Hetalia Fic: Avalon (pt. 4/5)
Title: Avalon (part 4/5)
Author/Artist: geministar01
Character(s) or Pairing(s): US, UK, Canada, France, off-screen cameo of Japan and mentions of various others. Sort’ve US/UK, if you squint. Also kinda US/Canada in later chapters, but not really. It’s hard to tell between family love and romantic love sometimes, you know?
Rating: PG/K+
Warnings: Character death, but with a happy ending.
Summary: “The old world is dying, Alfred. Arthur is just the first.” People, animals, governments and nations all pass away, but life and love will always find away to continue on….
About the time that the sun began to duck down behind the tops of the trees, Avalon yawned wide enough to show off his tonsils, rubbing his eye with a little paw-like fist. America grinned at this and leaned down, patting the little boy on the head. “Getting kinda sleepy, are you?”
“Uh-huh,” Avalon yawned again, then popped his jaw back into place and shook his head violently. “But I can stay awake as long as you’re here, America!”
“Is that so?” America straightened, wincing a bit as he felt a crick pop out of his back, and turned his eyes to the horizon. The sky was starting to turn a deep orange, and there were purple clouds on the horizon, heralding an oncoming storm. “Ah, I didn’t realize how late it was. My brother’s probably all worried.”
Avalon’s face fell. “Does that mean you’re leaving?”
“I’m afraid so.” America sighed, feeling as disappointed as the little boy looked. Then a new idea - a brilliant idea - sparked into his mind, and renewed his smile. “Unless you’d like to come with me.”
“Come with you?” Avalon asked, his words slurred by exhaustion and bewilderment. “What do you mean?”
“Back to my house. Well, it really isn’t my house, but it could be yours,” America chuckled a bit, running a hand through the hair on the back of his own head. “Actually, it’s bound to be yours. Seems only right, and I’m sure old Arthur would agree…”
“I don’t get it,” said Avalon miserably, and yawned again.
America stooped down and swept the little boy into his arms. Avalon’s arms wrapped around his neck automatically, and he leaned his head against the larger shoulder like a pillow.
“I’m asking you if you’d like to live in a big house all your own, so you don’t have to sleep out in the rain anymore,” America’s grin widened, his words growing more and more rapid as his excitement began to build. “And you’ll have a nice soft bed and warm baths and lots of rooms to hide in. And you’ll meet my brother, and he’ll teach you to cook, ‘cause I’m no good at it, and it’ll be like…like a family.”
“A family?”
“Yeah. A family,” America hugged Avalon tightly, breathing in his sweet scent one more time. “Just you and your…big brother.”
“Big brother,” Avalon repeated, committing the idea to memory, and yawned again. “Does that mean I should call you Nii-san?”
A lump rose up in America’s throat. “That would be…I mean…just call me whatever you want.”
“America-nii-san,” Avalon decided resolutely, and closed his eyes. “Big Brother America…I like that…”
With those last trailing words, he drifted to sleep, his head pillowed happily in the crux of America’s shoulder. America watched him sleep in peace for just a moment, stroking his hair as he thought. Then he sighed and headed back up the road to England’s old home.
( - )
“Alfred!”
Canada burst from the door the minute his brother appeared at the garden gate, still in his red apron adorned with the white maple leaf that England had made him for a birthday once upon a time. He dashed up the slick cobblestone path with all the speed and grace of a young moose on an icy mountain trail, sliding to a stop inches before colliding with America head-on. “Jesus Christ, Al, you had me worried sick! Do you have any idea how late it is?”
“Sorry Mattie,” said Alfred and, to his credit, he really did sound sorry. “I guess I just got a bit distracted.”
He shifted the bundle in his arms. Canada’s eyes widened behind his glasses. “Is that a -”
“Yeah. He’s one of us.”
Canada sucked in his breath and leaned over Avalon hesitantly, afraid to wake the sleeping child. With gentle hands, he brushed the silky white bangs away from his forehead. “Those eyebrows. Do you think he’s -”
“England’s. Yeah. At least, I think he is. He says his name’s Avalon.”
“Wow,” breathed Canada, and he didn’t even look annoyed that America had cut him off twice in a row. He kept a hand in Avalon’s hair, marveling at just how soft it was, and how tender his skin. “He’s so tiny, he must be really new. I guess this means China was right about new countries coming in to take over from the old. You said his name is Avalon? I wonder how long he’s been -”
“Take him.”
Canada nearly bit off the tip of his own tongue. “Huh?”
“Take him, Mattie,” America begged - actually begged! - looking at his brother with huge, terrified eyes. “You have to take him. Look at him, he’s so little, he needs somebody to take care of him.”
“But why me?!”
“Because I can’t!” America moved as though he was going to thrust Avalon into his brother’s arms, but Canada backed off just in time. “I can’t be a big brother, a father figure, I’ll mess it up! I’ll mess him up, I’ll ruin him! I’m too reckless, too short-sighted, I can’t even take care of myself! But you…you’re so responsible, Mattie. You’ll take good care of him, I know you will, and I’ll just stay out of your way from now on. So please…take him.”
Canada looked his brother in the eye for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “No.”
“Mattie, please!”
“I can’t do that, Alfred! I can’t just steal him from you!”
That brought America up short, and he clutched Avalon as though Canada had suggested they eat him. Canada smiled the tired, exasperated smile of a caretaker. “Just look at him, Al. He’s known you, what, a few hours? Half a day? And he already loves you. And you wouldn’t be so scared of hurting him if you didn’t love him just as much.
“Besides, I think you need him.”
“Me?” America’s face softened a bit with his brother’s words, his gaze trailing to the boy in his arms hesitantly. “Why would I…?”
“Because Arthur.”
America’s face continued to soften, as though it were melting and taking his ability to form coherent expressions along with it. He just stared at Avalon with gentle eyes - loving eyes, the way he had looked at England when the older man wasn’t looking back.
Canada let his smile widen, with some hesitation. He shuffled closer until he was sure that America wasn’t going to freak out again, resting a hand on each of his brother’s arms. “You’re a good guy, Al. You’ll be a good brother for him. You were always good to me.”
“No I wasn’t.”
“…Okay, yeah, that was a lie,” Canada shook his head. “But you’ve grown up since then. The whole world has. It’s different now.” He voice dropped slightly, tinged dark with the concern from his phone call with Kiku. “Everything’s different now.”
And it was true. They both knew it in their bones.
America turned his gaze on the child in his arms once more. He was afraid and uncertain. The emotions didn’t suit him, they made him look worn and aged. The maturity he wore well, it had been long coming; but the extra burden of fear was just unwelcome and painful.
Canada made up his mind in that moment, shifting a bit closer to his brother with a smile. “If you’re really that worried, we can take care of him together.”
America jerked back around, surprised. “Together?”
“Yeah - you and me,” Canada said, resting his hands on the back of Avalon’s shoulders in a sign of camaraderie. “Nobody ever said there could only be one big brother, right? So, let’s look out for him together. We can be one big family.”
“A family…” It took another moment of contemplation, but America finally grinned at that. “Yeah…Yeah! That sounds great, Mattie! It’s such an awesome idea!”
He laughed, and it brought a genuine smile to Canada’s face. This was the America he knew. That fire, youth and love of life had been a part of his twin since the beginning. It defined him, energized him and radiated from him to brighten the lives of everything and everyone around him.
If America were to ever really lose that…that, Canada decided, would really be the end of the world.
As though sensing his melancholic thoughts, America turned to his brother with his trademark 100-watt grin. “C’mere, Matt.”
He tossed his arm - the one that wasn’t supporting Avalon - around Canada’s neck and dragged him in for a hug. Canada yelped, lost his balance and tumbled into America’s grip, one arm scrambling for a hold on his twin’s shoulders, the other wrapping instinctively around Avalon to make sure the child was secure. America continued to chuckle, squeezing both of the bodies in arms tight with love and affection.
“You’re the best, Mattie,” America whispered against his brother’s hair. “You really are. Thanks. For everything.”
“You…You’re welcome,” Canada muttered, and blushed at how stupid that sounded.
Avalon yawned. Canada and America froze on the spot.
“Ack!” America gasped. “We woke him up!”
“Ah…America nii-san?” Avalon questioned, his vowels slurring together sleepily. He opened his eyes, blinked a few times and stared up at the twins in confusion. “There are two of you now.”
America laughed at that. Canada chuckled awkwardly, trying to back away, but America grabbed his hand to keep him close by. “Nah, there’s only one of me. This is the brother I was tell you about, Canada. Your other big brother.”
Avalon turned his head to the side. “I have another brother?”
“Now you do,” America grinned and set the boy down on his feet. “We’re a family, kiddo. From here on out.”
Avalon slipped his hand into America’s, tiny fingers clinging to the much larger digits like an insect clutching to a blade of glass. He turned his wide blue eyes to Canada questioningly.
Canada smiled down at him and was suddenly struck by a wave of uncertainty. What if Avalon didn’t like him? He’d taken to America quickly enough, but what if that was only because England had been so close to the older North American brother? What if Canada was too quiet for him or too unnoticeable or too…too French?
Finally, after what seemed like ages, Avalon stuck out his free hand and grasped at the air. Canada got the hint, leaning down to take the offer the same way America had.
“We’re a family,” Avalon said softly, squeezing both of his brother’s hands. “I think I like that a lot.”
America’s grin widened, and Canada could hear the cheesy old line bubbling out of him before it could even be spoken. “You know guys, I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful…”
His own stomach cut him off with a growl. Canada grinned knowingly. “Uh-huh. How about we just start with some dinner?”
America scuffed the ground with the toe of his boot like a sheepish child. “Can we have burgers?”
“I don’t know,” Canada said slowly. He still felt a little miffed about having to throw out America’s breakfast. A complete waste of perfectly good maple syrup! “We might be all out of beef.”
“Aw, c’mon, Mattie, please?”
Avalon tugged on Canada’s hand. “Nii-san, what’s a burger?”
America looked horrified. “You hear that? Mattie, did you hear that? He has no idea what a burger is! We can’t have that! He must be introduced to the awesome!”
“Okay, okay, fine!” Canada relented, raising his free hand in surrender. “But I’m doing the cooking.”
“Deal!”
They headed back to the house, with little Avalon swinging from their hands and giggling at their banter without a care in the world. Soon enough, Canada was chuckling as well, trading jokes and games with the smaller boy as they made their way into the kitchen.
Alfred paused by the door, letting Canada and Avalon go in ahead. He rested a hand on the old, worn wood of the door frame and stared out at the overgrown farmlands. The sun had almost set, swallowed the sea that was exactly as it had been before, its steady waves a constant reminder of its eternal presence. America smiled.
“Good night, England,” he said softly. “And thank you.”
(There’s one more chapter to this! It snuck up on me. ^.^; Stay tuned!)
Author/Artist: geministar01
Character(s) or Pairing(s): US, UK, Canada, France, off-screen cameo of Japan and mentions of various others. Sort’ve US/UK, if you squint. Also kinda US/Canada in later chapters, but not really. It’s hard to tell between family love and romantic love sometimes, you know?
Rating: PG/K+
Warnings: Character death, but with a happy ending.
Summary: “The old world is dying, Alfred. Arthur is just the first.” People, animals, governments and nations all pass away, but life and love will always find away to continue on….
About the time that the sun began to duck down behind the tops of the trees, Avalon yawned wide enough to show off his tonsils, rubbing his eye with a little paw-like fist. America grinned at this and leaned down, patting the little boy on the head. “Getting kinda sleepy, are you?”
“Uh-huh,” Avalon yawned again, then popped his jaw back into place and shook his head violently. “But I can stay awake as long as you’re here, America!”
“Is that so?” America straightened, wincing a bit as he felt a crick pop out of his back, and turned his eyes to the horizon. The sky was starting to turn a deep orange, and there were purple clouds on the horizon, heralding an oncoming storm. “Ah, I didn’t realize how late it was. My brother’s probably all worried.”
Avalon’s face fell. “Does that mean you’re leaving?”
“I’m afraid so.” America sighed, feeling as disappointed as the little boy looked. Then a new idea - a brilliant idea - sparked into his mind, and renewed his smile. “Unless you’d like to come with me.”
“Come with you?” Avalon asked, his words slurred by exhaustion and bewilderment. “What do you mean?”
“Back to my house. Well, it really isn’t my house, but it could be yours,” America chuckled a bit, running a hand through the hair on the back of his own head. “Actually, it’s bound to be yours. Seems only right, and I’m sure old Arthur would agree…”
“I don’t get it,” said Avalon miserably, and yawned again.
America stooped down and swept the little boy into his arms. Avalon’s arms wrapped around his neck automatically, and he leaned his head against the larger shoulder like a pillow.
“I’m asking you if you’d like to live in a big house all your own, so you don’t have to sleep out in the rain anymore,” America’s grin widened, his words growing more and more rapid as his excitement began to build. “And you’ll have a nice soft bed and warm baths and lots of rooms to hide in. And you’ll meet my brother, and he’ll teach you to cook, ‘cause I’m no good at it, and it’ll be like…like a family.”
“A family?”
“Yeah. A family,” America hugged Avalon tightly, breathing in his sweet scent one more time. “Just you and your…big brother.”
“Big brother,” Avalon repeated, committing the idea to memory, and yawned again. “Does that mean I should call you Nii-san?”
A lump rose up in America’s throat. “That would be…I mean…just call me whatever you want.”
“America-nii-san,” Avalon decided resolutely, and closed his eyes. “Big Brother America…I like that…”
With those last trailing words, he drifted to sleep, his head pillowed happily in the crux of America’s shoulder. America watched him sleep in peace for just a moment, stroking his hair as he thought. Then he sighed and headed back up the road to England’s old home.
( - )
“Alfred!”
Canada burst from the door the minute his brother appeared at the garden gate, still in his red apron adorned with the white maple leaf that England had made him for a birthday once upon a time. He dashed up the slick cobblestone path with all the speed and grace of a young moose on an icy mountain trail, sliding to a stop inches before colliding with America head-on. “Jesus Christ, Al, you had me worried sick! Do you have any idea how late it is?”
“Sorry Mattie,” said Alfred and, to his credit, he really did sound sorry. “I guess I just got a bit distracted.”
He shifted the bundle in his arms. Canada’s eyes widened behind his glasses. “Is that a -”
“Yeah. He’s one of us.”
Canada sucked in his breath and leaned over Avalon hesitantly, afraid to wake the sleeping child. With gentle hands, he brushed the silky white bangs away from his forehead. “Those eyebrows. Do you think he’s -”
“England’s. Yeah. At least, I think he is. He says his name’s Avalon.”
“Wow,” breathed Canada, and he didn’t even look annoyed that America had cut him off twice in a row. He kept a hand in Avalon’s hair, marveling at just how soft it was, and how tender his skin. “He’s so tiny, he must be really new. I guess this means China was right about new countries coming in to take over from the old. You said his name is Avalon? I wonder how long he’s been -”
“Take him.”
Canada nearly bit off the tip of his own tongue. “Huh?”
“Take him, Mattie,” America begged - actually begged! - looking at his brother with huge, terrified eyes. “You have to take him. Look at him, he’s so little, he needs somebody to take care of him.”
“But why me?!”
“Because I can’t!” America moved as though he was going to thrust Avalon into his brother’s arms, but Canada backed off just in time. “I can’t be a big brother, a father figure, I’ll mess it up! I’ll mess him up, I’ll ruin him! I’m too reckless, too short-sighted, I can’t even take care of myself! But you…you’re so responsible, Mattie. You’ll take good care of him, I know you will, and I’ll just stay out of your way from now on. So please…take him.”
Canada looked his brother in the eye for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “No.”
“Mattie, please!”
“I can’t do that, Alfred! I can’t just steal him from you!”
That brought America up short, and he clutched Avalon as though Canada had suggested they eat him. Canada smiled the tired, exasperated smile of a caretaker. “Just look at him, Al. He’s known you, what, a few hours? Half a day? And he already loves you. And you wouldn’t be so scared of hurting him if you didn’t love him just as much.
“Besides, I think you need him.”
“Me?” America’s face softened a bit with his brother’s words, his gaze trailing to the boy in his arms hesitantly. “Why would I…?”
“Because Arthur.”
America’s face continued to soften, as though it were melting and taking his ability to form coherent expressions along with it. He just stared at Avalon with gentle eyes - loving eyes, the way he had looked at England when the older man wasn’t looking back.
Canada let his smile widen, with some hesitation. He shuffled closer until he was sure that America wasn’t going to freak out again, resting a hand on each of his brother’s arms. “You’re a good guy, Al. You’ll be a good brother for him. You were always good to me.”
“No I wasn’t.”
“…Okay, yeah, that was a lie,” Canada shook his head. “But you’ve grown up since then. The whole world has. It’s different now.” He voice dropped slightly, tinged dark with the concern from his phone call with Kiku. “Everything’s different now.”
And it was true. They both knew it in their bones.
America turned his gaze on the child in his arms once more. He was afraid and uncertain. The emotions didn’t suit him, they made him look worn and aged. The maturity he wore well, it had been long coming; but the extra burden of fear was just unwelcome and painful.
Canada made up his mind in that moment, shifting a bit closer to his brother with a smile. “If you’re really that worried, we can take care of him together.”
America jerked back around, surprised. “Together?”
“Yeah - you and me,” Canada said, resting his hands on the back of Avalon’s shoulders in a sign of camaraderie. “Nobody ever said there could only be one big brother, right? So, let’s look out for him together. We can be one big family.”
“A family…” It took another moment of contemplation, but America finally grinned at that. “Yeah…Yeah! That sounds great, Mattie! It’s such an awesome idea!”
He laughed, and it brought a genuine smile to Canada’s face. This was the America he knew. That fire, youth and love of life had been a part of his twin since the beginning. It defined him, energized him and radiated from him to brighten the lives of everything and everyone around him.
If America were to ever really lose that…that, Canada decided, would really be the end of the world.
As though sensing his melancholic thoughts, America turned to his brother with his trademark 100-watt grin. “C’mere, Matt.”
He tossed his arm - the one that wasn’t supporting Avalon - around Canada’s neck and dragged him in for a hug. Canada yelped, lost his balance and tumbled into America’s grip, one arm scrambling for a hold on his twin’s shoulders, the other wrapping instinctively around Avalon to make sure the child was secure. America continued to chuckle, squeezing both of the bodies in arms tight with love and affection.
“You’re the best, Mattie,” America whispered against his brother’s hair. “You really are. Thanks. For everything.”
“You…You’re welcome,” Canada muttered, and blushed at how stupid that sounded.
Avalon yawned. Canada and America froze on the spot.
“Ack!” America gasped. “We woke him up!”
“Ah…America nii-san?” Avalon questioned, his vowels slurring together sleepily. He opened his eyes, blinked a few times and stared up at the twins in confusion. “There are two of you now.”
America laughed at that. Canada chuckled awkwardly, trying to back away, but America grabbed his hand to keep him close by. “Nah, there’s only one of me. This is the brother I was tell you about, Canada. Your other big brother.”
Avalon turned his head to the side. “I have another brother?”
“Now you do,” America grinned and set the boy down on his feet. “We’re a family, kiddo. From here on out.”
Avalon slipped his hand into America’s, tiny fingers clinging to the much larger digits like an insect clutching to a blade of glass. He turned his wide blue eyes to Canada questioningly.
Canada smiled down at him and was suddenly struck by a wave of uncertainty. What if Avalon didn’t like him? He’d taken to America quickly enough, but what if that was only because England had been so close to the older North American brother? What if Canada was too quiet for him or too unnoticeable or too…too French?
Finally, after what seemed like ages, Avalon stuck out his free hand and grasped at the air. Canada got the hint, leaning down to take the offer the same way America had.
“We’re a family,” Avalon said softly, squeezing both of his brother’s hands. “I think I like that a lot.”
America’s grin widened, and Canada could hear the cheesy old line bubbling out of him before it could even be spoken. “You know guys, I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful…”
His own stomach cut him off with a growl. Canada grinned knowingly. “Uh-huh. How about we just start with some dinner?”
America scuffed the ground with the toe of his boot like a sheepish child. “Can we have burgers?”
“I don’t know,” Canada said slowly. He still felt a little miffed about having to throw out America’s breakfast. A complete waste of perfectly good maple syrup! “We might be all out of beef.”
“Aw, c’mon, Mattie, please?”
Avalon tugged on Canada’s hand. “Nii-san, what’s a burger?”
America looked horrified. “You hear that? Mattie, did you hear that? He has no idea what a burger is! We can’t have that! He must be introduced to the awesome!”
“Okay, okay, fine!” Canada relented, raising his free hand in surrender. “But I’m doing the cooking.”
“Deal!”
They headed back to the house, with little Avalon swinging from their hands and giggling at their banter without a care in the world. Soon enough, Canada was chuckling as well, trading jokes and games with the smaller boy as they made their way into the kitchen.
Alfred paused by the door, letting Canada and Avalon go in ahead. He rested a hand on the old, worn wood of the door frame and stared out at the overgrown farmlands. The sun had almost set, swallowed the sea that was exactly as it had been before, its steady waves a constant reminder of its eternal presence. America smiled.
“Good night, England,” he said softly. “And thank you.”
(There’s one more chapter to this! It snuck up on me. ^.^; Stay tuned!)