Summer Camp (July 26) If I Didn't Have You
July 26: If I Didn’t Have You-
Title: Aquarium Argument
Pairings: USxUK, mentions of PruAus (very, very minor)
Word Count: 2,231
Genre: Romance
Rating: K+
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(This was originally written for ‘A Whole New World’… but uh, then this kind of ran away and did its own thing for a while (Isolationism?…) and I figured it fit this better so long as I changed the last little bit.
And I have to say, it's probably because it ran away on its own that this definitely isn't my 'best', but I hope it'll suffice.)
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Sometimes England wasn’t a hundred percent sure why he put up with what he did. It seemed like America purposely tried to test his patience. After all, getting excited and yelling every other statement was hardly the behavior he encouraged.
However…
“It’s a dolphin! A dolphin!” America practically squealed, clutching at England’s hand a bit tighter, as if it wasn’t constricting his blood flow already. Unfortunately, the seals were released right then, and America jumped, pitching them both forward until their heads bumped the glass.
“What was that for, you git?!” England demanded, but upon noticing that America’s excited, almost giddy, expression hadn’t wavered in the slightest (and he didn’t really want it to; it was supposed to be a day completely free from those huge, kicked puppy eyes), England just sighed and allowed the superpower to keep on doing what he was doing.
“Look, look! Oh my gosh there are otters, did you know they had otters here?” America asked, eyes wide with joy. England refrained from saying that he’d used entirely too much emphasis in that sentence-if it could even be called a sentence.
“Hm. Yes, I suppose they do have a rather nice variety of different animals,” England said with an all-too-bored tone, inconspicuously glancing at his watch. They still had fifteen minutes left for the water show. With a frustrated sigh, England trained his eyes on the otters. As cute as they were-and they were undoubtedly cute, and one of the more rambunctious of them reminded him all too much of his partner with the way it was forcing the trainer to give all of her attention to him-the show was definitely targeted for a crowd several (hundred) years younger than him.
No one could blame England for being slightly unimpressed. He was only really there because America hadn’t shut up about it for the last few weeks until he’d agreed to go with him, but now…
He was starting to regret it, as America seemed to have lost any desire to act his age-human or nation age. Because, for some odd reason, whenever he saw another new animal, he regressed a year, apparently, and they’d probably have to leave soon, else his mental capacity vanish completely.
England sighed again, hand twitching in its constricting hold. He wondered if he could possibly get away from America for a few minutes, if just to regain the feeling in his hand. It was worth a shot, he decided.
“Say, America-er, Alfred,” he said, trying not to sound too suspicious, but no one had turned around yet, which was good. “Would you mind if I slipped out to use the… restroom, or something like that?”
“Mm?” America asked, still distracted. “What’s that?”
“I need a breather. I’m sure you’ll understand, now if you’ll excuse me,” England said hurriedly, trying to not allow the other to think about his exact words.
Unfortunately, America decided to take that moment-out of every single time he could have chosen to do it in the past!-to read the atmosphere. “O-Oh,” he mumbled, letting go of the other nation’s hand. “If… if you don’t want to be here, we can leave for the rest of the day…”
“What?” England asked, furrowing his eyebrows at him. “Why would you want to do that?”
“N-No reason!” America said quickly, looking away. “Just… You don’t seem to be having a good time, and all… You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I’ll leave with you, if… if you want…” He kept his eyes firmly on the ground.
“I didn’t say I wanted to leave, love,” England reassured him, but America didn’t look convinced. “I… Simply was going to step out for a bit, that’s all. No reason to get upset!”
“You don’t have to lie to me,” America muttered. “I know you don’t want to be here.”
“I… I’ve… No, you’re wrong, I’ve liked every minute of this trip,” England said, slightly panicked at the turn that America’s mood was taking. “I suppose I simply haven’t been showing it very well is all.”
“Right, ‘cause all those comments about the hippo were just because you were trying to say that you liked it but didn’t know how.” America finally tore his eyes away from the ground to level a glare at England. “Look, I don’t know who you’re trying to impress with that attitude, but…”
“I’m not trying to impress anyone!” England snapped. “I’m allowed to like what I want to like!”
At this point, a few people had turned to stare at them, and one young mom had carefully shifted her little ones’ attention back to the show and shot the bickering couple a cold, disapproving look.
“You don’t have to keep other people from expressing themselves the way they want to!” America hissed back, fortunately clueing in that they should stay quiet, lest they get thrown out.
“As if it was having any effect on you,” England scoffed. Keeping his voice low, he added, “You get excited too easily! Just learn to calm down and enjoy things on the inside before shouting them out for everyone to hear!”
“You could do with actually letting a few emotions out every once and a while,” America muttered. “What are you, like, repressing yourself or something? Speak up and say what you want to, geez!”
“Actions speak louder than words, you git,” England hissed. “Now if you’re so set on watching something like this, just sit down, shut up, and enjoy it! We’ll discuss this later!”
They turned away from eachother with a huff, but within minutes, the show had come to a close. America was obviously disappointed that they’d wasted so much time arguing, but he wasn’t quite willing to spit out an ‘I’m sorry’ just yet.
“So actions speak louder than words, huh?” America asked, voice carefully neutral. “What, exactly, were you hoping to say with that one?”
“You don’t have to sound so affronted,” England said evenly. “I work more through subtlety, and you can’t understand me unless I state something bluntly.”
“Not necessarily,” America said with a shrug. “I noticed that, after all that, you didn’t leave before the end of the show.” He paused. “It has to count for something, right?”
“I-I forgot, that’s all,” England muttered. “It wasn’t because I wanted to be anywhere near you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Actually that is what I was thinking,” America said with a shrug. “Just sayin’, you don’t seem the type to forget, is all. I think you stayed ‘cause you secretly wanted to apologize or something.”
“You’re such a narcissist, saying things like that,” England hissed, his arms tense at his sides. “Why would I do something like that for you? You’re not that special to me.”
America was quiet for a moment, but there was an undeniably hurt expression on his face. After a moment, it cleared, and he turned away with an almost frighteningly blank expression. “Well. If that’s so, I suppose you won’t care if I go, then.” He turned around, fully intent on leaving, but England caught his wrist and spun him back around. “L-Let go of me! Obviously you don’t care about me, so just-”
“I shouldn’t have said that,” England confessed. “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it would hurt you if I said something like that.” When America didn’t look cheered in the least bit, he added, “I didn’t mean it, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Then why did you say it?!” America demanded, the hurt look on his face resurfacing.
England swore internally-he’d been hoping all day that he wouldn’t have to see that face again for quite some time.
“Why did you say it if you knew it would hurt me?” America continued, trying to free his hand from England’s, but the other nation held firm.
“I said it because I was angry,” England explained. “We almost always say things we don’t mean when we’re angry, don’t we?”
“But what were you even mad about?!” America demanded. “What cause did you have to try to just leave me there? Were you that miserable there with me?”
“No, I wasn’t,” England tried to reassure him, but failed miserably.
“Then you were just trying to hurt me!” America said, voice getting high and near-hysterical, like it almost always did when he was really, truly upset. “Why?!”
“I was upset with you because you’re constantly hyperactive and you never show the responsible, mature side of you that you and I both know you have!” England explained, gripping onto America’s hand tighter. “And I was irritated because you were paying more attention to the animals than you ever gave to me! Alright?!”
“It isn’t okay!” America shouted. “You always yell at me for calling you cute, but now I’m supposed to? What am I, supposed to be a masochist? You really think I like it when you’re mad at me?”
“You’re supposed to want to be here with me because I’m here with you! Not just because you want to look at cute things!”
“How can you say that?!” America demanded, grabbing hold of one of England’s hands with his free one. England squirmed, but America held firm, just as England held firm to America’s other hand. “I wanted to come here for that reason! You’re the only person I wanted to come here with!”
“But you’re paying more attention to everything else but me!” England shouted, leaning forward. America matched the move, and soon their chests were touching.
Somehow it ended in a kiss. England broke apart first.
“You git! I didn’t want to kiss you!” he said, louder than necessary. He didn’t let go of America’s hand, though, and neither did America release his.
“As if I really wanted to kiss you, either!” America shouted. “You’re the one who leaned in, anyways!”
“I did not!” England argued. “You’re the one who-”
He stopped, though, when a what appeared to be a huge stream of water splashed over him, drenching him from head to toe. America had been hit, too, and was equally soaked, reminding England of a drowned rat.
England suddenly looked down to where they were still holding hands. Guilt washed over him at the expression that America was making-still hurt, but now with a twinge of surprise, probably from the water- and he took an uneasy step backwards. “I…”
“What?” America asked, still obviously upset.
“I’m sorry,” England said, baffled at how easy the words came. “I… don’t know what’s wrong with me today. I didn’t want it to end like this.”
America stared at England a moment, considering him. Finally, he sighed. “Yeah, I didn’t want it to be like this, either. Do you… want to stay here? Or just head home?”
“Whichever you’d like,” England said with a sigh. “I’ve a feeling I should probably make it up to you, honestly. I said some things that were pretty uncalled for.”
“Yeah, I did too,” America confessed, giving England’s hand a squeeze. “Let’s get something to eat first. We can figure out the rest later, can’t we?”
“That sounds perfect,” England agreed. He looked at their equally drenched clothes and sighed. “I’ve a feeling we should stay here ‘till our clothes dry, though. I don’t think we want to get the seats ruined. Did you even bring towels?”
“I thought you were supposed to bring the towels,” America said with a frown. “Didn’t you say you would?”
“No, you said you were going to bring the towels,” England argued, one eyebrow twitching. When America didn’t look convinced, he groaned. “You mean to say that we’re stuck here until our clothes dry completely?”
“Weren’t we going to do that anyways?” America asked, blinking.
“I…” England hesitated. “I don’t want to start another argument.”
“Good plan,” America chirped, taking a single step to meet England, before claiming the other nation’s lips for his own.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, before finally moving apart.
“D’you… want to go see that exhibit, of all the dinosaurs and stuff? I’m pretty sure your brother would appreciate the ‘Nessie’-Dino thing they’re showing,” America said with a grin.
“Mm, I’m not sure,” England said with a smile. “I think I’d prefer to see some… newer editions to the aquatic world.” At America’s baffled glance, he added, “I was thinking that we should see the aquatic mammals. The whales… dolphins… seals…” he paused, before grinning widely. “Otters.”
“And this would be reason number three hundred and eighty-seven that I love you,” America said, linking their fingers together as tight as was comfortable for both of them. “You can be so sweet when you want to!”
England simply smiled again before pressing a soft kiss to the other’s cheek. It was a few minutes before either of them spoke again, but finally England broke the sweet silence. “I don’t think I’d want to be anywhere but here with you.”
America beamed. “I don’t think I’d really be anything if it weren’t for you.”
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“Perfect,” Tony said, with a few more (unprintable) words along-side it. “You got them right on target, then.”
Whale gave his whale-smile, before sending off another jet of water that reached several miles, this time hitting France on the head before he could interrupt Austria and Prussia on their ‘Too-Awesome-to-be-a-Date, Date’.