Letters That Touched A Heart (1/1)
Title: Letters That Touched A Heart
Rating/Warnings: T
Summary: England has a habit of kissing his letter's before he sends them, America decides in the end he wants some of that.
Notes: Wrote for the USUK sweethearts week Day 1, putting it here to keep my stuff together and such.
For as long as America can remember, whenever he would sit and watch England write letters at his desk it was something special. Not only did he get to see his caretaker's long looping beautiful penmanship but to see him so focused on something was of much interest. He would watch England's face as he scrunched it up in thought and then looked pleased with whatever he had come up with. Scrawling it down on paper with Quills.
America's favorite part was always last. When England would finish a letter he would fold it up and seal it with wax and his stamp. While the wax was still warm he'd bring it up to his lips with a short kiss, as if to wish the letter well until it got to it's intended recipient. America always wondered why England would show such affection to little letter when he knew he could be far harsher to any human who worked for him.
It made it easier when England wasn't around. When America was all alone on his land. He couldn't watch England write letters but he didn't mind. He was on the receiving end of them now. Every time a new boat arrived, there would be a letter for him, maybe even more then one if he was lucky. He would treat them preciously, and hold the paper close to his heart, run his hands over the wax seal that told him England had thought about him even while an ocean away.
He would know that England had sent this letter off with a kiss too, to protect it until it was in his small hands.
It was when America got older that it got more difficult. The revolution had created a rift and he himself was in isolation. Nothing came in or went out, including letters. When he did get something it was only to bother him with other countries wanting to involve him in their business. He would have none of it. He missed the simple letters, not the official documents. England's well wishes sent to him, not the fighting and passive aggressive threats.
Time passes as it always does thankfully and relations are repaired and battered and repaired again. Time's may have been better but there were still no visits and letter's were far and few. The world had moved beyond wax seals and parchment and quills. The mail no longer required waiting for a single boat every few months. Still England preferred his communications to be very official. America may have been acting spoiled when he responded to England's stiffness with his impartialness at being requested to join the wars, but he didn't care. Not until he received a very humble letter. It was written on cheap paper and the writing was not printed, but hand written and almost shaky. It was not addressed to "The United States of America" but simply to "Alfred".
He would have lied if he said he hadn't been touched to the point of tears at this letter. He could imagine England sitting down to write it, on a desk that must have looked similar to the one that had taken residence in his old house. He wondered if England would have used a pen or if he had gotten old fashioned and broke out a quill and ink pot. The Splotches of the writing could attest to either one. America smiled faintly and touched the envelope where it closed. Most of all he wondered if England still kissed his personal letters before he sent them. Before he knew it, America found himself touching his own lips to that spot.
Not long after America found himself taking the initiative and visiting England instead of waiting for England to visit him. He got over the lack of letters and became more interested in things like email and texting. It was quicker, he liked quicker. It meant he didn't have to wait. When he had to wait he would plow his way through and do things his own way. How very relevant for when he was sitting in England house, watching England's TV, and avoiding England's cookies on a porcelain plate on the table. England said he had work to do and would join America later for some "tele" time as he called it. So America was waiting, and it had been two whole episodes of "Dancing with the Stars" later when he finally decided he had enough of waiting.
Getting up from the couch he found his way through England's house easy enough. He visited rather often now-a-days and knew where England would be holed up working. He found the door to England's study cracked. Deciding to be quiet so he could peek in on the other man, he looked in. England was the picture of what America remembered, sitting at that desk so long ago in his home, pouring over it with focus. His eyes trailing over a piece of paper he must have just finished up with. The older nation nodded seemingly satisfied and folded it up, placing it into an envelope with care. He closed the envelope and tapped it to make sure the sticky kept it firmly shut. America let out a low gasp when England brought the modern paper to his lips. England was in the process of putting the letter in his "out" pile when he heard the soft noise and looked up at America's glasses peeking through the door.
"Come in, I was just about finished up."
America did as he was told and slipped into the room quietly. " I ..I didn't know you still did that." He looked curious and stunned at the same time.
England just raised one impressive eyebrow at him. "Still did what?" He asked eyeing the American as if he made no sense what so ever.
America looked to the side,"That you still...That you.." He seemed flustered at the thought of actually saying the words now. It seemed silly to ask England if he kissed all of his letter's still. The image of those lips against paper was still freshly burned into his mind as well. Those soft lips, so thin and usually pulled tight into a scowl or another frowning line of some sort.
"Well, spit it out already." England seemed to be quickly getting annoyed at America's sudden lack of words when he had been the one to start the strange topic at hand.
America saw this and since he didn't like wait, even if it was for his mouth to catch up with the rest of him, he toke action. If he couldn't tell England then he'd show him. Stepping forwards America quickly brought himself up to England and placed a chaste kiss on the other man's lips.
A very confused but uncomplaining England looked up at taller boy with a quizzical expression. America quickly righted himself and pushed the words out of his mouth now that they had gathered there.
"Your letters, you still..kiss them before you send them, like you did when.." He trailed off as England held up a hand to stop his flow of words. "Yes I do, if that was what you were trying to ask." The older man looked flushed and flustered but was trying to hide it as he continued," and I know your better at expressing yourself with actions as your not too eloquent, but was it really necessary to..kiss me!"
"Yeah,..yeah it was." America said as he grinned foolishly, elated at what he had done. "and if you don't mind. I'd like to try it again sometime."
England scoffed but couldn't meet America's eyes. "What..do you fancy yourself as being one of my letters?" It was the best comeback he could think of while he mind ran a mile a minute.
It's intended affect, whatever it was, flew right over America's head. "No, if that was the case, you should be kissing me." he stated proudly.
England's face heated further if that was possible but he looked resolved now and directly at America like he had a plan of some sort. " Then come back over here, won't you."