Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (10/10)
anonymous
July 6 2009, 17:47:41 UTC
England paused, then froze at a light, cool touch on his arm. He half turned, to find America's hand resting there. She was still smiling.
“You can see the stars,” she said.
Hesitatingly, he lowered the umbrella to his side and folded it up, then raised his head. America was right. The black space formerly shrouded by clouds was now, in contrast to their luck so far, dusted with stars reflected in the puddles around their feet. America slid her hand around his shoulders until, unless England was much mistaken, she was embracing him. She didn't move away despite the shock which must have been obvious on his face.
“What's up with you? I thought you were bored with this. You haven't even gloated that you won.”
“Did I?” she asked. England couldn't believe it. She sounded as if she was about to laugh - about to laugh, even though her clothes were soaked through with rain, her hair ragged and her feet sore from her dancing shoes.
“I did sort of assume that being soaked to the skin in the middle of a cold street at night translated into me losing. Do correct me if I'm wrong.”
“I've been thinking, and don't interrupt saying that that makes a change. I was thinking about all of the other people I've known, and it sort of... made me realize, I guess.”
“Realise what?”
“Romance, even traditional romance... it doesn't have to be about dancing and gifts and really boring poetry. It's about being with the other person. That's all.”
For the first time, the silence wasn't awkward. England had no desire to break it, not when he could stand in the now crystal clear air with America against his side. Her touch kept the cold from him and, more importantly, supported him, because he was sure that he would otherwise have collapsed at her last speech.
When he finally found words to talk, he said,
“Even when the other person is boring?”
“It hasn't been boring. You've shown me new stuff, and even if it wasn't my sort of thing you tried. You tried really hard, and for me. What could be more romantic than that?”
Now, England knew, his mouth was hanging open. Shocked, on second thought, didn't even begin to cover it. Nor did gobsmacked and flabbergasted, the alternatives his mental thesaurus was throwing up. This was unbelievable. Then again, America always had liked to deny convention. She grinned.
“But don't let it get to your head, okay? Like you said, it doesn't mean anything. You were only proving it's not stupid, right?”
His disbelief reached its highest point as she leaned down, kissed him - and was gone.
She kicked off her dancing shoes and, barefoot, skipped ahead. She took England's hand and pulled him into her own dance. Finally managing to move in unison, they danced through the puddles to the sound of nothing but their own laughter, scattering raindrops filled with the mirror image of stars. Painfully hackneyed, absolutely insane - and what better definition was there of romance?
The moment trapped in the raindrops was a perfect moment. Unlike England's solitude with his tea and the newspaper, there really was nothing which could disturb it. Nothing.
--
Thanks for all the comments, guys, they're really appreciated. I hope this is all right, OP!
Re: Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (10/10)
anonymous
July 6 2009, 22:33:00 UTC
The scene with America emerging in a dress and striking England dumb - while NOT NOTICING and complaining bitterly every step of the way - is perhaps the most lolworthy part. My favorite at any rate. But the ending - that was d'awwwwwww, with her admitting he showed her something, and dancing in the rain, awwwwww.
(Also, the part where she remembers that no one tries to be tender with America, that everyone starts getting wild-eyed if she gets too close, was heartugging)
Re: Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (10/10)
anonymous
July 7 2009, 02:55:06 UTC
This was such a sweet story~ My favorite parts were the one with the rose and the ending. The ending was wonderful, and I loved how they danced in the rain. England tried very hard, didn't he?
Re: Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (10/10)
anonymous
July 7 2009, 03:42:24 UTC
This anon rarely ever reads Het stories, but dammit author anon, this was amazing. I was crying along with America when she discovered the rose on her pillow, why do you toy with my emotions so. This seemed amazingly in character and the point is, I love you Author!anon.
Re: Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (10/10)
anonymous
July 7 2009, 03:50:33 UTC
Oh anon, you are awesome ♥ I was keeping my eye on this request and you delivered wonderfully! I really loved it (oh England you tried so hard XD) and you did a great job =)
Seriously, the whole England trying to be romantic and being a bore and America not getting any of it and then the rose on the pillow and America being alone and GUH. AARGH. ILU ANON.
“You can see the stars,” she said.
Hesitatingly, he lowered the umbrella to his side and folded it up, then raised his head. America was right. The black space formerly shrouded by clouds was now, in contrast to their luck so far, dusted with stars reflected in the puddles around their feet. America slid her hand around his shoulders until, unless England was much mistaken, she was embracing him. She didn't move away despite the shock which must have been obvious on his face.
“What's up with you? I thought you were bored with this. You haven't even gloated that you won.”
“Did I?” she asked. England couldn't believe it. She sounded as if she was about to laugh - about to laugh, even though her clothes were soaked through with rain, her hair ragged and her feet sore from her dancing shoes.
“I did sort of assume that being soaked to the skin in the middle of a cold street at night translated into me losing. Do correct me if I'm wrong.”
“I've been thinking, and don't interrupt saying that that makes a change. I was thinking about all of the other people I've known, and it sort of... made me realize, I guess.”
“Realise what?”
“Romance, even traditional romance... it doesn't have to be about dancing and gifts and really boring poetry. It's about being with the other person. That's all.”
For the first time, the silence wasn't awkward. England had no desire to break it, not when he could stand in the now crystal clear air with America against his side. Her touch kept the cold from him and, more importantly, supported him, because he was sure that he would otherwise have collapsed at her last speech.
When he finally found words to talk, he said,
“Even when the other person is boring?”
“It hasn't been boring. You've shown me new stuff, and even if it wasn't my sort of thing you tried. You tried really hard, and for me. What could be more romantic than that?”
Now, England knew, his mouth was hanging open. Shocked, on second thought, didn't even begin to cover it. Nor did gobsmacked and flabbergasted, the alternatives his mental thesaurus was throwing up. This was unbelievable. Then again, America always had liked to deny convention. She grinned.
“But don't let it get to your head, okay? Like you said, it doesn't mean anything. You were only proving it's not stupid, right?”
His disbelief reached its highest point as she leaned down, kissed him - and was gone.
She kicked off her dancing shoes and, barefoot, skipped ahead. She took England's hand and pulled him into her own dance. Finally managing to move in unison, they danced through the puddles to the sound of nothing but their own laughter, scattering raindrops filled with the mirror image of stars. Painfully hackneyed, absolutely insane - and what better definition was there of romance?
The moment trapped in the raindrops was a perfect moment. Unlike England's solitude with his tea and the newspaper, there really was nothing which could disturb it. Nothing.
--
Thanks for all the comments, guys, they're really appreciated. I hope this is all right, OP!
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(Also, the part where she remembers that no one tries to be tender with America, that everyone starts getting wild-eyed if she gets too close, was heartugging)
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<3
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England wooing Fem!America with Shakespeare=BEST SCENE EVER
England is a doll in this, so gentlemanly and cute.
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HAVE MY BABIES ANON.
Seriously, the whole England trying to be romantic and being a bore and America not getting any of it and then the rose on the pillow and America being alone and GUH. AARGH. ILU ANON.
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