All is Not As it Seems - 6b
anonymous
September 26 2010, 06:03:29 UTC
"I was. I'm sorry." England hugged America tightly, and America got why England had been so stunned--he was actually a little taller than England now. When had that happened? He remembered when England left, hadn't he only come up to England's chest then?
For a few minutes, America experienced bliss, in the comfort of England's embrace. Everything was going to be alright, America was certain; England could fix all of America's worries: Virginia's disobedience, how exhausting caring for the baby was, all the hiding America had had to do from the countries and his citizens, how he was going to continue providing for his children now that there were two. All that was over now.
Or so he thought. America hadn't considered he might be investing too much faith in England.
Virginia walked into the room, carrying her baby brother. Confused over why her father was hugging this man she'd never seen before, she simply stared at England, who, for his part, took one look past America at Virginia and couldn't not notice that this child had suspiciously similar eyebrows and eye coloring.
England let go of America and lost all coherency once again. America was wondering how badly England was going to take this when England was able to quit stammering and nervously demanded, "Who are these two? You know the settlers aren't supposed to be here! Why are you inviting them to the house? How often have you done this?"
Damn. That bit of happiness had been short lived. "They live here."
"What would possess you to do such a thing?"
"Relax, they're not settlers."
"Then what are they?" England appeared to be in no mood for games.
In America's defense, this wasn't a game. It had been so long since he'd seen England that he'd never bothered to think how he was going to break the news of Virginia to the country. "They're mine," he answered, deciding being short and to the point would be best, in this situation.
"Yours. Funny. Whose are they really?"
"They're mine. Seriously." America was a little concerned that England wasn't believing him.
England gave America an impatient look like this was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard anyone say. "You took in settler children? Has it even occured to you just how bad an idea that is? Where did you get them from? They need to go back!"
"Go back?" Virginia said. "I'm not going anywhere, this is my home! Why don't you go back? Alfred, why is this man yelling and giving orders? Who is he?"
For a moment, America thought England was going to direct his yelling at Virginia, but then he focused his gaze back onto America. "See how rude that one is? You're a bad influence already! Those children need to go to people who will discipline them!"
"I do not need discipline!"
"They're not going anywhere. When I said they're mine, I didn't mean I found them and took them in. They're mine."
He could tell England was trying to come up with any other possibility, rather than take America's words at face value. Did he truly not believe him, or did he just not want to believe him? "They're...yours?"
"Yes." Was he actually accepting it?
"You...had them? You did?"
"Yes."
Virginia frowned. "This is my father? He's England?" She glared at England. "Why are you yelling at America?" It was the first time she'd ever called her father by his real name.
England did not seem to hear his daughter. He was staring at America in shock. "Why aren't you dead?"
Unable to believe he'd heard right, America watched England uneasily, hoping he'd laugh awkwardly and say it was just a bad joke, or he'd apologize and try to help America figure out how this had happened.
Virginia was angered enough to challenge England's question when America could not. "Why would you say something like that? How dare you go on about rudeness, then ask him such a thing! What's your problem?"
All is Not As it Seems - 6c
anonymous
September 26 2010, 06:04:37 UTC
Feeling horribly hollow all of a sudden, America brushed past England. He went to Virginia, taking the baby from her, and holding New Netherland with one arm, America grabbed Virginia as well and left the room with both his children. Virginia was bombarding him with questions about why he was allowing England to talk to him like that, but America was having trouble concentrating on his daughter. He brought the children into his bedroom, closed the door, let go of Virginia, then sat down on the floor with his back to the door, in horrified silence. New Netherland--who had been looking drowsy throughout the drama--fell asleep pressed up against his father.
"...America...?"
"You can't call me that when anyone else is around," he said. Strange, he sounded perfectly normal. "It was fine in front of England, and when you, me, and your brother are alone, but not in front of anyone else, do you understand?"
She nodded, looking as upset as he felt. "Why would he ask that?" she said, in a very small voice. "Does he want you dead?"
America motioned for her to come sit with him. She burst into tears and sank down on the floor beside him, burying her face against his shoulder. He held her close and stroked her hair, his hurt being replaced by anger--he didn't care how big a shock this was to England, what was he thinking talking like that in front of children? Couldn't he have waited two minutes till Virginia and New Netherland were out of earshot?
"England's been gone eight years," he told Virginia. "You get priority over him. You and your brother both. Don't worry about what England says, I'm the one taking care of you and I won't let anything change."
Virginia clung tighter to him. New Netherland kept on sleeping peacefully.
***
It was only after Virginia stopped crying and calmed down that America left the bedroom, looking for England.
The country hadn't left the room they'd been talking in. He was standing still, for all appearances arguing fiercely with himself.
"There was no leeway in how I worded that! I made sure there wasn't! But then how could this happen? Twice! What did I say?"
What was this all about?
"Was I still drunk? Did it turn out to the opposite effect?"
The hell with this; England could worry out loud later, after he was gone. America wanted a word with him over that bit of nastiness England had pulled in front of their little girl, and then he was making England leave. If England wanted ownership of the house, he should have stayed here, not taken off for nearly ten years. "England!"
England turned around. He was pale and something in his eyes made America hesitate. The colony was about to go through on telling his guardian to get out, when England suddenly said, bluntly, "I used black magic on you."
Caught off guard, America was silenced. Wasn't magic just a lot of fancy hand tricks? What did England's hobbies have to do with America's current problems?
"I wanted to protect you," England continued, haltingly. "Even if I never drank again, how was I to know I'd never lose control some other way? Look how little it took for me to lose inhibition! What if someone else tried to do to you what I'd done? So I called on the arts, on your behalf. To give you protection from everyone."
Was this some elaborate way to regain his trust? "You don't honestly expect me to believe that, do you?"
"I know you think magic isn't real, but look at the facts! Our kind aren't supposed to procreate! It usually kills any of us! For you to do it more than once, without being harmed--I caused that. The timing of my incantation...I said it incorrectly, or I panicked and my intent was unclear. Whichever it was, something about the way I was trying to protect went wrong, and I gave you the ability to procreate instead."
So he hadn't been paranoid for no reason, in trying to keep his children a secret. He really wasn't supposed to be able to have the children he'd had.
All is Not As it Seems - 6d
anonymous
September 26 2010, 06:05:33 UTC
"I can leave," England said unhappily. "If you want me gone, America, I would understand completely."
"No," America said, reluctantly, knowing Virginia wasn't going to like the change of plans. "I have questions for you. You're going to stay and explain everything to me. And if she'll have anything to do with you, I want you to talk to Virginia. She has a right to know her father, and she probably has questions too."
*** A/N: ...I wonder if I should have warned for breastfeeding? 0_o I've seen discussions with people saying mpreg characters shouldn't be able to breastfeed--dude, it's mpreg. It's already using the implausible! Might as well go all the way!
Re: All is Not As it Seems - 6d
anonymous
September 26 2010, 06:14:27 UTC
Oh shit, we're getting an explanation? Awesome! <3 (But dear god, England, learn to word things more carefully.)
Males technically can lactate, in weird circumstances, so it's certainly more likely the actual pregnancy! So, uh, even though it's "gross," there's no reason to complain about implausibility if you can accept mpreg, I'd say. OTL
Re: All is Not As it Seems - 6d
anonymous
September 26 2010, 20:47:50 UTC
YAY an explanation! Finally! And it's nice and plausible.
And just FYI males in real life can breastfeed. It takes some doing and it's easier for some to do it than others, but they can, if stimulated properly. Mpreg may be impossible but male breastfeeding does happen, so no worries!
For a few minutes, America experienced bliss, in the comfort of England's embrace. Everything was going to be alright, America was certain; England could fix all of America's worries: Virginia's disobedience, how exhausting caring for the baby was, all the hiding America had had to do from the countries and his citizens, how he was going to continue providing for his children now that there were two. All that was over now.
Or so he thought. America hadn't considered he might be investing too much faith in England.
Virginia walked into the room, carrying her baby brother. Confused over why her father was hugging this man she'd never seen before, she simply stared at England, who, for his part, took one look past America at Virginia and couldn't not notice that this child had suspiciously similar eyebrows and eye coloring.
England let go of America and lost all coherency once again. America was wondering how badly England was going to take this when England was able to quit stammering and nervously demanded, "Who are these two? You know the settlers aren't supposed to be here! Why are you inviting them to the house? How often have you done this?"
Damn. That bit of happiness had been short lived. "They live here."
"What would possess you to do such a thing?"
"Relax, they're not settlers."
"Then what are they?" England appeared to be in no mood for games.
In America's defense, this wasn't a game. It had been so long since he'd seen England that he'd never bothered to think how he was going to break the news of Virginia to the country. "They're mine," he answered, deciding being short and to the point would be best, in this situation.
"Yours. Funny. Whose are they really?"
"They're mine. Seriously." America was a little concerned that England wasn't believing him.
England gave America an impatient look like this was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard anyone say. "You took in settler children? Has it even occured to you just how bad an idea that is? Where did you get them from? They need to go back!"
"Go back?" Virginia said. "I'm not going anywhere, this is my home! Why don't you go back? Alfred, why is this man yelling and giving orders? Who is he?"
For a moment, America thought England was going to direct his yelling at Virginia, but then he focused his gaze back onto America. "See how rude that one is? You're a bad influence already! Those children need to go to people who will discipline them!"
"I do not need discipline!"
"They're not going anywhere. When I said they're mine, I didn't mean I found them and took them in. They're mine."
He could tell England was trying to come up with any other possibility, rather than take America's words at face value. Did he truly not believe him, or did he just not want to believe him? "They're...yours?"
"Yes." Was he actually accepting it?
"You...had them? You did?"
"Yes."
Virginia frowned. "This is my father? He's England?" She glared at England. "Why are you yelling at America?" It was the first time she'd ever called her father by his real name.
England did not seem to hear his daughter. He was staring at America in shock. "Why aren't you dead?"
Unable to believe he'd heard right, America watched England uneasily, hoping he'd laugh awkwardly and say it was just a bad joke, or he'd apologize and try to help America figure out how this had happened.
Virginia was angered enough to challenge England's question when America could not. "Why would you say something like that? How dare you go on about rudeness, then ask him such a thing! What's your problem?"
England gave no answer.
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"...America...?"
"You can't call me that when anyone else is around," he said. Strange, he sounded perfectly normal. "It was fine in front of England, and when you, me, and your brother are alone, but not in front of anyone else, do you understand?"
She nodded, looking as upset as he felt. "Why would he ask that?" she said, in a very small voice. "Does he want you dead?"
America motioned for her to come sit with him. She burst into tears and sank down on the floor beside him, burying her face against his shoulder. He held her close and stroked her hair, his hurt being replaced by anger--he didn't care how big a shock this was to England, what was he thinking talking like that in front of children? Couldn't he have waited two minutes till Virginia and New Netherland were out of earshot?
"England's been gone eight years," he told Virginia. "You get priority over him. You and your brother both. Don't worry about what England says, I'm the one taking care of you and I won't let anything change."
Virginia clung tighter to him. New Netherland kept on sleeping peacefully.
***
It was only after Virginia stopped crying and calmed down that America left the bedroom, looking for England.
The country hadn't left the room they'd been talking in. He was standing still, for all appearances arguing fiercely with himself.
"There was no leeway in how I worded that! I made sure there wasn't! But then how could this happen? Twice! What did I say?"
What was this all about?
"Was I still drunk? Did it turn out to the opposite effect?"
The hell with this; England could worry out loud later, after he was gone. America wanted a word with him over that bit of nastiness England had pulled in front of their little girl, and then he was making England leave. If England wanted ownership of the house, he should have stayed here, not taken off for nearly ten years. "England!"
England turned around. He was pale and something in his eyes made America hesitate. The colony was about to go through on telling his guardian to get out, when England suddenly said, bluntly, "I used black magic on you."
Caught off guard, America was silenced. Wasn't magic just a lot of fancy hand tricks? What did England's hobbies have to do with America's current problems?
"I wanted to protect you," England continued, haltingly. "Even if I never drank again, how was I to know I'd never lose control some other way? Look how little it took for me to lose inhibition! What if someone else tried to do to you what I'd done? So I called on the arts, on your behalf. To give you protection from everyone."
Was this some elaborate way to regain his trust? "You don't honestly expect me to believe that, do you?"
"I know you think magic isn't real, but look at the facts! Our kind aren't supposed to procreate! It usually kills any of us! For you to do it more than once, without being harmed--I caused that. The timing of my incantation...I said it incorrectly, or I panicked and my intent was unclear. Whichever it was, something about the way I was trying to protect went wrong, and I gave you the ability to procreate instead."
So he hadn't been paranoid for no reason, in trying to keep his children a secret. He really wasn't supposed to be able to have the children he'd had.
Reply
"No," America said, reluctantly, knowing Virginia wasn't going to like the change of plans. "I have questions for you. You're going to stay and explain everything to me. And if she'll have anything to do with you, I want you to talk to Virginia. She has a right to know her father, and she probably has questions too."
***
A/N: ...I wonder if I should have warned for breastfeeding? 0_o I've seen discussions with people saying mpreg characters shouldn't be able to breastfeed--dude, it's mpreg. It's already using the implausible! Might as well go all the way!
More to come, obviously. Thanks for reading! ♥
Reply
Males technically can lactate, in weird circumstances, so it's certainly more likely the actual pregnancy! So, uh, even though it's "gross," there's no reason to complain about implausibility if you can accept mpreg, I'd say. OTL
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England, stop trying to leave. That was pretty much the cause of all this in the first place. ;A;
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And just FYI males in real life can breastfeed. It takes some doing and it's easier for some to do it than others, but they can, if stimulated properly. Mpreg may be impossible but male breastfeeding does happen, so no worries!
Awesome fill, can't wait for the next part!
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