all the work; he was so inefficient about it.
Finally, finally, after way too long, America went into labor. It wasn’t fun. It was easy enough, but it hurt like it always did, and D.C. put up a screaming fight at having to do work, and Japan held America’s hand so hard during delivery that America had bruises all over his wrist.
Hawaii was a girl. America didn’t even have to look at Japan to know he was disappointed. At least Japan manned up and looked after her anyway until America was ready to go home.
Not home, Japan’s house. Home, to where America’s States were, where Japan didn’t want to go and America couldn’t not.
“You’ll visit?” America said.
“Of course. I don’t want her to grow up a carbon copy of you. You will let me teach her Japanese, of course?”
America wasn’t sure if he was being insulted or not. “Yeah; it’d be good for her to have both of us. Thanks.”
Japan nodded, looked like he maybe wanted to say something, but didn’t.
America held Hawaii up, and Japan tapped her nose and kissed the top of her head.
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I don't mind the lack of fluff since it makes the fic much more realistic. I think you did well fitting in the facts with the story. It was clever how you changed it so America bottomed out of convenience. I hadn't really thought of it that way when I was typing out the request but it makes more sense ^^ Lol, I liked the mentions of the other state's daddies XD
Overall really nice fic. Thank you so much for filling it <333 *hands over some pineapple pie, which is pretty damn good imo*
One question though, why was Japan disappointed in Hawaii being a girl? I have an idea why, but I'd like to make sure ^^;
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Also, really good recognition about Kansas (Bleeding Kansas that is). I'm a fan of Mama!Alfred + State-tans and I always believed Kansas had a twin that was still born(Before the state was formed, two forms of government had been established. Just angstin' it up over here!!).
Would anon be offended at all if I were to fill this as well? I'm just taking my sweet time finishing the first chapter
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Though you claim it isn't fluff, I found it incredibly sweet. ♥
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